Category Archives: With A Jimmmitude

With A Jimmmitude: Monday 10/12/20

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There is only one topic today, the Los Angeles Lakers winning the 2020 NBA Finals.

LeBron James won his fourth Finals MVP en route to this fourth title. LeBron was his usual dominant self as the Lakers were able to defeat the Miami Heat in six games. When will people stop doubting this man? It was old a long time ago and it is still old today.

There were many people criticizing LeBron for passing the ball to a wide open Danny Green instead of taking a contested shot and it was flat out wrong. Uninformed arguments were made saying that Michael Jordan would never do that, but I guess they forgot when he passed to John Paxson and Steve Kerr. All in the name of trying have some useless argument about who the GOAT is. Honestly, who the hell cares? LeBron’s great, Jordan’s great, they are two of the best to ever play the game. Appreciate them both.

One final thought here. The Los Angeles Lakers were a team of destiny, winning the 2020 NBA Finals is the perfect tribute to Kobe Bryant.

With A Jimmmitude: Thursday 10/8/20

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1. Justin Herbert is the starting QB for the Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers have named Justin Herbert the starter for the rest of the season. Tyrod Taylor was originally the starter for L.A., but unfortunate circumstances have led to Herbert replacing him and eventually taking over as the starter. Once upon a time there was this thought that a starter shouldn’t lose his job due to injury. Well if everyone didn’t give up on that philosophy when Wally Pipp lost his job to Lou Gehrig they should have abandoned it completely when Tom Brady replaced Drew Bledsoe. (Note: Wally Pipp only had a headache and was not injured but the point stands).

2. Everyone panicked too early on Tom Brady

Speaking of Tom Brady, every pressed the panic button on Tom Brady way too early. Brady bounced back from a Week 1 loss which had people questioning the whole Tompa Bay thing and has just causally rattled off three good performances leading the Bucs to victory. Brady has completed 78 of 199 passes (65.55%) for 883 yards, and 9 touchdowns. When will people learn to not count out Tom Brady?

3. NBA Finals ratings

The ratings for the NBA Finals are not up to the levels of past years and of course there are people on the Internet trying to be too cute with why that is happening. Blaming social justice movements and wokeness for the ratings when the real reason is right in front of their eyes. They are playing in September/October and are in direct competition with just about every major sport. Usually the only competition for the NBA Playoffs is regular season baseball and playoff hockey, two things that they dominate rather easily.

The circumstances of no sports for a large portion of this year and all of them resuming at the same time did not help any sport in the ratings department. Competing head to head with Sunday Night Football is never going to end well for the NBA, that is before noting that Game 1 of The Finals started at 9:00 P.M.

Everyone would be better off realizing why things are actually the way they are instead of trying to support a flimsy narrative that has the stability of Dale Gribble’s non-conforming guard tower.

With A Jimmmitude: Wednesday 10/7/20

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1. Washington Football Team benches Dwayne Haskins

What an absolute clown show in Washington, the decision to bench Dwayne Haskins makes absolutely no sense. The team is going nowhere and making a change at quarterback will not change that. Haskins is someone who was always going to need time and Washington has plenty of it. Let the kid play and figure out exactly what you have in second year quarterback.

In regards to the depth chart in Washington now? Insert garbage can emoji right here. If Haskins was bumped down to the second spot behind Alex Smith that’s one thing, but Kyle Allen is the starter with Smith the backup and Haskins third in line. There is no reason for this as we all know Allen stinks and does not deserve additional playing time.

2. Bill O’Brien fired

About damn time, enough said.

3. Eddie Van Halen

This isn’t sports related but this is something I wanted to express my feelings about. Eddie Van Halen passed away on Tuesday and he is someone who had an impact on my life from a young age. Eddie was the reason I wanted to play guitar, I remember the first time I heard a Van Halen song and it made me say I want to do that.

My first guitar was a Frankenstrat lookalike that I got for $100 at a local music store. Before I even took my first guitar lesson I sat at home mimicking the finger tapping technique that is synonymous with Eddie Van Halen. Was it anything actually close to what he did? No, but I was 8 years old and in my mind I was playing just like Eddie.

You were one of the greatest guitar players of all time and your impact will be felt forever. Rest in peace Edward Lodewijk Van Halen.

NFL Week 4 thoughts and observations

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Thoughts and observations from NFL Week 4

1. San Francisco 49ers miss Jimmy Garoppolo

First things first, I do not think much of Jimmy Garoppolo. That being said he is significantly better than San Francisco’s other options (Nick Mullens, CJ Beathard). The 49ers are a better team with Garoppolo compared to without him. While Jimmy G may never be a Top 5 quarterback, he at least plays at a level that is not detrimental to the team.

2. Nick Foles unable to continue magic in Week 4

Nick Foles was not able to rally the Bears to a second straight victory as they lost to the Colts by a score of 19-11. Chicago had to punt 7 times and it is not easy to win when the punt unit comes out that often. Big Dick Nick didn’t build off of last week but the fact of the matter is that he played better than Mitchell Trubisky would have.

3. Bill O’Brien stinks

As long as Houston continues to employ Bill O’Brien they will be doomed. Nothing more needs to be said.

4. Monday Night doubleheader should be fun

This is less of an observation and more of projecting a thought onto tonight. There are two games on Monday night and they should be fun. The Patriots and Chiefs should be an entertaining matchup, but the absence of Cam Newton will take a bit of the star power out of the game. Falcons and Packers may not be competitive, however Aaron Rodgers should have a field day against the joke that is the Atlanta Falcons defense. Rodgers airing it out is always entertaining, sit back and enjoy the show.

With A Jimmmitude: Friday 10/2/2020

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1. How long until the New York Jets fire Adam Gase?

The New York Jets lost again and somehow Adam Gase is currently still employed. Denver was on their third quarterback of the season and still came out victorious over the Jets. Adam Gase is obviously a bad coach who only got his opportunities due to being around one of the greatest quarterbacks ever in Peyton Manning. We’ve seen Gase coach in two places since he had Manning running his offense and it is very apparent that the success is because of Peyton and not Gase. Firing Gase this season will probably not have an impact in the win-loss column, but it could help take a step in the right direction culture wise.

2. Marlins vs. Cubs

The Miami Marlins shocked many when they defeated the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of their series. Game 2 was postponed on Thursday and will take place today at 2:00 P.M. Can the Marlins pull off the upset and send the superior Cubs home early? I’m not sure but I will definitely be watching that game today.

3. Cardinals vs. Padres

What a series this has been. The Padres and Cardinals have split the first two games of their series and now face a win or go home scenario. If San Diego had Mike Clevinger or Dinelson Lamet they may have won the series already. Once I saw that the Padres would be without both pitchers I really thought the Cardinals could advance. St. Louis is good enough to at least compete with better teams and the fact they didn’t have to face Clevinger and Lamet may lead to them advancing to the Divisional Series.

With A Jimmmitude: Thursday 10/1/2020

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With A Jimmmitude Thursday October 1, 2020: Thoughts about Thursday Night Football and the teams eliminated from the MLB Postseason.

1. Thursday Night Football

The Denver Broncos are facing the New York Jets on Thursday Night Football and I couldn’t be less interested. Even if both teams were at full strength I would have limited interest. The fact of the matter is that both teams have a ton of injured players and that will impact the quality of play. The game may be entertaining, but for different reasons entirely. It might be due to poor play or absolutely hilarious mistakes from either team. The Jets are apparently not prepared to fire Adam Gase, but a disastrous showing might be in the best interest of the team as it might actually lead to his firing.

2. Eliminated from the MLB Postseason

Wednesday saw three teams eliminated from the 2020 MLB Postseason, the Cleveland Baseball Club, Minnesota Twins, and the Toronto Blue Jays.

The Twins are frauds, enough said. Minnesota dazzles during the regular season, but becomes choke artists once the word “Postseason” appears.

Toronto is a team a year away that needs some more experience and to add a few more players to the mix. They have a great core and are a team on the rise. While they may not compete for a division title immediately, Wild Card berths seem to be the path for Toronto for the time being.

Cleveland just drew a bad matchup in the New York Yankees and were outclassed in both of their games. They are just not quite equipped to compete with the best teams in baseball at this time.

3. Decisive Game 3 in Oakland

The Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox are playing a winner take all Game 3 on Thursday. Oakland is the better team and should be able to make their way through the Wild Card round. The White Sox are not pushovers, but there is a clear difference between them and the Athletics. Either team could win and that is what makes this game a must watch.

With A Jimmmitude: Wednesday 9/30/20

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With A Jimmmitude post for Wednesday, September 30, 2020: Thoughts about the MLB Playoffs and the NBA Finals.

1. Home Field Advantage?

Only one home team won on Tuesday, the Tampa Bay Rays. Minnesota, Cleveland, and Oakland all lost and any sort of home field advantage is being tested after only one game. Now three teams who were the higher seed in the first round of the playoffs could be eliminated today. If home field advantage is going to be a thing in the first round of the playoffs it has to start today.

2. National League Playoffs begin

The American League got the spotlight on Tuesday, but the National League begins Wednesday. Three intriguing matchups and one that seems to be a foregone conclusion, let’s start there. The Los Angeles Dodgers are taking on the Milwaukee Brewers in a series that should be an easy win for L.A. Stranger things have happened, but a Dodgers win seems like a lock.

Now for the intriguing matchups. Reds vs. Braves, Marlins vs. Cubs, Cardinals vs. Padres. These series could really go either way, the differences between these teams do not appear to be as large as the difference between the Brewers and Dodgers. Any upset that occurs with these teams would not be surprising in the least bit. Let the chaos begin.

3. NBA Finals

Lakers and Heat, what matchup for the 2020 NBA Finals. Will LeBron James be able to win his fourth ring and build his legacy? Can the Los Angeles Lakers win another title in what would be a fitting tribute to Kobe Bryant? Can Jimmy Butler change the narrative that has surrounded him throughout his career and build a legacy of his own? Whatever happens in The Finals it is sure to be entertaining. It feels like the Lakers should win, but never count out the Heat. Miami just has that feel of a championship caliber team, but the Lakers seem to be a team of destiny.

With A Jimmitude: Tuesday Thoughts 9/29/20

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First post of a new format. The With A Jimmmitude title will be used for a daily blog of thoughts and miscellaneous opinions about sports.

Monday Night Football shows difference between Chiefs and Ravens

Everyone knows that the Baltimore Ravens are a good team. Monday just showed the difference between a good team and a great team. It is performances like Lamar Jackons’s 15-28 for 97 yards which question his ability as a passer. While criticism is warranted, let’s not get carried away. Jackson has a lot of room to improve as a passer, but his performance Monday was not indicative of his true talent level.

As far as Patrick Mahomes goes, my birthday bud is that dude. Mahomes looks like he wants to win another MVP and if he can keep playing like this it is certainly in the cards. Mahomes completed 31 of 42 passes for 385 yards and 4 touchdowns in what looked like an easy win over Baltimore.

Congrats to the Tampa Bay Lightning

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning on winning their second Stanley Cup in franchise history. Growing up in Michigan while the then Pistons owner also owned the Lightning. Because of this I always felt a bit of an overlap even though it is Red Wings country. Also, when the Lighting won the Stanley Cup in 2004, the Pistons defeated the Lakers in the NBA Finals.

Dream about the MLB postseason and World Series

So the other night I had a dream about the MLB postseason, more specifically the World Series. I was in my house sitting on my couch with my dogs getting ready to watch Game 7 of the 2020 World Series. I looked up at the TV and saw the logos of the two teams playing in the World Series. It was the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs, a rematch of 2016.

There are reasons why I mentioned my house, my couch, and my dogs. It is show that I am not reliving a memory from four years ago. My dogs are only 1.5 years old, so that is self explanatory. Not only did I not own my current house, I didn’t live in house the last time Cleveland was in the World Series. Also, I didn’t even live in Ohio, I lived in Michigan. And as far as the couch goes, I have only had that couch while living in this house.

While it may not be all that likely that this happens, it would be pretty strange. Not only Cleveland and Chicago meeting again the World Series, but going seven games again. On one hand I would like to be someone who can predict the future and see this happen. On the other hand another Game 7 against the Cubs would cause Twitter to be a complete dumpster fire.

NFL Week 3 thoughts and observations

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The third week of the NFL season did not disappoint. There were quite a few talking points from the week that caught my eye and I have some thoughts on them.

1. The Mitchell Trubisky era in Chicago is over

This was going to happen sooner or later, Mitchell Trubisky is out and Nick Foles is in. Once the switch was made it has to be permanent. Matt Nagy cannot go back and forth like a yo-yo with his quarterbacks and end up with ineffective performances from Mitch and Big Dick Nick. Best of luck to Mitchell Trubisky and his future endeavors as his time as the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears appears to be over for good. Perhaps another NFL team is willing to take a chance on the former second overall pick.

2. Another disastrous ending for the Falcons and Dan Quinn

The Atlanta Falcons are cursed. Another heartbreaking loss and Dan Quinn is squarely on the hot seat. Entering the 4th quarter Atlanta was up 26-10 and the aforementioned Bears made a change at quarterback. Chicago proceeded to score 20 unanswered points and the Falcons are left just standing there drenched in failure yet again. Making a coaching change midseason might not do anything, but what we’ve seen so far from Dan Quinn has been unacceptable on so many levels.

3. Josh Allen elite?

When evaluating Josh Allen before the draft it was quite evident that he was a quarterback that was going to take some time to develop. Simply looking at numbers or grades or whatever advanced stats that some treat as gospel was not going to give an accurate representation of what Josh Allen was going to be. To quote clown show Mel Kiper Jr., “Stats are for losers”. Just kidding, sort of. Josh Allen was going to take time, but anyone who understands football saw the potential and upside with Allen. After 3 weeks Allen is 2nd in passing yards (1,038), 2nd in TD passes (10), 8th in completion percentage (71.1%), and 4th in QBR (86.1). Sure, Allen will make the occasional mistake or hilarious play, but the fact of the matter is he is among the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now.

4. Doug Pederson: Gutless

Remember when Doug Pederson released a book titled “Fearless”? Fun times. Apparently he is no longer fearless as his decision making at the end of the overtime period was not only confusing, it was gutless. Pederson was perfectly comfortable settling for the tie rather than trying to win, hardly the attitude that should be present in the NFL. Philadelphia should have defeated the Cincinnati Bengals easily, but a 23-23 tie was the final result. Doug Pederson should be embarrassed by this result. Maybe he should take some time this week and channel some of his previous fearless energy, because right now it is non-existent.

NFL Week 2 thoughts/observations

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Week 2 of the NFL season was quite interesting as there will be several items that are sure to be talking points this week and as the season progresses.

1. Still not sure what the Cleveland Browns are

Sure, the Cleveland Browns looked better against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday, but we should not forget the disastrous showing against the Baltimore Ravens just a few days prior. Baker Mayfield looked good when players were schemed open against Cincinnati. Mayfield looked terrible when facing Baltimore and they made him look more like the 2019 version and not the second half of 2018. The next game against the Washington Football Team should provide a bit more clarity in regards to the skill level of Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns. Are they a good, bad, or average NFL team? The answer to that question may come into focus after Week 3.

2. Cam Newton is really good and it should result in firings in other organizations

Cam Newton looks like Cam Newton again and that is scary, Josh McDaniels has put together an offense catered to his particular skill set and is getting the most out of him. Even in a shortened offseason and no preseason games, McDaniels was able to adapt and install an offense for Newton that will make the New England Patriots a legitimate contender this season. The fact that there were multiple NFL teams in need of a quarterback and Cam Newton signed a one-year bargain basement prove-it deal with New England should result in multiple firings across the league.

3. The Falcons special teams debacle is emblematic of the issues in Atlanta

This was an all-time collapse. The Atlanta Falcons let the ball on Dallas’ onside kick attempt roll 10 yards untouched and allowed the Cowboys to recover. If the goal for Atlanta was to practice social distancing in regards to the ball, mission accomplished. The fact that Atlanta did not understand the rules when it comes to an onside kick just shows the lack of attention to detail by Dan Quinn and his coaching staff. Would firing Quinn result in better on-field success this season? Not likely. However, if he is fired at some point this debacle should represent his failure as their head coach.

4. Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn are in a bad place in Detroit

There are so many NFL teams that hire a Bill Belichick disciple and watch them crash and burn. This is why some teams are hesitant to hire others (Josh McDaniels being the most recent example). While there have been issues with what has gone on with Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn, there is a certain set of circumstances in order for someone copying Belichick to be successful. Patricia did not come into a situation where those circumstances existed and that’s why things sit the way they do currently.

The Lions had expectations of playoffs and building upon what Jim Caldwell left after his departure. The problem is what was being implemented is not for teams looking to take the next step, it is for building a foundation and a culture, essentially building from the ground up. Bringing in the duo of Patricia and Quinn is like trying to change a building that has already been constructed. No matter how many changes are made, it will still resemble what was there before any remodeling was done.

A perfect example of what they were trying do succeeding with another NFL team is the Miami Dolphins. Miami was actively tanking and still won games. Brian Flores is building the foundation for a successful organization and was put in the right situation to do so. The Dolphins may have lacked talent last season, but that did not stop them from winning five football games. This is two more than Patricia’s Lions who had a more talented roster and were trying to win. It is a safe bet that if the two teams faced each other that Miami would have come out on top and that just amplifies the issues with the Lions.

Are Quinn and Patricia faultless in their failures? No, absolutely not. Although it is worth mentioning that they have not done a whole lot to prove they should stick around in Detroit beyond this season. When the year is up there could be some major changes coming for an organization that has often been too loyal when it comes to keeping their front office executives and head coaches employed.