Tradition's Finest Episode 93 - "The Man with Multiple Names Episode"

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 93 - "The Man with Multiple Names Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - Miscellaneous - UFC: Jon Jones, 37, considered the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, informed UFC CEO Dana White last Friday (6/20) of his decision to retire from competition - - Following this update, White announced that interim champion Tom Aspinall has been elevated to the undisputed champion - - and according to White's statement last Saturday, the UFC plans to work closely with Aspinall to book his first title defense, which would equal the match total that Jones defended the title belt throughout his 27-month title reign, in a TKO victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309 in November of last year - - A bout between Jones and Aspinall was discussed thoroughly among the UFC and media & would have been one of the biggest in UFC heavyweight history, but Jones repeatedly downplayed the potential matchup - which led to the online petition calling for Jones to be stripped of his title, that ultimately garnered approximately 200,000 signatures - - Along with Jones' disinterest in defending his title, his career was heavily impacted by legal issues outside the Octagon, including most recently, after a criminal complaint that was filed against Jones earlier this month for allegedly leaving the scene of a accident back in February - - Q:After confirming his retirement from the UFC, what is Jon "Bones" Jones legacy in the sport? Is his legacy somewhat tarnished by his unwillingness to defend his title and the long "laundry list" of legal issues?. . . - MLB - A 22-year-old fan has been banned indefinitely from all MLB ballparks after yelling something about Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte's late mother during last Tuesday night's game against the Chicago White Sox - - It is not publicly known what the fan said to upset the 11-year veteran, but Marte, 31, was brought to tears by the incident, which occurred while he was at bat in the 7th inning - - Diamondbacks Manager Torey Lovullo heard the comment and asked for the fan to be ejected immediately - - On the following day, Marte received a round of applause during his first at bat - - The White Sox were able to avoid the series sweep in the finale Wednesday with a 7-3 victory, yet Marte went hitless in four at-bats with two strikeouts - - Unfortunately, this is not the first incident this season of a fan "heckling" and/or yelling something inappropriate at a player on the field - but according to the source familiar with the Marte situation, the fan was remorseful for his actions, admitting to his in appropriate comments - - Q: Once again, we are reminded why professional athletes should be allowed to swing on fans that are bold and brazen enough to 'fuck around & find out!' However, it is definitely up for debate as to whether the indefinite ban to all MLB ballparks, is a bit excessive or not - What are your thoughts regarding the MLB's decision to ban the White Sox fan from all ballparks following the Marte incident? (This poor guy already has to endure the misery of being a White Sox fan - - should we show him a little bit of grace?). . ."Happy Bobby Bonilla Day:" Tuesday was the first day for the month of July, and while, to most, it is just another ordinary hot, summer day - but for former MLB player, Bobby Bonilla, it is much, much more - - it is officially time for New York Mets fans everywhere to wish each other a Happy Bobby Bonilla Day - - On Tuesday, 62-year-old Bobby Bonilla will collect a check for approximately $1.19M from the New York Mets, as he has and will continue to do so from 2011 through 2035 - - Although Bonilla has not played for the Mets franchise since 1999, he is one of the rare instances of a former MLB player who continues to receive funds associated with a deferred-money contract - - Everyone is wondering: Why does Bonilla receive this payday each July 1st? It's simple, really - In 2000, the Mets agreed to buy out the remaining $5.9 million on Bonilla's contract, however, instead of paying Bonilla the $5.9 million at the time, the Mets agreed to make annual payments of nearly $1.2 million for 25 years starting July 1st, 2011, including a negotiated 8% interest - - At the time, Mets ownership was invested in an account of former University of Alabama graduate (and prosecuted criminal), Bernie Madoff, that promised double-digit returns, and the Mets were poised to make a significant profit if the Madoff account delivered - but of course, and unfortunately for the Mets franchise, the Madoff account did not pay off and Bobby Bonilla would continue to receive a check each year. - NCAA: News & Storylines - NCAA College Baseball: 2025 Men's College World Series Championship Series Catch-Up - - Game 1: No.6 LSU Tigers (52-15) vs. No.13 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (56-12): Ace pitcher Kade Anderson, who is No.3 in Keith Law's latest MLB mock draft, threw a complete-game shutout last Saturday allowing three hits, 10 strikeout & a total of 130 pitches to lead the LSU Tigers to the 1-0 victory over Coastal Carolina to take a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three championship series - - LSU's Steven Milam was the offensive star of the game as he was the only player to have multiple hits in the game, finishing 2-for-3 with a double & a walk, reaching base three times - he also drove in the game's only run with a single in the 1st inning - - LSU had three at-bats with runners in scoring position and got the job done once, in the 1st inning, while the Chanticleers went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position - - The Tigers needed one more win for the program's 8th national title - - The Coastal Carolina winning strak was officially over - as the Chanticleers had won 26 straight games prior to the Game 1 loss - with their most previous loss occurring back in April versus the College of Charleston, in a 4-2 loss. . .Game 2: No.6 LSU Tigers (52-15/ 1-0) vs. No.13 Coastal Carolina Chanticleers (56-12/ 0-1): Coastal Carolina fell in Game 2 of the College World Series 5-3 to LSU last Sunday as the Tigers wrapped up their second national title run in the last three seasons, with a sweep of the Chanticleers - - Before a run was scored by either team, the game features some drama in the bottom of the 1st inning: With two outs in the inning, Coastal Carolina HC Kevin Schnall - and first-base coach Matt Schilling - was ejected for arguing strike calls with home plate umpire Angel Campos - - The Tigers broke a 1-1 tie in the 4th inning on a bases-loaded single by Chris Stanfield that drove in two runs - but Derek Curiel followed with a single to score another two runs, and Chanticleers pitcher Jacob Morrison was pulled from the game - - LSU would go up 5-1 after a big 4th inning - - The Chanticleers appeared to have an excellent chance to force a decisive Game 3 with Morrison on the mound - the 6-foot-8 RHP came into last Sunday's matchup with a 12-0 record and 2.08 ERA, but the Tigers battered him for five runs and six hits in 3 2/3 innings - this was the most runs Morrison allowed this season, in addition to his shortest outing of the year - - Following Kade Anderson's dominant performance in Game 1, Tigers' pitcher Anthony Eyanson pitched nearly as well on Sunday - the junior RHP (11-2, 2.92 ERA) allowed three runs and six hits over 6 1/3 innings while striking out nine Chanticleers batters - he was chased from the game after allowing a two-run HR to Wells Sykes in the 7th inning and 99 pitches thrown - - Sophomore Chase Shores relieved Eyanson in the 7th and pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing only one hit with four strikeouts to close out the win for LSU and give the Tigers their second national championship under HC Jay Johnson - as well as providing the SEC Conference with its sixth consecutive championship. . . NCAA College Basketball: The video game developer, EA Sports, confirmed on Monday that, for the first time in over 16 years, a college basketball game will be returning - - unfortunately, it will not be released until the year 2028 - - The last college basketball game that was released was in 2009 and featured Blake Griffin in a University of Oklahoma jersey - - Q: What aspects of the EA Sports College Basketball game are you most looking forward too? Are you at all disappointed that EA Sports will be releasing the game instead of 2K Sports?. . .NCAA College Football: Texas State, as of Monday, is officially the newest member of the reloaded PAC-12 Conference after waiting the mandatory 72-hour hold, as confirmed per ESPN - - The PAC-12 and Texas State are expected to finalize the process soon, and the move will happen for the 2026-27 school year for all sports - - The Bobcats will become the eighth football-playing member (Gonzaga is the league's ninth member but does not have a football program) - An eighth football member will allow the PAC-12 to operate as an FBS Conference in 2026. . .The civil lawsuit accussing BYU QB Jake Retzlaff of rape has been dismissed, according to court records - - The parties agreed to dismiss with prejudice, ending the case which was filed last month - - Retzlaff now plans to transfer from BYU as he faces a possible seven-game suspension for violating the school's "honor code" by admitting to premarital sex during the legal proceedings - - Q: What are your thoughts regarding BYU's honor code, and his decision to enter the transfer portal this late into the offseason?. . . - NFL - Former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker has been suspended for the first ten weeks of the 2025 regular season after the NFL found that he violated its personal conduct policy, the league announced on Thursday - - Tucker can serve the suspension as a free agent and is free to sign with an NFL team - - If he were to sign with a team, he could attend training camp and play in preseason games prior to start of his suspension on August 26th - - The NFL has stated that Tucker will be eligible for reinstatement on November 11th - - Q: Typically, in these type of domestic situations, the league's suspension of a player does not necessarily carry a "death sentence," but rather, the player's prolonged longevity in the league following such investigations, are drastically affected by the unwillingness of NFL franchises to foster a deal with the player - - How likely is it that Justin Tucker is offered a deal by an NFL team throughout or following his 10-game suspension? How likely is it that his NFL career is over?. . .The Miami Dolphins have agreed to trade three-time All-Pro CB Jalen Ramsey and TE Jonnu Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday in exchange for three-time All-Pro S Minkah Fitzpatrick and a pick swap - - As part of the trade, the Dolphins are sending a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Steelers, and will receive a 2027 fifth-round pick back from Pittsburgh - - Ramsey will get a $1.5 million raise this season, bringing his 2025 compensation up to $26.6 million, and Smith will receive a one-year contract extension worth $12 million - - Ramsey is joining a loaded CB group with the Steelers that features Darius Slay Jr., who was signed this offseason in free agency, as well as incumbent starter Joey Porter Jr. - - Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick heads back to Miami, where he began his career after the Dolphins selected him 11th overall in the 2018 NFL Draft - - Q: Is there a clear winner of this trade? If so, which team got the better deal: the Miami Dolphins or Pittsburgh Steelers?. . .The Miami Dolphins were not done, yet - - the team traded a 2026 sixth-round draft pick to the New York Giants on Tuesday in exchange for TE Darren Waller and a conditional 2027 seventh-round draft pick - - TE Darren Waller, 32, whose rights were owned by the New York Giants, is coming out of retirement to play for the Dolphins after agreeing to a one-year deal worth up to $5 million - - Waller had announced his retirement from the NFL last June stating that a health scare he experienced the year prior gave him clarity about his life - which ultimately set off a chain of events that would lead to a public divorce from WNBA star Kelsey Plum & the release of a rap album - - While it is unknown how much the Dolphins will get out of Waller, the trade will help fill the void at the position after Jonnu Smith was traded to the Steelers the prior day. . . - WNBA & NBA - The WNBA announced on Monday that it will be expanding to 18 teams over the next five years - announcing the addition of three new expansion teams - as well as releasing additional details concerning majority (and minority) ownership and where each franchise will play their home games - - The three expansion teams announced included the following: (a) Cleveland - will begin play in 2028, and the majority ownership group consists of Dan Gilbert, the owner of the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers; (b) Detroit - will begin play in 2029, and the majority ownership group consists of Tom Gores, the owner of the NBA's Detroit Pistons - along with minority owners Grant Hill, Chris Webber & Jared Goff; and (c) Philadelphia - will begin play in 2030, and the majority ownershup group consists of Josh Harris, the owner of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers - - Each team's ownership group paid a $250 million expansion fee, which is about five times as much as the Golden State Warriors dished out for the Valkyries a few years ago - but each expansion team will join the league, assuming it will obtain approval from the NBA and WNBA board of governers. . .Per Shams Charania, federal authorities are investigation Detroit Pistons guard Malik Beasley on allegations of gambling related to NBA games and prop bets - - the allegations stem from the 2023-24 NBA season, when Beasley played for the Milwaukee Bucks - - At least one prominent U.S Sportsbook detected unusually heavy betting interest on Beasley's statistics around January 2024 - - A gambling industry source pointed to a game between the Bucks and the Trail Blazers on Jan. 31, 2024 - - The odds on Beasley recording fewer than 2.5 rebounds moved significantly at sportsbooks before the game, shorterning from around +120 to around -250 due to a surge of action on the under - Beasley finished with six rebounds, and the bets that were deemed unusual lost - - Beasley, 28, and the Pistons were in talks on a three-year, $42 million contract to bring the free agent sharpshooter back to Detroit but now talks are "on pause," according to multiple sources. . .The 2025 NBA Draft occurred last Wednesday night, and the first round was full of twists, but the headliners were not surprising as Cooper Flagg was selected with the No.1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks, and Dylan Harper was selected with the No.2 overall pick by the San Antonio Spurs - - Ace Bailey came off the board at No.5 to the Utah Jazz, a team that wasn't one of his planned destinations, but could be an excellent landing spot - leading up to the Wednesday's draft, Bailey's representatives informed the teams drafting inside the top five that the Rutgers wing did not want to be selected - and that he would not report if it did - After the Jazz selected Bailey, according to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, he initially had minimal contact with the team and as of Thursday afternoon, had not yet arrived in Utah - while the team's other first-round pick, Walter Clayton Jr., flew to Utah on Thursday morning and was ready to go - - Update: Bailey has since reported to Utah's practice facility and has expressed enthusiasm for being with the Jazz in a Utah intro video after being heavily criticized for his approach to the pre-draft process - - The New Orleans Pelicans made an aggressive play to pair Jeremiah Fears (No.7) with Derik Queen (No.13), moving valuable draft capital to make it happen - - The Portland Trail Blazers made the most surprising pick of the first round by selecting Yang Hansen (ranked No.35 in ESPN's final Top 100 player big board) - - And the Brooklyn Nets, who controlled five first round picks, drafted ALL guards to jump-start a youth movement - - Q: Who were the draft winners of the 2025 NBA Draft? Who were the draft losers of the 2025 NBA Draft? What was the best overall value pick of this year's Draft?. . .NBA Free Agency & Trade Market: A couple weeks ago, on Sunday, June 22nd, the Phoenix Suns agreed on a blockbuster trade, sending 15-time NBA All-Star Kevin Durant, 37, to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No.10 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft as well as five second-round picks, sources had confirmed to ESPN - - At the time the trade was completed, Durant was on stage at Fanatics Fest at the Javits Center in New York when news of the trade agreement first broke, with fans pleasantly surprised by the sudden announcement - - and Durant informed reporter Kay Adams that he was "looking forward to [being a part of the Houston Rockets] - - Following the news of the trade agreement, Houston's odds to win the NBA title next season moved from 18-1 to +850 at ESPN BET, which are the second-best odds behind only the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder - - Meanwhile, the Suns' odds fell from 100-1 to 300-1 at ESPN BET - - Q: Who won the trade between the Phoenix Suns and the Houston Rockets? Should Houston be considered one of the favorites to knock off the Thunder in 2025-26?. . .In an attempt to retool their roster in the wake of Jayson Tatum's right Achilles tear in the second round of the NBA Playoffs, the Boston Celtics decided to make a move in what is expected to be an extremely active offseason for the team: The Celtics traded PG Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for SG Anfernee Simons & two second-round draft picks - - Holiday, who is now heading into his 17th NBA season, brings championship experience to a young Trail Blazers core, and he will be of the utmost help to Portland's rising defense - whereas Simons will fit HC Joe Mazzulla & Celtics' style of play as he is very comfortable shooting from distance, averaging nearly nine 3-point attempts per game over the past three seasons - - Q: Which team, the Celtics or Trail Blazers, won this trade? Which team is now in the better position moving forward?. . .The Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets agreed to a three-team deal last Tuesday that saw the Celtics send Kristaps Porzingis and a second-round pick to the Hawks, while Terance Mann & Atlanta's No.22 pick headed to the Nets, and finally, Georges Niang and a second-rounder landed with the Celtics - - This was the second significant trade by the Celtics in less than 24 hours - - Across these two deals, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks, the Celtics have saved $180 million in luxury taxes on what was originally projected to be a combined payroll and tax bill of over $500 million next season - - Also, as part of the deal, Boston will receive Cleveland's 2031 second-round pick, which the Hawks previously had the rights to, and Atlanta will take Boston's least favorable 2026 second-round choice, as confirmed per ESPN. . .The Denver Nuggets have agreed to trade SF Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson - - Q: What are your thoughts of the Nuggets-Nets trade?. . .Free Agent guard D'Angelo Russell has agreed on a two-year, $13 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks, sources confirmed to ESPN on Monday evening. . .In a stunning move, the Milwaukee Bucks waived star guard Damian Lillard on Tuesday and will stretch the remaining $113 million on his contract in order to acquire PF/C Myles Turner - - the Bucks found a creative path to stretch Lillard's contract over the next five seasons while leaving their future draft assets untouched - - Lillard's two seasons in Milwaukee comes to an end as he continues to rehabilitate a torn Achilles tendon, while Turner agreed to a four-year, $107 million deal with Bucks, plus a player option for year four in 2028-29 and a full 15% trade kicker - - Turner, the longest-tenured Pacers player over 10 seasons with the franchise, made it known he wished to remain in Indiana, but ultimately, Indiana's aversion to the luxury tax, which grew after Tyrese Haliburton's torn Achilles injury, allowed the Bucks to sneak in & acquire their new franchise Center - - Q: What are your thoughts on the Buck's acquisition of PF/C Myles Turner, and his willingness to depart from the Pacers franchise? - - Immediately following the Bucks' decision to waive All-Star guard Damian Lillard, it was reported that Giannis Antetokounmpo was "not pleased" with the franchise, per Chris Haynes of the Bleacher Report - - Q: Is the "Greek Freak" more likely to sign a new deal with the Milwaukee Bucks OR to request a sign-and-trade deal to play elsewhere?. . .Sources confirmed to ESPN on Wednesday that the New York Knicks were expected - and it was later confirmed - that two-time Coach of the Year winner, Mike Brown, had been hired as the franchise's next head coach - - Knicks president Leon Rose underwent a thorough process since the firing of Tom Thibodeau a month ago - - The Knicks requested permission to speak with five NBA head coaches and were denied, then interviewed several available coaches & went through multi-round stages with select candidates - - Brown was the only coaching candidate to interview for the Knicks' head coaching position multiple times - - Brown has a combined record of 454-304 as a head coach with the Cavaliers, Lakers & Kings - - Q: What are your thoughts on the "coaching fit" of Brown for the New York Knicks?. . . - NBA Finals Review - 2025 NBA Finals Game 7: No.1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.4 Indiana Pacers (series tied 3-3). . .NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander walked off the court for the final time this season, collapsed into the arms of Thunder HC Mark Daigneault and finally smiled - - The climb was complete! - - The best team all season turned out to be the best team at the end of the NBA Playoffs, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are officially NBA Champions, bringing an NBA title to OKC for the first time - - OKC is the youngest team to win a title in nearly a half-century - - SGA finished off his MVP season with 29 points and 12 assists, and the Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers - - who lost star guard Tyrese Haliburton to a serious leg injury in the opening minutes of the game - - 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last Sunday night - - Jalen Williams scored 20 points and Chet Holmgren had 18 for the Thunder, who finished off a season for the ages after winning 84 games between the regular season and the playoffs, tying the 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for third most in any season - - In Game 7, the world watched as Pacers' guard Tyrese Haliburton exited the game with 4:55 remaining in the 1st QTR after sustaining what was to be determined as a torn Achilles tendon injury - - The seriousness of the injury was apparent from the moment the Pacers' guard crumpled to the floor without contact as he was attempting to drive to the basket - - Even without Haliburton, the Pacers did not give up easy, leading the game 48-47 at the halftime break, but unfortunately for the Pacers, they were outscored 34-20 in the 3rd QTR as the Thunder built a 13-point lead and began to run away - - Bennedict Mathurin had 24 points & 13 rebounds for Indiana, which will continue to wait for its' first NBA title - - Q: The big question that will continue to be a matter of debate is whether the Tyrese Haliburton injury cost the Indiana Pacers a Game 7 win (and subsequently, the 2025 NBA title) - - What do you think: did the Haliburton injury cost the Pacers an NBA Championship? Or would you have expected a similar outcome with the Thunder hoisting the trophy?. . . - 2025-26 NCAA College Football Award & Trophy Prediction Showcase - JD & Spencer provide their individual and independent predictions for the winners of each of the most prestigous College Football awards/trophies next season. . .They also provide detailed explanations, analysis & reasoning for each prediction;The award winners for the following College Football Awards and/or Trophies listed below are discussed within this episode, so be sure to tune in to hear their picks: The Broyles Award The Ted Hendricks Award The Jim Thorpe Award The Chuck Bednarik Award The Outland Trophy The John Mackey Award The Fred Biletnikoff Award The Doak Walker Award The Home Depot Coach of the Year Award The Walter Camp Award, and The Heisman Trophy Thanks for Listening!