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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

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'Black-ish' Star Anthony Anderson, Celebrities, and Athletes Celebrate African Americans in Golf

Golf is more than a game, it’s a business tool played by executives, an overwhelming majority of Fortune 500 CEOs, and almost every single U.S. president since the 1900s. But while it’s known as the playground for forging business deals and professional relationships, it’s also a notorious good ol’ boys club that has historically excluded African American men and women. However, Wendell Haskins, the founder of Original Tee Inc., and PGA of America’s former senior director of Diversity & Inclusion, Sports & Entertainment, is changing the game.

Haskins, like many African American boys, did not grow up playing golf. In fact, he wasn’t exposed to the sport until he was in his 20s when a friend invited him to a golfing event in New Mexico back in the ’90s. To prepare for the trip, he took lessons, practiced his stroke, and read about the rich history of the game. That’s when he discovered that a black dentist was responsible for creating the modernized wooden golf tee.

“The golf tee was invented and patented in 1899 by a Harvard dental school graduate and black man named George F. Grant,” Haskins told Black Enterprise. But Dr. Grant, who is also known for being the first African American professor at Harvard University, did not receive the recognition he deserved. Instead, “a white man was largely credited for the invention of the golf tee—a guy named William Lowell—but he didn’t have the original patent,” Haskins explained.

The eye-opening discovery inspired Haskins to carry Grant’s legacy into the 21st century. “After discovering that the original tee was patented by a black man…I wanted to create something that brings the black community together [and] celebrates our history in the game.” Thus, in 1999, he founded the Original Tee, a golf lifestyle brand that promotes inclusion by preserving the history of the game’s diverse pioneers and celebrates iconic golf enthusiasts. The ultimate goal of the company is to increase the presence of African Americans in golf and combat the game’s racist history. “We were purposefully excluded from the game of golf for a long period of time,” said Haskins. “It was very deliberate to keep black folks out of the game.” People of color were also excluded from country clubs, he added.

Original Tee, however, has been a vehicle to introduce and popularize the game with communities of color for the past two decades. “Since I’ve started the Original Tee, the game has become tremendously more popular, particularly with the sports and entertainment community and the business community,” he said. “People within the African American community playing golf have become more robust.”

Melvin Roane, Louis Kelly, Kevin Hall, Anthony Anderson, Wendell Haskins, Wyatt Worthington II, Christian Heavens (Photo Credit: Margot Jordan courtesy of OTGC)

To pay homage to past and present African Americans in golf, each year Haskins hosts the Original Tee Golf Classic (OTGC) presented by BMW. During the annual ceremony, which was held July 22 at The Wild Turkey Golf Club in Hamburg, New Jersey, dozens of black golfers spent a day on the greens in a charity tournament competing for a 20K purse supported by the likes of Anthony Spikes of Sapphire Hill Global, David Jones of CastleOak Securities, and Jeff Champ, the father of Cameron Champ, who recently made it to the PGA Tour. Some of the celebrity competitors included actors Malik Yoba and Hisham Tawfiq, veteran music label executive Kevin Liles, NBA President Danny Meiseles, and NY Knicks Herb Williams and John Starks. They competed with several black golf pros like Troy Mullins, Wyatt Worthington II, Kevin Hall, Christian Heavens, Louis Kelly, Miko Page, Earl Cooper (PGA), Anthony Stepney (PGA), and Randy Taylor (PGA).

The day ended with an awards dinner where Black-ish star Anthony Anderson was presented with the Original Tee Golf Classic’s “True Original Award.” Anderson, who’s been a member of OTGC since 2008, was honored for his career accomplishments, commitment to his community, and for being an ambassador for the game of golf.

“I didn’t grow up with a golf club nearby. Matter of fact, if you saw a dude with a golf club in my neighborhood, you went the other way,” said the Emmy-nominated actor and comedian while accepting his award. “I’m honored to be the honoree this year, but more importantly, I love what Wendell is doing in the community [by] merging the culture with the game of golf and helping minority players bring diversity to this game,” he told Black Enterprise after the ceremony. “The African American pros that we had today rarely get a chance, it any [at all], to play in front of a gallery that looks like them.”

Anthony Anderson, Earl Cooper, and children (Photo Credit: Margot Jordan courtesy of OTGC)

In addition to celebrating the history and contributions of African Americans in golf, OTGC raised funds for The Bridge Golf Foundation in Harlem, a nonprofit committed to using golf to improve the lives of young men of color in Harlem, New York.

“There are not enough children of color playing in the sport of golf; there is so much opportunity to shine a light on this amazing game,” said Randy Taylor, Teaching Professional at The Bridge Golf Foundation & Learning Center, in a statement. “This is my second year attending this tournament. This year, we brought 30 young men from the Bridge Golf Foundation in Harlem. We bring our students to the tournament to teach them the game of golf, meet relatable role models and expose them to a variety of opportunities that are available through the golf industry.”

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

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Fantasy football rankings 2018: The top 150 players in PPR leagues

Training camps have begun, which means you’ll soon be in the midst of your league’s fantasy football draft. If you are fortunate enough to have the No. 1 pick, this will be one of the harder years to figure out who you should draft first. Todd Gurley led all running backs in fantasy scoring among running backs in 2017, though that was his first and only year to finish in the top five in PPR scoring leagues.

Over the last two years, no player has impacted fantasy teams than Le’Veon Bell, especially when it comes to PPR. During that span, Bell has caught a ridiculous 160 passes, the most among any running back. Unsurprisingly, he’s been the highest-scoring non-quarterback player during that span.

If you get the top pick in a PPR league, Bell is your best bet, especially now that he’ll play under the franchise tag for potentially the final time, making 2018 effectively a contract year for him.

If you choose to go wide receiver in Round 1, you’ll have an interesting debate between DeAndre Hopkins and Antonio Brown. Hopkins is the reigning scoring champ among receivers, but dating back to 2013, no receiver has scored more points than Brown in PPR leagues.

Top 150 overall rankings, PPR leagues (preseason)

Top 150 PPR fantasy football rankings

Rk Consensus Pos Tm JM DG SK AW

1 Todd Gurley II RB LAR 1 1 1 2 2 Le'Veon Bell RB PIT 2 7 2 1 3 David Johnson RB ARI 4 3 3 3 4 Ezekiel Elliott RB DAL 3 2 5 5 5 Antonio Brown WR PIT 5 4 4 4 6 DeAndre Hopkins WR HOU 6 5 7 8 7 Alvin Kamara RB NO 8 12 6 7 8 Odell Beckham Jr. WR NYG 7 9 8 9 9 Julio Jones WR ATL 11 6 10 10 10 Saquon Barkley RB NYG 9 18 9 6 11 Keenan Allen WR LAC 16 8 12 11 12 Michael Thomas WR NO 14 11 11 14 13 Kareem Hunt RB KC 10 14 14 13 14 Melvin Gordon RB LAC 12 15 13 17 15 Leonard Fournette RB JAC 13 17 17 15 16 A.J. Green WR CIN 17 13 16 16 17 Dalvin Cook RB MIN 15 21 18 12 18 Davante Adams WR GB 18 16 15 18 19 Doug Baldwin WR SEA 25 10 27 21 20 Rob Gronkowski TE NE 24 20 21 19 21 Mike Evans WR TB 21 23 20 24 22 Devonta Freeman RB ATL 19 26 23 26 23 T.Y. Hilton WR IND 27 19 24 25 24 Christian McCaffrey RB CAR 26 25 19 27 25 Adam Thielen WR MIN 30 31 25 20 26 Jerick McKinnon RB SF 22 42 22 23 27 Larry Fitzgerald WR ARI 34 29 26 22 28 Stefon Diggs WR MIN 32 22 29 30 29 Travis Kelce TE KC 29 27 28 31 30 Jordan Howard RB CHI 23 35 31 41 31 Amari Cooper WR OAK 37 24 33 38 32 Tyreek Hill WR KC 31 30 35 39 33 Demaryius Thomas WR DEN 42 38 30 29 34 LeSean McCoy RB BUF 20 41 40 40 35 Aaron Rodgers QB GB 39 37 37 33 36 Joe Mixon RB CIN 28 54 32 34 37 Zach Ertz TE PHI 40 47 36 28 38 Golden Tate WR DET 47 36 34 35 39 Kenyan Drake RB MIA 33 39 44 36 40 Alshon Jeffery WR PHI 38 32 39 48 41 Allen Robinson WR CHI 41 52 38 32 42 JuJu Smith-Schuster WR PIT 48 28 43 45 43 Josh Gordon WR CLE 46 34 50 37 44 Derrius Guice RB WAS 36 46 46 46 45 Alex Collins RB BAL 35 58 42 42 46 Brandin Cooks WR LAR 49 40 48 50 47 Jarvis Landry WR CLE 60 48 41 44 48 Tom Brady QB NE 55 45 49 47 49 Russell Wilson QB SEA 53 53 45 52 50 Marvin Jones Jr. WR DET 52 49 47 55 51 Jay Ajayi RB PHI 45 51 51 58 52 Michael Crabtree WR BAL 61 44 56 49 53 Lamar Miller RB HOU 50 56 55 51 54 Dion Lewis RB TEN 56 59 52 60 55 Rashaad Penny RB SEA 44 86 59 43 56 Emmanuel Sanders WR DEN 78 33 67 63 57 Deshaun Watson QB HOU 62 68 57 56 58 Derrick Henry RB TEN 43 61 63 77 59 Sammy Watkins WR KC 64 55 65 64 60 Chris Hogan WR NE 73 60 69 53 61 Corey Davis WR TEN 70 67 58 62 62 Greg Olsen TE CAR 63 72 53 72 63 Pierre Garçon WR SF 79 57 64 61 64 Cam Newton QB CAR 59 97 54 54 65 Delanie Walker TE TEN 75 50 73 71 66 Drew Brees QB NO 74 65 68 67 67 Carson Wentz QB PHI 58 88 72 57 68 Robert Woods WR LAR 71 71 76 66 69 Rex Burkhead RB NE 82 43 85 75 70 Marshawn Lynch RB OAK 65 63 89 69 71 Ronald Jones II RB TB 66 98 71 59 72 Devin Funchess WR CAR 72 69 83 73 73 Royce Freeman RB DEN 54 101 66 79 74 Mark Ingram RB NO 51 129 60 68 75 Sony Michel RB NE 57 106 62 85 76 Cooper Kupp WR LAR 83 64 79 86 77 Jamison Crowder WR WAS 97 73 74 74 78 Randall Cobb WR GB 91 75 75 80 79 Jimmy Graham TE GB 69 107 70 78 80 Kyle Rudolph TE MIN 80 84 78 82 81 Tevin Coleman RB ATL 67 83 80 94 82 Evan Engram TE NYG 68 131 61 65 83 DeVante Parker WR MIA 81 85 86 81 84 Robby Anderson WR NYJ 89 74 82 98 85 Duke Johnson Jr. RB CLE 95 81 81 87 86 Chris Thompson RB WAS 96 70 88 90 87 Kirk Cousins QB MIN 77 121 77 70 88 Isaiah Crowell RB NYJ 85 62 103 101 89 Julian Edelman WR NE 101 78 91 84 90 Matthew Stafford QB DET 84 108 87 76 91 C.J. Anderson RB CAR 86 66 113 103 92 Kerryon Johnson RB DET 87 79 97 109 93 Marquise Goodwin WR SF 88 87 92 116 94 Marlon Mack RB IND 76 103 99 106 95 Trey Burton TE CHI 102 82 90 111 96 Sterling Shepard WR NYG 98 100 94 95 97 Ben Roethlisberger QB PIT 93 116 96 83 98 Marqise Lee WR JAC 115 76 110 91 99 Tarik Cohen RB CHI 107 89 84 117 100 Jordy Nelson WR OAK 100 90 101 107 101 Andrew Luck QB IND 99 117 95 88 102 Carlos Hyde RB CLE 92 80 111 120 103 Jimmy Garoppolo QB SF 106 105 104 96 104 Nelson Agholor WR PHI 109 93 100 114 105 Marcus Mariota QB TEN 105 112 118 89 106 Jack Doyle TE IND 118 91 109 108 107 Philip Rivers QB LAC 110 123 102 92 108 Jordan Reed TE WAS 103 130 93 105 109 Will Fuller V WR HOU 94 -- 98 93 110 Jamaal Williams RB GB 90 126 108 113 111 Rishard Matthews WR TEN 114 113 112 104 112 Matt Ryan QB ATL 111 122 114 97 113 Jared Goff QB LAR 117 110 116 102 114 Patrick Mahomes QB KC 112 127 117 100 115 Nick Chubb RB CLE 104 99 131 131 116 DeSean Jackson WR TB 120 95 133 122 117 Giovani Bernard RB CIN 132 94 120 125 118 Kelvin Benjamin WR BUF 116 -- 107 99 119 Aaron Jones RB GB 113 119 134 115 120 Kenny Stills WR MIA 108 -- 106 118 121 Ty Montgomery RB GB 127 96 119 149 122 Allen Hurns WR DAL 119 -- 115 110 123 Alex Smith QB WAS 125 118 124 128 124 Josh Doctson WR WAS 122 114 129 133 125 Theo Riddick RB DET 135 102 123 139 126 George Kittle TE SF 121 132 105 142 127 Dak Prescott QB DAL 123 124 130 124 128 Bilal Powell RB NYJ 124 111 139 134 129 Mohamed Sanu WR ATL -- 77 137 -- 130 David Njoku TE CLE 131 141 122 127 131 Martavis Bryant WR OAK 136 92 -- 143 132 Devontae Booker RB DEN 126 -- 128 129 133 Tyler Eifert TE CIN 130 148 136 123 134 James White RB NE -- -- 121 119 135 Tyler Lockett WR SEA 138 109 144 -- 136 Cameron Meredith WR NO 134 -- 135 126 137 O.J. Howard TE TB 139 135 127 146 138 Latavius Murray RB MIN 146 104 -- -- 139 D.J. Moore WR CAR 129 -- 126 148 140 LeGarrette Blount RB DET 133 120 -- -- 141 Derek Carr QB OAK 147 128 -- 130 142 Doug Martin RB OAK 141 115 -- -- 143 Mike Williams WR LAC -- -- -- 112 144 Jameis Winston QB TB -- 137 -- 132 145 Kenny Golladay WR DET 144 -- 125 -- 146 Mitchell Trubisky QB CHI 145 139 149 138 147 Cameron Brate TE TB 142 147 132 150 148 Jared Cook TE OAK -- 145 141 136 149 Case Keenum QB DEN -- -- -- 121 150 Charles Clay TE BUF -- 143 140 140 -- C.J. Prosise RB SEA 148 125 -- -- -- Andy Dalton QB CIN -- 140 -- 137 -- Eli Manning QB NYG -- 136 -- 141 -- Blake Bortles QB JAC 143 -- -- 135 -- Austin Seferian-Jenkins TE JAC -- 134 148 147 -- D'Onta Foreman RB HOU 128 -- -- -- -- Corey Clement RB PHI 137 -- 143 -- -- Benjamin Watson TE NO -- 133 -- -- -- Eric Ebron TE IND -- -- 138 -- -- Josh McCown QB NYJ -- 138 -- -- -- Calvin Ridley WR ATL 140 -- -- -- -- Nyheim Hines RB IND -- -- 142 -- -- Ricky Seals-Jones TE ARI -- 142 -- -- -- Austin Hooper TE ATL 149 144 -- -- -- Ted Ginn Jr. WR NO -- -- -- 144 -- Vance McDonald TE PIT -- -- -- 145 -- Dez Bryant WR FA -- -- 145 -- -- Anthony Miller WR CHI -- -- 146 -- -- Virgil Green TE LAC -- 146 -- -- -- Chris Carson RB SEA -- -- 147 -- -- Jake Butt TE DEN -- 149 -- -- -- Blake Jarwin TE DAL -- 150 -- -- -- Hayden Hurst TE BAL 150 -- -- -- -- Paul Richardson WR WAS -- -- 150 --

Dope article from sbnation.com

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

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Fantasy football rankings 2018: The top 150 players in standard fantasy leagues

The 2018 fantasy football season is almost here, which means you’ll soon be in your league’s fantasy draft attempting to build a title-winning team. That will begin with whichever selection you have in Round 1, which, as usual, will be loaded with great running backs from which to choose.

This is actually one of the deeper classes of proven backs that will go in the first round of most drafts. Le’Veon Bell and Todd Gurley top the list, followed by Ezekiel Elliott, Kareem Hunt, and Devonta Freeman. All of them have finished in the top three of scoring among running backs at least once in their career.

If you choose to go wide receiver with your first pick, there are some worthy first-round options in Antonio Brown, Julio Jones, and DeAndre Hopkins to pick from.

The way this year is shaping up, your first-round pick needs to be either a running back or receiver, as there aren’t any tight ends or quarterbacks worthy of a first-round pick in most standard leagues. Quarterback especially has a lot of value outside of the top guys, and you can get a reliable starter in the middle rounds like Alex Smith, Philip Rivers, Kirk Cousins, and Deshaun Watson.

Top 150 overall rankings, standard leagues (preseason)

Top 150 standard fantasy football rankings

Rk Consensus Pos Tm JM DG SK AW

1 Todd Gurley II RB LAR 1 1 1 1 2 Ezekiel Elliott RB DAL 3 2 3 4 3 Le'Veon Bell RB PIT 2 7 2 2 4 David Johnson RB ARI 4 3 4 5 5 Antonio Brown WR PIT 5 4 5 3 6 DeAndre Hopkins WR HOU 6 5 6 6 7 Odell Beckham Jr. WR NYG 7 9 9 9 8 Julio Jones WR ATL 11 6 10 8 9 Alvin Kamara RB NO 8 12 7 10 10 Saquon Barkley RB NYG 9 18 8 7 11 Kareem Hunt RB KC 10 14 11 14 12 Keenan Allen WR LAC 16 8 16 13 13 Melvin Gordon RB LAC 12 15 12 15 14 Leonard Fournette RB JAC 13 17 13 12 15 Michael Thomas WR NO 14 11 14 18 16 A.J. Green WR CIN 15 13 17 16 17 Dalvin Cook RB MIN 17 21 15 11 18 Davante Adams WR GB 18 16 18 17 19 Devonta Freeman RB ATL 20 26 19 19 20 Doug Baldwin WR SEA 25 10 27 23 21 Mike Evans WR TB 21 23 21 24 22 T.Y. Hilton WR IND 27 19 24 21 23 Rob Gronkowski TE NE 24 20 22 26 24 Jordan Howard RB CHI 23 25 20 25 25 Adam Thielen WR MIN 32 31 28 20 26 Travis Kelce TE KC 29 27 29 27 27 Jerick McKinnon RB SF 22 46 23 22 28 Christian McCaffrey RB CAR 19 35 26 33 29 Stefon Diggs WR MIN 33 22 30 29 30 Aaron Rodgers QB GB 31 37 36 32 31 Derrius Guice RB WAS 36 42 32 28 32 Joe Mixon RB CIN 28 54 25 31 33 LeSean McCoy RB BUF 26 41 33 39 34 Amari Cooper WR OAK 37 24 34 45 35 Tyreek Hill WR KC 39 30 31 42 36 Larry Fitzgerald WR ARI 35 29 38 41 37 Kenyan Drake RB MIA 30 39 43 36 38 Alshon Jeffery WR PHI 38 32 40 40 39 Demaryius Thomas WR DEN 42 38 41 35 40 Alex Collins RB BAL 34 58 35 30 41 Allen Robinson WR CHI 41 52 37 34 42 Josh Gordon WR CLE 46 34 50 37 43 JuJu Smith-Schuster WR PIT 48 28 45 49 44 Jay Ajayi RB PHI 45 43 42 43 45 Zach Ertz TE PHI 40 47 39 57 46 Golden Tate WR DET 47 36 49 52 47 Marvin Jones Jr. WR DET 52 49 47 44 48 Tom Brady QB NE 49 45 53 47 49 Lamar Miller RB HOU 50 56 46 46 50 Brandin Cooks WR LAR 55 40 48 60 51 Derrick Henry RB TEN 43 59 44 58 52 Russell Wilson QB SEA 53 53 52 51 53 Rashaad Penny RB SEA 44 86 51 38 54 Michael Crabtree WR BAL 67 44 65 62 55 Deshaun Watson QB HOU 62 68 60 54 56 Dion Lewis RB TEN 56 61 57 71 57 Chris Hogan WR NE 77 60 63 50 58 Ronald Jones II RB TB 66 80 59 48 59 Marshawn Lynch RB OAK 68 63 62 61 60 Jarvis Landry WR CLE 72 48 64 74 61 Sammy Watkins WR KC 71 55 61 72 62 Emmanuel Sanders WR DEN 84 33 74 70 63 Royce Freeman RB DEN 54 101 55 56 64 Pierre Garçon WR SF 79 57 71 59 65 Cam Newton QB CAR 59 97 58 53 66 Corey Davis WR TEN 70 67 67 66 67 Drew Brees QB NO 74 65 68 64 68 Carson Wentz QB PHI 58 88 73 55 69 Robert Woods WR LAR 64 71 75 65 70 Devin Funchess WR CAR 69 69 76 63 71 Mark Ingram RB NO 51 111 54 68 72 Delanie Walker TE TEN 75 50 78 81 73 Greg Olsen TE CAR 63 72 66 84 74 Rex Burkhead RB NE 80 51 80 76 75 Tevin Coleman RB ATL 61 83 69 75 76 Sony Michel RB NE 65 106 56 69 77 Cooper Kupp WR LAR 82 64 83 80 78 Jimmy Graham TE GB 60 107 72 78 79 Isaiah Crowell RB NYJ 89 62 84 88 80 Kyle Rudolph TE MIN 81 84 81 79 81 Randall Cobb WR GB 91 75 87 77 82 Robby Anderson WR NYJ 85 74 79 95 83 Kirk Cousins QB MIN 73 121 77 67 84 Matthew Stafford QB DET 76 108 86 73 85 DeVante Parker WR MIA 82 85 96 83 86 Kerryon Johnson RB DET 90 79 85 92 87 Evan Engram TE NYG 57 131 70 91 88 Marlon Mack RB IND 78 103 82 89 89 Jamison Crowder WR WAS 97 73 91 93 90 C.J. Anderson RB CAR 95 66 90 115 91 Marquise Goodwin WR SF 96 87 89 98 92 Jamaal Williams RB GB 86 102 88 96 93 Chris Thompson RB WAS 93 81 99 105 94 Ben Roethlisberger QB PIT 88 116 95 82 95 Carlos Hyde RB CLE 92 70 94 137 96 Julian Edelman WR NE 124 78 107 90 97 Trey Burton TE CHI 102 82 97 118 98 Jordy Nelson WR OAK 98 90 108 109 99 Andrew Luck QB IND 110 117 93 86 100 Duke Johnson Jr. RB CLE 87 98 104 117 101 Sterling Shepard WR NYG 100 100 103 107 102 Marqise Lee WR JAC 115 76 113 108 103 Jimmy Garoppolo QB SF 103 105 105 100 104 Philip Rivers QB LAC 99 123 98 94 105 Nelson Agholor WR PHI 109 93 102 110 106 Nick Chubb RB CLE 104 96 112 104 107 Tarik Cohen RB CHI 107 89 100 124 108 Will Fuller V WR HOU 94 -- 92 85 109 Marcus Mariota QB TEN 105 112 119 87 110 Jared Goff QB LAR 108 110 116 103 111 DeSean Jackson WR TB 106 95 128 114 112 Matt Ryan QB ATL 111 122 111 101 113 Jack Doyle TE IND 118 91 120 120 114 Aaron Jones RB GB 113 119 114 106 115 Rishard Matthews WR TEN 139 113 109 97 116 Patrick Mahomes QB KC 112 127 117 102 117 Kelvin Benjamin WR BUF 116 -- 106 99 118 Josh Doctson WR WAS 114 114 127 121 119 George Kittle TE SF 121 132 118 112 120 Jordan Reed TE WAS 125 130 110 119 121 Ty Montgomery RB GB 127 99 125 133 122 Kenny Stills WR MIA 117 -- 101 116 123 Alex Smith QB WAS 120 118 121 128 124 Dak Prescott QB DAL 119 124 124 125 125 Giovani Bernard RB CIN 132 94 130 136 126 Allen Hurns WR DAL 123 -- 115 111 127 Cameron Meredith WR NO 101 -- 132 127 128 Martavis Bryant WR OAK 136 92 -- 134 129 Bilal Powell RB NYJ 134 129 133 123 130 Mohamed Sanu WR ATL -- 77 146 -- 131 LeGarrette Blount RB DET 133 120 143 132 132 Latavius Murray RB MIN 142 104 136 -- 133 O.J. Howard TE TB 122 135 129 148 134 Devontae Booker RB DEN 131 -- 123 131 135 David Njoku TE CLE 126 141 126 143 136 Derek Carr QB OAK 141 128 145 129 137 Tyler Lockett WR SEA -- 109 137 -- 138 Theo Riddick RB DET 135 126 144 146 139 D.J. Moore WR CAR 129 -- 131 141 140 Tyler Eifert TE CIN 130 148 139 138 141 Chris Carson RB SEA 146 125 134 -- 142 Mitchell Trubisky QB CHI 140 139 141 140 143 Doug Martin RB OAK 147 115 -- -- 144 D'Onta Foreman RB HOU 128 -- 140 145 145 Mike Williams WR LAC -- -- -- 113 146 Kenny Golladay WR DET 144 -- 122 -- 147 Jameis Winston QB TB -- 137 -- 130 148 Corey Clement RB PHI 137 -- 135 147 149 Blake Bortles QB JAC 143 -- 142 135 150 Cameron Brate TE TB 138 147 138 -- -- Case Keenum QB DEN -- -- -- 122 -- Ted Ginn Jr. WR NO -- -- -- 126 -- Eli Manning QB NYG -- 136 -- 142 -- Andy Dalton QB CIN -- 140 -- 139 -- Benjamin Watson TE NO -- 133 -- -- -- Austin Seferian-Jenkins TE JAC -- 134 -- -- -- Josh McCown QB NYJ -- 138 -- -- -- James White RB NE 149 -- 148 144 -- Charles Clay TE BUF 148 143 -- 150 -- Ricky Seals-Jones TE ARI -- 142 -- -- -- Calvin Ridley WR ATL 145 -- -- 149 -- Austin Hooper TE ATL -- 144 -- -- -- Jared Cook TE OAK -- 145 -- -- -- Virgil Green TE LAC -- 146 -- -- -- Eric Ebron TE IND -- -- 147 -- -- Jake Butt TE DEN -- 149 -- -- -- Paul Richardson WR WAS -- -- 149 -- -- Dez Bryant WR FA -- -- 150 -- -- Blake Jarwin TE DAL -- 150 -- -- -- Hayden Hurst TE BAL 150 -- -- --

Dope article from sbnation.com

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

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The NBA luxury tax changes are working exactly how they should

The 2011 NBA collective bargaining agreement was a mammoth achievement for the 30 franchise owners and the league itself. Players gave up $300 million in annual salary by allowing the revenue split to drop from 57 percent to 50 percent, and while franchise owners didn’t get everything they wanted, that was the single biggest inflection point.

But well beyond that, the league is still feeling — and may forever feel — the impacts of all the other quirks added to the basic fabric of the NBA in that labor deal. We’ve talked recently about how the NBA’s push to shrink the maximum length of contracts has led more superstars to leave their teams. The revamped mid-level exceptions — now with different versions for teams over and under the luxury tax threshold and with a tweaked version for teams that start free agency with cap space — have impacted teams’ ability to add good players at times. The Derrick Rose Rule embedded award incentives into the labor agreement in an odd, problematic way.

The single most impactful reform in the 2011 labor deal, however, was the fortification of the luxury tax.

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Before 2011, the luxury tax existed, but only as a dollar-for-dollar tax. It had little impact on teams that decided they wanted to spend lots of money to add players. The Mavericks and Knicks spent most, if not all, of the first decade of the 2000s over the luxury tax. If you had a billionaire owner, it didn’t really matter that adding a player for $5.5 million would really cost $11 million in payroll due to the tax. If the player helps you win more, that was worth it.

But the new luxury tax system is much more punishing, and has proven to make most team owners blink.

There are two ways in which the luxury tax was fortified in 2011. First, the NBA introduced a progressive rate on the tax. The tax rate is:

150 percent for amounts up to $5 million over the threshold (worse than the previous 100 percent rate, mind you).

175 percent from $5-10 million.

250 percent from $10-15 million.

325 percent from $15-20 million.

375 percent at $20 million.

425 percent at $25 million.

And so on.

In the old days, if you were at or over the tax threshold and re-signed one of your free agents for whom you had Bird rights for $15 million, you’d pay an additional $15 million in tax. These days, doing that same exact transaction would cost you an additional $28.75 million in luxury tax. That’s a huge difference and it does make teams think twice.

(This is essentially why the Rockets knew they’d have trouble keeping Trevor Ariza this summer: retaining Chris Paul and Clint Capela and adding minor help put them over the tax line. Ariza would have cost tens of millions more than his salary. That was an expense they didn’t want to pay, though some felt they should have anyway. )

The second way the NBA strengthened the luxury tax in 2011 was by introducing the repeater tax. If you pay the tax in three of the last four seasons, you are dubbed a repeat offender and the tax at each level is boosted:

250 percent up to $5 million

275 percent up to $10 million

350 percent up to $15 million

425 percent up to $20 million

475 percent up to $25 million

And so on.

This tweak made it so that perennial taxpayers like those Mavericks and Knicks of the 2000s would be punished heavily if they remained spendthrift year after year. In that same scenario of adding a $15 million player while sitting at the tax line, a team in repeater status would pay an additional $43.75 million in luxury tax. That’s nearly three times the player’s salary ... just in luxury tax! That is a huge disincentive to being a repeater team and, ultimately, signing that player.

So has the bolstered luxury tax impacted players? Absolutely.

High payroll teams are much less likely to go nuts adding players above the line. There are exceptions — Mikhail Prokhorov’s Nets just after moving to Brooklyn, the late-era LeBron James Cavaliers.

Even these teams become cost-conscious at some level. Cleveland has certainly had a few cost-conscious moves while trying to keep LeBron happy (welp).

But the NBA is thriving in the aggregate, and as such player salaries have shot up since 2011. The economy has improved, and league revenue has increased, especially with the one-time boost in 2016 due to a renegotiated national broadcast deal.

This bigger pie has swamped the impacts of the strengthened luxury tax. The player base hasn’t really grown much (maximum roster size grew modestly and the advent of two-way player contracts has only tiny impacts on team salary cap levels), so the extra money has to go somewhere. The rookie scale still exists and there are artificial caps on what young superstars can earn, so the money added to the system has gone to veteran superstars (who routinely make more than $30 million in a season now, something that only Michael Jordan did before 2011) and role players, who have seen the league’s average annual salary leap up toward $10 million.

If the league weren’t growing like crazy, the luxury tax might squeeze role players more than it has. But there’s just so much money out there that it almost doesn’t matter for the player pool as a whole. Everyone’s getting paid regardless.

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

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Rookie Top 20 | NFL Fantasy Football Draft Guide 2018

The 2018 NFL season is fast approaching, with training camp in full swing, and the preseason schedule kicking into gear. August is when fantasy football drafts take priority, whether you are drafting for a single year, or you’re in the deepest of dynasty leagues.

Everybody has some kind of strategy when they head into their annual fantasy draft. And most everyone sees their strategy derailed at some point. Regardless, you will have tough decisions to make when it comes to younger players in the NFL. Rookies in particular are extra difficult. Until an NFL rookie takes his first steps on the field, we’re working off of collegiate accomplishments, situation, and opportunity. Let’s take a look at how those elements can help or hurt the top-20 rookies ranked below:

Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

Saquon Barkley, RB

New York Giants

The Giants could have drafted their quarterback of the future second overall, but instead they made it clear they are going to ride out the Eli Manning era as best they can. The team drafted Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, and expectations for fantasy owners are sky high. His ADP heading into the preseason is sixth overall, going ahead of the likes of Kareem Hunt, Leonard Fournette, and Melvin Gordon.

Barkley is going to be a workhorse running back, and considering Manning’s inconsistencies, he’s going to be plenty busy. He averaged 5.7 yards per carry in college, and while he won’t reach that mark in the NFL, he is one of the better volume plays out there.

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Derrius Guice, RB

Washington

The LSU running back slipped to the bottom of the second round draft in spite of the consensus that he was a first round talent. There was talk of off-field issues, but it was not entirely clear what of it was enough to drop him. Regardless, Washington could have a steal in Guice, adding to their stable of running backs.

Guice will be the team’s starting running back, but Chris Thompson is likely to be the primary third down back. Guice will get some looks in the passing game, but Thompson’s presence is the only drawback for Guice at this point. He is a solid RB2 as a rookie, with RB1 upside sooner rather than later.

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Sony Michel, RB

New England Patriots

It’s fitting that Michel played in a committee at Georgia. He joins a Patriots that has regularly used a committee approach, frustrating fantasy owners. Michel has the talent to emerge from this group, bringing game-breaking acceleration and burst. James White will get the bulk of the pass-catching opportunities, and Michel will compete with Rex Burkhead for more traditional work. The Patriots prolific offense provides end zone opportunities, but Bill Belichick is a tough one for fantasy owners to figure out.

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Rashaad Penny, RB

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks are shaking up their offense around Russell Wilson, and that means adding depth to the running back depth chart. Penny led FBS runners with 2,248 yards in 2017. He did not see extensive work in the passing game at San Diego State, but put up huge numbers on the ground and earned a first round nod.

Penny’s primary competition in Seattle is Chris Carson. The Seahawks thought they had a diamond in the rough as the seventh round pick had 208 yards on 49 carries (4.2 yards per carry). However, he broke his leg in Week 4, and his opportunity might have passed. The Seahawks coaching staff has had high praise for Carson, but a first round pick is going to get the opportunity. Penny is a solid RB2 right out of the gate, but you might want to handcuff him with Carson.

Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

D.J. Moore, WR

Carolina Panthers

Moore was the first wide receiver to come off the board in the 2018 draft for good reason. In his college career at Maryland, he amassed over 2,000 yards and 17 touchdowns. Moore is a quick wideout that has a knack for getting yards after the catch. The Panthers hope their first-round pick will help stretch out the field and take tension off of No. 1 WR Devin Funchess, TE Greg Olsen, and RB Christian McCaffrey. He stands to see a lot of fantasy targets early if defenses decide to put their focus on the Panthers veteran skilled players.

Dope article from sbnation.com

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

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The biggest bye week implications of the 2018 fantasy football season

Normally, fantasy owners do not pay too much attention to the bye week period. However, with bye weeks starting in Week 4 and wrapping in Week 12, owners need to pay more attention to when players sit this season. It is smart to be prepared for your best player to miss a critical week.

The last month of the fantasy regular season, 20 teams will have a bye week. Notable players such as Tom Brady, Travis Kelce, DeShaun Watson, Todd Gurley, Jarvis Landry, and Zach Ertz will miss a game in the final four games of the fantasy regular season. Most owners will feel the effect of these late season bye weeks. Best to be prepared for this problem instead of caught off guard.

Week 4

Carolina Panthers, Washington

Quarterbacks - Cam Newton, Alex Smith

Running Backs - Christian McCaffrey, Derrius Guice, C.J. Anderson, Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine, Robert Kelley

Wide Receivers - Devin Funchess, Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson, D.J. Moore, Paul Richardson, Curtis Samuel, Torrey Smith

Tight Ends - Greg Olsen, Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis

Week 5

Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarterbacks - Mitchell Trubisky, Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick

Running Backs - Jordan Howard, Ronald Jones, Tarik Cohen, Payton Barber, Charles Sims

Wide Receivers - Mike Evans, Allen Robinson, DeSean Jackson, Anthony Miller, Chris Godwin, Taylor Gabriel, Kevin White, Adam Humphries

Tight Ends - Trey Burton, O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate

Week 6

Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints

Quarterbacks - Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford

Running Backs - Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, Kerryon Johnson, Theo Riddick, LeGarrette Blount, Ameer Abdullah

Wide Recivers - Michael Thomas, Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay, Cameron Meredith, Tedd Ginn

Tight Ends - Benjamin Watson, Luke Willson, Michael Roberts, Josh Hill

Week 7

Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Packers, Seattle Seahawks

Quarterbacks - Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Derek Carr

Running Backs - Le’Veon Bell, Rashaad Penny, Marshawn Lynch, Jamaal Williams, Aaron Jones, Ty Montgomery, Chris Carson, Doug Martin, C.J. Prosise, DeAndre Washington

Wide Receivers - Antonio Brown, Davante Adams, Doug Baldwin, Amari Cooper, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, Tyler Lockett, Martavis Bryant

Tight Ends - Jimmy Graham, Jared Cook, Vance McDonald, Ed Dickson

Week 8

Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans

Quarterbacks - Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota, Dak Prescott

Running Backs - Ezekiel Elliott, Melvin Gordon, Devonta Freeman, Derrick Henry, Dion Lewis, Tevin Coleman, Austin Ekeler

Wide Receivers - Julio Jones, Keenan Allen, Corey Davis, Rishard Matthews, Allen Hurns, Mohamed Sanu, Calvin Ridley, Mike Williams, Tyrell Williams, Michael Gallup, Cole Beasley, Terrance Willams

Tight Ends - Delanie Walker, Austin Hooper, Virgil Green, Rico Gathers, Jonnu Smith, Blake Jarwin

Week 9

Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Benglas, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles

Quarterbacks - Carson Wentz, Andrew Luck, Blake Bortles, Eli Manning, Andy Dalton, Sam Bradford, Nick Foles

Running Backs - David Johnson, Saquon Barkley, Leonard Fournette, Joe Mixon, Jay Ajayi, Marlon Mack, Giovanni Bernard, Corey Clement, Nyheim Hines, Jordan Wilkins, T.J. Yeldon, Wayne Gallman, Darren Sproles

Wide Receivers - Odell Beckham Jr., A.J. green, T.Y. Hilton, Larry Fitzgerald, Alshon Jeffery, Sterling Shepard, Nelson Agholor, Marqise Lee, Dede Westbrook, Christian Kirk, Donte Moncrief, Keelan Cole, Mike Wallace

Tight Ends - Zach Ertz, Evan Engram, Jack Doyle, Tyler Eifert, Eric Ebron, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Ricky Seals-Jones, Dallas Goedert, Tyler Kroft Jermaine Gresham, Niles Paul

Week 10

Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings

Quarterbacks - Deshaun Watson, Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum, Lamar Jackson, Joe Flacco

Running Backs - Dalvin Cook, Alex Collins, Lamar Miller, Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker, D’Onta Foreman, Latavius Murray, Kenneth Dixon, Javorius Allen, De’Angelo Henderson, Alfred Blue

Wide Receivers - DeAndre Hopkins, Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Demaryius Thomas, Michael Crabtree, Emmanuel Sanders, Wull Fuller, John Brown, Courtland Sutton, Willie Snead

Tight Ends - Kyle Rudolph, Hayden Hurst, Stephen Anderson, Mark Andrews, Jake Butt, Ryan Griffin

Week 11

Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers

Quarterbacks - Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Tannehill, Baker Mayfield

Running Backs - Jerick McKinnon, LeSean McCoy, Kenyan Drake, Sony Micel, Rex Burkhead, Isaiah Crowell, Carlos Hyde, Duke Johnson, Nick Chubb, Bilala Powell, James White, Chris Ivory, Matt Breida, Frank Gore

Wide Receivers - Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry, Chris Hogan, Pierre Garcon, Robby Anderson, Devante Parker, Marquise Goodwin, Julian Edelman, Kenny Stills, Kelvin Benjamin, Jordan Matthews, Corey Coleman, Quincy Enunwa, Danny Amendola, Jermaine Kearse

Tight Ends - Rob Gronkowski, George Kittle, David Njoku, Charles Clay, Mike Gesicki, Clive Walford, Garrett Celek

Week 12

Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams

Quarterbacks - Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff

Running Backs - Todd Gurley, Kareem Hunt, Spencer Ware, John Kelly

Wide Receivers - Tyreek Hill, Brandin Cooks, Sammy Watkins, Robery Woods, Cooper Kupp

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

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Fantasy football 2018: These are the biggest bye week implications

Week 4 - Carolina Panthers, Washington

Quarterbacks - Cam Newton, Alex Smith

Running Backs - Christian McCaffrey, Derrius Guice, C.J. Anderson, Chris Thompson, Samaje Perine, Robert Kelley

Wide Receivers - Devin Funchess, Jamison Crowder, Josh Doctson, D.J. Moore, Paul Richardson, Curtis Samuel, Torrey Smith

Tight Ends - Greg Olsen, Jordan Reed, Vernon Davis

Week 5 - Chicago Bears, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Quarterbacks - Mitchell Trubisky, Jameis Winston, Ryan Fitzpatrick

Running Backs - Jordan Howard, Ronald Jones, Tarik Cohen, Payton Barber, Charles Sims

Wide Receivers - Mike Evans, Allen Robinson, DeSean Jackson, Anthony Miller, Chris Godwin, Taylor Gabriel, Kevin White, Adam Humphries

Tight Ends - Trey Burton, O.J. Howard, Cameron Brate

Week 6 - Detroit Lions, New Orleans Saints

Quarterbacks - Drew Brees, Matthew Stafford

Running Backs - Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, Kerryon Johnson, Theo Riddick, LeGarrette Blount, Ameer Abdullah

Wide Recivers - Michael Thomas, Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay, Cameron Meredith, Tedd Ginn

Tight Ends - Benjamin Watson, Luke Willson, Michael Roberts, Josh Hill

Week 7 - Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Packers, Seattle Seahawks

Quarterbacks - Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger, Derek Carr

Running Backs - Le’Veon Bell, Rashaad Penny, Marshawn Lynch, Jamaal Williams, Aaron Jones, Ty Montgomery, Chris Carson, Doug Martin, C.J. Prosise, DeAndre Washington

Wide Receivers - Antonio Brown, Davante Adams, Doug Baldwin, Amari Cooper, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, Tyler Lockett, Martavis Bryant

Tight Ends - Jimmy Graham, Jared Cook, Vance McDonald, Ed Dickson

Week 8 - Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Chargers, Tennessee Titans

Quarterbacks - Philip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota, Dak Prescott

Running Backs - Ezekiel Elliott, Melvin Gordon, Devonta Freeman, Derrick Henry, Dion Lewis, Tevin Coleman, Austin Ekeler

Wide Receivers - Julio Jones, Keenan Allen, Corey Davis, Rishard Matthews, Allen Hurns, Mohamed Sanu, Calvin Ridley, Mike Williams, Tyrell Williams, Michael Gallup, Cole Beasley, Terrance Willams

Tight Ends - Delanie Walker, Austin Hooper, Virgil Green, Rico Gathers, Jonnu Smith, Blake Jarwin

Week 9 - Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Benglas, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles

Quarterbacks - Carson Wentz, Andrew Luck, Blake Bortles, Eli Manning, Andy Dalton, Sam Bradford, Nick Foles

Tight Ends - Zach Ertz, Evan Engram, Jack Doyle, Tyler Eifert, Eric Ebron, Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Ricky Seals-Jones, Dallas Goedert, Tyler Kroft Jermaine Gresham, Niles Paul

Week 10 - Baltimore Ravens, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Minnesota Vikings

Quarterbacks - Deshaun Watson, Kirk Cousins, Case Keenum, Lamar Jackson, Joe Flacco

Running Backs - Dalvin Cook, Alex Collins, Lamar Miller, Royce Freeman, Devontae Booker, D’Onta Foreman, Latavius Murray, Kenneth Dixon, Javorius Allen, De’Angelo Henderson, Alfred Blue

Wide Receivers - DeAndre Hopkins, Adam Thielen, Stefon Diggs, Demaryius Thomas, Michael Crabtree, Emmanuel Sanders, Wull Fuller, John Brown, Courtland Sutton, Willie Snead

Tight Ends - Kyle Rudolph, Hayden Hurst, Stephen Anderson, Mark Andrews, Jake Butt, Ryan Griffin

Week 11 - Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers

Quarterbacks - Tom Brady, Jimmy Garoppolo, Tyrod Taylor, Ryan Tannehill, Baker Mayfield

Tight Ends - Rob Gronkowski, George Kittle, David Njoku, Charles Clay, Mike Gesicki, Clive Walford, Garrett Celek

Week 12 - Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Rams

Quarterbacks - Patrick Mahomes, Jared Goff

Running Backs - Todd Gurley, Kareem Hunt, Spencer Ware, John Kelly

Wide Receivers - Tyreek Hill, Brandin Cooks, Sammy Watkins, Robery Woods, Cooper Kupp

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2018 Fantasy football rankings: Top 20 rookies

5. Ronald Jones, RB - Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs released long-time running Doug Martin after a drug suspension wiped away his contract guarantees. They then spent a high second round pick on Jones, and he is expected to slot into the starting role right away. The consensus is that he is looking at 15-20 touches per game, with Peyton Barber and Charles Sims splitting the remaining work.

Jones had 1,550 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns his final year at USC. More importantly, he had 12 runs of 40+ yards during his career. He is the kind of home-run hitter the Bucs can pair with Jameis Winston to start taking this offense to the next level. Even though he’s going to lose work to Barber and Sims, Jones remains a solid RB2 his rookie season.

The only downside for Moore is the Panthers receiving corps is crowded. He has to get in line behind three of Cam Newton’s proven passing options. However, there should be some targets left over for the rookie if he and Newton have good chemistry in August. Owners that have an eye on Moore should not draft him too early. He will be an upside pick in the later rounds of fantasy drafts.

7. Nick Chubb, RB - Cleveland Browns

The Browns added considerable depth to their running back depth chart this offseason, signing Carlos Hyde in free agency, and then drafting Chubb in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft. They join Duke Johnson who had 348 rushing yards last season, and led the Browns with 74 receptions and 693 receiving yards.

Chubb is coming off a senior season in which he rushed for 1,345 yards and averaged 6.0 yards per carry. He is not a speedy rusher nor overly physically imposing, but he is solid in breaking tackles and is a quality one-cut runner. Johnson will likely be the primary third down back, and it will come down to Chubb vs. Hyde for a lot of the rushing work. Chubb is a great dynasty pick, and could develop into a decent flex option in year one.

The Broncos are making big changes in their ground game. C.J. Anderson rushed for 1,007 yards last season, but the team decided to release him two weeks before the draft. They then spent a third round pick on Freeman, who will compete with Devontae Booker and De’Angelo Henderson. Booker has had some opportunities the past two seasons, but struggled to make much of them. Henderson is coming off a quiet rookie season and is likely third on this depth chart.

Freeman rushed for 1,475 yards, and had 14 receptions for 164 yards in his final season at Oregon. He brings good size and vision to the backfield, and while he was not a superstar standout in college, he is as talented as anybody in the Broncos backfield. For the time being it’s a backfield to stay away from for an every week option, but by season’s end, look for him to be the primary ball-carrier.

The Lions have been searching for a true lead back for years, and they’re hoping they’ve finally found the answer in last season’s SEC leader in rushing. The Lions traded up eight spots in the second round to grab Johnson. Last season, Johnson rushed for 1,391 yards on 285 carries, and while he was a workhorse his final season at Auburn, there are some concerns about his long-term durability due to his frame and thin hips.

Detroit’s coaching staff sees Johnson as a three-down player, but in year one, he should get the largest share of a committee approach. The Lions signed LeGarrette Blount, and welcome back Theo Riddick. Ameer Abdullah remains on the roster, but is likely on the wrong side of the bubble with the addition of Johnson. As a rookie, Johnson could emerge as a decent flex option, but his short term value will be tied to how the Lions use Blount and Riddick.

The Falcons avoided a headache this past month when they moved some money around to get Julio Jones into camp. That locks in the No. 1 spot, with Mohamed Sanu situated as the team’s No. 2 receiver. That opens the door for Ridley, a first round pick, to secure the third receiver job.

Ridley brings a solid college resume to the Falcons receiving corps. He had 19 touchdown receptions and 2,781 receiving yards in his three-year tenure at Alabama. The 26th overall pick is an excellent route runner and has excellent quickness. The Falcons will be able to line him up on the inside or outside. Ridley does need to work on his hands and physicality. Owners should be excited about Ridley as a complement to Jones and Mohammed Sanu. He is shaping up to be a high-end flex option this season in an explosive Falcons offense.

The Cowboys rebuilt their passing game this offseason. Their biggest receiving threats last season, Dez Bryant and Jason Witten, are gone. One of the new faces set to make an impact in the passing game is rookie wideout, Michael Gallup. The third-rounder is well-rounded, with good lateral agility, ability to work in a crowd, and commanding space off the line of scrimmage. He does need to sharpen his route running.

Gallup has the best chance on the roster to be a fantasy threat early. He has a chance to leapfrog Terrance Williams for the No. 2 role, and will have to compete with Allen Hurns for targets at that point. Gallup has great fantasy upside his first season with a potential No. 2 role, as long as Dak Prescott can bounce back from a shaky second half of the season. Owners can snatch Gallup late and still have a prize.

The Bears overhauled their wide receiver corps this offseason, much to the relief of second-year quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Chicago signed Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel, and then spent a late second round pick on Miller in the 2018 NFL Draft. Miller is coming off a prolific career at Memphis, averaging 95 receptions, 1,448 yards, and 16 touchdowns his past two seasons. He’s not deep speed fast and has had some issues with drops, but he has quickness to get past defensive backs, and is a sound route runner.

Robinson is the clear No. 1 in Chicago, while Gabriel will be the team’s deep threat. Miller will line up in the slot and could very well end up with the second most targets in this offense. New head coach Matt Nagy brings a pass-heavy offense to Chicago, which could mean a lot of opportunities for the rookie. It’s risky betting on an entirely new look offense in Chicago, but Miller could be a sleeper flex play in this group of young receivers.

Larry Fitzgerald is back for another season, and the Cardinals invested a second round pick on Kirk in hopes of finding a) a short term complement and b) a long-term replacement. Kirk joins the Cardinals after a solid career at Texas A&M that saw his touchdown totals rise even as his yardage numbers decreased. Kirk is a speedy receiver who is strongest after the catch as opposed to deeper down the field.

Kirk played more than 93 percent of his college snaps in the slot, according to Pro Football Focus. Fitzgerald has handled that role for the Cardinals, and likely will continue to do so as long as he sticks around. Kirk will need to find work outside if he is going to become a regular contributor early in his career. After Fitzgerald, the Cardinals depth chart does not wow people. J.J. Nelson, Brice Butler, and Chad Williams are the three receivers most likely to make an impact this season. The Cardinals quarterback situation is a question mark with oft-injured Sam Bradford starting, and rookie Josh Rosen behind him. When Bradford is healthy, Kirk could find some plug-and-play value as a rookie if he can secure the No. 2 role.

The Broncos return Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders atop their depth chart, but they spent a high second round pick on Sutton. He is a prototypical possession receiver with the size to win contested catches. He surpassed 1,000 yards receiving each of his final two seasons at Southern Methodist, and had a combined 22 touchdowns.

Thomas and Sanders are locked in for another year in Denver, which limits Sutton’s rookie year value. He will compete for the third receiver role along with Carlos Henderson (2017 3rd round pick) and DaeSean Hamilton (2018 4th round pick). He should be the favorite, but with Case Keenum at quarterback, his upside is limited for the time being. In short term leagues, he’s a speculative play for if Thomas or Sanders get hurt. Anything beyond that for fantasy purposes would be a bonus.

Jacksonville had one of their best seasons in franchise history in 2017, but lost significant receiver talent this offseason. They drafted LSU wideout D.J. Chark to help fill the gaps left by the Allens (Robinson and Hurns). Chark is a unique prospect. He is a tall, deep threat, that can catch the ball in traffic. He is also incredibly fast, but his college numbers left a lot to be desired.

Chark has to get in line behind Marqise Lee and Donte Moncrief for targets at the moment. However, he stands to see a fair amount of work as the No. 3 receiver. Chark is worth the fantasy risk late in the draft since a good amount of his looks will come in the red zone.

16. James Washington, WR - Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers hit pay dirt in the second round last year as JuJu Smith-Schuster emerged as a valuable complement to Antonio Brown. A year later, they’re hoping to repeat that success with Washington, also a second round pick. Washington posted three straight 1,000-yard seasons at Oklahoma State, finishing off his career with 74 receptions for 1,549 yards and 13 touchdowns. He brings considerable burst off the line and could develop into a deep threat at the next level.

Washington joins a Steelers team with a big opening at the No. 3 wide receiver role. In reality, Le’Veon Bell is the No. 2 pass catcher behind Brown, with Smith-Schuster serving as the third pass catcher. Pittsburgh traded away Martavis Bryant, however, and Washington will move right into the lineup on three-receiver formations. Pittsburgh has a prolific offense, but he’s a deep flier for now in re-draft leagues. His fantasy value for 2019 and beyond could depend in part on if the Steelers can resolve Bell’s contract situation.

17. Dante Pettis, WR - San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers finished 2017 on a hot streak with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, and fantasy owners have to decide just what to make of it heading into 2018. The team returns most of their wide receiver corps, but traded up 15 spots in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft to select Pettis out of Washington. He was not super productive as a pass catcher in college, but he has the route-running skills and hands to be a solid NFL receiver. Additionally, he set the FBS record for punt return touchdowns, and averaged 20.4 yards per punt return as a senior.

Pettis joins a a 49ers receiver corps that includes Pierre Garçon and Marquise Goodwin outside, and Trent Taylor in the slot. Pettis has been getting practice opportunities inside and outside, and has impressed in practice with his ability to get open quickly off the line. He will eventually replace Pierre Garçon in the lineup, and given Garçon’s age, injuries could move up that timetable. He will likely be available in free agency in most re-draft leagues.

18. Lamar Jackson, QB - Baltimore Ravens

Five quarterbacks were drafted in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and all five face uncertain rookie seasons. Josh Rosen likely has the best chance at starting given Sam Bradford’s injury history, but Lamar Jackson could be the most intriguing of the five as a rookie. There are questions about his accuracy, but he has a live arm coupled with elite speed for the position. If he can get into game action, he would likely impress early on.

Of course, that’s the rub. His odds of starting based on injury are not great, with Joe Flacco having played every game of his career aside from a season-ending injury in 2015. But Flacco’s inconsistencies could result in a change at the position sooner rather than later. If Jackson gets a crack at the starting position at any point, be it due to injury or ineffectiveness, look for him to shine.

19. Josh Rosen, QB - Arizona Cardinals

Lamar Jackson could be the better long-term bet, but Josh Rosen is the one 2018 first round QB all but guaranteed to get at least one start this season. He is competing with Mike Glennon for the Cardinals’ backup job, but whomever lands it will get a start this season. Sam Bradford is a capable starting quarterback, but the big issue is health. He has not played a full 16-game season since 2012, and that all but guarantees the backup QB will get an opportunity.

From a long-term perspective, he gets the nod over Baker Mayfield here in part because the Cleveland Browns organization has long been a disaster. The Cardinals hired a defensive-minded head coach this year, but they brought in experienced offensive coach Mike McCoy to handle play-calling duties. If Rosen gets an opportunity, he’s got Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson as premium skill position players. His upside is limited in the short-term, but an opportunity could present itself quickly.

20. Mike Gesicki, TE - Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins released Julius Thomas after an ineffective 2017 season. Miami then spent a high second round pick on Gesicki, a massive tight end prospect out of Penn State. Gesicki stands 6’6, 247 pounds, and while he was not overly productive in college, he has solid speed to create mismatches against linebackers and safeties in the NFL.

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

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PGA Championship odds 2018: Tiger Woods among favorites to win at Bellerive

Sadly, the season’s final men’s major has already arrived. The 100th PGA Championship tees off this week at Bellerive in St. Louis. It’s the last time the PGA will be the final major of the year, or serve as “glory’s last shot,” that goofy promotional phrase that was fortunately put to rest. Next year, the PGA is making the big move to May. The Players is falling back to March, and the PGA will slot in between the Masters and U.S. Open. So the majors season will move even faster, with that Sunday at the British Open in mid-July serving as our farewell to golf’s most important events.

While St. Louis in August is, uh, well, not the most palatable atmosphere, the actual championship seems set up well for a great one. First of all, we have the return of Tiger Woods after a three-year absence playing this major championship. That is a sentence we have written at each of the first three majors this season, along with many other tournaments sprinkled throughout this comeback.

Tiger’s last start in this event was an ugly missed cut at Whistling Straits. Back then, he was playing in more pain that we really understood and his game was also a sad, embarrassing mess. It was the worst summer of his career and then he disappeared for two full seasons rehabbing back surgeries. This time, he arrives at Bellerive fresh off a top 10 finish at The Open, where he held the damn solo lead on the back nine of a major. Sure, the intervening start at Firestone wasn’t always pretty, but this is a real, competitive golfer and not that broken-down shell of a player from 2015.

Given how he’s played competitive golf this season, Tiger’s odds, for him, are actually not horrible value. Again, this is all relative, but Woods is 20/1 and that’s not too bad given how out-of-whack the odds can get for the most public golfer of all time. Usually, money comes rushing in on Tiger no matter how well he’s played and the books have to limit their exposure so they keep lowering the odds. That’s led to some really ridiculous numbers when he’s been injured or had no chance to win. Even when he was at the height of his powers, Tiger’s odds were outrageous and poor value, coming in often at 3/1 or even lower. So 20/1 is not bad in the world of Tiger-wagering, especially since he’s shown he can at least contend at a major this year.

2018 PGA Championship Odds

Player Odds to Win

Dustin Johnson 10/1 Rory McIlroy 12/1 Justin Thomas 14/1 Jordan Spieth 16/1 Rickie Fowler 18/1 Tiger�Woods 20/1 Justin Rose 20/1 Brooks Koepka 20/1 Jon Rahm 20/1 Tommy Fleetwood 20/1 Jason Day 20/1 Francesco Molinari 25/1 Patrick Reed 30/1 Tony Finau 30/1 Hideki Matsuyama 40/1 Henrik Stenson 40/1 Paul Casey 40/1 Alex Noren 50/1 Phil Mickelson 50/1 Bubba Watson 50/1 Xander�Schauffele 50/1 Marc Leishman 50/1 Patrick Cantlay 50/1 Sergio Garcia 60/1 Matt Kuchar 60/1 Louis Oosthuizen 60/1 Bryson DeChambeau 60/1 Webb�Simpson 60/1 Branden Grace 80/1 Adam Scott 80/1 Zach Johnson 80/1 Kevin Kisner 80/1 Ian Poulter 80/1 Thomas Pieters 80/1 Joaquin Niemann 80/1 Tyrrell Hatton 100/1 Daniel Berger 100/1 Kevin Chappell 100/1 Brandt Snedeker 100/1 Charley Hoffman 100/1 Kyle Stanley 100/1 Byeong Hun An 100/1 Keegan Bradley 100/1 Thorbjorn Olesen 100/1 Rafael Cabrera Bello 125/1 Brian Harman 125/1 Jason Dufner 125/1 Jimmy Walker 125/1 Emiliano Grillo 125/1 Matthew Fitzpatrick 125/1 Charl Schwartzel 125/1 Ryan Moore 125/1 Russell Henley 125/1 Luke List 125/1 Kevin Na 150/1 Russell Knox 150/1 Haotong Li 150/1 Gary Woodland 150/1 Kiradech Aphibarnrat 150/1 Pat Perez 150/1 J.B. Holmes 150/1 Billy Horschel 150/1 Shane Lowry 150/1 Beau Hossler 150/1 Si Woo Kim 150/1 Ollie Schniederjans 150/1 Martin Kaymer 200/1 Peter Uihlein 200/1 Brendan Steele 200/1 Aaron Wise 200/1 Bill Haas 200/1 Chris Wood 200/1 Andy Sullivan 200/1 Danny Willett 200/1 Charles Howell III 200/1 Adam Hadwin 200/1 Cameron Smith 200/1 Chez Reavie 200/1 Scott Piercy 200/1 Austin Cook 200/1 Chesson Hadley 200/1 Ryan Fox 200/1 Julian Suri 200/1 Jamie�Lovemark 200/1 Michael Kim 250/1 Shubhankar Sharma 250/1 Ross Fisher 250/1 Stewart Cink 250/1 Paul Dunne 250/1 Anirban�Lahiri 250/1 Dylan Frittelli 250/1 Alexander Levy 250/1 Nick Watney 250/1 Chris�Kirk 250/1 Jim Furyk 300/1 Padraig Harrington 300/1 James Hahn 300/1 Satoshi Kodaira 300/1 Jordan Smith 300/1 Andrew Landry 300/1 Patton Kizzire 300/1 J.J. Spaun 300/1 Justin Harding 300/1 Matt Wallace 300/1 Jhonattan Vegas 300/1 Troy Merritt 300/1 Jorge Campillo 300/1 Alexander Bjork 300/1 Brandon Stone 300/1 Brian Gay 300/1 Eddie Pepperell 300/1 Jason Kokrak 300/1 Brice Garnett 500/1 Ryan Armour 500/1 Ted Potter, Jr 500/1 Chris Stroud 500/1 Scott Brown 500/1 Vijay Singh 500/1 Davis Love III 500/1 Mike Lorenzo-Vera 500/1 Adrian Otaegui 500/1 Yusaku Miyazato 500/1 Mikko Korhonen 500/1 Sungjai Im 500/1 Seungsu Han 500/1 Whee Kim 500/1 Shugo Imahira 500/1 John Daly 1000/1 Y.E. Yang 1000/1 Paul Broadhurst 1000/1 Yuta Ikeda 1000/1 Ryuko Tokimatsu 1000/1 Thomas Bjorn 1000/1 Rich Beem 2000/1 Omar Uresti 2000/1 Rich Berberian, Jr 2000/1 Matt Dobyns 2000/1 Marty Jertson 2000/1 Shaun Micheel 2000/1 Craig Bowden 2000/1 Michael Block 2000/1 Bob Sowards 2000/1 David Muttitt 2000/1 Jaysen Hansen 2000/1 Brian Smock 2000/1 Sean McCarty 2000/1 Matt Borchert 2000/1 Zach J. Johnson 2000/1 Jason Schmuhl 2000/1 Danny Balin 2000/1 Ben Kern 2000/1 Ryan Vermeer 2000/1 Shaun Warren 2000/1 Craig Hocknull 2000/1 Johan Kok 2000/1

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

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BE Modern Man: 'Mr. Music' Shamarr Allen

BE Modern Man is an integrative program that honors the essence, image, and accomplishments of today’s man of color. With features of today’s leaders, executives, creatives, students, politicians, entrepreneurs, professionals, and agents of change—these men share the common thread of creating a new normal while setting the bar in tech, art, philanthropy, business, and beyond. The BE Modern Man is making a positive impact, his way, and has a story to tell.

BE MODERN MAN SHAMARR ALLEN

Name: Shamarr Allen

Age: 37

Profession: Musician, Producer, Entrepreneur, Singer, Songwriter

One Word that Describes you: Unorthodox

Social Media handles: Instagram: @shamarrallen Twitter: @shamarrallen Facebook: Shamarr Allen Music

What does being one of the BEMM 100 Men of Distinction mean to you?

It is a great honor and privilege! It is something that I would have never expected; being someone from New Orleans lower 9th Ward who just loved music and wanted to be a positive influence for other black men. I appreciate how BEMM is showing black men in a positive light and it is a beautiful thing for me to be part of that representation. I also appreciate how the recognition of these 100 Men can and will encourage other black boys and men to strive for greatness and distinction.

What are some examples of how you have turned struggle into success?

As a kid growing up in the lower 9th Ward of New Orleans a lot of my childhood was spent watching my parents struggle to make ends meet while taking care of myself and my siblings. Not growing up with much and realizing that there was more to life than what was available to us at the time, I used music as a way to create opportunities for myself so that I can have options in life. Early on in my career, I felt as though I was always looked over as an artist. At that point, I realized that I had to take a risk on myself and get my music out there one way or another. I had no record label, so I took all the money I had and created my own label, P.O.M.E. Music Group. I released my first album under my label and have since released two other studio albums, with the fourth coming soon. Whenever I am told no, it fuels my efforts to push harder to figure out if no is really a reality in the situation.

What is an important quality you look for in your relationships with others?

In relationships with others, I typically look for loyalty, consistency, and good vibes.

What are some immediate projects you are working on?

I am currently working on my fourth studio album, entitled True Orleans. I am also working on building True Orleans as a lifestyle brand. I am always working to continually support and build my foundation, True Orleans Foundation, to support young artists in realizing their dreams to play music.

What is the best advice you have ever received?

The best advice I have ever received was from my father, Keith Allen. He told me that I am only in competition with myself and that whatever I do in life, be consistent. When he realized that I was getting serious about pursuing my music he encouraged me to remember that music is used to make people happy and that when you create music and play your horn, remember it’s for the people.

What is advice you have for other men who want to make a difference?

Be true to yourself, take chances, don’t be afraid to fail, learn from the mistakes you make, and keep grinding because greatness takes time.

What is your “Extraordinary Impact”?

My “Extraordinary Impact” is the creation of the True Orleans Foundation. Through the foundation, I have been able to teach kids music and give them opportunities to see how music can be life-changing. I teach them how to read music, understand contracts, perform live, and practice being entertainers from an early age. They are given the opportunity to perform with me live at major music festivals and events around New Orleans. Through my work with these kids, 90% of those that auditioned have been accepted into the premier performing arts school of Louisiana, The New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). Out of that 90%, 100% of them have received college scholarships to places such as Berkley School of Music, Loyola University of New Orleans, and New York School of Music.

It’s our normal to be extraordinary. Follow @BEModernMan and join the conversation using #BEModernMan.

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Good article originally from: blackenterprise

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

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Rapper YG Donates $150,000 to GirlCodeLA

Rapper and entrepreneur YG donated $150,000 to startup company GirlCodeLA to help usher in a generation of Los Angeles girl coders. YG is setting out to create more opportunities for future female entrepreneurs and that can be attributed to his close relationship with business partner Karen Civil.

Though YG is readying the release of his hotly anticipated album, Stay Dangerous, the West Coast MC has still found time to uplift his community.

“Gender bias plays a role in the amount of exposure students receive in regards to technology and coding, says YG. He adds, “This leads to influence future decisions within their field, creating smaller opportunities for diversity. With my donation, I hope they’ll be able to expand their reach of future female coders and programmers.”

GirlCodeLA is an organization that is aimed to develop and continue to expose young women to computer science, business, and software engineering. All participants have the opportunity to learn, understand, and execute a plan to develop a career through classes, seminars, and hands-on training. The organization was founded by entrepreneur Dez White who turned her interests toward technology and application development into a success story when she launched Invisible Text, which turned into Invisible Social, Invisible Email, and Invisible Call in 2014.

YG presented all the young coders with new Beats by Dre headphones and held a mentoring session with the girls to discuss the importance of exploring non-traditional career paths. “I want to make sure I’m doing my part. I have a daughter and I respect the G (GirlCodeLA) Code.”

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Good article originally from: blackenterprise

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

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Which moments in NFL history do you wish you had seen live?

The NFL has had some indelible moments throughout its nearly 100-year existence. The Immaculate Reception. The Music City Miracle. The Minnesota Miracle. David Tyree’s Super Bowl catch. Wide Right. The Catch. Kevin Dyson coming up a yard short. The Butt Fumble.

We’ve seen many of them live, either on television or in person. But for others, it only feels that way because they’re such a familiar part of sports lore. Maybe we weren’t born yet or were too young to remember. Or maybe we first caught the clip on Twitter or SportsCenter. But those plays were spoiled for us: we knew ahead of time that we were about see something special.

For some of us, we saw it on TV, but we wish we could have been there in the stadium and shared that experience with a large group of our fellow slack-jawed fans who were feeling the exact same amazement as we were.

Either way, you never forget what it’s like to watch something like that unfold in real time, transitioning from that “what just happened?” shock to the realization that what you just witnessed will go down into NFL history.

Here are nine moments — on the field and off, live on TV or in person — we wish we had seen when they happened:

We wish we had been there in person

2016 NFC Championship Game

Even though it ended in catastrophe, the 2016 season was the most fun I’ve ever had watching the Atlanta Falcons. They could score at will, play great defense in spurts, and were just a thoroughly entertaining team to watch.

I wish I was at this game just for one specific play.

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I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched that play. It was a pure display of physical dominance by Julio Jones, a perfect throw by Matt Ryan, and a great play call by Kyle Shanahan.

There are few times when one football player is clearly one step ahead of his competition. This was absolutely one of those instances on one of the biggest stages the NFL has to offer. As the CEO of the Julio Jones Fan Club, I really wish I was there for this moment. - Charles McDonald

Beast Quake

The real appeal of seeing something live, in my opinion, is soaking in the moment with the crowd. There’s just nothing quite like over 60,000 people losing their shit simultaneously.

Probably my favorite NFL video of the last calendar year was the sideline view of Stefon Diggs’ miracle touchdown against the Saints in the playoffs. If a crowd going that bananas doesn’t give you chills or goosebumps or, at the very least, a smile, you’re just not enjoying sports right.

So with that said, I’m flying my time machine to Seattle in January 2011 when Marshawn Lynch ran through approximately 87 Saints tacklers on his way to a 67-yard touchdown that clinched the Seahawks an unlikely playoff win. It has since been dubbed “Beast Quake” because the crowd noise literally caused a small tremor that was recorded on nearby seismographs.

Watching videos online of that kind of collective explosion is fun, but I can only imagine how incredible it must’ve been like to take in the moment with Seahawks faithful. — Adam Stites

Randy Moss fake-moons Lambeau Field

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“That is a disgusting act by Randy Moss,” Joe Buck said.

Actually, it was an amazing act. I yearn to have been there. — Alex Kirshner

The Minneapolis Miracle

This is such an easy choice for so many reasons. We can start off with the fact that I’m a Falcons fan that enjoys Saints pain. The other thing here that really anybody that’s not a Saints fan can enjoy, is that this was an absolutely ridiculous ending to a football game.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that nobody thought the Vikings were going to be able to pull that off. If you know somebody that claims otherwise, they’re lying.

Plus, if you could get Joe Buck to lose his mind like that without Randy Moss pretending to show his ass, you’ve really done something. Not to mention the range of emotions it put everyone else through. — Harry Lyles Jr.

X-Clown

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Some plays are indelibly burned in your mind and feel recent, even though they were forever ago. It’s hard to believe it’s been 15 years since the Carolina Panthers went to double overtime against the Rams in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, but this feels like yesterday.

The game was a complete slugfest, and at the time the game was billed as the Panthers’ grinding run game vs. Marc Bulger and the Rams’ astounding air attack — but in the end it was Steve Smith’s walk-off touchdown that took it all home.

This play was so damn disrespectful for the time, and it was beautiful. Jake Delhomme was never an amazing quarterback — but he had this knack for making big time throws when it counted. Hitting Smitty in stride after the pump fake was pure beauty, and I lost it in the basement of my parents’ house when it happened. I wish I could have been there live. — James Dator

We wish we had been alive for — or old enough to appreciate

The Ice Bowl

There are approximately one thousand incredible moments that make up the Packers’ storied history, but few can match the rarified air of the 1967 NFL Championship Game — better known as the Ice Bowl. It was a balmy negative-15 degrees when the Packers and Cowboys took the field in Green Bay, and wind chill made it feel as awful as negative-48 as Lambeau Field’s broken heating system left a slippery sheen of ice atop the turf.

What happened next was football as performance art. Neither team gained more than 200 yards, leading to 16 combined punts that kept the crowd wondering which would shatter first: the ball itself or Donny Anderson’s foot. The Packers trailed 17-14 with 16 seconds on the clock and no timeouts remaining when Vince Lombardi got bold, dialed up a quarterback sneak for Bart Starr, and punched his team’s ticket to a second straight Super Bowl.

Watching it on TV would be cool. Watching it at Lambeau would be legendary. Look at this photo of our collective grandpas, showing up 50,000-deep for a football game in a frigid town of 75,000.

via the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Stare at that picture and inhale deeply, through your nose. Do you smell it? It’s the smell of 150,000 brandy old fashions and stale Lucky Strike cigarettes being slowly smothered by the cold. I want in. — Christian D’Andrea

T.O. celebrating on the Dallas star

For me, a San Francisco 49ers fan, there are some obvious moments. I was born in 1990, and therefore missed some of the greatest moments in franchise history. I was alive for one that doesn’t necessarily hold up to The Catch, but is still one of my favorite moments in football history: Terrell Owens’ celebration on the Dallas Cowboys’ star.

The reason that’s my pick is twofold: I obviously would have loved to be at that game live, screaming my face off at Cowboys fans and hoping they don’t beat my obnoxious 10-year-old ass; and also I would have loved to see the reactions on social media. At that time, Facebook was still four years away, while Twitter was a further two years out.

Don’t get me wrong — social media and sports is an awful combination pretty much 95 percent of the time. But the gloriousness that would come out of the reactions to Owens’ celebration on the star, Emmitt Smith’s retaliatory celebration on the same star, and Owens’ follow-up second celebration on it would be phenomenal. Of course, if Twitter existed, it hardly would have been suitable for 10-year-old me. Or perhaps I’d fit right in. — James Brady

The “Super Bowl Shuffle” phenomenon

Whether you were alive during the ‘80s or not, it’s the Potter Stewart obscenity case: you know it when you see it.

And if you’ve seen even a glimpse of the “Super Bowl Shuffle,” it’s about as ‘80s as it gets:

youtube

The production value of Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” music video. Awkward dancing. Even awkwarder rapping. Those closeups of the one guy in sunglasses. Sax solo — and, oh wait, he’s wearing sunglasses too! A COWBELL.

This wasn’t a play on the field or really even a moment: It was an actual phenomenon. The song sold more than 700,000 copies in its first year, made around $200,000 for charity, the record went gold, the video was in heavy rotation at MTV, and it lost a Grammy to Prince.

So even if today it looks more like a parody, it was a legitimate hit then and people enjoyed it for any number of reasons — because the players were having fun, because they were trying to help feed the needy, because Walter Payton’s spitting rhymes like “Well, they call me Sweetness/And I like to dance/Runnin’ the ball is like makin’ romance.”

Other NFL musical efforts like “Ram It,” “Buddy’s Watchin’ You,” and “Living the American Dream” soon followed, but none of those could top the one that paved the way in December 1985.

That’s another point that could easily be overlooked now but probably wasn’t then: It was released almost two months before the Super Bowl. Were people charmed by the cockiness of it? How much outrage was there in a world before social media and Skip Bayless types were on TV spouting exhausting nonsense on a seemingly never-ending basis? Or, hopefully, did fans understand that these larger-than-life personalities were having a blast riding this once-in-a-lifetime season?

Luckily for the Bears, they went on to win their first (and still only) Super Bowl that January. But the “Super Bowl Shuffle” had much more entertainment value than their 46-10 blowout win over the Patriots.

Unfortunately for the Bears, like most things sports fans love, controversy followed. It still lives on today, even though we know an NFL team now would never and could never replicate such an iconic, goofy-in-all-the-right-ways sensation that transcended football and even sports. And that’s why it would’ve been, like, so totally rad to experience this little piece of pop culture-meets-sports history then. — Sarah Hardy

We wish we hadn’t gone to bed and completely missed this

The Seahawks’ goal-line play in Super Bowl 49

As 100 million Americans were sitting on the edge of their seats wondering why Russell Wilson was lined up in the shotgun at the goal line during the final seconds of Super Bowl 49, I was just hitting REM sleep in a London dorm.

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When I woke up the next morning and turned to Twitter, I was thinking the same thing as everyone else: “Why the hell didn’t the Seahawks give the ball to Marshawn Lynch on the 1-yard line?”

Except, I actively made the decision to stop watching the game after the first half 14-14 tie. I say that with great shame, especially since one of my best friends is a huge Patriots fans and was, according to my sources at the bar, crying profusely after Malcolm Butler made the pick to seal the Patriots’ Super Bowl title.

I could give you a long list of excuses (some legit and others not so much) about why I chose to leave the bar, but I wouldn’t be doing myself any favors. Just know that I’ve learned my lesson: Under no circumstance should you ever stop watching the Super Bowl in order to get sleep. Never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of Tom Brady Super Bowl comebacks! — Isaac Chipps

Dope article from sbnation.com

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gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

Text

Rapper YG Donates $150,000 to GirlCodeLA

Though YG is readying the release of his hotly anticipated album, Stay Dangerous, the West Coast MC has still found time to uplift his community.

Join the Conversation

Good article originally from: blackenterprise

0 notes

gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

Text

Which moments in NFL history do you wish you had seen live?

Here are nine moments — on the field and off, live on TV or in person — we wish we had seen when they happened:

We wish we had been there in person

2016 NFC Championship Game

I wish I was at this game just for one specific play.

youtube

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched that play. It was a pure display of physical dominance by Julio Jones, a perfect throw by Matt Ryan, and a great play call by Kyle Shanahan.

Beast Quake

The real appeal of seeing something live, in my opinion, is soaking in the moment with the crowd. There’s just nothing quite like over 60,000 people losing their shit simultaneously.

Watching videos online of that kind of collective explosion is fun, but I can only imagine how incredible it must’ve been like to take in the moment with Seahawks faithful. — Adam Stites

Randy Moss fake-moons Lambeau Field

youtube

“That is a disgusting act by Randy Moss,” Joe Buck said.

Actually, it was an amazing act. I yearn to have been there. — Alex Kirshner

The Minneapolis Miracle

I think it’s pretty safe to say that nobody thought the Vikings were going to be able to pull that off. If you know somebody that claims otherwise, they’re lying.

X-Clown

youtube

We wish we had been alive for — or old enough to appreciate

The Ice Bowl

There are approximately one thousand incredible moments that make up the Packers’ storied history, but few can match the rarified air of the 1967 NFL Championship Game — better known as the Ice Bowl. It was a balmy -15 when the Packers and Cowboys took the field in Green Bay, and wind chill made it feel as awful as -48 as Lambeau Field’s broken heating system left a slippery sheen of ice atop the turf.

Watching it on TV would be cool. Watching it at Lambeau would be legendary. Look at this photo of our collective grandpas, showing up 50,000-deep for a football game in a frigid town of 75,000.

via the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Stare at that picture and inhale deeply, through your nose. Do you smell it? It’s the smell of 150,000 brandy old-fashioneds and stale Lucky Strike cigarettes being slowly smothered by the cold. I want in. — Christian D’Andrea

T.O. celebrating on the Dallas star

The “Super Bowl Shuffle” phenomenon

Whether you were alive during the 80s or not, it’s the Potter Stewart obscenity case: you know it when you see it.

And if you’ve seen even a glimpse of the “Super Bowl Shuffle,” it’s about as 80s as it gets:

youtube

The production value of Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” music video. Awkward dancing. Even awkwarder rapping. Those closeups of the one guy in sunglasses. Sax solo — and oh wait, he’s wearing sunglasses too! A COWBELL.

We wish we hadn’t gone to bed and completely missed this

The Seahawks’ goal-line play in Super Bowl 49

youtube

When I woke up the next morning and turned to Twitter, I was thinking the same thing as everyone else: “Why the hell didn’t the Seahawks give the ball to Marshawn Lynch on the 1-yard line?”

Dope article from sbnation.com

0 notes

gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

Text

Rapper YG Donates $150,000 to GirlCodeLA

Though YG is readying the release of his hotly anticipated album, Stay Dangerous, the West Coast MC has still found time to uplift his community.

Join the Conversation

Good article originally from: blackenterprise

0 notes

gibsonsflowofthoughts · 7 years ago

Text

BE Modern Man: 'Mr. Music' Shamarr Allen

BE MODERN MAN SHAMARR ALLEN

Name: Shamarr Allen

Age: 37

Profession: Musician, Producer, Entrepreneur, Singer, Songwriter

One Word that Describes you: Unorthodox

Social Media handles: Instagram: @shamarrallen Twitter: @shamarrallen Facebook: Shamarr Allen Music

What does being one of the BEMM 100 Men of Distinction mean to you?

What are some examples of how you have turned struggle into success?

What is an important quality you look for in your relationships with others?

In relationships with others, I typically look for loyalty, consistency, and good vibes.

What are some immediate projects you are working on?

What is the best advice you have ever received?

What is advice you have for other men who want to make a difference?

Be true to yourself, take chances, don’t be afraid to fail, learn from the mistakes you make, and keep grinding because greatness takes time.

What is your “Extraordinary Impact”?

It’s our normal to be extraordinary. Follow @BEModernMan and join the conversation using #BEModernMan.

Join the Conversation

Good article originally from: blackenterprise

0 notes