Behind the Line

NFL Week 9 Ratings Tank; SEC Hurting Themselves with COVID Protocols

The SEC made the decision to postpone four games this week due to a minimal amount of positive COVID tests. We look into the COVID protocols in college football...and explain why contact tracing and strict rules are killing the SEC and college football.

We also dig into the NFL's television ratings for Week 9. The league saw sharp decreases...after having a decent week during Week 8. We also look into the league's new policy regarding the hiring of minority head coaches...and determine whether or not it will be effective.

Is this another example of Roger Goodell and the NFL pandering and folding to mainstream media pressure?

NFL: Will These 5 Teams Make the Playoffs?

We're officially halfway through the NFL regular season...and teams are beginning to make their push for the playoffs. Today we go over five teams on the fringe of making the playoffs...and determine which teams will make it...and which will miss out.

Bill Belichick: Time to Leave New England; Patriots to Rebuild

Some fans of the New England Patriots believe their "win" Monday night against the New York Jets keeps their playoff hopes alive. To me...it was further proof that the Patriots need to begin a full rebuild sooner rather than later.

Question is...will Bill Belichick be apart of that rebuild? We look into whether or not it would be wise for New England to keep Belichick around for the rebuild. We also explain why it could be beneficial to Belichick for him to end his career outside of New England...and the only thing that could stop that from happening.

Drew Brees & Saints Put NFL on Notice; Nick Foles to Be Benched?

We hear about statement games often at the college football level...but it's not often we see statement games in the NFL. Sunday night...Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints put the NFL on notice by beating the hell out of Tom Brady and the Bucs.

In What's Real/What's Fake this week:

Should Ben Roethlisberger be the frontrunner for NFL MVP?

There's no path forward for Matt Stafford and the Detroit Lions.

Will Nick Foles lead the Chicago Bears to the playoffs?

ESPN Pays the Price for Being Woke

ESPN used to be a ratings juggernaut. The network was so popular that it quickly became the most expensive channel for traditional television providers. However...over the last 5-6 years as ESPN became more political...the ratings began to decline.

Today...ESPN is struggling in the ratings...which forced the network to layoff hundreds of employees. Personalities like Stephen A Smith...Kirk Herbstreit...and Max Kellerman have gone full blown woke. We look at the recent history of politics on ESPN...and explain why this had a direct impact on the layoffs this week. 

We also criticize the media for defending ESPN...and lying about the reason for the layoffs. We look into excuses the media is making for ESPN...and disprove them.

Jimmy Garoppolo Played His Last Game for the 49ers

Jimmy Garoppolo arrived in San Francisco this time three years ago looking for his first opportunity to lead a team to the Superbowl. Even though he accomplished that his first full season as a starter...he's been underappreciated in the Bay Area...and now it appears his time in San Francisco is coming to an end.

Injuries surely didn't help his case with Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers...but we believe there's another reason for his imminent departure. We explain that reason in detail...and speculate who could replace Jimmy G next season...and where he could end up in 2021.

ESPN Declining Ratings Leading to Massive Layoffs

ESPN was once a television ratings giant in this country. However...much like the NBA...when ESPN decided to go woke they began to experience a rapid decline in ratings. This past summer they hit a 41-year ratings low.

We look back to when the network first started showing signs of going woke with Jemele Hill. We trace it all the way to this past summer when they went full woke...with personalities like Stephen A Smith and Max Kellerman leading the way.

ESPN is expected to layoff between 300-700 employees. Will the sports network ever recover?

Bill Belichick: With Patriots Dynasty Over...Could He End Career Outside New England?

Bill Belichick's two decade run in New England is undoubtedly the greatest dynasty across all of professional sports. Six Superbowl wins...division titles nearly every year...we may never see a dynasty like the New England Patriots.

However...now that the dynasty is over...with the Patriots not looking to be in Superbowl contention anytime soon...could Bill Belichick end his coaching career outside of New England?

We take a look at this possibility...and give several reasons why this could happen.

Should Ravens Be Concerned with Lamar Jackson? Big Ben Roethlisberger Continues to Struggle

This week in What's Real/What's Fake:

The Pittsburgh Steelers are the best team in the NFL:

We explain why even though the Steelers are undefeated...they still aren't the best team in the league.

Lamar Jackson needs to be better in big games:

We dive into his struggles against elite teams...and give the reason why he's struggling.

Baker Mayfield can't keep letting the Browns down:

Once again...Mayfield proved Sunday he's the king of inconsistency. The Browns are the worst 5-3 team in the league.

The Packers losses to Tampa and Minnesota are anomalies:

Aaron Rodgers gifted us with this ridiculous notion. The Packers are in trouble.

LeBron James Negative Impact on NBA; Will TV Ratings Rebound in 2021?

LeBron James has undoubtedly made many positive impacts on the NBA since he entered the league in 2003. However...as he's become increasingly political the past eight or so years...the positive impacts are beginning to be outweighed by the negative.

As LeBron started to use his platform to promote his political beliefs in 2012...the NBA's television ratings began to decline. The more political LeBron became...the more the ratings decreased...hitting an apex this season as the entire league followed LeBron down the path of woke politics...and ratings for the NBA playoffs and NBA Finals were at record lows.

We analyze the negative impacts LeBron is having on the NBA...and explain how this is going to effect his legacy. We also determine whether or not the NBA is going to rebound next season...or if they will continue to see steep declines in television ratings.