Archive for the ‘SPORTS’ Category

NFL 2024 Preseason: Week 2 Raiders Recap

Tuesday, August 20th, 2024

NFL 2024 Preseason: Week 2 Raiders Recap

The Raiders held their second preseason game, and their first one at home in Las Vegas. They hosted the Dallas Cowboys.

The Raiders began at their own 24. The previous week Aidan O’Connell started. This week Garden Minshew began the game. The Raiders moved to a 4th and 3 at the Dallas 47. Normally this would be a punting situation, but in preseason coaches take chances. Antonio Pierce went for it and Minshew threw incomplete. Dan Prescott had the night off so Cooper Rush led the offense. Brandon Aubrey hit a 54 yard field goal but then hit the ensuing kickoff out of bounds. The Raiders took over at their own 40. They moved to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 12. A run gained only one yard and Minshew then threw incomplete twice. Daniel Carlson hit a 29 yard field goal for a 3-3 game. 

Trey Lance took over as Cowboys quarterback. The game turned into a puntfest, eventually leading to the Raiders recovering a fumbled punt at the Dallas 23 in the second quarter. Yet on 4th and 5, Antonio Pierce passed up an easy field goal and again went for it. This would not happen in the regular season. Minshew threw incomplete. The Cowboys punted and Tre Tucker returned the punt 43 yards to the Dallas 28. This time on 4th and 5 from the Dallas 9, Pierce played it safe. Carlson hit the 27 yard field goal to make it 6-3 Raiders midway through the second quarter.

The Cowboys from their own 24 embarked on a 14 play, 76 yard, 6 1/2 minute drive. Lance hit Flournoy for a one yard touchdown to make it 10-6 Cowboys. The half ended with history. Aubrey came in for a 66 yard field goal try. Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker holds the record with a 66 yard field goal. Aubrey made the kick. Yet the record books will not show that he tied the record. This was a preseason game. His great kick will be unheralded. Nevertheless, the Cowboys led 13-6 at the break.

In the third quarter O’Connell led a 13 play, 57 yard, 7 minute drive. On 4th and 2 at the Dallas 26, Antonio Pierce went for it. O’Connell hit Turner for 8. O’Connell hit Bryant for a 5 yard touchdown. Normally this would mean a tie game, but preseason is when coaches get bold. Antonio Pierce eschewed the tie and went for a 2 point conversion and the lead. O’Connell threw incomplete and the Raiders trailed 13-12. 

The Raiders got it back and moved from their own 34 and moved to a 1st and 10 at the Dallas 29. Then came an offensive holding penalty. The fourth quarter began with the Raiders facing 2nd and 16 at the Dallas 35. The Raiders were in position for a long field goal and the lead. Carlson never got the chance. O’Connell was intercepted by Hail, who returned the pick 69 yards for a defensive touchdown and a 20-12 Cowboys lead. The Cowboys got it back at their own 12 and moved 88 yards in 12 plays and 7 1/2 minutes. Lance capped the drive with a 2 yard touchdown to put the game on ice. The Raiders dropped to 0-2 in the preseason. 27-12 Cowboys

NFL 2024 Preseason: Week 1 Raiders Recap

Sunday, August 11th, 2024

NFL 2024 Preseason: Week 1 Raiders Recap

The offseason is over, and it was time to play preseason football. Antonio Pierce was now the full time Raiders head coach. The defense under Patrick Graham finally seemed improved after over a decade of being subpar. Sadly, running back Josh Jacobs is in Green Bay, as Zamir White is now the lead back. Aidan O’Connell and newly acquired free agent Gardner Minshew were in an open battle for the quarterback spot, which has suffered since Derek Carr went to New Orleans.

With preseason games, the score is less important than seeing how the players are executing.

The Raiders first preseason game was at the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings were also a team in transition under head coach Kevin O’Connell. Longtime starter Kirk Cousins signed with Atlanta. Rookie JJ McCarthy would see playing time in this game, but it was newly acquired veteran Sam Darnold who got the start. Darnold was looking to revive his career.

The Vikings after an opening touchback under the new kickoff rules got the ball at their own 30 yard line. They moved to a 3rd and 2 at the Raiders 4 yard line. After Darnold threw incomplete, Kevin O’Connell decided to go for it. This is preseason, after all. Darnold threw incomplete again. So while it was concerning for the Raiders defense that the Minnesota offense moved so easily, the goal line stand was a positive development.

From one O’Connell to another, it was time for Aidan as he got the surprising start over Minshew. O’Connell led an efficient 15 play, 83 yard drive that took nearly 8 minutes off the clock. Yet the one knock on O’Connell is that he holds the ball too long. Also, on 2nd and goal at the 3, the Raiders should have been running the ball. Instead, O’Connell threw incomplete. On 3rd and goal, O’Connell was sacked. Daniel Carlson hit the 31 yard field goal for a 3-0 Raiders lead.

The Vikings took over at their own 15 yard line, and it seemed Darnold was already done for the night. McCarthy saw his first NFL action. After three straight runs, McCarthy began the second quarter with his first NFL pass attempt. He completed it to N sailor for 18 yards. Yet on 3rd and 8 from his own 44, mcCarthy threw his first interception. Ball hawk Jack Jones picked off McCarthy to set the Raiders up at their own 33.

Now it was O’Connell who was surprisingly done for the night as Minshew took over. Minshew quickly went deep to Tre Tucker for a 29 yard gain. Running back Alexander Mattison spent his first 5 years with the Vikings, but in this past offseason he was cut and picked up by the Raiders. With White done for the day, Mattison got to carry the ball for the silver and black. Minshew went deep to Turner for a 20 yard touchdown to put the Raiders up 10-0.

This time the Vikings struck back quickly. On 2nd and 6 from their own 28, McCarthy hit Jackson for a 24 yard gain. On the next play Nwangwu broke through the right side and ripped off a 48 yard touchdown run. Just like that, the Vikings were within 10-7.

The Raiders soon faced 3rd and 11 at their own 25. Minshew went deep to Tucker, who made a diving catch for a 44 yard gain. On 3rd and 6 from the Minnesota 27, Minshew found Fotheringham for an 11 yard gain and Amir Abdullah for 10 more. White took a hand off up the middle and spun his way in for a 2 yard touchdown to make it 17-7 Raiders.

Then came some confusion due to the new kickoff rules. Surprise onside kicks are no longer allowed, and even expected onside kicks have severe restrictions. In this case Carlson merely had a short kickoff that traveled 44 yards to the Minnesota 21. This is now a violation. The ball did not reach the “landing zone,” which is the opposing team’s 20. Because the ball was one yard short, the Vikings automatically received the ball at their own 40.

The Vikings moved to a 4th and 3 at the Raiders 18 at the 2 minute warning. The Raiders have very good special teams. Kicker Carlson and punter AJ Cole are both solid. Yet it was a different kind of special teams play that showed improvement. Greg Joseph was the kicker for Minnesota last year who scored the only points late in the game in a 3-0 Vikings win over the Raiders. This year Joseph is in Green Bay. Rookie Will Reichard is now the Vikings kicker. His first NFL attempt from 36 yards out was blocked. Sanford returned the blocked kick 42 yards to set up the Raiders at the Minnesota 40. Carlson nailed a 56 yard field goal to have the Raiders up 20-7 at the half.

While the second half would be played with a bunch of third stringers who might not make the roster of either team, the Raiders still wanted to get out of Minnesota with a win. The previous Raiders coach who shall not be mentioned ever again was famous for blowing double digit leads. The Raiders 3rd string quarterback is Anthony Brown Jr, in his first season with the team. He began the second half and played the rest of the way. On his first pass attempt, he was sacked.

The Vikings soon got the ball back and faced 3rd and 9 at their own 40. McCarthy was stallion the game, and he went to Muse for 15. McCarthy then went deep to Jackson for a 45 yard touchdown to get the Vikings within 20-14. Brown after a delay of game soon faced 3rd and 12 at his own 17. He was sacked again. The Vikings got the ball back at their own 37 and soon faced 4th and 1 at the Raiders 43 after McCarthy threw incomplete. Kevin O’Connell went for it. McCarthy went to Jackson for 10 yards and then went deep to Sherfield for a 33 yard touchdown. Just like that, the Vikings led for the first time 21-20.

After a third straight failed drive by Brown that saw the Raiders offense move backward, the Vikings brought in their third stringer Jaren Hall. McCarthy after two straight touchdown drives was done for the night. The Vikings went 3 and out when Matt Gaskin got stopped cold on 3rd and 1. The Raiders took over with a short field just past midfield. Without throwing a single pass, the Raiders moved to a 4th and 2 at the Minnesota 12. Antonio Pierce went for it. Brown gained 4 yards. Yet on 3rd and goal at the one, rather than play smash mouth, Pierce decided to line up in the shotgun. Coaches everywhere must stop doing this. Go basic, stone age football. Stop trying to be too cute by half. McCormick was blasted for a 3 yard loss. Carlson hit the 23 yard field goal to put the Raiders back in front 23-21 with 9:43 left in regulation.

The game then turned ugly, as each team punted three straight times. The raiders went 3 and out all three times, while the Vikings went 3 and out twice and punted after 4 plays once. That means the Vikings managed one first down and the Raiders managed none. That’s why these are third string players.

With 90 seconds left, the Vikings took over at their own 41. Hall hit James for 13. On 3rd and 3 from the Raiders 39, Hall hit Thomas for 11. With 4 seconds left in regulation, Reichard came in for a 38 yard field goal try. The kick was good, and the Vikings had the win.

Yes, Raiders fans can be tempted to talk about another double digit collapse, but this was different. Yes, the Raiders should have slammed the door shut. nevertheless, their starters outplayed the Minnesota starters. The previous administration went 4-0 in preseason, which meant nothing once the games counted. The Raiders have some bright spots and some room for improvement, as is the case with every team. The Raiders have two more preseason games, both at home. They will host Dallas and San Francisco. 24-23 Vikings

 

NFL 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Weekend Recap

Monday, August 5th, 2024

The NFL 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Weekend from Canton, Ohio is now in the books. 

The 7 new enshrinees are:

Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers linebacker. He powered a nasty defense that took the 49ers to three straight NFC Title Games from 2011 to 2013 including one Super Bowl appearance in 2012. 

Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts linebacker. He along with Bob Sanders led the defense on the 2006 Colts team that won the Super Bowl. He now joins teammates Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison in the Hall of Fame. 

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans wide receiver. He is the first Texans player in the Hall of Fame. He joined the team one year after they became an expansion team and led them to their very first playoff appearance in franchise history. 

Devin Hester, Chicago Bears kick and punt returner. He is the greatest return man in the history of the game. He returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown in the 2006 Super Bowl. He struck fear in the hearts of opposing special teams coaches. The two things that affect football games are turnovers and field position. Hester changed the game. 

Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers linebacker. He was ferocious. He helmed a defense that led the Panthers to their first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. He played for 17 seasons.

Randy Gradishar, Denver Broncos linebacker, senior nominee. He highlighted the Orange Crush defense along with Tom Jackson and Lyle Alzado that got the Denver Broncos in 1977 to the first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. 

Steve McMichael, Chicago Bears nose tackle, senior nominee. He was a key cog along with Richard Dent, Mike Singletary and Dan Hampton on the greatest defense of all time, the 1985 Chicago Bears. He had to appear by video due to his heartbreaking battle with ALS. His wife read a statement he prepared before he lost his ability to speak.

Here is complete coverage of all 7 new enshrinees

https://www.nfl.com/news/hall-of-fame-enshrinement-2024-class-takes-its-place-in-canton

In the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, the Chicago Bears defeated the Houston Texans 21-17. The game was called late in the third quarter due to torrential rain and lightning. 

The new kickoff rules are odd, but should not prevent great returns. Special teams are still a special breed. 

One month until kickoff, 6 months until the Super Bowl.

eric

 

248 fun reasons to love America

Thursday, July 4th, 2024

248 fun reasons to love America

Thursday, July 4th, 2024

248 fun reasons to love America

1980 Olympic Gold Medal Hockey Team

1980s hard rock hair metal

2 Live Crew’s Banned in the USA

7-Eleven Big Gulps and Slurpees

ACDC’s You shook me, Thunderstruck, Moneytalks

Adam Sandler

Aerosmith

Airheads band The Lone Rangers

Al D’Amato’s singing

Alf

America the Beautiful sung by Ray Charles

American soldiers and veterans

Animaniacs

Anthony Clark

Bad Touch’s Discovery Channel

Batman: The Dark Knight

BB King and Lucille

Belker on Hill Street Blues

Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia

Biff Henderson

Bill Cosby, Himself video

Bill Murray’s Quick Change

Bill of Rights

Bill the Cat

Billiards

Blue Collar Comedy Tour

Blue Bloods

_____________

Bluegrass Junction

Bounce houses

Bouncing 25 cent rubber balls

Boxing promoter Don King

Brooklyn

Bubblebaths for two

Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck

Burgertime

Burt Reynolds and Dom DeLuise movies

Caddyshack

Capitalism

Capture the flag

Cards Against Humanity

Chabad Houses

Charitable people

Cheerleaders

Cheers’s Sam Mayday Malone and Norm Peterson

Cherry Lime Rickeys

Chocolate covered cherries

Chris Berman

Chris Gardner’s The Pursuit of Happyness

Chris Noth’s Mike Logan

Chris Tucker singing Barry White

Coca-Cola

Coed touch football

Colorwar

Commando and pantsless Wednesdays (until HR intervened)

Conan O’Brien’s In the Year 2000

Corn Fritters

Cosmic Bowling

County Fairs

Dale Intimidator Earnhardt’s 1998 Daytona 500

Dana Carvey

Dann Florek’s Captain Donald Cragen

David Letterman’s Top Ten Lists

Dazed and Confused — Mitch Kramer

 

Dennis Farina

Desperate Housewives

Deuce Bigalow, Male Gigolo

Dick Cheney and the Neocons

Die Hard

DirecTV NFL Package

Dog-riding monkey

Donald Trump–from the Apprentice to the White House to Twitter

Doritos

Dr. Brown’s Black Cherry Soda

Dr. Charles Krauthammer

Duck Dynasty

Ebay

Edible underthings

Entrepreneurship

ESPN

Eye of the tiger

Fireworks

Flavored massage oil

Founding Fathers

Fox News

Fraggle Rock

Freedom, liberty, right of dissent

Gaga (dodgeball using closed fist and cherry ball)

Game nights

Garlic knots

Gatorade dumping on coaches

George W. Bush picks up bullhorn

Glow sticks as fake cigars

Golden Corral

GPS trackers

Greg the Bunny


Greg Gutfeld

Hamburgers

Happy face emoticons

Harmonicas

Hawaii

Henny Youngman

Hot Chocolate’s You sexy thing (I believe in miracles)

Hot scantily clad women

Howard Stern

I once finger-(blanked) a hermit crab (whoever said that)

In n Out Burger

Independence Day BBQs

Instant messaging

Internet dating

Iphones

Italian ices

J. Geils Band’s Centerfold

Jack Nicholson’s Colonel Nathan R. Jessup

Jacuzzi romps

Jell-O

Jell-O wrestling

Jerry Orbach’s Lenny Briscoe

Jerry Reed’s Eastbound and Down

Jim Carrey’s Ace Ventura, Pet Detective

John Cougar Mellencamp’s Pink Houses and Hurts so good

John Facenda’s The Autumn Wind

John McEnroe’s tennis tantrums

Judaism celebrated in peace

Justice Clarence Thomas

Justice Scalia’s scathing dissents

Karl Rove’s whiteboard

Kazoos

KFC Popcorn Chicken

Kickball

Kim Kardashian’s bare bottom

King of the Hill

Kool-Aid

Kosher imitation bacon and crab

Krispy Kreme Donut Hamburgers

Laff-Olympics

Larry Hagman’s J.R. Ewing on Dallas

Las Vegas

Lee Greenwood’s God bless the USA and Bandit Express

Lilo and Stitch — Ohana means family––––––––––––––

Louie Armstrong’s It’s a Wonderful World—————————————-

Louisiana Cajun Cooking (Especially with Justin Wilson)

Lucky Charms

Madden Football

Magnum, P.I.

Mardi Gras, New Orleans

Mark Levin’s rants

Married with Children’s Al Bundy

Marvin Gaye’s Sexual Healing and Let’s get it on

Mascots

McDonalds

Meat and potatoes

Michael J. Fox’s Alex P. Keaton on Family Ties

Mills Lane yelling Let’s get it on

Miniature golf

Monopoly

Morris Day and the Time’s Jerk Out

Mountain Dew Code Red

MTV’s Celebrity Deathmatch

Murder, She Wrote

Nathan’s Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest

National Federation of Republican Women

National Football League

Neocons

New Years Eve noisemakers

New York Post front and back page

New York Stock Exchange opening and closing bells

NFL Films

NFL Network

Oakland Raiders

Old School with Will Ferrell & Vince Vaughn & Godfather Luke Wilson

Overtime playoff hockey

Pajama parties

Peaceful transition of political power

Phil Hartman

Pizza

Political Conventions

Pool volleyball

Pringles

Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio

Q-Bert

Queen’s I want it all

Raider Nation

Rainbow Sherbert

Redeye with Greg Gutfeld

Republican Jewish Brunettes

Republican Party Animals

Riptide

Robin Williams

Ronald Reagan’s self-deprecating jokes 

Rudy Giuliani’s New York toughness

Run DMC

Rush Limbaugh

San Diego Wild Animal Park

Satellite TV

Save a horse, ride a cowboy

Scrabble

Sean Hannity’s Freedom Concerts

Seinfeld

Sexting

Sherman Hemsley’s George Jefferson

Sizzler

Sky high skyscrapers

Skype

Slim Jims

Snoopy’s Joe Cool

Snow football

Social networks for building businesses

South Beach, Miami Spring Break

South Park

Spiderman

Sportsbars

Stock trading

Stratego

Strip chess

Stuart Scott

Sudoku

Summer camp

Super Soakers

Supply-side tax cuts

T-shirt originals

Taco Bell

Talk radio

Thanksgiving with John Madden

The Color of Money

The Counter Build Your Own Burger

The Expendables

The Frat Pack

The Honeymooners

The Muppets

The Onion

Tim McGraw’s Indian Outlaw ——————————————————

Tivo

Toby Keith’s Courtesy of the Red White and Blue

Train rides

Trampoline Dodgeball

Tygrrrr Express

USA Cartoon Express

Video Arcade Games

We’re not France

Weekend at Bernie’s

Western medicine

Whitesnake’s Here I go again video

Wifi on planes

XM Sirius Satellite Radio

Yoo-Hoo

Young Jewish Conservatives

Yummy bouncies and badonkadonks

ZZ Top’s Sleeping Bag and Sharp Dressed Man

The Top 120 Political Yummy Bouncies of 2024

Friday, June 21st, 2024

YBs 2024

Welcome to Summer. Every June 21st, I release my list of the Top 30 hottest women in politics. This list was originally known as the Top 120 political yummy bouncies. Anyway, this is a bare bones list. You can Google the photos yourself. The top 10 liberals, centrists and conservatives are listed for your viewing pleasure. I threw in one major curveball due to the changing times. 

Racist whitey-hating bully Angel Reese and her white target Caitlan Clark did not make the list. Clark’s refusal to become black, woke or a lesbian is leading to her being physically attacked. Nevertheless, nobody cares about the WNBA. 

Taylor Swift did not make the list. If you’re not over the whole Swift thing, you should be. Enough already. 

Liberals:

10.) Eva Longoria — The Eva Longoria rule is simple. When this Desperate Housewives star intentionally says or does anything political, she automatically tops the list. This year she is on the list but not at the top because her actions were unintentional. President Joe Biden tried to grope her in full public view in 2023. She pushed his hands off of her body. Don’t expect her to show any self-respect beyond that. She will likely make excuses for his behavior and campaign for his reelection. Inadvertantly exposing more hypocrisy in the #MeToo movement puts her on the list, but not at the top. If she makes another speech for him at the 2024 DNC Convention, she will show that self-respect matters less than power. 

9.) Julia Louise-Dreyfuss — She plays Kamala Harris on television as a completely incompetent Vice President in Veep. She is famous because she road Jerry Seinfeld’s coattails on his hit television show about nothing. Her obnoxious speech at the 2020 DNC Convention has been followed up with her criticizing Seinfeld for demanding freedom in comedy. She believes political correctness has a place in comedy. A comedian who favors censorship is not funny. 

8.) Gretchen Whitmer — She locked down her state of Michigan with draconian Covid restrictions that she and her husband openly disobeyed. She bashed Florida during Covid while secretly visiting the state. Somehow, she managed to get reelected. She is a future presidential candidate only because Michigan is a swing state and Democrats have abandoned all pretenses of moderation. If Biden or Harris is ousted, she will try to make the leap.

7.) Kathy Hochul — The failed New York Governor was initially appointed when Democrats forced out the more moderate Andrew Cuomo over a few cases of grab-@ss. Hochul is a radical leftist who was elected to a full term by the skin of her teeth. Her arrogance cost Democrats five congressional seats and control of Congress. Her total failure at everything makes her a perfect future Democrat presidential candidate. If Biden or Harris are tossed aside, she will try to make the climb up. She has managed to take solid blue New York and make it competitive for Republicans. 

6.) Sheng Thao — The Mayor of Oakland had her home raided by the FBI in a corruption probe. While Democrats usually skate on such matters, taking down a low level Democrat would allow the FBI to maintain a phony cloak of non-partisan neutrality. You have to be very corrupt to be held accountable as a Democrat, especially in a Democrat administration. She grew up in poverty, and supports policies that will enrich her while keeping her constituents in poverty. She with significant help from her predecessor Libby Schaaf have helped rid Oakland of all remaining professional spots teams and their pesky job-creation mechanisms.

5.) Letitia James — The only thing bigger than the New York Attorney General’s ego is her badonkadonk, and it’s a close call. She campaigned on a promise to frame Donald Trump for crimes, and in the short term she has succeeded. She would rank higher but her work will most likely be overturned by a sane judge. However, if Joe Biden gets reelected before this happens, James will rocket up this list. 

4.) Bailey Anne Kennedy — Miss Maryland is transgender. This means she is more confused about women than Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson. For those wondering why beauty pageants are failing, it is because they keep putting politically correct insanity over what has always been normal. Putting Kennedy on top of the female beauty pyramid is not groundbreaking. It is simply crazy. 

3.) Claudia Sheinbaum — Mexico’s first female president happens to be Jewish. She is also a hardcore leftist socialist, which means she will be a nightmare for Jews. If she messes up in office, her critics will remind everyone that she is Jewish. If Karl Marx were a Mexican woman, he would have nothing on Sheinbaum. She is expected to allow the few people still living in Mexico to illegally enter the United States. Any fentanyl that crosses the border and kills Americans is just coincidental. 

2.) Kamala Harris — This giggling, cackling hyena became an affirmative action hire when Barack and Michelle Obama ordered Joe Biden to put her on the ticket. Despite being terrible at everything, Harris has outlasted rivals Ron Klain and Susan Harris. She does virtually nothing, and what little she does, she does badly. Yet because of her race and gender, Biden cannot fire her from the ticket. He is stuck with her. She has the ultimate no-show job. She will have absolute power if anything happens to Biden. 

1.) Tiffany Henyard — The Mayor of Dolton, Illinois might be the most corrupt politician on earth. When a constituent criticizes her, she sics the police on them to raid their home. Her profligate spending is matched only by her brazenness. She is living proof that being a black female Democrat is an automatic license in politics to do whatever she pleases whenever she pleases without consequences. For having absolute power and bragging about it, Mayor Henyard is the hottest political liberal of 2024. 

Centrists:

10.) Kirsten Glavin — This New England NBC reporter covers Cape Cod and surrounding areas. Being non-controversial in New England is a rare talent. 

9.) Liz Cho — This New York City ABC reporter has managed to work in media in the most leftist market outside of New England while coming across as sane and reasonable. For refusing to politicize virtually everything, Cho may face career setbacks. So far she has survived, although to be fair, there is a lack of a talent pool in the triple-state area. 

8.) Courtney Friel — This former Fox News personality avoided partisan commentary. She decided that all politics is local, leaving Fox News for Fox KTLA in Los Angeles. She remains gorgeous, bright, and non-partisan. 

7..) Erin Burnett — It’s hard to call anyone a centrist at CNN, but Burnett seems far less crazy than most of her colleagues. She has managed to avoid disgracing herself at her network, not an easy feat. She would rank higher but virtually nobody watches CNN.

6.) Melissa Theuriau — This French journalist works for M6, the most profitable TV news entity in France. As beautiful as she is, her stories often get overlooked due to a global apathy toward the irrelevant nation of France. President Emanuel Macron suffering severe legislative election losses may cause a ripple if she reports on it. If she covered any other nation, she would be an even bigger superstar. The upcoming French elections will not make France relevant, but it could propel her to greater career heights. 

5.) Megyn Kelly — This former attorney turned Fox News personality left the network and sued her former boss Roger Ailes. Her stint at NBC was unsuccessful, but she has now rebounded as a top internet reporter and analyst, She is a tough as nails questioner who plays it straight down the line. She would rank higher if she were on a major television network. As great as she is, the internet just does not allow for the same exposure. 

4.) Susan Li — She was born in China and raised in Toronto, Canada. Now she is a Fox Business correspondent. She has interviewed top political and business leaders in Canada and the United States. 

3.) Robin Meade — This lead morning news anchor for Headline News was once Miss Ohio. In 2021 she even released a country music album. She is an example of drop-dead gorgeous and multi-talented women who deserve to be taken seriously. 

2.) Melania Trump — She is married to the former Republican president, but she has never been overtly political. She is a former model, not a political activist. Her stint as First Lady would have been completely non-controversial had the media not despised her husband so much. She is drop dead gorgeous but ranks low on the list for staying out of the spotlight this year. If Donald Trump wins the White House again, Melania will top the list again.

1.) Princess Kate — The Royal family does not have any political power, but they do have influence far beyond Britain. The death of the beloved and respected Queen Elizabeth led to the ridiculed Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles taking over. If they somehow do not permanently destroy the monarchy, Kate and her husband Prince William could restore it. Kate and her husband both conduct themselves with propriety and class, a sparkling contrast to the publicity seeking grifters Harry and Meghan. Kate’s role is more vital than ever given the wreckage around other family members. She has been a beacon of dignity and grace as she wages a brutal battle against cancer. For her kindness, boldness, and overall strength and dignity, Princess Kate is the hottest political centrist of 2024. 

Conservatives:

10.) Kristi Noem — This great South Dakota Governor achieved plaudits for keeping her state completely open during the Covid pandemic. She has kept the state normal but lost the battle to have July 4th fireworks at Mount Rushmore an annual event. She was considered a presidential candidate and an even stronger vice presidential choice, but she ranks lower on this list for giving her dog the Old Yeller treatment. The issue of her shooting her dog is overblown, but she fumbled the media part of explaining her actions. 

9.) Lauren Boebert — While nobody should celebrate divorce, many single men perked up at the news that Lauren Boebert is about to be single. This stunning brunette is a sexy pistol packing hot mama. This Colorado congresswoman  barely survived her reelection, but is now fighting back hard against the anti-American Squad. She is held Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s feet to the fire. She will need to get reelected again to move up the list. She was involved in a sexually inappropriate incident in a movie theatre, but to be fair her date was a Democrat. 

8.) Anna Paulina Luna — She is the first Mexican-American to be elected to Congress in Florida. She is a warrior, leading the charge to have Merrick Garland and other corruptocrats impeached and Adam Schiff expelled from Congress. To move higher on this list, she needs to show staying power by getting reelected. She also needs to get results from her inquiries. So far, no Democrat she has targeted has been held accountable. 

7.) Mollie Hemingway/Miranda Devine — These are two of the hottest and smartest reporters in America. Hemingway writes for the Federalist, while the appropriately named Divine writes for the New York Post. Hemingway has done extensive work on exposing corruption involving the 2020 presidential election. Divine has brilliantly revealed the various controversies surrounding Hunter Biden and his laptop from hell. The more information dribbles out, the more these two women are seen as right. 

6.) Winsome Sears — The Lieutenant Governor of Virginia is a rock star. She is a proud black woman who served her country in the United States Marines. In her citizen life, she ran a homeless shelter. She has broken plenty of barriers in Virginia politics, which would make her a media darling if she were a Democrat. She has to settle for being loved by Republican voters nationwide. The Governor of Virginia is limited to one term, making her the logical successor to Governor Glenn Youngkin in 2025 or earlier if he becomes the Vice President. 

5.) Victoria Seaman — This gorgeous and successful businesswoman has a real chance of being the first Republican woman elected Mayor of Las Vegas in a very long time. She is a real conservative who understands the needs of small business owners. 

4.) Nikki Haley — This successful former South Carolina Governor and spectacular Ambassador to the United Nations is more than qualified to be President. Yet she ranks near the bottom of the pack. Some are seeing her as a candidate for Vice President. She has been more than competent at every government job she has ever held. Although she did not win the GOP nomination, coming in second place out of everyone is not bad. She still has a block of support. If she campaigns hard for Trump in 2024, she will earn good will in 2028. If she does not, she may be finished. 

3.) Sarah Huckabee Sanders — She was Donald Trump’s White House press secretary. Now she is the first female Arkansas Governor. Her father previously held that job when Bill Clinton’s successor Jim Guy Tucker resigned due to the Whitewater scandal. Succeeding the more moderate Asa Hutchinson, Sanders has battled critics while raising several children and moving her state sharply to the right. She has beaten back the Woke mob and largely won the culture wars in her state. She is drastically reducing taxes in an attempt to get her state income tax to zero. She could be President some day. 

2.) Amy Coney Barrett — This United States Supreme Court justice is everything her supporters could have hoped for. She is Superwoman. A mother to seven children including a racially diverse mixture of adopted children, she went through her entire SCOTUS hearing without needing to take notes. She has sided with the conservative bloc on almost every issue, including the biggest decisions regarding abortion and guns. 

1.) Judge Aileen Cannon — This young smart judge was randomly chosen to oversee one of the indictment cases against Donald Trump. Because Trump appointed her, the left is already launching baseless attacks against her for bias. She has not backed down. She would rank higher but the cases against Trump are overrated in terms of significance. Very few if any people who love or hate Trump will be persuaded, regardless of the results. Once this is over, she will fade into the background. If she rules against Trump, she will briefly become a liberal hero until her next conservative ruling. A governor can influence a state. A Supreme Court justice can influence the entire nation. For being a key player in the 2024 presidential election, Judge Cannon can influence the entire world for several years to come. For this reason, she is the hottest politically conservative woman of 2024.

eric

The Top 24 Games of NFL 2024

Wednesday, May 15th, 2024

Top 24 Games of NFL 2024

1) Week 1: Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs

2) Week 2: Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins

3) Week 2: Cincinnati Bengals at Kansas City Chiefs

4) Week 3: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams

5) Week 4: Kansas City Chiefs at Los Angeles Chargers

6) Week 5: Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Rams

7) Week 6: Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos

8) Week 6: Pittsburgh Steelers at Las Vegas Raiders

9) Week 7: Kansas City Chiefs at San Francisco 49ers

10) Week 8: Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders

11) Week 9: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers

12) Week 10: Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

13) Week 10: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

14) Week 10: Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

15) Week 11: Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers

16) Week 11: Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills

17) Week 12: San Francisco 49ers at Green Bay Packers

18) Week 12: Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Chargers

19) Week 14: Atlanta Falcons at Minnesota Vikings

20) Week 17: Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans

21) Week 17: Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers

22) Week 18: Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders

23) Week 18: Miami Dolphins at New York Jets

24) Week 18: Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers

Super Bowl LVIII (58) Recap

Monday, February 12th, 2024

Super Bowl LVIII (58) Recap

AFC Kansas City Chiefs vs NFC San Francisco 49ers (-2) at 6:30pm Eastern on CBS. The game was played at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. 

These teams met 4 years ago in the Super Bowl. The 49ers led 20-10 with 10 minutes left in the game. Then the Chiefs exploded for 21 4th quarter points for a 31-20 win. It was the first Super Bowl win for the Chiefs in 50 years. It was the first Super Bowl win for Andy Reid, who finally got upgraded from Walrus Lite to full Walrus status. The Chiefs won it again last year. Patrick Mahomes was there for both wins. The Chiefs were in the Super Bowl for the 4th time in 5 years. With a 3rd win in 5 years, the Chiefs would officially be a dynasty.

The 49ers last won the Super Bowl nearly 30 years ago. A win would give them 6, tying them with New England and Pittsburgh for most overall Super Bowl wins. The 49ers were a feel good story led by Mr. Irrelevant Brock Purdy. In his rookie season, he took the 49ers to the NFC Title Game but then suffered an injury in a loss. In his sophomore season, he got the 49ers to the big game. Yet one storyline was 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan. 

Shanahan has blown 2 double digit fourth quarter leads in 2 different Super Bowls with 2 different teams.

He was the offensive coordinator for the 2016 Falcons, who led 28-3 and lost he was the head coach of the 2019 49ers, who led the Chiefs 20-10 with 10 minutes left in regulation and lost. The reasons are the same. You don’t close out games with West Coast Offense dinking and dunking.

Kyle Shanahan needed to figure out what Andy Reid finally figured out in 2019. When you have a lead in the fourth quarter, no matter how great your passing game, you RUN THE D@MN BALL. You run it again and again and again and again and again. If they stop it on one play, you run it again.

Peyton Manning was one of the greatest passers of all time. He finally won it all in 2006 because the Colts ran the ball. Shanahan’s father Mike Shanahan has 2 Super Bowl rings because he figured it out. John Elway was a quarterbackgor the shes, but he didn’t get a ring until Terrell Davis ran the ball at opposing defenses. With a fourth quarter lead, you must run the football. Kyle Shanahan should have 2 rings already. Yet Reid does because Reid figured it out. This game would see if Shanahan had.

The Chiefs won the coin toss and surprisingly made the decision to defer. Teams now like to double up at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second half, but with Mahomes, it makes sense to put him on the field first. Nevertheless, the 49ers got the ball first. After an opening touchback, The 49ers easily moved to a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 29. Christian McCaffrey got the carry and fumbled he ball away. This game was for long stretches dominated by the defenses. The first quarter was scoreless. 

Late in the first quarter the 49ers moved from their own 17 to a 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 33. Then a run was blown up for a 4 yard loss to end the period. The second quarter began with Purdy throwing incomplete. Jake Moody came in for a 55 yard field goal try. At that moment, 54 yards was the longest field goal in Super Bowl history. Moody’s kick was good. He kicked himself into the NFL record books and the 49ers into a 3-0 lead with the first score of the game. After a touchback, a perfect bomb from Mahomes to Mecole Hardman went for 52 yards and set up 1st and goal at the 9. Yet on the next play Isaiah Pacheco fumbled and the 49ers recovered. 

Midway through the second quarter, the 49ers took over at their own 33. Purdy went to Deebo Samuel for 12 and McCaffrey for 6. McCaffrey then ran for 5 and Mitchell added 7. On the next play, defensive unnecessary roughness on Sneed gave the 49ers 15 more yards. Kyle Shanahan then went to his bag of tricks. Purdy fired a lateral to Jauan Jennings. Jennings then threw the halfback option pass to McCaffrey for a 21 yard touchdown. The game’s first touchdown had the 49ers up 10-0 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the half. For the 3rd time, Shanahan had a double digit lead in the Super Bowl. The question would be if he would play power football and run the ball late in the game or if he would keep trying to dink and dunk his way to a victory. 

After a touchback, the Chiefs moved a little bit and suffered a false start at the 2 minute warning. They faced 3rd and 9 at their own 40. Mahomes went to Juju Watson for 21. With 30 seconds left in the half, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 5 at the San Francisco 9. Mahomes looked forever but ended up getting taken down for a one yard loss. Harrison Butker hit a 28 yard field goal as the Chiefs only trailed 10-3 at the half. Since pop stars and TikTok stars who date or marry the players have nothing to do with football, their appearance at the game merits no further discussion. The halftime show happened, concluding all necessary discussion of Super Bowl events not directly related to football. Back to football.

After a third quarter touchback, the Chiefs were expected to make adjustments. Instead disaster struck immediately. On the first play from scrimmage, a simple pitchout to Pacheco was fumbled, resulting in a 12 yard loss. On 3rd and 12, Mahomes threw an ill-advised pass into double coverage that was intercepted by Brown. The 49ers had a short field at the Kansas City 44. One first down would mean long field goal range. All Kyle Shanahan had to do was run the ball and get back to a 2 score game. Instead he kept dinking and dunking. Purdy threw a pair of incompletions sandwiched around a false tart as the 49ers wasted the opportunity. A great punt pinned the Chiefs at their own 2 yard line. Both defenses dug in. 

The Chiefs got it back again at their own 14. They moved to a 4th and 6 at the San Francisco 39. Butker came in for a 57 yard field goal try. The second quarter started with Moody entering the record books. With 5 minutes left in the third quarter, Butker knocked Moody out of the top spot. Butker was good from 57. Both kickers had hit from at least 55 yards, another new NFL record. The Chiefs only trailed 10-6. A key play in the game happened when the Chiefs punted on 4th and 2 from their own 35. The 49ers fumbled the punt and the Chiefs recovered with gift field position at the San Francisco 16. One play and 4 seconds later, the Chiefs had their first lead of the game. Mahomes fired to Marques Valdes-Scantling for a 21 yard touchdown. 13 unanswered points had the Chiefs up 13-10 with 2 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter.

After a touchback, the 49ers soon faced 3rd and 5 at their own 30. Purdy went to Jennings for 17 and Deebo Samuel for 9. The fourth quarter began with the 49ers facing 1st and 10 at the Kansas City 42. Purdy went to Brandon Aiyuk for 20. On 3rd and 2 from the Kansas City 14, a run by McCaffrey lost a yard. A simple 32 yard field goal try by Moody would tie the game 13-13. Yet Kyle Shanahan made the insane decision to go for it. With the game on the line and most of the entire fourth quarter to play, kicking the field goal seemed like absolutely the right move. One week earlier, the 49ers won the NFC Title Game because Detroit kept gambling on 4th down tries in field goal range and losing. Yet Shanahan’s gamble paid off as Purdy found George Kittle in the flat for a tough 4 yard gain. Purdy then went to Jennings for a 10 yard touchdown. With 11 1/2 minutes left in regulation, the 12 play, 75 yard, 6 minute drive had the 49ers up 16-13. Yet a big special teams play happened when the Chiefs blocked Moody’s extra point try. 

After a touchback, the Chiefs moved 69 yards in 12 plays and 5 1/2 minutes. Yet on 2nd and goal at the 3, this time it was Walrus Andy Reid’s turn to get too pass happy rater than just run the ball. Mahomes threw incomplete and then was sacked. Butker hit from 24 to tie the game 16-16 with 5:46 to play. After a touchback, Purdy quickly went to Jennings for 23 yards. With 2:45 to play, the 49ers had 2nd and 5 at the Kansas City 35. The running game was working. More runs could take the clock all the way down and deny Mahomes another chance with the ball. Yet Kyle Shanahan will not close out games with runs. It is just not his way. Purdy completed a pass to Kittle for no gain as the clock clicked down to the 2 minute warning. On 3rd and 5, Purdy threw incomplete. Now Moody needed to make a 53 yard field goal try. Moody was good. He was back in the NFL record books by being the first kicker in a Super Bowl to hit two field goals of over 50 yards. More importantly, the 49ers led 19-16 with 1:53 left on the clock. Unfortunately for the 49ers, that was a lifetime for Mahomes.

After a touchback, Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 3rd and 2 at the San Francisco 43. Mahomes went to Jerock McKinnon for 7. With 16 seconds left, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 7 at the San Francisco 33. Mahomes found Travis Kelce near the sideline, and Kelce ripped off a 22 yard gain. The Chiefs had 1st and 10 at the San Francisco 11. Only 10 seconds remained in regulation. There was time for one, maybe two more plays. Mahomes fired incomplete, leaving 6 seconds. With even one more second, trying another play might be justified. Yet with 6 seconds and the entire game and season on the line, Walrus Andy Reid was not taking any chances. Butker needed only to hit from 29 yards out. A miss would put him in football infamy along with Ray Finkle, who was actually Lois Einhorn. Butker was good. The game was tied 19-19. For only the second time in NFL history, the Super Bowl was headed to overtime. The only other time was 2016, when the losing defensive coordinator was Kyle Shanahan. 

In the 2016 loss, Shanahan’s team never saw the ball. New England scored a touchdown and the game was over. Yet A couple of years ago the NFL overtime rules were changed again. Each team would get the ball at least once no matter what. The 49ers won the overtime coin toss and were not going to defer. After a touchback, The 49ers soon faced 3rd and 13 at their own 22. Purdy threw incomplete, but defensive holding gifted the 49ers a new set of downs. On 3rd and 2 from their own 35, Purdy hit Aiyuk for 11. From midfield, Purdy went to McCaffrey for 24. On 2nd and 2 from the Kansas City 18, a ru gained 4 yards but offensive holding wiped out the gain. The 49ers held the ball for 7 1/2 minutes in overtime, moving 68 yards in 12 plays. Yet on 2nd and 4 from the Kansas City 9, McCaffrey was stopped for no gain. On 3rd and 4, Purdy threw incomplete. Moody hit the 27 yard field goal. The 49ers led 22-19. Yet the Chiefs would get a chance with the ball. 4 years ago, the 49ers defense wilted when it mattered most against Mahomes. Now was their chance for redemption. 

After a touchback, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 1 from their own 34. Pacheco got the carry and got stopped cold for no gain. With 6 minutes left in overtime, the 49ers were one defensive stop from being World champions. The Chiefs needed one yard to keep alive their season. After calling a timeout, the Chiefs surprisingly were in shotgun formation. This seemed nuts. Even pass happy Walrus Andy Reid with a great quarterback in Mahomes was not going to risk a pass in this situation. Would he? Mahomes kept the ball and found a lane for an 8 yard gain. The Chiefs were still alive. On 3rd and 6 from their own 46, Mahomes went to Rice for 13. On 3rd and 1 from the San Francisco 32, Mahomes was again in the shotgun. Again, Mahomes kept the ball himself and gained 19 yards. Pacheco gained 3 and Mahomes hit Kelce for 7, but the clock was winding down. For some reason Reid was not calling a timeout.

Yet this time, Big Red Walrus Andy Reid understood what many fans did not. letting the clock tick down to triple zeroes would not end the game. The overtime was treated like the first half, the first of to quarters. If a team held the ball at the gun, the game would just go to a double overtime until the drive finished. There was no pressure to score immediately. With 10 seconds left in overtime, no matter what, the Chiefs would have 3 opportunities if they held on to the ball. They would not need them. On 1st and goal at the 3, Mahomes hit Hardman for the touchdown. With 3 seconds left in overtime, the Super Bowl was over. 

The 49ers had lost to the Chiefs for the second time in five years in heartbreaking fashion. For the third time, Kyle Shanahan oversaw his team blow a double digit lead int he Super Bowl. All 3 ties, his stubborn refusal to run the ball in running situations harmed his team. Yet it is not his fault that the opposing team has a bionic Buck Rodgers creature at quarterback. 

The Chiefs under Walrus Andy Reid and Mahomes had become the first team in nearly 2 decades to win back to back Super Bowls. Next year they will try to become the very first team in the Super Bowl era to win 3 straight Super Bowls. Mahomes was the Super Bowl MVP for the third time in his career. The Chiefs won their 3rd Super Bowl in 5 years. They were now officially a dynasty, making Andy Reid a most happy Walrus indeed. 25-22 Chiefs, OT

The 2023 NFL season is now in the books. 

3 months until the 2024 NFL Draft. 

eric 

Super Bowl advice for both coaches

Sunday, February 11th, 2024

Kyle Shanahan has blown 2 double digit fourth quarter leads in 2 different Super Bowls with 2 different teams.

He was the offensive coordinator for the 2016 Falcons, who led 28-3 and lost he was the head coach of the 2019 49ers, who led the Chiefs 20-10 with 10 minutes left in regulation and lost.

The reasons are the same. You don’t close out games with West Coast Offense dinking and dunking.

Kyle Shanahan will figure out what Andy Reid finally figured out in 2019. When you have a lead in the fourth quarter, no matter how great your passing game, you RUN THE D@MN BALL.

You run it again and again and again and again and again. If they stop it on one play, you run it again.

Peyton Manning was one of the greatest passers of all time. He finally won it all in 2006 because the Colts ran the ball.

Shanahan’s father Mike Shanahan has 2 Super Bowl rings because he figured it out. John Elway was a quarterbackgor the shes, but he didn’t get a ring until Terrell Davis ran the ball at opposing defenses.

Kyle Shanahan should have 2 rings already. Yet Reid does because Reid figured it out. Let’s see if Shanahan has.

With a fourth quarter lead, you must run the football.

eric TYGRRRR EXPRESS

What Jews (and all of us) can learn from the Super Bowl

Sunday, February 11th, 2024

This offering by Rabbi Sholom Rodal of Chabad Mount Olympus was so brilliant that I felt it deserved sharing.

eric

Weekly Inspiration

 

Rabbi’s Spin on the Super Bowl
Super Bowl Sunday is just around the corner.

Whether you’re a casual fan, a football aficionado, an armchair quarterback, or a diehard devotee, you’ve probably already chosen which team you’ll be rooting for.

Many of us who watch from the sidelines think that football players are mainly brawn, but more goes into a player than brute strength. Speed, hand-and-eye coordination, agility, brain power, teamwork, and a willingness to get bashed up if you’re on the front line, are a few of the qualities of this all-American sport.

In keeping with the teaching of the Baal Shem Tov that everything we see and hear is a lesson for us in our Divine service, let’s peruse just a few aspects of football and a couple of the rules, to see what we can learn from the game.

Close to 120 million people tune in every year to watch at least part of football’s championship game. But why?!

Compare that with the approximately 15 million who tune in to your average World Series game-the difference is pretty stark, and certainly not reflective of the fan base of the respective sports.

The reason? A single winner-take-all game is much more exciting and important than a seven-game series. No one game of the series that determines the basketball, baseball, or hockey champion is as consequential as the Super Bowl. So your team lost one? No reason to panic, there will be another game…

The Super Bowl is also more interesting because anything can happen in a single game. This gives the weaker team a better chance of winning; the outcome is less predictable.

So where am I going with all this?

Every day we have different struggles; we’re always facing one sort of contest or another. How important is it to be victorious? So you want to skip that one obligation..you want to post that unkind comment on social media..you want to bypass that important Jewish ritual that your Bubby used to do…or you want to take a pass on doing that favor for another… Is it a big deal? Tomorrow you’ll get it right!

I guess it depends whether you view each struggle as part of a series, or a Super Bowl. If every moment is a Super Bowl then every victory is HUGE!

And if you’re in Super Bowl mode, you get another advantage: in any one game, anything can happen. You can win even if you think you might be outmatched in this particular area!

And one more thing to think about:

You have to keep your eye on the ball at all times. Keeping your eye on the ball means being aware of one’s lifetime goal as an individual and the Jewish people’s goal as a nation. As individuals, we each have our specific G-d-given mission in life and it is our responsibility to accomplish this mission.

In football, and all sports, there are players and spectators. If you’re a spectator and the game is tough, you can get up and leave before the end. The players always has to stay on the field until the very last play. If we all see ourselves as players in our role as Jews, then before we know it, we’ll merit to be a part of the great historic event–and we don’t mean Superbowl Sunday!

So whether you are rooting for the 49ers or the Chiefs, we wish you a winning Shabbat

Shabbat Shalom & Chodesh Tov!

— Rabbi Sholom Rodal, Chabad of Mount Olympus in Los Angeles

Pro Football Hall of Fame 2024 Enshrinement Class Recap

Friday, February 9th, 2024

2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame Recap

Normally I would offer Pro Football Hall of Fame predictions. The enshrines used to be announced the Saturday before the Super Bowl. Yet nowadays, the NFL honors program the Thursday before the Super Bowl reveals the winners. 

So let’s just look at who was chosen and who got left out that should have been enshrined. 

Andre Johnson, Houston Texans wide receiver — He should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer. He was delayed one year but deservedly got in.

Devon Hester, Chicago Bears return man — This should never have been  question last year, but Hester was also denied in his first year of eligibility. He is the greatest return man in the history of the game. He changed the game. Opposing teams feared him. He absolutely had to get in and did. 

Dwight Freeney, Indianapolis Colts defensive end — He is yet another guy denied eligibility last year on the first ballot. He was a key cog in helping the Colts finally get over the hump in 2006. He deserved to get in and he did.  

Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers defensive end. He retired as the fourth highest sack leader of all time. He made nine Pro Bowls and was an all decade winner in the 2000s and the 2010s. He of course got in on the first ballot.

Patrick Willis, San Francisco 49ers linebacker — He only played seven seasons. As great as he was, the entire 49ers defense when he played was great. He should have waited longer. Other more deserving nominees did not get in before him that should have.

Randy Gradishar, Denver Broncos linebacker — The Denver Broncos linebacker made seven Pro Bowls, but the Broncos defense only got them to one Super Bowl in 1977, which they lost. Senior nominees usually get in, but this one should have been a closer call than others. 

Steve McMichael, Chicago Bears defensive lineman — Again, most Senior nominees are rubber stamped. Again, this one is debatable. He was on the 1985 Bears, but was he really on the same level as Richard Dent, Mike Singletary or Dan Hampton? He is waging a brutal battle against ALS, but that should play zero role in whether or not he gets enshrined. This should not have been a guarantee. 

Eric Allen, Philadelphia Eagles cornerback — Allen was sensational with the eagles, and still played at a high level with the New Orleans Saints and Oakland Raiders. He was a true ball hawk who should not have been denied.

Antonio Gates, San Diego Chargers tight ends — He has been unfairly denied for playing on a team that never reached the Super Bowl. For much of his career, he was the best tight end in the game. This was his first year of eligibility, and should get in next year.

Rodney Harrison, New England Patriots safety — It is ridiculous that one of the hardest hitting safeties in the game is not enshrined already. He did more than win three Super Bowls in the first leg of the Patriots dynasty. He anchored the defense. Remember, Tom Brady carried some of the teams in the later years. In the early years, especially the 2001 season, Brady was a game manager. Defense led the team and shocked the Greatest Show on Turf St. Louis Rams. Harrison needs to get in soon. 

Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings defensive end — He has been a finalist in all four years of eligibility and keeps getting denied. He was also great with the Kansas City Chiefs. Not reaching a Super Bowl may have delayed his enshrinement, but he does deserve to get in at some point. This year there were just guys who were slightly more deserving for enshrinement right now.

Fred Taylor, Jacksonville Jaguars running back — Old reliable may get unfairly downgraded for playing in the MFL’s smallest market. Yet he also never got to a Super Bowl. He was a  steady workhorse who was more substance than excitement and style. Can the story of the NFL be told without him? Probably. He should get in at some point, but more crucial nominees essential to the story of football are ahead of him.

eric