Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer is in hot water. A report by former ESPN college football reporter Brett McMurphy says that Urban Meyer had specific knowledge of domestic abuse allegations against a member of his coaching staff, Zach Smith, in 2015. McMurphy says Courtney Smith, ex-wife of fired Ohio State assistant coach Zach Smith, provided text messages between her and the wives of Ohio State coaches – including Urban Meyer’s wife, Shelley – showing Meyer’s knowledge of the situation.”
The problems for Meyer are two-fold. First, there is text message evidence that Meyer knew about multiple allegations of domestic abuse against a member of his staff and did not investigate which may trigger a Title IX violation. Title IX states A college or university that receives federal funding may be held legally responsible when it knows about and ignores sexual harassment or assaultin its programs or activities. Second, he lied when asked about it during Big Ten media day last week. Meyer said, “I was never told about anything…Never anything came to light, never had a conversation about it. So I know nothing about it. I asked people back at the office to call and see what happened, and they came back and said they know nothing.”
The text messages state otherwise. The full post by McMurphy is available via his Facebook page.
Text messages I have obtained, an exclusive interview w/the victim & other information I have learned shows Ohio State coach Urban Meyer knew in 2015 of domestic abuse allegations against a member of his coaching staff despite his denial last week https://t.co/fcxi8GKyeI
The immediate question is what does Ohio State do about this? The university does not want to fire Urban Meyer but may be left with no other choice. Any other coach in America including Nick Saban would be fired for lying about covering up domestic violence to the media, fans, and other coaches. And, Ohio State forced national championship coach Jim Tressel to resign amid NCAA violations from a tattoo-parlor scandal. So, how can they retain Meyer when this situation is far more serious?
Meyer admitted he knew about the 2009 allegations against Smith, but said “What was reported wasn’t actually what happened…It’s a very personal matter.” However, he claimed to not know about the Oct. 25, 2015 allegations where Courtney Smith said, “He took me and shoved me up against the wall, with his hands around my neck,” Courtney said. “Something he did very often. My (then 3-year old) daughter was clinging to my leg. It obviously registered with him what he was doing, so he took my (then 5-year old) son and left. So I called the police.”
Meyer was not required to fire Zach Smith immediately upon allegations of domestic violence by Zach Smith, but he was required to investigate the situation. And if those allegations were founded, he needed to do something. Instead of doing the right thing, he lied. Now he has placed Ohio State is in an untenable position.
If your college football team is not coached by Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, or Dabo Swinney, there’s a good chance that things may not go your way in 2018. I’m talking about disappointing seasons. There are bound to be quite a few teams that will have sour tastes in their mouth come December. It’s inevitable.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 teams that are likely to disappoint in 2018.
#5 Michigan
This hurts to write because I am a big Jim Harbaugh fan, but his three seasons have been a letdown for Michigan fans. It’s hard to say a coach underachieved with two 10 win season in his first three years, but for a coach to be making over $7 million a year, Big 10 titles and wins over Ohio State are a necessity and so far neither of those accomplishments have happened. This will be Harbaugh’s best chance to silence the critics thanks to Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson, who is easily the best quarterback that Harbaugh has had in his tenure at Ann Arbor. However, for Michigan to rise to the top of the Big 10, they will need to beat Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan State. Maybe they can beat one, but all three? It’s just not happening especially with trips to East Lansing and Columbus. Until that happens, I can’t bet on Michigan.
#4 Florida State
The talent is there. Running back Cam Akers is a Heisman hopeful. Quarterback Deondre Francois is healthy after missing almost the entire 2017 season. The team is young and full of potential. Despite the talent, Jimbo Fisher took his talents to Texas A&M. He had five straight years of 10+ wins at one point as well as a National Championship victory. Taking over for Fisher is Willie Taggart, who bolted from Oregon after one year. I have no idea how to judge Taggart because this is only his second year as a head coach at a Power 5 school. Can he handle the pressure and live up to the lofty expectations? Clemson is still the king of the ACC and Miami is closing in on them. Florida State is not better than those two teams right now, so they will have their work cut out to stay above the middle of the ACC.
#3 Florida
Staying in the Sunshine State, let’s go to Gainesville to talk about the Gators. First-year coach Dan Mullen inherits a team from a year ago that had no energy and was flat out inept on the offensive side of the ball. Their super “vanilla” offense finished #101 in the nation during McElwain’s last year. I expect Mullen’s knows he has to spread it out and score a lot of points. With questions at quarterback and on the offensive line, it will take a while for Mullen to find his next Dak Prescott to revitalize the Gators. The strength of the team will be the secondary lead by the ballhawks at corner, CJ Henderson, and Marco Wilson. The season is already off to a rocky start as six players face potential discipline after a confrontation with “Tay Bang” that involved airlift guns and a frying pan. I’m not kidding. Mullen will turn Florida around, but not this year.
Report: Florida football players in confrontation with gambler named Tay Bang that involved airsoft guns, frying pan, baseball bat, rocks https://t.co/3QNjxl3oKn
This week we are going to switch things up a little bit from the six biggest takeaways of episode 4. I have discussion questions and the POWER power rankings for all the characters.
Enjoy the greatest theme song on television right now while you read the six biggest takeaways from episode 5.
1. Kanan
Kanan is in the #1 spot and it’s not even close. He has everybody’s head messed up. He is ruining Dré’s business, starting a war with the Italians, moving in on Tommy’s organization, and back in with Tariq all at the same time. It’s almost like Kanan has one of those Men in Black mind erasers. Everybody forgets he is untrustworthy and will stab them in the back at the first opportunity to get back on top of the drug empire. The smartest thing that Kanan does is he cleans up his messes. He does not leave loose ends to expose his deceit.
2. Rashaad Tate
Tate is in a major power position but he’s playing with fire. He has put himself in the middle of two men fighting over money and a dead child. Tate believes his status is his protection from Ghost and Dré. It’s not! We know that art imitates life. Life says that no matter how much fame, power, or status you can be touched! Famous people used to believe street dudes wouldn’t touch them, this has been proven to be false time and time again. Tate is going to get his head busted. The question is by who?
3. Tommy
I’m proud of Tommy. He had great moments in episode five. Tommy got real smart. He figured out Tariq was a rat, realized that Angela has nothing on him, and is using that relationship to hurt Dré. Tommy might have gotten the #2 spot, but he hasn’t figured out Teresi is a rat. He knows the only way out of this mess with the feds is to take the target off of his back and put it on Dré. At some point in time Tommy will find out Teresi is a snake who is using him. We know Tommy will kill his girlfriend for being disloyal, but will he be willing to kill his father?
4. Teresi
Teresi finds himself so high in the POWER power rankings because he has options. He can either fully betray Tommy to secure his freedom or he can play the feds and try to find a way to stay out of jail and not send Tommy to jail. Teseri has a helluva choice to make. Choosing Tommy means he will have a son and a lifetime ally. Hopefully, he makes the right choice.
5. Angela
Angela has fallen back into the ghost trap. The anti-power couple is back! They have both taking L’s, but at least they have each other again. Angela took a major loss when the DEA blew up the Jiminéz bust. He is like a bull seeing red right now. Somebody is going down and she doesn’t care who (unless is Jamie). She really believes Ghost is out of business with Tommy, so she can pursue the NY case without fear of putting her love in jail. It was a smart move by Angela to let Tommy know about the tracker. That gives him a heads up on the feds but also gave him the opportunity to point her in Dré’s direction. She had to know Tommy wouldn’t take the bait on immunity but would give her something.
6. Proctor
Proctor didn’t get the win her so desperately needs, but he did get some hope. Angela gave him an opportunity to get his law license back and he jumped on it. Smart move by Proctor. He has to be instrumental in whatever move Ghost makes to take down Tate.
7. Dré
Dré took a major power tumble from last week. In episode 4, he escaped getting busted with the Jiminéz and got protected by the publicity and spotlight of working with Tate on the Queens Child Project. Now, he is fired from his club, Kanan is wrecking his drug business, Diego crazy ass pulls a gun on him, and he has to lie to Alicía. That’s too much to deal with. The only positives for Dré in episode five were Tate’s protection and the fact that he is still alive. I know Dré is slicker than a can of oil, but he has to take a loss soon. I’m getting frustrated.
8. Tasha
I don’t feel bad for Tasha. She is partially responsible for everything that has happened to her. Ghost was trying to live his best life and get out of the drug game. Tasha put up so many roadblocks. Then she slept with the Kanan’s son who worked for Ghost. I have to give her props for holding is down for Tariq, but she always so nervous when the detectives come by that it’s suspicious. Real talk… When is Ghost going to find out Terry Silver has slid up in his wife’s bed.
9. Tariq
Per the usual, Tariq is on the verge of doing some dumb shit. Why did he take Tasha’s pills? What is he going to do with them? And now he is hanging out with the master manipulator Kanan. Tariq is a liability to himself and everyone around him. Tasha and Ghost are trying their best to keep Tariq out of jail, but now this dude is trying to confess. In real life, it is always right to do the right thing, but we are watching POWER. Self-preservation has to be the #1 priority.
10. Terry Silver
Terry Silver is the kind of guy Tariq grows up to be. Aside from giving Tasha the “D”, Terry Silver is adding no value to anyone on the show. In episode five he again is trying to pin the murder on Ghost. I do have to give him credit for not speaking up about Tasha’s gun in front of the detective, but that’s the least he could do.
11. Ghost
It looked like was going to make a comeback after the pep talk from Simon. He immediately responded by getting Dré fired and the fundraiser moved back to Truth. Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Ghost may have finally hit rock bottom. Not only are Tate, Dré, and Kanan owning him right now, Tariq humiliated and disrespected him. I don’t care how drunk I am; my son ain’t doing me like that. There is nowhere to go but up from here. I am begging for the old Ghost back. He has been broken down too much. He has been a shell of himself for almost two seasons. I believe this weak version of Ghost is hurting the show. With the moves, Kanan, Dré, Tommy, and Teresi are making it looks like a long way back to the top for Ghost.
What dumb shit is Tariq going to do next? What the hell is he going to do with those pills?
How is Angela going to explain her involvement with Ghost again to her folks at work?
Will Tommy be willing to kill Teresi when he realizes he is a snitch?
Ghost has found his way back to Angela. Nothing has ever gone right for them, but now that Ghost wants to be a “better man” will the odds now be in their favor?
Lebron James was on Uninterrupted and said that he regrets naming his oldest son LeBron James Jr. after him because there are so many pressures and expectations on him. I applaud LeBron for being a great dad who is concerned about the wellbeing of his son, but he is wrong here. Most people refer to his son as “Bronny,” not LeBron James, Jr. LeBron’s first name is not what creates the pressures and expectations on his son; it is his last name. That name carries a lot of weight and opens a lot of doors and opportunities out in the world. I would guarantee his son carries his name with enormous pride, and wouldn’t change it for the world. Think about the expectations of greatness that people will place on Blue Ivy, North West, or Mark Zuckerberg’s kids all because of their parents. Laila Ali, Ken Griffey Jr, Barry Bonds, and Brent Barry all had on them because of their fathers. When a kid has a parent that is highly accomplished, there are many unwarranted expectations placed on their children.
The flip side of the last name is true as well. If your last name is Capone, Manson, Ridgeway, Madoff, Gotti or Kaczynski people will forms opinions and make judgments about you as well. It doesn’t matter what their family members first names are once people know who their father is.
People often forget the professional athletes and their children are human beings first. Just a couple weeks ago LeBron was at his son’s game, and people start chanting “overrated” to his 14-year old son. That was wrong and just mean-spirited to do to a middle-schooler. LeBron is used to the fans and heckling, but has to be fiercely protective of his kids like any other good parent. In the Uninterrupted clip, he says that the impetus for naming Bronny after him was to be everything his father was not; present and loving. He has accomplished his goal, but Bronny still has to forge his own path. It wouldn’t matter what LeBron named his son; his father would still be LeBron James.
I am George Wrighster, III. I am extremely proud to be the third generation and have my father and grandfather’s name. So, I know LeBron James Jr. is proud of his name as well. All good parents are concerned about their kids and worry about whether they are making all the right moves. LeBron can rest assure that he is doing all the right things for his kids. He is a present, loving, and positive example of a man, father, and husband to his sons. Most importantly, he is leaving a legacy for his kids that they are More Than an Athlete!
When all is said and done, Carmelo Anthony will go down as one of the most polarizing players of his generation.
Let’s start with the good. Carmelo Anthony is going to the NBA Hall of Fame. This is not up for debate. 10-time all-star, 6-time All-NBA member, and one of 6 players ever to record at least 24,000 points, 6,000 rebounds, 2,500 assists, 1,000 steals and 1,000 3-point field goals. Anthony is also the greatest USA Olympic basketball player ever, having been a member of the team a record four times with 3 golds and one bronze to his name. Add in the fact that he’s the USA Basketball all-time leading scorer, leading rebounder, and leader of games and that’s quite an impressive resume.
Did I forget to mention that as a freshman at Syracuse, he lead the Orange to Jim Boeheim’s only National Championship win in 2003?
Just for the record, Carmelo Anthony is a 100%, sure-fire lock for the Hall of Fame.
His NBA credentials are more than enough. 6 All-NBA teams. 10x All-Star. And every other player to win a scoring title is in.
But it's not just the NBA HOF. Melo's Syracuse title & gold medals
Carmel Anthony not only belongs in the Hall of Fame, but he deserves that honor. That’s a fact that should not go unnoticed.
Ok, now it’s time for the bad. Last year, expectations were high for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they formed their own version of a “Big 3” with Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony. The team showed signs of promise throughout the regular season, but the Thunder faltered in the playoffs, losing to the Utah Jazz in the first round. Melo played very poorly in that series, averaging just only 11 PPG as well as playing significantly fewer minutes in the final two games. That’s a long ways away from a career 24 PPG scorer.
The playoff series was only a reflection of a disappointing season. Last year marked career lows in scoring, assists, and win shares per 48 minutes. It’s clear that Melo lacks the explosion that once made him unguardable on the offensive end. Seriously, during his prime, one could argue that Melo was the best scoring threat in the NBA even with LeBron James and Kobe Bryant still in the league. His pull up jumper was automatic, he could bully you down low, and had the strength to finish at the rim. Now, it seems that Melo hangs around the key and will primarily take catch-and-shoot 3s.
Now, the Oklahoma City experiment is over as Melo was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, who then bought him out of his contract. The Houston Rockets were the favorite to sign him, and that’s exactly what happened.
Oklahoma City has agreed to trade Carmelo Anthony and a protected 2022 first-round pick to Atlanta for point guard Dennis Schroder and Mike Muscala, league sources tell ESPN. Anthony will be waived, and he will join team of his choice. Rockets are frontrunner.
So here we are. Carmelo Anthony is now a Rocket. Houston is coming off of their best regular season in history, finishing with a record of 65-17. The Rockets pushed Golden State to their brink with a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference Finals before ultimately losing the series. If Chris Paul does not get injured, who knows what happens. The Rockets might have won the NBA Title over the Cavs. Does Melo get the Rockets over the problem that is known as the Warriors?
If Carmelo Anthony signs with the Rockets, @SportsLine projections DECREASE Houston’s championship chances from 4.8% to 3.9%. pic.twitter.com/srTl18ZJ8M
Side note: It’s crazy that Melo and Mike D’Antoni are reuniting after their rocky relationship in New York. D’Antoni wanted Melo to move the ball more and play power forward, which Melo refused to do and essentially, ran D’Antoni out of town. It’s crazy how things have changed.
The elephant in the room is Melo. Why would a 65 win team take on a player that has been known to command the rock and struggle off the ball? For starters, Melo fits a need at the 3 / stretch 4. The Rockets lost two of their wings, Trevor Ariza and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, who happen to be their best defenders, to free agency. Melo can hit an open 3 pointer, which the Rockets shoot at will. If Melo can learn to play third fiddle behind Chris Paul and James Harden, this relationship might work. However, there is one scenario where I see Melo panning out in Houston.
Carmelo Anthony is a first ballot Hall of Famer. There is no debate. That being said, it's time for #Melo to reinvent himself for the final chapter of his career. Melo could become the best 6th man in the NBA if he puts his ego aside and comes off the bench #Rockets
Carmelo Anthony should come off the bench and become the best 6th man in the NBA. I understand that Melo immediately struck the idea of coming off the bench right down after the Thunder lost to the Jazz, but think about it. What is the job of the 6th man? It’s to score the ball. The 6th man is the leader of the second unit, who must put the ball in the basket when the starters need a break. Tell me this is not the perfect job for Melo at this stage in his career. I understand that Eric Gordon is an excellent 6th man for the Rockets, but with the losses of Ariza and Mbah a Moute, Gordon should start at the 3. Melo takes Gordon’s spot as the 6th man and honestly, he can thrive there. Melo can play iso-ball on the elbow and corner and not have to worry about keeping the middle open with CP3 and Harden on the bench. Plus, coming off the bench would put less pressure on Melo to play defense, which is a major weakness, and more emphasis on his offense.
As Carmelo Anthony enters the final chapter of his career, how will this saga end? Will he be able to make it work in Houston? The time has come to reinvent yourself as a 6th man because your ability to score can keep you in the league for years to come.
A major explosion is getting ready to happen. We originally thought it would be the apparent Ghost and Dré. But that has been delayed now that Dré is a public figure protected by Rashad Tate. The explosion with center around the biggest question of the season that we talked about in the six biggest takeaways from episode 3. Is Tony Teresi double-crossing the feds or Tommy? I really hope it’s not Tommy because it would suck to have two terrible parents who try and use you. On a side note: Am I the only one who hate’s Terry Silver?
Enjoy the greatest theme song on television right now while you read the six biggest takeaways from episode 4.
1. Kanan Makes a Power Move
Kanan is supposed to be working with Ghost and Tommy on shared goals: kill Dré and pay Jason back. But Kanan only has one true goal in mind, taking over Tommy’s drug empire. He finally found a crack in the armor or Ghost and Tommy’s relationship. The crack is Tony Teresi. Kanan realizes that Tommy is like any kid, he wants the love and approval of his father. Tommy’s loyalty is now divided between Ghost and Teresi. Kanan can now whisper in both their ears separately. Anybody that lets Kanan get in their ear and mind is destined to make bad moves. Ghost and Tommy will surely be back at odds very soon. If you have friends or people in your circle like Kanan, who needs enemies?
2. Ghost and Angela are the Anti-Power Couple!
Jay-Z and Beyoncé are a power couple. Ghost and Angela are the complete opposite. Yea it’s cool and all that they are reunited but they are both at ROCK BOTTOM. Ghost has lost control over every single aspect of his life. His family is in shambles, he’s on the hook with Tommy with Jason, and Dré just keeps spitting in his face. At this point, there is nothing he can do about any of it that won’t land him in jail or the grave. But at least he has Angela, right? Angela just hooked up with a random DEA guy and got played for the biggest case of her entire life. Everybody loves the love story with the happy ending, but nothing ever goes right for these two. Every time they hook up situations get worse. Moral of the story: There’s no right way to do the wrong thing!
3. Rashad Tate: Point of No Return
Rashad Tate unwittingly crossed the wrong line with Ghost by bringing Dré into the Queen’s project. Tate is a big dummy. He either forgets what Ghost REALLY does for a living, or he believes he is untouchable because he is a politician. The reality is that every man has his limits. Ghost is being pushed to his by having the man that is partially responsible for his daughter’s death paraded around in front of him. There is no way Tate dodges the future crossfire between Dré and Ghost.
4. Dré Will Be King
I hate to admit it, but Dré weak ass is going to be King. He may not hold the throne very long, but it is evident he is here to stay and run things. Dré has the protection of the Jiminéz cartel, but when he thought that could be in jeopardy after the arrest, he doubled down and ran to Rashad Tate. Dré doesn’t even realize that Alicia Jiminéz values him more than her liability of a brother Diego. This will ensure that Dré continues to rise in power and will be increasingly insulated from a bullet from Ghost. I’m not sure if Ghost will ever get to kill Dré. He may have to go tactical to pick him apart and let Angela slaps the cuffs on him.
5. Tasha and Terry Silver SUCK
I hate this entire relationship between Terry Silver and Tasha. He is supposed to be her knight in shining armor who shows up to save the day, but he just looks like a sucka. Tasha is no innocent victim, so her damsel in distress act. She has been a part of the drug game since the beginning. And when Ghost tried to get out of the game and go legit, she was one of the main people blocking him. So I have ZERO sympathies for her outside of the fact that Raina died. I’m so over the captain save-a-hoe routine. They make me so sick with the drama!
6. Proctor Needs a Win
The only person who needs a win more than Ghost is Proctor. He has been the definition of a good and loyal soldier. He has fallen on every sword and grenade but has nothing to show for it. Proctor is on the verge of losing everything that matters to him in life: his daughter, his freedom, and his law license. I’m not sure what purpose he serves Ghost and Tommy without his law license, so I have to believe he will be made whole in short order. Ghost may need him to do some finessing to turn the tables on Dré. Is it too much to ask that Proctor finds a way to take Terry Silver’s disloyal ass down?
Dolphins owner Stephen Ross submitted a new team national anthem policy that would suspend players for up to 4 games. The NFL and NFLPA saved him from this ridiculousness by putting an indefinite halt on any policies surrounding the national anthem including the one the league put in place. That policy stated that players must either stand respectfully for the national anthem or remain in the locker room. Finally, the NFL owners recognize that this so-called “outrage” about the anthem has not affected the one thing they care about the most, their MONEY. League revenues are up despite tv ratings being down 10% and a general negative perseption by fans about how the league has handled many issues. I detailed the reasons behind ratings decline and that they are not nearly as big of a deal as is made to believe.
It is always worth noting that the NFL didn’t even have players outside of the locker room for the national anthem until the Department of Defense started cutting the league two comma checks.
The absurdity that a player would get the exact same punishment for kneeling as steroids and PEDs is outrageous. Players get a 6-game suspension for domestic abuse. Jameis Winston just got a 3-game suspension for gropping an UBER driver. I refuse to believe this type of math makes sense to anyone.
USA Soccer is absolutely failing in international competition on the men’s side of things. Some many people have come up with creative excuses for the reason why. The United States is top tier in almost every other sport in the world except the most popular game in the world. The most common excuse is the general lack of interest in the USA in professional soccer compared to the rest of the world. If that were true, the women’s national team (USWNT) wouldn’t be so great.
People got mad at Hope Solo when she said youth soccer was a ‘rich white kid sport’. One demographic cannot produce most of our talent pool if we want to be great. The top players in the MLB, NFL, and NBA all come from different socio-economic backgrounds. Those leagues invest in inner-city communities where playing sports and getting quality training becomes an economic hardship.
If the US Men’s national team is ever going to have a legit shot at winning a World Cup they must find a way to diversify their “workforce”.
How dirty is it that the Raptors just met with DeMar DeRozan at NBA Summer League in Vegas and told him he would not be traded? This is exactly why fans should have NO PROBLEM with players showing no loyalty; owners show none. It’s always business, never personal, unless you are deporting your disgruntled superstar to Canada.
We all thought the rumors were crazy that Kawhi Leonard would be traded to the Raptors. We were wrong.
Spurs have agree to trade Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to Toronto for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl and a protected 2019 first-round pick, league sources tell ESPN. Trade call with league office is starting shortly.
The most ironic part of this trade is that news broke about Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors in the middle of the night and most people didn’t hear about it until they woke up. Kawhi Leonard is easily the most silent superstar the NBA has ever seen. And the Toronto Raptors are relevant during business hours. Nobody is being woken up out of their sleep to 10-15 texts with breaking news about Kawhi or the Raptors. This trade impacts the Lakers, Clippers, 76ers, Spurs, and Raptors.
Alas, we are here and there are clear-cut winners and losers of this trade.
WINNERS
Spurs/Popovich
The San Antonio Spurs managed to trade an unhappy superstar out of the western conference to a place he didn’t want to go and got a real asset back. Everybody except me thought a deal would happen with one of the LA teams (neither team was going to pay the king’s ransom the Spurs wanted for him). DeRozan < Kawhi, but he’s a real player, and could flourish under Popovich’s tutelage. There’s also great news for Greg Popovich himself. He doesn’t have to spend his final years coaching in rebuild mode.
Lakers young players (Kuzma, Ball, Hart, Ingram)
The Lakers young players are relieved they won’t be traded, at least not yet. Rumors had been circling for months about the Lakers and Spurs doing a deal for Kawhi with some combination of Kuzma, Ball, Hart, Ingram, and draft picks. Now Lonzo Ball can stop faking like his knee is hurt and get back out in public working out.
Raptors
The Raptors instantly got better and got an opportunity. Last year they won 59 games and got swept by LeBron in the second round of the playoffs. Now the Raptors have two options. They can either roll the dice and see if they can make it to the NBA Finals with Kawhi and hope they can convince him to resign long term. Or, they can wait the 60 days and try to get the Lakers or Clippers to give up draft picks and assets for Kawhi. Either way, the Raptors won in the short term but lost in the long term.
Lakers/Clippers
Both the Lakers and Clippers got a win in the trade. Both teams are reportedly on the list of desirable locations for Kawhi Leonard. Both teams had discussions with the Spurs about acquiring Kawhi, but the asking price was far too steep. Either team would have had to part with significant draft picks and players to get a deal done with the Spurs. With Kawhi is in the East with the Raptors, the asking price for Kawhi via trade will fall dramatically. Now, the question is will either the Lakers or Clippers pull the trigger on a trade, or will they gamble and wait till the offseason to hopefully sign Kawhi?
LOSERS
DeMar DeRozan
No more All-Star games and he has to Play LeBron in the playoffs again! OUCH! DeMar has been All-NBA 2x and is a 4x All-Star. Making the NBA All-Star team in the Western Conference was already a tough task before LeBron joined the Lakers. Every year named brand top players are left off the All-Star roster. It is much easier to make the All-Star team in the Eastern Conference. Unless Greg Popovich can get DeMar DeRozan to play like Kawhi Leonard, DeMar has made his last All-Star team.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers were holding out hope they could get LeBron or Kawhi Leonard in this offseason. Now that the Raptors own the rights to Kawhi Leonard there is no chance in hell they will trade him in-conference to the 76ers. They would essentially be giving Philly a “Big 3” and creating in the same situation they were in with LeBron in the East; a team they have no chance of beating in the playoffs for 10 years.
Toronto Raptors
The Raptors still have Kyle Lowry. Kyle Lowry is a solid player to have on your team if he’s not making over $30M and your second best player. You can’t get to the NBA Finals or win a championship with him as your #2. If the Raptors could have traded Lowry’s anchor of a contract instead of DeRozan, they would have.
The biggest piece of bad news is that reports have surfaced that Kawhi has no interest in playing in Toronto. But, I guess Raptors fans can look at the bright side. The team won’t have to pay a luxury tax bill and will have plenty of money for big name free agents in 2019 who won’t sign there next offseason.
Kawhi Leonard has no desire to play in Toronto, league source tells ESPN.
Last night, Bryce Harper defeated Kyle Schwarber with a few seconds to spare in the final round of the Home Run Derby. The atmosphere in Washington D.C. was electric as Harper became the 3rd player ever to win the Derby in his home ballpark. The whole contest was fun to watch as guys like Harper, Schwarber, and Rhys Hoskins were hitting 400-foot bombs on a consistent basis. Overall, it was a fun night for baseball.
Last night reminded me of a common misconception that seems to be brought up every year. “Baseball is dead.” No, baseball is not dead. In fact, the MLB just set a record for revenue in 2017, surpassing the $10 billion milestone for the first time. Paid attendance is still hovering around $73 million, which is a decrease from previous years, but still a solid number. To his credit, Commissioner Rob Manfred is trying to appeal to the younger generation. Manfred wants to speed the game up by implementing a set number of mound visits and shorter time between innings. In hindsight, I’m all for speeding the game up, but at the end of the day, it’s baseball, not basketball or football. Games are still going to go over three hours. If the action on the field is exciting, the time won’t matter.
Although it’s not dead, baseball is struggling to connect with “millennials.” The average age of a baseball fan is 57. That is not good for a sport that desperately wants to get younger. Baseball fans know that the sport is in good hands with its young stars such as Harper, Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Kris Bryant. The problem lies in how to capitalize on these budding stars in order to reach a younger, more casual audience. In my opinion, this is where the MLB completely misses the mark.
Bryce Harper wins the 2018 Home Run Derby, hitting 19 in the final round.
Harper is the 3rd player to win the Derby at his home ballpark, joining Todd Frazier (2015-Reds) & Ryne Sandberg (1990-Cubs).
The 221 HR tonight set a Derby record, passing the 203 at Petco Park in 2016. pic.twitter.com/p1xRiS3H6I
The best player in the MLB is Mike Trout. What Trout is doing is historic. Trout is 26 years old with 2 MVP trophies and 6 (!!!) All-Star game starts including tonight’s game. However, if Mike Trout walks down the streets of New York City, how many people would recognize him? I’m being serious. Does the casual fan know what Mike Trout even looks like? Trout is the best player in the game and his jersey sales were not even in the top 7 last year. There are factors that have lead to Trout’s lack of star appeal. Baseball is typically a regional game, not national, so if Trout is not on ESPN or Fox, it will be hard for the casual fan to watch him play. His team, the Angels, have only been to the playoffs once with him in the league. Trout plays in LA so the time difference hinders the audience on the East Coast. Plus, Trout is very laid back and concentrates on baseball in the offseason instead of building up his public presence.
The best basketball player in the world and the best baseball player in the world now play for L.A. teams. One is a marketing phenomenon. The other is Mike Trout. Why is that?#Angels#Lakers
To bring this full circle, can Harper save baseball? Once again, baseball doesn’t need saving. It just needs to adjust it’s strategies when it comes to marketing its stars. If I’m the Commissioner, I’m showcasing stars like Harper, Judge, and Trout multiple times a month on national television no matter the records of their team. The NBA is star-driven meaning that the casual fan will watch LeBron James even though they may not know anyone else on the Cavs. The same needs to happen in baseball. Also, the MLB social’s media policy is arguably the worst of the major sports. Fans cannot post highlights or gifs from their own accounts without permission from the MLB. That’s baffling for a league that claims they want a younger audience, and yet enforce a strict policy on social media that is predominantly used by, you guessed it, young people.
Fans deserve to see the stars of baseball more often. It’s time for the MLB to make that happen.
