Op-Ed by Travis Geiger, WagerWire co-founder and Chief Experience Officer
The three founders of WagerWire are UCLA Bruins.
We met there and we each share a deep love for our alma mater. It's the #1 public school in America* and Most Beautiful Campus in America*. *facts
And yet, as football fans, we’ve endured much heartbreak at the Rose Bowl. Home field advantage was scorching hot concave solar reflector, 1hr off campus and (at that time) painfully devoid of beer. But hey, it’s historic. The Pac-12 After Dark offered a specific type of embarrassment for east coast alums, with every TV in the bar tuned to the last game of the night: the Bruins blowing it.
But everything changed in 2019 when Dorian Thompson-Robinson was named UCLA's starting quarterback and rose to the mantle of team leader...
Dorian’s poise, purpose & toughness redefined the UCLA football program.
The rise of DTR coincided with the birth of WagerWire. My co-founders Guy Dotan, Zach Doctor and I became hooked on DTR instantly. His unwavering determination, and passion for the game sparked a renewed sense of hope within us. Moreover he was tough. Pride was restored to the Bruins as DTR racked up W’s, made the USC football program have an existential crisis, and covered spread after spread.
(authors note: without Dorian at QB, Chip Kelly would be back at the Eagles by now)
The Browns might have made their smartest move in franchise history.
As a Cincinnati native and Bengals fan I admit that I have had it out for the Browns. But that stopped April 29th in the 5th round of the NFL draft. As long as “Thompson Robison” is stitched across brown and orange, count me in on the bandwagon. If he becomes their starter, the Browns could actually put the squeeze on my man Joe Burrow and the rest of the AFC North.
Dorian is a good human. He’s also wickedly creative. And his mom is awesome.
Dorain loves his mom, cherishes his childhood blanket, and is deeply involved in charity work. He also holds an extremely creative mind under that helmet, something evident in his style of play, but also on display in his clothing brand Friends over Fans (he does all the designs) and the ink on his body (all done by his own hand).
We've had the honor of hosting his mother Professor Melva Thompson-Robinson on the WagerWire Broadcast Network throughout his final season and draft journey. You can find the recordings on Spotify if you missed them live. In a very cool full circle twist, Dorian’s mother actually did most of her growing up in Northern Ohio.
Melva's role is reminiscent of Michael Jordan's mother, Deloris, who’s critical role in MJ’s career has come back into focus thanks to the film "Air". She's poised, powerful and prepared for the journey ahead. No one should ever underestimate the power of moms. But Melva isn’t the only one who thinks Dorian has tremendous potential in the NFL.
On WagerWire’s Executive Football Talk, hosted Saturday Mornings on WagerWire, ESPN insider and former New York Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum stated, “I think DTR (Dorian) is stronger than Bryce Young, bigger than Bryce Young and I think he’ll be better than Bryce Young as an NFL quarterback.”
I think Mr. Tannenbaum is on to something.
We could not be more juiced to watch Dorian's career unfold and we are grateful that DTR now has the opportunity to shine on the biggest stage. We're also bullish as all hell about his fellow draftees and Bruin teammates Zach Charbonnet, Jon Gaines II and Atonio Mafi. LFG BOYS!
Round 2, Pick 52 – RB Zach Charbonnet, Seattle Seahawks
Round 4, Pick 122 – OL Jon Gaines II, Arizona Cardinals
Round 5, Pick 140 – QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Cleveland Browns
Round 5, Pick 144 – OL Atonio Mafi, New England Patriots
Dear Nike: Please make Air Dorains.
Peace and love,
CXO
