Tradition's Finest Episode 122 - The "Whack Heard 'Round the World" Episode

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 122 - The "Whack Heard 'Round The World" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Basketball: Charles Bediako's college basketball career is officially over, Again. .after an Alabama circuit judge denied his motion appeal for a preliminary injunction on Monday, ending the 7-foot center's season with Nate Oats & the Alabama Crimson Tide - - Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Daniel F. Pruet halted Bediako's bid to regain eligibility after he left Alabama early to enter the 2023 NBA Draft, and although he went undrafted, he did sign a two-way NBA contract with the San Antonio Spurs & played the past three (3) seasons in the NBA's developmental league (i.e., G-League) - moves that ultimately disqualified him from collegiate competition, according to the NCAA - - Judge Pruet ruled that Bediako did not have a "reasonable expectation," that he would be allowed to return to college basketball when no other player has been granted such eligibility under similar circumstances, although Amari Bailey, the former UCLA standout guard, who was drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft & physically competed in 10 NBA games throughout his two-year career, and is now attempting to regain eligibility to play at the collegiate level - - The Bediako ruling, whether you agree or disagree with the result, should serve as a precedent for the NCAA and college sports universally: in other words, if you give up eligibility and decide to turn pro, and are willingly drafted, you are not entitled to return to college sports just because you aren't the 'star player,' or if you spend more time on the bench than you do on the court (or field, etc.) - - Shortly after the ruling on Monday, NCAA President Charlie Baker released a statement, stating that he was glad that the court "upheld the rules of our members,". . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Tuscaloosa County (AL) Circuit Judge's ruling to deny Charles Bediako's appeal for NCAA eligibility? Should this particular ruling serve as a precedent for other prospects that are attempting to regain eligibility at the NCAA (or college) level?. . .In this next section, JD & Spencer discuss a few of the more impactful and/or notable NCAA men's college basketball games from across the country that occurred this past weekend, including, but not limited to the following matchups: the Seth Trimble "buzzer beater" in the heated rivalry between No.4 Duke Blue Devils and No.14 North Carolina Tar Heels (Saturday 2/7); the Darryn Peterson-less & No.9 Kansas Jayhawks pull off the upset over No.1 and previously unbeaten Arizona Wildcats (Monday 2/9). . . - NFL - - "The 15th Annual NFL Honors:" On Thursday, and three (3) days prior to Super Bowl 60, the NFL wrapped up the 2025 season by recognizing its' top individual performers, at the 15^th Annual NFL Honors Ceremony, which were hosted by actor Jon Hamm, at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, where it once again served as the forum for the league to reveal the winners of its' most prestigious awards: this included such awards as the Offensive & Defensive Player of the Year as well as the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year, and finally, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, which were presented by a variety of celebrities (i.e., Druski) and NFL Hall of Fame legends (i.e., Jerry Rice) - - The Pro Football Hall of Fame also unveiled its five-person class, which had already been a topic of speculation & controversy after it was revealed last week that Bill Belichick, Patriots owner Robert Kraft & former New York Giants & Super-Bowl winning QB Eli Manning, had been omitted as first-ballot Hall of Famers - - Let's examine the outcome & discuss our thoughts regarding each individual award that was presented at this year's Honors' ceremony: AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award: The 2025 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award was presented to Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett - - Garrett, the preeminent EDGE/pass rusher of his generation, he took advantage of the 2025 league year, turning it into a record-breaking season, which subsequently led to him winning his second DPOY award - - Garrett's 23 sacks broke the single-season record that was previously shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan & Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt - - **NOTE: Garrett achieved this feat despite being double-teamed or chipped on 39.5% of his pass rushes this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats, more than any other pass rusher in the NFL - - Also, his 33 TFL were the second-most by a player since the year 2000, trailing only J.J. Watt's 39 in 2012. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Browns DE Myles Garrett being awarded the 2025 AP NFL DPOY award? Do you think Myles Garrett will go down in NFL history as the most proficient/explosive EDGE to ever play in the league?. . . AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award: The 2025 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award was presented to Carolina Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan - - McMillan referred to his rookie season in the NFL as "average," but the Panthers wideout was anything but that - - **NOTE: The No.8 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft finished the regular season with 70 catches on 122 targets for 1,014 yards and seven (7) TDs to lead all rookies in receiving yards, and to set a Carolina Panthers franchise record in that category - - Twenty-seven (27) of his receptions were considered explosive (16+ yards), more than any other rookie in the league - - and quite possibly, the most important aspect of McMillan's presence in Carolina, is that QB Bryce Young, for the first time in his three (3) seasons spent in the league, had a true WR1, which allowed him to flourish statistically - as well as to assist the Panthers in advancing to the NFL postseason. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan being awarded the 2025 AP NFL OROY Award? Do you expect that he will continue to be a major threat through the air for the Carolina Panthers for the near foreseeable future?. . . 2025 AP NFL Protector of the Year Award: The 2025 and inaugural AP NFL Protector of the Year Award was presented to Chicago Bears Guard Joe Thuney - - Thuney earned first-team All-Pro honors for a fourth straight season, and paid immediate dividends for the Bears' revamped offensive line after being traded from Kansas City to Chicago in March of this year - - The 33-year-old LG did not allow a single sack & logged the second-most snaps of any of the other players on the Bears' offense (99.57%), as QB Caleb Williams took 44 fewer sacks in 2025 than in his rookie season, in large part due to the notable improvements Chicago made along the interior of the offensive line - - **NOTE: Thuney was tied for the lead among all interior offensive linemen in pass block win rate this season by sustaining his blocks for 2.5 seconds 98% of the time - - Shortly after LT Ozzy Trapilo (rookie) went down after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in the playoffs, Thuney moved to LT for Chicago's divisional round matchup against the Rams, which marked the second consecutive postseason in which Thuney was moved to play at the tackle position. . . 2025 NFL AP Comeback Player of the Year Award: The 2025 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award was presented to San Francisco 49ers do-it-all RB Christian McCaffrey - - After bilateral Achilles tendinitis and a right knee injury limited him to just four (4) games in the 2024 NFL season, Niners RB Christian McCaffrey returned to his usual, versatile self in 2025 - - **NOTE: This is McCaffrey's first Comeback Player of the Year award after he finished second in 2022 - - He earned it by virtue of his 2,126 scrimmage yards (second in the NFL) and 17 total TDs (3rd) - and perhaps, more important, he started all 19 games for San Francisco (including the playoffs) - - In the 2025 regular season, McCaffrey had a league-high 413 touches, which is 44 more than the next closest player, and the highest total of his nine (9) seasons in the league - - In the offseason, McCaffrey spent much of his time rehabbing from his knee injury and strengthening his Achilles to take on the rigors of another season - - and in 2025, as injuries mounted around him, he was the one constant in San Francisco's offense, playing a pivotal role in helping the Niners finish the regular season with a 12-5 record, and reach the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Niners' RB Christian McCaffrey being awarded the 2025 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award?. . . 2025 AP NFL Head Coach of the Year Award: The 2025 AP NFL Head Coach of the Year Award was presented to New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel, who in his first season with the franchise, led the Patriots to its' 12^th Super Bowl appearance - - Taking over a team that won just four (4) games in each of the past two seasons, Vrabel directed the Patriots to a 14-3 record at the conclusion of the regular season - - **NOTE: The 10-game improvement tied the 1999 Colts and 2008 Dolphins for the best turnaround in NFL history, as he joins George Seifert (1989, Niners) & Jim Caldwell (2009, Colts) as the only coaches to win 14 games in their first year with an NFL franchise - - Players credited Vrabel, 50, with instilling a culture that placed a heavy emphasis on connectivity, and one such way that he did that, was by introducing his "4 H's" in the spring, where each coach & player shared their history, hero, heartbreak and hope in front of the entire team. . .Q: What are your thoughts on New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel being awarded the 2025 AP NFL Head Coach of the Year Award?. . . 2025 AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year: The 2025 AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Award was presented to New England Patriots OC Josh McDaniels, as he was recognized for transforming the Patriots' offense into a top six unit in the league in total, passing, and rushing yards, while also helping to develop second-year QB Drake Maye - - In returning to New England for his third separate stint as the OC, the 49-year-old McDaniels had spent 2024 out of the NFL after being fired as the Raiders HC in October 2023 - - His work with Maye this season has been exemplary, helping the second-year QB develop into a bonafide MVP candidate, as the two spent the spring getting to know each other, which ultimately led to the QB finishing the 2025 season ranked first in completion percentage (72%), QBR (77.1) and yards per attempt (8.93) - - **NOTE: The Patriots' offense under McDaniels, which was just the second team in the league since 2000 to open a season with rookies starting at LT (Will Campbell) and LG (Jared Wilson), and finished the regular season ranked third in total yards per game (379.4). . . 2025 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award:The 2025 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award was presented to Cleveland Browns LB Carson Schwesinger - - On a defense that saw DE Myles Garrett break the single-season sack record, it was difficult to ignore Schwesinger - - **NOTE: The No.33 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Schwesinger led all rookies in tackles (146) and TFLs (11), and he tied for third in INTs (2) - - A former walk-on at UCLA, Schwesinger wore a helmet with the easily identifiable green dot, serving as the signal-caller for the league's fourth-best team in total defense. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Browns LB Carson Schwesinger being awarded the 2025 AP DROY?. . . 2025 AP Offensive Player of the Year Award: The 2025 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award was presented to Seattle Seahawks' Jaxon Smith-Njigba, as the former Ohio St. wideout played his way into the conversation of the NFL's best WRs with the most prolific season a Seahawks pass catcher has ever had: **NOTE: Smith-Njigba's 1,793 receiving yards led the NFL & set a franchise record, and he scored 10 TDs & finished second among all players in yards per target at 10.9 on his way to making the Pro Bowl & being named a first-team All-Pro- - and, he recorded these stats, meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks, according to NFL Next Gen Stats, were the NFL's most run-heavy offense in the league, with a designed rush rate of 47.6%. . .Q: What are your thoughts on JSN being awarded the 2025 AP NFL OPOY Award? Were you surprised in the slightest bit that JSN won the Award?. . . 2025 AP NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award: The 2025 AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award was presented to Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford - - At the ripe age of 37, and in his 17^th NFL season, Stafford led the NFL in passing yards (4,707), TDs (46) and TDs-to-INTs ratio (5.8) - - He threw for 313 more passing yards & 15 more TDs than MVP runner-up, and New England Patriots QB Drake Maye - - **NOTE: Stafford's 2025 season was the eighth time in NFL history that a QB threw for at least 4,500 yards and 45 TDs in a single season, according to ESPN Research - where six (6) of the previous seven (7) QBs to do so were awarded the NFL MVP Award, with the only exception being Drew Brees in 2011, as QB Aaron Rodgers also reached those thresholds that season - - Stafford went eight (8) consecutive games without throwing an INT in the middle of the 2025 season, which is incredibly difficult to do - - and during that particular stretch, Stafford threw 28 straight TDs, and according to Elias, that was the longest streak of passing TDs without an INT by any player since play-by-play was first tracked in 1978 - - Prior to stepping down from the stage, and after Stafford was presented with the 2025 MVP Award, Stafford took the time to make a major announcement: he will be returning for the 2026 NFL season as he embarks on his 18^th season in the league. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Rams QB Matthew Stafford being awarded the 2025 NFL MVP Award? Thoughts or input on Stafford's announcement that he will return for the Rams next season?. . . The Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026, which was announced on Thursday night as part of the NFL Honors ceremony, included the following former NFL players: (1) QB Drew Brees, who is one (of two) NFL QBs to throw for more than 80,000 career yards. . .(2) WR Larry Fitzgerald, who finished his career second only to Hall of Famer Jerry Rice in career receptions and receiving yards; and joining them will be. . .(3) LB Luke Kuechly and (4) Kicker Adam Vinatieri, and finally (5) RB Roger Craig, one of three (3) Senior finalists, will also be in the 2026 Hall of Fame class. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026? Do you question as to why these particular five players are eligible for HOF enshrinement, and Bill Belichick is not?. . . - Atlanta Falcons rookie LB James Pearce Jr. allegedly crashed his vehicle into another that was being driven by WNBA player Rickea Jackson multiple times & struck a police officer with the vehicle while evading arrest, according to a criminal complaint obtained by ESPN from the Miami-Dade County (FL) state attorney's office - - Pearce was arrested Saturday in Florida on five (5) felony charges, including aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated stalking & aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer - - Pearce was released from the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Sunday night after posting a $20,500 bond - - Jackson informed police that she and Pearce had previously dated for approximately three (3) years, but recently ended their relationship - - Jackson, who plays for the Los Angeles Sparks, told police that she saw Pearce following her car in a white Lamborghini SUV on Saturday morning - - When Jackson's car stopped at a red light, Pearce got out of his vehicle and attempted to open her car door on the driver's side – Jackson accelerated away & started driving toward the Doral (Florida) Police Department – Pearce reentered his vehicle and continued following her, and during the drive to the police station, Jackson said Pearce “intentionally collided into the rear of her vehicle,” with his SUV – As she got to the intersection near the police station, Jackson said Pearce cut her off with his car and when she attempted to back out and get away, he used his car to collide with hers head-on - - Doral PD responded to the scene after Jackson called - - and according to the affidavit, they saw Pearce standing on the outside of his SUV on the driver's side with the door open – An officer pulled a gun on Pearce and ordered him to get on the ground, yet Pearce got back in his car & closed the door - - The officer opened the door, but Pearce shut it again, locked it & drove away - - While Pearce was driving away, the SUV struck an officer in his left knee, as the affidavit describes it as “intentionally in an attempt to evade arrest.” - - Police followed Pearce's vehicle in cars until Pearce crashed at an intersection, at which point, Pearce then got out of his car & fled on foot - - Officers were able to catch up with him, though Pearce “began to resist arrest by tensing his arms and not allowing officers to apprehend him.” - - The affidavit says Pearce was “triaged on scene” and later taken to Jackson West Medical Center for further assessment, and after which, he spent Saturday night and most of the day Sunday in custody at Turner Guilford Knight Corrections Center - - Pearce is facing two felony counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and a felony count of aggravated stalking – Other charges include fleeing and eluding police officers and aggravated battery of a law enforcement officer - - also felonies - - and a misdemeanor count of resisting an officer without violence to his person - - In response to the incident, the Atlanta Falcons issued a statement Saturday night saying they were “gathering more information.” - - **NOTE: Pearce, who finished third in AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year voting at NFL Honors on Thursday, set a Falcons rookie record with a team-leading 10.5 sacks in 2025. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Atlanta Falcons' James Pearce Jr. situation? Should the NFL franchise consider releasing the rookie LB?. . ."Super Bowl LX Review & Recap:" In this particular discussion segment, JD & Spencer provide a detailed review of Super Bowl 60 as well as a recap of the halftime show. . .**Be Sure to Tune in for the Tradition's Finest Super Bowl LX Review. . . - NFL (cont'd) - - Klint Kubiak just won the Super Bowl, but unlike his fellow Seahawks, he is not headed to Disney World. . .Nah, Kubiak is going to Las Vegas, Sin City, baby!. . The NFL Network interviewed the Seahawks OC in the aftermath of Seattle's dominant 29-13 win over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl on Sunday night, and in the post-game interview, he confirmed what might've been the worst kept secret in football. . . .that he's leaving Seattle to take over as the next HC of the Las Vegas Raiders after signing a five-year deal with the franchise, and he is "very excited to get to work!" - - Kubiak didn't volunteer the information when asked an open-ended question, but when pressed, he spilled the beans: "You guys know I'm going to Las Vegas, I'm fired up about it," Kubiak said. "Hell yeah, I'm going! Of course I'm going!" - - however, the news has essentially been known for a week now, as Kubiak and the Raiders reportedly reached an agreement on a deal on Feb.1, but since Kubiak was the OC of an NFL franchise that was preparing to play in the Super Bowl, neither he nor the Raiders could confirm their partnership - - And while Kubiak is highly unlikely to return to the Super Bowl next season, there's a reason for excitement for the Raiders franchise, who are coming off a 3-14 campaign in 2025 - as there's a decent chance that Heisman Trophy winner & national champion-winning QB Fernando Mendoza will play for the "Black & Grey" next season. . .Q: What overall grade would you assess the Las Vegas Raiders' hire of Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their next HC?. . . - NBA - - Prior to the Detroit Pistons' 110-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday night, a fight between both sides in the 3rd QTR, resulted in four (4) player ejections: Charlotte's Moussa Diabate and Miles Bridges were tossed along with Detroit's Jalen Duren & Isaiah Stewart (who would have guessed it?!?), while Hornets coach Charles Lee was ejected in the 4th QTR after he had to be restrained from going after an official while arguing a call - - The brawl was initiated by the following event(s): Pistons' Jalen Duren had the ball and was driving toward the basket with just over seven (7) minutes left in the 3rd QTR when he was fouled by Hornets' Moussa Diabate - - Duren turned around to get face-to-face with Diabate, and the two appeared to butt heads - Duren then pushed Diabate in the face with his open right hand, starting a confrontation that lasted more than 30 seconds, and ultimately ended with a brief police presence on the court - - While Pistons forward Tobias Harris was holding Diabate back, Diabate threw a punch at Duren, who turned & walked away - - but then Hornets' Miles Bridges began to charge at Diabate, throwing a left-handed punch - - Duren then retaliated with a punch, and Diabate attempted to charge at Duren again & had to be restrained - - Meanwhile, Detroit Pistons' Isaiah Stewart (aka "The Ultimate Fighter") left the bench to confront Bridges, who responded immediately with a punch, and the players tussled - - and at one point, Stewart got Bridges in a headlock and delivered multiple left-handed blows to his head. . .**UPDATE: The NBA announced that Detroit Pistons F/C Isaiah Stewart has been suspended for seven (7) games for leaving the Pistons' bench and for participating in the brawl on Monday night - - The league also suspended Hornets forwards Miles Bridges and Moussa Diabate four (4) games each for fighting and escalating the altercation, which occurred midway through the 3rd QTR - - Pistons center Jalen Duren was also suspended two games for initiating the altercation & fighting, the league released in a statement on Tuesday. . .LeBron James' All-NBA streak is officially coming to an end, and the Lakers were majorly undermanned Tuesday night when they hosted the San Antonio Spurs - - James was ruled out of the game with left foot arthritis, the Lakers announced, along with announcing the absences of Luka Doncic (hamstring strain), Austin Reaves (left calf injury management) and Marcus Smart (right ankle soreness) - - It was James' 18th missed games of the season, making it impossible for him to reach the 65-game minimum threshold that's required to be eligible for the NBA's annual awards, whereas James has been named to an All-NBA team for a record-setting 21 straight seasons. . .Q: Should the NBA, at minumum, name LeBron James as a member of this year's Third-Team All-NBA, just to prolong his historic run? Or not a chance in hell?. . . Thanks for Listening!