The Chicago Bears have to be cursed when it comes to finding a man behind center. The best quarterback in Bears history is still Sid Luckman who played during the 1940’s. Jay Cutler might have most of the Bears passing records but we know how that turned out. It’s been decades and decades of drafting quarterbacks that have turned into hot garbage when the Bears open them up like a gift  every year from under the tree during Christmas. Then all the has-beens that walked in and out of Chicago like some kind of zombie trying to remember where they originally were drafted from. Then the Mitch Trubisky project. This project is like a spreading fungus that is destroying everything in its path. This off season the Bears had a chance with so many reliable options on the free market and through trades out there they could find a man behind center. To right the ship. Put out the fire. Ryan Page instead pours gasoline on the fire and the Bears have added the best back up quarterback in the league in Nick Foles.

Ryan Pace wanted an open competition with Mitch Trubisky this off season for the starting nod. I can see most quarterbacks giving the Bears a big  fat NO to that idea. So here we go again as we ride the Ryan Pace broken down quarterback bus with no wheels. It all started with the signing of Mike Glennon. Then Ryan Pace drafted Mitch Trubisky. Pace told Glennon he was the guy and then they draft a quarterback.

Then Pace wasted draft picks to move up one spot with the San Francisco 49ers to get Mitch Trubisky that no one had interest in that early. The same draft the Bears did not think Deshaun Watson was the better option. Yes I will say even Patrick Mahomes. Both passed up for Mitch Trubisky. The first season Mike Glennon was horrifying. It was like 4 games hard to stomach kind of play. Mitch Trubisky was inserted into the line up ever since. Trubisky’s play has not been consistent. Trubisky had some nice games in 2018. Faltered towards the end. In 2019 Mitch Trubisky was very bad. At the end of the regular season Trubisky did a little bit better versus inferior teams. This off season Ryan Pace is swinging for the fences with all his signings. Bringing in older guys. This is like the last Hail Mary with this great defense the Bears have. The Bears and Ryan Pace trade yet another draft pick away this time to Jacksonville for Nick Foles. Bears used  a 4th round draft pick as they hardly have any picks in the first place, all had been dealt. The Bears use this one to pry a back up quarterback that is being paid a lot of money. Like a starter.

Someone should tell Ryan Pace to come back to reality and get out of the year 2013. The last year Nick Foles played almost the full NFL regular season slate and did well. The last good year Jimmy Graham had when he was all pro was also in 2013. It depends who you ask about Nick Foles and about his play. Last year in Jacksonville Foles only played in 4 games and he stunk. In Philadelphia Nick Foles is a legend . Foles is the man who took down the Evil Empire in the Superbowl in 2018. Foles even has a statue of himself like Rocky in Philadelphia for what he did for the Eagles. Then Foles is the same guy who led his Eagles at the time over the Bears in that playoff game where the double doink is still heard these days on a windy day. That day at Soldiers Field, Trubisky out played Foles but Eagles prevailed over the Bears. Could Nick Foles replace another high draft pick gone wrong for GM Ryan Pace?

The Bears could have signed Teddy Bridgewater as a free agent. Bridgewater is only 27 years old and played very well last season with the New Orleans Saints filling in for Drew Brees where he was undefeated as a starter. Screw the open competition and make Bridgewater your guy. Let Trubisky stand on the sidelines and learn to take a year off to find himself. However if you do that then you’re stating the obvious that Mitch Trubisky was a bad draft pick. Even Captain Obvious can tell you the Trubisky pick is just bad. Pace and the Bears are still in denial. I thought that Andy Dalton would have been the best fit for the Bears through a trade. Dalton has ties to Bears offensive coach Bill Lazor. Dalton is 32 years old. Bears are throwing everything at this last chance which includes the kitchen sink and the garbage disposal. Dalton has been durable most times throughout his career. Dalton has made it to some pro bowls. Dalton has guided his team to the playoffs multiple times. Early playoff round exits have haunted Andy Dalton. Bears should inquire about Dalton’s services even with Nick Foles. Dalton plays regular season Foles starts in the playoffs. Trubisky can go fetch the doughnuts.

Bears brain trust plot is they hope Mitch Trubisky can win the open competition which will probably be rigged. If Mitch Trubisky breaks out and does well they keep Nick Foles on the bench. Nick Foles is the better quarterback option. Foles knows the offense better then Trubisky. Bears obviously wanted Foles because of ties he has with the coaching staff. Last season John Difilippo was the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterbacks coach where Nick Foles was. Then Bill Lazor once again has ties to Nick Foles as well as he was the quarterbacks coach when Nick Foles was an Eagle in that 2013 season. Seems to me it is an organization divided. The front office wants Mitch Trubisky to avoid egg on their face once again in their list of flops in the first round. The coaching staff probably secretly wants Nick Foles. The problem here is can either one of these quarterbacks be the guy that gets the Bears even to the playoffs? Nick Foles can’t stay healthy. Mitch Trubisky can’t play consistent. Plus the offensive line is in shambles. Is there a door number three? Please anything.

It was only months ago I was watching the Green Bay Packers playoff game versus the San Francisco 49ers. I recall having a conversation with my brother about the Packer tight end at the time, Jimmy Graham. Once upon a time, Jimmy Graham was one of the best tight ends in the entire league. In 2013 Graham was all-pro for the New Orleans Saints; he had 86 grabs 1,215 yards receiving with 16 touchdown receptions. In 2014 his receiving yards went down had one less catch but had ten touchdown catches. Saints had Drew Brees throwing to the 6’7″ tight end who looked like a powered forward in the NBA going up high for some of those touchdowns. Jimmy Graham has always had top quarterbacks in the league throwing to him. After the Saints, Graham was traded to the Seattle where Russell Wilson threw to him.Then the last few years Aaron Rodgers threw to him in Green Bay. Since 2013 Graham has regressed every year. If Rodgers can’t get the best out of Jimmy Graham how the hell is Mitch Trubisky going to fare? Yes Bears wasted money and signed Graham to a  two year deal.

The Chicago Bears are in much need of a tight end. Trey Burton was a one year wonder in 2018 and fell off the grid in 2019. Adam Shaheen is a total bust the Bears are still in denial about. Plus Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen missed a combined 16 games last year. Bears as a group last season at tight end caught 46 balls for 416 yards with two touchdowns. Bears head coach Matt Nagy’s offense needs a tight end to make all the moving parts in his offense functional. In 2018 Trey  Burton  came from Philadelphia and was solid with 54 grabs 569 yards with six touchdowns. Jimmy Graham with Aaron Rodgers let’s not forget had 38 catches 447 yards with three touchdown catches in 2019. Which is just a tad better than the Bears tight ends as a group which some of them were MIA due to injuries.

Back to that game when the Packers were playing the 49ers in the NFC championship. My brother I were talking about how he caught the ball and was brought down by smaller cornerbacks pretty quickly and easily. Jimmy Graham of the past would break tackles and had some wheels to create separation and get yards after the catch. Jimmy Graham is 33 years old with a birthday coming up which will make him 34 years old. He’s also a tight end that can not block which makes him one dimensional. Nagy’s play calling at times has the Bears running less than ten times a game. You can say Jimmy Graham would be the best tight end in the room with the Bears. Is the best tight end in room worth 16 million dollars for two seasons with 9 million guaranteed?

This is a bad move by Ryan Pace, Bears GM. This money should have went somewhere else. Like the signing of Teddy Bridgewater. Bears need a quarterback. They need offensive line help as well in the trenches. Bears could have found a tight end through a trade. I would have rather have them  kick the tires on Eric Ebron instead of wasting money on a Graham cracker. Who will not be able to recapture the player he once was? They could even draft a tight end. I think you may be able to find something better off on the scrap heap after the draft or preseason than taking a gamble on Jimmy Graham. If Mitch Trubisky ends up  as the starting quarterback next year, how is Jimmy Graham going to put up better numbers from last season? Pace believes Mitch Trubisky will get the better of Jimmy Graham than Aaron Rodgers last year? Ryan Pace let me know what you’re smoking because you have the good stuff.

 

It did not take very long for former Bears linebacker to be plucked off the free agent market as Nick Kwiatkoski is now a part of Raider nation. Raiders add another grinder to their mix. The writing was written on the walls at Halas Hall when the Bears decided to keep Danny Trevathan over Nick Kwiatkoski. Only days ago Bears retained Trevathan’s services on a three year deal for 24 million dollars. Bears have plenty of needs and they may have thought Kwiatkoski was going to cost them more money since they passed up the younger talent of 26 years old to keep a veteran that turns 30 later this month. It was one or the other since they both play the same position of middle linebacker.  Kwiatkoski gets a three year deal to come to Las Vegas where the city of lights will have their first NFL team ever. Raiders moved from one of their long time homes of Oakland.

The Raiders defense played well in the first half of the season. They had a lot of draft picks as they sold off pieces in 2018, one of them to the Bears in Khalil Mack former teammate of Kwiatkoski. Head coach Jon Gruden used some of those picks on the Raiders defense. Raiders defense regressed in the second half of the season in 2019. One bright spot was the play of defensive end Mad Maxx Crosby, a guy they drafted in the 4th round from East Michigan. Crosby’s rookie season was amazing as he piled up ten sacks in his first season as a professional. Crosby’s play earned himself defensive rookie of the year. The Raiders were still alive at the very end of the  regular season on the bubble of making the playoffs.  Last season the Raiders had some bright spots to give this team hope in the future that they can turn it around and make the playoffs this year with what they have and adding to the mix.

Raiders land a great piece with Nick Kwiatkoski, another 4th round draft pick out of West Virginia. Kwiatkoski who filled in for the injured Danny Trevathan and played middle linebacker the way the monsters of the midway played that position for the Bears for decades. He was rock solid. Kwiatkoski had 76 tackles, 3 sacks, interception, and forced fumble. Last game of the season Kwiatkoski added a safety versus the Vikings. Kwiatkoski has a nose for the football. Born in Pittsburgh where they manufacture linebackers and guys that get dirty and play the game the right way. I have to give Chucky credit he has added another Gruden grinder to the defensive side of the ball. I like the way both Crosby and Kwiatkoski played last season. Both young pieces and these two could be the core of the silver and black for years to come. Raiders still rumored  to add a more pieces to their roster on both sides of the ball.  The team is off to great start in the first day in free agency.

Meanwhile the Bears probably picked the wrong guy. Danny Trevathon is a nice player  to have who can put a lick on the opposing offensive players going over the middle. I know the Bears could only keep one linebacker out of the two choices. When you have holes to fill on your roster you have to tighten the wallet on some of your choices. Bears window is closing. That dominant defense of 2018 took a few steps back in 2019. The only way this thing works for the bears if Trevathan can sustain his play for the whole year. If  the Bears use any available money they saved on not signing Kwiatkosi and land another quarterback and a tight end.  I wouldn’t mind an offensive lineman as well. Bears do not have many draft picks so decisions like not signing Kwiatkoski they have to be perfect with the rest of their free agent signings to patch up those holes. They better hope those holes don’t leak because letting Kwiatkoski, a guy you drafted and developed go elsewhere ,and he continues to play well while the bears sink into the abyss of what could have been, heads will roll. My gut feeling is injury prone Danny Trevathan will get another injury. Bears free agents again will not pan out especially at the quarterback position.  Bears will end up going in another direction in 2021. The Raiders moves will get the silver and black back to respectable and perhaps beyond.

WEEK SIX XFL POWER RANKINGS

2001 XFL FLASH BACK

THE FIRST XFL DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE FAIR CATCH

WRESTLING MOMENT TO REMEMBER XFL PART 1

Since St. Paddy’s day is almost upon us, we salute Roddy Piper. Got to root for the bag piper this time of the year.

WEEK SIX PRESENT TIMES

The whole sports landscape is shutting down due to the Corona Virus. XFL looks like the games must still go on. They may be playing this weekend in empty stadiums throughout the league. We know Seattle definitely is going to be playing with no fans. Stay indoors, open up a can a beer ,and watch the games and flash back to 2001 when the XFL played games all the time in front of no fans. That time the product was not good. Fans never showed up. Like Peter Brady’s birthday party when no one showed  up.

WEEK SIX POWER RANKING COMING AT YOU LIKE A BEER CUP SNAKE

#1.HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (5-0) SAME  In week five the Roughnecks maybe are bored as they spotted Seattle a 14 point lead. Superhero P.J Walker looked more human making some mistakes. Walker still chucked the ball for 371 yards with three touch down passes as Roughnecks steamrolled the Dragons and fought their way back in this contest. Running back James Butler enjoyed two rushing touchdowns. One was scratched from a penalty. Butler was handed the ball off after the penalty and still scored. Three Houston Lambeau leaps to his credit in the game.

Nick Holley put a sweet move on the Dragons defender faked him out of his shorts to get a big gainer for a Houston Touchdown.

#2.DC DEFENDERS (3-2) UP 2 SPOTS    The Defenders needed home cooking and they got it after two disaster road games. They were able to prevail with their back up Quarterback Tyree Jackson who filled in for ineffective Cardale Jones. It was not pretty numbers wise but Jackson did enough. Defenders running back Jrurell Pressley had 107 yards on the ground. It was a game combined of 407 rushing yards by both teams. The Defender defense came up big time for the Defenders. Anthony Johnson was getting lots of pressure on Jordan Ta’amu. Johnson had on sack. Tracy Sprinkle and others combined to shut down a very good Battle Hawks offense as they broke down the St. Louis wall like the Berlin wall. Special teams had a block punt. But the MVP of the day was the beer cup snake in the stands.

All the empty beer cups formed a beer snake cup that went all the way up rows and rows of seats. The Buffalo Mafia would of been proud. Perhaps Bills fans would of had theirs around the perimeter of the stadium. Amateurs.

#3. ST. LOUIS BATTLE HAWKS (3-2)  DOWN 2 SPOTS    St. Louis was playing so well. Last week they lost a close game to the DC Defenders whose season is the tale of two cities.  Battle Hawks played the Defenders at their place where they do well. The Defenders on defense threw everything at the Battle Hawk offensive line even the kitchen sink and St.Louis crumbled with that type of pressure. This pressure shut down the run game completely. Battle Hawks quarterback Jordan Ta’amu had no time to set up his option play that has worked all year. Plus passing the ball Ta’amu has seen better days. St. Louis will have to adjust to that pressure because every team will now be looking to pressure the QB and stop the run game at the same time.  Can Jordan Ta’amu beat you with his arm?

#4.LA WILD CATS (2-3) UP 2 SPOTS    The Wild Cats at home can score some big time points off anybody in the league. Wild Cats broke their own record of points scored of 39 versus the Defenders as they scored 41 off a pretty good Viper defense. On the road the Wild Cats were held under 20 points from a struggling New York team. LA Wild Cats are just one dysfunctional family. The quarterback Josh Johnson continues to let the f-bombs slip berating the offense coordinator in front of a live studio audience through the head sets.

These are the same Wild Cats that fired Pepper Johnson after one game as the team’s defensive coordinator. They also traded their best defensive player who was the captain away after the first game as well. The head coach Winston Moss took over the defense play calling. Moss’ coaching style letting the crazies run the asylum.

The Wild Cats need to learn how to win on the road before I put them in the post season.

#5.NEW YORK GUARDIANS (3-2) UP 2 SPOTS   The Guardians have suddenly risen out of the tar pits or whatever a Guardian cat comes from. New York now has won two games in a row. What is head coach Kevin Gilbride thinking? It takes the number three quarterback on the depth chart to run his offense effectively. Can the Guardians and Kevin Gilbride judge talent. The first quarterback Matt McGloin has the NFL experience but he was awful in the NFL. Then you go with a running quarterback Marquise Williams who had some experience playing in AAF a few drives a game for the San Antonio Commanders. Then now you find out Luis Perez is the best quarterback out of the lot.

Luis Perez was the starter day one for the Birmingham Iron of the AAF last year. Perez played most of the games and did pretty good. Since Perez took over he has a 92.1 QB rating. Matt McGloin had 52.2 QB rating. Marquise Williams had 68.2 QB rating. That is a huge difference. Don’t give me third time is the charm either. Some of these coaches have no clue. Gilbride will keep his job because he got lucky having Luis Perez stashed away on the bench most of the season. Without Perez the Guardians looked like the worst team in the league for a few weeks.

#6.TAMPA BAY VIPERS (1-4) DOWN 3 SPOTS   The Vipers are that team you can not predict. Last week they had a very nice lead and gave it up as the Wild Cats came from behind and took care of the slithering snakes. In week four Vipers came up with a huge win both their offense and defense looked solid. They looked like a team that found their mojo. They looked like a team that could string a few wins together. Not the case. First few weeks offense could not get the ball in the end zone. The defense played well. Now the defense is regressing while the offense is putting up big numbers at Menards. The Vipers since Jaime Elizondo took over the offense this team is averaging 28 points per game. Jerry Glanville has to get his defense back to where they were in the beginning of the season.  The Vipers are still in the thick of things to snag that number two playoff spot in the West.

#7. DALLAS RENEGADES (2-3) DOWN 2 SPOTS   The fact is in Football the most important position most of the times is the man behind center. The Renegades had the guy that was the face of the  XFL in Landry Jones. The two most experienced quarterbacks in the entire XFL with a good amount of NFL seasoning are Landry Jones and Josh Johnson. The Renegades are without their man since late week 4 game. The back up Phillip Nelson is not the answer. Landry Jones gives Bob Stoops a guy that can still focus after a mistake is made. With Landry Jones behind center the Renegades could win games on the road which many teams in the XFL have failed in that department. Renegades last hope is to hang in there until he gets back in action. Renegades can still get that number two playoff spot in the West. Longer Landry Jones is out this team will slip in the standings.

#8.SEATTLE DRAGONS (1-4) SAME     The Dragons have battled in every game. The one game they won was very ugly however a win is a win no matter how it rolls out. The Dragons defense is the far better unit than the offense. The defense of the Dragons call it the turn over mask.

It’s a ski mask the players put on after they force the other team into a turn over. Like they are bank robbers. Dragons can force quite a few turnovers but they give up some big plays as well. Like live by the blitz die by the blitz. On offense the team is on quarterback number two B.J Daniels who did well in first start versus the Roughnecks. Daniels a run first quarterback. When the Dragons were down and the team had to rely just on his arm the Dragons offense went silent. Speaking of silent the Dragons home game this weekend will be played with no fans. Since Seattle seems to be the capital of the United States with the Corona virus outbreak.

With the outbreak and a team that is not as deep as other teams in the league with depth on the roster, Seattle might be the weakest link in the XFL and unfortunately having to deal with a nagging virus infecting the emerald city.

Hunting season is coming up for all the NFL teams. The quarterback hunt will be the biggest game on the menu. Above I can see Bill Belichick dressed in a rabbit suit sneaking up behind teams and preventing them to slay his prize. Will Tom Brady end his ties from Bill and the Death Star? Who will Bill Belichick pounce on if Brady leaves New England? Does your team have faith with your guy behind center? In a huge year where lots of quarterback options are to be gobbled up in off season where will these pieces fit on teams throughout the league? Will your team find the right Quarterback? Some teams it will be business as usual. Some teams believe that the quarterback is the final piece of the puzzle.  Who gets the soft Newton? What Uber drivers should be scared of Jameis Winston coming to your town? We will throw our hat in the ring and try to fit each quarterback out there through free agency or trade with a new team. We might be totally off and not get any of them right. Can anybody predict this kind of saga in the NFL? Playing the lotto is much easier and your chances to win are much greater than predicting the NFL.

Tennessee Titans

Titans win the Tom Brady sweepstakes. Titans also keep running back Derrick Henry who will become Brady’s best friend. When has Tom Brady had only one running back? Especially one of the best backs in the league. Patriots always had a slew of running backs in the back field with Brady behind center. With Henry, Brady does not have to do much. He’s aging and he needs an O’ Henry Bar. Like how John Elway when he finally won his Superbowls he had an elite back in Terrell Davis behind him in Denver. I like the connection with the Titans head coach Mike Vrabel and Tom Brady cementing this new relationship together being former teammates. I think Titans make this move because  Ryan Tannehill has a history of injuries. Plus he has not put together a string of good back to back years as a starting quarterback. It’s like every other year with Tannehill.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Ryan Tannehill likes to throw the deep ball and why not head back to Florida since Brady took your job. Instead of Miami, Tannehill locks up a deal with the Buccaneers. This gives Bruce Arians a veteran guy. Plus a veteran QB who will not throw a ton of interceptions like Jameis Winston. Tannehill had the deep ball working well last season in Tennessee. Buccaneers have an arsenal of weapons as well.

Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders love bringing in split personalities to their locker room. Jon Gruden will find a way to get the best out of Jameis Winston. Winston face of the franchise in Vegas; it has a ring to it. Uber prostitutes where Jameis Winston can get his hands dirty. Golden teeth with money spewing out of the slot machine or black jack tables as Winston can unleash his best side in life.

Indianapolis Colts

I like the Colts to be Phillip Rivers’ destination. Rivers has ties with head coach Frank Reich. I think Phillip Rivers would have a lot to prove. I think the Colts are nicely built and can surround Rivers with weapons he needs to be successful. Plus Colts defense could overcome Phillip Rivers’ mistakes, especially in the red zone. I think Colts keep Jacoby Brissett as a nice back up option for Rivers if needed or if this signing blows up in their face.

LA Chargers

Chargers make a move to improve their quarterback situation. I think they make a trade or pick up Cam Newton who gets dumped by Carolina. Newton with lots to improve. Chargers have Tyrod Taylor already on the roster. This could be an open competition between Taylor and Newton. It gives the Chargers at least some options just in case one goes soft.

Carolina Panthers

Panthers land Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater a guy from the Panthers division since he played with the Saints last two seasons has familiarity with all the opponents.  Panthers will want to cut ties with Cam Newton. End that chapter for good. Somebody will overpay for Bridgewater’s services. Panthers are the perfect team with a new head coach on board. Bridgewater is at a perfect age where a new head coach in the league will make his job much easier since he does not have to wait on a young draft pick to develop.  Christian McCaffrey would help Bridgewater in the short passing attack and rushing the ball. Bridgewater does not make many mistakes which Kyle Allen and Cam Newton are prone to do every game they started last season.

New England Patriots

Patriots do not stand by after losing the Brady sweepstakes.  Patriots would go bold and make a trade and bring in Andy Dalton from the Bengals. Dalton only has a year left I believe on his contract so Patriots may seek a guy like Derek Carr from the Raiders as well. It would be hard to believe the Patriots would land two guys. Why Not? If Andy Dalton does not pan out you have Derek Carr. Dalton’s contract expires so let him go or trade him to somewhere else. Patriots most likely would draft a quarterback as well.

Chicago Bears

The Bears do not have the draft capital to land an Andy Dalton or a Derek Carr. Bears will settle for a guy named Marcus Mariota, former Tennessee Titan. This gives the Bears a guy that can challenge Mitch Trubisky as they hope Trubisky prevails anyways in an actually not fair competition.  If Trubisky does not win the job Matt Nagy has another quarterback with a different set of tools than Trubisky in the quarterback room.

Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars will hold on to Nick Foles. No other team will want his contract. Then the Jaguars will trade away Garner Minshew once the dust settles under all the musical chairs of the quarterbacks this off season. Some team will pry Minshew’s services away from Jacksonville.

 

WEEK FIVE XFL POWER RANKINGS

OUR XFL LEAGUE ONE FLASH BACK

The Las Vegas Outlaws cheerleaders.

OUR WRESTLING MOMENT OF THE XFL 1

PRESENT TIMES

Week Five XFL Power rankings has many teams playing musical chairs. Vipers on the rise. New team that lives under the stairs. Which team would Snake Plissken rather escape? Has DC gone from top tier team to just ugly in weeks? What will Renegades do without Landry Jones? Week Five XFL Power rankings are here so let’s dive in cannon ball style!!!

#1.HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (4-0)  I’m a fan of running back Nick Holley of the Roughnecks. He’s becoming a very nice weapon for the league super star quarterback P.J Walker.

Holley has 17 grabs for 195 yards and one touchdown through four weeks so far for the Roughnecks. Holley’s catches have been amazing helping his quarterback’s numbers. However Holley’s grabs move the chains and is a big part of that high octane offense that keeps on rolling. Holley is a former Kent state Golden Flashes alum.  Roughnecks defense continue to make big plays each week. Edmund Robinson had a strip sack fumble recovery for a touchdown versus Dallas last week.

Roughnecks P.J Walker has looked cool as a cucumber in crunch time to seal the deal for Houston. Walker continues to be the MVP of the entire XFL so far.

#2.ST.LOUIS BATTLE HAWKS (3-1) SAME     St. Louis fans are loving their Battle Hawks. The Battle Hawks are expected to open up the upper deck next home game to continue to put up the masses of fans who are supporting this team.

The Battle Hawks head coach Jonathan Hays I’m a big fan of. Telling the kicker to “just bang it”, on field goal try. The way he coaches his players during the game is very inteersting with the live feeds . Not that touchy feely Pete Carol, groping all his players like some pervert. Coach Hays has that laid back style but a fun style and not afraid to tell you what you did wrong or give his players confidence telling them they did something great. St.Louis is well coached in every aspect of the game.

#3.TAMPA BAY VIPERS (1-3)  UP 4 SPOTS The Vipers I thought were a part of that Python hunt in the everglades weeks ago. Vipers home cooking finally has this team playing better. Two weeks ago they took the Roughnecks to the brink of beating them, but lost by one score. Then last Sunday Jerry Glanville’s Viper defense shut down the Defenders offense. Giving the Defenders a goose egg. Offensive Coordinator Jaime Elizondo for the Vipers took over the play calling and the Snakes are slithering on offense.  Actually scoring touchdowns.

Viper quarterback Taylor Cornelius has gained confidence ever since Marc Trestman does not call the plays on offense anymore. When will the Vipers kick Trestman out the door?

 

#4.DC DEFENDERS (2-2) DOWN 1 SPOT   The Defenders season is the tale of two halves so far. At home the first two weeks, they played like the best team in the league. Then Wild Cats and Vipers get their first wins versus the Defenders in routs. Old fashioned arse kicking. Cardale Jones looked like he was going back to the NFL with those first two starts. Jones looks like he has been  taken over by the kid that was picked last in gym. Should they hand the keys to back up quarterback Tyree Jackson ?

Jackson has a nice deep ball and with the Defenders play makers could be a nice spark to turn around the road humiliation. The Defenders will be playing at home in week 5. That can help turn around things. The Defenders have a lot of talent assembled over there. Just can’t see them staying this bad.

#5.DALLAS RENEGADES (2-2 ) DOWN 1 SPOT     Renegades are in serious trouble. Losing Landry Jones to an injury last week in a tight game versus the top team in the league, the Roughnecks.

Losing by one score in the most interesting match up in week four, the Texas Bowl.  Phillip Nelson could not get it done after Jones left the game. Landry Jones had three interceptions in the first half but that did not rattle the veteran quarterback. Renegades kept fighting back until he had to exit the game.  That was the Renegades first loss with Jones as their starting quarterback. Landry Jones’ return this season is in question. He could be done. Phillip Nelson started the first game of the season and filled in after the injury. Nelson has experience from playing for the San Diego team in the AAF last season. Not impressed. This injury might implode the Dallas Renegades’ whole season.

#6. LA WILD CATS (1-3) DOWN 1 SPOT      The Wild Cats should have won last week in New York. It was the Jake Snake Plissken bowl between LA and New York in which team will snake slither away from first in an escape between those two cities.

Wild Cats were without their top receiver Nelson Spruce.

Wild Cats came off a week where they bombarded DC in a big time rout and then lay an egg in New York. Josh Johnson had plenty of weapons besides Spruce to throw to. Plus Wild Cats had their starting cornerbacks back in action that were out versus the Defenders. To let Luis Perez who’s been on the bench mostly all year drive his team  and score 17 points off your defense when the Guardians were riding the struggle bus. Wild Cats kicker Nick Novak a veteran kicker from the NFL then the AAF missed two kicks of which one was blocked.  Wild Cats should have never had to rely on their kicker. The offense made bad decisions on third down especially veteran quarterback Josh Johnson taking sacks that caused drives to implode. Lots of dropped passes. Johnson was not at his top of his game as well. Bad coaching as well were a part of this team failing on the road to beat just a bad team in the Guardians.

#7.NEW YORK GUARDIANS (2-2) UP 1 SPOT    In New York it was all about bringing in the King Pin to run the quarterback position.

Luis Perez came in late to the game last week and probably did more in a few minutes behind center than any other Guardian quarterback. Perez earned the start versus the Wild Cats. Professional bowler/learning to play quarterback from watching YouTube was quite impressive. The Guardians break a two game losing streak. Perez did enough. Wild Cats missed two field goals, one was blocked by the Guardians to help the Guardians get their second victory. Would the Guardians been able to muster up 17 points with the others behind center before Perez? Probably not. New York is probably the worse team in the XFL with a 500 record.

#8.SEATTLE DRAGONS (1-3) DOWN 2 SPOTS          The Dragons have hit rock bottom in the XFL. Seattle defense is a top tier unit in this league this season. The offense still can not find themselves.  Brandon Silvers has the devil QB rating at 66.6 for the season. At one point last week Silvers was 1-9 for like 4 yards. Silvers was yanked. Silvers finished 4-10 just 40 yards passing versus St. Louis. It’s Silvers second game this season he has thrown under a 100 yards.  Dragons inserted the running man into the game.

B.J Daniels gave the Dragons a spark for Jim Zorn’s offense last week versus St.Louis. Too little too late. Daniels has a Superbowl ring playing some wide receiver for the Seattle Seahawks when they won it over the Broncos. Can he operate the Dragons offense without making it one dimensional where opposing defenses could key on him?

Maybe it does not matter how many times the Cleveland Browns shuffle their deck.  Does not matter how many times they clean out their front office. After the regular season the Browns  fired their head coach and GM. This seems to be the yearly tradition in Cleveland. They replaced the gigantic stupid move of last off season and brought in Kevin Stefanski from the Minnesota Vikings. Stefanski’s football background compared to the colossal moron Freddie Kitchens, makes Stefanski look and sound like a Bill Belichick. Stefanski has credit for the one year wonder as Vanilla Ice aka Case Keenum climbing the record charts that year in Minnesota. Browns brought in another GM Andrew Berry which is another name that  the jury is still out on. The one thing we do know is the Browns decision already made letting linebacker Joe Schobert walk out the door is baffling. The new regime steps in to the batter box first at bat and is called out on third strike right down the freaking middle is what I see.

Joe Schobert was one of the few good draft picks out of the many the Browns had and got it right. The Browns hit on a 4th rounder from Wisconsin  University in 2016 by picking Joe Schobert. University of Wisconsin, a Big Ten school where they grow defensive players like the corn crop. In 2017 Joe Schobert was selected to his first Pro Bowl. Last season Schobert was Johnny on the spot for the Browns with four interceptions. Schobert had 133 tackles for the Browns defense. Two sacks and broke up nine passes. Last season where the Browns will be remembered mostly because Myles Garrett used Mason Rudolf’s helmet as a weapon like in some kind of zombie apocalypse world. Then to see the STUPID reek out of the pores of all the Cleveland players on the roster every week except a Joe Schobert and few others.

This does not shock me the Browns would pass on Schobert’s services. This is the same Browns that passed on Carson Wentz services and chose Corey Coleman. The same Browns that took Johnny Manziel because Johnny Football told them they should draft him. The signing of Kareem Hunt then trading of Duke Johnson. Then bringing in Odell Beckham Jr. through a trade. Your quarterback Baker Mayfield has done nothing but regressed in his second year. He probably led the division in commercial appearances. All’s the Browns have going on is that this team as a group is a circus. The Browns should not be playing in the NFL with this team. They should be going town to town to set up their big top. Have kids feed peanuts to Myles Garrett. Perhaps a snickers bar would calm his nerves. He may think I’m racist against him.

Joe Schobert is a pure football player. Every team needs as many Joe Schoberts as they can get. Guys that play the team concept. Guys that understand the game and have the heart of the lion. Schobert’s asking price may be too large for the Browns. Browns want to address their offensive line which what team does not want to do that. Maybe Schobert’s asking price is high because he wants out of Cleveland. Which you would not blame him.The Browns could have and should have extended Schobert’s contract before it got to this point.  Schobert himself might want his services to go with a team with better coaching and more football players around him. If you strike gold on a linebacker you hold on to them. They are the heartbeat of the defensive unit. The Browns are too busy looking for their next trapeze act instead of keeping parts of their actually foundation of a football team. Schobert will resurface somewhere next season. Perhaps he will go home and play for the Green Bay Packers next season. A team that made the playoffs last season. A team with new coaching staff that went out last off season and added defense. Joe Schobert would be a nice solid piece to have on many defensive units around the league. In Cleveland Schobert may have to grow another head on his shoulders to stick with that circus act. It’s probably better off to go elsewhere. The Browns have done him a favor. Some may say a solid.

 

Karl Malone will always be on the list as one of the best NBA players of all-time. You can say Malone might be the best power forward to ever play the game. Malone is ranked number two in points scored all-time. Malone a two time MVP award winner. Malone made 14 all-star appearances in 19 seasons in the NBA. Malone was nicknamed the mailman because he always delivered. The only thing you can say he could not deliver was a NBA championship. Malone and John Stockton were able to get the Utah Jazz to the NBA finals two seasons in back to back years. Only to be defeated by those great Michael Jordan teams of the 1990’s.  Malone played 18 seasons in Utah and played in a lot of playoff games over those years. Malone was able to get one more chance at the holy grail when he signed with the LA Lakers in 2004. Those Lakers teams with, recently passed away, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. Lakers made it to the championship but the result was another negative for Malone. Detroit Pistons took the series versus the Lakers and won the whole Enchilada.

In the NHL another Karl Malone story has taken place but this time the player is on skates not the hardwood of the courts and he plays for the San Jose Sharks. Joe Thornton has skated in the NHL for 22 seasons. Thornton was originally drafted by the Boston Bruins. Thornton played in bean town for eight seasons where he emerged as the captain of the Bruins squad. Bruins and Thornton suddenly did not see eye to eye on things. Thornton was shipped off to the west coast to the San Jose Sharks. Thornton has spent 14 seasons in San Jose since that trade which gives him 22 seasons of playing in the NHL and is still active.  Joe Thornton though only made the Stanley Cup finals once in his career. It was in 2016 versus the Penguins. Pittsburgh won that series 4 games to 2.

Joe Thornton and the Sharks last season in the playoffs were able to knock off one of best teams in the league in the first round. Sharks prevailed over Vegas Golden Knights then got past Colorado Avalanche and met the Blues in the Western conference finals. St. Louis might have knocked Joe Thornton’s quest for the cup out completely when they dispatched the Sharks. The Sharks had a loaded veteran team last season. It was the win or bust type of season because the Sharks knew they could not keep all of their players in the off season. They lost some goal scorers before this season even started. This year the Sharks started off bad. They never really got on track and had all kinds of problems. Joe Thornton did resign with the team. Sharks were unable to trade Joe Thornton to a contender at the trade deadline. Does he have another year in him? Sharks problems will not be fixed over night or over the off season. Next season could Thornton latch on to some team that could use his help like how Karl Malone tried after leaving Utah?

In 22 years Joe Thornton has only missed seven seasons of playoffs. Thornton has played in a lot of post season action with his playoff beard. Thornton is considered one of the best passers of all-time as he is one out of 13 players ever to have dished out 1000 or more assists in regular season play over his career. Thornton is the only NHL player to win the Art Ross and Hart Memorial trophies in one year splitting time with two teams. Thornton won those trophies in 2005-06 where he led the league in points and was the MVP that season. Thornton has scored 418 goals with the 1088 assists adds up to 1506 points. Thornton is the San Jose Sharks all-time leader is assists.

Both Joe Thornton and Karl Malone will go down as one of the best in their sport in small market cities. Both have played in bigger markets. Both will be remembered most from the time they called home most of their careers.  Both Malone and Thornton brought playoffs to two cities almost every year they were in the organization. We do not know if Joe Thornton will hang up the skates for good after this season. If he does he will be the Karl Malone of the NHL. Both never won a ring or hoisted the cup. Both played a very long time in their respective leagues. Add all the postseason games and you could tack on a few more regular seasons to their resume. Plus to be able to grind out that many years in a professional sport takes heart, motivation, and dedication. To play through all the wounds and injuries of their sport during decades of playing professionally, both these guys showed up every day. Sometimes the best land on lists that they do not want to be on. Both Thornton and Malone would  be guys anybody would like to build their team around because of the hard work they put into the sport that we watched them play the right way.

 

WEEK 4 XFL POWER RANKINGS

OUR XFL FLASH BACK

No coin toss in the original XFL. Just a mad scramble to get the ball to start the game.

OUR WRESTLING MOMENT

Jake the Snake Roberts was legend in the ring with that freaking python.

PRESENT TIMES

XFL week four power ranking we have a change at the top of the food chain. We have a new bottom feeder as well. After a wacky week three we are here to sort all of it out for the best we can. ENJOY!!!!!

#1.HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (3-0) Are the Roughnecks stealing signs? That would be a sports epidemic to have two of your professional teams in the same city cheating. Look at Boston Red Sox & Patriots. Red Sox have not been convicted yet. They may be the OJ Simpson of the league when the investigation comes to a close. P.J. Walker continues his excellence behind center. Walker has now ten touchdown passes in only three games so far. Coach June Jones has the old run and shoot offense running like a well Oiled machine.

Just like those Oiler teams in the NFL. The thing I worry about with the Roughnecks is will they have to continue to outscore teams every week. The run and shoot offense is not a clock killer. If your team is up and drives stall it can get the opponent back in the game because you’re not killing the clock. The Vipers offense came to life versus the Roughnecks. Before that game it was dormant.  Last two games the Roughnecks have won the shoot outs. It’s hard to continue that pace throughout an entire season.

#2.ST.LOUIS BATTLE HAWKS (2-1) UP 1 SPOT    Football was back in St. Louis for the first time since Rams skipped town.

St. Louis fans look more in to their team than most LA sports teams. Maybe the Chargers would be appreciated if they moved to St. Louis. Why would you even want that crap of an ownership in your town after the other piece of dung left town with his ugly mustache? Battle Hawks easily prevailed over the Guardians from New York. Nice rebound after losing a week before to a very good Houston team. Battle Hawks are very fundamentally strong on both sides of the ball. Well coached. Should be in the thick of things when this regular season comes to an end.

#3.DC DEFENDERS (2-1) DOWN 2 SPOTS    Hopefully the Defenders have not fallen and can’t get up. I would have to change my favorite Atari game from Defender to Missile command.

LA Wild Cats destroyed the Defenders with ease.

Defenders looked the best in all phases of their game in the first two weeks of the season. Last Sunday the Defenders had none of the phases of their game working for them. Cardale Jones was horrible. He tried to force things into coverage which resulted in turnovers. It was Jones’ first loss as a starting quarterback that dates back to his high school team. Jones was undefeated in his lone year as a starter at Ohio State. I feel the Defenders will bounce back. Plenty of talent DC has assembled and I’m not talking congress either.

#4.DALLAS RENEGADES (2-1) SAME  The Renegades have the best road record in the XFL. It has been a struggle bus for teams on the road this season. Ask the Defenders about their LA trip. Quarterback Landry Jones was originally the face of the XFL. A guy who has played for the Steelers and has some games under his belt. Jones does not have to do it all. The Renegades have a pretty good defense. They also have a quarterback’s best friend in a nice rushing attack. Cameron Artis-Payne is averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Second in the league in rushing after three weeks.The Renegades also have the Gronk of the league. A big tight end, Donald Parham Jr., who has some after burners.

Parham Jr. gutted the Dragon secondary bouncing off tackles and then out running his defenders. So far Parham Jr. is the best tight end in the league with 14 grabs 217 yards with three touchdowns.

#5.LA WILD CATS (1-2) UP 1 SPOT After three weeks of play, P.J Walker for the Roughnecks may be the best quarterback. At the end of the season it may be Josh Johnson of the Wild Cats. Johnson is a journeyman in the NFL. Johnson is like the Crash Davis of the XFL as players want to hear about his NFL stories. Johnson not too long ago almost had the Redskins in the playoffs a couple years back. In that crap NFC East division, Johnson was brought in because of injuries. Johnson played pretty well. Johnson and the Wild Cats put up an UGLY over the Defenders.

The biggest upset so far after three weeks of play. Plus they took out the best team in the league, the Defenders. In a 39-9 rout. Wild Cats wide Receiver Tre McBride who does not look Irish gets the first douche bag award.

After he scored he takes his helmet off like he is the ring master at the circus. He not only did this once but twice. Somebody will pop him down the line for his Odell Beckham Jr act. Act like you been there. Go celebrate with team. Not bow like you did everything yourself. Team game.

#6.SEATTLE DRAGONS (1-2) DOWN 1 SPOT   I like lots of things about the Seattle Dragons. The defense has to be one of the top units in the league. The Dragons are able to get turn overs. Steven Johnson, the Dragons’ Linebacker, is one of the best in the league.

Steven Johnson leads the league in tackles. On offense Brandon Silvers is a streaky quarterback. He’s going through more cold periods than hot periods. Dragons lack a play maker that can stretch the defense. Running game is not there yet. I feel defenses can key and exploit the Dragons weaknesses.  Last week the Dragons were right there eye to eye versus the Renegades and when the second half came around, Renegades adjusted and pulled ahead to win the game.

#7.TAMPA BAY VIPERS (0-3) UP 1 SPOT    The Vipers looked a lot better last week especially on the offensive side of the ball. To me it looked like the play calling on offense was taken away from head coach Marc Trestman. If that is the case the Vipers found the end zone more than once versus the best team now in the league, Houston Roughnecks. The Vipers scored 27 points last weekend when they only scored 12 points the first two weeks. The Vipers only lost by one score versus the Roughnecks, taking the game down to the wire as well. Vipers defense has been pretty solid all year if the offense can do what they did last week this team could turn things around. I thought the Viper crowd was pretty excited about their first home game.

#8.NEW YORK GUARDIANS (1-2)   DOWN 1 SPOT       The Guardians take over the basement of my XFL power rankings. Even though the Guardians have won their first game versus the Vipers. I moved the Vipers up because last week they played better even though they have no wins and loss to the Guardians . Since the Guardians win, the New York team has been the worst team in the league. The offensive line is looser than a whore in a whore house. The Guardians are on their third quarterback who learned how to play the position watching you tube.

Luis Perez did get the Guardian offense into the end zone late in the 4th quarter. The same Luis Perez who started last season for the Birmingham Iron of the AAF. YouTube videos helped him land a spot on a  college football roster and he learned how to change a leaky pipe in the same day. The Guardian defense I worry about as well. That unit looked like the team’s strength to start the season.

The San Diego Chargers has always been a team I pulled for. From Hall-of Famer Dan Fouts lighting up the league with Charlie Joiner. From the great Stan Humpries that led the Chargers to their only Superbowl appearance with Natran Means running over people with a nice rushing attack that season. Then you wondered why the Oakland Raiders fans always had more fans in Chargers at their home games. Even with the move to LA visiting fans outnumbered Charger fans the last two years in their soccer stadium. Chargers fans are like extinct from the football world. They may have a small cult following. Chargers should be compared to the Tampa Bay Rays or Florida Marlin fans of the baseball owner.  Marlins it was the way ownership ran that team. Even though they won some World Series titles, Marlin fans have had less happy years and more painful years. Ownership has changed for the Marlins so times it may change for them. The LA Chargers times have “It’s still business as usual” for their ownership. If you look closely at the Chargers organization, you can see they have left a stench so bad to irritate fans and sour their stomachs for good. You completely understand why they don’t have a following. They Chargers deserve the results every year regarding what takes place on the field because of how the ownership runs things .

Chargers arrived in LA and played one season in 1960 in the AFL. After one season Chargers picked up and moved to San Diego. They say San Diego is one of those cities with the best climate. All year around great weather. Laid back people enjoying beautiful beaches and enjoying life. The Chargers and their owner Alex Spanos could not get a deal done to build them a new stadium. The talks have been going on with the city of San Diego and the Chargers for a very long time. After decades in San Diego, Chargers move once again back to LA. The Chargers joined the Rams in LA and instantly became the second fiddle of that town. Rams obviously moved back to LA from St. Louis and had bigger roots in LA for decades which were established. Chargers have been playing at a soccer stadium since 2018 and get outdrawn by the opposing fans and can never even fill up a soccer stadium. These are two cities now that the Chargers have fans that are just turned off by their existence.

I thought about Eli Manning and my first opinion on that was, “What is this primadonna doing?” In 2004 Eli Manning was originally drafted by the Chargers. Manning’s agent said he does not want to play in San Diego. Manning would rather sit out the entire season than put the bolt helmet on. The Chargers ended up getting Phillip Rivers who was drafted after Manning by the New York Giants. Manning went on to win two Superbowls for the Giants. Rivers has been a main staple behind center since but after a horrible 2019 season Chargers released perhaps their second best quarterback of all-time.  I give Dan Fouts the edge over Rivers. Would Rivers have won a Superbowl with the Giants? Some franchises have the luck and turn anything into gold while the Chargers are still evaluating scrap metal they collected on their roster. That year Chargers blamed Archie Manning for Eli not wanting to go to San Diego. Archie played in the small market of New Orleans. I think Archie Manning knew the owner of the Chargers is not worthy of his son’s talents because of way things were ran. Which now you think about it, now he was very correct.

That year when the Chargers were drafting Eli Manning and settled for Phillip Rivers, they had a starting quarterback. They had a guy better than both Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers. His name was Drew Brees. Why were they drafting a quarterback that year in the first place?  Brees ended up hurting himself so that helped the Chargers justify their release of Brees back then. Rivers would play 16 seasons with the Chargers and never reach a Superbowl. Rivers played in only 11 playoff games through his career as a Charger. Rivers would pass for 59, 271 yards with 397 touchdown passes and 198 interceptions. Last season it was rock bottom for Rivers. 23 touchdown tosses but 20 interceptions is what people will still talk about. Rivers went 123-101 as a starter. I remember some great playoff games Rivers had. However Rivers could not beat Peyton Manning and Tom Brady with consistency and those two were the kings of the AFC conference .While Rivers won nothing for the Chargers, Drew Brees resurfaced in New Orleans and won a Superbowl. The Saints have been a powerhouse almost every year with Brees behind center. Rivers might be better off with a new organization. Perhaps he looked and will do well in a Colts uniform.

Now the Chargers in 2020 are talking that Tyrod Taylor will be their starting quarterback. The same Tyrod Taylor who got benched in Cleveland after only three games in that city. Taylor is just a game manager who can make plays with his legs. Taylor can not throw the ball downfield if the team gets behind. Taylor is more of a dink and dunk type of guy in the passing game. All safe throws. Taylor had success in Buffalo helping them get to playoffs a few years ago that broke a very long drought in Western New York for the Bills. Taylor is just two games over his career record as a starting quarterback at 23-21-1. With all the quarterbacks available this off season you are putting your faith in Taylor. This is what the Chargers do. These are reasons fans just give up on Charger football.

Former Charger Eric Weddle was fined ten grand because he wanted see his daughter perform at halftime. No wonder it was a blessing for Weddle when he signed with the Ravens after his career with Chargers came to an end. They traded away Junior Seau thinking he had nothing left in the tank. Seau went on to Miami and the Patriots and was very productive after his Chargers days. No wonder the Chargers drafted Ryan Leaf. The way the Chargers do things they need to get socked in their face with picks like Leaf. Chargers remind me of the LA Clippers when they had David Duke aka Donald Sterling running things. Alex Spanos has passed away but the Spanos family still run the Chargers. Not sure how long this team will last in LA. If you don’t have a following and you’re putting Tyrod Taylor in as your starting QB next season, it does not sound like a good business move. I see the Chargers moving again sometime in the future where they escape LA after the new LA XFL team draws more interest than Charger football. Any city desperate for an NFL team they need to be aware of this Charger ownership. Maybe London, England will be the way to go if the Queen can buy them out. CHEERIO CHARGERS!!! You have a future Monarch name change coming your way.