ROD STRICKLAND HAS CREATED SOME TEETH IN THE LONG ISLAND UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL PROGRAM

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Every March Madness tournament I always have to look up a university wondering where the institution came from. These are the universities that make the best Cinderella teams. That’s where the Madness name comes from, seeing schools most of the country has never heard of take down a basketball powerhouse from time to time. Most of these schools come in as 16 seeds. Only two 16 seeds in the history of the tournament have upset a number 1 seed. We always remember Fairleigh Dickinson and the first school ever to accomplish this task, UMBC. This year I had to look up High Point University as they came in as a number 12 seed and took down the Badgers of Wisconsin University. My first guess on High Point was that they were located somewhere in the Rockies like Colorado. They are from North Carolina. Schools like Lehigh and Prairie View A&M, Queens, and Cal Baptist sound like community colleges. One question I had was what LIU stood for. I found out they were Long Island University which is easy to determine they are from New York. Nicknamed the Sharks. They have a great story with former NBA star Rod Strickland as their head coach. LIU only won three games in Strickland’s first season 4 years ago as they were the worst basketball university in the country. To turn this program around that quickly is an amazing job. It’s nice to get to the dance. Then to face the Wildcats of Arizona University and go up against the odds of trying to be the 3rd 16th seed to knock out a number 1 is a David versus Goliath kind of match up. Strickland Sharks are not Great Whites.

Rod Strickland’s last year in the NBA was in 2005. He was originally drafted by the New York Knicks in the 1988 NBA draft in the first round 19th overall from DePaul University. He would debut for the Knicks, his hometown team, in 1988 as Strickland is a Bronx native. He would not last very long in his town. Only parts of two seasons. Strickland was a point guard who lasted 17 seasons in the NBA. Nicknamed Hot Rod or was referred to as Lightning Round for his play on the hardwood courts. He would be remembered mostly for playing with the Portland Trailblazers or Washington Bullets at the time as he played in those two cities for 5 seasons each. He was a basketball mutt who also suited up for the Spurs, Heat, Timber Wolves, Magic, Rockets, and Raptors. In 17 seasons, Hot Rod averaged 13.2 points per game, 3.7 rebounds per game and dishing out the ball 7.3 times a game. He definitely had a solid basketball career his entire life. After basketball he got into coaching. He was the program manager in the NBA G-league before the opportunity of coaching in his home state came along with the Sharks. Strickland is 59 years of age and looks like a guy that is starting to grasp the head coaching job at the college level and constructing a long term solid program for the University which they really never had in their history.

LIU hails from the North East conference. The Sharks won the NEC tournament to get the automatic bid for the NCAA tournament. The Sharks also won the NEC conference with a 15-3 record this season. In 2025 LIU finished with a 17-16 record overall. They were 12-4 in their conference play and finished second in the standings. This year they finished with a 24-11 record and dominated at home with 14-1 record. Rod Strickland after the NBA and before the G-league at a administrative role at the University of Kentucky under head coach John Calipari. Hot Rod also served as an assistant coach for Southern Florida. In the NBA G-league he evaluated while educating along with mentoring top high school players to prepare them for a path to the NBA. You could see how Strickland took all his tools he learned along the way and used them in his first head coaching job with Long Island University. LIU is a small school, so he will not always get the top players who will most of the times get scooped up by bigger schools. Strickland’s work on the court has shown with guard Greg Gordon who was NEC defensive player of the year. Plus he earned NEC tournament MVP honors. I love the fact Strickland comes from the NBA when the league actually played defense. This LIU is known for playing very well defending the 3 point line. Obviously the Wild Cats were too much to handle for Strickland’s bunch. This would have been an even better story if the Sharks took a huge bite out of the pussy cats from the desert. They would have been the Cinderella story if they knocked out the Wildcats. We may be seeing the start of a basket ball program on the rise with Strickland being in charge of things. Maybe next year this team will earn it’s first single digit seed in the NCAA Tournament. I wouldn’t mind seeing this school become a staple in the tournament for years to come. I just need to purchase a Sharks hoodie and I’ll be a fan of theirs for years to come and hope they take a bite out out the next basketball powerhouse. This time gobble them up like a Great White would do! Fins up for LIU’s future!!!

It’s Long Island University first appearance in the NCAA tournament since 2018. In 2018 LIU had to battle it out making the First 4 of the tournament in which they lost to another 16th seed Radford. This year Hot Rod had the Sharks a step better than the 2018 team as LIU came in as a 16 and avoided the first 4 part of the tournament. The first time the school made the tournament, you have to go back to 1981 when they came in as a 12 seed. In 1984 LIU had their best seed in their tournament life as a number 11 seed. That year they lost a close one to Northwestern University. Originally they were the Brooklyn Blackbirds as they captured two NIT championships. The first in 1939 and the second in ’41. In 1951 several Blackbird players were implicated in a point shaving scandal. The University had to shut down their athletic program for a few seasons. The Brooklyn Blackbirds would eventually merge two athletic programs with the LIU Pioneers in 2019 and were renamed the Sharks. With the first round loss to the Wildcats yesterday, the school is now 0-8 all-time in the NCAA tournament and has never been a single seed.

RETURN TO SENDER

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Right before the start of the NFL free agent frenzy, the biggest trade made was between the Baltimore Ravens and the Las Vegas Raiders. The Ravens acquired one of the top pass rushers in the NFL in 28 year old 5x Pro Bowler Mad Maxx Crosby. The Ravens have never traded any of their first round picks in their franchise history. To acquire a talent like Crosby with other teams making bids, the Ravens sealed the deal with a 2026 1st round pick along with a ’27 first round pick. It looked like the Ravens upgraded their defense with one of the fiercest pass rushers in the league. Crosby was not looking to go through another rebuild with the Raiders who already have the number one draft pick this April. The deal was orchestrated before the official NFL year begins. Plus every deal depends on pending physicals for players involved. Crosby would be looked at by the Ravens doctors in Baltimore and they apparently did not like what they saw with his off-season surgery. Crosby missed the last two games of the season due to a meniscus tear in the knee which he had it repaired with off-season surgery. The Ravens backed out of the deal and the trade was cancelled. Right after the trade, the Ravens signed another stud pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson who was available through free agency. The Raiders along with some football experts would call the Ravens backing out of the deal very dirty. As if they had two plans in motion the entire time.

With the Ravens backing out of the deal with the Raiders, they will have access to those two first round draft picks back in their arsenal. They still get one of the elite pass rushers in the NFL as well without having to give up any draft capital. The Ravens signed the 31 year old Hendrickson to a 4 year deal worth 120 million to play for the Ravens. This move also steals one of the Ravens archrival’s players away from the Cincinnati Bengals. Originally Hendrickson was drafted by the Saints back in the 3rd round of the 2017 NFL draft from Florida Atlantic University. He played for the Saints his first 4 years out of his 9 year NFL career so far. He signed with the Bengals in free agency and has played in Cincinnati for the last 5 seasons. Hendrickson only played in 7 games last year as he had a season-ending injury that occurred in week six. It was a core muscle injury originally reported in his hip pelvis region. In week 8 he re-aggravated the same injury because he continued to play after week 6. The Ravens doctor must have liked what they saw from Hendrickson during his physical because the contract was signed and he finally got his money. Hendrickson has been creating plenty of noise with the Bengals for not giving him the top money his position makes in the NFL. Before last year’s season started, he was threatening to hold out until his demands were made. The Bengals and Hendrickson never hammered out a long term deal. Hendrickson is older than Mad Maxx Crosby. In seven games last year, Hendrickson had 4 sacks, 11 solo tackles, and forced one fumble. In ’23 and ’24 Hendrickson led the NFL in sacks in back-to-back seasons. Those two seasons Hendrickson tallied 17.5 sacks in each of those two seasons. Hendrickson in 9 seasons has racked up 81 sacks.

What does this mean for the Raiders as their trade is blown up by the dirty Ravens? After the Raiders thought the deal was done with the Ravens, they went on a shopping spree for players in the free agent market. The Raiders added some solid linebackers to their defense with the signing of Quay Walker along with former Eagle, Nakobe Dean.

Dean helped the Eagles trash the Kansas City Chiefs in the Superbowl. The Raiders added some much needed offensive help as well. They signed a veteran receiver in Jalen Nailor, a former Viking who had 4 touchdowns last year. The best signing was taking away the Ravens top offensive lineman in Tyler Linderbaum who will be the Raiders new center this upcoming season. When Mad Maxx Crosby arrived in Baltimore, he was watching the moves his former team was making. The Raiders certainly will draft the best quarterback option in April by selecting the Heisman trophy winner from University of Indiana, Fernando Mendoza, who also helped the Hoosiers win the National Championship. The shopping spree the Raiders just had will not effect the salary cap even if the Las Vegas keeps Crosby next season. The Raiders have enough room to keep all the players they just signed and still have enough space to pay Mad Maxx.

How long will this Raiders rebuild take? The Raiders coming into the off-season had some nice pieces on offense. Ashton Jeanty was the top pick for the Raiders last year in the first round 6th overall. He rushed for 975 yards and had 5 rushing touchdowns in his rookie season. The Raiders’ new head coach will have a better offensive design for Jeanty. Klint Kubiak’s offense featured two star running backs for Seattle last year. The Raiders also have a tight end in Brock Bowers who is closing in on being one the top tight ends in the NFL. I believe Mendoza will be a solid quarterback for years to come. The Raiders could trade Crosby and get some more draft capital or keep him and ride him out through the end of his contract. Keeping him will help this Raiders team get to their goals quicker. He wanted to leave, not wanting to be involved in another rebuild. His heart seems to have always been with the silver and black. Tom Brady, who I hate, is part owner of this Raiders franchise. His voice is being heard. Eventually every team wants a solid pass rusher. The Raiders have one again. You can pay guys some big money when your rookie QB is on a rookie deal. Brady’s pride is on the line with his Raiders. He does not like to lose. He will win more with Crosby and help than without Mad Maxx and the help. When it comes time to pay your QB after his first contract concludes, then you can cut ties with Crosby. This could be a blessing in disguise for the Raiders. Crosby will play with a chip on his shoulder to prove himself to be healthy and able to play in the NFL, to the entire league. Meanwhile the Dirty Ravens need more players on that defense than just Trey Hendrickson. If the Ravens go into the season as is, it’s like Hendrickson playing on those bad Bengals defenses for the last few seasons. It seems like Hendrickson is one step & one play away from breaking down completely at his age as injuries have followed him. Back and hip issues are not a good recipe for playing football at a high level. Attaching yourself onto Lamar Jackson to complete your Superbowl dreams is not a smart decision. I think Jackson will never win a Superbowl and may never get a team to that kind of a game in the first place.

CELEBRINI HAS THE SHARKS ON THE VERGE OF RESURFACING INTO THE STANLEY CUP POST-SEASON

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The San Jose Sharks have been around since 1991 and have been a staple most of their existence in the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs. In 34 seasons the Sharks have made the post-season 21 times. The last seven years the Sharks have not been swimming close to beaches as they’ve been hanging out in deeper waters instead. Last time the Sharks made post-season play was back in the 2018-19 season. This season suddenly the youth have gone wild. The Sharks have added some nice veterans to the mix. This year’s team finds themselves one point behind the Seattle Kraken & LA Kings for the second wild spot in the Western Conference. Last year the Sharks sank deep into the depth of the NHL standings and tallied up only 44 points. This season they have a winning record at 32-28-6 which is good for 70 points. One of the biggest reasons why the Sharks are swimming closer to the coast line this season is because of the rise of Macklin Celebrini. He’s a 19 year old in his 2nd NHL season making an early statement being one of the league’s up-and-coming Superstars.

Macklin Celebrini was drafted number 1 overall in the NHL draft in 2024. In his rookie season Celebrini tallied 25 goals while racking up 38 assists for a total of 63 points. In year two of his NHL career, Celebrini is 5th in the NHL in points. This season the Sharks’ young forward has lit the lamp 35 times which is already 10 goals more than his rookie season. He has dished out 60 assists which is good for 95 points. In two seasons Celebrini has tallied up 60 goals along with dishing out 98 assists for 158 points. He has helped the Sharks franchise speed up the process. He is getting his team to the level of playing meaningful hockey this quickly in his career. The next Connor McDavid was going to be the number 1 draft pick in the 2023 NHL draft from the Blackhawks in Connor Bedard. Bedard has been around 3 seasons in Chicago. In those 3 seasons he has lit the lamp 72 times while racking up 120 assists for 192 total points. Bedard has had some injuries he has dealt with so far in his first three seasons. Celebrini looks closer to McDavid than Bedard. The Blackhawks have tried to add pieces around their young superstar with veterans and trying to develop young draft picks to play alongside Bedard, but it has not worked out. It’s the same ole story for Chicago as they are once again at the bottom of the barrel in the hockey world. While Celebrini was skating with the top line with McDavid for Canada at the recent Winter Olympics. Bedard did not play in the Olympics.

Connor Bedard was drafted by the Blackhawks number 1 overall in 2023. In the same year, the San Jose Sharks selected center Will Smith at number 4 overall in the 2023 NHL draft. Smith came one season earlier than Macklin Celebrini. In two seasons hockey experts compare Smith and Celebrini as that young pair of superstars the last Blackhawks dynasty had in Jonathan Toews along with Patrick Kane. Let’s remember Kane and Toews hoisted three Stanley Cups for the Blackhawks and took that franchise out of the ark ages. In the first few seasons before they hoisted their first one in 2010, they were on the brink taking their team to the post-season. Then the Chicago dynamic duo finally made the Stanley Cup playoffs and shone. Then Chicago added more talent around them and the rest is history with that dynasty. Smith this season has 19 goals along with assists which is good for 45 points and he is only 21 years of age. These two Sharks are growing into Great Whites as we speak.

The Sharks record after the Olympic break in the action of the NHL are 5-4-2 which counts that loss last night to Connor McDavid’s Oilers. The Sharks have added some nice veterans to this squad. The last two years Tyler Toffoli has contributed to the Sharks. He’s a 14 year veteran in the NHL and has 18 goals this season. The Sharks do not have a true captain on this team. As they have multiple alternates which includes Toffoli and Macklin Celebrini. Other players on the Sharks that have authority on the team on and off the ice include veteran Barclay Goodrow. Goodrow started his career with the Sharks in the 2014-15 season. The 32 year old winger has been back wearing the teal in his second stint with the team for last two seasons. He comes back to San Jose after winning two Stanley Cups with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Sharks roster also features some younger players which are starting to develop. The Sharks have only made it to one Stanley Cup with all those post-season appearances which was in 2016. Goodrow was on that Sharks team with stars they had like Joe Thornton, Logan Culture, Patrick Marleau, and Brent Burns. That 2016 team did not win the Cup that year as the Penguins knocked out San Jose that season. With a young dynamic duo in place with Smith and Celebrini, the Sharks could be better than those old teams they used to have. If the Sharks make it to post-season this year earlier than projected with all those young guys, it will be a good thing just with the experience they can get.These guys are growing together. Most of the veterans they have now will be gone when this team gets really good. New veteran pieces will be added along with these solid younger pieces they assembled who continue to take another step each season. Celebrini looks legit and will be the one of the next superstars in the NHL for years and years. I hope the Sharks make it to the post-season to see these kids experience their first taste in the Lord Stanley Cup post-season.

WHICH NFL TEAM HAS HAD THE BEST QUARTERBACK SIGNING SO FAR IN FREE AGENCY?

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Many of the available quarterbacks that made it to free agent waters have been gobbled up by teams. The quarterback position is the most important piece on a football chessboard. It’s the king piece. Some teams have dumped their own quarterback to pursue another general behind center. The draft this year may only solve one team’s quarterback room as this is not the QB class to fix the most important piece. We all know the Indiana University QB Fernando Mendoza will be scooped up by Tom Brady’s Raiders. The Colts did not allow Daniel Jones to be set free as they held him hostage with the franchise tag. Indiana Jones and the Colts worked out a new contract to keep him in Indianapolis. What Jones did for the Colts last year before the injury, that was a no brainer bringing him back. That is probably the best QB signing. This off-season had 5 quarterbacks in free agent waters. All 5 guys have seen enough action to be a starter in the league or a solid back up choice. Out of the 5 QB’s, who will make the biggest difference for their new team next season? Some of these guys may be just bridge gap starters next season. Hold the keys to the car for a portion of the season to immediately hand them over to someone else. The free agent waters still have a few quarterback options in Kirk Cousins, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Russell Wilson. Those are three names that were once a solid option for a team a few years back. Out of those three guys, I think only Cousins still has something left in the tank. He’s riding on fumes. I rank the 5 quarterbacks that were recycled this off-season. Starting with worst to first.

#5. GENO SMITH

Geno Smith is circling the wagons back to where it all started for him in New York with the Jets, the team that drafted him. Smith’s lone season with the Raiders was horrific. I know the Raiders really did not have a solid team around him with a reunion with head coach Pete Carroll. I don’t know who had the worst year between both these X-Seattle guys, Carroll or Smith? Seahawks fans are rejoicing not having either of these guys. Carroll in his return to the NFL after stepping away from coaching, his comeback would be one and done. Smith played his best football in a Seattle uniform. Last year as a starter, Smith went 2-13. He did complete 67.4% of his passes but was in the league leaders in interceptions. Smith since 2023 has led all quarterbacks in the NFL with interceptions. If Jameis Winston was playing full time, Smith would be second on this list. The Jets are always desperate for a quarterback as they strike out with all their draft picks trying to land the king piece.

I feel like the Jets should create their own quarterback like the guys in Weird Science, the movie where they create their own woman. This is a desperate reach by the Jets bringing back Smith. They had the same desperation last year with the Justin Fields signing, which they may still have him on their roster. In 12 seasons, Smith is 42-56 as a starting QB. In his first stint with the Jets in 4 seasons, he went 12-18 as their starter. More of the same here.

#4. GARDNER MINSHEW

The Cardinals released Kyler Murray to the free agent waters. Is it too late for Murray to play baseball? Murray was released despite still having plenty of years on his contract. He was injured last season most of the year. I get why he was released because he has not been good in a long time. The Cardinals signed Gardner Minshew, a guy that seems to find a new team every year. Minshew was a back up to Patrick Mahomes last season with the Chiefs. When his number was called to start a game after Mahomes was injured last season, it was not a good day at the office for Minshew. He suffered a season ending injury like Mahomes. His performance in a Chiefs uniform in 4 games is nothing to write home to mom about. When a team does sign Minshew and if he is not the starter, it seems like he always finds a few games on the field due to number 1 being injured. Minshew has had some solid years. In 2023 he was 7-6 as the starting QB for the Colts. In ’24, he went 2-7 as the Raiders starting QB. That tells you something about two franchises right there. He is a streaky QB & probably better as a back up option. The Cardinals already have Jacoby Brissett who started the most games for the Cardinals last year at the quarterback position. With Minshew and Brissett, you are basically getting the same guy. Two career back ups that have a knack at getting the starting job due to injuries and playing on multiple teams.

Minshew’s nickname is The Mustache or the Jock Strap King. He is a guy after football that could go right into the porn industry and do flashbacks of the 1970’s style action. Maybe he could also get a part in a series like a Sons of Anarchy reboot if they ever go down that avenue. As a starter, Minshew has a record of 17-30. I don’t see the Jock Strap King being the KING chess piece for the Cardinals very long this up-and-coming season.

#3. TUA TIME

Tua Tagovailoa was released by the Dolphins as Miami has a huge portion of their salary cap with dead money. Tua will be on the books for the Dolphins next season and beyond. The Falcons have a low risk high ceiling type of move here. By signing Tua, you are bringing in a veteran QB for peanuts which the Falcons will be paying him. The Falcons own the market for south paw quarterbacks that are injury prone. The Falcons still have 25 year old Michael Penix on their roster, a guy who was drafted in 2024. Is he a bust? In 14 games Penix is 4-8 as a starter for the Falcons in two seasons. Penix had a history of injury problems back in his college days. It is smart to have a solid back up in place in hot Atlanta.

It seems like Tua is always one hit away from being knocked into tomorrow with all the concussions he has suffered in the NFL. Last year Tua went 6-8 in his last season in a Dolphins uniform. He tossed 20 touchdown passes and also had 15 interceptions. Tua has a winning record overall as a starter at 44-32. He has thrown 120 touchdown passes in his career. This is a move that could work well for the Falcons. He’s cheap. He has a chip on his shoulder from being released looking to prove himself to the league. The Falcons play in a a bad division, they call the NFC South. If TUA TIME plays out, he may have an easier way back to the post-season than he did staying in Miami. The Falcons have some nice solid weapons around him. If he gets protection, he could help this Falcons team win that division this upcoming season.

#2. MALIK WILLIS

The former Titan and Packers back up QB Malik Willis is Tua Tagovailoa’s replacement for the Dolphins. This is an interesting signing by the Dolphins. Willis being a back up in a Packer uniform has come into games and has played well. In 4 games last season, he completed 85.7% of his passes. He had three touchdown passes & no interceptions. He did lose his only start he made last year. He is 26 years of age and has only played in the league for 4 seasons. He has made only six starts & has a 3-3 record in those 4 seasons. Did the Titans give him a fair shake in Tennessee or give up on him too early?

Being the starter is way different than being the back up guy. Can Willis be QB number 1 now? The Dolphins will not be a good team this upcoming season. They have sold off many of their pieces on the board. They have a new coaching staff. What about last year’s back up QB for the Dolphins, 22 year old Quinn Ewers? He went 1-2 as the starter for the Dolphins to finish the season. Ewers could learn from Willis as he did that/done that coming off the bench to play. Willis is a duel threat QB & more of a game manager than a guy that will beat you on the last drive of the game. The Dolphins still have some playmakers on that roster. I could see Willis playing well but not winning many games because of the defense and the roster will have many young guys on it. The Dolphins will need a solid O-line for Willis to be successful in South Beach. This will not be an easy job. I think Willis will thrive in his new opportunity.

#1. KYLER MURRAY

This is a very good signing by the Vikings. They inked Kyler Murray on the cheap side of things as his former team will be on the hook paying their old QB majority of his money this upcoming season. This move is the same type the Falcons made signing Tua Tagovailoa. It’s a low risk high ceiling. The Vikings, like the Falcons, have a quarterback they drafted in 2024 in JJ McCarthy. Unfortunately McCarthy did not play in ’24 as he had a season ending injury that kept him out the entire year. That’s when the Vikings inserted Sam Darnold. The Vikings almost had the number 1 seed under Darnold in the NFC from his play. Last year Darnold signed with Seattle because the Vikings still needed to see what they had in McCarthy. The Vikings missed the playoffs as McCarthy had a roller coaster season going 6-4 in 10 starts. He missed some games with injuries. He threw 11 touchdown passes compared to 12 interceptions which would be his rookie season. The Cardinals won three games last season and Murray won two of them as a starter. Murray only played in 5 games due to injuries. In 2023, Murray only played in 8 games. Murray is only 28 years of age, has been in the league for 7 seasons and has thrown 121 touchdown passes compared to only 60 interceptions. Murray’s tenure only got the Cardinals to the post-season once in 2021. The Cardinals lost that only post-season appearance Murray had. As a starter Murray has a losing record at 38-48-1 during regular season. Can the Vikings be that team they had with Darnold, only with Murray behind center? Is this the end of McCarthy? The Vikings should keep both quarterbacks because both guys are injury prone. With Murray, the Vikings will have a duel threat QB with a chip on his shoulder. Same with McCarthy he will have a chip on his shoulder looking back at Murray. The Vikings have a ton of playmakers including one of the best receivers in the NFL with Justin Jefferson. The Vikings defense is very solid. The Vikings as a team finished the season on a hot streak. It was too late because they missed the post-season. The Vikings have had a ton of success inserting veteran QB’s behind center. Murray, out of the entire available QB’s on the market this off-season, is the best option. If he stays healthy, the Vikings will be back in post-season. Murray is looking for that next long term deal. Will history repeat itself like Darnold if Murray does well? Can you depend on Murray beyond this upcoming season if he does well?

REMEMBERING BLACKHAWKS CENTER TROY MURRAY WHO ALWAYS WILL BE A CHICAGOAN

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Some professional athletes that play their game in your town for so many ‘X’ amount of years then linger around after their career is over. You feel like they are part of the city. They are a citizen of your town. Many athletes come to your town, get paid for what they do, and leave for another city. Many don’t even stay during the off-season. Like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, there is no place like home. For 12 seasons, Troy Murray skated for the Blackhawks in the NHL and was the team that drafted him in the 3rd round in the 1980 draft. When Murray finished his NHL career, he was not done playing hockey. He suited up 1 more season for the minor league hockey team in Chicago, the Wolves, who played at the time for the IHL (International Hockey League.) After 16 years of professional hockey, Troy, nicknamed “Muzz,” took another job with the Blackhawks as one of the team’s broadcasters. He was a hockey analyst giving the Blackhawks fan base the insight of the game from 1998 until he recently as he passed away after battling cancer the last 5 years. Troy Murray was part of Chicago and the sports landscape for 45 years. He is also a guy we lost way too early at the age of 63.

Troy Murray started his NHL career during the 1981-’82 season making his debut for only 1 game. His NHL career ended playing his final year for the Colorado Avalanche where he helped them win a cup. That is a nice way to ride off into the sunset because that was the only Cup he would ever hoist in his professional hockey career. Murray played hockey before the Blackhawks at University of North Dakota, where he helped the Fighting Hawks win the NCAA Men’s Ice Hockey National Championship in 1982. From 1980-82 he played in 80 games for the Fighting Hawks scoring 55 goals while dishing out 74 assists for 129 points. He then would go from the Fighting Hawks to the Blackhawks. Murray was from Calgary, Alberta in Canada where most hockey players are factory-made. In 15 seasons in the NHL, he suited up for 5 different franchise which also included the Jets, Senators, and the Penguins. He had two stints with the Blackhawks. He missed playing with the Blackhawks team that made it to the Stanley Cup with the Penguins by one season which was the 1991-’92 season. The first time he left the Blackhawks organization as a player, his last season was 1990-’91. He was a center by trade. He was awarded the Frank J Selke award being the top defensive forward for his play in the 1985-’86 season. That season was by far the best season he had in the NHL. That year he scored 45 goals and had 99 points for the Blackhawks. During his career he did hit 20 or more goals in a season a total of 5 times. With the Blackhawks points-wise he did the most damage on the back of his hockey card with 197 tallies, dishing out 291 passes for goals, and accumulating 488 total points. For his career in played in 915 NHL games. Lit the lamp 230 times while dishing out 354 assists which tallies up to 584 points.

During the 1980’s and early 90’s the Blackhawks were always a fixture in the post-season it seemed. Back then the Blackhawks owner was Bill Wirtz and he was a terrible owner. The only way to watch the Blackhawks on television were only their road games and they were on cable, not regular TV. The home games were blacked out. Only way to see them play was going to the game. They were a hard ticket to buy back then. Especially for someone like my father, who was raised during the Great Depression. Troy Murray played with many great players during his time on the ice in Chicago. Like Dennis Savard, Eddie Belfour, Steve Larmer, Bob Murray, and the great Doug Wilson to name some of them. I think if the Blackhawks had a halfway decent owner at the time, his management may have went out and added to this core of players to make them Stanley Cup worthy. After being swept by the Penguins in the 1992 Stanley Cup finals, the Blackhawks went into the dark ages of one of the worst franchises in sports. It would be Bill Wirtz’s son after the passing of his father that helped get this original six franchise out of the dark ages in 2008 and 2009 when things started getting exciting again. They won the cup in 2010. That was the Blackhawks dynasty with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane which Troy Murray was part of because he was an analyst for the team. He would end up being around the Blackhawks hoisting more than one Cup during his time with the organization. Murray was also the President of the Blackhawks Alumni Association after his playing days came to an end. During the dark ages of the Blackhawks, the Wolves arrived at the perfect time. You saw Murray as the captain of the team. You saw former Murray’s teammates like Al Secord and Chris Chelios suit up for the Wolves who are still around today. The IHL folded up shop. The Wolves moved into the AHL which is the American Hockey League. The Wolves games were cheaper to go to than the Blackhawks. Many years it was well worth it seeing better hockey being played by the Wolves over the Blackhawks who were playing in front of crickets than actual fans.

In 2021, Troy Murray told everyone he was diagnosed with cancer. He still worked as a broadcaster for the Blackhawks in the last 5 seasons. He did not have the full tilt schedule he had so many years doing all the games. It’s far too young to pass away at the age of 63. Cancer has gotten many people in this world, which sucks. He will be missed on the airwaves. He had terrific insight in every game he called. He will never be forgotten wearing the Indian-head sweater and the Wolves. He was a solid player who gave it his best every game he played. Being from Canada, but always a Chicagoan in my book spending most of his life in this town for so many months a year. It counts. We lost a neighbor and I’m sure a friend at the same time. You may watch a game on the ice this weekend with a cold one. Make sure you raise a glass, can, or bottle to good ole number 19, Troy Murray. May he rest in peace and our prayers go out to his family.

THE SAINTS ADD SOME SOLID PIECES AROUND TYLER SLOUGH

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When Kellen Moore was hired to be the head coach of the New Orleans Saints last season, he was coming into a very difficult situation. After Moore’s short playing career on the gridiron came to an end with the Dallas Cowboys, he immediately went into coaching. The Cowboys gave him his first coaching job in the NFL. Moore was the offensive coordinator for the Eagles when they stampeded over the Chiefs in Superbowl LIX and became one of the hotter coordinators which the Saints pounced on. Moore is only 37 years of age and took a job with the Saints with three young quarterbacks of whom two were drafted in the later rounds. Not one of them was drafted in the first round. The team was in salary cap hell. The Big Easy was not going to be easy for Moore who had his team in almost every game as they hit many bumps in the road along the way. It took until the middle of the season to finally find a quarterback out of three guys without much experience coming into the 2025 season. Moore, who was a former quarterback in the NFL, got the best results from rookie Tyler Shough. The Saints drafted him in the 2nd round as he played his college ball with Oregon University and Texas Tech. Shough would start 9 games, had a winning record of 5-4, and finished the season off strong.

In 2023 the Saints went out and signed veteran quarterback Derek Carr after the Raiders benched him in ’22 & then released him into the wild. It seems like back then the Saints were in salary cap hell. In ’23, Carr was supposed to be the team’s savior and get the Saints back to the post-season. The Saints just missed the post-season as Carr finished with a 9-8 record. In 2024 Carr would try again, started 10 games, and finished 5-5 for the season. His season was cut down short due to injury that would lead to his retirement after the season concluded. Those other seven games went to the young-en’s. Like Jake Haener who was drafted in the 4th round of the 2023 draft. He went to multiple schools, as he played college ball at Washington University and Fresno State. He lost his only start. Spencer Rattler received the most action out of the three young QB’s in ’24 & ’25. Rattler was drafted in the 5th round of the 2024 NFL draft. He also went to multiple schools as he played his college ball for Oklahoma and South Carolina University. He finished 0-6 for the season. Then Rattler would be Moore’s number 1 guy starting the 2025 season. After 8 games, Rattler did win his first ever NFL start. However he started 8 games and finished 1-7. Then Moore made the switch and found his starter with Tyler Shough.The Saints, who drafted a quarterback three straight seasons, finally hit pay dirt. Shough completed 67.6% of his passes for 2,384 passing yards. He threw 10 touchdown passes and did have 6 interceptions. The 26 year old showed you poise in the pocket. He showed he had great mobility as he used his legs on several plays for a touchdown or to extend the drives. The Saints won 4 straight games and 4 of their last 5 games to end the season. Let’s remember the Saints traded away one of their top playmakers in their receiving core at the deadline. The Seattle Seahawks acquired speedster Rashid Shaheed from New Orleans at the deadline. In Shough’s 9 games, he had some key injuries to some of his other playmakers on the offense. The Saints continue to march with Shough and Moore being the QB whisperer.

The Saints salary cap became less than a burden with some big names coming off the cap hitting the free agent market. The Saints made two interesting moves to give Moore’s offense more traction. The Saints signed 27 year old running back former Jaguar Travis Ehienne who went on a tear in the second half of last season. Travis is a Louisiana native as well and wanted to be closer to home. Then solidifying the offensive line with 28 year David Edwards who helped protect Josh Allen for the Bills the last three seasons. Etienne gets a 4 year deal worth 52 million. While Edwards also gets a 4 year deal worth 61 million. Etienne was drafted in 2021 and was a first round pick out of Clemson University by Jacksonville. Meanwhile Edwards is from my home state of Illinois where he hails out of a suburb called Downers Grove. He played his college ball at Wisconsin University. He was drafted in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL draft by the LA Rams where he played 4 seasons and helped them win a Superbowl.

With the addition of Travis Ethienne, what will the Saints do with their other star running back Alvin Kamara? Kamara already has 9 seasons in the NFL. Kamara is a duel threat style running back who can run through the tackles and also catch the ball out of the back field while being productive. Karmara was reduced to only 11 games last year with injuries. He tallied up 471 rushing yards and caught 33 balls. With Kamara’s arrival in the league being drafted in 2017 by the Saints, he shared the load with Mark Ingram II. They formed a solid two-headed monster in the back field. Ethienne last year tallied 1,107 rushing yards and found the end zone 7 times. In 4 seasons he has tallied up 3,798 rushing yards and has 25 touchdowns. Kamara seems like that type of guy that would be okay with splitting the duties. Kellen Moore may get better production out of both running backs splitting up the carries or go with the hotter hand that game day. Kamara could be a nice 3rd down back. The Saints could also trade Kamara and get some draft capital for this April’s draft.

The Saints are residents in a terrible division with teams like the Panthers, Buccaneers, and the Falcons. The Saints finished the season last year in last place but beat the Panthers and Buccaneers. Panthers were swept by the Saints and won the division. These are some savvy moves by New Orleans landing a guy like David Edwards to reinforce the line who has a ton of playoff experience. Then adding a talented running back like Travis Ethienne automatically upgrades that position. The Saints have a number 1 receiver in Chris Olave who caught 100 balls last year for over 1,000 yards with 9 touchdown catches. If Tyler Shough continues to develop, this Saints team is marching in the right direction for a change.

THE RAVENS ADDING MAD MAXX IS THE TELL-TALE HEART BALTIMORE NEEDS TO FINISH GAMES

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The Baltimore Ravens have never in the history of their franchise traded a number one pick for a veteran player. The Ravens are looking for new ways to find an old format they used for plenty of years by establishing a solid defense. Just having Lamar Jackson, their best quarterback in franchise history, is not cutting the mustard to win it all. The purple and black old recipe was a psychopath like Ray Lewis storming your front door off the hinges and killing your quarterback while his friends murder your entire family. The Ravens have won Superbowls with middle tier quarterback play with veteran guys like Trent Dilfur and Joe Flacco. Jackson seems to vanish in the 4th quarter as the Ravens in the last 5 seasons have blown 16 leads. The ole purple and black defense can’t even protect two of those games that the Ravens had double digit leads in. Jackson would be too cool for school yucking it up with his posse on the sidelines thinking most of these games were in the bag. The Ravens fired their head coach John Harbaugh who helped win one of the Ravens’ two Superbowls. However he has not won one with Jackson as his quarterback. The Ravens went out & hired another defensive minded coach and added a disruptor to their defense. Another psychopath. A guy that can blow the doors off the opponent’s offensive line and kill the quarterback. The Ravens paid a dear price to acquire Mad Maxx Crosby from the Raiders. It will cost them two first round picks, one this season and the other in 2027. Now the Ravens have found a closer for the 4th quarter.

Maxx Crosby was perfect for the Oakland Raiders who drafted him in the 4th round of the 2019 NFL draft from Eastern Michigan. The name Maxx comes with an intimidating beard along with all the tattoos & wearing silver and black with the Raider logo on the helmet. Playing in front of a fan base that was called the Black Hole. He had to earn the nickname, Mad Maxx, which did not take long as he had 10 sacks in his first season. The Raiders moved to Las Vegas where Maxx has played the last 6 seasons. In 7 seasons Crosby has played in 110 games and has racked up 69.5 total sacks. He has racked up 278 solo tackles and has forced 11 fumbles. He has made 5 Pro-bowls in 7 seasons. Last year he played in 15 games in his last season wearing the silver and black. He had 10 sacks, 45 tackles, and forced 2 fumbles. The Raiders gave their beloved defensive lineman a 3 year extension worth 106.5 million. The Raiders had another clunker of a season and Mad Maxx was not liking his Thunderdome. He has only played in 1 career playoff game with the Raiders which was a loss in 2021. The Raiders management sent Crosby home before the season concluded, claiming he had a knee issue. He missed two games. Some think without Crosby on the field it helped the Raiders tank the rest of the season to land the number1 pick of this April’s draft. The Raiders ownership has done weird things with their star players like Crosby. They had a beef with Derek Carr as he was benched and was sent home instead of working out their issues with their star players. Crosby finishes 3rd all-time on the Raiders sack list.

Greg Townsend is number one tallying up 107.5 sacks. The great Howie Long is number 2 all-time on the silver and black list with 84 total sacks. Then Mad Maxx finished with 69.5. If he stayed with the Raiders you have to believe he would have broken Long’s and Townsend’s record.

Will opposing quarterbacks hear the heartbeat of the telltale heart louder in the 4th quarter with Mad Maxx Crosby on the field? The Ravens did not make post-season and their defense was freaking terrible the last two seasons. The last time the Ravens had a solid defense it was when Mike Macdonald was the team’s defensive coordinator. As you know he has been in Seattle only two seasons and the Seahawks have already won the Superbowl with a defense he established called the Darkside.

It was Seattle’s defense that played a huge part of winning the Superbowl several weeks ago. The Ravens went out and got one of the best defensive coordinators in the league to be the next team’s head coach as they hired Chargers’ Jessee Minter. Now adding Maxx Crosby to the present Ravens defense that includes a stud line backer in Roquan Smith and safety Mike Hamilton, the Ravens got a solid piece up front, in the middle, and back of their defense. Like the Ravens of the old with Ray Lewis in the middle. They had Ed Reed at the back end. Then Terrell Suggs rushing the QB. Those guys had other cast members which the Ravens will have to find. When it comes to finishing games, Maxx Crosby has 22.5 of his sacks in the 4th quarter. He has 17 tackles for a loss of yardage in the final 5 minutes of regulation. Lamar Jackson couldn’t win by himself. So they gave him wide receivers to help the passing game. Same results. They could still not win, so they went out and signed the best running back in the league in Derrick Henry. Same result – they could not win in post-season play. Jackson’s record in post-season is 3-5 which is not very impressive. Can Crosby change that?

The Ravens are paying Maxx Crosby a big amount of money and it’s costing them a lot in draft capital just to get his services.To rubs some salt on wounds from the strenuous salary cap of the Ravens after taking on Crosby’s contract. The Raiders may have added the last laugh after acquiring two first rounders from Baltimore. They signed the Ravens top offensive lineman center free agent, Tyler Linderbaum, to a big contract.

Welcome to salary cap hell as the Ravens will be living the dream. Believe me every team would want to have a Mad Maxx Crosby with a motor that never stops. I think his jersey will sell more than Lamar Jackson in Baltimore. I believe that Baltimore defense will get back to their old recipe with more sauce. I think this franchise needs a change at the quarterback position. Jackson will never win a Superbowl. The Seahawks won the big game with a guy in Sam Darnold that was going down First Round Bust Boulevard for several years. Jackson is a superstar in the NFL. He does not have the mentality to win the entire league. Crosby will not be the guy that gets Jackson to the promised land. It will be another quarterback that Mad Maxx will be riding with down Fury Road.

The Ravens management will see when the telltale heart starts growing louder & louder with Jackson’s failures. Until the mind set starts to explode with all the Jackson noise. In the end the signs were all over the woodwork, which they missed. Find someone that will take on Jackson’s contract. Then invest your money wisely. Find that guy like a Darnold. Improve the cast on that Fury Road defense. Then you will see the Ravens winning the Superbowl with their old format.

BILLS & BEARS HAMMER OUT A DEAL TO HELP EACH OTHER’S NEEDS

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The NFL trade market is heating up right before free agency starts. The Chicago Bears and the Buffalo Bills strike up a big time deal that both franchises hopes each side will benefit from. The Bills acquire wide receiver DJ Moore from the Bears along with a 5th round draft pick in 2026. Meanwhile the Bears get the Bills second round pick this April along with getting rid of Moore’s huge contract from the books. Did the Bills finally get a legit number 1 receiver since Stephon Diggs was sent packing a few seasons ago?

DJ Moore was drafted originally by the Carolina Panthers back in 2018 in the first round out of Maryland, 24th overall. Moore has played 8 seasons in the NFL – 5 with Carolina and three with the Bears. He is 28 years old. Last season he played in all 17 regular season games, caught 50 balls while tallying up 608 receiving yards, and hauling 6 touchdown passes. In 8 seasons in the NFL, Moore has caught 608 passes for 8,213 yards and has 41 receiving touchdowns. Moore has never made it to the NFL Pro-Bowl. He has racked over 1,000 receiving yards in 4 out of the 8 seasons he has played in the NFL. Last year playing in his first post-season games, in 2 games he was targeted 15 times & caught 11 balls. He had two touchdowns. In the OT game in the divisional round, it looked like he stopped his route short versus the Rams which led to Caleb Williams’ interception. Moore was part of a deal that landed the Panthers their first round quarterback in Bryce Young in a trade with the Bears. The two teams basically swapped number one picks as the Bears found their quarterback in Williams the next season after the Panthers picked Young in 2023.

The Chicago Bears had a magical season last year going deep into post-season. The Bears slayed their dragon finally beating the Packers twice in one season and one of those wins came in the post-season. Ben Johnson had done a terrific job in year one with the Bears. Finally, for the city of Chicago that has starved for a quarterback since the 1940’s when Sid Luckman played for the Bears. Chicago has seen quarterbacks but mostly they have been bad and not a franchise QB for years to come like Caleb Williams. Johnson has done wonders with Williams in only year 1 as Caleb will be in his third season in ’26. Why are the Bears trading one of Williams’ weapons away? The Bears benefited from an easy schedule last year. The team has plenty of needs on the roster. Especially on the defensive side. By trading Moore, the Bears salary cap loosens up. The Bears also released one of their stud linebackers in Tremaine Edmunds which will free up another 15 million dollars for the Bears. The Bears center, Drew Dalman, suddenly retired at the age of 27 after signing a 3 year deal to come to Chicago after playing for the Falcons. The Bears will need to address the center position. The Bears number 1 receiver is Rome Odunze. The Bears like how their other young receivers have blossomed in the NFL already with Jahdae Walker and Luther Burden III. The Bears could be shedding money off the books and collecting draft capital to pull off a big deal in the works. After making the playoffs, the Bears will differently get a tougher schedule this upcoming season. The Bears could use this available money and draft capital to plug in all the holes they have on this roster. To avoid looking like a pretender this upcoming season.

For the Bills it was another loss in heartbreaking fashion in post-season. This time it was not the Chiefs. It was the Broncos in OT in the AFC divisional round.

If Brandon Cooks comes down with this ball in OT vs the Broncos, Bills would have went to New England to play in the AFC Championship game. After that loss, the Bills owner axed their head coach in Sean McDermott. The new hire was in-house for the Bills in Joe Brady, the offensive coordinator. The Bills offense was still one of the tops in the NFL even with one of the worst receiving cores in the league. The Bills were riddled with injuries at that position. The team has counted on Keon Coleman, a 22 year old receiver, who completed his second season in the NFL from Florida State University, who the Bills selected in round two. He regressed in year 2. The Bills General Manager has tried to put a band aid on the position by gambling on average veterans which has not worked. The Bills had one legit receiver on their roster in Khalil Shakir. He thrives playing in the slot. The Bills had him doing a little bit of everything. Landing DJ Moore can put Shakir back in his comfort zone. Moore is yet another Carolina Panther connection as the Bills have feasted on that franchise’s coaches and players for several years now. Yes, Brady has worked with Moore back in their Carolina days.

The Bills are so desperate for a number one receiver you would have thought they could get Moore at a cheaper rate than giving up a 2nd round draft pick. Moore is coming off his lowest production season of his NFL career. He is 28 years of age and now will cost the Bills 24.5 million on the salary cap. Which the Bills are not in good shape with the salary cap. The Bills have plenty of their own free agents which they would like to bring a few of those guys back. If this deal works out, Moore is under contract through the 2029 season. I still would like the Bills to add another solid playmaker to the mix to go along with Moore and Shakir. I’d like to see the Bills bring back their two offensive linemen who will be testing the free agent market in center Connor McGovern and guard David Edwards. The Bills offensive line the last few years have been a staple of this team. The protection of Josh Allen is the most important thing. Plus, the line created holes for James Cook who won the league’s rushing title last year. The Bills GM, Brandon Beane, will have his work cut out for him this off-season, especially after this move by acquiring Moore from the Bears. The Bills still need defensive reinforcements for a new scheme they are putting down this upcoming season. Adding Moore will create more explosive plays the Bills lacked last season. Ben Johnson’s offense is run heavy at times with the two headed monster they have had at the running back position. The Bears have plenty of weapons all over the field which could have resulted in a down year for Moore stats-wise. In Buffalo it could be a total different story for Moore because right now he is the best receiver the team has. The Bills still have plenty of weapons with their tight ends and running backs. With Moore, defensive teams have to know where he is at all times. His addition gives Khalil Shakir less attention which could pay off in many ways. Joe Brady, like a Johnson in Chicago, has clever ways in the offensive scheme to use all his weapons. Right now I hate this move only for the money it will cost the Bills. This move is good for the Bears. I need to see another solid receiver option for the Bills this off-season while making sure that O-line does not suffer because of adding a high price receiver. This is a trade that could work out for both the Bears and Bills.

HOUSTON KNOWS THEY HAVE A PROBLEM ON OFFENSE

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The Houston Texans last season had one of the best defensive units in the entire NFL. The Texans dug themselves out of a gigantic hole in the first half of the season going 2-5 in the standings. Not until they leaned on that ferocious defense. The Texans won 9 straight games, finished 11-5, and clinched the top wild card spot in the AFC conference. The Texans went into Pittsburgh and gave the Steelers a beatdown in the wild card round of the post-season. Then in the divisional round, the Texans defense could not overcome the mistakes the offense made in New England. CJ Stroud has regressed since his rookie season as he threw 5 interceptions in New England as the Texans were eliminated from the post-season. If Stroud avoided three of those interceptions, maybe the Texans defense could have saved the day once again. The Texans could have certainly won the AFC Championship game by beating the Broncos without their starting quarterback Bo Nix if they got past the Patriots. One of the first moves made by the Texans this off-season was adding a solid running back as they acquired 28 year David Montgomery from the Detroit Lions.

One of the quarterback’s best friends besides the offensive linemen who protects them is a solid running back. The Texans averaged 108 yards per game last year which is good for number 22 in the entire NFL rankings from the 2025 season. The Texans ran the ball by committee with two backs last year. Houston used veteran running back Nick Chubb, who the Texans signed in the off-season. Chubb had some great years with the Browns but with a season ending injury in 2024, Cleveland elected not to re-sign him. Chubb averaged 4.1 yards per carry last year in his first and probably only year in Houston. The Texans relied more on their rookie running back Woody Marks down the stretch to give Houston more of a balanced offense. Marks only averaged 3.6 yards per carry. The Texans still have Joe Mixon, the former Bengal, on their team but he missed the entire season with a foot injury. The Lions are breaking up their two headed monster they had going on the last few seasons with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. He who certainly is climbing the charts as being one of the best running backs in the NFL. In return the Texans send the Lions two draft picks and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs. Those draft picks are a 4th round selection in this April’s draft and a 7th round pick in 2027. The Lions did not make it to post-season last year. Montgomery was not happy last season with a reduced role. He played all 17 games but had the lowest amount of carries in one season of his entire career.

David Montgomery was originally selected by the Chicago Bears in the 2019 NFL draft in the 3rd round from Iowa State University. Montgomery would play four seasons in Chicago as the number 1 back on bad teams. In 2023 as a free agent, he would sign with one of the Bears arch-rivals in the NFC North, the Lions. In three seasons with the Lions, Montgomery had scored 33 touchdowns and tallied up 2.506 rushing yards. The Lions were in the post-season in back-to-back years. People would look at you funny if you told them the Lions would be in post-season in back-to-back years. Lions football has been dead in Detroit for decades before those two seasons in ’23 & ’24. Montgomery was one of the cogs that worked well in Ben Johnson’s offense as the Lions have been one of the high scoring teams over the last few seasons. Johnson left Detroit after Montgomery’s second season to take over the head coaching duties for the Bears. Last season Montgomery did average 4.5 yards per carry as he rushed for 716 yards and found the end zone 8 times. He shared the load with Jahmyr Gibbs. Gibbs got more carries. The Lions have all kinds of weapons in the passing game as well. Gibbs can also be used in the passing game. Montgomery is great at running up the middle as he can break many tackles. Great back for goal line situations as well because he can get the tough yards while getting the ball over the goal line.

Running backs are a dime a dozen these days in the NFL. The Lions have been pretty good at finding solid offensive linemen. The Lions missing the post-season is forcing them back to the drawing board. They are retooling. Juice Scruggs is a 26 year old offensive lineman who was drafted in 2023. He has three seasons in the NFL all with the Texans as a back up along with being a rotational piece on the interior part of the O-line. He is a massive 300 pound man that stands at 6’3″. The Lions get rid of David Montgomery’s salary while also adding some draft capital. The Lions could find another back to play Montgomery’s part next season. The Lions also could just make Jahmyr Gibbs their featured back and only give carries to a back up running back when he needs some rest. The Lions created some cap space for other needs on their roster with this move.

The Texans will most likely release Joe Mixon who can be a solid back but can be a headcase at the same time. Mixon is a back that can run the ball and make catches out of the back field for your team. Teaming Mixon up with Montgomery you have two sets of backs with two different sets of skill sets. Which could be a good thing and a bad thing.You have to think why the Texans made this trade. They are making Montgomery the number 1 back which will not go well for Mixon being that head case that would cause a rift in the locker room. How is Mixon’s foot that sidelined him a entire season? The Texans have upgraded their back field with this trade. Woody Marks can still get the ball and build off his rookie campaign. Montgomery can work well with others but he just needs to run the rock more to satisfy his needs. A solid running game can take the pressure of CJ Stroud. The Texans had some problems with their offensive line last year. Part of the setback was the O-line in the beginning of the season. If you are trading away guys, you have to be thinking of replacements this off-season. They have to be better replacements than the guys you are getting rid of. Montgomery will need guys ahead of him plowing him some openings. The Texans need better pass protection as well. If Houston has a solid running game, it opens up the play action pass. If the running game is solid it will help their stellar defense get more rest in the game. With a a rested defense they could be even more of a deadly unit. It seems like the Texans are taking a page out of the Seahawks playbook. Solid defense. Great running game. All’s Stroud has to do is play up to the level of a Sam Darnold who is not in the top 10 quarterbacks in the entire NFL. Darnold did not hurt his team in the post-season like Stroud did. If Stroud is still the number 1 guy in Houston which I think he is, he will have to take better care of the football. The Texans back up QB Davis Mills went 3-0 filling in for the injured Stroud. In those three wins he took care of the football.

NEW CHICAGO

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The state of Indiana wants the Chicago Bears. The Bears have tried several times with the state of Illinois and city of Chicago to come up with a plan to build a new stadium for the Monsters of the Midway. The Bears have even purchased 326 acres in Arlington Heights, a suburb that is located northwest of downtown Chicago. The land was once the Arlington Park Race Track. Which was probably the best horse racing venue in the state of Illinois for many decades. The Bears want to invest 2 billion into a new stadium. The Bears are looking for the state of Illinois to provide public funding for the infrastructure around the new stadium like roads, sewers, and railroad adjustments. The amount the franchise is seeking is 850 million clams. The state of Illinois has been unable to balance the books in some time. The state of Indiana has a sweet deal for the Bears right across the Illinois/Indiana border. The state of Illinois has been dragging their feet on the Bears stadium search for years with multiple site ideas. While the state of Indiana has been getting things done to make this happen. Maybe the state of Illinois should let this happen. It may be cheaper for them to invade Northwest Indiana and take the property from them. Kind of like a plot used in the movie Canadian Bacon. Like New Mexico. We can call it New Chicago.

The Chicago Bears President of Operations Kevin Warren has been dealing with the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago for a new stadium for a few years. The Bears thought Arlington Heights would have been a done deal by now. That has been up and down. The Bears have checked out land by Soldier Field by the lake in the downtown area of Chicago. Kevin Warren has checked out areas in the southern burbs of Illinois. Many think Warren and the Bears are using Indiana as a bluff move but since the president checked out sites in the state of Indiana, things started jumping in Hoosier-land. The lawmakers in the state house approved the amendment to the Indiana State Bill 27. The vote was 24-0 which would give the Bears a clear path to build a stadium in Hammond, Indiana. This bill creates the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority the power to issue bonds. The bonds would be used to acquire land along with finance construction for the stadium. The governor of Indiana Mike Braun says his state is open for business. The stadium would be located by Wolf Lake which is at the border of Illinois and Indiana along interstate 90.

The state of Illinois still has a chance to keep the Bears as this is not a done deal. Now the pressure is on Jelly Belly Illinois governor J.B Pritzker. The Illinois governor looks like he did a complete belly flop in the pool and is treading water as the Bears going to Indiana is not quite a bluff anymore. Pritzker’s family pockets are lined with big business. The governor of Illinois some day wants to make a presidential run for the country when he can’t even keep his state from losing the biggest team in Chicago, Da Bears. The Bears stadium would be a gold mine for the state of Illinois in the long term of things. The city of Chicago will lose no matter what because the options for moving out of the city are more attractive then trying to squeeze something in a downtown area that has been mostly a ghost town since Covid. The Bears are looking for a dome. They are looking to build around the dome. Around the new stadium in Arlington Heights, there will be plenty of business opportunities for hotels and restaurants. They could have a great atmosphere around the new stadium with plenty of room to add a casino. Being a domed stadium could attract the Final Four, the Superbowl, and other big events in sports or other stuff. Being a dome in the off-season they could host all kinds of concerts and other performances in this state of the art new venue. It’s 326 acres of land as the Bears could move their headquarters from Lake Forest to Arlington Heights. The 850 million the state will get back from tax money means they would profit off it for years to come. I think if the Bears move to Indiana ,ole Jelly Belly could kiss his dream of being president good bye. Like he would have a chance even if the Bears stayed in town.

The state of Indiana would house two NFL teams if they get the Bears. How would that work? The Bears moving to Northwest Indiana will not effect the Indianapolis Colts fan base. Indianapolis is hours away from the state line of Illinois and Indiana. Northwest Indiana is mostly made up of Chicago people. The area gets Chicago radio and television, not Indianapolis air waves. From downtown Chicago where Solider field is located, it is only 25 minutes to the state line. I do not speak for everybody but if the Bears do decide to move to Indiana it would be closer to my house and by far the easiest location to get to. Easier than trying to work your way downtown to see the Bears on a game day even though most of them fall on Sundays. Arlington Heights would be a haul from my house. Arlington Heights you would not have to maneuver into the city and have parking issues. The Bears would still be called Chicago if they moved to Arlington or Indiana. Many teams in the NFL right now do not play in the major city where they are from. Both New York teams, the Jets and Giants, play all their home games in New Jersey. Many teams like the Bills, Patriots, and 49ers play their home games in the burbs from the big city where they are from. The Chiefs may move out of Kansas City, Missouri to the state of Kansas for their new stadium. This Bears move is not something new. Soldier field is a dump. The city of Chicago renovated Soldier Field in 2002 and was completed in 2003. It looks like they put a spaceship on the old pillars of the stadium. It’s still a dump with bathroom issues and holds the smallest crowd in the NFL. The skinny on this is if the Bears move to Indiana, it’s not the end of the world. The state of Illinois will lose out on tax money. The Illinois politicians will look like dumbasses. Nothing has changed there. If the residents of Illinois still feel bad about the move to Indiana, then why not just take Northwest Indiana from them. Call it a blundering idea out of Donald Trump’s handbook. We could leave downtown Chicago to the homeless people who have slowly invaded the areas since the pandemic. Call that the New Hammond. While we call the old Hammond by Wolf Lake the new Chicago. Which Gary, Indiana has a pretty new casino called the Hard Rock. We will name Gary Larry a new suburb of New Chicago. GO BEARS!!!