Month: October 2024

data-mm-id=”_seek12odr”>Giants rookie head coach Joe Judge has come in guns blazing to his first training camp, flouting the common sense methods most coaches follow in the preseason in order to endear themselves to players and, more importantly, keep them healthy. It started with him making players and coaches run laps if they made a mistake and continued when he extended a practice for an additional half an hour because he wasn't pleased with the performance of his team. But while those decisions raised some eyebrows, his latest idea might blow minds. Specifically, Giants quarterback Daniel Jones' mind if he's not careful. For some unknown reason, Judge floated the idea of taking away Jones' red jersey following practice yesterday. A symbol to defenders that you a…

data-mm-id=”_37bavvr6w”>Hope for the best, plan for the worst has been the running theme for sports leagues trying to hold a season in the midst of a global pandemic in the year 2020. The NFL is no different. With no bubble environment, the league is left to hope that a coronavirus outbreak won't completely derail the season, but forced to prepare any and all contingencies in the case that it does. Those contingencies are being tested for the first time this year. Three players and five staff members of the Tennessee Titans tested positive for COVID-19 after Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. Both teams subsequently shut down their facilities. As of right now, all is well in Minnesota, with no positives. But matters are different in Tennessee after an additional pla…

data-mm-id=”_1najhe3wd”>Titans coach Mike Vrabel was lambasted for his decision to punt on fourth-and-2 on the Ravens' 40-yard-line with the Titans trailing 17-13 in the fourth quarter. Nothing encapsulated his confounding decision more than the always-objective "surrender index," which, according to them, determines "how cowardly every NFL punt is, quantitatively."Here are the numbers. TEN decided to punt to BAL from the BAL 40 on 4th & 2 with 10:06 remaining in the 4th while losing 13 to 17.With a Surrender Index of 138.87, this punt ranks at the 100th percentile of cowardly punts of the 2020 season, and the 99.92nd percentile of all punts since 2009.— Surrender Index (@surrender_index) January 10, 2021So it's the most "cowardly" punt of …

data-mm-id=”_hdkqfhl09″>Bennifer. A rookie Patriots quarterback showing flashes of brilliance. Wondering if LeBron James can carry a team into the playoffs. Miami moving closer to the center of the college football world. What year is it? * Urban Meyer is building a culture of accountability. More specifically, a culture for others to be held accountable. * Aaron Rodgers doesn't regret saying he owns the Bears. And he shouldn't. Why apologize for the truth? * Luka Doncic admitted he needs to do better with his fitness. Join the club. * ESPN has Spring Training games scheduled for Feb. 26 on its MLB scoreboard. That's optimism. * Transfer Portal is a great name for a bar in a college town. * Curtis Granderson will make a tremendous manager. He'd make a better commiss…

data-mm-id=”_sieyiutmq”>Even if we were to grade on the easiest curve imaginable, what happened on First Take yesterday would get a failing grade. Even if the bar was set impossibly low and built with two pretty attainable elements — carrying about the subject matter being discussed and not openly insulting an organization for merely existing or fans who support them — Stephen A. Smith would have repeatedly knocked his head on it. The program deigned to briefly discuss the Los Angeles Angels' string of luck over the holiday weekend, a stretch that saw Mike Trout fracture his wrist, Shohei Ohtani leave a start with a blister on his middle finger, and Anthony Rendon hobble himself with a foul ball off his leg. Everyone knows that despite having Trout and Ohtani, the team has not s…

data-mm-id=”_iw3p6r4vz”>The Tennessee Titans took on the Baltimore Ravens in London on Sunday and it didn't go so well in the first half. The two sides traded field goals in the first quarter before the Ravens scored a TD to go up 15-3 with three minutes left in the half. They got the ball back after the two-minute warning but couldn't do anything with it and lined up to punt with only 12 seconds to go before halftime. You'd think Tennessee was safe to get to the locker room and regroup in an attempt to show some competitiveness in the second half. You would think wrong. Kyle Philips, the Titans' second-year return man, muffed the punt at his own 11-yard line. The Ravens recovered and the ever-reliable Justin Tucker was able to boot in a short field goal to put his …

data-mm-id=”_clhhrq69g”>While the 2023 NFL playoff picture has begun to come into focus, so has the 2024 NFL Draft order. Thanks to some unexpected outcomes in Week 14, the order has been shaken up a bit. Still, the view from the top remains largely unchanged. The Chicago Bears still have a clear path to the top pick. Their trade with the Panthers last year to net Carolina's first-rounder is looking damn good. The Panthers took Bryce Young at No. 1 and are 1-12, meaning the Bears will have the top pick again. Meanwhile, the New England Patriots still have a grip on the No. 2 pick. With North Carolina's Drake Maye announcing is intention to enter the draft, and USC's Caleb Williams expected to follow suit, quarterbacks could go No. 1 and No. 2. The Arizona Cardinals and W…