Young NFL Stars

Nate’s 9 NFL Future Stars

I decided to do this a little differently from that of the NFL Network and ESPN.  They pretty much decided to rank the 9 best youngsters regardless of success and considered all comers under the age of 25.  I tried to eliminate as many 24/25 year olds as possible, just because I believed that their future is now, and I also tried to rate it on how much better I think they’ll become other than where they are at in their youth.  That’s why you won’t see Keenan Allen or Gio Bernard on this list, only because I don’t really see them exceeding the numbers they are already putting up.  Fantastic players in their own right, it’s hard when I only get nine options.  After getting it down to about 20, I went with the guys I personally like the best.  Here are my 9:

#9 – TY Hilton WR.  A friend once told me that he would be in the class of a Reggie Wayne or Marvin Harrison.  I laughed that off, as he usually finds many players to be boastful about.  I didn’t think Hilton was going to even reach the Pierre Garcon level, and he has one of the better QB’s in the league.  Needless to say, whoops.  I was way off.  He runs precise, silky routes and is able to gain yardage after the catch. All very impressive, considering his size. While I never believe he’ll reach the class of a Calvin Johnson or Julio Jones, he definitely has the credentials to reach that 2nd class of receivers.

#8 – Eddie Lacy RB.  For the most part, I believe that the running game is going to be a thing of the past, at least of the dominant running games of the 80’s and 90’s with the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.  Outside of Adrian Peterson and possibly Jamaal Charles, Lacy is one of the few running backs today that could be asked to carry it 400 times a year and thrive.  He’s got the body to do it for years, isn’t afraid of contact, and plays in an explosive offense.  While his injury history might keep him from being complete, he’s still the best young back in the league.

#7 – Tyrann Mathieu S.  His rookie year was incredible.  He came in with tons of question marks including his size, strength and character.  He was a first round talent that went in the 3rd round, albeit to a good situation in Arizona.  And he came out firing!  I couldn’t tell you how many tackles he missed, because I never saw any.  He blanketed receivers and wasn’t afraid to cover backs out of the backfield.  While he’s been a little slow recovering from his injury, he’s a huge reason that the Cardinals might win the whole thing this year.

#6 – Sylvester Williams DT.  I’m surprised the Broncos were able to get him as late as they did.  I know he was seen as a little bit heavy and not very disruptive in the passing game, but any time I’ve seen him he dominates on the line.  He’s about as close to a Kevin Williams, Warren Sapp type I think we’ll see in this generation of NFL defensive lineman.  He can get into the backfield, and he can also generate turnovers.  I know it’s the Broncos offense that gets all the pub, but he’s part of what could be a special defense this year in Denver.

#5 – Ziggy Ansah DE.  Talk about coming out of nowhere.  I usually don’t care for the guys that play 1-2 years of organized sports as there is so much to learn, and you really have to have a feel for the game in order to reach the top.  But his raw skills can’t be ignored.  He’s had moments this season for the Lions where he has been entirely unstoppable. He’s in the backfield chasing the quarterback before receivers can get out of their breaks, and he’s been decent in the run game.  There’s no doubt it helps having Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley inside, but he could be a key compenent of what might be the league’s best defensive line over the next few seasons (no disrespect to the only skilled group on the Jets roster).

#4 – Kenny Vaccaro S. While my first impressions were that of the next Earl Thomas, he still has yet to completely let me down.  Both were tremendous safeties while playing for the University of Texas.  Vaccaro is a little different though.  While Thomas has a knack for making big plays and offering jaw-dropping hits over the middle, Vaccaro is more of your cover guy.  He doesn’t give receivers room, and he can pretty much cover any size.  Guys like Randall Cobb and Golden Tate have given him problems, but as far as safeties go, he’s one of the best shut-down guys in the game.

#3 – Brandin Cooks WR.  The next breed of wide receiver.  He can catch the tough passes over the middle, he can beat you deep, he can run the WR screen, and catch from the tough corner routes.  I like Sammy Watkins the player more, but I think that because of Cooks situation, he will become the better player, at least while Brees is still in New Orleans.  I’m not sure why Mike Evans and Odell Beckham Jr. were drafted before Cooks got taken, but I know that it’s the Saints gain, and the Buccaneers & Giants decisions to rue. He should be the new Isaac Bruce if the Saints continue to rack up points and make big plays.

#2 – Larry Warford OL. While I think that there are 3 studs currently playing along offensive lines on a team near you, I thought it wasn’t a sexy enough position to include more than one of them in the nine.  So with no disrespect to Tyron Smith and Kevin Zeitler, the next dominate lineman should be Mr. Warford.  He went from being a solid offensive lineman in his rookie season, to being an absolute rock on this year’s division leading Lions.  For years, Detroit had always had issues with their line, and it’s hindered a group of skill talent that could certainly be among the league’s best.  Now, with Stafford getting time, and with more weapons everywhere, Warford could be a big reason that the Lions are hosting the trophy next February.

#1 – Andrew Luck QB.  For the second blog in a roll, Luck gets his due.  I have only seen this type of talent once before, and that’s the man he got sent to Denver, although in a roundabout way.  For Luck though, even in his worst games do we still see glimpses of greatness.  It’s hard to say that about any other quarterback in the league, Rodgers and Brady included.  He has certainly thrown a high number of interceptions in his first 2 ½ seasons in the league (36), but if he continues at the pace he is at this season, he may realistically be the only current quarterback that has a shot at Manning’s brand new touchdown record.  Numbers notwithstanding, he’s also a leader at 24, the face of the Indianapolis Colts just 3 years after Manning left, he avoids the rush extremely well, and can gain yardage through the air or with his legs.  I still think he’s one more year of good drafting and development away from a Super Bowl challenge, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he got there one year too soon.  In his eyes, he may already be one year behind.

Quarterback List 2014

Rank the Quarterbacks ‘14

One of my favorite things to do every year, is rate each team’s quarterback situation after the quarter point of the NFL season.  The reason I wait so long to do so is mainly for two reasons.  First, injuries happen, but they tend to settle down after the first couple of weeks. Secondly, it rids our thought of last year’s results and achievements.  Now we know that Philip Rivers is the real deal, and we also know that Jay Cutler isn’t a top 10 guy.  (Last year I had him 12th).  Hopefully you all remember that it scores out of 100, and upside and downside is considered as well.  I will use ^ for upside and < for downside next to everyone’s rankings.  Let’s see how the teams faired. (In situations where teams have had 2 quarterbacks, the final rating is the average between the 2.  So in Arizona’s situation, Palmer is better than other quarterbacks, but they fall because Stanton has started a few games...

Note:  Don’t be mad at my #1 pick.  I think there is justification if you look at the big picture as opposed to just numbers.  It’s graded out on 10 criteria and if you look at where this person is, there’s no glaring weakness.

*Criteria based on a 10x10 scale
• Arm Strength & Accuracy
• Pocket Presence
• Support of the Franchise/Fan Base
• Growth
• Coach on the Field/Locker Room
• Elusiveness/Awareness
• Big Plays in Big Moments
• For the Cameras
• Bigger the Game, Better they Play
• Reaction in Low Times


32. New York Jets – Geno Smith  32
31. Oakland Raiders – Derek Carr  35
30. St. Louis Rams – Austin Davis  35
29. Tennessee Titans – Jake Locker 39
28. Minnesota Vikings – Teddy Bridgewater ^ 40
27. Jacksonville Jaguars – Blake Bortles ^ 40
26. Buffalo Bills – EJ Manuel/Kyle Orton 40
25. Tampa Bay Buccaners – Mike Glennon  42
24. Houston Texans – Ryan Fitzpatrick   44
23. Washington Redskins – RG3/Kirk Cousins  ^ 45
22. Cleveland Browns – Brian Hoyer ^ 47
21. Philadelphia Eagles – Nick Foles ^ 51
20. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill 51
19. Cincinnati Bengals – Andy Dalton  57
18. Arizona Cardinals – Carson Palmer/Drew Stanton  < 58
17. Kansas City Chiefs – Alex Smith 60
16. Chicago Bears – Jay Cutler  62
15. New York Giants – Eli Manning 64
14. Baltimore Ravens – Joe Flacco 70
13. Dallas Cowboys – Tony Romo 70
12. Atlanta Falcons – Matt Ryan ^ 71
11. Detroit Lions – Matty Stafford ^ 73
10. San Francisco 49ers – Colin Kaepernick ^ 74 (Proof that I’m not biased)
9. Carolina Panthers – Cam Newton ^ 76
8. Seattle Seahawks – Russell Wilson ^ 80
7. Pittsburgh Steelers – Ben Roethlisberger 81
6. New England Patriots – Tom Brady < 84
5. San Diego Chargers – Philip Rivers 86
4. New Orleans Saints – Drew Brees 88
3. Denver Broncos – Peyton Manning 90
2. Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers 90
1. Indianapolis Colts – Andrew Luck ^ 92

My biggest surprise was Nick Foles only getting a 51.  He didn’t score very well in low moments (part of that is he’s had a few) and the fan base.  For whatever reason, Philadelphia still haven’t given him their full on support.  I was also surprised that Dalton didn’t get to 60.  I feel like 60 is when a franchise doesn’t have to actively look at replacing their starter (how it’s graded out in years past).  If you look at Hoyer, Henne and Cassel they were all in the mid 40’s last year, and all 3 teams drafted a quarterback in the first round.  Although I’ve been wrong a number of times, giving Josh Freeman a 76 is one of my worst moments (although he miraculously made the Pro-bowl somehow). I think Wilson, Newton, Kaep and Stafford are all another playoff run from the mid 80’s... I just want to see that Wilson’s season wasn’t dependent on the Seahawks defense (This year has forced him to try and win games on his own, which is great).  Outside of Kaepernick’s ridiculous ownership of the Green Bay Packers, he has graded out rather poorly on Cameras, Reaction and Franchise support.  I wonder if there are still 49ers on the roster that didn’t want Alex Smith in there... although Smith only graded a 4 on Franchise support in Kansas City.  I think that if a Jameis Winston fell to them in the next draft, they might jump at the opportunity to work with the guy.  One to watch for... Austin Davis.  I graded him low; partially because of his surroundings, and partially due to his lack of minutes.  It’s early, but I like what I see... Growth obviously hurt Brady and Manning, but it’s obvious they are just passing the peak of their powers.  The fact that they made it this far though is impressive, and Manning should stay in the 90’s for the foreseeable future.  He only lost 4 points in the other 9 categories (absurd).  If anyone could get an 11, it would be him (Franchise Support).  I think he could go to any of the 32 teams and the organization would gain instant credibility overnight.  Not even Jordan could do that for the Washington Wizards... Luck is the real deal.  He scored a 20 for me in my NTN, and at the college level, got a 99.  He’s got the potential to reach that here, once he gets some playoff wins under his belt...   If Romo wasn’t a total tool for the cameras and media, he would’ve scored around 75, which would have put him in the top 10.  I still think he unravels, once the running game disappears/media piles on him.  But I will say, I’ve been undoubtedly impressed... Rodgers was consistent in every category.  He only got one 8 (Bigger), and that’s more of the defense not standing up to San Francisco’s attack.  I think if he can win 2-3 in the playoffs this year, he gets his spot back from Mr. Luck... Rivers made the biggest improvement of any starting quarterback this year (+16).  He’s really turned it on, and done it beyond the passing game.  He’s more of a coach on the field now, and while they are winning more, he hasn’t sulked like he’s been prone to do in the past.  The problem is, he could easily drop back to the mid 70’s by next year... Poor Oakland Raiders.  I don’t see much upside in Derek Carr, and I think a bit of his success came from the offensive gifts that he had at Fresno State.  I’ve seen Oakland a few times this year, and he’s done nothing that makes me think he’ll hit 60 someday.  Do they take a chance on Mariota next spring?  I would, but it just says that McKenzie was wrong.  I think Schaub would’ve made a decent bridge, however... finally, the Jets. Geno is only part of the problem, but he is a big one.  The organization is in shambles.  They don’t know whether to fire their coach.  They spend like they’re close to winning a title, when in fact they should go into full rebuilding mode and try and get younger.  But when your quarterback only grades out at a 32... not even my college version of Mariota’s 95 is enough to turn this ship around.

Mortal Kombat Characters

Nate’s 9: Mortal Kombat Contenders

With all due respect to Killer Instinct, Soul Caliber, Street Fighter and Tekken, Mortal Kombat is my favorite fighter video game of all-time.  They had a perfect blend of protagonist and antagonist characters, and their story lines were creative and relevant to one another, which was the first of its kind to do so.  (I know Street Fighter had something similar, but you always fought your opponents in the same order w M. Bison being last). I also liked the unpredictability of Shang Tsung who could be anyone he wanted in the final match.  There wasn’t a gimmicky way of winning the game, because Tsung could be any of Johnny Cage, Sub-Zero, Noob, etc...  Anyway, here is a list of my 9 favorite fighters in the old history of Mortal Kombat. (I didn’t play any Mortal Kombat games after the 3rd release).

#9 – Jax Briggs.  A military combat fighter, but one that was supercharged.  He had an incredible amount of strength, and was one of the few ‘good guys’ that it was fun to play as.  His two best game moves were probably Energy Wave – which was similar to Guile’s sonic boom in street fighter – and the Ground Pound – when he smashed the ground and caused his opponent to become stunned for a second or two. His fatality wasn’t the most interesting; he just ripped off the arms of his opponent, but I think his strength and heroic like character is enough to get him into the nine.


#8 – Johnny Cage.  I didn’t like him at first, because I thought he was a ridiculous character for a fighting game.  He wasn’t necessarily a good guy, although he wasn’t bad either, but he was pretty and always wore the outlandish sunglasses during his fights.  One of my favorite things about playing against him was being able to knock off those glasses.  His moves were pretty decent – I think he was comparable to Ken from Street Fighter, and he had a lot of kicks that could inflict damage.  His Shadow Kick was probably his best known move, but it was his fatality kill that finally made me a fan.  The ‘Torso Rip’ was messy, but simple.  Just rip the top from the bottom.  Classic stuff.

#7 – Princess Kitana.  The Princess Kitana was hotter than either Sonya Blade or Chun-Li of Street Fighter fame, but she had the skill set to match.  She was the owner of the dangerous fan blade, which she could use to throw at an opponent, or use it in up close one-v-one combat.  Just like Johnny though, it was her fatality moves that I really enjoyed.  Her first one was the ‘Kiss of Death’ which made her opponent blow up like a big balloon and explode.  She also had the ‘Fan Slice’ which was a slick head decapitation move and she also had Sonya Blade’s ‘Scissor Split’ where she ripped off the torso from the bottom of the body. Gruesome goodies.

#6 – Scorpion. “Get over here!”  Probably the most classic of lines in all of Mortal Kombat history.  Hanzo Hasashi, who Scorpion started out as, is one of the most complex characters of the franchise.  While he aligns himself with some of the bad guys – like Shang Tsung in the movie version, he is essentially neutral.  He becomes an assassin to provide for his wife and children.  His signature move of course was his scorpion spear which he could use to bring his opponent close so he could inflict major damage.  He also had a teleport attack where he appeared at the back of his opponent and inflict some damage.  Even his Air Throw was decent enough; he probably had one of the better repertoires of the MK characters as most of his moves exacted a lot of damage and they were tough to defend against too.  His fatality move ‘Toasty!’ is still one of the legendary finishing moves as he just breathes fire on his opponents and turns them into bones (and in later versions, ash).

#5 Liu Kang. The good guy of the good guys.  I think he is probably the true protagonist hero of the game.  He is always fighting for the good of the realm, and has made it known that Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn are his true enemies.  He has a great assortment of moves including his trademarked fireball that inflicts minimal damage but is hard to avoid.  He also has the flying kick and the bicycle kick which are both fun to use and generates a bit more damage to the opponent.  His fatalities were rather boring, but that was more a feature of his beliefs (anti-murdering) than anything else.  His friendship fatality is easily my all-time favorite though when he breaks out in dance with the disco ball at the top of the screen.  Wherever do they come up with these ideas...

#4 – Goro. The brutally strong antagonist.  Perhaps the greatest sub-boss off all-time at least in relation to Killer Instinct (Fulgore) and Street Fighter (Sagat).  His most signature move was probably when he jumped in the air and landed on his opponent which varied throughout the games (in some games he jumped out of the screen, in others not so much).  Like Liu Kang, he too had a fireball, but his was green and a bit more lethal.  His chest pound if executed well could take off half of an opponent’s life, and was hard to come back from if accomplished twice.  His fatality ‘The Disconnect Four’ pulled people’s head into little quarter pieces and was more horrific than most other character’s finishing moves.  Hard to beat indeed.

#3 – Sub-Zero.  The first character that I fell in love with.  Once I had mastered his skill set, I was hard to defeat.  His best move is probably known the world over, and was very effective in either form.  He could either ice his opponent frozen, or spray it over the surface and get them falling into his direct path for more demolition.  In later games he also was able to spray ice in the air and hit jumping opponents, or his ice clone which created a frozen version of himself that froze the opponent.  His fatality move is infamous for its controversy for the violent factor.  For those of you that remember, he dismembers the head from his opponent with his spine attached and blood dripping everywhere.  A bit much, but a definite fatality.  His ‘Ice Impalement’ is a little more up his alley as he creates an ice spike that the opponent naturally falls on.


#2 – Noob Saibot. The dead Sub-Zero.  After Scorpion kills off Sub-Zero, he returns to the realm as Noob, a ridiculously talented and demoralizing villain who cares for nothing other than murder.  So very fun to play with. Noob was part of Sub-Zero’s skill set, Scorpion’s skill set (perhaps because he was killed by him?), Rayden’s skill set (namely teleportation) and the slide tackle – similar to Smoke and Liu Kang’s. He is a tough character to master; he has so many moves in which to learn and he doesn’t inflict the most strength on every hit, but if used correctly, can be one of the toughest players in the game.  His finishing move was the ‘Spinning Tornado’ which was fun to watch, but difficult to perform (left, left, up, slide to the left, right and X or maybe O I can’t remember).  I also liked his ‘Teleportation Body slam’ in which he just repeatedly slammed you in the air, coming to and fro, until the opponent exploded.  Sensational stuff.

#1 – It could be a number of people I suppose.  I’ve always enjoyed using Baraka, Rayden, Kung Lao, and Shang Tsung among many others.  But for those of you that played MK with me, whether it be at Circus Circus, Spectrum Lanes arcade or on any number of video game systems, it’s probably a pretty easy guess...

Reptile.  From the very first time I used him, I was in love.  He was neither good nor evil, but he just liked fighting, and he wasn’t afraid of any MK character including Shao Kahn, Shang Tsung or Zoro.  At first he was created with a combination of Sub-Zero and Scorpion powers which I was fine with, because I probably used them the most.  But when MK2 was released he was given his own skill set, which I thoroughly enjoyed.  He had acid spit, which I used over and over until the opponent pretty much went into submission.  Chameleon was my favorite move though.  He disappeared, and if used correctly, your opponent had no chance of winning the match.  He was a tough play though, because sometimes I had a hard time deciphering where he was.  The Slow Force ball was the other piece of his trifecta of great moves, which forced the opponent toward Reptile without the opportunity of using a skill.  His Fatalities were the same as Scorpion and Sub-Zero in the first one, but ‘Tasty’ will always be the one I enjoyed.  He took off his mask, swallowed his opponent’s head, and to the thrill of many, rubbed his tummy and said Yum!  Yum is deserving of the #1 spot all by itself.  A great era of video games, this Mortal Kombat.

Sports Neutrality

Nate’s 9: Thoughts on Sports Neutrality

And here I am.  About six weeks into impartial sports observations, and I have enjoyed a few things about this learning experience, and I have also become dejected during these events.  I fully understand now why we are all sports fans – not only does it give us a sense of pride and companionship watching sports together, but I think we enjoy the ups and downs of following our favorite teams.  I will admit, there has been a bit of a struggle watching Penn State football games, Packer football games, United soccer games and Dortmund soccer* games.  Baseball hasn’t affected me in the slightest; on the contrary, I have enjoyed following Derek Jeter’s final weeks and the Dodgers new evil empire.  Baseball is an easy sport to follow without the passion; I think that with the statistics and the architecture and everything else that there is more to baseball than just the sport.  Football and football and on the other hand... it’s been tough to say the least.  Here are some of my early assessments on making this change.

#9 – Unaffected after a Win or a Loss.  I will take some credit for this; I have been able to turn it off rather quickly.  Packers got destroyed by the Seahawks in the first game of the NFL season, and Manchester United lost at home to Swansea City in the opener.  Neither result upset me, and I moved on quickly.  In the past, I would’ve sulked for hours.  I’m still sulking over the Seahawks game the last time the Packers went west.  (It was clearly an interception).  Granted I haven’t felt the highs that I used to get after a hard fought victory over a rival, but it’s nice not to have to put so much stimulation into a game’s outcome.

#8 – Enjoying all the Players.  I noticed this specifically during last night’s Monday night football game.  In years past, I didn’t particularly care for Russell Wilson or Pierre Garcon; not because of their character but because of the color of their skin.  (Totally a joke, I thought I’d have a little fun here and reference a great speech). I didn’t care for either one because there was no reason to.  Yet, yesterday I caught myself getting interested in the game just because of what Wilson or Garcon were going to do next, and I got excited when they made certain plays.  Wilson really is fascinating to watch, and I think I can appreciate this much more when I’m not rooting for the Seahawks to lose every week. (Except when they played against the 49ers and Vikings of course).  I also have this appreciation for Raheem Sterling of Liverpool, Pat Willis of the 49ers, Neymar Jr of Barcelona and many more. I know a lot of fans need their heroes and their villains and it’s part of what makes the game great.  Bill Buckner would be some unknown to us now if we didn’t know him as Boston’s great villain.  Big Shot Bob would just be another NBA player with a lot of rings if he wasn’t the hero in many playoff games down the stretch. I can’t stand Todd Bertuzzi and Brad Miller with any ounce of my blood, but I must say since being a neutral it’s been fun to cheer for what used to be the bad guys for me...

#7 – Lying to Others.  One of the hardest things for me has been telling other people that I’ve been doing this.  After the Packers beat the Vikings last week, I can’t tell you how many Vikings fans told me that they didn’t want to talk to me, and how many Packer fans were super excited and wanted to share in that excitement with me.  I engaged in high-fives, smiles and handshakes, but really, beyond the numbers that game didn’t mean anything to me.  It’s hard to tell a Packer fan that, especially after sharing the spoils for the last 24+ years (Magic Man’s last full season).  Same experiences with Penn State and Manchester United.  Although I wouldn’t be lying to myself if I thought that the lift on Penn State’s ban wasn’t special.  I was really happy for the kids and coaches that are a part of the program now, and a little part of me wants to see them in a bowl game, but only because I am familiar with the nightmare of the last 4 years (20, if you include the D-Bag’s victimizing).  But, yes I will say that it’s been extremely hard not to reveal my new perspectives on sport and still share in the excitement of others.  And if I’ve lied to you, reader, I’m terribly sorry.

#6 – A Better Grasp of the Difference Between Winning and Losing.  Now that I’ve been watching more games besides those of my favorite teams, I feel like I understand the game a bit better.  Earlier this year I watched Arsenal plays Besiktas twice in the European Champions League; Arsenal won aggregate 1-0 while being outplayed.  In fact, Arsenal got red cards in both matches and had to play a man down.  Yet they were organized, never strayed from the team discipline and only took risks when it was absolutely necessary.  Besiktas let the game wear down on them, by the end you could see the resignation in their body language...  I’ve learned that it takes more than just talent to win.  Coaching plays a large factor, but I also think some of the outside elements affect outcomes as well.  Playing on short weeks in relation to the NFL (For example, it’s hard for a team to win on Thursdays when playing on the road and going through a lot of travel). Momentum is massive as well.  I saw the Royals come back against the A’s twice in their playoff series and it took them right through Los Angeles, even though the Angels appeared to be the best team in baseball.  The Pirates on the other hand, couldn’t score early, pressed, and then when the Giants took the lead off of the grand slam, imploded on themselves after playing a successful September to get to that point.  The Giants also lead in a series currently that they may not be favored in.  Prior to this year, I may not have seen these perceptions as clearly as I do now.  The Royals could be playing the Giants in two weeks, and I won’t be at all surprised if it happens.

#5 – Missing the Highs and Lows of Cheering.  I do miss the fandom aspect of the game.  Even though I’m not sulking after a loss, or delighted after a win, the ups and downs of every particular game-play-moment were fun to revel in with other fans of that certain organization.  I still have yet to go to a live event; I think I will really struggle if I do get to see Green Bay or Penn State this year (Although I don’t believe I will, at least until 2015).  I relish the memories of pacing in my living room at the town house when the Packers and Eagles were going tit-for-tat in that 2011 playoff game.  Huddling in the corner of Harland’s apartment watching Lawrence Tynes line up for that kick to take the Giants to the Super Bowl in 2008.  Leaving the Irish pub downtown when Nicolas Anelka missed the PK against Manchester United in the Champions League final because I couldn't deal with all the emotion in that game.  All that is gone.  I do miss it.

#4 – The Arsenal Affect.  I will admit, I am a little bit of a FIFA fiend.  I haven’t purchased Madden since 2010 or NCAA Football since 2012, but I have bought FIFA every single year since 1998 except for 2014 (’13 was amazing, still my favorite to this day). Now I am playing a career mode with Arsenal, one of Manchester United’s great rivals, and I must admit that I am enjoying it immensely.  (Interesting note, dating back to my Real Madrid dynasty on 2013, I have had Denny Welbeck one way or another for about 7-8 consecutive seasons).  It’s been fun to play with Arsenal, and I catch myself watching them more in real life.  I’d be curious to know that if I did buy Madden, could I ever do a dynasty mode with the Bears or Vikings?  I never did in any edition of the football game that I ever owned...  Just like owning a new car, it’s fun to take something else out for awhile, after driving your own for so long.

#3 – Can Basketball be my new Baseball?  This has been great for baseball as far as I’m concerned.  I’ve watched more baseball in the last 2 weeks, than I probably have during the rest of 2014 and all of 2013 combined.  I watched the Royals-Athletics from start to finish, the Giants-Pirates from start to finish, and a large number of innings from the four divisional playoff series since... Now I’ve loved the Timberwolves since their inauguration into the NBA back in 1989.  We used to go to many, many games when I was a child.  But basketball has fallen by the wayside, especially when compared to football and football.  It used to be my favorite sport and the one I always looked forward to playing while in school growing up.  However, since my return from Germany, I think it’s fallen to third and at times I prefer to watch a hockey game versus an NBA game.  Maybe a new perspective will bring the love back.  Watching Cleveland, Chicago, Miami and Dallas has me intrigued this year.  All four teams could be playing deep into the playoffs, or potentially get knocked out early (maybe not Cleveland).  While I think the Timberwolves will be competitive and at the least very fun to watch, falling in love with the sport again will be a greater reward for me than staying stagnant with Wolves basketball and falling deeper into the ‘other’ sport abyss.

#2 – A new Career Choice?  While missing the emotion of being a fan, I have been able to watch every single game objectively and I think the one thing that I have found out about myself during all this is that I’m good at recognizing talent, game tactics, policies, etc.  During my teen years, I had dreams about maybe going into scouting, as I thought I would enjoy the travel, games, experiences and everything else.  I know that it’s a competitive field, and especially if you get it wrong once or twice (fired, immediately).  Yet, besides Joey Harrington (American football) and Micah Richards (European football) I've been pretty good about proclaiming brilliance from an athlete.  I know that my current life choices have probably eliminated a real college try at immersing myself into that employment field, but part of me still believes that I could do it, and I hope that curiosity never subsides.  Maybe when the boys are older, I’ll get my chance.

#1 – Missing the Things I Loved.  And there are a ton of them.  Instead of engaging you, the reader, with a paragraph of my thoughts on the subject I thought I would just give you a list.  Enjoy.
• Green Bay – Minnesota
• Manchester United – Liverpool
• Penn State – Michigan
• Rooney Scoring
• Julius Peppers (My Favorite defensive player) on Green Bay (My Team)
• Annual Trip to Lambeau
• Penn State visits to Minneapolis
• John Kuhn touchdowns
• Being David De Gea’s biggest supporter
• Sharing in Fan Enthusiasm
• Green Bay - Chicago
• Trash Talk
• Manchester United Tours (I saw City instead)
• Packer Pick 6’s
• Manchester United - Arsenal
• Borussia Dortmund Champions League Matches (Still my favorite experience in Germany).
• Bears’ collapses
• Wolves beating teams they aren't supposed to




* - Can it please just be football from now on?  Ok, thanks.