I would say "don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened", but I'm pretty sure that couldn't apply less to this situation. The quick one month fling with a first ballot, future HOFer has come to an underwhelming and unfulfilling end for both parties. All it took was 81 yards on 27 carries over 4 games for the New Orleans Saints and Adrian Peterson to realize that their relationship was much better in theory than in practice. But hey - at least they avoided the exasperating stretch of stubbornness that generally precedes most breakups and ultimately ends in a resentment-fueled, public scene! Their one social media-enabled spat might signify otherwise, but this is surely a mutual, amicable split that leaves both everyone involved feeling better about their future prospects. Sean Payton can now give more attention to his younger, more intriguing love interest in Alvin Kamara, and Adrian Peterson can get to playing the (back) field that was left unattended by David Johnson's injury. Oh, what could have been. Oh well, they'll always have...uhhhh...an iota of pre-preseason hype..I guess? Now, I'm not sure of the salary cap ramifications of this move, but hopefully whatever they pissed away in available money they made up for with the addition of a mid-round draft pick. Speaking strictly from a football perspective, however, I see very little downside. The presence of a proud player who was desperate to re-prove himself served as nothing more than a ticking time bomb in a locker room that certainly didn't need distractions from the person filling a relatively negligible role on the roster. With Mark Ingram's versatility demanding snaps and Alvin Kamara's play demanding touches, Adrian Peterson wasn't soon to see the field in any significant capacity barring injury. I do think it's possible he still has something left in the tank, but he certainly wasn't going to be able to do anything more than sit in the show room and rev the engine a couple times per game in New Orleans. Might as well give him the opportunity to run until he's on 'E', and - more importantly - get something for him while it was widely presumed that his value was next to nothing.
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I know that headline reads as over confident, but - more than anything - it's tone should be considered suspicious. I know the wins came over a hopeless Avalanche team and a Sabres team whose superstar is probably already trying to find an opt-out loophole in the 8 year extension he signed last week, but it's the fashion in which they came that really has me scratching my chin. The last time the Devils scored ten goals in a two game stretch was probably right around the same time they won two afternoon games in one season, and - without doing a single second of research - that had to be during the era in which wearing a helmet wasn't a requirement. Obviously the schedule is about to get a hell of a lot harder in Toronto, but I was led to believe that I shouldn't read too far into a dominant preseason, only to see that same type of performance carry over once the games started counting. It's one thing to ride a 40 save performance from Cory Schneider to victory over a bad team in an emotional home opener, but beating the brakes off Buffalo in Buffalo with a depleted lineup that was even more heavily dependent on rookies? It's impossible not to get excited about this team's ability to put up points out of the gate, even if a step up in competition undoubtedly makes those points harder to come by. There honestly aren't enough good things that could possibly be said about Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Will Butcher, and their NINE combined points in two NHL games. Coming into the season, most Devils' fans were just looking for proof of a better tomorrow and they already got it as of yesterday. Never mind that Taylor Hall has been all over the ice, because somehow the Devils' best forward has been an afterthought. Never mind that Marcus Johansson had three points yesterday, because the most proven acquisition of the offseason has basically been a footnote. Cory looks like Cory. Adam Henrique seems rejuvenated after a disappointing season. Kyle Palmieri appeared to have gone through the adult version of puberty before going down to leg injury temporarily. The defense seems deeper and improved (although it would be pretty impossible for it to be any worse). Yet, all that seems secondary to the fact that this team's future has arrived, even if the road to relevance only stands to get rougher from here on out. Starting 2-0 shouldn't be giving anyone (d)illusions of a potential playoff berth from a ludicrously deep division, but the manner in which it was achieved should solidify the preseason promise of exciting hockey in New Jersey. I'll be damned if that's not a massive step in the right direction after the nightmare that was almost the entirety of last season.
SportingNews- At Sunday's team scrimmage, Sixers coach Brett Brown was asked if he was comfortable with the state of Fultz's shot. (Spoiler alert: Uh, not really.)
"No. No. And so we're going to get back on track," Brown said (via The Athletic's Derek Bodner). "All by himself, he pivoted out over the summer and tried to make it better and tweak it. He's in a place right now where we're going to try to remind him of where his shot was, and try to bring that back into more of a tighter shot." Brown then tried to quell any concerns Monday by brushing it off as a "young guy that's trying to come into the league and make improvements." --------- Good news? The first overall pick in the NBA draft didn't get complacent or rest on his laurels, and worked to improve himself in the offseason. Bad news? He didn't. I guess we shouldn't be too surprised that a 19 year old - when left to his own devices - managed to utilize those devices in a way that was only slightly less detrimental than a child trying to make toast while taking a bath. When you really think about, Markelle Fultz is right around the high end of the age range in which you'd expect a kid to get scolded for "just trying to help". He probably stood about as good of a chance at correcting his own shooting stroke as he did of cooking the family dinner without setting off a fire alarm, but the attempt - in and of itself - is still commendable, regardless of the result. Now, I'm not sure why he thought studying the free throw shooting of Shaquille O'Neal and DeAndre Jordan would be beneficial to his game, but I imagine the fact that he did had Sixers' coach Brett Brown stepping outside to get some air before saying something that he would Iive to regret. I mean, good grief, is that an ugly shot. We better not let the ghost of James Naismith get a glimpse of a release more hesitant than that of Chris Foerster having unprotected sex with his stripper sidepiece, or he'll haunt the NBA worse than CTE is haunting the NFL. That overly cautious form honestly has the aesthetic appeal of tossing a 'Spalding' to your drunk Uncle on Thanksgiving and saying "make this shot or you're not getting any leftovers". So while I'm not entirely surprised that a teenager failed in trying to fix something without supervision, I am absolutely stunned that he started shot-putting his free shots off the back of the iron and said to himself "there, perfect".
I have never actually seen the movie 'A Beautiful Mind' so I can't speak to the entirety of the plot. I would imagine it's about some sort of transcendent genius, and not a degenerate kleptomaniac with the strongest of affinities for condiments. I just wonder if the same could be said if it was filmed at 'Ralph Wilson Stadium' instead of MIT. You see, this woman - for all her flaws - is special. She might not be special in the way that translates in professional accolades or financial gain, but she's damn sure special in a way that's representative of an entire city and it's masochistic football fanbase. Every Bills' fan that watched this lady snatch up a ketchup dispenser with her sticky, tomato paste fingers was in awe of the audacity that it takes to attempt such a feat, and surprising the people of Buffalo with your depravity is no small task. Putting it all on the line in an effort to attain the rarest of kitchen appliances might seem like a completed lopsided risk/reward. However, it's a risk/reward that served as proof to her peers - who spent the morning building up the beer muscles required to launch yourself through a flaming table - that this member of Bills Mafia has Godfather-esque qualities.
-------- Sadly, I can't say that I'm surprised by the following display of racism, ignorance, and cowardice (and undoubtedly the countless others like it) made towards an NHL player whose gesture served as nothing more than a reminder that he is both a proud African American and a professional hockey player...
While I think it's counterproductive to rank which professional athletes have risked the most by peacefully protesting racial inequality, if - and only if - I were to do so then J.T. Brown's name would probably fall behind Colin Kaepernick's at the top of the list. That may seem silly since his gesture was harmlessly made from the oh-so-important standing position. However, the fringe 4th liner whose job security was already questionable basically guaranteed he'd draw the ire of a audience that consistently jumps to conclusions while having no idea what the fuck they are watching once he decided to raise his fist. As a diehard hockey fan, I can confidently say that no other sport is as frequently misunderstood by those that are the most highly invested in it, so I'm not going to act stunned that some of those people can't tell the difference between hating this country and wanting better for it. I mean, some of the quacks that considered a raised fist a showing of disrespect to America are probably the same fucking losers repeatedly screaming "SHOOT IT!" for two straight minutes during every goddamn power play. In fact, while I pissed about 50 ounces of Canadian beer during the National Anthem at the Devils' home opener on Saturday, I would venture to guess there was at least one person that didn't see the irony in being a J.T. Brown critic while emptying his bladder into an adjacent urinal. It took all of one period and a single turnover for someone seated behind me to call into question the six year, market value contract paid to a 22 year old first pairing defenseman, so excuse me if I'm a little wary of the average hockey fan's ability to judge inherently unfair treatment in a rational manner. Simply put - due to the self important, "experience the game how I experience it or leave" culture surrounding hockey - protests (of any nature, really) and pucks do not go together. Look no further than the Pittsburgh Penguins decision to accept an invite to the White House on the same day that the rest of the sports world was collectively shunning the Presidency for proof of that. That's why I respect the hell out of J.T. Brown. Not only did he go with his heart, but he did so knowing damn well it would result in idiots calling for his head.
Strong words from Jerry Jones. In fact, some might say they are only one incendiary mention of a female dog's offspring away from reading like the same obnoxious call-to-action that he - himself - knelt in "protest" of...
Look, I'm really, really, really tired of talking about this, and that's why I'll just leave you with this.... Told ya so. Take away the term "son of a bitch", and what Jerry Jones said is no different than what Donald Trump said. It was a direct threat against the livelihood of his players that directly impinged upon their First Amendment rights. If you want to ignore that because two weeks ago he knelt for two seconds to appease both his business and political interests then be my guest. That maniacal smirk into the camera said it all before he even had to, but now we have words to back up the blatant hypocrisy. Oh, and let's get one thing straight. The "strength" of this obvious intimidation tactic is predicated solely on the skill level of any player ballsy enough to test it. Ezekiel Elliott would still be listed as the starter if he sucker punched Lady Liberty in the nose and got on all fours before using the American flag to wipe up the blood, so yeah - it absolutely matters who that hypothetical knee belongs to. But hey, if you're someone that thinks Jerry Jones would risk taking a loss by walking his team off an NFL field in response to a peaceful protest then these words are wasted on you because you're literally too dumb to reason with.
Some might say that a grown ass man whose job was made easier by the selection of a blue chip prospect who fell in the draft due to the untimely release of a clip of him inhaling marijuana faster than a firefighter at a grow house should know better. Some might even say it's common sense not to send an indisputable video of yourself running more lines than Al Pacino in the filming of 'Scarface' to the stripper that you have apparently been cheating on your wife with. Unfortunately, those people just don't realize how easy it is for an emotional man to act irrationally once he's already started his downhill slalom through some fresh white. Chris Foerster may appear to be a reckless asshole who - for one extremely misguided reason or another - thought his job as an NFL offensive line coach made him as untouchable in Miami as Tony Montana. In reality, he's just the degenerate equivalent of a lovesick teen desperately ingesting his pride after (literally) putting it all on the table in order to win back the provider of his hired sexual services. It's actually pretty romantic if you're able to ignore the narcotics, infidelity, and high probability of prostitution. After all, I'm sure even a hopeless addict has standards when it comes to the type of properly reimbursed pussy he'll lick excess drug remnants from. In all seriousness, we can end this "troubled individual" narrative that I just heard Adam Schefter refer to on ESPN. Sure, an NFL position coach who was looking for love in a laughably hopeless place and powdering his nasal cavity while on the clock has himself a goddamn grab bag of personal problems. There's no doubt that Chris Foerster was literally living the 'Vice City' lifestyle since he was presumably able to sit without suspicion through a meeting with the pupils the size of quarters. If you can duplicate your version of "normal" in the workplace after taking an 8-ball to the face then you must norrrrmally be pretty fucking high in the workplace. That said, someone like....oh, let's say...his own (soon-to-be former) player Laremy Tunsil didn't receive any fucking sympathy and all he did was piss off his stepfather after creatively smoking a little weed in college. If you find yourself making one single excuse for this moron, or blaming the sex worker that posted a private video publicly then just know that you're partly responsible for enabling the double standards that ultimately got it released. If this was truly only intended as some sort of response to racial inequality then it was a hell of a lot more unorthodox than taking a knee, but I'll be damned if the "aww, let's get the poor guy some help" reaction doesn't highlight the hypocrisy throughout the hierarchy in NFL organizations. So yeah, send his ass to rehab because he obviously needs it, but don't tell me I shouldn't expect better out of him than I do out of the kids he's tasked with coaching up...
— Cameron Newton (@CameronNewton) October 6, 2017 First and foremost, I don't mean for that headline to read as an indictment of the words spoken by Cam Newton in an apology that might as well have come three weeks after the the fact considering the goddamn express train that is modern day news cycle. Can't take any umbrage with the content on this one. I'd hope it would be after 27+ hours of his nonsensically obnoxious laugh festering throughout the internet like a stale fart, but it was very well said. Now, I don't know whether he was reading off of a notepad that was put together by a bunch of PR professionals who found the words he was unable to when initially given the chance to apologize by one less than humored woman with an undisputed knowledge of "routes" and a job to do. My inclination is to say that he wasn't, so if the whole point was to get me to believe that Cam Newton handled this atonement on his own then the Carolina Panthers should consider it a success. Admittedly, my first instinct was to criticize the fact that he was trying to sound sincere while dressed like he stumbled into a halloween store and asked for the biggest and tallest size they had in the purple 'Teletubbies' costume. However, if he had made amends in a timely fashion while wearing a modest-colored button-down would you have really believed that it was done on his own accord? In case you didn't perceive that question as rhetorical, the unspoken answer is "HELL NO!". Considering the source, there is just enough contextual issues with this video for it to come off as legitimate. In a weird way - that may or may not have been intentional - this feels more genuine than a rushed/forced/scripted mea culpa in which the culprit sounds as though he was shoved onto the sword, as opposed to willingly falling on it. I guess what I am trying to say is that if we are judging on the scale of insanely belated apologies given by people dressed head-to-toe (presumably) in an eccentric shade of grape, this one could have been far worse.
CourierJournal- When University of Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich announced a new deal with athletic apparel giant Adidas on Aug. 25, a reporter asked him if some of the proceeds would be shared with the university.
“It’s for the athletic department,” Jurich replied. “It’s for these student-athletes. It’s been earmarked for them.” In fact, under the current deal with Adidas, which expires July 1, 98 percent of the cash provided by Adidas goes to one person: Rick Pitino, the now-suspended head coach. In 2015-16, for example, $1.5 million went to Pitino under his personal services agreement with the apparel company while just $25,000 went to the program, according to a contract obtained by the Courier-Journal under the state public records act. The year before, Pitino also got $1.5 million, while the department banked just $10,000. Under the existing contract and the new one, any money that Adidas pays to University of Louisville coaches under personal service agreements is deducted from what the company gives to the athletic program. “Players come here in part because of Coach Pitino. Coaching is part of what we give to student-athletes,” Klein said last month before a bribery scandal prompted the suspensions of Jurich and Pitino. -------- I don't know if it's a testament to Rick Pitino's Napoleon-esque stature that he was able to lurk below the grass long enough to slither his way into the 'Hall Of Fame', but I'll be damned if doesn't make a better snake than he does a college basketball coach. And honestly, that's not even a knock on his command of the collegiate hardwood. Like, pound for pound? May not be a more impressive weasel in the world of sports than the blood sucking son of a bitch that, ironically enough, looks like Dracula's vertically challenged brother. Sure, he was aided by the lack of conscience necessary to plead ignorance over, and over, and over again as someone who quite obviously had his finger on the pulse of everything that was happening under his watch, but you don't achieve that amount of success by being a run-of-the-mill pathological liar. No sir. I have met far too many people who are completely full of shit and not going down (literally) in sports history for me to think that Ricky Baby didn't have a special type of moral-less compass. I mean, we are talking about a guy that might as well have said "Adidas? Is that a type of Spanish food" in response to allegations that he was siphoning off the small percentage of their millions that he wasn't using to line his own pockets to purchase high prized recruits. Let's (three) strip(e) this situation free of the basketball for a second. It takes a virtuoso in the art of ethical compartmentalization to be able to go swimming in a pool of shoe company's cash only to attempt to wipe yourself clean of any nefarious affiliation with that mildly dirty money when the accusation against you is soaked in evidence. It's one thing to launder payments through a innocuous business venture like a good Italian boy. But to do so as a universally recognized public figure whose profession plays out on television? Man, it's a wonder that all the corruption he had stuffed in his closet didn't come out in the cleaners, and I think that technically makes him an expert (d)illusionary.
Sidenote: Yeah, we definitely shouldn't put aside funds for student athletes. You know, since the ever-marginalized universities are already "paying them in coaching". That money is way better spent supplementing the astronomical income of someone whose services are apparently also - in and of themselves - a form of currency? Don't feel bad, I had a tough time understanding that last sentence as I was writing it, and that speaks to the complete fucking shitshow that is the business of college athletics.
It just doesn't seem fair, does it? Twenty year old kid starting his professional career against the defending Western Conference champions with a twinkle in his eye wastes no time in potting his first career goal - in pretty impressive fashion, mind you - while bringing a tear to the eye of his father, and what question are most of us heathens left asking? "Damn, what you got in them genes (jeans)". He couldn't get the spotlight to himself for one night before we collectively said "that was sick dude, but...like...your sisters". Considering the thorough investigative abilities of the internet, it was only a matter of time before they dug up the well proportioned bodies he's been trying to hide across the upstairs hallway, but Game 1 Goal 1? Couldn't the poor bastard soak in a couple hours of glory before his sultry siblings went viral? Jake DeBrusk basically woke up this morning to realize the realization of his dream, opened his laptop, and the thirsty ass NY Post was already circulating a snapshot of his sister in a bikini. Having your blood become Insta-famous is a fair price for your actual fame, I suppose, but I bet it's a price that he wishes he didn't have to pay almost immediately upon entering an NHL scoresheet. So, with that, I am going to go against the conventional wisdom of my easily distracted brain by just saying no to the eye candy. I'm going to prioritize applauding Jake DeBrusk on his incredible debut, and his father on what was a hell of a proud poppa moment. If only because I grew up playing hockey with a younger sister that spent far too much time in the stands. USAToday- “We can play games in China and Europe, or occasional preseason games as a one-off, but under existing airline technology, the planes aren’t fast enough to at least play in the current frame work of our regular season,” Silver, who did not attend Thursday's game but plans on attending the Warriors-Wolves preseason game in Shanghai on Sunday, said by phone. “(But) it may be something we’ll be looking at over the coming years, is what a regular season schedule look like a decade from now.”
The premise, of course, is that an 82-game schedule would likely be too taxing if there was intercontinental travel added to the schedule. “There’s nothing magical about 82 games,” Silver continued. “It’s been in place for 50 years, but for the long-term planning of the league, as we learn more about the human body and the wear and tear of travel and the competitive landscape ... invariably we’ll look at the regular season. And in looking at the regular season, it may create more opportunities for international franchises.” ------- Wait, so what's the catch? I know Adam Silver is the rare breed of Commissioner in that he isn't an out-of-touch moron that never removes his eyes from the current bottomline, but there's just got to be a catch. Did he just imply there might be LESS games while addressing topics as taboo as the future and the overarching health of his employees? I mean, I suppose there would have to be if they truly wanted to infiltrate the Asian market via international relocation, but that seems way too player friendly of a concept for a Commissioner to be talking about publicly? Did Adam Silver get too big for britches and forget about the wealthy, predominantly white owners and their all-important revenue stream? Doesn't he know he's supposed to be resistant to any and all change unless said change is controversial, if not immediately frowned upon by all parties? If I have learned anything from the tenure of Roger Goodell, it's that the head of a professional sports league is supposed to prioritize being stubbornly unresponsive. If Gary Bettman's decade-long undefeated streak as the most hated man in every stadium he steps into is any indication then endearing yourself to your employees is a fatal proposition. Shortening the schedule of a regular season that always seem to drag in order to increase the worldwide exposure of the brand while preserving the lower body health of it's players? HA! I don't know what futuristic world Adam Silver is living in, but he better relax with this forward thinking bullshit before he gets stripped of his power out of fear that he might abuse it at the expense of that all-too-alluring concessionary income. Can You Guys Hurry Up With The Questions So NC State's Head Coach Can Grab A Celebratory Beer?10/6/2017
They are just like us! They are just like us! Seriously, Dave Doeren had all the motivation in the world to lead his team to victory over Louisville. First and foremost, I'm sure he wanted the 95.5 hours he spent watching his hairline rapidly recede as he prepared for the arrival of the reigning Heisman Trophy winner to get validated. Second of all, I'm positive he wanted to substantiate the result of NC State's victory over Florida State two weeks ago by proving it was no fluke. A relatively unknown guy unexpectedly trying to return a fairly dormant program to prominence? I think we can all agree that he wasn't exactly lacking incentive. But when it comes down to it, what is the underlying impetus for every red-blooded, American male that is participating in athletic competition in some capacity? Celebratory booze. Drinks that would be the exact same temperature following a depressing loss, but just seem a hell of a lot colder after a huge win. He might be a college football coach that is held responsible for turning 100+ boys into men prior to the NFL Draft, but when that final whistle blows with the scoreboard leaning in his favor he turns into nothing more than a beer league softball player who only has eyes for his next IPA draft. So rifle off those questions ladies (yes Cam, ladies) and gentleman, because Dave Doeren didn't orchestrate an unadulterated ass slapping of Lamar Jackson on his home turf just so the postgame press conference would be painless. If his 'Wrap It Up' cue was any indication, he did so that he could drowned himself in the glory of one (or six) too many pints amongst those that most appreciate his efforts in sending them home drunk and happy.
I think I speak for most, if not all, Devils' fans when I say that I love Chico Resch like family. Everyone needs a mildly senile (but insanely friendly) grandfather who has a bottomless appetite (RIP 'Chico Eats!'), a wealth of stories, and - most importantly - an undying need to share them. That's what he brought - in all it's glory - to each and every New Jersey Devils' television broadcast that he was a part of, so it's great to hear that he's back in-house where he belongs. Unfortunately, that's why I am going to jump on the grenade here and say exactly what everyone else is feeling too sentimental to say... Chico Resch doing radio is a logistical nightmare. Take the emotions out of the decision and it couldn't possibly be a worse idea. I'm talking like a "Helen Keller as your babysitter"-esque hire. The beauty of Chico was that he was comic relief. He had the uncanny ability to watch the same damn play that you were simultaneously viewing on television, and describe something wildly different than what actually transpired. That was unbelievably endearing when it was aided by the 'Hall Of Fame' help of Doc Emrick and the emergence of 35 different indisputable video replays. Something tells me that quality doesn't quite translate to painting a second-by-second picture for people trying to focus on literally anything other than driving off the road and ending it all while sitting in standstill traffic. That last paragraph wasn't meant to be a buzz kill, because I - for one - am willing to sacrifice having any idea what who has the puck and/or what they are doing with it a couple times a year just to get the comforting presence of New Jersey's favorite homer back in my life. Seriously, hearing that a warm, familiar face will be back within the Devils' organization gave me that fuzzy feeling that I assume the regulars had while waltzing into 'Cheers'. From the fans to the front office to the staff to the players, Chico knows everybody's name and - with opening night right around the corner and my dedication to watching games on TV having peaked - that seems more important than knowing if the puck is in Cory Schneider's glove, the back of the net, or the 23rd row. Kenyon Martin Was Critical Of Jeremy Lin's Dreadlocks, And Jeremy Lin Shut Him Up With The Quickness10/5/2017
If we are being perfectly honest, I wouldn't have thought twice about Jeremy Lin's dreadlocks if he didn't write up some super self important 'Players' Tribune' article about how his newest wacky 'do is some sort of follically-inspired attempt at becoming a multi-cultural liaison. Maybe it's because I'm not African American and therefore it wasn't my hairstyle that was being adopted by someone less than racially inclined, but treating each cornrow like it was actually an olive branch to a more unified tomorrow seemed wildly unnecessary, if not painfully ill advised.
If I had to guess, Kenyon Martin wouldn't have even commented on Lin's new look if he didn't publish some piece that beat him to punch. The mantra that a professional sports league is "a family" is overused at best and largely bullshit at worst, but if there's an organization (or more accurately, 'Association') that does a decent job embracing it then it's the NBA. That's why I don't think there would be too much outcry amongst black players if someone who has managed to thrive amongst their culture were to plop down in a barber's chair and appropriate it without turning his decision to do so into an online spectacle. Maybe I am totally wrong on this, but I don't even think the contentiousness with Carmelo Anthony following the 'Linsanity' era was enough to cost Jeremy his black card. That's why his plea for it to get upgraded with benefits was not only odd, but likely what made Kenyon Martin speak on it in over-the-top fashion. The results of him doing so, however, were...well...in a word...incredible...
ROASTED. The slick-tongued, bad boy of 'Big 3' basketball set aflame by a quick and easy observation made the NBA's most notable Harvard grad. Actually, now that I put it that way it seems a lot less than stunning that Jeremy Lin and his 'Ivy League' education were able to outsmart Kenyon Martin, but you just don't expect the Asian dude to win a war of words with someone who has a pair of lips tattooed on his neck. Especially not when his weapons of choice were nothing more than his eyeballs and kindness. As a proud New Jersey Nets (R.I.P.) fan, I'll always love Kenyon Martin. But I'll be damned if he doesn't look stupid for trying to champion the undeniable blackness of tightly twisted hair with something that probably translates to "I am a sucker" or "I like turtles" forever inked on his arm in Chinese.
PFT- Through his first four games as a member of the Saints, there’s been little sign that running back Adrian Peterson has a lot of juice left in the tank.
Peterson has 27 carries for 81 yards, including four yards on four carries against the Dolphins last week, and the Saints have had more success when they give the ball to Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. Given those trends, one might expect the team to lower their expectations for what Peterson is going to bring to the offense this season. Running backs coach Joel Thomas says that’s not the case, however. “It’s just a matter of time,” Thomas said, via Herbie Teope of the New Orleans Times-Picayune. “I really feel like this block, it’s going to break. We just have to keep on chipping and you keep grinding, keep getting after something and ultimately something positive is going to come out of this.” Peterson played six snaps against the Dolphins in a 20-0 win that would seem to offer the kind of opportunity to get Peterson work that might not exist in closer games. If he’s not playing there, it’s hard to think he’ll be playing a lot at any time unless an injury shakes up the backfield mix. ------ A matter of time, huh? I understand that Adrian Peterson's position coach doesn't stand to do himself any favors by publicly stating that Adrian Peterson is a footnote in the Saints' offense. Luckily, I'm not tasked with keeping him motivated in case his services are eventually needed so I can say that - for the 32 year old running back who is far and away the third priority in a crowded backfield - time is the matter. Personally, I don't think that 'AD' yet stands for 'All Done', but the only way he's truly "breaking out" is if his runs are through a field of poison ivy or a gaggle of unclean women. Assuming Mark Ingram remains healthy (::knocks on wood::), there's just not going to be enough touches available to get him going. It's no coincidence that the team has looked better offensively with Alvin Kamara's ever-expanding role, and they aren't going to sacrifice his development to give insanely predictable snaps to someone that needs far too many of them to be effective. Now, that doesn't mean there isn't an 80-90 yard performance in his near future, because I think he still has the timeless talent to provide that (as shown below)...
However, even if there is, it would most certainly be the outlier. It took a Mark Ingram ball security issue to get Tim Hightower going last season, and Adrian Peterson is simply a vastly superior player filling that same less than significant role. I think I speak for all Saints' fans, players, and (running back) coaches (who aren't at liberty say so) when I say that the team is probably better off if he continues to do so. That might read as an indictment of the future HOFer, but it's really just a commendation of the players ahead of him who are balling their asses without needing a historically versatile playbook catered to their skill set. Live and learn, I suppose. A Sean Payton offense is no place for an aging back that is trying to re-prove himself as one of the best to ever tote the rock. In retrospect, we probably should have known. The President Of The Rio Olympics Was Arrested For Buying Votes To Get The Games To Brazil...And?10/5/2017 Reuters- Brazilian police arrested on Thursday the head of the national Olympics committee, who is accused of conspiring to bribe members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to pick Rio de Janeiro as host of the 2016 games.
Brazilian investigators say Carlos Arthur Nuzman helped arrange a $2 million bribe to get the games for Rio de Janeiro, where he was arrested early on Thursday. Police said he was being held in connection with crimes including corruption and money laundering. Marcelo Bretas, the federal judge who authorized his arrest, said new evidence indicated that Nuzman’s role in the alleged vote-buying scheme was “more relevant” than initially thought. Bretas said in an arrest order that Nuzman’s wealth grew by 416 percent between 2006 and 2016 and that he had assets overseas that were only declared after the vote-buying investigation began. The IOC said on Thursday it would cooperate in the investigation. Its chief ethics and compliance officer has asked Brazil for information to proceed with its own internal investigation, which is ongoing, the body said. Police raided Nuzman’s home in September, accusing him of conspiring with politicians to buy the right to host the 2016 games. Sergio Mazzillo, a lawyer for Nuzman, said then his client was innocent. ------- I'm all for the upholding of justice, but something about the timing of this arrest feels disingenuous. That's not to say that whatever sentence Carlos Arthur Nuzman is given for financially fixing an institutionally corrupt voting process wasn't totally, 100% percent earned. It is, however, to say that every single person that stood by the lighting of that torch so that they would be safer from disease-carrying mosquitos became an accomplice once it started billowing smoke. Honestly, there was always something fishy about a crime ridden, South American city winning the bid to host the World Games, and it damn sure wasn't their bodies of water because no form of marine life could survive that shit. You're telling me that we just became suspicious that Rio's campaign may not have been clean when they got a majority of people to vote in favor of bringing millions of people to a country that can't run a clean facet? There were athletes that spent four full years perfecting their craft that opted out of competing for a gold medal because they didn't want their pregnant wife to even be mildly associated with the word Zika. Maybe it's fitting this reads as though I am an eternal pessimist, because if you tried - at any point - to tell me the process that brought us the Rio Olympics was more pure than the disturbingly green water used to pool the world's best divers then I would have said "over my dead body". Honestly, this arrest just feels like a retroactive excuse for how poorly an international event went when it was destined to go poorly the second the IOC allowed the host city to get determined illegally. It's like getting coerced into allowing the couple who always shamelessly fights in public to host 'Friendsgiving', and then assigning them all the blame when 'Friendsgiving' predictably turns into a two person mud-slinging contest that's as awkwardly silent as whatever the fuck was taking place in Ryan Lochte's head that night. That doesn't acquit Carlos Arthur Nuzman from being an unlawful asshole that put a whole hell of a lot of people in danger by doing what was necessary to bring them to a place that obviously wasn't fit to adequately handle their arrival. Just don't let that distract you from the fact that (::channels inner Jay-Z::) the I-O-C been running this fraud shit. So, I guess I am glad that the "mastermind" who was able to purchase the ever-flexible votes of a committee that's historically as ethically unsound as FIFA is behind bars? Although, when you call Rio De Janeiro home, a cell might not be all that unsafe of a place to rest your head at night.
I usually find the concept of 'negging' to be obnoxious when it's performed by personality-challenged douchebags that are consciously trying to lower the subconscious standards of women that are out of their league at the bar. I say that to say this; I can't help but wonder if loving this long winded insult that was masquerading as praise makes me a hypocrite. I'm going to say no, because the last thing Mike Leach lacks is a personality. However, if it truly is an example of me speaking out of both sides of my mouth then I can't think of a better reason to do so than showing appreciation for a college football coach who has always been an open book of nonconsecutive chapters that reads like the littered mind of a brilliant lunatic. I want to say that never has a show of respect become disrespectful quicker, but there was nothing succinct about Mike Leach listing off all the stadiums louder than Oregon's - just days before his team plays in Oregon - and the oddly specific features that are responsible for their superior decibel level. Plus, I don't even think it was meant to be insulting as much as it was meant to be brutally honest. I truly believe that Washington State's head coach would rather call a running play than stop himself from speaking his insanely cluttered mind, and by now we should all know that Mike Leach loathes running plays...
Two words, national treasure...
As I am writing this there is almost definitely a team of public relations professionals (ironically probably made up of mixed company) carefully crafting an extremely "genuine" apology on behalf of Cam Newton, so the shelf life on this blog should be pretty damn short. Still, I wanted to get this up before the quarterback who finds the presence of the fairer sex in a sports-related workplace to be the purest form of comedy officially had his amends made for him. The absence of an empty atonement is obviously not the most important aspect of this story, but that absence is - in fact - proof positive that uncontrollably giggling at a female reporter's mere mention of a word as universally understood as "routes" wasn't just spur of the moment misogyny. Call me crazy, but I am glad Cam Newton "expressed regret, but didn't apologize" with what sounds like a fairly literal "sorry, not sorry". I'm glad that he had his chance to distance himself from what was the most casually executed of sexism...and massively failed in doing so. I'm glad that he essentially doubled down on what was very clearly an instinctually offensive reaction to the idea of a woman understanding one of football's most basic concepts. Please note, I don't think it's a good thing that a public figure in 2017 doesn't have a solid grasp on the renovations that society is continually trying to make to "the glass ceiling" in hopes of turning it into more of a sky deck. I do, however, think it's good that he almost immediately made it impossible to brush off his completely unprovoked, dangerously old fashioned commentary on gender roles. Most of us can't - in good conscience - claim we are above firing off an idiotic comment from time to time, but failing to own up to it on your own accord when the person targeted by said comment confronts you? I'd almost rather the Carolina Panthers not release some meaningless apology at this point, because the fact that the person that owes us one limited his initial response to "regret" makes it unforgivable anyway. His laugh was quite obviously inpiss poor humor, but his defense of it is somehow even less funny.
I mean, why even stop there? If Cam Newton was going to call an audible and re-route the conversation to make a sexist joke out of the idea that a woman could possibly understand the concept of men running around in pre-designed paths then he might he might as well have went for shock value and called her a "bitch" instead of a "female". At least that would have been met with a couple awkward, uncomfortable giggles from people that didn't know how to initially respond to an NFL quarterback reinforcing 1960's gender roles in 2017. I've always lived by the philosophy that funny can override offensive, but - from a comedic standpoint - finding it laughable that a member of the fairer sex that covers the NFL as a profession can comprehend running 10 yards and making a quick left is just not all that laughable. That's why I - personally - am more insulted by Cam Newton's complete lack of a sense of humor than I am by his blatant disregard for the ideals of modern society. That might read like I have equally barbaric priorities as they pertain to equality, but really it's just an admission that I've always expected far more out of Cam Newton in the way of funny than I did in the way of feminism. Needless to say - by going out of his way to undercut the undeniable progress that women have made in the field of sports - he let me down on both fronts. Food For Thought: When you really think about it, should we be completely shocked that he doesn't think a lady could have a firm grasp of receiving patterns when he's devoted his entire professional life to memorizing them and still sucks as a pocket passer? Zach Strief Has Been Put On IR, Thus Proving That The Saints Are Destined To Never Have Depth10/4/2017
I am fairly certain that the person who coined "everything is better in moderation" wasn't talking about starting caliber offensive tackles when he did so, but you'd truly believe that less is - indeed - more with the way fate has delivered hits to the Saints depth over the years. Just look at New Orleans' top two picks in the first round of the NFL draft for proof that the organization seemingly isn't allowed to have too many nice things. Marshon Lattimore gets selected to solidify the secondary...and Delvin Breaux almost immediately goes down to a bruise that magically (through the power of misdiagnosis) turned into a broken leg. Ryan Ramczyk gets picked to learn behind a couple of veteran bookends, and one of those bookends busts up his shoulder before it's even in pads. It's football so obviously unfortunate injuries happen, but the fact that Zach Strief just went down for an extended period of time - due to a mistake made by the player that was supposed to serve as his protege - with the return of Terron Armstead seemingly on the horizon makes me think they were never meant to have three's company in protecting their quarterback. Now, hopefully getting put on the shelf with his expiration date as a pro approaching sooner rather than later doesn't signal the end of a hell of a career for Zach Strief. As someone who has been in the organization for a decade and been an intricate part of their offensive success since 2011, he certainly deserves to go out in more triumphant fashion than writhing around on the ground clutching the re-injured knee he decided to play through. That's why it would be nothing short of great news if he were able to return and bring a wealth of experience to a potential (fingers crossed) playoff run. Unfortunately, it's not so good news that the Saints only seem to have a reliable next man up when they are in desperate need of a reliable next man up. |
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