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Running in place
So almost every major sports site or outlet has some form of a story about Saquan Barkley not getting a contract extension and how running backs feel underappreciated.
Same with Josh Jacobs. Same with Tony Pollard in terms of signing long-term deals.
My thought is simple, and to quote John McClane: "Welcome to the party, pal."
Heck, Dalvin Cook and Ezekiel Elliott are looking for teams and both were bell cows very recently. Both feel like they are on the downside of their career arc, no? Wanna guess how old Cook and Elliott are?
Each is 27. Seriously.
Seriously, we have been discussing some form of the "running backs are interchangeable" theory for going on a decade, no?
Hard to believe that it was as recent as the 2005 draft that had three running backs in the first five picks with Ronnie Brown, Cedric Benson and Carnell Williams going 2, 4 and 5.
Heck, since 2015 there have been 12 running backs drafted in the first rounds combined, including the two earlier this spring.
(Side theory: That trend will reverse itself sooner rather than later, especially in the back half of round 1. Not that RBs are going to increase in value, but drafting an RB in round — like the Giants did with Barkley — gives the team a fifth year of control. For running backs, who age like whole milk and are injury-riddled by design, that fifth year is paramount.)
(Side theory, No. 2: I would draft a running back at least every other year and likely every year because of the attrition of the position.)
But where has everyone been? This is not a new theory. Rank the best runners by almost any metric, and other than Barkley and Christian McCaffrey, it's almost a certainty that those dudes were not first-rounders.
Moreover, think of the bona fide dudes at that position franchises have let walk. And how those franchises looked smart for letting them walk.
LeVeon Bell was one of the best players in the game. Poof.
Melvin Gordon was one of the best players in the game. Gone.
LaDainian Tomlinson was one of the best players in the game. See ya.
The list is lengthy, so it makes sense for the Giants to give Barkley a franchise tag and have him play on a one-year deal.
Sure, it's the opposite of loyal, but it is savvy.
It's also a direct reminder to all of us for those times when we want the stars of our favorite team to take a "home team" discount.
The Open Championship
So the British Open is this week. And we have questions. A full golf bag of them.
The Open feels like it's happening later this year than most years, no?
Who you got? Who you rooting for?
Is it wrong that I want a Rory-Phil pairing on the weekend?
It's interesting that Brooks Koepka played a practice round with U.S. Ryder Cup captain Zach Johnson, no?
Is it possible to read about the 17th hole — a short par 3 that has the best players in the world knocking their knees and gnashing their teeth — and not giggle when they discuss the penal areas?
No one wants to find themselves in the penal areas, folks.
Not sure who I am picking this week just yet, but as always, I'm rooting for Rory. And rooting against Rickie Fowler. (Because of the long-standing bet I have with our county mayor about who will win a major first, Rickie or Tommy Fleetwood. War Fleetwood.)
Two weeks and counting
July 31 — two weeks from yesterday — is the MLB trading deadline.
We have discussed the Braves' need of at least another starting pitcher and if it's truly World Series or nothing, another bullpen fireballer would be nice, too.
There will be contenders overpaying to also-rans for guys like Dylan Cease, Blake Snell or Cory Bellinger.
All of that is the sideshow.
Because this may be the most buzz-worthy trade deadline in recent memory and it all centers around Anaheim.
If you are the Angels — a game under .500 at 47-48 — you have to have serious conversations about trading a unicorn.
Shohei Ohtani will be a free agent after the season. He does not appear overly excited to stay with the Angels and play .500ish baseball, even for 500ish million dollars.
So the Angels could ask for the moon and potentially overhaul a farm system that has been relatively barren since Mike Trout came through. But dealing a player of Shohei's profile and caliber could put the Angels on that list of all-time front office nightmares with the Red Sox selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees, Minnesota making Dallas a dynasty by giving up the farm for Herschel or the Blazers passing on MJ.
Just when you thought watching Shohei — who hit a game-tying homer last night, his MLB-leading 35th of the season — could not be any more fun, now comes this.
Cue Ron Burgandy. Shohei Watch. Day 1.
This and that
— You know the rules, and truth be told, David Paschall is in his element this week at SEC media days. Here's his day 1 story on Bobby Petrino and some new OC faces around the league.
— Chuck Barkley is the man. Here he is challenging anyone to cancel him, and in truth, he's probably right.
— Ouch, indeed. A woman visiting Yellowstone was gored by a bison recently. Side question: How many verbs are more violent than "gored"?
Today's questions
True or false, it's Tuesday.
True or false, Chuck Barkley can't be canceled.
True or false, you would watch an old-timers home run derby.
True or false, if you were the GM of the Angels you would trade Shohei.
True or false, running backs are properly valued in today's NFL.
True or false, Nick Saban is going to blow a fuse — at something, anything — from the podium today in Nashville.
You know the drill. Answer some T or Fs, ask some T or Fs.
As for today, July 18, let's review.
Man, a terrible day in history. Rome started burning on this day in 64. (Not 1964. Just 64.) Nero watched.
Hitler published "Mein Kampf" on this day in 1925. Kim Jung-un was appointed supreme leader of North Korea on this day in 2012.
On the positive side, Nadia Comâneci scored the first 10 in Olympics gymnastics history on this day in 1976.
Vin Diesel is 56 today. Kristen Bell is 43.
Kelly Reilly — Beth from "Yellowstone" — is 46 today.
We could do the Rushmore of best shows on TV right now, but I'm not watching many currently running TV shows.
What about the Rushmore of violent-sounding verbs liked gored?
Either or. Heck, both if you want.