Deshaun Watson exercise with Houston Texans on first time of camping ground

Check out this post by Kristie Rieken from The Denver Post talking about some important happenings for the week. Kristie Rieken recently published the article and I thought it was well worth sharing here.

Deshaun Watson was on the field for the start of training camp with the Houston Texans on Wednesday.

The future of the quarterback is uncertain after he asked for a trade in January before 22 women filed lawsuits alleging that he sexually assaulted or harassed them in March. Houston police and the NFL are investigating the allegations, but no charges have been filed.

Watson still wishes to be traded and reported to training camp solely to avoid being fined. He would have faced fines of $50,000 a day if he didn’t report.

Watson wore his red No. 4 jersey over a gray hoodie with sweatpants as he went through individual drills with the rest of the quarterbacks as practice began on Wednesday. He chatted with teammates and coaches during breaks in the action.

General manager Nick Caserio spoke before practice and was evasive when questioned about Watson’s status with the team.

“It’s a day-to-day endeavor,” Caserio said. “We’re going to take the information. We’re going to process that. We’re respectful of everybody and everything that’s involved. So we’ll kind of take it one day at a time. And ultimately we’re going to do what we feel is best for Houston Texans.”

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Caserio also insisted that Watson was not a distraction to the team.

The NFL released a statement regarding Watson on Tuesday that although its “review of the serious allegations against Deshaun Watson remains ongoing and active,” there were no restrictions on his participation in team activities.

Watson led the NFL in yards passing last season and signed a four-year, $156 million contract extension with the Texans last offseason. But he became unhappy with the direction of the team and requested a trade in January after the Texans, who won the AFC South in 2018 and ’19, sank to 4-12 last season.

Caserio signed veteran Tyrod Taylor to a one-year deal in March to give the team an insurance policy at quarterback if Watson can’t or won’t play this season. The Texans selected Stanford’s Davis Mills in the third round of this year’s draft, and he and Jeff Driskel, a recent free agent signee, will likely compete to back up Taylor if Watson isn’t an option.

U.S. volley ball star David Smith revels as good example for earless children

Check out this post by Josh Dubow from The Denver Post talking about some important points this week. Josh Dubow recently posted the article and I decided it was a great post for publishing here.

TOKYO — Growing up nearly completely deaf provided a challenge for David Smith as he tried to integrate with other kids at school or on the playground.

Whatever Smith may have lacked in hearing was more than made up with empathy, compassion and most of all athletic ability.

Smith was born nearly deaf with 80-90% hearing loss but has managed to overcome that to become an elite athlete competing in his third Olympics for the U.S. men’s volleyball team.

“Sports were definitely a confidence booster for me,” Smith said. “It was something I thrived at despite having quote unquote a disadvantage. I think for me personally, that was great for my mental understanding of who I am and what I can do, but I think it was also a unique way of me integrating myself with the normal hearing world.”

While Smith may struggle to have normal conversations as he relies on hearing aids and lip reading to communicate, he never had any limitations when it came to sports.

The boy who wanted a ball of some kind as a gift at nearly every birthday and holiday was a star athlete at an early age before starting to focus on volleyball as he got to high school.

“As a kid, if you can show that you go out and you can play with other kids, do exactly what they can do, passing the ball and scoring goals or whatever else, they understand that maybe this kid is maybe limited one area of life, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t do everything else that we can do,” Smith said. “I think that was a huge way for me to become more socially involved. Sports was my way in.”

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Smith thanks his parents, Nancy and Rick, for that opportunity as they made the decision when he was young to put him in public schools and sports teams instead of keeping him with deaf kids.

Nancy Smith had worked with deaf kids for a few years before David was born so she was well prepared for how to raise him.

“I home-schooled him for a couple of years because I wasn’t sure what his language would be, how his reading and all that would be,” she said. “I wanted to make sure he had a good foundation. He just did so we put him into public school and there you go.”

Smith appreciates the choice his parents made and how they advocated for him along the way whether it was with coaches, teachers or referees, who sometimes questioned why he wore hearing aids.

“They didn’t hold me back,” Smith said. “That was one of the life lessons that I took from my parents. I’m the only one that can hold me back from doing what I want to do. If I want to do something there is a way to do it whether it’s sports or a job or university or a relationship. I might have to take a different route. I might have to make some adjustments along the way. But if I truly have a passion for it, I truly have a calling to do it, it’s on my shoulders to be able to find a way to make it happen.”

The 36-year-old Smith eventually earned a scholarship to play volleyball at UC Irvine, joined the national team in 2009 and made his first of three Olympic teams in 2012. He won a bronze medal in 2016 and is seeking to do even better this year.

He has also played professionally across Europe and has been an inspiration to deaf kids wherever he goes.

In college road games, there were deaf cheering sections for him in Hawaii and kids would give Nancy and Rick Smith leis.

Now he hears from parents and kids on social media or wherever he plays. Smith said he was particularly touched by one young deaf fan when he played in Poland, who came to all his matches and wore Smith’s jersey.

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Smith said the kid was weeping when he changed teams, but he still keeps in touch with the mother through social media.

“I think sometimes so many people see hearing loss as a disability and that’s all they see and that becomes the center of their thought process,” he said. “So you’re thinking about what you can’t do instead of what you can do. Being able to demonstrate that is one of the most rewarding things. Being able to be a real time influence in a real time inspiration to the next generation has been real cool.”

Smith is a starter on a U.S. team that improved to 2-1 at the Olympics by beating Tunisia in four sets on Wednesday.

In other matches, Canada beat Iran 3-0, Argentina edged France 3-2, Poland topped Venezuela 3-1, Italy beat Japan 3-1 and the Russians knocked off Brazil 3-0.

Nuggets 2021 NBA simulated receipt system 3.0: What the national pros predict Denver is going to carry out

Take a look at this article by Joe Nguyen from The Denver Post discussing some important events for the week. Joe Nguyen recently posted the article and I thought it was a great post for syndicating here.

The NBA draft is set to take place at 6 p.m. MT Thursday (TV: ABC, ESPN), so what will the Nuggets do with the No. 26 overall pick?

A shooting guard to help fill the void left by the injured Jamal Murray? Another big man to alleviate some stress from Nikola Jokic?

Denver Post beat writer Mike Singer breaks down who Denver could pick by position. Take a look at his analysis here: point guards | shooting guards | small forwards | power forwards | centers.

Here’s a look at who national draftniks are thinking will land in Denver.

Yahoo Sports | Krysten Peek | Updated July 26

Sharife Cooper, G, Auburn

Mark Zaleski, The Associated PressAuburn guard Sharife Cooper (2) plays against Vanderbilt during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn.

No analysis available. See the full mock draft.

Bleacher Report | Zach Buckley | Updated July 25

yo Dosunmu, G, Illinois

Rey Del Rio, Getty ImagesAyo Dosunmu (11) of the Illinois Fighting Illini handles the ball under pressure from Aaron Henry (0) of the Michigan State Spartans during the first half at Breslin Center on Feb. 23, 2021 in East Lansing, Mich.

“Dosunmu doesn’t have a standout skill, but his do-it-all skills might work in a glue-guy role. In Denver, he could help run the offense while Jamal Murray works his way back from a torn ACL and then shift into a complementary role focused on finishing, defense, spot-up shooting and high-energy everything.” See the full mock draft.

CBS Sports | Kyle Boone | Updated July 26

yo Dosunmu, SG, Illinois

Nam Y. Huh, Associated Press fileIllinois guard Ayo Dosunmu shoots during the first half of the team’s NCAA college basketball game against Northwestern in Evanston, Ill., in this Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021, file photo.

“Ayo Dosunmu came back to college as a junior to improve as a shooter and try to lead Illinois to a title. He failed at the latter but achieved the former, hitting 38.6% from 3-point range (after it was 29.6% the year prior) while improving as a passer and rebounder. Glue-guy potential here with him as he does a lot of things really well but nothing at an elite level. Someone who should stick and find success.” See the full mock draft.

The Ringer | Kevin O’Connor | Updated July 27

Isaiah Jackson, F/C, Kentucky

Andy Lyons, Getty ImagesIsaiah Jackson (23) of the Kentucky Wildcats celebrates against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC YUM! Center on Dec. 26, 2020 in Louisville, Ky.

“League sources say the Nuggets are trying to move up from the 26th pick into the top 20, and using young bench players or future picks as lures. Denver has historically drafted for upside, so if the pick is made here, Jackson fits the team profile as a bouncy big who could thrive if he’s given time to improve his weaknesses.” See the full mock draft.

ESPN | Jonathan Givony | Updated July 27

Joshua Primo, SG, Alabama

Stacy Revere, Getty ImagesJoshua Primo (11) of the Alabama Crimson Tide handles the ball against Donta Scott (24) of the Maryland Terrapins in the second half in the second round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on March 22, 2021 in Indianapolis.

“Adding depth on the wing will likely be a priority for the Nuggets, who are slated to be without Jamal Murray for all or most of next season and will see several rotation players enter free agency. Primo, the youngest player in the draft, might be a distance from becoming a consistent contributor, but he’s helped himself with a strong pre-draft process. Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has never been afraid to take a high-upside prospect and be patient with his development, and Primo has everything NBA teams look for at his position long term.” See the full mock draft (subscription).

Fox Sports | Jason McIntyre | Updated July 25

Jaden Springer, G, Tennessee

Butch Dill, The Associated PressTennessee guard Jaden Springer (11) drives to the basket as Auburn guard Allen Flanigan (22) defends during the second half of an NCAA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021, in Auburn, Ala. Auburn won 77-72.

“The Nuggets will be without Jamal Murray until after the All-Star break, and given the fact that guards Will Barton, Markus Howard and Austin Rivers are all free agents, they need to draft a shooting guard.” See the full mock draft.

CBS Sports | Colin Ward-Henninger | Updated July 27

Cameron Thomas, SG, LSU

Stacy Revere, Getty ImagesCameron Thomas (24) of the LSU Tigers moves the ball defended by Alejandro Vasquez (10) of the St. Bonaventure Bonnies in the first round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Assembly Hall on March 20, 2021 in Bloomington, Ind.

“Talk about a bucket-getter. Thomas has the game, and the confidence, to eventually become a 20-point-per-game NBA scorer — he just needs to work on his efficiency. The Nuggets, like pretty much every team, are always looking for bench players who can create and put the ball in the basket, so Thomas would be a gem this late in the draft. He can also help pick up the slack until Jamal Murray returns from his ACL surgery.” See the full mock draft.

Sports Illustrated | Jeremy Woo | Updated July 26

Cameron Thomas, SG, LSU

Tim Nwachukwu, Getty ImagesCameron Thomas (24) of the LSU Tigers shoots against the LSU Tigers in the second-round game of the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 22, 2021 in Indianapolis.

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“While Thomas’s inflexible, shoot-first approach has been a divisive topic and a long-standing challenge to evaluate, he’s inarguably one of the more consistent, accomplished scorers in the draft. The questions here primarily surround the translatability of his playstyle, and his general disinterest in defense and sharing the ball. But there’s some thought that he might fit nicely as an extra scorer on a team with an established pecking order, and the Nuggets fit the criteria there. It will fall on Thomas to become a more malleable player in the long run, but his production is hard to knock, and he’ll have much easier shot opportunities coming his way on a good team, in theory. Denver has historically been content to draft whomever falls to them, and Thomas would be a nice value play in this scenario.” See the full mock draft.

Avs Mailbag: With Gabe Landeskog re-signed, performs this spell completion of Philipp Grubauer in Colorado?

Take a look at this post by Mike Chambers from The Denver Post talking about several important happenings this week. Mike Chambers recently posted the article and I decided it was well worth publishing on this website.

Denver Post sports writer Mike Chambers responds to questions in the Avs Mailbag periodically during the regular season and offseason. Pose an Avalanche- or NHL-related question for the Avs Mailbag.

Hey Mike, can you clarify the NHL rules on the drafting of college players? I saw that the Avs took an incoming DU freshman with one of their picks. As an incoming freshman, how does it work? How long does he play in college before turning pro? Is there a time commitment/requirement on that? For example, I know in MLB drafts, if players decide the college route they have to commit three years to their college program before being draft-eligible and NFL and NBA have their respective “time out of high school” rules before being draft-eligible. I was just hoping you can clarify how the NHL draft works for college players being drafted?

— Douglas, Denver

Sure thing, Douglas. An NHL team that selects a college player must sign the player within a year after he leaves college or in August after his senior year. Otherwise, the player can become a free agent — like Will Butcher of the University of Denver did in August 2017. Butcher, who turned down the Avs to sign with New Jersey, was drafted before his freshman season at DU.

What’s the situation with Phillip Grubauer?

— Zach, Parker

It appears that he wants $6 million or more annually and the Avs don’t have the money. They already have two $9 million guys and Nathan MacKinnon is two years away from that. Good chance Grubauer signs elsewhere — particularly since the Avs came to terms with Gabe Landeskog.

Do see Landeskog going anywhere else? And can we nail down Grubauer?

— Brennan Vogt, Parker

Please see the above. Clearly, Landeskog is coming back to Colorado and the team may have made him a priority over Grubauer because of leadership/locker room areas. The Avs might think they’ll be OK having Jonas Johansson back up Pavel Francouz, with youngsters Adam Werner, Justus Annunen, Trent Minor and Hunter Miska also available. Werner and Annunen are Avalanche draft picks and Annunen, 21, could be the future.

I really thought this was the year the Avs were going to the Stanley Cup Finals. What happened?

— Christie, Aurora

Vegas happened. Costly turnovers. Sudden second-guessing and loss of confidence. And Vegas’ play off the rush was deadly — using the Avs’ brand better than the Avs. Grubauer wasn’t himself in Game 6, either.

Mike, Sam Girard had a solid regular season, but the playoffs, not so much. It seemed that just like last year in the Bubble against the Stars, his physical stature was a liability as this year the Golden Knights bullied him at every opportunity. Maybe it would be more advantageous to protect Ryan Graves and take the chance that Girard gets picked up by Seattle? Your thoughts?

— Dan Rish, Albuquerque, New Mexico 

I had those same thoughts, Dan, but Girard is just 23 and his ability to move the puck up ice is special. Instead of trading Graves, maybe they could have moved Girard for more return — and also eliminate his $5 million cap hit. In the end, the Avs believe Girard is only going to improve and, while he’s never going to have a big body, he’ll make strides in how he defends in front of the net.

Hey Mike, what roster moves would you do with the Avs going into next year? We’re so close to making it over the hump. We have the depth, we have the talent, it feels like we just need that X-factor type of player to put us over the edge. Anyone out there you’d love to see in a Colorado uniform?

— Nick, Parker

Yes, Nick, I’d like a guy like Wayne Simmonds at forward and a tough shutdown D like Zach Bogosian, a UFA. I think the Avs lack a couple of tough guys.

With another failed postseason run, what needs to change for this team to get over the hump and make it back to the finals?

— Terry, Denver

I think the Avs need to get heavier, meaner — harder to play against in the playoffs. They are hard to play against in the regular season because they’re a talented rush squad that puts opponents on their heels. In the playoffs, you have to get mad-dog mean to win the Cup. I don’t think they are mean enough.

What does the coaching/staffing crew think they can do to give us the edge next year when we had everything we needed to get ourselves to the Cup this year but missed that opportunity?

— Michael Barger, Denver

Please see the above, Michael. I think they need to alter their high-flying identity by adding toughness.

Hey Mike, have you heard any talks about updating practice and main arena facilities before the puck drops next season?

— Alex, Broomfield

No, sir. I believe the Avs signed a multi-year deal with South Suburban Family Sports Center last year, or the year before. They were previously on a year-to-year deal. This topic has been a hot one for a long time — a very, very long time. The facility is sub-standard for the NHL.

Activision Blizzard Worker Are Planning A Walkout On Wednesday In Feedback To Poor Working Circumstances

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Activision Blizzard employees will perform a walkout on Wednesday in protest of working conditions at the company. The World of Warcraft and Call of Duty developer is currently being sued by the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing due to multiple allegations against the company for creating a “frat boy” culture where sexual harassment went unchecked and reports of it were ignored.

Activision Blizzard has so far responded by claiming they will fight the lawsuit and that many of the claims were “untrue or distorted.” This has, unsurprisingly, left many current Activision Blizzard employees upset. More than 2,000 employees have signed a letter stating their unhappiness with how management has chosen to respond to the allegations. They will use the walkout as a way to withhold their labor and make multiple demands of Activision Blizzard, the latter of which includes better conditions for workers and specifically mentions “women of color and transgender women, nonbinary people, and other marginalized groups that are vulnerable to gender discrimination not being hired fairly for new roles when compared to men.”

Kotaku acquired the entire statement of intent letter, which you can read here.

The allegations against Activision Blizzard are another example of a serious problem in the game industry with how employees are treated in the workplace. In 2020 there were allegations against many higher-ups at Ubisoft for “sexual misconduct” and, despite that being more than a year ago, a Kotaku report earlier in July stated that not much had changed since the original report. The original Ubisoft allegations came amidst a massive wave of them back in 2020 and it is very clear that sweeping change still needs to occur across the industry.

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Kiszla: Simone Biles ignores five-ring Olympic festival, putting her psychological wellness over mission for gold

Interesting article by Mark Kiszla from The Denver Post discussing some important news items this week. Mark Kiszla recently published the article and I thought it was worth sharing here.

TOYKO – Gymnast Simone Biles doesn’t owe her sport, her country, the shameless cheerleaders at NBC or greedy Olympic overlords a bleepin’ thing.

On Tuesday, Biles made puzzled American sports fans that love her spit out their morning coffee with a move as stunning as any gravity-defying trick in her bag.

She took her job as queen of the Summer Games and shoved it.

And know what I say?

Bravo, Simone!

“I say put mental health first before your sport,” Biles insisted, after withdrawing from the team competition in which she had been counted on to lead the United States to a gold-medal victory.

You go, girl. Drop the weight of the world off your shoulders and take care of yourself. You already have more gold than any woman needs. Don’t come back and perform at the Olympics unless it feels absolutely right, from deep in your heart to every aching bone in your 24-year-old body.

What’s messed up with Biles? Make no mistake. It’s her head.

With eyes of the sports world glued to her, Biles showed the brave honesty to admit being a burnt-out ball of confusion in a dangerous sport where any shred of doubt or one small mistake can result in serious injury.

The reason the greatest gymnast of all time suddenly bolted the Olympics’ five-ring circus?  It’s not a twisted knee or bum ankle. “My pride is hurt a little bit,” Biles said.

Her availability to defend her all-around Olympic championship on Thursday is now very much a day-to-day proposition, not to mention very much in doubt.

After awkwardly landing a vault early in the team competition, she peered into the stands of a nearly empty arena at a Games that never would’ve been held if billions of dollars weren’t more important to Olympic fat cats than the physical and mental health of athletes that make them rich.

“This Olympic Games I wanted it to be for myself,” said Biles, trying with all her might not to cry. “I came in and felt like I was still doing it for other people. That just hurts my heart that doing what I love has been kind of taken away from me to please other people.”

In what had been hyped as her spectacular Olympic finale, with the possibility of a six-medal haul, something seemed off-kilter with Biles from her first step on Japanese soil.

She stumbled and grimaced through qualification for the all-around, vault, floor exercise, beam and uneven bars, disciplines she has grown to rule after bursting on the scene as a precocious teenager in 2013. On the eve of medal competition, Biles strongly hinted at her inner struggle in an Instagram post.

“I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times,” Biles admitted Monday. “I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me, but damn sometimes it’s hard …”

She’s the GOAT. But even great ones can choke. And know what? There’s no shame in that because anxiety is just painful proof we’re all human and imperfect.

During the COVID-19 pandemic that delayed the Games in Tokyo by a year, Biles mastered a new, ground-breaking, imagination-shaking move on her vault: a Yurchenko double pike with a blind landing. It’s absurdly complex, terribly risky and almost unfathomably beautiful.

But during warm-ups at the Ariake Gymnastics Center, it was obvious Biles didn’t trust herself, going so far as to question the wisdom of trying to be perfect, when anything less would be regarded as a disappointment.

“I was still struggling with some things,” Biles said. “Therapy has helped a lot, as well as medicine. That’s all been going really well. Whenever you get in high-stress situations, you kind of freak out and don’t really know how to handle all of those emotions, especially at the Olympic Games.”

Her nerves jangled, Biles decided to take a much more conservative run at the vault to open team competition, but her execution was so shaky it further shook her already dented confidence.

Biles consulted her coach and the team trainer, then walked off the floor, putting the rest of her Olympic program in doubt, while leaving everyone in the arena scrambling for an explanation, as Hoda Kotb of NBC’s “Today Show” made an ever-loving fool of herself, standing up to yell at the U.S. gymnasts: “I love you!”

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“After the performance that I did, I didn’t want to go into any of the other events second-guessing myself, so I thought it was better if I took a step back and let these girls go out there and do the job. And they did just that,” Biles said.

After taking a break backstage, she returned to cheer her teammates, as they finished a distant second to the Russians.

Way back in May, when Biles competed for the first time in 18 months after a pandemic-forced hiatus, there was a moment of foreshadowing. Before a showcase meet in Indianapolis, she contemplated her brilliant resume, as well as the strain of leading her sport out of the sexual-abuse scandal caused by disgraced team doctor Larry Nassar.

It was clear on that spring day in May that Biles was counting every hour, not merely making X’s on the calendar in anticipation of the Olympics, but desperately looking forward to the day she could retire.

Nearly three months ago, Biles sighed and revealed just how much she wanted to get on with the rest of her life: “Only 12 more weeks,” she said.

Down to the final six days of her brilliant career, Biles is running on empty, uncertain if she can take another step, much less defy gravity.

Simone Biles Spoken On Her Olympic Drawback: 'The Psychological Is Certainly not There'

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The USA women’s gymnastics team took home silver at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, coming in 3.5 points behind the Russian Olympic Committee team who have now swept the gold medals in the men’s and women’s team competitions.

Making the United States’ feat all the more impressive was that they did it without Simone Biles for three of the four events, after the greatest gymnast of all-time withdrew from the team competition after the first rotation. Biles, who has the best vault in the world, scored just a 13.766 on the apparatus she has dominated for years, and it was soon announced that she would not compete the rest of the day for what was cited as “a medical issue.”

After the competition, Biles spoke at the podium with her teammates and confirmed what one of the USA coaches told the NBC broadcast, which is that she was struggling mentally with anxiety and stress and could not get herself right. As such, she felt it was best to “take a back seat” and let her teammates compete without having to see her struggle, and the result was an impressive silver medal finish, via ESPN’s Michele Steele.

Biles confirms she is not dealing with an injury. "It's been really stressful this Olympic games…it’s been a long week, a long Olympic process, a long year.

I think we’re a little too stressed out – we should be out here having fun and that’s just not the case."

— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) July 27, 2021

Biles says candidly: "Today has been really stressful." Team had a morning workout, and then during the 5 1/2 hour wait, said she was shaking, "never felt like this before…Once I came out here, I was like, no the mental is not there. I had to let the girls do it."

— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) July 27, 2021

Biles said she hoped to try and compete in the individual competitions, but would have to see where she is at and the US Olympic Committee CEO offered Biles her full support and made sure to tell her how proud they are of her.

USOPC's Sarah Hirshland: “Simone, you’ve made us so proud. Proud of who you are as a person, teammate & athlete. We applaud your decision to prioritize your mental wellness over all else & offer you the full support …of our Team USA community as you navigate the journey ahead.”

— Michele Steele (@MicheleSteele) July 27, 2021

The most important thing is that Biles takes the time needed to take care of her mental health. The mental focus required in gymnastics is critical, not just to score well but to simply not injure oneself, particularly doing skills at the degree of difficulty Biles does. Credit to Biles for also talking about it, not because she has to, but because it can help others see that even the very best in the world can have days where stress and anxiety derail them and that it’s OK, even on the Olympic stage, to recognize that and take a step back to take care of yourself.

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Davante Adams Was Surprised On A Greens That He resides in The Madden 99 Nightclub

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Davante Adams is one of the most dangerous weapons in the NFL. The Packers wide receiver has the ability to not only go up and catch the ball in traffic, but he can burn some of the best corners in the league with his incredible speed and make defenders miss after the catch in the open field. There’s a reason he’s been one of Aaron Rodgers favorite targets since being drafted in 2014.

Adams reputation speaks for itself and that’s why it should come as no surprise to anyone that the video game version of himself is just as dominant as he is on an actual football field. With it being ratings week at ESPN, Madden is slowly starting to release the overall ratings for every player in the NFL. This also means we’re getting our first handful of entries into the 99 Club. Adams is a part of that exclusive group and the way they chose to reveal it to him was pretty cool, surprising him while he was out on a golf course.

Another #99Club for @tae15adams

@Packers | #Madden22 pic.twitter.com/EBDCu9EF3C

— Madden NFL 22 (@EAMaddenNFL) July 26, 2021

While some players or fans will pretend to not care about the ratings, the truth is that players want to get a high rating. They see a high rating in Madden as a sign of respect and joining the 99 Club is an acknowledgment that not only are you one of the best players at your position, but you’re among the elite of the entire league. It has to be a special feeling and based on Adams reaction, it’s very clear how badly he wanted to be a part of this group.

Adams isn’t going to be the only member of the 99 Club in this year’s Madden, of course. They’re going to be slowly announcing new members throughout the week. While we expect a few of the obvious names, like Aaron Donald, to still be on that list there’s always the potential for a surprise or two.

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