Some of you may remember me doing a hypothetical Football Hall of Fame vote last year. Pretty much I nailed my votes on the head though I missed on Brian Dawkins. Well, it’s that time of the year again to make my hypothetical votes if I was ever a voter. The vote will be right around the Super Bowl and the explanations of how the vote works is in the link above. With that being said, let’s take a look at my hypothetical votes.

Steve Atwater-Safety

The more research I did on this guy the more I realized he was one of the best safeties to play the game. He played a long time for the Broncos and was a big reason for their Super Bowl victories in the 1990s as some might argue that he anchored that secondary for Denver. That defense for Denver was pretty dang good.

Isaac Bruce-Wide Receiver

If it wasn’t for Jerry Rice and Randy Moss, Bruce might have been the best receiver in the game during his time in the league. Bruce was a part of a St. Louis Rams team dubbed “The Greatest Show on Turf” as it is arguably the best offense to ever play. However, Bruce might have been the biggest reason for how good that offense was as he tallied touchdowns like crazy.

Tony Gonzalez-Tight End

Greatest player to play at the tight end position. Period. He was incredibly productive and was a big reason for some of those dangerous Kansas City Chiefs sides back in the 2000s. He could be credited for leading a trend for tight ends to be reliable receivers. He was also very big, so he could block well if needed. He was the real deal.

Ed Reed-Safety

Reed was on a defense for the Baltimore Ravens that was so good that it even had another Hall of Famer in linebacker Ray Lewis on it. Reed was arguably the best player at his position in the 2000s. He read offenses really well and it almost seemed like he could make an interception with ease. This is another no-brainer.

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.

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 as to whether he should be in or not.

Champ Bailey-Cornerback

One of the most athletic cornerbacks during the 2000s and was excellent at shutting down receivers. Great coverage guy.

Edgerrin James-Running Back

Was an outstanding running back and was part of an explosive offense with the Indianapolis Colts paired up with Peyton Manning.

Ty Law-Cornerback

Was an outstanding cornerback back in the days and was a big reason for why the New England Patriots were a dynasty in the early 2000s.

It’s that time of the year where all football fans crave, the postseason. 12 teams are in, but four have byes for the first round. What we will be looking into will be the Wild Card Round, which might actually be the most exciting round of the playoffs before the Super Bowl because of all the drama it has left us over the years. With that being said, let’s look at the matchups.

American Football Conference

Indianapolis Colts vs Houston Texans

Colts

Indianapolis started the season 1-5, but went 9-1 the rest of the season to make the playoffs in spectacular fashion. Led by quarterback Andrew Luck, he has been the main reason why the offense has succeeded, but their defense has been spectacular as they finished in the Top 15. The defense will be the main ingredient for a deep run if they want to go to the Super Bowl.

Texans

If you think the Colts have been hot then you’ve been missing out on what Houston had done this year as after starting 0-3 they rallied on nine straight wins to essentially secure the AFC South. They are led by quarterback Deshaun Watson and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins on offense and a lot of spectacular things happen when the two of them are healthy. Like Indianapolis, their defense also finished in the Top 15 and will be a key to hopefully take them deep especially with the likes of defensive end J.J. Watt leading the charge.

Matchup notes

Indianapolis and Houston split the season series 1-1, but Indianapolis won more recently in Week 14 with a 24-21 decision.

Indianapolis and Houston’s defenses are ranked 11th and 12th respectively.

Colts finished 10-6 while Texans finished 11-5

Predictions

James Rowe: Houston. This is a more of an evenly matched contest than people might think and it should be a good one. I expect this to be a great one, but both sides are banged up pretty bad according to their injury reports as that will be a key factor for the game. That being said, I am going with the Texans to win this one.

Tabari McCoy: Texans.

Baltimore Ravens vs Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers

The Chargers shocked the football world as they came out of nowhere to win 11 games, but once you saw how well they played, it’s not shocking to see why. In fact, there is an argument that with how good they are that it’s time to change the playoff format. Their offense is led by Philip Rivers and running back Melvin Gordon. The defense has been solid this year, but lost a key component to their pass-rush game with linebacker Jatavis Brown out for the year. The hope is that they can prove to everyone that they deserve to be in the running for AFC champion.

Ravens

Baltimore was lackluster and uninspiring for the longest time as they drug along this season, but with a change at quarterback mid-season, things became different as the offense suddenly got more dynamic to compliment their stout defense. Once Lamar Jackson took over the full-time quarterback role from Joe Flacco, they became a lot more efficient on offense and the team took off from there as they went 6-1 during that run. Jackson is incredibly dynamic with his rush and pass game as he changes the entire complexion of a contest with his ability to throw it and run it. Plus with how dominant of a defense they have, they are more dangerous than one might think.

Matchup notes

Baltimore won the only matchup this season with a 22-10 victory in Week 16.

Predictions

James: Chargers. While I like what I have seen from Baltimore of late, the Chargers are undoubtedly the better team. However they need to play up their absolute best to beat the Ravens. This will likely be a great game.

Tabari: Chargers. Sheriff Roscoe P. Coltrane (look up the Dukes of Hazzard) aka Philip Rivers is going for his last glory run.

National Football Conference

Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears

Eagles

Philadelphia managed to get into the playoffs with some help with the team they are about to play in this matchup (Chicago defeating Minnesota) to even clinch a spot, but here they are with a chance to defend their Super Bowl crown. With their top quarterback Carson Wentz out with an injury, they will rely on Nick Foles again who went 4-1 to rally the Eagles to the playoffs. Their defense, while is very talented and was the biggest reason for as to why they won the Super Bowl last year, has been struggling this season with potent offenses, but have also been terrorizing others as they have tallied 44 sacks and have allowed 18 points per game. However, with how Chicago’s offense has been this year, this a good chance for Philadelphia to get the magic back again for a deep run.

Bears

They’re back!!! “Da Bears” are finally back in the postseason, but this time they are a fun squad to watch. The offense has been somewhat productive with quarterback Mitchell Trubisky leading the way along with a great tandem in the backfield with Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen, but their defense is what has been leading them all year. Once they picked up linebacker Khalil Mack via trade from Oakland, their defense has been awesome. The Bears are a very scary team and are built to go deep in the playoffs.

Matchup notes

Philadelphia has won five of last six games they have played. Chicago has won nine of last ten.

Predictions

James: Chicago. They really impressed me this year. The Bears are on their way to becoming a complete team, but fall just short with their inconsistencies on offense. But defense will be the biggest reason why they win.

Tabari: Eagles. Napoleon Dynamite aka Nick Foles is going to show why HE should be the permanent starter over Wentz.

Seattle Seahawks vs Dallas Cowboys

Seahawks

Seattle has been very consistent at making the playoffs, but they also are built to go deep in the playoffs too. The boast a very consistent and proven winning quarterback in Russell Wilson. They also rarely turn the ball over which will make it tough on any team. The biggest concern will be the offensive line as a good amount of their key players on the line are injured as protecting Wilson will be a difficult task. The defense is not as dominant as it once was back when they won the Super Bowl, but they still boast a very good player in linebacker Bobby Wagner leading the charge. Seattle might be a team to watch out for in the playoffs.

Cowboys

Having benefitted from a Redskins squad that got injury riddled (and did so in a very fast way), this team is much more dangerous than let on. Their offense is led on the ground by arguably the best running back in the league in Ezekiel Elliott and with Dak Prescott at quarterback who draws comparison to Wilson. However, they have a very dangerous and underrated defense led by Leighton Vander Esch, Sean Lee, and Jaylon Smith at the linebacking position. Plus with the addition of a talented wide receiver in Amari Cooper mid-season, Dallas is more dangerous than people may think.

Matchup notes

Seattle won the only matchup 24-13 in Week Three

Predictions

James: Seattle. I actually think this will be a close game, the Seahawks are more battle tested than the Cowboys. Each team could win this honestly, but the Seahawks are more complete of a side.

Tabari: Seattle. You cannot let Russell Wilson in the playoffs and not expect trouble.

It’s that time of the year again as the debate about whom should be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Outside of the season, this is a very exciting time to be a baseball fan. Now, I am not a voter, but if I was ever given the chance, this is how my ballot would look. Here was my ballot from last year and the rules are explained in the post as well.

Edgar Martinez

This is a controversial pick just because Martinez was a designated hitter for the majority of his career. While I get the sentiment that not playing in the field, the man was a really good hitter. What also hurts him is that he didn’t become a good hitter until he was 27 and not a dominant hitter until he was 31, but he also helped Seattle keep the Mariners in town. Martinez was an MVP type hitter every single year it felt like. If he was putting up the numbers and was getting MVP recognition, he is no doubt a Hall of Famer. Heck, there’s even an award named after him for the best designated hitter in any season. Martinez hit .312 with 309 home runs and drove in 1,261 runs. He came dangerously close to being inducted into the Hall of Fame last year as he got 70.4% of the vote. He will probably get in this year.

Mike Mussina

Didn’t quite win 300 games and I wish he had stayed around to do that as he has 270 career wins, but he was really, really good. Even when the team he played for was not good, he still dominated. How he doesn’t have a no-hitter or a Cy Young award on his resume is beyond me, but if you watched him pitch, you know that he should be a hall of famer. He was also very close to getting into the Hall as he got 63.5%. He should get much higher this time around. Whether he gets elected this time around is more of a wait and see situation.

Roger Clemens

This is a very controversial pick because of steroids allegations, but Roger Clemens might be one of the best pitchers ever to play the game. 354 career wins certainly qualifies that and had 4,672 strikeouts is the nail on the coffin. Sure the allegations doesn’t help, but steroids wasn’t illegal during the time. As far as I’m concerned, he’s a Hall of Famer.

Barry Bonds

Probably one of the greatest players I had ever seen the game, but he is also the most controversial on this list because of the steroid allegations. However, he is the all-time home run leader (and single season with 73) and even has over 500 stolen bases. The man was such a good hitter, in fact the most dangerous I ever saw, that pitchers were legitimately scared to pitch to him. He was a five-tool player and an incredibly special talent. His 2002 season was probably the best season for any player in the history of the game and those numbers are so gaudy you would think they are video game type numbers. The allegations and also being accused for being a terrible teammate really help him here, but he is no doubt a Hall of Famer.

Fred McGriff

Just short of hitting 500 home runs (493) and he hasn’t gotten the recognition he deserves?! This man was such a good hitter with tremendous power that he was so much fun to watch especially with the helicopter like swing he had. “Crime Dog” never hit more than 37 home runs, but he consistently hit lots of home runs year in and year out. Why he hasn’t gotten even serious consideration for the Hall is beyond my comprehension.

Mariano Rivera

The greatest closer of all-time. He should be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He had over 650 saves, but that isn’t even the most remarkable statistic for his Hall of Fame resume. His postseason ERA was mind-boggling at a 0.70 mark. When he entered any game, the Yankees literally had the game won. And what also is remarkable is that he threw one pitch, a cutter, which he discovered by mistake, and batters knew what he was throwing every time and yet they still could not hit it. That pitch was basically unhittable. There isn’t enough words to describe how good he was.

Todd Helton

Helton was one of the best left hitting batters I had ever seen and I would argue he was more valuable of a hitter than Larry Walker was. Plus his defense was awesome. I would argue that he was the closest thing to a Ted Williams like hitter than even Joey Votto is now as he once hit .370 in 2000. The man was productive as all get out too as he hit nearly 400 home runs albeit playing at Coors Field, plus he had over 2,500 hits. He was the real deal.

Billy Wagner

Had it not been for Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera, this man would have been the greatest closer to ever play the game. He threw electric stuff as a left hander and was very effective. He struck out many batters as in the minimum of 800 innings pitched of all pitchers of all time he had a 11.9 K/9 and 33.2% strikeout rate total batters faced which is the highest of all MLB pitchers ever played. Oh and he had 422 saves. The dude was a beast.

Andy Pettitte

There may be no other guy on this list who was the most underrated on here than Pettitte as he won over 250 games and was one of the best postseason pitchers of all-time as he has the most wins in the postseason for any other pitcher. Oh and that pick off move? Phenomenal as he probably had the best of all-time.

Larry Walker

This guy had power, he had speed, he hit for a high average, he had a great arm, and was a stout defender. This guy gets overlooked a bit, but if you look at his numbers you would think this guy probably should get serious Hall of Fame recognition if Edgar Martinez got as much as he did. Walker’s numbers were .313 with 383 home runs and 1,311 RBIs. He might not get in, but he certainly gets my vote.

Snubs

Roy Halladay

Halladay was a phenomenal pitcher in his prime as he could easily go seven or eight innings with no-hit ball. He was one of the hardest guys to leave out here.

Manny Ramirez

One of the best hitters I ever saw play the game as he had over 500 home runs. The PED situation hurts him.

Jeff Kent

Probably the greatest second baseman to play the game.

Omar Vizquel

Probably the best defensive shortstop ever to play.

Gary Sheffield

Has over 500 home runs, but has been accused of doing steroids.

Andruw Jones

Was one of the best defensive centerfielders in the game for a good long while and hit over 400 home runs. His steep decline is what hurts him here as he was on the trajectory to be one of the best of all-time.

Sammy Sosa

Over 600 home runs, but steroids allegations hurt him.

Curt Schilling

While a stellar pitcher in his time and was one of the best during his career, it’s going to be a while before he gets taken seriously and should be.

I remember in the 2014 season a player I used to work with and was also a fan of Ohio State, made a lot of statements on Facebook about how ESPN had the SEC as their baby and when Ohio State won the national championship how ESPN was overrating the SEC. Problem with this sentiment, he was wrong. Using one season to prove “your point” is not good enough. While the Big Ten is a lot of fun to watch and it’s more balanced, the SEC is hands down the best conference in the country.

There are statistics to back this up, but you can prove this even with just who is in the Top 25 the past decade (or even 15 for that matter). After the 2008 season ended, University of Florida had won another championship in back-to-back fashion and it started the dominance of SEC football. Alabama would go on to win in 2009 and Auburn in 2010. However, in 2011, it proved once again why the SEC was so dominant as the championship game consisted of two teams from the conference, LSU and Alabama. It was controversial at the time, but those were two best sides in College Football that season. Alabama won that season and then yet again in 2012.

While in 2013, the SEC did not win the championship, but Auburn advanced to the championship game and there were seven teams in the Top 25 from the conference. That suggests that despite not winning the championship, the SEC was strong enough that there could have been multiple teams in the playoffs had there been one.

2014 was the first year of the playoffs, but the SEC disappointed as only Alabama made it and they lost to Ohio State, the eventual champions, in the semi-finals. That was the year where that player proclaimed that SEC was overrated and that the Big Ten was better. Well 2015 secured the fact that his claim was a fluke because the Crimson Tide returned to the championship game to face Clemson and won. Clemson and Alabama would face each other again in the National Championship for the 2016 season with Clemson winning on a last second touchdown as the Crimson Tide were very close to winning it in back-to-back fashion again.

However, my point of this column is that the past two seasons the SEC keeps proving that they are the top dog in the College Football. I have lived in ACC, SEC, and Big Ten country as I’ve seen what the best of College Football brings. However, after living in SEC and Big Ten territories, it’s clear as much as that those are two best conferences. That being said, I’ve watched too much College Football the last decade to recognize that the SEC is clearly the best conference.

In 2017, there were two SEC sides in the National Championship, which will go down as a classic, with both Alabama and Georgia going head to head in an epic contest, plus five teams from the conference were in the Top 25. Then there is this season, as while I contest that Georgia should have been in the playoffs, there were eight (!) teams in the Top 25. That’s a lot of teams in the rankings.

The style the SEC plays emphasizes hard nosed football as the run game is always great and the defense is always outstanding. It’s fast paced and aggressive. Seriously, it’s the most fun you will watch when it comes to College Football. And the fans show it when watching the games.

People can argue all they want, but the SEC is undoubtedly the best conference in the entire country and the points I made prove that. To back up my claims, my favorite team isn’t even from the SEC. I go into these games with as much objectivity as I can. It’s as clear as day. Some people just have too much homerism in them to see that. But if you’re trying to engage yourself with best possible football to watch at the college level, then the SEC is the best one to watch. Hands. Down!

 

No matter what, there will always be debates as to who should be in the College Football Playoffs. However, as I was walking past a colleague the other day talking about the Playoffs before the selections were made, he made a great point “The four best teams should be in the playoffs, not whom people feel like should be in it.” And he was right. Three of the four best schools that played this year were rightfully selected, but the fourth spot is more controversial as it was given to University of Oklahoma who had one of the worst defenses in the country. There were many other teams that had much better defenses this season and were also great sides, however, Oklahoma got in. Is that fair?

Oklahoma got in with an incredibly productive offense, one of the best in history, and were led by Heisman winning quarterback Kyler Murray. However, the question is whether they would have been in the playoffs with that good of an offense had it not been for Murray. The offense was so good that they didn’t need to play all that great of defense to win games. But that leads to my next point, the Big 12. The conference had some strong sides like Texas, West Virginia, and Iowa State, but it’s a pretty weak conference of the Power Five. The SEC had eight sides in the Top 25 and it shows how great they are when Alabama obliterated Oklahoma last week in the first round of the playoffs. While it’s fun to watch Big 12 in terms of offense as there are shootouts in pretty much every game, it lacks defense. You can’t be considered an elite side if defense is not a strength.

And with the mention of the SEC, it leads to my next point: Georgia should have been the fourth side to make the playoffs. Georgia was undoubtedly the fourth best team in the country this season (maybe even third). Their offense was productive and their defense was outstanding. However, most people on the selection committee would have a hard time picking a school that had lost two games during the season. So let’s analyze that then. They lost one of their games to LSU on the road and LSU was ranked in the Top 15 and their last loss was in the SEC championship, at a neutral site, against Alabama, who is now playing in the Championship, and in that contest the Crimson Tide had to come back to win. That’s a pretty good resume, plus they won their contests in the best conference in the country including victories over three Top 25 opponents whom play in the same division. No bad losses eh? Sounds like a playoff team to me. One could argue a case that Alabama earned the right to not play Georgia after beating them in the SEC Championship, and that’s a great point, however, Georgia was clearly one of the four best in the country. Yes, they did lose to Texas in the Sugar Bowl (a Big 12 side no less), but they weren’t even playing at full strength and lost by only seven points. They didn’t play their best football in that game, but even then, they barely lost.

The only other side that might have had a chance at the fourth slot in the playoffs is Ohio State. The Buckeyes should have been a stronger contender for the fourth spot as they had a very talented roster. While they were a strong side, they had a very bad loss to Purdue earlier in the season 49-20, whom then went on to lose 63-14 to Auburn, an SEC side. That loss hurts even more now for the Buckeyes. And you could make a case for Michigan who’s defense was very good, but even they lost big to Ohio State 62-39 and were also blown out by University of Florida, another SEC team, 41-15.

The argument will only continue more for an expanded playoff system which I am in favor of. I think that will give a better representation of who the best teams are is more fair. But as of right now, we can only argue the current system rather than suggest a new one.

However, the selection committee needs to make better selections and more fair. There is too much bias and it’s very flawed. There needs to be more of an objective look at who should be in it or not.

Harold Baines might have had a very quiet career as he was arguably one of the more underrated players in Major League Baseball history. That being said, he was never elected to the Hall of Fame by the writers despite putting up numbers that were undoubtedly good enough to make the Hall of Fame.

Baines got his career started in 1980 with the White Sox and played until 2001. That’s 22 seasons. While he played a long time, he spent the majority of his career as a designated hitter due to his knee problems. While it is a ridiculous reason, some of the voters for the Hall of Fame have an issue with players who played mostly as a designated hitter. It’s a total bias because some can’t wrap their heads around the progression of the sport and that baseball is not in the 1920s anymore. They need to get with the times as the rule for the American League to have a DH was implemented in 1973 which means there have been a few generations born where all they have known, including myself, that the AL had the DH (nearly 50 years). That’s why former Seattle Mariner Edgar Martinez has had such difficulty even garnering the necessary votes to get in despite his Hall of Fame worthy numbers because there are some people who can’t accept the new rules and letting their own biases getting in the way. If the only bias was based off numbers, then that’s totally fine, but not liking the DH? That’s silly. The designated hitter is a position/job, plain and simple. Players get inducted into the Hall of Fame based off their hitting statistics or pitching numbers, plain and simple. If fielding statistics were incorporated into the voting process, then would a lot of now Hall of Famers be in it? Or pitchers and their hitting statistics? Probably not, which only solidifies my point. Yes, he did play a long time, but he was productive in almost every season he played.

Baines had an awesome career. He had 2,866 hits (just short of the coveted 3,000 that essentially makes you a lock to become a Hall of Famer), 384 home runs, and 1,628 RBIs. His 1,652 games as a DH are a major league record, and had the most career home runs as a DH (236) until Martinez passed it. He also had the most career hits as a DH (1,688) until David Ortiz passed that mark as well. Baines was a six time All-Star and even led the AL in slugging percentage in 1984. He was also known to be a clutch hitter, but he also hit 13 grand slams and is tied for seventh in major league history in walk off home runs with 10. He was one of the most productive players in baseball in 1980s to mid 90s and he was so valuable that even the White Sox retired his number, while he was still playing.

Yes, he did play some outfield, but once his knees started to hurt him, it limited his ability to play, and he still was productive. He was also regarded as one of the more clutch players during his time, which is valuable. A lot of sabermetricians will say that there is no way to quantify being clutch because there aren’t numbers to back it up. Well, there actually is, but you also had to watch them to play to understand what it means to be clutch. That’s another reason why some writers never voted for him and that’s silly too.

Look, Baines is not your typical Hall of Fame player, but when you look just at the statistics (or even the few I mentioned), you will understand why he should be one. It’s not even a debate. Yes, he was unorthodox, but he was consistently productive even for as long as he played and people saw that. I even heard many people talk about how he should be a Hall of Famer right around the time he was retiring. That alone suggests that he was good enough to be considered to be one. People need to stop it with their personal biases about the sport, let the numbers do all the talking. If one such voter felt his numbers weren’t good enough, that’s fine, but it shouldn’t be based off biases. That being said, he was undoubtedly good enough to be a Hall of Famer and the Veteran’s Committee, who saw him play, agree too. So put the debate to rest.

Alabama vs Oklahoma

Oklahoma

The Sooners cruised through the Big 12 to earn their trip to the College Football Playoffs. However, not without controversy as people felt like they were not the fourth best team in the nation as they don’t have a strong defense. However, making up for that is how potent their offense is. Led by Heisman winner Kyler Murray, they have been the most prolific offense in College Football history. They are now here to prove all the pundits wrong and show why they deserve to be in the playoffs.

Alabama

If you are shocked to see the Crimson Tide in the College Football playoffs then you haven’t been paying attention to the sport all that much of late as they are led by probably the best head coach of all-time Nick Saban. Alabama has been simply unbeatable the last decade it seems like and to win, yet, another championship this year. This might be one of the more talented teams the Crimson Tide have had as they have a great quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa and their defense is incredible and will always give opposing offenses fits. Many are likely to see them as the absolute favorites in this game.

Predictions

James Rowe: Alabama. The Crimson Tide are just so good that it will be hard to not pick them. Sure, Oklahoma will score some points, but they have never faced as good of a defense like Alabama does. It will be a reality check for the Sooners as the Crimson Tide move on.

Notre Dame vs Clemson

Notre Dame

Ever hear the term “Defense wins championships?” Well the hope from the Fighting Irish faithful is that their team does exactly that as this has been their best team since 2012 and the defense had a lot to say about that. Also, their offense has been clinical of late after making a change at quarterback as Ian Book has made the offense more productive and effective. Some questioned whether they should be in the playoffs as well, but the fans know that their team most deservedly should be in there and look to shock everyone.

Clemson

Dabo Swinney has taken a good program into becoming a powerhouse. However, Swinney’s ability to find quarterback talent keeps showing after having Deshaun Watson lead them to a championship in the 2016 season and now a five-star recruit in Trevor Lawrence. Clemson also made a change at quarterback in the middle of the season which made their offense even better. Their defensive line wreaks havoc on many offenses and that will be a key point in this game. However, the Tigers might actually have the most talented team in the playoffs and could use all their skilled players to good use.

Predictions

James: Notre Dame. I was skeptical of Notre Dame most of the year, but every time I saw them play they impressed me more and more and they should be taken more serious. Their defense is incredible and it could hurt Clemson’s chances of getting any sort of rhythm on offense. While I think Clemson has the more talented team and could win this game as well, I think the Fighting Irish actually have more of a chance of winning then people think, plus I think they have a lot to prove. They will look to avenge their loss against Alabama from the 2012 championship.

I got a chance to work with Jim Riggleman in 2016 and I have nothing, but high regards for the man. He was very personable, smart, and brought a laid back presence, but was very old school with other methods. Some might consider what I might say about him to be biased, but after the recent decision of the Cincinnati Reds hiring David Bell to be manager, I can’t help but think that it was such a slap in the face to Riggleman after the job he did for them.

Riggleman took over the job as Reds’ manager when Bryan Price was fired after a miserable 3-15 start to the season. Price didn’t deserve to be fired either as he was never dealt a good hand for a team as they were not very good, however I do think a change was needed as I don’t believe Price’s managerial approach fit the club’s well with the players he had. Riggleman, on the other hand, was perfect as the players really liked him, he rallied the players well after a bad start to the season, and he did a good job just in general. The record (64-80) wouldn’t suggest that, but in the middle of the season, the Reds played like as if they were one of the best teams in baseball before slumping towards the end.

This season should have been an indication to the organization that Riggleman was their guy. For someone who didn’t have an offseason to prepare for the season, Riggleman impressed me. I always thought he was a solid manager, but with the club he had, it was the perfect fit especially with the club being so young. He also has been in the organization for a while as he managed in the minor leagues so he knows what the players are like and how they tick, plus he knows what the front office wants. People will point to his managerial record as to why he shouldn’t be the manager, but those same individuals probably never saw him manage those teams are basing their opinions off assumptions not observations. From my observations, he has done a nice job with two different franchises (Washington being the other one).

The Reds hired David Bell to be the manager as they exclaimed that they “got their guy.” While Buddy Bell, David’s father, claimed to have recused himself from the interview, something doesn’t smell right about it. I got the sense that they never wanted Riggleman in the first place and I also feel like Buddy Bell was pushing them to give his son a chance to prove himself. David Bell might be a good choice, I’m not knocking on him for anything, and it might have seemed like going out and getting fresh blood was the path they wanted to take, but that doesn’t always mean it’s the right one. In fact, normally I would be behind that type of logic as I always like seeing a hire from someone outside of the organization is the best course of action. Will David Bell be a good manager? From everything I’ve heard about him, he probably will. Is a good hire for the Reds? If what I’m hearing is true, it’s a good choice. However, it’s not the right one. Yes, I understand hiring a guy who is from Cincinnati sounds like a good idea, but that is always a gamble. Yes, after Dusty Baker was going to leave, Baker wanted Bell to take over as manager as did the organization before they decided to hire Price. But that doesn’t mean Baker was right

My hope is that Riggleman does land a managerial gig somewhere after it was announced that he won’t come back. I feel like he would feel slighted by the Reds for picking someone else after the good job he did in 2018. He deserves a shot at it.

I just cannot understand nor agree with the decision to not hire Riggleman, however, I respect the organization and the people running it a lot and hope things work out for them. Let’s hope I’m wrong.

As for Riggleman, maybe he will finally get the chance to prove himself and I hope he does because he deserves it. I heard a few teams need new managers this offseason anyways. Maybe they should call him in.

Many who have been following my columns know that I am originally from our Nation’s Capital, Washington, D.C. I love the my hometown and I want it to succeed in the sports scene. Seeing the Capitals win the Stanley Cup will be a moment I will never forget, but there was some other big news that maybe some of you might not know about. This past May there was an announcement that an ownership is trying to bring a Major League Rugby squad to play in D.C. As a fan of rugby, this is incredibly exciting. But what is even more exciting is that this past week, an official announcement said that the franchise would start playing in 2020. So if you’re a rugby fan from D.C. you have to start marking your calendars now.

Just recently there was a webinar that was hosted by Paul Sheehy, a former USA Eagle who owns a local car dealership in the D.C. area, and Chris Dunlavey, who owns a local program management firm, as they are the main ownership partners for bringing a team to D.C. There was detailed information as to what they wanted and honestly it looked very promising. So much so that I want to be there for the beginning.

First thing that looked promising was how dedicated Sheehy and Dunlavey are about bringing a team to D.C. Both play rugby and seem to be very successful businessmen so they totally understand what it means to be a rugby fan and how a successful business model should work.

Another thing that looked promising was how they intend to build a rugby facility that has offices, a practice field, and a stadium to play their home matches at and the hope is that it will be built somewhere inside the Beltway and Metro accessible. What is great about that is that Chris Dunlavey is a co-founder of a local program management firm which deals with large scale institutional facility development, especially in sports venues. Having that type of person as one of your owners is really beneficial as you know that rugby facility will be one of the best venues in the entire league.

What else is exciting is they both have rugby minds. Dunlavey plays for a local club, the Washington Irish Rugby Football Club, and Sheehy having played for the USA Eagles at the 1991 Rugby World Cup. My guess is that Sheehy will have more hands on the rugby operations part of the business (with Dunlavey obvious more hands on with building the facility, though I’m sure Dunlavey will have some say in the rugby operations part too). Sheehy is also very involved with the local community with his support of some youth clubs and other adult clubs which suggests he has a keen rugby mind.

Another good thing is that they both run businesses with Sheehy owning a local car dealership and with Dunlavey and his program management firm. So they clearly know how to run a decent business model and that’s good news for rugby fans in the D.C. area.

And lastly, another great thing about this is that these are guys who know the DMV area really well and understand the rugby scene in D.C. really well. That should get fans even more excited once 2020 comes around.

In the National Football League, there are a lot of teams that feel like the best way to build up their squad is through the draft. Within the last four seasons it seems like there has been a common theme with some squads of building their teams through the draft into becoming a winner. With that being said, these are the five teams with whom I think have the best talent that has been built up through the draft and are eyeing long-term success in a league where winning is a crapshoot.

Cincinnati Bengals

Head coach Marvin Lewis knows how to evaluate talent really well and the last three seasons he has done a good job finding that talent in the draft finding such players like linebacker Nick Vigil, cornerback William Jackson, running back Joe Mixon, and center Billy Price. But this team is loaded with young talent where they could be a dangerous squad very soon. They have a lot of depth as well as some of the young talent like wide receiver Josh Malone, linebacker Carl Lawson, defensive end Jordan Willis, linebacker Malik Jefferson, and safety Jesse Bates and that could mean they are primed to be key contributors in the future. They are going to be scary good soon if not already.

Washington Redskins

If they haven’t impressed you thus far into the season, then you are missing out on something special. The defensive line is incredibly good with the likes of Da’Ron Payne, Matt Ioannidis, and Jonathan Allen, players they drafted the last three drafts, as this might be one of the most lethal defensive lines in football. But the last four seasons they have gotten some great drafts as these young players have them poised to be one of the most exciting squads in the NFL soon and possibly as soon as later this season. They have drafted some great talent like wide receivers Jamison Crowder and Josh Doctson, running backs Samaje Perine and Derrius Guice, offensive linemen Brandon Scherff and Chase Roullier, and defensive backs Fabian Moreau and Montae Nicholson. These guys really have a lot of talent and when they are healthy, the Redskins might quite possibly be the most talented team in the National Football Conference.

Cleveland Browns

Yes, those Browns. The same team that has consistently lost over the years since they became a team again in 1999 might actually have one of the more talented rosters in football. Cleveland, however, is actually not that bad of a team despite what their record shows. They play hard in almost every facet, but it always seems like they have bad luck too. Their defense is pretty good and they have a lot of weapons on offense that is on the cusp of breaking through into becoming something great. They have a quarterback in Baker Mayfield that might fit their mold on offense with his skill set, but you have to mention all the other weapons on offense like running backs Nick Chubb and Duke Johnson, wide receivers Antonio Callaway and Rashard Higgins, tight end David Njoku, and offensive lineman Austin Corbett that they hope will develop into great players. The defense though is rock solid as they have youngsters like defensive linemen Myles Garrett, Emmanuel Ogbah, and Larry Ogunjobi, linebacker Joe Schobert, and corner back Denzel Ward. These guys are destined to do big things very soon.

Los Angeles Rams

Ever since the move from St. Louis to Los Angeles, things have seemingly gotten better for the Rams organization, but that might be because they are actually making some great player personnel decisions than they have done in the past. They drafted quarterback Jared Goff in 2016 to be their franchise quarterback and he has developed really well and soon could be one of the best in football. Another excellent decision was drafting running back Todd Gurley who one can make the case that he is the best in football right now. However, the best one they made that isn’t talked about like it should be is the drafting of the possibly the best defensive lineman in football and that being Aaron Donald. Other talented players on the roster that could help make this team a dominant side for years to come are wide receiver Cooper Kupp, tight end Tyler Higbee, safety LaMarcus Joyner, and linebacker Cory Littleton.

Jacksonville Jaguars

This team is very underrated talented. While their 2018 season isn’t going exactly to plan, if any team that can go on a roll and make a deep run in the playoffs, it’s the Jaguars. Their defense is absolutely stacked and they have some talented players on offense. While there are some pieces that are holding them back, if they can get those corrected then they could be a force to be reckoned with in the future. Jacksonville has a backfield consisting of two awesome running backs in Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon which gives defensive lines so much headache. Their defense has players such as cornerback Jalen Ramsey, arguably the best cornerback in the league, linebackers Myles Jack and Telvin Smith, and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue. Their offense also some great players like wide receivers Dede Westbrook, Marqise Lee, and Keelan Cole. If they can find a more consistent quarterback then they could be a really good team.