Random Shots From Week 15

Joe Bryant's Random Shots From Week 15 Joe Bryant Published 12/21/2022

Hi Folks,

We do a ton of insightful, thoughtful, and serious features here at Footballguys, with smart people thinking deeply for you.

This is not one of those features.

This is Random Shots, and it's a few pages of me downloading my brain that gets stuffed with way too many random items from too many hours watching, reading about, and listening to Football every weekend and throughout the week. It's the only way I manage. Here's hoping it has some value for you.

We'll see. Now let's get to it.

J

The Holidays are upon us. Let's open like we always do with the best rendition I've heard in a while of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" courtesy of that noted Holiday Crooner - Bill Belichick.

Just like last year, I'm starting right off the bat with the music as we cover all the Holiday bases. First, a Run DMC - Charlie Brown mashup of Christmas in Hollis from the Best Christmas Movie Ever - Die Hard.

Next up is Adam Sandler with the classic Chanukah Song.

Elvis sings my favorite Christmas song.

And for a picture of cool personified, he butchers the words but still kills it live.

Long live the King.

Lastly, one of my favorite Sports Illustrated covers from a few years back featuring Belichick Santa.

Happy Holidays from all of us at Footballguys.

I truly hope it's a sweet time of the year for you.

The Manning Brothers' faces told the story on this one.

At halftime for the Colts - Vikings game, some well-known mascots took on a youth football team. "Blooper" of the Atlanta Braves was brutal.

What is it with mascots and little kids?

Pretty much this.

Every league should run its waiver wire with free-agent bids.

A feel-good Christmas Moment.

Throwback to the old days when defensive players got flagged for "Giving him the business down there."

Not just a Corgi Race. A Corgis in Christmas Sweaters Race.

Poor guy can't get away from it.

This was me after the Colts-Viking game...

Justin Jefferson after the game.

I love all parts of our country. God Bless the Midwest states and their fans.

I had no idea.

That's hilarious.

And I'm completely with my friend Andy. We can have it at my barn.

This one hurts.

Too perfect.

The underrated tell was the signature.

Thanks to Clayton Gray for that one.

What a terrible and sad play.

This was Leon Lett fumble level bad.

And please, spare me the "LMFAO LOLZ did you see that stiff arm!!!!" As if a defensive end bowling over a quarterback he outweighs by 60 pounds is something.

Not great.

But my observation Monday morning after seeing Washington fans was, "I'm glad they don't pull for the Saints."

Giants troll game = Strong.

I can't decide if I should be impressed with Brian Daboll or mad at him.

I felt this one a little too much...

My email inbox is wild this time of year.

I shared this on Twitter, and it sounded way more whiny on my part than I meant to be. I truly do get the passion. Sure, people should be nicer when they email, but I get the intensity. It's why we're able to have a business.

I'm glad people care this much.

There's another angle on this, too: Don't take it personally when someone is unkind on the internet. You never ever know for sure what that person is dealing with. Lots of folks are carrying heavy things around, and they'll use email or social media to vent. I'm not saying that's right. I think one should always try to be kind. But I also get it.

I think it's massively better to assume the best of people. You just never know.

I had this conversation with someone the other day, and they said people might be taking advantage of me when I assume the best. Maybe. But I'm not that worried about it.

In my opinion, the upside to moving on with life and not letting things pull you down far outweighs the negative.

As if we needed more evidence, season ticket prices are too expensive...

My friend Jeff knows...

I was not expecting to hear Booger McFarland stories about drinking whiskey on the sidelines to stay warm on ESPN's Monday Night Countdown.

Live look in on Roger Goodell...

Rock on, Stefon Diggs. This fan lost his dad a while back, and Diggs has stayed connected.

Everyone who ever played Nintendo had the same thought.

The game lost one of the greats this week with the passing of Franco Harris.

Almost 50 years to the day of the "Immaculate Reception." I don’t think it’s being too dramatic to say that team, that player, and specifically, that play was, in combination, an inflection point for our sport.

We all get to do what we do with fantasy football, in no small part, I believe, because of these things. And for that, I am grateful.

There is also a much bigger point there, and I think it’s quite proper to recognize we all owe a great deal to the folks who came before us.

Rock on, Franco Harris.

Everyone freaked out as if this guy was Nostradamus. He predicted one of the greatest young players at the time would win the World Cup seven years later. And, of course, he did.

Calling my shot now.

Wrapping with this one. I said this last year, and I'll say it again. This has been a tough year for many people. And the Holidays can make it even tougher for some.

Shauna Niequist is a writer I enjoy. She wrote this a few years ago, but I think it applies now.

“My prayer is that what you’ve lost, and what I’ve lost this year, will fade a little bit in the beauty of the Christmas season, that for a few moments at least, what is right and good and worth believing will outshine all the darkness, within us and around us.”

That's my hope for you. That the pain of what you've lost this year may fade a bit as we seek out and focus on what's right and good and worth believing. If it's tough for you, give yourself some grace. I'm with you.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you and yours from all of us at Footballguys. Rock on.

That'll do it this week. Thank you for being with me on this goofy journey.

Love your neighbor and stick together.

Peace and Grace to you.

J

Photos provided by Imagn Images
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