NFL Archives - The Bank

2021 NFL Mock Draft Version 6-17-20

June 16, 2020 By paulmbanks 7 Comments

We don’t have any actual real team sports, anywhere, any time soon, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While playing games again, especially with fans present, is almost certainly many months away, the respective drafts can still go ahead as planned, albeit in a very modified version.

The NFL edition, in a scaled down and very different form, is this Thursday, so in that spirit, here is the link to our latest NFL mock draft. For the MLB mock draft go here, the NBA is linked here and the NHL can be found at this link. Also, here is the link to a list of 70 of the worst NFL Draft cliches, buzzwords and other pointless word salad. And with all that, comes 2021 NFL mock draft version 1.0!

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Filed Under: Chicago Bears, College Football, Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Michigan Wolverines, Nebraska Cornhuskers, New England Patriots, NFL, NFL Draft, NIU Huskies, Notre Dame, Ohio State Buckeyes

See this is Why Star Athletes Don’t Usually Talk Politics

June 4, 2020 By paulmbanks 2 Comments

If you’ve ever wondered why college and pro sports teams employ media handlers to train their athletes on public speaking, well Wednesday gave you the answer; repeatedly. Below you’ll find four examples of why publicists and media relations departments want all their players to be like Tom Brady, Russell Wilson or Derek Jeter- talk, without every saying anything.

That said, we’re ecstatic that “stick to sports” is pretty much dead now. Thank you Colin Kaepernick for being the primary driving force is getting this to happen. While we’ll focus here on the athletes expressing sociopolitical views that we disagree with, we absolutely support their right to express those views. Better to lose some of your audience but retain all of your soul, no matter what side you’re on.

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Filed Under: Chicago Bears, Chicago Cubs, College Football, MLB, NFL, Politics, Social Issues

Chelsea MF Mason Mount, Giants CB Xavier McKinney Bond Online

May 12, 2020 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

In the words of Eifel ’65: “I’m blue Da ba dee, da ba die x7.” Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount and New York Giants cornerback Xavier McKinney have formed a friendship in a classic example of football meets football, “blue if the colour” meets “big blue.”

The two young star athletes met via their membership in the same agency, and fondness for one specific video game. McKinney discussed with Sky Sports how the two young men connected on social media, and they’ve been DMing and quote tweeting each other ever since.

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Filed Under: Chelsea, College Football, Football/Soccer, NFL, NFL Draft

Arsenal FC, L.A. Rams Coaches Share Notes on Training During Pandemic

May 7, 2020 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

Arsenal FC and the Los Angeles Rams have the same corporate parents, as both are owned by the Kroenke Sports Enterprises, headed by American billionaire Stan Kroenke. So it only makes sense that the two sporting franchise powerhouses would share and compare notes on how to get through this coronavirus pandemic.

Obviously, today we only have more questions than answers, and even when we have some answers, more questions arise as to how sports will adjust to the so-called “new normal.” The English Premier League and American National Football League are arguably the two biggest and most popular sports leagues on the planet, and both face unique challenges when it comes to resuming action in 2020.

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Filed Under: Arsenal, Football/Soccer, News and Current Events, NFL

Detailing the Notre Dame to L.A. Chargers Pipeline

May 1, 2020 By paulmbanks 1 Comment

The Los Angeles (it’s still difficult to not call them San Diego) Chargers were a top trending term on social media last week due to their new uniform reveal and the extremely positive reception that it elicited. While powder blue and yellow are the colors they’re most strongly associated with, they do have a dark navy blue offering, which is somewhat reminiscent of Notre Dame. Just turn that yellow closer to gold and you’re there, and by there I mean “Notre Dame Southwest.”

Former Fighting Irish cornerback Donte Vaughn signed a free agent deal with the Chargers this past week, and he’ll now join former Notre Dame teammates Alohi Gilman, Asmar Bilal, Drue Tranquill, Isaac Rochell, and Jerry Tillery on the Chargers roster.

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Filed Under: NFL, NFL Draft, Notre Dame

Troy Pride, Julian Love: Similar Draft Positions, Also Similar NFL Careers?

April 29, 2020 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish are the kings of the NFL Draft. With six additional draft picks this past Friday and Saturday, their total is now up to 511 all time. No other college football program has totaled more than the Irish. Cole Kmet led the way, going to the Chicago Bears in the second round on Friday.

Day Three saw cornerback Troy Pride Jr. selected by his home region Carolina Panthers with the 113th overall pick, and it immediately invited comparisons to Julian Love, who went with the 108th overall selection to the New York Giants last year. Both spent their senior seasons at Notre Dame as the team’s CB1. Pride is the first Notre Dame selection by the Panthers since quarterback Jimmy Clausen in 2010.

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Filed Under: College Football, NFL, NFL Draft, Notre Dame

Carson Palmer Using CBD to Help Ease Aches and Pains

April 29, 2020 By paulmbanks 16 Comments

Carson Palmer spent 15 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Cincinnati Bengals, but he also made his mark on the Arizona Cardinals and Oakland Raiders. He was sacked 340 times during that decade and a half in the league, including a league leading 41 times in 2013.

He also suffered two ACL tears, eight years apart, and a broken arm. Not to mention all the other bumps and bruises that are par for the course when you’re a QB1 in the National Football League. Now 40 years old and two years into retirement, Palmer frequently uses Cannabidiol (CBD) products to help soothe the pain. Late last year, he even partnered with a CBD sports cream.

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Filed Under: Health and Fitness, Las Vegas Raiders, NFL

Jay Cutler and Kristin Cavallari Divorcing; Funny Twitter Reactions

April 26, 2020 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

Well, if these two crazy young anti-vaxxer kids can’t make it together in this world, then who can! Yes, reality “star” Kristin Cavallari and former Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, are getting divorced after a decade of marriage.

“With great sadness, after 10 years together we have come to a loving conclusion to get a divorce,” K-Cav posted on her official Instagram page. If you need to see the original social media post, and statement (although I can’t imagine why anyone would), it’s here for you below:

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Filed Under: Chicago Bears, Entertainment/Media, NFL

Notre Dame Sees Six Players Drafted; Assessing NFL Team Fits

April 26, 2020 By paulmbanks 1 Comment

It’s one of the most highly anticipated and viewed NFL Drafts in a very long time. Not due to this specific draft class being anything unique or special, it’s just that we’re all so starved for sports right now. No other draft has ever transpired during a period like this, where there is absolutely no sports to be consumed anywhere.

Hence we’re desperate to watch something, anything, and the NFL Draft fills that void nicely this weekend. While Notre Dame didn’t have anybody selected on the first night, they have strong representation on night two and day three. We’ll break it all down for ya, but we don’t do draft grades. That’s not legitimate in our eyes- you only grade draft picks down the line when you see how they pan out; or don’t pan out.

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Filed Under: College Football, NFL, NFL Draft, Notre Dame

Notre Dame TE Cole Kmet to Chicago Bears: Why this Does/Doesn’t Make Sense

April 24, 2020 By paulmbanks Leave a Comment

In terms of pure value, the Chicago Bears selecting Notre Dame tight Cole Kmet with the 43rd overall pick in the NFL Draft tonight was a really solid selection. The Lake Barrington, IL native is a blue chip prospect, arguably the best tight end in the draft, having absolutely crushed it at the scouting combine in Indianapolis.

This now means that every opening day starter at tight end for Notre Dame, going all the way back to Anthony Fasano in 2005, has been draft. It also means that 11 Fighting Irish tight ends have been drafted in the first two rounds all time. However, if you look at this pick from a needs based standpoint…it’s highly questionable to say the least.

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Filed Under: Chicago Bears, College Football, NFL, NFL Draft, Notre Dame