Welcome Back to the Tradition's Finest Podcast! Episode 122 - The "Whack Heard 'Round The World" Episode includes a discussion of the following sports-related topics: - NCAA: News & Storylines - - NCAA College Basketball: Charles Bediako's college basketball career is officially over, Again. .after an Alabama circuit judge denied his motion appeal for a preliminary injunction on Monday, ending the 7-foot center's season with Nate Oats & the Alabama Crimson Tide - - Tuscaloosa County Circuit Judge Daniel F. Pruet halted Bediako's bid to regain eligibility after he left Alabama early to enter the 2023 NBA Draft, and although he went undrafted, he did sign a two-way NBA contract with the San Antonio Spurs & played the past three (3) seasons in the NBA's developmental league (i.e., G-League) - moves that ultimately disqualified him from collegiate competition, according to the NCAA - - Judge Pruet ruled that Bediako did not have a "reasonable expectation," that he would be allowed to return to college basketball when no other player has been granted such eligibility under similar circumstances, although Amari Bailey, the former UCLA standout guard, who was drafted in the second round of the NBA Draft & physically competed in 10 NBA games throughout his two-year career, and is now attempting to regain eligibility to play at the collegiate level - - The Bediako ruling, whether you agree or disagree with the result, should serve as a precedent for the NCAA and college sports universally: in other words, if you give up eligibility and decide to turn pro, and are willingly drafted, you are not entitled to return to college sports just because you aren't the 'star player,' or if you spend more time on the bench than you do on the court (or field, etc.) - - Shortly after the ruling on Monday, NCAA President Charlie Baker released a statement, stating that he was glad that the court "upheld the rules of our members,". . .Q: What are your thoughts on the Tuscaloosa County (AL) Circuit Judge's ruling to deny Charles Bediako's appeal for NCAA eligibility? Should this particular ruling serve as a precedent for other prospects that are attempting to regain eligibility at the NCAA (or college) level?. . .In this next section, JD & Spencer discuss a few of the more impactful and/or notable NCAA men's college basketball games from across the country that occurred this past weekend, including, but not limited to the following matchups: the Seth Trimble "buzzer beater" in the heated rivalry between No.4 Duke Blue Devils and No.14 North Carolina Tar Heels (Saturday 2/7); the Darryn Peterson-less & No.9 Kansas Jayhawks pull off the upset over No.1 and previously unbeaten Arizona Wildcats (Monday 2/9). . . - NFL - - "The 15th Annual NFL Honors:" On Thursday, and three (3) days prior to Super Bowl 60, the NFL wrapped up the 2025 season by recognizing its' top individual performers, at the 15^th Annual NFL Honors Ceremony, which were hosted by actor Jon Hamm, at the Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, where it once again served as the forum for the league to reveal the winners of its' most prestigious awards: this included such awards as the Offensive & Defensive Player of the Year as well as the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year, and finally, the Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, which were presented by a variety of celebrities (i.e., Druski) and NFL Hall of Fame legends (i.e., Jerry Rice) - - The Pro Football Hall of Fame also unveiled its five-person class, which had already been a topic of speculation & controversy after it was revealed last week that Bill Belichick, Patriots owner Robert Kraft & former New York Giants & Super-Bowl winning QB Eli Manning, had been omitted as first-ballot Hall of Famers - - Let's examine the outcome & discuss our thoughts regarding each individual award that was presented at this year's Honors' ceremony: AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award: The 2025 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award was presented to Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett - - Garrett, the preeminent EDGE/pass rusher of his generation, he took advantage of the 2025 league year, turning it into a record-breaking season, which subsequently led to him winning his second DPOY award - - Garrett's 23 sacks broke the single-season record that was previously shared by Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan & Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt - - **NOTE: Garrett achieved this feat despite being double-teamed or chipped on 39.5% of his pass rushes this season, per NFL Next Gen Stats, more than any other pass rusher in the NFL - - Also, his 33 TFL were the second-most by a player since the year 2000, trailing only J.J. Watt's 39 in 2012. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Browns DE Myles Garrett being awarded the 2025 AP NFL DPOY award? Do you think Myles Garrett will go down in NFL history as the most proficient/explosive EDGE to ever play in the league?. . . AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award: The 2025 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award was presented to Carolina Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan - - McMillan referred to his rookie season in the NFL as "average," but the Panthers wideout was anything but that - - **NOTE: The No.8 pick of the 2025 NFL Draft finished the regular season with 70 catches on 122 targets for 1,014 yards and seven (7) TDs to lead all rookies in receiving yards, and to set a Carolina Panthers franchise record in that category - - Twenty-seven (27) of his receptions were considered explosive (16+ yards), more than any other rookie in the league - - and quite possibly, the most important aspect of McMillan's presence in Carolina, is that QB Bryce Young, for the first time in his three (3) seasons spent in the league, had a true WR1, which allowed him to flourish statistically - as well as to assist the Panthers in advancing to the NFL postseason. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Panthers WR Tetairoa McMillan being awarded the 2025 AP NFL OROY Award? Do you expect that he will continue to be a major threat through the air for the Carolina Panthers for the near foreseeable future?. . . 2025 AP NFL Protector of the Year Award: The 2025 and inaugural AP NFL Protector of the Year Award was presented to Chicago Bears Guard Joe Thuney - - Thuney earned first-team All-Pro honors for a fourth straight season, and paid immediate dividends for the Bears' revamped offensive line after being traded from Kansas City to Chicago in March of this year - - The 33-year-old LG did not allow a single sack & logged the second-most snaps of any of the other players on the Bears' offense (99.57%), as QB Caleb Williams took 44 fewer sacks in 2025 than in his rookie season, in large part due to the notable improvements Chicago made along the interior of the offensive line - - **NOTE: Thuney was tied for the lead among all interior offensive linemen in pass block win rate this season by sustaining his blocks for 2.5 seconds 98% of the time - - Shortly after LT Ozzy Trapilo (rookie) went down after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in the playoffs, Thuney moved to LT for Chicago's divisional round matchup against the Rams, which marked the second consecutive postseason in which Thuney was moved to play at the tackle position. . . 2025 NFL AP Comeback Player of the Year Award: The 2025 NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award was presented to San Francisco 49ers do-it-all RB Christian McCaffrey - - After bilateral Achilles tendinitis and a right knee injury limited him to just four (4) games in the 2024 NFL season, Niners RB Christian McCaffrey returned to his usual, versatile self in 2025 - - **NOTE: This is McCaffrey's first Comeback Player of the Year award after he finished second in 2022 - - He earned it by virtue of his 2,126 scrimmage yards (second in the NFL) and 17 total TDs (3rd) - and perhaps, more important, he started all 19 games for San Francisco (including the playoffs) - - In the 2025 regular season, McCaffrey had a league-high 413 touches, which is 44 more than the next closest player, and the highest total of his nine (9) seasons in the league - - In the offseason, McCaffrey spent much of his time rehabbing from his knee injury and strengthening his Achilles to take on the rigors of another season - - and in 2025, as injuries mounted around him, he was the one constant in San Francisco's offense, playing a pivotal role in helping the Niners finish the regular season with a 12-5 record, and reach the NFC Divisional Round of the playoffs. . .Q: What are your thoughts on Niners' RB Christian McCaffrey being awarded the 2025 AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award?. . . 2025 AP NFL Head Coach of the Year Award: The 2025 AP NFL Head Coach of the Year Award was presented to New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel, who in his first season with the franchise, led the Patriots to its' 12^th Super Bowl appearance - - Taking over a team that won just four (4) games in each of the past two seasons, Vrabel directed the Patriots to a 14-3 record at the conclusion of the regular season - - **NOTE: The 10-game improvement tied the 1999 Colts and 2008 Dolphins for the best turnaround in NFL history, as he joins George Seifert (1989, Niners) & Jim Caldwell (2009, Colts) as the only coaches to win 14 games in their first year with an NFL franchise - - Players credited Vrabel, 50, with instilling a culture that...