NFL Black Monday, the term given to the Monday following the final regular season Sunday games when coaches/executives get fired, never fails to bewilder and entertain.

Whose heads were lopped off at the chopping block today?

NFL Coaches Fired on Black Monday 2022:

Matt Nagy – Bears

The worst kept secret for 2+ months, Bears fans were thinking the firing of Nagy would be their Xmas present but it didn’t happen. The team that has never fired a head coach during the season waited until after an emBEARassing loss to the Vikings.

But it was worth the wait because notorious Nagy Butt-Buddy, GM Ryan Pace, also got shit-canned. Is President Ted Phillips next?

Mike Zimmer – Vikings

4 years ago Zimmer was 2 plays from the Super Bowl in his home stadium, a feat the Bucs accomplished in last year’s Super Bowl. Today he is unemployed and dating a smoking hot Instagram model – for real.

This has got to be the most wanted 2022 NFL head coaching vacancy based on the offense alone. Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen, hell even Kirk Cousins.

The 24th ranked defense isn’t good enough when that is your calling card as a coach as it was for Zimmer. GM Rick Speilman also got relieved of his duties.

Brian Flores – Dolphins

A true head scratcher. Flores was 4-2 in three years against his mentor and genius, Bill Belichick. You really felt like he had everything going in the right direction, in spite of an inept GM.

The Dolphins haven’t made the playoffs since 2016, but they posted winning records in 2020 and 2021.

Rumors are that owner Steven Ross has a boner for current Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.

Vic Fangio – Broncos

Vic was a great defensive coordinator but it didn’t translate to head coach. He came off as a real dumbass in interviews, confrontational, out of his depth. This has got to be the least sought after job.

Look at the Bears representing on 2022 NFL Black Monday. GM Pace, HC Nagy, and DC Fangio were all on the Bears staff four years ago. No wonder they still suck.

Joe Judge – Giants

The Giants are the worst team in the NFL over the past five seasons with a 22-59 record. All they have to do to see what a bad franchise looks like is peer into a mirror.

A 4-13 record this season prompted the firing. Judge went 6-10 in 2020 as a first-time head coach. Even though this has very little to do with Judge’s personnel ability (which is why Giants GM Dave Gettleman also got shit-canned), just like with Fangio, his inability to speak in public and consistent ability to say weird shit in public got him fired.

Houston Texans‘ – David Culley

The ultimate definition of a Lame Duck head coach. Was there ever a point in time when anyone thought Culley would be more than a one-year space filler to secure a high draft pick? Short answer: NO.

Possible Replacement Coaches:

And where they ended up:

New England Patriots‘ Josh McDaniels – New head coach for Oakland…eh…Las Vegas Raiders.

University of Michigan Jim Harbaugh – Interviewed with Vikings, staying at Michigan to develop more “Michigan Mans.”

Dallas Cowboys‘ Dan Quinn – Retained as Cowboys defensive coordinator for another season. AS soon as the ink dried, speculation began that he is going to be current head coach Mike McCarthy’s replacement.

Dallas Cowboys’ Kellen Moore – Still available.

New Orleans Saints‘ Sean Peyton – Taking a year off from coaching.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Byron Leftwich – Retained as Bucs offensive coordinator. Removed self from Jaguars HC consideration because of suck-bag Trent Bakke.

Buffalo Bills‘ Brian Daboll – Hired as head coach by the Giants.

Kansas City Chiefs’ Eric Bieniemy– Still twisting in the wind. He must not be very smart, or a true Norv Turner type.

New England Patriots‘ Jerod Mayo

Buffalo Bills’ Leslie Frazier

Former Eagles coach Doug Pederson – New head coach for Jacksonville Jaguars.

The post 2022 NFL Black Monday Coach Firing Tracker appeared first on I-80 Sports Blog.

Gus Edwards’ fantasy value is at an all-time high – except no one knows.

But after reading this, YOU will know.

There are three things we know about Gus Edwards’ fantasy production after three years in the NFL:

1) He will rush for 700+ yards
2) He will average 5 YPC
3) He will get 130+ carries per season (9.6 carries per game)

Here is why I like Gus Edwards Fantasy value so much:

• Mark Ingram is GONE
• The 2020 Ravens led the NFL in rushing attempts with 555 (34.6 per game)
• The 2020 Ravens led the NFL in rushing yards with 3,071 (191 per game)
  The Ravens had nearly 400 more yards than 2nd place, and 700 more than 3rd
• The 2020 Ravens had the third most rushing TDs with 24
• The 2020 Ravens led the NFL in rushing yards per carry with 5.5
• The 2020 Ravens led the NFL in rushes of 20+ yards and 40+ yards

I am not worried about JK Dobbins – can someone tell me why I should be? Why is there so much hype/favoritism around Dobbins as the #1?

Dobbins vs. Edwards shouldn’t even be a thing. But it is.

Currently JK Dobbins ADP (or Average Draft Position) is 15th amongst running backs and 28th overall.

Check out the average ADP for Gus Edwards fantasy: 43 and 128!?!?!

Simply ridiculous.

At the beginning of camp, Dobbins and Gus Edwards were both listed as RB 1 on the Ravens official depth chart. 

Based off of 2020 and the one year they played together, a few notable fantasy stats comparing Gus Edwards and JK Dobbins:

• Dobbins started 1 game in 2020. Edwards started 6
• Dobbins had 134 carries. Edwards had 144
• Dobbins had less receiving yards in 2020 than Edwards

JK Dobbins and Gus Edwards were almost even in redzone carries in 2020 – 29 vs. 27. But, Edwards got the ones that counted:

• Gus Edwards had more carries inside the 5 yard line than JK Dobbins in 2020 – 9 vs. 8
• Gus Edwards had more carries inside the 10 yard line than JK Dobbins in 2020 – 17 vs. 13
• His 6 redzone carries in Week 16 were a season high for Ravens’ RBs.

Last year, Lamar Jackson led the Ravens in rushing attempts with 159 (28.6%). Edwards was second with 144 rushes (25.9%) and Dobbins third with 134 (24.1%).

Edwards is the big-bodied running back who stands in at 6-foot-1, 238 pounds and runs downhill and falls forward. Dobbins is smaller back at 5-foot-10, 212 pounds.

IDK about you but I want the guy that can take the pounding of a full 17 game season. And especially around the goalline.

Pro Football Focus graded Edwards as the fourth best runner in 2020.

Despite being the number two running back on his own team in 2020, he was 21st in the NFL in rushing yards.

In 2020 Edwards had the highest percentage of runs for first downs or touchdowns in the entire NFL. Look at who was second:

Edwards is one of only two players in NFL history to have recorded over 700 rushing yards and averaged at least five yards per carry in each of their first three seasons.

I could continue to pile on the factoids about why Gus Edwards fantasy value is ridiculously low. But that would just be piling on. Speaking of “piles” he has averaged at least 2.6 yards after contact for all three of his NFL seasons. Derrick Henry and Nick Chubb are the only other RBs to do that.

Reach on Gus Edwards in your fantasy draft and you can thank me later.

The post Gus Edwards Fantasy: Biggest Sleeper Running Back Of 2021 appeared first on I-80 Sports Blog.

It’s the end of July and we’re 24 hoursish away from the 2021 NBA Draft and Free Agency…wait what?  Isn’t it just baseball season?

No you big “casual” fan, it’s the juicy part of the NBA steak time – so get your fork and knife and let’s dig in!

2021 NBA Draft Buzz…

This year’s NBA Draft is said to be one of the strongest in years and the depth of potential studs is causing the trade winds to blow like an F5 Twister with Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt upside down in the eye of the storm 48 hours away from the first pick Thursday night.

We clearly have tiers of strength like any other draft but the top 4 players are said to be good enough to be number one picks in your average draft.

The 2021 NBA Draft Lottery Order:

1. Detroit Pistons

Players leading the top tier and consensus 1-4 mock draft order picks are is as follows:

Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley & Jalen Suggs.

About every team is looking to move up in the first round since the top of the draft is so stacked and especially the top 4!

Several teams have multiple picks in this draft such as Houston, Orlando, OKC, Golden State & New York so the posturing amongst the order to make trades has the rumor mill going bananas.

A second tier of picks 5-7 has formed with:

Scottie Barnes, Jonathan Kuminga and James Bouknight but even that isn’t certain.

The strangest part of this draft is the talent being spread out so much that you can’t really differentiate between picks 8-20 so everyone wants in to get “their guy.”

Bold prediction: I believe we’ll have more trades in this 2021 NBA Draft that any other draft in NBA history.

2021 Draft Trade Rumors:

• Detroit has said they’re not settled on Cade but that’s just smoke, C’mon man!!!
• Houston is rumored to be high on Jalen Green but the real talk begins with Cleveland and Toronto who are feeling out teams and gauging how much they could get to trade down with many teams lining up at the door, namely teams such as Orlando and OKC armed with several picks and a desire to make waves to get their rebuilds going double time.
• Golden State, armed with picks 7 & 14 to trade with last years pick James Wiseman, are said to be “star hunting” to make one last ride like Fast & Furious with Steph, Klay & Draymond, which just like the movie series seems like they’ll never go away.
• Bradley Beal is tops among their wish list if he ends up requesting a trade with Damian Lillard seemingly holding firm in Portland, for now.
• We had a trade between Memphis (17th pick) and New Orleans (10th pick) swapping picks and several players in Jonas Valanciunas for Steven Adams & Eric Bledsoe just to get the pot stirred up a bit but don’t worry because there is more coming so go get the big spoon fatty.

Here are the remaining non-lottery picks/teams:

• The non-lottery teams are all repositioning and the buzz is that both Oklahoma City and New York would like to move up, possibly by packaging their two picks.

The truth of the matter is that there are going to be some great picks dropping late in this draft and even into the second round so when that begins they’ll be a bunch of teams panicking and going stage 5 clinger on teams strapped with a multitude of picks.

We have a mixed bag of international flavor and  upper classman making up the middle to late first round so it just comes down to what kind of soup do these GM’s like?

The underclassman with star potential (Cade, Green, Mobley, Suggs) obviously go first, the raw potential but unproven (Barnes, Kuminga, Bouknight) go next: then you have everyone else.

The post 2021 NBA Draft and Trade Buzz = Hot Stove Is SO HAWT Right Now appeared first on I-80 Sports Blog.

The Circle of Life: NBA stars like Kobe emerge, reign, then fade to black

As the end of the NBA season nears, we tend look ahead to things to come like free agency (i.e. Kevin Durant Sweepstakes), the draft and this latest twist in L.A.K.B. (Life After Kobe Bryant).

But instead, I’d like to reflect on the journey of how the Oklahoma City Thunder gained this basketball junkie’s allegiance as well as the ultimate experience of seeing legends in one epic setting.

My Thunder fandom began well before the inaugural season of 2008, but let me back up and set the mood and scene for you, like the gentleman that I am.

RELATED – Kevin Durant Return To OKC: “Bad Blood”

Growing up a typical Michael Jordan fan as a kid of my generation, I shed tears and endured a state of denial after his Airness’s first retirement and found myself team-less.

I turned to the most exciting duo of the 90’s in Shawn Kemp and Gary Payton of the Seattle Supersonics, who much like the Thunder of today’s NBA against the 73-9 Warriors of 2016, came so close to dethroning an all-time great team in the 72-10 Chicago Bulls of 1996.

You may think I enjoy suffering and must be a Cubs fan as well but no; I’m a fair weather Royals fan in KC where I reside and life is good.

Seattle eventually went into full rebuild mode and drafted a young kid out of Texas you may have heard of — named Kevin Durant — while Seattle and the rest of Sonic nation is history.

The OKC Thunder were born a year later while taking a Grande Mocha-Durant to go from then barista, David Stern.

Therefore, I claim to be the first Thunder fan and recall the growing pains of their first year only witnessed on NBA League Pass.

Did you know PJ Carlesimo (remember when Latrell Sprewell choked him?) was their first coach?  That’s what I thought.

Having seen GM Sam Presti build this Thunder team from the embryo stage to the second highest winning percentage NBA team in the last five years (68 percent) second only to our father figure in the San Antonio Spurs (74 percent), who much like Freddy or Jason of horror movies just won’t seem to die, has been impressive and a wild ride.

Transitioning now from the Kemp and Payton era to the Durant and Westbrook era, I had yet to see either duo in person.

Until I circled a game that I believed was so significant for my generation (having seen Jordan and Pippen in ’96, Malone and Stockton, Garnett and Marbury and Iverson all in ’98, Carmelo vs. Duncan in ’04) even though adult life had taken over.

But even adulthood couldn’t stop the kid in me wanting to see my OKC Thunder take on Kobe Bryant during his last road game in his NBA career. The stage was set.

Arriving to Bricktown in downtown Oklahoma City was fantastic!  Laker fans infiltrated the scene wearing their purple and gold and even some retro Lower Marion HS Kobe jerseys.

Records didn’t matter at this point of the season, just team pride and the mutual respect of the superstars in Kobe Bryant with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook seemed to resonate amongst the fans as well.

RELATED – Best NBA Players Ever: Michael Jordan #1, Who Is #2?

Outside Chesapeake Energy Arena you can’t help but see the monumental figures of the Thunder players assembled like Mount Rushmore.

While entering the arena I was reliving moments I’d only seen on television; pushing the eventual champion Lakers to six games in 2010 as an eight seed, the 2012 Finals run and so many other highlights — I couldn’t believe I was here.

I felt at home. I quickly began recognizing Thunder beat writers, reporters and players as I was two sections across the Thunder bench.

This was just the beginning though, the best was yet to come.

First came the Thunder intros and the well-known dancing ending with cheering for KD. Next, having seen all the Kobe tributes all year I knew it was going to be special.

Your standard monotone introduction of opposing players began, then the lights dimmed for the video presentation and appreciation of Kobe’s legacy followed by a roaring ovation. Well done Thunder.

Prior to tip-off, Durant shares a manly embrace with Kobe.

The game itself wasn’t exactly competitive — 112-79 after the final buzzer — but some fun facts were, Russell Westbrook had his 18th triple-double of the season by halftime.

Kevin Durant passed Kobe on the consecutive 20+ points scored streak with 34 points.

Kobe’s shoulder and pretty much his upper body were mummified for the fourth quarter, despite the crowd chanting for Kobe to return to the shellacking.

A vintage Kobe did start off scoring all of his 13 points in the first quarter battling and trash talking with Kevin Durant.

At the end, Durant and Westbrook met Kobe at the scorers table showing their appreciation for what Kobe has done for the league and their own progression in their careers.

What sums up Kobe’s farewell in OKC and the love for the game as well as each other amongst these superstars came from Durant after the game in “I wanted to destroy Kobe.”

“I remember when Michael Jordan was on his way out and Kobe didn’t take it easy on him,” Durant said.

“That’s all I was thinking.  I was trying to destroy him every chance I got.  Every time I got the ball, he was ‘Come on.  Let’s see what you got.’  That shows what type of player, what type of competitor he is.  I just wanted to play against him one last time.”

It’s a mutual respect among men, superstars and gladiators…THAT is legendary.

Related First-Person Sports Articles:

2018 AFC Championship Patriots vs. Chiefs – Beating Up The Bully A Tailgating Experience

The post Kobe Bryant’s Last Road Game: I Was THERE! appeared first on I-80 Sports Blog.

And even as early as July 4th when the idea of Kevin Durant’s first return trip to Oklahoma City was at its most infant stage. And we were not disappointed.

The hype leading up to this game has been built up with every quote, comment and even a few random social media posts that turned from innocent to dissected to fully embraced by an entire arena.

It was an absolute joy to be in attendance and take in the energy and vibrant enthusiasm as only a sporting event can bring.

We’ve all seen former players get booed in many sports but this scene and circumstance can only be compared to LeBron James’s first return to Cleveland back in 2014 after he took his talents to South Beach and the Miami Heat.

Much like Cavs fans then, Thunder fans were ready for this moment and gave Kevin Durant everything they had.

Excitement for the Kevin Durant Return Game began hours before the evening tip-off with Sports Center on the road outside of Chesapeake Energy Arena where fans took their creativity to another level.

This was a nationally televised, prime-time weekend prize fight of former teammates that have been under a microscope and interrogated like a season-long episode of CSI.

It’s also no coincidence this was placed a week after the Super Bowl or “Big Game” of the NFL.

This stage even brought out the stars of other sports like Floyd “Money” Mayweather.

Back to the boos.  They rained down on Durant from his entrance to the court, during warm-ups and throughout the entire game every time he touched the ball.

It’s conceivable that even his headphones were tampered with. Usher’s “My Boo” was on repeat during his shoot around — you get the gist.

See my LIVE look from OKC below:

Though the actual game was not exactly competitive after Westbrook exited the game towards the end of the first quarter with the score tied 22-22 for his standard rest, the game had several “chippy” moments which stirred the pot that much more.

The Kevin Durant Return Game had it all – hype, drama, hard screens, screens blown up, hard fouls, three technical fouls from a skirmish between Kevin Durant and Andre Roberson.

The most celebrated jump ball ever between Durant and Westbrook and towards the end of the third quarter.

The pot finally boiled over when Durant and Westbrook put on a trash-talking display at center court.

Bravo gentlemen, BRAVO.

The Golden State Warriors handedly defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder to the basketball world.

But on this night the stage was bright and like gladiators at the coliseum of Rome, the NBA won the crowd.

Next weekend, the NBA All-Star game in New Orleans.  This is where we will find Russell Westbrook joining Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green on the same team…what could possibly go wrong?

The post Kevin Durant Return To OKC: “Bad Blood” appeared first on I-80 Sports Blog.

I’ve loved football and the NFL as long as I can remember.

My mom bought my younger brother and I jackets from the goodwill when I was about 5 and he was 3. Since that day, I’ve been a Cowboys fan, and my brother an Eagles fan.

Related: NFL Standings and Records | Hot Babes | NFL Players By College

I played football in high school, I went to numerous Nebraska Cornhusker games before I hit puberty. My favorite teams in college and NFL won 3 titles in the 90s when I was at my sports adoring prime. Huskers 3 National Championships, Cowboys 3 Super Bowls.

I love the game. I love watching football. Not just my team, but all the games. I still dedicate my Sundays to my favorite sport.

But something, somewhere, somehow changed…

It stopped being about the team.

Not sure when, but somewhere between the “No Name Defense” and people rooting for other players to score touchdowns on their favorite teams so they could collect their fantasy points, it stopped being about the team. Somewhere between “I’ll do whatever I can to help the team win.” and players calling each other out in front of the media before they bring it up to each other’s faces, it stopped being about the team.

Not everything should be breaking news.

Why should I give a shit about anyone’s ongoing custody battle or sore little finger? Especially someone I don’t know…and why should I care about it again in an hour when the same story comes around again? Every hour. On the hour. ESPN may be the biggest reason why I’m starting to hate football.

The analysts act like they’re celebrities now. They analyze a game that’s played by other people. They have no accountability for what they say. It’s a here today, gone tomorrow attitude of say whatever I want now, because no one will remember if I’m wrong. If I’m right, I’ll be sure to remind you though. Every hour. On the hour.

The personalities are out of control. Cases in point: Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless. Why do these douchebags still have jobs?

There is a great clip about Daniel Tosh’s feelings on ESPN and I couldn’t say it better myself. So I won’t.

It’s all about the Benjamins. No, not Kelvin Benjamin or Big Ben Roethlisberger…

The NFL has become increasingly more and more about business. Maybe I didn’t pay attention to it when I was younger. I think I might remember an interview or two when you’d hear a player say, “I understand, it’s a business too….”, but it seems like that is almost daily now. Like a publicly traded company, the NFL has to increase its profits every quarter or its investors get restless. So you gotta squeeze every last dollar you can.

Billion dollar stadiums have become the norm after JerryWorld. The Raiders and the Rams/Chargers just to name 2 are in the works right now.

Prior to that, the Vikings mega-stadium. Ziggy Wilf was convicted of fraud and settled for 84 million dollars. He then got the city of Minneapolis to pitch in $498 million of the total $1.024 billion price tag for the construction. Doesn’t matter if you even watch football or not…pay up. Then, when it’s done, inevitably you will pay quite a bit more for your tickets to see the game.

The NFL will has hired the highest power attorneys to avoid, or make, a deal on concussions. From all accounts, it’s a big Fuck You to the players. The players who make the game what it is and ended up with dementia and trauma and brain damage. The players that have pleaded to have concussions analyzed and studied. The players who shot themselves in the chest when they committed suicide so that the doctors could analyze their rotten brains. They will get some money.

But the players are afraid of the NFL’s high powered lawyers and are settling for way less than they deserve. The players that come after the settlement will get nothing to my understanding. Yet, with research out there that there is better equipment available to deal with concussions, possibly cutting them by half, the NFL doesn’t invest in these products. Why? They don’t want any lawsuits if the equipment doesn’t work. They already have a standard helmet and the settlement will protect that.

They’ve been PUSSIFYING the game for years.

Remember when every football player was tough and treated as such? I barely do. It’s almost to the point of two hand touch on quarterbacks. No hitting the head, neck, knees, calves, or ankles. Don’t “drive” the opponent to the ground. Don’t get pushed into someone on accident. Don’t lead with your head.

There have been multiple players with the mindset that “We know what we signed up for.” NFL players today make a MINIMUM of $420,000 to be on a 53 man roster as a rookie. Many of these players would not be able to do many other jobs in society. They get paid an exorbitant amount of money to catch a ball, tackle another man, out-muscle another guy, out-run another guy, knock someone down. Is it really that big of a surprise when injuries happen?

Take the biggest, strongest person you’ve ever seen. Now put him on a field with 105 other guys just as big and strong and fast. Make them fight each other and run at full speed and try and knock each other down. They know what they signed up for. That’s what the money is for. Stop making everything a penalty, taking the aggressiveness out of a game that is meant to be aggressive.

Kickoffs? Too many injuries. Let’s move the kickoff up so that the chance of a return is very slim. Not enough offense? Let’s make any contact by a defensive player a penalty. Play didn’t go your way? Excitedly ask the ref to throw a flag or try flopping. Maybe the NFL and NBA should merge…

Stop screwing with the game. Do you really need to make or change 5 new rules every year?

Analysts SCHMANALYSTS.

Even the in-game analysis has gotten ridiculous. If I wanted to know where the opposing nose guard went on his first date I would actually meet him and have a human interaction. There’s already a scroll on the bottom of the screen…do I really need Bob Costas to stoop as low as telling me how many fantasy points Peyton had this week?

How about a childish graphic showing two hamburgers and which has more toppings because both quarterbacks in the game have last names that end with -berger. How about a glimpse into the  in-booth tomfoolery between people who are supposed to be telling me what is happening during the game.

It’s got a lot to do with the media, but it seems to be getting chipped away from all sides. Interviews are about the most boring thing ever due to media training. No matter what the question is, the answer is most likely, “It was a team effort, gotta give credit to (opposing team), they played a great game and we came out on top. We’ll just take it one game at a time, and worry about that when it comes.”

Dumb and Dumber.

I want football to be dumb. That’s what it is. It’s what I do when I want to do nothing and feel like staring at the ceiling might seem too crazy if a neighbor saw me through the window. It’s what’s on when I want to get drunk on a Sunday. It’s something I can put on as background noise.

Not everything has to be life and death. I want it dumb.

The post Am I Too Old For The NFL? appeared first on I-80 Sports Blog.

A hot babe can turn into a damsel in distress at a moment’s notice. On the way to a private screening of the newest X-Men movie, Melissa McCarty’s luxury automobile broke down. In true Hot Babe fashion, she ditched her vehicle and went to the premier.

Originally an award-winning broadcast journalist for KCBS in Los Angeles, she has had roles in television shows Revenge, Chuck, Lie to Me, Big Love, and The Middlemen. McCarty currently hosts the show Newsbreaker on Larry King’s Ora TV.

I spoke to Melissa the day after her harrowing car incident, as she borrowed some “Jane Fonda” clothes from a friend while she waited to meet with the tow truck driver.

If I’m going to approach you for conversation, what do I have to have? Killer abs? An expensive watch? All of my teeth? What does it take?

“If you approach me with humor and wit, if you can say something funny or witty or bold, that’s got my attention. Then, Paul, because I’m 5-9, about six feet in heels, I look at height. But the number one thing I look at is eyes.”

What does it take to get your phone number?

“Jokes are a risk. You have to be witty. Play off my surroundings, get me to respond in a happy way. Don’t do the expected, “So what do you do?” If you ask me what I do, it will turn me off immediately. If you ask me how old I am or what I do for a living in the first 5 minutes, I’m out.”

Most annoying thing about being a Hot Babe day-to-day?

“Disingenuous guys. I cannot stand the “bigger/better” syndrome. Instead of being with one girl, they have to have their hands in every pot, just to see, self-gratification mindset. That annoys me. They can’t just go fully in on one person; they have to spread the seed.”

How did the book, News Girls Don’t Cry, come to be? 

“It took 5 years to write, as I was writing it around doing stories about other people for the news. So I would do that and come home and try to spend an hour or two writing. It got to a point where there was so much on my mind, it took me longer than I anticipated. But having a brother with mental illness, I knew it was something I had to share. And we’re talking about serious mental illness; it would take him hours to prep for and then leave the house. It’s really a book about loving someone with mental illness and addiction. And I think it’s very motivating as well. The book is about being strong for yourself and for your family.”

How do you keep your thoughts straight during a high pressure live report?

“I’ve learned to control my emotions really well. You have to learn how to control it; imagine if I gave into a heckler on live TV. It would be the end of my career. But, it’s bigger than me, bigger than myself. If you make a mistake, you lose your job.”

How often do you get approached by Donald Sterling types, i.e. sleazy old rich dudes?

“Often. Uh, often. Often. That’s never been my thing. Billionaires have approached me like, ‘If you were with me this is what I’d get you, this is how your life will be.’ But I’ve got a career. I’m not struggling financially so I don’t date for financial security.”

OK, this is the rapid fire round. Tell me the first thing that comes to mind. Does a guy have to have all his hair?

“Doesn’t matter. What stands out for me is that there is something about a guy physically that makes him unique.  The way they carry themselves, swag and wit.”

Do guys overrate how much women value their abs?

“Yes, but guys have to be fit. But, most women prefer some extra cushion.”

Chest hair; yay or nay?”

“Either way, I’m good. No hairy monster though!”

Soul Patch? 

“No.”

Damn it. Neck tattoo?

“If it doesn’t affect your professional aspirations, no problem.”

Read more about Melissa’s book “News Girls Don’t Cry” by following this link. Visit her personal website here. To try to impress her with your sense of wit, reach out to her on Twitter.

The post How To Approach A Hot Babe – Interview With Melissa McCarty appeared first on I-80 Sports Blog.

The scene was set. Arrowhead Stadium. AFC Championship, Patriots and Chiefs; the new stud QB Patrick Mahomes vs the all-time greatest QB Tom Brady.

Shoot, even Joe Montana was there! THEE place to be and we were not disappointed.

I myself had been in three separate states throughout the week from KC to Denver, Denver to KC, KC to Omaha, and leaving Omaha on an early 6 a.m. drive back to KC for the biggest game in decades. Sometimes you just do what you have to do.

So cruising down I-80 to I-29, I went to meet up with friends and co-workers on our Chiefs bus. And, not to mention, about 70,000 layered up and foaming at the mouth Chiefs fans was not a problem.

The Pregame Tailgate

The city had been starved for this (unlike their BBQ) and despite the chilling temps and windchill, Chiefs Kingdom was ready to host the epic showdown.

Arriving at the stadium around noon on Bus 58, named after the late great Derrick Thomas, where the windows were still frozen from the night before and cheers began as people began wiping their respective windows from the seat to see the stadium that most have seen several times but this time was different.

See, the Chiefs haven’t had the best playoff home record but after the previous weeks’ Divisional Round win versus the Colts, the proverbial monkey was off their back and optimism of a Super Bowl was in the air.

The AFC Championship was upon us, and practically in my lap. Just like the 30+ dudes on the bus:

Arrowhead, known for their tailgating and the smell of the best BBQ, was primed and everyone was wearing their red, Chiefs jerseys and more layers than the seven layer dip people were snacking on before firing up the grill.

Tents were up to brace people for the cold, heaters going in those very tents and some adult beverages were all necessities in surviving this five hour plus pregame extravaganza with kick-off set for 5:40 p.m.

The emotional vibe was all across the board in speaking to several fans from insane excitement and confidence to skepticism and flat out nervousness since it was after all the Patriots led by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.  Oh not to mention this was the first time Kansas City had hosted an AFC Championship, ever.  So it was kind of a big deal.

Fans actively participated in creating their own lodge like atmosphere around their buses and vehicles to withstand these frigid temperatures. By just after 5 p.m. the temperature had dipped below 20 degrees with a wind chill at 8 degrees and you felt every bit of it.

Spectators made their approach to the stadium to avoid the brutal lines that undoubtedly would stack up while feverishly trying to finish their last beverage.  The wait was finally over, it was time to enter the madness and witness history.

The AFC Championship

If you’ve ever been to an NFL game you see similar things. But regardless, between the weather and the opening National Anthem with the flag and fireworks, it literally gives you the chills and on this particular day it didn’t disappoint.

As kickoff ensued the crowd was as wired as can be and as I made my way to my solo seat amongst absolute strangers I knew it would be an great experience.

Although the game started out very bleak for the home team you just knew it wasn’t going to continue after such an amazing season.  I quickly made friends with my neighbors around me and some bros behind me with my witty comments and desperate cheers.

Before you knew it halftime was here and the Patriots had taken a 14-0 halftime lead.

The second half began and as I got back to my seat minutes after it had already began I heard a thunderous scream and the team I had seen all year apparently ramped back with a quick score.

I thought to myself, “here we go.” Upon my return I turned to my new bros and asked what happen and the response was equivalent to a young child telling their parents about their first sleepover party without barely taking a breath from all the excitement.  We were back in the game. The AFC Championship was within our grasp!

The fourth quarter both teams exchanged blows like a heavy weight prize fight and with every score the mood swings were whipping as bad as the cold wind in my face. The beverages I had turned into more of a slushy drink which became more of a chore than a tasty ride.

At this point these new found friends I had hugged, high-fived and screamed with were all going through the same roller coaster ride I was but like every ride you take it must come to an end.

By now you know the outcome and after a clutch field goal by the Chiefs to get to overtime, the rest is history as the Patriots took the ball downfield and ended it.

Game over.

The Aftermath

The once sound deafening crowd went to an utter silence as people stormed out to the parking lot like an upset grounded teenager sent to their room.  Silence then began to tantrums and frustrated fans began to voice their displeasure of the unfortunate outcome.

I arrived back at Bus 58 to our group and the vibe from the stadium poured into our cozy heated bus.

All the layers of winter gear came off and we all began to decompress.  Some had much to say, some had very little and some simply called it a night for the ride home not wanting to deal with the reality.

The Conclusion – “Next Year Is OUR Year!”

At the end of the LONG day it was an awesome time!

The best part of the cold journey we had endured was knowing we experienced greatness on that field seeing legends and future legends go toe-to-toe.

One thing that commonly echoed during the post game was that optimism that we’ll be back for another round.

Though the darkness has engulfed us the future holds very bright, or at least that is what rocked us to bed on the ride home.

Goodnight Kansas City.

Related Chiefs Content:

• Tony Gonzalez: “Catching” Up With The Chiefs And Falcons Legend
• Longest Game in NFL History
• Interview With Kansas City Chiefs Tackle Branden Albert

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