Deep thoughts, cheap shots & bon mots ...
Joe Lacob and Bob Myers blew it. When a report surfaced Thursday (via ESPN’s Chris Haynes) that the Warriors might meet with LeBron James when he becomes a free agent, Lacob and/or Myers needed to issue an instant response: “No thanks. We’re good.” Why allow speculation to linger that the Warriors might even consider ripping their team to shreds for LeBron?
Put another way: Let’s say you’ve got a great wife and family. There is a published report that Sally Supermodel would like to have an affair with you. And your response is silence.
It figures that Steve Kerr would have the perfect method of responding to the blatherings of that fool who has one son in the NBA and two playing in East Antarctica or someplace. Kerr’s response: No response.
Imagine what the manly-man Patriots fans would say about Tom Brady — his lifestyle, family, diet, Ugg slippers — if he were quarterbacking a team in, say, San Francisco?
Colin Kaepernick recently hosted his fourth Know Your Rights Camp for about 400 youths in New Orleans. Guests included Eric Reid, Eli Harold and Marquise Goodwin. Reid, a free agent, does himself no favors in the job market by continuing to align himself with Kaepernick. I believe the phrase is “courage of your convictions.”
The Broncos are still desperate for a quarterback, but they almost surely won’t consider Kaepernick. Denver general manager John Elway wanted Kaepernick badly two years ago. That was before the kneeldown protests. Elway made his politics clear in March when he sent a letter, with a Broncos logo at the top, urging the confirmation of then-Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch.
Judging from Billy Beane’s Q&A session with fans at the A’s FanFest, the team’s answer to fans’ complaints about the way it is run will continue to be Billy’s plan — disarm ’em with charm.
So comforting: U.S. officials say American athletes and fans will be safe at the Winter Olympics in South Korea. We’re not safe from North Korea’s nukes in San Francisco, yet Americans will be safe 50 miles from Kim Jong Un’s weaponry? Fine, let’s all move to Seoul. “We have planned for all contingencies,” one U.S. official said. How about this one: A rain of flaming arrows from North Korea?
Love Jeff Van Gundy’s solution to the growing rift between NBA players and referees: “Make better calls.” Problem solved!
The NFL signed a five-year agreement with Fox for Thursday Night Football. Since the players’ union didn’t issue an objection, I assume the players are as willing as the owners are to shrug off the downside of TNF — more injuries, brutal fatigue, bad football, oversaturation for fans — to make a few more bucks.
Roger Goodell said the TNF contract was the best way for the NFL “to grow the Thursday night package.” How will they grow that package? Add more commercials? Play five quarters? That “package” sounds like a tumor.
Brett Favre was scheduled to give a Saturday night talk to the Eagles. Seems kind of random, but a guy’s got to keep busy. Can’t mow your lawn every day. According to my inside source, Favre was expected to tell the Eagles, “You’d better play good football, or you might wind up living in a van down by the river.”