Sports

[Spurt]

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@nrm wrote:

@Spurt Thanks so much for the post. Darrius has a big personality and loves to laugh and talk. He’s a 20 year old kid who likes to play video games. So now someone who needs their player drafted feels that they have to make up rumors about the most unlikely, yet more qualified player. It’s a shame that it happens but it does and I’m sure that Darrius hasn’t been the only player to meet that fate. 

I read an interesting article by Alex Hickey who interviewed Gabe Fertitta Darrius ‘ high school coach and mentor and father figure which was about the kid who fans and players know. Mr. Hickey writes for SEC Country. 

I also should mention that I know very little about pro football or much about the game itself unlike my family members who eat,sleep and breathe it. Bless their hearts, but I think I know a good player when I see one and what he does on the field seems to translate to off the field behavior. 

Thanks for letting me ramble on. 

Looking forward to your Thursday Q Talk post,as always! 

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@nrm

Thank you for shedding some additional light on Derrius Guice.  I hope he has a long and successul NFL career. 

[Spurt]

@gardenman @nrm

There's probably all kinds of stuff that goes on behind the scenes with people with various motives....and when I heard about stock falling because of character issues I was thinking of more serious things....

I wonder how many business people missed a flight and were late for a meeting....and long ago there was one player (I forget who) that was always late for meetings because he said his alarm didnt go off.....so the coach bought him a new alarm clock....LOL!  Other players have been distracted by more serious things than video games like "ladies of the evening", drugs, DUIs, gambling,  etc.....As for the shouting match IF it occurred who knows what was said by the supposedly more mature front office guy....2 sides to a story......Was he sabotaged....we will probably never know....

I like what Derrius said at his press conference when they started to ask questions on character issues and what had transpired.  He didnt pout, shout, or bad mouth other teams....all he said that was all behind him, and he is grateful for his opportunity with the Redskins and he was ready to go to work.  It was fun because DL Da Ron Payne was at the same press conference and Derrius was talking about playing against Payne and the guys at Alabama,  and DaRon talked about how fired up they'd get going against LSU and reliving the Alabama/LSU games.....And they laughed because now they are teammates.....

I didnt know that there were also conflicting reports regarding  medical concerns regarding Cowboys draft pick, Leighton Vander Esch....so he got a bit of that too..

[Spurt]

@gardenman

Some of the talking heads were talking about how doors seemed to be closing for Dez and one of them mentioned a good place for him would be with the Redskins....  While he has calmed down on and off the field I dont know if Id want him........Although he would be all fired up when the Redskins and Cowboys would meet.........

[Spurt]

I know the draft picks haven't even put on pads yet, but here's a fun after draft Power Rankings....  I think they got the Redskins right at #18 (IF they can stay healthy)......A lot of surprises though.............

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2773222-nfl-power-rankings-where-does-every-team-stand-after-the-...

[gardenman]

@Spurt

These kinds of stories pop up every year and for multiple players. Josh Sweat, the defensive end the Eagles drafted, fell to the Eagles because rumors were swirling about his knee. He'd dislocated his left knee back in high school, but played in his freshman, sophomore and junior years in college. In 2016 he had a small meniscus injury that needed surgery, but recovered fine. If you listened to some of the reports his left leg was going to fall off at the first hit, but it's just not true.

The physicals these guys take at the combine are insanely thorough. If there was a medical issue, it would have been flagged there. The kid runs a 4.53 forty, jumps 39.5", and did a broad jump of 124 inches. His 20 yard short shuttle time was 4.28 which is really fast. Most of us should be so lucky as to have a knee that bad.

His stats at Flroida State weren't the best, but he was the defensive end in a 3-4 aligment and his primary job was to occupy the tackle so the outside linebackers could make plays. Now he'll be unleashed in Jim Schwartz's wide nine defense to find and kill quarterbacks and we'll see what happens.

If you believed all of the pre-draft whispers, no kid would get drafted. They've all got just horrible, horrible flaws. Probably ninety plus percent of the time, the charges are completely false and maybe five percent of the time there's some limited truth to them. The kids' agents should be ready to pounce at the first mention of trouble and knock it down, but in Guice's case the agent was asleep at the wheel. Ridiculous accusation after accusation was made and never challenged. The agent should have clamped down on the lies immediately. "Absolutely false!" should have been shouted out as soon as the first hint of trouble was mentioned. Instead they let lie pile atop of lie until no one could feel comfortable with the kid. 

[Spurt]

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@gardenman

Maybe thats why Derrius changed agents.........The Redskins supposedly talked to both his former and current agents as well as other people.......Doug Williams even knows the neighborhood well that Derrius came from..........

“To be honest with you, he grew up in the area that I grew up,” Williams recently said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I know more about him than a lot of folks have known about him. And when you think about this kid from where he comes from and to be in the position that he’s in, you’ve got to applaud the kid, and you know sometimes people will misunderstand a kid that comes out of where he comes out of. There’s an area down in Baton Rouge they call ‘The Bottom.’ Very few young men come out of ‘The Bottom.'”

As far as Williams is concerned, there’s no reason to be concerned about Guice

“For this kid, who doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, hasn’t been arrested, no failed drug tests,” Williams said. “He’s a happy-go-lucky kid" . Moving to the next level of football requires a great degree of gravity. Williams thinks Guice will be fine with that. “His world has just changed,” Williams said. “It’s all about business. And I don’t think he’s going to have a problem with that.”

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I never heard these kinds of stories before, just the hard core really bad things........I guess with all the technology and social media much has changed......

@gardenman BTW how are you doing?  How are you healing?

[gardenman]

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@Spurt wrote:

@gardenman

Some of the talking heads were talking about how doors seemed to be closing for Dez and one of them mentioned a good place for him would be with the Redskins....  While he has calmed down on and off the field I dont know if Id want him........Although he would be all fired up when the Redskins and Cowboys would meet.........

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Where would you rank Dez in terms of talent among the current Redskins receivers? (Josh Doctson, Jamison Crowder, Brian Quick, Paul Richardson Jr., and Maurice Harris.) I might put him atop that list. Maybe Alex Smith will get great results from those guys, but what I've seen from them so far, hasn't impressed me. 

The power rankings are always fun. At this time of year I tend to go more by the coaches and starting QB's for where teams stand. I don't have a problem with the Browns at 32. Hue Jackson has shown nothing as a head coach other than an uncanny abilty to keep his job despite only winning one game in two years. How the heck do you only win one game in two years? Even if you're trying to lose it's not that easy to lose.

I would probably rank the Cards a bit higher than they have them. They've got a decent QB situation there in Bradford, Glennon and now Josh Rosen. I could see them winning six to eight games this year. The Colts need a healthy Andrew Luck. Until you know what's up with him 30 is a pretty good spot for them. If he's fully healthy twelve is better. The Dolphins, you never know what you'll get from Tannehill. I don't have a problem with them down low. The Jets might be lower for me. I'm not sure they have the right head coach.

The Bucs have rebuilt that defensive line with studs. They might be a bit higher rated for me. Jameis Winston is still a question mark, but he does have talent. I'm not sure the Broncos didn't swing and miss with Case Keenum. I just don't see him being a really good QB and their head coach leaves me less than impressed. I think the Bears will be better than 25. God only knows what the Raiders will do. Gruden's back but is that a plus or minus? I'd like the Niners a bit higher. Jimmy Garoppolo never loses a game. (At least not yet.) Good coach and a good QB. Houston's pretty good, maybe better than 20. Dallas, not impressed  by the coach or QB. I might slide them down from 21. The Bengals, another not impressive coach or QB. Slide them back for me. The Seahawks are a disaster zone right now. They've cut the heart out of their defense. There's only so much Russell Wilson can do by himself. I'd move them down. The Redskins position depends on Alex Smith. If he's good I might even move them up a bit. If he's another Andy Reid castoff that's spent, I'd move them down.

The Bills have a weird QB situation. AJ McCarron and Josh Allen are both unknowns. I'd slide them back a bit. Tyrod Taylor pretty much single-handedly won games for them the last few years. I'd probably move Baltimore back a bit too. Lots of whispers of less confidence in Harbaugh these days. That can motivate a team to win, or roll over and die. I'd slide Detroit back also. Matt Patricia is a big unknown. Belichick disciples tend to not do well on their own. I'd slide Detroit back. The Giants might be okay at 14. It depends on Eli. He's reverted to hitting the turf at the first sign of pressure in recent years and granted he's had a porous offensive line, but still. I might slide them back a bit. I think the Falcons are under rated at 13. The Chargers are iffy. Are they a top twelve team? I don't think so. Green Bay would be a top ten team for me based on Rodgers and McCarthy. Maybe top five. The Titans are iffy at ten. I might slide them back a few spots. The Chiefs at nine depends on the kid QB. Andy's seldom wrong about QB's so I'd keep them at nine. The Panthers at eight? I don't know. If Cam has a good year, they could be top five. If he has a bad year they could be bottom five. The Steelers at seven are probably over-rated. Good coach and QB, but losing Shazier is tough. I wouldn't drop them back far, but I'd move them back. The Saints won the lottery last year in the draft hitting on almost every pick. Sixth is okay with them. The Vikings at five are probably over-rated. Cousins will need some time to fit in. They could be top five by the end of the year, but not at the start. Jacksonville at four feels over-rated to me. A heck of a defense, but Bortles still scares me. I might flip the Patriots and Rams. I think the Patriots are better than the Rams. I like the Eagles at number one. Good depth and good talent at every level.

[gardenman]

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@Spurt wrote:

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@gardenman

Maybe thats why Derrius changed agents.........The Redskins supposedly talked to both his former and current agents as well as other people.......Doug Williams even knows the neighborhood well that Derrius came from..........

“To be honest with you, he grew up in the area that I grew up,” Williams recently said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I know more about him than a lot of folks have known about him. And when you think about this kid from where he comes from and to be in the position that he’s in, you’ve got to applaud the kid, and you know sometimes people will misunderstand a kid that comes out of where he comes out of. There’s an area down in Baton Rouge they call ‘The Bottom.’ Very few young men come out of ‘The Bottom.'”

As far as Williams is concerned, there’s no reason to be concerned about Guice

“For this kid, who doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, hasn’t been arrested, no failed drug tests,” Williams said. “He’s a happy-go-lucky kid" . Moving to the next level of football requires a great degree of gravity. Williams thinks Guice will be fine with that. “His world has just changed,” Williams said. “It’s all about business. And I don’t think he’s going to have a problem with that.”

************************************************************

I never heard these kinds of stories before, just the hard core really bad things........I guess with all the technology and social media much has changed......

@gardenman BTW how are you doing?  How are you healing?

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The healing is coming along. I'm back to weight bearing on the leg again. The last x-rays showed 5-10% healing which is a lot better than nothing.  I've got another three plus weeks of the PICC line (at least.) More PT. More meds, but the end is now slowly crawling into sight. Broken femurs are said to be a four to six month injury and the more pieces the longer the recovery. I cleverly broke mine into many pieces. We crossed the four month mark and are rapidly closing in on the five month mark (That'll be May 11th.) I'm down to one crutch when around the house. I've mowed the grass twice now on the one crutch. I can get around a bit on no crutches, but it's not especially pretty. I'm getting there. 

[Spurt]

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@gardenman wrote:

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@Spurt wrote:

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@gardenman

Maybe thats why Derrius changed agents.........The Redskins supposedly talked to both his former and current agents as well as other people.......Doug Williams even knows the neighborhood well that Derrius came from..........

“To be honest with you, he grew up in the area that I grew up,” Williams recently said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I know more about him than a lot of folks have known about him. And when you think about this kid from where he comes from and to be in the position that he’s in, you’ve got to applaud the kid, and you know sometimes people will misunderstand a kid that comes out of where he comes out of. There’s an area down in Baton Rouge they call ‘The Bottom.’ Very few young men come out of ‘The Bottom.'”

As far as Williams is concerned, there’s no reason to be concerned about Guice

“For this kid, who doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, hasn’t been arrested, no failed drug tests,” Williams said. “He’s a happy-go-lucky kid" . Moving to the next level of football requires a great degree of gravity. Williams thinks Guice will be fine with that. “His world has just changed,” Williams said. “It’s all about business. And I don’t think he’s going to have a problem with that.”

************************************************************

I never heard these kinds of stories before, just the hard core really bad things........I guess with all the technology and social media much has changed......

@gardenman BTW how are you doing?  How are you healing?

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The healing is coming along. I'm back to weight bearing on the leg again. The last x-rays showed 5-10% healing which is a lot better than nothing.  I've got another three plus weeks of the PICC line (at least.) More PT. More meds, but the end is now slowly crawling into sight. Broken femurs are said to be a four to six month injury and the more pieces the longer the recovery. I cleverly broke mine into many pieces. We crossed the four month mark and are rapidly closing in on the five month mark (That'll be May 11th.) I'm down to one crutch when around the house. I've mowed the grass twice now on the one crutch. I can get around a bit on no crutches, but it's not especially pretty. I'm getting there. 

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@gardenman

Glad to hear that there's been progress. And I wish you continued healing!!!  

I can't believe you mowed the grass twice with one crutch!!!-WOW!!!  That is some feat!!! 

Take Care!

[gardenman]

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@Spurt wrote:

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@gardenman wrote:

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@Spurt wrote:

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@gardenman

Maybe thats why Derrius changed agents.........The Redskins supposedly talked to both his former and current agents as well as other people.......Doug Williams even knows the neighborhood well that Derrius came from..........

“To be honest with you, he grew up in the area that I grew up,” Williams recently said on SiriusXM NFL Radio. “I know more about him than a lot of folks have known about him. And when you think about this kid from where he comes from and to be in the position that he’s in, you’ve got to applaud the kid, and you know sometimes people will misunderstand a kid that comes out of where he comes out of. There’s an area down in Baton Rouge they call ‘The Bottom.’ Very few young men come out of ‘The Bottom.'”

As far as Williams is concerned, there’s no reason to be concerned about Guice

“For this kid, who doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, hasn’t been arrested, no failed drug tests,” Williams said. “He’s a happy-go-lucky kid" . Moving to the next level of football requires a great degree of gravity. Williams thinks Guice will be fine with that. “His world has just changed,” Williams said. “It’s all about business. And I don’t think he’s going to have a problem with that.”

************************************************************

I never heard these kinds of stories before, just the hard core really bad things........I guess with all the technology and social media much has changed......

@gardenman BTW how are you doing?  How are you healing?

---

The healing is coming along. I'm back to weight bearing on the leg again. The last x-rays showed 5-10% healing which is a lot better than nothing.  I've got another three plus weeks of the PICC line (at least.) More PT. More meds, but the end is now slowly crawling into sight. Broken femurs are said to be a four to six month injury and the more pieces the longer the recovery. I cleverly broke mine into many pieces. We crossed the four month mark and are rapidly closing in on the five month mark (That'll be May 11th.) I'm down to one crutch when around the house. I've mowed the grass twice now on the one crutch. I can get around a bit on no crutches, but it's not especially pretty. I'm getting there. 

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@gardenman

Glad to hear that there's been progress. And I wish you continued healing!!!  

I can't believe you mowed the grass twice with one crutch!!!-WOW!!!  That is some feat!!! 

Take Care!

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One of the many joys of hemophilia is that you get lots of experience with crutches. I was first on crutches  when I was two years old. Joint bleeds in the legs are way too common. I've now got 57 years of experience on crutches, so I can do pretty much anything on them. I've had iliopsoss bleeds in both legs that affected the femoral nerves leaving the leg pretty much dead for six months at a time. Mowing the grass on a single crutch isn't a big deal. It's a bit more tedious and time consuming, but it's not a big deal.The