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College Football Playoff Expansion: It’s Time to Pony Up and Pay College Players

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Photo: Don Juan Moore, Getty Images

Pay College Athletes Their Worth!!

With the recent development that the College Football Playoff committee is considering expanding the number of teams that make the playoff from 4 to 12, the business that is college football could go from an annual revenue of $4 billion to some insane amount beyond that. The only problem is that the labor force that is most responsible for the success of the sport – the players – don’t see a piece of that revenue pie. It is way past time for college players to be paid what is commensurate with their contributions to this enterprise, and people need to stop being hypocrites and wake up and realize that.

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Kyrie Irving is Making a Mistake By Not Talking Basketball to the Media

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Photo: Michael Conroy, Associated Press

When keeping it smart goes wrong.

During a Brooklyn Nets postgame press conference, NBA star Kyrie Irving declared to the media that he would no longer be answering questions about basketball – something he is contractually obligated to do – because basketball isn’t the most important thing to him and he only wants to talk about societal issues that he is impassioned about. This is a mistake. Kyrie is painting himself as a social elitist who is smarter than everyone else, all the while undermining awareness of his causes and alienating potential allies. People should not replicate this strategy. This is what happens when keeping it smart goes wrong.

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Paul Pierce’s ESPN Firing Exposes our Need to Dial it Back from Social Media

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Photo: Jason McCawley, Getty Images

With Paul Pierce being fired from ESPN for going live on Instagram surrounded by strippers, weed and liquor, we need to think about how intertwined we’ve allowed social media to become with our everyday lives.

Former NBA player Paul Pierce was fired by ESPN after he went live on Instagram while at a gathering with friends, alcohol, weed, and strippers. Although this continues the fundamental problem of our society’s adoption of moral-policing with respect to people and employees, it also represents how intertwined with reality, and thereby our usage of the medium, that we have allowed social media to become. If we don’t dial back the way that we consume social media, we’re all going to be Paul Pierce at some point in our lives.

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Dan LeBatard CREATES HUGE HOLE in Programming After Leaving ESPN

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Photo: ESPN Images

What ESPN stands to lose from Dan LeBatard’s departure is far more than what it stands to gain. They are going to miss him in the long-run.

If you’re a follower of ESPN Radio programming, you’re probably aware that commentator Dan LeBatard, after a lengthy partnership with ESPN, has departed the network. I wanted to wait for the dust to settle a bit before opining on what I thought of the landscape of ESPN’s programming slate in the wake of his absence, and the prognosis isn’t great. As a fan of LeBatard’s, I believe that his off-kilter brand of comedy and levity with respect to sports is needed. Couple that with his willingness to call out arbitrary sports rituals that we blindly worship, and you have what amounts to a brand of sports commentary that the world needs more of, and that ESPN will sorely miss.

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Domonique Foxworth’s Josh Allen Comments EXPOSE a Problem with the Mainstream Media

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Photo: ESPN Images

The mainstream media, including ESPN, is in the socio-political game. This is just fine, as long as all REASONABLE sides are afforded the same platform.

ESPN Commentator Domonique Foxworth’s comments about NFL QB Josh Allen’s fanbase are representative of the one-sided climate of social discourse in today’s mainstream media, as well as among the people. The only way things are going to become more cooperative is if ALL reasonable viewpoints, not just those of the social justice variety, are afforded platforms to be heard. BE REASONABLE PEOPLE!

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The NBA is Back!

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Image courtesy of Clutch Sports

After a shutdown lasting over 4 months, the NBA returns for a bubble format at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando, FL.

We discuss our thoughts on the long-anticipated return of the NBA after the COVID-19 shutdown. We talk about what we’re each looking forward to, as well as whether there is an asterisk on the season given what has happened. Plus, we talk about how this season, depending on the outcome, can affect LeBron James’ storied career.

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CeeDee Lamb’s Draft Night and the Importance of Good Judgement

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Photo: Michael Conroy, Associated Press

Good judgement when it comes to the women you keep company with is just as important to sustaining your career as anything else.

During the 2020 NFL Draft, Oklahoma wide receiver CeeDee Lamb attracted humorous attention when a domestic tiff between he and his girlfriend was caught on camera. While much ado about nothing on the surface, this can serve as a great example of the need for good judgement on the part of pro athletes and entertainers, especially when it comes to the women they choose to spend their time with.

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Dwayne Wade Supports Son Zion’s Gender Transition

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Photo: George Pimentel, Getty Images

Retired NBA superstar Dwayne Wade jumpstarted a national debate around parenting, family values, and acceptance when he publicly showed support for his son Zion’s decision to be identified as a woman.

We give our thoughts on Dwayne Wade’s support for his son Zion’s gender transition. More than the story itself, we also highlight our current social climate, ideological control in the media, and the overall lack of tolerance for different, reasonable points of view.

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VIDEO: People Urge NFL to Drop Michael Vick from Pro Bowl – Our Reactions

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Michael Vick

Photo: Gene Puskar/AP/Rex/Shutterstock

Three petitions and 1 million signatures later, public outcry against Michael Vick as an honorary captain at the 2020 Pro Bowl shows that in the world of pro sports, second chances are hard to come by.

The news that the NFL has invited former quarterback Michael Vick to be an honorary captain at the 2020 Pro Bowl has sparked outrage. Many people don’t believe he deserves the honor after being convicted of dogfighting in 2007.

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VIDEO: Colin Kaepernick: Mistakes Made and Lessons Learned

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Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP/Shutterstock

The latest episode in the saga of Colin Kaepernick proves that, if nothing else, he remains a divisive topic of conversation.

When former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick took a knee during the national anthem to bring attention to the need for racial equality in America, he probably didn’t anticipate becoming a lightning rod for anti-Americanism and racism, or his unemployment.

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