Will the Monday Night Football performance by San Francisco 49er quarterback Brock Purdy put an end to the “Brock Purdy MVP” take?
I’m not going to be a wet blanket about Purdy’s – the 2022 Mr. Irrelevant – 2023 campaign. He has been solid, but he’s not the NFL’s MVP. The NFL’s leading candidate for MVP, however, was at Levi’s Stadium in Satna Clara, California on Christmas night.
Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback who likely excites local flexbone fans here in Warsaw, is – instead – whom we should be talking about for the league’s MVP.
Purdy is testimony to being a system quarterback. He threw four interceptions in a long evening against a tough Ravens defense in his effort to take on too much of the burden of bringing San Francisco back from a 21-point deficit.
49er head coach Kyle Shanahan’s system isn’t the prescription a doctor would order for an effective come-from-behind effort, and Purdy, slinging desperately, wasn’t effective on the field, either.
Shanahan’s 49er teams, by the way, are 0-38 during his coaching tenure when trailing by 8 points or more in the fourth quarter. This is also the guy who was so rigid as the Atlanta Falcons’ offensive coordinator, and head coach in the ‘Niners most recent Super Bowl loss he and his offensive units blew 28-point and 11-point leads respectively.
As for Purdy, how valuable are you when your system coach can replace you and still be successful executing his offensive game plan? When the Ravens are without the services of Jackson and his inimitable weapons, they aren’t recognizable on offense.
The Cotton Bowl was not complete at the time I shared my weekly thoughts with you. If you’re reading this the night after the Missouri-Ohio State Cotton Bowl fray, and Harrison Mevis kicked five field goals, and the Buckeyes score five touchdowns en route to a 35-15 win, then today is a win-win morning for me.
The Detroit Lions won their first division title in 30 years (the 1993 season). I immediately grew tired of hearing how much gas cost, what some of the top songs were, and the price of a loaf of bread were in a year where many of the Lions’ players weren’t even born or were too young to be part of the 1993 team and/or its fan base.
My friends and family are “feeeeeelin it…” in the form of their Cleveland Browns and the Lions battling in the Super Bowl on Sunday February 5.
I’m “feeeeeeelin…” an opening wild card round Cleveland playoff loss.
I’m happy for the Browns and the Lions, of course. Each team (Cleveland 2016, Detroit 2008) are the first teams since the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-14 in 1976) to endure winless seasons, so these days in the 2023 NFL season have been long-awaited.
Super Bowl talk, though, is a reach.
The Boston Celtics are not just off to a blistering 28-6 start. They’re good in a very sustainable way. I’ve always liked watching the 7’3” shooting forward Kristaps Porzingis play. He’s physically a unicorn at his position. It’s good to see him leave an organization like the New York Knicks to join a franchise with a viable shot – team health permitting – at a deep NBA playoff run.
Jaylen Brown, Jason Tatum, and Jrue Holiday (sporting a 2021 championship ring, by the way) make for a nice outfit to watch in early season action.
I’m sure Butler University basketball fans are also happy for Brad Stevens and his managerial success since he was moved from the bench to the front office in Boston.
I haven’t rooted for the Celtics in decades. In the 1980s when they were battling the Lakers in multiple years of title series, and within their conference, the 76ers and the Pistons, I rooted against them almost every year until the Detroit Bad Boys elevated themselves on my NBA hierarchy of evil.
Those of you in the office who are not on vacation, but instead working through the end of the calendar year realize it’s a time frame of mixed emotions.
Its’ a great opportunity to have additional uninterrupted time for some of those “in the weeds” projects… until someone interrupts you because your transactional people are off for the week, or because someone above you made you their designate until they return.
I’ll be in Mishawaka as the public address announcer for the IHSAA Girls’ Wrestling Regional meet (starts this morning at 9 in Mishawaka’s West Gym) by the time most of you are reading this.
Girls’ wrestling and boys’ volleyball are emerging sports in the IHSAA.
PA announcing a wrestling meet is like announcing a track meet. You’re announcing who’s up and who’s on deck. Most of your communication over the speakers is telling athletes and coaches where they need to be, and what they need to be doing when they get there.
With this said, Wawasee has close to a dozen athletes competing this morning while Warsaw has seven athletes lined up for action on the mat.
Regionals are the first postseason round of wrestling for the girls. The top four placers will advance to the Penn semistate. Teams can wrestle more than one athlete in each weight class, but only one athlete can be designated as a tournament advancer.
The girls’ wrestle among 14 weight classes ranging from the 100 pounds to 235 pounds.
I wish the Warriors and the Tigers much success this morning.
I also wish you readers a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.