In Brooklyn’s precarious position, scandal is a pitfall and Kyrie Irving has supplied it in abundance. Mics and social media are as much of an occupational hazard for Irving as soft tissue and ligament injuries are for his peers. In that regard, the Nets All-NBA point guard can be a walking OSHA violation.

From throwing gasoline into the bubble discussion at a time when the players were at risk of losing 100s of millions of dollars to partying maskless in the middle of the 2020 season during a COVID spike, missing half the season to avoid vaccinating, to buying into deranged anti-vax conspiracies, Irving has been a regular P.R. nightmare.

Compliance is one of Irving’s weaknesses and his no -apology apology over two weeks ago was a catastrophic example of his personality sabotaging him in a predicament. Since then, Irving has completed the prerequisites the Nets organization instructed him to complete to rejoin the team.

In an interview on Saturday with SNY’s Ian Begley, Irving discussed reactively defensively and steadfastly denied purposely spreading antisemitic content. Irving at least showed the appearance of someone who regrets his actions. On Sunday, Irving sounded his most sincere yet during a news conference in which Nets brass confirmed his reinstatement.

“I don’t stand for anything close to hate speech, or antisemitism, or anything that is anti going against the human race,” Irving said. “I feel like we all should have an opportunity to speak for ourselves when things are assumed about us. And I feel it was necessary for me to stand in this place and take accountability for my actions because there was a way I should have handled all of this.

“… I meant no harm to any person, any group of people. And yeah, this is a big moment for me because I’m able to learn throughout this process that the power of my voice is very strong. The influence that I have within my community is very strong. And I want to be responsible for that. In order to do that, we have to admit when you were wrong and instances where you hurt people and it impacts them.

Irving loses a few points here for this boilerplate message about understanding the power of his voice. It’s been a year since he used his voice to advance vaccine denialism and referred to himself as a voice for the voiceless.

However, he appeared earnest, and didn’t resort to his cryptic brand of circular speaking to avoid direct answers while demonstrating the type of response a remorseful person gives instead of an unrepentant prick reading off a ransom note.

“It should have been on the first day that I was dealing with all this of just being there for all those that felt like this was antisemitic,” Irving said. “And I should have clarified that I am not antisemitic and I am not anti-anything when it comes to the way I live my life. So the learning lesson for me was just the power of my platform and the impact that it can cause if it’s not taken care of the right way. So meeting with different people within the Jewish community has offered me some clarity on a deeper understanding of what’s going on and the impact that was made and the hurt that was caused.”

In the two weeks since Irving’s Nov. 4 suspension, the Nets have been surprisingly tranquil. Brooklyn got a taste of harmony and ultimately decided against lighting a match near a leaky gas pipe by passing on Ime Udoka in favor of removing the interim tag from long-time assistant Jacque Vaughn.

Yet, as much of a healing moment this is, this signals that it’s also time to revive Irving’s “(Blank) Days Since An Incident” sign. Irving re-joins a Nets team that has been focused on hoops in his absence. Irving’s dazzling offensive repertoire has obscured an apathy on the defensive end. Irving found himself on the outs by getting defensive, but that’s exactly where he should spend more energy when he’s back in uniform.

According to FiveThirtyEight, Irving’s negative-0.9 defensive RAPTOR in the 2021-22 season ranked 41st out of 72 point guards who played at least 1,000 regular-season minutes.

Since Irving was suspended from the 2-6 Nets on Nov. 4, the Nets have won 5 of 8, allowing the fourth-fewest per 100 possessions after being the league’s worst defensive team while Irving was active. Vaughn’s Nets defense skews towards being more switch-heavy, in contrast to Nash having guards attacking over screens while bigs defend pick-and-rolls in drop coverage to prevent layups or back cuts toward the rim. His first opportunity to fit in with the resurgent Nets will come Sunday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Prior to Nash’s firing, Irving was blowing off his head coach’s playcalls. Irving is averaging 26.9 points, 5.1 assists and 5.1 rebounds, but at the time of his suspension, the Nets were 25th in assist-to-turnover ratio and 12th since Nov. 4. The Nets’ offense that scored 111.6 points per 100 possessions with Irving out, averaged 112 during his suspension.

Irving is integral to the Nets making a title run, but there are three things he must do for that reality to come to fruition. By buying into Vaughn’s philosophy on both ends, incorporating his offensive wizardry into the decentralized offense and avoiding the ancillary distractions that have plagued his stint in Brooklyn, Irving can finally begin the process of rehabilitating his polarizing image. 

Work is work, even when part of the job description is to appear to be best friends on television.

The goal of a sports studio is for the jocks to be jocular. However, not everybody can be Ernie, Charles, Shaq, and Kenny, and even they get upset from time to time. It’s best for everyone else to keep the jokes light, and perfect the fake T.V. chuckle.

During halftime of Vanderbilt’s 31-24 victory against Florida on the SEC Network, Peter Burns did make a clever quip about Benjamin Watson’s suit. He was right, the former Georgia, New England Patriots, and New Orleans Saints’ tight end was quite glossy compared to everyone else on the set.

Watson didn’t have much of a comeback, so he took it with a sense of humor, smiled and said as long as his wife texts him that he looks good he doesn’t care. Burns then went for the gusto with a second joke when he said, “That’s not the one she sent me.” He is lucky that it didn’t lead Watson brushing some of the gloss from that suit against his forehead.

When the halftime show came back from commercial break, both Watson and Burns were gone from the set. Chris Doeren opened the next segment directly addressing the noticeable difference and Watson angrily sauntered back onto the set, with that shiny suit jacket noticeably unbuttoned, and facial expression that looked like there were rocks in his jaws.

For those who weren’t raised with boundaries, in general you should always be careful who you tease. Just because you mean something as a joke doesn’t mean the other person will take it that way. That’s how communication works, the recipient interprets it and then reacts accordingly.

Not everyone cares what brilliant joke you, a non-professional comedian, thought of at a given moment. And for those who can’t help but playfully rib their fellow human beings, a good rule of thumb is to leave peoples’ families alone.

Some “yo mama” jokes between classmates who have known each other for a while in school is not the same as being rude about the people who an adult finds to be the most important in the world.

It is always best to assume jokes about peoples’ parents, significant others, and offspring are off limits, especially in a setting that the whole world can see. Hurt people, hurt people, and hurting someone’s feelings in that way can lead to some pain for the offending part, whether it’s to their pride or body.

Burns and Watson took a photo later to try and play it off like there was no lingering beef between the two. Watson would later quote-tweet it, and judging from what he posted I don’t think that Burns will be making anymore jokes involving his coworkers’ wife, wardrobe, or anything else anytime soon.

The Minnesota Vikings have been the most disrespected winning team in the NFL this season. Despite an 8-1 record, very few outside the state of Minnesota believe the Vikings are a “real” contender in the NFC. Even after surprisingly pulling out an overtime victory over the Buffalo Bills last week, most people still need to see more from Kirk Cousins and crew.

Well, the proof is in that Minneapolis pudding, and they need to continue showing it in Week 11 with the Dallas Cowboys in town for a late Sunday afternoon showdown. The Cowboys had also been rolling at 6-2 heading into last week’s game with Green Bay. Then, of course, the Cowboys did what the Cowboys always do in the face of prosperity. Dallas dropped this game to Green Bay, although they were favored to win on the road.

Minnesota is in a similar situation, but while they aren’t technically favored in this game (1.5-point underdogs), most analysts and fans view them in the same light as the Cowboys. Just when it looks like they’ve turned the corner after a big win, it’d be just like Cousins to have one of those mistake-riddled games and lose. That would be validation for all the Vikings’ critics to say, “we told you so.”

A win over the Cowboys would put the Vikings in a good position for home-field advantage in the NFC heading toward the end of the season. Although Minnesota dropped their head-to-head match-up with Philadelphia early in the year, they’ve climbed back into a tie for the No. 1 seed with the Eagles.

At 8-1, the Eagles and Vikings are neck and neck, with Philly seemingly having a tougher schedule down the stretch. The Eagles still have games left against Tennessee, Dallas, and the Giants twice. After facing Dallas this week, Minnesota has notable games remaining against the Jets and Giants.

So, Minnesota needs to keep doing what they’re doing, and home field is likely to become a reality. With the Vikings, everyone acknowledges the talent of wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Entering the season, he said he wanted to be known as the best wideout in the NFL, and he’s gone above and beyond in making his case. Jefferson is averaging over 117 receiving yards per game this season and is on pace to surpass Randy Moss for the most receiving yards in the first three seasons for any player in NFL history.

But when it comes to the guy throwing him the ball, everyone is reluctant to give Cousins any flowers. Somebody’s got to pass the rock to Jefferson so he can make those spectacular catches like the one-handed grab against the Bills. Cousins passed for 357 yards against one of the better defenses in the league in Buffalo. He isn’t Patrick Mahomes, but Cousins hasn’t had many games where he’s made the big mistakes that cost Minnesota. Cousins is playing within the offense, resulting in them being tied for the best record in the league.

A win over Dallas should make Minnesota the favorite for home-field advantage in the NFC and should make believers out of most. Obviously, this isn’t a must-win game for the Vikings, but in the court of public opinion, this game couldn’t be any bigger.

We’ll be running a daily roundup of everything that happens in Qatar, starting with the opening day today. Take the journey with us.

Game of the day

Well, there was only one, and it was Ecuador’s 2-0 win over hosts Qatar. A friend texted me somewhere around the 55th minute, “This is like when I watch Pitt-Kent State on the first day of the NCAA tournament. I really shouldn’t be here but what else am I gonna do?”

It was hardly a vibrant ad for the tournament ahead, as Qatar were woeful for pretty much the entire match. They even biffed an early throw-in, throwing it directly to Ecuador, which was a display of the nerves they couldn’t contain. They were passive, they were sloppy, they were rattled, and they were disorganized. It’s a pretty rotten combination.

They even fucked up the countdown at the beginning of the match, kicking off somewhere around where the crowd was on four.

Ecuador weren’t necessarily great, nor did they need to be. Whenever they felt like kicking into third gear they found acres of space in midfield, which allowed them to hit one through-ball and one cross to score, which was all that was required for three points.

Goal of the day

You always worry with only one game you won’t get an offering for this section, but thankfully Enner Valencia’s header was pretty boss:

That’s not easy when moving the wrong way to get it back over your shoulder in the corner. The ranch of space that the Qatari defense gave him certainly helped.

Did VAR fuck anything up?

Technically no? Three minutes in, Valencia had thought he’d scored after Qatar looked about as secure defending a freekick as the kindergarten pet gerbil, but after a lengthier-than-we-were-promised-delay it was ruled offside. It was confusing as fuck, as what was offside got muddled by the Braveheart act of Saad Al Sheeb (more on him in a sec), meaning being behind the keeper was offside. It also took 10 minutes for the Fox broadcast to show us the semi-automatic graphic.

Best René Higuita impression

Quick refresher, Higuita was the Colombian keeper who treated his own penalty area like lava and would use any excuse to charge out of it like a college student who’s been told he has five minutes to claim a free keg across the quad. Al Seeb did a fine version today, though his own recklessness saved the first goal by catching an Ecuadorian offside, probably so shocked at what the keeper was doing out there in the first place. He then gave away a penalty that Valencia scored to officially open the goals account, and then punched a cross with no one within ten yards of him. Decidedly skittish.

BIG MEATY TACKLE

Sebas Méndez of Ecuador in the second minute sent a guy into space, which was pretty awesome.

The “I want my team to buy that guy” award of the day

Ecuador’s Gonzalo Plata, who was a constant menace cutting in from the right and bamboozling Qatar pretty much every time he touched the ball.

Did Alexi Lalas say anything stupid?

Nothing that stood out from the rest of the FOX broadcast, which couldn’t wait to wheel-pose out of saying anything negative about the host country or its ruling party, or FIFA president Gianni Infantino, after his Giuliani-esque rant at the press on Saturday. It’s hard to buy FOX’s constant harping about bringing the world together and Qatar showing out for the world when we know homosexuality is illegal and the amount of people that have died. Fox’s head-in-the-sand approach to coverage was always going to be awkward as fuck, but being tossed right into it five minutes into coverage of the tournament was still jarring.

Contrast that with how the BBC’s Gary Lineker opened things for their coverage:

Asking Fox to be truthful is a bridge too far, but insulting our intelligence is another thing. 

The embarrassment of the United States men’s national team missing the 2018 World Cup had several layers. One of the most understated at the time, and one that luckily has been forgotten about over time for fans of the Stars and Stripes, is how the adorned future of American soccer would always be attached to the country’s biggest failure. Christian Pulisic was on the field during that horrible night in Port of Spain. He was 19 then and would’ve played in a World Cup before he was legally able to buy a drink in his hometown of Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Pulisic was on the doorstep of the World Cup four years ago as a youngster for Borussia Dortmund. He’s now at Chelsea as a 24-year-old fighting for playing time at one of the world’s biggest clubs. That competition has led to fleeting time on the pitch, but any time Captain America gets is invaluable. The face of United States soccer gets to play on the biggest stage in the sport for the first time starting Monday against Wales. 

It’ll be a shocker to see Pulisic not play every meaningful second the United States is on the field in Qatar. He’s a game-changer unlike any other in American history. Landon Donovan was a world-class player, Clint Dempsey was tenacious, Tim Howard could change any game by not letting a ball by him. None of them possessed the momentum-flipping ability of Pulisic. With the potential he’s shown, the game-changing tendencies of others around him are undervalued. Who knows what Gio Reyna, Weston McKennie, Brenden Aaronson, or Tim Weah could do as the focal point of the USMNT? It doesn’t matter. The team is in Pulisic’s hands until he’s proven he’s not capable of being in the driver’s seat.

The attacking midfielder isn’t a true striker, but has his eye for goal like he’s any team’s primary scorer. His passing ability is sublime for someone that is shoot-first. Pulisic can truly do it all, which is only argued by those who undervalue him just because he’s an American. It’s fair to question why we don’t see CP10 at his top form more often. It isn’t up for debate how sky-high his potential is. For my money, he’s the second-best player in Group B behind England’s Harry Kane. The American real-life superhero is better than anyone he’ll match up against from Wales or Iran.

“We’re so thankful for any type of support that we can get back home,” Pulisic said from Qatar after being recognized as the face of American soccer this week. “The World Cup is something so special for us and I feel like the No. 1 thing that Americans will watch when it comes to soccer. So we’re really excited and we’re thankful for any type of support we can get. We’re going to give everything we have and hope to make everyone back home proud.”

Pulisic’s place atop American soccer is secure for now, only in danger when someone of equal ability steps in. Even with a rich developmental system, that’s not going to happen until after the North American-hosted World Cup in 2026 at the very earliest. When it comes to firsts, Pulisic’s reach in the world of soccer has already improved the reputation for Americans. He became the first American to score in a UEFA Champions League semifinal, doing so against Real Madrid in April 2021. He was the first USMNTer to play and win the UCL in the same season. His $73 million transfer from Dortmund to Chelsea in 2019 was the most expensive move for a North American player in history.

His rich pedigree comes without playing a game at the World Cup. Pulisic still has a heavy majority of his career ahead of him, but without testing his invaluable past to better the future of American soccer, a lot of it will have been for naught. Patrick Mahomes can prove how he’s one of the best quarterbacks of all-time. But without the pressure of both Super Bowl appearances, how much does his early legacy toward GOAT status suffer? My guess is it would be a lot. That’s the seal that gets broken on Monday. Pulisic will finally get on the field at a World Cup five years after that night in Trinidad and Tobago. You bet he’s been thinking about it since and will take advantage.

I love the San Francisco 49ers. I grew up in the Bay Area, and instead of cheering for my father’s favorite team — the then-Oakland Raiders — in Super Bowl XXXVII. I cheered for the Bucs, a team I had zero affiliation with just because I didn’t want to see San Francisco’s cross-town rival win a chip. Albeit, I was six years old at the time.

I might not be the most diehard. I don’t go to every single game. I don’t paint my face or have a shrine dedicated to Kyle Jusczcyk and/or Kyle Shanahan. Hell, I don’t even have a Frank Gore jersey in my closet. Still, I’ll gladly sit through this team’s thick and thin, whether it’s Nick Mullens, CJ Beathard, Solomon Thomas, Shaun Hill, or the 2015 offseason, and cheer them on for 16 (now 17) games and then complain to anyone who’ll listen about how this should’ve been the year they won it all.

Will I drive to a player’s house during an unprecedented snowstorm just to shovel snow out of their driveway so they can play a game at a neutral field? No. That’s probably where I draw the line. For Bills Mafia though…that’s just par for the course this week.

In case you’ve been living under a rock the past few days, West New York has been hit with historic snowfall recently, so much so that upwards of six feet came crashing down in some areas over the last 48 hours, according to CNN. Meanwhile, the Bills’ starting running back, Devin Singletary stands at 5’7″. The Bills were supposed to host the Cleveland Browns tomorrow, but the game got moved to Detroit due to the weather. Still, despite the new venue, the Bills had no way of getting to Detroit. Sure, the Buffalo airport reopened this morning, but the roads were so blocked off that driving every player on the Bills to the airport was a problem in and of itself.

Thanks to the good will and determination of a few Bills’ fans though, the team’s starting right tackle Spencer Brown was able to get out of his driveway and should be able to make it to the game tomorrow.

Like I said earlier, I would never do this. The players don’t know me. They don’t care about my day. I haven’t developed an unhealthy parasocial relationship with these grown men who represent a city I identify with. Also, because I wouldn’t want to get waist deep in that snow. I lived in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan through two winters and a polar vortex. I’ve seen my fair share of heavy snowfall, icy roads, and jack-knifed trailers. I would never want to put myself in harm’s way just so one player can play in one game. If they lose once, so what? It’s the Bills. They’ll be competitive the rest of the season. Sure, every other team is competitive in that division, but it’s not like they’re going to miss the playoffs. What’s one game in the grand cosmic scheme of things, right?

I know it’s become sort of a popular trend to say Bills Mafia is overrated, but every time I see a clip of Bills’ fans, I can’t help but think “Wow! It must be awesome to play for this team.” No matter what, the city and your fans have your back. To think, just a few years ago, former Bills’ receiver Jordan Matthews said “There wasn’t anything to do [in Buffalo] except each other.” Looking back on everything Bills’ fans have done for that team, the lengths they’ll go to help their squad, I can’t help but think Matthews didn’t appreciate what he had. How could you be bored with so many people near you who care this deeply about seeing you succeed? That’s on you, Matthews.

Keep doing you, Bills Mafia. You’re remarkable.

It took 12 weeks for fuck around week to arrive in college football, and it announced itself with a bang. From the get go, Michigan and TCU showed up expecting to be handed a W simply because the spread dictated it so. Maryland had the ball against Ohio State with enough time to steal a W, and Georgia was held to 16 points.

All of the teams currently in the College Football Playoff, plus USC, survived the tests presented to them despite valiant efforts from Kentucky, Maryland, Illinois, Baylor, and UCLA. One wasn’t so lucky.

Tennessee caught looking ahead

The fifth-ranked team wasn’t so lucky as Tennessee’s defensive vulnerabilities finally caught up with them. It took awhile, but Spencer Rattler’s bona fides cropped up to the surface against the Vols with six TD passes. South Carolina reached the endzone the first five times they touched the ball, and any chance UT had at a spot in the playoff evaporated once QB and Heisman candidate Hendon Hooker got hurt in the second half.

The 63-38 final score in Columbia was more or less accurate. Gamecock receivers ran free all night, and the Vols’ trouble getting off the field on third downs this season was again an issue. Shane Beamer’s team converted eight of 11 third downs, including a big third and 20 in the final quarter, and also went two for two on fourth down.

Michigan fans still can’t exhale

For the Wolverines, the Fighting Illini led for all but nine seconds of the fourth quarter. Jim Harbaugh opted to take the points in the final period, kicking a field goal to make it 16-17. They needed a three and out on the following possession, and got it to set up a game-winning field goal drive and avoid U-M’s first L of the season.

The larger concern is the status of Blake Corum for the Ohio State game. The running back left the game with an injury and will be evaluated further. An ailment needing additional diagnosis is like your spouse saying they need more time to think about something they’re going to say no to, and I’m officially nervous for Big Blue’s foray into Columbus.

Meditations in an Emergency: A a collection of Horned Frog poems

TCU’s weekly stress test included: Not leading until late third quarter, a missed extra point, a TD with two minutes left to try to tie the game, a dropped two-point conversion to tie the game, a no-safety-net three-and-out hold, a last-minute field goal drive, and a 17-second fire drill to get the kick team out for a 40-yard kick as time expired because they ran a fucking run play on third and seven that failed to produce a clock stoppage.

Sonny Dykes is either a genius or a masochist. I’m not sure which. This team needs wins over Iowa State and most likely Kansas State to reach the College Football Playoff. However, I think by saying that the Wildcats will lose to Kansas next week, and Texas will edge past Baylor to sneak into the Big 12 title game and fuck up TCU’s dream.

I’ve rooted for Adrian Martinez too many times to not know how this ends.

Caleb Williams’ art is quarterbacking, and he just painted his Heisman piece

The Trojans weren’t the only playoff contender to trail in the second half, but they were the only one that needed to overcome a double-digit deficit. The Bruins got a 14-0 head start, amassed 513 yards of total offense, and scored 45 points, but gave up 48 points and 639 yards, including 503 to Williams. Lincoln Riley’s statue of David passed for 470 yards, added 33 on the ground, and accounted for three total scores.

His counterpart Dorian Thompson-Robinson had 390 yards of total offense and six touchdowns, but also four total turnovers, including a pick with a minute and half remaining. The Trojans were able to kneel out the finals seconds instead watching potential game-tying or -winning DTR drive through half-closed eyes.

Oregon awaits the Trojans in the Pac-12 title game while Notre Dame has next against USC on Saturday. Winners of their past five games, the Fighting Irish are 8-3, and appear to have fully recovered from an 0-2 start.

I’m not going to expand on the Buckeyes or Bulldogs because both programs played with their food. The Terps had the ball with 42 ticks left, down by six, and went backward on the drive before ceding a defensive TD to OSU. Georgia led all night, and Wildcat QB Will Levis looked pedestrian as usual.

Saturday was a reminder that college football programs — outside of the top two or three — are subject to as much chicanery as the next group of 18- to 22-year-olds.

The contemporary NBA has conditioned basketball fans to seek out unhappy All-Stars like lions stalk the most vulnerable wildebeest. The Chicago Bulls dropped to 6-10 on the season after a one-point home loss to a Paolo Banchero-less Orlando Magic on Friday, and Zach LaVine set off some alerts.

The ninth-year guard was not happy after being benched by coach Billy Donovan late in the fourth quarter with the game still close.

“I got to do a better job at the beginning of the game to make my shots, but you play a guy like me down the stretch,” LaVine said. “That’s what I do. Do I like the decision? No. Do I have to live with it? Yeah. Be ready to put my shoes on and play the next game.”

LaVine deserved it. He was 1-for-14 on the night, O-for from 3, and finished with a plus/minus of -19 in 25 minutes. Before thirsty supporters start doctoring IG photos though, they should be reminded that the two-time All-Star inked a five-year, $215 million max contract in the offseason and isn’t even eligible to be moved yet.

The main issue among many for Chicago isn’t LaVine’s slowish start. It’s the absence of Lonzo Ball, who recently eclipsed the four-to-six-week reevaluation mark from September knee surgery, with no timetable to return. When the procedure was announced a month or so ago, one couldn’t help but feel sorry for Ball after how dejected he sounded over the unknown status of his knee and the way Chicago looked with a full backcourt last year.

While optimistic Bulls fans could’ve talked themselves into a healthy Alex Caruso and Patrick Williams being able to help the team tread water until the almost all-star gets back, Chicago has been lifeless save for the occasional flurry of footwork out of DeMar DeRozan. Nikola Vučević’s shooting splits (46/38/88) are the only positive things about his game. Coby White is in a shooting slump. And although Ayo Dosunmu has improved, relying on him to be anything more than a spark off the bench at this juncture in his career is indicative of where Chicago is as an organization right now.

I was all for giving LaVine a bag. He’s proven to be more than a good stats, bad team guy, and was one of the linchpins of Team USA’s gold medal run at the 2021 Summer Olympics. I also was under the assumption that Ball would be back.

The gamble lead exec Artūras Karnišovas made on DeRozan was rightfully lauded during the early parts of the 2021-22 season, as was signing Ball. He wasn’t perceived as a risk at the time, but the sports gods are fickle, especially with the post-Jordan Bulls.

As currently constructed, Chicago is in the worst kind of NBA purgatory. The Magic own the Bulls’ 2023 first-round pick unless it lands in the top four. They have the rights to the Trail Blazers pick, but it’s top-14 protected, so basically Chicago will be picking outside the lottery unless they sink to a bottom-four level.

DeRozan and LaVine would need to get injured or traded for that to occur, and both are relatively durable so the out would be a move. An impromptu tank is possible, but it’d have to start now, and I don’t know if you could talk ownership into it after shelling out that kind of cash for LaVine.

Sure, dealing Vuc is an option; I’m just uncertain whether the return would raise the ceiling above the play-in or the first round. I don’t think firing Donovan will affect change either. He’s proven to be a high-level coach, and it’s not like the players are underachieving due to his system.

Goran Dragic, Andre Drummond, Javonte Green, Derrick Jones Jr., White, and Caruso make up the bench mob, and I’m not sure anyone other than Caruso and I guess White are rotation players in the NBA. If I was in the front office, I’d move on from Vuc as soon as possible in hopes that it frees up some touches for Patrick Williams, brings back a role-playing big more apt to keep the ball moving and protect the rim, and maybe a low-maintenance point guard who’s happy passing and shooting open threes. (I know Utah has a couple of those guys, and a package that would work for what both teams are trying to do also works in the trade machine.)

It might be early this season, but since Ball went down in mid-January last year, the team is 26-37 without him. That’s a 63-game sample size. They have to start operating as if he’s not coming back anytime soon because even when he does return, who knows if he’ll be the same guy given the injury history with that knee.

It feels terrible writing this after how much of a surprise the Bulls were at this time last season. Whatever adage you prefer for life coming at you fast works to describe Chicago’s luck since Ball went down, but fortunes can change just as quickly. 

It’s been the longest-standing position battle for the United States men’s national team. It’s been basically a forever chase to find a stable striker. The No. 9 spot has been taken by dozens of Americans, with no real claim to the throne. Brian McBride? Jozy Altidore? Joe-Max Moore? All had temporary holds on the mantle. No one’s truly ever made it their own, especially to permanently hold out others. As it pertains to the USMNT in Qatar, it’s been disappointments and underwhelming performances.

American head coach Gregg Berhalter has called in three strikers to his World Cup squad. There was the obvious choice, Jesus Ferreira, who’s been placed in the starting striker role for most of the recent USMNT games. Also in Qatar is Josh Sargent, who had the first real shot at claiming the starting central-forward spot, but didn’t do enough to garner another major opportunity. Yet, after his efforts in The Championship with Norwich City, he’s back in good graces. Sargent has gained late fan support to start at striker in Monday’s game against Wales because he’s used to the physicality of the United Kingdom’s defenders. There’s also an outside shot of Haji Wright, the other striker on the 26-man squad.

Berhalter hasn’t tried an experimental formation where his proven best 11 make it onto the field, like a Tim Weah or Brenden Aaronson playing a false-nine. One of the three strikers brought to Qatar will start, with almost a 100 percent chance it’s Ferreira or Sargent. If Berhalter’s recent choices are any indication, it’ll be Ferreira, who bagged a ton of goals for FC Dallas this season. Outside of a four-spot against lowly Grenada, Ferreira has scored one goal for the Americans in 2022. Not exactly the form you want a starting striker to be in. It’s the same number of goals Haji Wright has scored for the USMNT if you take away Grenada.

There are some obvious points of contention when it comes to Ferreira’s selection. Age isn’t a dominant factor, but he’ll only be 22 when the calendar flips to 2023. Maybe, more importantly, he’s only 5-foot-9. Unless you have an elite skill set, the best defenders at the international level will usually eat any striker under 6-foot alive. Ferreira isn’t that good. Plus, with a lot of the chances he’s had, he hasn’t cashed in. Go back and watch the first 10 minutes of the USMNT’s game against Japan from November if you don’t believe me. Wide open header at the top of the six-yard box. And he sails it over the crossbar.

If we’re all in agreement, and you’re nuts if you see this another way, that the best of the USMNT is in the attack but not the striker, Ferreira will be tasked with holding up play near the other team’s net more than most strikers would. If we’re ranking the trio of USMNT strikers in Qatar at their ability to get others in attack open, he’s in last place. I’d put Sargent second and Wright first. As Berhalter so conveniently pointed out after announcing his roster, Wright plays for a worse team in Turkey than Belgium’s starting striker, Michy Batshuayi, but has scored more goals.

Ferreira is one of the players Berhalter has shown supreme loyalty to in 2022, meaning whether USMNT fans like it or not, he’ll play a ton in Qatar. Even if he’s not the starting striker, he’d likely be one of the first substitutes in any game. Expectations for all three USMNT strikers at the World Cup are low. Essentially, if they don’t pick up a red card and fall on their faces, it’ll be OK with how strong of an attacking midfield the Yanks have. Ferreira will have every opportunity to stake his claim to the striker’s throne. A whiff in Qatar and that chance won’t come back.

The Carolina Panthers are not a good team. They’re one of the worst teams in the NFL in fact. They’re trotting out a former XFL quarterback as their starter. They lost Christian McCaffrey and Robbie Anderson. They don’t utilize DJ Moore. They’re one of only two teams to have undergone a head coaching change this year. They’re near the bottom of the league in total offense, total defense, and passer rating. Yet, somehow, playing them in 2022 is bad news for your future.

See, this season, every team to have played the Carolina Panthers has lost the following week. In Week 1, the Baker Mayfield revenge game was thwarted by the Cleveland Browns and Jacoby Brissett. The Browns wound up losing to Joe Flacco and the New York Jets in Week 2. The loss was devastating as Cleveland led by two scores with a minute and a half to go in the game. In Week 2, the New York Giants beat the Panthers 19-16. In Week 3, they lost their home opener to the Dallas Cowboys. In Week 4, the Saints lost to Minnesota. The Cardinals lost to Philadelphia the following week. The 49ers should’ve had an easy win against Atlanta in Week 6. Marcus Mariota had one of the best games of his career as they trounced San Fran, 28-14. You’d think the Rams would be safe because they played Carolina in Week 6 and had a bye Week 7, but the moment Los Angeles returned to the field, even with a well-rested squad, they couldn’t avoid the curse. The 49ers demolished them.

Opponents are 0-9 this season in games immediately following a matchup with the Panthers. In Week 11, there are two teams on the chopping block: the Falcons and the Bengals. The Bengals played Carolina two weeks ago, but their bye was Week 10. The Falcons play Chicago and the Bengals play in Pittsburgh.

Chicago-Atlanta is a game that could go either way. Sure, Justin Fields has been red hot, but the Falcons seem to be a team that just doesn’t go away. They fight and scrap and as long as Marcus Mariota plays decently, Atlanta stays close and sometimes pulls out wins they’re not supposed to. On the other side, the Bengals absolutely should not lose to Pittsburgh. Tennessee Titans’ running back Derrick Henry has as many passing touchdowns as Steelers’ quarterback Kenny Pickett. The Bengals are well-rested and although they are playing on the road, the Bengals are objectively a much better team. That said, Pittsburgh has beaten Cincinnati once already this year, thanks to four interceptions from Joe Burrow. That’s the only game that Burrow has ever thrown four interceptions in. You can’t expect that same kind of good fortune via turnovers if you’re the Steelers, and considering that Cincinnati still took Pittsburgh to overtime in that game is indicative of how much the Steelers need bounces to go their way in order to come away with a victory.

So, if the curse is true and there is in fact some voodoo woman in Raleigh with a thing for immediate retribution for standing up against her Panthers, which teams benefit the most and least? Well, obviously, any team that plays a very strong team after the Panthers would be thankful the curse is wasted on a game they probably would’ve lost regardless. The Denver Broncos play in Baltimore Week 13 after playing Carolina in Week 12. The Seahawks play the Panthers in Week 14 and then get their second matchup against San Francisco. The 49ers already won their first matchup, so Seattle probably isn’t too thrilled about going into the game that could determine the division winner with an extra handicap. So, with that said, I think the 49ers are the biggest beneficiaries, even if they already suffered the curse earlier this year.

I think the team that has to be the most upset though are the Detroit Lions. Yeah, they’re not great, but they have won two straight divisional games. Even if they can’t reach the playoffs, Lions’ fans would love the opportunity to revel in the fact that they swept both the Bears and Packers in the same season. Well, guess who the Lions play immediately after facing Carolina in Week 16. That’s right, the Chicago Bears. Thankfully, this game will be in Detroit, but if the curse is indeed real, then it won’t matter. Detroit will lose that game and then go into Week 18 without any momentum for their final game of the season against… you guessed it! The Green Bay Packers. That’s tough sledding.

Thankfully, this curse shouldn’t have any effect on the playoffs. The Panthers play the Saints in the final weeks of the season, and barring any miraculous turnaround, the Saints won’t be participating in that mid-January rumble. They’re last in the NFC South and still have to face the 49ers, Bucs, Deshaun Watson-led Browns, and Eagles, all of which will be on the road. If by some miracle the Saints do make it to the postseason though, be ready for disappointment in the Bayou. It won’t be a Cinderella story for long.