Ten Things I Think

1. I think being a switch-hitter at the Major-League level is one of the more remarkable achievements in all of sports. Think about it, in order to hit from both the left and right sides, you need to be of professional caliber from both, or else one simply would elect to hit from just one side. I was recently listening to a podcast where Mark Teixeira was the guest and he was speaking of his career as a switch-hitter. Teixeira, when asked how much of the work he did on his right-handed swing was transferable to his left-handed swing replied, “Zero.” Essentially, as a switch-hitter, you are among the best in the world hitting from both sides, while the majority of hitters struggle from just one.

2. I think the NFC South will be, by far, the NFL’s best and most competitive division this season. For a long while this crown had been held by the NFC East, but I think this year the torch will be passed. One could make the argument for any team winning the NFC South and I wouldn’t call them crazy. The Panthers were just in the Super Bowl two seasons ago and added Christian McCaffrey to bolster an already lethal offense. The Falcons were just in the Super Bowl last season and have arguably the best receiver in the game. The Buccaneers, who have been great on Hard Knock by the way, added Desean Jackson to go alongside Mike Evans for Jameis Winston and company. And then there’s the Saints, who are always a threat when Drew Brees is under center. Buckle up, this division is going to be an all-out war.

3. I think Carson Wentz will end up being the best of the young quarterbacks. Right now, the NFL is saturated with promising up-and coming signal-callers: Dak Prescott, Marcus Mariota, Jameis Winston, Derek Carr, and Jared Goff, to name a few. This is not to throw shade at any of them, but I just feel that Wentz has the ability to really separate himself from his peers. I liken him to a young Ben Roethlisberger. The Eagles quarterback, while he is not as hefty as Big Ben, is similar in stature and, like Roethlisberger, is a nuisance to take down. Wentz’s arm strength is superb and his leadership capabilities were evident even as a rookie. I really like Marcus Mariota because of his accuracy and mobility, but I think Carson Wentz will rise above and prove to be one of the league’s greats.

4. I think Major League Baseball’s addition of the second wild card in both leagues, implemented in 2012, has had very positive ripple effects across the sport. Why? Because right now, at the end of August, there are eight teams in contention for the two Wild Card positions in the American League. Yes, a one-game playoff is a total crapshoot, but aren’t baseball’s playoffs a crapshoot anyways? The more teams in contention later in the season, the better, and baseball realized that.

5. I think that if Tom Brady got injured the Patriots would still be favored to win the Super Bowl. It’s not that crazy if you really think about. Bill Belichick is – there really is no longer a debate - the greatest coach in the history of professional football. The Patriots defense is stout and that wouldn’t change without Brady. And Jimmy Garoppolo, as much as people question his value, is a solid NFL quarterback who is just looking for an opportunity to see the field. I really don’t think that this is that outlandish of a thought. Consider this, Garoppolo, let’s just say conservatively, is 70% of what Brady is, I still think the Patriots are better than the Steelers, Raiders, Chiefs and any other potential contender in the AFC. New England has been the NFL’s darling since the turn of the century and they would still have a stranglehold on the NFL whether Brady is under center or not.

6. I think Rafael Devers will be a Hall-of-Famer. I really don’t like making such proclamations, particularly about a rookie, but I feel extremely confident that this will play out. Devers, a third baseman for the Red Sox, has really impressed in 29 games since being called up from Triple-A. The 20-year old really turned heads two weeks back when he went yard off of Aroldis Chapman to spark Boston’s comeback against the Yankees. The Red Sox are loaded with talent, and having Devers in the fold for the next decade, or two, could spell trouble for teams across the league.

7. I think Bill O’Brien is a fool for naming Tom Savage as Houston’s starting quarterback over Deshaun Watson. We have all seen this story before: a Texan team who has all of the promise in the world, fall short of where their talent should take them due to ineptitude from the quarterback position. It just happened last season for goodness’ sakes and who was the quarterback then? It was Tom Savage. That is why this decision is asinine. Everyone already knows what Savage’s ceiling is, and that includes his teammates. Had O’Brien elected to go with Watson, the rookie play-caller would have progressed over the course of the season to the point where he would be head-and-shoulders above Savage. But now siding with Savage and likely having to make the transition to Watson midseason not only throws the team into flux, but also wastes valuable game experience –particularly early in the season where mistakes are not as catastrophic- in which Watson could better establish chemistry within the offense. This will decision will prove to be a colossal mistake for a Texan team that should have it sights set on the Patriots and the top dogs in the AFC.

8. I think it is time to judge Andrew Luck as an NFL quarterback and not an up-and-coming prospect. When Luck came out of Stanford, he was lauded as the best quarterback prospect since John Elway, and perhaps rightfully so. He had everything you could ask for in a young quarterback prospect. Now, entering his sixth season with the Colts, Luck is no longer a prospect. He is turning 28 in two weeks and should be in the midst of chasing Super Bowls. Instead, he is coming off of consecutive 8-8 seasons in which, by almost all measures, he drastically underperformed. The frequent sentiment surrounding Luck and the Colts is that he has not been surrounded by enough talent, but a franchise-caliber quarterback is supposed to elevate the team over such limitations. Instead of continually making excuses for Luck it is time to judge him based on his accomplishments in the NFL. For a quarterback with the hype that he came into the league with and ability that he possesses, I don’t think it is unfair to say thus far in his career, Andrew Luck has been a bit of a disappointment.

9. I think for certain players, particularly in the NBA where max-contracts are so explicitly laid out, there is no need to have an agent. This idea came to me after seeing Andrew Wiggins fire his agent right after he was offered a 5 year/$148 million extension from the Timberwolves. Why do players such as Wiggins, who will clearly be on the receiving end of a max contract, have an agent in the first place? There is no need. In a league where mediocre players like Otto Porter Jr. get the max, the premier players are essentially handing over somewhere between four and seven percent of their earnings when they really don’t have to. The CBA is very clear on the terms and conditions of max contracts, so having an agent when you know a max contract is in your future, as was the case with Andrew Wiggins, makes very little sense from a financial perspective.

10. I think Martavis Bryant will explode this year. The Steelers third option, after Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown, was suspended all of last season for a failed drug test. Assuming that Bryant stays on the straight and narrow, which I suspect considering if he doesn’t he could find himself out of the league entirely, I see him being a go-to option for Ben Roethlisberger. Just spit-balling here, but I don’t think 80 catches for 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns is out of the realm of possibilities for Bryant this season. If the wide-out can hit those numbers, the Steelers will be a dangerous team come January.