2015 NFL Free Agency Recap: The Insanity of Chip Kelly & How The NFL Discovered That Trades Are Actually Fun!!!

Well, we're five days into the NFL's 2015 free agency period and the pundits are scratching their collective heads so much that their perfectly coiffed locks are drifting to the ground like nuclear fallout from an A-bomb being dropped on the headquarters of Vidal Sassoon. The Eagles went from having a virtually nonexistent running back crew to having way too many ball carriers, the Saints seem to be edging ever closer to fire sale mode & the Bills look to be a quarterback away from being serious Super Bowl contenders. To paraphrase the youthful texters of today...WTF?!?!

Chip Kelly has stolen the show this offseason, just like Heath Ledger's Joker in "The Dark Knight"...trading one of the league's top backs (LeSean McCoy) for a young but still somewhat unproven linebacker in Kiko Alonso (who just happened to go to Oregon, Kelly's last gig), then trading for the oft-injured Sam Bradford while bailing on the young but eerily effective Nick Foles and finally throwing tons of cash at former Cowboys RB DeMarco Murray AFTER inking former Chargers RB Ryan Mathews. Trying to make sense of these moves is like trying to figure out how "The Mindy Project" is still on the air...

Meanwhile, New Orleans gave Seattle the offensive weapon they desperately needed in Jimmy Graham, the Dolphins mortgaged South Beach to sign Ndamukong Suh to a budget-busting deal & the hapless Jets invested ungodly amounts of money in re-acquiring cornerbacks they had on their roster just a few years ago. The big winner this offseason? Hands down, the Buffalo Bills. They got the best head coach available on the open market in Rex Ryan, snagged McCoy for a reasonable price & kept their solid defense (mostly) intact for Sexy Rexy to play with...

Yes, it sounds strange but the Bills are looking like legitimate playoff contenders this year. They just have to upgrade at signal caller to start thinking about reaching "The Big Game" (no offense intended, Matt Cassel & E.J. Manuel). Hmmmmmmm, rumors are flying that there's a team in Chicago that really wants to part ways as soon as possible with their physically gifted QB who just happens to be in the prime of his career & word on the street is that they'll make a deal for next to nothing!!!! Hey, who really wouldn't want to see Jay Cutler sporting the blue, red & white up near the Canadian border? As a Bears fan, I'm screaming "Yes! Yes! Yes!" like Meg Ryan in the classic deli scene from "When Harry Met Sally"!!!

Farewell “Mr. White Sox”

--> When Minnie Minoso, “The Cuban Comet”, passed away this past weekend, Chicago lost another baseball legend.  Minnie was the first black Latin player in Major League Baseball and first black player in the American League when he signed with Cleveland in 1949.  Two years later he was traded to the White Sox, where he became a fan favorite for his relentless style of play and outgoing personality.

Minnie played 12 of his 17 years with the White Sox and is one of only two players to have played at least 1 game in 5 different decades.  Minnie was a 7-time All Star and 3-time Gold Glove winner in left field.  He led the AL in triples and stolen bases 3 times each.  His accomplishments both on the field and off led to his number 9 being retired and he is immortalized with a statue on the outfield concourse at U.S. Cellular Field.

Minnie’s popularity in Chicago only grew after his retirement.  As a community relations ambassador, he represented the White Sox with class and a never ending smile.  He took the time to talk with fans wherever he went, freely signing autographs for anyone who wanted one.  It is said that he signed enough autographs for every resident of Chicago to have at least one.

I was fortunate enough to have met Minnie at Sox Fest years ago.  My buddy Jamie and I were standing in the hallway between autograph sessions when Minnie walked up to us.  He introduced himself and asked us where we were from.  With hundreds of fans walking around, Minnie spent about 5 minutes with us talking baseball and of course signed an autograph for each of us.  Minnie was one of the nicest, most personable sports figures I have ever encountered.

Despite his wonderful career and historical significance paving the way for Latin players, Minnie has been denied entry to the Hall of Fame.  Was it coming to the Majors later in his career after spending so much time playing in Cuba and the Negro Leagues or the “stunt” game in 1980 to have played in 5 decades that have kept him out?  It’s a shame that only Chicago has recognized a great man.

Career Stats

Games	Hits	HR	SO	BB	RBI	Runs	SB	Avg.	Fld. %
1,835	1,963	186	584	814	1,023	1,136	205	.298	.971