Sports Then and Now

It is the start of another new era in Big D for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 and the biggest change is at the head coaching spot. Former Green Bay Packers’ head coach Mike McCarthy replaces Jason Garrett who is now the New York Giants’ offensive coordinator. McCarthy, the ninth head coach in Cowboys’ history, brings a wealth of NFL coaching experience including a 13-year term as the Packer’s head coach from 2006-18. McCarthy lead Green Bay to victory in Super Bowl XLV following the 2010 season at AT&T Stadium, Dallas’ home facility in Arlington, TX.

McCarthy, who was released by the Packers following a 4-7-1 record 12 games into the 2018 season, inherits a team that is in win now mode under the management of team owner, president, and general manager Jerry Jones. Now in his 32^nd year with the Cowboys, Jones has grown the franchise into a multi-billion dollar enterprise on his shrewd and aggressive business style. That showed this offseason in making a head-coaching change.

In recognition of the start of football season, we have selected a two-time All-American from the University of Maryland who went on to earn a spot in both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fames as our Sports Then and Now Vintage Athlete of the Month.

Randy White actually came to the University of Maryland as a fullback, but as a sophomore new head coach Jerry Claiborne recognized that he had the skills to be a great defensive lineman and quickly moved him to defense.

Betting on the NFL is quite as easy as watching the game itself. Yet, many people still find the whole idea quite intimidating.

Luckily for you, we take it upon ourselves to help neophyte bettors overcome this fear. We decided the best way to go about it is to craft a detailed NFL betting guide that touches on almost every you need to know about betting for one of the most watched sports in the world, football.

Now, with that out of the way, let’s dive straight in.

Single-game NFL Bets

When you open any NFL betting site in the link, one of the things you’ll notices is the following wagers displayed on each game: moneyline bets, point spread bets, and total bets.

These three types of wagers are always grouped together for each game. 

• Betting the Moneyline

This is the easiest bet to understand, though less popular compared to the other two types of bets.

It’s simple: by betting the moneyline, you’re simply choosing the teams you suspect will win. The odds attached are the implied probability of the game swinging either way. These odds determine your actual payout.

They’re the simplest bet to make. The problem is that they have the lowest returns on investment.

2020 has been a year combining all the things we never expected to mix together. It is doubtful anyone had a global pandemic and intense social justice movement on their betting square.  Nonetheless, coaches and players alike have become vocal in support of the Black Lives Matter Movement.  

Coaches across the NCAA have begun showing their support for their players on a variety of platforms. Head coaches from universities across the country like Auburn, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Colorado Mesa attended protests with their players, relaxing Covid-19 restrictions to allow the teams to participate.  

Other coaches are using social media platforms to show and share their support for the movement and their players. Some are making statements, participating in Blackout Tuesday, and using the hashtag #BLM. Others are delivering speeches and using their station and status to remind donors and fans alike that all lives cannot matter until Black Lives Matter too.

Building Leaders on and Off the Field

Support of coaching staff has empowered students to actively participate and even take on leadership roles in peaceful protests across the country.  

• Athletes at the University of Texas have petitioned the school to rename specific campus buildings and choose a new school song to remove ties to racism.
• Clemson football players led a peaceful protest at Bowman Field, while other players joined in petitioning the university to rename buildings to remove racist ties.  
• Players at Florida State called out their coach via social media, exposing the lack of truth in his media statement on having individual conversations with players.  The concentrated effort paid off and the coach apologized in a team meeting as well as making a second, more truthful media release.  
• Missouri football players led a peaceful protest, marching from campus to the courthouse to register to vote. The team was celebrated in the community for their efforts and leadership. But only five years ago players petitioning to dismiss the university president over his casual stance on racial injustice on campus received death threats.  

Even though there hasn’t been any football yet this season, it is still important to remember who the big guns are at quarterback. Currently, there are some incredible players in the pivotal position, these QB’s, they can win games and bets. This list will name the best ones currently playing. 

Tom Brady

Even though Tom Brady has left the Patriots, and will most likely see his career put at the Buccaneers, he is still definitely one of the best quarterbacks playing right now, his record and stats prove it each and every season. 

Even though he’s been on the decline the past couple of seasons, his new position at Tampa, and being able to link up with incredible playmakers, and Gronk of course, will hopefully get him back in the swing of things. 

He may not be the same giant on the field anymore, but being able to play with great playmakers will allow him to show off his skill and precision again, and have the team mates that can use the service he provides. 

Matthew Stafford 

Stafford was well on his way to having an incredible season in 2019 before injury took him off the field. At the time of his injury, he was second in touchdown passes, and fourth in yards per attempt, strong numbers for the Lions QB. 

Like Brady, Stafford is going to be surrounded with team mates that can turn his passing and throwing prowess into yards and points, and he will be playing in a system that will allow him to express himself on the field. 

As long as he can stay healthy, and his RB’s and WR’s perform, Stafford can easily pick up where he left off before injury scuttled his season last year. 

Deshaun Watson

Deshaun Watson is a strange case because he is the best of a bad bunch. The Texans don’t have the best defensive line at all, and Watson has been sacked too many times to count, but he led the Texans to 3-3, and without him, they went 1-9. 

As a rookie, he was sacked 62 times, but still managed to complete 63% of his passes for over 4,000 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 9 interceptions. He is a diamond in the rough, and if his team gets their act together, he can very easily be one of the best QB’s in the upcoming season. 

There is simply no denying that 2019 was an exceptional year for sports and sports betting. Heck, this is something that you could say pretty much every year. It seems like the bar only continues to rise every year. That being said, 2020 promises new experiences with many upcoming major events and tournaments. Even with the COVID-19 virus out there looming, there are still some great events on the ticket and many past events that fans can reminisce about. 

 If you are a betting person, you can take a look at some of the best odds here.

Take a look back at what the New year has brought fans so far and what it still has to offer going forward.

The Return Of The Notorious

The start of the year had high hopes, as McGregor, a born fighter, was slated to get back in the octagon in the first month of the year. He didn’t officially throw a single punch in the octagon in 2019, and it was certainly a poor year without him. 2020 immediately promised to change that as they had him scheduled against Donald “The Cowboy” Cerrone at the start of the year. This match held for high hopes given the fact that boy men were not afraid to stand and trade. And, the fight as UFC 246 wasn’t a bad one for as long as it lasted. It would be safe to say that this fight lived up to the hype and made a promising start for the year in sports.