Episode #146
Tradition's Finest Episode 146 - The "Here Lies the 46 Defense" Episode
Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 146 - The "Here Lies the 46 Defense" includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Football: Florida State football will retire Sebastian Janikowski's No.38 jersey on Aug. 29, as the ceremony will take place during the team's college football season opener at Doak Campbell Stadium: kickoff for New Mexico State vs. Florida State is set for 7 p.m. ET. -- **NOTE: Janikowski becomes just the 13th Seminole to have a jersey or number retired, along with some of college football's most legendary players : Deion Sanders , Jameis Winston , Peter Warrick , Derrick Brooks , Chris Weinke , Charlie Ward , Fred Biletnikoff , Terrell Buckley , Warrick Dunn , Ron Sellers , Ron Simmons and Marvin Jones - - College football programs rarely give this honor to a kicker, but Florida State will celebrate Janikowski for good reason - - The Poland native moved to Florida before his sophomore year in high school, and eventually went on to kick for the Seminoles from 1997 through 1999 -- As a freshman, he hit a 56-yard FG against Wake Forest, a school record at the time, whereas as a sophomore, he made 27 FGs and scored a total of 123 points - both of which broke Florida State and ACC single-season records - and he also led the country by making 84.4% of his attempts -- His senior season ended with a 12-0 record and the program's seconds national title: he went 47-for-47 on extra points and led the nation with 23 FGs -- **NOTE: He finished his collegiate career 66-of-83 on FGs with 324 points , and he is still the only two-time winner of the Lou Groza Award , given to college football's best kicker annually -- And because of him, Florida State established himself as " Kicker U ," highlighted by the fact that a Seminole has won that award four (4) times, twice since Janikowski's wins, a record for any program - - The Oakland Raiders took the left-footed kicker No.17 overall in the 2000 NFL Draft, as team owner Al Davis made the call, and his own building pushed back, whereas then-HC Jon Gruden and the Raiders' organization were initially " disappointed and angry that Al used a [first-round] pick on a kicker ." - - The 6-foot-1, 255-pound kicker spent 17 seasons in Oakland, where he made 414 FGs and scored 1,913 points, both NFL franchise records -- His 63-yarder in 2011 tied an NFL record, and to date, no other kicker has gone in the first round in the 26 drafts since 2000. . . Q: What are your thoughts on Florida State football retiring former kicker Sebastian Janikowski's No.38 jersey during their upcoming season opener versus New Mexico State on August 29th? . . . "A Cease-and-Desist:" An attorney representing Washington Commanders QB Jayden Daniels has informed LSU that it can no longer use his name, image and likeness, according to an August 5 letter sent to Tigers AD Verge Ausberry, a copy of which was obtained by ESPN on Wednesday -- At the center of the dispute, according to a statement from Daniels' spokesperson to ESPN, is that the Tigers are allowing sophomore CB DJ Pickett to wear the No.5 jersey that Daniels wore when he became LSU's third Heisman Trophy winner in 2023 -- While Daniels' jersey hasn't been retired by the Tigers, it's the first time a player has worn No.5 since he left the program for the NFL -- Pickett wore No.3 during his first season with the Tigers in 2025 when he was named a freshman All-American, as he led LSU with three (3) INTs to go with 37 tackles and one sack in 524 defensive snaps - Pickett was wearing No.5 when the Tigers opened preseason practice last week, leading to questions about why first-year LSU HC Lane Kiffin had allowed the jersey swap to happen -- The No.9 jersey that Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow wore at LSU hasn't been worn since 2019, when he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Tigers to a 15-0 record and College Football Playoff national championship - - Kiffin told reporters Aug. 5 that Pickett had been promised he could wear No.5 when he signed with the Tigers in December 2024: Pickett had worn that number as a high school star in Zephyrhills, Florida, where he was the No.2 CB in the Class of 2025 by ESPN Recruiting -- Former LSU HC Brian Kelly told ESPN on Wednesday that he believed that the No.5 jersey was promised to Pickett during his recruitment, but Kelly chose not to issue it to him because Daniels wasn't on board with Pickett wearing his number, but Kelly was fired on Oct. 26, 2025, after his teams compiled a 34-14 record in four (4) seasons -- DJ Pickett has indicated that he will continue to wear No.5 despite the letter issued to the University per Jayden Daniels' attorney. . . Q: What are your thoughts on Jayden Daniels' cease-and-desist letter indicating that LSU may no longer use his name , image and likeness , after allowing CB DJ Pickett to wear his No.5 jersey? . . . - NBA - - Don Nelson, aged 86, the second-winningest coach in NBA history, a five-time NBA champion as a player and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, has died, it was announced Sunday -- **NOTE: In 31 seasons as an NBA HC with the Milwaukee Bucks , Golden State Warriors (twice), New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks , Nelson finished with a regular-season record of 1,335-1,063 -- He retired with the most coaching wins ever, a mark that was broken by the San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich in March 2022 - - Nelson made 18 playoff appearances as a coach, finishing with a 75-91 postseason record - and was a three-time winner of the NBA Coach of the Year award (1983, '85, '92) but never won an NBA championship as a coach -- As a player, Nelson won five (5) NBA titles in 11 seasons with the Boston Celtics, who retired his No.19 jersey in 1978 - he played 14 seasons in the league -- Immediately following his playing career, Nelson joined the Milwaukee Bucks as an assistant coach for the 1976-77 season - and only 15 games into that season, he was promoted to HC after Larry Costello was fired -- While at Milwaukee, he used an unorthodox coaching style that became known as " Nellie Ball " to put together a Hall of Fame resume during his 31 seasons: Nellie Ball proved to be ahead of its time, utilizing smaller, more athletic players to fuel a fast-paced offense that prioritized creating mismatches through speed - as it was a philosophy that was adopted across the league long after he retired: Nelson's fast-paced offenses were probably best on display during his first stint in Golden State in the early 1990s - the " Run TMC " era featuring future Hall of Famers Tim Hardaway, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin - as Nelson said he wanted the trio of guards on the court at the same time, a daring idea at the time, that today, is commonplace across the NBA. . . "One-of-One:" Cooper Flagg's coveted one-of-one numbered rookie debut patch autograph card was found in Rhode Island on Monday night -- Members of RhodyBreakers, a division of the Baseball Cards of Rhode Island retail shop that opens boxes of trading cards on a live stream for clients, were on a stream when they pulled the much-sought-after card: The card, which Flagg signed during Fanatics Fest last month, has drawn significant attention - including from the Dallas Mavericks, who offered a " bounty " in exchange for it -- The jersey Flagg wore in the first half of his NBA debut - from which the card's patch is made - sold for $1 million in February -- A similar exclusive card featuring the MLB's Pittsburgh Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes recently sold for $1.1 million, leading to much speculation that Flagg's card could fetch, at minimum, that much in an auction -- The owner of Flagg's card will be hard-pressed to part with it, but the Mavericks recently made their case with an offer that includes the following: (a) two Mavericks' premium season tickets for the next 32 years, (b) a signed, game-worn Flagg rookie jersey plus a postgame photo with the star, (c) a private photo shoot with the NBA ROTY trophy, (d) an all-expenses paid road trip with the team, and more -- **NOTE: The current highest paid for any Cooper Flagg trading card, to date , is $366,000 in a March 2026 auction . . . Q: Serious question : Are you taking the Dallas Mavericks' offer OR are you holding onto the one-of-one Cooper Flagg rookie debut patch autograph card , to ultimately , sell it to the highest bidder? . . .The Los Angeles Lakers are being sold to Josh Kushner and Bog Iger for $12.5 billion, a record-breaking price, as per multiple sources who informed ESPN of the deal -- The businessmen were involved in the expansion process in Las Vegas, but in a stunning turn, they pivoted to make an aggressive offer to purchase the Lakers from Mark Walter, who purchased a controlling interest in the team from the Buss family last year for a then-record franchise valuation of approximately $10 billion -- Walter, the CEO and chair of diversified holding company TWG Global, has been the Lakers' majority owner since last October when his bid was unanimously approved by the NBA - and similarly, the sale to Kushner & Iger will still need approval from the NBA's Board of Governors, and that process can take up to several weeks - with the next board meeting scheduled to take place next month in New York -- Walter, who built his financial empire in the insurance industry, is under federal investigation for alleged tax fraud by other companies tied to the billionaire, including the Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) -- Kushner, 41, founded venture capital firm Thrive Capital and is the co-founder and vice chairman of Oscar Health - Kushner, who is the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, runs Thrive Eternal, the investment fund to which FIFA wanted to sell a minority stake to run its World Cup tournaments for $4.2 billion, however, primarily due to the controversy surrounding the news, FIFA president Giannis Infantino withdrew that proposal earlier this month -- Kushner holds a minority stake in the Miami Heat and previously was a minority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies - but he will now be forced to sell his stake in the Heat to clear the way for the Lakers purchase -- Iger, 75, was succeeded this year as Disney CEO by Josh D'Amaro, ending his second term in the role - and in 2024, he along with his wife Willow Bay, became the controlling owner of NWSL team Angel City FC. . . Q: What are your thoughts on the Los Angeles Lakers NBA franchise being sold to Josh Kushner and Bob Iger for a record-breaking price of $12.5 billion? Did the franchise's decision to cut ties with star LeBron James , as well as its' acquisition of cornerstone Luka Doncic , increase the valuation of the franchise an estimated $2.5 billion? . . . "Why Not. . .Retire?:" Russell Westbrook, who played 18 seasons with seven (7) teams, announced his retirement on social media on Wednesday: "Sometimes you don't even know when you've already watched the end," the 37-year-old Westbrook wrote on his post, which contained a video of his career highlights narrated by actor Michael B. Jordan: "You had to be there. And now it's over." - - Westbrook had offers this offseason with the Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards but chose to step away from the game on his own terms, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania, ending one of the most statistically robust careers in league history: After a two-year college career at UCLA, Westbrook was selected No.4 overall in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, but he never played a game in the city - as the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City that summer, and Westbrook quickly emerged into a pillar for what would soon become a perennial contender -- Westbrook spent the bulk of his career - 11 seasons - with the Thunder, teaming up with Kevin Durant and James Harden to lead the Thunder to a Western Conference title in 2012 before losing to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals -- **NOTE: He remains the Thunder's career leader in scoring , assists , rebounds and steals - but due to ill-timed injuries and personnel changes, that famed Thunder team never made it back to the mountaintop, as Harden was traded before the 2012-13 NBA season, Westbrook had a meniscus tear in the first round of the 2013 playoffs, and Durant had a foot fracture that ended their 2015 run -- OKC lost in a dramatic seven-game series to the 73-win Golden State Warriors in the 2016 playoffs, and Durant departed for the Warriors that ensuing summer - but Westbrook remained loyal, signing an extension at a time the organization felt at is most vulnerable, keeping the Thunder relevant in his mid-prime seasons and helping lure Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to Oklahoma City -- **NOTE: During the 2016-17 season , he became the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1962 to average a triple-double for a full season , putting up 31.6 points , 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists to capture the MVP award - as he posted an NBA-record 42 triple-doubles that season - - Westbrook, a nine-time NBA All-Star, has career averages of 20.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 8.0 assists per game and holds the NBA record for most career triple-doubles with 209, surpassing Oscar Robertson's long-standing mark of 181 in 2021, which was a record that had stood since 1974 -- The Thunder eventually traded George to the LA Clipper and Westbrook to the Houston Rockets before the 2019-20 season, replenishing their asset base and rebuilding the core of what would become the 2025 NBA champion Thunder team -- Westbrook played for the Rockets, Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers & Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Kings over his final seven (7) seasons in the league, maintaining his durability and production deep into his 30s -- **NOTE: Westbrook retires fifth in NBA history in career assists , behind John Stockton , Chris Paul , Jason Kidd and LeBron James - and he will finish 14th on the NBA's career scoring list with 27,176 points - with the only three (3) active players ahead of him being James and his former teammates , Kevin Durant & James Harden . . . Q: What are your thoughts on Russell Westbrook announcing his retirement from the NBA after an 18-year career? What are your thoughts on the NBA's CBA and its' effect on whether or not older veteran players are signed to a minimum contract and/or presented with a chance to return to the league? . . . - NFL - - Tempers flared during the Las Vegas Raiders' eighth training camp practice last Friday, as star DE Maxx Crosby hit QB Kirk Cousins twice during the team period - and when Crosby hit Cousins' arm a second time, the 15-year veteran had had enough - as he got into Crosby's face, allegedly grabbing the All-Pro's jersey, while both exchanged words before it was broken up by their fellow teammates -- Cousins and Crosby had to be separated after the fight, at the 37-year-old QB appeared upset that Crosby tipped his pass, forcing an incompletion, and then charged the 6-foot-5, 256-pound DE, who is three (3) inches taller and 42 lbs heavier -- Ahead of training camp, Crosby said the coaching staff warned him about touching the QB - as they are fully aware of the passing and intensity that Crosby brings to practice and knows he can occasionally cross the line - as he has been that way since his collegiate days back at Eastern Michigan -- Raiders HC Klint Kubiak said it's a part of training camp, but he wants his players to be smart when those type of situations occur: Raiders QB Kirk Cousins and DE Maxx Crosby were ultimately suspended from participating in team drills at practice the following Saturday, giving rookie QB Fernando Mendoza his first opportunity in Raiders' training camp to run the starting offense -- The Raiders were then off the following Sunday before returning Monday morning, at which point, Crosby reportedly gave Kirk Cousins love at the Raiders' practice Monday following their on-field scuffle over the weekend. . . Q: What are your thoughts on Las Vegas Raiders veteran QB Kirk Cousins and star DE Maxx Crosby's training camp altercation? What type of impact does you think Cousins standing up to Crosby , despite the obvious size differences , does for the for the offense's cohesiveness going into the 2026-27 NFL regular season? . . .The Minnesota Vikings named Kyler Murray as their starting QB, HC Kevin O'Connell confirmed on Tuesday - as this was the expected conclusion to the team's QB competition despite a rocky series of practices leading up to the decision -- Murray has been the heavy favorite to win the starting job from the moment he signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract with the Vikings on March 12 following his release by the Arizona Cardinals, who still owe him $35.5 million -- The announcement pushes J.J. McCarthy, the No.10 overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, to the No.2 or backup role after 10 career starts, and raises questions about his future with the franchise -- The timing of the decision will give Murray a month of full-time practice with the Vikings' starting offense, after splitting reps with McCarthy during the spring and the first two weeks of training camp, before the regular season begins Sept. 13 against the Green Bay Packers -- Regardless of the announcement, both Murray and McCarthy are likely to play in Saturday's preseason game at the New York Giants - - When asked about McCarthy's future with the Vikings' franchise, HC Kevin O'Connell said that he "absolutely" believes that the QB still has a future with the team. . . Q: Are you the slightest bit shocked by the news that Kyler Murray has been named the Vikings' starting QB over J.J. McCarthy? . . . - Miscellaneous - Little League Baseball: A big shout out is in order for the Phenix City (AL) 12U All-Stars, who for the first time since 1999, are headed to the Little League World Series, after capping an unbeaten run through the Southeast Regional with a 4-0 win over Nolensville (TN) to earn a trip to Williamsport, Pennsylvania -- **NOTE: For the first time in more than two decades , a team from the state of Alabama - our home state - will participate in the Little League World Series . . . 2026 College Football Season Preview & Predictions: Week #4: The Big 12 Conference, Group of Five and CFB Independents : In this week's 'Tradition's Finest College Football Season Preview & Prediction Showcase,' JD & Spencer break down & analyze the Big 12 Conference, the Group of Five - which include the Sun Belt Conference, American Athletic Conference (AAC), Mid-American Conference (MAC), Conference USA, and Mountain West Conference - as well as the CFB Independents (i.e., Notre Dame & UConn) for the upcoming 2026-27 College Football season, as well as provide their independent/individual predictions regarding a potential " dark horse " contender for each Conference and which program(s) they predict to win each Conference, and finally, they present their individual predictions on whether or not the Fighting Irish will advance to this year's College Football Playoff. . . **NOTE: In next week's episode , JD & Spencer will preview the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in the final week of this year's ' Tradition's Finest College Football Season Preview & Prediction Showcase.' Be Sure to Tune In! Thanks for Listening!
