Stories and skills learned on the road by Hobo Bob
In the spring of 02 there came a storm that rock the world on it’s heels. This is story of the survival of a homeless vet and his dog and how the two beat the odds, in the spring of 02.
OUR STORE THE BOOK
PLease Donate to the Author
MORE INFO
In 2016, his rookie season, Carson Wentz ran 30 times. The quarterback avoided contact on only 12 rushes and was flat-out tackled to the ground, like any ball carrier, a dozen times.
During film review, Eagles coaches instructed Wentz to be more cautious when running. The headstrong quarterback brushed off the advice, however, as he did so many defenders.
Ask around about Wyoming quarterback Josh Allen and you’ll hear that he’ll turn into budding MVP candidate Carson Wentz or Titans washout Jake Locker. You’ll hear that Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield will turn into either Johnny Manziel or Russell Wilson. This doesn’t happen in other sports. Jaylen Brown didn’t enter the NBA draft only to be compared to both Jimmy Butler and Bill Murray in “Space Jam.”
Picking the right quarterback is the most important thing an NFL organization can do. The Browns famously didn’t believe in Wentz and traded the second overall pick in 2016 to the Eagles, who did. The rest is history. You can basically get everything else wrong and still repeatedly make it to the playoffs with the right quarterback, as we saw in the first few years of Andrew Luck’s career during Ryan Grigson’s reign as general manager in Indianapolis. It is not hyperbole to suggest getting this decision right is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Rutgers commits Zamar Wise and Jaaron Hayek are expected to participate. While Adisa Isaac , Yusuf Terry , Jake Hornibrook and Saleem Wormley highlight some of Rutgers’ top out of state targets, also set to compete.
We expect to bring you live updates beginning at 11:00 a.m. (ET). You can follow along with us here as we keep you updated on all the action:
Beckham showing up to workouts won’t end the offseason drama, but it’s a step in the right direction for the superstar receiver to continue his career in the Big Apple.
The 24-year-old Collins, however, would prefer to remain on the outside.
“I like playing tackle,” Collins said Sunday, via the team’s official website. “Right now, I’m focused on playing tackle. That’s where my mindset is. That’s where I’m grinding for.”
Yankees first baseman Greg Bird already is getting around pretty good for a guy who had arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle on March 27. He showed up Sunday to Yankee Stadium in a walking boot, but ditched it soon after arriving.
His future? He’s as determined and confident as ever that he’s going to live up to the high expectations that the Yankees for him, the expectations that he has for himself.
They say most players caught under the NFL’s program aren’t first-time PED users. That first failed test typically indicates the player had been using something undetectable, but either he got sloppy or the league found a new way to detect it.
Players also suspect the NFL is paying close attention to the Panthers because of the team’s recent history. Defensive lineman Charles Johnson received a four-game suspension in 2017 for violating the league’s PED policy. Backup offensive lineman Chris Scott was suspended for four games for a PED violation in 2016. Defensive lineman Wes Horton received the same punishment in 2015.
“The main thing, #ComebackSZN for me is like no matter wher
e I end up and no matter what happens football-wise,” Manziel explained, “at least my life, at least, you know, I’ve repaired a lot of relationships that needed work, I’ve repaired a lot of myself that needed a lot of work and I’m able to run back on the field, something I didn’t know if I’d ever get a chance to do again.
“So it’s disappointing, some of the things that happened, but nevertheless this is a huge step for me. I put pads back on. A lot of people would have just wrote me off to even get to this point. I’m definitely emotional about it. I’m definitely happy about it. This isn’t the end goal for me, but I’m having fun again. You know, guys talking s**on the field, I’m having fun. I had a smile on my face. You know, I’ll be pissed off when I go back and watch this during the night, but at least I know we come back out here in four days again and we play again.”
Recent sightings of Rob Gronkowski, which have included pictures at Brigham & Women’s Hospital on Monday visiting heart patient Lauren Meizo, appear to show an even leaner version of the tight end than we witnessed last season.
Of late, Gronkowski has been working out at TB12, continuing his mission with trainer Alex Guerrero. After the 28-year-old’s multitude of injuries, including a third back surgery, he last year decided he would put his faith in Tom Brady’s body coach, who focused on getting the tight end more pliable.
That process has resumed, but some are now asking if it’s possible Gronk might be getting a bit too lean for a tight end.
So, what has gone wrong? Why can’t we reliably figure out which quarterbacks will turn into superstars? And can we fix it in time to evaluate this year’s class?
Over the next two days, I’ll look into how and why we struggle with the most important part of the draft process. We’ll try to answer the “why” in Part 2 on Tuesday, as well as evaluate whether the problems are fixable and apply what we know (and don’t know) to the Class of 2018. But let’s start with what recent history can tell us.
As the attention reached a fervor, President Donald J. Trump sent out a series of tweets calling for the kneeling NFL players to be fired.
Many around the league took umbrage with President Trump’s message.
It’s been about seven months since those tweets, but the discussion around the national anthem kneeling is still ongoing.
In an extensive, wide-ranging interview with The Atlantic , Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins — one of the most socially active players in the league and co-founder of the Players Coalition, an organization that “fights injustices disproportionately affecting African Americans” — addressed the Commander-in-Chiefs remarks, saying President Trump was like “any other troll.”
Jenkins joined other Eagles players in 2016 in raising his fist during the national anthem, which is something he continued through most of the 2017-18 season.
Wide receiver Odell Beckham ‘s decision to attend the Giants ‘ first day of voluntary offseason workouts on Tuesday was a gesture in good faith, and the Giants apparently welcomed the commitment.
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter, who predicted weeks ago there was a good chance Beckham would be traded, now says NFL teams tell him Beckham is no longer on the block.
“When you speak to teams around the league who have been in touch with the Giants, they no longer believe the Giants are going to be trading Odell Beckham Jr.,” Schefter said Wednesday afternoon on ESPN’s NFL Live . “There’s been a shift in thinking. I think there was some thinking around the NFL that he was available. I think the Giants’ actions, and words dictated he was available.
After Beckham reported on time for the voluntary workouts, Giants head coach Pat Shurmur was complimentary of Beckham’s professionalism and commitment on Monday during a conference call with reporters. Shurmur also revealed that he met with Beckham last month and discussed the video.
“I really believe that Odell is a professional and he wants to be great,” Pat Shurmur said Monday during a conference call with reporters . “He understands the importance of the offseason and he’s a competitive guy and, again, we had already started communicating before all that information kind of got out there and was talked about a great deal. He’s a professional and I’m glad he’s here today.”
In four seasons, Beckham has caught 313 passes for 4,424 yards and 38 touchdowns while averaging 14.1 yards per reception on the way to three Pro Bowls.
If Beckam is untouchable again, his decision to report to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center could jump-start talks on a contract extension as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
We’ll still put him in some situations. Tonight we’re in pretty good shape with our high leverage guys, Robbie, Greenie and Dellin, and Chap. They haven’t worked, especially with the off-day. They’ve all had a couple of days off but we feel like we’re in a pretty good place when we get back out for the game tonight. He’ll continue to find himself in situations, everywhere from low to medium to sometimes high leverage spots when we need them.
Do you pay attention to the media more, considering you were just in the media?
What’s the latest on third baseman Chris Drury (severe migranes)?
First baseman Ryon Healy on Monday became the latest starting position player placed on the disabled list by the Seattle Mariners.
Healy, who sprained his ankle during a postgame workout on Saturday, was placed on the 10-day disabled list, retroactive to April 8. Right-handed reliever Chasen Bradford was recalled from Triple-A Tacoma in a corresponding move.
Healy opened the season with a 1-for-21 slump before hitting a three-run double in the eighth inning Saturday.
Seattle could have Daniel Vogelbach, Andrew Romine or Taylor Motter handle first base in Healy’s absence.
Besides Healy, designated hitter Nelson Cruz (ankle sprain), catcher Mike Zunino and outfielder Ben Gamel (both with oblique injuries) are already on the 10-day disabled list.
Athletics: Kendall Graveman (0-1, 8.10 ERA) has given up four homers in two starts this season. He gave up five runs in five innings against the Angels on opening day in Oakland.
Angels: Ohtani (1-0, 4.50 ERA) faces the A’s for the second time this season. The right-hander pitched six innings of three-hit ball in Oakland in his strong big-league debut, although Matt Chapman connected for a three-run homer.
Israel’s top basketball team has cut its star player, Glen Rice Jr., after he punched a teammate in the face.
Hapoel Holon said it released Rice after the team’s Monday night loss because of a “severe disciplinary infraction.” It said Rice punched teammate Guy Pnini in the face in the locker room. Pnini was hospitalized with a suspected facial fracture.
The 27-year-old Rice is the Israeli league’s top scorer, averaging more than 24 points a game, and has led Holon to the top of the standings.
He also won a state cup thanks to a last-second shot against powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv. Rice, who briefly played in the NBA, was previously arrested in the United States on battery and robbery charges. His father is three-time NBA All-Star Glen Rice.
The Bears were able to keep their interest in quarterback Mitchell Trubisky quiet entering the 2017 NFL Draft.
That won’t be the case with the highest-rated defensive end in the 2018 draft class.
A source told Sporting News that North Carolina State’s Bradley Chubb is meeting Wednesday night with Bears officials as part of a predraft visit.
Chicago’s diligence makes sense: The Bears are in need of a pass rusher to pair with Leonard Floyd. The 6-4, 269-pound Chubb is considered the top prospect at his position after registering 10 sacks and 26 tackles for losses during a stellar 2017 season.
Chad Bettis stood to get the win after giving up just one run and four hits in 5 2/3 innings, but the Braves rallied against Davis in the ninth to erase a 2-1 deficit. It was his first blown save in five chances but he did limit the damage to give the Rockies a chance to win it.
COOLED OFF: The Braves went into the game with the major’s most productive lineup, averaging eight runs a game and leading the majors with a .298 batting average and a .381 on-base percentage. But they were stifled by Bettis and the Rockies’ refurbished bullpen until rallying in the ninth.
But Holland’s future looked murky the past five years after three straight first-round playoff exits followed by no playoff berths in each of the last two seasons. He also was criticized for suspect cap management — the Red Wings have the ninth highest cap number but are tied for 26th in the NHL standings.
There was extra pressure on the Red Wings to succeed after a new home — Little Caesars Arena — opened in October 2017.
The Red Wings now will trust their long-tenured GM to see them out of this downturn.
One of Holland’s first decisions heading into the offseason concerns coach Jeff Blashill, who has one year left on his contract and is 104-105-36 as Detroit’s coach.
It was Scherzer’s ninth career complete game. He struck out 10 batters without a walk in outdueling Julio Teheran (0-2).
Scherzer added his first career stolen base for good measure.
The Vegas Golden Knights are the team that Las Vegas bookmakers are most worried about entering the Stanley Cup playoffs, but despite an amazing inaugural season, the Golden Knights aren’t the favorite.
That distinction belongs to the Nashville Predators, who led the NHL in regular-season points with an impressive 117. The Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook opened them at 4-1 to hoist the trophy on Monday.
The Tampa Bay Lightning (5-1) and Pittsburgh Penguins (7-1) have the next-best odds, followed by the Boston Bruins and Winnipeg Jets at 8-1. The Penguins opened the season with the best odds (7-1) at Westgate.
The New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche are the biggest long shots at 40-1.
Slugger Chris Davis, who’s off to a miserable start, cracked the bat over his knee after striking out in the sixth. He later was thrown out trying to bunt against the shift during an 0-for-4 performance that lowered his batting average to .088.
Blue Jays: 1B Kendrys Morales strained his right hamstring running out a single and was removed for a pinch runner in the second inning. Gibbons did not expect Morales to land on the disabled list. … OF Anthony Alford (hamstring) has started his rehab in Florida, where he is expected to remain for a few days before likely heading to Triple-A Buffalo, Gibbons said.
Witten’s contract runs through 2021.
The Morning News noted that the team also added a few free-agent pieces this week, signing wide receivers Deonte Thompson and Allen Hurns on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
It’s unclear whether the Cowboys will continue to try and create space, but linebacker Sean Lee’s contract could be another target and offensive tackle Tyron Smith’s could be a “last resort,” The Morning News reported earlier in the offseason.
The shooting touch was missing Monday, when Orlando was just 5 of 24 from behind the arc.
The Magic couldn’t make up for the misses on the defensive end, especially in the third quarter.
The Devils activated forward Marcus Johansson from injured reserve on Sunday, and he traveled with the team to Montreal.
The team plays the Montreal Canadiens at 7 p.m. on Sunday at Bell Centre in Montreal.
Coach John Hynes will brief the media at 4:50 prior to Sunday’s game, and he will clarify if Johansson will be back in the lineup against the Canadiens.
Johansson started practicing with the team on Monday, more than two months after suffering a concussion on March 23.
Especially for a guy like him who brings so much skill to the lineup and poise, forward Travis Zajac said. You’re always excited to get those guys back, and I think it’s something a team can always add is some more scoring, some more playmaking abilities.
Including Sunday, the Devils have four games left in the regular season. They currently hold the second wild card in the Eastern Conference — the final playoff spot. Their magic number to clinch a playoff berth is six points.
In 2016, David Bonagura kicked 10 of his 14 field goals but made just one of four beyond 40 yards. He was beat out by Minnesota grad-transfer Andrew Harte last summer, and Harte went on to miss two of his three attempts beyond 40 while converting 7-for-10 overall.
In both years, the competition extended deep into training camp.
But with Harte and Bonagura both graduated, Rutgers is in the midst of another placekicking competition.
For now, it’s Justin Davidovicz position to lose.
The Bridgewater-Raritan High School product saw action in all 12 games as a true freshman last fall, serving as Rutgers’ kickoff specialist.
The Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills quarterback underwent a 12-hour procedure on Wednesday to remove oral cancer and reconstruct Kelly’s upper jaw.
We successfully removed Mr. Kelly’s cancer from his upper jaw and lymph nodes from his neck, Dr. Mark Urken, head and neck surgeon at Mount Sinai West, said in a statement, via ESPN’s Mike Rodak. We then reconstructed his upper jaw. Mr. Kelly is resting comfortably post-operatively.
Jill Kelly said in a statement her husband’s recovery would be extensive. Jim is expected to remain in the hospital for a few weeks.
The real focus of the meeting on the social justice was passing, which we did unanimously, the last piece of our program that we worked out with the Players’ Coalition, which was to create a platform to address the issues which the players had raised, that they’re passionate about. And the ownership wanted to support them. And so I think we’ve really come together in a unique program to support the players and to work between the teams and the players to address those issues in the communities. That was the vast majority of our conversation over the last couple days. There was some discussion on the anthem but only in the context of Is this the platform in which to help the players address these issues in their communities and make sure we’re in a better place
By the way, history is instructive here. Back in 2000, another New York team had a mercurial superstar wide receiver who was entering the final year of his rookie deal, wanted to be the highest-paid wideout in football and ended up getting traded right before the draft for two first-round picks.
Just an opinion, but I still feel it’s very much in play. It has to be! The Eagles are playing this the right way, of course. They are letting it be known that Foles, a freshly minted Super Bowl MVP, represents the ultimate organizational security blanket as Carson Wentz works his way back from reconstructive knee surgery. And that’s certainly true. But it doesn’t trump the fact that a) Wentz has progressed well in rehab and is expected to be ready for Week 1 ; and b) Foles’ trade value will never be higher than it is right now.
Here are other transactions we’re monitoring from Friday:
1. The Los Angeles Chargers agreed to terms on a one-year deal with former Eagles defensive back Jaylen Watkins. Watkins is expected to play safety for the Chargers.
2. The Chicago Bears re-signed veteran defensive back Marcus Cooper to a one-year contract.
3. The Oakland Raiders re-signed veteran safety Reggie Nelson. He started all 16 games for the Raiders last season and his 60 tackles were third-most in his 11-year career.
4. The Kansas City Chiefs signed backup quarterback Matt McGloin and wide receiver Nelson Spruce, the team announced.
There are certainly several teams that could use an upgrade at a backup quarterback. Manziel might just fit the bill in some situations. Among the more prominent of clubs out there that met with Manziel at his most recent pro day were the New England Patriots.
Coincidentally enough, they are in the market for depth beyond Tom Brady and Brian Hoyer.
He just beat them instead.
Townes, who grew up in Edison, is a big reason why Loyola-Chicago has crashed the party in San Antonio, busting a million brackets as an 11-seed that nobody thought had a chance. They’ll be underdogs again in a national semifinals that includes powerhouses Michigan, Kansas and Villanova.
But this team is more than just a nice story with its telegenic 98-year-old nun and decades-long tournament drought. Baldwin is picking the Ramblers to stun Michigan and then cut down the nets on Monday night, and not just because his friend is on the team.