by 1. Joe Thomas needs to chill.
The NFL Network analyst added Good morning Football on Friday morning and went to Jim Irsay and the Colts for hiring Jeff Saturday as interim head coach. However, Thomas’ rant was so over the top and outlandish that I would predict that most people watching the clip will end up rooting for Saturday to succeed.
Thomas came out of the gate hot, accusing Irsay of hiring his “drinking friend.”
We all know Saturday has no coaching experience. This has been clear all week. But Saturday played in the NFL for 13 seasons and has covered the league for ESPN for nearly 10 years. So reducing Saturday to just being Irsay’s “drinking buddy” like some random guy at a bar is weak.
Irsay is also in recovery from alcoholism, so it certainly wasn’t the best analogy for Thomas.
Thomas went on to say that Saturday’s hiring was “one of the most disrespectful things I’ve ever seen in my entire life” and that Saturday “is not blameless for accepting the job.”
So Saturday is supposed to turn down the chance to coach because people like Joe Thomas are mad that he has no experience? Who is Thomas or anyone else to say on Saturday that he should turn down a job? Blaming Saturday makes this seem personal for Thomas. There is no law on the books that says one must have coaching experience to get a job as an NFL coach.
The Colts season is over because they are 3-5-1 and led by a completely incompetent starting quarterback. Filling in on Saturday for the last eight games isn’t a big deal in any way, shape or form.
Thomas then talked for two minutes about not being able to spend time with your kids when you’re a coach and told a weird story about giving your kids ice cream. Honestly, I had no idea what this had to do with Saturday.
Thomas then closed his bash session by saying Saturday’s hiring was “the most egregious thing I can ever remember happening in the NFL.”
Really? The scariest thing in NFL history? It’s hard to take Thomas’s argument seriously when it’s so over the top.
2. We didn’t need another reason to prove why Ernie Johnson is one of the greatest sports media of all time, but the way he shamed Charles Barkley for not giving out full-sized candy on Halloween was perfection.
3. Al Michaels gave a nice shout out to those betting on his 41.5 over/under on Thursday’s Falcons-Panthers game.
4. You know how I’ve said over and over that Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel should be your new favorite person in sports? Here’s more proof.
5. My colleague Jon Wertheim has written a long story about ESPN’s Robert Griffin III. Here are just a few memorable moments Griffin has had calling college football games this season.
Two weeks later, he called the Washington-Michigan State game. When Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for 397 yards and four touchdowns, Griffin said it was a display of “Big Penix energy.” In the same game, Griffin referred to a Michigan offsides penalty as an “early hit.” Speaking of crossing the line… referring to Antonio Brown recently exposing his genitalia in a hotel pool after Seattle beat Detroit 48–45, Griffin tweeted, noting, “AB showed more D than what the Seahawks and Lions today.”
He knows the subject of his sexual references is coming—anticipating the blitz, as it were—and anticipates the question. “It’s something on the spot. If you notice, in the last three or four weeks, there has been none of that [sexual references]. And the reason is that is not what I intend to do. it is not something calculated. I didn’t tear down Michigan’s depth chart and go, “Oh, their third quarterback is named Orji!” … But Oklahoma has a quarterback named General Booty. What do you want me to call him? General B.? When he gets ready to go to the game, then Booty relaxes to the side. Play on it. Have fun with it. But never play it so much where it’s over the top where people can’t watch the game because it’s too sexual.
6. A brand new one SI Media Podcast released today, and features a conversation with The Ringer’by Kevin Clarke.
Clark examines the Colts’ hiring of Jeff Saturday as interim coach and whether the angry backlash from across the board was overblown. Clark also shares his thoughts on Amazon Prime Thursday night football telecast, the problem with the NFL’s pregame shows, what’s going on with Aaron Rodgers right now, should the NFL delay the trade deadline, why is he passionate about hot chocolate and more.
Following Clark, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins Jimmy for the weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, kids are talking anarchy on Twitter thanks to the new verification system. Recently read SI Media Podcast reviews, provide weekly NFL “best bets” and more.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it from Apple, Spotify and Google.
You can also watch it SI Media Podcast on YouTube.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Happy Veterans Day.
Make sure to check out previous editions of Traina Thoughts and check it out Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on apple, Spotify the Google. You can also follow Jimmy at Twitter, Instagram and Tik Tok.
