Finally our first edition of the NFL power rankings where we dissect every team like an 8th grade scientist experiment. This will be our original frame work to start our season of power rankings as we expect it will change drastically week to week because this is the NFL. It’s very hard to predict anything. Hope we do not offend your team. One of my favorite teams is dead last. Hope you enjoy the first NFL power rankings by the Wild Shamrock this season as we roll out all 32 teams in our usual good, bad and ugly analysis. Hope your team is good rather than ugly.

#1.BUFFALO BILLS (2-0) The Bills are playing lights out so far on both sides of the ball. Week one they took it to the Superbowl champs. Last week they made Derrick Henry look like a lower tier running back as he was running like he had the stone of shame shackled to ankles like Homer Simpson.

Josh Allen dishing out the ball like a point guard in basketball as he included many of his weapons. Bills look like the scariest team so far. I like the home field advantage they had last week as the crowd was electric.

Jim Kelly getting the crowd juiced up with his pep talk to the crowd before the kick-off. If Bills get that first round bye it will be tough for any AFC team to go into Buffalo in the cold and win.

#2.KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (2-0) Chiefs have not slowed down on offense after trading away their top play maker, Tyreek Hill. Chiefs ran up the score on the Cardinals in week one. Patrick Mahomes then faced Justin Herbert as the Chiefs won the first battle against a division rival. Chiefs using the same format to win games have a top ten offense with a defense that just makes enough plays to preserve the victory in close games. Chiefs don’t look like they are going away any time soon.

#3.PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (2-0) Eagles are playing solid football on both sides of the ball. So far it’s been all Jalen Hurts emerging as a superstar quarterback in this league.

Hurts is a duel threat quarterback that can run and pass very well. Hurts is completing 69% of his passes in two games so far. Hurts has used his legs when needed. Hurts is backed up by a great running game. Hurts also has plenty of weapons to throw to. The Eagles defense is very good at creating turnovers.

#4.TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (2-0) Not impressed with Tom Brady so far this year. It’s the Buccaneer defense that has Tampa Bay undefeated at this time. Buccaneer defense looks like one of the best units in the game right now just giving up 13 points in two games. Brady will have to do something eventually if this team wants to go deep into post-season. Buccaneers offense is not healthy. Brady’s receiving core is in shambles with injuries after which they went out and signed Cole Beasley. The state of Florida probably is a good spot for Beasley to play so he can play football instead of whining about Covid shots. Can the Buccaneers protect their quarterback? Brady’s line these days is just being held up by a few nails.

#5.MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-0) Suddenly the Dolphins have found their Dan Marino combination with Mark Clayton and Marcus Duper.

All of sudden Tua Tugovailoa looks like a legit quarterback in the NFL. Last year Tua’s main weapon was Jaylen Waddle who had a big year for the Dolphins. The Dolphins made a trade with the Chiefs that brought them another superstar receiver in Tyreek Hill. Hill was one of Patrick Mahomes’ weapons of mass destruction over last several years. It’s a head scratcher why the Chiefs traded away a weapon like that and to a team in the same conference. In two games already for the Dolphins Hill has 19 receptions for 284 yards with two touchdowns. Dolphins look like they have one best aerial attacks in the league as the Ravens found out the hard way last week as Miami stormed back down by a few scores and won the game.

#6.BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-1) The Ravens were supposed to have that talented offense with a lights out defense. In week one, Ravens played that part. In week two Lamar Jackson put up video game numbers on the Dolphins as he lit up the scoreboard. The Ravens defense suddenly went soft like Cam Newton and Dolphins made a comeback and pulled out the victory in a stunner. Was it a fluke or are the Dolphins offense for real?

#7.LA RAMS (1-1) Not impressed by the Rams this season. Rams were blown out in week one by the Bills. Then the Rams had a doormat in the Falcons and jumped out to a big lead in week two. Then the Rams let the Falcons back into the game which turned out to be a close game. Superbowl hangover? Could this be a long and rough year for the Rams?

#8. LA CHARGERS (1-1) Do the Chargers still have the doctor on their staff that punctured Tyrod Taylor’s lung while giving him a pain injection shot for his rib injury?

I picture this guy being the doctor from Any Given Sunday. Taylor actually has filed a law suit against the Doc. That was the shot that saved the Chargers season and introduced the world to one of the best quarterbacks in the game right now, Justin Herbert. My only concern is Herbert has a rib injury, so I hope the Chargers can keep that quack away from him.

#9.SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-1) The Trey Lance injury saved the 49ers season.

The 49ers were not going anywhere with Trey Lance in the drivers seat. It always should have been Jimmy Garoppolo’s job and for Lance to earn the starting job by playing better than Jimmy G. Let’s face the facts that the 49ers are a legit playoff team with Jimmy G driving the car. 49er fans are dancing in the streets with Jimmy G back behind center.

#10.GREEN BAY PACKERS (1-1) I’m really not sure Green Bay is a top ten team. I may be putting the Cheeseheads this high because of their history. In week one, Green Bay looked horrible as the blame went to Aaron Rodgers’ receivers. Last week the Packers beat up on the Bears. Rogers did not look that impressive against the team he owns. It was the running game that thrived for the Packers in week two. I’m hoping the Packers will fizzle on our power rankings as the season goes on.

#11.CLEVELAND BROWNS (2-1) Throwing a bottle of water at the owner of the Browns Jimmy Haslam gets a fan banned for life from Cleveland stadium. If you’re a sexual predator that plays quarterback you are awarded with a 230 million dollar guarantee contract. Sorry Jimbo, not buying what you’re selling, as you sir are lower than pond scum and more people should chuck bottles at you.

#12. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-1) Time to put the Crab-Man in boiling water.

The Saints have one of the best defenses in the league. Saints have some play makers on the offensive side of the ball. Jameis Winston is back to his old ways throwing the game away with costly interceptions like he did in his Buccaneer days. Saints need to make a switch at quarterback immediately and give the job to their back up Andy Dalton, the Red Rifle. Dalton will make less mistakes and be serviceable with that great defense.

#13. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-1) Kirk Cousins can’t win the big games on primetime as the Vikings were crushed at the Monday night game. The Viking offense disappeared after they played well in week one versus Green Bay. Somebody better inform Cousins the Superbowl is a prime time game. Vikings may not get to that game because the playoff road is filled with games on primetime. Maybe all Viking games should be played only on the air in the Minnesota market. Take away the fans as well. My kind of job with no bosses & no customers to deal with.

#14. ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-1) Arizona has only played one good half so far this season. Do you count the extra quarter where the Cardinals picked up a fumble in overtime to get that victory against the Raiders? For the Cardinals to get to that extra quarter for the Raiders, Kyler Murray exploded as he took the team on his shoulders and engineered a masterpiece comeback. Cardinals were wiped off the map in week one versus the Chiefs. If the Cardinals want to get back to the playoffs this team needs the defense to play better and have a solid running game behind Murray. Murray can’t do it all alone. That would be a slap in the face.

After the game Murray was accidentally slapped in the face by a Cardinal fan who was trying to go for the high five or tap the quarterback’s shoulder pads to congratulate him. That incident almost took on friendly fire.

#15.DENVER BRONCOS (1-1) It’s only a matter of time when the Broncos offense starts to take off. Everyone is waiting for Russell Wilson to be Russell Wilson and light up the scoreboard. The Broncos offense has moved the ball. It’s been in the red zone that the team has struggled. If I was a Bronco fan, I would hate losing to a quarterback named Geno Smith. That game the Broncos could have won in the opener versus Seattle. Broncos defense has been pretty good so far. When the offense catches up, Broncos should start winning games with a higher score.

#16.NEW YORK GIANTS (2-0) The New York Giants look like they made the best hire at their head coaching position this off-season. Former Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has the G back G-Men.

New Yorkers are proud to wear the Giants blues again as the city has jumped on board with their new head coach. It may be too early to really judge this Giant team as it could be beginners luck as well. Quarterback Daniel Jones is playing better under Daboll who we all know helped Josh Allen become a better quarterback. I like that Daboll is not giving a lot of playing time to veteran wide receiver Kenny Golliday. Golliday has not looked good in a Giants uniform. If other guys can play better than Golliday, he should wait for another opportunity.

#17. DALLAS COWBOYS (1-1) Every year once again the networks have to shove Dallas Cowboy games down my throat. Cowboys could be good, bad or just ugly and for some odd reason we have to see the Cowboys more than our own local team. Cowboys looked better with Cooper Rush behind center than Dak Prescott who was injured in week one. If Cooper Rush can have a winning record versus teams with a winning record then Prescott could easily be finding a new team. Prescott’s record is horrible versus winning programs.

#18. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (1-1) How many times have we thought the Patriots were dead? Patriots looked dead out of the water in week one. Everyone including me with sigh of relief knows we don’t have to talk about Bill Belichick and his hooded sweatshirt he slept in. Then like a bad Jason movie that comes back to life, the Patriots win a game versus a Steeler team you thought you had high hopes for. We are just waiting for that day for the Patriots to go away. Become a bottom feeder of the NFL world is where they should be exiled for the next ten years.

#19.DETROIT LIONS (1-1) I think this is the first time ever that I have the Detroit Lions this high in any of my NFL power rankings. Lions are playing solid and this is a team that will stack up some victories by the time the season ends. Bears fans now feel gloom and doom that their team will finish last as the Lions were always willing to take the basement spot in the standings. Jared Goff has found himself in Detroit with 6 touchdown passes in two games so far. They say that 70% of fantasy leagues do not have Goff on their roster.

#20. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1-2) Everyone loves the back up quarterback when the first stringer is not doing well. The Steelers had visions of sugar plums dancing in their heads signing former Bears quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

Trubisky has not been terrible. Trubisky might end up on a short leash since the Steelers drafted a home town guy Kenny Pickett out of the University of Pittsburgh. Steelers have other issues as well from defensive injuries to few guys. History in Pittsburgh always favors the guy the team drafted who will be the permanent guy over the veteran they just signed. Same thing happened when Big Ben Roethlisberger took the field. That case it was injury to Tommy Maddox. I bet Trubisky’s days are number as the starter in Pittsburgh.

#21.CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-2) Looks like the Bengals have gone back to their Bumble life style.

Usually the loser of the Superbowl falls on hard times the following regular season as the Bengals can prove that theory right. In the off-season, the Bengals tried to fix that offensive line to protect Joe Burrow. The new faces have not done a good job as Joe Cool in his first two games has laid on his back most of the games. The entire Bengal team looks to be in a deep freeze.

#22. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-1) Has new head coach Doug Pederson for the Jaguars been able to develop number one draft pick from last season Trevor Lawrence?

Lawrence played like a cast member of the movie Surf Ninja Must Die last season. It was that bad for Trevor Lawrence. In two games so far this season Lawrence has completed 68% of his passes with three touchdown passes with only one interception for over 500 passing yards. Jaguars are 1-1. Jaguars have played two solid games so far. Maybe this team is on the rise. Actually after two weeks the Jaguars are in first place in their division. Only team in the AFC South to have a victory.

#23.LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (0-2) Josh Daniels, the new Raider head coach, has killed anything good in that Vegas locker room they had going on last season. Last season this Raider team went through losing Jon Gruden to his wordy emails about people’s lips. Then the weekly Police Blotter these Raider players were involved in almost every week. The Raiders still made the playoffs. Josh Daniels ruined the Denver Broncos in his first head coaching stint. Only thing I can say good about Daniels is he knew Jay Cutler was a bum when he arrived in Denver. Assistant coaches trying to fly the coop in New England away from Bill Belichick can not fly on their own.

#24. TENNESSEE TITANS (0-2) The Titans looked like they’ve been hit by a Mack truck and playing like road kill. Ryan Tannehill probably feels like Joe Flacco when the Ravens drafted Lamar Jackson. The Titans were the first team to send in their rookie quarterback out on the field when the Bills were destroying the Titans. Malik Willis saw some action.

Only way to see less of Willis is for Tannehill to step up his performance and rally this Titan team and string together a few victories. Derrick Henry looks like he’s running with a Denver Boot strapped to his leg. The Titan receiver core does not have the weapons like they did the last few seasons. Ryan Tannehill’s days are numbered as even the defensive side of the ball is having problems trying to stop anyone. Tannehill will be looking elsewhere next season for a new job.

#25.CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-2) Still waiting on that first Baker Mayfield victory in a Panther uniform. Panthers have been in both games, but at the end have not found away to pull ahead of their opponent. Is Head Coach Matt Rhule’s seat starting to rise up in temperature? The positive for the Panthers is Christian McCaffrey is still on the field after two games.

#26. NEW YORK JETS (1-1) Was that Joe Flacco’s best game since he won the Superbowl several years ago and signed that huge extension afterwards?

I don’t think Flacco has many of these games left in him. I will applaud the veteran quarterback for beating the Browns especially if they miss the playoffs by one game. Jets scored two touchdowns in less than two minutes to shock Cleveland. PRICELESS!!!!

#27. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1-1) I think the Commanders played better when they called themselves the Washington Football team. I hate the Commanders new logo.

Some other choices I would have preferred.

What happen to that Washington defense? Carson Wentz has done pretty good so far.

#28. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (1-1) Pete Carol reminds me of Randall Flag from Stephen King’s series The Stand. Flag is the supernatural spawn of the devil that can make his own appearance look younger. Pete Carol has to be 200 years old but looks like the same age as when he started coaching.

Now it makes sense how Geno Smith was able to beat the Denver Broncos. Pete Carol mortgaging his soul for a game to beat one of his traders like Russell Wilson. Carol may be running out of time with deals below the surface.

#29.HOUSTON TEXANS (0-1-1) The Lovie Way !!!

“Rex Grossman is still our quarterback”. How many times have I heard that? Lovie’s script might have insert here, the name of the inferior quarterback he is using. This go around the Black Santa Clause is using Davis Mills. This is Lovie’s Smith football recipe a great defense with a junior varsity offense.

#30. ATLANTA FALCONS (0-2) The Falcons look better than their former quarterback Matt Ryan. Falcons are like last year’s Detroit team finding times during the game to get red hot while scoring in bunches. Falcons have not played a complete game yet. The dirty birds still have 15 more games to make that happen.

#31. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-1-1) Colts being shut out by the Jacksonville Jaguars says it all. Why do the Jaguars have this Colts team’s number? Colts could easily be 0-2 right now as they had to fight their way back in their opener just to force a tie with the Texans. These are division games against teams they should beat up on. Matt Ryan looks awful!! Colts change quarterbacks like rolls of toilet paper. Who are they going to get next year?

#32.CHICAGO BEARS (1-1) Lets face the facts the Bears beat the 49ers at home due to the weather issues. You can even say the 49ers beat themselves in crucial situations in that opener. The Bears front office did no favors for Justin Fields. Fields has no solid protection on the offensive line. Who is Fields throwing to? Bears picked up whatever wide receiver that was on the curb from other teams on garbage night right before the season started.

Could Kurt Warner’s football legend even get bigger? Kurt Warner’s life story went to Hollywood as they made a movie called American Underdog about his life and journey to NFL that went down some bumpy roadways. Warner was bagging groceries while trying to fulfill his lifetime dream of playing quarterback in the NFL. Warner had to play Arena Football during which he finally got another invite to another NFL camp. Warner would get his chance in the NFL as he helped the Rams win their first ever Superbowl. Later in his career, he guided the Arizona Cardinals to their first ever Superbowl appearance. Warner racked up multiple 300 yard passing days in his career which got his ticket punched to Canton, Ohio and enshrined into the football hall-of-fame. Could Kurt Warner pass his quarterback genes on to his son like Archie Manning did and create a family business at the quarterback position.

Most expansion teams in professional sports don’t really do well for the first several years in their respective leagues. Once in a while, you get an exception like the Las Vegas Golden Knights. In their first year in the NHL, they went all the way to the Stanley Cup. In 1967, the New Orleans Saints were introduced to the NFL world. The Saints were not very good in the 1960’s or the entire decade of the 1970’s. During the 1970’s, Archie Manning was the Saints quarterback. Manning did not put up Manning numbers like we’ve seen with his sons, Peyton and Eli. Archie played in the NFL for 15 years, 11 seasons with the Saints. Archie would play two seasons at the time the Houston Oilers and then finished his playing career in a Minnesota Viking uniform. Archie Manning played in 151 games in the NFL to have a terrible record of 35-101-3 which he was on some very bad teams. Archie threw more interceptions than touchdown passes. Archie had 125 touchdown passes and 173 career interceptions. You have to respect that Archie played 15 seasons in the NFL. Off the field, Archie created his football legacy. The Manning family is football royalty when it comes to the quarterback position. Both of Archie sons won a pair of Superbowls each. Peyton, the oldest out of the two, won one with the Colts and walked off into the sunset winning his second in a Broncos uniform. Eli Manning won his two in a Giants uniform. It is said that if Cooper Manning, Archie’s oldest son, did not get hurt he would have been the best. I’m sure we will see sons of the Manning brothers rise through the ranks of quarterbacking 101.

That brings us to Kurt Warner’s son, E.J. Warner. E.J. is now the starting quarterback for Temple University. E.J.’s quarterback journey so far has not been handed to him on a silver platter. E.J.’s only Collegiate offers to play football were from lower tier schools. E.J. is a freshman this season and was 3rd on depth chart. Last week E.J Warner made his college debut coming off the bench in Temple’s win over LaFayette. E.J. was impressive going 14-19 for 173 yards with two touchdown passes. Yesterday in his first start of his Collegiate career, E.J went 19-32 for 215 yards with 1 touchdown pass and an interception. Temple would lose to Rutgers University 16-14. Not bad numbers for his first start. Can this be the start of something bigger? Can E.J. Warner follow his father’s footsteps and take his talents to the NFL? Can the Warner name eventually be a football dynasty like the Manning name? What if E.J. makes the NFL, has a son, and he becomes a quarterback? Another quarterback family business in the making as the stork will be delivering royalty. Kurt Warner’s story has that Hollywood ending. Archie Manning’s sons have that amazing Hollywood story after winning four Superbowls. The Warners will have to win three more Superbowls if we want to have them in the same conversation as the Mannings. Who knows? The Mannings probably are creating quarterbacks as we speak like the Terminator factories. We will wait and see what happens. Perhaps E.J. Warner will be like father like son. This could be the start of the makings of another quarterback family legacy which could be fun to watch. E.J. Warner has bigger foot prints to follow the legacy his father Kurt created. While the Manning brothers easily climbed higher than their father Archie’s NFL legacy.

Last week, I was unable to get my usual NFL weekly predictions posted. I did not do well last week as I went 9-7 in a straight Pick-em pool that I’m in. My NFL predictions have returned and will debut in week two of the 2022 season as I roll out a winner out of each match-up with some insight that can be helpful or add fuel to the fire. I will cross my fingers and may as well cross my toes in hopes these predictions do well. I will warn you the NFL can make you look smart one moment, then dumb, or even dumber, the next week.

THE THURSDAY NIGHT GAME

LA CHARGERS (1-0) AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-0)

This game will be the Clash of the Titans between two of the best quarterbacks in the league. Patrick Mahomes versus Justin Herbert sounds like a fight card. My problem is this game is only available on Amazon streaming. Where your television screen will look like a computer refreshing itself way too often like a pause in the action. Both teams won their first week of action. Chargers defense has improved, but this game will be a high scoring affair as the winner will win by just a score. Seems like whoever has the ball last will win. Chiefs are very hard to beat at Arrowhead Stadium. Chargers head coach Brandon Staley at times does not believe in punting and puts his team at risk. Like last season, they would have won a few more games. Andy Reid will be the difference as Chiefs remain perfect throughout the first two weeks.

OUR PICK: CHIEFS

THE SUNDAY SLATE

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (0-1) AT PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1-0)

On the old Wendy’s commercials, the little old lady asks “Where’s the beef?” Patriots and Steelers could be using that slogan replacing beef with offense. Patriots replaced their old offensive coordinator Josh Daniels who took the Raider job with defensive coordinator former Lions head coach Matt Patricia.

The Biscuit, Mitch Trubisky, threw for 194 yards last week with one touchdown pass. Not bad as Steelers won the game with their defense. I really think the Empire is dead in New England. I think Trubisky is going to hang on to the starting job longer than people think. Patriots offense will have problems against one of the league’s best defenses.

OUR PICK: STEELERS

WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (1-0) AT DETROIT LIONS (0-1)

The Commanders remain undefeated with their new nickname. Lions, like last season in games, find themselves in a hole in the second half and claw their way back into the game versus the Eagles last week to make the game close. Commanders were taken to the brink of the game last Sunday, but overcame the Jaguars, which is not saying much. This one could go either way. Can you picture the Commanders 2-0? If the Bears can win a game, why can’t the Lions get one the following week. Lions find their courage early in this game and play a complete game to get that first slash in the win column.

OUR PICK: LIONS

MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-0) AT BALTIMORE RAVENS (1-0)

I’m not going to go there and say the Dolphins Air and Water show is the best since the Dan Marino days. It was TUA TIME last week as Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa played with his new toy and aired it out against a Patriot team they already have a hex over. Meanwhile Ravens are healthy and back to business as usual in week one with solid defense while Lamar Jackson runs his own air and water show. Tagovailoa versus better defenses in the league has not added many wins in the win column. Ravens at home make an early statement to the NFL world.

OUR PICK: RAVENS

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1-0) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-0)

Tampa Tom has never beaten the Saints in regular season since wearing a Buccaneers uniform. An early division clash between the two teams has them both with victories in the opening week. Buccaneers suffered some key injuries to Tampa Tom’s offense. Saints defense is like a fly on shit when they play Tom Brady’s team. The shit being Brady. Brady always had problems winning in Miami when he wore the Evil Empire helmet. The Saints are Brady’s nemesis. I like revenge of the Crab-man seeing Jameis Winston upend his old team.

OUR PICK: SAINTS

CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-1) AT NEW YORK GIANTS (1-0)

The Giants had a sneaky win last week in Nashville. It was a revenge game for Baker Mayfield versus his old team that the Panthers fell short on. With a game under his belt in Carolina, Mayfield looked healthy and facing his old team is out of his system. I can see the Panthers getting a road win in New Jersey. Giants will not be overlooked this week and Carolina has the better team.

OUR PICK: PANTHERS

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-0-1) AT JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (0-1)

It seems like the Indianapolis Colts lay an egg in their first game of the season. Last season, Colts lost their opener to the Jaguars. Last week the Colts salvage a tie with the Texans. Jaguars played well versus the Commanders but eventually lost the game. Colts also have to remember the Jaguars preventing them from getting in the playoffs suffering a must-win game in the last week of the season. Jaguars have a new coaching staff, but the same losing wrapper which will take more time to change their culture down in Florida. Colts find their revenge in this one and help their fan base off the ledge.

OUR PICK: COLTS

NEW YORK JETS (0-1) AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-0)

When veteran Joe Flacco is the starting quarterback to begin the season for the Jets, you know you’re in trouble. In Cleveland, the DAWG pound’s plan is starting to come together. Browns will pound the football with their two headed back field. Jacoby Brissett will be a game manager. Browns defense will play stingy defense and hope the team strings together enough victories to hand the keys off to the biggest dog of the pound, Deshaun Watson. I can’t see the Jets prioritizing containing Cleveland’s running game, making Brissett beat you with his arm. Can’t see the Jets able to put up a lot of points either.

OUR PICK: BROWNS

ATLANTA FALCONS (0-1) AT LA RAMS (0-1)

The Rams’ Rocky Mountain Superbowl high bubble was popped by the Bills in week 1. Typical Falcons give the Saints a battle of a lifetime in week one only to see it result in another loss late in the game. Rams should be able to get the running game going versus Atlanta and give Matthew Stafford a well-balanced attack. Can Marcus Mariota be a productive starting quarterback in this league? I see Rams putting the crimps on Atlanta Swiss Army knife Cordarrelle Patterson to force Mariota to beat them through the air. Rams rebound nicely in week two.

OUR PICK: RAMS

CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-1) AT DALLAS COWBOYS (0-1)

Remember the Bengals lost an early game last season to the Bears. Don’t you hate when bad things happen to good people like Cowboys owner Jerry Jones? Once again Cowboys lose their quarterback, Dak Prescott, for several weeks. Does Cooper Rush scare you? Loved the Rush sisters on Too Close for Comfort.

The losing team of the Superbowl usually has a hangover the next season. Bengals start to sober up in this one.

OUR PICK:BENGALS

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (1-0) AT SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (0-1)

Head coach Pete Carol should walk off into the sunset as his team beat his former quarterback last week, Russell Wilson and the Broncos. I can’t believe Geno Smith is still in the NFL the former Jet you would think he should be playing in the USFL or the XFL. How bad is Drew Lock? The 49ers have a quarterback soap opera going as Trey Lance is trying to hold on to the starter’s job with Jimmy Garoppolo holding the clip board. The 49ers looked bad last week versus the Bears in bad weather. Seahawks are pretenders as they played their version of a great game but Broncos’ bad clock management at the end gift wrapped that game for Seattle. I think the 49ers will rebound with some better weather and home cooking. The 49ers will show you why Smith is not an every day starter as San Francisco defense comes to play.

OUR PICK: 49ERS

HOUSTON TEXANS (0-0-1) AT DENVER BRONCOS (0-1)

Will the Seahawks loss come back to haunt the Broncos late in the season trying to get the last wild card spot? Lovie Smith’s Texans look like a team that can battle you. Texans defense played very well during the second half of the season last year. I see two things. Can’t see Russell Wilson losing two games in a row to inferior teams especially first home game in a Bronco uniform. Lovie Smith will never have that guy that can actually be in the top tier of the league at the quarterback position. I think Wilson gets it done as he razzles and dazzles the home crowd with one of his best games to show why the Broncos went after this guy in the first place.

OUR PICK: BRONCOS

ARIZONA CARDINALS (0-1) AT LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (0-1)

These are the two teams that made the playoffs last season, and I predict both will not make it to post-season after this. Arizona looked awful versus the Chiefs last week. The Raiders played better than the Cardinals team but still didn’t look that impressive. I think the Raiders offense will take a few games to get on the same page with their new coach, Josh Daniels. Evidence includes three interceptions by Derek Carr last Sunday versus the Chargers. Raiders probably overall have a better team than the Cardinals. I have a hunch that tells me Kyler Murray with the big recent contract will have his day in the sun and not roll snake eyes at the casino.

OUR PICK: CARDINALS

THE SUNDAY NIGHT GAME

CHICAGO BEARS (1-0) AT GREEN BAY PACKERS (0-1)

Did the Bears beat the 49ers in the rain or did San Francisco beat themselves? Last two seasons, Packers looked bad in their first game this season against the Vikings, last year the Saints. Any struggling Packer team needs the Bears on the menu. This Bears team is too hard to pinpoint. The shaky offensive line is still there which Justin Fields will have run like Forest Gump for any offensive production. R-E-L-A-X my cheese Curd friends up North, Aaron Rodgers owns the Bears. The Packers receivers will suddenly catch the ball. Once again Green Bay will right the ship.

OUR PICK: PACKERS

TWO MONDAY NIGHT GAMES

TENNESSEE TITANS (0-1) AT BUFFALO BILLS (1-0)

The Titans I think is another team that will miss post-season this year. The Bills rebounded from that miserable playoff loss with the Chiefs that ended in overtime in maybe one of the ten best playoff games of all-time. Bills took all their frustrations out on the Rams last Thursday as they just throttled the Superbowl champs. Bills will take out the Titans best weapon in Derrick Henry on Monday night with that talented defense. I can’t see the Titans’ Ryan Tannehill beating the Bills with his arm alone.

Josh Allen in another prime time game makes me believe Bills at home should send the Titans back to the Moonshine state with 0-2 record.

OUR PICK: BILLS

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-0) AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-0)

Whoever wins this one will be 2-0 in the NFC and feel like a legit playoff team. Over the last few years, most of these Monday Night games have been duds as Vikings and Eagles on paper look to be the cream of the crop. Will Kirk Cousins, who has been labeled as one who can’t win the big games, thrive on prime time? Vikings have an elite offense. The Eagles offense is no slouch with quarterback Jalen Hurts who could beat you with his arm and legs. Eagles have a very talented running game to go along with Hurts. Which defense will stand on their two feet? Vikings defense has proven themselves last week, but I need to see more. I give the Eagles the nod being at home.

OUR PICK: EAGLES

Who do you have winning the next Superbowl? The Wild Shamrock blog will throw their hat into the ring and see if our predictions stick like Bologna darts.

We have no experts, but we have a case of beer chilling in the fridge. We predicted every team in the NFL record for this upcoming regular season. Then we went further and looked into our Crystal meth bowl of sugar and threw in post-season predictions with one team winning the entire thing. How did your team fare? We may have some hurt feelings. If you can’t cry in baseball, for sure you have to be man enough just to toughen up buttercup when talking football. You can agree or disagree, but whatever floats your boat will probably be totally wrong anyways. Could we also be right? The Jury is still out drinking that case of chilled beer. We have the cheap stuff while we dabble in a good craft beer and welcome football back into our lives. CHEERS!!!

REGULAR SEASON PREDICTIONS

AFC

EAST DIVISION

TEAM-WINS-LOSSES

Bills 14-3

Dolphins 9-8

Patriots 7-10

Jets 6-11

BILLS: Buffalo will clinch the number one seed in the AFC.

Dolphins: Miami once again will fall short of making the post-season by losing some tiebreaker.

PATRIOTS: The Empire may be seeking a new ruler as the Bill Belichick way will have many Boston faithful looking for ownership to make a switch at head coach.

JETS: Still Can’t find what I’m looking for. Jets U2 song for finding yet another quarterback in the upcoming draft.

NORTH DIVISION

NAME-WINS-LOSSES

BENGALS 12-5

RAVENS 10-7

STEELERS 8-9

BROWNS 7-10

BENGALS: New Offensive line in Cincinnati keeps Joe Burrows’ Bengals a playoff team.

RAVENS: Another Lamar Jackson injury and without a contract extension has the Ravens thinking hard about the future of their team.

STEELERS: Mitch Trubisky will hand over the reigns to rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett.

BROWNS: The Dog Pound will have to start neutering their own players to avoid giving rapid rabies outside the football field.

SOUTH DIVISION

TEAM-WINS-LOSSES

Colts 11-6

Titans 7-10

Texans 6-11

Jaguars 6-11

COLTS: Indianapolis takes advantage of their weak division. Jonathan Taylor leads the league in rushing stats.

TITANS: Travis Henry will blow out another tire. Ryan Tannehill will lose his starting job.

TEXANS: Lovie Smith will have that Texans defense even better this season where they look almost respectable even with the Junior Varsity offense.

JAGUARS: Jaguars will play competitive winning more games than the year before while losing lots of close games.

WEST DIVISION

TEAM-WINS-LOSSES

Chargers 12-5

Chiefs 10-7

Broncos 9-8

Raiders 7-10

CHARGERS: Khalil Mack coming from one end and Joey Bosa from the other. I can see Patrick Mahomes getting Malachi crunched. Better Chargers defense with that offense means they win the West.

Chiefs: Patrick Mahomes will running on empty at the end of regular season just because of the competition in the AFC West.

BRONCOS: Russell Wilson will get the Broncos back to the post-season.

RAIDERS: Patriots assistants as head coaches turn out like Lemons. Josh McDaniels will send the Raiders back to the couch during post-season.

NFC

EAST DIVISION

TEAM WINS-LOSSES

Eagles 9-8

Cowboys 8-9

Commanders 7-10

Giants 5-13

EAGLES: Threw a dart at the board for the dreaded NFC East division and Eagles are the Greatest Hit.

COWBOYS: Coach Mike McCarthy’s nuts will be roasted on an open fire by Christmas.

Commanders: I like the Washington Football Team name better than the Commanders.

GIANTS: New Giants head coach Brian Daboll has been collecting all of Buffalo’s rejects which is not enough to patch the holes on that roster.

NORTH DIVISION

TEAM-WINS-LOSSES

Packers 11-6

Vikings 10-7

Lions 7-10

Bears 5-12

PACKERS: Aaron Rodgers owns the North which consists of hovels as he is the Slum Lord of that division despite losing his top receiver.

VIKINGS: Can the defense catch up to the Vikings high powered offense? It is the biggest question in Minnesota.

LIONS: Can the Lions find the courage from the Wizard of Oz to close-out close games in the 4th quarter?

BEARS: Justin Fields can be the Bears answer behind center for years to come or be on that list of failed Ohio State University quarterbacks over the last ten years.

SOUTH DIVISION

TEAM-WINS-LOSSES

Saints 10-7

Buccaneers 9-8

Panthers 8-9

Falcons 2-15

SAINTS: Saints defense is Tom Brady’s Kryptonite. The Revenge of the Crab-Man!!!

BUCCANEERS: Tom Brady’s offensive line is weak with a new head coach as Father Time catches up with the GOAT.

PANTHERS: The tale of two halves. Baker Mayfield will sizzle at the beginning of the season and fizzle away in the second half.

FALCONS: Last 5 seasons, Falcons never had a defense. Now their offense will slink down to their defensive play with a team with no quarterback.

WEST DIVISION

TEAM-WINS-LOSSES

Rams 12-5

49ers 10-7

Cardinals 8-9

Seahawks 4-13

RAMS: Can Matthew Stafford stay healthy for a second season in a row? The Rams defense will do the heavy lifting this season.

49ERS: Jimmy Garoppolo will save the 49ers season from bad quarterback play by Trey Lance.

CARDINALS: I feel a let-down season is coming for the Cardinals. Kyler Murray will struggle after he got PAID!!!

SEAHAWKS: Pete Carol’s last year in Seattle. The last of the Mohicans in Seattle.

PLAYOFFS

AFC

Division winners: Bills, Chargers, Bengals, Colts

Wild Cards: Chiefs, Ravens, Broncos

Number one seed: Buffalo

Seeded: #1.Bills, #2. Chargers, #3. Bengals, #4. Colts, #5. Chiefs, #6. Ravens, #7. Broncos

NFC

Division winners Rams, Packers, Saints, Eagles,

Wild Cards: Vikings, 49ers, Buccaneers

Seeded: #1. Rams #2. Packers, #3. Saints, #4. Eagles, #5. Vikings, #6. 49ers, #7.Buccaneers

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Chargers at Bills

NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: Packers at Rams

SUPERBOWL: BILLS VERSUS PACKERS

WINNER: BUFFALO BILLS

When is it that enough is enough when a player takes his stand on something he believes in, too far? Last season Cole Beasley caught 82 balls for the Buffalo Bills for 693 yards with a touchdown playing the slot wide receiver position. Recently Beasley ranted and raved that he put up those numbers playing through some injured ribs when fans criticized the 33 year veteran for still remaining as a free agent after the Bills cut ties with him in March. Why does a receiver who’s been in the league for nine seasons, playing 134 games catching 483 balls for 4,951 yards while grabbing 28 touchdown passes not have a job? Can Beasley still play in the NFL? Yes!!! Beasley is an Anti-Vaxxer and has plenty to say about the Covid-19 vaccination, which he does not believe in. Will Beasley not taking a shot eventually give him no shot to return to play in the NFL?

Cole Beasley has been fined by the Buffalo Bills several times for not taking the Covid protocols seriously. Beasley has chimed in on social media telling the world about the NFL players association deal about unvaccinated players getting stricter guidelines, calling it a joke. Sounds like Beasley could be a guy at your own work place finding something twisted in the company handbook. Perhaps some kind of clause in the Unions that may have hurt one of your co-workers? The NFL has plenty of players that are unvaccinated. Neither the Bills or the league have tied Beasley down on a table and injected him with a needle forcing him to play by their rules. Beasley gets on his soap box like that friend you have on Facebook that rants and raves about stuff they read on the internet to try to persuade you to agree with him. Most of the stuff people spew out is similar to the Peanuts comic strip adults talking. “Wah-wa-wah-wah!!!” The union of the NFL the players association who look out for the players came up with this. Sometimes in life you have to jump through hurtles for things you believe in. I’m vaccinated, but I don’t go around pointing fingers at Non-Vaxxers. Your choice. Sometimes choices have consequences. The saying is choose your battles. This is a pretty big battle to choose if you’re in Beasley’s shoes.

The Buffalo Bills goals are to make the post-season, get to the Superbowl, and win the entire thing. Cole Beasley was a nice security blanket to have for Josh Allen as slot receivers go over the middle of the field to catch some tough passes to convert first downs to move the chains while taking on a jarring hit. Can your friend on Facebook be a distraction if you invited him over to your house for a party? What if your family believes in the opposite of what this person says? What if your significant other’s family believes the opposite of what your friend thinks? Could it cause an uncomfortable situation in todays politics, drawing lines in the sand of hatred? Could Beasley’s actions be a distraction in the Bills locker room? Guess the nature of the beast of the situation is when younger guys emerge at the wide receiver position like Gabriel Davis and Isiah McKenzie for the Bills, it a no- brainer. Remove the cancer that is making bigger money and call it a day in which the Bills have did that done that.

What guys does Cole Beasley have this in common with? Colin Kaepernick is one of the most over-hyped quarterbacks of all time. People still make his play on the field legendary. Kaepernick chose to kneel during the national Anthem. Kaepernick has never played again in the NFL. Probably never will. Antonio Brown last year went bat shit crazy taking off his shirt and quitting on the field in the middle of the game. Brown continues to rant and rave about his former quarterback Tom Brady. Cole Beasley is not exactly Kaepernick or Brown. Most teams don’t want distractions. Except if your Browns fan just watch that unfold when Deshaun Watson returns from his 11 game suspension. Beasley, like most players that have their feelings hurt, sold his house in Buffalo recently. Beasley has ranted and raved about the Bills Mafia. One day the fans would boo Beasley for his Anti-Vaxx beliefs, on the next day they seek his autograph the receiver said on social media. Beasley then would say he loves the fans in Buffalo. The next rant Beasley would say he never was booed in the visitors stadiums. Again Red States Blue States here we go again. Beasley would also comment on when Bills Legend Bruce Smith visit. Smith would tell the team to get vaccination shots and come together as a team and watch over your brother’s back while they watch yours. Obviously Beasley has some bad feelings pentdup inside him as the 2022 season is almost upon us. I think if the team gets desperate at the wide receiver position, they may take a chance on Beasley. I could also see Beasley not getting another shot as his own soap box is bigger than any team’s goals of winning the Superbowl. I believe in freedom of speech. When it comes to the team, it does not matter what color, creed, Vaxxer, or Non-Vaxxer you are. It’s about winning football games on Sundays which is that simple. When your off the field issues are questions to your teammates, then you are not on the same page.

Is hunting a sport?

Hunting started off as a food source back when the Cavemen hunted dinosaurs, I’m guessing. It’s hard to consider hunting as a sport when a fat beer guzzler blows the head off Bambi taking a drink of water out of the stream, while wearing an orange vest. That same fat beer guzzling S.O.B. can roll a ball down the lanes at bowling alley and that is a sport. Fishing derbies can give fishermen a challenge based on the size of the catch or quantity. What about a snake wrangler? Guys that hunt Pythons in the everglades. Some catch these pythons that can average 6-9 ft long with their bare hands. I would have to classify the annual Everglades Python Hunt as a sport as they award prize money and it does the swampy land of Florida good to prevent it being decimated by this invasive species.

Burmese Pythons were originally brought to the United States as pets during the 1970’s. When little Johnny’s pet got bigger than the dog, parents probably thought they should release the snake into the wild. Seem like a great idea at the time to release these foreign snakes into the Everglades. Suddenly these snakes multiply in their new habitat, causing problems to the Everglades Ecosystem. Burmese Pythons have no predators. These snakes feed on reptiles, birds, even mammals such as raccoons and white tail deer. As part of the state of Florida eradication program, they invite professional and even amateur hunters to come to the Everglades and remove Pythons for cash prizes. Since the year 2000 the State of Florida has estimated they have eliminated 17,000 Pythons. Perhaps St. Patrick would of been the way to go as the legendary saint removed all the snakes from the old sod of Ireland centuries ago.

Imagine some of these snake wranglers look like Crocodile Dundee. The Everglades Python Hunt has 850 people across the country including Canada that compete for prize money. The grand prize is $10,000 for whatever snake wrangler can remove the most pythons in ten days. Other prizes include size of the beast , and remember some of these Pythons can be Anaconda sizes. That’s a lot of Everglades for these snakes to be munching on to get that big.

Trying to track these Burmese Pythons in the dark swamps where some of these snake wranglers have their hunt down to a science. Some of these wranglers snatch the Python behind the head to avoid getting bitten. Then put it in cloth bag from which I’m sure it fights to get out as you tie the knot. Some wranglers will wait later on to kill the snake with a BB gun. Some might whack the snake right in the bag on the head with some kind of rock, bat, mallet, whatever soothes the hunters fatality of the slithery species. Every one has a talent of some kind and some use this gift to earn money. Snake wranglers compete against each other with the eye of the tiger and like in any sport try to find the edge to do their hunt the best way. They work on their skills and fine tune them to get better as I can see the Everglades Python hunt being a intense competition. All these Pythons don’t go to waste. You think they could make some kind of wallet or shoes out of the snake skin. Some of these Pythons appear on the cooking menus in Florida and probably in other states as well. Snake tacos anyone?

Deshaun Watson will be the villain at every stadium he visits when he is allowed to participate. Watson, in his season debut in his new Browns uniform, was heavily booed by his existence on the field in Jacksonville, Florida. This in a pre-season game, you would think that the city of Jacksonville which has a team that does not have the following to even start their own choir on a church, on Sunday. The Jaguar fans made their presence known how much Watson will not be well received in each visiting stadium. Watson will be like the Houston Astros when he visits other stadiums. The Houston Astros already know their judge, jury and the executioner. The fans have made their decision about them cheating in the game of baseball. The sexual predator quarterback will be a very easy target. Watson will be suspended this season for at least 6 games after which an independent arbiter Sue L Robinson looked at all the cases against Deshaun and gave her ruling to the NFL. The NFL thought the ruling was weak and now have turned the Watson drama over to a former New Jersey attorney general. The commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, is looking for a full season suspension for Watson. The Watson camp wants to pay a fine, make it a maximum 8 games, brush the rest of this sexual rampage under the rug, and call it a day. Now Deshaun Watson fate lies in the hands of Peter C Harvey. I do know it is not Harvey Dent out of Gotham City, but Peter could possibly be like Dent looking for full justice in the situation.

Deshaun Watson escaped the Houston courtroom without any charges criminally. Watson has voiced his innocence throughout most of this. Watson was not out of the woods yet just because he is not facing jail time for his role in his sexual escapades. Many civil suits followed him to Cleveland after the Texans traded their quarterback. Watson has paid 23-24 of those civil suits with women he gets to go away as one is still looming in the air. On Friday, Watson apologized to the Cleveland organization about the baggage he has brought with him to Ohio. Then just like out of the handbook following step by step, Watson apologized to the women he impacted throughout all of this.

“Look. I want to say that I’m truly sorry to all the woman that I impacted in this situation. The decisions that I made in my life that put me in this situation, I would definitely like to have back, but I want to continue to move forward and grow and learn and show that I am a true person of character and I am going to keep pushing forward.”

Sue L Robinson, in her report as the former Federal judge, concluded that Watson violated the league’s personal conduct policy. Robinson used words to describe Deshaun Watson such as egregious and predatory. She said Watson hardly showed any remorse. The Browns read her conclusion and Watson suddenly apologized to all the women he hurt. Not buying what Watson is selling or the Cleveland Browns organization, who look like sly Dawgs only paying Deshaun a million dollars this season, as they knew like everyone else a suspension of some kind was looming from the league. Many of the other teams in the league are foaming at the mouth like a crazed dog over how the Browns orchestrated this trade with Houston. Will the Browns get the last laugh?

Deshaun Watson did not play the entire year last season. Watson was paid and was on the Texans roster but was told to stay away. Even though Watson wanted to stay away and be traded away from the Texans before all the shit hit the fan with his pervie ways with these women massage therapists. Watson wanted the Texans to ask him what they should do about the current state of the team at the time. Watson wanted to say who the Texans hire as head coach and General manager. Obviously that blew up in both the Texans franchise and Watson’s face. Houston was fined by the NFL for letting Watson prey on his victims with the company card. Houston would pay off the fine and say they had nothing to do with Watson’s actions. In the end, Watson gets traded out of Houston. Texans get some draft capital and now can wash their hands of this Watson saga for good.

Browns wanted to get Deshaun Watson some live game action in the pre-season. Watson did not have all his weapons in his arsenal in his first game back since the end of the 2020 season that went into 2021. Some of his play makers were not suited up for the Browns’ first pre-season clash versus the Jaguars. Watson’s performance was horrible. Watson would fumble a snap and ended up 1-5 for 7 passing yards versus the Jaguars. Watson looked like the Tin Man trying to knock off the rust from the Wizard of Oz. Fans yelling all kinds of obscenities at him. He’s a guy not used to the jeers but the cheers. The girls giving him a massage doing their job did not think their day would end with something like being jerked at and getting sprayed at by the dirty lizard at the end of the session. The Dawg pound might not get what they thought they would from this trade, an actual quarterback. The Browns are a good team and can be a playoff team. If Watson gets the full suspension this year, Browns will need another plan. If Watson does have to sit out a second year, I think the Browns will regret this move. Especially a guy missing two years of his prime not playing the game. The draft capital always will hurt a team, especially if they can’t hit on picks in other rounds due to not being the first. Then the guarantee of 230 million dollars. The future salary cap to keep players to help surround your overpriced quarterback. Plus the side show Watson will have to deal with when the rest of his career, teammates will be asked questions about the guy that can’t keep it in his pants. Do I have to say the track record the Browns have had at the quarterback position? I think this trade the Browns made has alienated some of their fan base already. Cleveland is the city that welcomed Lebron James back to town after taking his talents to South Beach.

The Browns will have to tranquilize their new Dawg with the city of Cleveland hosting the National Massage Therapist convention. Anything that comes out of Houston, look for clever signs at a stadium near you when the Cleveland DAWG show comes to your town. Just make sure the goose does not get loose.

The Chicago Blackhawks franchise continues to sink into the old tar pits of the dinosaur age. Once a dynasty not that long ago, the Blackhawks won three Stanley Cups from 2010-15. It was a dynasty created after the old man died. Bill Wirtz had his hockey franchise playing in the dark ages. One of the worst franchises in sports. Bill’s son, Rocky Wirtz, took over and brought the Indian head back to life with a franchise makeover. Solid draft picks. Getting in touch again with the fan base. Most importantly, showing the new generation of fans that hockey was played in Chicago. Since hoisting that last Stanley Cup, the Blackhawks have been free falling. Some of the core of the dynasty is still playing and has not been traded away. The off the ice scandal. The wicked town hall meeting at which the owner had foot in the mouth disease. The latest in this soap opera that continues at the Mad House on Madison is the Seattle Kraken getting their tentacles on long time announcer, a home town guy, Eddie Olczyk. You’ve got to be Kraken me… an expansion team swooped in and gave our guy the money and the years to broadcast games in the state of Washington as the brass of the Blackhawks are scratching their behinds in disbelief.

In Chicago we love our sports announcers who paint the picture of the product every night and give us the insight on the state of the franchise. Eddie Olczyk was on our TV sets for 16 seasons which had three Stanley Cup winners. Last season, Eddie’s partner in crime, Pat Foley retired from the announcer booth and he was a Chicago fixture. Some say the Blackhawks forced Foley out of the booth, who was replaced by Chris Vosters. Foley once was fired by the Blackhawks when Bill Wirtz ran the show as his liquor distributor company was more important than the team on the ice. Rocky Wirtz would bring back Pat Foley after his father had passed away. Foley and Olczyk would form one of the best announcing duos in Chicago sports history. In bad seasons, which the Blackhawks better get used to, good announcers keep your fans watching more. Last few years have been miserable. Foley and Olczyk would make the pain ease off. When things were going great for the Blackhawks, those two were the guys that painted the picture that made you get off the edge of your seats to high five your friend with the excitement from calling the play by play.

The Blackhawks said they had a verbal agreement with Eddie Olczyk. Eddie’s people and the Blackhawks were in negotiations to hammer out an extension. Why did it take so long? Why would you have a hometown guy, a former player and one of your faces of your franchise, sit home and stew. Olczyk went to Brother Rice High School, the same school I did on the southside of Chicago. Olczyk is a guy from the South suburbs in the Chicago land area. Blackhawks drafted him in 1984. Olczyk played 16 years in the NHL with the first three seasons wearing the Indian head sweater. Olczyk’s second stint with the Blackhawks was the last two years of his playing career. Olczyk scored 77 goals while dishing out 122 assists playing in 322 games for the Blackhawks. In between the bookends of his Chicago hockey career, Olczyk would play in over 1,000 NHL games as he also suited up for the Maple Leafs, Jets, Kings, Penguins, Kings, and helped the Rangers win a cup in 1994.

In Chicago, we can still see Eddie Olczyk do National hockey broadcasts on TNT this upcoming season. We can also see Olczyk tell his opinion on what sweaty animal will win the Kentucky Derby as he does horse racing coverage on NBC. If we feel like it, we could just get the NHL package and watch Eddie Olczyk cover the Seattle Kraken games with John Forslund, a guy he teamed up with on NBC games. Blackhawks will be very bad for the next few seasons as we will watch the end of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews skating their games at the United Center in the Indian head sweater. Blackhawks seem like they either fly high and soar with eagles or hit rock bottom. Nothing seems ever to be in the middle. It always takes this franchise a very long time to get out of the bottom of the barrel where they are sinking past the fossils of the Ice age. It’s because they do stupid stuff like chase away things that are not broken like their TV coverage. I will not buy the Blackhawks saying “We thought we had an oral agreement in place.” The Blackhawks dropped the ball on something that should have taken five minutes to hammer out a deal. You watch Seattle. They are still an expansion team, but they are making solid moves to bring a guy like Eddie Olczyk to make their broadcasts stronger. Eventually Seattle Kraken will have the product on ice to win games. The Blackhawks, in the meantime, will still be trying to figure things out.

For the Chicago Blackhawks, it’s time to close the doors on your superstars, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. “This is the end, beautiful friend, this is the the end, my only friend the end,” are lyrics from Jim Morrison’s song “The End” that should be played at the United Center to open up next season. The writing is all over the wall as the Blackhawks have gone into another rebuild by trading some of their younger talented players away to land first round draft picks. Blackhawks let some of their key free agents walk off into the sunset as Kyle Davidson sliced and diced their roster to make more room in the salary cap. Kane and Toews have one year left on their long contracts they earned helping the city win three Stanley Cups. Kane and Toews both had contracts that came with a no-trade clause so they get the final say in where they will be playing next season. What would be better for both superstars? It would be hard to see either one wearing another team’s sweater rather than the Blackhawks logo we are accustomed to seeing. Do the Blackhawks give them a circus tour & go town to town like the traveling Ringling Brothers? Maybe waving good bye while they do a high wire act on the ice? Should the Blackhawks find them a new home where they find a team and help them win a Stanley Cup? What is best for the current roster?

It’s a shame the Blackhawks could not find the right personnel to put alongside Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane to pursue Lord Stanley’s cup once more. Blackhawks gave many of the core members from the dynasty long-term contracts with no trade clauses that handcuffed the team from making moves to keep the well-oiled machine on the ice longer. I loved Brent Seabrook and Duncan Keith, but their long-term contracts took up space without the production for the money they were paid. I understand about keeping the core together. Rewarding guys that helped the team hoist the cup three times. The years of the contract, not the money, bother me as Seabrook missed more games with injuries for the last several years before finally retiring from the game for good. Then when the Blackhawks had money, they made some stupid moves like when General Manager Stan Bowman signed Seth Jones, a high priced defenseman, who did nothing last season, his only season so far in a Blackhawks uniform. Blackhawks even went out to get Seth’s brother in a smaller move that has not panned out. The Jones brothers could go down with the current ship because no other team will be calling on those guys.

The Blackhawks came into the 2022 draft night without a first round pick. Kyle Davidson took over the General Manager duties when Stan Bowman was axed for his part of the Kyle Beach cover up. Davidson’s interim tag was removed and he has been a very busy man. Davidson hired a new head coach, Luke Richardson, as he checked that box. Then on draft night, Davidson unloaded up and coming superstar Alex DeBrincat to the Ottawa Senators. Then Davidson traded away a young defenseman in 23 year old Kirby Dach to Montreal in part of a three-team deal. Kyle Davidson elected not to re-sign Dylan Strome or Dominik Kubalik. Strome lands in Washington while Kubalik lands in Detroit. All four guys are in their 20’s so you would think you would rebuild around them and discard the older veterans. So is this rebuild or retool? When it comes to Chicago sports, in general it’s not cut and dry. Many retools have been putting perfume on a pig.

Would the Blackhawks have been better off dealing Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews a long time ago? Trade them away at their highest value. Even if they traded one of their superstars away and were not in salary cap hell all these years, like the front office dug the franchise into one gigantic hole. The Blackhawks could have been on the verge of a second dynasty with all the talent they gave up. Let’s start this off-season, Alex DeBrincat is only 24 years old and scored 41 goals with 37 assists for 78 points. Dylan Strome, only 25 years old, has 22 goals last season with 26 assists for 48 points. Kirby Dach is only 21 years old coming off injury the season before last but had 9 goals & 17 assists for 26 points. He’s a guy with all the tools for a defenseman. Blackhawks traded away Brandon Hagel at the trade deadline. Hagel is only 23 years old and had 25 goals 19 assists for 44 points. Let’s back up and take the time machine back a few years to some of the guys we could still have today. Artemi Panarin, 30 years old, last year with the Rangers had 22 goals and 74 assists for 96 points. Ryan Hartman for the Wild has 34 goals and 31 assists for 65 points at the age of 27. Teuvo Teravainen is another 27 year old who had 22 goals 43 assists for 65 points playing for the Hurricanes. Then the Saademeiser. Brandon Sadd in St. Louis at 29 years old had 24 goals & 25 assists for 49 points. May be impossible to have all these guys playing for your team at the same time for many reasons. That is lots of talent that walked into the Blackhawks locker room and walked out of the city to be playing meaningful games with other teams in the post-season.

Welcome to hockey hell 101. What will the final tour look like for Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane? Looks to be a full rebuild acquiring 3 first round picks while unloading players that could have been the core around a rebuild. Kyle Davidson acquired a goalie from the Maple Leafs in Petr Mrazek, an 11 year veteran who played in 20 games last season and has a 3.8 million dollar salary cap hit. It’s a trade that helps Leafs dump salary, so they could address other things on their roster. Then the Blackhawks sign a questionable player in Max Domi, a guy that would sucker punch his own grandmother if she was on the ice with him. Domi has pissed off his coaches and fans since he came into the league. Then the Blackhawks added Andreas Athanasiou, a former Red Wing and LA King. I know younger guys may not be ready so you have to bring in some veterans to hold down the fort until they are ready. This is not the way Toews and Kane should go out. I don’t think either one has enough hockey left in them to skate with a young team that is finally able to compete and make some noise around the league. Kane and Toews can probably bring the team back some pieces as well and let’s knock everything down and build it up from the foundation instead of half-arsed. The Blackhawks titanic has been sinking for years. Get the captains out and let the Jones scrubs sink with the ship.

If the Chicago Bears were to adopt a song from the rock band Aerosmith, what would it be? Dream on? Which makes sense the way the Bears franchise is run. It’s the same old Bears song and dance as I added the Bears to the title of the Aerosmith song I’m choosing. We can spin the wheel of meats and land on liver every time with all of the Midway Monsters problems. Today I’m talking about lack of weapons of mass destruction that Justin Fields has in his arsenal. Bears continue to find their receiver solution from a game of bologna darts seen on the Howard Stern show. Bears have been collecting castaways from around the league to fill in their receiver position. Latest trade has Bears sending a round 7 pick. At least it is not a number 1 to the New England Patriots for N’Keal Harry.

N’Keal Harry is 24 years old & was drafted by the New England Patriots back in 2019, 25th overall in the first round out of Arizona State University. Harry had promising back to back years of 1,000 receiving yards for the Sun Devils. Bears would be getting a nice big target for quarterback Justin Fields as Harry stands at 6’4″ at 225 lbs. Bears usually are known for picking rotten fruit or picking up the dented can at the market. Harry’s rookie season injuries haunted the young wide-out limiting him to 7 games where he caught 12 balls. In 2020, Soft Cam Newton relied on Harry as his second or third target on the field. Harry’s numbers went up with 33 catches, 309 receiving yards, and a pair touch downs. Bears know how to pick receivers as Harry wanted to be traded out of New England before the 2021 season. Bringing back memories of Cedric Benson’s hold out for the Bears. More injuries for Harry in the 2021 season and being in Head Coach Bill Belichick’s dog house limited his playing time to 12 games which resulted in only 12 catches for 184 yards.

The Bears cleaned house last season as they hired a new General Manager and Head Coach. The Bears have gone from wide receivers that take their emotions out on the field and let the opposing team get inside their head to earn stupid penalties. We all remember the likes of Javon Wims and Anthony Miller in two separate games versus the Saints, punching corner back C.J Gardner-Johnson and being ejected from the game. The Bears new regime has been collecting castaway receivers from other teams that have been in some trouble right after signing a deal in Chicago.

Bryon Pringle “Mr. Potato Chip” is a former Chiefs return specialist and wide receiver caught with a suspended drivers license doing donuts in a parking lot with his kid inside the car. Pringle signed a one year deal with the Bears and has been charged with reckless driving. Pringle had 42 catches last season from his quarterback Patrick Mahomes for 568 yards with 5 touchdowns. Career-wise, Pringle has 67 grabs for 898 yards with seven touchdowns. Pringle is only 28 years old & has potential but is questionable off the field. Then the Bears are taking a chance on David Moore who has been in the league for six seasons and on a few different teams. Moore is 27 years old, started with Seattle, then moved on to Denver, and then latched on to Green Bay. Moore, another brainiac, was caught sleeping in a Taco Bell drive thru after signing a deal to play for the Bears. That was a costly nap as police found drugs with the regular hand gun that stays close to the stash which will ring Moore up for drug and weapon charges. In Moore’s NFL career so far, he has caught 78 balls for 1,163 yards with 13 touchdowns. Bears new Offensive Coordinator has ties with Moore from Green Bay and another wide out, Equanimeous St. Brown, who also signed with with the team. St. Brown so far is the only good citizen out of the new arrivals coming to Chicago. St. Brown is 25 years old & another big target for Justin Fields as he stands 6’5″ and had only 9 grabs for 98 yards last season. In three seasons, St. Brown has caught 37 balls for 543 yards with one touchdown.

Ryan Poles, the new GM of the Bears, is like the Lion, Moon Racer, in the Christmas Special, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. Instead of toys for the Island of Misfit Toys he is collecting receivers that no one wants and bringing them to a place where receivers go to die. Chicago!! Bears will back up their signings because it’s who you know. Luke Getsy is tied to Equanimeous St. Brown and David Moore who was the offensive coordinator in Green Bay before coming to the Bears this season. Bryon Pringle has ties to Poles who also hailed from the Kansas City organization. Even with the addition of N’Keal Harry, Darnell Mooney is the best receiver on the Bears roster. Mooney is not a number one guy though. Mooney is number two or a slot guy that can go over the middle and get those tough first downs on 3rd down. Bears are playing the numbers as they hope one or perhaps two of these guys can stick. Is this the best method to build up a young quarterback’s confidence? Justin Fields in his second year could have major problems and take a step backwards, lose confidence, and become another first round bust. First year with Mitch Trubisky the Bears may have had their worst receiving group ever. Jay Cutler did not have weapons when they first traded for the gunslinger from Denver. I still do not trust the Bears offensive line to be able to keep Fields standing the entire season. I don’t want a guy like Harry who will collect more injuries on the field than catches. Harry wanting out of New England tells me the Patriots camp was too hard for him. Many players say Bill Belichick is a bastard, his program is tough, and you have to have discipline to get through a typical season. If Harry came without wanting out AND had a shirt that said “I survived Belichick’s football camp and all I got was this stinking tee shirt,” then bravo he may be a piece the team could use. Bears head coach Matt Eberhaus is a defensive minded coach. We could see the Bears defense return as one of the better units in the league. A new staff inheriting Justin Fields with a bunch of nobodies to throw to, we may be looking for yet another guy behind center in 2023. The Bears season just turned “harrier” as we speak.