Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick filed a grievance against the NFL today alleging collusion between the entirely of the NFL in blocking him from playing in the League.
He needs your support more than ever. Think the guy is a joke and disrespectful? That's your right, but if you're a fan of the 15 or so NFL teams that need a quarterback that's better than the one they have right now, you'd probably root for the guy if he were to sign with your team!
Get your "I'M WITH KAP" shirt right here!!
Or how about this shirt: I Sit With Kaepernick!! Click here to see!!!
Finally, check out this amazing zany tshirt with Kap's fro used in the design!!!
Show your support for Kaepernick!!!
Monday, October 16, 2017
Why Colin Kapernick's Collusion Case Is Different From Tim Tebow
On Sunday Colin Kaepernick's legal time filed a grievance with the NFLPA alleging that the NFL has colluded against him. Kaepernick's well-publicized kneeling during the National Anthem campaign is cited as the reasoning behind the collusion.
I will go over the particulars about why this case is so incredibly important to the NFL in another post. Right now I want to lay out why Kaepernick's collusion allegations are well-founded and why collusion wasn't an issue with another notorious former NFL player, Tim Tebow.
Tim Tebow's situation was based on the enormous disparity between his level of playing ability and his popularity. But over 3 seasons and 16 games started in the NFL, Tebow proved time and again that he didn't have the ability to be a consistently successful NFL quarterback. He had a completion percentage of 47.9% with a career quarterback rating of 75.3. In total he threw for 17 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. For those who may still look at these numbers and see a QB needing time to develop, I see a QB who was very hesitant to make mistakes and consequently made far more plays with his legs than his arm. He should have been a fullback or a tight end. He's not in the league anymore because of his stubbornness in wanting to be a QB, not because he was too demonstrative in his religion.
Photo: https://cdn-s3.si.com/s3fs-public/2016/10/07/colin-kaepernick-49ers-starting-quarterback-chip-kelly.jpg
Get an I'M WITH KAP shirt here!!!
Conversely, let's look at Kaepernick's NFL stats. It's easily forgotten in the controversy that he actually started 10 games last season for the San Francisco 49ers. In his last season as a starter, he threw for 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while completing passes at a 59.2% rate. That was good enough for a QB rating of 90.7. Apparently it wasn't good enough for the 49ers who let him go after the season was over. For his career his stats are pretty consistent. Over 69 total games he had a QB rating of 88.9.
Kaepernick's season in 2016 with an atrocious 49ers team (who are slightly less atrocious in 2017) was impressive. How does his QB performance rank with 2017 starting quarterbacks? Quite favorably. He'd be ahead in QB rating over the likes of Matthew Stafford, Eli Manning, Andy Dalton, and Ben Roethlisberger. He'd also be doing much more favorably than the 49ers starting QB, Brian Hoyer. Over the first 6 games on the season Hoyer's QB rating is a dismal 74.1.
Kaepernick has a solid QB history in the NFL. With the paucity of quality backups and, in some cases, capable starters in this year's NFL, at least a few teams should be in a bidding war over acquiring him.
I will go over the particulars about why this case is so incredibly important to the NFL in another post. Right now I want to lay out why Kaepernick's collusion allegations are well-founded and why collusion wasn't an issue with another notorious former NFL player, Tim Tebow.
Tim Tebow's situation was based on the enormous disparity between his level of playing ability and his popularity. But over 3 seasons and 16 games started in the NFL, Tebow proved time and again that he didn't have the ability to be a consistently successful NFL quarterback. He had a completion percentage of 47.9% with a career quarterback rating of 75.3. In total he threw for 17 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. For those who may still look at these numbers and see a QB needing time to develop, I see a QB who was very hesitant to make mistakes and consequently made far more plays with his legs than his arm. He should have been a fullback or a tight end. He's not in the league anymore because of his stubbornness in wanting to be a QB, not because he was too demonstrative in his religion.
Get an I'M WITH KAP shirt here!!!
Conversely, let's look at Kaepernick's NFL stats. It's easily forgotten in the controversy that he actually started 10 games last season for the San Francisco 49ers. In his last season as a starter, he threw for 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions while completing passes at a 59.2% rate. That was good enough for a QB rating of 90.7. Apparently it wasn't good enough for the 49ers who let him go after the season was over. For his career his stats are pretty consistent. Over 69 total games he had a QB rating of 88.9.
Kaepernick's season in 2016 with an atrocious 49ers team (who are slightly less atrocious in 2017) was impressive. How does his QB performance rank with 2017 starting quarterbacks? Quite favorably. He'd be ahead in QB rating over the likes of Matthew Stafford, Eli Manning, Andy Dalton, and Ben Roethlisberger. He'd also be doing much more favorably than the 49ers starting QB, Brian Hoyer. Over the first 6 games on the season Hoyer's QB rating is a dismal 74.1.
Kaepernick has a solid QB history in the NFL. With the paucity of quality backups and, in some cases, capable starters in this year's NFL, at least a few teams should be in a bidding war over acquiring him.
Saturday, October 14, 2017
Chicago Cubs In the MLB Playoffs: 5 Astounding Facts
1) The Chicago Cubs have been around since 1876 and have only made the post-season playoffs 21 times - a meager 14.8% appearance rate
2) 2017 marks the third year in a row that the Cubs have made the playoffs. The last time this happened was from 1906-1908 (in which they won two World Series championships)
3) 1908 was also the last time the Cubs won a playoff series before 2018
4) In 2016, the Cubs had the highest World Series ticket prices ever: an average ticket went for sale for $3,870, more than double the price for any World Series ticket sold before.
5) When the Cubs won the 2016 World Series in Game 4, it became the single-most watched baseball game on tv in over 25 years.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
The NFL Will Be Around Long After Donald Trump Is Gone
Current U.S. President Donald Trump is picking on NFL players' protest during the National Anthem and now we are seeing a bit of backlash from NFL owners worried about their bottom line.
Whatever side you fall upon in this debate, one thing is clear: the NFL has a kind of staying power that Trump will not. The short-terms ratings drop won't matter. Most Americans who love football will continue to love football as time goes on.
And, as time goes on, more and more people will come to realize the true rationale for why the protests occurred in the first place. NFL players haven't done the best job in communicating why they are protesting.
Photo: https://gdb.voanews.com/2EB2F2D6-0CC2-4BD6-9539-A34DB5F359BA_w1023_r1_s.jpg
Personally I never really liked Kapernick as a player before he started the protests, and it took months for me to understand why it was happening. I thought he was being rather selfish and trying to put attention on himself but I came to see the bigger picture after a great deal of thought. Considering how much money he's donated over the past year to various charities (and we've yet to see proof of Trump's donations anywhere), the narrative about Kapernick should be that he's actually DOING something.
The best thing that could happen with Kapernick is that he gets signed on with an NFL team that has the kind of coaching that could take his game to a better, most consistent level.
Trump's popularity and power peaked months ago. The economy has nowhere to go but down. We could get into a war with...(pick a country; many are a possibility). His reality show tv act is tired and is going to wear out any borderline supporters.
The NFL has weathered many storms...and Tropical Depression Donald will be just another one.
Whatever side you fall upon in this debate, one thing is clear: the NFL has a kind of staying power that Trump will not. The short-terms ratings drop won't matter. Most Americans who love football will continue to love football as time goes on.
And, as time goes on, more and more people will come to realize the true rationale for why the protests occurred in the first place. NFL players haven't done the best job in communicating why they are protesting.
Personally I never really liked Kapernick as a player before he started the protests, and it took months for me to understand why it was happening. I thought he was being rather selfish and trying to put attention on himself but I came to see the bigger picture after a great deal of thought. Considering how much money he's donated over the past year to various charities (and we've yet to see proof of Trump's donations anywhere), the narrative about Kapernick should be that he's actually DOING something.
The best thing that could happen with Kapernick is that he gets signed on with an NFL team that has the kind of coaching that could take his game to a better, most consistent level.
Trump's popularity and power peaked months ago. The economy has nowhere to go but down. We could get into a war with...(pick a country; many are a possibility). His reality show tv act is tired and is going to wear out any borderline supporters.
The NFL has weathered many storms...and Tropical Depression Donald will be just another one.
Why The Olympics Need To Die
Over the past few months, it's been quite clear that the Winter Olympics in South Korea early in 2018 are in a lot of financial trouble. With only a few months left before the Opening Ceremonies, the vast majority of tickets are still available. With international and regional political tensions rising between North Korea and the United States, it's unlikely that we will see a surge of tourism to the area to increase attendance. South Korea is going to need to give the tickets away to their own citizens to get the seats filled.
Photo: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/08/13/article-P-c8db42c0-5621-4a68-b549-3e5aa4ae8304-1J5bY1dRgKae936c68daee847aec-498_634x356.jpg
It's not like this is a new situation, either. The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio didn't come close to selling out, and many venues were clearly quite empty during the competition. Part of the problem for these poor tickets sales is location and the local economy. In Rio, many of the locals were simply not capable of buying tickets, and outsiders were leery of going to a city that has a high degree of crime. In South Korea, the culture doesn't particularly care for winter sports. According to this article, the most popular sports Koreans like to watch are baseball, basketball, and soccer - all summer Olympic sports. Outside of that, the most popular activity is gaming.
Because of the financial strain of hosting the Olympics, fewer and fewer countries are bidding for the "honor" of hosting. Very few countries have the infrastructure and venues already in place to justify hosting.
Olympic Games from 2004 -2016 cost over $8 billion to run, and that doesn't even include all the local infrastructure improvements that had to take place. The hope is that the exposure during the Olympic Games will be enough to stimulate a surge in tourism afterwards, but that's just not been the case. Does anyone actually visit Sochi? London has probably made the best usage of its Olympic venues in recent years, but does it make the nation enough money to justify the expense? Rio's venues are going to remain barren until they are demolished.
Countries shouldn't have to go bankrupt in order to host the Games, and at some point in the next 10 years no one is going to step forward anymore to want to do it.
It's not like this is a new situation, either. The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio didn't come close to selling out, and many venues were clearly quite empty during the competition. Part of the problem for these poor tickets sales is location and the local economy. In Rio, many of the locals were simply not capable of buying tickets, and outsiders were leery of going to a city that has a high degree of crime. In South Korea, the culture doesn't particularly care for winter sports. According to this article, the most popular sports Koreans like to watch are baseball, basketball, and soccer - all summer Olympic sports. Outside of that, the most popular activity is gaming.
Because of the financial strain of hosting the Olympics, fewer and fewer countries are bidding for the "honor" of hosting. Very few countries have the infrastructure and venues already in place to justify hosting.
Olympic Games from 2004 -2016 cost over $8 billion to run, and that doesn't even include all the local infrastructure improvements that had to take place. The hope is that the exposure during the Olympic Games will be enough to stimulate a surge in tourism afterwards, but that's just not been the case. Does anyone actually visit Sochi? London has probably made the best usage of its Olympic venues in recent years, but does it make the nation enough money to justify the expense? Rio's venues are going to remain barren until they are demolished.
Countries shouldn't have to go bankrupt in order to host the Games, and at some point in the next 10 years no one is going to step forward anymore to want to do it.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Peyton Manning Will Never Run For Political Office
Peyton Manning will never ever run for public office. You can count on that. Despite rumors to the contrary popping up this week, Peyton himself came out earlier today to dispute the idea that he would run for public office any time soon.
Why would Peyton even want to run for office?
Notoriety? He's as famous as can be. He just needs to keep doing awesome ads and the occasional Saturday Night Live appearance.
Money? When Peyton retired in 2016, Forbes estimated that he had earned over $400 million throughout his entire career in salary and endorsements.
Social Change? Has Peyton ever taken a stand on a social issue? He was always so particular about proteching his brand. Even now, I think he'd want to protect his legacy and image. The most surefire way of an athlete destroying one's reputation is by running for public office.
Something to do? Well, word is around Denver that Peyton almost always drops his kids off to school himself. He even participates in Father-type activities at the school. He could choose to do anything in football he wanted to: buy part of a team, coach, or even just consult. He chooses not to, and I think that's because he's serious about being a great Dad and husband right now. Just go look at the documentary, The Book of Manning, that was done by ESPN a few years ago about Archie Manning and you'll understand how big of an influence his father had on Peyton and how he wants to emulate that with his own kids.
No, Peyton doesn't need to get his hands dirty with politics and good for him.
Why would Peyton even want to run for office?
Notoriety? He's as famous as can be. He just needs to keep doing awesome ads and the occasional Saturday Night Live appearance.
Money? When Peyton retired in 2016, Forbes estimated that he had earned over $400 million throughout his entire career in salary and endorsements.
Social Change? Has Peyton ever taken a stand on a social issue? He was always so particular about proteching his brand. Even now, I think he'd want to protect his legacy and image. The most surefire way of an athlete destroying one's reputation is by running for public office.
Something to do? Well, word is around Denver that Peyton almost always drops his kids off to school himself. He even participates in Father-type activities at the school. He could choose to do anything in football he wanted to: buy part of a team, coach, or even just consult. He chooses not to, and I think that's because he's serious about being a great Dad and husband right now. Just go look at the documentary, The Book of Manning, that was done by ESPN a few years ago about Archie Manning and you'll understand how big of an influence his father had on Peyton and how he wants to emulate that with his own kids.
No, Peyton doesn't need to get his hands dirty with politics and good for him.
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Former Chicago Bears Player "Peanut" Tillman...FBI Special Agent??
News broke earlier today that former Chicago Bears star, Charles "Peanut" Tillman, is training to become an FBI agent? Is this real, or just a gimmick? How hard will it be for him to get in? Is he even eligible? All fair questions. Let's take a look...
Age Restrictions
Tillman needs to be under 37 years old by the time he is appointed. It's likely that Tillman has been working on this for a considerable period of time; probably shortly after his retirement from the NFL last summer. It's been reported that he's been training with agents in Quantico (FBI headquarters) on/off for years. As the application and initial testing process is lengthy (lasting over 18 months usually from the initial steps to actual appointment), Tillman needs to be pretty far along in the process at this time. While he could get an age waiver, that is usually granted to veterans only.
Photo: http://media2.newsnet5.com//photo/2012/12/05/FBIquanticoWEB_20121205102030_640_480.JPG
Educational Requirements
Tillman has a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette while he played college football there form 199-2002. Amazingly, even while excelling on the field he managed to complete his degree in just three and a half years. That being said, in whatever field of the FBI he wants to enter, he must be able to pass a stringent written and oral exam. That usually requires intensive studying and a thorough mastery of the selected subject (see below).
Physical Requirements
It's a bit of a joke to think that "Peanut" wouldn't be fit enough to pass the FBI's physical tests. These include testing in sit-ups, push-ups, sprints, and endurance running. If you'd like to take a gander at the recommended fitness levels, take a look here.
Work Experience
This is where the FBI is going to have to be somewhat lenient with Tillman. While it's been reported that he's "trained" with the FBI in various off-seasons while he was in the NFL, I'm not sure how much of that he can equate to actual work experience. That being said, I'm quite confident that Tillman would have already been granted either an exemption or the proper credit that he needs to have this requirement fulfilled before he got very far in the application process.
What FBI Position Would He Want?
It's not enough to simply be able to pass all the requirements for becoming an FBI agent. He has to be actually needed by the FBI in the field he wants to enter. This is from the FBI hiring site:
"While the FBI encourages applicants from all backgrounds to become Special Agents, we are currently looking for Special Agent applicants with skills in the following areas:
Age Restrictions
Tillman needs to be under 37 years old by the time he is appointed. It's likely that Tillman has been working on this for a considerable period of time; probably shortly after his retirement from the NFL last summer. It's been reported that he's been training with agents in Quantico (FBI headquarters) on/off for years. As the application and initial testing process is lengthy (lasting over 18 months usually from the initial steps to actual appointment), Tillman needs to be pretty far along in the process at this time. While he could get an age waiver, that is usually granted to veterans only.
Educational Requirements
Tillman has a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Louisiana-Lafayette while he played college football there form 199-2002. Amazingly, even while excelling on the field he managed to complete his degree in just three and a half years. That being said, in whatever field of the FBI he wants to enter, he must be able to pass a stringent written and oral exam. That usually requires intensive studying and a thorough mastery of the selected subject (see below).
Physical Requirements
It's a bit of a joke to think that "Peanut" wouldn't be fit enough to pass the FBI's physical tests. These include testing in sit-ups, push-ups, sprints, and endurance running. If you'd like to take a gander at the recommended fitness levels, take a look here.
Work Experience
This is where the FBI is going to have to be somewhat lenient with Tillman. While it's been reported that he's "trained" with the FBI in various off-seasons while he was in the NFL, I'm not sure how much of that he can equate to actual work experience. That being said, I'm quite confident that Tillman would have already been granted either an exemption or the proper credit that he needs to have this requirement fulfilled before he got very far in the application process.
What FBI Position Would He Want?
It's not enough to simply be able to pass all the requirements for becoming an FBI agent. He has to be actually needed by the FBI in the field he wants to enter. This is from the FBI hiring site:
"While the FBI encourages applicants from all backgrounds to become Special Agents, we are currently looking for Special Agent applicants with skills in the following areas:
- Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM)
- Foreign Languages
- Law
- Emergency Medicine
- Certified Public Accountants (CPAs)
- Attorneys
- Engineers
- Detectives
- Military (specifically Special Forces, Explosives, WMD and Intelligence Experts)
- Scientists (lab experience)
- Foreign Language(s) speakers
- Pilots (helicopter, fixed-wing)"
Tim Tebow After NFL, MLB...What Comes Next?
Tim Tebow's athletic career has certainly been an exciting and varied one. From college quarterback sensation to his roller coaster ride as an NFL player to his surprising success as a minor league baseball player with the New York Mets organization, Tebow has certainly pushed his athletic abilities to the max. However, once his baseball career ends with the Mets, what should (or would) he pursue next?
There's no doubt he'll continue his work as a College Football analyst for ESPN, at least in the short term. I wouldn't be surprised to see him switch networks at some time (especially if Fox Sports wants to really jazz up its in-house college analyst talent), but he'll never switch from NCAA football to any other sport. He's really not identifiable as a baseball player despite his recent successes, and his NFL career was so controversial that not many would accept him as someone who could speak authoritatively on the NFL.
Photo: http://www.bostonherald.com/sites/default/files/styles/full/public/media/ap/387b2e262a174ea89e034fd16f00a1a7.jpg?itok=pPq_-lGF
However, college football analyst is a part-time gig running almost exclusively from September to December. He's going to need something else to fill his time, and it will need to be something in which he can utilize his popularity to further his ambitions. What could he do? Let's look at the most likely options for Tebow moving forward:
Politics
I can't really see Tebow doing this as it would be far more tedious and acrimonious of a career than he's ever had. Getting into politics is about the only thing that could decrease his popularity. What office would he even want? Anything below a Congressional Senator or representative seems like a waste of his popularity. However, can you really see Tebow discussing national issues like immigration and foreign policy?
Tv Show Host
I'm sure there are a ton of networks out there who would love to have Tebow host a show. It could be anything from his own daytime talk show (imagine how many older females would tune in) to a smaller show on a sports network. I think he could get large audiences with anything in the fitness field.
Personalized Branding
This is where Tebow has not been fulfilling his potential. While he has his own charitable foundation, he has yet to truly put the power of his own name to work. Imagine if he had his own online network where he had multiple platforms pushing his ideas on sports, fitness, religion...the possibilities are endless and the appetite of his fandom is insatiable. He has a popular Instagram account with over a million followers, but he doesn't post videos that often and he doesn't have any sort of YouTube channel. Why not occasionally record a workout that he could put on YouTube? He could further his goal of raising money for the foundation and keep his name in the public eye and potentially reach far more people than he is now.
And...for when he wants a little athletic competition...
Crossfit Games
Anyone who has ever seen Tim Tebow knows that he's a workout fiend. The "sport" of Crossfit is something that I'm sure he's already well familiar with, and if he could qualify for the Crossfit Games (their championship) it would be a huge boost to the sport and give his athletic prowess new life. Give Tebow a chance to show off his muscles and flash that smile of his in front of a potential huge new audience!
There's no doubt he'll continue his work as a College Football analyst for ESPN, at least in the short term. I wouldn't be surprised to see him switch networks at some time (especially if Fox Sports wants to really jazz up its in-house college analyst talent), but he'll never switch from NCAA football to any other sport. He's really not identifiable as a baseball player despite his recent successes, and his NFL career was so controversial that not many would accept him as someone who could speak authoritatively on the NFL.
However, college football analyst is a part-time gig running almost exclusively from September to December. He's going to need something else to fill his time, and it will need to be something in which he can utilize his popularity to further his ambitions. What could he do? Let's look at the most likely options for Tebow moving forward:
Politics
I can't really see Tebow doing this as it would be far more tedious and acrimonious of a career than he's ever had. Getting into politics is about the only thing that could decrease his popularity. What office would he even want? Anything below a Congressional Senator or representative seems like a waste of his popularity. However, can you really see Tebow discussing national issues like immigration and foreign policy?
Tv Show Host
I'm sure there are a ton of networks out there who would love to have Tebow host a show. It could be anything from his own daytime talk show (imagine how many older females would tune in) to a smaller show on a sports network. I think he could get large audiences with anything in the fitness field.
Personalized Branding
This is where Tebow has not been fulfilling his potential. While he has his own charitable foundation, he has yet to truly put the power of his own name to work. Imagine if he had his own online network where he had multiple platforms pushing his ideas on sports, fitness, religion...the possibilities are endless and the appetite of his fandom is insatiable. He has a popular Instagram account with over a million followers, but he doesn't post videos that often and he doesn't have any sort of YouTube channel. Why not occasionally record a workout that he could put on YouTube? He could further his goal of raising money for the foundation and keep his name in the public eye and potentially reach far more people than he is now.
And...for when he wants a little athletic competition...
Crossfit Games
Anyone who has ever seen Tim Tebow knows that he's a workout fiend. The "sport" of Crossfit is something that I'm sure he's already well familiar with, and if he could qualify for the Crossfit Games (their championship) it would be a huge boost to the sport and give his athletic prowess new life. Give Tebow a chance to show off his muscles and flash that smile of his in front of a potential huge new audience!
Sunday, September 17, 2017
DeShone Kizer Out For Game With Migraine - Cleveland Browns Need To Worry
Cleveland Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer was removed from the Browns game with the Baltimore Ravens in the second quarter. Soon thereafter it was reported theat he was suffering from a migraine which makes it extremely unlikely that he will return to the field today. ***Kizer did return to the game in the third quarter which I consider to be a big mistake. I would treat a migraine in-game the way I would a concussion.***
Kizer has no public history of migraines and there's been no indication prior to today of any other medical issues in the past few months. Why would he have a migraine now?
A migraine can be a symptom of a variety of issues: concussion, head trauma, and neck trauma would be the most common. Kizer was taking a pounding by the Ravens defense prior to this issue and it most definitely led to the onset of the migraine.
The most troubling thing is the fact that there's no prior history of migraines with Kizer (unless the Browns release information in the coming week detailing some hidden history). When was the last quarterback removed during a game for migraines? I can't think of one. The most popular player to suffer severely from migraines was Percy Harvin and he suffered from those throughout his NFL career. Ultimately it's what cut what should have been a long brilliant career far shorter than it should have been.
Kizer had 25 starts at Notre Dame but he most certainly is being hit a lot harder now in the NFL than he ever did in college. Is this just a fluke or could it signal a potential worrisome problem with the supposed quarterback savior for the Cleveland Browns?
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