Odell Beckham Jr and the Giants agreed to a five-year, $95 million contract extension yesterday making him the highest paid WR in NFL history. For myself, this is HUGE news. Not only is OBJ my favorite player in the game today, but he has been, in my opinion, the best wide out in the league since his rookie year in 2014.
In the history of the NFL, in a receivers first 50 career NFL games OBJ ranks 1st in receptions (313) and 100 yard games (19), 2nd in total yards (4,424) and 5th in TD’s (38). Oh, and he has done so in just 47 games.
Beckham’s production at such an early stage in his career has not been seen since Randy Moss in the late 90’s, and New York just solidified their face-of-the-franchise athlete for the next five years. He is a transcendent talent that, along with this new-look Giants offense, can take this city to new heights in the latter portion of this decade.
Obviously, Odell has his fair share of “issues” that have placed him under the microscope. Complaining on the sideline when he doesn’t get his way, fighting with former Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Norman two years ago on the field, proposing to a place kicking net and questionable TD celebration dances that have been flagged. BUT…that is who OBJ is. He is passionate about the game and will lay it on the line every Sunday.
The two biggest things that plague Beckham’s character at this moment in time are: one- the video of him in the Paris hotel room with a supermodel and two- the boat party in Miami five days before the 2016 playoff game in Green Bay. Both are obviously bad looks and have hindered his career to an extent, but clearly the G-Men believe he is maturing and has possibly learned from his mistakes to reward him with such an amazing contract.
If OBJ can keep his emotions in check, New York will make some serious noise in 2018 and beyond.
College Football Preview
Not only is football back for good, but the Notre Dame-Michigan rivalry is back as well. The two prolific colleges open the season in South Bend this Saturday for the first time since 2014. Both teams rank nationally inside the top 15 and bolster two of the countries top defenses. But this time around it will be a lot different than the years prior. Michigan has Jim Harbaugh at the helm, a legitimate coach in over 10 years.
Harbaugh has yet to win a “big game” since taking over in 2015. I’m not talking about a mid-season win against Wisconsin or Penn. State… I’m talking about the final game of the season against the one team that the entire Big Blue faithful need you to win–Ohio State. He has been close, but we all know what close does in sports… it doesn’t cut it.
Now, the ND series gives him an added opportunity to solidify himself among the elite college coaches in today’s game. Although, I’m taking ND to win a close, defensive battle at home to open the season.
Notre Dame 20 Michigan 17
Some other notable games to begin the season on Saturday: 6 Washington vs 9 Auburn in Atlanta, Florida Atlantic at 7 Oklahoma (very underrated game), 17 West Virginia at Tennessee. Sunday: 8 Miami vs Texas A&M in Arlington. Monday: 20 Virginia Tech at 19 Florida State.
Some highly touted NFL prospects will be on full display this weekend and my predictions for the 2018 season are below:
Final Four: Alabama, Clemson, Wisconsin and Notre Dame
Champion: Alabama over Clemson
Heisman: Bryce Love (Stanford)
Defensive Player of the Year: Ed Oliver (Houston)
Coach of the Year: Paul Chryst (Wisconsin)
Gear up. College football season is upon us and anything can happen! (except for Alabama losing before the playoff!)
Wild Card
The New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox are on pace to meet up in October for the first time since Boston pulled off the biggest comeback in sports history in the 2004 ALCS. Not only did the Sox break my heart, but they broke the 100-year curse of the great Bambino a week later to win the World Series.
Fast forward to 2018 and baseball will quite possibly have the first meeting between the two historic clubs in 14 years. Personally, I have not been the biggest fan of the new Wild Card format in the MLB. Two teams now play a 1-game play-in game to advance to the round of 4 to play the top seed in their respective league. Basically what it comes down to is pitching. What team’s ace will perform and can you mix in a few key timely hits to put enough runs on the board.
Sure, we have seen some epic play-in games such as last years home run festival between the Yanks and Twins or the 2016 match-up between the A’s and Royals. But the reality is that it hurts baseball. Every team plays 3 or 4 game series’ all season long to have their fate decided on 1 game. ONE GAME! At least make it a best of three series if you’re going to do a play-in series at all.
2018 might be the first time that the format hurts baseball altogether. Sports is all about rivalries and seeing the two best teams go at it in the postseason. This year the Yankees and Sox will likely end the season with the two best records in the league, but since they play in the same division….New York has to get through the play-in game. Now, you may argue that if the Yanks are good enough then they will prevail, but that is my entire point. Baseball is about series play. That’s why they play the same team for three games throughout the entire season. There is no doubt that the Bronx Bombers would win a best of three or five series against, say Oakland, but in a one game series…anything can happen.
If the Yankees and Red Sox fail to play one another this October it will be a bloody shame. Baseball is already hurting right now and the sport needs this badly.
Just don’t be surprised or upset if Boston walks into the ALCS with ease after beating someone other than New York as the possibility of it is higher than you think.