Remembering Bart Starr

Before there was Aaron Rodgers, before there was Brett Favre, there was the great Bart Starr for the Green Bay Packers. For those who do not know, Starr was the legendary quarterback who helped lead the Pack to the very first two Super Bowls and led them to wins in both games. In what is considered by many as a rough and tumble, ground the ball down your throat era, Starr was still a hell of a quarterback, arguably a top quarterback in NFL history. Let’s take a closer look.

To help showcase his talent, one can check his stats if they need proof. Per Pro Football Focus, Starr threw for 24,718 yards throughout his illustrious career to couple with 152 career touchdowns. In today’s era, that may not seem like much, but in the era he played in, it was considered a remarkable accomplishment. He also finished his career with a quarterback rating of 80.5, a career rating which is actually higher than the likes of other great quarterback’s such as John Elway and Johnny Unitas, both of which are also top 10 quarterbacks in NFL history. Fran Tarkenton, a legendary quarterback who used to play for Green Bay’s arch rival the Minnesota Vikings, spoke about the late Bart Starr. Here is the full quote per purplereignnews.  

 “Today is a sad day. Bart Starr was truly one of the greatest, both as a quarterback and as a man. He deserves so much of the credit for five @packers championships. Bart, you were a special player and man, and you will be greatly missed by all of us.” @nfl @ProFootballHOF pic.twitter.com/AqbJCRWHSj

— Francis Tarkenton (@Fran_Tarkenton) May 26, 2019

As one can see, there is a lot of respect being shown here between two former rivals. We are not just talking about any rivalry either. The Packers and Vikings rivalry is considered at least a top five NFL rivalry. This goes to show how deeply respected of a player and opponent Bart Starr was in the league. Starr may have passed away at 89, but his legacy still lives on as not just a Packers legend, but as a NFL legend as well.

Why Khris Middleton is a Perfect Fit for the Denver Nuggets

            Khris Middleton of the Milwaukee Bucks is often the overlooked shining spot of the Bucks’ roster. Despite being the right hand man of the probable MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton himself is also an All Star and could be the missing link to the already solid Denver Nuggets’ roster. Denver has their foundation in place led by Nikola Jokic with a terrific supporting cast of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Paul Millsap and eventually Michael Porter Jr., but they were still knocked out in the second round of the post season. While Michael Porter Jr. does have an extremely high ceiling, it still may not be a bad idea for him to come off the bench for at least one season. A solid wing who can consistently hit the three point shot is exactly what the Denver Nuggets need, especially one who is an All Star.

Will Barton is simply too inconsistent and as alluded to already, Porter will be young and developing. Khris Middleton not only fits Denver’s scheme and culture perfectly, he also could form the Nuggets into a fringe super team considering Middleton is now an All Star. Pair him with another All Star in Nikola Jokic and an up and coming back court of Jamal Murray and Gary Harris and you have a legitimate NBA title contender for next season. Just think about this for a second. A starting rotation consisting of Jamal Murray, Gary Harris, Khris Middleton, Paul Millsap and Nikola Jokic. Now say that again and out loud. Can’t help but think that is an intriguing lineup huh?

Per Basketball Reference.com, Middleton is a career 38.8% three point shooter which would make him a deadly threat paired up with Jokic, who is already widely considered the best passing big man in the league. This season, Khris averaged 18.3 points per game to go along with six rebounds per game. He even averaged four assists per game and even had an offensive rating of 109. Middleton also averaged a win shares total of 6.1 in the regular season of this year. In the playoffs, Middleton is a career average 18 points per game scorer along with shooting a cool 44.4% from downtown in the post season. I think these totals speak for themselves when it comes to how good a fit Middleton would be for the Denver Nuggets.

 Now for the downsides. Middleton may not want to leave a team which is already contending for a title for another Western Conference team who is constructed in a similar fashion where he would probably have the same role. Not to mention, he may want a better contract or even a max contract, something which would require the Nuggets’ front office to work around. This would most likely mean working out some type of sign and trade consisting of Will Barton and Mason Plumlee which could prove far too costly for the depth of this team. Denver will most likely try to sign Millsap to a cheaper deal this summer anyway, but it still might not be enough to lure Khris Middleton to the Mile High city. However, Middleton is still worth at least taking a metaphorical swing at in free agency.

The Denver Nuggets have a busy off season ahead. Thankfully, they can check off one thing on their to do list. President of Basketball Operations, Tim Connelly, has committed to staying in the Mile High despite getting a better offer in terms of money from the Washington Wizards. This is imperative considering he is largely responsible for Denver’s current framework. As a result, he could be the difference in convincing Middleton to take a leap of faith in the Mile High and leave a high powered Bucks team, or him deciding on a different path in this summer’s free agency.

Anquan Boldin: One of the Most Overlooked Wide Receivers in History

Detroit Lions wide receiver Anquan Boldin saw his 14^th season end last night with a loss in Seattle. However, the wide receiver continues to make an impact even in this late stage of his career. Not many casual fans know of how consistent and effective Boldin has been through his career. A few factors have contributed to him not getting the shine that he deserves. Playing alongside great future Hall of Famers and playing for multiple teams are just a couple of factors that have contributed to him being underrated. When it comes to the Hall of Fame, Anquan Boldin will be a lock once he becomes eligible for consideration.

Boldin started off his career in 2003 with the Arizona Cardinals. He was an immediate threat catching 101 passes for over 1,300 yards in his rookie season. This set an NFL record for most receiving yards for a rookie wide receiver. Boldin was the only rookie to go to the Pro Bowl in 2004. He did have a bit of a sophomore slump in his 2^nd year, however, this is mainly due to an injury he suffered. Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald formed a premier wide receiver tandem of the NFL causing defenders to have fits whenever defenses played Arizona. During his Arizona tenure, he became the fastest player in NFL history to catch 500 career receptions. Unfortunately, the casual NFL fan seems to forget how vital he was to Arizona’s offense, due in part to the great Larry Fitzgerald and the insane amount of success he has obtained throughout his career. However, Boldin’s story did not end in Arizona.

In 2010, Anquan Boldin found himself with the Baltimore Ravens. He immediately became a favorite target for quarterback Joe Flacco, catching 7 passes for 110 yards in his Ravens debut. His first year as a Raven was the year he caught the most touchdown passes in his Baltimore tenure receiving 7 touchdowns. Boldin eventually secured his first Super Bowl ring with the Ravens in 2012, after having one of the best games for a wide receiver against the 49ers. In the Super Bowl, he caught 6 passes for 104 yards and a touchdown. This same season was the year Boldin had his highest amount of passing yards (921), since his final year in Arizona. Ironically, he was traded to San Francisco the following off-season. He was a key contributor for them as well. Boldin had over 1,000 yards receiving in 2 out of his 3 years as a 49er. Now he is playing for the Detroit Lions, which has made him a bit of a journeyman. He was a weapon for Matthew Stafford this year catching 8 touchdowns on the season.  Unfortunately, the amount of teams he has now played for may also have a part in him being overlooked. Nevertheless, Anquan Boldin is not a 1 time Super Bowl Champion and 3 time Pro Bowler for nothing.

Anquan Boldin makes an impact off the field as well. Last season, he won the Walter Peyton Man of the Year Award. This award honors a player’s volunteer work while he excels on the football field. Despite playing with future Hall of Famer’s like Larry Fitzgerald, Joe Flacco, and Patrick Willis, Boldin’s skill-set has been massively underrated. Yes, the man is a bit of a journeyman, but in today’s NFL, that is fairly common anymore. Boldin’s resume boasts his accomplishments and shows why he belongs in the Hall of Fame one day. The man is a Super Bowl Champion, 3 time Pro Bowler, Walter Peyton Man of the Year recipient, and former Rookie of the Year, which tells why Anquan Boldin is one of the best receivers of our time.