Uncensored Writing: February 2018

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Baker Mayfield - 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

You know what the most fun thing about Oklahoma quarterback, Baker Mayfield, is? No matter who you talk to, every single person seems to have a strong opinion of Mayfield. Somehow, nobody is on the fence about this guy. Either he's a gamer who knows what it takes to win in the biggest games, or he is the next Johnny Manziel, who is going to give more headaches for his own team than the opposing one. I'm much closer to the former than the latter, as I think the worst thing he really did was grab his dick at a team that had been playing dirty trying to stop him. There are worse things. Still, I wasn't sure what to think of Mayfield as a quarterback, so I took a deep dive and checked out his games against Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, and Kansas State.

The first thing that I really liked is his ability to scan the field and work through progressions.

On this play, you can see his first option is off to the right side, he then looks all the way to the left before coming back to the middle of the field to find an open receiver 15 yards down the field on third down. He also does a good job of stepping up in an open area of the pocket so the rush coming around both edges never gets near him.

Pocket awareness was something that he was able to consistently show as he has a much tighter pocket on this play.

This play isn't going to wow anyone in the stat sheet, but it's one of my favorite plays from Mayfield. He takes the snap halfway into his own endzone. Ohio State is only sending four, but they send a stunt on the offense's left side. Mayfield recognizes that he has some space to move up, skitters his way up, sets his feet and delivers a throw that gets the offense out of trouble. There are so many quarterbacks that panic and throw the ball away or try to run the ball to keep it out of the endzone. This play is an excellent indication of Mayfield's awareness and composure.

That brings me to the next positive point with Mayfield, and that is his patience.

There are so many times where quarterbacks just throw the ball away in this situation just to play for another down and not take a loss. Instead of just standing still, he moves out of the pocket to give him some space, directs traffic and gets a positive play.

Now I must also point out that sometimes this can be a curse, as he does have a tendency to always look to make a play instead of throwing the ball away to avoid a loss. He took a lot of coverage sacks as he was always trying to make something happen, but it was often taking sacks instead of interceptions as he didn't force a ton of balls. I will say that he greatly benefited from having such an excellent offensive line as pressure usually took a while to get to him.

Another thing is that Oklahoma moved him outside of the pocket a lot. It's a smart strategy, but it does make me question how well he will handle being primarily in a pocket and possibly not having as dominant of an offensive line.

Another thing that may make people nervous is that he is full of frenetic energy, almost jittery when he is behind the line of scrimmage.

It looks a bit spastic, but this may also be what helps him with his footwork as he never gets stuck in one spot, and he can quickly set his feet and fire the ball as he looks for open receivers.

And Mayfield is a good athlete. He's not going to set the world on fire with his running ability, but he can utilize it to make plays.

That stiff arm isn't going to be in any instructional videos, but it got the damn thing done.

I've seen people question the arm strength, but I do not see it as an issue. It's not elite, but it's not a detriment to his success either. The good news about the arm is that he is by far the most accurate quarterback I have seen so far this year.

That's a thing of beauty. And just for fun, here's another great throw.

Summary
As you can probably tell from the evidence above, I really like Baker Mayfield. The only major prospect that I haven't checked out yet is Sam Darnold, but Darnold is going to have to be pretty damn amazing to knock Mayfield from my top spot. I would take him over both of the Joshes without hesitation.

Is height an issue? It is, but we have seen guys around his height succeed, and he shares a lot of qualities with guys like Drew Brees and Russell Wilson. My biggest concern is whether he can handle tighter concepts outside of a spread offense. But here's the thing: He shouldn't really have to. The best offenses are the ones that gear their schemes to the quarterback as he is the most important player on the team. If there are offenses designed to turn Jared Goff from the worst quarterback in the league to one of the best, Case Keenum reclamation, and Nick Foles winning a Super Bowl, I'm pretty sure it won't be mission impossible to design an offense where Baker Mayfield succeeds in the NFL.

Are there character concerns? I mean, sure, there is enough reason to be concerned, but I don't think any of this shit actually matters. He made a bad decision when intoxicated, grabbed his dick, and tried to plant a flag in astroturf. The last one is the most concerning as that just ain't gonna work, man. The other things just aren't a big deal. If I was a fan of a team that needed a quarterback (it is so weird to be a Bears fan and not be in this boat), I wouldn't hesitate putting Mayfield in charge of my franchise.

2018 Scouting Reports
Josh Rosen - Quarterback - UCLA
Josh Allen - Quarterback - Wyoming
Mason Rudolph - Quarterback - Oklahoma State
Lamar Jackson - Quarterback - Louisville

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #18 Randy Brown

Randy Brown
When you hear the name Randy Brown, you might think of the UFC fighter who recently defeated Mickey Gall. You might think of the driver of the legendary monster truck, Grave Digger. Or if you're some sort of sicko Iowa State Cyclone, you may think of the infamous assistant coach who was arrested for child pornography under the esteemed direction of Larry Eustachy. But this Randy Brown is none of those things. Randy Brown is a guy who was in the right place at the right time. He started his collegiate career at Houston before transferring to New Mexico State. I couldn't find out why he transferred, but it definitely happened.

It turned out to be the correct move as he was drafted in the second round by the Sacramento Kings. He backed up the legendary Spud Webb for four years before signing with the Chicago Bulls during the 1995 offseason to back up Ron Harper.

Of course, the Bulls also had Steve Kerr on the team, so he more or less backed up Steve Kerr who was busy backing up Ron Harper. Brown would finish 12th for the Bulls in minutes per game in 1995-96, up to 10th in 1996-97, and all the way up to eighth in 1997-98. And after the Bulls lost everybody after the 1998 season, he became a starter for the next two years.

Randy Brown was wallpaper in the guest bathroom. Inoffensive, but if you had the option, you'd replace it with a fresh coat of paint. Still, it's the guest bathroom, so you have so many other things you would rather do first until you get to that point. It's fine, and since you rarely even use it, you may as well keep it until it starts falling off the walls. Randy Brown never fell off the walls, and even if the Bulls occasionally found themselves taking a dump in that guest bathroom to get some peace and quiet, management usually found that even though they didn't like the wallpaper, there was still something comforting about it.

Randy Brown is now an assistant coach with the Bulls, but last year he was thought to be a mole that would report on player activities to the front office, causing a massive riff between the players and front office, but he's still coaching, so good for him.

But let's end this on a positive note. The guy did enough cool basketball stuff to win three titles, so let's celebrate some Randy Brown highlights.

Previous Entries:

#24 - Dickey Simpkins

Monday, February 26, 2018

The Best 5 Free Agents for the Chicago Bears

The NFL offseason is beginning soon, so I wanted to take this time to point out who the Chicago Bears should target during free agency. The Bears are going to have a little over $41 million to spend this offseason which should give them the opportunity to make a splash to help improve the team for 2018. Here are five guys I would like to see the Bears target in the next couple weeks.

5. Matt Barkley
First off, let's go with a simple addition that will hopefully never have to be used. The Bears are probably releasing Mike Glennon this offseason and since they will need a backup quarterback, why not bring back Matt Barkley? He wasn't great, but he was plenty good enough to be a backup, and he'll come cheap. Also, since I'm pretty sure John David Booty and Matt Leinart are retired, this is my only USC quarterback crush in the NFL, so I would like to be able to cheer for him...while he cheers on the sidelines.

4. Adrian Clayborn
My first Iowa homer pick. The Chicago Bears have some decent options on the defensive line but nobody that stands out. Clayborn isn't going to set the world on fire, but he did have 9.5 sacks this past season and his versatility could greatly benefit the Bears as he can fill multiple roles.

3. Anthony Hitchens
My second Iowa homer pick, but this one might be even more justified. The Bears current linebacking corps is...uninspiring. They're fine, but nobody stands out. I know Hitchens isn't well known, but the guy is very good. He has the skills to play in any scheme, and it should be a rather inexpensive way to get a reliable linebacker to upgrade the defense.

2. Darqueze Dennard
If you are a longtime reader of the blog, you know that I am mildly obsessed with Darqueze's brother, Alfonzo. I screamed his praises before the draft, after the draft, and I even proposed him for the XFL Draft. This probably won't surprise you, but Darqueze has many of the same characteristics that made me fall in love with Alfonzo. Dennard was seen as a disappointment before this year, but he had a very good season, and I think it's a sign that he's turning the corner (no pun intended). It often takes cornerbacks a few years to find their way in the NFL, and with his limited track record, I think he could still provide good value and excellent play in the Bears secondary.

1. Sammy Watkins
I should probably also mention that I love Sammy Watkins. I went to the Orange Bowl between Clemson and Ohio State in 2014, and I will never forget what Sammy Watkins did in that game as it was the most dominating performance I have ever seen from a single player in a football game. He DESTROYED Ohio State, and it was GLORIOUS. Watkins has struggled with injuries as a pro, but he did stay healthy this past season. He has also never really had a great quarterback getting him the ball, but he's always been able to make plays. Also, he's still only 25 years old. I don't think he's going to break the bank, but I do think that he can be a legitimate number one receiver, and I would love to see Trubisky connecting with Watkins for the next 5-10 years.

Sunday, February 25, 2018

2018 Elimination Chamber Predictions

The Road to Wrestlemania goes through the Elimination Chamber. The question is what’s going to happen and what should happen.

Asuka vs. Nia Jax
Lukewarm Jonah: This isn’t a betting article, but if it was the odds on this would be Asuka an insanely heavy favorite. Nia Jax isn’t beating Asuka for her undefeated streak, it’s just that simple.

But what should happen? I would go super against the grain here and have Nia Jax win. Nia has become the “monster” who loses every single time anything is really on the line. Have Nia win, make the Wrestlemania match a 3 way. Asuka’s streak has to end sometime. It should have ended in NXT in her first title match against Bayley or against Ember Moon on the way out, but it didn’t. You can’t be undefeated forever, just rip the band aid off, establish Nia Jax as a real threat, and build the story of Asuka doubting herself going into Wrestlemania, where she can still win the title.

Joe: No way. Asuka’s first loss needs to be a big deal, and it needs to be for the title. You can’t build up this long of a winning streak and have it end in what is essentially a filler match so they have something for Nia to do without her being in the Chamber.

Men’s Elimination Chamber Match: Roman Reigns vs. The Miz vs. John Cena vs. Braun Strowman vs. Elias vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor
LJ: Well this is another super easy match to pick. 99% chance that Roman Reigns wins the chamber and goes onto face Brock at Wrestlemania. It’s been the plan forever, and it just continues marching on. An oddly specific prediction I have for this match is that Reigns pins The Miz since Miz took his Intercontinental Title and technically won that feud, they’re going to have to make sure we know that Reigns is better than the Miz. Not sure how Braun goes out of this one, but it’s probably either by everyone ganging up on him and hitting all their finishers on him, or my prediction for the Royal Rumble that never came true which was HHH coming back and getting those hands. My personal prediction is that Strowman is disqualified for eating the chamber.

What should happen? There’s actually a ton of interesting possibilities here. Braun Strowman is the most over wrestler in the match and maybe in the WWE right now so having him be the guy to finally beat Brock makes a good amount of sense. Seth Rollins is still super over and is on his quest to be “The Man” again. Him winning the Chamber would be a good step towards that, and could lead to a heel turn for Reigns who feels that Rollins has now taken his Wrestlemania moment twice. Finn Balor is the other guy in the match who could pull off a Wrestlemania main event based on overness. He has been booked pretty terribly since he came back from his injury after his initial Universal Title win, but has still managed to remain one of the most over acts in the company. Now he’s reformed the Balor Club, and The Demon vs. The Beast sounds like a fun matchup and looks great on a poster. Even though Braun is my favorite guy on the roster right now, I’d pull the trigger on Balor. It’s something no one would see coming and would put Balor right back at the top of the main event scene which is where he belongs. If you pair off the other guys in matches at Wrestlemania you could have a really stacked card. Rollins vs. Reigns, Braun vs. Cena, Miz vs. Elias, that’s three great matches plus the Universal Title match.

What Roman losing losing would really do is provide a truly shocking moment for the WWE fans. The WWE has become pretty predictable in the past few years and giving the people a true shocking moment before Wrestlemania could help build interest back up and also get the people behind Reigns more. He can still be in a high profile Wrestlemania match with Rollins or Balor or Cena, but removing him from his assumed spot of the main event against Brock would build up some good will towards him.

Joe: I know I’m thinking too much about this, but WWE has actually given me reason to believe that someone outside of Roman Reigns could win this thing. Like, this is 100% the time to pull the trigger on Braun Strowman to take on Lesnar at WrestleMania. They have unfinished business, and there would be nothing better than Strowman pulling a Brock and just destroying him in three minutes to take the title.

Then you have Seth Rollins who, outside of the Golden Lovers, is the hottest thing in wrestling this week. How sad is it that the WWE does such a great job of making us forget how talented their roster is at wrestling? I mean, is Kenny Omega definitively better than Seth Rollins? I don’t think so, yet you would not have considered Rollins even in the discussion for best wrestler in the world right now before this week. He’s super good at this stuff, and they have actually given him a compelling storyline going into the match. He is definitely the guy that could get the best match out of Lesnar.

And then there’s Reigns who still has to be considered the favorite, but you CANNOT end WrestleMania with Reigns going over. It would make everyone forget all the positive things that happened on the previous 17 hours of WrestleMania. And if this isn’t the main event, what is? It ain’t Nakamura/Styles, and if it’s Undertaker/Cena....well, I probably just won’t watch the main event. That’s actually a fairly simple solution. But I don’t know how WWE handles the card if Reigns wins.

So my actual prediction? This one is so easy and obvious. They have already made it the first seven-man Chamber, so let’s just bump it up to eight, Triple H comes out, lines everyone up as a human centipede, Pedigrees them all at once, wins and taps out Lesnar at Mania. Everyone goes home happy, because Triple H is the coolest, best wrestling, super coolest, badass, extremely coolest, best crotch-chopping middle-aged man in pro wrestling history.

A part of me could see the above happening, which definitely makes me slightly ill to my stomach.

Women’s Chamber Match: Alexa Bliss (C) vs. Mickie James vs. Bayley vs. Mandy Rose vs. Sasha Banks vs. Sonya Deville
LJ: Alexa Bliss deals with sexism by having to defend the title in the Elimination Chamber unlike Brock Lesnar. In all fairness, the last title defense I can find for Bliss was at TLC which was in October, so she is 4 months overdue for a title defense. Anyways, the build to this match has been everyone pairing off to work together in the chamber. Mandy and Sonya, Bayley and Sasha and the shaky alliance between Bliss and James. This is the event where Sasha will officially turn heel and stab Bayley in the back. I hope that Rose and Deville are put over as actual threats so that the women’s division gets deeper. But Alexa Bliss is the pick here to retain. Bliss retains and Asuka faces the evil heel at Wrestlemania. The real question is how does Bliss retain? My prediction is her mixed match tag partner Braun Strowman comes out and tips over the Elimination Chamber. This confusion lets Bliss roll everyone up, and the world’s cutest onscreen couple continues rolling.

What should happen? Bliss winning isn’t a bad match choice, the only other people in this match capable of defending the title at Wrestlemania against Asuka are Sasha Banks and Bayley. Bayley is female Sting so Sasha will turn on her during this match, so it’s really down to Banks or Bliss. A fully heel Boss Sasha Banks vs. Asuka at Wrestlemania is more interesting to me than Bliss vs. Asuka, especially since that match happened on Raw a month or two ago. You could even use the time between the Chamber and Wrestlemania to build Bayley back to the wrestler she should be and find a reason to add her in to the match.

Joe: So I think Sasha should win, and she should definitely do something underhanded to Bayley, but the problem is, who cares? If Sasha turns on Bayley, they aren’t going to be booing Sasha for that. It’s going to get her a huge pop. Bad guys are always best in numbers, so the most awesome way to turn Sasha heel is to have the Iconic Duo, Billie Kay and Peyton Royce to come out and help Sasha win the match. They’d still probably pop for the moment (at least I would), but they could easily establish themselves as heels against Asuka going into WrestleMania, and with Sasha having cronies, it adds to the possibility that she could end Asuka’s streak. God damn, I’m impressed with myself for coming up with that awesome of an idea.

The Main Event of Elimination Chamber
Joe: I can’t believe Jonah forgot the main event, but I’ll take this last one solo. Ronda Rousey will defeat a piece of paper in a “Sign Your Oppponent With a Pen” match. There will be hemming, there will be hawing, and it might just turn into an old-fashioned donnybrook, but I still say Rousey gets her first win in years in this match. Congratulations, Rowdy.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #19 Jud Buechler

Jud Buechler
Jud Buechler may be the greatest overachiever on this list. The man managed to carve a twelve year career out of his skill-set after being a second round pick by the Seattle SuperSonics. He was immediately traded to the New Jersey Nets, and in exchange the Nets promised not to draft Dennis Scott or Gary Payton. The Nets ended up drafting Derrick Coleman. But then the Sonics got two conditional second round picks from the Orlando Magic in exchange for not drafting Dennis Scott, so the Sonics really ended up the big winners on this one.

Anyway, let's get back to Buechler, the forward out of Arizona, who was actually part of a fairly stacked second round in that draft as it also included Antonio Davis, Cedric Ceballos, and future teammate, Toni Kukoc. But Buechler managed to stay under the radar as a bench player during the first half of his career, playing for the Nets, Spurs, and Warriors. His best statistical season was in 1992-93 when he set career highs with 6.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game.

Before the 1994-95 season, he signed on with the Jordan-less Chicago Bulls to keep up his bench contributions for a new team. Of course, there was a surprise coming in 1995 when Jordan rejoined the team. Although they did not win a title that first year, Jordan's return would bring the Bulls championships the following three years, and Buechler was a man along for the ride.

During the Bulls second threepeat, Buechler filled his responsibility of backup wing player. He took up minutes during the regular season without anything flashy stats wise, but that didn't mean he didn't have an impact as the man used his Volleyball skills to POSTERIZE FOOLS.

Watch out, Jim McIlvaine, AIR BUECHLER IS COMING THROUGH.

During the playoffs, Buechler filled his same role. They found minutes for him in nearly every game, and he played competently. His playoff high was seven points, so htere isn't a ton to write about in regards to his contributions. But there is one thing that he did continually improve in, and that is his number of trillions, a game where a player logs minutes but does put up anything else in the box score. He had one trillion during 96, two trillions during 97, and an amazing seven different trillion games in 1998.

And that is where we get to Buechler's most important contribution to the National Basketball Association, Buechler retired as the all time leader in trillions, logging in 55 games with minutes played, but nothing else. I think it's fitting that Buechler's most memorable contribution was his lack of contribution.

Previous Entries:

#24 - Dickey Simpkins

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Lamar Jackson - 2018 NFL Draft Scouting Report

Lamar Jackson is a Heisman Trophy winner who was pretty damn successful as a college quarterback at Louisville. This has not stopped people from completely dismissing him as a quarterback prospect in the NFL. It's not for a normal reason, as everyone seems to agree that he has a great arm. Most also agree that his accuracy leaves a little to be desired, but so does Josh Allen, and yet nobody is mentioning him as a guy who could use a position change. So you know what that means? It's because he's black. Yep, we're still doing this bullshit. But I'm not quite ready to move Jackson to wide receiver just because his skin is more cinnamon than sugar. Instead, I decided to take a look at his games against North Carolina, Florida State, North Carolina State, and Purdue.

Although everybody brings up how fast Lamar Jackson is, it undersells what his athletic ability to only look at him as a runner. He uses his speed and footwork to create space to make plays with his arm just as much as he does it with his feet.

This play is a success at the snap, and the defense has no way to stop it, as even without the wide receiver on the outside coming in to help with a pick, Jackson is able to get outside the pocket for an easy pitch and catch to his receiver.

Here, North Carolina State sends a perfect blitz up the middle and Lamar Jackson is screwed...

or maybe not. This looks like NC State called their play in Tecmo Bowl, and Lamar Jackson turned into QB Eagles to make a ridiculous play for a first down. Seriously, this play looks nearly identical.

If you send a great blitz up the middle, you better be damn sure that your defensive ends can contain, because Jackson will put on the burners and make you pay if he gets some open field.

One issue that showed up repeatedly was his inability to keep his eyes down the field when he gets pressured.

When he gets that pressure, his head goes down, and he's looking to make a play with his feet. When you have legs like Jackson, it's understandable, but if he can stretch out plays and keep looking for receivers, it would open up some big play opportunities.

The following was one of my favorite plays from Jackson, because he actually did evade pressure, put his eyes back up field, and make a hell of a throw across the middle of the field.

That is the ideal way that he would be able to use his athleticism in the NFL. His offensive line breaks down, but instead of going for a full flee, he sees that there is still a pocket if he can maneuver. He does so which gives him enough space to fire the ball down the middle of the field for a first down.

More often, even the threat of pressure with a closing pocket would be enough to get Jackson out of rhythm.

He has good protection on this play but fails to reset his feet, and he throws the ball well behind his receiver crossing over the middle.

Something that I noticed but couldn't confirm was how much better he was at throwing the ball over the middle of the field than he was toward the sidelines. I looked for passing charts for the season but couldn't find anything, so I can only say this anecdotally, but he seemed to be much more effective when he didn't need to worry as much about footwork than he was when he had to adjust and throw towards the sidelines.

Here is a nice touchdown pass where he sets it up by looking to his left to freeze the linebacker over the middle before pivoting and firing it to the open receiver in the endzone.

But this is not a strength of his game. He rarely scanned the field, but I think that is mostly by design. He did show this ability on occasions but never with much consistency. He often gets dead set on a certain receiver and just waits for that guy to get open with the second option being bailing out with his feet.

But let's not forget about what those legs can do.

I should have warned you that the clip was NSFW, because blowing up a crease like that can only be described as pornographic.

Summary
There is a lot to like about Lamar Jackson. He has some incredible physical gifts that have led him to great success. There is also a lot of room for improvement. He doesn't have much experience in working through reads, panics with pressure, and his inconsistent footwork leads to inconsistent results. Still, those physical traits are pretty damn incredible. Honestly, his struggles are pretty close to what you see in Josh Allen. Now, if you want to dream about what a quarterback can become, I would way rather take a chance to dream on Lamar Jackson's potential than I would Josh Allen.

With his physical traits, there is no way to find a quarterback with a higher ceiling in this class, but he also has major deficiencies that give him a relatively low floor. Most people are saying that he won't be a first round pick, and I do understand that. But I feel like coaching staffs have done a much better job of fitting schemes to their player, and because of that, I really can't imagine him getting out of the first round. You may say I'm a dreamer, but when it comes to NFL front offices, I can just about guarantee that I'm not the only one.

2018 Scouting Reports
Josh Rosen - Quarterback - UCLA
Josh Allen - Quarterback - Wyoming
Mason Rudolph - Quarterback - Oklahoma State

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #20 Craig Hodges

Craig Hodges
Craig Hodges is one of those guys who arrived to the NBA about three decades too early. The three-point specialist was drafted by the San Diego Clippers in the third round of the 1982 draft who came in and predictably...couldn't hit a three to save his life...well, I did not see that coming. His first two years in the NBA, Hodges shot just 22% from long range. Despite that rough start, Hodges would start to put it together in year three, and eventually raised his percentages all the way up to 40% for his career mark.

And that's really what Hodges will always be remembered for. He is the greatest three-point shootout contestant in history. Steph Curry couldn't carry his jock, he'd put Kevin Durant to shame, and let's face it, he made Larry Bird his bitch. He won the contest three consecutive times, from 1990-1992, made the finals two other times, and somehow even more impressively, he competed in the 1993 contest without being on an NBA team. Just look at this generic NBA jersey that he had to wear.

But let's get back to why we are here, and that is his contribution to the Bulls. After bouncing from the Clippers to the Bucks to the Suns, where he was traded to the Bulls in December of 1988 for Ed Nealy and a future second round pick. Oddly enough, both Nealy and that second round pick, Ricky Blanton, would end up spending time with the Bulls during their first three-peat.

Hodges would shoot over 42% from three-point range in his first year with the Bulls before following that up by reaching over 48% the following year. In the Bulls first two championship years, he shot a still very good 38% from long range while winning the last two of his three straight Three Point Contest Titles.

Although he played a more impactful role earlier in his career, for the Bulls, he served as Michael Jordan's backup which led to a lack of available minutes for Hodges. He only averaged about five points per game, but his per 36 minutes would have put him over 15 points, and he did it while shooting well from the field, and incredibly well from the free throw line (over 95% in championship years). He filled his role on those first two championship teams as he provided some scoring off the bench.

In the playoffs, it was more of the same. In the first game of the playoffs in 1991, Hodges put up 16 points and three steals to bury the Knicks before they even had a chance to hope for an upset. Although he didn't have any standout performances outside of that first game, he played over 12 minutes per game and averaged around five points per game. It was enough for the Bulls to finally get the monkey off their back and win their first championship.

In the 1992 playoffs, his contribution diminished somewhat due to the emergence of Bobby Hansen, but he was the same cog he had always been, coming off the bench and providing more good than bad.

The Bulls chose not to resign him in the offseason, and he became a free agent. Despite being a quality bench player, Hodges was not signed to a contract, likely due to his Muslim beliefs and outspoken political beliefs.

As I said earlier, it's a shame that Hodges played when he did as he was about thirty years before his time. He had a very good career int he 80s and 90s, but this is the type of player that gets PAID in today's NBA. Honestly, he would probably be the best YMCA basketball player out there at this stage in life, because shooters can shoot, and Hodges was one of the greatest marksmen of all time.

Finally, there was really no place to work this in, so I guess I'll end with it. I'm not gonna beat around the bush; his wife once doused him with gasoline and tried to set him on fire. She luckily did not succeed. She was still ordered by a judge to leave Chicago, but she's not in prison, and she should definitely be in prison. I was unable to confirm whether this spawned the term, "He's on fire," when a shooter gets on a hot streak. If you need to see a shooter on fire, figuratively, not literally, it doesn't get much better than Craig Hodges hitting 19 in a row to secure his third straight Three Point Title.

Previous Entries:

#24 - Dickey Simpkins

#23 - Bobby Hansen

#22 - Scott Burrell

#21 - Bison Dele

Monday, February 19, 2018

The 2018 XFL Mock Draft Review

Finally, after going through each position group of our XFL mock draft, we can look at the full rosters of each of our teams to decide who has the better roster. We’ll start with a breakdown of Team Jonah.

QB: Colin Kaepernick, Zach Mettenberger, Ryan Nassib
RB: Denard Robinson, Deangelo Williams, Barry Sanders Jr.
WR: Victor Cruz, Moritz Bohringer, Speedy Noil, Corey Brown, Jared Abbrederis
TE: Bucky Hodges, Ladarius Green
OT: Ryan Clady, Branden Albert, Jake Long, Collin Buchanan, Bryce Harris, Bobby Hart
OG: Andrew Tiller, Tim Lelito, Mike Harris, Orlando Franklin
C: Nick Mangold, Jeremy Zuttah
DE: Mario Williams, BJ Dubose, Cam Johnson, Damontre Moore
DT: Ra’shede Hageman, Will Sutton, Jared Odrick, Antoine Glen, Cam Thomas
OLB: Jarvis Jones, Audie Cole, Chad Greenway, Aaron Williams, Deandre Levy
ILB: Rey Maualuga, Perry Riley, Sio Moore
CB: Jalen Collins, Vontae Davis, Tharold Simon, Leodis Mckelvin, Jayshawn Jordan
S: Dwight Lowry, Shiloh Keo, Calvin Pryor, Russell Siavii
K: Connor Barth
P: Austin Rehkow

And now, we present Team Joe.

Quarterback: Johnny Manziel, Robert Griffin III, Rex Grossman
Running Back: Reggie Bush, Trent Richardson, CJ Spiller
Fullback: Lendale White, Mark Weisman
Wide Receiver: Justin Blackmon, Calvin Johnson, Vincent Jackson, Dorial Green-Beckham, Anquan Boldin, Riley Cooper
Tight End: Tyrus Thomas, Henry Krieger-Coble, Jace Amaro
Center: Barrett Jones, David Molk
Offensive Guard: Tre Jackson, Cyril Richardson, Eddie Hall, Jordan Walsh, Danny Watkins
Offensive Tackle: Michael Oher, Gabe Carimi, Tervel Dlagnev
Defensive End: Jon Jones, Da’Quan Bowers, Bjoern Werner, Michael Sam, Jackson Jeffcoat, Drew Ott
Defensive Tackle: Brock Lesnar, Louis Nix III, Devon Still, Christian Ballard
Linebackers: Shayne Skov, Khaseem Greene, James Laurinaitis, Arthur Brown, Aaron Curry, Brandon Spikes
Cornerback: Alfonzo Dennard, Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, Justin Gilbert, Dee Milliner, BJ Lowery
Safety: Ed Reynolds, Gerod Holliman, Tino Sabbatelli, Taylor Mays
Kicker: Roberto Aguayo
Punter: Tom Hackett

Joe: When drafting an XFL roster, we had two criteria that we were aiming for, football talent and entertainment value. Let’s just get the easy one out of the way. Is there any way to argue that I do not have a more entertaining team?

Jonah: I thought about what to write down here and Joe touched on it perfectly. Joe’s roster is what the XFL should be, fun, entertaining, unpredictable, something that people want to tune into. My roster is what the XFL was and what it more than likely will be, second rate football. Vince McMahon needs to think about if the NFL ratings are really down because some guys are kneeling or if they’re down because all tv ratings are down because people watch tv differently now. McMahon should know, his ratings have been in a freefall and I don’t remember seeing any wrestlers kneeling. It’s why he created the WWE Network, so he can make money providing a service that lets people watch their shows the way they like to.

I also wanted to point out that while our teams contain some guys who have done some questionable things, it’s mostly substance abuse related. There are two very talented football players that I knew wouldn’t be on my team and I’m glad to see they’re not on Joe’s team either. Will the XFL get so desperate for ratings that they’ll bring in Ray Rice or Greg Hardy? I hope not.

Joe: Jonah, I definitely drafted some scumbags, so I did not take the high road as I figured Vince McMahon certainly wouldn’t. Ray Rice is just too old and Greg Hardy is an abysmal human being who I am hoping gets smashed in mixed martial arts as soon as possible. But Jon Jones had a hit and run on a pregnant woman; DGB was definitely involved in domestic abuse, and Johnny Football was accused of the same. Honestly, as bad as all of that is, is it any worse than creating a football league that is designed with the intention to create more concussions?

Jonah: I only have a few scumbags, and some drug addicts but we’ll put them in the WWE’s rehab during the offseason and clean them right up. I don’t think they’re going to be able to have the same stupid rules that they had before. Concussions are way too much of a hot button issue, you can’t have guys getting their brains turned to mush, no matter who your target audience is. Again, this is part of the problem for the XFL, you can take out things like excessive celebration penalties, but even the NFL changed some it’s rules on that. Last time around the XFL had pretty similar rules to the NFL, even if it tried to market itself differently. The problem with it is that it was football played by guys not on NFL rosters for whatever reason, usually due to talent. They changed their stupid recover the football to see who wins the coin toss rule after one week because someone got hurt. Despite how they want to be seen, they’re not going to allow corners and safeties to headhunt receivers over the middle, or allow late hits, or turn into the real life version of Blitz the video game.

Joe: If they are looking to create a fun brand of football while sticking to the old school, tough guy way of thinking, the best thing they could do is eliminate helmets. It would limit concussions, because ain’t nobody head hunting if they aren’t wearing a helmet, and it’d be seen as badass if guys didn’t wear helmets. There would be an issue of headbutts along the lines, but that is definitely something that you should be able to work around as a misplaced headbutt can hurt the giver as much as the recipient.

And let’s look at this thing talent wise, how do you think you did?

Jonah: Like I said at the start, my initial goal was to put together a 53 man roster that would be able to win a few games in the NFL, or at least beat Cleveland and I think I did that.

Joe: Let me stop you right there. I think we did as well as we could have with these rosters, but there is no chance that your team could compete with any NFL team, even the Browns. Looking at your roster, you have an advantage at quarterback, and you’re probably even at special teams. The Browns hold every other advantage, including some areas where they have some MAJOR advantages. Even if you had Bill Belichick coaching your squad and gave them Jeff Fisher (who will totally be an XFL coach), it would not be close. You are either greatly overestimating the talent on our rosters or underestimating the talent in the NFL, but I just cannot see it.

Jonah: Quarterback is the most important position in sports. We will all see this when Tom Brady retires and the Patriots struggle to be a .500 team, or how the Green Bay Packers had to get crazy lucky to beat the aforementioned Browns after Aaron Rodgers went down. The Cleveland Browns also have the massive disadvantage of being the Cleveland Browns, so I think my team could take them because they can find a way to lose. I might make a couple changes here or there, but we’re a solid squad of castoffs. If Matt Barkley becomes available, I can almost guarantee a win. Also I don’t need Bill Belichick, I have the actual greatest football mind in history, me.

Joe: Jonah, you may literally be an insane person with this. You could have Tom Brady on your team as your quarterback, and it would not matter with the other talent around him. This is nothing against your drafting, as you did a hell of a job. They might even be able to beat my team, but that’s mostly because 15% of my roster has no significant football experience, but I’d like to think that just means that the sky is the limit for their potential.

I’ll give you the last word. What are your final thoughts on an XFL comeback?

Jonah: It will be interesting to see what McMahon’s plan for the XFL is, but the only way I think it can be semi successful is to be an associated minor league for the NFL and I don’t see that happening. We’ll see if it lasts more than a year this time, but unless all rosters are made up like Joe’s it probably won’t. That being said, please consider this my and/or Joe’s application to work in the front office for the XFL. We can clearly build teams.

In case you missed it:

Quarterback
Running Back

Friday, February 16, 2018

The 2018 XFL Mock Draft - Guys That Kick

In anticipation of Vince McMahon bringing the fun back to football (more concussions, woohoo!), Lukewarm Jonah and I went back and forth to do an XFL Draft. Instead of breaking this down round by round, we are going to go by position groups.Today, we finally get to the guys you have been waiting for, kickers and punters.

Jonah:
Kicker: Connor Barth
Punter: Austin Rehkow

Joe:
Kicker: Roberto Aguayo
Punter: Tom Hackett

Joe: For kicker, I went with the most hilarious choice in Roberto Aguayo. I am considering bringing in David Beckham for some competition.

For punter, I went with an Australian who did well enough at Utah to become a two-time consensus All-American and a two-time Ray Guy Award winner for being the best damn punter in college football. It simply doesn’t get better than this.

Jonah: Oddly enough kicker and punter are two of my favorite picks. Connor Barth is a solid NFL veteran who also happens to be a buddy of mine. He’s gotten a tough deal a lot of years, but seemed a little off this year. I’m not worried as I can get him back on track. He’s a historically very accurate kicker who always got released because of leg strength concerns. He hit three field goals from 50+ yards in a game so I’m not sure how well founded those concerns are, plus I just want a kicker who can make field goals not kick the ball out of the stadium.

Speaking of kicking the ball out of the stadium, my punter Austin Rehkow can do just that. He is another Vandal, but was the top rated punter in this year’s draft. His leg strength is insane and over four years of college he added excellent directional kicking to that great leg strength. His huge punts come with a bunch of hangtime, letting the coverage team get downfield. He was an undrafted free agent with Buffalo but didn’t make the team and wasn’t picked up by anyone. Also, if we need a long field goal to win the game, he kicked a 67 yard one to win, while he was in high school.

Joe: Jonah, I thought you were full of shit on Rehkow being the top rated punter, but sure enough, most of the pundits did rate him as the top guy. Funny how I called him a guy as, unlike my punter who won two of them, Rehkow was never able to get the prestigious Ray Guy Trophy for best punter in the nation, but I’m sure he’s still a fine young man.

Jonah: Austin Rehkow is someone that I am legitimately surprised isn’t on an NFL roster. The would be NFL record 67 yard field goal in high school isn’t a made up story either, the guy should be punting in the NFL. He was always on the Ray Guy watch list, but going to Idaho killed his chances of ever winning. I’m excited by your kicker pick because I think it can lead to a feud which is exactly what the XFL needs. Aguayo took Barth’s job in Tampa Bay, but then Aguayo couldn’t beat out Barth in Chicago lot of bad blood and heat there. The promo war between the two will be insane.

Joe: That will be fun, especially since Aguayo will not be given an English speaking gimmick. Maybe I can get Zelina Vega to manage him and handle the promo side of things.

Well, that is our last positional breakdown. We will come back one more time to summarize each roster and probably never come to a consensus on who has the best roster.

In case you missed it:

Quarterback
Running Back

Thursday, February 15, 2018

The 45 Most Important Players to the Chicago Bulls Dynasty - #21 Bison Dele

Bison Dele
Brian Williams, who would later come to be known as Bison Dele, is one of the most talented players on this list. When this guy was on, he was ON, and he had the ability to greatly impact the game. That is a big reason why he was drafted tenth overall in the 1991 NBA Draft by the Orlando Magic.

But he never really thrived early on in his career. He bounced around from the Magic to the Nuggets to the Clippers to, well, nobody. He was a free agent going into the 1996-97 season, and he just didn't get signed. He was a good player who could have helped a team, but his asking price was too high for a team to take a chance on him, so he just sat out. It wasn't until April 2, 1997 that he finally signed on with the Chicago Bulls. It would turn out to be a great decision for everyone involved.

Since he was signed so late in the year, he would only appear in nine games during the regular season. He was a little rusty with his shot but still played well, and the Bulls were certainly happy to have him as he played over 15 minutes per game.

But where Dele mattered was in the playoffs. When the bench shrinks down, many players lose their role, but Dele actually got more playing time once the playoffs hit. He played in every playoff game as he provided a needed spark off the bench. Also of note is that they started him off slow in the early rounds, but his playing time took an uptick as the importance in games grew, averaging over 20 minutes in the NBA Finals.

Why the uptick? Because he was a reliable big man, not something those Chicago Bulls teams were known for. His stats didn't stand out, but he filled a valuable role. The Bulls would finish the Jazz in six games, with Dele playing 23 minutes in that clinching game. He only had four points, but he also chipped in with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal.

It was enough for the Pistons to sign him to a seven-year $47 million dollar contract that following offseason. I know I talked about how talented the man was on the court, but he was also just a pretty impressive person all around. He played the saxophone, violin, and trumpet. He earned his pilot's license. Hell, he even dated Madonna. He retired at age 30, leaving $36 million on the table just because he could.

Unfortunately, Dele is the subject of the most tragic story of any player involved in the Bulls dynasty. He and his girlfriend (and the boat captain) were lost at sea in the South Pacific in 2002 at the age of 33. There was significant evidence against his brother, but it will remain a mystery as his brother overdosed on insulin during the investigation and died in a California hospital.

Usually, I try to end these with something lighthearted and fun, but it's tough to transition to something fun with an ending like that. If you'd like to read more about Dele, I'd recommend Tim Keown's piece in ESPN The Magazine. Dele lived life right; I just wish he would have had more time to do it.

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