With the Pittsburgh Steelers having lost three straight games to slip to 7-7, things have gotten testy on the banks of Three Rivers. Head coach Mike Tomlin is trying to right the ship in hopes of leading the team to the playoffs, and extend his NFL-record 16 consecutive non-losing seasons to begin a coaching career. One of Tomlin’s biggest headaches this season has been the continued immaturity of second-year wide receiver George Pickens.
The mercurial Pickens was a first-round talent coming out of Georgia, but maturity concerns that had him slip to the second are showing why that happened. Pickens has come under fire this week for comments made he made about not blocking on a running play, as he said he didn’t wanna get injured. What a lame excuse for not blocking, and, unfortunately, that’s been his MO. When he isn’t getting the football he completely checks out in other areas of the game.
That type of effort has drawn the ire of Tomlin and many others. In fact a pretty perturbed Tomlin expressed his frustration with Pickens in his Wednesday media session.
Tomlin Says Keep Your Damn Mouth Shut
In an attempt to get Pickens’ attention, the usually calm and collected Tomlin heeded words of advice to his talented pass-catcher, who seems to be doing all he can to get shipped out of Pittsburgh.
“George is a talented guy, but he’s growing and growing in a lot of ways in regard to football and life,” Tomlin began. “We don’t run away from that. We run to that organizationally when we draft guys. We’re committed to being a component of their growth and development in all areas.”
Strong words from Tomlin, who seems to be growing tired of addressing Pickens immaturity. In the same breath the legendary Steelers coach also said it’s best if he just kept quiet.
“When you’re winning and doing your jobs, a lot of the attention is on things such as that,” Tomlin said. “When you’re not doing your job and losing, you better keep your d— mouth shut and understand that that tracks a certain type of attention, as well. And usually that’s vulture-like attention.”
Pickens is just the latest in Steelers receivers to consistently show a lack maturity. He follows the likes of Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, and Martavis Bryant. The big difference between Pickens and those aforementioned pass catchers is all of them were much more accomplished, and while they should’ve laid low as well, they had much more of a right to talk than Pickens does.
Pickens Has Been Solid In Year Two, Not Great
After a solid rookie season Pickens was expected to take a huge jump in year two. His numbers — 52 receptions for 814 yards and three touchdowns — are pretty much identical to last season with three games left. But Tomlin, and even Pickens, expected much more, and while the quarterback situation hasn’t helped — and the midseason change at offensive coordinator didn’t help either — Pickens’ immaturity hasn’t helped matters either.
Despite Pickens antics and criticizing others for his lack of effort, the Steelers need him, and, according to Tomlin, he’ll be in the starting lineup come this weekend’s huge matchup versus the Cincinnati Bengals.
Disclaimer: a professional sports career does not mean financial security.
Although that is the ultimate goal when given the privilege to play sports on the highest levels, there is a difference between making and investing a lot of money. The prior might have assisted former NFL running back and Super Bowl champion Derrick Ward, who recently was arrested in connection with robberies at businesses in the Los Angeles area, per reports.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Derrick Ward was arrested Monday night. He was being held on $250,000 bond and accused of being involved in multiple robberies of several businesses, including gas stations across the city, and using force to get the money.
To be clear: the NFL has programs for athletes that are in need. The NFL Player Care Foundation (PCF) is an independent organization dedicated to helping retired players improve their quality of life. PCF addresses all aspects of life by providing programs and assistance with medical, emotional, financial, social, and community issues.
In 2015, Sports Illustrated estimated that 80 percent of retired NFL players go broke in their first three years out of the League.
There is no reason to believe that the PCF is a band-aid that fits all post-NFL problems. However, with the profile and reported incomes associated with playing professional football, what would make an ex-NFL player rob establishments is an enigma.
Ward, a native Los Angeleno, attended high school in the Inland Empire of Southern California Valley View High School in Moreno Valley. Now a 43-year-old, he started his pro career as a seventh-round pick of the New York Jets in the 2004 draft out of Fresno State and later Ottawa University in Kansas. He was cut by the Jets before he played a game. He played for the Giants, where he won a Super Bowl, breaking Tom Brady and the Patriots undefeated 2007 season.
During his eight NFL seasons, Ward also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Houston Texans, playing in 93 NFL games, rushing for 2,628 yards, and scoring 12 touchdowns.
The details of why Derrick Ward did whatever he is being accused of by the Los Angeles Police Department are unclear. However, because NFL players have a high risk of a challenging transition outside of football, Ward is the new cautionary tale.
It looks like Chance Comanche, a 27-year-old former player on the Sacramento Kings G League affiliate, the Stockton Kings, sent vile and clueless text messages where the murder of Marayna Rodgers, was planned by him and ex-girlfriend Sakari Harnden.
“I can snap her neck or just strangle the b***h,” Comanche allegedly wrote in a group message among Harnden and a third man, who had contact with someone who could get Rodgers “chipped” according to Las Vegas police records obtained by KCRA.
“If you get a nice little thick piece of rope or sum sturdy I can do it from the backseat. Like how the killers do it in the movies.”
There were alleged issues between Harnden and Rodgers over a Rolex that Rodgers allegedly threatened to kill Harnden over.
Harnden and Rodgers allegedly also got into an altercation on Dec. 4 after Handen allegedly implicated Rodgers’ boyfriend in a double murder in California, which led to his arrest.
Both Harnden and Rodgers worked as prostitutes in the Las Vegas area, according to reports.
Comanche (posing as a trick) and Harnden lured Rodgers into a vehicle under the guise of having kinky sex in the early hours of Dec. 6 according to reports. After Rodgers willingly agreed to have her hands tied as a part of the sex act, Comanche then used a cord while Harnden used both her hands to choke Rodgers.
Comanche told police when he was arrested that he stopped when he heard his victim struggling to breathe, but Harnden continued choking the victim.
When Rodgers became unresponsive Comanche and Harnden realized she was dead and left her body in a ditch on the side of the road.
Police also say that Comanche was coaching Harnden on what to say while she was being questioned.
“Calmly answer them. They only know what you tell them,” Comanche allegedly said at 10:03 am. Dec. 6. “You got this boo. This is the post game interview. Just smile and wave.”
A criminal complaint was filed in Las Vegas court charging both Comanche and Harnden with open murder and conspiracy to commit murder, both felonies. Both are in the custody of Las Vegas police and made initial court appearances on Dec. 21.
The callousness and lack of seriousness Comanche has in these text messages along with his confession seem like more than enough to get him and Harnden convicted.
The penalties for first-degree murder in Nevada are the death penalty, life in prison without the possibility of parole, life-with-parole after 20 years, or 50 years in prison with parole after 20 years.
First-degree murder in Nevada is murder committed with premeditation or lying in wait.
Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green is currently in the midst of an indefinite suspension. This following his on-court antics of wildly punching Phoenix Suns center Jusef Nurkic.
That followed him choking Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert last month, an incident which subsequently resulted in the Warriors enforcer being suspended for five games.
For Green who’s always toed the proverbial line of acceptable and unacceptable behavior, it was the latest incident in his checkered career. If he’s not picking up technical fouls, he’s being sent to the showers early following an ejection. When you look at the history of some of Green’s most memorable mixups, he’s sort got a type.
Former Miami Heat legend and resident OG Udonis Haslem who’s called Green out for his antics in the past, didn’t miss the opportunity to speak on this situation. Haslem, who retired after last season, just started a new podcast called “The OGs” and there he addressed the situation the four-time NBA champion and one-time NBA DPOY Green seems to always be in.
Haslem who was known as a bit of an enforcer himself during his playing days believes Green has taken things a bit too far.
“Draymond, man, you’re out of pocket,” Haslem said of the first episode of his new podcast. “You’re out of pocket. I f— with Draymond, man. There’s only so many warriors in this league, guys that are going to take a tech, going to take that foul, and protect their teammates. But we don’t start s—. We don’t start it. We ain’t bullies. We don’t look for it. We don’t initiate it. We are guys that prevent it. We are guys that protect our teammates. So, man, I got a lot of respect for Draymond man. But right now, Draymond tripping.”
“People thinks he’s crazy. I think he’s smart. Because he knows who he’s messing with,” Haslem continued. “He choked out Gobert, he hit Nurkic. He’s messing with people who really ain’t gonna do nothing back.”
Green’s been picking on European players he knows aren’t built like that or someone like former Warriors teammate Jordan Poole, who he cold-cocked during last season’s training camp. The move subsequently ruined the team’s season and defense of their 2022 NBA championship. Poole, a rising young player for the team, never seemed to recover, and was dealt to the Washington Wizards this past offseason.
Haslem says Green decking Poole would be like him picking on rising Heat star Tyler Herro. It’s just not a fair fight, and for that Green is wrong.
After going undrafted in 2002, Haslem spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Miami helping them win three NBA championships. During his time in the league Haslem earned the reputation as an enforcer who did it the right way.
Just like Green, he was always ready to step up and defend his teammates. When called upon he would give that hard foul to the opposing team to sort of send a message. But one thing you never saw from Haslem was him attacking a teammate or coming unhinged versus the opponent as Green as done so often.
And as Haslem said repeatedly in his statement, Green chooses the right ones to pick on.
Per reports Green, at the very minimum will be out for at least three more weeks as he meets the league’s mandated stipulations that must occur before a return to the hardwood can even be considered. Green is allowed to practice but not enter any arenas on game days.
Off the heels of a crazy comeback in overtime against the Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr witnessed another great Stephen Curry performance. It prompted debate by the “Inside The NBA” crew on Steph’s GOAT candidacy. But Kerr just thinks Steph is the most skilled hoops player he’s ever seen. Could that be right?
“Love that. I think the argument that maybe isn’t even an argument is the most skilled player of all time,” said Kerr on 95.7 The Game. “I just look at Steph as the most skilled basketball player I’ve ever seen.”
Who is the greatest this? Who is the best that?
These are the conversations that drive a large portion of sports media. Fans love to argue and discuss these topics. Most of the time what you end up arguing are career accomplishments not actual quality of play, which is much harder to articulate.
Steph is an elite basketball player. The greatest shooter ever, from range on volume. He has redefined the geometry of the basketball court and inspired a generation of future hoopers. He’s an elite ball handler and maybe the best off ball mover ever.
All of those are skills. But there are so many skills involved in the game of basketball.
LeBron James is nowhere near the shooter Curry is but does everything else better. Is he more skilled?
Nikola Jokic isn’t the off ball mover Curry is but can do virtually everything else on a basketball court at his size. Is he more skilled?
Kevin Durant and Joel Embiid are seven footers with guard skills, especially KD, are they more skilled?
This isn’t a knock on Kerr or Curry. The NBA today is loaded with super skilled players and picking who is the most skilled is extremely difficult and comes down to what an individual values more.
There are people who will tell you Kyrie Irving is the most skilled player in the league and when you watch him at his peak, you’d find it tough to argue against it.
Basketball fans are blessed to have the best league in the world overflowing with skill and talent. Watching these players is like watching a brilliant artist create in their preferred medium. It can be breathtaking and awe-inspiring.
Debating who’s better than who, or who is the most skilled or whatever has its place. But as they say, comparison is the thief of joy. Personally, I want more joy in my life.
Early national signing day came and went, and in the end Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders, who’s the head coach of the Colorado Buffaloes, landed the top transfer class for the second consecutive year.
Sanders and his staff hit the road running after not qualifying for a bowl game in their first year, and that extra time on the road seems to have paid off.
Deion Sanders Secures New Offensive Lineman
Sanders and the Buffs attacked the team’s biggest weakness in 2023, which was a porous offensive line that allowed 56 sacks and saw quarterback Shedeur Sanders end the season with a fractured back. Upon arrival at Colorado in 2022, Sanders added 47 players.
This time around Sanders brought in 16 new players, giving CU the top transfer class in 2024.
The need to protect Shedeur has been the focal point of the offseason thus far. On Wednesday, the four new transfer offensive linemen that Sanders brought in, officially signed. That included former Indiana Hoosiers star lineman Kahlil Benson, who had this to say after putting pen to paper.
“I definitely think we have a big, big, big shot at taking it all the way and winning this thing out, because the guys we got coming in — I’m not gonna lie — these are some dawgs,” Benson told USA Today Sports. “This team is going to be magnificent. Just watch. We comin.”
Benson even posted the news of his signing with the Buffs with the hashtag #DT2 which stands for “Don’t Touch 2,” in reference to Shedeur.
“He’s not getting touched no more,” Benson said via phone call.
One signing that didn’t occur was Jordan Seaton, the nation’s top offensive tackle who verbally committed to Coach Prime and the Buffs on Dec. 8, but posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that he was having second thoughts about signing.
Late Wednesday reports out of College Park is that the DMV native is likely to flip to Mike Locksley and the Maryland Terrapins. Huge development, but not all is lost if that does in fact come to fruition.
The Buffs’ composite score for their recruiting class ranks 91st after signing only five high school players, but they more than made up for it in the transfer portal.
For a team that went 4-8 and lost five games by seven points or less, fixing both lines was imperative. Not being able to protect the QB, run the football or stop the run was the real cause of the Buffs’ struggles. It’s the biggest reason why they lost eight of their final nine games.
Upgrading both lines has to happen, and Coach Prime also dabbled on the defensive line. Adding former Alabama three-star Anquin Barnes and former LSU four-star Quency Wiggins are huge upgrades upfront.
Coach Prime added 21 new pieces in all. Seaton would be the lone five-star if he does sign. But to add three current four-stars and to add seven former four-stars is a huge get for the Buffs.
Ben Verlander, brother of three-time Cy Young award winner Justin Verlander, is a huge Shohei Ohtani fan. You can’t fault him for that, Ohtani is the best player in the game. But the “Flippin’ Bats” host and Fox Sports analyst is seemingly unaware of Los Angeles Dodgers history. In championing the Ohtani signing as the “most important” in team history he omitted Jackie Robinson, whose signing could be argued as “most important.” Verlander is now being dragged online.
“This means everything,” Verlander said Tuesday. “It’s the most important signing in Dodgers history, I have no problem saying that. It’s the most important, it’s the biggest and I think it will be the most impactful and it’s already impactful. Not on the field, but odds-wise the Dodgers are now the odds-on favorite to win the World Series.”
As a reminder for the youngsters out there. Robinson was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, breaking the MLB color barrier.
Over the course of his 10-year MLB career, Robinson won the inaugural Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons, and was the first Black player to have won the National League Most Valuable Player Award. He played in six World Series and helped the Dodgers win the 1955 World Series championship.
In 1997, MLB retired his uniform No. 42 across all major league teams; he was the first professional athlete in any sport to be so honored. MLB created an annual tradition, “Jackie Robinson Day” for the first time on April 15, 2004, on which every player on every team wears No. 42. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962.
Ohtani is a better baseball player than Robinson, and there is no doubt there. He might help the Dodgers win another World Series title and when he enters the Hall of Fame he’ll probably go in as a member of the Dodgers.
But Robinson has got to be the most important signing in club history. The cultural significance of breaking the color barrier and everything Robinson means with his MLB platform to the larger civil rights movement, all of that was huge.
This was an egregious error from Verlander, who should know his baseball history better. He’s being rightfully dragged from all sides.
Can’t say if this was a purposeful omission or not. It could be an honest mistake. Either way it was bad and he likely won’t hear the end of it for quite some time.
She’s back! Moriah Mills has entered the chat unannounced and kicking and screaming her way to the top of your timelines. Of course, she is coming for her favorite target again in renewed spirit, disparaging him and saying she believes his “publicists” are creating false narratives about her.
“You know what’s so funny? People thinking that that Pillsbury Doughbo(y) paid for me to be off the internet,” Mills said in a Tik Tok video. “No, he didn’t; his stepdaddy controls his money now, so he has to get an allowance, I guess every week or whatever the freak. Nobody paid anybody for me to get me off the internet, (so) I decided to get away from the internet on my own to work on my own personal problems.
“With that being said, I seen all your little publicists trying to write stories about me saying all these things about me, but how ’bout y’all tell Zion Williamson to go on a treadmill and lose weight, because that game he played with LeBron the other day was disgusting. You fat motherf****r, go lose some weight. Don’t you think people got tired of you looking fat like that. Like, I got tired of you being on top of me looking fat, you nasty f**k.”
Mills’ X account was suspended in June. However, she believed that there was a narrative that Williamson had paid her to stop her constant online harassment. Mills plagued Williamson online after finding out he was having a child with another woman.
Now TikTok is the platform for her debasing resurgence.
“Here’s some advice, Zion Williamson, since you want to send your publicist to talk s**t about me every other freaking week, how about you get on your treadmill, speed 3, level 12 and maybe you’ll lose some weight, and go on it for like an hour or two,” she said.
“Second, how about you stop drinking sodas. How about you practice doing three-pointers, everyone is tired of seeing you do dunks all freaking day, learn another move, it’s getting boring and tired. You’re tired and boring, just like you were in bed.”
Many NBA veterans have had words of concern for Williamson about his weight, with none louder than Charles Barkley who compared Williamson to himself before he had Moses Malone train him on the Sixers. Recently, Carmelo Anthony provided another perspective on his “7am In Brooklyn” podcast.
“I think from the beginning there was so much put on Zion, like thrown at him,” Anthony said. “You have to be the next — you are the logo, you are the next guy. We haven’t seen [anything] like this since ’03. So, because of that. This kid is 18. This kid still wants to eat McDonald’s, this kid still wants to eat Chick-fil-A, this kid still wants to drink iced tea. Man, he’s from South Carolina; this is what they do, they eat. The fans want him to be Zion Williamson, the greatest thing since Wilt Chamberlain, but that’s not who he wants to be yet. … My message to Zion is discipline.”
The saga of criticism continues for Williamson, and Mills is back with a vengeance.
With just three regular season games left in the NFL season it’s that time to rank our top melanated quarterbacks after Week 15.
Bryce Young, Panthers
The 2023 No. 1 overall pick has had a pretty miserable rookie season. From his offensive line getting him killed (54 sacks allowed) which is fourth-worst in the league to having his head coach, quarterbacks coach and running backs coach fired in late November, it’s been quite a tumultuous first season for Young. While there hasn’t been much to get excited about, Sunday’s 9-7 walkoff win was something to get excited about.
Young led the Panthers on a game-winning drive to knock off the then-NFC South leading Atlanta Falcons. In the win Young went 18 of 24 for 167 yards with zero touchdowns, but he also didn’t have any turnovers. Following the win an elated Young told reporters this in his postgame interview.
“Really, we’re just all happy. There’s a lot of joy for sure.”
Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs
With the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs mired in a rare two-game losing streak, the reigning MVP and SB MVP stepped up and led his team to a 27-17 road win at the New England Patriots. Mahomes was his usual self passing, for over 300 yards and two touchdowns.
But, he once again threw two interceptions, neither his fault, as once again his wide receivers dropped multiple balls, bringing their league-leading total to 33. Now at 9-5, a win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas will give K.C. its eighth consecutive AFC West title, and sixth consecutive in the Mahomes era.
This season Mahomes has passed for 3,703 yards, 25 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Lamar Jackson, Ravens
Some weeks you can’t measure Jackson’s effect by stats. In Sunday’s 23-7 road win at the Jaguars that was the case as Jackson passed for 171 yards and one touchdown, while also rushing for 97 yards. But it was more about how he controlled the game with his play, and that allowed the team to control the clock, rushing for over 258 yards.
With the win the 11-3 Ravens clinched the AFC’s first playoff berth and are one win closer to clinching home field advantage in the AFC.
Jackson told the postgame scrum of reporters, “We’re just getting started.”
Jordan Love, Packers
Albeit in a 34-20 loss to the Buccaneers, Love was very good. The former Utah State standout who’s gotten better each week this season, went 29-39 for 284 yards and two touchdowns. It was his sixth game this season with at least 250 yards passing.
The Packers’ playoffs hopes are probably a long shot but the one good thing about the season is Love has grown and blossomed. With over 3,300 yards passing, 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, Love looks the part, and that should give the Packers faithful some real hope going forward.
Russell Wilson, Broncos
The Broncos were manhandled in a 42-17 rout at the Lions, but Wilson was once again solid. The savvy veteran went 18-for-32 for 223 yards and one touchdown. While the images of head coach Sean Payton berating the future Hall of Famer on the sidelines are still fresh in everyone’s mind, Wilson’s play is a huge reason the team has come from 1-5 to now 7-7.
This season Wilson has passed for over 2,800 yards, 24 touchdowns and just eight interceptions.
Miami Dolphins star wide receiver has been undoubtedly the best receiver in the NFL this season.
Nicknamed the “Cheetah” for his blazing speed, Hill has amassed 97 receptions for 1,542 yards and 12 touchdowns in helping lead the Fins to a 10-4 record and No. 2 in the AFC. Off the field Hill seems to be enjoying life, having recently married longtime girlfriend Keeta Vaccaro in November during the team’s bye week. Throw in Hill’s hit “It Needed To Be Said” podcast and things couldn’t be better, right?
That is until this week when three different women came through claiming Hill had fathered children with the NNFL star.
According to the Daily Mail, Hill was recently sued by two of the women who say he’s the father of two children born in February and May of this year. That was followed by another woman, Camille Valmon, who says her son was also born in March, and she even named him after the talented Hill.
What’s really going on here?
Based on what Valmon told the Daily Mail, Hill has acknowledged their son and has been taking care of him.
“I can’t speak on anything else that he has going on outside of our parenting relationship but it’s simply none of my business,” Valmon said. “But I will say he is a great father not only to our son, but to all of his children.”
The other children Valmon is speaking of are the three children Hill fathered with ex-fiancée Crystal Espinal.
That brings us back to the two paternity suits that are lingering out there. Per reports, he and new wife Vaccaro were on and off a lot since their 2021 engagement, so who knows if Hill is actually the father of the other two children and if he actually cheated.
Hill is no stranger to paternity suits. In fact, Espinal sued him in 2019 for the couple’s twins. Espinal happens to also be the woman Hill choked as she was pregnant with the couple’s first child in 2015. He was dismissed from the Oklahoma State football team for his actions.
The old adage has always been innocent until proven guilty, so only time will tell with the two new paternity suits.
When Hill was traded to the Miami Dolphins in March 2022, he immediately signed a four-year, $120 million extension, making him the highest-paid receiver in the league.
Since then, Hill has been nothing short of sensational for head coach Mike McDaniel’s dynamic offense. In two seasons he’s tallied 216 receptions for 3,252 yards and 19 touchdowns.
With three games left the dynamic Hill will aim to become the first wide receiver to reach the 2000-yard single-season mark. In order to do so he’ll need to average 152 yards per game. If so, Hill would make a strong case to become the league’s first MVP from the wide receiver position.
His on field discipline has been perfect. Reek’s off field approach needs some work.
On Tuesday night HBO aired the final episode of “Real Sports” hosted by Bryant Gumbel. The legendary sports magazine show lasted 29 years, unheard of in today’s landscape. While the show will have a lasting legacy, its end is another nail in the coffin of sports journalism.
“Such a heavy word, legacy. It seems like a word that belongs to politicians and world leaders,” Gumbel said in an interview with the Washington Post. “I’m not sure a television show merits that status. I think the show is going to be remembered as a show that tried to do sports journalism the right way and tried to treat fans, athletes and sports with a degree of respect.”
This is not a “get off my lawn” take that I often deride “old-heads” for. But Gumbel is right. “Real Sports” wasn’t about spin or gotcha moments or any of the things we see all over media today. Dogged reporters looked for stories that were interesting or major incidents that warranted attention and presented all the facts. Once the segment ended, the main journalist on said piece and Gumbel would discuss how they felt about the subject. But they didn’t tell the audience how they should feel.
We don’t get a lot of that type of storytelling today and there are a lot of reasons for it. The omnipresence of social media and athlete-led platforms that tell their “truths.” Major networks are in bed with the leagues through broadcast deals. ESPN can’t have journalists that criticize their major partners like the NBA and NFL.
Look at all the major cuts made at ESPN over the last several years. The journalism has been gutted and filled with media in the pocket of agencies like CAA, which reps coaches and athletes, and in the pocket of the team executives in the leagues they broadcast. The airwaves are filled with talking head shows that “embrace debate.”
“I don’t foresee it. First, it was a very expensive show to do,” Gumbel said when asked if there could be another show like “Real Sports.” “Second, most outlets have some kind of a contractual relationship with a sports league that would prevent them from doing an honest kind of show. I also think the public appetite has changed. We did long-form video pieces. … The public is conditioned to expect things to be brief.”
That’s the other reality. As sports fans a generation older than me age out and my generation ages, the majority of sports fans don’t expect shows like this or grow up with it.
An 18-year-old today was born in 2005. They have never lived in a world without the internet and they grew up on social media. Long form wasn’t something they needed to wait and find and digest. If they want to know something, they can get it immediately and from multiple vehicles.
A sports fan born in 1978 turned 18-years-old in 1996. If they were a fan of a non local sports team they needed Sports Illustrated, which published weekly, for the hope of a story about a player or a topic. Or they went to the library and looked for newspapers from other areas for stories.
ESPN and its groundbreaking news magazine show “Outside the Lines” started in 1990 and was a monthly show initially.
All this is to say, things have changed. These longer form well-reported programs and pieces are still very valuable. But only insofar as there is an audience large enough that can support them.
Just like clockwork, here comes another Michael Jordan and LeBron James GOAT debate. This time the discussion involves the role of “conqueror” and “dynasty destroyer,” and who played that role better.
It started last year when the Lakers were playing the Golden State Warriors in the playoff semifinal round. While the Lakers would eventually go on to win the series in 6 games, Fox Sports 1’s Kevin Wildes exclaimed that if LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers would go on to eliminate the Warriors from the playoffs, they would end the Warriors dynasty.
But Greg Anthony, a member of NBA TV, and a former basketball star himself at UNLV and later with the New York Knicks, inserted that LeBron had already defeated and ended two dynasties, one of them already being the Golden State Warriors.
He also threw a shot at His Airness, asserting that Jordan has never faced nor ended a dynasty, implying that LeBron has a leg up on Jordan in the GOAT debate because of that reason.
“Actually there were 2 [dynasties] (@spurs) and he actually has beaten both…I would ask you which dynasty did MJ beat? 😊 #AskingForAFriend love the show, you guys are fun!” Anthony wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Anthony, who is an NCAA champion with the 1989-’90 UNLV team, challenged Wildes and gave his opinion on the never-ending Jordan-LeBron debate.
Many argue that Jordan did take down a dynasty, the Showtime Lakers in 1991, but the opposing side dismisses that Lakers team’s dynasty cedentials because Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had retired and was not on that team.
The idea is that if the greatest center and one of the greatest players of all time was still playing with to that Lakers squad, Jordan and the Chicago Bulls would have been too overwhelmed and probably wouldn’t have won.
Also, if Kareem had already left, they would no longer be the same Showtime Lakers that was so dominant in the ‘’80s, which would void that dynasty championship for Jordan.
There’s always a lot of brain stretching when it comes to these debates.
Meanwhile, LeBron’s super team took down the San Antonio Spurs in 2013, who were considered a dynasty at that time, although the Spurs would come back the very next year to beat the LeBron-led Miami Heat in the 2014 finals.
He also defeated the 73-9 Golden State Warriors, ruining their perfect season and making a historic comeback from 3-1 down in the Finals as well.
But with LeBron having conquered some all-time great NBA teams, he still is looking at the next generation of basketball. With Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant making his return from his 25-game suspension, LeBron had a great response to his return.
“1️⃣2️⃣ welcome back!! Go be GREAT again!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾,” LeBron James wrote.
It seems that the arguably greatest player of all time is still lending out some love to the young bucks and he is hoping Ja Morant can regain the trust and respect of the NBA executive suite. Meanwhile, LeBron has a lot more to do in his quest for greatness, and the In-Season tournament banner being lifted should help his case.
It is worth noting that Jordan never won an In-Season Tournament.
Spike Lee is a part of pop culture, and some may even argue that he is pop culture. From his deep connection to the sports realm and his super fandom of the New York Knicks, to the cinematic avenue with his countless timeless classic, entertaining, and mildly educational movies, Spike represents iconic culture.
So it’s no secret that some of his memorabilia would cost a pretty penny. But when you mix his signature memorabilia, with arguably the most successful modern-day shoe brand, you’re getting a recipe for financial success.
This time around it came in the form of some very rare Jordan sneakers, an edition especially made for and worn by Spike Lee himself.
According to The Associated Press, an Oregon homeless shelter found an anonymous donation of a rare pair of Jordans that were the same edition as those custom-made for Spike Lee. Those shoes were auctioned off for the Portland Rescue Mission auction on Monday at Sotheby’s.
The shoes in question are a pair of Gold Air Jordan 3s like those made for Spike Lee, and he wore the same type of shoe in 2019 when he went to accept his Oscar award for his movie “BlacKkKlansman.”
The shoes sold for $50,800, which is more than double the anticipated amount for the rare shoe.
But although these weren’t the exact pair worn by Lee himself, the shoes are extremely rare, and only a handful were designed and made by renowned Nike designer Tinker Hatfield, who designed the shoes for Lee and a few people in his inner circle.
Hatfield was also the person who stopped by to verify the authenticity of the shoes. Nike’s headquarters are in Oregon, which is not too far from the shelter.
“In the last five minutes it went up and up, and every time we saw that number increase, tears and people clapping,” Erin Holcomb, director of staff ministries at the Portland Rescue Mission, told The Associated Press.
Who knew that some sneakerhead out there would inadvertently become a philanthropist while attempting to acquire these legendary shoes?
The proceeds from the auction will be going towards providing services for the homeless shelter in Oregon that helps provide plenty of amenities to the homeless in the area. Services that they provide are food, access to bathrooms and showers, health care, employment resources, and housing.
According to Holcomb, it serves around 6,000 people, and 300,000 meals a year.
“We couldn’t believe it,” Holcomb said. “The generosity of this moment has been a huge celebration for our whole organization.”
The person who donated the shoes remains unknown, and while Spike Lee presumably had no involvement in this, he probably has some gratification that a pair of his signature shoes went to a good cause.
On Monday the NFL decided to suspend Pittsburgh Steelers safety Damontae Kazee for the remainder of the season for his hit on Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
The move came after repeated offenses by Kazee, and will carry over into the postseason should the Steelers qualify. Kazee has been fined five times this season alone for such offenses.
Kazee suspension also comes with no pay, meaning if the Steelers got hot and ran the table the hard-hitting enforcer could go as many as six or seven weeks without receiving a game check.
A letter to Kazee by the NFL VP of Football Operations Jon Runyan read:
“When players violate the rules intended to protect player safety on a repeated basis, and particularly when the violations carry with them a significant risk of injury to an opposing player, it is appropriate to impose substantially greater penalties.”
Despite Runyan’s letter stating that repeated offenses played a role in the length of the suspension, future NFL Hall of Famer Tom Brady has a gripe with the QBs who put receivers in harm’s way with some of their throws.
Brady Has Animated Rant Aimed At QBs
The seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback has a bit of a different view on what took place Saturday and has been happening way too often around the league. Brady’s Instagram post has everything to do with signal-callers hanging receivers out to dry.
“Nobody likes seeing players being hurt. But hard hits happen. QBs should not be throwing the ball in areas where they are exposing their own teammates to these type of hits,” Brady said. “Coaches need to coach better, QBs need to read coverages and throw the ball to the right places and defenders should aim for the right hitting areas.
“To put the blame on the defensive player all the time is just flat wrong. Need better QB play!! It’s not OK QBs to get your WRs hit because of your bad decisions!”
Strong comments by Brady, who’s never been shy to express how he feels about the game or the rules of the game which he and many other QBs have benefited heavily from.
But in this instance Brady is correct, QBs need to be held accountable for making certain throws that are bound to get your receiver jacked up. In 2021, Brady, while leading the Buccaneers, he said that a quarterback’s job is to protect himself and his teammates. Brady also mentioned that the onus to protect yourself shouldn’t fall on the referees or the league’s front office.
Brady Talking The Talk Because He Can
Why can Brady speak in that manner?
Because he’s only the greatest signal-caller to ever play the game, and one thing he rarely did was set his guys up to take big hits. Brady was great at throwing to open guys and protecting them at the same time.
As far as QB play needing to be better, Brady is 100 percent correct, and especially in 2023 where the bar has been set extremely low.
Early national signing day is here, and there’s a lot to unpack. In the new pay-for-play era, it’s all about securing NIL deals for a lot of student-athletes.
Players have taken full advantage of things like the transfer portal to land lucrative NIL deals, and landing incoming top recruits has become all about the NIL collectives at the respective programs.
The 2023 early signing period looks much different than it ever has. For the first time in the history of the Rivals.com the top 10 recruits are all committed to different schools.
If that isn’t a sign of the aforementioned pay-for-play era, what is?
Yahoo Sports columnist Dan Wetzel, who’s also a contributor to Rivals, said this about the first-time occurrence:
“NIL isn’t the only reason players are choosing different schools, but it’s certainly a reason.”
It’s the main reason Why else would something like this be occurring for the first time ?
With Wednesday being the first day of the ESP, Friday will be the final day in which players can sign their national letter of intent.
If they choose to not sign during these three days they’ll have wait until Feb. 7.
Of course, the expectancy is that most players will sign where they’re currently committed, but chaos could definitely ensue as players who are on the fence may change their verbal commitment.
That’s what happened over the weekend when Dylan Raiola, the top-ranked QB and No. 2 overall player in the class, flipped his commitment to Nebraska.
The move, while surprising to most, was always a possibility, because Raiola’s dad Dominic played at Nebraska, and his uncle Donovan is the Cornhuskers’ offensive line coach.
All it probably took was some in-house negotiations.
In late November Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule told reporters as he and his staff looking to land a top quarterback, “A good QB in the portal costs $1 million, $1.5 million, $2 million in NIL.”
Family ties aside, that’s also likely the going rate to land the top QB in the 2024 recruiting cycle.
To have him flip from powerhouse UGA, to Lincoln, where they’re rebuilding, would take much more than his dad having the inside track because he’s a former Huskers All-American.
All eyes will be on the Rivals No. 1 ranked player, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.
The multi-faceted pass catcher has been verbally committed to Ohio State since December 2022.
But he has Miami, Florida and Florida State chomping at the bit to replace that customary “Brutus” hat.
Florida State commit K.J. Bolden is the top-ranked safety, and after missing out on the CFP despite a 13-0 record, losing Bolden would only add to their misery.
The Seminoles know what it’s like to lose a top recruit on early signing day, having lost 2022 No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter to Coach Prime and Jackson State that year. Auburn and Georgia have put the full-court press on Bolden.
Colorado commit and the nation’s No. 1-ranked offense tackle Jordan Seaton admitted this week that he’s torn on where to sign.
Reports are Oregon, Maryland, Tennessee, Florida and Ohio State never stopped recruiting him even after he announced his commitment to the Buffaloes and Coach Prime.
This has FLIP written all over it, but only time will tell.
Draymond Green is not crazy, regardless of all the Green memes and up-in-arms energy he has received since his latest NBA infraction. If the passion that Draymond expresses for the hardwood wasn’t evident before, now he is considered a whole psychiatric case based on the criminalization of his style of play.
For the next three weeks, Green will undergo NBA-mandated counseling. These counseling sessions coincide with Draymond’s recent indefinite suspension, his second suspension of the season. According to Shams Charania, Green must “meet certain league and team conditions” before returning to the court.
Other players are weighing in and see the contradiction in the narrative about Draymond Green.
“Honestly, I’m like speechless, like, I don’t even what to say about it, it’s crazy,” said Paul George on his Podcast P show. “I don’t like that they’re painting him like he’s crazy now, though. I don’t like that part. He’s not crazy.
“Let’s stop the narrative that he’s crazy or something’s wrong with him,” George continued. “Like, come on, we gotta chill with that. … He gonna be all right. We all are waiting to see what the fate is. But he gonna be all right.”
Paul George is picking up on the not-so-subtle positioning the narrative has taken in Draymond’s discourse. He fits every single irrational and angry Black stereotype and adds the fact that he is a 6-foot-6 athlete, and you have a modern-day King Kong characterization.
The reality is that Draymond Green plays ball like someone who wasn’t supposed to make it to the league, because he wasn’t. Draymond Green has defied expectations since being drafted by the Warriors in the second round of the 2012 NBA draft. Initially seen as an undersized forward with limited offensive skills, Green quickly proved his critics wrong. His ability to guard multiple positions, control the pace of the game, and contribute in every statistical category has made him one of the most versatile players in the league.
“I hate that y’all put that narrative on him,” a seemingly aggravated Shaquille O’Neal told reporters on Tuesday.
“The man don’t need counseling — on the court, he don’t need nothing. Off the court, he’s a solid human being — he’s a good man. …
“Everybody has to have a certain character on the court. My character, Ernie, I will elbow you until your damn teeth come out your mouth. I was mean on the court but off the court, I’m a different person. He does a lot of crazy things on the court that he shouldn’t but don’t put the narrative out that he needs counseling. There’s nothing wrong with Draymond.”
Green’s impact on the court is most profoundly felt on the defensive end. A multiple-time NBA All-Defensive Team member and the 2017 Defensive Player of the Year, Green’s defensive understanding is pivotal to the Warriors’ system. His unique ability to read the game and his tenacity and leadership have often been the difference-makers in crucial games.
Beyond his defensive prowess, Green is known for his playmaking skills. His role as a facilitator in the Warriors’ offense is crucial, often acting as a point forward and initiating their offense. Green’s court vision and unselfish style of play have been instrumental in developing the Warriors’ dynamic, fast-paced style.
Green’s contribution to the Warriors extends beyond the stat sheet. His intensity and passion for the game are infectious, setting the tone for the team on and off the court. He has been a core part of the Warriors’ four NBA championships and multiple Finals appearances since 2015, proving to be a player who thrives in high-pressure situations.
There is no doubt that Draymond Green has to adjust to the new league standards and keep his passion in check, but before writing him off as a 5150, remember, he wants to win by any means necessary, and that should be the only prevailing thought about the Talented Mr. Green.
The Memphis Grizzlies were down 24 points to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, in All-Star Ja Morant’s first game back. Morant delivered, scoring 34 points, including a game-winning floater at the buzzer. He missed the team’s first 25 games while serving a suspension for detrimental conduct, including playing with guns on social media. All eyes will be on the Grizzlies and Morant to see if he has made significant changes in his decision-making and if he can lift the Grizzlies back into playoff contention.
First, we can’t draw any conclusions or make any definitive statements about Morant after Tuesday night’s game in New Orleans. It is one game, one postgame, one overnight, etc., in a season-long grind. A great way to return, but still just one game.
Also, conclusions about Morant and the Grizzlies won’t be made based on what anyone says. It will be about individual and collective action, something Morant noted last week in his first media appearance since the suspension.
“I can’t make nobody believe me outside of my actions,” Morant said when asked why things will be different going forward. “So me answering this question with just words probably won’t mean nothing to nobody.”
He’s 100 percent correct.
As far as his off-court decision-making over the past two years, it has been horrible. Between the gun incidents, the physical altercation with a teenager at his home (case still pending), the alleged threatening of a Memphis-area mall employee, the confrontation between Morant’s friends and others at a high school volleyball game, the red laser aimed at the Pacers’ team personnel, Morant has not been blameless.
That recklessness cost him eight games last season and 25 games this season and has negatively impacted the Grizzlies on the floor.
The team is currently 13th in the Western Conference, 24th in aNET rating, 28th in aORTG, and 10th in aDRTG.
Morant’s return will lift that putrid offense, as he was one of the most dynamic on-ball players in the league the past two seasons. He’s a two-time All-Star and made his first All-NBA team in 2022.
But the Grizzlies have other issues on the floor. Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke, the starting and backup centers, are out for the season with injuries. Adams’ toughness, rebounding and elite screen-setting can’t be easily replaced. Clarke’s athleticism and interior scoring and defensive ability allow him to be paired with Jaren Jackson Jr. for the team’s “small ball” lineup and create mismatches for an opponent.
Morant can’t make up for all of that by himself. But he will have to show improvements in his game if this team is to start winning.
Injuries have ravaged the Grizzlies, and Morant’s high-flying reckless attacks on the rim, while jaw-dropping and sometimes necessary, place him at a high injury risk, and that’s the last thing he or the team needs.
Morant has had all summer and all season to work on the weaknesses in his game. Namely shooting. He is a career 32 percent three-point shooter, 41.6 percent mid-range shooter, and 56 percent shooter at the rim.
He possesses an elite first step and elite quickness. If he becomes a better shooter he really puts defenses in a trick bag. The last time we saw him play, defenses could sag off him and dare him to beat them from deep, limiting his driving opportunities. The absence of Adams creating space with his screens cuts off Morant’s runway.
A 37 percent three-point shooter must be guarded, and if a player gets up on him he can blow right by them.
Hopefully, Morant worked on his floater game and his ability to score in the first and second box (the area from the free throw line to the rim). Having the ability to jump stop, fake and put up a floater or a hook opens up all sorts of possibilities and makes the rim protector have to guess. Is Morant coming in to jam on me? Or is he going to stop and pop the floater?
That little bit of hesitation leads to all kinds of advantages for Morant and the Grizzlies.
Grizzlies fans and NBA fans at large are happy for the return of one of the game’s great young talents.
Morant was asked at his media session what he thought about players like Tyrese Haliburton, Jalen Brunson and De’Aaron Fox being called better players than him.
“Hats off to [Brunson and Haliburton] for leading their teams and playing great. Obviously, the league has a lot of talented players,” Morant said. “I have no say on who’s better than me and who’s not. Obviously, that’s everybody else’s opinion.”
Just by virtue of their availability they are better than Morant. They’ve all been on the floor this season and been productive for their teams.
Morant had a career high +4.3 in offensive EPM in 2022. So far this season, Brunson (+4.4), Fox (+4.8) and Haliburton (+8.0) are all on track to surpass Morant’s best season.
That’s not to say Morant can’t have a career year and reestablish himself as the dominant young lead guard in the league. But he can’t do it with talk, it’s going to have to be with his actions.
Reigning Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, as the game’s best player, needs to promote the league and be a good steward. The collective basketball media will need to be better about how they try to connect with him to tell stories, and he will have to do a few more interviews outside of his mandatory requirements. He is known for his sublime on-court play and nonchalance when it comes to NBA superstardom. He doesn’t do commercials, isn’t on social media, and doesn’t do a lot of media.
All that might have changed, as Jokic is part of a new Hotels.com ad campaign featuring a pony. That’s good news for the NBA.
As the game’s best player, Jokic does have the responsibility of promoting the league and being a good steward of the NBA brand. No doubt the league wants to feature him more prominently, and Nike would probably like to as well.
For most of his ascent to superstardom he has shunned the spotlight. We all remember last June after winning the title when he was asked about the trophy parade and he was much more concerned with getting back home to Sombor for his horse races.
But something or likely someone has gotten through to him on the importance of doing commercials and increasing visibility, and this campaign is exactly how you appeal to someone like Jokic.
The two-time MVP is a team-first guy. In this campaign he’s with teammate Peyton Watson and he’s the lead in all the scenes, but it’s in a shared symbiotic role. Just like how Jokic operates on the floor during a game. He’s the leader. But he sets up his teammates for success.
The campaign also features a pony. The firm in charge of the campaign concept obviously wanted to have a little fun and play into Jokic’s love of horses. All of this matters and makes it easier for someone like Jokic to agree to take part.
This is good news for the league, if they can find another two opportunities with their national partners that fit into the Jokic ethos it would introduce him to the casual fan.
If Nike can work something out with him that would be huge too as he gets more immersed in the culture of basketball. His game isn’t high-flying but is aesthetically pleasing. The brilliant passing and shooting will resonate.
Rashard Mendenhall thinks there are too many voices in the sports commentary room, especially white male ones. The 2009 Super Bowl champion kept it very real in a post to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, with his polarized thoughts on the difference between the football knowledge base between the races.
“I’m sick of average white guys commenting on football,” Mendenhall posted. “Y’all not even good at football. Can we please replace the Pro Bowl with an All-Black vs. All-White bowl so these cats can stop trying to teach me who’s good at football. I’m better than ur goat.”
The racially based take underlies a considerable frustration that former professional athletes have with the professional sports commentary community. As more retired and active players in all significant sports develop their broadcast chops, Mendenhall is underlining a common issue: a muting of non-athletic voices.
The masses piled on Mendenhall for the comment, and many quickly reminded him of his perceived fumble at Super Bowl XLV, where, ironically, a white player, Clay Matthews, stripped him of the ball. The Green Bay Packers took the championship that year, winning 31-25 two years after the Steelers won a Super Bowl.
“[I am] simply tired of being berated by people who arent experts in de game,” Mendenhall posted. “We jus pretend like I’m the only athlete tired of fans talking trash? You dis upset over a single tweet. What about us? Like me or not, I’m a GREAT in football. This proves my point, u can’t speak on ball alone.”
For polarizing sports commentators like Jason Whitlock, Mendenhall’s frustration all stem from his “love of white meat,” claiming that Mendenhall has a white wife.
He quickly corrected Whitlock for going too far bringing up his wife and corrected her ethnicity with the hashtags #Lebanese to define what she is.
There has always been an unspoken rivalry between Black and white athletes. In boxing, it is an implicit selling point to match up fighters from two different races to create fight hype. Humans relate to each other through culture and always include race when finding matches.
In boxing, two fighters from two different races create a competitive selling point that transcends athleticism and blends into cultural pride. Look no further than Jack Johnson vs. James Jeffries, Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, or Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor for fights based on race, sports, and culture.
Additionally, there is an embarrassment in the Black cultural side of sports, especially basketball, where losing to a white person denotes some issue with your game. These self-inflicted stereotypes do as much to negatively reaffirm Blackness as gifted athleticism as they assume whiteness as the opposite of athletically skilled.
An actual race war in football is a journey too far to explore sanely; however, what is clear is that Mendenhall doesn’t respect the acumen of white football players and analysts, and everyone is entitled to their own opinion,
The Toronto Raptors defeated the Charlotte Hornets 114-99 at the Scotia Bank Arena in Toronto on Monday night. But the Raptors got a huge assist in the victory when the Canada Border Services Agency denied Hornets’ forward Miles Bridges entry due to his past legal troubles.
To be fair, the Hornets were also missing LaMelo Ball, Gordon Hayward, Mark Williams, and Cody Martin. All out with injuries. So it was likely the cumulative effect of missing all of those players that contributed to the loss.
Bridges is averaging 19 points and seven rebounds per game on 47/34/85 shooting splits. But he’s not impacting winning at the rate he was in 2021-2022. He missed the entire 2002-2023 season while he was dealing with the courts as a result of the incident. Effectively a suspension.
Bridges was involved in a domestic violence incident in June 2022 against his former girlfriend and the mother of his two children, Michelle Johnson. He initially pleaded not guilty to one felony count of causing harm to a parent of a child and two felony counts of child abuse. He subsequently changed his plea to no contest, and was sentenced to three years of probation and no jail time.
In October a criminal summons was issued for Bridges for an alleged violation of the protective order stemming from his sentencing last November. He was also charged with child abuse and injury to personal property, as he allegedly threatened Johnson and damaged her car while their children were in the car. Bridges allegedly threw pool balls at the car, smashing the windshield and denting the windows. His current girlfriend allegedly kicked the car.
Bridges is on a one-year deal with the Hornets worth $7.9 million. He was in line for a nice contract extension in 2022. Likely somewhere in the four-year $100 million to $120 million range. The domestic violence incident quashed all that.
This year is critical for Bridges. Not only does he need to keep himself out of trouble, he also needs to put up numbers and contribute to winning like he did two seasons ago. The injuries to other starters will make that even harder.
