1. In a day and age when so much content is scripted, planned out and inauthentic, we have a greater appreciation for anything that is spontaneous and real.
So I had to acknowledge a moment from a recent episode of Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson’s Nightcap podcast that not only blew me away but also made me laugh. Hard.
In the middle of a conversation about some million-dollar bet they were going to make with each other, Johnson, who was taping the podcast from a Philadelphia hotel room, complained about being cold.
What followed was a surreal yet wholesome exchange.
Johnson: Hey, it’s cold. I can turn the heat on in the room? That doesn’t count against my um, my uh, what do they take your credit for at the front desk?
Sharpe: Incidentals.
Johnson: Yeah, the heat doesn’t count for that, huh?
Sharpe: No, you have to order room service.
Johnson: O.K., O.K. It’s 40 degrees. That’s what I got the jacket on in here. But I ain’t wanna turn the heat on ’cause I thought it charged my credit card.
Sharpe: No. No.
Johnson: Oh s—. Let me turn the heat on then so I can take the damn jacket off then.
Johnson then got up and left the podcast, while Sharpe then went into plugging the show and telling listeners to subscribe.
What really makes this moment so great is that it was natural. A truly real moment.
And there is so much here. You have Johnson thinking hotels charge you for heat. You have Johnson prepared to sleep in a 40-degree room because he didn’t want to pay for heat, and you have Sharpe just totally unaffected and nonplussed by all of this.
If I were Sharpe, I would’ve bombarded Johnson with a million questions about his philosophy of not paying for heat, but there’s also something to be said for just leaving this hilarious moment as is.
You can watch Sharpe and Johnson’s exchange about the heat beginning at the four-minute mark below.
2. The over/under in Thursday’s Patriots-Steelers game was 30 points. The score at halftime was 21–10. And Al Michaels let all Amazon viewers know what had happened.
"They answered the call. They needed the points and they got 'em."
"And if you liked the over, they've also answered the call."
Kirk Herbstreit set him up and Al Michaels delivered. pic.twitter.com/olLdcULJQo
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 8, 2023
3. That game ended up going over the total thanks to Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe, who played better than anyone could’ve imagined. Zappe was still on fire after the game, dropping this solid quote.
Asked if his friends/family were in Pittsbrugh, Bailey Zappe said no.
"I don't want to pay for all those tickets. I'm still on a rookie contract. It's expensive."
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) December 8, 2023
4. This is why there is no one better on sports television than Charles Barkley. As part of the NBA’s over-the-top promotion for the in-season tournament, TNT and ESPN commentators crossed over Thursday.
So Barkley decided to welcome ESPN’s Bob Myers, the former GM of the Warriors, by trash-talking him as only Chuck can.
Charles Barkley: "I wanna give you credit for jumping off the titanic before it sunk."
Bob Myers: "I have friends over there."
Chuck Barkley: "Yeah, you're gonna see them soon."
😂😂😂
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 8, 2023
5. Speaking of the in-season tournament, I like to remind everyone that we should not take for granted being able to watch LeBron James do his thing.
In Thursday’s game against the Pelicans, King James had 30 points, eight assists, five rebounds and zero turnovers. In just 23 minutes.
He will be 39 years old on Dec. 30.
In addition to the ridiculous stat line, James was also responsible for one vintage Kevin Harlan moment.
LEBRON JAMES GREATEST PLAYER OF ALL TIME!!!!!!! 😭😭🔥🔥
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) December 8, 2023
6. You have two episodes of SI Media With Jimmy Traina to take you into the weekend.
Friday morning, I released a bonus podcast with WWE superstar Seth Rollins. The World Heavyweight champion talks about his viral reaction to CM Punk making a surprise return to the WWE at Survivor Series, when he found out Punk was back with the company, what happened backstage, why he dislikes Punk and whether he will have any issues working with Punk.
Rollins also discusses whether the quest to end Roman Reigns’s lengthy run as WWE Universal Champion is a talking point among WWE superstars, how he assesses the Chicago Bears season’s and NFL draft possibilities, his wife Becky Lynch’s recent appearance on Celebrity Jeopardy! and much more.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.
ESPN’s Booger McFarland was the guest on an episode of SI Media With Jimmy Traina that came out earlier this week.
McFarland shares his thoughts on the College Football Playoff and his comment that Florida State getting snubbed was a “travesty to the sport.” He also discloses who he likes to win Alabama-Michigan and Texas-Washington and, ultimately, the title game. McFarland also discusses whether the controversy regarding FSU is good for the sport, the mentality of college football fans and how he judges Deion Sanders’s season as Colorado head coach. McFarland also reflects on his two years as a Monday Night Football analyst, the one year he spent in a crane, what it’s like to work with Chris Berman on NFL PrimeTime and reveals whether he’d like to once again call games.
Following McFarland, Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York joins me for our weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment. This week, we talk about the latest embarrassing story for the New York Jets, which NFL teams have great betting value to win the Super Bowl, my weird quirk while watching football and important food question and more
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.
You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Amazon Prime has released a red-band trailer for The Underdogs, a movie out Jan. 26 that sees Snoop Dogg become the coach of a youth football team. Kudos to whoever came up with the Martha Stewart joke given the relationship between her and Snoop.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.
