LeBron
We are not getting sucked into the LeBron vs. MJ discussion. Not until these playoffs are over.
But we will say this: LeBron has been amazing in these playoffs. Simply amazing.
And it's hard to believe an athlete with that many miles on the tires is playing as well at 33 as he did at 23.
Side tangent: Why do basketball players never hear the PED whispers? In a million years, we are not suggesting that LeBron is - dude has been chiseled since he was in kindergarten - nor have any reason to think that he has. (Never had the nagging tendon or muscle injuries that come with a lot of PED usage.)
And while we are here, if the NBA had evidence that LeBron - far and away its biggest name and the biggest team-sports star in this country - would they even disclose it?
Where were we? Oh yeah, the King.
All of the debates and the GOAT talk and all the rest can wait. (If he somehow gets these Cavs to a title, well, that would be the single biggest one-man championship maybe it U.S. sports history.)
We are enjoying the display he is putting on during these playoffs and that's more than enough for me. (For right now, anyway.)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan throws a touchdown pass under pressure from the Eagles' Fletcher Cox during an NFC divisional-round playoff game last January in Philadelphia. The Eagles won 15-10. The teams will play a rematch Sept. 6 to open the NFL schedule.Quarterback stories
We know Matt Ryan just got paid. In full.
Five years, $150 million with $100 million guaranteed. That makes those monthly dues at The Honors a little more manageable.
But what does the ripple effects look like for the rest of the league and the other quarterbacks with contract negotiations on the horizon? Glad we asked.
First, while Ryan's deal was lofty, the deal that has agents and quarterbacks looking for more may be Kirk Cousins' free agent deal with the Vikings. Cousins got three years and $84 million, with all of that guaranteed. And that 100 percent guarantee return may be the next nugget teams may be forced to dangle to players they truly want to sign.
As for the quarterbacks, well, Aaron Rodgers is signed through 2020 but he has reworked his deal two years prior to expiration in years past.
Rodgers will be the highest paid player, and that is expected. And in truth, that is proper and fair.
But the deals hanging out there after Rodgers tops Ryan the way Ryan topped Garappolo the way Garappolo topped whomever he topped on big-dollar extensions.
The real money comes for players willing to hit the open market, the way Cousins did.
And the real questions - everyone agrees that Rodgers and Ryan and even Cousins, who has thrown for 4,000-plus yards in three straight seasons, were in line for big-time paydays - are about guys that have shown flashes.
Take Russell Wilson, who has already signed one extension. Do the Seahawks have enough around him to be even further cash-strapped by a monster QB contract for a guy who really could not play much better than he did last year and they still missed the playoffs? We think Seattle will pony up to keep Wilson, but we also think Wilson, who has already signed one nine-figure deal, may be the most likely to follow Brady's "hometown, help the roster" discount plan.
Then there are guys from the 2015 and 2016 draft:
Are the Titans sure Marcus Mariota is worth a six-year, $150 million deal? What about Jameis Winston? Those dudes are entering the final year of their rookie deals, and the clubs will almost assuredly pick up the options for 2019 that will pay each a little more than $20 million. But beyond that, are the Titans and Bucs sure that they have franchise guys or are they sure they guys who one their franchise?
The 2016 draft offers even more intrigue. Guys at the top of the draft - Jared Goff and Carson Wentz - had banner sophomore seasons.
But there's always a but Goff's came in an offense operated by Sean McVay that has been praised for its innovation more than Goff's skill set. Wentz was having an MVP-type season before getting hurt and watching as a journeyman led the Eagles to their first Super Bowl.
Are those franchise quarterbacks worth monster deals or monster franchises dealing with quarterbacks who have a bevy of weapons and big-time offensive lines and roster depth available for teams paying their QBs $23 million over four years rather than $23 million per year.
Then there is Dak Prescott, and his storyline may be the most uncertain of all.
Prescott is entering the third year of his four-year, $3.47 million contract. If he hits the open-market, he will get paid. The Dallas Cowboys have wasted the first two years of his affordability window, having minor success compared to, say the Eagles or even the Seahawks over the last few seasons in the NFC.
But Prescott will now be down his two favorite targets. And this will be the season that really decides if he's your long-term solution, right?
Ah the devil's in the details. (And in the guaranteed money.)
Game 7
Well, we are not going to pretend to be the most knowledgable hockey fan around. We are not.
We do know a thing or three about sports in general, and we know that winner-take-all Game 7 moments are a thing of beauty.
After handling their business on the road 4-0 on Monday in Winnipeg, the Nashville Predators have forced that very scenario, on their home ice, come Thursday.
Good times. (Side note: We are scheduled to have Nashville broadcasting legend and Preds expert George Plaster on Press Row today. Pull up a chair friends from 3-6 on ESPN 105.1 the Zone and right here on timesfreepress.com.)
Here's what we will say - and you hockey junkies and longtime Preds backers be kind with our novice observations - about this bunch:
First, kudos to P.K. Subban, who was part of a defensive effort that backed-up Suban's guarantee that the Preds would force Game 7. Cool.
Filip Forsberg goes between more legs than a high school quarterback.
And when Pekka Rinne is doing those type of things, well, the Preds are the best team in hockey.
We speak frequently about quarterback being the most important position in sports, and that's still pretty universally true.
But the only spot that is even remotely close has to be an NHL goalkeeper, right?
And the Preds have the best in the business.
This and that
- Because Vegas knows, should be an answer way more times than we use it. To that point, the 76ers were favored by 6 in Monday's Game 4 against Boston. They biggest favorites in NBA history for a team down 3-0 in a seven-game series. The result: Philly 103, Boston 92. Vegas, baby. Vegas.
- Speaking of NBA, Dwight Howard was on ESPN this morning discussing his time in Houston and the Rockets potential run for the title. And while Howard has been routinely criticized for a lot of things - primarily for the failed experiment in L.A. - he was extremely gracious this morning. And man, Howard is perpetually under appreciated: In 14 NBA season, Howard has averaged 17.4 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting better than 58 percent from the floor. Howard may be the biggest individual casualty of the game's migration to the 3-point line and the analytical overhaul.
- Here's TFP ace sports columnist Mark Widener on a personal interest story that a lot of us have a personal interest in. Stump Martin has been very good to so very many in the area sorts community, and because of rising medical bills, Stump and Deb need some help. They are having a Chili Supper in East Ridge to help raise money.
- On the opposite end of that spectrum comes this story about two parents who concocted a false cancer story about their son to generate funds on a GoFundMe page and to get a trip to visit a Syracuse football practice in 2017. There's a special place in Hell for a couple of parents who would make up something like that. Wow.
- We recommend the Twitter feed, "You had one job" quite highly. Here is a photo from the site Monday of a "VisitKC" poster outside a restaurant in Kansas City that said, "Did you know? Kansas City welcomes 25 million visitors anally." Wow, that sounds quite painful.
Today's question
It happens to be a Tuesday. That leads to some true and false.
True or false, LeBron has done enough to warrant being the starting small forward on the all-time All-NBA team.
True or false, Dak Prescott will get $100-plus-million contract from the Dallas Cowboys.
True or false, you will watch Game 7 of Preds-Jets.
True or false, Jets is a good sports team name.
As for the day, well, it is May 8.
On this day in 1984, the Soviet Union announced it would boycott the Summer Olympics in L.A.
In 1886, Jacob's Pharmacy sells the first Coca-Cola on this day. And yes it contained cocaine.
Harry Truman was born on this day in 1884.
Bill Cowher turns 61 today.
Doug Akins would have been 88 today. With that, who's on the Rushmore of University of Tennessee football? (Man, pretty sure we have not done this one before, which is crazy.)