Day: September 19, 2018

I’m glad this is a waiver day, because I’m sick and don’t have a lot of energy or brain cycles to devote to anything deeper than calling a few games. Not that I get this right all too often. I only called 6 games correctly this past week, further cementing the notion that I don’t entirely know what I am talking about just yet. I haven’t followed these things with the fervor of past years, and it shows. This week is being approached with the same lack of research but is informed by intuition based on two weeks of game film.

CLE over NYJ
Despite throwing picks every week and having a legit supporting cast, Darnold is sucking. Sure, he threw for 300+ and fired up a bit of a comeback, but he was playing against the Dolphins and a mediocre pass rush. Darnold is not good. He is not the ‘real deal‘ and I am tired of the media pundits trying to cover for their failed expectations by saying that he is. How much are you willing to forgive? He has a far better line than Eli Manning and is playing a lower caliber of team and still poops the bed daily. I know he’s young, but he ought to be past the need for diapers. CLE gets this one because of Sam and because Zane G. got fired.

NO over ATL
Shoot out in Georgia. I think the Saints are putting something together. I also think the Falcons are entirely overrated. 

Quick Hitters

DEN over BAL
CAR over CIN
TEN over JAX
KC over SF
MIN over BUF
PHI over IND
GB over WAS
SEA over DAL
NE over DET

OAK over MIA
Let me preach for a minute: Gruden is figuring this out. While he hasn’t had (or used) the full Beast Mode, this week he has a chance to be really productive in the power game against a speed team. His game plan is taking time to come together, but week three is about the time such things start to coalesce.

TB over PIT
FitzMagick! I’m a fan of Fitz. I have long enjoyed the way the Highland High product slings the rock around and plays this game. I feel like the team is gelling around the dude and so long as he starts, they’ll keep winning against B-level competition. 

Some Thoughts:

1. Unusual youth football waiver call of the week: My son’s Cardinals over the Sabres. They ought to have a league legal roster (16 kids) by the weekend, which means that this one actually counts. They won last week, but with the roster issues that win was discounted. Now they need to win out for a 4-4 record and a chance to join the top 8 in the playoffs. Three or four teams have practically booked their tickets. The other four play us.

I weighed in at 212.4 prior to the blogging. That’s about 17 lbs less than I was a few weeks ago. I feel like I am still dropping and moving back into a physical shape that I am happy about. More importantly, I feel like I am shedding those tendencies that had me much bigger and still growing.  This pleases me, because losing weight without changing habits means the losses are going to be temporary. I’m trying for lasting change here. I want this second half of life to be an incredible and uplifting experience. When I take my last breath I want to know that I lived well and accomplished something I am personally proud of.

Yeah, I am asking for a hell of a lot out of this slightly used life. I suppose I’m asking for legit memoir content. I want to experience things everyday that are beyond the routine. I want to touch lives and say and do things that matter both to me and those around me. I want more than what I’ve had and more than what I am doing now. 

What am I doing to get there? Writing about it, I suppose. Learning about myself and grinding through these weeks and months with an eye towards possibility. Slowly I am exposing myself to the possibilities of what can be if I put my mind to it.

Some Thoughts:

1. So I learned that my son’s heroic football game is being recorded as a loss. Turns out we didn’t have the players to certify the roster, moving his new team to 0-4. This means they need to win out in order to make the playoffs. Hopefully they can suit up a few more kids in order to be legal, because he gave up a sure thing in order to actually play the positions he wanted to play in the sport.
2. I’ve mostly stayed away from the thoughts as of late. No reason. Just didn’t get there.