The Sports Nerd Show

Another Rant… NFL vs Stephen Ross

Posted on August 2, 2022 by TheSportsNerdAugust 2, 2022

So…

I have yet another rant tonight, on the heels of my Deshaun Watson rant from last night, tonight I want to cover the news that broke today about Stephen Ross being found guilty of tampering with Sean Payton and tom Brady from 2019 through 2022, while Brady was still a member of the New England Patriots. This all stems from the lawsuit brought about by former Dolphins Head Coach Brian Flores and his accusations of racist hiring practices in the NFL and that Ross encouraged him to “tank” to include a $100,000.00 incentive for each game the Dolphins lost. While the NFL did not find any evidence of the tanking accusations, they did find Ross guilty of the tampering charges.

From the Athletic:

The Dolphins had impermissible communications with Brady in 2019-20, while he was under contract to the Patriots. Those communications began as early as Aug. 2019 and continued throughout the 2019 season and postseason. These numerous and detailed discussions were conducted by Beal, who in turn kept Ross and other Dolphins executives informed of his discussions with Brady.

The Dolphins again had impermissible communications with both Brady and his agent during and after the 2021 season, while he was under contract to the Buccaneers. Those discussions began no later than early Dec. 2021 and focused on Brady becoming a limited partner in the Dolphins and possibly serving as a football executive, although at times they also included the possibility of his playing for the Dolphins. Both Ross and Beal were active participants in these discussions.

In Jan. 2022, the Dolphins had impermissible communications with Don Yee, the agent for Payton, about having Payton serve as Miami’s head coach. Miami did not seek consent from New Orleans to have these discussions, which occurred before Payton announced his decision to retire as head coach of the Saints. Following that announcement, Miami requested permission to speak to Payton for the first time, which New Orleans declined to grant.

https://theathletic.com/3470950/2022/08/02/dolphins-lose-draft-picks-fined-tampering-investigation-brady-payton/

This will cost the Dolphins a 1st round draft pick in 2023 and a third round pick in 2024. the penalty will also include a fine to Ross of $1.5 million and a suspension this season through October 17, which just so happens to be the day after Deshaun Watson comes off his 6 game suspension handed down by Judge Sue Robinson for his sexual misconduct charges. Ross can not attend any team function, be at the teams facility or represent the team in any capacity. In addition he can not attend any owners meetings until the annual meeting in 2023. Also caught up in the carnage is Dolphins vice chairman and limited partner Bruce Beal. Beal was fined $500,000.00 and also cant attend any owners meeting s for the remainder of the 2022 season.

Commissioner Roger Goodell called the violations “unprecedented in scope and severity”.

These violations triggered a statement by Flores as quoted by ESPN:

“I am thankful that the NFL’s investigator found my factual allegations against Stephen Ross are true. At the same time, I am disappointed to learn that the investigator minimized Mr. Ross’s offers and pressure to tank games especially when I wrote and submitted a letter at the time to Dolphins executives documenting my serious concerns regarding this subject at the time which the investigator has in her possession,” he said. “While the investigator found that the Dolphins had engaged in impermissible tampering of ‘unprecedented scope and severity,’ Mr. Ross will avoid any meaningful consequence. There is nothing more important when it comes to the game of football itself than the integrity of the game. When the integrity of the game is called into question, fans suffer, and football suffers.”

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34334514/nfl-strips-miami-dolphins-2023-first-round-pick-fines-stephen-ross-15m-tampering-tom-brady-sean-payton

“The integrity of the game”… Give me a Fucking break…

So what Watson did doesn’t impact the integrity of the game? One of the most high-profile players in the NFL is indicated in over 25 incidents of sexual misconduct and assault, yet he gets a suspension that lasts one day LESS than an owner that went after arguably the best QB to ever play the game while still under contract, as well as going after one of the best head coaches in the game while HE was still under contract with the Saints. (the tampering occurred prior to Payton retiring) Flores also accused Ross of incentivizing him to tank games at $100,000.00 a game and at the end of the season got mad about the on-field success of the Dolphins and told Flores that winning was compromising the teams draft position.

The Double standard is amazing to me…

Despite all of this, I have seen media articles that state this punishment is a prequal of Roger Goodell appealing the sentence of Watson so that he can hand down a more severe sentence on him. the “unprecedented” portion of this issue is what he will use as a reason to go after Watson harshly, quite possibly a one-year suspension and a hefty fine.

From Touchdown Wire:

The NFL may get a lot of things wrong, but it rarely does things without a point. In this case, it could be that punishing Ross in this specific manner, and making note of the “unprecedented scope” of the tampering, sets the league up to go after a longer suspension of Watson on appeal, due to the unprecedented number of Watson’s alleged violations against the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. In her ruling, Judge Robinson spoke quite a bit to precedent, and more specifically, to “standards of fairness and consistency of treatment among players similarly situated.”

Thus, the six-game suspension, when the sheer number of Watson’s alleged violations would seem to engender a much more severe punishment. We know that the NFL wanted Watson suspended for at least the entire 2022 season, with conditions to his reinstatement in 2023. In settlement talks with the NFLPA, the league was willing to go as low as 12 games.

In the end, Watson’s representatives chose to bet on the ruling of an independent arbiter, and at first glance, they bet right. But the Ross suspension could well lead to the NFL’s right and ability to step into legal definitions of “unprecedented” that could lead to a much longer Watson suspension.

https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2022/08/02/stephen-ross-deshaun-watson-suspension/

Stay tuned, this is only getting started…

Have a great night Nerds…

Join me and my cohosts @jongolson, @scubatexan, and Eliot “Big E” Lomba each and every Sunday night at 7:30 PM Eastern time for The Sports Nerds! 90 minutes of sports talk, trash talk, and laughs as we discuss the week in sports.

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Watson suspended 6 games…

Posted on August 1, 2022 by TheSportsNerdAugust 1, 2022

*sigh*

I wish I was more eloquent with my ability to express my thoughts. I am pretty plain spoken, make is simple and for the most part unable to go deep into my thoughts because they are mostly scrambled a lot of the time. Today was a big day in the world of Cleveland sports as Deshaun Watson’s punishment finally came down from former Federal Judge Sue Robinson today and I have to say, I am disappointed, yet oddly enough I am not surprised by the decision. I expected this, because the NFL has a history of not caring about women, a history of coddling and enabling domestic violators in the past, and that history is what determined the light sentence that Robinson handed down today. She went by the guidelines of what has been done in the past regarding these situations and in doing so, did nothing to prevent it from happening in the future. Players see that they can get away with sexual harassment or assault and only risk losing about a third of the season as punishment.

She said in her report that the NFL successfully proved every single accusation that they put against Watson. The offenses were egregious and disgusting. He is the textbook definition of a sexual predator, he is a danger to the public and he is not deserving of wearing the Orange and Brown. Besides Watson himself, I blame the Houston Texans for arranging and enabling his behavior, his agent for looking the other way, the Texas legal system for being inept in not charging him, Jimmy Haslam for going after and signing him, Andrew Berry, GM of the browns for going along with the trade, and lastly, Kevin Stefanski, Head Coach of The Browns, for not being more vocal on the whole situation. I mean… all three of these guys have daughters… how would they feel if this happened to one of their children?

Here are some quotes from Robinson in the report:

Robinson wrote that the NFL “carried its burden to prove, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Mr. Watson engaged in sexual assault (as defined by the NFL) against the four therapists identified in the Report.” (The Athletic)

“Although this is the most significant punishment ever imposed on an NFL player for allegations of non-violent sexual conduct, Mr. Watson’s pattern of conduct is more egregious than any before reviewed by the NFL,” (The Athletic)

Robinson also recommended a mandate that Watson limit his massage therapy to “Club-directed sessions and Club-approved massage therapists” the rest of his career “as a condition to his reinstatement” and that the quarterback has “no adverse involvement with law enforcement, and must not commit any additional violations of the Policy.” (The Athletic)

https://theathletic.com/3466760/2022/08/01/cleveland-browns-qb-deshaun-watson-suspension/

In Robinson’s ruling, she noted that one of the aggravating factors in determining Watson’s discipline was his “lack of expressed remorse.” She noted that among the mitigating factors were him being a first-time offender and his “excellent reputation in his community prior to these events.” (ESPN)

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34327325/source-cleveland-browns-qb-deshaun-watson-suspended-6-games-violating-nfl-personal-conduct-policy

All this and yet he still only got six games.

I am disgusted, I am sick, and I at this very minute I am ashamed to call myself a Browns Fan because of how the franchise has treated this entire situation. I had hoped ownership and the new front office/coaching staff had gotten past all the drama after the Hue Jackson/Gregg Williams/Freddie Kitchens fiasco and that the new regime would turn the franchise around from it’s past stigma as an embarrassment to the NFL. No Championships since rejoining the league in 1999, two playoff wins, a revolving door of starting QB’s, consistent losing seasons year after year, and to top it off, treating the Best QB this franchise has had since probably Bernie Kosar as an afterthought, instead deciding to go after a serial sexual predator, and then trading Baker to Carolina.

As much as I am disgusted with all of this, the sad fact remains I am a die-hard Cleveland Browns fan. Call me two faced, a hypocrite, or whatever nasty word you can come up with. My heart will always be with the Browns, and I can’t quit them. I will root for the Orange and Brown until the day I die, no matter if they go 17-0 or 0-17, I am here to stay. I have bled Orange and Brown since I can remember seeing my first game on TV, and 50 years later I am still here, and always will be. It will leave a bad taste in my mouth but I have to stick with my heart. This will disappoint a lot of my friends (I see you Katie) and will bring a lot of backlash on the show, but thank goodness I have thick skin and have earned my stripes with all of the Browns-bashing I have faced in the past. I’m used to it, so it is just par for the course. I will not desert the franchise I have rooted for all of my life (minus 95-98) over this issue. I told my boss today, a Die-Hard Florida Gator fan (and graduate, I think) that I could no more quit rooting for the Browns because of Watson than he could stop rooting for the Florida Gators because of Aaron Hernandez, and I stand by that.

Good times, bad times, I’m with them til the end…

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So many sports topics going on in my head

Posted on June 13, 2022 by TheSportsNerdJune 13, 2022

The thoughts I have on this Monday night are varied… NHL Finals… NBA Finals… MLB season… and yes of course, the NFL.

I am excited for The Stanley Cup Finals as The Tampa Bay Lightning go for the three-peat against The Colorado Avalanche starting on Wednesday night in Denver. I look at this series and am filled with caution. The Avalanche are probably the most formidable opponent the Lightning have faced of both of the last two Stanley Cup Finals in which they won. As a fan, I am excited for the challenge and despite my previous habit of not watching the Lightning play on TV (long story) I will be watching the Finals religiously and rooting the Bolts on to victory for a three-peat and the establishment of an NHL dynasty. GoBolts

Short and sweet… The Boston Celtics have no chance of winning the NBA Finals. The Warriors are back and they will win the NBA Championship. don’t @ me… this will be shown as the truth after game 6.

MLB… The AL East is loaded and has the best 4 teams in MLB, LA Dodgers not withstanding. The 4th place team in the division (Boston – shout out to @scubatexan) would be the second place team in any other AL division in MLB. The Cleveland Guardians, the team I root for, are in second place in the Central Division, possibly the worst division in baseball, have a way outside chance of a wildcard, and as we discussed on last night’s show (link here) most, if not all, of the teams that will make the Wild Card will probably come from the AL East, the strongest division in the AL. As for the NL… Well… The NL West is loaded, but the NL East may have a say in that when it is all said and done with the Mets leading the NL in wins and the Brave surging… it will be a tight race as we approach the All Star break.

Now my favorite… NFL… So much going on in an offseason of drama. Deshaun Watson, Kyler Murray, Tua, Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, I have a lot of thoughts going on in my head with what is happening in the NFL right now. the old saying is true, there is really no offseason in the NFL. Shit happens on a daily basis and I love it. The drama that is building in the offseason is heating up, and while the NFL goes quiet in July, the drama will continue until training camps open in late July and go in full force in August. Will Deshaun get suspended (please God yes)? Will Tom go out on top? Can the Rams repeat? Who will win the AFC West? Russell Wilson and his impact on the Broncos. Will Seattle or Carolina trade for Baker Mayfield? Can the Rams repeat with Aaron Donald coming back? Are the Packers for real and can Aaron Rodgers lead them to the promised land? So many questions, no answers to come soon. So much drama…

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What is a (former?) Browns fan to do?

Posted on June 8, 2022 by TheSportsNerdJune 8, 2022

More disturbing information coming out of the Civil lawsuits on Deshaun Watson. Accusations of Watson seeing 66 women over the course of two years for massages, the Houston Texans organization contracting a massage therapy company to facilitate the conduct of the Browns QB, they provided the opportunity for Watson’s conduct and being well aware of what Watson was doing. As more details come out about this case, the more disturbed I become and the more I want to distance myself from fandom of The Cleveland Browns. I have a proverbial horrible taste in my mouth from all of this and it has caused me to re-think my decision to root for them and eat the shit burger that could be a potential Super Bowl Championship for the Browns.

I know I am going to get roasted on the show this week… I’m gonna be the brunt of every insult, take, and hilarity that will ensue after I announce my decision regarding my loyalty to a franchise I have been in love with my whole life. I’ve come to the decision that for as long as this sexual predator is the QB of the Browns, I will not root for them. as more details and accusations come out, the more disgusted I am that ownership, front office (Andrew Berry), and coaching staff (Kevin Stefanski) allowed this to happen. I am making a stand (Hush @jongolson) on principle, and I will not waiver on this. As long as this degenerate is behind center I refuse to root for the Browns. I’m done… for now.

The other side to this is, and I know the guys will want to know so they can trash talk to their hearts desire, I will not root for a specific team during this hiatus. I love the NFL and it is my favorite sport to watch but despite my history as a Bucs fan, I am going to be a neutral fan for the foreseeable future. I will watch the games with enthusiasm and I will enjoy every play, quarter, half, game and exciting plays that will happen. But my interest will be neutral, like the true Sports Nerd I am. I will play no favorites, I will have no rooting interest and for the first time in yeas, I will not have to stress over the Browns failing miserably week after week. If they win a championship, I wont swallow the pill and I will treat it the same as I treated the Cavs winning in 2016… meh…

The Browns need to VOID his contract and walk away. Unfortunately the Browns have burned their bridge with Baker, so he isn’t an option. If they do in fact void his contract they are once again starting from scratch, which I am ok with so long as they separate themselves from this cancer of a human being… stay tuned… the drama has only just begun.

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NHL, NFL, and PGA

Posted on June 4, 2022 by TheSportsNerdJune 4, 2022

The Tampa Bay Lightning experienced something last night that they had not experienced since 2019. They lost their second consecutive playoff loss coming at the hands of the NY Rangers. After losing Wednesday night 6-2 in game one, they lose last night 3-2 and fall behind 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals. I must be honest, I expected this… I have been saying since the playoffs began that the Lightning are not the same team they were the last two years. They are not as good as the last two Stanley Cup Championship teams, plus I have been arguing that this team is tired because of the amount of games they have played in the last three seasons. there comes a time when that all catches up with you, and it appears that it is finally catching up with the Lighting. I still have hope that they will pull this off and win three in a row, but it all depends on how they respond to this and play tomorrow in game three at “The Ice Palace” or as it is currently known as Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa. I will not stop rooting for them in this series, I know they can do it, and until it is over, I will continue to cheer them on.

Now on to the Cleveland Browns… Another civil suit has been brought against Browns QB Deshaun Watson, bringing the number of lawsuits to 23 in total. His lawyer Rusty Hardin made a statement this week saying that “”happy endings” to massages are not necessarily illegal.” ok because of this I am off the “Watson Bandwagon” this guy is a predator, he is a sexual deviant and he put these women in a position they should never have been. I will root for the Browns, but another side of me is wishing that Watson gets hurt so he is not the starting QB for this team. Harsh, I know but it doesn’t change his behavior that is coming to light. I really don’t want this guy as QB1 for a franchise that I have loved since I was a kid. Get this guy out of here…

In the world of the PGA there is great controversy regarding the LIV tour… Kevin Na resigned from the PGA tour today over his involvement with the LIV Golf league, which is sponsored by the financial arm of the Saudi Arabia government, which has been accused of numerous human-rights violations. I respect Kevin Na, he is a great golfer and has provided plenty of memorable moments on the PGA Tour, but his loyalties in this situation is suspect. He is chasing the money, nothing more, and because of this, I have lost some respect for him in that regard. Saudi Arabia is a US ally, despite being one of the greatest violators of human rights in the world. They are in the middle of a genocide of the Yemeni people. Mr. Na needs to re-think his loyalties and decide if the money is worth playing on a tour that supports the atrocities that the Saudi government supports. This issue surpasses monetary gain, and instead, feeds to the morality of all that support this new tour. I for one will not watch any of the tournaments and will not support any player that competes on this tour, to include not just Kevin Na, but Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, and others.

It is time for the carnage to STOP

Posted on June 2, 2022 by TheSportsNerdJune 2, 2022

Time after time I have posted on this blog about political issues. I have gone so far as to say “I don’t normally do this” but those of you that read my posts know better. I wear my political affiliation on my sleeve, I don’t hide it, and I don’t pretend to gloss over it with funny metaphors or innuendo. I am a liberal, I am a progressive, and I lean toward voting for the Democratic Party platform. I am not ashamed nor am I shy about bellowing it from the rafters of the proverbial rooftop. The majority of my immediate family, to include my mother, my step-father, step-sister, all three of my half sisters, uncle, cousins, and close friends both in my work family and friendship circle are ALL conservatives… I am on an island, a lone wolf if you will. But I will not move away from what I believe, no matter the consequences because I am a person that cares deeply about fairness, logic, common sense, and yes, compassion.

This country has a problem, and it is the unfettered access to weapons of mass destruction. No, not nukes, but assault weapons. The fact that an 18-year old kid can buy an AR-15 style weapon without any checks and balances in the form of background checks is appalling to me. Why do we allow KIDS to have access to weapons that can fire 40-100 rounds per minute is beyond me. I don’t understand the need for the general public to have access to these weapons because they feel that the Second Amendment to the US Constitution grants them the right to have them. The Amendment states word for word the following:

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

Gun nuts like to focus their attention to the last part of that amendment that says the right of the people to keep and bear arms etc… etc… but as a Progressive “communist Nazi Socialist” as the Conservatives like to call me prefer to focus on the “We regulated Militia” portion of the Amendment, because I feel that is the most important statement of the meaning behind the amendment itself. Well regulated, at least in my mind allows the federal government to regulate the TYPE of “Arms” can be held and owned by the public. the AR-Type weapon, to include AR-15 and AK-47 type of weapons should be regulated by the federal government tot he extent of denying the general public access to these type of weapons. BAN ASSAULT WEAPONS. There is NO rational explanation anyone can give me or anyone else as to why private citizens should have the right to own these weapons.

You want o own a handgun, shotgun, or a single-shot rifle, that’s fine… but the only reason to own a weapon that can fire 40-100 rounds a minute, to include large capacity magazines that have 30 –50 round capacity is to shoot humans. They aren’t hunting rifles, they aren’t for “defense” , they are simply what they were designed for, to kill people, and that is not acceptable in my eyes, or any other progressive, Liberal, “Commie” “Socialist” yada yada yada, whatever label you want to plant on me.

the US needs to ban these weapons access to the general public. Too many kids have been killed by these weapons in the last 30 years. Too many malls, churches, offices, and public spaces have been shot up by these weapons. it needs to stop. It isn’t mental health, it isn’t broken families, it isn’t upbringing, and it most definitely NOT the lack of GOD in our hearts… it’s the weapons, and ONLY the weapons and the free access to them that are at fault. No argument will change my mind on that, and nothing anyone can say will change how I feel. Well regulated means just that… well regulated. The Federal Government has the right to regulate these weapons and they need to exercise that right and BAN these assau8lt weapons in the US.

When people believe that the right to own these weapons OUTWEIGH the right of children’s lives, there is a problem, and I for one refuse to accept that.

Get rid of the access to the general public of these weapons of war…

Thanks for coming to MY Ted Talk…

The sports world continues to rotate…

Posted on May 25, 2022 by TheSportsNerdMay 25, 2022

Despite my previous post I know that the sun rose today and it will set tonight, meanwhile the NHL playoffs, NBA playoffs, MLB season and NFL offseason continue to move forward despite all of the ugliness that has occurred in the last 36 hours.

In addition to those sports, there is a little tournament going on in Paris, France where Rafael Nadal just won his 300th career Grand Slam match. I have watched this guy for over a decade and he reminds me of the dominance that Ivan Lendl had back in the day. I compare the two because they are both left handed and are/were so much fun to watch.

My following observations are on the sports I am following (Least favorite to favorite)

In the NBA, game five of the Eastern Conference Finals are tonight pitting the Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. The series is tied 2-2 and if patterns ring true, it will probably go 7 games. They have traded wins back to back and if the pattern ring true, the heat should win tonight sending game 6 back to Boston, where the Celtics blew out the Heat Monday night. This is the more competitive series when comparing the East and West Finals, and the more intriguing matchup. The Western Conference finals are less competitive, despite the fact Dallas won game four last night in convincing fashion, it appears to only be a matter of time before Golden State finishes them off.

In MLB, the Yankees still have the best record in baseball (puke) and lead the AL East by 4.5 games over the Rays. The Cleveland Guardians (still hard to call them that) are wallowing in mediocrity in the AL Central, 6.5 games behind the division leading Twins. Meanwhile in the NL, the Dodgers are the hottest team in baseball, winning nine of their last 10 games and lead the west by 1.5 games over the Padres (the Padres??) while the METS!! are dominating the NL East with a 7.5 game lead in that division. It’s still early in the season so I am not getting too excited yet, but I have seen a lot of great plays and highlights (wont watch full games this early) and its been fun to watch.

NHL Playoffs… GO BOLTS!!! The Tampa Bay Lightning sweep the President’s Trophy winner The Florida Panthers in four games, getting a much needed rest before taking on the winner of the Rangers-Hurricanes series. That series is all tied up at 2-2 after the Rangers won game four last night 4-1 as the series now goes back to Carolina for game 5. As a Lightning fan for over a decade, I really don’t care which team the Bolts face in the finals, just that they are getting some rest before the next series. in the West, we have the battle of Alberta with the Calgary Flames now down 3-1 to the Edmonton Oilers. The Oilers have impressed me with their play, specifically Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and especially Evander Kane, who had a hat trick in game 3. The Oilers are running on all cylinders and I really don’t think the Flames (Or as @jongolson calls them – “FRAUDS) have what it takes to come back from a 3-1 deficit. The other west matchup is Colorado and St Louis, with the Avalanche leading 3-1. the Avs and Oilers seemed destined to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals when it is all said and done.

Now we move on to the NFL…

The Las Vegas Raiders will be hosting Colin Kaepernick for a workout
A Federal Judge has denied the NFL’s motion to dismiss Jon Gruden’s lawsuit against the NFL
Kyler Murray, Deebo Samuel skip “voluntary” OTA’s with respective clubs.
Deshaun Watson saga takes a new turn with NFL meetings and victim accusations
Steelers Omar Khan promoted to GM
Is the Punt the most dangerous play in the NFL?

These are but a few headlines dominating the NFL Offseason, which in my opinion, doesn’t really have an offseason. I love the NFL!!!

I love sports…

Here we go again

Posted on May 24, 2022 by TheSportsNerdMay 24, 2022

I was gonna make a post tonight about the NHL playoffs and how proud I am of the Lightning sweeping the Panthers last night in the NHL playoffs, but events that occurred today in Texas changed my thought process and have instead decided to change directions…

The United States is the ONLY country in the world where mass shootings occur on a regular basis. Today, 18 CHILDREN were killed in a school in Uvalde Texas.. EIGHTTEEN!!! imagine that… This was an elementary school in which children ranging from 6 – 12 years old go on a daily basis to learn, to be educated, to be engaged, and to look forward to their future. These kids had no chance… These kids woke up this morning, had their favorite cereal for breakfast, hugged their parents before going to school, neither of which realized that it would be the last time they would embraced each other. My heart is deeply hurting tonight as I watch the coverage of this tragedy and I do not know what we are doing as a country.

I do not own a firearm, have never wanted a firearm and never even considered purchasing a firearm. I never felt that I lived in an area where I felt I needed a firearm. My family is historically conservative, to include my parents, uncles, cousins, etc.… and they DO own firearms, I have seen them, I have held them and yet, I still have never felt that I had the need for one. I do not begrudge my family members for owning these weapons, and I honor and respect their right to own them, as the constitution protects their right to own them. I do, however have an issue with ownership of AR-style weapons that have no place in the general public. There is no logical reason whatsoever to own these weapons other than the act of killing people. They are not for hunting, they are not for protection (a handgun can provide that protection) nor do they have any practical use in our society. They are purchased simply because people LIKE them and get a certain “high” from owning them.

I am in favor of a BAN on these weapons and the prevention of the general public from owning these weapons of war. These weapons have no use other than on a battlefield by military personnel and not by the general public. The individual responsible for today’s horrific tragedy purchased these weapons as soon as he turned 18 and was legally eligible, per Texas law, to purchase it. nothing prevented him from getting access, but one has to wonder why an 18-year old would NEED to own such a weapon of mass-destruction. It boggles the mind. I don’t get it, I don’t understand it and I am disgusted knowing that it was so freely available to a young man without any checks and balances to look at who he is and if he has a history of mental illness or actions that may have raised a red flag.

My heart is breaking tonight for the families of the dead…

The gun laws in this country are weak… they have failed our children and no matter how many times it happens, our elected officials have refused to change any of it. They have the power to make change, but the gun lobby of the NRA and other guns-rights groups have put so much money in their pockets they refuse to act. All of the “thoughts and prayers” in the world wil not bring these children back to their parents. The time to act has long passed, it is time finally for the Congress and the President to act, and make changes to the law that allows these military grade weapons available to the general public.

Thanks for reading…

I promise to return to sports on my next post… I have a lot to say.

NFL Division Round Preview–The Road to the AFC/NFC Championships

Posted on January 21, 2022 by TheSportsNerdJanuary 21, 2022

Hello friends…

No I’m not Jim Nantz, but I play him on VIMM/Facebook/Twitch… The following are my predictions for the Divisional round of the NFL playoffs. In the AFC (American Football Conference) we have The Cincinnati Bengals vs The Tennessee Titans Tomorrow at 4:30 Eastern and @jongolson’s Buffalo Bills vs The Kansas City Chiefs Sunday night at 6:30pm Eastern. In the NFC (National Football conference) we have The San Francisco 49ers vs The Green Bay Packers Saturday at 8:15pm and the Los Angeles Rams vs The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at 3:00 pm Eastern. All four of these matchups are close on paper, but what is REALLY gonna happen this weekend?… The following are my predictions for all four games:

Saturday, January 22, 2022:

4:30 pm Eastern – Cincinnati Bengals @ Tennessee Titans – Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN

Derrick Henry returns!!! The Titans #1 running back has been cleared to play this weekend after going down to a foot injury in week eight, and although he may be rusty, I expect him to get most of the carries against the Bengals. This will be a welcome relief for Tennessee as they need him for the most important game of the season. Ryan Tannehill is, in my opinion, the worst QB of all the remaining QB’s left in the playoffs and he does not have the arm as good as the other seven QB’s that are left. He is a game manager at best, and the stars have to be aligned in the right formation in order for him to have a great game. The Bengals have struggled all season against the run, so I expect a heavy dose of Henry to the point of up to 25-30 carries. I can’t say enough about the Bengals offense, led by Joe Burrow at QB, he is the favorite pick for comeback player of the year. his Chemistry with Rookie of the year candidate Ja’marr Chase is ungodly, going back to their days at LSU (College) and I feel that Joe Mixon can run against the Titan defense. I’m taking the Bengals… 31-21

8:15 pm Eastern – San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers – Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI

Aaron Rogers is my back-to-back pick for MVP this year, as he led the #1 seed Packers to a 13-4 record and was 8-0 at historic Lambeau field this year in the regular season. the Packers are the healthiest team going into the playoffs, which is a great accomplishment considering the NFL had a 17 game season for the first time in its history. The best receiver on the roster, Devante Adams has had one of the best seasons in his NFL career with 1553 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns, while the Packers running game has a two headed monster in Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, both combining for 1,602 yards rushing and 9 touchdowns. The 2021 defense is much improved over the 2020 version and has shown they can stop both the run and pass, frustrating offenses this season. The 49ers are coming off an emotional win in Dallas, and if not for a bungled last drive and Mike McCarthy’s bad clock management, they would be at home this week watching the Cowboys still in the playoffs. A lot of pundits are saying that the 49ers actually have a decent chance to win this game, with all of their weapons, but I am not of that opinion. The wild card in this matchup is 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo… he has a tendency to make mistakes and is the SECOND worst QB remaining in the playoffs. I truly believe this game will come down to a mistake by Garoppolo in the second half that will lead to Packers points and will be the difference at the end of the day. Green Bay 34 San Francisco 28

Sunday, January 23, 2022:

3:00 pm Eastern – Los Angeles Rams @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Raymond James Stadium, Tampa FL

Two words… Tom… Brady… There has not been a player in the history of the NFL that has achieved more in his career ass Tom Brady has. 7 Super Bowl wins, numerous NFL passing records, and now considered the GOAT (Greatest of all time) to play his position. As a kid growing up the greatest QB to ever play the game was Johnny Unitis… The Roger Staubach, then Joe Montana. Brady has eclipsed them all and at 45 years old he still shows no signs of slowing down. I have hated him for most of his career because of the team he played for and his head coach, arguably the greatest Head Coach of all time, Bill Belichick, but the last couple of seasons it has been fun to watch him because he is no longer playing for the hated Patriots and said head coach, but instead playing for the Buccaneers, of whom I was a big fan in the early 2000’s when they won their first championship, and Bruce Arians, a head coach that anyone could like because of his knowledge of the game and his willingness to be aggressive when he needs to be and not aggressive when the situation calls for it. The Bucs roster is LOADED on both sides of the ball, and they are definitely the better team. the problem here is, their defense was decimated last week against the Eagles and may be without their starting right tackle, Tristian Wirfs and their starting center Ryan Jensen. Brady will have to get the ball out quick with Aaron Donald and Vonn Miller looking to take him out. Both teams have excellent defenses, but I think the Bucs have the better overall defense and that will be the difference. As much as I like Matthew Stafford, he is prone to mistakes, and I believe he will make one or two mistakes the Rams won’t be able to overcome. Cooper Cupp is the 2nd best WR in the NFL behind Devante Adams (my opinion) but he wil be swarmed with double teams and will not have a good game. Odell Beckham Jr has had a resurgence in LA since being traded from the Browns but it wont be enough, The Bucs are too good, and they have a date with destiny in Green Bay for a rematch with the Packers… Tampa Bay 31 – Los Angeles 27

6:30 pm Eastern – Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs – GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, MO

This is the game of the week… The two best teams in the AFC, in my opinion, face off for a trip to the AFC Championship, and if my prediction is correct, the winner will host that game. This game is gonna be a shootout to see who can put up the most points, defense is not a factor in this game, despite Buffalo having the #1 defense in the NFL, Kansas City has come into its own on offense the last couple of weeks and has proven they can run or pass against some of the best defenses in the NFL. Buffalo is coming off a perfect game… 8 drives, 7 touchdowns, no punts, no FG attempts, no turnovers, and the only reason they didn’t score on the 8th drive is because it was three kneel-downs to end the game against New England at the end of the game. The Chiefs are coming off a dominating performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers who had no business being in the playoffs in the first place. I love the way Josh Allen is playing going into this game, but questions remain as to if he can get over the hump and beat The Chiefs in the playoffs. The bills did beat KC at Arrowhead during the regular season, but this is the playoffs, so do they have what it takes to get over that next step. I think they do… I know I said defense wont matter in this game, but I feel the Bills will make enough plays on defense to win the game. I think their pass rush can get to Mahomes, and with Micah Parsons in the defensive secondary all bets are off. GO BILLS!! Buffalo 42 – Kansas City 35

Well there ya have it friends, my predictions for this weekend… hope you enjoy the games, we will revisit my predictions come Monday… good or bad… and don’t forget to join me, @jongolson, Eliot “Big E” Lomba, and Ken Costlow for “The Sports Nerds” Sunday night during the last game at 7:30 pm Eastern (@jongolson attendance yet to be determined) for play-by-play reaction and commentary on all the games that happen this weekend. The best 90 minutes of sports smack talk on the web today!!!

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Super Wildcard Weekend Part Deux

Posted on January 19, 2022 by TheSportsNerdJanuary 19, 2022

ok so I am late by one day in posting this… either way here we go…

Philadelphia @ Tampa Bay – This wasn’t even a contest. The Bucs jumped out to a 31-0 lead by the end of the third quarter and Philly had no hope of catching up as the Buccaneers defeated Philly 31-15 in a game that wasn’t even as close as the score reflects. Jalen Hurts showed his inexperience by throwing 2 interceptions and showed his inexperience as the Bucs defense harassed him the entire game. The Bucs finally showed who they are, and that is the defending champs. the defense seems to have finally come together for the playoff run and they will be facing the Rams, who beat them earlier in the season in LA. Tom Brady is the GOAT, there is no dispute, and he showed it on Sunday, throwing for 271 yards and two scores, while not turning the ball over. Despite not having Leonard Fournette or Ronald Jones, the Bucs running game was effective against the Eagles. Racking up 106 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. No surprises here, and really no excitement, as the Bucs dominated right out of the gate and never looked back.

San Francisco @ Dallas – Wow, I have so many thoughts on this game that this short paragraph may not have enough room for. The cowboys, once again had been predicted all season long as the team to beat in the NFC, despite the dominance of the Packers against all of their opponents this season. Dak was hailed as the comeback player of the year, Zeke Elliott and Tony Pollard the “best one-two punch” in the NFL, while also touting the skills of defensive stars Trevon Diggs and Micah Parsons. The Cowboys fell flat, Dak was harassed all game long by the aggressive Niners defense and believe it or not, Niners QB Jimmy Garoppolo really only made one big mistake in the game, a late interception by Anthony Brown when Jimmy overthrew his intended receiver. Outside the fact that the Cowboys gave up 341 yards, allowed two rushing touchdowns to Deebo Samuel and Elijah Mitchell, despite the fact that Dak threw for 254 yards and a TD (along with an INT) and STILL lost, the most BONE-HEADED sequence happened at the end of the game. With 14 seconds left and no timeouts from the San Fran 41 yard line the ‘Boys called a QB DRAW where Dak ran for 17 yards, but failed to understand the rules in that after he slid at the 24 yard line, he did not hand the ball to an official, which is REQUIRED, and instead handed the ball to his center to place the ball in order to prepare for a clock-stopping spike to allow for one more play. The official ran into the line and did what he was supposed to do, place the ball where the line of scrimmage is supposed to be, but by the time the ball was snapped the clock had already run out and the game was over. This sequence is a result of Head Coach Mike McCarthy having bad game-management skills (something he showed time after time in Green Bay) and the fact that the starting QB of “America’s Team” did not understand the rules. As a footnote… Dallas did not beat any team all season with a double digit win total… can you say that they had been overrated all season? I think so… Sorry Ken… in the words of Denny Green… The Cowboys were who we thought they were…

Pittsburgh @ Kansas City – I’m gonna make this short and sweet… Big Ben’s last game will go down as one of the most lackluster performances of his entire career. He showed his age, he showed that he needs to retire and he showed that he was unable to draw from his HOF (puke) career and be competitive against a clearly superior team in the Chiefs. Ben threw for 215 yards and two TD’s and the Steelers managed just 56 yards rushing between 3 different ball carriers. After a punt-fest in the first quarter, the Chiefs woke up in the second and rattled off 21 unanswered points to take a 21-7 lead at halftime. they never looked back and now they will welcome in the Buffalo bills next Sunday night in prime time… The only question that remains is… Will @jongolson show up to do our Show? or will he decline and decide to focus on the game.

Arizona @ LA Rams – Another game that wasn’t even close. Matthew Stafford gets his first postseason win of his career and the Rams roll the Cardinals in the last game of the “weekend” on Monday night. The Rams took a 21-0 lead into halftime and held Kyler Murray to 137 yards passing, just 6 yards rushing, and intercepted him twice in a dominating 34-11 win. Kyler could never get going and his inexperience showed heavily against a veteran Rams defense. The Rams now have to face the Bucs, in Tampa, and this promises to be a dogfight, both teams are pretty even on both sides of the ball. the Rams did manage to win their last meeting earlier in the season, but this is a different Bucs team and they are not only playing at home this time but they seemed destined to once again make it to the NFC Championship.

Hope you enjoyed my “recaps” this week. Please remember to Join me, @jongolson, Ken Costlow, and Eliot “Big E Lomba each and every Sunday night for The Sports Nerds, where we cover mostly the NFL, but we also cover all major sports in the USA, including MLB, NHL, and the NBA. WE are Live at 7:30 pm Eastern time on Facebook, Vimm.tv, Twitter, and Twitch. see below for links:

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