========

“MLB–SEARCH BEGINS
========
The Cactus League is open for business and for the Dodgers, Padres, Angels, different questions seeking different answers.

DODGERS…They have no open jobs, just competitions to see ‘who plays where’?  This team is loaded top to bottom with talent.  Deep in starting pitching, very deep in relievers, and loaded with utilitymen who can play different positions.  The most interesting questions for Dave Roberts, who is your closer, from Tanner Scott to Blake Trienen, or is it closer by committee depending on who is hot, or what matchups they will face.  The Dodgers opened camp at Camelback Ranch with Shohei Ohtani throwing bullpens, and waiting to see how post surgery guys like Dustin May and Tony Gonselin look..And with all those arms on that roster, comes the fact a number will be headed to the 60-man disabled list to start the season, clearing roster spots.

ANGELS..They finished up a really interesting off season with rentals of veteran players.  The latest, ex Dodgers legend Kenley Jansen coming in on a 1-year deal to work with Ben Joyce as lead closer.  The starting rotation now features ex Blue Jay-Astro Yusei Kikuchi, along with ex-Cub Kyle Hendricks-who has battled health issues.  And add in former Dodger and Cardinals pitchers Dakota Hudson-Victor Gonzalez, and suddenly there are alot of arms in the Halo camp.  But there is more too, C-Travis D’Arnaud, veteran SS-Tim Anderson, OF-DH-Jorge Soler, and journeyman Kevin Newman-JD Davis-Scott Kingery, bring all types of experience, including some good seasons.  The late addition of ex White Sox-Red Sox prospect Yoan Moncada gives him a chance to rally his career and make a huge contribution.  Maybe they hit the jackpot on a couple of the many new names wearing red jerseys,  Add in a healthy season from Mike Trout-Anthony Rendon, and maybe they are no longer a last place team.  At least they are giving Manager Ron Washington help and hope.

PADRES..Fans and the media are treating the franchise like the bottom has fallen out.  It has not, but they have holes and question marks about the budget, a left fielder, a key missing starting pitcher.  The left field competition now starts with the candidates that include ex-Braves-Cubs veteran Jason Heyward…once regarded Rockies-Pirates prospect Connor Joe, plus ex White Sox draft pick Gavin Sheets-who hits some homers but strikes out alot too.  Then there is minor league slugger Tirso Ornelas from El Paso, and journeyman Brandon Lockridge-an ex Yankee.  Add in ex Cleveland hitter Oscar Gonzalez..former Cubs minor leaguer Yon Perlazaa and ex Astros-White Sox flychaser Fores Wall.  6-weeks to find someone to replace the departed Jurickson Profar.  There has not been a big trade yet, so the big contracts of Dylan Cease, Luis Arraez and Michael King are still on the books, as is high priced relief ace Robert Suarez.  Change could come but it is not necessary it be done before the season starts.  They could keep this group intact up till the August 1st trade deadline.  The season is not over before it started.  The Dodgers’ deals makes it feels that way though.

The search for answers begins for the Dodgers, Halos, Friars.
=================

==========

Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast
You Tube Channel-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Look-Listen-Share-Subscribe

===========
“NFL NOTEBOOK-DAY AFTER”
============
The Super Bowl is in the history book.

The dominance of the Eagles now positions them as a dominant team you will have to beat a year from the now.

The Chiefs will face a daunting challenge of fixing its left tackle-right tackle offensive line problems.

Other storylines-other places to pay attention to:

CHARGERS..The list of available WRs is growing.  Add Deebo Samuel-49ers..to George Pickens-Steelers..DK Metcalf-Seattle..Cooper Kupp-Rams and Keenan Allen-Bears.

RAIDERS..A desperate need of a quality starting quarterback has a new name atop the list.  How does Aaron Rodgers-ex Packers-Jets sound, even at age 41?  Others to think of are Jameis Winston-Cleveland..Russell Wilson-Steelers..Ryan Tannehill-Titans…Marcus Mariota-Washington…Sam Darnold-Vikings.

STEELERS…They need to change something quickly.  Look for Justin Fields to wind up returning and Russell Wilson departing.  Then they need to add speed and skill position players.

RAMS..A most interesting add-on could be Davante Adams, the soon to be ex-Jet, coming on board to add size-speed.

COWBOYS…Dallas has salary cap problems and might be forced to move do-everything LB-Micah Parsons in a giant trade.

BILLS..Got to find a veteran receiver who can take pressure off the kid WRs-Josh Allen relied on all year.  Does Davantae Adams fit in here?  Or maybe Cooper Kupp?

GIANTS…Who do they love atop the Draft Board at quarterback, Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward?

BROWNS…Pick a spot, what a mess.  The black hole created at QB by the Deshaun Watson issues; the RB crisis with Nick Chubb’s health; the lousy OL play with all their injured tackles; and now the trade request from Myles Garrett.

BENGALS…Joe Burrow calling on, essentially calling out, ownership about the need to open up the checkbook and give Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Boyd, Trey Hendrickson ‘what they deserve’ as free agents.

Done with the Super Bowl.  Bring on the business of the NFL’s off season.
==============

=======

Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus Podcast 1:30pm
You Tube Channel-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Hot Topics-Stay for Fans Forum
========
“EAGLES = CHAMPIONS”
========

3-Straight Super Bowls….Hell No…Period Exclamation Point !

All anyone wanted to talk about was ‘3-Peat-Kansas City Chiefs’. By the end of the opening quarter, it was said and decided.

The Philadelphia Eagles mauled the Chiefs (40-22) in one of the worst lopsided  beatings in modern day Super Bowl football.

What happened Sunday night was worse than the Chicago Bears (45-10) destruction of the New England Patriots or the 49ers decimation of the San Diego Chargers (49-26).

But what was shocking was it happened to the Chiefs, their dynamic QB-Patrick Mahomes, and their brilliant coach Andy Reid.

But at the end of the day, there was too much Green.  Too much Eagles defense.  Too much Philly offensive line.  Too much Jalen Hurts.

The Chiefs could not protect Mahomes.  They could not run the ball.  They could not get guys open till the game was effectively over in the 3rd quarter.

The statistics were dominant.  A defense that had 6-sacks…2-picks…1-fumble recovery…9-hits and 15-pressures of Mahomes.

Hurts had (293) all purpose yards.  There was a 46Y-TD pass…a 37-pick six by a safety…four field goals from Jake Elliott…back to back picks on series and 3-straight QB sacks, and then a Gator Ade shower for the always hot headed Nick Sirianni.

Hard to believe this team, any team coached by Andy Reid, would be outgained (177-20) in yardage and 13-to-1 on first downs late in the first half.

The Chiefs biggest issue all year was the left-right tackle protection problems of their quarterback.  And the Eagles destroyed them, rendering Mahomes with little protection, help, or any chance of getting an offense going early in the game.

You cannot take away Reid’s track record in the playoffs, cannot denounce Mahomes’ (17-3) playoff record coming into the game.  His team won all those 1-score games, but they had never lined up in such a mismatch in years, and they could not cope.

The scary point, Philadelphia is so young, so physical, so dominant, ao deep, that this may be the beginning of a dynastic team for the next group of years.  Take nothing away from the Chiefs, for this has been a great run, but that is now in the past, and the Eagles have to be the topic of conversation in the future.

Chiefs, a 3-peat champion.  Hell no.  The Eagles 40-22 win was a ‘Period-Exclamation Point ! performance.

=====================

=======

Hacksaw’s Super Bowl Preview
You Tube Channel-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Look-Listen-Share-Subscribe

=======
“SUPER BOWL SUNDAY STORYLINES
=======
Chiefs-Eagles..the two best…ready to play Sunday afternoon.  So many unique stories to pay attention to:

THE TEAMS…Kansas City has gotten better and better over the last month, and they are healthy across the board.  The (15-2) record is for real.  The Eagles are (14-3) and have won 15-of-16 in a blazing finish.  The Chiefs  have won 17-straight games by a TD or less.  The Eagles have 7-blowout dominant wins this season.

COACHES..Hall of Famer Andy Reid has 3-Super Bowl wins already…an amazing (273-146) record and a (28-16) postseason mark.  He is in his 6th Super Bowl.  His Chiefs record (161-60) after the Eagles fired him.  Nick Sirianni is (48-20) in his short term in Philadelphia.  He is already (5-3) in the playoffs.

SUPERSTARS…Everywhere, from Patrick Mahomes, in his 5th Super Bowl in 7-years with a (17-3) postseason record, and coming off a (4714APY-28TD) season.  Travis Kelce (106R) could be a Hall of Fame candidate.  RB-Saquon Barkley caps off this astounding season (2447Y-18TD) aided by QB-Jalen Hurts (4160APY-39TD).  So explosive when you add AJ Brown-Dallas Goedert-DaVonta Smith to the equation.

TRENCH WARFARE..The real storyline will be the war upfront.  The Eagles have the best OL in football, anchored by Lane Johnson-Cam Jurgens and others.  The Chiefs front is led by a group of young studs Creed Humprhey and Tre Smith.  But there is more, KC’s defensive front led by Chris Jones.  And the Eagles warriors upfront include Jalen Carter-Jordan Davis-Josh Sweat-Nolan Smith.

SECONDARY STARS…The matchups in single coverage will be superb.  Trent McDuffie and Bryan Cook are stars in the KC secondary.  The Eagles present young rookie Quin Mitchell, Connor DeJean and old warhorse Darius Slay.  This will be wild.

KICKERS..KC’s Matt Araiza and Harrison Butker are superby  The Eagles Jake Elliott is pretty strong.

UNSUNG HEROES..No one is talking about the guys behind the curtain.  Chiefs GM-Brett Veach has 6-starters on offense from the draft.  The KC defense has 9-starters whom Veach drafted.  Howie Roseman is better than that for Philadelphia.  7-of his starters are draft picks,including that OL that has A 1-2-2 starting.  On defense, 7-draft picks, and 6-starters who were either taken in rounds 1-2-3.

KEYS TO THE GAME QUESTIONS…Can Chris Jones and the KC front stop Saquon Barkley?  How does the Chiefs OL holdmup against that Philly front that has Carter-Davis-Sweat-Smith at the line of scrimmage?  Will the Eagles secondary contain Kelce-Worthy-Brown?  Will the Eagles wide outs catch big yardage plays against the Chiefs athletic secondary?  And then there is the Chess match.  Andy Reid’s wild formations against the physical force Eagles defense?  And Steve Spagnoulo’s blitz package, will it jam the gaps to slow down Barkley?

WHO WINS…Too much Mean Green toughness, dominating both lines of scrimmage, and enough big plays to overcome Mahomes, who will face pressure like this he has never faced before.  Eagles to raise the Trophy.
=================

=======

Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast..1pm
Super Bowl Preview
You Tube Channel-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
Topics on Table-Stay for Fans Forum
========
San Diego State has hit the ‘reset button’ after last years gut-wrenching (3-9) football season.
Bad losses.
Underachieving offense
Defense collapsed at the end of the season

An off season plagued by more transfers and defections
The QB of the future, Danny O’Neil, bailing after a successful freshman campaign

For Coach Sean Lewis, a different type of recruiting drive.
Get more high school players here
Raid more transfers from Group of Five and 1AA schools
Work to get more NIL money to retain some of his top players

Coach Sean Lewis Comments on ‘Hitting the Reset Button’:
—–

Added 37 new players to off season roster
We had great response with the 619-Support group
Help us build roster..culture..bounce back from last year

Each year is a brand new team..it’s a new group
We make adjustments every year
As a whole season, this is a new team-new year
New group of guys-new cast of characters-new roles

We refined the process of what we did last year
We teach differently..and have to maximize the time we have with them
It takes a year and a half to put things in place…we have to speed that up
Clear sense of urgency in building

Having Jordan Napier here to tell players how to expedite
We don’t have game experience at QB..it’s fun for us to believe in the kids
Now these transfers come in to reignite these kids careers who transferred in

We saw alot in person in Bert Emanuel at Central Michigan
Real dual threat QB-can run..can throw..cerebral kids
Jayden Denegal-Micnhigan..great foundation of Football-101
Both QBs are the same..highly competitive
Keep continuity of our offense intact with their style

RB-Christian Washington went away..came back with lots experience
He does alot of stuff that Marquez Cooper did
Only 4-running backs on roster  this year
Confidence in Cam Davis-Lucky Sutton and the incoming backs-we have

Prototype OTs in my system…I want bigs…eye to eye with me
Want a waterfall of OL bearing down on defensive guys
Size-mass-length and value I want here.

Biggest piece of our recruits…we are balanced..half high school..half transfer
Want to build thru high school ranks and then supplement with transfers
Portal-will fill holes from us.

Dallas Fincher..OG-transfer from Michigan State..had family connection
He started games in Big 10-lots of experience-solidifies interior OL
We need strength in core in that offensive line-cannot be crippled

19-transfers from other schools
Rules keep changing..staff has to pay attention to all the changes
Intermittent decision making on NCAA level
We have different plans depending on what NCAA does
Things are coming down the pipe that will force changes
Revenue share for players is coming-we have plans in place.

Coaches convention wants 10-day transfer portal..1-time window
Coaches like that..but every person at the table has an opinion
10-day window helps continuity
But complicated because of semester-quarters academic plans
We want to corral the calendar…
It is a brave new world out there-and we have to be ready for change

Ideal world..would like spring transfer window to go get graduate transfer
Late JUCO kids..late high school players..could be open in late spring

Tampering is still an epidemic..it is going on
Our guys stayed..darned proud our all conference players stayed
Great staff on this floor…great kids in that lockeroom

Danny O’Neill…support the kid to make decision to go home…I granted him his release
Marquez Cooper..NFL organizations called to inquire about him

Next…we have to deep connect as a team..learn to weather the storms  that are coming…re-connect is the key word this year…Did not happen last year-I was not intentional enough to carve out the time to connect with all these players..there were so many things going on…at Crunch time-we need to know guy next to you is willing to make the sacrifice…Cannot have ‘bad ball’ in our system…the human element must improve…Too many independent thinking players last year…
=============