NFL Week 2: The Aidan Hutchinson Cup

 

 

Greetings Tipsters

 

Irony can be a cynical bitch. Damar Hamlin nearly died on the field eighteen months ago. Thursday night he might have killed Tua Tagovailoa’s career.

 

Tua is quarterback for the Miami Dolphins, he has a set of talent and skills that sharp coach Mike McDaniel has designed the O around. Very good, not great, top ten on his best day. Had a rough start to his pro career, ’22 he had a few serious concussions and considered retiring, ’23 had a very good year and got the big contract, $213M for four years.

 

Tua has occasional lapses in situational awareness. He’d scrambled for the first down then lowered his head and tried for another couple yards, smacked into Damar’s arm, his neck bent at an excruciating angle, he hit the ground and seized up.

 

This columnist reckons that most football codes will be unrecognisable in twenty years, due to the effects of concussion on the rules of inherently violent sports. There are thus many parties taking an interest in this injury. Tua, his family, Dolphins, NFL, every other professional football league.

 

Tua should retire immediately. He has a wife and two young children, parents, brothers and sisters, cousins. Concussions accumulate, he cannot afford the risk of another that could have serious long term consequences. But he’s a competitor, he’s made it to the top of his chosen field of endeavour, can he give up on it now? He’s 26, he’s got the coach, the team, the camaraderie of the locker room.

 

His retirement would crush the Dolphins. Skylar Thompson has a great name but little more, they’d have to trade for someone who could fit the scheme. Miami had high hopes coming into this season. If I were Roger Goodell, I’d take a secret flight in the NFL jet airliner to Miami and tell them:

 

“He has to retire. Pay out his contract, I’ll make sure you’re covered. I’ll speak to people, arrange some draft picks for you, set up a charitable foundation in his name. Heck, I’ll buy him a ranch in Montana if he wants! But he has to retire. Moms all across America are worried about their kids playing tag, we can’t afford the publicity of Tua coming back, getting hit again and, heck, what if he dies onfield?”

 

The AFL and NRL will be keeping a close eye on this, most every other professional contact sport as well.

 

Detroit Lions managed an annoyingly stupid loss. 463 yards O to the Bucs 219, five sacks on Baker Mayfield, yet they stopped us in the red zone six times of seven. That total faecal fest at the end of first half when the field goal unit walked onfield before Goff spiked the ball – or even figured what he was supposed to do, spike or pass? – so the penalty for excess players, then needed a touchdown to win, within 26 yard, 33 seconds of game time and our alleged genius OC called a bunch of dinky pass plays that went nowhere. Tampa Bay is better than expected, but that was nonetheless a crapular performance.

 

New Orleans have racked up great scores so far, OC is named Klint Kubiak, is that is a better name than Colts OC Jim Bob Cooter? Klint has Derek Carr at a career height, Derek’s older brother, David, was the first quarterback for the Texans and got the living hell beaten out of him every week. Derek is a preacher when he’s not being a quarterback, he was in Las Vegas before New Orleans so you’d think he’d have plenty of material to work with. But, Jesus Christ, he dresses like a 17 yr old boy! Shirt out, skinny legged pants and enormous shiny white sport shoes. Derek, if you love and respect your lord then you better dress like you mean it. Get yourself three tailored suits, seven shirts, four ties and two pairs of leather shoes, like men wear. I dress better than you when I’m going to the pub.

 

Texans have sophomore CJ Stroud under centre now, he got a break via an LA junior football comp sponsored by Snoop Dogg. Lucky for him, selected by Texans, a long burning tire fire that sorted itself just in time to take advantage of the Watson trade, Lovie Smith’s one season of coaching seemed to gee em up a bit, now DeMeco Ryans is looking like the next genius coach. Of course, that doesn’t happen without a great quarterback. Bloody quarterbacks, next week I might write a column about D linemen.

 

Cheers Tipsters

 

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More from Earl O’Neill can be read Here.

 

 

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