The Bad Ash Blog

  On February 26, 2021 a change was officially made in the WNBA that goes far beyond the hardwood.  History was made as a three-member investor group was approved to purchase the Atlanta Dream. Larry Gottesdiener, Renee Montgomery and Suzanne Abair make up this strong force that is this investor group. Montgomery has become the first former player to become both an owner and executive of a WNBA franchise. THIS, this is the breaking barriers.  Pressure began to fall on former Senator Kelly Loeffler as she angered many across the country, most specifically in the WNBA. Loeffler's outward opposition to the league's racial injustice initiative sparked players to push for Loeffler to give up her part-ownership of the Dream.  Yes, she had to go. Not only in her role as Senator but as part-owner of the Atlanta Dream.  What prompted Montgomery to begin considering this journey was a tweet from LeBron James. James mentioned the idea of becoming a part of such a group tha...

  The NFL awards, the NBA awards, the All-Star selection ... how much of it is really ... accurate? Devin Booker initially getting snubbed as an All-Star starter is proof enough for me to realize that the voting system is well, misleading. T.J. Watt missing the mark on NFL Defensive Player of the Year is well, just wrong.  And no, that is not me saying that I do not think Aaron Donald was not deserving of it. However, T.J. should have taken the crown on that. It's not bias, it's just numbers.  So do not come for me.  However, I would be lying if said that we all didn't love to find out who wins these things. It's the sports lover in us. And even though these awards appear to be a wash, they do still become a part of these players' legacies and accolades. This year's most intriguing NBA award is not the Most Valuable Player but the Rookie of the Year. It has been one of those races where the lead runner changes frequently.  It is LaMelo Ball, Tyrese Haliburton, a...

  I hope that you voted on Tuesday, or the day before that, or the week before that, or made sure your mailed-in ballot was counted for. I want to shed some love and light on your timeline today ... and what better way to do that than to talk some football? I know, many of Bad Ash's blog posts talk NFL football so consider yourself learning a fun fact about me.   We are heading into Week 9 of the NFL season and there have been some games postponed/rescheduled, but the season seems to be going smooth given the pandemic circumstances. We are fortunate enough to be watching games every week and that is a good sign.  Hopefully you all remember when I discussed the sad reality of no more postgame jersey swaps for the 2020 season. The latest on that is there is a new and improved (if you will) way to jersey swap. After much rebuttal, rightfully so, from players the NFL met halfway and came up with a way for players to carry on this beloved tradition. Jersey swaps are now c...

It was not until games actually kicked off on Sunday afternoon that it felt like the NFL was back. We had Thursday night to get us warmed up, but it hits different when you have a full slate of games for the entire day. It has arrived, my friends. Football is here.  On the blog last week was an ice breaker, something to help us feel a little more prepared for the upcoming season. What's an ice breaker without a solid conversation to follow?  Let's dive in to the teams who did not live up to expectations, who exceeded expectations, and who did exactly what we expected them to do ... If the shoe fits then wear it, Cleveland.  Before I get into the quality of quarterbacks that we saw, or did not see, let's talk about what wins championships (is that still a saying or have dual-threat quarterbacks and running backs squashed that?). The Washington Football Team's defense brought them back from a 17-0 deficit against the Philadelphia Eagles. Not only did Chase Young have a so...

  We can see the leaves begin to change, the temperatures feel a little cooler, and all the pumpkin spice lattes being ordered. This only means one thing ... Football is in the air. Smells good, doesn't it?  This season feels a little different, and that's okay. The offseason has been anything but ordinary ... including some of the deals and extensions we have seen. However, just as the players have prepared for the upcoming season as they normally would that is why I am typing this for you all. We can expect for some games to be postponed or the season to be shortened, but let's prepare for 17 weeks, some playoffs, and a Super Bowl on February 7, 2021.  It is safe to assume that Kansas City will be in Tampa come February, but what's the fun in a predictable prediction? Let me start off by talking about these contract extensions we have been hearing about. Most recently, Jalen Ramsey became the highest paid Cornerback in NFL history. The LA Rams gave the Pro Bowler a 5-...

  Where is Paul George? What's going on with PG13? Has PG lost his touch? Is the shoulder soreness too much to handle?  These are the questions that have consumed many minds who have been tuning into the NBA playoffs. Paul George was off ... to say the least. On Tuesday, August 25, the day of Game 5 between the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks ... something clicked for PG.  "I mean, I just felt it. My energy, my spirit was changed. That's all it needed" said George when referring to his chat with the team psychiatrist. "That's all I needed. I came here, I know what my job was. Left it all on that court. Ready to move forward." 35 points in 25 minutes was certainly needed. Paul George became the only player to score 35 in 25 minutes or less in the shot clock era (1954-55).  PG was hearing it all within the world of social media. All of the comments, the doubts, the criticism, he heard it all. In a postgame interview after Tuesday night's fran...

  Let me get this straight ... during this global pandemic, college football players should risk their lives for our entertainment and other peoples' paychecks. Essentially, college football players should be treated like the pros without receiving any of the incentives that the pros receive. That sounds pretty bold doesn't it? Good, it was meant to.  40% of the Power 5 conferences have canceled their football season with intentions of planning a spring season. It sounds weird, but it is necessary. The Big Ten and Pac-12 have thrown in the towel due to their large concerns about the health and safety of student-athletes. Student comes first and athlete comes second, but they are not treated as such.  We have seen a mixture of interviews, tweets and comments regarding the upcoming college football season ... or lack thereof. We have even witnessed Dabo Swinney mentioning that the downsize of college football participation does not sway the playoff picture. "Whoever wins it...