In an interesting twist, it wasn’t news coming from the NFL’s annual meetings that seemed to dominate the headlines on Wednesday, but Kliff Kingsbury’s cell phone policy.
Throughout the week, NFL personnel–including head coaches–have been in Arizona discussing and voting on rules chat could change the course of this upcoming season, and taking care of other pre-Draft business. But despite important discussions that were occurring, one seemed to dominate the headlines on Wednesday.
First-year Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury announced on Tuesday that he plans to implement a cell phone policy that is commonly used among the college football ranks. “They’re itching to get to those things,” Kingsbury said. “You start to see kind of hands twitching and legs shaking, and you know they need to get that social media fix, so we’ll let them hop over there and then get back in the meeting and refocus.”
This shouldn’t come as a shock.
According to Statista, there are over 4.9 billion mobile phone users in the world. What’s more, the average cell phone user will check their phones up to 47 times per day, with 2,617 likes, taps, or swipes; and 22 percent of those surveyed ages 18-29 check their phones every few minutes. While the data supports obsessive and addictive traits, fans have to realize that it’s not a coaches’ job to mitigate these issues. For Kingsbury to understand these habits is a testament to his attention to detail, and considering the lucrative contracts these players hold, Kingsbury would rather give them a few minutes in between activities to center their focus and hopefully see a greater return on their investments as a result.
Kingsbury is Forward Thinking
Throughout the day, fans were calling Kliff Kingsbury and the Cardinals out for supporting a “millennial culture,” but it’s hypocritical, considering every cell phone holds personal data patterns, and the negative responses were likely coming from people who weren’t paying attention to the tasks or people in front of them in order to craft their opinions.
The average age of an NFL player is much closer to the ages of the guys Kingsbury coached at Texas Tech. Moreover, Kingsbury, himself, is a former college and NFL player so he understands players on a deeper level than his cohorts. Cell phone breaks are even facilitated at the Ivy League level, so this isn’t groundbreaking or distracting, and shouldn’t be viewed as anything other than leadership understanding how to get the maximum output from their personnel.
From continued activism for benefits to former players, to concussion and CTE issues; domestic violence and drug incidents, to in-game protocol and reviews, the NFL has significantly larger issues to deal with than devolving to high school levels in terms of cell phone and attention management issues.
With just under two minutes left in the second round game between UCF and Duke, the Knights lead the Blue Devils 74-70. UCF had Duke on the ropes and were ready for the kill shot. UFC stole the ball and had a 2-on-1 fast break. UCF’s Dayon Griffin threw a lob pass to Aubrey Dawkins, who finished with 32 points, and had it been successful, the Knights would have been up 6 with all the momentum against one of the betting favorites to win it all. Instead, this happened.
A couple questionable no-calls, some fortuitous bounces, and a missed put back helped Duke squeak out a 77-76 victory over UCF as the Blue Devils move on to the Sweet 16. Top seeds advancing to the Sweet 16 was the common theme this past weekend as all of the betting favorites won in the second round.
Betting favorites went 16-0 straight up in the Round of 32, the first time that the favorites did not lose a game in the Round of 32 since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
Although all of the favorites won, chalk is not necessarily a bad thing. Let’s say UCF beat Duke. That’s an awesome moment for UCF and its fans. However, to the common basketball fan, are you tuning in to watch UCF vs. Virginia Tech for a trip to the Elite 8? Or, would you rather watch Zion Williamson, Rj Barrett, and Duke play Virginia Tech in the Sweet 16? Unless you’re a UCF fan, my guess is that you’d rather watch Duke.
The NCAA Tournament is known as “March Madness,” but this year, it’s the furthest thing from chaos. There was a significant gap all season long between the top 10 teams and the rest of Division I. That growing sentiment came to fruition as all the top seeds took care of business this past weekend. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Cinderella stories are awesome. Watching a double digit seed fight their way through each round and advance to the Final Four is both entertaining and inspiring. Rooting for Sister Jean and Loyola-Chicago last season was a great story. However, there’s a reason why upsets rarely happen and that’s because of the talent disparity between the blue blood programs like Duke and UNC and the mid-major Cinderella stories like Loyola-Chicago or Wichita State. A Cinderella story is most likely a flash in the pan. Remember when Tim Tebow made the playoffs or “Linsanity” took over the Knicks? Those two athletes took the world by storm for a brief period of time and it was spectacular to witness. However, just like in Cinderella, the clock always strikes midnight. Tim Tebow never got another chance to start at quarterback and Jeremy Lin hasn’t been a star since. You know why? Tim Tebow may have won a few games, but Tom Brady wins Super Bowls. Jeremy Lin may dazzle for a few weeks, but LeBron James wins championships. Loyola Chicago and George Mason may win a region, but Duke, UNC, and Kentucky are staples in the Final Four
And you know what? That’s ok. The biggest gripe with the tournament is that the best team in the country does not always win it all. This year, one of the best teams in the country will win. Duke, UNC, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Gonzaga have all been in the top 3 at some point this year. Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, LSU, Texas Tech, Houston, Auburn, Virginia Tech, and Florida State have all been ranked inside the top 15. The only outlier is Oregon, but the Ducks have won 10 straight and are two years removed from a Final Four appearance.
The tournament has not been as exciting as year’s past, but there is hope on the horizon. There is a lot of good basketball to play from the best teams in the country. For now, chalk is fine by me.
March Madness 2019 is in full swing. The NCAA’s cash cow basketball tournament started on March 19th and is slated to make billions in revenue. The NCAA tournament has college basketball fans abuzz about who will be this year’s victor. In the midst of all of the excitement, the NCAA continues to face well-deserved criticism for its exploitive college athletics system. Even famed sports broadcaster Dick Vitale weighed in and stated that he believes that it is time that college basketball players get paid. Well-respected industry leaders addressing the injustices of college basketball’s premier event leads one to seriously question just how much money is at stake in March Madness?
March Madness is the NCAA’s Cash Cow
2017 was a monumental year for the NCAA. It was the first year the NCAA cleared one billion dollars in revenue. That is right the NCAA, a non-profit organization, cleared one billion dollars in revenue. Where on Earth did all of that money come from?
The Bulk of the Money Comes From Marketing and Television Rights for March Madness and a few Other Sources
A huge chunk of the NCAA’s revenue comes from its broadcasting deal for March Madness. In 2016, the NCAA extended their contract with CBS Sports and Turner, a division of Time Warner, for the broadcasting rights of the Men’s March Madness basketball tournament. The extension, which runs through 2032, added 8 years and 8.8 billion dollars to the original contract. Essentially, the new deal will pay an average of 1.1 billion dollars per season.
As a result of the contract extension, the NCAA made $817,517,801 from television and marketing rights fees in 2017. Also in 2017, the NCAA made $128,113,594 from ticket sales, concessions, parking, and other tournaments such as the National Invitational Tournament (NIT).The average price paid for tickets in 2018 was $1,845 for the full Final Four experience and a mere $1,010 for the championship game only.
From these numbers, it should be clear why Dick Vitale and college athlete rights advocates contend revenue generating athletes should be paid. Clearly, there is enough money. Without the athletes, the NCAA would not have a product to negotiate a deal like the one with CBS Sports and Turner. Fans tune in to see the best of the best compete. That very fact is what gave the NCAA the leverage for that billion dollar deal.
The NCAA is not the Only Beneficiaries – Colleges, Conferences, and Coaches Benefit too
The Big Payday for Colleges and Conferences
After the net is cut and the trophy is presented, colleges and their respective conferences await a big payday. A portion of the March Madness revenue is paid out to the colleges and conferences. Colleges use the money for a variety of things, including scholarships and funding for non-revenue sports. Division 1 conferences get the bulk of the money. The NCAA considers a variety of factors when distributing the money.Those factors include support of non-revenue sports, performance in the tournament over six years, and the number of full-rides given to athletes.
In 2016, the Big 10 received the biggest payout at $57,540,348.The Western Coast Conference came in at number ten on the list at $8,192,085.The conferences funnel the money down to the schools.The largest payment to a school came in 2016 when Stanford University was paid $3,250,544.From these numbers, is it is clear why the debate regarding payment for revenue-generating college athletes is such a hot topic. Clearly, there is enough money.
Coaches Receive Huge Bonus Incentives
Similar to Division 1 college football coaches receiving bonuses for bowl game appearances, Division 1 college basketball coaches receive bonuses for March Madness appearances. Basketball coaches receive bonuses for merely advancing to the tournament. Some even receive a bonus for a victory in the first round of the tournament. The bonus incentive increases as the team progresses to each level of the tournament. The levels include the Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, and the Final Four.
With the first two rounds of the NCAA men's basketball tournament complete, public-school head coaches whose teams made the field have picked up more than $5.2 million in bonuses.
If Arizona State’s head coach Bobby Hurley won the 2018 title, he would have received up to $1.4 million in bonuses above his base salary. The simple fact that $1.4 million in bonuses could have been paid to Hurley for coaching a winning team totally disproves the argument that there is not enough money floating around to pay the athletes. Clearly, there is enough money.
March Madness is Big Business for Everyone Except the Athletes
It appears that everyone, expect the labor force is able to profit from March Madness. Everyone from the NCAA down to the locales where the games are held rake in millions of dollars from the tournament. Even the least watched games will generate millions of dollars for their universities. However, the players will be limited to their scholarship. For the next few weeks, fans will be bombarded with March Madness ads using the likeness of athletes who would be guilty of NCAA violations if they individually promoted that same image. This is March Madness, the NCAA’s billion-dollar cash cow.
The SAP Center in San Jose, Ca hosted round 1 of the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament in San Jose, Ca. The March Madness round of 64 was without a doubt some of the most exciting showcases we have seen in a while. It was a joy to watch from nearly the front row.
Walking in on the arena floor and staring up into the seats it was easy to feel the buzz in the air. To misquote the great Jim Nance, The NCAA Tournament is a tradition like no other. Parents, friends, families, alumni, and fans all gather from various places and descend to take part in March Madness.
To pull back the curtain of separation between fan and sportswriter just a bit, I have covered many different events in my short time as a sportswriter but nothing quite like this. I have covered chalk talks, football games, conference championship games, and nothing gave me the jitters and feelings of sentiment quite like this.
The Tournament is a special thing yet continued to be a generational bridge in love of sports. Everyone appreciates the pageantry of March Madness. The passion of college athletics and fandoms alike as 64 teams are all equal in search of achieving the same common goal, cutting down the nets in US Bank Stadium.
UC Irvine vs Kansas State
The UC Irvine Anteaters took on the Kansas State Wildcats in the opening game of the day. In what was a back and forth contest all the way up until the last 1:25 seconds of the game we were treated to run and counter run. Junior guards Max Hazzard #2 and Evan Leonard both scored 19 points in the contest and were the last scorers in the first and second halves.
The Anteaters achieved their first ever NCAA tournament win and a classic #13 seed over #4 seed upset 70-64. It took a complete team effort every man on the bench was of vital importance as they wore down the Wildcats with their open court attack.
Nothing is better in the NCAA tourney than an upset. It brings out the best in fans and underdogs whom nobody gave a chance. The Anteaters had very little belief outside of their players and fanbase but it was clear they belonged from the start.
Winning in the tournament meant the world to their fanbase who made the trek down to support their team. The Anteaters haven’t lot since January, however they find themselves with a difficult round two matchup in the University of Oregon. The Anteaters expected this outcome because they know how much work they have put in to get here. Victory is the ultimate reward for focus dedication and execution.
Oregon Ducks vs Wisconsin Badgers
The Oregon Ducks did battle with the Wisconsin Badgers in the second matchup of the afternoon. Early on it was a chess match, as the two teams felt each other out. Back and forth it would go in a bit of a defensive struggle, at the half the teams would find themselves tied at 25.
And then Oregon head coach Dana Altman would go into the locker room and whatever he said, whatever he drew up on the whiteboard was absolute magic. It would spark the #12 seeded Ducks to produce the second upset of the day in a runaway over #5 ranked Wisconsin 72-54.
RS Sr. Paul White opened up the half on absolute fire. He scored in the paint he scored from behind the three-point line, and he scored from the free throw line. Within 9 minutes of the second half, White went 4-4 from the field, 2-2 from deep, and 2-2 at the line. Providing the Ducks the spark they needed to take flight.
Kenny Wooten Jr. was sensational and a major reason why the Ducks were able to go on a run and nearly double up the Badgers in the second half. Wooten was the defensive enforcer and no shot or layup was safe when he was in proximity. Wooten possesses the unique ability of being able to damn near jump out of the gym.
His bounce was magnificent and he soared up and over all of the Badgers futile shot attempts. Wooten slapped layups off the backboard, he got clean stuffs, and this one time at March Madness he swatted a shot off the court from just outside the paint.
Winners of four straight and the Pac-12 Championship the Ducks are thrilled to have this moment yet remain focused on the larger picture, winning a championship.
Liberty Eagles vs Mississippi State Bulldogs
#12 seed Liberty University Eagles and #5 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs was a true underdog story. The Bulldogs led for 29:34 seconds of the game. They held the lead up until about the final 2:30 seconds of the game. The Eagles dug deep and when they needed stops and timely shooting they got them.
Redshirt Jr. Caleb Homesley drop a region-leading 30 points on the Bulldogs, going 10-16 from the field, 5-11 from deep, and 5-6 at the charity stripe. Myo Baxter-Bell was a beast down low and out of his 13 points the last four free-throws actually sealed the game for the Eagles by continuing to extend the score in the closing moments of regulation.
The Bulldogs played a great game for 36 minutes but the lone 10 point run they gave up was the difference in the game. Guards Lamar Peters #2 and Quinndary Weatherspoon #11 scored 21 and 27 points respectively and kept their team moving along in the led. Unfortunately down the stretch when they couldn’t score nobody else stepped up for the Bulldogs.
Saint Louis Billikens vs Virginia Tech Hokies
The final game of the evening pit the #15 seed Saint Louis University Billikins against the #4 seed Virginia Tech Hokies. After an upsetting evening to the favorites the Hokies restored the natural selection balance. SLU was outclassed across the board, the court and the sideline and it showed.
Lacking a low post scoring presence allowed the Hokies to run a defense which looked like a combination of a 3-2 zone and a half court trap and it completely baffled the Billikin’s offense.
It took the SLU offense nearly 15 minutes to acquire double digits in points. Up close it appeared they only were allowed to score because the coach of the Hokies chose not to employ his trap strategy on every possession.
Meanwhile there was nothing the SLU defense could throw at the Hokies that they weren’t ready for. The Hokies went to the rack at will, had no problems locating and converting shots, and to further assert dominance went coast to coast on inbounds numerous times.
SLU trailed by 15-20 points for the majority of the game until they began making a push halfway through the 2nd half to cut the lead to ten. The Hokies responded by going back to the trap defense and it re-stymied the Billikin offense all over again. 66-52 would be the final score and conclude an excellent opening round of basketball.
As College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein likes to say, “This is March.” Welcome to one of the best times of the year, March Madness. For my money, the first two days of the NCAA Tournament are the two best sporting days of the year. There’s nothing better than 32 basketball games that are full of non-stop action, buzzer beaters, and the agony of defeat. I challenge you to name anything better in sports than those two days.
There are so many unforgettable March Madness moments that you began to lose track of them. It seems that every buzzer-beater gets better and better. Narrowing the list down to five is almost impossible, but I’m going to give you my most top 5 moments in NCAA Tournament History. Let the debate begin.
5. George Mason’s Magical Run To The Final Four
https://youtu.be/NcV13jffIQE
George Mason walked so that Sister Jean could run. Before VCU, Wichita State, and Loyola Chicago made their magical runs to the Final Four; there was George Mason. In 2006, the George Mason Patriots made one of the greatest runs to the Final Four as an 11 seed. Keep in mind that George Mason did not even win their conference that year. The Patriots lost in the CAA semis to Hofstra and had to sweat it out on Selection Sunday. The committee granted George Mason with an 11 seed, and the rest was history. On their historic run, George Mason knocked off Tom Izzo, Roy Williams, Gregg Marshall, and Jim Calhoun. Beating three Hall of Fame coaches on the way to the Final Four is pretty damn impressive. It wasn’t always pretty, but George Mason’s grit and toughness overcame the odds to reach the Final Four.
4. The Legend Of Steph Curry
There’s putting on a show, and then there’s what Steph Curry did in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. Steph Curry was not on any NBA radars back in 2008. Steph was a talented shooter, but most people only recognized him because of his last name and his father, Dell, who played in the NBA. That all changed with one legendary NCAA tournament run. Look at these numbers that Steph posted in a four game stretch.
128 points in 4 games is insane. Keep in mind that Davidson was a #10 seed and was one shot away from making the Final Four. Steph’s range and ability to create his own shot were put on full display, and NBA scouts took notice. Now, Curry is arguably the greatest shooter in the history of the NBA. It all started with a magical run in the tournament.
3. Kris Jenkins Wins The National Championship For Villanova
Not all buzzer beaters are created equal. Winning in the first round from a buzzer beater is cool, but winning the National Championship with a buzzer beater is iconic. Under Jay Wright, Villanova was always a solid team, but could never put it all together when it really mattered. It wasn’t until 2013 that Villanova consistently became one of the best teams in the country. From 2013-2018, Villanova accumulated a record of 165 wins and 21 with two National Championships. Everything about this play is awesome. The presence of mind to flip back to Jenkins as Grant Hill says to “watch Jenkins.” Nantz says “for the championship” as the ball goes in is such a perfect moment. Plus, the confetti cannons going off while pandemonium ensues is incredible.
2. Jimmy V Looks For A Hug
I mentioned that George Mason walked so that the other Cinderellas could run. Well, Jim Valvano and NC State crawled so that George Mason could walk. NC State upsetting Houston in the championship of the 1983 NCAA Tournament is one of the greatest upsets of all time. I highly recommend watching Survive and Advance, an ESPN 30 for 30 which chronicles Jimmy V and that 1983 NC State team that won it all. NC State was able to overcome a “Phi Slama Jama” which had two future Hall of Famers in Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler. Lorenzo Charles’s dunk at the last second to win the title was special, but Jimmy V looking for someone to hug after the game is the defining image from this game.
1. Christian Laettner Hits The Shot
Love him or hate him, and most people hate him, there’s no denying the fact that Christian Laettner was one of the greatest college basketball players of all time. In 1992, Mike Krzyzewski and the number one seed Duke squared off against Rick Pitino and the number two seed Kentucky in the Elite 8 to determine the last spot in the Final Four. With 2.1 seconds in overtime, Duke, the defending National Champion, was down 1 point with the ball. Grant Hill threw a full court heave to Laettner, who caught the ball at the free throw line, had the presence of mind to take a dribble, and nailed the game winning shot as time expired. This game is widely considered as the greatest game in the history of the NCAA Tournament. What’s so underrated about the game is Laettner’s stat line. Laettner finished the game with 31 points and 7 rebounds, which sounds like a good day from the office. However, Laettner was 10 for 10 from the field and 10 for 10 from the free throw line. Laettner was perfect and so was his shot.
What are your most unforgettable moments from the NCAA Tournament? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
There are certain things you can’t unsee, and the Oklahoma Sooners might just have a case for throwing “Horns Down.”
From the Oklahoma Sooners to the Texas Tech Red Raiders, players have been flagged on multiple occasions and throughout multiple seasons for throwing “Horns Down” while playing the Texas Longhorns. The biggest issue many have with this is that nowhere in college football history can fans truly recall a situation where a team’s brand is protected to the point of unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for “disrespecting” hand gestures.
Was Bowling Green flagged after the “Gator Chomp” back in 2012?
USC’s drum major was prohibited from stabbing the 50-yard-line at the Rose Bowl, and Kansas banned Bevo from the sideline this year. But never in history has an entire conference been put on notice that any misuse of a particular team’s hand gestures will receive penalties, which is why any preferential treatment is laughable.
But for the Oklahoma Sooners, they might just have a real case for using the “Horns Down” hand gesture: it’s in their logo.
It might seem like I’m revisiting an old issue here, but with Oklahoma playing the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Orange Bowl, it will be interesting to see banter between the two teams. I don’t think we’ll see any hand gesture exchanges–especially with the offensive numbers both teams are expected to put up. But given how ridiculous the “Horns Down” debate has become, if the Sooners can pull off a win, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it in some capacity.
Last month during the lead up to the Big 12 Championship game, Sooners’ head coach Lincoln Riley confirmed that the Big 12 put them on notice, and if the “Horns Down” gesture was used, they would be penalized. Most fans in the Big 12–including Texas fans–agree the conference shouldn’t be involved in this, and should let the teams settle this where it matters.
Texas players, however, disagree.
After Texas lost to West Virginia, several Longhorns’ players said the hand gesture was “disrespectful,” and that they didn’t disrespect other teams’ hand gestures, so the issue should be mutual. Considering this is the second consecutive season where teams have been flagged for throwing “Horns Down,” I don’t expect this issue to go away anytime soon, but it’s certainly something to think about, especially with Texas back on a winning trajectory.
In 2012, former Texas head coach Mack Brown had this to say in response to a Texas Tech player throwing “Horns Down:”
"The horns down is disrespectful," Mack Brown said. "We ought to talk about that as a league." #ut
Apparently, Texas has spoken to the league about it, because here we are… still talking about it. What do y’all think: Should the Big 12 let players settle the “respect” issue on the field–where it matters? Or should this be an issue conferences control?
If it’s an issue the Big 12 tries to control, then does it only apply in games where Texas is playing? Consider when the West Virginia sideline used “Horns Down” in a play in its loss to Oklahoma State this season:
At what point does the conference decide to focus on things that matter, like expansion and promoting competition to build a stronger overall brand? Until then, we can only speculate why there’s such an emphasis on prohibiting “Horns Down” from the Big 12 playing field, but in any event, it’s still technically in the OU logo, so let’s see if Sooners’ players get creative with it next season.
BREAKING: Star center fielder Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels are finalizing a record-breaking 12-year contract worth more than $430 million, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Details: https://t.co/bROnnC11Uh
Imagine signing the largest contract in professional sports history and yet the general consensus is that you’re still being underpaid? Welcome to the life of Mike Trout.
Mike Trout is finalizing a 12-year, $430 million extension with the Los Angeles Angels, which would be the richest contract in professional sports, breaking the 13-year, $330 million contract that was signed by Bryce Harper almost three weeks ago. Trout’s contract has an AAV of $35.8 million, which is also a record. If Trout became a free agent in 2020, the bidding war for his services would have been insane. Teams would have easily surpassed the $500 million threshold had he listened to other offers and there’s no doubt in my mind that Trout would have gotten to $500 million. He’s worth every single penny so congrats to the Angels for locking down a once-in-generation player for a bargain.
Mike Trout is universally regarded as the best player in baseball. In fact, Trout is one of the greatest baseball players of all-time through his first 8 years. There’s historic numbers, and then there’s Mike Trout numbers. Let’s take a look at some of Trout’s stats. I hope you are sitting down because they are mind boggling. Also, remember that Trout is only 27-years old and has played in 8 seasons. (Trout debuted in 2011, but only played in 40 games in his first season.)
Career .307/.416/.573 hitter with 240 home runs, 648 RBIs, 793 runs and 189 stolen bases.
Trout’s career WAR (Wins Above Replacement) is 64.3. That’s the highest ever by a player entering his age-27 season. The average Hall of Fame WAR is 69.
In 7 full seasons, Trout has been a All-Star 7 times.
Trout has been the MVP or runner-up in 6 of 7 full seasons (2 MVPs, 4 runner ups). The only time he was not the MVP or runner-up happened in 2017 due to injury. Trout only finished fourth in MVP voting that season.
Value of the G.O.A.T
As you can see, Mike Trout’s value is priceless. If the Angels paid him $1 billion, Trout still lives up to that contract. If he retires today, he’s in the Hall of Fame.
Although Trout is the best player in the MLB, he’s the furthest thing from a rockstar. In fact, Mike Trout is not as popular as you would think. Last year, Trout ranked 11th in jersey sales. There has been a narrative forming that the MLB does not market Trout enough and some of that has truth to it. Trout and the Angels are scheduled to be on national television 10 times with three of them being out-of-market only games on MLBN. The Angels are not very good and the MLB tends to focus on rivalries in big markets for national games (Think Red Sox – Yankees), but wouldn’t it make sense to put Trout on national TV especially when he travels to the East Coast? To put this into perspective, LeBron James, arguably the greatest player, and the Lakers are scheduled to make 31 appearances on national TV in 2018-2019. It also hurts that Trout has only played in 3 playoff games, which is more of a reflection on how poorly the Angels have been since 2011.
Plus, Trout is very laid-back and low key. He doesn’t crave the spotlight or make it a point of emphasis to become a star, which frustrates Rob Manfred, who said, “He [Trout] has to make a decision to engage. It takes time and effort.” I live in New York. If Mike Trout were to walk down a New York City street in regular clothing, out of 10 people, how many people would recognize him? One, maybe two? Seriously, if you saw the greatest baseball player in the world at a deli in NYC with his wife, would you recognize him?
It’s not a knock that Mike Trout doesn’t want to be a huge star in the public realm. That’s just how he rolls. Trout deserves to do whatever he wants. And you know what? He has earned that right. Instead of focusing on how to make Mike Trout bigger star, let’s just appreciate him for what he is, which is the greatest baseball player on Earth.
In one of the more odd offseason stories, Teddy Bridgewater turned down a starting quarterback job to remain a backup. That’s right. Bridgewater met with the Miami Dolphins, a team that just traded away Ryan Tannehill to the Tennessee Titans, and walked away from their offer. The move (or non-move) has left many football fans perplexed. However, Bridgewater’s decision to remain the backup to Drew Brees is one of the most intelligent choices. Here’s why:
Low Injury Risk
The gap between Miami and New Orleans is immense. According to footballoutsiders, Miami’s offensive line ranked 31st in pass protection. They gave up 52 sacks in 2018. On the other hand, New Orleans ranked 3rd in pass protection and only gave up 20 sacks in 2018. Considering that Bridgewater has already had a serious knee-injury in his young career, the decision to avoid Miami’s porous offensive line is safe.
Money Money Money
While Bridgewater turned down a starting job, he didn’t refuse Nick Foles level money.
Per Dianna Russini of ESPN, Bridgewater desired “life-changing money” to sign with Miami. Bridgewater sought 16-million dollars per year plus incentives. He wanted money and guarantees that he the team invested in him as the starter. Miami was not willing to pay-up for Bridgewater, so he decided to punt his contract another year.
Instead of signing with Miami for a middling contract, Bridgewater accepted a premium-contract for a backup quarterback. The one-year deal includes 7.5 million dollars, fully guaranteed, plus incentives. Bridgewater is taking a moderate discount to play for the Saints and still keep his opportunity available for a big contract in 2020.
The Quarterback Market in 2020
In addition to his current situation is the overall market for quarterbacks. There were not a significant amount of NFL teams searching for veteran quarterbacks this offseason. Considering Foles, Keenum, and Flacco already have new homes and the NFL draft is near, there were few suitors left for Bridgewater. Less suitors can easily translate to less money invested. But, in 2020, here are some notable free agents:
Russell Wilson
Ben Roethlisberger
Eli Manning
Phillip Rivers
Tom Brady
Jameis Winston
Marcus Mariota
Case Keenum
Roethlisberger, Manning, Rivers and Brady are over 37 years old. There is a significant chance they might retire, due to injury or diminished performance. Winston, Mariota and Keenum also each carry a chance of being traded or cut. They have not stood out enough to earn a franchise-quarterback status. So, by pushing his free agency to 2020, Bridgewater will be entering a potentially rich market for quarterbacks.
Tutelage Under Drew Brees and Sean Payton
In staying another year with the New Orleans Saints, Bridgewater gets more time with future Hall of Famer Drew Brees Sean Payton. Instead of going to the Miami Dolphins, a franchise that has been in turmoil for years, he gets to surround himself by positive influences and success. New Orleans has consistently been a top NFL offense in both points and yards. Sean Payton has been regarded as one of the most creative offensive minds in the NFL. In backing up Brees another year, Bridgewater will effectively be attending an Elite NFL University.
Drew Brees is 40 Years Old
Although Drew Brees has continued to perform at an elite level, we cannot ignore his age. He is 40 years old. Each year he risks dips in production, injury and retirement. In remaining the backup for Brees, Bridgewater is giving himself a great chance to play for a successful franchise. Remember that the NFL is incredibly random. On any given Sunday something could happen. If Brees is injured or simply loses his gift, Bridgewater will be there. Waiting for his opportunity. If misfortune falls on Drew Brees this season, if he retires before 2020 or if the Saints choose to not sign a 42-year-old quarterback to another contract in 2021, Bridgewater could be the Saints next franchise quarterback.
Bridgewater is Only 26 Years Old
Teddy Bridgewater is so young. If he is smart, his career could extend another decade. Many quarterbacks are playing well into their 30’s or even 40’s now. After the 2019 season, Bridgewater will still only be 27. Capable starting quarterbacks are difficult to find. Washington found this quite apparent last season. After Alex Smith broke his leg in week 11, Washington started a combination of Colt McCoy, Mark Sanchez and Josh Johnson. Granted Washington could have signed Colin Kaepernick to their team, but we’ve already discussed that. Bottom line is that if Josh Johnson can get a starting job, even a temporary one, after not attempting an NFL pass in seven seasons, Bridgewater should certainly be able to secure a contract in the coming years.
The Nick Foles Hero’s Journey
Nick Foles has paved the way for Bridgewater’s success. Foles initially showed promise in Philadelphia, passing for 27 touchdowns and 2891 yards in 2013. However, he fell into obscurity after suffering a broken collarbone in the 2014 season. The Eagles traded him to the St. Louis Rams, then was benched for Case Keenum. In 2016, the Los Angeles Rams drafted Jared Goff with the first overall draft pick and Foles was released. It appeared that Foles was destined to be a backup quarterback for his career, so obviously he signed a one-year deal with the Kansas City Chiefs to play behind Alex Smith in 2016.
Then, in 2017, Foles held a lottery-winning ticket. Carson Wentz tore his ACL in week 14 and Foles led Philadelphia to a Super Bowl winning season. After another year of play, and additional games started due to Wentz missing more time, Foles landed a monster contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Even though the Eagles announced they would pick up Foles’ 20-million dollar option for the 2019 season, Foles refused it for a four-year contract worth 88-million dollars.
So why did this work for Nick Foles and could it work for Teddy Bridgewater? It worked because Foles put himself into the best situations. The Philadelphia Eagles had impressive coaching, offensive line play, offensive weapons, and a powerful defense. By random chance, Foles started for a playoff bound team and ended up becoming a Super Bowl MVP. Similarly, the New Orleans Saints are an elite NFL franchise that also has impressive coaching, offensive line play, offensive weapons and an improving defense. If Brees should fall, Bridgewater could see himself following the Foles path to playoffs and a subsequent four-year, 88-million dollar contract.
The Brilliance of Bridgewater
Although many will question and criticize Bridgewater’s stint with the New Orleans Saints, it is nonetheless a very intelligent decision. Bridgewater is young, playing behind a 40-year old quarterback in one of the league’s best offenses. He is surrounded by positive play, coaching and management.
“I was able to be a part of that last year for 18 weeks, and it was nothing but a positive thing,” Bridgewater said. “I told my agent every time that I’ve talked to him that I haven’t stopped smiling since I arrived. There’s so many positives in New Orleans, and I’m looking forward to many days ahead.”
There are so many pros for Bridgewater’s choice to remain a Saint. He is ensuring himself opportunity to take over for the Saints. In 2020, he enters a more lucrative quarterback market. Avoiding Miami also substantially lowers his risk of injury or poor play sparked by a mismanaged and untalented team. All the while, Bridgewater still makes 7.5-million dollars guaranteed with a chance to start for a playoff-caliber team if Drew Brees is injured. This is without a doubt one of the better decisions of the 2019 NFL offseason. Good for Teddy.
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