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NFL Week 17 Recap: Destiny Controlled
It's been a tough period for everyone. We are still reeling from what we saw on Monday Night Football with Damar Hamlin. It was all I could think about last night, and like so many others, it's still on my mind. I truly hope Hamlin recovers, I hope we can look back on this horrible moment and say that we are so glad and so happy that Hamlin survived and is living a good life. That's what we all want, and that's what we're praying for. With that said, there is the matter (albeit an immensely secondary matter) of the game between the Buffalo Bills and the Cincinnati Bengals, and there are two options regarding that game: either it'll be played on a later date, or it'll be canceled and declared a tie. Honestly, I'm for the latter, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one saying this.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
It Was 35-3: 30 Years Later
It's been almost six years, but "28-3" is still discussed as the most embarrassing choke job in the NFL. Sadly, it's for very good reason. "28-3" happened on the biggest stage of the NFL: the Super Bowl. The Atlanta Falcons had the New England Patriots on the ropes, which is a huge understatement. When you have the biggest dynasty in recent history on the verge of a blowout loss, that's a big deal. For football fans who watched, it was a big sigh of relief, as it looked like the Patriots' dominance was coming to an end. That was not the case, as the Patriots managed to score 31 unanswered points and won Super Bowl LI in overtime--the first Super Bowl to reach OT.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
2023 Winter Classic Recap
One of many things that pleases me as a hockey fan: all of the other sports have their designated holidays, but it's the NHL who takes over the first day of the calendar year. Beginning in 2008, the NHL featured an outdoor game known as the Winter Classic, which serves as the American equivalent of Canada's Heritage Classic. The game is usually played in northern/midwestern cities for obvious reasons, though the 2020 game between the Dallas Stars and the Nashville Predators was actually played at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Baseball and football stadiums are often used to host the Winter Classic, which takes place on New Year's Day, unless the day falls on Sunday, then it occurs on January 2nd.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
What Can We Expect from Taya Valkyrie in 2023?
I've been on Vocal for over a year and a half, yet I've never written a solo piece about one of my all-time favorites in women's wrestling, Taya Valkyrie. I've wanted to do so very badly, but I wanted to do it right. I wanted to do justice to the subject in hand, and now, I feel I can do just that. I've been a fan of Taya Valkyrie for about seven or eight years now; when I first learned about her, she was wrestling in Mexico. I had seen a few clips of her on YouTube despite the language barrier (the commentary was in Spanish), and liked what I saw. Not surprisingly, Taya was a ruda (the Spanish term for a female heel in lucha wrestling), and I say that because she plays it so well.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NHL December 2022 Review
2022 is now in the past, and it ended with an amazing December in the NHL season. While the month saw Alex Ovechkin continue to make history and surpass Mr. Hockey himself, Gordie Howe, for 2nd place on the all-time goals list, the Washington Capitals are not the team making the most noise in the Metropolitan Division. Here are the teams who made the biggest impact (positive or negative) in each of the NHL's four divisions (Atlantic, Metropolitan, Central, and Pacific).
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
New Year, Same Objective (Week 17)
We are now down to the final two weeks of the regular season, and it's always at this point that things really pick up. Week 17 continues the holiday stretch, as it enters the New Year. Before 2021, Week 17 was the final week of the season, but now it's the penultimate week, though the importance remains the same. Some teams can come within range of clinching a spot, a division crown, or even home field, while others see their margin of error shrinking...fast. Week 17 will set the stage for the final week, with potential do or die games being created as a result. But before we get into all of that, let's take a look at the playoff picture.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 16 Recap: Do You Believe in Christmas Miracles?!
When the Green Bay Packers lost their Sunday Night Football matchup to the Philadelphia Eagles, I felt my hope for this team decreasing. I was resigned to the realization that this team's season was over; a realization that remained after the Packers beat the Bears. Then I watched the Sunday Night game between the Washington Commanders and the New York Giants, and then something hit me:
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Can the Steelers Sneak Their Way Into the Playoffs Again?
As a bit of a Pittsburgh Steelers enthusiast, one of the main questions I had entering this season was, "How will this team fare in the first year after Big Ben's retirement?" They did draft a quarterback in the first round of this year's draft: Kenny Pickett out of Pitt, and many Steelers fans expected the team to start him right off the bat. However, the team decided to give the newly-acquired Mitch Trubisky the nod, and as a Packers fan who watched my team torment Trubisky during his time in Chicago, I still can't believe that guy is a Steeler, though I was pulling for him to do well.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
A Stocking Stuffer of Playoff Scenarios (Week 16)
Week 15 was absolutely chaotic, but we fans haven't seen anything yet! Three weeks remain in the NFL season, and we are now in the holiday stage, and that's where so much can happen. In the case of Week 16, it's the NFL's Christmas Week, and in the spirit of giving, a lot of playoff spots can be given out, while other teams could end up with coal in their stockings. As the iconic Gladys Knight once sang, "Let's get down to the real nitty-gritty."
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
NFL Week 15 Recap: So You're Telling Me There's a Chance
For the last few weeks, I semi-lamented over Week 15's Monday Night matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and the Green Bay Packers. The reason was simple: when the schedule makers plan the Monday games, they pick out the biggest marquee matchups for the early months, and as for the December games, they pick out the ones they figure would be highly important. Regarding this game, this was set figuring that the Packers and the Rams would be jockeying for position, even the #1 seed.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
Could the Jacksonville Jaguars Win the AFC South?
In 2017, the Jacksonville Jaguars were on a huge high. It was their first full season under head coach Doug Marrone, and that year saw the Jags finish 10-6 and capture the AFC South. What followed was quite a magical run, something that hadn't been seen since 1996, their second season in the league. The Jags defeated the Buffalo Bills in the Wild Card, and trounced the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Playoff to reach the AFC Championship for the first time since that aforementioned sophomore season. They had a lead late against the New England Patriots, but it got away from them, and Jacksonville still has to wait for their first-ever Super Bowl appearance.
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
It Was 33-0: Vikings Clinch NFC North in Historic Fashion
For the Minnesota Vikings, they had another chance to clinch the NFC North, and this was the second time that they had the always favorable "win and in" scenario. Two weeks prior, they needed a win and a Detroit Lions loss; the Vikings did their part, but the Lions also won. Last week, all the Vikings had to do was defeat the Lions in Detroit, but that was not successful. So the Vikings had a third opportunity, and they were at home against an Indianapolis Colts team whose entire season was on life support. Sounds like easy pickings, right?
By Clyde E. Dawkinsabout a year ago in Unbalanced
