J.J. Watt apologizes to Houston after breaking a leg
By Javier Velo
Oct/09/2017
The update Monday morning came straight from J.J Watt and it’s every bit as awful as expected.
“I can’t sugarcoat it, I am devastated,” the Houston Texans’ defensive end tweeted
the morning after his second consecutive season ended prematurely with a serious injury. “All I want to do is be out there on that field for my teammates and this city.
“I’m sorry.”
Watt went down in the first quarter of the Houston Texans’ loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night, collapsing when his left knee buckled as he rushed the passer.
As Houston fans watched, some in tears, Watt himself grew emotional when he was unable to put weight on the leg and was helped to the sideline, then carted off and taken to a hospital by ambulance.
The diagnosis? A fracture of the tibial plateau, the top of the shin bone where it articulates with other bones within the knee joint.
Watt will require surgery and it is imperative that the surface be of the plateau be made as smooth as possible, according to Dr. James Gladstone, the orthopedic surgeon and co-chief of sports medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.
Although Gladstone has not treated Watt and the extent of Watt’s injury has not been made public, he told The Post in an email that there can be tears of the anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate or collateral ligament, but those are less common.
“The biggest issue is how severe and shattered the surface of the plateau is,” Gladstone wrote. “Since this is the articulating surface of the knee, it is critical to get it back as smooth as possible.”
The injury is more common, he said, “in higher energy injuries such as skiing or car racing.
As we know ligament tears are more common in football. However it all depends on the way you fall in the forces acting on the knee at the time of the fall.”
For Watt and Texans fans in the Houston area, the injury has other significance because, at 28, he has become one of the NFL’s marquee players and a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He became an inspirational civic leader when Hurricane Harvey ravaged the Houston area.
Hoping that with $100,000 of his own money as a base, a little online drive could raise money for relief and recovery, he ended up raising more than $37 million. If he was beloved before, he’s something else now. His tweet about “this city” recognized that this season was always about more than football.
“I feel terrible for the guy,” Texans Coach Bill O’Brien said. “Just knowing the type of guy that he is, he’s an amazing human being. He’s an amazing human being and he will work extremely hard to be back, to be back to play for this football team. I know that.”
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Sad Week for Football Fans
By Mateo McCartney
Week 5 in the NFL was a big plunder for most fans. Injury prevented teams like the Raiders and Titans to be successful, and injuries of the likes of Odell beckham have ruined the season for the already disappointing 0-5 season. Here are this week’s highlights or “lowlights” as we should call them.
1. The Raiders week can be summed up with the disappearing act of Amari Cooper. In a position to which his starting Qb being injured, he did absolutely nothing to contribute to the team and his back up Qb. He finished the game with one catch on two targets for only 8 yards. The past three weeks, Cooper has had 4 receptions with a total of 23 yards. All three they have lost. The Raiders lost the game 30-17 with Amari cooper looking quite pedestrian vs the Ravens.
2. The most gruesome and sad sight this sunday was for giants fans having to watch their star player in Odell Beckham be carted off the field while screaming in pain. Beckham had jumped high on a five yard slant and got his leg trapped under a defender, fracturing his fibula and ultimately ending his and the Giants season. This wasn’t the only injury for the giants team. They lost another two star receivers Brandon Marshall and Sterling shepard, who both have an unlikely chance of playing next week. Beckham finished the week with 5 catches for 97 yards and a Touchdown, with his giants losing 27-22 to the LA Chargers.
3. The highlight of week 5 was seen through the heroics of Aaron Rodgers in an epic clash of the Packers and Cowboys this week. Being down by 15 in the first half only fueled Rodgers to do great has he overcame the deficit, but the cowboys stayed in the game. Their quarterback dak prescott ran in a touchdown with just over a minute to take the lead. Rodgers rallied his troops, drove down the field, and threw the game winning touchdown with 10 seconds left, showing why he's the best QB in the game right now. He finished the game going 19-29 with 221 yards and three Td’s
4. Another entertaining game happened with the controversial Quarterback, Cam Newton(following sextist remarks) played lights out vs the stafford led lions. With no help from his run game,(Totaled 28 yards all game) Cam Threw for 355 yards and three Td’s with a clutch 15 yard throw to ice the games for the Panthers.Newton's best target for the day was back up Tight End Ed Dickson, who caught 5 passes for 175 yards.
5. On the other side, Stafford fell behind 3 scores, and led his team to a 14 point comeback, until Newton made the game ending throw. Stafford just needed a little help from his defense, which they didn't give in the end. He finished the day with 229 yards and 2 touchdowns.
6. The worst performance by a Qb this week comes surprisingly from future Hall of Fame Qb Ben Roethlisberger. Big ben threw FIVE Interceptions( 2 going for Td’s) to lose the steelers the game. This is one of his worst performances as a steeler, and brings the question to mind, is it time for him to hang up the cleats and retire?
These were some of the biggest stories of week 5, and most fans have to put this week behind them, and hope week 6 can go a little better for them.
Dallas Cowboys Kneeling Peer Pressure
By Andreas Renfroe
10/10/17
Recently, there has been a lot of controversy around football players kneeling during the national anthem. Many people believe that this action disrespects not only the flag and the country, but also all the soldiers that have served or are serving in the military. Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, strongly agrees with this. On Sunday after the Green Bay Packers game, he made a statement saying that any player who takes a knee during the national anthem will not be permitted to play.
During a conversation on the phone with ESPN, Jones clarified on his decision. According to Jones, this policy of prohibiting players from playing is because they are
disrespecting the flag, and this has been in effect since last season. “If there's anything that is disrespectful to the flag, then we will not play," Jones said Sunday. "Understand? We will not ... if we are disrespecting the flag, then we will not play. Period.”
Jason Garrett, coach of the Dallas Cowboys, has not discussed the decisions made by Jones yet. "Again, I believe our team believes in the approach that we take in regards to the anthem by showing respect for the flag and for the national anthem prior to the game," Garrett said. Two Cowboys players, defensive ends Damontre Moore and David Irving, raised their fists at the end of the national anthem before Sunday's game, but Garrett said Monday the players would not be disciplined. After this decision made by Jones, many people believe that soon other teams in the NFL will follow the same policy.
NFL Week 7: Game of the Year
By: Mateo McCartney
Week 7 of the NFL started on a Thursday night football Game for the ages. In a complete shootout between Andy Reid’s Chiefs, and the Derek Carr led Raiders, it came down to the final second (even passed that) to give the raiders a one point victory, ultimately saving their season. A hail mary looking pass highlighted the fourth quarter, while a bad game from both defenses and Amari cooper and tyreek Hill throwing blows on different sides of the field.
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Last week I said that the offensive line would need to take a huge step up for the Raiders to win a game. They did exactly that and blocked long enough for Derek Carr to throw for 417 yards and 3 Td’s.
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They barely ran the ball (21 carries) because of marshawn lynch wanting to run and punch a ref(barely exaggerating) they still had success when running. (88 yards)
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Derek Carr is the greatest raider to ever wear the black and silver. Not an opinion, a fact. He shows this week after week having the most comeback wins (12) in the past 3 years. The Raiders will lose every game they play without him. His young career looks very reminiscent of Aaron Rodgers with the comeback wins like Tom Brady. Let's see if he can keep it up.
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No matter how good of a game this was, it’s hard to ignore there god-awful defense. This team gave up over 400 yards with no turnovers. They gave up a 99 yard drive on three plays. There two star players ,Mack and Bowman(first game as a raider) came up big when they needed them, but they still needed there offense to put up 500 yards to bail them out. They absolutely look terrible out there
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Even past two losses in a row, the chiefs are still the team to beat in the AFC. Alex smith is playing lights out, while rookie back Kareem Hunt will put up at least 100 yards every single game. Oh yeah, there's also that guy named Tyreek Hill who cannot be covered. If there defense steps up, watch out.
By: Javier Velo
Oct/16/2017
For the second time in five seasons, the entire state of Wisconsin hinges on a single broken collarbone. One thousand four hundred forty-four days after Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone on Monday Night Football in 2013 loss to the bears, the Packers’ future Hall Of Fame quarterback suffered the same injury to his other clavicle in a brutal loss to the Vikings on Sunday afternoon
The team’s official Twitter account suggested Rodgers could miss the remainder of the season, but unless the Packers get lucky over the next couple of months, it might not matter.
Mike McCarthy & Co. were able to overcome Rodgers' previous collarbone fracture and win the NFC North, although that run required several improbable twists and turns. The Lions blew a division that seemed to be theirs for the taking, as they had a comfortable advantage with tiebreakers before losing to the 2-8 Bucs at home, falling to a 61-yard game-winning field goal by Justin Tucker, and blowing a fourth-quarter lead with a pick-six before losing to the 5-9 Giants in overtime. The Bears then inherited the top spot in the division and held a 28-27 lead in the fourth quarter over a returning Rodgers with 46 seconds left, only for the Chicago secondary to wildy blow it coverage on fourth and 10 and give Randall Cobb a free pass to the end zone for a division-clinching touchdown.
Life without Aaron Rodgers:
How Packers can survive -- with help
By:Mateo McCartney
This year's Houston Texans is a very high flying high scoring exhilarating team. Wait, the Texans? Yes, the once boring, defensive oriented team is now scoring 36 points a game. And that have a losing record? What has happened with this Texans bunch?
Last year for the the Texans involved the failed Brock Osweiler experiment and their defense barely carrying them to the playoffs. One first round pick has somehow changed all of this. The texans traded a first and a second round pick for next year to move up to pick 13 and they used that pick to draft national championship winning QB Deshaun Watson. He has given this offense a spark and showed the full potential of the star studded Wide Receivers he has. Watson, (not starting week one) is top 10 in yards and already tied for leading the league with Td’s. So the offense figured it out, but what happened with the defense? They have given 29 points to the jaguars, 36 to the patriots,42 to the Chiefs, and most recently 41 to the struggling offense of the seahawks. So what's going on? Some people think it is because they lost their star in future Hall of Famer J.J. Watt. But 2 of the games i mentioned, he was playing. And they didn't have him for most of the season last year. If the defense starts up like they did last year, Watson and a great defense could mean championship for the Texans.
Flip Flop of the Houston Texans
By Javier Velo
03/11/17
As Gordon Hayward recalls, he ran the play countless times but within the opening minutes of the 2017 NBA season, his year came to a heartbreaking halt after the Celtics forward fell awkwardly to court, breaking his ankle gruesomely in the process.
“From what I remember, I’d set up Jae Crowder so I could go back door, and had a step on him when Kyrie [Irving] threw up the pass,” Hayward recounted Wednesday in the blog post, “In An Instant.”
“I went up to try and go get it, and right at that moment, LeBron James came over from the other side. So I had one guy behind me, one guy in front of me, and we all were trying to get the ball up top.”
Though Hayward, 27, had been thrown off balance several times in his career, his leg got caught underneath him on Oct. 17, with thousands inside Cleveland’s Quicken Loans Arena stunned as the 6-foot-8 forward lay on the ground.
“Immediately, I knew something was off, but when I landed, it wasn’t a huge amount of pain,” Hayward described. “I rolled over and saw my foot, and it was pointed in completely the wrong direction. My first thought was, ‘Oh. This isn’t good. There’s something very wrong here.’ I felt a sense of panic come over me and signaled to the ref, ‘Hey, look at this. You’ve got to stop the game.’ And still, it didn’t seem like it was hurting that much.”
Once Hayward’s brain registered what had happened, the pain began to seep in.
“The training staff came running over to me super fast, but however long it was — three seconds, five seconds — I just remember sitting there, looking at my foot the wrong way, and it felt like an eternity,” Hayward said. “Dr. Rosneck, the Cavaliers doctor, braced me as he explained that they wanted to try and pop my ankle back into place. I held on, and the moment they did it, there was just a massive shot of pain, probably the most pain I’ve ever felt in my life.”
While getting X-rays in one of the training rooms, Hayward recalled Cavalier’s point guard and former Celtic Isaiah Thomas awaiting his arrival.
“The first person who talked to me back there was Isaiah Thomas. He was already back there in a training room. I can’t remember exactly what he said, but I know he said a prayer for me, like right next to me. He was just there for me. I’ve learned in a short time what a special guy Isaiah is,” Hayward said of Thomas, who helped recruit Hayward in free agency before being traded himself in the Irving deal.
Currently recovering, Hayward is grateful to his family, Including wife Robyn and their two daughters, as well as the entire NBA community for their unyielding support.
“I keep imagining what it’s going to be like to step onto the floor at the Garden, and make my regular season debut as a Celtic. It’s going to be a little delayed. But with each day of my rehab, I’ll be that much closer to making it happen,” Hayward said. “I’m already dreaming about sharing that moment with everyone here in Boston — a city that I’m still getting to know, but that I’ve connected with through all of this in ways beyond anything I could have imagined.” We all hope that hayward comes back from this being bigger and better. Prayers for Hayward.
Gordon Hayward relieves gruesome injury “Something very wrong here”
By Brianna Lopez
To some, football is life. Others don’t know about the journey some players needed to go through to get where they are today. Players like Jamaal Charles and Demaryius Thomas. The number one thing these talented players have in common is their road to success was not easy. Starting with Jamaal Charles, born in Port Arthur, Texas, he grew up with a learning disability, he was one of 11 kids raised by a single mother in a 2 bedroom home.. Though he had troubled reading, he joined the special olympics where he got into running when he was about 10 years old. His speed was got him into football in high school. This got his football team in high school 5A division ii quarterfinals. His high school experience of football earned him a spot on the Kansas City Chiefs and broke records. He proved everyone who said he would never go anywhere in life wrong. Moving on to Demaryius Thomas, born in Montrose, Georgia, he adapted to life with his aunt and uncle after his mother and grandmother were sentenced to 20 years in prison for crack distribution. Although Thomas had a rough childhood, he was a 3 time sports star in high school playing basketball, track and football. He was soon drafted into the NFL to play for the Denver Broncos. An amazing act was completed by President Obama when he communed his mother's sentenced to witness her son play football. Concluding with the fact that these talented players turned their rough roads into success.
Rough Roads to Success
Antonio Brown is the NFL MVP. Period
By: Mateo McCartney
Sunday night football for week 12 was a very good game. The packers matched up with the 8-2 steelers. The game came to the last second field goal by chris Boswell. The part people might not have noticed was the late game heroics by antonio brown. He scored to late game TD’s to tie the game at 28-28. With only 17 seconds left, Big Ben Roethlisberger's a sideline pass to brown who makes and absolutely brilliant catch. Then throws right back to him to get into field goal range. This is not news though. Brown has always shown out when it matters most. And that's just one of the reasons he should be MVP.
Remember in week 5, after an embarrassing loss to the jaguars when roethlisberger threw 5 Interceptions. They were questioning if he would retire and what a disappointing season it would be for the steelers. During this time, Brown was always performing. He had even over 100 yards against a great Jaguars defense. The next week he stole and Interception from a chiefs player and ran it in for a game icing TD. Now 6 wins and no losses, Big Ben is looking a lot better. He is just smart enough to throw it to Brown no. He isn't the same QB he used to be, but brown is helping him put up the same numbers.
One more reason he should be is because everyone is tired of seeing a QB and running back win it every year. There are three players not in that position who have won MVP, Lawrence Taylor, Alan Page, and Mark Moseley. Two defensive players and a kicker(yea i was surprised with the kicker thing too). Not one WR. It’s about time people show some other positions some love for once. And Brown is the perfect place to start.
Is Lonzo Ball A Bust?
By: Mateo McCartney
In the NBA, it is not a big thing to see someone who is only 18 to be drafted to a team. This usually comes with popularity that is sometimes to much for the kid. But i don’t think there has ever been a rookie that has been talked about than Lonzo Ball. While a stud at UCLA, a certain father of his went talking to some people about his potential. ( For a good time watch him argue with Stephen A. Smith on ESPN’s First Take, which you’ve probably already watched.)
With his dad all about the world with some of his star kids to talk about, no one really focused on what they should have, mhis ugly shot. When i say ugly, i mean that. It is just disgusting. It looks like he’s trying to flex to hard every time he shoots. Now in the NBA, he had the worst shot percentage in the first 20 games that anyone has had in the last 30 years.(31%) He is looking awful out there. He looks like he shouldn't be a starter. But then again, He is a 18 year old rookie. The only way he can go from here is up. Maybe give him time. Maybe Magic has just made a bad decision. We hope he can turn it around, but we’ll see.
Nick Foles for MVP
By: Mateo McCartney
You may tell that this title is a little sarcastic because Nick Foles isn’t the first Quarterback that you want to to lead you into the playoffs, but he is starting with the number 1 seeded Eagles. The ACL of Carson Wentz seemed to be carrying the team all year and when it tore, Eagles fans everywhere let out a sigh knowing that this again wasn’t there year. Now they just have to look to Foles to lead them to any playoff success. They know that he won’t lead them to a superbowl win or anything, so the eagles have to look forward to next season.
In other Playoff news, the bills and the Titans have finally made the playoffs with an improbable bengals win over the ravens, ultimately eliminating them from the playoffs. The Falcons just got in after almost collapsing and giving up their playoff spot to the seahawks. The panthers have to finally buck up and beat the saints on there third try, and the youngest head coach ever in Sean Mcvay is looking for one of the best seasons in Rams season. The AFc side looks like it's going to be between the patriots and the Steelers. Don’t get your hopes up for this years playoffs and let us wait for the postseason.
