The Godfather of Sports

Right now we are in sports hell . (For me at least) The NHL playoffs are going strong? I don't know, I'm asking for a friend. The NBA is basically 87% LeBron James coverage and 13% what 'funny' thing Shaq and Charles Barkley said post-game. I want to watch and enjoy Major League Baseball but, I'm a Marlins fan. Our fan base hasn't had anything to cheer about since 2003. And the NFL is still 103 days away from officially kicking off. SO! Lets do what most football writers (can I say writer?) do... make bold HOT takes on a season that is months away based on hearsay and hogwash.  HOT Take #10: The worst team in 2018 will be the Los Angles Chargers Yes, we are coming out swinging so, buckle up. It's a shame that year in and year out Philip Rivers is forced to play with par to sub par talent. After a great rookie year, TE Hunter Henry will miss the entire 2018 season with a torn ACL. Rumor mill says "Antonio Gates will make a comeback". If he does,...

I should be writing about the NBA All-Star weekend but, you can see all you need to see in your Twitter feed or if you flip through Instagram. The Pro Bowl, NBA All-Star Game, pretty much any "fake" game can be summed up in a few swipes through social media. The games don't mean anything so players don't go 100% and fans know, win or lose, these games are all about the highlights. ESPN's SportsCenter Top 10 used to be the "hip place" to see everything you need to see but... in 2018 it's an after thought. Customized content is what fans want now-a-days. WHICH, is why local radio has seen a Renaissance. If you want to hear non-stop about your New England Patriots or Charlotte Hornets you can just flip on your radio and customize your Twitter and Instagram feed. What? What's that? You want to hear about what the AFC East needs going into the 2018 NFL Season? Well, this may not be a video of a cat playing the keyboard BUT, it's close.  AFC East...

It's amazing how time changes all. Five years ago if I told you Eric Decker or Julius Peppers were a free agent you would beg for your team to sign them. Now, Decker is a shadow of what he used to be and Peppers is 38 just coming off shoulder surgery.  WR-  Other than Decker, Danny Amendola is going to be a FA... chomping at the bit? Not quite. He's on the wrong side of 30, injury issues and is a third option at best. Jarvis Landry wants to come back to the Dolphins but, he won't be cheep! Look for teams to free up some cap space to get their hands on this receiving threat. Other receivers of note are both Jaguars WR Allen Robinson (who tore his ACL to start 2017) and Marqise Lee. And then there is as Sammy Watkins. He is interesting. Other than ONE 1,000yd season he has been a tad of a disappointment. Maybe in the right system ( Patriots , Chargers , Eagles ) he could be a real threat. DE-  Marcus Lawrence is one of the crown jewels of this free agent pool. Lawrence...

Everyone's hot takes after the Super Bowl: That was the best Super Bowl ever (I don't know about that) The Patriots are finished (Josh McDaniels postponed that idea) The Eagles will dominate 2018 (Philly is 4.8mil over the cap) Justin Timberlake was a bad halftime show (It was... ok) What's next? March 14th at 4pm... NFL free agency kicks off and there is some serious talent to be had. To name a few QB - Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum, Sam Bradford and Teddy Bridgewater. Drew Brees is also going to be a free agent but, he isn't going anywhere. OL - Left tackle Nate Solder and left guard Andrew Norwell (he is going to get PAID SON!) RB - Pretty much the entire Patriots backfield with Dion Lewis, Brandon Bolden and Rex Burkhead. And two power backs in LeGarrette Blount and Le'Veon Bell. It would be insane for the Steelers let him go but, he doesn't want to be franchise tagged (again) and they are 5.3mil over the cap. That's a lot of starting and expensive ...

I am going to let the best of the best (John Facenda) say want I want to say (I got mildly emotional watching this.)  Today is that day of days... Super Bowl Sunday. All 30 NFL teams watch in envy as their fellow brethren get to play in the ultimate game. Pro Football is like no other sport. It requires selflessness, strength, intelligence and grit. Few get to play on this sacred Sunday and even fewer walk about with the ability to say "I am a world champion." Today, while you watch this game think not of the commercials or the commentary, but of the men putting their body's on the line for your entertainment, the gladiators of our day.  Eagles (13-3) at Patriots [-4.5] (13-3) 6:30pm NBC/NBC App/Hulu-  PRE GAME:  Pink will be singing the National Anthem today. One, hopes she just sings the National Anthem today. I feel using the NFL as a platform to further your agenda is in poor taste. Unless, you are a member of the National Football L...

After the regular season ended there was a  head coaching apocalypse, Lions , Titans ,  Bears ,  Giants ,  Cardinals ,  Colts ,  Raiders . (And somehow NOT the Browns or Bengals ) Since then Chicago hired Matt Nagy, an Andy Reid follower, and Oakland hired Jon Gruden. In 2008 this would have been a splash hire but... he has been out of head coaching game for awhile. And, just yesterday the Titans hired the, now former, Texans defensive coordinator Mike Vrabel. Here is the quick DL on Vrabel. He was drafted by the Steelers , played for the Patriots for a long time and tallied up THREE Super Bowl wins, and then ended his career with KC . After his playing days he jumped right into coaching and now he is one of those rare player-coach... coaches. I hope the best for him. NOW, who is left? Well, it's not a head coaching position but, the Browns are looking a new OC and former GMen head coach, Ben McAdoo, is the leading candidate. That is a ROUGH drop on th...

Oh my.... oh my... I can only imagine what it feels like to be a fan in Atalanta/Georgia. I am sure there are plenty that are still sour from that Super Bowl meltdown against New England . No worries, the Georgia Bulldogs ripped that band-aid off in the National Title Game falling to Bama in a similar fashion. And... as of last night the Falcons followed suit by losing to the Eagles . Yikes. SO, if you know a Falcons or Bulldog fan shoot'em a text today to make sure they aren't hysterical in a gutter somewhere drunk and muttering about "how... how can you blow a double digit lead twice?" In other news there were A LOT of coaching moves after the regular season ended. Let us discuss three hires, Jon Gruden to the Raiders , Matt Nagy to the Bears , and Norv Turner as the Panthers new OC. Gruden, I don't get it. He is truly Mr. Football. NO. Dr. Football. But, he hasn't coached an NFL team since 2009! And his most recent hire was Tom "I punch my own staff...