Saturday, August 31, 2013

Adios Tebow

Surprise Surprise, Tim Tebow has been released by the Patriots. This doesn't come so much as a surprise to be being that he has been the number three quarterback on a Patriots team with Tom Brady and third year qb Ryan Mallet who has done enough to prove himself worthy of the back up spot. Never the void of media coverage with Tebow although it  has  been about everything but his play on the football field. He's a great guy I get it, and he did have a good outing in the final pre- season game BUT New England may have done him the biggest favor by bringing him in to see how a HOF Qb gets is done. They also may have done him a favor by releasing him before he spent another season on the sideline holding a clipboard. With that being said its about time Jacksonville brings  their home town hero in the mix...they have Nothing...I repeat NOTHING to lose.


Thursday, August 29, 2013

College Football Season Kickoff

The college football season begins tonight! As universities, alumni, and die hard fans gear up to cheer for these unpaid athletes that generate millions of dollars for their universities,this thursday has 17...count em..17 games to kick off the new season. http://espn.go.com/college-football/schedule

Now as football pumps through my veins, when it comes to College football I'm more about the "bandwagon" then the love many of you spew over one particular university.

I watch in anticipation of those players who will take their game to All- American NFL draft prospect status. The special ones that elevate their game to Heisman caliber "ala" Reggie Bush(I don't care he gave it back the season he had was special), Cam Newton,  RGIII, Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel all special offensive talents.

This season there's a different smell in the air...it kinda makes your nose itch a little....and it's coming from South Carolina...The young mans name is Jadeveon Clowney. The junior defensive end who is all ready being called " A once in a decade " prospect by many if not all NFL Gm's and has already been linked to being targeted by Jay-Z's Roc Nation agency.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Since Charles Woodson in 1997 a defensive player has yet to win the prestigious award which we recently just witnessed Johnny Football trade in for a Lamborghini.....just kidding.... maybe...well, you tell me what you think? ..
 ok im done...

Right out the gate we  get a chance to witness the beast himself as Clowney and the No.6 Gamecocks take on North Carolina at 6pm on ESPN. With a couple other intriguing ones tonight with Rutgers at 10:30 and USC vs Hawaii at 11, UNC vs SC is the perfect prime time start to the year. It's rare that I watch a game solely for a defensive player let alone a linemen(that takes nothing away from the respect I have for those positions)...But I'm telling you, if you don't know who Jadeveon Clowney is you better be on your "P's and Q's" and get familiar whenever number 7 is on the field.



When you hear that drumline?? Oh it's game time!


Enjoy the start of the season!




Madden 25 Throwback Thursday Style

It's Throwback Thursday and I felt it was only right to pay homage to Madden 25 which was just released a few days ago. Now in order to do that and for the sake of contributing to the day where people blow up your news feeds with photos from when we were the ages where everything was flat out JUST MORE FUN........                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      I have annually "re-upped" on my Madden fix since 2001.  Some "Madden Heads" might take offense to that statement because from PC to Sega, Sega Saturn, Playstation, N64 fast forward until now? Madden has had some commitment issues and the systems  have no choice but to take it....lets not get off track but I must admit, the roots of my football gaming did not start with the Madden franchise..
                                                                     ...yea i said it...                                                                      My journey began from a far away land...a land where many "Sticky controllers"(I will explain) had to be replaced and losing to my older cousins became routine..This is a journey that's better described by Drakes hook "Started from the bottom now we here"....this is my story....True life: I'm A Football Gamer.

(  Oh, we called them "Sticky Controllers"  because we would eat a lot of candy when we were younger and playing immediately after seemed to be the bright idea instead of washing your hands before. Resulting in the buttons getting stuck therefore the purchase of a new one was shortly after warranted...that being said  my dad is a good guy. .. Now back to the story )                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            NFL sports talk football for Sega Genesis starring Joe Montana is where it began. Those 2.0 sports talk graphics and the camera zooms. I thought this game was amazing, although I don't recall actually ever winning in this one.....ever.."Yo......yo.."  
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Next was Deion Sanders Prime Time   ..a little better graphics..I guess ..but this is around the time where I started to scratch the surface of my potential...Love the intro with the animated dude spiking it down followed the Rick Flair " Whoo!"..                                                                                                                                                                              From there I moved onto Playstation where I(My dad) purchased the Gameday  series, starting with 98 for a few years ......................            Some authentic NFL game footage in the intro.. Although about 85% of those hits shown would now result in a fine/ suspension in today's game smh.... but the progression is evident.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  My swagger really began to develop with this one. I was getting older and began at this time around 10 11 years old actually playing the sport, so my IQ and hand eye coordination had no choice but to level up. Gameday as well as Madden (which was also out at the time) were the first football games I recall to introduce injury and fatigue. Now these factors as we all know play a huge part in the outcome and strategy of your game play... Well if you played me on my home turf that just wasn't going down "Hold up I bout to change the settings right quick" 
                                                                                                                                                                    ...it made the game better in my opinion HA, especially with the over exaggerated "juke move" which was virtually unstoppable(if you had skills) without fatigue or injury on. And for those that played with them on COOL STORY BRO.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Fast forward mix in a little NFL Blitz "yahda yahda" and the time had come. It felt like Christmas Day but it wasn't, maybe I was just riding the high off of a few packs of Sour Patch Kids but needless to say "Ish got real" in 2001... My first purchase (again my Dad) of Madden in 2001 as I transitioned to PS2.

14 years later look how far we have come. Now a days you can catch me on the XBox360. (gamertag available upon request)  As you already know by now, this relationship is still going strong. It's a sacred bond...a time of passage....a competitive game amongst a friend, family member, a sibling. ..a brotherhood.

All of those highs and lows I wouldn't trade for the world. Its made me into the gamer I am today, and to that Madden I say thank you,as I soon will continue after the tradition after I purchase this years edition....                                                                                                                                                                        I look forward to opening "a can of whoop a**" on my future opponents some of whom I will never meet in person. And I will take the losses with a wry smile on my face followed by our favorite phrase "Run It Back!"

Madden you will always have a special place in my heart thank you again, and thank you for reading my story.




And some love for the G.O.A.T on the front cover..




Tuesday, August 27, 2013

No need to worry....Big bro has your back


A couple Sundays ago I had the chance to catch the Giants Colts pre- season game. Now anybody who knows me understands that I have love for the Indianapolis Colts and this love affair has lasted a long faithful time, but no need to indulge I promise, I was intrigued by something else. What caught my eye ......well, aside from a little Luck 

was a Td snag from second year wide out T.Y Hilton. 3rd round selection out of FIU( Florida International University) in the 2012 draft. Before I ramble off about his rookie stats, another thought came to mind while I was watching, I thought about older brothers...bare with me I'll bring it together.... Although I have older male cousins that I consider older brothers and being the oldest of  two younger siblings, I'm not exactly speaking from first hand experience, but lets just say I did have one...I would have hoped that he would of have been a dude that was  productive firstly, one that I'd aspire to be like because he consistently put in work, not just when everyone was watching, but because he's constantly thinking and active towards staying on top of his game, a swagger that boasted his actions instead of his words, a leader...my imaginary older bro...  But in reality that description fits none other than 13 year wide-out Reggie Wayne. Year in and out the man does his job, it's plane and simple...or maybe he just makes it look that way... Since 2004 Reggie Wayne has had one season under 1,000 yards which was in 2011 with Curtis Painter under center, and that's pretty much all I have to say about that .....yeah it was a bad year.....with that being said he still racked up 960 yards and 4 tds. My point in all this is that T.Y Hilton, heck as well as Andrew Luck have been the benefactors of the veteran receivers' savvy on and off the field. Productive in the community, not getting into trouble at night clubs, running the right routes, finding wholes to sit down in between defenders, catching everything with his HANDS. You can't tell me Luck's 4,000 plus yards passing and Hiltons' 863 and 7 TD's were not influence by having Reggie Wayne on the field, not to mention his 1,355 and 5 Tds worth of contribution. My bias is clear as it pertains to the Indianapolis Colts but if I was to try and add my two cents of objectivity? I'd bet on Luck and Hilton to continue to build on that connection from a season ago. And as baby bro's are young, athletic, and in Luck's case especially ahead of their time? They are rest assured by the fact that future HOF'er aka "big bro" will be there to have their back.




Oh yea fantasy owners? Your Welcome.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Throwback Thursday

We all remember when the defending champion New Orleans Saints came into CentryLink Field aka home of  "The 12th Man" in a wild card match up back in 2010. What was expected to be a lop sided contest between the 11-5 Saints with that high powered offense against a 7-9 Seahawks team that won the NFC West division with a pathetic 7-9 record. Although it begged the question from fans and analysts as to how a team that performed so poorly in the regular season was even in the position to host a playoff game, that's neither here nor there now. In route to a 41-36 upset, we witnessed one of if not the best runs of all time regular season or playoffs from Marshawn Lynch or better known as BEAST MODE.


Thursday, August 1, 2013

Football is Back

35 days until the pros begin..jobs and careers of the veterans and un-drafted are on the line as a 90 man roster is cut to 53.....Aug 29th begins the college schedule....walk-ons/ the overlooked try and make a name for themselves while the All Americans are fine tuning in efforts to improve their draft stock.....High School and Pop -Warner programs are set to lead young men into future collegiate and NFL stars or at least prepare them with life long lessons and tools to be successful men in the future. This all while having the one common goal on the back of their minds...WIN ...Who put the work in?..Not because they had to but because they have a fire burning deep down.??..A fire to be great...plain and simple... but after you're considered great there is another level...a level that brings a fire to lead and bring your team together as a unit...one mind...one sound....one heartbeat, Ha. We find out year in and out who the good and the great players are...but we also find out who refuses to be called anything less then a CHAMPION....It's almost time for football season...Let the passion...let the pride.....let the hysteria begin...




Yall Ready!?