Page 25 - Florida Sentinel 6-26-20

Sports
Jameis Winston
Vanessa Bryant Posts Emotional Father’s Day
Kobe Bryant’s Pilot Thought
And The Saints
Helicopter Was Climbing
Could Be A Perfect
Tribute To Kobe
Just Before Crash
Fit For Each Other
Just before the helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and seven others crashed, the pilot had radioed the aircraft was ascending, leading fed- eral investigators to believe he had been disoriented by the thick fog.
The National Transporta- tion Safety Board released a report Wednesday about the Jan. 26 incident that killed everyone onboard, including pilot Ara Zobayan.
Bryant and his 13-year- old daughter Gianna were on their way to a girls basket- ball tournament in southern California.
The NTSB said Zobayan might have “misperceived” the angles in which he was banking and descending. Ac- cording to one report, during final descent, the pilot told air traffic control that he was climbing to 4,000 feet.
John Cox, an aviation safety consultant, told the Associated Press that the flight path is a clear sign
Drew Brees will enter his fifteenth season as the starting quarterback of the New Or- leans Saints. The NFL's all- time leader in passing yardage, touchdowns, and completions is a first ballot Hall of Famer and one of the finest players to ever play. The 41-year-old Brees is still play- ing at an elite level but many speculate that the 2020 sea- son will be his last and a very interesting season coming off his controversial statement. Unlike other franchises, the Saints have had no interest in drafting the heir apparent to Brees to learn and develop behind the master, instead choosing to surround the quarterback with weapons in pursuit of a second champi- onship.
Jameis Winston comes to the Saints with a 28-42 record as a starter, zero play- off appearances and just one winning season on his re- sume. He has completed 61.3% of his career attempts for 19,737 yards with 121 touchdown passes and 88 in- terceptions. Winston has al- ways put up prolific passing numbers. He led the NFL in passing last season with 5,109 yards and threw 33 touch- downs.
The major criticism of him has been his propensity to turn the ball over. His 30 in- terceptions last year were a league worst, and an immatu- rity off the field dating back to his college days.
Winston will come to a New Orleans team with one of the most stable coaching situ- ations in the league and a high-character locker room. Brees, Cameron Jordan, Demario Davis, Malcolm Jenkins, and Michael Thomas are just part of the Saints leadership hierarchy and are among the most re- spected people in the league.
Winston will be in a more quarterback friendly offensive system with the Saints. Pay- ton and offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael are two of
JAMEIS WINSTON
the finest offensive minds in the game and the young quar- terback will learn behind the incomparable Brees.
Yes, Winston had tal- ented receivers to distribute the ball to, but the Buccaneers did little else to support their young signal caller. Tampa Bay never ranked better than 24th in rushing offense during Winston's time with the team, often allowing oppo- nents to key in on their pass- ing attack. Winston was sacked 169 times in his five seasons, including 47 times last year, the second-most sacked QB in the league. Brees enjoys one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the league and has been sacked only 107 times in the last five years, including just 12 times in 2020. New Or- leans has one of the league's most dominant offensive lines and boasts three players among the best at their posi- tions in receiver Michael Thomas, running back Alvin Kamara, and tight end Jared Cook.
Winston will have to im- prove his decision making on the field, cut back his turnovers, and show he can operate the diverse New Or- leans attack. Some of the quarterback's mistakes re- sulted from being under con- stant pressure and operating in a one-dimensional attack, two things he won't have to worry about in New Orleans. Winston now has a chance to revive or continue his career with a championship caliber roster.
BRYANT FAMILY
It has been five months since Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna died in a hel- icopter crash, and Sunday was likely a very difficult day for the Bryant birthday.
While many families were celebrating Father’s Day, Vanessa Bryant posted a photo on Instagram of Kobe and the couple’s four daugh- ters.
At Least 30 LSU Football Players Quarantined Because Of COVID-19
At least 30 LSU Tigers foot- ball players are reportedly in quarantine because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sports Illustrated reported the news, noting they were not all placed into quarantine be- cause they tested positive for COVID-19, as some were "found to have contacted posi- tives."
None of the players were hospitalized.
Dak Prescott Planning To Sign Franchise Tag Tender Worth $31.4 Million
DAK PRESCOTT
Dak Prescott will offi- cially be under contract with the Dallas Cowboys in 2020 one way or the other.
Prescott is planning to sign his franchise tender by Monday, ESPN reports. That means he will make $31.4 mil- lion this season if he and the Cowboys are unable to work out a long-term extension by the July 15 deadline.
ARA ZOBAYAN, left AND GIANNA AND KOBE BRYANT, right
Zobayan was disoriented, and that it is a “significant” cause of accidents. No drugs or alcohol were found to be in Zobayan’s system at the time of the crash.
The coroner’s reports said all nine aboard died on im- pact, not from the fire that followed.
The NTSB said there was no sign of engine failure. The helicopter crashed into the Los Angeles area hillside at about 184 mph, creating a crater and a debris area the size of a football field.
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