03/22/22 – Radically Rational

03/22/22

Yeah, the Dirty Birds did Matty Ice cold. But there’s no blame here. This played out the way it had to. The Falcons HAD to make a run at Deshaun Watson. Just as the Saints did. Just as the Panthers did. Just as the Browns did. But unlike Baker Mayfield, who threw an infantile fit, Matt Ryan saw the scenario for what it was, and handled it like the veteran professional he is. Ryan is late in his career. He can still really sling it, and the Colts are a perfect fit for him, and vice versa. Indy will win at least ten games and will slug it out with the Titans in the AFC South. And Ryan now has the distinction of being the largest “dead money” hit-man in NFL history. The trade put a 40-million dollar cap dent on the Falcons’ books.

So now almost all of the quarterback dominoes have fallen in the NFC South after Brady’s return to the Bucs set off the scramble to lure Watson. Marcus Mariota is the placeholder in Atlanta for the moment. And Jameis Winston has signed a new two-year deal with the Saints. Winston played well last year until he tore his ACL on Halloween. I know there’s a theory that if a guy was once a turnover machine, he will always be a turnover machine. But Jameis genuinely appears to have matured.

I said “almost” all the qb dominoes are down in the NFC South. Kenny Pickett’s throwing hand apparently grew sometime between the Combine and his pro day at Pittsburgh on Monday. Atlanta? Carolina? Pickett is an interesting guy with an undeniable “It Factor.”

Chris Godwin has a fat new deal with the Bucs and is recovering nicely from his late-season ACL surgery. And his QB is coming back after all. I’d make Tampa Bay the early ’22 favorite in the NFC. The Packers are going to take a step back, and the Rams—while still very good–will be unable to duplicate last season’s lightning.

The Cowboys? “Tier 2.” But that was a stabilizing move they made Monday in keeping leading tackler Jayron Kearse in the fold.

Lebron says he’s “Having the time of my life.” Will he now record a duet with Jennifer Warnes?

No Lefty? No problem. I’d be ok if his annual absence at Augusta became a Tradition Unlike Any Other.

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Paul's Bio

I clearly have the attention span of your median fruit fly.Look! Airplane!

Sorry. I’m back.

It’s both a curse and a blessing. I’ve never bought this stuff about, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” But I do think that a wide range of life experiences helps us grow as people, and helps us better relate to other people. I’ve been fortunate. And I am beyond grateful.

I show up on time. I go like hell. I’m a good listener. I hold myself accountable. I own my mistakes. And I have a natural and an insatiable curiosity. I’m never afraid to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t. But then I try to find out.

The flip side is I’m a lousy ballroom dancer and my clothes sometimes fit me funny.

Stuff matters to me. I care. But while I take that stuff seriously, I try hard to never take myself seriously. As a result, I have sometimes been told, “Paul, it’s hard to tell when you’re serious and when you’re just having some fun. Which is it? Serious or fun?”

My answer is “yes.” But I think that is a legitimate criticism. I promise I’m going to work on that.

This has been the quickest and strangest half-century I’ve ever experienced. During that period, I’ve been afforded amazing opportunities in news and sports journalism across all platforms. I have taught wonderful students at the high school and collegiate level. Always, I learned more from them than they did from me. I’ve been a high school administrator. I spent ten seasons as a high school varsity football coach. I’ve been an advertising executive. I’ve hosted nationally syndicated television entertainment shows. In maybe the biggest honor I ever received, I was selected by NASA to be “Chet The Astronaut” for the “Land The Shuttle” simulator at Space Center Houston. (All I can say there, is “Do as I say, not as I do.” I put that thing in the Everglades more often than not.) Most recently, I just wrapped up a decade as a television news director, during which time our teams distinguished themselves in holding the powerful accountable, achieving both critical and ratings success.

What does all that mean? It means I am profoundly grateful. It also means I’m ready for “next.” So here we are. Radically Rational. It’s an idea I woke up with in 2017. I scribbled “Radically Rational” on a piece of notebook paper and used a magnet to stick it on our refrigerator. I saw it every day, and it just would not leave me alone.

I am second in charge at Radically Rational, LLC. My wife, Jo (also known as BB), is the president. Clearly, I have failed in my attempt to sleep my way to the top of this organization.

I hope you will learn that I’m loyal as a Labrador. But I will admit that this doggie can bite every now and then. My promise to you? I will show up on time. I will go like hell. I will listen to you earnestly and attentively. I will hold myself accountable. I will never be the least bit hesitant to say, “I don’t know,” when I don’t.

But then I’ll try to find out. Let’s do it.