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Five sports thoughts under the fedora, Brady at 47?, FG or not, Jones vs Newton, Sox playoff yawn and the Waivers list for my 1969 league

Posted: October 4, 2021 by datechguy in baseball, dynasty baseball, gaming, nfl, online gaming, Sports

Yesterday Tom Brady and the Bucs beat the Patriots 19-17 in what is almost certainly Tom Brady’s final game in Foxborough, unless some other team hires him when the Bucs contract runs out.

How much do you think a team one QB away might offer him when he’s 47?

I really question the Pat’s decision not to go for it on 4th an 3 at the end & going for the FG that just missed. I mean with a full minute on the clock does anyone actually think Brady would have failed to drive his team to FG range?

While no sane person thought that Pat would have this game I’m seeing an awful lot of praise for young Mack Jones who apparently did well (I was working so saw none of it). The various talk radio shows are full of praise for him.

I wonder what Boston talk radio would have been saying about Cam Newton if had led the Pats to a 1-3 start? Actually I don’t wonder at all.

The Boston Redsox scored in the 9th inning to dramatically seal not only the wild card but a home game against the hated New York Yankees to start the playoffs.

Despite a home game winner take all wild card game vs the Yanks apparently tickets aren’t flying off the shelves. Just a few years ago such seats, particularly vs the yanks would have been gone the moment they were available, today not so much.

I suspect wokeball has something to do with it, but in fairness a price tag of over $200 for the worst bleacher seats likely has much more to do with it.

Finally after 9 Days and 500 picks the draft for my new 1969 Draft league is over.

Officially Mr Irrelevant, the last pick in the draft in round 34 was the NYY taking Mets outfielder Rod Gasper, but because the San Francisco giants deferred their last two picks as they were unavailable at draft time the final actual pick was Giants infielder Don Mason. If anyone is interested the full draft list is here.

Players who were not suggested go on the waiver wire which starts after week 5 but earlier for some teams who deferred draft picks for early waivers, which can be handy if an injury or suspension comes up.

This is the list of players available on waivers in the 1969 league as of this moment. Rather curious who is picked first.

Batters:

  • Aaron Tommie Taken Montreal Early Waivers Round 2 Pick 2
  • Adair Jerry Taken Chicago White Sox Early Waivers Round 2 pick 1
  • Alvis Max
  • Amaro Ruben
  • Baker Frank
  • Barry Rich
  • Barton Bob
  • Bateman John
  • Beauchamp Jim
  • Billings Dick
  • Blefray Curt Taken NY Mets Early waivers round 1
  • Bobb Randy
  • Boehmer Len
  • Bosch Don
  • Bowens Sam
  • Boyer Ken
  • Breeden Danny
  • Brinkman Chuck
  • Brooks Bobby
  • Brown Gates
  • Brown Larry
  • Browne Byron
  • Bryant Don
  • Burda Bob
  • Campanis Jim
  • Campbell Dave
  • Cannizzaro Chris Taken by Washington Early waivers round 1
  • Chaney Darrel
  • Charles Ed
  • Christian Bob
  • Clark Ron
  • Collins Kevin
  • Corrales Pat
  • coulter Chip
  • DaVanon Jerry
  • Davis Bill
  • Davis Ron
  • Dean Thomas Taken Early waivers 2nd round Washington
  • Donaldson John
  • Duncan Dave
  • Ellis John
  • Etheridge Bobby
  • Fairey Jim
  • Floyd Bobby
  • Gabrielson Len Taken Early Waivers 2nd Round Pittsburgh
  • Gamble Oscar
  • Geiger Gary
  • Gil Bus
  • Gosger Jim
  • Gutierrez Cesar
  • Hague Joe
  • Hall Jimmie
  • Haney Larry
  • Harrell John
  • Harrison Chuck
  • Healy Fran
  • Heath Bill
  • Hermoso Remy
  • Hershberger Mike
  • Hicks Jim
  • Hinton Chuck
  • Holman Gary
  • Hriniak Walt
  • Hutton Tom
  • Jackson Sonny
  • Jeter Johnny
  • Johnson Lou
  • Jones Dalton
  • Kelly Van
  • Kendall Fred
  • Keough Joe
  • Kolb Gary
  • Krug Chris
  • Lahoud Joe
  • Lee Leron
  • Llenas Winston
  • Lock Don
  • Lyttle Jim
  • Manuel Charlie
  • Martin JC
  • Matchick Tommy
  • May Dave
  • McGraw Tommy
  • McDonald Dave
  • McFadden Leon
  • McNulty Bill
  • Miller John
  • Morales Jerry
  • Nagelson Russ
  • Nelson Dave
  • Northey Scott
  • Oliver Gene
  • Oliver Nate
  • Oyler Ray
  • Paepke Dennis
  • Pagliaroni
  • Peterson Cap
  • Phillips Adolfo
  • Qualls Jim
  • Quilici Frank
  • Ranew Merritt
  • Reid Scott
  • Renick Rick
  • Repoz Roger
  • Ricketts Dave
  • Rico Fred
  • Rios Juan
  • Robinson Bill
  • Robles Rafael
  • Rogers Buck
  • Rollins Rich
  • Roznovsky Rick
  • Ruberto Sonny
  • Rudolph Ken
  • Satriano Tom
  • Scheinblum Richie
  • Shannon Mike
  • Shopay Tom
  • Simpson Dick
  • Sipin John
  • Slocum Ron
  • Smith Dick
  • Snyder Russ
  • Spangler Al
  • Spence Bob
  • Spriggs George
  • Stahl Larry
  • Stanley Fred
  • Stephenson John
  • Stewart Jimmy
  • Stinson Bob
  • Stone Gene
  • Stone Ron
  • Stuart Dick
  • Tartabull Jose
  • Tatum Javis
  • Tepedino Frank
  • Tischinski Tom
  • Torres Hector
  • Valdespino Sandy
  • Velazquez Freddie
  • Vidal Jose
  • Ward Pete
  • Watkins Dave
  • Webster Ramon
  • White Bill
  • Whitfield Fred
  • Wicker Floyd
  • Williams Jim
  • Woods Ron

Pitchers

  • Allen Lloyd
  • Arlin Steve
  • Baldschun Jack
  • Baney Dick
  • Barber Steve (Taken Chicago W Sox early waivers wk 1 1st pick)
  • Belinsky Bo
  • Bell Gary
  • Bertaina Frank
  • Boozer John
  • Boyd Gary
  • Brandon Bucky
  • Buchart Larry
  • Carlos Cisco
  • Champion Bill
  • Clark Rickey
  • Corkins Mike
  • Crider Jerry
  • Culver George
  • Dukes Tom
  • Ellis Sammy
  • Everitt Leon
  • Farrell Turk
  • Fisher Jack
  • Fitzmorris Al
  • Foster Alan
  • Fuentes Miguel
  • Garman Mike
  • Geishert Vern
  • Guinn Skip
  • Hamilton Jack
  • Jackson Al
  • James Jeff
  • Jaster Larry
  • Jones Steve
  • Kealey Steve
  • Kline Ron
  • Koonce Cal
  • Kroll Gary
  • Lamb Ray
  • Law Ron
  • Lazar Danny
  • Lersch Barry
  • McBean Al
  • Miles Jim
  • Morehead Dave
  • Morris John
  • Nottebart Don
  • Nye Rich
  • O’Riley Don
  • Palmer Lowell
  • Pascual Camilo
  • Pina Horacio
  • Priddy Bob
  • Purdin John
  • Raffo Al
  • Ramos Pedro
  • Rath Fred
  • Raymond Claude
  • Ribant Dennis
  • Robertson Rich
  • Roggenburk Garry
  • Ross Gary
  • Sembera Carroll
  • Severinsen Al
  • Shaw Don
  • Shea Steve
  • Short Chris
  • Sisk Tommie
  • Spama Joe
  • Sprague Ed
  • Talbot Fred
  • Taylor Gary
  • Wagner Gary
  • Washburn Greg
  • Wsahbum Greg
  • Watkins Bob
  • Wynne Billy Taken 2nd round Early Waivers Mets
  • Zachary Chris

Five Reasons Why Tom Brady is Superior to Michael Jordan as the Sports Goat

Posted: September 9, 2021 by datechguy in nba, nfl, Sports
Tags: , ,

There was a bit of a fuss on TV over Michael Irvin & Stephen A Smith over who is the overall Goat Jordan vs Brady.

In my opinion there is no debate at all. The nod is to Brady for these reasons

  1. Brady won championships and made finals all through his career Jordan did not

Michael Jordan career spans from 1984 at age 21 to 2003 at age 39 with one year off for baseball and three years off for retirement before returning with the wizards. Jordan won six championships during that period at ages 27-29 & 32-34.

Tom Brady’s career spans from 2001 at age 24 (in 2000 he appeared in one game and threw 3 passes completing one for six yards) and continues in 2021 at age 44. During this period he has won seven championships at ages 24,26,27, 37, 39, 41 and 43. He also made the finals three other times at ages 30, 33 and 40. Which is far superior to Jordan

  1. Brady won championships in a sport where it is harder to win a championship

In basketball playoffs it is very easy for the cream to rise to the top. Series are best of five or best of seven. So a single off game or hot game from your opponent or freak play might cost you a game but is unlikely to cost you a series.

In football it’s one and done. One bad throw, one off game, one supreme effort by an opponent or one freak catch off the top of Helmut can be the difference between a title and an also ran. Jordan had a margin of error, Brady does not.

Furthermore Football weighs a schedule based on your finish thus when he was regularly winning AFC East titles he was doing so when constantly playing a 1st place schedule. He succeeded against a system designed to make him fail.

  1. Brady has won championships with different lineups on different teams with different systems

Jordan won six titles in Chicago under Phil Jackson with a fairly consistent lineup around him. Tom Brady has not only won titles with two different teams with two different systems but even when he was with the Patriots over twenty years he managed to win titles and get to titles with a completely different cast of characters around him. None of the teammates from his first three titles played with him in his last two.

  1. Brady has taken a sub .500 team to a title not once but twice.

Michael Jordan’s did take a Chicago team with a losing record to the playoffs then later to the conference semis, then the conference finals and then at age 27 to the finals where he established the Bulls Dynasty. But while he was able to make a horrible Wizards team 20 games better then they were he was unable to get them even to the 1st round of the playoffs

When Tom Brady at age 25 started for the injured Drew Bledsoe in game 3 of the 2001-2002 season the Patriots’ were coming off a 5-11 last place season and were 0-2. He would lead them to their first superbowl victory. When he came in as the new QB for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at age 43, he took over a 3rd place team with a 7-9 record and took them to their first superbowl in almost twenty years.

  1. At age 44 Brady is favored to make it to the Superbowl AGAIN!

All of these previous points would, in my opinion be enough to close the case here, but if that wasn’t enough the icing on the cake is that at age 44 nobody is picking Brady and the Bucks to do any worse than the NFC title game and many are picking him to win yet another Superbowl. It’s true that both Aaron Rogers and Patrick Mahomes will likely be standing in his way with a big chips on their shoulders and nobody would be shocked if either Rogers kept Brady from another superbowl appearance or Mahomes kept him from his eighth ring.

But the fact that we are even having this conversation makes my point for me.

In conclusion with all due respect to Stephen A Smith there is no debate to have here. Brady is over Jordan. WAY over.

Full Disclosure: I don’t rate Michael Jordan as the GOAT of the NBA or LeBron, I give that to Bill Russell who in 13 years in the NBA made the finals every year but one and won the title every year but two and won two of those titles as a player coach.

He is the person Brady should be compared to and points 2-5 count in Brady’s favor, however Russell gets points for

  1. 2 titles as player coach (and as the 1st black coach in the NBA)
  2. Coming up in an era of segregation and STILL ruling the roost.
  3. playing in a smaller NBA where the talent was more concentrated

To me it’s a tough call, but if Brady goes to another Superbowl then I’d have to give it to Tom.

Five Cam Newton Release Mac Jones Thoughts

Posted: September 1, 2021 by datechguy in nfl, Sports
Tags: , , ,

I don’t watch football anymore except for Tom Brady, but the release of Cam Newton is such an interesting story that it deserves a blog post:

  1. This caught a lot of people by surprise in the sense that since Mac Jones was drafted the question has been Cam or Mac, Mac or Cam. This has been the conversation every single day on Boston sports radio and a lot of the consensus has been that it was Cam’s job to lose. Right up until the story broke nobody saw it coming.

  1. There is some speculation that Newton was released as a favor to him once he had lost the QB competition to Jones (which wasn’t clear to the public two days ago) because being released now gives him a chance at a starting position in another organization. Any other season this would not likely be possible but with two weeks before opening day this is something that a team could actually consider.

  1. The release of Newton brings two different conflicting woke dynamics into play here. Cam was the first black “starting” quarterback in the history of the Boston/New England Patriots franchise (Jacoby Brissette started two games during Tom Brady’s “Deflategate” suspension). So you would think that there might be a bit of the race card pushback on this move, particular as it’s a “Boston” Team. However Cam was also “unvaccinated” and right now among those who are woke the decision not to get the COVID vaccine by a very public figure who has a large fanbase is considered almost as beyond the pale as voting Trump. It’s no accident that I’ve heard sports folk talk about Cam’s vaccinated status concerning this move but I’ve not heard a word concerning race although in fairness there is not an “ineligible” list based on race.

  1. While Cam’s shortcomings were a standard feature of sports talk radio last year locally, nationally there was little or no such discussion concerning Cam Newton’s performance or lack thereof. There was further (and listening to the radio yesterday) still a whole plethora of people who all had excuses for his leading the Patriots to their 1st losing season since before Tom Brady took over the team. The speed at which a team decides to pick up Newton or if he is picked up at all will tell us if this was just pundits being pundits or if front offices and GM’s around the league were part of that willful blindness that seems to engulf folks on the subject of Newton and the Patriots

  1. It would seem to me that one of the deciding factors here would be Jones similarity to the Brady style which is the offense that the Patriots Josh McDaniels has had success with. Expect to see a lot of this over the next decades as a generation of kids who watched Tom Brady play and pretended to be him or dreamed of being him over the last twenty years reach the college and pro-level. It remains to be seen of any of said kids can come anywhere close to being him but it’s worth noting what Newton’s departure means in terms of age and experience among AFC East starting QB’s

Five Reasons why signing Tebow Makes Sense but signing Kaepernick doesn’t

Posted: May 13, 2021 by datechguy in American Success Stories, culture, nfl, Sports
Tags: , , , ,

The left is having a hissy fit over the Jacksonville Jaguars signing of 33 years old Tim Tebow when the 33 year old Colin Kaepernick does not have an NFL job (not that he actually wants one but I digress). For those who have to deal with such people here are five quick reasons why signing Tebow makes much more sense than signing Kaepernick.

  1. Tebow is in professional sports shape.

While Kaepernick’s last game in the NFL was in 2016 and Tebow’s in 2012 Tebow has spent the last three years playing minor league ball in the Mets system rising to the AAA level before deciding to leave baseball this year. Thus the 33 year old Tebow not only is in playing shape while Kaepernick is not but he’s had three years of the routine of playing and being in shape to play daily.

2. Tebow’s most recent NFL Stats are better than Kaepernick’s

In his last two seasons as a starter Colin Kaepernick went 3-16 with no playoff appearances and was benched for lack of success

In his last two seasons as a starter Tim Tebow went 8-6 including a victory in the 1st round of the playoffs and oddly was benched despite his success.

3. Tebow is coming back as a TE,

Over the years teams that weren’t impressed with Tebow as a QB were still impressed with him as an athlete and were open to signing him at another position (Remember Julian Edelman was a QB in college) over the years Tebow steadfastly refused wanting to play QB. Tebow finally being willing to accept this fact is a big part of his being signed.

Meanwhile advocates for Kaepernick not only insist that he be a QB but also suggest that anything other than a starting QB (with a salary for a starting QB) would be beneath him. I have no idea if Kaepernick is interested in another position (WR?) but he’s not made any indication that he’d be willing to try one.

4. A Christian Brother to help Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville

Tebow brings a unique advantage to Jacksonville who just drafted Trevor Lawrence with the 1st pick.

Lawrence is very publicly a devout Christian in a society that is not kind to Christianity. Tebow is a very public Christian who has taken the slings and arrows for it. Tebow’s signing give Lawrence not only a Christian Brother in the clubhouse to confide in but a Christian brother who was a 1st round QB with direct experience in how to handle what the NFL will throw at him. Furthermore the attention that Tebow catches might lighten the load of the same on Lawrence.

Colin Kaepernick could not do this for Jacksonville and it’s very likely that for any team that he signed he would be more a distraction than an asset.

5. Tebow brings fans, Kaepernick chases them away.

Finally everyone forgets that the primary job of a sports franchise is to sell tickets, merchandise and eyeballs. Tim Tebow will not only draw fans but draw good publicity.

With a fan base already sick of “woke” sports Colin Kaepernick would chase fans away from the game and keep those who were thinking of coming back away.

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