The Bad Ash Blog

It was not until games actually kicked off on Sunday afternoon that it felt like the NFL was back. We had Thursday night to get us warmed up, but it hits different when you have a full slate of games for the entire day. It has arrived, my friends. Football is here.  On the blog last week was an ice breaker, something to help us feel a little more prepared for the upcoming season. What's an ice breaker without a solid conversation to follow?  Let's dive in to the teams who did not live up to expectations, who exceeded expectations, and who did exactly what we expected them to do ... If the shoe fits then wear it, Cleveland.  Before I get into the quality of quarterbacks that we saw, or did not see, let's talk about what wins championships (is that still a saying or have dual-threat quarterbacks and running backs squashed that?). The Washington Football Team's defense brought them back from a 17-0 deficit against the Philadelphia Eagles. Not only did Chase Young have a so...

  Where is Paul George? What's going on with PG13? Has PG lost his touch? Is the shoulder soreness too much to handle?  These are the questions that have consumed many minds who have been tuning into the NBA playoffs. Paul George was off ... to say the least. On Tuesday, August 25, the day of Game 5 between the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks ... something clicked for PG.  "I mean, I just felt it. My energy, my spirit was changed. That's all it needed" said George when referring to his chat with the team psychiatrist. "That's all I needed. I came here, I know what my job was. Left it all on that court. Ready to move forward." 35 points in 25 minutes was certainly needed. Paul George became the only player to score 35 in 25 minutes or less in the shot clock era (1954-55).  PG was hearing it all within the world of social media. All of the comments, the doubts, the criticism, he heard it all. In a postgame interview after Tuesday night's fran...

  Let me get this straight ... during this global pandemic, college football players should risk their lives for our entertainment and other peoples' paychecks. Essentially, college football players should be treated like the pros without receiving any of the incentives that the pros receive. That sounds pretty bold doesn't it? Good, it was meant to.  40% of the Power 5 conferences have canceled their football season with intentions of planning a spring season. It sounds weird, but it is necessary. The Big Ten and Pac-12 have thrown in the towel due to their large concerns about the health and safety of student-athletes. Student comes first and athlete comes second, but they are not treated as such.  We have seen a mixture of interviews, tweets and comments regarding the upcoming college football season ... or lack thereof. We have even witnessed Dabo Swinney mentioning that the downsize of college football participation does not sway the playoff picture. "Whoever wins it...

It is no secret that the NBA bubble works, and whatever the MLB is doing does not work. Baseball began play on July 23 and the NBA tipped off their restart on July 30. MLB, players and personnel, have had over 30 positive COVID-19 cases and 20 games postponed. The NBA has not had a positive COVID test since July 13. Out of 343 tests, zero have been positive.  One is not like the other. Shoutout to the bubble. One league has a commissioner that puts forth an effort to make sure its players are looked out for, and their families. This commissioner makes them aware that their health is actually the priority and money is spent in all of the right places in order to appease all parties (you and I included). This other commissioner lacks the effort in taking responsibility for being blind to reality because of the inconvenience that may come with it.  Robert Manfred may not be a "quitter," but also does not appear to be the most rational either.  It took the MLB quite some...

Mood ALL 2020 I get it … we’re all nervous, right? What does the current state of this country mean for football season? I am certainly more of an NFL lady, but even the uncertainty of the college football season keeps me up at night. I advocate and believe in the ‘football brings people together’ campaign. It is that thing we are certain of every year. For me it is my escape from everything else happening in the world. Multiple conversations throughout the work week consist of making plans for the “big game.” Whether you wake up on Saturdays and have a cup of coffee or crack open a beer at 10 AM, it is socially acceptable … during football season. From tailgates to touchdowns, College Gameday to NFL Sunday Countdown, beers to burgers (or my personal favorite, nachos), debates to friendly debacles, comparisons to controversies … there is nothing like football season. Remember making fun of all the ‘silly’ or ‘pointless’ Bowl games? I take it all back. I would watc...