Tradition's Finest Podcast

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 102 - The "Taming the Bull" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - - The NCAA Oversight Committee voted last Thursday in favor of a single transfer portal window in the month of January - - This new model, if approved by the administrative committee and who must deliver their final ruling no later than October 1st, would replace the previous (and most current) system, which features two separate transfer portal windows - one that occurs in the winter and one in the spring - - If approved, the single transfer portal window would open on January 2nd, and would remain open for 10 days, however, there is much debate over the timing and significance of this new window, as it conflicts with the ongoing 12-team College Football Playoff schedule - - Essentially, this would make it possible for a college football player to participate in the first or quarterfinal round of next year's College Football Playoff, and less than 24 hours later, enter the transfer portal - - Q: What are your thoughts regarding the NCAA Oversight Committee's approved proposal for a single transfer portal window that would begin in early January of each year?. .

NCAA College Football Week Two Review & Recap: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & each provide their individual takeaway's for the Week 2 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:

"Battle for the Cy-Hawk Trophy:" Iowa at No.16 Iowa State

No.11 Illinois at Duke

Baylor at No.17 SMU

USF at No.13 Florida

Army at Kansas State

Mississippi State vs. No.12 Arizona State

No.15 Michigan at No.18 Oklahoma

"Border War Rivalry:" Kansas at Missouri

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - NCAA College Football Week Three Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Week 3 preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently-selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following Week 3 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]!!

Wisconsin at No.19 Alabama (-20.5)                        O/U47.5

No.12 Clemson (-9.5) at Georgia Tech                      O/U58.5

No.6 Georgia (-3.5) at No.15 Tennessee                     O/U50.5

No.18 USF at No.5 Miami (-16.5)                           O/U55.5

Arkansas at No.17 Ole Miss (-9.5)                          O/U63.5

Florida at No.3 LSU (-9.5)                                 O/U50.5

No.16 Texas A&M at No.8 Notre Dame (-6.5)                O/U49.5

Vanderbilt at No.11 South Carolina (-5.5)                 O/U47.5

- NFL - Five-time Pro Bowl WR Amari Cooper informed the Las Vegas Raiders last Thursday of his intent to retire from the league - just days before the team would open the 2025 NFL regular season with their Week 1 matchup at New England - - After being drafted No.4 overall by the Oakland Raiders in 2015 - prior to relocating the franchise to Las Vegas - Cooper would go on to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in his first two seasons out of Alabama - - In 2018, the Raiders traded Cooper to the Dallas Cowboys, who then traded him to the Cleveland Browns in the 2022 offseason, and was next acquired by the Buffalo Bills last October from the Browns - - Cooper's decision comes just a week after he signed a one-year deal with the organization in late August, mentioning that it was a "full circle moment," and that he still had "some juice left," - - It will continue to be a topic of speculation, but Cooper finishes his professional or NFL career with 711 receptions, 10,000-plus receiving yards & 64 TDs, and had seven seasons where he finished with at least 1,000 receiving yards, including his career-high season with 1,250 receiving yards in 2023 - - Q: Where does Amari Cooper stack up and/or rank on your personal list of the NFL's All-Time Greatest WRs?. . .NFL Regular Season Week 1 Review: The NFL regular season is officially upon us - - Like analyst & color commentator Chris Collingsworth always says, "there's just no doubt about it:" being able to watch football all day on both Saturday & Sunday each weekend, is God's way of letting the male population know "I'm still thinking of you/I see you," and for that, we are eternally grateful. The following NFL Week 1 game(s) are discussed & reviewed in this episode:

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles

NFL Sao Paulo Game: Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Chargers

**The presentation of the Tradition's Finest first-ever "Most Badass Celly of Week 1 Award"

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers

Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills

- NFL (cont'd) - Philadelphia Eagles star DT Jalen Carter will not miss any future games after spitting on Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott in the NFL season opener on Thursday night - - The NFL announced Tuesday that, since Carter was ejected from last week's season opener without participating in a single play, the league will consider the second-year DT to have already served a one-game suspension - - Also, Carter will forfeit his Week 1 game check worth approximately $57,000 - but he will be available to play in the Eagles' Week 2 Super Bowl rematch against the Kansas City Chiefs - - Q: What are your thoughts on the league's punishment as handed down to Jalen Carter? Does the punishment fit the "crime?" Too excessive or not?. . .

- MLB - "Tony 2 Chainz:" Former Chicago Cubs All-Star player, Anthony Rizzo, is returning to the organization as an ambassador for the club & will officially retire as a Cub during an on-field ceremony at Wrigley Field before Saturday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays - - Rizzo, 36, played for 14 years in the MLB, including a decade spent with the Cubs, where he made three All-Star teams and won four Gold Gloves - - These individual accomplishments, however, are not nearly as significant as the role he played in helping to lead Chicago to a World Series title in 2016, the first for the organization in 108 years - - Rizzo played his final 3 ½ seasons for the New York Yankees after he was traded there in the summer of 2021 - - Rizzo finishes his MLB career with a .828 OPS, including 303 HRs - - Rizzo, a cancer survivor himself, created The Anthony Rizzo Family Foundation with its sole purpose to service kids with cancer, and in 2017, he was honored as the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award, the highest community service honor awarded by the MLB - - What an absolute legend, this guy!. . .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 101 - "That One Time Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football Week One Review & Recap: In this week's episode, JD & Spencer will discuss, review & each provide their individual takeaway's for the Week 1 slate of College Football games from across the country - - Be sure to tune in for an in-depth recap of the games that began last Thursday & ended with the final game on Monday - - A discussion of the following game(s) are included in this week's College Football Review & Recap segment:

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - "Give me my first love:" Following the college football games on Thursday & Friday night(s), a record 3.5-million viewers tuned in to ESPN's "College Gameday" show on Saturday morning, which took place before the huge matchup between No.3 Ohio State & No.1 Texas at the "Horseshoe," and approximately five-million viewers watched the final 15 minutes of the show, just to witness longtime college football analyst Lee Corso, a fixture of the "College Gameday" panel/crew, make his final headgear selection/pick, which took place at midfield & drew a massive ovation from the fans at Ohio Stadium - - and of course, he went out on top: Corso signed off from ESPN's "College Gameday" in his final show on Saturday, and near the end with the contemplation of his final pick, he muttered the words "Give me my first love," which led to him throwing on the "Brutus the Buckeye" mascot head gear, much in the same manner as he did thirty years ago when he made his first official mascot head gear selection - - Interestingly, as the slate of Week 1 games played out, Corso's sendoff only became more impressive - all six teams that he picked to win this past weekend came out on top, which included a "stunning" upset (**No spoilers ) - - Corso was the only member of the "College Gameday" panel to accurately predict all six games - - To take Corso's perfect weekend even a step further, every team that he has been associated with throughout his career - both as a player and as a coach - also won (i.e., Indiana, Louisville & Northern Illinois) - - Corso, 90, had announced earlier this year that he was going to soon retire from ESPN - after being a part of the Gameday crew since it became a traveling show in 1993, and has worked alongside analyst Kirk Herbstreit for more than a decade - - While "College Gameday" won't ever be the same without Lee Corso, the Tradition's Finest crew was beyond elated to witness the perfect sendoff. . .

"Aflac Kickoff:" Syracuse vs. No.24 Tennessee

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - - NCAA College Football Week Two Preview & Predictions: In this episode's Week 2 preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently selected pick(s) and/or predictions for each of the following Week 2 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]!!

"College Gameday:" No.15 Michigan at No.18 Oklahoma (-5.5)     O/U45.5

- NFL - While the "Great Depression" occurred in the late 1930's/early 1940's, and affected a significant portion of the middle- to lower socioeconomic status households across the United States, the year of 2025 could certainly be classified as a much more trying time - that is, if you are a citizen of Dallas, Texas - - This year, alone, the citizens (and possibly "fans") of the Dallas metropolitan area now has lost two of its' most influential sports figures, to date - starting with the "most shocking" trade in NBA history, that shipped Mavericks' superstar guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for an injury-plagued veteran (i.e., Anthony Davis) - - Then, on Thursday, multiple sources began to discuss the latest "breaking news:" a trade had been completed that sent Dallas Cowboys All-Pro LB Micah Parsons to none other than a divisional rival, Green Bay Packers - - The bitter contract dispute between Cowboys owner & GM Jerry Jones & Micah Parsons had finally came to a screeching halt - and once again, a Dallas-based sports franchise, did the unthinkable, and traded away their most dominant edge rusher in his "prime," (age 26) in exchange for two first-round picks & DT Kenny Clark - - Shortly after the trade was completed, the Packers franchise accomplished what the Cowboys' Jerry Jones could not in a matter of minutes: The Packers signed him to a four-year, $188 million contract, which included $120 million fully guaranteed at signing - - In each of Parsons' first four seasons in the league, he has averaged somewhere between 12 and 14.5 sacks - and since 2021, he has had a 30% pass rush win rate - which blows every other player out of the water, including Browns' Myles Garrett. . .Q: Can you make sense of Cowboys' team owner & GM Jerry Jones' decision to trade Micah Parsons to the Packers rather than to just pay the man what he deserves?. . .

- NBA - Jeremy Lin, who took the NBA by storm in 2012 during a stretch of games for the New York Knicks that was infamously dubbed "Linsanity," has announced his retirement from the sport of professional basketball - - Prior to playing in China & Taiwan, Lin spent nine seasons in the NBA with eight different franchises, after going undrafted out of Harvard - - Lin made his mark in 2012 after then-HC Mike D'Antoni inserted into the Knicks' starting lineup that February when star forward Carmelo Anthony was sidelined - - Lin would go on to lead the Knicks to a seven-game winning streak, with one of the most notable highlights of "Linsanity," during which he scored at least 20 points in nine of 10 games, was a 38-point, 7-assist effort in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers as he outscored the late Kobe Bryant - - Lin finished his NBA career with a total of 480 games played - and even won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, his last season in the league. . .Q: What is your most memorable memory and/or moment of Jeremy Lin and/or from his ridiculous 35-game run with the Knicks referred to as "Linsanity?". . .The Los Angeles Clippers reportedly have been accused of "circumventing the NBA's salary cap," by paying $28 million to Kawhi Leonard for a "no-show job" - - As first reported by Pablo Torre, a sports podcaster & former ESPN contributor, on Wednesday, the Clippers have reportedly paid Leonard through a now-bankrupt company owned by team owner Steve Ballmer - - Citing legal documents purportedly involving the tree-planting service, Aspiration, Torre reported that Ballmer paid Leonard without requiring the Clippers star to do any legitimate marketing and/or paid advertisements for the company - - Shortly after Torres' initial report, the Clippers organization responded to, and directly denied these allegations - - Q: Would you necessarily be shocked to learn that this is more fact than fiction?. . .

- MLB - Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber hit four HRs on Thursday night against the Atlanta Braves to become the 21st MLB player - and 4th Phillies player - to accomplish this particular feat - - In 2025 & this season alone, this is the third four-HR game of the MLB regular season, following Eugenio Suarez & Nick Kurtz - - Schwarber finished the game with a Phillies-record nine RBI in the team's 19-4 victory over the struggling Braves - - Schwarber, who currently leads the majors with a career-high 119 RBIs, took the outright NL homer lead with a career-high 49 HRs, moving within one of Seattle's Cal Raleigh (50) for the major league lead - - Schwarber, 32, continues to scale many of these major milestones late into his career, including winning the World Series with the Phillies in 2024 & being crowned the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby champion after surviving the first-ever "swing-off."

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 100 - "The Wilt Conspiracy Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- Miscellaneous - PGA: Everybody loves a first-time winner, especially one who had been hit across the head by a two-by-four in so many near misses - - prior to Sunday, English golfer Tommy Fleetwood has been a runner-up on the PGA Tour six times, finished in the top three in a dozen tournaments, has 30 top-five finishes, and finally, has 44 top ten finishes, which according to ESPN, were the second most by a golfer without a victory on the PGA Tour this past century - - In his 164th career start at East Lake Golf Club on Sunday, while holding a 0-163 PGA Tour record, Fleetwood captured his first PGA Tour victory in the Tour Championship to capture the FedEx Cup and its $10 million reward - - Fleetwood posted a 2-under 68 in the final round and finished at 18-under, a combined three strokes better than Russell Henley (69) & Patrick Cantlay (71), who finished the tournament in second and third place, respectively - - After covering the PGA's No.1 golfer in the world the past few weeks, we felt somewhat compelled to mention Scottie Scheffler and his performance in this week's Tour Championship - Following his impressive victory at last year's PGA Tour Championship, Scheffler was attempting to become the first golfer to win the FedEx Cup in back-to-back seasons, but unfortunately, he faced significant adversity from the start of the event on Sunday - - On the opening hole, Scheffler badly pulled his tee shot down the left side of the fairway, and his ball bounced once and shot under a fence, landing out of bounds - however, Scheffler would remain a serious threat to Fleetwood's potential first career victory through the 15th hole, when he sank a tee shot into the water, ending his hopes for a victory on Sunday as well as for a sixth victory this season of the PGA Tour - despite the rough day, Scheffler would finish with a score of 2-under 68, tied for fourth place at 14-under - - As for Fleetwood, it has been a long and exhaustive journey, but it seemed to be well worth the wait - and as a professional athlete, you have achieved some level of greatness when your long-awaited victory garners support & congratulatory posts via social media from a few of sports' biggest stars, such as fifteen-time major champion & 82-time winner Tiger Woods, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James & WNBA star Caitlin Clark - - Q: Could you imagine going 0-163 in any sport & still maintaining that resiliency necessary to pull out the victory in your 164th event, thus winning a $10M reward? What are your thoughts on English golfer Tommy Fleetwood picking up his first career PGA Tour victory in none other than the Tour Championship? Thoughts on Scottie Scheffler's ability to struggle on the course & still finish within the top five?. . .PGA golfer Keegan Bradley, who is the eighth-best American golfer in the most current world rankings, did not call his own name Wednesday while announcing the captains for the United States Ryder Cup team, as he ultimately made the decision to not become the event's first playing captain since Arnold Palmer in 1963 - - Bradley named Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Cameron Young, Patrick Cantlay & Sam Burns as his six Captain picks for next month's Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on New York's Long Island - - Q: Were you surprised to hear the Keegan Bradley did not call his own name to serve as one of the Captains for the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team?

- MLB - Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh aka "The Big Dumper," was already in the midst of a transcendent season, but now it's historic - - With a pair of early HRs in Sunday's 11-4 win over the Athletics, Raleigh tied, and then broke the major-league record for most HRs hit in a single season by a catcher - - In the first inning, Raleigh clubbed his 48th HR of the season with a two-run blast - and then, one inning later, he hit No.49 on the season - thus pushing him ahead of a record set by Kansas City Royals star Salvador Perez in 2021 - - On Monday, Raleigh added yet another milestone to his already impressive list of accomplishments this year: With a first-inning shot against the San Diego Padres, Raleigh extended his major-league record for HRs by a catcher, and entered some elite company - - Raleigh joined Yankees legend Mickey Mantle as the only switch-hitters with 50 homers in an MLB season - and became the 8th player in MLB history to reach the half-century mark in the month of August. . .

- NCAA: News & Storylines - The SEC Conference announced last Thursday that it will play a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2026, which is a historic move that the Conference has been considering for years - and was a decision that was approved by the SEC's presidents and chancellors after a recommendation by the Athletic Directors in the conference - - Under this new format, the SEC will continue to play without divisions - - Each school will play three annual opponents focused on maintaining traditional rivalries, and the six remaining games will rotate among the rest of the league opponents - - Each team will face every other SEC program at least once every two years & every opponent in an home-and-away series over a four-year span - - Furthermore, SEC teams are still required to schedule at least one additional high-quality nonconference opponent from the ACC, Big Ten or Big 12 Conference(s) or Notre Dame (Independent) each season - - SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey recently indicated on The Paul Finebaum Show that the 2026 schedule will be released later this fall - and further elaborated that the College Football Playoff's decision to use enhanced strength-of-schedule (SOS) metrics - played into their decision to expand the conference schedule - - Q: What are your thoughts on the SEC Conference's decision to implement a nine-game conference schedule starting next season? - - Shortly after this announcement was made, multiple outlets begin to speculate as to whether this would negatively affect the home-and-home series that has been scheduled between SEC programs & nonconference opponents beginning in 2026 and beyond - - The short & sweet answer to this question is. . .Yes, it will! - - And So It Begins. . .Following this announcement, the University of Alabama has already began making adjustments to its pre-existing nonconference matchups - - For instance, on Tuesday, it was announced that Alabama & West Virginia have mutually agreed to cancel their home-and-home series, which was set to begin in Morgantown, WV next season, with the Mountaineers set for a trip to Tuscaloosa in 2027 - - Q: Will the mutual agreement to cancel the Alabama-West Virginia home-and-home series have some type of "domino effect" on the current matchups between SEC programs & Power Four opponents scheduled beyond the 2025-26 season?. . ."College Football Week Zero Recap:" The 2025 college football season officially kicked off last weekend with a total of five FBS vs. FBS matchups in Week 0 - - In this week's "Week Zero Recap," JD & Spencer provide one takeaway from a few of the most notable matchups, and discuss a few of the most impactful moments from the first official weekend of the 2025-26 college football regular season - - The following Week 0 games were discussed in this episode: "Irish Farmageddon/Aer Lingus College Football Classic:" No.22 Iowa State vs. No.17 Kansas State, Fresno State at Kansas, UNLV vs. Idaho State, and Stanford at Hawaii - - "College Football Week 1 Preview:" In this episode's CFB Week 1 preview, JD & Spencer provide their individual & independently selected pick(s) for each of the following Week 1 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.25 Boise State (-6.5) at USF        O/U63.5

Auburn (-1.5) at Baylor                O/U57.5

Colorado vs. Georgia Tech (-5)         O/U53.5

No.8 Alabama (-13.5) at Florida State   O/U50.5

No.1 Texas at No.3 Ohio State (-1.5)    O/U47.5

Aflac Kickoff: Syracuse at No.24 Tennessee (-13.5)   O/U50.5

No.9 LSU at No.4 Clemson (-4)         O/U57.5

Virginia Tech vs. No.13 South Carolina (-8)   O/U52.5

"Catholics vs. Convicts, Revisited:" No.6 Notre Dame (-2.5) at No.10 Miami    O/U50.5

TCU (-3) at North Carolina                O/U56.5

- NCAA: News & Storylines (cont'd) - In what could possibly be the most incredible statement made by a college football player to describe the "hype" surrounding a program in preparation for their team's season opener, Nebraska DB DeShon Singleton - who HC Matt Rhule refers to as the Cornhuskers' "Swiss Army Knife" on defense - made the following statement on Wednesday aboard a flight alongside QB Dylan Raiola: "We Finna Make People in Wheelchairs Stand Up." . . .

- NFL - After much trade speculation, the Washington Commanders have traded RB Brian Robinson Jr. to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick, the two teams confirmed on Sunday afternoon - - According to multiple sources, the Commanders had been seeking to trade Robinson since early August, and had planned to release him if they could not find a suitable trade partner - - This move will now save Washington approximately $3.3 million in salary cap space - - On the other hand, and unlike the Commanders, the Niners are certainly not as secure with the overall depth at the RB position - San Francisco has dealt with a slew of injuries out of their tailbacks, especially with starter Christian McCaffery - and they have also been without rookie Jordan James for most of training camp, recently placed Patrick Taylor Jr. on IR with a shoulder injury & just got backup, Isaac Guerendo, back from a lingering shoulder injury - - Q: What trade grade would you give the Niners in their acquisition of RB Brian Robinson Jr.?. . .The two most notable players that were remaining as "hold-in(s)" for their respective franchise due to contract disputes - WR Terry McLaurin (Commanders) & Trey Hendrickson (Bengals) - have officially reached agreement(s) to remain with their teams - - Commanders WR Terry McLaurin, for instance, reached an agreement with Washington Monday on a three-year contract extension worth up to $96 million that will get him back in uniform in time for the Commanders' regular season opener against the New York Giants next week - - Q: Was this the right call by the Washington Commanders? Do you think there were any legitimate trade discussions by the Commanders' front office to evaluate McLaurin's value? - - As for Trey Hendrickson & the Bengals, the star pass rusher has received a $14 million raise for this upcoming season, which boosts his 2025 salary to $30 million, sources confirmed to ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday - - While Bengals fans can now exhale, the bad news is: Hendrickson is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, and would certainly be a valuable asset for multiple NFL franchises if he does prefer a change in scenery - - "Your English Teacher and Your Gym Teacher are getting Married:" Pop superstar Taylor Swift & three-time Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce took to social media on Tuesday afternoon to reveal that they are officially engaged to be married - and did so by using the aforementioned caption - - Q: On a scale from 1-10, how excited was your wife? How excited were you?. . .Per reporter Tom Pelissero on Wednesday, while the NFL initially proposed a suspension of 10-12 games for Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice, his legal team fought for a much shorter ban - which ultimately delayed the overall process - - On Wednesday, it was announced that Rice has accepted and will serve a six-game suspension to start the 2025 NFL regular season - - Q: Does a six-game suspension seem a bit short, lengthy or "just right" in light of the situation?. . .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 99 - "The Who's Who Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- Miscellaneous - PGA: The No.1-rated PGA Player of the World, Scottie Scheffler, had a Tiger Woods-like moment with a trophy on the line & a club in his hand on Sunday at the PGA's BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club located in Owing Mills, Maryland: On the hardest hole in the final round at Caves Valley, Scheffler hit an 82-foot chip shot on the 17th hole, that landed about 60 feet short and rolled the rest of the way - picking up speed, losing speed & dropping on the final turn - - The birdie on the 17th hole all but ensured another victory, giving Scheffler his fifth PGA Tour title this year - - Scheffler, who had to erase a four-shot deficit against Robert MacIntyre in five holes, closed with a 3-under 67 for a two-shot victory & became the first PGA golfer since Tiger Woods in 2006 & 2007, to win at least five times on the PGA Tour in consecutive years - - Scheffler, who finished at 15-under 265, now has 18 career titles in the past 3 ½ years since his first PGA Tour title in Phoenix, Arizona. . .Scottie Scheffler wasn't the only golfer at this weekend's BMW Championship that was a major contributor to the news & storylines surrounding the PGA event; however, fellow PGA Tour golfer Ben Griffin did not, on the other hand, fare so well in terms of his rollercoaster performance in the opening day of the event - Griffin started his final round at Caves Valley Golf Club with a four-putt from 4-feet out for a triple bogey, a drive out-of-bounds that resulted in a double bogey, and a bogey at the third - Griffin was (+6) for the day, but he would battle back to shoot 1-under 69 - - So what happened?. . .Did he not get enough sleep the night before? No, that's not it!. . .Was he a little hungover from hitting the bar with the boys? Nope, not that, either!. . . Fortunately, we do not have to provide an educated guess as to why Griffin's play was far below average in the opening round because he gave us a viable explanation: He overdosed after ingesting too big a dose of the supplement Creatine - "I basically just inhaled a snowball," Griffin stated at a press conference following the PGA event, further explaining that he was shaking uncontrollably, and had actually considered withdrawing from the tournament - - but nobody likes a quitter! (and neither does his caddie), who stepped in & forced him to chug an entire bottle of water to reset - - By the time Griffin reached the fifth tee, he was on the mend - and he would go on to reel off three straight birdies starting at No.7 & four more on the back nine, including a 55-footer at No.17, and he would finish the BMW Championship tied for 12th place at (-3) - - Moral of the story is. . Do Not Overdose on Creatine!. . .Boxing: A former NBA player, a few 'washed' former UFC fighters & the 59-year-old version of boxing legend Mike Tyson later, Jake Paul, by some measures, is set to test himself in an exhibition boxing match against WBA lightweight champion, Gervonta "Tank" Davis, as first reported by Mike Coppinger of Ring Magazine - - Coppinger reported that the exhibition bout has been tentatively scheduled for the date of November 15th, and will take place at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta - - In contrast to Davis who is 5-foot-5 inches tall, Paul is much larger in body physique & overall stature - standing at 6-foot-1, weighing roughly 65-lbs heavier, and possessing a much wider wing span than that of Davis - however, the specific details regarding the match's weight limit have yet to be finalized - - Despite the obvious differences in overall stature & size, to date, this will undoubtedly be the biggest test of Jake Paul's boxing career, as Davis currently holds a record of 30-0-1 as a professional boxer with 28 knockouts - - While the outcome of the fight will be a topic of debate as the date for the match draws closer, one thing is for certain: both Paul & Davis will likely secure a massive payday from a boxing event that will most likely be promoted & accessible via streaming service provider Netflix - - Q: Who do you got winning the fight between Jake Paul & "Tank" Davis? Will the obvious size differences skew the overall outcome or results for the match's winning boxer?. . .

- NBA - Five-time NBA All-Star & former No.1 overall draft pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, John Wall, announced via his social media account on Tuesday that he is retiring from basketball after playing for 11 seasons in the league - - Wall, 34, played most of his NBA career alongside Bradley Beal with the Washington Wizards after he was selected with the first overall pick in the 2010 draft following his impressive freshman season at the University of Kentucky under head basketball coach John Calipari - - The five-time All-Star PG finishes his NBA career with averages of 18.7 points and 8.9 assists per game - - Statistically, in his best season, he averaged 23.1 points and 10.7 assists for the 2016-17 regular season with the Washington Wizards, where he was named All-NBA Third Team - - In his prime, Wall was one of the fastest, most athletic guards set to enter the NBA, and it did not take him very long to adjust to playing among the NBA's elite, as he was crowned the Slam Dunk Champion in 2014 - and as an elite defender - he made the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team in 2015 - - However, injuries plagued the second half of Wall's career as he never played more than half the games in any of the past six seasons, and he did not play in the league over the last two years - - Shortly after announcing his retirement from the NBA, Wall shared a post via social media, indicating that he will join Amazon Prime Video as an NBA analyst - - Q: Do you recall that moment when you first heard the song "Do the John Wall?". . .

- NCAA: News & Storylines - The University of Michigan has received a series of fines that could eclipse $30 million, but avoided punitive penalties, such as a postseason ban and/or the vacating of victories - including those that occurred the Wolverines' national championship season in 2023 - as the NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions ruled on the program's advance-scouting case last Friday - - In addition to Moore's two-game suspension that is expected to be served this upcoming season, the NCAA has also imposed an additional game suspension for Wolverines HC Sherrone Moore, which will be served for the first game of the 2026 season - and he also received a two-year show-cause penalty - - The NCAA Committee also levied an eight-year show-cause penalty for former Michigan staffer Connor Stalions, as well as a ten-year show-cause penalty for former Wolverines HC Jim Harbaugh, who is now is the head coach for the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers - The show-cause penalties imposed on Stalions & Harbaugh are intended to act as potential barriers for any collegiate programs that might have interest in hiring them in the future - - Separately, former Wolverines' assistant coach Denard Robinson was hit with a three-year show-cause penalty for a combined role in the team's recruiting violations - - In the sign-stealing case, the University of Michigan, it's coaches & staffers were charged with six Level 1 violations, which constitute as the most serious violations handed down by the NCAA - - The NCAA Committee provided further clarification as well as their rationale for the decision to fine the Michigan program heavily, rather than to issue a penalty such as a postseason ban - and this further indicates an overall shift in NCAA enforcement rulings away from postseason prohibitions - - After the NCAA's ruling was handed down to the school last Friday evening, the University later released a statement that, in short, acknowledged the Committee's ruling, but further questioned their interpretation of NCAA bylaws & stated that they "will appeal this decision to ensure a fair result." - - Q: What are your thoughts regarding the NCAA Committee of Infractions' ruling to slap Michigan with what ESPN reporter Pete Thamel referred to as "unprecedented" fines (totaling approximately $30 million)? Do you believe that the Committee should have vacated the program's victories that were associated with the Wolverines' 2023 national championship run?. . .University of Alabama Crimson Tide RB Jam Miller, the program's top returning rusher who is entering his fourth season with the team, suffered an upper-body injury in a preseason camp scrimmage on Saturday, per HC Kalen DeBoer - and according to initial reports, he is expected to miss the August 30th season opener at Florida State - - Following the initial injury report, On3 Sports reported on Sunday that Miller had sustained a collarbone injury, and while he is expected to make a full recovery, the Crimson Tide are hopeful that Miller will be able to return for the Crimson Tide when they face off against the Georgia Bulldogs on September 27th - - Without Miller, and following the transfer of 2024 starter Justice Haynes to Michigan - sophomore RBs Richard Young (146 rushing yards & 2 TDs in 2024) & Daniel Hill (61 rushing yards & 1 TD in 2024) are expected to retain a bulk of the carries against the Seminoles in the team's season opener, along with Louisiana transfer RB Dre Washington - - Q: What are your thoughts on the Crimson Tide's depth (and lack of experience) at the RB position, and does Jam Miller's injury change the team's offensive gameplan as they prepare for their road trip to Tallahassee?. . . The University of Tennessee named senior Joey Aguilar its starting QB on Sunday - - Aguilar transferred from UCLA to Tennessee in April, one day after former Volunteers QB Nico lamaleava joined the Bruins, in what would essentially become the first-ever college football QB trade - - Aguilar, who threw for over 3,000 yards and 23 TDs with 14 INTs last season at Appalachian State, beat out redshirt freshman QB Jake Merklinger for the starting job - and is expected to make his first official start for the Volunteers on August 30th when they face off against Syracuse - - Q: Were you surprised by the news that Joey Aguilar had been named the starting QB for the Tennessee Volunteers? If he can remain healthy, do you expect him to remain the Volunteers' starter?. . ."Auburn in the News:" Auburn University announced on Monday that it will retire the No.2 jersey of Cam Newton, the former Tigers QB who won the Heisman Trophy in 2010 prior to leading the team to a BCS national title later that season - - The retirement ceremony will take place on October 11th during the Tigers' rivalry game versus Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium - - Newton will join fellow Heisman winners Pat Sullivan (No.7) & Bo Jackson (No.34) as well as record-setting WR Terry Beasley (No.88) as the only Auburn players to have their jersey numbers retired - - In his single season with the Tigers, Newton became the first SEC player to record 2,000 passing yards & 1,000 rushing yards in a single season - and he went on to account for 51 of the team's TDs (30 passing, 20 rushing, 1 receiving) while leading Auburn to a 14-0 perfect record, and a BCS national championship victory over the Oregon Ducks - - Newton swept the major college football awards in 2010, winning the Maxwell, Walter Camp, Manning & Davey O'Brien Awards - as well as being named the AP Player of the Year, prior to being drafted by the Carolina Panthers with the No.1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft - - The No.2 jersey has not been worn at Auburn since Cam Newton, and while the news of his jersey being retired was widely celebrated across the sport of college football, it does bring a bit of bad news for five-star freshman QB Deuce Knight, who for obvious reasons, wore No.2 in high school - and was even photographed wearing the No.2 jersey during his official visit(s) to the University, but following the program's announcement on Monday, it appears that Knight's chances of donning the No.2 jersey at Auburn have gone from slim to "not a chance!" - - Last week, Auburn Tigers HC Hugh Freeze revealed one of the craziest approaches to play-calling, which sparked just how insane his approach will be: This season, on first downs, OC Derrick Nix will call the plays, on second downs, it'll be Hugh Freeze, and finally, on third downs, it'll be QB coach Kent Austin, however, Mr. Freeze may overrule the play-calling duties at any point, but it will be a collaborative effort - - While Freeze plans to have three different play-callers - he also announced that the Tigers could use as many as three different QBs in the team's season opener versus Baylor - if you're not a math whiz, that's a potential 9 play-caller-QB combinations, which is absolute madness & chaos - - Q: What are your thoughts on Auburn Tigers HC Hugh Freeze's decision for the program to "go nuclear" offensively in their season opener versus Baylor? - - In other news, Auburn is trying to catch up to their biggest rival Alabama in the race for the number of national championships claimed, as the Tigers announced on Tuesday that it will now recognize themselves as nine-time college football champions - - With titles originally claimed for 1913, 1957, 1983, 1993 & 2010, now Auburn is claiming national titles in 1910, 1914, 1958 & 2004 - - Unfortunately for the Tigers, the Crimson Tide has 18 national championships that weren't "claimed," but were actually won - - Q: Should Auburn University be allowed to claim these additional college football national titles? Why or why not?. . .Ohio State has named sophomore Julian Sayin as its starting QB ahead of the Buckeyes' season opener against the Texas Longhorns on August 30th, per Buckeyes' HC Ryan Day on Monday afternoon - - Sayin, a former five-star prospect & No.3 QB in the 2024 recruiting class, beat out redshirt sophomore Lincoln Kienholz & true freshman Tavien St. Clair for the starting job - - While all three QBs were blue-chip recruits, it was reportedly Sayin's consistency, command of the offense & overall strong performance in the fall that helped him emerge from arguably one of the most competitive QB battles in the country this offseason - - Q: Were you surprised by HC Ryan Day's announcement on Monday that Julian Sayin had been named the Buckeyes' starting QB this season?. . . The Big Ten Conference is reportedly proposing a significant expansion of the College Football Playoff, suggesting a jump from the current 12-team model to include 24 to 28 teams, according to ESPN - - This proposal includes a large number of automatic bids for the four major conferences (i.e., Big Ten, SEC, ACC, and Big 12) - - The proposal is still in its early stages of discussion, with other conferences weighing in, and a final decision is needed by the first of December - - A key aspect of this proposal is the potential elimination of Conference Championship games, and in such a 28-team model, the Big Ten & SEC Conference(s) would each receive seven automatic bids, while the ACC & Big 12 Conference(s) would each receive five - The remaining spots would be filled by two automatic bids for non-Power 4 Conferences and two "at-large" teams - - Q: We have discussed the possibility of an expansion within the CFP, and we both agree that 24 or 28 teams is way too damn many, do you agree? If not, why would you prefer this particular model?. . .Notre Dame named redshirt freshman CJ Carr its starting QB on Tuesday - - Carr beat out sophomore QB Kenny Minchey after what was reportedly a "fairly even" competition for the starting role - - Carr, whose grandfather is former Michigan HC Lloyd Carr, will make his first career start for the Fighting Irish at Miami (FL) on August 31st. . .BYU is naming Bear Bachmeier as its starting QB, as first reported per ESPN, which will make him the first true freshman QB in program history to start a season opener for BYU - - Bachmeier, who will wear No.47, will debut against Portland State on August 30th - after beating out redshirt sophomore transfer QB McCae Hillstead (via Utah State) & redshirt junior transfer QB Treyson Bourguet (via Western Michigan). . .It's official, party people! - The 2025-26 College Football Season is officially underway as the Week 0 schedule is set, and will kick off this Saturday, August 23rd with four FBS vs. FBS matchups - and yes! we are here to give you our Week 0 predictions: (1) "Irish Farmageddon:" In the first time slot of the season, as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic & the 109th meeting of the "Farmageddon" rivalry - as well as the first-ever Big 12 Conference matchup played on Irish soil - the No.17-ranked Kansas State Wildcats will face off against the No.22-ranked Iowa State Cyclones in a clash of Big 12 title contenders at Noon ET - - *Note: Kansas State (+550) are the preseason favorites to win the Big 12, while Iowa State is listed at (+1200) - - Kansas State (-3) vs. Iowa State O/U 49.5 - - Q: Who do you like to come out on top in this Big 12 Conference clash in Ireland?. . . (2) While not as an impactful of a game as the one before, in the first game of the Dan Mullen era at UNLV, he will try to keep the success of the Barry Odom era rolling - but unfortunately for Mullen, there are plenty of lost parts, lots of rebuilding to do, and now there are actual expectations after UNLV fans finally got to taste the sweet nectar of a winning program - On the other hand, Idaho State isn't a total pushover - after a 5-7 season in 2024, the Bengals are returning a decent group of offensive talent, and enough of a ground game to be more than just a "paycheck game" for the new-look Rebels at 4:00 PM ET on Saturday - In addition, Rebels HC Dan Mullen announced on Wednesday morning that Michigan transfer QB Alex Orji & Virginia transfer QB Anthony Colandrea will both play in the season opener versus the Bengals - - Idaho State at UNLV (-25.5) O/U 63.5 - - Q: Does the Idaho State Bengals spoil Dan Mullen's coaching debut in Vegas?. . .The third time slot at 6:00 PM ET features a strong Conference USA opener for two teams with plenty to work on, but enough talent returning & an upside to push for a spot in the C-USA Championship game - In this matchup, the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers will face off against the Sam Houston Bearkats, who is coming off a ten-win season, but is starting over under new HC Phil Longo after KC Keeler bolted to Temple - - Western Kentucky (-10) vs. Sam Houston O/U 61.5 - - Q: Which team do you like to pull out this C-USA season opener?. . .In the fourth & final time slot at 6:30 PM ET, in what is expected to be a entertaining game with plenty of mood swings, the Stanford Cardinals will travel to Honolulu to take on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in what could be a potentially physical matchup - - Hawaii (-2.5) vs. Stanford O/U 51.5 - - Q: Who do you like to come out with a victory in the Week 0 finale?. . .If you have been tuned in for the past few weeks, you are very familiar with our "2025-26 College Football Preseason Prediction Showcase" segment(s) where JD & Spencer have discussed & presented their individual predictions/projections for the upcoming season, starting with the Group of Five Conference(s) and making their way up to the Power Five Conferences, which included the Big XII, Big Ten, ACC & SEC Conferences - This week, Spencer & JD will present their final predictions for the 2025 College Football season: Our National Championship Picks!! - - According to multiple sources, the favorites to win the national championship next season are Texas (+450) and Ohio State (+525) - and beyond that, the current national title odds are as follows: Georgia & Penn State (tied for 3rd at +700); Oregon & Clemson (tied for 5th at +900); Alabama (+1000); Notre Dame (+1200); LSU (+1400); Ole Miss, Florida & Michigan (tied for 10th highest odds at +2500) - - Q: Which college football program do you predict to win the 2025-26 national championship? (**Be sure to Tune in to hear Spencer & JD's picks - - and Share your picks with us via X - @TraditionFinest or by Email to [email protected]!!)

- NFL - Joe Flacco will open the NFL regular season as the Cleveland Browns' starting QB, the team announced on Monday - - Flacco, who is entering his 18th NFL season, will also start the team's preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams at home on Saturday after Flacco did not play in the team's first two preseason games (i.e., Shedeur Sanders & Dillion Gabriel) - - The Browns will host the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 of the NFL regular season - - Q: Were you the least bit surprised by the announcement that Joe Flacco would be Browns' starting QB this upcoming season?. . .The Houston Texans traded WR John Metchie III and a sixth-round pick to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for TE Harrison Bryant & a fifth-round draft pick, as first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter on Sunday afternoon - - The Philadelphia Eagles have made their second trade in the past 12 days, continuing a busy summer for GM Howie Roseman & the defending Super Bowl champions - - This time, Philadelphia added depth at the WR position, whereas the Texans' trade for Bryant came after the team lost TE Brevin Jordan to a season-ending knee injury last week - - Metchie, entering his fourth NFL season, has 40 receptions for 412 yards & a TD in 29 games, but he missed his entire rookie season while getting treatment for leukemia, after he was selected by the Texans in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft - - Metchie will certainly fill that "WR3" role for the Eagles, playing alongside WRs A.J. Brown & DeVonta Smith - - This trade reunites Smith & Metchie who were teammates at the University of Alabama, and were members of the Crimson Tide's 2020 national title team - - Q: Who won this trade: the Texans or Eagles? What trade grade would you give to both teams?. . ."Indiana Jones:" The Indianapolis Colts' months-long QB battle is over - - Colts HC Shane Steichen has selected Daniel Jones to be the Colts starting QB, opting for the vetern free agent acquisition over the club's 2023 first-round draft pick, Anthony Richardson Sr. - - Asked if this decision was intended to be a permanent move, Steichen stated that Jones is "our starting QB for the season. I don't want to have a quick leash on that. I feel confident in his abilities." - - While the Colts signed Jones in the offseason (i.e., March) to a one-year, $14 million contract, the expectation among the Colts fanbase as well as across the league, was that Richardson would ultimately be named the starting QB or would be given an opportunity to contribute to the franchise this season, but instead, he is now left with an uncertain future in Indianapolis - and the rumor mill has already begun to circulate that a few teams might be interested in his services - - Q: Former NFL QB RGIII brought up a pretty interesting (and extremely bold) point via social media on Tuesday afternoon regarding the QB situation in Indianapolis - According to RGIII, the Colts have made the decision to start Jones at QB because they are "tanking this season to draft [QB] Arch Manning in next year's NFL Draft," but of course, this statement is baseless if Arch Manning decides to return to Texas for his senior season - What are your thoughts on RGIII's statement?. . .

- 2025-26 NFL Preseason Prediction Showcase: NFC Conference - The NFC, which is one of the two conferences in the National Football League (NFL), comprises 16 professional American football teams, divided into four divisions: NFC East, NFC North, NFC South & NFC West - - Each division contains four teams - - The NFC Champion competes against the AFC Conference Champion (**will cover in next week's episode!) in the "granddaddy of them all," or the Super Bowl - - In this week's episode finale, JD & Spencer will each provide their individual & independent/unique predictions for the NFC Conference in 2025-26 - Such predictions will include the selection of winners for each of the four divisions; the NFC's Super Bowl "Pretenders" & "Contenders" - and finally, they will each predict which NFC team they believe will represent the Conference in this year's Super Bowl (i.e., Super Bowl LX):

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 98 - "The QB Assassin Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- Miscellaneous - UFC: Days after completing its merger with Skydance, the entertainment company, Paramount, has acquired the U.S. media rights to TKO Group's UFC with a 7-year, $7.7 billion dollar deal, which is scheduled to begin next year (2026) - - Paramount is reportedly paying an average of $1.1 billion per year, totaling $7.7 billion, for UFC's full slate of 13 marquee events & 30 "Fight Nights," per the companies' joint statement which were released earlier in the week - - All UFC matches and events will be available via the streaming application, Paramount+, and select events will be simulcast on CBS - - Paramount will not charge users any additional fees for access to these UFC events, which, in turn, eliminates the pay-per-view (PPP) model that ESPN+ has used for a majority of its' premium UFC events - - Q: Will Paramount's acquisition of the media rights to UFC - as well as the elimination the pay-per-view model - be mutually beneficial for both the sport as well as the streaming industry?. . .Per the announcement of UFC President Dana White, the UFC is set to host an event on the Fourth of July next year on the White House lawn in celebration of the United States 250th birthday/independence - - White, who remains close friends with U.S. President Donald Trump, have had thorough discussions in the past regarding the possibility of the White House hosting such an event - as Trump hosted a few of the first-ever events in the sport at few of his business properties back in the early 2000's - - Q: How "America" is that - - a UFC event on the main lawn of the White House? - - What could go wrong?!. . .

- MLB - "A Historical Moment:" Smashing the MLB's gender barrier, Jen Pawol, 48, made history as the first female umpire in league history to officiate a regular-season game in the majors - - Considering Pawol became the first female umpire to work behind the plate in the majors, making unprecedented history appear to be relatively routine, was especially impressive - - In Pawol's highly anticipated, and smooth-sailing, debut, which came as the first-base umpire for Saturday's first game of a split doubleheader between the Atlanta Braves & Miami Marlins - - To follow up her impressive performance at first base, Pawol moved behind home plate, placing her in the brightest spotlight for an umpire, where she breezed through Sunday's Marlins-Braves game, calling a "strike" on her first official call as a plate umpire - sadly, Braves LHP Joey Wentz & Marlins starting pitcher Cal Quantrill combined for a total of three strikeouts in Sunday's matchup - - Following Atlanta's 7-1 victory over the Marlins on Sunday evening, both team managers spoke positively of Pawol as well as to mention her professionalism on the baseball field - - Pawol was called up from the minor leagues as a rover umpire, and so, her next assignment in the majors has not yet been announced, but after her debut performance, you can expect for it to be right around the corner - - Q: What were your thoughts on Jen Pawol's 'umpiring skills' this weekend? While there were very few opportunities for disputes on the field, could you imagine a scenario (and the potential suspension that would follow) where an MLB manager ultimately 'lost his cool,' and went after a female umpire?. . .A Hawaiian real estate investor & broker are reportedly suing the MLB's Shohei Ohtani, claiming that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar - and his agent - got them fired from a $240 million luxury housing development on the Big Island's coveted Hapuna Coast that they had brought him in to endorse - - According to the lawsuit filed in Hawaii Circuit Court last Friday, Ohtani's agent, Nez Balelo, increasingly demanded concessions from the both the developer & broker prior to demanding that their business partner, Kingsbarn Realty Capital, drop them from the deal - - Per the Plaintiffs' lawsuit, Ohtani & Balelo "exploited their celebrity leverage to destabilize and ultimately dismantle [their] role in the project - - [and] for no reason other than their own financial self-interest," - - The individual properties that were to be developed, and eventually listed by Matsumoto - the deal's broker - who was to become the listing agent for the houses, which were estimated to average $17.3 million each - - Q: What were your initial thoughts of the lawsuit filed against Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani & his agent on behalf the housing development developer & broker - was their primary motivation not an endorsement deal with one of the most high-profile athletes in the world, which would be used as a bold marketing strategy to, in turn, sell each of the properties above their respective value?. . .MLB Hall of Famer and 13-time All-Star Mariano Rivera tore his Achilles tendon while attempting to track a fly ball at the Yankees' annual Old-Timers' Day game on Saturday, and per multiple sources, will now require surgery to repair the torn tendon - - The event, which commemorated the 25th Anniversary of the 2000 Yankees championship team, or the last MLB franchise to win three-straight World Series titles - - In his lone at-bat, Rivera singled off former teammate Andy Pettitte and easily ran to first base, however, during Willie Randolph's at-bat, Rivera took a step and fell to the ground in shallow center field behind second base, becoming the second player to sustain an injury at the event since 2017. . .

- NCAA: News & Storylines - Jimbo Fisher, who received a record $76 million buyout after he was fired as Texas A&M head football coach in 2023 after going 45-25, says he wants to return to the sideline - - Fisher, who recently joined the ACC Network as an analyst, told the "Trials to Triumph" podcast earlier this week that he is looking for "the right situation," to return to coaching at the NCAA or collegiate level - - Fisher stated on the podcast the he misses "the relationship with players. I would be very interested in still doing it. I still think I've got a lot to give. I'd like to get back out there." - - Q: What are your thoughts about the possibility of a return to coaching for Jimbo Fisher?. . .Ty Simpson will open the 2025 college football season as the QB for the University of Alabama, per Crimson Tide HC Kalen DeBoer on Monday afternoon - - Simpson, who has served as Alabama's backup QB each of the past two seasons, and is in his 4th year on campus, beat out redshirt sophomore Austin Mack & true freshman Keelon Russell for the job - - Q: What was your initial reaction to the news that Ty Simpson had been announced as the Crimson Tide's starting QB?. . .Due to Conference Realignment, the Washington State Cougars & the Oregon State Beavers, the only two teams remaining in the Pac-12 Conference, will split a rare regular season home-and-home series - and will be facing each other twice this season in regular-season play - - Q: Will you be tuning into "Pac-12 After Dark" to catch both of the WSU-OSU matchups this season?. . .The new University of Oklahoma QB, John Mateer, has found himself embroiled in the midst of controversy - as screenshots of a few questionable Venmo transactions have surfaced earlier this week on social media - - The screenshots illustrate that Mateer paid someone in 2022, with the description of the transaction being "sports gambling," and "sports gambling (UCLA vs. USC)" - - The 2022 season marked Mateer's first year with Washington State, meaning he was not allowed, per the NCAA by-laws, to gamble on college football - - Mateer's Venmo activity has since been removed or made private - - Oklahoma officials have acknowledged Mateer's alleged Venmo transactions, but the Sooners QB has "consistently denied" being involved with [sports] gambling - - On Tuesday, Mateer posted a statement on social media, claiming that the Venmo descriptions were just "inside jokes between [him and his] friends." - - Q: What are your thoughts regarding the John Mateer screenshots from Venmo? Do you believe him that the descriptions were simply "inside jokes?" Do you expect John Mateer to be suspended by the University of Oklahoma?. . .

- NFL - The Los Angeles Chargers offensive line has been dealty a significant blow: Just weeks after signing a 4-year, $114M extension to become the highest-paid OL in NFL history in terms of annual average salary, Rashawn Slater - the blind-side protector of QB Justin Herbert - has suffered a potentially major setback - - An All-pro LT, Slater, will be sidelined for the entire 2025 NFL season with a ruptured patellar tendon, the team confirmed last Friday evening - - The Chargers star LT went down during team drills at last Thursday's practice and was unable to put any weight on his left leg - - The 315-lb Slater was eventually carted off the field, visibly frustrated, slamming his helmet & pounding the cart in anger before trainers draped a towel over his head - - The 26-year-old is expected to undergo surgery to repair the torn tendon, and the Chargers have officially moved Slater to the "injured reserve" or IR list. . .Q: Obviously, you feel awful for the guy, but a solid argument could be made that Chargers QB Justin Herbert could "feel" even worse this upcoming season after losing his blind-side protection to a season-ending injury - How much of an impact does the loss of Slater have on the Chargers' OL and it's ability to block for QB Justin Herbert?. . . The New England Patriots unveiled a 12-foot bronze statue of Tom Brady outside Gillette Stadium on Friday, the culmination of a promise team owner Robert Kraft made last year when the former QB was inducted into the team's Hall of Fame - - The statue was created by a local sculptor, who is a longtime Patriots fan, and the granite base was quarried in Vermont, one of the six New England state - - In addition, the shape represents the six Super Bowl championships, and with the base, it is 17-feet tall, which symbolizes the number of AFC East titles won during Brady's tenure - - Near the end of his speech/remarks, Brady delivered another joke, saying "The statue isn't just for Pats fans. It will also give all the Jets fans something to throw their beers at as they leave the stadium every year. Probably in the second QTR. Maybe the third." - - All the while, at the onset of the Patriots' preseason opener versus the Washington Commanders, TreVeyon Henderson took a 100-yard opening kickoff return TD to the house to open the game - - Cleveland Browns QB Shedeur Sanders did not disappoint in his highly anticipated NFL preseason debut - - Sanders threw a pair of first half TD passes in the Browns' 30-10 preseason-opening victory over the Carolina Panthers on Friday night - - In a little less than three QTRs, Sanders completed 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards & 2 TDs, and he added 19 rushing yards, prior to being pulled from the game for the Browns most recent QB signing, Tyler Huntley - - Q: What were your thoughts on QB Shedeur Sanders' performance in the Browns' preseason opener? What overall grade would you give him?. . .Jaguars K Cam Little made a 70-yard FG as the first half expired in Jacksonville's preseason-opending loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers at EverBank Stadium on Saturday night, a kick that would have broken Justin Tucker's NFL record of 66 yards, had it been made in a regular-season game - - Q: Should Cam Little's 70-yard FG in the Jaguars' preseason opener have counted, and therefore breaking the NFL record of 66 yards?. . .Former NFL HC Jon Gruden came up with a big win in his ongoing legal battle with the NFL on Monday - - The Nevada Supreme Court ruled in Gruden's favor - a 5-3 decision - that his lawsuit against the league cannot be sent into arbitration, allowing the case to proceed in public - - Most recently, Gruden has been in the news for a different reason: he has expressed interest in a return to coaching, indicating that he would "really like to coach in the SEC Conference," - - Q: Which SEC Conference program could you envision Jon Gruden coaching?. . .

- 2025-26 College Football Preseason Prediction Showcase PT. V: SEC Conference - - In their quest to preview & provide their individual predictions for the upcoming 2025-26 college football season, JD & Spencer complete the saga in this episode's final segment - - In the final "Preseason Prediction Showcase," JD & Spencer preview what they consider to be the 'cream of the crop' of college football, aka The SEC Conference - - Their predictions are independent/unique, and were not discussed prior to the onset of this episode - and their overall predictions are introduced by way of their responses to the following six agreed-upon questions:

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 97 - "The BigBear/SmallerBear Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- Miscellaneous - On this week's introductory or our 'Penalty Box' segment, JD & Spencer discuss & share their thoughts on "Happy Gilmore 2," which is the sequel to the original hit film, that was released in 1996. The film, which was recently released on the streaming service, Netflix, was thirty years in the making, yet it has been met with overwhelmingly negative reviews, with critics and fans calling it "lazy," "not funny," & a "depressing mess" that disrespects the original film by undoing its accomplishments. The common complaints from our fellow "keyboard warriors" include a lack of original humor, a narrative that negates the first film's happy ending, an overreliance on nostalgia & cameos, and finally, a tone that doesn't align with the original film's appeal. Allow us to be the first to say: Ignore the noise and Watch the Movie! - - and if you have a sense of humor, prepare to laugh your ass off! Yes! - the Adam Sandler film did feature a whopping total of 48 cameos, and granted, this is a bit too many - - but you cannot ignore the fact that many of the sequel's cameos, which included a slew of actors/celebrities, musicians & comedians, and notable athletes & sports figures from a wide array of professional sports - for example, the film featured a total of 19 professional golfers, including but not limited to the following: Scottie Scheffler, Rory Mcllroy, John Daly, Bubba Watson, Gilmore's former caddy from the original film - Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas & Brooks Koepka; current & former NFL players, such as Travis Kelce & Reggie Bush, respectively; as well as Los Angeles Sparks guard Kelsey Plum (WNBA). Both JD & Spencer address their individual take of the overall plot, as well as multiple aspects of the film "Happy Gilmore 2," and subsequently, they each present it with an overall rating out of 10. . .Q: What were your thoughts of the film "Happy Gilmore 2?" What rating, from 1 (horrible/waste of time) to 10 (the best movie of all time!), would you give the Adam Sandler sequel?. . .

- MLB - In a blockbuster deal that was completed last Thursday, the day of the MLB Trade Deadline, that had the baseball world buzzing, the Houston Astros re-acquired shortstop Carlos Correa from the Minnesota Twins in exchange for minor league LHP Matt Mikulski & cash, after Correa agreed to "waive" the no-trade clause included in his contract - - Per USA Today reporter Boby Nightengale, Minnesota will send roughly $33 million to help cover the remaining cost associated with Correa's contract - - Correa is owed approximately $96 million through the 2028 MLB season, with club options from 2029-2032 - - Correa, who was drafted as a shortstop by the Astros with the No.1 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft, he would go on to become one of the most popular players & franchise icons in club history - - One aspect of the trade involved Correa's move to playing third base for Houston, after All-Star third baseman Isaac Paredes sustained a hamstring injury, and could possibly miss the rest of this MLB season. . .Q: What are your thoughts about the Astros-Carlos Correa reunion?. .In an odd occurrence, MLB in-fielder Jose Caballero was faced with a literal no-lose situation last Thursday as his Tampa Bay Rays were in the middle of playing in the final game of a three-game series versus the New York Yankees - - And then, the news broke. . .Caballero had been traded from the Tampa Bay Rays to their current opponent, the New York Yankees - - The two AL East teams were in the middle of their game at Yankee Stadium when the news broke that the 28-year-old in-fielder, who was playing second base for the Rays at the time, had been traded to the Yankees - - The deal came together partly thanks to a nearly three-hour rain delay that occurred early on in the game - - When the news broke, as is typical procedure when a player is traded during a game, the Rays removed him from their lineup, yet it was evident that this was somewhat unexpected - as the TV broadcast caught Caballero embracing his Tampa teammates in the visitors' dugout at Yankee Stadium, while no such scene occurred in the Yankees' dugout (emotion-less pricks!) - - Following the Yankees 7-5 victory at home, Caballero joked "We won the game, I guess," after playing most of the game in a Rays jersey - - Caballero has now joined a Yankees team that is looking to return to the World Series for the second consecutive season - after losing to the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games last season. . .

- WNBA & NBA - WNBA: At a press conference last Saturday evening, the WNBA informed the media that the individual who threw a "sex toy" onto the court at an Atlanta Dream game earlier in the week, had been arrested - - and went on to provide a stern warning, that, any person who throws objects onto the court will be ejected from the arena immediately, and will face a minimum one-year ban from attendance to WNBA games - - The incident that occurred in Atlanta took place late in the 4th QTR of the Dream's game versus the Golden State Valkyries last Tuesday in College Park, Georgia - - While it seemed that the act might be an isolated incident, on the following Friday evening, another "sex toy" (i.e., a lime green dildo) was thrown onto the court after a whistle was blown to stop play in the 3rd QTR - with it landing under the basket - of the Chicago Sky & Golden State Valkyries matchup, after which point, it was kicked aside by an official before it was picked up and removed - - Interestingly, yet not suprisingly, bookies & online betting sites have determined a way to profit off of this apparent new trend of fans throwing dildos onto the court during WNBA games - - Yes, a quirky new bet emerged, titled "Color of Third WNBA Dildo If Not Green," with the bet officially ending on August 3rd - the options included Black/Brown & Rainbow (+200), White/Caucasian (+250), Pink (+300), Purple (+325), and Blue (+1400), plus a wager on how the situation is handled - - Well, it didn't last very long! - Another "sex toy" was thrown onto the court during an WNBA game between the Los Angeles Sparks & the Indiana Fever on Tuesday - - the third such incident occurred in the 2nd QTR at Crypto.com Arena in L.A., and it was once again a green "toy" that was thrown, and it seemed as if Fever guard Sophie Cunningham was the target, after she previously asked people to stop throwing such objects on social media - but apparently, people do not care about the requests of WNBA players. . .NBA: Damian Lillard is returning to college, this time as the General Manager of his Alma Mater, Weber State University, where he once starred for the college basketball team - - The GM role has risen in popularity across college basketball & college football in recent years, and these GM's are tasked with overseeing programs in the wake of the transfer portal, NIL & the other changing dynamics involved in college athletics - - Lillard becomes the latest big name or high-profile NBA player to be hired for this type of role, including that of Stephen Curry (Davidson) - - The choice was simple: Lillard is the program's only All-American in school history, and so, Lillard will work closely with the coaching staff and athletic department leadership to provide insight, mentorship, and professional levels to elevate the program. . .

- NCAA: News & Storylines - NCAA College Basketball: The NCAA Tournament will be sticking with 68 teams - for now - - The NCAA voted not to expand March Madness for the upcoming 2025-26 CBB season on Monday - - However, per NCAA Senior VP of Basketball Dan Gavitt, various NCAA committees will continue to discuss the topic of expansion of the college basketball tournament to including between 72 to 76 teams for future tournaments beyond next season. . .Q: What are your thoughts about the possibility of the expansion of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament field beyond 68 teams?. . .NCAA College Football: The University of Alabama seemed destined to land Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul's Episcopal five-star EDGE Anthony "Tank" Jones, but last Thursday on "The Pat McAfee Show" on ESPN, Jones would commit to the University of Oregon, donning the green & yellow upon the announcement of his committment - - Jones is now set to make the cross-country trek to Eugene at the next (or collegiate) level, and his committment gives Oregon its' 4th five-star pledge in the 2026 Class - - While Jones is rated as the No.18 player in the ESPN 2026 Class, he is also rated as the No.1 overall prospect in the state of Alabama - - Prior to his committment, Jones, on multiple occasions, had stated that he had always "dreamed" of playing for the Crimson Tide since he was a kid, and that Alabama "was always his dream school growing up," - - It's no surprise that based on this information, people were somewhat shocked to witness Jones commit to Oregon rather than his "dream school," but let's be honest: "You win some and you lose some!" - - but according to multiple reporters on social media, this loss of Jones to Oregon is being categorized as the "Biggest Whiff" in Crimson Tide recruiting history - - Money likely has a massive part to play in Jones' decision, but it certainly isn't the sole reason that he committed to Oregon - - Unfortunately for HC Dan Lanning & the Ducks, it's not over until National Signing Day in December, so tread carefully. . .Q: Do you agree or disagree with the 'haters" who referred to the loss of Jones to Oregon as the "biggest whiff" in Crimson Tide recruiting history?. . .Former University of Tennessee head football coach Derek Dooley announced on 2026 Republican bid on Monday for the U.S. Senate in the state of Georgia against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff - - The 57-year-old Dooley is backed by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and has been teasing a bid since early June - - Dooley has never held an elective office position before, yet he has said that he'll run as a political outsider, pledging to bring "good, old fashioned Georgia common sense," and "work with President Trump, fight for you and alway put Georgia first," - - Dooley, the son of legendary Georgia Bulldogs coach Vince Dooley, was a lawyer prior to his stint in coaching - - Dooley might be most remebered for his time at the University of Tennessee, compiling a 15-21 record with the Volunteers before he was fired in 2012 - - Since then, Dooley has been an assistant coach, with stints at the collegiate & professional level - - Dooley becomes one of the multiple former football coaches to run for office, including former Auburn HC Tommy Tuberville, who was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020 for the state of Alabama, and is now running for state Governor - and University of Nebraska coaching legend Tom Osborne, who served three terms in the U.S. House - - Q: What are your thoughts on former Volunteers HC Derek Dooley's bid to run for U.S. Senate in the state of Georgia?. . .

- NFL - 2025 NFL Preseason Hall of Fame Game: The Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Detroit Lions 34-7 that kicked off the NFL's preseason last Thursday night in Canton, Ohio - - A few takeaways from the game: (A) Chargers QB Trey Lance was outstanding - - While Lance's NFL journey has been anything but memorable to this point - 3rd time in five seasons - Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh gave him three QTRs to prove he's worth a roster spot - and he did his thing & balled out, playing like a No.3 overall draft pick - Lance unquestionably delivered, completing 13-of-20 passes for 120 yards & 2 TDs, including a beautiful rollout toss to TE Will Dissly on 4th-and-goal, and a 15-yard pass on a difficult slant route to WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith - he was rarely fazed by the Lions' blitz, and remained efficient in the pocket while adjusting to the defensive coverage - Lance exceeded all expectations in total, earning respect while also producing evidence for his case to be selected over veteran QB Taylor Heincke as Justin Herbert's backup QB - - (B) The Lions' backup QB situation isn't as clear-cut: Obviously, Lions HC Dan Campbell did not allow QB Jared Goff, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, RBs Jahmyr Gibbs & David Montgomery, OT Penei Sewell or the rest of Detroit's star-studded offense to see any action in the first preseason game - - The name of the game is "backups" - - QB Kyle Allen was first up in the order & delivered a very up-and-down performance, completing 9-of-14 passes for 91 yards, but would go on to throw two horrendous INTs that tanked any positive momentum he had up until that point - Making matters worse, QB Hendon Hooker didn't fare any better, struggling with his accuracy, throwing a pick near the middle of the field on a pass that sailed - In other words, the Lions failed to find a rhythm with either of the backup QB's in the first game of the preseason - We will see if HC Dan Campbell possibly reverses the rotation next week, and if it helps Hooker because he could certainly use it. . .Washington Commanders WR Terry McLaurin, frustrated with negotiations on a contract extension, has requested a trade from the franchise, per ESPN's Adam Schefter on Thursday afternoon - - A sticking point seems to be McLaurin's age - as he would be age 31 when an extension would begin, an age that teams are stereotypically reluctant to pay big money for WRs - - Per Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox "the Commanders should consider acquiring [49ers] WR Jauan Jennings as a replacement," who is also looking for a new contract deal - as well as a trade out of San Francisco - - Q: What are your thoughts on the Commanders-Terry McLaurin situation? In your opinion, should the Commanders consider trading him OR should they take the risk by offering him an extension that would certainly set the precedent among 30-year-old WRs in the league?. . .Dallas Cowboys training camp began last week with Pro Bowl pass rusher Micah Parsons reporting but not participating as he awaited a contract extension - - However, on the following Friday, Parsons posted on social media that he is requesting a trade from the NFL franchise - - Parsons said "repeated shots" led to his decision to request a trade - - At the opening news conference of training camp, team owner Jerry Jones made a flippant remark when questioned about Parsons' availability during training camp - - Multiple sources have stated that they cannot recall a time when a Cowboys player has requested a trade - - Historically, the Cowboys have paid their stars, but it has taken time to get deals done, including with QB Dak Prescott (twice), RB Ezekiel Elliot, guard Zack Martin & WR Ceedee Lamb in recent years - - Ultimately, Jerry Jones has reportedly never lost a star player that he wanted to keep - - Q: Multiple NFC executives from across the NFL have stated that they do not believe that the Cowboys will trade Parsons - - Is it possible that both sides can repair the relationship back to when Parsons indicated that he "would never leave Dallas," & saying to ESPN in December that he didn't need to be the highest-paid defensive player in the game?. . .In a long-overdue moment of recognition, former Green Bay Packers WR Sterling Sharpe was officially enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday during a ceremony in Canton, Ohio - - The honor makes Sharpe, 60, the 382nd member of the Hall of Fame - and most notably, part of history - Alongside his younger brother, Shannon Sharpe, the Sharpes are now the only pair of siblings to ever be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame - - Sharper was a dominant force in the NFL from 1988 to 1994, earning three first-team All-Pro selections & leading the league in multiple receiving categories - - His 1992 season remains legendary, as he captured the receiving "Triple Crown," in which he led the NFL in receptions, yard, and TDs - - Last week, his brother Shannon, expressed his remorse for the news of his official departure from ESPN after he has faced multiple controversies & pending lawsuits - - Minnesota Vikings WR Jordan Addison has been suspended for the first three games of the upcoming NFL season for violating the league's "substances of abuse" policy - - Addision pleaded no contest on July 17th to a lesser charge to resolve a 2024 DUI citation - it was the plea agreement that made Addison subject to NFL discipline, as it acknowledges the use and/or consumption of alcohol in a driving incident - - He agreed to pay $390 fine and received a year of probation - - Addison will be eligible to return for the Vikings' Week 4 game versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in an international game that will be played in Dublin, Ireland. . .Following his one season with the Chicago Bears, veteran WR Keenan Allen is returning to the Los Angeles Chargers on a one-year, $8.52 million contract - - In a fascinating move, the Chargers used the pick they acquired from the Chicago Bears in the Keenan Allen trade from last season to move up & draft WR Ladd McConkey - - Now, Allen & McConkey are Chargers' teammates - - Q: What are your thoughts regarding the reunion of the Los Angeles Chargers & WR Keenan Allen? Do you think he has anymore miles left in the tank?. . .San Francisco 49ers TE George Kittle interrupted teammate Fred Warner's interview on the NFL Network Tuesday afternoon to "air a grievance" that the league had issued a memo to all players earlier that morning, stating that it has prohibited the use of ammonia and smelling salts before & during all NFL games - - According to the memo, beginning this upcoming season, teams are prohibited from "providing or supplying ammonia in any form," which includes ammonia capsules, inhalers, ammonia in a cup, and any form of "smelling salts." - - The memo further stated that the ban comes as a result of FDA warnings that were issued in 2024 - - In the interrupted interview, Kittle went on to say that he is a regular user of smelling salts, taking them for a "boost of energy," before every offensive drive, noting "I miss them already." - - The nine-year TE even joked that, initially, after reading the memo, he was so upset that he contemplated retirement - - Q: What are your thoughts on the NFL's decision to ban players from using ammonia & smelling salts?. . .

- 2025-26 College Football Preseason Prediction Showcase PT. IV: Big Ten Conference - - In the episode finale this week, JD & Spencer each provide their individual (and independent) projections/predictions for the Big Ten Conference - as well as our predictions for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Independent) - for the upcoming 2025-26 college football season - - They provided their overall predictions by presenting their responses to the following set of agreed-upon questions:

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 96 - "The Charlie Conway & the Mighty Ducks Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- Miscellaneous - PGA: Despite being the PGA No.1 ranked player in the world, it was almost as if reporters at a recent press conference were shocked to learn that Scottie Scheffler "does not find his life's true fulfillment by winning PGA events," but unfortunately for his fellow golfers, this lack of fulfillment did not negatively affect his performance and/or prevent him from demonstrating that competitive edge that seems so routine, from bleeding through on one of the sport's biggest stages last Sunday - - Scheffler had all the time in the world to celebrate his latest major title, carding a 68 to cruise to a four-stroke victory in the PGA Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland - - The outcome was never in doubt on Sunday as Scheffler finished at (-17), delivering yet another dominant performance to win his second major this year, and to grab the third leg of the career Grand Slam - - After making par on the 18th hole, the crowd erupted in amazement, and in appreciation for his spectacular performance, but for Scheffler, it appeared as just another routine win - until he encountered his wife, Meredith, their 15-month-old son Bennett & his parents - at which point, he thrust both fists into the air, pumped both arms & tossed his hat in a joyous manner - - Scheffler's behavior further demonstrated, to him, that this was just 'another victory' at a PGA major, and that the 29-year-old Texas native was far more concerned about his family & their overall excitement, and just to top it off, he does get to keep the silver Claret jug for another year - - Scheffler is a champion on & off the PGA course - - He became just the fourth player in Open Championship history to shoot 68 or better in all four rounds of the event, joining Collin Morikawa, Henrik Stenson & Jesper Parnevik. . ."RIP 2 My Childhood:" Hulk "Hulkamania" Hogan, the star who took professional wrestling to the national mainstream, and was a significant contributor to the overall legacy of the sport, died last Thursday morning on July 24th at the age of 71 - - The WWE Hall of Famer, according to multiple reports, was pronounced dead at a local hospital in Clearwater, Florida, shortly after a 911 call was placed about a victim in cardiac arrest - - Hogan, whose real name is Terry Bollea, had been struggling with several health issues in recent years, which included a problematic, lingering back injury from his wrestling days, and had reportedly underwent a complicated heart procedure just weeks prior to his death - - While Hogan was the identity of professional wrestling for many years, later in life, and much to his dismay, Hogan became a controversial figure that somewhat retreated from the spotlight - following the release of a private sex tape that depicted Hogan with his best friend's wife - as well as a secret recording that revealed Hogan's use of racist remarks in a taped conversation with his daughter, Brooke Hogan - - Not too downplay the complex nature of Hogan's inappropriate actions over the years, it would be a disservice to the sport of professional wrestling, to not acknowledge his accomplishments and the influence he had on children growing up in the 1990's (aka JD) - - In 1985, Hogan headlined the WWF's first 'Wrestlemania' at Madison Square Garden, which drew an audience of nearly one million viewers on a closed-circuit television, and it was this particular event that many credit with taking the sport into the national spotlight - - Hogan's grudge match versus Andre the Giant at 'Wrestlemania III' took the wrestling business & his career to new heights - - Hogan was featured in the main event of the first eight Wrestlemania cards, and would go on to win the WWF (now known as the "WWE) World Heavyweight Championship belt six times, and finally, he pulled off the biggest "heel turn" in wrestling history - while working for the WWF/WWE competitor, WCW - when Hogan embraced the role of a villain, joining the New World Order as "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan - - Hogan returned to the WWE in 2002, and was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005. . .

- MLB - Nick Kurtz of the Oakland Athletics became the first rookie in MLB history to hit four HRs in a game, as part of a spectacular Friday night for the 22-year-old that will go down as one of the greatest offensive displays that sport has ever seen - - Kurtz finished the game with eight RBIs, six runs scored & also matched the MLB record with 19 total bases in the A's 15-3 victory over the Houston Astros - - Kurtz didn't make an out all night, as he went on to hit absolutely DINGERS in the second, sixth, eighth & ninth innings - and he also doubled on a 381-feet drive that would have been out in six major league ballparks - - **Can confirm: No MLB player has ever hit five HRs in a single game - - and he singled on his 6-for-6 night to tie Shawn Green, who had four HRs, six hits & 19 total bases for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a game in 2002 - - This was the 20th four-HR game in MLB history & second this season - - Through the rookie's 66 games played, the 6-foot-5 power hitter has hit 23 HRs, and he is the youngest player in the history of the sport to hit four HRs. . .Two-time National League MVP & Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper is a very confident, brave soul, that unlike most of us who would not dare to question or belittle our boss for fear of retribution, demonstrated that he is not afraid to "stick it to the man:" Harper stood nose to nose with Rob Manfred during a meeting between the MLB Commissioner and the team last week - telling Manfred to "get the f*** out of our clubhouse," if he wanted to discuss the potential implementation of a salary cap, sources informed ESPN on Monday - - Ahead of the expiration of baseball's collective-bargaining agreement between the MLB and MLBPA (Major League Baseball Player's Association), which is scheduled to occur on December 1st of next year, multiple team owners have advocated for the implementation of a salary cap in baseball, which is the only major Men's North American sport without one - - According to multiple sources, the MLBPA strongly opposes a salary cap, arguing that it would serve more as a tool to increase franchise values than to lessen the sport's large disparity between high and low-spending teams - - Q: What do you think: Should the MLB implement a "salary cap?" What would be the implications of a salary cap on baseball?. . .

- NBA - A couple weeks ago, on Thursday (7/17), nine-time All-Star Damian Lillard agreed to a three-year, $42 million contract that reunited the Weber State alum with the NBA franchise that drafted him, the Portland Trail Blazers, as confirmed per sources to ESPN - - Lillard's deal includes a player option in 2027-28 as well as a "no-trade" clause (*only the second player in the league with a "no-trade" clause in their contract - LeBron James) - - The deal with Portland comes after the Milwaukee Bucks shockingly waived the 35-year-old guard in early July, and stretched the remaining $113 million on his contract, to sign PF/C Myles Turner - - Q: Was Damian Lillard's decision to reunite with Portland exactly the way in which you would prefer to see his career go (and possibly end)? Do you believe this was the "best decision" he could've made in terms of his rehabilitation & potential future in the league?. . .After a contract buyout with the Wizards, veteran NBA guard Marcus Smart has signed a two-year, $11 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, the team confirmed last Tuesday afternoon (7/24) - - As a standout defender & two-player contributor, Smart excelled for the rival Boston Celtics for nine seasons prior to spending the past two years with the Memphis Grizzlies & Washington Wizards - - Smart, who was the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, made nine straight consecutive playoff appearances throughout his tenure with the Celtics - however, because of injuries, Smart has only played in a total of 54 games over the past two seasons since leaving Boston - - Smart is joining the supporting cast of a Laker's team that is built around their two superstars, Luka Doncic & LeBron James, as Los Angeles continues to make a splash in the offseason, after previously signing C DeAndre Ayton. . .Twelve-time All-Star PG Chris Paul has agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Clippers for what is anticipated to be his final (or 21st) NBA season, per his agents at CAA - - Per ESPN, Paul reportedly had multiple suitors, such as the Bucks, Hornets & Mavericks, but Paul chose to reunite with the contending Clippers & their shared history in Los Angeles - - The deal marks a return to the Clippers for Paul, who played for the franchise for six seasons - most of which he spent playing alongside both Blake Griffin & DeAndre Jordan, who were integral to the Clippers' success as well as to what would earn the organization the nickname "Lob City," - - Paul becomes the latest veteran addition to the Clippers franchise this offseason, who have previously acquired SG Bradley Beal (via the Phoenix Suns), PF John Collins & C Brook Lopez - - Q: What are your thoughts about Chris Paul returning to the Clippers for his "final" NBA season?.

- NCAA: News & Storylines - In a stunning move that links leaders in the sports media landscape, Dave Portnoy & his media company, Barstool Sports, have agreed to a wide-ranging collaboration with Fox Sports, which will bring together many of the industry's most prominent voices and high-profile influencers to bolster coverage surrounding college football, college basketball & other Fox Sports properties, including creating unique content with a new daily studio show that will air on FS1 - - Portnoy, 48, shared the news of the collaboration via an "emergency press conference" on his X social media account - The announcement also included a video that shows Portnoy superimposed across various sports-related highlights, which in itself, featured more news: Portnoy will be appearing on the Fox Sports college football pregame show, Big Noon Kickoff, as a analyst this upcoming season - - In addition, there will be a new weekly show titled "Barstool College Football Show." - - As a part of the partnership, Barstool Sports will be producing & delivering a two-hour long program that will air weekly, and that will include a mixture of popular Barstool personalities (i.e., "Big Cat") & Fox Sports talent that join in on interviews & sports-related discussions - - Q: What are your thoughts on the Fox Sports - Barstool Sports partnership? Will this lead to Barstool Sports eventually becoming a part of "mainstream" sports media? What are your thoughts on Dave Portnoy appearing as a college football analyst on Big Noon Kickoff?. . .Former BYU QB Jake Retzlaff has verbally committed to "walk-on" at Tulane, per ESPN's Pete Thamel last Monday afternoon (7/21) - - Retzlaff abruptly departed BYU after he was accused of sexual battery by a woman from an incident that reportedly occurred in 2023 - - While the lawsuit was dismissed & Retzlaff was never charged, he still faced a seven-game suspension for violation of the program's "honor code," which prohibits premarital sex, which ultimately led Retzlaff to transfer to New Orleans, where there certainly is not an "honor code!"

- NFL - Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice has been sentenced to five years probation and 30 days of jail time by a Dallas County judge - - Rice pled guilty to two felony charges related to the WR's role in a multi-car crash last year - - The incident took place in March 2024, as Rice drove 119 mph in a Lamborghini during rush hour traffic, which led to Rice hitting other vehicles in the process, that caused a chain reaction that affected multiple cars - and following the crash, Rice flees the scene on foot - - After the crash, Rice was sued for $1 million by the two people who were injured in the crash - this lawsuit was settled on Wednesday (7/16), and as a result, Rice must pay $1 million to the two plaintiffs as well as their lawyer's fees - - Rice was sentenced to "deferred probation," as a result of the plea deal, which means that the case will be dismissed if he successfully completes the probationary period - - Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the 30 days of jail time may be served at any point during Rice's five years on probation - - The rulings by the Dallas County Court opens the door for the NFL to discipline Rice directly - he is expected to receive a multi-game suspension - - Q: How many games should the league suspend Chiefs WR Rashee Rice for the upcoming 2025-26 NFL season?. . . Eight-time Pro Bowl QB & Alabama's very own Philip Rivers announced last Monday (7/21) that he is retiring from the NFL as a member of the Los Angeles Chargers in an emotional video posted by the team to social media - - Rivers, who played 16 seasons with the Chargers, holds team records in every major category, winning 137 career games - - A Super Bowl appearance is the lone omission on Rivers' resume, but he does rank 6th all-time in NFL history with 63,440 passing yards, behind only Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre & Ben Roethlisberger - - Beyond his play, Rivers grew famous for his trash-talking, particularly how he did it: without using any profanity - - Q: Realistically, could you "trash-talk" without the use of profanity? Would trash-talk without the use of profanity actually hurt worse than a profanity-laden rant?. . .In a late-July surprise, New Orleans safety Tyrann "Honey Badger" Mathieu announced that he is calling it a career, and the decorated safety is retiring after playing in the NFL for 12 seasons, the Saints website announced last Tuesday (7/22) - - Although he compiled an underwhelming 2024 season, the 33-year-old safety was expected to fill one half of a headline-grabbing safety tandem - with former teammate Justin Reid - in the back end of New Orleans' defense in 2025 - - Mathieu's career began with uncertainty but lasted a dozen years and included plenty of deserved accolades - his career took on a nomadic appearance, but he contributed at every stop along his journey, earning three first-team All-Pro selections, three Pro Bowl nods, and finally, he won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs & landed on the Pro Football Hall of Fame's All-Decade Team for the 2010s, a strong indicator he'll receive his own place in Canton in the future - - Q: Does Tyrann Mathieu deserve to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?. . .At least 100 players from roughly half of the NFL's 32 teams face fines and possible suspension for allegedly selling their allotted tickets to this year's Super Bowl LIX above face value in violation of league policies, sources informed ESPN last Friday (7/25) - - Under an agreement between the league and the NFL Players Association, players who violated the rule will be fine 1 1/2 times the face ticket value and lose their allotted tickets to the next two Super Bowls - - If they are playing in the game, the players will have a chance to purchase seats - - Those who decline the punishment could be suspended by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. . .Shemar Stewart & the Cincinnati Bengals have finally agreed on his rookie contract, per his agent Zac Hiller on Friday (7/25), as the DE became the final first-round draft pick to reach a deal - - Stewart will sign a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $18.97 million and including a $10.4 million signing bonus - - Stewart, who was selected 17th overall in this year's draft, is set to join the Bengals six days after the team's rookies reported for training camp - - The two sides compromised to finalize a deal: Stewart will receive a more lucrative payout structure than previous picks at No.17 for accepting the new language the Bengals placed in the team's rookie contracts. . .The Las Vegas Raiders announced last week that the franchise decided to cut DT Christian Wilkins - - Wilkins, 29, had just signed a four-year, $110 million contract extension with the team last offseason - - Wilkins was "unexpectedly cut" by the Raiders last week, and on Monday, ESPN first reported that Wilkins gave a "playful kiss" to an [unidentified] teammate's head during a meeting last week - - The "playful kiss" by Wilkins led to a HR complaint that partly played into his ultimate release - - ESPN reported that the incident was "not the sole reason" for Wilkins' dismissal from the team, though it appears to have played a role in the franchise's decision - - Q: What are your thoughts on the Raiders' decision to cut/release DT Christian Wilkins? Thoughts on the incident that partially led to his dismissal?. . .The last major contract issue for the Cincinnati Bengals could be inching closer to a resolution - - All-Pro DE Trey Hendrickson reportedly ended his holdout, and reported to Bengals training camp on Wednesday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter - - According to a source, Hendrickson's arrival served as a good faith gesture to spark negotiations with the team - - Hendrickson, who will turn 31 this season, is the reigning NFL sack leader, and he was named to the AP All-Pro Team after leading the league with 17.5 sacks last season - - he was also a Pro Bowl selection for the fourth straight season - - Per Adam Schefter, the holdup in negotiations is over the "guaranteed money" in the contract. . .

- 2025-26 College Football Preseason Prediction Showcase PT. III: ACC Conference - - In the episode finale this week, JD & Spencer each provide their individual (and independent) projections/predictions for the ACC Conference for the upcoming 2025-26 college football season - - They provided their overall predictions by presenting their responses to the following set of agreed-upon questions:

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 95 - "The Myles High Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- Miscellaneous - High School Football : We just have a couple things to say: "Teddy Bridgewater is a Scumbag! The Salt of the Earth! A Horrible Person!". . .This GUY! - - According to a post via his social media account, former NFL QB Teddy Bridgewater indicated earlier this week that he has been "suspended" from coaching his former high school team, Miami Northwestern, for reportedly giving impermissible benefits to his players - - The 32-year-old "abomination," according to multiple reports, reportedly helped his players with uber costs, paid for player's physical therapy out of pocket, pregame meals, recovery assistance, as well as purchased the field paint that was applied to the High School football field - - If it's not utterly apparent & obvious, we are exaggerating - former NFL QB & current High School head football coach Teddy Bridgewater is an incredibly generous and very thoughtful human being, who deserves to be celebrated NOT suspended!! - - This is certainly not a good look for Miami Northwestern High School & their Athletic Department - - The news of Bridgewater's suspension has drawn much criticism from former NFL players, athletes & sports commentators alike. . .Q: What are your thoughts regarding Miami Northwestern High School's decision to suspend HC Teddy Bridgewater for reportedly giving impermissible benefits to his players?. . .PGA: Oakmont County Club, which is located approximately fifteen miles outside of Pittsburgh (PA), has banned professional golfer, Wyndham Clark, from its property after he damaged his locker following a missed cut at last month's U.S. Open event, per sources who confirmed the news to ESPN on Wednesday - - Oakmont Club President John Lynch issued a letter that was sent out to all Oakmont Country Club members earlier this week, indicating that their decision was reached after multiple discussions with the USGA & the Club's Board - - According to Lynch's letter, the ban could be lifted if Clark, 31, pays for the damaged property, makes a "meaningful contribution" to a charity selected by the Oakmont Country Club, and undergoes extensive "counseling and/or anger management therapy." - - Fortunately for Clark, he will not have to play at Oakmont again until 2033, when it is scheduled to host the U.S. Open once again. . .Q: Do you think PGA golfer Wyndham Clark will comply with Oakmont County Club President John Lynch's demands in his letter to ensure that the ban is lifted?. . .

- MLB - Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg has agreed in principle to a $1.7 billion deal to sell the franchise to a group led by a Florida-based developer, Patrick Zalupski, according to a report from The Athletic - - The deal is reportedly expected to be closed as early as September and will keep the franchise in the area, with Zalupski, a homebuilder in Jacksonville, having a strong preference to land in Tampa rather than in St. Petersburg - - This was definitely a very profitable deal for Stu Sternberg, after he purchased the Rays franchise in 2004 for $200 million. . .Seattle Mariners star & MLB Home Run leader, Cal Raleigh, became the first MLB catcher to ever win the All-Star Home Run Derby - - Raleigh joins Ken Griffey Jr. as the only two Mariners to win the event, after he totaled 54 homers at the 2025 Derby - - Unfortunately, for Raleigh, his win of the 2025 Home Run Derby was largely overshadowed by the highlight of the evening: Let's just say, if a baseball had a soul, Oneil Cruz would be a "soul crusher." - - Cruz produced the highlight of the first round when he blasted a 513-foot HR, the longest of the evening - he becomes just the sixth player to hit a Derby homer of 500+ feet since Statcast started tracking it in 2016 - - Cruz averaged a distance of 447 feet in Round 1 but was eliminated by Raleigh in the semi-finals when the latter hit 19 dingers to advance - - Raleigh wowed the crowd when he hit left-handed and right-handed during his first round, blasting 10 from the left side and another seven from the right, becoming the first switch hitter to win the contest - - Raleigh outlasted Tampa Bay Rays infielder Junior Caminero in the HR Derby Final on Monday night - Raleigh hit 18 to Caminero's 15 in the final round - and to the kid that robbed Caminero's homer in the championship round, shame on your parents, and you deserve a nice good kick to the shin!. . .Kyle Schwarber, the man, the myth, [and now] the legend - Remarkably, Schwarber, who is rather spectacular at smashing baseballs, has never won a Home Run Derby - he lost in the finals back in 2018 & failed to advance out of the first round in 2022 - - but on Tuesday night, however, the Philadelphia Phillies slugger made home run history on the All-Star stage, pulverizing three HRs on three swings in the first-ever swing-off to decide the winner of the 2025 MLB All-Star Game, giving the National League a 4-3 victory over the American League at Truist Park in Atlanta, after the teams were deadlocked at 6-6 through nine innings - - His performance was enough for Schwarber, and he became the first position player to win the All-Star Game MVP, in a game that began and ended with historic firsts - - This year's exhibition was the first game to feature the automated ball-strike (ABS) system at the major league level outside of spring training, an expected precursor to the MLB's implementation of this new system beginning for the 2026 MLB season - - In this game, four pitches were challenged, and the very first official challenge came on a 0-2 changeup pitch by American League starter Tarik Skubal to San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado, that home-plate umpire had called a strike in the first inning, and the call was overturned, ending Machado's at-bat with a strikeout. . .Q: What were your thoughts on the MLB's use of the automated ball-strike (ABS) system in this year's All-Star Game? Do you believe that the aspect of "human error" adds to the overall fun & exhilaration associated with a major (or professional) sport, such as Major League Baseball?. . .

- NCAA: News & Storylines - During a Monday morning interview on the "Mac and Cube" show in Birmingham (AL), former University of Alabama QB & current Nick Saban co-worker, Greg McElroy, stated that he spoke to someone "in the know" & was expressively adamant that the GOAT (i.e., Nick Saban) will return as a college football coach - - According to McElroy's statement on the show, "A very much in the know person that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around, and just really, really admire - they seems to think Nick Saban is not done coaching," as was initially reported per 24/7 Sports. . .However, and not surprisingly, McElroy refused to acknowledge and respond to the question of who his "in the know' source was - but the news of a possible return to coaching for Saban has spread far & wide, and it has resonated with University of Alabama fans in both a positive and negative light - - If Saban wants to come out of retirement to coach again, there would be plenty of interest in his services - - After all, he established one of the greatest college football dynasties in the history of the sport, in Tuscaloosa, where we would go on to win six national championships with the Crimson Tide between 2007 and 2023 - - Q: What are your thoughts on McElroy's statement regarding the possibility of Nick Saban coming out of retirement to coach as the collegiate level again? Realistically, as a biased Alabama fan, how would you view Saban if he did return to coaching at a power conference outside of the state of Alabama? How would that affect his legacy? . .With each new season of college football comes a new set of rule changes - and this offseason, a new set of rules were introduced and outlined at Day Two of this week's "SEC Media Days" on Wednesday by SEC Conference Coordinator of Football Officials, John McDaid - - Of the six new rule changes that will be introduced in this upcoming season, the two most notable - and those that were discussed in this episode - concern the following: (1) McDaid outlined a new rule that is to be implemented that is expected to decrease the likelihood of players faking injuries before plays to halt the opposing team's momentum as a result of the charged timeout - This new rule will attempt to eliminate the issue of referees having to stop games in order to maintain player safety, which were enabling defenses to get a free timeout - - According to the new rule "if a player goes down after the ball is spotted, the player's team will be charged with a timeout; if the team does not have one, a five-yard penalty will be assessed." - - (2) The second new rule actually has a title affiliated with it - a "Defensive Delay of Game" - and according to this rule, "defenses cannot simulate a snap trying to get the offensive player or players to false start. Abrupt coordinated movements will result in a delay of game penalty for the defense," - All eyes are on you, HC Kirby Smart & the Georgia Bulldogs. . .

- NBA - Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet was elected President of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) on Saturday, succeeding CJ McCollum of the Washington Wizards - - VanVleet was voted NBPA President during the Board of Player Representatives meeting, and he will begin a four-year term immediately, while McCollum will transition to an advisory role - - VanVleet, a 2019 NBA Champion with the Toronto Raptors & 2022 NBA All-Star, who has set records for the highest-paid contracts for an undrafted player, is regarded as someone who has experienced every level of competition - even within the NBA G-League - and advocates for the union - - VanVleet recently signed a two-year, $50 million contract extension to remain in Houston next season. . .Three-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal agreed to a contract buyout with the Phoenix Suns, and plans to join the Los Angeles Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal with a player option after he clears waivers, per ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania on Wednesday afternoon - - The player option for the 2026-27 NBA season clears the way for Beal, aged 32, to be one of the top available players in free agency next summer - - Q: What are your thoughts on the overall "fit" of Beal teaming up with fellow Clippers All-Star players, Kawhi Leonard & James Harden?. .

- NFL - A five-time Pro Bowler, three-time first-team All-Pro & Super Bowl LV champion, DT Ndamukong Suh, officially announced his retirement from the NFL after 13 seasons on Saturday - - Suh broke the news on the one-year anniversary of his father's passing - as he announced his decision in a social media statement - - Q: Where does Ndamukong Suh rank on the NFL All-Time Defensive Lineman list for you: Top 100? Top 25? Top 5?. . .San Francisco 49ers WR Jauan Jennings, who is scheduled to make $7.5 million in the final year of his deal, wants a new contract or trade, sources told ESPN on Monday - - this marks the second straight summer that the Niners are in this situation with a WR who wants to be "paid or traded," - and this year's situation is indirectly tied to last year's scenario with WR Brandon Aiyuk - - Jennings is expected to report to the 49ers training camp, but he is not expected to be happy if a new deal is not in place - - The Niners extended Jennings through 2025 last year, and feel that they have treated him fairly - - While Jennings is coming off of his best NFL season, which included career highs in receptions (77) & TDs (6), it has taken him some time to adjust to the game - - Q: Do you think that the 49ers are most likely to pay or trade WR Jauan Jennings?. . .New York Jets WR Garrett Wilson & CB Sauce Gardner have become the first two former first-round picks under the NFL's current financial system, which went into effect in 2011, to receive extensions in their first year of eligibility - - Wilson agreed to a four-year, $130 million extension, while Gardner agreed to a four-year, $120.4 million contract extension - - This is outside of the norm for the New York Jets, but they have decided to take a more proactive approach to secure their two foundational players through the 2030 season. . .

- 2025-26 College Football Preseason Prediction Showcase PT. II: Big 12 Conference - - In the episode finale this week, JD & Spencer each provide their individual (and independent) projections/predictions for the Big XII Conference for the upcoming 2025-26 college football season - - They provided their overall predictions by presenting their responses to the following set of agreed-upon questions:

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 94 - "The Boot Ware Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- Miscellaneous - Famed competitive eater Joey "Jaws" Chestnut reclaimed his title last Friday at the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July hot dog eating contest after skipping last year's gastronomic battle in New York for the coveted Mustard Belt - - Chestnut, 42, consumed 70 1/2 hot dogs and buns in ten minutes, falling just short of his 2021 record of 76 glizzys - - It marked his 17th win out of 20 appearances for the Westfield, Indiana, eater at the internationally televised competition - which he missed last year over a contract dispute - - Chestnut bested 14 fellow competitors from across the U.S. and the world, including Australia, the Czech Republic, Ontario, England & Brazil - - Last year's winner, Patrick Bertoletti of Chicago, came in second place after gobbling up 46 1/2 hot dogs and bunds, falling short of the 58 he ate to earn the 2024 Men's title - - Q: What are your thoughts on the sport of Major Competitive Eating? Is it safe to say that Chestnut is the greatest athlete of all time (GOAT)?. . .

- MLB - On 15 occasions last Wednesday, Clayton Kershaw reached two strikes with an opposing hitter and 53,536 Dodger Stadium fans rose to their feet, almost as if to propel their longtime ace to history - - They clapped, they yelled, they hoped, and often, in the end, they sighed - - By the time the sixth inning rolled around, Kershaw had accumulated just two strikeouts on the night and 2,999 for his career - - It began to feel as if one of the most hallowed milestones in baseball history would happen on the road, away from the people who spent close to two decades stirring with every pitch that came out of Kershaw's left hand - - And then it happened, at the last possible moment, with two outs in the sixth inning, on Kershaw's 100th pitch - - a backdoor slider that caught the outside corner, freezing Chicago White Sox third baseman Vinny Capra & making Kershaw the 20th player ever to reach 3,000 strikeouts - - Kershaw is just the 4th left-hander to reach 3,000 strikeouts, joining Randy Johnson, Steve Carlton & CC Sabathia - - He is one of just three active pitchers, along with Justin Verlander & Max Scherzer, the two who are often lumped with him among the greatest of this generation - - And he is one of just five to accumulate that many strikeouts with just one team, along with Walter Johnson, Bob Gibson, Carlton & John Smoltz. . .San Francisco's Patrick Bailey's entrace into the MLB record books Tuesday night began with a tight swing from the Giants catcher that sent a fastball from Phillies reliver Jordan Romano into Triples Alley - - It ended with Bailey chugging around 3rd base and then getting mobbed by his teammates at home plate after becoming the third catcher in major league history to hit a walk-off, inside-the-park home run - - The three-run homer lifted the Giants to a 4-3 victory that had the Oracle Park crowd roaring as Bailey crossed the plate. . .It was announced on Wednesday that the MLB will use the automated ball-strike challenge system (ABS) during next week's All-Star Game in Atlanta - - The decision comes after the league revealed that it could begin using ABS on a full-time basis starting in 2026 - - In this year's All-Star Game, umpires will call balls & strikes - however, each team will be given two challenges via ABS - successful challenges are retained - - Only pitcher, catchers, and hitters can request for a challenge - - Q: What are your thoughts on the MLB's decision to utilize the ABS system during next week's All-Star Game? Does the use of the ABS system, and essentially its prevention "human-related error" take away some of the "fun" of the game?. . .

- NCAA: News & Storylines - "Wanna Feel Old?:" Class of 2026 WR Devin Fitzgerald, son of eleven-time Pro Bowl selection and second all-time NFL receiving yards leader Larry Fitzgerald, has officially committed to Notre Dame, he announced on Saturday night - - Oh, but we're NOT done yet: OLB Thomas Davis Jr., the son of former Carolina Panthers LB Thomas Davis, and WR Kaydon Finley, the son of former Green Bay Packers TE Jermichael Finley - are also 2026 recruits that are currently committed to Notre Dame - - Q: Do you think the unrealistic expectations placed on the offspring of former professional athletes makes it almost impossible to replicate, especially for WR Devin Fitzgerald, whose father is an NFL legend?. . .EA Sports did the University of Kentucky's punter extremely dirty with a "pathetic" rating for the recently released College Football 26 video game - - P Aidan Laros is rated the least tough player in college football according to EA Sports - - The video game gave him a rating that does not apply to any of the other 16,000+ athletes on the FBS level - - While EA Sports considered Laros to be one of the better punters in the SEC Conference by giving him an overall rating of 77 for the game, it also ranked him as the least tough player in the entire country with a toughness rating of zero - - Laros is the only player in the game with a toughness rating of zero - - this is brutal! - - On the other hand, Oregon LB Teitum Tuioti for some reason has a toughness rating of 9, while NC State CB Jackson Vick & Indiana FS Christian Peterson have toughness ratings of 55 - - Q: Do you think this was an intentional rating applied for Aidan Lanos? Or a glitch?. . .

- NBA - The Clippers, Jazz & Heat agreed to a trade on Monday that sends Norman Powell to Miami, John Collins to Los Angeles, and Kevin Love, Kyle Anderson and a 2027 Clippers second-round pick to Utah - - After Kevin Love learned about the trade, he posted his thoughts on social media - - Love joked that he never thought that he would be part of a math problem - - Love, who was a leader in Miami's locker room, is reportedly considered a buyout candidate by the Jazz, and is unlikely to ever play for Utah, as they likely shift their focus to their young core - - Miami is looking rebound from a tumultous season that included the Jimmy Butler trade to Golden State and ended with a first-round sweep in the NBA Playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers - - Powell adds offensive firepower & was a 42% shooter from behind the arc last season - - Q: With the acquisition of sharpshooter Norman Powell, are the Miami Heat the clear winners in this three-team trade?. . ."Shocker, much?:" Indiana Pacers team President Kevin Pritchard confirmed on Monday that PG Tyrese Haliburton will miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season after he underwent successful surgery to repair the torn right Achilles tendon that he suffered in Game 7 of this year's NBA Finals - - Q: While it is no surprise that Haliburton will miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season for the Pacers, when combined with the loss of PF/C Myles Turner to the Milwaukee Bucks in free agency, what are your expectations (i.e., ceiling/floor) and/or outlook for the Indiana Pacers next season?. . . After becoming the second-youngest team in NBA history to win a title, the reigning NBA Champions, Oklahoma City Thunder, wasted little to no time making sure that they retained their "Big 3" in Chet Holmgren (23), Jalen Williams (24) & NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26) this offseason - - SGA agreed to a supermax contract extension late last week, while both Holmgren & Williams agreed to fully-guaranteed five-year maximum rookie contract extensions that could reach $250 and $287 million, respectively - - In total, the "Big 3" signed contracts for a combined total of $885 million (Shohei Ohtani, eat your heart out!). . .

- NFL - Minnesota Vikings OLB Dallas Turner was allegedly a victim of a bank fraud scheme that resulted in the theft of $240,000 - - According to the Eagan (Minnesota) Police Department "several suspects have been identified, and [they] are working toward criminal charges to hold them accountable," - - Approximately $2,500 of the stolen funds have been returned, while the investigations remains active - - According to a search warrant affidavit filed in Dakota County District Court this week, Turner & his attorney contacted the Eagan Police Department in April to report the fraud - - Per the affidavit, someone impersonating a banker at JPMorgan Chase Bank called Turner on Feb. 19th and "claimed someone was attempting to impersonate [Turner] at a Chase Bank branch in Arizona and presented two copies of ID to execute a wire transfer," per The Minnesota Star Tribune, which published details of the document - - The caller instructed Turner to transfer money to two separate businesses to prevent the attempted theft - - Turner then went to two Chase Bank branches to transfer $120,000 each to "Island Food Truck LLC" and "CNFL FL LLC" - - Turner, 22, later realized that he may have been a victim of a fraud scam - - Q: Have you ever been a victim of a bank/credit card scheme?. . .

- 2025 College Football Group of Five Prediction Showcase - In College Football, the Group of Five (G5) are five athletic conferences whose members are part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) - - The five conferences include the following: American Athletic (or American) Conference (AAC), Conference USA (CUSA), Mid-American Conference (MAC), Mountain West Conference (MWC) & Sun Belt Conference - - The Group of Five and their schools, also referred to as the "mid-majors" are generally considered less prestigious, have less political & financial influence, generate less overall revenue - but in the modern-day NIL/transfer portal-era, it is entirely possibly for a few solid, above average, G5 teams appear and/or slip through the power conference cracks - - In this prediction showcase, JD & Spencer will provide their individual & independent projections and/or predictions to a series of five questions concerning each of the Group of Five conferences for the upcoming 2025-26 college football season; The following questions (or topics) are discussed within this episode:

1. Who are a couple (or a few) QB's from the Group of Five Conference(s) that you expect to have a breakout season in 2025-26?. . .

2. Who will be the "sleeper" team for each G5 Conference in 2025-26?. . .

3. For each G5 Conference, who do you predict to play in the Conference Championship Game? Who will be the Conference Champion?. . .

4. For each G5 Conference, which team's head coach do you predict to be awarded the Conference Coach of the Year?

5. Beginning in the 2024 college football season, at least one G5 Conference champion is effectively guaranteed entry into the College Football Playoff under the expanded 12-team format (i.e., Mountain West Conference Champion, Boise State, was awarded the No.3 seed in the 2024-25 CFP) - - Which G5 Conference Champion will receive a bid into next year's or the 2025-26 College Football Playoff, and at what seed?. . .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!

Episode 93 - "The Man with Multiple Names Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:

- Miscellaneous - UFC: Jon Jones, 37, considered the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, informed UFC CEO Dana White last Friday (6/20) of his decision to retire from competition - - Following this update, White announced that interim champion Tom Aspinall has been elevated to the undisputed champion - - and according to White's statement last Saturday, the UFC plans to work closely with Aspinall to book his first title defense, which would equal the match total that Jones defended the title belt throughout his 27-month title reign, in a TKO victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November of last year - - A bout between Jones and Aspinall was discussed thoroughly among the UFC and media & would have been one of the biggest in UFC heavyweight history, but Jones repeatedly downplayed the potential matchup - which led to the online petition calling for Jones to be stripped of his title, that ultimately garnered approximately 200,000 signatures - - Along with Jones' disinterest in defending his title, his career was heavily impacted by legal issues outside the Octagon, including most recently, after a criminal complaint that was filed against Jones earlier this month for allegedly leaving the scene of a accident back in February - - Q:After confirming his retirement from the UFC, what is Jon "Bones" Jones legacy in the sport? Is his legacy somewhat tarnished by his unwillingness to defend his title and the long "laundry list" of legal issues?. . .

- MLB - A 22-year-old fan has been banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks after yelling something about Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte's late mother during last Tuesday night's game against the Chicago White Sox - - It is not publicly known what the fan said to upset the 11-year veteran, but Marte, 31, was brought to tears by the incident, which occurred while he was at bat in the 7th inning - - Diamondbacks Manager Torey Lovullo heard the comment and asked for the fan to be ejected immediately - - On the following day, Marte received a round of applause during his first at bat - - The White Sox were able to avoid the series sweep in the finale Wednesday with a 7-3 victory, yet Marte went hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts - - Unfortunately, this is not the first incident this season of a fan "heckling" and/or yelling something inappropriate at a player on the field - but according to the source familiar with the Marte situation, the fan was remorseful for his actions, admitting to his in appropriate comments - - Q: Once again, we are reminded why professional athletes should be allowed to swing on fans that are bold and brazen enough to 'fuck around & find out!' However, it is definitely up for debate as to whether the indefinite ban to all MLB ballparks, is a bit excessive or not - What are your thoughts regarding the MLB's decision to ban the White Sox fan from all ballparks following the Marte incident? (This poor guy already has to endure the misery of being a White Sox fan - - should we show him a little bit of grace?). . ."Happy Bobby Bonilla Day:" Tuesday was the first day for the month of July, and while, to most, it is just another ordinary hot, summer day - but for former MLB player, Bobby Bonilla, it is much, much more - - it is officially time for New York Mets fans everywhere to wish each other a Happy Bobby Bonilla Day - - On Tuesday, 62-year-old Bobby Bonilla will collect a check for approximately $1.19M from the New York Mets, as he has and will continue to do so from 2011 through 2035 - - Although Bonilla has not played for the Mets franchise since 1999, he is one of the rare instances of a former MLB player who continues to receive funds associated with a deferred-money contract - - Everyone is wondering: Why does Bonilla receive this payday each July 1st? It's simple, really - In 2000, the Mets agreed to buy out the remaining $5.9 million on Bonilla's contract, however, instead of paying Bonilla the $5.9 million at the time, the Mets agreed to make annual payments of nearly $1.2 million for 25 years starting July 1st, 2011, including a negotiated 8% interest - - At the time, Mets ownership was invested in an account of former University of Alabama graduate (and prosecuted criminal), Bernie Madoff, that promised double-digit returns, and the Mets were poised to make a significant profit if the Madoff account delivered - but of course, and unfortunately for the Mets franchise, the Madoff account did not pay off and Bobby Bonilla would continue to receive a check each year.

- NCAA: News & Storylines - NCAA College Baseball: 2025 Men's College World Series Championship Series Catch-Up - - Game 1: No.6 LSU Tigers (52-15) vs. No.13 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (56-12): Ace pitcher Kade Anderson, who is No.3 in Keith Law's latest MLB mock draft, threw a complete-game shutout last Saturday allowing three hits, 10 strikeout & a total of 130 pitches to lead the LSU Tigers to the 1-0 victory over Coastal Carolina to take a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three championship series - - LSU's Steven Milam was the offensive star of the game as he was the only player to have multiple hits in the game, finishing 2-for-3 with a double & a walk, reaching base three times - he also drove in the game's only run with a single in the 1st inning - - LSU had three at-bats with runners in scoring position and got the job done once, in the 1st inning, while the Chanticleers went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position - - The Tigers needed one more win for the program's 8th national title - - The Coastal Carolina winning strak was officially over - as the Chanticleers had won 26 straight games prior to the Game 1 loss - with their most previous loss occurring back in April versus the College of Charleston, in a 4-2 loss. . .Game 2: No.6 LSU Tigers (52-15/ 1-0) vs. No.13 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (56-12/ 0-1): Coastal Carolina fell in Game 2 of the College World Series 5-3 to LSU last Sunday as the Tigers wrapped up their second national title run in the last three seasons, with a sweep of the Chanticleers - - Before a run was scored by either team, the game features some drama in the bottom of the 1st inning: With two outs in the inning, Coastal Carolina HC Kevin Schnall - and first-base coach Matt Schilling - was ejected for arguing strike calls with home plate umpire Angel Campos - - The Tigers broke a 1-1 tie in the 4th inning on a bases-loaded single by Chris Stanfield that drove in two runs - but Derek Curiel followed with a single to score another two runs, and Chanticleers pitcher Jacob Morrison was pulled from the game - - LSU would go up 5-1 after a big 4th inning - - The Chanticleers appeared to have an excellent chance to force a decisive Game 3 with Morrison on the mound - the 6-foot-8 RHP came into last Sunday's matchup with a 12-0 record and 2.08 ERA, but the Tigers battered him for five runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings - this was the most runs Morrison allowed this season, in addition to his shortest outing of the year - - Following Kade Anderson's dominant performance in Game 1, Tigers' pitcher Anthony Eyanson pitched nearly as well on Sunday - the junior RHP (11-2, 2.92 ERA) allowed three runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out nine Chanticleers batters - he was chased from the game after allowing a two-run HR to Wells Sykes in the 7th inning and 99 pitches thrown - - Sophomore Chase Shores relieved Eyanson in the 7th and pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit with four strikeouts to close out the win for LSU and give the Tigers their second national championship under HC Jay Johnson - as well as providing the SEC Conference with its sixth consecutive championship. . . NCAA College Basketball: The video game developer, EA Sports, confirmed on Monday that, for the first time in over 16 years, a college basketball game will be returning - - unfortunately, it will not be released until the year 2028 - - The last college basketball game that was released was in 2009 and featured Blake Griffin in a University of Oklahoma jersey - - Q: What aspects of the EA Sports College Basketball game are you most looking forward too? Are you at all disappointed that EA Sports will be releasing the game instead of 2K Sports?. . .NCAA College Football: Texas State, as of Monday, is officially the newest member of the reloaded PAC-12 Conference after waiting the mandatory 72-hour hold, as confirmed per ESPN - - The PAC-12 and Texas State are expected to finalize the process soon, and the move will happen for the 2026-27 school year for all sports - - The Bobcats will become the eighth football-playing member (Gonzaga is the league's ninth member but does not have a football program) - An eighth football member will allow the PAC-12 to operate as an FBS Conference in 2026. . .The civil lawsuit accussing BYU QB Jake Retzlaff of rape has been dismissed, according to court records - - The parties agreed to dismiss with prejudice, ending the case which was filed last month - - Retzlaff now plans to transfer from BYU as he faces a possible seven-game suspension for violating the school's "honor code" by admitting to premarital sex during the legal proceedings - - Q: What are your thoughts regarding BYU's honor code, and his decision to enter the transfer portal this late into the offseason?. . .

- NFL - Former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has been suspended for the first ten weeks of the 2025 regular season after the NFL found that he violated its personal conduct policy, the league announced on Thursday - - Tucker can serve the suspension as a free agent and is free to sign with an NFL team - - If he were to sign with a team, he could attend training camp and play in preseason games prior to start of his suspension on August 26th - - The NFL has stated that Tucker will be eligible for reinstatement on November 11th - - Q: Typically, in these type of domestic situations, the league's suspension of a player does not necessarily carry a "death sentence," but rather, the player's prolonged longevity in the league following such investigations, are drastically affected by the unwillingness of NFL franchises to foster a deal with the player - - How likely is it that Justin Tucker is offered a deal by an NFL team throughout or following his 10-game suspension? How likely is it that his NFL career is over?. . .The Miami Dolphins have agreed to trade three-time All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday in exchange for three-time All-Pro S Minkah Fitzpatrick and a pick swap - - As part of the trade, the Dolphins are sending a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Steelers, and will receive a 2027 fifth-round pick back from Pittsburgh - - Ramsey will get a $1.5 million raise this season, bringing his 2025 compensation up to $26.6 million, and Smith will receive a one-year contract extension worth $12 million - - Ramsey is joining a loaded CB group with the Steelers that features Darius Slay Jr., who was signed this offseason in free agency, as well as incumbent starter Joey Porter Jr. - - Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick heads back to Miami, where he began his career after the Dolphins selected him 11th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft - - Q: Is there a clear winner of this trade? If so, which team got the better deal: the Miami Dolphins or Pittsburgh Steelers?. . .The Miami Dolphins were not done, yet - - the team traded a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the New York Giants on Tuesday in exchange for TE Darren Waller and a conditional 2027 seventh-round draft pick - - TE Darren Waller, 32, whose rights were owned by the New York Giants, is coming out of retirement to play for the Dolphins after agreeing to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million - - Waller had announced his retirement from the NFL last June stating that a health scare he experienced the year prior gave him clarity about his life - which ultimately set off a chain of events that would lead to a public divorce from WNBA star Kelsey Plum & the release of a rap album - - While it is unknown how much the Dolphins will get out of Waller, the trade will help fill the void at the position after Jonnu Smith was traded to the Steelers the prior day. . .

- WNBA & NBA - The WNBA announced on Monday that it will be expanding to 18 teams over the next five years - announcing the addition of three new expansion teams - as well as releasing additional details concerning majority (and minority) ownership and where each franchise will play their home games - - The three expansion teams announced included the following: (a) Cleveland - will begin play in 2028, and the majority ownership group consists of Dan Gilbert, the owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers; (b) Detroit - will begin play in 2029, and the majority ownership group consists of Tom Gores, the owner of the NBA's Detroit Pistons - along with minority owners Grant Hill, Chris Webber & Jared Goff; and (c) Philadelphia - will begin play in 2030, and the majority ownershup group consists of Josh Harris, the owner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers - - Each team's ownership group paid a $250 million expansion fee, which is about five times as much as the Golden State Warriors dished out for the Valkyries a few years ago - but each expansion team will join the league, assuming it will obtain approval from the NBA and WNBA board of governers. . .Per Shams Charania, federal authorities are investigation Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley on allegations of gambling related to NBA games and prop bets - - the allegations stem from the 2023-24 NBA season, when Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks - - At least one prominent U.S Sportsbook detected unusually heavy betting interest on Beasley's statistics around January 2024 - - A gambling industry source pointed to a game between the Bucks and the Trail Blazers on Jan. 31, 2024 - - The odds on Beasley recording fewer than 2.5 rebounds moved significantly at sportsbooks before the game, shorterning from around +120 to around -250 due to a surge of action on the under - Beasley finished with six rebounds, and the bets that were deemed unusual lost - - Beasley, 28, and the Pistons were in talks on a three-year, $42 million contract to bring the free agent sharpshooter back to Detroit but now talks are "on pause," according to multiple sources. . .The 2025 NBA Draft occurred last Wednesday night, and the first round was full of twists, but the headliners were not surprising as Cooper Flagg was selected with the No.1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks, and Dylan Harper was selected with the No.2 overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs - - Ace Bailey came off the board at No.5 to the Utah Jazz, a team that wasn't one of his planned destinations, but could be an excellent landing spot - leading up to the Wednesday's draft, Bailey's representatives informed the teams drafting inside the top five that the Rutgers wing did not want to be selected - and that he would not report if it did - After the Jazz selected Bailey, according to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, he initially had minimal contact with the team and as of Thursday afternoon, had not yet arrived in Utah - while the team's other first-round pick, Walter Clayton Jr., flew to Utah on Thursday morning and was ready to go - - Update: Bailey has since reported to Utah's practice facility and has expressed enthusiasm for being with the Jazz in a Utah intro video after being heavily criticized for his approach to the pre-draft process - - The New Orleans Pelicans made an aggressive play to pair Jeremiah Fears (No.7) with Derik Queen (No.13), moving valuable draft capital to make it happen - - The Portland Trail Blazers made the most surprising pick of the first round by selecting Yang Hansen (ranked No.35 in ESPN's final Top 100 player big board) - - And the Brooklyn Nets, who controlled five first round picks, drafted ALL guards to jump-start a youth movement - - Q: Who were the draft winners of the 2025 NBA Draft? Who were the draft losers of the 2025 NBA Draft? What was the best overall value pick of this year's Draft?. . .NBA Free Agency & Trade Market: A couple weeks ago, on Sunday, June 22nd, the Phoenix Suns agreed on a blockbuster trade, sending 15-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant, 37, to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No.10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft as well as five second-round picks, sources had confirmed to ESPN - - At the time the trade was completed, Durant was on stage at Fanatics Fest at the Javits Center in New York when news of the trade agreement first broke, with fans pleasantly surprised by the sudden announcement - - and Durant informed reporter Kay Adams that he was "looking forward to [being a part of the Houston Rockets] - - Following the news of the trade agreement, Houston's odds to win the NBA title next season moved from 18-1 to +850 at ESPN BET, which are the second-best odds behind only the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder - - Meanwhile, the Suns' odds fell from 100-1 to 300-1 at ESPN BET - - Q: Who won the trade between the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets? Should Houston be considered one of the favorites to knock off the Thunder in 2025-26?. . .In an attempt to retool their roster in the wake of Jayson Tatum's right Achilles tear in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, the Boston Celtics decided to make a move in what is expected to be an extremely active offseason for the team: The Celtics traded PG Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for SG Anfernee Simons & two second-round draft picks - - Holiday, who is now heading into his 17th NBA season, brings championship experience to a young Trail Blazers core, and he will be of the utmost help to Portland's rising defense - whereas Simons will fit HC Joe Mazzulla & Celtics' style of play as he is very comfortable shooting from distance, averaging nearly nine 3-point attempts per game over the past three seasons - - Q: Which team, the Celtics or Trail Blazers, won this trade? Which team is now in the better position moving forward?. . .The Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets agreed to a three-team deal last Tuesday that saw the Celtics send Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Hawks, while Terance Mann & Atlanta's No.22 pick headed to the Nets, and finally, Georges Niang and a second-rounder landed with the Celtics - - This was the second significant trade by the Celtics in less than 24 hours - - Across these two deals, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks, the Celtics have saved $180 million in luxury taxes on what was originally projected to be a combined payroll and tax bill of over $500 million next season - - Also, as part of the deal, Boston will receive Cleveland's 2031 second-round pick, which the Hawks previously had the rights to, and Atlanta will take Boston's least favorable 2026 second-round choice, as confirmed per ESPN. . .The Denver Nuggets have agreed to trade SF Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson - - Q: What are your thoughts of the Nuggets-Nets trade?. . .Free Agent guard D'Angelo Russell has agreed on a two-year, $13 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks, sources confirmed to ESPN on Monday evening. . .In a stunning move, the Milwaukee Bucks waived star guard Damian Lillard on Tuesday and will stretch the remaining $113 million on his contract in order to acquire PF/C Myles Turner - - the Bucks found a creative path to stretch Lillard's contract over the next five seasons while leaving their future draft assets untouched - - Lillard's two seasons in Milwaukee comes to an end as he continues to rehabilitate a torn Achilles tendon, while Turner agreed to a four-year, $107 million deal with Bucks, plus a player option for year four in 2028-29 and a full 15% trade kicker - - Turner, the longest-tenured Pacers player over 10 seasons with the franchise, made it known he wished to remain in Indiana, but ultimately, Indiana's aversion to the luxury tax, which grew after Tyrese Haliburton's torn Achilles injury, allowed the Bucks to sneak in & acquire their new franchise Center - - Q: What are your thoughts on the Buck's acquisition of PF/C Myles Turner, and his willingness to depart from the Pacers franchise? - - Immediately following the Bucks' decision to waive All-Star guard Damian Lillard, it was reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo was "not pleased" with the franchise, per Chris Haynes of the Bleacher Report - - Q: Is the "Greek Freak" more likely to sign a new deal with the Milwaukee Bucks OR to request a sign-and-trade deal to play elsewhere?. . .Sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday that the New York Knicks were expected - and it was later confirmed - that two-time Coach of the Year winner, Mike Brown, had been hired as the franchise's next head coach - - Knicks president Leon Rose underwent a thorough process since the firing of Tom Thibodeau a month ago - - The Knicks requested permission to speak with five NBA head coaches and were denied, then interviewed several available coaches & went through multi-round stages with select candidates - - Brown was the only coaching candidate to interview for the Knicks' head coaching position multiple times - - Brown has a combined record of 454-304 as a head coach with the Cavaliers, Lakers & Kings - - Q: What are your thoughts on the "coaching fit" of Brown for the New York Knicks?. . .

- NBA Finals Review - 2025 NBA Finals Game 7: No.1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.4 Indiana Pacers (series tied 3-3). . .NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court for the final time this season, collapsed into the arms of Thunder HC Mark Daigneault and finally smiled - - The climb was complete! - - The best team all season turned out to be the best team at the end of the NBA Playoffs, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are officially NBA Champions, bringing an NBA title to OKC for the first time - - OKC is the youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century - - SGA finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers - - who lost star guard Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes of the game - - 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last Sunday night - - Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished off a season for the ages after winning 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season - - In Game 7, the world watched as Pacers' guard Tyrese Haliburton exited the game with 4:55 remaining in the 1st QTR after sustaining what was to be determined as a torn Achilles tendon injury - - The seriousness of the injury was apparent from the moment the Pacers' guard crumpled to the floor without contact as he was attempting to drive to the basket - - Even without Haliburton, the Pacers did not give up easy, leading the game 48-47 at the halftime break, but unfortunately for the Pacers, they were outscored 34-20 in the 3rd QTR as the Thunder built a 13-point lead and began to run away - - Bennedict Mathurin had 24 points & 13 rebounds for Indiana, which will continue to wait for its' first NBA title - - Q: The big question that will continue to be a matter of debate is whether the Tyrese Haliburton injury cost the Indiana Pacers a Game 7 win (and subsequently, the 2025 NBA title) - - What do you think: did the Haliburton injury cost the Pacers an NBA Championship? Or would you have expected a similar outcome with the Thunder hoisting the trophy?. . .

- 2025-26 NCAA College Football Award & Trophy Prediction Showcase - JD & Spencer provide their individual and independent predictions for the winners of each of the most prestigous College Football awards/trophies next season. . .They also provide detailed explanations, analysis & reasoning for each prediction;The award winners for the following College Football Awards and/or Trophies listed below are discussed within this episode, so be sure to tune in to hear their picks: