It's Tuesday.
We'll play a lot of True and False on Press Row today on ESPN 105.1 from 3-6 p.m.
From the "Talks too much" studios, somehow a Jello Pudding Pop will never be the same.
San Antonio Spurs' Kawhi Leonard (2) drives around Los Angeles Clippers' Matt Barnes (22) during the second half of Game 3 in an NBA basketball first-round playoff series, Friday, April 24, 2015, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate) Spurs get richer
The Spurs are locked and loaded for one more title run for Tim Duncan.
San Antonio has added LaMarcus Aldridge, the most coveted free agent who was likely to move on the market. (LeBron James and Marc Gasol are better players, but they aren't leaving Cleveland or Memphis, respectively.)
San Antonio welcomed back Tim Duncan, the Big Fundamental and a future Hall of Famer, and Mano Ginobili, the aging Argentinian and future Hall of Famer.
San Antonio now has added David West on a veteran minimum contract.
There also are reports from ESPN Insiders that Pau Gasol may be looking to join forces with the Spurs.
Egad.
Here's the takeaway, and there's a troubling trend for at least half the NBA.
Not unlike the AAU ways of today's youth leagues, players are trying to find the situations that are best for them to win titles.
We fully understand that thinking. If there are multiple offers, it would be way better to get paid millions while winning as opposed to getting paid millions while losing.
And yes, Stewwie, this is completely within the player's discretion. We're not trying to set some sort of rule. (Although we are starting to think the salary cap is an unfair spending ceiling that only applies to team sports.)
But when players like West and Duncan and others are willing to take far less than market value to play for a winner - again, we understand it, working conditions are an important part of accepting a job offer - then at least half the league has no chance of ever competing for a title.
FILE - In this Monday, April 27, 2015 file photo, Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge, left, works the ball in against Memphis Grizzlies forward Zach Randolph during the first half of Game 4 of a first-round NBA basketball playoff series in Portland, Ore. A person with knowledge of the negotiations says LaMarcus Aldridge and the Miami Heat have spoken about his future plans, and that a formal conversation is scheduled for Thursday night, July 2, 2015. (AP Photo/Don Ryan, File) Yes, that half of the league needs to get better. Better staffs, better coaches, better facilities (as long as the taxpayers are picking up the check) better everything.
But luck also plays a huge part in the transformation.
Look at the Cavs or the Pelicans or even the Spurs. Without hitting lottery luck and getting Duncan (in 1997 after David Robinson missed the season and the team stunk), or LeBron James (in 2003) or Anthony Davis (in 2012), those teams likely never get the chance to turn the corner and turn things around, regardless of how good every other part of their franchise may or may not be.
So it goes and the answers are not immediate clear.
We do know this: There is no team-sport league in which the players have move power than the NBA. Period.
Heck, James is the GM of the Cavs, regardless of who is sitting in that office.
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File-This photo taken April 11, 2015, shows Florida State quarterback De'Andre Johnson calling a play in the first half of Florida State Garnet & Gold spring college football game in Tallahassee, Fla. Florida State has dismissed Johnson from the team on the same day that prosecutors released video showing him punching a woman at a bar. In a statement Monday, July 6, 2015, coach Jimbo Fisher announced Johnson’s immediate dismissal. The quarterback had been suspended after the June 24 assault. (AP Photo/Mark Wallheiser,File) Florida State acts
Given the recent events with quarterbacks and women, you would have thought that Florida State would have already dismissed De'Andre Johnson after allegations surfaced that he punched a woman at a bar.
There's no need to go back into the stories of Jameis Wintson's less-than-admirable time in Tallahassee and how there were allegations the Tallahassee Police Department and the school were complicit in keeping the Heisman winner on the field.
Given that, we would have expected a quicker ruling on Johnson.
But proving that no matter what you do, it's always way worse on video, Johnson was dismissed Monday afternoon, a mere hours after the video of the incident made its way to the internet.
Here's the story and the video.
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Boxing being boxing
Two months ago, boxing was relevant again.
FILE - In this May 2, 2015, file photo, Manny Pacquiao, right, from the Philippines, trades blows with Floyd Mayweather Jr., during their welterweight title fight in Las Vegas. Casinos will find out how much of a boon the Mayweather -Pacquiao fight was for Las Vegas' bottom line when the state releases its monthly data, Friday, June 26, 2015. (AP Photo/John Locher, File) Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao set all sorts of attention and financial records. The fight was rather blah-tastic, but the fact that there was a fight of meaning and magnitude.
Now, we learn that one of the main hurdles of boxing - the confusion about which organization matters and who owns which title when - popped up Monday.
There are three boxing organizations the WBA, the WBO and the WBC form the alphabet soup confusion of the trident boxing governing body that could battle the Klingons for inter-galaxy dominonation.
Well, according to this report Mayweather has decided to ignore the rules of the organizations and wants to hold multiple titles.
So the WBO stripped him of the 147-pound title he won from Pacquiao. The WBO has every right - and even bent over backward to help Mayweather follow the rules - but it was to no avail.
Just another way that everyone involved in boxing can't get out of their own way long enough to build up any momentum in sporting landscape that grows more and more crowded by the season.
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This and that
- A tip of the visor to UTC, which finished 61st in the Capital One Cup men's standings. UTC finished higher than 26 power five conference schools, including Auburn, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, South Carolina and Tennessee.
- Here's a complete and interesting breakdown of the all-star rosters. Very thorough.
- Thought TFP SEC ace David Paschall had a very interesting story here on SEC coaches advocating for players to be able to retain eligibility as late as 10 days before the draft. It's refreshing that they are looking are at least starting to consider the student athlete, but this is a band-aid to fix a crack draft model. Yet another way baseball is light years ahead of every other sport in its draft procedure.
- On Yahoo.com they list the most expensive cities in which to live. Here's the three the TFP serves: Huntsville, Ala.; Sandy Springs/Roswell, Ga.; Nashville, Tenn. (Davidson/Franklin).
- The Milwaukee Bucks are threatening to move to Vegas or potentially Seattle. Not the first team to do it - hold a city hostage - nor will they be the last.
- Matt Smith did not make this catch in front of a national audience like, say Odell Beckham Jr. did last year, but Smith's grab is almost as incredible. Yes, it's frisbee something or other, but still an amazing grab.
- This made us feel old and sad. Cindy Mancini from "Can't Buy Me Love" was found dead at her home this weekend. The actress - Amanda Peterson - was 43.
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FILE - In this Nov. 6, 2013 file photo, comedian Bill Cosby performs at the Stand Up for Heroes event at Madison Square Garden, in New York. Cosby admitted in a 2005 deposition that he obtained Quaaludes with the intent of using them to have sex with young women. In court documents released Monday, July 6, 2015, he admitted giving the sedative to at least one woman. (John Minchillo/Invision/AP, File) Today's question
Now we have reports that Bill Cosby admitted to getting quaaludes to give to women he was trying to seduce.
Buckets.
What's the Rushmore of the Hollywood fall from grace?
Dr. Huxtable sprints to the far left of that one right? And we need a ruling if O.J. Simpson (Hertz commercials/Naked Gun movies) was Hollywood enough to be on both the acting and sports Fall from Grace Rushmores.
Discuss.