Decisions ahead For Kyler Murray
The University of Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray has officially submitted his name into the NFL draft. The redshirt junior just came off a season in which he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff. NFL analysts expect him to go in the first round of the draft, despite being just a 5-foot-10-inch quarterback. Just last summer, Murray was drafted in the first round of the MLB draft by the Oakland Athletics. Now, he must choose between the NFL and MLB before spring training starts Feb. 16.
There are a lot of factors to consider when making such a large decision. Murray could earn a much larger living in the NFL, but the NFL carries a higher risk of injury. Even if there are rules meant to protect the quarterback, the game is still risky to play due to its violent nature. What should be the deciding factor is simply what Kyler Murray wants to do. In the modern world of sports, I don’t think we’ll ever see another individual play football and baseball professionally. As thrilling as it would be to see another Deion Sanders or Bo Jackson, I don’t expect it to happen again. That being said, Murray should rely on his heart when he makes his decision in the coming weeks.
Only favorites remain in NFL playoffs
Only four teams remain in the NFL playoffs, and they all had a first-round bye. In the NFC, the No. 1 New Orleans Saints will face the No. 2 Los Angeles Rams in New Orleans. The Saints are 3.5-point favorites in Vegas. Los Angeles advanced with a 30-22 victory over the Cowboys, while the Saints defeated the Eagles 20-14. The only injury to note in this matchup is that New Orleans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins is out for the rest of the season.
In the AFC, the No. 2 New England Patriots travel to Arrowhead to face the No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are 3-point favorites in Vegas. New England advanced to the AFC Championship with a 41-28 win over the Chargers, while Kansas City defeated the Colts 31-13. Both teams have injuries on the defensive side of the ball. Chiefs’ safety Eric Berry and linebacker Dorian O’Daniel are both banged up and questionable for the matchup, and Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. is still nursing an ankle injury that kept him out of the Divisional round. I think the NFC Championship will be an evenly fought battle on offense and defense. Both teams have respectable defenses and great offenses. The AFC Championship on the other hand looks like it’s going to be a shootout, with both teams having elite offenses and weakened defenses. Football fans should make extra snacks, sit back and enjoy great football this weekend.
Is NBA all-star voting broken?
After the second voting returns for the NBA All-Star Game, the starters are a little alarming. So far, Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose are making the starting lineups based on fan votes. I think it’s great that the fans have a say in NBA all-star voting, but thankfully the public doesn’t get full power. I have tremendous respect for both Wade and Rose, but they don’t deserve to be all-stars based on production alone. Another example of lopsided fan voting is demonstrated by the fact that Karl-Anthony Towns is having an All-NBA caliber season, but isn’t even in the top-10 in Western Conference frontcourt voting.
Luckily for KAT, the fans only have power to vote for the starters. NBA fans account for 50 percent of votes by weight, while NBA players account for 25 percent and the media makes up the other 25 percent. These votes are used to decide the starting lineups of the All-Star Game. The NBA coaches then vote on the seven bench spots for each conference. Because the coaches control the bench spots, I can confidently say that the NBA All-Star voting process is not broken.