Yesterday the NFL released a statement regarding the punishment for Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy. The slapped him with a 10 game suspension that could leave him all but useless once he returns. At this point Hardy and the NFLPA (NFL Players Association) are filing an appeal that would likely reduce this suspension. Under the old NFL policy (which was in place at the time of his incident) there was only a 2 game suspension. If he could get this reduce that would be extremely beneficial for both Hardy and the Cowboys. Being off of the roster for those 10 games effectively cost him a little less than six million dollars, and makes it especially difficult to reach the sack incentives bonus which firsts kick in at 8 sacks. This is something that will be heavily debated in the coming months, especially as the NFL looks to punish those charged with domestic violence.
A New Era is Coming
In 1997 Tiger Woods set the golfing world ablaze when he became the youngest winner of the Masters at a little over 21 years old. This past weekend Jordan Spieth ignited the same feeling Tiger did almost 2 decades ago. As the second youngest winner of the Masters, Spieth tied the course record at 18 strokes under par, with you guessed it, Tiger Woods. He was just the fifth man to lead for the entirety of the tournament. From day one to four Jordan Spieth was far and away the best player. Spieth’s 28th birdie, at the 15th hole, made him the first player to reach 19 under par at the Masters; eclipsing Woods’ 1997 winning total. A bogey at the last meant he ended tied with the 14-time major champion’s mark. Spieth’s halfway total of 14 under par on Friday broke the 39-year-old record set by Ray Floyd in 1976, and his 54-hole effort of 16 under was also a new Augusta best. With this win Jordan Spieth moves into the number 2 spot in the world golf rankings, trailing only Rory McIlroy. These men are two of the youngest men to play the game of golf, and they are playing it at the highest level. There is a lot of golf left to be played between these two, and from what they have shown so far there is going to be some great games to come.
The Fab Four?
Monday night had one of the most riveting national championships in recent memory. It was the first time a national championship game has been tied at half since 1988. That kind of drama is only superseded by the recruiting class that played way beyond their years. It starts with the man who was the consensus #1 recruit out of high school, Jahlil Okafor. for the majority of the season he was beyond dominant, and into the tournament showed the world why he should be the first player selected in the NBA draft in a few months. After the big fella comes Tyus Jones, the point guard, who always seems to play his best basketball when the lights are the brightest. Then it is Justise Winslow the do it all forward, who put up points in bunches, and gobbled up rebounds on the way to the final dance. There was a forgotten member of this class, the first one to sign with Duke, when he was still a kid, Grayson Allen. He played sparingly throughout the season, and got even fewer opportunities once the tournament came around. He saved his best performance for last. At a crucial point in the second half with his team down by 9. This freshman scored 8 unanswered points to bring the Blue Devils back within striking distance, and gave them the chance that they had thought they had lost. 60 out of Duke’s 68 point came from these four players, these four freshman did more than anyone though possible, and made their team the stuff of legends.
Witness History
As spring returns so too does the pressure of every NBA team. Some are clawing their way into the playoff picture, while others look to tank their remaining games in order to get the best possible odds for the number one pick in this years lottery. While all of this is going on, something else has been brewing in the sunshine state. A long forgotten franchise is doing things that have not been seen since Michael Jordan reigned supreme on the hardwood. The Golden State Warriors, have been far and away the best team for the entirety of the NBA season, and show no signs of slowing down as it winds to an end, and the playoffs get into high gear. With their current record if they win eight of their next nine games, they will have one of the top five records in the NBA…ever. Not this year, not in the last decade, but one of the best records of any team to play this game. They have done this on a system that should not work, yet somehow makes them even more unstoppable. They have remained the best defensive team in the league, by a statistically wide margin, bolstered by two defensive player of the year candidates in their rim protecting center, Andrew Bogut, and do-everything switch-onto-anyone forward, Draymond Green. This becomes even more ridiculous when you look at their offense. They play at the fastest pace of anyone in the league, yet manage to stifle any oppositions attempts to put the ball in their basket. That kind of physical play on both ends of the floor should not be possible, but here we are seeing it unfold right before our eyes. The sharp shooting splash brothers, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, make the offense go with creative dribbling, otherworldly passes, and lights out shooting. These two have have made more threes than some teams have combined. At this point if the Warriors do not steam roll through the crowded western conference and into the NBA playoffs, it will be seen as a major disappointment, and all around failure. No team has been this dominant in a long time, so it only makes sense that they continue on with their torrid pace.
Is it worth it?
Within the last week, the (arguably) most talented player in NFL free agency signed with my team. The influx of talent makes my Dallas Cowboys significantly better, especially when it comes to sacking the quarter back. It is not very often that a play of Greg Hardy’s caliber is free to choose to sign with whatever team he wants. Typically they would have dozens of teams calling them asking to buy their services. Greg hardy is not your typical player. Amidst a year of proceedings in the domestic violence suit against Hardy was one of the biggest this past year. when the alleged victim did not turn up to court, the charges were dropped, and one of the premier pass rushers, was free from further legal sanctions. The NFL still has yet to rule on his case (with some form of judgement expected in the foreseeable future), and that leaves a lot open to anyone who would want to sign him. He faces possible fines and suspensions, as well as bringing with him all of his past troubles. The Cowboys have been known to bring in players with troubles in the past, and I am not overly surprised that they ended up signing Hardy to a one year deal. A proven commodity again thee run and pass, a player like him makes the cowboys significantly better on the field, but the backlash that follows might not be worth it. His contract is littered with incentives, and there is not a single cent guaranteed to the former panther, but is bringing in a player like Hardy better for the team over all. Only time will tell.
The Open Market
NFL free agency began a week ago, and the frenzy that followed left a lot of people scratching their heads. This includes myself, as I watched the NFL’s leading rusher last year, DeMarco Murray change from the team that drafted him, the Dallas Cowboys, to the division rival, Philadelphia Eagles. It made for one of the most interesting signings, following the trade of LeSean McCoy a week prior, and the alleged signing of Ryan Matthews on the same day. Not long after another team in green made some serious noise themselves. The New York Jets, added three cornerbacks in free agency, Antonio Cromartie, Buster Skrine, and Darrelle Revis. The former and latter played for the jets from 2010-2012, and were one of the best corner back tandems in the league at the time. Now the Jets got the gang back together, albeit with an additional running mate. It will end up costing them over 100 Million dollars over the next couple years, but with that much talent there are bounds to be some positive results. The last major overhaul this year came from South Beach, as the Miami Dolphins signed Ndamokung Suh, to a 6 year deal worth up to 114 million dollars and 60 million guaranteed. This deal made Suh the highest paid defensive player by over 10 million dollars in both overall contract and guaranteed money, effectively mortgaging the Dolphins future on what one player can do.
Running with the market
A few days ago Adam Schefter broke the news that LeSean McCoy, running back for the Philadelphia Eagles, was to be traded in a straight up player swap for the Buffalo Bills Linebacker, Kiko Alonso. This news immediately sent the football community into a tizzy, and it has not shown any signs of slowing down. Beyond the fact that McCoy is one of the most productive backs in the NFL, or Alonso missed all of the 2014 season with a torn anterior crucial ligament (ACL), there has not been a trade like this since Clinton Portis was swapped with Champ Bailey 11 years before. The two people at the forefront of this blockbuster trade are the two men calling the shots for their respective teams. Rex Ryan wanted to instill a run first approach in his first season as the Bills head coach by snagging one of the better running backs in the league . Then there is Chip Kelly, who upon entering his third year as head coach, added a ninth former Oregon Duck to his roster, all of whom were recruited and played for Kelly while he was the head coach for the Ducks. There is more to this trade than just personnel (the eagles save about 9 million in cap space due to this move). Apparently the eagles star back did not always see eye to eye with his coach and that led to a strained relation ship at times. This offseason is shaping up to be one of the most interesting to happen in the past few years, and it has not even officially started yet.
Generational talent
A lot has been made of the NFL combine showing this past weekend, but who were the real winners. Players like Bryon Jones and Chris Conley put their athleticism to the test and came out with some of the best combine performances of the last decade. Yet, their draft stock remains in a constant flux. Their numbers show something that doe not always appear on tape. The biggest example of what tape shows versus combine testing is the race for the number 1 overall pick. There are two majors players (quarterbacks) vying for that illustrious spot Jameis Winston, and Marcus Mariota. If you only looked at the numbers coming out of the combine Mariota would be far and away the better pick, having showed he is one of the most athletic quarterbacks EVER. On the other hand any real NFL follower will tell you about the precise footwork, impeccable throwing accuracy, and otherworldly football IQ of Winston. He has been pegged by some to be the best “quarterback talent” since Andrew Luck, and the highest graded dating back to Peyton Manning (not bad company to be keeping). It just goes to show that not all athletes are made the same, and every position has it’s own strengths that need to be highlighted in order to prove to NFL teams that they are the best and brightest option. Over the weekend Winston showed that those numbers are not always the deciding factor when choosing who will lead your franchise for the next 20 years.
How far can talent take you?
This coming week is extremely important for all football fans. As the NFL combine gets under way there is a lot of the same feelings from years past, but one major change that we could see ripple through the league. With so much going on this year about domestic violence and off the field incidences, how much are teams willing to wager to get a player who has had character concerns in the past. Players like Marcus Peters, and Dorial Beckham-Green have troubled pasts, but their athletic ability and overall talent is keeping them in the discussion to be first round picks this coming April. I do not want to say that players like these two have not turned a corner, but their past could be a good indication of what is to come. Each of these two will test extremely high in the athletic testing for their respective positions (corner back and wide receiver). They’re both extremely long and tall making tracking and catching footballs in air relatively easy when paired with their elite speed. However, what team is willing to add a potentially toxic player into their locker room at the expense of their enormous potential. I am sure their names will come up in quite a few war rooms, but we will have to see how far their talent can take them when their personal matters get tin the way.
Musical Genius
Every person has their own personal taste when it comes to music. I have met people that listen only to specific genres, whether it be EDM, rap, or country, each one has their own opinion on what is worth listening to and what is not. Six years ago at the VMA’s Kanye West made headline when he stole the microphone from Taylor Swift after she had received the award for best female video. He then went on to say that she did not deserve the award over the work that Beyonce did for her song “Single Ladies”. Two nights ago at the Grammy’s it almost happened again. When it was announced that Beck’s “Morning Phase” had won the Grammy for best album of the year. Once again Kanye was about to defend Beyonce for the work she did on he album. The real dilemma is why does Kanye believe that he has the right to do that to someone. While I have never spent much time listening to Beck’s music, it is impossible to deny his musical talent and propensity to create interesting and engaging music. Now his music might not be as catchy, and he cannot rival the beauty and reach that Beyonce has, but why should that give her the award. As a multi talented musician, Beck has played numerous instruments, such as: guitar, keyboard, bass, harmonica, percussion, banjo, sitar, twelve-string guitar, glockenspiel, kalimba, melodica, as well as beat-boxing and singing. His ability to do so much in a song was well rewarded, whether you are a fan of his music or not, it cannot be denied that he earned his Grammy.
slutsa12 