It’s been quite the bust offseason for the New York Giants. However, there is still a lot of work for Dave Gettleman to do before the season starts and the 2020 NFL Draft will play a big role in the Giants’ fortunes for the upcoming season.
In this episode, let’s look at what players and trades the G-Men could explore in the upcoming draft. Also, what they could do with their first-round pick which may shock a lot of people. Want more draft and Giants content? Make sure to hit that subscribe button so you don’t miss any of our latest content.
It’s a brand new segment on Rich Sports Talk called “Bold Strategy”. Here, we explore out of the box sports ideas that when you really think about it make a lot of sense. On our first episode we explore why it would make sense for the Arizona Cardinals to select a quarterback with the first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. We look at everything from Kilff Kingsbury saying he would select Murray first overall to why the Cardinals could also get a good trade package for Josh Rosen. It’s a bold strategy, but here are the reasons why it could happen.
This week we are giving you not one but two Fourth and Goal episodes this week. On this episode we look into the College Football Playoff and Bowl season for the four biggest headlines from the weekend. We look into Notre Dame and why it will be hard for them to return to the playoff. Then what fanbase could drive their coach to the NFL and wrap it up with why the 2019 season could be one for the ages.
The XFL will return in 2020 and here are a few reasons why the league may look to put a franchise in Hartford, CT.
After 19 years the XFL will be returning in 2020. World Wrestling Entertainment founder Vince McMahon announced earlier this week that the football league that only last one season in 2001, would be returning without the gimmicks that the league was originally known for. Some of the initiatives the league will be to speed up the pace of play and also barring any player with a criminal record.
The full announcement was made on ESPN and can be viewed below.
The debate about whether this league will work is a good topic for another day. Instead let’s focus on an intriguing question that hasn’t been asked. Where will the eight teams play?
The original XFL had an Eastern and Western division with four teams in each division. The East featured teams in Birmingham, New York/New Jersey, Orlando, and Chicago with the West having Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Memphis, and San Francisco. With the XFL looking for potential sites there could be a new market that could be a dark horse for a franchise. That city would be Hartford.
Hartford, Connecticut? Surely you must be joking? However, the more you think about it the more it makes sense. First, McMahon has announced that he will be the owner for all eight teams. Think about that. Not only will he be the league commissioner but he will also have to keep track of every team’s day-to-day operation.
WWE Headquarters Courtesy: Stamford Advocate
I can definitely see a franchise in the New York and New Jersey area, given it’s the largest television market in the country, but Hartford would make it easier to handle a franchise that is right in the WWE’s backyard. The company’s headquarters, and likely the XFL’s headquarters initially will be based out of Stamford, Connecticut. Having a franchise in Hartford along with one in New York would put two of the eight franchises in near to the company’s headquarters thus making day-to-day operations easier.
Hartford hasn’t had a professional sports franchise since the Hartford Whalers left in 1997.
Now many of you will be saying that the market can’t support that. People forget that the New Haven and Hartford television market are one of the top thirty television markets in the country. In an area without a professional since 1997 when the Hartford Whalers moved out, this could be a market that would get behind a professional team.
Another encouraging statistic from Hartford Business was that the newly formed minor league ball club, the Hartford Yard Goats, set a minor league attendance record in their inaugural season drawing in over 395,000 fans.
Let’s also not forget that the original XFL played in smaller markets. Nielsen ratings in 2017 had the Hartford and New Haven as the 30th television market in the country. Of the original eight teams three of the teams were in smaller markets: Las Vegas (40), Birmingham, (45), and Memphis (51).
The next question I know you’re dying to ask but where will they play? It turns out that East Hartford has the perfect facility Pratt & Whitney Stadium, the home of the University of Connecticut football team. It’s a 40,000 seat stadium that was built-in 2001 specifically for football and hosted the UFL’s Hartford Colonials from 2009-2010.
Courtesy:RantSports
For an expansion league, the XFL would be wise to avoid large NFL Stadiums for attendance reason. The first time the XFL averaged just over 20,000 fans a game. If they were able to get 30,000 fans for these games it would look better to have a smaller football or soccer stadium that they have the chance to fill as opposed to a massive 70,000 seat stadium.
While professional football in Connecticut can be viewed as a long shot, the more you think about it, the more it makes sense. The state has the television market, provides a location close to the WWE Headquarters, is a market without a professional team, and has a football stadium that’s a perfect fit for the league’s specifications.
Even if Hartford isn’t one of the eight cities selected for a franchise initially, their qualifications and infrastructure would make the city a leading candidate if the league can grow and eventually expand.
It’s still a long way until the XFL kicks off in 2020, but if the league is looking for a new market when they start this league, one option could be McMahon putting a franchise in the same state where his wrestling conglomerate calls home.
Tony Romo’s injury is the final nail in the coffin for the Cowboys 2015 season
On Thursday evening there wasn’t much to be thankful for in Dallas, Texas as Tony Romo headed to the locker room. After heroically rushing back to try and save the Cowboys season, as Romo laid on the turf after a brutal hit by the Carolina defense the same thought ran through everyone’s mind. This season is over.
Technically speaking the Cowboys haven’t been officially eliminated from the NFC East, or as it should be called the NFC LEast. However, given that the team is 3-8 and will once again have to go with the incumbent Matt Cassel, the Cowboys should start waving the white flags.
It’s never easy to blame a season on injuries, but the injury bug is the main reason why Dallas is in their current predicament. It’s been a season that has highlights the Cowboys’ flaws and what they need to improve if this team wants to compete at a high level in 2016.
What are these flaws? An inability to run the football like they did a year ago and more importantly a defense that continues to I’ve games away. In six of the eight Dallas losses this season, the Cowboys had a lead that their defense couldn’t protect. This season also proved that the team needs to invest in a suitable backup for Romo given his injury history and age.
For Dez Bryant and Dallas what once looked like a season to remember has become one they would like to forget.
So what now? The Cowboys have to evaluate their roster to prepare for 2016. One thing the team must consider is what to do with All-Pro wide receiver Dez Bryant. Like Romo, Bryant rushed back from an injury and has not looked healthy on the field. Given their current predicament, it only makes sense to shut down Bryant to make sure that he is completely healthy for next season. True, the Cowboys are still technically in the race, but instead of chasing an almost impossible playoff hope this season, Dallas should reload and prepare to make a run next season.
Given the distraction and lack of production this season, The Cowboys should release Hardy
Finally it’s time for the Cowboys to get the elephant out of the room, and by elephant I mean Greg Hardy. Given the details of the domestic violence case now being released and the locker room issues he has already caused their is no good reason to keep him on the team. Hardy has produced on the field and the only defense that Jerry Jones has had for Hardy’s issues is that he helped the team win games. Given that this season is pretty much over and that the frustration could boil over in the coming weeks, it only makes sense to release this powder keg before their is an explosion the the Dallas locker room during the trudge to finish the season. At this point it’s anyone’s guess on what the Cowboys will do, but I strongly recommend these two actions to put the team in a better position next season.
2015 was simply a disaster for the Dallas Cowboys. Now the key will be to pick up the shattered pieces from the 2015 season and begin the process to rebuild the Dallas roster back into a serious contender is 2016.
The Eagles have landed. In a year where the NFC East was ripe for the taking, the Philadelphia Eagles 2015 season has been a disaster. After
After two 10 win seasons, Kelly’s Eagles are 4-6 in 2015
back-to-back 10 win seasons Chip Kelly was the toast in the city of brotherly love. Now, those same fans who once praised Kelly are sharpening their pitchforks to run the third year coach out of town.
At 4-6 the Eagles are still in the NFC East, but after rookie quarterback Jameis Winston threw five touchdowns and Doug Martin ran for over 200 yards, the Eagles playoff chances are fading fast. This tension has been building in Philadelphia since Kelly took over football operations. In that time Kelly has let successful players such as Lesean McCoy, Desean Jackson, Nick Foles, and Jeremy Maclin go while bringing in players that made the Philly faithful scratch their heads. While Nick Foles played at a pro-bowl level, Kelly brought in the extremely fragile and unproved Sam Bradford who shockingly couldn’t make it through another NFL season.
The main problem? Kelly’s once dominant and playmaking offense is
Desean Jackson (left) and Lesean McCoy (right) were shipped out of town and since their departure the Eagles offense hasn’t recovered.
staler then a two week old cheesesteak. Chip’s confidence that his system was greater then the players has come back to haunt him as the Eagles have struggled to move the ball all season while his former players are making splashes in their new NFL homes. Fans have to wonder what kind of team the Eagles would be if those players still donned the green.
So what now? It would shock me if the Eagles fired Chip Kelly especially one year into giving him complete control. However, I predict that Chip Kelly will leave Philly at the end of this season. Why? He’s always been an opportunist, and their are just too many great opportunities out there. Don’t believe me?
Consider this. Chip Kelly was dying to get Marcus Mariota in this past draft and couldn’t pull off a deal. The Titans need a new coach and would probably give Chip full control if he became the coach. Also given the state of the AFC South, Kelly could see an easier road to the playoffs as well.
Still, there’s always college. With so many great college jobs that are available, or may become available he may go back to college football and
Could Kelly return to the PAC 12 as the Head Coach at USC? (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
look to win a National Championship. Possible jobs that could open include Texas and LSU while jobs that are already enticing include USC and the University of Miami. We know that Kelly can coach in college, and in recent years coaches like Saban and Harbaugh have thrived in their returns to the NCAA.
Could the Eagles make the playoffs? Sure. Could Kelly return next season? Of course. Still the way this season has gone and how the team has appeared to quit on Kelly, or at least the defense in the game against Tampa Bay, all eyes will been on Philadelphia as the soap opera plays itself out. Once thing is for certain, it certainly isn’t sunny in Philadelphia right now.
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