NFL Stories During Training Camp

Nate’s 9: NFL Stories for 2014

This has always been one of my favorite times of the year, at least from the perspective of sports.  The NFL training camp, while over hyped, does tend to get the juices flowing for many fans, not just myself.  I have always looked forward to the Green Bay Packer camps, not only because I was a fan, but because the organization has relied so much on the draft and rookie free agents that it is one of the few opportunities in which we can see everyone get a chance to shine.  While I am still excited for Packers camp this season, it comes from a different observational position.  I am curious to see whether Julius Peppers can fit into their schemes while playing at linebacker for the first time in his career, and it will also be interesting to see if they continue toward the trend of running the football and leaning less on Aaron Rodgers.  Here are the top stories that I’m looking forward to over the next couple of weeks.

#9 – Ryan Tannehill.  From day one, I was never sold on this kid.  I don’t think people realize how difficult the quarterback position is to play, and for Tannehill to have only done it for one season prior to getting drafted... I really feel that he probably should’ve stayed in school a little longer, or sat behind an NFL ready quarterback in Miami.  These aren’t my only concerns; I also question his hunger for the game and whether he has the leadership quality to lift the ordinary players that tend to fill the roster of the Miami Dolphins.  Mike Wallace appears to be a product of Ben Roethlisberger and the deep balls of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and not of pure talent.  Their line is in flux, and I think it will take more than Branden Albert and Ja’Wuan James to turn it around.  Anyhow, I really would like to see Ryan Tannehill take that next step up during the pre-season and make me look bad for a change.  His time is running out.

#8 – Will the Houston Texans look like the 2011-12 teams or the 2013 team?  I find it hard to believe that a team that went 22-10 for two seasons fell apart overnight and became a 2-14 team.  If they didn’t get some clutch plays in the final two minutes of the first two games, they very well could’ve been 0-16.  However, I hardly believe it.  I think they quit on Kubiak as a whole around the time of the Oakland Raiders loss (2-8).  From 1-53, they are probably a top ten team in the NFL.  More so if Jadeveon Clowney is everything they say he is and more.  He should allow for JJ Watt to go back to the levels that most fans of the league are used to, and they could be very dangerous considering that four of their games are against the quarterbacks of the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars.  I truly expect that this team will be ready to go come September 7th.

#7 – The Washington Redskins.  I think that this organization from an operational standpoint is an absolute mess.  Daniel Snyder has no Strategy and Implementation summary for this team, at least not from where I’m sitting.  They hire Mike Shanahan who does a great job developing quarterbacks and getting them to play within a system and then they go out and bring in veteran after veteran until the drafting of Robert Griffin III.  Which is fine, except then they change their offense entirely so Griffin can play within the confines of the spread option.  Which is fine, except then when he misses games and Kirk Cousins has to come in and play, they go back to a pro-style offense.  Then they fire Shanahan.  I just want to see them try and get out of this mess.

#6 – Will the Bears make the playoffs?  For as good as we think the Bears have been, they have only made the playoffs once in the last seven years.  Granted, they pushed Green Bay to the brink that season, but for a franchise that always appears to compete for playoff places, they’ve been somewhat of a letdown.  Which is all the more surprising considering that they’ve had Lance Briggs, Julius Peppers, Brian Urlacher and Charles Tillman on those teams, and they are all getting close to Hall of Fame consideration if not already there (Urlacher).  Now they’ve switched their organizational mentality entirely by firing Lovie Smith, bringing in offensive guru Marc Trestman, and loading the offensive side of the ball with tons of talent.  We can all pretty much say it’s one of the best in the league.  But is it at the expense of the defense?  Outside of Lance Briggs, there is not one player on this defense that I would consider building a team around.  We’ll see if they can find that balance.

#5 – Who will be rookie of the year?  This has been an incredible draft as far as talent and opportunities go.  All three first-round quarterbacks could be their teams starting quarterbacks by the end of the year.  Bishop Sankey has walked into a starting job, but how well is anyone going to run in the Tennessee Titans offense.  There are so many talented receivers in this year’s draft that any one of ten could challenge for the offensive rookie of the year title.  Defensively, it may be even tighter.   Clowney would appear to be the front runner, but Kahlil Mack, Anthony Barr, Ryan Shazier and CJ Mosley could all be starting the full 16 games.  Any one of them could have an opportunity to have a standout performance.  My early guesses will be Brandin Cooks of the Saints; he is the perfect WR for that system and I think Drew Brees will depend on him early.  On the defensive side I will say Clowney, but only because it’s extremely safe.

#4 – The Jets have all but guaranteed a playoff appearance.  So of course the first thing I did when I bought my NFL magazine this year was pour over their roster and find numerous reasons about why I think they are ridiculous for thinking so.  But in truth, they aren’t really that far away.  Now, I hate their quarterback situation.  Okay, hate is a strong word.  Especially because I have always been a fan of Michael Vick.  But Geno Smith and Matt Simms aren’t the answers, and they improved their roster just enough to probably miss out on the quartet that could be entering next year’s draft.  So what was the point?  Well, they obviously believe in Geno Smith for starters.  And with Chris Ivory and Chris Johnson as his running backs, he has a chance to not be required to win games.  The receiving core has talent coming from Eric Decker, Jeremy Kerley and Stephen Hill.  Their defense really is shaping up nicely and I think that Dee Milliner and Kyle Wilson will be good players in years to come.  They also have what could be the makings of one of the best defensive lines in football with Sheldon Richardson and Muhammad Wilkerson as the staples.  But until they get their quarterback situation resolved, and I don’t think that Vick is the answer anymore, the mouthing offs of Rex Ryan, Geno Smith, David Nelson and company will go unheard in this household.

#3 – Will Jerry Jones hate football after this season? I’ve been saying for three years now that Tony Romo needs to be replaced.  Leading up to this season, I felt like the Dallas Cowboys had a team capable of playing in a super bowl.  Dez Bryant, Miles Austin, Jason Witten and DeMarco Murray are all good enough weapons, and the offensive line has finally developed to the point of where Romo was given time to make plays (Doug Free is a really good player now).  Their defense was solid if not spectacular, but I think that Romo was costing this team a lot of victories, not because he turns over the ball frequently or makes stupid plays, it just he always does it at the worst of times.  3 years ago, I felt that they had a great chance to trade up and get Robert Griffin III.  Jason Garrett would have been a great mentor for him, and I think that Griffin would have learned much under the tutelage of Garrett.  They went for Morris Claiborne instead, which I was fine with, but still thought they may regret.  Last year, when rumors were abound that Philip Rivers may be available; I thought that Dallas should step in and make a move.  So what do they do instead?  Give Tony Romo an extension.  It was laden with incentives, so there was the chance they could cut him if the right situation came along.  Then when Johnny Manziel came along, it was the right situation.  He’s from Texas, dominated somewhat nearby at Texas A&M, is tailor-made to fit the personality of the Dallas Cowboys, it all made sense.  Here was the second coming of Roger Staubach (At least in the eyes of the media).  They passed on him.  So here we sit, and of all the major publications and experts with whom I value the opinions of, not one of them believes the Dallas Cowboys will make the playoffs this year.  I agree.  Will Jerry Jones finally make a move next season and draft a Bryce Petty or move up for a Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston?  To get America’s team back on track, I surely hope so.

#2 – Can Denver get back? It’s hard to say they were “oh so close”, when they lost in the Super Bowl 43-8. Yet, I believe all the pieces they already have, plus the additions that they made should get them really close.  I only have two concerns.  First, can Montee Ball take the pressure off of Peyton in games where they don’t have the favorable match-ups needed to win? (I.e. Seattle, Arizona).  Second, can they win enough games to get home-field advantage in what has become a really tough division, on top of games against the New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals?  While Oakland is still a few years away, at least they are on the right track.  Kansas City and San Diego have windows of opportunities that are getting smaller not unlike Denver and might soon be willing to go all in, in order to get to the next level.  I think Denver is probably still the favorite to come out of the AFC, but New England has an easier path, and Indy could be the team that ends up with home-field this next season.

#1 – Cleveland QB Situation.  It’s not really a mess, on the contrary, I really like the situation that Cleveland thinks they are in.  Brian Hoyer is a solid quarterback and could probably win with this team and in this division.  He makes sounds decisions, and has just enough elusiveness to make a difference.  Johnny Football is a media monster, a profoundly polarizing figure, and has the benefit of the unknown on his side too.  We all want to see what he can do, and unless Hoyer starts out 3-0, there is going to be clamoring for the Browns to throw Manziel into the mix.  With the defense that Cleveland has built, I think this team under the right quarterback play and leadership could go 8-8, 9-7.  Just enough to think about the playoffs.  Of all the stories, I’m really looking forward to this one the most as their long-term plans could interfere with challenging for the playoffs and alienating fans that haven’t seen a playoff victory since the Browns franchise started for the second time in 1999.

Favorite Game of Thrones Houses

Nate’s 9: Houses in Game of Thrones

A blog that I should’ve written a long time ago. This series by George R.R. Martin is my favorite book series of all-time and it’s not even close.  The best part for me is I’m infatuated about the HBO series as well, and I’ve only watched the first two seasons so far.  I am fully aware of everything that happens in the HBO version; I will do my best to keep out any spoilers for those of you that haven’t caught up to the end of “A Dance with Dragons”, in the book series.  I think the best part about this particular series is that I can do this blog now and 1,000 pages later favorite characters will have died, new houses will have come to the forefront, and Tyrion will have committed another folly.  It’s great stuff!

*So after reading this back, there are 1-2 spoilers that don't really gave away scenes, but do mention characters that haven't been introduced yet.  Proceed at your own risk...

#9 – House Arryn.  I’m actually only fond of about two people in this house, and it more relates to other characters’ flashbacks that are mentioned in the novels.  I like Jon Arryn although we’re never introduced to him in the novels.  He had the decency to raise Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon as good men, and became Robert’s hand after he had taken over the kingdom following the deaths of Rhaegar and the Mad King, Dany’s brother and father.  He kept the Arryn house honest, even if he decided to marry poorly.  The other character of course is Petyr Baelish, one that I think is very important to the series.  His moves have been grand; he hasn’t missed on any of the details.  I think that he’s already made some of the biggest moves, and I also think there are more moves for him to make in the future.

#8 – House Tully.  They are just so good-natured and at ease with a world filled with war and political corruption.  Hostel is such a gentleman; he keeps his illness a secret so the remaining supporters of his house can fight the war against the Lannisters without worrying about his situation.  He raised two strong and intelligent children in Catelyn and Edmure.  Edmure even gains the respect of Jamie Lannister while he has him prisoner, and is able to do enough to keep his life heading into books 4 & 5.  Catelyn is one of the strongest characters of the series, although she does show a weakness with her ill will towards Jon Snow.  She must know that there is more to that story, because Ned Stark values honor above everything else.  While I think the House is in a state of decline, they are still one of the stronger Houses in Westeros and could align themselves close to the kingdom in a matter of time.

#7 – House Bolton.  For being a house filled with villains, I will say that I enjoy their political maneuvering and aspirations.  Roose wears a pink cloak, which in and of itself is quite awesome.  Not only is he cold and calculating, but he can rock the pink as well.  He plays a very low key political game; strategically joining sides that he feels best suits his game to continue ascending toward whatever his final plans may be.  Roose also makes the move that may have been the most significant up to this point when he takes down the “undefeated” Robb Stark at the Red Wedding.  His son Ramsay is a bastard in more ways than one.  He is as cold as his father, but a lot more unforgiving.  He hasn’t made any great moves that will have raised the profile of the Bolton House, but he isn’t a character that should be crossed.  I’ll be curious to see how the tale unfolds for this quiet, vengeful family from the north.

#6 – House Tyrell.  I don’t think we have seen the best of this House quite yet.  During Robert’s Rebellion, they stayed loyal to the Targaryens and just sat back and really only offered troops while needed.  They got crushed when Robert came to power, but have slowly fought their way back to the great Houses of Westeros.  Outside of the Lannisters, they probably have the most financial backing of any house.  They are situated in a great location, as Highgarden sits a few days ride from King’s Landing, but away from all the battles of the War of the 5 Kings.  They continue to make small moves.  Not sure how many we can mention because I haven’t seen Seasons 3 & 4 on HBO, but they are getting their fingers into all the echelons that are needed to gain power.

#5 – House Stark.  They have the most unfortunate luck of any house in the realm.  I feel like at the beginning of the novel, while Westeros was enjoying a peaceful time, they were positioned very well.  Many heirs to the lands of Winterfell, a large number of allegiances both near and far, a hostage in Theon that would prove vital, and a stellar relationship with the King (Robert).  Needless to say, it’s all fallen apart, but I still do enjoy many of their characters.  Bran has come into his own, and I believe will have an exceedingly imperative role to play as the tale continues to unfold.  Snow has become one of the leaders at the Wall, and is battling to keep the kingdom from being ambushed by those above the Wall.  Arya is traveling to better improve her life, and will be one of the more interesting subplots in future books and seasons.  Sansa has become a woman, and an intelligent one at that; she might become a big piece to the story as alignments shift and Houses continue to make big moves.

#4 – House Targaryen.  I surely hope that George R.R. Martin has enough left in him to tell the story of the Targaryens’ while in power.  They were a dynasty of a House that had control of a relatively peaceful kingdom for almost 300 years until Robert’s Rebellion.  And even then it can be assumed that Prince Rhaegar would’ve been a much better king if they had just let it die after the Mad King was defeated.  In any case, I’m excited for the possible comeback of Danerys.  She appears to keep stalling at a siege of Westeros, but I imagine it’s going to be a part of Martin’s final chapters.  I’m also excited for some of the other secrets that Martin’s been keeping about members of this house, but I will leave it at that!  Any family that can tame dragons and use them for their own ambitious needs is good in my book!

#3 – House Baratheon.  I imagine that they are something like the Dallas Cowboys, and while Robert Baratheon is everything Troy Aikman was, Stannis Baratheon will forever be Tony Romo.  But I’m still a fan of the House, and although the end of the royal line might be done with the death of one Joffrey “Baratheon”, they still have a lot left to say for the battle of Westeros.  I’m still most heartbroken over the loss of dear Renly who would’ve made a great King in my opinion.  He was a Lord (Storm’s End), he served on Robert’s council (Master of Laws), he was good-looking (evidently), and he fought in tournaments, and had the people’s favor.  But it was not to be, as Stannis had the power of sorcery.  In any case, Stannis can still make big moves if he can defeat the cold that has emboldened Winterfell since his siege of the North.  Robert was a wonderful character who was gone too soon, and was a good king.  It’s a shame that political goals by the Lannisters ended his life a few books too soon.

#2 – House Lannister.  I know.  It’s like cheering for Darth Vader, the Yankees, Megatron, etc.  But they have a lot of fervor for political affairs and their sympathetic characters (Tyrion, Jamie?) are fun perspectives to observe the world from.  Besides as most of us all know, Tywin isn’t all bad.  He’s just embarrassed that one of his children is an imp, one of them no longer has the use of both hands and therefore can’t become King or own lands, and one is a lunatic.  His wife (who it appears was very tender and caring) was killed during childbirth, and he saw no one fit or rich enough to remarry.  Is that so bad?  I also love Tyrion and his story is always entertaining.  It was tough enough not having him in book 4, beyond it being my least favorite of the 5 books.  Not only is he comic relief, but I think he has developed to the point of being one of the protagonists of the story as well.  While Jamie nor Cersei can be considered any of my favorites, they play such a relevant part of the story that you can’t help but at least enjoy the journey in which each are taking.

#1 – House Martell.  Granted, when I say that book 4 is my least favorite of all the story lines, I do love the introduction of House Martell and most of the members within.  The Viper is known to be my favorite character in all of the series, and I was sad to see him go (I hope all of you that have the audacity to read this, at least know that he’s no longer with us).  I also enjoy Prince Doran, who is smarter than we are first let on.  He has been plotting revenge over his niece’s death and her children for 16+ years. I also am impressed by their laws with which the family values equal rights; women can ascend to the throne in the same manner as men, and some even learn the use of sorcery, weapons and poison.  The Sand Snakes (which are the 8 daughters of one Oberyn Martell) are some of my favorite characters in the series, and it will be interesting to see where their future lies within the story.  We know that they want vengeance for their father’s death; I’ll be curious to see if they get it.  Another intriguing story line is whether or not Princess Arianne gets what both she and her father have planned for her.  I am well aware that this part of the book has yet to make the television series, so I will leave it out, but just know that the battle for the Iron Throne is going to get very interesting.  The Lannisters may have their match.

Favorite Players at World Cup 2014

Nate’s 9 Favorite Players –World Cup 2014

Since there are going to be a couple of breaks this week as a result of time winding down on the World Cup in Brazil, I thought I would sit down and think about what players had the biggest impact and who I have fallen in love with over the past 24 days.  I will be honest; I much, much prefer club football to that of the international competitions.  I just don’t believe that we can consider a team that played well for 7 games (630 minutes plus extras) to be the best in the world and bestow such glory on them for the following four years and beyond.  In any case though, I do understand the magnitude of each moment and how it can play on someone for the rest of their careers (i.e. David Beckham/Diego Simeone; Roberto Baggio; Zinedine Zidane).  The positive example from this is James.  James had always been a pretty good young player and Porto, and I always looked forward to when they had him in the starting eleven.  When AS Monaco came in for him and the end of last season, I wasn’t really surprised, but I know that a few out there were.  He had been linked to Manchester United and Liverpool, but it never seemed serious, and he never really angled for a move.  Now, he may be the most valuable player in the world sans Messi, Ronaldo and Bale.  It’s amazing what a few weeks will do for a person on a grand stage, but I for one am excited for him, and he has touched me with his class and passion over these last few games.  I hope he bounces back strong and continues to get better.

Note – I took two things into consideration.  First, I have ignored the semi-finals as one was over before it started and one didn’t showcase much for talent and inspiration.  Second, I included no Germans.  Not because I dislike them, on the contrary, I’m their biggest fan.  But they’ve played such beautiful team football that it would pain me to single out any player for individual recognition.  But they have been very imposing on every team in their own way so far.

#9 – Ross Barkley.  I wish he had gotten a little more of a chance to shine, but he definitely had an impact during the times that he was brought on by Hodgson.  In the Italy game, the game shifted tremendously once Barkley was introduced.  Pirlo didn’t get as much time on the ball, and England looked better going forward.  In the Uruguay game, he came on after an hour and also had positive influence, at least until Suarez knocked England out of the tournament.  I can not defend his play in the game against Costa Rica, but in truth no one looked special that day.  But I think the England squad should consider building around Barkley, as they challenge for 2016.

#8 – William Carvalho.  To be fair, I fell in love with his game during the friendlies leading up to the World Cup.  He didn’t get a chance to play against Germany, and was non-existent in the game against the U.S.  But in the game against Ghana... he was magnificent in mid-field.  Breaking up play, spurring the attacks, showing confidence and making good decisions at the age of 22.  We are quick to throw around comparisons especially with factors like Facebook and Twitter, but I think if there is going to be another Roy Keane in my lifetime, we may have found him.  Not afraid to go forward, but never leaving his teammates exposed when he does... Portugal may have the beginnings of another golden generation.

#7 – Neymar Jr. I have really tried not to believe the hype with this guy.  Brazil has been singing his praises since he was 16 years old, and he’s been anointed roles that not even the great players have been designated (Savior, Second Coming, etc). I thought he was just a prettier Robinho.  But going back to the Confederations Cup of last year, and well into the tournament this year, he’s been a revelation. He has scored goals at crucial times (Croatia), helped back in defense (Mexico), and to have the nerve to take that final penalty against Chile and just bury it... While most of us were admittedly underwhelmed by his first season at Barcelona, I have to believe that he’s only going to get better, and I was left impressed by the mark that he left in Brazil.

#6 – David Luiz.  For those of you that know me well, I can’t stand this guy.  First, I will start with his character.  He’s always looking to get other players in trouble, acts very condescendingly toward referees and while it was Rafa Benitez, gives managers quite the difficult time in the locker room.  Now to mention his game on the pitch: He’s erratic, doesn’t hold true to his position and leaves other players vulnerable to defending, sends 70 yard passes when clearly it’s not in his skill set to do so and demands taking long-range free kicks.  Well in these last 3 weeks, his character has shown through (encouraging a positive response from the crowd was awesome), he was willing to take on penalties, he actually committed to defense for most of the matches, and the free kick goal was brilliant.  He’s not my favorite player, or even close, but I will say there is room in the game of football for David Luiz.

#5 – Leo Messi.  The world has asked so much of him as a player during his career, that I have almost become sickened by it.  When he was a teenage prodigy, we all discussed his great dribbling, but he needed to score more goals.  He set goal-scoring records at Barcelona, but he couldn’t score with his head.  He scored a goal with his head in a Champions League Final match, and then we wanted him to replicate his success with Argentina.  It’s always something, and here is one of the greatest players of all-time!  I have been delighted by his performance so far in the World Cup, and I am relieved to see that even with all these requirements that we ask of him, he is still playing the game with no pressure on his shoulders (Iran).

#4 – Xherdan Shaqiri.  I am a little bit at fault with this blog, as this is another one of the players that I admired prior to the World Cup starting i.e. Barkley; Carvalho.  When Basel knocked Manchester United out of Champions League, there were a number of United fans in disbelief.  Not I, said the fly.  I watched Shaqiri with fascination and intrigue. Here was this tiny little winger that could only dribble with one foot, which had the touch of an angel and the vision of a night owl.  Fast forward 3 years, and all his talent has finally come to fulfillment.  His game against Honduras, while it was Honduras, was a great individual performance and he was the only player worth watching on a field with 21 other players.  He won’t be blocked by Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery for much longer.  Shaqiri is approaching greatness.

#3 – Paul Pogba.  Literally, I could just watch Pogba play in a game and no one else.  He has that type of influence and skill set on every game that he plays in.  He can play in just about every mid-field role, and he was dominant in wins against Nigeria and Switzerland.  You can see that he can be neutralized in some games (Germany), but I think it’s hard for any team to chase the ball between Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos and Sami Khedira.  Pogba was absolutely brilliant for the rest of the tournament, and his goal against Nigeria came at the perfect time and with the perfect shot.  No goalie in the world could have saved that header, and his preferred role is that of defensive midfielder.  He will continue to get better.

#2 – Tim Howard. There’s not much to say here.  Anyone that watched the United States at all in this tournament knew how important Tim Howard was to the hopes and aspirations for the United States.  He single-handedly kept us in the game against Belgium, only for class to finally shine through on the day.  He was also great against the Germans, and not for the result of poor defending and a terrible give-away, he may have kept a clean sheet against the Portuguese.  The U.S. have had some great goalkeepers over the past twenty years, but no star has been brighter than the performance that Howard put on in 2014.

#1 – James Rodriguez.  Simply put, his accomplishments for Colombia in Brazil have been nothing short of extraordinary.  I felt like he was one of only two players (the other being Robben) where it seemed like the bigger the moment, the better he played.  All of his goals were important including the PK against Brazil.  Colombia had many more chances to equalize after that goal, than Brazil did of finishing off the game.  He gave his team inspiration, had his entire country behind him, and won the respect of fans and players from all around the world in the 5 games that we got to see him play.  It was a true sign of introduction, and now the name James can come of our lips the same way Magic, Peyton and Trout do.

#ThingsTimHowardCouldSave

Nate’s 9: Things Tim Howard Could Save

Before we delve in I just want to say that none of these ideas are mine, only that Twitter is blowing up with all the memes and I took about a half hour while the kids were playing in the Burger King maze to go through them all.  I enjoyed each one, but here are the 9 greatest.  Search the hashtag: #ThingsTimHowardCouldSave to find all of them.

#9. The Dinosaurs.  While a little far-fetched, the meme of Tim Howard blocking a meteor from hitting the earth was pretty amusing.

#8. Luis Suarez from biting Giorgio Chiellini. Howard dives in and catches the teeth of one biting Suarez.  I thought that one was pretty good.

#7. Me 15% by getting me switched to Geico.  A little play-on-words, but not bad.

#6. The World Trade Center Towers.  Only if.  A cartoon meme of Howard as a Godzilla type character reaching out and knocking down the planes.  Good stuff.

#5. Steven Gerrard from slipping.  I’m not sure if he’d want to, but the meme of him reaching out to save Gerrard from falling in the Chelsea game was hilarious. Who comes up with these?

#4. Minnesota Sports. Loved it because it’s true. Imagine Howard on MNUFC. We’d never lose.

#3. Ned Stark’s head. Sent out by some of the characters on Game of Thrones.  Creative, and imagine how different things would be if he did save Stark’s life.

#2. Mufasa.  Scar would hate him.  But it was my favorite meme by far.  Right before Mufasa falls into the stampede from the top of the cliff.  Simba probably would’ve made a better king with Mufasa’s influence anyway.  Just saying.

#1. My Parents Marriage.  I’m sure multiple Twitterati have posted this since the original, but it’s still the only one that made me burst out laughing.  No meme to speak of for it, but I don’t think it needs one.  Successfully completes the full 15 seconds of fame in my opinion.  No one 20 years of now will know why Tim Howard saving a parent’s marriage is so funny, but for this week only, it was news worthy.