THE OUTLOOK OF THE NFL POSTSEASON

The NFL season is slowly grinding out into the postseason, and it won’t be long now until we know who is making it into the New Year with a championship to play for. 

There have been a lot of surprises, changes, evolutions, and even “as expected” this season in the NFL, and despite the fears and pressure of the coronavirus, the league has held its own and teams have shown the requisite resilience. With the season set to roll into the New Year and in a new playoff format, there is all the excitement and competition to look forward, including quite a lucrative time to be had for those who love a flutter and do not mind investing some hard-earned greens and time. For those rooting for the Giants, or pretty much anyone who needs some incentive, the bonus code SugarHouse will be a big boost to their first go.

The NFC

For a number of seasons now the NFC has been a very competitive conference with the NFC West being the pick of the lot. However, the Seahawks are coming out on top, thanks to an MVP-level of play from quarterback Russell Wilson. Despite being 8-3, a tie with the Green Bay Packers and one step back from the New Orleans Saints (9-2), the Seahawks are still expected to be the name out of the conference when the bowl comes around. The New York Giants are having a resurgence with a winning streak that is taking them into the postseason. At 4-7, the Giants are tied with Washington (4-7) but hold a head-to-head advantage over them. Tom Brady has not had the easiest of seasons in Tampa Bay, but he still has the team in a wildcard spot, alongside the Rams and Cardinals, but only temporarily. Despite their poor season, the 49ers are still in the running for a wildcat spot, including eight other teams, amongst which are the Eagles (3-7-1), Cowboys (3-8) and Falcons (4-7).

The AFC

The Steelers have been so shockingly dominating, it has been both awesome and crazy to watch. At 11-0, the Steelers have looked steady all season long and are already assured to make the playoffs, and the Kansas City Chiefs are not letting them off the hook at 10-1.Patrick Mahomes has not been loudest best his play has been stellar and looks paced for the postseason. The Titans (8-3) and Bills (8-3) have been equally as impressive and are looking sure to be in the postseason. The conference is so competitive, the Browns at 8-3 can only manage a wildcat spot at the moment, but they have looked even more sure-footed without Odell Beckham Jr. The Patriots have had a season to forget, but their greatness still has them fighting for a wildcat spot at 5-6. This would be quite an achievement for the rebuilding patriots and not a very bad start to Cam Newton’s start in New England. The Ravens, Raiders, Broncos, Texans, Chargers, and Bengals are all in the mix.

In August 2010, Roman Leakee made his professional debut with World Wrestling Entertainment. Two years later, and following the rebrand of the Florida Championship Wrestling to NXT, the competitor’s ring name changed to Roman Reigns. Since then, the organization has had a superstar on their hands. Although there are debates regarding WWEs marketing of Reigns, few can argue that he hasn’t been one of the promotion's go-to athletes for the best part of the past decade. So, let’s take a look at whether the 35-year-old will end up in the company’s Hall of Fame. 

Competing Against the Best Since 2010 

Throughout the bulk of his professional wrestling career with the WWE, Reigns has proved to be a divisive character. That said, irrespective of whether you love him or hate him, his in-ring success speaks for itself. To date, the Florida-born competitor has held the WWE Championship on three separate occasions. Additionally, he has also clinched the Intercontinental Championship, United States Championship, and Universal Championship. 

Given the longevity that Reigns enjoyed throughout the 2010s, it’s surprising to learn that he only lost one of his many singles titles on five separate occasions, as per www.sportskeeda.com. Perhaps the WWE Universe’s perception of the 35-year-old is why this record is often overlooked. Due to this, the organization has to take responsibility for failing to market the Big Dog effectively. However, his recent link-up with Paul Heyman appears to have been a masterstroke. Since returning to the WWE at SummerSlam, Reigns has lived up to his motto of “wreck everything and leave”. As such, he’s received credit from Hall of Famers. JBL, for example, labeled the Florida-born competitor as the “most compelling character” of the last 20 years, according to https://wrestletalk.com.   

A Career-Defining Promotion 

Fundamentally, it’s a testament to Reigns’ mental strength that he overcame personal and professional adversity on his path to success. Although it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact period where the 35-year-old's in-ring fortunes changed, his improved ability to cut promotions certainly helped. For someone who has headlined four straight WrestleMania pay-per-view events, his microphone work can’t be too shoddy. Following The Undertaker’s initial retirement in 2017, Reigns declared that the ring was now his yard, inferring that he was stepping up to fill The Deadman’s shoes, as per https://bleacherreport.com. Interestingly, his improved promotional skills have seen Mick Foley compare his progression to the likes of Kurt Angle and The Rock. 

Regarding the 35-year-old's marketability, his heightened microphone skills have undoubtedly enhanced his reputation. Thanks to this, he now plays a pivotal role in spearheading the rise of digital wrestling-themed developments across the globe. This is evident by his position as a cover star, along with Becky Lynch, on the WWE 2K20 video game.   

Not only that, but he’s also a leading figure in expanding WWE’s appeal among American audiences through diverse entertainment streams. Recently, Bluberi has partnered with the WWE in an effort to create wrestling-themed video slots that will feature a number of stars, including Reigns. Interestingly, this style of sporting expansion has occurred in the past with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. At Unibet, which is one of the bonus-offering platforms listed at https://www.bonusfinder.com/free-spins-no-deposit, prospective players can immerse themselves in It’s Time. The six-reel, Relax Gaming creation focuses on the UFC’s Bruce Buffer and incorporates an array of features, such as the Fighter and Buffer bonuses. 

It’s Hard to Deny Reigns 

Love him or hate him, Reigns has been at the forefront of WWEs storylines for over a decade. While he’ll never be the company’s most-loved wrestler, he’s past the point where he needs to obtain that status. For as long as the 35-year-old is spearheading the organization’s modern-day plots, it’s troublesome to deny that he’s a future Hall of Famer.   

When we began this, we thought Derrick Rose would be ranked a little higher, but here we have an MVP who was never the same after a torn ACL.

Rose’s career met early expectations. Drafted First Overall in 2008 after a season in Memphis, Rose won the NBA Rookie of the Year with a 16.8 Point and 6.3 Assist per Game year.  The Point Guard was an All-Star the following year, as he cracked the 20 PPG mark. This was a very good pair of opening seasons, but Rose was ready to ascend to greater heights.

In this third year in the NBA (2011-12), Rose averaged an even 25.0 PPG with a 7.7 APG.  Not only was Rose an All-Star, but he was also a First Team All-Star and the league MVP.  Chicago went deep into the playoffs that year, and at age 22, he had yet to reach his peak, and Rose looked to be the best Bull since Jordan.  Or so we thought.

Rose was an All-Star again in the strike-shortened 2011-12 season, but in the first round of the playoffs against Philadelphia, Rose tore his ACL.  He missed the following year, and when he returned in 2013-14, he tore his meniscus ten games in.  Rose came back in 2014-15 but missed another 20 Games.  The Point Guard played 66 Games in 2015-16, but after that torn ACL, Rose just wasn't the same player, averaging 17.4 Points with a PER of only 14.1 

The Bulls gave up on Rose, trading him in June of 2016, but this is a former MVP, so calling him a disappointment seems wrong.  We can say that it could have been so much more, but injuries have a winning record.

From Sudan, raised in England, and schooled at Duke, Luol Deng was a top-ten pick by the Phoenix Suns, who, as part of a pre-arranged draft day agreement, entered the National Basketball Association with the Chicago Bulls.

Like most high picks, Deng showed gradual improvement, built on his good 11.7 PPG rookie year, and would have four years as a Bull, averaging at least 17 Points and 6 Rebounds per Game. Calling Deng a superstar might have been a stretch, but he was a two-time All-Star Game participant, both in years when he led the NBA in Minutes per Game.

Deng was eligible to be a Free Agent in 2017, and before the 2016-17 campaign ended, Deng was traded to Cleveland. With the Bulls, Deng averaged 16.1 Points per Game in nearly ten seasons, with none of them falling below 11.