Good morning, all and happy Friday!
The experts say the field in this year’s NFL draft is not the quality that will be highlighting the 2027 draft. Whatever. In the above video and podcast commentary, I explain why this draft still has my attention.
Here’s my nickels worth on some other sports topics:
I have refrained, other than a passing mention in the newsletter, of commenting on the Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini story, but the latest developments are not a good look to say the least. The New York Post has now published photos showing Vrabel and Russini getting cozy, while enjoying drinks together at a New York bar. This was in March of 2020, when Vrabel was still coaching the Tennessee Titans. Three days later Russini had the scoop that the Titans were not interested in free agent QB Tom Brady. At the time those pictures were taken, Russini was not married and Vrabel was. That is not the point. From where I sit, what people do is their own business. But when pictures show a reporter - at the time Russini was covering the NFL for ESPN - and head coach of an NFL team, kissing and getting cozy in public, while having drinks at a bar, and a few days later said reporter has the scoop over other media outlets, it is not a good look. Period. We can talk about double standards, how male reporters are buying off certain sources to get scoops and clicks on the internet, etc. Although those are all topics worthy of discussion, the bottom line is photos of a reporter covering the NFL, seen being kissed by a head coach of an NFL team in public, six years before the same reporter was seen with the same coach, sitting in a hot tub, is tough to defend, no matter how you slice it. It is not a good look for the reporter, for journalism nor for the head coach. Russini resigned from The Athletic when the hot tub photos emerged, or she was going to face the inevitable - that her contract was not going be renewed. It is only fair to ask if Vrabel is about to lose his job too.
If you don’t think Vrabel might be facing some heat about his job status, even though he led the Patriots to the Super Bowl in his first year as coach, then maybe the name of former New York Mets manager Mickey Callaway will ring a bell.
WOW! Watching the start of the NFL draft from Pittsburgh last night and the thousands in attendance is really astounding. The NFL does own the sports world.
So the Yankees go up to Boston and sweep the Red Sox a three-game series, winning by scores of 4-0, 4-1, 4-2. I do not want to take anything away from the Bronx Bombers, who took care of business. Their pitching, particularly the starting pitching, is much improved. That said, this is the weakest Red Sox lineup I can recall in a long time. Maybe the Bosox turn it around, but without a big bopper in the lineup, I do not see how. It is why I picked them not to make the playoffs this season.
Talk all you want about the financial woes of LIV Golf, but it was the PGA Tour that announced yesterday that it was laying off 56 employees or four percent of its workforce. The Tour’s new CEO Brian Rolapp has a town hall planned next month to explain the layoffs. In the meantime, it does not take a financial wizard to reach the conclusion the PGA Tour has been hurt by the numerous big names who left for LIV Golf and how it has impacted the sport here in the U.S.
Momentum is growing to expand the college football playoffs from 12 to 16 or even 24 teams. Count on it happening. There is too much money to be made.
That is going to do it for today newsletter. Thank you for being a subscriber and have a fabulous Friday!
DAN
