Football Betting Tips for Today | Bet365 Prediction | Tips

I have been a long time blackberry follower and have followed the autonomous vehicle market closely here is my speculation on what is happening.
Blackberry announces monumentous venture with Motional and the stock tips 4%. Crazy! Recap: Amazon recognizes the cloud computing company that has best security will have dominant position in autonomous vehicle market. Partners up with BlackBerry/QNX to form IVY. Amazon/ BB Announce IVY will collect vehicle data and share it with automobile manufacturers (OEMs) at no cost to the OEM. They're only play (assuming they are still companies that are trying to make money) Is what they're not saying. They wanted to be the platform for all cars so they can provide V2V and V2X communication. This will not be a one-time licensing fee this will be a streaming fee.
Look at the history of personal computers. The first wave was the desktop that also evolved into the laptop. Apple and Microsoft dominated. The mobile computer was the next wave where BlackBerry got in early but did not keep up with innovation. Eventually Apple and Google dominated that market. It included cell phones and tablets. The third wave will be automobiles or more specifically autonomous vehicles. Remember, cell phone started with a mobile device used to make phone calls. It morphed into a mobile computer with one of its funtions (minor functions, if you're below 30) being telephone calls. The automobile in the future will be as morphed from cars today as smartphones are from flip phones. It will be a self-driving, infotainment, navigation, communication, security system. Every company: Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, Baidu, Tesla, recognize this and wants a piece of that pie. The ability to bill automobile owners monthly for streaming service similar to having Wi-Fi at home or in the office. Similar to paying for monthly mobile service.
Amazon struck first and not unlike a pickup basketball game chose the best player on the court - Blackberry. Amazon is a 1.6 trillion dollar company while BB was a $6 billion company. Amazon could have easily bought BB instead of joint venture on IVY. That is perplexing, It is tantamount to Warren Buffett asking me to do a deal with him. It is almost beneath Amazon to do joint ventures with companies that are valued at one half of one percent of their market share. So really what give? If BlackBerry has something it wants buy the whole company!
The explanation is simple. If Amazon made a play to buy BlackBerry they would have to submit a tender offer. They would be showing their cards. All the big boys would understand Amazon is trying to monopolize the best security to corner the autonomous vehicle market. There would be a bidding war by its Titan competitors. Apple, Microsoft, Tesla, or Google could have all countered with their own offers. No matter how committed Amazon was to buy BB there is no guarantee they would have come away victorious from a bidding war. Rather, they chose to enter a secret long-term contract with BlackBerry, airtight and with exclusivity.
Immediately Microsoft recognized what Amazon was up to and acted quickly to do a similar joint venture with Cruise/GM. Apple immediately tried to partner with Hyundai. Hyundai so flattered and obviously horny for Apple did not consider or ignored their previous commitment to QNX and BB. Yet, the deal fell apart because Hyundai was already committed to BB. Motional is a conglomerate owned by Hyundai and Kia that has developed autonomous driving for Lyft. Apple wanted to be the provider of V2V and V2X for Apple cars, Motional was already committed to BB/QNX and hence Amazon.
To be cont......
My apologies The day job just got in the way.
I've had some really good feedback and solid questions regarding my narrative.
Let me first explain why BlackBerry is so coveted. It's not it's AI. It's its cybersecurity. I mean through the BlackBerry phone craze, Pres Obama's phone, Even until today BB is supreme in secure connectivity. It may be the only company that has all US government certifications and has multiple national contracts. So picture a world where all cars are communicating with other cars through a cloud There are no human drivers. Now picture a North Korean or Russian hack of the system. Total shutdown of all commuter traffic paralyzing the whole country. That's the less scary thought. All cars are to accelerate to max and purposeful head on collisions, that's a nightmare terrorist scenario!
It's only a matter of time before a car commercial touts their luxury design and security.

 "Ford built tough, and BlackBerry safe" "Volvo crash tested and hack proof, safety is always our priority"

One of the most important selling features is car autonomous communication safety. Let's face it once you can't drive your own car how many other options really matter? I know I would only choose an OEM with a BB secure OS.
I listened to the podcast where the ACS executive and the BlackBerry QNX exec answered questions about their joint venture. Amazon guy said the word "safety" in almost every sentence. Meanwhile it's not theoretical BlackBerry already is the platform for the autonomous driving software behind XPeng and recently also signed Canoo (spelling?).
There's no question as to what Amazon was after. Now go look at the timeline December 1st Blackberry announces joint venture with Amazon. Two or three weeks later GM announces joint venture with Cruz. Two more weeks and we're hearing rumors from the Hyundai side about their talks to build an Apple car. Apple does not confirm and Hyundai restates that they do not have an agreement but are talking towards one. Meanwhile, Apple is desperate to team up with a partner so they don't lose out on the autonomous market. I don't know how that's going to end. I'm curious if they're looking at Chinese automakers like BYD, Cherry, Geely.. then recently Ford and Google got together to announce that Google would be the infotainment center in Ford vehicles. Everybody's pairing up for the big dance. The prettiest girl in the room was BlackBerry and she had the most suitors.
Other data that leads me to my conclusions are Blackberry has recently filed a slew of patents related to V2V and V2X technology. In press conference releases BB refers to revenue "stream" from Amazon joint venture. Not just revenue or just fees. Stream indicates continuous collections like they had with their blackberry messenger service.
Okay why did Hyundai and Apple not consummate their joint venture? I think this is exactly related to the Motional-BB announcement we saw today. Motional and blackberry already an agreement to develop autonomous vehicles. Along comes Apple and flirts with Hyundai in co-developing autonomous vehicles. Hyundai, overly excited, leaks the news and happily sees their stock pop 20%. BlackBerry here's the news and is pretty surprised and pissed. BB violently objects waving their signed joint agreement. Apple investigates and discovers that the BB /QNX- Motional agreement leaves no room for Apple to develop anything with Hyundai (Motional corporate parent) that will not violate Hyundai's commitment to QNX and hence their nemesis Amazon. Apple terminates the courtship.
Imagine it's 1957 and the hot girl you're going steady with is being hit on by the handsome captain of the football team. You first use a few choice words and chase him off. Next you insist she start wearing your letter sweater So everybody knows she's spoken for.(No, I'm not that old, I just watch fair amount of TV). Blackberry insisted on formalizing their announcement with Motional lest any more unwanted suitors showed up. That is why I surmise the BB- Motional announcement was made today.
Why I think BB dropped today. The WSB frenzy is coming to an end. There are many retail investors and even hedge funds that bought put options on BB when the price was in the twenties. Exercising those options means the right to sell BB. Further there are plenty of retail investors caught holding the bag. They are Looking at the stock price before WSB and figuring the base price and how much above it their stock is at. For GameStop and AMC The price should be $2. That's where it was and would have stayed without WSB promotion.
For BB the price organically grew from $6 in late November to $14 in early January. This doubling in the stock price happened before WSB started touting it. This was secondary to Amazon announcement, Facebook settlement, a slew of positive press releases and articles on BB's future. The uneducated investor looks at the stock price and sees that blackberry climb from $6 naturally that's where it must be reverting to. Yes there are silly investors dumping BlackBerry at $13 thinking that It is headed back $6.
As far as the good news on Motional. There will be a stock increase and positive reaction tomorrow or the next day. bad news always has an immediate effect to drive the stock down but good news sometimes takes a while to set in.

[International Cricket] How a new style of bowling caused a major diplomatic rift between England and Australia

You may recognise me from my English Football series. I am still working on this, but a mix of being busy IRL and writer's block have precluded a new instalment. I hope to get the drama juices flowing with another sporting mishap and another football instalment up at some point this week
For now, we take a trip back to the 1930s and discuss the England cricket team's controversial 'Bodyline Tour' of Australia
Background
It is often something of a national joke that the British are excellent inventors but poor innovators. They often invent a new concept before being promptly overtaken by the rest of the world in it. The Industrial Revolution and the computer as we know it both owe their origins to the British, but Britain was the first major economy to suffer post-industrial decline, and there has never been a major British computing giant in the vein of Microsoft.
Sport is no different. British national teams dominate none of the three classic team sports codified and spread across the world during the 19th and early 20th centuries.
When an Australian cricket team toured England in 1882 and inflicted a shock defeat against England at the Oval in London, a satirical obituary printed in the papers mourned the 'death of English cricket' and that the ashes would be cremated and taken to Australia. This is the genesis of international cricket's second most intense rivalry and the reason that full Test series between England and Australia are known as 'The Ashes'.
After the First World War Australia ran rampant in international cricket. From 1918 to 1925, England mustered just one win out of fifteen tests over three five-test tours against Australia. Things picked up a little after 1925 and the passing of a 'golden generation' of Australian crickets while England saw an uptick in talent, but one man would change all that and tip the balance back in Australia's favour.
Enter the GOAT
If you were forming a team of the best 11 cricketers of all time covering all positions, to include Sir Don Bradman would be a no-brainer. Generally considered the greatest batsman of all time with a career batting average of 99.94 runs (for reference, the best batsmen in contemporary Test cricket would average about 60-65) and quite possibly the greatest Australian sportsman to ever represent his country in any sport, the Don absolutely changed things.
Australia toured England in 1930 and were widely expected to get a drubbing from England owing to their side's inexperience compared to the increasingly ascendant English side.
This isn't what happened.
In the Third Test at Headingley in Leeds Don scored 309 runs in a single day, a feat unsurpassed to this day. Also unsurpassed is his record of 974 runs over a standard five-Test series.
At the Fourth Test at the Oval in London English players and commentators noticed that Don struggled to play against 'bouncers', fast balls pitched short in order to bounce fairly high towards the batsman. I'll give a rundown of bowling mechanics later, but suffice it to say that this information would become critical later.
Australia surprised all by winning the series 2-1 and the shy and self-effacing Don was suddenly thrust into the limelight of an adoring Australian public. Don also thrust himself into the attentions of those in England who sought to avenge the defeat by winning the next English tour of Australia.
Enter Douglas Jardine
The cricket administrator 'Plum' Warner had noticed Don's struggles against aggressive fast bowling at the Oval, and he rapidly put himself to work planning on how to neutralise Don Bradman when England toured Australia in 1932-3, for surely only then could the Ashes be reclaimed.
He saw to Douglas Jardine being appointed captain of the England side in 1931 as a prelude to the tour. Jardine was amenable to Warner's plans and strongly disliked Australians. In the 1928-9 tour he received a good amount of 'banter' from Australian supporters owing to his haughty demeanour and habit of playing while wearing his Oxford University cap, the latter was hardly rare at the time amongst those entitled to one, but Jardine wore one while fielding which was a little strange. He also fielded out on the boundary, near the spectators, and proved an awkward outfielder which further encouraged mockery from Australian supporters. Rather than shrug it off or endear himself to the home crowd by giving a little back, he tended to draw in on himself and criticise what he saw as uneducated and lower class Australians.
A Plan Assembles
Jardine arranged to meet the two fast bowlers from Nottinghamshire (English professional cricket was and is organised on counties) Harold Larwood and William Voce. Nottinghamshire had been a dominant side in the late 1920s with their fast bowling, and Jardine saw in them a solution to his Don problem.
Remembering Don's discomfort against high-pitching balls at the Oval in 1930 and believing Don Bradman to be physically lacking in courage and inclined to shirk against aggressive bowling, Jardine asked the two men if they could repeat this style of bowling and do so accurately. They believed they could, and after a trial in the domestic competitions yielded mixed results, the England team departed for Australia in late 1932 eager to reclaim the Ashes with their secret weapon.
The Mechanics of Bodyline
I'll very briefly try and explain what we mean by 'Bodyline'. Essentially in cricket the bowler typically tries to hit three wooden stumps (called the wicket) with his delivery. The batsman generally faces the bowler side-on and stands slightly to one side of the wicket, meaning that a ball aimed at the wicket is generally unlikely to hit the batsman. When we talk about pitch we talk about how the bowler makes the ball bounce. A cricket delivery nearly always involves the ball bouncing at some point between the bowler and the wicket. The earlier (or shorter) that the ball bounces, the higher it will be when it comes to the batsman. This is an important part of cricketing strategy as different bowling styles suit different circumstances and pitches.
Jardine essentially asked Larwood and Voce to bowl leg-side (that is at the side of the wicket the batsman stands on) and pitch it short, meaning the balls comes directly at the batsman and at an intimidatingly high angle.
The batsman's reflex move, if he does not duck, is to use his bat as a shield and try and push the ball away, this puts it straight towards fielders on his leg-side who will be close.
On this diagram you may notice the 'Slips'. They are close-in fielders used when bowling aggressively for close catches. The slips are shown here on the 'off' side, opposite the batsman, but in 1932 they could line up like this directly behind the batsman's leg in order to take catches from the strokes he makes to defend himself from high balls.
A final major factor is the pitch. Australian pitches have more 'bounce' than English ones owing to generally being drier, making a tactic reliant on short-pitching to generate high balls more extreme in Australia than England.
Arrival in Australia
Jardine came to Australia with a score to settle, claiming from the off he had not come 6,000 miles to 'make friends'. The Australian press had noted his selection of an unprecedented four fast bowlers as being an obvious retort to Don Bradman's genius with the bat, and such comments did little to defuse what was already becoming a contentious tour.
In the matches before the main Test series against Australia against various Australian sides such as New South Wales England dabbled a little with Bodyline bowling but did not seriously employ it. It was enough to indicate the direction that Jardine had gone with his tactical choices and initially a substantial section of the Australian cricketing world accepted that England had merely adopted long-standing theories around fast bowling which had been common enough in the English domestic game.
The Early Tests
Don Bradman didn't play in the first test in Sydney. He was embroiled in a dispute with the Australian cricketing authorities about his writing a newspaper column, although Jardine appeared convinced that he had simply bottled it or had a mental breakdown.
The First Test was a comfortable win for England as Jardine's methods bore fruit. Larwood took ten wickets and a strong English batting performance saw England win essentially with an innings to spare.
Nonetheless, the early seeds of the forthcoming shitstorm were apparent. One of Jardine's fast bowlers, Gubby Allen, accepted using aggressive fielding positions but refused to bowl directly at Australian batsmen. An Indian princeling, the Nawab of Pataudi, on the English side (who would later go onto captain the Indian team, making him one of few Test cricketers to represent two countries) refused to field in an aggressive position on the batsman's leg side, to which Jardine remarked that 'His Highness is a conscientious objector' and largely removed him from the side for the rest of the series. Australian cricket remained split, with many still seeing Bodyline as a sharp but lawful practise.
The Second Test in Melbourne saw Don return. True to form, he scored a century, while a disastrous English batting performance granted the match to Australia. Jardine, a batsman, in particular had a bad game. Normally icy and virtually emotionless on the pitch, he did a 'war dance' when Don was surprisingly bowled out early in the first innings, showing perhaps his sheer desire to 'get one over' on the Australians.
Adelaide
England would win the Third Test in Adelaide, but at the cost of potentially ending the tour and causing a huge rift.
On the second day a Larwood ball hit the Australian captain, Bill Woodfull. The English fielders crowding around the batsman's position gathered around Woodfull to check on him, while Jardine called out 'well bowled, Harold!' in earshot of a now-irate Australian crowd. 'Sledging', the practise of playing mind-games against a batsman, was nothing new in cricket, and Jardine apparently intended to unnerve Don, who was the non-facing batsman and so stood near to him, but he succeeded only in appalling Woodfull and the Australian supporters.
Woodfull for his part gained respect for not retaliating during this game and acting perhaps more magnanimously towards the English players than most people would.
But it gets worse.
Later that day, 'Plum' Warner went to the Australian dressing room to visit Woodfull and apologise in person. Warner had sought to make Jardine captain, but he had likely underestimated Jardine's single-minded desire to defeat Australia by any means. Woodfull's reply to Warner was leaked to the press, to the fury of all involved and his quote would go down in cricketing history

I don't want to see you, Mr Warner. There are two teams out there. One is trying to play cricket and the other is not

Warner tried to tell Jardine about this, who appeared unrepentant.
Could it get even worse?
Absolutely.
The following day another Larwood ball struck an Australian player. Bert Oldfield was knocked unconscious and suffered a fractured skull in an era where cricket helmets were unheard of but the ball was the same wood and leather as today. The ball which struck Oldfield was a misplaced 'bouncer' rather than a true bodyline ball, but it became symbolic of the highly aggressive bowling which Larwood was rapidly gaining notoriety for.
You can see Oldfield falling to the right in this picture
Diplomacy
Things escalated, as at the end of the fourth day the Australian cricket authorities warned their English counterparts of the diplomatic damage being done to the otherwise close relationships between Britain and Australia, which was self-governing in nearly all respects but not quite wholly independent. Their telegram directly accused the English team of unsportsmanlike behaviour contrary to the spirit of cricket.
After a reply from England, the Australian authorities requested that the series continue but that 'bodyline' bowling would be considered by the authorities afterwards. The English authorities now seemed those most inclined to end the series, stating they would only play if the Australians retracted the 'unsportsmanlike' accusation.
At this point, the actual governments got involved.
Neither the British nor Australian governments wished to see relations damaged over cricket and both sought to defuse the situation. Eventually the Australian cricket authorities retracted the accusation but only after the Prime Minister of Australia intervened, as he did not wish to risk a public boycott of Australian goods in Britain for an economy still heavily reliant on the British export market.
The Series Winds Down
Bill Voce missed the Fourth Test in Brisbane and his replacement with a spin-bowler (ie a style of bowling by definition incapable of 'bodyline') indicated a shift away from the pure dedication to this approach. Larwood was now the only bowler still committed to bodyline bowling, but he appeared to dip in form after the earlier tests and was less effective.
England won this match and the final Test in Sydney, but without resorting to the methods employed in the earlier games.
Legacy
Relations between Britain and Australia did weaken, with some anecdotal evidence of reduced trade and antipathy towards Britons in Australia and Australians in Britain existing during the mid-1930s.
Bodyline became more widely used for a brief period after the tour in England as Larwood and Voce continued to ply their trade at home. The method saw heavy employment by both sides when a team from the West Indies toured England in 1933, and it did turn English opinion against it. In the words of Wisden, the main cricketing publisher

Most of those watching it for the first time must have come to the conclusion that, while strictly within the law, it was not nice.

In 1935 the laws of cricket changed. It was now forbidden to directly bowl at a batsman, and the umpire had discretion to forbid it on the pitch. A later law in 1957 altered fielding arrangements (banning more than two fielders being in the quadrant behind the batsman on his leg side) which effectively prevented pure bodyline from happening.
That being said, the concept of intimidatory high-pitched bowling has remained. There are limits on how many balls can be bowled in this way, but it isn't banned. In the era of mandatory helmets in the professional game and the proliferation of other protective equipment against fast bowlers it is a part of modern cricket to an extent which would doubtless shock both the English and Australians of 1932-3.
Bodyline didn't stop Don Bradman. He was a young man in 1932 and his greatest career highlights were ahead of him as he attained truly unbeatable batting averages for Australia. Following a hiatus in the Second World War, he captained Australia on a triumphant 'Invincible' tour of England in 1948.
What of Jardine, Larwood, and Voce? Larwood and Voce remain heroes for Nottinghamshire cricket, having a stand named after them at Trent Bridge in Nottingham, a major ground which generally sees an Ashes Test when Australia tours England.
Bill Voce and Harold Larwood did not have their reputations unduly damaged by bodyline. They were both working class players from Nottinghamshire (Larwood an ex-miner, and Voce from a mining town), then a major coal mining county in the Midlands, in contrast to Jardine's more elite background. It became generally accepted they had merely done Jardine's bidding. Bill Voce had a largely unremarkable career after 1933 and had never committed as strongly to bodyline as Larwood had.
Larwood was largely unrepentant. He had been the most prominent of the bodyliners and had cold relations with Don Bradman. As an old man he claimed he never bowled at a batsman's head, but he would sometimes aim for the chest or legs.
Ironically Larwood moved to Australia after the Second World War, joining thousands of Britons who benefited from subsidised emigration to Australia. He received a warm welcome from both Australian cricket and the public, although his broad Nottinghamshire drawl caused some issues in understanding apparently. He occasionally received abuse when the topic came up in the media, but generally lived quietly in Australia with a few slightly cantankerous media appearances in the 1970s to criticise the proliferation of protective equipment for batsmen and to criticise the then-England star all-rounder Sir Ian Botham. When he received a medal for lifetime service to cricket in 1993, an Australian newspaper expressed the class angle quite bluntly.

At last the ruling classes honour the man who carried the can for their savage arrogance

Jardine for many is the villain of this piece. He represents an elite and classist attitude towards the more egalitarian Australians, whom he nursed a strong distaste for. As above, Australian opinion would later forgive working class English players who bowled bodyline, but such forgiveness did not come to Jardine. Nonetheless, he was a complex figure who above all had a desire to win which went beyond the norms of sporting decency in his time. He left cricket in 1935, disillusioned with negative press and the phasing out of bodyline. The English cricket establishment was all too happy to blame the scandal on him, and his name has gone down in cricketing infamy, deservedly or not.

[1/18/2021] Monday's Off Topic Free Talk Thread

Ranking Sunday's games by watchability

1/17	1/18	1/19	1/20	1/21	1/22	1/23
65°, Clear	68°, Clouds	63°, Rain	56°, Rain	67°, Rain	79°, Rain	61°, Rain

I seem to remember someone doing this a few years back and really enjoying it, so I thought I'd give it a shot with the condensed schedule leaving so many games on the schedule each night. I'm ranking each game in three categories: competitiveness, importance, and style points/storylines (which includes star power, the style of basketball, and any intriguing stories to watch). I'll include a survey at the end where you can predict the winners of each game!
Let me know if this is something you'd like to see again!
10) Milwaukee Bucks (1-1) vs. New York Knicks (0-2) at 7:30 pm EST
Where to Watch: League Pass
Spread: Milwaukee -11
Last Meeting: January 14th, 2020. RJ Barrett drained five threes and Bobby Portis scored 20 off the bench, but the Bucks dominated the Knicks at Fiserv Forum 128-102. The two teams combined for a whopping 79 points in the third quarter.
The Bucks have won their last five meetings with the Knicks, with the last New York win coming in an overtime thriller at the Garden in December of 2018.
Competitiveness: A championship contender that dismantled the Warriors by 40 facing the Knicks on the tail end of a back-to-back. Not much else to say here. 1.5/10
Importance: This game is essentially a scheduled win for the Bucks, and a chance for the Knicks to test their young guys and let them grow up a little. Unfortunate that Obi Toppin will be on the sidelines for this one. 2/10
Style Points: The high-flying Bucks offense has been off to another hot start, topping the 120 point mark in both of their games. The Knicks' young guns have shown promise and made so flashy plays, but they also turn the ball over a lot. Neither team tends to foul a lot or shoot a ton of free throws, which will help game flow.
Some might keep an eye on Giannis' free throw shooting, but the real story to watch is RJ Barrett's three point accuracy. He lit it up from distance against Indiana, but struggled mightily against Philly. Can he take a step forward in that department this season?
Bonus points for the MSG crew calling this game. 6/10
Overall Rating: 3/10
9) Brooklyn Nets (2-0) vs. Charlotte Hornets (0-2) at 7:00 pm EST
Where to Watch: NBA TV
Spread: Brooklyn -7.5
Last Meeting: February 22nd, 2020. The Nets used a third quarter explosion to turn a comfortable win into a rout as they won 115-86. Luwawu-Cabarrot led the team in scoring with 21, while Garrett Temple of all people snagged eleven boards.
Competitiveness: The Nets have steamrolled over their competition so far, blowing out the Warriors and Celtics by 20+ points. The Hornets have struggled with two losses to non-contenders, and come into this game on the wrong end of a back-to-back. 1.5/10
Importance: A contending Nets team cannot afford to drop games like this one, especially in the early part of the season when there are so many eyeballs on KD and Kyrie. The Hornets could really use a positive performance to get their season headed in the right direction. 4/10
Style Points: The Nets have stars all over the court and have looked like a juggernaut early this season, making them one of the most intriguing teams to watch, and a fun one too, as they've played fast and made lots of threes. Charlotte ranked last in pace of play last season but seems to be trying to pick things up. You'll get the Charlotte crew for this game on NBA TV, and they call a fun game.
Terry Rozier and Gordon Hayward are two guys to pay attention to- Rozier dropped 42 on a Cavs team that sucks at defending point guards. Is he headed for a breakout season? Hayward was shut down by the Thunder last night and will look to get things going. Plus LaMelo Ball! 8/10
Overall: 4.4/10
8) Golden State Warriors (0-2) vs. Chicago Bulls (0-2) at 8:00 pm EST
Where to Watch: League Pass
Spread: Golden State -2.5
Last Meeting: December 6th, 2019. Glenn Robinson III made the go-ahead layup with a minute left and a very different looking Warriors team beat the Bulls 100-98 in Chicago. Denzel Valentine was ejected in the third quarter for yelling at the Warriors' bench.
Competitiveness: The Warriors have been blown out by two great teams so far. The Bulls have been blown out by two mediocre teams and just played a deflating contest against the Pacers last night. 4.5/10
Importance: Both teams could really use their first win of the season. The Warriors cannot afford to lose to teams like the Bulls if they're going to contend for the playoffs. This probably still figures as a matchup of two non-contenders, though. 5.5/10
Style Points: The Bulls have lots of exciting young players, but they seem turnover-prone and have struggled to score. Neither team has been able to stop literally anyone on defense so far (lol thanks Golden State for taking Wiggins), so there's a chance this turns into one of those ridiculous shootouts where both teams top 70 in the first half.
Patrick Williams looked good in his first game against the Hawks, but the Pacers were able to shut him down. Watching him adjust to the breakneck pace of games and the new level of competition will be interesting. The Warriors will need to find other sources of offense besides Curry and Wiseman, and this game is a perfect chance for them to do so. Definitely opt for the Chicago broadcast if you tune in. 4.5/10
Overall: 4.8/10
** 7)Philadelphia 76ers (2-0) vs. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-0) at 7:30 pm EST**
Where to Watch: League Pass
Spread: Philadelphia -6
Last Meeting: February 26th, 2020. The Sixers had to play most of the game without their two best players as Joel Embiid left in the first quarter with a sprained shoulder. The Cavs, then the worst team in the East, led the entire way and won 108-94.
Competitiveness: The Cavs look like a much better team this year as Sexton has another year under his belt and they have Drummond underneath. There's a long way to go to challenge the Sixers, though, and they played an exhausting two-overtime trench war with the Pistons last night while Philly coasted to an easy win over the Knicks. 5/10
Importance: Definitely a litmus test game for the Cavs- can they hang with Philly and prove that they can be that dangerous team no one wants to face in the east play-in tournament? The 76ers might be looking past this game as they have a big clash with Tampa Bay coming up on Tuesday. 4/10
Style Points: This game gives us two matchups between stars. Joel Embiid has been on a mission to start this season, following up his 29/14 against Washington with a 27/10 against the Knicks. His matchup with Andre Drummond will be one to watch. At point guard, Simmons-Sexton could be an even more exciting face-off. The Cavs have played a more fun style of basketball this season, using Sexton to ignite a high pressure defense that stole a win in Detroit. That double-overtime win might prove costly tonight, though, when they run out of gas against a deeper and more talented Sixers team. Bonus points for the Cavs having that really fun color guy, I guess. 6.75/10
Overall: 5.25/10
6) Minnesota Timberwolves (2-0) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (1-1) at 10:00 pm EST
Where to watch: NBA TV
Spread: Los Angeles -11
Last Meeting: December 8th, 2019. AD dropped half a hundred and LeBron put up 32 and thirteen assists as the Lakers won a 142-125 slugfest. The Wolves hung around and trailed by only seven after three quarters before LA pulled away.
Competitiveness: The Wolves are off to a surprising 2-0 start, including an impressive win in Utah last night. Most would write this off as a scheduled loss, though, with a back-to-back against the defending champs and KAT getting dinged up at the end of the Jazz game. Still, it will be interesting to see how this new-look Wolves team trades punches with AD and Bron in the first half. 6/10
Importance: The Lakers seem to finally be settling into the new season after a disappointing showing on opening night, and will be looking for another statement win. Some Wolves fans have speculated that they will rest KAT after his injury scare tonight. I'd expect him to play, but no one in Minnesota thinks they will win this game. 3/10
Style Points: Anthony Edwards going up against two of the best in the game? DLo back in LA? Upstarts against the defending champs? Top notch storylines for this game, where the first half will be a good litmus test for Minnesota, before fatigue probably sets in for guys like Edwards and Culver and the game gets pretty ugly.
Minnesota's defense looks much improved this season, and their explosive bench can keep this game fun. And you know what you're getting with the Lakers' stars. Unfortunately the NBA TV rights to this game mean most fans will get the LA crew and miss out on the top notch Fox Sports North announcers. 8/10
Overall: 5.6/10
5) San Antonio Spurs (2-0) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (1-1) at 7:00 pm EST
Where to Watch: League Pass
Spread: New Orleans -5
Last Meeting: August 9th, 2020. The Spurs and Pels faced off for a high-scoring showdown in the bubble that saw the two teams combined for 77 fourth quarter points. JJ Redick went off and hit eight threes and Zion chipped in 25, but the rest of their teammates shit the bed and the Spurs won 122-113.
Competitiveness: The Spurs are off to a fast start, most recently squeaking out an impressive win over the Raptors last night. The Pelicans have produced mixed results, but beat Tampa by a more impressive margin and have an extra day of rest. Expect a close one early, with New Orleans having a sizeable edge late. 6.5/10
Importance: Both teams figure to be in the hunt for the final playoff spots and will see each other plenty this season as they are both in the same division. I doubt the Spurs would sweat this B2B loss too much, though. 7/10
Style Points: Zion put up a highlight-worthy 32 and 14 on Christmas Day against the Heat, and the Pels look like a new team on defense, making them one of the most interesting squads to watch this year. Ingram, Redick, Hart, and Lonzo can combine for an offensive explosion at any time. The Spurs can play kind of a bland style sometimes, especially with 35 year old LaMarcus Aldridge playing on a back-to-back. Dejounte Murray, who just posted his first career triple double and looks much improved this season, will be an interesting to player to watch today. This one feels like it could be a snooze-fest or a barn-burner, with nothing in between. 6.75/10
Overall: 6.7/10
4) Boston Celtics (1-1) vs. Indiana Pacers (2-0) at 8:00 pm EST
Where to Watch: League Pass
Spread: Boston -2.5
Last Meeting: Tuesday March 10th, 2020. The Celtics were the last team the Pacers faced before Miss Rona stepped in and put a stop to the basketball for awhile. Marcus Smart made the go-ahead layup to rescue Boston in the final minute after they blew a 19 point lead, and they held on to win 114-111. Sabonis posted a 28-9-8 night for Indiana.
Competitiveness: The Celtics have the rest advantage, as they got the night off to lick their wounds after a Christmas Night Stomping at the hands of KD and Kyrie, while the Pacers had to take the floor last night and beat up on the Bulls. The Pacers figure to be in the middle of the playoff pack, while the Celtics would like to challenge the Bucks and Nets at the top, and this game will be a huge early measuring stick for both teams. The Pacers will have home floor, which makes this anyone's game. 8/10
Importance: It's never too early to have a big game for playoff seeding! The Celtics will be anxious to prove that their opening game win against Milwaukee was no fluke, while the Pacers need to show us that they can beat someone better than the Knicks and Bulls. 7.5/10
Style Points: This is where this game kind of falls short. Tatum, Kemba, Sabonis, Brown, and others all provide lots of star power, but aren't the big names featured elsewhere on this list, and both teams tend to play slower, more defensive-oriented basketball. The Celtics' thumping at the hands of the Nets is more of a story for Brooklyn than for Boston, and Indiana has maybe been the playoff team that jumped off the page less than anyone else so far. Add in a game that's only broadcast locally and that overlaps with every other game but two and this game takes a bump in a packed Sunday night slate.
Still, this should be a very good game between two playoff teams, and a fun one to tune in for down the stretch if the Pacers keep it close. 5.5/10
Overall: 7/10
T-2) Orlando Magic (2-0) vs. Washington Wizards (0-2) at 7:00 pm EST
Where to Watch: League Pass
Spread: Washington -1.5
Last Meeting: Last night! The Magic and Wizards squared off for their first of back-to-back games, which was an exciting back-and-forth contest. The Magic had the edge on the glass for much of the game, which only intensified late as they pulled away and the Wizards started pressing and taking bad shots. Beal went off for 39 points while Westbrook posted a triple-double, proving that they can in fact play together just fine.
Competitiveness: Last night's game was a see-sawing battle for most of the evening. Orlando looks like the better team and one of the more improved squads in the East, if their win against Miami is any indication. Still, beating a team on their home floor twice in a row is extraordinarily difficult, and the Wizards get to regroup and see if they can fix their rebounding woes against the same team. Expect another entertaining toss-up!9/10
Importance: Both teams are in roughly the same boat: improved squads who will likely find themselves sitting on the edge of the Eastern Conference playoff field. They won't see each other again in the first half of the season, and to pick up a quick two games on their competition would be an enormous boost for Orlando. 7.5/10
Style Points: The Wizards have been playing a fun new style with Russ and Bradley Beal sharing the load on offense, and early speculation about how the pair will get along on the court has been promising. The Magic get the job done with comparatively little star power, but Vucevic has always been one of the more underrated players in the league and deserves some recognition. Terrence Ross and Davis Bertans will be other players to keep an eye on- Ross has been extremely hot offensively in his first two games, while Bertans is a streaky shooter who can be the key to Washington winning or losing.
Perhaps the most interesting storyline, though, is the back-to-back baseball-style two game series. College leagues are trying this out across the country and we've seen in leagues like the MAAC, Mountain West, and others how hard it is for superior teams to beat the same team on consecutive nights. We've also gotten a glimpse of this in the NBA preseason. This time, the teams are very evenly matched. How will the Wizards adjust tonight? What effect will the wonky scheduling have? 8/10
Overall: 8.2/10
T-2) Dallas Mavericks (0-2) vs. Los Angeles Clippers (2-0) at 3:30 pm EST
Where to Watch: NBA TV
Spread: Los Angeles -5
Last Meeting: August 30th, 2020. The Clippers knocked the Mavs out of the first round of the playoffs, winning Game 6 after the game was moved back due to the player strike. Doncic dropped 38 and Dorian Finney-Smith chipped in 16, but only one other Dallas played cracked double digits. L.A. moved on to the next round where they cruised through the first four games against the Nuggets and...oh wait hahahahahahahahahaha.
Competitiveness: The Mavs need to get their shit together. They posted a close opening night loss against the Suns and then got their doors kicked in by the Lakers... neither of those are alarming results, but they're not the mark of a playoff team. The Clippers are angry at the way last season ended, ready to take it out on the league, and they've looked like a juggernaut with Nic Batum in their lineup, putting up convincing wins over the other top two teams in the West. Doncic can keep any game close, but he needs his teammates to carry some of the load, and the Clippers are still the clear favourites here. 6.5/10
Importance: Dallas needs to show that they can beat playoff teams, as their schedule for the next few weeks doesn't get any easier after tonight. They'll face the Heat, Rockets, Magic, Nuggets, and Pelicans. They'll have to figure out who their second and third best scoring options are in the process. Both teams will be looking for a statement win on a national stage- they're the only teams playing in the afternoon tomorrow and get a national broadcast on NBA TV. 8/10
Style Points: Kawhi... Luka... PG13.... could you really get any more star power? The Mavs looking for revenge on the team that knocked them out of the playoffs by beating them in a Sunday Showcase game (albeit on NBA TV) in their house provides a great story to go along with the stars. The Clippers have been red hot from three point range to start the season, and a Mavs defense that allowed 138 points to the Lakers will probably provide plenty of opportunities for more fireworks. If not for the potential of a lopsided final score, this would be the #1 game of the day. Tune into this instead of football on a relatively light NFL day. 10/10
Overall: 8.2/10
1) Phoenix Suns (1-1) vs. Sacramento Kings (2-0) at 9:00 pm EST
Where to Watch: League Pass
Spread: Phoenix -3.5
Last Meeting: Last night! Sacramento jumped out to a 15-2 lead, but the Suns almost immediately cut that in half, and tied the game early in the third quarter. The teams traded baskets for much of the second half, with DeAaron Fox and Buddy Hield carrying the offensive load for the Kings, who held on to win thanks to some timely offensive rebounding from Richaun Holmes.
Competitiveness: Aside from the early flurry from the Kings, these teams were as evenly matched as they come, trading punches for the entire second half. The Suns probably won't shoot 11-44 from three point range again tonight, and the Kings will probably take better care of the basketball. Regardless, we're in for a fascinating rematch of two Western Conference playoff hopefuls. 10/10
Importance: Both the Suns and the Kings are exciting young teams with opportunities to improve on last season, and both figure to end up in that 7-10 seed range in the Western Conference. These two teams won't see each other again in the first half of the season, and the Suns cannot afford to drop back-to-back contests against one of their competitors for the last couple of playoff spots. The Kings, meanwhile, were largely overlooked by fans and writers heading into the season and look poised to outperform expectations. Going 3-0 to start the season would do a lot to quiet the doubters. Regardless, this two game series will likely end up mattering down the road. 8/10
Style Points: The Suns were the talk of the NBA Bubble in August and have continued turning heads with their opening night win against the Mavs. Chris Paul's presence at point guard allows them to run a better offense than "just let Devin Booker chuck as many threes as he wants and hope Ayton rebounds enough to let us eke out a close win". They're still a fun, up-tempo team that shoots lots of threes, and finally play some good defense if that's your thing too. Sacramento announced themselves as a team not to be slept on with their opening night win against the Nuggets (thanks Will Barton), and the trend continued last night. They've attempted the fewest threes of any team through two games this year, and their game plan of Fox driving and everyone crashing the glass gives us an intriguing contrast of styles.
Like I mentioned for the Wizards game, the baseball-style series also presents us with interesting questions to answer in this game (how will the Suns adjust on the glass? can the Kings beat the same team twice in a row?), and a nerve-wracking two games between two teams who are very close in talent level and playoff hopes. Perhaps most importantly, Phoenix's broadcast is the only one on League Pass so far that has figured out their on-court audio and actually sounds normal. Keep that one in mind! 8/10
Overall: 8.7/10
I also made a Google Form where you can pick all the winners of today's games... I'll link that below. Thought it would be cool to see how Reddit does predicting the winners. I'll close the form at 3:30 when the Mavs and Clips tip off. I'll try to pare this down length-wise if and when I do this again. Thanks for reading!
Pick the winners here!

Failing To Find Friendships On This Subreddit READ THIS

Intro:
Today I'm going to focus on signs of whether to move on, leave, and overall indicate if your reddit friendship is heading in a positive direction. Along with some mistakes commonly made and some methods to start the conversation.
Messaging Someone:
You found someone you want to message, great! So there are three ways that are appropriate approaches ^{(if you have any other that work extremely well put it in the comments of this post})
Before we get to that I want to say when deciding to message someone or not HAVE CONFIDENCE!!!! I hate it when I look at a post and I see people commenting saying "blah blah blah hmu" HAVE SOME DAMN CONFIDENCE AND INITIATE THE CONVERSATION!! I get that when you do this your trying to be polite and not trying to be a creep but it just does not work.
Mindset: When you message these people I want you to treat it like an elevator pitch. There are some redditors getting hundreds of messages and comments when they make a post. KEEP THAT IN MIND! Here are some ways you can message someone:

Asking a Question: Not a small talk question like "how are u" make it specific to the post. At the same time keep in mind some people may be asking the same questions so try to be unique with them

Ex: A lot of people put something like "I like video games" in their reddit post.
This person has already been asked "which video games do you play" like 50 times!! A better idea would be asking which video game genre do they like or even asking which of their hobbies listed are they most passionate about and then go from there.
^{People who are in the situation where they have been asked the same question so many damn times it would be a big help if you would tell us a good alternate solution in your opinion}
2) Introducing Yourself: Stating what you like, what your looking for in a friendship, and the fact that you want to be friends with them is a rather personal and up-front way to get the conversation started.
But what do I say after I introduce myself???? Funny enough it is based on their reaction but if they give a one word answer like "k" or "cool lol" then you could start launching off some questions until you find a conversation point. Although with a response like that it could either mean they are disinterested or they are talking to so many people they don't have the time to give a good response.
3) A compliment: NO NO NO this does not mean find a female say she looks hot and wait for results. COMPLIMENT SOMEONE BASED ON SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN CONTROL.
Ex: DO NOT say "girl you thicccer than a bowl of oatmeal"
Rather say "You look great in that photo I like your outfit style" ^{(the more specific you get the better in my opinion}\*******)*
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AM I WATERING A DEAD PLANT?
Odd phrase but it will make sense soon enough
So your messaging someone and just ended your first conversation or maybe you've been talking for a while but how do you know if its going well?
NOTE: WITH EVERYTHING I SAY HERE NOTE IT IS A RED/GREEN FLAG IF IT HAPPENS CONSISTENTLY OVER THE COURSE OF A FEW WEEKS OR EVEN MONTHS
Green Flags:
50/50: You are BOTH initiating conversation. I'm not talking about "well we have had about 10 convos and I initiated 9 of them but they messaged like 1 time" NO I'm talking about a 1 to 1 ratio or something very close to it.
****If you're always the one scheduling, having to reach out or initiate conversation then its not worth it. Your watering a dead plant. And odds are you deserve so much more than to just talk to someone who doesn't even care whether you message them or not. FIND SOMEONE WHO IS WILLING TO MEET YOU HALF WAY
MOIST TEXTING: Get your mind out of gutter lmao let me explain what I mean. Moist Texting is when you're out of that loop of small talk and stuff getting awkward. YOU CAN HAVE A CONVO ABOUT ANYTHING WHETHER IT BE SPORTS, CAREER ENDEAVORS, OR SOMETHING AS IDIOTIC AS IF MR. CLEAN IS ATTRACTIVE OR NOT
****usually replies are hella consistent during moist texting. Your getting replies like every 4-8 mins not every other day or every 5 hours
(THIS IS NOT ME SAYING IF THIS PERSON DOESN'T TEXT YOU BACK IN 5 MINS EVERY TIME THEN DROP THEM)
RED FLAGS:
THEY NEVER MESSAGE YOU FIRST: This is in my opinion the biggest red flag!!!!! Even if they respond to you consistently and you two do stuff all the time a lack of initiation on their part means one simple harsh reality: THEY ONLY RESPOND BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO. ONCE THEY FIND SOMEONE WHO THEY ARE WILLING TO MEET HALFWAY AND MESSAGE CONSISTENTLY THEN THEY WON'T BE REPLYING TO YOU ANYMORE
(That sounds really dark but please remember the person could also be very busy with their life. Also please remember that if this happens over the course of like a few weeks to a few months then that's where green and red flags should be applied)
I TOOK 5 MINS TO RESPOND BUT IT TAKES YOU 3 DAYS !!!!?????: The title for this section is over dramatic but if you are consistently replying after 3-6 mins and it takes them hours on hours each time that's not the best look (ONCE AGAIN REMEMBER THEY COULD JUST BE A BUSY PERSON).
Now I will admit the reddit chat system is so damn bad so if its strictly on reddit take this red flag with a grain of salt but if its on discord or snapchat or any platform where you can either see they read your message or they are online and it takes them hours/days to respond.....that's rough buddy
Also note that a lot of people will say "don't be dry texter when you message me" but remember it goes both ways. You both have to be moist texters.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MISTAKES THAT YOU ARE MAKING
Alright so lets say every person you message has these red flags. Then the problem might be you. So here are some mistakes that I feel that I've seen others and myself make
SMALL TALK: Now if you have known this person for like 6 months or something then yeah small talk is generally acceptable BUT if you have just started talking YOU NEED TO YEET THAT SMALL TALK BS INTO THE STRATOSPHERE!!!!!!
Nothing kills a convo faster then getting trapped at the grips of what to do next after small talk. Unless you really know this person don't engage in the typical "How r u?" "I'm good hbu?" type of conversations. Yes it is easy and gets you a response because it is easy to reply to but after about four text messages an awkward gap of silence is just waiting to take place.
STOP BEING A PEST: So what if you've had like 5 convos over the course of a week and they haven't initiated anything, what do you do?
Pull back and take like a week or two and just don't conversate because you might be overwhelming someone and they don't want to tell you. Wait a week or two and message again. If they don't respond then that's rough buddy.
BUT WHAT IF THE SAME PATTERN CONTINUES
You keep having convos and you're the only one initiating!!! Well you know that's a red flag and you have two options:
1) STOP TEXTING THEM ALL TOGETHER: You were watering a dead plant. Stop watering it, the damn plant is dead. BUT IF YOU DID THIS YOU CHOSE THE WRONG OPTION (IMO)
2) CALL THEM OUT: IF THERE IS SOMETHING PEOPLE NEVER DO HERE IT IS HONESTY!!! *****NEVER BE AFRAID TO TEXT SOMEONE AND TELL THEM YOU FEEL LIKE THEY AREN'T PUTTING THE SAME ENERGY IN THIS FRIENDSHIP AS YOU ARE
They either won't reply, get mad, or hell maybe even have an actual conversation about feelings. You may not like the results of what happens after you send this but it is going to do so much more for you mentally than just getting sad and either ghosting someone or being ghosted. Go get yourself some closure!!! (Also don't call them out if its only been like 3 days or something ridiculous like that)
YOUR LIKE EVERYONE ELSE: I'm going to make this one short as I said it already put please stray away from asking predictable questions. When people go right be that one person that goes left!!
Ex:
Person 1: "I like to play basketball"
You: "What position do you play" <---- WRONG EVERYONE IS ASKING SOMETHING LIKE THIS
Instead maybe answer with a witty reply
(Bad example but I'm making this up on the fly) You: "I bet you're good enough to beat tom brady in a 1v1"
I KNOW BRADY PLAYS FOOTBALL BUT WHICH MESSAGE DO YOU THINK IS THIS PERSON GOING TO REPLY TO? STATING THEIR POSITION FOR THE 99th time or A MESSAGE THAT CAUGHT THEM OFF GUARD AND STANDS OUT
EXPRESS EMOTIONS: USE THOSE DAMN EXCLAMATION POINTS, QUESTION MARKS AND EMOJIS. They seriously add a whole new depth to the conversation
**********YOUR NOT SCHEDULING: Scheduling something to do with someone is dorky but it is EFFECTIVE! By scheduling I mean get a day and a time that works for both of you guys. This can eliminate something like always asking someone to get online and play and them turning you down because they are busy.
PLEASE USE SCHEDULING ESPECIALLY IF THIS PERSON LIVES IN A DIFFERENT TIME ZONE
But what if we always schedule and they never show up because they forgot?
That's rough buddy and that is a red flag. (If this happens once or twice then don't freak put up if it happens like 6 out of every 7 times then yeah that's a bad thing also if you're the one always scheduling to do something and they never do that is a red flag)
LONG MESSAGES: Often times you are being too wordy. Try condensing your text message to be readable but also short.
\**Rule of thumb: Long meaningful replies to questions but short interesting replies to statements*
FILTERING YOURSELF: When you reply sometimes you think too much and go with a "safe reply" but don't do that because everyone else is going with that "safe reply'!
(This filter thing is not an excuse to go insult or make a pervy comment towards someone)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mentality
I'm going to reiterate some things mentioned earlier but they are that important
Realize some people are getting hundreds of messages and odds are they are only looking for one or two people at max. They may find those people before they even get to your message
Do not build up unreasonable expectations:
If you see that this person likes all the things you like don't go off and make a fantasy in your head where you picture them a certain way and build up an expectation.
Go in with no expectations and take the person for what they are!!!
Accept that 80% of the people you talk to won't develop into the friendship you want or a friendship at all
Be open, honest, and kind to whoever you talk to. Also ask deep question that encourage open ended conversations.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
That's pretty much it PLEASE LEAVE YOUR OWN TIPS AND TRICKS FOR HAVING GOOD CONVOS IN THE COMMENTS.
ALSO PLEASE COMMENT ON HOW TO MAKE A GOOD POST THAT CAN GET PEOPLE TO REPLY. (I'm actually curious to see what you guys come up with)
If you read to this point.....you are a scholar 😎

Dispelling the myth that QBs fail in the NFL based on where they go to school

This was originally written as a comment on a post (I did write it, not saying I stole someone else’s work) and it got enough traction that I think it warranted a post of its own. So any mentions of someone below or a response is referring to someone on that thread.
Disclaimer: I’m not making a claim about Fields or Jones here, just trying to provide context to/dispel a common argument against them.
Ohio State:
2020: Joe Burrow (1.01)- I don’t really think he’s an OSU QB, but someone below mentioned him, and I think it’s at least worth nothing that he was at OSU for 3 years. I consider him a much less OSU QB than I do Hurts as a Bama QB (Burrow threw 39 passes in his time at OSU) and I use Hurts in my Bama analysis, but I think he’s at least worth noting here. Even without him the conclusion still makes sense, and so I won’t talk about him I’m my conclusions below.
2019: Dwayne Haskins (1.15)- This one is bad. Period. There’s no getting around this. However what does this have to do with OSU? Sure he’s not the best player but the reason he flamed out was much more cause of off the field issue that made his middle of the road talent not worth it. If he goes to a different college his off the field issues arnt suddenly fixed are they?
2016: Cardale Jones (4.136)- Comparing Fields to him is simply disingenuous. OSU had a different HC/OC, ran a different scheme, and Jones was rated as somewhere between the 6th and 9th best QB. Jones also had major mechanical concerns and issues with his college accuracy and completion percentage in a scheme based around easy throws and screens.

”He doesn't square his feet, hips and shoulders when throwing from the pocket and too often trusts his arm to do the work his body could be doing for him to generate velocity. Jones' left hip (his back foot) is often turned away from the target and doesn't allow for a full torquing of his core when he throws.” From BR in 2016

2016: Braxton Miller (3.85)- He wasn’t even drafted as a QB.
2011: Terrelle Pryor (3rd round Supplemental draft- This one is a bit tougher. Out of college there was already a significant group of NFL level scouts saying he needed to play WTE to make it work in the NFL. On the other hand there was a group saying he could’ve gone as early as the 1st in the 2011 Draft. Still not the same HC/OC as fields. Again had mechanical issues and if you are already being asked to play a different position that doesn’t bode well for your chances.

”All over the place with his passes, doesn't lead his receivers properly and makes his receivers work for catches...” From SidelineScouting 2011
”For as much experience as Pryor has in a pro-style offense, his accuracy remains an issue. Even when he stays in the pocket, Pryor's footwork negatively impacts his accuracy.” From SB Nation 2011

2007: Troy Smith (5.174)- Again not a highly rated QB prospect. If you win the Heisman in college and still get taken in the 5th doesn’t that say a lot about the type of prospect that you are? Again still not the same HC/OC as Fields. Smith wasn’t even rated as a top 10 QB prospect in his own class. Lemierre’s/Tonsilitis certainly didn’t help but that’s not the reason that he was a bust.
2004: Craig Krenzel (5.148)- Basically everything about Smith applies here. Simply wasn’t a very good NFL prospect. He was taken in the 5th, wasn’t graded very high, and didn’t last long. That happens to 5th rounders all the time.
2002: Steve Bellisari (6.205)- Everything about the previous 2 but even more so. He was grade lower, drafted lower, and was a worse QB.
So to recap OSU QBs this century, we have a 1st rounder, 2 3rd rounders (one taken as a WR, and the other converted there quickly), a 4th rounder, 2 5th rounders, and a 6th rounder.
Does OSU have a track of QB success in the NFL? No. But it’s not as bad as it seems. How many of those guys realistically could’ve hit and been productive NFL players? 2, maybe 3?
Haskins should’ve succeeded, and Pryor should’ve been much better than he was as a 2 way QB, but did have a 1000 yard season as a WR. Smith is the third one. I think he could be a very good QB in today’s league. A guy kind of in the Kyler build in today’s NFL.
Including a guy actually drafted as a WR, the average OSU QB this century has been drafted at pick 109. That’s the early middle of the 4th round. If you see that and think that OSU QBs should just be absolutely lighting up the league, the I don’t know what to tell you. NFL talent evaluators arnt perfect, but they arnt usually that wrong and the draft slots of these guys prove that.
Fields is miles better than any of these guys as a prospect, will go much higher than any of them, and doesn’t even have the same HC or OC as them. How can you compare them at all? Sure, Fields might bust but that wouldn’t be because he went to OSU alone. What’s around him in the NFL would play a huge part in that (and definitely much more that what jersey he wore in college).
Alabama:
2020 Tua Tagovailoa (1.05)- Way too early to make a call on him, but he hasn’t looked like a bust so far. In the games he’s played he has looked like a high end rookie QB. He is what a rookie QB should look like, not Burrow and Herbert. Them both playing insane is making Tua look like a bust which he isn’t. I’m not saying he won’t bust eventually, but you can’t tell me that he has busted yet.
2020 Jalen Hurts (2.53)- Again, way too early to tell on him, but he has looked good when he’s played so far. He wasn’t even drafted to be the starter this year and has still looked good doing it. Hurts played 3 years at Bama and 1 at OU. I don’t know if you call him a Bama QB but I think he fits for the sake of this argument.
2014 AJ McCarron (5.164)- McCarron wasn’t seen as that good of a prospect to put it simply. He had concerns with a lack of arm strength, mobility, and deep ball throwing. Those are all super important traits to have in the NFL.

”Lacks an elite arm strength and velocity on throws downfield. Gets too much air under his deep ball.” From BR in 2014

2011: Greg McElroy (7.208)- McElroy Simply wasn’t a good QB. Not even just a bad prospect. He was ok at bama and put up an average of 2700 yards, 18 TDs, 4 picks on 65% completion. That’s just not that good for a 4th year college player. Just read this scouting report on him and tell me if this seems like an NFL level player to you?

”Passing accuracy is directly tied into consistency. McElroy struggles to consistently place the football out in front of his receivers. His passes are often behind his target forcing them to stop their routes and preventing the chance of additional yardage. McElroy lacks the ability to be an efficient underneath passer as a significant amount of his passes are tip at the line of scrimmage. In the intermediate passing game, McElroy lacks the arm strength to get proper ball placement. His passes are often to high which could be a result of overcompensating for his lack of arm strength. Attacking the defense deep is not going to be an option for McElroy. He struggled to throw an accurate bucket pass often lacking proper touch. “ SB Nation in 2011

That doesn’t even sound like a guy that can start out of high school. I mean to be blunt that sounds like a middle schoolers scouting report.
2006: Brodie Croyle (3.85)- Croyle is probably the only guy on this list that would be considered a bust relative to where he was taken. Sure you don’t expect a 3rd rounder to come and light it up but he didn’t even have a good year the one year he did start more than half the games.
The average draft slot between these guys was pick 103. That’s at the start of the 4th. People expect ’busts’ from that range. Saban has been at Bama since 2007 so this is even a more fair comparison than OSU.
Since Saban has been there he has had 4 starters drafted to the NFL. As long as we are making sweeping generalizations about players simply based on the color of their helmets, I predict that if Donald Trump played QB under Saban, he would have a 50% chance to look good his first year in the league no matter where he was drafted or how he played in college. See how stupid that is?

Fields/Jones vs past OSU/Bama QBs in the NFL

This was originally written as a comment on a post (I did write it, not saying I stole someone else’s work) so any mentions of someone below or a response is referring to someone on that thread.
Disclaimer: I’m not making a claim about Fields or Jones here, just trying to provide context to/dispel a common argument against them. I’m also more of a DynastyFF guy so I’m sure someone with more experience could do better analysis on why each of these player failed at the next level, but I’m still going to drop this here.
On of the more prevalent arguments against Fields (and to a lesser degree Jones) is that they went to schools that produce bad NFL QBs and this they should be faded because of that. In this post I’m aiming to make the people that use that argument realize how poor of an argument it is.
Ohio State:
2020: Joe Burrow (1.01)- I don’t really think he’s an OSU QB, but someone below mentioned him, and I think it’s at least worth nothing that he was at OSU for 3 years. I consider him a much less OSU QB than I do Hurts as a Bama QB (Burrow threw 39 passes in his time at OSU) and I use Hurts in my Bama analysis, but I think he’s at least worth noting here. Even without him the conclusion still makes sense, and so I won’t talk about him I’m my conclusions below.
2019: Dwayne Haskins (1.15)- This one is bad. Period. There’s no getting around this. However what does this have to do with OSU? Sure he’s not the best player but the reason he flamed out was much more cause of off the field issue that made his middle of the road talent not worth it. If he goes to a different college his off the field issues arnt suddenly fixed are they?
2016: Cardale Jones (4.136)- Comparing Fields to him is simply disingenuous. OSU had a different HC/OC, ran a different scheme, and Jones was rated as somewhere between the 6th and 9th best QB. Jones also had major mechanical concerns and issues with his college accuracy and completion percentage in a scheme based around easy throws and screens.

”He doesn't square his feet, hips and shoulders when throwing from the pocket and too often trusts his arm to do the work his body could be doing for him to generate velocity. Jones' left hip (his back foot) is often turned away from the target and doesn't allow for a full torquing of his core when he throws.” From BR in 2016

2016: Braxton Miller (3.85)- He wasn’t even drafted as a QB.
2011: Terrelle Pryor (3rd round Supplemental draft)- This one is a bit tougher. Out of college there was already a significant group of NFL level scouts saying he needed to play WTE to make it work in the NFL. On the other hand there was a group saying he could’ve gone as early as the 1st in the 2011 Draft. Still not the same HC/OC as fields. Again had mechanical issues and if you are already being asked to play a different position that doesn’t bode well for your chances.

”All over the place with his passes, doesn't lead his receivers properly and makes his receivers work for catches...” From SidelineScouting 2011
”For as much experience as Pryor has in a pro-style offense, his accuracy remains an issue. Even when he stays in the pocket, Pryor's footwork negatively impacts his accuracy.” From SB Nation 2011

”Lacks an elite arm strength and velocity on throws downfield. Gets too much air under his deep ball.” From BR in 2014

”Passing accuracy is directly tied into consistency. McElroy struggles to consistently place the football out in front of his receivers. His passes are often behind his target forcing them to stop their routes and preventing the chance of additional yardage. McElroy lacks the ability to be an efficient underneath passer as a significant amount of his passes are tip at the line of scrimmage. In the intermediate passing game, McElroy lacks the arm strength to get proper ball placement. His passes are often to high which could be a result of overcompensating for his lack of arm strength. Attacking the defense deep is not going to be an option for McElroy. He struggled to throw an accurate bucket pass often lacking proper touch. “ SB Nation in 2011

McClain's Mailbag: Can Texans, Deshaun Watson work it out?

Just about all of you are weighing in on the Deshaun Watson controversy and the hiring of the new head coach. I expect Watson, or his people, to make an official trade demand soon, and we’ll see where it goes from there. They can trade him or let him sit out, if it comes to that. I hope it doesn’t get James Harden ugly.
If you’re venting and don’t ask for an answer, I’ll just run your comment.
The Watson controversy could drag on for a long time. Meanwhile, general manager Nick Caserio is getting closer to recommending a new coach to Cal McNair, who’ll sign off on it.
There’s a good chance the next head could be a coordinator in the AFC Championship Game — Buffalo defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier or Kansas City offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy. I think Indianapolis defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus is a strong candidate, too.
Q: Does anybody really know what’s going on with Watson? No doubt he is a tremendous talent and I have always gotten the impression a stand-up guy. All the news/ESPN hype aside why hasn’t he stated his position. What the news is reporting is second- or third-hand information. I don’t believe in Twitter, etc., to communicate in a situation like this. The owner, GM and Watson needs to sit down and talk. If there is a problem or issue, lay it out on the table. They all need to man up. If Watson doesn’t want to be a Texan after they gave him the contract and money, Watson needs to move on. McNair owns the club, you may not agree with how everything is done but he is the owneboss. I hope Watson decides he wants to be a Texan, but that is his call. If not he is a distraction and remember there is no I in team. — Bill B.
A: Sitting down and talking makes too much sense, Bill. So far, Watson hasn’t said what he wants. It’s all come from unnamed sources close to Watson.
Q: The rhetoric around Deshaun displeasure seems to be escalating. My personal opinion is that Deshaun shows a lot of audacity demanding that the owner of the company he works for must consult with him on who he hires to be his boss. Any other industry and he would be in the parking lot with a pink slip in his hand. But then I'm an old guy and not in tune with today’s youth. My question is in regard to his contract. If he stays mad and won't play and demands a trade are the Texans obligated to trade him, or can they not pay him for showing up for work and hold him accountable for the length of the contract? — Eric R.
A: Times have changed, Eric. Some agents and players in the NFL want it to be like the NBA, where the agents and players control so much, like who goes where. If Watson sits, he doesn’t get paid. If he sits out the season, he loses credit for the season and has to start over in 2022. He can do like James Harden and make it so ugly they have to trade him, but I can’t imagine Watson doing what Harden did. That’s not the Deshaun I’ve covered since the day he was drafted.
Q: Does McNair’s decision to keep Easterby send the message to Deshaun (and the others in the locker room that consider Jack toxic) that Easterby is more valuable to the Texans organization than Deshaun. Cal called the Easterby criticism “unjustified.” I get it — it’s unjustified, to Cal. But isn’t it totally justified to 85 to 90 of the locker room (if the Sports Illustrated article and interviews are accurate). — David M.
A: I don’t know what the other players think. Charles Omenihu said at a charity event this week he didn’t have a problem with Easterby. Brandin Cooks, who met Easterby at New England, has praised him, too. What McNair is saying is that nobody is going to tell him to hire or fire, like the owner of most businesses I know.
Q: I know you keep reassuring everyone Watson isn’t going anywhere, but the situation seems to be escalating. The Texans are finding more and interesting ways to keep the fans churned up. It is like a tempest in a teapot. One issue you touched on is will the Texans be able to attract the right candidate if they don’t get this Watson situation fixed. McNair seems to be willing to win the battle at the cost of the war. I am so disgusted with that organization for being so out of touch. One question about Easterby. Is it his ties to OB or is he doing things in the organization to create divisiveness? I can’t understand how somebody can be this polarizing to so many people within the organization and so popular with management. None of this makes sense! — Randy S.
A: You’re right about it not making sense, Randy. I think players and fans believe every bad decision OB made was also made by Easterby. I know many don’t like that Easterby has his fingerprints on so many parts of the organization rather than staying in his lane like he did with the Patriots. But McNair has given him that authority, and Easterby answers to only one person.
Q: I don’t really understand what Easterby did that was so offensive to Watson and Andre Johnson. It’s like the teacher going to the superintendent and telling him to fire the principal. But in this case, Easterby doesn’t directly work with Watson. You’ve been at the Chronicle a long time and are highly respected, but you don’t tell the publisher what to do or you wouldn't be there much longer. — Joe T.
A: You’ve got that right, Joe, but times are different today. Players and agents want control. The Texans negotiated a contract in good faith for $156 million, and they don’t want to trade Watson. They’ve done nothing but praise him to the high heavens. But if Watson is determined to get traded, it’s going to deteriorate. McNair apologized to Watson for the miscommunications on the Caserio hire. McNair and Caserio assured everyone they’d keep Watson updated on the coaching search. ESPN reported Sunday that Watson won’t return their calls. If that’s the case, how does he keep up with their coaching search?
Q: Why do people not like Easterby? Evidently McNair is one of the few who support him. Watson deserves to have some input. We wasted too many years with O’Brien. — Carole R.
A: I’m not exactly sure why they don’t like him, Carole, other than his close association with OB, being part of a total collapse in a disastrous season, having Watson and Andre Johnson taking public shots at him. Nobody has detailed what they don’t like.
Q: Watson's feud. Another employee that wants to be boss. And a rich one at that. Really never heard about Easterby until lately. Let's not forget that Cal McNair let O'Brien take over. O'Brien along with McNair, will never be forgiven here in Houston for giving Hopkins away. Hiring a coach means more to your readers/fans than anything a guy like Caserio could. You've been here. You know as much as anyone, maybe more. Can anyone point McNair in the right direction? Let's see. Caserio has been here a week! Please continue to keep us aware. — Lyn B.
A: Caserio has been in personnel for 19 of his 21 years in the NFL, Lyn. There was no personnel director more deserving of getting a chance to become personnel director than Caserio. It’s going to take a lot of work, starting with the new coach and his staff.
Q: Once again I enjoyed your Mailbag this week. Under one of the Chronicle pictures of Deshaun Watson in said he was unhappy with his lack of involvement in searches for GM and coach. How can he be unhappy when his paycheck hits the bank each week. Someone should remind him that he was hired to be the QB, not the GM or coach. And I do mean sit him down for a little owner-to-QB session and remind him who signs those paychecks since he wants to talk to McNair so badly. Sounds like another entitlement issue to me. Quite frankly, I think he gets too much credit and week after week he makes his share of mistakes that contribute to losses. Not sure why the masses are willing to look beyond that. How could the Texans give him any more than they have already? As far as his no-trade clause, the backup quarterback position might just show him a bit of humility or appreciation for where he is and what he has. Time for someone to put these prima donnas in their place. With a good GM and a good coach in place the Texans can do better without him as the starting QB. Let him watch a few Texan wins from the bench for awhile and let’s see how much input he thinks he should have in GM and head coach hires. — Will W.
A: Will, Watson won’t be sitting on the bench. If he’s here, he’s starting. If he’s not, he’s starting somewhere else.
Q: I am a Chronicle subscriber, have read your column for years. I read how the Texans re-did Andre's contract. Then he was an assistant (or similar) in recent years. I understand Andre taking up for Deshaun but I do not understand such sharpness being tweeted out. That seems completely unlike the Andre that the public knows. How was Andre so wronged? — Ed K.
A: He wasn’t wronged, Ed. I think when he suggested that Watson stand his ground and then ripped Easterby, he was telling us what he thinks.
Q: Watson not happy? Let's kiss his butt to make him happy. Last time I checked he was an employee, not a part owner. Many employees are not happy with certain things in their workplace, but they get over it. Show him the door. — Gene C.
Q: OK, it’s crunch time. My opinion, hiring Bieniemy or possibly Frazier is the only thing that keeps Watson. — Scott M.
A: I’m guessing it’s got to be more than that, Scott.
Q: I think I’ve finally reached my tipping point. That is saying a lot after a year like 2020. The Harden situation was surprisingly easier. I’m a die-hard Rockets and basketball fan. I’ve had season tickets or have been buying tickets since 1991. And yet when it comes to Harden, good riddance. Take it somewhere else. Watson is a whole different deal. While the old-school part of me laughs a little at the Gen Y and Gen X demands and attitudes, that train has left the station. When you give a “kid” $100-200 million it’s hard to expect the maturity or experience of someone in their more developed years. That said, how could McNair let this get so bad? Not sure what to believe in this world of blogger news, but where there is smoke, there is fire. I guess as long as Cal believes we will keep buying tickets and watching on TV then he too can do what he wants. I will say if Watson goes, I will be remorsefully selling my PSLs at first opportunity. Even if our new GM pulled of a Herschel Walker-like trade. I believe in loyalty. It’s important in life. But there is nothing Easterby can be providing that outweighs the damage that seems well documented in and out of the organization. It’s just unbelievable to me and frankly bums me out. I handled the Astros. I’m OK with the Rockets. I’ve accepted the mask. I’ve accepted the election. I just can’t get my head around the situation with Watson. — Keith C.
A: I imagine many of us feel like you do, Keith.
Q: By the way, I’m tired of the sophomoric name-calling in many of your e-mails. You should be able to make your point without stooping to name-calling, right? Thank you. — Mike A.
A: The e-mails have been better this week, Mike. Thank everyone for ditching the name-calling. I’ve deleted several e-mails because I don’t want to take the time to edit out the name-calling.
Q: Congratulations on the Cal McNair interview about Easterby. National media giving you credit for it as well. The news about McNair being so entrenched was nauseating at best but at least it provides certainty. Let's hope the players can convince Caserio to wall him off from them so he isn't a distraction. I sincerely hope fans are allowed in the stadium next year so they can provide direct feedback to McNair and his boss. I can think of no other situation in American business when a subordinate has withstood this much hostility and venom. Maybe in a cult, but not a business. How terribly unfortunate. Thanks for being the messenger. — Ray M.
A: Thanks very much, Ray.
Q: I read your articles and watch your videos. Cal McNair apologized for his actions or communications that created mistrust. Few hours after that Deshaun Watson puts another cryptic tweet about 2 and 10. Why does such a smart player and good person put out such tweets that hurt the reputation of the team and ownership? Is he misguided? Wish tweets could be used to spread positivity, awareness on social issues instead of riling public opinion against team ownership. Why is it hard for players to sort out differences directly as grown-up adults instead of washing dirty linen in public? I want Deshaun to stay in Houston but these cryptic tweets and media leaks (anonymous sources) are beginning to damage his reputation as well. — Jeevan R.
A: It’s a new era, Jeevan. That’s just the way a lot of people operate today. One-on-one communication seems to be a thing of the past.
Q: If Easterby was such a help to the organization here are some suggested comments McNair might have made:

You know we could not have pulled off the trading of Hopkins without his help, this was a really successful moment for our franchise, he advised O'Brian perfectly on this trade.
Why would people question the decision to keep Easterby, after all who would listen to Andre or Watson, they were just players and you can never get enough advice for someone who has been in New England
Our new GM needed to have friends around to support his decision making and Easterby is that guy
Why should I listen to a quarterback or a retired wideout when choosing a GM, after all I have Easterly to advise me, let Watson vacation in Cabo
Andre simply has not gotten to know "Jackie" like I have.
You will see when our team advised by my close buddy Jack Easterby chooses our head coach. No I do not think a quarterback of a losing team should have any say, why would I think of that? After all he is not Elway or Manning or even Blanda. You will see Easterby's worth when we choose the new coach.

Sorry David Barron is retiring, you now have to be the old wise owl. — Don H.
A: We’re all sorry Barron is retiring, Don. He leaves a huge hole in our sports coverage and will be missed by so many of us.
Q: On the coaching search by Texans, this year it seems the new slogan for teams looking for the HC is a leader of men. In a football world of Alphas, not all coaches and players are Alphas. Bill O'Brien wasn't necessarily an Alpha. Mike Vrabel was an Alpha, as evidenced by the many complimentary comments from Texan players during Vrabel's time here. It's been no surprise to me that the Titans have excelled under Vrabel's stewardship. He's supported by a good GM who has had some recently productive drafts. I won't be surprised when the Titans go Super Bowling. How does an NFL owner or GM identify that Alpha quality in a HC candidate? — Roy S.
A: It’s pretty easy to identify, Roy, if you know what you're doing, have a lot of experience in the NFL and have a lot of contacts to investigate candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.
Q: It seems like almost everybody has agreed that Watson will be traded. I don’t think Caserio will do that, but what do you think it takes for Watson and the Texans to get their relationship back on track? And do you think this has hurt the search for a new HC? Med venlig hilsen. — Kristian S.
A: I don’t think it’s hurt the search, Kristian. There are only 32 of these jobs in the world, and they’re coveted by so many. Not to mention the new coach will probably get about $5 mil a year — lots more than an assistant coach. Med venlig hilsen to you, too.
Q: If Watson does not trust Easterby, and Caserio has said that they have a long-term relationship, don't you think it's just better for them to part ways? Get someone who wants to be here and can buy in to what Caserio is building, otherwise there will always be some kind of drama. Watson seems to be a great guy, but he wants to be at a place where he feels like he's respected, clearly he feels that he has not been, right or wrong! I don't care how much money you make, nobody wants to go to work looking over their shoulder every day. Sounds like a clean break is needed. I'd hate to see him go, but hey they traded Olajuwon! — Robert T.
A: Why would Watson have to look over his shoulder every day, Robert? Perhaps they will make a clean break. Perhaps it’ll get real ugly like Harden. Or maybe they can work it out if Watson wants to work it out.
Q: With Cal "running” things, Texans deserve what they get. But the fans don’t deserve this crap. Jack Easterby is now a known problem — nationwide — but Cal can’t see it. Respected SI writers go on for pages about his crap. Cal: unjustified and we own it in the building. It's beyond reproach that the building is an abject disaster. Did Cal say why he is retaining JE? Did he say why, when it's jeopardizing the team, Deshaun, the fans, etc; was he asked to address and respond to the litany of the events outlined in the SI article? Was he asked if 20 percent of that is true, all is probably true, Why is JE being retained? Did he answer why he is being retained when, according to O’Brien, he was intimately involved in all the horrendous decisions since he arrived? If he wasn’t asked these things, then why not?? These are the questions that 90 plus percent of Texans fans deserve answers to. And last, was he asked why, in view of all of the press and backlash, locally and nationwide, he hasn’t had a press conference so that he can field questions from a variety, not just insiders? Cal is damn lucky he’s here in Houston, and not another city where the media and fans demand performance and are exacting in their review. See Philly! Firing a pretty damn good coach who Texans ought to consider, but JE won’t approve, so no chance. Not to mention not even interviewing Saleh and asking for Bieniemy 2 weeks late. The ticket holders should boycott! Once Cal’s cash train comes to a grinding halt, maybe things will change. — Steve C.
A: Steve, I guess you missed McNair answering every question the media had about Easterby on the Zoom call with the media. I guess you missed what’s been reported over and over: It’s Caserio’s search and hire. As soon as he got here for his first day on the job, he notified the league he wanted to interview five coaches, including Bieniemy. And I guess you’ve missed all those times it’s been written, broadcast and tweeted: McNair says Easterby is here because the owner thinks he does a good job. No other explanation is necessary.
Q: Shades of the Houston Oilers. Reminds me of the yesterdays when Bud Adams didn't know what he was doing. McNair standing up for a man that was totally bamboozled and steamrolled by Bill O'Brien is a joke. It just tells me that the owner doesn't have a clue about football management. Mr. McNair seems to be a good man, and a man that knows how to make money. But his personnel skills are lacking. By standing up for Easterby, he has endorsed the failures of the past 5 years under O'Brien. The man that dismantled the Texans and left them non-competitive. But Deshaun knows Easterby is zero help. Why didn't Deshaun say something before or after he signed his huge contract? Why did J.J. Watt wait so long to speak out? Easterby was there to listen to them. I predict the Texans will continue to lose for the next 5 years. New coach? Who wants this job? Texans will have to beg to get a coach. Interviews mostly with retreads Jim Caldwell, Marvin Lewis? Are you kidding me? Losers. Watt will be gone to a potential championship team like Green Bay. The Texans will not beat the Jaguars again. You will see what real coaching does. Watson will remain unhappy and frustrated fans will still buy tickets, based on a sales pitch. Easterby will get it done. Seen it all before. Thank God I don't have season tickets with a seat license. — Kelley J.
A: I disagree about failure for the last five years with OB. Winning four division titles in five years and two playoff games isn’t failure. Let’s be fair. The Texans have interviewed eight candidates, including five who’ve never been a head coach. By the way, some other retreads who’d been fired: Bill Belichick, Pete Carroll, Tony Dungy, Marty Schottenheimer, Dan Reeves, Andy Reid, Jon Gruden and Gary Kubiak, just to name a few.
Q: I'm from Boston and subscribe to Texas Sports Nation to read your stuff. We had a sportscaster named Bob Lobel who would show highlights of former players and say, "why can't we get guys like that." I hope Nick and Easterby (who reminds me of Rasputin and I'm glad he's Houston's problem) ship him (Watson) to New England. Stranger things have happened. More likely the Jets for Darnold and great picks. — Vic L.
A: Vic, what do you have to offer for Watson to go to the Patriots to work with Belichick and Josh McDaniels.
Q: I’m sure I’m not telling you anything you don’t know, but in my view, regardless of how his role evolved, a critical part of Easterby’s position was to maintain a good relationship with players. Most of all, the team leaders such as Deshaun Watson. If he has not done this, he has failed at a significant part of his job. Just like with any other job, I don’t really think it matters what the reasons are. He has obviously failed at it. Personally I try to form my opinions from the information I have available to me. There is a lot of information out there regarding Deshaun Watson, from his childhood, to college, to NFL. He does not appear to be someone to me that is unreasonable or difficult to deal with. If he was, then maybe this breakdown with Easterby would be excusable. I think where there is smoke, there is fire. And there is just too much smoke around players having problems with Easterby. So, in my opinion, McNair keeping him around may not be the easy way out, but it also may not be the right decision. I just don’t think it should have been that hard for Easterby to maintain those relationships. Sometimes in life if situations degrade then it just needs to be changed, regardless of the perspectives of those involved. — David G.
A: David, Easterby’s job has nothing to do with his relationship with players. That was at New England. He’s the executive vice president of football operations who works closely with the GM who has final say on all football decisions.
Q: McNair’s every word, action and decision show he is simply not intelligent enough to be an NFL owner. The smartest thing Cal McNair could do is find someone smart enough to operate the Texans football franchise and step out of the way. Maybe that person is Nick Caserio? Maybe that is the new real question? — Deanne N.
A: The idea, Deanne, is for Caserio to hire the coach to be the face of the franchise, and McNair and Easterby slip into the background.
Q: Texans fans badly need to understand the what and why the Texans have completely fallen apart since the playoff game last year against Kansas City. While Bill O’Brien had not won a Super Bowl, he had considerable success and seemed on the brink of winning the big one. The crazy trades, the demise of any defense, all this attention of Jack Easterby, etc. What does he do that is good or bad? It appears that with the passing of Bob McNair, things have deteriorated greatly. The Chronicle needs some in-depth reporting on the matter to the benefit of those paying the tab. No diatribe from the two columnists, please. — Charles M.
A: Charles, if I had a dollar for every time I’ve written about the demise of the Texans dating back to the second quarter of the Kansas City playoff game I could buy out Cal McNair.
Q: I take it you watched the Bills vs Baltimore playoff game. The Bills beat Lamar Jackson badly. That drops the stock of Balt's OC. They couldn't do that against Watson. That game only made Watson more priceless. There's not another QB in the NFL capable of the DW4 heroic plays. But what does Houston gain by declaring him untradeable? If the D can't improve substantially during his contract, he's going to leave Houston when it expires. Doesn't it make more sense to ask for a king’s ransom now? Hypothetically speaking, if Houston were to trade him, where does Chicago rank as a trade partner? All things considered, can Houston rebound defensively and compete for the AFC crown next year? — Juan B.
A: Watson has a no-trade clause. I doubt seriously he’d agree to be traded to the Bears. I don’t think the Texans can compete for the AFC crown next season, Juan. If they trade Watson, they’ll compete for the first pick in the draft.
Q: What would happen if J.J. Watt and Deshaun Watson both say they don’t want to play for the Texans as long as Easterby is in the building? What would happen if the Texans hire a coach that Deshaun Watson isn’t happy with? Easterby knows that he is toxic amongst the best players on the team and Cal knows that. What if Watson says I’m not coming unless Easterby is gone or if J.J. Watt says I’m not coming back to camp unless Easterby is gone? I feel bad for Caserio. — Glen K.
A: I feel bad for Caserio, too, Glen. He’s waited 20 years for a chance to become a GM and he starts with this mess.
Q: Hard to imagine the hold Easterby has on McNair. His background purportedly was as a character coach when he was brought in. Instead he has apparently done only one thing right — ingratiating himself with McNair and Caserio. It’s hard to imagine we may lose an unbelievable talent like Watson because of a character like Easterby. His skill set was supposed to be building team chemistry. He has done a tremendous job of doing the exact opposite. It sounds like players see him for what he is, a poser. Amazing! Casserio could salvage everything by calling Bieniemy and offering him the job immediately. Watching KC’s offense and the higher level creativity is just too good to pass on. Or we can take the safe route, dawdle and get stuck with whomever is left and have that as an excuse. Fortunately, it will probably be a defensive coach and we will need a great D without Deshaun here. — Mike D.
Q: I am a daily reader. I just got through reading the Sports Illustrated article online about Easterby. I'm trying to figure out other than the fact that he prays, what is the specific issue. Maybe everybody's avoiding coming right out and saying it due to a legal liability, but I have been unable to find anything other than vague references to the fact that Easterby's being here has somehow caused the Texans to play terribly. I also have not seen anything in the media that says a billionaire has to run his business according to public opinion which may not even represent the majority. I'm not a defender of either person, it just seems that there's a lot of smoke and not the whole lot of specific fire. No one wants to lose so maybe that's the biggest thing. Why Deshaun Watson at 25 thinks he should be able to dictate to the people who pay him a hundred and fifty million dollars is still a puzzle to me. According to SI online when asked why Caserio wasn't on their list, Korn Ferry said they knew that he was already on the Texans list so they did not add his name. I have not seen this detail in any local media, which seems to make the issue of Caserio not being on Korn Ferry list something that we should think about. — Charles W.
A: Charles, I don’t give a damn about Korn Ferry. Jed Hughes recommended they hire Brian Schottenheimer as their head coach, and he was fired by Seattle. A search firm is paid to compile information and make recommendations. This was the third time the Texans tried to interview Caserio dating back to 2017 when they had to replace Rick Smith. Caserio is one of the most respected personnel men in the NFL. That’s not debatable. Who gives a hoot if he was on the Korn Ferry list?
Q: I have no insight into the operation of a football organization. My Ph.D. is in management and have a very good understanding of organizations outside of football. I don't understand the upset QB and I am guessing many of his supporters. Let me frame my question. The CEO runs the company. His/her direct reports are probably VP's, then there are managers and report to them are various staff. I was once a college president. If a hot shot staff member had demanded that he/she be part of the selection of a VP or their direct boss I would tell them they have no business selecting senior members of my staff and I would guess that other CEO's would tell the staff member the same thing or would no longer have a job. Here is my question. Why does Watson think he should be in or hiring Caserio or the next head coach? — Rudy S.
A: That’s the way it is in just about every business, Rudy, but not the business of sports.
Q: I have not written to a newspaper writer in my 71 years on this earth, but I am highly disappointed in what is going on with the Texans. I have been a season ticket holder since 2003 and have stood by the team each year be it good or bad. Deshaun Watson has lost my respect as a player and a person. He has lowered himself to acting like a spoiled NBA player. He is paid to play football not manage the team. People are down on Jack Easterby but no reasons have been put forth for their dissatisfaction. So what is the story? The McNair family owns the franchise and funds it so that makes them the boss. I would like to see Deshaun play for the Texans but what he is doing right now is destructive and stirring up trouble for the team, fans and ticket holders. This kind of behavior is going to drive away ticket holders. A sad season ticket holder. — Jo Ann C.
A: Many feel as you do, Jo Ann. Unfortunately, times are different. Agents and players have a lot more power than they used to.
Q: It’s sad that a premier QB is now executive management. He should do his job and improve like not throw 1 interception ever again. So now we’ve established no one’s perfect, lets address coaching. Texans hired great GM, let him do his job. — Stephen G.
A: I agree, Stephen, to let Caserio do what he was hired to do.
Q: I'm heartened by last week's Mailbag participants whose concerns I shared about religion and hiring within the Texans organization. And thank you for your enlightening information in that regard. Should Deshaun Watson (or anyone) have been angered that Bieniemy wasn't interviewed before Caserio was hired to search for a coach? That confusion seems like an easy thing to smooth over. If not and Watson leaves, the organization would no longer be qualified to represent the great city of Houston. Especially after the excellent season Watson had. I'm not sure which he needed less, the support of a running game or Bill O'Brien calling plays. Am I wrong in thinking if Jamey Rootes resigns, as he was rumored to want to after all the reported GM hiring chaos, it means all that reported chaos is true? In which case, aside from Watson leaving, Rootes departing would also be a strong indictment of Cal McNair's management. If the Texans hire a defensive coordinator as head coach, does that mean Tim Kelly has a chance to stay on? — Tim K.
A: I should point out, Tim, that you’re not the Tim Kelly. I’ve said all along I thought it was a waste of time to interview a candidate before the GM was hired. Caserio is running the search, and McNair will sign off on his recommendation. I think Kelly has a chance to stay no matter who they hire. Watson wants him, and he helped Watson have his best season.
Q: What value does Jack Easterby bring to the Texans organization? How much value does this man hold if keeping him around could cost the team the one thing an NFL team needs to succeed - a transcendent quarterback. With the SI articles, it's clear there's something rotten in NRG. You keep saying Watson won't be traded, but every day that goes by is a day that the possibility increases. Firing Easterby would be the beginning of mending fences. I don't think McNair and Caserio are willing to do it. Houston seems to have got lucky to be able to interview Eric Bieniemy due to the bad press about the lack of Black coaches being hired this offseason. Although there's a limited number of these jobs, it seems to be less desirable with Easterby in the building. Can you just explain, what does that man do? If it's to provide comfort, it ain't working. It would be better the Texans bring in rescue puppies and kittens in to pet once a week. — Louis E.
A: His job isn’t to provide comfort, Louis. He’s the executive vice president of football operations. He does things on the football side to help the GM, who has final say. Easterby’s involved in everything on the football side and some things on the business side.
Q: Instead of being a reporter, how about being the GM of the Texans for a day. Granted you aren’t able to interview the coaching prospects or D4, but if you had the chance to pull the strings what would you do for coach, QB and other positions you feel need to be addressed. — Mike P.
A: I’d bring in the two or three finalists for in-person interviews. Then, I’d make my recommendation to McNair. After he signs off on it, the coach would be hired. The coach and I would sit down and figure out a way to get Watson to communicate with us. We’d offer to fly to where he is for some one-on-one communication. I might even bring my OC, Tim Kelly, along since Watson was adamant he wanted to keep Kelly as the play-caller.
Q: You have certainly added logs on them. Marketing fire to help Caserio maintain the less than stellar historical glow of the burdened mid market Texans! Honestly, in my 35 years living my life in Texas, which I continue to celebrate; for the life of my I still wonder how we get mid market and Houston disproved as in the same sentence! Stay strong John! — Bob B.
Q: The history of the Texans success is directly related to their players injuries each season. Recognition of this should be the team’s primary goal for its future. Miami coach Don Shula installed a program to prevent player injuries, and that likely played significantly in their success. If ever a team needed such a program, it's the Houston Texans. — Don S.

I am 25 years old, make $122,000, live in New York, NY and work as a product manager.

Section 0: Background
Hi everyone! I’m trying to tailor this a bit more to reflect the UK Money Diary style where I give context on the week before and reflect on it after. I also added in some of the questions from the recent thread about what Refinery29 should ask diarists (see here).
I wrote this the week of Thanksgiving; my partner and I stayed in NYC instead of going home to either of our parents’ homes. We wear masks and stay socially distant when we leave the house. I’m thankful that we live close to a park and live on a block where we know and enjoy talking to our neighbors.
This was a relatively normal week for us during a pandemic, save for me spending a bit more than normal and it being Thanksgiving. We’ve both lived in the city since college and have so-so relationships with our families, so we didn’t leave for “home” when the pandemic hit.
I also just named my boyfriend instead of giving him an initial. He’s the only person I actually saw this week, but the initials always throw me off when I read these.
What do money and success mean to you? What are your end goals?
It helps me to see money as a tool. I never resonate with people who say “money doesn’t buy happiness” because to a certain degree, it does. Money enables me to live the life I want.
I’m pursuing FIRE (financial independence, retire early) and hope to be financially independent (able to live off my investments) by my early 30s. To do so, I save 60%+ of my income per month. I want this because working for 40 years isn’t sustainable for me—I have a very cushy tech job and still get anxiety and rage about waking up every morning to work, the rat race, and being paid inequitably to male peers. I’d like to give myself the option to leave this world as soon as possible.
As an alternative, I could see myself successful if I open a product consultancy, where I advise early-stage startups on product management, what to build for their MVP, and product-market fit. I’m really interested in tech ethics and the questionable practices in venture capital, so I’d love to be in a place where I could be picky about what clients I take and help truly mission-driven businesses thrive. I could see this also working as a small business incubator—why not apply what works in startups to small businesses?
I don’t yet have a firm picture of what I’d like my life to look like when I retire. I’m interested in spending a lot of time reading, traveling to new places for extended periods of time, and potentially writing a book. I get extremely interested in niche topics. Right now if I had to guess, I’d be writing a book about the ways multi-level marketing companies (MLMs) manipulate women.
Are you a spender or a saver?
Definitely a saver. My partner is more of a spender, and we’ve influenced each other well. Seeing him spend money on himself for video games helps me realize I can spend more money on myself for things I just want (see my big purchase for myself this week).
In turn, seeing me save a lot of money has motivated him to up his 401k contribution and overall savings. He’s also interested in FIRE, although I’d say my timeline is more aggressive.
If you could go back in time, what's the one piece of financial advice you would give to your past self?
Learn about investing, look up the terms you don’t know, and start doing it as soon as possible. Ask questions to people you know or on the internet.
On to the diary!

Section One: Assets and Debt
Investment Balance
$131,175

Retirement (includes 2 company 401ks and 1 rollover IRA): $55,730
Brokerage: $27,233
Roth IRA: $25,439
Managed account: $17,923
HSA: $4,850

Equity if you're a homeowner
N/A, I rent in a HCOL city. No plans to own anytime soon
Savings account balance
$10,270
Checking account balance
$3,433 in checking account for bills

This fluctuates, but I try to invest anything over $2k. I’m pretty conservative with my checking account buffer, and don’t worry much about the interest I’m “losing,” especially because interest rates are so low right now

$2,518 in checking account for rent

I keep a holdover account that’s connected to Venmo and Zelle to pay rent

Credit card debt
N/A. There’s $1,348 currently on my credit cards, but I pay them all off in full each month. My parents signed me up for a credit card as soon as I was old enough and taught me about how important it was to pay in full. In fact, I think this was so hammered into my brain that doing anything other than that each month was never an option. Because of this, I’ve always thought of credit cards as similar to debit cards—only spend money you have.
Student loan debt (for what degree)
I was fortunate to go to college on a full scholarship, including living expenses. I studied psychology and sociology, and I graduated without any student loan debt.

Section Two: Income
Main Job Monthly Take Home: $6,570/month
I maxed out my 401k early this year, so for 8 months I was contributing $2,500/month out of my paychecks. That ended in September, so it changed my monthly take-home from about $4,650 to $6,570/month.
Deductions:

401k: $0/month (was $2,500/month)
Medical: $128/month
Dental and vision: $11/month

Income Progression

I started in customer support right out of college, making $40,000/year + overtime, which ended up being about $52,000/year (thanks OT!).
About a year later, I moved into an entry-level product role at the same company and received a raise to $60,000/year.
The next year, I moved to a new company for a half-step promotion where I was making $82,000/year + 15% yearly bonus. The bonus was dependable enough that it was assumed as part of our total compensation, so let’s call it $95,000/year.
Early this year, I switched companies again (noticing a theme?) for a promotion and now make $122,000/year.

I don’t have any other sources of income outside my main job. My partner makes a similar amount to me—about $117,000/year with bonus.

Section Three: Expenses
I live with my partner and we don’t have combined finances, but split many expenses 50/50. We use Splitwise to log transactions. He’s more laid-back about being paid back, but I’m much more “I don’t want to owe anyone anything, and I don’t want anyone to owe me anything” (I know, rigid, but I’m working on it!).
Splitwise is nice because it’d be ridiculous to Venmo request each other for a $4 coffee, but we can see how expenses are adding up. If someone has racked up a few hundred dollars of spending for both of us, the other person will cover our expenses for awhile. It works for us!
Rent
$2,200 for a 2 bed, 1 bath apartment in Brooklyn. We split rent 50/50.
Renters insurance
About $7/month for my portion. This covers all our possessions plus my boyfriend’s watches. He pays 75% of it because half of the monthly cost comes from the extra watch overage.
Savings contribution
I try to have about $10,000 sitting in my savings account at any given time, because it makes me feel safe in case of an emergency. I also like the freedom it enables, in case I wanted to leave my job and take a significant amount of time off. This is already at the $10k I want, so I don’t contribute to it monthly.
Investment contribution
It varies but on average I contribute $2,500/month to my brokerage account and Roth IRA (combined).
Donations
I try to donate about $200/month, but it’s pretty sporadic. This month I donated to the Yellowhammer Fund and Northwest Abortion Access Fund. One of my major goals for 2021 is to step up my donations and create an actual strategy around them, potentially involving a donor-advised fund.
Gas/electric
Our gas is $20-25/month and electric is $50/month. I pay gas and Will pays electric, both go in Splitwise. About $37/month total for me.
Wifi
Our wifi is $60/month, which goes into Splitwise—I pay $30/month.
Cellphone
I’m still on my parents’ phone plan—sheesh! This is convincing me that I should Venmo them for it each month.
Subscriptions
I pay for Hulu with ads, $5.99/month. My boyfriend pays for Netflix and we share a Spotify family plan with a couple of his friends, which I chip in $4/month for.
I also pay for the budgeting software YNAB (You Need a Budget) which is $84/year. I only pay it once a year in September.
Medical
I recently had to go to the emergency room for an overnight stay and follow up with some specialists. (I’m okay!) Because of that whole shindig I’m expecting to max out my deductible (and potentially my out-of-pocket-max) right at the end of the year. This will be about $4,000, but none of the claims have come through yet so I’m not sure of the exact total. I have a category in my budget for my deductible, and the rest will come out of my emergency fund.
Physical therapy
This month I’m starting pelvic floor physical therapy for dyspareunia (pain with intercourse).
I’d tried everything the internet suggested (“just relaaaaaax”) before getting the courage to find a new ob-gyn and ask her about it. She had some recommendations, but ultimately physical therapy was the “last resort” option that I’m now exploring.
My new physical therapist comes highly recommended but is out of network with insurance. Each session is $250, and I’ll go once every 2-3 weeks for the next few months as part of treatment. If you’ve worked through this problem (or are experiencing it now!) I’d love to hear your experience.

Section Four: Additional Questions
Was there an expectation for you to attend higher education? Did you participate in any form of higher education? If yes, how did you pay for it?
Absolutely. My dad was the first in his family to attend college and my parents made pretty calculated decisions about where they would live so I could go to the absolute best public school possible. Over 90% of students at my high school attend a 4-year college, and we start talking about it freshman year. To say college was encouraged in my environment is an understatement.
Growing up, what kind of conversations did you have about money? Did your parent/guardian(s) educate you about finances?
My dad has worked in finance since I was about 10. He’s always been really knowledgeable about both higher-level economic concepts and the minutiae of personal finance. My family is frugal, too: we clipped coupons and got clothes on super-sale at Kohl’s and Goodwill. I know there was a period of time when he became self-employed and money got very tight for a few years, but the bulk of those worries were largely kept from me.
Did you worry about money growing up?
Yes. While we were comfortable, we lived in such an affluent place that our family was in “the middle class” of the town and it made me worry more about money than I probably needed to. Think The Stepford Wives for context.
At what age did you become financially responsible for yourself and do you have a financial safety net?
In college, I became maybe 80% financially independent as I had a scholarship and worked part-time during school and over the summer, but I was still on their insurance.
I remember being frustrated in college because even though I knew I was extremely privileged, my friends in college had their parents pay their summer apartment rent and gave them an “allowance” of spending money, and I was “limited” by the options I could afford with the job I had. My dad told me at the time, “This is frustrating but it’s preparing you for actually having to live off the money you make in the near future.” (Great, great advice Dad.)
I’m technically still financially dependent on my parents for my cell phone bill, but otherwise I pay for everything: rent, insurance, utilities, food, therapy, and all wants in the form of clothing, workout classes, etc. I could ask my parents for money if I absolutely needed to, but would use it as a last resort.
Do you or have you ever received passive or inherited income? If yes, please explain.
I have an account (mentioned above) that a family friend who’s a hedge fund manager, well, manages. I believe the initial deposit was $1000 over 10 years ago, but that money wasn’t mine either, it’s all a gift. It’s not very liquid—it’d take me several months (and some very good reasoning) to get any of that money withdrawn, since it’s supposed to be for “the future” (which I guess I could argue is now?).
I might receive a small amount of money when my grandmother passes, but it’d probably be around $1-2k, if at all.

Day 1 Wednesday, November 25, 2020
8:30am Wake up and shower, take my vitamin C gummies, then make coffee. I wasn’t much of a daily coffee drinker until my offices had it for free, and now I’m definitely addicted. I don’t really care if the coffee is shitty or not, I just put some milk in it and it’s great. Right now I’m trying to drink half or three-quarter cups so I can attempt to pull back my addiction a bit. I log onto work at 9am.
11:30am Eat leftovers from last night for lunch—quesadilla + Spanish rice. There’s an incredible Mexican restaurant by us, and now I am ruined for the tacos, quesadillas and nachos from any other place.
12:30pm Will picks me up in the U-Haul. We’re driving about 20 min away to pick up a butcher block desk he bought off Craigslist, which ends up being from a small office that’s downsizing. The desk is $150 which he pays for. We love the office’s style (and the owner is super nice!) and walk around while he shows us what else he’s trying to get rid of.
We end up buying an extra-large ZZ plant and two side tables from him for an extra $120, way less than we would have paid for the quality elsewhere. My half will be $60, and I’ll split the U-Haul too, $44.51. $82.26
2:45pm That ended up taking a lot longer than we expected! We get back and unload the van, then I bring stuff inside while Will returns the van to the U-Haul location. I jump back onto work—so much for a slow afternoon before Thanksgiving. AWS is down, which powers a lot of our engineering work (and a lot of the internet!) so a lot of our teams are basically twiddling their thumbs. We chat about how to message the outage to customers.
5:45pm Will starts making dinner (braised chicken and veggies) and I sit down to read with a strawberry Chobani, but I end up just reading Reddit and searching for new podcasts to listen to.
7:45pm Dinner was great! Now…ice cream.
9:43pm I remember that my mom sent me ideas for her and my dad’s Christmas presents, so I order on Etsy and Amazon. My dad gets a mug with an Ernest Hemingway quote (“write drunk, edit sober”) ($21.54) and a book on writing ($16.63), and my mom gets this food warming tote contraption she wanted ($43.52). We’ve been paring down Christmases over the years—this year I asked for the Europe version of Ticket to Ride. $81.69
11:15pm I finish up the first episode of Real Housewives of Salt Lake City with some white cheddar Cheez-Its to snack on. After, I start on the dishes from dinner. I listen to the Product Market Misfits podcast while I do dishes—the episode with Kristen Anderson from Catch is great, highly recommend if you’re tired of just hearing stories about stereotypical Silicon Valley tech companies.
Day 1 Total: $166.69
Day 2 Thursday, November 26, 2020
10am Wake up super late since I stayed up scrolling on my phone too late last night. We make coffee and set out for a long walk around 11:15am.
12:05pm At the end of our walk, we swing by our local liquor store and buy 4 bottles of wine (red, white, rose, champagne). Will pays, total is $63.15 for everything. We haven’t had wine in the apartment for ages and I’m excited to have some stocked up. $31.57
12:30pm Get back from the walk, shower, then turn on football. I actually don’t really care about any NFL teams (I like college football a lot more), but it’s such calming background noise for me that I find myself looking for games when I have downtime. We also recently found out that Will’s friends’ dog only has a few months to live, so we order some jerky treats and a squeaky toy for him. $14.07
2:30pm We head out to the restaurant we’re going to for Thanksgiving lunch, a local place a short walk from our apartment. They’re doing a prix fixe menu of the classics—turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green beans, and a phenomenal tarte Tatin with ice cream for dessert.
We eat outside under heat lamps. It’s super cozy. With our bottle of wine and tip the total is $208 (I try to tip over and above the norm because it’s a pandemic and Thanksgiving). My half will be $104.
5:53pm Get back from the restaurant. We have a ton of leftovers which is awesome (I think it’s excessive frugality, but I almost expect to stretch takeout or restaurant meals into two meals). Exchange some texts with my friends about their socially-distant Thanksgiving celebrations.
I turn on the Washington vs. Cowboys game right at the halftime show, which is Kane Brown with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. They’re all wearing masks (except for Kane) and it’s so odd to see them dancing in masks. I mean, I’m glad they’re wearing them, but it just seems like we could have gone without the halftime show this year.
9:21pm I order contacts from Contacts Direct. I got a new prescription but didn’t have a great experience with the eye doctor, so I’m hesitant about this order—only ordered one box of 90 lenses for each eye instead of a year’s worth of lenses. I’ve been getting headaches pretty frequently, so I’m hoping getting a new pair of glasses and alternating those (instead of wearing my contacts for 16 hours a day, every day) will help. $29.98 after insurance benefits
Day 2 Total: $179.62

Day 3 Friday, November 27
8:56am Wake up super last minute, run to sign onto Slack and then start grinding coffee beans. I’m online and drinking a big mug of coffee by 9:10. (So much for half cups.)
10:45am Come up for air from work and grab the stuff to make a bagel. Everything bagels and plain cream cheese are my go-to combo.
12:03pm I grab a bag of clothes to drop off at the donation bin and a couple library books to return. The library is about a 25 minute walk so it’ll be a nice lunch break diversion.
12:56pm After the library I stop by the grocery store for some paper towels and sponges, since we’re almost out. Total is $22.62, my half is $11.31
1:09pm When I get home I jump back into work and put the USA vs. Netherlands game on my second monitor. By the 75th minute, the US is up by 2 goals so they start putting in some younger players—it’s fun to see Midge Purce and Sophia Smith play! I also throw some bagel bites in the oven for a quick snack and promise myself dinner will be healthier.
4:23pm I zone out of work and start playing Among Us. I end up playing for over two hours. We open a bottle of wine at some point and I get super tipsy.
6:50pm Turn on the tail end of the Notre Dame vs. UNC game. It turns into Jeopardy, which turns into Wheel of Fortune, which I’m not mad about. P isn’t as into the game shows and leaves to microwave a plate of leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner and play video games.
8:40pm Finally getting hungry after my bagel bites and Cheez-Its this afternoon and make a plate of Thanksgiving leftovers—turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans and cauliflower. Yum.
Will and I end up getting in a tiff about the mess in our apartment so we take a break, cool down and talk it through. I watch a couple episodes of Sister Wives and go to bed around 1:30am.
Day 3 Total: $11.31

Day 4 Saturday, November 28, 2020
10:05am I stayed up late (again) so it’s nice to sleep in. I play Among Us for awhile and have a couple rounds where I’m the impostor and get some great kills and wins. I run out into the living room and celebrate with Will. We laugh because it’s silly how much we love the games we play. Around 10:45 I start making coffee.
11am We desperately need new sheets because our fitted sheet has a huge hole at Will’s feet (and it’s growing). I search a women’s personal finance group I’m in on Facebook for recommendations and we end up buying a queen sheet set from Belk. Total was $100.71 with their sale. $50.35
1pm I was planning on returning a package to the post office today, but forget it closes at 1pm on Saturdays so I decide to run to Target instead. I have a lampshade to return and want to look for a shower caddy as well. I also have an old iPad to return, which Will tells me I can do at Best Buy. He finds an old iPod and flip phone I can take too.
Take the MTA there ($2.75 for a single fare). When I get there, it’s a madhouse and I remember that I have sillily (is this a word?) decided to come on the weekend of Black Friday. I stand in the returns line for about 15 minutes and get $10.89 back, but ditch the idea of trying to look for a shower caddy. The checkout line looks like 100 people long. -$8.14 because of return
Next I go to Best Buy, but who am I kidding—the line to get in the store is even longer than the Target checkout line. I walk back to the subway and get on to go home. $2.75
2:30pm Since Best Buy was a no go, I search for electronic recycling around me on the way home just to see where I could drop off the devices I have. Apparently there’s an EcoATM not too far from my subway stop. It’s more for selling devices, but if they can’t give you money for something, they’ll recycle it, which is exactly what I wanted. I put each of the pieces in the scanner, and end up getting a whopping $2 total (for Will’s old iPod). Still cool because I was just expecting to recycle it all. I’ll give Will the $2.
2:44pm There’s a Dunkin nearby so I pop in to grab a couple donuts ($2.90). There’s a woman outside asking for money, so I give her $5 cash. $7.90
3:00pm Last stop—our favorite deli is nearby and Will mentioned he wanted to get bacon there recently. I get a 1/2 lb and salivate on the way home. This is one of those things I won’t put in Splitwise because it’s small and because it’s fun to get for P as a tiny little present. $3.50
3:45pm Once I’m home I’m super hungry from only eating carbs all morning so I have a snack of carrots, hummus and some pepperoni. I head back out to drop off a bag of clothes and shoes at a drop box a few blocks away. The neighbors are outside at the park near our house so I stop and chat with them for a few minutes. Their kids are the cutest.
6:47pm For dinner I make a ham and cheese sandwich (panini style with rosemary butter) and more carrots and hummus. I put on another episode of Sister Wives. These people are so fascinating to me—first off, I think the husband is completely full of himself. But I’m also so curious about the wives. There are a lot of talking head testimonials where the parents explain that they’re “oppressed” because they’re different and want to go public so the world can see polygamy as a valid family style (I’m only on season 2).
I know they’re probably playing up the “we love our other sister wives and have so much fun together even without Kody” aspect because people expect sister wives to be catty and hate each other, but I can’t help but wonder why they need to be in plural marriage to get the same friendship they seem to value so much. I also doubt they’d extend the same grace and tolerance they want to people who are “different” because they’re LGBTQ, or “different” because they’re in an open relationship or marriage.
9:15pm I mix together oatmeal chocolate chip cookie batter and put some cookies in the oven. While I’m waiting, I browse Zocdoc for well-reviewed providers—I want to make a podiatrist appointment for a lingering toe issue and an audiologist appointment for a routine hearing screening. I got the idea to make these appointments since I’ll hit my out-of-pocket max with the hospital visit, making them free or very discounted. I make two appointments for next week.
I also lust over a Farm Rio puffer jacket that feels overpriced but I just love. Maybe I’ll buy it tomorrow since they’re having a 30% off sale.
Day 4 Total: $64.50

Day 5 Sunday, November 29
8:58am Wake up and switch between scrolling on Reddit and playing a few Among Us games. After a bit Will gets out of bed and makes coffee for us.
9:45am Will finishes the movie he started last night and we start on breakfast. We’re making the bacon I bought yesterday, breakfast potatoes with onions, and a fried egg for Will (I can’t stand the taste or smell).
11:00am Yum! Breakfast was great. I watch a couple episodes of Sister Wives and mull over buying that ridiculous but amazing puffer jacket from Farm Rio. I’ve still been thinking about it since last night and I might take the plunge.
1:25pm I get a jolt of motivation to work out and do a 20 minute Sydney Cummings video on Youtube. I heard about it from a recent Money Diary posted here! After it’s done I’m so, so tired. I stretch and unpause my episode of Sister Wives.
2:22pm I help Will move the butcher block slab for his desk out to our backyard. We live on the first floor of a single-family home that was converted into apartments, so we get the backyard too—it’s awesome to have outdoor space in the city. P works on sanding it and applying poly for the next couple hours.
5:07pm Will suggests pizza for dinner and I am always, always down for pizza. I order pickup from the spot down the street—one grandma, one cheese and 2 orders of garlic knots come to $38.60. We’ll have leftovers for tomorrow too. $19.30
5:50pm We pick up the pizza and dig in. While we’re eating we turn on the Chiefs vs. Buccaneers game; Will has a few players on his fantasy team in this game.
6:57pm I sign up to write letters to Georgia residents encouraging them to vote in the Senate runoff elections in January. This is through Vote Forward—I did 20 letters for the general election in November and want to participate again. I’ll print the letters at a local coffee shop since we don’t have a printer at home.
Will sends me this Reddit comment about campaign finance since we’ve been talking about it recently. I decide I’m convinced by the argument and set up a $5 monthly donation to Brand New Congress. $5
8:19pm After texting back and forth with my friend all day, I buy the puffer jacket—so excited. She encouraged me to get it and is pumped for me too. $228.64
I also notice my paycheck has started processing in my checking account (I get paid tomorrow), so I enter the amount in YNAB and budget it all. I earmark about $1500 to go into my brokerage account tomorrow. I won’t include it here as “spending” since it’s included in the overview section above.
Day 5 Total: $252.94

Day 6 Monday, November 30
8:43am Wake up and turn on my Slack. Will started the coffee process and I finish it up by pouring the water into our Chemex and letting it steep (I know there’s a coffee-centric word for this...).
8:56am I check my Citi card and my YouTube TV trial rolled over—I was going to cancel it this morning, which I thought was the last day. I email support to see if they’ll refund me, because (I promise I’m not just saying this!) I did have a pretty bad experience. The Roku app was glitchy for us every time we watched something. Maybe they’ll feel nice today! $64.99
9:35am After responding to a few work messages, I run out the door to the post office to avoid a long package line. I did the Warby Parker 5-day home try on and have to return my box of glasses today. I found a pair I really like and am excited to get in the habit of wearing glasses again, instead of just my contacts.
Thankfully the line is only a few people long. The employees are also super nice every time I go, so I try to be really pleasant too. The lines are usually long and I’ve seen more than one adult have a fit at this post office. It’s rainy today and I couldn’t find our umbrella, so my flimsy rain jacket gets pretty soaked through on the walk back.
11:35am My podiatrist appointment is supposed to be tomorrow morning, and they call me to tell me since I haven’t hit my deductible, I’ll have to pay out of pocket for the visit. I explain that I’m 100% going to hit my deductible, the claims from the hospital just haven’t processed yet. I ask her to bill my insurance first for the visit, then I can pay whatever ends up not being covered (if anything). She agrees!
Maybe this is standard, but I’ve never had it happen before—even if I haven’t hit my deductible, I’ve always been to offices that bill insurance first, then I pay the remaining balance.
1:05pm Lots of meetings today. I break for lunch and heat up the braised chicken with veggies. It’s definitely on its last good day, so I’m glad I used it up. Still yummy!
2:20pm Woohoo! Get an email that my YouTube TV charge was refunded. -$64.99
Will ran to Home Depot today to buy some tools for his desk and also got a shower curtain liner since ours is ripping. I go to put it up in the bathroom but my arms are so sore—like I got my flu shot type of sore.
5:05pm Sign off work after trying to wrangle a supremely frustrating SQL query. I don’t get it but figure I can ask our analyst team for help tomorrow. Will will have a late night working, so pizza and Sister Wives is in my near future.
While watching, I update YNAB to reflect the end-of-month balances for my investment accounts. I get a huge dopamine hit by seeing my net worth number go up. I’m also anticipating it going down a bit next month because of my medical bills, so I relish the moment.
8:09pm It suddenly dawns on me that my arms are sore because I worked out yesterday. It’s so rare now that I literally forget when I do it. Ha!
9:15pm We watch the Eagles vs. Seahawks game and I absentmindedly play Among Us. I end up getting ...bullied by a person playing it? They get mad that I figured out they were the imposter and start saying all these schoolyard-type digs throughout the next couple rounds, but level 100 of cruel.
I’m embarrassed by how sad it makes me but think maybe it’s a good thing I don’t immediately know what to say to bully people back. Such a weird experience. I end up going to bed around 11:30.
Day 6 Total: $0

Day 7 December 1, 2020
7:07am Wake up late for my alarm at 7. I’m up a lot earlier today because my podiatrist appointment is first thing. I get dressed in the dark, kiss P goodbye, grab my water bottle and run out the door to the subway by 7:30. $2.75
8:10am Get to my stop and swing by Starbucks before the appointment. I get a vanilla latte and the bacon cheddar and egg sandwich. Total is around $10 but I have a gift card loaded onto my Starbucks app.
My spending here went way down when I switched jobs to an office not close to a Starbucks, and then stopped going into an office at all.
8:30am My appointment goes great, if a little painful when she numbs my toe. I had to get an ingrown toenail removed. I danced ballet and pointe for years so I’m (unfortunately) used to them, but this one was terrible. The doctor and I bond over both being dancers with bad feet and they schedule me for a follow up two weeks out.
She actually says there’s been a rise in these procedures because people aren’t getting pedicures since the pandemic and aren’t cutting their toenails well! Wild.
I look silly on the subway in December wearing Birkenstocks and socks with a huge toe bandage. It looks like one of those cartoon characters who stubs their toe and it becomes 10x bigger than their other toes. $2.75
9:40am I get off at the stop before mine to stop at Rite Aid. I grab Neosporin, band-aids and epsom salt and check my notes for anything else she mentioned about caring for my toe. $12.97
10:00am When I get home, I hop into work and working with our engineers on a promotion for the New Year. I also catch up with Will since he stayed up late last night and I got up early for my appointment. He says he ended up staying up until 3:30am (!!) cleaning up his tools, working on his desk and putting up the shower curtain. I’m floored that he is functional right now after waking up at 8.
12:15pm Heat up the last of the pizza for lunch, along with hummus and carrots.
5:20pm Work is average-paced for the rest of the day. Not doing nothing, not totally over my head. Will puts in potatoes for baked potatoes to have later, which we’ll pair with a salad. We’re getting close to needing a grocery run again, so the meals are becoming more of a mishmash.
We listed a couple things on our local Buy Nothing group last week, so a woman comes by to pick up a wifi router we can’t use anymore. Would totally recommend looking up if there’s a group in your area—they’re usually on Facebook.
6:30pm After dinner I watch more Sister Wives and look up RIP Medical Debt, a nonprofit one of my friends shared for Giving Tuesday. They buy unpaid medical debt from collections, so $1 ends up paying off $100 of someone’s medical debt. I give $50 to the Arkansas campaign, which will clear $5,000 of medical debt.
As Will said earlier today, “medical billing in America is a racket” so I really hope this helps clear a burden from an individual or family. Doing this reminds me to check my insurance portal, which is steadily going up as each separate claim comes in. Ahhhh, modern healthcare! $51.49
At the end of each day please tally up your daily expenses. Then at the end of your diary please tally up all expenses in the following categories:
Total: $719.33

Grocery + Dining Out: $157.77
Fun + Entertainment: $0
Home + Health: $164.67
Clothes + Beauty: $228.64
Transportation: $11.00
Gifts + Giving: $157.25

Reflection This week felt like a big spending week for me. I checked YNAB and since January, I’ve spent about $1600 per month, not including rent—so about $400/week. That’s why this week’s $719 feels so high!
Writing this diary helped me understand how many things I have going for me. I’ve recently been in a huge funk—about my health, my performance at work and my relationships with family, friends and P. Going to the hospital, needing physical therapy to have sex and being in a pandemic will do that to you.
I was able to zoom out a bit and understand how stable and gratifying my life is. That being said, I’m so glad this community exists. I really love it and learning about all your spending and saving habits. Thanks for being here and sharing :)

best tips for today's games football video

1 Our Tips for Football Games Today. 1.1 Under 2.5 Goals @ 99/125 (1.792) 1.2 Place the bet at 22bet >> 1.3 Tottenham to win @ BTTS @ 9/2 (5.5) 1.4 Place the bet at bet365 >> 1.5 Lille & Man City to win @ 5/4 (2.25) 1.6 Place the bet at 1xbet >> 1.7 Summary for Today's Betting Tips; 1.8 Today's Football Betting Sites; 2 Weekend Football Tips. 2.1 Premier League There are a number of ways to bet on our football tips, but the best is through a free bet. You can check out the best of these on our free bets page, which compiles the best special offers from the UK’s biggest bookmakers and puts them in one place.. Please remember that Free Super Tips are committed to responsible gambling and have a number of ways to help you stay in control and keep Our free football betting tips include all popular football betting markets, with each of our football tips being backed using the best bookmakers. Click here now to see the best football tips for today, tonight and the weekend! Today’s Football betting Tips As a tipster website we started to give bet prediction, betting tips and Today match prediction.We then Continues to give more details prediction with btts for tomorrow, score predictions and btts and win predictions tomorrow. The btts tomorrow are with goal prediction "btts predictions". Football tips on today's and this weekend's matches. With over 100 tipsters contributing to some matches, the OLBG army of football tipsters provides in depth information to help you to choose your bets. Unibet Bonus up to 100%. Unibet's offers include the top domestic leagues in Europe along with the group and knockout stages of the Champions League. So you can now earn a welcome offer of up to £30 if you register with Unibet. Bet on the Premier League, Serie A, Primera Liga, Bundesliga 1 or Champions League. Looking for the best free football predictions for today? If so, you’re in the right place, as we’ve today’s football predictions covered! Whether you’re looking for tips on the Premier League or soccer predictions on the Africa Cup of Nations, you’ll find that we’ve got you covered. Football betting tips – Today’s best bets and odds for Leeds vs Crystal Palace. Palace have won back to back games against Wolves and Newcastle heading into tonight's match. The best bets. Check out our full list of predictions (match tips, both teams to score tips, over 2.5 goals tips and correct score tips) for today's and tonight's games - Tuesday February 9th, 2021 below. Click on a past date above to view historical predictions and our success rates. Correct Score Tips & Predictions (09.02.2021) Here, you can find the best football correct score tips and predictions around. You can never be 100% sure of the outcome when you put in a score prediction. However, by using some fundamental tips, you put yourself in a position to decipher the most likely outcomes.

best tips for today's games football top

8 HOT TIPS FOR TODAYS FOOTBALL GAMES. 15/10/20 - YouTube

Giving you the best quick gameplay tips to become a better FIFA 19 player.Manual corner tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7F-XP2zAPE&t=All my other ... Football betting strategy that assures 100% wins & profits Free match Jong Utrecht vs Roda kerkrade MATCH 100% SAFE & SURE FOR MAXBET HALFTIMEFULLTIME MARKET... Best Football Skills 2019/20 #13The video include Football Skills, Tricks, Dribbling & Goals , from Lionel Messi , Cristiano Ronaldo , Neymar Jr , Philippe ... Best Vine, Tik Tok & Instagram Soccer Goals, Skills & Fails 2019 Compilation - Die schönsten Amateur-Tore, Tricks & Pannen 👑 Join us: http://bit.ly/jointeam... how to win in bet365, 100% winning tips,tricks & Strategy for football,cricket,tennis betting. how to win or stake multiple odd,folds,bankers betting strateg... 5 MOST BASIC IN-GAME FOOTBALL SKILLS TO LEARN (Tutorial) by freekickerz TUTORIAL PLAYLIST: http://bit.ly/FKTUTORIALS5 BEST Skill Moves to Beat Defenders in... babszo daily betting tips provides free low risk football tips and predictions for football fans around the world. 💰 In this week's episode of Bet On it direct from Las Vegas, Kelly Stewart, Marco D'Angelo, and Gianni "The Greek Gambler" break down College Football Week ... We are going over some football tips for midfielders in this video! Here are 5 different ideas, skills, and ideas that will help you to have more impact in t... 5 tips for playing football in the cold or in the winter - as the weather is getting cold and winter is coming closer, you need to gmhave the right football ...

Football Betting Tips for Today | Bet365 Prediction | Tips

best tips for today's games football

best tips for today's games football - win

Great Day for BB despite stick dipping.

[International Cricket] How a new style of bowling caused a major diplomatic rift between England and Australia

[1/18/2021] Monday's Off Topic Free Talk Thread

/LonghornNation Daily Off Topic Free Talk Thread

Today: 1/18/2021

Current Austin Weather: 46° and Clear

Seven Day Forecast:

Your go-to place to talk about whatever you want. From the dumb shit aggies do on a near daily basis, to the latest whatever happening wherever. What ya got?

Recent Longhorn Tweets

Here's A Look At Todays Longhorn Sporting Event(s):

Trending on Reddit

/All

/CFB

/LonghornNation