data-mm-id=”_3g27gsb39″>About a month into the NBA season, the league and its broadcast partners are not bragging. The ratings for the season are off to rough start compared to last season's down year. As pointed out by Sports Media Watch, ratings for eight of the 10 TNT games have declined this season and, including ESPN's airings, nine games have already failed to reach one million viewers. That is compared to 19 all of last season. Another season with declining ratings has been my prediction ever since the discussion for this season began. The most protected and praised league by the sports media suffers from a plethora of problems that aren't going away. Most years there are only a select few teams that matter and have any national interest. This season, there are l…
data-mm-id=”_5sm7rrmzy”>John Beilein likely won't be in the NBA much longer. A new report Sunday night claims the Cleveland Cavaliers are unlikely to keep Beilein beyond this season, and momentum is building towards his departure. Shams Charania, Kelsey Russo and Jason Lloyd of The Athletic had the report and here's what they had to say:”Cavaliers coach John Beilein is not expected to remain as head coach beyond the end of the season, league and team sources have told The Athletic. The terms of the separation, and the exact timing of it, are not yet known, but momentum is building toward his exit.”The report continues:”Several factors have come into play around the Cavaliers and Beilein in regard to his job position leading to the potential end of his tenure before the end of…
data-mm-id=”_091iwfttt”>Dana White made a huge announcement Friday, as he revealed full cards for three events the UFC will hold in an eight day span later this month. All three shows would be held in Jacksonville, Florida as the state begins to ease lockdown restrictions. Starting with UFC 249 on May 9, the organization will host three events in just more than a week. On Wednesday, May 13 a UFC Fight Night card will be headlined by a light heavyweight bout between Glover Teixeira (30-7) and Anthony Smith (33-14). Then on May 16, another Fight Night card will feature Alistair Overeem (45-18, 1 no contest) and Walt Harris (13-7, 1 no contest) battling in a heavyweight main event. Both of those bouts were scheduled for April but were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. White is goi…
data-mm-id=”_8v1jbq05j”>Colin Kaepernick is a name that has been coming up in conversation often in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. As peaceful protests turn to riots and looting, many of the same people who wouldn't stand for Kaepernick kneeling wonder why people can't protest peacefully. The NFL released a statement on Saturday which was very supportive of those involved and affected, but seemed kind of ridiculous because of how Kaepernick was treated by the league when he tried to address systemic issues using his platform.pic.twitter.com/rRUOPpWSpE— NFL (@NFL) May 30, 2020Also on Saturday, Joe Lockhart, the former NFL executive vice president in charge of communications and government affairs, wrote a column for CNN where he shed some light on the Kaepernick si…
data-mm-id=”_2ygac5oax”>Jerry Jones is a hypocrite. The Dallas Cowboys owner is again trying to stifle players' right to peacefully protest by suggesting a "compromise" like he did by kneeling before the National Anthem in 2017. Kneeling protests have come back strong over the last few months and while Colin Kaepernick remains unemployed in the NFL, his original message will be louder than ever when the league starts its season next month.In a recent interview with Emmanuel Acho, Roger Goodell said that he would support players who kneel and again pointed out that it has nothing to do with disrespecting the flag or the country.Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man: The National Anthem Protest- PT. IIIn Part II: Commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell, answers whet…
data-mm-id=”_flpdodhxi”>The Atlanta Falcons are the most intriguing team in the NFL Draft if only because they have the most valuable pick among organizations whose plans are not painfully clear. The Jaguars, Jets, and 49ers all figure to go all-in on quarterbacks out of the gate, meaning if someone wants to trade up and get Justin Fields, they'll have to offer an attractive package. We've been hammering on this point for awhile and the event horizon has only become more vast with the passing of time and new speculation. One newish intriguing possibility comes via the creative mind of NBC Sports' Peter King, who writes in today's Football Morning in America column:Surprises? Keep an eye on Atlanta. I can’t predict any bombshells. But a few things would not surpri…
data-mm-id=”_zi7j2uxix”>The end is near for arguably the greatest generation of quarterbacks in NFL history. Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, and Ben Roethlisberger enter the playoffs with at least one foot out the door as the retirement clock counts down the final seconds of their illustrious careers.Standing in the path of the storybook ending each hopes to author is a new generation of quarterbacks who want nothing more than to dash their predecessor's dreams of being the next Peyton Manning or John Elway. How the next five weeks unfold will determine legacies and prestige, but it will also signal an official passing of the torch from one group of all-timers to their presumed successors. Brees, 41, has already reportedly decided to retire after this season and assume his p…
data-mm-id=”_lybvxy4tb”>It was not so long ago that Melvin Ingram was considered one of the league's most feared pass rushers. Then injuries and age set in and Ingram's play fell off; he missed nearly all of 2020 and had no sacks in the games he did play. But in his last fully healthy season, Ingram registered seven sacks and 16 QB hits. He signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason on a one-year prove-it deal to show he still had something in the tank. Things haven't worked out, though. Ingram's playing time has slowly reduced over the last three weeks and he was only on the field for a quarter of the team's defensive snaps in their Week 6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Now Ingram is on the trade block, per Ian Rapoport: Steelers pass rusher Melvin Ingr…
data-mm-id=”_u5w4titxr”>How long is the Tour de France? Well, it's long. Approximately three weeks and 3,500 kilometers long. Featuring 21 stages over 23 days, it is the most prestigious cycling competition in the world and it's probably the only one anyone in America cares about. The race was first organized in 1903 and is the oldest of the Grand Tours. It was followed by the Giro d'Italia and Veulta a España, but neither of those were even deemed important enough for Lance Armstrong to cheat in enough to make their Wikipedia pages so you tell me how important they are. The worst way to get a feel for how long the Tour de France is would be to watch the HBO short film Tour de Pharamacy starring Andy Samberg, Orlando Bloom, Daveed Diggs and John Cena. The 41-minute mock…
data-mm-id=”_j7x99a3sh”>Tristian Thompson's stint at ESPN last season was very odd because usually when an athlete hits the studio sports show market, his playing days are done. Thompson joined ESPN in early 2023 and made appearances on NBA Today and First Take and all that. But then he got signed by the Los Angeles Lakers before the playoffs and even got some postseason minutes, leading to another deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers for this upcoming season. You almost never see that. In fact, Thompson joining ESPN at all came as a bit of a surprise. He fit the athlete-to-sports-media stereotype in some ways; he was an NBA champion and played with LeBron James. Both of those factors are appealing on their own and combined they mean Thompson is a more recognizable name to the genera…