Midseason NFL Superlatives (The NFL on REO)

We hand out the midseason superlatives. (532 words)

It has been a long week and I don’t have the time or the desire to churn out another 1,500 words on the NFL. Instead, I have opted for the lazy man’s way out of this problem and have decided to do a list of superlatives at the half-way point of the 2017 season. I realize that we just watched Week 9 and it sounds weird to say this is the half-way point, but if you actually look at the records and how many games teams have played, this is a much more natural mid-way point than the end of Week 8. Plus, it’s my article and I can do whatever I want.


Most improved team

The Los Angeles Rams. There is no other answer here. If you said anything else, go to the end of the line and take a long, hard look at your life. Bonus points to the Rams for being coached by a former Boy Band Member!

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Who Watches the Watchmen? (The NFL on REO)

Catches, media incompetence, and bad wins. We cover it all this week. (1,687 words)

In Watchmen, the genre-defining masterpiece by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, there is a slogan that can be seen throughout the graphic novel, spray-painted on walls, “Who watches the Watchmen?” It’s a message about keeping those in power accountable and if that is even possible. While the things I examine this week are much less important in the grand scheme, I believe they belong in the conversation. It’s too often that we find incompetence or worse coming from those that are in a place of power in the sports’ world – whether it be the leagues, the teams, or the media that covers it all. So here is my attempt to watch the watchmen.

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The Blame Game (The NFL on REO)

We talk Titans, referees, and the incompetence of the commissioner. (1,342 words)

Titans Talk

Sunday’s game in Miami was brutal to watch. The Titans were never able to find any offensive rhythm under backup QB, Matt Cassel. It is no surprise, that after a 16-10 loss to a painfully bad Miami Dolphins’ team, many people in the Titans’ organization are getting blamed. And there is plenty of well-deserved blame to go around. Unfortunately, most of the local writers, radio talkers, and fans are pointing their fingers in the wrong direction. That is where I come in. Consider this the official Blame Index for the debacle in South Florida.

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The NFL Needs To Change (The NFL on REO)

The NFL has a lot of problems. What are they and how do we fix them? (1,569 words)

The NFL is in trouble. That’s the bad news. The good news is that most of the problems with the league can be corrected, as long as the NFL acts decisively and quickly.

The NFL is best seen as a giant battleship. It’s enormous and built to last, yet its size makes it unwieldy and difficult to change course quickly. Right now, it is the biggest and baddest ship on the water, but it is headed in the wrong direction. To make matters worse, it has dozens of small cracks along its hull that are slowly taking in water. Not one of those cracks is enough to sink it, but collectively, those cracks will eventually bring it down.

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The NFL on REO: The Deep Breath Before the Plunge

In this edition we talk celebrations, optimism, and the curious case of Colin Kaepernick. (1,243 words)

In Peter Jackson’s epic adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, there is a conversation that occurs early in the third film, The Return of the King, between the wizard Gandalf and Pippin the Hobbit. They have arrived at Minas Tirith, the last stronghold of man against the rising darkness of Mordor. After an eventful day, they stand at a balcony and look across the fields of Pelennor towards the dark mountains of Mordor. Pippin, restless and afraid, wonders why it is so unnaturally quiet. Gandalf, introspective and decidedly not full of assurances and hope, tells him that quiet is the “deep breath before the plunge.” Gandalf then delivers this line:

“The board is set. The pieces are moving.”

The message was clear: This was the quiet of armies amassing for battle. War was coming. It was at their doorstep. Everything was set and ready to go.

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The NFL on REO: The Draft

Recap of the 2017 NFL draft, and a few other points of interest.

An Exhaustively Researched Hypothesis

The NFL just concluded the 2017 draft. As usual, it was three days full of excitement, drama, and way too many opinions. It also helped confirm in my mind a little hypothesis I have been developing for some time: The NFL is the girl in high school that is socially oblivious, dumb as a box of rocks, kind of a jerk, but is pretty hot. Allow me to elaborate. That girl from high school had no problem getting dates. All the dumb, hormone driven, high school boys could easily overlook her lack of intelligence, her meanness, or her propensity to say or do publicly embarrassing things because…hotness. All those other negative qualities did nothing to lessen her popularity with the guys. That’s the NFL.

The NFL draft is three days of the NFL showing off, patting themselves on the back, and doing it all in the most bombastic and cringe-worthy manner possible. And we still watch. Because hotness. The NFL is hot, has been hot for a long time, and will be hot for many more years to come. It will be hot until all the negatives about the sport finally surpass how attractive it is to fans. And believe me, that time is coming.

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The NFL on REO

Goodbye Titans Tuesday. Hello The NFL on REO.

Titans Tuesday is dead! Vaya con Dios Titans Tuesday!

It was fun while it lasted but after churning out two dozen amazing and insightful articles that focused on the Tennessee Titans, a few things became very clear:

  1. I am probably not as amazing or as insightful as I think. Nah! That can’t be it.
  2. The REO readership doesn’t care about the Tennessee Titans very much. The stats bear that out with depressing accuracy. Sad face.
  3. The best performing editions were those that branched out and covered general NFL topics and not just things related to the Titans.

What that means is that instead of continuing Titans Tuesday, I have decided to let it evolve and become something that is more comprehensive of the whole league. That is not to say I will ignore my favorite team. The Titans will get their own section each week. If you have don’t care for the Titans, you are more than welcome to not read that section.

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Titans Tuesday: Dear Santa

My Christmas wish list.

Dear Santa,

It’s been a pretty good year. I really don’t have anything to complain about. Things are good. But, I believe with a little help from you, things could be even better. Perhaps even great. So, here is my Christmas wish list:

It would be so great if the Tennessee Titans made the playoffs this year.

It’s been way too long since this fan-base has seen their team in the postseason. Eight years, to be more specific. And that playoff appearance is especially painful to remember because the Titans lost to the stupid Baltimore Ravens…again. Man I hate the Ravens! Sorry! I’ll try to control my emotions. It’s just that the Ravens are so dumb. They are just the worst team ever.

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Titans Tuesday: Big Picture Manifesto

I examine current issues the NFL is facing and come up with some practical solutions to fix said issues. There’s some Titans’ talk as well.

This edition will be a bit different. The NFL is in a very interesting and somewhat fragile position. It is the most powerful and popular sport in America. The NFL generates profits and ratings unlike any other sport. But I believe all that power and money and prestige are precariously balanced. There are things happening in the sport, around the sport and to the sport that will cause the whole thing to come crashing down unless changes are made. This won’t be an in-depth look at all those things, but I would like to spend a little time addressing a few things, and changes that can be made to keep the sport we love as good and as popular as it is today. If you are not interested in any of this, then jump down to the final paragraph for the Titans’ talk.


Let’s look at three things that are generating a lot of talk and controversy for the NFL: officiating, player safety, and identity.

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