What's Going on with the Big 3 Sports
As we head into Mother's Day weekend I am sharing some thoughts on the latest happenings with baseball, football and basketball. Hope you enjoy it!
NFL Ideas
· Heard an idea of allowing NFL teams to include (as the NBA does), making number one picks have top 10 protection for teams. I have to say I love that idea, as I think it will mean more trades and attempts to make teams better, and I am all for that.
· Here is a Baker’s Dozen of NFL Free Agents still sitting and waiting to be signed for the 2023 season. More of these guys will likely find new homes once June 1st comes and goes.
o Leonard Floyd OLB 30 (Rams)
o Frank Clark DE 29 (Chiefs)
o Marcus Peters CB 30 (Ravens)
o Yannick Ngakoue DE 28 (Indianapolis)
o Kareem Hunt RB 27 (Browns)
o Zach Cunningham ILB 28 (Titans)
o Adrian Amos FS 30 (Packers)
o Gabe Jackson OG 31 (Seattle)
o Teddy Bridgewater QB 30 (Miami)
o Mason Rudolph QB 27 (Pittsburgh)
o Kenny Golladay WR 29 (NYG)
o Isaiah Wynn OT 26 (New England)
o Rashann Evans LB 27 (Atlanta)
· NFL.com writer/analyst Lance Zierlien has an excellent article on NFL.com that projects compensatory picks for the 2024 NFL Draft.
NFL Schedule Release Extravaganza
Things have gotten to the point that the 2023 schedule release now rivals an award show. We can not just see the schedule. We might have a short film that might qualify for an Academy Award very soon at the rate we are going with the videos. However, someone must explain how the strength of schedule means anything when rosters are turned over every off-season.
Here are games that caught my eye as must-see TV this fall.
Week 1: Buffalo Bills at New York Jets, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)
Week 2: Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 3: New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. (Amazon Prime)
Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs at New York Jets, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 5: Dallas Cowboys at San Francisco 49ers, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Week 6: Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. (CBS)
Week 7: Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Week 8: Cincinnati Bengals at San Francisco 49ers, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Week 9: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 10: Detroit Lions at Los Angeles Chargers, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
Week 11: Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs, 8:15 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)
Week 12: Buffalo Bills at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Week 13: San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 14: Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Week 15: Dallas Cowboys at Buffalo Bills, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
Week 16: Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. (ABC)
Week 17: Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)
Week 18: Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens (Time/TV TBD)
Good Morning Football Revamp, Please?
I miss the days when Good Morning Football on NFL Network was a go-to source for NFL news instead of an attempt to qualify for Saturday Night Live. I am not a fan of the direction I see this show heading and have removed it from my daily routine. They need football people on the show who do their homework and inform the fans.
The lack of knowledge the team outside of Peter Schrager had regarding the upcoming draft prospects was disappointing and needed to be better. They did a show to guess the draft pick name, and outside of Kevin O’Hara, I’m not sure anyone got a player right. How can we listen to them as experts or football fans instead of simply talking heads when they don’t know the players coming into the league?
Fans tune in for discussions on football issues, player spotlights, where they are now stories, tailgating ideas, etc. I’m not watching any show for it to be run like a game show with lame jokes and constant reports of their favorite teams and players. Football is why you tune in to a show, not the people on the show. I don’t want to hear why you can’t like a particular team growing up. How about picking whom you think the best team is, regardless of your personal experiences?
It could be a good source of information with so many talented football people such as Michael Robinson, Mark Dominik, Marcus Spears, Chris Canty, Ryan Clark, Joel Klatt, Rob Ninkovich, and many other football-centric people that would bring so much more to the morning table.
With many different options, including YouTube shows, team-centered Podcasts, and other networks, the GMF information part of the show has dropped significantly since Adams and Burleson departed. I listen to NFL Network on Sirius in the morning to get my daily football news.
NBA Playoff Take
· Man, I hope the Lakers win this series, not just because I am a lifelong Lakers fan but even more for the crybabies in Golden State and the die-hard loyal to the Warriors media.
You would think some of these guys are related to the Golden State, the insane amount of loyalty they show, regardless of factual video evidence and game results. Someone said, “If Golden State makes 5 or 6 threes in every game, they would be up 3-1.” If the Lakers had made more baskets, they would have had more points too.
· If Charles Barkley were ever as brilliant as he thinks he is, he would be dangerous.
· Heads will roll in Phoenix after another collapse in the playoffs. Chris Paul will be dealt with and moved soon, with his contract-guaranteed salary doubling by the end of June.
Also likely on the move is Deandre Ayton, who tried to flee last year, but Phoenix wanted to give it another shot. If Ayton is back, then Monty Williams is probably gone. He might be gone, too, depending on what the new ownership thinks is the problem.
Suns ownership also must worry about upsetting Kevin Durant, as we know that can be a touchy situation. Watching Phoenix try to fix the problems and rise again will be fun.
· Time to start studying the NBA Draft Prospects not named Victor
MLB Baseball
· Great article on Just Baseball about MLB Players Bound to Improve: Hitters Edition. It makes me laugh when I read reporters are asking last-place teams like the Yankees if they will start to sell. Everyone, it is not even the middle of May. Like the GM/QB of the Jets once said, “R-E-L-A-X.”
· Will Michael Brantley ever return to play for the Astros? Check out what the GM Dana Brown had to say in his update.
· MLB Draft starts on July 9th and finishes on Tuesday, July 11th. With modern advancements, players move up fast to the major leagues, so I started digging into players and read a write-up on LSU OF Dylan Crews, as he appears to be a top 3 prospect.
College Football
· Hurricanes fan alert. Interesting piece on SI regarding an interview with Mark Caesar and what it was like to play with Dwayne Johnson and Mario Cristobal during their days in Miami. It was great to read about where the Rock got some famous wrestling quotes.
· For the first time in a long time, I cannot say there is a clear-cut number-one team going into the college football season. Fox Sports provided a post-spring top 25 for reading, but I am not sure I buy the top teams they are selling.
· If you are like me, I have difficulty keeping track of the transfer portal, who is going where, and who left a program. 24/7 sports did an excellent job of breaking down the winners and losers to the best of their judgment.
· Just a thought, but I wonder if ESPN, Fox, or any other sports network would consider adding a JUCO game of the week. With so much talent coming from JUCO, I am pretty sure the top programs would be on board to have a Saturday morning 9 a.m. game on one of the networks for the top programs. The leading players and their future destinations are usually confirmed by the start of the season, so if they picked out some games with those players, I think the fans of the prospective program would tune in to see their future players.
· Greg McElroy shares his thoughts on the Alabama QB situation and how Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner fits in.
· PFF did a Way to Early 2024 Mock Draft but still many players from an SEC school. Does it ever stop?
If you enjoy this Newsletter, share it with a friend or a couple of friends. I aim to share some sports thoughts and stories that the sports die-hards would enjoy but might miss because of other things, such as work, family, etc. I hope you are enjoying it.
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