CFB Preseason Polls are Worthless and Mess Up the Playoff Rankings

Preseason Polls hurt the ranking throughout the season SEC, Big 10, Big 12, SEC, Pac-12

Polls judge everything in college football. Teams are ranked from the preseason till after the national championship.

We all love to discuss the and debate when the College Football Preseason Polls come out. I even do them for Unafraid Show. However, I have come to find a major flaw in the polling system that ultimately affects the CFB Playoff. We all want the four (or eight in a perfect world) best teams playing for the championship. College Football Preseason polls make that nearly impossible to achieve because they distort the rankings and data for the rest of the season. Eleven of the top 25 teams in the 2018-19 Preseason AP Poll didn’t even finish ranked. In 2017, nine didn’t finish ranked. In 2016, 13 didn’t finish ranked. Commonly, those early season matchups that were so hyped up turned out to be nothing burgers, but they did affect the CFB Playoff committee rankings.

What is the purpose of preseason polls if they are so incredibly wrong. The goal is to find the four best teams in the nation and let them fight it out for the national championship. However, that is nearly impossible to get right because the preseason polls give miss information that only further convolutes the process of determining who the best four teams are for the College Football Playoff. If you are not convinced yet, I have proof.

This will be a journey down the rabbit hole so please hang on tight and keep and an open mind. The polls regularly reflect the voters desire to be right about their preseason selections rather than looking at the data objectively. Here are a few glaring examples of the head-scratchers:

The College Football Preseason Poll Proof

1. Wisconsin went into the 2018-19 season ranked #4. In the week four poll, Wisconsin was 2-1 and ranked #18 with wins over New Mexico and Western Kentucky. The team they lost to, BYU (2-1) was ranked #24. And the team that beat BYU was Cal (3-0), who was unranked. How on earth does that make sense?

2. Texas trashed Georgia in their bowl game yet Georgia finished above Texas in the final AP poll. Georgia is talented and was a sexy pick for the College Football Playoff after started #3 in the preseason? They both finished the season with the exact same amount of wins (2) over top 25 teams, and they have a head to head matchup.

3. Northwestern finished 8-1 in the Big Ten and only got 13 votes in the preseason poll.

4. Stanford came into the season ranked #13. They won their bowl game to finish the season 9-4. So how did the Cardinal finish unranked while seven other teams with at least four losses were ranked? Stanford’s only losses were to top 25 teams: Notre Dame, Utah, Washington, and Washington State. Three of those teams finished in the top 14.

SEC Preseason AP Poll Magic

5. Early in the season that LSU had two top 10 wins (Miami, Auburn). Those wins propelled LSU from #25 in the AP Poll to #5. Neither Miami or Auburn finished ranked. So, those two wins weren’t nearly as good as they were portrayed publicly. That eventually set up an “epic top 5 showdown” between Alabama and LSU. Alabama won the game 29-0, and LSU got a quality loss. The Football Playoff Committee then still had the Tigers ranked #7.

6. Now let us look at Florida. They came into the season unranked. At the end of the regular season, the Gators finished #10 in the country but only beat one team that finished in the top 25. In week six they beat the “#5 team” in the nation LSU which we just learned about. The next week they beat 3-4 Vanderbilt and were ranked #9. That set up a top 10 showdown with #7 Georgia. Georgia won, so adding that to their preseason hype only magnifies the SEC table thumping.

7. Kentucky finished the regular season at #10 in the nation despite only beating one team (Florida) that finished the season in the top 25

There were so many more examples, but you get the point. This is not a knock on LSU, Georgia, Kentucky, or Florida. All are talented teams that had great seasons. However, they are just prime examples in 2018 of how preseason polls manipulate the rankings and end up leaving the SEC overhyped. They ultimately only ended up judged from games they played against themselves.

Fans Deserve Better: A Great Solution

Imagine a world where there are no preseason rankings, and polls start after week four. There would have been information on teams that came into the season with so much hype. We would have already known Miami, FSU, USC, TCU, Auburn, and Wisconsin weren’t as good as advertised. Teams that beat them would get credit, but wouldn’t falsely rise so far in the polls. Starting the rankings after four weeks would create a much more accurate representation of schedule strength and conference strength. Right now we rank teams before they have played a down of football. We have seen time and time again that a top 5 talented team doesn’t make them a top 5 team.

Also, if the preseason polls were eliminated, college football fans would get much more of what they really want and deserve; great games. Teams would no longer have the luxury of preseason top 5 rankings while playing a cupcake non-conference schedule. You would see many more teams trying to put big names on their schedules early in the season to propel them to the playoffs. Fans would respond to that by eliminating the attendance problems many schools are facing. And viewership who certainly increase. All of which leads to more money for everyone except the student-athletes who are actually generating the money, but I digress.

Get rid of preseason polls and Make College Football Greater.

Fans “Cancel the Season” Tweets Didn’t Work For Alabama, Golden State, or Duke

Golden State Warriors , Alabama, Duke great teams that didn't win championships, Cancel the season Tweets

Cancel the Season Tweets By Everyone

Alright people, can we please stop with all these Tweets about canceling the season or handing over the trophy. It’s the NBA, NCAA, and NFL offseason and everyone wants to crown a winner before things even get started. This team’s unstoppable, this team’s unbeatable, this team added these players, no one can even get close to this. Just hand them the trophy. Cancel the season. We now have so many examples of great teams that didn’t win championships.

Each year this happens, and 2018/2019 was a year exactly the same. Except that unlike what all the Tweets predicted, each “hand them the trophy” team was taken down. Against the narrative, against the hype. The underdogs knocked the top teams off of their premature pedestals.

Nick Saban and the Unbeatable Alabama Crimson Tide

“Just cancel the season at this point, no one is beating Alabama.”

Alabama came out crushing it. They rolled over everyone. Nick Saban had his most talented, stacked team ever with a quarterback that could carry an elite offense. Damien Harris, Josh Jacobs, and Jerry Jeudy couldn’t be stopped. Nobody could beat them.

Except, Clemson had something to say about that.

Dabo Swinney and his defensive line killed it. Touchdown Jesus (AKA Trevor Lawrence) was dropping dimes and Clemson dismantled and demolished Alabama. They won by 28 points against the “unbeatable” squad. Oh, but if Tua was healthy… Stop with the ifs. This is sports and that’s what happens. If ifs and ands were pots and pans, the whole world would be a kitchen.

Stop with this. Let the season play out. Don’t, I repeat don’t, even start with these things before the season even begins. Even in the middle of the season, there’s still plenty of football to be played. So quit the nonsense and keep the trophy until the last seconds are done.

Duke Blue Devils- Just Hand them The Trophy

Next up on the “unbeatable”, “can’t stop them”, “hand them the trophy” list is the Duke Blue Devils. They had Zion Williamson. Can’t stop him. RJ Barrett. Unbeatable. Cam Reddish. This is “God’s team.”

https://twitter.com/__Colb__/status/1111841942055387137

Duke was obviously going undefeated in 2018/2019.

Wait a minute. Is 32-6 undefeated? Nope. Even the least math-savvy folks can figure that one out. 6 losses and 0 championships. You know who didn’t think Duke was going undefeated? Michigan State, Virginia and a whole host of other teams.

But if Zion didn’t blow out his shoe and get injured, they would have kept their record clean and finished the deal. If. Come on people. If ifs were a fifth, we’d all be drunk right now. Then at least we’d have something to blame for this poor rational and over-hyped foolishness.

Los Angeles Rams

Remember when the Los Angeles Rams won the offseason?

They had Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods, a Top-5 offensive line, Aaron Donald, Ndamukong Suh, Aqib Talib, Marcus Peters and Sean McVay, the newest, hottest NFL coach in the league.

LA had the offense. They had the defense. Their coach was innovative and creative. They won the offseason and were firing during the regular season. It was their year.

Well, the Patriots had something to say about that. They turned the LA Rams awe-inspiring offense into a yawn-inspiring offense. They were out-schemed, out-played and out-done.

But Todd Gurley was injured. Clearly, it would have been a different game if he didn’t play. Yet again, more ifs and buts. Yet that didn’t stop the cancel the season tweets in the NCAA and NBA from pouring in.

Golden State Warriors

Then we have the Golden State Warriors. THE super team of the century. They had Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. The fantastic trio took down LeBron, then added Kevin Durant for another ring. Then, on top of their already stacked team, they added Boogie Cousins (well, half of Boogie Cousins).

They couldn’t be beat. All-star after all-star. There was no possible way they could be beaten. Just cancel the season.

However, the Toronto Raptors had something to say about that. But injuries George! They would have won without all of the injuries. Yes, they probably would have won if they didn’t have injuries. But if ifs and buts were candies and nuts, every day would be Christmas. Even the best superteams can be beaten.

2007 Patriots, LeBron/Wade/Bosh Miami Heat and the “Dream Team” in Philly Among Great Teams That Didn’t Win a Championship

People, this isn’t new. Remember the 2007 Patriots that were the Greatest NFL Team of All Time? What about the seven titles the LeBron/Wade/Bosh Heat were supposed to win? They were stopped short. Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Dirk Nowitzki, Kawhi Leonard all had something to say about the “unbeatable”.

With all that said, the all-time greatest offseason “just give them the trophy” team has to be the 2011 Philadelphia Eagles. The “Dream Team” in football. They had Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy and a whole squad of other talents. And guess what it got them. Jack-nothing. They did sqadoosh.

So, please stop this annual stream of nonsense and be real. You don’t have to make bold predictions call for the season to be canceled or to hand out the trophy. There’s no need to anoint the victors before the finals whistle sounds. Because this is sports. Sports come with parity, change, injuries, surprises. Time and time again, Goliaths, Titans and Mythical teams are taken down. Instead of joining the 2019/2020 hype trains, sit back and enjoy the seasons to their fullest. Feel the rhythm of the game and be awed. That’s what sports are all about.

Stop with the Cancel the Season Tweets, you may be adding to list of overhyped great teams that didn’t win championships.

Why Is Paying College Athletes Viewed so Negatively by Some Fans?

Paying College Athletes Duke Zion Williamson NCAA

Many college sports fans support amateurism. They support it even when it defies all manners of common sense and logic. This was seen in various fans’ reactions to the injury that freshmen phenom Zion Williamson suffered in the UNC/Duke game on February 20, 2019. Leading up to and during that game, fans witnessed the sham […]

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HTH: Le’Veon Bell Robbed Naked, Jake Mangum, NBA Draft Underclassmen

Leveon Bell gets robbed by naked women, Jake Magnum Mississippi St Baseball, NBA Draft

Three recent robberies have made the news recently, and we must address them. Le’Veon Bell got robbed. Mississippi State player Jake Mangum pointed out the fact that NCAA baseball coaches and players are being robbed. College Basketball underclassmen are being robbed of their draft and educational opportunities by declaring for the NBA draft too early.

#1 Le’Veon Bell had a Sleepover with His Robbers

Le’Veon Bell just got heisted for $520k in jewelry. But thieves in the night? Nope. By two women, his “girlfriends” as he referred to them. The best part about this is when police asked for a description of what the suspects were wearing, he told the police he didn’t know because he left them naked in his bed. Come on man. Now I’m not here to judge his threesome or whatever. But he needs to have some common sense. You can’t just leave strangers in your house with all of your stuff. This is a major blow considering he didn’t get paid last year.

#2 The NCAA is Robbing College Baseball Players and 3rd Assistant Coaches

https://twitter.com/courtkrobb/status/1141927023008473090

Jake Mangum of Mississippi State recently brought up yet another NCAA grievance. Baseball has a third assistant coach that is unpaid. They get a university email, phone number, and role, but no pay. This is absurd. At least shell out a stipend for room and board. For an organization that makes millions upon millions, they are slow to pay those that bring value. It’s the same for athletes. Of 35 players on each team, only 11.7 scholarships are dispersed. Just like congress continued to drag their feet over paying the heroes of 911 (thank you Jon Stewart for bringing awareness and accountability), the NCAA always avoids paying their players.

#3 Underclassmen in the NBA Draft are Being Robbed

Who is advising these underclassmen to leave early and enter the NBA Draft? Now, I’m not talking about the lottery picks. I’m talking about good, not great players. There are so many of these players that are likely to go undrafted and end up in the G League or overseas. They need to stay another year or two, gain experience and perfect their skills. Teams have more money invested in higher draft picks and give them a longer leash to live up to expectations. But, if these athletes don’t get drafted, they should be allowed to go back to college and play. The NCAA and a new NBA CBA need to allow this. Don’t make them lose out on chances for education, maturity, and careers. Give them another shot. It’s too easy for broke college students to bite on the prospect of an NBA contract.

HTH: James Harden Fan Shame, Durant Won’t Leave Golden State, Transfer Portal

Hot Takes house James Harden fans Kevin Durant GSW NCAA Transfer Portal

The Hot Takes House is on the open for business. It is a compilation of scorching hot opinions that won’t turn into Freezing Cold Takes material. In this edition: James Harden fans are shameless people with character flaws, Kevin Durant would be crazy to leave the Warriors, and the NCAA transfer portal is getting ridiculous. Do not read any further if you are easily triggered. Read. Share. Leave a Comment.

James Harden Fans Have No Shame

I’m not sure how James Harden fans are not embarrassed to call him their favorite basketball player. His ridiculous amount of flopping and his refusal to consistently give defensive effort are shameful. In general, fans like their athletes tough, rugged, and mentally tough. So, I do not understand why so many James Harden apologist exist.

It is so frustrating to try and watch an NBA Playoffs game, but have to suffer through Harden flailing around and faking hurt. By no means is Harden the only NBA player that flops. His serial abuse of flopping is just the most absurd in the league. Harden is strong and built like a tank compared to most players, but he flops whenever players get close to him. Could you imagine Jordan, Kobe, Bird, LeBron, Durant or any other champion doing this?

And then there is Harden’s negligence on defense. The Rockets will NEVER win an NBA championship until he changes his style of play. No team has ever won a championship when their best player gives poor effort on one side of the ball. The producers of ‘Shaqtin A Fool’ could make an entire show about Harden every season.

As a fan, how can you be proud of this? Maybe his fans are just the segment of the population that wants credit and praise for a job performed half right.

Two Reasons Kevin Durant Won’t Leave The Warriors

Assuming the money is right, Kevin Durant would be foolish to leave the Golden State Warriors. So many media and NBA analyst from Ric Bucher, to Chris Broussard have all but guaranteed Durant’s exit from Golden State. I believe that Kevin Durant is too smart to leave GSW.

Easy Basketball: 2019-20 Will be Durant’s 13th season

Players want to play fewer minutes and win more as they get older in the NBA. Durant has never had gotten easier shot attempts or had to carry less of the weight than he does with Curry, Thompson, and Green on the team. In his first nine seasons in Oklahoma City (Seattle), KD faced double teams, played a ton of minutes, worked extremely hard for shots, and only had one chance for a championship. In three seasons with the Warriors, he has a Finals MVP, two NBA Championships, and is making a run at a third. He plays fewer playoff minutes, averages more points, and shoots a higher % from 3, 2-pt, and free throws than OKC.

Durant’s Silicon Valley Investments

Durant has maximized his time in the Bay Area financially. He has started his own venture capital company which has partnered with some Silicon Valley heavyweights. His company reportedly has equity stakes in Rubrick, Acorn, Pieology, and Lime Scooters. Money does travel across state lines, but proximity and relationships matter in business. Warriors majority owner Joseph Lacob made his money in venture capital and mentors Durant in business.

I’m supposed to believe that Kevin Durant, who wants to score, win, and make money will let a couple beefs with Draymond make his life harder? Nah. I don’t buy it.

NCAA Transfer Portal is Getting Out of Control

We have covered the NCAA and its hypocritical and unfair practices extensively on Unafraid Show. I believe the players should have the right to transfer more freely and unencumbered like coaches. However, a lot of these kids are getting bad advice from their inner circles. These kids are transferring at the first sign of adversity. Right now there are nearly 1,000 players who have entered their names in the college football transfer portal. If a player enters his name in the portal, it doesn’t mean a player will transfer, schools can pull the players’ scholarship.

It is nice to say “I played as a true freshman”, but sometimes that adversity that you face by redshirting is the best thing for your growth. These young players need to understand that the push you need to achieve your dreams is often found in the struggle to get there.

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HTH: Tiger Woods Masters Tears, LeBron Blame, Russell Wilson Contract

Hot takes house, tiger woods, james harden

The Hot Takes House is open for business. In this edition: why Tiger Woods win at The Masters is the greatest comeback in sports, why blaming LeBron James for everything is thoughtless, and why Russell Wilson’s contract demands make him the smartest man in the NFL. Do not read any further if you are easily triggered. Read. Share. Leave a Comment.

Tiger Woods is the Greatest Comeback Sports History

There has never been an athlete who was dead and buried by the sports media more than Tiger Woods. Not only did they say he ran out of talent, they demanded he quit to stop the embarrassment.

The greatness of Tiger Wood’s comeback was his motivation shift. For years, talked about getting back to his old form, the desire to be great again, and repairing his name. None of those things worked. He tried to outwork the pain and injuries like he had done all his life. But, it didn’t work.

Only a father’s desire for his children to see him do something great was able to shift the tides. Tiger said he didn’t want his kids to believe he was just a “YouTube golfer.” As a father and former professional athlete whose kids were either young or unborn during my career, I understand why Tiger wanted his kids to see him be great. They had only seen injuries, scandal, and a father in severe physical pain over the last 11 years.

Seeing him accomplish his dreams with his children in attendance while 99% of people not named George Wrighster quit on him was amazing. I still don’t know who was cutting onions in my house after Tiger won.

Get Off the ‘Blame LeBron’ Train

When everyone in sports media jumps on a hot topic bandwagon, it is time to jump off. They will inevitably be wrong. Just like all those people who said Tiger Woods career was over.

The lowest hanging fruit in sports is to blame LeBron. It doesn’t matter whether it makes sense, is plausible, or fair, just blame LeBron

There was an article in Sporting News that blamed LeBron for NBA ratings being down. Is it LeBron’s job or in his control to carry interest in the entire NBA even though he only plays for one team?

Magic Johnson quit as Lakers President of Basketball operations this week; all sports media fingers started pointing to LeBron James. They said he pushed Magic out and is really in full control of the Lakers. I did not buy it for one second. I’m supposed to believe that Magic Johnson survived the NBA in the 80s, HIV, became a real estate mogul but got bullied by LeBron. LOL.

Sports media personalities would have you believe that the Lakers are a dumpster fire that cannot be fixed and it’s LeBron’s fault. Did they miss the previous 3 years before LeBron got there? Jeanie Buss and her siblings fought a legal battle over team control. They had scouting and general manager problems. The team had no direction and plan for the future. Was all that supposed to be solved by signing LeBron?

Get off the “Blame LeBron James Train” before it crashes and you end up on Cold Takes Exposed.

Russell Wilson is the Smartest Man in the NFL

Russell Wilson gave the Seahawks until end of day April 15th to get his new contract finalized. If they do not, he won’t be resigning and will become a free agent at the end of this season. The genius part of this is that Wilson wants his long term financial security tied to the escalation of the NFL salary cap.

Gambling on sports is now legal in many states, and the NFL will inevitably get in on the deal. That will trigger another salary cap spike, which will increase player salaries. Wilson knows he is one of the few elite quarterbacks in the game, and always wants to be paid like it. Most players would take huge money to become the NFL’s highest paid player without regard for future cap spikes.

Seahawks fans, don’t be upset with Russell Wilson if he can’t finish his career with the team. Owners started this disloyalty, and they aim to keep as much money in their pocket and not the players pocket. Russell Wilson won’t be another victim of one-sided NFL contracts.

Listen to the Podcast, there is even more on Tiger Woods Masters Win, Luke Walton and Kliff Kingsbury Failing Up, and LeBron James Blame.

HTH: Antonio Brown vs JuJu, MLB Needs Bat Flips, One Shining Moment

Antonio Brown Juju Smith-Schuster fued, hot takes house, One Shining Moment, MLb Batflips are the Best

The Hot Takes House is open for business. Do not read any further if you are easily triggered. Leave a Comment.

Antonio Brown is making himself look REALLY BAD

Antonio Brown is super lame for releasing private direct messages between JuJu Smith-Schuster and him. We all know that releasing private messages is a huge no-no. The only people that typically do that are facing jail time, are owed money, or scorned lovers. Antonio Brown’s loyalty and character have to be questioned at this point. If he releases private messages for no reason, he will snitch too.

AB was trying to make JuJu look silly publicly. But he ended up making himself look petty and like all the ‘cancer’ talk from the Steelers was true. How can you clown a college player for reaching out to an NFL player for advice? JuJu comes across as ambitious and driven for reaching out to one of the best wide receivers in the NFL for mentorship while in college.

I defended Antonio Brown throughout his entire career and exit from the Steelers. Now, all the things he said about Ben Roethlisberger look true about himself. AB looks like a hater with low character. Was all this because he was upset JuJu was named the MVP for last season?

I do have to give credit where it’s due. Brown was right when he said young players see the NFL a different way until they get paid. Young players who are playing well do have a more idealized version of the league. And sometimes when they do get paid, they begin to think they are the center of the universe. Now everyone knows, you better watch what you send Antonio, it might end up on his Twitter account.

JuJu was right when he told AB to “Keep your emotions of the internet”.

MLB’s Antiquated Unwritten Rules are Dumb

I could not be any more tired of baseball’s antiquated unwritten rules. Seeing pitchers throw at batters because they bat flipped or rounded the bases too slowly after a home run is lame. That is no different than if a coach put a bounty on injuring a player in football because he didn’t like his touchdown celebration.

Old school baseball people call pitchers who hit players “hard-nosed” or “tough.” I believe the opposite. How tough to you have to be to hurl a 90+ mph ball at someone’s head? The actual repercussions for throwing at a player are minimal. There is the occasional dust-up at the mound, but most times the pitcher is either warned or ejected. That is a small price to pay for endangering another person’s life and livelihood.

Hitting a baseball in the MLB is one arguably the most difficult things to do in sports. If a player is successful 30% of the time through a long career, he will go to the Hall of Fame. It makes NO sense for anyone to be upset when a player celebrates doing something so difficult.

I loved Bryce Harper bat flipping against the Nationals. The fans loved it too. They celebrated it with boos. Now, the Washington fans have a villain and rivalry with the Phillies. All of that is great for the game. The old school “get off my lawn” crowd needs to wake up and smell the roses. Baseball’s unwritten rules are for the unimaginative dinosaurs who are unsuccessfully trying to prevent change.

Fans enjoy the celebration and want to see players having fun. Maybe if the baseball gatekeepers encouraged players to have fun and show emotions, the games’ best players wouldn’t be able to walk down the street in anonymity.

The moral of the story is, play better. Stop letting people do things that are celebrating-worthy against and you instead of being upset with their reaction.

One Shining Moment is The Greatest Thing in Sports

There is no one moment in sports I have anticipation for like the end of the NCAA Tournament. For three weekends, the sports world is emotionally and financially invested in the outcome of March Madness. It all culminates when Luther Vandross’ voice starts, “The ball is tipped, and there you are...”. Every year, the short filmmakers find a way to pour all the drama, emotion, and excitement from all 67 games into approximately three minutes. One Shining Moment never falls flat or disappoints. I love it.

NFL Free Agency: Owners, Not Players like Antonio Brown Started Disloyalty

NFL Free Agency Antonio Brown and Leveon Bell disloyal

NFL Free agency is in full swing. Former Pittsburgh Steelers players like Antonio Brown and Leveon Bell get a bad rap from fans. They are called greedy, selfish, and disloyal for trying to maximize their income in a short term job. Working men and women change jobs at the drop of a hat for a better opportunity, working conditions, and money. So why would athletes be any different?

Shop for NFL Gear at Fanatics!

NFL contracts aren’t worth the paper they are printed on for owners. They regularly ask players to take pay cuts while under contract. The players’ family, tenure, or dedicated to the community are rarely. Players now realize their leverage and are exercising it to make more money. The truth is that all the people who demonize players would do the same thing at their job.

Players Are Rich… It’s Different

I have often heard that the situation is different because players are making millions, so there is no sympathy. Why is there sympathy for the billionaire owners money? They are shrewd businessmen who designed the NFL salary cap. If they don’t like the way the salary cap calculations, they can change the them at the owner’s meetings.

Antonio Brown, LeVeon Bell, and every other player who exercises their leverage are just doing the same thing fans would do if they could. The same concept applies whether you are making $60,000 or $6 million. We all want to be paid our fair market value, and be appreciated by our employer.

Fans are either jealous, feel they own the players, or feel that players are privileged. Now it’s time to watch the video. Leave a comment with your thoughts.

Julian Edelman is Not a Hall of Fame NFL Player: Stop the Nonsense

Julian Edelman Patriots Super Bowl MVP

We all have to acknowledge that Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman is a really good wide receiver. He is clutch and a great playoff performer. However, all this talk about him being a Hall of Fame wide receiver is insanity. He has never been to a Pro Bowl or been selected to an All-Pro team. Edelman has 499 career receptions for 5,390 yards and 30 touchdowns. Those numbers barely put him within the top 300 receivers of all-time. Edelman’s stats put him closer to the Brandon LaFell’s and Deion Branch’s of the world than Hall of Fame receivers.

Do these look like the stats of a Hall of Fame player? Yet, NFL analyst continued to make the irrational case for Edelman.

Sidenote: No one is mentioning that Edelman was suspended for the first four games of the 2019 season for PEDs. Shouldn’t that matter?

Issac Bruce, Hines Ward, and Chad Johnson are just a few players who were head and shoulders better receivers than Julian Edelman is and none of them are in the Hall of Fame. All have nearly doubled his career stats in every statistical category. So why this became a topic of discussion is beyond me.

Edelman Won the Super Bowl MVP

Edelman will join Dexter Jackson, Desmond Howard, Mark Rypien, Phil Sims, and Jim Plunkett on the long list of Super Bowl MVP’s who didn’t make the Hall of Fame. There is a reason players aren’t eligible to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame until after they have been out of the game for five years. It allows voters to have an objective view of the players without recent history influencing the votes.

Tom Brady and the Patriots have won four Super Bowls without Edelman. Deion Branch, Wes Welker, and James White all looked like Hall of Fame players with Brady as well.

Leave a comment with your opinion on Julian Edelman and the Hall of fame.