Pro Bowl dodgeball is what we need and I am so happy we got it

Why did I enjoy this? The Pro Bowl and the entire week leading up to it has been boring for years. But this year the NFL brought back a passing drill (good), a drone football drop (sure) and dodgeball (YES!).

I have been a huge dodgeball fan since my childhood. I love the sport. I have played in many tournaments. I have a unique sidearm delivery. Dodgeball is fun.

I also like watching athletes playing in different sports. It’s pretty fun to see how certain athletes are out of their element. And for some, we see how good they really are at different things.

This was not going to risk their health and it was fun to watch. Good job! I want this to be an annual thing now.

My predictions for today’s championship games in the NFL

Who’s going to the Super Bowl? Check out my predictions below.

We should expect a shootout.

GREEN BAY (4) VS ATLANTA (2)

 

We are in for a huge blessing of a game. Offensively, Aaron Rodgers is playing at a level that is simply amazing. After an early struggle to to the season, Rodgers is now throwing with tremendous strength and accuracy. Despite not having Jordy Nelson, he has made his other receivers look great. Davante Adams and Randall Cobb both must play at their best to give this Packers offense a chance. Ty Montgomery has transitioned well into a running back and that’s how the Packers offense can succeed: a balanced attack. The Pack have given Rodgers some strong protection and they have to do so in order to give themselves a legitimate chance to score. And I expect a lot of points.

But the Falcons are no slouch either. Their historically amazing offense features Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and a great tandem of Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman. What makes this Falcons offense so much more dangerous is the emergence of Mohamed Sanu as a reliable second option. Additionally for the Falcons, they will have the benefit of playing at home, giving both sides of the ball the best opportunities to call out plays. The Falcons have that cloud of past failures over them. This team is the best team the Falcons have ever assembled. Can they finally get to the Super Bowl?

Diamondbacks complete the failure of their uniform branding

Remember when the Diamondbacks unveiled their new uniforms last offseason? We all hated it.

Then this offseason they announced changes to it because some of the design elements just didn’t work?

Well they no longer can salvage anything that can be salvageable. Two caps that were supposed to be part of the repackaged look have now been eliminated.

Correct.

— Arizona Diamondbacks (@Dbacks) January 15, 2017

The gradient cap becomes the new primary. And based on this photo, the sold black cap and the solid red cap are no longer out of the rotation. Yes, seven caps was already a lot but the team removing these two caps means that the attempt at branding has reached its final failure.

Watching sports with people who aren’t sports fans is the worst

Last night I was home with friends over watching the Chiefs and Steelers play. It was fine except for one thing. More than half of the people over weren’t sports fans. They didn’t know the rules of football. They were just over to hang out. But because I was watching the game, they all just gravitated towards the couches in front of the TV.

Watching sports around people who know nothing about sports sucks.

I remember watching the NBA Finals last year with non sports people around me. I was so focused on the game but all they did was make comments about anything they saw on TV. They asked questions about what are fouls and why the clock keeps moving. They would laugh at things that seemed funny but to a sports fan, is normal actions during a game.

The worst part is when they try to interject their own opinions on a play and say what they should have done. They are wrong because they don’t know what the situation is. 

My predictions for Sunday’s Divisional round games

Here are my predictions for the second round of the playoffs.

Let’s hope this game doesn’t have a major controversy.

GREEN BAY (4) VS COWBOYS (1)

This matchup is intriguing because we have the Cowboys, who have been playing well with a rookie quarterback, against a Packers team that ended the season strong with a seasoned veteran. Dallas has to play mistake-free with Dak Prescott under center. The rookie has been tremendous all year and has matured very well this season. Prescott must avoid the turnovers and be able to find his big-time players, especially Jason Witten and Dez Bryant. Ezekiel Elliot and the offensive line will give the Packers’ front seven a challenge in maintaining the pace of the game.

Aaron Rodgers has been here before and he appears to be the most dangerous player in the playoffs right now. The running game will hope to counter the Cowboys’ attack but it may once again come down the passing game. Jordy Nelson is out which means we have to see more Randall Cobb and Davante Adams. Still Rodgers can make a lot of plays despite the obstacles. Despite the Cowboys beating the Packers earlier this year, this is a different Packers team. They are the most dangerous team out in the NFC.

My predictions for Saturday’s Divisional round games

Here are my predictions for the second round of the playoffs.

The Seahawks defeated the Falcons 26-24 earlier this year.

SEATTLE (3) VS ATLANTA (2)

Matt Ryan and the Falcons boost one of the top offenses in NFL history (scored the eighth-most points in a season) and I don’t think that they will stop. Ryan and Julio Jones have been tremendous all year. The running game with Tevin Coleman and Devonta Freeman has given the Falcons a great balance. But going up against the Seahawks defense will be tough. If the pressure gets to Ryan early, it could be a tough game for them.

The Seahawks beat the Falcons earlier this season at home. But now they are on the road, which has not been one of the team’s strongest suits this year. Russell Wilson is still playing well but there are times poor playcalling and bad execution can lead to some short drives. Thomas Rawls was huge last week for the Seahawks and in order for the Seahawks to win, he has to step up and do it again. Seattle can’t afford to make this a one-dimension attack. They can carve up the Atlanta secondary, but they need to balance the attack to have a chance.

Report: Chargers to announce move to Los Angeles

Report: Chargers to announce move to Los Angeles https://t.co/xD9Cv4jF3T

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 12, 2017

And it is finally going to happen.

After entertaining the idea of moving, the San Diego Chargers will be the Los Angeles Chargers. According to ESPN, the announcement is expected on Thursday. I wonder if they will have a name change.

The Chargers have struggled to find a way to get a new stadium and the fan support hasn’t been strong in San Diego. That doesn’t mean that the support in Los Angeles will be that much better. The Rams are not good and fans aren’t showing up to the home games.

At this point, it looks like the Chargers will share the Coliseum with the Rams unless there are plans to use the Rose Bowl. Those are the two major stadiums in Los Angeles that can host an NFL team.

This is sad for San Diego. They deserve better. Los Angeles doesn’t need a second team. But here are we are. Welcome to Los Angeles, Phil. How do you feel about it?

 

My predictions for Sunday’s Wild Card round games

It’s time for the playoffs once again! Here are my quick predictions on today’s games.

The Dolphins pass rush is their only hope.

DOLPHINS (6) VS STEELERS (3)

This is going to be a tough game for the Dolphins. The team is good but they are without their quarterback Ryan Tannehill, meaning that Matt Moore has to be able to match the Steelers offensive. Jay Ajayi has been tremendous all year long and the Dolphins need him to help the offensive get going in order to match up with the Steelers. But maybe we shouldn’t look past the Dolphins, who have won nine of their last 11 games and beat the Steelers by 15 points in Week 6. Their pass rush remains strong and that will be a huge challenge for the Steelers. Keep an eye out for Kenny Stills to be the top receiver for the Dolphins’ attack.

Ben Roethlisberger is poised to have a tremendous game. He has played well this year and the running game of Le’Veon Bell and DeAngelo Williams will provide the Steelers a great ground and pound game. Additionally, Antonio Brown will continue to be dangerous in the open field for Pittsburgh. The Steelers aren’t a huge defensive juggernaut as they were in years past but they still can challenge any opposition and that is what they hope to do against the Dolphins. The Steelers are home and riding a seven-game winning streak.

My predictions for Saturday’s Wild Card round games

It’s time for the playoffs once again! Here are my quick predictions on today’s games.

The Texans are stuck with Brock Osweiler.

OAKLAND (5) VS HOUSTON (4)

This is going to be awful. The Houston Texans are not that good of a team but they make the playoffs because their division is awful. The Oakland Raiders on the other hand have played some really improved football but are without Derek Carr and has looked terrible since his injury.

Houston has to turn to Brock Osweiler, who has been the starter for most of the year. He is very inconsistent and the running game for the Texans is suspect. There isn’t much about this team that can get the team hyped. DeAndre Hopkins had a down year and part of it is due to inconsistent offensive play. Rookie Will Fuller is unpredictable (even when healthy) and tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz seems to be the only offensive weapon the Texans are using well. Without J.J. Watt, defensively the Texans are still suspect in what they can do

Oakland on the other hand has Defensive Player of the Year candidate Khalil Mack running a defense that is decent but still isn’t top level just yet. The biggest concern, however, is how Connor Cook can run the offense with such limited experience as a rookie. The running game needs to be their biggest weapon to help set the tone for the Raiders offense. If the Texans can get pressure on the Raiders’ strong offensive line, then Cook is going to have a long day with Clowney in his face.

The NBA All-Star Game uniforms are garbage

The NBA unveiled their All-Star Game uniforms yesterday and it’s awful. Now, I know that the game was moved from Charlotte to New Orleans so maybe they had to come up with new uniforms for the game. Still, a slate gray vs a light gray uniform set? Come on!

I don’t like that these look like rec league uniforms. They don’t  say EAST or WEST on either of them. They’re very generic. Adidas, for their final All-Star Game, has come out with a dud. Appropriate.

We still have the KIA logo and the Adidas logo. But no sleeves this time so good for them!