#*AND* detroit wins their first playoff game since 1991! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

super-famicom-star-inactive · 4 years ago

Text

Friday Special #13

March 12, 2021

Hello friendos, and welcome back to another Friday Special!

Since this is the infamous number thirteen, why not take a look into what is considered to be one of the most cursed video game franchises of all time?

For today’s topic, we will be focusing our attention to the EA Sports franchise of Madden NFL, perhaps the most famous football franchise of all time and how it spawned the notorious “Madden Curse”.

So let’s start with the franchise’s history.

The very first Madden NFL game was released all the way back in 1988 under its original name John Madden Football. It was named as such as EA’s Trip Hawkins approached John Madden himself in 1984, hoping to use his name and likeness to create a line of football games. Madden agreed only if the game be as realistic as possible to the actual sport, hence why it took four years to produce. Problems arose when hardware limitations would cause the systems to crash and it got so bad that they even hired Bethesda Softworks (yes, that Bethesda) to help with the project at one point, however they later quit after a year and a legal battle ensued between EA and Bethesda Softworks over the failure of producing new versions of the latter’s Gridiron! football game, which added on to the delay and production costs to make the game. The game John Madden Football was finally released on June 1, 1988 for the Apple II, MS-DOS, and Commodore 64 and 128.

All of the pain that the development team went through paid off as John Madden Football (or Madden ‘88 as it’s known today for distinguishing itself) went to be a very popular title for home computers. It was so popular that it was released for the SEGA Genesis two years later. John Madden II was released back on MS-DOS in 1991 before going back to console with the Genesis, starting a trend where the games would be flipped back and forth depending on the market and consoles available. The last time that the games would be called John Madden Football would in 1992 as John Madden Football ‘93 was the last one. The reason for the name change to the famous Madden NFL name that we’re familiar with is because EA bought the rights to use official NFL teams and players.

Every single year since, like clockwork, a new Madden NFL would be released for the current generations of consoles and PC.

This would a rather normal sports franchise had it not been for the “curse” that surrounded the franchise since its very conception.

So when did the “Madden Curse” become a thing?

So in the early 2000s, John Madden retired from football, which left the door open for EA to see about making a few changes to the product design of their Madden NFL games, most notably being the cover art. In 2000, Eddie George of the Tennessee Titans was chosen for the cover of Madden NFL 2001, representing the new change.

Nothing to see here.

It wasn’t until the next year that things started to get a little spooky when Daunte Culpepper of the Minnesota Vikings was put on the cover of Madden NFL 2002. His career started going south when, after achieving 4,000+ yards 33 touchdowns and landing on the cover, suffered bad turnover rates, bad interceptions and lack of touchdowns before a back injury took him out in the 11th game of the 2001 season.

At the time it was seen as a coincidence.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick was featured on the cover of Madden NFL 2004. That following season, he fractured his right fibula during the game against the Baltimore Ravens. He then only played in the last 5 games after acquiring the injury which caused the Atlanta Falcons to lose enough games that they missed the playoffs, coming out of the 2004 season with 5-11.

The rumor mill regarding the “Madden Curse” started to gain traction but it wasn’t until the third incident when the media started taking it seriously reporting on it.

Shaun Alexander of the Seattle Seahawks was chosen for the 2007 edition of Madden NFL and, before being given that honor, had one of the best seasons as a player during the 2005 season with 28 touchdowns and 1,880 yards. After being on the cover however, his luck ran out when he fractured the 4th metatarsal in his foot causing him to miss six starts (he had only missed one out of 64 starts previously before his cover appearance) and missed the 1,000 mark for yards for the first time since the 2000 season. His stats continued to plumment until his eventual retirement. He has been quoted as saying “Do you want to be hurt and on the cover, or just hurt?"

The “Madden Curse” would kick in again for Troy Polamalu for the 2009 edition, who played for the Pittsburg Steelers at the time during the 2009-2010 season and suffered from a torn ACL, which caused him to miss the majority of the season. His counterpart on the cover, Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals, fared much better but we’ll get to his side later.

Two years later for the 2012 edition, Peyton Hillis was chosen because of his breakout season with 1,117 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2011. After his appearance however, in the next season, he only played in 10 games and started 9 due to several injuries such as a sprained hip, strep throat, and hamstring injuries. He ended the season with 3 touchdowns and 577 yards.

The latest in negativity surrounding the “Madden Curse” was in the form of Rob Gronkowski of the New England Patriots for the 2017 edition. Gronkowski first dealt with a hamstring injury that caused him to sit out of the first few games of the season that progressively got worse as the season went on. A blow from Seattle safety Earl Thomas III pulled him out of the game and he never recovered enough to bring him back in to play. There is a positive end to the story in that his team the Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl LI that year so he had the honor of being the first cover athlete to win at the Super Bowl.

Despite the mystery and fear surrounding the “Madden Curse”, there were several instances that resulted in counterexamples.

Larry Fitzgerald back in 2009 was picked to be on the cover alongside Troy Polamalu for the 2010 edition. Unlike Polamalu’s bad luck, Fitzgerald played in all 16 games and caught a league high of 13 touchdowns, naming him to the Pro Bowl. The “Madden Curse” did catch up with him a little as he suffered a rib injury that caused him to miss the Pro Bowl.

For the 2013 edition, Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions was picked for the cover because of his stellar record All-Pro Season in 2011 with 1,681 yards, 16 touchdowns and another Pro Selection. Unfortunately, the next season was not as great as he admitted to playing with broken fingers (ouch).

Tom Brady was selected for the 2018 edition representing the New York Patriots after Rob Gronkowski represented the same team the previous year. Brady had the honor of being the oldest MVP on record and 4,577 yards and 32 touchdowns as he led the Patriots to a 13-3, allowing another Super Bowl win.

Patrick Mahomes is the most recent counterexample for the 2020 edition where he first suffered a dislocated knee in Game 7 of the 2020 season, remaining out for three weeks afterward. Despite the setback, he still maintained a decent season with 26 touchdowns and 4,031 yards before guiding the Kansas City Chiefs to winning Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers 31-20, winnning the title of Super Bowl MVP.

When will the “Madden Curse strike again? Only time and fate can tell at this point.

Thoughts From The Head

So I’m gonna be real with all of you, I never cared much for sport-themed video games besides the Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games series and Wii Sports. Sports is not really my thing. I do get fascinated, however, when stuff like this pops up because how much it impacted both the video game industry as well as the sports entertainment industry. For crying out loud, the media continues to hype it up every time an incident happens despite it being played off as a hoax. This “curse” in question has even made quite a few players weary of it, but there have also been others that have passed it off as a joke. It’s even gotten so serious that even fans have petitioned for their favorite players not to get picked, fearing the worst.

Freaky stuff but that’s sports for ya.

So do y’all think about all of this? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Thank you for reading!

#my voice!#retro gaming #gaming #irl #sports #gif #Friday Special

2 notes · View notes

blackkudos · 5 years ago

Text

Isiah Thomas

Isiah Lord Thomas III (born April 30, 1961) is an American former basketball player who played professionally for the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). A point guard, the 12-time NBA All-Star was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Thomas has also been a professional and collegiate head coach, a basketball executive, and a broadcaster.

Thomas played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers, leading them to the 1981 NCAA championship as a sophomore and declaring for the NBA draft. He was taken as the second overall pick by the Pistons in the 1981 NBA draft, and played for them his entire career, while leading the "Bad Boys" to the 1988–89 and 1989–90 NBA championships.

After his playing career, he was an executive with the Toronto Raptors, a television commentator, an executive with the Continental Basketball Association, head coach of the Indiana Pacers, and an executive and head coach for the New York Knicks. He was later the men's basketball coach for the Florida International University (FIU) Golden Panthers for three seasons from 2009 to 2012. In early May 2015, amidst controversy, Thomas was named president and part owner of the Knicks' WNBA sister team, the New York Liberty, subsequent to the re-hiring of Thomas's former Pistons teammate, Bill Laimbeer, as the team's coach.

Early life

The youngest of nine children, Thomas was born on April 30, 1961 in Chicago, Illinois, and grew up in the city's West Side. He started playing basketball at age three and would dribble and shoot baskets as the halftime entertainment at Catholic Youth Organization games.

He attended Our Lady of Sorrows School and St. Joseph High School in Westchester, which was a 90-minute commute from his home. Playing under coach Gene Pingatore, he led St. Joseph to the state finals in his junior year and was considered one of the top college prospects in the country.

College career

Thomas was recruited to play college basketball for Bob Knight and the Indiana Hoosiers. Although he received mail saying Knight tied up his players and beat them, he did not believe the rumors. When Knight visited the Thomas home, one of Isiah's brothers, who wanted him to attend DePaul, embarrassed him by insulting the Indiana coach and engaging him in a shouting match. Nevertheless, Thomas chose Knight and Indiana because he felt that getting away to Bloomington would be good for him, as would Knight's discipline.

Thomas quickly had to adjust to Knight's disciplinarian style. At the 1979 Pan American Games in Puerto Rico, Knight got so mad at Thomas he threatened to put him on a plane home. Knight recalled yelling at the freshman-to-be, "You ought to go to DePaul, Isiah, because you sure as hell aren't going to be an Indiana player playing like that." Prior to the start of his freshman year, the 1979–80 season, Knight became so upset with Thomas that he kicked him out of a practice. According to Thomas, Knight was making a point that no player, no "matter how talented, is bigger than Knight's philosophy."

Thomas quickly proved his skills as a player and became a favorite with both Knight and Indiana fans. His superior abilities eventually caused Knight to adjust his coaching style. Fans displayed bedsheets with quotations from the Book of Isaiah ("And a little child shall lead them") and nicknamed him "Mr. Wonderful." Because of Thomas's relatively short stature for college basketball at 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m), coach Knight would call him "Pee Wee". Thomas and Mike Woodson led the Hoosiers to the Big Ten championship and advanced to the 1980 Sweet Sixteen.

The next year, the 1980–81 season, Knight made Thomas captain and told him to run the show on the floor. Thomas responded so well that, as the season unfolded, Knight and Thomas grew as friends. When a Purdue player took a cheap shot at Thomas during a game at Bloomington, Knight called a press conference to defend his star. And 19 days later, when Thomas hit an Iowa player and was ejected from a game, Knight refused to criticize him.

That year, Thomas and the Hoosiers once again won a conference title and won the 1981 NCAA tournament, the school's fourth national title. The sophomore earned the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award and made himself eligible for the upcoming NBA draft.

NBA playing career

In the 1981 NBA draft, the Detroit Pistons chose Thomas with the No. 2 pick and signed him to a four-year, $1.6 million contract. Thomas started for the Eastern Conference in the 1982 NBA All-Star Game and made the All-Rookie Team.

In the opening round of the 1984 NBA playoffs, Thomas and the Pistons faced off against Bernard King and the New York Knicks. In the pivotal fifth game, Thomas scored 16 points in 94 seconds to force the game into overtime, but then fouled out, and the Knicks held on to win.

In the 1985 NBA playoffs, Thomas and his team went to the conference semifinals against the 15-time NBA champion Boston Celtics led by future basketball Hall of Famers Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Dennis Johnson. Detroit would not shake the Celtics in their six-game series, eventually losing.

In the 1987 NBA playoffs, Thomas and the Pistons went to the Eastern Conference Finals and faced the Celtics again. It was the furthest the team had advanced since moving from Fort Wayne. Detroit was able to tie the Celtics at two games apiece, but its hope of winning Game 5 at Boston Garden was dashed by Larry Bird with just seconds remaining: Thomas attempted to quickly inbound the ball, Bird stole the pass and hit Dennis Johnson for the game-winning layup.

In 1988, the Pistons' first trip to the Finals in 32 years saw them face the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Magic Johnson, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Before the series, Thomas and Johnson exchanged a courtside kiss on the cheek prior to tip-off as a sign of their deep friendship. After taking a 3–2 series lead back to Los Angeles, Detroit appeared poised to win their first NBA title in Game 6.

One of Thomas's most inspiring and self-defining moments came in Game 6. Although he had severely sprained his ankle late in the game, Thomas continued to play. While hobbling and in obvious pain, Thomas scored 25 points in the third quarter, an NBA Finals record. But the Lakers won the game 103–102 on a pair of last-minute free throws by Abdul-Jabbar, following a controversial foul called on Bill Laimbeer. With Thomas unable to compete at full strength the Lakers were able to take advantage and clinched their second consecutive title in Game 7, 108–105.

In the 1988–89 season, Thomas, along with teammates Joe Dumars, Rick Mahorn, Vinnie Johnson, Dennis Rodman, James Edwards, John Salley, Bill Laimbeer, and Mark Aguirre, guided his team to a 63–19 record. Detroit played a brash and dominating brand of basketball through the playoffs that led to their nickname "Bad Boys". First they defeated Boston, which had been suffering persistent injuries. Michael Jordan and the up-and-coming Chicago Bulls fell next in the Conference Finals, setting up an NBA Finals rematch with the Lakers. This time the Pistons dominated, sweeping the Lakers in four games to win their first of back-to-back championships. The following year, Thomas was voted NBA Finals Most Valuable Player of the 1990 NBA Finals after averaging 27.6 points per game, 7.0 assists per game, and 5.2 rebounds per game in Detroit's victory over Clyde Drexler's Portland Trail Blazers. The Pistons continued to play well between 1991 and 1993, but found their road back to the NBA Finals blocked by the emerging Bulls dynasty. An aging and ailing Thomas tore his Achilles tendon on April 19, 1994, forcing him to retire a month later.

As a point guard, Thomas was a dangerous scorer and effective leader. He was known for his dribbling ability, prowess driving to the basket, and often spectacular passing. Thomas was named to the All-NBA First team three times and is the Pistons' all-time leader in points, steals, games played and assists. He ranks ninth in NBA history in assists (9,061) and 15th in steals (1,861). His No. 11 was retired by the Pistons.

National team career

Thomas was selected to the 1980 Olympic team, but like all American athletes he was not able to play in Moscow due to the Olympics boycott. The boycotting countries instead participated in the "Gold Medal Series", a series of games against NBA teams, a French team and the 1976 Olympic gold medal team in various U.S. cities, recording a 5–1 record (losing only to the Seattle SuperSonics). Thomas shot 22–55 from the field and 14–17 from the line. He led the U.S. in assists with 37 (the next highest total on the team was 17) and averaged 9.7 points per game. In 2007, Thomas received one of 461 Congressional Gold Medals created especially for the spurned athletes.

Despite his talent, Thomas was left off the original Olympic Dream Team, possibly as a result of an alleged feud with Michael Jordan. In the book When the Game Was Ours, Magic Johnson relates that he, Jordan and other players conspired to keep Thomas off the Dream Team.

After Tim Hardaway left the team due to injury, Thomas was named to Dream Team II for the 1994 World Championship of Basketball, but did not play due to his Achilles tendon injury that eventually led to his retirement. He was replaced by Kevin Johnson.

Post-playing career

Businessman

Isiah Thomas is the founding Chairman and CEO of Isiah International LLC, a holding company with a diverse portfolio of business ventures and investments. Gre3n Waste Removal, Re3 Recycling, and Eleven Capital Group are three of the primary businesses in the Isiah International family of companies. The mission of Isiah International is to become a business incubator for the minority community.

In addition to these business ventures, Thomas is involved in real estate projects in Chicago and the surrounding region as the owner of Isiah Real Estate. Thomas said he is putting money in distressed areas and reinvesting: "I'm hoping I can be a catalyst for change in those areas, to get the population back into those communities and be a catalyst to make a difference." Thomas is also involved in a $300 million development deal for a mixed-use complex at the Illinois Medical District Commission. Isiah Real Estate partnered with Higgins Development Partners, Thomas Samuels Enterprises, and East Lake Management & Development to develop 9.5 acres (3.8 ha) of land that would include retail space, a hotel, apartments and parking areas.

Thomas's business career began during his career with the Pistons. Planning for life after the NBA, Thomas invested in a host of ventures through his private investment company out of Michigan, Isiah Investments, LLC. His primary investment was a large chain of printing franchises, American Speedy Printing Centers Inc. Thomas took a very hands-on approach at American Speedy, helping lead the company out of bankruptcy to become profitable and one of the largest printing franchises in the world.

He was also one of the founding members of the advisory board for Marquis Jet Partners and a partner of Dale and Thomas Popcorn.

In April 1999 Thomas became the first African American elected to the Board of Governors of the Chicago Stock Exchange. He served until 2002.

Thomas often speaks to students and professionals around the country about his business experiences.

Toronto Raptors

After retiring, Thomas became part owner and Executive Vice President for the expansion Toronto Raptors in 1994. In 1998, he left the organization after a dispute with new management over the franchise's direction and his future responsibilities. During his four-year tenure with the team, the Raptors drafted Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, and high schooler Tracy McGrady.

Broadcasting

After leaving the Raptors, Thomas became a television commentator (first as the lead game analyst with play-by-play man Bob Costas and then as part of the studio team) for the NBA on NBC. He also worked a three-man booth with Costas and Doug Collins.

CBA

Thomas became the owner of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) from 1998 to 2000. He founded Enlighten Sports Inc, a full-service web development group specializing in sports marketing, in 1999.

When at the Continental Basketball Association, Thomas launched partnerships with Enlighten Sports and the University of Colorado and the CBA. The new websites allowed fans to watch live game webcasts, use live shot charts, chat with players and more. Thomas said the internet was "and integral part of [the CBA's] strategy to provide engaging and entertaining content for fans." Thomas also launched a partnership between the CBA and SEASONTICKET.com to bring personalized video highlights and scores to fans across the country as well as be a portal for All-Star League voting. Thomas foresaw that streaming video would be the future of news and entertainment.

In 1998, Thomas founded Isiah.com, a company serving consumers, retailers, and corporations with online gift certificates and other i-commerce products. Isiah.com's first venture was i-gift, a one-stop, online shopping service center for gift certificates. i-gift was praised as unique because it could drive e-commerce while supporting and expanding brick-and-mortar merchants. He brought the next generation of gift certificates to The Somerset Collection in Michigan, which houses exclusive department stores and retailers. Isiah.com's mission was to "harness internet technologies and leverage business transformation processes to create new business ventures that both produce profits and benefit under-served sectors of the community." Isiah.com also had a partnership with the NBA store.

Thomas purchased the CBA for $10 million, and in 2001 the league was forced into bankruptcy and folded, shortly after NBA Commissioner David Stern decided to create his own development league, the NBDL, to replace the CBA.

Indiana Pacers

From 2000 to 2003, Thomas coached the Indiana Pacers, succeeding Larry Bird, who previously coached the Pacers to the Eastern Conference title. Thomas attempted to bring up young talents such as Jermaine O'Neal, Jamaal Tinsley, Al Harrington, and Jeff Foster. But under Thomas the Pacers were not able to stay at the elite level as they went through the transition from a veteran-dominated, playoff-experienced team to a younger, less experienced team. In Thomas's first two seasons with the Pacers, the team was eliminated in the first round by the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Nets, both of whom eventually made the NBA Finals.

In his last year with the Pacers, Thomas guided them to a 48–34 record in the regular season and coached the Eastern Conference team at the 2003 NBA All-Star Game. As the third seed, the Pacers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the sixth-seeded Boston Celtics. With blossoming talents such as Jermaine O'Neal, Brad Miller, Ron Artest, Al Harrington and Jamaal Tinsley, along with the veteran leadership of Reggie Miller, some perceived Thomas's lack of coaching experience as the Pacers' stumbling block. In the off-season, Bird returned to the Pacers as President of Basketball Operations, and his first act was to replace Thomas with Rick Carlisle.

Halls of Fame

In 2000, Thomas was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility. Two years prior, Thomas was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

New York Knicks

On December 22, 2003, the New York Knicks hired Thomas as President of Basketball Operations. Thomas was ultimately unsuccessful with the Knicks roster and fanbase. At the end of the 2005–06 season, the Knicks had the highest payroll in the league and the second-worst record. He traded away several future draft picks to Chicago in a deal for Eddy Curry including what turned out to be two lottery picks in talent-rich drafts, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Joakim Noah.

On June 22, 2006, the Knicks fired coach Larry Brown, and owner James Dolan replaced him with Thomas on the condition that he show "evident progress" or be fired.

During the following season the Knicks became embroiled in a brawl with the Denver Nuggets that Thomas allegedly instigated by ordering his players to commit a hard foul in the paint. He was not fined or suspended; NBA Commissioner David Stern said that he relied only on "definitive information" when handing out punishments. Later in the season, nine months after Dolan had demanded "evident progress", the Knicks re-signed Thomas to an undisclosed "multi-year" contract. After Thomas was granted the extension, the Knicks abruptly fell from playoff contention with a dismal finish to the season.

During the 2007 NBA draft, Thomas made another trade, acquiring Zach Randolph, Fred Jones, and Dan Dickau from the Portland Trail Blazers for Steve Francis and Channing Frye.

Thomas also compounded the Knicks' salary-cap problems by signing fringe players such as Jerome James and Jared Jeffries to full mid-level exception contracts. Neither player saw any significant playing time and both were often injured and highly ineffective when able to play.

Despite the constant criticism he received from Knicks fans, Thomas maintained that he had no intention of leaving until he turned the team around, and predicted he would lead the Knicks to a championship, stating that his goal was to leave behind a "championship legacy" with the Knicks, just as he had done for the Detroit Pistons. This prediction was met with widespread skepticism.

On April 2, 2008, Donnie Walsh was introduced to replace Thomas as President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks. Walsh did not comment definitively on whether Thomas would be retained in any capacity.

One night after the Knicks tied a franchise record of 59 losses and ended their season, news broke that in talks with Walsh the week before, Thomas had been told he would not return as Knicks head coach the following season. He was officially "reassigned" on April 18 "after a season of listless and dreadful basketball, a tawdry lawsuit and unending chants from fans demanding his dismissal." Thomas posted an overall winning percentage of .341 as head coach of the Knicks, fifth lowest in team history. As part of the reassignment agreement, Thomas was to serve as a consultant to the team, reporting directly to Walsh and banned from having contact with Knicks players on the rationale that he could undermine the new head coach.

FIU

On April 14, 2009, Thomas accepted an offer to become the head basketball coach of FIU, replacing Sergio Rouco after five losing seasons. Thomas announced that he would donate his first year's salary back to the school, saying, "I did not come here for the money."

After posting a 7–25 record in his first season at FIU, on August 6, 2010, Thomas announced that he was taking a job as consultant to the New York Knicks, while keeping his position as head coach at FIU. According to the New York Daily News, "nearly every major media outlet panned the announcement of Thomas' hire", and it led to a "public outcry" among fans. In a reversal on August 11, Thomas announced that he would not be working with the Knicks because holding both jobs violated NBA bylaws.

Thomas finished his second season at FIU with an 11–19 record (5–11 in conference games). On April 6, 2012, FIU fired Thomas after he went 26–65 in three seasons. Under Thomas, FIU never won more than 11 games in a season.

Back to broadcasting

On December 19, 2012, NBA TV announced that Thomas would begin work on December 21, 2012, as a member of the studio analyst panel. It was also announced that Thomas would become a regular contributor for NBA.com.

New York Liberty

On May 5, 2015, the WNBA New York Liberty hired Thomas as Team President, overseeing all of the franchise's business and basketball operations.

On June 22, 2015, the Liberty and the WNBA agreed to suspend consideration of Thomas's ownership application. He remains president of the team.

Under Thomas's leadership as team president and his former Pistons teammate Bill Laimbeer as head coach, the Liberty finished first in the Eastern Conference during the 2015 season.

Cheurlin Champagne

In 2016, Thomas announced that he was the exclusive United States importer of the Cheurlin Champagne brand through ISIAH Imports, a subsidiary of ISIAH International, LLC. Cheurlin Champagne made its debut in the United States at the 2016 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. Other activations have included a private luncheon honoring former President Bill Clinton. Cheurlin recently debuted at The Palace of Auburn Hills for the final season of the Detroit Pistons at the historic arena. Cheurlin produces two champagne categories: Cheurlin's Brut Speciale and Rose de Saignee and Cheurlin Thomas' "Celebrite" Blanc de Blanc and "Le Champion" Blanc de Noir. In August 2017, Thomas brought his Cheurlin Flagship Collection portfolio of Champagnes to the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Players Only

Since 2017, Thomas has been a regular panelist during NBA on TNT's Monday coverage Players Only, which features only former NBA players as studio analysts, play by play announcers, and color analysts for games.

Education

Thomas finished his college degree at Indiana University during the Pistons' off-seasons and received his Master's in Education from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education in 2013. At UC Berkeley, Thomas studied the connection between education and sports, specifically how American society makes education accessible (or inaccessible) to black male college athletes.

Philanthropic work

During his playing career, Thomas paid college tuition for more than 75 students. When he was a Piston, in 1987 Thomas organized the "No Crime Day" in Detroit. He even had the help of Detroit Mayor Coleman Young to call for a moratorium on crime in the summer of 1986.

Also in 1987 Thomas posed for a poster sponsored by the American Library Association with the caption "READ: Isiah Thomas for America's Libraries". Thomas is shown dressed in a Sam Spade type outfit while reading a detective novel.

Thomas founded Mary's Court, a foundation that supports economically disadvantaged parents and children in the communities of Garfield Park and Lawndale on the West Side of Chicago. The charity is named for Thomas's mother, who he credits with instilling in him the importance of hard work and giving back to the community. Mary's Court has teamed up with another Chicago-based charity, Kids off the Block, to serve meals to Chicago children and families during Thanksgiving.

While at FIU, Thomas and Mary's Court donated $50,000 to FIU's First Generation Scholarship and organized a sell-out charity game during the NBA lockout featuring NBA stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, with proceeds benefiting Mary's Court. A street on Chicago's West Side was named in honor of his mother.

The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boys & Girls Club of Chicago recognized Thomas's philanthropic work in March 2012 and honored him with the organization's King Legacy Award at their 24th Annual King Legacy Awards Gala. The award is given annually to individuals who have fostered the principles of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. through their community contributions.

In July 2012, Thomas joined The Black Men's Roundtable in Florida along with other national and local black leaders to discuss issues that directly affect black males.

The Peace League is an annual community basketball league that brings together young men and women from surrounding communities within the Chicago area and provides a safe haven growth and development; it was established by Thomas and Father Pfleger in 2011. In September 2012, Thomas co-hosted the Ballin' for Peace Tournament at St. Sabina Church in Chicago. He joined with Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, Quentin Richardson, Zach Randolph, the Chicago Bears' J'Marcus Webb, pastor Father Michael Pfleger, and others to produce this event, in order to reduce gang violence through communication and basketball. Thomas also stressed the value of education for those in poverty.

The Peace League initiative has expanded into a program which now offers GED classes, employment training, and internship opportunities. The surrounding Auburn-Gresham neighborhood has seen a drastic drop in violence since the league began.

Most recently, the Peace League Tournament was expanded to New York City during the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend. The New York City Peace Game featured over 50 players from across all five Boroughs that competed in a tournament as well as a brief speaking program with some special guests, supporters and participating organizations at the Harlem PAL that included Harry Belafonte of Sankofa.org, Help USA, Cure Violence, and Connor Sports.

In March 2013, Children Uniting Nations, an organization that focuses on advocacy/awareness and provides academic and community-based programs for at-risk and foster youth, presented Thomas and Mary's Court with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his passion and commitment to improving the lives of children.

In partnership with the Marillac Social Center, Thomas and Mary's Court hosted its Third Annual Holiday Toy Giveaway. Each year Mary's Court provides gifts, clothing and educational items to hundreds of children in Chicago at this signature event.

Humanity of Connection Award

On February 13, 2017, Thomas was presented the AT&T Humanity of Connection Award during its annual Black History Month celebration in honor of Lewis H. Latimer at the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. He was honored for his historic achievements in sports and his countless contributions to the African American community as a leader in the sports, business and philanthropic industries.

Personal life

Isiah Lord Thomas III was the son of Isiah II and Mary Thomas, the youngest of seven boys and two girls. Isiah's father was an army veteran wounded in the Battle of Saipan. He later attended trade school, eventually becoming the first black supervisor at International Harvester in Chicago. When the plant closed, the only work he could find was as a janitor and the family fell into hardship and Isiah II left when Isiah was a young child. Thomas grew up in the heart of Chicago's West Side ghetto. After his parents' separation, he lived with his mother. Born a Baptist, Mary turned the family toward Catholicism.

Thomas was a basketball prodigy from age three and was tutored by his older brothers, some of whom were good players in their own right. Although most coaches in the Chicago area considered him too small to have any significant impact on a basketball program, Thomas's brothers persuaded coach Gene Pingatore of St. Joseph High School to arrange a sports scholarship for Isiah.

Thomas met his future wife, Lynn Kendall, the daughter of a Secret Service agent and a nurse, in the early 1980s while they were both attending Indiana University. The couple married in 1985.

Thomas graduated from Indiana University with a B.A. in 1987. Isiah Thomas and Lynn Kendall had a son, Joshua, in 1988, and a daughter, Lauren, in 1991. Thomas has a third son from an earlier liaison, Marc Dones, born in 1986.

Thomas founded Isiah International LLC, an investment holdings company with Thomas as Chairman and CEO. It runs five companies: Isiah Real Estate, a development firm specializing in commercial properties; TAND Properties, a property management firm, private equity and asset management firm; Isiah Marketing, Advertising and Public Relations; and GRE3N Waste Removal. Thomas also co-owns the waste removal's sister company, RE3 Recycling, with his daughter, Lauren Thomas.

Isiah Thomas was involved in allegations about gambling, an accusation outlined in the 1997 book Money Players.

Paternity case

Two months before Thomas's marriage to Lynn Kendall in 1985, Jenni Dones, a woman from Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, filed a paternity lawsuit against Thomas claiming that she was pregnant after having had a three- or four-month "intimate, exclusive, ongoing relationship" with him. Her child, Marc E. T. Dones, was born in 1986. After a long-running legal dispute, Thomas agreed to pay a settlement of about $52,000 and provide a monthly payment of $2,765 until Marc Dones reached 18, with Marc getting a final lump-sum amount of $100,000 at 18. In a case Dones filed in 1995, she was able to get additional financial support for her son and his college education. Marc Dones is an aspiring writer and poet who has been described by the literary site thedetroiter.com as "a talented writer and poet".

Sexual harassment lawsuit

In January 2006, Anucha Browne Sanders, a former female executive with the New York Knicks, filed an employment and harassment lawsuit against The Madison Square Garden Company, alleging in part that Thomas had sexually harassed her in the workplace and that she had been fired in retaliation for complaining about the harassment. The case was then settled for $11.5 million.

Drug overdose

On October 24, 2008, Thomas was taken to White Plains Hospital Center near his New York City area home after accidentally taking an overdose of Lunesta, a form of sleep medication. .

In an interview with ESPN, Thomas explained that he was so quiet about his hospitalization because he was focused on his family at the time.

Rivalries

In the 1985 NBA All-Star Game, Thomas was joined on the Eastern Conference squad by star rookie Michael Jordan. Jordan wound up attempting nine shots, relatively few for a starting player. Afterward, Thomas and his fellow veteran East players were accused of having planned to "freeze out" Jordan from their offense by not passing him the ball, supposedly out of spite over the attention Jordan was receiving. No player involved has ever confirmed that the freeze-out occurred, but the story has long been reported and has never been refuted by Jordan. Thomas has ridiculed the idea that he masterminded the supposed freeze-out as "ludicrous", pointing out that he was a relatively young player on a team that included Larry Bird, Julius Erving and Moses Malone. During Jordan's Hall of Fame induction, in which Thomas introduced John Stockton, who was also being inducted, Jordan dismissed the claims about a freeze-out having taken place, saying "I was just happy to be there, being the young guy surrounded by all these greats, I just wanted to prove myself and I hope that I did prove myself to you guys."

In 1987, following a playoff loss to the Boston Celtics, Thomas was asked if he agreed with Dennis Rodman's comments that Larry Bird was overrated because he was white; Thomas agreed that if Bird were black he "would be just another good guy" instead of being portrayed as the league's best player. Thomas later said he was joking and just supporting his teammate.

In the Eastern Conference Finals of the 1991 NBA playoffs, the two-time defending champion Detroit Pistons faced the Jordan-led Chicago Bulls in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. The Pistons had defeated the Bulls in each of the first three meetings, but this time they suffered a four-game sweep at the hands of the Bulls (who would win the first of three consecutive, and six overall, NBA championships between 1991 and 1998). The series was marked by a number of verbal, physical, and match-up problems. With 7.9 seconds remaining in the fourth game, Laimbeer organized a walk-out and Thomas and all of his teammates—except Joe Dumars and John Salley—walked off the court, refusing to shake hands with the Bulls. In 1992, Thomas was passed over for the Dream Team apparently because of his strained relationship with Jordan.

In September 2009, during Jordan's Hall of Fame acceptance speech, Jordan thanked Thomas and others for giving him the motivation he needed to compete in the NBA.

#04/30

2 notes · View notes

freenewstoday · 4 years ago

Photo

New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2020/11/28/languishing-lions-fire-coach-patricia-gm-quinn/

Languishing Lions fire coach Patricia, GM Quinn

ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions fired head coach Matt Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn on Saturday after two straight seasons under .500 and a third season where the team was again under .500 at midseason.

Patricia’s record was 13-29-1 since taking over as the Lions coach in 2018. Quinn had been the team’s GM since 2016, and the Lions were 31-43-1 during his tenure.

Lions offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell will be the team’s interim head coach, a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

When Quinn made the decision to fire former coach Jim Caldwell after the 2017 season following back-to-back 9-7 years and then hired Patricia, one of his former New England Patriots counterparts, it tied the two of them together in success or failure. Soon after Patricia was hired, Quinn was given a matching time-frame contract going through the 2022 season — further putting the two in a similar category.

The team never prospered under Patricia and it ended up costing both of them their jobs.

In December 2019, when the Lions decided to keep Quinn and Patricia for the 2020 season, then-owner Martha Ford and then-vice chair Sheila Ford Hamp said they expected to be playing meaningful games this December.

Hamp, when she took over ownership of the team in June, said the goals remained the same despite the shift in ownership and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The overarching thing is that we want to see major improvement and at this point I can’t really say what the specific measures are going to be because I don’t know what the season is going to be like yet,” Hamp said in June. “But believe me, major improvement is the goal.”

The Lions hired Quinn in January 2016 after firing team president Tom Lewand and general manager Martin Mayhew midway through the 2015 season after the Lions started 1-7. When Quinn was hired, he said he would focus heavily on the depth of the roster and in his first major decisions chose to retain Caldwell and then sign wide receiver Marvin Jones from Cincinnati to help replace Calvin Johnson, who retired two months into Quinn’s tenure.

Jones ended up being one of Quinn’s best signings, putting up 1,011 yards in 2017 and catching 256 passes for 3,821 yards and 32 touchdowns during his first four-plus seasons with the Lions. Holding on to Caldwell seemed to pay dividends too, as Caldwell took Detroit to the playoffs in 2016 and finished 9-7 in 2017.

But Quinn, after Caldwell’s second straight 9-7 season, fired him because he felt Caldwell couldn’t advance the Lions to “beat the really good teams. Our record was above average. We’re 9-7 the last two years, but our record against the better teams in the league has not been that good.”

Detroit, under Patricia, then won 12 games in the next two and a half seasons. The promise of hiring a coach who would get them, as Quinn described, “to the next level, and to me that’s winning championships,” never happened.

Detroit has gone 26 years without a division title, last claiming a crown in 1993, and have not won a playoff game since the 1991 season.

When Quinn set out to hire Patricia, he called the relationship between the head coach and general manager “the most important relationship in this building,” and said they have to be able communicate with each other about players that do and don’t fit.

Patricia and Quinn had similar visions for players and what Patricia needed to make his scheme successful. That shared vision never coalesced into anything other than inconsistency and on-the-field failure.

Beyond the on-the-field failings, there were off-the-field miscues. Detroit missed a decades-old sexual assault allegation against Patricia during its background check while hiring him. Months after Patricia was hired, it was uncovered by the Detroit News and led to public scrutiny over hiring Patricia before he even coached a game.

Once the games started, it didn’t get much better. The Lions were blown out on Monday Night Football by the New York Jets 48-17 in Patricia’s first game and the franchise won back-to-back games just once during the 2018 season.

During those first two seasons, Quinn also made unpopular moves for the fan base and the locker room, trading away receiver Golden Tate to Philadelphia at the trade deadline in 2018 and safety Quandre Diggs a week before last season’s trade deadline.

Quinn made some savvy moves, including trading a fifth-round pick to the Giants to acquire Damon Harrison and shore up the team’s run defense midway through the 2018 season. He also had success in the third round of the draft, selecting starters Kenny Golladay, Will Harris and Tracy Walker in that round along with Graham Glasgow, who now plays for Denver.

He struggled in the second round, including the drafting of cornerback Teez Tabor in 2017. At the time, Quinn said he scouted Tabor more than any other player in the draft, but Tabor flopped in Detroit and was cut before the 2019 regular season.

Firing Quinn and Patricia leaves Hamp with major hires to make shaping the future direction of the franchise less than six months after taking over the franchise from her mother, Martha Ford.

Source

#Detroit Lions #news #NFL

0 notes

wsmith215 · 4 years ago

Text

NFL’s 12 best betting seasons of the Super Bowl Era

8:45 AM ET

NFL NationESPN

The NFL season is still a ways away. We know the 2020 schedule, and opening lines have been released for Week 1, Monday Night Football games and some other key matchups.

But while we wait for the real action to begin, why not take a look back at some of the best betting seasons in NFL history?

Our NFL Nation reporters give their perspective on the best individual seasons against the spread, using research from ESPN Stats & Information.

The Drew Brees-led Chargers had only one losing game against the spread in 2004. Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

In a stark turnaround from a 4-12 record in 2003, the 2004 San Diego Chargers finished 12-4 and won the AFC West. Rookie quarterback Philip Rivers watched from the sideline as Drew Brees set out to prove the Chargers didn’t need to take a QB in the first round. Brees passed for 27 touchdowns with seven interceptions as he — along with running back LaDainian Tomlinson and tight end Antonio Gates — earned Pro Bowl honors. Tomlinson scored a league-best 17 rushing touchdowns and Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer was named the NFL Coach of the Year as the Chargers capped the season with their first playoff appearance in nine seasons … a wild-card loss to the Jets. — Lindsey Thiry

1 Related

This was when Tom Brady the sixth-round pick was starting to become Tom Brady the star. The 2003 season was his fourth in the NFL (third as a starter) and came after a 9-7 year in which the Patriots had missed the playoffs. Bill Belichick had shockingly cut safety Lawyer Milloy before the season opener and the Patriots lost their first game 31-0 to the Bills, who had signed Milloy. But after a 2-2 start to the season, the Patriots never lost again, as Brady’s star began to shine brighter en route to a second Super Bowl championship. — Mike Reiss

Success for the Colts in 1968 seemed like a long shot after quarterback Johnny Unitas — league MVP in 1967 — was injured in the final preseason game. However, backup quarterback Earl Morrall stepped in and threw for 2,909 yards and 26 touchdowns while going 13-1 as a starter during the 1968 season. Don Shula, the coach at the time, had a defense that was ranked first in the league and an offense ranked No. 2 that helped the Colts get to the Super Bowl, where they were double-digit favorites over Joe Namath and the New York Jets. Namath and his “guarantee” were this team’s downfall, as the Jets upset the Colts 16-7. — Mike Wells

NFL: Best bets on win totals, playoffs NFL draft: Prop bets that cashed CFB: “The Bear’s” best bets for 2020 Conference bets: SEC | Big Ten | ACC Heisman: Value bets, early picks

The 1975 Houston Oilers went 10-4 but finished one game behind the Bengals for a wild-card spot. All four of the Oilers’ losses came against the Bengals and Steelers. The Oilers’ season was highlighted by a four-game winning streak starting in Week 4 and capped by a three-game winning streak that included a victory over the Raiders. It was the franchise’s first winning season in seven years and its first season under coach Bum Phillips. Billy “White Shoes” Johnson was the team’s most dynamic player, returning three punts for touchdowns. — Turron Davenport

Dolphins fans shouldn’t have a hard time remembering why the 1972 season is their best against the number — this is the only team to go undefeated in NFL history. Larry Csonka and Mercury Morris became the first pair of teammates to rush for more than 1,000 yards each in a given season, and the Dolphins won 11 of their 14 regular-season games by double digits. The No-Name Defense never got the love that offense did, but it was the best defense in football that season, securing three shutout victories (including a 52-0 win over the Patriots) and allowing opponents to score more than 17 points only three times. This was the first Dolphins title in what ended up being a mini-dynasty from 1970 to 1974 with five division titles, three AFC championships (1971, 1972, 1973) and two Super Bowl wins. — Cameron Wolfe

Behind quarterback Steve Bartkowski and running back William Andrews, the Falcons won the franchise’s first division title (NFC Western Division) with a 12-4 record. That season included a nine-game winning streak, which was a franchise best. Individual franchise records were established, too, with Bartkowski (3,544 passing yards, 31 touchdowns), Andrews (1,308 rushing yards) and receiver Alfred Jenkins (1,025 receiving yards) all hitting high-water marks at the time. Linebacker Al Richardson created a turnover in nine consecutive games out of the 3-4 scheme. And the Falcons had six Pro Bowl selections. — Vaughn McClure

It should be no surprise that the 1989 team, which went 14-2, was so good against the spread given that it was one of the best and most complete teams in NFL history. That juggernaut of a squad was first in the league in points scored, third in points allowed and had a plus-189 scoring margin on its way to a 45-point victory in Super Bowl XXIV.

Quarterback Joe Montana put together one of the best seasons in history, posting a passer rating of 112.4 in the regular season before a red-hot postseason run in which he improved that passer rating to a whopping 146.4 as he collected the NFL’s Most Valuable Player and Offensive Player of the Year awards and was named Super Bowl MVP. The star-studded Niners had six Pro Bowlers and five first- or second-team All-Pros. — Nick Wagoner

Perhaps this was a sign of things to come for the Cowboys, who went on to win three Super Bowls in four seasons from 1992 to ’95. They went 11-5 in 1991, just two years removed from a 1-15 campaign. This was a young team, growing together and learning how to win. And they won their last four games without an injured Troy Aikman. The Cowboys found their formula with Emmitt Smith running the ball at least 25 times per game and a stifling defense allowing more than 14 points just once in Games 13-16. Jimmy Johnson won his first playoff game, a wild-card victory against Chicago, as his young team started to come of age. — Todd Archer

The 1999 “Greatest Show on Turf” St. Louis Rams were an impressive 13-3 ATS in the regular season. James A. Finley/AP Photo

The 1999 Rams coached by Dick Vermeil were dubbed the “Greatest Show on Turf,” as they outscored opponents 526-242, produced an 8-0 record at home and finished the season 13-3 with a Super Bowl XXXIV title.

The offense was led by four future Hall of Fame players: quarterback Kurt Warner, running back Marshall Faulk, receiver Isaac Bruce and left tackle Orlando Pace. The defense also was among the best in the NFL. It ranked first against the run, allowing only 74.3 rushing yards per game; was tied for the lead in sacks with 57; and produced seven interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. — Lindsey Thiry

The Lions were still rebuilding from their disastrous 0-16 season in 2008 and were starting to build for the future with wide receiver Calvin Johnson in his prime and a first-round pick ready to take over the league in defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and a dynamic young running back in rookie Jahvid Best. Detroit also had a young starting quarterback in Matthew Stafford — and his shoulder injuries are a likely reason why the Lions were able to do so well against the spread. Stafford was limited to three games in 2010, but the combination of Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton — though not imposing as quarterbacks — could get Detroit out of a game.

The way the season unfolded — starting 2-10 before winning four straight to end the season — did two things: It set expectations low on the Lions toward the end of the year to pick up games against the spread and in a bigger picture helped set up the team’s run to the playoffs in 2011 with a healthy Stafford. The Lions played all but four games — losses to New England, Minnesota and Dallas, along with a win over St. Louis — incredibly close, again helping the spread numbers. — Michael Rothstein

Mike Zimmer’s second season in Minnesota featured a four-game improvement from his first. The Vikings finished 11-5, winning their first NFC North title since 2009 and clinching a spot in the postseason for the first time since 2012. Teddy Bridgewater showed promise in his first full season as a starter (3,231 passing yards, 14 TDs, 9 INTs, his first Pro Bowl) the same year the Vikings got Adrian Peterson back from suspension. Peterson led the NFL in rushing with 1,485 yards in his All-Pro/Pro Bowl season.

But all the excitement and hope built during the regular season came crashing down in a 10-9 wild-card loss to the Seahawks when kicker Blair Walsh missed a 27-yard field goal attempt in the final seconds of the game. — Courtney Cronin

2016 Patriots (13-3, .813)

The four games without Tom Brady to open the season, as Brady served a suspension handed down from the NFL, were a big part of the Patriots’ success in 2016. They went 3-1 in those games, winning with Jimmy Garoppolo and then Jacoby Brissett after Garoppolo was injured. When Brady returned, he didn’t miss a beat, helping carry the team all the way to a Super Bowl championship in the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history — trailing the Falcons 28-3 in the third quarter before charging back to win 34-28. — Mike Reiss

Source link

The post NFL’s 12 best betting seasons of the Super Bowl Era appeared first on The Bleak Report.

from WordPress https://bleakreport.com/nfls-12-best-betting-seasons-of-the-super-bowl-era/

#Sports Report

0 notes

asfeedin · 5 years ago

Text

Revisiting Major League Baseball’s 1987 MVP Races

ST. LOUIS, MO – CIRCA 1985: Ozzie Smith #1 of the St. Louis Cardinals runs the bases during a Major … [+] League Baseball game circa 1985 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. Smith played for the Cardinals from 1982-96. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Most of baseball’s timeless rules and tradition have expired in the 21st century, as anyone who has watched a game or 10 from the 1980s or 1990s during isolation can confirm. Seriously, teams used to bunt all the time, often during playoff games that were often played during the day and could be viewed in less time than it would eventually take to watch The Irishman. (Game 7 of the 1991 World Series, one of the greatest and tensest games ever played, started at 7:38 PM EST, went 10 innings and lasted three hours and 23 minutes, meaning you probably got to see some or all of your late local news, speaking of something timeless and traditional that is less timeless and traditional today)

But one timeless rule and tradition remains intact: The summer in which you were 13 was the best summer for baseball ever.

This is particularly true if you were 13 in the summer of 1987. (Sorry, everyone else born before or after the 1973-74 nexus, you’re wrong) Baseball cards were as plentiful as they were going to be profitable (didn’t quite work out that way). The ball was juiced and everyone hit homers (we liked it more as kids than we do as adults).

And the game was loaded — we mean, absolutely LOADED — with superstars. This, of course, is true of any era, and kids who were 13 last summer get to tell everyone for the rest of time how they got to watch Mike Trout as a teenager, which is admittedly pretty great.

But, again, kids, you’re wrong, and get off our lawn, because the summer of 1987 was the best time to be a teenaged baseball fan. A whopping 36 Hall of Famers suited up in the summer of 1987 (and Bruce Sutter sat out the season with an injury). This total does not yet count Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, who may have been the greatest hitter and greatest pitcher to ever perform on a big league diamond.

The awards balloting underscores just how deep the phenomenal talent ran. Eleven future Hall of Famers received a vote in the Most Valuable Player balloting. So did another nine players who either once seemed destined for Cooperstown or at least built compelling candidacies.

Thirty-three years later, in a spring (and quite possibly a summer and a fall) without baseball, the memories of the season, and the debates over who did win the awards and who should have, are as strong as ever. So what better way to pass the time as we wait for the return of the national pastime than by doing so by comparing the 1987 MVP candidates by both the stats used to evaluate them in real time as well as the stats we rely upon more in 2020?

1987 AL MVP VOTING

1.) George Bell (.308-47 HRs-134 RBIs-.957 OPS, 5.0 WAR)

2.) Alan Trammell (.343-28-105-21 SBs-.953-8.2 WAR)

3.) Kirby Puckett (.332-28-99-12 SBs-.900 OPS-4.2 WAR)

4.) Dwight Evans (.305-34-123-.986 OPS-4.8 WAR)

5.) Paul Molitor (.353-16-75-45 SBs-1.003 OPS-6.0 WAR)

6.) Mark McGwire (.289-49-118-.987 OPS-5.1 WAR)

7.) Don Mattingly (.327-30-115-.937 OPS-5.1 WAR)

8.) Tony Fernandez (.322-5-67-32 SBs-.805 OPS-5.1 WAR)

9.) Wade Boggs (.363-24-89-1.049 OPS-8.3 WAR)

10.) Gary Gaetti (.257-31-109-10 SBs-.788 OPS-2.4 WAR)

OTHER NOTABLES: 12.) Darrell Evans, 18.) Robin Yount; 19.) Roger Clemens; T20.) Jack Morris; T20.) Ruben Sierra; T23.) Jose Canseco

TORONTO – 1987: George Bell #11 of the Toronto Blue Jays swings at a pitch during a 1987 game at … [+] Exposition Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Gray Mortimore/Getty Images)

Getty Images

REAL-TIME REACTION: This one was controversial as Bell (332 points) edged Trammell (311 points) for the MVP despite Trammell’s Tigers surging over the final week and beating out Bell’s Blue Jays for the AL East by sweeping the last series of the regular season. Trammell hit .417 with seven homers, 20 RBIs and six steals after Aug. 31, a span in which Bell hit .308 with six homers and 21 RBIs. But voters dug the long ball and the RBI (Bell finished second and first, respectively, in the categories). The balloting likely forced Trammell to wait at least a decade to punch his ticket to Cooperstown. An MVP to go along with his elite all-around production at shortstop almost surely would have removed any doubt from his candidacy during his time on the writer’s ballot.

HOW LOADED WAS THIS RACE? Holy moley, let us count the ways. Puckett, a future first-ballot Hall of Famer, finished third. Molitor, another future first-ballot Hall of Famer, produced a 39-game hitting streak — the longest by an American League player since Joe DiMaggio’s record 56-game streak in 1941 and the longest by any player over the last four decades — and finished fifth. McGwire, the unanimous Rookie of the Year, shattered the rookie record for home runs and finished sixth. Mattingly hit a big league record six grand slams and tied the big league record by homering in seven straight games and finished seventh. Boggs, the third future first-ballot Hall of Famer in the top 10, hit a career-high 24 homers and led the AL in OPS and position player WAR and finished ninth. Darrell Evans, at age 40, finished with the second-most RBIs (99) and third-most homers (34) of his 21-year career and finished 12th. Clemens, with a season that was by many measures better than his MVP/Cy Young-award winning campaign a season earlier, finished 19th. Future Hall of Famer Morris tied for 20th with Sierra, who hit 30 homers and finished with 109 RBIs while leading the league in at-bats (643) at age 21 and turning his baseball card into a must-have investment for teenagers everywhere. Speaking of baseball card investments, Canseco, in his pre 40-40 season, finished tied for 23rd.

DETROIT, MI – SEPTEMBER 13: Manager Paul Molitor #4 (L) of the Minnesota Twins poses for a photo … [+] with former Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Morris and former Tigers shortstop Alan Trammell (R) prior to the game between the Tigers and Twins at Comerica Park on September 13, 2016 in Detroit, Michigan. The Twins defeated the Tigers 8-1. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

MLB Photos via Getty Images

IF WE DID THIS TODAY: Bell might not even finish in the top five. The decidedly one-dimensional Blue Jays outfielder ranked 10th amongst position players in WAR. Trammell’s late surge for a playoff team probably would have put him over the top. It’s hard not to see Boggs finishing in the top three, at the least, with that outrageous WAR and OPS. Knowing what we know know about the remarkable nature of Molitor’s hitting streak, he probably moves up despite playing just 118 games. And Clemens, with a far higher WAR in 1987 (9.4) than 1986 (8.8), probably finishes in the top five despite the Red Sox going 78-84.

1.) Trammell

2.) Boggs

3.) Molitor

4.) Bell

5.) Clemens

1987 NL MVP VOTING

1.) Andre Dawson (.287-49 HRs-137 RBIs-11 SBs-.896 OPS-4.0 WAR)

2.) Ozzie Smith (.303-0-75-43 SBs-.775 OPS-6.4 WAR)

3.) Jack Clark (.286-35-106-1.055 OPS-5.4 WAR)

4.) Tim Wallach (.298-26-123-.858 OPS-4.3 WAR)

5.) Will Clark (.308-35-91-.951 OPS-4.2 WAR)

6.) Darryl Strawberry (.284-39-104-36 SBs-.981 OPS-6.4 WAR)

7.) Tim Raines (.330-18-68-50 SBs-.955 OPS-6.7 WAR)

8.) Tony Gwynn (.370-7-54-56 SBs-.958 OPS-8.6 WAR)

9.) Eric Davis (.293-37-100-50 SBs-.991 OPS-7.9 WAR)

10.) Howard Johnson (.265-36-99-32 SBs-.868 OPS-4.4 WAR)

OTHER NOTABLES: 11.) Dale Murphy; 14.) Mike Schmidt

CHICAGO – 1987: Andre Dawson of the Chicago Cubs bats during an MLB game at Wrigley Field in … [+] Chicago, Illinois during the 1987 season. (Photo by Ron Vesely/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Getty Images

REAL-TIME REACTION: Voters dug the long ball, the RBI and the narrative, understandably so. Dawson was frozen out on the free agent market by the colluding owners until he literally presented the Cubs with a blank check. They penciled in “$500,000” and were rewarded with an NL-leading 49 homers and 137 RBIs. Even performing for a last-place team wasn’t enough to keep Dawson from becoming the 21st straight player to win the MVP after leading his league in homers and RBIs. (The previous player to lead his league in homers and RBIs and not win the MVP was Ted Williams who won the Triple Crown in 1947 yet lost the MVP to Joe DiMaggio) In retrospect, it’s surprising this was as close as it was. Dawson (11 first place votes and 269 points overall) outpaced Smith (nine first place votes and 193 points overall) by a decent margin despite getting just two more first-place votes.

HOW LOADED WAS THIS RACE? Holy moley, squared. You thought the AL race was good? Four Hall of Famers had monster seasons — including Smith, who became the first player to finish with at least 75 RBIs and 6.0 WAR without a homer since 1906. Will Clark, in his first full season and with that gorgeous left-handed swing, became the first player age 23 or younger to hit at least .300 with 35 homers and 90 RBIs since Orlando Cepeda did it for the Giants in 1961. Raines missed the first month of the season due to collusion and barely slowed down after going 4-for-5 with an extra-inning grand slam in his debut against the Mets on May 2. He ended up setting career highs in homers and OPS despite the late start — and also won the All-Star Game MVP by breaking a scoreless tie with a two-run triple in the 13th inning. Only two players — Joe Morgan twice and Rickey Henderson once — ever stole at least 56 bases with a better success rate and a higher OPS than Gwynn, whose 82 walks were a career-high and his 35 strikeouts his second-highest single-season whiff total. And for all that, Raines and Gwynn finished seventh and eighth in the MVP balloting!

OAKLAND, CA – JULY 14: Tim Raines #30 of the Montreal Expos leads off first base as Mark McGwire #25 … [+] of the Oakland Athletics holds him on during the 58th Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on July 14, 1987, in Oakland California. (Photo by MLB via Getty Images) Local Caption *** Tim Raines;Mark McGwire

MLB via Getty Images

And have we mentioned the bottom half of the top 10 had THREE 30-30 players? It was the first season in which there were even TWO 30-30 players, and none of them finished in the top five, even though Strawberry and Johnson were playing for the defending World Series champions in the biggest media market in the land and even though Davis is the only player to ever finish with at least 35 homers and 50 stolen bases and spent part of 1987 as — I am not exaggerating here — the greatest player the game has ever seen. From June 11, 1986 through June 10, 1987, Davis hit .306 with 43 homers, 114 RBIs and 91 stolen bases in 147 games for an OPS of 1.025. Now, I’m getting a little creative, but this 12-month span demands it. Do you know how many players have stolen at least 90 bases and hit at least 10 homers in a season? Three. And none hit more than 12 (Harry Stovey in 1890). The only player to finish a full season with at least 90 steals and an OPS of higher than 1.025 was Billy Hamilton — not the current one, the one whose career ended in 1901. And for all that, Davis finished NINTH in the MVP balloting! (He did hit a mere .279 with 17 homers, 45 RBIs, 24 steals and a .912 OPS while missing 26 of the Reds’ final 104 games).

IF WE DID THIS TODAY: Forget possibly not finishing in the top five, a la Bell. Dawson would almost surely fall to sixth or lower. Figure Smith’s defensive wizardry and robust WAR for a division winner would put him over the top. Advanced metrics would be far kinder to Gwynn today, though the race for second would be tight with the Clarks, both of whom played for division winners while Gwynn played for the NL-worst Padres, who lost 97 games. And geez, who to pick for fifth between Raines’ mammoth five months and Davis’ historical stretch?

1.) Smith

2.) Jack Clark

3.) Gwynn

4.) Will Clark

5.) Davis

Source link

Tags: 1987, Baseballs, league, Major, MVP, races, Revisiting

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2Ybu69k via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress #Asfeed.in #asfeed #asfeedin #asfeed blog

0 notes

junker-town · 5 years ago

Text

TITLELESS: 16 NBA teams who were robbed of a championship

Peja Stojakovic, Chris Webber, and Mike Bibby were an iconic trio for the Kings.

Enjoy this eclectic mix of NBA What Might Have Beens.

The cover art for our final Titleless division is meant to be taken figuratively, not literally. Some of these 16 teams were unjustly “robbed” of their chance to win a championship. Others were thwarted by unforeseen circumstances: injuries mostly, but also their own incompetence and other bizarre factors. They were “robbed” in the sense that cosmic forces conspired to destroy their title dreams or cut short potential dynasties.

Enjoy this eclectic mix of NBA What Might Have Beens.

16. 1996-97 Detroit Pistons

ERA: Young Grant Hill

RECORD: 54-28

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +5.3

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in first round to Atlanta Hawks (3-2)

KEY STAR(S): Grant Hill

COACH: Doug Collins

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Joe Dumars, Lindsey Hunter, Otis Thorpe, Terry Mills, Theo Ratliff, Aaron McKie, Grant Long, Michael Curry

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

With the Bulls struggling late in what proved to be his final season in Chicago, Doug Collins moved Michael Jordan to point guard and refashioned the Bulls’ offense. (Dan Devine of the Ringer has a wonderful summary of how that happened, why it didn’t continue, and how it was the precursor to the point forward movement of today.)

Years later, Collins found a new young star more willing to play along in Detroit, at least initially. He put the ball in Grant Hill’s hands and asked him to run the team as he saw fit. Hill, an often reluctant attacker in the past, thrived in his new role. Collins surrounded Hill with shooters and role-players, opened the floor for Hill to attack, and watched him emerge as a potential new face of the NBA. Detroit got off to a fast start and won 54 games before losing in a tight five-game series to a terrific Hawks team.

Alas, the run was short-lived because Collins’ grating got on Hill’s nerves the same way it got on Jordan’s. The Pistons fell apart the next season, and depending on who you believe, Hill either asked Collins to be fired or declined to endorse him. Two years later, Hill suffered the ankle injury that would forever change his NBA destiny.

15. 1990-91 Golden State Warriors

ERA: Run T-M-C

RECORD: 44-38

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +1.6

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in second round to Los Angeles Lakers (4-1)

KEY STAR(S): Tim Hardaway, Chris Mullin

COACH: Don Nelson

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Mitch Richmond, Sarunas Marciulionis, Mario Elie, Rod Higgins, Alton Lister, Tom Tolbert, Tyrone Hill, Jim Petersen

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1991-92

Meet Run TMC, one of the NBA’s all-time cult favorites. With Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Mullin forming a high-scoring trio, the Warriors upset the second-seeded Spurs in four games, using a funky strategy that involved stationing their center as far away as possible so David Robinson couldn’t provide help on their scoring studs. (Remember, this was the illegal defense era.)

They fell to the mighty Lakers in five, but not before stunning them in Game 2 behind a torrid Mullin and nearly winning Game 4 at home.

Unfortunately, Run TMC was short-lived. The Warriors inexplicably traded Richmond to Sacramento for rookie forward Billy Owens, the No. 3 pick in the 1991 draft. Golden State actually won 55 games the next year, but were smashed by the underdog Sonics in the first round. The next few years were kinda bizarre, but let’s just say they did not go as planned.

14. 2000-01 Milwaukee Bucks

ERA: ��Big 3” Bucks

RECORD: 52-30

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +3.8

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East Finals to Philadelphia 76ers (4-3)

KEY STAR(S): Ray Allen

COACH: George Karl

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Glenn Robinson, Sam Cassell, Lindsey Hunter, Ervin Johnson, Tim Thomas, Jason Caffey, Scott Williams, Darvin Ham

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

The “Big 3” Bucks of Ray Allen, Sam Cassell, and Glenn Robinson were an annual tease except for one memorable 2001 playoff run. The Bucks finished with the second seed in the dilapidated East and nearly knocked off Allen Iverson’s 76ers in the conference finals. That series featured some, ahem, curious refereeing decisions, including a potential missed goaltend on Allen’s game-winning tip attempt in Game 5 and a surprising league call to upgrade a common Scott Williams Game 6 foul to a flagrant, thereby forcing him to miss Game 7. Allen essentially said the series was fixed without officially saying it.

Soon, the Bucks went back to being perennial teases. Milwaukee swung a big sign-and-trade for Anthony Mason that summer, thinking an upgrade up front was the missing piece. Instead, Mason threw off their chemistry and they missed the playoffs entirely in 2002 after a late-season collapse.

13. 2017-18 Boston Celtics

ERA: Brad Stevens’ Celtics

RECORD: 55-27

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +3.6

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East Finals to Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3)

KEY STAR(S): Kyrie Irving (injured in playoffs)

COACH: Brad Stevens

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Al Horford, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward (injured all season), Marcus Smart, Aron Baynes, Terry Rozier, Marcus Morris

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

Classifying these Celtics was challenging because of all the dominoes involved. Gordon Hayward shattering his leg on opening night undoubtedly set the Celtics back, but Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown may not emerge so quickly otherwise. Kyrie Irving’s late-season knee injury killed their championship upside … or did it, based on the evidence of 2019’s dysfunctional season and 2020’s good vibes with Kemba Walker in Irving’s place? What’s the point of comparing 2020’s Celtics with the 2018 version, since Al Horford’s not walking through that door? And how can we possibly quantify the degree to which Tatum’s 2020 superstar emergence relates to the flashes he showed in the 2018 playoffs?

I dunno, man. Let’s just put them here.

12. 2008-09 Portland Trail Blazers

ERA: Roy-Oden

RECORD: 54-28

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +5.3

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in first round to Houston Rockets (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Brandon Roy

COACH: Nate McMillan

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Oden, Nicolas Batum, Travis Outlaw, Steve Blake, Rudy Fernandez, Joel Przybilla, Sergio Rodriguez, Jerryd Bayless, Channing Frye

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

What might have been if Greg Oden only stayed healthy? Would the trio of Oden, Brandon Roy, and LaMarcus Aldridge really have dominated the league for years to come?

We’ll never know, but the 2008-09 Blazers are the closest we’ll ever get to an answer. After missing his entire rookie season, Oden stayed relatively healthy and showed dominating flashes in 21 minutes per game behind reliable Joel Przybilla. With Roy emerging as a superstar in his third season and Aldridge becoming a burgeoning sidekick in his second, Portland won 54 regular-season games and looked to be ahead of schedule.

Portland’s run ended that year with a disappointing first-round loss to the Yao Ming-led, Tracy McGrady-less Rockets, who stole Game 1 on the Blazers’ home court and beat them in six. Oden reinjured his knee in December of the following season and played just 23 pro games thereafter.

11. 2018-19 Philadelphia 76ers

ERA: Post-Process

RECORD: 51-31

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +6

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in second round to Toronto Raptors (4-3)

KEY STAR(S): Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler

COACH: Brett Brown

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Tobias Harris, J.J. Redick, Wilson Chandler, Mike Scott, T.J. McConnell, Greg Monroe, James Ennis

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2017-18

The post-Process 76ers era is far from over, but maybe 2019 will end up being their best shot to advance deep in the playoffs. What happens if one of the 700 bounces on Kawhi Leonard’s buzzer-beating, series-ending game-winner goes in a different direction?

youtube

Do they beat Milwaukee, a team with whom they matched up well? Does Jimmy Butler stay instead of leaving for Miami and throwing thinly veiled shots at Brett Brown’s coaching? Does that mean the 76ers don’t make the mistake of signing Al Horford in the ensuing offseason? We have nothing but time to play the what-if game.

10. 1988-89 Cleveland Cavaliers

ERA: The team Jordan always beat

RECORD: 57-25

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +7.6

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in first round to Chicago Bulls (3-2)

KEY STAR(S): Brad Daugherty, Mark Price

COACH: Lenny Wilkins

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Ron Harper, Larry Nance, Craig Ehlo, Hot Rod Williams, Mike Sanders, Darnell Valentine

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1991-92, 1992-93

Before the Cavaliers became the franchise Michael Jordan tormented, they were a burgeoning young powerhouse propped up by the league itself. Ever heard of the Ted Stepien rule? It’s named after the despicable former Cavaliers owner who, among many other worse things, kept trading first-round picks for nobodies in the early 80s. The NBA eventually blocked him from trading first-rounders, but when that didn’t help, they forced Stepien out, even awarding Cleveland compensatory first-rounders to prop up the franchise’s value to potential buyers. They eventually found one in Gordon Gund, who restored normalcy to the franchise.

With the first rounders Stepien surely wanted to give up, Cleveland drafted key pieces like Brad Daugherty, Mark Price, Ron Harper, and (via a draft-day trade) Mark Price. A fifth future stud, Kevin Johnson, was traded for veteran Larry Nance. That young core stunned the league in 1989, finishing with the NBA’s second-best record behind Detroit. Because they were in the same division as the Pistons, though, they got the East No. 3 seed and a matchup with Michael Jordan’s Bulls. The rest is history.

Cleveland traded Harper just seven games into the next season for the rights to Danny Ferry, the No. 2 overall pick in the 1989 draft that refused to show for the Clippers. Ferry never lived up to the hype, and Cleveland was never quite the same.

9. 1987-88 Dallas Mavericks

ERA: Post-expansion Mavs

RECORD: 53-29

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +4.4

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in West Finals to Los Angeles Lakers (4-3)

KEY STAR(S): Mark Aguirre

COACH: John MacLeod

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Rolando Blackman, Derek Harper, Sam Perkins, Roy Tarpley, James Donaldson, Brad Davis, Detlef Schrempf

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1986-87

Even by this section’s standards, the rise and fall of the 1980s Dallas Mavericks was bizarre. The diverse cast of characters included outspoken owner Donald Carter, general manager Norm Sanju (who endorsed a Process-like rebuild before it was fashionable), talented but drug-troubled center Roy Tarpley, and the nice-but-not-superstar young core that included Rolando Blackman, Derek Harper, and Sam Perkins. But the two most notable ones were superstar Mark Aguirre and longtime coach Dick Motta.

Take the criticism Carmelo Anthony received during his career, amp it up a few exponents, and you get Aguirre. An undersized forward with remarkable scoring skills and an equally remarkable ability to leave you wanting more, Aguirre eventually wore out his welcome the year after Dallas finished one game short of the Finals. “Today should be an all-day party because he’s gone,” said Perkins on the day Dallas traded Aguirre to Detroit. Ouch!

(Related tangent: Aguirre has not had his jersey retired by the team. He was supposed to speak at Derek Harper’s ceremony in 2018, but no-showed. Fast-forward to this year, when now-owner Mark Cuban honored the late Kobe Bryant by declaring that no Maverick would ever wear No. 8 or No. 24 again. Aguirre’s number? Twenty-four.)

Calling the Aguirre-Motta relationship “combustible” is kind. For some reason, Motta decided the best way to reach Aguirre was to ride him constantly. “I’ve said things to him that I wouldn’t say to my dog,” Motta said during the 1982-83 season. (Motta later said the quote was taken out of context, supplying this odd defense: “I did cuss my dog out last night. I’d like to go on record saying that. He wet the floor … I’ve never kicked my dog once, and I’ve never had a player die on the floor from overwork or abuse. And my dog still likes me.” OK!)

Somehow, the two co-existed until 1987, when the 55-win Mavs were upset in the first round by the Sonics. Driven by his volcanic relationship with Aguirre, Motta abruptly quit after that season.

Aguirre initially welcomed veteran replacement coach John MacLeod and turned in his best season in leading Dallas to the West Finals, but after a few postseason benchings and a strange summer, he asked to be traded early in the following season.

youtube

Dallas fell apart thereafter and slowly turned into a joke of a franchise before Cuban purchased the team in 1999.

8. 2007-08 Houston Rockets

ERA: Yao and T-Mac

RECORD: 55-27

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +4.7

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in first round to Utah Jazz (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Yao Ming (injured for playoffs), Tracy McGrady

COACH: Rick Adelman

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Shane Battier, Rafer Alston, Luis Scola, Bonzi Wells, Chuck Hayes, Luther Head, Carl Landry, Dikembe Mutombo

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2006-07, 2008-09

Talk about duos destined for star-crossed careers: Meet Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady! This remarkable guard-big star tandem missed a combined 179 games from 2004-2009, which is more than two full seasons! Their best shot to go deep in the playoffs together was in 2007, when they lost Game 7 on their home floor to the Jazz.

The 2007-08 team, fueled by a remarkable 22-game winning streak, was the best of the bunch. Twelve of those wins came before Yao suffered yet another stress fracture in his foot, which kept him out for the rest of the season. Houston won 10 more in a row with aging Dikembe Mutombo in Yao’s place, but were running on fumes. In the end, McGrady alone didn’t have enough to avenge the team’s 2007 playoff defeat to the Jazz.

7. 1985-86 Houston Rockets

ERA: Twin Towers

RECORD: 51-31

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +2.6

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in NBA Finals to Boston Celtics (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): (H)akeem Olajuwon

COACH: Bill Fitch

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Ralph Sampson, Rodney McCray, John Lucas, Lewis Lloyd, Robert Reid, Jim Petersen, Allen Leavell, Mitchell Wiggins

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

But for a fleeting moment in the 1986 playoffs, the Twin Towers Rockets were more a theoretical dream than a coherent basketball team. Whoever picked “The Greatest Team That Never Was” for Grantland’s giant oral history of the 80s Rockets deserves a raise, because that was always their destiny.

Ralph Sampson and Hakeem Olajuwon were never going to be a seamless on-court fit. The laid-back Sampson and drill sergeant coach Bill Fitch were never going to see eye to eye. Fitch’s hope that point guard John Lucas would stay sober was never going to pay off. Lewis Lloyd and Mitchell Wiggins were always threats to be the ones that’d get the book thrown at them to crack down on its players’ drug use. Sampson was never going to be the same physically after his scary fall late in the 1987 season.

youtube

But it’s fun to dream, isn’t it?

6. 2003-04 Indiana Pacers

ERA: Pre-Malice at the Palace

RECORD: 61-21

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +5.8

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East Finals to Detroit Pistons (4-2)

KEY STAR(S): Jermaine O’Neal

COACH: Rick Carlisle

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Ron Artest, Reggie Miller, Al Harrington, Jamaal Tinsley, Jeff Foster, Anthony Johnson, Austin Croshere, Fred Jones

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: None

5. 2010-11 Chicago Bulls

ERA: Rose and Thibs

RECORD: 62-20

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +7.3

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in East Finals to Miami Heat (4-1)

KEY STAR(S): Derrick Rose

COACH: Tom Thibodeau

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Taj Gibson, Ronnie Brewer, Kyle Korver, Keith Bogans, C.J. Watson, Omer Asik, Kurt Thomas

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2011-12

Had I known Derrick Rose’s career would be forever altered by one knee injury, I’d have spent much more time appreciating his 2011 MVP season instead of grumbling that the award should’ve gone to Dwight Howard or LeBron James. Rose might have been a tad overrated statistically, but he was an incredible thrill to watch and an inspiring foil to the hated Heatles. Looking back on it, I should have appreciated how Rose’s production and the Bulls’ combination of defense and depth complemented each other, rather than use those forces to argue against Rose’s MVP case. Live and learn.

youtube

These Bulls fell short because a pissed-off James put Rose in a straight-jacket in crunch time of Miami’s five-game East Finals victory. With nobody else there to help him score, Rose was powerless to stop the Heat.

4. 2004-05 Phoenix Suns

ERA: 7 Seconds Or Less

RECORD: 62-20

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +7.1

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in West Finals to San Antonio Spurs (4-1)

KEY STAR(S): Steve Nash, Amar’e Stoudemire

COACH: Brian Hill

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson (injured in WCF), Quentin Richardson, Jim Jackson, Leandro Barbosa

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2005-06, 2006-07, 2009-10

Picking the best Suns team of the Steve Nash era was difficult. The 2010 team was a delightful surprise, the 2006 team inspired one of the best basketball books of the millennium, and the 2007 team got hosed most obviously. But the original 2004-05 version is still — Hot take alert! — the most thrilling and revolutionary basketball experience the league has seen since … ever? Let’s go with ever.

It’s easy to forget how many skeptics the Suns had while zipping through the league that season. They ran, ran, and ran some more instead of positioning themselves into set plays the coach diagrams. (I loved this Mike D’Antoni quote from a 2005 SI story: “I don’t know how you script against something when the offensive team isn’t even sure what it’s doing.”) They took threes in transition when nobody else did. They played “small” by moving Shawn Marion to power forward and Amar’e Stoudemire to center. They built their entire team around the spread pick-and-roll. They were the first to do so many things we take for granted today. But despite winning more games than anyone in the league, they were never seen as favorites and were often derided for promoting a style that wouldn’t hold up in the playoffs.

Those skeptics got the last laugh, but with mitigating circumstances. Everything changed when Joe Johnson fell face first on the floor after Jerry Stackhouse fouled him on a fast break in Game 2 of the Suns’ second-round series with Dallas.

youtube

Johnson missed the rest of the series and the beginning of the conference finals against the Spurs with a fractured orbital, only returning as a shell of himself after San Antonio took a 2-0 lead in the series. By then, it was far too late.

Why was this a bigger what-if than the controversial suspensions that doomed the Suns’ 2008 season? Well, Suns players say so:

”We should’ve won it all that year,” Marion said. “If it wasn’t for that (Johnson’s injury), I think we would have.”

The controversial suspensions to Stoudemire and Boris Diaw during the 2007 conference semifinals are the most cited bad breaks of that Suns era, but the Suns think Johnson’s bad break was worse, especially to lose his defensive option on Tony Parker.

”There’s no way you can tell me we wouldn’t have been NBA champions if I hadn’t got hurt,” Johnson said.

And I believe them. Before Johnson became known as ISO-Joe in Atlanta, he was the glue that held the Suns’ fragile ecosystem together. He shot 48 percent from three that season on four-and-a-half attempts per game. His non-stop running kept Phoenix’s transition attack going. He defended the toughest guards that Nash couldn’t. If the Suns’ main attack broke down, he provided the supplementary playmaking. We all love Boris Diaw’s game, but he was never as important as Johnson was to the Suns.

About that. Annoyed by Johnson’s salary demands, the Suns dealt him to Atlanta that summer and got Diaw back in the sign-and-trade. It wasn’t quite the James Harden trade, but it had a similar effect. Phoenix stayed in the mix for the rest of the decade, but in hindsight, the summer departure of Johnson, combined with Stoudemire’s microfracture surgery, doomed their title hopes forever.

3. 1994-95 Orlando Magic

ERA: Penny and Shaq

RECORD: 57-25

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +7.1

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in NBA Finals to Houston Rockets (4-0)

KEY STAR(S): Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway

COACH: Brian Hill

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Horace Grant, Nick Anderson, Dennis Scott, Donald Royal, Brian Shaw, Anthony Bowie

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 1995-96

You already know about Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, the 1995 win over the Bulls, the four missed Nick Anderson free throws, and the unceremonious end to the Shaq era the next summer. If not, watch the 30 for 30.

youtube

So let’s talk about the move that turned the young Magic into serious title contenders: the 1994 free-agent signing of Horace Grant. Cue Michael Buffer, because … let’s get ready to lawsuuuuiiiiitttttt!

In the summer of 1994, Grant, the critical third piece of the first Chicago Bulls three-peat, was a free agent. Tired of doing the dirty work without receiving enough credit, Grant wanted to leave and yearned to join up with Hardaway and O’Neal in Orlando. There was just one problem: Orlando didn’t have any salary-cap space to sign him. Kinda an issue.

But Grant and the Magic designed a clever, mutually beneficial way around this dilemma. First, Orlando traded point guard Scott Skiles and a first-round pick to Washington to open up Skiles’ $2.1 million salary slot. Then, they signed Grant to a six-year, $22 million deal that included a first-year salary of just over $2 million (fancy that!) and an opt-out provision after the first year. Left unspoken: Orlando would invite Grant to exercise that option and give him a much bigger contract thereafter. Convenient and successful. Everyone got what they wanted and nobody got hurt.

Unfortunately for the Magic, salary-cap circumvention was a growing concern for the NBA. The league tried to prevent the Blazers from doing a similar move with Chris Dudley the previous summer, but lost in court. Buoyed by the ruling, other contenders, most notably the Phoenix Suns, inked quality veterans for below-market contracts that were either for one year or contained opt-out clauses like Grant’s. (This is how Phoenix got perennial all-star Danny Manning to sign a one-year, $1 million deal.) Using evidence of a reported five-year, $20 million offer from the Bulls as proof that Grant signed below his market value in Orlando, the NBA voided Grant’s deal, along with two other giant new contracts for Toni Kukoc and A.C. Green signed one summer after agreeing to miniscule short-term deals from the Bulls and Suns the previous summer.

The Magic sued the league, and the case went before the same judge that ruled in the Blazers’ favor for Dudley. This time, the judge sided in favor of the NBA, making Grant a free agent again just weeks before training camp. (He did not do the same for Kukoc and Green because it would violate the precedent set in the Dudley case. Oddly, the Manning deal was allowed to slip through, as was a similar Magic one-year deal to bring veteran point guard Brian Shaw in to spell Hardaway.) The league said they’d allow Grant to sign with Orlando if the opt-out clause was after the second year instead. Two weeks later, the Magic and Grant agreed. That’s how close Orlando’s “missing piece” signing came to falling apart.

The epilogue to this story shouldn’t surprise you. Though O’Neal left Orlando after the 1996 season, the Magic still gave the 31-year-old Grant a new five-year, $50 million deal, even though he was coming off a devastating elbow injury. After all of that, they still successfully circumvented the salary cap. Glad the lawyers got paid, though. (Shaw, by the way, got a one-year, $9 million deal after the 1995 season, while Manning inked a six-year, $40 million deal with Phoenix despite tearing his ACL. These teams were not subtle!)

2. 2011-12 Oklahoma City Thunder

ERA: Pre-Harden trade

RECORD: 47-19 (58-win pace)

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +6.2

PLAYOFF RESULT: Lost in NBA Finals to Miami Heat (4-1)

KEY STAR(S): Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden

COACH: Scott Brooks

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Serge Ibaka, Kendrick Perkins, Thabo Sefolosha, Nick Collison, Derek Fisher, Eric Maynor, Daequan Cook, Reggie Jackson

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2010-11

We’re still waiting for the tell-all book or documentary that explains once and for all why the Thunder traded James Harden to the Rockets. We have many theories and circumstantial explanations, but no absolute truth. All I know is that these words from Andrew Sharp, published on our website on Oct. 28, 2012, were prophetic.

“So if you want to say the Thunder chose long-term flexibility over a short term shot at a title, that’s fine. Just don’t overlook the second part of that sentence. If basketball is a business, there’s a good chance this was a bad business decision. Because what happens if KD and co. aren’t good enough to win it all in the next few years? Doesn’t OKC end up spending to compete with the best, and eventually paying the luxury tax because of somebody else? And it may not work. There are no guarantees at finding a core that clicks on the court the way last year’s did.”

Every word of that paragraph came true, including the prediction that OKC would end up going over the luxury tax for a worse player than Harden. What might have been, indeed.

1. 2001-02 Sacramento Kings

ERA: The beautiful game Kings

RECORD: 61-21

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +7.6

PLAYOFF RESULT: “Lost” in West Finals to Los Angeles Lakers (4-3)

KEY STAR(S): Chris Webber

COACH: Rick Adelman

OTHER KEY PLAYERS: Peja Stojakovic, Mike Bibby, Vlade Divac, Doug Christie, Bobby Jackson, Hedo Turkoglu, Scott Pollard

OTHER SEASONS CONSIDERED FROM THIS ERA: 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04

Just watch this video.

0 notes

blackkudos · 6 years ago

Text

Rick Fox

Ulrich Alexander (Rick) Fox (born July 24, 1969) is a Canadian-Bahamian film and television actor, businessman, retired basketball player, and Esports franchise owner. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, and played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels. Fox is currently a Founding Partner at Vision Venture Partners, spearheading the private equity firm’s move into professional esports and providing strategic guidance, creative direction and business development support to each of VVP’s portfolio companies. He is also the owner of premier esports franchise Echo Fox.

Early life

Fox was born in Toronto, the son of Dianne Gerace, who was an Olympic high jumper and women's pentathlete, and Ulrich Fox. His father is Bahamian and his mother is of Italian and Scottish descent. Fox's family moved to his father's native Bahamas when Fox was young. He attended Kingsway Academy in Nassau, where he was a member of the high school's basketball team, the "Saints." Fox also played high school basketball in Warsaw, Indiana. After two seasons (1984–1986) at Warsaw, Fox was projected to have a very successful senior season. Just prior to his senior season, the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) ruled that he had no more high school eligibility left (due to completing eight semesters between the Bahamas and Indiana) and was not allowed to participate in any IHSAA games. Despite not playing his senior season, Fox was voted onto the Indiana All-Star team in 1987.

He then went on to star collegiately at the University of North Carolina where his highlights included leading the Tar Heels to the 1991 NCAA Final Four.

Basketball career

Boston Celtics

Fox began his professional basketball career when he was selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round (24th pick overall) of the 1991 NBA draft. As a member of the Celtics, Fox became the first rookie starter on opening night since Larry Bird in 1979 and made the 1992 NBA All-Rookie Second Team after averaging 8 points per game. Fox played off the bench his first two seasons as the Celtics reached the playoffs for the last time in the Larry Bird era. By the 1995–1996 season, Fox had become the team's starting small forward and achieved double figure scoring. He recorded career highs of 15.4 points a game and 2.2 steals a game (4th in the league) and made 101 three-point field goals in the 1996–1997 campaign.

Los Angeles Lakers

In the summer of 1997, the Celtics released Fox, and he signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. He played and started in all 82 games during the 1997–1998 season, averaging 12 points per game. In the playoffs, he tallied 10.9 points a game as the Lakers advanced to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Utah Jazz. In the 1998–1999 season, the Lakers acquired All-Star small forward Glen Rice. Fox primarily served as his backup during the next two seasons.

Prior to the 1999–2000 season, Phil Jackson became the team's head coach. The Lakers achieved the league's best record with 67 wins, led by the MVP play of Shaquille O'Neal and the young all-star Kobe Bryant under Jackson's triangle offense. In the playoffs, Fox played all 23 games as the Lakers advanced to the 2000 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers. In the Finals, Fox averaged 6.7 points, including 11 in the Lakers' game 1 victory. In game 6, with the Lakers leading the series 3-2, Fox hit a critical three pointer in the 4th quarter to help the Lakers' final rally as they won the game and the NBA title, Fox's first.

Following the departure of Glen Rice, Fox started 77 of 82 games in the 2000–2001 season, posting an average of 9.6 points a game while shooting 39% from three point range. In the playoffs, Fox started in all 16 games as the Lakers swept through the first three rounds and reached the 2001 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. Fox scored 19 points in the Lakers' game 1 loss; the 76ers were led by Allen Iverson's 48 points. The Lakers would win the next four games of the series, securing their second straight championship. In the fifth game, Fox contributed with 20 points, and hit all three of his three-point field goal attempts.

In the 2001–2002 season, Fox played and started in all 82 games in the regular season and in all of the Lakers' 19 playoff games. The Lakers faced a grueling 7 game series against the Sacramento Kings, with Fox scoring 13 points in the Lakers' game 7 victory in Sacramento. In the 2002 NBA Finals against the New Jersey Nets, Fox averaged 9.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals as the Lakers swept the Nets in 4 games to win their third straight NBA title.

In the 2002–2003 season, Fox started in 75 of 76 games but suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of the last two games of the first round against the Minnesota Timberwolves and the entire Western Conference Semifinal series against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs defeated the Lakers 4-2. Fox missed 40 games in the 2003–2004 season due to a foot injury, but started in 34 of 38 games while active. He would only play in 3 of 16 playoff games as the Lakers advanced to the 2004 NBA Finals but lost to the Detroit Pistons in 5 games. In 56 career NBA playoff games, Fox averaged 6.1 points per game, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. Following the 2003–04 season, Fox was traded back to the Celtics in a deal that brought Chucky Atkins to the Lakers, but opted to retire instead of suiting up for the Celtics.

Fox played internationally for Canada twice, at the 1990 and 1994 FIBA World Championships.

Acting career

During NBA career

While attending UNC, Fox completed a bachelor's degree in Radio, Television and Motion Pictures. In 1994 Fox appeared in the film Blue Chips as a member of the Texas Western basketball team. In 1996 Fox then played the role of Terry Hastings in the film Eddie, a slumping basketball player who receives help from fan "Eddie" played by Whoopi Goldberg. Fox then had a role as the ladies man Chick Deagan in the 1998 film He Got Game film directed by Spike Lee. It was in 1997 however that Fox received the biggest role of his early acting career playing prison inmate Jackson Vahue on the HBO prison drama Oz, appearing in 11 episodes of the show between 1997 and 2003. Vahue is a superstar basketball player imprisoned for charges related to a sexual assault charge. He subsequently develops and overcomes a major drug addiction. Fox first appeared on the episode "To Your Health" and each of the following episodes for the rest of the first season. His character would again appear at the beginning of the second season, before returning during the middle of the fourth season on the episode "Revenge is Sweet" and appearing on the duration of the season, as Vahue is nearing probation. His character's final appearance would come in the show's last season, on series finale "Exeunt Omnes", when Vahue is almost killed by the character Brass.

Fox was a supporting actor in the 1999 film Resurrection playing the role of Detective Scholfield and the role of Ray in the television film The Collectors. At the time ESPN quoted Fox as saying of trying to balance his acting career with his sports career that, "I mean, Penny Marshall is courtside. You got Jack (Nicholson) and Denzel (Washington). The head of the William Morris Agency is there. (Ally McBeal creator) David E. Kelley comes to some games ... I want to jump into conversations with them, but I'm working!"

In addition to Oz, Fox appeared in three more television series in the year 2003. On the first season of the crime drama 1-800-Missingstarring Vivica A. Fox, Rick Fox played the role of Eric Renard over five episodes. He also provided the voice of the characters Flash Williams and Smooth Daley on the Crime Wave/Odd Ball episode of Nickelodeon's animated series The Fairly OddParents, and played the role of Peter Sampson on the television show Street Time. As Eric Renard he played the love interest of the FBI agent Brooke Haslett, played by actress Gloria Reuben. That year he also appeared in the film Holes in the supporting character role of Clyde 'Sweetfeet' Livingston, a baseball player.

Contemporary acting career

In 2005 Fox guest starred as the character Stephen Melbourne in the UPN television series Kevin Hill and appeared in Love, Inc. as the character David Marley, appearing in six episodes after only being announced for three. In 2006 Fox played the role of Fabrizio in the film Mini's First Time the same year he appeared in 5 episodes as Daunte in the CW drama series, One Tree Hill. In 2007 Fox played Wilhelmina Slater's bodyguard and lover Dwayne in the second season of Ugly Betty, opposite his former wife Vanessa Williams. The following year Fox signed on with the show Dirt to play a recurring role in a multi-episode storyline lasting six episodes playing the role of Prince Tyrese. In 2008 and 2009, he had a recurring role (as a fictionalized version of himself) on the BET comedy-drama television series The Game, also returning to reprise his role in the 2012 season finale. In 2008 Fox also had a lead role in Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns as Harry, a coach trying to court the character of Brenda played by Angela Bassett. In 2009, Fox played himself in the comedies Party Down and Head Case, and he currently has recurring roles on VH1's Single Ladies and Tyler Perry's House of Payne. In 2010 Fox briefly guest starred on the science-fiction series Dollhouse, and took on a recurring role on the CW remake of Melrose Place. In 2011, Fox then played the role of Bernadette's ex-boyfriend Glenn in The Big Bang Theory episode The Love Car Displacement. In an article about his appearance TV Guide quoted Fox as saying about his role, "It's all in Glenn's head now. 'How am I losing to this guy? He's smarter than me ... I love that they turned the 'threatening ex' on its ear. At the end of the day, I have more insecurity about my intellect and am constantly fighting to be accepted intellectually and be seen for more than my looks and my size. I want to appear intelligent and prove my intelligence. That's where I'm battling with him."

In 2011 Fox also played a suspect on the crime drama Body of Proof and in 2012 he played the character Andre Carson on the series Franklin & Bash. He also played the recurring role of Winston on Single Ladies and Andrew Thompson the series Mr. Box Office.

Fox has also appeared in five videos with CollegeHumor duo Jake and Amir titled "Rick Fox", "Rick Fox 2", "Rick Fox 3", "Rick Fox 4", and "Finale Part 5: The Auditions". In these videos Fox plays Amir's bookie and is shown to have a fixation on eggs and chicken. His ex-girlfriend, Eliza Dushku, appears in "Rick Fox 4." Fox is featured as a guest star on the Jake and Amir podcast If I Were You Show episode 78 Steroids.

In 2013, Fox played the role of Chase Vincent in the VH1 series Hit the Floor.

In 2014, Fox guest starred as the character Dr. James Kendall in the CBS television series Mom. On the same airdate, he appeared as himself on an episode of the CBS sitcom The McCarthys.

In 2015, Fox played the role of Sam Johnson, the general manager for eponymous basketball team on Yahoo's original series Sin City Saints, he appeared in the TV film Sharknado 3: Oh Hell No!, and played retired basketball player Calvin Owens on iZombie. In 2016, Fox also appeared in the Showtime original series Shameless.

Reality television

In late 2010, Fox was a celebrity contestant on ABC's Dancing With The Stars, paired with pro Cheryl Burke. They came in sixth place.

He was host of the Jace Hall Show for five episodes.

Fox appeared as a contestant on Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?, in season 3.

He was a special guest judge during season 4 of RuPaul's Drag Race.

In 2017, Fox was a contestant on the "Chopped" Star Power actors competition. Fox came in second place.

Professional eSports

On December 18, 2015, Rick Fox announced that he had purchased professional League of Legends team Gravity Gaming (which re-branded into Echo Fox) of the North American League of Legends Championship Series. Echo Fox's League team has since finished 7th in the 2016 Spring split and 10th in the 2016 Summer split, out of ten teams. As of February 20, 2017, they are in a two-way tie for 7th place in the 2017 Spring split.

Echo Fox expanded into the Counter-Strike: Global Offensive scene in January 2016. They disbanded their CS:GO team in November 2016.

On April 29, 2016, Echo Fox went into fighting games by signing a top North American player Julio Fuentes of Street Fighter V. Echo Fox continued to expand in the fighting game genre in May, acquiring Super Smash Brothers Melee player Mew2King. In January 2017, Echo Fox made an even bigger move in the fighting game community by signing Street Fighter V players Justin Wong, Tokido, Yusuke Momochi, and ChocoBlanka, Mortal Kombat X players SonicFox and Scar, Super Smash Bros. For Wii U player MKLeo, and former Evil Geniuses FGC manager Antonio Javier.

Personal life

Fox has a son Kyle (born 1993) with Kari Hillsman, a woman he dated while playing basketball for the Boston Celtics. Fox was also married to actress/singer Vanessa Williams. After eloping in summer 1999 in the Caribbean, they had another ceremony in September 1999 in New York City. They had a daughter in May 2000. In August 2004, Fox filed for divorce from Williams. Fox and Williams' split however was amicable enough for the two of them to work onscreen together several years later on the television show Ugly Betty. Fox and actress Eliza Dushku dated from October 2009 to June 2014. He has a younger sister, Jeanene Fox who is a highly successful European model and actress.

Wikipedia

#Rick Fox #07-24

3 notes · View notes

coasttickets · 5 years ago

Text

Super Bowl LIV: 49ers vs. Chiefs

A week from this Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs will play the San Francisco 49ers for all the marbles: the 2019 NFL championship in Super Bowl LIV.

The last time the Chiefs played in this game was after the 1969 season, when the Chiefs defeated the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 during Super Bowl IV in New Orleans’ Tulane Stadium. It was the final Super Bowl between and AFL and NFL teams; as set out in an agreement between the leagues before the 1966 season, the American Football League was absorbed into the NFL immediately afterward.

In those days, domed stadiums were a novelty; professional football was an outdoor sport that was played in the fall and winter. So if the championship game happened to be played in a snowstorm, so be it.

But the leagues didn’t want their neutral-site championship game (a new idea) to be played in the cold or snowy weather that had plagued many of the postseason games preceding the merger agreement.

So through the first decade of Super Bowls, the games were staged in warm-weather cities — so that weather would be less of a factor in the open-air stadiums then available. (Oddly, the world’s first domed stadium — the Astrodome in Houston — never hosted a Super Bowl). Through the 1975 season, the game had been played in Miami’s Orange Bowl four times, Tulane Stadium three times, the Los Angeles Coliseum twice and Rice Stadium in Dallas once.

Things have changed since then. Seven of the last 10 NFL championships have been played in stadiums that are traditional domes — or at least have retractable roofs. These kinds of venues have allowed the game to played in cold-weather cities like Indianapolis, Detroit and Minneapolis.

But just like the last time the Chiefs played in the championship, Super Bowl LIV will be played in an open-air stadium: Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium, which opened as Joe Robbie Stadium in 1987 as the home of the Miami Dolphins — who still call it home.

But it’s an open-air stadium with a difference: its seating areas are covered with a roof. Like Texas Stadium in Dallas — which pioneered the concept and was used from 1971 through 2008 — the roof (more like a canopy) has a football-field size hole, meaning that games are played in the elements while fans are (largely) shielded from sun or rain.

Of course, Miami in January doesn’t have a high probability of rain. On average, it’s about 16%. The current long-term weather forecast calls for a 20% chance of rain on Super Bowl Sunday — preceded by two days with a 40% chance of rain.

There is, however, one other unique thing about the stadium.

Unlike Texas Stadium — which was built that way from the ground up — Hard Rock Stadium began as a traditional open-air stadium; the roof (more like a canopy) was added as part of a renovation completed before the 2016 season. This means that wind will tend to have more of an effect than in an otherwise-enclosed building that simply has a hole in its roof.

The Chiefs actually participated in the first game played in what was then Joe Robbie Stadium — although participated might be too strong a word — losing to the Miami Dolphins 42-0 on October 11, 1987. The game took place during that season’s NFL players’ strike; both teams were fielding (mostly) replacement players. The strike was settled after the following week’s games — while the Dolphins were on the road — so it was the only strike game played in Miami.

Since that rather inauspicious beginning, the Chiefs have played there 10 times, winning only three of their games against the Dolphins. For Chiefs fans of the 1990s, two of those games stand out: their 17-16 loss in the 1991 Wild Card playoff game and their 27-17 Wild Card defeat in 1994. The Chiefs haven’t played there since 2014 when they defeated the Dolphins (including starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill and backup Matt Moore) 34-15 in 2014.

The 49ers have played there six times — winning Super Bowl XXIII over the Cincinnati Bengals 20-16 in 1988 and defeating the San Diego Chargers 49-26 in Super Bowl XXIX to conclude the 1994 season. The last time the 49ers played in the stadium was in 2016, when they lost to the Dolphins 31-24.

For Tickets to the Big Game visit our website at www.coasttickets.com or call us at 562-595-6510 for more Personalized Service.

#SuperBowl #SuperBowlLIV #Miami #HardRockStadium #Florida #SanFrancisco49ers #SanFrancisco #49ers #KansasCityChiefs #KansasCity #Chiefs #Missouri #Tickets #Packages #LongBeach #CoastTickets

0 notes

mitchbeck · 5 years ago

Text

CANTLON: WOLF PACK OFF-SEASON - VOL. 8

BY: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings HARTFORD, CT - The final trophy in professional hockey for the 2018-2019 has been awarded when the Stanley Cup was presented to the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday night. But now the real work begins as every team will start to make their plans to fill their rosters with the best possible talent in search of a championship in 2019-20. STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS It was a classic Game 7, and the AHL played had a big role in directing Lord Stanley to St. Louis. It's been 49 years since the Blues last appeared in a Stanley Cup final (1970) and it was their first win in the franchise's 52 years in existence. The Blues' 4-1 victory was aided by a spectacular performance from goaltender Jordan Binnington. He made 32 saves including 12 superlative stops in the first period. Remember, the Blues were dead last in the NHL on January 3rd. They were 31st out of 31 teams when they fired head coach Mike Yeo and named Craig Berube their interim head coach. But that wasn't the only move that turned their franchise around. The first move was to relegate their then-starter, Jake Allen, to his being their backup goalie. They traded away ex-Pack Chad Johnson to the Anaheim Ducks and elevated Binnington from the AHL's San Antonio Rampage. The Rampage started off just as bad as their parent club. They went 2-8 in October but were able to get back to near .500 with a 16-7-1-0 run that included a seven-game winning streak. Binnington, who was nicknamed Winnington by his Rampage teammates, was summoned to calm the icy waters between the team's 4 x 6 cage. What's truly ironic is that a year ago Binnington was playing for the Bruins AHL affiliate in Providence, just 50 miles south of where he hoisted hockey’s Holy Grail on Wednesday. He was assigned there because St. Louis out of Chicago for an affiliate had to assign prospects throughout the AHL before getting their affiliation in San Antonio this year. Binnington becomes just the fourth rookie goalie to win a Stanley Cup Game 7. The other names on that list are pretty good goalies. They include Ken Dryden (Montreal 1971), Cam Ward (Carolina 2006) and Frank McCool (Toronto 1935). The AHL is an NHL development league. It would be fitting for the cover of the 2019-20 AHL Media Guide to feature Binnington. CALDER CUP PLAYOFFS The Checkers pulled off checkmate in five games and captured their first AHL Calder Cup in team history. The Checkers were the AHL’s best team in the regular season and now post season as well. The Checkers on the road in Chicago captured the top prize of the AHL with a 5-3 win over the Chicago Wolves. Andrew Poturlarski scored two goals including the game’s first goal just 1:31 in and the eventual game-winner. He was awarded the Jack Butterfield Playoff MVP trophy registering 12 goals and 23 points in 18 games. Morgan Geekie also chipped in a goal and assist in the championship-clinching win. Ex-Pack goalie, Dustin Tokarski, was amazing and earned his second Calder Cup ring. Since his loan reassignment to Charlotte on February 28th, Tokarski didn’t lose a game. While with the Checkers during the regular season he went 7-0-0 with a 1.14 GAA and a .935 save percentage. In the regular season with the Pack, he was 10-6-2-1 with a 3.10 GAA and a .901 save percentage. Following a 9-1-1-0 hot streak, Tokarski finished by going 1-5-1-1 and was pulled in his last game with the Wolf Pack on February 17th against the Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins. It was the second time he was pulled from a game in two weeks. In the postseason for Charlotte, Tokarski went 5-0 and posted a 1.74 GAA and a .935 save percentage. He will likely head next year to play in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) after having received four offers. Ex-Whaler Mike Vellucci, who was voted the Louis A. Pieri AHL Coach of the Year, as well as ex-Nighthawk Don Waddell, the team GM, will get Calder Cup rings. Ex-Pack Bobby Sanguinetti played in ten playoff games leading up to the finals, added a goal and five assists, However, Sanguinetti didn’t play in any of the game's Calder Cup Finals. Neither did Zach Stortini, who's one of the toughest guys in AHL history and who's likely to retire this summer that’s the only blemish on one of the best AHL teams along with Manchester to capture the tile in the last ten years. The team should send a ring to former Hurricanes GM and Whaler great Ron Francis. The players on that roster are his draft picks and helped fuel this championship run. Next stop Saturday, October 5th, the Wolf Pack home opener. PLAYERS & COACHING MOVEMENT The first of JD’s roving development coaches to work with younger prospects has been hired. Ex-Pack, Tanner Glass, 35, hung up the player skates after playing for GHC Bordeau (France-FREL) last year. He played 527 NHL games and 186 in the AHL. The Dartmouth grad was a superb blend of hard work, skill, toughness, and brains. It's a good first choice by JD. Head coach Jay Woodcroft of the Bakersfield Condors has been given a two-year extension by Edmonton. The Ontario Reign's assistant coach, and one-time Springfield Falcon player and assistant coach, David Bell, has left the team. He's bounced around the last few years between the OHL and AHL. John Madden, the former NJ Devil, not the Oakland Raider Coach, was let go by the Cleveland Monsters after two seasons. Officially, it was mutually agreed, but it is rumored that Madden and his players didn’t mesh well. AHL TO EUROPE LIST GROWS The fourth player lost by The Bridgeport Sound Tigers to heading across the pond is goalie Jeremy Smith. He signed with Kunlun (China-KHL). Joining him in China is Spencer Foo (Stockton), an Asian-Canadian kid who could potentially play for the Chinese Olympic Team at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games. Ex-CT Whale Tim Erixon finally heads back to Sweden. He signed with Vaxjo (Sweden-SHL), Goalie, Eddie Pasquale, goes from Syracuse to Barys Nur-Sultan (Kazakhstan-KHL), Emil Petterson Tucson/Milwaukee joins Erixon at Vaxjo HC (Sweden-SHL) and Sam Carrick leaves San Diego to EV Zug (Switzerland-LNA). Leaving the AHL to Euro number at 43. Ex-Pack and former captain, Mat Bodie, moves from Torpedo Novgorod (Russia-KHL) to Vaxjo HC (Sweden-SHL) on a one year deal. Ex-Pack Simon Denis leaves the Daemyung Killer Whale (South Korea-ALIH) and signs with Tokohu Free Blades (Japan-ALIH) next season. Mike Little (Enfield) leaves EC Kassel Huskies (Germany DEL-2) for SonderyskE (Denmark-DHL). Goalie, Patrick Spano (Yale/Westminster Prep), goes from HC Chambery (France Division-2) to Liege (Belgium-Netherlands BEL-NED) next season. Chad Staley of the University Alaska-Fairbanks (WCHA) heads to Hamburg (Germany- Division-3). That makes 34 collegians to sign Euro deals and 219 total US collegians Division I and III to sign pro deals. Ex-Pack, Garth Murray was named the full-time head coach for Aalborg Pirates (Denmark-DHL). He was the assistant coach for a year-and-a-half and was elevated on February 5th, 2018 to the head spot. Former Whaler, Robert Petrovicky, was named the coach of Slovakia’s U-20 team that will play in the 2020 World Junior Championship (WJC). The Championships will be held in the Czech Republic in Ostrava and Trinec, which is near the Czech Republic-Slovak Republic border from December 26th to January 5th. In his playing days, Petrovicky played for the last Czechoslovakia WJC team in 1993 before the country split into two separate republics. Missed this one from the NAHL Draft. Will Dineen, the son of former Hartford Whaler great, Kevin Dineen, was drafted by the Odessa Jackalopes in the seventh round (162nd overall) and he was also selected in the April USHL Draft by the Omaha Lancers in the seventh round (98th overall). The younger Dineen played for the prestigious Chicago Mission U-18 program that plays in the HPHL U-18 Division. Hockey is in this family tree. His daughter, Hannah, finished her college hockey career at Colby (Maine) and his niece, Ashley, finished her D-III career as well at St. Michael’s, VT. Kevin's brother, Gord is the assistant coach with Rochester. His brother Shawn is an ex-Nighthawk is a pro scour for Nashville, brother Peter is an assistant coach with Adirondack (ECHL) after 19 years as a scout with Columbus and brother and Jerry has been the Rangers video coach for the last 16 years. Their late father Bill started the hockey lineage as he played on two Stanley Cup championships back to back with the Detroit Red Wings 1953-1955 with Gordie Howe. He coached the WHA Houston Aeros all seven years of their existence in the league with his old linemate, Gordie Howe, still playing, winning two Avco Cups. He coached the last WHA New England Whalers team. He was a scout for the Hartford Whalers their first two NHL seasons. From the “They-Grow-Up-Up-Quickly" department, after receiving a text from ex-Wolf Pack great, Derek Armstrong, his oldest son, Dawson, now 18, and who was born in Hartford will be trying out in the fall for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres (OJHL). The Jr. Sabres assistant coach is one of Army’s old Wolf Pack teammates, Tony Tuzzolino, whose older brother, Nick is the Head Coach). The other assistant is former CT Whale, Tim Kennedy. Army's second son, Easton Armstrong, just finished his second junior camp with Regina (WHL), but he will play for the LA Kings AAA U-18 (TIEHL) squad this year. KEVIN DINEEN Click HERE for a great article on Kevin Dineen In addition, a companion video of Dineen’s discussing his favorite hockey memorabilia is HERE. Dineen would make the perfect next coach for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Dineen fits what the team so badly needs right now, a strong leader. No offense is not meant in a disparaging way the last two head coaches in Keith McCambridge, and Ken Gernander. A coach with a strong playing background in the NHL 1,188 games with 355 goals, 405 assists for 760 points and 2,229 PIM. He played two stints with the Whalers 1984-1991 and from 1995-1997. He played in that fateful last game in Whalers history and was the captain for the last Whalers team and the Carolina Hurricanes first team. He played for Philadelphia where he wore the A twice, skated for Ottawa and closed out his playing days the last three years with Columbus. Dineen has a solid NHL coaching resume. He spent three years as Head Coach of the Florida Panthers. He then spent a little over four years in Chicago with the Blackhawks earning a Stanley Cup ring as the assistant coach with his close friend and former Whaler teammate, Joel Quenneville. Ironically, he just took the head coaching job at Florida last month. Dineen, Quenneville, and Ulf Samuelsson, the three Whalers amigo’s, were let go by Chicago last November 6th, but their Whaler jersey numbers 5, 10, and 11 remain “retired” in the rafters of the XL Center. Between his Florida and Chicago gigs, Dineen helped guide the Canadian women to the Gold medal at the Olympics. He was also the Head Coach of the Canadian U-18 team at their WJC tournament. Dineen is a former Whaler who was highly popular here is second in all the top player categories with 587 games, 235 goals 268 assists and 503 points tops is, of course, Ron Francis (714-264-557-821) and he is second in PIM at 1,237 to Torrie Robertson’s 1,368. and met his wife here and their kids were born here. When he was in Portland, where he spent six years as the team's head coach, the players there spoke highly of his motivational value and willingness to work with younger players and incorporate new ideas. Give him some good new younger assistant coaches seeking to patch the holes in the Wolf Pack ship, and get some energy in the locker room, and maybe jump start the non-existent marketing of this team with that big smile and love of Hartford from Dineen. It’s worth a shot. QMHL DRAFT From a CT point of view Selects Academy of South Kent Prep school was the big winner with eight players selected at the QMJHL Draft last Saturday in Quebec City. The first part is an open-ended draft and there is a second American only draft where three of the eight were taken. Oscar Plandowski was the first taken in the 1st round (18th overall) by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. He is a Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) commit for 2020-21. Cam MacDonald was taken in the 3rd round (51st overall) by the Saint John Sea Dogs. He is scheduled to play for the Sioux City Stampede (USHL) next season but has no current college commit. Ryan Greene was taken in the 4th round (59th overall) by the Charlottetown Islanders. Greene is a Boston University (HE) commit for 2021-22. Eli Barnett went in the 11th round (188th overall) by the Quebec Remparts and is a University Vermont (HE) 2021-22 commit. Cam Miranda went in the 12th round (200th overall) by Saint John and has no college commit. There had to be some silence when in the 5th round (74th overall) selection was announced…Robert Orr by Saint John. No relation to the great Robert Gordon Orr #4 in Boston. The second overall pick of the draft, Justin Robidas, by the Val d'Or Foreurs, is the son of former NHL’er, Stephane Robidas. The only other NHL/AHL father/son combo was Zack Morrissette, the son of Dave “Moose” Morrissette was taken in the 3rd round (53rd overall) by his hometown team, Baie Comeau. In the American-only portion of the draft, a familiar name was a high selection in Ryan St. Louis (Riverside/Brunswick Prep) was taken in the first round (5th overall) by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. He is the eldest son of former Rangers and recent NHL Hall of Fame inductee, Martin St. Louis, and is a Northeastern (HE) 2021-22 commit. Jack Kurrie, another Selects Academy at South Kent Prep product was taken in the 1st round (9th overall) by the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Kurrie a Vermont native is a commit to University Vermont (HE) for 2022-23. Two picks later he saw his teammate Jake Bongo (Ridgefield) selected by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Then 1st round (13th overall) pick was John P. Turner (Westport/Avon Old Farms) by the Charlottetown (PEI) Islanders. He was also taken by Sioux City (USHL) 6th round (89th overall) in April and is a University New Hampshire (HE) commit for 2021-22 Goalie, Jake Fillion from the Connecticut Chiefs (Newington) U-16 team in the AYHL (Atlantic Youth Hockey League) was taken in the 1st round (15th overall) by the Baie-Comeau Drakkar who just hired a new head coach. Then in the 1st round (16th overall) Paul Davey (Greenwich/Brunswick Prep) was taken by the Memorial Cup finalist Halifax Mooseheads. He is a Boston College (HE) 2021-22 commit. The next pick saw Oliver Flynn (Wolcott) of the Connecticut Chiefs U-16 team taken by the Drummondville Voltigeurs. He was also taken by Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) 6th round (89th overall) in April. Then in the 2nd round (23rd overall) Matt McGroarty (Westport/Brunswick Prep) was taken by Blaineville-Boisbrand and was selected by Madison (USHL) in their draft two months ago. He is a Quinnipiac University (ECACHL) 2021-22 commit. Then in the 2nd round (26th overall) Casey Raffone (Guilford) the last of the Selects Academy at South Kent Prep players was taken by the Quebec Remparts. Then in the 2nd round (34th overall), Luke Holyfield (Cromwell) of the Connecticut Chiefs U-16 squad was taken by Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The last players taken went in the 2nd round (36th overall) in Matt Samokevich (Newtown) by the newly-crowned Memorial Cup champion, Rouyn Noranda Huskies. He played this year for nationally-renowned Shattuck’s St. Mary’s program (MNPREP) and few games for the Chicago Steel (USHL) who drafted him in 2018 in the 4th round (63rd overall) and is a University Michigan (Big 10) commit in 2020-21. POOLSIDE CHATTER With hockey playing in North America and Europe completed everybody is undefeated and now the business of hockey 2019-20 takes center stage with first the NHL Awards in Las Vegas on the 19th, then the NHL Draft in Vancouver June 21-22, free agent frenzy on July 1st for the NHL and AHL. Rumblings from the West Coast say that Calgary is likely to move their AHL farm from Stockton after next season and a possible location will be Fresno, a onetime ECHL market. The issue isn’t the building or the fans they like both very much, but the gang violence in Stockton is considered a bad environment for the players and team staff alike. Any possible changes however will wait until Seattle makes its selection for its AHL team. The same Western source says that Palm Springs is a possible location for an AHL team for expansion Seattle. It's not a fantasy and that there is plenty of serious talk going on. The potential team would be centrally located for the Pacific Division for Ontario and San Diego. Easy short, inexpensive flights to the Northern California teams and direct flights to Tucson and Colorado, two other Pacific Division teams. Keeping the rink viable in the desert in the heat will be an issue, but Arizona and Las Vegas are not Edmonton both in desert climates have rinks and there is an ice rink in Abu Dhabi, and it gets crazy hot there and Palm Springs, maybe it can work. Rejected the first team suggested name - The Palm Beach Conquistadors. Yes, resurrecting the old ABA name from the San Diego franchise would be great and make a superb logo for merch sales… The AHL could see that team in two years, a truly universal homogenized schedule of 70 or 72 games than the present 76-68 East-West split which everyone agrees is not very professional for the second best league in the world. The key is whether the teams in the East particularly teams like Hershey, Cleveland and Grand Rapids would give up two lucrative home dates will likely have to be compensated in some other manner and the West wants no three in three-game structure a deal. This could allow for a compromise and a deal to be struck and once the new Seattle team is finalized. Staying out West, some early word is that an initial sketch of an NCAA Division I Western conference is taking shape with Arizona State currently, and, independent D-I program being the first school. The Sun Devils are starting to break ground on their brand new on-campus arena that is expected to be ready by the 2021. Some of the schools being bandied about for such a conference are; USC, UCLA, University of Oregon, University of Washington, Boise State and Stanford. There could be some wild cards in that mix, possibly UNLV, Portland State, or Montana. Players are not the issue, it’s the lack of a conference. Once all the details are worked out, like rinks and leases, travel, NCAA compliance issues and regulations for a conference this is going to be another shot in the arm for hockey out West on the heels of Seattle being awarded an NHL expansion franchise. Speaking of Seattle, the price tag for the renovations for the KeyArena (which will be renamed with a new title sponsor upon reopening) have seen their costs ballooned already to $930 million (take note CT residents) from its original $600 million initial price tag back in October. The completion date has moved to the summer of 2021, four months before their first NHL season is slated to start in 2021-22. The work has also begun on its brand new training facility that is said to be state of the art and will hopefully meet any new requirements in the next NHL CBA agreement as well as the current one. Here is an update from KING-TV Channel 5 in Seattle; Watch it HERE. The name Sockeyes might be one of the finalists for a team name as a logo with salmon colors (thank God no black) is circulating. I’m still partial to Sea Lions and I think a great mascot name, Sammy the Sea Lion could emerge. Seattle has trademarked 13 possible names and Sockeyes and Sea Lions are among them. Closer to home the Islander new arena at Belmont Park is awaiting three final approvals before putting the shovels in the ground. The Empire State Development, the Franchise Oversight Board and Public Authority Central Board are slated to sign off on the deal in the next 60 days so the 18,000 seat arena can be built by the 2022 season. Read the full article

0 notes

beetleboard29-blog · 6 years ago

Text

The Bear Win In Minn Den, December 31, 2018

BEAR DOWN, CHICAGO BEARS, BEAR DOWN!!!!

BEARRRSSSS

Haugh: Bears Play To Win, Just As Matt Nagy Said They Would - 670 The Score - Matt Nagy’s approach Sunday was consistent with his actions all season.

Emma: Bears’ Matt Nagy Defends Cody Parkey After Missed PAT - 670 The Score - The missed extra point was due to other circumstances, Matt Nagy said.

Bernstein: Bears Choose To Close Out Strong - 670 The Score - A dominating defense shined in arguably the Bears’ most complete performance.

Emma: Bears Will Host Eagles In Wild-Card Round - 670 The Score - The Bears finished 12-4 and clinched the No. 3 seed in the NFC.

Medina: Bears to Host the Eagles in the First Round of the Playoffs - Bleacher Nation - It's set! Bears and Eagles will play next week at Soldier Field!

Dickerson: Bears enter playoffs as NFC's hottest team after win over Vikings - ESPN - Credit coach Matt Nagy for setting the tone for a Bears team that could have rested in Week 17 but kept its momentum going with a win in Minneapolis.

Pedal-down Bears keep Vikings out of playoffs with 24-10 win - ESPN - Get a recap of the Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings football game.

Emma: Bears Rookie WR Anthony Miller Suffers Left Shoulder Injury - 670 The Score - The injury occurred to the same shoulder Miller dislocated in September.

Ellis: Khalil Mack basically put up better numbers than the entire Raiders defense - NBC Sports Chicago - One of this season's most fun comparison comes to an end.

Stebbins: Bears wide receivers Josh Bellamy and Anthony Miller fined for actions in fight against 49ers - NBC Sports Chicago - Bears wide receivers Josh Bellamy and Anthony Miller were each fined for their actions in a sideline fight that broke out against the 49ers on Sunday.

Refocused, NFL Week 17: Chicago Bears 24, Minnesota Vikings 10 | NFL Analysis | Pro Football Focus - The Chicago Bears defeated the Minnesota Vikings, 24-10, in Week 17 of the 2018 NFL season.

Meveau: Chicago Bears to Host Philadelphia Eagles in First Round - NBC Chicago - The Chicago Bears will host an NFC Wild Card Round game against the Philadelphia Eagles next weekend at Soldier Field.

Neveau: Bears Beat Vikings to Finish Off Remarkable Regular Season - NBC Chicago - The Chicago Bears ended the season in emphatic fashion on Sunday night, beating the Minnesota Vikings to keep their division rival from reaching the postseason.

Mayer: NFL sets date, time for Bears playoff game - ChicagoBears.com - The NFL announced that the Bears will host the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC wildcard round of the playoffs at 3:40 pm (CT) next Sunday at Soldier Field.

Enter to win tickets for Sunday's playoff game - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears are headed to the playoffs and are giving fans the opportunity to win tickets to next Sunday's wildcard contest against the Eagles at Soldier Field.

Game recap: Bears head into playoffs with win - ChicagoBears.com - The Bears knocked the Vikings out of the playoffs with a 24-10 victory in Sunday’s regular-season finale in Minnesota and will host the Eagles in the wildcard round next weekend.

Pace talks Nagy, Long - ChicagoBears.com - Bears general manager Ryan Pace spoke to play-by-play announcer Jeff Joniak on WBBM Newsradio 780 AM and 105.9 FM prior to Sunday’s game against the Vikings.

Medina: Round One Is Set: Bears and Eagles Will Play at 3:40 PM CT on Sunday at Soldier Field - Bleacher Nation - Bears and Eagles are playing the first Wild-Card Weekend game at Soldier Field since 1991.

Rams’ rout, other results didn’t change Bears’ approach – ProFootballTalk - All the Bears had to do was lose. A loss would have sent the Vikings to Chicago next week for a wild-card game. Instead, the Bears dominated the Vikings and now will have to play the defending Super Bowl champions. They don't seem to mind.

Chicago Bears-Minnesota Vikings Postgame Show: Bears Hit the Ground Running and Never Look Back (Bring on Philadelphia) - Chicago Audible Podcast - A comprehensive game recap with instant analysis and insight on the Chicago Bears Week 17 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Stankevitz: Bears eliminate Vikings, will face Eagles in wild card round of NFL playoffs - NBC Sports Chicago - The Bears landed a knockout blow to the Minnesota Vikings with a 24-10 win at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, ensuring they’ll play the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card round of the playoffs next weekend.

Santaromita: Nick Foles got injured a week before the Eagles play the Bears in the playoffs - NBC Sports Chicago - A week before playing the Bears in the playoffs, Eagles quarterback Nick Foles picked up an injury in Philadelphia's regular season finale.

POLISH SAUSAGE

Dirk Koetter fired by Buccaneers – ProFootballTalk - Dirk Koetter seemed to know his time with the Buccaneers was up on Sunday and he has now reportedly been informed of his firing. Koetter has been fired after three years as the team’s head coach. Koetter was 19-29 during his time in Tampa.

Jets fire Todd Bowles – ProFootballTalk - On Monday, Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said, “Todd Bowles is our head coach.” On Sunday, Jets CEO Christopher Johnson said, “Todd Bowles was our head coach.” The Jets have announced that Bowles won’t return in 2019. It’s not a surprise.

Seahawks head to Dallas, hand Cardinals first overall pick – ProFootballTalk - The Seahawks are heading to Dallas, and the Cardinals are on the clock. After Seattle defeated Arizona today, the Seahawks are the NFC No. 5 seed and will travel to Dallas to take on the Cowboys in wild card weekend.

NFL releases playoff schedule: Bears-Eagles Sunday Late Game – ProFootballTalk - The NFL released the schedule for next weekend. The playoffs start with a Texas doubleheader. Houston hosts the winner of the Colts/Titans game at 4:35 p.m. ET on Saturday followed by the Seahawks at Cowboys at 8:15 p.m. ET. ESPN has the AFC game and FOX the NFC game Saturday.

KNOW THY ENEMY

Report: Packers to request interviews with Josh McDaniels, Brian Flores – ProFootballTalk - The regular season is over for 30 of the league’s 32 teams and that means it is just about time for head coaching searches to kick into high gear. When they do, Jim McBride of the Boston Globe reports that the Packers are expected to request interviews with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McD...

Nick Foles says he’s dealing with soreness in ribs - NFL.com - Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Nick Foles says he’s experiencing soreness in his “ribs area” after making an early exit during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s 24-0 win over the Washington Redskins.

Philly Special Effect: Touchdown passes from position players to QBs on the rise – ProFootballTalk - The Eagles scored one of the most famous touchdowns in NFL history when tight end Trey - Burton threw to quarterback Nick Foles in the end zone in the Super Bowl last season. The NFL is a copycat league, and this year plenty of teams emulated the Eagles.

The Detroit Lions didn’t tank and I’m glad - Pride Of Detroit - Having a better draft pick would’ve been nice, but Sunday was too fun not to sit back and enjoy.

3 takeaways from the Detroit Lions’ victory over the Green Bay Packers - Pride Of Detroit - The Lions obliterated the Packers to close out the 2018 season.

Lions-Packers final score: Detroit ends season with first shutout in 22 years, 31-0 - Pride Of Detroit - Score updates and highlights live from Lambeau.

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings: Key information and first quarter discussion - Daily Norseman - Alright, chums, let’s do this.

Chicago Bears 24, Minnesota Vikings 10: Vikings fail to make the playoffs - Daily Norseman - Just a dismal Sunday in Minneapolis. Ken's Note: If by dismal, you mean spectacularly fun for Chicago, then yes it was :)

Cornerstone players injured as Packers take unnecessary risk in final weeks of 2018 - Acme Packing Company - Joe Philbin was coaching for his professional life. Players always want to play. The front office needed to step in and save Green Bay from itself.

Report: Aaron Rodgers left season finale versus Lions in an ambulance - Acme Packing Company - The concussion suffered by the quarterback apparently warranted further tests at a local hospital.

2019 NFL Draft Order: Packers get 12th pick in round one, second pick still TBD - Acme Packing Company - Green Bay’s loss on Sunday helped them move up a few spots in the draft.

Vikings knocked out of playoffs due to loss against Bears plus Eagles’ victory - Acme Packing Company - Minnesota just needed to win today to get in. Instead, they’re headed home early. -

2019 NFL Draft order: Detroit Lions have the 8th overall pick - Pride Of Detroit - Zeglinski: The Lions dropped three spots thanks to their Week 17 win. Ken's Note: Fantastic day for Bears fans in Lions world. Lions humiliate the Packers by shutting them out (and who doesn't love a good Packer humiliation), they cost Detroit a top 5 drat pick (yet another win) then they got to watch former high draft pick Eric Ebron play for the Colts like the Pro-Bowler that he is now that he has escaped from Detroit and think "what could have been" if he hadn't been stuck with crappy coaching and a crappy offense. Win, Win, Win.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON WINDY CITY GRIDIRON

Zeglinski: Windy City Gridiron picks Bears-Vikings 2.0 - Windy City Gridiron It’s the 2018 regular season finale. Don’t worry, far more meaningful football is on the way.

Wiltfong: Chicago Bears activate Kyle Long - Windy City Gridiron He’s back to kick ass and chew bubble gum, but he’s all out of bubble gum....

WCG CONTRIBUTORS BEARS PODCASTS & STREAMS

2 Minute Drill - Website - iTunes - Andrew Link; Steven’s Streaming – Twitch – Steven Schweickert; T-Formation Conversation - Website - iTunes - Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; WCG Radio - Website - iTunes - Robert Zeglinski

THE RULES

Windy City Gridiron Community Guidelines - SBNation.com - We strive to make our communities open and inclusive to sports fans of all backgrounds. The following is not permitted in comments. No personal attacks, politics, gender based insults of any kind, racial insults, etc.

The Bear’s Den Specific Guidelines – The Bear’s Den is a place for Chicago Bears fans to discuss Chicago Bears football, related NFL stories, and general football talk. It is NOT a place to discuss religion or politics or post political pictures or memes. Unless otherwise stated, the Den is not an open thread, and profanity (including profanity only stated in pictures) is prohibited.

Click on our names to follow us on Twitter:

WCG Contributors: Jeff Berckes; Patti Curl; Eric Christopher Duerrwaechter; Kev H; Sam Householder; Jacob Infante; Aaron Lemming; Ken Mitchell; Steven Schweickert; Jack Silverstein; EJ Snyder; Lester Wiltfong, Jr.; Whiskey Ranger; Robert Zeglinski; Like us on Facebook.

Source: https://www.windycitygridiron.com/2018/12/31/18162243/chicago-bears-2018-season-news-updates-analysis-game-sixteen-minnesota-vikings-eagles-playoff-nagy

0 notes

junker-town · 5 years ago

Text

The 6 QBs who played for both the 49ers and Chiefs, sorted by tier

Photo by David Madison/Getty Images

From Joe Montana to Alex Smith, five notable passers have gone from San Francisco to Kansas City. One more has gone in the other direction.

The San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs will meet in Super Bowl 54 after an exciting pair of conference championship games. Both are storied franchises in their own right, but they share a unique connection.

For one reason or another, five starting-caliber quarterbacks have made their way from the 49ers to the Chiefs over the years. The highest-profile quarterback of the bunch is Joe Montana and the most recent example is Alex Smith.

A sixth quarterback, Bob Gagliano, went the other way, from Kansas City to San Francisco.

These quarterbacks have ranged from the legendary to the utterly forgettable, and we’ve put them in five handy tiers below.

The Legendary Tier

Joe Montana

13 years with 49ers (100-39, 14-5 in playoffs) 2 years with Chiefs (17-8, 2-2 in playoffs)

Montana was a four-time Super Bowl champion, three-time Super Bowl MVP, two-time league MVP, and possibly the greatest quarterback in Super Bowl history. He is one of the most important figures in 49ers history, which is why it’s kind of mind-blowing that he was eventually traded to the Chiefs in favor of up-and-comer Steve Young.

There wasn’t any bad blood that led to Montana being dealt to the Chiefs after 13 years with the 49ers. There was simply a young gun waiting in the wings at the tail end of Montana’s career.

Still, imagine if the Patriots traded Tom Brady a couple years ago because they were excited about Jimmy Garoppolo — even if it made sense, it would still shock the sporting world.

Young got significant playing time with the 49ers when Montana went down with an elbow injury that forced him to miss the entire 1991 season and most of 1992 as well. Young looked like the future of the 49ers, so when Montana was healthy in 1993, he was traded to the Chiefs.

The 49ers wound up winning a Super Bowl with Young during the 1994 season, while Montana got to work with Kansas City. In 1993, he led the Chiefs to their first division win since 1971, making his eighth and final Pro Bowl in the process. That year, the Chiefs advanced to the AFC Championship, but an injury took Montana out in the third quarter of a 30-13 loss to the Bills.

The following season, Montana got the Chiefs back to the playoffs. A wild card loss to Dan Marino and the Dolphins was Montana’s final game, however. He announced his retirement that offseason. He was later elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

The Deserved Better Tier

Alex Smith

7 years with 49ers (38-36, 1-1 in playoffs) 5 years with Chiefs (50-26, 1-4 in playoffs)

Alex Smith was the top pick in the 2005 draft, when the 49ers chose him over local product Aaron Rodgers. But Smith’s tenure with the 49ers was rocky. Early in his career he suffered a serious shoulder injury and missed the entire 2008 season, and then found himself battling for the starting job.

In seven seasons with the team, he went through three head coaches and six offensive coordinators. He would later describe the 49ers organization of the time as “completely dysfunctional.”

When he finally started to play well under Jim Harbaugh in 2012, Smith sustained a concussion midway through the season. Colin Kaepernick then moved into the starting lineup, where he excelled.

That led to Smith losing his starting spot, and the 49ers traded him to the Chiefs before the 2013 season.

In Kansas City under Andy Reid, Smith went from an underachiever to perhaps the best game manager in the league. He developed a reputation for protecting the football, and Reid got more good games out of Smith than he ever had with the 49ers. Unfortunately, Smith was never able to win more than a single playoff game with both teams.

The Chiefs drafted Patrick Mahomes in 2017, and he sat behind Smith for a year. Reid knew that Mahomes would be his quarterback of the future, and the Chiefs ended up trading Smith to Washington in early 2018. While Smith led Washington to a 6-4 record, a devastating leg injury ended his season and possibly career.

Smith has had 17 surgeries on his leg since. However, he is not officially retired, and has said that he wants to come back.

The “Good Enough to Get You Beat” Tier

Steve DeBerg

3 years with 49ers (7-28) 4 years with Chiefs (31-20, 1-2 in playoffs)

Ah, Steve DeBerg. The quarterback who kept getting replaced by younger guys. He bounced around a bit after the 49ers and before landing with the Chiefs. He’s also a quarterback who was much better in Kansas City than he was in San Francisco.

DeBerg was the 49ers’ starting quarterback in 1979, the first year Bill Walsh brought his revolutionary West Coast offense to San Francisco.

Speaking of Walsh, he once famously described DeBerg as “just good enough to get you beat,” which means he was utterly infuriating to watch, even if he wasn’t always bad.

DeBerg tended to play up or down to the competition he faced, though to his credit, he was never afraid to throw the ball. In 1979, he led the league in completions (347) and pass attempts (578), but he also threw more interceptions (21) than touchdowns (17). He won few games in Walsh’s offense, which wouldn’t really get going until Montana took over for good during the 1980 season.

In 1981, DeBerg was traded to the Broncos, where he compiled a 5-6 record and later backed up John Elway. He was then traded to the Buccaneers. In Tampa, he started sporadically (and also backed up Steve Young and Vinny Testaverde) en route to an 8-26 record in four seasons.

He was traded a third time in 1988 — this time to the Chiefs. DeBerg’s play definitely improved in Kansas City. Not only did he have a winning record in his four seasons, but he even notched a playoff win. He went from throwing 37 touchdowns and 60 interceptions with the 49ers to throwing 67 touchdowns against 50 interceptions with the Chiefs.

The journeyman quarterback would rejoin the Buccaneers in 1992, then spent time with the Dolphins and Marino in 1993 before retiring. Five years later (!), DeBerg returned as a backup with the Falcons under head coach Dan Reeves, who coached DeBerg in Denver. DeBerg became the oldest quarterback to start a game that season and was the oldest player on a Super Bowl roster. The Falcons lost to Elway and the Broncos in Super Bowl XXXIII.

He retired for the second time after that season, at 45 years old.

The Decidedly Average Tier

Steve Bono

4 years with 49ers (5-1) 3 years with Chiefs (21-10, 0-1 in playoffs)

We’re getting into “who?” territory here, but Bono did compete in the playoffs, which is more than some quarterbacks can say. He sat behind Montana and Young for a while in San Francisco, before starting six games in 1991 when both went down with injuries. He went 5-1 and threw 10 touchdowns and three interceptions in those six starts.

In 1994, he was traded to the Chiefs in exchange for a fourth-round pick. Bono was Montana’s backup once again that year and then became the starting quarterback in 1995 after Montana retired. He even had a 76-yard touchdown run, then the longest by a quarterback in NFL history:

Bono played well for the Chiefs, leading them to a 13-3 record and a division title in 1995. He also made his first and only Pro Bowl that season. In 1996, he went 8-5 with 12 touchdowns and 13 interceptions, then was released prior to the 1997 season in favor of the next guy on this list.

You’d think, looking at his record, that Bono might be underrated here, but he played on some very good teams with excellent supporting casts — guys like Marcus Allen, Derrick Thomas, and Neil Smith in Kansas City and Jerry Rice, Tom Rathman, and Charles Haley in San Francisco. He also threw a lot of interceptions (42 for his career, compared to 62 touchdowns) and had a low completion percentage, just 55.3 percent in his time with the Chiefs.

Elvis Grbac

3 years with 49ers (6-3) 4 years with Chiefs (26-21, 0-1 in playoffs)

Grbac is another player who occasionally looked quite good on the stat sheet, but was probably more of a product of the players around him than anything else. Drafted by the 49ers in 1993, Grbac was Young’s backup during their Super Bowl run in 1994.

He would go on to start nine games with the 49ers. In his three years in San Francisco, Grbac had a 6-3 mark with 18 touchdowns against 16 interceptions. He made more of an impact after signing with the Chiefs in free agency. There, he took over the reins as starting quarterback when the team released Bono.

He and Rich Gannon shared the snaps that 1997 season, though Grbac got the nod to start their Divisional Round playoff game against the Broncos. The Chiefs lost a close defensive battle, 14-10.

In Kansas City, Grbac won 26 games and even made the Pro Bowl in the 2000 season, but he was never a guy who could elevate the Chiefs. He signed with the Ravens before the 2001 season, and after starting 14 games and two more in the playoffs, he was released that offseason. He opted for retirement rather than a backup gig elsewhere.

The Trivia Answer Tier

Bob Gagliano

2 years with Chiefs 1 year with 49ers (1-0)

Only one quarterback went the other way — from the Chiefs to the 49ers — and that was Bob “The Goose” Gagliano, out of Utah State. Gagliano didn’t have much of an NFL career, joining the Chiefs in 1982 and throwing just one pass (a completion!).

After three seasons as a backup, he signed with the USFL’s Denver Gold and then joined the 49ers in 1986. He started one game for the 49ers, during a players’ strike. He won the game while throwing for just 150 yards and no touchdowns. Gagliano had brief stints with the Oilers and Colts in 1988 before signing with the Lions in 1989.

He wound up starting 11 games in Detroit, but generally did nothing of note during his playing career.

So far, it’s safe to say the Chiefs have gotten more out of 49ers quarterbacks than the other way around.

0 notes