Best Sports Stuff Right Now: SpongeBob, Baby Lakers and of Course...Trump!
Sports. Elections. Championship rematches. Shattered records.
Early November has made for one of the best sporting periods of the year, gifting fans with the Chicago Cubs, the return of the NBA and beyond.
While Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton took center stage, the storylines there weaved in and out of the sporting world in interesting ways. Sprinkle in some of the memorable performances and amazing quotes, and the rest of 2016 will have a hard time matching the most notable things of late.
Here's a look at the best sports stuff right now.
Richard Sherman Plays the Villain
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Say hello to the bad guy.
Remember Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, the guy idolized by some for talking trash to Tom Brady after a game?
He's the bad guy now. In a Monday Night Football win against the Buffalo Bills, Sherman popped offsides and clobbered kicker Dan Carpenter. The NFL's Senior Vice President of Officiating, Dean Blandino, confirmed Sherman should have been flagged.
He wasn't, and Sherman eventually stared down Bills coach Rex Ryan, then mocked the whole situation on Twitter.
The NFL is more fun with villains who have earned the role, not simply labeled as such because they win. Fans should embrace Sherman for it.
Tom Brady and Bill Belichick Back Donald Trump...Maybe
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New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick endorsed Donald Trump.
Or they didn't.
According to McKay Coppins of BuzzFeed News, Trump told onlookers Brady supports him. Trump then went on to read an encouraging letter sent to him by Belichick, according to Rosie Gray of BuzzFeed News.
While it was a letter filled with the usual football verbiage, it was hard to imagine the secretive Belichick sending such a public endorsement—until Tom E. Curran of CSNNE.com confirmed the hoodie master penned it.
For what it's worth, Doug Kyed of NESN dug up an Instagram comment by Brady's wife, Gisele Bundchen, suggesting the couple doesn't support Trump.
Who to believe?
Theo Epstein Eats Goat
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The Chicago Cubs' World Series victory after a 108-year drought isn't fresh news anymore, but the lasting effects qualify.
One result of the triumph? Cubs president Theo Epstein made a meal of roasted goat.
“They’ve said there are no curses, that it was just a matter of putting together a great baseball team,” said restaurateur Kevin Boehm, who delivered the meal, per Shia of the Chicago Sun-Times. “But they were happy to eat that goat.”
Boehm better stay on standby with the goats—the Cubs look like a team capable of turning a drought into a streak.
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Mark Cuban Sends a Message
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The Dallas Mavericks and owner Mark Cuban have sent a message: Time to do away with the robots.
In all seriousness, the Mavericks unexpectedly revoked the media credentials of ESPN's Marc Stein and Tim MacMahon. According to Art Garcia of the Star-Telegram, this extends to all ESPN reporters.
The reason? Cuban dislikes the apparent increasingly robotic nature of sports coverage, as he told the Associated Press:
"Maybe I will be wrong but I see a direct path from the trends in coverage of games we are seeing over the last couple years to the automation of reporting on games and the curation of related content. This isn't a knock on wire services or their reporters. They are valued and valuable in sports coverage.
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This is an interesting war of wills to keep tabs on moving forward—do Cuban's 1-5 Mavericks deserve the same coverage as the NBA's best? Which side will (and can afford to) blink?
Late-Game Lions Can't Be Stopped
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The Detroit Lions, whether people have realized it or not, are one of the best stories in sports this year.
A 5-4 record doesn't scream "great story" to most, but ponder this—the Lions are the most clutch team in the NFL, if not all sports.
Peter King of the MMQB dedicated a portion of his column to the team's incredible feats.
"The story of the amazing and ridiculous Detroit Lions season grows in legend weekly. The Lions are 5-4. In each of the five wins, Detroit trailed in the last 90 seconds. Truly, the Lions could be 0-9 right now. It’d be a heartbreaking 0-9, but it’d be an explainable 0-9," King wrote.
The clutch Lions, led by MVP candidate Matthew Stafford (18 touchdowns, five interceptions), sit second in the NFC North and show no signs of slowing.
Raiders Keep Rolling
6 of 15Then again, the Oakland Raiders could give the Lions a run for their money.
Remember the Raiders? The team that folks could lump in with the Jacksonville Jaguars and call it a day?
Not anymore.
Oakland's jaw-dropping turnaround had King gushing, too:
"The Raiders just dismantled the Super Bowl champions. Oakland 30, Denver 20, and it wasn’t that close. The hottest young quarterback in the game threw zero touchdown passes, and Derek Carr didn’t need any either. The Raiders outrushed Denver 218-33 and held the ball for 41 minutes, like an old Bill Parcells team. The defense is coming alive, finally.
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Any team that can bully the Denver Broncos classifies as a problem.
Oakland now has seven wins, same as the Dallas Cowboys and Patriots. It's deserved company, too, so time to rethink how one views the NFL hierarchy.
Jim Harbaugh Has An...Interesting Favorite Animated Character
7 of 15Jim Harbaugh has his Michigan Wolverines at 9-0 and headed toward a collision with the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten.
So of course, the head coach of one of the nation's best teams models some of his leadership qualities after...SpongeBob SquarePants.
This all came about because The Simpsons took a shot at Harbaugh. He ran with it, telling 247Sports' Isaiah Hole it's all about the attitude:
"I love his attitude. He attacks each day with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind! I've kind of modeled my behavior after him. We all should. What a great employee he is. He's a go-getter. He's always got a bounce to his step. He's got pizzazz. He puts his heart and soul into making those crabby patties. I think he's awesome.
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It seems like one certain cartoon character is about to get a ratings boost.
Knicks' Implosion Has Started Early
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Now for a team quickly going in the other direction.
Of course it's the New York Knicks. The Knicks are 2-4 to start the season despite a blockbuster trade for point guard Derrick Rose over the summer. President Phil Jackson, according to ESPN.com’s Ian Begley, isn't happy with how much the team has employed his triangle offense.
The players seem to feel differently.
"According to sources, some Knicks players have expressed their displeasure over the offense because they feel it doesn’t suit their personnel, particularly point guard Derrick Rose, who has traditionally thrived when using pick-and-rolls," Begley wrote.
This odd implosion extends to both sides of the court. According to a note by Begley's colleague, Marc Stein, well, just take a look: "NBA coaching sources say the Knicks have put assistant Kurt Rambis in charge of the team's defense, New York's prime area of concern at 2-4."
Some assistant coaches have areas of focus now, apparently. It's going to be fun to watch the Knicks over the next week or so with games against the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors looming.
Calm Cam Takes the High Road
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Some want Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton to be the biggest villain in the NFL.
Many don't like the celebrations and that one time he walked out of a press conference after losing the Super Bowl (!), and others have sent letters about his irresponsible behavior.
Yet when Newton felt like he was taking unfair hits this year, he organized a meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Following those talks, Blandino admitted on NFL Network the league is missing calls when Newton plays (h/t Mike Florio of PFT).
Bleacher Report's Mike Tanier said it well:
"[Newton] didn't insult or throw stuff at the officials who failed to call roughing the passer two weeks ago. He requested a meeting with the boss instead, just like the folks at human resources recommend. Thanks to Newton's semiformal request for clarity on roughing the passer rules, we learned the NFL has been tracking uncalled penalties for years and that senior vice president of officiating Dean Blandino is aware of several mistakes this year.
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The 27-year-old quarterback has his moments, but Newton is growing into his status as a role model on a weekly basis. Perhaps he's not being protected by the league as well as he should be.
Stephen Curry Breaks Record
10 of 15These days, most crazy performances from Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry can be filed under "business as usual" and we can all move on.
Except when the guy smashes a record.
Curry did just that Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans, splashing home 13 three-pointers, and scoring some of them in downright silly fashion.
Given the way Chef Curry plays, it's a wonder he didn't break this record earlier.
Now fans have to wait and see if Curry can break his own record.
Lakeshow Waaay Ahead of Schedule
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Not many saw this coming.
The Los Angeles Lakers have four wins—and they've only played seven games. Compare that to last year's 17-win squad mired in the Kobe Bryant retirement tour.
Given its current construction and stage of development, the Lakers look outstanding. D'Angelo Russell is running the offense well, Julius Randle looks like a player fans would never want to trade and Brandon Ingram has flashed his potential.
While crediting head coach Luke Walton for the turnaround, Sports Illustrated's Andrew Sharp broke it down further:
"It starts with the coach. Did you know Nick Young had 22 points on 8–14 shooting in Sunday night's win over the Suns? I swear, he's looked like a legitimately competent veteran presence this season. Think about that sentence. Luke Walton might win a Nobel Prize when all this is done. Meanwhile, D'Angelo Russell looks like a completely different player, and even when he struggles, Walton is able to lean on others without shaming the future of the franchise.
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Folks, a guy who calls himself Swaggy P is balling.
The Lakers won't make the playoffs, but they're fun again. Rest assured, future free agents will once again look at the Lakers as a serious option instead of a negotiating chip.
The Sporting World Talks Election
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It's rare to find professional players who will openly talk about their voting preferences, but USA Today's Erik Brady, Lindsay Jones and Sal Maiorana tracked down a few.
Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe explained from a financial sense, given the nature of the game he plays, why he supported Trump:
"I already pay half my money to the government. I shouldn’t have to give any more. … I'm not saying Trump is the best, but I vote Republican every year, no matter what. And this really means a lot to me this year because they're taking 50% of our checks. You want to take 60, 65% of my check now? I can't do that. It's not worth playing the game if I'm going to come out here and take years off my life just so someone else can live.
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On the other end of the spectrum, Buffalo fullback Jerome Felton explained how experience weighed into his decision: "I want someone who’s prepared to do the job, mentally, emotionally. I think someone who has had experience dealing with foreign policy and leaders around the world compared to somebody who can be baited by the smallest thing and is erratic."
It's always interesting to see how professional athletes view the political realm around election time. It offers an inside peek at how the climate impacts their day-to-day lives and influences their choices.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. (NASCAR Driver) Gets Pulled over for Speeding
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It's not a good feeling to get pulled over for speeding.
But what about getting pulled over when you're not speeding?
That's probably what it felt like for NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., who recently got pulled over and given a warning, as captured in a photo by his fiance, Amy Reimann.
Earnhardt himself later joked about the gaffe, so it's legit and awesome. Few sports can have such real-life consequences, as Earnhardt just found out.
UCLA Goes the Distance with Patriotic Veterans Day Uniforms
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The UCLA Bruins host the Oregon State Beavers next weekend on the day after Veterans Day.
Given the timing of the matchup, the Bruins thought it would be right to trot out incredible-looking uniforms of the "Salute to Service" variety.
These bad boys have the usual UCLA helmet, but the lettering gets made over with a flag-inspired background to go along with the rest of the blue-themed look.
The Bruins won't be the only team to celebrate the occasion, but they are sure to finish as one of the best.
Super Bowl Rematch
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It doesn't get much better than this—the Week 10 edition of Sunday Night Football features a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX when the New England Patriots host the Seattle Seahawks.
Besides the fact these two squads haven't met since the Lombardi Trophy swung in the balance, this rematch should provide fresh and interesting football because neither team has changed much.
Why would they? What both teams do works. Belichick spoke about how little has changed, according to ESPN.com's Mike Reiss:
"There’s a lot of carryover, especially on their defense, from many of the players that we played against, but there is also carryover on offense. Certainly from some of the key players – the quarterback [Russell Wilson] and the receivers – and the kicking game with the specialists, so there’s a decent amount of carryover.
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At a time when ratings in the NFL are down, one of the league's bad guys (Sherman) leads the Seahawks into hostile territory for a battle of heavyweights.
And who knows? This rematch might wind up being a preview of another Super Bowl.
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