Morning Win – Page 95 – Syndication Server

Let’s be honest: Turkey stinks and should be avoided on Thanksgiving

Turkey is boring and tasteless.

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

I don’t know why I need to provide more than just that headline above but then again I do get paid to write (kinda) well thought out arguments and I think my boss might still be subscribed to this newsletter, so I better explain myself a little more here.

Tomorrow a lot of you are going to sit around a table with loved ones and carve into a big turkey that nobody is really all that excited about because – and say it with me – turkey stinks and should be avoided on Thanksgiving.

I’m here to help you avoid that fate, as there’s still time until your guests arrive. Your menu doesn’t have to be set just yet.

Thanks to tradition many of us are programmed to get a turkey during Thanksgiving week, figure out yet again how long to cook the darned thing, and then dump a bunch of sides on the turkey to make it seem like it’s actually good.

Sure, there are a bunch of things you can do with a turkey while preparing it and then while cooking it to try to trick yourself into thinking it’s flavorful but we all know what the end result is going to be. Oh, you put butter under the skin before cooking it? Oh, you coat it in herb butter before putting it in the oven? Oh, you throw a bunch of cut up vegetables in the pan with it while it cooks?

Cool stories, same outcome – total blahness

Turkey is a boring, tasteless meat that is rightly ignored 364 days a year. And calm down, I know turkey sandwiches are popular, but have you ever seen anyone smile while either ordering a turkey sandwich at a shop or while making one at home? Have you ever seen someone at work pump their fist and go, “Yes! I brought a turkey sandwich for lunch today!”

No, you haven’t. Because we all know just how dull and non-delicious this bird is.

Heck, turkey isn’t even offered at most restaurants because restaurant owners know nobody is silly enough to go out of their house and waste money on such a disappointing meal.

Instead, we’ll devote a whole day and maybe travel through time zones just to sit down and slap some slices of a turkey breast on your plate. How sad.

So what should you do instead of making turkey on Thanksgiving? I don’t know – maybe try making something that is tasty and desirable for those who have come over to your house to eat?

You know what people/non-vegeterians love to eat? Smoked meats. A smoked pork butt is perfect for a Thanskgiving dinner. It can smoke slow and low all day while you watch football and consume more wine than you probably should.

Or what about a brisket? Now there is a delicious treat. It will take longer to smoke than a pork butt and is a little more labor intensive but once it’s done people will be yelling at you to slice it up and slop it on their plate.

Sides for smoked meats are easy, too – just break out your classic sides of mac and cheese, brussel sprouts, potatoes au gratin, you name it. You can even still have stuffing because you’re an adult and can make these types of decisions.

Not into smoked meats? How about a pot roast or prime rib or make a bunch of homemade pizzas with your family?

Just anything but turkey. It’s time that we move away from turkey. This boring bird has held its power over us for way too long. We deserve to sit back and stuff our faces with something that actually puts a smile on our faces.

And turkey ain’t it.

Tuesday’s biggest winner: Bill Walton.

The hoops legend is calling games at the Maui Invitational and boy is he feeling good and having some fun in Hawaii. Here’s a collection of some wild tangents he’s gone off on the past few days, including how he wanted to go outside between games and get some sun and become the first “human solar panel.” Beautiful stuff.

Quick hits: Kane the mayor… How Duck got his name… Rams free falling… And more!

– WWE legend Kane is now a mayor of a town and he told our Nick Schwartz all about what that’s like.

– The Steelers will start QB Devlin “Duck” Hedges this week against the Browns. How’d he get that nickname? Our Charles Curtis explains.

– Here are many reasons why the Los Angeles Rams could be bad for a while.

– Our Steven Ruiz looks at 7 NFL coaches who should be fired at the end of the year, including Jason Garrett.

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)

Lamar Jackson is ridiculous in such a great, fun way

Lamar Jackson is so much gosh darn fun.

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

Lamar Jackson is a very special talent, which is something we were all reminded off – as if we even needed a reminder – Monday night when he absolutely tore up the Rams in a 45-6 win for the Baltimore Ravens.

Jackson was just ridiculous Monday night. He finished with five touchdown passes, which is a NFL record for a QB in his MNF debut. He also rushed for 95 yards and made the Rams defense look silly until he was pulled from the game early in the fourth quarter.

It was just really fun to watch Jackson do his thing and have fun doing his thing at such a high level.

What makes this second-year QB so great – besides his ability to make incredible throws and also torch a defense with his feet – is his competitive spirit. This guy wants to win as much as a Tom Brady or a Kobe Bryant or a Michael Jordan wants to win. He goes 110 MPH on every play and wants to make his opponents pay each time he takes a snap. He wants to compete so hard and rip out your heart every chance he gets, no matter the score of the game. That’s how legends in all different sports do it.

Losing is his enemy. And he appears to really hate his enemy.

Remember that time against the Seahawks this season when he told John Harbaugh that he wanted to go for it on fourth down and then ran for a touchdown on the play? That’s the type of confidence and killer instinct that separates the greats from really goods. And Jackson is well on his way to becoming one of the greats.

Jackson has wins over Deshaun Watson, Russell Wilson, and Tom Brady this season. Now he has a huge win over what was a good Rams defense that looked like a shell of itself as Jackson and the Ravens marched up and down the field at will on Monday night.

Baltimore’s offense right now feels like it’s pretty unstoppable. They stretch a defense out and then kill you with a running game featuring Jackson and Mark Ingram, who is running with such power and confidence right now. Want to stop the run? Then Jackson beats you with his arm or scrambles out of the pocket and picks up huge first downs with his feet.

He’s truly better than everyone else right now and should be the top name in any NFL MVP debates.

The Ravens are now 9-2 and host the 10-1 San Francisco 49ers next Sunday, which should be a fun one.

But really, any game with Jackson in it is a fun one, and NFL fans are lucky to be able to watch such an immense talent doing his thing.

Monday’s biggest winner: Marcus Peters.

Peters, who was traded from the Rams to the Ravens earlier this season, had some fun playing against his former team. He picked off Jared Goff late in the blowout win and then was seen appearing to mock Jalen Ramsey, the star cornerback the Rams traded for shortly after saying goodbye to Peters. Oh, and the two also had some words after the game. What a wild night in Los Angeles.

Quick hits: Jason Garrett MNF jokes… Knicks pull a Knicks… Heat break out beautiful jerseys… And more!

– Dez Bryant was one of many NFL fans to make a Jason Garrett joke after the Ravens went for it on 4th down early in Monday night’s game.

– The Knicks went out of their way Monday to shoot down Richard Jefferson’s claim that he retired instead of playing for the Knicks. Not a great look for the Knicks, but what else is new?

– The Miami Heat unveiled their ‘Vice Wave’ jerseys and they are spectacular.

– Booger McFarland made no sense on this call during MNF.

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)

Jason Garrett coached scared and it cost the Dallas Cowboys dearly

Jason Garrett blew it for the Cowboys on Sunday.

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

Jason Garrett did something against Bill Belichick and the Patriots on Sunday that you just can’t do against the Patriots and it ended up costing his team dearly – Jason Garrett coached scared.

I’m talking, of course, about his wild decision in the fourth quarter to kick a field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-seven from the Patriots 11 yard line. The Cowboys were trailing by seven with just over six minutes left in the game. They were moving the ball against the Patriots’ stellar defense. This was their chance to have Dak Prescott make a huge a statement and make a big play in a huge situation.

Instead, Garrett called for the kicking team to take field.

Yuck.

I can only imagine Belichick was laughing so hard on the inside when he saw a kicker running onto the field. I mean, how embarrassing for Garrett.

The kick was good but the decision was not, as the Cowboys ended up losing by four points. Granted, an awful tripping call on their last drive didn’t help things but Garrett’s decision to kick a field goal is the one that should hurt the most and add only more fuel to the fire that is the Cowboys fanbase after Garrett does something stupid in a game.

Garrett should have learned something from Doug Pederson and the rival Eagles. Remember when they threw everything at the Patriots – including the “Philly Special” – in the Super Bowl a few years ago? Pederson never coached scared in that game, instead he did just the opposite and stepped down on the pedal and drove right over Belichick and the Pats on their way to winning the Super Bowl.

Garrett didn’t do that Sunday in New England and it could be what ultimately ends up costing him his job in Dallas. Jerry Jones needs a coach that isn’t afraid to go for it and make big moves. Garrett seems content with playing it safe and clapping his approval on the sideline.

Remember earlier in the season when Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson told his coach, John Harbaugh, that he wanted to go for it on fourth down inside the 10 yard line against Seattle? Jackson ran the ball in for a TD on the play and cemented his status as the leader of that team who will do whatever it takes to win. Baltimore hasn’t lost since that game and are now one of the best teams in the NFL.

Dak could have had that opportunity on Sunday, instead he had to watch some kicker run on the field and get the team three points.

Garrett didn’t coach to win on Sunday. He coached to not make mistakes.

And that was absolutely the biggest mistake that he could have made.

NFL Week 12 Awards: Eagles had the worst celebration.

Check out my weekly NFL awards, in which I take a gif-by-gif look back at the good, the bad, and the hilarious from Sunday’s NFL action. The Eagles’ defense had the worst celebration of the week – celebrating a fumble recovery while down 14 in the fourth quarter wasn’t a great look.

Quick hits: Gronk outfit jokes… Bears fan sneaks in a pie… Jefferson crushes Knicks… And more!

– Rob Gronkowski rocked a turtleneck on Fox on Sunday and fans had lots of good jokes.

– A Bears fan snuck a pumpkin pie into Sunday’s game and instantly became a hero.

– Richard Jefferson crushed the Knicks with a tremendous story about not wanting to play for the Knicks.

– Joe Theisman didn’t like seeing Dwayne Haskins taking selfies with fans at the end of Sunday’s Redskins game. Theisman really needs to calm down.

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)

This is when Tom Brady and the Patriots are at their very best

Tom Brady lives for moments like this.

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

Tom Brady and the New England Patriots are 9-1, which is tied for the best record in football and good for the top spot in the AFC.

They’re coming off a big road win over a tough NFC team that beat them in the Super Bowl a few years ago.

And they’re hearing lots people on the outside voice concerns/doubts about an offense that has been struggling a bit as of late.

Brady himself has seemed extra surly since Sunday’s win over the Eagles.

All of which means one thing – Brady and the Patriots are going to explode at home on Sunday and blow out a Dallas Cowboys team that is good, but far from great.

It’s just what they do, haven’t we all learned that by now?

The Patriots enter Sunday’s game 6.5 favorites, which makes sense when you see that Bill Belichick coaches the Patriots and Jason Garrett coaches the Cowboys. But the Cowboys are becoming the sexy pick by many to at least cover that spread.

Which has to be music to Brady’s ears.

Last year the GOAT used a somewhat fictional narrative that nobody believed in the Patriots to lead his team to a sixth Super Bowl title. Right now you have to believe he’s sitting at home with in his UGGs, carefully working on implanting a new chip on his shoulder.

It’s what he does and it’s worked every day since the Patriots used a sixth round pick on him way back in the 2000 NFL Draft.

Has the 42-year-old QB slowed down a little bit this year? Maybe, but he’s also working with a lot of moving pieces and new faces. He and Josh McDaniels have likely been spending many extra hours this week looking for ways to put up huge numbers on Sunday and shut everybody up yet again.

Making things easier for them, as has been the case all year, is that this team’s defense is absolutely stacked. And they also get to play their first game at Gillette Stadium since late October.

All I will say is this – if you’re gambling on Sunday, you might want to think twice about going against Brady and Belichick. This feels like another time that they remind everybody that this dynasty is far from dead.

And when they do, you shouldn’t be surprised.

We’ve seen this story a million times over the years.

This very time right here is what Brady lives for.

Thursday’s biggest winner: Russell Wilson.

Our Steven Ruiz broke out his updated NFL QB rankings and they’re a lot different from the preseason, as there are many new faces starting under center this late in the season. But there is a familiar face at the top of these very rankings – Russell. Wilson. See where your team’s QB ranks.

Quick hits: NHL stars try to name princesses… Let Giannis shoot the 3… Lizzo’s weird Vikings reference… And more!

– Spend some of your Friday watching this fun video of NHL stars trying to name Disney princesses. Sidney Crosby steals the show.

– Our Mike Sykes explains why NBA teams should happily allow Giannis Antetokounmpo to shoot 3-pointers.

– Stefon Diggs is investigating Lizzo’s mysterious Vikings reference on ‘Truth Hurts.’

– The Texans linebackers showed up to Thursday night’s game in costumes and got roasted by NFL fans.

– This rugby player’s hilarious rant about a horse is some must-see stuff.

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)

Why would any great players like James Wiseman even want to play college hoops?

The NCAA doesn’t deserve the best players.

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

The NCAA, as we all know, is made up of a collection of spineless ghouls whose main job is to figure out how to make sure none of the billions of dollars made by college athletes ever goes near any of the “student-athletes” and to level mind-boggling punishments if something even seems like it might help a kid or their family out.

Seriously, the sooner the NCAA goes away the better, as anyone who has even a small pocketful of common sense can agree with.

The latest idiotic move came Wednesday when the spineless ghouls suspended Memphis star basketball player James Wiseman for 12 games and, here’s the kicker, ordered him to donate $11,500 to charity.

LOL.

I mean, how rich is that by the spineless ghouls? Fining an amateur “student-athlete” just under $12 grand! Memphis is appealing this ruling but we all know how that will go.

This all happened because Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway paid for Wiseman and his family to move to Memphis in 2017. Hardaway was coaching a high school team at the time, not Memphis. Well, the NCAA decided since Hardaway donated $1 million bucks to Memphis in 2008 that he was considered a booster and this move was illegal. Because of course.

Wiseman now has to miss a bunch of games and donate all that money, which the NCAA figured covered the expenses of his move.

I obviously have nothing wrong with donating money to charity but if I’m Wiseman, I politely tell the spineless ghouls to shove their punishment you-know-where and I walk away from college basketball – because the best players don’t need this broken plan to get to the NBA.

Wiseman is expected to be one of the top picks in next summer’s NBA draft. What does one year of unpaid basketball that is ruled by people making tons of money and rule with an iron fist, have to do for his future? Absolutely nothing.

Basketball players, unlike football players, don’t need the NCAA. Football players are stuck because there’s no other way to get to the NFL.

There are more options now than ever for the best basketball players in the world to skip college and take another route. LaMelo Ball seems to be doing just fine making money and helping is draft stock while playing in ball in the NBL, a pro league in Australia and New Zealand.

Other star players have taken that route, too. Some players have taken the year off to train for the NBA draft, which makes a ton of sense.

These days a good year with a good college program doesn’t mean all that much. Everybody knows the best freshmen entering college basketball each year and their draft stock pretty much stays the same throughout the year.

Risking injury while not getting paid for a year doesn’t seem ideal. Can the college hoops experience still be a fun? Absolutely. Zion Williamson enjoyed it last year and was thankfully able to get out without a serious injury.

But the NCAA no longer deserves the best players in the world. Which they proved again with this situation in Memphis.

If I’m Wiseman, I call the NCAA and just laugh until they hang up the phone.

Wednesday’s biggest winner: Luka Doncic.

The Mavs star continued his ridiculously good start to the season Wednesday night by scoring more points, collecting more rebounds, and handing out more assists in the first quarter than the entire Golden State Warriors team had in those opening 12 minutes. That’s just nuts. He also put up some other impressive numbers in the Mavs’ blowout win over the really sad Warriors.

Quick hits: Jerry Jones’ wild tale… Jackson and Ingram share special moment… Simmons finally hits 3… And more!

– Jerry Jones often thinks about the time in 1996 when he ran into Bill Belichick, who pitched the Cowboys owner on hiring him some day to be their coach.

– A new video shows Lamar Jackson and Mark Ingram having an awesome moment on the sideline during last Sunday’s win.

– Ben Simmons finally hit his first 3-pointer of his career Wednesday night and fans had all sorts of jokes.

– Charles Curtis has his weekly fantasy football studs, duds, and sleepers and says it’s time to move Tom Brady to your bench.

– An ump in a youth baseball game stormed off the field and left after some awful parents said some awful things. Seriously, these parents are the worst.

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)

Carmelo Anthony’s return should be celebrated, especially by anyone who has been laid off

Carmelo Anthony must have had a lot of fun Tuesday night.

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

If you’ve ever suddenly been told by a boss that your services were no longer needed and that you were getting laid off then you’re familiar with the emotions that follow – it likely starts with shock and sadness, continues with some self doubt as you try to collect the pieces and figure out your next career move, and possibly leads to some ugly moments of self destruction.

It’s just not a very fun thing to go through, no matter who you are.

Which makes Carmelo Anthony’s return to the NBA on Tuesday night all the more impressive and inspiring. Now, I get it – Melo doesn’t need any more money as he’s set for life financially thanks to what he’s done during his Hall of Fame career.

But this whole thing isn’t about money.

It must have felt really freakin’ good for him when he stepped on a NBA floor again and quickly hit a 3-pointer in the first quarter of the Trail Blazers’ loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

It was inspiring because just over a year ago he was let go by the Rockets after just 10 games. His boss called him in and told him to pack his stuff, his services were no longer needed in Houston and his NBA career was suddenly in jeopardy of being over.

It’s something that happens all the time in sports and in life, but that doesn’t mean the sting that comes with it doesn’t exist.

Melo then had to sit out the rest of the year as not one team made a move on a veteran player who has always been known to get his points, but has also been a bit of a liability on the defensive end of the floor.

On a human level, Melo had to deal with something that anyone who has been laid off before has had to go through – you wonder if the career you have chosen to that point has suddenly passed you by. The self doubts that all the work that you’ve done was fine and all, but now nobody else needs you to do it for them. That world keeps spinning around but there you are on on the outside looking in, wondering if you’ll ever get back to doing what you love again. That’s not a fun way to spend your days and nights.

Melo spoke about being cut from the Rockets during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take in August. He said: “That was an ego hit. That was a pride hit. I started questioning myself after that.”

Which probably hits home for you if you’ve ever lost your job. Again, he has millions of dollars in the bank. He’ll be fine. But those millions aren’t gonna be there to give you a pep talk when you’re sitting up late at night wondering if this game or that career has passed you by.

The way Melo handled it all was was a lesson in class. He didn’t blast anybody for not being able to get work. He didn’t hide – he was seen sitting courtside in Brooklyn last April to watch his friend, Dwyane Wade, play in the final game of his legendary career. And Melo kept working out because in order to be ready you need to stay ready.

Last week he got the call from the Trail Blazers… and he was ready. Melo started Tuesday night’s game and went for 10 points in 24 minutes. His plus/minus was -20, which is far from great and will lead to those who question his defense to puff out their chests and yell, “See, he’s not worth it!”

But there he was Tuesday night playing in a NBA game, something he probably took for granted during his previous playing days – which would be totally natural and normal. Everything from walking into the stadium to walking out to the opening tip to high-fiving a teammate after a scoring bucket must have been incredible.

After the game he told ESPN what stuck out to him most about the day and is first game back:

“Just being back out there with the guys again. I think most of all the routine — team bus, team lunch, being around the guys in the locker room — just the routine I’ve been used to for 17 years now … so getting back into that. As far as the game goes, it felt good to be back out there.”

Is Melo’s stay in Portland going to be a long one? Who knows at this point, really?

But what I do know is the way he handled the past 376 days of his life was pretty darn impressive and that it was cool to see Melo back out there doing his thing once again, no matter the results.

Tuesday’s biggest winner: Not the Dallas Mavericks!

The Dallas Mavericks introduced the world to their new City Edition uniforms on Tuesday and it did not go well for them on social media, as fans tended not to like these cartoon-like uniforms. They will be worn 22 times this year, so get used to them!

Quick hits: Ravens D is legit… Calm down, NHL fans… Brady likes AB’s Instagram post… And more!

– Our Steven Ruiz did a great job of explaining how the Baltimore Ravens fixed their defense on the fly this season and are now a dominant team because of it.

– Our Hemal Jhaveri explains why everyone is overreacting to a spitting incident in the NHL.

– Tom Brady liked Antonio Brown’s apology post on Instagram. Which led to speculation.

– Stephen A. Smith fired back at critics of his takes on Colin Kaepernick, saying: “I’m a black man, you idiots.”

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)

Bill Belichick is actually a fun guy who likes having fun

Bill Belichick… fun guy!

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is often seen being very serious on the sidelines or saying very little while standing on a podium in front of a lot of journalists who would love some better answers.

It’s just how the cut-off hoodie wearing coach goes about his business, which has proven to be a successful way to do things considering how many Super Bowl rings he has in his possession.

Fans of the other 31 teams don’t like the Patriots at all and are quick to rip Belichick for being a surly son of a gun. Which is fine, success breeds jealously.

But do you know what? The six-time Super Bowl champ actually likes to have fun, as he showed this past weekend in Philadelphia.

Have you seen this video of Belichick announcing during his postgame speech in the locker room his players earned themselves a “Victory Monday” following their win over the Eagles? That meant that he was giving the team the day off and they didn’t have to report to the facilities until Wednesday when they will begin prepping for Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys.

The players went nuts in the locker room, as it was their first “Victory Monday” of the season. Belichick throws these out there during each season, which proves he’s not the grumpy grinder who works his guys until they can’t be worked anymore. He gets that in order to be successful you have to give a little and he sure seemed to have fun telling his guys to take the day off.

Are the Patriots struggling on offense? Yup, they are. But Belichick didn’t seem overly concerned about things in that video. In fact, he looked pretty darn happy having fun with his guys.

Then moments after he made that announcement he went to his postgame press conference and trolled Lane Johnson and the Eagles by saying: “It looked like everyone had fun out there today.”

That, of course, was a shot at Johnson, the Eagles’ offensive lineman who said after the Eagles’ Super Bowl win that players in New England don’t have any fun.

Listen, I get it. Belichick often seems like he’d rather be anywhere else than standing up and taking questions about his football team. His answers are often short and his demeanor is often that of somebody who knows that late night food they wolfed down is not going to last very long inside their system.

But he’s one of the most old-school coaches in the league, a man who has been consumed by football for most of his life and loves talking about the history of the game and the stars who changed the game. Ever hear him gush about Lawrence Taylor? It’s awesome.

Bill Belichick, underneath it all, is a fun guy.

A fun guy with a lot of rings.

And a lot of jacked up hoodies.

Monday’s biggest winner: Max Kellerman.

First Take, like all morning sports shows, is virtually unwatchable and I don’t understand how anyone chooses to sit there and listen to people yell about topics they don’t really feel that passionately about. But on Monday, Kellerman did a great job of shutting down Stephen A. Smith’s comments on Colin Kaepernick’s workout. This video is worth a watch.

Quick hits: Mahomes airs it out… Estadio Azteca field was a mess… Fun NASCAR polls… And more!

– Patrick Mahomes casually threw a ball 70 yards while warming up for Monday night’s game in Mexico City.

– The field at Estadio Azteca was an absolute mess for MNF and fans ripped the NFL over it.

– Our Michelle Martinelli conducted her annual NASCAR Superlatives investigation and polled drivers to see what they think of each other. This is some fun stuff.

– Jets TE Ryan Griffin had a mesmerizing sticky hands TD celebration on Sunday that you’ll end up watching on a loop.

– Jeopardy! had an incredible announcement yesterday as three legends are going to square off in a primetime showdown.

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)

The NFL and its refs have a huge problem on their hands

Does anyone know what pass interference is anymore?

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

Did you watch any of Sunday’s NFL action and wonder what the heck is pass interference, anyways?

If so, you’re not alone.

Broncos fans were irate after the refs didn’t call pass interference on the final play of their team’s loss to the Vikings.

Arizona LB Joe Walker got called for pass interference even though he got tackled by the would-be receiver.

Houston’s DeAndre Hopkins called out the league and demanded change after he didn’t get a call for what sure looked like defensive pass interference.

Hopkins’ coach, Bill O’Brien said after that game: “I have no idea what pass interference is anymore. No idea.”

So yeah, this isn’t good and you know full well that this type of nonsense is once again going to play a huge part in a playoff game this year… because that’s how these things go.

The NFL tried to fix things after last season’s debacle in the NFC Championship Game, as they made pass interference calls available for coaches to challenge. For the most part, however, coaches challenge them and the league confirms the call on the field and life goes on.

That makes Hopkins’ play on Sunday all the more disappointing – he was clearly interfered with before the ball got to him, the Texans challenged the no-call, and the no-call somehow stood.

Look at this photo of the play and try to tell me this isn’t interference:

The NFL is danger of having these things not only spoil a team’s chance of getting to the Super Bowl but also of having fans simply turning away from the product because the refs have no idea what they’re doing.

It’s been a brutal year for NFL refs, who are still not full-time employees with the NFL and work “real jobs” in order to make ends meet.

When a coach says he has no idea what pass interference is, it’s not a good look for the league. If we’re seeing this type of stuff in WEEK 11, it is not a good look for the NFL.

Hopkins called for change, as he wants someone else in the league to look at these challenges. Hopefully the NFL does that and employs someone who can actually see what they’re looking at on these reviews, because many of these mistakes are embarrassing and taking away from the joy of watching the game.

Change has to happen now… or else what happened in New Orleans last January is only going to happen again.

And the NFL will look foolish when it does happen and they will have nobody to blame but themselves.

NFL Week 11 Awards: The good, the bad, and the hilarious from Sunday.

Here’s my weekly look back at the good, the bad, and the hilarious from Sunday’s NFL action. You need to see Mark Ingram acting as the hype man for his dominant QB, Lamar Jackson. We could all use a Mark Ingram in our lives.

Quick hits: Carson’s ‘tattoo’… Ron Rivera’s lame answer about FG… Bad beat in San Francisco… And more!

– Lots of NFL fans thought Carson Wentz had a new huge sleeve tattoo during Sunday’s game against the Patriots. He did not.

– Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera gave a really lame reason for why he went for a FG when down 26-0 at home.

– The very end of the 49ers-Cardinals game was a rough one for a lot of bettors.

– The Colts broke out an awesome keg stand celebration for a TD… that didn’t end up counting.

– It sure looks like the Astros’ cheating setup may have been revealed during their World Series documentary. Yikes.

– Kyle Busch had an awesome time celebrating his NASCAR title with his 4-year-old son.

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)

Roger Goodell should be ashamed of this lame public appearance

They couldn’t even say Colin Kaepernick’s name.

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made a lame public appearance on Thursday in which it was made clear right off the bat that he wouldn’t be talking about the biggest news of the week – Colin Kaepernick’s workout this Saturday.

He did, however, have time to bash the media, which is just rich considering Goodell didn’t have the guts to talk about a guy who has been blackballed from the league for the last three years simply for kneeling during the national anthem in order to bring awareness to racism and social justice.

Goodell made an appearance Thursday at the Paley Center for Media’s International Council Summit where he talked with CBS’ James Brown, who was moderating the event.

Brown, according to Deadline, made it clear at the beginning that they wouldn’t be talking about Kaepernick, though Brown couldn’t even use his name, saying:

“I know there’s some pretty salient news, some important news that’s breaking in the world of the NFL,” Brown said, without naming Kaepernick. “Roger and I are going to stick to the topic here: ‘100 Seasons and Counting,’” the official name of the session. “It would take us all day to deal with what the breaking news is,” Brown said. “We’ll deal with that at the appropriate time and we only have 25 minutes.”

What a pile of complete and utter nonsense that was by Brown.

First, you can’t even say Kaepernick’s name? Like, what would happen if you did? Would Goodell get up and run away screaming with his hands over his ears?

Second, it wouldn’t take you all day to address the situation. It would likely take a few minutes as Goodell would tow some soulless line about a workout that has been a total mess since we all, including Kaepernick, found out about it earlier in the week.

Third, nobody cares about the “100 Seasons and Counting” blah fest. Talk about Kaepernick for a few of those boring 25 minutes.

But no, instead Goodell, who once said he’s “available to the media almost every day of my job,” continued to show that he is absolutely awful at handling any difficult situation. Goodell is making $31 million this year and he doesn’t even have the courage to talk about a man who has been doing all he can to try to get back in the league in which he once came so close to winning a Super Bowl?

How pathetic.

This scripted and safe appearance then took an even more embarrassing turn when this happened:

Brown read from an index card. “I’m very personally interested in this next topic, the evolution of sportswriters and journalism,” Brown said. “I really want to hear your answer to this one.” Goodell interjected with a chuckle, “I don’t know what’s coming.” Brown, nodding to the highly scripted nature of the session, advised, “You wrote it!”

So there was Goodell trying to play the “everyman” role and get a chuckle out of the crowd with the whole “Oh boy, where are we going with this wild (it wasn’t wild) topic!?” when in fact he knew exactly where it was going, as Brown broke down the third wall and let everyone in on this sham of an interview.

Gross.

Goodell then did use some of the precious 25 minutes to sound off on the media, saying:

“There’s so much out there, so many quote-unquote ‘journalists.’ I think it’s changed dramatically,” he said. “There’s no longer a focus on doing credible pieces that stand the test of time, that are sourced properly and backed up. It’s who gets there first. Who gets it out first, and it doesn’t matter if it’s right. Just get it out.”

Goodell didn’t mention any journalists or outlets by name. “That’s probably unpopular with a lot of people here, but I believe that,” he added. The new approaches are “difficult to manage at times, because you spend a lot of time trying to clean up things that, if they had just called, if we had just had the opportunity to give a different perspective, maybe they’d consider that. But there’s so much out there that they’ve got to go fast. Speed. You no longer have a deadline. It’s now. Somebody could be out there tweeting this right now. It’s the way of the world. You can’t fight it. You just have to learn how to manage it.”

Wow, how brave of the commish to attack journalists while not having the testicular fortitude to talk openly about the Kaepernick situation, a situation that has been the topic of discussion this week because of all the silly twists and turns it’s taken. The NFL has basically acted like a real-life version of that gif of the guy who’s carrying armfuls of stuff out to his car and then slips and spills it all everywhere.

Goodell has screwed up a lot of things during his stint as commissioner, and he showed his true colors again on Thursday. He’s deeply afraid of addressing any tough subject with any type of honesty so he just hides behind the protective shield, which this time was provided by Brown.

This whole appearance was embarrassing not only for the league, but for all the fans of the league who deserve better from a guy with so much power who obviously doesn’t care about anything besides the bottom line and making sure he doesn’t say anything of real value.

Goodell gonna Goodell.

Thursday’s biggest winner: Carmelo Anthony!

Melo is back! ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday night that the future Hall of Famer will be joining the Portland Trail Blazers on a non-guaranteed deal and he’ll join the team on a road trip on Saturday. Melo has been out of the league since being released by the Rockets early last season and it felt like we might never see him in the NBA again. But now he’s back and fans are pumped.

Quick hits: Jeopardy! showdown… Kyle Busch’s quick thinking pays off… Von Miller’s odd take on Drew Lock… And more!

– Jeopardy legend James Holzhauer squared off against Emma Boettcher, the woman who ended his run a few months ago, in the first round of the Tournament of Champions finale on Thursday night… and here’s how it went.

– NASCAR’s Kyle Busch found a smart way to win around $1,000 bet with other drivers while in NYC traffic.

– Von Miller thinks Drew Lock is destined for stardom because of the way he threw an incomplete pass.

– Steven Ruiz has everything a Cowboys fan needs to crush a Dak Prescott hater in a debate.

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)

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NFL’s 5 biggest surprises heading into Week 11: The Steelers deserve our respect

The Pittsburgh Steelers have made an incredible comeback.

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

The 2019 NFL season is just zipping along, as Week 11(!) kicks off tonight when the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to Cleveland to take on a Browns team that has been one of the biggest disappointments of the year.

But what a year it has been thus far for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers, who are now holding on to the sixth playoff spot in the AFC after reeling off four straight wins thanks to a defense that has been carrying a young offense lead by backup QB Mason Rudolph.

So before Week 11 gets underway, let’s look at the five biggest surprises of the season so far.

1. The Pittsburgh Steelers deserve our respect.

As I stated above, the Steelers could have packed things up earlier this year and nobody would have blinked an eye. They lost Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown during the offseason and then lost Ben Roethlisberger to a season-ending injury in Week 2. They were 0-2 at that point and things looked bleak. Now if they beat the Browns on TNF they’ll move to 6-4, which will only help their playoff chances. Tomlin has done an unbelievable job with this team and deserves a ton of credit for what they’ve been able to do so far. The biggest change, of course, happened when they traded two picks, including a first rounder, to the Dolphins for Minkah Fitzpatrick. The safety has been a an absolute stud on a defense that has been one of the best in the league since he joined the team. The Steelers deserve our respect for such an incredible turnaround.

2. Lamar Jackson is so darn good.

The 32nd pick in the 2018 NFL Draft is now one of the best QB’s in the league and is a legit MVP candidate in just his first year as the full-time starter. His ridiculous TD run against the Bengals last week was just another incredible highlight in what has been a dominant season for the former Heisman winner. He is on pace to break Michael Vick’s rushing record for a QB and he has the Ravens looking like a team that can contend for a Super Bowl title. Hard to imagine that Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold were drafted so far ahead of him two years ago because he’s so much better than both of those average QBs.

3. The Oakland Raiders aren’t a laughingstock.

Jon Gruden and Mike Mayock took a ton of heat in the preseason when they tried to deal with Antonio Brown, who we later learned was impossible to deal with. Now the Raiders are 5-4 and just a half game behind the Chiefs in the AFC West. Making things even better for them is that they host the winless Bengals on Sunday, which should be an easy win. I guess Gruden can still coach after all.

4. The Kansas City Chiefs… haven’t been great.

Many thought Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who were the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs last year, would be unstoppable this year. Well, they haven’t been. While Mahomes looked great in his first game back from a knee injury last week, the defense has been a different story. A loss to the Titans last week has the Chiefs sitting at 6-4 and it looks like the top seed in the AFC will go to someone else this year, which is a surprise. They travel to Los Angeles to face the Chargers this week on Monday night and could very easily lose another game, which would be crazy.

5. The LA Rams are very mediocre at best.

Life has come at the defending NFC champs very quickly this year as they’ve been a shell of the team that looked so good last year before their loss to the Patriots in the Super Bow. QB Jared Goff, who got a big payday before the start of the season, has been terrible so far. He’s been so bad that our Steven Ruiz broke down this week why the Rams might be better off trading the former No. 1 pick. Making things even more confusing is that Todd Gurley has been a non-factor in key moments of games lately. Sean McVay was labeled a genius by many last year for his offensive ways, but now the banged up offense is predictable and average, which is a deadly combination. They host the Bears on Sunday in what looks like a must-win game for both teams that had high hopes coming into the season.

Wednesday’s biggest winner: Austin Rivers.

The Houston Rockets guard begged the refs to call his dad, Clippers coach Doc Rivers, for a technical foul in the final minutes of Wednesday night’s Rockets-Clippers game… and then loved it when they did and kicked his dad out of the game. Austin Rivers said after that the ejection of his pops, who traded him in the offseason, “made my night.” Now that’s a special father/son moment.

Quick hits: Nate Diaz pays back fan… More proof that Astros cheated… Trae Young’s best shots… and more!

– UFC star Nate Diaz did something pretty great for a fan who bet on him at UFC 244.

– This new video of the Astros cheating is something else.

– Take some time and watch the seven best shots of Trae Young’s NBA career so far. They are pretty great.

– James Holzhauer and Emma Boettcher will square off again tonight on Jeopardy!, which should be pretty awesome.

– You’re going to want to check out Charles Curtis’ fantasy football studs, duds, and sleepers heading into a pivotal week of NFL action.

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)

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