Tradition's Finest Episode 89 - "The Iron Mike Episode"

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. crushed his first pitch 467 feet for a HR in his dramatic return to the Atlanta Braves on Friday night, almost one year after he tore his left ACL - - The homer by Acuna had an exit velocity of 115.5 mph, and was the hardest hit ball by a Braves player this season - - unfortunately, it was not enough as Padres star Manny Machado would hit a tiebreaking HR off Raisel Iglesias in the 9th inning to over Acuna's homer, and hang on to defeat the Braves 2-1 to end San Diego's six-game losing streak. . .Former MLB outfielder & first baseman, Darin Ruf, 38, is suing the Cincinnati Reds for damages after he suffered a career-ending injury while crashing into an uncovered tarp roller at Great American Ball Park two years ago - - According to the lawsuit filed last Thursday in Ohio, the Reds are being charged with negligence in failing to maintain safe field conditions - and it specifically cites the presence of the unpadded metal tarp roller - - Ruf is seeking punitive and compensatory damages - - The injury occurred in 2023 in a game between the Milwaukee Brewers & Cincinnati Reds, where Ruf was playing first base for the Brewers, and Milwaukee would go on to win the game 5-4 in extra innings, however, in the 3rd inning, Ruf was chasing a foul ball when his knee inadvertantly hit the end of the tarp roller - - As stated in the complaint, Ruf suffered "permanent and substantial deformities to his knee," and after which point, Ruf would be placed on the 60-day injured list, and due to the severity of the injury, he never played in the MLB again. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Ruf's lawsuit? Do you think that the Reds are liable for the negligent acts of the grounds crew's reckless conduct? If the court does rule in favor of Ruf, will his age & the number of years he possibly had left in the league, be pertinent factors of consideration in terms of awarding compensatory damages?. - NCAA: News & Storylines - Following months of meetings to discuss the potential for format changes to the College Football Playoff, suprisingly to some degree, a decision was made last Thursday: After last year's 12-team CFP presented a "first-round bye" to each of the four highest-ranked Conference Champions - - which included the Boise State Broncos & Arizona State Sun Devils - - the Conference commissioners voted to switch to a straight seeding format - - with five spots still reserved for conference champions - - beginning next season. . .Q: If the 2024 12-team College Football Playoff would have been formatted with straight seeding, do you think we would have witnessed a similar result (i.e., Ohio State vs. Notre Dame in the national championship game, and an Ohio State victory)?. . .The major themes lingering over the SEC Conference's annual meetings this week is an air of uncertainty clouding the future of the sport - - With the fate of the House v. NCAA case looming, the College Football Playoff format and the league's football schedule are in flux, and ultimately, there are plenty of complex & transformative issues to be discussed - - University of Georgia HC Kirby Smart made it clear, however, that he feels there is just one paramount topic that needs to be discussed among the fellow SEC coaches - Kirby further elaborated that this one important issue involved clarity on the future of the NCAA transfer portal - "So, the biggest decision that has to be made across football right now to me, by far, is when is the portal window and is there one or two?" - - Currently, there are two (possibly three) NCAA transfer portal windows: (1) At the end of the regular season (December 9-28), and (2) In the Spring (April 16-25) - - and on a not-so-rare occassion, players on a college football team, whose head coach departed and/or was dismissed from the program, are granted a *third portal window - however, this portal window is solely dependent upon the conditions and/or time period for which the departing coach vacates the position, and therefore, may vary considerably across programs. . .Q: What are your thoughts regarding the discussion of the NCAA transfer portal window? Should the NCAA continue to allow two portal windows or should it be consolidated into one?. . . Phil Robertson, 79, the bearded patriarch of the "Duck Dynasty" franchise and the former starting QB at Louisiana Tech University in the late 1960's, has passed away, his family announced via social media on Sunday - - While no direct cause of death was given, his son, Jase Robertson, revealed back in December of last year on the family's podcast, that Phil was in the early stages of Alzheimer's Disease - - Robertson was the QB at Louisiana Tech University for two seasons (i.e., 1966 & 1967), and was the starter ahead of Pro Football Hall of Famer & No.1 overall pick Terry Bradshaw, who would go on to win four Super Bowls with the Pittsburgh Steelers - - Robertson started all 16 football games during the 1966 and 1967 regular seasons, prior to making the decision to not return in 1968, and to pursue his passion for hunting and fishing - - and the rest is history!. . .Former Texas Tech star Darrion Williams, who was a central figure in leading the Red Raiders to a deep run in the postseason, advancing to the Elite Eight of the NCAA College Basketball Tournament, prior to being eliminated by the No.1-seeded Florida Gators, who would go on to claim the national championship - - has committed to NC State and new Wolfpack HC Will Wade - - Williams is the seventh player to commit to NC State out of the NCAA transfer portal since Wade first arrived in Raleigh - - Q: Will HC Will Wade lead the 'Pack back to the NCAA Tournament?. . .What a Journey!: Memphis star transfer PJ Haggerty, one of the best available players that remained in the NCAA transfer portal, withdrew his name from the 2025 NBA Draft on Monday, and has committed to the Kansas State Wildcats & HC Jerome Tang on a lucrative NIL deal - - Haggerty kept his options open after announcing his intentions to transfer away from Memphis - following rumors and speculation that he was demanding a $4 million NIL deal and to be the primary ball-handler - or play the PG position - when on the court - - NC State recruited Haggerty rather significantly, attempting to offer multiple NIL deals in the process, but he chose to transfer to K-State and play in the Big 12 Conference - - Basketball reporter Adam Zagoria reported that Haggerty is set to earn $2 million in guaranteed NIL money from the University, but incentives could push the deal closer to the $2.5-million mark. . .Q: Are you surprised by PJ Haggerty's decision to transfer to Kansas State? Do you think that his signing to a $2 million NIL deal disproves the speculation surrounding his demand for a $4 million deal at Memphis?. . .Auburn guard Tahaad Pettiford has also withdrawn his name from the 2025 NBA Draft - and according to multiple reports, return to the Tigers for his sophomore season, per ESPN on Wednesday afternoon - - According to ESPN's NBA latest draft rankings, Pettiford was listed as the No.35 overall prospect, however, he did display a very strong showing at the NBA Draft Combine last month - - Pettiford drew significant interest from multiple teams that held picks in the first round, and conducted six individual workouts with different teams across the league - - yet, Pettiford made the decision to return to the Plains next season, and he will most definitely enter next season as a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft next year. . . - NFL - The NFL approved a monumental rules resolution this week that will allow NFL players to participate in the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles - - which for the first time will include flag football as an official sport - - Immediately after this rule being passed, many began to speculate what the USA flag football roster would look like with the NFL's best at the forefront - - but hold your horses! - - Team USA flag football QB Darrell Doucette III, however, does not think they need NFL players to compete for the gold medal in the 2028 Olympic Games - - Doucette stated in an interview with The Washington Post's Adam Kilgore that "we don't need other guys!" - - Doucette, who had won two IFAF Flag Football World Championships for the United States, further stated that they are "open to competition on the roster," but he does believe that the flag guys "deserve their opportunity," to compete - - Just a quick reminder, this is the same guy that made national headlines a year or so ago where he compared the sport of flag football and the NFL, and stated his belief that he was/is "better" than Chiefs Super Bowl winning QB, Patrick Mahomes, at football as a sport. . Q: What would be the best way to solve this particular matter - Should the NFL assemble a flag football team & face off one-on-one versus Darrell Doucette's flag football team, with the winner advancing to compete in the 2028 Olympic Games as Team USA's flag football team?. . .Former Denver Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, will posthumously be inducted into the team's "Ring of Fame" during the 2025 NFL season - - Thomas was the only former player or coach that was selected for this honor on Tuesday - - He spent nine seasons with the Broncos - and one season with the New York Jets - and finished his career as the team's leading WR (9,000+ yards receiving), trailing only Rod Smith - - Thomas is 3rd in franchise history in catches (655), trailing only Smith & Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe - and he finished his career with a total of 724 catches for 9,763 yards & 63 TDs - - Dude is a legend, and to this day, Thomas remains one of former Broncos QB Peyton Manning's favorite targets at wideout. . . - NBA - NBA MVP & Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander headlined the All-NBA teams, which were announced Friday evening to conclude the league's annual end-of-season award schedule; The All-NBA teams as discussed in this episode are listed below: 1st Team All-NBA: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum & Donovan Mitchell 2nd Team All-NBA: Evan Mobley, Stephen Curry, Anthony Edwards, LeBron James & Jalen Brunson 3rd Team All-NBA: Jalen Williams, Cade Cunningham, Karl-Anthony Towns, James Harden & Tyrese Haliburton John Haliburton, the father of Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, is allowed to return or attend Indiana Pacers home games again - after being informed to stay away from Pacers' home & road games - following the on-the-court incident with Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first round the Eastern Conference and NBA Playoffs - - Haliburton will watch the remaining home games from a suite at the Pacers' Gainbridge Fieldhouse, however, he will not be permitted to attend the team's road games. . . - NBA Playoffs Recap & Revew - JD & Spencer provide an in-depth & detailed game analysis for each of the NBA Playoffs games discussed in this episode; the discussion also includes insight on individual players & their in-game performances, as well as commentary from our unique perspective; The following games from the Eastern & Western Conference Finals discussed in this episode are outlined below: Game 1: No.3 seed New York Knicks vs. No.4 seed Indiana Pacers Game 2: No.3 seed New York Knicks vs. No.4 seed Indiana Pacers (IND leads series 1-0) Game 3: No.3 seed New York Knicks vs. No.4 seed Indiana Pacers (IND leads series 2-0) Game 4: No.3 seed New York Knicks vs. No.4 seed Indiana Pacers (IND leads series 2-1) Game 2: No.1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves (OKC leads series 1-0) Game 3: No.1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves (OKC leads series 2-0) Game 4: No.1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves (OKC leads series 2-1) Thanks for Listening!