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| We get this matchup at least twice this year, tell me God isn't a sports fan |
Think about the person you really don’t like; not the
barista that routinely fouls up your name, or the co-worker that laughs at all
their own jokes, I’m talking about that person you really can’t stand. Is it your boss that passed you up for that
promotion you deserve? Is it the jerk who hit your car and didn’t even leave a
note? Whoever it is, you more than likely seethe whenever you see or think of
them. Sadly, your life doesn’t allow for
you to physically assault that person free from repercussion.
That is, unless you’re a football player.
With the 2016 NFL season nearly upon us, it seems like an
apt time to get personal. These entities will have more than a passing
animosity towards one another.
RGIII vs Washington
No one outside of Dallas will be pulling harder against the
football team in the Nation’s capital than RG3.
He
may not have been the easiest guy to get along with at his former place of
employment, but there definitively seemed to be two
sets of rules for how he was treated vs how his successor has been.
Watching Washington crash and burn (especially due to poor QB play) will
certainly inspire some thinly-veiled, shade-filled meme about perseverance.
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| There's no real caption needed here. (Getty Images) |
And don’t you dare think that guys in that building
(particularly ones that made the decision to move on from RG3) aren’t hoping
Griffin talks and plays his way out of the good graces of the fans of
Believeland. Remember, Kirk Cousins got
franchised—meaning he is only under contract for a year. So a bad season out of the
new incumbent starter could mean that a) the team would fail to make the
postseason and b) the team would have to get back into the QB market. Both
would mean that head coach Jay Gruden could replace Griffin as the most hated
Washingtonian, and chopping block resident.
Philadelphia vs Chip Kelly
Chip Kelly came into town like a conquering hero.
And left with the Philly folk trailing him with pitchforks.
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| His time in Philly gave Kelly plenty of reason to be angry via @JClarkCSN |
In his three years in Philly, LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson,
and Jeremy Maclin all left or were traded (remember, Kelly fought to get
personnel power added to his position). Additionally he brought in Kiko Alonso
and Byron Maxwell (both of whom were jettisoned soon after Kelly’s departure. Somehow
the mess he made in Philly didn’t deter another squad from scooping him up, as
the 49ers made sure the coach wouldn’t be unemployed for more than a few weeks.
If
he has success in San Francisco while Philly is still rebuild from Kelly’s
mistakes, the public vitriol will exceed Donovan McNabb levels.
Chip Kelly allegedly didn’t like people in Philly while he
was there. You KNOW he wants to watch the
people who fired him struggle as mightily as possible. Plus his success at a
franchise that has had so much talent walk out recently would mean that it was
his former venue that held most of the fault, and not him. Essentially setting
up the most , “It’s not me, it’s actually you” sentiment since Spanglish.
Mario Williams vs Rex Ryan
There’s no way to have a post about NFL beef and not mention
Rex Ryan once. When these two got
together last season, the general consensus was that Ryan would be able to get
the most out of the former Pro Bowler. Instead the Bills fans were treated to
Williams’ least effective year as an NFL player, and some
surprising criticisms of Ryan’s defensive schemes. Now Williams is in Miami
and will get the opportunity to go against a Ryan-coached team. It’ll be interesting to see a personally
invested Williams against a guy
that has never been shy about expressing himself; about Williams or anything
else.
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| Finding an angry picture of Rex Ryan was super easy (USATSI) |
It’s Rex Ryan. If you don’t think the 50 cent of NFL coaches
enjoys a good scrap, you haven’t been paying attention. I’m sure their October 23rd
meeting will be good for a few soundbytes, if not a few big plays.
Josh Norman vs Odell Beckham Jr.
It looked like the lone meeting between the cornerback and
wide receiver would have to be enough for burgeoning rivalry. God and Free
Agency felt differently, and now we can look forward to two meetings a year
between the starting DB for Washington and the number one WR for the Giants. We
all remember the first time these two got together, I’m sure both will play
hypeman and talent in their upcoming rematches.
Both Norman and Beckham have had
plenty to say since their original matchup. For what it’s worth, Beckham
got off easy the last time they played, launching himself like a missile at
Norman’s head was dangerous and could have resulted in catastrophic injuries or
worse. Let’s hope that their future
confrontations will be spirited, but much safer.
