On this episode of WRIGHSTER OR WRONG, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden talk about the NFL’s decision to bring Marshawn Lynch into the fold as an ambassador, and wonder whether the NBA should do the same with Allen Iverson. The MLB Wild Card game last night between the Yankees and Red Sox might have brought in great ratings, but the guys have an issue with the MLB’s play-in format. The recent Facebook and Instagram outage had a worldwide impact, and George and Ralph talk about which Social platform they wouldn’t be able to live without. Actress Lisa Rinna is getting sued by a photographer for posting pictures of herself- should people have the right to use digital images of themselves produced by someone else? Also, the Zodiac Killer has been identified over 50 years after the killings that gripped the country- the guys discuss whether serial killers like the Zodiac are still prevalent in society. And last, as always, the Best of Social Media.
Click any of the following links to listen to Wrighster or Wrong on your preferred Podcast platform
The best and worst thing about boxing’s heavyweight division is its unpredictability.
Who doesn’t love when an underdog like Andy Ruiz Jr. upsets Anthony Joshua to become a heavyweight champion? Actions have consequences, and Ruiz’s victory threw a wrench in the heavyweight division. Instead of Joshua moving on to fight Deontay Wilder or Tyson Fury, the British boxer exercised his rematch clause and won the second bout with ease.
After Joshua won his fight, the logical next opponent would be the winner of Fury-Wilder II. In the second fight, Fury overpowered and dominated Wilder on his way to seventh-round TKO in February 2020. Shortly after the fight, Wilder exercised his rematch clause and Fury-Wilder III would happen sometime in the fall.
All roads lead to @TMobileArena as WBC heavyweight world champ @Tyson_Fury and former heavyweight world champ @bronzebomber meet in their world title trilogy #FuryWilder3 Saturday, October 9 live on PPV! 👑 💣
Then a little thing called a “pandemic” happened and shook up the entire world.
No one could have predicted a pandemic, but tumultuous contract negotiations should have been expected for Fury-Wilder III. Fury wanted to move on from Wilder in the Fall of 2020 and response, the Bronze Bomber accused Fury of cheating during their fight, which has never been proven. Sour grapes, anyone?
Fast forward March 2021 when Fury and Joshua agreed to a two-fight deal to unify the heavyweight titles, the first time an undisputed champion would be crowned since the days of Lennox Lewis. The heavyweight division was finally going in the right direction.
Not so fast my friend.
In May 2021, an independent arbitrator ruled that Fury must honor a contractual cause to fight Wilder for the third time. There were talks of paying Wilder “step away” money and wait to fight the winner of Fury-Joshua, but it never materialized. Fury actually wouldn’t let it happen.
Every time I rewatch this knockdown I still can’t understand how Tyson Fury got up from this. Deontay Wilder thought he’d won. It was a real life Rocky moment pic.twitter.com/ERI91rxdSz
— Sobervated Conor 🥃 (Fan of Conor McGregor) (@SobervatedConor) October 6, 2021
Despite the ruling, the roadmap to a Fury-Joshua was not dead just yet. If Joshua took care of Oleksandr Usyk and Fury beat Wilder once again, Fury-Joshua would automatically be the next fight.
Usyk winning could be good for the division in the long run as it presents another challenger for the big three. However, I can’t help but feel disappointed that a Fury-Joshua fight may never happen. If Fury loses on Saturday night, does Wilder then jump ahead of the Gypsy King and fight the winner of Joshua-Usyk II?
If you want Fury-Joshua as soon as possible, root for Fury to defeat Wilder. Want chaos? Cheer for Wilder.
If the heavyweight division has taught us anything over the last three years, it’s to expect the unexpected.
Who do you think will win Fury-Wilder III? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us @unafraidshow.
Welcome to the UnafraidShow.com 2021 Fearless Friday Picks contest between George Wrigshter and Ralph Amsden.
Every week, George and Ralph will make five picks, either against the spread or the total, for the upcoming sports weekend. Each participant will start with $1000, and must risk a minimum of $20 on each pick, but can up each selection to a maximum of $100. Each winning pick pays 1:1, and we’ll keep the total throughout the season.
George Wrighster
Current total: $1020
Overall record: 14-16 (1-4 last week, -$245)
This week’s picks:
Oklahoma (-3) at Texas (risking $100)
Georgia at Auburn (+15.5) (risking $100)
Alabama (-18) at Texas A&M (risking $100)
Oregon State (-3.5) at Washington State (risking $100)
Florida State (+17.5) at North Carolina (risking $100)
Ralph Amsden
Current total: $1295
Overall record: 16-13-1 (3-2 last week, +$150)
This week’s picks:
Penn State at Iowa OVER 41 (risking $100)
Boise State (+5.5) at BYU (risking $100)
Florida State (+17.5) at North Carolina (risking $100)
Arkansas at Mississippi UNDER 66.5 (risking $100)
Oregon State (-3.5) at Washington State (risking $100)
Have a take you’d like us to address?Email us at immad@unafraidshow.com and we’ll read your take on a future Wrighster or Wrong podcast.
On this episode of Pac-12 Apostles, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden sort through the damage of Oregon’s loss to Stanford, and assess the rest of week 5’s conference play action. George Wrighster interviews Pac-12 Conference Commissioner George Kliavkoff, and tries to get to the bottom of the conference’s television distribution issues. The guys give their updated power rankings, and preview/predict the four week 6 games before giving an update on who’s still a legitimate contender to replace Clay Helton at USC.
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
On this episode of WRIGHSTER OR WRONG, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden ask the question “Can Urban Meyer survive a full season of losing in the NFL?” Also, rookie QBs are 1-11 as starters so far this season, George and Ralph examine the reasons why it might be good to keep your first year QB off the field until you’ve built the roster up. In Cancel or Consequence, Cenk Uygur of Two Young Turks has said he can take Joe Rogan in a fight, the guys weigh in on his odds, as well as talk about why Joe Rogan always seems to be under fire. And finally, in Best of Social Media, George and Ralph debate whether Ted Lasso’s message of belief should be for everyone, or a select few.
Click any of the following links to listen to Wrighster or Wrong on your preferred Podcast platform
Will Urban Meyer make it through the season as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars if he thinks last night's Bengals loss was "devastating" and "heartbreaking"? pic.twitter.com/FKY9gimT0n
As the Pac-12 gets ready to kick off week 5 of the season, and the second week of conference play, we’re getting a clearer picture of who the contenders and pretenders might be.
We know that USC is going to be fighting for a bowl appearance, and not a conference title. We know that Oregon State has found their QB. We know that Cal’s fans are going to be haunted by the 2021 version of their team’s inability to finish. We know that Washington was wrong about keeping Sean McGrew on the bench all along. We know that the winner of UCLA/ASU this week might be Oregon’s only competition to win the conference.
But there’s still plenty that we don’t know, and in week 5 we’re going to learn an awful lot…
What’s at stake: One galaxy-brained way to look at the rest of the season if you’re a USC fan is to think to yourself that now that Donte Williams doesn’t have the pressure of walking the undefeated tightrope in order to earn the job, the Trojans can just go out and play. I say whatever you need to tell yourself to stay invested in this season after Oregon State won its first game on your homefield in 61 year, you gotta do it. Look, Colorado can’t move the ball through the air, so if they do it against the Trojans even half as well as Chance Nolan did, the problems run so much deeper than alleviating Clay Helton of his position. As far as Colorado goes, you have to keep building. You went from going scoreless on two games’ worth of drives, and then managed to score 13 points in Tempe. Double that against the Trojans at home and you might still be in the fight for a bowl.
Our Picks: Ralph and George both like USC to cover
#3 Oregon at Stanford
Kickoff: 12:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: ABC
Opening Odds: Oregon -8
What’s at stake: For Oregon, everything is on the line all the time. They’ve played Stony Brook and Arizona closer than they should have in the last two weeks, and so a fast start would be helpful against a Stanford team that is starting to find its identity with Tanner McKee under center. We don’t know if Oregon is vulnerable to the run, and you can bet that David Shaw is going to put that to the test in hopes of keeping the pace of the game at a crawl. If the game ends up a shootout, I’m not sure they have the firepower to keep up with Oregon.
Our Picks: Ralph is taking Stanford to cover, George, as always, is swimming with the Ducks.
Washington State at Cal
Kickoff: 2:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Opening Odds: Cal -7.5
What’s at stake: Cal could easily be 4-0 with 3-4 plays going differently. Washington State has had a second half lead in all three of their losses. The level of unmet expectations and disappointment in this contest is immeasurable, but alas! Someone HAS TO WIN!!! On the other end of that fact… Bowl hopes end for the loser… in week 5.
Our Picks: Ralph likes Cal -7.5, George is taking Wazzu.
Washington at Oregon State
Kickoff: 6:00PM Pacific
Broadcast: Pac-12 Network
Opening Odds: Oregon State -1.5
What’s at stake: Oregon State can go from “fun story” to “legitimate contender” with a win over Washington, and if you harken back to last season’s win in the game formerly known as the civil war, that’ll be the three game run that USC fans will use to convince themselves they’re happy about Jonathan Smith being the most logical choice to be their next head coach. In all seriousness though, the Beavers have a chance to finally show that talent development is superior to talent collection, and become the Pac-12 North’s version of Utah. Washington’s Jimmy Lake is in the unenviable position of replacing Clay Helton as the person who is coaching each game to avoid the rage of the base. Unless Lake wants to avoid pitchforks, and not the Sun Devil kind, he needs his team to play to their potential and take care of business in Corvallis.
Our Picks: George is all in on Oregon State, Ralph is giving the Huskies one last chance.
Arizona State at #20 UCLA
Kickoff: 7:30PM Pacific
Broadcast: FS1
Opening Odds: UCLA -3.5
What’s at stake: Herm Edwards has had success against lots of Pac-12 opponents, but in their last two contests, Chip Kelly has put on a coaching clinic. This year, both teams are 3-1 with solid defenses and very good running games. This game is going to come down to which skinny dual-threat QB makes the biggest play in the biggest moment. For Dorian Thompson Robinson, this is a legacy game. For Jayden Daniels, this is to give him the opportunity to have his own set of legacy games in an attempt to sweep the LA schools and beat Utah en route to a Pac-12 South title.
Our Picks: George likes the Bruins, Ralph is being stubborn and sticking to his “ASU goes 11-1” preseason prediction.
Who are the Pac-12 Apostles?
The Pac-12 Apostles is a podcast for fans who love the Pac-12 conference. George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden are committed to the honest and fair conversation about the conference. Join us by becoming a Pac-12 Apostle. Subscribe and share the podcast.
Please leave a rating and review of our podcast on iTunes! We record a podcast once a week with emergency episodes when necessary. Our podcasts are always heavy on Pac-12 football. But we make it a point to also try and cover the other notable Men’s and Women’s Pac-12 sports. We cover recruiting and any other major storyline in the Pac-12 universe.
George Wrighster is a former Pac-12 and long-time NFL tight end. As a television/radio host, opinionist, and analyst, who is UNAFRAID to speak the truth. Contrary to industry norms he uses, facts, stats, and common sense to win an argument. He has covered college football, basketball, NFL, NBA, MLB since 2014. Through years of playing college football, covering bowl games, coaching changes, and scandals, he has a great pulse for the conference and national perspective.
Ralph Amsden is a sportswriter and podcaster. He is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State University Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. Wyoming born, Arizona raised, and now based in Charlotte, North Carolina with his wife and four kids, Amsden made his mark in Arizona sports media through investigative reporting, and being one of the first people to leverage social media and the podcast medium to grow his platform. In addition to his podcasts, he is the Content Director for UnafraidShow.com. Ralph might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but whether the topic is food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
Daniel Craig is my favorite actor to play James Bond. If you just heard the sound of glass breaking, that’s because a brick was thrown through my window on behalf of Sean Connery. This is where I’m supposed to say “with all due respect,” and then throw a backhanded insult at Connery’s portrayal of Bond. But that’s not going to happen. Connery provided the blueprint for 007: charming, sophisticated, and an elite spy. He’s second-best in my book.
I compare the Connery vs. Craig debate to the exhausting argument over Jordan vs. LeBron as the GOAT in basketball. If you grew up with and experienced Jordan at the peak of his powers, then you’re going to say Jordan is the GOAT. The same argument can be applied to LeBron with the younger generation. Appreciate the greatness of both instead of tearing the other down to make a point.
Craig’s version of a gritty and troubled Bond who still retained his charm and elegance won me over from Day 1. Many forget that Craig’s casting as the seventh actor to take over this prestigious character was met with a lot of hatred. Craig wasn’t a star by any means. He was a classically trained actor known primarily for his work in the theater. Plus, he had blonde hair, and that pissed A LOT of people off. Guess who supported the decision to cast Craig? Sean Connery!
Ahead of No Time to Die, I revisited Craig’s previous four films. Two are excellent, one is solid, and one just doesn’t belong with the rest. Here are my rankings.
4. Quantum of Solace
One of these things is not like the other, and that’s Quantum of Solace. It’s not bad in the grand scheme of things, but it’s a movie that couldn’t decide what it wanted to be. The central theme is revenge as Bond sets out to find those responsible for the death of his lover, Vesper Lynd. 007 as a bat-out-of-hell, killing all those in his path to avenge his girlfriend is a solid premise, but it’s not exactly a James Bond movie. Revenge is a good theme, but the final mission somehow turns into stopping Dominic Greene from controlling the water supply in Bolivia. Is this a revenge movie or a statement about environmentalism? I left the film with more questions than answers. Craig is still good, and Olga Kurylenko was a badass that deserved better in this franchise. I don’t see myself revisiting this film for a long time.
3. Spectre
Solid is the word I keep returning to when describing 2015’s Spectre. The opening scene is spectacular and one of the best Bond openers ever. Casting Christoph Waltz to play the villain was an excellent decision because of his work as the main antagonist in Inglourious Basterds. However, his use in the film was more of a letdown than a high point. Craig and Waltz barely shared the screen together for the first half of the movie. The showdown between the hero and villain at the end didn’t provide the spark to generate excitement for future films. Essentially, Waltz set a trap and tried to escape before being foiled by Bond. I needed more in the final battle. Overall, Spectre is entertaining, but it could’ve been better.
2. Casino Royale
There are Internet stans, and then there are the stans who believe Casino Royale is the best James Bond film of all time. These fans won’t accept any other Bond argument if Casino Royale is not number one in the power rankings. I respect their ability to stand up and fight for what they believe in. Casino Royale is an excellent film and the second-greatest debut for a Bond actor behind Connery’s Dr. No. It was a return to form for the franchise, and the introduction of a darker, grimmer version of Bond. Craig vs. Mads Mikkelsen is some of the best Bond vs. the villain scenes in the entire franchise. Make no doubt about it, Casino Royale is a classic.
1. Skyfall
There’s only one right answer for Craig’s best Bond film and it’s Skyfall. This film rules from start to finish. It’s a 143-minute thrill ride that never allows the audience to catch its breath. It’s a Bond film at heart, but the story and characters can stand on their own. It’s a complete story with a satisfying conclusion.
Skyfall pulled out all the stops, bringing in the big guns to better the film. Academy Award-winning director Sam Mendes was brought in to direct. Javier Bardem played one of the best villains of the 21st century, Raoul Silva. There is no excuse as to why Bardem didn’t receive an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. The Academy held the fact that Bardem previously won as a villain in No Country for Old Men against this performance. Adele wrote and sang the spectacular theme song, “Skyfall,” which won Best Orginal Song. Frankly, Skyfall was good enough to receive a Best Picture nomination.
With the best director, villain, song, and Bond, Skyfall is the easy winner.
What is your favorite James Bond film from Daniel Craig? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
Welcome to the UnafraidShow.com 2021 Fearless Friday Picks contest between George Wrigshter and Ralph Amsden.
Every week, George and Ralph will make five picks, either against the spread or the total, for the upcoming sports weekend. Each participant will start with $1000, and must risk a minimum of $20 on each pick, but can up each selection to a maximum of $100. Each winning pick pays 1:1, and we’ll keep the total throughout the season.
George Wrighster
Current total: $1265
Overall record: 13-12 (2-3 last week, -$55)
This week’s picks:
Oregon (-8) at Stanford (risking $100)
Arizona State at UCLA (-3) (risking $75)
Cincinnati (-1.5) at Notre Dame (risking $50)
Ole Miss (+14.5) at Alabama (risking $60)
Baylor (+3.5) at Oklahoma State (risking $60)
Ralph Amsden
Current total: $1145
Overall record: 13-11-1 (4-0-1 last week, +$250)
This week’s picks:
Texas (-4) at Texas Christian (risking $100)
Oklahoma at Kansas State OVER 52.5 (risking $50)
Nevada at Boise State (-6.5) (risking $50)
Washington (+1.5) at Oregon State (risking $50)
Ole Miss at Alabama UNDER 79 (risking $100)
Have a take you’d like us to address?Email us at immad@unafraidshow.com and we’ll read your take on a future Wrighster or Wrong podcast.
Each week during the NFL season, UnafraidShow.com will take you through the four NFL teams/players that are trending up, as well as the ones that are headed for a crash. Let’s get to it:
It was a legitimate unknown if Jon Gruden would ever be able to equal the value of the massive contract he received to lure him out of broadcasting and onto the sidelines again, but this Raiders team is ROLLING. They’ve beaten both the Ravens and the Steelers, and survived two different overtime games, as well as an injury to RB Josh Jacobs, and they did it through quality playcalling on offense, and limiting themselves to two turnovers in their first three games. Derek Carr looks like he’s entering his prime, and the things TE Darren Waller forces defenses to do in order to keep him from being a one-man wrecking crew has freed up young Henry Ruggs to emerge as a legitimate star. Defensively, Maxx Crosby, a 4th round pick back in 2019, is becoming an absolute menace to opposing QBs, with two sacks and 12 QB hits.
2) The return of the REAL Sam Darnold
Sam Darnold has 888 passing yards this season, the 2nd-most during a 3-0 start by any QB making his first 3 starts with a team.
He trails only Kurt Warner, who had 894 passing yards in the first 3 starts of his 1999 MVP season with the Rams. pic.twitter.com/R7CFMP3O5w
Pac-12 fans like me watched Sam Darnold flirt with a 60% completion percentage for three years on the New York Jets and were left wondering what on earth happened to the one-time stud Trojan QB. Three games into his tenure with the Carolina Panthers, he’s undefeated and has completed over 67% of his passes in three consecutive games. Yes he had Christian McCaffrey, and yes the addition of Hasson Reddick has taken the defense to the next level, but I’m telling you, he looks good. He’s going to be head-to-head against Dak Prescott this weekend, and Christian McCaffrey is hurt, so we’re undoubtedly going to find out if this really is the *real* Sam Darnold we’re seeing, or just an early-season mirage.
3) Justin Tucker the GOAT
Yes, Adam Vinatieri is great. But is he “kick a record long FG to win the game as time expires” great? Maybe he is, but his career long was 57, and Justin Tucker now has a 66-yard game-winner on his resume. What’s most incredible about Justin Tucker’s long-range accomplishment, is that he had come to be known as the guy you want kicking anything but a 50+ yard field goal, but improved his distance in the middle of his career to become someone without a weakness. Think about this- in 2018 and 2019, Tucker was a combined 8/19 from 50+ yards, but in the 19 games since then, he’s 10/11, including this aforementioned beauty.
It will never not boggle the mind that Aaron Rodgers spent time in Junior College. He’s the the most dangerous QB I’ve ever seen, and imagining him at 18 years old out there at Butte College just ruining the film of 21 year old defensive backs all over the Pacific coast sounds like a Hollywood fever dream. He’s rid our collective consciousness of his horrid week 1 performance by putting together two awesome performances in a row against Detroit and San Francisco to remind us that he’s the real MVP. But he’s not the only California QB to be overlooked and have to go the JuCo route who is now tearing up the NFL… Josh Allen is right there with him after putting together a stellar 2020, earning a massive contract extension, and now doing things like throwing for 358 yards, 4 touchdowns, and rushing for a touchdown against the Washington Football Team. You might think I’m being unreasonable by comparing Josh Allen to Aaron Rodgers (which I’ve been doing for 5 years now), but wait until Bryce Perkins gets a shot with the LA Rams- then you’re really going to see me go off the rails for Junior College-to-NFL signal callers.
Heating Up
The Cleveland Browns are good. Myles Garrett looks like a top-5 pass rusher, Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt look like the best 1-2 punch at RB in the entire NFL, and Baker Mayfield isn’t doing anything to screw it up. Say this out loud- THE CLEVELAND BROWNS HAVE WON 14 OF THEIR LAST 20 GAMES. Surreal isn’t it? I don’t have them in the top 10 of my NFL Power rankings yet (see below), but if they win in Minnesota this weekend, it’ll be hard to justify keeping them out.
Pittsburgh is an awful place to have to try and go earn a win. Even as recently as last year, the Steelers went 7-1 in the regular season at home. But if you include last year’s playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers have now lost three in a row in front of their home fans, including a two-touchdown drubbing by the Cincinnati Bengals. If the ‘Burgh isn’t a clear advantage for Ben Roethlisberger and company, this is a terribly average football team that is about to embark on a long, painful season.
2) Matt Nagy
The entire city of Chicago wants Matt Nagy fired. All of Chicago’s four billion former residents that have retired to Arizona and Florida are throwing all the hard candy from their crystal dishes at the television every time they see him in a postgame press conference. Justin Fields struggled mightily in his first start, and has managed to get sacked 11 times in just a little over four quarters of action. If the Bears don’t defend Soldier Field this week against the 0-3 Detroit Lions, we might see the first coaching change of the season.
Imagine booing the owner at a jersey retirement ceremony for the QB that brought your franchise its last two championships. Actually, you don’t have to imagine it, you can just watch:
I’m not sure what else to even write about the Giants. It doesn’t get worse than that.
4) Cold Colts
The Indianapolis Colts had an 11-win season last year, added Carson Wentz to replace Philip Rivers, and look like they don’t have an identity anymore. With road games coming up against the Dolphins and Ravens, it’s going to be a long, hard road back to .500. In their favor is an incredibly poor division that (as long as they beat Tennessee the next time around) they could still challenge to win.
(Cooling Off)
The Kansas City Chiefs aren’t fooling anyone with that 1-2 record- they’re still incredibly stacked on both sides of the ball, but with Denver, Las Vegas, and the LA Chargers all on the come-up, they can’t afford to tinker around anymore. They need to be .500 heading into their game against Buffalo, or we might see last year’s 14-2 AFC representative facing a 1-4 start to their ensuing season.
Have a take you’d like us to address?Email us at immad@unafraidshow.com and we’ll read your take on a future Wrighster or Wrong podcast.
