I have been watching the Chicago Bulls ESPN ten episode series on Sunday nights called, The Last Dance. It’s about that final year of Michael Jordan in a Bulls uniform.The last year where the team won their sixth title and earned their second three peat. The series flashes back to the past and tells you how the Bulls got to the level they did. How the Detroit Pistons were a team that the Bulls had to overcome in the Eastern conference. That’s where Isaiah Thomas comes in.The leader of those bad boy teams which was nicknamed for what they did on the court in the two championships the Pistons racked up. Michael Jordan respected Isaiah Thomas’ game on the court but threw the word HATE when it comes to his arch-rival. Then in an interview with Isaiah, he plays the card of how Jordan’s comments are shocking. Isaiah Thomas has that baby face and he comes off innocent. Deep down, Isaiah is just a bad dude like some Batman villain who got shafted in life and seeks retribution.

Iasiah Thomas was born in Chicago, Illinois and played high school basketball at St.Josephs. Perhaps in his younger days, the bad seed did not sprout. Thomas went on to Indiana University. In 1981, Thomas led the Hoosiers to a NCAA Championship. Isaiah Thomas was drafted number two overall in 1981 from the Detroit Pistons. From 1981-1994, Isiah Thomas was a 12 time all-star. One of the best point guards in the game of basketball on the highest level in the NBA. Thomas was named one of the 50th greatest players in NBA history. Thomas helped win two championships in Motown. It’s the way the Pistons won those championships. It’s the way Thomas and that team conducted themselves, on and off the court. With a roster Detroit had, with Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Joe Dumars, Mark Aguire, Vinnie Johnson, Rick Mahorn, Adrian Dantly and with Isiah Thomas… did they need all the cheap shots on the hard fouls they gave to be effective? Maybe Bill Laimbeer did.

The dirty dozen assembled in Detroit in the late 1980’s, led by head coach Chuck Daly who believed in hard fouls, “if you dare try to score on us down in the paint.” Hard fouls were part of the game in those years.The Detroit bad boys took hard fouls to a whole other level. A slap or a punch in the face. The ole rabbit punch to the kidneys. The quick elbow to groin were extra stuff the Pistons needed. The extra and the hard foul combination that brought you down to the hard wood of the court needing to get back up and ailing. Isiah Thomas resembled a character from the Bad News Bears, Tanner Boyle. Tanner in Bad News Bears was never scared of anyone and was the smallest kid on the field. Tanner would take on the opposing team by himself. Isaiah Thomas had his rag tag bunch behind him, especially Bill Laimbeer, his henchman. Thomas got in the faces of all the superstars in the league like Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan. No wonder he did not get an invite to the dream team in 1992 to play for his country in the Olympics. No one wanted to play with him on the same team. As a villain, this would irritate Thomas and send him deep into the sewers of Gotham, plotting and planning. I give credit to Isaiah because he did not need to be at the country club sipping champagne with the big dogs. This dog ran his own pack. However deep inside, this did not fit right with Isiah Thomas as he all along wanted the respect from the best in the league.

Isiah Thomas has a list of things he has failed at after his play on the court was over. Some of the things he has done on the court and off the court make you scratch your head and sum him up as just a scum. In 1992, with 7.9 seconds left on the clock in the elimination game as the Bulls were about to finally prevail versus their arch-rival, the Pistons walked off the court. Only Joe Dumars and John Salley stayed behind. As a leader of your team this is what you do? You can’t take defeat so you retreat without shaking hands. What happened to sportsmanship? Shows what a class act Isaiah Thomas is. The Bulls when they lost to the Pistons over and over, stayed, swallowed their pride and shook hands with their nemesis.

After his playing days, Isaiah did everything basketball related from coaching to being a General Manager to even owning a league. Isaiah Thomas owned the CBA, the Continental Basketball Association, and ran that into the ground. Filing bankruptcy. Isaiah failed as a coach. Ruined a pretty good Indiana Pacer team and suffered quick exits from the playoffs in round one. When Isaiah stepped in to coach from his executive position as head of the New Knicks, he went down in flames. Thomas’ strategy of hard fouls in the paint, led to a big brawl between the Knicks and the Nuggets. All of Thomas’ executive decisions, which included control over the roster, brought New York Basketball to the lowest level of mankind. When Thomas was finally fired by the Knicks, I still to this day think the whole organization has not recovered from his butchering. Then the sexual harassment suit filed against Isaiah Thomas in 2006. Anucha Browne Sanders, a female executive for the Knicks, settled for 11.5 million dollars because Isiah was being frisky. That is a lot of reasons to feel guilty with that kind of cheddar. Then you had the paternity case before Isiah Thomas tied the knot, as another pay out in the 1980’s. Perhaps Thomas’ best best hire was bringing in thug Bill Laimbeer to coach the women’s New York WNBA team. Those poor women in general dealing with both Thomas and Laimbeer.

After the Detroit Bad boys finally broke up, most of the players on their roster are likeable guys. Dennis Rodman’s time in Chicago helped with the Bulls’ second three peat. I respected how hard Rodman worked. To do all the dirty work that hardly ever shows up in the stat columns. John Salley came off the bench for the Bulls during that three peat and helped them win some games with his play. Joe Dumars had a very nice career in the NBA and now is doing great things in the front office in the league. Vinnie Johnson, AKA the microwave, scoring points off the bench. A spark plug type of player that was fun to watch. I think Isaiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer are in the same boat as guys that you will always hate except if you’re a Pistons fan. Laimbeer might be the better citizen than Isaiah Thomas over time. Isaiah still playing his politician style in front of the camera. Bill Laimbeer still blunt at what spews out of his mouth and may want to fight you after school by the bike rack. While Thomas is just a worm who slithers around in the soil these days. Just don’t turn your back, he may shiv you from behind after you think he’s your friend.

The Chicago Bears 2020 draft, I have mixed feelings about. I can say good, bad, and ugly to describe my thoughts on their picking this year. I know coming in the Bears did not have a number one draft pick. The Bears used that pick as a part of that Khalil Mack trade with the Raiders. The recent Bears history with a number one pick is just frightening. Bears used picks this year and went after players to help fill some of the holes on their roster. Which is a good philosophy, not drafting a project like a Shea McClellin and hoping they fit in somewhere. Like a bad jigsaw puzzle forcing a piece in a spot that does not fit.The Bears did not go after a quarterback in the draft which this team has had ongoing problems about for decades. They trade away draft picks like they’re candy. Did I miss the headlines that the Bears were in the playoffs last season?

The Bears first pick was in the second round of the draft and landed yet another tight end. Cole Kmet, a local kid from Notre Dame, some say was the best tight end on the board. Kmet is a big target with great hands that can run over people. Matt Nagy needs a tight end in his offense that has too many moving parts. The Bears have a shit load of tight ends on the roster even with releasing Trey Burton, who was not worth the money they paid him. The Bears stayed the course with this pick and have gotten someone that can help this team this up coming season. I like this pick a lot. I think Kmet can turn into a weapon of mass destruction on opposing teams.

Still in the second round, the Bears go defense with their second pick. At number 50 the Bears get a corner back from the University of Utah, Jaylon Johnson. The Bears released veteran corner back Prince Amukamara so this was a position in need. Johnson was second All-American who tallied six interceptions and 21 pass break ups which tells you he can get the job done. All of this done with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Obviously you have to like this kid who can play through big time pain and be very productive. However this move raises a red flag with me. When the Bears drafted Kevin White, he had injury baggage that he brought to Chicago. White turned into a first round bust. Jaylon Johnson may be the exception. However we have been down this road and Ryan Pace’s higher picks turn into stone.

After the second round, the Bears next picks came in the fifth round. With the lack of picks coming in, the Bears baffle me by wheeling and dealing yet again future draft picks. Again, did the Bears make the playoffs and I missed it? The Bears trade away a 2021 4th round pick to the Minnesota Vikings to move up eight spots in the fifth round to land a defensive end from Tulsa in Trevis Gipson. Now next year’s draft will be depleted with picks you have traded away. Plus you are helping a division rival, Minnesota Vikings, who did make the playoffs last season and had an arsenal of draft picks in this year’s draft, like some guy hoarding toilet paper in the pandemic crisis. Trevis Gipson is a guy that can get to the quarterback as he had 8 sacks last season for Tulsa. Gipson is a a 6’3 261 pound guy who can line up on the edge or be that outside linebacker. Gipson can learn from the best in Khalil Mack. Plus with the addition of Robert Quinn from Dallas in free agency, you can use him in a package of plays with fresh legs coming off the bench to kill the quarterback on the opposing team. Why did Gipson fall to the 5th round and is he worth trading away a future draft pick? Did Ryan Pace gamble against himself like moving up the one spot to get Mitchell Trubisky back in 2017? Maybe Gipson would have been there for the Bears’ taking, standing still without mortgaging the future. Good grief Charlie Brown has struck again.

Still in round five, the Bears took another corner back out of Georgia Southern in Kindle Vildor. Vildor is most likely destined for special teams. Some say Vildor could be a feisty in your face type of corner, a good defender in the nickel role. Then the Bears took a flier on a speed guy at wide receiver. Darnell Mooney from Tulane University will be a fifth round project that cost the Bears once again this time with the Eagles. Mooney has blazing speed as he can run the 40 yard dash in 4.38 turbo. Bears released Taylor Gabriel and Mooney is the same type of guy at 5’10 and 176 pounds. Ryan Pace has done well late in rounds with guys like Mooney and Vildor.

The Bears did not address a glaring weakness on their roster until the final round of the draft. It took the Bears until the 7th round to land two projects at offensive line. Arlington Hambright, a big specimen at 6’5″ from Colorado, a former Buffalo. Maybe he is a Bison. Then another big guy from Tennesee State, Lachavious Simmons. Simmons is another monster standing at 6’5 and can play multiple positions on the offensive line. Bears have found diamonds in the ruff before with the 7th round on offensive line, where Charles Leno came from in 2014.

It very hard to determine if the Bears got this year’s draft class right. It will take a few seasons to actually see how it plays out. I would have preferred a project and taking a flyer on a quarterback late in the rounds. Would have liked an offensive lineman higher up in the draft if possible. It was a draft loaded with wide receivers and we get the project speed guy. I think Cole Kmet and Jaylon Johnson will be the cream of the crop. I think Kmet will thrive on the field being local. Kmet will be a nice target used in the red zone is my gut feeling. I like Utah players. It seems the draft was loaded with guys from the Universities of Utah and Utah State. What else is there to do in that state besides concentrate on your game and master your craft? I like guys that battle through injuries and show up every week to play and still be productive like Jaylon Johnson was. The draft picks bother me. Ryan Pace has given away picks like he has a warehouse filled with them boxed up. Seems like Ryan Pace is out-dueling Ryan Pace for certain players. Stop listening to the voices in your head and quit trading away the cow for some beans.

When I was in grammar school, the best way of following the Chicago Blackhawks was reading about them in the local newspaper. If you did not have cable, you were not seeing your team on ice. Of course you could have been one of the lucky people with tickets to Chicago Stadium during the 1980’s. It was a very hard ticket to get. The Blackhawks did not have their games telecast on the local free channels for every Chicagoland household. Only the road games made their way on Sportsvision from your cable provider. The Blackhawks were a playoff team almost every year. In the 1990’s, the Blackhawks even made it to the Stanley Cup and came way with a loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Then nothing but crickets took over Chicago Blackhawk home games. Sure the Blackhawks still had some fans, but the whole organization sunk into a deep abyss down to the LA Clipper level. It is very hard to bounce back from being ranked at the bottom of the 4 main sports in the states and seeing your team next to the Clippers, a franchise in disarray for decades. Things did change. Uncle Scrooge Bill Wirtz passing for the Blackhawks to resurrect.The son, Rocky Wirtz, took over and made a big hire bringing in John McDonough from the Cubs organization, making him the President of Hockey Operations for the Chicago Blackhawks. For John it was simple he had to raise the dead. Revive the whole Blackhawk organization.

In 2007, John McDonough took the job and immediately got his hands dirty. Remember the words of Uncle Scrooge as Bill Wirtz said “Stanley Cups cost too much money.” Getting to the playoffs in his mind mattered much more than a Stanley cup. If they lost in the playoffs, the fans would still want more. Basically keep stringing them along. Yes, John McDonough definitely might be in too deep. McDonough rebuilt the front office from scratch. All the Blackhawks games were available to watch on television. Uncle Scrooge would be tossing and turning hearing that. The most important thing was he created a winning culture. What helped John McDonough and the Blackhawks being so bad for so long was they made the right picks. Especially having high draft picks which they used on Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. Add some key trades to the mix which resulted in three Stanley Cups. Besides bringing back winning hockey, McDonough was savvy on the business sides of things. Stanley Cup championships should make a franchise more money than cost the franchise money. Little things like adding the Blackhawks convention in the off-season for the fans. McDonough hooked, lined and sinkered the Blackhawks fans into the boat like a fishing vessel. Uncle Scrooge alienated the fan base. In 2019, Forbes has the Blackhawks at number 4 in the NHL for the most valuable franchise. That explains the 531 consecutive sell outs at the United center.

I remember giving my friend a VHS tape. Asking him to tape a Blackhawks game for me. This was when the Blackhawks road games were only on cable and he had it. My family was always last to the party when it came to cable and call waiting. I wanted to see Dave Manson just obliterate some opposing player on the boards. The friend taped the game and I watched it the next day. As I watched it, all of a sudden other channels would come in. My friend was channel surfing through the taping so only bits and pieces came in. My point is I hope the Blackhawks are not headed down another Clipper road. First getting rid of you can say the best coach in the entire NHL, Joe Quenneville. Now you axe John McDonough after all he brought to the table. The Blackhawks perhaps do not see that the problem is Stan the Man Bowman. He’s the one who needs his head scalped from the organization. All his moves he has made the last few seasons have been disastrous. Rocky Wirtz could be sending a message to his organization that change needs to happen or more heads will roll. Wirtz better have a plan ahead. A good replacement not named Bowman. I’m still trying to figure out the DVR world if we go old time hockey again.

The Buffalo Bills continue their collection of X-Carolina Panther players. This X- Panther has a very familiar name that will make Buffalo fans cringe. They might get excited, but only in anger hearing the name Bryan Cox. The same name of one Buffalo Bills nemesis in the 1990’s. Bryan Cox may be public enemy number one in the Bills mafia book for all-time. The former Miami Dolphin linebacker was never gun-shy about his hateful feelings towards Buffalo and the Bills. The Bryan Cox the Bills just signed is the son of the biggest Cox that ever came into the beloved city of Buffalo. Bryan Cox Jr. playing for the Bills, a team his father hated. His father’s arch-rival. Are the Bills fans expected to root for the son who comes from the father that they loathed?

In 1993, Bryan Cox Senior’s words echoed all over the air waves about his opinions about the Bills. Cox Sr. said, “I don’t like the Buffalo Bills as a team.” “I don’t like them as people.” “I don’t like the city.” I don’t like the organization.”

In the 1990’s Bills and the Miami Dolphins was a very intense rival. It was Jim Kelly versus Dan Marino twice a year plus they met in the playoffs. The hate was pure like it is today with the Evil Empire, New England Patriots. You had two masterminds coaching on each team. Don Shula earned himself a chain of steak houses with his X’s and O’s. Then the great Marv Levy, one of the greatest historians of the game. Levy could rally his troops even with the great falls with four Superbowl losses. Bryan Cox Senior knew on that day the Buffalo faithful would greet him with loud boos after he shared his thoughts to the media. He double saluted the fans with the flip of the birds walking in like some kind of Wrestlemania as foul language spewed out of his mouth before the Dolphins faced the Bills that Sunday. The jeers from the fans became louder then a heavy metal band playing inside a small room.

Bryan Cox Sr was caught on camera and was fined. Cox that day was jacked up as he had one sack and five tackles. Miami ended up winning that game and Cox had the last laugh of the day. It was not just one incident with Bryan Cox Sr. and the Buffalo crowd and the football team. Bryan Cox was ejected for fighting with Buffalo Bills running back Carwell Gardner and while being ushered off the field as he was ejected from the game, he spat towards fans and may have hissed at them. Bryan Cox Sr spent 12 seasons in the NFL. Besides the Dolphins of course, he played for the Jets and Patriots, both being other teams in the Bills division. When he was not in the AFC East he played in Chicago and New Orleans.

The son of Bryan Cox Junior may have more of his mother’s side than his father in him. Bills GM Brandon Beane and head coach Sean McDermott have always brought in guys with high character. Bryan Cox Junior has played three seasons in the NFL. Cox Junior was undrafted and signed with the Panthers in 2017. Cox Junior played his college ball at Florida University. Three seasons as a Gator he tallied up 98 tackles with ten sacks. Last year Bryan Cox Junior split his season with the Panthers and the Browns. The defensive end has played mostly special teams in his NFL career. Cox did get some starts in Cleveland on the defense. Bryan Cox Jr. is 6’3 tall weighing in at 270 and he will be competing for a back up role with the team. Cox Jr.is familiar with the new Bills defensive line coach Eric Washington who coached him in Carolina. Mario Addison and Vernon Butler, two teammates who played with Cox Jr. last season, signed with the Bills this off season from Carolina; you may have already known that. The common theme of tracing everything back to Carolina.

Most Buffalo Bills fans may not like the idea of Bryan Cox Senior’s son playing for their beloved team. In Chicago they would say on the Southside, “I’d rather my sister live in a whorehouse than be a Cubs fan.” This is how we feel about our beloved teams with the passion. We get outraged when enemies do bad things to our town, city and our team. We hold lifetime grudges. Bryan Cox Jr. is not coming in as a stud. If Cox Jr. makes a few solid plays, the boos will be less. If Cox Junior does well maybe a few cheers will be sprinkled in. If Bryan Cox Senior comes to the game perhaps he’ll be interesting in a little table slamming in the parking lot. When Dennis Rodman came to the Bulls it was hard at first. Then seeing the way Rodman played you fell in love with him in the uniform switch. This move may not materialize into anything. Bryan Cox Jr.may be on the roster for the year and not even hear a peep out of his play or lack of. Plenty of players every year on a football roster you never even know they are still on the team or have been gone for years. If Cox Junior does well, maybe he’d rather not walk the same path as his father and make up for all the bad stuff his old man did on the field especially versus the Bills. That may make Senior cringe, his own blood in Bills uniform breaking out and becoming a pretty good football player. Not some loud mouth punk like Senior spewing at the mouth and hurting his own team with wrestling theatrics on display. Overall Buffalo may win the psychological warfare and drive Senior insane in the brain.

The Green Bay Packers are not feeling the love by many critics of their first round pick on Thursday in the 2020 NFL draft. The Packers moved up in the draft with the help of the Miami Dolphins which cost Green Bay a draft pick to move up 4 spots and get quarterback Jordan Love. A quarterback you say? Yes, a quarterback. Yes and they still have an MVP quarterback in Aaron Rodgers. The Packers made it to the NFC championship and lost to the San Francisco 49ers. Many think maybe they could have used their pick to give Aaron Rodgers another weapon to throw to. Especially a draft loaded with talented receivers all over the board. Last season it was all basically Devante Adams as the only one open. Perhaps an offensive lineman since Byran Bulaga left town and signed with the LA Chargers. Can’t hurt to improve the defense with your first round pick. This is history repeating itself in Green Bay. Not in a bad way. This pick is why Green Bay has had two quarterbacks over the last few decades.

The last time the Green Bay Packers picked up an offensive skills position in the first round, was when they selected Aaron Rodgers late in the first round in 2005. A man named Brett Farve was the quarterback, in fact the greatest quarterback in Green Bay history at the time. Aaron Rodgers stood on the sidelines for years playing here and there and just learning from one of the greats. Aaron Rodgers then turned out to be one of the best in the league, and he still is one of the best in the league these days. Leading Green Bay to multiple playoff appearances. Rodgers helped Green Bay capture another Super Bowl title. Rodgers has won some trophies of his own as his play kept this big cheese log rolling year after year without missing a beat. Aaron Rodgers is under contract until 2023. Rodgers is 36 years old and will turn 37 in December and might be a guy that can play into his 40’s. It may not be with the Packers as we saw Brett Farve was in a Jets and Vikings uniform before he hung up the spikes. It’s the passing of the torch like Joe Montana did with Steve Young.

Jordan Love is from the University of Utah State and in 2018 threw 32 touchdown strikes, leading the Aggies to an 11-2 record that year. Some experts have shown Jordan the Love, saying he is the best thrower in the quarterback pool in this year’s draft. Some experts think Love is a day two pick. In 2019, Jordan Love regressed, throwing 17 picks. Love still threw 20 touchdowns and the Aggies went 7-6 with him under center. Jordan Love’s strength is his arm. Love had 65 completions throwing beyond 20 yards. Love is a guy that can sling the ball down field as he threw 25 TD strikes beyond 20 or more yards in his days in Utah State. His weakness is bad decisions. You could say some accuracy issues as well. During the modern draft era in the NFL, Jordan Love is the third quarterback taken from the Mountain West conference in the first round. He joins Alex Smith, another Utah quarterback from Utah University, and Josh Allen out of Wyoming a few years back.

As a Bears fan, I hate this move the Packers made. This will be another quarterback who will get properly groomed to take over the position behind center in a few seasons. The Packers will fix Jordan Love’s weaknesses and he’ll be the next MVP of the league. Then Jordan Love will do what Brett Farve and Aaron Rodgers have done to the Bears since coming into the league. Domination!!! The Bears will still be trying to find their franchise quarterback that will date back to the 1940’s when Sid Luckman was the guy. This move does not help the Packers presently. It will be a move people will be like, “wow that was really smart,” years from now. It does take guts to think beyond the next season, especially coming off a conference championship loss. Many teams in the league take a very long time to find a replacement for anything good they had behind center. The Packers have a lucky horse shoe so far up their rear it just sickens you. Especially when the Bears brain trust picks Mitch Trubisky out of the three choices that include Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. The Humanity!!!

The Chicago Bears are like those people that have to hoard toilet paper through these trying times. Instead of grabbing every square off the shelves during the Coronavirus, the Bears want every tight end they see in their cart. Maybe Bears GM, Ryan Pace, is like that guy in your fantasy league with multiple tight ends, too many kickers on the roster. Then have missing positions such as quarterback. I always thought the Bears should draft a quarterback every year until they get that position locked down. On the 43rd pick in the 2020 draft, the Bears select a local kid from Notre Dame, and many experts have Cole Kmet as the best tight end on the board.

Maybe it is the luck of the IRISH that the Bears first pick in the draft is in the second round and they get the best guy at the position. Cole Kmet grew up in Lake Barrington, and played sports at St. Viator. Kmet was a two sport guy as he played football and baseball at the collegiate level. For the Irish he racked up some saves coming out of the bullpen as a pitcher. Kmet stuck with the family trade of football. Kmet’s father, Frank Kmet, was drafted by the Buffalo Bills. Kmet’s uncle, Jeff Zgonina, played 17 seasons in the NFL. With football blood in Cole Kmet, the Bears get a 6’6 242 pound huge target to throw to. Last season at Notre Dame, he caught 43 passes for 515 yards and six touchdowns. In a game versus the University of Georgia, he caught 9 balls for 108 yards with a touchdown catch. Kmet is big, strong, and can break tackles as he likes to run over defenders. Kmet has good hands that can extend on bad passes. A big catch radius which is needed for quarterbacks off the mark.

The Chicago Bears recently cut Trey Burton who was injury prone and getting a lot of money. If the Bears would have kept Burton, they would have had 11 tight ends on the active roster. Maybe the Bears’ plans is to have some kind of tight end competition. Like a kickoff they did with kickers last year. The list of tight ends include Ben Braunecker, Darion Clark, Demetrius Harris, J.P Holtz, Jesper Horset, Dax Raymond, and Eric Saubert. Braunneker and Horstead had a touchdown catch last season. Holtz had 7 catches and 91 yards. Then you have Adam Shaheen who everyone knows he is a bust. Bears holding on to him like he’s due for break out season. If the Bears knew they were going to draft a quarterback why the signing of Jimmy Graham? The guaranteed money they paid Graham just baffles me.

Cole Kmet says he needs to improve on blocking and his route running. Kmet also had a broken collar bone he dealt with. Some will compare Kmet to the LA Rams tight end, Tyler Higbee. I think walking into the room, by far Cole Kmet is the best tight end the Bears had. Only problems I forecast is if the Coronavirus shortens training camp for the entire NFL. I do like Kmet has a gym set up in his Gramma’s house. Will Kmet have enough time to improve his weaknesses and adjust his play to the fast pace of the NFL? Then soaking in Matt Nagy’s war and peace play book. Mitch Trubisky is still learning it. Bright side Cole is Kmet did go to Notre Dame so he should be able to comprehend things quicker. Kmet will definitely have to learn on the fly. It might take Kmet until mid season to really get his feet wet. Overall I like this pick by the Bears so now let’s just hope Mitch Trubisky or Nick Foles get Cole Kmet the ball.

Spring football leagues for decades have been trying to establish their footing to stick around. Knowing coming in you are competing with the NFL. Thinking football fans want more after college and the pro games are done from their fall seasons. The first year is always the toughest for the new league in town. You need lots of money and a strong football backing. Building a fan base and keep them wanting more. A new league needs a good product on the field. If they can get good competition on the field, a new league needs to be seen. Games need to be easy to view where they can get word of mouth going around. Especially in a social media world. Plus get fans from-other cities with no team present. Both the XFL and AAF the last two seasons, you can say they checked a few of those boxes. The AAF did not have enough coin in the piggy bank to finish their season. The Coronavirus wiped out the XFL relaunch and they could not finish the season. These new leagues are not planned well financially as they can not even finish their scheduled season that included playoffs. XFL suspended their season due to the Coronavirus in hopes of resurfacing in 2021. This week the rest of the XFL employees were cut loose. Then Vince McMahon filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy in the state of Delaware. The league now will be for sale. Any takers?

The XFL’s second go around was a success. The league scrapped all the added wrestling hoopla from the first attempt. They got rid of rules like the mad scramble for the kickoff and no fair catches on punts. Rules that made their game dangerous and because of which players got hurt. The new XFL added some additional rules this go around that were liked. The new kickoff was done in a different way to keep one of the most exciting plays in the game. The AAF abolished the kickoff. In the NFL, the kick off is mostly a touch back. The XFL had no kicks for extra point. The XFL did three different extra point tries as the furthest away from the goal line was worth more points. The XFL kept the standard football rules as well as their additions. The league had 8 teams. Each team had a well known head coach with plenty of football pedigree. The league lacked quarterback super power. The games were still fun to watch because the XFL kept it football on the field. The league averaged about 15,000 excited fans per game. Each week, the league played two games on Saturday and two games on Sunday. The television viewers started off big and continued to dwindle each week. They still had a nice cult following. The XFL games were on big networks such as ABC and Fox, so every week like the NFL, you could just turn on the television and see a game.

The first sign the XFL would not come back was the league let all their players be free to sign elsewhere. This was not too long after the league cancelled the rest of the season. Some may have thought in 2021, do another draft out of another pool of players available. The Coronavirus knocked out 5 weeks of regular season. The Virus eliminated the post season as well. The XFL lost a lot of money for those games. The league has paid off all the fans who deserved their prepaid money back from ticket purchasing. The refunds were paid out before the league filed chapter 11. The XFL owes millions of dollars for a variety of things with many different creditors seeking pay outs. Some of the payouts included stadium leases from all eight venues. The League still owes 7-8 coaches money which includes Dallas Renegades head coach, Bob Stoops, over a million dollars. Wonder what coach had naked pictures of Vince McMahon with a donkey to get his full contract paid out ?

I know nobody can plan for Coronavirus. Vince McMahon, before the league even kicked off, said that his investors and the wrestling king himself had plenty of money to fund the league for three seasons if nobody showed up in the stands. Perhaps that was taking a parting shot at the AAF for not being able to finish their inaugural year due to running out of money. The AAF came closer than the XFL. The AAF finished 8 weeks out a ten week season, unlike the XFL who completed only half. With the Coronavirus lurking, nobody has a time table when everything will be clear. The NFL could be delayed on their regular start time in 2020. That would definitely delay the XFL return in 2021 if they continued. Would the Spring league turn into a Summer league? I can see why they need to fold up shop with the uncertainty. This league will become some tax write off for this weasel, Vince McMahon. You can’t trust guys like Vince McMahon to start something and finish something. Look what President Trump did to the USFL in the 1980’s. These billionaires do not care. Stick to wrestling Mr.McMahon, at least you know each winner from the daily script written in that fake sport. I don’t even want to hear something in ten years about XFL part three. The beer cup snake in DC will be missed. Maybe the next Spring football league will actually play the whole season. By doing that, the people running the league will have accomplished what both the XFL and AAF could not do. They should also do the opposite of what those leagues did to ensure success for those wanting more football.

The present NBA season has been suspended by the Coronavirus that has invaded the country. The virus sweeping through and infecting many while imprisoning most. The conditions around us did not stop the Chicago Bulls from making a game changer type of move to their front office. Some will say it took the bloody apocalypse finally to make a decision to end the two man puppet show of John Paxson and Gar Forman. Most are familiar with dumb and dumber, aka GARPAX, that has been running this basketball organization into the ground for more than two decades. Finally enough was enough and the Reinsdorf clan actually made a significant move that was heard throughout the NBA. The Bulls were able to pry Arturas Karnisovas away from the Denver Nuggets front office.

Arturas Karnisovas is the man with the plan and will take over the Bulls front office as Head of Basketball Operations. The 48 year old spent six seasons in Denver. The last two seasons, Karnisovas served as the Nuggets General manager constructing an NBA team on the rise in the West. Lots of interesting talent assembled by Arturas Karnisovas. He also served as the team’s Assistant General Manager and VP of Basketball Operations during that six years in Denver. Before the Nuggets, Karnisovas was Director of Scouting for the Rockets for five years. Karnisovas also dabbled in the NBA league office before the job with the Rockets where he spent 4 years.

Arturas Karnisovas was born in Lithuania. Arturas came over to the states and played college ball at Seton Hall. After college, Karnisovas played basketball overseas for more than ten years professionally. Karnisovas definitely has a connection to international players. The Nuggets roster is filled with them. Jamal Murray and Trey Lyles from Canada. Karnisovas found a diamond in the ruff in Torrey Craig, who is from Australia. Serbian big man, Nikola Jokic was a second rounder unheard of, and he’s done very well. Karnisovas likes a certain physical profile of players he likes. Versatile skills and intangibles like dedication, motivation, and team first guys.

Arturas Karnisovas will have plenty of work to do. The Bulls have one of the smallest front office personnel departments in the league. Expansion will be on the list of improvements. Karnisovas will be looking for a new General Manager. What will Karnisovas do with Head Coach, Jim Boylen? Will this move the Bulls made get Lauri Markkanen back on board with the organization? Markkanen gave his displeasure of the direction the Bulls organization was going, not too long ago. As for GARPAX you think they would be thrown to the curb of the ongoing dumpster fire they created all these years. John Paxson will have an advisory role. Gar Forman’s future is unclear right now. We know Jerry Reinsdorf does not like to fire his Lieutenants. I’m sure Gar Forman will resurface somewhere, hopefully just behind the pretzel cart in a paper hat. Today I could say I may find my Bulls jersey at the bottom of the hamper to see if it’s even still there. I need to see more by the Bulls before I run it through the wash.

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Over the years many wanted to see Tom Brady face Drew Brees in a Superbowl, including myself. When the New Orleans Saints faced the LA Rams in the NFC conference championship in 2019, I thought it was going to happen. The play that stands out in that game toward the end was the Rams defender mugging the Saints receiver resulting in no flag. It was the call that broke the Saints’ back, ending their season in dramatic fashion. Rams went on to face the Patriots in a snooze fest of a Superbowl. Not even Janet Jackson’s boob popping out would have awakened the audience in that game. That Superbowl will never happen now since Tom Brady is in the NFC with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both quarterbacks playing well into their 40’s. Both of them are close in most NFL quarterback all-time stats. Since the Buccaneers play in the same division with the Saints, now they will face each other twice a year. It’s setting up both these quarterbacks for the final show down. It’s like going to be an old fashion shoot out at the koo koo corall at high noon. Unless it’s a three o’clock game. Most likely would be one of the prime time night games.

Brady and Brees have met a grand total of five times facing off against each other in the NFL. Before the NFL, Tom Brady’s Wolverines demolished Drew Brees’ Purdue Boilermakers 38-12 in a rain type of game that created sloppy conditions between two Big Ten teams in a fall classic. Both have never forgotten that college game, especially Drew Brees. Brees has the edge over Brady in the NFL 3-2. Tom Brady and his Evil Empire won the last two meetings. Drew Brees beat Tom Brady twice in a Charger uniform before he even came to the Big Easy. In 2009 Drew Brees in a Saints uniform led his team over the Brady Patriots in old fashioned butt whipping. Tom Brady made a comeback to seal the deal over the last meeting between the Saints and Patriots in a game that went back and forth.

When it comes to the playoffs between both Tom Brady and Drew Brees, Brady stands out by a land side between the two. Tom Brady has six Superbowl rings compared to Drew Brees’ one ring. Drew Brees has played in only 16 play off games over his career and he has an 8-8 record as the starting quarterback. Tom Brady has started in 41 playoff games in his career and has gone 30-11 in those games. Both quarterbacks have never played each other in the post season. Only chance of that happening was Drew Brees in a Charger uniform. With Tom Brady inked to a two year deal in Tampa Bay, will you see the Buccaneers and Saints meet in the playoffs?

All-time Regular season stats is where both these quarterbacks are neck in neck with each other like some horse race coming down to the nose. Who will flinch first is the question. If one of these guys retires first, the other guy will have most of the stat titles for a quarterback. Right now Brees leads Brady in touch down passes 547 to 541. Brees missed five games last season so he could have had a few more to his tally. Look at passing yards where Brees leads that category 77, 416 to Brady’s 74, 571. Other interesting stats are Tom Brady has the slight edge over comebacks versus Drew Brees. Brady 36 to Brees 35. Game winning drives Drew Brees has 50 of those compared to only 45 from Tom Brady. Drew Brees also has the better completion percentage at 67.6% over Tom Brady’s 63.8%. Overall record behind center in regular season, Tom Brady is the guy. Tom Brady is 219-64 which is just sickening. Drew Brees has 163-111 record in regular season play.

We know Tom Brady is 42 years of age and has a two year deal in Tampa Bay. Drew Brees is 41 years of age and inked only a one year deal. Barring any injuries and hoping the Coronavirus does not change the scheduling, these two will face each other two times in regular season. It would be cool to see the Buccaneers and Saints go at it in the playoffs. Beyond this year, does the Saints move on from Drew Brees in favor of Taysom Hill who has been waiting patiently? At least this season it would be Good versus Evil. The Buccaneers will now be pirates creating havoc on their travels instead of what we are used to in Tampa Bay, some rated G film of some sissy version of the Pirates of the Caribbean. Tom Brady instantly turns the Buccaneers into the bad guys. Drew Brees, the good guy, giving 5 million dollars to New Orleans to help against Coronavirus. While Tom Brady is checking out his surround sound in one of Derek Jeter’s mansions in Florida. It will be high noon for Shane versus Jesse James on Bourbon Street in an epic shoot out for all the marbles. Let’s hope good prevails over evil.

The whole world has been dealing with a virus that has affected many and has taken lots of lives in its deadly path. The Corona Virus has forced towns to shut down across the nation and overseas. You would think with what is going on in the world, that it would keep all the crazies in check. Perhaps postpone their bad intentions. In the criminal mind, these trying times are a perfect time to strike. In a New Mexico gas station named Chucky’s, a 22 year old male named Daniel Arroyo Beltran had an interest in some kids that got off the Greyhound bus with their mother. There were three kids all together. Beltran wanted two of the kids and on March 26, 2020 an opportunity presented itself, and he pounced on them like a vulture pecking away at leftover road kill smashed on the highway by a Peterbilt truck. Chaos erupted at the gas station as Beltran made his move for the baby and a three year old. Across the street at another gas station, Beltran did not know that the District wrestling champion from Mayfield High was filling up his gas tank.

Beltran quickly snatched the three year old by his arm and yelled at the mother to hand the baby over. Customers outside raced to rescue the mother and her kids. Beltran quickly disposed of these good samaritans punching a man and woman. Across the street the Wrestler was done at the pump and heard the commotion. The mother quickly took her kids inside Chucky’s gas station. Inside people tried to intervene and put a stop to Beltran’s madness as he made his way inside. It did not work as Beltran went fisticuffs again with another customer. That customer probably gave that mother and her kids enough time to lock themselves in the employee’s room as they hoped and prayed that authorities would be there shortly. Customers tried to throw things at Beltran. Nothing could stop his rampage and pursuit of the mother and kids as he fought off a broom handle at one point and continued on like a Terminator mission to capture John Connor. The episode may have lasted under ten minutes but it seemed like a lifetime for the kids and the mother scared for their lives in a small town called Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Then the doors opened as a hero walked inside the gas station like he has been there before. Canaan Bower a 16 year old wrestler high school student saves the day. Bower grabbed Beltran, brought him down to the ground, and pinned him. I would like to think the clerk gave the “1-2-3 count you’re out” sign. Bower had Beltran pinned until the Police finally arrived on the scene and collected the 22 year old waste of sperm. Canaan Bower had to have ice water in his veins to enter Chucky’s like a first responder and let his instincts take over from the wrestling mat. The way Bower took the scum to the ground using what he learned in the sport of wrestling, instead of trying to punch the guy. Most would have gone for the punch as their anger guides them instead of instinct in a heated moment like that.

Back in high school I had a cup of coffee in the sport of Wrestling. I was a tall skinny kid in the 125 pound weight class. I never wrestled in an actual match because I was overweight. I was 127, they wanted me to lose weight, but I was 6 feet tall. I was skin and bones and needed cheeseburgers to put some meat on my frame instead of calling Jenny Craig. I quit and moved on to other things. In my neighborhood some of these wrestlers that wrestled in high school were just pricks and looking for fights. Who knows what these guys would have done if they entered the store as a group and saw Beltran’s rampage. The great wrestlers that I knew, besides the rotten apples, from back in the days and like Canaan Bower are on another level in life. Like the fire fighters who climbed the stairs in the World Trade Center during 9/11. The front lines of doctors and nurses helping all the victims of the Coronavirus. Canaan Bower is the type of person that will help the nation get through the Coronavirus. Bower has a bright future in his life. I can see this not being his last great headline in life.