Hi Folks,
We do a ton of insightful, thoughtful, and serious features here at Footballguys with smart people thinking deeply for you.
This is not one of those features.
This is Random Shots and it's a few pages of me downloading my goofy and dysfunctional mental hard drive that gets stuffed with way too many random items from too many hours watching, reading about, and listening to football every weekend and throughout the week. It's the only way I manage. Here's hoping it has some value for you.
We'll see. Now let's get to it.
J
It's On.
With the NFL season kicking off Thursday night, I was feeling like this throwback picture of Jimmy Johnson. It's the same way every year.
My local draft was last week and after a dismal Non-Championship finish last year, I'm changing my team name to Daniel's Tigers. A nod to one of the all-time ballers, Fred Rogers.
This year's draft was a little different with distancing and some guys on a Zoom call. But we still made it work.
Here's a picture from last year.
On the Soapbox.
I love the DFS games, and I love the big season-long contests. We filled 10,800 teams for our Footballguys Players Championship leagues and sold out early. But for me, this picture IS Fantasy Football. A bunch of friends and smack talk. We may not be as physically close this year, but the smack talk is more intense than ever. This kind of community and camaraderie is the heart and soul of this industry and it'll always be at the forefront of how I think of Fantasy Football. All the other ways to play are great. But they're all in addition to this. Friends enjoying each other and enjoying football always has been what I love about Fantasy Sports. And always will be. And yeah, this is what I said last year. My guess is I'll say it next year too.
Off the Soapbox.
First things first. There's nothing more certain in life than a massive overreaction to Week 1 of the NFL.
I'm admitting right here and now in front of you, God and Roger Goodell, I'm guilty too. But I'm going to try and check myself.
This is just one more way Football is like Life.
Now let's go.
Oh, Cleveland.
I'm not sure anyone was happier to see Ben Roethlisberger back than JuJu Smith-Schuster.
This was fun. My friend Matthew Berry featured a couple of guys from my local league in his weekly must-read Love-Hate column for Week 1.
So good. Both Tom and Derrick were hard to deal with for a few days after this came out.
Wait. Maybe it wasn't all Jameis Winston's fault?
I don't hate the fake crowd noise. But it had a few bumps Sunday.
Kevin Clark was on Colin Cowherd's show last week with a great analogy for Aaron Rodgers. He compared him to Tiger Woods in that he isn't what he used to be, but at any moment he's entirely capable of something incredible. He spent most of Sunday doing incredible stuff.
Evidently, if you're a big enough name, and the guy being hit is not well known, helmet to helmet hits are ok now. Someone call Vontaze Burfict and let him know.
I guarantee you Wade Phillips threw something about two seconds after this.
Bill Belichick is a National Treasure.
Although maybe not everything has to be back to normal...
More 2020ness.
I live in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Last week there was an unexplained tiger loose in town.
Twitter did what Twitter does.
My friend Casey is my long time buddy and Footballguys model. He's the guy holding the trophy belt on the Footballguys website. Aside from being handsome, he's by far the person I know most likely to have something to do with an unexplained tiger in Knoxville, Tennessee. He's also our reigning league champion.
When I saw the tiger story, I asked our league chat if anyone had seen Casey?
He replied:
It's almost not fair.
Rex Chapman with the age-old question: Block or Charge?
All I could think about was the Simpsons...
Music Note for this Week. If you're a regular reader, you know The Avett Brothers are my favorite band. Going way back for them on this one. This one is special to me for lots of reasons. One, it was recorded here in Knoxville. Two, I'm nearly certain my little brother Rich was at this show. Rich died a few years ago but he's the one that introduced me to the Avetts. I don't have the words for how it feels to watch a performance to such a small crowd knowing he was there. Third, it's just a great song. They don't play it that often but when they do, he usually personalizes it to the crowd as he did here. It's easy to see why their fans love them. Rock on, Seth Avett. Rock on, Rich.
Marvin Jones is a full-grown man.
New Las Vegas WR Nelson Agholor caught a touchdown Sunday. But this is Random Shots. Meaning it's less about Agholor and more just a reason to post one of the top five videos of all time. Philadelphia fan was a hero catching babies rescued from a building last year and he still was upset about Agholor dropping a pass. God Bless Eagles Fans.
Bill Belichick watching Cam Newton.
Bill Belichick watching Tom Brady.
Better teammate than passer.
Mark Andrews and Ravens fans are completely happy for you to keep fawning over Travis Kelce and George Kittle...
Aaron Rodgers' with the purple drink against the Vikings never gets old.
Trent Williams looked like he missed Football.
I had a sandwich at halftime Sunday.
Ron Rivera had an IV.
I think I need to complain a lot less about things.
Green Bay Mood:
Hat Tip to my friend CJ Fogler.
I picked Tampa Bay to be in the Super Bowl this year. They lost Sunday to a team many people picked to be the NFC representative in the Super Bowl. Relax.
But the internet is still going to internet. And I'm here for it.
Hat Tip to Footballguy David Dodds.
Russell Wilson's baby is as cute as you'd expect.
NFL. Seems like people are still interested...
This is just good football.
Benny Snell is worth having on your roster just for his mouthguard.
Be nice to each other. We're all just trying to figure it out.
Bonus points to whoever's running the @SirPurr Twitter account with the "I'M THAT BEAR".
Good news. Saquon Barkley is on pace for 240 carries this year.
Bad news. If he can keep up Monday night's yard per carry average, that will net him a shade over 96 yards for the season.
Barkley had more commercials than rushing yards Monday night.
But he hurdles sometimes. So it's cool.
With all this Tom Brady in Tampa talk, I think it's time we admit it.
Bud Dupree is a problem.
If this NFL thing doesn't work out, Jalen Ramsey might have a future in the NBA.
Fake throwing his head back is next level. You can't teach that.
Yes, this was a bad call.
But let's be honest, so was missing this.
These things usually even out.
And besides, you can't blame Aldon Smith.
When he was last in the league, this kind of stuff was legal. Here's Smith against Frank Gifford...
Ok, that's Chuck Bednarik.
Cam Jordan was not holding back.
She's not wrong.
Can we please do a Monday Night Double Header every week?
Remember when you learned the spin move in Madden?
Want to feel old?
Here's Danny Noonan also known as Michael O’Keefe from Caddyshack caddying a practice round at the 2020 U.S. Open. The Bushwood Country Club hat was a sweet touch.
A live look in on Dwayne Haskins and the NFC East.
Pretty much.
Sometimes, it comes to this.
Hat Tip to Footballguy Clayton Gray.
Aaron Jones walking into the stadium Sunday. Vikings never had a chance.
Hat Tip to Footballguy David Dodds.
When people asked me what I thought about Ben Roethlisberger Tuesday morning, I found myself saying, "He looked like Ben Roethlisberger".
And being oddly very happy about that.
Clyde Edwards-Helaire, you're kind of ridiculous.
Wrapping with this one.
Bills Mafia - Samoan Style. This is Eppy Epenesa, father of Bills rookie A.J. Epenesa.
A.J. Epenesa wasn't on the active roster Sunday. But his dad was still into it.
Bigger point - football isn't the point here. Family is the point. Honor and celebrate and appreciate your family as best you can.
Most of us don't have professional athletes in our family. Big deal.
I've got news for you, being a professional athlete isn't necessarily something to be proud of. Be proud of who they are as people. And be the kind of person that makes your family proud. And I get it, tons of people have challenging families. Or not much of a family left. Do the best you can with what you have. But family is important.
Thanks to Footballguys Keith Overton, Clayton Gray, David Dodds, and Aaron Rudnicki for the help on this one. If you've got a Random Shot of your own, send me an email at bryant@footballguys.com.
Thanks for playing along and I hope you make the most of whatever you're doing in your life. Love your neighbor and stick together.
Peace and Grace to you.
J
