02/04/23 Carr is in the driver’s seat. – Radically Rational

02/04/23 Carr is in the driver’s seat.

I’m not even close to making my official Super Bowl pick yet. But it’s undeniable that the Eagles have a big edge up front, on both sides of the ball.

Derek Carr is politely declining to let the Raiders postpone his February 15 contract trigger date. That’s the day DC is scheduled to receive $40 million in guaranteed money if he’s still on the Raiders’ roster. Las Vegas would like to have a little more time to try to arrange a trade for Carr, but the Raiders may now be forced to simply release him. DC will be a hot commodity this offseason. Carr and his agent have been given permission to talk with teams who are potential trade partners.

I’ll be very interested to see how things work out for Sean Payton and the Broncos. Somehow this union just doesn’t feel quite right.

NFL in-game concussions were up 18 percent in 2022 as compared to the previous season. There were 149 diagnosed concussions in 271 games, compared with 126 in 2021. Part of the rise may be attributed to a broadening of the definition of concussion and strengthened diagnostic protocols.

The NFL has partnered with the American Heart Association to provide free CPR training to fans attending the NFL Experience during Super Bowl week in Phoenix. Very cool. Everyone should learn CPR. It saved Damar Hamlin’s life. It can save many others.

So Kyrie Irving is demanding that the Nets trade him before Thursday’s deadline. Nobody really cares, because nobody trusts him. The only relevant issue here is how this “demand” might impact Kevin Durant’s future in Brooklyn.

Basketball brawls are as boring as they are stupid. It must be February.

Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is leaving South Bend to take the same job at Alabama. Rees, a former Irish QB, helped ND to a 31-8 record in his three seasons as the offensive play caller. He’ll replace Bill O’Brien in Tuscaloosa, now that OB is heading back to the NFL as the Pats’ OC. Rees has a solid reputation for developing offensive linemen and tight ends, which Nick Saban will always find appealing. Rees becomes the Tide’s sixth offensive coordinator in eight years.

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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.