Q2:The Most Dangerous Animals in the World: Mammals: Continued: Part 2

Bears- Bears are some of the most deadly animals in the world.  There are eight known species in the world: The Brown Bear, Black Bear, Panda, Polar Bear, Sun Bear, Spectacled Bear, Sloth Bear, and the Grizzly Bear. They are usually carnivores or omnivores (the Panda Bear being the only vegetarian). Just like most animals on the list they are opportunists and will strike when necessary. The biggest being the Kodiak Grizzly Bears which live on Kodiak Island in Alaska and can grow well over 1000 pounds. The smallest bears being the Sun Bear which only tips the scales at 145 pounds.  The thing with bears is that you don’t want to startle them because even though they are very huge animals they are solitary and are startled easily. Here is a tip when you see a bear and you and it lock eyes, running is probably the worst thing possible because they don’t look very fast or agile, but they will run you down. There is that old myth that bears can’t run downhill, but that is very untrue. It doesn’t matter where you are, they will chase you down. They can run just as fast downhill as uphill (about 37 mph). If a bear charges hold you ground because many time charges are just bluffs and if they do attack, just play dead because they will lose interest.

                Wolves/Coyotes/Domestic Dogs- Everybody knows that wolves are dangerous because of their bight force and the fact that they are fearsome looking, but mostly wolves will try to avoid humans. Wolves hunt in packs and were once almost hunted to extinction, but they are making a comeback. Wolves are not as dangerous as they appear, but attacks have happened, in 1960’s France one wolf hunted down and killed 60 people before it was shot and killed. Whenever there are plagues or wars wolves are always there to clean up the messes (being dead bodies), wolves like most “dangerous” animals are opportunists and when they spot an easy meal, they jump at the opportunity.  Coyotes are not really known for being man killers, but they have attacked people before. Coyotes are most dangerous when they are rabid because they will attack just about anything. Everybody knows about man’s best friend, but domestic dogs have attacked people when they have gotten loose. And, yes there have been deaths attributed. Some of the most dangerous dogs include: the huskies, the Alaskan malamutes, Rottweilers, and Pit-bulls.

                Apes- Chimpanzees, Gorillas, and Baboons. What do as these animals have in common other than being part of the Ape Family, there have all been deaths attributed and on record (the only exception being the Gorilla, but there may be some that have happened when people hunted them), but the Chimpanzees and Baboons have killed people or severely hurt them or disfigured them. Many people look at chimpanzees as the harmless animals that could do no harm, but these are not as they seem. One chimp has been recorded at 160 pounds was recorded lifting an 1800 pound object.  They have huge incisors that can do some real damage and have hands that can rip and tear. Chimps are also known to be cannibals to and will resort to eating their own kind. Baboons are small than chimps, but are aggressive and will attack when their habitat is intruded upon. Baboons have some very huge teeth and use them to eat and defend themselves. The disturbing part is that they have been known to steal babies and small children. Everyone thinks that gorillas are these animals that are dangerous and not to be messed with, but really they quite tame and really will attack when they feel like they are in trouble. They have been known to charge, but veer off at the end to hopefully scare the attacker away. Gorillas have gotten this image of being these aggressive animals from the early 20^th century when people didn’t even think they existed, but when people found them they thought they were these monstrous brutes (a.k.a. King Kong). Just remember when we think of ourselves has a higher species, we and all other apes share our DNA with them (Chimpanzee, Bonobo and human DNA share about 98.8% the same DNA, but really one 1.2% is like 35 million differences) and we are really just merely just hairless apes.

Will be continued at Deep Sea Terrors….

Q1: The Impact of Undrafted Free Agents

Once the NFL Draft is over most of the so called “draft experts” focus on the picks that were made during

the draft, specifically the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd rounds, but there is value in the undrafted prospects. Undrafted

 players are good for a lot of things, including:

·         Special team players

·         Buffer the bottom of rosters

·         Developmental prospects, with the potential to become great players

·         Competition

·         “Diamonds in the Ruff”

Many of the best players in the NFL have went undrafted for various reasons, including:

·         Injuries in their senior season

·         Small Schools

·         Underperforming

·         Character issues

·         Drug/alcohol related incidents

·         Size (height & weight)

·         Playing another sport

Whatever the case maybe these players didn’t get drafted, but many times “draft experts” say that it’s better to go undrafted because drafted players are on a rookie wage scale, while undrafted players aren’t. Would you believe that Warren Moon went undrafted? Yes, the Hall of Fame QB that threw for more than 30 miles. The reason, why? His skin color, many so called “experts” didn’t believe that an African American QB could be successful. How about Antonio Gates? Gates was a basketball player at Kent State, he didn’t even play football, rather scouts noticed his talents on the hard wood. Gates has had a prolific career and when he retires he should be a candidate for canton. Everybody knows the Kurt Warner story. Warner played at little known Northern Iowa. Before Warner could even play in the NFL he played in the Arena League (for the Iowa Barnstormers) and then when he was signed by the St. Louis Rams, they Sent him over to play in NFL Europe for Amsterdam. Warner wasn’t even supposed to play, but when Trent Green went down with an injury; Warner stepped in, won the NFL MVP and helped St. Louis win a Super Bowl. Nine years later after being signed by the Cardinals two years prior. Warner won the starting job and help take Arizona to a Super Bowl, but lost on the heels of an amazing catch by Santonio Holmes. Other players like Victor Cruz, Terrell Davis, Wayne Crebet, Adam Vinatieri, Tony Romo, and Arian Foster.

      That is why I will sometimes pay attention to the undrafted guys because you never know who that next “diamond in the ruff”.

P1: Top 10 Quarterbacks of All Time (5-1)

5. Tom Brady- Tom Brady is considered by many as the greatest QB of all time, or at least in the argument. Brady was drafted as a 6^th round draft pick (199 overall) in 2000. Brady took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe and the Patriots never looked back winning 3 Super bowls in 4 years with Tom Brady at the helm. Brady is considered by many as the most clutch QB of, all time, but I reserve that right for Joe Montana. Brady has racked up countless stats and in 3007 he threw for 50 touchdowns a record set by Peyton Manning in 2004. Brady helped take the Patriots to a 16-0 record and they were on the door step of being the only team since the ’72 Miami Dolphins to ever complete a perfect season, but the Pats lost the New York Giants in arguably the greatest upset of all time. The next season in the first quarter, Bernard Pollard (the Patriot Killer) hit Brady in the knee and Brady tore his Anterior Crucial Ligament (ACL) and his Medial Crucial Ligament (MCL). Brady would come back the next season to rack up the NFL comeback player of the year and in the very next year he won the NFL MVP. Since his Super Bowl win in 2004 the Playoffs for Tom Brady have been marred, by upsets, late game collapses, and two Super Bowl losses, both to the Giants. That shouldn’t discount from his career achievements and the fact that he was a 6^th round draft pick and he couldn’t beat out Drew Henson at Michigan. Brady is also probably the greatest draft steal in NFL history. Sometime you can never measure how much a guy wants it.

4. Brett Favre- Brett Favre, the “old gun slinger” because throughout his career he mad people shout and cheer while watching his games on TV. Brett Favre played for 20 seasons or basically two decades (1991-2012). He racked up countless stats and holds every major statistical record in NFL passing history, (yards, touchdowns, attempts, completions and yes interceptions), but maybe the most impressive stat is the record for career starts in row that started in 1992 and spanned 298 games and finally ended when Arthur Moats of the Buffalo Bills blindsided him. The Record rivals even the great record set by Cal Ripken’s 2632 starts. Brett Favre played for the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets, and Minnesota Vikings. Brett Favre took two trips to the big game, once in 1996 where he beat Drew Bledsoe and the New England Patriots and a year later where he lost to John Elway in one of the greatest Super Bowl Games of all time. Brett Favre would play for the Packers until 2008 where he retired, but later yearned to play, but the Packers had already committed to Aaron Rodgers. Favre later got traded to the Jets because the Packers still owned his rights. The Jets started off 8-3 and looked like Super Bowl Contenders, but in one of the greatest collapses of all time finished 9-7 down the stretch. Favre retired, again, but still wanted to play. He then signed with of all teams the Minnesota Vikings. In week 4 of the ’09 season Favre played his old team in which became one of the most watched nationally televised game of all time. Favre led the Vikings to a 12-4 record where he faced the Saints for the rights to go to a Super Bowl. Brett Favre was beat to death but managed to keep his team within position to win the game. Then in typical “Brett Favre fashion”, he rolled out to the right and instead of running for it, he through it across his body and it was intercepted by Super Bowl hero, Tracey Porter. The Saints won in regulation and Brett Favre only played for the Vikings for one more season, but could never recapture the magic of his ’09 season. Favre will go down as one of the greatest QBs in NFL history and arguably one of the most exciting to watch.

3. Johnny Unitas- Johnny Unitas was the father of the Two Minute Drill and will go down as one of the most clutch quarterbacks of all time.  In the 1958 championship game the Baltimore Colts were down by three points and Johnny Unitas helped lead a drive so that the Colts could kick a field goal to tie the game and send it into sudden death overtime, the first Championship ever to do so. After causing the Giants to turn the ball over, Johnny U led the Colts down the field, where he called ever single play and got the Colts near the goal line where Alan Ameche scored the game winner. Johnny Unitas won two NFL Championships and a Super Bowl in 1970. Johnny Unitas was one of the greatest that ever lived and has cemented himself in NFL lore.  He may go down as arguably the greatest QB of all time.

2. Peyton Manning- Peyton Manning or “The Sherriff” as Jon Gruden calls him. Peyton Manning is arguably the greatest QB of all time and his statistics don’t disappoint. Manning is second all-time in touchdowns and has the most NFL MVPs all time (4). Manning is the most cerebral player on the field and is always two steps ahead of the defense. He is probably the only player in the NFL: right now that has the authority to call his own plays. He runs the no-huddle like no one else before, he even runs its better than the man who used it most famously, Hall of Fame QB Jim Kelly. But for all his greatness, Manning’s one daunting statistic is the losing record in the playoffs. In 2006 though, the Season came together and Manning and the Colts won the Super Bowl after being down 21-3 to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. In 2003 Manning mad one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history where he and the Colts scored 21 points in under 5 minutes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When Peyton Manning couldn’t play in the 2011 season because of the neck surgeries the Colts, a team that was a playoff team for 10 years straight went 2-14. The season and record proved how much the Colts needed him. After the season, Manning was cut and he signed with the Denver Broncos and helped lead them to a 12-4 record and on Monday Football, Manning and the Broncos were down the 24-0 to the Chargers at the half. The Broncos ended up winning 35-24 and it remains the single largest comeback in Monday Football history. I believe when its all said and done Manning will be the greatest QB of all time and while there will be some dispute about that I’m sticking true to my prediction.

1. Joe Montana- Right now without any hesitation I can say that Joe Montana is the greatest Qb of all time and I’m not alone in that way. Many have said that Montana is the greatest of all time because he was so clutch in the big game. Montana took 4 trips to the Big game winning all four of them and if that wasn’t enough he was MVP in three of them. Montana emulated being clutch because throughout his career his teammates and coaches believed that they were always in a game because they had “Joe Cool”. One of Montana’s most famous games of all time is Super Bowl XXIV where the Bengals had taken a 16-13 lead late in the 4^th quarter and had pinned the 49ers on their own 8. Montana traveled 92 yards where in the final 30 seconds he rifled a pass to John Taylor in the back of the end zone for the win. Earlier that season the 49ers had a week one match up with the Philadelphia Eagles. Montana was sacked 9 times in the first half and he wore Jerome Brown, Clyde Simmons, and Reggie White for that first half. Even though the 49ers were never down more than 11 points, it proved that Montana had the heart of a lion and that is why it’s calls “Montana’s Finest Moment”. There was never a better big game QB and that is why he sits a top of my board with the destiction as the greatest QB of all time.

Here is a repeat of my first 5 QB's in the Countdown. (#'s 10-6)

Top Ten Quarterbacks of All Time (10-6)

10. Roger Staubach- Roger was the head piece to America’s team. He led them to 2 Super Bowl championships. He captivated the nation like no other quarterback could. He led a team to the Super Bowl 4 times in his NFL career. Roger Staubach came out of Army as a Heisman Trophy. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys and he joined the war effort, and didn’t return until he was 29.  When Staubach retired he was the highest rated quarterback. At a time when defense dominated the NFL landscape, Roger could take chuck the rock up and down field like no one else could. Technically when he retired he would have been considered the greatest quarterback of all time.+

9. Dan Marino- Dan Marino was one of the most pure passers of all time. He was not the most agile, but he had the fancy feet to side step in the pocket from defenders. Out of Pittsburgh, Dan Marino was projected to go in the top ten, but he quickly slid down the board. Miami snatched him up and he transformed Miami for the next 16 seasons. In only his second year he had one of the greatest passing seasons of all time; passing for 5081 yards and 48 touchdowns. The record for touchdowns fell in 2003 and it wasn’t until 2011 that his record for 5081 yards was broken by Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Even after all of his accomplishments many view his career as incomplete because he didn’t win a Super Bowl.

8. John Elway- John Elway was viewed as the finest NFL draft prospect in NFL history, until Andrew Luck in 2012. Elway came out of Stanford in ’83 in the same class. During the 1980s John Elway was remembered for the “The Drive”, a 98 yard drive against the Cleveland Browns, but he was remembered also for losing 3 Super Bowls, all in blowouts to NFC super powers; the Redskins, Giants and the 49ers. Some thought that Elway would never win a Super Bowl, but in 1997 and 1998, he defied his critics, and won two Super Bowls. One was against favored Packers, where Elway led a game winning drive that was defined by his helicopter spin to the end zone. The next year he won it again, against the Atlanta Falcons, where he won NFL MVP. Elway was also remembered being a clutch quarterback and having the most NFL comebacks of all time, until that was broke by Peyton Manning.  

7. Bart Starr- No player in NFL history has been more overlooked than Bart Starr. He was selected in the 17^th round by the Green Bay Packers; it turned out to be the right choice. Bart Starr was overlooked merely because he played on a very dominant team and because of their scheme. The Packer of the 60’s weren’t going to spread you out and pass it up and down the field; they were a ground and pound team, only passing out of necessity. The Packers had a legendary team, ranging from; John Taylor to Paul Horning to Ray Nitchske to Forest Gregg, Herb Adderley, Willie Wood, Jim Ringo, and maybe the greatest head coach of all time, Vince Lombardi. While Starr was at quarterback the Packers only lost one Playoff game in his 15 year career. Starr won six divisional, five NFL, and the first two Super Bowl championships. The most famous was the “Ice Bowl” in ’66 the coldest game in NFL history. Starr on the one yard line QB snuck it to win the game. Even after all of the accolades and achievements, Starr still remains synonymous with the terms, underrated and overlooked. For whatever reason we don’t know, but he deserves more recognition.

6. Otto Graham- Not enough can be said about Otto Graham. This man was considered by many as not only one of the greatest NFL players of all time, but also one of the greatest players of all time. In ten years he won ten league titles, a feat to this day that has not been surpassed. Graham was a dual threat, running and passing his way to all league 9 of the 10 years. Many thought that Otto Graham and the Browns would get shown up in the NFL when they joined, but both Graham and the Browns proved more than equal to the occasion. In the Browns' 30-28 victory over the Los Angeles Rams in the 1950 NFL Championship Game, Graham threw four touchdown passes. His finest title-game performance came four years later when he scored three touchdowns and threw for a trio of scores in a 56-10 beating of Detroit. Graham retired after that game but responded to Paul Brown's request to return in early in 1955. In the final game of his career, the NFL championship against the Los Angeles Rams, he ran for two touchdowns and passed for two more in a 38-14 victory.

            Tune in next time for quarterbacks 5-1 and see who tops my list as “Greatest Quarterback of all time”.

O2: My Final Mock Draft...(possibly)

With the NFL Draft only a week away I thought it would be proper for me to make a mock draft of my own. This year’s NFL Mock draft as unprecedented depth at most positions, but does lack the top level talent.  The Draft is always a time for teams to get better and can help shape a team for years to come. And with the first overall pick…

1.       Kansas City Chiefs- Despite having the number one overall pick the Chiefs are in better shape than most teams and look to make a push for the division this year. The Chiefs could go a number of ways, but why not the best player on the board and go with Luke Joeckel, LT, Texas AM.

2.       Jacksonville Jaguars- The Jags need help at a lot of positions and they could easily take Geno Smith with this pick, but they still have confidence in Blain Gabbert. With only 20 sacks as a whole team (JJ Watt had 20.5) and new coach Gus Bradley, they should look at Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon.

3.       Oakland Raiders- Boy do the Raiders need help and like the Jags they could take Geno Smith too, but they just traded for Matt Flynn. The Raiders had one of the worst run defenses in the NFL last season, so they’ll take Star Lotulelei, DT, Utah.

4.       Philadelphia Eagles- New Head coach Chip Kelly looks to get the Eagles back on track. Chip Kelly looks to run is vaunted read option in Philly. They do have Michael Vick, but who’s to say that he doesn’t want his own QB. The Eagles will go Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia.

5.       Detroit Lion- Detroit took a step back last season after making the playoffs. Detroit lost two o-linemen during this off season, but they aren’t going to need to take one in the first round because of the tremendous depth. The Lions will go and take the player with highest ceiling of any player in this draft Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah, OLB/DE, BYU.

6.       Cleveland Browns- Its simple they waited to the 6^th pick to get their guy, Dee Milliner, CB, Alabama, but if he is gone buy then I could also see them trading back in the first round to grab more picks too.

7.       Arizona Cardinals- The Cardinals traded and got Carson Palmer in the offseason, and they need offensive line help now. On the board right now the two best tackle prospects are on the board, Lane Johnson and Eric Fisher. The Cards could pick either player and have get good results. Some see Lane Johnson as the best one of the bunch because he is the most athletic and has only played the position for two years. Now I don’t see in the same light, but I do see the Cardinals taking Lane Johnson, T, Oklahoma, because of his athleticism.

8.       Buffalo Bills- Many could see the Bills taking Ryan Nassib because of the Syracuse connection, but maybe they can wait until the 2^nd round to pick him. Other draft gurus see them selecting a guard, but Buddy Nix recently came out and said that they don’t need a guard, but that could possibly be a smoke screen. It really comes down to two players, Eric Fisher, T, Western Michigan and Tavon Austin, WR, West Virginia. If Eric Fisher is on the board then you have to take him because Eric Fishers don’t grow on trees and with that you can move Cordy Glenn over to right tackle where he can become an all pro. The Bills will select Eric Fisher, T, Western Michigan.

9.       Tennessee Titans- The Titans got Andy Levitre to help their o-line, but with Chance Warmack on the board how can you pass that up. Chance Warmack, G, Alabama is pro ready prospect, and can really open holes for Chris Johnson.

10.   New York Jets- The Jets round out the first round and lost a lot during the offseason. They could go pass rusher and take Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU, but they need to help Mark Sanchez (or whoever is throwing interceptions), by getting him some weapons. The Jets could go with Cordarrelle Paterson, WR, Tennessee, to add some speed to a struggling offense.

O1: Black Eyed Children

                Just imagine you are driving down a lonely dark road at night or it’s in the late evening. All of the sudden you see two children that come out of the dark or you open your door and you see these children and they ask to come in to use your phone or are looking for something to eat. They look to be between the ages of 6 and 16. They talk to you in monotone voices that seem to smooth and perfect. First you question them and then they start to get a little bit more aggressive and stop asking and start telling you what they want. You then start to find your hand getting closer to the door or lock and then you realize that these children aren’t normal, but rather that their eyes are completing black with definition of a pupil, cornea, and iris. This phenomenon is known as Black Eyed Children. These children have popped up all over America and there are many accounts of what happened. There are many theories to what they may be, some have speculated that they are extraterrestrials, others say that they are inter-dimensional beings stuck in our dimension, and others say that they that they come from a demonic origin and are vampires by nature. After watching a show on this and doing some thinking, I’m leaning more towards the vampire theory.  One reason is that in vampire lore is that vampire is not allowed into ones domain without permission. Another reason is that many feel when they meet these kids they feel like they are being ambushed ore stalked like prey. Vampires are known as expert hunters.  The good news is that there are no deaths ever attributed to these children, but the scary part is that I can only imagine what would happen if someone let them in because there are no instances where they were let in. It only takes one person to think, “Awe, I should let them in”. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens if anybody does report a death after letting them, but for now we just don’t know.

Most Dangerous Animals in the World: Mammals: Part 1

Throughout our world the mammals number in variety whether it be size, veracity, color, and ways to defend themselves.  Mammals have been found on just about every continent in the world and outnumber us as humans. It’s no reason that we hear stories every year of mammals attacking and killing some of us. As our habitat grows, theirs is shrinking and our paths continually cross. It is not their fault it is more of ours because mammals are not man eaters they are opportunists and will attack and defend when a situation or opportunity arises. So here you go:

·         Tigers- Tigers used to live across the land before the invention of gun powder and territory destruction, they used to live Asia, including Bali, Java and Sumatra, which are Indonesian islands and all the way up into Siberia. The tigers can grow anywhere from 5 feet up until 10 feet. Many times tigers will try to avoid humans, but if a tiger has the opportunity to attack one of us as prey, they will cease the opportunity. Between 1902 and 1907 the same tiger in India alone killed 434 people and it is the Guinness World Book of Records as the most prolific man killer ever.

·         Lions- Much like Tigers lions have been known to attack humans too. Today they are found only in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, except for one very small population of Asian lions that survives in India's Gir Forest. Because we are coming into their habitat, they are forced to cross paths with us. Unlike the tiger, which is a solitary, lions hunt in prides. Lions have been known to take down full grown elephants, giraffes and several other large herbivores. Lions like tigers will attack humans when the opportunity arises and people have been killed before. During 1898 when the British were trying to build a railroad through Kenya and then they reached Tsavo. They knew and heard of the stories of the Tsavo Lions and knew that they were bigger than usual. That year two lions killed and ate 134 people.

·         Hyenas- When many people think of hyenas they think of that “laughter”, but they are no joking matter. Hyenas have the strongest bite force of any mammal on the land. Hyenas will eat just about anything that they can grab a hold of. Many people have these misconceptions that they are these tricksters and will rob graves and kill livestock, but really they are just like tigers and lions, they are opportunists and when it arises they will attack. Hyenas attack in packs and have been known to drive lions and leopards off their kills. Honestly I would be more afraid of hyenas than the previous two because they are ruthless hunters.

·         Elephants- Many people view elephants as docile animals that could really do no harm what so ever, but these animals are killing machines. Once they get going it’s very hard to stop them. The elephant is the biggest land mammal on the planet. They live from Africa in to India. Elephants are endangered right now because of poachers who hunted them for their ivory tusks and hide. Elephants easily can weigh over 1000 pounds and are very territorial animals. Bull elephants have been known to charge for no exact reason. People who have minded their own business and have been trampled to death or impaled because they may have accidentally spooked an elephant. Elephants have been known to trample huts. Hunters have said that a bullet to the head alone may not kill a full grown bull and hunters have shot them in the head and have been charged and killed.

·         Hippos- Hippos have a very well-known reputation of being big lumbering beasts with no coordination. That is completely wrong. Hippos reportedly kill more people a year than any animal in Africa. They are more easily started than elephants. They are also arguably one of the most territorial animals in the world. Mothers will charge to protect her calves and males during breeding season will charge when they see something that is seen as a threat to their dominance. Hippos have flipped boats and have implied people with their massive tusks. They have cut people in have, “reportedly”. They will get spooked if something comes between them and their way to the water.

It will be continued….