Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast!
Episode 137 - "The House That Doak Built Episode" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics:
- NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: "No More Cupcakes:" SEC ADs on Tuesday voted to play conference games on the second-to-last week of the regular season, eliminating what has commonly been referred to as the "cupcake" games before rivalry weekend, commissioner Greg Sankey said, as the new schedule policy is scheduled to begin in 2027 - - Sankey said the SEC has been discussing the topic for months, and ultimately needed to make decision now in time to schedule for 2027 - - Sankey said the decision wasn't driven by a desire to silence the critics, but rather, it was a result of the league transitioning to nine (9) conference games this season and playing on more weekends. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the SEC Conference's ruling to eliminate the "cupcake" games that are generally scheduled the week prior to Rivalry Week?. . .The NCAA has denied Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby's request to be reinstated as eligible for the 2026 season, even as the school president publicly backed Sorsby's desire to play for the Red Raiders this season "amid a "complex situation," - - The NCAA decision, which is in line with precedent, will put Sorsby's lawsuit against the NCAA seeking an injunction for his eligibility for the 2026 season into further focus, as his court date looms Monday in Lubbock County - - Texas Tech AD Kirby Hocutt indicated that he fully expected the appeal to be submitted to the NCAA by the end of the week - - In the suit, Sorsby, who filed a lawsuit in local court in Lubbock County on May 18 seeking his eligibility, acknowledged betting on thousands of sporting events as part of his gambling addiction, which included betting on Indiana football games while on the roster (as a redshirt freshman), as he did make clear that he never bet on a game he played in nor did he bet against his team, as the suit also cites the NCAA's "deeply hypocritical" position on gambling - - The news Tuesday comes in the wake of Sorsby completing his 35-day in-patient rehab for his gambling addiction in Arizona, as he's set to return to campus in the upcoming days - - While the NCAA precedent has been clear in gambling cases, it is not surprising the Sorsby's attorneys will plan to appeal their decision to deny his request for reinstatement - - Sorsby has one year of eligibility remaining, and the lawsuit revealed his lawyers asked for a two-game suspension, which the NCAA also denied. . .Q: Are you surprised to learn that the NCAA denied Texas Tech QB Brendan Sorsby's request for reinstatement next season? What do you expect the result of his appeal to be: (1) he will play for the Red Raiders next season OR (2) he will be watching from the sidelines?. . .NCAA College Softball: "A Potential Softball Bench-Clearing/White Chocolate:" If Florida softball was targeting Mia Williams in Sunday's Game 3 of the NCAA softball Super Regional against Texas Tech, the Gators didn't waste any time: Williams, a transfer who helped the Gators reach the Women's College World Series (WCWS) last year, was plunked by UF ace Keagen Rothrock with the first pitch of the game, and this was the fifth time in the series that Williams had been hit by a pitch - - Whether any were intentional or not, this set the stage for a game that was, if anything, upstaged and will likely be remembered more for the off-field drama rather than Texas Tech's eventual 16-7 series-deciding victory to punch its' ticket back to the WCWS - - Williams' return to Gainesville was the top storyline of the weekend, as she is the daughter of former Florida basketball player, Jason Williams (aka "White Chocolate"), who after the game expressed his displeasure with UF softball coach Tim Walton to The Gainesville Sun, part of the USA Today Network - - Jason Willianms, who has attended UF basketball games this past season, was often demonstrative in the crowd and later celebrated with the Texas Tech squad on the field after the victory - - After Mia Williams was hit with Sunday's first pitch, the Texas Tech bench started chirping at the Gators, rising tensions in the winner-take-all Game 3 - - In Williams' next at-bat, she hit a two-run HR, one of Texas Tech's eventual five (5), which featured a celebration that prompted a warning to the Red Raiders dugout - - Florida coach Tim Walton was later ejected from the game before the run-rule was induced in the 5th inning for arguing balls & strikes - but Williams' father, Jason, felt that Walton's ejection may have been premeditated: "He got kicked out because he didn't want to shake her hand," Jason Williams told The Sun - but Walton wasn't alone in avoiding postgame pleasantries: The peak of the animosity between the teams was best illustrated after the refusal to shake hands - following that decision, Texas Tech players began exchanging with Florida players, as the atmostphere spilled into the stands as fans from each side joined in - - On Barstool Sports' "Wake Up Barstool" show on Tuesday, Jason Williams stated, in reaction to the events of the Gainesville Super Regional, "The only time I'll step on Gainesville's campus again if my daughter plays softball there again," Williams, who played for the Gators in 1997-98 under Billy Donovan - - It appears "White Chocolate" will not be visiting the University of Florida campus anytime soon - even to watch his alma mater play this upcoming men's college basketball season. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Texas Tech-Florida drama at the NCAA softball Super Regionals over the weekend? What do you think about Jason Williams' antics?. . .
- NFL - - Green Bay Packers star RB Josh Jacobs was arrested Tuesday and booked on several domestic violence charges, according to the Hobart-Lawrence (WI) Police Department - - Jacobs, 28, was booked on charges of battery, domestic abuse, disorderly conduct and intimidation of a witness - - According to the Brown County jail record, the strangulation & suffocation charge is a felony, while the other four (4) charges are misdemeanors - - According to the records, at the time of his arrest, Jacobs was being held without bond - - Jacobs, a first-team All-Pro selection in 2022 while with the Las Vegas Raiders and a three-time Pro Bowl selection, is entering his third season with the Packers after signing with the team in free agency in 2024, as last season, he scored 14 totals TDs (13 rushing) and totaled 1,211 yards in 15 games played - - Jacobs, through his attorneys, denied the allegations. . .Q: What are your thoughts on the charges/arrest of Green Bay Packers & former Alabama RB Josh Jacobs?. . .**UPDATE: Packers RB Josh Jacobs was released from jail on Wednesday following his arrest on several domestic abuse charges, pending further investigation, as the Brown County (WI) District Attorney's office announced that the investigation "remains open and ongoing,". . .
- NBA - - 2025-26 NBA Playoffs Recap: In this particular segment, JD & Spencer provide a weekly recap for each of the following Conference final games from across the league, and also discuss a few of the major storylines from the 2025-26 NBA Playoffs:
Eastern Conference Finals:
Game 4: No.3 New York Knicks vs. No.4 Cleveland Cavaliers [NYK leads series 3-0]
**Kenny Atkinson will return next season as the Cleveland Cavaliers coach, sources confirmed to ESPN's Shams Charania on Tuesday — The Cavaliers advanced to their first conference finals this season for the first time since 2018, the furthest the team has advanced without LeBron James on their roster since 1992, although their season ended in a four-game sweep by the New York Knicks, where each game was decided by double digits. . .
Western Conference Finals:
Game 5: No.1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No.2 San Antonio Spurs [Series tied 2-2]
- NBA (cont'd) - - "A Four-Coach Clover:" Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was named NBA Coach of the Year on Tuesday night, officially wrapping up the league's postseason awards schedule - - Mazzulla led the Celtics to 56 wins in 2025-26 and the No.2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs despite Jayson Tatum missing most of the regular season with a torn Achilles tendon - - **NOTE: Mazzulla, who turns 38 on June 30, is the youngest winner of the award since Phil Johnson in 1975, according to the NBA - - He is 238-90 in his four (4) seasons with Boston - the best record in the league over that span - and led the Celtics to an NBA championship in 2024 - - **NOTE2: Mazzulla is the fourth coach in the Celtics' franchise history to earn Coach of the Year honors, joining Bill Fitch (1979-80), Tommy Heinsohn (1972-73) and Red Auerbach (1964-65) - - Mazzulla finished with 62 of the 100 first-place votes and was on 96 of 100 ballots, both the most of any coach this year: Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff finished second for a second straight year after leading the Pistons to the top spot in the Eastern Conference standings, while the San Antonio Spurs' Mitch Johnson finished third. . .What are your thoughts on Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla being awarded the 2025-26 NBA Coach of the Year?. . .Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder are just one win away from eliminating the Spurs and advancing to their second straight NBA Finals: If it finishes off San Antonio, Oklahoma City will face the New York Knicks while the two-time MVP's every move on the court will be evaluated under a microscope - - The narrative around SGA's ascension to superstardom in OKC has become increasingly focused on his ability to get to the free-throw line - Or, in more colloquial terms, his flopping, foul-baiting and "unethical basketball," - - With so much attention surrounding every game, not a day goes by where we don't get an absurd collection of SGA lowlights of him hitting the ground. .And he sure does hit the ground a LOT. .And while he doesn't hit the ground on every shot attempt, he does hit the ground much more often than other high-profile superstars - - With all that in mind, Underdog Sports, a fantasy sports & prediction market company, came up with a clever twist on a classic board game, and decided to put SGA on a new version of Operation: That game, titled "Unethical Hoops," was promoted by SGA's Olympic teammate, Dillon Brooks, last week - however, according to The Athletic, SGA's camp quickly responded by sending a cease-and-desist letter the very next day - - They have also asked that "all board games be destroyed," which makes you wonder how many Underdog has actually produced and/or manufactured at this point. . .Q: What are your thoughts on SGA's camp responding to Underdog Sports by issuing a cease-and-desist letter regarding their "Unethical Hoops" board game?. . .
- Miscellaneous - - High School Football: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the "Teddy Bridgewater Act" into law Friday, meaning high school coaches in the state will now be allowed to use their own money to assist their players with such expenses as food, transportation, physical therapy & rehabilitation services - - The Bridgewater Act is named for the Florida native & longtime NFL QB who coached his alma mater, Miami Northwestern High School, to a state championship in 2024, but he was suspended for the 2025 season after revealing that he personally paid for meals, ride-share services and treatments for some players - - There will, however, be strict rules regarding how - and how much - coaches can spend: It would apply to a team's head coach only, cannot be used as a recruiting tactic, must be reported to a state agency and is capped at $15,000 per team per year - - Florida officials cited studies that show head football coaches in talent-rich Broward County received, on average, a stipend of $3,038, whereas in neighboring states, including Georgia, the studies showed coaches can earn more than $100,000 per year - but starting July 1, school boards can use "voluntary donations and revenues generated by authorized booster clubs or associations," to pay these coaches to a figure that "may not exceed the compensation of the highest paid administrator in the district.". . .
Thanks for Listening!