Hot Takes House: Drake Curse, Fire NFL QBs and Coaches, Tim Tebow Tears

Tim Tebow

It’s Monday, and the Hot Takes House is open for business. These are hot takes and fun from the weekend. Send us your hot takes to ImMad@unafraidshow.com, and they may make the next week Hot Takes House. Do not read any further if you are easily offended, especially if you are a Tim Tebow fan. If you do, share with a friend.

Send us your hot takes to ImMad@unafraidshow.com, and they may make the next week post.

Winner of the Weekend

  • The curse of Drake is real. He has cursed the Toronto Raptors, Kentucky Wildcats, Serena Williams, and Connor McGregor. If I ever end up on a big stage in competition keep Drake’s ass away from me.

  • It is time for the Oakland Raiders, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Jacksonville Jaguars need to drop their pride and sign Colin Kaepernick.

NFL

1. Derek Carr has the worst interception of the 2018 NFL season.

https://twitter.com/FirstDownFR/status/1049061535920922624

 

2. We did not ask for a new Sunday Night Football song. The old one was just fine.

3. Jason Garrett is the best thing that ever happened to the Giants, Eagles, Washington, the entire AFC, and NFC.

4. It’s time for the Cowboys to break down and text Dez, “You Up”?

5. The Cleveland Browns have a better winning percentage than the Dallas Cowboys. Welcome to 2018.- @JakeBrownRadio

6. Only Bad Blake Bortles could 1-up Derek Carr’s terrible interception!

7. Nick Foles is not better than Carson Wentz. Eagles twitter needs to stop with the nonsense.

8. Packers kicker Mason Crosby may be in the process of cutting himself. He missed 5 FGs in a dome against Detroit.

9. Odell Beckham threw the best deep touchdown pass of the Giants’ season. He is their best wide receiver and quarterback.

10.

  • Last week Colts’ coach Frank Reich went for it on fourth down in overtime and didn’t get it; Texans won in overtime.
  • This week Cowboys’ coach Jason Garrett punted on fourth and shorter; Texans won again in overtime.
  • Two different coaching approaches, the same result, only one looks cowardice.

College Football

1. In my unbiased opinion, Wrighster is right! Tim Tebow and Nick Saban need to quit crying about fans not showing up!

2. Mike Stoops was actively sabotaging the Oklahoma Sooners defense. We all knew he was getting fired!

3. The jig is up! Utah figured out how to stop Stanford’s jump ball on the goal line. I’ve never seen anybody play it like the Utah cornerback. I bet the conversion percentage goes down from here on out

4.  Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois is the toughest quarterback in the country. He gets his ass kicked every week, doesn’t down his teammates, and signs up for more. 

5. “Dicker the Kicker” is the best nickname in college football! Texas Wins.

6. The AP Poll is biased for ranking Georgia so highly when they have played nobody. The Unafraid Show Top 10 are the only rankings I acknowledge.

UFC

1. Ridiculous that the cameras pulled away on a PPV event. We paid the money. We get to see what happens! #UFC229

2. I hate to be the bearer of bad news. Should we tell Connor or no?

 

Hope you enjoyed Hot Takes House. See you next Monday! Send us your hot takes to ImMad@unafraidshow.com, and they may make the next week post.

https://twitter.com/barstooltweetss/status/1048658766458224642

Highest Bidder!: Coaches and Players Loyalty for Sale

While the USC faithful have been celebrating the firing of Lane Kiffin, few realize how many people are affected when the head ball coach gets his walking papers.
In my FIRST position meeting in Jacksonville, my tight end coach Alfredo Roberts introduced me to the NFL. He said, “When teams don’t win in sports, two things happen, coaches get fired or players get fired. The coaches just got fired, so guess who is next if we don’t play well.”. In the world of college and professional sports everything boils down to two things, winning/losing and money. Good players are released or traded because they make too much. The NCAA continues to find additional revenue streams to make money from athlete’s likeness. Coaches aren’t fired because they have too many years and too much money left on their contract.
Ever wonder why coaches win and continue to ask for additional years to their contract? Head coaches typically have a guaranteed contracts, unless they get fired for “cause”. FYI, losing is not “cause”. You have to pull a Bobby Petrino (Arkansas) or Mike Rice (Rutgers) to get fired without pay. The head coach gets all the praise with wins, and all the blame when you lose. But, it is nice to be the head man because when you get fired with years left on your contract, you have a golden parachute. If I were a head coach, sign me through the 2025-26 season.
When coaches like Lane Kiffin, Norv Turner, Rick Neuheisel, or Lovie Smith don’t live up to

expectations and are fired, they leave with some financial security. They often have assistant coaches who are doing a great job, but they typically get thrown out with the head coach. You could be the best tight end coach in the world, but when the head man goes, so do you.

Assistant coaches and their families are affected the most. Most assistants make peanuts compared to the head coaches salary.  Even when the head coach doesn’t get fired, they often change assistants through the years (for various reasons). There is NO job security. Assistant coaches are typically journeyman until they get the job security of being the head coach. Most never achieve their dream, and are tied to finding job with the guys they have worked with in the past who get jobs. Their families are drug across country searching for stability and their dreams to come true. As much as assistant coaches love the game, they are no different than any other husband/father. They are using their particular set of skills to provide a comfortable, and stable life for their families. Since 1999, when I graduated high school, Alfredo has had a job every year because he is a GREAT tight end coach, but has made stops at Florida Atlantic, Jaguars, Browns, Buccaneers, and is currently at the Colts. He has a wife and kids, but the only roots he can put down are the roots on his coaching tree. Imagine every year, win or lose, not knowing if you will have a job. Imagine the stress it puts on your wife, children, friendships, and families to move from place to place for years, just hoping for the day you land the big job.
According to USA today, “The average major-college football assistant coach now earns roughly $200,000, a USA TODAY Sports analysis finds”. The list of the top 124 college coaches 2012 salaries and their assistants totals is very interesting.
Next time you wonder why there is very little loyalty in sports, know why. If you were a coach would you be loyal to a program or team that will throw you out without notice? Or would you continue to look for the best available opportunities until you optimize your personal goals, and maximize your family’s happiness?
A pro coach’s dream career should look like this: Get a position as a quality control coach for an NFL team, do well and a position coaches job opens up on that staff, someone recognizes you as a young talent and you land a coordinator job, your offense/defense is tops in the league for 2 years, an owner takes a huge leap of faith and hires you NFL coaching job with not head coaching experience, win a bunch of games, win a Super Bowl, get a long term contract, get fired with 3 years left on your deal, ride off into the sunset and have fun being a grandpa, and hold seminars and mentor new young coaches.
A college coach’s dream: Get a position coach job in college, someone recognizes you as a young talent and takes a huge risk on you as a coordinator, you have great success and land a head coaching job at a mid level division 1, beat some big teams and go to bowl games, get a job a big school who has been struggling, build the school into a powerhouse, get a NFL coaching job, win a Super Bowl, get a long term contract, get fired with 3 years left on your deal, ride off into the sunset and have fun being a grandpa, and hold seminars and mentor new young coaches.
Coaches have to look out for themselves and do what is best for their families. That type of system trickles down to the players. So when your favorite player changes team, just realize it is part of the cycle. Loyalty is sports is bought, and it usually only lasts until someone else has a bigger, better deal for you. Is your loyalty for sale?

Chip Kelly New Eagles Head Coach: Biggest Winners and Losers

This morning it was announced and confirmed the Oregon Ducks head coach Chip Kelly would be the new Philadelphia Eagles head coach. The news was very surprising being that he announced he was staying with the Ducks less than two weeks ago. Kelly is leaving Eugene, Oregon after piling up a very impressive 46-7 record in his 4 seasons as Oregon’s head coach. He also led the Ducks to a record tying 4 consecutive BCS appearances. Kelly now inherits an Eagles team that is low on confidence and hope, but has an abundance of weapons. The Eagles team quit on their 2012 season. Philadelphia fans should be happy with the effort and execution they get from their team in the 2013 season. Expect a new high powered offense and a shift in power in the NFC East. Now to the important part. The biggest winners and losers of the Chip Kelly hire:

Nick Foles: Loser with Winning Potential

This is the obvious choice, but don’t count Foles out just yet. With Vick out this season, Foles proved he can be a quality starting quarterback in the NFL. Chip Kelly is big on competition and playing the best player. So there could be an open quarterback competition, even with Vick’s $15.5 million 2013 salary. If Foles ends up behind center except a Kelly to run a system very similar to that of Bill Belichick in New England. Before you say, “Yea, but Nick Foles is no Tom Brady”, remember nobody could have imagined Brady would be good before Bledsoe got hurt.

Eagles offensive line: Loser… No place to go but up though

This much maligned group was mediocre at best this season. Michael Vick took the lions share of the blame for the Eagles terrible season. But when Foles got in and was running for his life just the same, it was evident the Eagles had a much bigger problem of their hands. Chip Kelly likes to his lineman to do more moving than usual so he needs lineman who are athletic and can run. So guys like King Dunlap, and Dennis Kelly could end up back on the bench or out the door.

Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants: Losers

This season the Giants and Cowboys did not have an answer for RGIII. With the success of the fast break offense in the NFL, it is safe to assume the innovator of the fast break offense will also be successful. Last offseason Bill Belichick spent time learning from Chip Kelly. Now we see a significant difference in the Patriots. When you add Kelly to the Eagles weapons, you end up with a problem for the NFC East. The Giants vaunted pass rush was pedestrian this season, and Eli was back to his mortal self. With the Redskins and Eagles poised to be much better, the immediate future is bleak. “America’s Team” instantly fell to the fighting with the Giants for the 3rd spot in the NFC East. Expect some sort of reaction in free agency by Jerry Jones. Sorry Cowboys fans, but you will not make the playoffs or the Super Bowl next sea on either.

Jeremy Maclin/DeSean Jackson: Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

This could be the fastest wide receiver duo in the NFL. In 2010, you saw the Eagles wideouts as the most dynamic and duo in the NFL. The last 2 season these two guys have been like Ferrari’s driving in New York rush hour traffic in winter time, worthless. Expect a resurgence of the big play in Philadelphia in 2013. No team in college football scored more points in less time than Chip Kelly’s Ducks. The majority of the success was due to the ability to run the football. As soon as the Eagles can run the ball effectively again with McCoy, you will see the DeSean Jackson backpedaling into the end zone again.

Michael Vick: Winner… Maybe a loser though

Just when it looked like the Eagles would be giving Michael Vick his walking papers, Chip Kelly walks in the door. The Michael Vick era has been nothing short of a catastrophic disappointment since the ink dried on his $100 million deal. Based on the offense Chip Kelly ran at Oregon it would be very hard to imagine Vick not being an Eagle next season. Kelly’s offense has featured a quarterback who can run the football. Barring a change in philosophy, who would be a better fit for his system than Vick? The biggest question is: Will Kelly be able to turn Vick into the player we expected to see after the 2010 season?

LeSean McCoy: Big Winner

McCoy is a scat back that catches well, but also run between the tackles. He followed up his All-Pro 1,300 yard, 17TD season with an 800 yard, 2TD campaign. Chip Kelly’s running backs at Oregon have averaged over 1,600 yards per season. How big do you think the smile is on McCoy’s face is right now? Expect McCoy to put up some Marshall Faulk like numbers over the next few season.

Oregon Ducks Moral: Loser… Temporarily


The Oregon Ducks Football program should remain intact as a national championship contender every year. However, nobody like uncertainty. Questions are arising amongst the Oregon faithful. Who will be the next head coach? Will the assistant coaches leave? Will our recruits decommit? Will we have a shot at the National Championship in 2013?

Although there is a lot of uncertainty around the Oregon program expect order to be restored pretty quickly. Many people were uncertain about Chip Kelly taking over for a very successful Mike Bellotti, but that worked out very well. The program has enjoyed a continued assent over the last 18 years, there is no reason to think things will change under the new head coach. The new head coach is expected to be offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich, so there won’t be a change in style of play.




Eagles Fans: Biggest Winner

After 2 years of disappointment, Philadelphia fans have hope. The team that was coined the “Dream Team” ended up more like the “Scream Team”. Congratulations Eagles fans. You have a winner and an offensive juggernaut.

NFL is back: Cowboys vs Giants

Dun, dun, dun, dun… It’s a celebration! The NFL is back. Do not forget to set your fantasy football teams! Fans have been clinging to preseason games in an attempt to get their football fix. Preseason games can only “wet your whistle”, there is NOTHING like the real thing. The NFL is the most popular game in America for many reasons: it is physical, anyone can win, and it’s NEVER short on drama. Last off season the lockout was the topic, this season it is the officials. If there wasn’t already enough drama with questionable calls and replay; the NFL will start the season off with replacement referees.

Who better to start the season the season than two of the most drama filled teams in the league? The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants vs America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys. No love is lost between these bitter division rivals. The Giants have a coach Tom Coughlin who is on the verge of being fired every year, a quarterback who has won two Super Bowls than no one believes is elite, and player/coach drama. On the other hand, there is the Cowboys who are now the Chicago Cubs of the NFL. Next year is “their year”, every year, and they disappoint. This is a team that has only won 1 playoff game in the last 15 seasons, but people consider them to be contenders every year. Dallas features owner Jerry Jones, who spends more time on the field than the press box, a big money quarterback who doesn’t win playoff games, and a wide receiver that the team had to provide rules and a chaperon. Who needs a game when you have great reality television surrounding the teams?

The final score… 34-24. This will be a close game but GIANTS win. The loser of this game will NOT make the playoffs this season. Sorry Cowboys fans, but I will leave you with a present.