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#pounditFriday, March 29, 2024

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Jimmy Johnson shares honest take on Dak Prescott’s contract

Dak Prescott

The Dallas Cowboys signed Dak Prescott to a record contract this week, signaling that they firmly believe he is a franchise cornerstone and elite quarterback. Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson does not sound convinced about the latter.

Johnson shared some of his thoughts on Prescott’s four-year, $160 million deal during an appearance on “The Herd With Colin Cowherd” on Tuesday. He praised Prescott for being a great leader who gets guys to play hard, but he was hesitant to say Dak is the type of player who can put the team on his back.

“I think he’s a great leader for the team. I think the team really rallies around him, so he’s a positive influence there,” Johnson said. “Before the injury, he could make plays with his legs and run the football. He fit into their system. He has had problems at times being inaccurate. But with that receiving corps, he gets people open.

“I think he can win a championship if he has great players around him. I don’t think Dak can carry a football team if he doesn’t have great players around him.”

Johnson made the comments in response to Cowherd calling Dak a “good player who got a great contract.”

You could make the argument that no quarterback can carry a team without great players surrounding him. Tom Brady is a perfect example of that. Brady just won his seventh Super Bowl and is the greatest football player of all time, but his last season with the New England Patriots ended with a first-round playoff exit. He then signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and immediately led them to a title. The biggest difference between the two teams was the talent around the quarterback.

Prescott’s contract includes a no-trade clause and record $126 million guaranteed. No one would argue he’s the next Brady or as good as Patrick Mahomes, but that is the market for a top-tier starting quarterback. We may see a similar deal soon for another Pro Bowler who showed this year that he needs a strong supporting cast.

You can hear Johnson’s full remarks below:

Trent Williams offers big hint about free agency plans

Trent Williams

Trent Williams helped solidify the San Francisco 49ers’ offensive line last season after they acquired him in a trade with Washington, and it sounds like they are planning to keep the eight-time Pro Bowler around.

Williams discussed his impending free agency during a Tuesday appearance on “The Cris Collinsworth Podcast featuring Richard Sherman.” Sherman, a fellow free agent who played with Williams last season, predicted that Williams will sign a new deal with San Francisco that will allow him to play the rest of his career there.

“I’ve got San Francisco. I’ve got him staying in San Francisco for the faithful,” Sherman said, as transcribed by Curtis Crabtree of Pro Football Talk. “I think he stays in San Francisco. I think he makes you guys happy for another 5-6 years and gets his gold jacket and then decides whether he wants it in Washington or San Francisco.”

Williams did not disagree. He indicated that he and the 49ers have mutual interest in working out a new contract.

“That’s not a bad take, fellas,” Williams said. “That’s not a bad take. Y’all barking up the right tree.”

Williams is one of the best left tackles in NFL history. He has made the Pro Bowl in all but one season since 2012, and that one season was when he held out for all of 2019. It didn’t take long for him to show the impact he can make in San Francisco, which we saw with this insane block early in the season.

While Sherman’s days with the Niners are likely over, Williams is obviously in a different situation.

Michigan AD shares thoughts on Jim Harbaugh’s future

Jim Harbaugh

Michigan gave Jim Harbaugh a contract extension at a time when many thought his job was in question.

Harbaugh was coming off a disappointing 9-4 season and then went 2-4 last season in the COVID-shortened year.

Instead of finding a replacement, Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel stuck by Harbaugh. He gave the coach a four-year contract extension, although it is for reduced pay.

Manuel said Tuesday that he still believes in Harbaugh long term.

“Given the contract, obviously, I am willing to be patient, but he and I understand that we need to win,” Manuel said Tuesday, via the Detroit Free Press. “This is Michigan. Nobody wants to win more than Jim in football and me overall. We want success. And so did I put a number to his first year? The answer is no. I want him to move forward and build this and continue to drive us to have success in football.”

This story has to be just what Ohio State fans wanted to hear. But prior to last season, Harbaugh had a generally strong record at Michigan, with three double-digit win seasons in five years. I would give him two more years to get things together. If he doesn’t bounce back and continues the downward trend, then it will be time to let him go. At least he was willing to take a pay cut more in line with his recent performance in order to prove his value to Michigan.

Nick Chubb responds to allegation he got paid $180,000 at Georgia

Nick Chubb

Nick Chubb responded on Twitter Monday to an allegation that he received $180,000 to return to Georgia for his senior season in 2017.

Chubb called the allegation “fake news” and said he would have turned pro if he needed money.

The allegation came from what Valdosta High School football coach Rush Propst supposedly said on a recording. Propst allegedly said that Chubb was given three $60,000 payments to return to Georgia for his senior year. Propst also alleged that Georgia and Alabama were paying players thousands of dollars.

Propst allegedly made the comments to Valdosta Touchdown Club director Michael Nelson. Propst is accused of using Touchdown Club funds improperly and is now under investigation over allegations made by Nelson in a deposition as part of a wrongful termination lawsuit brought on by a former Valdosta coach.

Chubb rushed for 4,769 yards and 44 touchdowns in his Georgia career and was known for making some incredible runs like this one.

Chubb was a second-round pick by the Browns in 2018 and has made two Pro Bowls in three seasons.

Look: This Gianna Bryant tribute mural has a cool Kobe image hidden in it

Gianna Kobe Bryant

A tribute mural featuring Gianna Bryant also has a cool image of Kobe hidden in it.

Numerous murals featuring the Bryants have popped up around the world following the tragic deaths of the Hall of Famer and his daughter in a helicopter crash last year. Artist Tehrell Porter created a mural in Los Angeles that features Gianna, who was 13 years old when she died. What’s cool about the image is that if you look closely in Gianna’s hair, you will see Kobe hidden there.

Gigi had a dream of playing basketball at UConn. She and Kobe died while on their way to one of Gigi’s basketball events in Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Just this week, a judge made a key ruling in Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit over photos from the fatal helicopter crash.

ESPN may start covering hockey again after reported NHL TV rights deal

NHL logo

ESPN may start covering hockey once again now that they reportedly have a TV rights deal with the NHL.

SportsNet’s Chris Johnston reported on Tuesday that ESPN has reached a 7-year deal with the NHL to become a media partner with the league. The deal would begin next season, which is after the current deal with NBC ends.

ESPN would split the package of NHL games with another partner, according to the report.

ESPN reportedly would receive the rights to broadcast four Stanley Cup Finals between 2022-2028 plus receive streaming rights.

NBC has held the TV rights to the NHL in the U.S. since the league’s lockout in 2004-2005. They pay $200 million annually for the package. However, NBC announced they would be shutting down NBC Sports Network at the end of the year, which signified they were unlikely to keep the full NHL deal. Sports properties that were airing on NBC Sports Network will shift to USA Network, which is another NBC property.

This move is a positive one for the NHL, which has received decreased exposure in the U.S. since losing the ESPN deal. From 1992-2004, ESPN held “National Hockey Night” games that helped the league increase in popularity. Their focus on the sport dwindled once they no longer held TV rights.

Mickey Jannis shares how to throw knuckleball after video goes viral

Mickey Jannis knuckleball

Baltimore Orioles pitcher Mickey Jannis went viral on Tuesday after a knuckleball he threw was captured in a great video.

The video shows that Jannis’ pitch did not rotate, which is the goal for a knuckleball.

Here is a look at the video:

The ability of a camera to capture that detail and slow it down to that level is incredible. That sort of technology just wasn’t available years ago.

After the video drew significant attention online, Jannis shared a video with “Pitching Ninja” Rob Friedman. In the video, Jannis explained how he throws his knuckleball.

Jannis, 33, was a pitcher in college and began his minor league career in 2010. He was more of a traditional pitcher in college and early in his minor league career before switching to try becoming a knuckleballer. After this video, he has a lot more people rooting for him.

Kenta Maeda’s home vandalized, nearly broken into

Kenta Maeda

A home belonging to Minnesota Twins pitcher Kenta Maeda was vandalized in what appeared to be a break-in attempt over the weekend, but fortunately the suspects were turned away.

TMZ Sports reported on Tuesday that the Santa Monica, Calif. home of Maeda had its windows broken by three people, who were trying to gain entrance into the residence. According to TMZ Sports, Maeda’s home alarm system notified police of the break-in attempt. The alarm system reportedly scared away the criminals.

Maeda, 32, joined MLB in 2016 and played his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He apparently still maintains a home in the city. He is entering his second season with the Twins after being traded to them last year.

Maeda has gone 53-36 with a 3.75 ERA during his five seasons in MLB. He has a 2.87 career postseason ERA.

Meyers Leonard claims in apology he did not know what slur meant

Meyers Leonard

Meyers Leonard on Tuesday night published an apology for using a Jewish slur during a livestream while he was playing a video game.

Leonard was playing “Call Of Duty: Warzone” on his Twitch channel Monday and got upset. He began hurling some profanity, and that’s when the slur came out.

“F—ing cowards. Don’t f—ing snipe me, you f—ing K— b—c,” Leonard said.

Several hours after the incident was brought to light, the Miami Heat big man issued an apology. Leonard claimed that he did not know what the slur meant.

“I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday,” Leonard said. “While I didn’t know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong. I am now more aware of its meaning and I am committed to properly seeking out people who can help educate me about this type of hate and how we can fight it.

“I acknowledge and own my mistake and there’s no running from something like this that is so hurtful to someone else. This is not a proper representation of who I am and I want to apologize to the Arisons, my teammates, coaches, front office, and everyone associated with the Miami Heat organization, to my family, to our loyal fans and to others in the Jewish community who I have hurt. I promise to do better and know that my future actions will be more powerful than my use of this word.”

The Heat condemned Leonard’s remarks in a statement of their own. They said Leonard will be away from the team as the NBA investigates.

Several athletes are popular on video game livestreams and made headlines for things they have said, though none have been like this.

Leonard, 29, was the No. 11 pick by Portland in 2012. He was traded to Miami in 2019 and has missed most of the season due to a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery.

Kyle Lowry fires back at recent trade rumors

Kyle Lowry

Recent trade speculation involving Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry is being refuted by a fairly credible source.

Lowry took to his Instagram Story on Tuesday to shoot down the recent rumors about his future with the Raptors.

“The lies people tell in the media are amazing!!” wrote the veteran. “Don’t put thing[s] out when they ain’t come from me!!”

Lowry’s post appears to be a response to a report from this week suggesting that he believes a trade may be imminent. The window of contention seems to have slammed shut for the sub-.500 Raptors, making the 34-year-old Lowry a potential sell-off candidate.

We had even heard of one notable team that Lowry was supposedly eyeing. But these latest comments from him indicate that there is a chance the longest-tenured Raptor could be staying right where he is.

Photo: Chensiyuan/Wikimedia via CC-by-S.A. 4.0