Bits and Pieces-Hotshots lose first game

Catching up on a few bits of news over the last few days with some opinions and thoughts as we head into another week.

I didn't have a chance to watch the Arizona Hotshots first loss as it was on something called "Bleacher Report Live", which is a streaming service that I have, but life calls and I just missed it.
The 23-15 loss in Salt Lake to the Stallions is the only game of the Hotshots ten game schedule that will not be shown on a network, so even if I miss a game live from here on out, I will be able to watch on DVR.
The biggest loss wasn't just the game defeat, but the loss of quarterback John Wolford to a back injury.
Backup Trevor Knight is reported to have struggled after replacing Wolford so Wolford's health will be paramount going into next weeks game at home vs 0-3 Atlanta.
That game can be seen at eight PM EST on NFL Network.

The other sports news of note (on the field, as you'll see shortly) is the Indians signing Hanley Ramirez to a minor league contract worth one million and incentives.
The 35-year-old righthanded hitter struggled last year with the Red Sox in hitting .254 with six homers before a June release, but he did hit 23 homers in 2017 for Boston and on a non-guaranteed contract for a team almost begging for power from right side of the plate, Ramirez will be given every opportunity to make the club.
Ramirez would likely see time at first base and as the designated hitter, should he make the ballclub.

The Athletic writes of a quiet signing that could play benefits for the rebuilding Giants, who signed the well-traveled and talented, yet somewhat disappointing over his career Cameron Maybin.
Maybin, who is one of those players that you think should be 38, yet turns only 32 in April, has played for seven teams before the Giants and has always been a player that looks like he has the tools to be a star, but the parts always seem to be more than the sum.
Maybin appears to have changed his swing a bit and maybe it is what he needs to finally play close to his potential, but it could also be just another spring training prayer from a player trying to hang on and a team playing several bingo cards.

The Browns continue to move away from the Sashi Brown era as vice president of player personnel Andrew Berry took a promotion to vice president of football operations with the Eagles.
Berry was hired by the Browns in 2016 and mainly concentrated on pro personnel during his three years in Cleveland.

I've tried to avoid too much about the Robert Kraft affair in Florida, mainly because of the heinous crimes of sex trafficking and that not enough information is available to really tag Kraft as of this writing, of the lightweight soliciting charge or the more serious charges of somehow being involved with the sex trafficking ring, which could cost him his football franchise.
I've tried to avoid it because of my dislike for the Patriots/Belichick/Brady etc, but today I'm forced to address, but not because of Robert Kraft.

Longtime readers know of my "sports crush" on LPGA golfer Jessica Korda and Korda was the"face of the PPM" one football season.
They also might remember Michael "call me Miguelito Loveless" Landucci getting Jessica to sign an 8 x 10 (pictured) as a gift for me at a tournament that I still kick myself for not going to, so what's the connection?
Apparently, Korda's long-time fiance' Johnny Del Prete was arrested for soliciting in this bust and his name was released today, which makes me wonder about Del Prete's skill in talent evaluation and his intellect.
You have Jessica Korda and you go to a grungy massage parlor with the ladies being in such reported conditions ???
Folks, we have a leader in the clueless division for 2019's tool of the year title and hit the Dave Johnson (famous horse racing announcer) voice now!'
"And down the stretch, we come!! It's Johnny Del Prete way out in front, no one is catching him this year, Del Prete's lead is Secretariat-like, It's ALL JOHNNY DEL PRETE TO THE WIRE"!!!
What a tool.

Back later with any trade news from the NHL.

Hotshots Outrace Stallions in AAF Debut

The debut game for the Arizona Hotshots in Tempe went about as well as the franchise could have expected.

Photo Credit; Az Republic

The crowd was very into the game, the game was exciting and the Hotshots didn't only win over the Salt Lake Stallions, they did so in an entertaining fashion as Rick Neuheisel's gang of green and gold left their new home with a 38-22 victory.

Hotshots quarterback John Wolford threw for 275 yards and four touchdowns with two of them to Rashad Ross, who finished with over one hundred yards receiving on the evening.

The now 1-0 Hotshots will travel to the Liberty Bowl in Memphis next Saturday to play the Express, who were shutout in their opener in Birmingham.

Hot Off The Grill

1) Watching three of the four games opening weekend, the biggest issue in quality of play looks to be these two- quarterbacking and protecting the quarterback.

The Hotshots and Stallions did a decent enough job protecting their passers, but the Birmingham-Memphis games and the half that I saw of the San Antonio-San Diego contest, saw some really poor pass protection and some bad quarterbacking, other than from Birmingham's Luis Perez in their win.

2) The one game that I didn't see was the Orlando home blowout of Atlanta.

Steve Spurrier's offense looked to be a good fit for wide-open new leagues and Atlanta losing their head coach Brad Childress in training camp didn't seem to be a competitive matchup.

Orlando was rated with Arizona as being the best team in the league and from the results of the opener, that looks accurate.

3) The Hotshots selected Trevor Knight as their expected quarterback in the AAF Quarterback Draft, but even though reports said Knight is going to see action and didn't play badly in training camp, the starter and camp standout proved to be John Wolford, who proved the decision to be a smart one for the first week with four touchdown passes and some nice touch on his passes.

I remember seeing Wolford at Wake Forest and liking his arm but wondered about his size as an NFL prospect.

Wolford was cut out of the Jets camp, but at his age (24) Wolford should be just the type that can profit from the plays and snaps of a league such as the AAF.

4) Rashad Ross finished with five catches for 103 yards with two of those catches for touchdowns with another non-scoring catch for 41 yards.

Ross might be the best receiver in this league, but here is the red flag on Ross, he's 29 (older than almost all the players defending him), he hasn't played in an NFL regular season game since 2016 and his career stats consist of nine catches and one score.

Ross will be the type of player that can play very well in the AAF and won't make teams at a higher level but will give a young QB a veteran receiver to lean on this league.

5) The Hotshots also have two more veteran types that aren't likely to make the NFL but are again as with Rashad Ross, perfect for a young quarterback to throw to with some experience in the big leagues.

Former third-rounder Josh Huff caught 44 passes over three years with the Eagles and Buccaneers and Gerald Christian was "Mr.Irrelevant" in 2015 with one career catch with Buffalo.

Both are the type of steady veterans that are going to help Arizona thrive in the passing game.

6) The run game is going to be solid, I believe with a committee that combined for 149 yards against Salt Lake with Jhurell Pressley of New Mexico leading with 64 yards on 18 carries.
Justin Stockton averaged 6.6 yards on his seven carries and the former Texas Tech Red Raider could be the top back by the end of the season.

7) Arizona's defense was noted as a leading reason that the Hotshots were ranked as at least the best in the Western Division, if not the best in the league.

The Hotshots knocked down eight Stallion passes in the victory and the secondary defending seven of those.

NFL veteran Rahim Moore lends stability and made four tackles, but it was Robert Nelson with an interception and a pass defended that led the secondary in this victory.

Arizona allowed the most points of a victorious team in week one, but I bet by the end of the season, it's the Hotshots at or near the top of the defensive statistics.

8) Arizona also received excellent games from two members of the front seven.

Linebacker Steven Johnson of Kansas was the standout with seven solo tackles, a batted ball, and an interception, but Rutgers linebacker Steve Beauharnais finished with four solo tackles, four assists with one of those solos a tackle for a five-yard loss and even when Beauharnais did not wrap up the man, he seemed to be near the football on almost every play.

9) The player with the most NFL experience on the team is former Jets kicker Nick Folk, who hit two of three field goals with the miss bouncing off the upright from 46 yards.

Folk connected from 53 yards with one of his attempts and even at his age shows he still has plenty of leg.

I wouldn't be against John Dorsey and the Browns signing Folk to a deal to bring him to Browns camp right now, which is allowed by AAF rules and he could still kick for the Hotshots.

Considering the Cleveland kicking problems over the last season and Folk's experience in cold weather with the Jets could be helpful as a Brown.

10) Salt Lake is going to win some games and these two teams rematch in two weeks in Salt Lake City.

The Stallions have a very interesting running game with speedy former Charger Brandon Oliver (8 attempts for 40 yards) and former Viking Matt Asiata ( 4 carries, 4 yards, and a score) adding a power aspect, so if they have the lead, they could be very difficult to catch.

Both the Stallion passers (Starter Josh Woodrum and backup Matt Linehan) threw a touchdown, but each was intercepted as well and their combined passing yards were a less than fabulous 159 yards.

11) The two dominant players that weren't in the game I watched closest, each had connections to TRS.

Orlando wide receiver Jalin Marshall is a former Buckeye who caught a touchdown and was the leading receiver for the Apollos and San Diego defensive end Damontre Moore, who finished with a sack with six quarterback hits against San Antonio was a player that I really liked in 2013 when he was a third-round pick by the New York Giants.

Moore spent time with five different NFL teams because of his still immense talent and he was a dominant player at Texas A&M before Myles Garrett became Myles Garrett.

Marshall spent 2016 with the Jets after a poor decision to leave Ohio State early and hasn't been in the league since.

12) I thought the league had a good first weekend.

Most of the talk has been positive or at least not negative and they need to build on that.

Only two of the four games were reasonably close and only of those two was high scoring.

The level of play will have to continue to improve and I would say it was around the level of an NFL exhibition game when the stars are on the sidelines, which isn't bad for a start.

I'll be interested to see how the ratings and reception are for the second week of the season.