American football

Don't sleep on Mina Kimes for ESPN - definitely one of the best in the game.

I've heard her on bill simmons podcast, a couple of times.
There's a load of people whose work I'd like to read more, but I'll get by with hearing them guest on podcasts.
Basketball related, but I haven't read a Zach Lowe column/article in months, but I'll listen religiously to his podcast.
The UI/UX of the mobile versions of sports illustrated and espn made it such a frustrating experience finding content especially espn which wants to localise the content and kept pushing me to their european/uk site, wasn't worth it.

Truth, as much as Simmons can be a douche, The Ringer and Grantland before it have been to home to some great writing over the years.

Super subjective, and I understand the necessity to broaden appeal/reader base, but it felt like everything on Grantland was written for me - and it was possible to consume close to everything on there if you saw fit.

Not knocking the content on the Ringer, and it was great to see BS get his bag outside the confines of ESPN but everything feels just a little more dilute on there. Hard to put into words. Maybe it was just the simplicity in web design of Grantland where everything was in the single column feed that made it feel more accessible.

Every December I pine for another of Remberts 'Who won 20XX'

I've been reading simmons, since I became aware of him on ESPN, the ewing theory, and levels of losing were/are genius. I miss that he doesn't write anymore, think the media persona/podcast overload/ongoing ubiquity of everything he does have made him much more of a marmite character than he was when he was a kind of geeky cultural sports outsider who wore his fandom on his sleeve and just wanted others to rate the players/things he rated.
He's much more fun when the boston teams are losing, rather than winning.
Loved Grantland, Love The Ringer.
Interesting to see how much more culture (movies, music, politics) has been brought into The Ringer, it was always there in Grantland, but just so much less of it. And also how diverse the staff is, especially the growing percentage of female sports writers, feels like it's almost 50/50. I read a load of stuff on there and only really realise it's a woman writing it, when I try to pronounce the name (american's have weird spellings for names)

So fields goes at 11 to the bears, and the 49ers take a punt on Trey Lance at 3 and the patriots sit pat and get Mac Jones at 15.

Mmhhhhh!

So fields goes at 11 to the bears

Poor old Dalton...

To hell with Dalton, that's all my Xmas presents in one! He will play from day 1 and even if he doesn't start on fire we'll get a new GM and Coach.

Win: win!

If Fields is as good as some people believe, and starts day one, he may save GM and Head Coaches jobs.

If he can reproduce his 2019 highlights in the NFL, I could almost pardon them. Let's be honest, he is one last throw of the dice to save their jobs. But, with Rogers wanting out from Green Bay, a new era could be approaching.

I must sit down quietly with a mug of Ovaltine, I am getting a bit giddy....

You have to look at the history of the Bears though - they can unearth amazing talents but surround them with utter dreck for their entire careers. (Sayers, Butkus, Urlacher)

If Fields pans out let's hope that they don't repeat the same mistakes they have been making for the past 60 years.

FWIW - I live in the glass house of the Texans and am not throwing stones, simply sharing trauma.

Yeah, that Rodgers news shocked me! But think he's been holding onto a grudge since they drafted Love, and no wide receivers last season.
Not sure anyone has the picks and players and salary cap space to get a trade with Rodgers done, and I'm not sure but I think he has a no trade clause in there as well..
also with this run on QB's in the draft, which team is in a dodgy QB position with all of the above to make a run at him?

Alarmingly, I have been a Bears fan for 40 of those 60 years, I am well aware of their history, but let an old man dream. To paraphrase Casablanca, we'll always have '85.

Someone will throw their inheritance and that of their children to try to get Rodgers. However, it will be no surprise if he's still at Green Bay on day 1.

mug of Ovaltine

The beverage of choice for sage, armchair sports fans.

Ovaltine failed me, I should have slipped back into the morose fatalism familiar to all Bears fans, instead I watched highlight film of Justin Fields.

I'm so excited, I just can't hide it, I'm about to lose control and I think I like it.

Reality will soon intrude.

Yeah, good job by the niners on putting everyone off the scent.

I feel that if Jones had gone at 3, the pats would have traded up, but I still wouldn’t age preferred Fields over Jones.

That said, by waiting they were able to trade up in round two and take the highest rated DT on the board, which is a very Belichick pick

Truth, said to a buddy that da bears just drafted their best QB since 1985

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/14/nfl-race-norming-concussion-settlement?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Binging the all pre-season highlights over the past week. I know it's pre-season, but Trubisky LOLs are real.

Texans are a 4-12 team at best. Going to be a long season, at least we can play Jacksonville twice and have a good kicker.

Seasons almost upon us, and with the browns having moved back to relevance, time for me to find another underdog to follow, and after this piece I’m thinking it might be the lions, despite Jared goff being their quarterback.
Hoping Dan campbell gets a decent shake of the stick to get this franchise back on its feet..
https://www.theringer.com/nfl/2021/9/2/22653112/dan-campbell-lions-experience

Seahawks fan, but really like the Broncos this season for some reason.

Also rooting for Darnold.

Got tickets to the Dolphins Jags game too, which should be good.

I think teddy bridgewater has an unfair rep as a game manager who doesn’t have the arm strength to take big risks, or deep throws downfield. But reading articles about him since he was drafted by the vikings, he’s got all the intangibles and leadership qualities you want in a qb, even if he does lack some arm strength.
Despite my historical dislike of the broncos (always thought elway was overrated, he showed me with his two super bowls and induction into the hall of fame) want bridgewater to do well..

Really want to see Darnold do well. There is some real talent around him in Carolina and that should help. I am hugely intrigued by the LA teams too, Charger and the Stafford led Rams could be interesting.

Hope the Raiders suck, because Raiders. Also the preseason trolling of the Raiders by Levis at the 49ers stadium, with their "Loyal to the Bay" campaign theme, was absolutely top notch.

Top teams look terrifying but @cornelius_blackfoot if you want a good underdog then the WFT with a ridiculous defense and Fitzmagic at QB could be a hell of a good roller coaster to ride.

Cam to Texans surely gonna happen. Tyrod isn't exactly starter material IMO.

God no. Tyrod is serviceable and will get us through the season. The D looks much better, the offense is a giant question mark, but the whole team is a rag-tag bunch of vets on short contracts. We could be the A-Team or we could be the Light Brigade. The latter is most likely so I say 4-13 is the most probable outcome.