The Road to Recovery

Johnson in his last professional stint as part of the Green Bay Blizzard (left); Johnson in his first year as a pro with the Wyoming Cavalry (right)

“Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty. I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”
- Theodore Roosevelt

The journey to achieve one's dream no matter the path in life is never a straight line. There are ups, downs and all-arounds. If there's one person who knows the struggle to succeed, it's Ricardo Johnson. The former Graceland University receiver has had his own roller coaster of emotions over the last few years leading to his current return to football this spring.

Knowing Ricardo over the last few years, it's easy for me to look beyond the numbers and see a guy who is hungry to prove himself on the gridiron again. Johnson's pro career began when he was signed by the Salina Bombers out of Kansas, then shortly after he was brought on with the Wyoming Cavalry. As an IFL rookie, he snagged 59 catches for 541 yards and 9 touchdowns:

"We had a good offense in Wyoming. The coaching staff was excellent. We aired it out a lot I remember."

Ricardo showed glimpses of what he could do, making the arena wall his friend on more than one occasion with impressive grabs. His next chance would take the Maryland native to Green Bay, Wisconsin to play for the Blizzard. He'd only tally 2 catches for 16 yards before succumbing to an injury.

It's the fall, and Ricardo is wrapping up his rehab for an injured patella tendon having started in June. It was a partial tear.

"It had been bothering me for a while, then it finally gave out when I was running routes one day," Johnson told me.

The injury forced him to miss the rest of the season. The chance to step back on the field is one Johnson has been anticipating for a long time.

"I wasn't myself. Not playing or even practicing and watching the games messes with you. It feels better than it had. I'm getting stronger every day and working on lateral movements as well as my speed. The confidence is coming back."

That confidence can be attributed to Johnson's trainer, Coach Steel. Speed training is big, and Steel helps Johnson with his all-around technique and training every day. Each morning begins at 9 am for Johnson with speed drills. His route-running is in the afternoon, three times a week.

Johnson's journey has taken him from Iowa, to Kansas and Wisconsin and back to Maryland. Currently the former Jacket is training hard in Miami for his upcoming season with the San Angelo Bandits of the CIF.

"My coach from Green Bay, Meadow Lemon, was the general manager for the Portland Thunder last year. He knows my style, and had a close relationship with my agent."

Johnson's agent is Erik Echols out of Extreme Sports Management in Millersville, Maryland. The duo have been together for two years, forming a strong relationship.

"He keeps me in the loop on everything and really works hard."

Ricardo is also familiar with San Angelo's quarterback, Chris Mitchell. The two worked together in the offseason with the Louisiana Swashbucklers of the PIFL. Johnson would leave before the season began, playing three games with the Philadelphia Soul of the AFL as a practice player.

Johnson's primary focus has been route-running, practicing at Soccerdom in Landover, Maryland. Part of his motivation has been Leo Brown who will be part of the Blizzard this upcoming season.

"Leo went to school with my sister. He's a defensive back with a good sense for the ball and schemes. He'll be able to learn from one of the best DB's in the IFL, Jamie Bender."

Another valuable person for Ricardo has been Anttonio Brown. No, not that Antonio Brown. It is spelled with two "t's". The former Virginia University of Lynchburg standout reached out toe Johnson after signing with the team last year.

"We had similar friends, so I wanted to form a bond with Ricardo," Brown said. "We got really right and can joke or talk about anything. But when it comes to training, there's definitely competition."

Brown noticed Johnson's progress.

"He doesn’t think he's where he wants to be. About two weeks ago, I could see him getting his stride back. Speed training alone is progress. Trust the process. Hes still trying to get comfortable, but it's coming along. Its in God’s hands."

Those are pretty good hands to be in. Ricardo places his faith in God just as he hopes Mitchell will place the ball in his hands many times over this upcoming season. 

 "I prayed every day. God doesn't make mistakes. My setback was all for a comeback. I want to lead the league in yards and receptions. I want to be the best receiver in the league. Most importantly, I want to get a championship for Coach Lemon. I want to thank Green Bay for helping me through my injury."

While in Miami, Jonson works with his friend from Wyoming, Samuel Charles. Charles played for the AFL's Spokane Shock. The Shock receiver and Ricardo bonded over their injuries, as Charles had just come off LCL surgery. 

"He's like a brother to me," said Johnson. 

Charles me be like a brother to Ricardo, but his immediate family comes first. He has two little brothers and two sisters. Johnson's dad, Michael has been a guiding light for the twenty-eight year old. 

"He's very supportive. He reiterates I should never take anything for granted. It can be taken away from you like that. Just things as simple as walking and running I'll never take for granted again since I know how hard it is to come back from injury. I'll be hungrier than ever before."

Ricardo's confidence is back as is health. His voracious appetite to be great and insatiable work ethic makes it him a force to be reckoned with this spring with the San Angelo Bandits. 

Eat up, Ricardo.

Like it? Love it? Let me know @SeanNeutron

The Blizzard 2016 Running Diary

8:22 AM: A little more than a dusting covers the ground while a harsh wind permeates the air. It may not be here yet, but this is all I can think of:

8:45 AM: Yep, still nothing substantial.  Despite this, Virginia drivers prove they still have no clue how to drive when merely threatened by bad weather. Thursday's inch was only a preview:

In their defense, roads were not prepped at all.

9:38 AM: At the grocery store, a customer pulls out their checkbook a midst a massive line that borders on a mob. I hit their checkbook out of their hands and add a Dikembe Mutumbo finger wave as I mouth, "no". They look at me astonished, and the rest of the shoppers look at me as a hero.


10:03 AM: Customer: Do you have ice melt?

Me: No.

10:04 AM: Customer: Do you have ice melt?

Me: Non.

10:05 AM: Customer: Do you have ice melt?

Me: Nein.

10:06 AM: Customer: Do you have ice melt?

Me: Ne.

(Repeated that dialogue 500 more times over the course of the next few hours.)


1:01 PM:  According to my sources*, it is, in fact, snowing.

*58 girls over Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Reports indicate the scene outside is " a winter wonderland," "OMG so pretty", "totes adorbs" and  "what I've been waiting for all winter". Those in the field are battling such conditions by drinking their favorite beverage while under a soft blanket and watching Netflix.

3:08 PM: Finally home, I binge watch the rest of Making a Murderer. I feel fully capable that I could represent a wrongfully convicted person in the court of law.

::looks into law schools online::

3:10 PM: If I see one more photo of a yardstick....

3:13 PM: The news confirms everything we already know. I have prepared my own advice for you to avoid watching the redundant newscasts:

3:34 PM: Neighboring child rings doorbell.

Child: Do you want to build-

Me:

4:13 PM: According to my sources* in Florida and Texas, it is, in fact, not snowing there.

* Friends via social media with such groundbreaking updates like "don't miss Virginia" and "No snow here".

 8:13 PM: Time for the first round of shoveling. Bundled up with the mobility of the Michelin Man, I am ready to do this.

8:16 PM: I am in no way prepared to do this.

8:17 PM: So THIS is why people have kids.

8:18 PM: ::Looks at flamethrowers on Ebay::

8:24 PM: ::Prays a full Rosary::


8:23 PM: Back outside, a neighbor waves to me. Cannot make eye contact, or the guilt to assist them will weigh heavily on my soul.

8:24 PM: ::Makes eye contact:: Shit.


8:24 PM:  ::assists overly talkative neighbor::

::contemplates burying self in snow to end it::

::contemplates burying neighbor in snow to end it::


8:34 PM: I can't feel my face when I'm with you, because we're shoveling. #thisweekend

8:45 PM: Finishes assisting without committing homicide.

9:13 PM: I have now been away from my phone for a full hour. ::scratches neck nervously:: ::trembles::

9:38 PM: Round one is complete. But this may be how I die. ::hops on WebMD::

9:54 PM: Concludes it is just a back spasm and not imminent death. Self medication includes Icy Hot and alcohol.

10:03 PM: I've seen so much white while shoveling, I can't even look in the mirror for the rest of the weekend.


*More updates as they become available.



Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know @SeanNeutron.

Johnny Depp "Kills It" in Black Mass

If there had been one criticism of Johnny Depp in recent years, it was that his selection of roles was, at times, questionable. It's hard to bring to mind the last time he was truly compelling and able to get the audience lost in his character. He was a riot in 21 Jump Street's remake a few years back, though.

But Depp had to an extent become an avante garde version of Adam Sandler.

"What about Jack Sparrow?"

Nope. That is simply Depp turned up a notch similar to pro wrestlers getting into character.

No, to tap into that reserve of talent isn't simply bumping it up a notch. It's immersing yourself in the character and turning it up to eleven. Depp does that in Black Mass, engulfing himself in evil as James "Whitey" Bulger. At times you almost feel guilty for enjoying his performance so much. His scenes are just pure evil, with the littlest of motions able to make your skin crawl. His thick, raspy Boston accent exudes a next-level nastiness.

The basic premise behind the film is that FBI agent John Connolly (Joel Edgerton) needs to take down the Italian mafia. He sees Bulger as that key, and will sacrifice his moral compass for the glory that comes with such a high profile coup.

The scene where they discuss the deal and its benefits takes place in a small alleyway, with Bulger creeping up on Connolly. It's the baddest man in town with the guy who is supposed to represent all that is good in the world. While I want to bring to mind Bulger being the Joker to Connolly's Batman, it's more fitting to make Connolly in to Harvey Dent. He's supposed to be the best of the best, but at his deepest is just as corruptible as anyone else. But Bulger is definitely the Joker, and Depp's tour de force performance makes me recall how the depths in which Heath Ledger went to play the Joker in 2008's Dark Knight.

This review would not be complete without a brief shout-out to the make-up crew as well.  Transforming Depp into the notorious murderer could have gone awry in the wrong hands, but the hair, skin, eyes and even his teeth are very accurate and supplement the realness of Depp's Bulger.

While there are more than a few graphic scenes in the film, the one that stands out most to me is the bone-chilling scene where Bulger is over at Connolly's house for dinner. Connolly discloses his wife's absence is because she is sick, yet that does not deter Bulger. He heads to the bedroom, knocks on the door, surprising Marianne Connolly (Julianne Nicholson). He proceeds to call her bluff and violate her subtly, checking for a fever by placing his hand on her face and throat all the while making her feel incredibly uneasy with his choice of words.

"We wouldn't want anything to happen to you, now would we?"

His vague threats are enough to cause her to break down immediately, and for the viewer to wonder what the hell just happened.

On the flip side of the coin is a Bulger that actually has a heart. He is riding in the car in one scene and asks the driver to stop so he can check in on an older woman who he holds in high regard, greeting her with a hug and assisting her with her bags. His heart is later on display when he interacts with his son who later dies, flipping an absolutely evil switch in Bulger that can't be turned off.

This film was designed to glamorize the life of Bulger, yet Bulger's camp doesn't seem too impressed by it despite glowing reviews across the board.

"Johnny Depp might as well have been playing the Mad Hatter all over again as far as James Bulger is concerned," Bulger's defense attorney Hank Brennan says. "Hollywood greed is behind the rush to portray my client, and the movie missed the real scourge created in my client's case, the real menace to Boston during that time and in other mob cases around the country – the federal government's complicity in each and every one of those murders with the top echelon informant program."

Also not impressed by the film? The victims' families.

While Edgerton's Connolly is at first thought to be the protagonist, it's Depp's vehicle to get Bulger over making him a rare dual protagonist/antagonist- a one man ying-yang.

The movie is also designed to remind people of Depp's abilities. This is not to take away from a stacked cast which includes Kevin Bacon, Corey Stoll, David Harbour, Peter Sarsgaard, Dakota Johnson, Jesse Plemons and Benedict Cumberbatch. While 2007's The Departed comes to mind as a movie that was stocked with plenty of questionable Boston accents, everyone's in Black Mass comes off as legitimate and not over the top.

Black Mass is at a respectable two hours and two minutes, and does not drag on at all. Every scene serves a purpose and tells the narrative quite well. If you are looking for accuracy, though, check out Whitey: United States of America v. James Bulger:


All in all, it's a superb film from director Scott Cooper who manages to capture the gritty look and feel of 1970's/1980's Boston, and a range of emotions not only from Depp, but his entire cast.

Rating: *****

Why This Season's TUF is DOA

 

Look at that picture above. 

Does it get you hyped for this season's Ultimate Fighter? If you said no, then you'd be correct. The duo of fighters look like a mix between Braveheart and a zombie. The latter is rather fitting seeing as this season was dead on arrival before any punches were thrown or words were said. 

Why you ask? Find out below. 

WHERE'S THE BEEF?

Supposedly this whole thing began when the two got into a minor scuffle in the hallways of UFC 189. It was what it was...nothing. Yet determined to blow it out of proportion and force an issue, the two were signed on as coaches this season. Even Faber admits it's all for the cameras, and McGregor is a decent fellow. 

“I speak my mind, I love to fight, he speaks his mind, he loves to fight, and we don’t take crap. So that’s where things get heated up. But as a person, he’s a decent dude when he’s being real," Faber told MMA Junkie.

Maybe the UFC was scared off by a potential language barrier with Aldo?

NO BLOWOFF TO THE "FEUD"

The premise of TUF has always been the two coaches squaring off at the end of the season. The tension is supposed to build to a fever pitch, so that by the time the card rolls around you want to see who the better fighter is. But in this case, we won't. 

Urijah Faber and Connor McGregor aren't even in the same division. And even if they were? Faber is 36 and past his prime. His best days were in the WEC, and even then Faber struggled to beat fellow top tier WEC fighters such as Jose Aldo, Mike Brown and Dominick Cruz.

On the other hand, McGregor is 26 and on a scintillating tear through the featherweight division. He silenced doubters by dispatching of Chad Mendes in two rounds back in July, which only made his brash arrogance grow even more. His confidence may seem over the top to some, but who can fault a guy for being wildly successful in the world's number one mixed martial arts promotion and talking about it? Even Chuck Liddell can't. 

 NO, WE AREN'T ENTERTAINED

Just like the Joker needs Batman and vice versa, McGregor- ever the antagonist- needs his own protagonist to play off of. And I don't even mean physically- because that is a tall task. No, I mean verbally. Even if Faber were younger, in the same division and could take it to the Irishman in the octagon....his trash talking leaves a ton to be desired. Any time McGregor lands a devastating verbal blow, Faber fails to retaliate on the same level- if at all. It just seems like the little brother is bullying the big one, and not in an entertaining way. 

GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS 

While the coaches are used to sell the show (and McGregor does his part), ultimately it's just two guys pretending there's a beef where there isn't. Episode 2 already saw Ryan Hall win again with a leglock, starting a smaller scale Rousey-like level of submission precision. When it's all said and done, it's likely the fights and competitors will be Season 22's biggest stars.

That is definitely a plus for them, but leaves a lot more to be desired from people tuning in for fireworks and drama. 

Like it? Love it? Hate it? Let me know @SeanNeutron.

LoST in the Shuffle

Last weekend was a whirlwind of activity in the WWE Universe. The weekend kicked off with NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, and was followed by the second biggest show of the year- Summerslam. NXT is the future of the WWE, and Summerslam put all the current stars on display. But it begs the question:

Who will get lost in the shuffle?

WWE's roster is deep, despite what their booking makes you believe. While some wrestlers are put in floundering roles, don't let it fool you. They are all professionals with experience around the world, and can wrestle. Does that mean WWE will let them go out and put on a five-star classic? Of course not. There's only so much time they can devote to wrestling when there are many awful segments and non-wrestling related filler they need to stuff their shows with.

You would think having three hours would be more than enough to get exposure for the entire roster, but the E does stand for entertainment. Sometimes good, sometimes bad- the need to add more than just pure athleticism and competition is there. With the new influx of NXT superstars, there will be less time and storylines to devote to current WWE stars. Here’s who will suffer most.

Dolph Ziggler

Yes, we know he’s a worker and can put on a great match on any given night. We know he can bump out of the building and make any star look even better. Yet that has been a constant criticism of Ziggler over the last half-decade or so. His willingness to make everyone look good all the time is frowned upon by some in charge, and that ill-timed concussion after he beat Alberto Del Rio in 2012 didn’t help matters, either. Ziggler could help enhance NXT talent and put over new stars, but it’s been obvious in the last few years WWE doesn’t trust him to be a main event player. It also hinders him that he has seen zero character development in years. The NXT influx will only continue to push him down the totem pole.

Sheamus

“Wait, really? You mean the guy who won WWE’s Money in the Bank briefcase- the symbol of a likely future WWE World Heavyweight champion?” – You

Yes, I mean THAT Sheamus. He, like Ziggler, suffered for years to progress his character beyond “Hey, I’m Irish.” After returning from injury, it was thought a heel turn would do him good and add a little spice to the otherwise dull Irishman. Yet since that heel turn with questionable facial hair decisions, little has changed to make him seem anything than a good worker and journeyman to the stars. His recent feud (if you want to call it that) with Randy Orton has done nothing to change anything. His promos still lack any sort of conviction and are typically cheesy and forced. I cannot think of a reason why WWE would put their main title on him within the next calendar year- and that’s NOT the thought you want anyone having about your MITB winner. While Sheamus can put on a good match more often than not, his limitations will hamper him with the new crop of young stars.

Los Matadores

Yes, the team with the little guy dressed as a bull. That is the team’s claim to fame. While both are great wrestlers and technically sound, WWE hasn’t let them showcase it with any sort of great matches or even flashy moves. The duo gets no promo time, and gives the fans no reason to get behind them except “flying miniature bull”. This makes me wonder why they were in the tag title match at Summerslam instead of calling up Enzo and Cass in New York. The team’s exposure will only dwindle from here, as eventually El Torito- like Hornswaggle before him- will become stale and not relevant.

The Ascension

The most ironically-named team might even have it harder than Los Matadores. They get far less time on RAW or Smackdown, and haven’t accomplished anything of note since debuting and beating jobber teams. They do, however, come across as very likeable on the WWE Network show Swerved. But that’s about it.

They were treated as big fish in the small pond of NXT- but the main stage has exposed their limitations both on the mic and in the ring. The fact they haven’t found a way to consistently get time every week as well as pay-per-view matches to vie for the tag titles is pretty telling. The Ascension is on the way down the WWE hierarchy, and the youngsters will only speed up that regression.

The Bellas

“The Divas Revolution” term has been tossed around so often by the WWE that if you made it a drinking game you would have been dead a month ago. It equates simply to “women get more time to wrestle, with no motivation or personality”.

The two females who are dearly clutching on to their spots are the Bellas. Yes, they move merchandise and are both tied to two company golden boys (John Cena and Daniel Bryan)- but would the division really miss much without the limited duo? Give all the credit to Nikki the last year or so, though. She has improved her game in the ring, which is far better than Brie. But both struggle on the mic, sounding rigid and rehearsed. The new crop of NXT Divas can wrestle circles around the Bellas, and all have giant chips on their shoulders. Once WWE gets past the tired female tropes of women only being jealous or crazy and treat the division similar to the men’s, the Bellas will fail to keep up.

Alex Reilly

Yes, he’s really on the WWE roster still. There’s not much to follow that up than with “lol seriously?”

Cameron

The writing was on the wall after her role on Total Divas was massively reduced. Once her “feud” with Naomi was over last year, the most she’s done since then is offer a line or two of dialogue every few episodes of TD. With no outstanding in-ring or promo skills, as well as no male to tie herself to- Cameron will struggle to gain any traction and will likely be future endeavored before 2016.

Jack Swagger

Swagger’s high point was his feud against Alberto Del Rio heading into Wrestlemania 29. Since then, he was all but killed off by Rusev, and has only had a few televised matches in the last year or so. His character was strengthened by the uber-talented Zeb Coulter, but Vince McMahon has forgotten Swagger exists and the current NXT bunch will put the nail in his WWE career’s coffin soon.

Wade Barrett

This one pains me, because I truly like Wade Barrett and believe he was the best thing outside of Daniel Bryan to come from 2010’s alternate version of NXT. While some stars on this list are there simply because they lack certain abilities, Barrett is a victim of booking and injuries. 

His gimmick was simple: a British brawler who has no issue smashing your face and being charmingly arrogant about it. He was able to break through as leader of the Nexus versus John Cena- and we all know how that turned out. Injuries sidelined him multiple times, but he eventually caught fire again as Bad News Barrett. The gimmick was later scrapped out of nowhere, pulling the rug out from underneath the talented Brit. Winning King of the Ring did for him what the Intercontinental title did- nothing. He lost far more than he won, and would likely be booked for the pre-show of special events. 

While former Nexus members such as Ryback, Darren Young, Daniel Bryan- and even Heath Slater- have gone on to have standout careers in the WWE, it’s quite ironic their talented leader is treated like Marty Jannetty. The current iteration of NXT will do him no favors.

Emma

Emma caught fire in NXT as the awkward, quirky Aussie who did the arm thing. Since then, she’s accomplished nothing of note outside of being Santino Marella’s on-air girlfriend and stealing an i-Phone case at Walmart. Sure, she’s on Total Divas and seen most weeks on RAW, but has no direction and little room for leeway in a crowded Divas division.

R-Truth/Kane/Big Show

This is not a reflection on their talents, but more so their ages. The trio have done a lot of great stuff in their collective 47 years of WWE experience, but offer very little in ring in 2015. I see Show and Truth transitioning to road agents or trainers in Florida eventually, with Kane pursuing politics as he has stated previously. The amount of time devoted to them could be better served giving exposure to younger stars.

My thoughts are in no way infallible. There are still chances for some of these stars to redeem themselves and catch on with different gimmicks or improvements, but I don’t see it right now. With NXT setting the bar higher and higher, most of these WWE stars listed here should be feeling the pressure to perform. 

Did I leave someone out? Do you not agree with any of the selections here? Let me know @SeanNeutron.