Nothing Compares 2 U | Team USA | NFC South Preview | Notes Nobody Asked For… | YouTube Rabbithole
Hey @YouTheReader,
Last Wednesday, Sinéad O'Connor passed away at the age of 56. The Irish singer was born in Dublin on December 8, 1966. This 1990 hit song Nothing Compares 2 U was what made her a worldwide icon. In December of 1990, Billboard named this tune the #1 World Single of 1990 at its 1st Billboard Music Awards. Originally written and composed by Prince for one of his side projects, thankfully it got into the vocals of O’Connor’s voice.
Sinéad O’Connor had a traumatic childhood. She was abused by her mother and her parents were divorced by the time she was 8 years old. At the age of 15, O’Conner was expelled from Catholic school and sent to live with the nuns at the Order of Our Lady of Charity because she was arrested for shoplifting. While at the reformatory during her teenage years, she spent most of her time refusing to conform while also writing and singing her own music. It wasn’t until Paul Byrne of the Irish band In Tua Nua, heard O’Conner sing a cover of Barbra Streisand's "Evergreen" that her career in music started to take off and got her out of boarding school. She even ended up co-writing the first In Tua Nua single, “Take My Hand”. (Source: All Music)
As a singer, what made Sinéad O’Connor special was she sang in her own accent at a time when a lot of Irish rock and pop acts gravitated towards a Mid-Atlantic twang. - Una Mullally at the Irish Times in Dublin (Source: PBS NewsHour)
Outside of music, Sinéad O’Connor’s own accent brought about change but with controversy. She boycotted the Grammy’s because it was too commercialized. In the early 1990s, she refused to perform in New Jersey if the “Star Spangled Banner” was played prior to her appearance. This led to MC Hammer sending her a “check for a first-class ticket back to Ireland.” Frank Sinatra threatened to “kick her ass.”
O’Connor recalled “I’m thinking my father back in Dublin isn’t gonna be too pleased if I tell him I had to, in self-defense, beat the crap out of Ol’ Blue Eyes. I start checking my bed for horse heads,” she wrote in a reference to The Godfather film. (Source: Her Memoir Rememberings)
These incidents were nothing, however, compared to 1992 when she ended her Saturday Night Live performance by ripping up a photo of Pope John Paul II. On this side of the Atlantic, Sinéad O’Connor’s music career was never truly able to recover from this act of protest. Only 2 years after singing the #1 worldwide hit, O’Connor was booed at every appearance she made post-SNL in the US, so she went back to Dublin to lay low for a bit.
“For people in Ireland, Sinéad O’Connor goes beyond music. She’s more of a cultural figure who looms very large in the Irish psyche in terms of her activism, politics, and actions. The loss is being felt really profoundly, I don’t think I could really think of another person that this has happened within my lifetime. The context she came from particularly in the 1980s and 1990s in Ireland when the moral authority of the Catholic Church was still quite strong, she really preempted an awful lot of that collapse with SNL and her constant attempts to highlight issues of child abuse & childhood trauma. She equated the entire social psyche of Ireland to that of an abused child and was trying to somehow remedy that by asking to be listened to by speaking out against these various spiritual ills through her music. She inspired an awful lot of people as well, who didn’t necessarily have the bravery in an oppressive society to speak out against various authorities and not be afraid to get in trouble. She repeatedly questioned this lever of shame that is constantly pulled in Irish society and sought to unseat that or at least make it disjointed.” - Una Mullally
As she said in a Belfast Telegraph interview in ‘19, "I was (so much) older then, I'm younger (than that) now'. I'm trying to approach things like I'm 18 again. It's time for a new chapter in my life. I just want to get back to work, and I'm doing this piece because it's the first and last time I really want to talk about it all. Whether right or wrong, lots of things happened and there were reasons. I think if I hadn't gone through all that stuff, I wouldn't be sitting here alive today. And I am grateful to be alive."
This is truly a timeless tune. As my dad put it last weekend before he asked Alexa to play Nothing Compares 2 U, “She is an icon to my generation.” Sinéad O’Connor was no saint. She was a badass, but she meant well. By all accounts of people who knew her, she was a good person and authentic to her core. There is something to be said about that, which I think everybody should respect. Nothing compares to her. Rest in peace to Sinéad O’Connor.
Team USA
Sweden vs USA | Sunday 5 AM ET | FOX
Either set your alarm clocks early to the wee hours of Sunday morning or keep the Saturday party going all night long to watch our ladies in the Round of 16. While Team USA struggled in the group stage, the Swedish women thrived. They went 3-0 in their Group G, scoring a total of 9 goals while only allowing 1. The Swedish women are ranked #3 in the world so this is the most outstanding matchup to occur so far this World Cup. Team USA leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1987, with an overall record of 23 Wins, 12 Draws, and 7 Losses. That said, in the last 10 matches we’re only 4-4-2, with 9 of the last 10 meetings between the teams decided by 2 goals or fewer. The Swedish captain, Kosovare Asllani, has 44 career international goals in 172 games so the focus should be on limiting her.
With expectations always being so high for the American women comes a ton of criticisms. The loudest voice of disappointment after the US drew Portugal nil-nil was from their former midfielder, Carli Lloyd. The current Fox Sports analyst was blunt about the team celebrating their performance in the Group Stage, “I have never witnessed something like that. There’s a difference between being respectful of the fans and saying hello to your family. But to be dancing, to be smiling. I mean, the player of the match was that post. You were lucky to not be going home right now.” Lloyd further commented, “It is no longer that we want to win because we want to win. No, we want everything that comes with winning, and we think we can just roll out and win games. And that’s not the case, and teams see that. They see the arrogance in the U.S. and see that they’re not this unstoppable team. They see that they’re able to be broken down and beaten.” Captain Alex Morgan wasn’t thrilled either, “We missed some big chances. I did as well. We should have put some in the back of the net and we didn’t. We’re not happy with the performance we put out there, but at the same time we’re moving on.”
Half-ass Opposition Research
Found us some dirt on the Swedes. For starters, the biggest Scandinavian nation has a weird obsession with our Donald Duck. Our very own Donald Duck is more popular over there than Mickey Mouse, so much so that every Christmas Eve since 1959 at 3 pm, the nation sits together to watch Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar god jul (Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas). Donald Duck is so prevalent that in ‘06, the country had to change the law to forbid voting for non-existent candidates because voters would write him in. The 2nd thing I found was that they have their own Swedish soda that outsells Coca-Cola called Julmust. They only have the soft drink on their shelves during December and when Easter falls, but it becomes almost impossible to obtain outside of those times because of the popularity. (Source: Sweden Facts) I feel sorry for exposing whoever is running Coca-Cola in Sweden, but what the hell are we doing over there?!? We must maximize corporate profits!
NFC South
75% of the people I polled picked the Saints to win the division, the other 25% had the Falcons.
1. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons technically came in last place in the NFC South last year with a 7-10 record. It was a frustrating season for all Kyle Pitts fantasy football owners like myself. 28 catches for 356 receiving yards is a tough look for somebody as gifted as Pitts. Their 1st Round WR from last year, Drake London, had a much better year with 72 catches for 866 receiving yards. Atlanta started their ‘22 season off with Netflix Star Marcus Mariota as their QB and by the end of the year, Desmond Ridder was given some go playing in 4 games. They also just signed former Washington QB Taylor Heinicke, a very solid backup. The ‘23 season will be 3rd year where their 3rd-year head coach Arthur Smith will enter with a new starting QB. Week to Week Notes’ Believe It or Not, Arthur Smith is the son of the founder & former CEO of FedEx.
This offseason the Falcons made a slew of moves in free agency on the defensive side of the ball. Former Bengals safety, Jessie Bates III, is the headliner and he will provide the Falcons some much-needed secondary help. Bates has finished in PFF’s top 5 PFF WAR (whatever that means) at safety. Veteran tackles Eddie Goldman and Calais Campbell are getting up there in age but their play has yet to drop off. I also like that they took a chance on Lorenzo Carter and Bud Dupree as pass rushers. The biggest move and name to know if you play fantasy football is their 1st Rounder Bijan Robinson who they took with the 8th pick. The Falcons should improve defensively, but I’m ranking them #1 in the NFC South because this team has some real horses on offense and it’s time for Arthur Smith to deliver or he’ll be delivering packages for his father’s company.
2. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers finished last season 7-10 and technically in 2nd place in the NFC South. They started off the season 1-4, which got their head coach Matt Rhule fired. They were in constant limbo at QB, with Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, and PJ Walker all starting in at least 5 games. Carolina dealt Christian McCaffrey midseason last year, recouping some picks from the 49ers. The Panthers have an underrated defensive core group of young players with Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, and Jaycee Horn. All 3 players are 25 or younger, with Burns coming off a ‘22 season where he had 12.5 sacks after having 9 in both ‘20 & ‘21. Brown plays nose tackle and eats up blockers for breakfast, while Horn will welcome their new addition of Vonn Bell from the Bengals to the secondary.
The biggest change for the Panthers this offseason was that they hired head coach Frank Reich, formerly of the Colts, and traded up for the #1 overall pick in the ‘23 NFL Draft. They selected Roll Tide’s own, Bryce Young, who should bring some excitement with him. Although they had to give up WR DJ Moore in the trade to land Young, Carolina signed veteran WRs Adam Thielen & DJ Chark. They also brought in Miles Sanders to replace McCaffrey as their opening-day RB. I wouldn’t expect the Panthers to make the playoffs this season, but I do for sure see them on ascend. If Bryce Young is the guy, they could make some noise and be a fun watch - not something you could really say about the Panthers since the elite Cam Newton days.
3. New Orleans Saints
The Saints finished last year at 7-10 and technically came in 3rd place in the NFC South. Last year was supposed to be a fun one for them as they brought back the neutered version of Jameis Winston who still makes funny plays. When Famous Jameis only lasted 3 starts, things got very dull as they had to put in Andy Dalton. While Dalton didn’t play like an ugly red-headed stepson, his play didn’t inspire enough confidence in the team to bring him back for another go. Dalton did do his job in getting their rookie WR Chris Olave the ball. Olave had 72 catches for 1,042 receiving yards. New Orleans is hoping that their ‘23 NFL 1st Round pick out of Clemson DT Bryan Bresee can have that same impact on the defensive side of the ball.
When the Saints go marching into the ‘23 football season, Derek Carr will now be the man behind center. Carr is the most significant addition to the team and while he should be an upgrade over Dalton, I’ve always been biased against Carr because he ruined my ‘18 fantasy football season so they have to be #3 in the NFC South. If Michael Thomas could stay healthy, he and Olave would be a good combo, but Thomas hasn’t played a full season of football since ‘19. On top of that, the Saints’ star RB Alvin Kamara just met with Roger Goodell in NY involving an incident that he was involved with at a Las Vegas nightclub in ‘22 where allegedly assaulted another guy. Kamara is likely facing a suspension at some point in the ‘23 season. Ever since Brees and Payton left, I just can’t take the New Orleans Saints all that seriously.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay won the NFC South last year with an 8-9 record. They have won the NFC South the past 2 seasons and the year before that won the Super Bowl. The ‘22 season started off in flux as Tom Brady was set to retire and TB elevated their defensive coordinator, Todd Bowles to head coach. They also replaced Antonio Brown from the year prior with another yesteryear Hall of Fame talent in Julio Jones. Unfortunately, Jones was not the same player as he once was with the Falcons, but the Bucs still got consistent play from their duo of WRs in Mike Evans (77 catches for 1,124 receiving yards) and Chris Godwin (104 catches for 1,023 receiving yards). The Bucs spent most of the year trying to get Leonard Fourtnette in shape when it was clear that rookie RB Rachaad White had more juice in the tank at this point in their careers.
TB head coached by TB saw TB12 retire for real this past offseason. As a result, they took a flier on Baker Mayfield. I wonder if Baker will be bringing the Progressive Insurance commercials down to Tampa Bay with him, remember those in Cleveland every 3rd commercial break? Mayfield will be in competition with Kyle Trask for the QB job, with all indications that the former Heisman winner has the best chance at starting. While I’m sure people would like to root for a Baker Mayfield comeback story, it’s more likely that the Bucs are in sell mode by the trade deadline with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin as their best assets. The Bucs have a talented veteran roster with some young studs in LT Tristan Wirfs and rookie DT Calijah Kancey, but without a QB you’re due for a long season in the NFL.
Notes Nobody Asked For…
Jets vs Browns
-Hall of Fame Game. I love football. ‘23 Hall of Fame inductee Demarcus Ware’s rendition of the National Anthem was moving.
-A lot of Jets optimism in the pregame. This is weird. No Browns talk.
-Ahh here we go, they let Rodney Harrison ramble and he said Rodgers in the 4th Quarter can’t finish. Blah blah blah hater.
- I can say this because he was my favorite player growing up, Darrelle Revis is looking a bit thicc, retirement has been treating him well!
Quarter 1
- New rule alert: fair catch on the kickoff. You can now fair catch a ball anywhere inside the 20 and it will be considered a touchback. This is a college rule. Clearly, the colleges’ and universities’ leanings are starting to have real-world consequences. I want it on record already that I hate this rule already, for no reason other than I don’t like change to my football!
- Kellen Mond vs Zach Wilson, there is nothing like preseason football.
- Bryce Huff with a powerful sack. Zach Wilson looks a bit more yolked, the kid must have hit the gym.
- Wilson dropped a 50-yard throw to Malik Taylor.
- Mekhi Becton limped off the field, great start to his year 4.
Quarter 2
- Joe Thomas going fishing on his NFL Draft day with his father is wholesome sports content, but also not all that surprising to hear about. Seems like a nice guy.
- Tim Boyle is now in for Zach Wilson. Alright, I’m not going to be watching this game intently, but I gotta force myself to fill the rest of the page. Yanks up 3-2.
- Check that 3-3 Kyle Tucker just homered as Chazz Surratt gets a pick for the NYJ.
- Jason Brownlee with his first preseason catch and Izzy Abanikanda scores his first preseason TD. 2 rookies that are having good camps according to Twitter. Anthony Volpe also just put the Yanks up 4-3 with an RBI single to right center.
- Darrelle Revis now getting interviewed, wearing a Yankee hat. I guess NBC is interviewing each of the inductees. Nothing else too Noteworthy here.
- Hard Knocks trailer with Aaron Rodgers, PSA that HBO will be airing the Jets training camp this Tuesday night.
- IKF with a nice double play after Volpe & Gleyber almost blew it. Phew!
- Aaron Rodgers interview: “Garrett Wilson has special traits that this 17 has that the other 17 has (Davante Adams).” Interesting…
- Yanks win, 2 in a row!! Still Fire Cashman.
YouTube Rabbithole
Sinéad O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U (Official Music Video)