Papa John's Kicked Out of the NFL

The NFL has finally said good riddance to Papa John's.

On Wednesday, the NFL announced that it will no longer partner with Papa Johns as the official pizza and will partner with Pizza Hut instead. It was reported that the Pizza Hut was worth more than what Papa John's did for their sponsorship. NFL's deal with Pizza Hut lasts through 2021, and assuming that their owner or CEO doesn't berate the NFL for its political stances, it could be a great partnership.

The story, however, is not Pizza Hut signing on. It's that the NFL kicked Papa John's to the door, mostly because of what its founder and face of the company, "Papa" John Schnatter, said about the anthem protests and made political comments that damaged the company.

It all started when Schnatter blamed the NFL and the anthem protests for its falling sales, saying this back in November, "The NFL has hurt us by not resolving the current debacle to the players' and owners' satisfaction...Leadership starts at the top, and this is an example of poor leadership. NFL leadership has hurt Papa John's shareholders."

Many considered the comments shameful and an attempt to put the blame on falling sales somewhere else. Not only that, but it looked like Schnatter was hoping that the NFL would take notice to his comments and get rid of Roger Goodell. It didn't happen, as Goodell was signed to a contract extension.

These comments by Schnatter resulted in many saying they were done getting pizza from Papa John's, allowing other competitors to step in and take the business, which is the right way to do things when a company's leadership tarnishes the brand like this.

Although the decision to leave was mutual on both sides, like the NFL and Papa John's, it had been a very messy four months for Papa John's and it looked like the NFL just had enough of the image that Papa John's was trying to put on the NFL, which failed miserably.

I'm glad Papa John's is gone. I'm glad I don't get pizza from Papa John's, because at the time, I said that this was not going to hurt the NFL, but that Papa John's would be hurt most by this. I remember talking to some friends and writers a couple of months ago, saying that Papa John's should fire or get rid of Schnatter after these comments because it was very damaging. I don't know if that has happened yet, but if so, it's clear that Papa John's has no accountability to get rid of people who damage the brand, even if it's their founder and face. Papa John's has not kicked out because of a mutual termination or falling sales, they were kicked out because Schnatter made comments that made it terrible for people to get pizza from his brand. As a result of that, I say to Papa John's, as I said in the beginning: Good riddance?

Hopefully, Pizza Hut has better management than Papa John's, because I believe they will take accountability and have people who understand the customers they are selling to. Political stances hurt Papa John's. It better not hurt Pizza Hut, and I think this partnership will work out much better than the last one.

Is LeBron Right About the NCAA?

LeBron James is not holding back his punches now that he has given his views on the current NCAA investigation.

In recent days, even weeks, college basketball has fallen under scrutiny due to an FBI investigation that is alleging a massive corruption scandal involving many college basketball schools. This grew so big enough that LeBron James decided to weigh in on the scandal with his thoughts, saying, "The NCAA is corrupt, we know that. Sorry, it's going to make headlines, but it's corrupt."

The Cavaliers star has been very outspoken on issues far-ranging and most of the times, he's saying stuff that whether or not it's true, he needs to be listened to. He has said that the NBA should continue to develop its G-League and that it should be considered an alternative to college basketball. Before many players play professionally, they usually spend a couple years developing skills at that level, and I believe that the NBA, for far too long, has not been able to develop much like other leagues should.

James went further about the NCAA investigation, believing that the system won't be fixed and didn't see how it can be fixed, considering that the corruption, as he puts it, has gone on for years.

For a while, we have had debates about whether or not players should go straight from high school to the big leagues, much like LeBron and Kobe Bryant did when they came out of high school, and I think this particular investigation is one of many reasons why LeBron chose not to go to college in the first place. Not only what happened to these schools, but players can't benefit financially, which means if they earn a little bit of money off their likeness, it gives schools a reason to investigate them or even the coach, and that's not right.

LeBron's comments, right or wrong, is nothing new, because many of us felt for a while that the NCAA was corrupt and wasn't allowing players to have any sort of benefit whatsoever, whether it's money or something else. I think this investigation is going to have high school players revisit their options to enter college. Many may actually head straight to the pros out of high school, because they need to make money and if they can't get that in college, they'll go straight to the league. It also may be one of the reasons why LaVar Ball pulled his son LiAngelo out of UCLA, though it's definitely not the main reason. However, the NCAA definitely has a problem and I think they need to allow players to make money off their likeness, because at this point, they're not allowing people to benefit from playing basketball. Some of them are going to be professional players, and they need to help their own family benefit as well. Money is the only way you can do that.

LeBron did the smart thing at the time, going straight from high school to the pros. He was the best basketball player and didn't need to go to college, but he also understood the cloud that hovers over the NCAA on stuff like this. He didn't want to be in the middle of it, and that's a very smart move. Kobe probably didn't want to either. These are very smart people who understand that playing college basketball means you could be at risk for investigations like these. His comments may or may not be right, but either way, it's worth listening to and it's worth understanding that college basketball has a problem and LeBron knows that.

Impact of Tomas Tatar on Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights made a few moves on Trade Deadline day, but there was one that many thought was the signal that this team was going to try to not only make the playoffs, but possibly make it to the Finals.

That impact trade seemed to happen with the Detroit Red Wings, who gave the Golden Knights forward Tomas Tatar in exchange for a first-round pick in 2018, a second-rounder in 2019, and a third-rounder in 2021. The Red Wings basically got three picks for a 27-year-old forward who still has three years left on his contract.

So far in 62 games this season, he has 16 goals and 12 assists, who is still pretty good even for a lousy team like Detroit.

The Golden Knights made many trades on the day, but the reason why I believe Tatar is the best acquisition for this deadline is not only is he joining a team that is currently best in the West at 86 points but he is also a goal-scorer and a dynamic playmaker. He opens up the ice in a way most players can't, and finds a way to beat goalies. During the time frame from 2013 to 2017, he had 94 goals. Yes, his production did drop this season, but he's also on a rebuilding Detroit team. It looks like a change of venue could help his production.

The impact of Tatar on this team is whether or not he can regain the form he had from that timeframe. If not, the Golden Knights could be in trouble come playoff time, because you need all the players you get in the deadline and now scoring in bunches. Look at the Penguins, the Kings, and the Bruins from years ago. When they score, they score often and in the playoffs, and Tatar's going to have to do that as well. There's only going to be an impact if he gets back to the form he had from 2013-17.

I'm never going to question GM George McPhee's ability to make good trades. I think this is probably the best trade of the deadline and it also means that he's willing to sacrifice the future to try to win a championship now. You have to do that. These fans deserve to have a chance. Hopefully, Tatar is the answer they are looking for to not only finish this season, but make it far in the playoffs.

Should The Knicks Keep Porzingis After The Season?

For the New York Knicks, the future began long ago when they traded away Carmelo Anthony to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a lot of people, many are assumed to be helping the future of the Knicks. Now, the guy at the center of the rebuild, Kristaps Porzingis, might leave assuming the Knicks don't keep him, which would also put their future on ice.

Porzingis has an ACL tear, which means he's out for the season, and the Knicks are no longer looking to go after a playoff spot, but after the future. It's understandable, considering that the Knicks would've been a playoff team had Porzingis not gotten hurt. It also means younger players are getting minutes and experience thanks to his absence. But now, the Knicks have a bigger priority for Porzingis: Getting him signed long-term.

Porzingis is eligible for a contract extension after this season and the Knicks would like nothing more than to keep him on. The extension we're talking about is the designated rookie extension, which Porzingis falls under. It's only available to former first-round picks when they enter their fourth season in the league, and it can only be used to one player per team. The extension would add five years to a contract and keep him on the team for six more seasons. It would also come with a salary worth 25 percent of the team's salary cap, with raises possible along the way.

What does this mean? Well, it means Porzingis would make $157 million over five years and keep him in New York through the 2024 season. It sounds like a no-brainer considering that he is now the star of that team. However, there's no guarantee. His brother, Janis, serves as his agent, and has said that Porzingis puts winning over money. That statement could mean he's out of New York after this season.

The Knicks must be very careful, though, because the winning aspect is the one thing that will need to be addressed before Porzingis signs his extension. They have to know if this team will be able to win in a couple of years and if not, then Porzingis will leave after the season. GM Scott Perry will have to sell him on the future and sell him on the ability that he'll be the superstar of this team that can save them when needed, much like LeBron James does with the Cavaliers.

So will the Knicks keep Porzingis or let him walk? It's still too early to tell, as this question would be better suited for March and April, but I think if the Knicks want to be relevant in the league again, they will have to keep Porzingis under wraps for the coming future. We also have to realize, though, that he did end his season with an ACL injury, which puts his ability to play well into question. It isn't great to give him a long-term extension when he's coming off this type of injury, so the Knicks might need time to figure it out and figure out the path forward. Either way, injuries are injuries and lots of players come back from it and play well. Porzingis could very well do that as well.

It's clear that Porzingis is now the Knicks' superstar, and if they want any chance to compete in the league at a high level again, they're going to need Porzingis, injury-prone or not. He's a good scorer and a guy who can count on to bail you out of situations. The Knicks realize that, and they really need to analyze whether or not this deal will work out for their plans for success. The Knicks have made many stupid moves in the past. They better not make another one with Porzingis.

The Impact of the New York Rangers Now

The New York Rangers are winning lately, despite the fact that management has lately been trying to throw in the towel. Is it possible that the players are trying to stick it to management based off of the comments?

Earlier this month, Rangers management and personnel sent out a letter to fans, saying that the team would be going in a new direction. Instead of trying to compete for a player spot, the team will be focused on getting younger and adding more skill, speed, and character to their lineup, something they believe they need to do in order to compete in the long term.

One word I have found very disturbing in the last couple of days is the word tanking. You could very well apply that to the New York Rangers, just based on the letter alone. Tanking cost Mavericks owner Mark Cuban $600k. It might not be surprising if the NHL actually chooses to go that same route there, even though the word tanking wasn't used.

It seems very strange that the New York Rangers would send a letter to fans, telling them about what they are doing for the future, as NHL teams have been on the down-low regarding future plans and all that.

Since then, some of the Rangers players have come out and voiced their feelings about this letter and the whole direction of the Rangers locker room: You can read some of the comments on the link here:

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/rangers-react-management-throwing-towel-161510658.html

Based on the statements, some of the player didn't like it that management was throwing in the towel, considering that the Rangers were close to a playoff spot and you would think they would be buyers in this case. I'm guessing management has finally decided that getting to that goal in the short-term is not reasonable, and I do understand that management feels that way.

It's also clear that they're trying to make trades to get some cap relief. They already traded away Michael Grabner to the New Jersey Devils and it looks like they're close to shipping Rick Nash out of town too. They were held out of the game against the Canadiens and didn't play well at all.

Unfortunately for the players, I can understand their frustrations with the management trying to go in a different direction, but management will dictate how this team plays, and if they don't like it, then the Rangers will ship them out too. The Rangers do look like they need to go in a different direction. They hadn't played well for a while, in fact, since the Stanley Cup Final against the LA Kings a couple of years ago, it seems like they'd had been going in reverse, and I think it's time for them to trade all the veterans out and try to rebuild. Management holds the cards here and they will have the final say on what this team does. If they have to trade players to accomplish a long-term goal, they'll do it. Just look at the LA Clippers. They traded away a fan favorite, Blake Griffin, because they understood that a short-term playoff run is not in the cards. The Rangers understand that here too.

This team has played well since that letter came out, but my guess is it won't last, and I doubt they'll be able to make the playoffs this season. It's frustrating that Rangers fans might not be able to see this team try to make the playoffs, but the long-term answers are the ones that need to be addressed, and I think Rangers management knows that. I'll be honest: Short-term answers don't work in sports. A bigger goal requires a long-term plan and I think the Rangers, if they want to get back to the Stanley Cup and win it, need to think long-term.

I'm sorry, Rangers fans and Rangers players, management knows best where this team is headed, and as much as you don't like it, the future of this Rangers teams needs to be priority number one. It is painful, but it is also a necessary truth, and I think it will work out for the Rangers. It may be slow, but there's no quick fixes.