A Red Flag For Lions Fans?

Why Brad Holmes first big move as Lions’ GM has me concerned

A new era has started in Detroit and the first few months of the new regime don’t have me optimistic. Granted, as a Lions fan, pessimism is in our nature. We’ve seen it all before. The new pair of GM Brad Holmes and Head Coach Dan Campbell have already earned national attention…for all of the wrong reasons thanks to the biting of knee caps. Despite this poor analogy and being quite under-qualified, Dan Campbell is not the epicenter of my concern with the Lions. My biggest concern lies on history repeating itself and if Holmes’ is going to display patterns we’re all too familiar with following Bob Quinn.

When Quinn and Patricia came to town, they brought the “Patriot way” with them. What worked in New England, they were going to bring to Detroit. However, as we’re now seeing with the Patriots, their “way” seems to be more “Tom Brady” than a successful culture. Tom’s now playing in the Super Bowl with his new team as the Pats are one of the least talented teams in the league with little light at the end of the tunnel. That is the Patriots Way Quintnricia brought with them. They brought in former Patriot after former Patriot to the point where it was laughable. The experiment failed miserably.

Now the Lions introduce Brad Holmes as General Manager, and his first big move? Moving Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams. Where did Brad Holmes come from before being hired in Detroit? Why, The Los Angeles Rams. Coincidence? I don’t think so. I know what you’re thinking, the Lions didn’t get fleeced in this deal. They had to move on from Stafford and got two first round picks, a third, and a potential starting quarterback in Jared Goff. That’s not a bad return, in fact, it’s pretty good and can’t complain about it. However, there are now reports that better offers were on the table from places like Carolina, who reportedly offered their first round pick (the 8th pick in this years draft) which would have given the Lions two picks in the top ten this year. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater also might have been involved in that deal. The Washington Football Team, San Francisco 49ers, and Indianapolis Colts also had offers in; while the New York Jets and Chicago Bears made calls to test the temperature of the water.

Shortly after the Rams and Lions agreed to a trade that would send Matthew Stafford out West, the quarterback began receiving texts from players that wanted to come join him in Los Angeles, per sources.https://t.co/IPae5YJp6e

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2021

During trade talks to try to acquire Matthew Stafford, the Carolina Panthers made a serious offer to the Lions of their eighth overall pick, a fifth-round pick and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, per league sources. Detroit opted to take the Rams offer. Carolina still looking.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 7, 2021

Most fans will say in the end the Lions won the deal, and I would be one of them. However, I’m going to be hoping they start making moves with other teams instead of focusing everything on turning the Lions into the Rams. If that’s what the front office is going to try then we are doomed to repeat history. Brad Holmes will suffer the same fate as Bob Quinn. Dan Campbell is not Sean McVay. The Rams success, in my opinion, stems from McVay and the system he’s running and what he brings to the table. You can try to copy that but you’re just going to end up with a lesser version of the original product. The sequel is never as good as the original. Except for Deuce Bigalow.

How are you feeling about the start of the new regime? Reach out on twitter @CortFreeman

Advertisement

My 10 Favorite Iration Songs

February 21st, 2020. That’s the date of the last concert I attended before our lives were turned upside down by the pandemic. At that time Coronavirus was in the news, but I don’t remember ever feeling vulnerable or scared at the concert, and I’m a major worrier. Lucky for me, the last concert I attended was a very good show put on by Iration at Cleveland’s House Of Blues. We’re now only a couple of weeks away from the one year mark of said concert, which is absolutely mind-blowing. To mark that amount of time passed and to celebrate something I enjoy during these Groundhog Day-esque times, here are my ten favorite songs from the last band I saw before the pandemic, and one of my favorite bands, Iration.

10. Back Around

Kicking the list off at number 10 is Back Around. The studio version of this song is great but the live version provided above is as Guy Fieri would say “outta bounds.” Such an amazing way to kick off a show.

9. Fancy

Fancy from their new album Coastin’ lands at number 9 on the list. This track is different than the rest of Iration’s catalogue and I am here for it. It has a bit of a Chromeo Over Your Shoulder French Disco vibe to it. The song is the perfect play for pandemic nights in lockdown getting a buzz on with your significant other. It’s catchy and shows off some personality along with some relatable content. Down for more songs like this!

8. Time Bomb

If you’re only vaguely familiar with Iration, this is probably the song you’d recognize. It’s a hit. It likely deserves to be higher on the list due to star power alone, but as a fan I feel like it would be lazy to put it up there…and their good songs go far beyond the hits. Time Bomb is number 8.

7. Chill Out

A song that delivers the good vibes. Great song for “relaxing” with your “buds.”

6. No Letter

No Letter is one of Iration’s more serious songs and I think it does a great job pulling on the heart strings. I like when they unplug and go acoustic. Speaking of that, you should check out their acoustic album, Double Up.

5. Already Gold

Ooo this one is a vibe! Can’t help but to feel a little swag when this comes on. I think it would make a great walk-up song for baseball player. Also makes for a great bed, radio people. Already Gold rounds out the Top 5.

4. Summer Nights

Summer Nights is not to be confused with Lil Rob’s smash hit. Remember that one?! Classic. Anyways, Iration’s Summer Nights is a great play these days because it has me longing for those summer nights and being outside. I’m so ready for winter to be over.

3. Guns Out

Guns Out, yes! This is a banger. Absolutely love this song. Before I heard the song, and just saw the title I was a little put back thinking it’s like a Sun’s out Guns out beach song type thing, but thankfully it’s not. It’s actually a lot of great analogies for being in a fight with your significant other. I love wordplay and this song is full of it, and is catchy as well.

2. 2GUD2BTRU

There are supposed to be Umlauts there, and I have absolutely no clue how to do that on here. I’m sorry. I know Poosh loves them, and I have let down. Anyways, this song has really grown on me over the past year. The lyrics are a little more serious (which I love!), but the music is still full of good vibes and upbeat. The newest member of the band, Micah Brown, gets to sing on the bridge (or something I don’t know the term) and I love the way he sounds and what he brings to the band opposite of Micah Pueschel. The two compliment each other very well. I’m not going to lie this is one of those songs I’ll play back to back I love it so much.

1. Wait And See

Finally we have reached the number one spot on my list of favorite Iration songs, and the title goes to Wait And See. It was the first song of theirs I heard, and the one that really got me to love the band and get more into them. My buddy AJ and I were in South Florida and heard it at a local watering hole and were obsessed ever since. The song brings back great memories…and is the one hit they didn’t play at the concert! But the song features a verse from a member of the band who isn’t around any more, so it’s understandable and they get a pass.

Those are my ten favorite Iration songs, right now. Of course, it’s subject to change. It actually did as I was writing it. The order above is not even the order in my notes. Go check them out and when we’re finally able to go see live music again, make sure to see Iration live. You won’t regret it. Did I leave out your favorite? Let me know on Twitter @CortFreeman

The Best Pizza In Michigan?

When you think of the best pizza in Michigan you probably think of Buddy’s. Rightfully so, I can’t blame you. Maybe you think of Jet’s. I’ll count it. However, when you think beyond the big names and brands the best pizza in Michigan conversation can get interesting…and I think I found my vote.

To my surprise, my favorite pizza in Michigan isn’t Detroit style. I know I’m biased being born and raised here, but I think the Detroit style pan pizza is the best kind of pizza there is. New York’s crust is too thin, Chicago too thick and saucy, which makes Detroit’s just right, if you go the Goldilock route. I thought for sure my favorite pizza in Michigan would be some sort of pan pizza with a greasy thick crust. I was wrong. It’s a garlicy braided crust. Mmm I can taste it now. My favorite pizza in Michigan is the Steak and Jalapeño from The Bucket Bar in Mears.

There’s a lot to process here, I’m sure. Braided crust? Steak and Jalapeño? Pizza from a golf course? Yes. Yes. Yes. It all comes together for Michigan’s best pizza. Did I mention the Béchamel sauce? I feel like that’s important to mention. It’s a white pizza, no tomato sauce. I’ve found that I’m not a big red sauce guy, whether it’s with pizza or pasta. All I need is some garlic and olive oil and I’m set. The cheesy Béchamel sauce ties the whole pizza together with a creamy coolness to balance out the jalapeño. Almost like dipping it in ranch would do? You feel me? The braided crust is unlike anything I’ve ever had on a pizza. It’s like breadsticks as crust. That’s what I’m all about. Why don’t more places do a braided crust? Every bite I think I say it outloud. I just can’t understand it. The picture above is the best I could do. Notice it’s missing a piece? Okay, two pieces? I couldn’t help myself or wait a single minute to eat it before taking the picture. It’s that good.

There you have it. That’s my favorite pizza in Michigan. Have you tried it? What’s your favorite pizza in Michigan? Let me know on Twitter @CortFreeman

Cort Freeman Live(ish): E02 Cancel Culture

Every day it seems like someone new is being canceled. Are we in a cancel culture or are we just exposing jerks? I address it in Episode 02 of Cort Freeman Live(ish).

Cort Freeman Live(ish): E02

Follow on Twitter: @cortfreeman, IG: @cortfreem, and Twitch: twitch.tv/cortfreeman

The Worst Episodes Of My Favorite Shows

This is a TV that likely doesn’t work because it is not plugged in. (Source: @sveninho)

It’s easy to name your favorite episodes of your favorite shows. It’s fun to share your thoughts with friends about the laughs that stand out and what makes that show superior to the others. But, have you ever challenged yourself to find your least favorite episode of your favorite program? Admittedly, it’s probably not as fun to talk about in your social circles (as much as I would enjoy it). So, today, I dove deep into my favorite shows and found my least favorite episodes.

The Office

Season 6 Episode 14 – “The Banker”

The Office is the show I never stop binging. I finish the Finale and then immediately restart with the Pilot, and the cycle continues. During these binges there’s only one episode I will skip past every time—The Banker (S06, E14).

Ugh, The Banker! The skid mark on an otherwise fantastic season complete with some of my favorite and classic episodes. This episode is basically just a clip show highlighting memories from previous seasons. Yes, it’s emotional and they did a good job with it, but it’s a major downer. It does brace you for the other major downers to follow (Nellie) but it’s completely skippable and I do every time. For the record: picking a least favorite episode after Season 7 is a cheap Busch League move.

Seinfeld

Season 9 Episode 20 – “The Puerto Rican Day”

Speaking of making a Busch League pick, I had to follow up with Seinfeld. Everybody loves to rip on the Seinfeld Finale, largely for reasons I explained previously about Clip Shows. I get nobody wants a clip show, but for a finale, as they did in Seinfeld, I have no issue. Well, minimum issue. I think it worked! I liked them bringing back all the characters from previous episodes. Karma, Jerry! Karma! However, to find my least favorite episode, you don’t have to go far from there—The Puerto Rican Day.

There are many things that make “The Puerto Rican Day“ my least favorite episode of one of my least favorite shows. It’s offensive to man, first off. But the bigger issue is it wasn’t that funny. Not a lot of laughs. If you’re going to choose to be offensive, you better get some laughs out of it at least! (Don’t be offensive though, I’m not condoning that). It just fell short of every mark for me. And then was followed by clip shows and that Finale! Rough stretch to end the greatest show ever.

A last note, I pulled up a list of all the episodes season by season to do this making notes of which ones could be the least favorite, but upon landing on The Puerto Rican Day I knew it had to be that one. Then, while checking my work because I have no idea what the general population thinks is the worst episode (outside of the finale) and Variety wrote an article ALSO calling it the worst. I feel validated! I didn’t pick it because they did. No conformity going on! No ads! All my boring opinion. Eat Fresh.

South Park

Season 3 Episode 4 – Jakovasaurs

It’s hard to get my to bad talk South Park. I love that show and everything Trey and Matt touch (Orgazmo, BASEketball, etc). So believe it pains me to come on here and talk about my least favorite episode but…man, is it bad. My least favorite episode can be none other than—Jakovasaurs.

Holy annoying, Batman. I can’t sit through this episode, that alien dinosaur thing is way too obnoxious to handle. I can’t. Even thinking about this episode hurts my head. Why!? Why do that to us!?!

Family Guy

Season 12 Episode 02 – Vestigial Peter

Speaking of annoying, let’s talk about Peter’s little neck twin, Chip. Just when I was thinking no character on TV could be more annoying than the damn Jakovasaurs in comes motherloving Chip saying “hold my beer.” Ugh. I can’t make it through the episode! Too annoying. There are still laughs in the episode, granted, but I can’t voluntarily sit through that. Shut up, Meg? No, shut up, Chip.

That ‘70s Show

Season 4 Episode 24 – That ‘70s Musical

Finally, we’ve reached the ‘70s. This show has brought me many a laughs over the years. This could have been the hardest to pick a least favorite for. Of course, there’s the episode where Randy is introduced and all things go south from there. But I figured picking that would be cheap, as would any episode without Eric or Kelso so I had to make my final decision—That ‘70s Musical.

Personally, I wish they never did this. It’s cringeworthy. Feels like it goes on forever and ever with no end in sight. That moment could truly be worse than when we get introduced to Randy. As Red would put it “I wish I had a dozen feet so I could shove them in all the writers asses!”

That does it! Those are my least favorite episodes of my favorite shows. What are yours? Let me know on Twitter @CortFreeman