Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 124 - The "Miracle on Ice" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: "Like Father, Like Son:" Four-star QB Gunner Rivers, the son of NC State University football legend & eight-time NFL Pro-Bowler (and the most recent 40-year-old QB that "Almost-led-the-Colts-to-a-victory-over-the-Super-Bowl-60-Champions" & Almost-Head Coach of the Buffalo Bills) Philip Rivers, has committed to play for the Wolfpack, he announced Monday via social media - - Rivers is ESPN's No.11-ranked pocket passer and No.142 overall prospect in the 2027 cycle - - The younger, less accomplished Rivers, is now set to follow in his father's footsteps after throwing for 2,813 yards and 44 TDs to five (5) INTs in his junior season - - A 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior at Alabama's St. Michael Catholic High School, he elected to commit to his father's alma mater over reported offers from Auburn, Boston College, Miami & South Carolina, and will have some massive shoes to fill when he arrives on campus in Raliegh, NC - - Prior to playing for 17 seasons in the NFL, Philip Rivers was a four-year starter at NC State from 2000 to 2003, emerging as one of the most prolific QBs in program and ACC Conference history - as he led all FBS passers in completion percentage (72%) and was named Offensive Player of the Year during his senior season in 2003 - and Rivers' 13,848 career passing yards remain first among both NC State and ACC QBs, and ranks 13th on the NCAA's all-time passing list. . .Q: What are your thoughts on 2027 QB Gunner River's verbal commitment to play at his father and former NFL QB, Philip Rivers, alma mater?. . .NCAA College Basketball: In this particular segment, JD & Spencer will discuss a few of the more notable College Basketball games from across the country over the previous week, as well as to dive into any of the buzzworthy storylines surrounding the league. The following game(s) are discussed within this episode:

Friday, Feb. 20th:     No.23 Miami (OH) RedHawks vs. Bowling Green Falcons

Tuesday, Feb.24th:    No.22 Miami (OH) RedHawks at Eastern Michigan Eagles

Friday, Feb. 27th  No.22 Miami (OH) RedHawks at Western Michigan Broncos

Tuesday, Mar. 3rd:       No.22 Miami (OH) RedHawks vs. Toledo Rockets

Friday, Mar. 6th:         No.22 Miami (OH) RedHawks at Ohio Bobcats

Q: Based on the RedHawks' remaining schedule, do you think that No.21 Miami (OH) will finish off a perfect 31-0 season? Or will they drop one (or more) of their three remaining games this season?. . .

Saturday, February 21st: Potential "Final Four Preview?"

No.4 Arizona Wildcats at No.2 Houston Cougars/Edward Jones Capital Showcase: No.1 Michigan Wolverines vs. No.3 Duke Blue Devils - - Duke's win over Michigan has propelled the Blue Devils to a familiar perch: No.1 in the AP Men's Top 25 poll after claiming 56 of the total 61 first-place votes to supplant the Wolverines, who's stay atop the standings only lasted a week. . .

- NCAA College Baseball: While the NCAA College Baseball season remains relatively young, what occurred on Tuesday could only be referred to as "Mid-Week Madness," after four (4) of the top six (6) ranked teams in Division I College Baseball suffered losses to unranked, in-state opponents, causing significant early-season chaos in the rankings - - This mid-week upset trend highlights the high volatility and competitiveness that is present in early-season NCAA college baseball. . .In this segment, JD & Spencer discuss the following four upset(s) that occurred on Tuesday that sent a shockwave through the sport:

(1) Arkansas State - 12

No.6 Arkansas - 4

(2) Georgia State - 9

No.5 Georgia Tech - 4

(3) McNeese - 7

No.2 LSU - 6

(4) San Diego State - 4

No.1 UCLA - 3

- NFL - - Former Purdue & NFL star WR Rondale Moore passed away on Saturday at the age of 25, as police in his hometown of New Albany, Indiana, informed the Associated Press that Moore was found in the garage of his house with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound, while his death remains under investigation - - Moore grew up in New Albany - just across the Indiana border from Louisville, Kentucky, and after committing to play college football at the University of Purdue, he was named a first-team All-American as a freshman in 2018 - - As an all-purpose player that season, Moore also won the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in college football - - In his three (3) seasons spent with the Boilermakers, prior to turning pro, Moore racked up 1,915 receiving yards and 14 TDs while also rushing for 248 yards & three (3) rushing TDs - - In what will forever be a "Where Were You?" type moment, we can remember witnessing Rondale Moore lead the Boilermakers to what would become a legendary upset over the Ohio State Buckeyes - - A second-round draft pick of the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, Moore had been sidelined for the past two seasons (2024, 2025) after sustaining injuries: he missed the 2024 NFL season after suffering a dislocated right knee while he was signed with the Atlanta Falcons, and he most recently spent time with the Minnesota Vikings, participating in their 2025 offseason & training camp, prior to suffering a season-ending left knee injury while returning a punt on August 9th in the team's preseason opener - - In three (3) seasons spent with the Cardinals, Moore started a total of 23 games, caught 135 receptions for 1,201 receiving yards — R.I.P. To a legend. . .The Atlanta Falcons plan to place their franchise tag on TE Kyle Pitts Sr., likely keeping one of the NFL's top TEs under contract for at least one more season, a source reported to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Monday - - Franchise tag contract numbers are based on the top five (5) annual salaries at each position, and due primarily to this, Pitts stands to make about $16.32 million next season (2026), the franchise tag salary this year for TEs, according to OverTheCap.com - - Despite a record-breaking rookie season in 2021, Pitts struggled with injuries and inconsistency from 2022 to 2024, as he had 1,026 yards on 68 catches in his first season in the league - - Pitts, 25, experienced a major rebound year last season, finishing second among TEs in total receptions (88) and receiving yards (928) last season, trailing only behind Trey McBride of the Arizona Cardinals - - Pitts and the Falcons will have until July 15th to agree to a long-term contract or else he will have to play the 2026 season under the franchise tender, as the deadline for NFL teams to apply the franchise or transition tag is set for next Tuesday, with free agency beginning the week after. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons' decision to place the franchise tag on TE Kyle Pitts Sr.?. . .

- NBA - - The Los Angeles Lakers unveiled a statue of legendary coach Pat Riley outside Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, and the nearly 8-foot-tall, 510-pound bronze rendering features the famously stylish Riley in his preferred attire: a Giorgio Armani suit & a crocodile leather belt - - A Hall of Famer, Riley coached the "Showtime" era Lakers throughout the 1980s, who is currently the Miami Heat team president, last roamed the sidelines in 2008 after 24 seasons spent coaching in L.A., New York & Miami - - Most importantly, Riley coached the Lakers from 1981 to 1990 and won four (4) NBA championships (i.e., 1982, 1985, 1987 & 1988) - - **NOTE: Riley becomes the eighth former Laker with a statue on Star Plaza, joining Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant, Chick Hearn, Shaquille O'Neal, Jerry West, Magic Johnson & Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. . .

- MLB - - "The legaCCy Continues:" CC Sabathia's No.52 will be retired on Sept. 26th by the New York Yankees, who will dedicate a plaque in honor of the Hall of Fame pitcher at Monument Park - joining his fellow teammates Derek Jeter and Andy Pettitte - before that day's game scheduled against the Baltimore Orioles - - **NOTE: CC Sabathia will become the 24th player to have his number retired by the New York Yankees franchise, the first since Paul O'Neill was honored with the retirement of jersey No.21 in 2022 - - Other jersey numbers that are retired by the Yankees franchise include the following list (yes! The Yankees are gonna be donning triple digit jerseys VERY soon!): No.1 (Billy Martin, 1986), No.2 (Derek Jeter, 2017), No.3 (Babe Ruth, 1948), No.4 (Lou Gehrig, 1939), No.5 (Joe DiMaggio, 1952), No.6 (Joe Torre, 2014), No.7 (Mickey Mantle, 1969), No.8 (not retired - but the # jersey is set aside for Yogi Berra & Bill Dickey), No.9 (Roger Maris, 1984), No.10 (Phil Rizzuto, 1985), No.15 (Thurman Munson, 1979), No.16 (Whitey Ford, 1974), No.20 (Jorge Posada, 2015), No.21 (Paul O'Neill, 2022), No.23 (Don Mattingly, 1997), No.32 (Elston Howard, 1984), No.37 (Casey Stengel, 1970), No.42 (Mariano Rivera, 2013), No.42** (Jackie Robinson, 1997), No.44 (Reggie Jackson, 1993), No.46 (Andy Pettitte, 2015), No.49 (Ron Guidry, 2003), No.51 (Bernie Williams, 2015) and No.52 (CC Sabathia, 2026) - - Sabathia was a six-time MLB All-Star who won the 2007 AL Cy Young Award with Cleveland and a World Series title in 2009, his first season with the Yankees after signing as a free agent - - He went 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA and 3,093 strikeouts, which was third among LHPs behind Randy Johnson & Steve Carlton, throughout his 19-year MLB career, including a 134-88 record with a 3.81 ERA and 1,700 strikeouts for the Yankees - - He was also elected to baseball's Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2025. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the New York Yankees' announcement that they will retire CC Sabathia's No.52 jersey later this year?. . .

- Miscellaneous - - "Play Free Bird:" For almost 58 minutes, the U.S. Women's Hockey Team looked to be on the verge of an epic collapse on the grandest stage: heading into Thursday's Olympic gold-medal game, the Americans had gone undefeated, scoring at least five (5) goals against every opponent, including a 5-0 rout of the Canadian Team in the preliminary round - - Yep, Team USA trailed Canada for most of the gold-medal game, down by a score of 1-0, to a team that had fully embraced the "underdog" mentality. . .but then, Lyndrd Skynyrd's original lineup showed up on the ice, and played the most impactful rendition of their eight-minute ballad, Free Bird, and then, in the blades of glory, it was Team USA captain Hilary Knight, who made U.S. national team history, by scoring her 15th career goal in the Winter Olympics, and the dominant American team that we'd seen for the previous two weeks in Milan, had finally showed up. . .**PSA: No! Lyndrd Skynyrd's original lineup - or any lineup for that matter - did not show up, and the song, Free Bird, was not played (although it should have been!) - - In the end, Team USA overpowered Canada 2-1 in OT to regain the Olympic title, completing a 7-0 perfect run through the tournament - - To their credit, Team Canada came out playing the best hockey of the entire tournament, outshooting the Americans 8-6 in the first period, as they executed their game plan - to take away time and space & make life difficult for Team USA's skilled roster - nearly to perfection: Just 54 seconds into the second period, and while being short-handed, Canada's fourth-line center Kristin O'Neill opened the scoring, ending the Americans' long shutout streak at 352 minutes & 17 seconds - as this was the first bit of adversity the Americans had faced all tournament, as well as the first time they had trailed - - The Americans did a much better job of spacing the floor in the second period, as they put up 14 shots on Canadian goalkeeper, Ann-Renee Desbiens, whereas the third & final period was incredibly tense - as we have come to expect for it to be when it is between Team USA & Team Canada: After Erin Ambrose was boarded by Britta Curl-Salemme, Canada received a power-play opportunity, but failed to score on a U.S penalty kill that remained perfect throughout the tournament, and it was this, that set up Hilary Knight's final (and quite possibly the greatest) moment, a deflection on Edwards' point shot to tie the game with 2:04 minutes remaining - - **NOTE: The U.S. Olympic Women's Hockey Team hasn't lost a game in a major international competition since the 2024 Women's World Championship gold medal match, in which Canada defeated the Americans 6-5 in OT - - To put it into perspective just how dominant this U.S. Women's Hockey Team has been, just take a look at their overall record over the past year: Team USA has dismantled opponents 84-15, including 33-2 at the Winter Olympics. . .Q: What were your thoughts on the U.S Olympic Women's Hockey Team capturing gold and defeating Canada as well as completing a perfect 7-0 run through the tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics?. . ."This One's for Johnny:" The Winter Olympics Men's Hockey gold-medal game promised to be an epic showdown between the U.S and Canada. .And it Delivered: Following goals by Team USA's Matt Boldy and Canada's Cale Makar in regulation - as well as a slew of incredible saves by Team USA goaltender Connor Hellebuyck & Canada's Jordan Binnington - the gold-medal match went into OT Sunday - - In that extra session, which features a 3-on-3 format, Jack Hughes took a pass from Zach Werenski & buried it past Binnington, giving the U.S. a 2-1 victory and its' first gold medal in Men's Ice Hockey since 1980 (it's a full-circle moment! - the same year that the "Miracle on Ice" occurred!) - - Shortly after winning gold at the 2026 Winter Olympics, the American players brought out the late Johnny Gaudreau's Team USA jersey on the ice during their celebration - as well as his children. . . - - Remember the Name: Connor H-E-L-L-E-B-U-Y-C-K! (it's alot easier if you're an NHL fan!) - The Winnipeg Jets star, who is the reigning NHL MVP & the winner of the Vezina Trophy as the league's best goaltender - - and there's no doubt that this guy cemented himself as the best netminder in the world with a gold-medal game performance for the ages: **NOTE: Hellebuyck stopped 41 of 42 shots against Canada, 27 of which came from the slot & 17 of them coming from the inner slot, according to Hockey Stats- - At the end of the day, Hellebuyck was the story of the gold-medal game for Team USA, whereas Jack Hughes was the story of the tournament for the Americans, and after some pretty harsh criticism, it was only appropriate for Hughes to be the "savior" that came up clutch to deliver the gold for the Americans. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Team USA men's hockey team coming away with the gold medal after defeating Canada 2-1 on Saturday?. . ."A Golden Games:" The 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan came to a close on Sunday after 19 days of world-class competition across northern Italy, featuring more than 3,000 athletes from over 93 National Olympic Committees - - In an Winter Games defined by breakthrough performances & displays of resilience, the 232 members of Team USA made history, surpassing the nation's all-time Olympic Winter Games gold-medal record (12), besting the previous record of 10 set in Salt Lake City in 2002 - - **NOTE: The U.S. earned a total of 33 medals (12G, 12S, 9B), surpassing its previous record of 28 (Sochi 2014) for an Olympic Winter Games held outside of North America - - Team USA's 33-medal haul placed them second in the standings in both total & gold medals, with a total of 85 U.S. athletes contributing to the overall medal count, and with 58 stepping onto the Olympic podium for the very first time - - Total Medal Count: As for the overall or total medal count following the closure of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Norway dominated, finishing in first place with a record 41 total medals (18G, 12S, 11B), with the United States finishing second, followed by host nation Italy with 30 medals (10G, 6S, 14B) - - In fourth place was Germany with 26 total medals (8G, 10S, 8B), and in fifth place was Japan with 24 medals (5G, 7S, 12B) - - and rounding out the top ten, it's France at No.6 (23 medals), Switzerland at No.7 (23 medals), Canada at No.8 (21 medals), the Netherlands at No.9 (20 medals), and finally, Sweden at No.10 with 18 total medals. . .