Sports & Hip-Hop: RGIII Continues to Rise, Texans Continue to Dominate & More Posted by Lucas Garrison on 10/24/12 | Filed under Sports, Sports & Hip-Hop

A Note from Nathan S: Since the dawn of time, or at least since N.W.A. started rocking Raiders hats, sports and hip-hop have gone together like Rosa Acosta stretching videos. So while most sites might just recap the last week's biggest sports stories, we're upping the level of difficulty and attempting to recap the week's biggest sports stories...via music.

I'll let the homie Lucas Garrison take it from here:

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Curtis Mayfield “Little Child Runnin Wild”


Believe it or not, the season is almost half way done. This is the time of the year where early Super Bowl favorites try to remain on top; divisional games start to matter more and the teams who are truly great, find ways to win and remain atop the standings.

The Ravens, for years now, have always been on the cusp of being an elite team, but have never been able to seal the deal when it really matters. This year, Ravens fans may find themselves feeling the same sick, empty feeling. Last week, the team suffered two devastating injuries. Team leader and future Hall of Famer Ray Lewis is done for the year due to a torn right tricep. Joining Lewis on the IR, was starting corner Lardarius Webb, who tore his ACL in week 6. While these losses are big, this teams success depends more on quarterback Joe Flacco than their playmaking D. Unfortunately for them Flacco is not an elite quarterback, despite what he and his teammates may say. Flacco has tendency to struggle when in the spotlight, and Sundays game versus the Texans was no exception.

The Ravens traveled down to Houston seeking revenge against the team that booted them from last years playoffs. They were also looking to make a statement and declare themselves the kings of the AFC. However, the Texans had other ideas. The Texans took control of the game in the first half, scoring 26 unanswered points before the end of the half. Shuab threw two-touchdown passes in the first half and even had some help from the defense. Jonathan Joseph returned a interception 52 yards at the beginning of the second quarter, which swung the momentum towards the Texans and gave them an early two score lead. The Ravens were dominated on both sides of the ball and the Texans continued to show why they should be considered a Super Bowl contender and finished the day with a 43-13 win.

Although the Ravens lost, they are certainly still one of the stronger teams in the AFC. The have an impressive D and got Terrell Suggs back. They also have one of the best running backs in football in Ray Rice. However, they don’t seem to want to use him and instead rely on Flacco to keep the offense going. I think this is a huge mistake. Flacco, has proven that he has the tendency to choke, so why put all the pressure on him when you don’t have to? Giving Rice the ball more will open this up for Flacco, give him more time, and reduce the chances he has for throwing a pick or taking an untimely sack. According to ESPN, since the start of 2011, Rice has averaged 19.3 rushes in Ravens wins and only 13.8 carries in losses. That alone shows you how important he is to this team. Running him more, forces teams to stack the box, leaving 1-on-1 matchups for their talented receiving corps and it opens up the play action game. This allows Flacco to do what he does best, air it out. The Ravens can not depend on Flacco and need to stick with the ground game if they want to bounce back and have a shot at the Super Bowl.

I chose an old school track for this topic with Curtis Mayfield’s “Little Child Runnin’ Wild”, because Ray Rice may be little, at 5’8”, but he packs a punch and really needs to get the ball more if the Ravens want to win in December and January, when it really matters.

Kendrick Lamar “Celebration”


When the Redskins traded several early draft picks in order to get Robert Griffin III, they did so with the expectation that he would eventually be an elite quarterback. However, I don’t think Mike Shanahan and company expected Griffin, better known as RGIII, to perform as well as he has this quickly. Through seven weeks RGIII has the third best quarterback rating, behind only Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning. RGIII’s overall numbers are solid, he has hurled 7 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions, a very impressive stat line for a rookie. However, what really makes RGIII incredible is his ability to scramble and run. In addition to his seven touchdowns through the air, RGIII has the second most rushing touchdowns in the league with 6, only 3 behind Arian Foster. Perhaps on of the most amazing stats from the Baylor alumni is that he leads the league in both pass yards per attempt (8.7) and rush yards per attempt (7.3). He is the only player ever to lead the league in both categories at the same time. Not only is RGIII athletic and talented, but also he has all the intangibles and is capable of making a game changing play anytime he touches the ball… just ask the Vikings defense.



Last Sunday RGIII faced his most difficult test yet, a divisional match up against the New York Giants, and their prolific pass rush. Although the Redskins did not pull out a victory, RGIII had an outstanding game in his first NFC East matchup, and has taken the league by storm. Griffin finished the day going 20 for 28 with 258 yards and threw 2 touchdowns and one interception. He also rushed for 89 yards on 9 attempts. The Skins and G-men traded blows back and fourth all game and like most NFC East showdowns, the game came down to the wire. With 2:07 lef tin the game, the redskins, down 16-20, had one final chance to keep the drive going. On 4th and 10 from the Giants 24 yard line, Shanahan elected to go for it, figuring they would not get the ball back if they punted. Griffin got the snap and checked down field. The Giants secondary had everyone covered and Griffin was flushed out of the pocket. RGIII scrambled left and had Jason Pierre-Paul, one of the best defensive ends in football on his heels. Griffin managed to change directions and evade JPP as well as Umenyiora who was coming form behind. Griffin, falling to his knees, found tight end Logan Paulsen for a 19 yard gain, continuing the drive, which eventually led to the go ahead score.



Unfortunately for RGIII, the Redskins defense showed why the are ranked dead last in yards allowed per game. After RGIII had put the redskins ahead, Eli Manning connected with Victor Cruz on a 77-yard touchdown pass with 1:23 left. RGIII attempted to put together one more final drive, but his comeback fell short when Santana Moss fumbled. This was an important early season divisional win for the Giants, as they took sole possession of first placed and knocked the Redskins down to 4th place in the division.



While the Giants came away with the W, it was RGIII who proved he can roll with the big boys. Even Umenyiora, who is often more critical of other players than he is complimentary (cough…cough…Lesean McCoy) said that Griffin is, “flat out unbelievable. I'm not even going to lie. That's the best quarterback we have played this year.” RGIII may be great, but if the Redskins hope to make the playoffs for the first time in 6 years, they will need their defense to step up. RGIII is great, but he can’t play on both sides of the ball. Griffin has a bright future ahead of him and has the potential to become a top quarterback, provided the Redskins can surround him with talent, something they have struggled with for the past twenty years.

I chose Kendrick Lamar’s track “Celebration” for this topic, because like RGIII, Kendrick is making a name for himself and demanding the attention of the music world. Both are young, multi-talented, and are sure to be forces to be reckoned with for years to come. I chose “Celebration” as opposed to a song off of his new album, “Good Kid m.A.A.d City”, because, if you are like me, you will be and have been listening to GKMC non-stop and already know every song.

Tor “Night Zombies / Talkin My Shit”


Normally, I hate halftime. That twenty-minute lull in action is the worst part of Sundays. However, I actually found myself looking forward to halftime on Monday because of the “Sunday Soundtracks” segment. If you aren’t aware, Sunday Soundtracks one glorious highlight reel of player audio on game day. It is always interesting to hear what goes on that we don’t get to see on the broadcast and it even provides for a few laughs. Just his past week, JJ Watt told Ray Rice, “I’ve eaten burritos bigger than you”. The only down side to ESPN’s Sunday Soundtracks is that it only lasts a couple minutes, as I would love to watch a whole show of highlights and audio blended together. Check out Sunday Soundtracks from week 1 and I guarantee you will tune in Monday night.



I chose “Night Zombies / Talkin My Shit” a cool mash-up of Brother Ali and Sufjan Stevens, by DJ/Producer Tor, because I without ESPN’s Sunday Soundtracks, how could we hear all our favorite NFL players jaw at one another and just thinking of all the shit talking that ends up on the cutting room floor makes my mouth water.

See Also: Sports & Hip-Hop: The Texans Continue to Roll, The Saints Struggle & More