Daily Update: June 23, 2016

“Let us sacrifice our today so that our children can have a better tomorrow.” -A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Statesman

So, I’ve been running through The Hunger Games movies for the past three days (yes, I know there are four, I’ll be watching the last one tomorrow), which is why I’ve been putting in scenes from those movies. Frankly, I wanted an excuse to put “The Hanging Tree” into today’s post, and this quote is that excuse. Although I personally feel that Mockingjay: Part 1 is just an extended commercial for Mockingjay: Part 2, my favorite part of the book trilogy-turned-movie quadrilogy is definitely this song. In regard to the quote, I don’t totally agree. While I do agree that it is important to set up a better tomorrow, I don’t believe we need to sacrifice today for that purpose. I live my life by telling myself everyday that this day is going to be the new best day ever. I admit, I don’t always believe myself when I say that, but I ALWAYS say it, and it helps me be a better person because of it. You may be wondering, ‘How do you believe that today will be the best day ever if you ‘know’ that tomorrow will be better?’ It’s not so much that today needs to be the best day ever as it is that today needs to be the best day it can be. Life will not always go our way, in fact, it often doesn’t. But, as long as we believe that each day will get better, it will improve our lives, as well as the lives of the people and the world around us. So let’s continue making this day the new best day ever with some NFL news:

1. The NFL is partnering with the Cirque du Soleil. This is actually a really interesting story. The partnership is building a theater and interactive exhibit in Times Square. Some features include: NFL films being displayed on a four-story video board and Cirque shows capturing the NFL game day experience. Basically, both organizations are attempting to gain each other’s fan bases to add to their own. I’m not a big fan of the intent, but the concept sounds astounding!

As promised, I have some cool NFL analysis in the event of a lack of NFL news. NFL.com recently released a list of their top 10 non-QBs in the league today, so I have done the same. Take a look:

1. J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans- No surprise here, the three time DPOY, Watt is the heart and soul of the Houston Texans. He is possibly the best defensive player of all time with his abilities to attack QBs, throw the football, and catch the football. He is probably the most diverse player in the NFL.
2. Odell Beckham Jr, WR, New York Giants- Ok, maybe I’m a little biased, but hear me out. Odell is probably the best WR in the league for multiple reasons. Firstly, he has Eli Manning throwing him the football. Eli definitely has his moments, but he is about as inconsistent as a QB gets. Despite Eli’s inconsistencies, Odell consistently puts up at least 90 yards per game. He doesn’t have the luxury of having a consistent QB like Antonio Brown or Julio Jones. Secondly, the 90 yard per game rule still applied against the best CB of 2016: Josh Norman. Although Norman got in Odell’s head, leading to Odell’s one-game suspension, Odell still torched Norman for over 90 yards in that game. Thirdly, the catch. The best catch of all time. Nobody has hands like Odell.
3. Bill Belichick, Head Coach, New England Patriots- I never said this list was all players. Belichick has won four Super Bowls for the Pats. Yes, most of his success hinged on a QB in the form of Tom Brady, but Belichick also has a knack for finding amazing WRs out of nowhere. See: Julian Edelman, Wes Welker, and now Chris Hogan (who has been drawing rave reviews from Pats OTAs).
4. Von Miller, OLB, Denver Broncos- This guy was Super Bowl MVP for a reason. There is NO DOUBT that the Broncos had the best defense of last season, and that is all because of Miller. Sack artist, hard hitter, natural leader. He is a GREAT defensive anchor.
5. Luke Kuechly, MLB, Carolina Panthers- Kuechly rose to fame almost as fast as Odell did. He is the anchor of the Carolina defense that went 15-1 in the regular season, and went to the Super Bowl. Drafted in 2013, he is already the best at his position, with nobody else within shouting distance.
6. Chris Harris Jr, CB, Denver Broncos- Perhaps you’ve heard of Aqib Talib? He is a top-10 CB in the league. He also plays CB2 for the Broncos defense. Who is the CB1? Chris Harris Jr. He is better than Aqib Talib, therefore, he is one of the best CBs in the league and, in my opinion, the best right now.
7. Antonio Brown, WR, Pittsburgh Steelers- He has been lucky to play with a top-5 QB and a top-5 running back, but Brown is a freak of nature. He has the speed to take any pass to the house. If you want explosive, the first man you call is Antonio Brown.
8. Joe Haden, CB, Cleveland Browns- Just barely beat out by Harris, Haden is the lone bright spot on the Browns. No matter how much they lose, Browns fans are still treated to a show by Haden on a weekly basis. That is definitely something to cheer for.
9. Travis Frederick, C, Dallas Cowboys- Offensive linemen never get enough credit. Remember how RB Darren McFadden looked like an all-star behind the Dallas o-line last year. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: the anchor of the league’s best o-line.
10. Stephen Gostkowski, K, New England Patriots- What better way to end the list than with the guy that completes the team? You can’t have a football team without the kicker. When it comes to a kicker that can win football games for your team, there is nobody I’d rather have than Gostkowski. Don’t let his missed extra point in this season’s AFC Championship fool you, this man can kick.

That’s all for TheHaysWay today, make sure to leave a comment on the daily quote and/or the daily news. Also, I would love to hear your own list of the top 10 non-QBs in the NFL today, as well as your opinion on my list. Please leave a much-appreciated like whether you comment, or not. Have a pleasant tomorrow.