Happy New Year, Middle Tennessee! The Train Daddy is back. It’s a new year but I am still here, still bringing sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk to you, the loyal readers.
Let’s remember 2017 as we streak into 2018. Let the good times roll, my brothers and sisters! Let’s do a double take and look back on a year that made the snowflakes cringe.
Old Man Brady defies time. He did in 2017, and the 40-year-old MVP front-runner will probably continue to do so in 2018. Early 2017 started off with Brady’s amazing comeback in Super Bowl 51 vs. The Falcons. Hate them or love them, the Pats are dominant.
Thank the Lord, Hank and all his rowdy friends are back! Six years after comparing Obama to a llama—I mean Adolf Hitler—he’s back! I don’t care what he said, as long as he is saying “are you ready for some football?” . . . though they did mess with the legendary song. Come on, you guys had to add a hip-hop vibe to the tune? It’s freaking HANK!
2017 was most notably the year of Trump. That’s right, the brash, narcissistic businessman is now President Trump. He is a character, and at times I’m embarrassed for him. He is childish, never will admit he is wrong even when wrong and picks fights with anyone not willing to bow down to his ways. That said, I am a man who leans towards the more conservative values, so anything was better than Hillary, and I still feel that way!
2017 is also the year Trump took on the NFL, and not for the first time, either. Back in the ’80s many blamed Trump for the downfall of the then-successful USFL. Greed led to decisions that ended a good thing. Then in 2014 Trump attempted to buy the Buffalo Bills, lost the bid and then tweeted that the league was soft and boring and was glad he didn’t buy. Now in 2017 President Trump, upset with players disrespecting the flag, decided to take on NFL Commissioner Goodell, owners and players. The league widely condemned Trump, just as the fans widely condemned players kneeling.
Between players kneeling and the NFL experiencing declining ratings, let’s hope all parties can get back on point for 2018. Players, shut up and play. Mr. President, shut up and be presidential. And sports networks, shut up and cover sports.
2017 was a good year for Taiwan: no more eating dog or cat, it’s illegal now! Taiwan becomes the first Asian country to pass a law making it illegal to eat dog meat. I thought the food at the Taiwanese restaurant where I eat tasted different.
Oh yeah, someone told me there was a war on Christmas in 2017. Did we win? I think we won. I mean I had a great Christmas, I said Merry Christmas a lot, I heard Merry Christmas said a lot, so all is well, right? I mean, honestly, I never realized there was anything sinister going on surrounding Christmas, but I’ve been assured the war on Christmas is won!
What else will 2017 be remembered for? Well, sexual assault was and remains a pretty big topic. From sports to Hollywood and even politics, many men have been condemned. That’s right, the #MeToo movement has taken off, as it becomes evident many men of power can’t act right. It’s seriously despicable, and any man who would force himself upon a woman, damn you for not acting right. That said, I want to start my own movement, #MyWeinerIsInnocent, to help all the men out there who know how to treat women. So if your weiner is innocent, raise your voices, not your weiners!
Let’s stay local and talk about some 2017 Tennessee sports! The Tennessee Titans made the NFL playoffs for the first time in nine years. This team still under-performed, buy hey, what can I say, playoffs baby!
The University of Tennessee football program would like to just forget 2017 altogether. You figured another disastrous season would be bad enough. Nope! Tennessee became a media punching bag in its unorthodox search for a new head coach. I still say Ric Flair was the right choice.
Then we have your 2017 Nashville Predators. Yeeeee-haw! What a season, as the Predators took a ride Nashville won’t soon forget. Stanley Cup, baby! Though they fell short in the Stanley Cup finals to Crosby and the Penguins, it was still a very successful season. This current 2018 team is pretty good also. The world took notice of how loud and passionate the people of Nashville can be. Broadway was the No. 1 party in the country. The fans’ support and excitement all helped get this next topic to happen.
In 2017 the city of Nashville was one of 12 cities who put in a bid, and was the first to receive, one of the available Major League Soccer expansion teams. The debut season, club name, colors and logo will all be decided later, and the brand-new 27,500-seat stadium is yet to be built, but it looks like a sure thing. It will be built at the Nashville Fairgrounds, something the Nashville Flea Market is very unhappy about. I understand the Flea Market is an old tradition, and they were given no guarantees, just the promises of politicians to work with them. Ha, good luck there!
The fact that Nashville is growing, with skyscrapers everywhere, and that it’s a hip and vibrant city won the MLS voters over—not to mention we were one of the few cities willing to throw down all that money to help build a new stadium.
In regard to sports in 2017, few events were bigger than Mayweather vs. McGregor. At the start of 2017 the buzz around the fight was all artificial, only noise. Then six months later it was reality. The UFC poster boy was set to fight one of the greatest boxers alive in his environment, not the octagon. Come on, 0–0 vs 49–0, what did you expect? Why have this fight? Money, money, money!
To the surprise of many, McGregor actually won the first few rounds. Then it was all downhill, with Mayweather dominating the remainder of the fight. McGregor didn’t embarrass himself, he fought very well against a superior opponent in his first professional bout. Mayweather cashed out over $300 million while McGregor made over $100 million. So yes, the Money Fight lived up to its name.
Oklahoma Sooner and Heisman winner Baker Mayfield—what an arrogant player. Don’t get me wrong, the kid can play ball, I love the comparison to Brett Favre and I can’t wait see him in the NFL. Recently, after Georgia defeated Oklahoma in overtime, when that Georgia player told Mayfield to “humble yourself” on live TV after the Bulldogs’ Rose Bowl victory, I smiled. Mayfield taunts, he showed disrespect to opponents; he deserved that. Good luck in 2018, Baker. Your college career is over. I hope to see him make some noise in the NFL, but is he just another arrogant Johnny Manziel?
2017 was the year Clemson upset Alabama to win a national championship, or I should say Deshaun Watson beat Alabama. Sweet justice was served recently, as Alabama defeated Clemson in the 2018 Sugar Bowl.
2017 also saw North Carolina defeat Gonzaga for an NCAA National Championship. March Madness is the smartest, most exciting playoff format in all of sports!
The Golden State Warriors knocked off King James for the NBA Championship in 2017. The NBA is a league filled with man babies, overpaid divas. I don’t like such a predictable league year-in-year-out. Also in 2017, the Houston Astros defeated the Dodgers, in a World Series where the main topic for many was about a single disgusting racist gesture I got tired of hearing about.
Controversy over transgender athletes continued in 2017. Brazilian volleyball player Tiffany Abreu, a natural-born man-now-turned-woman, is eyeing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Before Tiffany’s transition, he was known as Rodrigo, a dominant, hard-hitting volleyball player who played for numerous countries. With the IOCs current rules, you may witness Tiffany dominating the Olympics in Tokyo in the women’s field, as if Brazil needs another advantage being a dominant volleyball country. I will say this, no matter how unpopular it is to do so: natural-born men competing against natural-born women is unacceptable. If you are transgender, cool. I will never tell someone how to live their life, nor should any person or government. In regard to sports, though, I’m sorry, I don’t care about feelings as much as I care about the integrity of sports.
Alright, like 2017 it’s time to wrap this up. 2018 is here and it’s time to let the past be the past and look to the future. Thanks to all you loyal readers—I do this for you, and because I passionately love writing. Sure, I have opinions and make some harsh jokes, but I always force myself to look at all sides of a topic and be as fair as I deem appropriate. We live in a free country, a country not just for Christians, a country not just for Republicans or Democrats. No, it’s a country for all, and many forget that. Look to the Constitution if you disagree, it’s in ink. I pray to God we as a country can come together in 2018, if anything can we at least be united when it comes to football and patriotism, two awesome things!
God bless America, God bless football and God bless 2018.
