Tag: Superbowl

Becoming The Bar

Basketball, Football, Media, NBA, NFL, Rivalry, Sports

In life, it’s easier to fail than it is to succeed. In sports, it’s easier to lose than it is to win. You have to have talent, skills, chemistry, motivation and willing to put the team first. Dominance is not achieved by accident. Consistency doesn’t happen overnight. Gregg Popovich and Bill Belichick have set the bar in their respective sports for almost the past 2 decades.

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There are plenty of similarities between the two in my eyes. Both have won 5 championships as head coaches (Popovich: 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2014. Belichick: 2002, 2004, 2005, 2015, 2017). Each coach has had a transcending and iconic player during their championship runs (Popovich: Tim Duncan. Belichick: Tom Brady). Both coaches have established a culture to where it’s about the name on the front of the jersey instead of the back. When it comes to the media, both of them have had unique responses to questions asked.

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Even with the success, both have had their share of scrutiny. Popovich has been criticized for being “short” with his answers to questions about basketball. However, he’s opinionated about questions outside of the sport, like politics and social issues. Personally, I don’t have a problem with it because life is bigger than the NBA, but I understand the frustration of the media at times. Belichick and the New England Patriots were under fire for “Spygate” and “Deflategate”. Spygate occurred in 2007 when the team was caught filming the New York Jets play-call signals. Deflategate happened in 2015 against the Indianapolis Colts during the AFC Championship game where the Patriots were accused of having slightly underinflated footballs.

FOXBOROUGH, MA – JUNE 4: Head coach Bill Belichick, of the New England Patriots, speaks to the media after organized team activities at Gillette Stadium on June 4, 2015 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

What I do appreciate the most about both coaches is their consistency over the years. Since the NBA lockout shortened-season in 1999, the San Antonio Spurs have won a least 50 games each season and are on pace to extend the streak this season. The Spurs have been able to demonstrate their winning culture with different players over the years. It started with the “Twin Tower” era with David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Then it changed to the Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili era. Now Kawhi Leonard is the face of the franchise with LaMarcus Aldridge next to him. The common denominator has been Gregg Popovich and his ability to adjust his coaching with the personnel around him.

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Since becoming the head coach in 2000 for the New England Patriots, Bill Belichick has won 15 division titles and has won at least 10 games since 2003. Like the San Antonio Spurs, the Patriots have been able to continue their winning culture by plugging in players around Tom Brady that fits the system. Brady went from having Troy Brown as his favorite target to Deion Branch, Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, and Julian Edelman.

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When you set the bar for excellence, you eventually become the bar. Gregg Popovich and Bill Belichick have done just that. With respect to Red Auerbach, Phil Jackson, and Pat Riley, I believe Gregg Popovich is the greatest coach in NBA history. I firmly believe the same for Bill Belichick in the NFL. You don’t have to be a fan of either, but you have to respect their greatness to keep this longevity of excellence up for almost 20 years.

JGOOD

Super Bowl LI

Awards, Fantasy Football, Football, Media, NFL, Rivalry, Sports

Today is bittersweet for the NFL. Even though this is the biggest game of the year, this is also the last game of the NFL season until the summer time. I do enjoy other sports that are active during the NFL offseason, but not having Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Football, and even fantasy football leaves an unreplaceable void. With that being said, let’s hope this game ends with a bang.

At 39 years old, Tom Brady is making his 7th trip to the Super Bowl. The New England Patriots have looked dominant the whole season, even with Brady being suspended the first 4 games of the regular season due to “Deflate-gate”. Even though New England has been without their superstar tight end Ron Gronkowski since November 13th, the additions of Chris Hogan, Martellus Bennett, and Michael Floyd have given the offense more depth. Already having Julian Edelman, LeGarrette Blount, Danny Amendola, and Dion Lewis, the New England Patriots have never lost a step.

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This season’s league MVP, Matt Ryan, has led his team to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1999. Ryan is the ringleader to this high-power offense, who was the highest scoring team in the NFL (33.8 points per game) 2nd in the NFL in total offense. Center Alex Mack has been the unsung hero of this offense. Atlanta arguably has the best 1-2 punch at running back with Devonta Freeman and Tevon Coleman. Atlanta finished top 5 in the NFL in rushing this season. The Atlanta Falcons have improved their wide receiver core by adding speedster Taylor Gabriel and possession receiver Mohamed Sanu. I forgot to mention that Atlanta already has arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL with Julio Jones.

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It’s kind of hard to bet against New England. They have had consistency at the coaching and quarterback positions between Bill Belichick and Tom Brady. Also, those 2 individuals had plenty of experience in the Super Bowl. Their offense is good because of their versatility. Their defense has played well at times, but it’s not as consistent as their last Super Bowl appearance 2 years ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if New England wins today for these reasons alone. However, I believe Atlanta’s offense will be a problem. Once this offense gets rolling, it’s almost impossible to stop it (I think of it like a snowball running downhill). New England has never scored a touchdown in the first quarter of any Super Bowl. This will probably be the toughest offense New England has ever seen in the biggest game. As good as Malcolm Butler is, I don’t think he can stop Julio Jones by himself (if he is to cover him). Atlanta’s defense has stepped up in the playoffs, getting consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks. I’m officially going with the “underdog” tonight. I have the Atlanta Falcons defeating the New England Patriots 27-21.

JGOOD

NFL Season Predictions 2016

Awards, Fantasy Football, Football, Media, NFL, Sports

My good friend D.Reed and I are making our predictions for this upcoming season. Make sure you check him and myself out on social media for NFL updates and Fantasy Football advice.
D.Reed @freshprynce23 (Instagram)
JGood @jgoodwithsports (Twitter and Instagram)

Divison Winners and Wildcard

AFC North
Cincinnati – JGood
Pittsburgh – D.Reed

AFC South
Jacksonville – JGood
Houston – D.Reed

AFC East
New England – JGood
New England – D.Reed

AFC West
Oakland – JGood
Kansas City – D.Reed

Wildcard Spots
New York Jets/Pittsburgh – JGood
Denver/Indianapolis – D.Reed

NFC North
Green Bay – JGood
Green Bay – D.Reed

NFC South
Carolina – JGood
Carolina – D.Reed

NFC East
New York Giants – JGood
Washington – D.Reed

NFC West
Arizona – JGood
Seattle – D.Reed

Wildcard Spots
Seattle/Dallas – JGood
Arizona/Minnesota – D.Reed

Superbowl Outcome
Arizona 24, New England 21 – JGood
Pittsburgh 30, Seattle 27 – D.Reed

AWARD WINNERS

MVP
Carson Palmer – JGood
Russell Wilson/Ben Roethlisberger – D.Reed

Offensive POY
Antonio Brown – JGood
Antonio Brown – D.Reed

Defensive POY
Khalil Mack – JGood
Khalil Mack/Von Miller – D.Reed

Offensive ROY
Carson Wentz – JGood
Ezekiel Elliot – D.Reed

Defensive ROY
Jalen Ramsey – JGood
Jalen Ramsey – D.Reed

Coach Of The Year
Bruce Arians (Arizona) – JGood
Jack Del Rio (Oakland) – D.Reed

Comeback POY
Jordy Nelson – JGood
Kelvin Benjamin – D.Reed.

 

 

My Favorite Superbowls

Football, Hurricane Katrina, NFL, Sports

This list isn’t me ranking the all time Superbowl games but just me pointing out my favorites that I’ve witnessed over the years.

Superbowl XXXII Denver Broncos vs Green Bay Packers

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Even though I grew up to become a die hard Chicago Bears fan, Steve Young and Brett Favre were my quarterbacks growing up. Seeing Favre and John Elway go at it made the first Superbowl I remember special. Even though the Packers had weapons on offense (Antonio Freeman and Dorsey Levens), but nobody was touching Terrell Davis that year. I remember that game came down to the wire with a Broncos win.

Superbowl XXXIV St Louis Rams vs Tennessee Titans

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The “Greatest Show On Turf” is arguably the greatest offense in NFL history. Engineered by Kurt Warner, him, Issac Bruce, Marshall Faulk, and Torry Holt set were bobbing and weaving while setting NFL records. The Titans came up a yard short in the final seconds of sending the game into over

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*ALL OF THE SUPERBOWLS INVOLVING THE NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS AND TOM BRADY HAVE BEEN GOOD. ALSO I WOULD MENTION LAST YEAR’S SUPERBOWL BUT PETE CARROLL MESSED THAT UP*

Superbowl XLI Indianapolis Colts vs Chicago Bears

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Even though my favorite team lost, just the fact they I’ve witnessed them being there (and Devin Hester run the opening kick off back for a touchdown) made it a special. My dad recorded and kept showing me the 85′ Bears Superbowl XX when they dismantled the New England Patriots. Hopefully one day they will win one in my lifetime.

Superbowl XLIII Pittsburgh Steelers vs Arizona Cardinals

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This game was very exciting. Kurt Warner revived his career in Arizona after disappearing when he left St Louis. Him and arguably the most underrated wide receiver tandem in NFL history (Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin) didn’t disappoint on the big stage. However, Santonio Holmes didn’t disappoint either with one of the best game winning touchdown catches in Superbowl history.

Superbowl XLIV New Orleans Saints vs Indianapolis Colts

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This was probably the most meaningful Superbowl win for a team in recent memory. Just about 3 years removed from Hurricane Katrina, Drew Brees and that explosive offense handed Peyton Manning his first Superbowl loss.

JGOOD

JGood’s Superbowl 50 Run Down

Football, Media, NFL, Sports

The Carolina Panthers (11 offense and 6 defense) will take on the Denver Broncos (16 offense and 1 defense) Sunday for Superbowl 50. Peyton Manning will attempt to possibly ride off into the sunset with a Superbowl win like Jerome Bettis, Ray Lewis, and even his boss John Elway. The Broncos are back in the Superbowl for their second time in the Manning era. Their last visit was a disaster, getting trampled by Seattle. This time their defense is up to the challenge, but their offense nothing similar of that Superbowl team. Can Peyton add another Superbowl Title to his legacy? Will Peyton retire after this game like so much has be speculating that he will? Only time will tell.

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The Carolina Panthers will be making their 2nd Superbowl appearance in franchise history; their first in the Cam Newton era. This team was written off on majority’s Superbowl list when Kelvin Benjamin tore his ACL before the season. Newton became “Supercam”, and along with that stellar defense went on to only lose 1 game this season. The made the best of what they got and the presumed MVP of the season is looking to cap off this historic season with a Lombardi trophy.

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This will be the first time 2 number one overall picks will be playing in the Superbowl (Manning and Newton), and the first time the number one and number two overall picks from the same draft class will playing as well (Newton and Von Miller). I expect this to be a close defensive game or Carolina to blow Denver out. Denver’s offense is not what it used to be but you never know what could happen.

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Denver wins if:
They can run the ball and convert 3rd downs. To beat Carolina, you have to be able to effectively run the football. The problem is that generally the Panthers defense is dominant against opposing running backs. If you have make Peyton Manning consistently convert 3rd and longs against this elite defense, they’ll be in for a long game.

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Carolina wins if:
They can keep the Broncos defense honest and stop the pass rush. In order to keep the defense honest, Carolina will have to run the ball effectively or have a balance play call between run and pass plays. Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware were playing extraordinary in their win against New England. If that can neutralize that and Cam Newton has time, the Panthers has a really good chance of winning.

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What do you think will be the x-factor? Who will shine the brightest on the big stage? Will we see a “David Tyree-type-of-play”? Will one of the coaches pull a ” Pete Carroll”? What do you think will be the outcome of this game? Tell me your thoughts of the game.

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JGOOD

NFL’s Oldest Rivalry

Football, NFL, Rivalry


Tomorrow (September 13, 2015), the Chicago Bears will host the Green Bay Packers in the 191st meeting, including the postseason, between the two teams. Chicago leads the all-time series 93-91-6 which dates all the way back to 1921. The two teams have combined for 22 NFL Champions, 5 Super bowls, and 57 members of the hall of fame. Check out the history of their rivalry below:

NFL’s Oldest Rivalry

As a Bears fan growing up, the two things my father kept mentioning was the ’85 Bears team and beating Green Bay. He had the Super bowl recorded on VHS (Throwback!) so I’ve seen the game dozens of times. What I haven’t seen dozens of times, however, is the Packers losing to the “Monsters of the Midway”.

Chicago was dominating the series until the past 2 decades. Green Bay has featured two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks (Brett Favre and Aaron Rodgers). Chicago’s defense has dramatically declined from its signature style over the past few seasons, and Aaron Rodgers has taken advantage of it. Last season against Chicago, Rodgers completed 40 of 55 attempts for 617 yards, 10 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions, with a quarterback rating 149.0. In the last meeting, Green Bay demolished Chicago 55-14 at Lambeau Field.

As a Bears fan, I think John Fox has the perfect opportunity to set the bar high by beating the rivals on opening day. I’m not saying it’s going to be. We all know what Aaron Rodgers is capable of even without Jordy Nelson. If the Bears can convert on 3rd downs and not turn the ball over then they have a chance. Both defenses aren’t elite by any means so I expect at least one team to run up the scoreboard.

In order to stop Green Bay, you have to stop the run and you have to put pressure on the quarterback. Eddie Lacy can’t average 4 to 5 yards a carry, and he can’t have multiple big plays. You HAVE to pressure Aaron Rodgers. If you give him time, the game is over. If you force pressure, he’ll get sacked or rush passes and that may lead to a costly mistake. Also, you have to make them settle for field goals in the red zone. The Bears are losing this game if they turn the ball over, and if they don’t establish the running game.

All in all, I’m looking forward to every meeting between the two teams. I hope my Bears win, but I wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers come out on top. We only get to see this match-up 2 times a year (3 times if we’re lucky). Get your popcorn ready!! (Anybody catch that T.O. reference?).

Bears Vs Packers Preview

Bear Down!

JGood

Tom Brady’s Legacy

Football, Sports

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The first time I saw Tom Brady was when he used to play for Michigan on Saturday mornings after the cartoons went off. I wasn’t really into college football at the time, but I watched just because his name reminded me of “The Brady Bunch”. He was decent then; nowhere near the player he is today. I would’ve never thought that I would be watching arguably the greatest quarterback of all time… just for the sole reason that his last name caught my attention (crazy right?).

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As we all know Tom Brady rise to fame started at the expense of Drew Bledsoe’s injury in 2000. Ever since then, the Tom Brady that we know of today was born. The Patriots went onto win 3 Superbowls in 4 seasons, and being labeled as a dynasty. He went on to put up elite numbers for consecutive years, including that infamous recording breaking season in 2007. The Patriots were undefeated that whole year until losing to the New York Giants in the Superbowl. He also lost another Superbowl to the GMEN a few years later before winning a 4th ring this past February. The game featured probably thee most controversial play call in Superbowl history.

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Tom Brady has 3 Superbowl MVP trophies, 2 time league MVP, 10 tone Pro Bowl selections, along with 53,258 passing yards and 392 touchdowns. At this point what more could you want out of a quarterback?

Well…. there was “Spygate” in 2007, that impressive season which was later clouded by allegations of using cameras to look at the opposing team’s sidelines during games. There was also “PEDs-Gate” that same year where various players on New England were using performance enhancing drugs. And then the more recent “Deflate-gate”. The New England Patriots’ footballs used in this past year’s AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts had less air that NFL regulations. The team said that had no idea why it was like that, but Tom Brady’s demeanor in his Press Conference said otherwise.

Roger Goodell and the NFL have investigated the situation. Tom Brady eventually ended up suspended, not for his involvement in the scandal but for not cooperating (i.e. refusing to give the league his cell phone and later on destroying it). Brady ended up appealing, like expected, him and the league are still fighting this issue in court.

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I’m not saying he’s guilty (they have enough guilty people associated with that franchise like Aaron Hernandez). I’m also not saying all of the allegations over the years are his fault as well (Bill Belichick definitely deserve most of the blame). What is noteworthy is the fact that if he’s innocent like he claimed to be, why wouldn’t you cooperate to get this moving along? Most importantly, not matter what statistical numbers he accumulates, the cheating aura that New England has been accustomed to over the years will forever stain his legacy. He’s definitely in the conversation with Joe Montana, Dan Marino, John Elway, Terry Bradshaw, Peyton Manning, and so on but… how much of this cloud will hold him back from the ultimate crown when the storm leaves?

Katrina: 10 years later

Hurricane Katrina, Sports

Can you believe it’s been 10 years since one of the most catastrophic storms in this country’s history attacked New Orleans? The people that were affected knows first hand how it changed their lives. Rebuilding in the Big Easy has been difficult. Do you remember where you was at when this horrific event occurred? Do you remember the aftermath?

I remember I was at my grandmother’s house watching the coverage on television with my aunt and cousin.  It was the day before I started my senior year of high school. The only thing I remember seeing right before the storm was 4 people surfing in the background against towering waves. I was stuck thinking either the storm was not going to be as bad as advertised or… those people are idiots. Unfortunately, the people being idiots were accurate. Neighborhoods were drowning, cars looked like flotation devices, and homes were decapitated. People either left (some never came back), survived at the Superdome, or were taken by the hurricane. The citizens of NOLA were left hopeless for days without assistance from the government. There were people saying that New Orleans is a wasteland… just leave it be… there’s no hope.

The city of New Orleans was in for a long road to recovery. They were getting help from many charities. These people were trying to rebuild their lives one day at a time. One of the cornerstones to redemption for the city came a few months later in 2006. The New Orleans Saints signed Drew Brees.

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He was coming off a serious shoulder injury. The San Diego Chargers decided not to have negotiations with him after drafting Philip Rivers a year prior. The city needed a hero and Brees had something to prove. The things that Drew Brees has been able to accomplished during his tenure in the Big Easy has been untouchable. He has the highest completion percentage in NFL history. He also have the most 5,000 yard seasons in league history; most consecutive seasons with at least 4,000 yards (9); most consecutive games with a touchdown (54)…

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His biggest achievement was winning Superbowl XLIV against the Indianapolis Colts in 2009. That was probably the most meaningful Superbowl for any team in the past decade. The city rejoiced in emotion over what Drew and the Saints were able to achieve. Drew Brees has also started a charity to help relinquish New Orleans. He was everything that the city needed and more.

I went to visit New Orleans this past May and it was an incredible experience. From the music, the food, the buildings, the vibe… it is a place that’s incomparable. Check the link for some videos of my trip below:

New Orleans Bourbon Street

New Orleans French Quarter

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There are still some areas in New Orleans that has been revitalized from Katrina, but their culture hasn’t flinched. New Orleans is still around. That city has shown it’s ability to be resilient over the past decade. NOLA will continue to get back to it’s stature of being the heart of Southern Culture, one day at a time.

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JGood