Belichick says there is a quarterback competition, 'In Bill We Trust' or Nah?

When Tom Brady abandoned the New England Patriots organization for a team that would allow him to be the focal point of the offense, it was believed that 2019 fourth round Pick from Auburn, Jarrett Stidham would be the starting quarterback.

Bill Belichick then went out and signed Brian Hoyer with the notion that he would be involved in a quarterback competition. Hoyer knows the Patriots offense and was barely beat out by Stidham in 2019, so it made sense. Especially after he helped win Superbowl 53.

Bill then went and signed former NFL MVP and Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton a few weeks ago. With that, expectations from a few in Patriots Nation and the returning bandwagoners, was that Cam Newton would not have to do a thing in a Patriots uniform to become the next starter, even if every pass Newton threw in practice was an interception, he couldn't lose the job because he had a successful past.

On Friday July 31, 2020 Bill Belichick made a statement to the players as well as the fan base. While conspiracy theorists will call BS because it's not what they want to hear, let's look at what Belichick said. 

Belichick told pro football talk, "That spot's the same as all the other spots on the team. We've got a long way to go, and we'll see how things turn out. I can't control how players perform. That's up to them. We'll give everybody an opportunity and see what happens."

Now I will honor the notion that previous experience means everything and that players don't have to earn a spot once in New England, that positions are just given out and that Belichick isn't a "what have you done for me lately" coach anymore. That Bill just lied to everyone, including his players.

If Belichick is just giving the spot to Cam Newton, why would he just say there will be a competition? For one, this is Hoyer's third stint in New England and as a backup quarterback, Hoyer is a very valuable player. Secondly, It keeps moral up between Hoyer and Stidham. Believing they have a chance, will get the best out of them. 

Belichick was asked to elaborate on the Cam Newton signing. Without getting into too much detail, Belichick answered the question.

"Things worked out. We spent quite a bit of time with Cam, and he spent quite a bit of time with us. I think it was a mutual interest. We (spoke to) quite a ... number of different people and had a number of different conversations just trying to see how the fit would be. It was very positive on our end, and I'm glad it worked out."

The Patriots 'spent quite a bit of Time with Cam' before the signing? Now that doesn't sound like the story Newton told as he puffed on a cigar and said he went almost three months before Belichick called. 

Also if Belichick had spent that much time with Newton, was the picture Cam put on his Instagram of him studying the playbook current at that time, or had it been taken months prior? 

Belichick had conversations with Cam, was it like the conversations he had with Hoyer? Did Bill agree to sign Cam later in the offseason and ask Cam to keep it secret? Did Bill guarentee  the starting role? If you believe my earlier statement about Bill just giving positions away, then one must believe you also believe all of this.

There's a phrase in New England. It's a phrase fans know. It's a phrase that is sure to be part of the Patriots Way and why players sign. "In Bill W Trust!", so if Belichick says it's an open competition, I'm going to trust him. For a man's word is his bond.

Ryu gives up five and the Jays fall 6- 4

After a strong performance by the pitching staff on Wednesday, before giving up four runs in the tenth due to lack of offense; the Blue Jays looked for redemption on Thursday.

It wasn't a good outing for Toronto's new ace. Ryu failed again to pitch a minimum five full innings, pitching 4 and 1/3 innings. Ryu gave up five runs on nine hits and one base on balls. On the bright side however, he did strike out five batters.

Gourriel Jr and Hernández had the bats working for the Jays, each having three hits with Hernández driving in two runs. Bichette and Biggio would also drive in a run. 

Unfortunately, Font would come in and give up three hits and a run on on 1/3 innings pitched and the Blue Jays, couldn't muster any more offense. Team hero, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. would wind up going 0 for 4 at the plate.

The Blue Jays now fall to 3 - 4 on the season, with 53 games remaining. Due to covid the team will have four days off and will probably join the Nationals for a joint team workout on Sunday, as the stadiums in Buffalo and Rochester are still not ready. This all could have been avoided if only Canada's government worked out a way for the Jays play home.

Bills send all rookies home after coronavirus outbreak

Since the Toronto Blue Jays have decided to play in Buffalo, the teams that call the city home have become almost irrelevant. So when ESPN'S Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN reported all Bills rookies were sent home from camp, it came as a bit of a shock.

Even more shocking was that the Buffalo Bills have an ESPN reporter. Thank you Marty Fenn of Clutch Points for that bit of Information.

 

“As we were informed by medical experts as training camp opened, we expected to have positive tests for COVID,” the team said in a statement to ESPN. “With 5 since the beginning of the testing period last Tuesday, we decided to take a disciplined, proactive and preventative approach to hopefully eliminate additional cases within our team.

The Bills’ rookies first reported on July 21 to begin testing. The rookie who tested positive Thursday did so after registering three negative tests, a league source said."

Marty Fenn stated the player was asymptomatic. "The rookie who tested positive is reportedly asymptomatic, but will have to wait five days until receiving another test and being cleared to enter the team facility.

Undrafted rookie cornerback Ike Brown was previously placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, with defensive tackle Vincent Taylor and wife receiver Duke Williams also being placed on the list on Wednesday."

As Fenn states, the league has been doing everything possible to make sure they have proper safety procedures in place. There will be little to no fans in attendance and players can opt out of their twenty year.  Training camps have been reduced in size and the preseason canceled. 

There's not a lot more the league can do at this point besides finding a bubble city and moving the start of the season back a few weeks. Roger Goodell is animate that league will start on time. With the spike in virus cases, it's still possible for the season to be canceled.

Patriots resign Undrafted Michigan State Quarterback Brian Lewerke

Sunday saw the Patriots cut the roster down to eighty players.  One of the victims was former Michigan State and undrafted free agent Brian Lewerke. After six players opted out, the Patriots decided on Thursday to resign the quarterback.

The three year starter did not hear his name called in the draft but was signed immediately afterward as an undrafted free agent.

Lewerke is not a flashy quarterback as he only through for 17 touchdowns in 2019.  What Lewerke is, is an accurate game manager who knows how to study film and do what's asked of him. In all honesty, Lewerke is a younger and better version of Brian Hoyer.

Before the draft, an NFC personnel director told NFL.com “(Lewerke) is gonna do everything right in terms of coaching." 

The director went on to say Lewerke isn't the strongest arm or the most accurate. However, that's not why you bring him into a roster. Think of Chad Pennington. He wasn't always the most accurate and he wasn't the strongest arm. What he was , was intelligent, he could expose holes in a defense. That's what Lewerke is. Especially as a practice squad quarterback.

According to Matt Howe,  A coach who chose to be anonymous said "He got crushed because he played with a bad shoulder two years ago. I thought he played really good his freshman year. And last year they had a terrible scheme and no talent. He had moments of greatness and moments of bad play, but there was nothing that helped him."

Back in the spring I wrote an article on Lewerke where I said that he was another quarterback with questions due to circumstance, and that he was either a mid level starter or a career backup. Lewerke was one of the best quarterbacks in Michigan State history.

Lance Zerlien of NFL.com wasn't exactly kind when he spoke of Lewerke but he kinda says what I was getting at.  “Scouts have gone from bullish to bearish on Lewerke after his dismal two-year run following a promising 2017 campaign. He looks the part from an operational standpoint with good size and mobility, but he's been unable to inspire confidence in his ability as a field leader. If coaching improves his footwork and follow-through, he might see some improvement from an accuracy standpoint, but it's hard to say if it will be enough. The traits and talent are absolutely worth a look, but the spotty confidence and issues with ball placement could be hard to overcome.”

Look Lewerke is not going to be the starter on day one, in fact he probably won't even be on the final 53 man roster. However, it will make sense for the Patriots to keep a quarterback on the practice squad due to the pandemic. We have seen nobodies become household names in the NFL due to fluke circumstances. If Lewerke can make the practice squad in 2020, he has a solid chance of being the team's back up in 2021 if Newton goes elsewhere.

Did the six Patriots opt out on their quarterbacks

NBC Analyst Tom Curran knows how to stir the pot to get attention. His latest statement is no different. Six Patriots opted out of the 2020 NFL season due to covid-19 but Curran calling mularkey.

According to the Dan Patrick show, Curran gave his reasons why and it involves a certain farm animal. "If Tom Brady was still with the Patriots, would this many players be opting out of the season? @TomECurran doesn't think so."

Curran said Stidham and Newton were "7 and 9" quarterbacks and that the team would be "championship caliber" with Brady. He also said the reasoning the players gave was hard to accept excuses. That's pretty low for the NBC Analyst.

From having children to surviving cancer, these players are human. They might get paid thousands to millions of dollars to play a kids game but they're still human. How ever, Tom Curran's comments show he has zero respect for their humanity.

Brian Mazique of the Heavy weighted in in this, writing "If Curran believes each player is truly concerned with all of those things they mentioned (health, family, etc), but they would be willing to make the sacrifice for a chance to play with Brady again and win, that concept calls the priorities they shared into question."

Some people chose to play and don't care about the virus, that's fine. As fans, we all appreciate those who put their health and safety on the line to entertain us and take our mind off the seriousness of the world. Calling these grown men liars though, that's disrespectful.

Then to say the players have no faith in either Stidham or Newton? Really Cam took the Panthers to the superbowl in 2015. Sure both quarterbacks have red flags but to lie and say they're worried about covid when they're actually not willing to lose is unbecoming of the Patriots way. "Do your job" and "next man up" aren't just sayings, those are things Patriots take seriously. 

I just cannot phantom Curran being right about this. This take is way, way out there for a ratings grab. Tom had better have quality sources on this one. To question the man hood and honor of these six New England Patriots is sad and pathetic. 

Patriots former first round running back may miss another camp.

Above a picture of Sony Michel stiff arming a Colts defender while his blocker just stands there behind him watching.

Sony Michel could miss training camp. The 25 year old former first round pick had surgery to clean up something in his foot. It was thought that Michel would be ready but that might not be the case according to Jeff Howe of the Athletic.

Howe tweeted, "It’s still uncertain if Sony Michel will be cleared in time for the start of practice, per source. Michel had foot surgery in May. His status remains up in the air."

Sony Michel has yet to make it through a full spring. With Brandon Bolden opting out, this opens the door for both Damien Harris and JJ Taylor to show their goods. Rex Burkhead and James White are capable running backs if Michel is not a go week one. Plus the Patriots could get creative and line Newton up in the backfield behind Stidham.

The NFL season is about five weeks away. Belichick will have the offense ready. Ladies and gentlemen are you ready, are you ready for some football? Get your DPN gear here and represent Patriots Nation Properly. https://teespring.com/stores/dpn-2020-gear

the Patriots defense surprisingly has a lot to overcome

The Patriots had one of the best defensive units in football during the 2019 campaign but free agency and covid saw the team lose many valuable players.

The Patriots had issues stopping the run, even with Danny Shelton but Shelton went off and got paid. The Patriots have a slew of players but can they step up. Beau Allen isn't a spring chicken, Guy got beat out by Sheldon in 2019. Adam Butler is known for his pass rushing and Nick Coe is a hybrid end tackle. The Patriots moved Covington from outside linebacker to defensive line coach, so the entire unit may take some time to come around.

At linebacker, the Patriots lost Van Noy, Hightower, Collins, and Roberts. The Patriots had one if not the best linebacker units in football last season. They were versatile and could do it all. The Patriots brought in Uche, Jennings, Copeland it was expected Dugger to help the linebacking core. With Hightower now gone, can this unit step up? These are a couple of free agent veterans that could possibly help but is Belichick willing to spend the money?

The Patriots still field the best secondary unit but with Harmon, Ebner, and Chung now all gone, the Patriots are left with uncertainty at the safety position. Dugger was expected to play more of a linebacker nickleback role. JoeJaun Williams is still learning the position and we don't know if Terrence Brooks and Adrian Phillips are ready to be main pieces of the secondary. The Patriots have also moved Steven Belichick, who has kept the Secondary elite, to outside linebacker coach and promoted little brother Brian Belichick.

There's reason to be confident with the Patriots offense with the departure of Brady. The offensive line is healthy, the Patriots drafted two good tight ends. Jacob Johnson is back, the Patriots signed Marquis Lee and two really good undrafted wide receivers in Jeff Thomas and Will Hastings. Michel and Harris are ready to be a one two punch. Not to mention The two former Auburn Tigers playing quarterback. If you want to know more, about why the offense will be better, check out my article from yesterday. 

Obstacles keep getting in Belichick's way, but that has never stopped Bill. There's a motto in New England, one us fans know well. "Do Your Job!", that doesn't apply to just the players. That mindset starts at the top and trickles it's way down to the water body and kid who grabs the tee on kick offs. The Patriots will be ready come week one.

Blue Jays Pearson goes five but the bats fail to show up in ten.

The Toronto Blue Jays went into Wednesday for the record of 3-2. They had outscored their opponents 21 to 16. So the Bats were working but the pitching not so much.

Nate Pearson was making his debut on the mound for both the Blue Jays and Majors on Wednesday. He would strike out five in five innings. While giving up two hits and two base on balls. The rest of the pitching staff did their job through nine innings.

In the tenth, Yamaguchi did what the Blue Jays' pitchers do. He surrendered three earned runs on two hits and two base on balls. The Jays would give up four runs in the top of thr tenth.

Yamaguchi should never of been in that position. Toronto only got three hits against the Nationals. The problem is the Blue Jays are a roster mainly comprised of long ball hitters. Most teams build around a mix of average, small ball and long ball. Toronto is built for the fly, they expect at least a double on almost every at bat.

Last night I mentioned that pitching staff was assembled so that the team had to score five runs a game. Tonight, they only need one run in the first nine innings. It doesn't matter how many runs a team put up for the season, if they cannot get hits when it matters. The Blue Jays have only been around for about 40 years, and this roster build over last 20 to 25 years has cost the team championships.

If it's not the roster, then it's the coaching. The team didn't have that much trouble in the 80s and 90s when Bobby Cox and Cito Gaston where the managers. The fact the team kept a win-loss record over .500 all-time. 54 games to go, Toronto can still bring home the world series trophy but they have work to do.

The Blue Jays Have Arrived In Rochester, New York

Blue Jays' coaching staff was expected to arrive in Rochester on Tuesday. However it is unclear if any the staff reported to the flower city. Wroc News 8 reported that equipment has made it's way to the city.

Wroc news 8 reported "Toronto’s practice squad will be spending the next couple months at Frontier Field in case the big club in Buffalo needs help."

The reserve Blue Jays are due in town some time this afternoon. It is unclear where the team will be staying when they're not occupying the nest of the City's Rochester Red Wings.

In response to the teams arrival the city's triple A baseball team tweeted out, "We will be hosting the Toronto Blue Jays Depth Squad this season. Please give them a warm Rochester welcome! Who needs a garbage plate @BlueJays."

If you've never had a Rochester Garbage Plate, stop by the city some time and try one. I recommend a white hot plate with "everything"

Alexa Ross wrote, "The taxi squad, will practice, work out, and play intersquad games at Frontier Field throughout the season."

The Red Wings have a 113 page document, with requirements for the team to get the stadium up to the health and safety protocol standards set by the MLB.

Red Wings General Manager Dan Mason released the following statement, “It’s going to be cool to have the Jays and we’re excited to host them the rest of the season. We’re really happy to help out, and it’s just going to be cool to feel like we’re a part of the 2020 baseball season.

The way I figured it out, we’ll have about 12 players in our home clubhouse. In the community clubhouse, we’ll have around 10 or 12, and in the visitor’s club house, we’ll have probably eight or nine.”

While the Red Wings aren't home, it's nice to have the Blue Jays organization in the Rochester area. Hopefully, this could result in a future partnership between the two teams.

Will anyone else jump ship? The Patriots don't think so.

The United States is still battling the Coronavirus. With the Miami Marlins outbreak, athletes around the U.S. got to see how it could infect an entire roster. Several players in the NFL have opted out.

Of those players, six were Patriots. The losses of Cannon, Hightower and Chung left an open wound on the team. But according to one reporter, thought is that may be done.

Bernd Buchmasser wrote, "According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the organization believes that it has reached the end of its talent-drain via this route."

The Patriots are currently sitting at seventy five players. It is unclear if the Patriots will risk signing any of the remaining big name free agents due to the risk of them immediately opting out. If the Patriots do make a signing, it might not be until after the deadline for players on August 3rd.

The Patriots currently are sitting at little over twenty four million dollars in available cap space. Leaving the team plenty of room to make some moves if desired.

The 2020 Patriots Coaching Staff

The Patriots released their coaching staff finally and there were some changes. However for the most part, everything was as expected.

Josh McDaniels is still the offensive coordinator but with how bad the offense struggled in 2019, he will no longer be doing anything but scheming. The quarterback coach will now be Jeddah Fisch.

Ivan Fears will get some help coaching the running backs from former receiver Troy Brown, who will also be helping with the special teams. Brown was an assistant to receivers coach Joe Judge in 2019. With the lack of a return game and the backs other than White not living up to expectations as pass catchers, hope is Brown can turn things around in both areas.

Mike Lombardi will be handling the receivers, while Caley is getting a second year with the tight ends. Popovich and Bricillo will attempt to replace probably the greatest offensive line coach in the history of the NFL. It's unclear what role Hughes will have with the offense.

The Patriots still have no defensive coordinator but the duo of Mayo and S. Belichick served the job well enough in 2019.

Covington takes over the vacated defensive line position. The Patriots need someone who can install some aggression on the defensive line. Maybe this move could be a springboard for the former outside linebacker coach.

Steve Belichick moves to outside linebacker coach, surrendering the secondary and safeties. Under Steve the safeties have been one of the best units in the NFL and the 2019 Patriots secondary may have been one of the all time great units.

Former middle linebacker Jerod Mayo will continue to coach the inside linebackers. While Mike Pellegrino will coach the corners, which shouldn't be hard with their talent level. Former Patriots Sunseri will be around to help the defense in some capacity.

Replacing Steve will be Brian Belichick. Steve has left some huge shoes for his brother to fill. With only Devon McCourty being really the only returning safety to see any significant play time, Brian will have his work cut out for him.

One must wonder if Amanda Belichick will find her way on to the Patriots coaching staff. Currently,.she is a lacrosse coach for holy cross if memory serves.

Cameron Achord will fill the hole left by the new Giants head coach. To assist him will be Joe Houston. Then the Patriots have Moses Cabrera and Deron Mayo handling the strength and conditioning program.

As long as Bill Belichick is the head coach, it really doesn't matter who is on the coaching staff. If need be, Bill can do it all. That is what separates him apart from Don Shula and makes him the greatest of all time. The Superbowl trophies are just a bonus.

One Tweet restarts the tank movement

The New England Patriots had six players opt out of the 2020 season due to safety concerns over the pandemic. With the players having until August 3rd, last I checked; there could be more to come.

Adam Schefter tweeted on tuesday, "Actual text exchange with an NFL executive today after a sixth Patriot opted out:

Him: “You know Bill is masterminding all of this somehow.”

Me: “For what reason?”

Him: “I don’t know! That’s why he is who he is!”

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 28, 2020

Whether or not it was with an executive is beyond the point, the tweet seemed to resparked the tank for Trevor movement.

Forget the fact the Patriots have two former Auburn Tigers with chips on their shoulders, looking for redemption. Forget that Edelman has a chip on his shoulder from people saying he was a product of Brady.

Ignore the fact the Patriots have one of the top defensive and special team units. Ignore the media saying McDaniels offense was all Brady.

Some how with all this, people think the Patriots are going to win four or less games still and draft Trevor Lawrence. Who knows, maybe that's why Steven Belichick was moved to outside linebacker coach and his brother to one of the defensive back positions.

While Belichick is tanking for Trevor, don't be surprised if he makes a trade for with the lions for the rights to Barry Sanders to replace Michel. With the depleting linebacker corps, Bill may also sign LT and other linebackers from his 86 Superbowl team. Since we're talking nonsense with tanking, anything is reality.

Look, Belichick is not tanking but there are still several big name players out there. Names like Clay Matthews and Clowney. LaAdrain Waddle and Corey Glenn. Jordan Reed, Chris Hogan, and Michael Crabtree. Instead of talking about tanking, how about we talk about retooling. Patriots nation are you ready for some football?

The Patriots are better off with either of the two former Tigers.

In 2019 Tom Brady dealt with drops, his own players tipping the balls into defenders hands, and poor blocking; especially from his offensive line. Brady also ignored open pass catchers and was inaccurate at times. With that Brady still put up decent stats.

Last season, Brady completed 60.8% of his 613 attempts for 4,057 passing yards, with 24 touchdown and eight interceptions. He also finished his Patriots career with a pick 6 in the postseason. The circumstances in New England costed Brady a tenth trip to the Superbowl.

In 2018 Newton completed 67.9% of his 471 attempts for 3,395 passing yards, with 24 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Newton also rushed for 488 yards and 4 touchdowns on 101 carries. Newton did this in 14 games. Newton only played 2 games in 2019 before suffering injuries.

With an intact offensive unit at Auburn in 2017, In 14 games, Jarrett Stidham completed 66.5% of his 370 pass attempts  for 3158 yards, with 18 touchdowns and 8 Interceptions. Stidham added 153 yards and 4 touchdowns on 103 carries. 

Everything that could go wrong in 2018 for Auburn did but Stidham looked good in the 2019 preseason and got to practice with the first string offense and learn behind Brady.

The Patriots have added a plethora of new pass catchers and 2019 first round draft pick N'keal Harry and Sanu, who the Patriots gave up a second round pick for are both healthy. Add to that probably the best overall stable of backs in the NFL.

The Patriots run the 'Air West Spread' system, which has been missing a mobile quarterback to truly be completely effective. The quick hit, dink and dunk pass attack they operate, should favor whatever quarterback wins the job. The Patriots are going to be counting on smart game manager play from their quarterbacks. Especially with Hightower and Chung opting out.

2020 will be a chance for Cam to return to 2015 form or a chance for Stidham to show he truly was a first round prospect.  Either way, whomever ends up under center will be better than Tom Brady was in 2019.

One thing that favors both of the former Tigers is what Cam Newton recently said, "McDaniels can do things with him, that he couldn't do with Tom." That applies to both quarterbacks. The Patriots were 29th in the league at calling RPOs, with the two mobile quarterbacks, rest assured McDaniels will be calling them a lot more.

Guerrero hits first homer of the season, as Blue Jays beat the Nationals 5 - 1

Vladimir Guerrero Jr hit his first home run of the season in the second as the Blue Jays beat the Nationals 5 - 1. Tanner Roark picked up the victory, going five innings and only giving up one run on three hits.

The Blue Jays and Nationals will meet again on Wednesday, where the Blue Jays will act as the home team. The Stadium in Buffalo is still not ready, so the game will probably be in Washington.

So far this is a typical season for the Blue Jays,  where they're out scoring their opponent 21 to 16. With exception to the two games versus the Nationals, the Blue Jays have given up a minimal 4 runs a game. When the bats have to score 5 runs a game constantly, you know you're in trouble. 

The Blue Jays have not had solid pitching since the days of Bobby Cox and Cito Gaston being the Managers in the eighties and nineties. The team has had good pitchers over the last twenty five years but cannot keep the runs down. The team is going to have to eventually correct this, if they are to ever capture their third world series championship.

So far covid has been friendly to the Blue Jays organization but as we are finding out with the Marlins, the lack of proper protocols from the league means an outbreak can strike any team at any moment.

Marlins COVID-19 outbreak: Four additional players test positive; 17 total reported cases among team

The Miami Marlins announced Tuesday that four more players and coaches have tested positive for the Coronavirus, bringing the number to 17 confirmed cases.

The outbreak has caused a disruption for the league, especially with Baltimore and Philadelphia. As reported yesterday the league is reworking some of the schedules. The league released a statement about the outbreak.

Here is the league statement per CBS Sports

""The health and safety protocols were designed with a challenging circumstance like the one facing the Marlins in mind. The response outlined in the joint MLB-MLBPA Operations Manual was triggered immediately upon learning of the cluster of positive cases, including contact tracing and the quarantining and testing of all of the identified close contacts. The Marlins' personnel who tested positive remain in isolation and are receiving care." 

Marlins executive Derek Jeter said the Team is in talks with the league as it tests and quarantines itself. The team will be out of action until after Sunday at the minimum.

Here's the official statement from Jeter. "We continue to take this entire situation very seriously. All of our players, coaches and staff are, understandably, having a difficult time enduring this experience. After receiving additional test results on our Major League team this morning, we reached out to the Commissioner's Office with concern for the health and safety of our team as well as our opponents.

We have moved to a daily testing schedule while we isolate and quarantine appropriately, along with enacting additional preventive procedures with our traveling party. We look forward to safely returning to Miami where we conducted a successful and healthy Spring 2.0 before departing on the road and experiencing challenges. For the time being, we will remain in Philadelphia and gather information in order to make informed decisions and prepare for our return to action next week."  

The MLB has shown what not to do, and is an example of players unwilling to comply with living in a bubble and the league unwillingness to part with money to call of the season. The rest of the teams will continue to play among this outbreak. The league is walking a gray line. It's only going to take one serious outbreak or player death to shut sports down in America.

A list of Patriots is growing for opting out of the 2020 season.

As of midnight of July 29th, 2020, the New England Patriots now have $24,735,302 in cap space. The Patriots did this not with contract restructuring but with players opting out of the 2020 NFL season due to covid-19.

Safety Patrick Chung was the last of the Patriots to opt out. Chung joins Dont’a Hightower, Marcus Cannon, Najee Toran, Danny Vitale and Brandon Bolden to take off the season.

There could be more Patriots opting out, as the players have until August 3rd to make a decision on their 2020 season. The NFL had required teams to cut down to 80 players or hold to camps. With the players opting out, the Patriots are still on the hook for around $52,000 in dead cap for Will Hastings. The Patriots resigned Hastings after Dan Vitale opted out.

While some in the NFLPA are willing to sign a waiver and just want to play football, the fact that at least 19 NFL players have opted out shows players are scared of the virus. The NFL will be holding their season similar to how the MLB is operating. The MLB just had a major spike with one of it's teams, resulting in cancellations and and a scurry to rework team schedules. 

The NFL still has time to set up better protocols or even opt for a bubble format. At the moment, Unless a player dies from covid, Roger Goodell and the NFL have zero plans of stopping for anything. As for what the Patriots will do with their new cap space, it's still to be determined.

Three Patriots opt out, making room for the return of Will Hastings.

The NFL allowed players to opt out of the 2020 NFL season, and several have taken advantage of the option as covid 19 shows it's not going to be under control in the United States for some time to come.

For the Patriots this means fullback Dan Vitale, offensive linemen Marcus Cannon and Najee Toran are a loss for the 2020 season. Vitale played for the Packers in 2019, while Cannon was a key piece of the Patriots offensive line and Toran was a valuable practice squad member.

There maybe more names to come as players have until August 3rd to make the decision. With roughly seven days to decide, players have to think about their health and safety. Players with wives and kids will have the toughest decision. Is a pigskin worth more than spending years with their family.

The Patriots have resigned wide receiver Will Hastings, a player the Patriots have been scouting since high school. This comes according to Jim McBride of the Boston Globe.

"The #Patriots have re-signed rookie free agent slot receiver Will Hastings, who had been released Sunday, according to a league source. He played with QB Jarrett Stidham at Auburn and has a kicking background as well."

This is a huge opportunity for Hastings as the Patriots will want to improve their receiving corps after a dismal 2019 season. Hastings joins Jeff Thomas as the only two undrafted receivers on the roster.

While it is uncertain who else the Patriots will bring back in or sign. There are rumors going round on twitter that the Patriots may have interest in a reunion with LaAdrain Waddle. 

 Zack Cox of NESN wrote a little on the Cannon story. "Cannon’s medical history likely would classify him as a 'higher-risk player,' entitling him to a $350,000 stipend salary. Non-high-risk (aka “voluntary”) players who opt out will receive $150,000 in the form of a salary advance."

As far as Hastings goes, there was hope that he would pick up where he left off in 2018 with Stidham. However, the signing of Cam Newton and elimination of the preseason nipped that in the bud.

Hastings caught 26 receptions for 525 yards and four touchdowns in 2017 from Jarrett Stidham. He missed the 2018 season with a torn ACL costing Stidhama first round grade. Hastings had 19 catches, 222 yards, and a touchdown in 2019. 

Remember the only reason Jakobi Meyers made the team was because of his connection with Stidham in 2019. That is what Hastings' fans are counting on. However, if Newton is the Patriots long term plan, both Meyers and Hastings could be given their walking papers before week one.

As the Blue Jays return to .500, Miami Marlins Outbreak Postpones 2 Games and Rocks M.L.B.’s Return

Ryan Boricki picked up his first win of the season, as Toronto belted out four solo homers to bring themselves back to .500 on the season. However, this wasn't the big news for the MLB.

The Miami Marlins who are one of two teams to call 'Covid Central' aka Florida home, have tested positive for the virus.

The MLB canceled two of the Marlins games against the Orioles and the Yankees game at Philadelphia, according to Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.

"While league officials said there were no plans to suspend or cancel the season — which began just last Thursday — two games were postponed Monday after the Miami Marlins learned that at least 14 members of the team’s traveling party, including 12 players, had tested positive for the virus, " wrote Kepner.

Americans have had the toughest time following any type of requirements and have shown their stubbornness. The MLB has stated that it does not plan to cancel the season if teams get the virus. Former Yankees shortstop and executive for the Marlins released a statement.

“The health of our players and staff has been and will continue to be our primary focus as we navigate through these uncharted waters, take a collective pause and try to properly grasp the totality of this situation," said Jeter.

The United States has tried to rush reopening of the country. There have been protests and lawsuits against the government for people upset the government would put people's lives before the liberties of a select self centered few. 

Dr. Michael Saag, an infectious diseases expert at the University of Alabama at Birmingham weighted in on the situation. “I think it’s another indictment of the United States’s overall approach to Covid, We find ourselves impatient. And that’s what I think we’re suffering from, both in terms of not just Major League Baseball but for every other thing we’re trying to do.”

The Marlins will be tested in Philadelphia, where the team is currently staying. The team has players on standby but unless it is deemed safe, those players will not join the rest of the team.

Dave Martinez, manager for the Nationals, talked about the what was going on. “This thing really hits home now that you see half a team get infected and go from one city to another, I’ll be honest with you, I’m scared, I really am.”

Kansas City first baseman O'Hearn said, “It seems like it’s spreading like wildfire. It’s definitely a scary situation. Everyone realizes the kind of risk we’re taking.”

Of course it's scary and yeah, it's spreading like wildfire. Several states in the southern US didn't want to close and opened too soon. Citizens across the entire country did not and still haven't taken the virus seriously. It's probably the reason why Americans are restricted from traveling to most countries.

Kepner wrote, "On Friday, the first day of games for most teams, the league announced that only six of 10,939 samples it had tested that week (or 0.05 percent) had returned new positives. But most of those tests were conducted while teams were training at their home parks, before traveling to road sites."

Sounds like the league is slipping in their testing. The players should be tested daily. With the team still playing across the United States, this is a clear sign that sports need to stay in bubbles. The NFL has been looking to do the same thing as the Majors. Maybe this will get them to follow the NHL and NBA to save the season.

Dr Saag continued, “I’m personally concerned about schools reopening in hot spot states, and we know where they are. I think Major League Baseball is kind of the vanguard on this, and the other collections of people — be it students or campuses or the N.B.A. perhaps — it’s all going to follow suit because we’re in such a big hurry.”

The commissioner of the MLB admitted he had thought about isolating players for the season but he knew that players would refuse to play and the league is dying. He needed to make a decision to do what was best for the league.

Commissioner Manfred said about the idea of keeping players limited to the hotel and stadium, “So then we realized, gee, that’s pretty tough. So then we started talking about including families, and you realize as you get into that phase that you get into quarantine numbers that are insane.”

Manfred admitted that they thought about hub games in Texas, Arizona, and Florida but decided against it. Which was probably a good thing, since those are all hot spots for the virus.

Pitcher Adam Ottavino said Monday, “You just see comments, ‘Oh, this was expected. To me, OK, so, well, if it was expected, it’s just so reckless in my opinion. But a lot of guys didn’t want to do the bubble. I would’ve been willing to do the bubble. I thought, personally, that was a no-brainer. But I don’t speak for everybody."

The problem is not everyone was willing to play in a bubble. Players weren't willing to make their millions of it meant having to comply with health and safety regulations that kept them from doing things as normal. 

Manfred doesn't see the Marlins situation as anything dire. In a statement Monday he said, Manfred said, “We knew that we were going to have positives at some point in time. I remain optimistic that the protocols are strong enough that it will allow us to continue to play, even through an outbreak like this, and complete our season.”

Back in July Manfred sounded a little different, “If we have a team or two that’s really decimated with a number of people who had the virus and can’t play for any significant period of time, it could have a real impact on the competition and we’d have to think very, very hard about what we’re doing.”

For now it appears that the only thing Manfred is thinking about is raking in the cold hard cash, regardless of who pays the price. If not handled correctly, this could get the United States to cancel sports indefinitely until the virus is contained.

Patriots cut nine, Drop to 80.

The Patriots decided to go with the 80 man camp instead keeping 90 players and running with two camps. Starting Sunday, the Patriots were sitting at 89 players. This was going to be a tough decision for Belichick as he misses out on a lot of in person training that normally took place in the spring.

So there weren't many if any surprises with the cuts on Sunday. There may have been a player or two cut that Belichick already has enough scouting on to make the practice squad.

At quarterback the Patriots cut Brian Lewerke, who is a Brian Hoyer clone. The Patriots already have Hoyer. Duel threat J'mar Smith also was cut. There were rumors that Smith would be converted to receiver.

The Patriots cut return man Sean Riley, Isaiah Zuber who was a third round prospect according to sports talk line, and Will Hastings. Belichick has been scouting Hastings since high school and just beat out the Giants and Dolphins on signing Hastings as a free agent. If Hastings or Zuber are not claimed, they should find themself on the practice squad.

The Patriots did keep X receiver Jeff Thomas. Thomas is a short speedster who can help the return game but he's got a troubled past. With the lack of production at receiver in 2019,  its surprising to see Thomas being the only one kept.

With the size of the Patriots secondary it wasn't a surprise to see the team cut Malik Gant and Adarius Pickett. The team has enough guys who can ay safety. With the losses at linebacker this offseason, the Patriots have bigger need than safety.

Speaking of linebacker, the Patriots cut Kyahva Tezino.  Not a big loss, however with the departure of the Van Noy, Collins, and Roberts; it is surprising to see the San Deigo State linebacker released.

Another surprise cut was defensive tackle Courtney Wallace. The Patriots need to find a solid run stuffer. The Patriots really don't have a lock to replace Danny Shelton. Even with Shelton, the Patriots had a hole in the middle of that defensive line.

The biggest surprise has to be that JJ Taylor is still on the roster. The Patriots have five other backs. In college, Taylor wasn't a one dimensional back however. The 5'5" 190 LB running back also caught 62 balls for 487 yards and 2 touchdowns. But wait, like an infomercial; there's more. He also average 24.1 yards and 1 touchdown on 41 kickoff returns and had an 8.7 yard average on 3 punt returns. He's a true utility player and by not getting cut should mean that one of the other backs, either Burkhead or Bolden could still be cut.

Quarterbacks are due for covid testing Monday morning and the rest to follow on Tuesday. Football is upon us and with the Toronto Blue Jays already dropping two games with 57 games remaining; we need something to give us hope. Que the Patriots.

Patriots assistant Troy Brown to work with running backs in 2020

After a disappointing 2018 season for receivers, former Patriots wide receiver Troy Brown was brought in as an unofficial assistant to help assist Joe Judge at the position.

Judge split double duty between the special teams and the receiving corps before leaving to become the head coach of the Giants. Judge had replaced Chad O'shea who had previously left to take a great position in Miami.

Instead of promoting Brown to receivers coach, the Patriots opted to being in Michael Lombardi. Lombardi has floated around the Patriots coaching staff.

The Patriots will be having Brown work with Ivan Fears to learn the running back position. Sony Michel has had issues in the passing game, so maybe Brown's experience from last season can translate into Michel finally becoming the dueling threat he was expected to be.

Brown was a former iron man for the Patriots, playing all three phases. Brown signed with the team in 1993, he was part of the 1996 AFC championship team and also was part of the three Superbowl victories. 

If that is not enough, Belichick spoke highly of Brown in 2019. Here is what the hoodie said about Brown.

“He’s got a lot of experience in professional football with the Patriots, and as a Patriot, as a returner, and he’s a good addition. He’s got a solid role and he helps us in a lot of different ways.”

With everything Brown knows about football, any help he can give the Patriots is needed. The Patriots have been a revolving door with their coaching staff. Coaches are leaving to further their career.  Hopefully, other players will follow suit and return home to Foxborough.

Who will be the next starting QB in New England?

Unless by some fluke of luck, the 2020 season will have one of two Auburn Tigers under center. Whether or not Belichick  sticks to the what have you done for me lately, or if he goes off the fact that Newton has had flashes of greatness and hands him the job is yet to be determined.

WPRI.com talked about this in their article "NEN Xtra – Who will be the next starting QB in New England?" Where they mention fans were expecting it to be a battle between Hoyer and Stidham until Belichick signed Newton.

WPRI wrote, "This makes it interesting. The former MVP who has gone 0-8 in his last eight starts and not playing in almost a year, or the young potential pocket passer?"

What they fail to mention is while not a big bodied H-Back like Newton, Stidham is still a very mobile quarterback of his own right. The two Tigers are both very capable of running RPOs and if McDaniels wants to get creative, the Patriots could field both Tigers at the same time.

The two quarterbacks have been holding camps working out. They have been meeting with teammates and who ever they can workout with. As WPRI noted, "they've already begun their competition."

Now WPRI also brought up that the number two spot is also on the line. It's not likely that Hoyer can win the starting job but can Stidham beat him out two years In a row? If you read my work, you know I believe Newton at his worst, is a running back with Hoyers ability at quarterback.

There are five quarterbacks on the current roster. Brian Lewerke is an improved version of Brian Hoyer. J'Mar Smith Is a less talented version of Stidham but capable of playing other positions. So I won't get into them.

Newton is an experienced quarterback who can put up over 500 yards rushing a season in a bad year. He has a strong arm and can cause issues for a defense due to his duel threat ability. He has played on the big stage and has a laundry list of accolades. It's clear that his ego is in overdrive and thus he has a huge chip on his shoulder. Doesn't sound so bad but then we look at the flip side.

Newton has accuracy issues, on top of that interceptions and fumbles can be an issue. Newton has little chemistry with the Patriots pass catchers and offensive line. Plus, he has to really cramp to get the playbook down and owned before the team officially meets up. Then there was his tantrum after the superbowl loss which may or may not have been blown out of proportion. Since I'm not a Panthers' fan, I never paid attention to Cam unless I was signing him on madden.

"He (Newton) hasn’t played since September of last year. The injuries he has had to overcome are almost impossible to look past. There were times in the last two years where his throws could not come close to the intended receiver. It’s taking a chance if you can trust he can get it done," wrote WPRI.

There's a lot of hype and a huge bandwagon around the older tiger. Did the Patriots sign Clark Kent or Superman, is the question.

Stidham spent a year studying Tom Brady and practicing with the first string. He did what many said he couldn't and beat out Hoyer for the backup job. He has shown enough talent to be labeled the 2nd best quarterback out of high school and at one point a first round draft prospect. Stidham can run and throw, which makes him a duel threat. 

WPRI compared him to his predecessor, "His pocket presence resembles a young Tom Brady and his ability to get rid of the ball quick exudes the exact way in which this offense has ran for two decades." That's pretty high praise but just because he can get rid of the ball quick doesn't mean anything. Like Newton, Stidham is playing with a chip on his shoulder. From people calling him a bust, to the tank for Trevor movement, to the Newton signing; Stidham has something to prove.

There are some things wrong with Stidham. While he was just praised for quick release, in college he would occasionally hang on to the ball to long. When holes would open for him to run he would hesitate on occasion and let windows shrink.

WPRI write about Stidham, "He’s still very young. He was not am overly pursued quarterback out of the draft in 2019. He can be careless, but smart at the same time. With Newton only under a one-year contract, it would be risky to throw Stidham on the field in week one. If things go bad, he will take the fall and could risk his future."

There's a division with Stidham some believe he should be allowed to compete and could be the starter and those who have written him off as a bust after one pick six. 

Lastly there's Hoyer.  Brian Hoyer is your classic game manager, with plenty of experience. He's going to rely on the game plan and other phases of the game. He's not going to make any big plays but he's also not going to turn the ball over a lot either. He's intelligent as they come with film study but he doesn't have the physical tools of either of the other two quarterbacks. However, he can run Brady's offense.

Hoyer has never been in this situation. With the teams Hoyer has started on, he has shown flashes that he can lead a team. With the Patriots as a starter, Hoyer has the ability to lead them to a Superbowl just as Trent Dilfer did with Baltimore. So what's the downside?

If Hoyer doesn't win the starting job then he really isn't needed unless Stidham shows signs of a sophomore slump. The Patriots could use both the cap room and roster spot to help other positions. His lack of physical tools in comparison to the two former Auburn Tigers limits the Patriots on what they can do when he's on the field.

The case can be made for why all three should make the roster and for why each of them should start. I am pulling for Stidham but I know that the others have a chance. Homers believe that anyone is a lock for either the starting or backup role. 

Now I try to keep my sports articles non political. There are those who believe Stidham will win the job because he's white or Newton will win it because he's black. To that I say, shame on you for bringing race into it. For years we have challenged the receiver talk in New England because it was BS. Now we have an open quarterback competition, race will have zero factor over who gets the spot. If you cannot accept that, find another team to bandwagon on.

The Tale of two tigers

Tom Brady left in March to go to Tampa Bay. With that he took not only the expectations that the Patriots were going to win the division but the twenty years of bandwagoners. 

This left people wondering about what the Patriots were going to do at quarterback. Some wanted the Patriots to sign a huge name free agent while others took a look at  fourth round draft pick Jarrett Stidham. 

Those who looked at Stidham either looked at the entire body of work or just the 2018 college season. Some of us saw hope in making the playoffs and expected ten wins under Stidham.

On June 28th, bandwagon fans across the NFL returned to New England as Cam Newton signed with the Patriots. Why did the bandwagon return, because came Newton won the NFL MVP five years ago and thus the expectation that the Patriots were not only going to win the division but Superbowl returned.

Cam Newton is two quarterbacks. That's an issue with Newton. On one hand, Newton is an elite quarterback, from the Randall Cunningham mold. On the other hand, he is a running back with the passing ability of Brian Hoyer. We know what Newton is, we just don't know which Cam is going to show up. 

At Baylor in 2015 and at Auburn in 2017 Stidham looked like a top quarterback, being the number two quarterback out of high school behind Kyler Murray but ahead of Several starting quarterback. It's documented that he would've gone in the first round but returning for a disappointing 2018 season sent him into the fourth.

Newton fans will blame the situation in Carolina for Newton's issues. Over the Past two seasons, Patriots fans have blamed the situation for Brady's issues. As Belichick loves to say, stats don't always tell the tale, and in 2018, the situation was the reason for the fall of Stidham.

Jarrett Stidham looked good in the 2019 preseason. He was good enough to beat out Brian Hoyer. However, he threw one pick six and people were quick to write him off. Doesn't matter that he practiced with the first team in place of Brady.

Look at Tony Romo's 04 & 05 seasons & Tom Brady's 2000 season before taking the starting Jobs. Neither looked like they belonged on their teams until they started in place of Drew Bledsoe.

Teammates and Belichick have praised both Stidham and Newton. Former Patriots are coming out, praising and criticizing both quarterbacks. Fans are taking the Newton praise as legit and dismissing the Stidham praise as propaganda. While accepting the Stidham criticism and dismissing it for Newton.

There is excitement with some for Newton, while others are like meh because we know what were getting for the most part. The unknown of Stidham gives people excitement to see what he has. We want to know is which category does Stidham fall into; Starter, backup, or bust. Nobody but Belichick knows what we have with him.

Newton is a member of the New England Patriots and as such, we want him to succeed but that doesn't mean we're all required to be excited for his signing. 

The only thing many Patriots fans know about Newton is the tantrum he threw after losing the Superbowl. Both prior to and after that, Patriots fans didn't give him a second thought until he signed, unless they were playing madden. Kinda like nobody gave Stidham a second thought until Brady.

These two Auburn quarterbacks while they've had different paths, are both in the same place right now. Swimming in a sea of question Mark's for different reasons. Be excited for who you want but come week one, remember the name on the front is all that matters.

Toronto Blue Jays to play in Buffalo for 2020 season

At 2:30 PM EST. WHEC News 10 in Rochester, New York reported that the Toronto Blue Jays would be playing their home games  74 miles away in the city of Buffalo, according to Gov. Cuomo.

The city of Rochester will be effected as the team will host some of the Blue Jays members. 

"The Rochester Red Wings confirmed they will host the Blue Jays taxi squad at Frontier Field this season," wrote WHEC.

According to Ross Atkins, the club had done everything to find a Major League ball park but ended up having to settle for Sahlen Field, home of the Buffalo Bisons. This comes a week after Canada exiled their nation's baseball team and the pride of Canada, the Toronto Blue Jays.  

WHEC sports department reported that the Blue Jays may not have a home game until August 11th. "The Blue Jays' first game in Buffalo will be either on July 31 against the Philadelphia Phillies or on Aug. 11 against the Miami Marlins."

In a statement released by the Blue Jays organization, Mark Shapiro said, "We are extremely grateful to have a home in Buffalo this season, thanks to the openness, creativity, and partnership of the Buffalo Bisons, Major League Baseball, and Blue Jays staff, who have worked tirelessly to prepare us for games at Sahlen Field. This process has no doubt tested our team's resilience, but our players and staff refuse to make excuses."

Sen Chuck Schumer who reportedly had been campaigning to bring the Blue Jays to buffalo told the Associated Press, 'I've always been a Bisons and Bills fan, so I guess now I'll be a Blue Jays fan, at least this year. It seemed so logical for the Blue Jays to go to Buffalo for geographic and market reasons. If they want to expand their market, it's very good to be in western New York. It's a good facility. It's a major league-caliber playing surface.'

Schumer was not the only one to speak about the team coming to Buffalo, as New York Governor Andrew Cuomo released a statement. 

"If we can get Toronto playing here, I say great. We have the protocols in place, it will be done safely,' Cuomo said. 'I'd rather it happen here. It's good for Buffalo."

With the team playing in Buffalo, hopefully this will get New York media to cover the Lake Ontario based ball club.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan admitted to talks with the Blue Jays but didn't say who dropped the ball. 

Western New York can use the tourism, regardless if nobody can attend ball games in Buffalo. It's ashame New Era field couldn't be made to house the MLB team.

WHEC also reported, "Atkins had said this week that his team had over five contingency plans for a home stadium and was in talks with other teams."

The biggest worry for the Major League and the Blue Jays would've been playing in 'covid central' down in Florida. Luckily, the team will be signing the Jingle "I love New York."

Later on Friday night, the Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 6 to 4, to start their season. With a sixteen team playoffs this season, the Toronto Blue Jays or Buffalo Blue Jays are one win closer to their third world series title.

Blue Jays Win

The Blue Jays travelled to Tampa for opening night of the 2020 baseball season. Social media was excited as baseball was finally back. The game started off slow as the first three innings were scoreless.

In the top of the third, the Blue Jays jumped out to a three nothing lead, only to surrender a run in the bottom half of the inning. In the top half of the fifth, the Blue Jays added three more runs, going up six to one.

In the bottom half of the fifth, the Blue Jays pulled Ryu after he gave up two runs. Ryu pitched four and two third innings striking out four batters. Ryu gave up three runs on four hits and three base in balls. It was a respectable outing for the new Blue Jays.

The Blue Jays only allowed one more run as Dolis surrendered one in the bottom of the eighth. The Jays had nine hits on six runs for the day. The highlight of the game might have been Biggio sliding into first on a bunt. Game one is in the books, 59 more to go.

Who the hell is the Washington Football Team?

When one thinks about some of the great rivalries in football, the name Redskins comes to mind.  However, that has all come to an end as Dan Snyder has finally agreed to a name change.

Now before I get into the new name, I want to make it clear that Snyder didn't change the name by choice. Several sponsors pulled away from the team until it changed the name that has been synonymous with football.

It was a little after noon that news broke from Adam Schefter's Twitter account. Scheffer tweeted, "Effective immediately, Washington will call itself the “Washington Football Team”, pending adoption of a new name, sources tell ESPN. This is not a final renaming and rebranding for team; this is the name it wants to use until pending adoption of a new name in the future."

The organization could not come up with anything. Hundreds of suggestions have been submitted from all walks of life. It's sad that a real name could not be chosen.

Tzvi Machlin of The Spun wrote, "The Washington Football Team will retain the burgundy and gold color scheme it has used for decades. However, the old logo will be replaced by individual player numbers on the helmets."

So basically the team is going to look like the Crimson Tide of Alabama, how original. The color scheme is nice but the new name should be of something that reflects those colors. Last thing we would want to see is a team called the clovers or blue angels in burgundy. 

With the 2020 season still up in the air, maybe Snyder will catch a break and there will be no NFL this year. For now, the team from Washington is a horse with no name.

Bentley says "stop listening to the media and find things out for yourself"

On June 29th. CNN reported that 31 year old quarterback Cam Newton had signed with the Patriots. Newton has many accolades under his belt, including a NFL MVP award. 

In the eight years Newton has started, He has three winning seasons and in 2015, Newton lead the Panthers to the superbowl. Over Cam's career, he is 68-55-1 as a starter.

Since Newton signed with the Patriots, almost everyone in the media has declared Cam Newton the starter. They have written Stidham off saying no way he starts and thay the Patriots have given up on him. 

The Patriots quarterback are to report Monday where they'll meet. Newton has been all over social media since his signing, while Stidham has been silent rarely releasing any footage of his workouts. 

With so many in the Media declaring Stidham bust and Newton the starter. I have almost given up all hope of a quarterback competition or that Stidham could win the starting job. Especially with how the media hounded Newton as he arrived in Massachusetts today.

There may be more we don't know heading into camp. Ja'Whaun Bentley tweeted on Wednesday night, "Stop letting the media solely shape your opinion. You are in a HOT TAKE society. Do Your Research."

With so much of the media guaranteeing Newton will start, this could be a sign that Newton isn't a lock. This could also mean nothing. As Bentley says, only way to know is to do our research. 

So a quick rundown on what do we know. 

Stidham went from a first round Prospect to a 4th round draft pick after the 2018 season. Stidham spent a year practicing with the first string offense and learning behind Tom Brady. That Belichick wanted to sit and develop him one more year behind Tom and Stidham's teammates have praised him.

Newton is a former MVP and first round draft pick. Newton is 68-55-1 as a starter with three winning seasons. Newton got hurt and the Panthers gave up on him. The Patriots took three months to sign Newton and his Patriots teammates came out and praised him.

What do we expect from the men on the roster, for them to say Stidham sucks or that they didn't need Newton. The Patriots are professionals, they're gonna talk positive about each other; It's their culture. 

How about their head coach from Auburn, he showered them both with praise. Saying both could succeed with the Patriots. His school gets money for having players in the NFL, do we really expect him to criticize his former players?

What does that mean? It means we know nothing about who's going to start in New England and that both men have a chance at the job. It means we need to look past our Homer's to see the positives and negatives about each quarterback. Let's face it, there's a slim chance Brian Hoyer could be the starter week one. 

Blue Jays Win, Blue Jays Win!

The Blue Jays who currently have no home took in the Red Soxs in Boston. Toronto went up 2-0 with help from Vald Jr. who hit another homer. Unfortunately, rain delay caused the game to be called after 4 and a half innings. 

This was just exhibition baseball. The games mean nothing but it looks like baseball is back. The Blue Jays travel to Tampa for a three game series on the 24th. The club as one week to find a home stadium, as their first home game is on July 29th.  

Earlier it was announced that the state of Pennsylvania does not want the team in their state. The club is looking at Baltimore, Buffalo and covid central, Florida.

Las Vegas Raiders owner: Cancelling NFL season one of three possibilities for 2020 (reports)

Back in May, Roger Goodell sent out the following memo which pro football Talk got a hold of and released. 

“The past few months have been among the most uncertain times that any of us has experienced. It is impossible to project what the next few months will bring. Uninformed commentary that speculates on how individual clubs or the league will address a range of hypothetical contingencies serves no constructive purpose and instead confuses our fans and business partners, complicates the operations of other clubs, and distracts from the careful planning that is needed right now. We will continue to work in a deliberate and thoughtful way to plan for the 2020 season. ... We will be prepared to address any contingencies as they arise. Clubs should continue to direct questions and concerns to our office and not comment or speculate publicly.”

Currently the United States is having massive out breaks in several states that refused to stay closed. Several teams have had players get infected and the league has canceled the 2020 preseason. 

To the disagreement of NFL doctors, Dr. Fauci has stated he does not believe the NFL can keep players safe. Thus, he doesn't believe there will be a season. It appears he is not alone. In his latest article, Matt Vautor of Masslive quoted Mark Davis, son of the late Al Davis.

Davis told ESPN the NFL had three choices:

“1. Go on as planned, with teams reporting for training camp over the next week, and see what happens.

2. Delay the start of the season until November and go to a 12-game season, cancelling each team’s four interconference games.

3. Cancel the 2020 season entirely.”

The United States may have another round of riots if the NFL cancels its season. They're already upset about having to wear masks and social distance. Lord forbid, they lose their football.

Vautor wrote, "The 2020 season is supposed to be the first season of NFL football in Las Vegas after moving from Oakland. All 65,000 seats at new Allegiant Stadium are sold out, but Davis doesn’t expect to fill any of them because of the coronavirus pandemic."

The Raiders, many teams are preparing to have zero fans in the stands. This would be a horrible way to have an opening for the new stadium.  However, the Raiders wont care,  they only care about one thing. "Just Win Baby", that's all the silver and black care about.

Davis continued, “My mindset today is no fans (should attend games), I don’t even know if it’s safe to play. Everything is up in the air with the virus and how it will affect our league and season. We want our inaugural season to be something special, I don’t even know if we’ll light the (Al Davis) torch. These are all potentials and respecting all.”

There are players willing to sign waivers to play, while others including the McCourty twins have voiced concerns about playing. The NFL has given players a chance to opt out but have started requiring players to report as of this past Monday. On Tuesday the NFL canceled all preseason games and agreed to a reduced 80 man training camp, meaning 320 players will get the axe without even an opportunity to earn a spot.

The only thing certain about the 2020 NFL season is that nothing is certain. 

Malcom Jenkins speaks out on Donald Trump's 'game over' tweet.

The far alt-right regressive president, Donald Trump tweeted in the early morning of Tuesday July 21st, "Looking forward to live sports, but any time I witness a player kneeling during the National Anthem, a sign of great disrespect for our Country and our Flag, the game is over for me!"

The Saints Malcom Jenkins was on CNN and wasn't afraid to speak his mind with Don Lemon according to Dijo Songco of Clutch Points.

Songco wrote, "The two-time Super Bowl champion didn’t hold back and mentioned that the POTUS is simply choosing to ignore the meaning behind the highly controversial kneeling protests in the NFL for the past few years. Jenkins also warned that people should not look at sports as some sort of escape amid the social injustice movement that’s going on in the country, as they are probably set to be disappointed."

To be honest, that's exactly how many fans view sports and other forms of entertainment. It's a two plus hour escape from reality. That's why many who support the civil rights movement, while understanding the need for entertainers to speak out, are getting upset over it.

“I think anybody who’s looking to use sports, especially this year, as an outlet to kind of get away from what’s happening right now in our country is probably gonna be sadly mistaken especially as we move towards the fall. It’s really inspiring to see players and athletes like Maya Moore who gave up her whole WNBA career to fight for somebody who’s been wrongly convicted. Kenny Stills and Tobias Harris who are putting a lot of pressure on Attorney General Daniel Cameron to make an arrest and arrest the murderers of Breonna Taylor. So I think there’s a lot of movement  obviously with all social unrest and I don’t think it’s going anywhere regardless of what the sport is," said Jenkins.

Members of the MLBPA knelt during the National anthem to support the movement for justice and equality in America and around the world. Other sports are expected to do the same. Former Green Beret and War Iraq war veteran Nate Boyer, has to be proud that his message of how to protest suggested to Kaepernick and the freedom of speech he fought for is getting used.

May everyone on this earth have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; in that order. Expect this protest to continue until all people are treated as they were created, Equal.

UH football players say they have not been tested for COVID-19 despite claimed "clean bill of health

In a recent article by the Star Advertiser on Sunday, where the University of Hawaii came out and said their players were covid free, the players came out calling malarkey.

Senior DL Mason Vega tweeted "we have not been tested, stop the cap". Jr CB Akil Francisco) tweeted out, "all cap".  However, the most damaging tweet came from former punter Ben Scruton.

Scruton tweeted, "Someone doesn't know the facts or is hiding the truth about what's going on. Multiple lads I know haven't received a test at all for this to be remotely true. People still think the virus shit is a joke, protect these MEN! These are human beings not tools for wealth."

The university is not disclosing any information about the test so called issued to the players. Schools like thee Ohio State Buckeyes among others, have canceled all training prior to the season. 

In a quote from the article, it states "Approximately 100 football student-athletes are working out, and none (has) tested positive since arriving on campus (two weeks ago),” officials wrote in an email to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser..."

Tanner Haworth sports editor for Ka Leo broke the story and wrote, "Many players voiced their indifferences to the report on Twitter, many replying with the “cap” emoji, another way of saying someone is lying (i.e. “Stop capping”). "

Covid is already costing the school millions from losses of games this season. The last thing the Rainbow Warriors need is to lose more due to improper handling of the coronavirus. While this will go unnoticed by the casual college football fan, this is sure to draw the attention of the NCAA.