On October 6th I was doing what I do most Sundays; watching football and losing money. Fuck you Phil Rivers (it kills me to type that).
With the ridiculously unbalanced schedule of 10 (TEN) 1 pm games and two 4/4:25 pm games I was stuck watching the Packers-Cowboys game like most of America in the 4:25 pm slot. As a blogger, when I'm not avoiding daylight, smoking reefer in my mom's basement or disappointing my father I'm watching sports. I like sportz and I don't care who knowz. Now that I have YoutubeTV I can pause live TV to take pictures and videos of my screen. You see, getting a picture or video of something funny or notable during a live sporting event is one of the easiest ways to get a viral tweet.
Maybe someday like the Strokes, amirite?
If you were staring at the tv screen instead of your phone on Sunday you too would've seen President Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Ellen DeGenerous and Lindsay Bluth spending their Sunday afternoon in Jerry Jones' famous luxury box.
Other notable moment's from Jerry's box:
Obviously it was a big deal. I mean we're here right now and caused such a stir that Ellen had to address it on her fucking show.
If you didn't watch the video Ellen mentions that she was invited to the game by Charlotte Jones, daughter of Cowboys owner Jerry Jones and explains the whole day. It's definitely not a foursome you would expect to see together on the links. I saw it in real time Sunday and tweeted it out. I just thought it was a funny group. You don't expect to see these people together. Lamb and Tunafish. Okay, I'll spell it out for you. Ellen is on the Mount Rushmore of famous lesbians (Rosie O'Donnell, Billie Jean King and Elenor Roosevelt complete it) and George Bush is a Republican with a v well-grown track record of being anti-LGBT, despite the fact his VP literally has an alphabet person as a daughter. Very hypocritical, I know! Sadly, internet law clearly states these groups must hate each other like poison, no questions asked. Because of that, her action of sitting in a box at the Cowboy's game with someone who does not agree with her on everything did not go over well on twitter dot com. On GD #internationalLesbianday of all days!
Like all things there are basically two schools of thought. People who majored in the Iraq War and will not allow any sort of respect for George Bush to stand. Classic he said, they/them said.
Then there's the people who either see the beauty in this moment. That people with differing viewpoints aren't letting that stop them from living their life. That what makes us great is the ability to look past our differences. SLASH the hypocrisy of the left.
It's the perfect 2019 story and one that could not go unaddressed on DOL. I could not agree more with Ellen's sentiment even though I do see the complexity of this situation. I love these losers on twitter trying to be all self-righteous about Ellen sitting next to Bush. Like they would make a scene? It's like the same people who say "fuck fill in the name of a famous person" then ask them for a picture together the second they ever see them IRL. I know there is a big difference between Yankees and Red Sox fans being friends and offering an assistant coaching job on your son's little league team to the new child molester who just moved down the street that you met when he told you about said molesting as is legally required. But this has to be the one of the most ridiculous fake outrage things I've ever seen. Even if all the war criminal stuff that I should know more about is true asking her to make a scene in public and refuse to sit next to someone she considers a friend is such an awkward, uncomfortable ask out of somebody in a social situation. You do what we all do, take your lumps and move on. I am by no means a Bush guy (in more ways than one) and still haven't fully ruled him out for knowing about 9/11 beforehand. George Bush is responsible for a lot of terrible things and even more terrible songs but at what point does this left-right divide stop? This is so much bigger than Ellen and W. This whole way people interact now because of Trump broken brain syndrome is not okay! It doesn't fix anything. It's just a merry-go-round of name calling and finger pointing. How are we supposed to get anything done if we refuse to talk to someone because of the color of their tie? Rings a bell of sorts. It only makes things worse. Yelling at someone for associating with someone you disagree with isn't going to solve fucking anything. I tell the kids I see everyday how much easier their lives will be if they are just nice to people. It has never worked, but I keep trying. I will leave you with this. If you are mad at someone for saying be nice to EVERYONE, regardless of who they are, well then friendo you can kindly climb a Red Wood Tree and practice your cannon ball technique.
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Remember these? Song: Scrawny Artist: Wallows Album: Nothing Happens 
I am coming to you live from the corner of a Starbucks inside Barnes and Noble. I'm currently using free wifi that will ultimately lead to my identity being stolen to bring you the absolute ok-est MLB postseason prediction blog Southern RI has to offer.
The title is correct. I kind of punted on the last month or so of the season. My bad for trying to get a job. Sure, I could waste all our time ripping the Red Sox for completely butchering the way they handled Spring Training, the unfairness of starting the season as defending champs with an 11 game West Coast road trip, the horrible contracts to the wrong guys, or lack of a plan by the luckiest ownership group in sports. I'm not going to do that. I am not going to let those overpaid, underachievers ruin October for me. After all, this is the best month of the year and most of those same gentlemen brought me great pleasure this time last year. In the final October of the 2010's I have to mention the Red Sox two World Series titles of the decade. I can confirm those were cool and fun. Obviously I'd rather have the Red Sox here, but there is something nice about being able to enjoy postseason baseball without the stress of your team in the mix. As long as the Yankees don't win it all I'm happy. Now even though I haven't been paying as close attention as I should to my 2nd/1st depending on the year favorite sport, I still know what's going on. Most importantly, I am a historian of the game. I know the stats that matter; the past. Sure teams can rewrite their histories in October, but as a longstanding narrative guy I think these matter a little more. We all know the Yankees 27 World Series titles, 18 of which came before 1960 guarantee postseason success every year. It's why they have 1 World Series win since 9/11. "In short series anything can happen" - every baseball announcer of the last 25 years. Let's look at the match ups.
NLDS: St. Louis Cardinals (91-71, NL Central Champs) vs. Atlanta Braves: (97-65, NL East Champs)
Every year there is a series that unless you're a fan of either team may have not actually happened. Over quick. Lot of day games. You see next to none of it.
Recently, the 2014 ALDS Orioles-Tigers, last years Astros-Indians and Dodgers-Braves LDS' come to mind. This year that series is Braves-Cardinals. With the staggered schedules of the LDS the Braves and Redbirds game 1 start time is 5 pm. Atlanta already is a shitty, apathetic sports city. I'm intrigued to see the vibe at Suntrust.
Braves have a lot of young exciting players on this roster, Albies, Ocuna etc. Josh Donaldson looks to be like his old self. Solid pitching staff. Blah, blah, blah. Here's what matters to me: The Atlanta Braves are 0-7 in the NLDS since 2001. This organization had one the greatest starting rotations ever and won fewer World Series than the Marlins.
The Cardinals are historically one the best franchises in baseball. They are excellent unless it's a World Series against the Red Sox post-Bob Gibson. After a 3 year playoff drought they are back in the postseason. They're just a team that doesn't seem to go too long without some sort of run in October. They've won two pennants this decade; 2011 and 2013. This is a team that was in the NLCS seemingly every year of the early 2010's. It doesn't matter who is actually wearing the uniform. I love the Cards here. I feel like in their first postseason in a few years they'll do what they always do this time of year. The Braves will be the Braves until proven otherwise. Cards in 4.
Washington Nationals (93-69. wild card) vs Los Angeles Dodgers (106-56, NL West Champs)
The Dodgers are an absolutely fantastic ball club. You probably knew that, but it should be mentioned here.
100+ wins again, ran away with the NL West. Too many stars for Dave Roberts to know what to do with. Many are expecting them to go back the Fall Classic again for the third straight year. While that is entirely possible, as a narrative guy I feel like it won't happen. I think I can assume this team is on a mission to finally seal the deal this year. Two straight World Series losses. They are under more pressure than any other team in the dance. With this payroll and roster this season is a failure in LA without a Commissioner's Trophy. The Dodgers have been a model of consistency in the NL West for over a decade but have not won a World Series since 1988. Of all the teams dancing with a World Series title they have the longest drought.
Meanwhile, the Washington Nationals were not supposed to be here. I mean they lost their franchise icon in free agency. Sure their rotation is great, but with the Braves, Mets and Phillies all better, not many were expecting the Nats to be playing in October.
I absolutely love their story. It's what baseball is all about. Sure they lost Harper, but Juan Soto may be better. Plus they added Patrick Corbin this off-season. He just so happens to own the Dodgers and is starting game one tonight. I have just fallen in love with the Nationals win their first playoff series in year one post-Harper narrative and am sticking to it here. The Dodgers haven't played a meaningful game since June and I do think the October ghosts come out to play this year. Let's just hope they don't kill Tommy. Nationals in 5.
Tampa Bay Rays (96-66, wild card) vs. Houston Astros (107-55, AL West Champs)
Two of the smartest organizations in baseball. I have to give those pesky fucking Rays some credit. Their payroll was like $8,500 this year and they still won almost 100 games. They have the worst stadium in baseball, play in front of about 48 people a night, are rumored of becoming a child of divorce franchise bouncing between two cities and are still here.
The Astros on the other hand are the clear cut favorite to win the World Series.
The Rays are an awesome story. Back in the playoffs for the first time since 2013. They're a straight up gang of misfit toys and cast offs saying fuck you to the rest of the league.......... but the clock is about to strike midnight. The Astros won 107 games and have one of the most intimidating starting rotations in recent playoff memory. Two 20 game winners. Oh their line up is pretty good too. George Springer hit 36 HR and drove in 96 and can't even make the starting lineup on their baseball-reference page. Obviously anything can happen, and if there was a team to completely screw up everything, it's the Rays but this team is just too fucking good to lose this early. I saw a stat the other day that Astros pitchers struck out the most batters in the league and Astro hitters struck out the fewest time in the league. Give me that team. Astros in 3.
Minnesota Twins (101-61, AL Central Champs) vs. New York Yankees (103-59)
For the second straight season the Yankees are playing in the ALDS with 100+ wins against a 100+ win opponent. Yes that's right! ICYMI the Twins won 100 games for the first time since 1965. God Bless the AL Central.
Earlier this year on July 23rd the Twins and Yankees played one of the best games of the year.
These are the two most powerful teams in MLB history. The Twins broke the all-time single season team HR record with 307. The Yankees finished a distant second with 306. Both of these teams fuckin RAKE and have starting rotations that leave more to be desired. I really, really, really want to see the Twins pull it off but as a narrative guy it would be unfair of me to omit the fact that since 2003 the Twins are 2-16 in playoff games, 13 of those losses came against the Yankees. I also am a huge roulette guy. I mean it's been all black for 15 years. Can we mix in one red? My guess is a sad nah.
Yankees in 4. Nobody cares about all your injuries. Patriots Announce Dates of Three (3) Alternate Jersey Games...It's Time To Bring Back The 90's9/25/2019 
(I'm talking blues here, but this photo is just too good to not include)
The Pats announced earlier tonight they're going to be wearing alternate jerseys for three upcoming home games: Week 6 vs NYG Week 8 vs CLE Week 14 vs KC
Week 6 against the Giants is on Thursday Night. It's a safer bet than Andy Dick not seeing 70 that they'll be rockin the color rush blues.
They've worn them their last two home appearances on Thursday Night Football.
2016 vs Houston
2018 vs Indy
They're...okay. I would never buy that jersey, but if it was ever given to me as a gift I would wear it.
I'm almost positive the Pats have never wore alternate/throwback uniforms three times in one season at home. I thought in 09 maybe during the AFL 50th anniversary, but my research shows they only wore the AFL reds twice at home in week 1 & 6 ( Two of that season's most memorable games) IMO three seems like an awful lot of times to wear the same alternative jerseys. Now the Pats could be totally lame and just trot out these ones thrice. This team did once hang a 16-0 banner. But as my mom used to say to get me to try new foods; variety is the spice of life. I neeeeed the Pats to rock the 90's throwbacks one of these three games. Switch it up one time. I know the difference between wants and needs, especially as bills become more of a thing..ugh. But this is essentially a need. I mean look at these things. We as a nation already deprive people of enough we can't have one Sunday with 18 inch long embroidered Elvis? 
That red outline on the numbers makes it move. I just want the Pats to wear their 90's uniforms again, okay? I want a lot of things. Some are unrealistic, insert played out self-depreciating joke here. But I feel like this isn't asking a lot. Plus I'm not alone here. I blogged it two years ago the-patriots-should-bring-back-their-90s-uniforms-as-throwbacks-next-season.html and had upwards of 5 people text me saying they agree.
Last week Patriots twitter got blue balled that the giant flying Elvis would be making its long awaited return. It moved the needle. People were excited.
Then reality set in.
I know I was bummed. But really seems like a no brainer to bring these back. It's such an easy way to please people. Plus you know you'll make money. They're a sexy uni.
Enough time has passed. There is an entire generation of fans who haven't seen the Pats play in this uniform. Conspiracy Doz thinks maybe that's what has stopped them from bringing these out of the attic? Maybe they're worried about "bandwagon" fans not recognizing them on twitter? Idfk man. Realistically, I get not doing it for this long, it could've been too soon. Absence makes the heart grow founder. Maybe Bill wanted to separate from that era? But it's been 20 years since the Patriots wore those infamous unis. With the league's fake-science, real-fun hating helmet rules they can't rock Pat Patriot so it's the next best thing. 
Albert Pujols was once revered as The Machine. As a St. Louis Cardinal from 2001-2011 he quickly became the face of one of the game's most prestigious franchises. He also appeared on the cover of the 2nd best baseball video game of all time.
Pujols was Rookie of the Year in 2001. He won the 2003 batting title, 3 MVPs, 2 World Series and 3 NL Pennants. For over a decade he was one of the most feared hitters of not just his generation, but of all time. He hit over .300 and had over 100 RBIs every year he played in St. Louis until his final season where he "slumped" to .299 and 99 respectively. Some may say he made up for that down year in October.
Pujols' St. Louis numbers are other worldly. Lots of bold.
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When Albert Pujols signed a 10 year $254 million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Angels in December 2011 his career batting average was .328. Same as Wade Boggs. Many still believed he was an elite talent even at the wrong side of 30. I don't think anybody thought he'd put up the same numbers he did earlier in his career, but with the possibility of DHing you figured he'd put up some respectable numbers.
He did not. I know today's baseball doesn't value batting average like our grandparents might, but it still matters. Baseball is the one sport that truly honors and cares about numbers. Most baseball fans know what 4256 or 61 refers to. Retiring a career .300 hitter is a huge accomplishment that not many players with 10+ years in the bigs can say. While it's not an automatic ticket to the HOF like 3,000 hits once was, it's quite the feat. After last night Pujol's career average dropped below .300 for the first time since he had under 15 Major League at bats. This stat almost doesn't make sense.
Albert Pujol's career in Los Angeles of Anaheim has been so horrid that there is an entire generation of baseball fans that just know Albert as a shitty DH for the Angels as they waste Mike Trout's prime. As a baseball fan it bums me our worse than the ending of Toy Story 4.
His highlights in LA include one of the least effective 40 HR seasons of all time. How you can have a slugging % below .500 40 bombs is mind blowing. No seasons after 2012 with a batting average above .275. Only three seasons with a WAR above 2.0. .259 clip in 8 seasons. One postseason appearance (swept in 2014 ALDS). It's hard to believe these are the numbers of the man who almost ended Brad Lidge's career.
With only 9 games remaining in their schedule after tonight, there aren't too many more chances for Albert to make up for 8 years of legacy ruining. It's not right that all these major milestones happened in an Angel uniform. After almost a decade I'm still not used to it. Pujols is still without a doubt a first ballot Hall of Famer, but it sure is sad to see his eye popping stats take such a hit. There aren't many 20 year old baseball fans out there, but I'm sure they have a hard time remembering St. Louis Al and what an absolute freak show he was. I understand how time works but that still fucks me up.
Before I even get started here since the internet is full of idiots that don't understand nuance and people who get off on ruining other people's lives I want to state this blog is about calling out the hypocrisy of today more than defending black face. You shouldn't do black face.
I loathe politics, especially in today's climate. I get the necessity of them. We need order and faces to complain to. What we currently have is a better option than communism, socialism or anarchy (at least for now).
Sadly, the system that is supposed to help and empower the people does nothing but divide them, make empty promises and never fucking fix pot holes. Despite how much I shit on them, I definitely lean left. But I don't consider myself a liberal or a conservative. Both piss me tf off. Conservatives don't believe in climate change or support a woman's right to chose and liberals think we should let anybody into this country no questions asked, but still lock their car door when black people walk by.
​In the "cancel culture" of the late 2010's it seems like more than ever people are actively searching for dirt from people's past to fuck up their lives. You cannot have any success if you ever made a mistake!!! #cancelled. It's the whole Josh Hader thing over and over again. This guy just got famous....let's see if he tweeted out anything problematic in high school!
That very reason is why earlier this summer I deleted a bunch of old blogs off DOL of that I thought were either kind of shitty quality wise or offensive to the point where I thought it could screw me over later in life. If I somehow ever finally get discovered for the talent I am, I don't want some dumb ass shit I said when I was 18 ruining it for me. Let me ruin it for me in the future, because I surely will. Outside of murder or rape (and things on that level) I don't think anything you do at 18 should ruin your entire life. I stole my best friend's girlfriend at 18 and if I got married tomorrow, he'd be a groomsmen. I love that mofo like a brother. He probably loves me like a second-cousin. I'm just saying life is weird man, you never know what's gonna happen. It's also very long (on paper). A lot can change. ​Unlike most people who lean left, I am a big free speech guy. That being said, there are certainly consequences you have to be aware of. Like Jim Calhoun, I know I fucked up. Unfortunately, I'm also wicked lazy and hate reading so I did a half assed job, I'm sure I missed something. This is why I deleted my old twitter. RIP @rhodydoz
I was a big-time *Pistol Pete (I Love You Man) voice* scumbag until like 2014 on the internet. I used the F word a lot and I'm not talking about fuck. Every single thing I didn't like was "gay". I may have even used an Asian slur or 8 in my day. But I've grown and matured since then. I talk to my shrink about this every week.
While I do think the war on funny slurs is a little extreme, I get it to a point. Nobody should be using hate speech. That I can agree with. But I'm sorry I'm still going to laugh at some of the names. They're funny, sue me. You can have my skateboard and dvds.
I'm just from the school of thought that nothing should be off limits. I don't do too soon. You can't police comedy. Don't get me started on Shane Gillis. Just because you can find the humor in racism doesn't make you racist. Does liking dead baby jokes as kid mean I'm a John Wayne Gacy fan?
​ (no) I can find the humor in any situation. I famously made a joke about wasting a good pair of pants on my Grandpa at his funeral to my mother as we prayed inches away from his corpse after a painful battle with Alzheimer's. When I die some time in the next 2 to 25 years I hope my friends aren't pussies and make fun of whatever happened to me especially if I ever get the balls to KMS. You can't erase the past, especially in the internet age. It's not like the 80's when you could just move three towns away. All you can do is just try to be better every day going forward. #cliche Since I am a human-being with a fully functioning brain I try to give others that same benefit of the doubt. We all make mistakes. Some of us take Caron Butler and Emeka Okafor over Ryan Gomes. (the irony is that Emeka won a championship at UCONN, went #2 overall and Gomes was just a really good college player and 2nd rounder) For the most part, I had the foresight to realize that mistakes I made when I was younger could come back to bite me in keister and tried to do the best I could to avoid that by getting in front of it. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Justin Trudeau (the Prime Minister of Canada.. to the majority of my readers). 
Yesterday this picture of Trudeau, from a god damn school dance of all places in 2001 caused a decent stir online. (Not a huge Tucker guy, but this caption killed me)
​Not for the low key choke-grope he's got going on, but the whole blackface, or in this case brownface thing. In 2001 while he was a teacher at an "Arabian Nights" Gala (as he puts it) Trudeau dressed up like Aladdin and wore racist make-up which I guess is the new PC spin to black/brown face. As more info comes out it appears that Trudeau was a HUGE black face guy and did it on multiple occasions dating back to the early 90's.
It should also be noted that Justin Trudeau was 29 when this photo was taken and while 2001 was a different time, blackface was still not social acceptable; although it could get you an Oscar nom. What I don't understand is how this dude slept at night the last four years as PM. Maybe because people didn't really care until like 3 years ago? I deleted my entire twitter with literally 70,000+ tweets that could help me land my dream job because I couldn't deal with the guilty conscience of shit I said in 2011. This dude has been the Prime Minister of an AP Top 25 country with this skeleton in his attic. ​Unbelievable.
These photos were in a fucking yearbook (WHICH I STILL DON'T GET) and that whole get up he's rockin' was pretty, pretty, pretty elaborate. Even if he drank 24 Molsens that night this event was not something you simply forget. Nobody blacks out and goes in blackface. Doesn't work that way.
Trudeau, a liberal has been one of the most vocal social justice warriors going. The only other time you've likely heard of him is when he "jokingly" corrected a woman for saying mankind.
You might find this hard to believe but I don't follow Canadian politics closely, but even I know he's been known as one of the "wokest" people going. A genuine virtue signaler. So naturally, it comes as a surprise that these photos were out there.
How could someone with his viewpoints have such a dark past? It's almost like he was trying to overcompensate... ​I go back and forth on Clay Travis, but I have to give that country bumpkin his credit here...this is a fantastic point.
It's funny because it's true!!!!!!!!!
​I don't know who tf Charlie Kirk is. I have a feeling we wouldn't agree on much, but again, great point.
There is no denying that Trudeau is receiving a fair share of criticism. Many people are upset.
What I find interesting (and by that I mean it disgusts me) is the double standard with liberals in situations like this. They're the ones preaching this moral authority on what is and isn't socially acceptable. It's kind of ironic how liberals are the conservative ones now. Should his life be destroyed? Is he going to lose his job? Because if he played for the another team you bet your ass he would. Megyn Kelly lost hers for merely asking why Blackface is bad just last year.
FTR I don't think he should! I do believe people can change and learn from mistakes. I don't think he's an actual racist, but then again I don't know what this dude says in group chats. Not everybody is lucky enough to get that treatment.
While what Megyn Kelly (conservative) said was pretty God Damn tone-deaf to most.....I kind of get what she's saying. Now before you ruin my life, listen. If you don't know about the history of blackface and ministerial shows (why would you?) you probably have no clue what blackface represents. Maybe I'm just this naive and stupid but I don't understand why dressing as any sort of ethnicity other than yours is racist? Paying homage ever heard of it? Or you can be some wicked violent character and that's totally cool. I don't think people should dress in blackface but that really is just because people say you shouldn't. It doesn't offend me, but then again barely anything does. I don't see how The Jazz Singer has anything to do with someone wanting to be Shaq for Halloween. But then again I'm kind of an idiot. I don't believe it's this the hate crime people make it out to be, but it's just not worth fighting for, this isn't a hill to die on. Kill blackface. I'm more than cool with that. But is what Megyn Kelly said about the lady who was Diana Ross for Halloween that wrong? Should she have really lost her job? If someone at buzzfeed said who doesn't love Diana Ross you'd see a million YASSS QUEEN tweets. I just don't know where it ends. I hate how fake everything is and how dumb shit you did 20 years ago can come back and haunt you now. Are we going to come to a day where cross dressing on Halloween is transphobic? (probably) The main hypocrisy of this is how people are trying to make excuses for Trudeau. It's a lazy comparison to make, but what would happen if this was Trump? There's like a 20% chance that multiple U.S. cities burn down from the riots. ​I guess Jut's not racist because these people like him, even though if anybody on the other team had something like this come out it there would be pitchforks.
Honestly. I agree with most of those tweets. I don't think this moment should ruin Justin Trudeau's life. What is the statue of limitations?
But riddle me this? How can you say he's not a real racist but someone else is when there's actual proof that he's done blackface multiple times? It's almost like this is a extremely complicated situation that is not definitively black or white (no pun intended). I mean with a genuine, heart felt apology like this I think you have to give him the benefit of the doubt.
TONY TOE TAP IS COMING TO FOXBORO I don't care if I was ripping this guy left and right for being the biggest premadonna, locker-room cancer, entitled, horrible hair cut-having WR of all time less than 60 minutes ago. It doesn't matter if he's too stubborn/stupid to wear protective footwear in a hyperbaric chamber. 
These are the New England Patriots we're talking about. Ever heard of them? 6 Super Bowl wins since 2001 AND they have a guy to tell you to put your shoes on.. Nobody knows how to turn septic water into wine quiet like Bill Belichick. We all know the track record. They'll spin the tires on anybody. Harrison, Dillon, Moss, Ocho Cinco, Haynesworth etc.
Sometimes they work out. 
Sometimes, not so much.
This organization would give Ed Snowden a scouting analytics job if they thought it'd help them win football games. The Steelers couldn't save AB (or win a Super Bowl with him), the Oakland/Los Angeles/Vegas Raiders had about as much chance as the Bears on 3rd and 40 the other night to make this work. They've got an owner who if you said had a Supercuts haircut would be disrespecting Supercuts, a coach stuck in the 90's who shows film from the 70's, an NFL Network analyst as their GM, and Derek Carr on the payroll. 
Like Randy Moss 12 years ago (wtf) the Patriots have plucked yet another future HOFer off the Raiders.
As a conspiracy theory guy, I really don't know if AB is the dumbest guy on earth or the smartest man alive. (CTE still is on the table as well) After demanding a trade from the Steelers he straight up said no to the Buffalo Bills (can't say I blame him there) then did literally everything you can do to get cut in Oakland. Not to go full jet fuel can't melt steel beams, but AB acting a fool to get out of one of the worst run franchises in all of sports so he could sign wherever he wants isn't exactly on par with Bush did 9/11 or even the frozen envelope.
As much as I shit on AB for acting like fucking idiot (deservedly so), it all comes down to production. I feel like (at least I sure as shit hope) we just saw the ultimate bet on yourself move by AB. He never truly wanted to be a Raider and sabotaged that pretty much the moment he landed in Oakland. He knows he's still a top 3 WR in the league and can thinks he can get away with whatever he wants as long as the numbers talk.
The sad thing is, he's 100% right. That's why the Patriots took this chance. If he balls out and helps this team win a Super Bowl, surely one of the remaining 29 franchises (fuck it, maybe even the Steelers) will give him a multi-year deal.
Yeah they gave him $9 million guaranteed, but for a man of AB's talents that is a Costco price. The upside is another Super Bowl win before Tom Brady retires (in 4 years). As a one year incentive based deal (worth up 15 mil) they always have the chance to cut him it things don't work out. As for those defending Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots....
Antonio Brown
Julian Edelman Josh Gordon Demaryius Thomas Phillip Dorsett (don't sleep on Philly!!!) James White Sony Michel Gronk are you SURE you don't wanna be a part of this? P.S. Like I said, this could be Randy Moss 2.0. With great expectations, comes great disappointment.
Double P.S.
kinda cool I guess?
Excerpt from NFL.com
NEW YORK -- The newest installment of the Emmy Award-winning programming partnership of HBO Sports and NFL Films profiles the long-standing relationship between generational football coaches Bill Belichick and Nick Saban in a feature-length documentary titled "Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching," it was announced today by Peter Nelson, executive vice president, HBO Sports and Ross Ketover, Chief Executive of NFL Films. Directed by award-winning documentarian Ken Rodgers and produced by Paul Camarata, both of NFL Films, "Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching" will premiere TUESDAY, DEC. 10 (9:00-10:30 p.m. ET/PT), exclusively on HBO. "Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching" will also be available on HBO On Demand, HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO partners' streaming platforms. "Bill Belichick and Nick Saban have earned their rightful place in the pantheon of greatest coaches ever, across all sports, and this film intimately spotlights their woven history from Navy to Cleveland to now," said Nelson. "It will capture for the first-time ever some of the most engaging and personal conversations held every year by the two most towering figures in the game today. We are excited to partner with NFL Films to tell this unique story of friendship and mentorship." "Bill Belichick and Nick Saban have become the modern versions of Vince Lombardi and John Wooden - symbols of success not just in sports, but in life," said Ross Ketover, Chief Executive of NFL FILMS. "Their lessons on leadership are an inspiration; not just for those of us who love football, but for anyone who wants to thrive at whatever passion they pursue." Spanning 90 minutes, "Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching" brings into focus a four-decade-long friendship between two of the most successful and revered football coaches in the history of the sport. Belichick and Saban grant unprecedented camera access to their annual coaching retreat, where they share a multi-layered conversation about their interwoven history, admiration, coaching philosophies, and more. The intimate portrait invites viewers to examine first-hand their blueprints for organizational success, in what can only be described as a literal "meeting of the minds." Combined with one-on-one interviews and extensive inside access captured over the past three decades, "Belichick & Saban: The Art of Coaching" includes topics never publicly broached before, including their fathers' respective influences on their careers, their tenure with the Cleveland Browns organization in the 1990s, and how they connect with the newest generation of players. The film features interviews with peers, assistant coaches and family members, including both coaches' children, Hall of Fame tight end and former Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, among many others.
It's no secret that neither Bill Belichick or Nick Saban is a big fan of the media requirements that come with being a head coach. Neither wants to have his words twisted into bulletin board material. To avoid that they both have given some of the least compelling interviews known to man. NFL 100 is going to give fans so much great NFL content but nothing has the pressure of Belichick & Saban to be great.
This duo consists of quite possibility the greatest pro and college coach of all time. They both expect greatness. This has the potential to be HBO's most watched sports doc ever. Everybody who is on the football fan spectrum is going to what to hear their uncut thoughts. That being said, with all due respect to Saban, he flopped as an NFL coach. 15-17. Outside of the states where it's illegal to have an abortion I don't think Saban is the big draw here. He's the John Oates of this doc. Make no mistakes about it, the NFL is king and nobody in the history of this game has had a more successful run as a HC than BB. As I say that I kind of take it back. This doc has almost no pressure on it. People will likely S this doc's D even if it's not that good just because of the men it highlights. Both give you next to nothing of note in interviews, but we all still watch and hope. The bar is extraordinarily low. We're all like dogs begging their owner for scraps. They almost never come, once in a while Bill decides to give us something. It's not great, it's not meat, but once in a while he drops a single raw, baby carrot on the floor which is just barely better than the dog food we're used to. When he does the media will eat it up like filet mignon. So as long as this has one or two big stories it's going to legendary. I'm really hoping both of these guys break out of their football guy shells to give fans some real insight. I want to go inside two of the greatest football minds ever. I love Mindhunter. I want to see how the sausage was made, not some canned answers with a few nuggets diehard fans have never heard before. Whether you love or hate the man, there's no denying Bill Belichick, at the very least is one of the most interesting people of all time. This is his documentary. I'm completely speculating here, I wouldn't be surprised including Saban was a ploy just to get access with Bill. I don't know if he would've trusted HBO if it was just him. Kinda like how he did the two Bills with Parcells on ESPN. Bill is one of the greatest coaches of all time; regardless of the sports. On top of that he makes all his own clothes, knows his way around a lax spoon, owns his boat that he constantly changes the name of despite it being well-documented bad luck and murdered Freddie Mitchell in cold blood. With a trailer under a minute long we don't get too much from the 90 minute doc so there is plenty to speculate even though the NFL.com write up goes into greater detail. You'd have to actually read that to know what it says though. Sadly, I don't expect HBO to touch on all the topics Pats fans have been dying to know Bill's inner truth since he has to share the screen with Saban. I'm sure a large part will be on their relationship, plus both coaches are active with no signs of slowing down, so there's still a certain level of secrecy. As long as Belichick doesn't pull a Bear Bryant and immediately die after he retires I'm sure one day as a historian of the game his stories will be told, but until then these are the Top 10 topics I hope Bill Belichick candidly discusses in "Belichick & Saban" Honorable Mentions: Why did you cut Tim Tebow but keep Ryan Mallett in 2013? Does playoff success mean nothing to you? Plus you could've had Taysom Hill like 5 years early. Why did you run a fake punt with Pat Chung in the playoffs? One of the dumber decisions I've seen during my time as a Patriots fan. I feel like it's been somewhat forgotten with time, but it's one of those moments as a fan I'll never forget. 2010 Divisional Round. 4th and 4 on their own 38 with 1:17 left in the first half trailing 7-3. Pat Chung fumbles the snap on a fake punt. Turnover on downs. Jets score a TD a few plays later and its' 14-3 going into half. Totally changed the game. You know he's a safety right? Did you disrespect the Jets that much after 45-3? What is your favorite non-S.B. win with the Patriots? Kind of a lame question but I'm genuinely curious to hear what Bill Belichick would say is his favorite. Wouldn't be shocked if he didn't have one. Who is the most overrated player you've faced as a Head Coach? Throw some shade one time for me. It's been 15 years since Freddie. Do you agree both Steelers Super Bowl wins of the 2000's deserve an asterisk since in 2005 they didn't play you in the playoffs and in 2008 Brady was hurt? I'm sure he'd agree and mention that in 2010 they got to play the Jets at home instead of the Pats at the razor in the AFCCG.
10. What Unheralded Players of this Generation Does He Have the Most Admiration For?
The way this is worded would surely piss Belichick off, as he would never disrespect another team's players (with the exception of FredEx) by referring to someone as unheralded but this is a question that fascinates me. Most Patriots fans know about his love and respect for Ed Reed and other players of his caliber (there aren't a ton) but I'd love to hear his opinions on the bottom of the roster guys. The glue guys, the special teamers. The type of players Belichick fucking loves and wishes his entire was made up of. What random guys that most football fans have forgotten did Belichick truly appreciate and respect as a football player. One thing that has made Bill Belichick so successful is his ability to get the most out of players nobody believed in. Tom Brady, Julien Edelman, Darrelle Revis etc. I'd love to see what players he coached against would make this list. Imagine if Bill Belichick just went out and said he could've turned Quintin Demps into a Hall of Famer or something like that?
9. Biggest Draft Regret(s)
The draft is far from a perfect science. There are first round busts every year. Ryan Leaf, JaMarcus Russell, Andrew Luck. The list goes on. There are countless examples. The stats about guys making it to a second contract are insane, it's like < 30% of players. Even the greatest coach of all time isn't immune to drafting blunders. Granted he's drafted many more times than the average GM due to his longevity, usually at the bottom of the draft, but Belichick has a staggering amount of bad picks over the years. It almost makes this run more impressive when you think he took Aaron Dobson over Keenan Allen, Jordan Richards in the 3rd, Tavon Wilson in the 2nd. Which one makes him lose the most sleep at night? My money is on Ras'i Dowling.
8. Aaron Hernandez Saga
I don't think I need to dive that deep here. If you are reading this and were born after 2012 Aaron Hernandez was a Pro Bowl caliber Tight End/murderer who played three years under Belichick. During their time together the Patriots went 39-9 in the regular season. Aaron even scored a touchdown in Super Bowl XLVI. Bill's truth on everything that transpired during his tenure with the Patriots up until his death in 2017 would be must watch/listen/read. What was Bill's relationship with him really like? On a scale of 1 to 10 how surprised was he? Do you think it's above a 6? because I don't.
7. What the Fuck Does Ernie Adams Actually Do?
Patriot fans know Ernie Adams is Bill's right hand man and one of his closest friends. After that your guess is as good as mine. I know he's very integral to the operation, I'd just like to know how. I want to be able to fully pay my respect should I ever run into him. It's much easier with players and coaches across all sports to do this. Whenever you casually run into professional athletes like we all do you can be like "thanks for hitting that home run, David (Ortiz)" or "I'll never forget when you threw 4 touchdowns against the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, Tom (Brady)". You can't do that if you ever see Ernie. You can say thanks but he's not gonna know for what. This is a guy who just shows up to work and does his job. The idea of praise for it would never ever begin to enter his skull.
Of all the things on this list this is hands down the least likely Belichick would explain. I'd settle for the meaning of Pink Stripes.
6. Biggest Personnel Mistake
This is kind of the cousin of #9 but still an answer I think most Patriot fans are dying to know. Belichick's history of moving on from stars a year earlier is about as well documented as the American Revolution. The shocking release/trades of Lawyer Milloy, Logan Mankins, and Jamie Collins all indirectly lead to Super Bowl wins but is there one move he made/wishes he did that he believes cost him a championship?
What does he think happens to those teams if they don't move on from the aforementioned players?
5. How Much of Tom Brady's Success is because of You?/How Much of Your Success is because of Him?
Footballs chicken or the egg. Who is more responsible for the dynasty? It's not exactly the easiest topic to talk about but I'm dying to know Bill's honest opinion on the matter. He's a historian of the game. I feel like he's at a level of intelligence where he can completely separate himself from the situation and give an unbiased answer. Despite their 20 years together you don't see Belichick overly praise Brady too often. He wrote off Brady's performance with a slashed up throwing hand in the 2017 AFCCG saying it wasn't exactly open heart surgery.
I'm sure he gets great pleasure out of going 11-5 without him in 2008, while at the same time knows without Brady he likely hasn't lasted this long in Foxboro. You know these guys are uber-competitive. This may be something he goes into great depth post-coaching or never even come close to talking about.
4. What Was Really Going Through Your Mind After The Kearse Catch?
Bill Belichick does not think like you and I do. He didn't use his timeouts after the Kearse catch, instead he let the Seahawks panic and we all know what happened next.
At the podium he said he never doubted that this team would win another Super Bowl. I was not in the same camp. Just for once I want to hear a human answer out of Bill. He's touched on this in the past but I'd like more. I'm sure Bill was aware of the circumstances around this game and that the Patriots hadn't won a Super Bowl since the 2004 season. The countless bad breaks. How their two previous Super Bowl defeats were highlighted by all time, "how the hell did that just happen?" plays in the helmet and Manningham catches respectively. The Manningham play was just an all-time throw and catch, you have to tip your cap. At the same time there had to be some "you've gotta be fucking kidding me" in Bill's brain at least a little after the Kearse catch. What transpired was one of the greatest calls ever, t(he)y baited the Seahawks into throwing the ball and it led to one of the most unforgettable plays in Super Bowl history. To go into his mind and understand know exactly what lead to (at the time) the Patriots most exciting Super Bowl victory would be sicccc.
3. Why Didn't Malcolm Butler Play Defense in Super Bowl LII?
I was quite upset in the weeks after this decision that still hasn't gotten a legitimate answer. I got blocked on instagram by Linda Holliday over my frustration. My bad. I'll always say Belichick is the greatest coach of all time, but to me this is hands down his biggest blunder. To make no halftime adjustment, and keep trotting out BUMS when you have a former all-pro, Super Bowl hero wasting away on the bench will never make sense to me.
Winning the Super Bowl the next year definitely took a little bit of the sting away, but I will go to my grave believing Patriot fans (and people in general) deserve to know the truth. What lesson was more important than winning a Super Bowl? TELL US.
2. So What's Really Up With the -gates?
I just want to hear from the horse's mouth how asinine both witch hunts were. Or maybe he's like fuck yeah I filmed signs and so do literally everybody else in the league at the same time.
1. Literally Everything About Super Bowl 42
February 3rd, 2008 was one of the worst days of my entire life. It's the line of demarcation in my life as a fan. I was never the same again.
While time heals all wounds (allegedly) the scar from 18-1 is still tender. I'm at a point in my life where I can have discussions about the game. As a historian of the game and former Giants assistant did he see shades of Super Bowl XXV as the Giants took 10 minutes off the clock of their first drive? Why couldn't they stop the Giants defensive line? Why the fuck did they go for it on 4th in 13 coming out of the second half instead of kicking a like 45 yard field goal? What did you say to the team after the game? Would you trade a different Super Bowl (or more) to have this win? Is Junior Seau still alive today if you win this game? How much did the dropped INT play into letting Asante Samuel walk? How much better could this team of been with an NFL caliber running back? What should the ultimate legacy of this team be? I could go on for hours and have already gone on long enough. I'm sure I'm forgetting some great questions so feel free to talk shit in the comments and tell me what I forgot. 
Today is September 3rd, the day after Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer hashtag sad face. Kids go back to school and white pants go away for the winter hashtag sadder face. We are < 48 hours away from real football. Every major sports media outlet will or already has released their BOLD NFL predictions leading up to Thursday night. I mean it's #NFL100 you need to bring it. Predictions that are so God damn bold your brain involuntarily presses CTRL-B as your read them. Your internal dialogue will proclaim "WHAT?'" as you read CBS Sports say the Browns make the playoffs this year. Where does one muster up the courage to have the same take that no less than 80% of football fans have? FedEx a Medal of Valor their way pronto.
As we all know, pre-season prediction posts are the ONLY WAY to show how good you are at guessing what's going to happen. dol-nfl-predictions.html dol-2018-nfl-predictions.html There is no other way. 
Between Andrew Luck retiring 2 weeks before the season started, Zeke (as of now) and Melvin Gordon holding out, Gronk flirting with coming back before ever officially missing a game, Antonio Brown showing signs of CTE, new coaches across 1/4 of the league, the Bears not having a real kicker, the Jets fugly new uniforms, the Saints response to back-to-back soul crushing playoff defeats, Daniel Jones 6 overall, the Browns actually having expectations, Tom Brady making "the cliff" his bitch, Patrick Mahomes' encore, the possibility of a lady kicker next year, can we just let the players smoke weed(?), Bruce Arians being back, Aaron Rodgers still not talking to his parents, and Blake Bortles finally shaving his head there are plenty of things to talk about heading into the 2019 NFL season.
AFC Predictions:
AFC East
1. New England Patriots 12-4
2. Buffalo Bills 7-9 3. New York Jets 7-9 4. Miami Dolphins 4-12 The Patriots have a chance to do something no team has ever come close to in NFL history; win a division for an entire decade. If the Patriots win the AFC East this year they will have won the division every year of the 2010's. With the exception of losing TE Rob Gronkowksi to retirement (for now) the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots look to take off right where they left off in 2018. Sure this team's best tight end is almost 40 and suspended, but the Pats are always zigging when the league zags. Watch out for 4 running back sets. Tom Brady is 42 years old, but he's not going to have the entire weight of this offense on his shoulders. A solid group in the running game highlighted by second year back Sony Michel should limit the workload. He doesn't need to be the MVP. Julian Edelman is available from day one, Josh Gordon is back (for now), and this team has one of best lines in football (although losing Andrews terrifies me). I'm very intrigued to see how this defense looks after allowing 3 points the last time they played a game that counts. Bentley looked great until he got hurt as a rookie, he's back. I'm so excited to see Winovich in real action. He's been an absolute stud so far. Is Pat Chung straight for the year? The whole coke thing definitely worries me, but the secondary is so good they may be able to survive losing him. The Patriots will be there all year even if they start slowly. Unlike years past, the rest of the AFC East actually has some young QB talent and the Patriots may not win this division in like 2023. The Jets have Sam Darnold, the Bills have Josh Allen and the Dolphins have Josh Rosen until they trade him when they draft Tua. The Jets have been a hot wildcard pick around the league, I just don't know if I'm ready to make the claim yet. I do love the additions of C.J. Mosley and LeVeon Bell but don't believe in Adam Gase as a head coach. 
They did change their uniforms from the classic Jet look to something you can create in Madden. Teams changing uniforms do actually have a history of translating new uniforms to more wins. Just off the top of my head 1997 Broncos won the Super Bowl after ditching the "Orange Crush" look. 1999 Titans made the Super Bowl after revealing new uniforms as they officially became the Tennessee Titans. 2012 Seahawks made the playoffs after becoming the first team to embrace the "modern" uniform.
However, new uniforms equaling postseason success is not gospel. 
The Bills will go as far as Josh Allen will let them. He showed flashes last year, like the Minnesota game, but staying on the field is going to be his biggest challenge. To paraphrase Zac Brown "I'm a lover, he's a runner and he'll get knocked around". Buffalo does have one of the most underrated defenses in the league and while the likely won't compete for a playoff spot, they should be a tough out in 2019. Talking covering lots of games. As for the Dolphins, they continue to be a joke organization. Congrats on your miracle win last year. That's as good as it's going to get for some time in South Beach. That fate may eventually change as Brian Flores has brought multiple Patriot coaches with him down south, and promptly traded the locker room's most popular player, but expect the Fins to be picking close to 1st overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
AFC South
1. Jacksonville Jaguars 9-7
2. Indianapolis Colts 8-8 3. Houston Texans 7-9 4. Tennessee Titans 5-11 Before Andrew Luck retired I was going to have the Colts at 11-5 and division champs. I was so high on the Colts this year you could call me Willie Nelson. Now that that brainiac called it quits things become much more interesting in the AFC South + Indianapolis as the NFL's divisional geography continue to be poor at best. The AFC South was already one of the closest divisions in football. Now like you and your friends after committing a crime together; things are only closer. This is one of those divisions where I wouldn't be utterly shocked to see any team win. I guess the only other division that can even come close to that is the NFC North. All four teams have blah QB play and some play makers on both sides of the ball, but overall a lot of question marks. I feel like most people will pick the Texans to win the South and they totally could, but idk man. I was such a big DeShaun Watson guy, but the way he handled himself in the Wild Card round last year will makes me question him as a big time QB. I don't want my guy signalling first downs losing in the 4th quarter of a playoff game at home.
Down a hundred to nothing in the 2nd half he kept doing it and it drove me crazy. Can't win with that. I'm probably being a tad too hard on him, but as a guy who forgets almost everything that is something that'll always stick with me. Granted in the shitty AFC South he could end up winning this division 7 more times.
The Titans have gone 9-7 three years in a row. No franchise in NFL history has gone 9-7 four straight seasons, so it feels like this is the year they either make the jump or go back to the bottom of the pack. I'd bet on the latter. With Pro Bowl LT Taylor Lewan suspended the first four games and the shakiest QB play in the division between Mariotta and Tannehill (yeah I said it) I think this is a disappointing year in Nashville (been there). I love the Jags defense and while they too had a star quit the game, most of the 2017 pieces are still there. They get to play a last place schedule this year and have upgraded at QB. I don't think this division has a double digit win team in it, but the Jags get close replicating a lot of what they did in 17 with a QB who has shown the last two seasons (also in 2013) that he may actually be the guy.
AFC North
1. Cleveland Browns 11-5
2. Baltimore Ravens 9-6-1 3. Pittsburgh Steelers 7-8-1 4. Cincinnati Bengals 5-11 The Browns are the "surprise" team everybody is picking to make the playoffs like the 49ers last year that will likely end up disappointing. That being said, I too am drinking the Baker Mayfield kool-aid and am picking the Browns to make the playoffs. I'm gonna be a man though and say they win the North instead of 9-7 6 seed like most other pundits. Expectations may end up being too much in Cleveland. Plus there is only one football, I just love and believe in Baker Mayfield too much to not pick this team to win the North. Now for some quick hate on the Browns and Cleveland. Would it really be shocking if a Cleveland sports team disappointed when there's a ton of hype? I think Freddie Kitchens was the wrong choice for HC and these uniforms are a hate crime against fashion. The Ravens will be right there in the hunt but I just don't trust Lamar Jackson lasting the entire season. Do you? Not that I want him to get hurt, but I would love to see RG3 get some meaningful snaps this season. I hate their receiving core and Mark Ingram is just a guy to me. Baltimore lost a lot of key defensive pieces in Mosley, Weddle, and Suggs (granted he's like 54). Earl Thomas on paper is an upgrade from Weddle but he is 30 coming off a broken leg. That being said this team making the playoffs wouldn't exactly be a Jethro Tull winning the Grammy over Metallica type upset. The Steelers will be without the headaches that are LeVeon Bell and Antonio Brown, but I think the damage is already done. I like JuJu, but how much will he produce with opponents keying in on him with no AB on the other side of the formation? The Mike Tomlin Steelers are the biggest underachievers in recent sports memory. Two playoff wins since 2010. With the exception of barely eeking out a Super Bowl win against the lowly 9-7 Arizona Cardinals with Cowher's team what has he done? They did beat Mark Sanchez in an AFCCG. I don't believe in Mike Tomlin and frankly never have. Another disappointing year in the steel city. If I was a Rooney I'd make a coaching change if this team misses the playoffs again. At least the Bengals don't have Marvin Lewis and his 0-7 career playoff record anymore. Brighter days (eventually) in Cincy, just probz not in 2019. Joe Mixon is going to get beat up like white girl at the bar who allegedly used a racial slur as teams will regularly live with 8 men in the box. Probably Andy Dalton's last year in Cincinnati too.
AFC West
1. Kansas City Chiefs 11-5
2. San Diego (of Los Angeles) Chargers 10-6 3. Denver Broncos 8-8 4. Oakland Raiders 3-13 I love Phil Rivers. Should the Patriots not win the Super Bowl my next personal choice is the Chargers, but I'm hesitant to put the Chargers atop this division. They still could win it all without winning the division like the 2000 Ravens or 2010 Packers. Since they have no home field advantage playing football in a soccer stadium in a city that doesn't care about them, maybe 3 road playoff wins is the way to go? The Chargers tied the Chiefs with a 12-4 record last year before losing the division on tiebreakers. This year Melvin Gordon is holding out, although the team is saying they're confident with what they have. I personally would be more worried about Derwin James missing at least half the year. To me the Chargers are one the biggest swing teams in the entire NFL. Talent wise this roster may be the best. I could see them winning anywhere from 6-12 games. Because of that I'll stick with Kansas City winning the AFC West. Everybody is saying Mahomes won't throw 50 TD again, and while that is likely true I'm not gonna write it off entirely. As much as he pisses me off there's no denying the dude's talent. I just cannot wait for the day one of his no look passes is returned for touchdown. If Tyreek Hill gets himself kicked off the team, which is never completely out the question things drastically change for this offense. KC's defense stinks worse than Andy Reid's belly button but the Chiefs will still be a power and likely a final four team again. FTR people saying this team was a coin flip from the Super Bowl need to understand it's no guarantee they score on the opening drive like the Patriots did when they won the AFC (at Arrowhead). As for the bottom half of the West I expect the Broncos not to suck that bad. I don't really like or respect Joe Flacco as a man, but I don't expect him to go out like this. He must have some pride and want to prove the Ravens wrong, right? With a solid defense and two good running backs this team will be in a lot of games. I'm so mad I didn't get to draft Manny Sanders again in fantasy. I expect a season similar to last year. They're like 6-6 ish with a chance to make the playoffs if they finish strong, but falter. The Raiders are going to be a dumpster fire and I cannot wait to watch from afar. I do feel bad for the fans of Oakland. At least you get one game of A's playoff baseball this October.
NFC East
1. Philadelphia Eagles 10-6
2. Dallas Cowboys 9-7 3. Washington Redskins 6-10 4. New York Giants 4-12 The Cowboys are defending NFC East champs, but as of now Zeke is still holding out. They have seemingly given everybody an extension this off season except him (and Dak). That could easily change before I post this. Assuming Zeke does come back as the reports have indicated I think the race between the Eagles and Cowboys will be great all year and could very well go down to week 17. If for some reason Zeke doesn't play the Cowboys are like a 7 win team. As is tradition, the NFC East winner is likely to have a lower win total just because this division always beats up on each other. The division winner has only surpassed the 10 win threshold three times in the 2010's (2014, 16, 17). Even if the Giants are a 3 win team one of those wins will come against the Eagles or Cowboys. I'm giving the Eagles the edge for one reason and one reason only: coaching. Doug Pederson is approximately 93x the coach Jason Garrett is. I'm a huge narrative guy and would like to note the Cowboys have a recent history of disappointing after playoff seasons and have only made the playoffs in back-to-back seasons once this millennium (2006-07). The Eagles biggest question mark is Carson Wentz. Will he be 100% because when he is it's clear he's an MVP candidate. Unlike the last two years the Eagles do not have Nick Foles as insurance policy, so if Wentz goes down again the Birds may head south for the winter sooner than expected. The Redskins will hopefully let Dwayne Haskins get some game action sooner rather than later because they have no chance to win this division with Case Keenum. I like Keenum but he may be the least exciting QB ever. Nothing will ever surpass 2017 for him. At least see what Haskins can do. If you don't wanna throw him in the fire right away I totally get it and that may be exactly what Keenum is here for as the Skins schedule is brutal the first 5 weeks. Could this be Jay Gruden's last year in DC? Probably not since they just drafted a QB, but things could get uglier than Alex Smith's leg injury early in DC as 4 of their first 5 games are likely losses. The Giants have Saquon Barkley for at least two more years and QB situation that is surely to play out drama free. 6 wins are an absolute best case scenario for the G-men. I almost feel bad for Eli but then I remember he gets the credit that his defensive line and the greatest fluke play in NFL history (Edelman catch was designed that way) for beating the Pats in the Super Bowl twice so it's gonna be hard to get a tear out of my eyes for him.
NFC South
1. New Orleans Saints 11-5
2. Atlanta Falcons 9-7 3. Carolina Panthers 8-8 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 5-11 I really want to pick a team not named the New Orleans Saints as I really do think this could be the year Drew Brees shows his age. I'm not some Kellerman type hater, just using my eyes. Last year he faded like he was in Soul Decision down the stretch. Brees threw for only 175 yards a game weeks 11-15 and 7 touchdowns in his final five starts; four came in one game. His year really reminded me of Peyton Manning in 2014. Everybody seems to forget Drew's HORRIBLE INT on the Saints opening OT drive thanks to the missed PI call in the 4th quarter. I do think the heartbreaking endings of the last two season in New Orleans could lead to a disappointing year. It's hard to keep bouncing back. That being said I'm not too high on the Falcons, Panthers or Bucs so it's more-so Saints by default. Plus the Brees-Payton duo desperately needs another Super Bowl ring to legitimize this run in NFL lore and the clock is ticking. As RG3 famously said "no pressure, no diamonds". Idk what to expect from the Falcons. I feel like they're on the downswing, but I could totally see them making the playoffs just because of Matt Ryan and Julio. They'll be better than last year with Freeman back, but Coleman is gone. Matty Ice sneaky had one of his best statistical seasons ever despite a poor team record. Dan Quinn is one of those coaches I could never believe in, mainly from every single decision he made in the last 20 minutes of Super Bowl 51. Nobody cares about the Falcons. The Panthers are a really fun team that totally has the potential to make the playoffs. Cam Newton has won an MVP and shown what he's capable of when healthy. They were 6-2 last season right in the heart of best teams in the NFC before a free fall lead them to 7-9 and that last win was in week 17 when the Saints gave Teddy Bridgewater his first start since the 2015 playoffs in a meaningless game. It's all about Cam and whether he can stay healthy. Christian McCaffery has a real shot at a 1000-1000 season tbh the rushing part will likely be harder for him. Greg Olsen is another year older. No more Thomas Davis who was the heart of the defense (outside of Luke). Panthers compete, but ultimately fall a little short. Tampa Bay is going to be a science experiment. They're gonna throw the ball 45 times a game. I love Bruce Arians, but I don't know if he can salvage this bunch. Who is on this defense? Can a running back on this team average over 3.1 yards/carry? It is a make or break year for Jameis Winston as he enters year 5. Mike Florio has been saying all off-season there is no middle ground with this team, they either fly high or crash and burn. I completely agree. I don't see a way this team is 8-8. Arians either surprises everybody and they win 10 games or are a sub 6 win team. I drafted Chris Godwin so either way throw that rock, Jameo.
NFC North
1. Green Bay Packers 10-6
2. Chicago Bears 9-7 3. Minnesota Vikings 7-9 4. Detroit Lions 6-10 Last year I had the Vikings at 14-2 with Kirk Cousins as league MVP and I couldn't have been more wrong. (although I did project them to lose in the divisional round) Instead the Bears were a surprise division winner last year at 12-4, led in part by the acquisition of Khalil Mack. Mack helped transform the Bears into a league leading defense from his first snap. As we all know football has three phases of the game; offense, defense and special teams. When Cody Parkey double-doinked a 43 yarder in the Wild Card round we all saw the importance of the final third component of the game. He was replaced Eddie Pineiro. Who? Exactly. With shaky QB play and a great defense the Bears are going to need a legit NFL kicker as they should be in a lot of close games. This guy could be one, but if he's not it could derail an other wise solid team. Because of that I'm being a basic bitch and picking the Packers. They've missed the playoffs two straight years, have a new head coach and healthy Aaron Rodgers. While I do believe Aaron Rodgers is one of the most overrated athletes of all time, I still think the Packers deserve a loinshare of the blame why they both haven't been in the Super Bowl since the 2010 season. Their schedule down the stretch gets pretty difficult as they only have 3 home games after week 8 so a hot start is a must for the Packers if they want to make the playoffs in 2019. The Vikings are kind of like the NFC version of the Texans with a much more storied history of heartbreak. If they win the division okay, if they win 7 games okay. Either way they aren't winning the Super Bowl so who fucking cares? Lions are in year two of Matt Patricia. As much as I loved him as Pats DC I don't know if he's an NFL head coach. This will be a big year for him. Detroit sports fans have pretty shitty lives so for their sake I hope I'm wrong.
NFC West
1. Seattle Seahawks 10-6
2. Los Angeles Rams 10-6 3. San Francisco 49ers 6-10 4. Arizona Cardinals 5-11
The Seahawks are the west coast Patriots. The LOB is gone and they're in the 2nd wave of players behind Pete Caroll and Russell Wilson. Last year they made the playoffs after most people (myself included) wrote them off before the season began. Idk who Russell Wilson is going to throw to, but like Brady it won't really matter. I love the combination of backs they have. Chris Carson is going to be a top 10 RB this season. They'll be in the hunt all year even with no volume pass catchers on this roster.
I think the Rams take a step back this year after a disappointing Super Bowl loss where they could only muster up 3 points. I don't believe in Jared Goff. **HE JUST GOT A 4-YEAR EXTENSION WTF**He's shown flashes, but definitely has a low ceiling. I honestly just don't think he's that smart of a guy or polished enough. Seems like a chill dude but there's like 10 other QBs I'd rather have. I feel like a lot of who he is is because of the system and McVay. Honestly I'm down on McVay after the Super Bowl too. Too worried about blowing Belichick pregame and telling Jared Goff he's playing great when they haven't scored and it's the 3rd quarter. Be better bro. I have much more faith in McVay rebounding, although I wonder at what point does this team get tired of his shtick? Todd Gurley's health is paramount for postseason success. Just look at the Super Bowl last year and tbh NFCCG if the Saints and refs have half a brain. Clay Matthews is there now which would be cool if it was 2013. The 49ers are sort of in the same camp as the Chargers in the range of legitimate outcomes this season has. The only difference being their 6 win range is from 4-10. Is Jimmy the guy? Idk. I thought he was but now he may just be a more handsome Rob Johnson. In a tough division it's going to be hard to see the 49ers making the playoffs unless the Rams regress even more than I expect or the Seahawks cannot overcome their lack of pass catchers. The Arizona Cardinals will play football in 2019. That is for certain. That's about all that is certain with this team as they have a brand new coach and quarterback for the second year in a row. I still cannot believe Cliff Kingsbury is an NFL Head Coach but the Cards are all in on his system and Kyler Murray. We saw essentially nothing of what they're going to be doing in the preseason, but as someone who has played a lot of madden with this team let me tell you their offense line is dog shit. This team wants to lead the league in plays run which is an interesting goal to have. I'd rather lead the league in postseason wins but that's just me. Much like Bruce Arians and the Bucs, Kingsbury is either going to revolutionize the game or be out of the league very quickly. I don't see him getting a second chance if the Cards amass 8 wins the next three years which is very possible with a 5 foot 5 running QB and an offensive line of guys who are 68s in Madden.
Playoffs:
AFC: 1. New England Patriots 12-4 2. Kansas City Chiefs 11-5 3. Cleveland Browns 11-5 4. Jacksonville Jaguars 9-7 5. Los Angeles Chargers 10-6 6. Baltimore Ravens 9-6-1 Wild Card Round: (3) Browns over (6) Ravens (5) Chargers over (4) Jaguars Divisional Round: (1) Patriots over (5) Chargers (2) Chiefs over (3) Browns Conference Championship: (1) Patriots over (2) Chiefs Everybody and their mother is going to have this as the AFCCG and while that makes me apprehensive to include it as well, to me the AFC is a two team race. It's going to be all about home-field advantage even though that didn't matter last year. The Chiefs offense is better on paper and the Pats defense is better in reality. Give me the coach and QB who live at the Super Bowl over the 3rd year guy and career bridesmaid. Playoffs: NFC: 1. New Orleans Saints 11-5 2. Philadelphia Eagles 10-6 3. Seattle Seahawks 10-6 4. Green Bay Packers 10-6 5. Los Angeles Rams 10-6 6. Dallas Cowboys 9-7 Wild Card Round: (6) Cowboys over (3) Seahawks (5) Rams over (4) Packers Divisional Round: (1) Saints over (6) Cowboys* I was this close to having the Saints lose* (2) Eagles over (5) Rams Conference Championship: (2) Eagles over (1) Saints Third straight year the Saints get their heart ripped out. All dependent on Wentz' health, but should he finally make it to the playoffs I like him lead this team back to the Super Bowl. Super Bowl: (A1) Patriots over (N2) Eagles Redemption for Super Bowl LII. I definitely feel a little lame picking the Pats to win it all and of course my bias is showing, but as of now these are teams I truly believe can win the Super Bowl in 2019: Patriots, Chiefs, Saints, Eagles, Chargers, Cowboys and Bears (and I don't even have them in the playoffs). Awards: MVP: Patrick Mahomes (lame pick but he's gonna throw for 40+ again and the league is dying for him to overtake Brady as its face) Offensive Player of the Year: Christian McCaffery (1000-1000 with over a dozen TDs) Defensive Player of the Year: Aaron Donald (boring af, but likely af) Coach of the Year: Freddie Kitchens (purely for bringing Browns to the playoffs) Offensive Rookie of the Year: David Montgomery (Kyler gets hurt because of all the plays and 68s on the line) Defensive Rookie of the Year: Josh Allen (Jags bounce back with him in a big role) Comeback Player of the Year: Earl Thomas (would you believe he has zero career sacks? I know he's a FS but in 9 years not one? 
The Pats drafted Chase Winovich out of the University of Michigan in the 3rd round earlier this year. The PA native has been tearing it up like Freddie Mercury in 1984 this preseason. Pro Football Focus graded Wino the 3rd best rookie of the preseason (through week 3).
Despite his performance this preseason and throughout camp, the main story line of Winovich's rookie year to this point has been the fate of his signature flowing blonde locks.
While the Patriots don't have some Yankees like hair-policy, like many other NFL teams they do have a long history of rookie haircuts.
Some notable league wide examples.
Former Dallas Cowboy Pat Mcquistan's skullet in 2006 may be the most brutal.
Some teams have nixed this tradition in one of the few examples where I think PC culture is a good thing.
I'm all for team bonding and some sort of hazing, tape em to the goal posts, make them do some skits, fill up a car with popcorn, but to me when it drastically alters your appearance or goes beyond the team facilities that where it's gone too far IMO. As a long hair guy, and more importantly as a freedom guy I'm not a huge fan of this tradition. You got drafted in the NFL, not the Army. It's one thing if you fuck up some dude with 2 and half inch long hair that doesn't give a shit, but when it's something that took years to grow I'm not about it. Some teams have adapted to the times by coloring their longer hair or shaving eyebrows, but not all do. ​Of course sometimes the haircuts are pretty funny, that true rat-tail the Broncos did a few year back being a prime example. But as someone who values their hair, and the rights of others to do the same obviously I'm not a fan of haircuts against people's will. You know who else gave people haircuts against their will?.. As for Wino himself, he's already giving all the right Patriot answers but my inner-psychologist as a flow guy knows Wino doesn't wanna see his blonde locks get chopped.
The obvious, easy, Bleacher Report way out is to compare Winovich to Samson and speculate what cutting his hair could do to his performance. I'm not going to do that. Obviously his hair isn't why he got drafted into the NFL. That being said why take any chances? Look good, play good. Ever heard of it? The dude is a 3rd rounder who to this point has performed extremely well. Confidence on the field 100% matters and completely affects on field performance. Look at his instagram for 2 seconds, obviously this dude loves his hair.
​#SaveWinosHair |
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