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shewhowillnotbenamed1 · 4 years

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A Game

Very random. Probably the most random ever... I have no idea how or why this happened. (Yes, I do, I was forced into a Super Bowl pool and I know nothing about football...) So, this is my revenge.

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The automated double doors to the living room split open. And the resident sorceress emerged. She made her way down the stairs and trekked silently over to the television.

"Raven!" The pale girl turned around with a start. Her back went rigid. Purple hair moving around her face.

"Well, hello to you too." She replied with a cool purple brow directed at Beast Boy.

"Hello, Friend Raven." Starfire smiled. Beckoning her from her spot on the floor with Silkie.

Raven gave her a nod. She had come here with a different agenda. "Raven, girl, come on." Cyborg moaned as he moved his head to try to see around her.

"Raven!"

And this time she had a ready glare.

"What?" She snapped, feeling her temple start to throb.

"You're trying to walk in front of the TV!" Beast Boy exclaimed, his voice increasing in pitch as he threw up his arms. No pretenses or subtlety. Of course it was about television.

What was new?

"I'm just going to walk over and get my book." Raven explained calmly. "I left it here last night." Though she hardly needed to explain herself to a sports obsessed idiot. But here she was.

And as expected, the green man launched into a tirade. She inhaled and exhaled, as she waited for it to pass.

"This is the Super bowl, Raven." Garfield told Raven as if she didn't understand.

"So you've been saying all week in anticipation of the event." Raven had to point this out.

"The Super! Bowl!"

At this, she couldn't resist rolling her eyes. Raven almost wanted to laugh at how ridiculous he was acting. About a sporting event. Although, it was Garfield, after all. "You're repeating those two words like they're supposed to mean something."

Cyborg's jaw dropped. "The culmination of a season of football is a celebration! It has it all: drama, incredible commercials, a half-time show?!" Cyborg explained ecstatically. She knew how much football meant to him. It was particularly special given his past. Though, it was still not her first choice to dedicate hours of her life watching men toss a ball around a field.

The curly, red-haired alien smiled as she interjected. "I do greatly enjoy the commercials and the musical act." Starfire admitted. "Though, I must confess, I do not entirely understand the mechanics of the game." Beast Boy gave her a strange look. She blushed sheepishly and glanced at the mechanical Titan. Cyborg shook his head with a smile, and took the tanned woman under his wing. To explain the rules of football - again. This time with charts and diagrams.

Beast Boy turned back to Raven with a sigh. A muscular green arm moving, as he drew a hand down his face. "The point is we need to optimize viewing time," his emerald eyes were insistent. "This only happens once a year."

DVR and modern conveniences aside, she failed to see the point of the fanfare. "Well, so do major holidays and I don't see you making as big a deal about them..." Raven pointed out. "You actually make a bigger deal about fake food related holidays than real ones." National Croissant Day came to mind.

"The Super bowl is a holiday!" Beast Boy and Cyborg exclaimed simultaneously.

Raven's tone went completely devoid of emotion. And her pale face became grave. "How sad for the rest of the world to not have this particular sport on their roster." Not like America had rugby or cricket.

"Wait a minute, you have powers, you couldn't just magic it?" Beast Boy and his one-of-kind logic. He really was a special kind of a human being.

"You mean move it with my mind? It's called telekinesis." She held out a palm. Using her dark energy to draw the book to her. But not before pausing. To linger for three seconds longer than necessary in front of the flat screen.

"Raven?!" Beast Boy and Cyborg yelled. With the way they had just acted, one would have thought it was life or death. Not just another sporting event in an endless cycle of seasons. It was marketing. And it was consumerism at its finest. And it was America.

"Sorry. Lost focus." She tapped her temple and sauntered over to the open floor kitchen. "Enjoy your holiday." She called over her shoulder. Behind a purple shoulder length curtain, she could see Star had leapt up and tackled Cyborg with a loud laugh. And a louder, resounding thud. Her teammates were something else. Though, one didn't need to look too close to see the tiniest of smiles had taken up residence on her face.

Tiny, but it was there.

The Titans. As it was, they were her team.

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"Hey, Raven." A deep voice called out from behind a laptop. And she could feel a calming, pleasant wash over her. Even though he was working, instead of watching the game.

"Dick," Raven offered in greeting. She made her way to the fridge. Perusing the shelves, she noticed that the fake meat and fruit never seemed to deplete as quickly as everything else.

Sharp blue eyes lingered on her body, bent toward the refrigerator. "Sorry about them..." There was a long pause in the typing, as a hand ran through tousled black hair.

"Please." The rush of cold air stilled. As the door closed. "It's the Super Bowl." Raven reminded him, imitating Beast Boy. With a mock-outraged tone. Before a flat one returned. But with a witty edge that seemed reserved for their talks. "They do this every year, so I do this every year. It's tradition."

Nightwing smiled at this. "Well, traditions can change." He looked away from the computer completely for a moment to take her in. "One did."

"The fact that you're here and not in Gotham?" Raven quipped sardonically.

"No - not that." He replied, with another bright grin. "You're actually the one who did."

"I... did?" Raven placed the piece of fruit on the counter-top. He paused for a long moment. Regarding her with his cerulean orbs. A familiar warmth flooded the air. She could feel strands of his brilliant aura reaching. Stretching out like webs to catch her own. But, at the last moment, it hesitated. Then, pulled back, tight to his body.

"It's... the first year you participated in the Teen Titans Super Bowl Pool." Nightwing offered. And shook his head at her, as if finding this hard to believe.

"That is true." She gave him the faintest of smiles. "But, so did you." She nodded at him.

"Yes, I usually do." He coughed. "Though, I saw that you had the same team to win as I did." That was surprising. She hadn't noticed. Raven didn't really care for the choices, having little interest in the outcome of the game. And she suspected Dick didn't either.

Raven tucked her arms over her navy blue shirt. She didn't know why she was explaining all this to Dick, but she wanted to. "You know... I don't normally get invested in the game." He nodded. "But Cy insisted... Plus, I don't have to actually watch football to participate."

"Cyborg is right, Raven." Nightwing agreed. "And thankfully, you don't have to watch the game to eat the food he made." She could tell Dick was grateful for that fact. "Were you actually in here to sneak some?" That sounded downright conspiratory.

Raven gave him a flippant stare. Pausing for several breaths, she glanced at the trays of greasy wings, burgers, and nachos.

"Hmm." She drew in a breath as if finding it difficult to decide. "Probably just this." She held up an apple.

"Okay, yeah..." The vigilante sounded slightly disappointed. Almost as if he wanted her to eat with him. "Right. Of course."

"I'd offer you one, but..." She pointed at the plate in front of him.

"Oh, this? This... is for Beast Boy." Dick said. He watched her closely. The corners of his mouth coming upward, as he dared her to refute that statement.

"Uh huh..." She mentioned nothing about the burger that was clearly made with ground meat. His humor was very off-brand at times. She certainly didn't mind it - though she could never tell him.

"You're not the only one who can do sarcasm around here." Raven watched the sparkle of bright blue. She could feel some more emotions rolling off him in waves. Strong ones.

"Noted, Boy Wonder." The pale girl shook the apple after she rinsed it. "At this rate, I'll have to find a new thing..." She shrugged. "Later, Dick."

There was the barest bit of regret in his voice. It was masked by the easygoing tone he managed to muster up, as he bode her farewell. "Bye, Raven."

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Dick knew she didn't want to be bothered. But, he still had to try. He stared at the name plate labelled RAVEN as he knocked. At least when Raven opened the door, she didn't seem irritated. She almost looked relieved that it was him, and no one else.

"Raven," Dick tried. "I was wondering if you were coming back to watch with us."

"Probably not," She said bluntly. At times, he admired how blunt she could be. It did make for an interesting challenge.

"Oh. That's too bad." He blurted.

Her eyes flashed with the faintest amusement. "Dick - what's up?" She could most certainly tell what he was feeling. He wasn't hiding it very well. The fact that he was longing for something. For her company.

"I wanted to watch the game with you." He told her. His eyes sliding over the floor, before they came up to meet her own.

It was a lie.

He only wanted to watch her. To get lost in her - in this.

"I may be in the pool, but I still don't do sports." A very Raven answer. But, he anticipated it. Dick just hoped she wouldn't say no.

"Then... I'll do whatever it is you do during the Superbowl." Truthfully, he didn't care much for the actual game. So much as spending time with his team. And Raven. His team did include Raven. He walked into the dimly lit space, hearing the door close behind him.

"But, Dick, it's once a year." She said sarcastically. Her eyes glimmering in the dark.

"I know." Dick took another step closer.

"And the rest of your team is currently in the living room consuming enough grease to flood the city."

"I know."

"Alright. But I should warn you - you should know..." Raven started in that vague mysterious way of hers. "There is one thing you should know about this 'American holiday'."

Oh?

"I've heard stories, and I don't think you could shock me." Dick told her. "But you're welcome to try."

He could swear he saw her blush for a moment. But then, it was gone."There is an overwhelming amount of testosterone in the air on this day."

"I... don't follow." He didn't expect her to say anything like this. What was she getting at?

She elaborated in her low voice. "On this day, the concentration of testosterone in the city - and most of America reaches a fever pitch."

"Raven what are you saying - exactly?" He watched her closely. Still not understanding. Or perhaps understanding too well.

"We empaths have a holiday of our own. We call the Superbowl a Nexus... Save for the fact that it gets relatively untapped." She raised a brow. "Partners typically don't reap the benefits..."

"That isn't Valentine's Day?" Dick came back to himself for a moment to mumble stupidly.

"No." She gave him a light chuckle. "Surprisingly not."

"Doesn't it depend on whether a particular team loses or not...?"

"Touche, Dick... But, no." Raven's hands moved to her hips, as she shifted her weight. "On such a day, there is a risk of tapping into the Nexus. Channeling it - directly or unconsciously. Usually I am not concerned. But with you here... In my room... "

"I want to stay." He said without pause.

"You can say that, but you don't know. I'm not going to be as in control as I usually am." Raven replied. Though she didn't seem bothered. He could swear she wanted him to stay. "I'll be a bit more aggressive than you're used to. And you'll feel it too."

Dick took a step closer and shook his head. "I'm staying with you."

And that was all it took for things to turn.

Her emotionless expression shifted. The purple depths stirred. As the eyes that held but an occasional flicker of daring. A hint of mischief. A tiny tinge of sadness. They turned as a thirsty stare took over. Her pupils dilated. She watched his body movements openly. "And I'm..." She traced his face and weaved his hair between her fingers. She gripped it, bringing him closer. Her tone sultrier and raspier than normal. "I'm going to kiss you now, Dick."

"Oh..." Dick whispered. Unable to take his eyes off her. "Raven..."

"I want the taste of your lips..." Her porcelain nose caressed his own. The words brushing over his cheek.

"Yes..." He looked like he was in awe. Under a spell. "I want to kiss you." He licked his lips.

Her hands escaped the strands of night. Raven fingered his neck, as she drew her body into him. Right up to his firm chest. The pale lids started shutting and a steady journey to his mouth started. A deep, desperate inhale as they touched. He groaned into her fullness. Those soft, incredible lips moving with his. Her cool hands were fondling him over the tight black t-shirt he was wearing. Dick's hands tried not to stray too far from the middle of her back.

And of course - they failed.

It wasn't long before they ventured. They were exploring her waist and hips. Touching the space where her shirt rode up, feathering the sliver of skin. When Raven finally stopped, for a breath, she blinked to refocus the hazy purple. And gave him a little smile. He could see just a bit of smugness on her part, as she could tell how much this was affecting him too. But she didn't mention it.

"Wow, we've..." He panted, staring at her. She was now laying on her side on the mattress. "Never done that before."

She whispered, "I know." Nibbling his bottom lip, naughtily. "It's true we'd never really kissed before. Not properly..." Her hand cupping his cheek as she stroked his lips sweetly. It took everything he had to stop. Yet, he only managed to steal back an inch.

"I know... But... I wanted to." He had wanted to kiss her properly for ages. They'd a few close calls. Several. And then there was Christmas... Nervous, obligatory pecks under the mistletoe, with their teammates around. Watching and judging. But that hardly counted.

"Wanted to?" The pale fingers gliding down his earlobe. He shivered. And sighed. He took a deep breath. "Are you not enjoying this?"

"Of course, I am. It's great. So great... Too great." And then a shaky, wavering smile took up residence on his face. This was such a contrast to how she normally was. "I know why, but sometimes you just feel...distant. More than distant - removed."

A hand was on his face as she spoke. "This goes without saying, but it's not you." Raven told him in a soft voice. "If anything, I've probably been more so... because I do want to - be around you. Often."

Dick kissed her hard, until they were both panting and shaking. "Then, promise me."

"A promise?" Raven asked, her eyes flickering playfully. "What do you propose?"

"Promise me when the Nexus is over - we're not." He urged her. Dick wanted her to need him for something. To seek solace with him. In him. "Come find me, when you want to talk. Or when you need me." Sliding his fingers through her hair. "Please... I can't imagine not touching you like this... Not kissing you."

He groaned gutural, as her mouth took him over. "I promise, I'll find you for another talk." Raven's hands stroked up and down his abdomen, as her lips parted. In wonder. About his body. She was wondering about what lay beneath. He didn't want her to wonder anymore. Dick caught the cotton fabric of his shirt in his fingers and stripped it off. Cool hands were on his skin immediately. Followed by her lips on his. And the stroke of a skilled tongue.

She was straddling him on her bed, as they kissed. His palms were lost in the sea of her shirt. He was longingly fingering the indents right above her butt.

But then...

"Raven?!"There was a knock at the door.

Starfire squealed. Informing her, animatedly. "Raven - the pool, you have won!" And then, she paused. "Raven?"

Dick grinned, as she rolled her eyes. Raven and Nightwing stared at each other. He knew she hadn't won, because he had. This push and pull between them. Between their lips and bodies. Their connected souls... It was the only game he had ever been intrigued by.

The enigma that was her.

#robrae #me #random #raven roth #nightrae #dickrae #fanfic #fanfiction #dick grayson #robin raven #teen titans #titans #dc #superbowl2020 #Can't believe I wrote this?!#I hope this isn't terrible!#I need to sleep...#Nightwing

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thepatriotsandwe · 6 years

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Best Patriots Drafted By Round Since 2008

The NFL draft is nearly upon us, and at times it can be difficult to fully invest oneself in the results of the draft with the almost random nature of NFL prospects. For this reason, we’re going to be taking a look at the best players selected by round since the 2008 NFL draft. While this seems to be an arbitrary cut off point, it’s the latest round that still contained Patriot players that have had a recent impact on team success. With that being said, let’s dig into:

Round 1

Devin McCourty - Cornerback - Rutgers

2010 NFL Draft - Round 1 - Pick 27

The Patriots have had success on many occasions in the first round during this time frame, but there is no larger success story than Devin McCourty. Originally drafted as a cornerback, McCourty won AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors with seven interceptions on the season. However, after a tumultuous Sophomore campaign, he was moved to the safety position and has since become one of the best in the league.

McCourty, according to his NFL.com draft profile, was expected to mostly make an impact on special teams and the nickel corner position, but quickly emerged as one of the more talented players on the Patriots defense. There are few Patriots that have had more of an impact on the defensive side of the ball in recent years than McCourty as the Pats have largely shut down deep ball attacks due to his ability to close ground quickly.

Not to be overshadowed by Devin’s play on the field, he has emerged as a true leader and a veteran presence on a team with high turnover. Named a captain rather quickly into his career, McCourty embodies the Patriots organization in many ways and has become a perennial Patriot. The argument can be made for other big names drafted in the first round such as Dont’a Hightower and Nate Solder, but it is McCourty’s durability (at most, McCourty has missed two games in a season since entering the league) that simply puts him a notch above every other recent first round pick.

Honorable Mentions: Dont’a Hightower, Nate Solder, Jerod Mayo

Round 2

Rob Gronkowski - Tight End - Arizona

2010 NFL Draft - Round 2 - Pick 42

Well, what exactly did you expect? There’s not much I can say about Gronkowski that hasn’t been said a million times before. He’s, when healthy, the most dominant player at his position in NFL history. He nearly cannot be covered and will make a big play at some point during the game. As the saying goes, you cannot hope to stop him, you can merely contain him.

His NFL.com draft profile is rather spot on in most respects. He exited college as a very productive player that’s size proved incredibly difficult to handle, but his durability was called into question as he missed his entire season year with back surgery. This durability is largely a reason why he fell into the second round to begin with, but it’s still a bit curious how someone with the measurables like Gronk was put in that position.

Despite the tension between him and Belichick this offseason, Gronk has also emerged as a team captain for the Patriots, and it’s hard to argue that anyone else drafted in this time frame has made more of an impact for the Pats than he has. He’s a total freak of nature, and absolutely the best Patriots second round player in the history of the franchise.

Honorable Mentions: Patrick Chung, Jamie Collins, Jimmy Garoppolo

Round 3

Logan Ryan - Cornerback - Rutgers

2013 NFL Draft - Round 3 - Pick 83

The fact that Logan Ryan is the selection here should be rather telling of the Patriots ability to draft in the third round. Logan Ryan can best be described as a “solid” player during his time in New England. He played well enough to elevate himself to the #2 corner position behind Malcolm Butler and was instrumental in the Patriots 2016 title run.

His physical ability attracted the Patriots to Ryan as he was a sure-handed tackler in college. Honestly, it may be the college he attended that Belichick found the most intriguing as Bill’s obsession with the University of Rutgers was at a full fever pitch during this time frame. Three of the Patriots secondary members were from Rutgers (McCourty, Harmon, and Ryan) during Ryan’s tenure with the Pats, and Harmon was selected mere picks after Ryan was. Regardless, Logan Ryan was considered a solid selection in terms of value in the round the Pats selected him.

While the argument could be had for Duron Harmon taking this spot, Harmon being a backup safety led to Ryan having a more down-to-down impact on the team during his stint. Harmon is assuredly the more flashy playmaker (earning himself the nickname “The Closer” as a result of his game clinching interceptions), but at the end of the day Ryan had more to do with the weekly success of the organization.

Honorable Mentions: Duron Harmon, Joe Thuney, Stevan Ridley

Round 4

James White - Running Back - Wisconsin

2014 NFL Draft - Round 4 - Pick 130

The hero of Super Bowl 51 is the best Patriot drafted in the fourth round in the past decade. James White, as described by Martellus Bennett in his fantastic illustration, is the ultimate Swiss-Army knife of the Patriots roster. Clutch, durable, and multi-talented, White is the quintessential New England Patriot.

White was considered a reach by many scouts. He was given a 7th round, potentially undrafted grade by NFL.com. His time at Wisconsin was behind one of the better offensive lines in the NCAA, and he split carries with a few other running backs at the university which did not give him a tremendous amount of time to show off what he was capable of. This coupled with a smaller frame meant White was a bit of a question mark coming out of college.

One could compare James to an ex-Patriots legend, Kevin Faulk. Both were capable of running the ball, taking care to not turn it over, being outstanding pass catchers, and fighting tooth and nail for every yard. While there a couple huge success stories in the last ten years for the Pats drafting in the fourth round, it’s tough to say anyone has had more of an impact than the hero of the Super Bowl himself, James White.

Honorable Mentions: Trey Flowers, Shaq Mason.

Round 5

Matthew Slater - Wide Receiver/Special Teams Gunner - UCLA

2008 NFL Draft - Round 5 - Pick 153

With the third longest active tenure as a New England Patriot, Matthew Slater has been a stalwart example of what it means to play for the top organization in the National Football League. He has long embodied the Patriot Way, and his attitude while playing for the team has him as one of the few New England players that seem to be “lifers” in that it’s nearly impossible to envision Slater in another uniform. His leadership is one of his biggest assets, but his play on special teams has elected him to seven pro bowls in nine years.

Slater was a known quantity coming out of UCLA. Scouts agreed that his impact on offense was likely to be non-existent with some potential to play as a slot receiver, but if Slater were to be drafted it would be for his outstanding special teams play. Belichick, being one of the coaches most outspoken on importance of special teams, nabbed Slater in the fifth round and the rest has been history.

It’s difficult to quantify in statistics why Slater is such an important member of the Pats, but he has orchestrated the kickoff and punt units as a captain for many years in a New England uniform and has consistently made an impact on an important phase of the game. His locker room presence also cannot be left out, as he’s one of the most respected players in New England by players and coaching staff alike.

Honorable Mention: Marcus Cannon

Round 6

Nate Ebner - Safety/Special Teams - Ohio State

2012 NFL Draft - Round 6 - Pick 197

Yeah, it’s been a slow sixth round for the past ten years. Ebner has been a great special teams player, and a long time Patriot, but this shows the Pats lack of success in the late round more than anything. If this list were extending to Belichick’s entire coaching career with the Patriots, there may be another 6th round pick (and just two selections later than Ebner) that could be considered here, but as it stands Ebner is the best of the bunch.

Largely known as a rugby player, Ebner entered the NFL draft with no fanfare, and a large contingent of people hadn’t really ever heard of him. So much so that Ebner actually does not possess an NFL.com draft profile. It’s likely that Nate would have gone undrafted and potentially never made in the NFL without Belichick taking a chance on the Ohio State project late in the 2012 draft,but it has panned out quite well for the special teams unit of the Patriots.

His athleticism has allowed the Patriots to create some trickery on punt situations (recently shown during the fake punt against the Dolphins this prior season), but Ebner has not been able to play any meaningful snaps at the safety position. He’s not terrible bothered by it, however, as Nate has made it clear multiple times that he thrives on special teams play and self-professes that he might have “a couple screws loose.” He’s no Tom Brady, but he’s a decent draft success in a round in which the Patriots haven’t had many in the past decade.

Honorable Mention: Elandon Roberts

Round 7

Julian Edelman - Quarterback/Wide Receiver - Kent State

2009 NFL Draft - Round 7 - Pick 23

As if there was any doubt. There are few more inspiring draft stories than that of Julian Edelman. He emerged as the next great slot receiver in a lineage that includes the greatest slot receiver of all time, Wes Welker. While Welker was undrafted, Edelman was a quarterback in college and was largely expected to be a playmaker on special teams in the NFL. His work ethic and fierce determination have formed him into what he is today, one of the top wide receivers in the league.

Despite being a successful college quarterback, Edelman was largely asked to try out at wide receiver in the run-up to the 2009 NFL draft. While his experience was lacking at the position, good measurables and shows of athleticism put him on a couple teams radars. Despite this, Edelman nearly went undrafted before the Patriots snagged him late in the seventh round.

In terms of pure value, it’s tough to think of a Patriot player not named Tom Brady drafted by the Patriots in the 6th-7th rounds under Belichick that provides a higher return-on-investment. Julian is an absolute standout player who has made his presence known as a hero on the grandest of stages twice in his career, propelling the Patriots to two Super Bowl victories (and arguably the true MVP of Super Bowl 49). If Patriots fans are still feeling down about the conclusion of the previous season, it doesn’t take more than the prospect of Edelman returning to drive hype for the upcoming 2018 campaign.

Honorable Mention: Alfonzo Dennard

And that’s that, hopefully this has proven illuminating at how talent can come and impact a team from any round. The Patriots have built the success that they have enjoyed in large part to draft success stories that have come manifest in a number of players we couldn’t imagine the team without today. Any given player taken by the Pats can turn out to be the next Devin McCourty or Julian Edelman, and that’s truly what makes the draft so exciting. With a large catalog of high picks in the draft next week, the Patriots will be looking to bring in new faces, new fan favorites, and, hopefully, new Super Bowl heroes.

Go Pats.

#Patriots #New England #Football #Sports #NFL #sports journalism #Tom brady #Julian Edelman #Devin McCourty #Rob Gronkowski #Gronk #Brady #Belichick #Robert Kraft #James White #Logan Ryan #Matthew Slater #Nate Ebner #New England Patriots

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junker-town · 4 years

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3 modest suggestions to rebrand VAR

Tottenham-Manchester City showed that the term “VAR” isn’t quite up to the chaos that video replay wreaks on sports.

Hello, and welcome back to Tactically Naive, SB Nation’s weekly soccer column. We begin with a confession: didn’t even make it to halftime of the Super Bowl. Disgraceful.

State of the VARt

The Premier League is getting desperate. Once, it drew viewers in with thrilling title races. Now, as Liverpool canter away into the distance, it is forced to stoop to offering low farce and cheap hilarity.

Which suits Tactically Naive fine, of course. We’ve always preferred low farce and cheap hilarity to good football. As such, Manchester City’s visit to Tottenham was everything we could have hoped for. Jose Mourinho clowning around. Pep Guardiola looking angry and stressed. A debut goal for a young lad who was so excited he forgot how to celebrate. City thumping Spurs by 19 shots to three; Spurs mugging City, 2-0.

And then there was VAR. It was a big day for the Premier League’s eye in the sky. First the video referee declined to upgrade Raheem Sterling’s mistimed tackle/ankle stamp from yellow to red. Mourinho was upset about this. Then a penalty was given some two minutes after the relevant incident, though Hugo Lloris saved it. Mourinho was pleased.

But! After making that save, the ball ran loose, and Sterling pounced. Lloris scrambled out, and intercepted Sterling (or the ball, or both, or neither depending who you ask). Again to VAR, but no penalty this time. Mourinho: pleased. Until he realised that Sterling could have picked up a second yellow for diving, which sent his mood swinging right back round to upset again. Honestly, being Mourinho seems exhausting.

One of the oddities of VAR is the way it sounds, in coverage and conversation. Tactically Naive is as guilty as anybody here, but calling VAR “VAR” does rather hint at something grander and more sinister than what we actually have. VAR is just another referee, watching television. With this in mind, Tactically Naive is beginning a campaign to rename VAR to something better. Here are some options.

”Another referee, watching television”

It’s not as catchy as “VAR”, perhaps, but it’s a whole lot more reflective of what’s actually going on.

One of the odd things about football — as opposed to other sports that employ video refereeing, such as rugby and cricket — is that it has barely tried to humanize the officials behind the screen. You don’t get to hear their voices, and you get only the vaguest pictures of them hard at work.

This is exacerbated in the Premier League by a widespread refusal to consult pitch-side monitors. On TV, pictures appear and lines are drawn. In the stadium, nothing. The on-field referee holds his hand to his ear. The optics are conspiratorial.

Just think how much more ordinary, and so much less enraging, VAR could be if this went out over the tannoy: “Hi, Mike. What do you reckon?” “Hi, Mike. Hang on, just having a look.” “No worries.” “There we go. Hmm. Roll that back again? Yeah, not a red for me, Mike.” “Thanks, Mike.” “Pleasure. Best of luck with the rest of the game.”

Sure, you could still disagree with the decision. But at least you’d know you were disagreeing with a couple of human beings and not some vast all-measuring supercomputer.

”The Panopticon”

Or perhaps the best way around “VAR” is to lean into it Big Brother-ness. We’d need to tweak things here, just a little. The Panopticon should make one or two inexplicable, unexplained decisions early in every game. Nothing serious, of course. Reverse a throw-in award here; order a corner retake there. Just enough so that everybody on the field and in the stands knows that the Panopticon might be watching.

And then, after everything that happens, an agonising wait. Will a decision come? It might. Oh, it might. It might … nope, not this time. The big red eye has passed on.

Obviously we’d need a giant red eye, but that shouldn’t prove too much trouble.

While “The Panopticon” might not give us confidence in regards to replays ability to make “correct decisions,” it would helpfully anchor the sense of paranoia that all football fans have towards officialdom in general. This, paradoxically, might calm everything down a bit. When you suspect you’re the victim of a vast and sprawling conspiracy, you get a little jumpy. But when you know you are? Then you can relax and enjoy the game.

A side benefit would be that video referees, having established their supervision early, can sneak out of the game early to get on with something more useful. You don’t need the Panopticon to be watching all the time, after all. You just need the possibly-watched to know that they’re being possibly-watched. Get the referees out volunteering a doing some good.

”Mike Dean”

Or perhaps we should go further still. Mourinho, Guardiola, Sterling — they gave it a go, but the most compelling presence on the pitch this Sunday was, of course, Mike Dean, who remains undefeated and will rule the Barclays forever.

There will be no better passage of play this season than Dean booking Toby Alderweireld and then stalking through a crowd of terrified players, yellow card in hard, looking for his second victim. Players bug-eyed in fear. Raheem Sterling whispering prayers. A stadium and a nation quivering in anticipation.

Where is he going? His card’s still out. It’s Sterling! He’s going to send Sterling off! Pep’s going to pop! No, no, he’s passed Sterling. What the hell— Oleg Zinchenko! Obviously!

So let’s call VAR “Mike Dean” and be done with it. The man can carry on refereeing; it’s the myth we need. Set him up as an explanatory black box above English football: incidents go into Mike Dean, decisions come out, and neither you nor Tactically Naive needs to actually know the mechanisms. We think we want decisions to be right, but we don’t; we want decisions to feel appropriate. And there is nothing so appropriate to the Premier League as Mike Dean.

Insert tab A into slot B

Lionel Messi did something ridiculous this weekend. Nothing new there, perhaps, but still: he’s the greatest footballer ever and we’ll miss him when he’s gone. And this weekend’s particular slice of ridiculousness was a through-ball to the feet of Ansu Fati, just 17. It comes with an overtone of torch-passing. One day, all this will be yours.

No pressure, lad. Anyway, here’s the pass. Look at this thing. Look at it.

A quickfire double from Ansu Fati! The 17-year-old has Barca 2-0 up and in complete control What a pass from Messi to set the first goal up too! pic.twitter.com/jrbf7dbUmX

— Premier Sports (@PremierSportsTV) February 2, 2020

First there’s the gap. It must be lonely, being Messi, knowing that you can see things that mere humans cannot. There’s 11 Levante players on the pitch here who know that there’s no gap in their defence; and then there’s Messi, insisting that there is. Look! It’s right there! You just have to do this!

[does something impossible]

And then there’s the urgency within the pass itself. Good passes find players in useful spaces. Great passes — and this is a great pass — find players in useful spaces and then tell them what to do next. The instructions for completion are included; all the receiving player has to do is follow the simple steps. You just need to provide your own screwdriver. Er, feet.

This is Tactically Naive’s Flatpack Furniture Theory of Footballing Brilliance. Here we see Fati put together the MESSI in just a few simple steps, needing no special tools. What could possibly be easier?

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torentialtribute · 5 years

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The only way to win a World Cup! (In a maelstrom of emotion, energy and pure elation)

England won the World Cup and then lost it. And then won it. And then it lost. And won it again. And lost it. And then won it. Because keep this time.

Hands on the trophy, the full part. It was, it is reasonable to say, insane. For some reason it is always when England abolishes world domination in the field of sport

Remember 1966, and the helpful Russian linesman. Germany still debates its validity 53 years later. The next time, Jonny Wilkinson in 2003. From 14-5 leading against Australia in Sydney during the break, 14-14 when the final whistle blew and 20-17 ahead of what was actually the last kick of the game. And then this.

England conquered New Zealand under the most dramatic conditions to win the World Cup most dramatic conditions to win the World Cup "

England conquered New Zealand under the most dramatic conditions to win the World Cup

The first Cricket World Cup decided by a super-over, a result as expected and trusted, commentators received crash courses in how it worked seconds before it returned to the microphone.

In fact, the super not even ended these teams, it was a draw, just like the game, and England eventually won the World Cup because they reached more boundaries than New Zealand combined in their 51.

Perhaps we hear more about that release in the aftermath.New Zealand, remember, was the nation that wanted three points for sanctions on rugby. bring it back to one when Wilkinson was at its peak. They won't be happy with this either.

Nor the ricochet that somehow brought England back into a game that seemed lost in the final phase of what could be called normal time. Ben Stokes hit Trent Boult for one, went for two, and dives to make his ground, unintentionally distracted Martin Guptill & # 39; s pitch from his bat and the boundary line for four: six.

Accidentally led Martin Guptill off his bat and out for four [BenStokes(left)ledanunintentionalattackbyMartinGuptilluit<imgid="i-48f2d6354cf13395"src"https://idailymailcouk/1s/2019/07/14/22/16045292-0-image-a-9_1563139214481jpg"height="423"width="634"alt="<imgid="i-48f2d6354cf13395"src="https://idailymailcouk/1s/2019/07/14/22/16045292-0-image-a-9_1563139214481jpg"height="423"width="634"alt="BenStokes(left)unintentionallyledMartinGuptill'spitchfromhisbatandoutforfourhisbatandoutforfour

New Zealand complained that the acci I had the ball dead, but that is not true. Stokes had not looked at the throw as much as he crawled to the end of the guard.

He did not want to make contact, let alone score four. This was indeed a fluke. And the rules state that the ball stays in play under these circumstances.

Look, nobody says that England was not lucky. But they were unfortunate, not Machianistic. It was not even a decision of the referees. It is just one of the strange deviations from cricket.

As a method to tie the tie that went beyond England's side. If the competition had returned to wickets taken over 50 overs, it would seem more logical and that was the case in the one-day matches that New Zealand would have won. England was completely out for the last ball.

So swings and roundabouts. And swings. And roundabouts. And then many more swings. And a few good roundabouts.

On the other side of the capital, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic played an epic five-fold final from Wimbledon, but here every individual was fascinated by what was for the most part a low score, fairly low quality game of cricket, of which many claimed it could put the sport back two decades by being broadcast for free.

New Zealand scored above 250 only once in this tournament and did not reach it on Sunday – allowing optimists within the Lord & # 39; s environment to speculate that the cricket was quite literally home now .

A reverie that was quickly expelled by the batsmen of England was bogged down by a slow wicket and an attack on bowling in New Zealand, which stoically defended low in the league. Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow (photo) could not send England to their usual 50 "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>

Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow (photo) could not send England to

Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow (photo) could not send England to their usual 50

Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow could not send England to their usual 50 for the first wicket and by the time Joe Root played the type of shot that was ashamed of tail rabbit, it was clear that the exciting afternoon was ahead of us.

Well, tense, maybe it doesn't do it justice Think juggling explosive devices On a cord While trying to catch grapefruits In your underpants That kind of tension was what the Lord enveloped like the stock market of England

It's the hope that kills you, it's cliché, but with on this occasion every ball did the v for someone. Swing and hit: we have this. Swing and miss: we are doomed. It was not only that England lost valuable wickets, but that the bowlers in New Zealand had caught them in a slow, debilitating, cold oblivion.

The run rate intensified and even the coming together of Stokes and Jos Buttler for an eternal partnership could not completely dispel the feelings of unrest. If one of them fell, people whispered, the World Cup could be lost again.

Then one of them did that. Butler ran forwards to replace Tim Southee with a deep cover and omit England, as 46 points went from five overs. Achievable, but far from guaranteed.

And every time a border was struck, the spirits went up and people danced folk in the aisles and, yes, that included some MCC members. And then, every time a wicket fell – and enough in this furious climax – the shoulders collapsed and the spirits were moistened, and pessimists came to the conclusion that England would again fall short in the World Cup final. Stokes (right) and Jos Buttler (left) set up an eternal partnership when England needed it "class =" blkBorder img-share "/>

Stokes (right) and Jos Buttler (left) and Jos Buttler (left) set up an eternal partnership when England needed it "<img id =" i-ee0d320bc4c61f62 "src =" https://ift.tt/2RO5vlL 14/22 / 16037700-0-image-a-13_1563139455848.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-ee0d320bc4c61f62" src = "https://i.dailymail.co .uk / 1s / 2019/07/14/22 / 16037700-0-image-a-13_1563139455848.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" (left) established an eternal partnership when England needed it had

Three, here – including one on this turf. But losing New Zealand with the alleged best one-day side of the world would especially hurt. And then the border would be crossed and it would be decided, hey, these guys could do it anyway.

It was an insane, schizophrenic existence. One moment higher up, the next lower. Was it like that in 1966? Sir Alf Ramsey, it is said, told the players after 90 minutes that they had won the World Cup eleven, now they had to go out and do it again, so emotions had to be looked at several times.

There was certainly in 2003, when all momentum seemed to be going with Australia in extra time, until Wilkinson achieved timely clarity of purpose.

Perhaps that is the only way to win a world Cup: in a whirlwind of emotion and energy, and fear and elation.

And there were no reports of victims, beyond fingernails bitten by the fast ones, of bladders being violated by those who steadfastly refused the call of nature in case they missed a single moment.

Mathematics also grew more easily, as always with one-day cricket; 59 out of seven – oh come on, who knows sevens – became 24 out of two and finally 15 out of one.

And when Stokes hit sixth Boult & # 39; s third – and then got the ricochet six next ball – Lord & # 39; s momentarily became a Box Box Park a year ago, minus the beer showers because, it's cricket and we have has standards.

<img id = "i-99feb6162d647182" src = "https://ift.tt/2JJop9P -14_1563139662210.jpg "height =" 434 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-99feb6162d647182" src = "https://ift.tt/2lhXgCp 22 / 16045424-0-image-a-14_1563139662210.jpg "height =" 434 "width =" 634 "alt =" Busy on Trafalgar Square in the final produced a nail-biting finish "

Crowds on Trafalgar Square watch closely while the final produced a nail-biting finish

<img id = "i-47a76d1a5902bf60" src = "https://i.dailymail.co. uk / 1s / 2019/07/14/22 / 16040140-0-image-a-15_1563139756857.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" The English played around the field to explode the fireworks "players sung around the field to celebrate the fireworks exploded "

Yet New Zealand even tied the brilliant Stokes in that last lifetime to force the World Cu p & # 39; s first super over, a concept that would not even have crossed the minds of those who first drafted the rules for this competition five decades ago.

And again, it was won and lost and won and lost. Won when Butler and Stokes made eight times from Boult & # 39; s first three deliveries; lost as the next two; won when it became clear that New Zealand needed 16 off six balls for the win and Jofra Archer had never admitted that much in a one-day game;

And then, with the last game, deliriously, thrillingly, delightfully, won again: with the last game of the first ball no return. Roy the fielder, stopped the second, the scores were equal with 15-15, everyone in the ground now realized that this meant that England would become world champion.

The players were cheering around the field in honor of the fireworks, and the gigantic screen conveyed the message: the decision pending. Another gut-churning twist? Not this time. It was not the best pitch, but Guptill was eliminated. Way out. And England was home. Way home. Just like cricket finally.

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#The only way to win a World Cup! (In a maelstrom of emotion #energy and pure elation)"

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junker-town · 7 years

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8 things to watch in NFL’s Week 7: Steelers and Bengals will probably get rowdy

Adrian Peterson is looking for his 100th rushing TD in a later London game, Brett Hundley officially takes over in Green Bay, and the Falcons-Patriots rematch is here.

No rivalry in the NFL has been more heated — and filled with nasty hits, both legal and not — than Steelers-Bengals. With both teams trending upward in Week 7, this AFC North showdown should be as vicious as ever.

After an 0-3 start, Cincinnati has won its last two games, albeit against the Browns and Bills. The Steelers bounced back from a resounding loss to the Jaguars by handing the Chiefs their first defeat of the season. With only the Browns out of the race for an underwhelming division title, Sunday’s game could be pivotal when it comes to setting January’s playoff field.

Which is bad news for the referees who’ll have to work in Pittsburgh Sunday afternoon. Big games bring out the worst when these two franchises meet. Look no further than the last time they met in the playoffs, where they combined for 18 penalties and Vontaze Burfict’s head-hunting shot on Antonio Brown awarded the Steelers all the field position they’d need to escape Ohio with a victory.

Burfict, a connoisseur of dirty hits and bad judgment, was quick to point out Pittsburgh’s more questionable plays earlier this season. There was an egregious one last week, for which Steelers safety Mike Mitchell has been fined heavily.

That's about as dirty as it gets, Mike Mitchell. http://pic.twitter.com/piPXole7hS

— Dan Hanzus (@DanHanzus) October 15, 2017

Knowing this rivalry, there will be more fines coming for both teams.

The NFL will play a London game that isn’t butt early

After playing the first two NFL London games at Wembley Stadium this season, American football will return to Twickenham Stadium, home to the English National Rugby Union Team. The sport debuted at the venue, located in southwest London, in 2016 as the Giants outlasted the Rams in a sloppy 17-10 slog in which Los Angeles turned the ball over four times.

The Rams can redeem themselves in front of a United Kingdom crowd Sunday when they take on the Cardinals for a primetime -- in London, at least — game. A 7 p.m. start time means Sunday’s game in England won’t force West Coast fans to wake up at 6 a.m. to watch a key divisional matchup.

The fans at Twickenham will get a rare treat when this week’s edition of overseas football features two teams with non-losing records. Los Angeles, at 4-2, can keep its hold on the top spot in the NFC West with a victory. Arizona, fighting off Father Time thanks to a roster whose three top skill players — Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald, and Adrian Peterson — are a combined 104 years old, is working to build off last week’s 38-point explosion vs. Tampa Bay.

Peterson, recently acquired from New Orleans, was a major factor in that offensive surge, recording his first 100-yard rushing game since 2015 and adding a pair of touchdowns. He’ll be looking to repeat that performance in a familiar location — the future Hall of Famer had four carries for 4 yards when the Saints played the Dolphins in London back in Week 4.

Will the Falcons actually run the dang ball this week?

The Falcons could have walked away with a win in Super Bowl LI if they had just been willing to run the ball in the fourth quarter with an eight-point lead. Atlanta was within comfortable field goal range for kicker Matt Bryant and had four downs to play with.

The first down call was a handoff to Devonta Freeman, who lost a yard. The second and third down play calls were both passes. A sack and a costly penalty knocked the Falcons out of field goal range. They were forced to punt, and you know how the rest of that turned out.

A rematch against the Patriots is looming this week, and the Falcons have an opportunity to make people slow down with the 28-3 jokes. It’s a down year for the Patriots defense, which is ranked dead last in the league and allowing 440.7 yards per game. The run defense comes in at No. 20, with an average of 115.8 yards allowed per game.

The Falcons have one of the best running back tandems in the league in Freeman and Tevin Coleman. That dynamic duo is averaging 120.6 yards per contest, and they should be able to get it done on the ground against the Patriots. If they can balance out Atlanta’s offensive attack to open things up for the pass, Matt Ryan and his receivers could have a field day against the Patriots.

Get ready for a controversial call in Seahawks-Giants

Tony Corrente has led the most talked-about officiating crew in the NFL this fall. It’s not just that Corrente is responsible for a league-high 15.8 flags per game — it’s that he’s found his way behind several controversial calls along the way.

The latest was last week’s non-touchdown in the Patriots Jets game. Austin Seferian-Jenkins appeared to have rolled into the end zone to cut New England’s fourth-quarter led to three points, but Corrente’s crew ruled he fumbled the ball before regaining control after he’d crashed out of bounds. The call gave the Pats the ball at their own 20-yard line and cost New York its best shot at an upset win.

On Sunday, the Seahawks and Giants will be the beneficiary of the Corrente random event generator. Seattle is pretty familiar with Corrente’s end-zone turnover nonsense. His crew was behind the Lions-Seahawks game when Calvin Johnson’s goal-line fumble was batted out of the end zone by K.J. Wright — and failed to call the obvious penalty that would have given Detroit possession at the end of a close game.

How will the Packers accommodate Brett Hundley for his first NFL start?

The Green Bay backup will be the center of attention Sunday when the Packers play their first game without Aaron Rodgers in the lineup since 2013. Hundley has been a part of the organization since 2015 and had inspired confidence after three years of solid preseason performances. Unfortunately for the Pack, his first real NFL action went poorly — 157 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions against the Vikings.

Typically a date with the Saints defense would be the perfect spot to make adjustments. Unfortunately for Hundley, New Orleans’ pass defense suddenly looks like it has patched up the problems that have plagued the second half of Sean Payton’s tenure. The Saints have only allowed 24 offensive points in their past two games in wins against the Lions and Dolphins, forcing four interceptions in the process.

Hundley will have the advantage of a week’s preparation and a raucous home crowd this week, but his inability to throw passes on-target leaves him with plenty of questions about his viability as a starting quarterback. That could be all the New Orleans defense needs to feast again in Week 7.

Adrian Peterson is one away from his 100th rushing TD

Adrian Peterson looked cooked in recent stints with the Vikings and Saints. From the start of an injury-riddled 2016 season to the day he was traded from New Orleans to Arizona, the future Hall of Famer had averaged just 2.4 yards per carry. It looked like time had finally caught up to the 32-year-old tailback.

And then, behind one of the league’s worst offensive lines, Peterson exploded for 134 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He’s only played one game as a Cardinal, and he’s already the team’s leading rusher.

On Sunday, he’ll have the chance to do it again against the Rams and the league’s 29th-ranked rushing defense. With one jaunt into the end zone, he can become just the ninth player in NFL history to score 100 rushing touchdowns. The triple-digit club is full of superstars like Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton, and Jim Brown. Peterson’s extensive career has always suggested he be mentioned in the same breath as those legends. In Week 7, he can prove it.

C.J. Beathard gets the reins in San Francisco

The 49ers saw their quarterback of the future on the field in Week 6. The question is whether it was rookie C.J. Beathard or Washington starter Kirk Cousins.

Beathard, a third-round pick this April, is a low-risk developmental passer San Francisco is hoping can develop into a bonafide starter. He provided a spark last week in his first snaps as a pro, leading San Francisco back from a 17-0 deficit before eventually falling to Washington in a two-point defeat. The Iowa product ran out of steam late in the game but showed enough to supplant Brian Hoyer as the team’s starter.

Now he’ll have a 10-game audition to stake his claim as a franchise building block before what promises to be a busy offseason for general manager John Lynch. The Niners are careening toward the bottom of a 2018 draft class loaded with quarterback talent, and Cousins seems destined to finally hit the free agent market once the books close on the 2017 season. San Francisco will have several options at quarterback in three months — even though right now it’s only got the two.

Beathard will have to impress against a tough Dallas team, and it’s not difficult to question his potential. The rookie wasn’t utilized much in college. In his senior season at Iowa, he threw for just 148 yards per game. Still, he’s in the driver’s seat when it comes to the 49ers’ offense — he just has to take advantage of Sunday’s massive opportunity.

Can any of the Jets’ defensive linemen finally get a sack?

Late in the preseason, the Jets swapped out defensive lineman Sheldon Richardson for Seahawks receiver Jermaine Kearse. It was a move that finally delivered a legitimate receiving threat to a talent-starved depth chart. It also depleted one of the NFL’s least effective defensive lines — and it shows.

New York has played 602 defensive snaps and still has yet to get a sack from any of its defensive linemen. That leaves a pair of Pro Bowlers — Leonard Williams and Muhammad Wilkerson — wondering how things got so bad. The Jets have just seven sacks through six games this fall, and all have come from either linebackers or defensive backs.

Head coach Todd Bowles has chalked the failure up front to an equally unsuccessful rush defense.

"If we stop the run a little better, we can rush the passer a little more," Bowles said. "Right now, we have some spurts where we did and then had some spurts where we didn't, so we just have to be more consistent at it and the pass rush will be there."

On Sunday, they’ll have the chance to sack the mostly immobile Jay Cutler behind a Miami offensive line that’s allowed sacks on nearly six percent of his dropbacks. However, if it’s anything like the last time these teams met, the Jets’ defensive linemen will come away with another goose egg.

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junker-town · 7 years

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How Super Bowl media got to be so annoying

And a taxonomy of what a Super Bowl interview looks like.

A little more than a year ago, Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton shuffled up to the podium on the Wednesday before Super Bowl 50, fielded a question that was some variation of “What does it mean to you to be playing in the Super Bowl?,” sighed a deep, deep sigh, and said:

You know what’s confusing? How can I reword questions I’ve been asked so many times? Golly. Nothing pretty much has changed since I’ve seen you guys 24 hours ago. I had an unbelievable sleep, but yet I’m up here again. It’s cool. It’s like I don’t know how you want to say it. I sound like a broken record ...

Now, perhaps Newton should have seemed more grateful. After all, the only reason why he was giving a press conference for a third straight day was because he was about to star in one of the biggest sporting events on the planet. But bear in mind that fatigue is cumulative, and this wasn’t just about Super Bowl week. Newton also answered questions the week prior for local media, and before that every week during the regular season and playoffs because in 2015 he was simultaneously a) the NFL’s best player, and b) the NFL’s most controversial.

“At some point, man, you just get tired of the same questions, you're tired of talking about the other team,” safety Roman Harper, Newton’s teammate last season, told me. “For me, like the first year [with the New Orleans Saints], I was overhearing about who the Indianapolis Colts were, and how great their offense was, and Peyton Manning, and Marvin Harrison, and Reggie Wayne ... and that's all we talked about.

“You talk about these guys in a positive manner, because they definitely deserve to be there, but at some point you're just fed up.”

It’s OK not to like a player. Love and hate is sort of central to being a sports fan. No one should ever base that opinion on what players say during Super Bowl week, however.

In past years, if a player was gruff or refused to talk to media, the news cycle became a referendum on his character — or worse, a referendum on a generation of players and their sense of entitlement.

Which is weird: Who isn’t wary of giving away their thoughts to people they don’t know to be used out of their control?

This isn’t just my opinion, by the way. Jerry Green is one of three reporters to have attended all 50 Super Bowls as a sports writer. He remembers the kerfuffle that Marshawn Lynch created when he showed up to media day so he would get fined. It was nothing new for Green.

“I think if he doesn't want to talk, he doesn't have to,” Green told SB Nation. “It made me remember [1970-71 Dallas Cowboys running back] Duane Thomas, who had the same kind of situation.

“Thomas would be sitting on a bleacher seat wherever the Cowboys were training, and a bunch of us sat around him and tried to talk to him, and he remained stoically silent. Then he'd ask what time was it, and he'd find out and he could leave.”

The NFL mandates four set time periods when players have to face media during Super Bowl week — Opening Night on Monday and an availability session each day on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Things were much less regimented for Super Bowl I. Rather than meet players at tables in hotel ball rooms for a prescribed 45 minutes, reporters went to players’ individual hotel rooms whenever players had down time. Sometimes players didn’t want to talk, but when they did, their conversations with reporters tended to be more substantive than they are now.

The Super Bowl was much, much smaller then. Green remembers covering the game at a time when he wasn’t sure it would be popular enough to be played the following year. Since, he has watched the Super Bowl’s intimacy gradually erode.

“If you wanted to talk to [former commissioner] Pete Rozelle, you could call up and get one of the PR guys, and he gets you through,” Green said. “You see Rozelle, he knows who you are, he talks to you. He took a bunch of us out to dinner at a championship game in Washington. Things like that.

“Roger Goodell, I don't even know if he eats dinner.”

***

INTERLUDE: A taxonomy of the questions that reporters asked Patriots safety Patrick Chung on Wednesday

(paraphrased, and with variations)*

Questions about Atlanta’s offense (12)

What’s the best way to stop Atlanta’s offense? (4)

How do you contain Atlanta’s explosive receivers and running backs? (3)

What about Atlanta’s speed on offense? (1)

What did you learn about Matt Ryan this week? (1)

Does prepping against the Patriots’ two running backs every week help you prepare to play two running backs this week? (1)

What’s the hardest things about stopping Julio Jones? (1)

Is Julio Jones the best receiver you will play this season? (1)

Questions about Tom Brady (7)

How good is Tom Brady? (3)

How often did Tom Brady get picked off in practice? (1)

How do you think Tom Brady will be remembered? (1)

I heard Tom Brady say that it was nice to be on the practice field? (1)

How does playing against Tom Brady make you better? (1)

Questions about Bill Belichick (6)

What will be Bill Belichick’s biggest legacy? (2)

How is Bill Belichick such a consistent coach? (1)

How does Belichick separate intensity and relaxation during Super Bowl week? (1)

What is Steve Belichick like compared to his dad? (1)

What is the strangest thing you’ve seen Bill Belichick do in a game plan? (1)

Questions about non-Brady teammates (6)

What did it mean to hear Chris Long talk about making the playoffs? (1)

What were your impressions of Malcolm Butler today? (1)

What changed for Malcolm Butler after he made that Super Bowl interception? (1)

Are you sick of the whole Rutgers thing yet? (1)

What did you tell Eric Rowe when got to New England? (1)

What was it like watching LeGarrette Blount’s rugby-style run (1)

How are the Patriots a family as a team? (1)

Questions about the Patriots’ defense (6)

What is it about the Pats system that you can thrive in it? (1)

The Patriots defense is so multiple, how is that an advantage? (1)

What kind of player are you? What's your role? (1)

How would you describe your defense? (1)

How often are adjustments happening snap to snap? (1)

The Patriots do unconventional things in the secondary. How aware do you have to be? (1)

Questions about how Patrick Chung feels about this Super Bowl (5)

What makes this Super Bowl different? (1)

How is the training different here compared to Boston? (1)

What has been the highlight of your trip to the Super Bow? (1)

What is your biggest life lesson from making the Super Bowl? (1)

Is being at the NFL Super Bowl a dream come true? (1)

Questions about Mexico (4)

Are you excited there’s going to be a game in Mexico? (3)

Do you know some words in Spanish? (1)

Questions about how Patrick Chung is feeling (4)

Are you tired? (1)

What has this week felt like? (1)

Did it feel good to get on the field today? (1) [Answer: “Yeah, I actually got to play some football and not answer a bunch of questions.”]

How’s the week going so far? (1)

Are you having fun? (1)

Questions about Thailand (4)

Can say hi to our fans in Thailand? (1)

Have you ever had Thai food? (1)

Have you ever been to Thailand? (1)

Do you want to go to Thailand? (1)

Questions about winning the Super Bowl (3)

When celebrating in the locker room, how does Bob Kraft decide who gets a hug or hand shake? (1)

What would you do with your $100,000 for winning? (1)

What will it take to win on Sunday? (1)

Questions about Patrick Chung as a person (3)

What has been the influence of your parents? (1)

How have you matured from when you left the Patriots and came back? (1)

Who has impacted you most on this journey? (1)

My dumb questions for this story (1)

How do you deal with the frustration of answering the same questions all the time? (1)

Do you get bored and play games in your head? (1)

Do you like doing this in the morning or the evening better? (1)

*Note on methodology: If one reporter asked multiple questions that were all probing for the same answer, I counted it as one question. For example, “How good is Tom Brady? What makes Tom Brady so good? Is there anybody as good as Tom Brady?” all count once for “How good is Tom Brady?” Chung was asked more questions than are tallied here. This is not a peer reviewed study.

***

When I asked Green why it all changed, he blamed me.

“The difference is you. There was no such thing as blogging and Internet and all that, and very little television,” Green said. “We had time to get to know players personally. Especially during the season with the beat writers. I could go into the locker room whenever I wanted during the season, except the one time [1965-66 Detroit Lions head coach] Harry Gilmer got angry at me and threw me out.”

Gilmer got mad at Green for publishing comments by defensive tackle Alex Karras that disparaged the head coach. But despite the dust-up, Green was eventually allowed back in the locker room, and more. Reporters used to go to and from road games in the team plane, where they had even more one-on-one time with players and coaches.

It’s difficult to imagine reporters ever having the same candid interactions that Green had with players and coaches. He is one of the men in the famous photo of Joe Namath being interviewed poolside at his hotel before Super Bowl III. One of Green’s favorite stories is about a chance run-in with Vince Lombardi at the LA Coliseum after the NFL-champion Green Bay Packers had beaten the AFL-champion Kansas City Chiefs.

“Lombardi was flipping a football and he was asked if it was an NFL football. And he didn't answer,” Green recalled. “Then he flipped it again and he caught it, and the same question was asked. And it was asked a third time, and he caught it and looked at us and said: 'Yes, it's an NFL ball. And it runs better, it catches better, and it throws better, and damn it you made me say it.'”

Green has been a distinguished sports writer his entire he career. His experience and depth of historical knowledge makes him stand out even more today at a time when it is especially difficult to get substance out of simply interviewing people at the Super Bowl. Everything started going down hill beginning with Super Bowl III, according to Green, when the NFL introduced availability periods that reporters had to ride buses to attend.

Over the years, more and more reporters have shown up to the Super Bowl to spend less and less time with players who don’t have a choice whether they want they want to show up. The setup is bad for reporters, bad for players, and bad for anyone who wants to learn something meaningful about some of the best athletes in the world.

***

Asides from Patrick Chung’s last few minutes at the podium

5:07 p.m. CT

Chung: Yo, what time is it right now.

Me: 5:07

Chung: Oh my god.

Me: I’m cataloging all of these questions.

Chung: So we’ve got 8 minutes left? Jesus.

5:08 p.m. CT

Patriots Staffer: What’s going on, Patrick?

Chung: What up.

Staffer: Not much, I think we're almost out of here.

Chung: Thank god, I want to go to sleep, man.

Staffer: Long day?

Chung: Oh my god, I'm so tired. I went straight from practice, straight here, I had two drum stick chicken wings. And that's it.

Staffer: That's not enough.

Chung: After this I'm going to get myself a big ass meal.

5:11 p.m. CT

Staffer: What are you going to have?

Chung: Anything that's good, I'm going to eat it.

Staffer: I want some tacos.

Chung: I would love some tacos. Is there Mexican food around here?

Staffer: I don't know, I haven't had tacos yet since I've been here.

Chung: They have a lot of good Spanish places around here.

Me: What do they usually get you?

Chung: Like regular hotel food, like steak and chicken.

Staffer: You want some tacos, some barbecue.

Chung: I want some enchiladas.

Staffer: Yeah, are you an enchiladas guy?

Chung: I love enchiladas. They've got to be good, though. They can't be like --

Staffer: -- Yeah, anything that's sort of messy it has to be really good.

Chung: Yeah, the meat has to be good.

5:14 p.m. CT

Chung: Is it 5:15 yet?

Me: 5:14.

Chung: Fuck it, I'm out.

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