Unpopular Opinions- Volume 3

Are you ready? Round three of Unpopular Opinions is here! Get ready because these opinions are going to have you scratching your head and potentially get you a little upset. Sit down and hold on tight because here we go!

*Disclosure: These aren’t made up opinions at all. These are real thoughts backed up with facts. Enjoy!

 

“Wimbledon is the best sports event ever” – Mike Patton

High-speed serves, amazing rallies and incredible intensity. Those are just three things that make Wimbledon the most exciting sports event around. The pageantry and the passion along with the competition in each round keeps you glued into each and every match from morning until evening even if you don’t know much about the game.

To top it all off, there is always a few human interest stories of some tennis player no one knew of that makes a name for themselves there. Do the names Venus and Serena Williams ring a bell? They really broke on the scene at this event and captured the attention of not only America but the world.

You may not love tennis but Wimbledon is definitely having you tune in to see the competition along with the pageantry. The best sports event ever.

 

“Bill Belichick will continue to strive without Brady.” – Ab Stanley

For everyone that is already writing the Patriots eulogy, put the pen down, they will be fine. That’s because the Patriots have lost only one part of their championship godhead, not the architect. Bill Belichick will not only survive without Brady, he will (eventually) thrive.

For all intents and purposes, the Patriots didn’t lose the six-time champion Brady, they lost a 42-year old (and still aging) one. Brady’s average of 6.6 yards per pass attempt last season was his lowest since 2002 and his 24 touchdowns was his lowest total since 2008 when he missed the entire season. New England will automatically get a younger quarterback with what will most likely be a much more lively arm.

So please stop trying to explain why New England will be in dire straits because they’ve lost Brady. Belichick will have an answer for this like every other question that pops up

 

“Tony Romo wasn’t a choker.” – Alex Bab

There’s a myth that’s been going around about Tony Romo for years, namely that he couldn’t get it done in clutch moments. That’s patently untrue. Yes, Romo didn’t get a ton of playoff opportunities but he carried the Cowboys for years. It was often the other parts of the team letting them down.

If you look at clutch statistics for quarterbacks in the years Romo played, you’re going to find his name right near the top of the list for everything: completion percentage, touchdown/interception ratio, quarterback rating…you name it, Romo excelled at it. During his career, his numbers in the fourth quarter are right alongside (and often ahead of) Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers.

People confuse the Cowboys lack of postseason success during Romo’s era even though without him, Dallas wouldn’t have even been competitive. Most of this stems from the botched hold against Seattle in his first playoff performance. But don’t forget, holding for a field goal has nothing to do with being a quarterback.

Romo wasn’t only not a choker, he was more clutch than most.

 

“Jerry Krause saved the Chicago Bulls Legacy by ending the dynasty in 1998” – Raphael Haynes

The Chicago Bulls was deemed by the end of the 90s as arguably the greatest team ever. More importantly, they won six championships in eight years including two “three-peats”. As much as it hurts me to say this, Jerry Krause did the Bulls a favor by ending the dynasty (although he had bad intentions).

In 1998, the Bulls weren’t the same team as the past. Besides Steve Kerr and Toni Kukoc (who started for Dennis Rodman in the playoffs) they lacked depth. They barely got past an Indiana Pacers team in the Conference Finals who they beat in a hard tough seven-game series. Against the Utah Jazz in the Finals, Rodman wasn’t the same as he averaged a mere seven rebounds a game and Michael Jordan carried the team with little help.

Most say that they would have won more championships but remember, the following season started out in a lockout. The season was shortened to 50 games and who knows if the Bulls would have been able to turn it on. The mystery of how many more they could have won makes Jordan and the Bulls’ mystique even bigger than it was.

If Krause didn’t end the dynasty at that point and they would have lost in the Finals, it would have left a blemish that just might have made room for debate that could have put other teams ahead or even affected Jordan’s legacy.

 

“Joe Buck is the next Al Michaels.” – Eric Urbanowicz

How can someone so hated, be considered to that of an icon? Simply put, Joe Buck is the new Al Michaels. That’s not an insult to Michaels in anyway as continues his legendary career on Sunday Night Football. It’s something that is true though.

Think about each individual’s body of work. Michaels had the famous “Do You Believe In Miracles” line from the 1980 Olympic Hockey medal round game, Joe Buck called the ends of the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs World Series droughts. Michaels had Malcolm Butler’s interception, Buck had the Minneapolis Miracle.

Michaels may have a few decades more of moments than Buck, when all is said and done, he’ll be next to Michaels on the Mount Rushmore of play-by-play. Along with it will be the various people who said he is terrible.

 

“Six Super Bowl Rings does not make Tom Brady the G.O.A.T.” – Damian Adams

It has become almost universally accepted that Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback to ever to throw a football in the NFL. The fact that Brady has six Super Bowl rings does not make this argument stronger. Football is the ultimate team sport and the quarterback is usually the most important player but they can only do so much.

This isn’t basketball where LeBron James can block a shot on one end, get the ball, go end-to-end and dunk it. In football, there are so many moving parts that have to work together to make a great team. Can the offensive line protect the quarterback, are the wide receivers good enough to capitalize on the quarterback’s passes, can the defense stop the other team from scoring and is the head coach any good?

What makes the New England Patriots so special is the consistency they have other than the quarterback position. Their defense has been ranked in the top 10 for points allowed 16 times since Brady became the starting the quarterback. Can you imagine how many championships other elite quarterbacks would have with that consistency on defense? Peyton Manning only had the benefit of a top 10 defense seven times during his career, Drew Brees had it three times.

If you have Tom Brady as your G.O.A.T. at quarterback, that is cool but please do not start your argument with, “Well, he has six rings.”