Behind the Line

When James Harden forced the Houston Rockets to trade him to Brooklyn...there was one reason behind the trade. Harden wanted to add a NBA title to his resume. The pairing of Harden with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving essentially guaranteed at least an appearance in the NBA Finals...right?

Well...on paper that would be true. However...there are some serious concerns with the Nets going into the playoffs. Primarily...the lack of motivation with Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. 

We explain our concerns with both Kyrie and KD...and how this could lead to problems with the Nets in the playoffs. We also explain why the lack of defense in Brooklyn could seriously impact their title hopes.

For the first time in 20 years...Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots had a losing season. The Patriots went 6-10 last season...while Tom Brady led the historically bad Tampa Bay Buccaneers to their first Superbowl in nearly two decades.

Because of all of this...there are rumors that Bill Belichick is coaching for his job this season. Lavar Arrington stated this case earlier this week on Fox Sports 1. Arrington said Belichick's job is on the line in 2021.

We go over Lavar Arrington's comments...and explain why Belichick is NOT at risk of being fired in New England. We also explain the "whispers" Lavar Arrington mentions regarding Belichick and Brady...and how there would be no Tom Brady without Bill Belichick.

Since LeBron James was injured two weeks ago...along with the absence of Anthony Davis...the Los Angeles Lakers have slid two spots in the Western Conference standings. The Lakers are 4-7 without LeBron and AD...and are in serious trouble.

We highlight two players that have failed to step-up in the absence of LeBron and Anthony Davis. Both are considered to have loads of potential...and one was considered untradeable when Rob Pelinka was negotiating with the Pelicans two years ago.

We also explain why it might not be worth it to rush LeBron and AD back this season. Even with a healthy LeBron and Anthony Davis...are the Lakers legitimate title contenders?

Going into the 2020-21 NBA season...the Boston Celtics were expected to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. However...over halfway through the season...the Celtics are sitting below .500 and barely clinging to the playoffs.

With two stars under 25 in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown...along with Kemba Walker...why are the Celtics struggling? Has Brad Stevens lost the locker room? Is it because they've been hit hard by injuries all season?

We explain why the Celtics have failed to meet expectations this season...and highlight the real reason expectations haven't been met in Boston.

30 years ago...Charles Barkley stoked controversy by starring in a commercial and telling the American public that he wasn't a role model. 30 years later...Charles Barkley is actually becoming a role model.

He was vocal against the woke movement last summer. Barkley was one of the few television personalities in sports media who wasn't afraid to speak out against the division that was being created by Black Lives Matter and politicians.

Barkley made headlines again during the Final Four broadcast. We go over his comments...and explain why once again Charles Barkley is spot-on. We also explain why wokeness in the NBA, MLB, and NFL might not be going away anytime soon.

The Chicago Bears are one of the most storied franchises in the NFL. However...with that long history comes the fact that the Bears have constantly botched the quarterback position. They haven't had a franchise quarterback since the 1950s.

We go over the recent quarterback history in Chicago...and explain how mismanagement has hurt the franchise. The Bears have one of the better defenses in the NFL every season...and still struggle to make the playoffs due to poor quarterback play.

Basically...Chicago is where NFL quarterback careers go to die. We explain why Andy Dalton isn't the answer for the Bears...and how Dalton...Matt Nagy...and GM Ryan Pace will be looking for jobs next season.

Major League Baseball has been on the decline in this country for 20+ years. The league was extremely popular in the 90s...but since the steroid scandal...television ratings for Major League Baseball have steadily declined.

We saw last summer how going woke can have a devastating impact on a sports league. When the NBA went woke...they experienced record low ratings for the NBA Finals at a time when many people were in quarantine.

With that being the case...why is Rob Manfred and Major League Baseball making the decision to go woke? We offer an explanation that you're not going to hear anywhere in the mainstream sports media.

The most important aspect in any relationship...whether business or personal...is trust. Once trust is broken...it's nearly impossible to get it back. According to JJ Redick...Pelicans general manager David Griffin isn't an executive that can be trusted.

Redick claims the Pelicans GM gave him his word that he would get him traded to a team in the northeast. Redick wanted to be closer to his family...and to end his career with a title contender. Instead...he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks.

This is another instance of mismanagement in New Orleans...a franchise that has a history of not handling situations correctly. We explain how David Griffin has put the Pelicans in a horrible situation...and why this could have an impact on the future of Zion Williamson in New Orleans.

Over the last few months...Kevin Durant and Michael Rapaport were involved in a dispute over social media. It started off innocently enough...trash talk between friends...then Kevin Durant crossed the line.

Kevin Durant was most definitely wrong in this situation...and has apologized. However...this isn't the first incident of this type of behavior with Kevin Durant. Ever since he left Oklahoma City...one of the best basketball players in the world has also been the most sensitive. We explain why Durant needs to rise above this...or it could tarnish his legacy.

We also explain how Michael Rapaport isn't exactly the victim in this situation...and why he was wrong to release this private conversation to the public.

Jimmy Garoppolo's NFL career has been difficult. After sitting behind Tom Brady for a couple of years...he finally gets his chance in San Francisco. Then...he immediately gets injured and misses nearly an entire season.

He leads the 49ers to the Superbowl...gets hurt again...misses over half of last season. Now in 2021 when he's finally healthy and ready to retake his team...John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan have seemingly lost faith in him as their long-term starter.

We explain why it's the right decision by the Niners to move up to #3 in the NFL Draft...and what it means for the future of Jimmy Garoppolo. We explain how even if he leads the Niners to the playoffs this season...it still won't be enough to keep him in San Francisco long-term.