This ain't your daddy's NFL.. Or Maybe it never stopped being

I grew up in the '80s and '90s—a rough time for my personal teams, but a golden era for flavor and fire. From the thundering strings of Sam Spence on NFL Films to the neon sizzle of Starter jackets, everything felt loud, proud, and in motion. And then came ESPN a new, brash idea that introduced me to a man who didn’t just speak sports, he sang it. Stuart Scott. A modern griot of the game. Slicker than a fresh fade and always as cool as the other side of the pillow.

So with that spirit in mind, I'd like to take a swing at the Shedeur Sanders saga not just as a draft story, but as a moment of swagger and resistance. Through Stuart’s lens, let’s talk truth, style, and the game behind the game.

Introduction

Welcome to Sports Center , Straight up, Shedeur Sanders didn’t just fall in the 2025 NFL Draft he got iced out. One of college football’s smoothest signal-callers, the son of the one and only Prime Time, found himself chilling in the fifth round like the league forgot who he was. Picked 144th by the Cleveland Browns, this wasn’t a slip. It was a message.

Talent? He had it. Numbers? Stacked. But in this league, it ain’t just about what you do on the field—it’s about how well you color inside the lines.

Booyah.

The Timeline of a Draft-Day Freeze Out

2023–2024 Season: Shedeur was lighting it up at Colorado. Over 4,100 passing yards, 37 TDs, 74% completions. That’s filet mignon QB play right there. Should’ve been Day 1. Easy.

Now let’s stack the deck: Dillon Gabriel? Taken in the third round by the Browns same team. Fewer yards, fewer TDs, and none of that Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year hardware Shedeur brought home. Jalen Milroe? Scooped up at pick 92 by Seattle. Respect the kid, but numbers don’t lie. Shedeur put up a better stat line and still waited two rounds longer. That's like winning the race and watching someone else grab your medal.

Combine No-Show: He skipped the combine, citing injuries. Fair enough. But some execs took that as “not playing ball”—literally and figuratively.

Pro Day Pressure: Under the lights, he stumbled. ESPN’s Matt Miller called it “inconsistent… rushed footwork, unpredictable velocity.” That was fuel for the skeptics.

Interview Energy: One coach went nuclear, calling Shedeur’s interview “the worst I’ve ever been in” (Yahoo Sports). That’s a cold quote especially when it leaks before the draft.

No Agent, No Filter: Shedeur didn’t hire a traditional agent and didn’t open the door to every team. That’s swagger but not the kind the NFL loves. Not unless you’re wearing a gold jacket or at least one ring already.

Mic Drop Moments: He told NBC, “I know who I am and I know what I bring. I’m not here to sell myself to anybody.” That’s pure confidence but in a league that worships humble pie, it hit like a double doink to lose the game.

LeBron’s Legacy, Deion’s DNA

Now when LeBron told the world he was taking his talents to South Beach, the Q Score thermometer cracked. His positive score plummeted from 24% to 14%, and his negative rating jumped to 39%, making him the sixth most disliked sports figure in America at the time (ESPN/Q Scores). But dig deeper ...among white Americans. LeBron’s Q Score tanked far more aggressively than among Black Americans, laying bare the cultural fault lines between confidence and perceived arrogance.

Redemption came rings, schools, billion-dollar status but the initial backlash was real, loud, and laced with expectation. Now flip that lens to Shedeur: no ESPN special, no production team, no lights. Just that same unapologetic self-assurance. He didn’t even try to win the room. He walked in like he already belonged there.

And the league? It noticed. And it acted. Because boldness without permission still hits nerves the way LeBron’s did especially when it shows up in the body of a young Black quarterback, speaking his truth before he’s signed a deal. The optics haven’t changed as much as we pretend they have. Swagger still costs. Sometimes millions.

Problem is, this ain’t the NBA. The NFL doesn’t embrace showmanship the same way. At least not anymore. Confidence has to be pre-approved and certified safe for league culture.

Back in '89, Deion Sanders told the Giants not to waste his time. He was drafted fifth overall anyway. Flash was a feature, not a flaw. But these days? The league is a billion-dollar bureaucracy. Mistakes cost owners more than wins, they cost stock value. Deion’s swagger got celebrated. Shedeur’s? Penalized.

The Ghosts of Drafts Past

Eli Manning said “no thanks” to San Diego and ended up in New York. He got some flak, but legacy and market cover smoothed it out.

Johnny Manziel? Drafted high, burned hot, and flamed out fast. The league remembers. Now, confidence without structure raises red flags before the first snap.

Josh Rosen was “too smart.” Ryan Mallett had whispers about leadership. Vontaze Burfict? Undrafted despite elite tape. Laremy Tunsil’s gas mask moment cost him millions. What do they all have in common?

They didn’t follow the script and the whispers through the halls of power were about as soft as concrete.

Control Is the Currency

George Carlin once said, “You don’t need a formal conspiracy when interests converge.” In the NFL, the suits don’t need to call a meeting they just know how it’s supposed to go.

The draft looks like a fair fight, but the second you write your own storyline? That’s when the league gets twitchy. And twitchy turns into silence. Five rounds of it.

Shedeur wasn’t playing the NFL’s game. He brought his own board. And for that, he got boxed out.

Conclusion: More Than a Slide

Sanders didn’t fall because he couldn’t ball. He fell because he wouldn’t bend.

He showed up like he belonged, like he didn’t owe anyone an audition and the league wasn’t having it. Excellence without submission? That’s not the way the script’s written. But Shedeur wasn’t reading from their pages.

This ain’t your daddy’s NFL, but make no mistake it’s still ruled by old instincts. Protect the shield. Punish the outliers. Preserve the illusion of control.

And what did the league whisper to Shedeur, then shout to the rest of us? Be brilliant, be bold but for God’s sake, be obedient.

Because in the NFL, being elite is just the opening act. Staying in line? That’s how you keep your name in lights.

As always, facts stay facts. This is a lens, not a judgment. Respect the game, but don’t stop questioning who’s keeping score.

**This article is based on verified reporting and cited sources. It is an analysis of structural patterns within the NFL Draft and not a commentary on individual character.

Preparation over Belief : The power of being ready

A client walked into MyoBio the other day with a familiar story: a flare-up in her shoulder. When I asked what might’ve brought it on, she described a weekend volleyball game—a one-time favor for a friend whose team needed an extra player.

As we worked through her shoulder issues, I asked, “Is volleyball going to be part of your fitness routine?”

“Oh, no,” she said, wincing through the exercise. “It was just a one-time thing.”

“One-time thing, maybe… but what about next time someone needs a fill-in?”

She hesitated, “I’ll just say no.”

I paused, choosing my words carefully. “It’s not about saying no. It’s about being ready when you want to say yes. You can play volleyball. You just can’t believe you can jump in without the prep.”

See, belief is a powerful thing. But belief alone won’t keep you from an injury. It doesn’t protect your body from the demands of the game. If anything, it convinces you that past performance is enough, that just because you could do it once, you can do it again.

She’d fallen into the common trap we all do—trusting in memories of former abilities instead of the reality of the body we have today. We hadn’t worked on her shoulder for volleyball. Her warmup hadn’t been designed for it. Her mind might have remembered the old moves, but her shoulder wasn’t ready to back them up.

So what’s the takeaway here?

1. **Belief alone isn’t enough.** It’s the preparation, the training, the discipline that lets you live up to what you *think* you can do.

2. **We often gamble on hope.** We dive in, unprepared, then wonder why things don’t go as planned.

3. **Accept this, and you’re already ahead.** Recognizing the gap between hope and preparation is the first step toward bridging it.

At MyoBio, we believe in readiness—building strength today so you’re prepared tomorrow. If you’re ready to start closing the gap, to get more than just belief on your side, we’re here for you. Drop us a line. Connect with us. Let’s get you prepared for every game life throws your way.

Sex in the City Ryan Reynolds and the bottom line of Peloton

Ok, some up front disclaimers. I don’t watch Sex and the City . I never have probably never will. I love Ryan Reynolds and no matter what he is in I am always game for a chuckle. I don’t care for Peloton or its business practices , advertising, or subscription service. But you either like them or you don’t and what ever gets you on the road to your well being is just fine with me.

So if you do or don’t know apparently the Sex in the City Writers Killed off MR. BIG ( yes I had to ask my girlfriend about the characters. ) after he was done riding or was on a Peloton bike ( again I didn’t watch it) therefore somehow insinuating that it was the bike ride or ride intensity that killed him. Peloton had not ok’d this type of product placement and were upset that the aftermath may have caused a drop in it’s stock price. Enter Ryan Reynolds and the media firm Maximum Effort . Reynolds was featured in the last Peloton ad flub in 2019 where a boyfriend gifts a Peloton to his already willowy girlfriend. Any comedian in world could have told Peloton this ad was a dumb idea. In this current ad Mr. Big and a Peloton trainer are fireside contemplating / insinuating the sexy that is the Peloton ride. Reynolds does a voice over touting the benefits of cycling, Peloton , and He’s alive! Cut to logo.

Peloton released a statement through spokeswoman for their health and advisory council Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a preventative cardiologist and member of Peloton’s Heath and Advisory Council in a company statement “Mr. Big lived what many would call an extravagant lifestyle — including cocktails, cigars, and big steaks — and was at serious risk as he had a previous cardiac event in Season 6. These lifestyle choices and perhaps even his family history, which often is a significant factor, were the likely cause of his death. Riding his Peloton Bike may have even helped delay his cardiac event.” ( IN SHORT : It was his fault not ours we just make a bike)

It continued: “More than 80% of all cardiac-related deaths are preventable through lifestyle, diet and exercise modifications. And while 25% of heart attacks each year are in patients who already had one (like Mr. Big), even then they are very, very treatable.”

Look, I cant help but notice that we have a heath problem here in America and that problem is money. The fragile bubble that is the health and fitness industry make rabid cash grabs at the hopes and dreams of those who are out of shape or don’t meet their own body expectations. It is well known for using fake weights on the bar and fake ass cheeks down the yoga pants of fitness models. ( Yup right here ) It is played upon by celebrities who hock fitness apps and energy drinks all the while glossing over the rampant steroid abuse in Hollywood. The powers that be are shockingly afraid of the realization that skinny people have heart attacks as well . On a side note why is it the public disclaimer when a skinny person has a heart issue its “ family history” and when an larger person has one it is a “ choice” ? Ponder that one.

Sex And The City made a massive statement whether they know it or not because public display forms public opinion and selling actual health and fitness is not nearly as sexy and lucrative.as we often see it. But the consequences are real and apply to everyone. Health is messy it involves the emotional spectrum and feelings of self worth. It involves confronting the deeper issues of medical science being predominantly by white men for white men. It involves work and an attention span you can't pack into 30 second tiktock videos. Sex and the City Rocked the fitness boat and its all hands on deck at Peloton to right the ship and convince you there is nothing to see here. Well, there is something to see here. You should be taking this information and your thoughts to your doctor ,your trainer, your mental health professional and get checked out. Get some answers and get on with taking care of you instead of listening to the consistent external influence of well, influencers and marketing agendas.

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