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By Marc Lawrence
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Weekend, Apr 25-26 |
SHAQ’S
$100 FAUX PAS
Shaquille O’Neal walked into his own restaurant to have a bite of his favorite food. A kid in line struck up a conversation with him before the NBA legend joked around, telling him he would be taking care of his order.
Then O’Neal moved up the line to order and potentially even pay for the kid. The cashier took his $100 bill, and just as Shaq was about to tell him to keep the change, the guy held it up to the light to check if it was real.
O’Neal’s face said everything there and then. He couldn’t believe what just happened.
"I know you didn’t just check my money. It's all good, I don't want no problems," Shaq said before looking at the camera. "Checking my money at my restaurant. Things that make me go hmmm.”
It wasn’t about his $500 million net worth or status. Someone who has his name as the founder of the food chain is going through a completely normal interaction, and handling it with nothing but simplicity.
The cashier was doing his job. Even at a spot tied to his name, the process doesn’t change. His $100 bill gets the same treatment as anyone else’s.
He co-founded Big Chicken in 2018. Louisiana-style fried chicken sandwiches. The brand now has more than 350 locations in development across the country. He also owns nine Papa John’s outlets and one Krispy Kreme in Atlanta.
O’Neal used to hold stakes in 155 Five Guys and 17 Auntie Anne’s locations but sold them to shift his focus to other ventures.
He teamed up with Hershey on Shaq-A-Licious XL Gummies. Later, the product became the official gummy of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
He keeps putting his stamp on things that already work and makes sure they reach more people.
The cashier moment at Big Chicken went viral for a reason. It wasn’t staged or scripted. It was just O’Neal being checked like anyone else.
And he seemed to get a kick out of it.
Enjoy the games and have a great weekend. |
ON TODAY'S SCORECARD
Winners and Losers
The first round of the NFL Draft is in the rearview mirror and, as expected, there were plenty of winners and plenty of losers. Let’s take a look...
WINNERS:
No. 8, WR, Jordyn Tyson, New Orleans Saints
It wasn’t just about the tears of relief and happiness Tyson shed as his name was called (although it helped solidify him as a winner); it was about the landing spot. Head coach Kellen Moore is also the offensive play caller. Moore is known for adapting his systems to his talent. Tyson now finds himself as the WR2 in Moore’s system behind Chris Olave. It’s all young QB Tyler Shough could ask for.
No. 15, Edge, Rueben Bain Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Bain, after all the pre-draft talk about his short arms and about incidents that happened years ago, is a Tampa Bay Buccaneer. Early predictions had Bain as a top-10 draft selection. His “fall” to the Buccaneers at 15 is a steal. Bain is an aggressive, physical, constant motor-type player who plays with a mean streak. Bain will now play in Todd Bowles blitz-heavy, aggressive defense that depends on players who are versatile and can apply pressure at different points along the line and on the edges. This will allow Bain to rely on his power and dispel the notions about his short arm length.
No. 25, S, Dillon Thieneman, Chicago Bears
Fully expected Thieneman to go to the Minnesota Vikings with the 18th pick. When that did not happen and the Dallas Cowboys went edge with their 23rd pick, Thieneman to the Bears was the next best option for him and the best option for the Bears. The Bears’ defense led the league last year in interceptions with 23. Safety Kevin Byard led the team with seven. This year in free agency, the Bears not only lost Byard but also Joquan Brisker and cornerback Nahshon Wright. Thieneman is not only known for his football IQ but also for his ability to play up in the box, nickel, or deep safety. He is a day one starter.
LOSERS:
No. 3, Running Back, Jeremiah Love, Arizona Cardinals
Love is a generational talent. And his pick as the third person off the draft board further signifies his talent. It is not the talent that makes the loss, it’s the Arizona Cardinals' destination. The Cardinals are in disarray. Their first-time head coach and brother of Green Bay Packers head coach Matt Lafleur is Mike Lafleur. The offensive coordinator is Nathaniel Hackett. Their quarterbacks are veteran Jacoby Brissett, who wants to be paid, and Gardner Minshew, who is recovering from a knee injury suffered last December. the Cardinals ran on a league low 34.08% of their offensive plays. They were 31st in rushing yards per game, 93.1, and 30th in rushing first downs, 5.4. Love will undoubtedly be RB1 on the Cardinals. The fact is, it may not matter.
No. 16, Tight End, Kenyon Sadiq, New York Jets
Sadiq is a steal for the Jets. One of the best receiving options available in this year’s draft, he will immediately improve a Jets offense that relied solely on Garrett Wilson last season. Wilson played in eight games last year and led the Jets in receiving yards with 395! The Jets' offense was 27th in passing attempts with 29.1 and last in passing yards per game with 140.3. However, he will “share” the tight end room, putting a dent in the production of Mason Taylor, who was second on the team in receiving stats with 65 targets, 44 receptions, and 369 yards.
No. 24, WR, K.C. Concepcion, Cleveland Browns
Concepcion did not fare much better with his landing spot. The Browns currently have three mid-range (at best) quarterbacks on the roster. Their leading receiver last season was rookie tight end Harold Fanin Jr., and their 31st-ranked offensive line allowed 29 sacks and 224 quarterback pressures. A supar offensive line, a three-headed quarterback rotation, and a passing game that finished 15th in passing attempts, 32.8, but 31st in passing yards per game, 165.1, does not inspire optimism for Concepcion in the fantasy football world.
We will hand out final draft grades on Monday here in the Coffee Club at the conclusion of the draft. |
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GRINDING OUT THE PROFITS
Storm Brewing
Moving forward, the ‘Grinding Out the Profits’ section in the Coffee Club will share exclusive insight into the 2026 College Football season directly from the 2026 Playbook Football Preview Guide magazine. Check out today’s insight:
‘STAT YOU WILL LIKE’:
Miami Florida has nine wins against AP Number 1 ranked teams –
tied with Alabama for the most all-time in college football.
Order yours today before they are gone! |
SONG OF THE WEEKEND
Listen Up
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No. 1 song this week in 1978
Take two aspirin and call me
in the morning.
Click Here to See and Hear It Now
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TRENDING TODAY
Primetime |
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The three NBA games on tap for Saturday bring some interesting trends. Check the mou, courtesy of StatSharp.com
• Bet on Detroit in away or neutral games after playing 2 consecutive home games. Detroit record since the 2025 season: 17-4 (81%) ATS with an average line of -1.1. (+12.6 unit$, ROI=52.1%).
The average score of these games was Pistons 117.1, Opponents 107.9.
• Bet on Detroit in away or neutral games when playing 5 or less games in 14 days. Detroit record since the 2025 season: 12-2 (86%) ATS with an average line of +0.3. (+9.8 unit$, ROI=63.6%).
The average score of these games was Pistons 118.2, Opponents 112.4.
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• Bet against Phoenix in home games versus good 3 point shooting teams - making >=36% of their attempts - 2nd half of the season.
Phoenix record since the 2025 season: 3-16 (16%) ATS with an average line of +1.1. (-14.6 unit$, ROI=-66.4%).
The average score of these games was Suns 106.2, Opponents 116.3.
• Bet on Phoenix revenging a road loss vs opponent of 10 points or more.
Phoenix record during the 2026 season: 13-3 (81%) ATS with an average line of +3.7. (+9.7 unit$, ROI=55.1%).
The average score of these games was Suns 112.4, Opponents 109.3.
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• Bet against Minnesota after covering 5 or 6 of their last 7 against the spread.
Minnesota record since the 2025 season: 5-18 (22%) ATS with an average line of -4.1. (-14.8 unit$, ROI=-58.5%).
The average score of these games was Timberwolves 108.9, Opponents 111.9.
• Bet on Denver in away or neutral games when playing with double revenge - 2 straight losses vs. opponent.
Denver record since the 2025 season: 14-3 (82%) ATS with an average line of +1.5. (+10.7 unit$, ROI=57.2%).
The average score of these games was Nuggets 121.4, Opponents 117.0ML NBA. |
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STAT OF THE DAY
18 |
The last time two running backs from the same school
were drafted in the first round was 2008 by Arkansas when
the Razorbacks selected Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.
Notre Dame equalled that mark on Thursday when
Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price
were taken off
the board in the first round.
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BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW
Caught on a Hot Mic
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A word of warning to all broadcasters: If you’re wearing a microphone, don’t risk saying anything that you wouldn’t repeat in front of millions. You never know when that microphone is still on.
Former Alabama coach-turned-analyst Nick Saban learned that the hard way during the first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday. As ABC returned from a commercial break, Saban was caught on a hot mic trashing the Dallas Cowboys’ upcoming selection in the draft.
Just before NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced the Cowboys’ selection of edge rusher Malachi Lawrence with the No. 23 overall pick, Saban could be heard saying, “Wow, this is a reach,” on the broadcast.
The comment came at an awkward time. The broadcast had just come back from a commercial break, but had not officially welcomed back viewers yet. Saban almost certainly believed his mic was muted or that the program had not come back from break yet when he made that comment. After a few beats of silence, Rece Davis re-introduced the program to viewers.
To Saban’s credit, he didn’t completely walk back that criticism when breaking down the pick on the broadcast, per Awful Announcing.
“Actually, this guy was one of my sleepers for tomorrow,” Saban admitted, which garnered some laughter from the rest of the panel. “But he is a good player … this guy is a good player. I thought he was someone that was getting overlooked in the draft, but obviously the Cowboys didn’t overlook him.”
There’s a difference between bluntly calling a pick a “reach” and saying a team drafted a player you liked in the second round, but at least Saban didn’t lie about his true feelings. Instead, he found a way to make them sound less severe while still getting across the point that he believed Lawrence should have been selected later.
For what it’s worth, Our Lads tabbed Lawrence as the No. 14 Edge/DL in the Draft guide. It looks like Saban got it right and the Cowboys did not. |
QUOTE OF THE DAY |
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"I care not if I live but a day
and a night,
so long as my
deeds live after me."
- James Joyce |
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