Tradition's Finest Episode 140 - The "Reign Man" Episode

Tradition's Finest Episode 140 - The "Reign Man" Episode

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 140 - The "Reign Man" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: "The Saga Continues:" The Big 12 on Monday morning made it clear it did not want to be pushed around in court in the case surrounding Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby. .and it seems to have worked: Hours before sources told ESPN Monday night that Sorsby plans to enter the NFL Supplemental Draft, a decision later confirmed by a university statement, the Red Raiders' conference filed a federal lawsuit in the Northern District of Texas seeking both a declaratory judgment and injunctive relief to allow the league the authority to use its bylaws to potentially punish Sorsby, who admitted to betting on college sports - - Sorsby's and TTU's decision to “mutually part ways” should quell the conference's concerns for the time being. . .Q: What are your thoughts on QB Brendan Sorsby & Texas Tech University mutually parting ways following this media spectacle? - - The Big 12, a league won by Texas Tech last season, was chief among those critics, as Monday's move by the conference was a legal counter to a letter from Texas attorney general last week, which warned that any sanctions imposed by the Big 12 would be “unlawful” and countered by legal action, with the Texas AG, Kenneth Paxton, listed as a defendant, along with the chancellor, president and AD of Texas Tech - - This all played out in the wake of a judge granting Sorsby a temporary injunction on June 8 that essentially cleared the way for him to play for Texas Tech in 2026 - that came after Sorsby admitted that he broke NCAA rules by betting thousands of times, including 40 times on Indiana football while he was on that team's roster - - Before Sorsby's decision to leave the Red Raiders, the Big 12's presidents met Monday to discuss potential punishments with no definitive outcome - - The Big 12's federal suit included a request for an injunction to allow the league to enforce its own rules - and at the heart of this was Big 12 Bylaw 3:6, which allows the league via a supermajority vote to decide whether Texas Tech's conduct warrants sanctions: The suit sought to bar Texas Tech from “seeking to deter, coerce, prevent, or punish the Big 12 for exercising its rights under its Bylaws to sanction TTU related to its handling of the sports betting activity discussed in this Complaint, including if TTU fields a student-athlete in Big 12 competitions who has engaged in collegiate sports betting activity.” - - The measures discussed by the Big 12 executive committee last week in a call included both financial penalties to the school and penalties related to eligibility, as the Big 12's filing alludes to barring the school from the conference championship game as a potential sanction – The suit also acknowledged the near unanimity in the college athletics industry that Sorsby should not be allowed to play and mentioned bans on playing Texas Tech by the athletic departments at Georgia and Nebraska - as the suit was a highly unusual action from a conference and it came amid a volatile situation: Big 12 ADs were outspoken, both publicly and in meetings, in saying they don't want to Sorsby to play - - For the first time since 2019, the NFL supplemental draft is interesting!. . .Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby has announced his intention to enter the supplemental draft, which will be held sometime in July once the league approves his application: The supplemental draft allows all 32 teams to bid blindly against one another for the rights to a player – Any team wishing to add Sorsby must submit a bid for the round in which it would be willing to draft him, as the team that submits the most valuable bid wins the rights to the player, but its pick in that specific round is forfeited in the upcoming 2027 NFL Draft - - As such, NFL teams are now doing all of their due diligence on Sorsby: A much-larger-than-normal piece of that diligence will consider his serious sports gambling transgressions, but it's still the job of scouts and coaches to watch the tape and grade his current play and NFL potential - as league evaluators were excited to see Sorsby play another season at Texas Tech; even if he had declared for the 2026 draft, before the sports gambling was exposed, he was considered a high-ceiling prospect worthy of a solid pick. . .Q: Do you think that an NFL franchise will use their draft pick to select QB Brendan Sorsby in this year's Supplemental Draft? If so, which NFL franchise or franchises might take the risk & draft Sorsby?. . .NCAA College Baseball: Bracket #1: Men's College World Series Game #11/Semifinals: No.5 North Carolina Tar Heels (2-0) vs. No.16 West Virginia Mountaineers (1-1) - - The Tar Heels exploded for 12 runs, jumping out to a 12-1 lead and holding off No.16 West Virginia, 12-7, to advance to the championship series of the College World Series on Wednesday afternoon at Charles Schwab Field - - **NOTE: With the victory, their fifth in a row, the Tar Heels advanced to the CWS championship series for the third time and the first time in 19 seasons, joining the 2006 and 2007 squads -- They improved to 3-0 in games to send themselves to the championship finals, as the final, best-of-three (3) series for the NCAA championship will begin in Omaha on Saturday on ESPN - - **NOTE: UNC has started 3-0 in the CWS for the first time since beginning 4-0 in 2006 and is a scorching 8-1 in the 2026 NCAA Tournament - - Carolina scored eight (8) runs in the first four (4) innings to take control early and allowed only run through 6.2 innings, whereas WVU scored five (5) in the bottom of the 7th and added another in the 8th, but Caden Glauber slammed the door by striking out three (3) and allowing just one run in 2.1 innings of relief to finish the game - - **NOTE: Carolina's 12 runs were its most since scoring 13 against Pitt on May 23 in the ACC Tournament - - as the Mountaineers had allowed only a combined 10 runs in their first three (3) games in Omaha prior to Wednesday - - UNC improved to 53-12-1 with the victory and has won 17 of its last 20 games, whereas the Mountaineers saw their season come to an abrupt end at 47-17 - - Owen Hull went 4-for-5 at the plate with two doubles and two RBIs to set the tone for the Tar Heels. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the No.5 North Carolina Tar Heels advancing to the Men's College World Series best-of-three championship series?. . .. . .Bracket #2: Men's College World Series #12/Semifinals: No.3 Georgia Bulldogs (1-1) vs. Oklahoma Sooners (2-0) - - Freshman pitcher shutting down maybe the nation's most potent lineup. . .Check!. . .HRs by the record-setting handful?. . .Check!. . .Otherworldly defensive genius with the leather?. . .Check! - - Oklahoma's unlikely run at the College World Series continued on Wednesday night at Charles Schwab Field as the Sooners emphatically eliminate No.3 national seed Georgia 11-4 - - OU (41-22) hit five (5) HRs, got another startingly precocious performance on the hill and layered in plenty of fabulous defense to shut down the Bulldogs (53-14) and advance to the CWS Championship Series for the second time in a five-year stretch - as Oklahoma will play No.5 North Carolina (53-12-1) in a best-of-three (3) series starting Saturday - - Oklahoma won its eighth game in a row - and barely gave the crowd of 24,446 time to catch their breath before another Sooner smacked a ball over the fence - - But it was fellow freshman pitcher Nick Wesloski, who was up to the challenge of taking down the Bulldogs despite the lack of starting experience this season - as his only other start on the college level was two weeks ago in the Atlanta regional against The Citadel, when he threw 105 pitches over seven (7) innings and gave up five (5) runs on six (6) hits and a pair of walks - and picked up his first collegiate win - - When the red-hot OU hitters staked him to a four-run lead early, Wesloski was able to relax, settle in and find the strike zone without much trouble - - Jason Walk enjoyed his first career two-HR game, Dasan Harris had his second, and Trey Gambill homered as well, his 11th - as Walk & Harris had hit just four (4) HRs all season, but they lived beyond the wall against Georgia's pitching. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the College World Series best-of-three (3) championship series between No.5 UNC and Oklahoma? Who do you predict to win this series?. . . - NFL - - Former NFL DL Aldon Smith has died in the Bay Area at the age of 36, the San Francisco 49ers announced and confirmed on Saturday afternoon, however, there was no cause of death given - - Smith played six (6) seasons in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, as the Niners selected him with the No.7 overall pick in the 2011 NFL draft: Once viewed as one of the NFL's top young players, Smith's star-crossed career ended in 2020 after one season with the Cowboys - - As a rookie, Smith burst on the scene with 14 sacks and 27 QB hits on his way to finishing second in Defensive Rookie of the Year balloting - - He followed with his best NFL season in 2012, posting 19.5 sacks and 29 QB hits as he earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors - as those 19.5 sacks still stand as a 49ers' franchise record for a single season - - Smith's rapid ascent to NFL stardom was slowed by a series of off-field issues that included 10 arrests in nine (9) years, as the NFL eventually suspended Smith for nine (9) games in 2014 for violation of the league's personal conduct and substance abuse policies - - Amid suspensions that kept him out of football from 2016 to 2019, Smith appeared in nine (9) games for the Oakland Raiders in 2015 and was conditionally reinstated by the NFL in May 2020: he appeared in 16 contests for the Dallas Cowboys in 2020, for which he had 3.5 sacks for the Raiders and five (5) for the Cowboys, with his last one coming against the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 1, 2020 - - Smith attempted one more comeback with the Seattle Seahawks in 2021 but was arrested on a second-degree battery charge in Louisiana soon after signing with Seattle, after which point, the Seahawks waived him on Aug. 11, 2021 - - On the "I Am Athlete" podcast in 2023, Smith announced he was retiring from the game, saying "I'm done with ball." - - Smith, who was born on Sept. 25, 1989, in Kansas City, Missouri, played collegiately at Missouri - - The family of Aldon Smith has decided to send his brain to medical experts at the Boston University CTE Center to see whether chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) played a role in the former NFL DL's death - - Smith passed away on Saturday at age 36, hours after he had delivered pizzas to a homeless charity in the San Francisco Bay area - and while no cause of death has been given, Smith's family has hired attorneys to help investigate his death - - CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been found in athletes in contact sports, combat veterans and others exposed to repetitive head trauma - as it has been know to cause violent mood swings, impulsive behavior & depression - but it can only be diagnosed after death - - According to the family, Smith suffered numerous concussions during his NFL career. . .Q: What are your thoughts on former NFL DL Aldon Smith's untimely passing? What do you think the results of Boston University's assessment of Aldon Smith's brain is going to determine: he did or did not have CTE?. . . - MLB - - Chicago Cubs CF Pete Crow-Armstrong on Monday night became the first player in the MLB to hit for the cycle this season: Crow-Armstrong homered to lead off the game against the Colorado Rockies, then hit a triple in the 3rd inning, a double in the 5th and a single in the 7th inning - - Crow-Armstrong's first three (3) hits came off Rockies starter Michael Lorenzen, and the final one was off reliever Antonio Senzatela - - **NOTE: Crow-Armstrong is the first player to accomplish the feat since Twins CF Byron Buxton last July and the first Cubs player since teammate Carson Kelly last March - - **NOTE2: Crow-Armstrong is the 13th player in franchise history to hit for the cycle and the youngest since Randy Hundley in 1966 - - Crow-Armstrong has been hot lately, collecting 13 hits in his past six (6) games, including the four (4) Monday - - Of those 13, eight (8) have gone for extra bases - as his OPS rose to .845 after his cycle -- The Cubs erased a 4-3 deficit in the 9th inning as Matt Shaw scored the game-winning run on a bases-loaded walk, as it was Chicago's ninth walk-off win, the most in the majors - with no other team having more than six (6) walk-off victories - - However, the Cubs have been struggling to consistently win for well over a month, and lost a series to Colorado last week, as their last three (3) wins at Wrigley Field have all been walk-offs - - This was the second time in three (3) games that Crow-Armstrong had a chance at a cycle after singling, doubling and homering Saturday against the San Francisco Giants: **NOTE: He became the fourth player in the divisional era (since 1969) to complete the cycle in reverse order: HR, triple, double and single. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Chicago Cubs CF Pete Crow-Armstrong batting performance on Monday night against the Colorado Rockies, becoming the first player in the majors to hit for the cycle this season?. . . - NBA - - 2026 NBA Playoffs Review: NBA Finals: New York Knicks vs. San Antonio Spurs [NYK leads series 3-1] - Game 5: Jalen Brunson and the "Comeback Knicks" did it again. .And now, they're the "Champion Knicks." - - For the first time in 53 years, New York rules the NBA: Brunson scored 45 points, including 13 straight for New York in the 4th QTR, and the Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Saturday night - - The Knicks won the series 4-1, rallying from double-digit deficits in all four (4) of those victories, as the deficit was 16 on Saturday night, but Brunson and the Knicks were never fazed - - **NOTE: Brunson set a Knicks record for points in a finals game: it had been 38 by Willis Reed against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 3 of the 1970 series - but now it belongs to the left-handed PG who changed the franchise's fortunes when he arrived four (4) years ago - - Knicks coach Mike Brown, who was hired a year ago - making him the franchise's 24th coach since the franchise's last championship in 1973, said of his team winning the championship "It's surreal." - - Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart - the other two parts of the "Nova Knicks" trip that also includes Brunson, three (3) players who were NCAA champions at Villanova and teamed up in New York to try to do the same - combined to score 27 points, as Bridges had 14, Hart 13 - - New York got to the brink of this title by rallying from 29 points down in Game 4 to win 107-106 on OG Anunoby's tip-in with 1.2 seconds left on Wednesday night, as it was the largest comeback in NBA Finals history and the biggest comeback in any game this season, regular season or playoffs - and by comparison, then, a 16-point raly in this one seemed relatively simple, whereas San Antonio had to shuffle off into the offseason following their Game 5 collapse - - Rookie Dylan Harper scored 25 for the Spurs, who got 19 points, 14 rebounds & five (5) blocked shots from Victor Wembanyama - as the Knicks improved to 4-0 in closeout opportunities this season, winning them all on the road, but it didn't feel like the road, though - not with thousands of New York faithful having made the trip to Texas to witness a moment 53 years in the making - - And back home, on the streets of the Big Apple, celebrations broke out everywhere: Jubilant Knicks fans flooded the streets of New York on Saturday night, crowding into intersections and climbing light poles and buses as they celebrated the team's first NBA championship in over 50 years - but the celebration turned chaotic as the night wore on, with five (5) school buses set ablaze in Times Square, five (5) police cars damaged on Sixth Avenue and a 17-year-old boy shot in the foot near the heart of the festivities - - A total of 63 people were arrested overnight in connection with the Knicks game, the NYPD said, as charges include assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstruction of governmental administration, police said - - Police also reported four (4) stabbings overnight. . .Q: How many more championships do you think the NYPD are prepared for in New York City? What are your thoughts on the New York Knicks becoming the 2026 NBA Champions after a 53-year drought? - - "Bing Bong, No Respect:" It seems the oddsmakers didn't learn their lesson after underestimating the New York Knicks throughout their NBA championship run: **NOTE: The Knicks entered the NBA playoffs with the eighth-shortest offs (+2200) to win the title - and even after they steamrolled their way through the East, they were heavily doubted against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals, with oddsmakers giving +180 odds to end their 53-year NBA championship drought. .The disrespect continues: Entering next season, the Knicks have the fourth-shortest odds to repeat as NBA champions, trailing the San Antonio Spurs (+250), Oklahoma City Thunder (+250) and Boston Celtics (+550) - as the odds are shocking since the Knicks handily beat the Celtics and Spurs in the last two playoffs and are expected to return with the same roster next year. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the 2026-27 NBA titles odds as the Knicks will enter the season with the fourth-highest chance to win next year's title?. . .Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden was arrested early Saturday morning in Houston and has been charged with a misdemeanor unlawful carrying of a weapon - - According to Harris County court records, Harden was taken into custody at 3:41 a.m. when a handgun was observed on the seat of a car he owns: The gun was not holstered and was in plain view, according to the records - Harden was booked at 4:57 a.m. and later released after paying a $100 bond, and his arraignment is scheduled for June 22 - - Harden is potentially going to be a free agent at the end of the month, as he had a $42 million player option decision he must make by June 29, but only $13.3 million is guaranteed - - It has been expected that Harden would opt out of the contract and sign a new multiyear deal to remain in Cleveland, where he was traded in February, as he helped lead the Cavaliers reach the Eastern Conference Finals. . .Q: What do you make of Cleveland Cavaliers guard James Harden's arrest in Houston early Saturday morning? Will his arrest have any type of negative effect on his upcoming contract negotiations with Cleveland?. . ."Master Splitter:" The Chicago Bulls are finalizing the hiring of Portland Trail Blazers interim coach Tiago Splitter as the franchise's new head coach, sources told ESPN on Monday - - Splitter succeeds Billy Donovan as the Bulls' HC after stepping into the head coach job in Portland last season and excelling: Splitter, 41, guided the Trail Blazers to a 42-40 record and a postseason berth as the No.7 seed in the Western Conference amid adversity stemming from Chauncey Billups' federal charges - - **NOTE: Splitter became the first Trail Blazers head coach to have a winning record in his first season with the team since Maurice Cheeks in 2001-02 and the first to win a playoff game in his debut season in Portland since Mike Dunleavy in 1997-98 - - Splitter led the Trail Blazers to a top-10 defense in their final 51 regular-season games, with a 30-21 record during that span, as Portland also led the NBA in second-chance points per game under Splitter last season - - The Bulls conducted a search that spanned a double-digit number of candidates before narrowing the process: they landed on Splitter due to his ability to lead the team's player development, organizational alignment on the franchise's direction & vision, and his leadership and knowledge base as a coach who has risen through the ranks since 2018 and played in the NBA for seven (7) years with one championship with the San Antonio Spurs - - Splitter played overseas before the Spurs choses him with the No.28 pick in the 2007 NBA Draft - - He played in San Antonio, Atlanta and Philadelphia across his NBA career - - After retiring, Splitter joined the Brooklyn Nets as a scout and player development staff member in 2018, whereas he spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant for the Houston Rockets under Ime Udoka, and then he took a job as HC of Paris Basketball for the 2024-25 EuroLeague campaign before returning of the NBA as Billups' lead assistant in Portland, as the Trail Blazers will now have to hire a new coach after Splitter, one of their finalists, has accepted the Chicago job: Nori and Boston Celtics assistant Tyler Lashbrook are the two candidates remaining to become the new Portland head coach. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Chicago Bulls' hire of Portland Trail Blazers' interim coach Tiago Splitter as the franchise's new HC?. . . - Miscellaneous - - 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final [CAR leads series 3-2] - Game 6: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes - - Carolina spent the first part of the Stanley Cup Final surviving, finding ways to overcome deficits and play a high-scoring game that didn't fit the Hurricanes' typical style - but when it came down to doing what it takes to win the Cup, the Hurricanes' defense put its stamp on this series, shutting down the Vegas Golden Knights and not letting up: The Hurricanes held Vegas to five (5) total goals in Games 4 and 5 and used a suffocating defense in a 3-0 shutout in Sunday night's clinching Game 6 to win their first NHL championship in 20 years - - Jordan Staal was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy for most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs, becoming the oldest player to ever win the award at the ripe age of 37 - - Brandon Bussi, whose entrance late into Game 3 helped turn around the series for Carolina, recorded his first career playoff shutout in stopping 22 shots, while Jackson Blake had a goal & assist, Taylor Hall scored just 3:47 into the game to set the tone, and Nikolaj Ehlers added an empty-net goal - - The Golden Knights, who made an unlikely run just to reach the final, struggled badly to muster in any kind of offense in Game 6 and went 18:37 between shots on goal in the second and third periods - - **NOTE: This was the first time that the Golden Knights have been shut out, after playing in their third Cup final - - This clinching game was what many observers expected the series to be like between the defensive-minded teams, but each side watched leads of two-plus goals disappear in the first three (3) games - - Now, the Cup belongs to the Hurricanes, led by coach Rod Brind'Amour, who also captained Carolina to its 2006 title. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Carolina Hurricanes winning their first NHL championship in 20 years? - - **UPDATE: John Tortorella, who guided the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final, will not return as head coach next season, the team announced Tuesday, less than 48 hours after losing the final series, 4-2, to the Carolina Hurricanes - - Tortorella, who was a surprise hire when he was brought in with eight (8) games remaining in the NHL regular season, after the Golden Knights had fired Bruce Cassidy, who had one year remaining on his contract, while the team was in playoff position - - Tortorella's deal with the Golden Knights was only through June 30, the end of the league calendar - - Tortorella, who went 21-8-1 with Vegas (including playoffs), indicated that he would like to coach next season, sources told ESPN. . .Q: What was your immediate response to the news that Vegas Golden Knights coach John Tortorella would not be returning for the NHL franchise following their Stanley Cup Final run this season?. . .2026 FIFA World Cup Recap: That's 24 games featuring 48 teams in the books - Or, as FIFA would put it: the biggest first matchday ever, at the biggest World Cup ever - - And despite FIFA's best efforts, the opening slate of matches was about as good as it gets, as we had hosts showing up, favorites falling off, players speaking out, stars stepping up, puppies pooping on platforms, and much, much more! - - Of course, soccer is more random than any of the major American sports: favorites win way less often, as there are barely any shots, let alone goals - but regardless, the World Cup occurs only once every four (4) years, so we decided to discuss a few of the most notable games of the Group stage from the first week of action; In this particular segment, JD & Spencer discuss the following World Cup matches from the opening week of the Group stage: Thursday, June 11th: Group A: Mexico vs. South Africa Friday, June 12th: Group D: United States vs. Paraguay Sunday, June 14th: Group E: Germany vs. Curacao Monday, June 15th: Group H: Spain vs. Cape Verde Tuesday, June 16th: Group I: France vs. Senegal Group J: Argentina vs. Algeria Thanks for Listening!

Tradition's Finest Episode 139 - The "oster-Tag, you're it!" Episode

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 139 - The "oster-Tag, you're it!" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - Women's College World Series (WCWS) Finals: Game 2: No.2 Texas Longhorns vs. No.11 Texas Tech Red Raiders - - Teagan Kavan struck out five (5) in the final two innings to back a strong start from Citlaly Gutierrez, and Kayden Henry homered to lead Texas to a 4-1 victory over Texas Tech last Thursday night at the Women's College World Series (WCWS) for a second straight national championship - - Kavan earned the Most Outstanding Player award after becoming the first pitcher with two shutout & two saves in one WCWS - - Henry homered off Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady - in what was her final game at the collegiate level - to begin the 7th inning and Leighann Goode singled to drive in the final run - - Meanwhile, Texas Tech did put up a fight, as the Red Raiders jumped in front in the 3rd inning on an RBI single by Lauren Allred, as Canady retired 11 in a row after Henry singled to begin the game before disaster struck in the 5th - - Kaiah Altmeyer and Ashton Maloney led off with singles before Logan Halleman made a leaping catch in left field with one out to save at least one run, and Canady walked slugger Katie Stewart to load the bases and appeared to escape the jam before Toney's error - - Halleman also robbed Altmeyer of an extra-base with a runner on 1st base in the 6th to keep the score at 2-1 - - Gutierrez (11-3) allowed one run on three (3) hits in 4 1/3 innings, while freshman Hannah Davis got two outs in the 5th inning prior to Gutierrez re-entering the game with the bases loaded to get the final out - - Kavan fanned Mihyi Davis to wrap up her fifth save of the season, whereas Canady (29-7) went the distance, allowing just four (4) runs - two earned - on eight (8) hits with three (3) walks - - **NOTE: Coach Mike White led Texas to the program's second title in his eighth season, meanwhile, second-year Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco has led the Red Raiders to their only two, but consecutive nonetheless, WCWS appearances: Texas Tech fell 7-3 in this year's WCWS finals series opener the prior Wednesday. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Texas Longhorns earning back-to-back WCWS national championships under HC Mike White?. . .NCAA College Football: The West Virginia Mountaineers are set to honor a college football legend this upcoming fall: On Friday, the program announced plans to retire Pat White's No.5 jersey at a home game that will be determined later this summer - - White, who played at WVU from 2004-08, is widely considered to be the greatest football player in program history and one of the most electric players in college football's modern era - - White is also currently on the Mountaineers' coaching staff, serving as the assistant QBs coach and assistant to the head coach, Rich Rodriguez, whom he played for throughout his playing career in Morgantown - - White finished his West Virginia career with more than 6,000 passing yards and 4,480 rushing yards, and he recorded 103 total TDs in his three (3) seasons with the Mountaineers: A three-time First Team All-Big East selection & two-time Big East Offensive Player of the Year, White led WVU to its' best season in program history in 2007, as the Mountaineers were ranked as high as No.2 in the BCS rankings and were just one win away from a guaranteed spot in the BCS National Championship Game, and now, White - originally from Daphne, Alabama - is being immortalized in Morgantown for the legend that he is - - There is but one caveat, here. . .Q: Did West Virginia miss an ideal opportunity to retire White's running mate - and arguably the best RB in Mountaineers' program history - Steve Slaton's No.10 jersey? What are your thoughts on West Virginia's announcement that the program will retire former star QB Pat White's No.5 jersey this summer?. . ."A Disgusting Day for the NCAA:" A judge in district court in Lubbock County, Texas, has granted the temporary injunction requested by Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby, and in result, he is now eligible to play for the Red Raiders next season, according to the temporary injunction filed against the NCAA, granted Monday morning by visiting District Court Judge (*and Texas Tech alum) Ken Curry - - The NCAA had earlier ruled Sorsby ineligible, after he acknowledged that he gambled on sports, which included placing approximately 9,000+ bets estimated at a value of $90,000, some of which were placed on Indiana University, while Sorsby was on the program's football team as a redshirt (RS) freshman - - The request was approved after Sorsby completed a 35-day gambling rehabilitation program in late May - - Judge Curry ruled in Sorsby's favor, stating that the transfer QB "has demonstrated [that] he will suffer a probable, imminent, or irreparable injury," if the court did not grant and/or issue his request for a temporary injunction, primarily because he would not be eligible to play for the Red Raiders throughout the 2026 college football season - - The injunction is effective immediately and will remain in effect until a final judgment is signed or until there is another order on behalf of the court: The order states that the NCAA may not prevent Brendan Sorsby from practicing, playing or otherwise participating on the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team in 2026, however, Judge Curry couldn't allow Sorsby to obtain a "Get Out of Jail-" free card, so he decided to proverbially slap him on the wrist by granting his attorney's penalty that was suggested at the initial hearing: Sorsby is barred from playing and/or participating in game day activities for the program's first two games of the 2026-27 season, which includes a home game versus Abilene Christian on September 5th and a trip to Corvallis in Week 2 to face off against Oregon State on September 12th - - Background: According to court documents filed by the NCAA, Sorsby placed thousands of sports bets from 2022 to 2026 while at Indiana, Cincinnati & Texas Tech - as the NCAA's filing states that Sorsby placed bets on college sports, including on Indiana football, for which he attended, as well as bets on the performance of his teammates - - The NCAA says that Sorsby later moved to other people's accounts and apps to place bets, including after his transfer to Texas Tech, where online sports betting is illegal under Texas law — Defense attorney Jeffrey Kessler said at the June 1 hearing that the temporary injunction should be granted because the NCAA failed to uphold its' reinstatement process, as he cited the NCAA Constitution & bylaws, including Article 1 Section D, which states ' student-athlete well-being is designed to protect their physical and mental health,' while the NCAA's representative/attorney Taylor Askew rejected Kessler's claims that the NCAA does not care about the mental health of student-athletes, as their legal team described this as a "Hail Mary" attempt to be reinstated - - Askew said even if Sorsby would have placed just one singular bet on Indiana football back in 2022, he would still be in violation, and he also said that Sorsby should've never been allowed to transfer from Cincinnati to Texas Tech because he was already breaking the NCAA's "cardinal rule," - - A few days ago, prior to Judge Ken Curry's ruling, the NCAA rejected Texas Tech's appeal to reinstate Sorsby, however, this particular action was separate from Sorsby's lawsuit filed against the NCAA - - **UPDATE: A trial date has been set for Sorsby's injunction against the NCAA, and according to ESPN, the trial is set to take place on Feb. 8 in the 99th District Court in Lubbock County, Texas, the same court that granted Sorsby a temporary injunction on Monday - with the scheduled date being two weeks after the 2026-27 College Football Playoff National Championship Game - meaning Sorsby seems likely to play the entire season without at least intervention from the courts - - Reactions to the Ruling: The judge's decision to rule QB Brendan Sorsby eligible on Monday morning roiled college sports, with reactions ranging from doomsday predictions to informal chatter about Big 12 schools attempting to not play the Red Raiders this upcoming season: The reaction around college sports was nearly unanimous, with the idea of Sorsby playing in 2026 after admitting to placing thousands of bets on sports - including 40 of which were placed on his own team/program - representing the latest crossroads for an industry that has faced a dizzying number of them in recent years — Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormak released the following statement Monday afternoon following the ruling: "The ramifications of today's ruling are significant and could have broad impacts across college athletics, creating great concern amongst our membership. I've been consulting with our key stakeholders and have scheduled a meeting with our Conference ADs and our Executive Board this week. We are also in touch with [NCAA President] Charlie Baker and anticipate the NCAA to appeal the order in the next 24-48 hours. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation." - - ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips told ESPN the ruling represents a "horrendous pattern," that is "eroding the integrity of our process." - - A Big 12 AD told ESPN that they were "disgusted" by the ruling and added "We officially lost our soul." - - TCU HC Sonny Dykes inquired with ESPN as to "How is anyone ever going to trust the outcome of a game again?" - - Nebraska AD Troy Dannen told ESPN that his school's teams are, similar to what has been reported for Big Ten programs, not allowed to schedule the Red Raiders for any type of sports contest - - University of Florida AD Scott Stricklin told ESPN that he was "stunned," by the ruling, even comparing it to the MLB's 1919 'Black Sox scandal,' when eight (8) professional baseball players from the Chicago White Sox took bribes to lose the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the district court judge out of Lubbock County (TX) granting Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby's request for a temporary injunction against the NCAA, allowing him to become eligible for the 2026-27 college football season? Thoughts on the two-game suspension penalty imposed? Is there a legitimate possibility that, because of this particular ruling, that the NCAA forbids its' collegiate programs and/or universities from playing or participating in games/contests against Texas Tech athletics (i.e, football, softball, baseball, etc.)?. . . - NFL - - Da "Indiana Bears:" The Chicago Bears announced last Friday that their board of directors has voted to advance their stadium development project in Hammond, Indiana, with a specific site to be determined, and thus, pushing the franchise closer to leaving the state it's called home for more than 100 years - - Hammond is roughly 25 miles from the Bears' current home, Soldier Field, and sits just next to the Indiana/Illinois border, as a departure from the state itself and a move to a state that already has an NFL team, the Indianapolis Colts, is a development that's somehow stunning yet surprising - - Friday's news dropped after the Illinois House adjourned on the last day of the state's spring legislative session last week without taking up a measure that would have cleared the way for Arlington Heights and Chicago to create local stadium authorities, creating a pathway for the Bears to avoid paying property taxes on a new stadium in the state of Illinois - - The Bears said at the time that they were finalizing their evaluation of possible stadium sites in Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana - - The twists & turns during the final days of Illinois' spring legislative session were consistent with what has been a laborious stadium process for the Bears, a charter NFL franchise - - Amid lingering efforts to secure tax incentives in Illinois, along with as much as $855 million in public money for infrastructure at the Arlington Heights site, in May 2025, the Bears began to take a closer look at possible options in Northwest Indiana - - More recently, the Bears said on May 21 that Hammond and Arlington Heights were the only sites under consideration, but some Illinois state lawmakers kept pushing for a plan that they hoped would make Chicago part of the conversation once again - - **NOTE: The Bears have played their home games in the state of Illinois since the team's founding in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys - - Since moving to Chicago in 1921, the Bears have never owned their stadium, whether playing at Wrigley Field from 1921 to 1970 or Soldier Field since. . .Q: What do you think about the possibility of the Chicago Bears, a historic NFL franchise, possibly relocating to Hammond, Indiana, thus becoming the "Indiana Bears?". . . - NBA - - 2025-26 NBA Playoffs Recap: In this particular segment, JD & Spencer discuss, review & provide a detailed analysis on each of the NBA Finals games from the previous week; this includes the following games as listed below: 2026 NBA Finals: Game 2: San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks   [NYK leads series 1-0] Game 3: San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks   [NYK leads series 2-0] Game 4: San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks   [NYK leads series 2-1] - Miscellaneous - - 2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes [VGK leads series 1-0] – Game 2: The 2026 Stanley Cup Finals has been marked by wild swings, so it's probably appropriate that the two teams, the Vegas Golden Knights & Carolina Hurricanes, have split the first two games in Carolina, but if history is a guide, the winner of the following Saturday's Game 3 would have an enormous edge, but this series has been, if anything, unpredictable: **NOTE: NHL teams that took a 2-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final went on to win 46 of 57 times (or 80.7% of the time) - - Mini-Recap: The Hurricanes couldn't have gotten off to a better start in the series opener, as Nikolaj Ehlers scored just 25 seconds into the game and soon afterwards, he added a second goal to take a 2-0 lead early - but unfortunately for Carolina, the Golden Knights rallied with three (3) consecutive goals to begin a back-and-forth finish, as Vegas ultimately won Game 1, 5-4, as Tomas Hertl scored with 3:24 remaining off a sensational backhand pass from Colton Sissons - - Back in Game 2, the Golden Knights appeared to take full control of the series, taking a 2-0 lead deep into the third period - but Carolina scored three (3) goals beginning with 9:40 left before Mark Stone forced OT with a six-on-five goal with 1:21 remaining - but it was Seth Jarvis' power-play goal 3:56 into OT that gave the Hurricanes a 4-3 victory and evened the series at 1-1. . .2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes [Series tied 1-1] – Game 3: What was largely expected to be a high-checking, low-scoring championship round has been wide open at times, with each team capitalizing on the other's mistakes: **NOTE: The teams have combined to score 25 goals, the highest total through three (3) games in the Stanley Cup Final since the New York Islanders and the Minnesota North Stars had 30 in 1981- - There have been blown leads of at least two such goals in each game, as Vegas rallied from such a deficit in Game 1 and Carolina did it in Game 2 - - Then came the real doozy in Saturday night's Game 3 when the Golden Knights led 4-0 well into the third period before the Hurricanes scored three (3) goals in a record 39 seconds, as Carolina eventually forced OT, but the Golden Knights won it in double OT when Shea Theodore bounced a puck off the boards that caromed off goalie Brandon Bussi's skate - - Bussi, who hadn't played in two months, entered in the third period after coach Rod Brind'Amour had seen enough of Frederik Andersen - and the Golden Knights couldn't figure out Bussi until that final wacky shot - - After Vegas took a 2-1 series lead, there was plenty at stake for Game 4: Should the Golden Knights have won and took a 3-1 series lead, they would have been almost an unbeatable position: **NOTE: Teams with such an advantage (i.e., leading a series 3-1) in the Stanley Cup Final are 38-1, with the one defeat occurring 84 years ago when Detroit lost a 3-0 lead and fell to Toronto - - On the other hand, a Carolina victory would not only have evened the best-of-seven (7) series, but the Hurricanes would have regained home-ice advantage with potentially two of the three (3) remaining games scheduled to occur in Carolina. . .2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes [VGK leads series 2-1] – Game 4: Another two-goal lead went the way of the landline on Tuesday night, the go-ahead shot came from a 37-year-old player on his stomach on one of the great runs in Stanley Cup Finals history, and the winning goalie made his first start in two months and doesn't know if that will be his last one this postseason: None of it makes sense and yet it all somehow does in this series that is now even at 2-2 through four (4) games - probably aptly so - because of Jordan Staal's second goal at 6:32 of the third period that come while sprawled on the ice in what became a 5-3 Hurricanes victory over the Golden Knights - - Next, the series would head back to Carolina for Game 5 the following Thursday night, where the Hurricanes would have two games on home ice to win their first Cup in two decades, for which their coach, Rod Brind'Amour, captained that team - - The same applies at the other end, where the 9-year-old Golden Knights chase their second championship in four (4) years - - Whichever team loses the series can point to a number of costly mistakes and moments that could have drastically changed the outcome of the series, as each game - until Game 4 - was decided by just one goal — A two-goal lead has disappeared in all four (4) games in what has been a remarkable series in which momentum often changes at a moment's notice - as each team has led by at least that many twice - - **NOTE: Through the first four (4) games, the 33 combined goals are tied for the third highest in a Cup final with the Islanders-Flyers' series in 1980 - - **NOTE2: Jordan Staal became the first player in 44 years to score at least one goal in each of the first four (4) games of the Stanley Cup Final and the ninth overall, as Mike Bossy in 1982 with the New York Islanders against the Vancouver Canucks, was the last player to score in the first four (4) games of a final - - Brandon Bussi started in place of Frederick Andersen in goal for the Hurricanes and made 18 saves, and including his work in relief in Game 2, Bussi has 36 saves on 40 shots - - Mark Stone, William Karlsson, and Brett Howden scored goals for the Golden Knights, and Carter Hart made 23 saves, but the Hurricanes came out blazing in Game 4, taking a 3-1 lead in the first period, and while Vegas nearly cut it to one, but Brayden McNabb's goal came right after the period ended, and thus, didn't count. . .Q: While neither of us are "Hockey Bros," we are both fans, and have respect for anyone who will toss their gloves, mask & hockey stick, and throw a punch, we like that shit, but what are your thoughts on the 2026 Stanley Cup Finals through the first four games?. . .2026 FIFA World Cup/Soccer: The 2026 FIFA World Cup has finally arrived and the opening match of competition was set to get under way on Thursday (6/11), as Mexico hosted South Africa at the Estadio Azteca, in the first of a total of 104 matches at this expanded World Cup in what is also, a repeat of the 2018 curtain raiser - There was also the first of three opening ceremonies that took place in the Mexican capital on Thursday, and in the early hours of the morning UK time on Saturday, the United States will get their World Cup campaign up & running in Los Angeles, as Maurice Pochettino's team hosts Paraguay at the SoFi Stadium and in the third and final opening ceremony, where Katy Perry is the headline act - - Per major sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel, Spain (+450) and France (+475) enter the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the consensus tournament favorites, with the outright champion odds for the top contenders being highlighted by a tiered field (listed below). . .Q: Which nation(s) do you think have the best overall shot at winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup?. . . Top Tier Favorites: Spain (+450) France (+475) England (+650 to +700) Leading Contenders: Portugal (+800) Brazil (+800 to +950) Argentina (the reigning World Cup champions; +800 to +1000) Dark Horses & Co-Hosts: Germany (+1400) Netherlands (+2000) United States (+5000) Japan (+5000) Mexico (+6000 to +6600) Canada (+17500)                   Thanks for Listening!

Tradition's Finest Episode 138 - "The Bust of All Time Episode"

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 138 - "The Bust of All Time Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: Posthumously, Mike Leach is on the College Football Hall of Fame ballot for the first time, following an adjustment to eligibility criteria for coaches - - Leach, whose use of the Air Raid offense, widespread coaching tree and distinct personality left a significant impression of the sport, had been kept off previous ballots because his career winning percentage at Texas Tech, Washington State and Mississippi State - 158-107 (.596) - fell just below the previous threshold of .600 - - In 2025, the National Football Foundation, which oversees the Hall of Fame, announced that the winning percentage required for coaching eligibility would be adjusted to .595, whereas the other requirements for coaches to become eligible for selection, including ten or more years as a HC and at least 100 games coached, have not changed and/or remain the same - - Leach died in December 2022 at the age of 61 from complications related to a heart condition, while still coaching at Mississippi State - - **NOTE: He won division titles at both Texas Tech and Washington State, where his 2018 team finished the season ranked No.10 nationally, and guided teams to bowl appearances in all but two seasons at his three (3) head coaching stops - - Leach's previous ineligibility for the Hall of Fame garnered extensive criticism of the process involved in selection, from many coaches, media members & fans - as Leach coached or hired many notable coaches throughout his pristine career, including USC's Lincoln Riley, TCU's Sonny Dykes, Oklahoma State's Eric Morris, Baylor's Dave Aranda & Tennessee's Josh Heupel, among others - - Similarly, Jackie Sherrill, who had a career winning percentage of .592 at Washington State, Pitt, Texas A&M and Mississippi State, also appeared on the ballot for the first time, as Sherrill had six (6) AP top-10 finishes, including a No.2 overall ranking while at Pitt in 1980 - - Other notable players on this year's ballot include Auburn QB Cam Newton and Baylor QB Robert Griffin III, who won the Heisman Trophy in 2010 and 2011, respectively, as well as Ohio State LB A.J. Hawk and Wisconsin RB Melvin Gordon, both national award winners - - **NOTE: The 2027 ballot includes 80 players and nine (9) coaches from the FBS level, and 99 players & 39 coaches from other NCAA or NAIA divisions, while the next Hall of Fame class will be announced in January 2027, during the College Football Playoff. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the late Mike Leach being included on the HOF ballot for the first time after the career winning percentage for eligibility was adjusted to .595?. . ."You Can't Make This Up:" Jordyn Adams spent the better part of eight (8) years pursuing one sports dream, but now he's returning to another: The former five-star football recruit & first-round MLB draft pick has enrolled at SMU and plans to join the Mustangs football program, a source confirmed to CBS Sports - - Adams was once considered one of the country's premier high school athletes - a standout WR at Green Hope High School in Cary, North Carolina - he finished his prep career ranked as the No.3 WR in the 2018 class and the No.14 overall prospect nationally - - **NOTE: The only WRs ranked ahead of Adams in the Class of 2018 were future NFL stars: Amon-Ra St. Brown & Ja'Marr Chase - - While in high school, Adams signed with North Carolina and intended to play both football & baseball, but those plans changed when the Los Angeles Angels selected him with the No.17 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft and signed him away from college on a deal worth more than $3 million, which was a decision that launched a professional baseball career that stretched from 2018 up until just a couple weeks ago, when he last appeared in a Triple-A game on May 20 with the Nashville Sounds - - Adams made his major league debut in 2023, as he appeared in 17 games for the Angels that season and returned for 11 more games in 2024, after which point, he departed the Angels' organization, spending time with the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers' organizations - - In total, Adams played 38 MLB games, collecting 13 hits, six (6) runs scored, one HR and five (5) RBIs - as he spent the bulk of his career in the minor leagues, appearing in 678 games and accumulating more than 2,400 at-bats, while showcasing the athleticism that once made him one of the nation's top football recruits - - After his baseball career came to a close last month, rather than continuing to pursue another opportunity in the MLB, Adams has elected to revisit the sport many believed could have carried him to a professional career as well - - As for now, Adams remains eligible to play college football for SMU, but the NCAA continues to debate significant eligibility changes, for instance, last month Division I leaders discussed an age-based "five-for-five" model that would give athletes five (5) years to compete beginning immediately after high school graduation or their 19th birthday - whichever comes first, as this type of proposal could impact cases like Adams in the future - - Adams never enrolled, however, at UNC after signing with the Angels, and so, because he went directly into the MLB and never played college football, his eligibility situation differs from that of a traditional college athlete. . .Q: What is your most current take (or stance) on a situation such as that of Jordyn Adams? Should Jordyn Adams, a former eight-year MLB player, be considered eligible by the NCAA to play college football for the SMU Mustangs next season? If so, why?. . .NCAA College Basketball: Former Iowa State forward Milan Momcilovic, the No.1 player in the NCAA transfer portal this spring, has committed to Kentucky, he announced on Monday - - Momcilovic chose the Wildcats over Louisville and Arizona, meanwhile, St. John's was also among the schools in pursuit as recently as last week, but the Red Storm bowed out after landing Baylor transfer Tounde Yessoufou - - Momcilovic, a 6-foot-8 junior, was the best shooter in college basketball last season: he averaged 16.9 points and shot 48.7% from 3-point range, leading the nation in 3-point percentage and ranking fifth in 3-pointers made - - **NOTE: In his three (3) seasons in Ames, Iowa State won 83 games and made two Sweet 16 appearances, as Momcilovic earned second-team All-Big 12 honors last season - - It's impossible to overstate the significance of Momcilovic's addition for the outlook of the Kentucky Wildcats - as well as for head coach Mark Pope, who is entering a pivotal season, coming off a campaign in which the Wildcats struggled for long stretches and finished 22-14 with a second-round NCAA tournament exit despite having the nation's most expensive roster - as with Momcilovic in the fold, and after starting center Malachi Moreno withdrew his name from the NBA Draft last week, Pope now has a top-25 roster on his hands entering the 2026-27 college basketball season - - Kentucky has leaned heavily on the portal this offseason, as Momcilovic will likely join fellow transfers Alex Wilkins (Furman) and Zoom Diallo (Washington) in the Wildcats' starting lineup - - After announcing his intent in early April to enter the transfer portal and the NBA Draft, he went through the entire draft process, earning an invitation to the combine, as he cemented himself as one of the elite shooters in the pool of players, shooting nearly 69% across the four (4) shooting drills, but removed his name hours before the draft's early-entry withdrawal deadline. . .Q: What do you make of Milan Momcilovic's decision to remove his name from the NBA Draft and to transfer to the University of Kentucky?. . .NCAA College Softball: Women's College World Series (WCWS) Semifinals: No.2 Texas Longhorns vs. No.7 Tennessee Volunteers - - Teagan Kavan pitched her fifth career shutout in the Women's College World Series and Texas defeated No.7 seed Tennessee twice on Monday to advance to the championship series - - The No.2 seed Longhorns, who had to advance through the loser's bracket after falling to the Vols in the tournament opener, won Monday's first game 5-2, and then rolled again 4-0 behind Kavan's gem - - **NOTE: Texas joined Oklahoma as the only other NCAA program to reach three (3) consecutive WCWS championship finals - - Texas had the pitching, as Teagan Kavan, who surrendered three (3) runs before being pulled after three (3) innings in the WCWS opener, rebounded to cruise past the Vols, outdueling Tennessee ace Karlyn Pickens, as Kavan surrendered only two hits and struck out 10 batters in the deciding game - - The Longhorns also got a sterling performance on the circle from Citlaly Gutierrez in the first game, as the senior went 6 2/3 innings, allowing just one earned run, before handing the ball off to Kavan, who picked up the one-out save - - **NOTE: With her performance, Kavan passed Cat Osterman for the most WCWS shutouts in Texas history, and she has now allowed one or fewer earned runs in nine (9) of her 11 career WCWS starts - - Women's College World Series (WCWS) Semifinals 2: No.1 Alabama Crimson Tide vs. No.11 Texas Tech Red Raiders - - In just a matter of hours, Alabama went from the winners' bracket to ending its season in the WCWS semifinals: The No.1 seed Crimson Tide (56-9) fell 2-0 to the No.11 seed Red Raiders (60-8) to solidify its fate in a do-or-die game after suffering a first 5-4 loss to Texas Tech on Monday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City: In Game 1, Texas Tech forced the winner-take-all game with a walk-off win in Monday's opener, thanks to a 7th inning HR by Mia Williams - - In Game 2, the Red Raiders picked up right where they left off after the first game, as Texas Tech started the second game with a hit in its first at-bat, and by the end of the 3rd inning, the Red Raiders tallied four (4) hits, whereas Alabama, prevented Texas Tech from capitalizing on any of them while the Crimson Tide was trying to get its offense going - - Alabama finally got a hit in the bottom of the 3rd, but it couldn't turn that into a run - but then, to open the 4th, Texas Tech's Jasmyn Burns rocketed a pitch to center field, giving the Red Raiders a 1-0 lead, and while the lead did not seem like much, it almost felt insurmountable with the way NiJaree Canady was pitching: Alabama struggled to get into any type of groove offensively against her, and she pitched all seven (7) innings of the second game, allowing only two hits, no runs, one walk & striking out six (6) batters - - Meanwhile, by the 6th inning, Alabama ace Jocelyn Briski was running out of steam, and after she gave up an eighth hit for the game with two runners on and no outs, the Crimson Tide swapped Briski out for Vic Moten, as the freshman pitcher got Alabama out of the jam without allowing another run or hit, however, Texas Tech added to its lead in the top of the 7th when a single up the middle allowed Mihyia Davis to advance to 3rd base, after which a Crimson Tide throwing error opened the door for her to run home & increase the Red Raiders' lead to 2-0 - - Alabama got the tying run to the plate after Audrey Vandagriff doubled down the left-field line, but Ambrey Taylor popped up to left to end the game, and send the Crimson Tide home three (3) wins short of a national title - - Shockingly & overall, the Red Raiders out-hit the Crimson Tide, 10-2, but Alabama's inability to get much anything going at the plate in the second game ultimately ended the Crimson Tide's spectacular season. . .Q: What were your thoughts on a Texas-Texas Tech WCWS Finals rematch? - - Women's College World Series (WCWS) Finals: Game 1: No.2 Texas Longhorns vs. No.11 Texas Tech Red Raiders - - Teagan Kavan pitched a complete-game three-hitter, Katie Stewart hit her fourth HR in as many games, and Texas opened the WCWS championship round with a 7-3 victory over Texas Tech on Wednesday night - - The No.2 seed Longhorns (52-12) could potentially wrap up their second consecutive national championship with a victory in Game 2 on Thursday night - - **NOTE: Winners of Game 1 have gone on to win the title 80% of the time since the best-of-three (3) series format began in 2005 - - Tech took a 1-0 lead on a solo HR by Mihyia Davis with one out in the 1st inning, but that lead didn't last long as Texas scored five (5) runs in the bottom of the 1st, as Stewart's two-run homer that cleared the bleachers in center field gave Texas a 2-1 lead - it was her seventh career HR in WCWS, including one in each of the past four (4) games, which is the first time that's ever happened in WCWS history - - Teagan Kavan cruised into the 5th, not allowing another hit until Mia Williams went deep to straightaway center field for her 27th HR of the season, a two-run blast that made it 6-3 - as Kavan (29-6) , the WCWS most outstanding player in the Longhorns' run to the 2025 championship, finished with six (6) strikeouts, two walks & a hit batter, as it was her 10th career win in WCWS, tied for the most all time - - Meanwhile, Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco took NiJaree Canady, the two-time national pitcher of the year, out of the game after she faced six (6) batters in relief in the 1st and 2nd innings, however, she was listed as the Red Raiders' presumptive starter in Game 2 of the series - - This was the first WCWS championship rematch since UCLA defeated Cal in 2003 and 2004, the last two title games before the championship was implemented. . .Q: Following the Longhorns' win in Game 1 of the WCWS Finals, did you think that No.2 seed Texas would close the series out in Game 2? Or would the series go three (3) games?. . - NFL - - "CBS Country, Let's Ride:" Ten-time Pro Bowl QB Russell Wilson confirmed Wednesday in a video posted to social media that he's retiring from the NFL to take a job with CBS Sports - - Wilson, who also had an offer on the table from the New York Jets to join the franchise as a backup to starting QB Geno Smith, decided to embark on a new career path as an NFL analyst - - Wilson, who won a Super Bowl and the prestigious Walter Payton Man of the Year award during his career, is now set to leave the NFL as a player to become an analyst on the network's pregame show that includes James Brown, Nate Burleson & Bill Cowher - - Wilson will replace Matt Ryan with CBS after the former QB left the network this offseason to return to the Atlanta Falcons as the organization's president of football operations - - Wilson, 37, has thrown for 46,966 yards, 353 TDs and 114 INTs during a career which includes 10 seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, two with the Denver Broncos, one with the Pittsburgh Steelers & last season with the New York Giants - - **NOTE: His passing yardage is the fifth most in the NFL since 2012, when he was selected by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2012 NFL Draft, trailing only Matthew Stafford (56,676), Tom Brady (49,235), Aaron Rodgers (48,908) and Matty Ice (48,554). . .Q: What was your initial reaction to the news announcement Monday that QB Russell Wilson was leaving the NFL as a player to become a sports analyst on CBS?. . ."A Blockbuster Trade:" The Cleveland Browns have agreed to trade two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year & DE Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jared Verse and multiple draft picks, the teams announced Monday - - The Browns receives a first-round draft pick in 2027, a second-round pick in 2028 and a third-rounder in 2029 in what is one of the biggest or most significant trades in NFL history involving a defensive player - - The shocking trade, however, is completely "on brand" for the L.A. Rams, who made a similarly seismic move in the 2021 offseason when they completed a trade with the Detroit Lions for QB Matthew Stafford - - The Rams' interest in Garrett sparked shortly after the Browns modified the contract of the seven-time Pro Bowl DE in March, pushing back the option bonuses from the 15th day of the league year in March to a week before the start of the NFL regular season, making it easier to trade him, while the Browns at the time, had zero interest in trading Garrett - but the Rams refused to give up what one source referred to as their "persistent pursuit" of Garrett, just kept calling & calling - as it was the sole franchise that tried to pry loose a player the Cleveland Browns' front office once deemed "untouchable." - - **NOTE: The trade not only lands Garrett in Los Angeles - and with a winning franchise - but also relocates the two-time DPOY to the city where his girlfriend resides - and it also marks a homecoming for Jared Verse, who was born in Dayton, Ohio - - Meanwhile, Sportsbooks reacted quickly to the reported trade, with DraftKings moving the Rams from 8-1 to 13-2 to win the Super Bowl. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the NFL's blockbuster trade that landed two-time DPOY Myles Garrett in Los Angeles and Jared Verse in Cleveland? Following the trade, are the Rams now the clear favorites for you to win Super Bowl LXI?. . "[Worst] Kept Secret:" The Philadelphia Eagles agreed Monday to trade star WR A.J. Brown to the New England Patriots for a first-round pick in 2028 and a 2027 fifth-round pick - - The fifth-round selection will be the better of New England's two picks in that round of next year's draft, sources told ESPN - - The trade, which has been discussed and anticipated across the NFL for months, reunites Brown and Patriots' head coach Mike Vrabel - - Brown, who turns 29 on June 30, gives Patriots QB Drake Maye a true No.1 target as part of a revamped top of the WR depth chart alongside free agent signing Romeo Doubs - - The Eagles, likewise, have planned for Brown's departure all offseason, trading up in this year's draft for USC WR Makai Lemon, while also trading for Green Bay Packers WR Dontayvion Wicks and signing Hollywood Brown & Elijah Brown as free agents - - Since entering the league as a second-round selection of the Vrabel-led Tennessee Titans in 2019, Brown is fourth in the league in both receiving yards (8,029) and TD catches (56) - - Although Brown left his mark in Philadelphia, where he recorded the highest single-season receiving yards totals in franchise history in 2022 and 2023, his frustration with the Eagles' offense continued to grow, especially over the previous two seasons - - The Patriots inherit Brown's contract, which runs through the 2029 season and averaged $32 million per season, which is the seventh highest in the NFL among WRs, as New England was one of Brown's preferred trade destinations, in part because of his on- and off-field relationship with Vrabel, whom of which he played for in Tennessee from 2019 to 2021. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Eagles-Patriots trade that landed WR A.J. Brown in New England?. . ."Madden NFL 27:" Caleb Williams had an unshakeable premonition that his time with the Chicago Bears would take the franchise to heights it had rarely seen, and he took a step toward that promise Wednesday when EA Sports announced he will be the cover athlete for “Madden NFL 27,” the first player in Bears history to earn that distinction: Williams enters the 2026 season with a 90 overall rating - - In his first season playing under Bears HC Ben Johnson, Williams threw for 3,942 yards and 27 TDs - setting a franchise single-season passing record - while leading Chicago to its first divisional title since 2018 and first playoff win in 15 years, and in doing so, he emerged as one of the NFL's most exciting QBs - - He and the aptly named “Cardiac Bears” made history with their seven (7) comeback wins, including playoffs, after trailing in the 4th QTR - - The Standard Edition cover features Williams' signature jump pass, remembered best by a 4th-and-8 throw to Rome Odunze as the Bears fought back from an 18-point deficit to beat the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs, with the Chicago skyline in the background - - The 2025 NFL Moment of the Year - Williams' 46-yard walk-off TD pass to DJ Moore to beat Green Bay in OT in Week 16 - will be represented on the Deluxe Edition in the form of Williams' “Iceman” celebration - - “Madden NFL 27” is set for a full release on all consoles on August 13. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams being the cover athlete for Madden NFL 27?. . . - NBA - - 2025-26 NBA Playoffs Recap: In this particular segment, JD & Spencer review Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals as well as Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals (list included below): Western Conference Finals: Game 7: No.1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.2 San Antonio Spurs  [Series tied 3-3] 2026 NBA Finals: Game 1: No.2 San Antonio Spurs (Western Conf. champ) vs. No.3 New York Knicks (Eastern Conf. champ)    [Series 0-0] - NBA (cont'd) - - "Magic [in] Me:" The Orlando Magic have announced the hiring of San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney as the franchise's new HC - - Sweeney, who has spent this season as San Antonio's lead assistant, will replace Jamahl Mosley, who was fired after the Magic lost 4-3 to Detroit in their first-round series and has since become the HC of the New Orleans Pelicans - - Sweeney will finish the remainder of the postseason on the Spurs' bench with San Antonio hosting the New York Knicks for Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night - - Former Chicago Bulls HC Billy Donovan and LA Clippers assistant coach Jeff Van Gundy were also finalists for the Magic's coaching vacancy - - A decision was finally made to offer the job to Sweeney, who blew Orlando away during his interview process and meeting with ownership Wednesday in San Antonio, sources added - - Sweeney ran San Antonio's defense for Coach of the Year finalist Mitch Johnson this season, guiding an improvement from 25th to third in the NBA's defensive efficiency rankings and garnering praise from the team's young stars Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle - - **NOTE: The Spurs also ranked top-five in defending isolations, on-ball screens, drives and rim protection, according to ESPN Research - - Under Sweeney, the Spurs made a 28-win improvement to a 62-20 campaign - tied for the third-most wins in franchise history - and have advanced to the conference finals, as Sweeney has served as a lead assistant to a conference finalist in three (3) of the last five (5) seasons - - Sweeney's first head coaching job will be with a Magic team built to contend in the Eastern Conference with one-time NBA All-Star Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs - - Orlando has failed to make it out of the first round for three (3) straight seasons - - The Magic led top-seeded Detroit 3-1 but didn't have enough offense to close out the Pistons, especially after Wagner suffered a series-ending right calf strain in Game 4 - - Sweeney broke into NBA coaching as a video coordinator in 2011 for the then-New Jersey Nets, before moving on to the bench in Brooklyn for the 2013-14 season, and he also had stints as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks (2014-18) and the Pistons (2018-21). . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Orlando Magic hiring Spurs' assistant coach Sean Sweeney as the franchise's new HC?. . .Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has signed a 10-year, $400 million endorsement contract with Chinese company Li-Ning, ending a drawn-out recruitment process following Curry's departure from Under Armor in November - - Curry announced the end of his sneaker free agency Monday with a landmark deal at Li-Ning that expands his Curry Brand venture globally, as the agreement will include basketball products, athleisure lifestyle wear, the ability for Curry to sign male & female athletes under his brand, and a full golf line - - One factor in Curry's ultimate decision was his comfort while testing the shoes of two Li-Ning signature athletes - - Li-Ning plans to build Curry Brand stores in the United States and in China, as Curry's agent, Jeff Austin, finalized negotiations with in recent days, while the partnership was announced on social media Monday, but terms were not disclosed - - Curry split from Under Armor after a 13-year partnership, announcing a mutual divorce in November and expressing gratitude despite what industry sources said was growing frustration about the underinvestment from a brand decreasing in valuation. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Stephen Curry's decision to sign with Chinese sportswear company Li-Ning on a landmark 10-year deal?. . . - Miscellaneous - - NASCAR: A member of Michael Jordan's NASCAR race team was arrested after allegedly plowing over a 77-year-old man with a golf cart she was driving at a famed race track in North Carolina: 23XI Racing employee Evanna Howell got into big trouble on Saturday, according to The California Post - - Police reportedly say Howell was driving a golf cart in the wrong direction at Charlotte Motor Speedway when she swung around, hit a curb, pushed an elderly man into a fence, and ran him over - - The alleged victim was reportedly taken to a local hospital after suffering several serious injuries, meanwhile, Howell was booked in jail on one count of assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury - - Michael and Denny Hamlin co-own 23XI Racing, where Howell works as a senior account manager - - NASCAR says Howell had been “indefinitely suspended,” and online records show she was released from custody Tuesday on a $125,000 bond and is due back in court June 16. . .Q: What are your thoughts regarding the 23XI Racing team member being arrested after allegedly plowing over an elderly man on a golf cart?. . .2026 NHL Stanley Cup Final: Vegas Golden Knights vs. Carolina Hurricanes – Game 1: It took just one shot and 25 seconds worth of game action for the Vegas Golden Knights to find themselves in a hole in the Stanley Cup Final, and midway through the opening period, they were down two goals against a fast-skating Carolina Hurricanes team riding the energy from a buzzing home crowd. . .No matter, and no panic. . .Not with these tested Golden Knights: Tomas Hertl took a backhand pass from Colton Sissons and beat Frederik Andersen from the slot with 3:24 left in the third period, lifting the Golden Knights past the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 in Tuesday night's opener of the Stanley Cup Final - - Game 2 of the best-of-seven (7) series is Thursday in Raleigh, with Vegas already having taken home ice away from the Hurricanes as it chases a second Cup title in four (4) seasons - - Hertl's finish off Sissons' feed from the right faceoff circle broke a 4-4 tie and pushed the Golden Knights ahead in an entertaining, back-and-forth start on the sport's biggest stage, as it marked Vegas' seventh straight win of the playoffs, starting with the last two games of the six-game second-round series against Anaheim and then the shocking four-game sweep of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Colorado Avalanche - - That series included Vegas erasing a 3-0 deficit to take Game 3, and now the Golden Knights have followed by rallying from another multi-goal deficit - this time 2-0 in the opening period - against a team that finished second only to the Avs in the regular season - - Things changed after Vegas coach John Tortorella gathered his team around the bench during a TV timeout after the Hurricanes had sprinted out to their lead, coming as Vegas had a slow start out of its six-day break while waiting for Carolina to close out Montreal in a five-game Eastern Conference Final - - Shea Theodore, Ivan Barbashev and Brett Howden also scored for Vegas, with Howden's postseason-leading 11th score giving the Golden Knights a 4-3 lead just 1:21 into the third period, while goalie Carter Hart finished with 23 saves - - Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice for the Hurricanes, the first coming 25 seconds into the game when he got loose on a rush and blasted one past Hart from the left side on the game's first shot - and he followed with a breakaway that gave Carolina a 2-0 lead and sent a charged home crowd into an eruption in the team's first Stanley Cup Final game in two decades - - Jordan Staal and Shayne Gostisbehere each scored tying goals after Vegas had pushed to a lead - - The Hurricanes went 12-1 through three (3) rounds to get back to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since now-coach Rod Brind'Amour captained them to the title in 2006, and it also comes amid an eight-year playoff streak that has included at least one series win every time as a regular postseason contender: Carolina swept through Ottawa and Philadelphia before taking the last four (4) games of a five-game win against Montreal to punch through an Eastern Conference Final roadblock – **NOTE: That made the Hurricanes the first team since 1983 to reach the Stanley Cup Final with one loss, and the first since the NHL went to best-of-seven (7) series in all four (4) rounds in 1987 - - Meanwhile, Vegas has been getting stronger with every playoff round, winning for 19 of 24 games going back to the unexpected late-season firing of Bruce Cassidy and replace him with Tortorella - that included the shocking result against the Avalanche, who managed just seven (7) goals in four (4) games - - Defense had been the standout feature for both teams, in fact, with Carolina having allowed two or fewer goals in 12 of 13 playoff games - but that wasn't the case in Tuesday's fast-paced series opener, with both teams capitalizing on their chances in an entertaining back-and-forth game before Hertl got Vegas the lead for good. . .Q: Although neither of us are major NHL fans, after we covered last year's Stanley Cup Final, it almost seems as though we are compelled to discuss this year's final as well, so let's do just that: What are your thoughts on Game 1 of this year's Stanley Cup Final?. . .                   Thanks for Listening!

Tradition's Finest Episode 137 - "The House That Doak Built Episode"

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 137 - "The House That Doak Built Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: "No More Cupcakes:" SEC ADs on Tuesday voted to play conference games on the second-to-last week of the regular season, eliminating what has commonly been referred to as the "cupcake" games before rivalry weekend, commissioner Greg Sankey said, as the new schedule policy is scheduled to begin in 2027 - - Sankey said the SEC has been discussing the topic for months, and ultimately needed to make decision now in time to schedule for 2027 - - Sankey said the decision wasn't driven by a desire to silence the critics, but rather, it was a result of the league transitioning to nine (9) conference games this season and playing on more weekends. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the SEC Conference's ruling to eliminate the "cupcake" games that are generally scheduled the week prior to Rivalry Week?. . .The NCAA has denied Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby's request to be reinstated as eligible for the 2026 season, even as the school president publicly backed Sorsby's desire to play for the Red Raiders this season "amid a "complex situation," - - The NCAA decision, which is in line with precedent, will put Sorsby's lawsuit against the NCAA seeking an injunction for his eligibility for the 2026 season into further focus, as his court date looms Monday in Lubbock County - - Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt indicated that he fully expected the appeal to be submitted to the NCAA by the end of the week - - In the suit, Sorsby, who filed a lawsuit in local court in Lubbock County on May 18 seeking his eligibility, acknowledged betting on thousands of sporting events as part of his gambling addiction, which included betting on Indiana football games while on the roster (as a redshirt freshman), as he did make clear that he never bet on a game he played in nor did he bet against his team, as the suit also cites the NCAA's "deeply hypocritical" position on gambling - - The news Tuesday comes in the wake of Sorsby completing his 35-day in-patient rehab for his gambling addiction in Arizona, as he's set to return to campus in the upcoming days - - While the NCAA precedent has been clear in gambling cases, it is not surprising the Sorsby's attorneys will plan to appeal their decision to deny his request for reinstatement - - Sorsby has one year of eligibility remaining, and the lawsuit revealed his lawyers asked for a two-game suspension, which the NCAA also denied. . .Q: Are you surprised to learn that the NCAA denied Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby's request for reinstatement next season? What do you expect the result of his appeal to be: (1) he will play for the Red Raiders next season OR (2) he will be watching from the sidelines?. . .NCAA College Softball: "A Potential Softball Bench-Clearing/White Chocolate:" If Florida softball was targeting Mia Williams in Sunday's Game 3 of the NCAA softball Super Regional against Texas Tech, the Gators didn't waste any time: Williams, a transfer who helped the Gators reach the Women's College World Series (WCWS) last year, was plunked by UF ace Keagen Rothrock with the first pitch of the game, and this was the fifth time in the series that Williams had been hit by a pitch - - Whether any were intentional or not, this set the stage for a game that was, if anything, upstaged and will likely be remembered more for the off-field drama rather than Texas Tech's eventual 16-7 series-deciding victory to punch its' ticket back to the WCWS - - Williams' return to Gainesville was the top storyline of the weekend, as she is the daughter of former Florida basketball player, Jason Williams (aka "White Chocolate"), who after the game expressed his displeasure with UF softball coach Tim Walton to The Gainesville Sun, part of the USA Today Network - - Jason Willianms, who has attended UF basketball games this past season, was often demonstrative in the crowd and later celebrated with the Texas Tech squad on the field after the victory - - After Mia Williams was hit with Sunday's first pitch, the Texas Tech bench started chirping at the Gators, rising tensions in the winner-take-all Game 3 - - In Williams' next at-bat, she hit a two-run HR, one of Texas Tech's eventual five (5), which featured a celebration that prompted a warning to the Red Raiders dugout - - Florida coach Tim Walton was later ejected from the game before the run-rule was induced in the 5th inning for arguing balls & strikes - but Williams' father, Jason, felt that Walton's ejection may have been premeditated: "He got kicked out because he didn't want to shake her hand," Jason Williams told The Sun - but Walton wasn't alone in avoiding postgame pleasantries: The peak of the animosity between the teams was best illustrated after the refusal to shake hands - following that decision, Texas Tech players began exchanging with Florida players, as the atmostphere spilled into the stands as fans from each side joined in - - On Barstool Sports' "Wake Up Barstool" show on Tuesday, Jason Williams stated, in reaction to the events of the Gainesville Super Regional, "The only time I'll step on Gainesville's campus again if my daughter plays softball there again," Williams, who played for the Gators in 1997-98 under Billy Donovan - - It appears "White Chocolate" will not be visiting the University of Florida campus anytime soon - even to watch his alma mater play this upcoming men's college basketball season. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Texas Tech-Florida drama at the NCAA softball Super Regionals over the weekend? What do you think about Jason Williams' antics?. . . - NFL - - Green Bay Packers star RB Josh Jacobs was arrested Tuesday and booked on several domestic violence charges, according to the Hobart-Lawrence (WI) Police Department - - Jacobs, 28, was booked on charges of battery, domestic abuse, disorderly conduct and intimidation of a witness - - According to the Brown County jail record, the strangulation & suffocation charge is a felony, while the other four (4) charges are misdemeanors - - According to the records, at the time of his arrest, Jacobs was being held without bond - - Jacobs, a first-team All-Pro selection in 2022 while with the Las Vegas Raiders and a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is entering his third season with the Packers after signing with the team in free agency in 2024, as last season, he scored 14 totals TDs (13 rushing) and totaled 1,211 yards in 15 games played - - Jacobs, through his attorneys, denied the allegations. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the charges/arrest of Green Bay Packers & former Alabama RB Josh Jacobs?. . .**UPDATE: Packers RB Josh Jacobs was released from jail on Wednesday following his arrest on several domestic abuse charges, pending further investigation, as the Brown County (WI) District Attorney's office announced that the investigation "remains open and ongoing,". . . - NBA - - 2025-26 NBA Playoffs Recap: In this particular segment, JD & Spencer provide a weekly recap for each of the following Conference final games from across the league, and also discuss a few of the major storylines from the 2025-26 NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference Finals: Game 4: No.3 New York Knicks vs. No.4 Cleveland Cavaliers     [NYK leads series 3-0] **Kenny Atkinson will return next season as the Cleveland Cavaliers coach, sources confirmed to ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday — The Cavaliers advanced to their first conference finals this season for the first time since 2018, the furthest the team has advanced without LeBron James on their roster since 1992, although their season ended in a four-game sweep by the New York Knicks, where each game was decided by double digits. . . Western Conference Finals: Game 5: No.1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.2 San Antonio Spurs   [Series tied 2-2] - NBA (cont'd) - - "A Four-Coach Clover:" Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was named NBA Coach of the Year on Tuesday night, officially wrapping up the league's postseason awards schedule - - Mazzulla led the Celtics to 56 wins in 2025-26 and the No.2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs despite Jayson Tatum missing most of the regular season with a torn Achilles tendon - - **NOTE: Mazzulla, who turns 38 on June 30, is the youngest winner of the award since Phil Johnson in 1975, according to the NBA - - He is 238-90 in his four (4) seasons with Boston - the best record in the league over that span - and led the Celtics to an NBA championship in 2024 - - **NOTE2: Mazzulla is the fourth coach in the Celtics' franchise history to earn Coach of the Year honors, joining Bill Fitch (1979-80), Tommy Heinsohn (1972-73) and Red Auerbach (1964-65) - - Mazzulla finished with 62 of the 100 first-place votes and was on 96 of 100 ballots, both the most of any coach this year: Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff finished second for a second straight year after leading the Pistons to the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings, while the San Antonio Spurs' Mitch Johnson finished third. . .What are your thoughts on Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla being awarded the 2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year?. . .Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder are just one win away from eliminating the Spurs and advancing to their second straight NBA Finals: If it finishes off San Antonio, Oklahoma City will face the New York Knicks while the two-time MVP's every move on the court will be evaluated under a microscope - - The narrative around SGA's ascension to superstardom in OKC has become increasingly focused on his ability to get to the free-throw line - Or, in more colloquial terms, his flopping, foul-baiting and "unethical basketball," - - With so much attention surrounding every game, not a day goes by where we don't get an absurd collection of SGA lowlights of him hitting the ground. .And he sure does hit the ground a LOT. .And while he doesn't hit the ground on every shot attempt, he does hit the ground much more often than other high-profile superstars - - With all that in mind, Underdog Sports, a fantasy sports & prediction market company, came up with a clever twist on a classic board game, and decided to put SGA on a new version of Operation: That game, titled "Unethical Hoops," was promoted by SGA's Olympic teammate, Dillon Brooks, last week - however, according to The Athletic, SGA's camp quickly responded by sending a cease-and-desist letter the very next day - - They have also asked that "all board games be destroyed," which makes you wonder how many Underdog has actually produced and/or manufactured at this point. . .Q: What are your thoughts on SGA's camp responding to Underdog Sports by issuing a cease-and-desist letter regarding their "Unethical Hoops" board game?. . . - Miscellaneous - - High School Football: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the "Teddy Bridgewater Act" into law Friday, meaning high school coaches in the state will now be allowed to use their own money to assist their players with such expenses as food, transportation, physical therapy & rehabilitation services - - The Bridgewater Act is named for the Florida native & longtime NFL QB who coached his alma mater, Miami Northwestern High School, to a state championship in 2024, but he was suspended for the 2025 season after revealing that he personally paid for meals, ride-share services and treatments for some players - - There will, however, be strict rules regarding how - and how much - coaches can spend: It would apply to a team's head coach only, cannot be used as a recruiting tactic, must be reported to a state agency and is capped at $15,000 per team per year - - Florida officials cited studies that show head football coaches in talent-rich Broward County received, on average, a stipend of $3,038, whereas in neighboring states, including Georgia, the studies showed coaches can earn more than $100,000 per year - but starting July 1, school boards can use "voluntary donations and revenues generated by authorized booster clubs or associations," to pay these coaches to a figure that "may not exceed the compensation of the highest paid administrator in the district.". . . Thanks for Listening!

Tradition's Finest Episode 136 - "The Big Bus Bettis Episode"

Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 136 - "The Big Bus Bettis Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: Heralded true freshman QB Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt's top recruit, will appear in comedian Nate Bargatze's movie "The Breadwinner" as part of his NIL deal, per Outkick's Clay Travis, although he has yet to take a singular snap at the collegiate level - - The former five-star recruit, competing with Blaze Berlowitz for the starting gig next season at Vanderbilt, will appear as a cameo in the film - - Bargatze, a Vanderbilt fan, is based in Nashville and appeared on ESPN's "College Gameday" in 2025 as a guest picker, for the Commodores' game against Missouri, as it was there that he called out Curtis and asked him to flip his recruitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt, and also threw out the idea of the QB being featured in one of his films - - Bargatze is holding up his end of the bargain, as now, Curtis will appear in the film wearing a Vanderbilt hat while shopping for a car, according to the report - - Curtis, the No.4 overall recruit and No.2-ranked QB nationally in the 2026 Class, chose Vanderbilt - his hometown school - two weeks later following Bargatze's offer - - **NOTE: Curtis is the highest-ranked recruit in program history, and represents a huge shift in the Commodores' status as a football program, especially after winning a program-best 10 games in 2025 with Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia behind center. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Vanderbilt true freshman QB Jared Curtis serving as a cameo in Nate Bargatze's film "The Breadwinner" as part of his NIL deal? Could this type of cameo feature become a regular occurrence that is potentially included as part of a recruit's NIL deal?. . ."The TIGAZZ Are Back in Town:" LSU has finalized a deal to add Ed Orgeron to its football coaching staff, the school announced Wednesday night - - Orgeron's role will officially be special assistant to recruiting and defense for the Tigers - - Orgeron is the former HC at LSU, to which he led to a national title in 2019 - - He reunites with LSU HC Lane Kiffin, Orgeron's longtime friend and colleague with whom he previously worked at USC and Tennessee - after last collaborating for a brief stint at USC in 2013 - as the relationship between Kiffin and Orgeron goes back a quarter century, as they first served on a staff together in 2001 under Pete Carroll at USC, as Orgeron is largely credited with being the recruiting engine during that gilded USC era - - Along with serving as the head coach at Ole Miss & LSU and as the interim coach at USC, Orgeron crafted a reputation as one of the country's top recruiters and defensive line coaches - - Fortunately, recent changes in NCAA recruiting rules will allow Orgeron to go out on the road to recruit for the Tigers, selling the two things he knows intimately well: LSU and Kiffin. . .Q: How do you feel about Ed Orgeron being hired at LSU to serve on Lane Kiffin's staff as the special assistant to recruiting and defense? Could Orgeron's hire potentially be related to a potential interim role in the event that the LSU gig does not go as planned?. . .⭐"A Special Discussion on the NIL Rule & NCAA Transfer Portal and How They Are Changing the Landscape of College Sports:⭐: In this week's "special discussion" segment, JD & Spencer discuss the NIL, the NCAA Transfer Portal, and Player Opt-Outs - as well as the way in which each of these factors have drastically changed the landscape of college sports, specifically college football - and finally, they discuss & provide their individual feedback of what the future of NIL is as it continues to evolve across the collegiate (or University) level. . .**Be Sure to Tune in for This Week's Special Discussion segment. . .NCAA College Basketball: Head basketball coach Will Wade has earned the "American Gangster" moniker, but LSU is taking an even more brazen affront to the NCAA's shaky eligibility rules and regulations: Former Boston Celtics guard RJ Luis Jr., who is looking to return to college, has signed with LSU, per multiple reports, in hopes to play one more season in the collegiate ranks - - The same RJ Luis Jr., who earned 2025 Big East Player of the Year honors under St. John's coach Rick Pitino two seasons ago - after averaging 18.2 points & 7.2 rebounds for the Red Storm - and who controversially chose to remain in the 2025 NBA Draft despite numerous seven-figure deals that were on the table in last spring's transfer portal market - - Luis, 23, didn't play this season due primarily to injury, but he did, however, suit up for three (3) preseason games for the Celtics back in October - - Luis went through the NBA draft process last summer, and while he wasn't drafted, he signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz, prior to being acquired by the Celtics in the Georges Niang trade - - However, Luis was waived by the C's ahead of the 2026 NBA season and didn't suit up for a regular-season game - - It remains to be seen what Luis' eligibility will be next season as he looks to return to the collegiate ranks, as the NCAA has set the precedent that any player that received compensation from an NBA franchise - for instance, signing a two-way contract - will be deemed ineligible, and so, Luis might not be able to return to the college ranks, despite signing with the Will Wade's Tigers. . .Q: Should RJ Luis Jr. be granted an additional year of college eligibility even after signing a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz and suiting up for three (3) preseason games for the NBA's Boston Celtics? Does this not feel like a very "Will Wade-esque" type of move, allowing RJ Luis Jr. to sign with LSU?. . . - NFL - - Aaron Rodgers isn't done just yet. .Following another prolonged decision-making process, four-time NFL MVP and QB Aaron Rodgers, has officially signed a one-year deal to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers for the 2026-27 season, with the deal reportedly being worth up to $25 million, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, and furthermore, it is expected to include a base salary between $22 and $23 million, with up to a few million more in incentives - - The signing comes just weeks after the Steelers placed a UFA tender on Rodgers, 42, in a procedural move that would either give them a compensatory draft pick if he signed elsewhere before training camp or restrict his ability to sign with another team once camp begins - - Though the Steelers remained confident & in communication with Rodgers throughout the process, the QB still made the decision on his own timeline, despite team owner and president Art Rooney II publicly saying that the organization expected a resolution by the start of April's NFL Draft - - Instead, Rodgers traveled to Pittsburgh the weekend of the team's minicamp and agreed to the deal before the team's first voluntary OTA session - - And Rodgers also acknowledged that his familiarity with a number of assistants brought to Pittsburgh by McCarthy added to his interest in returning to the Steelers - - The Steelers added to their QB room while they waited, and drafted Penn State star Drew Allar in the third round in a move new HC Mike McCarthy said was unrelated to Rodgers' impending decision - - McCarthy, hired to replace longtime HC Mike Tomlin in January, previously expressed his desire to reunite with Rodgers, for whom he coached for 13 seasons in Green Bay - as Rodgers called it a "full circle" moment to be able to play for McCarthy again - - Though Rodgers' first season in Pittsburgh was inconsistent & ended with the worst playoff performance of his career in a wild-card loss to the Houston Texans - which featured Rodgers being sacked four (4) times and him completing just 51.5% of his pass attempts as the Steelers struggled mightily against the Texans' stacked defense - but he also authored several remarkable wins, especially late in the season, including the Week 18 win against the Baltimore Ravens that clinched the AFC North title - as Rodgers completed 66% of his attempts & threw for a season-high 294 yards passing - - Rodgers finished the 2025 season completing 65.7% of his attempts - his best mark since 2021 - and threw for 3,322 yards with 24 TDs and seven (7) INTs. . .Q: What are your thoughts on 42-year-old QB Aaron Rodgers returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers on a one-year deal? - - **UPDATE: Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers said Wednesday that the 2026 NFL season will be the last of his Hall of Fame-worthy career. . .Q: How do you feel about the Aaron Rodgers-Mike McCarthy reunion in Pittsburgh? How do you anticipate that it will end?. . "Cooked Rice:" Kansas City Chiefs WR Rashee Rice has been sentenced to serve 30 days in jail after testing positive for marijuana in violation of the terms of his probation for his role in a crash that left multiple people injured on a Dallas highway two years ago - - The Texas State Attorney's Office said Tuesday that Rice was ordered to go to jail immediately as part of his original 30-day sentence for third-degree felony of racing & causing bodily injury - - Rice had received deferred adjudication after pleading guilty, and the case would have been dismissed if he had completed the probation: he was placed in custody and booked into the Dallas County jail at 1:25 a.m. ET, per jail records, and he is set to be released on June 16 - - Meanwhile, the Chiefs have voluntary practices that are scheduled to begin next week as well as a mandatory minicamp that is set to end June 11, however, it was reported shortly after Rice's arrest that, one week prior, he underwent a clean-up surgery on his right knee to remove loose debris that was causing inflammation, per sources to ESPN's Adam Schefter - - Rice is expected to be sidelined for two months but is expected to be ready for training camp later this summer, sources confirmed - - The Chiefs said they have been in touch with the NFL concerning the matter, yet the team nor the league representatives have publicly commented on Rice's arrest. . .Q: Should the Kansas City Chiefs - or most importantly the NFL - implement some type of disciplinary action for WR Rashee Rice following his most recent probation violation?. . . - NBA - - "A New Direction:" Jason Kidd is out as the head coach for the Dallas Mavericks after five (5) seasons in what the team described as a "mutual decision" Tuesday evening - - Kidd has four (4) years and more than $40 million remaining on his current contract, sources told ESPN, but Mavericks' team governor Patrick Dumont - who extended Kidd's contract during Dallas' NBA Finals run in 2024 and again before last season after they declined the New York Knicks' request to interview him for their vacant head coaching position, gave new team president Masai Ujiri full authorization to determine the coach's future with the franchise - - The Mavs also parted ways with several members of the basketball operations department on Tuesday, including assistant GM Matt Riccardi, who had served as the team's interim GM alongside Michael Finley following the dismissal of former GM Nico Harrison - - Finley's tenure with the franchise, however, has not yet been determined - - Kidd had a 205-205 overall record as the HC of the Mavericks, whereas Dallas went 22-18 in the playoffs under Kidd, advancing to the 2022 Western Conference finals and the 2024 NBA Finals - - Prior to the Luka Doncic trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, under Kidd, the Mavs had a 136-87 record with Doncic in the starting lineup and went 69-118 without him, which included a 26-56 record last season - - **NOTE: Kidd has a 388-395 record as a NBA head coach, having begun his coaching career with the Brooklyn Nets in 2013 immediately after his retirement as a player, and coaching the Milwaukee Bucks from 2014 to 2018. . .Q: Were you surprised by Dallas Mavericks' president Masai Ujiri's decision to dismiss HC Jason Kidd after five (5) seasons?. . .2025-26 NBA Playoffs Recap: In this particular segment, JD & Spencer provide a weekly recap for each of the following semifinal & conference final round games from across the league, and also discuss a few of the major storylines from the 2025-26 NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference Semifinal Round: Game 7: No.1 Detroit Pistons vs. No.4 Cleveland Cavaliers      [Series tied 3-3] Eastern Conference Finals: Game 1: No.3 New York Knicks vs. No.4 Cleveland Cavaliers     [Series 0-0] Western Conference Finals: Game 1: No.1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.2 San Antonio Spurs   [Series 0-0] Game 2: No.1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.2 San Antonio Spurs  [SA leads series 1-0] - NBA (cont'd) - - "Trading Magic for Voodoo:" The New Orleans Pelicans have hired former Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley as the franchise's new HC, per executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars, who made the announcement on Monday - - Mosley, who led the Magic to three (3) consecutive playoff berths over the past three (3) seasons despite multiple injury-plagued campaigns, was fired on May 4 - just a day after Orlando lost in Game 7 to the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs following a 3-1 series lead - - That ultimately cleared the way for the Pelicans to fully focus on Mosley, who had a 189-221 record in his five (5) seasons in Orlando - - The 47-year-old Mosley, who finished second in the NBA Coach of the Year voting in 2023-24, had the third-most regular-season wins in Magic franchise history (189) - - Prior to the addition of Mosley, Orlando hadn't made the playoffs for three (3) straight seasons since the team did it six (6) years in a row from 2006-08 through 2011-12 - - Mosley built teams anchored by strong defenses, with the Magic ranked No.3 overall in 2023-24, No.2 in 2024-25 & No.11 this season - - In New Orleans, Mosley will take over a roster mixed with young talent such as Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears & Yves Missi and veterans such as Trey Murphy III, Zion Williamson, Jordan Poole, Dejounte Murray & Herbert Jones, however, this is a team that finished the season with a 26-56 record, yet they own just one draft pick in the upcoming NBA Draft in June - No.58 - after trading away their first-rounder in a draft-day deal a year ago, which helped them move up to acquire Queen. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the New Orleans Pelicans hiring former Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley as the franchise's new HC?. . ."Back 2 Back:" Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named the NBA MVP for a second consecutive season on Sunday, winning the award in a landslide after another stellar year for the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder - - SGA was flanked by his Thunder teammates during a news conference at the Thunder's practice facility, as they all wore Burberry trench coats that were given to them as part of a lavish gift basket by Gilgeous-Alexander - - **NOTE: Gilgeous-Alexander became just the 14th player ever to win back-to-back NBA MVP awards, which puts him in truly historic company - - Only some of the greatest names the league has ever seen has accomplished the feat, including Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic & Giannis Antetokounmpo, as now SGA joins that legendary list - - Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, ranked second in the NBA in scoring with 31.1 points per game while shooting a career-best 55.3% from the field, as he also averaged a career-high 6.6 assists for the 64-18 Thunder, who had the NBA's best overall record for a second consecutive season - - The other MVP finalists this season were Jokic and Wembanyama, as SGA led the way with 83 of the total 100 first-place votes, while Jokic finished second and Wemby third - - Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons rounded out the top five (5), while both players just missed the NBA's cutoff for postseason award eligibility but were granted an exception upon appeal. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being named NBA MVP for a second consecutive season?. . . - Miscellaneous - - UFC: Conor McGregor will return to competition for the first time in five (5) years this summer, UFC CEO Dana White announced Saturday: McGregor (22-6) will face Max Holloway (27-9) in a non-title welterweight bout at UFC 329 on July 11 in Las Vegas - - The former two-weight UFC champion's return will take place after a five-year layoff, as McGregor's last appearance was a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier on July 10, 2021, where he suffered a broken leg in the loss - - The pairing is a rematch of a featherweight matchup that took place in August 2013 and was McGregor's second fight in the UFC - - McGregor, 37, was supposed to face Michael Chandler in a comeback fight at UFC 303 in June 2024 but withdrew with a toe injury - - He has dealt with multiple legal issues outside of the Octagon during his absence, most notably, in November 2024 when an Irish jury found him liable in a civil sexual assault case stemming from an incident that occurred in 2018 - and he lost an appeal of that result in Ireland's High Court in July - - In the co-main event, Paddy Pimblett will face Benoit Saint Denis in a lightweight bout, as Pimblett returns to the Octagon for the first time since January when he suffered his first loss in the UFC to Justin Gaethje, while Saint Denis most recently defeated Dan Hooker in Australia in January and is riding a four-fight win streak. . .Q: Will you be tuning into UFC 329 for the McGregor-Holloway and Pimblett-Denis co-main event?. . .MMA: Ronda Rousey stopped Gina Carano with her signature armbar just 17 seconds into the iconic fighter's mixed martial arts comeback bout on Saturday night - - The 39-year-old Rousey ended a nine & a half-year absence from MMA when she took the cage with 44-year-old Carano, who hadn't fought in 17 years - - Rousey wasted no time when the door finally closed, charging & tackling Carano an instant after the opening bell rang - - **NOTE: Rousey famously won eight (8) fights in less than a minute during her meteoric rise through MMA in the 2010s - - Carano was all smiles even after the swift end to one of the longest layoffs in pro sports history, as this improbable double comeback bout united two of the most important fighters from MMA's past two decades - - Rousey has repeatedly said that this would be her final fight, whereas Carano has said that she doesn't know what the future holds. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Ronda Rousey's 17-second MMA victory over Gina Carano on Saturday night?. . .PGA: Until Sunday, Aaron Rai was best known for being the PGA Tour golfer who played with two gloves. . .Now, Rai will be remembered as the first English-born golfer to win the PGA Championship in more than a century after his stunning victory at Aronimink Golf Club - - In a final round in which none of the game's biggest stars seemed capable of taking control, Rai finally did and won the Wanamaker Trophy after a 5-under 65 - - His 72-hole total of 9-under 271 was three (3) strokes better than Jon Rahm & Alex Smalley - - Rai said he was not aware of England's 107-year drought without a PGA Championship until Saturday - - **NOTE: He became the first English-born golfer to win the PGA Championship since Jim Barnes captured the first two tournaments in 1916 and 1919, which were both match-play competitions - - Rai's victory ended a 10-year streak of American golfers winning the Wanamaker, as Australia's Jason Day had been the most recent non-American to win the PGA when he triumphed at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin in 2015 - - Rai's knockout blows came on back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17, as he sank a 68 1/2-foot putt on the par-3 17th - the second-longest putt made by any player in the field this week - - Now, he gets a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and invitations to the Masters, U.S. Open and Open Championship for the next five (5) years - and as for the PGA Championship, he is welcome back for life and earned a $3.7 million payday. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Aaron Rai becoming the first English-born golfer to win the PGA Championship in the previous 107 years?. . . Thanks for Listening!