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🏈 The Improbable Return

🏈 The Improbable Return

December 07, 2022

Good morning Beyond The Press family! Donovan Mitchell went off for another 40 piece last night to bring the Lakers back to Earth. The Lakers are still a very impressive 7-3 in their last 10 games but can they stay hot is the ultimate question. In unrelated news a new movie is coming out in late February called 'Cocaine Bear' and yes you guessed it, it is about a bear that goes on a cocaine-fueled rampage! Ray Liotta's final role is going to be an interesting one to say the least. In today's BTP we dive into how the World Cup changed this young forwards career, Odell Beckham's improbable return to the NFL, and Aaron Judge's brand new $360M contract.

Happy Humpday!

WORLD CUP

How a World Cup Changes your Career

Gonçalo Ramos shocked the football world when he started in place of Cristiano Ronaldo for the Portuguese national team, but it turns out he wasn’t done surprising us. After three goals and one assist, the 21-year-old Benfica striker’s life will quite literally never be the same, and it’s something that happens quite a bit on this global stage.

It was reminiscent of the 2014 World Cup when James Rodriguez delivered an equally surprising performance for the Colombian national team. Like Ramos, he was relatively unknown to a global audience, despite playing for a very reputable club team. Rodriguez shined in the World Cup, and despite being eliminated in the Quarter Finals, Rodriguez won the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top goal scorer. This newfound attention led to him promptly getting signed by La Liga titans Real Madrid for an incredible sum.

It cost a 64 million euro transfer fee, which at the time, was the fourth-most expensive transfer in the world, but Real Madrid had to have him. While Rodriguez deserved the promotion, it surely wouldn’t have happened, at least at that price point, without the World Cup.

Whether the same type of situation unfolds with Gonçalo Ramos remains to be seen, but the demand for a young man with that kind of goal-scoring prowess will be enormous. Benfica may be one of the top clubs in Portugal’s Primeira Liga, but he belongs to the world now.

NFL SUPERSTAR RETURN

OBJ is Expected to Pick New Team Soon, but is he Ready to Come Back?

Odell Beckham Jr.’s Twitter flirting is coming to an end. After a year of teasing the fans about where he’s taking his talents, Beckham is reportedly down to just three teams, the Cowboys, Giants, and Bills, and he is expected to decide soon.

Each team makes a lot of sense for a player of Beckham's talents. The Giants would be a homecoming for Beckham, but more importantly, the 7-4-1 Giants have the greatest need for him and can offer him the biggest role on their offense. Buffalo is arguably the best team of the bunch and has the most talented quarterback, and then there's the Dallas Cowboys who have a healthy mix of talent, quarterback play, and the national spotlight.

With that in mind, it appears the Cowboys are Beckham’s preferred landing spot, at least, according to the man himself. When asked by ESPN on Monday night what the Cowboy’s chances of signing him were, OBJ smiled wide and said: "It's a good possibility."

However, just because OBJ has his eyes on the Cowboys doesn’t mean the feeling is mutual. As part of Beckham’s two-day visit with Dallas, the team had him take a physical, and reportedly the results have given them pause. The Cowboys are said to be interested in OBJ only if he can return before mid-January, and if that isn't the case, they're expected to bow out of the Beckham sweepstakes for this season.

CONTRACT EXTENSION

Aaron Judge Bet on Himself and Won

Aaron Judge is back in pinstripes! Judge’s free agency is officially over after agreeing to a monster nine-year $360M contract to stay with the New York Yankees. Judge took a major risk playing last season on an expiring contract, as the slugger has struggled with injuries in his career, but it was a risk that paid off tremendously. Judge ended up setting a new American League home run record, winning his first MVP award, and now, earning a contract worth nearly $150M more than the Yankees' previous “best” offer.

While every team in baseball would’ve liked to have Judge on their roster, realistically, there were only a few teams that could actually afford him. Among the potential suitors this offseason were the Yankees, Giants, Dodgers, and potentially Mets. Ultimately, the bidding war came down to the Yankees and his hometown Giants.

In fact, it was reportedly so close that MLB Reporter Jon Heyman jumped the gun and tweeted that “Arson Judge appears headed to Giants.” Not only did this momentarily sink the hearts of Yankee fans, but it has since spawned a new meme.

Other skeptics thought this deal might not get done because of how GM Brian Cashman approached last season's negotiations. Last year, when contract talks broke down, Cashman publicly revealed the Yankees offered him a seven-year, $213.5M deal. This malicious act was done to gain favor with the fans and paint Judge as greedy, despite both sides knowing it was well below what he was worth.

But $360M is a great way to say you’re sorry, and if that isn’t enough, it’s all but confirmed that Judge will be named the next captain of the Yankees, following in the footsteps of the iconic Derek Jeter.