Hi Folks,
We do a lot of really insightful, thoughtful and serious features here at Footballguys with some very 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 keep relatively sane. Here's hoping it has a tiny bit of value for you.
We’ll see how it goes. Let’s get to it.
J
I’m not sure what the weather’s like where you live. But for me, I think Fall’s here.
I woke up Saturday morning to this at Young Life’s incredible Windy Gap camp in Weaverville, North Carolina. Sweet.
Jets wide receiver Eric Decker made some waves this week asking his Twitter followers to let him know why they love the Jets.
The replies were probably not what he was expecting…
Not surprisingly, things spiraled downward from there. Love that Social Media.
Thanks to Footballguy Chase Stuart for that one.
With an assist from Footballguy Matt Waldman…
God Bless those Panthers.
Thanks to Footballguy Danny Malouf for that one.
While I’m on the Panthers…
Has anyone ever seen Kelvin Benjamin and Tracy Chapman in the same room?
Thanks to Footballguy Lawson Douvier for that one.
Brandon Weeden is the first Cowboy QB to start with the roof open not named Tony Romo. Because I know you guys need to know this kind of thing.
Thanks to Footballguy Mark Lane for that one.
Some teams just have the drama cloud over them. If Robert Griffin’s “alienated” locker room wasn’t enough, the team bus took a bumpy route to the game Sunday.
Isn’t a police escort supposed to prevent, not cause this type of thing?
No word yet on whether Robert Griffin III will have a new logo to commemorate the bus crash…
Classy post from former Browns CEO Joe Banner Sunday morning.
I remember being surprised when Jimmy Haslam dumped him in Cleveland. Following Banner’s Twitter feed, things are more clear now.
Caption this photo for me…
Thanks to Fooballguy Clayton Gray for that one.
If you’re like me, you probably sit around and wonder what Bill Belichick’s record is with the different Hoodie combinations. CBSSports.com has the answer. Always go with the Grey.
For a bit of perspective, this was once the “look” for Belichick.
Much better now. Although I’m not sure I can endorse a tattoo…
Non Football Story of the week.
There weren’t many dry eyes in the house last week as freshman Lauren Hill of Mount St. Joseph took the floor for her first collegiate basketball game.
Cleveland’s LeBron James posted the picture on his Instagram feed.
Hill is suffering from inoperable brain cancer. In September, doctors told her she had only a few months to live.
The NCAA allowed the opening game between Mount St. Joseph and Hiram College to be moved up two weeks in hopes that Hill would still be healthy enough to play. She was and fittingly scored the opening and closing baskets of the game.
Clipped from the ESPN article:
“By the time Sunday's game tipped off, 10,000 fans had flooded the stands at Xavier University to see Hill play. Mount St. Joseph games typically draw 100 fans, but when word of Lauren's story spread, the demand for tickets and media coverage made a site change necessary. Xavier University offered the use of its arena, and its employees volunteered their time to staff the game.
"The outpouring of support has been incredible," said Mount St. Joseph president Dr. Tony Aretz. "We say at the Mount that we are a community that cares. To bring that to life like this is just incredible."
“After she scored, both teams gave Hill a standing ovation before she exited the game. Her teammates mobbed her at center court, her coaches presented her with the game ball and she hugged head coach Dan Benjamin, the man they call Coach Bear. And then she took her seat on the bench and the game resumed.
Because of the headaches and nausea caused by Hill's tumor and the medicine she takes to treat it, she spent most of the game on the bench wearing pink sunglasses and headphones and slapping hands with her teammates as they subbed in and out of the game.
"I love basketball, and it was sad when I couldn't play," she said. "But it was great to be here to support the team because they're supporting me every day."
With one minute remaining in the game, the crowd erupted in a chant of, "We love Lauren ... We love Lauren! Lauren! Lauren!" Then, with 30 seconds remaining, Coach Benjamin called a timeout. When play resumed, Hill had returned to the floor and attempted a layup, which she missed. Her teammate Tara Dennis rebounded the ball and passed it back to Hill, and she scored her second basket of the night, this time on a right-handed layup, to make the score 66-55.
"The first basket was awesome because I was happy I made it on the first try," Hill said. "But I made the second with my right hand. So the second basket was just as sweet."
“A natural right-handed shooter, Hill has lost much of the strength in the right side of her body.”
Sometimes, it’s way bigger than the game.
Yes, Jerick McKinnon owners, Mike Zimmer really does hate you.
Tampa Bay rookie wide receiver Mike Evans scored Sunday against the Browns and promptly gave a shoutout to his college QB Johnny Manziel.
You know I love Cleveland’s Joe Haden. Sweet tip drill interception from Haden to Donte Whitner Sunday.
The Good News: Peyton Manning reeled off his longest run of the season Sunday.
The Bad News: It was for four yards.
I’m with George.
Joe Philbin and the Dolphins won Sunday. The victory was even more special as Philbin was coaching with a heavy heart after losing his father earlier in the week.
The team gave their coach a celebratory Gatorade bath as the clock wound down. Philbin handled it like a man. The official, not so much.
Thanks to Julia Bryant for that one.
Spectrum Moment of the week. We’ve talked about people and things being on opposite ends of the spectrum. Charlie Whitehurst’s hair and Brian Hoyer’s head. That kind of thing.
This week, these two artists caught my eye. Steve Spazuk is a talented artist who creates images with fire.
SPAZUK fire painter from Patrick Peris on Vimeo.
Snoop Dogg is a talented rap musician who thinks he’s a painting artist when what he’s really doing is super rich guy finger painting.
The name on the painting doesn’t make it good.
So lame.
Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s thrown 6 touchdowns in both of his last two games.
Yeah, I saw that coming.
Wait. So Josh McDaniel and Bill Belichick aren’t stupid and Tom Brady isn’t washed up?
Back in Week 6, I posted the list of Career Quarterback Passer Rating in Playoff Games.
And then wrote this:
“God Bless Mark Sanchez.
“Partly because that gives me an excuse to post one of my favorite celebrity lookalikes with Sanchez and Lawrence from Office Space.
“It doesn’t take a lot to make me happy.
“On a serious note, mark it down - If something happens to Nick Foles, Sanchez is way better than people think. I don’t wish anything bad on Foles but part of me wants to see a compare / contrast with Chip Kelly vs Rex Ryan there.”
Sorry Nick Foles owners. I clearly said back in Week 6 I didn’t wish anything bad on Foles. But apparently, we’ve got some sort of jinx thing working here. But before anyone asks, I will not predict bad things to happen to players in exchange for money. Bad juju there.
Another Sanchez story.
One of the Eagles didn’t even notice Foles was out.
"Actually, I didn't even know Foles was out. Threw that bomb to Maclin and I turned around to congratulate [Foles] and it was Sanchez. I didn't even know [Foles] was out until then. I started looking for him, but he went in for X-rays."
What’s interesting is that the player saying this is starting offensive left tackle, Jason Peters.
It’s like they didn’t know who he was out there.
Things move fast…
Some people clamor for the touchdown ball toss. Others are surprised.
Glitch in the Matrix. Sometimes they’re just toying with us.
Pittsburgh’s kicker is named Blewitt. He missed a field goal Saturday and then stood next to Mr. Guy making the perfect message.
Thanks to Footballguy Thomas DiVita for that one.
The Jaguars have a new running back this year that’s a nice value. Just like we all thought. What most of didn’t think is that his name is Denard Robinson. Not Toby Gerhart.
Note to Denver kicker Brandon McManus: I’d hold off on that kitchen remodeling job. Missing three of your last nine field goal attempts does not bode well for long term employment at this level.
Maybe they should try going against the wind.
Pittsburgh’s James Harrison continues to amaze. Peter King had a nice quote. “I’m old and slow now,” Harrison told Michele Tafoya on the field after the game. “I’ve got God doing most of the work.”
Saints running back Mark Ingram looks like a new player. I’m no sports psychologist but I think the biggest factor in his improvement is simply confidence. He now believes he can do it. He’s not faster / stronger / smarter than he was before. He’s now confident.
I know it sounds kind of crazy for a Heisman Trophy winner from the University of Alabama to need confidence. But I think that’s it.
Yeah, I’m twelve…
Last week I told you how Denard Robinson was clearly tackled by his facemark here.
And how Referee Jerome Boger explained the no call after the play announcing, “There is no foul for facemask on the play. The runner was ruled to be grabbed inside the chest.”
Apparently “inside the chest” is code for “by the facemask”.
Boger’s crew turned in another sketchy call this week with Rams returner Tavon Austin looking to be tackled in the endzone but failing to give San Francisco credit for the safety. USA Today’s FTW had a good description of it here. It’s a tough job.
Here’s all you need to know about the Dallas game last week: Jason Witten had two tackles. Witten is a tight end.
Speaking of the Cowboys, I know the team wants to lighten the workload for running back DeMarco Murray and shift some of the focus to the passing game.
But here’s my question: Is the one game this year where Brandon Weeden was the quarterback really the best time to implement the “let’s put more emphasis on our QB” plan?
Houston’s Jadeveon Clowney was reportedly liking pictures on Instagram during Sunday’s game. Clowney missed the game due to illness. Coach Bill O’Brien refused to allow this to become a story.
“He and I, we tweeted back and forth last night. I went on Spacebook, he went on Twitter,” said O’Brien, seemingly referring to Facebook and not a social-media account for space travel. “We were on different, like, I mean, I don’t know.
“This guy wants to play football. He’s trying to get better to get back on the field. I’m not going down this Twitter road. I don’t even know what that is, really, to be honest with you. Instagram, my kid was trying to talk to me about it last night. Like, ‘This is what Instagram is, daddy’. I don’t know. We’re moving on from that. We’re moving on.”
Good. This is a non story and I’m glad O’Brien nipped it in the bud.
But before we can make a ruling, can we please ask J.J. Watt if this is ok?
Nik Wallenda, you are ridiculous.
Dude’s walking on a wire 600 feet above the ground in the blustery winds of Downtown Chicago.
Blindfolded.
Wow.
Green Bay quietly signed coach Mike McCarthy to a multiyear contract extension this week. Smart move. Yes, great teams benefit from great quarterbacks and the Packers certainly have one in Aaron Rodgers but this team has just been solid.
In case you were counting, McCarthy has five fewer wins as a Packer than Vince Lombardi.
I know the gloves help, but Odell Beckham, Jr - you’re kind of ridiculous.
Thanks to Brian Sumner for that one.
Everyone saw the Anthony Fasano sit on the ground and score a touchdown catch. My favorite part was Dwayne Bowe doing the Referee Butt Pat afterwards.
Thanks to Footballguy Michael Tarantino for that one.
Note to the Dallas Cowboy Social Media Guru: Capitalizing the letters in the Hashtag doesn’t really change the letters…
Darren Bates was channeling Troy Polamalu with this field goal block attempt Sunday.
ESPN’s Mike and Mike did a fun Halloween show from Foxboro dressed as the Patriots two most recognizable figures.
I told you last week about the Master Plan I discovered.
Green Bay and State Farm collaborate on the secret kinesiology discovering the Discount Double Check move is guaranteed to tear an ACL when performed by a 240 plus pound human after jumping. They release this move on an unsuspecting public in the form of a seemingly innocuous but never ending ad campaign.
Then Aaron Rodgers introduces the move on the field.
Then lovable B.J. Raji gets into it.
They even went outside the NFL lulling the league into complacency with soccer star Tim Howard.
Once the seed is planted, division rivals Detroit and Chicago are encouraged to express themselves with the celebration.
And bam.
Packers GM Ted Thompson is doing the Mr. Burns…
NOW…
State Farm is acting all coy denying any involvement…
“It’s very unfortunate that these players injured themselves while celebrating, but it is our belief that the Discount Double Check is not inherently dangerous,” said a State Farm spokeswoman. “In fact, it can be used to help you save money on insurance when performed correctly. We encourage all athletes to celebrate responsibly.”
We know, State Farm. Oh, we know…
Way to hang in there Georgia Fans…
Nice hug for Mike Vick from his old coach Andy Reid.
At least the Broncos don’t have to play New England every week.
Ryan Mallet will get the start for Houston this week but I’m not sure you can pin everything on the quarterback.
Giants Hall of Famer Michael Strahan rocking a sweet new fauxhawk for the half time celebration.
Mark Herzlich answered with a real Mohawk.
Speaking of Strahan, Terrell Davis pulled a Strahan for Halloween.
The benefits of being Tom Brady.
And the wisdom of Bill Belichick.
Lisa Salters was rocking a sweet Luigi hat Sunday.
Those tricky Broncos tried to get away with the old “19 Men On The Field” thing Sunday.
ESPN continues to pull out all the stops with the high tech graphics.
I’ll wrap this week with a strong picture of Reggie Wayne.
Tough Guys can cry. Wayne was moved by the National Anthem (which was great). But don’t be afraid to let yourself be moved by life. Love big. Let the people in your life know what they mean to you.
Hard Luck Awards for Week 9.
Sometimes it's better to just not know...
That'll do it for this week, Folks. Thanks to Footballguys Doug Drinen, Chase Stuart, Matt Waldman, Danny Malouf, Lawson Douvier, Mark Lane, Clayton Gray, Michael Tarantino, Julia Bryant and Brian Sumner for the help on this one. If you've got a Random Shot of your own, shoot me an e-mail at bryant@footballguys.com.
Thanks for playing along. I hope you make the most of whatever you're doing in your life. Love your neighbor and stick together.