new orleans saints

Drew Brees Retired, Justin Fields ‘Bout to Get Hired; How Career Moves Can Involve a Leap of Faith

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It’s been a different kind of NFL off-season as Covid-19 is still on many minds. Since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won their first Superbowl ever, eyes have been on Brady and whether he’s up for another season. It’s something Drew Brees had hoped to pull-off as he leaves the game after 20 seasons.

With Brees retired, the rumor mill had folks thinking Russell Wilson was about to get hired. Well, the jury is still out as NFL Draft buzz picks up. Lot’s of QBs on the list of choices, including Ohio’s Justin Fields. Some sports junkies think he’ll be in the top 5 while others see him further down in the top 10.

No matter where Fields ends up, he’s sure to get hired. Teams often have eyes on the QB spot because it’s so central to a well-run offense. Fields isn’t losing any sleep for now, while Brees hopes to get more zees and maybe time at home with the fam. As he likes to say, “it’s not the end but a new beginning.”

That’s because he’s already been locked-in by NBC as a commentator in the primetime booth. For him, It’s a shift from playing on the gridiron to being an analyst around plays, passes and points. He was on a winning Superbowl team during his time with the Saints, so he’s got the goods and receipts as well.

Fields and Brees find themselves at the start and end of their pro football playing days. But both have to approach things like taking a leap of faith. This means moving forward as if it’s a done deal while looking around knowing your chances for success are for real. How they move through this phase comes with:

  • Revelation

It’s not clear what was the ‘writing on the wall’ that made Brees throw-in the towel. Was it the 20 years, or the offer from NBC or the mid-season injury? Sometimes there’re are clues going into a decision and cues in the process that give you a picture of what’s possible or a feeling of peace whether win or lose.  

  • Promotion

At first when Brees got traded from the Chargers to the Saints, he probably wasn’t sure how things would play out. He became starting QB for the Saints and as the saying goes, the rest is history. This wasn’t a decision he controlled but was a career move that led to promotion and Superbowl XLIV MVP.            

  • Coronation

Fields has seen his college career go from contender to coronation. He was a Heisman Trophy finalist, even after having to transfer schools to land the starting spot at Ohio. Now he’s hoping that being drafted in the first round would be one more feather in his cap as another elite player headed to the pros.        

  • Validation

A leap of faith is sometimes preceded by validation. This is when you’re fairly certain about the next move to make. But other times the validation happens after when what you envisioned for yourself comes to past. Fields is working with some of this from his college days and hoping for more of it in his NFL days.

Soon, fans will know where Fields will go. Then in a few months we’ll hear Brees breaking down his game. Brees has to kinda reinvent himself from player to announcer while Fields has to up-level his game from college to the pros. For both, it’s just a matter of stepping-into the moment.                

Tip: A leap of faith requires stepping-into the moment that presents itself and living in the moment that elevates yourself.  

Talkback: Is Fields a top 5 or top 10 pick or does it even matter?

Tracks: Lupe Fiasco Ft Matthew Santos – Superstar – https://youtu.be/hVkBlsgthLg

Common – Don’t Forget Who You Are – https://youtu.be/mp2681a91NM

Breakout School: Jimmy Butler has Lessons to Teach and Taysom Hill Has New Heights to Reach

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The Superbowl is behind us and the dust just ‘bout to settle on the halftime show. With two Latin divas on stage, let’s say it was for some ‘too hot to handle.’ They continue to rack-up views on Youtube even as Jlo reminds fans that the performance was more that just sizzle, it had some steak (message) as well.

While Taysom Hill and the New Orleans Saints didn’t make it to the big game, he’s considering what might be his next move. As a restricted free agent, he’s able to test the waters to see if any other team wants to sign him. At this stage he says he’s ready to be a starter as a franchise quarterback.

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Jimmy Butler has been through this before as a basketball pro athlete. The last few seasons have seen him bounce around between Chicago, Minnesota, Philadelphia and now with the Miami Heat. Butler seems to have found his groove and is having a breakout performance as a franchise player.

Since Butler has been to ‘breakout school’ as a free agent, he may have something to teach. And since Hill is ready to be a starter, he has new heights he wants to reach. Hill hopes that a decision by Drew Brees on whether he’ll return for another season, will hopefully help to work out the details.

Butler’s been doing some soft recruiting to get Joel Embiid his former teammate, to join him. Maybe team chemistry isn’t working on the homecourt. But Hill doesn’t have that problem. Whichever way things playout with Butler’s court magic and Hill field presence, time at breakout school is spent building your:

  1. Genius

The thing that makes Hill special is his versatility. He’s played multiple positions on the field including quarterback, tight-end, wide receiver and kickoff return. Will that genius make him more marketable as a free agent? It depends on whether teams worry about him losing that edge if he became a starting QB.

  1. Flow

Hill was an undrafted player after college. He did tryouts for the Green Bay Packers but didn’t make the cut. Then the Saints pick him up for their squad which got him in the flow of the league. Sports commentators wonder if Hill will be like a Tim Tebow in terms of the impact he can have as a starter.

  1. Niche

Usually when a player gets traded like happened before to Butler, they’re bringing a certain skill set to a team. Sometimes it’s a one-for-one replacement and other times it might involve multiple players. It can be filling a position on the team or a niche in the game based on the value they bring to the mix.

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  1. Bliss

Butler probably has spent time off-season and after practice working on his shot. He’s had to expand his game to boost his stats. For some players it’s about working on free-throw percentage. For others it might be a mid-range or three-point shot. The breakout seems to come when skill plus thrill bring more bliss.

Hill is hoping one way or another that he has a chance to prove himself. This might depend on whether Brees returns for another season or if Hill gets a shot as starter elsewhere. Whichever way the wind blows he’ll come to see like Butler that breakout school is learning how to bring the juice.

Tip: A breakout performance is about getting your chance to flow by building your strengths on the job, juice in the game and bliss for the fans.

Talkback: Is Hill ready to be a starter and are the Miami Heat for real?

Tracks: Eminem – Loose Yourself – https://youtu.be/qvSx_1WVWiM

JLo – Jenny from the Block – https://youtu.be/dly6p4Fu5TE

Checkout Spike Lee and Regina King Exchanging Notes on ‘Being in The Running’ and Getting That First Shot at the Big Prize

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It’s maybe one of the biggest no-calls in an NFL game. That’s the general feeling among players and fans after the Saints-Rams championship. Even the Rams defensive player helped make the point. That turnover moment will be remembered for how it took away Saints momentum during the late stretch.

Then there’s the roll-call coming out of Hollywood with this year’s Oscar nominations. Lots of buzz around Spike Lee getting his first pick ever. There’s probably just as much attention Lee will receive if he wins as Regina King got when she won at the Golden Globes. Imagine what we’d learn if they exchanged notes?

Lee and King spent a lot of time ‘being in the running.’ Over the years Lee has produced a host of films that made waves in pop culture. But it seems he kept being overlooked by the Academy. King was a child actor on the sitcom ‘227’ before becoming a Director and making her powerful statement at the Globes.

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They’d tell the story going from no-call in Hollywood to roll-call in nominations and going from first-look to getting that first-shot in industry. They kept doing their thing even when overlooked. As they worked on their performance styles and pleasing audiences, they had love for the fans and hustle-love for the game.

Lee has produced films that raise social awareness and deliver entertainment value. Sometimes he appears on sports-talk shows debating crossover topics. King has seen roles from the small screen to the big movie sets. And she’s preparing for a new career goal in 2019 as she steps-up her game with some:

  1. School Days

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There’s the movie School Daze that Lee produced around the HBCU college scene. But there’s also ‘school days’ that King is ready to tackle. She knows there’s more to learn about herself, her craft and showbiz as an industry. That’s probably a satisfaction Lee now feels having gone down that road.

  1. Challenge Days

King realizes that her goal will come with some challenge days. These aren’t just days of a social media challenge which can get out of hand. Folks are doing crazy stuff for no good reason. The challenge days King expects involve doing big stuff for greater results. Such challenge days can bring greater meaning.

  1. Tough Calls

With the Saints game, one view is that the no-call was a tough call to make. That’s maybe why the NFL plans to consider whether pass-interference plays will be subject to video review in the future. There’re tough calls to make when it comes to being in the running and getting your first shot at the big prize.

  1. Pitch Calls

Over the years Lee has probably done a few ‘pitch calls’ where he’s made the case for his next project. A part of stepping-up her game means King will have to do the same. Making the pitch often involves figuring-out the niche. That helps with opening new doors and bringing new ideas to the marketplace.

The Vegas bookies will give the odds-on favorite for which team has the best chance to win in the Superbowl. The showbiz talkers will get into the nitty-gritty on who’s got the best chance to win in each Oscars category. Lee and King know it’s not an easy road, but they meet the challenge by taking a shot.

Tip: Showbiz & sports stars know success is in having love for the fans and hustle-love for the game.

Talkback: Is it time for Spike Lee to win that big one and for pass-interference calls to be reviewable?

Tracks: Buju Banton – Not an easy road – https://youtu.be/5JQcn9w_PUk

Ella Mai – Shot Clock – https://youtu.be/RR1_p1zjeSI