Book Review: Blessed By The Best

Blessed By The Best is a must read for any fan of the Philadelphia Eagles and suggested reading for all NFL fans, giving a glimpse into the life of Hall of Fame safety Brian Dawkins. The full title of the book is Blessed By The Best, My Journey to Canton and Beyond and it is written by Michael Bradley who worked with Brian Dawkins to put together an inspiring book about overcoming physical circumstances as well as emotional turmoil. The book reads as if Dawkins is in the room with you, telling you his life story.

From a writing standpoint this book almost seems as if it is unedited, as if a recording of Dawkins was transcribed word for word. I think this adds to the charm of the book as I really felt that I got to know the character of the man who spent 235 pages telling me about himself, his family, his teammates and most of all about his God. This makes it a fun read which left me looking forward to what Dawkins will do with the rest of his post football life.

I give Blessed By The Best two thumbs up, recommending it for sports fans and for anyone who needs the inspiration of learning from someone who overcame a number of obstacles. I also recommend it for anyone who wants to learn about one man’s spiritual journey, delivered with honesty about his ups and downs as he continues to learn to trust in God.

Blessed By The Best: My Journey To Canton and Beyond by Brian Dawkins with Michael Bradley. Published by Camino Books, Inc. Philadelphia

Paul Salata, The Founder of Mr. Irrelevant

On the road to Super Bowl LVII the Eagles faced the San Francisco 49ers with one of the season’s biggest surprises at QB. Brock Purdy, their third string quarterback, took the field late in the season and delivered in every game until he suffered an injury in the NFC Championship. I’m not sure what is in store for Purdy in the future but his success this season got me thinking about past Mr. Irrelevants and their success (or lack thereof) on the football field. In checking the names of past players I came across a very important name that I did not know: Paul Salata, the person who came up with the idea of celebrating Mr. Irrelevant.

For those who don’t know, Mr. Irrelevant is the nickname given to the very last person picked in the NFL draft each year. Paul Salata came up with the idea in order to recognize the hard work that even the last player selected had to do in order to reach that point in their career. Mr. Salata pitched the idea to the NFL and in 1976 Kelvin Kirk, a wide receiver drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, became the first official Mr. Irrelevant. I’ll have more on Kelvin Kirk in a later post but for now let's just say that Kirk thought that someone was playing a joke on him. But this was not a joke. Mr. Salata invited Kirk out to California for a celebration and which would become an annual rite of passage for every Mr. Irrelevant since that time.

According to his obituary in the NY Times, Paul Salata was the second son of two Serbian immigrants (Chetko and Melania Salata). He played football and baseball at USC, playing on the team that won the 1948 College World Series. He also played one year of minor league baseball. While at USC he played wide receiver before joining the Army Air Corps where he served during World War II. During his college career Salata caught a touchdown in the 1945 Rose Bowl in which USC beat Tennessee by a score of 25-0 according to ESPN.com.

Mr. Salata’s NFL career was short, playing 23 games for three teams: The San Francisco 49ers, The Baltimore Colts and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He also made appearances in a few movies, including an uncredited role in The Ten Commandments. In addition to his NFL career Salata played two seasons in the Canadian Football League where he was an All Star in the 1952 season according to ESPN.com. After completing his football and acting careers, Salata went into construction work and, after creating the honor, would get to announce the name of Mr. Irrelevant in person at the draft until 2013. After turning this job over to his daughter, Paul Salata lived until October 16, 2021 when he died of natural causes at the age of 94.

Paul Salata’s legacy continues today with the annual celebration of Mr. Irrelevant and the awarding of the Lowsman Trophy which is similar to the Heisman Trophy except that it depicts a player fumbling the football. The weeklong celebration includes a banquet in which Mr. Irrelevant joins the club of those who preceded him. The group that runs the Mr. Irrelevant celebrations also does fundraising and has donated over $1 million to charities according to their website. I believe this is a fitting tribute both to the hard work of the players who otherwise would be mostly forgotten and to the son of two immigrants who thought it important to recognize these men.

For more on Irrelevant Week see their website: https://mrirrelevant.org/

For Paul Salat’s obituary in the NYT: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/24/sports/football/paul-salata-dead.html

Also mentioned in this post ESPN.com https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/32412948/paul-salata-creator-mr-irrelevant-award-dies-94

2019 NFL Divisional Playoff Round

Photo by rawpixel.com from Pexels

I could have done better last week had I flipped a coin or used darts. My picks were like the kiss of death leaving me with a record of 17 and 14. On top of that the "double doink" left me feeling numb after the Bears loss to the Eagles. That game was tough on me with my two favorite teams playing each other. Parkey's eleventh missed field goal left me in a place where I could neither enjoy the Eagles win nor mourn the Bears loss. I just felt funny...just numb.

Here are my picks for the divisional playoff round, although based on last week, teams may not want me to pencil them into the win column.

Indianapolis Colts vs Kansas City Chiefs
Saturday 4:35pm on NBC

Two great offenses will step onto the field at Arrowhead Stadium. We will get to see an outstanding rookie quarterback vs. a candidate for comeback player of the year. These teams are even in every aspect except on defense. I still believe defense wins championships making a difference even in shootouts. Plus I think Hunt's actions have hurt the Chiefs on many levels. The Chiefs' home playoff losing streak continues.
Colts 35 Chiefs 24

Dallas Cowboys vs Los Angeles Rams
Saturday 8:15pm on Fox

I mentioned last week how the Cowboys' offense improved significantly with the addition of Amari Cooper. This improvement makes this team better than they look statistically on paper. Better offense also helps a good defense play even better. This week that defense will face an offense that has been one if the best all season. This game will come down to running backs, namely can either back be slowed down. This means both defenses will have their hands full. I think Dallas will have the advantage at the line of scrimmage.
Cowboys 30 Rams 27

Los Angeles Chargers vs New England Patriots
Sunday 1:05pm on CBS

A lot has been made of the Chargers' record on the road. While they are impressive away from home a trip to Gillette Stadium for a playoff game is an entirely different situation. The Chargers will face a Patriots team that is not a dominant team like in past years but they are still good. The Patriots offense will not stall like the Ravens last week. They will score but will their defense be able to keep the Chargers out of the end zone? These teams are evenly matched. Usually when teams are even I go with the better defense. However in this case I have to go with the Patriots who almost always find a way to overcome their own shortcomings.
Chargers 24 Patriots 27

Philadelphia Eagles vs New Orleans Saints
Sunday 4:40pm on Fox

Forget the score of their regular season game. This is not the same Eagles team as the one that gave up 48 points in November. The defensive secondary has come together covering better down the stretch, finally taking advantage of the pressure applied by their front four. The Eagles will play 4 quarters this time around, something they had not done most if the regular season. But the Saints are 13-3 for a reason and Drew Brees is, as always, consistently good. Brees and his receivers present matchup problems which will test the Eagles' secondary. I think this game will come down to two things. First, can the Eagles defense avoid giving up big plays? They must keep the Saints offense in front of them and they cannot afford any missed tackles. Second, will the Eagles stay patient with the run? They will have to if they are to win.
Eagles 21 Saints 27

Sorry fellow Eagles fans or, based on my last week's picks, maybe this is good for the birds, bolts, Rams and Chiefs.

2019 NFL Wild Card Round

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The last few years I have enjoyed trying to pick winners in the NFL playoffs. Last year was especially fun as I watched the Eagles take home the Lombardi Trophy while earning myself an overall playoff record of 17-10. This year I get to enjoy seeing both of my favorite teams in the playoffs, though only one will survive this weekend's wild card round. I'll tell you which of my favorites moves on but first let's look at the two Saturday games.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans
Saturday 4:35pm on ESPN

These two teams split their games during the regular season with the road team winning each game. I expect both defenses to win the battles at the line of scrimmage forcing the offenses to play with quite a bit of discomfort. In fact both teams face the likelihood of becoming one dimensional, resting their fates on the arms (and for one team legs) of their respective quarterbacks. That opens the door for two great receiver performances by the Colt's Hilton and the Texans' Hopkins. The Texans do have an edge though, in that if either team can run the ball it will be the home team. In what should be a fun game to watch I just don't see the Colts winning twice in NRG Stadium. I think Watson outplays Luck leading his team to a win.
Colts 27 Texans 34

Seattle Seahawks vs. Dallas Cowboys
Saturday 8:15pm on Fox

The Seahawks have been very quiet this year, a stealth team with a solid record but without the noise that seems to surround some of the other playoff teams. They will arrive in AT&T stadium carrying playoff experience along with the league's top running game. They will face one of the league's best running backs and an offense that improved significantly with the arrival of Amari Cooper. Both quarterbacks are capable of making big plays when needed and this is likely to be a high scoring game. Which defense is more likely to make a critical stop in the 4th quarter? I think that will be the Seahawks defense giving them the win.
Seahawks 45 Cowboys 42

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Baltimore Ravens
Sunday 1:05pm on CBS

I'm having a tough time with this one. On paper these teams are close. But the season's stats do not give the full picture of what the Ravens have been since they changed their depth chart at quarterback. Lamar Jackson has changed this team. I'm just not sure if he changes them enough to beat the Chargers. These teams are evenly matched. Can the Ravens defense slow Philip Rivers and a very balanced Chargers' offense? Can the Chargers slow down the Ravens' running game? The Ravens are on a roll and I believe they will move on.
Chargers 14 Ravens 27

Philadelphia Eagles vs Chicago Bears
Sunday 4:40pm on NBC

I grew up in Northwest Indiana where our tv stations came out of Chicago. I watched the Bears through the Walter Payton years, suffering each season until they shuffled to a Super Bowl win. More recently I have lived in Philadelphia for over thirty years suffering with the Eagles until last year's Super Bowl victory. Now my life long favorite sports franchise is playing against my home team. In the end I'll likely feel happy and heart broken at the same time. This is also a tough pick for me as I know one of these fan bases is about to throw me off the bus.

This should be a great final game in a fun weekend. Who wins will depend a lot on Doug Pederson. Now I know a coach normally cannot win or lose a game but in this case the outcome rests on Pederson's patience with the run. If he loses patience the Bears defense will make him pay with turnovers and even a score or two. I think the Bears defense finds the end zone at least once leading to a Bears win in a tight one.
Eagles 13 Bears 14

Sorry Eagles’ fans. That hurts me too.

These are my picks for wild card weekend. Who do you think is going to win?

I heard two radio announcers complaining that while defense wins championships, low scoring defensive battles are boring. What do you prefer, a low scoring defensive battle or a shootout offensive showdown?

Second Time Around, Enjoying the Eagles' Win

I was called a front-runner as I searched for someone with whom I could celebrate the Super Bowl win. I grew up watching the Bears, having suffered a number of ups and downs. I still remember the season where the head coach kept changing quarterbacks like a baseball manager making changes on the mound. Then there was the season where so many Bears' QB's got injured that legendary running back Walter Payton had to run the offense out of the shotgun. After years of frustration the Bears won the Super Bowl. Unfortunately at the start of that season I moved to Atlanta to go to school.

There were very few Bears' fans in Atlanta in 1986 so I was alone in celebrating that win. I missed the parades and the interviews with crying and excited fans. I missed the build up during the '85 season, the excitement and the doubts as a defense that struggled early in the season became one of the best ever. I missed all the fun and excitement in Chicago as the Lombardi trophy took its place in Halas Hall. It hurt to miss out. I felt like I was not a part of things: a fan with no real connection. Having a (jealous) classmate call me a front-runner only added to the pain.

I still have an allegiance to the Bears but having lived in Philadelphia for 30 years I have grown quite fond of midnight green (kelly green as well). No, 30 years is not as long a time as some of the Eagles' fans in the area have suffered, but after not celebrating a win for 32 years I am ready for the festivities. I look forward to being in town for my second time around celebrating a Super Bowl win. This time I get to celebrate with millions of fans. I won't be alone and I don't expect to be called a front-runner. This time around I am going to drink it all in, truly enjoying the celebration.

E-A-G-L-E-S Eagles!