What a week in the football world. First it was the Tennessee Titans surprisingly moving on from head coach Mike Vrabel. Next the Seattle Seahawks did the same with Super Bowl-winning coach Pete Carroll.
The bombshell of the week happened in Tuscaloosa when Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban retired after 17 seasons and six national championships down at the Capstone.
Still in shock from the happenings on Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday saw the New England Patriots move on from six-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick after 24 seasons. Wild to see the greatest NFL and college football coach both move on just one day apart. Saban is retiring, while it’s believed that Belichick would like to continue to coach.
Belichick Sounded Relieved
The 71-year-old legendary coach appeared before the media on Thursday, and there he reflected on his near quarter of a century in Foxborough, Massachusetts. When asked how he felt, Belichick was much more talkative than we’ve come accustomed to in his pre- and postgame interviews…
“I’ll always be a Patriot,” he said.
“I look forward to coming back here,” Belichick said, adding, “I’ll always have those great memories. I’ll carry those with me the rest of my life.”
Team owner Bob Kraft, who hired Belichick in 2000 told reporters, “What Bill accomplished in my opinion, will never be duplicated.”
“Belichick’s departure represents the end of an era for the Patriots. One that will hopefully always be celebrated in this region.”
Kraft, Belichick and Tom Brady created something we will likely never see again as it pertains to setting the standard, consistency and winning. But as they say, all good things must come to an end.
Belichick Reached Some Rare Feats
BB’s time in New England ends with him just 15 wins from Don Shula’s all-time win mark of 347. His 292 wins with the Patriots trails only George Halas (324) for most wins with a single franchise. His 31 playoff wins are the most all time, with the Kansas City Chiefs Andy Reid the next closest at 22.
Can’t forget the six Super Bowl wins in nine appearances. Or the 13 AFC championship game appearances as well. His 17 AFC East division titles are the most ever won by a coach. For the better part of 20 seasons Belchick owned the NFL, but that was before Brady left via free agency. Belichick’s record with Brady in New England is 219-64, and now 29-38 without him.
That played a huge role in the demise of the 71-year-old sideline-stalker. In many ways, the aforementioned Kraft has never really forgiven himself for letting Belichick move on from Brady when he was still more than capable of getting the job done.
Tarnished Legacy?
There’s no doubt that Belichick is the greatest coach ever, but cheating scandals like “Spygate” and “Deflategate” will always arise when that debate is brought to the surface.
Those two things definitely take some of the luster off of his otherwise illustrious coaching career.
What’s Next For BB?
Per reports, Belichick doesn’t wanna stop coaching, and his name has resonated with teams like the Washington Commanders and Atlanta Falcons, for starters. He’s expected to possibly draw interest from seven of the eight openings minus New England
Team Hires Former LB Jerod Mayo As HC
New England wasted no time naming Mayo a former Pro Bowl linebacker under Belichick as the new head coach. It’s also really not a surprise when you consider the team signed him to a new contract last offseason to prevent him from leaving for another team.
Fisk University made history in 2022 with America’s first HBCU gymnastics team. The Lady Bulldogs, aka “Gymdogs,” are expanding on that history by hosting a gymnastics tournament that pits the country’s only African-American women head gymnastics coaches at HBCU’s against each other in addition to Division I Black women head coaches.
Corrinne Tarver is the head coach of Fisk University gymnastics and Aja Sims-Fletcher is the head coach of Talladega College, the nation’s first HBCU gymnastics programs. William & Mary’s Kelsey Hinton and Rutgers’s Umme Salim-Beasley are the only Black head coaches of Division I gymnastics programs.
Held on Martin Luther King’s birthday, January 15, 2024, at Vanderbilt University’s Memorial Gymnasium, the coaches are part of a unique tournament organized by Tarver and hosted by Vanderbilt and the Nashville MLK Day Committee.
The tournament features Brown University, Iowa State University, Rutgers University, Talladega College, William & Mary University, and Fisk University.
“This will be the first event of this kind in the history of our sport,” said Fisk head gymnastics coach Corrinne Tarver in a statement. “There are some more exciting things that will be happening around it. Vanderbilt has been a great partner. We are glad that the Nashville MLK Day Committee is also a partner. We want the whole city to come out to watch.”
Tarver hopes the event will further highlight the contributions of African-Americans in gymnastics and advance and encourage more inclusion in the sport. Last year, when Talladega College launched the nation’s second HBCU women’s gymnastics team and hired Aja Sims-Fletcher as its head coach it was a testament to the growth of the sport within the HBCU ecosystem.
In 2019, Kelsey Hinton replaced former William & Mary University head coach Mary Lewis, who retired after 25 seasons. Hinton had been a team assistant for the previous four seasons. On the Division I level, of the 62 head coaches in women’s gymnastics, Hinton is one of only two African-American head coaches. Umme Salim-Beasley of Rutgers is the other coach.
According to the NCAA Demographics Database, the percentage of African Americans on Division I rosters has increased from 7.8% in 2012 to 10.4% in 2020.
“So many African-Americans have been left out of the history books used in the school system,” Hinton said in a 2020 ESPN story. “In the schools I attended, I learned about individuals who are not of color. But I didn’t learn about those who paved the way, who invented things we use every day, who fought and struggled to make my life easier.
“This is information I want my daughter to know, and what I will continue to teach in my household. I can’t leave that up to the school system.”
The data shows that the quest for further inclusion is working. Half of the U.S. women’s team was of color in the 2020 Olympics. Organizing this tournament on MLK Day shows the prowess of athletes coached by Black women and Fisk’s whole gymnastics program, which is a testament to the growing power of Black girl magic on the mat.
The Golden State Warriors are 17-19 and in 12th place in the Western Conference, outside the play-in. The team is old, injured and extremely expensive. While it may be unthinkable to the fanbase, now is the time to trade Stephen Curry and begin the rebuild.
“It’s pretty evident that if things stay the same, that’s the definition of insanity, right? Keep doing the same thing but expecting different results,” said Curry after the team got drilled by the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.
That’s the thing with the Warriors and many dynasties. The tendency is to just continue to do the same because we have evidence it works. The core of this team just won an NBA title 18 months ago. No doubt they, owner Joe Lacob, GM Mike Dunleavy Jr., and head coach Steve Kerr believe it can happen again.
The problem is, all dynasties come to an end. The Warriors’ is crumbling right before our eyes and, if we’re all honest, it has been happening for a while.
This team is scheduled to pay $186 million in luxury tax this season, an NBA record. That’s fine if you’re a No. 1 seed and competing for a title, but they aren’t.
The young players on this team might be good one day, but we don’t know that because Kerr and his staff haven’t been consistently developing them. Jonathan Kuminga was in an open feud with Kerr until recently.
Klay Thompson is a shell of his former self and on the last year of a deal. Andrew Wiggins hasn’t reverted back to Minnesota Timberwolves’ Wiggins, he’s gotten worse. Chris Paul is injured. And there is Darymond Green, who is returning from suspension for punching the Phoenix Suns’ Jusuf Nurkic.
What kind of value do any of the aforementioned have in this league among other teams?
That brings us to 35-year-old Steph. He’s having a down year in terms of on-court impact, his worst since year two in the league. But he’s still a plus player, in the 94th percentile in EPM. He’s still an elite shooter and off ball mover. But it’s not enough to lift this struggling team.
“You get to a point where you’re trying to explain it, trying to figure out what can change specifically that can help us,” Curry said. “Those conversations are happening in between games, in film sessions, in the locker room. But it’s headed in the opposite direction. I don’t know what to say about it. We’re not used to this vibe around our team. … It all sucks.”
Lacob doesn’t want to pay the luxury tax for a non-contender. His comments about being “light years ahead” of the rest of the league now look dumb. This team needs a reset, and the best way to reset is with draft capital and young cheap talent.
A Steph trade is difficult because the team would need to be willing to take the public relations hit, which I’m not sure they are. They would also need to do right by Steph and move him to a team that can contend.
What team has the salary to match ($51 million for Curry this season), the draft capital, and enough young cheap talent that the roster wouldn’t be completely gutted to bring him in? That’s the struggle with old supermax players who are still elite and want to contend.
The OKC Thunder would have to work to match the salary. The Wolves don’t have enough draft capital. The Pelicans are interesting, and the Knicks don’t have enough young talent.
A trade is really difficult and unlikely. But the Warriors are coming to a crumbling end, and this is the fate of most dynasties.
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith and the Blaze Media analyst Jason Whitlock are currently involved in verbal fisticuffs.
The dissension between the two well-known sports and media analysts stems from Whitlock calling Smith a liar for some of the things the outspoken “First Take” analyst said in his memoir, “Straight Shooter: A Memoir Of Second Chances and First Takes,” about his basketball career in high school and at Winston-Salem State University.
Those claims by Whitlock have Smith so riled up that he took 40 minutes of his hit podcast, “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” to let Whitlock know about it.
In typical Smith fashion he told Whitlock where he could go and how he could get there. In the same breath, and in atypical fashion, Smith fired off expletives one after another. It was almost as if Smith became a bit unhinged for a moment, as he retaliated.
Stephen A. Smith became Stephen A. Riff and the Hollis, Queens, in him came flowing out. Corner boy Stephen lost the corporate flair that helped him elevate to the top of the sports media game, and he stayed in the mud for the entire podcast.
Smith Swears Heavily
“I mean it from my soul when I say this is the worse human being I’ve ever known,” Smith said. “I don’t know of another human being worse than Jason Whitlock. He is a piece of s—t. He’s the dude that’s gonna have a funeral and ain’t going to be no pallbearers.”
Smith’s fiery response to Whitlock also stems from him referring to Smith as an industry plant. Sort of in the way comedian Katt Williams took a shot at fellow comedian Kevin Hart during his recent appearance on the “Club Shay Shay” podcast with Pro Football Hall of Famer and “First Take” co-host Shannon Sharpe.
This is nothing new for Whitlock, whose controversial takes usually end up with him being cursed out by the culprit he spoke negatively of. It’s long been his MO, and in many ways how he stays relevant.
Smith Says Forget The High Road
Smith wasn’t done as he continued to call Whitlock anything that came to mind from “fat bastard.” Not done, Smith then called out Whitlock for being something he’s long been accused of, which is being an “Uncle Tom.”
“You see what he does is, he’s the one that puts himself in front of white folks. The white folks, not all white folks, not most white folks, but the white folks that, dare we say, may have a problem with black folks,” Smith said.
Strong words from Smith, who isn’t known for speaking in this manner. But, in this instance he seems ready to go blow for blow against Whitlock. Based on the vitriol spewed thus far, it looks like verbal spat or fisticuffs is just beginning.
There was a time when Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert were the darlings of the late millennial crowd. The two were both at the top of their respective professional careers as artists and athletes, and they were quickly becoming influencers simply for being a couple. Now that it has all fallen apart and resulted in divorce proceedings, it is starting to get ugly, and that is disheartening culturally.
According to reports, Taylor is accusing Shumpert of endangering their children with his lifestyle choices and is painting a reckless picture of her estranged husband. In court documents acquired by TMZ, the singer-actress alleges that Shumpert has been under the influence of cannabis while watching for their two daughters, Junie and Rue.
Additionally, she claims in the documents that the former NBA player-turned-actor smokes cannabis around their children and even fails to feed them. She claims that Shump “consistently demonstrates a clear disregard for the safety of the minor children,” in the filing.
Then there are the other safety concerns that she has about his decision-making. Taylor alleges that in Chicago, Shumpert once placed their children in a rideshare to be dropped off at the United Center by themselves while he rode separately with a private driver to take him to the arena or, as written in the filing, “consistently demonstrates a clear disregard for the safety of the minor children.”
Taylor also alluded to feeling endangered by her ex and wrote in the court docs that she suffered “cruel treatment” and “willful infliction of pain bodily or mental … [that] reasonably justifies apprehension of danger to life, limb, or health.”
Back in 2022, he was arrested at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport after being caught with six ounces of cannabis in his bag by TSA and a Glock magazine and fourteen 9-millimeter rounds; however, he did not have a weapon.
Last September, Taylor took to social media to announce the couple’s separation in what felt like a surprise move, even though Taylor filed for divorce in January of 2023. However bittersweet, the couple would still be friendly amid the breakup.
“AHT AHT! Not too much on my bestie! In all fairness, Iman and I are separated and have been for a while,” Taylor posted on her Instagram last September. “To be 1000% clear, ‘infidelity’ ain’t one of the reasons for our departure. We are still the best of friends, great business partners and are one hell of a team when it comes to co-parenting our 2 beautiful children. Most importantly we are FAMILY & in the 10yrs together, 7yrs married we ain’t ever played with or about THAT.
“We just keep y’all a***s out the group chat lol, which is the reason we’ve been able to successfully & peacefully separate without all of the outside noise. The only reason I’m even sharing THIS part of the chat is because the narratives are getting a little out of hand & it’s unfair to all parties involved. I hope this provided some clarity for y’all. Okay AunTey taking y’all back out the chat bye!”
Divorces can be brutal and even worse in the court of public opinion; for the couple that looked like the late millennial version of Black love, the disintegration of their romance is an unwelcome surprise.
On a recent episode of “The OGs” podcast, hip-hop mogul Rick Ross revealed he wants to own a piece of the Miami Heat to hosts and former Heat players Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller. But to what end?
“Oh, you already know I’m gonna keep it real now. I need y’all to walk me in there. Come on, we gotta get us a piece of that Miami Heat. One time for La Spoelstra Nostra, you already know,” Ross said. “Hey, big homie, that’s a dream; that’s a dream for Rozay, you know, just to see, you know, the city because it wouldn’t just be for me. It’ll be for the city.”
On its face Ross wanting to do something “for the city” is great. But how would it be for the city? Will he make tickets more affordable for fans that can’t afford to attend games? Beyond sitting courtside, which he already does, and getting access to players — something he already has — what is the point?
Forbes has the Miami Heat valued at $3.9 billion, Ross’ net worth is an estimated $150 million. Even a 5 percent stake in the team is more than Ross’ net worth.
The Heat’s current governor, Micky Arison, is worth $7.7 billion. It’s unlikely he’s looking to sell any stake in his team, and either way it’s out of Ross’ price range.
Owning sports franchises is primarily the playground of ultra wealthy billionaires.
While it would be nice if the league had a majority governor that is a person of color, it’s just not in the cards right now. Unless LeBron James seriously increases his net worth over the next decade, which is possible.
But this would just be a vanity play. Like it is for most of the majority owners of sports franchises. Very few are in it for the purpose of consistently fielding a competitive team. Most owners just enjoy the cachet that comes with owning a team and the financial benefits they can withdraw almost like a personal piggy bank if they choose.
The idea of being a part owner of his hometown team is like Ross says, a dream.
Comedian Katt Williams is making the rounds and spilling it all. The controversial funnyman has had a lot to say as of late about the industry and some of the bigger names in his line of work.
His interview on “Club Shay Shay” with Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe has set viewership records for Apple Podcasts.
Williams is no dummy. He used that platform to get his name back in the realm as he readies for his comedy tour.
Williams is no stranger to the sports world either, as he showed during a recent appearance on “The Willie D Live” podcast.
That’s where Williams became the latest Black celebrity to give Pro Football Hall of Famer and Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders his flowers for what he’s doing out in Boulder and previously did at Jackson State.
When asked about the impact Sanders is having on “the culture”, the loquacious Williams didn’t hold back.
“I’m saying anytime a great individual, regardless of what he does, finds something that he can be great in … Like, that’s going to work,” Williams noted. “Sanders is a motivating factor and an asset. He always has been since the Jheri curl days. Those are the leaders of men that we discussed earlier. An eternal optimist. … Someone that’s clever and about books and hard work and discipline. You know, as a Black person, we should be so lucky as to have a black coach like that. And as a non-Black person, what a great job.”
Williams said a mouthful, and even mentioned Sanders and his “must be the money” Jheri curl wearing days. In so many words he’s saying that Sanders has always had the it factor, and now he’s using it for the betterment of young men.
Time and time again Sanders has reiterated that his job is to make them men, capable of being husbands, fathers and good citizens before they leave him in Boulder.
Thus far he’s off to a great start, and that should only continue as he embarks on year two.
After a 3-0 start that had college football buzzing, things quickly went south for Coach Prime and his CU Buffs. The team went 1-8 the rest of the way only beating Arizona State. There was a myriad of issues that plagued Colorado, beginning with an offensive line that allowed Shedeur Sanders to get battered weekly. The strong-armed QB still passed for over 3,200 yards, 27 touchdowns and just three interceptions despite being sacked 52 times and hit 94 times in 11 starts.
He showed some real toughness and grit. In an attempt to combat that in 2024, Coach Prime hit the transfer portal hard, securing four starting lineman. The prized addition on the offensive line is Jordan Seaton, the five-star IMG Academy product who’s the top-ranked tackle in the 2024 recruiting class.
He also added some key pieces to a defense that couldn’t stop a nosebleed in 2023. Now he’s gotta find two new coordinators with both Sean Lewis and Charles Kelly leaving Boulder after one season.
Sanders is the type of guy you don’t bet against, as he seemingly thrives off of naysayers. Expect a big season in the program’s return to the Big 12.
The Michigan Wolverines football team won their first national title since 1997 on Monday, but it’s not without controversy. The program was involved in a sign-stealing scandal that saw head coach Jim Harbaugh get suspended for three games, and ,according to longtime sports journalist Rob Parker, the title is tainted.
“This should be a nice story with a nice bow. Finally, the Maize and Blue get their national championship that their fan base has been wanting for so long. But they can’t fully embrace it or feel good about it,” said Parker on the Fox Sports show “The Odd Couple” this week. “Michigan’s National Championship is tainted. There’s no way around it. Is it tainted. If you were to touch it, you would have to wash your hands. It’s stinky, I’m sorry.”
The Wolverines were involved in a sign-stealing scandal and Harbaugh was suspended for it. That’s true. But “tainted”? Can’t be “fully embraced”?
Why? Because we’ve decided sports is the arbiter of fairness and morality? Come on. This is a multi-billion dollar enterprise. Illegal, seedy and salacious things happen all the time. Sometimes it becomes public and sometimes it doesn’t.
If you do a full autopsy on every single program that has won a national title in the FBS over the Past decade are you going to find champions that were 100 percent clean and did everything by the book and to the letter of the law?
I get it, sports is supposed to be about settling everything on the field of play. May the best team win, all things being equal. But they aren’t.
Programs do whatever they can to gain an edge, twisting and manipulating rules and breaking them.
For his part, Harbaugh has maintained his program’s innocence and doubled down after the title win.
“It went exactly how we wanted it to go to win every game,” Harbaugh said. “The off-the-field issues, we’re innocent and we stood strong and tall because we knew we were innocent. And I’d like to point that out. These guys are innocent. Overcome that … It wasn’t that hard because we knew we were innocent.”
You can call Harbaugh out and say he’s lying and cry foul. But what’s done is done, and, whatever happened, it wasn’t enough to deny the Wolverines their national title. You can call it tainted, and maybe it is.
But that won’t stop Harbaugh, the Wolverines and their fans from calling themselves national champions.
Nine days after the Alabama Crimson Tide came up short in its quest to win its seventh national championship, legendary coach Nick Saban announced his retirement from college football.
The loss didn’t seem to bother Saban like most, and in many ways that was a sign that just maybe the legendary sideline stalker was contemplating walking away.
The news, which caught most by surprise, really hit the Crimson Tide faithful. The 72-year-old, who many feel did his best coaching job leading an Alabama team not picked to reach the CFP to an SEC championship and a controversial berth in the CFP, released a statement announcing the decision.
“The University of Alabama has been a very special place to Terry and me,” Saban said in a statement Wednesday. “We enjoyed every minute of our 17 years being the head coach at Alabama as well as becoming part of the Tuscaloosa community. It is not just about how many games we won and lost, but it’s about the legacy and how we went about it. The goal was always to help players create more value for their future, be the best player they could be and be more successful in life because they were part of the program.
“Hopefully, we have done that, and we will always consider Alabama our home.”
Saban has done more than that, his six national championships at the legendary school are tied with Paul “Bear” Bryant, but Saban has seven overall, as he won one at LSU in 2003. His nine SEC championships are second to Bryant’s 13, Saban did his work in 17 seasons, while Bryant’s time in Tuscaloosa spanned 25 seasons.
Saban’s overall record at Alabama (206-29, including 117-18 in the SEC) will never be matched. He had 44 players taken as first-round NFL draft picks and is the only college coach to have a first-round pick at all 22 positions on the field among his former players. He truly created a dynasty, which was still going strong despite many writing them off time after time.
In his 28 years as a head coach Saban went 292-71-1
A myriad of things likely played a role in Saban’s decision, with the new era of college football being a huge component in the end result. Saban has gone on record many times talking about the transfer portal and NIL, and how it needed to some legislation behind it. When he spoke about you could tell he wasn’t a fan of it, and in many ways that pushed him out.
Add in his age and the desire to do other things in life, and that’s why he called it quits.
Replacing a legend is never easy, but athletics director Greg Byrne is now tasked with that tough job. His first call has to be to Clemson head coach, former Alabama player and member of the 1992 championship team Dabo Swinney.
Next up should be a call to Eugene, Oregon, and Dan Lanning, a rising star in the coaching ranks who was a graduate assistant under Saban and former defensive coordinator for Georgia’s Kirby Smart.
Third, Byrne has to put a flyer out for Ole Miss head coach and former Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin.
Those are the top three, and after that it’s not obvious where to turn. Byrne has to hope one of those coaches still sees Alabama as a place they can win and win big.
Black Monday came a couple of days late for Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel.
Those teams now join the Washington Commanders, Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots and Los Angeles Chargers as franchises in search of their next head coach.
Every year the coaching carousel is full of surprises, and most of the time it’s at the disposal of plenty of qualified Black candidates. Thanks to the Rooney Rule minority coaches have gotten interviews, but not often are they the choice.
That could very well happen again this cycle, either way here are our top five Black candidates.
In his first-year as the primary play-caller after years of holding the title in Kansas City, EB finished the season with mixed results. Second-year quarterback Sam Howell was inconsistent but tossed the ball around often, leading the league in pass attempts (612) while also throwing a league-leading 21 interceptions. Being sacked a league-high 65 times didn’t help.
In many ways Bieniemy didn’t do enough to protect his young QB, leaving folks who have doubted him another reason to question his ability to lead a team.
That won’t stop teams from interviewing him, because he’s still a genius offensive mind and if nothing else he’s proven to hold players accountable.
Bieniemy will be considered for the vacant Commanders job and, per reports, the Falcons are also interested in talking with the former Colorado Buffaloes legend and two-time Super Bowl champion.
Any place that has weapons and a franchise QB could use Bieniemy who guided Patrick Mahomes to two Super Bowls.
When DeMeco Ryans left to become the Houston Texans head coach many wondered if the Niners’ dominant defense would suffer.
Enter defensive coordinator Steve Wilks, who’s kept the ship afloat with the same dominant attacking style of defense. San Fran finished third in points allowed, second in total touchdowns allowed (31) and top ten in other various categories.
That should be good enough to get Wilks back on a sideline, a place he was given just one season with Arizona in 2018.
And last season he led the Panthers to a 6-6 finish after the firing of Matt Rhule, only to be overlooked as the permanent head coach, despite having the support of the players.
Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan mentioned to the media that he’s receiving a ton of calls about Wilks.
“Officially, yes,” he stated. “I get a lot of phone calls, so I know there’s a lot more people interested, but you got to go through the process of formally requesting an interview. I’ve only got that from the Chargers so far.”
The former speedy defensive back is a rising star in the coaching ranks, having led the Lions defense to its best showing in 30 seasons. The 12-5 Lions won their division for the first time since 1993 and will host former star quarterback Matt Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams in their first home playoff game since that memorable run.
Glenn’s strength is his reputation as a player’s coach. The rising defensive play-caller was voted the most enjoyable Defensive Coordinator to play for in a survey conducted by the NFLPA. Having the support of the players is vital in today’s NFL culture, where the relationship between players and ownership is becoming more of a partnership.
The former head coach of the Miami Dolphins just turned an awful Minnesota Vikings defense into a respectable unit that ranked among the top half of the league.
Despite going 13-4 in 2022, the defense couldn’t get a stop. That changed in 2023 under Flores.
The former Super Bowl-winning defensive play-caller of the New England Patriots stepped in and made a passive Vikings defense ultra-aggressive.
Ranked 31st overall in 2022, Flores improved that unit to 13th overall in 2023. That tells you all you need to know about Flores’ ability to turn things around.
Morris, a former Tampa Bay Bucs head coach and the architect of the Rams’ 2021 Super Bowl-winning defense, has heard his name in the last couple of coaching cycles.
His work with the Rams defense — a unit that wasn’t expected to be very competitive — definitely caught the attention of teams around the league. In winning seven of their last eight games to grab a wild card spot, Morris’ unheralded defense was elite.
Antonio Pierce finished with a 5-4 record as the interim coach of the Las Vegas Raiders, it’s either he gets that job or he remains a coordinator for another season.
Jemele Hill knows something about controversy at ESPN, but she wants it to make sense for everybody. With the recent drama surrounding Aaron Rodgers and his beef with comedian Jimmy Kimmel, Hill busted a shot at her former employer and then threw another parting shot at Rodgers himself.
“The Pat McAfee show with Aaron Rodgers is what conservatives thought the SC6 was,” Hill posted on X with a laughing emoji.
She followed that up with, “Every week when you see Aaron Rodgers on Pat McAfee’s show it’s like you’re watching Newsmax.”
Newsmax TV is an ultra-conservative outlet.
Rodgers has been a consistent guest on “The Pat McAfee Show” and is one of the reasons it is highly rated. Often, Rodgers uses the platform to discuss his personal views on everything from psychedelic drug use to his anti-vax stance.
The release of about 950 pages of court documents from disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were made public last Wednesday, with the document identifying his associates. Rodgers took a poke at comedian Jimmy Kimmel ahead of the document release.
Last week, on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers said, “There’s a lot of people, including Jimmy Kimmel, that are really hoping that” Epstein’s list wouldn’t be released. The statement prompted a hard response from Kimmel who threatened to sue if Rodgers continued to allude that he may be an associate of Epstein.
Rodgers never retracted his statement or apologized but amended it by saying, “I don’t think [Kimmel] is a P-word,” Rodgers said, referring to a pedophile. “I’m not stupid enough to accuse [Kimmel] of that — even though he thinks I’m an idiot — with absolutely zero evidence,” Rodgers said on Tuesday’s “Pat McAfee Show.”
For Jemele Hill, what she labels the “conservative” nature of ESPN should have warranted an issue for Rodgers and McAfee similar to her opinions on Trump. However, there have been no consequences aside from McAfee’s personal beef with an ESPN executive that he feels is attempting to sabotage his show.
Hill began with ESPN as a columnist in 2006, and then she began co-hosting the “His & Hers” podcast with Michael Smith in 2011, which converted into an ESPN2 show in 2013. By February 2017, both Hill and Smith were promoted to “SportsCenter” evening anchors, also known as SC6.
In September 2017, Hill called Trump a “white supremacist” in a series of tweets, which prompted ESPN to issue a clarification that Hill’s views “do not represent the position of ESPN.” By 2018, Hill had left her role as co-host of SC6.
“The Pat McAfee Show” is part of the trend of former and current professional athletes who have created their own media platforms. What started online is now part of ESPN, and McAfee represents a non-traditional style for ESPN.
Whether the show relates to the conservative audience is debatable, but, to Hill’s point, the same nuanced accusation by any other host might have led to the same self-cancellation as Hill’s. Ironically, Rodgers is now suspended from appearing on the show for the rest of the season.
Jemele Hill knows.
Christopher Eubanks is a rising star in the tennis world, and as he continues to climb the tennis hierarchy, his fame and fortune continue to grow.
The Atlanta native recently registered a huge win when he became the face of a popular sports clothing brand.
Eubanks, who is currently in Melbourne, Australia, for the start of the Australian Open, is now the first male tennis player to sign with J Lindeberg, a sports clothing brand that specializes in clothing and accessories for tennis, golf, and ski clothing, polo shirts, training clothes, jackets, suits, and shirts.
“It is extremely enticing to be one of the only faces of a particular brand,” Eubanks told Forbes. “It allows for you to really see the growth of that brand and feel a sense of pride when you’re watching it grow, which is quite a unique opportunity. Not many players get the chance to be the face of a brand in the beginning and I am really excited about that opportunity.”
Chris Eubanks Is Looking To Crack Top 20
Eubanks, currently ATP’s No. 34 ranked player in singles will be able to do what many athletes wish they could do, which is have one of the biggest platforms to express their fashion sense.
Coming from Atlanta, his style is something that is heavily influenced by the hip-hop culture that pervades the city, and for Eubanks to be one of the only Black male pro tennis athletes, being able to influence tennis culture through fashion is only going to help usher in new trends in tennis.
But it’s not just some of his favorite jackets and pants off the court that compelled him. He gets to don some stylish pieces on the court as he competes against some of the best on the highest stages of tennis.
J Lindeberg is fresh to the tennis world as a sports brand, entering the tennis scene in 2022, and they have picked a rising star to bring their tennis division to the forefront of the sport’s apparel.
As a clothing brand in general, they are well accepted, establishing themselves as a standout luxury brand after their creation in 1997.
Since then they’ve grown to become a well-known company, and their fashion and style attracts more fans and athletes.
“That’s one of the things that made JL stand out so much,” Eubanks said. “I had seen some of the golf line but had no idea how heavily entrenched in the world of fashion they are. I was honestly blown away.”
Eubanks described how the type of material that J Lindeberg puts out is consistent with the type of clothing that he is comfortable with while competing.
Forbes quoted him as saying: “Typically, I like to keep the shorts pretty classic but love some creativity on my shirts. It’s very important to me that the shirts are breathable and absorb sweat well and I think JL has already done a fantastic job of meeting everything that I could want.”
Eubanks was recently knocked out of the ATP Auckland Classic, getting eliminated in the first round as he struggled through competition with a muscle injury, according to ESPN.
He will be looking to get back on track for the Australian Open, but regardless of what happens Eubanks has found his home with J Lindeberg.
“Then when I met the team, and I saw how much passion everything has for this partnership, I knew it was the right decision.”
It seems that New Jersey native media personality DJ Akademiks has gone on a jealousy-fueled snitching campaign with a former NBA player.
According to Akademiks on his podcast “Off The Record,” the 32-year-old media personality found messages between his girlfriend and NBA guard Danny Green back in 2019.
“It was Danny Green,” Akademiks said this week. “He was on the Toronto Raptors. And by the way, that was the year they won the championship so he’s on fire. He’s thinking any girl he hit is gonna be [down]. He’s messaging her, whatever.”
Akademiks’ jealousy hit a boiling point, and it seems that it came from a place of insecurity.
Danny Green is a three-time NBA champion, and has amassed over $100 million in earnings from the NBA.
DJ Akademiks’ net worth is reportedly anywhere between $7 million and $10 million.
It’s understandable why Akademiks would’ve been a bit jealous and insecure about a high profile NBA player making ten times the amount he is making a move on his girl.
Akademiks also admits that his girlfriend entertained Green when he was messaging her, which obviously was disappointing for him as well.
“I’m not gonna lie, I was a little disappointed she’s answering. A man shouldn’t be able to ask my girl certain questions like, ‘You ever been out here?’ ‘Oh, nah, I wanna visit.’ What you mean you wanna visit? You with me.”
Fueled by jealousy and a desire to get back at Green, Akademiks sent a DM to Danny Green’s wife, whom he married in 2021, Blair Bashen.
“Well, if you tryna get my b-tch, I’m gonna get your b-tch. I ain’t gonna lie, I DM’d his girl. I just told the truth. I said, ‘Listen, your husband is tryna get my girl so I need you. What’s up? Let’s swap it out.’
“She says, ‘No, it’s not true,’’ Akademiks continued. “By the way, she’s still got wedding pictures up there. Her last picture is a wedding picture. I said, ‘If you don’t believe me, go check his phone because I got it on the other end.’ Don’t mess with my girl.”
As hilarious as this ego-fueled story is, there are some inconsistencies in this story, that if untrue could threaten to Green’s relationship.
Akademiks, who is known to be over the top and not always believable, continued to say that he saw Green messaging his girl back in 2019, after he won a championship with the Toronto Raptors, but Danny Green and his wife did not marry until 2021.
While it’s possible he could’ve gotten his years incorrect, this timeline would place Danny Green as unmarried while messaging Akademiks’ girlfriend.
According to reports, Green and Bashen have been dating since 2015, but the dynamics of the relationship or how deeply involved they were involved when Akademiks says he caught Green messaging his girlfriend is unknown.
Danny Green has yet to respond to these accusations, and as outspoken as Green is it shouldn’t be much longer before he says his piece on the situation.
The Milwaukee Bucks have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference (25-12) and third-best in the league. So one would think everything is going according to plan in “Cream City.”
That’s the furthest thing from the truth with the team losing four of its past five and allowing 125 points per game. That’s not championship defense, which is something the Bucks have hung their hat on over the past five seasons.
The defensive deficiencies have been building for quite a while now, but Monday’s 132-116 home loss to the Utah Jazz, which followed a 112-108 road loss to the Houston Rockets, is proof that Giannis Antetokounmpo calling out his teammates fell on deaf ears.
“Your defensive effort, though, has got to be there,” Antetokounmpo told reporters Saturday after the loss to the Rockets. The message had to be directed at Lillard, who ranks among the league’s worst guards in defensive metrics, according to NBA radio on Sirius XM and is the Top 75 player that was brought in to form a fantastic duo with a perennial MVP candidate and world champion.
The Bucks trailed the Jazz by as many as 31 points (77-46). On top of that they’re wasting some huge offensive performances from Antetokounmpo as well, with the former two-time MVP averaging 34 points and 14 rebounds per game over the five games.
Following Saturday’s loss Antetokounmpo told reporters:
“We have to be better,” Antetokounmpo added in his media session after Saturday’s loss. “We have to play better. We have to defend better. We have to trust one another better. We have to be coached better. Every single thing, everybody has to be better. Everybody. It starts from the equipment manager. He has to wash our clothes better.”
Giannis saying he’s not calling anyone in particular is hilarious. He’s calling out Damian Lillard, who, for all his accolades and greatness, has never been a player who gives maximum effort on the defensive end.
He was never forced to do it in Portland, and that trend has followed him to Milwaukee. When the team opted to trade Jrue Holiday, one of the league’s best perimeter defenders for Lillard it was to get another proven scorer alongside Giannis, but this is the downside of that move.
What’s even more concerning is with Lillard still trying to find his footing in Milwaukee his scoring and efficiency are down, which brings his defensive inadequacies to light even more.
While there’s still plenty of time for the Bucks to figure things out, The Athletic’s Zach Harper doesn’t feel like they will.
“My hot take, safe zone submission: Dame’s gone this summer. You know what I read? You know what I read? When he said, ‘We got to stop dying on screens.’ Oh, myself included. You think that was a direct shot at Dame? Who could it be at? I don’t think he’s taking shots at Cam Payne.”
He’s definitely challenging Dame to be better on the defensive end, and while he’ll never be a great defender, Giannis just wants effort. First-year head coach Adrian Griffin has his work cut out for him as he still tries to implement his style, and he’s now got a disgruntled superstar.
As for Dame being moved this summer, it’s highly unlikely because of the money he’s due over the next few years. He’s due $216 million over the next four seasons, including $63 million in 2026-27.
In 2022-23 the Bucks‘ defensive rating was fifth (111.9). This season it’s 24th at 119.9. While it’s not all Lillard’s fault, he’s definitely a key reason why their defense is suffering.
Errol Spence Jr. has virtually dropped out of the public eye since being defeated handily by Terence “Bud” Crawford. The former unified welterweight champion resurfaced on social media, bearing a bandaged eye from fresh cataract surgery.
The brutal one-sided affair happened six months ago, but now Spence is hinting that he was suffering from the eye affliction before that fight. On Monday, Spence gave a rare peek into his life in a video on his Instagram that showed him in a wheelchair and wearing an eye patch over his right eye.
“Had to get cataract surgery.. it’s been past due s**t was covering my eye.”
The cataracts were so bad that he required surgery, but is Errol making excuses for being wholly outclassed by Crawford?
That’s not to diminish the stifling effect a cataract can have, especially for a fighter. According to the Mayo Clinic, “a cataract is a clouding of the lens of the eye, which is typically clear. For people who have cataracts, seeing through cloudy lenses is like looking through a frosty or fogged-up window.”
Or, in Errol’s own words:
“Why you think I got hit with so many jabs n hooks. Still a great performance by bro,” Spence posted on his Instagram story.
He also admitted that he ‘didn’t live exactly like a boxer’ in the lead-up to his Crawford showdown.
“All that said you can kill the retire sht tho .. yea I got my a* beat sh*t was past due I didn’t live exactly like a boxer for the most part lol,” Spence said on ‘X.’
Terence Crawford heard the noise and replied simply, “No comment.”
Wise man, Bud.
The fan fallout was swift and showed a polarized audience of those happy to know he is not retiring and others who felt that he was making excuses for this last performance.
“Champ you really expect us to believe you had a whole cataract camp filled with sparring and was cleared to fight Bud but not Pacman and that everybody in your camp agreed that it was smart for you go into your biggest fight weight drained with a cataract?” one X user posted.
Spence was ready as he responded directly to certain comments like when an ‘X’ user posted, “He just better than u one trick pony.”
“You might b right but one trick got Olympics, kids in private school, mom & pops retired yrs ago passport full of stamps & I don’t have to pick up a glove again if I don’t want to,” Spence replied on ‘X.’
Boxing is a lonely sport that loves you when you are winning and doubts you the moment you lose. Welcome back to the conversation, Errol Spence.
Colorado Buffaloes head coach Deion Sanders is heading into year two in Boulder, needing both an offensive and defensive coordinator. Sean Lewis left Colorado’s offensive side to become the head coach at San Diego State, and Charles Kelly on the defensive side opted to head to Auburn.
Both are definitely losses for the Buffaloes, who are looking to improve on a 4-8 season. While Sanders hasn’t revealed much in his search for either coordinator spot, the rumor mill has mentioned a very prominent former Big Ten defensive coordinator to take over Coach Prime’s defense.
Per Rivals.com’s Cameron Lee, who’s in the know, it’s highly plausible that former Wisconsin defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard heads to Boulder join the Pro Football Hall of Famer’s staff. Lee took to X to say this about the possible move:
“Former Wisconsin DC and interim HC Jim Leonhard is close to joining Deion Sanders to become their new DC at Colorado. No deal done yet, but it is very close. Leonhard has declined NFL DC jobs, and the USC DC job among others.”
Leonhard Would Be Huge Addition For Buffs
Not only would Leonhard be a huge get as far as a defensive play-caller, he’s also help on the recruiting trail. The former NFL safety has routinely put together good units. During his six seasons as the Badgers defensive play-caller, the team finished third in scoring defense in 2017 and fourth in 2021. The other four years they ranked in the top 15 in the nation in scoring defense.
That’s something that the Buffaloes struggled with mightily in 2023, giving up over 35 points and nearly 470 yards per game. A lot of it was the lack of talent on the defensive side of the football, but some of the issues stemmed from the scheme that the aforementioned Kelly implemented. Leonhard’s defense from a scheme standpoint is much more innovative than Kelly’s.
One of the big differences you’d see with Leonhard is the amount of pressure he’ll bring and letting his defensive backs play more man to man. With Travis Hunter and Cormani McClain, the top cornerback recruits in 2022 and 2023, respectively, he’ll be able to do that with relative ease.
Leonhard’s Recruiting Ties Would Help
With Big Ten ties in recruiting, adding Leonhard would immediately boost the Buffaloes’ visibility in the Midwest part of the country. That’s where Sanders could tap into some of the bigger and better lineman for his program, which is something that was a glaring weakness in 2023. While the transfer portal was good to them in that regard, and he also landed Jordan Seaton, the top-ranked offensive tackle in the class, that isn’t always gonna happen.
Leonhard’s connections should allow Coach Prime and the Buffs to land elite blue chip recruits right out of high school from that area. With the move back to the Big 12 beginning in 2024, imagine having a Big Ten line in that conference.
That would set the program up for long-term success, which is something Coach Prime is aiming for.
As their archrival Michigan Wolverines were putting the finishing touches on their perfect season and first national championship in 27 years, the Ohio State Buckeyes were adding a very big transfer to their 2024 roster.
The move was definitely calculated and pales in comparison to what the Wolverines accomplished in Houston on Monday night. But in this long-storied rivalry it goes to show that both will do its best to never be upstaged.
The Buckeyes have lost three consecutive matchups (2021-23) to the Wolverines after running off eight consecutive (2012-19) and since 2001 16 of the 21 matchups. In Ann Arbor that means nothing to the fan base of the Maize and Blue right now, but if you’re a Buckeye fan you need something to help absorb the blow of the Wolverines winning it all.
After adding the No. 5 recruiting class in the 2024 cycle, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day wasn’t done, as he then dabbled in the transfer portal. He first landed former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard to replace Kyle McCord who transferred to Syracuse. He’s now secured the commitment of the top-ranked running back and No. 4 ranked transfer overall in former Ole Miss star Quinshon Judkins.
In committing, Judkins took to social media and made sure to take a shot at the Wolverines.
“I’m looking forward to being a part of a winning culture and helping do my part to beat the TUN [Michigan] bring a Big 10 Championship and National Championship to Columbus,” Judkins wrote. “The RB brotherhood at Ohio State is incredibly special and I am grateful to have an opportunity to be a part of that.”
The hope is Judkins will team with starter TreVeyon Henderson, giving the Buckeyes the best running back duo in college football. Even if Henderson does opt to turn pro, Day and the Buckeyes have a guy. Judkins, a two-year starter with the Rebels, rushed for over 2,700 yards and 31 touchdowns in Lane Kiffin’s multidimensional attack down in Oxford.
His presence should immediately help a Buckeyes rushing attack that struggled with injuries in 2023, rushing for just under 139 yards per game, which ranked 88th in FBS.
Pressure Mounts For Ryan Day
It’s one thing to lose three straight to your archrival, dropping your record to 1-3 versus them, but to have them win the national championship and complete a perfect season (15-0) brings even more pressure for Day to get it done. The folks in Columbus are patient, but they won’t take too many more empty finishes with losses to Michigan.
Depending on who decides to return to Columbus, the addition of Judkins could go a very long way in helping Day get over the Wolverines hump and national hump.
It’s time.
TSL ran a story impressing our initial support for Dwight Howard’s number to be retired by the Magic before Shaq on January 10th, 2024. Howard has finally addressed the matter and he agrees with us.
“The Magic have finally just decided to retire Shaq’s jersey,” Howard said on the All-Stars Podcast. “And how many years did Shaq play with Orlando? Four years. So that’s kind of crazy. I played there for nine years and what we did in Orlando — no offense to Shaq, he should have his jersey retired — but I should’ve been the first one to have his jersey retired.”
The Orlando Magic’s second NBA Finals appearance with Howard, was less expected than the first with Shaq.
In the 2008-09 season, the basketball world thought the NBA Finals would be an historic first meeting between the game’s best player, Kobe Bryant, and the future of the league, LeBron James.
A young center named Dwight Howard, probably one of the last great post players at that position, derailed everyone’s dream matchup and stuck it to NBA history by leading a band of role players past LeBron’s Cleveland Cavs squad before losing to Los Angeles Lakers super duo, Kobe Bryant and Shaq, in the 2009 Finals (4-1).
Howard was a ferocious defensive force and was more than capable of offensive production. He averaged a double-double in every season in his illustrious 12-year career, which started straight out of high school at 19 and ended abruptly at age 30.
Regardless of what people think of Howard’s lifestyle choices or relationships with former players, his accolades show that he was the greatest player in Orlando Magic’s history for the eight seasons he was there.
Shaquille O’Neal is one of basketball’s all-time most dominant players, and one of the most interesting personalities that the game has ever seen. His legendary career spanned 19 years, and it all started when the Orlando Magic took Shaq Diesel with the first overall pick in the 1992 NBA draft.
Although he never bought Orlando any hardware, he put them on the map. Along with another burgeoning young star named Penny Hardaway, Diesel took Orlando to its first NBA Finals in 1995 and gave them something to believe in, which deserves some gratitude.
Even after he’s retired, Shaq is still making basketball history. Proof that his basketball brand is as good in the hood as his business portfolio is on Wall Street.
The “Inside the NBA” on TNT crew surprised Shaq live with the news that his jersey was being retired. Shaq watched a fake video call that showed Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins relaying this message to him.
“When someone asks who was the first player to officially put the Orlando Magic on the map, the answer is simple — Shaquille O’Neal,” Martins said. “He took this franchise to new heights, both on and off the court, and his legacy is still felt within our organization today. On behalf of the DeVos family, we are excited to honor Shaquille by raising No. 32 into the rafters of the Kia Center, where it will remain forever.”
Shaq totally embraced the moment.
“I was Victor Wembanyama before him. … You come in and they expect you to turn things around,” O’Neal said after it was announced that the Magic would retire his jersey number. “It was a great four years there. I just wanted to come in and make a name for myself.”
Shaq did indeed make a name for himself. In his time with the Magic, he averaged 27.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks over the course of his four years in Orlando. In those four years with Orlando, he arguably produced the best statistics of his career.
He was also named an All-Star in all four of his seasons, including his rookie year that saw him win Rookie of the Year.
Of course, in 1996 Shaq left the Magic to join the Los Angeles Lakers, where he would go on to win three championships. He also joined the Miami Heat and won a championship with them, to finish his illustrious career with four rings.
Along with his championship jewelry, Shaq is an MVP (1999-’00), 15-time All-Star, 14-time All-NBA and two-time scoring champ. He already has his jersey retired by the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers, so this next honor only adds to his legacy of dominance.
In the 2009 NBA Finals, Howard averaged 20.3 points and 15.3 boards per game. Toss in 2.6 blocks and you have one of the best to ever do it in the post. Howard is second behind Dennis Rodman in top career rebounding averages since 1973 (12.7). He carried the Orlando Magic’s franchise on his back for a decade.
Howard was a three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, made eight All-star squads, eight All-NBA selections, five straight All-NBA First Team selections (2008-2012), five NBA All-Defensive selections and led Orlando to three straight Southeast Division titles.
And he found time to win three NBA Community Assist Awards, while being box office and doing things that stars do like win Slam Dunk contests.
When it comes to players who have literally carried a team, even Shaq never had to carry a burden to the magnitude that Howard did in his tenure with the Magic. The disrespect for him across the NBA is disheartening.
And the fact that he hasn’t been honored properly in Orlando and they decided to give Shaq — who had a cup of coffee with the team if we are being honest — the honor of a jersey retirement before Howard is definitely questionable. This doesn’t take anything away from Shaquille O’Neal, who needs no introduction or co-signs.
The calendar has flipped to 2024 and a new year is upon us, though we are almost halfway through the current NBA season. With a new year comes hope and excitement for new possibilities. What are some things NBA fans would like to see this calendar year?
This is a pipe dream and a real wish. In a contact sport injuries are inherent. They’re unavoidable. But a reduction in catastrophic injuries would be nice.
No Achilles tendon tears and injuries that keep players out for the season. Mitchell Robinson, Steven Adams, Lonzo Ball to name a few, are all players that will miss most if not all of the current season.
It happens every year but let’s hope this year is an exception.
This is for those of you that subscribe to American exceptionalism either consciously or subconsciously.
Right now the MVP front runners are Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo. All non-American. I love it and love that the game is so global.
But an American born player hasn’t been MVP since James Harden in 2018. It is no longer a given that America will have the best basketball player in the world, can someone from the U.S. (Anthony Edwards maybe) break into this discussion in 2024?
Most fans don’t know they need this. But they do. This league has thrived on dynasties. Whether it was the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons or Los Angeles Lakers of the 1980s. The Chicago Bulls of the 1990s. The Lakers in the early 2000s or the San Antonio Spurs of the mid 2000s and early 2010s or the Golden State Warriors of the last decade, this has been the way of the NBA.
Historically and by the numbers, dynasties drive interest both positive and negative. Wanting to see a team win as many as possible or rooting for it to end. There are compelling storylines with dynasties.
Plus if Nikola Jokic wins another title and Finals MVP we will need to have a serious discussion of where he ranks historically. That will generate a lot of interest.
The NBA had a successful IST in 2023. But there is room for improvement. Whether it be the court design, messaging around the importance of point differential, adding other leagues to differentiate IST more, fans want to see tweaks.
Entertainment and the way it is consumed is changing rapidly. The NBA needs to be bolder and more innovative and the IST is the perfect vehicle to do it.
The 2019 No. 1 overall draft pick is having a fine year looking at counting stats. Twenty-six points, seven rebounds and five assists per game. He’s not as impactful as he’s been in the past but still a net positive player.
But let’s be honest, this is far from what was promised when he burst onto the scene. No doubt he is dealing with a lot of things in his personal life. Some by his own doing and other stuff seemingly out of his control.
This was a player that was set to be the face of the league, and so far he’s looking like a cautionary tale.
He’s only 23 years old, so he has time to turn this all around and trend in a better direction. 2024 is as good a time as any to start.
The New Orleans Saints have a team-first mentality, and they will do whatever it takes to help their guys out, even if it means showing unsportsmanlike conduct towards an opposing team. Or ignoring their coach’s directive.
In this case the Atlanta Falcons had to deal with the Saints trying to get their beloved running back Jamaal Williams his first rushing touchdown of the season.
Was Jameis Winston Wrong?
The only problem? The Saints were already winning 41-17 and the game was over.
Their head coach Dennis Allen even told them to kneel and finish the game, but their quarterback Jameis Winston wanted nothing to do with kneeling, and according to everyone involved it was a team effort to get Williams his touchdown.
“We put victory [formation] out there, and guys kind of wanted to get him a touchdown. They did that on their own, and that’s unacceptable,” Allen said after the game. “Honestly, I’m not sure exactly what was going on behind that other than they wanted him to score a touchdown.”
Besides, that situation at the end of the game led to soon-to-be-fired Falcons coach Arthur Smith unloading a fury of cusses and profanities at Allen and the Saints.
Almost immediately after that game, Arthur Smith was fired by the Atlanta Falcons. That’s a double whammy no one wants to get hit by, and a horrible way to end your coaching tenure.
Allen wanted to finish the game by the book, but when you’re facing your NFC South divisional rivals who you don’t like, there’s no telling what a team may do to rub it in.
Some talking heads held Winston to blame.
Shannon Sharpe, who is still feeling himself after the Katt Williams interview that is now at 37 million views, called for Winston to be cut and Green to be fired, claiming “he lost the locker room.”
That sentiment of disdain toward Atlanta, was not only echoed by Winston when he changed the play to score Williams’ touchdown, but Saints legendary tight end Jimmy Graham.
Graham stepped in to weigh on Winston’s decision to get another touchdown, defending his qb, while throwing some salt to the Atlanta Falcons.
“This man is the best teammate I’ve ever had,” Graham tweeted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Loves this city, this game and embodies everything you can ask for in a leader. Was a rare situation and we all take responsibility. Nobody thought it would get blown out of proportion. Also, f*ck the Falcons.”
Winston, on the other hand meant no disrespect toward Atlanta, or so he says.
“I think it should be forgotten, especially when the score is already 41-17,” Winston said after the game. “I don’t know how much worse it can get. Got a ton of respect for Arthur Smith and the coach that he is. I think they do some incredible things. I didn’t want to disrespect — that was not my intention.
“My intention was to lead the team that I’ve been with the entire year. We made a collective decision that we wanted to give one of our guys — who they fight with blood, sweat and tears in every game — in the end zone. And I’m going to feel good about it.”
The former Tampa Bay Buccaneers signal-caller has spent his entire career in the NFC South, and has probably played the Atlanta Falcons more times than most players have.
An anti-climatic ending to the season led to a huge outburst of anger and unsportsmanlike activity between two bitter rivals.
Can’t wait for next season.
