I am not a huge movie person. Over the years, it’s become unappealing for me to sit still for two hours, leaving my worries at the cineplex door and entering into the world the film creates. Because of this, I’ve become very picky with the movies I do see. I make plans, I get excited, I anxiously wait for the room to darken.
When Undefeated was released in theaters a few months back, I was disappointed to find out it wasn’t playing anywhere near home. When it won the Oscar for Best Documentary, my desire to see it grew. Ed Cunningham, one of the film’s producers, is also an ESPN college football analyst, so when I found out that there would be a screening at work, I was giddy.
So today, I saw Undefeated. And laughed. And cried. And left wanting to help people. Continue reading →
I am about to use my absurd logic to predict the outcomes of this weekend’s NFL playoff games. A friendly reminder: these opinions are mine, and not ESPN’s. I’m not working on our NFL coverage right now, so this craziness has no chance of permeating our pigskin analysis. Continue reading →
Football coaches, especially at the college and pro level, are notorious for their dedication to the sport. Sometimes, the importance of family and being a parent gets downplayed. Other times, it takes a front seat in a remarkable way. I like LSU head coach Les Miles for so many reasons. Now I like him even more.
Enjoy your Saturday, and enjoy the big game tonight. Does Coach Miles and the Tigers get a win on the road, or do the Crimson Tide roll toward the national title game? What do you think?
So I’ve spent the last 4+ NFL seasons religiously following Wes Welker, a 5’9″, pesky, quick and lethal wide receiver. He plays his tail off. He is a joy to watch and an example for every undersized, underestimated athlete out there.
But there’s another dude I’m digging this week, and have dug the entire season. He is pretty much the opposite of everything I love about the dude described above. He is every bit of 6’5″, freakishly fast in every way, and indefensible. He has been christened with the nickname I am now kicking myself for not taking as a Twitter handle.
His name is Calvin Johnson, aka Megatron, and he’s my Dude of the Week. Here’s why.
1. He has the most touchdown catches in the NFL since 2008 with 37. Larry Fitzgerald has 33, in case you were wondering.
2. His eight touchdown catches through the first four games are the most in NFL history.
3. He is faster, jumps higher, is stronger, and bad-assier than just about everyone else on the field.
4. He’s YOUNEEK.
5. He makes a man’s game look like child’s play. It’s not even fair. You double team him? Pfft, good luck with that. You triple team him? You’re still going to lose. The Cowboys learned the hard way on Sunday.
6. The Megatron thing. If this actually happens before each game, then every other nickname for every NFL player must be retired. Nothing is more fitting or oozes more cool than Megatron.
Both guys are uniquely talented and utilize their skills better than anyone. If Johnson is Megatron–demolishing everyone and everything with athleticism–then Wes Welker is, well, uh…a Labrador Retriever. You throw it, he catches/fetches, and runs back to the huddle. Repeatedly, reliably, relentlessly.
I refuse to feel guilty for crushing on Megatron. He brings another dimension to the position that has not been seen, and it should be appreciated. Welker brings sheer determination, toughness and fight…the fact that he’s successful statistically and in helping his team, despite his size, says it all.
So Megatron, transform. Labrador, go fetch. I love it both ways.
PS: For an awesome, in-depth examination of these two players, check out the New York Times piece that I found 3/4 of the way through writing this. I almost stopped, but then continued so I could mention the Labrador Retriever thing. Yes, I had to get a dog reference in. Get used to it, dear reader. Get used to it.
A friend of my dad’s had season tickets to the New England Patriots, and invited my brother and I for the game against the Jets. It was the second game of the season in 2001, delayed by the attacks of 9/11, played on September 23rd.
The game itself didn’t live up to the pageantry and emotion of the beginning. Lack of offense, stifling defense, nothing terribly exciting. In the 4th quarter though, the entire course of the franchise and football history changed. Bledsoe rolled right, and got nailed by Mo Lewis as he fell out of bounds. We couldn’t see the play from our seats, but we knew it was bad enough that the backup, a second year player named Tom Brady (or, as I can still hear my brother calling him, Tawmy Brady), had to come in.
The Patriots lost the game, 10-3. I remember being disappointed and worried about Drew, but intrigued by Brady. By the middle of the week, I saw his picture, heard he was starting the next week, and that was all I needed. I was in it for the long haul.
Tom Brady and his teammates in training camp in 2007.
