Time

While I enjoy sports as much as the next person, there are times during the year when I go through a recharging period. The NBA playoffs have ended, and NFL camps have not officially started. For me, mini camps and OTA’s don’t count. While the baseball junkie in me keeps my adrenaline going, it’s not the same for a sport that has passed the midpoint of its season.

Well, the recharging period is over. Rookies have reported to NFL camps and the second half of the baseball season has begun. The grind is back.

The grind is back for me for so many reasons on so many different levels. While I grew up with a love of Baseball, I believe the pigskin has replaced it as my current #1 love. It may tie in with my fanatical love with fantasy football, which has been well documented on my blog.

While I would usually love to blog with you more extensively, like I said, it’s time.

We’ll talk.

Fathers

When it comes to DC sports teams, I am an unabashed homer. From the Nationals baseball team to the Washington Kastles tennis team, I root for the home team. This includes the Commanders football team, despite the name.

While today’s blog is about championship football, it’s not what you think. I am celebrating the DC Defenders winning the United Football League championship. This league, which was created following the merger of the latest incarnations of the XFL and United States Football League (USFL), started play in March 2024. Notable league owners include Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. In their 58-34 win over the Michigan Panthers, the Defenders were led by game MVP Jordan Ta’amu, who was on the Washington Football Team practice squad back in 2021. He went 21 for 28 for 390 yards and four TDs.

It is the first professional championship team for the District since the Washington Spirit won the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) title in 2021.

Before you trivialize these championships, think about the blood and sweat these players provided in their search of competition and achievement. I have a personal saying from my fantasy football life which says you never get tired of winning championships.

In wishing a happy Father’s Day to the dad’s (both in blood and by example), I feel the need to again talk about my own father/son dynamic. In my relationship with my father, it wasn’t the best. I always say that I didn’t know how to be a son to him just as much as didn’t know how to be a father to me…emotionally. But you need to know that there was always food on the table, clothes on my back and he gave me the opportunity for success by helping me earn a quality high school Jesuit education as well as helping me earn my college degree. I also suspect that I got the ‘work ethic’ gene from him that pushes me to try to improve myself to this day. Growing up, there were many times that by the time I got up for school, he had already left for his construction job.

I still wish he had come to just one of my games.

Still, when my father fell ill, my paternal instincts kicked in and I tried to be there for him. We came together at the end the best we could. He passed the day after Father’s Day.

What am I saying? Find time to support your kids when they compete. Whether it’s the field hockey game or spelling bee, you could be surprised the heights they can reach when they feel that someone believes in them.

Shoes

The other shoe has fallen.

In a ruling made by judge Claudia Wilken, the court agreed with Arizona State swimmer Grant House who argued that there should not be any restrictions on revenue sharing between student athletes and colleges. In other words, schools can directly pay student athletes to play sports at their universities. Or as Hall-of-Famer Randy Moss put it, “straight cash homie.”

No more cloak and dagger under the trench coat, no show jobs, and workarounds of that nature. While there is an initial “salary cap” of 20.5 million that schools will have to work with (that will increase in subsequent years), the phrase “play for pay” will go to a much higher level.

And by the way, let us not cry a river for these “big” schools that will get the lion’s share of these top players. The top five athletic programs (Ohio St., University of Texas, Texas A&M, Michigan, and Bama) have a combined valuation of almost six billion dollars. Thirteen other schools have valuations above $900 million.

They can afford it.

I’m happy for the student athletes. Aside from the opportunity to get a first-class education, they also will have a great financial head start to start from.

As for the other side of the coin, I have discussed that in previous blog posts. Just type in NCAA in the search box for my previous points of view.

I’m just happy that the student athletes can now eat at the grown folks table when it’s time to feast.

Now

I couldn’t wait.

Usually, as the Commissioner of two (now three) fantasy football leagues, I generally don’t open my league offices until the start of training camp.

Not this year.

This blog signifies the opening of my 30^th year of my fantasy football experience. And in case you’re wondering, things have not changed in terms of my passion for the game.

While my overall passion has not waned, I don’t consider myself your typical junkie. I am as intense as Kobe watching tape when I get started, usually from July to December. But at the end of the season, I totally shut it down. I don’t listen to podcasts, read magazines, or watch YouTube shows. I just stop cold turkey.

This year, however, is different. Maybe it’s because I was appointed the Commissioner of one of the leagues that I have been in for more than ten years and it has a special place in my heart. Maybe it’s the competitive nature in myself that I have always had. Maybe I just didn’t want to wait, period.

Whatever the reason, I’m in…earlier than usual. I’m not trying to figure out the who or why. I’m just ready like Kano.