Welcome to the offseason version of Four Down Territory.
It will be a little different than it was during the season. I'll post one weekly during the season, which for me is from SEC Media Days through Missouri's final game.
During the offseason, I’ll post every other week.
1. Who are the most dominant video game players or teams you've played with or against?
I talked with former Mizzou receiver Bud Sasser last week and we chopped it up about EA College Football 25 and the last NCAA game he appeared in, NCAA 14. We laughed about his rating for that game (73 overall).
Keep in mind yearly sports titles are weird in name and title. NCAA 14 is a game that came out in the summer of 2013 but is based on the 2012 season. So, when I told Sasser about his stats he wasn't thrilled (in a playful manner). The game had long been canceled by the time he became an All-SEC selection.
EACFB25 will come out this summer but is based on 2023.
Anyway, it got me thinking about some of the best video game players or teams I've ever played with.
I know Madden 04 Michael Vick would be a lot of people's favorite video game character.
Madden 05 cover athlete Ray Lewis was one of my favorites, That's the year they revealed the hit stick, a feature that is now synonymous with any simulation football game. In the last few Madden's, Tyreek Hill is probably one of the five best players to play with and one of the top 5 worst to play.
Additionally, NBA 2K10 Kobe Bryant, NBA 2k11 Michael Jordan (any version of him), NBA 2k14 LeBron James, etc.
Team-wise, the NBA 2K18 and 2K19 Golden State Warriors teams were overpowered. The Madden 25 (from 2014 not the upcoming one) and Madden 15 'Legion of Boom' Seahawks or any team with Peyton Manning on it was annoying. The Colts with Manning, Edgerrin James, Dallas Clark, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne were probably among my favorites because there's nothing I couldn't do.
The list goes on and on.
Sasser believes Luther Burden will be the highest-rated Tiger in EACFB25.
He should be and has the chance to be that game-breaking player. He probably will be one of those players. Honestly, it would be surprising if he's not the highest-rated receiver in the game.
Who do you think should be Missouri's highest-rated player and what should their overall be?
What video game characters or teams did you like or hate?
2. Memorable sports comebacks.
When you read this, the Florida Panthers have won the 2024 Stanley Cup. There is probably nothing more ironic than this particular writer writing about hockey. I can only remember watching one game from start to finish: the 2010 gold medal game between Canada and the USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
I was in fifth grade and I'm pretty sure it was something that was on and I just kind of watched it. The Oilers and Panthers are relevant to me because the latter were up 3-0 in the series and were able to hold on in seven games. Game 7 was crazy. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Florida's defense was phenomenal.
Will this make me watch hockey regularly? I doubt it. But just like wrestling, the storyline is what got me. If this were an NBA (of course) or MLB, I'd watch that game, too.
The Oilers' near-epic comeback made me think about some of the greatest comebacks I've seen with my own eyes.
1. The Patriots defeated the Falcons in Super Bowl LI 34-28 after being down 28-3.
Less than a week before my 18th birthday, I thought it would be smart to bet my friend $5 that the Falcons would be the Pats. Considering we were in high school still and making almost no money we only bet $5.
Yes, you read that right. I bet against Tom Brady.
Midway through the third quarter, I was already thinking about how I would spend that money (it was 100% going to be on candy). Next thing you know, I, along with the Falcons and their fans, were the butt of a cruel joke. New England would score 31 straight points from the 2:08 mark in the third quarter through overtime.
Losing $5 wasn't really all that important but it upset me that Brady could torture me again.
2. The Cavs overcome a 3-1 deficit to beat the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
I'm not a LeBron James fan (more so not a fan of his fan base than him honestly). I am a Lakers fan, though. But that's a story for a different time.
I was going for the Warriors to win this series and next thing you know the Warriors, who won an NBA record 73 regular season games, blew a 3-1 lead.
Was Stephen Curry hurt during the series? Yes. Was Draymond Green wrongly suspended? Yes, (to me). Was Andrew Bogut injured? Yes.
However, it doesn't take away that Golden State should've won the series. It doesn't take away from James and Kyrie Irving going scorched Earth for the final three games. Even I will admit that those guys were hooping to a crazy degree.
3. Kansas City Chiefs blow a 28-point lead to lose to the Colts in the 2014 NFL Wild Card.
I remember I had a basketball game the night of this game and I felt good. I had a decent game and we won.
When I got to the car, the Chiefs were up big. When I got home they were still up big and then Andrew Luck and the Colts turned into prime Peyton Manning and the 2006 Colts. They were picking the Chiefs a part.
When Donald Brown fumbled at the goal line, and the ball bounced back into Luck's hands and he dove in for a touchdown to narrow the lead to three points (after the PAT) is when I knew the Chiefs were cooked. They'd lose 45-44. Going into the cafeteria after your favorite team favorite team loses embarrassingly is the worst.
This list could be much longer but we'll leave it at those three. I’m sure there are obvious ones I’m missing.
What are some comebacks you remember watching live?
3. Abolish fan voting.
The WNBA had its first returns on All-Star voting and I feel like we've dealt with this for too long in all sports. There will be snubs every year but it gets worse and worse.
Caitlin Clark being second in votes isn't a surprise. In fact, some may be surprised that she's not No. 1. However, she's not playing better than most of the players on the list. None of the rookies are. And I love the rookie class. They've been great.
But Kate Martin above Nneka Ogwumike and DeWanna Bonner? Clark and Angel Reese above Napheesa Collier? The rookies have been doing well. But they're not true all-stars, at least not yet. It won't be a travesty if Clark and Reese are named all-stars. It would be good for the game, but I don't know if they are there yet.
(Also, Reese is gaining ground on Clark for the Rookie of the Year award. It's not a given that Clark would win it. I'd probably make them co-ROTY if we had to give the award today).
At least the fan voting has dramatically increased.
It could be worse. During the Warriors championship run in 2017-18, Zaza Pachulia got heavy votes to start in the All-Star Game. For reference, Pachulia averaged 6.1 and 5.4 points per game in his two seasons with Golden State.
It's not just basketball. This happens for the Pro Bowl, too. I can't stand players being named All-Pros and not making the Pro Bowl.
Former Cleveland Brown and Kansas City Chief right tackle Mitchell Schwartz was a four-time All-Pro and never made a Pro Bowl. I'd just like people to be rewarded for their production and not their names.
Alright, I'm done yelling at the clouds.
4. Small vacation before the season starts for me.
I'll take a short vacation this weekend through the July 4 holiday to visit my parents before SEC Media Days. As y'all know, SECMD is the start of the season for me. I do have a couple of features coming out around SECMD and then after that event is fall camp a couple of weeks later. The dog days of summer are here but in a way, they're almost over, too.
The next six months could be the biggest time in Mizzou football history. So, buckle up.
It will be a little different than it was during the season. I'll post one weekly during the season, which for me is from SEC Media Days through Missouri's final game.
During the offseason, I’ll post every other week.
1. Who are the most dominant video game players or teams you've played with or against?
I talked with former Mizzou receiver Bud Sasser last week and we chopped it up about EA College Football 25 and the last NCAA game he appeared in, NCAA 14. We laughed about his rating for that game (73 overall).
Keep in mind yearly sports titles are weird in name and title. NCAA 14 is a game that came out in the summer of 2013 but is based on the 2012 season. So, when I told Sasser about his stats he wasn't thrilled (in a playful manner). The game had long been canceled by the time he became an All-SEC selection.
EACFB25 will come out this summer but is based on 2023.
Anyway, it got me thinking about some of the best video game players or teams I've ever played with.
I know Madden 04 Michael Vick would be a lot of people's favorite video game character.
Madden 05 cover athlete Ray Lewis was one of my favorites, That's the year they revealed the hit stick, a feature that is now synonymous with any simulation football game. In the last few Madden's, Tyreek Hill is probably one of the five best players to play with and one of the top 5 worst to play.
Additionally, NBA 2K10 Kobe Bryant, NBA 2k11 Michael Jordan (any version of him), NBA 2k14 LeBron James, etc.
Team-wise, the NBA 2K18 and 2K19 Golden State Warriors teams were overpowered. The Madden 25 (from 2014 not the upcoming one) and Madden 15 'Legion of Boom' Seahawks or any team with Peyton Manning on it was annoying. The Colts with Manning, Edgerrin James, Dallas Clark, Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne were probably among my favorites because there's nothing I couldn't do.
The list goes on and on.
Sasser believes Luther Burden will be the highest-rated Tiger in EACFB25.
He should be and has the chance to be that game-breaking player. He probably will be one of those players. Honestly, it would be surprising if he's not the highest-rated receiver in the game.
Who do you think should be Missouri's highest-rated player and what should their overall be?
What video game characters or teams did you like or hate?
2. Memorable sports comebacks.
When you read this, the Florida Panthers have won the 2024 Stanley Cup. There is probably nothing more ironic than this particular writer writing about hockey. I can only remember watching one game from start to finish: the 2010 gold medal game between Canada and the USA in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
I was in fifth grade and I'm pretty sure it was something that was on and I just kind of watched it. The Oilers and Panthers are relevant to me because the latter were up 3-0 in the series and were able to hold on in seven games. Game 7 was crazy. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Florida's defense was phenomenal.
Will this make me watch hockey regularly? I doubt it. But just like wrestling, the storyline is what got me. If this were an NBA (of course) or MLB, I'd watch that game, too.
The Oilers' near-epic comeback made me think about some of the greatest comebacks I've seen with my own eyes.
1. The Patriots defeated the Falcons in Super Bowl LI 34-28 after being down 28-3.
Less than a week before my 18th birthday, I thought it would be smart to bet my friend $5 that the Falcons would be the Pats. Considering we were in high school still and making almost no money we only bet $5.
Yes, you read that right. I bet against Tom Brady.
Midway through the third quarter, I was already thinking about how I would spend that money (it was 100% going to be on candy). Next thing you know, I, along with the Falcons and their fans, were the butt of a cruel joke. New England would score 31 straight points from the 2:08 mark in the third quarter through overtime.
Losing $5 wasn't really all that important but it upset me that Brady could torture me again.
2. The Cavs overcome a 3-1 deficit to beat the Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals.
I'm not a LeBron James fan (more so not a fan of his fan base than him honestly). I am a Lakers fan, though. But that's a story for a different time.
I was going for the Warriors to win this series and next thing you know the Warriors, who won an NBA record 73 regular season games, blew a 3-1 lead.
Was Stephen Curry hurt during the series? Yes. Was Draymond Green wrongly suspended? Yes, (to me). Was Andrew Bogut injured? Yes.
However, it doesn't take away that Golden State should've won the series. It doesn't take away from James and Kyrie Irving going scorched Earth for the final three games. Even I will admit that those guys were hooping to a crazy degree.
3. Kansas City Chiefs blow a 28-point lead to lose to the Colts in the 2014 NFL Wild Card.
I remember I had a basketball game the night of this game and I felt good. I had a decent game and we won.
When I got to the car, the Chiefs were up big. When I got home they were still up big and then Andrew Luck and the Colts turned into prime Peyton Manning and the 2006 Colts. They were picking the Chiefs a part.
When Donald Brown fumbled at the goal line, and the ball bounced back into Luck's hands and he dove in for a touchdown to narrow the lead to three points (after the PAT) is when I knew the Chiefs were cooked. They'd lose 45-44. Going into the cafeteria after your favorite team favorite team loses embarrassingly is the worst.
This list could be much longer but we'll leave it at those three. I’m sure there are obvious ones I’m missing.
What are some comebacks you remember watching live?
3. Abolish fan voting.
The WNBA had its first returns on All-Star voting and I feel like we've dealt with this for too long in all sports. There will be snubs every year but it gets worse and worse.
Caitlin Clark being second in votes isn't a surprise. In fact, some may be surprised that she's not No. 1. However, she's not playing better than most of the players on the list. None of the rookies are. And I love the rookie class. They've been great.
But Kate Martin above Nneka Ogwumike and DeWanna Bonner? Clark and Angel Reese above Napheesa Collier? The rookies have been doing well. But they're not true all-stars, at least not yet. It won't be a travesty if Clark and Reese are named all-stars. It would be good for the game, but I don't know if they are there yet.
(Also, Reese is gaining ground on Clark for the Rookie of the Year award. It's not a given that Clark would win it. I'd probably make them co-ROTY if we had to give the award today).
At least the fan voting has dramatically increased.
It could be worse. During the Warriors championship run in 2017-18, Zaza Pachulia got heavy votes to start in the All-Star Game. For reference, Pachulia averaged 6.1 and 5.4 points per game in his two seasons with Golden State.
It's not just basketball. This happens for the Pro Bowl, too. I can't stand players being named All-Pros and not making the Pro Bowl.
Former Cleveland Brown and Kansas City Chief right tackle Mitchell Schwartz was a four-time All-Pro and never made a Pro Bowl. I'd just like people to be rewarded for their production and not their names.
Alright, I'm done yelling at the clouds.
4. Small vacation before the season starts for me.
I'll take a short vacation this weekend through the July 4 holiday to visit my parents before SEC Media Days. As y'all know, SECMD is the start of the season for me. I do have a couple of features coming out around SECMD and then after that event is fall camp a couple of weeks later. The dog days of summer are here but in a way, they're almost over, too.
The next six months could be the biggest time in Mizzou football history. So, buckle up.
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