Titans first-round draft pick Isaiah Wilson
The Train Daddy is back with sports news, life lessons and politically incorrect talk. All aboard! Let’s be honest, 2020 sucks! I don’t mean to say that I haven’t made the best of it, because I have. “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”
A stimulus check helps, but Americans ultimately want work, not welfare. The Chinese virus has taken root around the world and its mark will be felt for years to come.
I will say one good thing came from COVID-19—my yard has never looked better. Fresh landscaping, new flowers and some young trees planted. I’d say the start of 2020 makes any sensible person look to the woes of 2016–19 and say, “We can only be so fortunate to get back to such a time.”
I can’t predict the future, yet we all know a very passionate November election is on the way with crazy people on both sides of the aisle. Don’t let the fearmongers rile you up. This virus will end and American voters will head to the polls just like in the past 58 presidential elections this country has seen. We shall prevail! My prayers and thoughts go to you, the reader!
Let’s do it BIG this coming Independence Day. The citizens of this country deserve it. Being one of my favorite holidays, I will be celebrating regardless of the circumstances. Some cities have already begun canceling fireworks shows. But here in the hills of Bradyville, Tennessee, my family and friends will be blowing stuff up. BOOM! Never forget why we celebrate this amazing day, the day Will Smith saved us from the aliens.
Alright, let’s talk sports! I applaud the NFL for not cancelling the 2020 NFL Draft, even under some pressure. It gives me something relevant regarding sports. Before we talk Titans football and the 2020 NFL Draft, I found this recent news regarding Team USA women’s soccer quite interesting, considering I’ve written on the subject in the past.
A federal judge recently ruled in favor of the U.S. Soccer Federation concerning the ongoing wage discrimination lawsuit brought by members of the U.S. women’s team. This was a blow to the so-called fight for equality. The suit alleged that the U.S. Soccer Federation’s payment practices amounted to discrimination by paying women less than men. I could spend the entire article explaining collective bargaining agreements that the women agreed to prior to this suit and how the men’s CBA is different from the women’s, but that’s boring!
The judge who ruled in favor of U.S Soccer noted that the women’s team had rejected an offer to be paid under the same pay-for-play model as the men, instead opting for a deal that paid them more per game. Basically, the players agreed to a five-year deal in 2017 and, as team member Megan Rapinoe at the time stated, “I think the team should be very proud of this deal and feel empowered moving forward.” Funny how just a few years later it’s a fight for equality once again.
Joe Biden just recently stated in a Tweet “@USSoccer: equal pay, now. Or else when I’m president, you can go elsewhere for World Cup funding.” This Tweet from Joe is pure ignorance on a few levels.
It’s easy to look at the men’s team making more money with less success than the women’s team and say “that’s not fair!”
From an economic perspective you should look at men’s and women’s soccer as two different sports with different labor markets. Why? Because they are. Yet Americans love to get riled up and base opinions off emotion rather than logic.
The biggest “pay gap” is something US Soccer has no control over. FIFA recently provided $400 million in World Cup prize money for the men’s tournament and $30 million for the women. It’s a fact that other parts of the world don’t celebrate women athletes like America does. It’s why you can watch a World Cup match where American women destroy a team like Thailand 13–0. It’s unfortunate, but true.
Does the U.S. Soccer Federation have a duty to fix this so-called unfairness? The attorney for the women’s team says yes. What do you think? We should always strive for equality, but we should also remember that pay gaps aren’t always the results of discrimination, especially in sports. Let me say that again, especially in sports!
Alright, forget all that noise, Coronavirus, Slow Joe, wage discrimination, and let’s end this article on what really matters: Titans football! Let me give you a quick rundown on the Titans draft picks and my opinion.
In the first round of the draft, Titans General Manager Jon Robinson decided he wanted a large, beastly man who picks his teeth with a hatchet. With the 29th overall pick the Titans selected Isaiah Wilson, the 6-foot 6-inch, 353-pound offensive tackle out of Georgia. Wilson played right side with a run-based offense at Georgia. Dennis Kelly, who just received a $21 million, 3-year extension, was slated to take over for the departed Jack Conklin at the position, making this pick somewhat of a head-scratcher. Wilson is a good player and probably a good fit, but does he make this team a better team? I will relent because I truly trust Jon Robinson after 2019’s #1-ranked draft class, according to Pro Football Focus.
With the 61st overall pick the Tennessee Titans selected Kristian Fulton, a cornerback out of LSU. I love this pick! Many experts believed Fulton to be a first-round talent, so with that said if you’re upset about the Isaiah Wilson pick, just imagine—Fulton went in the first round and Wilson went in the second, and if you’re not okay with that value you’re crazy. Tennessee desperately needed a starting-caliber cornerback. In Fulton it looks like they found one. He has great speed and decent size. He can play both on the outside and slot. Mix him in with Malcolm Butler and Adoree’ Jackson and you have possibility.
With the 93rd overall pick in the third round, the Titans select Darrynton Evans, a running back out of Appalachian State. I am more than excited about this pick. I will be honest—at first I was skeptical. Then, after an evening watching his tape and reading about him, I was sold.
First off, the Titans entered the off-season with a serious need for a No. 2 back to compliment King Henry. I don’t know many Titan fans who will be missing Dion Lewis. Darrynton Evans ran a 4.41 40-yard dash at the combine and is seen as a smaller, quicker Derrick Henry. I heard some people say Evans will be the lightning to Henry’s thunder. But let’s be honest, King Henry is a total hurricane, full of lightning and thunder. Regardless, I love this pick, and Evans should be a viable second option when Henry needs rest. The idea of a one-two punch in the running game gets me very excited.
The Titans selected three other players in the draft—a defensive lineman, another quarterback from Hawaii (HA-HA) and a cornerback from Marshall. Defensive lineman Larrell Murchison, taken in the fifth round, was reportedly a player that Jon Robinson really wanted. To all you loyal Titans fans, keep an eye on Larrell. He may end up being one of Jon’s Boom-Shaka-Laka picks.
By all accounts the seventh-round pick, Cole McDonald, has a huge arm and an unorthodox throwing motion that looks like he’s throwing a javelin. He is also super-fast. He is the definition of a developmental player and an exciting quarterback addition. Yet I hope this team that made a run to the AFC Championship game last season will be looking to add a veteran QB soon to back up Tannehill.
The Titans had a very exciting and productive 2020 NFL draft, and I can’t wait to see how these players turn out. If they turn out as productive as 2019’s draft class, the Titans have a great shot at the division and, who knows . . . Super Bowl? Keep an eye open on the Jadeveon Clowney talk. I still believe signing him is very possible with the Titans, one of a few teams that have publicly shown interest and have the needed cap space. He won’t be cheap, so I understand the like and dislike of such a move. He is a baller, though!
One last shout-out before wrapping this up! The University of Iowa’s school president Bruce Harreld did what it seems few other universities had the backbone to do. He logically talked about coronavirus and the difficulties of the not knowing and the safety issues for athletics. Yet he was the first to come out and say the football team would get back to practice on June 1. He set a date! For that, Mr. Harreld is my hero of the month.
Alright, that’s it. Time to wrap it up! I say this on a regular basis, but I am honored to write these articles. My intent has always been to make you laugh while I voice my opinions and express my love for Tennessee Titans football. It’s really that simple.
I know sometimes I say things that may offend someone, though I will never apologize for voicing my opinions. That’s what makes America great. Nobody should ever be silenced by the mob just because their opinion is different.
I pray we get back to a semblance of normalcy sooner than later. This virus took my job away and that sucks, but we keep on keeping on and the tough strive to be better. I don’t know about you, but I have a new appreciation for what freedom truly means and the dangers of government overreach. Y’all stay safe till next time! The Train’s rolling into the station. Choo-choo!
