Sports Potpourri Galore: Long Live Joe Flacco, Pistons Belong On Mt. Crapmore, Don't Sleep On Matthew Stafford & The Rams, And More!
Diving into a delicious buffet of sports talk from the holiday period...
I love holiday season.
But I also hate holiday season.
Allow me to explain.
I hate it because I literally don’t know what day of the week it is right now. I am so confused, although that is pretty standard for me.
But I also love this week because there is literally games on every single night and it is freaking great.
We have College Bowl games galore. The NFL is approaching playoff time. The NBA is heating up. And, oh, the NHL is back tonight after a three-day holiday break.
It just seems like sports is in overdrive this time of year.
So, I decided it would be fitting to do what I haven’t done in a while…
Rattle my head and hope a whole bunch of random sports thoughts come tumbling out. I mean, let’s face it, there isn’t much else in there.
I have so much I want to unload and put on the page, but whether much of it or any of it will be of any interest to you, who knows.
It is like the Christmas stocking I used to get as a kid. The stuff at the top was great and exciting, but the closer you got to the bottom the more chance you had of pulling out a toothbrush or a book. Although, I love reading so I always screamed with joy (literally) when I had a book or two in my stocking.
Anyway, I hope this proves to be a blockbuster Christmas stocking full of goodness from top to bottom for you all.
Spoiler alert: the top of this smorgasbord of sports talk will be football heavy before we dive into some hockey and basketball. There may be a sliver of baseball stuff too.
Let’s go…
🔘 God bless Joe Flacco. Man, what a cool story. I’m a Jets fan so I had a very different view of the Super Bowl XLVII MVP - mainly that he was cooked - and I felt the Browns were officially done for when they signed the veteran. How very wrong I was. And I think most of the sports world can join me in that Titanic sized boat, too. Flacco has been nothing short of a Christmas miracle for the Browns, and it will go down as one of the coolest stories of the 2023 season. He has seemingly taken a large gulp from the fountain of youth to defeat Father Time for now, steering Cleveland to a 10-5 record and to the cusp of the playoffs. Just incredible. What is even more incredible, however, is how Flacco is playing during this unthinkable resurgence that could be mistaken for an overambitious Hollywood movie script. The 38-year-old - who hasn’t really been good or relevant for a substantial period of time now (he was 3-14 in 17 NFL starts with the Broncos and Jets) - leads the entire NFL in passing yards (1,307) since Week 13, as well as being tied in passing touchdowns (10) with Brock Purdy of the 49ers and Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. Flacco is on an all-time heater right now that is as unlikely as it is electrifying, and the Browns are the funnest, in-team to root for at the moment. They have a formidable defense, Amari Cooper is an elite weapon and then Flacco is the lovable bit of tape that is holding the whole thing together. I can’t begin to tell you how locked in I was to Browns - Texans on Christmas Eve, and it was all down to Joe Flacco. Some of the throws he made were insane, most of which were to Cooper, who had a career day with 11 receptions for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Just watch the video below to marvel at the arm strength being displayed by a 39-year-old, beaten up quarterback in Sunday’s game, a man we all thought was washed. Whatever happens here on out, Flacco should be Comeback Player of the Year. Just an awe-inspiring story. He is making chicken salad out of chicken shit every single game, and it is just breathtaking to watch. Of all the things that have happened this year, me being hooked on Cleveland Browns football this late in December is perhaps the biggest surprise of them all.
🔘 I’m so ready for this Jets season to be over. I was actually enjoying Sunday’s game, until that late collapse against the Commanders just reminded me of everything horribly wrong about this team. Even though Aaron Rodgers will be back, I’m not as excited for 2024 as I once was. Gulp.
🔘 The Ravens are for real. And I think Lamar Jackson sealed the deal when it comes to the MVP Award with his big night against the 49ers on Sunday. Jackson finished 23 of 35 for 252 yards and two touchdowns, to go along with 45 yards on the ground. It was a statement game for Jackson and the Ravens, who now own the best record in football at 12-3. Sure, it helped that Brock Purdy and San Francisco crapped the bed, but I think now is the time to stop sleeping on both Baltimore and its dynamic QB. They have the dominant defense, a slew of elite weapons and a quarterback who can make magic happen out of nothing. Now, I still think the 49ers are the team to beat and Purdy is allowed an off night, but Baltimore is dangerous. Very dangerous.