Stu’s Notes: The Risky Thing About Nepotism

So this is one of those things that might be nothing and might be a lot but doesn’t seem like it could be anything in between. Andrea Adelson reports:

The Florida State board of trustees has filed an amended complaint to its lawsuit against the ACC, alleging the conference engaged in “self-dealing” when former commissioner John Swofford made media rights deals that cost member schools “millions of dollars” while helping his son.

…

In a new section titled “The 2010 ESPN Agreement, ‘Raycom Partnership,’ and New Withdrawal Penalties,” Florida State contends that Swofford insisted in conversations with potential bidders for ACC media rights in 2010 that Raycom Sports be included in any new deal the ACC signed.

Raycom had a long partnership with the ACC but was struggling financially, and it needed to keep a package of ACC media rights for survival, according to the complaint. Chad Swofford worked for Raycom at the time and eventually became a vice president and general manager at the company.

See? Doesn’t look good.

One of the things which makes this hard to evaluate is that I’m not entirely sure what Raycom is. Was it its own channel at some point? Its own collection of channels? My impression is that Raycom produced the broadcasts of games—most famously ACC basketball games—and then broadcast those on various local TV stations. My impression is that it still exists and does some of this, most famously through ACC Football on The CW and ACC Basketball on The CW, two of my personal favorite weekend programs. That’s my impression. I’m not sure it matters.

Whatever Raycom is or was, this is a bad look for Swofford, and for the ACC. At the time the deal was signed, the coverage seems to have centered around the ACC’s history with Raycom. That piece of the story. It was a loyalty move, said the Washington Business Journal. But was it a loyalty move? Or was it two loyalty moves? Was the first loyalty move Raycom hiring the younger Swofford (of course his name is Chad), and then the second loyalty move Raycom getting a handout from the elder Swofford?

Whether the deal was clean or dirty, it does illustrate the risk of doing things that look nepotistic. It’s probably fine if the move works. A little risky, but you can justify it. If it doesn’t work…

(I don’t know if this Raycom move did or didn’t hurt the ACC. No idea. Don’t take legal filings as unbiased analysis.)

What Are Those Kelce Boys Up To?

Jason Kelce still hasn’t announced his retirement, even after those reports two weeks ago that he’d told his teammates he was retiring. Which makes one ask: What’s going on here?

The innocuous possibility is that Jason Kelce hasn’t made up his mind yet, and that the reports were misreports or the result of a misunderstanding. The other innocuous possibility is that Jason Kelce wants to retire on his own podcast but that he doesn’t want to do it amidst Travis Kelce’s continued playoff run (which is now a Super Bowl run). The titillating possibility is that Jason Kelce and Travis Kelce are both retiring?

If we’re trying to get as many downloads as possible for New Heights, I think the move is to react to the Super Bowl in the episode right after the Super Bowl. One week after that, the move is to announce that you’ll announce the retirement decision the next week. One week after that, you only do Travis Kelce’s retirement decision (if he’s coming back—if he’s staying, do Jason’s). Finally, in the fourth week of downloads, you finalize the whole thing. Then, if you do both retire, bring on some iconic retired person for the fifth episode of the string. Maybe Eli Manning? Drop a lot of Hall of Fame mentions before he becomes eligible in 2025? Finally, in the sixth week, do a WAGs episode. Taylor Swift and Kylie Kelce. Talk about what comes next in the broader Kelce universe.

You’re welcome, Kelce brothers. There’s your programming through most of March.

Doc Rivers: 0–1

Is it fair to Doc Rivers to judge him based on his team’s performance in its first game with him in charge?

I mean…kind of? The point was that 43 games of Adrian Griffin was enough of a sample.

Rivers is 0–1 after the Bucks lost to the Nuggets on Monday, and while the road trip to Denver is the one game that’s a should–lose for the Bucks, Rivers is still already falling behind his predecessor. Adrian Griffin—the winningest coach in Bucks history by percentage—went 30–13. Assuming Giannis doesn’t fire him first, Rivers will coach 36 Bucks games this regular season. If Rivers wants to top Griffin, he needs to go 26–10. 26–9 from here.

You chose this, Doc, and if the message from Griffin’s firing is that the Bucks weren’t good enough, then I would hope the Bucks will be better under Griffin’s successor.

What About Wheelchair Pickleball?

The 2024 Miami Open presented by Itaú announced yesterday that in addition to its ATP and WTA events this March, it will hold tournaments in wheelchair tennis and non-wheelchair pickleball. Wheelchair tennis, for the handicapped. Pickleball, for the perverts who couldn’t make it pro in a real sport. A few questions:

Can anyone play wheelchair tennis or do you need to be handicapped? Or, is it one of those things where if you aren’t used to being in a wheelchair, you’d just stink at it? I can’t believe no state legislatures or parents of children who just lost an athletic competition fair and square haven’t stepped in to protect the sanctity of wheelchair sports.

Can anyone play professional pickleball or do you have to be a fuckin’ loser? I kid. I don’t have any problem with people playing pickleball at a high level. I’m a blogger. I haven’t done anything of consequence athletically since I pulled all those muscles above my junk (doing Covid burpees to support Shaka Smart, as one does) and thought I gave myself a hernia. My real issue is with the weirdos who want to watch pro pickleball. We shame too many things, but we do not shame those fans enough.

Etc.

The NIT, Texas, other college hoops:

• Texas did not look like an NIT team last night, but thankfully, they didn’t beat Houston. They dug themselves just deep enough a hole that the comeback didn’t put them out of Houston’s reach, and then they looked more like themselves in overtime. Crisis averted. Intrigue maintained.
• ToNITe, we’ve got all sorts of NIT stuff going on. I’m counting at least twelve games with NIT stakes. The Game of the NITe is Iowa’s trip to Indiana, but Villanova has to host Shaka Smart’s Marquette, and Ohio State could conceivably upset Illinois in Columbus and make themselves look lively. All of that’s in the early hour. Afterwards, we get the Egg Bowl’s Basketball Franchise, and then Gonzaga hosts LMU to send us to bed. January is going out like a lion. A lion of mediocrity and promise.

Chicago, the Packers:

• Taj Gibson is yet again reuniting with Tom Thibodeau. Ten-day contract. It’s like a band that never stops their final tour. As for the Bulls: They host the Raptors tonight. Patrick Williams is out with “an acute bone edema,” which evidently means, “the buildup of fluid in the bone marrow, generally the result of an injury.” That sounds gross and painful. Once you’re talking marrow, I’m out.
• I missed the Eric Washington hire over the weekend (we’re not Bears fans, guys), but I would like to congratulate the franchise on hiring another employee. Nothing comes easy in this league! The Bears are funny. One funny thing they’ve been doing the last few years is hiring guys about whom everyone says “ok” and then doesn’t have much else to say. Eric Washington, defensive coordinator? Yes. Yes, he is one.
• The Cubs signed a guy named Dick Lovelady. Goes by Richard. Unclear if he loves ladies.

Burnley, Joe Kelly, and the Ottawa Senators:

• The Sens played a funny joke on the Predators last night in which they came back from a 3–0 deficit to win in overtime. A good old-fashioned Sens’ing. With the Blue Jackets idle, the Sens moved into a tie for 15^th place in the Eastern Conference. Don’t look now!!!! (You can look now. I don’t think it’s going to make a difference.) Evidently a lot of teams are on the All-Star Break already, but our guys get Detroit tomorrow night. Maybe the NHL didn’t expect any Senators to be all-stars.
• Evidently Erling Haaland has missed the last two months, and now he’s returning right as Man City plays Burnley? Great stuff. Thanks a lot, jackass. Meanwhile, Luton laid the hurt on Brighton and Sheffield United almost got a point against Crystal Palace. Burnley’s going down. It’s over. (I’ll be back in by Saturday.)
• Joe Kelly’s #99 jersey will be the subject of a Dodgers giveaway on June 11^th, two days after Kelly’s 36^th birthday. Who else is on the notable giveaway list? Jackie Robinson, Kobe Bryant, Shohei Ohtani, and Fernando Valenzuela. That’s it. Those are the five guys. Those four and Joe Kelly. Life is beautiful sometimes.