1. Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner is an outstanding player AND has the correct take on mayo.
During his weekly press conference Wednesday, the seven-time Pro Bowler went after the vile condiment, saying, “Everybody can have their own flavor. I never put mayo on anything. Mayo is disgusting. If you have mayo in your kitchen, I will not be in that kitchen.”
This is a stand that should be admired and respected.
Wagner even followed up on his press conference comments with this tweet.
While Wagner was speaking truth to power here, his comments didn’t go over well with the people behind the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
I can understand the Duke’s Mayo Bowl being salty, but its game will feature 6–6 North Carolina vs. 6–6 South Carolina, and Wagner is a Super Bowl champion. Plus, everybody knows Hellman’s is the most popular mayo brand.
But a good roast is a good roast, and the Mayo Bowl pulled it off.
2. Twitter has released its end-of-the year report on the platform’s activity. Here’s how things looked in the sports world in 2021.
Most-tweeted-about male athletes
- LeBron James
- Tom Brady
- Kobe Bryant
- Kyrie Irving
- Aaron Rodgers
Most-tweeted-about female athletes
- Simone Biles
- Naomi Osaka
- Sasha Banks
- Serena Williams
- Bianca Belair
Most-tweeted-about teams–overall
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Los Angeles Dodgers
- New York Yankees
- Green Bay Packers
- New York Knicks
- New York Mets
- Pittsburgh Steelers
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Houston Astros
- Atlanta Braves
Most-tweeted-about sporting events
- Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics
- Super Bowl LV
- 2021 March Madness
- 2021 NBA draft
- 2021 NBA Finals
3. I don't know what the context is here for ESPN college basketball analyst Mark Adams, but this was quite a topic to cover during Wednesday night's Townson–Ohio State game.
4. If you dunk off your own assist, as Joel Embiid did Wednesday night, it should count for three points.
5. This is a bummer about WWE superstar Jeff Hardy, who has again been released by WWE.
If you're a wrestling fan, you know Hardy has experienced addiction for years, so hopefully he gets through this rough time.
6. This week’s SI Media Podcast features a conversation with author and reporter James Andrew Miller.
Miller has a new book, Tinderbox, out about the history of HBO. During the podcast, we discussed how The Sopranos initially tested poorly with audiences and the huge curveball that was thrown at the show during the famous “Pine Barrens” episode.
Other HBO topics covered during our chat include the demise of Inside the NFL, the behind-the-scenes problems at The Larry Sanders Show, how Curb Your Enthusiasm was never intended to be a series and how House of Cards and The Crown had a significant impact on HBO.
Before we talked about Miller’s new book, we discussed the future of the ManningCast, the NFL’s big ratings this season and more.
Following the interview with Miller is the weekly “Traina Thoughts” segment with Sal Licata from WFAN. This week’s topics include the college football coaching madness, the breakup between Will Ferrell and Adam McKay, our Mount Rushmore of HBO shows and the latest episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Stitcher.
You can also watch the SI Media Podcast on YouTube.
