Chill Sports

It’s a natural instinct for sports fans to feel that we could, at times, do a far better job than the athletes, coaches, and executives that work in the games we know so well. Sometimes we can’t control it; I’ve even found myself blurting out the odd “I could’ve caught that!” , or “I would’ve run that route better!” , knowing full well that I would, in fact, not catch the pass in question or correctly run the route in question (and in the astonishingly small chance that I did those two things, I also know that to receive a tackle from any of the eleven defenders on the field would likely turn my skeleton into sawdust). I can’t apologize for such primal reactions, unfortunately. Every so often, however, there are instances when someone on a team we follow makes a very avoidable mistake of epic proportions, where many members of the fanbase could have legitimately made a much better choice. For quite a few hours, I felt that way about the Baltimore Ravens’ failure to re-sign Lamar Jackso...

Valentine’s Day came and went a couple weeks ago and I, like many others, spent the day trying to think as little of it as possible. In turn, this of course kept it at the very forefront of my mind for the entire 24 hours (granted, the bombardment of emails and advertisements for couples-themed products I received for days on end leading up to the wretched holiday were partially to blame). Still, in my newfound journey towards continual self-improvement, I’ve learned that a little introspection should always be welcome in our lives, even when it’s difficult-- for instance, regarding our personal histories of decision-making and commitment. After all, being aware of our own flaws is perhaps the most powerful tool in our arsenal to aid with our own betterment. Naturally, I concluded that the problem isn’t me and instead turned my attention towards criticizing others with commitment issues, as I am, clearly, a very emotionally healthy person. And I could think of no person, or group of pe...

I chose to study computer science in college in large part because the field is heavily built on two key aspects: math and logic. The two have always appealed to me; mathematics can be used to explain and/or predict even the most complicated of real-world problems, and logic can be used to form airtight, infallible arguments if executed properly. While others are born with talent in art, music, chemistry, biology, or any number of subjects, I’ve always had somewhat of a knack for boiling down complex ideas into their mathematical and logical explanations. Which is why the Minnesota Vikings’ 2022 season makes absolutely no damn sense to me. I’ve pored over the numbers. I’ve watched their games. I’ve consulted numerous sources. And still, I can’t wrap my head around why they just keep winning games. They’re not a bad team, per se, but they’re also… not very good? Yet, they sport a sterling 12-3 record, which ties them for second-best in the NFC and in the entire NFL. Minnesota kicker Gr...

Football is one of the greatest showcases for the heights of human athleticism and talent that there is. It’s likely why we’re so drawn to it-- despite the NFL only being in operation for around 5 months of the year, despite the gruesome and inevitable violence it brings (regardless of any of the league’s highly-touted “player safety advancements”), and despite the very unsavory individuals in charge of running the show and the behavior that is permitted as a result. Time and time again, we come back to the sport, despite our misgivings with it and with the NFL as a whole. I would assume it is to bear witness to things like this: JUSTIN JEFFERSON OH MY GOODNESS 😱🤯 (via @NFL ) pic.twitter.com/h71fuciUrv — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 13, 2022 The NFL is at its best when its best athletes are put in position to make spectacular plays involving superhuman athletic ability and razor-sharp technique. Unfortunately, lots of such athletes are often let down by either th...

Sometimes in life, one can find themself in an unwinnable position, where no matter what they do, they're doomed to fail. Where even if you give your best effort at everything within your control, it wouldn’t be enough. Like if you find yourself in a chess match with Garry Kasparov, or in a swimming race with Michael Phelps. Or if you’ve been drafted to play quarterback for an NFL team with a terrible coaching staff, one of the worst offensive lines in the league, and the worst receiving corps in football. I can’t claim to know of Justin Fields’ abilities in either chess or the 100-meter butterfly, but he did find himself in the latter of those unwinnable positions with the Chicago Bears. With a gravely depleted offensive line and receiving group alongside a coaching staff unable (or unwilling?) to create an offense tailored to his strengths, many began to write Fields off after just a season-and-change in professional football. As he’s begun to prove over the past few weeks of sen...