The Armchair Quarterback’s Guide To The NFL: Free Agency Winners And Losers

The Armchair Quarterback’s Odds And Ends Of The Week

Beer Review Of The Week:

Boulevard Brewing’s Tasting Room Westside Rye Ale

Last week I reviewed Boulevard’s other Tasting Room offering, their Mid-Coast IPA. These Tasting Room selections can be found in a 12 pack that includes the Mid-Coast, this Westside Rye Ale, their 80 Acre Hoppy Wheat (also good), and their top seller, Boulevard Wheat. The Westside Rye Ale is a solid offering, but it almost felt like it needed a little extra something to put it over the top. There is definitely a rye bread “maltiness” to this beer that left me feeling like I should drink it while eating a pastrami sandwich (which is actually suggests on the bottle). There is a little hop kick to it, but pretty tame, and just a little bit of caramel sweetness in there too. The rye bread flavor is the star of the show, as it should be, but I almost feels like it could use a little something more to compliment it and really put this beer over the top. If you like Rye beers, give this a try. It’s solid, but not spectacular.

My Rating (1-10): 7.5

A Way To Pass The Time This Week Besides Checking Twitter For Free Agency Updates:

It’s okay, you can step away from Twitter for an hour and turn off the NFL Network and the world won’t come to an end. We’re all NFL addicts and need our NFL news “fix” but I promise that it won’t be the end of the world if you aren’t on Twitter at the exact moment that Adam Schefter tweets out that your team just signed a reserve offensive lineman. Instead, go check out one of your local high school state basketball tournaments that are going on in most states right now. I’m fortunate enough to teach at a school that has both their men’s and women’s teams still alive (Go Swathers!). If you want to go watch a sporting event in the most pure form, this is it. The state level games are great competition and it’s so refreshing to see the kids absolutely giving their all despite the fact that there’s no big payday in their future. They’re playing for themselves, their teammates, and their school and the atmosphere is great. So step away from your TV and put your phone away and get out of the house for a little bit and catch some live sports being played the way sports are supposed to be. You won’t regret it.

Rant Of The Week:

People that attack athletes on Twitter for not signing with their favorite team are idiots. Seriously, it’s ridiculous. The idea that these athletes with one of the shortest career lengths and all the health risks involved should pass up the biggest contract that they can get just to sign with “your team” is absurd. Especially when the NFL has non-guarunteed contracts and a player can be cut in an instant if the team doesn’t like the product he puts on the field. So if you are “that guy” (or girl), just stop. You’re embarrassing yourself. Trust me, no one, not even fellow fans of your team, see you attack them and go “YES!!!! You tell um, that’ll teach them to sign with someone else!” We all just roll our eyes and think “Man that guy is making our entire fan base look stupid!” Twitter attacks in general are bad enough, but these free agency ones basically sound like a little kid whose mom wouldn’t let him get the new toy he wanted so now he’s go to throw a tantrum in the middle of the store. If my kids try that they know that they’ll have to go to “time out” when we get home. If only Twitter allowed you to put someone in time out. Wouldn’t that be nice?

I think that does it for this week’s Armchair Quarterback. Be sure to let me know what you thought about the biggest winners and losers in free agency thus far. Check back next week for the second part of my first round draft pick analysis. Until then, I hope your team lands whatever players you still want (unless it’s Chris Clemons, who I want the Chiefs to sign).

Thanks for reading.

Follow me on Twitter: @LyleGraversen