It is March, and madness reigns supreme. Selection Sunday is here, and so is this week’s SSM.
The bracket has been set, it is almost time March Madness is here, and all is sublime Houston, Kansas, Bama, Purdue all are our one seeds Large buffet of basketball, and we’re here to feed
A long time partnership is done, and we’ve gotta feelin’ The Minnesota Vikings will miss Adam Thielen All-time Minnesota guy, made a big impression There will be a market for his talents, no question
In a surprise to no one, Shohei is a stud The World Baseball Classic due to him is not a dud Japan looks like the team to beat, Netherlands good too Always good to have baseball on TV to view
Bummer in the Valley, KD hurt his leg Maybe back for the playoffs, CP3 will beg Suns are still the four seed, in pretty good shape When KD comes back he’ll have to wear his super cape
If your job was to be a good sports fan, you’d be great at your work. But we can’t keep up with everything right? Don’t fret, SSM is here.
Big matchup in NoCal, Niners and the Bucs Late round QB matchup that was not deluxe Brock Purdy and Tom Brady, six and seventh rounders Niners blew them out, Bucs continue to flounder
You can say this sentence now: the Lions are good Won five of their last six, winning games they should Also ones they shouldn’t, beat the big bad Vikings Sent Kirk Cousins and his not great roster hiking
MLB free agency, most big names are signed Billions worth of contracts, pockets have been lined Carlos Correa is the last big name to sign a deal Going to be a huge contract, teams will have to kneel
A Philly 50 burger, for Joel Embiid Singlehandedly made the Charlotte Hornets bleed Twenty nine for Scary Terry, Kelly Oubre too Not nearly enough for what the Hornets tried to do
It’s a cold hard fact that the sports week is coming to an end. We review in this week’s SSM.
Let’s start with the world’s game, AKA jogo bonito The World Cup is finally back, a fact you cannot veto Always great to see the best footballers, smooth like butter The only question left; do you say it Qatar or Qatar?
Cowboys and the Vikings, game of the week potential Result of this game is without question consequential Thought it would be a good one, battle of some studs Cowboys blew them out, Vikings may be duds
Patriots and Jets, setting football back Decades with this one, neither team on track Pats won on a walk off, a punt return touchdown Jets punted 10 times, offense full of clowns
It is time we talk about the best NBA team These guys just come out every night with a head full of steam They’ve won six straight, are very hot, doing some crazy things Our current favorite team is the Sacramento Kings
A brutal crash and burn for Tennessee football Big tumble for a team that was just standing so tall Lost their starting quarterback, and the game by 25 Any playoff chances for them are no longer alive
Like real seasons, sports seasons come and go. We’re halfway home on the NFL season and almost done with college football. This week’s SSM is another celebration of that and more.
Big weekend for college football Some big blowouts, some big teams fall Bruins down, Ducks lose, Wildcats too Another fun week in 2022
Raiders and Colts, the big debut Jeff Saturday, what would he do? Vegas was the perfect place Colts win, Raiders a disgrace
A football first in Germany For the Bucs and Tom Brady Beat the Seahawks and Geno Brady is the goat, we know
Bills and Vikings, holy shit This game was great, every bit Big win for Minny, the boys are buzzin’ Here comes iced out jacked Kirk Cousins
No matter the profession, it’s hard for anyone to transition from professional life to retirement.
Your mind can wander, finding things to fill more time than you’ve ever had, and keeping active can become a whole job in itself!
Brett Favre, a 52-year old grandfather of three spent 20 years working an extremely physical job. His career took him from Atlanta, Green Bay, New York, Minnesota, and everywhere in between. An expert in his field, Favre put his body on the line for years with a competitiveness and excitement rarely seen in his industry.
When he decided to retire in 2010, Favre decided to keep his mind and body active. While he may not have been able to perform at the physical level he did pre-retirement, the want-to to remain mobile is quite the admiral feat.
Technology
We’ve all heard the jokes about the elder generation and the ever-evolving world of technology. Laptops, iPhones, Twitter; who can keep track?
Mr. Favre can! Getting a start right after retiring in 2010, Brett sat down and learned all about his iPhone. He even mastered how to send pictures via text, which he really enjoyed. After the picture texts were conquered, he gained a following on Cameo and did great there as well.
Politics
One of the most admirable thing one can do is give back to where they came from. Mississippi, much like many places in America, can use all of the help they can get.
Favre, seeing a weakness, dedicated himself to get involved in local politics. His actions showed a sincere vision for how to manage the Mississippi Department of Human Services Welfare Fund. On top of his passion for those in his state sincerely needing assistance, he’s a family man.
With those two passions in mind, he fully threw himself into a project that lead to diverting millions of dollars from poor families to build a new volleyball facility at a local university. By sheer luck, the university just so happened to be the same institution his daughter attends. Even crazier; she actually plays volleyball!
It’s great when people help people. Local southern gentleman Brett Favre is both the ultimate competitor and unifier. We should all be so lucky to live amongst such altruistic, selfless being. A proud Mississippian that exudes self-sacrifice, decency, and nobility.
We continue a longstanding tradition here at UDS by dedicating an entire SSM to Week One NFL action.
Big start on Thursday night, Rams and the Bills Pregame program was legit, full of fluff and frills The game was in LA, but plenty Bills fans there Josh Allen and the boys came out and won the game with flair
Sunday start in the dirty, Falcons and the Saints Start of football season, we have no complaints Something so familiar, Falcons had an early lead They coughed it up and lost, almost guaranteed
Browns and the Panthers, Baker revenge bowl He wanted to win this game with his entire soul Browns came out and played, got a surprising win Panthers almost came back, there’s a positive spin
The San Francisco 49ers are used to good weather The conditions in Chicago, they were different all together It rained and rained and rained some more, really came down strong A nice win for the Bears in a season that might be long
Steelers and the Bengals, an AFC North tilt Bengals came in walking tall, like a man on stilts Five turnovers for Joe Burrow, not like him at all Even so, we had OT, but the Bengals did fall
Eagles and the Lions, closer than we expected! Coming into the day, thought this game would be neglected Lions got down early, then almost came back Lot of money on the Eagles, banks almost attacked
Texans and the Colts, folks we have a tie Same score in regulation, OT, and then the game died Feels like a win for Houston, Indy can not be psyched Have to think a blowout win is what they would’ve liked
Patriots and Dolphins, Miami’s brand new look Mike McDaniel’s offense had Bill Belichick’s D shook Tua looked OK, Tyreek and Waddle balled Dolphin fans ecstatic, Pats fans are appalled
Ravens and the Jets, Flacco revenge game Cool Joe did play pretty well, can’t give him much blame Lamar Jackson’s on a mission, wants to get that big money Three touchdowns and Ravens win, L-Jack sweet as honey
Jags and the Commanders, this game just seemed weird First game for Carson Wentz in DC, brought his big red beard Jaguars were close to grabbing a week one win At least until week two for victories to begin
Giants and the Titans, King Henry and Saquon The Titan bruised along, Giant looked like a swan Another crazy comeback, as New York did their job Titans played tough in the first half, but ended like slobs
Cardinals and the Chiefs, and a new look KC Went to Arizona, first opportunity To see if they still had it after losing some big stars Five tuddy’s for Pat Mahomes, he did not go too far
Chargers and the Raiders, matchup in LA Justin Herbert is a stud, and he was on display Three touchdowns and no picks, his team is 1-0 Raiders have a nice roster, only upwards to go
Vikings and the Packers, A-Rod needs to some talent He can’t go out and win himself, they guy’s only so gallant Story is not about him though, Vikings looked pretty good Kirk Cousins was really sharp, was he misunderstood?
Buccaneers and Cowboys, Sunday night in Dallas Jerry Jones must love it when we’re focused on his palace Tough break for Big Jer, as Tom Brady is still here TB12 wins again, will for 100 years
Look at him, drink in every inch of that perfectly tailored suit.
The NFL got better on Friday when the Carolina Panthers announced the hiring of Ben McAdoo as their new offensive coordinator. Before Pete Davidson was the sexiest man in New York, Coach McAdoo held that title. The former Giants head coach last prowled the sidelines in 2017 with the G-men, and had been in consulting roles with the Jaguars and Cowboys since he was unjustly fired in New York.
An undervalued offensive mind, Big Bad Ben brings the twisted steel and sex appeal the Panthers were looking for in their search. The titillating teacher of offense graced the Giants with his beautiful brain during an incredible run that started in 2016 and unfortunately ended in 2017.
2016: ranked 26th in scoring offense, ahead of juggernauts like the Bears, Jets, and Browns
2016: ranked 29th in rushing, beating out dependable runners like Theo Riddick of the Lions and Jerick McKinnon of the Vikings
2016: ranked 17th in passing, out-throwing big arms like Ryan Tannehill of the Dolphins and Brock Osweiler of the Texans
2017: ranked 31st in scoring offense, blowing the Browns out of the water (just like 2016)
2017: ranked 26th in rushing, a huge improvement from 2016 and outrushing big hitters like Kerwynn Williams of the Cardinals and Samaje Perine of the Washington Football Team
2017: ranked 19th in passing, this extremely slight drop from 2016 can easily be explained by the improved rushing attack and becoming a more balanced offense. Even with all of that, that stellar offense had more passing yards than Joe Flacco’s Ravens and Jacoby Brissett’s Colts
Absolute fireworks. If you’re a Carolina Panther fan today, I don’t know how you’re containing your excitement. Go buy those season tickets because they’ll be flying off the shelf after this announcement. Go out and get that “Panthers Super Bowl Champs 2023” tattoo. Name your next born “Benjamin.” There are no rules after organization shifting hires like Coach McAdoo.
You’ve got yourself a stud…ride that pony all the way to the Lombardi Trophy.
Like an old friend, SSM is back to review the week that was in sports.
First week 18 in NFL history Helped solved some teams playoff mysteries Titans and Packers are number one seeds Lead the AFC and NFC, respectively
Big upset that changed some plans Jags beat the Colts, now they’re playoff banned Indy won’t move on, their season is done An all time choke, they were on such a run
A football tradition, all gas and no breaks Dolphins beat the Pats in a game with no stakes A one year playoff hiatus for the Pats But they’re back in the dance, and that is that
In the “coaches probably fired” Super Bowl Vikings beat the Bears, Skol skol skol Mike Zimmer and Matt Nagy, things looking grim Both coaches and their staffs may get trimmed
Why isn’t the weekend five days, and the work week two days? Who knows, but we know this week’s SSM is now live.
Conference championship weekend in college football Some teams show up, and others just fall Utah, Bama, and Michigan were among the winners The amount of football left keeps getting thinner and thinner
Our long national nightmare has ended, my friends The Detroit Lions losing streak ends A squeak out win over Minnesota The Lions have now met their season win quota
Minshew mania, back and better than ever Taking over Philly, Gardner’s new endeavor A good start for him, but maybe hedge your bets His first start and win was against the Jets
We’ve got a lockout in the MLB Owners and players could not agree On a new CBA, no baseball for now Between the two sides, who will kowtow?
Best game of the season, in our opinion OKC versus Memphis, and the Grizz went in A record setting blowout, 73 point win When you watch that game tape, where to even begin?
What a long, strange journey it’s been. We started all the way at 99, and have now arrived at our final edition of “Who Wore It Best?” Single digits can be tough, but we’re up for the challenge.
I mean, “Mr. Hockey” has to make the list, right? Howe’s career spanned nearly 40 years, in which he won four Stanley Cups, six Hart Trophies, and appeared in the All-Star game 23 times.
Honorable Mentions: Ted Williams, Drew Brees, Bobby Hull, Mike Modano
Maybe the closest we’ll ever get to MJ. We all know Kobe ended his career rocking 24, but he was great enough to take the eight cake. He spent his entire 20 year career with the Lakers, in which he won five NBA Championships, the 2008 MVP, and made 11 All-NBA First Teams.
Honorable Mentions: Joe Morgan, Carl Yastrzemski, Cal Ripken Jr., Yogi Berra, Steve Young, Troy Aikman, Alexander Ovechkin
The greatest player who was a doppelgänger of their team mascot. But that’s not the only reason Elway makes our list. He held the “couldn’t win the big one” tag his entire career, until he shut everyone up and won back-to-back Super Bowls his last two seasons in the NFL. Even if he wouldn’t have won the two Lombardis, Elway racked up an MVP, nine Pro Bowl selections, and passing title in 1993.
The man who ran out of fingers for all of his championship rings. Russell won five MVPs, was a four time rebounding champion, and a member of the NBA’s 25th, 35th, and 50th Anniversary Teams.
We’ve shown our appreciation for The Machine on this blog before. Pujols’ first 11 years in St. Louis were enough to get the guy in the Hall of Fame. His time with the Angels and Dodgers, while not as great, hasn’t done anything to diminish that. His approximate career numbers have him as a .300 hitter, closing in on 700 home runs, and well over 3,000 hits.
Honorable Mentions: Joe DiMaggio, George Brett, Johnny Bench, Kevin Garnett, Donovan McNabb
Next to Babe Ruth, Lou Gherig was the best player on the Yankees during their incredible run in the 20’s and 30’s. Gherig was a part of six World Series championships, was a two time MVP, and won the Triple Crown in 1934.
Honorable Mentions: Brett Favre, Adam Vinatieri, Bobby Orr
Keeping it young and fresh with back to back 1920’s Yankees. This one’s a no doubter though; Shohei Ohtaini before Shohei Ohtani. At the plate, The Great Bambino hit 714 home runs, slugged .690, and ended his career with an 1.164 OPS. On the mound, The Colossus of Clout went 94-46, with a 2.28 ERA, and threw 107 complete games.
Christ, enough with the Yankees already. Jeets is an easy choice in a not extremely tough field. The recent Hall of Fame inductee wrapped up an illustrious career with a very succinct five World Series rings, Gold Gloves, and Silver Slugger Awards, as well as 14 All-Star appearances.
The best defensive shortstop of all time, and possibly best overall defender ever. Smith won 13 Gold Gloves in 19 seasons. Along the way, he was a part of the 1982 World Series Championship Cardinal team, made 15 All-Star games, and was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2002.
A nice, easy choice to get us to the finish line; not a whole lot of competition at the zero spot. The 2017 MVP is a nine time All-Star, two time All-NBA First Teamer, and is essentially a walking triple double.
Honorable Mention: N/A
We made it, friends. All the way from 99 down to 0. We laughed, we cried, and made some friends along the way. This was a fun project to complete and remember some names that haven’t been brought up in a while. Hopefully this was as interesting to read as it was to write. Who knows what our next series will be…stay tuned.
Home 