The Old Guard Vs. The New Guard
I am writing this before the 53rd Superbowl game as I know all the hoopla come the day will be sharing out in our weekly newsletter will be about how the old guard (Bill Belichick and Tom Brady) matched up against the new guard (Sean McVay and Jared Goff).
It will make for another Superbowl gathering at my house with friends and family will be cursing every great play that Tom Brady et al. execute against yet another underdog with the vast majority of the bets on Patriots to win their 2nd Superbowl in three years and their 6th since their amazing legacy began in 2002 with the Brady/Belichick Tandem.
The above Tweet is one I came across when checking to see how Vegas et al. were hedging their bets, and having made many trips there over the years for trade shows, it was going as suspected, due to prior success and numerous AFC Championship games, The Patriots are the favorites yet once again.
One would think that father time (Tom Brady) would be showing signs of slowing down now in his 40’s, but as much as I am not a big fan of the Patriots for their run over the last two decades (am always a fan of the underdog), one thing that it does provide me is one of the best reasons why kids should NOT specialize early until their late teens. As I wrote to coincide with last years Superbowl 52, Tom Brady Wins the World Series, he was a draft pick of the only MLB team I followed in my youth and still pissed off they left, the Montreal Expo’s. He was picked in the 6th round by the Patriots as he was already a MLB Draft Pick.
Had he specialized in football like many kids are doing today as early as 8-9-10 years old, I can guarantee that his Hall Of Fame Career would have ended much sooner or potentially never happened to begin with.
Why ?
Because he would have suffered overuse injuries, potentially multiple serious concussions, ACL tears, perhaps even needing Tommy John Surgery for his throwing arm. He may have burned out as he did not have an OFF season to play other sports and would not have developed fundamental movement skills to transfer to football.
He may have been one of those 70% of kids that quit sports before 13 as a result.
The Patriots potentially would have continued to be in the cellar of the NFL as they had been literally since inception, Bill Belichick potentially would have been fired and hired to lead another team to multiple AFC championships, Superbowl titles and all the records that the Patriots have set under his leadership.
To this day I am still pissed that the Expos had their only potential World Series taken away from them when the strike ended the season in 1994, then a decade later were relocated to Washington (Nationals).
Fast forward to 2019, yet another multi-sport athlete in Baseball and Football has been shared out via Social Media, Kyle Murray, Heisman Trophy winner and QB of the Oklahoma Sooners Final 4 BCS (Bowl Championship Series) #4 Ranked team (who lost to Alabama in the quarter final).
One of those SM posts were done by our good friends at 2 4 1 Sports, as Kyle was also drafted by the Oakland A’s Major League Baseball Team.
Kyle is yet another Multisport athlete to be drafted by the MLB and many are projecting if he enters the NFL draft he will be a 1st round NFL pick because he is such a great ATHLETE.
Others that you may be familiar with as they were or are “pretty good” include:
Dan Marino
Source: One of my favorite Sports Illustrated Pics, the old guard (Dan Marino) talking to the new guard (Peyton Manning) post Game
One of the best passers of all time, 2005 NFL HOF inductee played 17 years in the NFL but he was initially drafted as a pitcher by the Kansas City Royals.
Colin Kaepernick
In just his rookie season, Colin demonstrated his raw athleticism and lead the 49’ers to their first Superbowl since their glory days with Steve Young and Joe Montana.
He also was a great baseball pitcher, two time all state in high school, and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 2009 MLB Draft and was drafted 2 years later in the 2011 NFL draft.
Last year he received the support of Nike to become the face of their 30th anniversary “Just Do It Campaign” with the commercial that lead their sales to surge 31% just after it aired.
“Don’t ask if your dreams are crazy, ask if they are crazy enough”
Brandon Weeden
Current Houston Texans Backup QB was drafted in the 1st round of the NFL 2006 by the Cleveland Browns draft four years after he had been selected as the second overall 2002 MLB pick by the New York Yankees
Troy Aikman
Hall of Famer NFL QB for the Dallas Cowboys, now Fox NFC Colour Commentator, was the NFL #1 overall pick in 1989 also was a baseball pitcher and shortstop and the NY Mets tried to sign him to a baseball contract but he declined as he opted to focus on football in university.
Patrick Mahomes
Like his father before him who was drafted by the MLB (and went on to play 11 seasons), Patrick was was selected by the Detroit Tigers in the 2014 MLB Draft but was also drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft. Another member of the potential new guard may be Kyle Murray if opts to enter the NFL draft and play football in lieu of baseball.
Had it not been for a penalty in OT where the Patriots were able to continue a drive that lead to their game-winning touchdown, Patrick could very well have been the new guard playing another new guard counterpart in Jared Goff but Tom Brady et al. were able to weather the storm to score a TD to win the AFC Championship.
In my many years playing and watching both sports I have never seen such raw athleticism of so many ways to throw the football as Patrick demonstrated leading the Chiefs in only his second season in the NFL. His sidearm and no-look passes remind me of another great athlete playing in the NBA, Steph Currey, another multi-sport athlete until he opted to focus on basketball in college.
Russell Wilson
Seattle Seahawks Superbowl winning QB Russell Wilson also played baseball, was drafted by the Colorado Rockies and played two seasons in their minor league affiliate, then traded to the Texas Rangers and then New York Yankees but opted to focus on his career in the NFL in lieu of baseball.
Then there were two that played BOTH sports Professionally
Deion Sanders (AKA Prime Time)
Deion was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft and played for several teams including playing for the 49’ers and Cowboys Super Bowl Winning Teams and was inducted into the football hall of fame in 2011. He also drafted in the 6th round of the 1988 MLB draft by the Kansas City Royals and played several years for them moreso on part time basis (NFL took precedence when the seasons overlapped).
Bo Jackson (Bo Knows)
Bo Jackson is the only professional athlete to be named an all-star in two different professional sports, Football and Baseball. Like Kyle Murray, Bo won the Heisman trophy in 1985, he was originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Bucanneers First Overall in the 1986 NFL Draft. He also was the drafted by the Kansas City Royals and played several seasons in both sports.
Not only was Bo a great football and baseball player, in high school AND college, he participated in numerous track and field events including sprinting, hurdling, jumping and throwing.
Just further proof in the pudding to support the benefits of participating in multiple sports growing up so you can become the best ATHLETE you can be.
By not focusing on one sport too early, one of the biggest benefits, is all those that played both sports of the old guard went on to have long careers in their respective sports, Dan Marino, Troy Aikman and now Tom Brady still being one that continues to set the bar playing at the highest level at 42 years of age. Same will hold true for Patrick Mahome, Kyle Murray may be as the new guard as they are great ATHLETES as a result of playing multiple sports.
Let’s all work together to bring the game back to the kids …. Where it belongs.
