Cincinnati Bengals vs Los Angeles Rams. Joe Shiesty vs Matt Stafford. I am really not quite sure how this year’s Super Bowl will pan out. Many people believe the Rams will steamroll the Bengals with the elite pass rush of Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd, and Von Miller absolutely decimating a below-average offensive line. However, I believe Joe Burrow will somehow survive this defense pressure and only be sacked twice. It will be the passing game of the Rams that will win them this game. Having Cooper Kupp and OBJ will cause havoc in Cincinnati’s secondary. I believe both receivers go over 100 receiving yards and each score.
My Super Bowl MVP will go to Aaron Donald who will record both sacks for LA and will also have multiple tackles for loss, as well as a pass deflection and a forced fumble.
The final score will be 38 to 24 in favor of the Rams.
In my opinion the 2021 American League MVP should go to Vladimir (Vlad) Guerrero Jr.
Many will argue in favor of Royals catcher Salvador Perez or Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani. Perez and Ohtani both put up record breaking and setting numbers in 2021 but will both come up short in the AL MVP race.
Lets start with Perez. Salvador Perez put up ridiculous numbers, with a slash of .273/.316/.859. Perez also hit 48 home runs, breaking Red’s Hall of Fame catcher Johnny Bench’s prevision record of 45 home runs hit by a catcher. He also added in 121 RBI’s and 169 hits(72 of them for extra bases). Perez also played his usual gold glove caliber defense behind the plate, but it is a hot bat that will land the All-Star catcher 3rd in the 2021 AL MVP race
Shohei Ohtani is unique, a phenomenon, an a unicorn. This year Ohtani did something no one has ever done in the history of baseball. Pitch at an All-Star level and hit at an All-Star level, he was selected to the American League All-Star team as both a pitcher and a hitter. Let’s start with the pitching; Ohtani started 23 games for the Anaheim Angels going 9-2 with a 3.18 ERA, he threw 130.1 innings, while striking out 156 batters. His ERA and strikeout numbers are excellent, placing him within the top 20 for strikeouts among AL pitchers. Now Ohtani the hitter is a different animal. Ohtani hit a respectable .257, but it is his rare combination of power and speed that makes his offensive game so special. He hit 46 home runs and drove in 100 while also stealing 26 bases and leading all of MLB in triples with 8. His elite pitching and hitting makes him a specimen, but he will fall just short in the AL MVP race.
Vlad Jr. arguably had the greatest season a 22 year old could ever have. Guerrero Jr. was the most complete hitter in 2021, he hit for power and average while having the ability to drive in runners at a high clip and maintaining an elite on-base percentage. Vlad slugged an impressive .311/.401/1.002 along with leading the league with 48 home runs, tacking on 111 RBI’s and 188 hits; he lead the AL in 5 of the 13 major offensive categories. His impressive age 22 seasons was capped with a 3rd place finish in the Al east and he lead the youthful Toronto Blue Jays to a well above average record of 91-71, missing the playoffs by a game. Guerrero Jr. was awarded All-Star game MVP at this year’s mid-summer classic in Colorado and we will take home American League MVP following the completion of the world series.
Here are my NBA awards and playoff bracket predictions
League MVP: There are many options for MVP such as Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. But my pick this year is none other than Stephen Curry from the Golden State Warriors. Curry lead the league in scoring last year along with averaging 5 boards and 5 assists. He should’ve taken home the award last year but the Warriors missed the playoffs by game which was the biggest knock on his 2020-2021 campaign. This year the Warriors will most likely have a high seed in the west due to incoming rookies Mose Moody and Johnathan Kuminga providing much needed help off the bench; and most importantly the return of all-star shooting guard, and co-splash bro Klay Thompson. Thompson will provide much needed assistance to the Warriors back court. Klay Thompson with bring out the best of Stephen Curry in this upcoming season.
Rookie of the Year: Rookie of the Year is an easy pick; Jalen Green out of Houston. Green will get to play both the 1 and 2 guard positions for the Rockets this year allowing him to have the ball in his hands for most of the game. Having the ball in his hands not only gives him the free range to create his own shot it also allows for him to be a playmaker. Houston with out a doubt will find themselves in the bottom of the western conference but at least they have a franchise player in Jalen Green.
Most Improved Player of the Year: The player who’s game that will elevate the most will be Michael Porter Jr. Porter Jr recently signed a 5 year max-extension worth up to $207 million; not only will he have to prove he is worth a two hundred million dollar contract he will also have to prove that he can be a leader on this Denver Nugget team. The Nuggets will be without point guard Jamal Murray this year so Porter Jr will have the opportunity to take more shots and elevate to an all-star wing he was projected to be coming out of the University of Missouri.
Defensive Player of the Year: This year’s DPOY will be Anthony Davis. Anthony Davis, or AD for short, should’ve taken home the award in the 2019-2020 season. Davis has a chip on his shoulder coming into the 2021-2022 season, AD missed most of last year due to injury and was given the nickname “Anthony Day-To-Day Davis” via the ruthless nba followers on Twitter. AD will not only remind everyone the type of player he is, he will surpass everyone’s expectations for him. I believe this year will be AD’s career year due to the fact that the Lakers added another Hall of Fame playmaker to their roster in Russell Westbrook, brought back legendary point guard Rajon Rondo, and have some guy named LeBron James as well. Davis’s defense will be a key part in the Lakers hunt for their 18th title.
6th Man of the Year: This award will go to Jordan Clarkson out of Utah. It’s his award to lose and nobody is as consistent as Clarkson when coming off the bench. There’s not much to say for JC as he knows his role on the Jazz; fucking score the basketball. And he does, he does it very well so he’ll find himself adding another 6th Man of the Year trophy to his award case.
Coach of the Year: What team/coach fits the NBA’s narrative for the 2021-2022 season. I like Nate McMillan from Atlanta.
Today, two of my toenails fell off after my final season of track here at Ojai Valley School.
My roommate and I were talking about this to our coach (thebrownguy) and we were discussing how it is almost a badge of honor to have toenails that fall off. It shows our character and dedication in running, that despite the pain that comes with running, we give it our all.
My roommate’s toenail fell off a few days ago.
Now, let me tell you, this girl can run.
She was a new student this year and came to take advantage of the track team at our school. Her previous school did not have track as a sport. Now, for a girl who had no prior official track team training, she did fantastic.
My roommate broke several personal records, brought home multiple first place medals, broke a meet record, and even took the title of Condor League MVP this season. But this is not the crowning point in her high school track career. She ran at the CIF preliminary meet, placed second in her heat, and qualified for finals.
She is one of the most dedicated people I know. And dedication is not something you can fake. When I look at her run, its inspiring. The way she pushes herself to the hardest during practice and the way she takes such tender care of her feet afterwards is just fantastic. There is nobody I know that is as dedicated as her. And all of that dedication stems from her pure love for the sport. She loves running. And that is what makes her good.
Now, my roommate can be hard on herself sometimes but I hope when she reads this, she realizes how great she actually is.
She will only get better as she gets older. College is going to be fantastic for you. I just can’t wait to see how well you do, even in your first year in college. I know you will go on to do such great things!
And so back to the topic of toenails. Now that we have established them to be badges of honor, you deserve to have all of your toenails fall off.
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