On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
Doug Gottlieb hits back at LeBron James in fiery rant after NBA star's troll job
It's no secret that radio personality-turned-Horizon League head coach Doug Gottlieb has had a tough first season at Wisconsin-Green Bay.
His Phoenix are 3-24, and although they are coming off a win over Wright State that snapped a massive 21-game losing streak, things just aren't going well.
That losing streak was a tough one, and it drew some national attention. So much attention, in fact, that LeBron James commented on it on social media.
Earned 2 Not Given! Gotta give him credit though! . https://t.co/khxpnlvUY1
— LeBron James (@KingJames) February 17, 2025
That response on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, drew a direct response from Gottlieb on Fox Sports as a call-in guest on his own show.
“Don’t you have better things to do? My response is: Colin [Cowherd] told me a long time ago, ‘Don’t punch down. Always punch up.’ So me talking trash to him would technically be punching up. And him, it’s punching down. So I don’t know. I guess pettiness and insecurity aren’t limited to just people who aren’t super successful in their field. I guess that would be my response," Gottlieb said (h/t On3).
Why there's beef between James and Gottlieb is anybody's guess, but it may have to do with the fact that Gottlieb got the job despite having no previous head-coaching experience and he continues to do his daily radio show while coaching the Phoenix.
For a guy like James who eats, sleeps and breathes basketball and basketball only, perhaps he doesn't feel Gottlieb deserves the opportunity to "double dip" like he is.
Or maybe — like many college basketball fans — he just found the team's bad luck humorous.
More must-reads:
- LeBron James takes petty shot at Doug Gottlieb on social media
- Ex-teammate rips LeBron James for All-Star decision
- The 'Most NBA games played' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
TODAY'S BEST
Stats, Tidbits: How Every Indiana Basketball Player Performed in Puerto Rico Exhibitions
Pirates' longtime failure can be explained by their new prospect's shocking revelation
It's not just a lack of spending or money that keeps the Pittsburgh Pirates at the bottom of the Major League Baseball standings every year. It's also the fact that they are poorly run. Especially when it comes to player development throughout their own farm system. One of their newest prospects, catcher Rafael Flores, who was just acquired before the trade deadline in the David Bednar trade with the New York Yankees, unintentionally gave an example as to one of the flaws with the Pirates. As Flores explained to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this week, the Yankees' minor league focus is almost entirely on individual player development, while the Pirates — in his early view — seem more focused on team success at the minor league level. He also explained that the Yankees give their catchers every piece of information and data that they possibly can, while the Pirates only give their catchers the information that they specifically ask for. Those are two very eye-opening comparisons, and the first one is by far the most problematic and shows a very serious flaw with the Pirates' approach. The major league team should never, under any circumstances, care about the team success of a minor league team. Those teams do not exist to win games or win championships. They exist as an avenue to teach players how to play professional baseball, develop their skills and get them ready to be contributors for the major league team. Everything else is secondary. Now, Flores has only been in the Pirates system for two weeks. It is possible his initial perception is not the entire reality. But it's still an eye-opening comparison for a player to make when coming over from a completely different — and far more successful — organization. It would also track with a lot of the recent Pirates issues in developing players. They have been awful at developing position players, especially under general manager Ben Cherington, and tend to be slow to promote players through the system. (Paul Skenes was a rare exception to both issues.) It would also make sense that they want their minor league teams to do well. It makes it easy to sell hope to a frustrated fan base. If the major league team is not winning, it is easy for the Pirates to point out the success of their farm teams and say, "see, they are doing well ... there is help on the way" even if it is entirely misleading. The Pirates do have two of the best prospects in baseball in infielder Konnor Griffin and starting pitcher Bubba Chandler, but neither is currently in the major leagues. It remains to be seen if they will develop them into top-tier major leaguers. Recent history suggests the odds are not in their favor. Especially if the team is more concerned about its minor league teams winning games over individual players developing.
Tennessee's groundbreaking Adidas deal a game-changer for college sports in NIL era
NFL Draft intel: Big Ten QB's elite arm turning heads among scouts
Three NFL teams facing Super Bowl-or-bust expectations in 2025
Saying a team is facing championship-or-bust expectations is a dangerous game. The odds are always stacked against any one team, no matter how talented they are, and every season ends with one team hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. However, that doesn't stop fans from placing those expectations on their respective teams each year, particularly those with a track record of recent consistent success. Let's take a closer look at three teams that stand out as having that championship-or-bust mentality. Buffalo Bills The Bills are near the top of the Super Bowl-or-bust list. They have been one of the NFL's best teams for the last six years, with quarterback Josh Allen leading the way and a strong defense. Still, Buffalo hasn't been able to break through and reach its first Super Bowl since 1993. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs have repeatedly stood in their way. The Bills are searching for their first-ever Super Bowl title. Allen's tenure has seen the second-best stretch of success in franchise history, and if any group is going to get it done, it should be this one. The pressure isn't just on Buffalo as a team; it's also on Allen. Fair or not, quarterbacks are generally measured by rings — Allen needs his. Baltimore Ravens The Ravens are in a nearly identical situation to the Bills. Consistent contender, top-tier quarterback, strong defense and always sky-high expectations, but the Ravens have had even less playoff success in recent years than the Bills have. Baltimore has reached just one conference championship game during Lamar Jackson's career, having won just three total playoff games over the past seven seasons. Their playoff track record does not match the talent level or regular-season success the Ravens have had. Like Allen, Jackson must reach a Super Bowl to fortify his legacy in the NFL, and it's hard to imagine the roster surrounding him getting better than it is now. Detroit Lions The pressure on the Lions isn't quite the same as the Bills or Ravens, mainly because they are a relatively new contender in the NFL. They have made the playoffs two years in a row with their current core and haven't consistently fallen short in the playoffs the way Buffalo and Baltimore have. That doesn't mean expectations shouldn't be high. Not only are the Lions one of the NFL's darlings right now, given head coach Dan Campbell's personality, the creativity of the offense and talent on the roster, but they have been knocking on the door of a championship. They blew a three-score lead in the NFC Championship game two years ago to the San Francisco 49ers. Detroit followed that up by finishing with the NFL's best record in 2024 at 15-2, but did not win a single playoff game, losing 45-31 to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round. The Lions, who have yet to appear in a Super Bowl, have never really had to deal with expectations throughout their history — they are now.
Flawed NFL arbitration process under scrutiny after Jon Gruden, Brian Flores rulings
It's a good thing for the NFL that it uses a shield as its logo, because this week, the league needed protection. The courts handed NFL commissioner Roger Goodell a second defeat since Monday with a ruling in Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores' anti-discrimination lawsuit against the league. On Thursday, per ESPN, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan upheld a previous ruling in Flores' case, originally filed on Feb. 1, 2022, allowing it to proceed to trial. In a written statement, the appeals court blasted the NFL's arbitration process, which allows Goodell to make decisions unilaterally, saying "It offends basic presumptions of our arbitration jurisprudence." The judges also argued that the NFL's process equates to "arbitration in name only." It was the second time this week that Goodell's role as chief arbiter has come under scrutiny in U.S. courts. On Monday, the Nevada Supreme Court described the NFL's argument that Jon Gruden's lawsuit should be handled through arbitration led by Goodell as "unconscionable." In his original claim, Gruden alleged the NFL and Goodell leaked emails to the press, which led to his resignation as head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in October 2021. The dual rulings against the league are the biggest hits its flawed arbitration process has taken. It's never made sense for the commissioner to arbitrate matters he's already decided after handing down punishments. Those situations should be left to an impartial party. Goodell was granted his unlimited authority in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement, which positioned him as the NFL's judge, jury and executioner. The Gruden and Flores developments are illustrative of the fact that the league and NFLPA went too far in granting Goodell such wide-sweeping authority. The recent court rulings acknowledge the flaw in the NFL's system. That shield just added a few more dents.
Max Johnson reacts to Bill Belichick going to transfer portal for new QB
North Carolina's Bill Belichick has found himself in a very interesting situation as he gears up for his first season as a college football head coach. On one hand, he has what every new coach covets: An experienced quarterback with an NFL pedigree. That would be Max Johnson, the son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson. Johnson missed a majority of the 2024 season after suffering a broken femur in the season opener, but he's healthy heading into this 2025 season and has 22 starts under his belt between stops at LSU and Texas A M. One would think Johnson would be UNC's clear starter, but he is coming off a catastrophic injury and only just recently got back to full-strength. On the other hand, one of Belichick's first moves at UNC was going into the transfer portal to bring in redshirt sophomore Gio Lopez from South Alabama to compete for the starting job. That's a move that could have easily rattled Johnson, but in an in-depth look at his recovery from that terrible femur injury by Andrea Adelson of ESPN, the sixth-year quarterback explained that he understood why Belichick did what he did. "I get it. You have to go in the portal," Johnson says. "I didn't know if I was going to be ready. They didn't know. They asked me those questions. I'm telling them I'm going to be ready, because I know myself. But it's tough from their point of view because it's like, 'OK, we've got to make a business decision.'" Belichick made a business decision and it's worth noting that while Johnson is saying the right things about the introduction of Lopez into the equation, he's also walking the walk. "I transfer in, we're both competing for the spot, and people paint this narrative like they must not like each other. Me and Max are actually great friends," Lopez explained. A starter has not yet been named by Belichick, but one gets the sense that if Johnson gets the call, he'll be ready to pick right back off where he left off with no reservations. And as Lopez tells it, if he ends up winning the starting gig, UNC can expect to have a more than supportive backup in Johnson. "He's been super helpful with the offense. There's no second agenda with him, where he's trying to throw me off. He's been great," Lopez said.
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
