Last season, the Buffalo Bills showed you they are a complete team. Definitely a team on the rise as they made it all the way to the AFC championship. It was a championship they could not get to with Patrick Mahomes, as the Chiefs picked the Bills defense apart that night. They were getting huge plays gashing the Bills defense as they sent the Bills home from the post-season. If the Bills did win versus the Chiefs that night and went to the Superbowl, would Buffalo be able to prevail over their arch-nemesis Tom Brady and his Buccaneers in a home game at their own park? The sting of those 4 Superbowl losses in a row still haunt the Bills faithful as a Brady-led team beating you on the biggest stage would be horrific. Circling the wagons and never coming back. Sure if the Bills beat the Chiefs and then sliced the head off Tom Brady in the Superbowl, folk songs would be sung in Western New York for decades. It would be the Marvel comic hero, the Punisher’s, story of the ultimate revenge. How do the Bills get their team that much better to get over the bumps in the road like the Chiefs. Plus, get stronger on both sides of the ball when it comes time for the beheading of Tom Brady. The Bills would get the job done right and bring number 12 to the town square and throw dildos at him. Then his lifeless body would be launched on the table slamming event at the grand tailgate extravaganza. General Manager Brandon Beane did not do anything circus-like in the draft that would splash in the headlines. The Bills GM enforced the lines of defense on both sides of the ball addressing the offensive and defensive lines.

Last season, the Buffalo Bills defense was not that same unit from 2019 where they swarmed after the guy with the ball. Out of the gates, the Bills defense stumbled while the offense picked up the slack of their play. The Bills were missing pieces, free agents they had to let go. The GM, Brandon Beane, wanted to build up the team’s offense, which he did. The Bills were one of the top-scoring teams in the league as Josh Allen behind center took a major step with his game. Bills lost a huge cog in the middle of the defensive line with Star Lotulelei opting out for Covid-19 reasons. Trent Murphy, who played well in 2019, had a down year like some guys they brought in as replacements. The Bills Defensive Coordinator, Leslie Frazier, and Head Coach, Sean McDermott, were able to steer the ship in the right direction. Their defense got healthy and played better from the midway point of the season and all the way through the playoffs except the game versus the Chiefs. The Bills’ first two picks they went for living on the edge rushers to have something wrong in the world today for the Patrick Mahomes types of the league.

I think of the show, Bounty Hunters, and for the Bills their first two picks are quarterback hunters. The 30th overall pick in the first round, the Bills take edge-rusher Gregory Rousseau out of Miami University in Florida. Rousseau opted out and decided not to play in 2020 due to the Coronavirus. In 2019, Rousseau chased down the opposing quarterback like a bounty hunter as he had 15.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and 19.5 tackles for losses. A great year… but is Rousseau a one year wonder? In 2018, he played in only two games as he suffered a serious ankle injury. You would think the ankle after two years, one year of playing and the other sitting out, that should not be a issue. In the second round, the Bills selected another edge rusher Carlos Basham Jr. out of Wake Forest University. He’s nicknamed Boogie.

Carlo’s Basham Jr. can demolish quarterbacks. I like this pick because he has played all 4 seasons at Wake Forest to improve his craft. Basham Jr. could have went into the NFL draft after his Junior season, but stayed. Basham Jr. was very impressive in the Senior Bowl that raised his stock. Basham Jr. has the size, the quickness, and athletic ability to cut the mustard in the NFL. Basham Jr. is guy who fought his way onto the field and when he finally made it, he got better and better. His big year was his junior year in 2019, as he racked up ten quarterback kills. Basham Jr. tallied up 19.5 sacks in his Wake Forest career with 35.5 tackles for loss. Will any of these guys be the next Bruce Smith? They have raw talent both of them. Plus being around guys like Ed Oliver, Jerry Hughes, and AJ Espenesa should help make these guys better.

Last season, I loved how the Buffalo Bills protected their guy Josh Allen. During the regular season game late in the year playing the 49ers in Arizona, how San Francisco could not touch Allen or even get near him. Resulted in Allen just picking apart the San Francisco defense. This year I’d love to see the offensive line get more push on the opposing defenses to open up bigger holes for the running game. One thing I believe is moving into the future you don’t want Josh Allen as your top rusher in some of these games. Sure I love how Allen can use his legs and is tough as nails plowing through people at times. In round three, “Spencer for Hire,” is an offensive tackle out of Northern Iowa, Spencer Brown. Brown is a massive specimen at 6’8″ 311 pounds. He’s a big boy and plays right tackle. Brown is a guy that had to work hard to get up to the level he did as he never had any big offers to play college football. Brown has an explosiveness off the ball and plays with anger-tude. In round 5, the Bills land another O-line man in Tommy Doyle. This time out of the other Miami, Miami pf Ohio. Doyle grew up on the Ice in Minnesota. Can ice skates help you play better football? Doyle can keep his footwork to keep the defender square up and away from the quarterback. Doyle may need some seasoning but could be a nice addition down the road with some good coaching. Then round seven got Jack Anderson out of Texas Tech. Another 300 pounder who could be a project, but a guy that shows up to work no matter what. Played through injuries and became a permanent fixture in the red Texas Tech uniform. Another guy with the right seasoning and coaching, who may be a nice piece down the road. I like the idea behind what Buffalo is doing, growing some of these young guys. The organization is getting them developed for the future to jump in when the veteran guys holding the line now are ready to hang up the spikes. Or just flat out can not do it any more as football is a grind on the body.

Buffalo added some more defense in later rounds. In the 6th round, they grabbed a safety out of the University of Pittsburgh, in Damar Hamlin. Then the guy with the best last name in the draft, a corner-back out of the University of Wisconsin, Rachard Wildgoose,.

Hope this guy sticks on the Bills roster just because of the cool last name. Bills have a great secondary now so if these guys soak in all the knowledge from veterans like Tre’Davious White and Jordan Poyer, maybe one or both of these guys could be a gem in the late rounds. Bills added a receiver out of Houston University in Marquez Stevenson, a speedster. Could be a nice specialist of the special teams or put him on the go route and watch Josh Allen hit him in stride with the bomb. Overall, the Bills did a nice job strengthening the trenches on both sides of the balls. Kill the quarterback “cough cough” Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Protect Josh Allen. Maybe the extras pan out as well. I have a feeling some of these guys can help you next season. This roster today I feel even better about than I felt before the draft. I think the Bills mafia will be just as excited when they are watching the contributions on the field live, especially with stadiums being able to have more fans in attendance next season.

When I heard the news that Aaron Rodgers wants out of Green Bay, it was pure delightful news. As a Bears fan, I’m used to getting steamrolled by Aaron Rodgers and the Packers every season, twice a year. Sure the Bears had some fluke wins over the Packers when Rodgers is behind center. Five fluke wins over Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers still has the upper hand beating the Bears 21 times, 22 if you count the NFC Championship. Before Aaron Rogers, dealing with all those years when the Packers dominated the Bears when Brett Favre ran the show. The same quarterback that was playing at a top level tier when the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers and eventually forced Favre out of Green Bay. Last season, the Packers used their number one pick on a quarterback and drafted Jordan Love out of Utah State. Aaron Rodgers’ response was to have a MVP regular season only to be knocked out of the playoffs by Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. Then the news came out on draft night that Aaron Rodgers wants out of Green Bay for good. Rodgers even has a list of teams he would love to play for. Rodgers wants the Packers to fire their General Manager Brian Gutekunst and then perhaps he would return. If Rodgers’ demands are not met, he’d rather retire than suit up as a cheese-head this coming season.

I love how suddenly the NFL quarterbacks in the league are trying to be like Lebron James and all these NBA players, who pick their new surroundings when things go bad. Russell Wilson had a list that had the Bears on it. Not sure what Wilson was thinking picking a place where quarterbacks go to die. Then before Wilson, Deshaun Watson wanted out of Houston. Several lawsuits and women coming out of the woodwork saying Watson was a dirty dog. It means he still is leashed to the fire hydrant in Houston. Once upon a time ago, a quarterback named Carson Palmer wanted out of Cincinnati. Palmer would eventually get his way but had to sit out for a entire season. Can Rodgers sit out for an entire season and come back at 38 years old? Rodgers has the same agent that Carson Palmer used. The Bengals eventually decided to trade Palmer to the Raiders. Would Green Bay change their mind if Rodgers did not play in the 2021 season? Everyone saw Tom Brady leave New England and lead the Buccaneers to a Superbowl win in his first season. Do the 49ers, Raiders, or the Broncos have a chance if Aaron Rodgers is behind center? Those are the teams the cry baby has on his list. Patrick Mahomes is still a young man in the AFC West. Mahomes has not reached his potential yet. The 49ers, who were riddled with injuries last season, if healthy could be that team of 2019 that made it to the Superbowl and lost to the Chiefs. The Rams, Seahawks, and the Cardinals make that a very tough division in which nothing would be handed to the 49ers if they were even led by Aaron Rodgers.

The Packers made it all the way to the NFC Championship versus the 49ers in the 2019th season when San Francisco would move on to the Superbowl to face Kansas City. Many thought the following year the Packers would seek some weapons in the draft or free agency for Aaron Rodgers to use. Rodgers has always made receivers around him better. Some guys no one has ever heard of become household names because Rodgers puts it right in their hands in tight windows where they are the only one who can catch it. Green Bay chose a quarterback as this move by the GM was the writing on the wall. Rodgers would run amuck through the competition and become MVP of the league in the Stephen King horror story of 2020. If Aaron Rodgers gets his way and is traded, no MVP ever in the NFL has been traded after winning that award a year before. Some players have retired and walked off into the sunset after winning a MVP. Rodgers could walk away too and seek fortunes by hosting the game show Jeopardy and hocking insurance for State farm as he’s been doing. Rodgers has a Superbowl in his credits. Cry me a Rodgers wants to do what Tom Brady did. Except Brady was a free man while Rodgers is in the middle of a big contract with the Packers.

This is an old west shoot out at the Coo-Coo-Corall at high noon between Aaron Rogers and the Packers brass. Who will flinch first? Packers brass have gone to meet with Rodgers this off-season more than once to try to repair this riff between player and management. Even Head Coach Matt LaFleur went west to calm the storm between the quarterback and everyone’s favorite people in the world, management. The Packers still knew the situation was in hot water but in the first round went with a corner-back in the 2021 draft instead of maybe starting to mending fences getting Rodgers some weapons of mass destruction at his disposal. Rodgers’ thought process must of been that’s a giant F-You from the GM of the Packers. This soap opera is bad for the game of football as we do not like to go down the NBA road. It is weird that management never gets Rodgers the big name receiver in free agency. Why do they not draft a top rated receiver in the draft. Having Devante Adams on one side and a stud on the other side is just common sense. Aaron Rodgers is a weird dude in this as well. You were once Jordan Love, moron. Rodgers is a guy that disowned his family. Rodgers broke up with race car driver Danica Patrick. Nobody would kick her out of bed for eating crackers. After that break up Rodgers is suddenly engaged to actress Shailene Woodley.

I have to give Danica Patrick the edge over Shailene Woodley for two reasons. First, she’s better looking and second, Danica is a Chicago Bears fan. If Aaron Rodgers leaves the game of football this way and does not get what he wants, he will walk out the door as the biggest wuss in sports history. Why don’t you show Jordan Love and the Packers you are better than him by keeping him on the bench? Besides… whatever happened to training your own replacement at the job? I hope the Packers stand their ground. Hope they are not right about Jordan Love because that’s all we need. Another decade of quarterback domination adding another name on Mars Cheese Castle like the Presidents sculptured on Mt. Rushmore. It’s Wisconsin and some strange things occur in the dairy state. I’d be happy to see the turd Rogers out of the NFC North but gone baby gone. Where do I sign? I will say Bon voyage to Aaron Rodgers with a hit that tells the way I feel about this cry baby.

The only good play that Shea McClellin made in a Bears uniform as he drove Aaron Rodgers into the ground. Now Brett Farve could feel that old time love he used to have to himself from the Green Bay faithful before the Packers gave him a little brother named Aaron.

In the movie Slap Shot, Dave “the Killer” Carlson was a scrappy player for the Charlestown Chiefs. The Blackhawks had their own “Killer” version for years in Andrew Shaw. An underdog that was told he was too short to play with the big dogs on the ice. However, this underdog shone and played out of his mind, and his 5′ 11″ frame, at 182 lbs. Shaw challenged the tough guys on the ice, just like Killer Carlson for the Chiefs in the Federal league. Shaw was like David versus Goliath on Ice, if the icecapades had that type of theatre. Shaw was a grinder and brought lots of energy to the rink each night. Shaw was the guy that could be a pest. He would get in the opponent’s head as he did all the little things on the ice, the grunt work, especially around the net. Like Dennis Rodman with the Bulls or AJ Pierzynski with the White Sox. That’s who I compare Andrew Shaw to in other sports. Shaw plays each game in overdrive where there is no switch to slow him down except multiple concussions adding up. His mind still had enough sense to finally hang up the skates for good. Ten years in the league, and Andrew Shaw says his good byes to the sport he grew up on in his home country of Canada. Probably his first Christmas gift from Santa Clause was a hockey stick while his baby teeth blossomed some day to be knocked out by some other Canadian tyke.

Andrew Shaw was drafted in the 5th round of the 2011 NHL draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, which was the 139th overall pick that year. Shaw played for Blackhawks 7 seasons out of the 10 he played. Shaw was traded to the Montreal Canadiens where he played three seasons. The Blackhawks ended up getting Shaw back with another trade that brought good ole 65 back to the Blackhawks. Shaw in ten years has tallied up 116 career goals in regular season with 131 assists for 247 points. Seven seasons in Chicago the numbers Shaw put up was 75 goals, 76 assists that totals 151 points. In the three seasons in Montreal Shaw was productive with 41 goals 55 assists for 96 points. Shaw is also credited with over thousand hits in his ten seasons on the ice working the trenches of the net. In post-season, Shaw tallied 16 goals with 19 assists for 35 points. Shaw was a part of two Stanley Cup winners with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015. Plus all the small things Shaw did that don’t show up on the stat sheet each night. Pretty good stats for an underdog.

After 500 games in regular season and add post-season games as well, concussions added up and eventually would be what wiped out Andrew Shaw’s hockey career. A career that ends at 29 years old. The writing was on the wall when two seasons ago he missed the final 12 games of regular season for the Canadiens due to the concussion. Last season Shaw missed 44 games for the Blackhawks. Same thing… concussions. After 14 games this season with 2 goals & 2 assists which totals to 4 points on February 11th, Shaw was in concussion protocol. Eventually placed on long term reserve which basically ends your season. Playing the game bigger than what you actually are, can create havoc on the body. The hits you dish out most likely you get back in some way down at the other end of the ice. Being like a vulture and pecking your way around the crease of the goal night after night to find the loose puck. This means the opponents are not giving you a high five in the scrum around the net. Unfortunately, they call it dirty work for that reason, trying to slap the puck in the net in the middle of mosh pit type of work place.

The goal Andrew Shaw head butted in the net versus the Ducks in the 2015 Western Conference finals, in game two, was my favorite memory of 65. The goal was disallowed though, but watching it over and over was priceless.

Way to bring soccer to the ice. Shaw played hard all the time and rose to the occasion in the Stanley Cup finals in 2015. He had a three game streak with a point in each contest, which was a goal and two assists. The first player Shaw told he was hanging up the skates for good, was Brent Seabrook who retired weeks ago from a long list of nagging injuries he suffered over the years. Let’s not forget goalie Corey Crawford walking away from the New Jersey Devils contract he signed in the off-season. Crawford never played one game with the Devils. Crawford dealt with multiple concussions over the last few years and seemed to spend more time off the ice than on.. With Crawford, Seabrook, and now Shaw, those are three cogs that made the Blackhawk dynasty wheels roll over the opponent for years. Shaw was a guy well liked by all his teammates and the entire Blackhawk organization. Because he was a Killer Carlson who took his game to another level and play out of his body size. Shaw, like Killer, had the heart of the lion and treated everyone close to him like family which in sports is a recipe for success. Sometimes the success does not last that long. Ten years is impressive. Andrew Shaw is one of my favorite Blackhawks from that 3 cup dynasty. Shaw reminds me of the Rocky movies. A guy that finally got his chance to play the game he loved and did all he could to be the best he could be. Seized the opportunity. Sounds like an Army recruiting slogan. Andrew Shaw might be the best to wear the #65 in Chicago Sports history. A guy that does not need to buy his own drink in Chicago ever for what he did for the city and the Indian head on the sweater. Shaw will be missed, but hopefully the Blackhawks can bring him back with another job as part of the organization.

The Washington Football Team is looking for a new name. Formerly called the Redskins for decades, Washington ownership lost their battle and caved in by getting rid of the old name people said was offensive to the Native Americans. Calling the Washington team racist for having Redskins as their nickname. The term Redskin has multiple meanings. In 1769, Redskins meant warriors as a way of describing some of the great Native Americans. It seems the world always has some kind of colored system, look at the Terrorist alert levels. White and black people. Then yellow for Asians. The color red was the skin color description. What about albino or Lillith from Cheers, white. Black people have their tones lighter or darker. I think originally the Redskin name was used for warriors and many Native Americans probably had no qualms about the Washington Football team. They may have even rooted for them. As we all know, history changes. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. The name Redskin probably did go down dark roads of pure hate. In 2020, with the invasion of the Corona Virus. Does Corona beer have any say to use their name on a virus? Besides the virus, we had social injustice and America was stewing into a melting pot of hate. Washington Redskins were gone as the change happened, and now they are looking for a new name. Hopefully a new name that will not insult people 100 years from now. The ownership sent out a list to their season ticket holders like a survey in picking a new name for the Washington Football team. We will throw our 2 cents into the ring of this so-called list, we will chime in.

DID IT DONE IT

The Commanders, Defenders, Renegades, and Guardians were on the list. All of these are super cool names. My problem is three of these names have been used in the last few years by other football leagues. The Commanders of the AAF. The Guardians and Defenders of the XFL. The Renegades were from the USFL in the 1980’s. With the hatchet and feathers, you’re kind of going down that Indian avenue. If I was Washington, I’d think we need to go another direction. Unless Renegades mean something different like names can be thought of to mean more than one thing. Isn’t that why we are writing this? Because of the Redskins getting the scalp?

PLAY IT AGAIN IN OTHER SPORTS

The Griffins, Warriors, Royals, and Pilots have been used or are still in progress with other sports.

The Griffins are a hockey team in the AHL. Royals currently in the MLB. The Pilots are Vanilla Ice, a one-year-wonder in Seattle.

Seth Curry looking taller in the picture. You racist jackals, Curry could be a few of those guys. Maybe let’s add Jackals to the mixing pot. I think names from other sports is lame as well. I know it will be hard to find a name never used, but we will move on.

DEMON CATS

How Many cat names do we need in the NFL? Lions, Jaguars, Bengals and Panthers, OH MY! Only Demon Cats should be considered.

Teams would be scared of the Demon Cats if you throw Hilary Clinton as the logo on the side of the helmet. This name could be in the maybe pile.

Washington DC Football Club (DCFC), Washington Capital City Football Club (CCFC), Football team, First City Football Club (FCFC) and 32FC (W32)

If it’s not the Yacht club, I don’t want my team being a club.

These names are snoozers.

Ace Ventura is the Dolphins second name. Washington should pass on the Aces.

THE PRESIDENTS

Remember Nick Brophy who played for the Presidents in the movie Slap Shot?

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Washington would probably piss all over themselves if they chose Presidents. The owner Snyder would put the orange hair on Donald Trump’s face on the helmet. Not a good idea.

BELTER

What the hell is a belter? Adrian Peterson spanking his kids with a switch? Belters could be those people that live under the Capital building.

Is that the voice of Bob from Bob’s burgers in the show Archer on FX? Archer would have the golden Arches sponsored all over their uniform.

Ronald McDonald’s actions seem like they might get the team in trouble.

OLD MAN IN THE SEA

The Anchors and the Beacons make me think of Seattle, Washington instead of Washington DC.

PIC ANCHOR STEAM BREWING

Great beer from Anchor Steam Brewing, which is located on the West Coast in San Francisco.

SWIFTS

Not to Swift of a move by the GM of the Washington Swifts, the headline could read. The fighter Swifters sweep their way through the Cowboys. DEFINITE NO.

OTHERS IN MY NO PILE

Bridgade, Icons, Majors, Ambassadors, Armada and Rubies

Wayfayer is a traveler. Or is it the sunglasses company that made some nice shades for the Blues Brothers?

PIGS

Razorbacks: I think of the University of Arkansas.

I do like the direction of the hog. The Washington fans call themselves the hogs because of some of those great beasty offensive lines the team had during the Joe Gibbs years.

Wild Hogs or Red Hogs I put in my like pile.

RED DAWN

Redtails and Red wolves are interesting names.

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Redtails has an interesting history about the all black fighter squadron. The logo with the plane I would take over the pilot. The Pilot has darker skin which with the Redskins, we do not want to go down the same road again. Especially since with one wrong word, YOU’RE FIRED!!!

Redwolves you can make a nice helmet logo. Redtails and Redwolves I like as well.

RIDERS

Riders on the storm is a great Doors song I recall when I think of Riders. Riders can mean horseback or motorcycles.

Does Washington go down the same path and be mistaken by the motorcycle company, Indian? I like Rider because you can do some things.

The great comic of Ghost Rider. Nicolas Cage’s acting ruined the movie versions.

RISING

Washington Rising could be interesting. The sun rises like the Tampa Bay Rays. That’s boring.

Zartan, Destro, Cobra Commander sign me up.

We have dissected the Washington covert list like cutting up an earthworm in grammar school for science class. That is humane and might have to be taken out of the classes from those ticking tocks of the youth gone wild. We have some good choices. Probably we could brainstorm many more and come up with something better than what they have on their list. I’m sure the owner, Dan Snyder of the Washington team, will screw it up somehow. Thank God, I’m not a fan of the Washington team.

SLEEPER CELLS OF SWEET 16

The famous number 12 seed finds it’s way to the sweet 16.

Oregon State beat Tennessee in a beat down, 70-56. Then the Beavers handled Oklahoma State 80-70 to find themselves in the sweet 16. The Beavers’ first time in the sweet 16 since 1982, when that team made the elite 8.

Where the double hockey sticks is Oral Roberts located?

Do you remember the skit on Saturday Night Live called Wedgie Fever? Jon Lovitz is the contestant and his answer to every question is Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is where Oral Roberts is from. Even though it sounds like a school out East. Oral Roberts had the biggest upset of the the first round of 64 teams by knocking out a very talented Ohio State. Then they proceed and knock out a pretty good Florida team in the next round. Now, can they defeat number three Arkansas and find their way to the elite 8?

TEAMS I DON’T MISS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT

The Wild Cats could not recruit the all-star McDonald’s high school best. Kentucky is like a Terminator factory creating basketball talent from the factory.

What’s better? Duke not in the Tournament or the Blue devils having an early exit? Remember Lehigh University?

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PRICELESS!!!!

Anybody for some fine sloppy Tarheel Joe’s? University of Wisconsin added some cheese to this North Carolina destruction in round one of the tournament.

SCHOOLS EVERYONE MISSES

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Love me when Murray State and Kent State make some noise early on in the tournament.

IS IT SISTER JEAN OR PORTER MOSER??

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Who gets the credit for Loyola’s big win versus Illinois? Head coach Porter Moser or Sister Jean? Sister Jean has the big guy’s attention.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE DYNAMIC DUO IN ILLINOIS?

Batman of the University of Illinois, Ayo Dosunmu, picked a bad day to stop sniffing glue as he played one of his worst games of the season versus Loyola. Loyola stuns the top seeded Illini who were probably many’s favorite to win the entire thing. A total bracket buster. The cape crusader Ayo maybe should have passed the ball and found a Robin or two from a poor day of shooting. Every 16 years, the Fighting Illini create something special. From the 1989 team, the Flying Illini, with Kenny Battle, Nick Anderson and Kendall Gill that made it to the final 4 . In 2005, the unbelievable come back versus the University of Arizona in the elite 8 led by Deron Williams. The 2005 team with Luther Head, Dee Brown, and James Augustine went all the way to the championship only to lose to North Carolina. This 2021, Illini were the team that had everything on a roster from a big man to multiple play makers on the court that could have should have went all the way.

First time I ever heard the name Rutgers was reading the scoreboard or watching whatever sports halftime show to see this school was being destroyed by their opponent. It seemed like the University of Rutgers sucked at basketball and football and lost like 77-0 on the football field on a Saturday afternoon. Where the hell was Rutgers University? New Jersey. Rutgers are in the Big Ten conference who have more than ten schools in the conference. The last time Rutgers won a March Madness tournament game, they were not a part of the Big Ten Conference. Rutgers finally broke that drought by beating Clemson in the first round. It was 38 years since they won a game in the NCAA Tournament. Rutgers would go on to the next round and lose a close one to Houston by the score of 63-60.

Ron Harper Jr. is one of the reasons why Rutgers has turned around their basketball program. The name sounds familiar. Maybe because his father Ron Harper helped Michael Jordan win multiple NBA Championships with the Bulls during the 1990’s.

All season long you can see Ron Harper Jr has his father basketball ability and perhaps gets the hair on his mother’s side of the genes.

FIRST TIMER

If you’re number 16 seed like the University of Hartford, is it better to be cemented in the tournament and not play in the very first round of the play in games. The Hawks had a mighty task in trying to upend a number one seed, a power house like Baylor University. Only one 16th seed in the history of March Madness took a walk on the wild side and took down a number one seed. I like the story of a coach grinding out at the same program for ten years and finally made history at the school as the University of Hartford made it to the tournament for the first time in their school history. Hopefully one and done for John Gallagher will help get him and the Hawks some nice recruits, as they move this program further up the ladders.

Why does the University of North Texas call themselves Mean Green when their logo is a Eagle? Is it because the uniforms are green? Did the inventor of the Green Machine Big Wheel go to North Texas?

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I remember one year getting the green machine for X-mas. One of the coolest presents the big guy in the red suit brought me that year. Found that picture with the old car. I remember in the 1980’s just flying down the sidewalks in this sports big wheel. Then braking with a 360 turn and hitting my head against a car like that. We were not sissies wearing helmets. I was able to shake it off, rub some dirt on it, and ride again.

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In 1966, the North Texas defensive unit was nicknamed Mean Greene because they finished 2nd that year against the run in football. On that squad in 1966, Mean Joe Greene made his presence known. Steelers Legend Mean Joe Greene is one of the ferocious defensive linemen in history of the game and many rings formed the Steel Curtain in the 1970’s.

North Texas was a number 13 seed coming in as they won their first NCAA tournament win versus a talented number 4 seed in Purdue University in the first round of 64 teams. It took Overtime to accomplish this first win for North Texas in the record books. It was the 4th appearance in the school’s history. Last time North Texas made the tournament, was in 2010. North Texas would lose in the next round to University of Villanova.

BOUNTY ON THE HEAD OF BILL SELFISH

Not sure what I hate more: USC Football with Pete Carol running a shady program or Bill Selfish and his Kansas Jayhawks. USC collects the bounty as they demolished the Kansas Jayhawks in round two of the tournament.

Mitch Trubisky will always be the door prize number 3 out of the 2017 draft. It was the draft where Mitch Trubisky was picked ahead of a well-polished Clemson quarterback, Deshaun Watson. Trubisky was picked ahead of Patrick Mahomes, who was a wild card with some intriguing intangibles. Trubisky was a wild card himself with only one year as a starter in college under his belt. Most teams would have went Watson because of the big bowl games in the College playoffs going eye to eye versus power house Alabama. Patrick Mahomes obviously has been the better choice out of the three, winning a Superbowl in two attempts leading the Chiefs to the promised land back to back years. Will things be different in 4 years with these quarterbacks, or will they remain the same? Trubisky has moved on from the Bears as he shuffles off to Buffalo on a one year deal. Getting out of the city that turns men behind center into stone cold statues, where quarterbacks go to die. Watson is having problems with the massages and if the allegations are true, could his career be in question? Watson was demanding a trade before from Houston, but then all the women that had massage sessions with him suddenly came out saying he wanted a lot more than their pay grade. Mahomes will be Mahomes still. That leaves me the man picked number 1 that year out of the three. Can Mitch Trubisky turn the tables, flip the script, and play like the guy the Bears thought they were getting?

Last season in ten games for the Bears, Mitch Trubisky went 6-3 as a starter. Trubisky was benched earlier in the season, for Nick Foles would return later in the season and played better when head coach Matt Nagy and his staff playbook were tailored to Mitch’s strengths. The Bears also finally ran the ball. Trubisky completed 67% of his passes for 2,055 yards with 16 touch down passes and 8 interceptions. Those are not bad numbers. In four years, Trubisky has 10,609 passing yards with 64 touch downs and 37 picks. Trubisky has a career 64% completion rating. Trubisky has a 29-21 record as starting quarterback. Trubisky is only quarterback since the AFL NFL merger in 1970, not to throw a pick six starting 50 or more games. Trubisky went 0-2 in the playoffs but lost one of those from the double doink kick off the leg of Cody Parky. Trubisky has engineered 5 comebacks and 7 game winning drives. Overall, Trubisky’s numbers speak for themselves. These are not numbers you want for a top quarterback selected in the draft, especially number two overall. Trubisky’s play shows you he does belong in this league as he is not a Ryan Leaf bust. Trubisky will probably never be a top tier passer in the league. Trubisky could be a top back up or a serviceable starter. Trubisky put up better numbers than Andy Dalton, who is the Bears number 1 QB option this up coming season.

Mr. Biscuit, which they call Mitch Trubisky in his circle, had numerous offers from teams this off-season. Why did Trubisky settle on a one year deal to go to Buffalo? Plus, Trubisky probably would have gotten more money elsewhere, settling for a one year deal worth 2.5 million. Then he would be automatically backing up a stud at quarterback like the Bills have in Josh Allen. For the Buffalo Bills, this is a savvy move by them as they love collecting X Bears quarterbacks. Bills replace Matt Barkley, former Bear, with a former Bear with Trubisky. Bills also have Jake Fromm, who they drafted last season who they are still developing. This move by the Bills they improve the quarterback room. Plus, Trubisky’s skill set is similar to Josh Allen’s skill set. The offense would remain the same if something happened to Josh Allen. The reason why Trubisky signed with Buffalo is he has a similar skill set to Josh Allen, who has thrived under offensive coordinator Brain Daboll. Trubisky may be prepared to just be an understudy for a year to learn and improve his play watching Allen and soaking in any knowledge the Bills staff can provide. Remember, the Bears wanted to do that when they drafted Trubisky, but Mike Glennon was horrible and had to throw the biscuit into the wolves his rookie year.

I think if any other team picked Mitch Trubisky in the draft, they would have had better results than the Bears. The Bears brass and coaching staff should be fired because they have problems developing younger talent. Plus, it seems they are never on the same page. John Fox was the head coach with the Bears when Ryan Pace went on his own and took Trubisky in that draft. Fox was probably thinking a stud for his defense. Matt Nagy inherited Trubisky when he took the job. From the beginning, Matt Nagy deep down wanted anyone else other than Mitch Trubisky. Just by selecting the game plan for Mitch Trubisky, Matt Nagy was not doing anyone favors. Half those games Trubisky started, the game plan was not tailored around his skill set. Matt Nagy over and over would use Mitch Trubisky as the scapegoat. Trubisky did not ask the Bears to draft him. The Bears even intended to have Trubisky sit out the entire first season like the Chiefs did with Patrick Mahomes. Going in, Trubisky was going to be a project. Trubisky is a good person and probably did the extra reps in practice and watched the extra game film every week. The biggest reason Trubisky signed with Buffalo is to improve his game and maybe get the help he needs to get better. Trubisky may only do one year in Buffalo and find himself as a starter with another team in 2022. That shows me he wanted coaching and tells me Bears can not coach. Look at Leonard Floyd, another top pick by the Bears. Last year, Floyd played one season with the Rams, turned his career around, and got himself a contract extension. I can’t predict the future as you probably saw my March Madness brackets. In 4 years, Patrick Mahomes will probably still be in the top tier of quarterbacks in the league. Deshaun Watson’s saga could be uglier. I suspect Watson, if he can get out from under all this massage therapy, will play at an elite level. Where… I have no idea. An educated guess is I can see Mitch Trubisky resurfacing in the NFL as a starter being a middle of the road type of quarterback. If a team can run the ball, use Trubisky’s skill set and coach him up, he could be a guy to get your team into the playoffs. At the end, it will show you the booby prizes were always running the show with GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy.

A Bear is shitting in the woods while playing with a rifle. Does the rifle make a sound when it shoots the eye out of the Midway Monsters? Bears don’t know how to use this kind of weapon, landing the Red Rifle this off-season. Bears have not grasped the idea of how to fire the musket at the quarterback position. All the options out there at the quarterback position, and the Bears picked their poison by signing Andy Dalton to a one year deal worth ten million. Andy Dalton was a quarterback available last year who the Bears could have traded for but instead went down the Nick Foles road making a deal with the Jaguars. Dalton eventually was released by the Bengals, and the Bears could have signed him. Instead Dallas signed Dalton where he played in 11 games due to Dak Prescott going down with an injury. By adding Dalton, are the Bears a better football team than they were last season? Did GM Ryan Pace once again misread the quarterback listings available this off-season? Pace seemed like he had all his eggs in one basket trying to pry Russell Wilson out of Seattle. Then in a panic as teams started plucking the quarterbacks off the market, Pace had to make sure he had at least another body behind center with some kind of decent track record. Last year, if GM Ryan Pace had waited patiently, the Jaguars may have released Nick Foles. Plus, the Bears could have gotten an Andy Dalton from the Bengals for a reasonable cost cheaper than the Foles deal. If Pace waited, he could have signed Dalton the day he hit the streets from being cut by the Bengals.

The Red Rifle is 33 years old with ten NFL seasons under his belt, as he was drafted in 2011 out of TCU. Andy Dalton has played 9 seasons in Cincinnati leading them to the playoffs multiple times. Last year was Dalton’s only season in Dallas. He played in 11 games and had a 4-5 record for the Boys as a starter. Dalton completed 64.9% of his passes with 14 touchdowns and 8 interceptions with a Cowboy offensive line that was in shambles. A former Bear linebacker, who plays for the Team of Washington, put a lick on Dalton last season to knock him out of that contest with concussion. Dalton would miss the next week but did return. In 2017, Andy Dalton turned into a folk hero for the Buffalo Mafia as he connected with Tyler Boyd with 44 ticks on the clock that beat the Ravens which knocked them out of the playoff picture with the loss. The Ravens’ loss earned the Bills their first playoff berth since 1999, one of the longest droughts in sports. Career-wise, Dalton has a 74-66-2 record as starting quarterback in the NFL. Dalton has a 62.2 % life time completion percentage with 218 touch down passes and 126 interceptions.

When you hear the name Andy Dalton as the Bears quarterback most fans are pulling their hair out. Bears fans wanted a nice shiny sports car as they would paid dearly for Russell Wilson’s services. Dalton is starting quarterback in the NFL. Some think of Dalton as the next Mike Glennon. Glennon should not even be at the same dinner table as a Andy Dalton if you wanted to compare them. Dalton is better option than Nick Foles. Foles was 2-5 as the Bears starter last season as he completed 64.7% of his passes with 10 Touch down passes and 8 interceptions. Can you say Dalton is better option than a Mitch Trubisky? Trubisky had a 6-3 record last season with 16 touch down passes with 8 interceptions and completed 67% of his passes. Obviously Mitch Trubisky has to move on so head coach Matt Nagy can stop blaming him for everything that went wrong in the Bears world. We have been down this road before as Andy Dalton is linked to the Bears offensive coordinator Bill Lazor which both worked together in Cincinnati. It’s once again I know him. As Nick Foles had history with the Bears coaches.

I like Andy Dalton as a quarterback. Dalton needs a surrounding cast around him like most quarterbacks need. Dalton is not Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady and makes everyone around him better. But Rodgers and Brady have a thing called protection, an offensive line that GM Ryan Pace needs to address. The Bears are like the chicken with the head cut off with their plan this off-season. I think you need a strong plan to make Dalton be able to do his best which needs a solid running game and not abandoning it in the first quarter of the ball game. Bears made a one year offer to Lions receiver, Kenny Golladay, a one year deal worth 10-12 million. The New York Giants land Golladay’s services for a 4 year deal for 72 million. Was this a ploy just to get Allen Robinson to sign the franchise tag? I would have liked the idea of Robinson and Golladay with Andy Dalton. The Bears brain trust still has intentions of trying to land Russell Wilson even though they promised Andy Dalton he would be the starter. Mike Glennon once was promised to be the team’s starter and GM Ryan Pace drafted Mitch Trubisky. The Bears have tried everything including the kitchen sink to get Russell Wilson. If the deal with the Seahawks and Bears worked out, you would have to rebuild around your young guys and clean house with veterans. Does releasing corner back Kyle Fuller have you thinking of something else in the works for GM Ryan Pace and the Bears? Could the Bears move up in this year’s draft and find one of those talented options at quarterback? Can the Bears brain trust pick the right option not the booby prize in door number three or 20 where they stand today? Andy Dalton is decent. Andy Dalton will not solve the Bears main issues which is the front office led by Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy. Dalton is the old new jenga piece that will not fit because the tower has already collapsed for this regime.

Our Crystal ball NCAA March Madness Upset Special.

I like the Abilene Christian Wild Cats sending home the Texas Longhorns in the first round of the 64

MY CHAMPIONSHIP GAME PREDICTION: ILLINOIS VERSUS MICHIGAN

2021 PLOT CHIEF ILLINIWEK RESURFACES

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The 1989 Flying Illini basketball team finally get a taste of revenge over the Wolverines of Michigan of the 1989 final four loss

MY OTHER TWO FINAL FOUR PARTICIPANTS

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Villanova and Virginia find their way to the final four only to lose to two of the multiple Big Ten teams in the tournament.

Ryan Fitzpatrick has become a Specialist in the NFL. A contractor for hire. If your team has a problem behind center and need his services, Fitzpatrick is the guy to call. Like going underground or to the dark-web in need of a hit man because you need someone taken out. Hit men never give their real name. That may be the same case for a Ryan Fitzpatrick hire who goes by Fitz-magic or the Amish Rifle when you knock on some door in the middle of nowhere. Perhaps high in the mountains trying to retain his services for the year. When you’re in search of a quarterback needed for a guy to take over your operation until your current guy has everything under control. Fitzpatrick has 17 years in the league with 8 teams. Now Fitzpatrick has a 9th team, as the team with no name has retained his services on a one year deal worth 10 million with incentives that can hit 12.

It was 1991 the last time the Washington Redskins won the Superbowl. It was Mark Rypien who was behind center, then beating the Buffalo Bills in that contest. Since then the Redskins have had 32 starting quarterbacks behind center. Last year, a young guy from Washington struck out with in the draft. Dwayne Haskins was a disappointment. New head coach Ron Rivera brought in one of his guys from Carolina, Kyle Allen, and he did not do anything special. The team that abandoned their Native American name had to rely on Alex Smith who was coming off a devastating leg injury in 2018. Smith and a good team defense were able to win the dreaded NFC East. The Washington Football team liked what they got from Taylor Heinickle. A young quarterback who played the playoff game versus Tampa Tom and his renegade Buccaneers. Can Ron Rivera and the team in Washington trust their faith in the youngster, Heinickle? What if he fails? They tracked down Ryan Fitzpatrick and added his services as either option A or B for the team that resides in DC.

Ryan Fitzpatrick was impressive last season for the Miami Dolphins. Dolphins won 10 games and missed the playoffs. It was not Fitzpatrick’s fault. It was the Dolphins’ for inserting their young quarterback Tua Tagovailoa after the bye week. If Fitzpatrick would have played all the games, the Dolphins would have gotten in. It was Fitzpatrick that came off the bench versus the Raiders and led the Dolphins back and won the contest. Tagovailoa did not have his stuff. Dolphins believe it is TUA Time in Miami, so they are no longer in need of Fitzpatrick’s services. In 9 games last year, Fitzpatrick had a good 68.5% completion rating with 13 touchdown passes but as always picks is a part of his game as he had 8 interceptions.

Fitzpatrick is the definition of a journeyman quarterback. Fitzpatrick is the best quarterback that ever hailed from the Ivy schools as he was a Harvard guy. Fitzpatrick started with the St. Louis Rams and then played in Cincinnati, Buffalo, Tennessee, Houston, New York Jets, Tampa Bay, and Miami last year. I was hoping the Patriots would have signed him, and then Fitzpatrick would have had every uniform from the AFC East. At 38, Fitzpatrick is thriving with age so who knows. Maybe New England could come calling after DC. Fitzpatrick as a starter lifetime has a 59-86-1 record but to be fair, has played with many bad teams. Fitzpatrick ranks number 10 in passing yards all-time in the NFL. Fitzpatrick, always a gunslinger, has tossed 223 touchdowns with 169 picks. For Washington, this is a great move especially since that NFC East division is still horse crap. The Washington defense is one of the top notch units in the league that could erase mistakes by Fitzpatrick. Like to see the team in burgundy get some play makers for the Amish rifle. It would be great to see the beard surface in the playoffs. The beard’s services may be done by then handing the keys over to Heinickle as the Specialist will scratch another team off his hit less and travel to another city the following year like the circus or local carnival and do it all over once again with another uniform.

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When you think of the state of Connecticut in the sports world, the first thing that comes to mind is UCONN Huskies men’s basketball. The University of Connecticut basketball team is like Friday Night Lights in those small Texas communities that take their High school football very serious. Connecticut does not have a professional team from either of the 4 major sports in the states. The city of Hartford once had the Whalers skating downtown from 1979-1997 in the NHL. The Hartford Whalers’ new owner at the time took the team to Carolina as they became the Hurricanes. Hartford built an arena downtown to attract an ABA team. The Whalers were like the second choice coming from a league of the old WHA that folded up shop. Whalers never could get a good following in the state of Connecticut. With so many people from Boston and New York City living in the state, it was hard to get behind the Whalers except when the Bruins, Islanders, or Rangers were in town. Besides some minor league baseball and other semi-pro teams in other sports, it’s all about Huskie hoops, both women and Men. The men’s Huskie basketball team pulled a number 7 seed in the tournament on selection Sunday in the Eastern region. Another University in the state of Connecticut suddenly is making some noise on the hardwood floors. The University of Hartford has found their way in the tournament for the first time in school history.

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University of Hartford is home of the Hawks. The Hawks are located on the Western side of Hartford. The University of Hartford resides in the American East conference. The Hawks were the number 4 seed in the American East Tournament and with a win over University of Massachusetts Lowell on Saturday night, they won the entire thing. Winning the tournament gave University of Hartford a ticket to the NCAA tournament, in which they will be a 16th seed. The University of Hartford will have to have one of the greatest Cinderella stories and play the underdog role in March Madness that we all love, who will be playing a number one seed in Baylor. The odds will be against the Hawks as a 16th seed has only knocked off a number 1 seed once, which happened back in 2018. The team that knocked off number one Virginia that year has a name sounding like a DMV. Univerisity of Maryland Baltimore County hails from the same conference as the University of Hartford the America East. University of Hartford is hoping they can do the same thing UMBC did by taking down Baylor in a tournament they have no history in, because they have never been this far.

The greatest thing about March Madness is the big time upsets and how a small school even made it this far. It seems like 11 years without making it to the tournament would have gotten the head coach John Gallagher fired from the University of Hartford. University of Hartford is not Duke, North Carolina, and UCONN; the bigger universities that you have to get results very quickly or you’re out of a job at these basketball dynasties. University of Hartford is small potatoes in comparison, but a guy like Gallagher will have plenty of chances to build up a program in which he did. Last year could have been the year for the Hawks. The Hawks were on the bus and ready to face the University of Vermont in the American East tournament Championship. The Covid invasion shut down basketball completely including the championship game and dreams of any NCAA appearance. This season, the Hawks were the top rated defense in the conference allowing only 63.3 points per game. The Hawks beat the University of Vermont who were a higher seed in the tournament this season. John Gallagher, at the age of 43, had University of Hartford with a record of 15-8 record and redemption versus the pandemic that almost crushed this school last Spring.

The odds are stacked up high for a school like University of Hartford being the 16 seed trying to knock off a number 1. You love to see a guy like head coach John Gallagher win a game and really make it interesting. All the hard work and sweat he put into this program year after year getting there is impressive, but winning a game would be huge for the entire school and city of Hartford. What about guys that have played all four years at University of Hartford? Traci Carter and Austin Williams, who came up big in the tournament with his play, helped seal the deal for the Hawks. The Whalers brought in guys like Gordie Howe, Paul Coffey, Ron Francis, Bobby Hall, and Chris Pronger. Some of these Whalers were the best ever in the NHL, but on their last legs playing in Hartford. The Whalers did not win in Hartford period. The Whales probably have been forgotten in the city of Hartford. This group of Hawks could be that story to be told for decades to come in the city of Hartford that needs some sporting moments. Connecticut is a beautiful state. You might say the state is yuppified. We know who the boss is? Which would be the Huskies over the Hawks. Even though Tony was the boss over Angela in the sitcom, Who’s the Boss, that was set in Connecticut. University of Hartford is the mom and pop stand going up against McDonalds in Baylor and living with Burger King in the state of UCONN. When the little guy makes the shot or the burger, it is always better than the big dog in the state. Let’s go Hawks !!!!