Ten Things I Think
1. I think Blake Bortles time may be up in Jacksonville. To say Bortles has struggled over the course of his first three seasons would be a colossal understatement. Don’t let his stats deceive you. Bortles has only accumulated decent statistics because the Jaguars frequently find themselves down three touchdowns – thanks in large part to their quarterback- and are forced to throw on every down. Bortles has shown very little improvement thus far in the preseason, and with a new regime in Jacksonville, led by Tom Coughlin, I would not be surprised if the quarterback finds himself on the sideline, with a clipboard in hand, by mid-season. Not ideal for the former first-rounder.
2. I think the Dodgers will finish with the best record in the history of baseball. At the moment, they have 85 wins with 42 games to play. The record is held by the 2001 Mariners who won 116 games. In order to break Seattle’s mark Cody Bellinger and company would need to finish the remaining 42 games of the season with a record of 31-11. While that may be characterized as extremely hot for most teams, the Dodgers just went on a tear in which they rolled off 43 wins in 50 ballgames. Winning 31 out of 42? That’s doable, in fact with this all-time great team it’s probably likely.
3. I think any discussion to alter the bases after Bryce Harper’s injury is a massive overreaction. We all saw Bryce Harper slide on top of a wet base and have his knee hyperextend, resulting in a significant bone-bruise. It was a freak accident. Such accidents are just a part of professional sports. Arguing that bases should be electronic or that first base should be set up like it is in softball where there are two bags, one for the runner and one for the fielder, is blasphemy. Keep it the way it is and we MIGHT see one more such injury in the next decade of the sport.
4. I think Jameis Winston, when it’s all said and done, will be a Hall-of-Famer. Bold? Yes. Crazy? No. Winston’s talent is undeniable. He can make all of the throws. What has been questioned though is his maturity and leadership. After watching the first two episodes of Hard Knocks, I really think Jameis has that “it” factor. His teammates absolutely love him and are willing to go to war for him. As a quarterback in the NFL, that is just as important as having all of the tools. Jameis Winston is going to be a special player in the NFL, so special that he will eventually be enshrined in Canton.
5. I think if anyone can supplant Barry Bonds as the all-time home run king, it’s Giancarlo Stanton. The Marlins slugger is just 27 years of age and has already clobbered 251 home runs, meaning he trails Bonds by 511 home runs. That is a ton of dingers, but time is on Stanton’s side. If he can manage to annually smack 40 home runs per season (which is totally achievable) he would surpass Bonds in his age 39 season. I am not certain that Stanton will, but he certainly has a shot.
6. I think the Astros need Justin Verlander. Despite having the best record in the American League, I just don’t feel as though Houston is well equipped for the postseason and I feel that is because they lack the horses in their starting rotation to stifle an opposing lineup. By adding Verlander, the ‘Stros would be adding a power-pitcher with a proven postseason track-record. After doing very little at the trade deadline, it would behoove the Astros to deal for an ace, and yes, Verlander is still an ace.
7. I think what Terry Collins did the other night was brilliant and might transform the game of baseball. If you didn’t see what the Mets manager did the other night give me a moment to layout the situation. Two Met infielders – Jose Reyes and Wilmer Floes – got injured prior to their game against the Yankees. Because they didn’t have enough time to fly in a couple of infielders from their minor-league affiliate, Travis d’Arnaud, who typically catches, was forced to fill-in on the infield. The way that Collins utilized him was revolutionary. If a left-handed hitter was up, d’Arnaud played third base and if a right-handed hitter was up he moved over to second base. Asdrubal Cabrera, who is a wizard with his glove, played wherever d’Arnaud was not. Over the course of nine innings, they swapped positions 22 times. d’Arnaud had only one ball hit to him all game and it was a pop-up. I believe this will be a turning point. Managers, similarly to how they adopted the shift, will adopt this practice of placing their best fielders in certain positions depending upon who is up to bat. It will make baseball all the more interesting, and I am all for that.
8. I think both Russell Westbrook and Paul George will re-sign with the Thunder. I might be the only person who believes this. George has long been rumored to be a future Laker, while Westbrook, well he’s Russell Westbrook; nobody really knows with him. I just feel that Russ and PG are going to be a fabulous fit alongside one another. I could see the Thunder finishing as high as the two-seed in the West. Tasting success like that, in such a fan-frenzied market like Oklahoma City will be too much to pass up on, especially considering the struggles that I anticipate the Lakers enduring this season.
9. I think an NFL lockout is looming. The current CBA, that was signed in 2011, is set to expire in 2021. There are several topics that the NFLPA will be looking to change and I do not see the NFL acquiescing to the PA’s demands. Two of the hot button issues will be guaranteed contracts and the power and authority of Roger Goodell. On the contract front, the NFL players see the amount of money that their peers in the MLB and NBA are making, which are fully guaranteed by the way, and are left wondering why their sport, that is by far the most profitable, not only pays substantially less, but is far more dangerous and the contracts are not even fully guaranteed. This will be a focal point of the negotiation, I am sure, and I do not see either side budging. The owners will argue that the players are more susceptible to injury and the fact that there are 53 players on an NFL roster restricts them from being paid at the rate that athletes from other sports are. Meanwhile, the players will contend that without them there is no revenue that the league can generate. This paired with the players dismay with Goodell serving as judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to discipline are two items that I think we be the root cause behind a lockout in 2021. Regarding a lockout, always remember: the owners always win. They’re billionaires who can survive a year, if need be, without an income stream. Players, on the other hand, are on average in their mid-20’s and many are reliant on each and every paycheck. The bottom-line is this: Savor football, a lockout is still a few years away, but we will be without football in 2021. I guarantee it.
10. I think that all rookie quarterbacks who were selected to be “the guy” should start from the jump. This year those quarterbacks are Mitch Trubisky of the Bears, Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, Deshaun Watson of the Texans, and DeShone Kizer of the Browns. Why should they be under center from the get-go? Because they were drafted by their respective teams with the intention of being the franchise quarterback and the best way for them to learn is by playing. These teams obviously thought the quarterback that they drafted was talented enough to succeed in the NFL or else they wouldn’t have drafted him. I am sick and tired of teams drafting quarterbacks only to have them sit and watch because they don’t want to throw them into the fire right away. Well guess what, if the quarterback doesn’t have the resiliency or perseverance to perform after making a mistake – which are bound to happen – then the team shouldn’t have drafted them anyways. The ceiling with Mitch Trubisky is higher than it is with Mike Glennon. Same in Kansas City with Patrick Mahomes over Alex Smith, and in Houston with Deshaun Watson over Tom Savage, and in Cleveland with DeShone Kizer over whoever the Browns have. Start the rookie. You drafted him to be your franchise quarterback. You’ve got to let him learn.
