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By Marc Lawrence
 Monday, Mar 9

POT CALLS
THE KETTLE BLACK
MLC

At President Trump's 'Saving College Sports' roundtable on Friday, retired Alabama coach Nick Saban criticized how NIL deals and the transfer portal have shifted focus from athletes' education to cash pursuits.

He argued education best enhances players' futures, amid a crowd including Urban Meyer, Tim Tebow, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Trump teased an executive order to address NIL issues and support reforms like the SCORE Act, while online reactions split between accusations of past Alabama improprieties and calls for structured revenue sharing.

Former Alabama running back Trent Richardson weighed in on Nick Saban’s stance against paying players.

“Honestly, I don’t get why he’s even commenting on it, they gave me and my family $75,000 just to commit, plus $10,000 a month to stay at Alabama.”

And Richardson is just the tip of the Alabama iceberg.

Excuse me, Nick. People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

Let’s tell it like it is. You got out because your exclusive pathway to the best athletes was suddenly becoming compromised.

College football’s next commissioner? You’ve got to be kidding.

ON TODAY'S SCORECARD
Insane Price Tag

MLC

The Raiders dealt Maxx Crosby to the Ravens in a blockbuster move on Friday, and it came at an insane price.

Baltimore gave Las Vegas its 2026 first-round pick (No. 14 overall) and their 2027 first-round pick.

The last time a team surrendered a pair of first round draft picks for a player was was in November 2025, when the Indianapolis Colts sent two first-round picks (along with wide receiver Adonai Mitchell) to the New York Jets for two-time All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner.

“I'm going there with one purpose and that's to help this team get to where ultimately it needs to be and where everybody wants to go. And that's winning a Super Bowl,” Crosby said. “I know it’s gonna be difficult, I know there’s no guarantees in this, but I'm gonna give everything in my heart and soul to bring a championship to Baltimore."

GRINDING OUT THE PROFITS
A Betting Nugget

Denver over OKLAHOMA CITY by 7

It's the nature of the beast, folks. Kick a team when they're down and come back to kick them again. After all, letdowns in basketball are as common as busted brackets in March. The Thunder find themselves in a tough situation tonight, hard to back out of. They knew coming into the weekend that they would face a tough challenge against the triple-revenge Warriors at home on Saturday, followed by tonight’s game against the double-revenge Nuggets visiting the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. As the Thunder are learning, it’s no fun having a target on your back all season. And teams like the Nuggets know how to take advantage. For starters, the Mile High guys are 8-3 SU / 8-2-1 ATS in their last eleven games when playing with same-season double revenge, including 4-0 ATS on the road. And then again, Oklahoma City is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games against foes seeking same-season double revenge, including 0-6 SU / ATS against teams with a .588 or greater winning percentage.

The game write-up above was extracted
from the current 8B edition of the
Playbook Hoops Newsletter.

Click here to download a copy now.


TRENDING TODAY
K9 Coveted

MLC

The favorite to land Super Bowl MVP K9 Kenneth Walker is … the Kansas City Chiefs?!

Currently, yes, although the Giants have also been interested in K9. Kansas City’s interest was also reported by Senior NFL Reporter Albert Breer

Decisions to restructure Patrick Mahomes’ contract, trade CB Trent McDuffie and release OT Jawaan Taylor as well as DE Mike Danna, have opened up a lot of cap space to bring K9 to the Chiefs, something that wouldn’t have seemed possible a few days ago.

Bringing in Walker would fill a major need with pint-sized second-year RB Brashard Smith being the team’s only RB under contract at the moment. There’s also the reality that Chiefs RBs were pretty damn rough last season as a group. 

Chiefs running backs in 2025: 

  • Yards per carry: 3.7 (30th) 

  • Yards after contact per carry: 2.6 (31st) 

  • Tackles avoided per carry: 14% (31st) 

  • Explosive run rate: 3% (32nd) 

Walker is currently priced as the RB14 in early Underdog best ball drafts. Landing with Mahomes and company could instantly vault him into the top-10 conversation alongside guys like Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton … while going to the Giants and potentially entering another committee could lead to lower-end RB2 treatment.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"You will never find justice in a world where criminals make the rules."

- Bob Marley

PERCOLATING
Caffè Italiano

Italy might have the best dugout setup for this year's World Baseball Classic.

In the Italian WBC team's dugout sits a literal espresso machine for players and coaches to use at will.

Yes, an espresso machine. Italy's baseball players can relax with a nice espresso between innings. How cool is that?!

As far as the WBC goes, Italy's dugout setup might take the cake.

If we played baseball, we would want to sit in Italy's dugout for the espresso machine. That's how you watch baseball... with a fresh espresso.

STAT OF THE DAY
1-15 ATS

Purdue’s record in the Big Ten conference tourney since 2017. (from the current
issue of the Playbook Hoops newsletter)
 


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