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North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi addressed the ongoing speculation about the relationship between Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson and whether it is impacting the football program.
In an appearance on ESPN Radio’s “Marty & McGee” Saturday, Lombardi dismissed much of the speculation about Hudson’s involvement with Belichick as “noise” and said the program did not want to add fuel to the fire.
“I mean, a lot of it is just noise,” Lombardi said, via Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. “And for us to be distracted by something that has no bearing, that has no relevance whatsoever, that is a complete falsehood, in terms of what people are saying or what they’re writing. It’s comical. And for me, to really even attack anybody who’s saying it, gives them credibility. Which I don’t, because it’s a completely false narrative.
“The noise out there comes from a direction of people trying to be disruptive within our program. We’re not going to allow it. We’re not going to acknowledge it. We’re gonna move on. And look, let’s face it, the proof’s in the pudding. We’re having a tremendous recruiting class. We had a tremendous portal, and we’re going to continue to get better every day.”
This is a bit more in line with the traditional Belichick stance of not giving oxygen to outside noise. That approach has been undermined by Hudson’s controversial presence around the North Carolina program, where there have been conflicting reports about how extensive her role is. Belichick has claimed that Hudson has no real role within the program, though others seem to feel differently.
For the moment, Belichick and his cohorts have quieted some of the noise and avoided giving it any new fuel. However, the speculation will continue, especially since it would be very easy for Belichick to leave his role as North Carolina head coach at this point.
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Major college football coach says athletes, society 'softer'
West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez didn't hold back on what he thought of his team and the "society" of the United States in general following the Mountaineers' second day of practice on Thursday. "I'm not trying to go on a political rant or whatever but, generally, we're softer as a society," Rodriguez told reporters, via Chris Anderson of 247Sports. "We're softer as athletes...b/c everything they're around is 'How can we make it easier for them' instead of make it hard on them to learn to get through hard times." The comments came after a practice where only two of the Mountaineers' running backs completed practice, per Mike J. Asti. Rodriguez is in his first season in his second stint with WVU. Things were a little different when he last coached the Mountaineers in 2007. There was no NIL, and coaches had more power over players in their program. Rodriguez thinks coaches and players are spoiled in the modern era of college football, as shared by Anderson. "Have you been through this building? Have you seen how we eat? They got it pretty well," Rodriguez said. "They live in a fantasy world. Coaches do, too. We want for nothing. "You want food? You want medical health? You want job help? You want financial help? Cold tubs? Hot tubs? We even got an ice cream machine...free! Probably even got the sprinkles to put on it. They got it pretty good, and now they're getting paid." College athletes do have it better than ever, at least materially. Based on the lucrative TV contracts surrounding the sport, the product hasn't suffered despite the increasing entitlements for players. But that can easily change if the new generation refuses to practice.
Jerry Jones is getting exactly what he wants with Micah Parsons drama
Do not let any of the noise and drama fool you. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is getting exactly what he wants with the Micah Parsons contract negotiation, even as it reached a boiling point on Friday with the star edge-rusher declaring a public trade demand. It's the perfect storm for Jones because all of this is doing the one thing that he loves more than anything in the world. It is keeping his team, his beloved Dallas Cowboys, as the top story in the NFL and the top headliner maker in the league. His team, his player and his story are the one thing that everybody is talking about. It's the top headline on every sports website. It's the top story on "SportsCenter" and ESPN. It's dominating the radio waves. It's put a spotlight on the Cowboys star and driven all of the NFL's discussions toward them. It doesn't matter if it's overly dramatic — or even bad press. It's still press. It's still focus on them. In Jones' world, the motto of "no press is bad press" is very much a way of life. He isn't worried about getting the best deal for the Cowboys or their salary-cap situation, and he might not even be concerned with putting the best possible team on the field. He is simply concerned with the Cowboys being the league's biggest newsmaker. There is a reason all of these big-time contract negotiations play out this way for the Cowboys. Whether it was Zack Martin, Ezekiel Elliott, Dez Bryant, Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb or Parsons, they have all played out the same way. The Cowboys dragged their feet, a holdout was either threatened or started, the bridges seemed to be burning between the player and team, the negotiations would dominate the news cycle and then eventually a new, more expensive deal would eventually emerge. That is almost certainly how this process is going to play out. Trade demands get made all the time in the NFL, and they do not guarantee a trade will get made. It is often a last-ditch negotiating tactic to speed things along. They usually work in that context. By the time the regular season rolls around, the Cowboys and Parsons will likely come to terms on a contract, and all of this will be forgotten. It will probably end up costing Jones and the organization more than it would have had they agreed to a deal sooner, but again, that wouldn't have given the Cowboys the headlines they want. It is almost as if Jones likes having to pay top dollar because then he can talk about how he negotiated and paid out the most expensive deal. It's about glitz and glamour as opposed to dollars and cents. All of this fits in with Jones' overall mindset and approach when it comes to running the Cowboys. He is the decision-maker. He is the football guy. He is the only owner who does weekly news conferences after every game as if he's the coach, and he is the only owner who does a weekly radio show discussing the X's and O's of the team. It's all about satisfying his own ego, and nothing satisfies his ego more than seeing his team and his name in the news. A drawn-out contract negotiation is the best way to do that when there are no games being played. In terms of on-field success, the Cowboys have mostly been an afterthought over the past 30 years. No Super Bowls, no NFC Championship Game appearances (the longest current drought in the NFC) and mostly mediocre finishes. Any other franchise with that sort of track record would be an afterthought in the NFL. But not the Cowboys. Not Jerry Jones. It is all by design. It's the only thing they want and care about.
Erik Karlsson's Trade Demands to the Penguins Release Publicly
Erik Karlsson is one of a few Penguins likely on the move soon, and now the one thing the veteran blue liner wants in a new team has been officially revealed. After missing the Stanley cup Playoffs for three straight seasons, the Pittsburgh Penguins come into this off-season as sellers, with the trio of Rickard Rakell, Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson becoming notable names in trade speculation. While all three have a high likelihood of being moved as Kyle Dubas and the Penguins look towards the future, NHL Insider Frank Seravalli has suggested this off-season that Karlsson is the most likely of all to be moved in the summer. Now, Seravalli has followed up on the speculation, revealing another key piece of this scenario, as the veteran NHL Insider notes the one demand that Karlsson has in potential trade talks. According to Seravalli, Karlsson wants a chance to win, and given the contract that a team would potentially need to take on to bring him in, it's safe to say that only contending teams out there would be interested, with very little in it for teams that won't be chasing a Stanley Cup in the near future. As of right now, there are very few teams around the NHL that could fit Karlsson in as well as giving him the opportunity to win, with Detroit, Dallas and Carolina three teams that fit the bill, with all three having rumoured interest in an upgrade on their blue line. Ultimately, all the signs this off-season point to Karlsson being moved at some point before the 2025/26 campaign begins, and while the options are limited given his contract and his desire to win, there's no reason why a trade can't be made in the next few months.
Lakers Interested in $60 Million All-Star Big Man, Under One Condition
The Los Angeles Lakers were hunting for a center for most of the offseason after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. They knew they needed an upgrade from Jaxon Hayes. While the Lakers didn't get any of the top centers on the free agent market, they were able to sign Deandre Ayton after he was bought out. Another center would be a better fit, but he wasn't available in the offseason. Nikola Vucevic has been linked to the Lakers dating all the way back to the trade deadline, although Vucevic was not moved. More news: Lakers Make Massive Announcement Ahead of 2025-26 Season The Lakers would only be interested in Vucevic if he were to be bought out, according to Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints. Los Angeles will not be pursuing a trade to acquire Vucevic. After bringing in Ayton on a two-year deal, it wouldn't make sense to trade assets in order to bring in Vucevic. They want to see what Ayton can do before bailing on him already. The Lakers needed a starting center, as that was their biggest need heading into the offseason. While Ayton isn't the greatest option, he is someone who can help the team with what he brings to the table. The Bulls seem to think that Vucevic can still help them win games and contend for the playoffs in what will be a very weak Eastern Conference next season. If things don't go well by the time the trade deadline arrives, the Bulls might decide to buy him out if they aren't in the playoff picture. That would be the only scenario in which the Lakers bring him in. More news: Lakers Rumors: NBA Insider Provides Massive Update on Luka Doncic Extension The Lakers are always looking to improve the roster whenever possible. They aren't worried about hurting feelings, so they wouldn't hesitate to offer Vucevic a contract if they thought he was better than Ayton. With LeBron James entering the end of his career, the Lakers are going to try to win the title as quickly as possible while he is still on the roster. Last season with the Bulls, Vucevic averaged 18.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. He shot 53 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from beyond the 3-point arc. More news: Former Lakers Castoff All-Star Linked to East Team in Free Agency For more news and notes on the Los Angeles Lakers, visit Los Angeles Lakers on SI.
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