NFL 2015 Bring it On

The air is getting a little cooler. The fan bases are all excited. Tailgaters are getting all of their materials together. It must be football season. After last year's exciting finish, one would venture to think, what could the NFL do for an encore.  Let's see there are rules changes. Such as the one forcing the extra point to be kicked from the 15 yd line. How about the NFL showing diversity and inclusion by hiring the first female ref in NFL history. Will Seattle make it to a 3rd straight Super Bowl? Oh and there's some story about a quarterback who allegedly doctored footballs to give him a competitive advantage. The point is, there are a multitude of reasons to to watch this season.

        That being said here are my thoughts on the 2015 NFL season.  

AFC East 

1) New England  - Don't they always win, besides you know who's  back

2) Buffalo - Tyrod will surprise some people  

3) Miami - You play in Miami, that's enough 

4) NY Jets- Geno Smith was scheduled to start at QB, enough said.

AFC North 

1) Baltimore - Suggs, is a scary individual, no really he is.  Flacco and Smith lead a solid offense that should have beat the Patriots in the playoffs.

2)Pittsburgh - Hide your dogs, hide your wife. OK thats old stuff, the Steelers are not your father's Steelers. Big Ben to Brown is probably the best duo in the league along with Leveon Bell on the ground  makes this offense formidable, but the defense is only a shell of its former self which will hurt

3)Cincinnati - Dalton is too limited to get this team into serious contention but everywhere else they are solid 

4)Cleveland - When will Kyrie be ready?  LeBron needs all the help he can get.

AFC South 

1)Indianapolis- Luck with more tools to work with and a weak division, equals division championship 

2)Houston  - Defense could be off the charts good, led by the incomparable JJ Watt and the potential of Jadeveon Clowney. But they have no proven quarterback.

3) Tennessee - Mariota, get your running shoes ready

4) Jacksonville- When are they moving to LA?

AFC West

1)Denver- Peyton's last stand

2)Kansas City - Complete team with an underwhelming QB, Maclin should be the 1st WR to score in nearly 2 seasons 

3)San Diego - Beautiful area, awesome weather, but kind of pricey, 

4)Oakland - Mack is a player. Derek Carr has potential but team is a few years away 

NFC East

1)Dallas - Jerry is going for it. The signing of Hardy hurt me being a Panthers fan

2)Eagles - Chip Kelly is either a genius or a plum fool. He keeps Riley Cooper but let's proven commodities like DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, and Jeremy Maclin leave

3)NY Giants - O'Dell Beckham Jr is a highlight waiting to happen. Will Eli find his magic again? 

4) Washington - RG III and Jay Gruden haven't song the Toy Story theme song "You got a friend in me" together. Just a guess.

NFC North 

1)Green Bay- With Rodgers everything's possible 

2) Minnesota - Teddy with Peterson on the ground, and Wallace as a deep threat could be lethal 

3)Chicago -If John Fox can save Cutler from himself,  the Bears could suprise 

4)Detroit - The loss of Suh and Fairley was big literally and figuratively 

NFC South

1) Carolina - The eventual Superbowl champs, ok maybe not. Best defense in the division led by Uncle Luke. Cam gets criticized a lot but the overall offensive personnel is pretty weak.

2)Atlanta - Can put up points,  defense should be improved still limited though 

3) New Orleans - Losing Jimmy Graham will hurt, Brees has lost a step

4) Tampa - Famous Jameis can't save this trainwreck 

NFC West 

1)Seattle- Only thing that can break them is the love of $$

2)St Louis - Foles should stabilize what's been a tenuous QB situation and their defense will raise havoc

3) Arizona- The loss of  defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will hurt and the team won't get off to as good of a start as the 2014 season

4)San Francisco - Let's see they replaced their head coach with a position coach, along with significant retirements, and team dismissals, otherwise they're ok

AFC Playoffs : Baltimore,  Kansas City ,  New England,  Indy, Denver,  Houston 

NFC Playoffs: Carolina,  Dallas, Green Bay, Seattle, Minnesota,  St Louis 

In Superbowl 50 

I have Green Bay beating Indianapolis 

Lone Warrior

      First of all I would like to say the GS Warriors don't have to apologize to anyone about winning this NBA Finals. There will be no asterisk attached to their season accomplishments. Along the way they played several teams who haven't had their full complement of players ( ex. Jrue Holiday, Patrick Beverly, Kyrie Irving)  at all times during these playoffs, all the while they with an already strong roster and deep bench suffered no such quandary. Steph Curry is a bad man and deserved his MVP status. But I'll say this with confidence if Kyrie and Love were available this would have not been a series. If Shumpert or LeBron hit a game winning shot at the end of game 1, avoiding  Kyrie’s overtime injury, Cleveland may be celebrating tonight.
      But the operative word was "if". I'll use that "if" word again. If we are going to give an MVP to the best player in this series it would not be Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and especially not Draymond Green (who some say expects to recieve a max contract, but not if I'm paying the bill) but LeBron James. But unfortunately he will be 2-4 on basketball's  biggest stage. A point in which you are judged amongst the greatest of greats. The Jordans, the Birds, the Magic Johnsons of the basketball world. But ultimately he has tasted the champagne  and succeeded at the highest level but just not at the success rate of other legendary stars. So here he is somewhere in the pantheon of NBA greats between Karl Malone and Michael Jordan. Better than most but not the best ever. But 4 MVPs, 2 NBA titles, and 5 consecutive trips to the Finals are nothing to sneeze at. 
     Would Jordan be 6-0 without Pipen or Horace Grant.  Would Bird have 3 rings without McHale and Parrish.  How about Magic without Worthy or Kareem for a whole series.  Sure they could win a game but when you are in the NBA Finals you have to have a good team.  NBA championships are a team accomplishment. With apologies to Delly and Mosgov , the Cavs weren’t picked favorites to win before the playoffs because they were the LeBron’s top cohorts. But the trio of James , Irving , and Love seemed to be a formidable grouping.  Look at how injuries crippled the OKC Thunder this year.  To see this Warriors team win a Championship before a team with Kevin Durant , Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka is very surprising. This championship will go to the team that best withstood attrition.  Steph Curry is good, but is he really considered a better player than Kevin Durant.  I venture to guess most people would say no.
      Kobe Bryant, who many compare James to has always had that other guy on his Championship teams from Shaq, Pau Gasol, Glen Rice, to Ron Artest. One of his seasons without another significant star player. He was criticized due to losing in the 1st round against the Suns after squandering a 3-1 lead and practically laying down in the decisive game 7. He at the time was outmanned, I recall Leandro Barbosa destroying the Lakers and detractors were critical of Kobe’s defense and his approach in that decisive game. But when you are the only consistent source of offense on the team what do you expect. Even great players get fatigued and one can only do so much in a team game. Fast forward to the 2008 Olympics. Kobe, not needing to score as much, took the assignment of guarding Barbosa again.  Barbosa was rendered ineffective because Bryant was able to focus on just playing defense,  he didn’t have to carry the team offensively due to the overall strength of the USA team. Barbosa saying afterwards “he’s never guarded me like that”.   I mention this because it brings to light the plight of LeBron James.  To call LeBron a failure as a basketball player after these Finals is blasphemous. 
       His 1stgame ever as an 18 year old was 25 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four steals on 12-of-20 shooting  and his stat line from Game 5 of these 2015 Finals is  40 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists in a loss.  He from day one has succeeded his lofty expectations with the exception of one. The number of NBA championships.  Losing this Finals doesn’t come with an asterisk due to a limited supporting cast.  Delly can have some moments but asking him to hold down Curry for a whole series was asking too much. Also expecting JR Smith to show up every game was a pipedream. He is too inconsistent. Losing the Finals means your team lost just like no one player gets all the credit, no one player gets all the blame .  Robert Horry and GS Warrior coach Steve Kerr played on teams that went 7-1 and 5-0 respectively in The Finals. But some of the players on those opposing teams never got to experience a championship. But it doesn’t make them less of a player.  Players such as Allen Iverson, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Reggie Miller should not take a backseat to an Andre Igudola, Klay Thompson or even Steph Curry ( at least to this point) because they had a GM who constructed a team that was good enough to achieve the ultimate goal.  If you’re going to criticize James, you also have to give him his credit.  Although one would venture to think how different things would be had they kept Wiggins and not gotten Love. No matter what you think about him, he's a legend of the game. His place in history is still to be determined. But there will soon be a day when young guns the likes of Anthony Davis and Andrew Wiggins will be the frontline stars of the NBA, so enjoy LeBron why you can.

When Will We See an End?

  Here we are yet again America. In my home state of South Carolina another unwarranted death dealt out by the boys in blue has taken place. A routine traffic stop gone wrong. It sounds like a broken record but sadly no resolution has taken place.  What went wrong? Who's to blame?
     First off I'm glad to see the victim Walter Scott's family asked that media whores like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson stay away.  They tend to stir up  a hornets nest instead helping find a resolution to the problem. Ferguson is still a mess today months after they were there. They need to put more emphasis on educating the people on how to interact professionally with cops. Not running might have prevented this incident and there would not be this world wide firestorm we have today about this N. Charleston incident but it shouldn't have led to death.
       Let's back track a little to last February when Ray Rice was seen pulling his then fiancee from an elevator in an Atlantic City casino. No one knew what went on inside, only that it wasn't good and that Ray Rice played a part in it. Ray told the local authorities what he did and  he was jailed, put on probation and entered into a first time offender program. What happened  next was the NFL and the Ravens levied a suspension on him for 3 games. But then TMZ released a video that would forever change how the NFL now deals with its players that are involved in domestic disputes and incidences. After viewing the horrible act committed by Mr Rice in the elevator he was indefinitely suspended from the NFL. Mind you the NFL and other sports as well have always had players that have committed such sinister acts but after seeing it on film it gives you a perspective that just makes you see just how awful the act really was. Consequently two other players Greg Hardy and Adrian Peterson who were awaiting trials about their domestic violence cases were put on the Commissioner's exempt list and missed the rest of their seasons.  The NFL has taken a hard line on this topic but only after turning a blind eye for so many years. It took that riveting video to give a better perspective on how heinous the act was.
      Now to the April 4th shooting of Walter Scott.  He was a man who committed some crimes but nothing of the extreme violent variety.  But when you make questionable decisions you open yourself up for trouble.  So he has a DUI, and back payment for child support for several of thousands of dollars but not armed robbery,  drug distribution, rape or anything of that nature. So I imagine his demeanor is not one of violent variety but one of a man who doesn't want to go behind bars knowing he has some pending warrants. So the threat of going back to jail scared him into literally running for his life.
      So if he had stayed in his car would he be alive today?  Almost assuredly yes. But we also have seen cops mow down 12 year old Tamir Rice for holding a toy gun at a local park in Cleveland.  Or John Crawford in Beavercreek, Ohio who was just playing with an airsoft rifle in Walmart and was shot before he could respond to the command to get down. Some cops are too cowardly and never try to diffuse the situation even when no real threat exists. Talk first. He was believed to have a bench warrant out on him for child support. Unless he has a good life insurance policy there's little chance that he'll be able to catch up on his  back payments thanks to the killer cop. I feel some sorrow for the cop's family as well the stress of the situation and the fact his wife is expecting in the next few months. But trying to take a shortcut often gets in you in a into tight situations you can't get out of. This wasn't a split second decision, just a I'm too lazy to run or call for backup so I'll just shoot him. Forget about those people this suspect is  leaving behind. Mr Scott was a father, a son, an uncle among other roles,  but all Officer Slager could see was he's making me run too much.
    I know, I know more blacks kill blacks than cops do, but aren't they supposed to be held to a higher standard. In some cases deadly force is needed. Such was the case in January of this year in nearby Freeport,TX with Ronald Sneed who held his girlfriend at gunpoint. In this instance there was a chance he could seriously harm her so one of the responding officers shot him. But the cop was protecting the interest of a fellow human being and the story was corroborated with the girlfriend. Funny thing is once the blacks are caught they are convicted and sent to jail and are often given hard time in most instances.  Some even get the nasty needle. George Zimmerman didn't even get convicted for his obvious disregard of instruction from the 911 operator. We now see what kind of low life he is. Just like OJ he'll mess up again and get what's due to him. But these cops are repeatedly getting off with the same lines,  I was threatened.  I feared for my life. He reached for my gun. It happened so fast. 
      Oh, but now we have a video. Show of hands, who has ever seen an episode of Cops the TV show. There are countless episodes where someone evades the police officer and tries to run and usually they get caught by the initial officer or help from a backup officer.  In those instances the cops never fire a weapon unless the perpetrator has fired a weapon at them. It would be easier to take the shortcut and shoot the individual.  But these cops use integrity and apprehend their perps in a more sensible manner. Or maybe is it that the video is rolling so they know what not to do on camera.
       Mr Scott left the car he was in and ran to a park where the officer followed him and attempted to tase him. After that failed attempt Mr Scott and his apparent Usain Bolt like speed were too much for the officer. He ran again but this time instead of chasing him on foot he fired eight rounds at Mr Scott fatally wounding him and cuffing his hands on his then dead body.  He then goes to retrieve the taser and plants it beside the dead corpse. To set up his blatant lie, which had ran in the local paper as a struggle with Scott who reached for his taser and he then responded with deadly force. But unknowingly he was caught on video by an eyewitnes, who wanted to show the world the truth.                                                                     Every case is unique in some way but one can't help but wonder what if we had a video of Darren Wilson shooting Michael Brown or Trayvon's fight for his life. Would things be different? Unfortunately those in the grave can't defend themselves against public opinion. They are rendered speechless by being murdered. They themselves unarmed.

       But even with this video and blatant cover up is this enough to finally convict one of these guys ? The Eric Garner incident was on video and still there was  no conviction. If this doesn't get it done what will?  It just amazes me how James Holmes the Colorado movie theater killer and Jared Loughner the Arizona man who shot a US senator and killed 6 others ,are here still wasting tax dollars when they easily and justifiably should have been shot on sight by law enforcement for the mass shooting events they were involved in. But playing with a toy gun in Walmart gets you shot down like you're big game. Something is wrong and it's time to call on the one who knows all the answers. Jesus. We must treat each other with respect and live a life pleasing to God. No this may not end all that troubles this nation immediately, but the word says all things are possible thru Christ. Love thy neighbor and forgive. Let's move forward before there's more civil unrest. Let's not assume someone's exterior makes them any less human than another man. All lives matter, let God be the final judge.

  

This Is how I see it: New Year for Change ?

This Is how I see it: New Year for Change ?:          As we have now have stepped over into this New Year. We now get a chance to start anew.  Whether it be your  finances, your health...

New Year for Change ?

         As we have now have stepped over into this New Year. We now get a chance to start anew.  Whether it be your  finances, your health, your relationships, your spirituality, or any other part of your life where change is necessary.  We all should have a drive to improve our stance in life. Change is essential in order to sustain success. If one becomes stagnate they stand still. Think of it as water. If water sits in one spot too long it grows algae, it mildews, and in some instances it becomes foul and develops a bad odor.  That’s a microcosm of how your life can become. You want to lose weight, put down the Popeyes  chicken.  You want to improve in your career, go back to school and increase your education. If you play basketball and you’re a poor free throw shooter,  take more shots or tweak your technique some. Changing bad habits will  help you as you progress thru life. Hopefully you see my point.  But as a society we seem to miss the boat in terms of the way we think about change in certain areas of our existence.
        How many innocent victims have to be murdered by those sworn to protect and serve us before there policies change. Change is very prevalent in my occupation and these new policies are often implemented after an unintended incident has taken place.  There needs to be a town hall discussion with law enforcement officials across this country on how to react in such tense situations.  Shooting to kill shouldn’t be your first reaction. There has to be an alternative.  I do recognize that there’s  a fine line to walk with such a dangerous occupation.  For the record, all cops aren’t bad, in fact there are a lot more good cops than bad ones. Problem is several incidents throughout history (statistics tell us this is true)shows  that they target a certain demographic with a lot more frequency and ferocity. Am I saying that this is not sometimes warranted, no.  But what I am saying is just like every cop is not dirty or has bad intentions.  Every black man or boy is not a criminal or at the very least deserves not to be shot at and possibly killed on site when suspected of a crime. We have to change our our preconceived notions. 
        The bible states,  Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret – it only causes harm.” (Psalms 37:8).  In some of these incidents the victims felt like they were being harassed and maybe so. But showing your inner strength to diffuse the situation allows you an opportunity to possibly live to see another day.  It doesn’t make you less of a man to handle situations in a calm, non-confrontational manner.  It just means you show control  and that you aren't the menacing, undisciplined person some assume you to be. This is why I was a little turned off by the cops being mad at the St Louis Rams Players hands up game entry and other athletes wearing the I can’t breathe shirts.  These men took a stance that others like them in recent memory have shied away from. Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods stayed clear of social issues to protect their bottom line unlike their predecessors such as Jim Brown and Muhammad Ali.  It was refreshing because although they risked turning off some endorsers and fans. They felt this was bigger than them as an individual. It was all about the greater good.  They know that if you strip away the talent they have to entertain the general  public. What are they, but a black man who could easily be viewed as a criminal,  a thug, crook, etc. instead of a hardworking morally strong person. At the same time I applaud Rex Ryan and Tom Coughlin for wearing the NYPD caps during their respective team's football games last month.  In light of the recent slayings of 2 NYPD officers by some ignorant dupe thinking he was exorcising revenge for Eric Garner it showed support for those who are doing things the right way.  Two wrongs don't make a right. Our mindsets have to change people.  What did killing those cops do? It only infuriated some of the very cops who were guilty of committing excessive abuse against members of the public.  Think they won’t do it again if they can get away with it after such a malicious act.
         We as members of the public, specifically black men, must change how we deal with authority.  We must not always look to fight.  We must do more to change how we are perceived.  Stop the gang violence, drug dealing, the robbing. It sickens me to see the news and see another black man do some heinous crime. All these guys have done is perpetuate the myth. It makes it rougher on those who are good citizens and impactful members of society.

          Geraldo Rivera was called out for saying that the athletes who criticized cops for all of the recent shootings should wear,  be a better father t-shirts. There is truth to that as well.  But fatherhood is a choice, holding a toy gun and getting shot because of it, or getting strangled to death, not so much. Also the player in question was LeBron James, a married father of 3. It is though, an epidemic of sorts that has lead kids from single parent homes to a life of crime. Several make it thru and become a success such as a LeBron James.  So it’s not a guarantee of failure. Putting the father back in the home goes a long way in maintaining stability in a child’s life. Much like we as children of God must maintain our relationship with our Heavenly father. I can attest to the fact that if you don’t maintain a relationship with him you will have fruitless manifestation in your life. For those that pay child support , thinking that your child support payment is all your kids will ever need from you is ludicrous. They need to spend time with you as the male figure in their life.  1 Timothy 5:8 states , But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. God’s intention is for you to be there for your family. Don't ignore them.

          Just think of how much this country of ours has changed since 1776.  Blacks were kept as slaves, women weren’t allowed to vote.  Now one of the richest and most influential people in this country is  Oprah Winfrey, a black woman.  If not for changing of our beliefs there would be no President Obama, no Oprah,  Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.  Diversity and inclusion is paramount when implementing the laws that govern this country. Having different point of views allows us to see issues from different perspectives.  When people reference taking  America back. Taking  America back to where?  The one that enslaved people of color , dismissive of women’s rights, segregated schools. I hope not.  We are all created equal in God’s eyes. Positive change that impacts us has a lasting effect and benefits us all in the long run.  
         Just like the seasons, change is inevitable.  Unless you’re happy with your status in life be proactive and commit to change. Doing nothing guarantees you will get nothing different than you already have.  James 2:17 which says, “Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. “ in other words talk is cheap.  Having faith for changes in your life is null and void without your action.  Ignorance is committing the same act while expecting a different result.  In the words of Mary Mary, “Go Get It”.
         

This Is how I see it: Over Too Soon Marcus Lattimore

This Is how I see it: Over Too Soon:       Webster defines an ending as a  conclusion or termination.  There are happy endings ( get your mind out of the gutter people ), such a...

Marcus Lattimore

Over Too Soon http://tjkelly1977.blogspot.com/2014/11/over-too-soon.html