Tubz 🛀 Unfiltered - Volume 78
Big Cable TV News; Whole Lotta Sportz; T-Swift Dodges Bullet
Happy Monday, y’all!
Weddings are always a great time, unless either the bride or the groom leaves the other at the altar. As to the latter, it’s just a sad get-together at that point, kind of like a funeral; in that case, love died.
Programming note: Publication of Volume 79 may be delayed next week.
🛁 EXTRA BUBBLES 🛁
BIG SHAKE-UP IN CABLE NEWS
Tucker Carlson and Don Lemon were both fired by their respective employers on Monday. There were a lot of people online that celebrated both men joining the unemployment line. I did not, and will not, join in on that parade of sorts because Tubz Unfiltered is a classy publication (unless someone deserves to be called a dumb-dumb; more on that below). Regardless, this is a massive deal in cable news.
In Q1 of 2023 and in 2022, Tucker was 2nd in the top-rated cable news shows. In 2021, he was 1st. In other words, Tucker draws a helluva lot of eyeballs, whether you like him or not. All of the top-10 shows, both in 2023 Q1 and in 2022, aired on FOX News.
A source familiar with the situation told Axios' Sara Fischer that Carlson's firing was not part of Fox's $787 million settlement agreement with Dominion Voting Systems, which uncovered a trove of embarrassing texts from Carlson during the discovery process.
"We are very, very close to being able to ignore Trump most nights. I truly can’t wait," Carlson texted a Fox employee, for example, two days before the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. "I hate him passionately."
But Fox is facing additional legal threats that could make Carlson a further liability, including a lawsuit from a former producer accusing him of promoting a hostile and vulgar work environment.
The L.A. Times reports the decision to fire Carlson came from Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch, who was concerned by the lawsuits and Carlson's championing of conspiracy theories about Jan. 6.
We need a debate-style show between the two, even if it is a one-off. If Tucker loses, as decided by people of moderate political ideologies, then he has to get the COVID-19 vaccine. If Lemon loses, as decided by people of moderate political ideologies, then he has to wear a M.A.G.A. hat.
🏆 SPORTZ 🏆
AARON RODGERS FINALLY JOINS FORCES WITH JOHNSON & JOHNSON
QB Aaron Rodgers is headed to the Big Apple New Jersey in hopes of delivering a Super Bowl title to the New York Jets, owned by Woody Johnson, the heir to Johnson & Johnson. The trade compensation is below, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
NYJ receive: An immunized QB, Packers’ 2023 1st-round pick (No. 15), and the Packers’ 2023 fifth-round selection (No. 170).
Packers receive: Jets’ 2023 1st-round pick (No. 13), Jets’ 2023 second-round pick (No. 42), the Jets’ sixth-round pick (No. 207), and a conditional 2024 second-round pick that becomes a 1st-round selection if the immunized QB plays 65% of the offensive plays.
So unless Rodgers gets hurt, the Packers will receive the Jets’ first-round pick in 2024.
This is a monumental day for the fans of the New York Jets. Sure, they have had solid quarterbacks — Chad Pennington and Vinny Testaverde are two examples— but they have not had a game-changing player under center since Joe Namath. The height of Namath came during the 1968-1969 season. Namath was a first-team All-Pro selection, and the Jets won the Super Bowl. That is a long-ass time without having a dynamic, top-end player at the most important position in sports.
The problem for Jet fans is that Rodgers is 39 and will turn 40 in December. He is also coming off his worst season as a starter. No bueno, but they have solid offensive weapons around him and have a stellar defense. And who knows, it is certainly possible that Rodgers turns it around. New York has not made the postseason since the 2009-10 season.
Turning to your attention to how things shook out for the Packers. It was a great haul for general manager Brian Gutekunst. The Packers had no other suitors, but luckily for them, the Jets had nowhere to turn because their back-up plan was either Teddy “Two Gloves” Bridgewater, Ryan Tannehill, or the team’s starter-turned-bench-warming quarterback, Zach Wilson. Advantage: Packers. Before the deal was executed on Monday, everyone’s favorite L word — leverage — was endlessly thrown around. With the way things went for Green Bay, it is clear they had the leverage and took advantage of it.
I think it was huge that Gutekunst got a pick swap in this year’s first round. Even though they only move up from No. 15 to the No. 13, that should allow them to draft Ohio State WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba or one of the top-end offensive tackles. In addition, receiving the Jets’ second-round pick, or most likely their first-round pick, next season was the ultimate cherry on top. Plus, the Packers did not have to give back any compensation in the event that Rodgers only plays one season. Again, a great haul for Gutekunst & Co.
In the short term, I think both teams should come away happy. The Packers received quite a bit for an aging quarterback, and the Jets finally have an MVP-winning quarterback that gives them a great shot to make the playoffs and possibly contend for a Super Bowl title.
And with that, welcome to the Jordan Love era in Green Bay. You can read more about my thoughts on that here.
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A NEW TEAM IN VEGAS
The four big North American professional leagues went from having absolute disdain for Las Vegas and every thing that it comes with (read: gambling) to embracing it across the board in short order. The latest example: the Oakland Athletics announced last week that they bought land in Las Vegas to build a new stadium, with the hope that stadium construction will be completed in 2027. The A’s current stadium lease ends after the 2024 season. Not ideal!
The fans of Oakland sports have so many stab wounds in the back, you would think they’re auditioning for a role in Halloween. The Raiders left them not once, but twice. The Warriors moved to San Francisco. And now the A’s are heading to Sin City.
I always find it fascinating how people eventually end up owning sports teams. Some get insanely rich on their own; some inherit the team from mom or dad, or grandma or grandpa; and some fail upwards. John Fisher, the owner of the Athletics, failed upwards. For starters, his parents founded Gap, so looks like we’re dealing with a trust fund baby.
After graduate school, he took a job for a real estate company that did business with his parents' company, the Gap. The business was not successful and he became president of Pisces Inc., the Fisher family's investment management company.
And despite an estimated net worth of $2.4 billion as of 2022, the A’s payroll has never been in the top 20 over the last five seasons. Over the last eight seasons, the team has finished in last place in their division four times.
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GAMBLING RING INSIDE THE DETROIT LIONS’ FACILITY
As I wrote at the top, Tubz Unfiltered is a classy publication. Until it is not. Certain members of the Detroit Lions — and one member of the Washington Commanders — are Grade-A dumb-dumbs, including former Wisconsin wide receiver Quintez Cephus.
Four Lions players, including 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams, were among five players leaguewide to be suspended for violating the NFL's gambling policy after an investigation by the league.
Lions wide receiver Quintez Cephus and safety C.J. Moore have been suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games, as was Washington Commanders defensive end Shaka Toney. They can reapply for reinstatement after one year, although Detroit announced that its two players have been released.
Second-year wide receivers Williams and Stanley Berryhill are being suspended for six games each for mobile betting that occurred at the Lions' Allen Park facility. These two did not bet on NFL games, the team said.
Separate from these punishments, several Lions staff members in various departments were dismissed last month for violating the gambling policy, a source told ESPN.
Is it hypocritical that the NFL is in bed with the gambling companies yet will suspend players for gambling on games? Maybe, but rules are rules. After Calvin Ridley was suspended for the entire 2022 season after gambling on NFL games, everyone in the league should have been on high alert about the dangers of betting on NFL games (or any sporting event, for that matter). The aforementioned players apparently missed that memo. And they apparently missed the memo to ALWAYS have a fall guy.
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NBA PLAYOFFS HEATIN’ UP
The Philadelphia 76ers became the first team in this year’s playoffs to advance to the second round, dismantling the Brooklyn Nets, 4-0. Joel Embiid missed Game 4 due to a knee injury and his timetable to return is TBD. Shocker, Embiid is hurt again.
The New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets, and Phoenix Suns are all up 3-1 in their respective series.
Aaaaand the Miami Heat are also up 3-1 after the Bucks choked in the fourth quarter. The Heat took the lead for the first time in the ENTIRE game with 3:17 left and didn’t look back, thanks in large part to the play of Himmy Butler. The former Marquette guard scored 56 points, the most amount of points that any player in team history has scored in one playoff game. Milwaukee has a four percent chance to win the series, according to my calculations.
If the Los Angeles Lakers take care of business tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies, they will be one game away from the second round.
Steph Curry (32 PTS, 5 REB, 4 AST) almost cost the Warriors the game on Sunday after he called a timeout when the team did not have any remaining late in the game and after he pulled the trigger on an ill-advised shot in the closing seconds. Luckily those moves did not come back to bite him and his team as they evened up the series, 2-2. Harrison Barnes missed a three at the buzzer that would have won the game for the Kings. Game 5 is in Sacramento, and the Warriors had the fourth-worst record in the NBA on the road during the regular season (11-30).
🤓 BATH TIME READING 🤓
Taylor Swift did her homework on FTX, dodged a bullet, says lawyer suing Tom Brady, Shaq
Taylor Swift dodged a big ole bullet by deciding against being an FTX spokesperson.
“The one person I found that did that was Taylor Swift. In our discovery, Taylor Swift actually asked them, 'Can you tell me that these are not unregistered securities?’” Moskowitz said. Swift reportedly came close to inking a $100 million sponsorship deal with FTX, but the partnership never materialized.
The primary reason I believe Swift knew to ask that specific question? Swift’s dad, Scott K. Swift, is managing director of the Swift Group, a wealth management group that is part of Merrill Lynch.
If you chuckled and/or enjoyed it, make sure to forward it to others and/or share it on social. Any corrections, omissions, suggestions, etc., send 'em my way. Much love. -Tubz