Who Wore it Best? 29-20

August 25, 2021 Chris CookAdrian Beltre, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta Thrashers, Baltimore Orioles, Baltimore Ravens, Barry Bonds, Barry Sanders, Bert Blyleven, Boston Celtics, Boston Red Sox, Brian Dawkins, Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Clayton Kershaw, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Avalanche, Curtis Martin, Dallas Cowboys, Darrell Green, Deion Sanders, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Devin Hester, Ed Reed, Eddie George, Elgin Baylor, Emmitt Smith, Frank Robinson, Fred Biletnikoff, Gary Payton, Houston Astros, Houston Rockets, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Ken Dryden, Ken Griffey Jr., Kevin Garnett, LaDanian Tomlinson, Las Vegas Golden Knights, Las Vegas Raiders, LeBron James, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Rams, Manny Ramirez, Marc-André Fleury, Marshall Faulk, Miami Heat, Miami Marlins, Michael Jordan, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Schmidt, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Twins, MLB, Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Expos, Nashville Predators, New England Patriots, New York Jets, New York Mets, New York Yankees, NFL, Oakland Athletics, Peter Forsberg, Philadelphia Eagles, Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Rick Barry, Roberto Clemente, Roger Clemens, Ryne Sandberg, San Antonio Spurs, San Diego Padres, San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants, Scott Rolen, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Supersonics, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Rays, Tennessee Titans, Texas Rangers, Tim Duncan, Toronto Blue Jays, Vladimir Guerrero Sr., Wade Boggs, Washington Football Team, Washington Wizards, Willie MaysLeave a comment

We’ve arrived at an incredibly important edition of “Who Wore It Best.” In our latest, we’re digging into the roaring 20’s. Let’s find out together who made the cut in this extremely paramount, career-defining list.

29 – Eric Dickerson

His athletic excellence barely surpassed that of the rec specs. Dickerson put together the greatest single season rushing the football in 1984, going for an NFL record 2,105 yards. He wasn’t just a one season wonder, however. Before being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999, Dickerson was a five time first team All-Pro, four time rushing leader, has his number 29 retired by the LA Rams, and is in the Indianapolis Colts Ring of Honor.

Honorable Mentions: Adrian Beltre, Ken Dryden, Marc-André Fleury

28 – Marshall Faulk

Back to back running backs who played for the Rams and Colts. Much like Dickerson, Faulk both has his number retired by the Rams as well as being a member of the Colts Ring of Honor. Unlike Dickerson, Faulk has a Super Bowl ring. He also tacked on a MVP, three offensive player of the year awards, as well as three first team All-Pro selections.

Honorable Mentions: Bert Blyleven, Curtis Martin, Darrell Green

27 – Vladimir Guerrero Sr.

Vlad the Impaler was a 2018 Hall of Fame inductee. He earned his spot in Cooperstown after winning the 2004 MVP, hitting 449 career home runs while maintaining a .318 career batting average, and winning an incredible eight Silver Slugger awards.

Honorable Mentions: Eddie George, Scott Rolen

26 – Rod Woodson

Rod Woodson was one of the best ball hawks to ever do it; picking off 71 balls in his 17 NFL seasons. He was also a vital member of one of the greatest defenses of all time, the Super Bowl XXXV champion Baltimore Ravens. All of this (and more) cumulated in an induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009.

Honorable Mention: Wade Boggs

25 – Barry Bonds

Even before he went to the Giants and things…changed; Barry Bonds was one of the greatest players in baseball. In his seven seasons in Pittsburgh before moving to San Francisco, Bonds was a three time NL MVP, won five Gold Gloves, and five Silver Slugger awards.

Honorable Mention: Fred Biletnikoff

24 – Willie Mays

Absolute stacked number here, but Mays takes the cake. The stats are gawdy; 660 home runs, 1,903 RBI, and 338 stolen bases. Along the way Mays made 24 All-Star games, won twelve Gold Gloves, two NL MVPs, and a World Series in 1954.

Honorable Mentions: Ken Griffey Jr., Rickey Henderson, Miguel Cabrera, Manny Ramirez, Rick Barry, Champ Bailey, Chris Chelios

23 – Michael Jordan

Next question.

Honorable Mentions: LeBron James, Ryne Sandberg, Devin Hester

22 – Emmitt Smith

Emmitt Smith did it all in his 15 NFL seasons. The league’s all time leading rusher (18,355 yards) won three Super Bowls, the 1993 NFL MVP, was a four time first team All-Pro, and lead the NFL in touchdowns three separate seasons.

Honorable Mentions: Clayton Kershaw, Elgin Baylor, Roger Clemens

21 – Deion Sanders

The swagiest swag that ever swagged. Deion was, and still is, one of the most raw athletes we’ve ever seen. He wasn’t too bad on the field either. Prime’s got two Super Bowl rings, six first team All-Pro selections, and is a member of both the 90’s All-Decade and NFL 100th Anniversary Teams. Oh, and he also played in the MLB for nine seasons. He was a .263 career hitter, with 39 home runs, 168 RBI, and 186 stolen bases. Absolute baller.

Honorable Mentions: Roberto Clemente, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, LaDainian Tomlinson, Stan Mikita, Peter Forsberg

20 – Barry Sanders

The twitchiest running back we’ve ever seen, just absolutely stupid stuff. A combo Heisman winner and NFL MVP, the four time first team All-Pro ran for over 15,000 yards and almost 100 touchdowns. Pretty good for a guy who retired early.

Honorable Mentions: Frank Robinson, Mike Schmidt, Gary Payton, Ed Reed, Brian Dawkins

The numbers get lower, and the lists get better. How about 24 and 21 just absolutely cleaning house? All four major sports represented on each. This was a great edition of “Who Wore It Best,” and we can only assume the names will get hotter the next time around.

Sunday State of Mind: August 16th-August 22nd

August 22, 2021 Chris CookArizona Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears, Detroit Tigers, Hall of Fame, Larry Fitzgerald, Los Angeles Angels, Miguel Cabrera, Mitchell Trubisky, MLB, NFL, poetry, Shohei Ohtani, SSMLeave a comment

Yesterday was Saturday, tomorrow is Monday. That can only mean one thing; we’re in a Sunday State of Mind.

A preseason homecoming, for Mitchell Trubisky
Came back to Chicago, was feeling quite frisky
Blew his former team out, Bills took it to the Bears
But keyword is preseason, so honestly who cares

From one quote this weekend, we may have seen the last
Of Larry Fitzgerald, sounds like football’s in his past
If this is it for Fitz, would be a full blown shame
On the other hand, he’d be en route to the Hall of Fame

It finally happened, 500 for Miggy
Went deep today, and this one’s a biggy
The 28th member of the 500 club
Big guy’s always been far from a baseball scrub

The poor Baltimore Orioles, just can’t win a game
Their last W was August 2nd, from then the L’s came
When given the chance the win, the O’s just simply scoff
I guess the preseason numbers where right on their chances at the playoffs

ShoTime continues in LA, Ohtani keeps mashing
Hit his 40th home run this week, greatness continues flashing
The probable AL MVP, not only doing it at the dish
Is 8-1, 2.79 ERA pitching, a baseball fan’s true wish

Sunday State of Mind: August 9th-August 15th

August 15, 2021 Chris CookArizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, Hard Knocks, HBO, Jacksonville Jaguars, Justin Fields, MLB, New York Jets, NFL, poetry, SSM, Trevor Lawrence, Tyler Gilbert, Zach WilsonLeave a comment

Sunday, we meet again. The only thing better about the week that was in sports is recapping it, which we do in this week’s SSM.

NFL preseason, everyone’s in play
Learning all their playbooks, skills are in display
Big time rookie quarterbacks getting their first action
Lawrence, Fields, Wilson and more getting their NFL traction

Football coming back also means we get Hard Knocks
We’re talking real football here, not Madden on Xbox
Jerry Jones being weird, salting his McGriddle
Lots of people hate the ‘boys, Hard Knocks might help a little?

No hitters seem to be getting old in the MLB
Story changes a little bit when it is a rookie
Tyler Gilbert threw a no-no in his first start
Guy came out as Target, thought he was more Wal-Mart

Sunday State of Mind: July 26th-August 1st

August 1, 2021 Chris CookAnthony Rizzo, Carson Wentz, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Indianapolis Colts, Javy Baez, Joey Votto, Kris Bryant, MLB, NBA, New York Mets, New York Yankees, NFL, poetry, San Francisco Giants, SSMLeave a comment

The great thing about sports, is that they just don’t stop. They just keep coming at us week after week. Sometimes it can get a little overwhelming, which is why we’re here to recap what went down the past seven days in this week’s SSM.

MLB Trade Deadline, big names on the move
If it’s this season or future ones, teams looking to improve
Some emotional goodbyes, for longtime members of clubs
Perhaps no trades more influential than those of the Cubs

For Reds star Joey Votto, this week was so damn great
Went deep seven games in a row, almost made it eight
They’re in second place this year, have been playing hard
Could sneak into the playoffs, if Joey keeps going yard

Another form of sports transaction, the NBA Draft
Young studs taking the next steps, working on their craft
Hard to guess who will be good, could be anyone
Congrats to all the picks, your pro journeys have begun

Good old Carson Wentz, new Colts quaterback
Hoping for a healthy year, and a big comeback
Hurt his foot at training camp, said he felt a “twinge”
Opting for no surgery, but may have to get the syringe

The Cleveland Baseball Team Has a New Face

July 23, 2021 Chris CookArsenio Hall, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Cleveland Guardians, Cleveland Indians, Drew Carey, Ed O'Neill, Facebook, Halle Berry, Instagram, Kathryn Hahn, MLB, Steve Harvey, Terrence Howard, Tom Hanks, Tracy Chapman, Trent Reznor, Twitter, Wes CravenLeave a comment

On Friday, the face of Cleveland Baseball changed forever. In a move that was announced back in December, baseball fans in the Buckeye State now have a new mascot to root for:

https://twitter.com/Indians/status/1418565355472101378?s=20

So, there you have it…the Cleveland Guardians. Predictably, the internet remained undefeated, and roasted the changed the appropriate amount, as can be seen here, here, and here.

I’m not here to argue the merits of changing the name or not, because whatever stance you have at this point is not going to change. What I am here to discuss is the above-linked video the team put out on their socials announcing the name.

Total mess of a production. I supposed a good starting point is the fact that their social media handles on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram all still include the very word this entire name change is about. If we’re making the change, the handles have to be updated before the announcement is made. Posting what’s meant to be a powerful statement changing your team’s former identity while the politically charged word is still your handle is just a brutal look. It’d be like, hypothetically telling a trusting group of followers to “be happy with what you have” while sitting in a 17,000 foot mansion, driving a Ferrari, flying in your personal jet, hoarding a $4.4 million PPP Loan, and having a net worth of $100 million. Again, just a hypothetical, but could you imagine being so dense?

Secondly, we all love Tom Hanks; he’s America’s dad for a reason. But, I’m having some trouble finding the connection between TH and the city of Cleveland. The Black Keys provided the music, which makes sense; they hail from Akron. But Tom Hanks?

Well, according to cleveland.com, a seemingly reliant source on the matter, Hanks’ “ties to Cleveland go back to 1977 when he landed his first professional job as an intern at the Great Lakes Shakespeare Festival…[t]he actor became a huge Indians fan during that time.” OK, fair enough. I just think that a proud, Midwestern city like Cleveland could’ve better used one of its own instead of one of the most popular movie stars on the planet who, by the way, hails from Concord, California.

The state of Ohio boasts a pretty impressive list of celebrities and entertainers who could have nailed the voice over assignment here. Again taking from cleveland.com; how does Halle Berry, Drew Carey, or Terrence Howard sound, Cleveland? If that doesn’t do it for you, how about Arsenio Hall, Trent Reznor, or Wes Craven? No go there? Does Steve Harvey, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, or Ed O’Neill tickle your fancy? If none of those work, you have to believe Kid Cudi, Tracy Chapman, or Kathryn Hahn would have done the trick.

What’s done is done. The name, logo, and video are all out for Cleveland baseball fans to enjoy. Maybe the next time a team with an insensitive name changes, their social media team doesn’t drop the ball like the Guardians did. Until then, let the useless Twitter arguments and dumpster fire comment sections on politics in sports continue to rage until we’re all blue in the face and we’ve solved nothing.

Sunday State of Mind: July 12th-June 18th

July 18, 2021 Chris CookAaron Judge, Chris Paul, Collin Morikawa, COVID19, Devin Booker, Francisco Lindor, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jacob DeGrom, Milwaukee Bucks, MLB, NBA, New York Mets, New York Yankees, PGA, Phoenix Suns, SSM, The OpenLeave a comment

Reports of SSM’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Our weekly review of the past seven days in sports is back.

Collin Morikawa, The Open is all yours
Second win in eight majors, on his way to more
Jordan Spieth gave it a go, but came up just too short
Two young guns with bright ass futures, so great for the sport

Bucks are up three games to two, Suns are on their heels
The Finals will be over soon, we’ll all be in our feels
Devin Booker’s scoring in droves, Chris Paul is up and down
Giannis is one win away from dawning his first crown

If it is not one thing, it’s always another
Lindor and deGrom, why do the Mets even bother?
To say they have bad luck, would be and understatement at the least
Even with all the injuries, Mets first in the NL East

Speaking of New York, Yankees what the hell?
COVID outbreak last week, six positive players fell
Aaron Judge the biggest name, will be out at least 10 days
Will miss some time against the Phillies, Red Sox, and the Rays

A-Rod or KB: Who Would You Rather Lose?

July 16, 2021 Chris CookAaron Rodgers, Chicago Cubs, Green Bay Packers, MLB, NFLLeave a comment

We may be days, hours, even minutes away from two of sports’ major franchises making drastic roster moves.

We’ve all seen media outlets far and wide run the Aaron Rodgers drama into the ground. No one really knows what’s happening; except the fact that that there seems to be some level of unhappiness betwixt Rodgers and Packers brass. To A-Rod’s credit, he hasn’t done much in the way of making a public mess of things. It’s really just been all of us drumming up our own thoughts on what might actually be happening behind the scenes.

As for Bryant/Cubs situation; the poor, poor Ricketts family just can’t seem to pony up the cash for a contract extension. Who wouldn’t want to lock in an ultra utility player who’s been a franchise cornerstone since 2015?

One, both, (or maybe neither!) of these two superstars seem to be nearing an end with their teams. The question is; who would you rather lose?

Rodgers has been everything for the Packers since taking over in 2008. He’s won three MVPs, lead the league in passing twice, and won Super Bowl XLV.

However, that Super Bowl was a decade ago at this point. Do the Packers think he’s past his prime? Let’s take a quick peak at his last two seasons:

If so, they’re idiots.

Now, as for Bryant. He made his major league debut on April 17, 2015 (after some not so subtle service time manipulation by the Cubs); and hasn’t looked back. Since then, he’s racked up 158 home runs, 460 RBI, a .378 OBP, and a 5.6 WAR. He was the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year, a four time All-Star, the 2016 MVP, and of course was a huge part of breaking the most famous curse in sports the same year.

So, why the hell would the Packers or Cubs want to get rid of either of these supreme talents? Great question.

The Packers drafted Jordan Love in 2020 which is, um…cool? As for the Cubs, they’re in complete fire sale mode, and all fans can hope at this point is that they get somewhat of a decent haul when KB is eventually shipped out of the North Side.

Who Wore it Best? 49-40

July 15, 2021July 15, 2021 Chris CookAnaheim Mighty Ducks, Andy Pettitte, Atlanta Braves, Bob Gibson, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Indians, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Daryl Johnston, Dennis Eckersley, Denver Broncos, Detroit Red Wings, Dirk Nowitzki, Edmonton Oilers, Gale Sayers, Greg Maddux, Hartford Whalers, Henrik Zetterberg, Houston Astros, John Lynch, John Smotlz, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Dodgers, Mike Alstott, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, New York Jets, New York Mets, New York Yankees, NFL, Oakland Athletics, Orlando Magic, Pedro Martínez, Philadelphia Flyers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Steelers, Portland Trailblazers, Rick Reuschel, Ron Guidry, San Francisco 49ers, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Supersonics, Shawn Kemp, St. Louis Blues, St. Louis Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tom Glavine, Tom Seaver, Troy Polamalu, Washington Football TeamLeave a comment

There’s no better feeling than seeing an old friend, and boy do we have that feeling now. Who Wore It Best is back, and we’ve made it into the 40’s.

49 – Ron Guidry

Guidry had an above average 14 year career with the Yankees. He won 170 games, two World Series rings, and the 1978 Cy Young. That same year, he went 25-3, threw 16 complete games, and notched a stellar 6.1 hits per nine innings.

Honorable Mention: N/A

48 – Daryl “Moose” Johnston

Not exactly a selection based off of stats. “Moose” lead the way as Emmitt Smith’s fullback en route to three Super Bowls in the 90’s.

Honorable Mention: Rick Reuschel

47 – Tom Glavine

Glavine was a part of one of the strongest pitching rotations in baseball – the 90’s Braves with Greg Maddux and John Smoltz. He won 305 games, a World Series, and two Cy Young awards.

Honorable Mention: John Lynch

46 – Andy Pettitte

Not a lot of talent to pick from at 46, but Pettitte will do. He won five World Series trophies with the Yankees, notched 256 W’s, and made three All-Star games. He also had that pesky PED issue but…ya know.

Honorable Menions: N/A

45 – Pedro Martínez

Going against our better judgement here and not choosing MJ; he may just show up later. Pedro is a flawless choice at this slot: the member of the 2015 Hall of Fame class won a World Series, three Cy Youngs, made eight All-Star games, and lead the MLB in ERA in five different seasons.

Honorable Mention: Bob Gibson

44 – Hank Aaron

An absolute jam packed category at 44. Hammerin’ Hank won the World Series with the Braves in 1957, won three Gold Gloves, two batting titles, and made the All-Star game TWENTY FIVE times…yes, that is not a typo.

Honorable Mentions: Jerry West, John Riggins, Chris Pronger

43 – Troy Polamalu

Polamalu was a shutdown safety for the Steelers from 2003-2014. He won two Super Bowls, was the 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and was a four time First Team All-Pro.

Honorable Mention: Dennis Eckersley

42 – Jackie Robinson

Another no doubter here. Robinson makes the list for breaking the color barrier alone. On top of that, he was a hell of a great player; a World Series champion, MVP, batting champion, and Rookie of the Year.

Honorable Mention: Ronnie Lott

41 – Dirk Nowitzki

One in a few of the last batch of superstars to stay with one team their entire career. In his 21 seasons in Dallas, Dirk lead the Mavericks to their only NBA title, was the 2007 MVP, and was a four time first team All-NBA selection.

Honorable Mention: Tom Seaver

40 – Gale Sayers

Sayers makes the cut after only five full seasons for the Bears, with injury cutting short what could have been an incredible and long career. In his short time in the NFL, he still managed to be a five time first team All-Pro, lead the NFL in rushing twice, and earned a spot on the NFL’s 50th, 75th, and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams.

Honorable Mentions: Shawn Kemp, Mike Alstott, Henrik Zetterberg

Wow…who knew the 40’s would be so strong? Baseball really held its own here, pitchers specifically. Poor showing by the NBA here, even worse by the NHL. Maybe they’ll recover in the 30’s? Only time will tell.

Sunday State of Mind: June 21st-June 27th

June 27, 2021 Chris CookAtlanta Hawks, Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Houston Astros, JP Crawford, Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Schwarber, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Bucks, MLB, Montreal Canadiens, NBA, NHL, Phoenix Suns, Pittsburgh Pirates, Seattle Mariners, Stanley Cup, Tampa Bay Lightning, Trey Mancini, Washington Nationals, Yuli Gurriel, Zach DaviesLeave a comment

Here we are again, friends. We have reached the end of another week, and we’re here to review in the latest Sunday State of Mind.

Of all the good stories this year, and there are aplenty
My favorite of them all may be Trey Mancini
Fought and beat cancer last year, but missed the entire season
I’ll be watching the Derby this year, and he’s the only reason

Three double digit hitting streaks in the MLB
Bryan from Pittsburgh, JP from Seattle, and from Houston, Yuli
One week pitchers are too good, and getting checked midgame
After that we get three guys who look like their next stop’s the Hall of Fame

Even more destroying of baseballs, the big guy Kyle Schwarber
When he steps into the box, pitcher’s crouch in horror
Thirteen home runs in fifteen games, guy is on a tear
When he’s in the zone like this, it’s almost just unfair

Another no hitter was thrown this week, Dodgers looking like scrubs
After starting Zach Davies and throwing three relievers, got no hit by the Cubs
It’s the seventh no-no in 2021, tying a major league mark
You never know what you’ll see day to day, at the old ballpark

Can’t forget the NBA, Conference Finals in full swing
Bucks and Hawks are tied 1-1, Suns are doing their thing
The Clippers are missing their guy Kawhi, sidelined by a knee
If he doesn’t get back soon, eliminated they will be

We do have one Finals match set, in the NHL
Montreal and Tampa Bay, let the excitement swell
Will Lord Stanley reside up north? Will Tampa Bay repeat?
Looking forward either way for how the season will complete

Sunday State of Mind: June 14th-June 20th

June 20, 2021June 20, 2021 Chris CookAtlanta Hawks, Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Clippers, Madden, MLB, NBA, NFL, Patrick Mahomes, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, poetry, SSM, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tom BradyLeave a comment

Happy Father’s Day! Read this week’s SSM to Dad since he was probably napping in his recliner during all the action.

Madden 22 has released their latest cover
Two goats, one game, great for football lovers
Brady and Mahomes are your newest cover boys
On the video game that has given all of us years of joy

Spider Tack introduced itself into the public eye
MLB cares all the sudden, truly wonder why
No chance that it could be because batting’s now a joke
Anything they can do to fix a sport that’s nearly broke

Suns and the Clippers, finals in the West
Phoenix and LA going to see who is the best
Bucks advanced in the East to face the 76ers or Hawks
Philly or Atlanta in game seven, loser has to walk

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