How To Punt a Football

Special Teams may not be the most exciting plays in football, but they are very important. Nick Saban, coach of Alabama, and Bill Belichick, coach of the New England Patriots, take pride in their special teams. It is no surprise then, that these two coaches are the most successful coaches in their respective leagues.

One aspect of Special Teams is punting the football. This occurs when a team has the ball and it has become the last down (4th down) and they are not in field goal range. They decide to punt the ball so that they can "flip the field" which forces the opposing team to go a further distance in order to score a touchdown.

How To Punt a Football:

Step 1: Line up directly behind the center. You should be anywhere between 16-17 yards behind the line of scrimmage where the football is.

Step 2: Count your players. You must make sure that you have exactly 10 players on the field so that makes you the eleventh player. This will prevent you from drawing a penalty.

Step 3: Stagger your stance. Place your dominate foot (The one you will kick with) in back of your plant foot.

Step 4: Place your hands waist level and signal to your center to snap the ball. This could be in the form of a clap, a head nod or a verbal signal.

Step 5: Catch the football and take your first step with your kicking foot.

Step 6: Arrange the football so that the tip of the football is angled slightly as if it is pointing towards the 2 on a clock.

Step 7: Take your second step making sure that the laces are facing up.

Step 8: Extend both your arms while holding the hand of your dominate foot open palmed underneath the ball.

Step 9: Drop the ball by removing your hands in a natural movement allowing the ball to fall straight down.

Step 10: Swing your kicking foot back and bend your knee so that you create a pendulum movement forward to kick the ball.

Step 11: Follow through with your punt by kicking your dominant leg as high as you can which should force your plant foot to skip off the ground before landing to stabilize yourself.

Step 12: Watch the flight of the ball and scream out any indicators to your teammates for what you want them to do. For example: Yell out the direction the ball will travel so they know where to run to tackle the opponent. (middle, left, right).

Fantasy Football Rookie Sleepers

Its almost that time. Fantasy Football is just around the corner. The great players from last year are not always the same players this year. Consistency is the most sought after trait in fantasy football and only a few players can perform on the same elite level year after year. The key is to find the sleepers. These are the players that no one talks about that are much more valuable than their draft position would suggest.

 Every year there are new players in the Fantasy Football universe by way of rookies. These first year players have not gotten a chance to prove their worth in the league just yet. These players are the riskiest to draft since nobody knows what to expect from them. They are also the easiest sleeper picks to acquire. I have predicted the top 5 rookie sleepers for the 2018 NFL Season.


1. Calvin Ridley WR Atlanta Falcons projected round 12 

During his time at Alabama, a team that was run first pass second, Calvin Ridley was able to achieve a 1,000 yard season his freshman year in 2015. He has tremendous upside for a 12th round pick on a team that moves the ball as well as the Atlanta Falcons. I expect Calvin Ridley to establish himself as a viable flex option throughout the season with an estimated 155 fantasy points in a PPR league.


2. Nyheim Hines RB Indiannapolis Colts projected round:
Round 15 

Nyheim Hines was an explosive running back for North Carolina State in the 2017 season. He split carries with Jaylen Samuels and was the speed back in the offense. The Indiannoplis Colts will miss the presence of Frank Gore this year and with Andrew Luck coming back from injury, the offense will be back to form. Nyheim will provide fantasy owners with RB2 production and I would not be
surprised if he assumed the starting role later in the year.


3. Hayden Hurst TE Baltimore Ravens projected round: Undrafted

Hayden Hurst was a hidden gem on a mediocre South Carolina team. He has incredible hands and ball skills for a tight end. The Baltimore Ravens have been known to utilize a system that favors tight ends in the redzone. Hayden's skillset will allow him to become a starting TE in his rookie year with a great chance of finding the endzone at least 7 times.


4. Anthony Miller WR Chicago Bears projected round: Round 13

Anthony Miller's numbers in college can compete with any other rookie wide receiver this year. He benefited from the offensive system at Memphis which was an uptempo offensive with a lot more passing than running. His ability to win 1 on 1 battles with cornerbacks and his nose for the endzone give him a great chance to be a breakout wide receiver in the NFL. I predict that Anthony Miller will make an early impact and become a hot commodity in trade talks during the season.


5. Braxton Berrios WR New England Patriots projected round: Undrafted

Danny Amendola's exit from the New England Patriots combined with Julian Edelman's four game suspsenion gives rookie Braxton Berrios a great opportunity to prove himself to coach Belichick. The Patriots have always favored quick slot receivers such as Danny Ammendola, Julian Edelman, and Wes Welker. If Braxton can replicate his 2017 season at the University of Miami, he will provide a great Flex option in any PPR league for his 2018 campaign.

Inspirational NFL Stories

http://www.nflgridirongab.com/5-inspirational-nfl-stories-that-will-be-told-forever/

The blog entry above lists stories of NFL players that overcame the odds to make it to the big leagues. I enjoyed reading the article because I was familiar with four of the players but I never heard about Vince Papale until I this read this entry. If his goal was to pick five inspirational stories that are the most memorable, I think that Matt Loede missed two very notable stories.


Dez Bryant

Desmond Bryant was born to a single mother of three in a poor neighborhood in Texas. His mother sold crack to make a living and Dez was forced to sleep on the floor because there were nights where fifteen people slept in the same duplex. At night growing up, his mother had to lock the fridge so that no one ate from it. He states that he grew up eating potato chips and peanut butter. When it came time to sign up for football, the coaches told him that it wouldn't be cheap and that he had to buy his own equipment. Des certainly could not afford equipment but on his way home he saw an abandoned trailer and stole football pads. Once he found something to do he worked hard at it and was able to land himself an athletic scholarship so that he could attend college and later finds himself as a 3 time pro-bowl wide receiver earning $13 million dollars a year.


Derrick Coleman



Derrick Coleman was born with a genetic disease that caused him to lose his hearing. Growing up he was often bullied for having hearing aids and was called "four ears" by the neighborhood kids. Derrick begged his mother to let him play football since she was worried it would further damage his hearing. She finally allowed him to play only if he wore something under his helmet that ensured that his hearing aids would not be damaged. Communication is the foundation for a football team to succeed and many were afraid that Derrick would not be able to take his talents to the field. Coleman realized that he could read the quarterbacks lips in the huddle to get the play call. He finally got his chance in the NFL after having a standout senior year at UCLA. The Seahawks staff worked hard with Derrick Coleman to get him ready to compete on the highest level. Coleman would eventually get a starting role as fullback and helped his team win a superbowl in 2014.

Chris Herndon's DWI Video Released by TMZ

https://lorenzokazdan.blogspot.com/2018/06/bad-beginnings-for-new-york-jets-4th.html

I visited Wikipedia earlier in June and edited a page on NFL player Christopher Herndon. The changes that I made were later erased and the page was brought back to its original form. I do not understand why this happened since the information I put in the Wikipedia page was accurate and properly sourced. Christopher Herndon's page is very short and does not have any information on it besides his current position as an NFL player. 

On June 2nd, Christopher Herndon was arrested for a DWI. Recently, TMZ has received and shared two videos from the scene. In the first video you can hear the events told by a witness who is involved in the accident. He states that Christopher must have been going close to 100 mph before colliding with him. You can see the damage done in the collision as well. In the second video, you can see Christopher Herndon answering questions from the police officer on the scene who later makes him walk in a straight line which is commonly used to test sobriety. 

Christopher Herndon registered a .14 BAC which is .06 more than the legal limit which is .08. He is due in court on August 22, which is only two days before the Jets 3rd pre-season game against the Giants. Once the court decision is made the NFL will follow with whatever they deem is the necessary punishment for his actions. 

http://www.tmz.com/2018/07/17/chris-herndon-ny-jets-dui-crash-video/

Revisiting the Legalization of Sports Gambling

https://lorenzokazdan.blogspot.com/2018/06/new-jersey-places-large-wager-on-sports.html

Earlier in the summer I wrote an article about sports wagering. Companies are jockeying for position in order to dominate this new segment. There has been backlash however with the decision to legalize sports gambling. It would seem that players themselves had no say in the matter but now they are voicing their opinions.

International Game Technology also referred to as IGT has partnered up with one of the leading fantasy sports companies, FanDuel. Together they have opened up sportsbooks at Meadowlands Racetrack in New Jersey, and have plans to create self-service machines as well as online wagering through their FanDuel app. In the first two weeks sports gambling was legal, New Jersey accepted $16.4 million dollars in wagers. 

A major concern that was brought to life was privacy. Players are often asked about their decisions in the offseason as well as when they are expected to come back from an injury. Not only are players harassed by the media and the public but their close family and friends are also affected by this, assuming that they also have knowledge of what an athlete will do. A major example of this was the LeBron James decision earlier this month. Richard Jefferson openly stated to the media that he was no longer friends with LeBron so that no one would continue to bother him trying to get information out of him regarding his free agency. When you factor in monetary gain from this information in the way of sports gambling, this information becomes extremely valuable and will become even more sought out. 

Former NFL player Eric Winston who is also the president of the NFL Player's Association, stated that gambling dehumanizes players. He references fantasy football and the fans reactions to poor performances and social media attacks. People forget that everyone is human, even these professional athletes. We lose light of this because they are so consistently great at what they do, and when they do not perform as expected, they receive threatening messages on social media. It is unfair to the players to be viewed in this light because they always compete and try their best to win and when they lose I'm sure they feel bad enough and do not need the excessive hatred they receive on social media platforms. 

July 4th is Not a Great Day for the NFL

On July 4th every year in the United States we celebrate Independence day. This is the anniversary of the day the United States declared independence from Britain and signed the declaration of independence in 1776. BBQs and fireworks are commonplace on this day and serve as symbols for the holiday.

The 4th of July is during the offseason for NFL players. This is a holiday that they can share with their family without missing any important games or practices. The SB article listed below talks about the tragedy that happened nine years ago on independence day. Former Tennessee Titan Quarterback Steve Mcnair was murdered by Sahel Kazemi before she decided to take her own life. Kazemi was having an affair with Steve who was married to another woman at the time. As mentioned in the article, Mcnair's mother does not believe that he will be remembered for cheating on his wife more than he should be remembered for his football career. Steve's career was not the greatest among the quarterbacks of his era but he will always be remembered for dying at the young age of 36 only 2 years out of retirement from the league.

According the the SB Nation article, July 4th is the most dangerous holiday of the year. This is certainly because of the fireworks that are lit to celebrate. Jason Pierre Paul knows this better than most. The current NFL defensive end was lighting fireworks in 2015 when one had gone off and severely burned his right hand. The gruesome injury is pictured in the sports illustrated article below.

Jason was almost certain that this injury would ruin his career. One doctor told him that he would most likely never play football again. As stated in the article, Jason told his doctors to not cut off his hand no matter what. He was confident that no matter how bad his injury was that he was talented enough to play without all of his fingers.

Before every game in the 2015 season he looked at his hospital wristband to remind himself how lucky he was to still be able to play the game he loved and that he did not get more hurt than he did. The funny part about that wristband is that it does not bare the name you would have thought. The Sports Illustrated article explains that Jason Pierre Paul wanted to avoid attention and did not want the media aware of his incident, so he was entered into the hospital as "Don X".

The 4th of July is a time of celebration but NFL fans will always remember the events that happened on this day for the late Steve McNair and the current NFL lineman Jason Pierre Paul. The 4th of July will always be celebrated by fireworks but now fans hope that these players have learned from Jason Pierre Paul's mistakes.






























https://www.si.com/nfl/2016/04/12/jason-pierre-paul-giants-fireworks-destroyed-hand-exclusive

https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2018/7/3/17531634/steve-mcnair-murder-nfl-fourth-of-july

The One and Only T.O

Terrell Eldorado Owens, also known as T.O, has one of the best statistical careers for an NFL wide receiver. His combination of size, speed, and great hands make him one of the best wide receivers of all time. He is mostly known however for his on the field antics and his media personality. Terrell Owens played for four NFL teams and brought drama and chaos to each organization. T.O always wanted to be in the spotlight and required attention at all times. His personality was the reason that a talented receiver such as himself could not stay with a single organization. Football fans may not like Owens but they definitely know who he is and how he acted in between plays on the football field.

In the NFL, wide receivers tend to carry the ball into the end zone more frequently than any other position. This gives them more opportunities to celebrate their scoring plays. When it comes to celebrations, Terrell Owens is one of the best and most creative mind there is. In an NFL network list, he was rated number 2 for having the best touchdown celebrations. 

His original celebrations include: the mocking of Ray Lewis, the thriller dance, the popcorn celebration, the pom-pom celebration, the midfield cowboy star celebration, and the sharpie celebration. These celebrations were not always allowed by the NFL but Terrell Owens did not care if he had to pay a fine or if his team had to take a penalty, he was going to do what he wanted regardless. Players these days are much less willing to do elaborate celebrations because the fines have increased and the referees are much less hesitant to throw a penalty flag. This makes the celebrations of T.O much more memorable. 

Did He Catch It?

Dez Bryant's "non-catch" is one of the most controversial calls in the history of the NFL. It was the 4th and 2 play for the Dallas Cowboys against the Green Bay Packers in the 2014 NFC Divisional Playoff game. With 4 min and 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Dallas Cowboys found themselves down by 5 at the Green Bay 32 yard-line and a field goal in this position would fail to give them the lead.

Tony Romo snaps the ball looking toward his number 1 receiver knowing that it would be up to him to make a play on the ball. After releasing down the field, Dez Bryant turns toward the quarterback to see the ball headed his way. On his hip is top-notch cornerback Sam Shields. Dez has a significant size advantage on Shields and makes it count.

Dez Bryant successfully climbs the ladder and grabs the ball with both hands. On his way down he makes contact with cornerback Sam Shields and pulls the ball in to secure the catch.

Bryant comes down with the ball. In the NFL a receiver must touch both feet on the ground inbounds after jumping for a catch with full possession in order for it to be a completed catch. Bryant successfully does so.

After touching both feet on the ground, Dez smells the end zone. He reaches for the goal line with hopes of giving his team the lead.

Dez Bryant loses control of the ball when reaching for the white line. The ball clearly leaves his possession but Dez regathers the ball so that it cannot be ruled a fumble and loss of possession. The Referee signals that the receiver for the Cowboys is down at the 1 yard line after completing the catch on 4th down.  

Play is later stopped and the play is then reviewed. The referees then announce to the fans that the play is overturned. They believe that Dez Bryant did not maintain possession of the ball and that the pass was incomplete. This ruling would give the ball back to the Green Bay Packers since the Cowboys had not converted on their 4th down attempt. Dez Bryant along with the rest of the Cowboys are furious with the call and cannot believe that the ruling had been overturned.



The process of making a catch gets tricky once they player goes to the ground. The rules say that a player must maintain possession through contact with the ground in order to have made a catch. This rule is negated however by the rule stating that a player that becomes a runner with the football does not have to maintain possession after hitting the ground but rather that player is down by contact if touched by an opponent. This rule gives room for interpretation and the referees on the field during the review believed that Dez Bryant was not yet a runner and had lost control of the ball when going to the ground. This call was so controversial because according to the eyes of the referee Dez Bryant did not catch the ball and yet countless people watching the game knew that he indeed caught the ball and had possession. The rule failed to recognize what had happened on the field as a catch and opened the door for renegotiating the rules which are still being ironed out today. Did he catch the ball? Well if the NFL competition committee released a statement after the game saying that it indeed should have been ruled a catch, then I believe that is enough evidence to prove that he did. What is heartbreaking for the Cowboys and their fans is the fact that the play in question played such a pivotal role in the outcome of the contest. If that play had been ruled a catch, as it was later confirmed, the Cowboys could have won that game and who knows, maybe even the Superbowl.

Jameis Winston vs the Law

Tampa Bay Buccaneer quarterback Jameis Winston is among one of the best young talents in the NFL.  While in college, Jameis was a 2 sport athlete and was drafted by the NFL as well as the MLB. He is no stranger to winning as he won a national championship in college playing for Florida State, however he has lost numerous battles with the law throughout his career. The troubled athlete has excelled on the field but has gotten himself into trouble at every stage of his life. I have decided to make a timeline of the career of Jameis Winston and his legal struggles.


November 25, 2012:
Jameis Winston is found by Florida Police officers after shooting BB guns at squirrels with another college teammate. Guns were drawn on the two Florida State football players and they were then arrested.



December 7, 2012:
Winston is accused of raping another Florida State student. After numerous revivals of the case, it is eventually dismissed for lack of evidence and problematic testimony.

April 30, 2014
Jameis is accused of stealing crab legs from a supermarket in Tallahassee and is suspended from the Florida State baseball team until he completes mandatory community service.

March 13, 2016
An Uber driver accuses Jameis Winston of touching her inappropriately when going through a drive
thru

June 21, 2018
The NFL suspends Jameis Winston for three games for his involvement in the Uber incident in 2016 for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.

NFL's Annual Popularity Contest

Every year since 2011, the NFL has had an offseason poll which involves players in the league voting on the top players that year. In a series of 8 episodes on television, they release the list of the top 100 players according to this poll. Having the players vote was thought to provide the most accurate list since they are the ones who would know best how great a player is firsthand. However, many players argue that the list has not been accurate as the big name players known around the league always seem to be listed higher than they deserve.

Eric Weddle and Terrell Suggs both made the 2018 Pro Bowl and were the best two defenders on the Baltimore Ravens and the reason why they led the NFL in turnovers. Both players were somehow left off this years top 100 list. Teammate Tony Jefferson had this to say on twitter: "I just don’t understand the top 100. Weddle & Suggs been going to pro bowl after pro bowl.. how do they not make it? Should Especially be in front of people who didn’t even play half the year?". Jefferson is referring to numerous players that landed on the top 100 list without playing more than 8 games but most shockingly being Aaron Rodgers. No one doubts that Aaron Rodgers is a top player in the league but since he had only played 7 games and his season numbers were mediocre to say the least, it is very odd to say that he was the third best player of the 2017-2018 season.

Another player that was ranked much higher than expected was Jimmy Garoppolo. Landing at number 90 on the list, Jimmy only started 5 games last season and was playing for a team that had already been eliminated from playoff contention. Jacksonville Jaguars cornerback Jalen Ramsey, ranked number 17 on the list, was asked if Jimmy should have made the list: "Not yet. What'd he play, five games?" I do not agree with including someone on the top 100 list when they did not play even one third of the regular season. The NFL's top 100 does not seem to represent who the best players were during the season but rather the players with the best career accolades given recognition year after year. Terrell Suggs that has proven to be a great player every year and had four forced fumbles this year. His name not put on the top 100 list just goes to show that other players around the league do not like Terrell Suggs and that the popularity of a player has more influence of his ranking than does his actual performance.

Within the top 100 list there is emphasis on making the top 10. The last episode that airs exclusively shows the top 10 players with interviews and commentary by opponents and teammates of these players. Here are this years top 10 players voted by the players themselves:

1. Tom Brady
2. Antonio Brown
3. Carson Wentz
4. Julio Jones
5. Leveon Bell
6. Todd Gurley
7. Aaron Donald
8. Drew Brees
9. Von Miller 
10. Aaron Rodgers

If I was to name the top 10 players in the NFL during the 2017-2018 season it would be as follows:

1. Tom Brady
2. Carson Wentz
3. Aaron Donald
4. Drew Brees
5. Leveon Bell
6. Antonio Brown
7. Todd Gurley
8. Kareem Hunt
9. Deandre Hopkins
10. Xavier Rhodes

Is There a Substitute for the NFL Preseason Schedule?

In the NFL season there are 16 games to be played in 17 weeks with each team getting one week off, referred to as their "bye-week". Prior to the start of the season, there are four pre-season games to be played that are exhibition games. The outcome of these games have no relevance to the season as a whole but some argue that they are actually detrimental for the players. Fox sports analyst, Dieter Kurtenbach, had this to say: "The preseason is an unnecessary and meaningless quarter of a campaign that rips off fans, puts players at risk of significant injury and provides little, if any, entertainment value". I agree with Dieter that players face significant risk of being injured in these meaningless games. The idea behind the preseason itself however provides value to the sport for franchises as well as for younger players.

The preseason is crucial for teams that try to evaluate the young talent or new additions that they have on their roster. Starters and other key players do not see the field for extended periods of time during the pre season in order to limit the chances of injury. This also limits their opportunity to get back in the groove of things and build team chemistry prior to the season. The players whose abilities and skillsets are being questioned are then put into the game for a chance to impress their coaches and general mangers. The only problem with this strategy is the inferior competition that is put on the field. It is hard to assess the abilities of these players when they are not going up against true NFL caliber athletes. For this reason teams have began to schedule joint practices during training camp.

Joint practices before the season have gotten more popular as of recent. There is reason to believe that these could possibly replace preseason games. However, I do not see this as a viable option due to the money generated during preseason games. What is interesting about joint practices is the fact that organizations are inviting themselves to be scouted. This certainly was one of the reasons why coach Bill Belichick decided to have joint practices with AFC East division rivals Miami Dolphins. Belichick has been known around the league to do whatever it takes to get a leg up on the competition whether it was "Deflate-gate" or "Spy-gate". Along with giving your opponents an open invitation to scout your plays and tendencies, another reason against joint practices is fighting.

When you have two teams on one field for an extended period of time without true boundaries in a physical sport like football, there is bound to be an altercation. Teams that have been involved in joint practice fights include:

• Los Angeles Rams
• Los Angeles Chargers
• Dallas Cowboys
• Denver Broncos
• San Francisco 49ers
• Washington Redskins
• Houston Texans

The early exposure to opponents as well as the frequency of fighting prove that joint practices might not be the solution that some were looking for when hoping to get rid of Pre-season games. As it appears, the NFL will most likely keep the 4 game exhibition schedule they have implemented since 1978. 

Prison Rules

In honor of one of my favorite movies being on television today, I will be doing a review of Gridiron Gang. The film stars one of the highest paid actors, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The film came out in 2006 at a time where Dwayne Johnson was known for being a WWE wrestler because his acting career had not picked up yet. The film also stars Xzibit, a former rapper.

The movie takes place in a juvenile detention center located in Los Angeles. Most of the inmates are associated with gangs and within the confines of the center there is tension and aggression towards rival members. Seventy-five percent of the inmates find themselves back in prison or killed in gang related violence. Probation officer Sean Porter has seen enough once a reformed inmate is killed upon release.

Dwayne Johnson played college football as does his character in the movie. Sean Porter has the idea to start a football team at the detention center in order to bring unity among the inmates. This is an interesting idea considering that the players do not have knowledge of the game and are not interested in playing sports let alone associating themselves with rival gang members.

Porter brings these kids to their breaking point as he has only four weeks to turn a bunch of poor behaved men into a football team. They have been referred to as losers their entire lives and Porter wants to change the stigma. Their first game goes horribly wrong. Not only do they lose the game, but they are physically and mentally defeated. Everyone at the detention camp starts to doubt whether this was truly a good idea or not. This becomes the turning point for these young men. They can either call it quits and continue to be a bunch of violent thugs with no promise, or they can grow from this experience and unite to become one cohesive unit.

Throughout the movie Porter uses his role as a probation officer and translates this "drill sergeant" mentality to the football field as a coach. He is successful because when the team is off the field he acts as their best friend and their mentor and helps them grow as individuals. In the beginning of the film you see the inmates as violent and heartless individuals but as the movie progresses you begin to feel bad for the position that they find themselves in and you start to root for them.

Gridiron Gang is based on a true story and it is amazing how creating a football team at the camp significantly lowered fighting as well as the retention rate of prior inmates. It is amazing to see the power of sports and how being part of a team means so much more off the field than you would anticipate. Football is a true team sport where all 11 players have to be on the same page in order to be successful. The time spent in order to create that chemistry also creates the sense of family and this movie perfectly depicts that message.

Bad Beginnings for New York Jets 4th Round Draft Pick

"Christopher Herndon IV (born February 23, 1996) is an American football tight end for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Miami.^[1] "

Highschool

Christopher Herndon attended Norcross Highschool in Georgia. In his senior year, he had 33 catches for 543 yards and 6 touchdowns. Christopher was rated as a 3 star recruit and the 32nd best tight-end in the country by 24/7 sports. Herndon received numerous Division 1 offers but decided to get his college education at the University of Miami.

College Career

The 6 foot 4 253 pound tight end started all three years at the University of Miami. His career numbers as a Hurricane: 86 catches, 1048 yards, 7 touchdowns. In his senior year, he received second team all ACC honors. Herndon injured his mcl in the last regular season game against the University of Pittsburgh and was unable to play in the ACC championship against Clemson or in the Orange Bowl against Wisconsin. The University of Miami was unable to win either of these games without him.

NFL

Christopher Herndon IV was the 4th round selection by the New York Jets and the 107th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

In the 2018 NFL Draft the New York Jets selected Chris Herndon out of the University of Miami as their 4th round selection, 107th pick overall. With poor production at the tight end position in prior years, the New York Jets are hoping that Herndon is their guy. With the season a couple months away, Chris Herndon has already gotten himself in trouble. 

Dating back to May of 2017, there have been 7 player arrests for members of the New York Jets. This has become a problem for the organization, and along with legal penalties come league disciplines such as suspension. Chris Herndon was arrested on DWI charges when he crashed his car at 4:45 am on June 2nd. No one was seriously injured in the crash. The NFL always waits for legal issues to be resolved before making any decisions to implement suspensions. It is possible that Herndon could miss the first few games of his rookie season. 

Chris Herndon's page on Wikipedia was extremely limited. I found it necessary to update the page by adding information about the New York Jets Tight End. Herndon was not a highly touted prospect in college and is currently a rookie in the NFL, therefore it is not always easy to find information about him. Now,  Jets fans as well as others who wish to find out about the 22 year old can locate his freshly updated page on Wikipedia.

How Mandatory is Mini Camp?

The offseason for any NFL team begins right after they are eliminated from playoff contention. For most teams in the league, this occurs after week 17 since they have not clinched a playoff birth. Most players begin to train on their own as the teams do not require any attendance until June. Everyone wants to be better than they were the year before and the players who outperformed expectations expect to be compensated.

The NFL is highly scrutinized for not giving contracts with guaranteed money. In a high contact sport with higher risk of injury, this is huge liability for the players. On average, at least 10 players on a given team will be placed on injured reserve throughout the year. Players can request injury guarantees in their contract if they are in high demand.  In order to maximize earning potential, players will demand contracts with high signing bonuses. This money cannot be contested and is guaranteed to be received upon signing the contract.

The importance of contracts plays a large role in the offseason. Free agents are trying to get signed to new deals and current players are always looking to renegotiate their current contract. The big time players know how valuable they are to an organization and will always seek to raise their salary based on the new contracts being signed by similarly performing athletes at their position. But what happens if the team does not want to pay?

Players are not required to show up to summer sessions until mandatory minicamp. It is interesting that these players whose contract demands are not met decide to skip minicamp. This puts the team in an awkward position. The player may face fines for not showing up which is ironic considering the player wants more money from the team rather than to lose money by failing to show up. Players will continue to hold out for as long as they want and in most situations will eventually get what they want and even get the fines waived.

Minicamp is essential for the coming season. New coaches and players are given a short time to get to know each other as well as prepare for the season and every moment is crucial. As much as players want to get paid they want to win. By skipping mini camp they are hampering their teams ability to improve and the act itself is seen as very selfish.

Some of the top players around the league are upset with their current contract and are exercising the same strategy. Skip mandatory minicamp. These players include pro bowlers: Julio Jones, Khalil Mack, Aaron Donald, and Earl Thomas. None of these players have been fined as of yet and due to their importance to the teams that they play on, they are not expecting any fines. These organizations realize that the faster they get things settled, the better their team will be. Teams are aggressively trying to resolve these contract negotiations however the true power lies with the players. It seems that for most players minicamp is mandatory but for the great players it seems that attendance is simply voluntary.

New Jersey Places Large Wager on Sports Betting

One month ago the Supreme Court decided to get rid of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, which was passed in 1992. This act was brought forward to prevent legal gambling on sporting events. One of its major advocates was Bill Bradley, a New Jersey Democrat, who had played college basketball. He argues that gambling on sporting events has an impact on the integrity of the game. Placing sports wagers has however been legal in Las Vegas casinos, drawing large crowds during popular sporting events such as March Madness or Floyd Mayweather fights.

Casinos have not been performing well this year. In Atlantic City specifically, year over year revenues have dropped nearly 5%. This means that the revenues from 2017 were 5 percent higher than the current year. The new bill that was signed yesterday by New Jersey Governor Philip D. Murphy allows for sports gambling in New Jersey. This gives Atlantic City casinos the opportunity to tap into the estimated $400 billion that is illegally gambled in the United States each year. The average profit margin on sports gambling in Las Vegas is around 5.3%. If Atlantic City casinos expect similar numbers, this major source of revenue can help these struggling casinos continue to grow.

A major issue that must be dealt with is the issue of integrity which was brought up earlier. In order to oversee betting transactions and prevent the "fixing" of games, all major sporting associations are requesting an "integrity fee". It is essential that sporting bets are monitored in order to ensure the integrity of the games being played. The National Basketball Association as well as the Major League of Baseball have also stated that they deserve a cut of all wagers that are placed because the casinos are profiting off their brand. This is an interesting dilemma because if the major sports associations get a cut of these profits, it is uncertain where this money will truly end up. Athletes will most likely not see this money entering their contracts, therefore, the destination is unknown. A counter argument on the side of the casinos, is that the margins are small to being with an by giving a portion of the 5 percent to these leagues, they are potentially losing billions of dollars. 

Some say that sports gambling ruins the game itself. Viewers will be more concerned about the point spreads and whether or not that garbage time basket goes in or not. This may not necessarily be such a bad thing for sports. The increase in attention as well as excitement in moments that may not be important to determine who wins and loses the game, can cause viewership to increase and allow for larger profits for the television stations and sports providers. People may now find interest in sports and other events that they can gamble on knowing that there is something in it for them other than the entertainment of watching as a spectator. Rising popularity can increase profits in areas such as fan attendance as well as memorabilia and jersey sales.

Legalized sports gambling will make an immediate impact on the world of sports and the ways that spectators view the sport. It is uncertain how long it will take to know whether or not this move was the right one and if the sporting world can sustain integrity. The moving force in this new legal action was certainly the potential profits that could be taken form illegal offshore books and effectively taxed to benefit the community as well. 

Suit up, Its Draft Day!

I may not be the number one overall pick in this years draft but I am certainly excited for the upcoming season. 

My name is Lorenzo Kazdan. I am from Staten Island, New York. This fall I will be a senior in Gabelli with a major in Finance. I am very passionate about sports and I thoroughly follow just about every professional sporting event. I love to compete and I wish that I was able to perform on the highest level but sadly that is not the case. I can recite statistics and give play by play accounts for numerous sports as I watch and follow everything that is televised or broadcasted on a sports app. 

In this blog I want to share my thoughts about recent sporting events as well as give my two cents in regards to any stories or scandals that surface in the world of sports. As an athlete I believe that I have the authority to comment on these topics and I hope to provide you with new thoughts and ideas that are not shown or spoken about on ESPN.