Mind if we play through?
The end is sooner than you think. Fore! Enjoy the three day weekend.
Author: thependulumswings staff
Work Week Three is in the Books, Enjoy the Weekend!
Three Greats went Ohhhh for Eight.
Way back on October 3rd we told the story of how Patrick Mahomes very nearly became a New Orleans Saint. Because of an astute and aggressive draft day trade he became a Kansas City Chief instead. The link provided tells that interesting story in case you had not yet become a boomboomsroom.com reader.
Fast forward to today, January 18th. My, how the story has advanced. It’s likely when the MVP voting is done that Mahomes will win the award and edge out Drew Brees in doing so. It’ll be a one/two finish for sure. But, the even bigger story is that each of them will quarterback their teams this weekend in the AFC and NFC Championship Games. The winners head to the Super Bowl in lovely Atlanta. KC and NO are each three point favorites to do just that.
Should one or two slight upsets occur, Jared Goff and Tom Brady would lead either or both of the Rams and Patriots to the very lovely(ahem) and picturesque, beautiful Atlanta. Therefore, regardless of the outcome of the games, a “franchise” quarterback will eventually lead his team to the podium to cherish the coveted Lombardi Trophy. Brady and Brees are the old guard great qbs. Goff and Mahomes are the up and coming ones.
Roger Goodell will (we hope and think) get booed loudly prior to the presentation. But, we digress.
Super Bowl winners come in different shapes and sizes, but they usually have two things in common. One, they have a real good or great coach. And two, they have a real good or great quarterback. There are outliers of course. So, who might be those outliers?
We will begin to examine those very questions in our run up to the Super Bowl features starting today. We will continue with them by the middle of next week. Today we examine the question “who is the best quarterback to participate in, but not ever win, a Super Bowl?” Our take in reverse order is below.
3. Jim Kelly– The only qb to ever lose four Super Bowls, and four straight in 1990-1993 at that, was a first year eligible NFL Hall of Fame inductee. His K-Gun offense in Buffalo was electric. He threw for over 35,000 yards and 287 touchdowns in his NFL career after spending two years in the USFL amassing formidable stats there as well.
2. Fran Tarkington– A three-time SB loser, Tarkington played for 18 NFL seasons in what was a different era. Quarterbacks weren’t nearly as protected as today. The HOF inductee lead almost all career statistical QB measurements when he retired. He threw for over 47,000 yards and 342 touchdowns playing for the Vikings at the outset and conclusion of his career. A five year NY Giants stint was sandwiched in between.
- Dan Marino– Marino soared with his Dolphins all the way to the big show in just his second year and first as a full-time starter. It was a one way ticket as he never returned. His ticket to Canton was well-earned though. In 17 distinguished NFL seasons he went to the playoffs ten times. He threw for over 61,000 yards, and tossed 420 touchdowns. All of that and a bevy of game, season, and career records make him the clear choice for the “best ever to appear but never win.” Not bad for being the fifth QB drafted in a QB heavy, famous 1983 class.
Kelly, Tarkington, and Marino are three of the best. Collectively they played in 46 NFL seasons. They won 379 games. They played in eight Super Bowls. They won none.
As They May Say Across the Pond, “Bloody Sheep!”
We ugly Americans are gluttonous. More is better. We collect. Some even hoard. More insurance. More regulations. “More, more, more” sang Andrea True in 1976. But when you “have more than you can shake a stick at” you likely have too much. What pray tell does that mean and where did that phrase come from?
Meaning: Having more of something than you need
History: Farmers controlled their sheep by shaking their staffs to indicate where the animals should go. When farmers had more sheep than they could control, it was said they had “more than you can shake a stick at.”
But, just because one owns more than they can handle or might need it doesn’t give you the right to steal from them. Maybe you could beg. Maybe you could borrow. But you shalt not steal. If you do grab a sheep or two, be sure to wash away the evidence right away. After all you don’t want to be “caught with blood on your hands.”
Meaning: To be caught doing something wrong
History: This saying originated because of a law. If someone butchered an animal that didn’t belong to him, he had to be caught with the animal’s blood on his hands to be convicted. Being caught with freshly cut meat did not make the person guilty.
Seems like it was tough even way back then to convict someone of a crime. That must be why it seems like we have more criminals than we can shake a stick at.
I Have Yet Another Story and a Moral Thereof.
As a business professional newbie the excitement for my first ever sales meeting trip grew by the day. Our company had met its overall goal. Las Vegas here we come. And, as a bonus, individuals who met their goals were invited out a day earlier to enjoy some sun, fun, and a round of golf if you so pleased.
In 1983 the old Desert Inn, one of Vegas’ first and finest, had just completed a huge remodel. As our taxi wheeled us onto the property everything seemed larger than life. A coworker and I grabbed our over the shoulder bags (few are made anymore), our briefcases (even fewer are made anymore), and our golf clubs (few that hit it straight were ever made). The long check in lines at the wide front reception area awaited.
Checking in can take forever in Vegas. This time-lapse can be compounded if you chose the wrong line. Why they didn’t(and some still don’t) have one line a la a bank queue is one of life’s great mysteries. The lines were quite long. We chose one roughly in the middle of about a dozen that each stretched a good 40 or so feet. This made passing through the lobby a crazy cross weave through humans and their collective baggage.
Our approaching tee time left us anxious to get this done. As each guest registered and carried their belongings away the remaining unregistered of us (sheep) picked our belongings up, moved forward one spot, and set them all down a bit closer to the coveted check in.
In the same line my buddy was right behind me. Our banter, bragging, and betting on the coming round helped pass the time and mostly allowed us to ignore the chaos of it all.
As it was time to move up one more spot yet again I slung all of what I brought over my shoulders and picked up the case to advance. His wisecrack made me turn back to him to get in another word. I over did it and my golf clubs suddenly had circular momentum. One unfortunate human was knifing through perpendicular to our line and my spot just then. My clubs, fueled by my momentum, cut his legs right out from underneath him. “Down goes Frazier,” Howard Cosell would have reported.
As I dropped what I owned to help my victim up from his sprawled on the marble fall I instantly saw who it was. Good news. It wasn’t Smokin’ Joe. Bad news. It was a smoking hot, Las Vegas headline entertainer named Sammy Davis Jr. One very important member of the famous Rat Pack lie before me clutching his leg. Ouch.
I asked if he was alright as I helped him to his feet. He muttered something like, “it’s all cool man.” I wanted to ask if he was going to mention this to Frank Sinatra, another famous Rat Pack member. And, more importantly to me at that moment, he purportedly had mafia ties. I figured it would lighten the moment. I reconsidered. Instead I said, “I’m quite sorry for this.” He nodded and plodded along, his limp barely noticeable.
Oh, what’s the moral of the story? In show business timing is everything. Get it right and you can knock them off of their feet.
The NFL’s Seeds are Sown.
The NFL rules committee reviews in painstaking detail all proposed changes to its game and its league once each year. The definition of what a catch is, a fumble is, and what roughing the quarterback is has changed far too often for well-intentioned but misguided reasons. Booth reviews became a necessity when the complexity of the rules rose exponentially.
However, one competitive rule that has not changed in many years is how playoff teams are seeded and how the resultant path to the Super Bowl paved. We think that it’s the best format of any major sport and second place isn’t close. Why? We briefly touch on that in a few thoughts below.
- In each conference if you make it as a wild card you travel in week one of the playoffs to the two lower seeded (of the four) division champions. You’re in, but your road is three games long and all three are away from home. Advantage division champions.
- The survivors of wild card weekend travel to the one and two seeded team’s stadiums. The lowest seed travels to the one seed, the other to the two seed. Advantage one seed and two seed division champions.
- The one and two seeds have the wild card weekend off. After five months of physical grind this is a very welcome respite. Big advantage one seed and two seed division champions.
- The highest remaining seed after the second weekend hosts the lower seed. If the seeds hold this is the last advantage earned by the number one seeded division champ.
So what happened this past weekend? Points three and four above is what happened. The AFC and NFC top two seeds hosted and held serve in all four games. Their success in the regular season earned them this leg up and they made good use of it.
On average three of the four home teams in the just completed division championship weekend win. However, this year it was all four. Many “experts” talked about how competitive the four visiting teams (Indianapolis, Dallas, Los Angeles (Chargers), and Philadelphia) would make those games. Indy was done by halftime. Dallas tried, but never climbed back in from a 13 point halftime deficit. The Chargers were manhandled. Only Philly was within a touchdown late in the fourth.
Visitors have tired legs. Home teams have a week off to rejuvenate tired legs. Speed kills on the football playing field.
Therefore, in the NFL every regular season game matters. Maybe the committee will figure out what constitutes a catch one day. Hopefully it will keep them so busy trying to figure that out that they will leave the seeding system and rewards of it exactly as is.
This coming weekend the best four teams in the NFL will decide who the best two teams in the NFL are.
2019 Work Week Two is History. Feel Free to Over Indulge.
Remember, more is better. Save room for four playoff games too. Monday will be here soon enough. Enjoy.
In the NFL Fashion is King(sbury).
Psst! Want to know a little secret about the fashion industry? When it accomplishes its goal it makes you want to go out and buy something new. You see the new on tv, magazines, websites, runways, etc. Suddenly what was new in your closet is old. You want the new. You need the new. You have to have it and have it now. Suddenly all stores, all designers, all price points are chasing the latest. Copycats they are.
Psst! Want to know a little secret about the NFL? When one team has success doing something a certain way or hiring a certain type of coach others follow quickly. The owners have to have it and have it now. Copycats they are.
What’s the latest? The latest is the Sean McVay model. Sean McVay (born January 24, 1986) is the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams. Upon his hiring in 2017 at the age of 30, he became the youngest head coach in modern NFL history. But most of all he is thought of as a “quarterback whisperer.” Young Jared Goff exploded onto the “franchise qb” scene last year under McVay’s tutelage. Combine that with McVay’s youth,daring play calling, and “can do” personna and, suddenly, orange is the new black.
Heck just a few weeks ago, before the weather worsened, teams were engaging in games that were lighting up scoreboards. Forty something to forty something final scores were in style. Experts looked at these new designs on all of the fashion shows preening down the runways and pronounced it as the new NFL.
Enter the Arizona Cardinals. After they parted ways with Bruce Arians (Arizona’s most successful coach since they moved to the desert) in 2017 after five seasons, in came a former DC and DB coach Steve Wilks. But, after one bad season and no real development of their first round QB draft pick Josh Rosen, out goes the defensive mindset.
Enter Kliff Kingsbury as the new head coach of the Cardinals. Young ole’ Kliff was terminated by the Texas Tech powers that be after his head coaching ascension there stalled in December at the end of season six. He accepted the OC job at USC a week or so ago. Then poof! Hopefully his lease was minute to minute.
But like Jimmy cracked corn, the Cardinals don’t care about his head coaching past nor his lack of loyalty to USC. After all he was the OC under Kevin Sumlin at A&M when Johnny “Football” Manziel hit the big screen. Oh, and then he coached Pat Mahomes at Texas Tech. Surely he is the next QB guru just like skinny jeans are the new bell bottoms.
Meanwhile, last weekend, both Sunday playoff games entered halftime with none of the four participants scoring a single touchdown. That was a first. Ever. That came on the unfashionable heels of a December 9th Bears defensive shutdown of the high flying Rams 15-6.
The post season credo has been “you have to be able to stop the run and run the ball” to win in the post season. But, copycat franchises have to have that new fashion fix. Good luck.
Maybe black is actually the new orange?
I Have Yet Another Story and a Moral Thereof
In August of 1971 the third round draft pick of the New Orleans Saints, Bivian Lee, began practicing with the team that had high hopes for a breakout year. Also in August of 1971 the high hopes of civic leaders were realized as construction finally began on the largest indoor stadium in the world, the New Orleans Superdome.
Sports visionary David Dixon (who decades later founded the United States Football League) conceptualized the Superdome while attempting to convince the NFL to award a franchise to New Orleans. After hosting exhibition games at Tulane Stadium during typical New Orleans summer thunderstorms, Dixon was told by NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle that NOLA would have no chance for an NFL expansion team without a domed stadium.
It was hoped the stadium would be ready in time for the 1972 NFL season, at the final cost of $46 million. 
Instead, construction did not start until August 1971, and was not finished until August 1975. Factoring in inflation, construction delays, and the increase in transportation costs caused by the 1973 oil crisis, the final price tag of the stadium was nearly four times the estimated. It was a bloated $165 million.
Meanwhile Bivian and the Saints stumbled along in years 1971,2,3 and 4. The cumulative record of the team for those four seasons was 16-37-3. Bivian was good, not great. The Saints were bad, not good. High hopes were not yet realized.
Yet hope springs eternal. It was now August of 1975. A new NFL season was four preseason games away. And for the Saints it meant a new home, the Superdome, and a fresh start.
Preseason games are for practice and ironing out the kinks for the most part. For the operation of the Superdome it was much the same warmup for its soon to be regular season grand opening.
On a steamy NOLA summer Saturday night 70,000 plus fans packed the dome to savor all if its grandeur for an otherwise meaningless preseason game. Bivian Lee was entering his fifth year and was once again starting at cornerback for the franchise. That the Saints lost was forgettable. How they lost was forgettable too. The stadium was the story.
Well, the why and how of the loss was forgettable until a reporter asked Bivian about getting beat for two touchdowns early in the contest. He assured all that he would be better in the regular season. The reporter asked if maybe Bivian had any trouble adjusting to all of the ceiling lights since it was the first game played under them. He said yes, but again said not to worry. When the reporter asked why the confidence, Bivian replied with confidence. “Because this game was played at night. And, the regular season games will be played in the day.”
The 1975 season ended as a major disappointment at 2 wins and 12 losses. The 1975 season was also the end of Bivian Lee’s professional career.
Oh, are you wondering what the moral of the story is? Apparently you don’t have to be too bright of a light to play under the bright lights of the world renown Superdome.
Lefty, Shorty, Nick, and Dabo. Legends All.
Last evening Lefty and Shorty were all but ready to close the Gulf Station. Rain was dropping from the heavens at an accelerating pace and cars were nowhere to be found. Lefty- Why do we stay open until midnight? Shorty-So that you and I can discuss the National Championship Game.
Lefty sat to the left of Shorty. Imagine that. Shorty sat on the shorter of the two “halves” of the 55 gallon drum. Imagine that. Each were cut down to size and retrofitted with a soft cushion top.
Lefty- Clemson really whupped up on Bama. Is this the start of a new era? Shorty- Overreaction. Every week somebody or some team is the greatest ever. Lefty- Yea, but isn’t this the beginning of the end for Saban and Bama? Shorty- Overreaction. Up until game time they were “the greatest ever.” Lefty- Yea but they got whipped. Shorty- They went 14-1. They ran through everyone but Clemson. Great year.
Lefty- Saban was out coached. Shorty- Yes he was. Lefty- Saban looked dumbfounded on the sideline. Shorty- What does dumbfounded mean? Lefty- Look in the mirror much? Shorty- Mirror? Lefty- Never mind. Wasn’t that fake field goal a bad call? Shorty- The only thing worse than the call was the execution.
Lefty- That Clemson quarterback is only a freshman. He’ll only get better. Shorty- That’s what they said about Tua last year after the game. This year he threw two picks, one for six. It’s only one game.
Lefty- Saban is 68 and Swinney is only 49. When Saban retires do you think Swinney will go to Bama? He played there. Shorty- No. He’s created Bama to the east of Bama. Lefty- Huh? Shorty- He has created and cultivated a winning culture. He has the recruiting rolling. Clemson is investing. His assistants are well paid. He’ll get another well-earned raise. Clemson today is all but Bama’s equal. Lefty- It’s his alma mater. Shorty- Why follow a legend somewhere else when you are a legend where you are?
Lefty- You mean, like us? Shorty- Say what? Lefty- No one pumps gas, changes oil, and fixes flats like we do. Who would want to follow us? Shorty- You’re a legend in your own mind. Goodnight. Lefty- Just one more question. What kind of name is Dabo? Shorty- What kind of name is Lefty? Lefty- What kind of name is Shorty? Shorty- Be sure to lock up.
Ten Piece Nuggets-NFL
Sweet and savory and served below, one at a time, are ten NFL nuggets for your digestion. It was the wild card weekend and it provided some wild moments.
- Poof! And just like that both of the third seeds and one fourth seed are done. Dallas, a four seed, is the highest rated survivor from the wild Wild Card weekend. They were also the only home team and division champion to hold serve.
- Three lower seeded and visiting teams won on the road. Two of them dominated. The Indianapolis Colts and the
San DiegoLost in Angeles Chargers won convincingly. - The four losing quarterbacks were Lamar Jackson, DeShaun Watson, Mitch Trubisky, and Russell Wilson. They are 22,23,24, and 30 years old respectively. Their experience in order is rookie, 2nd year, 2nd year, and 7th year. With age comes experience. Does experience entering the post season matter?
- The four winning quarterbacks were Phillip Rivers, Andrew Luck, Nick Foles, and Dak Prescott. They are 37,29,29, and 25 years old respectively. Their experience in order is 17th year, 7th year, 7th year, and 3rd year. With age comes experience. Does experience entering the post season matter?
- The Houston Texans won the AFC South Division Championship with an 11-5 record. But, they did that in name only. Indy was the better team coming down the stretch. They started 1-5 yet finished 10-6, coming down the stretch with eight impressive wins and one loss. After two possessions for each team Saturday it was 14-0 Colts after two “in your face” drives. School was out and so were the Texans.
- Seattle gave it their all, but Dallas had just a bit more in winning a close one. If these two teams played ten times they might post five wins each. The problem for Seattle is that the playoff format is one and done. Each team’s defense is top five in the league in points allowed and turnovers created. Dallas has a wee bit more talent on offense. Seattle has a kicker who does not know how to attempt an onside kick apparently.
- The LA Chargers lost at home to Baltimore three days before Christmas surrendering 22 points to a Raven offense that had a shiny new toy under the tree named Lamar. It ran like it had fresh batteries. But like most new toys at Christmas soon the newness wears off. The Chargers found the off switch. And suddenly not a creature was stirring, not even a Raven.
- Philadelphia looks like a team playing with house money. They won on the last regular season weekend and coupled with a Vikings loss found themselves in the playoffs. Then they went to Chicago and found a way to beat the Bears in an entertaining game that had a doink, doink field goal, no good, finish. The Bears need a new placekicker for the placekicker’s own safety if nothing else. He is perhaps the most hated Chicago sports figure since Steve Bartman got in the way of a foul fly ball.
- This coming weekend has the top two seeds from each conference hosting this past weekend’s winners. The hosts are rested after having the week off. Historically three of the top seeds win at home. But, that’s history. Philly, Indy, Dallas, and the LA Chargers make for formidable dogs.
- Speaking of dogs, the lines are NE(-4) v. LAC, KC(-5) v Indy, LAR(-7) v. Dallas, and NO(-8) v Philly. Having the week off and having your opponent give it their all the week prior is a big advantate. It’s furthered by them having to then travel to face you. It’s earned during the regular season and very appreciated right about now. If history holds which of these four home teams lose? BBR actually thinks two will. Patriot and Chief fans beware. Poof!