Author: bestkeptsecret19

I'm just a man trying to be listened to. Hopefully, I can motivate and inspire people on the way to making a widespread positive difference.

Defense is still king, no matter what changes in sports

Advertising and marketing tells us it’s all about the offense, but defense is still the key if championships are to be won

Most of us know what it’s like to open up a print newspaper and see all of the different sections within it. There’s sports, entertainment, metro, business, politics and life (among others topics) being covered up by the main page introducing the name of the paper. As time has moved on, the printed newspaper became smaller, and the sections have been combined to cut down on the cost of printing. In a way, the newspaper reflects how life is today, and when it comes to sports and entertainment, those two sections are about as joined at the hip as it gets. Because of the partnership, leagues and broadcast stations prioritize getting as many eyes on their product as possible, and promoting offense has become the chief way to do so. As offense has become engrained in the DNA of the viewer, defense is almost an afterthought, but even after all of these years, defending is still the most important item if titles are going to be won. Don’t take my word for it, just look at history.

Let’s start with the NFL. If a person went on YouTube right now, they could find many videos that showed the league’s greatest hits from back in the day. In other words, defense was promoted almost as much as the offense, but as we know, that’s not the case anymore. Now, rules that make the big hit almost non-existent are in-place (flags fly if a quarterback is even touched), and everything that’s been legislated into the game gives the offense all kinds of advantages. Even with these changes, no team wins a Super Bowl without making at least a few big plays on defense. The Kansas City Chiefs just won this year’s title, and of course, QB Patrick Mahomes was the one who got all of the accolades. No one is trying to take away from the greatness of Mahomes, but he didn’t even reach 200 yards passing in the game. The Chiefs were outplayed by the Philadelphia Eagles for a huge part of the contest, but a defensive touchdown, in the form of a fumble return by linebacker Nick Bolton, kept Kansas City within striking distance until the offense got on track. It definitely helps to score points, but if a team can’t stop anybody, that will come back to haunt a squad at the wrong moment.

Next, the NBA is on the list. In a sports world where offense has become everything, this league might be the biggest example of that. It’s not uncommon to see teams score around 130 points in a game these days. Compare that to games played in the 90s, where scoring 100 points was considered an offensive explosion. Remember when the hard foul was allowed to make players who dared to come into the lane for a layup pay for their efforts? Not anymore. Now, it’s an automatic ejection if a foul is deemed too aggressive. Hand-checking has been taken out, and overall, defense is optional. With that said, the defense (magically) makes a difference between winning a title and getting close to that status. Games start to slow down in the playoffs, and they’re not as wide-open as they were earlier in the season. Things get a little tighter, and it’s not enough to be good offensively. Take a look at the Golden State Warriors when they defeated the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals in 2022. We know about Steph Curry and his shooting ability, but they were third in points allowed per game through the season. The Warriors probably don’t win if the defense wasn’t as good as it was. Just because defense has become optional at times doesn’t mean it can’t be played at a high level. Golden State, and the other teams that have won in the last decade, prove this theory.

Finally, lets take a look at MLB. The analytics bug is part of the driving force behind the offensive craze, but it might be the biggest part in baseball. All we hear about is launch angle, upper-cut swing and power numbers. Rules to get rid of the shift (overloading fielders to one side), along with smaller dimensions in MLB’s stadiums, have combined to allow home runs at record rates. Yes, power numbers are way up, but teams have become dependent on the long ball, leading to more strikeouts. What happens in the playoffs is pitching staffs make adjustments to keep the ball out of the sweet spots the hitters love, and if a squad can’t manufacture runs with singles, doubles and sacrifice bunts, runs don’t get scored. Pitching and defense is still the way to go. An example of this is the Houston Astros, who won the World Series in 2022. In defeating the Philadelphia Phillies to win the title, the Astros only gave up three runs in the final three games, including a combined no-hitter in Game 4. A catch at the wall by centerfielder Chas McCormick preserved the win in Game 5, and a young pitching staff came of age throughout the journey. It goes to show winning 10-9 every game isn’t sustainable if a team wants to win a championship.

There’s a phrase that says offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships. No matter how much people want to say that isn’t true anymore, too many cases say otherwise. Maybe this is the way to think about today’s times in sports: Offense can get you to the hill, but defense gets you over the top. Media and leagues encourage offense, which provides the entertainment value. When it’s winning time, it’s a good thing these games aren’t played on a ratings chart.

Looking at myself after seeing the Damar Hamlin injury

The tendency is to look at things one way or another, but it’s okay to embrace multiple perspectives

Coming into this first week of the new year, I had a plan to write on this blog, mostly because it’s been a while since the last article. The topic was going to be about delusional NFL franchises who thought they were Super Bowl contenders. That topic might be ready for another day, but on this occasion, I want to talk about life. There will be elements of sports sprinkled in, but this is more about a deep dive into opinions, emotions and the way we process different events. Before we start having the tough conversation, let it be known this might not be the cleanest copy. This is about getting thoughts on paper, and we’ll see where it takes us.

On Monday night, I, like many in this country and around the world, watched in horror and shocked silence as Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field from cardiac arrest in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. At the time, I was actually working as an associate editor for a sports website, and of course, we had to bang out the articles. You do what you can, because it’s part of the job, but I can tell you my mind was probably not with it. After my shift, which ended at midnight, I tried to go to sleep, but couldn’t because all I wanted to do was get a report on Hamlin the man, not just the football player. Even my mom, who’s a causal football fan, called to ask me if I was watching what was going on. My mind, my thoughts, my heart, everything was fixated on the hope of good news for the condition of Hamlin.

As I woke up Tuesday, I had no idea when I was going to write on the blog, because I didn’t feel it was right to. I knew I had to go to work, but it felt wrong to write about anything else. The last thing I wanted to do is seem insensitive by not following the Hamlin situation. It did help I was able to write about some of the reaction from legendary players, such as Former Bills and hall-of-fame quarterback Jim Kelly, but even with that, there was something in me that was missing as far as the passion I normally have for talking about sports. I guess the only way I can explain it is I was able to take the emotion out of it, and focus on the job. After all, that is what we’re told to do, keep our head down and continue to push through at times when we’re might not be at optimal performance levels.

Speaking of pushing through, I would be lying if I said I knew the Bills-Bengals game would be postponed, and later cancelled. This is the NFL we’re talking about, and we all know how money-driven and spotlight-hungry the league has shown to be. As catastrophic and horrifying as Hamlin’s injury was, I did think they were going to treat him, take him to the hospital, and the game would continue soon after. I understand if someone would call me morbid for these thoughts, but before the criticism comes, ask yourself this. How many times have we seen players have gruesome injuries during games, and there wasn’t even a thought of that game being postponed? Look at what happened to Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa earlier this year, also in a game against the Bengals. Personally, I still can’t shake the vision of Tagovailoa’s fingers seizing up from the effects of a concussion. That, like Hamlin’s injury, was scary to watch, but the paramedics came on the field, handled Tagovailoa with extreme care, and took him to the hospital. The game went on without a thought of suspending it. I’m old enough to remember watching the moment when Detroit Lions linebacker Reggie Brown suffered a spinal cord injury in a game against the New York Jets in 1997, and Brown, like Hamlin, needed CPR to bring him back to life. Again, the game kept going without the thought of postponement.

I’m not here to compare injuries or situations. I’m just stating as scary as Hamlin’s injury was to witness, this is far from the first time athletes have been in danger of dying on the field of play. With all of that being said, I have no issues with the Bills-Bengals being cancelled because through all of the rough moments mentioned, we (myself included) have to remember these players are human beings, not unemotional robots. It can be easy to forget because players are painted as heroes, and they are capable of doing superhuman things while in action. There are some professions where you spend more time with co-workers than you do with your families. Bonds get developed over time, and they mature into brotherhoods (or sisterhoods). When one of those brothers or sisters go down, it’s an mental and emotional blow that’s hard to recover from. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see Buffalo was in no state of mind to continue that game, and it was refreshing to see the NFL take a break from their money machine to acknowledge the human element.

Over the week, the focus went to what happens for the rest of the season, and the first two games since the Hamlin injury were played Saturday. A part of me still says all of that is irrelevant at this point, but two things brought me back to that conversation. The first is the positive reports about Hamlin’s condition, and hearing one of the first questions he asks doctors was whether or not his team won. The second is remembering what sports is about at its core. This is one of the few places where people from different backgrounds and beliefs can come together for a common bond. It’s also where we go to help heal after difficult times. Meanwhile, tributes continue to rain down upon Hamlin and his family, which shows there’s still care in the world, and lots of it.

So all of the discussions about the season, and how to feel about league decisions regarding the AFC Championship Game will keep going. As a journalist, I get it because I live in the 24/7 news cycle. This is just me sharing a deep dive into my feelings, because I believe it’s a conversation worth having. Emotions run high all of the time, and mine’s was all over the place through the week. So I waited until I was ready to share on this forum. Maybe my next article will get back to normal, but no promises. I’ll just leave you with this. While we put a lot on sports, we have to remember they are part of life, not life itself, and the humans playing it have feelings just like the rest of us. My hope is we, and the league keeps that in mind, because a little heart and compassion can go a long way. Don’t worry…I’m doing what I can to follow my own advice.

Better sooner than later for the inevitable Colts rebuild

Indy looks like a team that’s ready to tank, but someone forgot to give the owner the memo

In recent memory, it’s hard to find a team that had a crazier week than the Indianapolis Colts. It started Sunday, when they were pushed around in a 26-3 loss to the New England Patriots. The effect from the lifeless performance, which dropped the Colts to 3-5-1 for the regular season, resulted in the firing of head coach Frank Reich, and the hiring of Jeff Saturday, a former player for Indy who has no prior coaching experience at the NFL level. Throw in a off-balanced attempt by team owner Jim Irsay to explain the happenings, and one can understand why the Colts are in a state of flux. Some things happen fast in life (and sports), and through nine games, Indy has gone from a team supposedly ready to compete for a Super Bowl, to potentially entering full tank mode. The reasons are aplenty, but here are the main ones why the Colts are stuck in dysfunction.

Football is the ultimate team sport, but I’ve been told a time or two the league is quarterback-driven. So if a team has a franchise QB (or someone perceived as such), that’s the player to build around. With that said, it would be logical to think the Colts tale spin began with the sudden retirement of Andrew Luck in the 2019 preseason. Playing at Stanford before being drafted by Indy in 2012, Luck was looked at as a transitional talent, and when healthy, he showed why people were so high on him. Coming into 2019, the Colts had high hopes on building from the season before, when they made it to the AFC Divisional Playoff before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. Since Luck left the sport, it’s been a revolving door of starting QBs, with Philip Rivers, Carson Wentz and Matt Ryan all getting a chance to solidify the position. The results have been mixed at best, and it appears the door will continue revolving in the coming months.

Notice I used the word “solidify” when it comes to Indy’s quarterback situation. The reason is the thinking from the Colts brass (and a good amount of analysts) was the team had a roster who was ready to win now, and with good QB play, they were as dangerous as anyone. The truth is this roster is not close to competing for any titles. There are some good parts, such as running back Jonathan Taylor, linebacker Shaquille Leonard and offensive lineman Quenton Nelson (among others). Other than that, there are still question marks that aren’t answered. The wide receivers are missing in action more often than not, and the defense is inconsistent at best. While Reich and other coaches were the ones to lose their jobs, general manager Chris Ballard hasn’t been the best in building this team. In other words, the expectations were probably too high for a roster that screams average. Therefore, don’t be surprised if Ballard is on the chopping block in the coming months (we all know Irsay is not going to fire himself).

Speaking of Reich, while I’m not rooting for anyone to lose their job, it was overdue for him to leave. Reich was hired as the head coach in 2018 because he was the hot commodity, being the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles when they won the Super Bowl in 2017. With that clout, he was thought to be a so-called quarterback whisperer, and even with Luck’s retirement, whoever was playing that position should have been in good hands. Offensive performance came with mixed results, and the club as a whole didn’t appear ready to play at times. This wasn’t more evident than the end of last season, when Indy needed a win to get into postseason play. Instead, they were beaten like a drum by the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars and missed the playoffs altogether. Everyone piled on the low-hanging fruit that was Wentz, but the whole team wasn’t ready to play. That’s an indictment on the head coach, and after that debacle, Reich probably should’ve be done. Be as it may, he was brought back, and as harsh as this might sound, it’s probably a miracle the Colts have three wins.

So here is Indy, having benched Ryan for Sam Ehlinger, and bringing in a former player fresh off of firing hot takes on ESPN to coach the team. Maybe Saturday comes in and and shows promise, but something tells me the Colts have more issues than just the coach. The club has tried reloading (if you want to call it that) for years, and it’s probably going to take tearing down and starting over for ultimate goals to be reached. During the press conference introducing Saturday as the new coach, Irsay touted his half-a-century experience in building football teams. Doing that and doing it well are different things, and what they’ve been doing hasn’t worked. The inevitable rebuild is knocking on the door, and if Irsay wants to be honest with himself, kicking the can down the road only works for so long.

It’s past time for the media to stop catching blame

When athletes get frustrated, media members catch the wrath, but they’re the wrong people to direct anger at.

As someone who has spent a portion of life in the journalism industry, I’ll be the first to admit the media is far from perfect. In the age of the 24/7 news cycle, the priority has changed from making sure a story is accurate to being the first to bust out the breaking news label. The change in priorities has led to (at best) sloppy and lazy journalism, and ultimately, distrust towards the media world. Yes, there are people who work in the industry that are about being the headline themselves, but that doesn’t mean there’s a lack of individuals who still understand the foundations of what journalism is about. Therefore, the attacks on media when they are actually doing the job is unwarranted and ridiculous. When athletes in sports have bad games, that’s not the fault of the media. Unfortunately, there are many players who fail to take responsibility for their actions.

Let’s start with Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the first example. Excuse me if I can’t narrow down the number of flops to a single case when it comes to Rodgers. For starters, he lied about his COVID vaccination stance last season, and when the media remembered what was said, he said they were out to get him. This season, the reigning two-time NFL MVP isn’t playing up to that standard, and not only is it the media’s fault, it’s everyone else around him. Receivers, coaches, the front office, pretty much the whole organization not named Rodgers have passive-aggressively caught some wrath. The bottom line is if A-A-Ron (Google Key and Peele if you don’t understand where I got that from) wants to be snippy, he should look in the mirror for who’s catches the brunt of his frustration. He stunk against the San Francisco 49ers in last year’s divisional playoff loss, and he couldn’t do anything with three second half interceptions from (Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB) Tom Brady in the NFC Championship Game the year before. Those opportunities slipped away, and it looks like a far cry for Rodgers and the Packers to get a chance like that anytime soon. I get the hurt feelings, but the media is the wrong place fight.

For the second example, let’s go to the NBA and discuss Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. This man actually has people in the media afraid to criticize him, and I have no idea why. James may be a once-in-a-generation player, but he, or no other human being, is above criticism or questioning. So when media members ask him questions about the terrible play of guard Russell Westbrook, they’re probably asking because it was James who wanted him on the Lakers in the first place. Keep in mind I’m not the only one who felt bringing Westbrook to the team would be a horrible fit, but LeBron the general manager didn’t listen. Now, Westbrook is doing what he has always done, building whole neighborhoods with bricks from three-point land (along with committing the careless, back-breaking turnovers like he’s still a rookie), and the Lake Show is officially unwatchable. Meanwhile, the leader of the player-empowerment movement lets Westbrook take all of the darts, knowing he was the ring leader for this transaction. Instead of taking responsibility, James acts like he’s just a player, and says the media is trying to “bait” him into saying something messy. No, the press is asking simple questions, and it’s not critical just because people aren’t worshiping the ground he walks on. What’s happening is LeBron can’t overcome deficiencies to flawed rosters anymore, and the realism of that is something he’s having a tough time dealing with.

Finally, let’s come back to the NFL and look at what Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Davante Adams. This case is particular damning because unlike Rodgers and James, Adams actually put hands on a media member. After the Raiders lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on the road Oct. 10, a pissed off Adams shoved a photographer to the ground, resulting in misdemeanor assault charges. I want someone to explain to me what that photographer did to deserve that treatment. If Adams is going to be upset at anything or anyone, maybe it should be the fact Las Vegas blew a 17-0 lead, or perhaps at fellow receiver Hunter Renfrow for tackling each other on a fourth down pass that sealed the Raiders’ fate on that night. I guess Adams figured pushing on media would be better than injuring himself punching a wall or locker. Needless to say, this is not the way to deal with anger, and no matter how upset a player is, there’s no excuse for coming after press in that manner. Let’s make sure you don’t run into your teammate before acting that way Davante.

Trust me when I say I can understand why there are serious trust issues with the media. The actions of some within the industry can be enough to set off emotions that are better off being left alone. With that said, it’s not the media’s fault if a player is performing below standards. It’s not the media’s fault when said athlete wants to call himself a leader, but deflects and hides when accountability is called for. It’s not the media’s fault when a player and his (or her) teammates let an opportunity for a big win slip away. The actions of Rodgers, James and Adams are just a few of the many cases where public figures want to go after the media when things don’t go their way, or are questioned about their actions (see Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving from the past weekend). If they want all the spoils of success, then they should know criticism comes along with the status from it. The local boxing gym would be the place to find a punching bag, but for the foreseeable future, the media will continue to be a suitable substitute for receiving frustrations…and shoves.

Three tips to keep sanity through sports seasons

Let’s prevent ourselves from going viral for the wrong reasons.

Before we dive in, I think it’s fair to acknowledge we all have things we are passionate about. Maybe it’s writing, reading, traveling or working out. It could also be entertainment, business or politics that gets the emotions going. One thing that’s unique about sports is it qualifies as one of the few places where all of these differences (from multiple backgrounds and viewpoints) can unite for the common goal of rooting for one team to win. All of those passions are carried over to the stadium, arena or whatever device you’re watching the game from, and similar to other walks of life, those feelings can drive people to irrational thoughts (just talking about sports in this case). Have no fear, because yours truly is here to give three tips on how to stay sane when watching your favorite team or player navigate through the roller-coaster ride called the regular season. The focus is on the NFL, but these can help through all of the other sports as well.

The first tip is to be realistic with expectations. I know every team has the goal of winning a championship when training camps begin, but there are squads who are nowhere close to achieving that goal. For example, the Jacksonville Jaguars had the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft for the past two years. While they may have building blocks for the future, they’re probably not ready to compete for titles. The Dallas Cowboys (and their fans) believe they can win the Super Bowl every year, but how long has it been since they even made it to the big game in February (over a quarter of a century, but I’m not counting)? On the other hand, the Buffalo Bills have been knocking on the door, and look like the favorite to win it all this year. There aren’t too many people I know who are more optimistic than I am, but realism has to set in at some point. As a San Francisco 49ers fan, I know there’s a chance they can win a title, but Jimmy Garoppolo is the ultimate wild card at quarterback. Therefore, I’m always ready for the back-breaking interception if and when it comes. So if fans are being realistic, the sanity can still remain. In saying that, it doesn’t mean the pain lessens during losses.

Secondly, remember regular seasons are marathons, not sprints. Overreactions from the hot take media runs rampant through every forum, but regardless of what is said or heard, no team has ever won a championship after the first week of the year, in September, or during October. The Baltimore Ravens didn’t see their season come to an end by blowing a large lead to the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. The New York Giants probably aren’t going far into the playoffs, even though they have a surprising 4-1 record. It’s fun to get into debates with family and friends, and easy to get lost with all of the opinions and data, but understand things have to play out over time. So if there’s a team you thought could make some strides in the right direction, but it hasn’t worked out that way to this point, give it time before jumping off the bandwagon commences. If there is a player who is hyped up to be the best thing since sliced bread (Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert comes to mind), can he at least lead a team to the playoffs before we rush him to the Pro Football Hall of Fame? All I’m saying is things have to develop. It’s about the big picture, not the small prism of what happens in a game.

Finally, keep in mind sports is part of life, not life itself. It’s understood there is a lot of money involved because of the gambling craze, but at its core, games are supposed to be fun. If you are going to gamble, please do it responsively, and let’s stay in one piece. Too many times, fans have fought each other because of game results (Philadelphia Eagles fans in particular. There was a jail at old Veterans Stadium after all). As much as we might want to think we’re part of the squad, we don’t actually play for them. Life continues, and there’s no reason to make social media clips showing people burning jerseys, or smashing televisions they spent their hard earned money on. Yes, fan is short for fanatic, but we can make sure to stay sensible through it all.

So there you have it, the three tips for someone to stay sane during regular seasons. I’m not different from the next person when it comes to passion for a team. In today’s world, it’s easy to let those emotions bubble over when our team loses, especially with the real life issues we have to face in our daily lives. A loss can send people over the edge, but sports is supposed to be an outlet from those issues. There’s still a way for us to root for our teams, sensibly. If these tips are followed, you’ll ensure calmness, and save a few limbs from breaking furniture in frustration. By the way…I’m not a psychologist, I just play one on my blog.

Talent over leadership: Why the latter is often forgotten across the NFL and NBA

When it comes to dealing with a star player, there’s no doubt talent is the first thing front offices look at in trying to determine whether or not to sign a long-term commitment. Coming through high school and college, being the biggest, fastest and/or strongest was enough to get by. In the NFL and NBA, those advantages are gone, because it’s truly the best of the best, and everyone has talent at that level. This means there has to be another factor that separates the great from the good, and if we’re talking about a franchise quarterback in the NFL, or elite player in the NBA, management is expecting them to be a leader and elevate the team around them. Therefore, many teams get blinded by someone’s talent, and find out the hard way they aren’t what they thought they were. Here are a few cases where leadership is lacking, and talent isn’t enough to overcome the headaches and heartbreak that come with it.

As the NFL prepares to start their season in a couple of weeks, there might not be a team with more question marks than the Arizona Cardinals. The offseason for the Cardinals was, to say the least, noisy. Their quarterback, Kyler Murray, went into brat mode and scrubbed his social media accounts of anything associated with the team, setting the stage for a contract dispute. Eventually, the sides got a deal done, but there were stipulations (which were later taken out) that basically said Murray needs to show more leadership and stop acting immature. On the field, it’s true Arizona has shown improvement each year he’s been the starter, but when things go bad, Murray has shown a tendency to quit on his team and throw teammates under the bus. Now the Cardinals are stuck with him for a while, which really says a lot about the league’s quarterback market (way overrated in my humble opinion). It’s time for Murray to grow up, because talent can only be hidden behind for so long.

In the NBA, the obvious example to look at for a lack of leadership is the Brooklyn Nets. During the summer of 2019, the Nets decided to make a splash in free agency by signing forward Kevin Durant and guard Kyrie Irving to huge contracts. Prior to these deals, Brooklyn had a team with a number of good young players, but they decided to mortgage the future for an attempt to win right now. Fast forward to current times, and it’s been nothing but disaster, mainly because Durant and Irving have been either injured, or malcontents, the whole time they’ve been there. The two stars have all-world talent, but if a team is counting on them to lead to the promised land, that’s going to be a long wait. The only times ultimate success occurred for these players are when they were supporting actors. It’s understood Durant was a two-time NBA Finals MVP during his days with the Golden State Warriors, but most know there wasn’t much he had to change in joining a championship-ready team. Irving hasn’t done a whole lot if he doesn’t have a certain king he’s playing with. Bottom line, it’s different when a player has to be the one to lead, and up to this point, Durant and Irving have proven they don’t have that leadership gene. When things get tough, they want to run and make excuses, and lash out at the media (because it’s always the media’s fault of course). Unless things drastically change, the Nets will continue to find out their investment in talent is going to fall flat.

Back in the NFL, let’s take a trip to Wisconsin, where Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers continues to be productive, and a pain in the a**, at the same time. There’s no denying the immense talent Rodgers has, and in my estimation, he might be the most talented player ever to play that position. He has won the regular season MVP award four times, and has a Super Bowl MVP along with it from the 2010 season. Notice there’s a lot mentioned about individual accolades. That’s because team success has been hard to come by. In the last two seasons, the Packers have managed to be the best team in the NFC, which gives them home field advantage throughout the playoffs. Even with that, the team failed to get to the Super Bowl, and it’s because the perennial MVP candidate came up small in the biggest moments. Coming into this season, Rodgers has already criticized the young group of receivers for a lack of production in training camp. I’m not one to talk much about contracts, but Rodgers is the highest paid QB in the history of the league (in terms of annual value). He’s getting that money because the Packers believe he can uplift the team to another Super Bowl title. At the moments of truth, he has failed, and for the amount of drama he has caused, it’s starting not to be worth it. If a player wants all the money, more is going to be on his or her shoulders. When leadership is needed the most, buckling isn’t an option. Someone forgot to tell Rodgers this.

All be told, most teams are willing to get through all of the mess and drama a great player can come with because the talent is so immense. Presidents and general managers everywhere are afraid to pass on them because they don’t want to be known as the person who lets that talent get away. Leadership is hard to evaluate because a player has to be put in that position in order for that to be shown or not shown. The players mentioned above have been anything but leaders, and there’s more than enough evidence to show things won’t be any different moving forward. It’s hot in the kitchen, and these players, along with many others, have displayed they can’t handle the heat. Don’t worry…the media will be ready for the attacks when the frustrations of these players boil over again.

Serious responsibility comes with wide-spreading influence, like it or not

There’s a phrase used by William Shakespeare that says “Heavy is the head that wears the crown.” The meaning of this (and I’m paraphrasing here) is those who have major responsibility have difficulty relaxing, knowing the heavy burden they have to carry. In sports, there aren’t many who has more of an influence than Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James. There’s no denying the amount of people the self-proclaimed king touches when he speaks, and because of this, the message delivered with each appearance, clip, tweet or post is going to generate lots of buzz. Two things that comes with the responsibility and burden from wearing that crown is understanding the topic being discussed, and being willing to take the bad with the good in terms of the responses from comments made. When reaction is good, James (like many others) will shower in the praises, but when it goes badly, it appears he (also like many) wants to run away from that responsibility. That’s wild for a person who seems to be so self-aware of the image he portrays, or is it?

One of these moments deals with comments made about the situation involving Brittney Griner, the decorated women’s basketball player who is being detained in Russia for having cannabis oil in her luggage, according to customs officials in Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. Griner has been detained since February, and the cries are growing louder for her to be brought back home. James, in a trailer released for an upcoming episode for his show, “The Shop,” said “I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even wanna go back to America?,” appearing to be critical of the efforts from the Biden Administration to bring Griner back to this country. James would later try to clarify his words, but it’s fair to wonder why that was the choice for the trailer, or even when this episode was filmed. Understand there are lots of complications with any situation involving a detainee in a foreign country. Regardless of what many people believe, the American president can’t bring prisoners home with a snap of a finger. By the way, we’re not exactly on the best terms with Russia right now. I think we all want to bring Griner and the other prisoners home, but it’s okay to admit we don’t know the best way to do that, instead of acting like we have all the answers. At any rate, LeBron came across as a man who was misinformed, and the notion of Griner wanting to stay in a Russia prison over coming back to the United States is beyond asinine. There’s nothing wrong with giving opinions, but it’s not too much to ask to at least be somewhat educated on the matter.

Another situation with James coming across as a hot taker happened in April 2021, regarding the death of Ma’Khia Bryant in Columbus, Ohio at the hands of police. James tweeted a picture of the cop who shot Bryant with the message “You’re next #Accountability.” When body cam footage of the incident came out, James would delete the tweet, and post more trying to explain why he took it down. In those tweets, it was everything but taking responsibility for another misinformed message. For context, we are living in a time where there is serious division in our country, and race relations are beyond low. The incident in Columbus broke the news cycle about an hour after the verdict of Derek Chauvin, the policeman who was caught on video kneeling on the neck of George Floyd and ultimately killing him, was read in Minneapolis. Emotions are raw, and having those two items happen back-to-back can make those feelings come out. It’s at those moments where cooler heads, and LeBron’s in particular, have to prevail. In other words, this was a reckless tweet simply because we didn’t know everything that led to Bryant’s death at the time. James made it worse by trying to put the blame on everyone else for misreading the tweet. I will say while LeBron’s comments were lots a things, they weren’t racist, which was a view that was expressed by some in the media.

The final instance came a few days after comments about the Griner situation emerged. Also in an episode of the shop, James called fans of the Boston Celtics “racist as f***” when asked where he doesn’t like playing the most. Let’s realize LeBron is not the first athlete to mention how out of control fans in Boston can get with their racism. Unfortunately, it’s a reputation that has been given to the city for quite sometime. Having said that, I’m willing to bet the majority of Boston sports fans are good and passionate, and bad apples are in every arena and stadium around the world. With James, it’s probably not the best way to smooth things over with the fans, especially with being a part-owner of the city’s baseball team, the Red Sox. It seems kind of weird a man who criticizes and paints a broad stroke on a fan base has part ownership on a team many in that same base supports just as passionately.

We all know LeBron has been in the spotlight for quite a while. The image he puts out is someone who has opinions that are educated and well-versed. In most cases, that’s probably true, but there are some where it’s not, and James shouldn’t be above backlash if his comments come across as stupid. LeBron has done a lot of good, and it’s not breaking news he’s well off in the game of life. I also believe it’s an overall good thing when someone of James’ stature is willing to speak out on social issues. The only thing is if said person doesn’t fully understand the topic, the potential for those comments to become reckless is high. It’s a lesson LeBron, even after all of this time, appears to keep losing sight of.

College sports waits on the choice Notre Dame makes, but why?

Since the summer of 2021, the world of college athletics has been flipped on its head, and the end game is anybody’s guess. It was last summer when name, image and likeness (NIL) became a thing, and the athletic students (oops…I sarcastically mean student athletes) couldn’t wait to finally cash in. The transfer portal, like NIL, became a point of contention for coaches and athletic directors alike, but it would be fair to question if it’s because the power has been taken out of their hands due to the new age of player empowerment. By the way, Texas and Oklahoma announced intentions to move from the Big 12 to the SEC in due time, making an already-dominant conference even stronger. The Big Ten, in an attempt to keep up, is adding USC and UCLA (out of all teams) from the Pac-12 soon, and the rest of the teams from that conference are apparently up for grabs. With the NCAA becoming increasingly obsolete as a governing body with each passing day, everyone is waiting to see what happens next, and the chess piece being watched the most is Notre Dame. Excuse me if I missed something, but I’m not understanding why the Fighting Irish are looked at as a needle-mover.

With the last sentence, this isn’t me trying to deny what Notre Dame has been in the historical sense. There is a lot of prestige that comes with the brand, and the fact they are an independent entity adds to it. What the program is at this current time is overhyped and outdated if we are to look at football, which is the sport driving all of the realignment. The Fighting Irish haven’t won a national championship since 1988, and any time they come close to breaking through, they got smashed by a squad with superior talent. The truth might hurt Notre Dame fans, but the golden dome has been gradually tarnished over the three decades that has followed their last claim to glory. While football is the premier sport leading to changes, it’s not a secret the money train is what everyone is following. We’re far removed from the early-90s, and just like the elite programs in football, the money trail has left the Fighting Irish behind.

Back in the day, Notre Dame was the team everyone wanted to watch. They were actually good in football, and because of the independent label, NBC thought enough of them to have a contract in place to air their home games in 1991. At that time, network television was the only way to catch games on Saturdays. ABC would have the occasional nationally televised game, but in most cases, it was regional programming. CBS had a period where they weren’t even broadcasting college football, and ESPN (ABC’s cable sister) was still relatively young in the broadcasting game. All of that combined to make the Fighting Irish beyond marketable. The millions of dollars also stayed with the university because of the aforementioned independence. If Notre Dame was in a conference, all of the money from the contract with NBC would have to be equally distributed through all of the teams within the league. So back then, this deal was a ground-breaker, and it’s also why the Fighting Irish would continue to stay independent in football, while joining the ACC in all other sports.

Fast forward to current times, and things are drastically different. Streaming services are everywhere we turn, making college football games as accessible as ever. Just about every conference has some sort of a network that brings in boatloads of money, hand over fist, and the notoriety that came with being independent is almost all gone. By being an ACC member in all sports except football, it’s not like Notre Dame is not aware of this. The school is just trying to have all of the spoils they can get, but not being a winner on the football field is also a major problem. The Fighting Irish, in this regard, are no different from Texas, USC and Miami (“The U”), schools who are trying to live off of their history, but are struggling to capture the magic from back then. Mix all of this up, and Notre Dame is not the power player many in the media world and Fighting Irish fan base seem to think.

With that said, Notre Dame watch continues for most, and it will be a huge story when a decision about their independent football status is made, but why that is baffles me. If recent history is a clue, then it’s the ACC the Fighting Irish might join. Geographically (and perhaps for more sustainability) the Big Ten could look more appealing. Independency is always an option as well, but again, we’re not living in 1991. If you ask me, Notre Dame is yesterday’s news, and Lou Holtz isn’t coming through to save Touchdown Jesus anytime soon. The elite football and money train has left the station. The choices are either the Fighting Irish catch up, or continue to fall further into irrelevancy. Where does this domino fall? The world waits, while I sleep.

Even with NBA Finals heartbreak, Tatum has arrived

Life for someone in the public spectrum has never been harsher than it is right now, particularly for someone playing sports at the highest levels. With the evolution of social media, action on the playing field never goes without instant praise or criticism. If a star player on the verge of reaching superstar status has a performance that ranks with some of the best ever seen, people are quick to say this is the “coming out party,” or the moment he or she can be mentioned with the best in the world. Once the performance is below the expectations set on the “superstar,” those same people who were so quick to elevate the player are just as quick to say they haven’t arrived yet. This is the reality Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum faces, as he and his team attempts to heal from losing in the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors.

When the Celtics can get past the disappointment stage, they can look at the season as a success, especially considering the team was meddling around .500 in January. A lot of growth occurred in Boston, and the same can be said for Tatum, who constantly heard he and fellow teammate Jaylen Brown couldn’t make it work as a duo. During the playoff run to the finals, Tatum had many moments of brilliance, showing why some people would say he’s the best in a crop of young players knocking on the door of ultimate success. When the Celtics got there, it’s no secret Tatum struggled to duplicate those classic performances. Therefore, the hot take artists and members of the social media toilets were ready to tear him down, as if those positive thoughts were never said. Stephen Curry, who won the NBA Finals MVP, went through periods of slander. So did Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo (among other greats). The point is every player who makes meteoric rises to the top has to endure good and bad, and Tatum is no different.

To understand how quickly things can turn around on the praise or dump meter, it wasn’t too long ago when Tatum led the Celtics to a shocking (to some) sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. Fast forward to the conference semifinals, and Boston was down 3-2 to Antetokounmpo and the then-defending champion Milwaukee Bucks with Game 6 in Milwaukee. It was Tatum who scored 46 points to keep the Celtics’ season alive. Boston would go on to knock the Bucks out in Game 7 at home, and in another seventh game against the Miami Heat in the conference finals (also on the road) Tatum led the squad with 26 points and was named MVP of the series. There were many in the media who thought the Celtics would win the championship, and Tatum was on his way to being a bona fide, top-5 basketball player in the world. As we all know, Boston came up short, and guess who’s in the crosshairs for why they did.

Even with the subpar performance in the finals, what other player who is younger than 25-years-old would people rather have than Tatum? Luka Doncic? Ja Morant? Devin Booker? Trae Young? All of the players mentioned can score in spades, and scoring is the glamour stat in all sports. What puts Tatum over the top is his completeness as a player. Not only can he score with anyone in the league, he can affect the game in ways the others can not. Tatum is better on defense than any of the young players mentioned, and besides Booker (with the Phoenix Suns last season), the others haven’t been to the NBA Finals as of yet. It’s understood basketball is a team sport, but at the same time, there is more put on individual accolades than ever. So if we’re going to play that game, Tatum has the others beat in this regard.

While this is a society that judges people on the latest happenings, it’s important to consider the entire body of work. Could Tatum have played better in the finals? Of course. Could he have been more aggressive looking for his own offense at times? Absolutely, but to say Tatum is a disappointment is a bit harsh. All of the credit should go to Golden State’s defense for the struggles, but the willingness to take on double-teams and be a willing passer should not be overlooked when it comes overall growth. It can be easy to forget, but Tatum is only 24 years of age, and the Celtics have a young team around him that points to being competitive for years to come. Based off of the apparent rise during this year’s playoff run, Tatum has arrived, because only stars get the treatment in the public where they can shine, then fall flat before sustainability kicks in.

Bothersome trends that need to change in sports media

Over the years, a lot has transpired within the world of media. Depending on who is asked, the changes are looked at as a positive or negative, but either way, there’s no denying the foundation of journalism has been left for questioning from all directions. The days of being accurate have been replaced by the race to get the story out first, and this transformation in particular has led to lots of sloppy reporting at the least. With the evolution of social media, maybe this was something that couldn’t have been avoided, but people in the business aren’t helping the matter either. Combine the people with all of the aforementioned issues, and it equals a mess where items such as distrust, flip-flopping and the appetite for click bait have become normalized, especially in sports media. Another result from the monstrosity are garbage trends that have also become commonplace, and people can directly affect these for the positive. They just choose not to, and viewers (and/or listeners) don’t have to look any further than the discussions about the NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics.

One of these trends are to put the spotlight on the losing players and teams when results come in. Let’s look at the Monday morning quarterbacking after Game 1 this past Thursday night. It’s a fact the Warriors entered the fourth quarter up by 12, then ended the game losing by the same margin. As expected, the conversation started with accessing what Golden State did wrong, totally ignoring what the Celtics did right to turn things around. After all, it was Boston who scored 40 points in the fourth quarter by hitting practically every shot they threw up. It was also the Celtics who were able to lock the Warriors up defensively, holding them to 16 points in the final 12 minutes to win the game 120-108. One more thing, the trio of Marcus Smart, Al Horford and Derrick White combined to hit 15 three-pointers in the game. Considering Golden State forced a terrible shooting night from Jayson Tatum in the process, an argument can be made in favor of the Dubs getting everything they were looking for on defense. Tip the cap to Smart, Horford and White for stepping up and knocking down shots. With society, the focus seems to stay on the negative and the topics where the most drama is apparent. It’s time to start giving credit where it’s due, and Boston deserves all of it in this case.

Before the series started, I checked a good amount of the websites and networks (including ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and FOX Sports) to see who the “experts” had winning the series. The majority (so did I) had the Warriors winning in six or seven games. Fast forward to the result of Game 1, and it was predictable to hear the hot take artists and media members who picked Golden State start to go back on their original views. One would have thought the Celtics won the series in a one-and-done scenario, and Steph Curry lost his chance to build on his legacy based off this game. As funny (and deplorable) as it was to hear people panic due to fear of being wrong on their predictions, it couldn’t beat the sense of calm after the Warriors won Game 2 107-88 Sunday night. Order was restored come Monday morning, and so was the mass-entrance back on the bandwagon. I will never understand why people media members and fans alike make these predictions when they know they’re scrambling the minute things don’t go as planned. Unless there’s an injury to a crucial player, there’s no reason to panic. Ride with the pick until proven right or wrong, and please don’t start making excuses if and when those picks go down the drain.

Because most of the sports media apparently forgets the NBA playoff format is composed of best-of-seven series, one result is enough to bring up the wide range of convenience arguments. What I mean is if said media personality is proven right, they don’t want to hear excuses from the people who was on the losing side. Let them be the ones on the short end, and they’re using those same excuses to justify why. The low-hanging fruit of officiating (among other items) is what catches the wrath of the scorned loser in most cases, but it’s amazing how these arguments go away when they’re proven right. Breaking news…nobody is going to get everything right. Unless your name is God or Goddess, perfection isn’t in anyone’s future, and it’s okay to admit when things don’t work in your favor. Instead, we have an epidemic of excuse-making and pride getting in the way, and it’s beyond sad.

Notice the title mentions all of the above as trends, which means they’re not definite. Nothing has to become permanent because people have the choice to make it better or worse. Things in sports media (and life in general) are the way they are because the men and women in the industry allow it, and the discussion about the NBA Finals underline where these issues lay. While social media can be looked at as a cesspool of negativity at times, it is good for calling out those in the profession on their BS. Even with that, the change from the thirst for drama, flip-flopping and convenience arguments have to happen from within. Until that happens, there’s no reason to believe these trends wouldn’t continue.