Category Archives: football
Putin’s Super Bowl Ring
A trip to the White House is the elite athlete equivalent of everyone getting a trophy.
The New England Patriots made their regular trek last week. They gave President Trump another jersey. Jason Gray, in the WSJ (a subscription is required but try clicking the Google link), says he’ll never wear it unless he gets a job at Buffalo Wild Wings.
Some players didn’t make the trip, including Tom Brady. Also, on the dark side, former star receiver Aaron Hernandez hung himself in prison that morning. He had just been cleared of two murder charges but was serving a life term for another.
Putin’s Super Bowl Ring
But team owner Robert Craft showed up. He claims Vladimir Putin stole his Super Bowl ring in 2013.
Tom Brady Jersey Caper LI
Not a bad Super Bowl. Mary Katherine Hamm says Lady Gaga and Tom Brady made America great again. Somebody else made off with a Tom Brady jersey. It’s on Amber alert. Other than that, Mary Katherine called it great art and great sport.
Ezekiel Elliott’s Leap of Faith
You may throw your loose change into a Salvation Army Kettle this time of year. But Ezekiel Elliott scored a touchdown and threw himself in. The ref penalized him for excessive celebration but the NFL elected not to fine him. Presumably with Commissioner Roger Goodell’s approval.
Anyway, who says the NFL is no fun? Here’s a clever clip of Zeek’s stunt spliced onto video of earlier red kettle choreography by Terrell Owns. (It’s the second video on the page.)
Elliott’s Leap of Faith
The Salvation Army says contributions jumped 61% after Elliott’s leap of faith.
The Block
Before game three of the NBA final series against Golden State, Number 23 noticed old Number 32 in the stands. LeBron James trotted over and bowed to Jim Brown. Brown was pleased. He called the salute, “one of my greatest sports moments.”
One of his other great moments was The NFL Championship in 1964. It was Cleveland’s last major sports title, until LeBron and his co-workers ended 52 years of frustration Sunday night.
The Block
Brown and James bookended five decades of sports despair. Hope was crushed during those years by “The Drive“, “The Fumble“, and “The Shot.”
But now we have “The Block.”
LeBron used speed, grace, and power, to chase down Andre Iguodala and smash his layup into the glass. At Deadspin Chris Thompson called it, “the greatest individual athletic feat in a game of basketball that I have ever seen.”
It reminded me of Jim Brown’s second, third, and fourth efforts half a century ago.
I’m still watching The Block – over and over. You can too, here, here, here, and here.
Click the image for full size
Go here to see some of my less gushing LeBron cartoons through the years.
Mizzou Football Econ 101
Nutty professors calling for muscle weren’t the biggest story during the University of Missouri protests. The football team was.
Thirty-six hours after black players said they would strike, the president and chancellor resigned. Mizzou would have had to pay Brigham Young University a million dollars if it cancelled Saturday’s game.
Now that football players have had their consciousness raised about their economic clout, will they use it to their own benefit?
