CALLING THE SHOTS: NFL,NBA, and BEYOND

This episode is loaded up with me taking a look at the NFL schedule release, NBA playoff conference finals, and praying for yourself. So many times we speak out of frustration instead of speaking the word of GOD. Predictions for NFL division winners and the NBA conference winners . Leave your comments and thoughts. 

Transcript

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Today we step into three arenas that unite and divide us the most. God, politics, and sports. Faith shapes our souls, politics shapes our world, and sports reveal our passion. No filters, no fears, just real conversation. God, politics, and sports. Good morning, everybody, and welcome to God, Politics and Sports with Bill Smith. I am Bill Smith and I am excited to be speaking to you all today, uh, talking about so many great things that are going on around our country. First of all, I just want to let you know this Wednesday morning, it's a Wednesday morning, so even when you listen to it, you know it's Wednesday. Got up this morning, of course, I prayed. Then I went out and watched a little high school football practice here in the great state of Texas. We do uh spring football. Uh they have practices, and I think it's uh very advantageous uh to schools to do that. I wish they do that in other stuff. I wish New Jersey knows, but it doesn't really fall in line with because of the seasons as far as winter, spring, summer, fall, etc. Doesn't really fall in line with some of these other places because tracks going on and uh on the east coast and the schools end a little bit later. So, but anyway, uh so went out and watched that and I said, well, let me go here to the chiropractor and uh this dude uh the one the dude doing the massage. I mean, he hit some. I'm gonna be sore. I'm gonna be sore in the next couple days. I already know that because he really dug deep and uh got some tight spots out. So I really enjoyed that. Then we just dropped off some things I had to drop off at the store. So, but this morning's been a very busy morning, and uh I look forward to getting into some topics real quick with you uh today. So I want you to sit back, relax, take a listen. But even in that process, you'll see on the bottom, especially on YouTube, where you can make your comments. Please add your comments. You're listening on one of the streaming sites, and it offers you up an opportunity to uh get a comment in. Um you're listening to it, and you get a chance to leave a comment, or you can go to YouTube and leave a comment. I love your feedback. I think it's important for uh this great program of God politics and sports to continue moving in an upward uh momentum with your feedback. Now, a lot of people say, Well, do you want the feedback even if it doesn't agree with you? Heck yes. That's what this country is all about. I'm not asking everybody to agree with me, but I want to hear what you're thinking because once we get closer and we start rolling towards having our live podcast, that's gonna be very important. So it gives me a great feel, and and those that my producers and those that are affiliated uh with me, it does give a great opportunity for them to uh to see we can regulate and see where we're at uh with with that. Uh, and then also you'll start to see in the comments that I will leave different uh sponsors that uh are part of the show, especially um when it comes to uh QCraft sausage. So I'll start the leader information as well so you can look great at it uh in there. Now, if you're listening to it, you gotta write it down. So if you're on one of the streaming platforms, you have to write it down. But if those that are watching on YouTube, by way of YouTube uh streaming, then you will most definitely be able to write down or you'll be able to see all the different areas that you can go to for those that sponsor and are a great part of God Politics and Sports. So I know that God Politics and Sports, GPS stands for God Politics and Sports, and I want to give you some insight on what we're gonna be talking about today. So I will look at how God blesses us so much that he never tells us to try. Thus, I will look at us doing things and not just saying, hey, I'm gonna try to do it, but you're gonna get it done. And we're we're definitely gonna look at that politically. You know what? Politics and sports, they're they're interjecting themselves once again. And in the in the state of California, almost said the great state of California, but I'm not a big fan of California. Hopefully that that starts to change. But one of the things is that we we see that uh California is very much known for backing males who claim to be females, competing against biological females. So biological males competing against biological females, and some of the things that they're doing to try to what they consider maybe bouncing out, but to me is still a slap in the face of young women, uh uh, not just within California, but around this country, that go out and they compete and they they strive to excel against other biological females, and none of this cis stuff, either male, female, all that cis and stop putting labels on everybody. We start to label people so much in our country that it causes division, and that that's very important. And of course, we're gonna spend a good amount of this podcast talking about sports. The NFL schedule is releasing or have released, and then also the NBA conference finals, which after the first two games, I'm gonna tell you something. Wow, we're in for I think it's gonna be a treat. Um, I know I I I made my picks earlier on. So uh one of them looks good. The second one, mmm, after them them boys blew a 22-point lead with seven minutes and 40 seconds left, they basically just totally fell apart. Um, and that's that's something that I'm really uh I am very, very, very shocked about. So sit back, put your thinking caps on. I remember used to say that when I was a kid at school, they used to say put your thinking caps on. But sit back, put your thinking caps on, and and send your thoughts and comments. Uh, you'll see your thoughts and comments you can send below uh in those areas on YouTube. You can send your thoughts and comments below. Know that as viewers, uh, once again, your comments grow and we move forward into getting our live program going. So this segment of GPS is brought to you by our sponsor, QCraft Sausage. You can text 706-409-3532, or you can DM at Market Marquez Car on IG, and also you have QCraft Sausage dot square dot site, and once again, all these things will be right there in the comment section uh for uh GPS that you can go ahead and write you write these things down. So, one of the things when you are consistently praying and interceding for others, you can or you tend to forget one very important person, yourself. And I've seen it many times where people are praying and interceding and and and speaking words for other people, and then they we do those correct things, but then we forget about praying for ourselves. We forget about speaking these words to ourselves, we forget about we're we're encouraging people, we're saying, hey, speak to your body, speak healing to your body, speak breakthrough to your body, speak to your situation, apply the word to it, and then we don't do it ourselves. We get so energized with speaking to other folks and their bodies and their healings and their financial situations, whatever it might be, and then we forget about ourselves, and then we run into situations where, and one of the things I love that it's said so often, and and my my my bishop, and you often hear me mention him, but when he says, I love when he says, Don't speak out of your frustrations. I think a lot of times people speak out of their frustrations because we're praying and and we're we're seeking so many things for other people and we're telling others, hey, do this, do this, God, this, etc. And then we forget about ourselves. And then we start to speak in frustration. One thing is even when it comes to forgiving, we want to forgive people. And we say, Man, I gotta get, I gotta forgive people, but you never forgive yourself for something. And it doesn't have to be something, oh, I'm not talking about somebody running around on your wife or you're doing, it could just be those small things like, man, man, forgive me because I didn't eat right. Maybe you're saying, hey, I didn't eat right. I know I shouldn't be eating like this, man. I and you're telling everybody else, man, you you gotta do this, you gotta do that. What about yourselves? Over 1 Samuel 30 and 6, and and and David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters, but David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. The Bible tells us in 1 Peter 5 and 5 and the seventh verse to cast all your anxieties on him because he cares for you. This is just once again going back to the simple thing of sometimes you just gotta think about yourself. Some folks may think it may be uh I remember we give it, we used to sing the song, It's Me, It's Me, It's Me, Oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer. Um, we sing it, but we don't put in the part that we need to be praying for ourselves. There's nothing wrong with you praying for yourself. One thing that I learned when I went in in uh 2020, and I share this uh, and if you ever get an opportunity to go back to look at some of the the uh older podcasts that that I've done earlier this year, and and where I talk about from the beginning where I come from, who I am, etc. One of the things I do share and I talk about is my time period that I dealt with COVID in the hospital, out of hospital, and then it was uh losing 50 pounds or more because I developed type 2 diabetes. I didn't know what was going on, and I had an oxygen and et cetera, and I didn't want to be on public because that was not me. You look at me now, I I I did look at the bicep the bicep. And anyway, so you look at me now, you say, Wow, you were yeah, I was a uh I wrestled 158 in high school and I was back down to that weight. If that area, my wife didn't tell me officially what I was down to, but it must have been pretty low. But the one thing my man of God kept telling me was, brother, you have to speak to your body. Brother, you have to speak to your body, but it, brother, you have to speak to your body, and that's what I started doing. Now, faith without works is dead. So in speaking to my body, I also had to do those other things. I had to start to eat correctly, I had to change my diet, I had to go start working out more and those things, and and as the body healed up, because remember, I spoke healing, my body had to catch up to my faith. And once that began to happen, things started to change, and now I'm I'm back to um well I went all the way back up to two between 210 and 215. Now I'm now I'm between 200 and 205. So I did drop another 15, but that was by choice. That wasn't any illness or anything of that nature. But you gotta speak to your body. Isaiah 41 and 10 says, Fear not, for I'm with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Once again, God is there with you. Speak and know that you have the authority. 1 Thessalonians 5 and 11. Therefore, encourage one another and build one another up just as you are doing. Building one another up also means building yourself up. It's not pride. You're just trusting God. So don't speak out of your frustrations. Don't speak out of your frustrations. Don't speak out of those things that may be coming against you in different areas and things that you may be seeing. Don't speak out of your frustrations. You're at work. Don't speak out of your frustrations. You're at home, something with your children. Don't speak out of your frustration. Recently, I've, you know, I've had things come up in my life and and even currently, and the best things I ever did was just pray about it, lay it on God. And once I cast all those cares upon Him, now He gives you the wisdom to think and know what to say. So you can't let those things begin to come out in frustration. Like, do I get frustrated when I look up and I see somebody saying, Well, because they claim to be a female, they should be able to compete against biological females. And it's a biological male. But what we see right now, and it's a terrible and tragic, it's terrible that we're seeing that happen. But let me revert back to something real quick. I also want to know and acknowledge one thing. It's terrible and tragic tragic events at the mosque in uh San Diego. Um you know I'm a born-again believer, but it's still terrible and tragic that someone exercising or someone going into that place, two teenagers, 19 and 17, going in, and uh the one thing I do have an issue with one, it's immediately labeled a hate crime, and rightly so. It is a hate crime to shoot somebody, it's a hate crime. My question is, why aren't Christian church attacks labeled with the same uh in the same manner with the same immediacy? And I say that for a reason, and this is all back in the God politics and sports. I say that for a reason because oftentimes you see these crimes that come against Christian churches. They'll blame the game the gunmen, and they should. They'll blame guns, they shouldn't, because a gun is useless without somebody pulling the trigger, and then they blame mental health, mental health. I have no problem with the mental health part. But you can't excuse the fact that it's still a hate crime. To walk into anybody's church, uh synagogue, uh mosque, and I once again I'm a born of a believer, I know that God is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. But to walk into any place and then start shooting at somebody like that, it's hate. And all of it should be labeled hate crime. And then we start piecing together why, what's going on behind these things, and then that needs to be addressed. People talk about hate speech, they'll say, Well, people hate Muslims, they hate this, they hate that. You know, it's all the way across the board, folks. Now, telling the truth about things doesn't mean that you hate it. Telling the truth about saying something about something, that's the truth, and I'm not gonna get any deep into that because the main part I want to get to is coming up. It doesn't mean that you hate it. But this was a hate crime, it's a terrible thing to do, and tragic events, and and prayerfully for those families that were involved, whoever lost anyone, that the uh that there'll be some um peace in their family that that that you know God would just begin to minister to their hearts and that this nation as a whole, we cut this garbage out. We gotta stop doing this to one another. You don't have to believe the same, I believe. But don't walk up in somebody else's place and start shooting at them. Okay, that's just ridiculous. Alright? And then we have males. Oh man. This one really gets to me at times because being a coach, being an athlete from the time I basically conceived, I've competed against females in different things as a male. It wasn't, you know, hey, I'm claiming to be this. No. And I know I know what they have to do, what they have to struggle through, what they have to battle through, and to have a biological male come up and say, I am now claiming to be a female, and because I'm taking this, that, and the other thing, I should be allowed to compete with females, and then to think that this is okay, and it is not okay. It is a hot button issue, and it continues to raise its head in California because California is openly defiant. But then what they try to do is they try to have what they call a dual podium. So, and once again, to me, it's a joke and it's a slap in the face of young women that compete and win, but must share it with males identifying as females. So, what they say is this if a female who finishes second to a male, she'll get to stand on the top podium with that male as if they're sharing first place. They're not. That is a male who beat a female. That young lady who won should be standing up there by herself. They didn't tie. That's it. Period. There's really no room for discussion. And listen with me, and we can always discuss things, but you can't change it. You can't change it. The the amount of medicinal things that you may want to put into somebody, it doesn't change the fact that they're still a biological male. And females should not have to compete in that. And it really cracks me up when you have women who will be on, more liberal women, who will be on talking about women's rights, and they'll attack the president, they'll attack this person, they'll attack that male, that, etc. But then you go back and you you attack women, young women who are competing by saying it's okay for males to compete against them. Uh and it was it is a big slap in the face uh for those young ladies, and they should not have to be going through such a thing at this time period. They should be able to go out and enjoy and compete as they're going through this in life. They should be able to go out there to enjoy the competition against those who were. And it's God does not make a mistake. If you're a male, you're born that way, then you are a male. Nothing else. I can't do nothing else with it. That's it. That's what he does. God did not make a mistake. So we want to, and we see this broadening out. You have different um, like the Sage Steeles, the Riley Gaineses. You have so many women. You know, you even have women who who uh say, I mean, they're they're lesbians. They say, you know, you you get uh uh Martina Navichalova and those uh those that say this is not right. We should not be doing this to to young women. And uh when these powerful voices start to speak up uh in the athletic community, they need to be it needs to be taking heed to uh what's going on. Because even with um our youth sports program, which is uh Spartans Youth football, we're very we I I have no problem, five-year-old girls that want to go out and play flag, whatever. If a little girl wanted to play tackle, I have no problem with that. But I would not have a young man come out and say I claim to be a female and I want to be on your girl's 12-year flag team. It's not happening. It's just not happening. Um and that's that's not double standards. That's just if a girl wants to compete in that different, I have no problem with that. Uh I think it goes up to a certain age limit, like with wrestling, um, boxing, you got once you get to a certain point, there's the the genealogical, or I should say, I say genealogical, like I feel like a really big word out there, you know. I should just say the the makeup starts to take over um in different areas. So also one more thing politically, we're starting to see that there's a uh a shifting politically that may be going on. And I know one thing in the Republican Party, there seems to be some butting of heads, especially with uh the president. Some people may call it a if you listen to more liberal sides of it, they say he's on a revenge tour against Republicans who um don't side with everything that that he wants. Uh I don't know if it's a revenge tour. Um, I'm not necessarily for that. Like, we just gotta get rid of everybody who doesn't agree with everything. There has to be some kind of balance. I was really shocked uh with with him coming out and endorsing Paxton uh in Texas for Senator Republican, uh the Republican candidate to be the Republican candidate. He's in a runoff on May 26th with John Corner. Now, this is just talking about Texas. This is not the whole, but you see, Massey uh in Kentucky, um, how he lost his uh bid to be the Republican candidate uh to I forgot the young man's name, but who was a military veteran that that the president endorsed, endorsed, excuse me. So there seems to be some of that going on because there's a lot of things that John Thune and the Republicans did not, uh, that the president put on the table did not get pushed across in the Senate. The House seems to be more in step with some of the his thought processing with an agenda that they want to get across. Uh but they're gonna have to find a way to work these things out because once all these primaries are over, everybody needs to be all on board to keep in the house and keeping the Senate. Because it very much so seems to be, and I'm gonna drop this right here because I gotta get to this sport stuff I really want to get to. But it very much seems to be that the Democrat focus is not on policies, it's on anything to stop or. To get after uh what they call MAGA Republicans or Republicans, period, without offering up anything different. And I said something back in 2016, and I didn't have the podcast then, but I just said it amongst people. All the Republicans ran out there and said, We're gonna get rid of uh Obamacare, we're gonna get rid of Obama, we're gonna get rid of, and then you won the House, you won the Senate, you won the White House, and you did nothing. That's why you lost everything come 20 uh in uh 2016, so 2018. That's why you lost all this because those two years you did nothing. You had no plan to present. Democrats are doing the same thing. All you're talking about is we want to get rid of this. And what people are saying, well, what is your plan? What is your plan of stop speaking just in anger? Stop just calling names. What are you presenting back to us that can make a difference? And when you have nothing, then people say, Well, I don't need to switch over because at least he's giving us a plan, and you're not giving me anything. So that's some of the things to think about politically. When you when you go and you listen to the rhetoric, um the Bible tells us to be slow to speak, quick to listen, slow to anger. All right. Uh, and I think that's very important that we do sit down and we do listen to what's going on. But as we move forward, and I I this is one of the most fun times, but this next segment of GPS is being brought to you by Spartans Youth Football. And I love the fact that I'm talking about Spartans Youth Football because we're gonna get into the NFL, the releasing of their schedule, and just to start to pick out who I believe are gonna, and I'm gonna go out on the limb a little bit on some of these teams on the division winners. Uh breakdown now, and now of course you can't break down every team right now because a lot of it you're going off of what they may have coming back from last year. You see some of what they've done in free agency, but we know we all understand that between free agency and uh the draft, and by the time the season starts, you're gonna have injuries, uh, different discord may have all these different things may happen, beginning to come up uh with teams. People are gonna add people, people are gonna lose people. Preseason, unfortunately, you're gonna have people that might get hurt. You may have somebody who jumps up and and shocks everybody that may be going on. So uh I'm sorry, maybe they may jump up and shock people as far as how well that they play and they contribute to the team. So that's one of the things. But before that, I picked the Spurs over OKC in six. And I did this on Monday, and I put the Cavs over the Knicks in seven. I'm gonna start with that second one. After last night's debacle by the Cavaliers at the end of that game, up 22 points with seven minutes and 40 seconds left on the clock. They found a way. One, the coach, ate every last timeout. He should have been burning. When the team's coming back like that, you pump the brakes on them, you get your team together, you talk to them, you get them riled up. Let's get a basket. Let's get a couple baskets, we win the game. Didn't do that. They were outscored between over seven between the fourth quarter and overtime, they were outscored 44 to 11. They were up by 22 points. They were outscored 44 to 11. That's terrible coaching. Next thing is James Harden couldn't cover a bed with a blanket. And you put him on Brunson like that, and Brunson torched him. Just a timeout. Take him out, put in a better defender, because at that point it wasn't about you scoring, it was about you stopping him from scoring. And if if I get a stop and they get a stop, and I get a stop and they get a stop, you're still up 22 points. They run off four baskets, you get two, you're still up, but you're making stops. Didn't do it. Got within six points, and they really fell apart. So the coaching was terrible. Now, do they do they respond? Do they come back? Of course, I I'm a body language person. I look at the body language, I look at how they answer in when when they sit down and um uh when when they sit down and they do interviews, I watch their body language and I I saw uh a defeated the shoulder slumped over and that defeated how they're asking instead of just stepping up saying, Yeah, we blew that one, but we're gonna win the next game. That's it. I didn't I didn't see that. But the Knicks have a swagger going right now. They really do, they really do have a swagger going right now. I can't change my picks, so I'll still have to keep the Cavs over the Knicks in seven, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Knicks ran off with this series and got it over in five. But I can't change my I can't change, I can't change it, baby. I can't change it. I want to, but I can't. Now the other series, the one I'm I'm up on, Spurs, over the OKC in six. The Spurs gave up a late lead, and I thought, wow, maybe they blew this thing. But to have a Joker 7'4 hit a almost mid-court Steph Curry type three-pointer to send you in the overtime and then it take over and drop 40 plus. Plus, it this is the one guy in basketball. I'm gonna say this because there's not many like him in basketball at all. He is the morphing of great players throughout history between the magic, because he passes, so the magic Johnson's, the shooting like the Steph Curry's, the moves down low like the Akeem Elijah Wans, the defense of uh of a Bill Russell, of a Wilt Chamberlain. Now he doesn't he doesn't body up people like Shaq, but the the Ralph Sampson type body, very and I love the fact that one thing, if he blocks a shot on one end, he's one of the first ones down on the other end, and they feed him. So that and that's of course that's Wimbi Yamba. So uh Caruso showed up for OKC. Uh I don't know what's what's up with with SAG. Um he he had an okay game, but I think the defense that the Spurs is playing on them, and I just I really believe the Spurs are a really good matchup. Uh they're a tough matchup. They match up very well with OKC, where other teams didn't. Teams like the Lakers and uh etc., they did not match up well with uh OKC. So that's why you see that with that. But Wemby just, wow, once again, he just did some monster stuff. He had a monster game, he finished the game, and you can't forget about Harper, who is a rookie. Vassell rook. I mean, these are young cats out there. Their vet guard was not there. Fox did not play now, and I know his status um for today is still uh game time. Um, and and for for this game that's on Wednesday, which is today, because it is Wednesday, and that's what I'm talking about Wednesday, so let's not act like I'm not talking about it on a Wednesday. So his game time status is still up in the air. But once again, we will see what begins to happen. Uh, I'm not gonna dive into hockey too much. I do know that the uh Avalanche and and uh Vegas Knights, they'll be playing for the Western Conference um representation in the NHL and I believe it's Carolina and Buffalo or the Canadians. But so I'm not looking foolish, I'm gonna look it up, and then we are going to, as I'm doing that, we're gonna just keep ourselves moving forward because one of the best times, one of the best things that just came out is the NFL schedule. And I'm so happy and I am so thrilled with this schedule that's uh coming out. I I mean that came out, excuse me, because we get the chance to break down every last thing that is, or every last team, part of the schedules that are going on, who's playing who and where, and I am excited. I'm excited about this. Uh I'm I'm very excited about this NFL season coming up. So, real quick, just to regress back to the NHL, it is Canadians and uh uh Carolina Hurricanes in the east. So, my quick prediction, um you know what? I'm gonna go Knights and Wow Carolina after they beat my Flyers up. I'm gonna go Knights and Canadiens. I'm gonna go Knights and Canadians, but I'll have to break that down uh a little bit deeper because I really want to get into the NFL and the schedule. So we're gonna spend these last moments on this. First off, my division winners. I got the Bills winning the AFC East. I got the Ravens winning the AFC North. I got the Jaguars winning the AFC South. Now in the AFC West, my heart's with the Vegas Raiders, but my mind has to have some sense with it, and I don't see much of a drop-off with the Broncos. They still got that defense that's tremendous. Uh they got a good young quarterback who's gonna come back up from surgery, healthy. They got a running game. So I am still going with the Broncos doing the AFC West. Now, the NFC East, the Eagles won't win it. They'll be in the hunt. I'm gonna say this. I'm gonna say all four teams. It's gonna be a knockdown, it's gonna be old school NFC East football. I got the commanders winning it. I think the Giants might sneak up on people, but I believe Jaden Daniels is really gonna have a very good year this year. Um But the Cowboys have done some tremendous things to get themselves ready as well. So I picked the commanders, but it's a hard one. Any one of those four teams winning, it wouldn't be a shock to me. NFC North, I still have the Bears, even though the Packers uh are always floating around. Uh uh Minnesota, they just don't have it right with quarterback yet. Who's gonna do what? The quarterback room, how's that gonna fill in there um with that? And uh, like I said, I got the Bears. Um the the Packers Yeah, they they're tough, they're always tough, they're always gonna be tough. But I just think that the Bears are coming off of the year that they had and they're only gonna build uh upon it. So that's why I'm I'm picking the Bears to win that division over you know the Vikings uh and and over uh the pack. I just really believe that the uh the Bears are the Bears are the team to beat uh in the NFC uh north. Alright. Now, NFC South. Well, I am I am going out, I'm not gonna say going out on a limb, but I'm taking the uh I am rolling with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Yes, I said it out loud. Old school baby, they they were my teens back in the day. Back in the 70s, I was a Tampa Bay, uh, I was a Tampa Bay Buccaneer fan, and I'm not going with them because of that. I just wanted to say, but I'm picking the Buccaneers to win the NFC South, and for the uh NFC West, I'm going with the Niners. I'm going with the Niners and the NFC West. Now, some of you are probably thinking, wait a second, he never mentioned the Lions. The Lions I think there's still some holes they need to fill. And uh I I I that team is such a antithesis of their head coach. Just oozes everything that their coach uh comes to mind with everything that he's all about, so are so are the Lions. Uh, but I don't see them, if anything, they can finish second or third in the division. I'm still picking the Bears uh to win it to win that division. You're saying, well, you're picking the Niners over the Super Bowl champs. Yeah, I am picking the Niners. If the Niners stay healthy, I just think they're a better team than Seattle. Their biggest issue is they don't stay healthy. So I don't think that, I think that once if they figure out a way to stay healthy, they are a better team than, to me, anyway, overall, than Seattle. Uh, I think they have a better quarterback. Uh running game. I can't say the defense. The defense is tough. Seattle's defense is monster. That's a monster defense. That's a tremendous defense. But um, and and just so everybody, so I'm fully transparent. I got this schedule, printed it out, looked at it. You know, they say like make a list, check it twice. I'm not, I don't know, Santa Claus stuff, but these teams, uh, this schedule is one that I'm really looking forward to 2026, 2027 season. And also with someone like um, and go back to the Raiders and the and the AFC West. One of the reasons why, once again, I picked the Broncos is because of their defense and also because their quarterback is gonna, and then Peyton is a tremendous head coach. I believe that the Raiders can shock some people, maybe slip into the playoffs as a wild card. But it really depends on not Mendoza but Cousins. I don't think they're gonna start Mendoza this year. I don't, I don't, unless they totally fall out of things, I don't see him playing much at all unless there's an injury. I really believe they're gonna lean on Kirk Cousins uh with a veteran quarterback. You have a tremendous running back. If that line gets together and stays healthy, and then you roll into that defense. They have loaded up on defense. The Raiders have loaded up on defense, and I talked about their free agency time period. They loaded up on defense. Uh getting Max back and then giving him a partner at defensive end, and then the linebacking court can be one of the better ones in the NFL if they stay healthy. Be aggressive on defense, attack on defense, and I really believe that they can do some damage uh with that. So possibly second and get into the into the wildcard. Second and third get in the wildcard position. Because remember one thing, the four, once you get the uh the division winners out, everyone else is just record straight across the board. So they can be the third, they can be third place in the in the division and still get in the playoffs. Uh and and looking at their schedule, as we once again look at the scheduling, and I'm gonna ask y'all to forgive the glare you might get out of the glasses, uh, but the brother can't see to read without them. So let's just keep it 100. Let's keep it real. All right, looking at these rated schedules, Miami winnable. Uh Chargers, that's gonna be a tough one. Dorin should be tough, I think, and win that one. KC KC, we'll see how they bounce back. We'll see how Mahomes bounce back. They're always in the hunt. Uh New England, we beat them last year, but yeah, the New England's come out Super Bowl. Then you got Buffalo. Then we got the Rams, Jets, 49ers, Seahawks. That's a tough road. That's that that Buffalo Rams, the Jets, we'll see what they are. 49ers, Seattle, and then Denver. That's a tough hoe. That's a tough road to hoe. That's uh, yeah, yeah. That's ooh, man, that's a tough one. Then they get their bye, then you have the Chargers, Broncos, Titans, Cardinals, and we finish with KC. That's a tough road to hoe. Hall. Or hoe. Like, you know, like when you okay, just make sure you get the right word in there. Don't I'm not calling anybody that. I'm saying, all right, let's get it right. Don't get it twisted. We're talking about, you know, you anyway. Oh. Yeah, my I they could really start off. They uh as crazy as sound, if they really get it together, they could start off two and one. And then three and two, and then you hit that murderous row. Buffalo, Rams, Jets, 49ers, Seattle, then Denver. And nobody knows what's going on with Cleveland. Cleveland will know what's going on with Cleveland. All right. Let's look at it. Let's look at another one. You know, I have a lot of friends who are who are Ravens fans before we close out. Indiana, New Orleans, Dallas, Tennessee, Atlanta, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo, Jacksonville, Chargers, Carolina, Houston. Then their bye, week 13. Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh. First of all, I like their bye. Their bye being in week 13. That yes, they have a lot of games in between, but you get a chance to get healed up and refresh going into the last five games of the year. So that's not a bad spot to have your buy. You see the Raiders, their bye was in week 13 also. That's not a bad spot to have their buy. Okay, that's not a bad spot to get your buy. You you don't want to you don't want to buy too early in the season. Um, and you don't want it way too late uh either. So I think around what, week 14 might be the last bye week for teams, and I don't see too many other teams with a buy after that. So I think after week 14, yep, that's the last buy. So teams with week 14 buys, you have uh the Cowboys, that's good for them. That is a good bye week in there. Yeah, you're playing a lot of games before that, but you get a chance to heal that there's two weeks in between that, that little heal up time period. That is really, really good. And I looking at the schedule, they're like they're the only team on a bye. That that uh oh, I'm sorry, and so are the so are the Cardinals. So week 14. A couple teams have have buys at that time period, and they just finish out the last four. Eagles fans, what are you expecting Eagles fans? Let me see, Washington, Tennessee, Chicago, Rams, Jacksonville. They start off pretty good. Good, good start off. The one that should be a definite win in there is Tennessee. But Washington, Chicago, Rams, Jacksonville, they're gonna be some tough games. Carolina, you should win. Then you get Dallas and Washington again, then the Jets. So then you get three divisional games in a row before you buy on week 10. So go by there. Look at your schedule, look at your team schedule. I want to know what you think about your team. And I'll I'll see your comments and I will I reply to everybody. I go through all the comments and I reply to everybody because I I once again, it is very important to me to hear back from you when it comes to God, politics, and sports. So, whatever was shared today, make sure you get back. Make sure you get back, get back in, get in those comments, and let me know what you think. Let me know what's going on, let me know what your thought process is. This is a fully interactive podcast, and what you have to say is very important to me because what you have to say is life-changing. So I want you to take that up, take this opportunity to sit down and say, hey, this is what my team looks like. I agree or disagree with you on that. Why did you cover my team? No problem. Hey, I understand what's going on in the world of politics. This is what I agree or disagree or or agree with. Uh, you know what? God has blessed me in so many ways. I love to hear your victory monies or testimony testimonies on how God has changed and blessed your life over this time period. All right. Once again, God, politics, and sports. This is your man, Bill Smith. I appreciate you spending your time with me today. Whether you're listening to it on the streaming cast, podcast or streaming site platform, excuse me, or you're watching it on YouTube. You have a blessed week. Can't wait to get and talk to you next. No, let me stop. Also, remember one thing. Have an awesome Memorial Day weekend. But it's Memorial Day weekend. So we want to celebrate those that paid it, that paid the ultimate sacrifice for this country to be going into 250 years, as well as some of those who maybe were in war but have passed away since then. I'm not telling you not to call somebody who's a veteran, but we're still alive. So uh catch me on Veterans Day, not Memorial Day. So have a blessed, safe, and smart Memorial Day weekend. God bless you. God is good and He's faithful. GPS. Thank you for joining me for God, Politics and Sports. Until next time, stay engaged, stay encouraged. I look forward to speaking to you again on God Politics and Sports.