The Weekly Roundup

As we arrive at the conclusion of another week, the team at TPT wanted to take a moment to reflect on a few of the posts that we’ve put up on the site that you might have missed (it’s okay, these things happen) while also highlighting a few other stories from around the web that caught our eye. Here’s our Weekly Roundup:

“A Father, a Son and a Dream” by Tom Duffy

Throughout the years, Tom Duffy, the father of Giants second baseman Matt Duffy, has documented his son’s rise through baseball, from his Little League days to this past season when he became a Rookie of the Year candidate. Tom shared with us a collection of some of his favorite images from Matt’s journey. 

I was allowed to bring my camera into the delivery room when Matt was born in 1991. When the doctor pulled him out and loudly announced that we had a boy, Cathy, my wife, managed a weak smile and said, “You know what that means, Dad … Little League.” All I could do was grin back and nod in agreement, as I snapped the very first of what would be many more photos of our son. 

Singular Focus: The Best Kept Secret in Hockey

Why do some of hockey’s best players, like Jonathan Quick and Kevin Shattenkirk, spend the summer training at an old gas station in Connecticut? We explore how some of the NHL’s most elite players stay in shape during the off-season in this latest episode of Singular Focus.

“My Toughest Road Trip” by Fred Jackson

This past August, after eight seasons with the Buffalo Bills, running back Fred Jackson was forced to find a new team. In this engaging piece, Jackson reflects on being let go from his longtime team, the harsh realities of playing in the NFL and also his experience reconnecting with Marshawn Lynch.

It’s not just a new team we have to prepare for and adjust to. It’s a new city, a new home. We have to create a whole new life for ourselves — sometimes overnight — which means looking around the life you’re leaving and figuring out what to take with you and what to leave behind. And sometimes, when you move to your new team and your new city, it’s the things you leave behind that really stay with you.

Michael Strahan

This week, NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan took to TPT to publish several pieces about his life after football. Michael shared a full scouting report of his TV counterparts as well as rules #3, #9, #5 and #16 from his new book, Wake Up Happy​: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide To Transforming Your Life.

“No Guarantees” by Duke Ihenacho

Most people associate professional football players with big-time contracts. But for many players, the reality is that their paycheck is only as reliable as their health. In this piece, Washington Redskins safety Duke Ihenacho discusses non-guaranteed contracts in the NFL, and why it’s time to have an open discussion about how the league compensates its talent.

People don’t watch on Sunday to see the coaches coach and the owners own. They come to see the players play. The players drive this multi-billion-dollar machine, and we should speak up when we think we’re getting too small a slice of the pie or we’re not getting the kind of security we think we should. I’m not alone in this thinking, either. Believe me, guys talk about this all the time behind the scenes. They just don’t say it out in the open that often.

Five Good Reads From Around the Web

As we arrive at the conclusion of another week, the team at TPT wanted to take a moment to reflect on a few of the posts that we’ve put up on the site that you might have missed (it’s okay, these things happen) while also highlighting a few other stories from around the web that caught our eye. Here’s our Weekly Roundup:

Throughout the years, Tom Duffy, the father of Giants second baseman Matt Duffy, has documented his son’s rise through baseball, from his Little League days to this past season when he became a Rookie of the Year candidate. Tom shared with us a collection of some of his favorite images from Matt’s journey. 

I was allowed to bring my camera into the delivery room when Matt was born in 1991. When the doctor pulled him out and loudly announced that we had a boy, Cathy, my wife, managed a weak smile and said, “You know what that means, Dad … Little League.” All I could do was grin back and nod in agreement, as I snapped the very first of what would be many more photos of our son. 

Why do some of hockey’s best players, like Jonathan Quick and Kevin Shattenkirk, spend the summer training at an old gas station in Connecticut? We explore how some of the NHL’s most elite players stay in shape during the off-season in this latest episode of Singular Focus.

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This past August, after eight seasons with the Buffalo Bills, running back Fred Jackson was forced to find a new team. In this engaging piece, Jackson reflects on being let go from his longtime team, the harsh realities of playing in the NFL and also his experience reconnecting with Marshawn Lynch.

It’s not just a new team we have to prepare for and adjust to. It’s a new city, a new home. We have to create a whole new life for ourselves — sometimes overnight — which means looking around the life you’re leaving and figuring out what to take with you and what to leave behind. And sometimes, when you move to your new team and your new city, it’s the things you leave behind that really stay with you.

This week, NFL Hall of Famer Michael Strahan took to TPT to publish several pieces about his life after football. Michael shared a as well as rules , , and  from his new book, Wake Up Happy​: The Dream Big, Win Big Guide To Transforming Your Life.

Most people associate professional football players with big-time contracts. But for many players, the reality is that their paycheck is only as reliable as their health. In this piece, Washington Redskins safety Duke Ihenacho discusses non-guaranteed contracts in the NFL, and why it’s time to have an open discussion about how the league compensates its talent.

People don’t watch on Sunday to see the coaches coach and the owners own. They come to see the players play. The players drive this multi-billion-dollar machine, and we should speak up when we think we’re getting too small a slice of the pie or we’re not getting the kind of security we think we should. I’m not alone in this thinking, either. Believe me, guys talk about this all the time behind the scenes. They just don’t say it out in the open that often.

Five Good Reads From Around the Web

1. Just live up to your dad’s name and solve the NFL’s L.A. problem, baby! (ESPN)
2. The Transition Game in Minnesota: LaVine Gets the Nod While Martin Takes a Seat (Grantland)
3. How Daily Fantasy Is Changing the Game (MMQB)
4. Not Again: Chicago and St. Louis Met in 1885 and 1886 Playoff (NY Times)
5. The Island’s Next Great QB (Sports Illustrated)

Photo of the Week

It’s a double.

(Tim Clayton/Players’ Tribune)

One Fine Vine