Behind the Line

It's funny how quickly people's opinions have changed on Lonzo Ball...for now. Few weeks ago fans and media in New Orleans were yelling for him to be traded. Now...it seems the star point guard has changed their minds.

David Griffin doesn't need to hesitate when it comes to re-signing Lonzo Ball. This needs to happen sooner rather than later. It seems the Pelicans front office views Lonzo Ball the same way the fans do. Sometimes they're high on him...sometimes they're not.

We explain why Lonzo Ball is the key to the Pelicans future...and how the Pelicans will go as far as Ball takes them. We also explain why the media needs to be patient with Lonzo Ball...and how he hasn't been setup for success early in his NBA career.

There comes a point in legendary professional athletes career where winning championships is more important than making money. Apparently...that's not the case with JJ Watt...who just signed a massive contract with the Arizona Cardinals.

We explain why signing with the Cardinals isn't only a mistake for JJ Watt...but also for Arizona. The Cardinals are overpaying for a defensive end who is well past his prime...and risk losing other defensive starters.

And long-term...JJ Watt could regret signing with Arizona...instead of signing with another team who is poised to win a Superbowl over the next two years.

For franchise quarterbacks...going into their fourth year in the NFL is usually when they receive their contract extensions...their big money contract. Reports coming out of Baltimore are saying that Lamar Jackson and the Ravens aren't close to an agreement on extending his contract.

Could this be another situation where quarterback and franchise part ways? We explain why the situation in Baltimore isn't an emergency yet. But the real question...is Lamar Jackson worth $40+ million dollars per year?

Is he a franchise quarterback? We go over two concerns we have with Lamar Jackson...and predict what will happen in Baltimore this offseason.

LeBron James led the NBA down the path of woke politics last summer...and it had disastrous affects on the league. Ratings for the playoffs and NBA Finals were at record lows...and it put a stain on the NBA's public image.

Ratings this season have bounced back as the league becomes less political. However...LeBron James can't let the woke politics go. He was called out this weekend by soccer superstar Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Ibrahimovic said LeBron and other American sports stars should keep their focus on sports...and leave politics alone.

In response...LeBron James said he would never stop using the NBA platform to promote his political beliefs. We explain why this is a terrible idea...and compare LeBron to past NBA stars who were the face of the league...and refused to talk politics.

We explain how LeBron could be the first face of the NBA to leave the league in worse condition then it was in when he was drafted.

The tension seems to be intensifying in Seattle between Russell Wilson and the Seahawks. We haven't gone a week in February without some negative story coming out of Seattle regarding the relationship between quarterback and franchise.

The Athletic released an interesting report this week about what's going on in Seattle. We analyze the story...and speculate who told the media about Russell Wilson storming out of a meeting with his coaching staff back in November.

We go over everything that's happened this offseason...and explain why we believe the Seahawks are actively trying to push Russell Wilson out the door.

The biggest waste on both the NFL and NBA calendars every year is the Pro Bowl and the All-Star game. Both are meaningless exhibition games that players in each league don't take seriously...and shouldn't.

This year is the perfect time to cancel the NBA All-Star game...at least for one year. Players in the league don't want to play...the city of Atlanta doesn't want to host...it seems everyone is agreeing the game should be canceled.

Except Adam Silver. We reveal the reason Adam Silver refuses to cancel this year's All-Star game. While we partially understand his reasoning...we explain why it's not a good enough reason to insist the All-Star game be played in 2021.

One of the biggest problems facing the NBA right now is the fact that the regular season doesn't seem to matter to the audience. Most fans don't begin watching the NBA until the playoffs...missing the entire regular season.

Why do fans not watch the regular season? Because the players have conditioned the audience to believe the regular season doesn't count. However...LeBron James is trying to change that perception.

We analyze comments made by LeBron Monday night...and what he is doing at this stage of his career. We compare his mentality to that of Michael Jordan...and provide several examples of NBA players disrespecting the regular season by missing games for rest.

After several rough years in Philadelphia...where he was consistently disrespected and never appreciated...Carson Wentz was traded to the Indianapolis Colts. He will re-unite with Frank Reich...with whom he prospered and enjoyed the best season of his career.

After the trade went down...the disrespect for Carson Wentz ramped up. Some claimed he was a bust for the Eagles. Reports from the front office in Philadelphia claimed Wentz couldn't handle hard coaching.

We defend Carson Wentz against these claims...and explain how the Eagles never set him up for success. The Eagles are to blame for this situation in Philadelphia not working out...not Carson Wentz.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks finally put an end to their five game losing streak Friday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. However...fans in Milwaukee continue to call for head coach Mike Budenholzer to be fired.

We analyze some of the reasons Bucks fans have lost patience with Mike Budenholzer...and how he is coaching for his job this season. We explain why right now is not the time to make a coaching change.

Fans in Milwaukee are clearly over-reacting. We give reasons why the Bucks have looked differently this season...and explain why a losing streak in the middle of February is no big deal. If Mike Budenholzer is fired...who is available to replace him?

In most cases...relationships aren't ended by one major event happening. The relationship slowly erodes over time due to a series of seemingly minor issues that eventually add up. Where there is smoke...there is usually fire...and we're beginning to see signs of smoke in Seattle.

Something isn't right between Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks. Pete Carroll publicly criticized him after their Wild Card loss to the Rams last month. Russell Wilson publicly criticized the Seahawks for their lack of attention addressing the issues on the offensive line.

Is Russell Wilson in the long-term plans for the Seahawks? We explain why he isn't going anywhere this offseason...but how he could be playing for a different team in 2022.