Just recently Vince McMahon, entrepreneur and owner of World Wrestling Entertainment, announced the reincarnation of the XFL for 2020. Back in 2001, there was lots of promise for the league except there was one problem, itself. There wasn’t much talent being played to make things exciting and other bad business deals which led it to end after just one season.

McMahon did not market it as well as he could have and it ended up as a bust. But with this renewal of the league, could it work? Why yes, and more successfully than you think. One thing is opportunity. The XFL could be used as a feeder league into the NFL as it is a requirement for players to enter the NFL draft three years after high school and that is one way to use your career in the XFL and another benefit is that you could get paid. Many may remember the whole Maurice Clarett story where he tried to challenge that rule as he made the case that he was of age where he should be able make the money he wants to make (he ultimately lost the case, but he started a big debate about that rule). When you are 18 in the United States, you are declared as a legal adult and you have the right to enter the work force with no restrictions. College is technically a higher education and not necessarily a necessity in this country (even though it seems to be the status quo after you graduate from high school to go to college in this day of age in the United States), but for the most part college is a requirement in order to play football at the highest level. Is that necessarily fair? I don’t think so, but my opinion about the matter is best saved for later.

So alright, you have opportunity as a reason, what might else be a reason why it could be successful? Opportunity again, but more so of attracting fans than anything else. What I mean by this is that you can attract the fans who have been so put off by the NFL and by going to cities who can’t say they proudly root for a football team in their home town. Places like that are Portland, Oklahoma City, Birmingham, and even San Antonio and you could even try to rival the NFL markets in cities like Chicago or Washington, D.C.

Another way it could be successful is if the league made the rules simple (making the catch rule more clear would be simple, right?) The XFL had some great ideas in its first incarnation like the jump ball rule instead of a coin flip (sure players got hurt on those, but honestly, it beats some of stuff NFL players have to go through).

If anything, the NFL should embrace the XFL as their feeder league as players could be more ready for the NFL when eligible and the players would have more money. The NCAA should worry as that means their talent could be poached and their quality of play would dramatically decrease meaning that would be less money for them as fans and media contracts would be more obligated to watch the product on an XFL field.

McMahon has also said that they will start this in 2020, that is not enough time. So many logistics will be needed if they want to do something like this and two years is not enough. If they want this done in two years, holy heck they will have to do it quickly, and thats why I am not optimistic. Four years is more realistic.

So I was a watcher of the league back when it was on and I loved it even though I didn’t particularly realize the quality of play was lacking, but I know it can succeed this time around. There were talks that it should be played during the NFL season as well, but I couldn’t disagree more as I feel like it should start right after the Super Bowl ends. Lot’s of people crave football, myself included, and having a league like the XFL around would be great once the NFL season is over. Football is a great sport, why should it end in February? Football year round would make things great especially for sports fans who want to watch a prime time game before baseball season starts as the NHL and NBA certainly don’t play those type of prime time games people crave, and MLB even doesn’t even offer that as well. That could lead to some TV contracts that could make a lot of money for the league.

And lastly, something to consider, and I know McMahon has alluded to it, is safety. Football is a rough sport as there is a lot of brutality. The whole CTE situation has certainly hurt the sport and it’s something the NFL is trying to figure out. Concussions are more serious than once thought and some of the hits to the brain from the NFL can lead to serious situations. If McMahon can figure that out, this league could even possibly rival the NFL.

Do I think the NFL has anything to worry about? No, for now and for a long considerable amount of time, but far in the distance it could be a worry. The only place that should have a worry is the NCAA and rightfully so. If the XFL actually proves to be successful, the NCAA will make lots of changes.

What will happen in the future is unclear as the XFL has yet to start, but that being said I really truly think the XFL not only could be successful, but could be embraced fully by the NFL. If that’s the case, the sport of football will get considerably better.

What is transpiring in front of us is hard for many to comprehend. As someone who is a Chicago Blackhawks fan, I could not fathom this run to be as incredible as it was, but it has now suddenly seemingly come to a screeching halt. Sad part is, I am ready for it.

Back in 2007, my fandom was waning. It did not seem like the franchise was serious about winning. Though, however, my interest in hockey was beginning to become apathetic until my hometown team, the Washington Capitals, reignited it. That being said, I saw myself following the Capitals more than the Blackhawks during this time. Then the 2009 playoffs happened. I knew the Blackhawks were young and talented, but I never expected them to be as good as they showed in that playoff run where they went as far as the Western Conference Finals facing off against their nemesis the Detroit Red Wings (though they lost). That was the beginning of something great and bigger than I think even the franchise had anticipated.

The next season, the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup ending their 49 year Cup drought. The next two seasons ended in the first round, but in 2013, arguably the best squad in the run, the team set NHL records during the regular season and went on an incredible run to win their second Stanley Cup in the past four years. They made the Stanley Cup Finals in 2014 (losing on a fluky overtime goal against the Los Angeles Kings), but then came back in 2015 to win the Stanley Cup for the third time thus nabbing the honor of being a dynasty. The Blackhawks lost a tough seven game series in 2016 to the St. Louis Blues, but where I thought the end was coming to a close was in last year’s playoffs where they got swept by the Nashville Predators. It didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel like the team had the same energy or chemistry anymore. While they were awesome to watch in the regular season, it just felt like the end was nigh. Then came this season. When the team got off to a strong start by defeating the defending champions Pittsburgh Penguins 10-1, there was a sense of optimism for this season.

Where we stand now, the Blackhawks will not make the playoffs. While there is still a chance for them get in, there was a recent statistic where it said they are 10 points out of the last playoff spot with 27 games to go (now 26). Essentially, it’s virtually impossible for them to make it. It also hurts that they are in arguably in the strongest division in the sport. It has been a struggle to watch them this season. What hurts them the most is their goalie Corey Crawford being injured as he is one of the best in the league. But they are also both inexperienced and getting old in their core. Is this the end of the dynasty? I think it is and it was quite a ride. If you look upon what the Blackhawks had accomplished, it was remarkable.

It took until 2010 for me to understand the importance of winning in sports as every year I wanted to see them win and would finally understood what it meant for how gut wrenching it was to see them lose. Yes, it is worse for teams that are not used to winning or have disappointed every year as watching the Capitals choke year in and year out is just unbearable, but not seeing the ‘Hawks win sucks as well. It’s different as winning championships becomes contagious and it makes you want to win more and more.

However, with how much the squad has been this year, this shouldn’t be a cause to be sad, it should be a cause of celebration as they have accomplished so much more than imagined. Instead of just being contenders, they actually won multiple Stanley Cups and it never got old. While I think they have some young talent that could help lead this team back to the playoffs like Alex DeBrincat, this dynasty is over.

So the same day a whole bunch of us post our endorsement’s for USSF President, a developing story that may shake everything about the election. Six candidates held a meeting about combining forces after a report came out saying the favorite Kathy Carter and Carlos Cordeiro are the two front runners and it was likely to be two candidate race at this point. Paul Caliguri, Steve Gans, Kyle Martino, Hope Solo, Mike Winograd, and Eric Wynalda. All six of them want reform and combining forces would do that. This was their drafted statement:

“We, the undersigned share similar visions for change. We believe a vote for any one of us is a vote for real change. If you believe in change, real change, please vote for a real change candidate. On this we are united, and stand together for the good of the game.”

There were sources according to an ESPN article that Wynalda had a hard time in agreeing to it, but ultimately decided to join forces. And Caliguri announced that he actually had not joined forces, but there is a report that refutes that claim. If they were to garner more than 50 percent of the votes in the election, the “Gang of Six” become the winners, but they must receive more than 50 percent and that is the key if they want the reform that is needed. And the USSF is in desperate need for reform and it seems like this is their only hope. Is that even allowed to happen? I don’t know, but I feel like they cannot do something like that.

So, lets hypothetically say they win the election. While, for me personally, reform is great as these six candidates all have good ideas, how will all the logistics work? Who would be the main “president”? How will they come to a compromise of what of their ideas they will implement? Theres a lot more other questions, but it’s complicated. And honestly, I don’t know how they will hash things out if they win. Will it work? I believe it could if they could work out everything, but I am not optimistic that they will. They want what’s best for the program, but they might complicate things more than it should be.

*The link to the report from ESPN.

On the 10th of February in Toronto (which is ironic) the election for the United States Soccer Federation president will be held. The current president, Sunil Gulati, has been at the helm since 2006 and decided to not seek reelection after men’s team failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018. While the women’s and younger sides for the men have looked good, there needed to be a change and Gulati knew he was not going to be a part of that process and if he didn’t then he should not have been regardless. Gulati has done a good job as this program really has risen in the past decade, but it wasn’t good enough as evidenced this past November. Changes are needed and Gulati was resistant to that. If something like that happens and you say that nothing needs to change, then your time is finished if you want more progress because the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting different results. However, Gulati decided to not run again which means fresh blood will be in power.

That being said, some of the candidates seem to represent the establishment rather than the change needed. Regardless of what it looks like, they all have one thing in common and that is they all want what is best for the program. But wanting best doesn’t necessarily mean it will be the best. While this article is purely opinionated based, the changes that one of these candidates suggests is what is absolutely needed for the program to grow. Soccer is on the rise in this country and it’s getting to the point where everyone is taking it more and more serious. Soccer, while will never be the top dog in terms of sports here in the United States, could at least become incredibly popular.

Before going into details of all the candidates, here is the list of the people are going up for election:

Paul Caliguri

Kathy Carter

Carlos Cordeiro

Steve Gans

Kyle Martino

Hope Solo

Michael Winograd

Eric Wynalda

That is eight candidates who will run for president of the USSF. Now there are three candidates that have realistically no chance at winning and that’s Michael Winograd (who does have some good ideas), Hope Solo (the former star goalkeeper for the women’s side), and Paul Caliguri (a former player on the men’s side). That leaves Kathy Carter, Carlos Cordeiro, Steve Gans, Kyle Martino, and Eric Wynalda as the most realistic candidates here.

The favorite here is Carter. According to an ESPN article, this is what she wants to do for the program:

“She wants to bring more diversity to executive-level positions within the USSF and create a technical department to manage on-field aspects, including the hiring of coaches. She wants to go “all-in” on the women’s game and stabilize the NWSL. Perhaps most controversially, Carter wants to form an independent commission, headed by sports executive Casey Wasserman, to examine every aspect of player development.”

Cordeiro is the next favorite here, but many feel like he represents the establishment as he is the understudy of Gulati. From the same ESPN article, this is what he wants:

“Cordeiro wants to engage in a considerable restructuring of the USSF, which starts with making the office of president more a chairperson of the board role, with the incumbent working more collaboratively with the board of directors. Cordeiro wants to create a new technical department to oversee all on-field aspects, including the hiring of coaches. He wants to appoint an independent USSF board member to oversee the awarding of future commercial rights contracts. And Cordeiro seeks to make the game more affordable for players and coaches by increasing scholarships and grants.”

Martino is an outsider that has strong support. I actually like his approach a lot, but he is not my first choice. However, he has a strong chance of winning. This is what he wants according to ESPN:

“Martino’s platform consists of three planks. The first involves making the USSF more transparent, while making the presidency a paid position. He is also emphasizing equality, which includes making the game more accessible for kids from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as better treatment of the women’s national team. The third is titled ‘Progress’ and includes clarifying the youth player path, creating an environment for more collaboration among the various youth soccer stakeholders, as well as a gradual path towards implementing a system of promotion/relegation at the pro level.”

Gans has the least chance of winning from all five of these candidates. From the same ESPN article, this is what Gans wants:

“While Gans is among the proponents for improved corporate governance, a separate search committee for the next men’s national team coach, and equality and greater support for the women’s game, much of his platform’s focus is on revamping the youth system. He is proposing that the development academy be re-evaluated and wants to use part of U.S. Soccer’s $130 million surplus to make the game more affordable. He wants to solve what he calls “the counterproductive competition” among various youth sanctioning bodies. Gans is also keen to give the state associations at both the youth and adult levels more say in how they are run.”

Which leads me to the final candidate, Eric Wynalda. Wynalda wants this for the program according to ESPN:

“Wynalda is the champion of the anti-establishment wing, advocating for — among other things — a path to promotion and relegation, moving MLS to a winter calendar, renegotiating the CBA for the U.S. women’s national team, and securing a media rights deal similar to that proposed by MP & Silva back in September. He wants to use an endowment fund to make the game more affordable for coaches and players, as well as educate parents new to the game. And Wynalda wants the relationship with SUM to be ‘thoroughly vetted and reviewed’ to make sure that the USSF is maximizing its take from commercial rights deals.”

I always save the best for last and because of that I give Wynalda my endorsement. He is a former player who knows exactly how progress should be made for this country. I will get into more of what Wynalda wants in a future, but honestly his view is absolutely what the program needs to succeed with. Major League Soccer absolutely needs promotion/relegation (a topic I will delve into deeper). The CBA is also a really big thing for me as equal pay is a top priority regardless of what the argument is. I do think there are a lot of good ideas that other candidates have that Wynalda should adopt if he was to become president, but he is the most clear and obvious choice to become president. He has my endorsement all the way.

*Here is a link to the ESPN article.

With the Football Hall of Fame voting coming up later this week, I thought would do my mock voting for whom I think should be enshrined at Canton. How the vote works is a lot different and a lot more confusing than how the Baseball Hall of Fame works. From the Football Hall of Fame website, this is how the voting works:

“In advance of the Hall of Fame Selection Meeting in February, the selectors are provided detailed biographies on each of the 18 finalists.  At the annual meeting on ‘Selection Saturday,’ each finalist is thoroughly discussed by the committee before a series of reduction votes are taken.  First, the senior candidate(s) and Contributor candidate(s) are discussed and voted on for election.  They must receive the same 80 percent affirmative vote as the Modern-Era candidates. Next, there is a vote that reduces the Modern-Era finalists list from 15 to 10.  Following that, a vote is taken to reduce the list from 10 to 5 names.  The five remaining candidates for Hall of Fame election are then voted on individually (yes or no) for membership.

In order to be elected a finalist must receive a minimum of 80% of the vote.  All ballots are collected and counted by the firm Deloitte & Touche.  No vote totals are announced – only the winners of the various reduction ballots are revealed to the selectors and the Hall’s representatives.”

Very, very long and tedious process as it looks like to me that it’s harder to make a decision. Here is a link to the finalists for this year so you know who is on it. So, with that being said, here are the five players who I think should be enshrined this year at Canton.

Note: I will not be including senior candidates and contributor candidates

Brian Urlacher-Linebacker

This man was one of the best linebackers I had ever watched play the game and arguably (key word there because there’s a debate with the two linebackers on this list) the best to play in the last two decades. He was feared by every quarterback and was just a force to be reckoned with. He helped the Chicago Bears have one of the best defenses in the mid-2000s.

Terrell Owens-Wide Receiver

While he might not be the best wide receiver on this list, he’s most certainly the most eccentric. Aside from his antics, he was a special talent. Had one of the best hands I ever saw, was fast, and scored touchdowns at a blistering pace. He might not get in his first go around, but in my opinion he’s a hall of famer.

Randy Moss-Wide Receiver

The greatest wide receiver I ever saw and quite possibly the best to ever play. Moss was super talented and had the best hands this sport probably has ever seen. Whenever anyone asked you who the best receiver they ever saw, Moss is certainly one that will come to people’s minds.

John Lynch-Safety

This one might be a little controversial, but he was a great safety. Read routes well and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time. He was also part of a dominant Buccaneers defense that won the Super Bowl.

Ray Lewis-Linebacker

Remember earlier when I said that Urlacher arguably was the best linebacker in the last two decades? That’s because many will say that this guy was better. And for good reason as he was another dominant linebacker that most quarterbacks feared. He might have been better in coverage than Urlacher too. He was also a member of that 2000s Baltimore Ravens team that was arguably the best defense to ever play.

Notable snubs:

Tony Boselli-Offensive Lineman

Talent wise he is a sure hall of famer, however injuries derailed what was certainly a hall of fame career. He is a huge debate.

Joe Jacoby-Offensive Lineman

He was part of the dominant offensive line of the Washington Redskins back in their glory days of the 1980s. It’s absolutely baffling he is not in yet, but there are more deserving guys this go around.

Isaac Bruce-Wide Receiver

He might actually make it into the hall this year instead of the ones I selected as he was a very productive receiver who played for a long time too. He was a member of the St. Louis Rams offense from the 1999 season that was dubbed The Greatest Show on Turf.

Brian Dawkins-Safety

Had a long career and was a very good player in Philadelphia. I watched him play when I was growing up and he was just a very smart player and was a great talent. He was tough to leave out of this.

Larry Nassar, a physician who worked both for Michigan State and USA Gymnastics, was recently sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison after sexually harassing more than 150 women over the past 20 years. Some of those women came forward even years after they were sexually abused. One accuser even said she was harassed as young as six years old. Nassar had also been sentenced to 60 years in July 2017 for child pornography charges.

“I’m giving you 175 years which is 2,100 months. I’ve just signed your death warrant.”

“It is my honor and privilege to sentence you. You do not deserve to walk outside a prison ever again.”

– Judge Rosemarie Aquilina

This disgusting human being is finally going to go where he belongs; however, this is not the end of this horrific ordeal. Mike Golic and Trey Wingo on the ESPN Radio show “Golic and Wingo” noted this is only “the first chapter.”

“I thought that training for the Olympics would be the hardest thing that I would ever have to do. But, in fact, the hardest thing I would ever have to do is process that I am a victim of Larry Nassar.”

-Jordyn Wieber

Nassar was both an assistant professor and team physician at Michigan State. The school fired him in 2016 after the Indianapolis Star newspaper reported allegations from gymnast Rachel Denhollander. Once Denhollander came forward about what Nassar did, waves of victims, including notable gymnasts Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas, McKayla Maroney, Simone Biles and Aly Raisman, began to share their experiences, with the arguably most notable and impactful testimony coming from Raisman:

“Imagine feeling like you have no power or voice. Well, you know what, Larry? I have both power and voice and I’m only beginning to just use them. All these brave women have power and we will use our voices to make sure you get what you deserve.”

“Larry, you do realize now that we, this group of women you so heartlessly abused over such a long period of time, are now a force and you are nothing. The tables have turned, Larry. We are here, we have our voices and we are not going anywhere.”

Eerily, on the “Today” show, Raisman painted a gut wrenching picture when she described how Nassar would make consistent eye contact with her during her testimony, ensuring not to break it when her eyes met his.

Another powerful moment during the trial came from another of Nassar’s patients, 15-year-old Emma Ann Miller, who started getting treatment from Nassar when she was 10. “I am possibly the last child he will ever assault,” said Miller during her testimony.

But despite justice being served, this is only the beginning of the story. “This is bigger than Larry Nassar. We have to get to the bottom of how this disaster happened,” said Raisman. The scary part of this scandal is that there are probably more victims than cases reported.

“You seem to have a hard time looking at me now, but you didn’t when I was half-naked on your table. What kind of doctor can tell a 13-year-old they are done growing by the size of their pubic bone?”

-Arianna Guerrero

After the trial, USA Gymnastics announced that the entire board of directors resigned in wake of the trial per the request of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Lou Anna Simon, who was the Michigan State president, also resigned.

Recently, a report from The Athlete’s Nicole Auerbach came out saying that NCAA president Mark Emmert was informed about 37 incidents at Michigan State in 2010 and did nothing.

In the lawsuit, it was said that USA Gymnastics covered up the ordeal by making McKayla Maroney sign a $1.25 million non-disclosure agreement. Michigan State had also been accused of enabling Nassar to continue doing what he had been doing.

“The Olympics were just one year away. And I just couldn’t take any more of the abuse. I was broken. Larry, my coaches and U.S.A. Gymnastics turned the sport I fell in love with as a kid into my personal living hell.”

-Mattie Larson

Shortly after the publication of the Indianapolis Star’s investigative report, the Michigan Attorney General’s office brought a criminal case against Nassar for the three charges of first degree sexual misconduct with a person under 13 in November 2016 (this was later increased to 12 in June, 2017). This initial filing led to a number of other court cases, a lawsuit against Michigan State University, US Gymnastics, and Nassar and a sexual assault allegation in Texas. Nassar also plead guilty to an unrelated child pornography charge, for which he was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison.