Tradition's Finest Podcast

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

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

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

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

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, t

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 92 - "The Minister of D'fence Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - PGA: J.J. Spaun, 36, turned a sloppy mess of a U.S. Open at a wet and nasty Oakmont into a thing of beauty at the end of Sunday with two stunning shots that carried him to his first major championship after he finished the 2024 season ranked No.119 in the world with only one PGA tour title in his career - - The first shot came on the driving range with a 314-yard ball-buster that landed on the green on the 17th hole for a birdie that gave him the lead, and the second came on an incredible 64-foot putt for birdie on the 18th hole, to secure a two shot victory & his first major championship - - Spaun finished his storybook U.S. Open nailing the longest putt all week at Oakmont, and was the only player to finish under par at 1-under 279 - - While the PGA event at Oakmont largely lived up to the hype, it was a calamity for so many others, including veteran Adam Scott, who was attempting to become the first player to go more than eleven years between major titles (and was always a valid selection on the old Nintendo 64 PGA video games) was tied for the lead with five holes to play, but one of the best drivers could no longer find the fairway, finishing the event shooting 5-over par with a final score of 79. . ."A Return of the Glizzy Goat:" Joey Chestnut, the competitive eating legend, announced on Monday that he will be returning to the Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest after a one-year hiatus from the annual Fourth of July event - - Chestnut, the 16-time "Glizzy" champion, missed last year's event due to a dispute with the Major League Eating (yes! it's thing) over his sponsorship deal with the brand, Impossible Foods, a company that manufactures "plant-based" hot dogs - - Chestnut returns to the annual hot-dog eating contest as the record-holder after consuming 76 hot dogs & buns in 2021, but he will definitely look to top that total in 2025. . .Q: Does Joey Chestnut top his current record at the 2025 Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest?. . . - NHL - The 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final was one to remember: three OT periods in the first four games of the series with Oilers' Draisaitl & Panthers' veteran F Brad Marchand trading heroics in the first two, prior to a Panthers' rout in the next game, yet according to most recent statistics, it was one of lowest-viewed Finals in the history of the sport, even after capturing the views of two willing participants in JD & Spencer - - Game 4: The Panthers went up 3-0 early, and it looked as though the Oilers were in serious danger of losing all of the momentum the Canadian team had built, but Oilers Forward Leon Draisaitl scored a goal in OT last Thursday evening to tie the Stanley Cup Final for Edmonton, ensuring that the championship series against the Florida Panthers could not be decided in Game 5 the following Saturday night - - The Oilers would defeat the Panthers 5-4, and the series was then tied a 2-2, setting up Game 5 as another pivotal swing point in the championship series rematch - - Following the Game 4 victory, the Oilers were actually favored to go up 3-2 & were slightly favored to win it all, according to Sportsbook. . .Game 5: Florida Panthers veteran Forward Brad Marchand was at it again in Game 5, scoring twice - - he started by giving Florida a 1-0 lead at 9:12 of the 1st period, giving him six goals in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in his career, which is the most by any player since Esa Tikkanen with the Oilers in 1988 - - Panthers F Sam Bennett continued his glorius postseason run as he added to his already impressive stat-line with his 15th goal of the playoffs - - and shockingly enough, Oilers' captain Connor McDavid, who had not yet scored a goal through the first four games of the championship series, finally scored a goal on a sweet move in the 3rd period - - but it just wasn't enough as the Panthers would hang on to defeat the Oilers 5-2 to take a 3-2 series lead - - So what was the issue with the Oilers?: A big problem for the Oilers was their lack of chemistry and energy at the onset of the game - - Once again, they trailed after only twenty minutes into Game 5, this time down 2-0 instead of 3-0 like they were in Game 4, but the difference was that the Oilers could not complete the comeback to force OT. . .Game 6: At home, the Florida Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup trophy in a 5-1 Game 6 romp, led by 11-year veteran Sam Reinhart's four goals - - For a second year in a row, the Florida Panthers conquered the Edmonton Oilers and lifted the Stanley Cup trophy as kings of the NHL - - With three consecutive appearences in the Stanley Cup Final, the Panthers have officially achieved dynasty status. . . - MLB: "The MLB's version of the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade:" After signing All-Star Alex Bregman, the Boston Red Sox

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 91 - "The Justin I-bet-he Tuck it Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NHL - Spencer & JD provide a detailed review and individual player analysis for the NHL Stanley Cup Final series between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers - and the games that have occurred within the past week - - This review includes a brief discussion of the first three games of the series, including an OT thriller in Game 1, a back-and-forth matchup that leveled the series in Game 2, and a lopsided victory in Game 3. . .Q: Following the outcome(s) of the first three games of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, are you still 'confident' in your series projection/prediction prior to the onset of the best-of-seven series?. . . - NFL - "It's Officially Official:" QB Aaron Rodgers has passed his physical - - AND unbeknownst to a significant majority of the world, got married - - and signed a one-year, $13.6 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers that includes $10 million guaranteed - - and could be worth up to $19.5 million with incentives, per NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Saturday - - Rodgers, who is coming off the two disastrous seasons with the New York Jets, took time in the NFL offseason as an NFL free agent to ponder whether or not he would return to the league for a 21st NFL season, or if he would hang up his cleats & ride off into the sunset on a white horse - - While the four-time MVP was provided plenty of time to weigh his options, nobody (and we mean "NOBODY!") thought that Rodgers would wait, and wait. . . .and wait. . .and wait. . .and wait a little more. . .before he signed with the Steelers, a franchise who has been openly discussed as what was believed to be Rodgers' preferred destination - - Rather than sign in the initial days of free agency like many of his fellow high-profile players untethered to a team, he waited & sorted out whatever needed to be sorted and continued contemplating a return to the NFL for Year No.21 - -Q: What are your thoughts on the way in which QB Aaron Rodgers waited until the very last moment of the offseason to finally sign on with the Pittsburgh Steelers? Realistically, did you think there was ever a legitimate possibility that Rodgers would NOT return next season?. . .Four-time Pro Bowl RB, Nick Chubb, has signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Houston Texans, per Ian Rapoport - - Chubb was one of best available players on the free agent market, and he landed with the Texans on a deal that could pay him up to $5 million with incentives - - Chubb was determined to sign with a new franchise after a return to Cleveland became increasingly unlikely after the Browns drafted RBs Quinshon Judkins & Dylan Sampson in the second and fourth rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft, respectively - - Chubb will join a Texans backfield that, in 2024, featured starter Joe Mixon & a cast of unreliable playmakers - - The move to Houston clears a path to playing time for Chubb, who would have found himself intertwined with the crowded RB room if he re-signed & made a return to Cleveland - - Q: How do you think RB Nick Chubb will perform at Houston next season after he experienced what could have been a career-ending injury during the 2024 season?. . .Two-straight injury-plagued seasons ultimately spelled the end of the Jaire Alexander era in Green Bay - as the Packers released the two-time All-Pro CB, who has spent the past seven years with the franchise, on Monday to end an offseason saga in which the two sides could not seem to negotiate a deal - - While Alexander had planned to report for the Packers' mandatory minicamp that began on Tuesday after skipping each day of the in-person, voluntary workouts, he would not be presented with that opportunity after the team would announce his release the day prior - - Alexander appeared in just seven regular-season games each of the past two seasons and did not play after November 17th last year - - He was placed on the "injured reserve" list the final week of the season & underwent knee surgery on what Alexander stated was a "torn PCL" - - Even with his notable absence, Alexander finished second on the team in pass breakups (7) and tied for second in INTs (2) - - Alexander was a first-round draft pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, and went on to sign a four-year, $84 million contract extension with the Packers, which made him the highest-paid CB in the league at the time - - Alexander, who was an All-Pro in 2020 and 2022, played in just 34 of a possible 68 games since the start of the 2021 NFL season - - Shortly after the 2024 seasons ended, multiple sources privately confirmed that the team no longer wanted to "play the weekly game of whether Alexander would be healthy enough to play," or would be willing to play at anything less than 100% - - Shortly after being released by the Packers, six teams made "immediate" inquiries about the CB's av

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 90 - "The Big Drizzle Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - NHL: For only the 12th time in NHL history - and the second time in forty years - the same two teams will face-off again in the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final: Florida Panthers vs. Edmonton Oilers - - In last year's Finals matchup, the Panthers jumped out to a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series before Edmonton came storming back to eventually tie the series, prior to a heartbreaking loss in Game 7 - - In contrast to the 2008 & 2009 seasons, where the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the '08 final - and the Penguins avenged their loss by defeating the Red Wings in the '09 Finals - - The Oilers are hoping for a very similar outcome & are attempting to win the franchise's first Stanley Cup since 1990 - - and to become the first Canadian franchise to hoist the trophy since Montreal Canadians in 1993 - while reigning champion Florida Panthers, are trying to become the third team this century to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions (i.e., Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 & 2017 and Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 & 2021) - - JD & Spencer discuss a few of the major storylines in preparation of the 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final between the Panther & Oilers, and such topics as: Oilers forward(s) Connor McDavid & Leon Draisaitl's chance to cement their legacy, the contrast in goaltending consistency, the presence and impact of Panthers forward Brad Marchand & depth scoring - - Q: Will history repeat itself after the heartbreaking loss to the Panthers in 2024, and will the Edmonton Oilers become the first Canada-based team to win the Stanley Cup Final since 1993? Or will the Florida Panthers repeat as Champions, thus possibly establishing an NHL dynasty in the "Sunshine State?". . .Boxing: World Boxing, who has been granted provisional recognition by the IOC Committee, and will therefore, be the governing body over the boxing competitions for the 2028 Olympic Games, announced last Friday that they will introduce mandatory sex testing for all boxers in its competitions - - and furthermore clarified that Paris Olympics Women's Welterweight Champion, Imane Khelif, will not be allowed to compete until she has undergone one of these tests - - In a mission to deliver a competitive-level playing field for men & women across the sport, World Boxing has enforced a mandate that all athletes over the age of 18, must undergo a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) genetic test - which can be conducted by a nasal or mouth swab - to determine the athlete's biological gender. . .Chess: Chess player Magnus Carlsen is, without a doubt, one of the most recognizable faces in the "sport" of Chess - - but on Sunday, we got a brief glimpse into Carlsen's obsessive nature to win, and his raw, unfiltered reaction to unexpectedly losing a chess match - - Not only did Carlsen suffer a stunning upset in a classical matchup against Nineteen year old chess "prodigy," Gukesh Dommaraju at the 2025 Norway Chess Tournament, but a short video clip of his reaction to the "L" found its way onto social media (primarily X/Twitter) that depicted Carlsen slamming both of his fists into the table before shaking his opponent's hand & vicariously walking away - - Carlsen entered the tournament as the No.1-ranked chess player in the world - according to Chess.com - however, it should be no surprise to learn that Gukesh, himself, is currently ranked the fourth best player in the world - - Q: How do you feel about Magnus Carlsen's "temper tantrum" after being handed this "L"?. . .NAIA College Baseball: On Friday night, the LSU-Shreveport Pilots college baseball team might have, arguably, accomplished one of the most difficult feats in sports history: The Pilots defeated Southeastern University (Lakeland, Florida) 13-7 to win the NAIA College Baseball Championship, and to finish the 2025 season with a perfect record of 59-0 - - LSUS became the first college baseball team on record to go undefeated - and they have appeared in the NAIA National Tournament every season dating back to 2005 - - Under HC Brad Neffendorf, the Pilots are a combined 270-49 over the past six seasons, and have been one of the top baseball programs at the NAIA level - - After completing the season with a perfect 59-0 record, LSU-Shreveport was acknowledged by the "World Wide Leader in Sports," or by ESPN, whom of which made mention of the team per their social media account - In the post, ESPN listed some of the most notable stats from the Pilots' 2025 season, and it certainly was surprising to discover that this team was even more impressive than initially thought: The Pilots played only four games decided by one run this season, ranked second at the NAIA level averaging 11.3 runs per game, ranked 3rd with a .361 batting average, has a 2.38 ERA, and finally, led the nation with a .

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 89 - "The Iron Mike Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - Congratulations to the Tradition's Finest Duo - - Spencer & his wife got married on Sunday & enjoyed a beautiful wedding ceremony surrounded by their close family & friends . . .while JD & his wife celebrated their seven-year anniversary on Tuesday. . .Ya boys are growing up!. . ."A Penny for You, Thots:" The U.S. Treasury Department has taken a large step toward finally eliminating the penny (or the "one-cent" coin) - - those dull, bronze coins engraved with Abraham Lincoln's face that you randomly see on the ground at every gas station in America - - as the Department recently announced that it placed its final order of penny blanks to print its final batch of these ancient coins that our great-grandfathers used to purchase a gallon of gas from the way-back - - After this new development, it is expected that new pennies will stop being put into circulation around early 2026 - - Both Donald Trump & Barack Obama, the current & former United States President, respectively - as well as both chambers of Congress - have advocated for the elimination of the one-cent coin as rising production costs essentially mean that the coins cost more to print than their overall value or worth - - In February, the U.S. Mint, which is responsible for the printing of all currency within the country, estimated that it lost approximately $85 million in the production of three billion pennies last year (2024). . .Q: Should people begin to "stock up" and/or collect their excess pennies for the possibility of financial gain or increased value in the distant future? Or will the overall value of these one-cent coins continue to dramatically decline as factors such as the use - as well as the ease of access - of debit/credit cards & advancements in technology (i.e., Apple Pay, Venmo, etc.) continue to increase exponentially over time?. . ."Chestnut's Popcorn Rivalry:" Sixteen-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest winner, Joey Chestnut, spent his Memorial Day, like most Americans , consuming a large quantity of net carbohydrates & fats - - Chestnut spent his Memorial Day holiday at the Rural King in Terre Haute, Indiana, to take on one of his many food challenges - - Hundreds of residents collectively packed into the Rural King parking lot, for a sole purpose: to watch Joey Chestnut crush his original world record in the consumption of popcorn. . .Chestnut's world record prior to this event is almost unfathomable to imagine - - it included him eating thirty-two 24-oz bags of popcorn in eight minutes! - - On Monday, he would not let the people down as Chestnut went on to break his own world record by wolfing down 42 servings of popcorn in eight minutes. . .Q: Albeit an odd question, how do you generally eat popcorn (i.e., a handful or single?) Do you typically take a bite from each side of the flake OR do you consume it all at once?. . .**Asking for a friend (and co-host). . .. . ."USA! USA! USA!:" Buffalo Sabres star forward Tage Thompson scored the game-winning goal with just over two minutes into the first OT period, and Team USA outlasted Team Switzerland 1-0 in the final of the Ice Hockey World Championship at Avicii Arena on Sunday evening - - This was the first on-ice trophy for United States Hockey in this tournament in 92 years, claiming their last title in 1933 - - Sunday's victory surely cemented Team USA's legacy, but it was also a "storybook ending" that led to an emotional moment on the ice: As the players for Team USA posed for its championship photo at center ice, they made sure to include the No.13 jersey of Johnny Gaudreau, the former NHL & USA Hockey star, who tragically passed away last August along with his brother, Matthew, after they were struck by an alleged drunk driver while cycling in their home state of New Jersey, the night prior to their sister Katie's wedding. . . - MLB - After the Philadelphia Phillies shut out the Colorado Rockies 2-0 last Thursday evening to sweep a four-game series - - the Rockies fell to an 8-42 record this season, which is the worst 50-game start in Major League Baseball's modern era (since 1901) - - Prior to that, the Louisville Colonels had a worse start to begin the 1895 season with a 7-43 record - - Not too long ago, the Rockies had a loaded roster, that included Charlie Blackmon, who spent his entire 14-year career with the franchise, and now, the Rockies are 5-20 at home - - and are on pace to lose 136 games this season, which would pass the 1899 Cleveland Spiders (20-134) for the most losses by an MLB team (by contrast, the Chicago White Sox set the modern-era record with 121 losses in the 2024 season) - - The Rockies have been shut out eight times this season, and their 45 errors through 50 games are the most by an MLB team since the 2019 Seattle Mariners. . .Ronald Acuna Jr. cru

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 88 - "The CD Lamb Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - On last Wednesday, the streaming service, Netflix, announced a three-part documentary focused on the life of Colorado Buffaloes' HC Deion "Prime Time" Sanders, that is expected to be available for streaming in 2026 - - The docu-series, which is aptly titled "PRIME TIME," is reported to offer an inside look at Sanders' unique journey from being a two-sport phenom in both baseball & football to becoming the head football coach for the University of Colorado's college football team, as well as his ascent to becoming a significant figure in the media world - - According to the press release as issued by Netflix: "PRIME TIME will provide an in-depth look at one of professional sports' most electrifying and polarizing figures, exploring his evolution from a two-sport pro phenom to a culture-defining coach & media personality. For the first time, Sanders opens up about deeply personal aspects of his life, including his relationship with his biological father, surviving an attempted suicide, and near-death health scares,". . .Following the fall in draft stock for both of his sons - Shilo & most notably Shedeur - Deion began to receive a significant amount of criticism concerning his ability to develop players' on- or off-the-field as well as to whether Deion's persona & media-centric personality is a negative or positive influence on the college football program & for those closely associated with him. . .Q: Do you think that this three-part docu-series is being released to provide viewers with a more suitable representation of the "real Deion Sanders?" Are you looking forward to watching this documentary about Sanders? Is it more likely to foster a change in the way in which Sanders is viewed in the media, or to "add more fuel to the fire?". . .PGA: Three hundred & sixty-six days after the release of his booking mugshot following the unfortunate events that occurred at last year's PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler, the world's No.1 golfer, raised the Wanamaker Trophy for everyone to see last Sunday after he captured his third career major at the 107th PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club - - Scheffler posted an even-par 71 in the final round of the event, which led to a five-stroke victory over Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau & Davis Riley - - At the onset of the final day of the event, it seemed inevitable that Scheffler would walk away with his third major, but of course, he remained true to form, and flirted with a dramatic finish - as early on & after taking a turn for the worst, Scheffler found himself tied with the Spainard, Jon Rahm - before stepping on the gas on the back nine. . .On the "Green Mile," which is the name/title aptly issued to Quail Hollow's treacherous three-hole closing stretch, Rahm ultimately imploded - which allowed Scheffler to swiftly improve his match standing, and finally, pull out his third career major event title. . .Former NFL & Pittsburgh Steelers WR Antonio Brown was briefly detained by Miami-Dade Police Department early Saturday after an altercation occurred, which led to gunshots being fired outside of a celebrity boxing event, hosted by popular streamer Adin Ross - - Multiple video clips were posted to social media that showed Brown involved in a fight with several people outside the boxing event, and after which point, he was seen apparently holding a pistol as he pursued someone. . .Brown posted to social media that he had been "jumped by multiple individuals who tried to steal [his] jewelry and cause physical harm to [him],". . .Q: Does it seem as though that people have forgotten that Antonio Brown is a former NFL player?. . .While his style might be somewhat unconventional, it should be noted that he was a professional athlete, and in more instances than not, these are NOT the type of people you want to pick a fight with. . .According to a shocking new report that was released per The New York Times, 24-year-old Jordon Hudson has informed "at least one person" that she is "engaged" to be married to University of North Carolina head coach & 73-year-old Bill Belichick. . .Q: What are your thoughts regarding the possibility that Jordon Hudson & Bill Belichick are engaged? Do you believe that the news is legitimate or is it merely a rumor?. . . . - NCAA: News & Storylines - NCAA College Basketball: After withdrawing his name from the 2025 NBA Draft, former Arkansas Razorbacks guard Boogie Fland, announced that he had entered the NCAA transfer portal - - On Monday, Fland, the No.8 player available in the transfer portal according to CBS Sports, reportedly visited the University of Florida. . .It was not long afterwards, that ESPN first reported that Fland had officially committed to Todd Golden & the defending champion Florida Gators - - this was a major addi

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 87 - "The Taylor Swift's Boyfriend Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - MLB - The Colorado Rockies fired GM Bud Black on Sunday, just one day after suffering an embarrassing twenty-one-run loss to the San Diego Padres at Coors Field. . .Despite the tragedy that is the Chicago White Sox, collectively, the Rockies players within their dugout seem to have lost their "spark" for the sport of baseball - as Colorado is off to an MLB-worst 7-33 start to the 2025 season - even after defeating the Padres 9-3 on Sunday in an attempt to remedy the pain following their 21-run loss the day prior. . .Even with the Rockies' victory over the Padres on Sunday, the team officially has the worst 40-game start in MLB history since 1988 (i.e., the Baltimore Orioles: 6-34). . .It's not very often that we - as a sports-affiliated podcast - have the opportunity to embrace the influence and overall impact that we have on the sports community and just the sports world, in general - - In last week's episode & during the "FAQ segment," Spencer & JD discussed & debated the topic of whether or not former MLB players, such as but not limited to Pete Rose, Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa & Barry Bonds should be allowed into the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame after their controversial, yet isolated, incidents as it relates to sports gambling and/or the use of PEDs (or performance-enhancing drugs) - - Clearly, we did NOT contribute in any way and/or influence the MLB Commissioner's decision regarding this particular topic (*In other words, it is nothing more than a coincidence that we discussed this particular topic the week prior - - and we did like to think that, maybe - just maybe - we did influence this story primarily because it was a massive "ego boost!") - - In a historic, sweeping decision made last Tuesday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced the removal of Pete Rose, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, and other deceased MLB players from the league's permanently ineligible list. . .Manfred ruled that the league-issued punishment of being banned from the sport of baseball, ends after the player is deceased - - therefore, Rose is now presumably eligible for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. . .Q: What are your thoughts regarding MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's decision or declaration that former players who have been banned from the sport, are no longer banned after death?. . .Are we really going to have to wait the next thirty to forty years for players such as McGwire, Sosa & Bonds to pass away before witnessing them being inducted into the Pro Baseball Hall of Fame?. . . - NCAA: News & Storylines - NCAA College Football: Last Friday morning, a report was released that University of North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick's 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordan Hudson, had been "banned" from the UNC Athletic facilities - - A few hours later, UNC, per On3 Sports, was forced into a corner and once again, would need to publicly acknowledge the strange personal life of their legendary head coach - - In a lengthy statement posted via social media, the University declined the report that Hudson had been banned from the on-campus athletic facilities - while also making sure to acknowledge within the statement that she "is not an employee at the University or Carolina Athletics," - - The denial comes on the [Tar] heels of the latest episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out, a national podcast channel from Meadowlark Media Group that features former ESPN & Around the Horn sports analyst, Pablo Torre - According to Torre, two sources with direct ties to the North Carolina Athletic Department reported that Hudson was "no longer allowed in the football building or on the team's practice field," - and Torre also reported that a source close to Bill Belichick's family indicated that there is "deep worry about how detrimental Hudson can be for [Belichick's] reputation,". . .Q: What are your thoughts regarding the way in which this particular story involving UNC HC Bill Belichick & his 24-year-old girlfriend have come about? Do you have any personal theories on this story? At this rate, would it shock you if Bill Belichick is not the Tar Heels head football coach by Week 1 of the 2025-26 college football season?. . .Per On3 Sports, a potential 16-team college football playoff bracket is "gaining support" by both the Big Ten & SEC Conference(s) after an in-person meeting last Thursday in New York - - The 16-team bracket would include four automatic bids for both Conferences (i.e., Big Ten & SEC) while the ACC and Big 12 Conference(s) would each get two automatic berths - the Group of 6 would get one, and finally, the final three spots would be "at-large" bids - - In addition, "inner-league-play-in-games" could also be in the cards at the end of the college football season, which would set up the following type of

Episode 86 - "The Heinz Ward Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - Throughout our brief existence as a sports-affiliated podcast, we can almost assure you that we have never discussed Horse racing, NHL Hockey & the Announcement of a new Pope in a single sitting - - but leave it to us to group these three topics into one GIANT category, aka our "Miscellaneous" category this week So, let's go- After a full day of rain at Churchill Downs, all 19 horses were forced to run through very muddy conditions At the 151st Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs - located in Louisville, Kentucky (shocker, I know. . . ) - the Bill Mott-trained horse, Sovereignty, who prior to the race, closed at 7-1 odds, would go on to win the first leg of the Triple Crown, crossing the finish line at 2:02.31 - while the early-morning favorite, Journalism, who closed at 3-1 odds, would come in second place. . .Per ESPN on Wednesday evening, the "Utah Mammoth" has been revealed as the new name for the Utah Hockey Club, and permanent identity for the NHL franchise after a lengthy 13-month process that included over 800k ballots cast by fans in multiple rounds of voting - - "Tusk Up?". . .The Utah Hockey Club was the temporary name used by the club in its inaugural 2024-25 NHL season after the Smith Entertainment Group purchased the Arizona Coyotes franchise & made the decision to relocate the franchise to Salt Lake City. . .I think we can all agree that the one factor about the NHL that separates it from other professional sports leagues, are clearly their team logos (although, like most other sports leagues, the team name/mascot for a particular city generally seems inappropriately "out of place") - - for example, when is the last time you encountered a Grizzly Bear in Memphis? Or heard "Jazz" [music] playing in Utah?. . .On Thursday, just after 6 p.m. local time, white smoke began to rise from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City - - which symbolized that the papal conclave had reached the two-thirds majority vote necessary for a new Pope to be crowned. . .Hailing from the United States, the home of the Chicago Bulls & the Chicago White Sox, Robert Francis Prevost has been elected as the leader of the Roman Catholic Church - - The new pontiff, Prevost, has chosen to go by the name Leo XIV & will assume the role of the new Pope - just two weeks after the passing of Pope Francis at the age of 88. . .Of course, each story that we encounter, we attempt to view it from a different lens; Most of the time, I ask myself a very simple question when listening to the news: "Will it Sport?" - - This concept is very simple. . .No matter what you are reading, what you hear or see on television, your computer screen - - Ask yourself this very simple question. . .In other words, is there a way to integrate the topic of sports into the topic and/or news story? - - Instantly, when it was announced that there was a new Pope, and that he was from the United States, I KNEW IT WOULD SPORT! = Pope Leo XIV graduated from the University of Villanova in 1977 with a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Mathematics, and he was actually glued to the television screen a few years ago when Kris Jenkins hit the game-winning shot in the NCAA College Basketball National Championship Game to win Wildcats HC Jay Wright his first (of two) championships. . . - MLB - A Pittsburgh Pirates fan remains in critical condition after falling from the 21-foot high Clemente Wall in right field at PNC Park during last Wednesday night's game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs. . .The man was identified on Thursday as Kavan Markwood, who was a 2022 graduate & standout athlete from the Southern Allegheny School District, and was the MVP of the football team his Senior year. . .An update was provided on the following Wednesday that Markwood had suffered a broken neck, back & collarbone - - and despite his injuries, he is now awake, alert & able to speak - and he even stated in an interview that he remains in pain and self-described his injuries as the feeling that he "broke everything,". . .Markwood obviously still has a long road to recovery ahead of him, but we are all pulling for this guy. . .As of last Saturday evening, the GoFundMe page set up for Markwood had raised approximately $28,000 to contribute to his recovery. . . - NCAA: News & Storylines - For months, Clemson head football coach Dabo Swinney had joked with Ian Schieffelin that the 6-foot-8 PF for the Tigers' men's basketball team would make an excellent TE, but Schieffelin assumed it all was all in good fun - - Fast forward to two weeks ago, however, Schieffelin received a call from HC Dabo Swinney with a serious proposition: Swinney requested for Schieffelin to spend the next six months with the Tigers football team & see what happens. . .Schieffelin announced on his IG account on Friday that he is taking Swinney up

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 85 - “The FU & FAQ Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - MLB: Arizona Diamondbacks' Eugenio Suarez, 33, entered the game on Saturday with a .167 batting average, however, his confidence received a significant boost after connecting on a 93.8-mph fastball by Braves starting pitcher, Grant Holmes, in the second inning that would lead to a 418-foot HR; this was just the beginning for Suarez, who had himself a historic evening last Saturday - - Suarez became just the 19th player in Major League Baseball history to hit four home runs in a single game - - but unfortunately for Suarez, his team is dumpster fire on a 110 degree day - and the Diamondbacks became just the second franchise since the year 1900 to have a player hit four dingers out of the park and still find a way for the team to lose the game - - The D'backs would go on to lose the game versus the Atlanta Braves, 8-7, in extra innings (10) at Chase Field. . .Q: Throughout MLB history, there have only been nineteen (19) other players in the league who have hit four HR's in a single game. . .How long do you think it will be before an MLB player breaks that record & hits five HRs in a single game?. . .**Let Us Know What You Think. . .Share Your Thoughts with us via X - @Traditionfinest OR by email at [email protected]!. . . - NCAA: News & Storylines: NCAA College Basketball - Five-star recruit, Alijah Arenas, the son of former NBA star Gilbert Arenas, was placed in an induced coma after he was involved in a serious car crash in the Los Angeles area early last Thursday morning, as was first reported by ESPN. . .According to the Los Angeles Fire Department, Arenas was involved in a single-vehicle crash in a suburb of San Fernando Valley shortly before 5 a.m. on Thursday morning - - the lone vehicle involved was determined to be a Tesla Cybertruck that crashed into a tree/fire hydrant, which contributed to the fire & smoke - and the driver, according to LAFD, was transported to the local hospital by ambulance & was in a "serious condition.". . Prior to his accident, and according to On3 Sports and ESPN's Class of 2025 rankings for high school basketball recruits across the country, Arenas was the No.13 overall recruit after reclassifying in December, and then committing to HC Eric Musselman & the USC Trojans a month later. . .According to his family, the day after the incident occurred, Arenas, 18, had displayed "significant signs of progress within the last 24 hours," - - Prayers Up for Alijah Arenas & his family! - - Our hope is that Arenas will continue to recover, and that we are able to watch him play for the Trojans next season. . .One of the top - and possibly the oldest (25) - college basketball players in the NCAA transfer portal, Chad Baker-Mazara, announced on Monday that he has committed to play for the USC Trojans in the 2025-26 NCAA College Basketball season. . .A 6-foot-7-inch forward, Baker-Mazara, has also displayed the tangibles necessary to play at the guard position - after averaging 12.3 PPG & a team-high 1.2 steals per game last season while starting in 34 of 38 games for HC Bruce Pearl & the Auburn Tigers as they made an impressive run to the NCAA Final Four - - Baker-Mazara, who earned 3rd-team All-SEC honors in 2024-25, was second on the team in scoring, trailing only 1st-team All-America PF/C Johni Broome - - His decision to leave Auburn & to subsequently enter into the NCAA transfer portal was somewhat of a surprise as his grit, physicality & belief in the Tigers' program, was put on display the past few seasons - but Baker-Mazara mince words or hold back from revealing his excitement via social media by posting "Dreams turned into reality!!" and "Let's go to work!" shortly after the news was made official. . ."Ballin' Like His Daddy:" Per ESPN, Cal University transfer Andrej Stojakovic, the son of former NBA 3-point extraordinaire, Peja Stojakovic, and one of the best available players in the NCAA transfer portal - also announced his commitment on Monday - electing to transfer to Illinois over North Carolina & Stanford, where he began his collegiate career. . .Stojakovic averaged 17.9 PPG and 4.7 RPG this past season with the Golden Bears - but he finished the season by averaging 33.0 PPG in two ACC Conference Tournament games, where he shot 7-for-13 from beyond the arc in both contests. . .Q: Of these two transfers - - Chad Baker-Mazara (USC) & Andrej Stojakovic (Illinois) - - Which of the two players will most likely play a significant role with their new program?. . .It was announced on Monday evening that NBA great Shaquille O'Neal has agreed to become the General Manager for the Sacramento State Hornets Men's Basketball team - - As first reported per ESPN, this will be an unpaid role for O'Neal, whose son Shaqir O'Neal, recently transferred from Florida A&M Un

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 84 - “The Randy Moss Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous: It was announced last week that College Football analyst Lee Corso will be retiring from ESPN's "College Gameday" program in late August - - Corso, who had been a part of the College Gameday crew since the year, 1987, will turn 90 years old in early August, is widely known for his legendary "headgear" picks & his "not so fast, my friend" retort when he disagreed with a member of the panel. . .Out of his 430 headgear selections dating back to October 1996, it's no surprise to learn that the Ohio State Buckeyes, who have remained a pinnacle to the sport of college football, have received the most headgear selections by Lee Corso (45) - - Alabama came in at No.2 with 38 headgear selections, LSU at No.3 with 25 selections, and Florida & Oregon at No.4 and No.5, respectively, with 22 and 21 selections. . .An interesting fact about Lee Corso is that, throughout many of his segments on the show "College Gameday," he was branding one of those infamous, school-bus-yellow No.2 pencils - - but Why? In the offseason, Corso was actually held the job title of Director of Business Development for the company Dixon Ticonderoga, which specialized in crafting those famous No.2 pencils ✏️. . .Corso's final broadcast will occur on the date of August 30th, ESPN announced late last week - but prior to being the most recognizable character on the set of the show, Corso spent 28 years as a college & pro football head coach - which included 15 years at Louisville University, Indiana University & Northern Illinois University. . .Prior to becoming a head football coach or a college football analyst, Lee Corso played college football at Florida State University for the Seminoles, which is where he gained the nickname of the "Sunshine Scooter.". .In the eyes of the Tradition's Finest Podcast, Lee Corso is forever a legend & he most certainly will forever be remembered. . .as the older man that dressed up as Notre Dame's mascot, the leprechaun, and did the Irish jig on national television - and for THAT, we thank YOU, sir!. . . - NCAA: News & Storylines: NCAA College Basketball: Bryce James, the youngest son of Laker star LeBron James, has officially signed his letter of intent to play for the Arizona Wildcats next season - - James, a 6-foot-4 guard is a three-star prospect out of Southern California's Sierra Canyon school - and is currently ranked as the No.257th player among the Class of 2025 according to the 24/7 Sports composite rankings - - Along with James' commitment, the Wildcats have incoming one of its' best recruiting classes after signing Gilbert Perry & McDonald's High School All-Americans, Koa Peat & Brayden Burries. . .Q: While it's a shame that LeBron James only graced us with TWO sons, what is Bryce James' ceiling? Is his ceiling higher or lower than his older brother, Bronny James?. . .University of Memphis star guard & 2024-25 AAC Conference Player of the Year PJ Haggerty, who was the nation's 3rd leading scorer in the NCAA last season, has entered the NCAA transfer portal - - and he is "in search of" a $4 million dollar NIL deal (but that's not ALL!) - - Haggerty's agent has also reported that he prefers to play primarily at the point guard position when he is on the court. . .Let's play "Three Truth's & a Lie ". . .1. Haggerty averaged >20 points per game the two seasons he spent at TCU; 2. After transferring in 2023, Haggerty averaged 21.2 points per game at the University of Tulsa; 3. Last season, Haggerty averaged 21.7 points per game at the University of Memphis; A Straight Up LIE: College basketball players should be out here demanding millions & millions of dollars for "their services" or "their talent" on the basketball court. . . .According to The Field of 68 sports reporter Jeff Goodman on his podcast on Monday night - "They [Memphis] don't have the money to pay PJ Haggerty that type of money [$4M],". . .Q: What are your thoughts on the PJ Haggerty's $4 million NIL deal request? While mostly speculation, if reporter Jeff Goodman is correct about Memphis & their inability to afford to pay PJ Haggerty, which college schools (or programs) do you think are most likely to enter the sweepstakes for a player of his caliber?. . .Former NCAA Scoring Champion & the No.10 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, Jimmer Fredette, announced his retirement from the sport of basketball on Wednesday afternoon - - Fredette, who played for the BYU Cougars, was, without debate, one of the best shooters of all-time at the collegiate level. . .Q: Should Jimmer Fredette join Ice Cube's BIG3 Basketball League?. . .*Let Us Know What You Think - Share Your Thoughts with Us via X - @Tradition.Finest OR Send Us a Message via Email to [email protected]!!. . .NCAA College Football: On Sunday, it became

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 83 - “The MCMLXXXIII Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - "NCAA Frozen Four:" In our "Miscellaneous" category this week, we are going to expand our discussion a bit outside of the norm and/or our comfort zone - and will begin our discussion with some NCAA (or College) Men's Ice Hockey. . .On paper & ice , the Boston University Terriers were far superior to their opponent, the Western Michigan Broncos, in the 2025 NCAA Frozen Four National Championship Game played last Saturday afternoon at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Missouri (the primary tenant for this arena is the NHL's St. Louis Blues). . .As a NCAA Division-I historic program, the Boston University Terriers Men's Ice Hockey team, who played their first game in 1918, have won five national championships, made appearances in 25 NCAA Frozen Four(s) & have won 12 major conference tournament championships - while competing in conferences such as: the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC; 1961-1984) to the most current Hockey East Association (1985-today). . .In stark contrast, the Western Michigan Broncos Men's Ice Hockey team, who are a member of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC), play their home games at Lawson Arena in Kalamazoo, Michigan & as a D-I program, played their first game in the year 1973, and finally, the Broncos were making their first-ever trip in program history to the NCAA Frozen Four. . .Unfortunately for the Terriers, neither ice nor their lengthy list of accolades on paper, would serve to intimidate or undermine WMU Broncos' star players, Sophomores Owen Michaels & Wyatt Schingoethe - who scored two goals & a single goal, respectively, in the Championship Game on Saturday - - The Western Michigan Broncos would go on to win their first-ever NCAA Championship after defeating the Boston University Terriers 6-2 in the 2025 NCAA Frozen Four National Championship Game. . .Albeit impressive, but it is important that we mention, that the Broncos ended this season on a 10-game winning streak, which included pulling off the upset over defending-champion, Denver University, 3-2 in double OT a couple days prior . . .It gives me a great sense of joy to report that the Chicago Cubs handed the MLB defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers the franchise's most lopsided shutout loss against any team in over 60 years, on Saturday, in the Cubbies' 16-0 rout. . .This was the Dodgers worst shutout loss since the 18-0 loss on the road versus the Cincinnati Reds in 1965 - and as for worst shutout losses at their home field, this was the worse trouncing since the then-Brooklyn Dodgers took a 15-0 "big fat L" versus the Pittsburgh Pirates, in 1898. . .After beginning the season 8-0, the Dodgers - and their ridiculously high player budget - have gone 2-7 over the past nine games. . .On Monday, New York Yankees' All-Star Aaron Judge announced on the MLB Network that he will be suiting up for Team USA in the 2026 World Baseball Classic - and that, he has been named the "team captain". . .It almost feels as though, that, Judge is re-paying his debt to the great people of the United States after not playing in 2023, which led to Team USA losing to Japan in the Championship Game. . . - PGA - Rory McIlroy's painful wait for the career Grand Slam finally ended - - but he certainly flirted with disaster one too many times. . .McIlroy overcame a shaky start - - and even a perilous finish - - in the final round of the 89th Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday to defeat Justin Rose in the first hold of a sudden-death playoff to win a green jacket & became just the 6th golfer to complete the career Grand Slam. . .On the verge of collapsing the Masters again, McIlroy delivered one of the most memorable shots of his career on the par-4 17th hole - but then followed it up by missing a short putt on the 18th hole. . .McIlroy was made an incredible shot in the sudden death playoff to defeat Rose, which was McIlroy's fifth major championship victory & first in more than a decade. . . - MLB - Late Monday evening, Wiley Ballard, a Fanduel Sports Network reporter for the Atlanta Braves, seemed to be walking throughout & mingling with people in crowd at Rogers Centre, the home of the MLB's Toronto Blue Jays. . .As he continued to interact with more & more baseball fans who were willing to speak to the reporter, Ballard encountered two young women (aka Lauren & Kayla) and immediately after sparking up a conversation with them, his broadcast colleagues began encouraging him to "get their numbers," - to which, Ballard informed both Kayla & Lauren, and as he was informing them of his intentions, he pulled out his mobile (or cell) phone. . .Eventually, one of the women, Lauren, would give Wiley her phone number on live television - and the social media sleuths could not help but to form an op

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 82 - “The smiTT'N like Jason wiTT'N Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA Women's NCAA Tournament Final Four & National Championship Review - Let's begin our review with the NCAA Tournament Women's Final Four - these games took place last Friday, April 4th in the beautiful city of Tampa, Florida. . .The first semifinal game included a couple of battle-tested No.1 seeds from the Southeastern Conference - HC Dawn Staley & the defending-champion South Carolina Gamecocks, who advanced to the Final Four after defeating the two-seeded Lady Blue Devils from Duke University 54-50 in the Region 2 Final (Elite Eight), which turned out to be a very intensity-driven & physical game, that occurred in Birmingham, AL the prior Sunday; and HC Vic Shaefer & the Texas Longhorns, who advanced to the Women's Final Four after defeating Hailey Van Lith & the two-seeded TCU Horned Frogs 58-47 in the Region 3 Final, that was also played in Birmingham, AL on Monday, March 31st. . .Led by senior guard Te-Hina Paopao & freshman forward Joyce Edwards, who led Dawn Staley's Gamecocks in scoring, with 14 and 13 points, respectively, would go on to dismantle the Texas Longhorns on Friday night, 74-57, to advance to their 4th National Championship Game - and to keep their hopes alive of becoming NCAAW back-to-back champions for the first time in program history. . .In the second matchup of the Women's Final Four between the No.2 seed UCONN Huskies, led by their legendary HC Geno Auriemma & the No.1 seed UCLA Bruins, who are led by HC Cori Close, who was recently named the Associated Press Women's Basketball Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Bruins to an oustanding 30-2 record this season as well as securing a No.1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Women's College Basketball Tournament — The Lady Huskies advanced to the Women's Final Four after dispatching the Region 4 No.1 seed USC Trojans 78-64 in Spokane, WA - although the Trojans were playing without their All-American guard & reigning 2025 National Player of the Year in Women's College Basketball, JuJu Watkins, who suffered a season-ending ACL injury in the Trojans' second-round victory over the 9-seeded Mississippi State Bulldogs, while the No.1 seed UCLA Bruins advanced to this year's Final Four after defeating the three-seeded LSU Tigers 72-65 in the Region 1 Final in Spokane, WA the prior Saturday evening. . .Led by the Huskies "Big Three," which are composed of freshman forward Sarah Strong and a pair of senior guards in Azzi Fudd & Paige Bueckers - who finished the game scoring a combined total of 57 points & made up 67% of the Huskies team total - would go on to dominate the UCLA Bruins 85-51 on Friday night to advance to their program-leading 13th national championship game — and would set up the monstrous clash in the NCAAW National Championship Game between the preseason No.1 ranked team & defending champion South Carolina Gamecocks & the preseason No.2 ranked team UCONN Huskies that was to be played on Sunday, April 4th in Tampa. . .In the NCAA Women's Tournament National Title Game, the No.2 seed UCONN Huskies proved to be way too dominant - both offensively & defensively for the Lady Gamecocks - as UCONN would go on to blow out South Carolina for the 82-59 victory, to win its record 12th national championship under HC Geno Auriemma - - Guard Azzi Fudd, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Women's Final Four, scored 24 points - while fellow senior guard Paige Bueckers finished the game with 17 points, and capped her stellar career by leading the Huskies to the program's first championship since 2016, which ended a nine-year drought for the team - - but she is expected to be the No.1 overall pick in this year's WNBA Draft scheduled to occur on April 14th. . . - NCAA Men's NCAA Tournament Final Four & National Championship Review - In a Men's Final Four made up of four No.1 seeds, the intensity level was maxed out, and things were guaranteed to get "chippy" down the stretch: As so, in the first matchup of the Men's Final Four between two No.1 seeds & SEC Conference foes - the Florida Gators, who completed the incredible comeback against the three-seeded Texas Tech Raiders 84-79 in the West Region Final, to advance to the Men's Final Four, and the Auburn Tigers, who was able to hold off the two-seeded Michigan State Spartans 70-64 in the South Region Final - to reach their second consecutive Men's Final Four under HC Bruce Pearl. . .All-American PG Walter Clayton Jr. would finish the game with 34 points, and would lead the Gators to a 79-73 victory over the top overall seed Tigers last Saturday night, to advance Florida to the NCAA Men's Tournament National Title Game for the first time since their back-to-back titles in 2006 & 2007 - Clayton became the first player with consecutive 30-po

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 81 - “The T.O. Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - MLB - After the league-wide batting average in 2022 was at its lowest point in more than a half-century, early into the 2023 MLB season, an MIT-educated physics professor, who had previously been an instructor in Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan, and was currently a minor league hitting coordinator for the New York Yankees, started consulting with the hitters to determine what they would need to increase their performance (and NO! PEDs or anabolic steroids were not a viable option!). . .With much focus and consideration being given to increasing contact with the baseball, the hitting coordinator surmised that the easiest way to do so was: by increasing the size of the barrel of their bat (which turned out to be a "dud") primarily because the increase in overall weight of the bat would inversely decrease a hitter's swing speed. . .After going back to the drawing board, and taking into consideration the wood budget of a bat and/or the specific amount of weight (usually 31 or 32 oz) distributed over the average length of a bat, based on MLB standards - Leanhardt proposed a suggestion that involved investing a disproportionately amount of that budget (or weight) central to the barrel of the bat, but doing so in such a way that it does not throw off the remaining budget or distribution - Ultimately, this led to the creation of the 'bowling pin' bat, also referred to as the "torpedo bat," whose weight near the end of the bat has been redistributed toward the area 6 to 7 inches below its' tip (which is typically the point of contact of MLB players when they make contact with the ball). . .The torpedo bat had its big debut last weekend to kick of MLB Opening Day - as the New York Yankees tied a major league record with 15 HR's over their first three games of the season (17 over their first four games) - and while baseball fans much like ourselves, thoroughly enjoy the occasional dinger, this barrage of long balls has led to much speculation among sports' fans as well as opposing players from across the league, especially concerning the legality and ethics over the use of this type of "torpedo" bat. . . .However, according to the MLB, the bowling-pinned shaped bat abides by the league's collectively bargained bat specifications for its' shape, barrel size & length. . .Q: What are your thoughts regarding MLB players' use of the "torpedo bats?" Should they be allowed to use them - and could this modification and/or change in the structure of the bat negatively influence and/or impact the art of pitching or the sport of baseball in general?. . .On the other hand, NYY All-Star & power-hitter Aaron Judge did not require a different type (or style) of bat to begin what could be a historic season: Through the first three games of the 2025 MLB season, Judge has hit four HR's, setting a franchise record for the Yankees - his first being a 468-footer. . .ESPN has reported that Judge is currently “on pace” to hit 308 HR's this season . . . - NBA - Following Stephen A. Smith's comments & accusations of nepotism involving Bronny James & his status in the NBA, which were made on January 29th's episode of ESPN's “First Take” that eventually led to the now-infamous & heated confrontation between Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James & ESPN analyst/commentator/podcast host Stephen A. Smith during the Lakers-Knicks game back on March 6th, Smith is not backing down at all. . .On last Wednesday's episode of his self-titled podcast, Smith spent most of the show ripping LeBron James for his actions - and even stated at one point that he would have “swung on” LeBron - if the confrontation would have turned physical. .It just doesn't seem like this is going to end in a positive manner for Mr. Stephen A. Smith - Wonder if he realizes that LeBron James spends approximately $1 to $2 million a year on maintaining his physique & form. . .Q: Be real with us - If LeBron James walks up to you and gets in your face/initiates a confrontation, realistically, are you swinging on this specimen of a man?! Why or why not? **We Want Your Honest Response - Let Us Know/Share Your Response with us via our Twitter/X - @TraditionFinest or Send Us a Message via Email to [email protected]!. . .Five players and two Coaches were ejected after a fight broke out in the second QTR of the Minnesota Timberwolves' victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night - The Pistons lost HC J.B. Bickerstaff, center Isaiah Stewart, forward Ron Holland II & guard Marcus Sasser, while Minnesota forward Naz Reid & guard Donte DiVincenzo were also tossed - along with Assistant Coach Pablo Prigioni. . .The physical altercation began with a little over eight minutes left in the first half of the game with the Pistons up 39-30 - Pistons' Isaiah

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 80 - “The 19[Eighty] Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - George Foreman, a two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion & Olympic gold medalist, passed away on Friday at the age of 76. . .Foreman was also an entrepreneur that is responsible for the indoor grills that bore his name, as well as the "George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine" commercials that advertised this particular product. . ."Undefeated No More:" The Missouri Tigers softball team snapped Oklahoma's 31-game win streak on Sunday after defeating the Sooners 3-1. . . - MLB- Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes 1/1 Rookie card sold for $1.1 million at a live auction event early Friday morning, and ironically, the card sold for more than Skenes' entire salary for the upcoming MLB season (i.e., $875,000). . .Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts is still dealing with a mystery stomach illness & the timetable for his return is uncertain. . .Betts reported that he has been unable to retain solid food without vomiting over the past couple weeks & has lost approximately 15 lbs. . .Furthermore, according to the Dodgers, Betts is a "long shot" for the team's Opening Day game on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers. . . - NBA - Following their NBA Championship last season, news broke that the Grousbeck family would potentially be interested in selling the Boston Celtics franchise. . .On Thursday, it was announced per Shams Charania of ESPN that a group of investors led by Bill Chisholm had agreed to purchase the Boston Celtics for $6.1 billion dollars, which is the largest sale for an American sports franchise in North American history. . .Former NBA stars Michael Beasley & Lance Stephenson announced via their Instagram accounts last week - that they will face off in a 1v1 game on June 6th for $100k. . .Q: Who do you think will win in the one-on-one matchup between Michael Beasley & Lance Stephenson?. . - NFL - After signing QB Jameis Winston last week to a two-year, $8 million deal, the New York Giants & veteran QB Russell Wilson reached an agreement on a one-year deal worth an estimated $21 million dollars, including $10.5 million guaranteed on Tuesday evening. . .WR Stefon Diggs reached an agreement with the New England Patriots on Tuesday evening for a three-year deal worth $69 million, including $23 million guaranteed. . .Q: What are your thoughts on these particular deals (i.e., Wilson to NY/ Stefon to NE)?. . . - NCAA: News & Storylines - LSU RB John Emery Jr. recently announced his intention to return for a 7th season of college football - if granted eligibility by the NCAA. . .Emery suffered ACL injuries in back-to-back seasons. . .Tigers HC Brian Kelly was surprised by the news, and responded accordingly at a press conference last week, stating that they would assist Emery in the process of transferring to a different school within the Power 4 Conferences. . .LSU fans did not react favorably to Kelly's comments at the press conference, and made notable posts via social media regarding Kelly's behavior and the way in which the situation was handled. . .Q: Do you believe that LSU HC Brian Kelly handled this situation with RB John Emery Jr. properly? Do you think that the LSU Tigers fan base has a "love-hate relationship" with HC Brian Kelly as it pertains to his actions off the field? - Per On3 Sports on Tuesday afternoon, John Emery Jr. announced that he plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal. . .Given the recent rash of driving-related issues involved University of Georgia football players, including arrest and a fatal accident, many are suggesting that Georgia HC Kirby Smart should consider banning players from driving, or at least implementing stricter measures to address what we believe is a "cultural" problem. . .Since January 2023, there have been numerous driving-related incidents involving Georgia football players - including arrests for reckless driving, speeding & DUI - as well as a fatal accident that led to a loss of life of a player & a former recruiting staffer. . .Most recently, two more Georgia football players - "Nitro" Tuggle & Marques Early - were arrested on vehicular charges & suspended indefinitely. . .Q: What are your thoughts on this issue at the University of Georgia - Is it a "cultural" issue? Realistically, are there any stricter measures that can be put into place to lower the risk of these type of player-related incidents in Athens?. . . It was announced on Tuesday evening that Stanford University had fired its head football coach Troy Taylor - and that, furthermore, the decision to do so, was made by General Manager Andrew Luck, who became the first GM in college football history to fire a program's HC. . .Q: What do you think about GM Andrew Luck's decision to fire Stanford HC Troy Taylor? Will the GM role become a central figure & fixt

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 79 - “The Nineteen[79] Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NBA - At this point, it does not seem like a debatable topic: there is harmful and/or hazardous waste circulating within the water supply in Texas, more specifically in the regions of San Antonio and Dallas - and we aren't referring to fluorine, or to that "poisonous waste" dispelled from the Montesanto fertilizer plant - or the Erin Brockovich-type waste that was causing the people in that California community a laundry list of significant health concerns - nope! This hazardous material in the water leads to an excess of injuries, especially when combined with physical activity & non-sedentary lifestyle (Okay, so maybe there aren't any "poisonous" chemicals in the water supply of these two towns). . .but there is certainly "something" that is affecting the NBA players within both, the San Antonio Spurs & Dallas Mavericks, organizations in terms of player injuries. . . It was first reported last Thursday that Spurs guard De'Aaron Fox will miss the remainder of the NBA season with a "finger injury," - Fox underwent season-ending surgery to repair the tendon damage in his left pinky finger. . .Then, on the following Monday, ESPN reporter Bobby Marks, reported that the Dallas Mavericks (the other team drinking from that "well") "are at risk of forfeiting games due to injuries and salary cap rules," - as the Mavericks currently have nine players sidelined due to a list of specified injuries, and are barely meeting the active player minimum for an NBA roster. . .Also, on Monday, the team announced that All-Star PF Anthony Davis is being sent to the Mavericks' NBA G-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, to get some 5-on-5 work in as he prepares for his return from a left adductor strain that he suffered shortly after being traded to the franchise by the L.A. Lakers. . .Q: What do you think - based on the "state" of the Dallas Mavericks' franchise & their injury-plagued team, should Anthony Davis return to the court this season or should he be allowed to recover, and return in 2025?. . . - NFL - The San Francisco 49ers announced last Friday that they signed QB Mac Jones to a two-year, $8 million deal - throughout Jones' four-year career with the Patriots (2021-23) and most recently with the Jacksonville Jaguars (2024), he has appeared in 52 games with 49 starts and holds a 65.9% completion percentage & a passer rating of 84.9 - Obviously, in a contract year for starting QB Brock Purdy, Jones will serve as the backup QB to a Niners team with solid wideouts & an offense built for success - Q: How does the signing of Mac Jones affect QB Brock Purdy? Or does it affect him or his production at all?. . . Former LA Rams WR Cooper Kupp recently agreed to terms on a three-year, $45 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, the team announced last Friday evening - Kupp, who grew up roughly 140 miles SE of Seattle, attended Eastern Washington University prior to being selected by the Rams in the 2017 NFL Draft - Q: What are your thoughts on the Seahawks' signing of veteran WR Cooper Kupp? With the addition of QB Sam Darnold, Is Cupp a "good fit" for a Darnold-style offense?. . . The Cincinnati Bengals reached extensions with WR's Ja'Marr Chase & Tee Higgins, as reported by Fox Sports on Sunday - Chase agreed to a four-year, $161 million deal (with an annual average salary of $40.25 million), which now breaks the NFL record for the highest average annual salary for a non-QB. . .while Higgins agreed to a four-year, $115 million deal that is guaranteed for the first two years - QB Joe Burrow now has his top targets secured. . .Q: But, what about the Bengals defense?. . .The Houston Texans agreed to sign All-Pro CB Derek Stingley Jr. to a record extension - agreeing to sign Stingley to a three-year extension worth $90 million including $89 million guaranteed - With an average salary of $30 million per year, Stingley is now the highest paid defensive back in NFL history - and the CB market has completely been reset. . .Q: Was CB Derek Stingley Jr. necessarily worth an annual average salary of $30 million per year?. . . - NCAA Men's College Basketball - The South Alabama Jaguars Men's basketball team's season is officially over after the NCAA botched the invitational process, sending an invitation to Jaguars' HC Richie Riley. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the NIT/South Alabama situation?. . .In the lead-up to our NCAA Tournament Preview & Prediction Showcase this week, let's discuss a few of the major topics/storylines heading into the tournament: According to Duke Blue Devils HC Jon Scheyer, star freshman Cooper Flagg will play in the upcoming NCAA Tournament after suffering an ankle injury in the first half of the ACC Conference Tournament Quarterfinal game versus Georgia Tech - Flagg would go on to miss the remainder of the ACC Tourname

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 78 - “The Laremy Tunsil Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - The FBI has added a former Olympic snowboarder & Canadian national, Ryan Wedding, to its' infamous 'Ten Most Wanted Fugitives' list. . .After competing in the Giant Slalom Snowboarding competition during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah (where he would go on to place 26th overall in the event) - he allegedly began running a transnational drug trafficking network that shipped a large quantity of illegal drugs & narcotics from Columbia, through Mexico and Southern California, to Canada & other locations in the United States - and for orchestrating multiple murders and an attempted murder in furtherance of these drug-related crimes. . .Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge (ADIC) of the FBI's Los Angeles field office - described Wedding's shift from that of an Olympic snowboarder to the head of a drug-trafficking organization in a press conference held last Thursday - bluntly, when he stated that "Wedding went from shredding powder on the slopes at the Olympics to distributing powder cocaine on the streets of U.S. cities and in his native Canada.". .Additionally, the United States Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs announced that it is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to Wedding's arrest and/or conviction - and this reward supplements the FBI's current offering of $50,000 for information leading to Wedding's apprehension, arrest, and extradition - and is accordingly - being offered with assistance from the Canadian & Mexican governments as part of a unified effort to bring Wedding to justice. . . - MLB - After experiencing elbow discomfort during a Spring Training outing last Thursday, New York Yankees ace Gerritt Cole, 34, will undergo Tommy John surgery to reconstruct a torn right ulnar collateral ligament and will miss the entire 2025 MLB season. . .While the Yankees did not provide an expected timetable for Cole's return, but pitchers generally need 12 to 18 months for a full recovery. . .Q: Is Cole's long-term future as an MLB ace in doubt?. .. If so, will his level of play return normal form or to that of a six-time All Star who won the 2023 American League Cy Young Award?. . . - NCAA Men's & Women's College Basketball - Last Friday, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the five finalists for the 2025 "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award," which is annually presented to the top (or best overall) Center in Division I Men's College Basketball - and the five finalists for this year's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award are: Ryan Kalkbrenner - Creighton; Derik Queen - Maryland; Vladislav Goldin - Michigan; Nate Bittle - Oregon; and Maxine Raynaud - Stanford. . .The winner of this Award will be presented on a TBD date - along with the other four members or Award winners of the 'Men's Starting Five' - The additional awards that will be presented include the "Bob Cousy Award" (best PG), the "Jerry West Award" (best SG), the "Julius Erving Award" (best SF), and the "Karl Malone Award" (best PF) - and the five finalist(s) for each of these particular awards are listed below. . .JD & Spencer discuss & analyze the award finalists, and provide their individual predictions as to which finalist(s) will be crowned the winner for each of these respective collegiate awards. . .**Let Us Know What You Think - Who should win the 2025 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award? The 2025 Karl Malone Award? The 2025 Julius Erving Award? The 2025 Jerry West Award? And the 2025 Bob Cousy Award? [Share your thoughts with us via Twitter/X - @TraditionFinest or via Email at [email protected]!!]. . . 2025 Cousy Award finalists: Mark Sears - Alabama, Walter Clayton Jr. - Florida, Kam Jones - Marquette, Braden Smith - Purdue, and Zakai Zeigler - Tennessee 2025 West Award finalists: Caleb Love - Arizona, VJ Edgecore - Baylor, PJ Haggerty - Memphis, Chaz Lanier - Tennessee, and Tre Johnson - Texas 2025 Erving Award finalists: Chad Baker-Mazara - Auburn, Cooper Flagg - Duke, Jaxson Robinson - Kentucky, Ace Bailey - Rutgers, and RJ Luis Jr. - St. John's 2025 Malone Award finalists: Johni Broome - Auburn, Danny Wolf - Michigan, JT Toppin - Texas Tech, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Eric Dixon - Villanova - "The Iron Bowl: Hoops Edition" - Crimson Tide PG Mark Sears' last-second floater from the free-throw line at the buzzer last Saturday lifted No.7 Alabama to a thrilling 93-91 road win to avenge their loss to the No.1 Auburn Tigers earlier in the regular season. . .After Sears' buzzer-beater, the Crimson Tide evened up the season series between the in-state rivals at 1-1 with both of the road teams being victorious. . .Sears' buzzer-beater also stole the glory or removed most of the spotlight from potential Naismith College Basketball Player of the Year & Auburn Ti

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 77 - “The Giant Gheorge Muresan Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - Goodbye to Our Childhood: ESPN recently announced that it is officially cancelling afternoon sports debate show "Around the Horn" (or "ATH" for short) after a 23-year run - The show has broadcast over 4,900 episodes - and will air its last episode on May 23rd, 2025 . . .ATH features Tony Reali, who serves as a moderator for four rotating sportswriters (or panelists) from across the United States, that debate over a slew of sports-related topics, and eventually by the end of each episode, one sportswriter/panelist is recognized by Reali as the episode winner - and has a few minutes free range where he or she is able to discuss a topic of their choice. . .Q: Which of the recurring "Around the Horn" sportswriters/panelists were your favorite back in the day (i.e., the likes of J.A. Adande, Jemele Hill, Bomani Jones, Pablo Torre, Jackie MacMullan, Mina Kimes, Woody Paige. . .just to name a few. . .)? Do you recall an earth-shattering sports-related story that broke and/or you first heard about on "ATH?". . .Following the news reveal, ESPN released a short statement that a 30-minute modified version of "SportsCenter" will run in the "ATH" afternoon time slot this upcoming Summer, however, the network did not reveal any additional details and/or long-term future plans. . . - NCAA : News & Storylines - The University of Auburn announced last Friday that head football coach Hugh Freeze, 55, was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer, and due significantly to its' early detection, Freeze is expected to make a "full" recovery - and furthermore, Freeze will continue coaching the Tigers while receiving treatment, according to officials at the University. . .Prayers Up for Auburn HC Hugh Freeze . . .Last Wednesday, the second episode of multi-part docuseries "The Tides That Bind," which documented the Alabama Crimson Tide football team throughout the 2024 college football season, was released, and this particular episode titled 'The Standard' focused primarily on the offensive line, most specifically, Kadyn Proctor & Wilkin Formby. . .Formby & his family would reveal to Fox Sports all of the hateful messages and needless personal attacks via social media thay they encountered following his poor performance in the game versus the South Florida (USF) Bulls - Formby stated in the interview that that the "first thing [he] read [via a social media post] read K*ll Wilkin Formby". . .It's safe to say that we're ALL guilty of reacting negatively towards our favorite sports team and/or players following a loss or a lackluster performance, but, as humans, we think we can all agree that there is fine line/a threshold that doesn't need to be exceeded in terms of criticizing individual players (or the team in general). . .Q: Obviously, the Alabama fan base does not have a "golden" reputation, and have been known to jump over that line a few too many times (i.e., fans calling into 'The Paul Finebaum Show' and requesting for first-year HC Kalen DeBoer to be fired!) but fortunately, this group of fans are "outliers," and certainly do not represent the fan base as a whole - What are your thoughts on these type of "personal" attacks on individual players? What safeguards could be implemented on social media to prevent such needless attacks from affecting the family of the individual player?. . .Two words: Do Better, guys. . . - NFL - Prior to the NFL Scouting Combine last Saturday, former Texas WR Isaiah Bond made a bold proclamation to reporters at NFL Media Day on Friday - stating that he would "for sure" break Xavier Worthy's combine record of 4.21 in the 40-yard dash, which was set by Worthy at the Combine last year - unfortunately for Bond, not only did he not break Worthy's record, but he posted an official best 40-time of 4.39. .Meanwhile, Bond's former teammate at the University of Texas, WR Matthew Golden, posted the fastest time in the 40-yard dash among all WR's at the Combine when he was clocked at an official time of 4.29. . .Q: Does this taint Isaiah Bond's reputation, or most importantly, does this cause his draft stock to fall?. . .The Tampa Bay Buccaneers released a statement last Thursday that "upon further reflection," they have decided to reinstate or welcome a franchise legend back into the team's Ring of Honor - Welcome Back, Jon Gruden!. . .Well Deserved!. . .The newest member of Barstool Sports led the Buccaneers to a victory in Super Bowl 37 and secured 57 wins throughout his seven years with the franchise. . .Kansas City Chiefs' TE Travis Kelce, 35, plans to return for his 13th season next year, as was confirmed by ESPN's Pat McAfee last Thursday - on "The Pat McAfee Show" - when he read a text he received from Kelce claiming that, following his performance in the Chiefs' loss in Super Bowl LIX versus the Philadel

[We]lcome [Back] to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 76 - “The Stormin' Mormon Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - It is an incredibly dark time for the American economy - as well as for Phoenix Suns SG Devin Booker - this is the case because a national treasure, aka Hooters, announced that the company will declare bankruptcy and will shut the doors for good. . .Not only that, but what are Caucasian women supposed to do when Fall comes back around after the new CEO of Starbucks Coffee recently announced that twelve (12) item(s) will soon be removed from their menu. . .& don't even get me started on the closure of JoAnn's Fabrics & Crafts. . .What's next?. . .Wal-Mart?. . - MLB - Major League Baseball Spring Training has Arrived - The Cactus League began last Saturday, and consists of 15 MLB teams that play across ten parks spread throughout Maricopa County in Arizona - it was the most ideal way for Juan Soto to make his Mets debut where he would hit a homer on his first at-bat. . .Longtime Houston Astros in-fielder & Free Agent Alex Bregman & the Boston Red Sox agreed to a three-year deal worth approximately $120M last week. . .Bregman made his Red Sox debut in an 8-7 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays last Sunday, but would close out the day 3-for-3 with a HR. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Red Sox' acquisition of 3rd baseman Alex Bregman? Does Boston have a chance to compete for a playoff spot in 2025?. . .The New York Yankees released a statement on behalf of team owner Hal Steinbrenner that the 49-year "beard" ban has officially been lifted for the players - the removal of this ban will allow Yankees players to grow facial hair - but Steinbrenner made sure to throw in one additional detail into the mix: the players' facial hair must be clean shaven. . .Q: Is the removal of this ban related to the team's acquisition of Pitcher Devin Williams (and the realization that some men "should retain a beard or facial hair" for a reason)?. . . - NCAA: News & Storylines - Last week, it was announced that Ohio State were finalizing a deal to make veteran NFL coach Matt Patricia as the school's new DC, sources reported to ESPN. . .Q: Is Patricia a "good fit" to serve as Jim Knowles replacement at Ohio State?. . .The Tulane Green Wave kicked off their new baseball season last Friday against Omaha in a three-game series at home. . .but most importantly, they did so with some super SEXY jerseys - inspired by the Green Wave's 1970s and 1980s uniforms, these jerseys honored HC Joseph Brockhoff's inaugural season in 1975 and also celebrated the Mardi Gras tradition as well as the city of New Orleans. . .Q: 1-10 what rating would you give to these "Mardis-Gras" themed jerseys?. . .A former QB returns to Penn State as an Assistant QB Coach?. . . - NFL - It is official, folks! - The Aaron Rodgers era with the New York Jets is over - nearly two years after welcoming him with a warm embrace - the Jets said goodbye to Rodgers with a news release, wishing him success in his next journey - Rodgers finished 25th in QBR last season (48.2), ranked 28th in yearly average career lows in yards per attempt & yards per dropback, ranking 27th - Rodgers won only six of his 18 starts with the franchise, but it remains unclear as to whether Rodgers will play for his 21st season in 2025 or if he will announce his retirement from the league. . .Q: What do you think - does Aaron Rodgers play in the NFL next season or retire?. . .As for the Jets, they are expected to pursue a veteran QB as Rodgers' replacement - Q: Are Kirk Cousins, Justin Fields or Sam Darnold - viable QB's to "rebuild" the position and revitialize the franchise towards a winning culture?. . ."Bullygate Update:" The bullygate scandal rocked the Miami Dolphins - as well as the entire league - during the 2013 season, when then-OL Jonathan Martin was the subject of deep ridicule & bullying, which would led to multiple players being cut, most notably including fellow OL Richie Incognito, and even led to a Coach being fired - Recently, in an interview with ESPN, Martin let loose an important detail that has rocked the league once again - "I never believed for a second [that] I was being bullied. It's a story I've been trying to fix for ten years." Martin stated in the interview. . .Martin's admission comes more than ten years following the fallout of his alleged bullying - following Martin's admission that bullygate was a "lie," Incognito spoke out to the Miami Herald newspaper & took to X/Twitter "It took him 10 years to tell the truth!". . .Q: What are your thoughts on Martin's admission that the bullygate scandal was utterly false & that it was his Mother that first used the term "bully?". . . **Let Us Know What You Think!!. . .Decorated Dallas Cowboys Guard Zack Martin recently announced that he is retiring from the NFL after 11 seasons in the league - Martin was a 9-time P

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 75 - “The Lean Cuisine & Mean Joe Greene Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA Men's College Basketball - "The Iron Bowl" rivalry between in-state rivals Alabama & Auburn has long blurred lines between families, friends & peers - but the month of November has come & gone, so why on planet Earth are we discussing a football rivalry in early February?!?. . .The basketball version of the Alabama-Auburn rivalry has heated up after both programs have risen to national prominence. . .Bruce Pearl's Tigers & Nate Oats' Crimson Tide have both recently made trips to the Final Four in the past five years, including Alabama's first trip in 2024. . .Auburn & Alabama will take the biggest step in their basketball rivalry on Saturday when they achieve a first in the history of the SEC Conference - the Tigers & the Crimson Tide will square off at Coleman Coliseum at 4PM ET in what will be the first matchup between an AP Poll No. 1 and the AP Poll No. 2 team in league (or conference) history. . .This will be the first of two matchups throughout the 2024-25 NCAA Men's College Basketball regular season (with the next matchup scheduled to occur at Auburn's Neville Arena on "Senior Day" on Saturday, March 8th to close out the regular season). . .Q: How monumental is it contextually speaking, for the basketball version of a rivalry game, such as "The Iron Bowl" to serve as the first time in SEC history that an AP Poll No.1 & AP Poll No. 2-ranked teams square off?. . .Q: Who do you predict to win this SEC showdown - #1 Auburn or #2 Alabama? (**Be sure to share your predictions/thoughts with us! You may tag us on X - @TraditionFinest -OR- You may send us a message via Email to [email protected]!!). . . - NCAA Women's College Basketball: The University of Texas Women's College Basketball team shocked the world on Sunday night - the No.4 Longhorns pulled off the upset over SEC rival No.2 South Carolina 66-62. . .The Longhorns' victory would snap the Gamecocks' 57-game winning streak in regular-season SEC Conference games dating back to December 2021. . .The Longhorns were led by G Madison Booker, who finished the game scoring 20 points - and Rori Harmon - who hit two critical FT's in the final seconds of the game - to secure the Longhorns' 8th straight win, and 20th in a row at home since January of last year (2024). . . - NCAA: News & Storylines - Pro Football Hall of Famer Marshall Faulk was officially hired as the new RB coach at the University of Colorado on Thursday - with this hire, Faulk becomes the third Hall of Famer to join the coaching staff of the Buffaloes, including HC Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders & senior defensive analyst Warren Sapp. . .While Faulk has never coached before, the guy knows a thing or two about the RB position - widely regarded as one of the best RB's of all time, Faulk was the NFL MVP in 2000, a three-time Offensive Player of the Year selection, a Super Bowl winner, a six-time All-Pro, and seven-time Pro Bowl selection. . .Faulk would play in the league for 12 seasons, playing for the Indianapolis Colts & the St. Louis Rams, and becoming the only player in league history to amass 12,000 rushing yards. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Colorado, Coach Prime hiring Marshall Faulk as the Buffaloes' new RB coach?. . - NBA - On Saturday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the Brooklyn Nets had finalized a buyout with Ben Simmons - only a couple hours later, Simmons agreed to a deal to play out on the West Coast, or with the Los Angeles Clippers. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Clippers' acquisition of Ben Simmons?. . .The trade deadline deal that sent Charlotte Hornets C Mark Williams to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Rookie F Dalton Knecht, F Cam Reddish & future draft capital has been rescinded - reports indicate that the trade was rescinded due to the Hornet's "failure to satisfy a condition of the trade," - and what was the failed condition, you might be asking?. . .Mark Williams did not pass his physical, according to the Lakers, the physical reportedly showed "multiple issues" - and furthermore, that it was not related to the injury Williams has been dealing with that has kept him in & out of the Hornets' lineup. . . ESPN's Bobby Marks reported that, since the trade deadline has passed, the trade cannot be amended for completion - in other words, Knecht & Reddish are returning to L.A., while Mark Williams is headed back to Charlotte. . .AND the Lakers are now in trouble with a lack of solid depth at the Center position. . .To add some stability to the post, the Lakers signed former Kings 7-footer Alex Len on Tuesday evening. . .Q: Did the Lakers finally get their "big man" that can help take some of the pressure off their backcourt?. . .Following the blockbuster trade prior to the NBA trade deadline that shocked the wor

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 74 - “The Nick Man-O'-Gold Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - Viral Baltimore Ravens' fan who was potentially facing nearly 55 years in prison for his unprovoked/random attack on a Washington Commanders fan, was back in court on Monday, and received his punishment. . .Q: Do you consider the punishment as handed down by the court to Mr. Callis to be fair & just? Or do you believe that punishment was minimal in contrast to the act committed? (*Be Sure to Let Us Know What You Think!. . .Share Your Thoughts via Email - [email protected] or Send Us a Message via X/Twitter - @TraditionFinest)!. . .ESPN Host Stephen A. Smith is stirring up speculation - and is certainly beginning to garner attention - about the possibility of a bid as a Democratic candidate for the 2028 Presidential election - There is one personality trait that Stephen A. Smith possesses that would certainly make him a viable candidate. . .Q: Is it Narcissism? Or is it his unwillingness to lose an argument no matter the topic?. . .*Let Us Know What You Think!. . .Q: Would you possibly vote for a democratic candidate such as Stephen A. Smith, and could you imagine what a Democratic Primary with him would look and/or sound like?. . . - MLB - Following a lengthy appeals process, the MLB upheld their decision to fire 38-year-old league umpire Pat Hoberg for sharing his sports betting accounts with a friend - a professional poker player - who placed bets on baseball games, and for intentionally deleting text messages that were central to the internal investigation of his conduct. . .While Hoberg has adamantly denied placing bets - both directly or indirectly - on MLB/baseball games, and following the MLB's investigation, they determined that there was "no evidence" that Hoberg or any of the affiliated parties, took any action to manipulate or alter the outcome of any games - the MLB "stood on business" that Hoberg had "failed to uphold the integrity of the game," and that he "should have known" that his friend had placed bets on the shared account. . .Hoberg may reapply for reinstatement but no earlier than the start of spring training in 2026. . .Q: How many of you operate or have utilized a "shared" betting account?. . This seems like a bad idea!     - NCAA College Basketball - University of Florida State Men's Basketball Head Coach Leonard Hamilton announced that he will resign at the end of the 2025 NCAA College Basketball season. . .Hamilton, who has coached the Seminoles for the past 23 years, is the winningest coach in program history - and guided FSU to eight NCAA Tournament appearances. . .The announcement of his resignation comes after the recent news broke that Hamilton is being sued by six of his former players, alleging that he failed to obtain each of them $250k in NIL compensation. . .Hamilton is the third HC in the ACC Conference to announce his resignation in the past four months. . . - NBA - On Tuesday morning, Marcus Jordan, the son of NBA legend Michael Jordan - was arrested & booked into an Orange County Jail without incident - after being charged with a DUI, cocaine possession & resisting arrest and/or an officer without violence. . .Q: Will Marcus Jordan be able to bounce back from this incident?. . . The days leading up to the 2024-25 NBA Trade Deadline will go down in history books - as we encountered some of the most memorable trades in league history (and "the trade" that sent literal shockwaves through the entire NBA community!) - JD & Spencer discuss a few of the more notable NBA trades made prior to Thursday's trade deadline at 3PM ET: Luka to the Lakers/AD to the Mavericks Swipa to the Spurs/ LaVine to the Kings Jimmy Buckets to the Warriors/Wiggins & Kyle Anderson to the Heat Kuzma to the Bucks/ Middleton to the Wizards Mark Williams to the Lakers/ Knecht & Cam Reddish to the Hornets Ingram to the Raptors/ Bruce Brown & Olynyk to the Pelicans Prior to the NBA trade deadline, there were four NBA franchises that did not make a single move: Nuggets, T-Wolves, Blazers & Magic. . .Q: Which of these teams are you most surprised to learn that they did not make a single one prior to the trade deadline? - NCAA: News & Storylines - It was announced on Wednesday that Ohio State is set to promote WR coach Brian Hartline to the offensive coordinator position - Q: Obviously, Brian Hartline has been a major contributor to the development of WR talent in Columbus over the past few years, how much of an adjustment do you expect it will be - moving from the role of a positional player coach - to the offensive playcaller?. . . On the following day, Thursday, it was officially announced that former Seattle Seahawks OC Ryan Grubb has been hired as the new offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama, which reunites Grubb with HC Kalen DeBoer - after coach

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 73 - “The Dennis Rod-, Man! Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: Miscellaneous - Mesrobian High School, located in Los Angeles, CA, handed Waverly High School a BIG fat "L" last Thursday night in a 119-25 victory. . .but this was way more than just a casual High School Basketball beatdown in Southern California. . .Mesrobian's Nick Khatchikan broke the state of California's single-game scoring record after dropping 102 of the team's 119 total points (and he did so, in twenty-two minutes). . .Nick's brother, Dylan Khatchikan, wanted in on the action - as he would set a new assist record dishing out 35 of them thangs' in the win. . .Dylan would also secure a triple-double after snagging 15 rebounds & 13 steals - but Dyl did NOT attempt a single shot during the game . . .Dem boys are ballers! (or Waverly High School's Varsity Basketball team sucks something awful!). . .The "Master Marketers of YouTube," aka Jake & Logan Paul, announced via social media on Tuesday afternoon that they will spar on MAX's first-ever live boxing event on March 27th. . .Q: According to the Paul brothers "this is what everyone wanted to see," or what "the people have been asking for," but will you be tuning in for the Paul vs. Paul boxing match? Also, after the abysmal attempt by Netflix to host a live event, the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul fight, that led to significant outages & outrage all over the world, do you have "high hopes" that HBO (the owner of MAX) will prevent such static & interference for such a publicized, live event? (*Let Us Know What You Think - Tweet at Us on Twitter/X - @TraditionFinest or Send Us a Message via Email to [email protected]!) NCAA College Basketball - NCAA College Basketball Analyst & Commentator Jay Bilas made a very interesting statement on Monday evening - Bilas stated that he believes that "winning the SEC Conference Tournament will be harder or more difficult to achieve than winning the National Championship this season," - Q: What are your thoughts - do you agree with Jay Bilas' stance/statement?. . .The SEC Conference does seem to be currently dominating the sport, with NCAA College Basketball Bracketologist Andy Katz's most current projected NCAA Tournament bracket including 13 teams from the Southeastern Conference, which would obviously be the most for ANY league in CBB history - approximately making up 19% of the 64-team field. . . NBA - "And That, Ladies & Gentlemen, is the Way the Cookie Crumbles:" The Miami Heat have suspended All-Star SG Jimmy Butler (for a 3rd time in the past couple weeks) Indefinitely, sources confirmed to ESPN on Monday. . .Butler allegedly walked out of the Heat shootaround on Monday morning after being informed that the team was planning to not start him - and would move Haywood Highsmith - into the starting lineup, moving forward. . .Q: After Butler's most recent suspension by the Miami Heat, and as the Feb. 6th NBA trade deadline approaches, how likely is it that Jimmy Butler is traded? If so, where is his most likely destination?. . .The reigning two-time/back-to-back NBA Dunk Contest Champion Mac McClung will compete in this year's event during All-Star Weekend in San Francisco - McClung has the opportunity to make history by claiming the first three-peat in the NBA Dunk Contest (which was conceived and started by the ABA & the contest was moved to the NBA for 1976-77 season). . .McClung will compete against Spurs' rookie Stephon Castle, Bulls rookie Matas Buzelis & Bucks' second-year player Andre Jackson Jr. . .Q: Does McClung make history & become the first "three-peat" NBA Dunk Contest Champion in 2025? Out of the four-man field competing this year, which one of the NBA players performance(s) are you most excited about?. . . MLB - The 11-year-old boy from Los Angeles who pulled the 1-of-1 Paul Skenes autographed trading card has declined the Pittsburgh Pirates' offer purchase the card - and instead, has opted to send the card to a March premier auction. . .the Pirates offered this kid WHAT for this card?!. . .LSU Gymnast & social media influencer Livvy Dunne, who is currently dating the Pirates' pitcher - even attempted to sweeten the pot by offering the lucky person to pull the card an opportunity to watch a Pirates' game in her suite at PNC Park. . .Good decision, kid!. . .However, the proceeds from the auction of the Skenes' redemption card will be donated to the Los Angeles fire relief funding. . .Q: If you pulled the 1-of-1 Paul Skenes autographed trading card, would you have accepted the Pirates' offer? Would you have attempted to barter by suggesting a trade that involves a significant amount of money? [Yeah, us neither!. . .Definitely not!] NCAA: News & Storylines - Following their impressive run in the College Football Playoffs, and their National Championship victory over Notre Dame last Monday nigh

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 72 - “The Bruin 3-Point Shootin' Jason Kapono Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NBA - The Miami Heat suspended All-Star Guard Jimmy Butler on Wednesday for two games as tension levels remain high between the two - Butler was suspended after missing the team's flight to Milwaukee, however, he had planned to join the Heat after missing the flight - but now, Miami will be playing without the star Guard during its two-game road trip. . .Butler had just returned to the team on Friday after serving a seven-game suspension for "multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team,". . .The 'ball' seems to remain in Miami's court, as they continue to listen to trade offers to accommodate Butler's request, but are seeking some combination of players who can help the franchise win now, draft capital, movable short-term salary & young talent - however & to this point, that deal has not materialized, and it is certainly "up in the air" whether Butler will be moved or traded prior to the February 6th NBA trade deadline. . .Q: What are your thoughts of the current situation with the Miami Heat & Jimmy Butler? Do you think Butler will be traded prior to NBA trade deadline - and if so, what is a potential favorable trade destination for the All-Star? (*Let Us Know What You Think! - You Can Comment on our Twitter/X page - @TraditionFinest OR Send Us a Message to [email protected]!) - MLB - There's an old saying that goes "The Poor Grow Poorer while the Rich Continue to Get Richer," - this certainly can apply to the current state of MLB without a salary cap - the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Japanese phenom pitcher Roki Sasaki, he announced via an Instagram post last Friday. . .Sasaki, considered to be among one of the world's best pitchers - along with his Japanese foe & now teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto - who also signed a 12-year, $325M deal with the Dodgers late last year. . .Sasaki is joining a loaded roster for the Dodgers' organization that is fresh off a World Series championship, and is also anticipating the return of two-time MVP Shohei Ohtani. . .Q: Has the lack of a salary cap & the Dodgers' willingness to exploit this non-regulated funding, served to ruin the sport for rest of the league?. . .Also, what is your predicted win total for the Dodger Blue in 2025 - Over/Under 103 wins?. . . .First-timers Ichiro Suzuki alongside pitchers CC Sabathia & closer Billy Wagner were each elected into the Class of 2025 on Tuesday to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, and this ballot was one of international significance as Ichiro became the first Japanese player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame - and much like his one-time teammate David Jeter - Ichiro was just one vote shy of becoming the first position player to be an unanimous selection, a feat achieved by only one player, relief pitcher Mariano Rivera in 2019, in 81 years of voting by the BBWAA. . . They will be honored during an induction ceremony in July next year in Cooperstown, N.Y. The nerve of this one voter, are we right?. . .Ichiro was an immortal & iconic baseball player throughout his 19-year career that included 14 seasons with the Seattle Mariners, three years with the New York Yankees, and three years with the Marlins - he would finish his career with ten All-Star Game Selections, 509 career stolen bases, ten straight Gold Glove Awards for fielding, three Silver Slugger Awards for batting & an American League MVP. . .The nerve of that one voter, are we right?. - NCAA College Basketball - Bluejays G Jamiya Neal, who contributed 24 points off the bench, & G Steven Ashworth helped lead the University of Creighton to a 68-63 road upset at No.14 UCONN on Saturday - this win snapped UCONN's 28-game home winning streak for the two-time defending national champions. . .The Huskies, who were led by Guards Hassan Diarra & Solo Ball, each had 15 points in the team's fifth loss to an AP-unranked opponent this season - whereas the Huskies had four such losses over the past two seasons combined. . .Q: Do you believe that UCONN HC Dan Hurley somewhat regrets his decision to turn down the head-coaching offer from the Los Angeles Lakers?. . .PF Grant Nelson posted a double-double of 25 points & 11 rebounds to lead the way for No.4 Alabama's 102-97 victory over No.8 Kentucky in Rupp Arena on Saturday in what was a matchup of two of the top offensive teams in the country - The Crimson Tide had five players score in double figures, including star G Mark Sears, who scored 16 of his 24 points in the second half - Kentucky had won two games in a row following the upset loss on the road to Georgia, but the Wildcats struggled defensively, and shot 40% from the three-point line after entering the game as one of the nation's top 3-point shooting teams. . .Q: If they can remain healthy, Is Alabama a legi

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 71 - “The Trent Williams Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous: Tyson Fury has announced his retirement from the sport of Boxing. . .Fury is 'riding off into the sunset' (with seven children to care for that will surely keep him pressed against the tight rope ). . .Fury retires with an overall record of 34-2-1. . - NCAA College Basketball: 'No More Unbeatens:' The No.1-ranked Tennessee Volunteers were abused on the court last Tuesday night - both physically and emotionally - by the No.8-ranked Florida Gators. . .UT would suffer their first loss of the season - and it was a 30-point loss - where the Volunteers only made 12 shots (shot 12-for-56 from the field or a 21% FG). . .Head Coach Rick Barnes' Volunteers became the only Division-1 team this century to shoot 30% of worse from the field, 15% of worse from the three-point line, and 60% or worse from the FT line in a single game (with a minimum of 25 attempts per each category). . .Previously undefeated & ranked No.1 in the nation, but the brutal stretch of SEC Conference play is just now underway - Q: Should the Volunteer-faithful be concerned following the thirty-point blowout loss? - NBA: The Miami Heat suspended former All-Star SG Jimmy Butler for seven games for "multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team over the course of the season and particularly the last several weeks - and due to Jimmy's representative's request, [the Heat franchise & President Pat Riley] will listen to [trade] offers.". . .Butler's 7-game suspension has cost him an estimated salary of $3M dollars. . .but the 'Rumor mill' continues to spin round & round regarding Butler's future & potential trade destinations - for instance, ESPN NBA insider Bobby Marks insider posted his thoughts & firmly believes that there is a "strong likelihood" that Butler will be on the Heat roster past the February 6th NBA trade deadline, and that he will pick up the $52M player option. . .There have also been multiple reports linking Butler to the Phoenix Suns, but the Bradley Beal no-trade-clause may sink that particular ship - but realistically, Could Jimmy Butler & Kevin Durant co-exist in Phoenix? A more logical question might be: "Could Jimmy Butler & any All-Star player that is already in a prime position with a particular franchise co-exist?" - The Chicago Bulls announced last week that the No.1 jersey of former MVP & "hometown hero" Derrick Rose will officially be retired and/or hung in the rafters, making him the fifth Bulls' player to receive this franchise honor. . .The Rose jersey Retirement Ceremony will be held during the next NBA season (2025-26) - Rose will join a legendary group of former Bulls' players, including Jerry Sloan (No.4), Bob Love (No.10), Michael Jordan (No.23) & Scottie Pippen (No.33). . . - NCAA: News & Storylines: Following the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal game(s) - - All Four of the Higher-seeded teams and/or the teams who received a "first-round bye" lost: No.8 Ohio State over No.1 Oregon; No.5 Texas over No.4 Arizona State; No.7 Notre Dame over No.2 Georgia; and, No.6 Penn State over No.3 Boise State. . .Q: Strategically, were the teams with the "first-round bye" at a clear disadvantage? If the script was flipped on one (or more) of the CFB Playoff Quarterfinal games in terms of seeding, do you think the outcome would be different? - University of Oregon star WR Tez Johnson - who played for a local high school in Alabama - has officially declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. . .while Former Dayton & Toledo kicker Michael Denning's instant-classic of a social media post concerning his future was "priceless" - Denning's post on X stated that he intends to pursue "other passions [outside of football], namely male modeling and being a movie star.". . .Also included within the post, Denning included a cropped photo of himself with a 'Zoolander' pose. . . - Former Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban will be inducted into the 2025 Class of the College Football Hall of Fame. . .Kudos to Saban for being as "shocked" as everyone else when he learned about the exciting news from his 'College Gameday' co-host Rece Davis - A pair of 1,000-yard rushers & fellow Penn State star RB's - Nick Singleton & Kaytron Allen - both announced on Monday that they will be returning for the 2025 College Football season. . .On the following day, Tuesday, Nittany Lion QB Drew Allar also announced that he will be returning for 2025 season as well. . .Q: After the news that both Oregon & Ohio State are expecting to lose a "substantial" number of players this offseason, and considering the importance & their overall impact on the Penn State offense, could the return of these three highly-talented players in 2025 potentially 'shift' the dynamic of the Big Ten Conference next season?. . . - University of Texas WR Isaiah

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast & Happy New Year! Episode 70 - “The Diamond Dallas Dennis (DDD) Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA College Basketball: Six former Florida State basketball players filed a lawsuit on Monday against Seminoles Head Coach Leonard Hamilton, alleging that he failed to make good on his promise to get each of them $250k in NIL compensation. . .Is this the direction that collegiate sports are headed? Will we eventually get to a point where coaches - and programs, in general - are capable of suing athletes if they do not deliver a specified number of wins, etc. - that are based on individual player expectations?. . . 2025 Shooting Guard Bryce James, the son of Lakers superstar LeBron James & the younger brother of Bronny James, announced on New Year's Day that he has committed to the University of Arizona - Are you surprised by Bryce's decision to commit to Arizona? Do you think Bryce has the potential to be even better than Bronny? (Let us know what you think!) - NBA: "No Class. No Balls." - this was Denver Nuggets' HC Michael Malone's reaction to the news that Sacramento Kings HC Mike Brown had been fired by the organization via phone call just 31 days into his 3rd season with the franchise - after Brown was named the "NBA Coach of the Year" in the 2022-23 season & ended the Kings' 16-year playoff drought in his second season with the team - PG De'Aaron Fox responds to claims that Brown & the team were "butting heads" via social media. . . - An on-court incident occurred on Sunday between the Miami Heat & the Houston Rockets - as Rockets Amen Thompson threw Tyler Herro to the ground - which would lead to a multiple-player altercation & a slew of ejections near the end of the game. . .Rockets HC Ime Udoka had to be restrained from rushing onto the court as a full-out brawl ensued where both teams engaged in pushing, shoving & yelling. . . At the time of the incident, Herro led all scorers with 27 points, 9 assists & 6 rebounds & stated after the game that he believed that he "frustrated" Thompson. . . Miami Heat's Terry Rozier was also ejected for his participation in the altercation. . .Overall, there was a total seven players ejected within the final minute of this game, and the NBA handed out a total of $145k in fines on Tuesday to those players involved. . . - NCAA: News & Storylines: LSU star LB Harold Perkins Jr. announced on Friday that he will return for the Tigers in the 2025 season. . . - R.I.P. Greg Gumbel, the CBS Sports broadcasting legend, recently passed away after a courageous battle with Cancer. . .Gumbel, 78, was most notably known for his coverage of the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament or "March Madness". . .and he will be sorely missed by the sports' community. . . - NC State transfer WR Kevin Concepcion has committed to the Texas A&M Aggies, he announced last Sunday via social media. . .Concepcion will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Aggies. . .Is Concepcion as compatible fit offensively for Texas A&M & HC Mike Elko's system?. . .There is a very good possibility that Texas A&M will enter 2025 with a blazing, fast offense with QB Marcel Reed & WR Terry Bussey both returning - as well as with the transfer portal additions Micah Riley (Auburn) & Nate Boerkichner (Nebraska). . . - University of West Virginia QB Garrett Green recently declared for the 2025 NFL Draft. . .but not as a QB?. . . - According to multiple reports, Texas QB Quinn Ewers has reportedly received NIL offers upwards of $6M to enter the NCAA transfer portal following the 2024 College Football Playoff - but former Texas WR Johntay Cook, who recently transferred to Washington, replied to this report via social media by posting "wasting yall money fr,". . .Bad blood between Ewers & Cook? -or- Cook's disdain for the Texas program after losing his starting role?. . . - University of Clemson QB Cade Klubnik announced on Monday that he will "return" for the 2025 season. . .Should Klubnik be a considered an early favorite win the 2025 Heisman Trophy Award?. . . - University of Alabama QB Jalen Milroe announced on Thursday that he will declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. . .Are you at all surprised by Milroe's decision? If Milroe had elected to enter the NCAA transfer portal, which program do you think would have made a significant push for Milroe's services?. . . - NCAA Weekly Bowl Review & Recap: JD & Spencer chose to breakdown & provide a detailed analysis of bowl games that have occurred within the past week; In particular, the following list of bowl games were reviewed & discussed in greater detail in this episode: ** - Individual player performance(s) were discussed as well. . . 68 Ventures Bowl: Arkansas State vs. Bowling Green: **TE Harold Fannin Jr. proved that he was snubbed for The John Mackey Award Lockheed Martin Armed For

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 69 - “The Jared Allen Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA Men's College Basketball: UW-Green Bay Men's College Basketball Head Coach & Sports radio Talk-Show Host Doug Gottlieb recently referred to the team's Division II opponent, Michigan Tech, as "Nobody U," & he strongly urged the NCAA to allow the program to play "better teams." In a not-so-shocking twist of events, Michigan Tech (aka "Nobody U") would go on to defeat the HC Doug Gottlieb & the UW-Green Bay Phoenix 72-70 last Wednesday evening, as the Phoenix have now lost eight straight games. . .In what mental capacity, does a D-1 head coach request for 'tougher competition' while riding a 7-game losing streak?. . .Were Gottlieb's comments regarding a D-II program an indirect attempt to positively increase the overall viewership of his radio talk show? (Let Us Know What You Think - Share Your Thoughts with us on our Twitter/X page which may be accessed via the link below OR send us a message at [email protected]!). . . - After 14 seasons as the Head Coach at the University of Miami, Hurricanes Head Basketball Coach Jim Larranaga announced on Thursday that he is stepping down, effective immediately, following the Canes 4-8 start to the NCAA regular season. . . Larranaga, 75, led both George Mason & most recently, Miami, in their trips to the Final Four of the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament. . . Following his announcement, Larranaga would elaborate further on his decision to step down. . . Is it any surprise that the NIL and/or the transfer portal are directly linked?. . . With individual player development, team cohesion & the importance of player-coach relationships in rapid decline, Is it likely that we observe an increase in the overall number of tenured head coaches that step down and/or seek retirement prematurely? - NBA: Per ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania on Christmas Day, Six-time NBA All-Star SG/SF Jimmy Butler would prefer to be traded from the Miami Heat prior to the February 6th NBA trade deadline - What are a few favorable or potential trade destinations for "Jimmy Buckets?" Could he co-exist with Kyrie in Dallas? With Durant in Phoenix? Would Butler be capable or 'repairing the burnt bridge' with KAT in New York?. . .On the following day or Thursday, Miami Heat Team President Pat Riley released a statement regarding the speculation & "rumors" concerning the possibility of trading Jimmy Butler - and based on Riley's statement, 'Miami will not be trading Jimmy Butler," - but as we are all aware, the NBA is a lucrative 'business,' and sometimes, things can change in the 'blink of an eye' for a particular franchise or organization. . . What do you think - does Miami trade Butler prior to the NBA trade deadline? If so, where is he most likely to land? - NCAA Sports: News & Storylines: It was recently announced via social media that a new Sports series is coming & is expected to be released in next Summer on Netflix - the series will follow a select number of teams from the SEC Conference throughout the 2024 College Football season. . .Shortly after its initial reveal, multiple schools and/or programs across the SEC Conference announced that they had "passed" or rejected the invite to participate in the Netflix special - including: Missouri, Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Ole Miss & Texas. . .What can we expect from this Netflix series - and will SEC programs such as Vanderbilt, Auburn & South Carolina - be just a few of the more prominent teams featured? Also, what do you think was the primary motivation that led programs, such as Georgia & the University of Alabama, to decline to partake in the series? & Is "too much exposure" a good thing?. . . - University of Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia has been granted an additional season of eligibility by the NCAA after the controversial ruling by the federal court that collegiate athletes may retain all four years of NCAA eligibility - even after playing for one (or more) years at the JUCO level. . .University of Texas CFB HC Steve Sarkasian recently spoke out & was not in favor of the court's ruling to throw out the adjudication. . .Will this controversial ruling lead to a significant spike in the median age (e.g., ages 27-29) of collegiate athletes? Do you agree or disagree with the federal court's ruling? - Steve Belilchick is set to join his Dad, Bill Belilchick, as the new defensive coordinator at the University of North Carolina following the University of Washington's upcoming Bowl game versus Louisville. . .Is anyone surprised by this news?. . . - According to multiple reports, both game developers, EA Sports & 2K Sports, are in early discussions to revive a College Basketball video game after the incredible success following the release of the NCAA 2025 College Football video game back in July of this year. . .What a

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!Episode 68 - “The Richie Incognito Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: A Deep Dive into the 2009 "NFL's Dirtiest Player" Award Winner Miscellaneous/Other Sporting News: Crystal Mangum, the former exotic dancer who accused three Duke Men's Lacrosse players of r*pe in 2006, which ignited a social war & national firestorm, recently appeared on a web show "Let's Talk with Kat" from jail, where she admitted that she lied and "testified falsely," against them. . . What are your thoughts on Mangum's revelation, and Why do you think it took her two decades to come clean? (Let Us Know What You Think - Tweet Us on X - @TraditionFinest -OR- Send Us a Message at [email protected]!). . . Conor McGregor announced on Tuesday that he has agreed to an exhibition boxing match versus Logan Paul that will take place in India. . .Is Conor procrastinating his return to the UFC? If so, Why?. . . MLB: The New York Yankees have acquired 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs, per Jeff Passan. . . NCAA Men's College Basketball: ESPN College Basketball Analyst & Commentator Dick Vitale recently announced that he is officially cancer-free after undergoing a recent PET scan. . . Prayers were answered for the "Diaper, dandy!. . . the P.D.P'eer, baby!". . . No. 1-ranked Tennessee recently won - what might be their wildest game of the entire 2024 season - when they nailed a Three-point shot from halfcourt as time expired - to defeat the Illinois Fighting Illini . . .The Volunteers currently hold a 10-0 record, and are off to their best start since the 1999-2000 season. . .Q: Are there any College Basketball teams that are playing better right now than HC Rick Barnes' Tennessee Volunteers?. . . *Auburn Tigers HC Bruce Pearl is on line #2. . . Has the SEC become the 'deepest' Conference in NCAA Men's College Basketball?. . . NBA: Per the NBA Bleacher Report on Monday - the New Orleans Pelicans would openly embrace a "franchise rebuild" - based primarily on the report that the franchise is "open" to trade discussions involving their veteran players, such as Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and C.J. McCollum - but are not interested in trading their core of young talented players,including SF Herb Jones, Rookie C Yves Missi, and G Trey Murphy III. . .After an abysmal stretch of NBA All-Star Games the past few seasons, the NBA have announced a new format - a mini-tournament - for the 2025 All-Star Game, which will include: (a) Three teams of NBA All-Stars (each team will consist of 8 players), (b) A Fourth team that will include 'Rising Stars' Champions, (c) Each game will be played to a final target score of 40 points, (d) a $1.8M prize pool/incentive, and finally (e) the return of honorary GM's and HC's (which will include the 'Inside the NBA' crew (i.e., Chuck, Shaq, Kenny & Candace Parker) as GM'S & the top East/West teams' HC(s) will coach the four teams) - Q: What are your thoughts on the NBA's new format for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game? Will you give it a legitimate chance & tune in -OR- Are you already scarred for life after these past few seasons? NCAA: News & Storylines: ESPN College Football Analyst & Former Head Coach at the University of Florida & Mississippi State, Dan Mullen, has been hired at UNLV's next CFB HC, the school announced on Thursday - the exact terms of the contract agreement have not yet been revealed to the public, but according to multiple sources, Mullen was hired on a five-year deal. . . Mullen replaces former UNLV HC Barry Odom, who departed the program two weeks ago for the vacant HC position at the University of Purdue. . .Q: Were you surprised to hear the news that Dan Mullen would be returning to CFB as a HC?. . . and as UNLV's next HC?. . . The College Football Awards were announced on Wednesday - and while most of the award winners were predictable, it's no surprise that some fans were left scratching their heads and wondering whether the decision is based on a "popularity contest" - University of Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter made history by becoming the first player in CFB history to win the Bednarik (best defensive player) & the Biletnikoff Award (best WR) in the same season. . . but what about San Jose State University WR Nick Nash?. . . Nash finished the 2024 CFB season 1st in receptions, 1st in receptions per game, 1st in receiving yards & 1st in receiving TD's - but was not voted "first" for the Biletnikoff Award winner - Q: Is the "obvious" difference between Nash & Hunter - SOS? Are these awards presented based on a popularity contest? - The Jim Thorpe Award (best CB) was presented to Texas CB Jahdae Barron. . . - The Maxwell Award (most outstanding/best CFB player) & The Doak Walker Award (best RB) was presented to Boise St. Ashton Jeanty. . . - The Ray Guy Award (best punter) was presented to USC Trojan Eddie Czaplicki. . . - The Indian

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 67 - “The Taj Gibson Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - "The College Football Head Coaching Carousel" - Chapel Bill, North Carolina? Rich Rod Returning to West Virginia? - The O.H.I.O Sportsmanship Act: flag-planting in Ohio, a felony offense? - MLB: Superstar Outfielder Juan Soto agreed to a record deal on Sunday with the New York Mets - contract agreement is a 15-year, $765M deal, which is the largest deal in professional sports history. . . Soto, age 26, is already a pretty accomplished guy - 4-time All Star, 4-time Silver Slugger, a batting champion, a HR Derby champion & World Series champion. . . The size of this contract is astronomical, but how long will it be before we see or hear of a player in a major sport (i.e., NBA, MLB, etc.) that is offered a "Billion" dollar contract? (Share your thoughts with us by sending a message to [email protected]!) - NBA: Reports have begun to swirl that the Miami Heat are now "open" to the possibility of trading All-Star SG Jimmy Butler. . . Is the "Jimmy Buckets" era officially over in Miami?. . . Jimmy Butler's agent Bernard Lee & ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania in a social-media feud?? At the ripe age of 35, What should the Miami Heat demand/expect in return for trading Jimmy Butler?. . . - NCAA CFB: News & Storylines: Oklahoma State University requested for HC Mike Gundy to take a "significant pay cut," as well as a "significant drop in his buyout," and early reports indicated that Gundy's future with the program was in flux. . . Update: Mike Gundy & Oklahoma State have agreed to a restructured deal, and Gundy will remain the Cowboys' HC - the restructured deal includes a reduction in both Gundy's annual salary which will, in turn, be redistributed as part of revenue sharing with players - as well as his overall buyout from the program. . . Sources have indicated that the two days of uncertainty concerning Gundy's future with the program was in relation to the two sides' differences on the amount of the salary reduction. . . Mike Gundy is a "national treasure" to the world of College Football, and he is as unique as he is a 'solid' HC - Are you happy to hear that Gundy is returning as the HC for OK State next season, or do you feel as though his 'glory days' of success, are long gone? (Let us know what you think - Tweet us on Twitter/X - @TraditionFinest) - Sources confirmed to ESPN's Chris Low on Saturday that UCF has hired Scott Frost as it's College Football HC, a move that reunites the Knights with one of their most successful coaches in program history - Frost led UCF from 2016 to 2017, guiding the Knights to a perfect 13-0 season & a No. 6 finish in the AP Poll & was awarded as the CFB National Coach of the Year, before departing to become the HC at his alma mater, Nebraska, in 2018. . . What are your thoughts on UCF re-hiring Scott Frost as the program's new HC? - I'll Take "Things I Would Have Never Guessed," for $1,000, Alex: American & French Actor Timothee Chalamat knows ball. . . Chalamat was the guest picker for this week's run of 'College Gameday' on ESPN. . . and he was the only one on the Gameday panel who correctly predicted Ohio's 38-3 routing over Miami (OH) in the MAC Championship Game. . . even with his extensive knowledge of CFB, Chalamat would finish 4-of-7 in his game picks for Conference Championship Week (or was 57% accurate) - he did not predict Louisiana, Clemson, Georgia to pull out the wins in their respective Conf. Championship game(s). . . Should Timothee Chalamat be a regular guest on ESPN's College Gameday? - On Monday evening, the NCAA announced the four finalists for the Heisman trophy which included - Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel, Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter, Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty & Miami QB Cam Ward. . . four finalists were listed. . . but it's safe to say that this is a "two-man" race between Hunter & Jeanty. . .Which finalist do you predict to win this year's Heisman trophy? Do you believe your prediction is the most deserving player to hoist the Heisman trophy? - It was announced on Wednesday that former Auburn Tigers HC Bryan Harsin is the new Offensive Coordinator for the California Golden Bears. . .Do you believe Bryan Harsin will over- or underachieve as the OC for Cal?. . . - Kyle Whittingham recently announced his decision this past weekend regarding his future as the HC at the University of Utah. . . Whittingham would announce his decision via social media with a seamlessly direct post: "I'm Back" (Such a Boomer!) - It was announced on Tuesday that University of South Carolina star freshman EDGE Dylan Stewart has agreed to a new deal to stay with the Gamecocks through next season. . . Stewart's new deal has a guaranteed yearly salary between $1M and $1.5M. . . NIL is ruining collegiate sports. . .Is this the "new normal" for college athletes? a program's fanbas

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 66 - “The Andrew Bogut Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Vito the Pug silences the critics - Shout Out to Vito for being the first Pug to win the 2024 National Dog Show! - NCAA Men's College Basketball: It's safe to say that UCONN HC Dan Hurley is NOT a fan of the state of Hawaii - especially after the UCONN Huskies dropped their 3rd straight game in the 'Maui Invitational' 85-67 versus the Dayton Flyers - and Forward Alex Karaban found himself in the back of a Caravan headed to the Hospital following the Huskies' loss?. . .The second consecutive year of the 'SEC/ACC Challenge' tipped off on Tuesday with ten matchups scheduled - followed by six additional games on Wednesday - but unfortunately, for the SEC Conference, it was not much of "challenge," as they clinched the 'Challenge' with a record of 9-1 with the SEC's single loss coming at the hands of Clemson, who defeated No. 4 Kentucky 70-66 on Tuesday night. - NBA: PF/C Paul Millsap informed ESPN that, after playing in the NBA for 16 seasons, announced his retirement from the league - Millsap is one of eight players in the NBA history with 500 three-pointers, 1,000 steals & 500 blocks - Millsap, age 39, last played in the league for the Brooklyn Nets back in the 2021-22 NBA season. . . but will forever be remembered for his time with the 2015 Atlanta Hawks team, who entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed in the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs but disappointedly enough, were swept in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers. . . - NCAA CFB: News & Storylines: Former CFB & NFL QB Andrew Luck informed ESPN that he is returning to the University of Stanford to serve the football program's General Manager. . . Will Luck's presence have a positive influence on the overall direction of the Stanford Cardinal football program? - On Tuesday & following the end to the UCF Knights' football season, HC Gus Malzahn has decided to leave the program, and will become the Offensive Coordinator at Florida State University. . .Is Guz Malzahn on a "Revenge for Auburn" coaching tour OR is he accepting this role to serve as the next HC of the FSU Seminoles? - The final & Week 15 College Football Playoff Rankings were revealed on Tuesday night - and no surprise here, Controversy has found its way inside the room. . .For a second consecutive season, a team/program/school from the state of Florida is BIG mad after the CFP Committee elected to rank a 9-3 Alabama team out of the SEC Conference over a 10-2 Miami team out of the ACC Conference (Alabama at CFB No. 11 & Miami at CFP No. 12). . . University of Miami AD Dan Radakovich released a statement and did not hold back his feelings on the University of Alabama & the College Football Playoff Committee - while CFP Chairman Warde Manuel provided a very clear picture of the "Why" behind the Committee's decision to rank Alabama over Miami: (1) Record versus Top-25 teams: Alabama: 3-1 vs. Miami: 0-1; and (2) Record versus teams above .500: Alabama: 6-1 versus Miami: 4-2. - The Early Signing Period of National Signing Day is Upon Us!. . . "Flipped Commitments & Tossed Hats" seemed to be the central theme on Wednesday - JD & Spencer discussed Na'eem Offord - a five-star CB out of Birmingham, AL - and his decision to commit on live television. . . - NCAA CFB on "Black Friday" & Week 14 Review & Recap: Week 14 or aka "Rivalry Week" of the College Football season certainly did not disappoint its viewers; On Saturday, if you watched the CFB games just for your 'love of the game,' then you got a little extra this weekend - as among the slate of game(s), you most likely encountered one (or more) of the following occurrences: sideline confrontation/melees, tense exchanges between opposing players & opposing head coaches, midfield/end zone flag-planting (thanks alot, Baker Mayfield!!), mascots boxing, and/or horrible officiating. . .JD & Spencer break down & provide a detailed analysis of the following CFB games from Week 14 of the CFB season: "It's Great in Eight:" #7 Georgia vs. Georgia Tech Two-Way star Travis Hunter's "Heisman Moment?:" #25 Colorado vs. Oklahoma State "The Palmetto Bowl: #15 South Carolina vs. #12 Clemson "The (It-Wasn't-Much-of-A) Game:" Michigan vs. #2 Ohio State "Fraud Alert?:" #6 Miami vs. Syracuse "Revenge Tour, Interrupted? at the Iron Bowl: #13 Alabama vs. Auburn "The 1890's Called. .They Want Their Rivalry Back?:" #3 Texas vs. #20 Texas A&M - NCAA CFB Week 15 or "Conference Championship Week" Preview & Game Predictions: JD & Spencer preview the upcoming CFB Conference Championship Game(s), and provide their individual and independent game predictions: Mountain West Conf. Championship: #20 UNLV vs. #10 Boise State (-4) O/U57.5 American Athletic Conf. Championship: Tulane (-5) vs. #24 Army O/U45.5 Dr. Pepper Big 12 Conf. Championship: #16 Iowa

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast & Happy Thanksgiving to Our Listeners!! Episode 65 - “The Lane Johnson Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: MLB: Last week, Atlanta Braves P Chris Sale won the National League Cy Young Award, while Detroit Tigers P Tarik Skuball won the American League Cy Young Award unanimously. . . New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge was voted the AL MVP, his second MVP award, tying Yankees legend Mickey Mantle as the only two Yanks' to win the award unanimously, while Los Angeles Dodgers Shohei Ohtani claimed his third unanimous MVP in the National League, and joined Frank Robinson as the only MLB players to win the MVP award in both the AL & NL. . . "The Rich Always Find a Way to Get Richer:" It was announced on Tuesday evening that LH pitcher & two-time Cy Young award winner, Blake Snell, is working on an agreement for a five-year deal with the MLB reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers worth an estimated $182 millions contract, sources confirmed to ESPN. . . NCAA Men's & Women's College Basketball: The University of Memphis stunned the MBB world when they upset the defending back-to-back NCAA Champion & No. 2-ranked UCONN Huskies 99-97 in OT of the opening game of the NCAA MBB Maui Invitational on Monday - Huskies HC Dan Hurley was not a "happy camper" at the postgame press conference, expressing his displeasure over a late offensive foul call called on Huskies' F Liam McNeeley, that led to UCONN's 17-game winning streak dating back to last season, being snapped - What were your thoughts on the costly "over-the-back" foul call on McNeeley?. . . On the following day, Tuesday, No. 2-ranked UCONN fell again in Maui, losing 73-72 to Colorado on Jakimovski's last second off-balance layup - the anger, rage & animosity for the Monday loss certainly carried over into HC Dan Hurley's postgame press conference as he fumed once again after the officials "missed" an over-the-back foul call late in the game. . . What are your thoughts on Dan Hurley's sideline antics & comments following the Huskies' two-game losing streak? (Send us your thoughts to [email protected]!). . .Center Johni Broome scored on a putback with a single second left to help No. 4-ranked Auburn Tigers rally for an 83-81 win over No. 5-ranked Iowa State Cyclones in a Maui Invitational quarterfinal game on Monday - the Tigers trailed by as many as 18 points after shooting 10-for-26 in the first half, but rallied after outrebounding the Cyclones 21-10 in the second half. . . No. 9-ranked Alabama defeated No. 6-ranked Houston on Tuesday night 85-80 in OT as Crimson Tide G Mark Sears found his "new groove" and finished the game with 24 points - the explosive plays by the Crimson Tide in the OT period proved to be the difference in the outcome as 'Bama outscored the Cougars 7-2 in OT. . . After defeating the Dayton Flyers 92-90 in the Maui quarterfinal game on Monday, the North Carolina Tar Heels ran into a "brick wall" on Tuesday evening when they played the No. 4-ranked Auburn Tigers in a Maui semifinal game - Auburn dominated the Tar Heels 85-72 as C Johni Broome posted his 4th consecutive double-double (64th in his career) after scoring 23 points & a career-best 19 rebounds as the Tigers remain undefeated at 6-0 - Auburn is vying to become the 3rd SEC Conference team to win the Maui Invitational, and will play an undefeated Memphis team in the Maui Championship Game on Wednesday. . . In "Terry's Chocolate Vegas Showdown," No. 1-ranked Kansas Jayhawks were able to hold off the No. 11-ranked Duke Blue Devils 75-72 after Jayhawks C Hunter Dickinson was ejected from the game for "kicking a Blue Devils player in the head" midway thru the second half of the game? Thoughts on Blue Devils freshman phenom Cooper Flagg's game performance? UCONN Women's Basketball HC Geno Auriemma tallied his 1,217th win to pass Tara VerDerveer for the most wins by any coach in NCAA basketball history. . . "All Good Things Come to an End?:" Did the defending NCAA Women's Basketball Champion & No. 1-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks LOSE a regular-season basketball game, ending their 43-game winning streak? by double digits?. . . NBA: Russell Westbrook became the first NBA player to record 200 triple-doubles in NBA history. . . The Cleveland Cavaliers 15-1?. . . The short-handed Philadelphia 76ers ended their five-game losing streak last Saturday night after defeating the Brooklyn Nets 113-98 after Rookie Guard & Tik Tok superstar Jared McCain's stellar performance, finishing the game with 30 points, while All-Star C Joel Embiid missed the game with "swelling in his left knee." NCAA CFB: News & Storylines: Five-star QB Julian "JuJu" Lewis - the No. 2 high school recruit in the country according to ESPN Class of 2025 - committed to the University of Colorado on Thursday live on "The Pat McAfee Show." - this announcement was made just four days afte

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 64 - “The Nintendo 64 Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - What are a few of your most memorable N64 sports games? - Share a few with us on Twitter/X - @TraditionFinest or via Email at [email protected]! - Boxing: "Netflix was broken". . . The Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Netflix special amassed 60 million viewers worldwide, but the quality was disastrous. . .most likely, you watched the "loading" wheel turn on multiple occasions. . . SMH. . . .In the main event, 27-year old Jake Paul defeated 58-year old Mike Tyson via unanimous decision. . . but Tyson did last all eight rounds without "hitting the deck," - but the Aftermath of the Event has contributed to the speculation - Was the Paul v. Tyson fight scripted?. . . Let us know what you think!. . . In the Co-main event, defending Super Lightweight Champion Katie Taylor defeated Amanda "The Real Deal" Serrano for a second straight boxing match via unanimous decision - even after the "head-butt heard Round the World," & Serrano landing 100+ more strikes than Taylor. . . Controversial ending to what has been determined to be 'the most watched boxing match in Women's Professional Boxing history!' - UFC: Jon "Bones" Jones is still the "baddest" man on planet Earth. . . after his return, Bones KO'ed 42-year old Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 with a spinning wheel kick. . . performs the 'Donald Trump jig' dance celebration - and presents his belt to Trump who is in attendance on the front row. . . The jury is still out as to whether Jones would be willing to fight Tom Aspinall for a Unified World Heavyweight title. . . . after his defeat, Stipe announced his retirement from the UFC. . . Would you step in the ring with Jon "Bones" Jones under any condition? - MLB: On Monday night, Pittsburgh Pirates P Paul Skenes was awarded with the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year Award. . . Skenes is only the 2nd Pirate in MLB history to win the Award (Jason Bay, 2004). . . New York Yankees P Luis Gil was awarded with the American League Rookie of the Year Award, just edging out the Orioles' Colton Cowser & Gil's teammate Austin Wells. . . - NCAA Men's College Basketball: University of Tennessee fans have donated thousands of dollars to University of Montana Guard Money Williams, who dropped a career-high 30 points versus the Vols on 11/11, after learning that Williams is taking care of his four siblings following the loss of their parents - Are you surprised to discover that there are still "decent" people in the world? (and are you more shocked to learn that some of them are "Tennessee fans?!" - Rick & Richard Pitino & the "Who's Your Daddy?" chant. . .? - NBA: The Philadelphia 76ers currently hold a 2-11 record this NBA season following the 106-89 loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night. . . following the loss, veteran Guard Kyle Lowry called for a 'heart to heart' team meeting where things got a bit chippy?. . . Tyrese Maxey called out 2022-23 NBA MVP Joel Embiid for being "late" to team activities. . .& how it affects the team & their overall chemistry. . . Where do the 76ers go from here? Are they headed straight for an "Implosion?" - NCAA CFB: News & Storylines: Following the collapse at home versus the No. 1-ranked Oregon Ducks 16-13 last weekend, HC Luke Fickell & the University of Wisconsin has fired Offensive Coordinator Phil Longo. . . Traditionally, Wisconsin has been an advocate for the "ground & pound" offense that is designed to exploit defenses by including a stout offensive line & two (even three) "downhill" or "power" RB's. . .but Longo brought the Air-Raid offense with him from UNC - this, intertwined with the early-season loss of starting QB Tyler Van Dyke, has led to the Badgers regressing in comparison with past or recent seasons. . . Is Badgers' HC Luke Fickell's seat beginning to warm up? - Winless in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) at 0-5 this season, Florida Atlantic University has fired HC Tom Herman after three seasons. . . Herman's 'fall from grace' needs to be thoroughly examined. . . Wins a Bowl game at Houston, is handed the keys to the kingdom at Texas before 'driving the car straight into a ditch'. . . & years later, he's being fired at FAU. . . - NCAA CFB Week 12 Review & Recap: JD & Spencer breakdown & provide a detailed analysis of the following CFB games from Week 12 of the CFB season: #3 Texas vs. Arkansas #20 Clemson vs. Pitt #22 LSU at Florida #1 Oregon at Wisconsin #17 Colorado vs. Utah #21 South Carolina vs. #23 Missouri #12 Georgia at #7 Tennessee Kansas at #6 BYU - NCAA CFB Week 12 Preview & Game Predictions: JD & Spencer preview the upcoming CFB games in Week 13 of the regular season, and provide their individual game predictions: #5 Indiana at #2 Ohio State (-12) O/U51.5 #9 Ole Miss (-11) at Florida O/U55.5 #4 Penn State (-11.5) at Minnesota O/U44.5 #16

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 63 - “The Jeff Saturday Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - The University of Michigan's $10.5M dollar attempt to acquire a QB. . . - NCAA Men's College Basketball: University of Florida HC Todd Golden is facing a Title IX stalking probe/investigation after he was blasted in UF's local newspaper 'The Alligator'. . . . Complaint included reports of unwanted sexual advances, stalking, cyberstalking (and allegedly for being a "Creeper"), however, Golden was allowed to coach the Gators in their second game of the season on Monday evening. . . & also received a "standing ovation" in support. . . Based off Golden being allowed to remain with the team, it really makes you wonder about the "validity" of the accusations as well as the strength of the reports/findings as associated with the current investigation by the U.S. Department of Education. - "Houston, We Have a Problem!" . . .or Houston, Auburn's Basketball Team had a huge problem getting off the ground last Friday night. . .following the "plane incident," the No. 11-ranked Auburn Tigers pulled off the upset over No. 4-ranked Houston 74-69. . . Is Auburn, barring any sudden castatrophe amongst their players, one of the best NCAA Men's College Basketball Teams this season?. . . & a massive shoutout to Tigers' Dylan Cardwell for "keeping it 100" following the game. . . - NBA: The Cleveland Cavaliers had to rally versus both the Brooklyn Nets & Chicago Bulls last Saturday & Monday evenings, respectively, to remain undefeated at now 12-0. . . the Cavs are the 8th team in NBA history to begin a season with 12 straight wins. . . the last time Cleveland won 13 games in a row - which has occurred three times in franchise history - with a certain "hometown icon". . . - The Golden State Warriors gave out Captain's or "Sailor's" hats on Tuesday night to honor the return of Mavericks SG Klay Thompson since departing the team in last NBA offseason in FA. . . "A Salute to Captain Klay?" - NCAA - News & Storylines: RIP Ben Herbstreit. . . Kirk Herbstreit & the College Gameday crew released a tribute-style segment last Saturday that was incredibly sad. . . "the downfall of dogs, Man's best friend, is that they don't live long enough". . . Ben, a ten-year old golden retriever, was diagnosed with Leukemia & Lymphoma back in March, and passed away last Thursday after the cancer had spread. . . the CFB world has grieved, and Herbstreit has received a countless number of posts on social media to show their support. . . I guess there is still some "good" people in the world after all, huh? - On Thursday, University of Florida AD Scott Stricklin announced that Gators CFB HC Billy Napier will continue in his role through the 2024 CFB season & beyond. . . In your opinion, what were the motivating factors that led to UF retaining Napier after multiple reports have indicated that he was "on the hot seat?" - Let us Know What You Think - Tweet Us on Twitter/X - @TraditionFinest or Email Us - [email protected]! - Following their massive upset over the at the time undefeated Liberty Flames a few weeks ago, the Kennesaw State University has announced the firing of HC Brian Bohannon - the Owls are winless since their upset victory over the Flames (1-8 record) in the team's first season at the FBS level. . . Bohannon helped establish the program with four FCS playoff appearances. . . What did the Kennesaw State AD expect to happen in the program's first season at the FBS level?. . . Was this a "rushed" or "bad move" by the program? - University of Georgia HC Kirby Smart responded to the viral video of Bulldogs player & DB Jake Pope celebrating postgame following the team's tough loss in Oxford in Week 11. . . Smart responded "What an idiot. Just stupid." without any context. . . DB Jake Pope did release a statement via Twitter/X on Monday apologizing to his teammates, coaches & the Georgia fanbase, but after Pope provided context, How do you view Smart's comments?. . . - Following the University of Syracuse's tough loss to Boston College 37-31 this past weekend, Orange HC Fran Brown announced via a press conference that he does not shower after the team loses a game. . . "I don't deserve the soap. . . winners get washed." Would this not serve as a motivator for the team? To never lose another game?. . . Boston College HC Bill O'Brien announced on Tuesday that Eagles' QB Thomas Castellanos has stepped away from the team/program for "a couple days" after being benched in the Eagles' win over Syracuse. . .further reports have now circulated that Castellanos intends to enter the transfer portal. . . What are your thoughts on Castellanos' decision to enter the transfer portal? & What are a few desirable destinations for Castellanos based on his particular skill set? - Reaction to the Release of the Week 12 CFB AP Poll Top 25 Rankings. . . O

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 62 - “The Jason Kelce Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - "A Philly Athlete Retaliation Revolution?" - Evaluation of the Jason Kelce 'Phone incident' & the Joel Embiid 'Columnist Shove Felt 'Round the World'. . . - MLB: An Analysis of World Series Game 5 & Future Outlook for both franchises - the New York Yankees & the 2024 Champion Los Angeles Dodgers. . . - NBA: The Toronto Raptors retired former player Vince Carter's No. 15 jersey at the halftime break of the TOR-SAC game on Saturday night. . . Carter's #15 jersey became the first jersey number retired by the Raptors organization. . . Just to name a few of his accolades: 1999 NBA Rookie of the Year Award winner, made the NBA All-Star team his Rookie season, NBA Slam Dunk Champion in Year 2, Carter is the only player in NBA history to play across four decades, etc. . . Following the Cleveland Cavalier's victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Monday evening, the Cavs are now the lone unbeaten team in the NBA's Eastern Conference - based on a starting lineup that includes Allen, Mobley, Okoro, Mitchell & Garland - is the 8-0 start to the NBA regular season really that surprising? Could this 2024 Cavaliers team (East) be reminiscent of the 2023 Oklahoma City Thunder (West) & potentially steal the #1 seed in the NBA Playoffs?. . - NCAA Men's College Basketball: Welcome Back, College Hoops!!!. . . Monday was Opening Day for the NCAA Men's & Women's College Basketball Season. . . Are Early-Season or Opening Day Upset's Allowed? Just ask the No. 13-ranked Texas A&M Aggies - the Aggies lose 64-61 to the unranked UCF Knights that leads to fans storming the court - "It's a Bad Week to Be An Aggies Fan!". . . University of Duke Freshman Phenom(s) Cooper Flagg & Kon Knueppel lead the Blue Devils to 96-62 win over the Maine Black Bears in their season opener - Flagg has an 'evil twin brother?'. . . Flagg finished the game with 18 PTS, 7 REB's & 5 AST's while Kneuppel scores 22 PTs in first collegiate start. . . the Blue Devils finish the game shooting 56% from the field. . . What kind of [unbiased] Alabama fans would we be if we did not at least mention the No. 2-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide's 110-54 victory over the UNC Asheville Bulldogs? HC Nate Oats & the Crimson Tide showed off a deep rotation & the addition of Rutgers transfer C Clifford Omoruyi really makes this this 'Bama team a National Championship contender this season. . . - NCAA CFB News & Storylines: Prior to the CFB Week 10 slates of CFB games, SEC Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey issued a stern warning to all SEC coaches in regards to 'faking injuries'. . . could potentially lead to penalties & suspensions across the league. . . - ESPN sources confirmed on Tuesday that USC HC Lincoln Riley has announced that the Trojans are making a change at the QB position. . . starting QB Miller Moss has lost four of his past five games as USC fell to 4-5 on the season. . . The Trojans will now turn to UNLV transfer QB Jayden Maiava - was this the right move by the Trojans? - NCAA CFB Week 10 Review & Recap: University of Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart & WR Jordan Watkins went off on the road versus the Arkansas Razorbacks. . . Dart finished the game 25/31 for 515 yds & 6 TD's while WR Jordan Watkins pulled in 8 receptions for 254 yds receiving & 5 TD's. . . Ole Mis dominate the Razorbacks to pull out a road win 63-31 as they prepare for a showdown with No. 2-ranked Georgia this upcoming weekend. . . - Ohio State Buckeyes QB Will Howard, a Penn State fan? His sister - a student at Penn State University had to endure 'Will Howard Hate Week?'. . . No. 3-ranked Penn State rushed out to put No. 4-ranked Ohio State in an early 10-0 hole in a Big Ten Conference Showdown. . . In Howard's "homecoming," he threw for 182 yards & 2 TD's to pull off the win over the "little brother" Penn State Nittany Lions 23-10. . . Penn State HC James Franklin in the post-game press conference "I own it all." after now donning a 1-10 career record versus the Ohio State Buckeyes. . . Where do the Nittany Lions go from here? Are their Big Ten Conference Championship dreams dashed? CFB Playoff berth still a possibility? - Tar Heels RB Omarion Hamption racked up 172 yards rushing, 93 yards receiving & 5 TD's to help UNC HC Mack Brown get his first win on Saturday over the Florida State Seminoles 35-11. . . the Seminoles managed just 201 offensive yards & scored a season-low 11 points. . . The "revenge tour" is not going so well for HC Mike Norvell & the Florida State Seminoles - If he is unable to turn the tide for FSU next season, is it a realistic possibility that Norvell could find himself 'on the hot seat?' - QB Cam Ward & WR Xavier Restrepo break multiple records as the 'Comeback Cane' pull off another massive comeback on the Duke Blue Devils - after trailing by

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 61 - “It's Halloween, Boi! Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - MLB: A Review of Games 1 thru 4 of the World Series between the New York Yankees & Los Angeles Dodgers. . . - "Welcome Back, NBA!". . . while you were sorely missed, the NBA regular season is way too long & exhausting. . . Should the NBA reduce the number of games played per season? If so, could a shorter NBA season positively influence or even eliminate the "load management" issues, such as those currently revolving around Philadelphia 76er's All-Star Center Joel Embiid? - Tweet us your Thoughts on Twitter/X at @TraditionFinest! - A Review/Discussion of the games from NBA Opening Night. . . Was the "new look" NY Knicks able to spoil the "unveiling of Banner #18" for Jayson Tatum & the Boston Celtics? Following the Knicks' acquisition of Karl Anthony-Towns (KAT), are the Knicks a legitimate threat to this defending champion Celtics team out of the Eastern Conference? Why or why not? - LeBron & Bronny James make history by being the first-ever Father-Son combo to play a professional sport alongside one another - as Bron & Bronny checked in the game for the LA Lakers versus their opening night matchup versus All-Star SF Anthony Edwards & the Minnesota Timberwolves. . . Why do you think there was such a great deal of negativity per social media regarding this historical moment in Sports?. . . 'Bron finished with 16 PTS while C Anthony Davis put on a very dominant performance with 36 PTs & 16 rebounds. . . but how long can Davis remain 'healthy' this NBA season? - NCAA CFB News & Storylines: Former Coastal Carolina & current NC State QB Grayson McCall recently announced his "Retirement" from football via social media - following a consultation with a brain specialist who suggested that it 'might be best for his health long-term if he hangs the cleats up;' Shortly afterwards, on Tuesday evening - University of Michigan QB Jack Tuttle also announced his "Retirement" from the sport via social media citing "a fifth concussion" and his interest in "prioritizing his health." What are your thoughts on McCall & Tuttle's announcement(s) to retire from the sport? Do you believe that the NCAA's ruling which allowed collegiate athletes to be paid - based on his or her NIL - has significantly increased the probability that a collegiate athlete might "retire" from a physical sport, such as CFB, following the diagnosis of one or two concussions? JD & Spencer also acknowledge some players' estimated NIL Valuation(s), primarily that of five-star Freshman Basketball player, Cooper Flagg, who has yet to play in an NCAA MBB regular season game, but just signed an NIL deal with Gatorade for $2.6M dollars. . . - NCAA CFB Week 9 Review & Recap: Last Wednesday night, 0-5 or the "winless" Kennesaw State Owls shocked the CFB world!. . . as 28-point Underdogs!. . . after the Owls pulled off a 27 to 24 upset over the undefeated (5-0) Liberty Flames. . . - Former Ohio State QB Kyle McCord, who transferred to the University of Syracuse in the offseason to play under First-year HC Fran Brown, has played very well this season. . . his performance was even acknowledged by McCord's former HC at Ohio State Ryan Day at an Ohio State postgame press conference. . . and then he dished out an abysmal performance last Thursday evening versus the undefeated & No. 19-ranked Pittsburgh Panthers. . . McCord threw 3 TD passes in the first half (each of which were thrown to the wrong/opposing team) that led to three pick-six TD's for Pitt. . . McCord would finish the game throwing for 320+ yards & 5 INT's. . . while No. 19-ranked Pitt was able to secure a 41 to 13 victory over Syracuse to remain undefeated (7-0) this regular season. - A Breakdown of No. 4-ranked Ohio State's 21-17 victory over the Nebraska Cornhuskers. . . the Buckeyes were inconsistent & played a very sloppy game. . . were the Buckeyes caught "looking ahead" to their Week 10 showdown with Big Ten rival Penn State? QB Will Howard threw for 3 TD's. . . Freshman phenom WR Jeremiah Smith caught his 8th Receiving TD of the season (is now tied with HOF WR Cris Carter for the school record of most TD's scored as a Freshman). . . Cornhusker HC Matt Rhule's defensive game plan was "Genius;" - QB Quinn Ewers threw for 3 TD's as No. 5-ranked Texas was able to hold off No. 25-ranked Vanderbilt on the road 27 to 24 after Vandy's failed onside kick attempt. . . HC Steve Sarkisian called this a "culture" win - Is this a "dig" at Alabama or nah? Loss snapped the Commodores' three-game winning streak, and has since booted them from the AP Poll Top 25 - Such a damn shame. . . Does Vanderbilt have a "valid" argument to remain in the Top 25? Why or why not? - No. 12-ranked Notre Dame straight up does NOT respect the United States military. . . knocked off error-prone No. 24-ranked Navy

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 60 - “The Chuck Bednarik Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA Men's College Basketball: University of Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett - who won a National Championship with the program in 2019 - recently announced his retirement after 15 seasons. . . but what are your thoughts regarding the reason for his departure? Bennett retires as the winningest HC in program history with a record of 364-136. . . - NBA: LA Clippers SF Kawhi Leonard is expected to be sidelined for an "indefinite period of time," as he continues to rehab from the inflammation in his right knee, as reported by ESPN NBA Senior Insider Shams Charania. . . are you the least bit surprised regarding this most recent update of Kawhi's status to start the 2024 NBA season? JD & Spencer discuss the topic of "load management" as it pertains to teams/players across the NBA & how it has a discernible influence on fans that attend NBA games. . . - WNBA: The New York Liberty defeated the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 last Sunday evening in Game 5 of the WNBA Finals to win their first WNBA Championship in the history of the franchise. . . - MLB Playoffs Update: Juan Soto's three-run homer in extra innings of the ALCS Game 5 lifted the New York Yankees to a 3-2 series win over the Cleveland Guardians. . . the Yankees have advanced to the 2024 World Series for 41st time in franchise history; The LA Dodgers finished off the New York Mets in Game 6 of the NLCS with a 10-5 victory, and are now headed for a World Series showdown with the NY Yankees. . . JD's World Series prediction has been relatively clutch thus far. . .who ya got in the World Series - Yankees or Dodgers? - NCAA CFB News: Appearing on the "Outta Pocket" podcast with RGIII, University of Colorado two-way player (WR/CB) Travis Hunter fired off his thoughts regarding his candidacy this season for the Heisman trophy as well his thoughts on fellow Heisman frontrunner, Boise St. RB Ashton Jeanty. . . an analysis Jeanty's stats thru the first eight weeks of the CFB season - as well as a comparison b/t his stats & former CFB RB's who went on to win the Heisman trophy & to have HOF career(s) at the professional level (i.e., OK State's Barry Sanders & USC's Reggie Bush). . . Ashton Jeanty's response?. . . If the season ended tomorrow, who do you believe would be the clear favorite to win the Heisman trophy between CU's Travis Hunter & Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty? - Oklahoma Sooners HC Brent Venables has announced that Soph. QB Jackson Arnold has been given the nod to start Week 9 as the Sooners take on the No. 18-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. . . had first action since Sept. 21st last week/Week 8 in lopsided 35-9 loss to South Carolina - Arnold finished the game with a 50% completion percentage for 225 yards & a TD in the blowout loss. . . Can QB Jackson Arnold reinvigorate the struggling OU offense?. . . The Sooners have a 4-3 (1-3 in SEC Conference play) record this season. . . - Following a wild weekend slate of CFB games in Week 8, the New AP Top 25 Poll was released late Sunday evening. . . After suffering a 2nd tough loss in a thriller, where does the Alabama Crimson Tide land in the most recent AP Poll?. . . Will the Vanderbilt Commodores be allowed to 'enter the chat?'. . . Following the loss to Georgia, where will Texas land?. . . What was your initial reaction to the most recent release of the AP Poll Top 25? Any surprises?. . . Hot takes?. . . - NCAA CFB Week 8 Review & Recap: The Duke Blue Devils defeated the Florida State Seminoles last Friday night 23-16. . . the Blue Devils' first victory over FSU after 22 straight losses. . . prior to this game, another lost soul posted a video clip via Twitter/X consuming what viewers were led to believe was dog . . . Unfortunately, this guy is a bigger loser than his University's football team - and it was determined that it was NOT real poop. . . you think FSU was cursed before? . . Just wait! - The Illinois Fighting Illini are now 6-1 on the season after defeating the Michigan Wolverines 21-7. . . Thoughts on the 1924 throwback uniforms? & what were the significance of these particular uniforms? . . . the Illini's first W over the Wolverines since 2009 & 3rd win over a ranked opponent this season. . . Michigan under new HC Sherrone Moore is now 4-3 just one year removed from winning a Natty. . .The Wolverines have a serious issue at the QB position - they have had three different QB's start games this season (and the production is abysmal!). . . Moore has yet to name the starting QB ahead of next week's rivalry game versus the Michigan State Spartans. . . where does the program go from here? - Versus the Auburn Tigers, No. 19-ranked Missouri Tigers QB Brady Cook makes a midgame trip to the local Hospital for an MRI on his ankle?. . . Auburn once again carried a sizable lead into the 4th QTR. . .QB Brady Cook returne

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 59 - “The Jack Ham, Bam & Thank You Mam Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA Men's College Basketball: The Boozer twins, Cameron & Cayden Boozer - the twin sons of former NBA player Carlos Boozer - have officially committed to play for the. . .*drum roll; JD & Spencer's initial reaction to the release of the NCAA Men's CBB AP Preseason Poll Top 25 that was released Monday afternoon. . . Most overrated/underrated?. . .KU ranked #1, 'Bama ranked #2. . .UCONN ranked #3. . . 1st regular season AP Poll is due out 11/11 (make a f***ing wish & eat your heart out!) - NBA: Former San Antonio Spur SG Danny Green announces his retirement from the NBA after 15 seasons. . .one of four players in NBA history to. . ? - MLB: (*as promised) - 2024 Playoffs Update - NLDS: The highest payroll team in the league, the LA Dodgers, "defy expectations" (irony, much?) & defeat the SD Padres 2-0 in Game 5, advancing to the NLCS; Francisco Lindor & the NY Mets upset the heavy favorites to win the World Series, Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in Game 4 to reach the NLCS for the 1st time since 2k15; NLCS Game 1: Dodgers take series lead 1-0 after blowing out the Mets 9-0. . . Game 2: Mets end the Dodgers' scoreless streak, head back to the Big Apple with the series tied 1-1 after 7-3 victory; ALDS: The Cleveland Guardians pull out a pivotal Game 5 win versus the Detroit Tigers 7-3 last Saturday evening to advance to the ALCS for the 1st time since 2k16; Yankees P Gerrit Cole tosses a playoff gem of a game in a 3-1 victory, shutting down & eliminating the Kansas City Royals from the playoffs; ALCS Game 1: Giancarlo Stanton leaves no doubt with 439-ft dinger as the Yankees take ALCS series lead 1-0 after 5-2 victory. - NCAA CFB: News & Storylines: ESPN has hired former Heisman winner/CFB National Champion & NFL MVP Cam Newton to serve as a regular on the show "First Take" across from Stephen A. Smith. . . initial thoughts on the hire? Are you more intrigued to listen to Cam discuss sports from his perspective/viewpoint OR interested to evaluate his day-to-day wardrobe? (*dude is a fashionable character) - A Developing Story: Former LSU defensive team captain Greg Brooks is suing LSU and its affiliated Medical Center/institution following the incompetence of the surgeon who performed a procedure on Brooks to remove a brain tumor. . . currently unable to walk & is "permanently disabled," - Q: Do you need finite proof that a CFB fanbase can make a viable difference or "make a splash" across a sport?. . . after multiple requests, the University of Ole Miss has stated that they "plan" to address suspicions of faking injuries by its CFB players. . .how can the University monitor or rectify this type of issue? - The University of Utah announced early Monday morning that QB Cam Rising was out indefinitely for the remainder of the 2024 regular season. . . could he possibly qualify for an 8th CFB season??. . . but the better question to ask here is why would he return for an 8th season? - Following the Week 7 slate of CFB games, the updated/new AP Poll Top 25 was released on Sunday. . . welcome to the top 25, Army & Navy! Was Vandy robbed? If so, why? JD & Spencer's reaction to the updated AP Poll. . . - Oklahoma State HC Mike Gundy was forced to hold a press conference via Zoom after being hit in the noggin by a cow. . . - NCAA CFB Week 7 Review & Recap: No. 7-ranked Alabama was pushed to the brink by the South Carolina Gamecocks, but barely survived 27-25 thus preventing a second straight SEC Conference upset loss. . . JD & Spencer give a full breakdown of the game. . . what's wrong with this Alabama football team? Should HC Kalen DeBoer & the coaching staff be blamed for the Tide's 'fall from grace?' How can this 4-2-5 Alabama defense clean up some of the mistakes witnessed over the past couple weeks? - The 120th (1st edition as a part of the SEC Conference) edition of the 'Red River Rivalry' had a great atmosphere. . .but OU and true FR QB Michael Hawkins Jr. forgot about the "rivalry" part. . . the No.1-ranked Texas Longhorns dominated this game from start to finish 34-3. . . Longhorns LB Anthony Hill Jr. planted the Texas flag through a former QB Baker Mayfield OU jersey at midfield following the W. . . what were your thoughts on Hill planting the Texas flag through the OU/Baker Mayfield jersey?. . .following the Tampa Bay Bucs 51-27 win over the New Orleans Saints, Bucs QB Baker Mayfield provided a response at the postgame press conference regarding a reporter's inquiry of his thoughts. . . and his response was "Golden!" - The No. 4-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions rallied back to prevent the upset by the USC Trojans 33-30 in OT at the LA Coliseum. . . Nittany Lion TE Tyler Warren ties FBS single-game record with 17 receptions for 224 yards & a TD. . .Trojans HC Lincoln Riley r

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 58 - “The Derrick Thomas Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - An "Antidote of Confidence?" - NFL: "Momma Rice" a big Chappell Roan fan? OR just an Amazon package bandit? - "You Like That!?!?" Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins put on a show on Thursday Night Football versus the Tampa Bay Bucs. . . but was it enough to defeat Baker Mayfield & the headstrong Bucs? - Former NFL athlete(s) Chad OchoCinco & James Harrison have agreed to an MMA fight before the Super Bowl. . . does OchoCinco have a death wish? - NFL London Week 5 Game between the New York Jets & the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. . . a defensive battle? did QB Aaron Rodgers deliberately throw three picks in this game? Are the Vikings a legit Super Bowl contender? - Houston Texans vs. the Buffalo Bills. . . or the Stefon Diggs Revenge game? Texans pull out the W 23-20 thanks to the last-second 59-yard FG by Ka'imi Fairbairn. . . Bills QB Josh Allen gets the "side-eye of death" after taking the L. . . but Stefon Diggs & rapper Cardi B have an affair while she is eight months pregnant with Offset's baby?. . . is the world/Stefon Diggs mentally prepared for the diss tracks that are about to be released? - Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels rout the Cleveland Browns 34-13 to win their 4th game in a row. . . Browns offense primarily QB Deshaun Watson is atrocious. . . & their defense, abysmal. . . Browns HC Kevin Stefanski's post-game comments are indicative of a guy who has lost control of the locker room? - Baltimore Ravens FG Kicker Justin Tucker blasts the game-winning FG in Overtime versus the Cincinatti Bengals. . . QB's Lamar Jackson & Joe Burrow combine for a total of 9 TD's & over 700-yards passing. . . Bengals now 1-4 on the season. . . is Joey B & the Bengals on the verge of missing the playoffs? How does this impact contract negotiations between the Bengals & WR Ja'Marr Chase? - Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott throws a TD to WR Jalen Tolbert with 0.20 seconds left to lift the Cowboys past the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-17. . . Steelers QB Justin Fields continues to struggle with accuracy: 15/27 for 131 yards & two TD's. . . Is Steelers' HC Mike Tomlin's long-time record of consecutive seasons above .500 in serious danger this year? - The Jacksonville Jaguars did the un-imaginable in Week 5?. . . *it rhymes with Twin. . . - Monday Night Football game between QB Patrick Mahomes & the Kansas City Chiefs & the New Orleans Saints was very memorable for a few reasons. . . Saints QB Derek Carr goes down with an oblique injury/Chiefs recently-signed RB Kareem Hunt rushes for 100+ yards & a score/Chiefs WR & former Tik Tok sensation JuJu Smith-Schuster discovers the "fountain of youth" & goes for seven receptions for 130 yards/the brother of a Taylor Swift 'Eras Tour' backup dancer, a defensive lineman, has a 37-yard INT return . . Chiefs get the dub 26-13 - Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the NY Jets & HC Robert Saleh have "parted ways" - as in Saleh was escorted out of the facility by Security & was unable to inform the team. . . subtle much? - No. 3-overall draft pick & Rookie QB Drake Maye gets the nod & will make his NFL regular season debut this Sunday vs. the Texans. . . a 'New Era in New England?' - NBA: History has been made. . . a Father-Son combo have officially played in a professional sport alongside one another. . . LeBron James & Bronny James make their Daddy-Son debut in an NBA preseason game. . . Bronny's stat line, however, did not make history?. . . - MLB: We will discuss the MLB Playoffs next week. . . so be sure to Tune in! - NCAA CFB Week 6 Review & Recap: A Wild/Weird (& Mostly Depressing if You're an 'Bama fan) Weekend of College Football. . . prior to the Mizzou-Texas A&M game at Kyle Field, Tigers WR Theo Wease received a special gift & note from Texas A&M CB William "The Blanket" Lee. . . one hell of a performance by returning QB Connor Weigman & RB Le'Veon Moss surges the Aggies past the No. 9-ranked Missouri Tigers 41-10. . . A&M is now 3-0 in SEC Conference play. . . are they headed for a CFB playoff berth? - The Syracuse Orange rally in the 4th quarter to force OT, to upset the No. 25-ranked UNLV Rebels 44-41. . . QB Kyle McCord goes 40/63 for 355 yards with 3 TD's & 1 pick while RB LeQuint Allen accounts for a total of four TD's. . . Syracuse, a "sleeping" giant? - No.3-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes sputtered in the first half of the game versus the Iowa Hawkeyes, led 7-0 at the halftime break. . . behind QB Will Howard's 84% completion percentage & WR Emeka Egbuka's three TD's and the Buckeye's superior defense. . . pull away in the second half for a 35-7 victory. - The nation's #3-ranked offense & No. 23-ranked Indiana Hoosier's remain undefeated (6-0) after their offense put up a total of 500 yards on Northw

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 57 - “The Johan Santana Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous: Former WWF/WWE legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin does not believe in CTE . . ? - NBA: Derrick Rose announces retirement from the NBA after 15 seasons?. . . and we are all left with that ONE burning Q: “What If?”; - “No,No,No” [insert finger-wag here] Former NBA Center Dikembe Mutumbo passed away on Monday of brain cancer. . . 2024 sux! -Reaction to Knicks-Wolves trade that landed KAT in the Big Apple? - MLB: R.I.P. to the MLB All-Time Hits Leader, MR. Pete Rose. . . his “lifetime” ban has been served, right? No more Excuses, Bud Selig. . . you gotta induct this man into the HOF. . .; The MLB Playoffs Are Officially Upon Us. . . JD & Spencer evaluate, break down & provide their individual predictions beginning with the National & American League Wild Card Series thru the Divisional Rounds (i.e., NLDS & ALDS) & the World Series! ESPN has consensus predicted that the Phillies will win this year's World Series! (Share your Picks with Us on our Twitter/X page - @TraditionFinest OR by email at [email protected]!) - NFL: Shoutout to No.4. . . former Packers/Vikings QB Brett Favre has revealed during a Congressional hearing that he was recently diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. - NFL Week 4 Review & Recap: Cowboys QB Dak Prescott's impressive stat versus the NY Giants?; Broncos QB Bo Nix throws first career TD pass versus the NY Jets?; QB Sam Darnold & the Minnesota Vikings are undefeated after close call with the Green Bay Packers?; Washington Commanders Rookie QB Jayden Daniels stars again in rout of the Arizona Cardinals 42-14. . . are the Commanders (3-1) the most exciting/surprising team in the NFL so far?; The Buffalo Bills forget how to tackle when there is a bulldozer in the backfield. . . the bulldozer, aka, Ravens RB Derrick Henry. . . rushes for 199 yards. . . QB Lamar Jackson accounts for a total of 3 TD's. . . Ravens blow out the Bills 35-10; Monday Night Football: Detroits Lions QB Jared Goff NFL-record setting performance versus the Seattle Seahawks? Lions defeat the Seahawks 42-29/ Titans QB Will Levis threw an INT on the first play of the game vs. the Miami Dolphins. . . but backup QB Mason Rudolph saves the day - Titans acquire first dub of the season 31-12. . . what is the rest of the 2024 NFL season look like for Dolphins' fans? - 49er's RB Christian McCaffery has Achilles tendinitis in both of his legs, as first reported by a CBS affiliate. . . NFL fantasy football league owners are in 'a state of turmoil?' - WR Davante Adams informs the Raiders that he "prefers" to be traded. . . possible trade destinations? Saints & Jets are "high" on Adams' list. . . - NCAA: UNLV QB Matthew Sluka announced via a social media post last Wednesday that he is "transferring," to a different school at the end of the 2024 CFB season, and will redshirt. . . the "ugly side" of NIL?/ UNLV RB Michael Allen announced shortly afterwards that he will transfer at the end of the season as well. . . - The decision-making of USC DL Bear Alexander has gotta be one of the 'biggest career botches of all time' - will redshirt & transfer. . . - Barstool Sports co-founder Dave Portnoy is offering up a significant amount of NIL to acquire a skilled position player for the Michigan Wolverines? - Twitter/X user - @SAINTBillSnyder, a man of his word? BYU & Kansas State annual game should be presented with a title, such as the "Burrito Bowl" or "Live Mas Bowl," thoughts? - Heisman front-runner & Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty's stat-line through the first four games of the 2024 CFB season needs to be investigated. . . - Oklahoma State HC Mike Gundy - "College Football needs a Commissioner. . ." names potential candidates?. . . - NCAA Week 5 Review & Analysis: The University of Kentucky upsets No. 6-ranked Ole Miss. . . this is so "Ole Miss-esque" Wildcats QB Brock Vandergriff, a game manager? - No. 23-ranked Kansas State dominates No. 20-ranked Oklahoma State 42-20. . . did K-State intentionally lose to BYU to test the might of a Twitter/X user/fan? - No. 21-ranked Oklahoma overcomes 17-point deficit in the 4th quarter to stun the Auburn Tigers 27-21 on the road. . . what's wrong with the Tigers?. . . - No. 16-ranked Notre Dame defeats No. 15-ranked Louisville 31-24. . . even after HUGE upset loss to NIU, is Notre Dame on a crash course to a CFB playoff berth? - A full game breakdown of No.2 Georgia - No.4 Alabama game. . . "the best SEC game in the last 40 years," according to Paul Finebaum?. . . Alabama's 17-year old phenom WR Ryan Williams. . . - NCAA Week 6 Preview & Game Predictions: No. 9 Missouri at No. 25 Texas A&M (-2) - O/U49.5 Iowa at No. 3 Ohio State (-20.5) - O/U44.5 Auburn at No. 5 Georgia (-24) - O/U49.5 No. 12 Ole Miss (-9) at South

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 56 - “The Mr. Tecmo Bowl/LT Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - The “Dr. Pepper Fansville Curse” & its effect on QB's. . . - NBA: First “Rosen-bomb” involving the Nets & Warriors? - MLB: Dodgers Shohei Ohtani played a “perfect” game last Thursday - first ever addition to the 50/50 club? (Pretty sure JD was born into this club if we're referring to life) - NFL: Is it time to have a candid conversation regarding the state of NFL offenses? (overall production is down like it was in 2023, no O-Line depth, etc.) Thoughts on why this is the case? - Following Week 2, the NFL announced that they had fined Saints QB Derek Carr $14k for his TD celebration. . . the same TD celebration that the LEAGUE posted a clip of on their Twitter/X page roughly 24 hours prior. . . ridiculous, much? - NFL Week 3 Review & Analysis: QB Aaron Rodgers leads the Jets to a 24-3 win versus the New England Patriots in his first home start on Thursday Night Football. . . are the Jets a legit Super Bowl contender? (ESPN's Pat McAfee thinks so!) - A strong “vet presence” - Panthers WR Diontae Johnson regarding the impact of QB Andy Dalton getting the start versus the Las Vegas Raiders - Dalton threw three 1st-half TD's in a Panthers rout of the Raiders 36-22. . . is Andy Dalton really a more-talented QB than second-year Bryce Young (or is this more about “level of experience?”) - The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New Orleans Saints 15-12. . . RB Saquon Barkley, the NFL MVP frontrunner?. . .QB Jalen Hurts turnover issues?. . . Dirty hit by Saints DT Khristian Boyd on Eagles WR Devonta Smith leads to his exit from the game (concussion protocol) - has Saints head coach Dennis Allen re-upped the Bounty? - Baltimore Ravens RB Derrick Henry rushed for 151 yards & 2 TD's in their “close call” of a win versus the Dallas Cowboys 28-25. . . QB Lamar Jackson to the camera on live television: “Stop tryin' to cheat us, bruh!” - Two NFL games played on Monday Night - Buffalo Bills vs. Jacksonville Jaguars/Washington Commanders vs. Cincinnati Bengals. . . one beatdown & an NFL Rookie Record for percentage completion in a single game. . . Bills dominate the struggling Jaguars 47-10. . . while Commanders QB Jayden Daniels breaks NFL Rookie record by posting a 91% completion percentage & leading WSH to a 38-33 win over the Bengals. - NCAA: “Some People Will Never Learn” - the “If __________ loses to __________ this weekend, I will _______________________.” Twitter/X user @noles321 learned the hard way. . . but pussed out on ‘taking accountability' but K-State parody/fan account @SAINTBillSnyder decided to follow suit with the assistance of a “beefy 5-layer burrito” for his Kansas State Wildcats in their Week 4 matchup versus BYU/following the 38-9 domination by the Cougars, the BYU Twitter/X page left a cryptic post on their page (in reference to a particular fast food chain) “Live Mas.” Mr. Burrito will pay his bet next Saturday (9/28) at 9:30 PM CST. #ChristisLord and #JOHN316. . . how are these relevant? (Tune in to find out!) - Former Heisman Trophy winning RB Reggie Bush announced on Monday that he is suing USC, the NCAA & PAC-12 Conference “to seek compensation for past use of his Name, Image & Likeness” (or NIL). . . will this lead to some type of domino effect where former NCAA star athlete(s) - who were not privileged to today's NIL policies - attempt to obtain funds from the NCAA after what is being branded as “improper use”of former player/athletes for marketing/advertising campaigns? (i.e., Cam Newton, Johnny Manziel, Vince Young, etc.?). . . this is most definitely the “ugly” side of NIL. . . - Country music artist Morgan Wallen - along with a few special guests - recently sold out back-to-back concerts in Neyland Stadium at the University of Tennessee that occurred on Saturday & Sunday nights. . . the infamous “walk-outs” made viral by Tik Tok included the 2024 NCAA College Baseball National Champion Tennessee Volunteers team, CFB head coach Josh Heupel, QB Nico lamaleava, WR Bru McCoy & former Volunteer QB Peyton Manning in his old UT uniform. . . should artists who have the amicable support be allowed to perform at stadiums and/or Universities across the U.S.? If so, should the funds be divided between the University's NIL/booster program and the performing artist? - LSU & former 5-star LB Harold Perkins, Jr has been ruled “out for the season” after tests revealed that he suffered a “torn ACL” in the first half of the game versus UCLA in Week 4. - NCAA CFB Week 4 Recap & Analysis: - QB Luke Altmyer & the Fighting Illini hold on to upset #23 Nebraska in Overtime 31-24 after Illinois

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 55 - “The White Chocolate Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - WNBA: Aces A'ja Wilson breaks WNBA scoring record? - WNBA franchise expansion - 15th team expected to begin play in 2026 - NBA: No More "Woj Bombs?" ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarwoski announced on Wednesday afternoon via social media that he is "retiring" from ESPN & sports news. . . but is "returning home?" - NFL: "It's Been a Horrible Week for Former Alabama QB's in the NFL" (Dolphin's Tua suffers another concussion, Panther's Bryce Young benched for backup QB Andy Dalton after terrible Week 2 performance, etc) - Cardinals Rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr. acknowledged that he was the target for all four of QB Kyler Murray's incompletions versus the Rams. . . guy is going to be a STAR! - NFL Week 3 Recap, Breakdown & Analysis - Saints continue to roll, the 49ers [almost] entire offensive roster is injured, the Jaguar's Trevor Lawrence has lost his "spunk;" - Welcome to the NFL, Rookies! - big performances from the Cardinals' WR Marvin Harrison, Jr & the New York Giants WR Malik Nabers. . .& much more!! - NCAA: A Week 3 Breakdown & Analysis: Kansas State-Arizona, UCF-TCU, Alabama-Wisconsin, South Carolina-LSU, Georgia-Kentucky. . . & a discussion of the Week 3 slate of games. . . - Week 4 Preview & Game Predictions: JD & Spencer provide a few of their game predictions for Week 4 including: Illinois-Nebraska NC State-Clemson USC-Michigan Utah-Oklahoma State Vanderbilt-Missouri Miami-USF & Kansas State-BYU. . . Be sure to go follow us & share your Week 4 game predictions on Twitter/X - @TraditionFinest !! Thanks for listening, guys!

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!! Episode 54 - "The Brian Urlacher Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics and media storylines: - NBA: Celtics C Al Horford announces via social media that he has officially retired after playing in the NBA for 17 years - the guy gets to "go out on top of the world," what a legend. . . - NFL: Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Performer has been announced and it's . . . tweet us @TraditionFinest - what group or solo artist would you like to see play the Halftime show? (Try not to lol too hard at the difference between JD & Spencer's responses. . .) - Miami-Dade PD versus Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill - What are your thoughts on how the Miami-Dade PD handled this situation? How do you feel about the PD's response following the incident? - NFL Regular Season Week 1 Recap & Analysis - * Thursday Night Football: QB Patrick Mahomes & the Kansas City Chiefs hold off the Baltimore Ravens with a final score of 27-20; What is going on with Ravens TE Mark Andrews? & Who expected backup TE Isaiah Likely to "ball out" like he did? do you predict that both teams will advance to the NFL playoffs? Which of the two team(s) will have a better overall record at the end of the regular season? Thoughts on Ravens RB Derrick Henry's performance (first NFL game not with the Titans organization)? * Friday Night Game: The Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Green Bay Packers 34-29 after Eagles RB Saquon Barkley scores 3 TD's in team debut - it's incredible what this guy is capable of when he has an O-line blocking for him; however, cheeseheads got incredibly quiet at the sight of Packers QB Jordan Love injured on the field - fortunately, the injury is "minor" and not season-ending - but he's definitely going to miss a few games, how many is the question. Shoutout Packers WR Jayden Reed who played very well (4 receptions for 138 yds, 1 TD). How far can the Packers go without starting QB Jordan Love? * Sunday games - How did Bears Rookie QB Caleb Williams perform in his career debut versus the Titans? He actually became the first #1 overall Rookie QB to. . .[tune in to find out]; The New Orleans Saints QB Derek Carr might have way too much confidence following his Week 1 "Stat Show" in a blowout win over the Carolina Panthers 47-10 - on the flip side of the coin, serious inquiry: What type of vibe does second-year Panthers QB Bryce Young's demeanor give off to you? Does he still love the game?; The Dallas Cowboys won a football game in early September. . . end of story [we're joking. . . ok, no we're not!. . ] versus the Cleveland Browns 33-17 - Dallas did play very well, while Browns QB DeShaun Watson is very consistent at being inconsistent. . . have the sexual misconduct allegations negatively impacted both the trajectory and overall talent of Watson?; The Detroit Lions ruined Rams QB Matthew Stafford's highly-anticipated return to the city he built [& burnt to the ground] - the Lions' WR Jameson "Jamo" Williams had five receptions for 121 yards & a TD in a big OT win for Lions 26-20. . . * Monday Night Football: Breaking News: NY Jets' QB Aaron Rodgers played more than four snaps in this game w/o an injury. . .unfortunately, the San Francisco 49er's spoil Rodgers return after the Niners defeated the Jets 32-19. . . [tune in for a deep dive into the Niner's backup RB Jordan Mason's comments during the post-game press conference] Let's have a open discussion regarding the [lack of an] Ethics code for bookies & the Niner's part in this vicious cycle of breaking sports bettor's hearts & pockets. . . - Cleveland Browns QB DeShaun Watson has been named in yet ANOTHER lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct. . .like my Daddy always used to say "if it walks like a duck, if it talks like a duck, then it's a f***ing duck!" - NCAA: Former Michigan off-field analyst & alleged "sign stealer" Connor Stallions' life story should be adapted into a Lifetime biopic. . . recently accepted a role "volunteering" as the DC for Mumford High School in Detroit, MI. . . between Week 1's blowout loss & Week 2, the team's HC suffers a mild stroke, and NOBODY else is available to serve as acting Head Coach. . . Connor Stallions. . . leads his team into battle in Week 2. . . and. . . gets blown out 60-0. Be honest, do you think this guy is still stealing signs? - University of Auburn QB Payton Thorne revealed on Tuesday that fans are requesting money from him via Venmo to cover their losses betting on him - a) not throw 3 interceptions versus a very bad "Cal Golden Bears" team & b) to lead Auburn to a victory in Week 2 of the CFB season. . . Thorne posted a screenshot where a fan requested upwards of $100k. . . hope he's cashing in on those NIL brand deals. . . - NCAA CFB Week 2 Review & Breakdown: QB Kyle McCord is pretty good at the game of football. . . led the Syracuse Orange to an upset of the No. 23-ranked Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 31-28. . . McCord

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 53 - “The Mark [Be]Eaton Episode” includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics and media storylines: ---- - WNBA: Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark is the new record-holder for most3-point baskets made in a player's Rookie season/also significantly contributed to Indiana clinching a WNBA playoff berth (8-year postseason drought) - is the World (i.e., social media) ready to give her credit where it's due? Any chance she misses out on ‘WNBA Rookie of the Year' Award to Angel Reese? - NBA: The Golden Boy “Stephen Curry” recently signed a staggering $62.6M contract extension to remain with the Golden State Warriors through the 2026-27 NBA season - is Steph OR any human being for that matter worth a $60+ million dollar deal for one season? How much of this contract extension is Golden State's blatant attempt to prevent Steph from finishing out his career elsewhere (rumblings from a few years ago that Steph had expressed interest in possibly “going home,” and playing in front of a crowd of people in his hometown).... - NFL: The New England Patriots have announced that Jacoby Brissett will be the starting QB to open the 2024 season instead of first-round draft pick/Rookie Drake Maye…do you agree or disagree with the decision? Why or why not? - Roller coasters are fun…but the roller coaster or whirlwind that was and has been the relationship between the San Francisco 49er's & WR Brandon Aiyuk…has not been too much fun BUT it is finally over! (and NO! He did not get traded to the Steelers!) - SF 49er's 1st round draft pick WR out of Florida Ricky Pearsall was shot in the chest last Saturday during an attempted robbery by a 17-year old male who resided in Tracy, California…he was later hospitalized and reported to be in “stable” condition - following this tragedy, the Niners placed Pearsall on the IR/NFi list (he will miss the first four games of the season) - but one man's ‘bullet to the chest' is another man's ‘enlightenment' as Pearsall's robbery really put life & football into perspective for All-PRO OT Trent Williams, who ended his holdout from the team & signed a $82.66M contract - did Trent Williams end his holdout after pondering life & death? Typically, when people “ponder” such issues ... they don't have the luxury of signing a 82 million dollar contract! - Buffalo Bills' Safety Damar Hamlin will start the Regular season opener in Week 1 - his first start since his on-field medical emergency that occurred in Cincinnati in January 2023 - unfortunately, Hamlin has displayed a tendency to get blown by in coverage, will it be much of the same in 2024? Somewhere, former WR Antonio Brown is lurking around the corner just waiting… - Other Sports' News: - NHL: RIP to the Guadreau brothers, Johnny & Matthew, who passed away last Thursday after being hit by a drunk driver while bicycling in their hometown of Oldmans Township, NJ; Johnny G. played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, and Matthew is a former collegiate hockey player; both brothers were in town & were scheduled to be groomsmen in their sister Katie's wedding the next day (i.e., Friday) in Philadelphia - the level of violence that this drunk driver deserves is ridiculous, right? This creep did what when he was informed that - due to the ‘Labor Day' holiday- he would be forced to spend the weekend in jail?!? Do you believe that the brothers' sister should be given the opportunity to commit an unspeakable amount of violence on this guy?! (Yea, me neither….) - Legendary eater Joey Chestnut completely redeemed himself - and defeated long-time rival Kobayashi - after guzzling down a record 83 glizzy's - do the right thing, Nathan's!!! - MLB: Angels Pitcher Ben Joyce breaks record for the fastest strike/pitch in history at 105.5 mph - which current (or former) MLB player(s) do you think could, not only make contact with the ball, but go yard? - NCAA: Effective immediately, the SEC Conference has mandated that their (Yes! That includes You, Texas & Oklahoma!) football, basketball & baseball programs must provide and/or submit player injury reports prior to each game - is this really a big deal for coaches in terms of game planning OR a policy that is more closely intertwined with sports betting? (JD & Spencer debate) - Welcome Back, College Football! We Have Sincerely Missed You! We Have to Acknowledge that our ‘Game Picks' or predictions for Week 1 were Not Very Good….they actually turned out to be “Literal - Week 1 Recap/Game Review & Analysis: Colorado-NDSU, Georgia-Clemson, Vanderbilt-Virginia Tech, Michigan-Fresno State, Miami-Florida, Oregon-Idaho, LSU-USC, Florida State-Boston College & many more! - Most Notable Performance(s) of Week 1:Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty & his 6 TD's versus Georgia Southern, M

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!! Episode 52 - "The Ray Lewis Episode" includes a discussion of the following topics & sports-related storylines in the media: - The 'NBA's T-Swift & Travis Kelce?' - A Recap of Spencer's 29th Birthday Weekend and What He Does & Doesn't Recall - NCAA: University of North Carolina star RB Omarion Hampton, according to UNC HC Mack Brown, was offered 4 times more NIL money to leave & play elsewhere....Thoughts? There are three logical ways to analyze this situation... - College Football is BACK!! - A Week 0 Recap/Breakdown: 10 Florida State opens the season on a "revenge" tour in Dublin, Ireland, unfortunately, Georgia Tech played the role of villian. GT upsets FSU 24-21 on a last-second FG. Was FSU overrated? Georgia Tech underrated? Can Florida State bounce back & make a playoff run or nah? - QB Preston Stone & the SMU Mustangs was not in a good mindset going into the 4th Qtr of their game versus the University of Nevada - trailed by 14 points; SMU plays well down the stretch for a big comeback win 29-24. - University of Hawaii defeats Delaware State 35-14....if you fell asleep before 2 a.m. last Saturday night, you did not witness any of this game... - Clemson HC Dabo Swinney reportedly will no longer take "live callers" on his weekly radio show....he is still emotionally reeling from the last year's interaction with "Tyler from Spartanburg" - CFB Analyst Paul Finebaum referred to Colorado HC Deion Sanders as a "bully & hypocrite," after Deion banned a particular reporter from asking Q's during pre-game and post-game press conferences - CFB Week 1 Preview & Game Predictions: A very nice slate of CFB games this upcoming weekend - and JD & Spencer predict the winner for each of the "bigger" games: Georgia-Clemson; Penn State-West Virginia; Miami-Florida; Alabama-WKU; Notre Dame-Texas A&M; USC-LSU...Any other CFB team or team(s) on upset alert? - The University of Oklahoma will play country music legend Toby Keith tribute songs between the third & fourth quarters throughout the 2024 CFB season...RIP King! - NFL: NFL Analyst Field Yates was recently hospitalized after he dislocated his shoulder after engaging in a particular activity in the Bahamas to determine the draft order in his fantasy football league...it's safe to say that...30-35 is NOT the new 20... - Former Vikings RB Dalvin Cook has signed with the Dallas Cowboys - he will form a duo with RB Ezekiel Elliot...washed or NAH? - 2024 NFL AFC Conference Season Preview - AFC Team breakdown by Division; Which AFC team will represent the Conference in Super Bowl LIX in 2025? Thanks for Listening, guys! Go Follow Us on Twitter/X - @TraditionFinest - and let us know your CFB Week 1 game picks!!

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 51 - "The Dick Butkiss Episode" includes a discussion of the following topics in the Sports world: - NCAA: ESPN lays off a couple of "big name" commentators/analysts - RGIII & Sam Ponder - RGIII's reponse via Twitter/X was priceless - "NIT for College Football?" - Former University of Michigan & alleged sign-stealer Connor Stalions has landed a position as the defensive coordinator at a high school in Detroit, MI - can this guy or any program he is associated with ever really be successful? - Oklahoma State has added QR codes to the back of the college football helmets - you can now donate from the stands or while sitting on your couch...will the rest of the NCAA follow suit? - College Football programs & their Head Coaches are beginning to publicly reveal and/or announce their team's starting QB - a surprise at Boise State? Louisiana-Monroe likes Booty? - Other Sporting News - MLB: Yankees' Aaron Judge belted his 300th HR versus the infamously terrible Chicago White Sox - Judge is officially the youngest MLB player to eclipse 300 HR's NBA: Reports are beginning to circulate that Amazon co-founder Jeff Bezos is interested in purchasing the Boston Celtics...does this guy even like sports?! - 5'8'' 140lb Flag Football QB Darrell Doucette feels like he is "better than [Chiefs QB] Patrick Mahomes because of [his] IQ of the game," -NFL: It's a bad year to be a Vikings fan...Rookie QB J.J. McCarthy is out for the 2024 season with a torn meniscus; WR2 Jordan Addison has had an injury scare & some off-the-field issues?...however, is there a light at the end of the tunnel? I believe it might actually be a "Corral" ;) - Olympic Gold medalist Noah Lyles acted like he was not familiar with Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill & his nickname "Cheetah" - Tyreek Hill responds... - Patrick Mahomes throws a behind-the-back pass in an NFL preseason football game...and completes it...because of course he does! - Rookie QB's in the NFL are being named starters - Jayden Daniels is QB1 for the Commanders & Bo Nix is the first Rookie to start the regular season for the Broncos since John Elway - How far can Bears QB Caleb Williams take this team in the next 3-5 years? - News recently broke that the Chicago Bears matched the Atlanta Falcons' trade offer to New England for edge rusher Matthew Judon....I commend New England for the way in which they settled this....they allowed Judon to decide where he would like to go... - Dolphins' QB Tua T. recently called out his former HC Brian Flores during a podcast interview regarding the "mistreatment" he endured...& Flores responded...quite gracefully at that... - Philadelphia Eagles officially have the most "loaded" roster in the NFL after trading the Commanders for their new WR3 Jahan Dotson...this offense is going to be a serious problem... - 2024 NFC Conference Season & Playoffs Preview & Predictions: A Team by Team Breakdown per NFC Division - JD & Spencer select the winner of each Division, and predict the NFC team they believe will represent the Conference in Super Bowl LIX in 2025. Thanks for Listening, guys! NOTE: Next week - Episode 52 - We will be covering the AFC Conference & giving our Predictions for Week 1 of the College Football Season! :)

Welcome to the Tradition's Finest Podcast, Episode #5-OH - "The Greg Oden Episode!" This Episode includes a discussion of the following topics and developing storylines: - NFL: Perfume de Mayonnaise? - The NFL Preseason is officially upon us.... QB Joe Milton plays well in his Rookie debut with the New England Patriots (and of course, it's a sports team from Boston...so the fans immediately began to overreact to his first career TD) - Rookies for Dayz: Caleb Williams, J.J. McCarthy, Jayden Daniels, etc. made their NFL debuts for their respective teams - We give each QB a Grade based on his performance Dallas Cowboys star WR1 Ceedee Lamb's response to franchise owner Jerry Jones' lack of urgency to get a deal done - was GOLDEN! - "Q of the Day:" Is Giants rookie WR Malik Nabers injured or nah? Is he a bit dramatic? - Tyreek "Cheetah" Hill proclaims that he would defeat Olympic Gold Medalist Noah Lyles in a race - what are your thoughts? - 2024 NFL Preseason Theme: If you are a RB, switch careers & fast! - NCAA: Both the University of Texas and Texas A&M will be without their starting RB's for the 2024 season - you have to hate this for Rueben Owens & CJ Baxter, prayers up, guys! - Former Michigan & current Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh will serve as the "honorary captain" for Michigan's home opener in 2024 - I'm not entirely sure, but I think our definition of the word "honor" is a tad different?? - JD & Spencer's visceral reactions to the Release of the 2024 College Football Preseason AP Poll - Alabama at #5; Georgia ranked #1 overall...do you agree with the preseason AP poll? Email us your thoughts at [email protected]! - MLB: Red Sox OF Jarren Durran apologizes for calling a heckler an anti-gay slur during a game - the league would later announce that he was "suspended" for two games. - 2024 Paris Olympics Recap: Team USA Men's Basketball team wins the Gold Medal - maintaining the streak held by Team USA - but it was NOT the smoothest path.... - Team USA Gymnast Jordan Chiles is to be stripped of her Bronze medal that she won during floor exercise - due to a "technicality?" (Where's Ashton cause I've got to be on 'Punk'd!') - Team USA Women's Basketball wins 8th straight Gold medal after surviving a scare versus Team France, win 67-66. The United States finished the 2024 Paris Olympics tied for 1st in Gold medals (40) and finished first overall for total medal count (126). "The Return of the Finest Five": Episode #50 category - Favorite Condiments Thanks for Listening, guys!! Tune in next week as we Preview and offer our Predictions for the NFL's NFC Conference for the upcoming 2024 season!

Welcome Back Ladies & Gentleman to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 49 - "Q & A Day" includes a discussion of the following topics - as well as the highly anticipated Q & A session! - The NFL released a "top 100" list of current players (as voted on by the players) - KC's Patrick Mahomes comes in at #4; Raven's QB Lamar Jackson at #2 - should they be switched or nah? - Former NY Giants RB Brandon Jacobs recently admitted to doing a line of cocaine before a high school football game where he went CRAZY....but wouldn't he have went crazy, regardless? Dude is ridiculously BIG! - NFL Rookies get into a physical altercation at a practice facility - does this "beef" stem from being bitter college rivals? Or just a mutual "I respect you but I hate you" type situation? - FX/FXX has announced the upcoming show 'American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez' by Executive Producer Ryan Murphy - Josh Riviera will play Aaron, Patrick Schwarzenegger - yes! Arnold's son - will play Tim Tebow....and JD can't unsee it! - Olympics - French pole vaulter Anthony Ammirati fails to medal after his giant WANG knocked the bar over - this guy will never ever go without a meal! - The Women's Gymnastic Beam Final was extremely awkward....no music playing, audience members hushing fans & the competitors...United States Suni Lee & Simone Biles finish with Bronze & Silver medals, Brazil wins gold - but "this was disgusting," right, Marlon? - USA's Noah Lyles wins 100m dash by a pubic hair - stands on business in the process - but guy is "NOT the consensus favorite U.S. Olympian!" - Snoop Dogg is reportedly being paid $500k per day + expenses around Paris to chill out at the Olympic games....guy is making hella bank right now... - Team USA Men's Basketball defeated Puerto Rico by almost 30 points - two W's away from a five-peat and winning the Gold medal - What is the mos interesting/fascinating sport you have watched throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics? - Per Pete Thamel, Pitbull has acquired the naming rights to FIU's football stadium for $1.2M dollars a year - "Pitbull Stadium" for the next five years - The NCAA has punished former Michigan HC Jim Harbaugh for a four-year show-cause order for "unethical conduct." - new show headed to Netflix that includes commentary from the legend himself....Connor Stalions! - MLB: The Chicago White Sox snaps a record-tying 21-game losing streak against the Oakland A's 5-1... - "Q & A Session" - JD & Spencer answer/debate some of the most relevant Sports-themed questions as well as Questions that they have observed across the social media stratosphere, for example: (1) What is the Univ. of Alabama's record in Kalen DeBoer's first season as HC? (2) What NCAA QB do you think could or will make a splash in the upcoming 2024-25 College football season? (3) If Ohio State loses to Michigan for a fourth straight season, is HC Ryan Day 'on the hot seat?' or is his job 'in jeopardy?' (4) Which Group of Five team will secure a spot in the 2024 12-team CFP? (5) How often do you bet on sports? (6) Who is your favorite player from a rival team? (7) Should MLB players like Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa ('roids) & Pete Rose (betting scandal) be allowed into the Hall of Fame? (8) Will Tiger Woods ever secure or win another major event on the PGA Tour? (9) Is instant replay assisting or harming sports? and Why? (10) GOAT debate: QB Tom Brady vs. NBA's Lebron James ....and MANY more! Tune in to hear our answers & more!! Thanks for Listening, guys!! - Spencer & JD

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!! This week is Episode 48 - "The Jacob deGrom Episode" which includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics and storylines: - NBA: Turner Sports (aka TNT) will file a lawsuite against the NBA following their "unjustified rejection of their matching of a third-part offer by [Amazon]" - Thoughts on the NBA's rejection of Turner Sports after matching Amazon's offer of $1.6B/Thoughts on the acquisition by Amazon? - Former Utah Jazz (and Charlotte Hornet, Boston Celtic....so on) star Forward Gordon Hayward announced on Thursday that he has Retired from the NBA after 14 seasons. - NFL: Miami Dolphins finally pay QB Tua T. - but contract still seems somewhat undervalued....or does it? - Former Chicago Bears RB Tarik Cohen who was attempting a comeback - informed the Jets on Thursday that he is retiring from the NFL - guy was explosive...a "Tyreek Hill-type player," prior to Tyreek Hill's career in the NFL. - The Green Bay Packers paid QB Jordan Love making him the highest paid QB in the NFL - has he done enough on the field for such a landmark deal? Check out Spencer's take on the the contracts of NFL QB's! - The Dallas Cowboys are closing in on a 4-year deal with star WR Ceedee Lamb worth around $136M - is this a good move financially short-tem? long-term? - Football is BACK! The NFL's Hall of Fame game on Thursday night between the Texans & Bears was...not that entertaining...thoughts on whether the starters should at least play one or two drives in the first preseason game? - University of Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola AND Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes use the same hairdresser & wear similar Viper sunglasses? - Other Sports News & Olympics Updates: PGA - Johnny Vegas services the choke attempt to win the 3M Open which helped Spencer turn $10 into a triple-digit W - Olympic's Men's Basketball - France vs. Japan was a great game - but the attention was more focused on Japan's 5'6 Yuki Togashi's attempt to guard France's 7'4 Victor Wembanyama (Olympics shortest player vs. the tallest player) - France wins in OT - Olympic's Medal Update: USA leads the total medal count as of Thursday evening with 37 (9 Gold), France follows with 27 total medals, then China, Australia, Japan... - NCAA: A discussion of four-star DL Antonio Coleman's recruiting journey - more flips than we've done on a trampoline - University of Georgia WR RaRa Thomas dismissed from the team after he was recently arrested for two counts of battery and one count of cruelty to children.. - The very disappointing journey of CFB WR Agiye Hall - 2024 College Football Preview & Predictions of the PAC-2, FBS Independents & Group of Five - Team x Team Breakdown & Individual Projections; CFB Playoff Contenders? - Thanks for Listening, Guys!