We need to talk about the New York Jets quarterback situation.
The New York Jets should not give up on ZachWilson.
I don’t care that Matt Ryan reached out, I don’t care that Carson Wentz reached out.
Zach Wilson is your best bad option. But he’s an option. Those other guys had multiple chances to prove they could still play. They can’t!
What are you going to do, trade for Kirk Cousins? How? You think he wants to uproot his Kohl’s catalog family twice in one year? Once mid-season, and once when Aaron Rodgers gets back? Plus, it’s financially impossible.
The Jets didn’t give up on ZachWilson when they signed Aaron Rodgers, and they shouldn’t give up on him now.
If they didn’t believe this could work on some level, he wouldn’t STILL BE IN THE BUILDING.
Do you realize how rare it is in today’s NFL to draft or bring in a QB that you intend on starting over your previous franchise guy, and hold on to both?
Even when your intent isn’t to start the guy right away, like with Will Levis in Tennessee, everyone knows the writing is on the wall.
I mean, think about it. That’s how Aaron Rodgers ultimately ended up in New York! If the Packers use the 26th pick in the 2020 NFL draft on Tee Higgins or Michael Pittman Jr instead of drafting Jordan Love, Rodgers is likely finishing his career in Green Bay.
The last time the Jets decided to move on from the guy they drafted to be the face of the franchise, they made sure Sam Darnold was out of the building for three weeks before they spent the second overall pick on ZachWilson.
There has to be a reason Wilson is still around.
It’s not continuity with the offense. The Jets specifically brought in Nathaniel Hackett to work with Aaron Rodgers.
It’s not ZachWilson’s immaculate locker room vibes. We saw the entire team turtle up when Wilson refused to publicly acknowledge last year that his play was holding the team back.
And by the way, shout out to Wilson for taking responsibility for the Jets loss against Dallas. That’s growth, and we like growth.
The obvious answer to why ZachWilson is still in a Jets uniform is that the kid has talent, even if he hasn’t put it all together on the field yet.
And if we’re being honest, we have seen flashes of that talent, but his four previous career games against the hated New England Patriots were so incredibly awful that they color the way a lot of fans see his young career so far.
Not turning the ball over in the fifth game though? That’s progress.
Look, if the Jets thought ZachWilson was ready to be the guy, they never would have went out and got Aaron Rodgers. If they thought ZachWilson would never be ready to be the guy, he’d probably be in Tampa Bay battling for reps with Baker Mayfield.
Robert Griffin III was right when he said that the player that gives the Jets the best chance to win is already in the locker room. It might not be a realistic chance, but it is the best chance.
So what is Wilson’s recipe for success? Trust his brother from another mother, Garrett Wilson, to make plays. Feed the ball to the stacked running back stable of Breece Hall and Dalvin Cook. Don’t take unnecessary sacks. And perhaps more important than all of that, Wilson needs to use his access to the most talented one-legged QB in NFL history- the same guy that seemed to have so much fun calling plays for him in the preseason.
The season isn’t over yet. All the New York Jets goals are still in front of them. The Jets didn’t give up on ZachWilson, and he has an opportunity to reward them for that. Let’s see if he can.
Time to take stock of my NFL bets. The good: I continue to nail the underdog of the week. The bad: The best bets have been mediocre. That said, Week 12 is when I get back to .500.
I hate betting double-digit lines. However, the Texans are the NFL’s worst team by a country mile. Houston will turn to QB Kyle Allen in this game, which means the fourth-worst offense in terms of rushing yards per game will try to run the ball, run the ball, and run the ball some more. There is the trap game narrative with the Dolphins facing the 49ers this week, but I don’t see the Dolphins’ offense struggling against a Texans defense that allows 389.6 yards per game. Coach Mike McDiesel will have the Fins ready.
49ers -8.5 vs. Saints
Not to be that guy, but I predicted the 49ers to make the Super Bowl before the season began. After last week’s beatdown against the Cardinals, I feel great about my selection. The Niners have arguably the best roster in the NFL, with studs at every key position besides QB. I’m a Jimmy G guy, and I believe he can make the Super Bowl for the second time. Five of the Niners’ six wins have been by double digits, and the injury-riddled Saints could be missing DE Cam Jordan and CB Marshon Lattimore, who hasn’t played since Week 5. I’ll take the Niners to suck the life out of the Saints.
NFL Week 12 Underdog of the Week
Falcons +3.5 vs. Commanders
As someone who has nailed the underdog of the week all season, this is the first week where a game did not jump out to me upon my first viewing of the lines. After perusing the lines, I settled on the Falcons +3.5, who are 7-4 ATS in 2022. The Commies might be the hottest team in football, with a record of 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6. Taylor Heincke is a fun story as the Commies make a play for a wild card. This will come down to the Falcons’ third-best rushing attack (159.4 yards per game) vs. the sixth-best rushing defense (103.1 yards per game). The Falcons might be missing RB Caleb Huntley while the Commies will be without LB Cole Holcomb, and Chase Young will not make his debut. I’ll take the Falcons to cover in a close one.
NFL Week 12 Teaser of the Week
7 POINTS: Dolphins -14 > -7, 49ers -8.5 > -1.5
I have to stop overthinking things. The Dolphins and the 49ers are going to win this week. Why bring other teams into the mix? If the Dolphins win, it’s not going to be close. If the Niners win, recent history says it won’t be close. Don’t let me down, Mike and Kyle.
After a mediocre first week, my NFL bets kicked ass in Week 2 as they went a perfect 4-0. Now, I wish I only bet 4 games and those 4 games only. But hey, I needed some action elsewhere, and I lost those bets. It happens. Regardless, the ones I wrote about all won so I hope you took advantage of the opportunity. Looking at the Week 3 slate, I spy with my little eye, a pack of barking dogs. Vegas is begging you to take the home underdogs in Indy, Miami, New England, DC, and NY so they can clean up when the favorites win.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s the kitchen sink game. With the Raiders and Titans at 0-2, both teams will do everything in their power to win this game. Fake punts, flea flickers, and reverses will be on the table. At the very least, the Raiders should be 1-1. Blowing a 20-point lead to a lifeless Cardinals team is inexcusable. On the flip side, the Titans gift-wrapped the Giants a Week 1 victory before being trounced by the Bills. Something has to give for one of these teams. The Raiders offense has been mediocre with an average of 322 yards per game. But it’s not as bad as the 273 yards per game from the Titans offense. Plus, the Titans will be missing one of their best pass blockers and pass rushers. Don’t let us down, Carr. This is your game to win.
The #Titans ruled out LT Taylor Lewan (knee) and pass-rusher Bud Dupree (hip) for Sunday's game vs. the #Raiders. Just like last year, Tennessee is once again dealing with a number of key injuries.
What happened to the Bengals? Truth be told, the Bengals aren’t as big of a mess as the media says. If Evan McPherson makes a field goal in Week 1 and the defense makes a 4th quarter stop in Week 2, Cincy could be 2-0. But, they’re winless and must face a Jets teams with a ton of confidence after pulling a rabbit out of a hat in their win vs. the Browns. Burrow can’t get sacked 13 times in two games, but the offensive line isn’t that bad. They just need to put some points on the board. As long as Burrow doesn’t throw Sauce Gardner’s way, they should be able to attack the Jets in the middle of the field and win by 7.
Bengals offensive line ranks on 58 true pass set reps this season:
True Pass Set pass blocking grade: 4th EPA per play on True Pass Sets: 25th
I have news for the one's who believe the vast majority of the blame falls on the OL in this scenario.
Before I hit you with a “but,” I will say that Jalen Hurts is off to a fantastic start this NFL season. I have my doubts about him as a pocket passer, but if he’s accumulating over 700 total yards in 2 games while sitting in the Top 10 for QBR, who the hell cares about the pocket? The Eagles look like the clear NFC East champions through two weeks. BUT, this line is an overreaction to the beatdown that took place against the Vikings. Say what you want about the Commies, they’re a division rival at home, and Philly is 1-5 ATS in their last six games against division opponents. If Carson Wentz takes care of the football (huge “if”) better than Kirk Cousins, then the Commies should be able to exploit an Eagles defense that surrendered 35 points to the Lions in Week 1. Philly may win, but the Commanders get the cover.
I don’t have the balls to tease the Colts even though I want to do just that. Instead, I’ll tease the Bucs at home vs. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. The Bucs have arguably the best defense in the NFL right now, surrendering an impressive 6.5 points per game. For the Packers, Rodgers’s healthy receiver right now is rookie Romeo Doubs. The under is the better play in this game, but for teasing purposes, let’s give Brady the 6 points at home.
Be honest. Did you know that the 2022 Emmys are tonight? My guess is no because you’re coming off of a 48-hour football binge which included some pizza, beer, and a dramatic plea for Justin Herbert to throw to Mike Williams.
Ok, that’s just me.
Anyways, television continues to operate at a ridiculously-high level. TV is on a three-year heater where multiple new shows come out of nowhere to dominate pop culture. Severance, Squid Game, Yellowjackets, Abbott Elementary, The White Lotus, and Only Murders in the Building are all first-year shows that had their own moment to shine, which is saying something considering how fast the Internet moves.
It’s competitive as ever this year so once again, I am here to gift you with some predictions. May B̶o̶b̶ ̶a̶n̶d̶ ̶R̶h̶e̶a̶ the best nominees win.
Outstanding Drama Series
Better Call Saul (AMC)
Euphoria (HBO/HBO Max)
Ozark (Netflix)
Severance (Apple TV+)
Squid Game (Netflix)
Stranger Things (Netflix)
Succession (HBO/HBO Max)
Yellowjackets (Showtime)
SEVERANCE finale: Oh my god. That was one of the most tense, compelling, and dramatic episodes of television I have ever seen. Thank you, @BenStiller. Edge of your seat suspense. That was absolutely fantastic from start to finish. #Severance
You could make cases for Better Call Saul, Severance, Squid Game, Succession, and Yellowjackets. Severance is my favorite new show of the year, and the finale is the best episode of the year—however, good luck dethroning Succession, which also had a tremendous ending.
Who Should Win:Severance
Who Will Win:Succession
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jason Bateman – Ozark
Brian Cox – Succession
Lee Jung-jae – Squid Game
Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul
Adam Scott – Severance
Jeremy Strong – Succession
That was a pretty damn satisfying finale for BETTER CALL SAUL. What a special show. I will miss it dearly. #bettercallsaul
Did you know that Better Call Saul has zero (0) Emmy wins? Frankly, that’s a crime. I tend to think the Emmy voters will reward Odenkirk at next year’s ceremony, but there’s no time like the present. It’s Bob’s time.
Who Should Win: Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul, but every nominee is worthy of this award.
Who Will Win: Bob Odenkirk – Better Call Saul
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Jodie Comer – Killing Eve
Laura Linney – Ozark
Melanie Lynskey – Yellowjackets
Sandra Oh – Killing Eve
Reese Witherspoon – The Morning Show
Zendaya – Euphoria
Any other year, Melanie Lynskey would be walking away with this award. However, Euphoria’s fifth episode, “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird,” is Zendaya’s crowning achievement in her young career.
Who Should Win: Zendaya – Euphoria
Who Will Win: Zendaya – Euphoria
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
Nicholas Braun – Succession
Billy Crudup – The Morning Show
Kieran Culkin – Succession
Matthew Macfadyen – Succession
O Yeong-su – Squid Game
Park Hae-soo – Squid Game
John Turturro – Severance
Christopher Walken – Severance
Who Should Win: Kieran Culkin – Succession
Who Will Win: Kieran Culkin – Succession
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Patricia Arquette – Severance
Julia Garner – Ozark
HoYeon Jung – Squid Game
Christina Ricci – Yellowjackets
Rhea Seehorn – Better Call Saul
J. Smith-Cameron – Succession
Sarah Snook – Succession
Sydney Sweeney – Euphoria
[Takes a deep breath. Exhales. Screams.] RHEA SEEHORN. Since it took this long to give Rhea a nomination, I don’t see the Emmys awarding Rhea with the hardware that she deserves. I pray I’m wrong, but when in doubt, pick someone from Succession.
Who Should Win: Rhea Seehorn – Better Call Saul
Who Will Win: Sarah Snook – Succession
Outstanding Comedy Series
Abbott Elementary (ABC)
Barry (HBO/HBO Max)
Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO/HBO Max)
Hacks (HBO/HBO Max)
The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Prime Video)
Only Murders in the Building (Hulu)
Ted Lasso (Apple TV+)
What We Do in the Shadows (FX)
This category is extremely difficult to predict. Only Murders in the Building and Abbott Elementary are looking to crash the party with strong first seasons.In a perfect world, this award goes to Barry, one of the most impressive shows on television. (Though, it may not be a comedy anymore.)But, I’ll stick with Ted Lasso as it continues to Emmy dominance.
If Jason Sudeikis wins in this category again, Ted Lasso is winning Outstanding Comedy Series. This award should go to Bill Hader, and if he wins, it will be three for three in Lead Actor as Barry Berkman.
Who Should Win: Bill Hader – Barry
Who Will Win: Bill Hader – Barry
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Rachel Brosnahan – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Kaley Cuoco – The Flight Attendant
Elle Fanning – The Great
Issa Rae – Insecure
Jean Smart – Hacks
Quinta Brunson has a lot of support for her excellent work in Abbot Elementary, but the Emmys love Jean Smart even more. (Rightfully so. Jean Smart is awesome.)
Who Should Win: Quinta Brunson – Abbott Elementary
Who Will Win: Jean Smart – Hacks
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan – Barry
Brett Goldstein – Ted Lasso
Toheeb Jimoh – Ted Lasso
Nick Mohammed – Ted Lasso
Tony Shalhoub – The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
Tyler James Williams – Abbott Elementary
Henry Winkler – Barry
Bowen Yang – Saturday Night Live
NoHo Hank continues to move up my list of the greatest supporting characters in television history. He’s so damn good. #barrypic.twitter.com/8I29YGSlDq
I’m not even changing the picture from last year’s predictions. It’s Hannah Waddingham for the win. However, watch out for Kate McKinnon getting the award as the “cherry on top” of her SNL career.
Ted Lasso / Apple TV+
Who Should Win: Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso
Who Will Win: Hannah Waddingham – Ted Lasso
Outstanding Limited Series
Dopesick (Hulu)
The Dropout (Hulu)
Inventing Anna (Netflix)
Pam & Tommy (Hulu)
The White Lotus (HBO/HBO Max)
The toughest category of the night. While preparing for this article, Dopesick was my original selection. After much thought, I’m going with The White Lotus since it will win in a few acting categories.
Who Should Win: Dopesick (Hulu)
Who Will Win:The White Lotus (HBO/HBO Max)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Colin Firth – The Staircase
Andrew Garfield – Under the Banner of Heaven
Oscar Isaac – Scenes from a Marriage
Michael Keaton – Dopesick
Himesh Patel – Station Eleven
Sebastian Stan – Pam & Tommy
Just give me all of the Andrew Garfield content. All of it. #oscars
Not many people watched Under the Banner of Heaven, but I really dug Andrew Garfield’s performance. It was weird, raw, and emotional. He might be the best working actor in Hollywood. However, I have no problem with Michael Keaton winning the Emmy.
Who Should Win: Andrew Garfield – Under the Banner of Heaven
Who Will Win: Michael Keaton – Dopesick
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Toni Collette – The Staircase
Julia Garner – Inventing Anna
Lily James – Pam & Tommy
Sarah Paulson – Impeachment: American Crime Story
Margaret Qualley – Maid
Amanda Seyfried – The Dropout
Out of all the acting nominees, Margaret Qualley in Maid gave one of my five favorite performances. What hurts Qualley’s chances is Maid came out nearly one year ago. Amanda Seyfriend’s Elizabeth Holmes was better than Elizabeth Holmes herself.
Who Should Win: Margaret Qualley – Maid
Who Will Win: Amanda Seyfried – The Dropout
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie
Murray Bartlett – The White Lotus
Jake Lacy – The White Lotus
Will Poulter – Dopesick
Seth Rogen – Pam & Tommy
Peter Sarsgaard – Dopesick
Michael Stuhlbarg – Dopesick
Steve Zahn – The White Lotus
Who Should Win: Murray Bartlett – The White Lotus
Who Will Win: Murray Bartlett – The White Lotus
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie
Connie Britton – The White Lotus
Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus
Alexandra Daddario – The White Lotus
Kaitlyn Dever – Dopesick
Natasha Rothwell – The White Lotus
Sydney Sweeney – The White Lotus
Mare Winningham – Dopesick
The White Lotus dominance continues.
Who Should Win: Kaitlyn Dever – Dopesick
Who Will Win: Jennifer Coolidge – The White Lotus
What are your predictions for the Emmys? Leave your thoughts in the comments below or tweet us, @unafraidshow.
Introducing Making an Athlete- a new YouTube Series from George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden at UnafraidShow.com, where we talk to parents, coaches, trainers, and athletes themselves about everything that goes into making an athlete. Here, you’ll find stories of overcoming adversities, roadmaps for success, and lessons from failures on the path toward raising up young athletes.
On the first episode, George Wrighster talks about growing up wanting to play QB, but not having the opportunity that is now afforded to his sons. We get into how race and privilege play a role in the potential for success in a modern athlete, and what his ultimate hopes are as he helps his kids on their athletic journey.
Have a take you’d like us to address?Email us at immad@unafraidshow.com and we’ll read your take on a future Mailbag or Wrighster or Wrong podcast.
If you’re reading this, then it’s too late. There’s no turning back now. The biggest movie of the year is Spider-Man: No Way Home, and I’m ready to talk about it. Spoilers are on the way. You have been warned.
Seriously, turn around if you haven’t seen the film yet.
I’m running out of videos so this is your final warning.
Spider-Man: No Way Home Thoughts And Reactions
– Wow.
– Where do I even begin? Let’s start with the most obvious talking point. We got the meme.
I felt like the new spider man scene with all three spider man in and they was just talk about uncle Ben and Gwen and auntie may was so powerful because we all have lost someone really special in are live bought some emotional from me and mental health #NoWayHomepic.twitter.com/A0wqZayB7i
I knew this moment was coming and it still surprised me. When Ned opened a portal and Spider-Man ran closer to it, you knew it was Andrew Garfield or Tobey Maguire. Once Garfield removed his mask, my theater exploded like it was a buzzer-beater in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. People were screaming with joy, jumping out of their seats with huge smiles on their faces. As Ned tried to open the second portal, the same murmur began as the entire theater waited for Tobey Maguire to enter. Tobey enters the screen, and the theater once again broke the sound barrier. These reactions are exactly why Sony and Marvel choose not to reveal these former heroes in the trailer.
– One of the first swerves of the film occurred when Doctor Strange agreed to cast the spell for Peter, which would make the entire world forget about his identity. However, Strange decided to stop the spell when Peter asked for multiple exceptions as to who would remember him.
Here’s my issue. Doctor Strange is supposed to be one of the smartest and most powerful sorcerers in the world. This is the same guy who went forward in time to view alternate futures to see all the possible outcomes of the battle with Thanos. I’m supposed to believe that Peter’s requests would distract Doctor Strange from completing the spell? Peter asked for MJ, Ned, Aunt May, and Happy to remember his identity as well as anyone else who previously knew his identity. It’s not like he named his entire high school by name. There’s no way Doctor Strange messes this spell up. I refuse to believe it.
– The best part of this trilogy is the relationship between Peter, MJ, and Ned. No Way Home went out of their way to emphasize this three-way friendship. From the college decisions to their final goodbye, you could argue that Ned is just as important to Peter as MJ. These three young stars have such good chemistry that I would love to explore these characters in another film. Perhaps they go to MIT and Peter tries to be Spider-Man in Boston.
– The villains. For me, superhero films are only as strong as their villains. The Dark Knight went from great to iconic because of Heath Ledger’s performance as the Joker. In No Way Home. The film had five supervillains from previous iterations of Spider-Man including Electro, Lizard, and Sandman. But, the two that deserve the most praise are Willem Dafoe’s Green Goblin and Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus. In my opinion, these two performances are on the Mount Rushmore of Supervillains in the 21st century. When highly-trained actors like Dafoe and Molina get to play in the comic book sandbox, great things will happen.
Dafoe’s over-the-top and downright evil performance as Green Goblin is so effective that it works as the main antagonist of the film. Another swerve I enjoyed involved Molina’s Doctor Octopus. The trailer sets up Doc Ock as a true villain, but once Peter cures the harness, he becomes an ally of the Spider-Men. (Can we call them the “Spider-Men?”)
– Everything about the Spider-Men team-up worked. The inside jokes, the speeches about grief, the interactions during the fight, etc. It was all executed to perfection. Jokes about Tobey’s back and Peter 1’s inclusion in the Avengers were crowdpleasers. I couldn’t stop smiling when the three Peters’ were onscreen.
– Garfield’s dive to save MJ as a callback to when Gwen died absolutely wrecked me.
– Speaking of Garfield, he probably channels the essence of Peter Parker the best out of the three actors. Peter is supposed to be this witty and charming persona and Garfield’s the best when it comes to these characteristics. Tobey had the tough job of going first while Holland played teenage Parker admirably, but Garfield is the best actor to play the role. He stole the show out of the three Spideys. I just wish he had better superhero movies to showcase his talents. As it turns out, he may get the chance!
– Tom Holland is a really good Spider-Man. I’m excited to see where he goes from here since he’s now an A-list actor.
– I liked the ending of this film. I’m a fan of conclusions, and this felt like the ending of a successful trilogy. However, it does leave the door open to see how Peter has moved on in a world post-spell. Did he make new friendships? Did he make new enemies? Can he win back MJ and Ned? I’d be interested in a fourth film.
Overall, No Way Home lived up to the hype. It’s a theater experience that I will never forget.
1. SPIDER-MAN 2 2. SPIDER-MAN 1 3. SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME 4. SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING 5. SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME 6. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 7. SPIDER-MAN 3 8. THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN 2
On this episode of Wrighster or Wrong, George Wrighster interviews former president of HBO Sports, Ross Greenburg.
Next, George and Ralph Amsden discuss some of the more outlandish outfits that were worn to the Met Gala. In Cancel or Consequence, was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wrighster or Wrong for wearing a “tax the rich” dress to the expensive event, and how mad should people be at Nikki Minaj for telling her 22 million followers that the Covid Vaccine made her cousin’s friend impotent? Also, George and Ralph go through the legitimacy of some of the names that have been floated for the open USC football job.
Click any of the following links to listen to Wrighster or Wrong on your preferred Podcast platform
Welcome to the UnafraidShow.com NCAA Football Top 25, from George Wrighster. Each week, Wrighster will update his Top 25 according to the results and his opinion, and I’ll provide analysis of where I think he went right and wrong.
Since this is the preseason top 25, I’ll wait until the results start to come in before criticizing the boss man (Although he does have Arizona State criminally low, and Iowa State over Notre Dame is certainly eyebrow raising).
On this week’s episode of the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast, George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden start out by derailing the entire show to have a 30-minute argument over whether or not Nirvana was a band on the level of Bon Jovi or Red Hot Chili Peppers. After that, they discuss the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12 Alliance, and the Pac-12’s decision to not add any other teams at this time. George Wrighster interviews Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal, and the guys analyze the interview. George and Ralph go thorough the Las Vegas Pac-12 win totals for every team, and give their predictions, and then preview this weekend’s Pac-12 opener of UCLA hosting Hawaii. Finally, they give their thoughts on some of the Pac-12’s settled and unsettled QB battles.
Make sure you like and subscribe to the Pac-12 Apostles Podcast with George Wrighster and Ralph Amsden on any podcasting app.
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 Wyoming-born sportswriter and podcaster who spends his days tweeting through the misadventures that come with shuttling four kids around the Arizona desert. Ralph is the publisher of Rivals’ ArizonaVarsity.com, the founder of ArizonaSportsCast.com, and was previously the managing editor of the Arizona State Rivals affiliate, DevilsDigest.com. He is also a professional hater of all things pineapple. Whether you’re talking food, movies, music, parenting, politics, sports, television, religion, or zoological factoids, Ralph has questions for you. He might be sub-.500 in spousal disputes and schoolyard fights, but he’s always UNAFRAID to square up.
Hope Solo is no stranger to controversy, and neither is Megan Rapinoe. Both women have made it a point to use their platform to further the causes they care most about, and while it’s Megan Rapinoe’s social stances (or lack of stance, but we’ll get to that in a moment), the thing that seems to keep Hope Solo in the news is her choice of phrase.
This time, in the midst of attempting to make a nuanced point about the division that surrounds the activism of the US Women’s National Team, she used one of the biggest buzz words anyone can use- bully. And she used it in reference to her old friend and teammate…
“I’ve seen Megan Rapinoe almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her particular way. But it’s our right as Americans to do it whatever way we’re comfortable with and I think that’s really hard being on the main stage right now with so many political issues for athletes. There’s a lot of pressure and ultimately at the end of the day our number one focus should and has always been to win first.”
Hope Solo was in the middle of a reasonable thought about the way the country as a whole reacts to athletes protesting during the national anthem, saying “Right now what I’ve seen is there’s been so much debate about the kneeling, about the not kneeling. I know most people stand against discrimination, and I live in the south, I live in a very conservative area here in North Carolina in the south. Obviously I have friends on both sides of the aisle, but I think the kneeling thing can be very divisive.”
She’s not wrong. Kneeling during the anthem is factually, objectively, palpably divisive… and that’s sort of the point of it. But, as legions of people have pointed out on social media, Hope Solo wasn’t exactly around for the kneeling. She’d been suspended from competition for six months just days before Megan Rapinoe first publicly protested.
Her suspension came after calling the Swedish National Team “cowardly” for their style of play, and for raising the ire of the entire city of Rio for saying she was “begrudgingly” traveling to the Olympic games amidst Zika virus concerns. On both occasions, she was left to clarify seemingly reasonable intent due to less than stellar word choice. So here we are, yet again. Not only is bully a word that is sure to get everyone riled up, the timeline of the accusation is undoubtedly going to lead to a need for further explanation.
UnafraidShow.com founder George Wrighster gets into all that and more here:
Have a take you’d like us to read and address in a future article or on a future show? Email us at immad@unafraidshow.com and we’ll address your take.
