If you got hate in your heart, let it out...

How much do you love your team? Sit back and think about your answer. It’s a pretty simple question to answer. You love your team, more than any other team! It’s your team, your guys, your territory, your statement. We all have our team. If you have ever crossed paths with me, within minutes you knew my teams. I am either A.) Wearing one of those teams or B.) I asked you who you root for, just to tell you who I love. It’s part of me. With you or anyone I meet, people know where my allegiances lie. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Duke Blue Devils. 90% of the clothes I wear are displaying one of those teams. Even when I need to dress up a little bit, I try to coordinate the colors to match one of those teams. With all of the affection you may see out of me about those two squads, chances are you wouldn’t guess that my favorite sport is baseball. Baseball is my love, my muse, and the lady I can’t quit. I can’t pick a favorite team. I follow the Colorado Rockies closer than any other team, but that can be attributed to geographic location. I am fairly certain that no matter what city I lived, I would probably follow that team pretty closely. Picking the teams or sports you love is fairly easy…

But you know what’s even easier? Hating. Naturally the North Carolina Tar Heels, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons, who are the bitter rivals of my teams. I am not alone in my dislike of those teams just based on the fan bases I rep the most. The other teams who could creep into that natural rivals list are North Carolina State and the Green Bay Packers. Obvious rivals of Duke are easy, the Packers are an old rival of the Bucs from the days when the teams were division foes who had the “Battle of the Bays” every year. These days, that on field dislike has dissipated, but old souls like myself still hold onto it.

I wish I could sit here and tell you that those are the only teams I don’t like, but that would be a bold face lie. I can be the most obnoxious, stubborn, spiteful, the biggest hater of all the hater fan out there. I am notorious for not liking teams just because my friends like them. Now to defend myself a little here, most of the time I can find a way to dislike those teams without the help of my friends, but where is the fun in that? Everyone or damn near everyone has said or uttered the word “hater” about a friend of theirs, or a guy in a bar, luckily for me, I am both. But the thing that separates a good hater from a dumb hater is educating yourself of the subject you’re hating on. Yes, I am going to talk trash about your team, yes I am good at it, yes I will make you eat your words. But the best part is, most of the time I am right. Go ahead, fact check that stat I just served up to you, counter my argument, I am prepared. Being a professional hater takes work, especially when your main export of hate is sports. You need to be able to not just know as much as possible about the team you love, you need to be able to broaden your horizons and study and research every team, every aspect of the game. Having my love for the games, it makes research and study easy. I can get lost watching sports for days at a time. My season doesn’t ever end. Baseball leads to football, football leads to basketball and hockey, and basketball and hockey lead right back into baseball. There are few days in the year that don’t have something I can put on the television or go to a venue in my city to watch. Now, I can see where throughout this piece it can look like I am the most obnoxious person in the bar and watching a game with me in public might be dangerous. I promise you it’s not. Even though I have had some very memorable moments (being booed at an Eagles bar, silencing a Michigan State bar), almost never is the amount of times a physical altercation has taken place, because I am more than just some hater at a bar. I will walk right up to you, dis your team, and then proceed to talk to you about YOUR program. Because as much as I enjoy being the guy talking trash to you, I love sports more. Being able to talk to any fan about the game is every bit as enjoyable as telling you how much your team sucks – but also suggesting what it can do to get better. So next time you’re out at the bar watching games with your friends, and you spot someone wearing a team you disagree with, talk trash to them, but let them know you aren’t just a hater, you’re a fan of the sport.

I'm getting too old for this...

When a legend in the game announces his retirement, we reminisce. We look back on their careers, remembering the moments that lead us to believe that they were legends in their games. The past few years we have lost some of these legends…I reminisce…

Last year, baseball lost the last great “it guy” it had, in Derek Jeter. By “it guy” I don’t just mean someone who was just great on the diamond, I mean someone who commanded attention off the field as well. Jeter reminds me of the stars of the game who played during baseball’s golden age: George Herman Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle. These guys were all larger than life when they were manning their positions on the field, and they were the same off of it. The Captain was the last larger than life player in the MLB. He was the Joe DiMaggio of our time, the only player I remember newspapers talking about who he was dating, while he was winning championships and accolades on the diamond. The keyword in that last sentence is newspapers. It was the time before twitter, Facebook, and TMZ, the late 90’s and early 00’s, when reporters had the unwritten rule that you didn’t write everything you saw. Information wasn’t streamed, 24/7 onto a handheld device of your choice. Jeter was a great player and teammate. He will be the last “it” persona who commanded that type of tabloid fodder for baseball.

This past Thanksgiving saw the pride of Kiln, Mississippi, Brett Favre, get his number retired with the Green Bay Packers. Even though he retired in 2010, Thursday night brought back all the memories I had of watching him beat up on my Bucs for years. Before Favre, there were a slew of great QB’s manning the field, but none of them had the vigor and excitement that the good ole boy brought with him. Most of you have seen the NFL film footage of Favre joking with coaches and teammates during pregame and during the games, and if you haven’t, you need to YouTube it. Favre was one of America’s favorite athletes, for the opposite reasons we all loved Jeter, Favre was the everyday man. When we watched him and heard his mic’d up clips, we saw ourselves in him. The only difference being that he was a world class athlete with a rocket arm and fearless confidence. His touchdown celebrations reminded us of when we were kids in pop warner football. He never lost that inner child, but was still as competitive as any other athlete.

Then there is the man who inspired today’s topic. Kobe Bean Bryant. Sunday brought on the announcement that Kobe will be retiring at the end of the NBA season. He is the man that took the torch from Jordan, and he ran with it. I can debate day and night with you about who the greatest players off all time are, and where Kobe lands on that list. But the most important part of it is that he is involved in the conversation at all. Through injuries, a rape accusation, fights with teammates, and fights with coaches, he was the most dominate player of his generation. He dominated the mid-range jump shot, commanded defenses to shift his way, and could turn around and guard the opponent’s best player. He often gets overlooked, but he was a two-way player, his defense was world class. He is my favorite player of all time. There will never be another like him. When the Lakers come to town on December 22, I will be there, and will no doubt shed a tear.

Athletes walking away from the game is something that will always happen. It’s important to us as fans to step back and recognize the greatness we are privileged enough to watch for all those years. The body usually fails the mind, forcing these legends into a life of autograph expos, color analysis, car dealerships, and restaurants. Some get lucky and step into roles as a coach or a front office position, keeping them around their sport. Rarely do they get to walk away with the memory of confetti and champagne raining down on them. The reality is, the end is more likely to be a brick off the front of the rim, an interception, or a groundball to short.  

The Manning Apologist

Denver, let’s talk about your beloved #18. The man who saved this franchise along with the other beloved quarterback of this franchise, Mr. John Elway. As I scroll through all of my social media feeds every Sunday, I most enjoy the posts about Manning and the Broncos. The mix of emotions that most of you go through are just about the best comedy of the week for me. And it’s not because I hate the team and enjoy your turmoil, it’s because I can’t figure you guys out. I have counted at least 5 of you who have publicly benched, started, released, praised, traded, and killed Peyton off, all during one game. Let’s pump the breaks a little bit. Denver is one of the deepest and most loyal fan bases in all of the NFL, but damn, don’t pin everything on Manning! Is Peyton having a difficult season? Hell yeah he is. Is Peyton the sole reason the Broncos haven’t looked great all year, despite their record? No, he isn’t. This team has some other issues that are contributing to what you fans are considering a rough year (you’re 7-2, back away from the ledge). Over the rest of this passage we will talk about some of the other factors and what things look like going forward for your QB and this team.

 

Injuries

 
Monday we learned that Manning is all kinds of messed up. Shoulder, ribs, and a plantar fascia tear in his right foot. Reports surfaced this week that Peyton was having trouble walking at all last week. Gary Kubiak came out and took the blame for playing him during all of these issues, but yes, Peyton you should shoulder some of that blame as well. Understand people, Manning is an all-world talent, first ballot Hall of Famer, and arguably the greatest QB to ever play the game. If Kubiak asks him if he is good to go and he says yes, he has earned the right for the coach to allow him to make the decision. In this situation though blame falls on both sides, Manning should have said he is banged up and needs to heal up. If Peyton couldn’t admit that, Kubiak needed to step in and sit him. I assume many, if not all of you, watched ESPN and Trent Dilfer’s break down on what was wrong with Peyton, to quote “Manning’s body can’t cash checks his mind is writing”. This is true to an extent. Dilfer is wrong to think that this is just due to old age. His injuries play the biggest factor here. Can’t plant his foot and drive into throws hurts any and all QB’s from ages 9 to 45. He gets healthy, the zip on the ball will back.

Manning – Kubiak Offensive Contrariety

These guys are STILL not on the same page. At this point, the stubbornness of Gary Kubiak is hindering this offense which is really hurting the team as a whole. Kubiak is always going to be a Broncos legend. He didn’t just carry John Elway’s jock as his back up, he was a key piece in building the offense that won two Super Bowls, as he was the whiz offensive coordinator. Why do I bring that up? Because he will have plenty of time to bring that offense back to this team after Peyton retires. Why be a stalwart now? You have the greatest QB ever, who himself is like an offense coordinator on the field. His offense has proven to win games, even games in the playoffs- when he has a defense to support him. Throughout his entire career Manning has helped elevate the offense with stellar pre-snap reads and syncing with his wide receivers, making everyone better. He has the scariest defense in the league in his back pocket, let the man be the man. If, over the next couple of weeks, backup Brock Osweiler comes out and runs Kubiak’s offense as it is supposed to be ran, the Manning boo birds are going to come calling like they were a group of prophets, when in reality they won’t acknowledge the offense is different from when Manning is taking the snaps. Here I am calling you out before it happens, of course this may not happen at all because…

Atrocious Offensive Line Play

This offensive line has been terrible. In Peyton’s three years prior to 2015 he has been sacked 21, 18, and 17 times TOTAL in each of those seasons. This year? 15 sacks through just 9 games. He is getting hit at a rate that forces him into throws he otherwise wouldn’t make. It’s rarely talked about now, but the draft day trade the Broncos made to jump up a couple of spots and take Shane Ray hurt this team offensively. Manny Ramirez was a good linemen who helped solidify a stout offensive line, without him, they gained agility but lost the ability to create a comfortable pocket for the QB. Of course it’s not just sacks that hurt the ball club, the inability to run the ball is also a major factor. I talked earlier about Dilfer’s analysis of Manning’s play this year, he made a point to show clips of defensive backs and linebackers sitting on routes waiting for the ball to come their way so they could jump in for an interception, he said that these players could just sit back wait for Manning to throw the duck because he can’t make the strong throws. Why didn’t he talk about the defense being able to drop 6 in coverage blanketing those routes, daring this team to run the ball? It started with a running back controversy, Anderson or Hillman. Even I got in on the act, thinking Hillman was built much better to run in Kubiak’s offense. But the line has created zero holes for either one of these men to run through. If the line doesn’t do a better job, Kubiak’s offense is going to struggle with Brock as well.

Interceptions

Yes, there are 17 of those pesky turnovers to talk about, but I will be short. All the issues previous to this one are major factors into that number. Manning is at fault alone for 7 by my count. This is the stat that makes me laugh most during those social media Sundays. Tips, bad routes, and alligator arms have made this stat line skewed for Manning. Next time, before you post on Sunday, watch the replay, look for that receiver and Manning’s reaction. More than half of the time you will see Manning drawing the route in the air, because that receiver wasn’t where he was supposed to be. Yes 7 is still too many when Manning has only thrown 9 TD’s, but it will be better if Kubiak allows the change. 

This season has no doubt been one of the strangest I have seen, and I am not even a fan of this team. Let Brock run your offense Koob’s. Give the fans a taste of what they can look forward to once 18 retires, but when 18 gets healthy, let the man run his offense. The line will look better, the receivers will look better, Peyton will be back in the fan bases heart, and you will look smarter. This defense paired with a Manning offense takes you to the promised land, at which point you can throw your hat in the ring of who has the best steakhouse in Denver…

No NFL Team Left Behind...

Between the months of September through February, Sundays in the United States belong to the NFL. We all get together with friends, family and strangers at houses, bars, and stadiums to watch our teams play. As I sat back with some friends at a restaurant/ bar to watch the day’s action this past Sunday, I couldn’t help but notice the scores and competitiveness of every game. I thought back to the season thus far, and every week almost all the games are competitive. Yes, I know the old adage, “Any Given Sunday” to which it’s implied any team can beat any other on any game day. While I do believe the cliché holds true, this season looks like a move to an even more competitive league. While ESPN, Fox Sports, and every other sports outlet continues to rant and rave about those undefeated teams, and they deserve their credit, the overall product being put out on the field has improved from top to bottom. The Lions, Browns, Jaguars, Titans, Cowboys, Ravens, and Chargers all have 2 wins or less and are looking at top ten picks in the draft next April.  Looking at the stat sheets and the records you’d never guess that they are all better than they look. Well, let me amend that last sentence, all but one of them are actually better then they look. Here is my break down from 7 to 1. Seven being the team least likely to get out of the rut they're in for the near and far future, one being the team a couple of drops and made Field Goals away from being in the playoff hunt.

7. Detroit Lions – Record: 1-7

I mentioned earlier that all but one team from this lower tier was close to turning it around. These Lions are that one team that has some work to do. A 45-10 loss to the Chiefs across the Atlantic sparked a fire under owner Martha Firestone Ford. She fired both the team president and general manager who have been there since the Matt Millen years. They went from the no. 2 offense in 2014 to currently sitting at 27^th overall. The total defensive numbers overall didn’t change much going from 19^th in 2014 to 24^th in 2015. But a closer look actually shows that number is skewed just a bit. Last season they finished with the No. 1 rush defense in the league. Through 2015 so far, 28^th. Say what you want about Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley being dirty and nasty players, but losing those two in the trenches seems to have set this team back a few years on the defensive side of the ball. HC Jim Caldwell tried to save his future by making a midseason change at offensive coordinator, but looking at the simple stats above, there are too many problems for just a switch at a coordinator spot. Whoever Mrs. Ford finds to fill the team president and GM roles should come in and clean this coaching staff out; Find a coach who can be patient and build a solid foundation over a 5 year stint. Evaluate the entire roster, blow it up, and get this organization moving forward, maybe call in to Bill Cowher? This may even include trading away Megatron…Yeah, it has to happen.

6. Cleveland Browns – Record: 2-7

For the past couple of years these Browns have been labeled as a tough out every Sunday, but never getting over that nametag. They have excellent corners on defense that help contain other teams passing game, but for the second straight year they are dead last in rush defense. Every team sticks to their game plan by just shoving the ball right down the Browns throats. But there is light at the end of the tunnel for this team. HC Mike Pettine has been given the time to build this team and likely has another year or two to show more improvement. This season is almost lost, let Money Manziel take over. Rumors in Cleveland this week have Manziel sitting if journeyman Josh McCown is healthy enough to go. Listen Mike, take it from a guy who watched McCown hold my team hostage for a year, just start Manziel. What can it hurt? You drafted him to be the future QB. He needs to get his feet wet and hasn’t looked nearly the deer in headlights he did last season. It’s time for the Manziel era to begin. And while you’re at it, kudos on starting Cameron Erving this week, albeit because of an injury. To win in the NFL you need to be able to run the ball and stop the run. Being ranked 28^th in running the ball isn’t healthy. Erving is a beast, letting him lose this week is going to show why you spent the first round pick on him and maybe just maybe let the fantasy owners who drafted Isiah Crowell in rounds 8 and 9 get a 100yd day out of the back.

5. Tennessee Titans – Record: 2-6

What a difference a year makes. Wait… you’re telling me they fired HC Ken Whisenhunt midseason? I understand that a lot of it had to do with his protection of the rookie QB’s lining up under center the past two years. All three QB’s to play for Whisenhunt in Tennessee were hurt. Yes, this all falls on him. I’ve read a few blogs where people are talking about the play of the offensive lineman needs to be held just as accountable…but didn’t he help put that line together? Yes. Off to the positive. Interim coach Mike Mularkey, who is a lifer in the NFL had a great start for his audition to keep the job. Beating the Saints in OT. 2^nd overall pick Marcus Mariota has looked like the real deal. But the real star of this team has been the defense. Dick Lebeau continues to pad his already HOF status, but then add Ray Horton to him, and you’re looking at a who’s who of defensive coaches on the team. The Titans defense has improved across the board, sitting at 6^th overall, 3^rd against the pass and 16^th against the run. The future is bright in Nashville. If it were up to me, I would keep this entire defensive staff in place, and focus on the offensive side of the ball. The next head coach needs to have a strong offensive acumen, knowing that he needs to build a line that will block for the young QB, draft or sign some running backs that can pick up the blitz and run behind that retooled line. And maybe the most important part of this, continue the growth of Mr. Mariota. I could see someone like Adam Gase or Josh McDaniels fitting in nicely here.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars – Record: 2-6

Without a doubt the Jaguars to me have been the most improved team in the league. Yes their record is nothing to shout home about. But have you watched them play? Their improvements on both offense and defense have been substantial. 31^st ranked offense in 2014 to the 19^th for 2015. It may not read like that big of a jump, but remember this is only Teenage Mutant Ninja Bortles second season. Give this offense one more year to gel, another offseason of the O-line getting more comfortable together to open up holes for TJ Yeldon, and all of sudden next year we are looking at a very balanced attack that you can’t cover. Offensive Coordinator Greg Olson has again worked his magic as a QB whisperer. He is the perfect hire for a team that has been drafting offensive talent the past two years. On the other side of the ball the defense has started to resemble something to watch over the next few years. The run defense was 27^th last season but has looked impressive this season, jumping up to 6^th. And they did this with the 3^rd overall pick Dante Fowler Jr. being lost for the season to an ACL tear in his first practice for the team. He is a beast, when he gets back out there next season for an official rookie campaign, this growth of this defense is going to go up again. Fowler will bring more pressure on the opposing QB which in turn will improve the pass defense and create more turnovers. Defensive Coordinator Mike Babich comes from the Tampa-2 tree, but is running a hybrid scheme of it that looks like it will be more successful with his players continuing to grow in it for another season.

3. San Diego Chargers – Record: 2-7

Injuries have decimated the Chargers offense this season. As Jon Gruden pointed out on Monday Night Football, in one of their games this season they had 4 different left tackles play. It’s hard for Philip Rivers to trust the line when he barely knows who they are. Despite all of that, they still have the number one passing offense in the league this year. You can credit all of that to Philip Rivers. No disrespect to the rest of the offense, but that man is just a beast. There are a lot of people who hate Rivers, but in 20 years from now we will be looking back and thinking about how good he really was. Through coaching changes, offensive coordinators, personnel constantly changing he just continues to be one of the best in the league. This team isn’t far off from contending again. All but one of their losses this year have come by one score or less. They had to grind out their two wins, beating the Lions and Browns by just 3 points each. Head coach Mike McCoy and his staff need to plug up some defensive issues at corner and defensive line, fixes that can come via free agency and the draft. This teams Super Bowl window is closing on them, but there is still hope. As long as Rivers is steering the ship they have a chance.

2. Baltimore Ravens – Record: 2-6

This team is much like the Chargers. Injuries really changed the look and effectiveness of the team. The difference is the biggest injury happened on the defensive side of the ball. Granted this defense lost a big part of its identity during the offseason when they traded Haloti Ngata to the Detroit Lions for 2015 fourth and fifth round draft picks, but losing the heart and soul in the form of Terrell Suggs really doomed the season. The defense that was 8^th in all the land last season has now dropped to 21^st. Losing those two dominate body’s puts pressure on the rest of the defense. Baltimore still holds strong ranking 10^th against the run, but is suffering in the secondary at 24^th.  On offense they lost the long time vet Steve Smith for the year, but this biggest change that I have noticed comes from the overall grasp of the offense. With Gary Kubiak sliding to his dream job as the head coach of the Denver Broncos the Ravens hired offensive guru Marc Trestman. I believe in Trestmans system, just needs to get one more year around this group and they will be fine. This team is having a down year. You can expect them to be right back in the mix next year. Every single one of this teams losses have come by 1 score. They are a couple of catches away from 4-4.

1. Dallas Cowboys – Record: 2-6

The 2015 season for the Dallas Cowboys is the poster child as to why quarterbacks get paid all that money. When Tony Romo broke his collarbone, we knew the team would be in trouble, but we didn’t know to this extent. Even if just Dez Bryant went down and Romo stayed healthy this team is looking at 5-3 if not 6-2. Romo makes defenses respect the pass which made the already dangerous run game more formidable. For years I have stuck by Tony Romo’s side defending the guy for being great. Not just good, but great. Up until last season, everyone had an opinion about Romo, how he wasn’t one of the best. But do you really know how good he had to play to get those sorry excuses for teams to 8-8? Really go back and look at the talent of those teams, then tell me he hasn’t been good. So this year he goes down and so do the hopes and dreams of Americas Team. The defense has held strong all season. Rod Marinelli has proven the Tampa-2 scheme is still relevant as long as you adapt it to your players instead of the other way around. Darren McFadden has taken the reigns on the once muddled running back position, and looked like a spry kid behind that beastly offensive line. There is no reason to panic down in Big D. This season is still within reach because of the weak division, if the Cowboys can get into the playoffs fully healthy, they are going to make some noise. They are however going to lose this weekend…Tampa Bay All Day!!

Right now these teams are the “worst” in the league. I only see one team with a glaring need to start over. Which is the point. Over the rest of the season and for the future watch all these games. It’s a beautiful game and it becoming more beautiful with the talent level improving across the board.  Owners in the league are taking more pride in the team and product they are putting out. Hiring the proper personnel to develop talent to succeed at the highest level is great for the shield. I look forward to watching this upcoming Sunday and every Sunday the rest of the year.

Starting with the End in Mind

               For my entire life I have skated by with working hard just to play harder. Work, work, work to party, party, party. Both of those always came ahead of everything else. Where was my drive for the future? What career path was I supposed to be on? Well I now know what that is, Sports. For the first time in my life, I have a vision. For the first time I am at a point where I want to take ownership over everything I do with my career, instead of just working to pay for my fun, why not make my fun work for me? My family and friends have been some of the most amazing and inspiring people in my life to this point, they are the driving force behind my new found motivation. In addition to them, I could not be at this point without my amazing girlfriend. She had to talk me into this, cause I’ll be honest, I was like a little kid afraid to jump into a pool.  

                As many of you know I am a rabid Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Duke Blue Devils, and overall sports fan. While I am most diehard for those teams, I just love sports. Everything about them. There is a beauty and whimsical sadness to sport that is like nothing else in life. Every aspect from the first pitch to corner kicks, is like a religion within religion for each sport. Before I get lost into that wonderful sports world let’s get back to what this first blog entry is about. I have a friend named Jesse, some of you know him, many of you may not. A few years back he was somewhat in the same spot of life as I am. At that very moment he decided to take charge of what his future was going to be, that’s when he enrolled at The Colorado Media School. It has since taken him on to a career that I came to envy. It’s not that he gets to rub elbows with athletes or nationally respected sports journalists, it’s that he is around sports all day everyday. He is a producer for radio shows, shoots television shows and so on and so forth.  I look at him and I couldn’t think of anything else I would rather be doing. Many of you who have worked with me, been friends with me, or hell just met me once or twice know I am sports oriented day and night. It’s my ice breaker, conversation transitionary, most common bond among all of my friends and me. Hell, it was the catalyst that sparked the relationship I have with my girlfriend. It’s everything. So why not go head first into the sports world? I will be making the jump to attend The Colorado Media School to get my foot in the door much like Jesse did. Speaking with Jesse has been extremely inspiring and insightful in addition to giving me a strong resource to tap into during this journey.

                So what does this blog spot have to do with all the above gibberish? I am going to be writing blogs the entire time. It’s me practicing and pushing myself to get better at the craft before, during, and hopefully after I get into the business. This is me, Starting with the End in Mind.

Some things to know before my second edition comes out:

• Deadlines – I will have a new blog up every Wednesday – but will also send up a blog if the sports world calls for it
• I will periodically have personal blogs like this updating my journey and what I have going on
• I am not perfect, please holler at me with any edits or issues you see (Bryan Douglass / Julia Hernandez - looking at you guys)
• It’s not going to be all Bucs all the time. I will be writing about them, but not every week (no promises)
• I’m opinionated. You’ll get used to it. But please interact with me, I never turn down a good debate
• I will do my best to keep my biases out of it, I have hate in my heart, but I will try to not let it out. (I did say try)
• If you like it, share it. If you don’t like it, share it anyway and ask others if they like it. One of the main purposes of this blog is for you to create your own opinion and talk amongst your friends and family

Anthony “Cheese” Ortez

Facebook.com/Anthony.Bigcheese

@Bigcheesy99

BigCheeseSports@outlook.com