Who knows what team Odell Beckham Jr. will sign with. That being said, it’s obvious what team wants him the most.

The Dallas Cowboys have in no way played hard to get. On Nov. 6. Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer, reported that Beckham was fully cleared to play NFL football. The very next day, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Beckam is “fully on the Cowboys’ radar.”

The latest member of the Cowboys to voice his support for the franchise signing Beckham is the person who might directly benefit the most from that transaction — Dak Prescott.

“You’re able to add a talent like Odell, that can be special,” Prescott told the media on Tuesday. “Obviously that creates more weapons for not only me but for this offense, the play caller, more things for the defense to worry about.

“Hopefully everything is going great in the recruiting process. He knows how much I want him here, and a lot of guys in this locker room have reached out on their own, in different ways, to make sure that he understands that this is a team that he can help and we want him to come help.“

Prescott must have been wearing out some Temptations or the first TLC album, because he most definitely “Ain’t too Proud to Beg.” A wide receiver who has the ability to blow the top off of a defense — and with Tyron Smith likely returning to the roster in December — Prescott knows that this Cowboys offense could surge from strong to outstanding in a hurry. If he, Cowboys’ starting quarterback and Sleep Number mattress salesman, has to metaphorically hold the boombox in the rain to ensure Beckham is on the roster, it’s not like he would be the only member of the Cowboys’ organization in that driveway.

Jerry Jones has already said on his weekly radio show — get a podcast, Jerry, I want to hear good stories with no commercial interruption — that OBJ “could look pretty good” wearing a star on his helmet. Ezekiel Elliott and Micah Parsons have also both said that he is a player that they would want on the team.

No need to be cryptic or evasive in the Big D, they know what they want and if you ask them they will tell you. Good for Rapoport that he got the information first, but the Cowboys were ready to pursue Beckham like LSU did a decade ago.

Now all they need to do is be ready to offer him the deal that he wants. Begging is good for the ego, but it’s the contract dollars that will get his name inked on the paper. Beckham didn’t like the Los Angeles Rams’ offer this past summer, and that’s largely why he’s still a free agent. It was expected that he would be cleared to play in November, after tearing an ACL during the Super Bowl in February. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting that Beckham is waiting until after Thanksgiving to make a decision. Also in Schefter’s report, “No team has expressed a greater interest in Beckham than the Dallas Cowboys.”

At this point, Jones might as well send the Louisiana native pickup truck bed full of crawfish, a rack of brisket, and a case of Johnny Walker Blue for the holiday.

Anything to keep Beckham in good graces, as long as there’s salary to match behind all the begging.

A couple’s ability to get along when they’re marooned away from home due to travel issues is an indication of the strength (or weakness) of their bond. External turmoil forges or breaks a relationship, and this hastily written analogy is where the Bills are at as a team and in real life.

Buffalo had to tunnel its way out of feet of snow to play a home game in Detroit, and has been in the Motor City ever since due to a Thanksgiving matchup with the Lions. While Josh Allen was able to end his streak of two-interception games, he failed to surpass 200 yards in the air while doing so.

There have been a few “What’s wrong with Allen pieces?” written lately, which is always the case when an MVP candidate has a stretch like Allen’s the past month. In his last four starts, he has four TDs to six picks, only one game over 250 yards passing, and has been sacked 11 times. Before that, he boasted a 17-4 TD-INT ratio, only had one game with less than 250 yards through the air, and had been sacked nine times in six contests.

Certainly, the Bills’ current offensive malaise is partly on Allen. However, I’d like to point out that he’s hurt and also leading the team in rushing even though he only managed seven yards Sunday.

Here’s a stat for you. Last year, Allen led the team in rushing six times all season. He’s done that through just 10 games this year. The Bills are ninth in the NFL in ground production at 134 per outing, yet if you subtract the QB’s 48 YPG, it’s in the 80s. I know. I know. No. 17 is QB in a tight end’s body.

However, he’s not indestructible. His rushes and yards per carry numbers the past few years have been Cam Newton-esque, with a little over 100 attempts per year and anywhere from low 400s to mid 700s in any given season.

At his current pace, the Bills QB will finish near the 122 rushes he had last year, a career-high. That’s a lot of mileage for a guy who’s not as shifty as Lamar Jackson. In order to not have his career fall off due to a litany of injuries like what happened with Cam, the running back spot and scheme need to be better.

There are 25 backs with more yards this season than Buffalo starter Devin Singletary, and he’s basically splitting reps with just Allen, who has three more yards on 39 fewer carries. That shouldn’t be a surprise after hearing the signal-caller has led the team in rushing six of 10 weeks, yet it’s still jarring.

Singletary and James Cook, the rookie out of Georgia, tallied 86 yards apiece against the Browns, which was a season-high for both players. Next to 175 in the loss against Minnesota in Week 10, Buffalo’s 171 in Week 11 was the most in a game this year, and it all came from the guys designated to do it.

Perhaps Buffalo has discovered something during their extended stay in Detroit. The Lions have the third-worst defense against the run in the NFL, and I can’t imagine a better way for the Bills and their fans to end a chaotic week than with a comfortable win that’s sealed some time in the third quarter by a running back, and not the dinged up face of the franchise.

After a shaky first half in a home away from home game, it appeared that the Bills were in jeopardy of fracturing. A strong second half in the trenches may be just what they need to start rolling again.

Who knows, maybe instead of constant bickering over seat assignments and accommodations, a more traditional running game is their version of mahjong or a sexual awakening or whatever bond it is that’s forged through hard times in relationships.

Jets fans have not had a good week. As Al Michaels once so elegantly put it, “They’ve had a worse week than Harvey Weinstein.”

First, their offense gets obliterated by the New England Patriots’ defense. Yet, by some miracle, the Jets were still in the game down to the final whistle. Lo and behold though, as the Jets tried to punt the ball away and force overtime, the Patriots scored their first punt return touchdown since Gunner Olszewski’s glow-up game against the Chargers in 2020. After the game, the supposed franchise quarterback, Zach Wilson, blamed the defense for their loss, in which the Jets scored three points, need I remind you. He proceeds to get benched for Mike White, alleviating some of the pain Jets’ fans were feeling, but just when all was starting to look up, who else but the second-most infamous bust QB of all time has to take to Twitter and annihilate every Jets’ fan in a 10-mile radius.

From the top rope, Leaf just dunks on this fan’s head with no remorse whatsoever. Think about the children, Ryan! Think about all the kids in middle school proudly wearing their…Mark Sanchez jerseys? What jerseys do young Jets fans wear nowadays? Like Sauce Gardner is a rookie, so he’ll have some but he’s not a throwback. Are there any viable throwback Jets jerseys? Nick Mangold? Darelle Revis? [Editor’s note: Revis is a solid choice.] That’s just sad.

Back to the point, Ryan! You have to think about all the kids in their Jets’ memorabilia, happy to feel like a part of something bigger than themselves. They’re not going to want to be fans after getting a reality check from the guy drafted right after Peyton Manning! That said, I understand feeling the need to eviscerate strangers online. We’ve all fallen into that trap a time or two, and Leaf couldn’t have executed the attack any better.

Without hesitation, Leaf attacked this man, Twitter user @RJBJrThe3rd’s entire point of being. I mean, his Twitter bio is literally “The Jets and Knicks are so good.” Sure, he’s only 20 years old, but that’s an adult. He’s taken Business 101, and as long as he was paying attention in class, he should’ve learned on the first day, that the relativity between “How much you fuck around” and “How much you’re going to find out” is a straight line. The more you fuck around, the more you’re gonna find out. And after getting into Leaf’s business, he found out real quick.

Immediately, the Twitter user was in defense mode, dropping the classic “STFU” on Leaf. He also made fun of an entire religion, which is never a good way to get the public on your side. It was an interesting maneuver. Did it pay off? Not at all. Leaf spent nearly three years in a Montana prison from March 2012 to December 2014 on burglary and drug charges. He was supposed to serve five years but got out early. Based on this Twitter thread, we can only assume he spent those days locked up thinking about how sorry the New York Jets franchise was/is.

It’s hard to argue against Leaf. The Jets have lost nine straight against their division rival New England Patriots and 17 of their last 20. In the last ten years, they’ve never finished better than second in their division and have only one winning season. They haven’t reached the playoffs in that span, which can’t be said about every other team in their division. Across various seasons, the team’s leading receiver was Jeremy Kerley (twice), Quincy Enunwa, and a man who once claimed he was going to nut in a cop’s wife’s eye (twice as well). We also can’t forget about the butt fumble.

It’s been a sad existence, but I’ll give props to Jets fans, I haven’t seen too many bags on heads. You wear that ugly green jersey with pride, no matter what any fallen quarterback has to say. Maybe just leave the Ryan Leaf jokes to the professionals though.

It’s rare to read scuttlebutt about which job a coach wants. The job market for unemployed coaches typically works the other way around. Jobs open up, a slew of coaching candidates cram into the interview lobby. Sean Payton is in a unique position where he can call the shots.

Payton is a transcendent offensive mastermind. During his time in New Orleans, the Saints finished first in total offense six times in 16 seasons, twice they led the league in scoring and four times and top-three scoring offense. Between 2006 and 2018, they gained more yards than any team in NFL history over a 12-year span. Then, like the Avatar, he was gone.

In his stead, the Saints offense has cratered. He ascended to quarterback heaven, as a studio analyst for FOX. But unlike most retired coaches, we never buried Payton’s career. It was presumed he’d eventually return after a sabbatical, possibly as soon as 2023. He allegedly attempted to fill the vacancy in Miami and lure the “retired” Tom Brady to town but that plan fell through. Since then, he’s opted for spilling insider football knowledge on Colin Cowherd’s couch instead.

That couldn’t last though. According to ESPN NFL reporters Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler, Payton has narrowed his focus on the Los Angeles Chargers and Arizona Cardinals. Somewhere in downtown Dallas, a gust of wind swept through town from Mike McCarthy breathing a sigh of relief.

Payton has options and he’s wisely fixated on teams with franchise quarterbacks. Los Angeles has the most stable quarterback situation. However, they’re sorely lacking in offensive ingenuity and mismanaging Justin Herbert. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi has defanged Herbert. After being hailed for his lethal downfield passing during his first two trips around the NFL sun, he’s suddenly developed the passing profile of Chad Pennington.

Arizona’s problems are well-documented and Kliff Kingsbury’s offensive genius is overstated. He doesn’t take advantage of pre-snap motion, his teams disintigrate in the second half of the season and the relationship with his quarterback is tumultuous. However, the offensive personnel on Arizona is woefully underutilized. Murray’s size may be a slight hindrance, but Payton showed during 15 seasons with Drew Brees what he could do with a diminutive signal caller. If the Cardinals are going to invest $230 million in Murray, they might as well splurge on all the accouterments.

Kingsbury’s paint-by-numbers spread offensive scheme isn’t cutting it, but Payton is a master tailor. The bespoke offense he’ll design for Murray should have enough doohickies to keep defenses honest and get the Cardinals playmakers in open space or open downfield.

There is one obstacle, however. In return, the team that eventually hires him will owe compensation to the New Orleans Saints in the form of picks. Herm Edwards and Jon Gruden are the most prolific coaches to be traded while under contract. In 2006, Edwards was released from his contract to become the Chiefs head coach. The Chiefs forwarded a fourth-round pick. Then, in 2002 the Raiders traded Jon Gruden to the Buccaneers in exchange for Tampa’s first round picks in the next two drafts as well as second rounders in 2002 and 2004. Tampa won a Super Bowl in year one.

The Payton reports should have Brandon Staley and especially Kingsbury feeling uneasy. Staley’s Chargers offense is struggling this season, but he’s generated more goodwill in Los Angeles than Kingsbury has in half the time. Kingsbury was hired as offensive guru, yet the Cardinals have never been a top-10 scoring team.

Payton’s name was previously hovering around the Dallas job. From the sounds of it, Payton saw the Cowboys blow the VIkings to smithereens and realized he should have a backup plan.

However, #PaytonWatch has hovered around vulnerable coaches all season long like some sort of spirit haunting teams on the brink. Endure a two-game losing streak and you’ll feel Payton’s presence in the room even though he’s long since passed on from the active NFL coaching world. This could drag on for another year, because Payton is under contract with New Orleans until 2024, but active coaches are hoping a coaching sacrifice is made on the Sean Payton altar and turn the heat down on the rest of them.

Game of the day: Japan 2 – Germany 1 

While some wanted to paint this as an upset on the magnitude of Saudi Arabia upending Argentina yesterday, it doesn’t rise to anywhere near that for a couple reasons. One, Germany is not Argentina and two, this wasn’t a sucker punch. Japan came into the tournament a lot of people’s (including me) pic to fuck some shit up, and they thoroughly deserved, at worst, a draw based on their second half performance alone.

The first half was a little too passive from Samurai Blue, and Jamal Musiala was a terror from the left side of the attack, consistently weaving his way through traffic. Germany had some trouble getting through the midfield wall of Wataru Endo, so they just went over his head for their goal. They went fullback-to-fullback as Niklas Sule was able to pick out David Raum, who completely lost every Japanese marker and was alone in the box, which forced Japan keeper Shuichi Gonda to completely lose his marbles and basically foul him twice to give away a penalty.

But the thing about Germany is we still don’t know who can consistently score from open play, and we don’t know how good some of the squad is when it isn’t Bayern Munich rolling over the rest of the Bundesliga. Kai Havertz isn’t a No. 9, and Thomas Müller may just be too old for this level to play in the hole. Havertz should probably be playing where Müller was.

In the second half, Germany still had their chances to ice it but didn’t take advantage, which tends to happen when you don’t have someone who consistently finds the net. But as soon as Japan brought on Takuma Asano and Kaoru Mitoma on in the 57th minute, their attack bucked up. Japan hit Germany in the exact way everyone thought they would, which is quickly, directly, and off turnovers. As Müller and Kimmich started to tire, those became more prevalent. No one attacks at speed quite like Japan.

The other problem for Germany is that their defense can be on the slow side. Sule fell asleep on the game’s winning long ball, keeping Asano onside when Rudiger and Schlotterbeck had stepped up. But both were slow to react, which is a problem Rudiger has had for a while and why Chelsea had to keep playing a back three when he was there. They never caught Asano who finished with aplomb from a tight angle for a Landon Donovan Special.

Germany has got serious problems now. It’s hard to judge how good Spain really is thanks to Costa Rica being a complete no-show, but they’re at worst really good. Get beat again and their tournament is over. Even a draw is going to leave them with a lot to do if Japan gets by Costa Rica, which at the moment looks the same challenge as filling out your name on the SAT. Germany may get to play more on the counter against a Spanish team that will dominate the ball, and maybe that suits them more, especially if they deploy either of the speedy Dortmund players they have in Karim Adeyemi or Youssoufa Moukoko or if Leroy Sane can get fit. But someone’s going to have to finish, and that person’s identity is still a mystery.

Other results: Croatia 0-0 Morocco

That whole thing about being old? Croatia very much looked it. While they had the majority of the ball, they never looked threatening because they simply didn’t have the gas to counter when they could nor to stretch the Moroccan defense in any fashion. Both teams combined for four shots on goal, and 0-0 looked the most likely outcome from about the 15th minute on. This was every bit of two corpses in the sun.

Spain 147-0 Costa Rica

You don’t have to worry about not having a real striker when your opponent applies no pressure whatsoever. It was unclear what Costa Rica was trying to do, not pressuring the Spanish defense but also not pressuring the midfield either. Which meant that Gavi and Pedri could simply turn and run to link with Olmo, Asensio and Torres to their hearts’ delight. If those five can dance around the 18-yard box without a challenge, they’re going to pile up chances. And goals. This was utter batting practice.

Are Spain good? Yes. Are they this good? That’s hard to tell, but we’ll find out in a hurry.

Belgium 1-0 Canada

It’s a cruel sport, as Canada got jobbed and also got what they deserved? It can also be a strange sport.

Canada was most certainly the better the first half and by some margin. They piled up 2.14 in xG in the first 45 alone, and indication of how many shots they were able to get off. They were done a huge favor by Belgium Roberto Martinez, because he’s a moron, who seemingly wanted to deploy the ol’ Marcelo Bielsa 3-3-1-3 with Youri Tielemans as a right winger? At least I think?

Whatever it was, Axel Witsel was completely alone in the Belgium midfield, which means the Belgian defense who all have very creaky bones had little to no outlet from the Canadian press. There were giveaways and turnovers galore as Witsel was completely under siege and Tielemans was lost in the woods 50 yards upfield. He also shoved Eden Hazard into the starting lineup despite playing about 12 minutes for Madrid this year, and despite a few flashes Hazard looked it.

But the thing is, you have to make that count. Canada didn’t. They got an early penalty. Alphonso Davies served it up to Thibaut Courtois more like he’d just bought him a round rather than he was trying to score on him. They only put three shots on frame in the whole game. And they were lucky in that Kevin De Bruyne’s radar was seemingly jammed (LONESTAR!!) all game, as he completely missed a couple of killer passes on the break that we’re used to seeing him make every time. It actually could have been worse.

It should have been better, too. Canada should have had a second penalty, but we’ll get to that. But fair play to Martinez, because after about half an hour he moved Tielemans back into midfield alongside Witsel and then brought on Amadou Onana at halftime to really shore that spot up. Canada only had two shots from the 32nd minute until halftime, compared to 12 before. As Belgium had more options to get through the press with the move to a double-pivot, the mistakes Canada was feasting on dried up.

Canada can take heart from the performance, but they’ll have to find someone who has a compass in the opposing penalty area.

Goal of the day: Spain certainly provided a buffet, but I’ll have to go with Gavi’s goal that was Spain’s fifth. This finish is so cocky and so smooth and so assured that I basically just feel like I have to hand it my girlfriend without a fight:

Did VAR fuck anything up? Of course! Canada can feel totally screwed because they should have had a second penalty 10 minutes after their first. Eden Hazard, looking as rusty as someone should who hasn’t played regularly in years, deliberately passes the ball back to Tajon Buchanan in the Belgium box, which makes Buchanan onside. He was then completely cleared out by Jan Vertonghen But because the assistant was flagging for offside, wrongly, the foul was ignored. Janny Sikazwe never went to review nor was he asked to, as it was claimed that Vertonghen got a touch on the ball, which I can’t find with a microscope.

Sikazwe is the same ref who blew a game final short of the final whistle twice during the AFCON, though it was later revealed he was suffering from heat stroke. But this is what having two sets of eyes is supposed to solve. This was glaring, and it didn’t even get looked at.

Did Qatar fuck anything up? Nothing more than usual, it would seem.

Did Alexi Lalas say anything stupid? Not today, though his clear jealousy of not having a shared handshake that Clint Dempsey and Stu Holden have from their time on the national team together was kind of adorable.

It’s Thanksgiving day, so it’s time to watch the Dallas Cowboys in their yearly showcase. The fact that they’re winning and making a charge toward another postseason makes it even better. And this year’s Turkey Day game has higher stakes than this game has had in quite a while. This Thanksgiving day game has been dubbed the OBJ Bowl.

Forget the fact that this has huge NFC East implications. This one is about influencing Odell Beckham Jr. and his decision on which team to sign with when he’s ready to return in a few weeks. It’s essentially coming down to the Cowboys and Giants vying for the affection of Beckham, the same way Dwight and Andy dueled over Angela in The Office.

This showdown will take place one day after the eight-year anniversary of OBJ’s magnificent catch over Brandon Carr on Sunday Night Football in 2014. Some have called it the greatest catch of all time, as it was an outstanding display of athleticism. The level of concentration it takes to catch a football one-handed while falling backward with a defender tugging at your jersey is impressive.

But this isn’t the same Odell the Giants or Cowboys would be signing up for. He’s a 30-year-old wide receiver who’s had two ACL tears in the last two years. The last time we saw Beckham was in the Super Bowl against Cincinnati, looking like the early MVP front runner until his knee gave out.

After two bad knee injuries in such a short amount of time, it’s hard to predict what OBJ brings to any team now. Dallas could use another receiving threat outside of CeeDee Lamb. They haven’t gotten a ton out of the rest of their receiving core this year. Michael Gallup missed the first few games recovering from an ACL injury, and since his return, he has just 19 catches in seven games. It’s been Lamb or bust for the ‘Boys. Lamb has 58 catches in 10 games, while no other target (WR, RB, or TE) has more than 28 receptions. The simple threat of another option in OBJ could help Dallas tremendously down the stretch.

For the Giants, it’s a little trickier — though New York recently lost WR Wan’Dale Robinson to a season-ending ACL injury — as this would be a reunion tour should Beckham return to New York. His first stint as a Giant did not end well, although he did some spectacular things. The team eventually grew tired of his antics and traded him to Cleveland, where that eventually fell apart. While Beckham is older and more mature (hopefully), it’s hard to see him choosing Daniel Jones over Dak Prescott. Indeed, he’d like to win, but he still wants the ball.

Both teams are in the playoff hunt and still in the race for a division crown behind the Eagles. It’s funny how this all feels orchestrated by Beckham, knowing the teams played on Thanksgiving and reports coming out that he’d like to sign by the end of November. None of this seems coincidental, as Beckham plays puppet master in this scenario.

Oh, this should be a fun game with all the theatrics of a broadway musical. Expect OBJ to be mentioned at least once per quarter during the broadcast. The NFL should up the stakes and make the decision for everyone. Winner takes all. Whoever wins the game signs Odell, no questions asked. Of course, under those circumstances, the Cowboys would undoubtedly find a way to lose since they don’t perform well under pressure. 

In the oxymoronic move of the month, the Las Vegas Raiders have filed for a new trademark that doesn’t exactly match their current situation. Darren Rovell tweeted about the trademark that is set to become a new slogan for the team. Win City — a play on the team’s location, Sin City —has been swooped up by the team known for the term “just win, baby.”

The timing of the filing is odd since the team has three wins in 10 games so far this season. Last season would’ve been a better time to register this slogan because Las Vegas did make a playoff appearance. Now it just feels like a day late and a few dollars short.

This move is right on brand for the franchise, which was recently described by LA Times columnist Bill Plaschke as “cash-strapped” and unable to afford to fire head coach Josh McDaniels.

“Raiders don’t have the money to fire him, to pay him off. They’re cash-poor.” Plaschke said on ESPN’s Around the Horn.

Trademarking this slogan for Win City shows just how clueless the decision-makers in the organization are. Sure, it sounds good, but that doesn’t begin to exemplify what the Raiders stand for. This franchise has played in two playoff games in the past 20 years. They’ve finished in either third or fourth place in the AFC West 16 times since 2003. The last thing this franchise needs to be masquerading around as are winners.

Barring some miracle turnaround and lots of help, Las Vegas is on the verge of missing the playoffs again and are stuck with a coach who clearly isn’t cut out to be the head man of any NFL franchise. This team has already been a laughingstock for quite some time and still decided to file this trademark. At this point, it’s hard to know who to blame because owner Mark Davis has no clue how to run an organization. He certainly isn’t a chip off the old Davis block.

Has there ever been a more irrelevant player to make more headlines than Patrick Beverley? The 11-year guard was up to the only tricks he knows again Tuesday night, getting ejected for having his teammate’s back by violently pushing Deandre Ayton from behind.

This is like the 15 millionth time Beverley has instigated shit because he’s fucking irrelevant otherwise. Recently seen jumping on the scorer’s table in Minnesota because he was on the floor when the T-Wolves eked out a couple of play-in games, or spouting whatever self-aggrandizing take comes to mind on ESPN, Pat Bev’s highlight reel rarely, if ever, features actual basketball.

This year has been especially bad for a plethora of reasons, most notably guaranteeing the Lakers would make the playoffs before the season as if anyone in the Staples Center will be overjoyed with a postseason appearance. He’s averaging 4 points per outing while shooting 26 percent from the field and 23 percent from deep, and the Lakers are 5-11 and more or less the laughing stock of most NBA fans’ feeds.

The incident Tuesday overshadowed a 31, 21, 2, 5, and 5 night out of Anthony Davis in a game that, until the Beverley shove, wasn’t another embarrassment for the Lakers. Predictably, instead of talking about AD’s recent resurgence after the contest, it was all about a guy who finished 0-for from the field, with a plus-minus of -15 in 29 minutes of what could loosely be termed basketball.

Of course, Beverley’s teammates and coach defended him after the game, and the only person I believe did it in earnest was Russell Westbrook. Davis’ defense of the cheap shot is tepid at best.

I don’t think that explanation is going to get Beverley out of a suspension, and he definitely should be sat down for multiple games. I appreciate Devin Booker telling Bev to say it to his face after the game, yet we know that’s not how Bev works. The smallest guy on the court body-checking the biggest guy on the other team, then walking around like he set a tone despite no chance of physical recourse and his squad trailing by double digits, is quintessential Patick Beverley, and definitely isn’t a fucking vibe.

It’s a jackass venting frustration and looking for attention that he can’t get via on-court play. His career arc is rapidly headed for a studio chair, and he knows screaming like a lunatic in a suit — not an NBA uniform — won’t get him the requisite reaction needed to satisfy his ego.

I’d like to say I can’t wait for Beverley to be out of the NBA, but you know we’ll be hearing from him long after the Lakers cut, trade, or move on from him — and that might be more insufferable than his monthly tantrum.

Nearly 10 years after the ButtFumble, a next generation Jets quarterback is fumbling his job away and coming across like a buttface in the process. There was no escape for the Jets quarterback on Sunday or afterwards. Based on reports from Jets insiders such as Rich Cimini, the Jets’ fractured locker room is divided along the Zach Wilson fault line. Ultimately, the fissure led head coach Robert Saleh to bench Wilson for Week 12.

But before that calamity ensued, ESPN’s Monday Night Football Countdown pregame show, Booger McFarland’s remarks about Wilson evading responsibility for one of the worst outings in 2022 sparked a discussion about wealth and accountability.

“Let’s understand who this young man is before we ask him to accept accountability,” McFarland said. “He’s a young man who grew up with a lot of money. I don’t think he’s ever had to accept accountability. So now on the biggest stage we want this quarterback to accept accountability.”

Steve Young disagreed vehemently and he may have a point. McFarland’s pseudo-psychological evaluation falls flat. Dragging Wilson’s privileged background into the discussion felt like a kick to his ribs while he was already down. The Wilson family’s wealth isn’t an excuse for his mother’s support of anti-mask conspiracy theories, her unhinged thoughts on child trafficking conspiracies, or her espousing anti-mask ideology during a pandemic. It’s no wonder Zach has been accused of sharing her admiration for alt-right’s political figures who don’t hold themselves accountable. Unfortunately, the Jets are more of a meritocracy than the world outside of it. News came down this morning that Zach Wilson has been benched.

Countless humble quarterbacks in the NFL came from privileged backgrounds. And some of the NFL’s cockiest quarterbacks came from humble means. At the same time, Wilson is shrugging off his low-grade performance reviews, newly benched Jameis Winston is grousing over being benched in New Orleans.

“”It hurts my soul…”grumbled Winston. “I lost my job due to injury, and the policy has always been you don’t lose your job because of injury.”

Who lied to that man?

Winston’s upbringing couldn’t have been more different than Wilson’s, but they’re entitlement twins. Take Winston for instance. He’s more accomplished than Wilson, but he was also credibly accused of sexual assault at Florida State, suspended a game for shouting, “f–k her right in the pussy,” was caught on video shoplifting crab legs, then settled a civil suit with an Uber driver who claims he groped her and shouted obscenities at her during his ride. His father once opined that the reason Winston got in so much trouble at FSU was because they didn’t have someone chaperoning him 24/7.

For those reasons, Winston is fortunate to even have a job in the NFL, much less a starting one. Just like with his previous chances, he’s squandered his opportunities. On the field, Winston has avoided accountability for his actions since he spearheaded a national championship-winning squad at Florida State. His NFL career is defined by how he throws like a degenerate gambler betting his entire bankroll on red at the craps table. Aside from his 14-touchdown, three-interception injury-shortened season in 2021, Winston’s most memorable season was his 30-touchdown, 30-interception (it was a 40 touchdowns if you count his record-breaking seven pick-sixes) final season in Tampa Bay the year before Brady led that same roster to a Super Bowl.

And yet, Winston’s arrogant response to getting benched for his more measured backup Andy Dalton reflects a character flaw. When asked about his demotion by a media gaggle, Winston was so despondent he muttered something about imaginary universal football laws about losing your job to injury. Tom Brady and Drew Bledsoe don’t ring a bell?

The charismatic, upbeat team-first Winston we’ve seen during his New Orleans stint is gone. We saw a glimpse into the entitled Winston who believes starting jobs are given to him, not earned. Dennis Allen’s obligation is to win games, not to satiate Winston. New Orleans’ 4-7 record looks bleak. But they’re only 2.5 games behind the NFC South leaders. Dalton isn’t a franchise quarterback anymore, but has seen a plethora of career-highs and fewer lows.

The only commonality that explains Wilson and Winston’s allergy to accountability is how they entered the league. Wilson and Winston have been the best passers on their teams since they were playing pee wee football. Winston can’t seem to believe that he’s been outplayed by a former second-rounder and he’s probably coming to terms with the end of his time as a full-time starter in this league. WIlson is in an earlier stage of that realization.

Quarterbacks are the most influential figures within any organization. However, in Winston and Wilson, we’ve seen what happens when that power gets taken for granted.