It’s June and I am worried about Derek Carr’s ring finger.
Courtesy: Grantland.com
The NBA Finals are in full swing and I am having heart palpitations over the Oakland Raider’s QB not being able to participate in voluntary OTA’s. I hate myself for it, but I also can’t help myself either.
The NFL machine has a hold of us all. Ultron and the Terminator are machines that may take over the world this summer, but the NFL already has the human race under its thumb.
The proliferation of media has a major role to play in the NFL’s domination. There used to be blips of NFL coverage after the Super Bowl was played. Now there is an entire event filled off-season for NFL nation to consume.
From the Super Bowl we head into the Rookie Combine in Indianapolis. It’s an event the NFL Network has deemed worthy enough for full TV coverage–watching fat guys run the forty yard dash! Then, in March, we have Free Agency frenzy accompanied by two solid months of draft hype. After the draft, we have rookie mini-camps and voluntary OTA’s. Then there are mandatory mini-camps before the only lull of the season, which comes in late June and July. With the onset of July training camps the NFL information juggernaut shifts into regular season mode.
Courtesy: thechrisvossshow.com
Twitter has only enhanced the experience for diehard NFL fans. By “enhanced” I really mean Twitter is just like meth. Take an already hardcore meth addiction, the NFL, and now give us chemically pure crystal blue, Twitter. Walter White would be so proud. We’re all Tweakers as we scroll through our Twitter feeds waiting for the next hit of NFL news.
Of course one hit of NFL news isn’t quite enough. We desperately need the story from several different angles. That’s why any self-respecting Raiders’ fan follows a myriad of NFL reporters on Twitter. Jerry McDonald and Steve Corkran both work for the Oakland Tribune, but they’re “must follow” guys for the Raider Nation. Vic Tafur of the San Francisco Chronicle is a must follow, too. Bill Williamson has the Raiders’ beat for ESPN. So, yeah, we all follow him. If you aren’t following Tim Kawakami, bickering as he does with the majority of the Nation, then what kind of Raiders fan are you? I’m sure Raiders fans are not alone in their fixation.
One of the problems with information overload is figuring out what it all really means for your team. Even with all these details at our fingertips those stats and stories are just a minute piece of the overall puzzle. Yet here I am, three months away from the season, trying to gauge what the impact of all these news tidbits will mean to the 2015 season.
Courtesy: al.com
Derek Carr has only thrown a few short passes in voluntary OTA’s because of a supposedly “minor” injury to his ring finger. At first, the word came out that Carr needed surgery, but that rumor was later squashed by his agent. He should be ready for training camp assured Raider’s head coach, Jack Del Rio. Maybe Carr will be fine and will be all set for training camp, but this type of news can wreak havoc on a fans’ psyche until then. If Carr isn’t throwing the ball on June 9th at mandatory mini-camp it will be a worrisome two months for Raiders’ fans.
Did you hear about the monster playing for the Raiders this season? That was Curtis Lofton’s immediate reaction to a reporter’s question about upcoming stud, Khalil Mack. The Raider’s new MLB had this to say about the bulked up Mack. “Monster. He’s young, but he’s got so much more I’m really impressed with him.… He comes to work every single day.”
There have been multiple stories about the impressiveness of Mack since his rookie campaign. He bulked up to 265 lbs. working out in Buffalo this offseason. And he was the one Raider player all over the off-season rankings put together by NFL Network and Pro Football Focus. Carr’s career may be in jeopardy, but Mack is the combo of Reggie White and LT in Silver & Black. Fans can be so extreme at times.
The Raiders have already cut 7th Round pick, Andre Debose, who suffered an Achilles injury in camp. To help compensate they signed kick/punt return specialist Trindon Holiday, formerly of the Denver Broncos. Tight End Clive Wolford is the hidden gem of the Raiders’ draft. D.J. Hayden showed promise at the end of 2014, but may not ever live up to his 1st Round status. But Amari Cooper is the real deal! Every Raider fan saw this photo and was like … baller!
The news is non-stop. NFL fans continue to consume with no end to their appetites. The NFL offices and owners love everything about the demand, because demand is dollars.
I really do love football, but sometimes I hate the NFL. The NFL knows exactly how to feed our addiction.
Maybe Roger Goodell should start wearing a Heisenberg hat, just like Walter White.
Courtesy: heisenberghat.com
