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WOULD SHEDEUR SANDERS BE PRIME TIME IN NEW YORK CITY FOR THE GIANTS?

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The New York Giants still have not found their quarterback solution after Eli Manning hung up the spikes for good a few seasons ago. The Giants have the number three pick in the upcoming 2025 NFL draft which is not as loaded at the quarterback position like it was at the 2024 draft. The current Head Coach for the G-Men, Brain Daboll, and the General Manager’s jobs are hanging by a thread. As they are on the hot seat right now. After not being able to develop Daniel Jones a quarterback they inherited when they arrived in the big apple, would this regime get the extra time they need to develop a rookie QB? The Giants loaded up on veteran quarterback free agents this off-season in hopes one of them will pay out. It would seem the Giants would pass on picking up a QB in the first round as the quarterback room is filled right now. You never know until the draft what they will do as the Giants and Shedeur Sanders have shown mutual interest in each other. Sanders has one final work out scheduled for the G-Men. Could Deon Sanders’ son be the answer for this New York franchise that is desperate right now seeing every team in their division having a guy that is the face of their franchise?

The New York Giants reside in the NFC East which had two teams that made it to the post-season. The Philadelphia Eagles won the Superbowl with the last laugh on the Giants for signing Saquon Barkley, who was a free agent running back who ran to greener pastures. The Commanders resurrected from the dead as a football franchise by drafting Jayden Daniels number two in last year’s draft. They went deep into the post-season. The Cowboys have Dak Prescott who is a pretend franchise quarterback.The Giants are so desperate at the QB position they signed 36 year old veteran Russell Wilson who had a rebound year playing for the Steelers last year. He went 6-5 as the starter for the Steelers and started off great. He completed 63.7% of his passes and had 16 touchdowns to 5 interceptions. Only problem is the Steelers backed into the post-season on a losing streak and quickly dispatched again in the first round by their arch rival, the Ravens. Wilson was a clubhouse cancer in Denver. He’s typically your primadonna and is not the same guy from his days in Seattle where he was in the top ten of the league behind center.

Then the Giants signed the crab man, Jameis Winston, to a two year deal worth 8 million. Last year he played in Cleveland and was 2-5 in 7 games filling in for the sexual predator Deshaun Watson whose season ended with an injury. Winston had 13 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. He is the King of the pick six. After making it official with the Giants, Winston thanked the fans in the Dawg Pound for having him be their QB for one season. The memories of beating the Steelers in the snow to him was epic. Yes the crab man did beat Russell Wilson. Then the Giants still have 26 year old Tommy DeVito who went 0-2 last year in two starts for the Giants. He had no touchdown passes or interceptions but completed 70.5% of his passes. He is 3-5 as a starter in the NFL with 8 touchdown passes to 3 interceptions and has a 65.3% completion percentage. DeVito signed with the Giants as an Undrafted Free Agent in 2023 and could easily be the odd man out in this Giants’ QB saga by the time the season starts. He may not be the answer as QB 1. He is a guy that has a higher ceiling to develop I think.

The Tennessee Titans have the number one pick in the 2025 NFL draft and they are expected to take the best QB in the draft, Cam Ward, from the University of Miami. The Browns have the second pick in this upcoming draft and they should go Quarterback as Deshaun Watson is expected to miss the entire season. The Browns have traded for Kenny Pickett and have brought back Joe Flacco for his second stint with the team from free agency. Can the Browns move on from Watson with that handcuffed contract he has? The Browns are expected to sign Shadeur Sanders’ University of Colorado teammate, Travis Hunter, who is a two way player as he dabbles as a receiver on offense and defense. He also plays corner back. The Browns could also get another top edge rusher in Abdul Carter from Penn State University. The guy the Browns do not take can easily be the 3rd pick in the draft. They say Sanders is the 2nd best QB in the draft, but his stock has dropped off with the draft approaching.

Shadeur Sanders did not participate at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. He was there, but he did not throw the football or take part in any athletic testing. He focused on meetings with NFL teams. Last season Sanders had 4,134 passing yards with 37 touchdown passes and only 10 interceptions. The University of Colorado made it to the Alamo Bowl. In two seasons as a Buffalo, Sanders was 13-13 as a starter. His first two seasons Sanders played at Jackson State, a smaller school where he went 23-3 as a starter in hus first two years. In College Football overall, he has a 36-15 record behind center as a starter. In the Alamo Bowl he had some cleats designed with the Giants logo and colors. The Giants have had more than one time when they had their staff scouting Sanders. It sounds like a perfect marriage between the Giants and Sanders. The Giants must have Sanders’ pops approval as being one of the teams his son can play for. Neon Deon has a list of team he will not want his son to play for. You know that Prime Time wants his son to be picked in the top 5 or at least the top 10 for the best money. Brian Daboll had Daniel Jones playing better when he arrived taking the Giants job as his first head coaching gig. Jones went back to his old habits very quickly in his second year with Daboll. When Daboll was offensive coordinator in Buffalo, he did great things with the talented Josh Allen as QB. Not sure Sanders will be that guy. That quarterback. The Giants have some talented receivers for a young guy like Sanders. Does Prime Time get involved in his son’s career choices? That could spoil this pick. Plus Daboll and his staff and the GM are right now dead men walking. If they do draft Sanders, then he may have another Head Coach and different offensive scheme in year two. Not sure I like my young QB being around a loser like Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston. New York is no Colorado Mountain High either. The Big Apple can eat players alive as the worm turns. Just reading about what some of the football experts are saying, there may be other QB’s that are worth a try than paying Sanders kid the big money. If I was the Giants, I would take the Edge Rusher from Penn State or the two way star from Colorado. Roll the dice that your franchise will be here again with a top pick in 2026 and hope it’s a better crop of QB’s for the taking.

SEASON 2: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK 3

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We have a new team perched high above our weekly power rankings edition of the UFL. This will be the third week we have a new team sitting on top of the power rankings mountain. In week three we have all kinds of movement in our power rankings. Houston finds a way to dig themselves out of the bottom of the heap without winning a game. Who’s worse than Houston? Stallions are back in the saddle again.

Has Luis Perez’s book hit the best sellers list yet? Does this league even have a solid quarterback? Let’s see if we can answer these questions when we roll out the 3rd week of the 2025 UFL power rankings. Go!

#8. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (0-2)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 2 spots from last week

The Brahmas are the only team that has not won a game after two weeks into the season. This is not the same Wade Phillips team that made post-season last year and went on the road to St. Louis to upset the Battle Hawks to get to the first UFL title game. The Brahmas are playing like Lamas as they are the only team in the XFL conference without a win. All three of their division rivals have not lost a game yet. The Brahmas have settled for 9 points per game in two contests. They have given up the most points so far on defense after two weeks. Both weeks, the Brahmas defense let their opponents have the high score of the week. The Brahmas defense was the staple of this Wade Phillips team. Last year they did better with Chase Garbers as their quarterback, a guy who quit on this team in the title game, than Kellen Mond. Mond has been sacked six times in two games and has thrown one interception. He has completed 30 passes out of 58 throws for 288 passing yards. The Brahmas have two solid backs, but teams are zeroing on their strength, taking their running game away, and forcing Mond to beat them with his arm or legs. Former Pittsburgh Steeler running back Antony Macfarland does lead the UFL with the most all-purpose yards after two weeks. He is the only sign of a heartbeat with this Brahmas cattle on offense.

You know what they do to cattle that can’t play anymore. Right between the eyes.

#8. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (0-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: Moved up 1 spot from last week.

In week one, Houston was blown out by the Battle Hawks. In week 2 the Roughnecks held the top scoring team from week 1, the Arlington Renegades, to 11 points. When the Roughnecks offense only mustered up 9 points, you’re going to lose most football games. It was an ugly game in week 2 with Houston and Arlington but a very close game. Anthony Brown was tackled short of a two point conversion trying to stretch the ball over the goal line.

His knee touched the ground before he stretched the ball over the goal line as the score remained 11-9. The Renegades stop the Roughnecks’ attempt of the 4th and 12 on side play and iced the game. The Roughnecks scored 3 points more in week 2 than they did in week one as they have tallied up 15 points in two games so far. Bright side, Brown threw his first UFL touchdown of his career. The Roughnecks defense is solid. They have guys like Leon O’neal Jr., Markel Roby, and Xavier Benson that can make plays on the defensive side of the ball. They have one of the best front seven on defense in the entire league. Only if they can score more than single digits in a game, they may put a W in the standings.

#6. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (0-2)

USFL CONFERENCE: Moved up 1 spot from last week

The Memphis Showboats definitely were up for some motor-boating in week two as they gave the Defenders a battle to the end which ended up in their second loss of the season. The return of Ken Whisenhunt had to give this team a lift mentally as he missed week one due to personal reasons. The Showboats had the lead over the Defenders 12-9 with 11:47 left in the game. The Showboats took the lead with an EJ Perry run, a 16 yard score from the Memphis quarterback. He threw for 205 passing yards but had one interception in the game. The Showboats matched their total from week one with another 12 point game. The Showboats were driving at the end of the game after the Defenders took the lead on them in the 4th. The drive stopped, but they went for the field goal try in hopes of converting the onside play after the kick. The kick was blocked and Memphis came away with another loss but a game they showed some nice things on both offense and defense.

On defense the Showboats have Steele Chambers, former Ohio State Buckeye, who leads the UFL in tackles after two weeks with 20. He actually led each week so far with ten tackles in both week 1 and 2.

#5. DC DEFENDERS (2-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Same spot from last week

The head coach of the DC Defenders, Reggie Barlow, bolted the UFL for a college head coaching job at Tennessee State University. No worries the new guy promoted to being the new head coach of the Defenders is Shannon Harris who has DC at 2-0 to start the season. Now the Defenders lost their defensive coordinator this week to Tennessee State University. Mr. Bounty Gate, Gregg Williams, follows Barlow out of town to become his new defensive coordinator for Tennessee State.

We are all confused as Barlow has his hand up Williams’ rear end is my educated guess. Williams leaves the DC defensive coordinator job to his son Blake, who has coached college football and has coached in the NFL. Meanwhile the Defenders must have a lucky horseshoe as a team up their rear. They managed to barely beat the Showboats to collect their 2nd victory of the year. Devonnsha Maxwell blocked a key field goal towards the end of the game to keep the Showboats from attempting a comeback. Jordan Ta’amu was intercepted during the game by the Showboats defender who did not get both feet in bounds. The Defenders were able to cash in on that break with a field goal. Then Isiah Hennie muffed a punt for the Showboats at the end of the first half. The Defenders drove down the field as the drive stalled. They still cash in with a field goal. Three plays that are worth 9 points total and could have easily changed the tide of the outcome. The Defenders offense is averaging under 20 points per game so far this season. Their average 17.5 points exactly per contest. They looked good in week one getting by the Stallions. It has been the Defenders defense that has carried this team and they hosted both games. I’m not buying what this Defenders team is selling right now. The losses will start to pile up.

#4. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (1-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Dropped one spot from last week

When it comes to the Michigan Panthers playing the Birmingham Stallions, it reminds me of the Buffalo Bills trying to hurdle their problem with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Panthers were knocked out of post-season play by the Panthers last year. The Panthers start off the season with victory. The Stallions get knocked off in week 1 on the road by the Defenders. The Panthers hosting the Stallions. Another road game for Birmingham. It looks good for Michigan. The Panthers even knocked out the Stallions’ former MVP quarterback right in the beginning of the game. He left the game with a shoulder injury and did not return. The Panthers played the Stallions tough, but Skip Holtz inserts the back up Matt Corral and gets the same results. The Panthers even picked off Corral twice in this game with one of them coming from DJ Miller. Bryce Perkins is the better option for the Panthers than Danny Etling. Who head coach Mike Nolan is wasting time putting him in a few times every game. Perkins is not the best QB in the league as he completed 12-23 passes for only 132 passing yards. He did hit Marcus Simms for a touchdown. He threw one interception and only completed 50% of his throws as he has to get better if they want to hurdle the Stallions. The Panthers even hit on a 3 point conversion. It was a game where both teams settled for field goals.

The Nacua brothers who are both on the Panthers are making an impact this season for Michigan. Kai Nacua plays on the Panthers defense as a safety and he had 8 tackles vs the Stallions. Then Samson Nacua plays on the Panthers offense & he had a catch for 23 yards. Both Nacua brothers are related to LA Rams stud wide receiver Puka. The Nacua brothers with that special Panthers defense, and they need Perkins to play better if they want to slay their demons in Stallions. They will have another regular season game with the Stallions. With the Showboats and Roughnecks in the same division, the Panthers will meet the Stallions once again in the post-season.

#3. BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (1-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week

The Stallions quickly rebounded from their opening week loss to the DC Defenders. Can Stallions head coach Skip Holtz strike gold again at the quarterback position? Matt Corral filled in for the injured Alex McGough who left the game with a shoulder injury. Not sure how long McGough will be out as he seems kind of rusty not playing QB last year as the Packers tried to turn him into a wide receiver. Corral looked great, a strike to Deon Cain to seal the deal for the Stallions’ first victory. Corral had two interceptions and at times looks clueless on the field. The Stallions’ first championship it was J’Mar Smith who got it done behind center. The second was Alex McGough. Last year Adrian Martinez was awesome. In two games, the Stallions have made multiple mistakes with turnovers and penalties. The Stallions defense is one of the top units in the league with multiple guys you have to talk about. Last week we talked about Tae Crowder, so this week we will talk about the heart and soul of that Stallions defense.

Kyahva Tezino is a former Pittsburgh Mauler, which was my favorite spring team of all-time. Tezino had 9 tackles versus the Panthers which 5 were solo jobs. The Stallions will need this defense to carry this team maybe for the first half of the season, so Skip could figure out the QB situation. The Stallions also have Case Cookus who played for the Showboats last year. He had some solid seasons at quarterback for the Philadelphia Stars back in the USFL as well.

#2.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (2-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 1 spot from last week

I have the Arlington Renegades dropping one spot after the Houston Roughnecks took them to the distance in week two. In week 1 the Renegades scored the most points with 33. In week 2 the Renegades win the game and only score 11 to do that. The Roughnecks were close to tying this game late. If the Roughnecks would have pulled this off, it would have been Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson.

Luis Perez’s book sales may drop if the Renegades offense suddenly goes dormant for multiple weeks. Perez after two weeks leads the UFL in passing yards with 375. The running game that came alive in week one for the Renegades was contained by the Roughnecks defense and ground to a halt. Bob Stoops has that Renegades defense playing solid ball. They go after the quarterback and create turnovers. Perez will have plenty of big games. Having that defense playing lights out only giving 18 points after two games, will help this Renegades team make it to post-season.

I like the Renegades bringing back their bandit style cowboy logo and putting it back on their helmets. It beats just the letter R.

#1. ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (2-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot to the number 1 position in the power rankings

Yes, the team with the biggest fan base, the St. Louis Battle Hawks, are now perched on top of the UFL power rankings. The Battle Hawks got their revenge on the Brahmas who found a way to win in St.Louis in the post-season.

The Battlehawks during regular season last year at home with the most fans in the league went undefeated in regular season. Last week they destroyed the Brahmas in front of a very nice turn out in their home opener. The Battlehawks have scored the most points in the first two weeks of play with 57. The Battlehawks defense has only allowed 15 points so far. No opponent has scored in double digits on this Battlehawks defense.

The Battlehawks defense racked up 4 sacks and linebacker Pita Taumoepenu had one of them. Pita is like a bread truck coming at the opposing QB’s this season as he has 3 sacks already on the books. On offense Manny Wilkins is looking like one of the top QB’s in the entire UFL. With the help of Jacob Saylors, the job becomes a tad easier as his running back had three rushing touchdowns last Sunday night. The Battlehawks are Beyond the Thunderdome as the Battledome since the XFL days are now 11-2 at home in Arch Town. Right now the Battlehawks are playing by far the best in the league as they stand by themselves. The worst team is San Antonio. Then the rest of the league is clumped together.

THE RUSSIAN MACHINE

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How many people are really that excited by Alex Ovechkin making NHL history with his 895th goal that breaks the Great One’s record? The Great One is Wayne Gretzky, probably the best hockey player of all-time some would say. Gretzky became the all-time NHL goals leader back in 1994 when he passed the great Gordie Howe who had 801 NHL goals in his career. Gretzky would hang up the skates lighting the lamp 894 times in his NHL career. The Great One held the record for 31 years and 14 days until Sunday when Alex Ovechkin AKA the Russian Machine made history. He’s also known as the Great 8 or in some circles goes by The Mechanic. Ovechkin hits a laser blast past the New York Islanders goalie for a power play goal and it becomes the record setter. Ovechkin hails from Moscow as Russia is his mother country and has had pictures taken with their dictator Vladimir Putin. The dick head Putin sent out his congratulations to Alex as Russia was successful at least at taking over a record unlike the country of Ukraine. Ovechkin plays for the Washington Capitals which is now Donald Trump country. The Great One had personality as a player your own kid can get behind. While Ovechkin looks like a guy after a hockey game who takes on a job to make a hit on somebody for the KGB. Maybe that’s why they nicknamed him The Mechanic.

It definitely was a surreal moment on Sunday after the goalie, Alex Ovechkin, did his own slip and slide version on the ice. Instead of that yellow plastic sprinkler laid out on the grass for kids to play on during hot summer days. The NHL and the game of hockey have always been a classy sport in sportsmanship. After a playoff series that could go the distance and turn most of your guys black and blue from the grinding punishment by each team, they always shake hands when that playoff round concludes. The Capitals face the Islanders and all the New York players shook Ovechkin’s hand. The New York crowd on hand witnessed NHL history & got to their feet to give the superstar a loud round of applause out of respect for the accomplishment on the ice. Ovechkin scored the goal off his fellow countryman in the Islanders net, Ilya Sorokin, who he joked about in a good way. The assists on the goal came from two of the Great 8’s longtime teammates, Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome. The goal occurred in the 2nd period as the game had a special stoppage as Wayne Gretzky was on hand to congratulate Ovechkin on breaking his record and did so with class. Gretzky remembered Gordie Howe being there at the stadium when he broke his record back in 1994. Ovechkin also mentioned his former teammates. Even the ones who could not play that game due to being injured. He said all the right things and had his family around him celebrating the NHL milestone with him. It’s a record he should be able to hold, like Gretzky did for a long long time.

It took Alex Ovechkin 61 games as he scored his 42nd goal of the season to break the Great One’s record at the age of 39. You have to respect anyone playing a professional sport in their late 30’s and has those kinds of results. It’s a contact sport as well which takes a lot of wear and tear each grinding season you play. He was not like some old veteran past his prime who should have been put out to pasture just hanging on to break some kind of iconic record. Ovechkin will be a for-sure first round ballot Hall of Famer as now he has the record of 895 goals as he dished out 724 career assists for a total of 1,619 points. He will get past 900 goals but 1,000 may be out of his reach at this age. He has played 20 seasons in the NHL all with the Capitals which is unheard of in sports playing your entire career with the same team. Even Wayne Gretzky played with more than one team as he played for the Edmonton Oilers and LA Kings. It was great for Capital fans seeing their guy break that NHL record wearing the Washington sweater. Ovechkin showed he was a class act guy not wanting to break this special milestone with a empty net shot as he had the other night before the Sunday game versus the Islanders. Now the Capitals as a team have gotten past this hurdle of this special record their teammate broke. They can gear up for the NHL post-season. As a team, the Capitals have played well all season as they are in first place in the Metropolitan division with a 49-19-9 record. Ovechkin helped the Capitals win their first and only Stanley Cup a few years back. This Capitals team has a great shot at winning it all this season. The Great One won a total of 4 cups in his legendary career. When you compare the basketball careers of Michael Jordan and Lebron James, what’s the best way to win that argument? Jordan won six titles and never lost in a championship game. King James could have all the stats but Jordan is the GOAT in the NBA.

When we think of Russia as a country, their land grab in Ukraine is a conflict that has gone on long enough. This war has affected their athletes as the Russian country has been banned from the Olympics and many international sports competitions around the globe. During the early 1980’s, we thought their Olympic hockey team was invincible.

When that underdog hockey team, the U.S.A, pulled off the miracle win against that Red Army Russian team in those 1980 Olympics, it was special. We as a country have been through the Cold War with the USSR. We have had peace with them for many years as well. I don’t want to sound like Rocky Balboa after Rocky 4 in his peace speech after the Italian Stallion defeated the Russian boxer Ivan Drago. Most people in the world have nothing to with the people that work our governments. Even though technically we get a say via a vote. I’m sure Alex Ovechkin puts his pants and skates on one leg at a time. I’m sure most Russian citizens like to sit down at their local pub and have a drink just like the rest of the world. Great food and drink along with some great sports competitions is what the world should be about. How many Capitals fans have waited a long time to see that franchise win a cup? Ovechkin helped deliver that. Maybe you can throw him a new nickname like “The Capital Machine.” Right now he wears number 8 and the Great 8 seems to be the perfect name for a guy that just broke a NHL record that is one of the hardest to break in sports. It’s a great moment for whichever race, color, creed, country etc etc. I saw this record broken twice in my lifetime and many may never see this again for very long time. Talking about a different generation a long time from now. You have to have longevity and prepare your body & mindset to stand the grueling game for 20 seasons or more, along with having the talent to do that. Impressive!!

SEASON 2: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE POWER RANKINGS WEEK # 2

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THE POWER OF THE BEER SNAKE

In week two of the young 2025 spring football season, we already have a new number one perch high and above the season power rankings. Is it time to take the Stallions to the glue factory as they were snake bitten in DC? Some musical chairs in the top 5 spots of the power rankings going into week two. I think the teams that live under the stairs will be there for most of the season. Okay, let’s unveil week two power rankings in the UFL starting with the bad all the way to the top of the food chain. It could be the Battlehawks or Bob freaking Stoops. Enjoy!!!

#8. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (0-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: SAME SPOT FROM LAST WEEK

Last week pointed out one of the major problems head coach Curtis Johnson and this Roughnecks team have – the quarterback and their offense. In the first Friday game in the UFL history, Houston was blown out of the waters at home by St. Louis. The Roughnecks were down 31-0 by the time they were moseying on in the end zone. Houston you have a problem at the QB position. The new guy, Anthony Brown, did not give this non-existent fan base any hope by completing 5-11 passing for a whopping 21 yards. It was the back up QB, Nolan Henderson, who connected with Houston’s only threat, Justin Hall, for the only score of the day. Nolan Henderson did okay and may not be the answer for the Roughnecks as they had this scoring drive in garbage time.

The Battlehawks defense did knock Nolan around, but he showed he may be the better option than Brown. Justin Hall seems the only threat on the Roughnecks these days. Hall scored the only touchdown for Houston. Hall has been in Houston when this team was called the Gamblers in the USFL reboot.

Maybe this Houston franchise should go back to their original name, the Gamblers. In 2022 & ’23, the Gamblers on the jersey went 8-12 in 2 seasons in the USFL. Since adopting the Roughnecks, this Houston squad is now 1-10.

#7. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (0-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Same spot from last week

The Memphis Showboats are sort of in the same boat as the Roughnecks. They too have a solid play maker, named Jonathan Adams, who tallied up 93 receiving yards with one touchdown. The Showboats have two quarterbacks right now dueling it out to be the man behind center for the season. Both quarterbacks have spring football experience. Troy Williams, who is a former Pittsburgh Mauler, played for Memphis last year. He completed 8-11 passes for 104 passing yards but threw an interception. Then EJ Perry who completed 10-17 passes with an interception. Perry has experience playing for the Michigan Panthers. Adams has to take on extra credit to give these guys a bigger window so they can get him the ball. The Showboats scored 12 points & that doubled the total of what Houston scored. The Showboats’ new interim head coach Jim Wilson was thrown into action when Ken Whisenhunt had to leave the team for personal reasons only a week away from the first game. The Showboats were okay under Wilson as they opened up at home and lost to a solid team in the Michigan Panthers. The Showboats fan base have their own personal club like the Bills Mafia as they name themselves the Yacht club.

I love it, but where was the Yacht club in the home opener for Memphis? Was the entire fan base out on the water on a three hour tour and then became shipwrecked on some island. That leads up to the million dollar question: Ginger or Mary Ann?

#6. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (0-1)

XFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 2 spots from last week

I was not impressed with Wade Phillips’ team in week 1. The Brahmas defense gave up the most points in the first week to the Renegades. The Brahmas defense was a big part of what brought this team to the championship game last year. It seems like their defense lost some of its juice they had in their attack style. On offense, same ole story about having a quarterback that is developed. Kellen Mond made his first spring start and he completed 17-31 passes for 159 passing yards. He did not throw any interceptions but was sacked twice and completed the majority of his passes which were short not down field. It was the Brahmas rushing attack that is still solid as John Lovett and Anthony McFarland combined for 105 yards on the ground. It took the Brahmas until the 4th quarter to find the end zone. The best thing for the Brahmas was their kicker made his first field goal since high school ball.

Donald De La Haye aka Deestroying it, got the Brahmas on the board with a 39 yard field goal. De La Haye was on the Brahmas last year but did not attempt a field goal as he was injured in week 2 and done for the season. De La Hoye leads the league in followers on YouTube . In college the NCAA came down on him about his videos at Central Florida University where he quit playing college football to keep doing his thing on social media. De La Haye’s second field goal attempt did not look very promising as it was a longer attempt but sailed far away from the goal post.

#5. DC DEFENDERS (1-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week.

Can a beer snake swallow a Stallion? It was the Defenders defense that swallowed Stallions QB Alex McGough 8 times in eight sacks on the former USFL MVP. It was an impressive victory for the Stallions and the new head coach Shannon Harris who just got the job a week before the season started when Reggie Barlow bolted to Tennessee State for the head coaching job there.

It was Anthony Hines III who put on a clinic on defense for the Defenders. He had 6 tackles with 2 sacks and fumble recovery. The Defenders have a QB that has plenty of experience in the spring football league as Jordan Ta’amu had another solid game behind center. He completed 17-37 passes for 211 passing yards & one TD pass, along with 1 interception. The Defenders only put up 18 points which was enough to give the champs their first loss of the season. The Defenders crowd looks like something out of the Big Bang Theory or some Dungeons and Dragons club that meets there to drink plenty of beer to feed the snake. I only moved the Defenders up one spot because I need to see more. Was this victory just a lucky win by them or will they be contenders? Last year this team were pretenders.

#4.BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (0-1)

USFL CONFERENCE: Dropped 3 spots from last week.

The Stallions have fallen off their perch on the spring football mountain as they tumble in DC in week 1. The Stallions are the only winnless team I have in the top 4 of the power rankings because they are Birmingham and let’s not forget they have won three straight titles. The Stallions did suffer a loss last year. This Stallions team is still stacked with talent. Having Alex McGough back behind center everyone thought Birmingham would be unstoppable. The Defenders exploited something on the Stallions offensive line and sacked the former MVP 8 times. The Stallions defense only gave up 18 points which is a good thing to take from this loss. Tae Crowder had a big game for the Stallions on the defensive side of the ball.

He had 11 tackles and defended one pass. Do you think Tae is related to the Crowders in Kentucky?

I know Skip Holtz will have the Stallions back on track by week two. I think the Defenders will show their true colors next week as the team we thought they were.

#3. MICHIGAN PANTHERS (1-0)

USFL CONFERENCE: Dropped one spot from last week

Even though the Panthers did win last week, to me they dropped one spot because of their dueling banjos at the QB position that do not impress me. The Panthers defense is tops in the league. They can run the ball with the best of them in the league. They have a top playmaker at the wide receiver position in Marcus Simms.

The final piece to this Panthers team puzzle is the quarterback position which does not fit. The Panthers banjos have no strings and I’m not sure if you combined Bryce Perkins and Danny Etling into one Quarterback that you would have a top passer in the UFL. The Panthers should just stick with Perkins because he can run with the ball and can escape the pocket. One of these guys just needs to be the game manager and not screw up on game day. That defense will keep them in every game. Imagine if the Panthers had a top passer, they would be a championship team.

#2. ST. LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (1-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up one spot from last week.

I guess if you are a Battlehawks fan you can say AJ who? Referring to AJ McCarron one of the top QB’s in the UFL last year as St. Louis moved on in a different direction. Maybe the Panthers should give McCarron a call. Just saying.

The Battlehawks wanted a mobile quarterback and that is where Manny Wilkens comes in. He razzled and dazzled the Roughnecks defense with his legs and arm. Wilkens threw for 189 passing yards with no interceptions. He also ran for two touchdowns on 43 rushing yards. The Battlehawks rushing attack is something to keep an eye out for. They set a new UFL record with 273 rushing yards of which 74 of them came from a Jarveon Howard who had 115 for the night. Then St. Louis star running back had 98 rushing yards. The Battlehawks defense only gave up 6 points.

#1.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (1-0)

XFL CONFERENCE: Moved up 4 spots from last week

The Renegades made the biggest jump in the power rankings moving up 4 spots and taking the number one spot.

Did you buy the King of the Spring fling’s new book? Luis Perez learned the QB position from watching YouTube videos. He has bowled more than one perfect game. He has helped the Renegades win an XFL title & now he is a published author. Perez was not the star of the Renegades in week one as he quietly completed 20-25 passes for 164 passing yards. The Renegades put the most points on the board in week 1. They did their damage with the running game and the Renegades defense was awesome.

Kalen Ballage galloped for a 77 yard run for a score. He led the Renegades rushing attack with 9 carries for 110 yards. The Renegades’ other running back De’Veon Smith who has been playing for Arlington for years, had 3 carries for 3 yards and 3 touchdowns. I think the Renegades had all 3 phases of their game playing at top level. They can run the ball. They have a solid defense. Most importantly they have one of the best quarterbacks in the league. The weakness in the UFL is the play at the quarterback position.

SEASON 2 UFL: UNITED FOOTBALL LEAGUE WEEK 1 POWER RANKINGS

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The Spring fling is back in action for season two of the United Football league. Last year the UFL launched with the merger of the XFL and the USFL with 8 teams – 4 from each league. The UFL has not forgotten where everyone came from as they named each conference after the old leagues. In season two of the UFL, the league is bringing back all 8 teams from last year hoping they grow in each city. Last year the league was successful in television ratings and some of the 8 teams did very well with putting fannies in the seats. The games were solid & the post-season was solid. The NFL still takes some players away from this league, but most of these guys have been battling it out for years in the multiple leagues that have come and gone. Traditions and roots are being established for all 8 teams is what I like about it. Many of the coaches for these teams are big name guys that have stayed with their franchise. This league has been fun to watch, competitive, and gives us football all year around. Who’s going to complain about that? Our first week of the power rankings we are just throwing darts to see what sticks. We are going with what we know from last year, mostly, and gut feelings. We may hit right on some things. we may be like the Wild Thing in Major League the movie…

Our first week we are ranking each team from worst to first. We have 8 teams and here we go.

#8. HOUSTON ROUGHNECKS (1-9) Last year

USFL CONFERENCE

The Roughnecks last year were a dud on offense. Curtis Johnson returns as head coach as he has been the guy for the Houston Gamblers of the USFL before they enter the UFL. The UFL adopted the old Roughnecks name from the XFL and put the Gamblers on ice for the time being. The Roughnecks need a new QB behind center and they have one. Former Oregon Duck University with a stint at Boston College, Anthony Brown.

Anthony Brown gives the Roughnecks a duel threat QB. Brown seems to use his legs more than his arm. The Roughnecks have a nice weapon for Brown in veteran Justin Hall, who finished 3rd in receptions and receiving yards last year for Houston. It looks like Mark Thompson, their top running back for the last few years, is not playing this year or is MIA. The Roughnecks had a solid defense last year. I don’t see really any improvement out of this bunch.

#7. MEMPHIS SHOWBOATS (2-8) Last Year

USFL CONFERENCE

I was excited when I heard Memphis had a new head coach coming in.

Former NFL head coach Ken Whisenhunt was supposed to take over. Due to family issues, he has to step away from this job which was only a week ago that this announcement came out. Whisenhunt was once the head coach of the Tennessee Titans so taking the Memphis job, the locals would know him. Which would have been cool him coaching two professional football teams in the state of Tennessee. The Showboats also have new man behind center, and they are excited about the former Jay Hawk Jason Bean who also had a stint at North Texas University. He is a duel threat QB who started 30 games on the college gridiron, threw for 3,600 yards, and rushed for 1,300. Jason Bean was one of the top draft picks selected in the UFL sweepstakes. The Showboats have a top notch receiver for him as well in Daewood Davis. This is a city for whom I would like to see more fans attend their games. Love the name of their team and it has the coolest logo in the league.

#6. DC DEFENDERS (4-6) Last year

XFL CONFERENCE

Do you want the good news or the bad news first about the current situation of the Defenders? The bad news first – I guess their long time head coach Reggie Barlow bolted out of town only a week ago taking the Tennessee State University football head coach job. Remember the great great NFL star Eddie George he left Tennessee State and took the Bowling Green University job. The Defenders do have their quarterback coming back in Jordan Ta’amu and will also have a kick returner, the best in the league, Chris Rowland at their disposal. Former NFL head coach Gregg Williams is still the Defenders’ defensive coordinator. The good news..

The Beer snake may get bigger at home games for the Defenders.

#5.ARLINGTON RENEGADES (3-7) Last year

XFL CONFERENCE

Don’t let the record fool you. This Renegades team is better than their record as they lost multiple close games last season. They were a top team taking the ball away and finished the season with the fewest giveaways. They were second in the league in total offense only behind the Birmingham Stallions. Bob Stoops has been one of the better spring football head coaches including winning the XFL title game. They have one of the best Q’s in the spring fling history of all-time in Luis Perez.

Perez was the QB that helped Stoops capture his first Spring Fling championship. At the end of this season, I see the Renegades in the post-season as one of my predictions.

#4. SAN ANTONIO BRAHMAS (7-3) Last season

XFL CONFERENCE

The Brahmas surprised everyone last season making the post-season play and going all the way to the first ever UFL Championship. With Wade Phillips as your head coach, you really can not be surprised. It was not a very good game for the Brahmas in the title shot. They lost to the Stallions 25-0. The Brahmas have a new QB and the fans have to be thankful.

Everyone remembers the Chase Garbers slide in the championship. Chase could have easily got the first down but instead slid way too early. Why even a slide as it was a crucial part of the game for the Brahmas? The Brahmas will go with Kellen Mond, former Texas A&M star not named Johnny Football. Mond is one of only 3 QB’s in SEC history to have passed for 9,000 yards and run for over 1,500 yards. He joined Tim Tebow and Dak Prescott as the only others to accomplish those kind of stats in that conference.

#3.ST.LOUIS BATTLEHAWKS (7-3)

XFL CONFERENCE

How will the BattleHawks play without the best QB in the UFL? The BattleHawks will not have the great A,J McCarron this season. However experts have written they have assembled one of the best QB rooms in the UFL. Manny Wilkins will be the starter most likely as he played some games last season when McCarron missed due to injury. The BattleHawks have Chevon Cordeiro who led the Mountain West conference in passing yards and touchdown passes in 2023. He played at Hawaii University and San Jose State University in his college career.

The BattleHawks also have the horny toad in Max Duggan. If you remember, Duggan led the TCU Hornfrogs to the National Championship. We will see how all this develops for the team with the top fan base which St.Louis has. The BattleHawks have one of the best running backs in the league with Jacob Sayers who averaged 4.9 yards a carry last year. These QB’s have a 6’6″ monster target to throw to in Hakeem Butler who led the UFL in receiving yards last year.

#2.MICHIGAN PANTHERS (7-3) Last Year

USFL CONFERENCE

The Panthers made post-season only to be dispatched by the Stallions which is a common trend over the years dealing with Birmingham. The Panthers have the best defense in the UFL. They have Breeland Speaks coming back who led the league with 9.5 sacks. They have the top safety in the UFL in Kai Nacua, who had three interceptions and broke up 11 passes.

Let’s not forget about the tackling machine in Frank Ginda. The Panthers on offense always has a solid running game. They have two serviceable QB’s in Danny Etling and Bryce Perkins who have experience in the Spring Fling. Mike Nolan is top notch head coach in this league.

#1.BIRMINGHAM STALLIONS (9-1) Last year

USFL CONFERENCE

I have to have the Stallions at number one until someone knocks Skip Holtz and company off the top of spring football mountain. The Stallions are sick as they won three titles in a row. Two back-to-back titles in the USFL. Then they ran through the new merger league of the UFL going 11-1 completing the three-peat. Holtz has won his three titles with three different MVP quarterbacks as well. In his first season, he won with J’Mar Smith who just retired. Then in his second season he won it with Alex McGough who may be the cream of the crop that Holtz has had behind center. Last Adrian Martinez was MVP and had a fabulous year. Martinez has latched on with the New York Jets. Who will Holtz have this season behind center?

Back by popular demand, it is Alex McGough who is back after his stint with the Packers. McGough can beat you with his arm or his legs. More with his arm is what I would want in a duel threat QB. I think the Stallions will be better with McGough than Martinez, who was awesome. The Stallions have a nice group of playmakers assembled for their man behind center. The Stallions have always played a solid defense as well. When has a professional football team won 4 straight titles? The Stallions are likeable and not like the Patriots or the Chiefs – two dynasties that make your stomach turn.

PATRIOTS HAVE A NEW HIT-MAN READY TO DIGGS THROUGH THE BILLS MAFIA

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You knew it was going to just be a matter of time when Stefon Diggs would resurface in the AFC East. The old Patriots way is rebuilding mode as New England started things off by hiring a former player Mike Vrabel. He will lead the Empire back to the post-season to reclaim the galaxy. Vrabel played with the old regime and helped win some Superbowls with Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. After his playing, he went into coaching as he took on the head coaching job at Tennessee as their head coach. This off-season the Patriots have been restocking their shelves with some high priced talent. The Patriots just added Drake Maye, a number one wide receiver, as they give the 31 year old Diggs a three year deal worth 69 million which 26 of that is guaranteed. For Diggs it was show me the money and a chance to get revenge against one of his former teams he played for, the Bills. Now he will face them twice a year working for the new Empire.

Stefon Diggs was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings back in the 2015 NFL draft in the 5th round out of Maryland University. Diggs has ten seasons under his belt in the NFL as the Patriots will be the 4th team of his career. Diggs is a 4x Pro-Bowler and was named All-Pro once in his professional career. Diggs is a number one receiver for most teams in the NFL. He has played in 144 NFL games and has caught 857 passes for 10,491 receiving yards and hauled in 70 touchdown receptions. Why has he been traded already twice in his career? Diggs demands the ball, he is a attention seeker, and could easily become unhappy. He eventually wears out his welcome. The Vikings gladly traded Diggs to Buffalo back in 2020 for draft picks which included a number pick Minnesota used to cash in on Justin Jefferson, one of the league’s top talents. In Buffalo he helped in the development of one of the best Quarterbacks in the league, Josh Allen. The Bills could not get over the Chiefs hurdle and Diggs wore out his welcome with tantrums on the sideline. Tantrums in the locker room and those cryptic tweets on social media. The Bills traded him to Houston before the 2024 season kicked off. Diggs would only play in 8 games for the Texans before getting derailed by a season ending injury. He tore an ACL in his knee in week 8 versus the Colts. In 8 games Diggs caught 47 balls for 596 yards and three touchdown passes from second year man CJ Stroud. Part of the trade agreement was Diggs reworked his contract so he can become a free agent and now will be set to be another top drafted quarterback’s security blanket.

The New England Patriots have been mostly a disaster after Tom Brady left town. Bill Belichick was able to get the Patriots into the post-season once without Brady. The Evil Empire crumbled as Belichick was fired & they went with one of his guys to take over as head coach last year. Jerod Mayo took the job as head coach only to last one season as the Patriots took last place in the AFC East with a 4-13 record. The Patriots turned to Mike Vrabel as the head coach and stocked him up this off-season with some solid defensive players. Patriots added Harold Landry III, a former Titan linebacker, who played for Vrabel. The Patriots signed Robert Spillane, a linebacker and the Raiders lead tackler last season. They added former Eagle defensive tackle Milton Williams. They signed former Lion corner back Carlton Davis. On the offense they signed Morgan Moses, the former Jets offensive lineman. Then they added back up QB Joshua Dobbs to the mix. They did grab another wide receiver before Diggs, another X-Bill who had a nice season with Josh Allen last year in Mack Hollins who was a great red zone option for Buffalo. Josh McDaniels returns to New England as the offensive coordinator who has ties with Hollins from his Raiders days where he flopped as head coach. The Patriots have tried to sign other big name receivers but had no luck. With Diggs they may have overpaid because of his torn ACL.

Everyone thought, including me, that Stefon Diggs was going to sign with the Dallas Cowboys to play with his brother. Diggs’ brother Trevon plays on the other side of the ball as he is a corner back on the Cowboys defense. The Cowboys have been looking for another guy to line up on the other side of the field to CeeDee Lamb. Lamb is one of the top receivers in the NFL. Either Stefon did not want to play on a team where he is the number two or the Cowboys were expecting a family discount for his services. Stefon has a great work ethic and will probably be ready to go week 1 where most would return sometime after the year of the injury. Diggs, who took all his Bills stuff off social media, put all of it back not too long ago. Rumors had it Diggs wanted to return to the Bills. I could not see the Bills having a family reunion with the cray-cray that Diggs brings to the table. It did not seem like the Texans were knocking at his door for a return there.

The Patriots plan is the same thing the Bills did for Josh Allen. Stefon Diggs will be the number one guy for 2nd year man Drake Maye. The Patriots wide receiver room compiled up 1,723 receiving yards last year which was the fewest in the NFL. Adding Diggs and Mack Hollins with the guys the Patriots had last year like Kendrick Bourne, DeMario Douglas, Kayshon Boutte, and Ja’Lynn Baker can’t be a bad thing. Drake’s guys from last year he knows well and should get better with them in his second season. The guys from last year will get more single coverage as Diggs will get double teamed most of the games. Hollins will do his thing that he did for the Bills. Catch TD passes and convert some first downs. On paper this is a nice plan for New England. Will the Patriots be a playoff team next year? Losing is not a good thing for Diggs. Neither is not getting him the ball. Will Diggs be the same guy he was before the knee injury? This is a gamble for the Patriots who did overpay for his services. They need to. If Diggs works out and the Patriots do well, more players will follow and play for New England who are rebuilding the Death Star. You know Diggs will be eye balling the two games he plays against the Bills. His return to Buffalo will be major headlines. You know he wants the money & he wants the ball but taking down the Mafia would be his Superbowl. Last year the Texans did play the Bills and Houston won it. The Mafia could also get the last chuckle out of this when he becomes the selfish player and wears out the Patriots locker room. If he hurts Maye’s development, it will be a gut punch heard around the world. Diggs is a NFL hit man who plays on your team with double edged sword. When he brings that out, it’s too late. You want know why and how this happened. It always comes back to thinking how signing Stefon Diggs sounded like a great idea at the time. Then you are left treading water with egg on your face. Good luck Digging your way out of this Patriots fans.

CAN A KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOR SAVE THE DYSFUNCTIONAL BLACKHAWKS?

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It has been another disastrous year for the Chicago Blackhawks as they will miss the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs for the 5th season in a row. The Blackhawks are at the bottom of the Central division standings of the Western Conference with a 20-41-9 record. The original six franchises were sellers at the deadline. Many hockey experts have said they are wasting away the talented young superstar they have in Connor Bedard, who is 19 years old in his second season in the NHL. The Blackhawks are on their second head coach for the season as Anders Sorensen is no better than the guy he replaced in Luke Richardson. The jury is still out on the Blackhawks General Manager Kyle Davidson which he may have made a savvy move to right the ship for Chicago. Davidson corrected a bad move made by the former GM for the Blackhawks’ Stan Bowman. Davidson was able to get rid of the high price stink in the locker room who is paid a hefty salary in defenseman Seth Jones. Chicago may have their future goalie from the Panthers in Spencer Knight, a 23 year back up net minder for Florida

When you are a young goalie and play behind a superstar, Sergi Bobrovsky, you’re probably not going to get much playing time. Bobrovsky was one of the main cogs in the Panthers machine which is why they won the Stanley Cup last year. Plus the reason the Panthers are perched once again on top of the Atlantic division in the Eastern conference of the NHL world and will be one of the top seeds. Spencer Knight was first round pick of the Panthers in the 2019 NHL draft where he was selected 13th overall. He has so far played in 86 NHL games in 4 seasons and has a record as a starter of 46-29-7 with 5 career shut outs. He has 2.77 GAA (Goals Against Average) of 2.77 in those 86 contests with a save % of .906. This season with the Panthers & Blackhawks so far combined he has a record of 14-12-1 with two shut outs and 2.50 GAA and .908 save percentage. Knight before being traded to the Blackhawks had a 12-8-1 record and posted both of his shut outs with Florida. For the Blackhawks he is six games in and has a 2-4 record which makes sense. The Panthers are the better team and have the better personnel so the stats will teeter downward wearing the Indian head sweater.

I was not sure what the hell Stan Bowman was thinking when he orchestrated the trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets to acquire Seth Jones. The Blue Jackets received defenseman Adam Boqvist and plenty of draft capital. The Blackhawks did get some draft picks in return from Columbus along with Jones but are not the high kind of picks Chicago gave up. Jones also was thrown an 8 year extension on the contract he already had with the Blue Jackets worth 76 million which equals out to 9.5 million annually. For what the Blackhawks at the time were not going anywhere in the standings and surly did not need a high price defensemen who has only made one all-star appearance in 12 seasons. Bowman crawled away from his GM post at the time for his cover up of the Kyle Beach sexual assault case that still brings dark clouds hovering over the United Center where the Blackhawks lie in their muck. Jones has not played well in Chicago and is not worth the money the team invested in his talents. He wanted out, Kyle Davidson accomplished that, and it may be the move that will keep his job. The Blackhawks will still be on the hook paying 26% of Jones’ salary while Chicago gets the young U.S.A. born goalie and both teams rearranged some of their draft picks in the deal.

The Chicago Blackhawks traded their starting goalie Petr Mrazek to the Detroit Red Wings. The Blackhawks still have Arvid Soderblom, a Swedish goalie who has been in the league for 4 seasons and is still young at 25 years of age. He has 83 NHL games under his belt and his record is not very good at 15-51-11. Let’s not forget he has played on bad hockey teams since he entered the league, all with Chicago. With Spencer Knight and Soderblom pretty much at the same age and same amount of games, I like where the Blackhawks goalie room is at and has a chance to flourish. Knight helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup last year. He has learned from Sergi Bobrovsky in Florida and that should help him take the next step in Chicago. Right now the Blackhawks defense is in shambles. All the veterans the Blackhawks signed in the off-season did the team no favors. Some of them were dealt to other teams. Connor Bedard’s development as a player seems to have taken a step or two backwards. Many experts still scratch their heads on why the Blackhawks never made Bedard a Captain this season. The Blackhawks still have multiple other younger pieces on this current roster that need to develop along with Bedard, who is the face of this franchise.

The Blackhawks need another solid piece to play along the side of Bedard. Like Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks also on those teams had Patrick Sharp and the veteran Marion Hossa was the missing piece that made that dynasty finally gel as they won three Cups. They can’t waste Bedard’s youth on bad team after bad team. The Blackhawks have to help this young goalie Knight as well by getting stronger defense. If they don’t, the confidence of Knight and Bedard will be crushed & then this franchise will be set back in space years that it takes to get to the planet Pluto. This franchise is already going back to the dark times before Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews took the ice. Nothing but crickets chirping in the stands. The team is on a new network along with the Bulls and Blackhawks that most of Chicago is unable to see. Most of the bar scene don’t even care if they have this network because they are all bad teams. With Jones gone, the locker room is saying the same thing, “Good riddance,” which is a start to fixing a franchise that is broken once again. Bringing back memories when the home games were not televised and blacked out by Bill Wirtz, who goes down as one of the worst owners in sports. This latest move by the Blackhawks gives the team a Knight in shining armor, but they need an army of horsemen to bring respect back to one of the original six.

GEORGE FOREMAN PACKED A PUNCH IN LIFE

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Those famous three words spoken by broadcaster Howard Cosell, “Down goes Frazier,” in a heavyweight battle called the Sunshine Showdown, have left a lifetime mark in boxing history. Cosell, an ABC sports commentator, said this memorable call when George Foreman laid out Joe Frazier multiple times in the match up heard around the world which took place in Kingston, Jamaica. It was 1973 when Foreman became the Heavyweight Champion of the World for the first time. Foreman would have a decorated boxing career even retiring in his prime to become a ordained minister. Then ten years after retiring from the ring, he made one of the best comebacks in sports history. When I heard of his passing at 76 years old, I felt like digging my George Foreman grill out of the closet in some kind gesture to honor the gentle giant who touched so many hearts along with punching so many marbles out of his opponent’s head.

George Foreman was from the state of Texas and like it seems most boxers always have that troubled past in life. At the age of 15, he was a grown man who brawled in the streets and even was your not quiet friendly neighborhood mugger. Foreman would turn his life around and found the sport of boxing, which he was pretty good at. He won a gold medal in the ring in the 1968 Olympics for his country in Mexico City. Showed his patriotism with a small flag after he won the gold medal round. Foreman would compile up a record 76 wins to 5 losses after the Olympics fighting professionally. He was a 2X Heavyweight champion. When he hung up the gloves for good, he was inducted into two Boxing Hall of Fames. The World and the International. He walked away from the boxing ring at the age of 28, retired, and hung up the gloves. In 1987, ten years after, he returned to fight at the age of 38 and was successful. Foreman has that Rocky Balboa story we like in sports.

George Forman’s career was filled with epic bouts including the one in 1974 in Zaire, Africa. The Historical Rumble in the Jungle as Foreman faced perhaps the greatest boxer of all-time in Muhammad Ali. It was a fight that did live up to all the hype. Foreman would lose this epic battle being knocked out in the 8th round. Foreman was only 25 years of age at that time and would have 5 more bouts before retiring at 28. He would have a rematch with Joe Frazier and come out of that one victorious. Another memorable epic fight was with Ron Lyle where he won in 5 rounds. It was a battle with both boxers exchanging devastating blows in a grind out battle where George would add another W to his record. You wonder what would have happened if he did not retire at 28. Would his record be better? He may have gotten the title again. He did get the title again at the age of 45 which is unheard of. It’s not Tom Brady playing football and you can’t hit him. This is a guy taking on punches from beasts half his age with anger issues.

At the age of 45, George Foreman performed an epic 2-punch combo that put Michael Moore on the canvas. The referee counted to ten and that was all she wrote as Foreman once again held one of the prestigious awards in sports, the Heavyweight Champion of the World belt which is the greatest boxing prize of them all. How did he get to Moore? Foreman would have another epic showdown with Evander Holyfield that went all the way to the brink. Foreman would lose that match up. Remember Tommy Gunn from the worst movie in the Rocky Franchise that was part 5.

Tommy Gunn was actually a real boxer. His acting skills were not very good. His name was Tommy Morrison and he tried to beat Foreman when George was at the age of 42. Morrison would die years later from his battle with AIDS at the age of 44. Despite a few losses, Foreman would fight on until he reached another chance at the belt with Moore and delivered the best comeback in sports history, some would say. His final fight of his career was in 1997 when he lost to Shannan Briggs by decision. The Ring named Foreman the 9th greatest boxer to pack a punch of All-Time. In 2002 he was listed as the 25th best boxer of the past 80 years which is big compliment.

After boxing, George Foreman worked at HBO as a boxing analyst with Jim Lampley as they dissected match ups for over ten years together. Then what everyone wants to know about… the George Foreman electric grill. It was a grill known for its ability to cut down fat while the food cook. The fat would drain off the meat. Foreman was on all kinds of infomercials late at night hocking these grills to the insomniacs. Foreman would eventually sell the commercial rights for his grill for 138 million. Foreman would still be a preacher in Houston, Texas. He was a humanitarian. People wonder why he did not fight the great Mike Tyson. Because Foreman was no dumb cookie as he hated Tyson’s promoter, Don King, who gave the sport a bad name. Foreman would suffer heartache in 2019 losing his daughter Freeda who also was a former boxer. He was surrounded by his loving family when he passed as he leaves behind 11 kids with a few different mothers, imagine. His current wife. If you can pick a famous athlete to sit down and have a meal with, Foreman would be an interesting guy to talk to and on my list. Spring is in the air for most places around the world. Instead of lighting up the grill outside, maybe plug in your old Foreman grill and cook up something tasty to honor the late George Foreman who gave us some great entertainment in and out of the boxing ring. I know 76 is many years, but it seems way too young to leave this planet and a guy like Foreman put so much energy to others in his entire life.

CAN THAT HONKY TONK CHRISTIAN SCHOOL LIPSCOMB FIT INTO THIS MARCH MADNESS CINDERELLA SHOES

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When it comes to March Madness, everyone loves the underdog in the NCAA basketball tournament. In the first round of action, you look for the beloved Cinderella team to make a name for themselves. We have only seen a 16th seed take down a number 1 seed twice in history. It has happened twice since 2018 when UMBC (University of Maryland Baltimore County) took down Virginia 75-54. Then in 2023, FDU (Fairleigh Dickerson) amazed us knocking off Purdue University. Both schools I never heard of until tournament play. Taking down a 16th seed, I never thought that would happen in my time. That it was something that could not be done. A great Cinderella story could be a 15th, 14th, 13th seed winning their first game. I think the 12-5 combo in the tournament had been done to death by now. After these teams that most of the country has never heard of, it’s even better when they win their match up in the second round or beyond. I looked at all the unknown schools that have made the tournament this season to find that one which no one knows their name. A Cinderella team I can get behind. It’s not a 16th seed. It’s a 14th seed. The Bible Thumpers in Nashville, Tennessee – University of Lipscomb.

This year’s March Madness had a variety of interesting schools in this year’s tournament to choose from like High Point University, American, SIU Edwardsville and the clothes store Bryant. University of Lipscomb sounds like a swear word. Holy Lipscomb! They are nicknamed the Bison and they won the ASUN, Atlantic Sun Conference tournament. On March 9th they beat North Alabama as Lipscomb was a #2 seed in the tournament. It is the second time Lipscomb has made the March Madness tournament in school history. Last time, which was their first time in school history, was in 2018. They made it as a 15th seed, played North Carolina, and lost that match up by 18 points. The Bisons have never won a March Madness tournament game & that makes them a nice selection to be a cool Cinderella story for 2025.

Originally Lipscomb University was called Nashville Bible School and was founded by David Lipscomb and James Harding. In 1918 it became Lipscomb College. Then became a University in 1989. The school is a private christian school that you can get a liberal arts degree from, as part of the University is dedicated to seminary studies. The big school in Nashville is Vanderbilt which is only a few blocks away from Lipscomb University. I’m not one of those guys shoving religion down your throat ringing your door bell like in the Book of Mormon. How many commandments can any person break in a town like Nashville? Country music, moonshine, and sexy women wearing cowboy hats with sexy boots. I can see the temptation for an overachiever in Christian studies there, lashing out & painting the town red in an explosive manner. Then locking him or herself in a room for weeks for all the sins they committed. Makes ever tourist that goes to Nashville to party like some devil worshipers compared hard core Christians. I’m not going to assume Lipscomb University is only about religion 24/7. Everyone has the right to go with their passion in life. I have a clean slate for the Bisons and this article is about the Cinderella team that Lipscomb University could be this season.

Above is the Bisons leading scorer this season, Jacob Ognacevic, who averages 20 points per game. Jacob looks like something out of that legendary basketball movie that starred Gene Hackman, “Hoosiers.” Rest in peace, Gene. We lost a great one.

Hoosiers is about that underdog high school basketball team which takes the next step and gets themselves into the state finals. Lipscomb has played some of the bigger schools this season such as Kentucky and Arkansas as they defeated Duquesne, a team that I did not know until last year when they made it to the March Madness tournament. When the Bisons won the ASUN Tournament, they spread the ball out as they had 4 guys that had a big day putting the ball in the hoop in that championship game. Joe Anderson had 23 points who led all scorers that day. Will Pruitt and Gyasi Powell had solid games. Beating North Alabama gave the Bisons a sure ticket to tournament play as they finished the season 25-9 overall. They were 14-4 in the ASUN Conference along with North Alabama.

I wish I could teleport to places because Nashville should be rocking this Friday afternoon with two of their own schools in the mix. In the first game, the Nashville faithful will hope to see history be made and see Lipscomb University upset Iowa State who come in as a number three seed. Then later in the afternoon, Vanderbilt who gets in the tournament as number 10 seed play St. Mary’s who are number 7 seed. The Bison’s famous alum in sports comes from baseball. Guys like Casey Bind, Rex Brothers, and Caleb Joseph. Many small schools have no one that has played in the NBA. Can the Bisons pull off the upset over a Cyclone team who have history of being knocked out early in this tournament? Iowa State may be without their guard Tamin Lipsey who left the Big 12 quarter finals game versus BYU with a groin issue. The Cyclones ended up losing that one. The Cyclones’ second leading scorer Keshon Gilbert has been ruled out. You never know when a team like the Bisons who come into the tournament red hot winning their last six games, can be a threat to the Cyclones as they have that bad history that follows them in tournament play. We know the Bisons will have all the prayers lingering in the skies trying to get final approval in the heavens. Sometimes the heavens can play tricks on humanity supporting hated franchises in the NFL like the Patriots and Chiefs. Do the sins of Nashville put a gigantic dome on the Tennessee town blocking the prayers from getting to the heavens?

Some of Steven King’s stories have a happy ending. Our crystal ball is mostly on the fritz, but it’s telling us the Bisons will avoid a Cyclones disaster. Anything can go. I’ll put my hand on a stack of bibles and back the Bisons rather then turn to the High Point University chances. I would love to see many smaller schools win it and advance to the Final Four over those basketball universities that we all are sick of. The likes of Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, and UCONN. So give Lipscomb a AMEN!! Maybe the swear word, “Holy Lipscomb,” could work both ways if they beat Iowa State for their first ever victory in the March Madness tournament.

VERY WORTHY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ANNUAL CHIEFS’ POLICE BLOTTER

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It must be that time of year for the annual Kansas City Chiefs’ police blotter report. Just like Thanksgiving and Christmas they come every year; now after the Superbowl you have to expect a Chiefs player to get arrested. Last year Rashee Rice caused a chain reaction multiple car crash on the highway racing his former college teammate. The angered Rice also decked a photographer outside a Dallas night club. Patrick Mahomes’ father Pat did not land another DUI, but he was involved in an altercation with former MLB pitcher John Rocker in New Orleans at the time of the Superbowl. The Chiefs just re-signed Kareem Hunt who in 2018 shoved a women down to the ground and then kicked her. The latest headline for the Chiefs is wide receiver Xavier Worthy who was arrested for choking his girlfriend. Shake down, break down, you’re busted.

The Kansas City Chiefs selected Xavier Worthy 28th in the first round after making a trade with the Bills to scoop up the blazing track star from the University of Texas. The Bills had their eyes set on Keon Coleman from Florida State and they landed him with the first pick in the second round. When the Bills played the Chiefs, Worthy seems to get amped up about that. Now he has a vendetta versus the Bills because Buffalo skipped over his talents. The Bills were looking for a different type of skills set for their receiver, and Worthy did not fit that criteria. Get over it. On March 7th, Worthy was arrested in Texas just like Rashee Rice in 2024 in the same state. Worthy will be charged with assault for choking his girlfriend, Tia Jones. She says this is the 5th time the Worthy has snapped throughout this year. She was awarded protection by a Texas judge, but he says he’s innocent. Worthy this year in his rookie season caught 59 balls for 638 yards with 6 receiving touchdowns. He always ran the ball for 104 yards with 3 rushing touchdowns. Impressive. In the beat down to the Chiefs in the Superbowl by the Eagles in a 40-22 whipping, Worthy stood out in garbage time for Kansas City. He racked up 157 receiving yards and two touchdown catches.

In 2018 after the incident that took place in a Cleveland hotel with Kareem Hunt, he did his Eagles version of a beat-down on that woman. He was cut by the Chiefs. Hunt would find a new home as he signed with the Browns. He came back to the Chiefs in 2024 and played 13 games during the regular season as he rushed for 728 yards with 7 rushing touchdowns. Head Coach Andy Reid said Kareem has matured since that incident back in 2018. The Chiefs already re-signed the running back for this upcoming season. I hate when bad things happen to good people as Rashee Rice would only play in 4 games in the 2024 season. He has 24 catches for 288 yards with two receiving touchdowns. Rice would collide with Patrick Mahomes after an interception, and he would go down with a left knee injury as he tore his LCL (Lateral Collateral Ligament.) He would miss the rest of the season. No worries Chiefs fans, he’s still on the chain gang for the 2025 season.

The Chiefs have these off the field stories that are so bizarre. How many times do we have to be force fed this Taylor Swift relationship with the meat for brains Travis Kelce? Then the annoying State Farm commercials with Patrick Mahomes. Let’s talk about Patrick’s neighbor, his father former MLB pitcher Pat Mahomes, who loves to get his drink on and then drive. I think he leads the league as the top dad racking up the most DUI’s. Your son can’t set you up with an Uber ride? Then he somehow runs into perhaps the biggest racist pitcher of all-time, John Rocker. That sounds like an excellent idea to engage in whatever meatball conversation they were going to have. Now they may fight in some celebrity boxing match for the one marble they have left in both heads of theirs.

I can see the fight card now being a thriller like the one with Screech from “Saved by the Bell” versus Arnold Horshack from “Welcome Back, Kotter.”

Did the Kansas City Chiefs land the guy in the front office from the Steelers? The team who drafted head cases like Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell, another X-Chief. Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy may be two young talented receivers in the game of football, but they surely don’t have their head screwed on right. Maybe the Chiefs should avoid picking guys from Texas Universities. There goes the idea of Johnny Manziel being the third string quarterback for Andy Reid and company. These Chiefs may have been lovable years ago when they were facing the Tom Brady/Bill Belichick dynasty. Now times have changed, as most of the NFL world cannot stand the Chiefs. They are not going to find love as the team looks more like the prison bus pulling up to play the guards in a scrimmage game for a little extra mashed potatoes in the prison cafeteria. Nobody will forget the Chiefs’ long walk on the Eagles’ Green Mile only weeks ago which was priceless for this organization of thugs.