Who Will Not Survive Black Monday?

Being a head coach in the National Football League commands a tremendous amount of respect, until you get the axe. Oh what a year it’s been! So far three teams have fired their head coach and there are plenty more to follow. Let’s revisit this past season of pure incompetence…

I for one was not surprised the Las Vegas Raiders fired Josh McDaniels. For some football analysts it may have been “too soon”? Open you’re eyes it wasn’t soon enough! The Raiders have been such an inconsistent team for decades and building a multi-billion dollar stadium in addition to relocating to Sin City from Oakland changed nothing. For years McDaniels hid behind Tom Brady’s shadow in New England, I say Brady because lets face it Bill Belichick rode his coat tails too, but we’ll get to that grouch shortly. McDaniels’ incompetence with his clueless vision on offense landed him at the unemployment office.

Though it wasn’t just in Vegas that had trouble in paradise with their head coach. Just a few hundred miles West in Los Angeles the Raiders’ division rival Los Angeles Chargers parted ways with Brandon Staley which was a long time coming as well. Hiring Staley two years ago seemed like a logical move at the time, as he’d just come from the Los Angeles Rams as their defensive coordinator. Though being paired with a dynamic defense the Chargers possessed only lead to disappointment. Aside from choking last year in the playoffs in the Divisional Round to the Jacksonville Jaguars the Chargers haven’t been able to get anything off the ground. It’s baffling how Staley’s poor coaching performance could actually happen with a premier quarterback in Justin Herbert and a running back/receiver combo of Austin Eckler and Keenan Allen. Let’s face it he’s a sub-par game manager! After a blowout loss to the division rival Raiders, Chargers’ fans and the front office had enough. They made sure Staley’s Christmas gift this year was a job application.

There’s going to be struggles with a rookie quarterback but consecutive losses and endless failures will put any head coach on the hot seat. Frank Reich for some reason after five seasons of mediocrity in Indianapolis with the Colts was granted another shot as head coach for the Carolina Panthers. Before the season started the Panthers swapped draft rights for the number one overall pick with the Chicago Bears and selected Heisman Winner Bryce Young from Alabama. Like Reich, Bryce Young was exposed as well for “maybe not being all that”, though Young is new to the league with plenty of time to turn it around. Reich however was on borrowed time from the start of the season. It was quickly revealed how clueless Reich was each week losing game after game. Though when week 10 concluded with a 17-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans, Reich was fired for the 2nd consecutive season in a row. Losing 9 out of 10 games is a rough way to begin a new job, losing more than half of those games in double figures it down right embarrassing.

It’s tough to think of the New England Patriots without Bill Belichick’s scowl on the sideline every Sunday but it’s coming up. It’s been proven Brady was the recipe to success with the Pats and Belichick downright sucks at being a head coach. Starting out his career with the Cleveland Browns many years ago and then coaching the New York Jets for five minutes, he managed to hitch a ride upon Tom Brady’s success for the past two decades. Times up Billy Boy, you’re gonna look really pissed off without a job come 2024.

It’s been a rough 30 years for the Buffalo Bills. Four consecutive Super Bowl losses, multiple bad draft picks and countless humiliating losses. The Bills had a rough start to the season in New York losing to Zach Wilson and the New York Jets which is the equivalent of losing a race to a snail while driving a Ferrari. Though Bills’ head coach Sean McDermott recently put himself on the hot seat after it was revealed at one time four years ago while giving a motivational speech he encouraged his team to work together like the hijackers of 9/11. It will likely only be a Super Bowl victory that will save McDermott’s job and we all know how the Bills perform in the Super Bowl… a dynasty of failure.

There will likely be a bunch of other teams that will give their head coach the axe as well. The Washington Commanders likely had enough of Ron Rivera and will shake things up after the team found new ownership. The Tennessee Titans shouldn’t keep Mike Vrabel past this year either. It’s been a long time since that AFC Championship run and with Will Levis taking the league by storm with his cannon of an arm the Titans will surely make a change at the helm to insure future success for their young star. Finally there’s the Atlanta Falcons. It hasn’t been an easy seven years since they had the worst loss in the history of professional sports giving up a 28-3 lead to the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Hiring Arthur Smith two seasons ago hasn’t set the team forth in a positive direction either. Falling short of the playoffs the last two seasons with below .500 record and failing to utilize young star running back Bijan Robinson to his full potential will ultimately lead to a coaching vacancy in the ATL.

It will be a lavish Black Monday as multiple head coaches will get the axe in a couple weeks time. But what will come of it? Another coach will come in and take their place, they’ll have a so called inspirational press conference on how they plan on taking their new team in a positive direction. Just wait, it’ll only be a couple years’ time before they find themselves on the chopping block like all the others before them.

Fat, Lazy & Stupid

Fat, lazy and stupid is no way to go through life. It’s not ideal to get through the NBA that same way either. Though for some reason James Harden and the teams that succumb to his ridiculous demands allow him to conduct himself in that very manner.

Two years ago the former dynamic scorer of the Houston Rockets had a demanded a trade from the very team that he took on multiple playoff runs and also the team that paid him a very large contract. When the dust settled from the trade to the Brooklyn Nets it seemed Harden was happy in his current playing situation, that was short lived. After a just a season playing alongside Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, Harden once again was unhappy. He now demanded to be sent to the City of Brotherly love in Philadelphia to play alongside big man Joel Embiid. Same situation after just one underperforming season in Philly he wanted out. Now he’s back to his hometown of Los Angeles to play alongside Kawhi Leonard and Paul George with the Los Angeles Clippers. Though it’s been a rocky start so far not even winning a single game together since the trade was completed.

So now after three trades in two years, Harden should finally be in a position to succeed right? Wrong! Let’s start from the beginning

When forcing his way out of Houston in 2021 Harden didn’t help himself in a lot of ways. One of which was his weight. The prolific scorer has always maintained a top physique with superior muscle and endurance to out duel defenders. Though when the Rockets were reluctant to trade away their franchise centerpiece Harden stretched their arm and his waistband. Harden didn’t not only report to training camp but let his physique go by packing on the pounds and not staying in shape. Basically his message to the Houston Rockets was either trade me or I won’t be in any condition to play for you. Once the Rockets met his demand and traded him to the Brooklyn Nets it took the scorer time to get back in peak physique for the Nets due to letting himself go.

Once again Harden didn’t stay happy for long. It was just over one season with the Nets when Harden decided he wasn’t being used to the best of his ability. After the Nets forked over a number of draft picks and key young players to land Harden in the first place, they found a way to move Harden to Philadelphia to play alongside Joel Embiid the player he stated he wanted to play alongside the whole time. After a 1st round exit in the playoffs Harden was posed for a long term contract he said he was promised by 76’ers General Manager Daryl Morey, who ironically was the GM in Houston with Harden. Though after underperforming in the playoffs for a 2nd consecutive year when it came time to sign on the dotted line Harden wasn’t given the max contract he was apparently promised. Harden once again acted like a toddler and sat out during training camp for the 2023-2024 NBA season until his demands were met. Harden over the Summer foolishly went to social media posting a video where he started out by saying “Daryl Morey is a liar”. That’s a hell of a strategy to get paid by the GM that pulled a bunch of strings to acquire a lazy player who won’t suit up for the team he kept whining about wanting to be traded to. Maybe NBA front offices will take note before trading for Harden who apparently can’t stay in shape and play consistently enough to help his team when it matters most. Don’t hold your breath.

Once again the former scoring champion forced a trade again when he was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers right after the beginning of the NBA season. He now got to play in his hometown, back alongside former Oklahoma City Thunder teammate Russel Westbrook and franchise centerpieces Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. This is where the stupidity definitely takes shape. Harden forced his way out of teams like the Nets and 76’ers with a lot of depth and youth to the Clippers a team that’s aging and riddled with injuries every season. Paul George and Kawhi Leonard had joined the team a few years ago both have never been healthy for a full season. The team has never gone really deep in the playoffs and now they’re adding to the mix a player who has forced front office’s hands the past few years, underperformed and has intentionally come to work out of shape. The stupidity isn’t only with Harden for going to an aging team hoping to contend but to the Clippers front office as well for allowing a cancer who has decimated team after team he’s played for in the recent years.

I briefly referred to Harden as former scoring champion. That’s the key word here “former”. Former scoring champion, former All Star, former MVP. All accomplishments that are in the past and all Harden has given the league and fans lately is drama, false promises and regret for taking a chance on his nonsense. The NBA has become a players league but what Harden has done these past two years is ridiculous. Coming to training camp out of shape, not playing to your utmost ability and breaking up multiple franchises to get what you want is anything but acceptable behavior of an elite talent in the league. To wrap things up for James Harden being fat, lazy and stupid is no way to secure your legacy in the NBA.

$910 Million Of Hot Garbage

Burning money with gasoline will sure waste its good use quickly. Though do you know there’s an even more creative way to watch money go up in smoke??? Pay a mediocre/below average NFL quarterback hundreds of millions of dollars!!!

It’s no secret the money that NFL quarterbacks have received in the past few seasons have been jaw dropping. $50 million per season which equates to just shy of $3 million per start, not bad work it you can get it. But that’s the thing, the “who” that is getting this so called STUPID money is just highway robbery.

Russell Wilson is a proven player in the NFL. He’s a Super Bowl Champion and Pro-Bowler many times over, though his 2nd Act in Denver with the Broncos is nothing like his success he had in Seattle with the Seahawks. His first season in the Mile High City was disastrous with (5-12) record on the season. Not the best start to a new chapter in your professional career especially after receiving a $250 million contract without playing a single down for your new franchise. The season was a dumpster fire! The team fired their head coach Nathaniel Hackett mid-season and Wilson’s catchphrase “Bronco’s Country Let’s Ride” lost it’s flare with each humiliating loss. The “Ride” seems to be broken this year as well with another horrid record of (1-4) which included a 70-20 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

Success takes time to show in the league, no question about it. Though for Heisman Winners & first overall draft picks the patience level for fan bases may be shorter than others. Joe Burrow took the league by storm early in his career with some deep playoff runs to the Super Bowl in 2022 and to the AFC Title game again in 2023. Though when the Cincinnati Bengals made him the league’s highest paid player in NFL history just before the season started with $275 Million contract extension they showed they had he utmost faith in their star player to continue to light up the highlight reel. Only highlights so far have been Burrow leaping off the field as he’s led his team to a sub-par (2-3) record so far this season. Injuries can plague a teams success, though when your team is paying you $55 Million per season you damn well better be out there earning it. Burrow’s playoff rival Patrick Mahomes has played in multiple games with an inured ankle. Guess it’s why he’s got two rings and Burrow only two wins.

Every football fan yells at their TV each Sunday saying “I could make that throw” or “I couldn’t even fumble that”. Quite the bold statements from fans eating chips and drinking beer, but to tell you the truth they may have a point if they’re yelling at New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones. So far in his four years in the NFL Jones has filled the highlight reel with multiple bad plays after another. Having the name Danny Dimes suits him well because I would honestly pay him 10 cents to be a starting quarterback. Foolishly the Giants gave Jones a four-year $160 million contract extension this past offseason. It was a poor analysis of the front office to extend a QB who beat an overachieving Minnesota Vikings team in the playoffs only to get smoked by division rival Philadelphia Eagles in the next round. Jones looks like a deer in the headlights every time he’s snapped the ball. It’s actually disturbing a player who should be a backup quarterback or on the practice squad making $40 million per year.

It’s the goal to make money while you’re not working, Kyler Murray has that nailed down to a science. Last July the Arizona Cardinals gave Murray a five-year $230 million contract extension. Pretty ridiculous for only leading your team to one winning season in your brief four year career. To show his true skills even more Murray has only made the playoffs once, losing in the first round to their division rival Los Angeles Rams only throwing 137 yards on the game with no touchdowns. Murray hasn’t even been able to showcase his below average skills this year as he’s recovering from an ACL tear from last season. Been a good year so far for Murray…at the bank. He’ll clear $46 million this season whether he takes one snap or rides the bench sparing the league from his mediocrity.

These four quarterbacks made a whopping $910 Million in contracts over the past couple of seasons. NFL ownership and front offices have to be asking themselves, “did we screw this one up???” Many teams fail to realize they could have gotten a QB for less than a quarter of the salary and had the same record. Gardner Minshew has essentially been the go to guy for the Indianapolis Colts with Anthony Richardson battling injuries and they’ve reached a winning record of (3-2) tied for 1st place in the AFC South. Even take a look at Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions making less than half as Daniel Jones & Kyler Murray and his team has more wins than the Cardinals & Giants combined.

NFL franchises will always have a running fear of losing a generational talent when a franchise quarterback comes along once every decade or more. Though is it really worth it to lock your salary up with a mediocre/underperforming quarterback who may only get you a mere playoff appearance? I despised Tom Brady for years but the one thing he always did right was made sure he had enough talent around him. How’d he do it??? Taking a pay cut and spreading the rest of the financial resources to other areas of the roster that wold ultimately make his job easier.

Despite a teams poor performance fans will continue to show up each Sunday to tailgate, jersey’s will be purchased online and season ticket holders will continue to pay rising ticket costs. But ask yourself this as the owner of a team… Am I truly willing to spend a quarter of $1 billion for something I could’ve gotten for a fraction of the cost? The New York Giants could be paying pennies on the dollar for a QB but will continue roll out Danny Dimes each week to fumble and throw interceptions…paying him $2.35 million per game to do so.

Power Moves Only

Losing sucks! There’s no lighter way to put it. However if you’re a fan of the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns or Los Angeles Lakers you’re not expecting to see a lot of losing this upcoming NBA season.

The dust has finally settled in the big trade of Damian Lillard being dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks after spending 11 seasons with the Portland Trailblazers. As part of the trade the Bucks sent All Star guard Jrue Holiday to the Blazers in exchange for Lillard who for the better part of the last season was mulling the idea of moving on from Portland. Quickly to position themselves to compete for the upcoming season Portland then dealt Holiday to the Boston Celtics for a number of players and draft picks. Around 72 hours later when all was finalized the Celtics & Bucks were the clear frontrunners to contend for the Eastern Conference.

On the other side of the league the Western Conference did some fine tuning to buff itself up as well. Over the Summer the Phoenix Suns traded for All Star guard Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards. This cemented a new Big-Three in the Valley of the Sun with Beal, Devin Booker & Kevin Durant. Just north of Phoenix in Southern California the Los Angeles Lakers had a notable free agency with the re-signing of Rui Hachimura, DeAngelo Russell and Jarred Vanderbilt all of which played pivotal roles in their playoff run last season. The Lakers also went on to sign Gabe Vincent & Christian Wood to add depth to their bench.

The teams who played the role of the so called organ donor for these roster revamps may be looking at some dark times ahead. The Portland Trail Blazers always had a consistent superstar to turn to each night in Damian Lillard. The Blazers acquired Deandre Ayton from the Suns as part of the three-team trade involving Lillard and also have some young players in Scoot Henderson too. However there is no guarantee that they’ll be able to create the same success Lillard had with multiple playoff appearances and All Star selections. The Washington Wizards are definitely in store for some growing pains in the years ahead too. Losing Bradley Beal not only takes away the face of their franchise but their leading scorer as well. D.C. has a young roster in Corey Kispert & Bilal Coulibaly though it will take a few years to see what type of players they can develop into.

Roster overhauls involving big trades leave some teams positioned to win or contend for a championship but also leaves other franchises looking around with unwanted role players, unproven draft picks and little hope for fans to witness winning basketball. On the other hand the teams who make these power moves to land big name players have to realize something… only one team wins each year. Over the next 2-4 years will the Suns, Bucks, Celtics & Lakers each win one or multiple championships? Likely not, sports aren’t that heartwarming in the end. Super teams don’t always click, injuries hold back a rosters’ true potential and sometimes there is just a better team. The reigning NBA Champion Denver Nuggets won their first championship in franchise history with home grown talent in Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray. They had faced off against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals who had a similar strategy of developing their young players in Gabe Vincent & Bam Adebayo. Seems like this is a more effective strategy than dealing away young players you scout, draft & develop to have this big-three or even four players that still won’t guarantee success.

So the big question is are power moves worth it? That short window of 2-4 years where teams give up promising young players, charge high ticket prices to pay for these huge salaries could ultimately fall short in the end without ever winning anything. From the owner of a franchise in the luxury box to the fan in the nosebleeds all everyone wants to see is a winning product. Wouldn’t it make sense to see it on a consistent basis rather than for a 2-4 year stretch or once every 10 years?

Only time will tell. The 2023-2024 NBA season begins in just a few weeks. Both front offices & fans will soon learn if it is better to build an effective roster and develop players for consistent success or go all in for a brief window to win and if they fall short walk away with nothing.

Kind Of Not A Big Deal

Baseball is the easiest sport to play. Well not really, it’s actually kind of difficult.

Hitting a 95 mile per hour fast ball or catching a line drive hit near 120 miles per hour hit directly at you does seem kind of tough. I’m only thinking it’s tough based on how easy it is to get into the Hall of Fame. Growing up I was led to believe to get into Cooperstown you needed to break a record, reach a milestone only few had accomplished or be levels ahead of your competition. Scott Rolen you have accomplished none of these feats.

Let me revisit these milestones. To be inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame you needed to reach one of the following benchmarks depending on if you were a hitter or pitcher:

• 3,000 hits
• 500 home runs
• 300 wins
• Record stolen bases
• Number of games played
• Being the best player of your era being levels above the competition

After a quick review Scott Rolen who was elected to the 2023 Hall of Fame class earlier this week hasn’t come close to any of those accomplishments and is a lame excuse for an inductee to a Hall of Lame.

In Rolen’s 16 year career he managed to be elected to the All Star team seven times, which after all is just a popularity contest since fans get to vote. He was a decent fielder grabbing eight Gold Gloves and earned one Silver Slugger award in 2002. To cap off his not so boring career he earned a ring with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2006. Absent from his resume was a MVP award, batting champion and leading any offensive category (home runs, hits, RBI’s). Rob Manfred you might have earned the nod as worst commissioner in professional sports if this is who we’re considering to be an elite member of America’s past time.

A slightly more qualified candidate who was passed on the Hall of Fame this year was Andruw Jones. Jones played the same amount of time in the league as Rolen and wasn’t as popular to reach the All Star game only five times, but earned 10 Gold Gloves while earning the crown of RBI & home run leader in 2005. With a career resume like this which is noticeably more impressive than Rolen how do we as fans honestly expect to believe that he doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame while Rolen does? Simple the BBWAA.

The BBWAA (Baseball Writer Association of America) are the panel of sportswriters who elect former baseball players into the Hall of Fame. To me this is a problem that they’re the ones with this coveted power. Sports writers are allowed the most access to players, whether it’s conducting an interview pre-game in the locker room or post-game on the field. However wouldn’t that cause them to form an opinion of these players over time based on their interactions with them? Getting into an altercation with a player about the way an interview is going or whether they like a question or the way it was asked can rub a writer the wrong way. With this being said if the writer has the power to cast the vote of that said player who called them an obscene name or shoved them out of the way when trying to do their job of doing an interview, they’re ultimately responsible for allowing them into the Hall of Fame or not. Just think about this there was one reporter who didn’t elect Derek Jeter into the hall of fame. Writers casting their vote based on their personal opinion of the player rather than their performance on the field is bad for baseball and their overall credentials of being an unbiased reporter.

People always compare stats when making an argument for a players’ worthiness of being in the Hall of Fame so let me take you to our final example. Don Mattingly only played 13 years in the major leagues for the New York Yankees. In his 13 years in pinstripes Mattingly accomplished the following:

• 6 time All-Star
• MVP 1985
• Nine Gold Gloves
• Three Silver Sluggers
• Batting Champion 1984
• RBI leader in 1985

I’ve admitted it I can be biased being a Yankees fan, but lets face it any baseball fan with eyes and appreciation for REAL talent knows who belongs and doesn’t belong in the Hall of Fame. If we’re gonna allow former players in the Hall of Fame based on winning popularity contests (All Star game selections) we need a new system. Baseball writers pride themselves on covering the game and providing the best access to their reading audience. If their Hall of Fame selections continue to be lackluster like Scott Rolen then it’s time to stop writing about the stats and reading them more closely.

Just Disgusted

I deserve an apology.

Let me clarify, all Indianapolis Colts fans deserve an apology. We’ve been mistreated, mislead and downright embarrassed. The Indianapolis Colts have been biggest disgrace to football I’ve ever seen.

Though I’ve not experienced the turmoil and anguish that a Cleveland Browns or Detroit Lions fan have had, for the 2022 NFL season being a Colts fan is a shameful thing to admit. I used to be proud to admit I rooted for an out of market team. Having family in Indiana I’ve attended Colts training camps and gone out to a local sports bar to watch an obscure matchup between the Houston Texans as hometown teams blocked out of market matchups. Though the pride of rooting for this team has slowly retreated and will take a lot of effort to reappear.

On Monday night this week the Colts lost 20-3 to the Los Angeles Chargers. The week before that were outscored 39-3 in the second half against the Minnesota Vikings. Just to sum up the awfulness, the Colts have been outscored 59-3 in the last six quarters of football played. Jim Irsay you are a DISAPPOINTMENT as an owner of a NFL team!!! This is the product you put on a field? SHAME ON YOU!!! Ticket holders should be refunded and begged for forgiveness for this punishment of a season we’ve had to endure.

In addition to being outperformed on this horrific level of play we have already fired our head coach Frank Reich, about two seasons past due. I can’t tell you have many games his play calling cost this team. He was also a main voice in bringing Carson Wentz over to the team last season. That worked out great, cost the team a first round pick, had a sub-par record and led to Irsay making public comments about his problems with the former 2nd overall pick in 2016. How the hell did he get drafted that high???

When Andrew Luck retired in 2018 no one was expecting it. Nevertheless we as Colts fans were hoping that the organization that brought great names to the field like Manning, Rhodes, Sanders, Mathis and Freeney would have a plan to replace QB1 and the face of the franchise. Couldn’t be more from the truth. Though Running Back Jonathan Taylor had a breakout season last year, he’s been all but impressive this season being plagued by injuries and inconsistency. Since Luck retired abruptly in 2018 the Colts have had a new QB every season which have mainly consisted of washed up former Pro-Bowlers who are on their last leg. To Jim Irsay I say this…. STOP WITH THIS HORRENDOUS DISPLAY OF CARELESS MISMANAGEMENT!!!!!

It’s been almost five years since Andrew Luck retired. We deserve better than these one year band aid’s lining up behind center. Enough with these idiot foolish coaches at the helm. As for Jeff Saturday being named interim coach, Mr. Irsay thanks for the laugh. Naming Saturday head coach is like naming a line cook at Taco Bell head chef at Peter Luger’s steakhouse. His lone victory against the Las Vegas Raiders gave some fans hope but since then the team has been winless, pathetic and disgusting to observe on a weekly basis.

Get it together Jim! You go through QB’s on a yearly basis and sell the fans on a dream that quickly becomes a nightmare of epic proportions. Get a head coach in charge who knows what a football actually is and stop trying to feed us a reality that everything is going in the right direction, because it’s clearly not. I’m embarrassed to wear the blue & white because of you!

To Trade or Not To Trade

It’s December and the New York Knicks are still playing meaningful basketball games. Merry Christmas to me! It may sound ridiculous to get overjoyed about my favorite basketball team still in contention in December with four months of the season left but if you’re a Knicks fan… you’re jumping for joy.

Right now on December 9th 2022 the Knicks have a record of (13-13). Just eight years ago in 2014 on December 10th their record was (4-20). So yeah Knicks fans have plenty to be happy about heading into this holiday season. It’s been a rough road these past eight years with a bunch of roster overhauls, multiple head coaching changes and a lot of bad basketball to watch. Though the Knicks aren’t at the top of the Eastern Conference and aren’t contending for a NBA Championship seeing them play competitive basketball this far into the season is the best gift I could ask for.

If you’re still following the team after that abysmal 17 win season in 2014 both Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis are no longer the faces of the franchise. Ironically another player who was actually drafted during that season from hell in 2014 runs the show night in and night out and his name is Julius Randle. Randle was drafted seventh overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2014 but didn’t fit into their long term plans. After playing out his rookie contract in L.A. Randle made a brief stop in New Orleans before arriving in the Big Apple in 2019. Since his arrival he’s been he Knicks leading scorer, lone All-Star selection and the primary reason why the Knicks are bearable to watch for the first time in over a decade. So you may find this crazy but even with all these glimpses of good basketball some Knicks fans, the front office and other executives around the league are expecting Randle to be traded at some point in the future months.

Though Randle has been the best Knicks player to set foot on the floor of Madison Square Garden since Carmelo Anthony he has his flaws as well. Even though Randle is leading the team in scoring this season at 21.6 points per game there are many times where he can be more of a liability than an asset with a basketball in his hands. During tight situations in a game where it’s a last second shot to tie or win a game or make a critical pass, Randle often finds himself making a bush league play where he turns over the ball. In addition to poor passing Randle can be inconsistent with his scoring and defense as well. His 20 points per night can come with a ton of missed field goals, hogging the ball and not hustling on defense. We all get frustrated at our jobs but it seems to get to Randle on a nightly basis and boy does he wear his emotions on his sleeve. Whenever he misses a critical shot or causes a turnover his body language displays a lack of hustle and commitment to being a team player. It’s clearly noticeable when he gives up on a offensive possession where his team has control of the ball because something didn’t go his way. Hell this is something we did during gym class in elementary school.

Though it sounds like I’m tearing down the sole factor Knicks fans have a reason to be grateful & happy I’m a big supporter of Randle as well. Though he can hog the ball and often take poor shots, he is one to get his own rebounds in a second attempt to score or get to the foul line. I had mentioned the long list of coaches at the helm, when the team hired Tim Thibodeau in 2020 he brought his tough defensive approach and team basketball to an organization which lacked both characteristics greatly. When Randle is double teamed or is having an off night scoring the basketball, he brings a great floor IQ and great passing ability to put his teammates in a great position to score as well.

In 2020 the Knicks drafted Obi Toppin from Dayton College with the eighth pick in the NBA draft. Toppin was likely to be heir apparent to Randle who was coming up on a contract year and came off a lackluster season. However Randle shined in the 2020-2021 season leading the team to the playoffs for the first time in seven years and also grabbing an All-Star selection and winning Most Improved Player of the Year. Obi Toppin doesn’t get as much time on the court with Randle’s capabilities, though he’s surely learned plenty in his time shadowing him in his brief time in the NBA.

I’ve torn down and praised the brightest star the Knicks currently have and it’s probably unclear whether I believe Randle should be part of the Knicks long term plans or not. There are other players who are still developing waiting in the wings like RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes but need additional time to develop into the players the organization is hoping they’ll mold into. In the meantime Randle is the most consistent player and best chance to get back to the playoffs for a second time in a decade.

In sports whether it’s on the professional level or the local park pickup game you have to roll with the best option. Right now for the Knicks that’s Julius Randle. Like him or not he’s the best player the Knicks have stepping onto the court each night. Always remember this Knicks team is still trying to find out which direction they’re going in. It’s a long season and the wheels haven’t fallen off yet. As far as I’m concerned Randle is the only solution to keep this derailed freight truck that is the New York Knicks moving in somewhat of a positive direction.

Dumb and Really, Really Dumb

I’ve criticized Kyrie Irving over the past few posts i’ve published so if you’ve been reading you know i’m not the president of his fan club. To bring you up to speed he left playing alongside the greatest basketball player in the world in Lebron James then emotionally self destructed with a made to win Boston Celtics team. Now he has now created his own version of “Where’s Waldo” with “Where’s Kyrie”, spoiler alert the Brooklyn Nets are losing big time! To summarize things up Irving has squandered every opportunity he’s been granted since hitting the crushing three point shot over Steph Curry in the 2016 NBA Finals. During his time away from the Nets Irving is costing himself more than $460,000 per game. Kyrie you dumb!

Not to worry Kyrie, Brooklyn just traded away the entire roster for a really, really dumb player in James Harden to shoulder the load in costing the Nets wins.

Harden won MVP in 2018, was elected an All Star eight times, he even picked up Sixth Man of the Year in 2012 when he was still a member of the Thunder. He played alongside Dwight Howard, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook all of which he made the playoffs with. Harden earned more than $40 million a year playing for the Rockets, won three consecutive scoring titles and set multiple NBA scoring records. All these accomplishments and what’s he got to show for it? Nothing. I don’t care if Harden averaged more than 90 points per game, you can’t refer to yourself as one of the best to play the game if you don’t perform in the playoffs. Harden has been in the league for 12 years now and has made over $300 million and has never won a championship or even been to the finals when he was the number one option. All he has done is steal the spotlight with being a ball hog, over dribbling and turning over the ball during big possessions in games.

Harden definitely secured the money bag when he played for the Rockets, he must have fired his accountant before the trade to the Nets though. As a result of the state income tax in New York he will now pay a 12.7% tax rate that didn’t exist in Texas. So to sum everything up Harden couldn’t win in Houston with a number of All Stars around him because he was an overrated ball hog who choked in the playoffs. He failed to recognize this and is taking the easy way out to play alongside Kevin Durant and the most stable New York athlete in Kyrie Irving and will cost himself nearly $14 million while doing it. James Harden you’re really, really dumb!!!!!

Look i’ll say it, I’m a hater. I’m a Knicks fan who’s bitter because I haven’t seen my team have an above .500 record in eight seasons. Maybe I’m tired of being frustrated at my own team so I’m taking it out on the Nets who are just bringing more drama to New York basketball with the antics of Kyrie and Harden. Until the Nets win a championship the criticism will continue to flow at these overpaid prima donnas. But don’t count on it letting up anytime soon, Harden is a ball hog who chokes in the playoffs, Durant is injury prone and Irving is on planet Neptune. Hell with it, throw Giannis on that mess of a team too. The Brooklyn Nets are not winning a championship anytime soon.

When Will Disaster Strike?

Let me just preface by saying something, I hate Kyrie Irving. This probably sounds like this is the beginning of a NBA fan’s mission to trash one of the elite playmakers in the league, but let me tell you there is more to this than you think.

Two Summers ago when Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets instead of my Knicks I was not disappointed or upset. I remember scrolling through social media that afternoon seeing posts like, “Why Brooklyn!!???” or “They both couldn’t stand the spotlight of NYC to come to the Knicks.” If you’re a Knicks fan and actually believed for a millisecond that there was a realistic chance that Irving or Durant were going to join the Knicks you most likely have a brain tumor the size of a grapefruit. I mean who would want to join a team that went through then six head coaches in seven years? Also it wasn’t like Durant and Irving we’re going to be living below the poverty line with the Nets. Their combined contracts totaled more than $300 million.

It’s going to sound odd hearing this about two of the most elite players in the NBA in Irving and Durant but the Brooklyn Nets are potentially sitting atop a powder keg. How could this be? Look at the history of both players.

Kyrie played alongside the greatest player of the past quarter century with Lebron James in Cleveland, nope couldn’t co-exist. So he wanted his independence from the demand of playing with Lebron and forced team management to send him to the Celtics. I still recall Irving being interviewed on First Take with Stephen A Smith asking Irving, “Why on earth would you want to leave that situation? You go to the finals each year!”. Irving jut casually answered, “You can’t put a price on happiness.” Well he most definitely did not find it in Boston. It seemed like a perfect situation with the Celtics for Irving; a proven young head coach in Brad Stevens, a hungry core of young players in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart what could go wrong? Things started off well in Boston for Irving, he even made the bold decision to make an announcement in front of the home crowd before the start of a game that he intended to re-sign with the team the following Summer when he became a free agent. Irving now had the spotlight which he never had in Cleveland playing alongside James, guess it was too bright. Irving’s level of play began to decline as his mood swings increased. Team staff said Irving would go days without speaking to the team and created a toxic environment in the locker room. As the team’s performance on the court got worse and worse reporters questioned his interest in re-signing with the team as he promised in front of a sold out TD Garden. Irving answered a reporter who asked him about his loyalty to the team with, “I don’t owe anyone shit!”. Irving left the Celtics the following Summer to join the Nets, guess there was a price on happiness: $136,000,000 over four years.

Durant I believe is a more talented player than Irving but he’s had his share of drama in the NBA as well. The decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016 to join the star studded Golden State Warriors began an endless drama circus with him and former teammate Russell Westbrook. Whenever the two played each other they barked at one another all game. When Durant supposedly told the Warriors he was going to leave the team following the 2019 season it started drama with him and teammate Draymond Green with Green saying the team didn’t need him. To sum things up Durant loves the spotlight just as much as Irving. He announces his free agent moves on social media and gets defensive when fans react to him leaving a team that’s built to win. He did it with Oklahoma City and the Warriors, it may be only a matter of time before he says adios to the BK.

I mentioned the Nets are sitting on a powder keg, well the match has already been lit. Irving has already been fined $25,000 for refusing to speak to the media before the start of the season referring to reporters as “pawns”. In addition a major blow occurred to the roster a couple weeks ago when Spencer Dinwiddie tore his ACL. Now more pressure is placed on Irving and Durant to perform with a key piece of the roster sidelined. They both wanted the spotlight, well now they have it in the media capital of the country. I started this off with expressing me disliking Kyrie Irving, why you ask? Aside from his stupid comments about dinosaurs not existing and the earth being flat, he has ultimately destroyed two great franchises from within because of his antics. Hey I’m a Knicks fan, the more drama for the Nets the better. Let the chaos continue!

Put the championships aside for Durant and Irving. If they don’t win a championship with this Nets team then it only proves they couldn’t win with a more talented team around them. It also shows they put their egos ahead of their teammates showing they’re selfish egomaniac prima donnas who only want the spotlight but can’t cut it when it shines on them.