EL BARRIO, EL FALLS – I got a Mini-Matt text last night. It was a nice/gentle reminder that I was up today. I laughed because I already knew and had been preparing for my piece. I wanted to talk about my Bills’ experience, and seeing the reaction up close, but so many articles are out about it: The donations to Andy Dalton‘s charity… people in Buffalo crying… the insane #Billsmafia celebrations… and pre-game stunts. There is not that much to add there. So, I will skip that and get my unbreakable formula of a Song of the Week, followed by Sports Stuff. Today’s menu: MTM Fire And Fury, Raiders v Rooney Rule, UCF National Champions.
Song of the Week: I realized that I have become an old man. I don’t listen to a lot of new music. I have reached out to my cousins to help me get back into hip-hop. In the meantime, I will fall back to what I know. Considering the stitching that is going on in politics, I thought this song was the perfect fit. So, the song of the week goes to The DJ Khaled’s “Never Surrender.” It is a real good song about backstabbers and snitches. Considering this week and the news from the White House, this song fits.
MTM Fire And Fury: Speaking of The White House, this week’s news of an incredible tell all book about the current administration sounds delicious. I thought doing a Fire & Fury of the MTM operations. It would be filled with talk about the rivalry between Angry Ward and DJ Eberle. How Cheesy Bruin is pursuing a torrid affair with Mrs. Met… How Short Matt resents Tall Matt for not really being bald and choosing to shave – rumor has it. As shocking, JG Clancy is in the closet – as a Yankees fan… Grinding Ax Walter Hynes wishes Jerry Jones owned the Giants instead of the Maras.
The problem with this tell-all tome is finding who wants to hear it. We already fight for attention and air our dirty laundry on a regular basis, so what traffic could an expose garner?
Raiders v Rooney Rule: The Rooney Rule has nothing to do with Mickey Rooney…
But racism and Rooneys do go hand in hand. Dan Rooney, the non-racist one – came up with the rule that requires NFL franchises to interview at least one black candidate for a head coaching position. The problem with this rule is that teams sometimes already know who they want. Therefore, they skip the song and dance and people furrow their brow… but nothing happens. I would much rather this rule be accompanied by a fine of 250K for the organization that chooses to forgo it. A team like the Raiders, that already decided they wanted Gruden, could buck up and not have to justify why they didn’t waste everybody’s time. They could call into the league office, let them know their plan, pay up and keep it moving. The NFL could use the fine money to develop an intern program or mentoring program, creating a greater collection of NFL-caliber coaches.
UCF National Champions: Not that a lot of people noticed but… the University of Central Florida is branding itself as National Champions. It is their dig at the college playoff system; the one that blocks out teams not from the top 5 conferences. So, an undefeated team like UCF is left out in the cold, despite being the only undefeated team in country. More proof, if needed, that College Football is a racket.
That is it for now, leave your thoughts below and come back tomorrow for another gem of a column by Cheesy Bruin. You can also find us on Twitter – @JunoirBlaber, @MeetTheMatts & @Matt_McCarthy00, Instagram – @MeetTheMatts – and Facebook – Meet The Matts.