Lindsey's Last Olympics

When Lindsey Vonn came back to ski racing then, once she started competing again, made it seem like she had never left, I don't think this is what she had in mind.  She envisioned her comeback having a storybook ending with an Olympic medal on one of her favorite hills.  Instead, it ended with her being airlifted off the mountain after breaking her leg.  Instead of heartwarming, it was heartbreaking.

The fact that she even made it to the starting line in Cortina was a pretty remarkable feat in itself.  She tore her ACL in the final race a week before the Olympics.  If it wasn't the Olympics, which was the entire point of her comeback to begin with, she probably would've called it a season and not even tried to race on it.  But it was the Olympics and this is Lindsey Vonn, so it was no surprise that she was gonna do everything she could to compete.

It's ridiculous that people are criticizing her for racing with a busted knee and assuming it had anything to do with her crash.  Lindsey Vonn herself, when providing an update to her followers on social media, make it clear exactly what happened.  She got too close to the gate, her arm got caught, and it sent her flying.  It's just something that can happen if you make a mistake while going 70 mph down a mountain!  If she was perfectly healthy, she could've had the same crash and still broken her leg.

And it's just as irresponsible to blame the doctors and coaches for allowing her to compete (as if she didn't have the final say).  If they didn't think she should compete or that it would do further damage if she tried, they would've told her that.  The fact that they cleared her was a pretty clear indication that it was fine.  (Once your ACL's off, it's off.)

She was also required to complete at least one training run in order to even enter the Olympic Downhill.  She completed two, looking like her old self in the process.  So, clearly the knee wasn't an issue.  If it was, she wouldn't have even been able to finish the training runs (or she wouldn't have been cleared to continue).  That narrative is simply incorrect.

In fact, I'd argue that the fact she was even in the starting gate is just another example of her incredible resilience.  Whether it was a wise thing to do or not isn't even relevant.  The fact remains she suffered a torn ACL a week before the Olympics, yet was there on race day as a medal contender.  When she crashed on Jan. 30, nobody expected to see her in Cortina.  Nobody except Lindsey Vonn.  So maybe we should've.  Because when Lindsey Vonn sets her mind to something, she'll likely do everything she can to do it.

Just think about the story it would've been if this actually did have a storybook ending, too.  She retired because of injuries.  At the 2022 Olympics, she was working for NBC!  Then, eight years after her "last race," at age 41, Lindsey Vonn was back and making a run at another Olympics...where she was a legitimate medal contender!  That alone was a great story.  Now imagine if she had medaled?!

If it were up to NBC, that's exactly what would've happened.  She would've won the gold medal.  Not been screaming in pain and taken from the course in a helicopter.  Then she would've teamed with Mikaela Shiffrin in the team combined and they would've won the gold together.  America's two alpine skiing darlings.  It would've been ratings gold!

Sports don't always work that way, though.  The script was already written.  NBC would show the Super Bowl, then everyone would stick around to watch Lindsey Vonn win an Olympic gold.  Fate had other plans, though.  And an American woman did win a gold medal in the Downhill after the Super Bowl.  It just wasn't the American woman everyone thought or expected.  (It was also funny how they changed all of their Olympic promos that aired during the Super Bowl from being about Lindsey Vonn to being about Breezy Johnson.)

Injuries happen.  Especially in sports as volatile and dangerous as alpine skiing.  Lindsey Vonn knows and understands the risks better than anybody.  (She missed the 2014 Olympics due to injury.)  For her, it was worth it to come back and make another Olympic run.  The fact that it ended the way it didn't change the journey or make it any less valuable.  For her part, Vonn has even said she has no regrets.

Whether this is how her Olympic career ends only she knows, but it seems unlikely she'll compete again.  I can understand not wanting it to end this way, but recovering from and rehabbing the broken leg won't exactly be a quick process, and she's already 41.  In 2030, she'll be 45!  Besides, one of the reasons she came back for this Olympics is because she loves that hill in Cortina and has had success there.  Can the same be said about the Courchevel and Val d'Isere courses in France, where the next Olympics will be held?

We know what her dad's vote is if he has any say.  Alan Kildow was in the stands for Lindsey's accident and spent the night with her in the hospital.  He very publicly hopes that this is it.  He doesn't want her to attempt another comeback.  He's obviously a concerned father, so that's definitely influencing his feelings.  But his opinion is shared by many others.

I'm one of those who agrees with her dad.  I, frankly, never thought we'd see her at an Olympics again and was shocked when she announced her comeback.  But then she came back and was Lindsey Vonn again, as if any of us should've been surprised.  She came back for one more Olympics.  In Cortina.  I think she was planning on retiring again (permanently this time) after the Olympics anyway.  So, I'm not sure this injury will change that.  (Although, another comeback for 2030 would only add to her remarkable legacy some more.)

So, yes, this is probably the last we've seen of Lindsey Vonn the Ski Racer.  It didn't end the way anybody would've wanted, but that's what happens sometimes.  The fact that she was there at all, though, is an incredible story of resilience and perseverance.  Let's not focus on the end.  Let's focus on the journey.  And what a journey it's been!

NFL Picks, Super Bowl LX

We've finally made it!  After two weeks of analysis and every random stat under the sun, Super Bowl LX is upon us.  The Patriots will either be alone with the most wins in Super Bowl history or the most losses in Super Bowl history (that's what happens when you have four more appearances than anybody else).  The Seahawks will either get a small measure redemption for one of the worst play calls in Super Bowl history or lose to New England with the Lombardi Trophy on the line for the second time.

Also, a message to all of those "anybody but the Chiefs" people.  Congratulations, you got what you wanted!  Instead of the Chiefs, we're back to the Patriots (the team everybody hated and was sick of before Kansas City).  So, good job on that one!

The domination of those two teams really is incredible if you think about it.  Kansas City went to five out of six.  New England went to four out of five before that.  Now they've made it again.  So, it's been either the Patriots or Chiefs representing the AFC in 10 of the last 12 Super Bowls.  The only exceptions were Super Bowl 50 (when New England lost the AFC Championship Game) and Super Bowl LIV (when Kansas City lost the AFC Championship Game).  If those two AFC Championship Game results were reversed, it'd be 12 straight Super Bowls between them.

Is this the start of another dynasty era in New England?  It's too early to say.  Drake Maye will become the youngest quarterback to start a Super Bowl since Dan Marino, but Super Bowl XIX is the only one Marino ever played in.  At the time, it was just assumed the Dolphins would eventually make it back, but it never happened.  I'm not saying the same thing will happen to Maye.  I suspect it won't.  But you never know.  (People sure didn't think Super Bowl XXXVI would be the start of nearly two decades of Bradicheck domination.)

This is an incredibly important game for the Patriots franchise simply because of who's not here.  Tom Brady's in the broadcast booth and Bill Belichick's coaching college.  New England made it back here without them.  Their legacy cannot be taken away, and I don't think anyone wants to.  But the Patriots also needed to show that they could get to a Super Bowl without Bradicheck.  Which they have.

And how can you not feel incredible for Sam Darnold?  This is a guy who was passed around the league.  Even the bad teams decided he wasn't good enough.  That certainly wasn't the case (and further proof that maybe the Jets are the problem, not the quarterbacks).  After what he did last year in Minnesota, there was a question if he'd be able to follow it up.  He did and then some!  There's no question anymore about whether Sam Darnold is a viable NFL starter.

You know Seattle is relishing the opportunity to play New England again, too.  They were on the verge of repeating as Super Bowl champions until that fateful Malcolm Butler interception (which started the Bradicheck 2.0 run).  They've had to live with that for 11 years.  Beating the Patriots this time won't take that away or change the result, of course.  But it would be at least a small measure of revenge.

One of these teams will also be one of the more unlikely champions in recent memory.  Which is only fitting for this crazy season.  Both teams missed the playoffs last year.  At the start of the season, nobody had either one of them playing in the Super Bowl--let alone both!  They both lost in Week 1.  New England was 1-2.  Then they both went on massive winning streaks that got them to this point.  (They've lost a combined one game since mid-November!)

Seahawks (16-3) vs Patriots (17-3): Seattle-Both defenses have been dominant throughout the playoffs, so it would be wise to take the under.  New England has allowed a grand total of two touchdowns in three postseason games.  The Broncos scored on their second drive of the AFC Championship Game and not again.  And, yes, the Seahawks gave up 27 points in the NFC Championship Game.  But their defense came up big when it needed to in the fourth quarter, stopping the Rams on that final drive.

With that in mind, would it surprise anyone if a big defensive play impacts the game?  Whether it's a key stop or a big sack or a turnover, you know these defenses will make a difference.  Especially when the margin between the two teams is so small.  I'm not only expecting it to be low-scoring, I'm expecting field position to matter.  Neither offense is quick-strike.  They're both fine with long drives that eat a lot of clock.  And neither coach is afraid to kick a field goal.

Of course, the Seahawks aren't afraid to be aggressive when the situation calls for it, either.  Going for two against the Rams in the regular season played a big role in them getting here.  And, let's not forget, they have an All-Pro return man in Rashid Shaheed.  Mike Vrabel will have to take that into account with his decision making.  And Shaheed's presence could end up in his being a little more aggressive than he otherwise would've been.

Let's not forget, either, that neither quarterback has been here before.  Darnold has at least experienced the Super Bowl as a backup in San Francisco, but he didn't play a snap behind Brock Purdy.  Still, having gone through the routine and the two weeks of buildup will have to help.  As does the fact that he's a veteran.  It's the biggest game of Darnold's life.  Obviously.  But is the stage too big for him?  I don't think so.

Will the stage be too big for Maye?  So far, nothing has fazed him in his two-year NFL career.  This is the Super Bowl, though.  For New England to have any chance, Maye will need to play like the MVP runner-up he is.  If he can't or doesn't play up to the moment, that Seahawks defense might eat him alive.  I'm not saying the Patriots need him to win the game for them.  But he can't lose it.

Ultimately, though, I think the X factor will be the Seattle offense.  For all the talk about the Seahawks defense, it's easy to forget they've scored 72 points in two playoff games.  Jaxson Smith-Njigba is also the best player on either team.  Don't think the Offensive Player of the Year will just be silent.  Darnold, SJN and the Seahawks offense will do enough to claim an unlikely Super Bowl title and bring the Lombardi Trophy home to the 12s.

Conference Championships: 1-1
Playoffs: 8-4
Overall: 179-104-1

Brava Italia

After that trainwreck (or, since it was on boats, I guess shipwreck) of an Opening Ceremony in Paris, the Italians had quite a challenge on their hands with the Opening Ceremony for the Milan Cortina Games.  Especially since they had an ambitious plan to allow the athletes participating in each of the mountain clusters to participate in the ceremony.  Not only did they pull it off, they did so brilliantly!  Job well done, Italy!

When I first heard about the idea of having the main ceremony in Milan, with a separate, simultaneous ceremony in Cortina, I was a little skeptical.  I thought it was an intriguing idea that could either be spectacular if it worked or a disaster if it didn't.  As it turns out, there was no reason to worry.  The jumping between locations was seamless, and it really was cool to see the athletes be able to march in the parade regardless of where they were competing.  Milan Cortina very well might've started something that we'll see at future Winter Olympics.

What I loved most about the four separate Parades of Nations was how they still all felt like one.  Each venue had the ring for the athletes to start walking out at the same time as their teammates.  And my biggest question going in was how they'd handle having flagbearers at different locations.  Well, if they were at different locations, there were two flags and they each carried one.  If they were together, they carried the flag together.  And if there was no flagbearer at their location, they walked out with no flag.  Just a placard.  Italy even had two different sets of flagbearers, which I guess they can get away with as the host nation.  

Some people who were at the ceremony posted pictures online of just a placard entering the stadium with no flag or team behind it.  I will admit that was probably a very weird sight to see live, but the alternative would've been those athletes having to travel hours back and forth between the site of their competition and the Opening Ceremony.  Or missing the ceremony altogether.  Plus, Cortina is billed as the official co-host of these Olympics, so Cortina had to play a role in the ceremony in some way.

Cortina's ceremony was separate and distinct, but also brilliantly integrated into the ceremony that took place in Milan.  The Italian flag was raised and Italian anthem sung simultaneously in both places.  Ditto with the Olympic flag and anthem.  And, for the first time, there were two Olympic cauldrons.  Both were lit by alpine skiing legends--Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni in Milan, Sofia Goggia in Cortina.

My one issue is something that really isn't Milan's fault.  It's more an annoying trend that we've seen more and more at recent Olympics (both Winter & Summer).  The cauldron isn't inside a stadium.  In one respect, I get it.  They want it somewhere in the city where it's more accessible to more people and everyone can see it.  And, since the stadium was literally only being used for the Opening Ceremony, it wouldn't have made much sense for it to be in there.  Still, though, the lighting of the cauldron is the signature event of any Opening Ceremony, and it really feels like it's missing something when the cauldron isn't in the main stadium.

The rest of the ceremony, however, was spectacular.  It was quintessentially Italian and quintessentially Milan.  Milan is fashion.  Milan is art.  Milan is culture.  They captured all of it.  And they incorporated the synergy between the city and the mountains, uniting the two hosts that will be forever linked by these Olympics.  I would've liked to have seen more of a recognition of the 1956 Winter Olympics, the first time Cortina hosted, but that's just me being nitpicky.

I especially enjoyed the artistic program.  It's not uncommon for the artistic presentation at the Olympic Opening Ceremony to require a lot of explanation.  That wasn't the case here.  They celebrated Milan. They celebrated Italian history.  They honored a century of the Winter Olympics.  And they did it in a way where exposition wasn't needed.  It was the less is more approach.  And it worked.

In 2006, the finale of the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Torino was Pavarotti singing one of his signature songs--"Nessun Dorma."  It was his final performance before his death the following year.  Ever since then, Andrea Bocelli has been the signature Italian tenor.  So, it really was perfect for Pavarotti's successor to sing Pavarotti's song 20 years later at Italy's next Winter Olympics (in the home stadium of Inter Milan, Bocelli's favorite team).  And he performed it just as beautifully as Pavarotti did two decades ago.

As Bocelli was singing, the Olympic flame entered and made its way through the stadium.  I have to admit I found this a little weird, mainly because of the timing.  I was sitting there thinking, "It's too early," because there were several protocols that still hadn't happened.  The Games hadn't been declared open yet.  The Olympic flag hadn't even entered the stadium.  As it turns out, that was just a preview so that the fans in the stadium could see the Olympic flame before it made its way to its final destination at the heart of the city.  Seeing as the cauldron was outside the stadium, it was actually kind of cool that they did that.  Although, that didn't make it any less confusing.

Mostly, though, you couldn't help but be impressed by the show Milan and Cortina put on.  It ran a little on the long side.  At 3 1/2 hours, it was the longest Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony in history.  But part of the reason for that might've been the logistics of coordinating four separate Parades of Nations, as well as segments in both host cities.  And if that's the case, that was a small price to pay.  Because that's the element of this Opening Ceremony people will remember most.

Overall, that's the biggest takeaway from the Opening Ceremony of the Milan Cortina Olympics.  The cultural presentation was excellent, but that wasn't the memorable part.  It's how two separate ceremonies and four separate Parades of Nations were effortlessly worked together into one.  That will certainly be the biggest takeaway for the athletes.  They made it so that everybody could take part, no matter where they're competing.  The most spread out Winter Olympics in history found a way to bring all the athletes together as teammates despite the distance between them.

This, obviously, was just the start.  An ambitious Opening Ceremony as part of an ambitious Games plan that has venues scattered all across Northern Italy.  It's a huge undertaking to say the least.  But, coordinating all of the moving pieces for the Opening Ceremony was the hard part, and they passed that test with flying colors.  The Olympics themselves should be a breeze!

Milan Cortina is already one step ahead of Paris, too.  Paris recovered from a terrible Opening Ceremony to put on a spectacular Games.  If what we've got in store over the next two weeks comes anywhere close to what we saw on Friday night, the Italians are well on their way to putting on a spectacular Olympics of their own.

2025 NFL Awards

While most of the attention has gone to the Hall of Fame, let's not forget that the NFL Honors also includes the announcement of the league's annual awards.  It's been a few years since they moved it to Thursday night, which I have to say is much better.  Not only is Thursday Night Football an established part of the weekly schedule, doing the awards on Thursday gives them a little more of showcase.  On Saturday night, they were overshadowed by the game.

Anyway, this year, I'm especially interested to see how two of the races are decided.  MVP is most likely down to either Matthew Stafford or Drake Maye, while this is one of the most competitive Coach of the Year fields I've seen in quite some time.  While I think there's a clear winner, you could make a legitimate argument for all five finalists.

Speaking of all five finalists, I love that the NFL and AP have followed Baseball's lead by announcing them in advance.  Granted, it's mainly to invite them to the NFL Honors and make sure they're present to accept their award (unless, of course, they're playing in the Super Bowl).  But it also gives everyone a heads up who else is in the running, even if the winner is obvious.  And it really is nice to know who finished in the top five of the voting.

I've also noticed a significant change over the past few years.  It used to be taken for granted that the MVP and Offensive Player of the Year would be the same person.  That hasn't happened in quite a while.  They're two separate awards and they're treated as such.  The Offensive Player of the Year isn't necessarily the MVP and vice versa.  That's not saying they can't be the same player, of course, but you can be one and not the other.  As we've started to see regularly in recent years.  Which is a good thing.

MVP: Matthew Stafford, Rams-By December, Stafford and Drake Maye had separated themselves as the clear leaders in the MVP conversation.  I think Stafford has the slight edge, though.  The Rams had the best offense in football, and their 37-year-old quarterback had the best season of his 17-year career.  Stafford threw for 4,707 yards and 46 touchdowns (to just eight interceptions) and had a career-high 109.2 passer rating.  Maye had a higher QB rating, but Stafford was better in every other category.

Defensive Player: Myles Garrett, Browns-This is probably the easiest one of them all.  Garrett set an NFL record with 23 sacks playing for a bad Browns team.  Sometimes a performer can stand out on a bad team.  This is one of those years.  Garrett's record cannot be ignored.  The vote could be unanimous.

Offensive Player: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seahawks-What a year for JSN!  He was arguably the best receiver in the game this season and a big reason for the Seahawks' success.  Smith-Njigba had nearly 1,800 receiving yards on 119 catches, 10 of which went for touchdowns.  He obviously clicked with Sam Darnold!  Just like Saquon last year, Seattle is nowhere near as good this season without the type of year Jaxon Smith-Njigba had.

Offensive Rookie: Tetairoa McMillan, Panthers-It's kind of strange how there wasn't really a standout rookie anywhere on the offensive side of the ball this season.  No clear-cut Offensive Rookie of the Year.  The field is so weak that Jaxson Dart is a finalist!  I'm going with Carolina's Tetairoa McMillan simply because I think he had the most impact on his team's success.

Defensive Rookie: Nick Emmanwori, Seahawks-Unlike on offense, there are worthwhile choices for Defensive Rookie of the Year.  For a similar reason as McMillan, my choice is Seattle's Nick Emmanwori.  The Seahawks' offense got a lot of the credit (and deservedly so), but let's not forget how good their defense was.  It was no Legion of Boom, but it's a big a reason as any why Seattle is playing on Sunday.  Emmawori's presence in the secondary, especially late in the season, was a huge reason for that success.

Comeback Player: Christian McCaffrey, 49ers-McCaffrey missed A LOT of time in 2024.  First it was an ACL, then his season ended in Week 13.  In 2025, not only did he stay healthy, he played so well that he's a finalist for three different awards.  He won't win MVP or Offensive Player of the Year, but CMC should be a lock for Comeback Player.  The 49ers' success really hinges on his ability to stay healthy, and he showed why this year with an MVP-caliber season.

Coach: Mike Vrabel, Patriots-As deserving as the other candidates are, Vrabel is the clear choice for Coach of the Year.  He's the guy Kraft really wanted when Belichick retired, and we all saw why this season.  The Titans must feel like fools for letting him go!  But Tennessee's loss was New England's gain.  Vrabel led a worst-to-first turnaround that included a 10-game winning streak and an undefeated road record.  Is it any surprise then that the Patriots are back in the Super Bowl?

Assistant Coach: Klint Kubiak, Seahawks-After the Super Bowl, he'll go from Seahawks Offensive Coordinator to Raiders Head Coach.  That offense is one of the biggest reasons why Seattle had the best record in football and won the NFC title.  Sam Darnold proved last season in Minnesota wasn't a fluke and JSN had a career year.  The Seahawks were aggressive on offense, too, and more often than not, it paid off.  That two-point conversion in overtime against the Rams helped propel them to the Super Bowl.

Finally, we have the NFL's biggest honor.  This is always the toughest one because it isn't based on on-field performance.  That's important, but not as important as the impact on the community.  It's also the only award where all 32 teams designate their own nominee, and all of those nominees are on stage for the announcement.  As always, all 32 candidates are worthy of the honor.

Man of the Year: Dion Dawkins, Bills-Offensive linemen typically don't get the accolades.  They're the blue-collar, down-in-the-trenches guys who work hard.  Kind of like the City of Buffalo.  Which is why Dion Dawkins fits in so well with Western New Yorkers.  He's one of them.  Dawkins is so beloved by his team and its city that he's the Bills' nominee for the fourth straight year, and he's given his heart and soul to the people of Buffalo, both on the field and off.  Dawkins went out on a limb for his fellow offensive linemen, too.  He was a driving force in the creation of the "Protector of the Year" Award, ensuring that offensive linemen do get those deserved accolades.

My 2026 Football Hall of Fame Ballot

I've been talking about the Pro Football Hall of Fame enough over the past week that I figured it was time to actually reveal my selections.  I've been incredibly critical of the selection process, which resulted in a class of only four (of a possible eight) last year and likely won't give us the maximum number again this year.  We already know that Bill Belichick didn't get in.  I just hope our Modern-Era player class is more than last year's ridiculously low three.  Especially since there are two guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famers up for election.

There are actually four players who could be first-time electees, but it's probably a stretch to think that Frank Gore and Jason Witten will be joining Larry Fitzgerald and Drew Brees in this year's class.  I'm not even 100 percent sure about Brees.  The only player I can say with absolute certainty will get in is Larry Fitzgerald.

As for who'll join him in Canton, I have no freakin' clue!  I don't think anybody does (except for the voters and the inductees).  Predicting who'll get into the Pro Football Hall of Fame each year has turned into a virtually impossible challenge.  Especially with this new wrinkle of it not necessarily being five Modern Era players every year.

So, this isn't my attempt to predict who'll be in this year's class.  Because it would be a guess.  Nothing more.  Rather, it's the eight people I would've voted for if I had an actual vote.  Which includes at least one person I know didn't get in.  Because, yes, Belichick is one of the names.  I'm starting with the five Modern Era candidates, though.

Larry Fitzgerald, Wide Receiver (2004-20 Cardinals): This should be an easy one.  But we also said that about Belichick, so who knows?  Seriously, though, if 11 or more of those voters didn't have Larry Fitzgerald on their ballot, why are they even Hall of Fame voters?  He might be the second-greatest receiver in NFL history behind Jerry Rice.  Larry Fitz spent his entire career in Arizona and actually made the Cardinals relevant, including their only Super Bowl appearance.  And he had 1,400 freakin' catches in his career!

Drew Brees, Quarterback (2001-05 Chargers, 2006-20 Saints): While Fitzgerald is the clear leader of the pack, Brees isn't far behind.  His going to the Saints is one of the greatest free agent signings in NFL history, changing the fortunes of both that team and that city.  Brees was a damn good quarterback, too!  He's second all-time in both passing yards and passing touchdowns.  Yet, he wasn't named to the NFL 100 All-Century Team despite being ahead of both John Elway and Dan Marino (who were) in both categories.

Terrell Suggs, Linebacker/Defensive End (2003-18 Ravens, 2019 Cardinals, 2019 Chiefs): Is it possible that Terrell Suggs is still underrated?  I thought he'd get in last year, and he didn't even make the final cut to seven.  He makes my cut to five, though.  Suggs was a part of that dominant Ravens defense that won Super Bowl XLVII, was a Defensive Rookie of Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and is the NFL's all-time leader in tackles for loss.

Adam Vinatieri, Kicker (1996-2005 Patriots, 2006-19 Colts): It was kind of surprising that Vinatieri made it all the way to the final cut in his first year on the ballot.  Although, it's also completely understandable.  Simply put, he's the greatest, most clutch kicker in NFL history.  That Patriots dynasty doesn't start without Vinatieri, first in the Tuck Rule game vs. Oakland, then in the Super Bowl against the Rams.  And why not kick another last-second field goal to win the Super Bowl two years later?  It would be kind of fitting if both he and Robert Kraft go in together this year.

Jason Witten, Tight End (2003-17, 2019 Cowboys, 2020 Raiders): My final Modern Era player selection came down to two first-timers--Jason Witten and Frank Gore.  Ultimately, I decided to go with Witten.  The fact that he only missed one game in 17 seasons while playing such a physically demanding position as tight end really stuck out to me.  He retired in 2018, but it didn't take, and he played every game for the next two years.  Witten's 1,228 career receptions are fourth-most all-time and second-most for a tight end, behind only Tony Gonzalez.

Now's where it gets hairy.  One of the voters who didn't vote for Belichick lamented the fact that he couldn't vote for the seniors and Kraft and Belichick.  I have the same problem.  I want to vote for four of the five Senior/Coach/Contributor candidates, but can only put a maximum of three.  Which left me with just one senior!  So, unfortunately, I had to drop L.C. Greenwood, the only member of that Steel Curtain defense who isn't in Canton and I absolutely believe should be.  I've even strongly advocated for him in the past.  But, if I'm only picking one senior, it had to be someone I've been advocating for longer and who's omission from Canton has been a huge miss.  Until now.

Roger Craig, Running Back (1983-90 49ers, 1991 Raiders, 1992-93 Vikings): Roger Craig was Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey before Marshall Faulk and Christian McCaffrey.  It absolutely blows my mind how he's been overlooked by the Hall of Fame all this time!  Craig won three Super Bowls in San Francisco and was one of the most important pieces for that 49ers offense.  He was the first player in NFL history with 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in the same season.  He led the league in receptions in 1985.  As a freakin' running back!  With the Super Bowl being hosted by the 49ers this season, it's time for him to finally get his just due and receive the biggest cheers of them all when the class is announced.

Bill Belichick, Coach (1991-95 Browns, 2000-23 Patriots): Belichick's resume speaks for itself.  Even the 11 people who didn't vote for him acknowledge that.  Six Super Bowl wins as a head coach with an additional two as a Giants assistant.  Nine Super Bowl appearances as a head coach.  Architect of the greatest dynasty in NFL history.  This really should've been as big a no-brainer as Tom Brady will be in a few years.

Robert Kraft, Owner (1994- Patriots): When Robert Kraft bought the Patriots, they were one of the worst teams in the league.  He immediately turned the franchise around and didn't just build a dynasty, he established a model for success for other teams to follow.  Kraft's impact goes far beyond Bradicheck, too.  He's played an instrumental role in labor negotiations and been a key voice in establishing the league's broadcast contract.  He and Jerry Jones are arguably the two most important owners in football.  Jerry Jones is already in the Hall of Fame.  Time for Kraft to join him.

Other than Larry Fitzgerald, I have no idea who'll actually get in!  So, I'm not even gonna try!  I'll just let myself be surprised during the NFL Honors like everybody else.  Although, I sure hope Roger Craig and L.C. Greenwood finally get their long overdue Hall of Fame call (posthumously in Greenwood's case).

A Flawed System

The leak about Bill Belichick not getting into the Pro Football Hall of Fame has created, as expected, tremendous backlash.  And it's also created an unprecedented response from the Hall of Fame.  First, they released a statement defending the voting process (more on that in a minute).  Then, the voters who didn't vote for Belichick began to trickle out and give their reasons.  And now, we found out the vote total.  He missed by one vote, getting 39 of the required 40.  If one of the 11 voters who didn't put his name down had, we wouldn't be having this conversation at all.  (And I'm betting at least one of them wishes he had at this point.)

Since you need 80 percent, we knew it had to be at least 11.  As it turns out, it was exactly 11.  So far, two of the "No" voters have explained themselves, and, while I don't necessarily agree with them, I can understand their reasons.  Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star blamed the system.  There were five candidates--Belichick, Robert Kraft, and three senior nominees (Ken Anderson, Roger Craig, L.C. Greenwood).  Voters could only vote for three of them.  Gregorian wrote an article explaining his "No" vote and said that he believes Belichick is a Hall of Famer, but he wanted to throw his support for the three senior candidates.  He was voting for them rather than against Belichick.  Which I can respect.

Another voter, Mike Chappell, explained that he voted for two of the senior candidates, which left him with only one spot left for either Belichick or Kraft.  He decided to vote for Kraft.  Chappell credited Kraft for everything he did for the NFL beyond just building the Patriots dynasty (such as ending the 2011 lockout and his role in negotiating the league's broadcast deals).  He also noted that Spygate impacted his decision.  Does he think Belichick should not get into the Hall of Fame because of it?  Of course not.  (Deflategate's not gonna keep Brady out.)  But, left with the choice between Kraft and Belichick, he went with Kraft.  Which, again, you can understand.

What all of this controversy has exposed is how the Pro Football Hall of Fame's voting system is incredibly flawed.  It was already the most exclusive voting body among all of the Hall of Fame.  There are only 50 total voters.  It's also the only one where they go into a room and discuss the candidates face-to-face before making their individual decisions.  Then, throw in the fact that each voter only gets to pick three, you're looking at a finite number of 150 votes.

Last year, the Pro Football Hall of Fame made a number of changes to the voting system.  Those changes, which were completely unnecessary and not many agree with them, made it that much harder to get into the Hall.  As we saw last year, when only four players (only three of the Modern Era finalists) were selected.  To put that in perspective, more people got into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2025 than the Football Hall of Fame!

I have no idea why they felt the need to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame more exclusive, but they did.  It seems likely that the outrage Belichick's snub has created will lead to additional changes next year.  Whether that means going back to the old system or something different, more change is definitely in order.  Because the current system is flawed at best and stupid at worst.

One of the biggest reasons for this controversy is also one of the biggest nonsensical things they did when they revamped the system last year.  Previously, coaches, contributors and seniors were all considered separately.  Now they're all lumped together.  And voters can only pick three of the five.  Which means they have to decide between voting for the senior candidates, who've been overlooked to this point and may never be finalists again, or coaches and contributors (which means not voting for at least one of the seniors).  As Gregorian noted, a lot of voters have a problem with that.

An obvious solution would be going back to having those three groups considered separately.  If they want to keep the coaches and contributors together, fine.  But they shouldn't be grouped in with the seniors.  That does a disservice to both groups.  Because you'll inevitably have fewer people getting in since there will almost certainly be split votes.  (We'll see what happens this year, but last year, Sterling Sharpe was the only member of the senior/coach/contributor group to get in.  Since the leading vote-getter is guaranteed to get in regardless, I bet nobody got 80 percent on that ballot last year.)

If they want to reduce the number of finalists in each category to keep the class size more manageable, that could be a reasonable solution.  They could even do something similar to what baseball does with its Era Committees and not vote for each group every year.  I think you need to keep the annual senior vote, but, if you do the coaches and contributors in alternating years, that might work, too.  Whatever they do, they need to re-separate the three groups.  As we've seen, lumping the seniors, coaches and contributors all together doesn't work.  They're three distinct categories and should be considered as such.

Likewise, they need to get rid of the maximum number of votes per person.  I think that was the biggest reason we had a ridiculously small class last year and was likely the biggest reason why Belichick didn't make the cut this year.  The 80 percent threshold is difficult enough without the limited number of selections.  Especially since the voting body is so small.  Candidates need to get 40 of 50 votes to be elected.  That's not a big margin for error even without a finite number of choices per voter.

Before last year's changes, once the voting body made its final round of cuts, it was just a straight "Yes/No" vote for the five remaining candidates.  If they reached that point, a "Yes" vote was pretty much guaranteed and the selection committee essentially just rubber-stamped the final list.  Last year, they increased that number to seven, of which a maximum of five could get in.  Only three did.  Four didn't.  More players who reached the finalist stage didn't get in than did!  No doubt because the voters only had a certain number of votes apiece and couldn't vote for someone they otherwise would have.

Those four players--Willie Anderson, Torry Holt, Luke Kuechly and Adam Vinatieri--became automatic finalists this year.  Which is little consolation.  Because the ballot changes every year, and this year's list of finalists includes two sure-fire first-ballot names (Drew Brees and Larry Fitzgerald), as well as two other first-timers who'll get in fairly soon, if not this year (Frank Gore and Jason Witten).  Last year might've been Anderson, Holt, Kuechly and Vinatieri's best chance, at least for a while.  The fact that they didn't max out at five inductees (especially knowing that these loaded classes were coming) is absurd!  And, as a result, those guys could very well now end up in ballot purgatory.

So, it's not just the senior/coach/contributor voting system that's flawed.  The 2025 changes impacted the Modern Era vote, too.  We obviously don't know how many people will be in this year's Hall of Fame class, but the ridiculously small class last year was a direct result of those changes.  They took an imperfect system and made it worse.

Fortunately, it's not too late to fix what they broke.  So, maybe some good will end up coming out of this.  If Bill Belichick, a first-ballot Hall of Famer if there ever was one, didn't get in on the first ballot, something's wrong.  His failure to get in exposed a flawed voting system for exactly what it is.  Flawed.  And I'd expect some corrective measures to be taken that ensure something like this can't happen again in 2027.

Two Host Cities, One Opening Ceremony

We're a little less than a week away from the Opening Ceremony of the Milan Cortina Olympics and a little more than a year and a half removed from the, let's go with, "unique" Opening Ceremony we saw in Paris.  This one promises to be unique in its own way, with venues spread across Northern Italy.  The main ceremony will be in Milan at San Siro, the historic home of both AC Milan and Inter Milan, but the athletes will all be able to participate no matter where they're competing.  It's an adventurous plan that will either work seamlessly and be amazing or be doomed by poor execution.  I'm curious to see which it'll be.

There are a few things about the ceremony that we do know.  The most prominent of which is that there'll be two Olympic cauldrons--one in Milan, one in Cortina.  It stands to reason, then, that since there are two cauldrons, there will be at least two final torchbearers.  My money's on Armin Zoeggler to be one of them.  That's only one interesting aspect of the two-city/two-stadium Opening Ceremony being planned.  With the athletes being so spread out, how will the countries choose their flagbearers?

Since the Tokyo Games, countries have been allowed to have two flagbearers--one man, one woman.  While I expect that to continue in Milan Cortina, how exactly will that work?  Only a handful of sports are being based in Milan, so will it be limited to those ice athletes?  Or will some nations go with two skiers, who'll be based in Cortina?  What if the athletes who are chosen are competing in different places?  I really am fascinated about how it'll all work.

For Team USA, I think there are three realistic options.  They could have the flagbearers both come from the Milan-based sports and walk in together.  Ditto about choosing two flagbearers from Cortina-based sports.  Or, they could have one of each, with one walking in the Milan portion of the Parade of Nations and the other leading the Cortina portion.  Which, obviously, will be very a logistical challenge, but would actually be pretty cool if they can pull it off.

Who ultimately gets chosen could very well depend on which of those options they go with.  I do think it'll be two flagbearers.  There's no reason for it not to be.  And those American flagbearers will come out of a very deep pool of candidates.  Such as...

Nick Baumgartner: Baumgartner was one of the best stories of the Beijing Winter Games.  He was eliminated in the quarterfinals of men's snowboard cross and thought his Olympic career was over.  Then the 40-year-old was selected for the mixed team event and won gold with Lindsey Jacobellis.  Now 44, Baumgartner is back for his fifth Olympics.

Erin Jackson: Jackson originally didn't make the team four years ago, but Brittany Bowe gave up her spot in the 500 meters so that Jackson could take her place.  Jackson went on to win the gold, becoming the first American woman to win speed skating gold in 20 years.  More significantly, she became the first Black American woman to win any Olympic speed skating medal and the first Black woman to win an individual Olympic gold in any sport.

Nick Goepper: In 2022, Goepper won silver in slopestyle for the second straight Olympics.  He also has an Olympic bronze in the event from Sochi.  On his way home from Beijing, he decided he was done.  He didn't want to ski anymore and told his sponsors he was retiring.  Since then, he's regained his passion for the sport and switched events.  Goepper comes into Milan Cortina as one of the favorites in the halfpipe.

Hilary Knight: Women's hockey captain Hilary Knight will be competing in her fifth and final Olympics.  Team USA's first game is on Thursday and their second is on Saturday, so it's probably unlikely that Knight participates in the Opening Ceremony.  But it'd still be such a tremendous honor for a woman who's meant so much to her sport and is looking for a fifth Olympic medal.

Campbell Wright: Biathlon is the one winter sport in which the U.S. has never won a medal (not counting ski mountaineering, which makes its debut in Milan Cortina).  Campbell Wright can change that.  He won two medals at the World Championships last year and was on the podium at the last pre-Olympic World Cup stop.  I'll admit that his carrying the flag in the Opening Ceremony is unlikely.  If he does medal, though, carrying it in the Closing Ceremony could be a very realistic possibility.

Kaillie Humphries: The 40-year-old Humphries began her Olympic career in Italy 20 years ago, when she was an alternate on the Canadian team.  She went on to win three medals for our neighbors to the north (two gold, one bronze) at the next three Winter Games before switching allegiances to the United States just before the 2022 Olympics...where she won gold for the U.S. in the first-ever women's monobob event.  These Olympics will be her first as a mother.

Ryan Cochran-Siegle: As decorated as the U.S. women's alpine skiing team has been an is expected to be again, the only American alpine medal in Beijing came in the men's Super G.  It was won by Ryan Cochran-Siegle, whose mother was an Olympic champion in the slalom 50 years earlier.  The women's team may generate the headlines with superstars Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn, but it's the 33-year-old Cochran-Siegle, now a three-time Olympian, who's the veteran leader of the men's squad.

Jessie Diggins: She's the face of her sport and the greatest American cross country skier in history.  Diggins was the American flagbearer at the 2018 Closing Ceremony, then won two individual medals in 2022.  She competes on Saturday morning, so the chances of her actually marching in the Opening Ceremony on Friday night are slim to none.  So, even if she were selected, she'd likely decline the honor.  It's an honor she'd certainly deserve, though.

Any of those athletes would be a fine selection, but I'm not going with any of them.  No, my choice for the American flagbearers is the married ice dancers Madison Chock & Evan Bates.  This will be the fourth Olympics for Chock & Bates, who'll likely be the captains of the U.S. figure skating team.  They won team event gold in 2022, are three-time defending World Champions, and are favored to take home two golds in Milan.  They'll actually be competing on the morning of the Opening Ceremony, too, in the opening stage of the team event.  So, because of that, I can see them not marching.  If they do march, however, they should be holding the Stars & Stripes as they lead Team USA into San Siro.