Hi Folks,
We do a ton of insightful, thoughtful and serious features here at Footballguys with 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 manage. Here's hoping it has some value for you.
We'll see. Now let's get to it.
J
It's On.
With the NFL season kicking off Thursday night, I was feeling like this throwback picture of Jimmy Johnson. It's the same way every year.
My local draft was last week and this year I'm debuting the FMF's team named after one of my all-time favorite movies.
And these are some of my Guys. And the Trophies. In that order.
On the Soapbox.
I love the DFS games, and I love the big season-long contests. We filled 8,400 teams for our Footballguys Players Championship leagues and sold out early. But for me, this picture IS Fantasy Football. A bunch of friends gathering in my barn with pizza and drinks and smack talk. (Plus a few on the phone and Facetime). It's the heart and soul of this industry and it'll always be at the forefront of how I think of Fantasy Football. All the other ways to play are great. But they're all in addition to this. Friends enjoying each other and enjoying football always has been what I love about Fantasy Sports. And always will be. And yeah, this is what I said last year. My guess is I'll say it next year too.
Off the Soapbox.
First things first. There's nothing more certain in life than a massive overreaction to Week 1 of the NFL.
I'm admitting right here and now in front of you, God and Roger Goodell, I'm guilty too.
Not that it changes anything. This is what I do. Now let's go.
Oh, Cleveland...
And, Hello Titans. I have to admit, I didn't see that coming. Listening to the Browns talk and the Media fawn this summer, I thought it was pretty well understood this team was unstoppable. Apparently, Delanie Walker didn't get the message as he channeled Dennis Green:
"They were who we thought they were.
"Y'all can crown 'em if you want to crown 'em.
"You still gotta play Football.
Thanks to Footballguy Justin Bonnema for that one.
I don't want to pile on Cleveland or Baker Mayfield, but note to ESPN: He was a 2016 Heisman Trophy Finalist. The 2017 Heisman Trophy Winner. The first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft and made a case for Rookie of the Year. And one of the most hyped players in the league heading into 2019.
I think it's ok now to drop the "Baker Mayfield, AN UNDERDOG FOR MOST OF HIS CAREER"... shtick.
After a weird 2018, the NFL seems right again.
Jason Witten on the field where he belongs, balding as God intended, cheered on by overconfident fans while America's Team handled the lowly Giants.
We're back, Baby.
Bill Belichick is a National Treasure.
Even if he wasn't all that excited for the season to start...
I don't think people fully realize the greatness of Patrick Mahomes II...
Fun note. Monday is the day when I get the emails that are some version of this: "WTF??? How could you have your projections so off that you didn't have John Ross as WR #3????? UR KILLING ME"
People love to yell.
And mostly not own the fact they set their roster.
On the other end of the spectrum, I received this email from ESPN's Scott Van Pelt Monday afternoon asking about some other things and then he closed with:
"Thanks, Hope all is well.
Catastrophic day of start/sit. Could be 4-0 Will be 0-4 as a result of my poor choices.
Bitter. So, so bitter."
I love that he writes just like he talks.
That guy is Quality.
Andrew Luck stunned fans when he retired during the preseason.
But no one was more surprised than Adam Vinatieri who reportedly was overheard saying, "Wait, you mean you're allowed to retire?"
Pretty much.
Music Note of the Week. Going back a bit with Whitley and "More Than Life". Whitley is Lawrence Greenwood and he's from Australia and he's rad.
The vibe feels like summer turning into fall for me. Enjoy.
Even worse, it's TEAM CAPTAIN Myles Jack looking like the four-year-old led to her room.
Thanks to Footballguy Clayton Gray for that one.
John Harbaugh went full-on Madden against Miami with the fake punt up 35-3.
Eric Weddle, wearing a new model helmet, wound up looking like this Sunday. Maybe Antonio Brown was right.
Kirk Cousins doing Kirk Cousins things.
The 1972 Dolphins didn't have to worry very long about the 2019 Dolphins breaking their record.
Please tell me they invite Miami Guy to the Champagne Party.
Wikipedia says the Champagne Party is an Urban Legend and doesn't really happen and now I feel like my entire life is a lie.
Chris Mortensen broke the news Sunday morning that Antonio Brown had sought advice from social media consultants on how to get out of Oakland.
At this point, whether the consultants were experts in the Snapface platform is being looked into...
I'm just going to leave this right here...
As if we needed another reminder, Father Time is undefeated.
Although with a Derrius Guice injury, Peterson will make his case he's not ready to go quietly.
In "Not A Guy Battling Father Time Yet" news, 11 minutes into Sunday's game, rookie Ravens wide receiver Hollywood Brown was on pace to score 11 touchdowns...
Wake and Bake.
Thanks to Footballguy David Dodds for that one.
And you guys just keep acting like the Madden Curse isn't real...
I know Khalil Mack is awesome and all that. But given the fact Rodgers ripped the Bears for a long touchdown drive a few minutes after this, I'm not sure this is the best idea...
Shades of Jamie Collins Sunday with the Early Game at Cleveland.
Back in 2016, New England linebacker Jamie Collins informed the Patriots he was going to need "Von Miller money" for his next contract.
Bill Belichick's answer was "You'll look great in a Brown's uniform".
Sam Darnold's day was a Good News / Bad News story.
You Old Timers will remember punter Reggie Roby often wore a watch during games.
Roby reportedly wore the watch to get a quick check on hang times.
Odell Beckham wore a Richard Mille watch Sunday presumably to let people know he can afford a $350,000 watch.
From ProFootballTalk.com: "Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports that Beckham said on Tuesday that he plans to wear the watch again in Week Two against the Jets. He also said that he feels it is only an issue because he is wearing the watch and that there would be no issue at all if the watch cost $20."
Beckham added that he wants it to be “about football, not the watch.”
Ok, Then.
This just in. It's hot in Florida.
Oh, Cam.
Fun moment from the Ravens game.
Seattle rookie WR DK Metcalf with a brilliant apparel choice Sunday.
I'm mostly light-hearted here but you know this one is true...
More. Kyler Murray was 8 years old when Fitzgerald played his first pro game.
Breaking News from San Francisco:
If you want to know what "focus" looks like, ask Derrick Henry.
Thanks to Footballguy Daniel Simpkins for that one.
Tom Brady is savage.
There aren't a lot of rookie wide receivers who can pull off the pacifier mouthguard.
DK Metcalf can pull off the pacifier mouthguard.
It's a beautiful game sometimes.
I bet Jason Witten could spend all day trying to do this again and not be successful.
I like Bruce Arians a lot.
But I'm not feeling this full beard business.
Give us back Goatee Bruce. And zip it, beard nerds, I know the terms but I'm working here.
Not to mention the full beard messes up one of my favorite graphics of the summer.
HT @wampadude
In case you missed it, here's a summary of the Steelers game Sunday Night.
The referee showed no mercy on the description of the penalty.
I've long said my Footballguys Email Box could be its own webpage. Rarely a day goes by when I don't see multiple things that make me smile.
Monday was no different as "Carl", did not hold back with his Todd Gurley commentary.
He replied to the Footballguys Daily Email Update email with this. Copied and pasted with no alteration.
"TODD GURLEY STINKS ..FACE IT IF THEY KEEP SAVING HIM AND KEEP WINNING ,,THEN MIGHT AS WELL LET MIN GO ,HE ISNT DOING ANY GOOD THEIR TOO SCARD TO LET HIM RUN FOR TOUCH DOWNS ,MIGHT HURT HIS KNEE ,,SO WHAT GOOD IS KEEPING HIM?FOR WHAT ? TOO KEEP SAVING HIM?? FOR WHAT?TRADE HIM...RIGHT NOW HES USELESS,,CARL"
Followed by:
"IT WAS THE LAST HALF OF THE 4TH PERIOD WHEN THEY STARTED USING HIM BUT TOOK HIM OUT NEAR THE GOLE LINE
SCARD HE MIGHT HURT HIS KINEE IF HE HIT THE LINE TO TRY TO GET THE TOUCH DOWN SO THEY LET THE OTHER RB GET THE TOUCH DOWNS ,,SO TELL ME WHATS HE GOOD FOR ,,,ILL TELL YOU NOTHING CARL"
Carl, I love you.
And yes, I know you're trolling me. But I still love you.
Wrapping with this one.
This Antonio Brown GIF from a few weeks ago was unfortunately prescient for Raider Fans.
For much of the Summer, Oakland fans and people who drafted Brown went from:
To This:
To this:
I want to be clear though.
Jokes over a helmet or defective cryotherapy booth booties are one thing. Those are kind of funny. "Cryotherapy booth booties" is even fun to say. Rape accusations are an entirely different thing. Rape accusations are decidedly not funny.
And it's my opinion jokes like the one above don't work when we're talking about the events of the last couple of days.
Josina Anderson reported Tuesday night the news that Antonio Brown might countersue.
Twitter predictably responded to Anderson's post with the "Get Your Popcorn" GIFs.
I'd like to offer the idea here that we can be different.
And yes, I'm fully aware this puts me awfully near, or some might say, squarely in, the "Church Lady Zone".
And that's a zone I try hard to avoid. But here goes.
I responded to Anderson's news with this:
I understand the natural draw of a fight. But this isn't a game. I have no idea where the truth stands on this story. But regardless of who's right, it's pretty awful for one or maybe both of the people involved. Naturally, about a quarter of the replies to me asking people to stop the "Get Your Popcorn" GIFs were people posting more "Get Your Popcorn" GIFs. I get it. That's the Internet today. I'd just offer the idea that it might be the Internet, but we're a tiny part of the Internet. And we can be different. It has to start somewhere. And it might as well be us. Rock on.
Thanks to Footballguys Keith Overton, Clayton Gray, Justin Bonnema, Daniel Simpkins, and David Dodds for the help on this one. If you've got a Random Shot of your own, send me an e-mail at bryant@footballguys.com.
Thanks for playing along and I hope you make the most of whatever you're doing in your life. Love your neighbor and stick together.
Peace and Grace to you.
J
