When it comes to the return of a Chicago sports legend with another team, it can be gut wrenching. It happens everywhere in sports throughout the globe because very few players stay with the one team their entire career. Michael Jordan wearing a Washington Wizards costume at the end. Frank Thomas wearing gold and green of the Oakland Athletics while hitting that home run in his return home to White Sox park. On Sunday, Patrick Kane, wearing the Detroit Red Wings sweater, returned to the United Center to play his former team, the Blackhawks. The crowd gave him a standing ovation after a video tribute by the Blackhawks during the first time out of the game. Kane was like a rock star as he did three encores to the center of the ice waving at the old home faithful. At the end, it was Kane that put the Blackhawks on ice with the game winner in over time.

Patrick Kane scored the over time goal in game six of the 2010 Stanley Cup finals versus the Philadelphia Flyers that ended a 49 year drought for the Chicago Blackhawks. The puck found its way past goalie Michael Leighton of the Flyers and Kane knew it was a goal while everyone else in the rink and watching it on television was not sure what had happened. Then Kane, nicknamed “Show Time” starts celebrating and it was confirmed Blackhawks won it all. Kane was drafted number one overall in the 2007 NHL draft and was a key player that helped bring the Blackhawks franchise out of the dark ages. Kane would play 16 seasons in Chicago and help them win three cups. The 4X all-star scored 446 regular season goals while dishing out 779 assists for a total 1,225 points in 1,161 games. He was traded to the New York Rangers last season at the deadline as the Blackhawks went into a rebuild. He left Chicago number two all-time in points, number three all-time in goals, and 2nd in assists all-time. Kane then became a free agent, had hip resurfacing surgery in the off-season, and then signed with the Red Wings in November. This to team up with his former Blackhawks teammate, Alex DeBrincat.

On the night the Chicago Blackhawks welcomed back Patrick Kane for the first time since he was traded away, it wasn’t the only thing happening. The Blackhawks were honoring one of their 1990’s star defensemen, Chris Chelios. Chelios was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013. On this night, the team was raising number 7, Chelios’ jersey, into the rafters of the United Center. No player will be able to wear number 7 as it’s forever retired by the Blackhawks organization. Chelios grew up in Chicago and knows Patrick Kane was born in Buffalo, New York. Chelios in the ceremony as the Red Wings players watched everything unfold, said to Kane that he will go down as the best American-born player of all-time. Besides playing professional hockey for the Blackhawks and being born in the same state, they both have another thing in common. They both have played for the Red Wings. The hated rival. Cheli chimed in on that as well.

“That jersey looks kind of funny Kaner, but it’ll grow on you and don’t worry, it’ll work out.In the end. You’ll be standing here same as me.”

Patrick Kane at 35 years old will have his jersey retired by the Blackhawks some day as number 88 will hang high at the United Center. Kane has accomplished more than Chelios wearing the Indian sweater as he won three cups in Chicago. Chelios won his elsewhere. We know a few Blackhawks like Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews out of the game at this time will get their honors sooner than number 88. Kane’s break away goal in overtime last night was his 12th of the year for the Red Wings. Kane was ecstatic yelling “Show Time” with his arms in the air as the home crowd on this night were cheering for the enemy in the Red Wings jersey.

We Blackhawks fans saw those16 years which went by like a summer breeze. The Red Wings are a young team and right now in the thick of things as they trying to hold on to a wild card spot to make it to post-season. Remember Marian Hossa being that savvy veteran player helping the young Blackhawks of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The Red Wings are playing well and some teams will not want to face this team especially with Kane finding his groove back. He has 12 goals & 16 assists for 28 points as he only played in 27 games so far. He’s averaging a point a game for Detroit. The Blackhawks do not face their old rival that many times like these two teams used to be in the same division and square off about a dozen times each season. We don’t know how many times we’ll see Kane back at the UC since you play some teams only twice a season. We don’t know where he will be playing next year. My guess is still with this Red Wings team. It’s a shame the Blackhawks could not build around Kane. The team has a new Kaner, the exciting Connor Bedard, as the torch has officially been passed. Hopefully the organization can learn from this, keep a solid core around Bedard for years to come, and not have to drive down these tough reunion roads that are hard to swallow. Some players should not have to wear the Red Wings duds or the Wizards costume. Chicago legends just don’t look good dressing in the enemy colors with another city’s logo pasted on front. It is sports and this is the nature of the beast at times. For one more night, it was magical with Patrick Kane stealing the show & going out with a bang in this first reunion in Chicago. Let’s make his next reunion night his Indian sweater going up in the United Center rafters, so we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Reunions most of the time are for suckers.

What is the best recipe to beat Patrick Mahomes? On Christmas Day, the Raiders executed a plan that made Mahomes practically human. The Raiders and Chiefs met on Christmas Day and it was the Vegas defense that sacked Mahomes 4 times and landed 10 QB hits on the three time Superbowl Champion. The plan was hatched at the time by the Interim Head Coach of the Raiders, Antonio Pierce. Perhaps this plan cemented his status of landing the full time gig for years to come as Head Coach of the Raiders. The Raiders would win the game. The Raiders defense even scored two touchdowns in that Christmas Day game to add salt to the wounds of the bag of coal in all the Chiefs’ stockings. So how did Pierce do it?

The first thing was to bore the hatred of the color red in all of the Raiders’ brain cells. The Chiefs color. Antonio Pierce used the Detroit Pistons Bad Boys teams of the 1980’s to mold the minds of his defense. The present day of the NFL, Patrick Mahomes has his own set of rules while the rest of the NFL follow another set. On the hardwood floor of the NBA, Michael Jordan had his own set of rules and the rest of the league had their own. Before Jordan won a six pack of championship rings, the Pistons were a thorn in his side back then preventing Airness from taking off temporary. It was no lie back then that the Bulls could not get past the Pistons. Back then, the NBA played a physical game unlike now how the defense can’t touch the offense or even breathe around the shooters. The Bad Boys Pistons that featured the likes of Dennis Rodman, Joe Dumars, John Salley, Rick Mahorn, Isiah Thomas, and the hated Bill Laimbeer. They made Jordan think about every time he took the ball down the hole of the hardwood court in those playoff series.

The Bad Boys mugged Michael Jordan, hitting him hard every time he drove to the basket. Hard fouls consisted of elbows to the ribs. Whacked in the face. Maybe a few rabbit punches to the kidneys. It wouldn’t surprise me if Laimbeer whacked the Bulls superstar right in the nuts. The Raiders were watching the old basketball highlights of the old days on the hardwood to insert the punishment they needed to dish out against the new public enemy number 1, Patrick Mahomes, since Tom Brady retired

Have you ever seen the movies called The Dirty Dozen? The plot of these movies was set around World War II as they made two Dirty Dozen flicks. The Americans and the Allied forces needed certain missions completed. Missions that these 12 expendables would complete to get their freedom or die trying to be free. These 12 men were incarcerated by the military for crimes they committed while serving their country. I have constructed my list of my dirty dozen to complete its mission in stopping Patrick Mahomes and driving Travis Kelce into the ground. Kelce and his girl, Taylor Swift, have grown even more annoying each game. If that is possible. Since football has only 11 players on each side of the ball, I call it my Dirty 11 rag tag bunch. These are all guys in the AFC because Mahomes has done it to his own conference over and over as these guys lived the pain. The heart break of defeat by number 15. Some of these guys had some success versus Mahomes in past games. I put them all together to create my Dirty 11 defense to end Mahomes’ dynasty for good. I start off in the secondary.

THE SECONDARY:

I have two corner backs, one on each side of the field. I hate Jalen Ramsey. I’ve read that Patrick Mahomes hates facing Ramsey, who last year was playing for the Dolphins. Ramsey also has played for the Jaguars. Sometimes you need to make friends with an enemy to meet a common goal of stopping Patrick Mahomes.

Sauce Gardner of the Jets is one of the best defensive backs in the league. First of all, a guy with the first name Sauce has to be hot sauce to the opponents. In two seasons, Sauce is already a premiere shut down corner back in the NFL. Let’s take away Mahomes’ best weapon with his coverage.

Derwin James Jr. and Justin Simmons have lived in the same division as Patrick Mahomes for years. Both safeties. Simmons suits up for the Broncos and has the most interceptions all-time against Mahomes with 5. Then Derwin James Jr. can cover Travis Kelce if needed. He once stopped Kelce short of the goal line when the Chargers and Chiefs squared off in a week 3 match up in 2021. He made a hell of a stick on number 87. He’s built like a linebacker with the speed of a defensive back.

MY LINEBACKERS

I like my line backers being three guys that are bone crushers. I can hear them cracking the Mahomes wish bone & snapping him like a twig. Lets start with Roquan Smith of the Ravens, a guy that played like an animal in the second half of the AFC Championship between the Chiefs and Ravens weeks ago. Smith is a tackling machine. He is a guy you can use in coverage and can blitz with the best of them. He will eventually track you down even if you are across the field. Smith gets his man. He’s good at stopping the run. That AFC Championship he was amped up at a higher level if the Ravens offense could have scored more than 17 points. The Baltimore Ravens could have easily won that game as they pitched a shut out in the entire second half.

I have my second New York Jets player on this defense because of the energy Quincy Williams brings to the table. He had 95 solo tackles this past season. Williams has played 5 seasons in the NFL as he started his career as a Jaguar his first two seasons. When he arrived in New York, he has been a valuable line backer for gang green making their unit one of the best in the NFL.

Matt Milano is a play maker at the line backer position. The Bills missed his play in the playoffs versus the Chiefs in the divisional round. Milano only played 5 games last season due to a season ending injury in the London game. Could Milano have made a difference in a one score game? In seven seasons, he has 10 interceptions. He is good in coverage. He can be effective on the blitz as another guy who can stop players in their tracks with good tackling skills.

MY DEFENSIVE LINE

Cameron Heyward from the Pittsburgh Steelers is the beast in the middle of this defensive line. The son of former Saints running back Iron Head Craig Heyward, my favorite New Orleans Saints player of all-time.

Cameron is my guy to get pressure up the middle on Patrick Mahomes and company. He’s a guy that will clog up the middle and stop the run.

I selected Denico Autry, normally an edge rusher, who last year played for the Titans. Autry is a former Colt and Raider. He had 11.5 sacks last year as a Titan. I want him next to Heyward in the middle of this Dirty 11 defense. He can dabble on the edge as well because of his history. He has 59 career sacks and has multiple sacks on Mahomes. He’s on my team, most definitely.

LIVING ON THE EDGE

These two cats are my two most important pieces of my defense. I would love to see Maxx Crosby and Trey Hendrickson just put the Malachi crunch on the Chiefs quarterback.

Trey Hendrickson had 17.5 sacks last season with 3 forced fumbles. In seven seasons, he has tallied 59.5 sacks. Hendrickson and Denico Autry have sacked Mahomes more than once. Hendrickson has been on the Bengals and they have given the Chiefs losses. They have also beaten Mahomes and company in the post-season.

The player that Patrick Mahomes hates playing against the most is Mad Maxx Crosby. Crosby has gotten to Mahomes the most out of any other player in the NFL in sacks. Crosby had 14.5 sacks last season. He has tallied 52 sacks in 5 seasons all with the Raiders.

Maxx Crosby is Archer Maggott played by Telly Savalas in the original Dirty Dozen movie. Sometimes you need crazy to complete the mission in hopes of ending the Chiefs dynasty. Now if only a team could make all the deals to get these guys on the same defensive unit to play Patrick Mahomes and company. The Dirty 11 would get the job done. In the second mission and next on the list, is that weasel Jake from State farm. The award is all the Nuggies you can eat. Freedom or Nuggies? Your choice.

At the age of 52 years, after 24 seasons in the NHL, Jaromir Jagr is still playing professional ice hockey. Jagr wore 9 different sweaters in his 24 year NHL career that ended in the 2017-’18 season skating for the Calgary Flames. The Hall of Fame of many of these professional sports leagues come calling after 5 years of retirement. Jagr ranks 4th all-time in goals scored in the NHL, making him a sure first ballot to the Hall of Fame. The word retire is not in Jagr’s dictionary as he continues to play the game and professionally for his hometown team in the Czech Republic in the ELH Czech Extraliga. Jagr is averaging 15 minutes per contest in the ELH as he provides veteran leadership and is the owner of the Rytiri Kladno which is the team he rooted for growing up in the Czech Republic. Even being the owner he still has that wicked slap shot. He’s still putting the biscuit in the basket. Finally one of his former teams in the NHL will be retiring his number 68 jersey this weekend in Pittsburgh, where he played with the Penguins 11 seasons.

In 24 seasons in the NHL, Jaromir racked up 766 goals playing in 1,733 games. He dished out 1,155 assists which gives him the grand total of 1,921 points in his NHL career. He is an 8x all-star. He helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win back to back cups in 1991 and ’92. In 24 seasons in the NHL, his team made the playoffs 18 of those seasons. He played in 208 additional playoff games in the NHL where he scored 78 more goals & dished out another 123 assists to rack up 201 points. He suited up for the Penguins, Rangers (4 seasons), Capitals (3 seasons), Panthers (3 seasons), Devils (2 seasons), and then one season each for the Flyers, Bruins, Stars, and the Flames. The hockey legends ahead of him in goals features Wayne Gretzky number 1 with (894), Alex Ovechkin number 2 (836), Gordie Howe number 3 (801), and then Jagr 4th with (766). Jagr could have added more to his total as he left the NHL in 2008 and played in the KHL Kontinental Hockey League for three seasons.

The KHL is the Soviet Union Hockey league in which Jaromir Jagr played for Avangard Omsk. He scored 66 regular season goals, dishing out 79 assists in three seasons. He scored 7 goals with 13 assists in the playoffs. In 2011, Jagr came back to the states, played for the Philadelphia Flyers, and would play until 2018 in the NHL with multiple teams. After the NHL, he has played in the ELH where he scored his 1,100th professional goal last February. Jagr has played 37 professional seasons on the ice which is by far the most in the history of the game. He has played in over 2,000 games. He is the most productive European player to lace up the skates. I should mention that he played for his own country’s National teams as well. In 2017, he was named to the list of 100 greatest NHL players of all-time. At the age of 45, he became the oldest player in the history of the NHL to get a hat trick in a game.

I remember the 1992 finals when the Blackhawks faced the Pittsburgh Penguins for the entire enchilada. The Blackhawks had won 11 straight games as they made it to the finals for the first time since 1973. It was the first time in my life & I was only in high school at the time seeing my home team Blackhawks make it this far. The guys wearing the Indian head sweaters that year meant the roster was stacked. We had Michael Goulet who was a veteran savvy player who had been one top players in the games for years. We scored goals with a young Jeremy Roenick. We had Steve Larmer. The captain, Dirk Graham. Our enforcer, Stu Grimson, a guy I wouldn’t want to meet in dark alley being on his list. The Blackhawks had a stud goalie in Eddie Belfour. In game one of the series versus Pittsburgh, the Blackhawks led 4-1 only to see it disappear. Jaromir Jagr then put on a clinic and made the Blackhawks look like a minor league team. Obviously with the help of the great Mario Lemieux, the Penguins erased that lead in game 1. Pittsburgh won that game and ended up sweeping the Blackhawks in the series. The Blackhawks would never get back to the finals with that loaded team and have to wait until Patrick Kane came into the league to get back to that moment.

The Pittsburgh Penguins only have retired two jerseys in franchise history. The Great Mario Lemieux’s number 66 hangs from the rafters. Lemieux played 17 seasons in the NHL all with Pittsburgh as he scored 690 goals. Then the Penguins retired number 21, that of Michel Briere, a young promising hockey star who’s life was way too short. Briere would die from suffering a head injury from a car accident in the 1970’s. He was only 21 years old when he passed. Jaromir Jagr played 806 games for the Penguins and scored 439 goals while dishing out 640 assists. It was only a matter of time when the Penguins would get around to retiring number 68. The Penguins did trade Jagr to the Washington Capitals as the organization had financial problems at the time. It was July 2001. Some Penguin fans booed Jagr when he returned to Pittsburgh wearing the enemy’s colors. It took some convincing to get Jagr back to Steel Town to show him the love when he was just a young pup from over the pond playing a game he was born to play. The longevity of his career is amazing because of how you can last playing a physical sport that long. Kazuyoshi Miura is 55 years old and a Japanese soccer star who is still playing in Portugal. Jagr was a guy who after a game or practice would stay on the ice and shoot another 100 or 200 pucks. In the NFL, seeing Tom Brady play deep into his 40’s was amazing. Nobody really likes Brady as much as we like Jagr. You wonder how close he would have gotten to Wayne Gretzky’s goals record if he stayed the NHL course. You can’t fault a guy trying different leagues as he was traded away from the team that drafted him. That’s the sports business in present days, that not many players play their entire career with one team. He circled the wagons and is playing with guys in his home town that are 30 years younger than him. Jagr is one year older than his head coach. The skating ability, the puck handling, and the shot he had meant Jagr was fun to watch. When he finally hangs up the skates for good, he will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Pittsburgh, in football, has their head coaches take on the job like the Pope for the Steelers. The way the Penguins retire jerseys, they don’t hand those honors just to anyone. Sid “the Kid” Crosby will be the next one after the Jagr ceremonies conclude. It is amazing he skated with Mario for 7 years, he wore 66, and Jagr wore 68. Usually most sports organizations have retired numbers between 1-10. Two numbers from the 60’s makes it interesting. The Energizer battery company should market around Jagr because we don’t know how long he will go.

Last year, AJ McCarron signed up to play in the XFL for two reasons. First, so his own kids can see him play football. The second reason was to work his way back into the NFL. McCarron found a second home with the St. Louis BattleHawks. McCarron’s played well on the field in the XFL & it earned him a job back in the NFL with the team that drafted him, the Cincinnati Bengals. McCarron signed with the Bengals in September of last year and stayed on the practice squad until the month of December as he was quarterback 3 behind Joe Burrow’s back up, Jake Browning. McCarron saw some action as he played in two games, threw 5 passes, & completed 4 of them for a whopping 19 yards. The XFL and the USFL merged into one league and St. Louis, whose fans have been starving for football, survived. McCarron has the itch once again and asked for his release from the Bengals. The Bengals granted his wish and McCarron will return to St. Louis to scratch his itch behind center for the BattleHawks of the UFL, the United Football League ,which they call it now.

Things were supposed to be different for AJ McCarron. He came from the football powerhouse, University of BAMA. The University of Alabama, the Crimson Tide, is where they manufacture NFL football players. Like Ford or GMC, they make their own sports car as the Tide made their own quarterbacks as well. McCarron helped Bama win two National College Football titles in back to back years of 2012 & ’13. He’s the school’s all-time leader in passing yards with 9,019. He is second all-time in touchdown passes with 77. The Bengals drafted him in the 5th round, 164th overall in the 2014 NFL draft. He came into the league as the back up to Andy Dalton. His stock rose as he started three games in 2015 filling in for the injured Dalton. He went 2-1 as a starter as he played in 7 games total. He completed 66.1% of his passes and had 6 touchdown passes with 2 interceptions. He would not make his next NFL start until 2019 with the Houston Texans. He got in some games, mopping up mostly. His career in the NFL, including last year, he went 2-2 as a starter as he played in 19 games. He completed 63.3% of his passes for 1,192 yards of which 854 of those came in 2015. He had 6 touchdown passes all in 2015 with 3 career interceptions. He played parts of 7 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Bengals, then Texans, and the Raiders. After that first season, he would never show those flashes of brilliance until the 2023 season in the XFL.

AJ McCarron started 9 games in St. Louis and went 7-2 as the starter. The BattleHawks missed the playoffs by an eyelash. During those 9 games, he completed 203 passes out of 295 attempts for 2,150 passing yards with 24 touchdown passes and threw six interceptions.

Those 24 touchdown passes broke Tommy Maddox’s record back in the original XFL in 2001 when he played for the LA Xtreme. By far, the St. Louis fans have the biggest following of any other city in all of these Spring leagues over the last few years. Since the Rams moved back to LA and left St. Louis, this city has been starving for football. They have showed up, supported the BattleHawks, and they love McCarron and this team. Before McCarron asked the Bengals for his release, he said he would only play in the UFL with the BattleHawks and Head Coach Anthony Becht. This is a marriage made in heaven with Becht, McCarron, and the city of St. Louis.

The merger of the XFL and the USFL has come down to 8 teams in the first season of the UFL. That left another 8 teams folding up shop at least for next season as each league last year fielded 8 teams each. That left many talented players available and being drafted by the 8 teams still standing. This new merger should create a league that will be very competitive with no doormats on the schedule. Coming into the league, AJ McCarron is by far the best quarterback, but he will have his work cut out for him as the opposing team’s defenses will be better. With the USFL being around for two full seasons and the XFL just having completed their first season, some teams will be playing together the last three seasons. With McCarron coming back to St. Louis with the same Head Coach and familiar with many of the guys from last year, it will help these teams stay competitive and even get better. It will avoid some of the sloppy games in the beginning of these seasons as teams take a few weeks just knock off the rust. McCarron last year double dipped from the XFL to the NFL, where it’s football all year around as this guy should be ready to go being one of the top guys in this league.

AJ McCarron may be using the UFL as his return to the NFL next season, to sharpen his skills with playing time. McCarron made more money in the NFL as a back up or 3rd string quarterback than what he will be getting in the XFL or this new league, the UFL. The first time he signed with the league, he wanted his kids to see him play. That might still be the case this go around. I think he wants to actually play football, start each game, and be the number one guy. He’s 33 years old and he was behind Jake Browning, a 27 year old. No way he will beat out Joe Burrow. His NFL dreams are reduced to being a back up & in his case he only became the 2nd guy with the injury to Burrow. McCarron can’t say he is in the top 30 quarterbacks in the NFL. The path to get playing time and be a starter is not easy in the NFL. Does the system of whatever team you sign with fit his skill set? McCarron could continue to double dip into both leagues. Right now he is not thinking of that. This is a guy that won College titles at a big time University. I bet he’d rather win on the UFL stage right now than hold the clip board in the NFL. He is risking his NFL future by playing in the UFL, if he gets hurt. I give him credit. Every athlete mentally should want to be out there playing on the grand stage. Some guys collect the money and ride the bench and look like thieves when their number is called. The USFL back in the 1980’s had young talent like Jim Kelley, Steve Young, and Doug Williams. The league back then also had journeymen who left the NFL to play football again. McCarron was fun to watch last year with the BattleHawks. This is that underdog style story which seems only set in St. Louis and the plot centers around quarterbacks. Remember the day Curt Warner left Arena football and bagging groceries for the NFL Rams back then when they were in St.Louis. McCarron too could leave his own legacy in St. Louey.

Steve “Mongo” McMichael played 15 seasons in the NFL as a defensive tackle. He played on the best defense ever assembled, the ’85 Bears, that won Superbowl XX. That 1985 Bears team has produced six and still counting members of the Football Hall of Fame. McMichael was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, which is terminal disease with no cure. In 2023, McMichael has been confined to his bed. The former Bear wants nothing to do with hospitals as he is being cared for in his home in Homer Glen, Illinois. He’s been hanging on for dear life as the pain is off the charts. He even had a few close calls from death knocking at the door. He’s been waiting for the verdict of the NFL Veterans committee, deciding his fate regarding being enshrined in football royalty, Canton, Ohio & the Football Hall of Fame. McMichael is just a shell of himself as he can’t speak as he’s on breathing & feeding tubes. He communicates with a computer’s robotic voice or blinking his eyes. His former Bears teammate, Richard Dent, who is one the six from that ’85 team in the Hall delivered the news on the phone. Face time. Told his longtime friend, “It’s your turn this time brother, it’s your turn.”

Now, Steve McMichael’s long football journey will conclude and he’ll be the in the 2024 class of the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

Right now Steve McMichael is 66 years old, born and and raised in the state of Texas. We know Texas loves their football as they sleep and eat the game. It did not take long for McMichael to showcase his talents on the field back in High School. He stayed in Texas and played for the Longhorns during college at the University of Texas. McMichael was a College All-American. He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the 3rd round of the NFL draft after a great career for the Longhorns. The book ends of his NFL game were the bread of the Bears sandwich during which he played one season in New England and in 1994 signed with the enemy, the Packers to conclude his professional career. The Bears had McMichael for 13 seasons. He played in 213 games in his career, 191 of which were consecutive games for the Bears at one point. He did not miss games. McMichael racked up 95 sacks, which is the 3rd most in NFL history as a defensive tackle. McMichael had 847 tackles, forced 13 fumbles, and had two interceptions. He was a 2x All-Pro. He made two Pro-Bowls. Before getting in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, McMichael has made every level of football royalty. He’s in the Texas Hall of Fame. He made the Longhorns Hall of Fame at the University of Texas. Then he was enshrined in the College Football Hall of fame. Now he has all of them.

Steve McMichael earned the nickname, Mongo, from the character on the movie, Blazing Saddles, the guy riding the bull. The ’85 Bears had all kinds of personalities that meshed perfectly for that one year. Mongo fit perfectly in this group full of superstars. On that stunning Bears defense already enshrined in the Hall of Fame before McMichael are edge rusher Richard Dent and fellow line mate Dan Hampton. Then one of the best linebackers in Bears history, Mike Singletary. You had Da Coach Iron Mike Ditka who led this ragtag bunch to the promised land. On offense the greatest running back in the NFL all-time, Sweetness Walter Payton. The Bears also had one of their offensive linemen make it to Canton in Big Jimbo Covert. Imagine all the other names left out of the conversation like Wilbur Marshall and Otis Wilson, two solid linebackers. Others on the offense line, Keith Van Horne and Jay Hillenburg, maybe the best center in Bears history. The Punky QB, Jim McMahon. The play maker speedster wide out, Willie Gault. This kind of group would divide locker rooms. Ditka did not get along with his defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan so in a way, the locker room was divided offense versus defense. This group lost only one game on Monday Night during that magical year versus the Dan Marino led Dolphins. The Bears players did the Superbowl Shuffle song before winning the big game that year down in New Orleans. Mongo McMichael did the dirty work in the trenches for this team. Lots of stuff that does not show up in the stat sheets. Kill the quarterback was obviously Mongo’s main goal on each play, but he did a great job freeing up the linebackers. Taking out the guy or guys across from him so they could fill the gap and make the tackle. He slapped that bull of an opponent like the strongman named Mongo in Blazing Saddles. They did win the big game at the end by destroying the Patriots back then. These guys are such a tight group most of them are still the toast of the town. Many still live in Chicago. When a brother’s down, they come by. They helped build ramps on their teammate’s house when they heard Mongo was diagnosed with ALS. You really don’t hear stories like that of championship teams still in touch with each other decades after winning the Superbowl. Most championship teams get together for the reunions every ten years. This team has bonds for life.

Everyone has their rock. Everyone has that soul mate, that friendship, that sees the worst and best in that person. Steve McMichael met his wife Misty in Austin, Texas at a bar called the Pearl Oyster bar. Yes, the American love story happening in a bar, saloon, or a pub. That is story of the ages and it is world wide ever since Jesus was playing pin ball at the local Mosses Stone Temple Wine Bar. McMichael was done on the gridiron when he met the girl of his dreams. Since being a multi sport athlete in High School, he had entered the ring as a WCW wrestler.

McMichael wrestled the great Reggie White. He wore his hair in a pony tail. He still wore the Chicago Bears stuff and his number 76 was embroidered on his shorts. Misty, his rock, had never seen his football days but definitely enjoyed the moments watching her husband perform in the ring. They had a wonderful daughter named Macy. Now McMichael’s rock is still by his side through this period when this disease eats away everything accept the brain. They had multiple scares when McMichael went into a coma for short time. They got through it. Now finally after dealing with all this and knowing he’s clinging on for dear life and his chances of getting into the Hall were also hanging by thread. Mike Ditka said he should have been in the Hall ten years ago. Every system has some flaws in voting for these major sports achievements. How many times did we see an athlete pass away & then suddenly they make it to the Hall. This story, even though it is very sad, has that gleaming streak of sunshine of a nice ending. This may not be the ending. The plan is to get Mongo to the ceremony in Canton, which would be something special and amazing at the same time. Like his favorite actor, John Wayne could be shot but still gets the bad guys.

If Steve McMichael was healthy getting the news, can you imagine the celebration he would be having. This is a guy bigger than life. He went rattlesnake hunting. He broke a bottle on his head. His description of his football savvy was entertaining when he was on a local show, Sports Sunday, during his playing days with the Bears. He would sometimes bring his little dog with him on the set. Him and the host Mark Giangreco would conclude my weekend on a high note going over what the Bears did, even if they won or lost the game. I met McMichael when his book was out & got an autograph as well. Unfortunately, that book got lost as my friend read it first. It was at a book signing at the local mall and it was exciting to see a legend up close like that. He seemed like a guy you can have some beers with. McMichael lived his life so far to the fullest, and it may take you or me another 200 years to get to his point of lifetime stories. It would suck not being able to really enjoy the whole experience like most of the players who wore the golden jackets at Canton. I hope he does make it to Canton to see his football legacy unfold in front of his eyes. Nobody deserves a disease like he has. In life, you have to enjoy the moment like he has and is still doing. Because it flashes by. Congratulations MONGO!! it’s about time those SOB’S down in Canton and those sports writers get off their arse, open their eyes, and check the right box. The vote for Steve McMichael should have been years ago, but we will all take it & enjoy this big day in sports.

Carl Weathers played a better sports character on the big screen in Hollywood, than on the grid iron as a football player. Weathers played that flashy, cocky, trash talking boxer in the Rocky Movies, Apollo Creed. Then he played a role in one of the funniest golf movies, Happy Gilmore, as Chubbs Peterson. Weathers always had passion for the theatre as he became a master thespian at San Diego State University where he earned a Masters. In life before we even find our true passion, many will dabble in other things like the gridiron. Weathers may have loved the game of football and he was probably pretty good at it playing for the Aztecs of SD State. He played linebacker, eventually turned professional and suited up for the silver and black in Oakland in the NFL.. Weathers passed away this week at the age of 76, peacefully in his sleep.

I did not even realize that Carl Weathers played professional football like some legends in the NFL have. Like Fred Dryer who was known as Hunter, an LAPD homicide detective on television, & then in another life time before acting he was chasing down quarterbacks for the Rams. Weathers played football at Long Beach State in California before transferring to San Diego State where he played linebacker for the Aztecs. In 1969 the Aztecs had a perfect season 11-0 and they won the Pasadena Bowl. In 1970, Weathers was undrafted in the NFL but signed with the Oakland Raiders where he played in seven games. That year the Raiders won the AFC West title. The Raiders made it to the AFC Championship only to get dropped by the Baltimore Colts. Weathers returned to the Raiders in 1971 and lasted one game while getting his walking papers. Weathers professional football career was not over as he signed on with the BC Lions of the CFL (Canadian Football League). Weathers’ football career was very short as he would only play 13 games for the Lions as he came away with a fumble recovery. He hung up the spikes & removed the shoulder pads. He then would use the degree he earned, a Masters of Theatre Arts, and never look back.

Carl Weathers’ first big role he earned in Hollywood was playing the boxer Apollo Creed. Not knowing Sylvester Stallone wrote Rocky and was playing the part of the main character, Weathers criticized his acting. Acting as if working with a professional actor instead of Stallone, then the scenes could go smoother. At the time, Stallone was not known and he was just at the beginning of stardom. Stallone hired Weathers to play the part of Apollo Creed and at the same time the honesty probably improved his own acting skills. Weathers would play Creed in the first 4 Rocky movies as he eventually gets killed in the ring in the 4th movie by Ivan Drago, the Russian boxer played by Dolph Lundren. By far all the Rocky movies Weathers was in, were the best of the entire series.

The Rocky movies, especially the original, may be the best underdog sports story film of all-time. Rocky was nobody as Apollo Creed was the heavy weight champion. Creed needed a fight to happen and liked the name Italian Stallion, a complete nobody to give them a chance at the belt. Rocky loses but goes the distance in a very close fight that is an all out battle of the ages in the ring. Then in Rocky Two, the rematch, the Italian Stallion beats Apollo Creed and becomes the heavy weight champion of the world. In Rocky III, which features Clubber Lang who is played by Mister T, Lang beats up on the Italian Stallion and takes the title away from Rock. Then Apollo Creed helps Rocky and trains him to beat Clubber Lang in the rematch.

During these Rocky movies, the sound tracks were always designed to make you feel like you could go 12 rounds. The Eye of the Tiger which Apollo used to motivate Rocky. The song Eye of the Tiger by Survivor in Rocky III made that movie even better. In Rocky IV, Apollo’s introduction when he comes into the ring to Living in America is played by James Brown. He was also in that movie.

Carl Weathers, being an athlete as he played professional football, was part of the reason for how he landed some jobs in Hollywood. He has the sports body to be Apollo Creed. Before Rocky, Weathers played in a football movie with Burt Reynolds called Semi Tough. Weathers played Dreamer Tatum. One of the greatest series of all time that Weathers was a part of, was Predator. The sports body molded to perfection didn’t hurt his chances working with Arnold Schwarzenegger who was a professional body builder before Hollywood came calling.

Let’s not forget the other guy in Predator, Jesse the Body Ventura, a former professional wrestler. Ventura and Schwarzenegger would also go on to be governors. Predator produced a great Hollywood film using X-athletes for their main parts.

One of the funniest characters Carl Weathers played was Chubbs Peterson in Happy Gilmore.

Chubbs was Happy Gilmore’s golf coach in the movie. His character being once a professional golfer, but he got his hand chomped off by a gator. One of the better Adam Sandler movies in my opinion, this one would leave you in stitches laughing so much. Carl Weathers came in late as the Chief of the Sparta Police Department in the Heat of the Night series with Carol O’Connor, whom many love his character in All in the Family as Archie Bunker. Weathers seemed to like the Sci Fi television series. He played parts in Colony and Alien Siege, which I never heard of until now & has a great sounding plot. Who can forget his part in Star Wars in the Mandalorian series as Greef Karga?

That is just some of Carl Weathers’ acting credits over his long career in Hollywood. He has many others I did not mention on plenty of shows and movies. He definitely impacted the sports world with his characters on the big screen. Not many can play college football. Not many can say they had a cup of coffee in the NFL. Obviously he did what he wanted and acting was it. Not many people can reach their dreams. Not many people could find something that makes them happy in life. Carl Weathers has done that for himself, family, and all his fans. I think 76 is far to young. His memories will go on for the next several generations because those characters never actually die, if you rewind. Rest in peace Combat Carl!!

Raise youR hand right now if you remember how much we hated the New England Patriots dynasty. How much Tom Brady and Bill Belichick rubbed you the wrong way. All the Superbowls they won together. The Patriots way of doing things. How the Patriots became the Evil Empire of the league with scandals such as deflate gate, and recording the opponent’s practices. How everything would go right for the Patriots. The Brady fumble in the 2002 playoff game versus the Raiders which turned out to be the deciding play of that game. The Patriots get their way as the ruling was that it was not a fumble, but a pass and became a new special rule called the tuck rule. AKA the Tom Brady rule. Raise your hands if you are sick of the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Andy Reid have won already two Superbowls and the arrogance they have has already built up. Don’t get me started on the State Farm commercials or Taylor Swift. Before the AFC Championship, Mahomes and Kelce had a squabble with the Ravens kicker for warming up before the game on their side of the field. Kelce acts like a thug and Mahomes is such a cry baby. The message they believe in is everyone is against us, so we’ll show you is the mentality. I wonder why?

Before the game between the Chiefs and the Ravens, video shows Patrick Mahomes throwing Baltimore’s Justin Tucker’s kicking tee as he was stretching on the field getting ready for the game. Travis Kelce on the video is seen throwing Tucker’s helmet and footballs out of the way. On his brother’s podcast Jason kelce Travis was bitching about Tucker breaking an “UNWRITTEN RULE”

“If you want to be a fucking dick about it, you keep your helmet, your football and your fucking kicking tee right where my quarterbacks are warming up… If you’re not going to pick that up, I’ll happily move that for you.”

The unwritten rule referred to by Kelce states that as both teams have a side of the field they can warm up on, Tucker was an intruder. Tucker as he saw his stuff being tossed, winked at Kelce. Travis said Tucker was trying to get under his skin. Then went on to say they were not in the mood to joke, meaning him and Mahomes. Tucker on Monday would say he never had a problem with anybody stretching on the field before the game. Dude sounds like a douche.

Patrick Mahomes would respond about his pregame routine that kickers have never been a problem except in Baltimore where this situation has occurred three times. The kickers and punters are on the field first, warming up as they use both sides of the field in their pregame warm ups. Kickers and punters want to judge the winds on game day as they will practice their craft on both sides of the field. Even after the game & even after winning the game, Travis Kelce said, “Don’t poke the Bear, Justin,” and went on to say he can one up the Ravens kicker being a bigger dick than he already is. Tucker with the wink at the time the Gooch took his lunch money, thought it was all good fun and gamesmanship.

You can tell during the game that the Ravens wanted to bully the Chiefs as they let their emotions get the better of them. I wonder why. Travis Kelce did his part as the instigator as he was in multiple skirmishes during this past Sunday’s championship game. Kyle Van Noy was caught retaliating against Kelce in a Dennis Rodman kind of move as Ravens were flagged for unnecessary roughness. Not too long after, the Ravens defensive line man was battling his guy as he clocked Patrick Mahomes right in the face mask escaping through the hole. He was called for roughing the passer. Teams like the Bills and Bengals have taken the Chiefs to the brink of elimination in the playoffs multiple times. Bengals have prevailed and failed.The Ravens find out you have to play a perfect game to beat them as they have only played the Chiefs in regular season. Playoffs they are a different animal. Teams like the Chargers, Broncos, and Raiders have to deal with Mahomes and Kelce twice a season. You know they are out for blood when they play them. You can tell teams are sick of the Chiefs and their Patriots way.

Most of the football world will probably be rooting for the 49ers against this Chiefs team. This is what it has come down to making me root for a West Coast team. Does Vegas have a parlay card on how many times the camera will be focused on Taylor Swift? Then I can bet on the coin toss and finish the bet off with the over and under of how many breaks does Patrick Mahomes get during a game. Maybe on the grand stage of the Superbowl, a Chiefs loss will give this organization a tailspin and bring them back to earth like the rest of the league. The Chiefs defense has been pretty solid most of this season. They usually show up like Nick Foles a few games at the end regular season and playoffs. Then the Chiefs always look bad for a few weeks during regular season and you think how can they get so deep into post season. They beat the Dolphins in Kansas City in sub zero conditions like fish playing out of water easy. Then a wide right field goal in Buffalo & they survive. Then they get shut out in the second half last Sunday and still win after scoring all 17 points in the first half. Then the great wide receiver Kadarius Toney who can’t catch a ball wearing stick em on his gloves. The guy who lined up off sides said he is not injured. He went on a rant saying the Chiefs put him on the injured list when he’s feeling fine. The Chiefs receiving core this year is pathetic. They still find a way. Is the walrus Andy Reid going to retire after the season concludes? Any hope of this dynasty starts to crumble before going on to be the Patriots of the Midwest. If we have to hear Kelce’s Wrestle Mania speech after the Superbowl like last year about how the doubters doubted them, my eyes are going to pop out of my head. The Eagles had these guys on the ropes last year and of course what happens the Chiefs win it. I know the Chiefs will be a thorn in the side for years to come, but let’s hope a Superbowl loss can slow their mojo down like in Rocky IV when the Italian Stallion got that punch that drew blood and the Russian Ivan Drago was done. That’s what we need. A punch that’s heard around the world to stop this coming of the Patriots way part two just with new set of villains wearing different uniforms.

When are certain players in the NFL going to learn from their own antics? I noticed two players, one from each match up on Sunday in the championship games, for whom their actions were more important then their own team. Not sure how long now that every time a player gets a first down in football, they have to point that out before the referee calls it while doing their own version of the signal. The celebrations in the end zone after scoring a touchdown or the defense getting a turnover are now choreographed by the offense or the defense. Does each team get time to work on these dances or theatrics in between game film and practice? Some could be improv. These things are part of the game now, compared to when I remember Walter Payton scoring a touchdown and handing the ball to the referee. He’s been there before, not his first or last rodeo. The actions of players that need attention need the spot light. Like we need football to turn into the WWF, a time to trash talk and taunt the other team as if, “Look at me, I made a play.” These taunts or trash talking can come back and burn their team. The game could suddenly change momentum and the taunter may end up with egg on his face. What about knowing the score of the game? Zay Flowers of the Ravens pushed his defender to the ground getting up & then spun the ball after a 54 yard catch. Seems to me the Ravens were losing at that point, 17-7, in the second half. Then the Lions defensive back, C.J Gardner-Johnson, was waving to the 49er fans in the second quarter with the Lions up 24-7. Someone should inform him they usually play another half as that lead we know, did not hold up.

Big Play Zay, a rookie wide receiver, led the Ravens in receiving yards in the AFC Championship. Zay Flowers could tell his kids or maybe his grandchildren how he came close to playing in a Superbowl. The Ravens defense gave up 17 points to the Kansas City Chiefs. All the points were scored in the first half. The Ravens only needed to score ten points to tie the game. When Flowers was tackled by L’Jarius Sneed at the ten yard line, the Ravens were in business. The call for taunting sent the Ravens back to the 25 yard line. Had to show up Sneed with spinning the ball because he made that catch. He did his job, so he needed that special attention. The Ravens got back in the red zone with another pass and completion to Flowers. Looked like the Ravens would be okay. Then another pass to Flowers, he caught the ball and tried to dive for pay dirt right in front of the goal line. At the same time, his buddy Sneed on Kansas City flipped the script and knocked the ball out of Flowers’ hands as he was close to getting the ball over the goal line. The ball was recovered by the Chiefs for a touch back in the end zone. How do you feel now, Big Play Zay? Instead of making the game either 17-10 or 17-14 and changing the momentum in favor of the Ravens, Flowers’ antics cost the team points. When you taunt someone they would surely like to repay you, and Sneed did it on the field. Then Flowers makes a total arse of himself as he already was a colossal ASS. Throws a tantrum on the side line, whacks his hand on the bench, & then suffered a boo boo on his hand.

C.J Gardner Johnson is one of those league leaders in trash talking. You can say sometimes his trash talk can get in the opponent’s head. Like how Dennis Rodman got into people’s heads on the hard wood in the NBA. Some players would lose focus on their own game and want to settle their personal vendetta and cost their own team just to satisfy their own lust for revenge. I saw this with the Bears receivers when Gardner Johnson was on the Saints. Bears players punched Gardner Johnson and were flagged for penalties. This go around besides trash talking with 49ers wide receiver, Deebo Samuels, calling him only a running back because he can’t run routes. The waving at the crowd was when Gardner Johnson thought the Lions had the game on ice and were headed to the Superbowl without playing the second half. Again antics, look at me kind of the deal. Easy bulletin board material for the other team. What happens next was the 49ers steamrolled the Lions in the second half. Which resulted in egg on Gardner-Johnson who some believe will be looking to play for another team as he seems a guy well traveled in the NFL. I wonder why? 

The Ravens and the Lions lost the championships for many reasons, not just because of the two that made themselves bigger than the team. Lamar Jackson was terrible. His bone headed turnovers, taking sacks, and dancing around instead of just taking off for the first down marker on a few plays did not help. The Lions gambling on 4th down instead of taking a chance to extend the lead with two field goal attempts. The Lions had some key dropped passes. If you want to beat teams like the Chiefs and 49ers who visit the Superbowls often, you need a perfect game. You can’t give them extra motivation in big games like that. Then Joe Burrow threw his two cents into the topic of taunting. Let’s remember Burrow and his trash talking Bengals have not won a Superbowl. The Bengals are trash on the field and in social media more than any other team in the league. They keep telling the world they are better then everyone. Burrow says taunting should not be called in professional football because it’s not a kids’ game. The word “professional,” Burrow may not quite know the meaning of it. When defensive end Maxx Crosby does his Hacksaw Jim Duggan taunting act and hits Burrow over the head with a 2×4 after sack and a dance, it’s just taunting & no big deal. That’s what we need… more delayed football for dancing. Maybe we should not even watch football and go with Dancing with the Stars as our next program. Celebrate after the game when the scoreboard is final. Have your cigars & say anything you feel like. Go on twitter and butcher up the English language with wrestling taunts. That damn spell check gets me every time.