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Sherman forgets his role

Timothy Rapp reporting on Richard Sherman:

After Sherman said he would have accepted criticism from offensive players if a defensive call cost the Seahawks a game—much like Russell Wilson‘s interception to end Super Bowl XLIX against the New England Patriots, which Sherman referenced—Moore, a radio host for 710 ESPN Seattle and a columnist at SeattlePI.com, asked Sherman if he had thought he had a better handle on play-calling than Bevell.

“No, I just had a prior experience, so we talked about it,” Sherman responded. “But let me guess, you have a better play call. Let me guess, you have better experience.”

“No, I don’t have a better play call,” Moore replied.

“Then you should probably stop,” Sherman added.

But Sherman wasn’t done. As he walked away from the podium, he confronted Moore.

“You don’t want to go there,” Sherman said. “You do not. I’ll ruin your career.”

“You’ll ruin my career?” Moore asked. “How are you going to do that?”

“I’ll make sure you don’t get your media pass anymore,” Sherman countered.

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The Pack is Back! Beat Seattle 38-10

Looks like The Green Bay Packers avoided the Grim Reaper and have put the NFC on notice.

Pete Carroll, as reported by the Green Bay Press Gazette said:

“This is such a rare occurrence for our team, we’ve been playing for a lot of years and have not seen a game like this. We don’t remember those days. We’ve had a remarkable run. The thing just snowballed on us; it just turned out to be a terrible night.”

This puts Green Bay where everyone thought they would be.  A top tier team with a chance to win it all.  This shows their recovery wasn’t because they played the Eagles and the Texans.  It is because their receivers are playing better and their defense is healthier.  They no longer let opposing quarterbacks throw touchdown passes on them at will.  They have the Bears next weekend, then finish with the Vikings and the Lions.  The Lions at 8-4 play the Cowboys, Giants, before finishing the season against Green Bay.  The Lions have a tough schedule leaving many to think the Packers can get in by winning out.

This is sports and anything can happen, but in my opinion, the Packers are going to the Super Bowl.  The best way to prevent this is: collusion.

Both the Cowboys and Giants play the Lions in the next two weeks.  If either team beats the Lions, and the Packers take care of business beating the Bears and the Vikings, the winner of the Lions/Packers game would win the division and are in the playoffs.  After treating Seattle yesterday, like a Fast and Furious movie treats cars, not one team wants to see them.  The best way to keep the Packers out would be for the Giants and the Cowboys to tank against the Lions.  That would seemingly ensure the Packers were out.   They would avoid the hottest teams in the league and everyone would sleep better keeping them out.  They still might be able to get a wildcard, but this is the NFC’s best shot.  All of the teams would prefer the road to the Super Bowl not include the Green Bay Packers.

Aaron Rodgers playing this well against the Seattle defense?  I’d rather play against Dak Prescot, Matt Ryan, Matthew Stafford, Eli Manning, or anyone else not named Brady.

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Lambeau, The Valley of the Shadow of Death

Packers Fans I want you to win tomorrow and think you will, but…

Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are up against the Grim Reaper this Sunday.  If the Packers win, they have a great shot at making the playoffs. They need the Lions to lose two games, including the head to head matchup in week 17.  The Packers have won their last two games which is encouraging, but hardly tells us anything, because of who they played.

The Packers beat the Texans and the Eagles.  Osweiler may be the worst QB in the league.  He is the new Matt Flynn, but instead of the coaching staff realizing he can’t play before the season, they have started him all season long.  Osweiler beat the Patriots last year with a good performance including another game or two.  So the Texans decide to give Osweiler a massive contract, and in return the Texans now have the worst yds/attempt of anyone in the league as well as 30th in Net Passing yards/Game.

The Packers also beat the Eagles who are 2-7 in their last nine games.  Pro Football focus ranks Philadelphia’s receivers as #29th in the league.  Which, explains why the Packers were able to win that game handily.  The Packers secondary looked abysmal against teams with good receivers.  The prior 4 weeks they had given up at least 31 points and lost 4 straight.

The Packers’ defense was too hurt to compete, but are getting healthier by the week.  This week will be the test whether or not the “Pack are back”.  If they are back I agree that no one will want to face them.  We know Aaron Rodgers is incredible and when the Packers are playing well together they can beat anyone on any given Sunday.  But…if that defense is still giving up 31 points to teams Death will visit them Sunday.

Red in the Shawshank Redemption tells us, “Hope is a dangerous thing, hope can drive a man insane”.  Since week 6 when the Packers were chewed up by the Cowboys they have been on life support holding onto hope.

Mythology also tells us that the Grim Reaper visits to sever all ties between the soul and the body.   The Seahawks come to town this weekend to sever any hope that the Packers had of making the playoffs.  I feel each football season has a soul and The Grim Reaper is taking the 2016’s Packers’ soul and delivering it to Hades.

It is not unheard of though, for people to avoid the Grim Reaper.  We know Bill & Ted did it in their excellent adventure, but hope seems dim.  The Lions are winning more than expected and with a Packers loss tomorrow their death is imminent.  My advice to Packer fans, is to let 2016 go with a loss on Sunday, but don’t let it destroy your enjoyment of the NFL season.  It’s ok to enjoy watching another team after your team’s soul is gone, football is too short to only enjoy 13 weeks of it.  Find some other players you like and cheer for them.  You aren’t cheating on your team, but rooting for players.  The distinction is important.  There is no one more fun to cheer for and root for than Derek Carr, Amari Cooper, and Khalil Mack.  Aside from this Thursday (everyone knows Thursday night games suck) they are the best watch in the NFL.

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The Class and the Classless

The Class and ClasslessGeneral Manager from the Oklahoma City Thunder gave his opinion on how Thunder Fans should feel about Kevin Durant leaving to the Golden State Warriors from Scott Davis at Business Insider:

How should they feel about him? You know, listen, I’m not going to tell people how to feel or not to judge or what have you. I just think that what he represented for the city was something larger than basketball. I think that he arrived at a time where the city was also on an upward trajectory, a 20-year-old young man in an aspirational city. People kind of snicker and kind of sneer when we talk about that kind of stuff, but my guess is you’re probably not doing that right now. “You know, we talk and you guys would hear me say, this connection to this community, and the typing would stop and the eyes would roll. But I was saying that truthfully and authentically because I know how this business works, and I know that these days are possible. And we need to recognize what exactly took place here over the last eight years and recognize it and celebrate it. “They should feel thankful, grateful. They should not – I can’t tell them not to be disappointed, but the one thing I would also say is the city should be incredibly proud of what they’ve helped create for the Thunder. It’s not possible without that. They need to carry that on. They need to carry on the spirit and the fight and the grit, because that was here before the Thunder. That was here before the Thunder, that spirit, that ability to continue to press forward. That’s in the water here. “I think all of us, Kevin included, was a beneficiary of that approach and what’s in Oklahoma. So my message would be, carry on. Carry on and continue to be proud of what it is that you represent. It’s much bigger than the Thunder.”

Contrast that response to how owner, Dan Gilbert, responded when LeBron James left Cleveland in 2010.

James J. Parziale for the NY Daily News:

Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert isn’t feeling bittersweet about LeBron James’ decision to join the Miami Heat.

He’s just bitter.

James’ migration from his hometown Cavs to South Beach to join Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Pat Riley and Miami Heat inspired scathing words from the man who used to sign his pay checks.

In a statement released on the Cavaliers website, Gilbert ripped James in an open letter addressed to the team’s fans.

“I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE,” Gilbert wrote.

He went on to say James’ actions were a “cowardly betrayal” and that the Cavaliers would work harder than ever for the fans of Cleveland. But LeBron remained the focus of Gilbert’s ire.

“Some people think they should go to heaven but NOT have to die to get there. Sorry, but that’s simply not how it works,” Gilbert wrote. “This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown ‘chosen one’ sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn. And ‘who’ we would want them to grow-up to become.”

Stark contrast between class and classless. The Thunder will be much better off without Durant, than the Cavaliers were without LeBron.

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Durant’s Departure

Royce Young writing for ESPN.com:

He was going to stay. He was going to plant his flag. He was going to finish what
he started. Anyone who was around the team saw Donovan’s hiring as the start
of a new era, a fresh start and the first step in retaining their franchise player.
Durant felt it, too.

What changed?

…But there was always concern that Durant would be persuaded — that outside forces would sway him. Those close to him talk about how he’s impressionable and impulsive, and the moment Durant agreed to meetings in the Hamptons, his future hung in the balance. In reality, he had one foot out the door.

…He said his decision would come down to “who I’m going to be playing with and the people I’m going to be around every single day.” Most assumed that meant he’d choose the people he’d known the past nine years. Westbrook. Collison.  Presti. Weaver.

Instead it was Curry, Thompson and Green.

Durant didn’t want to be the leader anymore. The Warriors’ “Strength In Numbers” mantra wasn’t just a catchphrase. It was what he wanted.

This piece gives great insight on what went into Kevin Durant’s decision. It reads that Kevin Durant’s inner circle wanted him to go.

Also, Durant wasn’t enjoying the Thunder’s culture.  Colin Cowherd on his podcast on Tuesday explained that Steph Curry texted Kevin Durant and told him that he didn’t care about who was the alpha, but that he just wanted to win. It seemed to matter to Westbrook. He preferred the culture of the Warriors. In Oklahoma City it was a grind, where people people insisted on assigning credit. In Golden State it appeared to be a party, where the host was irrelevant, he wanted in on the party.