Tradition's Finest Podcast

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 112 - The "Rivalrous Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football Week Thirteen Analysis & Review: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss the major topics/storylines, analyze & review the in-game stats & each provide their individual takeaway's for the Week 13 slate of College Football games from across the country - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth recap, and discussion of the following games & topics which are included in this week's College Football Analysis & Review segment:

No.22 Missouri Tigers at No.8 Oklahoma Sooners

Arkansas Razorbacks at No.17 Texas Longhorns

No.15 USC Trojans at No.7 Oregon Ducks

Pittsburgh Panthers at No.16 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Kansas State Wildcats at No.12 Utah Utes

NCAA College Football Week Fourteen or "Rivalry Week" Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Week Fourteen preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for a few of the most notable Rivalry Week matchups - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection, and also discuss the historical significance of each matchup: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!!

"Egg Bowl:"No.6 Ole Miss (-7.5) at Mississippi State   O/U62.5      "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate:" No.4 Georgia (-12.5) vs. No.16 Georgia Tech O/U59.5

Cotton Holdings "Lone Star Showdown:"No.3 Texas A&M (-2.5) at No.17 Texas O/U51.5

"The Game:" No.1 Ohio State (-9.5) at No.18 Michigan O/U45.5

No.14 Vanderbilt at No.20 Tennessee (-2.5) O/U64.5

"The Iron Bowl:" No.10 Alabama (-5.5) at Auburn O/U48.5    

NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - "Kiffin Drama:" Lane Kiffin's decision on his coaching future feels like it's holding the sport of college football hostage, however, Ole Miss confirmed on Friday that Kiffin will announce the "final verdict" regarding his future on November 29th - just one day after the Rebels meet the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the 2025 edition of the "Egg Bowl," - leaving Florida, LSU & even his own program, Ole Miss, stuck in an uncomfortable position - - The uncertainty intensified late Friday night, when reports surfaced that LSU officials were preparing to make an aggressive push to pry Kiffin from Oxford - - According to multiple reports, key decision-makers are preparing a formal offer that could reach seven years and upwards of $90M, which would place Kiffin among the highest-paid coaches in college football - - While Florida is reportedly still in the mix for Kiffin's services, LSU's surge has instantly reshaped the financial landscape, while Ole Miss is stuck navigating the fallout - - The Rebels currently sit at No.6 in the most current CFP rankings, and are tracking toward the program's first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, yet Kiffin's indecisiveness looms over an otherwise historic season - - Q: Solely based on your gut, where do you think Lane Kiffin lands: does he remain at Ole Miss and continue building upon the success that he has already established in Oxford? Although he has indicated that it's "not about the money," does he chase the paper trail to Baton Rouge? Or, does he follow the palm tree pathway to the Gainesville to lead the Florida Gators?. . .Florida State HC Mike Norvell will return for a seventh season with the Seminoles, pledging to make the much-needed structural changes within the program to enhance performance, the school announced Sunday - - Questions that had been mounting about Norvell's job security reached a boiling point after a 21-11 loss to NC State on Friday night that dropped the Seminoles to 5-6 overall - - Florida State must win on the road at Florida on Saturday just to reach bowl eligibility - - Over the past two years, Florida State is 7-16 (3-13 in ACC Conference play) & winless on the road - - Norvell, however, did win an ACC title in 2023 and has maintained his optimism to reinvigorate the program towards a successful future - - Q: What are your thoughts on Florida State's announcement on Sunday that head football coach Mike Norvell will return next season?. . .Per On3 Sports' Pete Thamel, North Texas HC Eric Morris has been hired to become the next HC at Oklahoma State - - Morris will reportedly coach out UNT's remaining games, including both a potential American Conference title game appearance and CFP bid, announced on Tuesday - - Statistically, Morris' Mean Green have the No.1 offense in the country, averaging 503.3 total yards of offense per game - The Mean Green are also the only D-I team in the country to score at least 50 points in six games this season, and they are the only team to score at least 30 points in every game throughout the regular season - - Morris is 21-15 in three years at UNT, and went 24-18 at Incarnate Word with two FCS playoff appearances - - Q: What are your thoughts on the hire by Oklahoma State? Do you expect UNT Mean Green redshirt freshman QB Drew Mestemaker to follow HC Eric Morris to Oklahoma State?. . .

NFL - - NFL Week 12 Review & Recap: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & recap each of the following NFL games from Week 12 of the regular season - - **Be sure to tune in for an in-depth review, a highlight and discussion of the following game(s) from this past weekend's slate of games:

Thursday Night Football: Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans

Pittsburgh Steelers at Chicago Bears (**Steelers' T.J. Watt surpasses older brother J.J. Watt in career sacks)

. . .And This Week's Tradition's Finest "Most Badass Celly of the Week" Award goes to. . the Green Bay Packers' Evan Williams with the "SKOL celly," a TD celebration where he & his teammates performed the Minnesota Vikings' "SKOL" chant after picking off QB J.J. McCarthy, who now has nine INTs in six games played - as the Packers went on to defeat the Vikings 23-6. . .

New York Giants at Detroit Lions (**Lions' RB Jahmyr Gibbs has a career day)

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (**The Cowboys score 24 unanswered points to defeat the Eagles/QB Dak Prescott tops Tony Romo for the career franchise record for yards passing)

Cleveland Browns at Las Vegas Raiders (**Rookie QB Shedeur Sanders' NFL starting debut/Raiders fire OC Chip Kelly just 11 games into his first season with the franchise)

NBA - - Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul is retiring after this season, his 21st NBA campaign, sources told ESPN on Saturday - - Paul, 40, is a 12-time All-Star, an 11-time member of All-NBA teams, a nine-time All-Defensive teams member, the 2006 Rookie of the Year, and a member of the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team - - It was believed that this was likely Paul's final season in the league, and on Saturday morning, he posted on social media: "What a ride. . .Still so much left. . .GRATEFUL for this last one," - - Nicknamed "The Point God," Paul is the NBA's active leader in assists & steals, and is second all-time in both behind John Stockton - - He has led the league in assists per game five times and in steals per game in six seasons - and he has averaged double-digit assists in seven seasons - - Paul & LeBron James are the only two players in NBA history to reach both 30,000 career points and 10,000 career assists milestones - - Paul spent six years with the New Orleans Hornets after being drafted with the No.4 overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, prior to the famously voided trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, which ultimately landed him with the Clippers, where he teamed up with Blake Griffin & DeAndre Jordan - which birthed the "Lob City" era of the franchise - leading to its' longest sustained run of success - - After six years with the Clippers, Paul was traded to the Houston Rockets & paired with superstar James Harden, but they failed to have a postseason breakthrough - - Paul would go on to play for the OKC Thunder as well as a short stint for the Golden State Warriors prior to reuniting with the Clippers in the offseason, and to date, Paul - who will turn 41 in May - has appeared in eleven games this season with Los Angeles - - Q: Would you consider Chris Paul to be the second-best assist facilitator in the history of the NBA? Without an NBA championship, does it somewhat tarnish Paul's career & overall accomplishments?. . .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 111 - The "Walk-On" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football Week Twelve Analysis & Review: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss the major topics/storylines, analyze & review the in-game stats & each provide their individual takeaway's for the Week 12 slate of College Football games from across the country - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth recap, and discussion of the following games & topics which are included in this week's College Football Analysis & Review segment:

Clemson Tigers at No.19 Louisville Cardinals

South Carolina Gamecocks at No.3 Texas A&M Aggies (**largest comeback in program history - - a 1-286 record in SEC play since 2004 when trailing by 27 or more points)

No.24 South Florida Bulls at Navy Midshipmen (**for a second consecutive week, the highest-ranked G5 program in the CFP rankings lost)

No.21 Iowa Hawkeyes at No.17 USC Trojans (**The Hawkeyes have now lost to four ranked teams this season by a combined 15 points)

No.11 Oklahoma Sooners at No.4 Alabama Crimson Tide (**Theme for the Crimson Tide: "Missed Opportunities & Turnovers")

No.10 Texas Longhorns at No.5 Georgia Bulldogs (**Does Texas have a "Georgia" problem that is very similar to Georgia's "Alabama" problem?)

- NCAA College Football Week Thirteen Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Week Thirteen preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following Week 13 matchups - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!!              

No.22 Missouri at No.8 Oklahoma (-7.5)      O/U41.5         

Arkansas at No.17 Texas (-8.5) O/U57.5

"College Gameday:" No.15 USC at No.7 Oregon (-9 O/U59.5

No.20 Tennessee (-4.5) at Florida      O/U57.5 No.11 BYU (-2.5) at No.25 Cincinnati         O/U54.5

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - Virginia Tech has finalized a deal to make James Franklin the school's next head football coach, per the sources who informed ESPN of the hire on Monday - - Franklin is the former HC at both Penn State and Vanderbilt University, where he went an impressive & combined record of 128-60 over 15 seasons at the helm - - Franklin brings a resume that includes winning more than 68% of his games, an appearance in the semi-finals of the 2024 College Football Playoff, and a Big Ten Conference championship in 2016 - - Franklin's arrival in Blacksburg will give the Hokies their most accomplished HC since Hall of Famer Frank Beamer, who retired in 2015 after 29 seasons with the program - - Since that time, Virginia Tech has endured the underwhelming tenures of Justin Fuente, and most recently - Brent Pry - as the program struggled to assimilate to modern college football. . .Q: What are your thoughts regarding James Franklin being hired as the as the next head football coach for the Virginia Tech Hokies? Is it necessarily the best overall fit for the program? If you're James Franklin, do you at the very least reach out to Hokies' legendary QB, Michael Vick, about the possibility of him joining your staff at his alma mater? . . .The third edition of the College Football Playoff rankings were released on Tuesday night, with undefeated Ohio State remaining No.1 ahead of Big Ten foe Indiana, and the top 10 experiencing some key alterations - - A pair of top-tier SEC matchups & a massive upset led to a new No.4 team in the rankings. . Alabama vacated that particular ranking/spot after suffering a 23-21 loss at home to Oklahoma, with Georgia sliding into the "first-round bye" position after the Bulldogs dominated the Texas Longhorns 35-10 this weekend in Athens. . .In the recently released CFP rankings, the Sooners now sit at No.8, one spot ahead of Notre Dame & two spots ahead of the Crimson Tide (i.e., No.10) - - University of Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek, who earlier in the week had assumed the role as the College Football Playoff selection committee chairman, had some pretty interesting, but mostly asinine comments when it came to elaborating as to the "why" Alabama came in at No.10 in this week's CFP rankings: (1) Rushing offense struggles: Yurachek pointed to Alabama's inconsistent rushing performance as a major issue, noting that the Crimson Tide's season-opening loss to the Florida State Seminoles, was a "sign of some of the struggles Alabama was going to have rushing the ball," - He also referenced the games against South Carolina and LSU, where they ultimately won the game, but failed to rush for at least 100 yards rushing, and their inability to move the ball on the ground against Oklahoma; (2) Comparison to Notre Dame (CFP No.9): Yurachek explained that the CFP selection committee used metrics like the quality of losses when comparing Notre Dame & Alabama, further highlighting that Alabama's loss to FSU, who is currently 5-5 overall this season, was a 'difference-maker' in their decision-making process; and (3) Inconsistent performance: Yurachek also mentioned that the CFP selection committee also evaluated Alabama's need to score two late TDs to avoid the upset on the road versus South Carolina - as an example of a team struggling on the road & not running the ball very well, which factored into their decision to rank the Crimson Tide at No.10. . .Q: Is it not abundantly clear that the University of Alabama is evaluated under a different microscope lens than that of other D-1 programs? What about the evaluation of "quality of wins," or "number of wins over ranked opponents?" Do you agree with CFP committee chair Hunter Yurachek that the Notre Dame Fighting Irish should be ranked higher than the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff rankings? - - Even though Alabama dropped from the No.4 spot to No.10, the Crimson Tide still has favorable odds to advance to the SEC Conference Championship game, which would all but guarantee a spot in this year's CFP. . .According to ESPN Research, Alabama has a 71% chance to make it to Atlanta - with only one SEC game remaining - against archrival Auburn on the Plains - - No.3 Texas A&M and No.5 Texas Tech round out the top five, and possibly the most surprising alteration to the third edition of the CFP rankings: the Miami (FL) Hurricanes being announced as the 11th projected bid, despite being ranked No.13, yet they are four spots behind Notre Dame, a team that the Hurricanes defeated 27-24 in the season opener (so much for the No.1 criteria being evaluated or viewed by the CFP selection committee being "head-to-head" matchups) - - Finally, the Tulane Green Wave claimed the last of the 12 playoff spots as the highest-ranked Group of Five team in Tuesday's release at No.24 - but after consecutive weeks of the highest-ranked G5 program losing, could this potentially be "a hex" for Jon Sumrall & the Green Wave?. . .According to CFP chair Hunter Yurachek, should a Group of Five team not make the final CFP rankings, the CFP selection committee would then choose which conference champion is most deserving of the last (or final) bid - - The SEC Conference led the way again Tuesday with nine ranked teams, while the Big Ten had six, the Big 12 had five, and the ACC has three after Pitt dropped out of the rankings following their 37-15 loss to Notre Dame this weekend. . .Q: What are your overall thoughts on this week's updated CFP rankings? Which of the ranking(s) are you most surprised and/or intrigued about? . .

- NFL - - NFL Week 11 Review & Recap: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & recap each of the following NFL games from Week 11 of the regular season - - **Be sure to tune in for an in-depth review, a highlight and discussion of the following game(s) from this past weekend's slate of games:

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings

. . .And This Week's Tradition's Finest "Most Badass Celly of the Week" Award goes to. . .New York Giants QB Jameis Winston, who started on Sunday versus the Green Bay Packers in place of Giants starter, Jaxson Dart after suffering a concussion in last week's game - - Winston gave an electric pregame speech & kept the Giants (2-8) in the game against the Packers, but ultimately came up just short in a 27-20 loss on Sunday afternoon. . .On Sunday, Winston scored a go-ahead rushing TD from the 1-yard line midway through the 4th QTR, and he blessed us all with a TD celebration that is sure to become an instant meme: Winston busted out the Harlem Shake in the end zone . . .

Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (**Carolina QB Bryce Young breaks franchise record for most passing yards in a single game/Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. out for the season after he underwent surgery to repair a partially torn left ACL suffered in Atlanta's loss in OT). . .

Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos (**a new King of the AFC West emerging for the first time since 2016?). . .

Baltimore Ravens at "We're the Cleveland Browns" (**the Ravens defense spoiled QB Shedeur Sanders NFL regular season debut?). . .

- NFL (cont'd) - - Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja'Marr Chase has been suspended one game without pay for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers DB Jalen Ramsey, the league announced Monday - - The incident occurred in Cincinnati's 34-12 loss to the Steelers on Sunday - - After Chase initially denied his role in the altercation with Ramsey, video from Cincinnati's WXIX-TV revealed Chase clearly spitting in Ramsey's direction, which prompted Ramsey to throw a punch at Chase - - While Chase did appeal his suspension, it was upheld, and he will therefore miss his team's upcoming game against the New England Patriots in the Week 12 matchup. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Ja'Marr Chase-Jalen Ramsey altercation that occurred in the Bengals-Steelers' Week 11 matchup?. . .

- MLB - - For months, debate has swirled about which MLB player would go on to win this year's American League (AL) MVP Award: would the honor go to New York Yankees RF Aaron Judge for the third time in four years after another extraordinary offensive season. . .OR. . .would it be awarded to Seattle Mariners' catcher Cal Raleigh, who smashed his way into the history books with 60 HRs in the 2025 season? - - Last Thursday, once all of the votes were counted, Aaron Judge just narrowly won the AL MVP Award, cementing his place among baseball's all-time greats by becoming the 13th player to win three or more MVPs, joining Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio & Mickey Mantle as the only Yankees' players to have accomplished this feat - - Statistically, the 2025 MLB season was the best of Aaron Judge's career in terms of overall offensive production - - According to ESPN, the vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America was one of the closest in years, with Judge receiving 17 of the 30 first-place votes & 13 second-place votes, while Raleigh received the remaining 13 first-place votes, while finishing second on the other 17 ballots - - In other words, if just two writers would have switched their votes, the race for the AL MVP Award between Judge & Raleigh would concluded with a tie. . .Q: What are your thoughts on New York Yankees RF Aaron Judge being voted the AL MVP for the third time in four years? Should Cal Raleigh have been voted as the 2025 AL MVP? . . .Shohei Ohtani was named the National League (NL) MVP last Thursday, capturing all 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers' Association of America in the wake of another dynamic offensive season that included a successful return to pitching, and was once again capped by a championship - Ohtani came back from a second surgical repair of his ulnar collateral ligament to make 14 regular-season starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a 2.87 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 47 innings, including 16 2/3 consecutive scoreless innings to end the regular season - - Ohtani has won four MVP Awards over the past five years - all of them in unanimous fashion, and only Barry Bonds, has been presented with more (i.e., seven) - - Ohtani is now the first player in MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL history to win both an MVP and a championship in each of his first two seasons with a team, according to ESPN Research. . .Q: Legit question: Is Shohei Ohtani the greatest MLB player of all time?. . .

- Miscellaneous - - Boxing: YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will face former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in a professional heavyweight boxing match on December 18th at Kaseya Center in Miami, according to Paul's brand Most Valuable Promotions, who informed ESPN on Monday - - The fight, which will be streamed live on Netflix, is scheduled for eight 3-minute rounds, and the fighters will wear 10-ounce gloves, which is the standard for heavyweight fights - - Instead of an exhibition match against a hard-hitting professional boxer in Gervonta "Tank" Davis, who campaigned at 130 pounds, Paul will now face off against a two-time heavyweight champion & Olympic gold medalist in a sanctioned professional boxing match, who has fought as high as 256 pounds, over 100 pounds heavier than Davis. . .Q: Do you think that this boxing match will be "rigged?" If the boxing match is NOT rigged, how much of a chance do you give Jake Paul to actually win this fight & defeat Anthony Joshua?

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 110 - The One-Hundred & Tenth Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football Week Eleven Analysis & Review: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss the major topics/storylines, analyze & review the in-game stats & each provide their individual takeaway's for the Week 11 slate of College Football games from across the country - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth recap, and discussion of the following games & topics which are included in this week's College Football Analysis & Review segment:

Tulane Green Wave at No.23 Memphis Tigers

No.2 Indiana Hoosiers at Penn State Nittany Lions (**Josh Dasher, Official of the Year?)

No.7 BYU Cougars at No.8 Texas Tech Red Raiders

No.9 Oregon Ducks at No.20 Iowa Hawkeyes

Auburn Tigers at No.16 Vanderbilt Commodores

No.3 Texas A&M Aggies at No.22 Missouri Tigers

LSU Tigers at No.4 Alabama Crimson Tide

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - Two weeks after firing Brian Kelly, LSU remains in a standoff with its former football coach over the terms of his buyout. . .Kelly's contract - a 10-year, $95-million deal - calls for him to be paid 90% of his remaining salary for the life of his contract, which would put LSU on the hook for close to $54 million in the form of monthly payments to Kelly through 2031 - - Reportedly, LSU wanted to negotiate a smaller payment to Kelly that would give the coach a significant payout up front, but save the program money in the long run - - Per reporter Dan Wetzel, in a legal filing obtained by ESPN, Brian Kelly's lawyers state that LSU is saying that it never "formally terminated" Kelly and are now seeking to fire him "for cause" which could impact his near $54 million buyout agreement - - Kelly is seeking a declaratory judgement that LSU did fire him and that he is entitled to "full liquidated damages" - - Q: Do you expect the LSU-Brian Kelly to get pretty messy?. . . NCAA College Football Week Twelve Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Week Eleven preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following Week 12 matchups - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!!

                     

Clemson at No.20 Louisville (-3.5)         O/U51.5           

"College Gameday:" No.9 Notre Dame (-12.5) at No.22 Pittsburgh O/U55.5

No.11 Oklahoma at No.4 Alabama (-5.5)     O/U45.5

No.21 Iowa at No.17 USC (-6.5)                          O/U49.5 No.10 Texas at No.5 Georgia (-5.5)      O/U48.5

- NFL - - NFL Week 10 Review & Recap: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & recap each of the following NFL games from Week 10 of the regular season - - **Be sure to tune in for an in-depth review, a highlight and discussion of the following game(s) from this past weekend's slate of games:

NFL Berlin: Indianapolis Colts vs. Atlanta Falcons (**Colts RB Jonathan Taylor breaks franchise record)

New York Giants at Chicago Bears (**& the firing of Giants' HC Brian Daboll)

Cleveland Browns at New York Jets (**Jets break franchise history in the span of 36 seconds)

New England Patriots at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (** Backup QB Davis Mills & Texans overcame 19-point, 4th-QTR deficit to stun the Jags)

And This Week's Tradition's Finest "Most Badass Celly of the Week" Award goes to. . .Jacksonville Jaguars WR Parker Washington - - Washington had a punt return TD of 72 yards where he ran down the sideline untouched that put the Jags up 17-0. . .Washington stopped just shy of the goal line, turned around & fell backwards into the end zone & his teammates began to imitate that they were performing CPR on him, for a very creative and unique TD celebration. . .

- MLB - - Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz appeared in federal court Monday on charges accusing him and teammate Emmanuel Clase of accepting bribes to help associates in their native Dominican Republic win prop bets placed on pitches they threw - - The U.S. Magistrate Judge in Boston granted Ortiz his release but with several conditions, including that he surrender his passport, restrict his travel to the Northeast and post a $500,000 bail, with $50,000 of it secured - - He also was ordered to avoid contact with anyone who could be viewed as a victim, a witness or a co-defendant in the case - - According to the indictment against the two unsealed on Sunday, Ortiz & Clase took several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two unnamed gamblers in their home country win at least $460,000 on bets placed on the speed and outcome of certain pitches, including some that landed in the dirt - - Clase, who was the Guardians' closer, and Ortiz, a starter, have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July, when the MLB started investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when the two pitched, with some of the games in question occurring in April, May & June of this year. . .Q: Considering the alleged betting scheme that has been uncovered in the NBA, should we be surprised to learn that there is an illegal paper trail of betting in the MLB? Do you truly believe that Luis Ortiz & Emmanuel Clase are the only two MLB pitchers out there that are involved in some type of pitch-rigging betting scheme?. . .

- NBA - - Dallas Mavericks GM Nico Harrison has been fired, it was announced on Tuesday morning - - The decision was made after a Tuesday morning meeting between Harrison and team governor Patrick Dumont, sources told ESPN - - Harrison has been under fire from Mavericks fans since he stunningly traded superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 2nd, months removed from the then-25-year-old five-time first-team All-NBA selection leading the franchise to an NBA Finals appearance - - That trade, in which Dallas received veteran Anthony Davis, Max Christie & a 2029 first-round pick in return, prompted fan protests outside the American Airlines Center on the night of the deal and before the team's next home game. . .That angst never dissipated, as "Fire Nico!" chants have frequently been heard ever since at the team's home games, including Monday night's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks - - Assistant GM Michael Finley & Matt Riccardi have been promoted to lead the Mavs' basketball operations department on an interim basis - - Dallas' poor start to the 2025 NBA regular season combined with the fans' relentless angst ultimately sealed Harrison's fate. . .Q: Were you in the slightest bit surprised by the firing of GM Nico Harrison by the Mavericks organization? Do you think the Mavericks should have made this decision months ago?. . .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 109 - The "Call of A Lifetime" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - - "Welcome Back, College Basketball:" Due primarily to an excessive material load, we have decided to postpone on our NCAA College Basketball 'Season Preview' segment, however, JD & Spencer elected to provide their individual Final Four predictions for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. . .There is one storyline from the Opening Night of the College Basketball season that is just too great & uplifting to not mention in this week's episode: During the postgame interview following their first game of the season, Loyola (Chicago) Ramblers head basketball coach Drew Valentine indicated that he could 'sense' Sister Jean's presence in his team's thrilling win over Cleveland State on Monday night - - Loyola Chicago guard Deywilk Tavarez hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 0.5 seconds to play, to secure the 91-88 victory in the program's first official game since the death of Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the longtime chaplain of the program and its' globally-recognized supporter, at the age of 106 last month - - In memory of Sister Jean, who had been associated with the program since 1994, the Ramblers' uniforms will include a patch that includes a picture depicting Sister Jean in all her glory - - Q: What are your thoughts on Loyola Chicago's buzzer-beating victory in their first game following Sister Jean's passing?. . .NCAA College Football Week Ten Analysis & Review: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss the major topics/storylines, analyze & review the in-game stats & each provide their individual takeaway's for the Week 10 slate of College Football games from across the country - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth recap, and discussion of the following games & topics which are included in this week's College Football Analysis & Review segment:

No.9 Vanderbilt Commodores at No.20 Texas Longhorns

West Virginia Mountaineers at No.22 Houston Cougars

No.10 Miami Hurricanes at SMU Mustangs

No.5 Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators (*Neutral site/game played in Jacksonville, FL)

No.8 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at NC State Wolfpack

No.23 USC Trojans at Nebraska Cornhuskers

South Carolina Gamecocks at No.7 Ole Miss Rebels (& the firing of Gamecocks OC Mike Shula)

No.18 Oklahoma Sooners at No.14 Tennessee Volunteers

Kentucky Wildcats at Auburn Tigers (**& the firing of Tigers HC Hugh Freeze & potential replacements)

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - NCAA D-I College Football Coaching Carousel: This could be the most active coaching carousel the sport of College Football has encountered in many years - - In particular, prior to the end of the month of September, five Power 4 programs were searching for new HC's for the 2026 season, and that number has since skyrocketed to twelve (counting some late-offseason dismissals) after Kent State University removed the interim tag from Mark Carney - - The 2024-25 hiring cycle was historically slow at the Power 4 level, as most programs waited to see the impact of budgeting more than $20 million for athletes in the House v. NCAA settlement, but with that revenue sharing system now firmly in place, the focus has significantly shifted back to coaching changes across the college football landscape - - In this particular segment, JD & Spencer present their individual ranking of NCAA Division I College Football's open head coaching jobs, with the ranking being primarily based on factors such as the chances for a head coach to succeed there - - Coaches want to take jobs where they believe they can be successful, and based on our independent rankings, this is how most HCs would view & prioritize the particular programs - - The 12 Power 4 open heading jobs that are ranked in this segment include the following programs: LSU, Penn State, Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, UCLA, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech, Stanford, Oregon State, Colorado State & UAB. . .NCAA College Football Week Eleven Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Week Eleven preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following Week 11 matchups - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!!

Tulane at No.22 Memphis (-5.5)                       O/U55.5

No.5 Georgia (-8.5) at Mississippi State                    O/U57.5

"College Gameday:" No.8 BYU at No.9 Texas Tech (-10)           O/U52.5

No.3 Texas A&M (-7) at No.19 Missouri  O/U47.5

No.6 Oregon (-6) at Iowa      O/U40.5

LSU at No.4 Alabama (-10.5)                    O/U49.5

Auburn at No.15 Vanderbilt (-6.5)             O/U45.5

- NFL - - NFL Week 9 Review & Recap: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & recap each of the following NFL games from Week 9 of the regular season - - **Be sure to tune in for an in-depth review, a highlight and discussion of the following game(s) from this past weekend's slate of games:

Atlanta Falcons at New England Patriots

Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers

And This Week's Tradition's Finest "Most Badass Celly of the Week" Award goes to. . .Carolina Panthers RB Rico Dowdle - - Dowdle's celebration of a 3rd-QTR TD on Sunday included only two "pelvic pumps" in his rendition, referencing the character, Hingle McCringleberry, from a sketch of the Comedy Central show "Key & Peele," - - In contrast to McCringleberry's "three-pump" TD celebration, which gets flagged for excessive celebration in the original skit, it was Dowdle's understanding that he was allowed two pumps - - While the language in the league's rulebook is vague, the game official flagged Dowdle on Sunday for unsportsmanlike conduct - and unfortunately, the 15-yard penalty was forced on the extra-point attempt, for which Carolina PK Ryan Fitzgerald missed - - but perhaps it was "excessive" because six of Dowdle's teammates participated in the celebration, which means, technically, there might have been 12 pelvic pumps. . .

Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers

Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals

"Cam Little, BIG Kick:" Jacksonville Jaguars second-year kicker Cam Little is now officially in the NFL record book after drilling the longest FG in league history on Sunday - - The Jaguars' PK booted a 68-yard FG shortly before the halftime break - in the Jaguars' eventual 30-29 OT win over the Las Vegas Raiders - - Little, who connected on a 70-yard FG during the NFL preseason, was mobbed by his teammates after breaking the record that was previously held by former Ravens kicker, Justin Tucker, who's 66-yarder held on to the record since 2021 - - **NOTE: Little is now just one of three kickers in NFL history to make a FG of at least 65 yards - not bad for a 22-year-old, sixth-round pick - who had made 71.4% of his FG attempts during the first seven games of the 2025 NFL season. . .

Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills

- NFL (cont'd) - - 2025 NFL Trade Deadline: The 2025 NFL trade deadline, which was on Tuesday, November 4th, presented teams with one last window to transform their roster prior to the stretch run of the NFL regular season - - JD & Spencer discuss & provide an 'overall grade' for a few of the more notable and/or most impactful trades that did occur around the league prior to the 4:00 p.m. ET cutoff; the following trade(s) are discussed within this episode:

Philadelphia acquired OLB Jaelan Phillips via Miami in exchange for a 2026 third-round draft pick

Seattle acquired WR Rashid Shaheed via New Orleans in exchange for 2026 fourth- & fifth-round pick(s)

Jacksonville acquired WR Jakobi Meyers via Las Vegas in exchange for 2026 fourth & sixth-round pick(s)

Indianapolis acquired CB Sauce Gardner via NYJ in exchange for 2026 & '27 first-round picks & WR Adonai Mitchell

Dallas acquired three-time Pro Bowl DT Quinnen Williams via NYJ in exchange for 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 first-round pick & DT Mazi Smith

- MLB - - 2025 World Series Game 5: Toronto Blue Jays (2-2) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2-2): A record-setting performance from 22-year-old rookie pitcher Trey Yesavage in Game 5 of the 2025 World Series last Wednesday night had the Toronto Blue Jays on the cusp of their first MLB championship since 1993 - - Yesavage, in his first career postseason start on the road, struck out 12 batters over seven innings while giving up only three hits without issuing a single walk, helping lead the Blue Jays to a 6-1 win, and 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series - - **NOTE: Yesavage set the rookie mark for most strikeouts in a World Series game, surpassing Don Newcombe's 11, which was set in 1949. . .2025 World Series Game 6: Toronto Blue Jays (3-2) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2-3): After another hitless performance in Wednesday's Game 5 loss made Dodgers star Mookie Betts 3-for-23 in this year's World Series, he wasted no time as his only solution for when slumps emerge, is to attempt to swing his way out of them: In the early part of Game 6 last Friday evening, Betts hit a two-run single that made the difference in a season-saving 3-1 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays - - Yoshinobu Yamamoto beat Toronto for the second time in a week by allowing one run in six innings, and slumping Mookie Betts hit a two-run single in a three-run 3rd inning against Kevin Gausman that included Will Smith's go-ahead double - - A two-run lead was starting to slip away from the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 9th inning - along with their chance to force this year's World Series to a Game 7 - And then Kike Hernandez turned what might have been a tying, two-run single by Andres Gimenez into the first game-ending left field-to-second base double play in postseason history - - The Blue Jays were pushed to a Game 76 while the Dodgers kept alive their chance to become the first repeat champion since the 1998-2000 New York Yankees. . .2025 World Series Game 7: Toronto Blue Jays (3-3) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (3-3): When the final out of Game 7 of the 2025 World Series was recorded late Saturday night, and the Los Angeles Dodgers cemented themselves as champions for a second straight year - - As for Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, he turned to watch Alejandro Kirk hit a broken-bat grounder that started a double play, Kershaw was certain there were two outs and the score was suddenly tied, not that his Dodgers had just pulled off an improbable, championship-clinching 5-4 victory over the Blue Jays - - Down a run with two outs remaining in their quest to become the first MLB team in a quarter century to repeat, the Dodgers got a game-tying HR from Miguel Rojas in the 9th inning, then a game-winning HR from Will Smith in the 11th inning - - Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who recorded the last two outs in the 9th inning, mowed through the Blue Jays lineup in the 10th and staved off another furious rally in the 11th - - In the end, he became an easy choice for World Series MVP. . .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! & Happy Halloween to all you Cool Cats & Kittens!

Episode 108 - "The CVIII Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football Week Nine Analysis & Review: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss the major topics/storylines, analyze & review the in-game stats & each provide their individual takeaway's for the Week 9 slate of College Football games from across the country - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth recap, and discussion of the following games & topics which are included in this week's College Football Analysis & Review segment:

**"Feel Good, Inc:" UNT Redshirt freshman QB Drew Mestemaker "Mustve'Mader" major impact in the Mean Green's impressive comeback victory over Charlotte

No.8 Ole Miss Rebels at No.13 Oklahoma Sooners

No.16 Virginia Cavaliers at North Carolina Tar Heels

No.18 South Florida Bulls at Memphis Tigers

"College Gameday:" No.15 Missouri Tigers at No.10 Vanderbilt Commodores

No.4 Alabama Crimson Tide at South Carolina Gamecocks

No.22 Texas Longhorns at Mississippi State Bulldogs

And This Week's "Most Badass Celly of the Week" Award goes to. . .Redshirt freshman Nickelback/Safety RahShawn Clark of the Washington Huskies: In the best game of his collegiate career, Clark snagged his first career INT off Illinois QB Luke Altmyer, which led to Clark leading a stadium-wide "6,7" celebration at Husky Stadium on Saturday (**a reference to the viral song/clip from TikTok). . .

No.3 Texas A&M Aggies at No.20 LSU Tigers (**& the firing of Tigers HC Brian Kelly & potential replacements)

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - "The Axe Cometh:" LSU OC and QBs coach Joe Sloan has been fired effective immediately, the school announced on Monday, less than 24 hours after HC Brian Kelly was relieved of his duties - - LSU's offense has struggled this season, ranking No.124 in the country in rushing yards per game (106.3), No.91 in red zone efficiency (58.6%), and No.83 in points per game (25.5) - - TEs coach & Run Game Coordinator Alex Atkins, who formerly made stops as the OC at Florida State & Charlotte, will reportedly take over as LSU's offensive play-caller, per an announcement of the program. . .NCAA College Football Week Ten Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Week Ten preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following Week 10 matchups - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!!

No.9 Vanderbilt at No.20 Texas (-2.5)                       O/U45.5

Penn State at No.1 Ohio State (-20.5)                    O/U43.5

No.4 Alabama (-13.5) at South Carolina                O/U47.5

"War for the Okefenokee Oar:" No.5 Georgia (-7.5) vs. Florida  O/U50.5

South Carolina at No.7 Ole Miss (-12.5)      O/U54.5

No.18 Oklahoma at No.14 Tennessee (-3)                   O/U56.5

No.23 USC (-6.5) at Nebraska                           O/U59.5

No.17 Cincinnati at No.24 Utah (-10)                   O/U55.5

- NFL - - "An Episode Favorite, No.74:" Former New York Jets center Nick Mangold, aged 41, a franchise legend who endeared himself to fans and teammates with his blue-collar, every-man demeanor, has passed away due to complications from kidney disease, the Jets franchise announced on Sunday - - Mangold's passing came twelve days after he made a public appeal for a kidney transplant via social media, primarily because none of his family members shared his extremely rare blood type (i.e., Type O) - - Known for his toughness & cerebral approach, Mangold became one of the most decorated centers in the NFL: he made seven Pro Bowls, was twice named a first-team All-Pro, and most impressively, he played in the league for five straight years before he missed his first game (e.g., he wound up missing only four games in his first ten NFL seasons) - - In 2009, Mangold, a veteran in the league, was a bit of a calming influence to Jets new & turnover-prone QB, Mark Sanchez, that would ultimately help the Jets reach the AFC Championship Game in back-to-back consecutive seasons - - While he did draw interest from other NFL teams following his release by the New York Jets, Mangold elected to retire after playing for the same franchise for eleven (11) seasons, where he started 164 of 176 games - - At his induction into the Jets' Ring of Honor in 2022, the bearded Mangold, with his signature backward baseball cap, would go on to punctuate his acceptance speech to the fans in the stadium, by cracking open a beer - - What a legend, R.I.P. Nick Mangold, you will be missed, brother!. . . After being released by the Jets NFL Week 8 Review & Recap: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & recap each of the following NFL games from Week 8 of the regular season - - **Be sure to tune in for an in-depth review, a highlight and discussion of the following topics from this past weekend's slate of games:

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles (**& the loss of Rookie RB Cam Skattebo)

"Another Milestone:" Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry passed one of the biggest names in NFL history on Sunday: His two rushing TDs against the Chicago Bears brought his career total to 112, breaking a tie with the late great Walter Payton (110) for fifth on the career rushing list - - Henry is also closing in on becoming the 17th player in NFL history to rush for 12,000 yards. . .

New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals (**QB Justin Fields leads Jets' rally to overcome a 15-point, 4th-QTR deficit to win 1st game of the season). . .

"Sack Man:" On Saturday, Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett, became the third player in NFL history to have 10 or more sacks in eight consecutive seasons, joining Hall of Famers Reggie White & John Randle - - **NOTE: It is the third four-sack game in the history of the Browns franchise. . .Q: Are you, by any measure, surprised that Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett became the 3rd player in NFL history to have 10 or more sacks in eight consecutive seasons?. . .

"Another Vintage Performance:" In the Monday Night Football matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs & the Washington Commanders, the Chiefs picked up their fifth win in the past six games, by comfortably defeating the Commanders 28-7 at Arrowhead Stadium. . .but the Chiefs' victory is not nearly as significant as a particular stat that was recorded in this game by a team veteran - - TE Travis Kelce's 10-yard TD late in the 3rd QTR was historic: It was Kelce's 83rd career score, which tied him with former RB Priest Holmes for the most total TDs in Chiefs' franchise history - - To date, Kelce also had the best game of the 2025 NFL regular season - as he led the Chiefs with six receptions on eight targets for 99 yards receiving - - Kelce put together another vintage performance by doing exactly what he had done throughout his entire career: devour zone coverage - - **NOTE: Together, QB Patrick Mahomes & TE Travis Kelce are just the third QB-TE duo in NFL history to connect for 75 TDs, including the playoffs - joining the likes of Tom Brady & Rob Gronkowski (105) and Philip Rivers & Antonio Gates (90). . .

- MLB - - 2025 World Series Game 1: Toronto Blue Jays vs. Los Angeles Dodgers: Addison Barger launched the first-ever pinch-hit grand slam in World Series history, and Alejandro Kirk added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays stormed back to crush the defending champion Dodgers 11-4 in last Friday night's series opener at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Canada - - Playing in their first "Fall Classic" in 32 years, the Blue Jays erupted for nine runs in the 6th inning, turning a 2-0 deficit into a blowout that electrified a sold-out home crowd & gave Toronto a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series - - Los Angeles, who is seeking to become the first team in a quarter century to win back-to-back titles, stranded three with the bases loaded in the 2nd inning - and stranded another in the 3rd as well - - The 22-year-old RHP, Trey YeSavage, making just his fourth postseason start, became the second-youngest pitcher to ever star in a World Series opener - - Despite their early jitters, Toronto began their comeback in the 4th inning when Kirk singled off the right-field wall, and Daulton Varsho followed with a 423-foot HR to center off Dodgers' Blake Snell, who had not allowed a homer to a left-handed hitter in approximately five months - - Snell unraveled in the 6th inning, giving up a walk to Bo Bichette - who was playing in his first game in seven weeks after sustaining a knee injury - followed by a Kirk single and a Varsho hit-by-pitch to load the bases for the Blue Jays - - The Dodgers, the team with the highest payroll in baseball, looked very rusty after a weeklong layoff following their NLCS sweep of the Detroit Tigers. . .2025 World Series Game 2: Toronto Blue Jays (1-0) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (0-1): The Los Angeles Dodgers bounced back from the crushing loss in Game 1 of the 2025 World Series with a 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday evening in their second consecutive game at the Rogers Centre in Toronto - - Yoshinobu Yamamoto had a great outing for the Dodgers, throwing his second straight complete game while only allowing one run - - **NOTE: Throughout the 2025 MLB postseason, Yamamoto has posted a 1.59 ERA through his four starts in October - - **NOTE: The last player to throw consecutive complete games in the postseason was Curt Schilling in 2001 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, when he threw all nine innings in three consecutive games against the St. Louis Cardinals & Atlanta Braves - - The Dodgers took an early lead against former division rival, Kevin Gausman - with Will Smith scoring Freddie Freeman in the top of the 1st inning after Freeman hit a double to right field - - The Dodgers did not record another hit until the top of the 7th inning, when Will Smith gave the Dodgers a 2-1 lead with a solo HR - his first this postseason - & Max Muncy tacked on another solo shot two batters later - forcing Gausman out of the game - - This was a massive win for the Dodgers, tying the series at 1-1, and they would head back to Dodger Stadium, where the next three games of the series, will be held. . .2025 World Series Game 3: Toronto Blue Jays (1-1) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (1-1): It took six hours and thirty-nine minutes - as well as 609 pitches - to finally crown a winner in Game 3 of the 2025 World Series: Against the 19th pitcher deployed, Freddie Freeman saw a full-count sinker that sailed toward the middle of the strike zone and lifted it to straightaway center field for another game-ending HR, sending the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 6-5 victory over the Blue Jays in 18 innings on Monday night, which tied for the longest game in World Series history - - Game 3 saw the Blue Jays & Dodgers combine for 10 runs in the first seven innings and zero for the next ten innings - - It saw Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani collect an extra-base hit in each of his first four plate appearances, including the game-tying homer in the 7th inning, and walk in each of his next five, four of which were intentional - - It saw Clayton Kershaw strand the bases loaded in an emotional 12th inning - and it saw an array of impressive throws, including those by Blue Jays' Addison Barger & Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and by Dodgers' Teoscar Hernandez - - And Game 3 also saw Will Klein, a minor midseason pickup & surprising addition to the Dodgers' World Series roster, save L.A.'s season - - Prior to Ohtani in Game 3, no MLB player had ever reached base nine times in a postseason game. . .2025 World Series Game 4: Toronto Blue Jays (1-2) vs. Los Angeles Dodgers (2-1): The Toronto Blue Jays became the second team in baseball history to face the task of coming off an 18-inning loss in the World Series on Tuesday night - and much like the 2018 Boston Red Sox - they responded with a resounding win: Behind a 3rd-inning Vladimir Guerrero Jr. blast off Shohei Ohtani & a much-needed quality outing from starting pitcher Shane Bieber, the Blue Jays cruised to a mostly drama-free 6-2 win over the Dodgers, evening the Fall Classic series at 2-2. . .Q: After the Blue Jays successfully tied up the series at 2-2, which team do you think has the "competitive edge" going into Game 5?. . .

- NBA - - Hall of Famer & current Portland Trail Blazers HC Chauncey Billups, former Cleveland Cavaliers player & assistant coach Damon Jones, and current Miami Heat player Terry Rozier, were all arrested and indicted for their alleged involvement in illegal sports gambling and rigged poker games, reportedly backed by the Italian Mafia, the authorities announced last Thursday - - Both Billups & Rozier, who has been indicted on charges of wire fraud conspiracy & money laundering conspiracy, have been placed on administrative (or immediate) leave from their respective teams (each of these counts carries a term of no more than 20 years in prison) - - A total of 34 people were arrested as a result of a yearslong investigation covering 11 states and involving tens of millions of dollars, per the Director of the FBI, Kash Patel - - Law enforcement officials have also reported that the multiple charges involve four Mafia families & organized crime networks - - According to the indictment for former NBA player, Damon Jones, it is alleged that he sold inside information to bettors - and that Jones had a close relationship with "a prominent NBA player," during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers & the Los Angeles Lakers - and that he allegedly had access to insider information through that relationship - - While Jones' indictment does not specifically name the player, a source has informed ESPN reporter Dave McMenamin that it was former Cavaliers/Lakers superstar, LeBron James. . .Q: What are your thoughts regarding the NBA's alleged illegal gambling scandal and its' ties to the Mafia?. . .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 107 - "The Pine Tar Incident Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football Week Eight Analysis & Review: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss the major topics/storylines, analyze & review the in-game stats & each provide their individual takeaway's for the Week 8 slate of College Football games from across the country - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth recap, and discussion of the following game(s), which are included in this week's College Football Analysis & Review segment:

No.10 LSU Tigers at No.17 Vanderbilt Commodores

No.5 Ole Miss Rebels at No.9 Georgia Bulldogs

"Battle for the Bones:" No.22 Memphis Tigers at UAB Blazers

No.7 Texas Tech Red Raiders at Arizona State Sun Devils

Mississippi State Bulldogs at Florida Gators (**& the firing of Gators HC Billy Napier)

No.4 Texas A&M Aggies at Arkansas Razorbacks

No.21 Texas Longhorns at Kentucky Wildcats

"Battle for the Jeweled Shillelagh:" No.20 USC Trojans at No.12 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

"Third Saturday in October:" No.11 Tennessee Volunteers at No.6 Alabama Crimson Tide

No.16 Missouri Tigers at Auburn Tigers

"Holy War:" No.23 Utah Utes at No.15 BYU Cougars

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - NCAA Division III: Approximately 10 miles south of Boston, Mass., in the small suburban area of Milton, lies Curry College - - Curry College, a Division-III private school with roughly 2,000 undergraduate students at a campus that sits on 131 acres, is surrounded by a picture-perfect tree setting - - The term "picture-perfect" is not only a valid description of the scenery that surrounds this small, private institution - but may also be used to describe the performance that was witnessed last Saturday evening: In their homecoming game, the Curry College Colonels laid the "smack down" on Nichols College in a resounding 71-27 victory - and Nope! It's NOT the score that is relevant here. . .when the dust was settled, Curry College RB Montie Quinn had taken down the NCAA record across all three divisions, by rushing for 522 yards on 20 carries (26.1 yards average/per carry) while tacking on seven TDs - - Quinn broke the standing NCAA and Division III record of 465 rushing yards set by Heidelberg's Cartel Brooks in 2013 - - **NOTE: The FBS record for the most rushing yards recorded in a single game is 427, set by former Oklahoma Sooners RB Samaje Perine in 2014 - - And the wildest part of this record-breaking story: Quinn could have finished with more rushing yards, however, he would sit out for the Colonels' final two offensive drives of the game - - To date, including his out-of-this-world performance on Saturday, Quinn has accumulated 1,450 rushing yards and 17 TDs this season for the Curry College Colonels. . .Colorado State has fired its' head football coach Jay Norvell midway through his 4th season with the program, the school announced Sunday afternoon - - The decision was made to dismiss Norvell after the Rams fell to 2-5 this season following Saturday's loss to the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors - - Following the loss on Saturday, Norvell finished his tenure with CSU with an overall record of 18-26, and he is reportedly owed approximately $1.5M in the buyout of his remaining contract, in which he signed a five-year deal, in 2021 - - Tyson Summers, who is in his second stint as the DC for the Rams, has been named the interim coach following Norvell's firing - and CSU further announced that it would immediately begin its search for a new HC NCAA College Football Week Nine Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Week Nine preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following Week 9 matchups - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!!

No.8 Ole Miss at No.13 Oklahoma (-3.5)                      O/U54.5

No.18 USF (-5.5) at Memphis                         O/U62.5

No.4 Alabama (-13.5) at South Carolina                O/U47.5

College Gameday: No.15 Missouri at No.10 Vanderbilt (-2.5)  O/U52.5

No.11 BYU at Iowa State (-2.5)         O/U49.5

No.3 Texas A&M (-2.5) at No.20 LSU                      O/U48.5

- NFL - - NFL Week 7 Review: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & recap each of the following NFL games from Week 7 of the regular season - - **Be sure to tune in for an in-depth review, a highlight and discussion of the following game(s) from this past weekend's slate of games:

"The Unc Bowl: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings

New York Giants at Denver Broncos

And This Week's "Most Badass Celly of the Week" Award goes to. . .Detroit Lions WR Amon-Ra St. Brown and RB Jahmyr Gibbs, who teamed up & nailed the dual 'Superman + Spiderman' pose celebration in the endzone - as they would "save the day" for Detroit in their 24-9 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football. . .

- NFL (cont'd) - - Defensive end Brandon Graham has decided to come out of retirement to rejoin the Philadelphia Eagles - - The Eagles announced Tuesday morning that Graham, who was the longest-tenured player in Eagles' franchise history, had agreed to a one-year deal to suit up for his 16th season with the team - - Graham's return to the Eagles certainly could not have happened at a much better time for a franchise that is struggling at the edge rusher position, as well as following DE Za'Darius Smith's sudden retirement last week & after Nolan Smith Jr. was placed on IR last month because of a triceps injury - - Graham, 37, hold the Eagles' record for most regular season games played (206) and is 3rd in franchise history with 76.5 sacks - - He made his lone Pro Bowl in 2020 and recorded his first double-digit sack season in 2022 with 11. . .Q: Are you surprised to learn that DE Brandon Graham is returning to the Philadelphia Eagles less than a year out of retirement?. . .

- MLB - - It was announced on Wednesday afternoon that University of Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello had been hired to become the next manager of the San Francisco Giants, per ESPN reporter Pete Thamel - - Vitello helped lead the Volunteers to a national championship in the 2024 College World Series & transformed the program into a national powerhouse - - Interestingly, he is the first manager in MLB history to jump directly from the collegiate level to the majors without any pro baseball experience - - At the University of Tennessee, Vitello was the highest-paid coach in college baseball - with a salary upwards of $3M per season - and it is believed that he may have taken somewhat of a pay cut to manage at the professional (or MLB) level - - Since taking on his first head coaching gig in 2017, he has guided the Volunteers to two SEC Conference regular-season titles and two SEC Conference Tournament titles. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the San Francisco Giants hiring Tennessee head baseball coach Tony Vitello as its next manager? Why do you think Vitello is the first MLB manager to be hired directly from the collegiate level?. . .2025 World Series Predictions: Who is your prediction to win the 2025 World Series: the Toronto Blue Jays or the Los Angeles Dodgers? (Tune in to this week's episode for JD & Spencer's picks - - **Be sure to share your picks with us on Twitter/X - @TraditionFinest OR send us a message at [email protected]!!) - - The 2025 World Series is set to begin with Game 1 between the Dodgers and Blue Jays tonight - - The Los Angeles Dodgers entered the 2025 MLB regular season as the largest title favorites in over two decades, and they are heading into the 2025 World Series as the overwhelming favorites to win their second straight championship: The reigning champion Dodgers opened as the -210 favorite to win the World Series over the Blue Jays, who opened at +175 odds, according to ESPN BET odds - - **NOTE: If the Dodgers were to capture another MLB Commissioner's Trophy this season, they will do so as wire-to-wire favorites for the second consecutive season, becoming the first franchise to accomplish that feat since the New York Yankees in 1999 and 2000, according to data from SportsOddsHistory.com. . .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 106.5 - "The P.U.I [Pitching Under the Influence] Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football Week Seven Review & Recap: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss the major storylines, review, & each provide their individual takeaway's for the Week 7 slate of College Football games from across the country - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth recap, and discussion of the following game(s), which are included in this week's College Football Review & Recap segment:

No.8 Alabama Crimson Tide at No.14 Missouri Tigers

No.1 Ohio State Buckeyes at No.17 Illinois Fighting Illini

Washington State Cougars at No.4 Ole Miss Rebels

Allstate Red River Rivalry: No.6 Oklahoma Sooners vs. Texas Longhorns

No.7 Indiana Hoosiers at No.3 Oregon Ducks

No.15 Michigan Wolverines at USC Trojans

"Deep South's Oldest Rivalry:" No.10 Georgia Bulldogs at Auburn Tigers

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - Following the results of the Week Seven slate of College Football games on Saturday, Sunday would become somewhat of a “doomsday," as three major CFB head coaches would be fired and/or relieved from their positions. . .(1) Most notably, Penn State fired HC James Franklin after 12 seasons with the program, the school announced early Sunday morning - - Franklin is owed more than $49 million, according to his contract, which is the second-largest buyout in college football history behind only Jimbo Fisher's $76 million buyout from Texas A&M - - Associate HC Terry Smith will serve as the Nittany Lions' interim head coach for the remainder of the season, and reportedly, no additional changes to the staff are expected at this time - - Penn State, ranked in the preseason as the No.2 team in the country, entered the 2025-26 season with a championship-or-bust mission, and oh boy, did things go bust! - - Franklin's program appeared to hit a new low when the Nittany Lions traveled out to Los Angeles two weeks ago only to lose to the winless UCLA Bruins, a team who hadn't previously held a lead in a game this season - - The woes traveled back with the team to Happy Valley, and with them came "Fire Franklin!" chants at Beaver Stadium on Saturday - - The Nittany Lions dropped their second straight home game this past weekend - and third overall - when they fell to Northwestern 22-21 in front of a stunned crowd at Happy Valley - - **NOTE: With the two losses, Penn State became the first team since the FBS and FCS split in 1978, to lose consecutive games while favored by 20 or more points in each game, according to ESPN Research - - In Saturday's loss to the Wildcats, the Nittany Lions struggled on both sides of the ball, committing six penalties for 71 yards in the first half alone - as they simply could never get out of their own way - and this was preceded the tragedy that would occur late in the 4th QTR: QB Drew Allar would go down, and according to Nittany Lions HC James Franklin in the post-game press conference, suffered a season-ending ankle injury - - Earlier in the season, when the losing streak began against Oregon at Happy Valley, Franklin fell to 4-21 at Penn State against AP Top-10 opponents, including a 1-18 record against AP Top-10 teams in the Big Ten Conference - - **NOTE: Franklin's .160 winning percentage against AP Top-10 teams is tied for the 3rd-worst record by a coach (with a minimum of 25 games) at a single school since the poll era began in 1936 - - The main question has to be: Where does Penn State go from here?: The school has made significant investments in facilities, NIL & other areas, and school AD Patrick Kraft is a "football guy," who wants to win at the highest level - - In regards to the recruiting trail, Penn State has access to talent in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic & Midwest, and certainly can compete for major goals on a regular basis - - In their pursuit of a new coach, the program can aim high with candidates and potential replacements, including from within the Big Ten Conference, and certainly target those with a track record of winning in the biggest moments - - After discussing a few of the most notable head coaching candidates to replace James Franklin at Penn State, both JD & Spencer each provide their pick as to who the Nittany Lions should pursue, and why (**Tune in to hear their picks!). . .(2) Next in line: Oregon State fired HC Trent Bray in the wake of an 0-7 start, the school announced Sunday afternoon - - It is the worst start the Beavers program since 1991, when they started the season 0-10 - - Bray, an Oregon State alum, who got promoted to the head coaching job after Jonathan Smith left for Michigan State following the 2023 season, finishes with a 5-14 record after taking over the program in 2024 - - Robb Akey, who was in his first year as Special Assistant to the head coach, has been named the Beavers' interim coach for the remainder of the regular season - - Bray is expected to owed upwards of $4 million in his buyout settlement, as he was in the second year of a five-year contract. . .(3) Finally, the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), fired its' head coach & former Super Bowl-winning QB, Trent Dilfer, on Sunday, after the Blazers dropped their third straight game, 53-33, at Florida Atlantic, to fall to 2-4 this season - - Dilfer, 53, had a 9-21 overall record in his two-plus seasons at UAB - - A 14-year NFL veteran, Dilfer was a surprising hire to take over the UAB program after Bill Clark announced his retirement for health reasons - prior to the 2022 season - - Alex Mortensen, the son of late award-winning ESPN NFL insider, Chris Mortensen, will serve as the Blazers' interim coach for the remainder of the regular season. . .Q: Which of the three FBS head coaches fired over the weekend was the most surprising in terms of its' face value? Which FBS program is most likely to "pull the plug" and/or fire their head coach next?. . .NCAA College Football Week Eight Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Week Eight preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following Week 8 matchups - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!!

No.14 Oklahoma (-4.5) at South Carolina                     O/U43.5

No.10 LSU at No.17 Vanderbilt (-2.5)                         O/U48.5

No.16 Missouri (-1.5) at Auburn                     O/U44.5

No.12 Georgia Tech at Duke (-2.5)  O/U60.5

College Gameday: No.5 Ole Miss at No.9 Georgia (-6.5)         O/U43.5

No.11 Tennessee at No.6 Alabama (-8.5)                       O/U60.5

No.20 USC at No.13 Notre Dame (-7.5)                      O/U62.5

"Holy War:" No.23 Utah (-3.5) at No.15 BYU              O/U48.5

- NFL - - Former NFL QB Mark Sanchez was booked & released at the Marion County Jail in Indiana on Sunday evening - - While leaving, Sanchez spoke to the press for the first time since the altercation/incident occurred, giving praise specifically to the first responders that "saved his life," - - Sanchez is facing a felony charge for his role in an altercation that led to the former New York Jet being stabbed last week - - Initially, Sanchez had been charged with three misdemeanors for his role in the incident, but is now facing the felony battery charge involving serious bodily injury, which carries a maximum sentence of between one and six years in prison - - According to Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears, the dispute between Sanchez & the truck driver - who was initially referred to as P.T. & later determined to be 69-year-old Perry Tole - began over a parking space - - On Monday, Tole has also filed a civil lawsuit against Sanchez & the Fox network, alleging assault/battery & negligent hiring, retention and supervision, however, Tole's civil lawsuit does not specify a specific amount for damages that he is seeking in return, but instead, has requested for the amount awarded to be determined at trial - - Sanchez played QB for the USC Trojans, prior to being drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the New York Jets - - Sanchez played in the NFL for ten seasons with the Jets & several other teams, where he would cement a legacy as the QB responsible for the infamous "butt fumble," prior to announcing his retirement from the league after the 2018 season - - After which point, Sanchez joined Fox Sports in 2021 as an analyst - - According to multiple reports, Sanchez was actually in Indianapolis at the time of the altercation because he was scheduled to call the Colts-Dolphins game the following day at Lucas Oil Stadium - - Q: What are your thoughts on the Mark Sanchez situation? Do you think he is likely to be found "guilty" on the count of the felony battery charge?. . .NFL Week 6 Review: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & recap each of the following NFL games from Week 6 of the regular season - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth review, and discussion of the following game(s) from this past weekend's slate of games:

NFL London Games: Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets

Dallas Cowboys at Carolina Panthers

San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

And This Week's "Most Badass Celly of the Week" Award goes to. . .Four-time Pro-Bowler/Las Vegas Raiders LB Maxx Crosby, who went viral during Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans for his savage troll job on Titans rookie QB Cam Ward - - During the 4th QTR at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Crosby broke free off the edge & got to Ward for a huge sack - - After bringing Ward down, Crosby proceeded to clown on him: he quickly turned toward the crowd and began doing Ward's signature celebration - a celebration that Ward has been doing - which has been dubbed "Zombieland," & features him covering his mouth with one hand and gesturing downwards with his other hand - ever since college - - Crosby decided to break it out on Sunday as part of his "Welcome to the NFL," moment for the rookie QB. . .

Detroit Lions at Kansas City Chiefs & the one-game suspension of Lions' safety Brian Branch

- MLB - - It is mid-October, and the 2025 Major League Baseball Playoffs are in full swing. we have reached the Championship Series for both the American League & National League - - the ALCS and NLCS, respectively - - In the ALCS, we have the Seattle Mariners & the Toronto Blue Jays, while in the NLCS, it's the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers versus the Milwaukee Brewers. . .In this episode, JD & Spencer discuss which of the four remaining MLB teams that they would prefer to advance to, and subsequently win this year's World Series - and they both present their independent, individual predictions as to which of the four remaining MLB franchises they think will win this year's World Series. . .Q: Which MLB franchise do you think will win this year's World Series: the Mariners, Blue Jays, Dodgers or Brewers?. . .

- WNBA - - The Las Vegas Aces cemented their place among the sport's greatest dynasties last Friday night, defeating the Phoenix Mercury 97-86 to complete a four-game sweep, and claim their third WNBA Championship in four seasons - - **NOTE: Las Vegas became the first team since the Houston Comets' four straight WNBA titles from 1997 to 2000 to win three championships in a four-year span - - League MVP A'ja Wilson led the way once again, scoring 31 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a performance emblematic of her reign atop the sport - - Though she shot just 7 of 21 from the field, Wilson made 17 of 19 FTs & controlled the game at both ends of the court, earning her second Finals MVP award in three years - - The Mercury's injury-depleted roster were without their leading postseason scorer, Satou Sabally, and star guard Alyssa Thomas - who notched another triple-double in Game 4 - had nine turnovers and was visibly labored after she injured her right shoulder late in the first half - - Despite the team being swept in the Finals, the Mercury's effort & resilience reflected a strong playoff run that included upsets of the defending champion New York Liberty & top-seeded Minnesota Lynx - - Q: Does A'ja Wilson's dominance in the WNBA elevate the University of South Carolina Women's Basketball Program to an "elite" status with the likes of the University of Tennessee & UCONN?. . .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 105 - "The Black Sox Scandal Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football Week Five Review & Recap: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss the major storylines, review, & each provide their individual takeaway's for the Week 5 slate of College Football games from across the country - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth recap, and discussion of the following game(s), which are included in this week's College Football Review & Recap segment:

No.8 Florida State Seminoles at Virginia Cavaliers & the "One-Finger Salute"

No.22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Arkansas Razorbacks & the firing of HC Sam Pittman

No.21 USC Trojans at No.23 Illinois Fighting Illini

No.16 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Wake Forest Demon Deacons & the Impact of a Missed
"Offsides" Call

Auburn Tigers at No.9 Texas A&M Aggies

"The Battle for the Magnolia Trophy:" No. 4 LSU Tigers at No.13 Ole Miss Rebels - - Are Trinidad Chambliss & the Ole Miss Rebels legit? Or can we expect the stereotypical "Lane Kiffin-style" collapse at some point this season?

No.15 Tennessee Volunteers at Mississippi State Bulldogs

No.17 Alabama Crimson Tide at No.5 Georgia Bulldogs

No.6 Oregon Ducks at No.3 Penn State Nittany Lions & HC James Franklin is now 4-21 against AP Top 10 ranked opponents - - Will James Franklin & the Nittany Lions ever get over "the hump?"

- NCAA College Football Week Six Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Week Six preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following Week 6 matchups - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!!

Kentucky at No.12 Georgia (-20.5)                          O/U48.5

Wisconsin at No.20 Michigan (-16.5)                         O/U42.5

No.14 Iowa State at Cincinnati (-2.5)                    O/U52.5

"College Gameday:" No.16 Vanderbilt at No.10 Alabama (-10.5)  O/U56.5

No.9 Texas (-6.5) at Florida                                 O/U43.5

No.24 Virginia at Louisville (-7.5)                             O/U62.5

No.11 Texas Tech (-10.5) at Houston                         O/U50.5

Mississippi State at No.6 Texas A&M (-14.5)               O/U57.5

No.3 Miami (-4.5) at No.18 Florida State               O/U54.5

- NFL - NFL Regular Season Week 4 Review: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & recap each of the following NFL games from Week 4 of the regular season - - Be sure to tune in for a discussion of the major storylines from across the league - as well as an in-depth review & analysis of a few of the most notable games from this past weekend; the following topics & slate of games are discussed in this episode:

Los Angeles Chargers at New York Giants & Rookie QB Jaxson Dart's impressive debut as a starter & the Giants' costly win. . .

**We reveal our fourth "Tradition's Finest Most Badass Celly of Week Two" Award winner. . .

Philadelphia Eagles at Tampa Bay Buccaneers & the Eagles' 20th victory in 21 games. . .

**Tennessee Titans rookie QB Cam Ward & his statement regarding the team's winless (0-4) start. . .

Indianapolis Colts at Los Angeles Rams & WR Adonai Mitchell's costly TD "celebration?". . .

**49ers DC Robert Saleh & Jaguars HC Liam Coen's heated postgame exchange at midfield after Jacksonville's 26-21 win. . .

Baltimore Ravens at Kansas City Chiefs & the number of injured starters for the Ravens continues to rise. . .

Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys & the "abomination" of a tie as a potential outcome for a professional sporting event. . .

- NFL (cont'd) - Per ESPN on Monday, Bad Bunny will bring his Latin trap and reggaeton swagger to the NFL's biggest stage next year - - as the Grammy-winning artist will headline the Apple Music Super Bowl LX halftime show at Levi's Stadium on February 8th in Santa Clara, California - - Bad Bunny has become one of world's most streamed artists as he recently released an all-Spanish-language EP titled "Un Verano Sin Ti,". . .Q: What are your thoughts about the announcement that Bad Bunny will be the halftime performer at next year's Super Bowl LX?. . .Per ESPN's NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Wednesday morning, the Cleveland Browns have decided to bench veteran QB Joe Flacco and will turn to rookie Dillon Gabriel as the team's starter for Sunday's international game (i.e., London) against the Minnesota Vikings - - Flacco started Cleveland's first four games but has thrown six INTs this season, and has committed an NFL-high eight turnovers - and his 27.0 Total QBR ranks above only Titans rookie QB Cam Ward among qualifying passers - - Through the first four weeks of the NFL regular season, the Browns have the NFL's second-lowest scoring offense, averaging just 14 points per game - - Q: Were you surprised that Cleveland Browns HC Kevin Stefanski elected to make the switch at QB from a veteran to a rookie just four weeks into the regular season?. . .

- Miscellaneous - PGA/Golf: The U.S. Team fell just short of a historic comeback, tying for the best Singles performance in Ryder Cup history - - Europe went on to defeat the U.S 15-13 in this year's Ryder Cup - - The U.S. became the first home team to lose the event since their collapse at Medinah 13 years ago - - They very nearly completed a comeback that would have blown the miracle out of the water: Trailing 11.5-4.5 to begin the day, the U.S. Team tied the best Singles performance in Ryder Cup history, earning 8.5 of the 12 available points to charge back in contention - - No team had ever come back to win from a deficit greater than four points, yet the U.S. made up five points on the final day - - It was a performance that saved the embarrassment that appeared to be coming, in which the U.S. Team not only lost on home soil, but got their doors blown off by a European team that was better in every facet: on the course & in the captain's room - - U.S. Team captain Keegan Bradley was forced to be an on-looker as Europe's Sam Burns & Robert MacIntyre both putt for birdie on the 17th green, in what remained a tied match, however, it was at this particular moment that European fans broke into song around him - finally letting their voices dominate the atmosphere that had drowned them out after a raucous three days at Bethpage Black - - While Sunday was a day in which the improbable almost happened - after facing a record seven-point deficit after a historically poor first two days at the Ryder Cup - the comeback by the U.S. Team will ultimately get lost in history, primarily, because they fell just short of achieving the success they desired. . .Q: What are your thoughts of the U.S. Team losing to Europe at this year's Ryder Cup, which was played on our own turf?. . .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 104 - The 'On the Origin of Mascots Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - NCAA College Basketball: Per ESPN's Pete Thamel & Jeff Borzello, Bruce Pearl has stepped down as the Men's Basketball Coach at Auburn and will move into an ambassador's role in the Athletic Department - as a special assistant to the Athletics Director, the school announced on Monday - - Steven Pearl, Pearl's son who has been with program as an Associate Head Coach since 2017, has received a five-year contract to become the program's new HC - - Bruce Pearl, 65, is coming off a season in which he guided the Tigers to its second-ever Final Four appearance - - Pearl, who had been the head coach at Auburn for 11 seasons, led the Tigers to six NCAA Tournament appearances and both of the program's Final Four runs, helped the Tigers earn at least a share of three SEC regular-season titles & won two SEC Conference Tournament championships - - Pearl retires with a record of 246-125 at Auburn throughout his tenure with the program - - The timeline of Pearl's announcement has come under a little scrunity, as per the NCAA, the players with the program will now have a 30-day window to enter the transfer portal - but since the announcement was made so late into the offseason, the expectations are that, there will be very few transfers away from the program. . .Pearl has long been linked to a post-coaching career in politics, something he addressed in early September following monthslong rumors regarding him as a potential candidate for Tommy Tuberville's open U.S. Senate seat, but per his statement on Monday, he is not planning to run for Senate. . .Q: Do you lean more towards the direction of believing Bruce Pearl when he clarified on Monday that he will not run for U.S. Senate? While there are clearly similarities & differences between the two, is the pain Auburn fans are currently experiencing over the loss of Bruce Pearl as the Tigers' head basketball coach somewhat equivalent to how Alabama fans felt the day Nick Saban announced his retirement as the Crimson Tide's head football coach?. . .Jean Dolores Schmidt, popularly known as "Sister Jean" is retiring, as well - - The 106-year-old Cathlolic nun, a campus minister and the official chaplain of the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers men's basketball team, is stepping away from her duties due to health concerns - - Sister Jean became a viral sensation overnight by cheering on Loyola during their epic Final Four run as an 11-seed in 2018 - - Sister Jean had served in her roles at Loyola since 1991, and while she is stepping away, the Tradition's Finest crew would like to grant our "best wishes" and sincerely hope she makes it to 107. . .NCAA Division III College Football: There is a very common phrase/saying that "you learn something new every day," which basically reinforces the idea that knowledge is on a continuum - - and this is, in fact, accurate because neither of us were aware that the U.S. Coast Guard - a military branch that operates under the Department of Homeland Security, focused on maritime law enforcement, border control, port security, and search & rescue missions, using cutters, aircraft and boats to save lives & interdict illegal activities at sea - has a D-III college football program/team - - For all of you that had no clue of this either - Welcome! Allow us to introduce you to the "Coast Guard Academy Bears," who recorded one for the history books this weekend: Nichols Bison at Coast Guard Bears - - On homecoming weekend at the Coast Guard Academy, the Bears gave their proud alumni fireworks and much to cheer for with a 92-60 victory over Nichols College - - This was NOT a basketball game, this was a football game, ladies & gentlemen - - With 1:36 remaining in the game, Coast Guard and Nichols had tied for Division III history with 138 combined points - - The 92-60 final score etches this game into another niche history book as well - In the 157 years of college football across three divisions, this is the first time in NCAA history that a college football game has ended by a final score of 92-60 - - Q: Be honest, did you know that the Coast Guard Academy had a D-III college football team?. . .**Let us know via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!!. . .NCAA College Football Week Four Review & Recap: In this episode's CFB Week Four review & recap segment, JD & Spencer will discuss, provide a detailed analysis, and present their individual takeaways for a few of the most intriguing college football games from this past weekend's slate of games; the following games are discussed within this episode:

"Stillwater Showdown:" Tulsa Golden Hurricanes at Oklahoma State Cowboys (**and the firing of the Cowboys - and second-longest-tenured HC in college football - Mike Gundy)

- And this week's "Tradition's Finest Most Badass Celly of the Week" Award goes to. .University of North Texas Mean Green DL Keviyan Huddleston - - Huddleston pulled off an epic celebration after a fumble recovery on Saturday as the Mean Green took on the Army Black Knights at West Point - - As Army was driving, Noah Short lost a fumble that was recovered by Huddleston, and when he got to the sideline, he was then given a Mean Green-decorated WWE-style belt & took two beer can replicas, to pull off the epic "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, an alumni of North Texas, beer celebration - - and North Texas would go on to defeat Army 45-38 in OT on Saturday to improve to a record of 4-0 on the season. . .

No.17 Texas Tech Red Raiders at No.16 Utah Utes

Arkansas Razorbacks at Memphis Tigers

Syracuse Orange at Clemson Tigers

"Bussin Bowl:" No.21 Michigan Wolverines at Nebraska Cornhuskers (**and the "Bussin' bet)

No.22 Auburn Tigers at No.11 Oklahoma Sooners (**and the use of "Hideout Tactics")

No.9 Illinois Fighting Illini at No.19 Indiana Hoosiers

"Battle for the Florida Cup:" Florida Gators at No.4 Miami Hurricanes

- College Football Week Five Preview & Predictions: In this episode's CFB Week Five preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently selected pick(s) for each of the following Week 5 matchups - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!!

No.24 TCU at Arizona State (-2.5)         O/U54.5

No.22 Notre Dame (-4.5) at Arkansas     O/U64.5

No.21 USC (-6.5) at No.23 Illinois         O/U59.5

No.1 Ohio State (-9.5) at Washington     O/U52.5

No.4 LSU at No.13 Ole Miss (-1.5)     O/U54.5

Auburn at No.9 Texas A&M (-6.5)     O/U52.5

No.11 Indiana (-7.5) at Iowa          O/U48.5

No.15 Tennessee (-7.5) at Mississippi State O/U61.5

College GameDay: No.6 Oregon at No.3 Penn State (-3.5) O/U52.5

No.17 Alabama at No.5 Georgia (-2.5)      O/U52.5

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - On3 Sports reporter Chris Low revealed each SEC Conference team's three annual opponents on Monday for the new SEC scheduling format that will begin in 2026 - - and as expected, there have been "mixed reviews" with some fans criticizing the "loss of [a few] traditional rivalries" in the process. . .Q: What was your initial reaction to the three annual opponents that were announced for each SEC program? As unbiased as possible, do you think that they got it right?. .Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin's daughter, Landry Kiffin, revealed her romance with LSU LB Whit Weeks, by posting a photo of herself sitting on Weeks' lap in an Instagram post captioned "Happy :)" - - The irony of the post is obviously in the "timing:" the photo was posted on Monday - just days before the two SEC rivals - the Rebels & Tigers - are set to face off on the field in the Week Five matchup on Saturday - - Lane Kiffin, 50, jokingly addressed his daughter's romance on social media later that day, replying to a post on X about the relationship being "peak mind games" for Lane & his Rebels - - He confidently responded "Take the over," seemingly to suggest that football fans are in for a high-scoring affair between the two SEC rivals - - Q: Did you, in fact, "take the over" for the upcoming LSU-Ole Miss game?. . .

- NFL - Week 3 Review, Recap & Major Storylines: Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off Thursday night with the Bills fending off the Dolphins 31-21 to remain undefeated - and the early window Sunday was filled with multiple, shocking finishes & featured many ridiculous storylines such as those including: the Panthers blowing out the Falcons at gome for their first win of the season, a Vikings CB has the most impressive first half in the history of the sport, both the Rams-Eagles & Buccaneers-Jets games featured blocked FGs returned for TDs late, the Browns' stunning 4th-QTR comeback over the Packers, and an intense Monday night matchup between two Super Bowl contenders - - Pittsburgh Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers has moved ahead of the man he took over for in Green Bay & into fourth place on the NFL's all-time passing TD list - - Rodgers threw a TD pass to Steelers WR DK Metcalf in the 2nd QTR Sunday in New England, the 509th TD pass of his career - - That TD moved him one ahead of Brett Favre, Rodgers' predecessor as the Packers' starting QB, as the No.4 all-time TD passer in NFL history - - Rodgers has a chance to pass Peyton Manning for third this year (539), and if he returns for next season, he has a chance to pass Drew Brees (571) for 2nd all-time - - Q: You just know that Brett Favre is sitting in his mansion - somewhere in Southern Mississippi - just fuming at the thought of Rodgers taking his job in Green Bay, and now, passing him on the NFL's all-time passing TDs list - what do you think?. . .In our NFL Week 3 Review segment, JD & Spencer discuss the following football games from this past weekend & many of the wild storylines surrounding the league - as those listed below:

Los Angeles Rams at Philadelphia Eagles

Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns

Minnesota Vikings' Isaiah Rodgers & his record performance versus the Cincinnati Bengals

Monday Night Football: Detroit Lions at Baltimore Ravens

- NFL (cont'd) - The New York Giants are planning to bench QB Russell Wilson in favor of first-round rookie Jaxson Dart after three games, sources informed ESPN's Adam Schefter on Tuesday afternoon - - Dart's first start will come at home on Sunday against the undefeated Los Angeles Chargers at MetLife Stadium - - Dart will give the Giants' offense a different look and more options - his ability to run the ball and the zone-read had his version of the offense looking vastly different from the first team unit with Wilson throughout the summer - - Q: What are your thoughts on HC Brian Daboll's decision to make the switch at QB from Wilson to Dart after just three games into the NFL regular season?. . .

- WNBA - A'ja Wilson has become the WNBA's first four-time MVP after earning the top individual honor for the second straight year, the league announced on Sunday - - The Las Vegas Aces star was named MVP in what had been considered a tight battle with Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier - - Wilson ultimately received 51 first-place votes and 657 points to finish ahead of Collier in second, who received 18 first-place votes & 534 points - - The league surprised Wilson last Friday, with WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert & Wilson's boyfriend - Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo - presenting the trophy to her at the end of practice. . .

- MLB - The Los Angeles Dodgers announced last Thursday that Clayton Kershaw will retire at the end of the 2025 MLB season - - The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner, 2014 NL MVP, and 11-time All-Star pitcher made his final Dodger regular-season start last Friday against the San Francisco Giants, where he received a standing ovation from teammates and fans in a 6-3 Dodgers victory as they clinched a playoff spot - - Kershaw spent his entire 18-season MLB career with the "Boys in Blue," winning a World Series championship in 2020 and in 2024, and his winning percentage tops all pitchers with at least 200 victories since the year 1900 - - Earlier this year, the 37-year-old LHP became the 20th pitcher ever to record 3,000 or more career strikeouts - and he ranks 4th all-time among LHPs in that category, trailing only Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton & CC Sabathia, according to CBS Sports - - Q: Is Clayton Kershaw the "greatest' Dodger to ever play the game?. . .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 103 - "The Before He Cleats Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football Week Three Review & Recap: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & each provide their individual takeaway's for the Week 3 slate of College Football games from across the country - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth recap, and discussion of the following game(s), which are included in this week's College Football Review & Recap segment:

New Mexico Lobos at UCLA Bruins & the termination of second-year HC DeShaun Foster

No.12 Clemson Tigers at Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Wisconsin Badgers at No.19 Alabama Crimson Tide

No.6 Georgia Bulldogs at No.14 Tennessee Volunteers

No.18 South Florida Bulls at No.5 Miami Hurricanes

Vanderbilt Commodores at No.11 South Carolina Gamecocks/"Win A Date with My Mom"

Florida Gators at No.3 LSU Tigers

No.16 Texas A&M Aggies at No.8 Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Alcorn State Braves at Mississippi State Bulldogs & the Application of the "Mercy Rule"

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - Less than 24 hours after a 45-26 loss at home at the hands of Old Dominion, Virginia Tech University announced on Sunday that it had fired head football coach Brent Pry after the Hokies fell to an 0-3 start on the season - - The Hokies trailed the Monarchs at the halftime break 31-0, and as the team headed for the locker room, the crowd did not refrain from letting the team know exactly how they felt about their performance in the first half - as the sound of excessive booing packed Lane Stadium - - Throughout his tenure with the program, the Hokies were a combined 16-24 through four seasons under Pry - - Following his termination, Pry is set to be owed approximately $6 million in his contract buyout - - Hokies OC Philip Montgomery has been named & will serve as the team's interim head coach throughout the rest of the 2025-26 college football season, while Virginia Tech will begin the search for a new HC, presumably one with previous head-coaching experience after going with a first-timer like they did with hiring of Pry - - Potential candidates to fill the Virginia Tech head coaching vacancy include: Shane Beamer (current South Carolina HC & the son of Hokies' legendary coach Frank Beamer), Alex Golesh (USF), Ryan Silverfield (Memphis), Bob Chesney (JMU) & Charles Huff (Marshall/Southern Miss) - - Interestingly, a name that has not been thrown around much in conversations as a potential replacement, and one that Spencer mentioned in this episode, that if considered, could shift the momentum & renew the spark that has been missing from this historic program - he is the greatest player to ever don a Virginia Tech jersey, finished his NFL career as the all-time leader in QB rushing yards & is the current head coach of the Norfolk State Spartans football team - you get the hint: No.7 himself, MR. Michael Vick! - - Q: Which of the aforementioned HC's do you think would be the best overall hire for the Virginia Tech program? Are there any former HC's currently without a job that would potentially be a "good fit" to replace Brent Pry in Blacksburg?. . . NCAA College Football Week Four Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Week Four preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following Week 4 matchups - as well as providing in-depth analysis & reasoning to explain the justification for their selection: **Be Sure to Share Your Picks with Us via Twitter/X - - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us an Email at [email protected]!!

No.17 Texas Tech at No.16 Utah (-3.5)                       O/U56.5

Tulane at No.13 Ole Miss (-11.5)                            O/U61.5

No.22 Auburn at No.11 Oklahoma (-6.5)                    O/U48.5

No.21 Michigan (-2.5) at Nebraska                          O/U44.5

South Carolina at No.23 Missouri (-13.5)                    O/U46.5

Florida at No.4 Miami (-3)                                 O/U52.5

No.9 Illinois at No.19 Indiana (-3.5)                       O/U52.5

- NFL - NFL Regular Season Week 2 Review: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & recap each of the following NFL games from Week 2 of the regular season - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth review, and discussion of the following game(s) from this past weekend's slate of games:

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cincinnati Bengals & the injury update for "Joey Ice"

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys in a "QB duel for the Ages"

"Super Bowl LIX Rematch:" Philadelphia Eagles at Kansas City Chiefs, and finally. . .

**We reveal our second-ever "Tradition's Finest Most Badass Celly of Week Two" Award winner. . .

- MLB - New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge wasted no time moving past another all-time great on the franchise's career HR list last Thursday night - - Just two days after passing Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra for 5th place on the franchise list, Judge hit two HRs in his first two at-bats in a 9-3 victory against the Detroit Tigers to tie another Hall of Famer, Joe DiMaggio, for 4th all-time with 361 career home runs - - Hall of Famers Babe Ruth (659 HRs), Mickey Mantle (536 HRs) & Lou Gehrig (493 HRs) currently sit ahead of Judge on the Yankees' career homers list - - On the very next evening, and against the Boston Red Sox, Judge went 3-for-4 with a pair of solo HRs, which leaped him into 4th place on the Yankees' all-time HR leaderboard on Friday night, reaching 362 homers in his 1,130th career MLB game - - Q: Now that Aaron Judge has officially surpassed franchise icon Joe DiMaggio for 4th place all-time on the Yankees' career HR list, how likely do you think it is that he will reach & pass Lou Gehrig for 3rd place? Or Mickey Mantle for 2nd place? Or even Babe Ruth for the top spot?. . . Cal Raleigh tied Mickey Mantle's season record for most HRs by a switch hitter with his 54th, and the Seattle Mariners extended their winning streak to nine games by routing the Los Angeles Angels 11-2 on Sunday to take sole possession of the AL West division lead - - Then, on the following Tuesday, Raleigh broke the record set & held by Mickey Mantle while matching another held by Ken Griffey Jr. - - The Seattle Mariners catcher hit his 55th HR of the season in the 2nd inning against the Kansas City Royals, sending him past Mantle's mark for a switch-hitter that had stood since 1961 - - Raleigh then hit his 56th HR in the next inning, matching the club record that Griffey first established in 1997 - as the Mariners won their 10th straight game after defeating the Royals 12-5. . .