Dodgers Billion Dollar Offseason Continues || Playoff Picture is Here || Hirings and Firings Time and more!

Edition #40.

Intro

The Dodgers are a long way from last year. The NFL’s playoff picture is set. The Sharks… I’m already traumatized to talk about them. The NFL’s hiring and firing season arrived yesterday itself for the Pacific, Mountain, and Central time zones. Many of us already know Draymond came back, but there’s even more to the story. All of these stories can only be found on Sports Square, and now let’s get cracking!

Draymond Considered Retiring!?!?!?!?!?

Draymond Green considered retiring from the NBA following his latest suspension and commissioner Adam Silver talked him out of it, the Golden State Warriors star said in the newest episode of his podcast, “The Draymond Green Show.”

“I told him, “Adam, this is too much for me,” Green said in the episode. “It’s all becoming too much for me, and I’m going to retire.”

Green said that Silver convinced him to stay in the NBA.

“Adam said, ‘You’re making a very rash decision and I won’t let you do that,'” Green said.

The world probably knows why Draymond Green was suspended. For his punch on Jusuf Nurkic. Many say he deserved the indefinite suspensions. Others say otherwise. I am one of the people who think that what Draymond did was an “accident”, but after that line above about Draymond thinking about retiring, obviously I was wrong.

One thing I did not expect though was him being reinstated so fast.

Green said he and Silver had a deep conversation. He praised Silver much, saying he is “thankful for playing in a league with a commissioner like Adam who’s more about helping you than hurting you.” Green said he talked with former Warriors general manager Bob Myers “two times a day” during the suspension, and says that our relationship is one of a true friend.

The Warriors are 17-19 and are 7-6 since Green’s suspension. Golden State next plays Wednesday at home against the New Orleans Pelicans. In only 5 games, Green is averaging 9.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game on 49 percent shooting from the court.

Dodgers Billion Dollar Offseason Continues

The Dodgers are signing yet another person and they were a favorite to get him not from the start, but in the end as that’s what always matters. Don’t believe me?

This same Dodgers team took Max Scherzer and Trea Turner away in a big deal. Otherwise, it could’ve gone the Padres way…

Hernández, 31, entered an offseason with few impact veteran bats as among the best. But with a crowded outfield market and others available on the trade market, he opted for a big-money, one-year deal and the opportunity to join Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow as part of the supercharged Dodgers. I mean, who wouldn’t?

The deal, which is pending a physical, includes deferrals, though not nearly to the level of Ohtani putting off $680 million of his 10-year, $700 million contract for 10 years. Hernández's $23.5 million salary. In that, $8.5 million will be deferred, to be paid off between 2030 and 2039.

The Dodgers are really taking a push here though. There payroll now amount to about 270 million dollars and that means they are 33 million dollars behind and that also means, they have to pay up. Factoring in additional money spent because of the luxury tax, Hernández's one year will cost the Dodgers more than $32 million.

But stop talking about the Dodgers. What about Hernández?

Since his first year getting full-time at-bats with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2018, Hernández's 147 home runs and 442 RBIs rank 23rd in baseball. While his .258/.305/.435 line with the Seattle Mariners last season was below his career average, Hernández hit 26 home runs and drove in 93. That power also comes with gigantically high strikeout rates: He fanned 211 times in 2023, the second-highest total in the majors, with his 31.1% strikeout rate ranking fifth worst among qualified regulars!

Playoff Picture is Here

NFC #1: 49ers

NFC #2: Cowboys

NFC #3: Lions

NFC #4: Buccaneers

NFC #5: Eagles

NFC #6: Rams

NFC #7: Packers

AFC #1: Ravens

AFC #2: Bills

AFC #3: Chiefs

AFC #4: Texans

AFC #5: Browns

AFC #6: Dolphins

AFC #7: Steelers

We aren’t going to talk about who could play who, but how they got there.

49ers:

Won #1 seed outright. No race after eagles loss to cardinals.

Cowboys:

Won against Commanders

Lions:

Won division in week 17

Buccaneers:

Won against Panthers week 18 and clinched division

Eagles:

Playoff berth earned after 11th win

Rams:

Playoff berth in week 17

Packers:

Win in week 18 against Bears

Ravens:

Won #1 seed in Week 17

Bills:

Won against Dolphins to clinch division

Chiefs:

Won division in Week 17

Texans:

Won against Colts, Jaguars loss to win division

Browns:

Clinched playoff week 17

Dolphins:

Jags loss to clinch playoffs in week 18

Steelers:

Win against Ravens and a few other tiebreakers.

Hirings and Firings Time and more!

Ron Rivera is out of a job in Washington

Arthur Smith got fired before the day ended in Pacific, Central, and Mountain time zones.

Bob Myers, HIRED by the WASHINGTON COMMANDERS.

Overall, a fairly short Black Monday.

Antonio Pierce was heard by the Raiders Owner after the game. To keep him in Las Vegas.

Let’s analyze parts of the hiring.

BOB MYERS

Although Bob Myers was able to leave the grind of the Golden State Warriors, he did not seek out peace or leisure. The most prosperous executive in Warriors history is giving football a shot after a lifetime in basketball.

Myers' future after the Warriors was up in the air; there were tidings of everything from an outright retirement to a position as an executive in the entertainment business to a partnership with the Los Angeles Lakers. Myers put an end to the rumors a few months later when he joined ESPN to cover the NBA.

As the Commanders start looking for a new head coach and head of football operations, ESPN reports that Myers and former NFL general manager Rick Spielman will act as "key advisers."

Now Antonio Pierce

The Raiders fired head coach Josh McDaniels in November after a 3-5 start to the season. Pierce assumed the position following this and went 5-4 and steered the Raiders to an 8-9 finish that was capped off by a 24-14 Week 18 victory over the Denver Broncos.

The team operated much better under Pierce, with credit being thrown his way for the team's competitiveness and drive. They had inconsistent play down the stretch from rookie quarterback Aidan O'Connell, but a strong Week 18 performance that saw him throw for 244 yards and two touchdowns shows that he made some major strides.

We’ll probably see more NFL Firings and Hirings and one which will deeply impact football, Bill Belichick.

Conclusion

10 editions from hitting big ol #50. Thank you for reading today’s newsletter. I hope you enjoyed it. Please share this with all of your friends and have a good rest of your day/night!