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Just What America Needs: The Riveting NFL Playoffs

As we wonder about Mahomes, marvel at Brady and bid adieu to Brees, this is a postseason where #HenneThingIsPossible, with Rodgers and the Bills Mafia ruling social media and America talking … football, like the old days.

Jay Mariotti

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Chad Henne

Dare I say this country, just for a moment, felt normal again? That we were whisked away from the inauguration violence awaiting us, and the vaccines eluding us, by a dose of majestic postseason football? By a day that prompted shouts from the couch, texts to our sports friends and passionate analysis of play calls and penalties … the way life used to be?

Tom Brady’s midlife crisis continues to thrive — not with a clandestine affair or a Lamborghini but a 14th trip to a conference title game. Drew Brees’ career ends abruptly, with tears and blown kisses, amid dismal interceptions in the city he helped rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. All after the disturbing sight of Patrick Mahomes, supposedly not human, wobbling cross-eyed into the arms of a teammate after his head had been smacked hard into the turf by Cleveland’s Mack Wilson.

Was Mahomes also limping on an injured toe that must function, along with his brain, if he is to win another AFC title and Super Bowl? Ruled out with a concussion, was he setting an absurd stage for Chad Henne, a 35-year-old relic who represents the anthesis of All Things Mahomes, to save the season by scrambling like a rodeo bull and diving head-first for 13 yards on 3rd-and-14 … then playing a role in one of the ballsiest play calls in football history?

Dare I say the NFL playoffs feel … commonplace? Aaron Rodgers heaving the football into the Lambeau stands, through snow flurries, as Packers fans belted out their bang-on-the-drum-all-day anthem. Hearts breaking again in New Orleans, where Brees beat himself and Brady played a smart, mistake-free game in his ongoing defiance of age, health and Bill Belichick. The Bills welcoming the NFL commissioner and his wife to the game as their raging fans rattled Lamar Jackson, who suffered his own wooziness.

Nothing is normal in America. Nothing will be normal for a very long time, if ever. To even utter the word “normal” is to foolishly ignore the madness that awaits us — I’m surprised Dana White isn’t in Washington promoting 25,000 National Guardsmen vs. Right-Wing Extremists — while expecting vaccines to be distributed equitably and efficiently. But at least the NFL is striving to make January as traditional as possible. And if it all seems force-fed and dangerous and still vulnerable to a Super Bowl virus outbreak, the league has succeeded like no other in deflecting our thoughts from COVID-19 to Championship 55.

“Take care,” Brady said to Brees at midfield after a warm embrace as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, not the New England Patriots, advanced.

Said Brees, mercifully off to the NBC studio, asked if playing at age 42 was worth it after breaking 11 ribs this season and losing the final game: “I would never regret it. Never. No complaints. No regrets. Man, I’ve always tried to play this game with a great respect and great reverence for it. I appreciate all that this game has given me. From the injury to all this COVID stuff, It was worth every moment, absolutely.”

At one point, we thought Henne, a QB who succeeded Brady at Michigan, and Jameis Winston, the skittish QB who preceded Brady in Tampa Bay, were going to win as he lost. Lining up wide, then taking a pitch from Alvin Kamara, Winston came off the Saints bench and threw a 56-yard scoring pass against the team that dumped him. Turned out that was a desperation ploy by coach Sean Payton, who had lost faith in Brees. Brady marches on as a modern miracle in a show aired not on the History Channel, but Fox.

“We’ve got to go beat a great football team,” he said of the next matchup against Rodgers and the Packers in frigid Green Bay. “Aaron is playing incredible. We’re going to have to play great to beat him.”

Our collective troubles vanished all day. Such as when Henne, after his right tackle slapped himself on the butt to signal the play, rolled right in the shotgun formation — on 4th-and-inches at his own 49-yard-line, 1:16 left in the fourth quarter, Chiefs leading 22-17, Baker Mayfield salivating on the Cleveland sideline — found Tyreek Hill open in the flat for the game-ending play. Wasn’t this the moment that will define Andy Reid as the ultimate gambler in a high-rolling sport? Was Tony Romo screaming so madly in the CBS booth that we couldn’t hear Jim Nantz — never a bad thing, actually?

“#HenneThingIsPossible,” tweeted Mahomes, apparently coherent enough in the Kansas City locker room to locate an accompanying GIF of basketball great Kevin Garnett famously chanting the same message.

Cracked Henne, an 11-year journeyman with his third NFL team: “I don’t think a #HenneGivenSunday or #HenneThingIsPossible hashtag is going to be on LinkedIn. … I’m always a competitor. All through the years, if it went my way or didn’t, I’ve always loved the game. This is why I play: Prepare each week to be the best me.”

As for the conspiracy theorists in Cleveland, who never will forget a killer fumble in 1988, why didn’t officials see a violent hit to the head late in the first half, helmet to helmet, that should have resulted in first-and-goal instead of a Rashard Higgins fumble being ruled a touchback? If the Browns had scored there, might they be going to Buffalo for the title game?

Somehow, Reid would have found a way to win anyway. How prepared is this man? He made sure Henne played in Week 17 against the Chargers, sitting Mahomes and other starters. Saturday night, he went though every possible option with Mahomes — and Henne — in that scenario. “Fourth-and-1 to win the game? What do you want? And that play happened to be there,” said Reid, the only coach in creation who would have taken a chance with a backup QB who’d just thrown a bad interception.

Did Reid even hesitate about the gamble? “No doubt. My coaches were on board,” he said. “There’s no tomorrow. Let’s go.”

And how is Mahomes doing? “He kinda got the wind knocked out of him and everything else with it. He’s doing great now. So that’s a positive,” reported Reid, not noting the five-step concussion process this week. “He passed all of the deals he had to pass.” Meaning, Bills Mafia can stop the Labatt’s toasts for now. Mahomes won’t be missing the game.

How fitting, in a country where older and younger factions rarely have been more divided, that two conference title games will be defined by a generational chasm. At the most important and glamorous position in sports, Gen Next is trying to shove aside Gen Legends in a transitional quarterbacking drama. The NFC will be represented in Tampa by either the incomparable Rodgers, who is 37 and wears black cleats that make him look older, or Brady, who would be trying to win his seventh Super Bowl. Countering for the AFC will be Mahomes — who continues to challenge another senior citizen in his world, LeBron James, as the Face Of American Sports — or Josh Allen, who, at 24, has become such a commanding presence and unifying force that he made people forget about those racist high-school tweets that surfaced on draft night.

Roger Goodell doesn’t need Nickelodeon to engage young audiences when he has such a compelling story line, for all demographics. Seems everyone has a QB to root for in the Final Four, and seeing how Rodgers and Mahomes have mastered the art of throwing a touchdown pass and immediately starring in another State Farm ad, they will garner the most attention. They’re also most likely to advance to Super Bowl LV — LV should be marketed as Live or Love — because the Packers and Chiefs are playing at home as No. 1 seeds who were the only teams allowed rest via bye weeks. It isn’t a format the league should embrace beyond this year, because we’d see only top seeds winning titles, but it’s a byproduct of Pandemic Ball that works.

After all, Rodgers and Mahomes rule the sport and should face each other as the reigning playmakers of their respective age classes. But here’s what you need to know about their 12-year difference: Rodgers is trying to wipe it out and prove, like some sort of football Benjamin Button, that he’s still the coolest kid. You’d think a hardened veteran who has seen it all wouldn’t be fazed by 8,456 fans who, for the first time this season at the venerable Green Bay stadium, were allowed to socially distance and drink Wisconsin’s finest Saturday. Rodgers grew teary-eyed and said the Packers were inspired by the small but raucous crowd that brought back, well, a sense of normalcy.

“Just thinking about what we’ve been through got me emotional with the crowd out there today,” he said after the 32-18 victory. “Talk about just pure joy running out of that tunnel. It felt like 50,000 when we ran out of the tunnel, it really did. It was such a special moment. Forgot how much you truly, truly miss having a crowd there. It felt like 50,000, 60,000.”

The fans used signs and snow boots to bang on Lambeau’s steel foundation, not typically audible when 81,500 are in attendance. It created a home-field advantage that will continue Sunday in Rodgers’ first NFC title game in Green Bay, against Brady and the warm-weather Bucs, with an afternoon forecast of snow showers and highs in the mid-20s. “Hopefully, it’s a little colder,” said Rodgers, aware of the narrative at work. As the Packers were riding a robust running game and Rodgers’ quick strikes for 484 yards of offense against the Rams’ top-rated defense, did you see the game’s signature moment? Rodgers, looking 25, raced toward the end zone, pump-faked, deked Leonard Floyd out of his pants, then won the race to the pylon. He whipped the ball into the stands, then stared at the heavens and shouted something. This will sound Boomerish, probably, but Rodgers has been channeling the 2002 movie “Austin Powers In Goldmember” during end-zone celebrations as a tribute to Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett, who likes the movie.

“I love gold!” he shouts.

The red zone, you see, has become known as the gold zone in the Packers’ locker room, befitting a team that leads the league in scoring efficiency inside the 20-yard line. “One of my New Year’s resolutions is definitely Mike Myers in a gold suit in Green Bay or Zoomed into Green Bay,” Rodgers said.

As for Mahomes, Rodgers is growing weary, in a half-joking sense, about constant references to his no-look passes and similar on-field magic. “Late in the game, I had — they wouldn’t show it because I play for the Packers — but I had a pretty sweet no-looker to Davante (Adams) in the last drive that kind of set up for a few plays,” he said on a recent radio appearance.

“I’m so thankful Patrick Mahomes brought that into the NFL,” said host Pat McAfee, oozing sarcasm.

“Yeah, I know,” Rodgers said. “Since none of us have been doing it for a long time.”

Damn right there’s a friendly rivalry that should extend beyond their TV commercials, though Mahomes has enough problems with now to taunt a boomer. And damn right Rodgers doesn’t want anyone telling him that he’s culturally obsolete, just because he’s 37. He can reclaim the world by beating Brady, then winning his second Super Bowl a full decade after winning his first and only. “It’s been a long time,” Rodgers said. “There’s been a lot of ball between now and February 6, 2011, which was a beautiful day.”

If a city has claimed the nation’s allegiance this season, it’s Buffalo. Who doesn’t feel for a place that dealt with four consecutive Super Bowl losses in the 1990s, then sunk into NFL oblivion when the Bills are their identity and reason for being? A small market, characterized by a rowdy and surprisingly generous fan commune called Bills Mafia, is enraptured by Allen, a small-town kid from Firebaugh, Calif. — 45 miles west of Fresno, middle of nowhere — who played college ball at Wyoming and became a fireball in western New York. He could have been a quick NFL bust if those ugly tweets, which he dismissed as being “young and dumb,” had been followed by more immaturity. But after struggling with on-field inconsistency in his first two seasons, Allen has emerged as a dual-threat badass who is such a central part of what the Bills do, they abandoned their running backs Saturday night in beating the Ravens.

He won’t win the league MVP award this year. That’s going to Rodgers, with Mahomes a close second. Nor will he go to Kansas City and beat the Chiefs, despite Mahomes’ issues. But Allen, at 6-5 and 240 pounds, is a monster who will win trophies of all sorts the next decade. He has become a popular leader who dances with his teammates before practices and loves the fans. Noting how Bills Mafia members literally jump through tables, Allen vowed on a radio show to jump through several tables if the Bills win a Super Bowl.

“And light them on fire. Let’s do it,” he said.

The Mafia, meanwhile, continues donating to causes that wouldn’t cross the minds of fans in other cities. It’s understandable when they raised tens of thousands to a children’s hospital — Allen’s favorite charity — after the death of his grandmother. But now they’re donating to a Jackson-related charity after the Baltimore quarterback suffered a concussion that forced him out of the game, assuring the Bills’ first AFC title game appearance since 1994. This after 6,700 fans, after documenting negative tests for coronavirus, had tormened Jackson with noise that resulted in offsides flags on a wickedly windy night.

“What a great environment. I know all of our fans couldn’t be in the building, but it was loud again. Great atmosphere,” said head coach Sean McDermott said, who has changed the culture in four years when so many predecessors could not. “We came here with a vision, and seeing it move forward in the right direction feels good.”

The Bills can’t take the fans with them to Kansas City, where the Chiefs have their own unique home edge in a pandemic. But the matchup will be no less fascinating — Mahomes vs. a Bills defense trying to knock him out — as Brady tries to rekindle the New England blood on the frozen tundra. Chances are, we’ll be seeing a three-hour State Farm ad in Raymond James Stadium, sandwiched around a Weeknd concert at halftime.

But the very fact we’re discussing such football matters, when no one knows what this country resembles or whether it exists in a few days, is a throwback blast we needed. I would thank the NFL with a handshake, except, the league still might infect me.

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How to Help Your Clients with Low Website Conversions

Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

Jeff Caves

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Graphic for how to increase website conversions
Credit: WPDesigner.Biz

Are your clients dealing with low website conversions? Whenever a marketing campaign is run, and the goal is to convert website visitors into leads, the temptation is to blame low traffic, amongst other issues, for low form fills or appointments being generated.  Just spend more money, you may think! Sometimes, you must look at at least four other potential issues to tackle poor conversion rates. Here are some actionable steps using the IT services industry to increase website conversions.

IT Solutions specializes in providing products, services, or solutions related to technology, particularly in areas such as software development, hardware sales, IT consulting, cybersecurity, cloud computing, networking, and digital transformations. They faced challenges with their website conversions. Despite driving substantial traffic through Google Ads and other SEO tactics, they struggled to convert website visitors into form fills for appointment requests. A 2% to 5% conversion rate could be considered reasonable. Of course, conversion rates can vary based on various factors, such as the competitiveness of the local market, the quality of the website (and radio stations help most to fix that) and its user experience, the effectiveness of marketing campaigns, and the reputation and offerings of the IT solutions business. Focusing on improving the quality of leads and providing exceptional customer service can be just as crucial as achieving high conversion rates. Don’t blame EVERYTHING on the marketing tactics! 

The Diagnosis

Upon thorough analysis, several critical issues were identified with IT Solutions’ website:

1. High Bounce Rate: Nobody was checking out the business. If 70% or more of website visitors only visit the landing page, that is an issue.  It could be slow loading times, irrelevant content, poor user experience, or unclear calls-to-action that prevent them from wanting to know more about IT Solutions. You can check the bounce rate on the Google Analytics page for the website in the left-hand sidebar, click on “Behavior” to expand the menu, then click on “Site Content,” and finally, click on “Landing Pages.” You’ll see a list of landing pages and their respective bounce rates.

2. Complex Navigation: It was hard to move around the website to find relevant information about IT services, and it was unclear who they were initiating contact with and for what purpose.

3. Unclear Calls-to-Action (CTAs): The website lacked clear and compelling CTAs guiding visitors toward requesting an appointment. Simply stating “click here for an appointment” is like asking for a meeting whenever or without establishing value. Here are 28 CTAs for free.

4. Lengthy Forms: The appointment forms were long, without qualifying information, and requested excessive information upfront, deterring potential leads from completing them.

Action Plan

1. Optimize Landing Pages:

   – Redo high-traffic landing pages with clear messaging and compelling CTAs.

   – Showcase IT Solutions’ services as benefits, making it easier for users to request appointments, thereby increasing user engagement and conversions.

2. Simplify Navigation:

   – Reorganize the menu and add more action-oriented links.

   – Provide additional options for users to access relevant information, such as “Get a free IT Solutions 15-point checkup NOW” and “Take this 5-question survey to diagnose your IT issues,” motivating them to book appointments.

3. Enhance CTAs:

   – Utilize concise and persuasive messaging throughout the website.

   – Encourage visitors to take action, whether requesting a free download about “5 things you can do to solve your IT issues on your own” or “get a free pizza for booking an appointment.”

4. Improve the Form Fill:

   – Add a further line about the number of employees who qualify for incoming leads.

   – Highlight the value of leads based on company size, prioritizing forms with higher potential impact.

Review landing pages, navigation, CTAs, and form experience to address website conversion issues. Don’t assume there isn’t enough traffic; focus on optimizing user engagement once visitors arrive on the site.

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‘NHL on TNT’ Gives Hockey Fans the ‘NBA on TNT’ Treatment

Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

John Molori

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NHL on TNT studio

Let’s play a little word association, sports media style. If I say TNT, what is your response? Chances are it will be a three-letter abbreviation of your own, namely, NBA. Over the years, TNT has built a reputation as arguably the premiere network to telecast the National Basketball Association.

The NBA on TNT pregame and halftime shows have become the gold standard with stars like Ernie Johnson, Jr., Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal. Still, it’s not just this quartet of roundball royalty that has fortified TNT’s hoops coverage.

The rep was also built on tremendous play-by-play announcers like Bob Neal and Kevin Harlan, color analysts like Doug Collins and Reggie Miller, and courtside reporters like the late Craig Sager and current sideline star Allie LaForce.

Indeed, TNT and the NBA have become synonymous, but I have some news for you. This network is not just about professional basketball. This past week I went off the grid with TNT looking at their in-game and studio coverage of the NHL.

On March 24, the NHL on TNT provided coverage of the Pittsburgh Penguins at Colorado Avalanche matchup. Kenny Albert did play-by-play with Eddie Olczyk on color. Albert is not as noted as his legendary broadcasting father Marv Albert, but he has certainly staked his claim as one of the best in the business – able to cross over to multiple sports with equal aplomb.

Hockey is a strong suit for Albert. His rat-tat-tat, drama-building style draws viewers in and keeps us on the edge of our seats. Similarly, Olczyk is one of the top four or five NHL game analysts in the business. His style is understated, providing calm and clear analysis of key plays. They work really well together.

Albert eschews any kind of hackneyed and trite catch phrases for his goal calls. An emphatic, “He shoots and scores!” is plenty enough.

Hockey is a different beast when it comes to play-by-play. Unlike basketball, baseball, football, or even soccer and tennis, there is a minimum of breaks in the action. With hockey, a play-by-play announcer has to know the names of the players like he or she knows her kids’ names.

To me, it is the hardest sport for play-by-play and equally difficult for a color analyst. In basketball, after a team scores, the play-by-play announcer will keep silent and give the color analyst time to talk until the play crosses center court. In baseball and football, there is ample room for commentary.

Hockey does not offer such space, but Olczyk gets the most out of the minimal amount of time. Watching Albert and Olczyk call a hockey game is like watching Picasso paint and da Vinci sculpt. They are masters of their respective crafts.

Coming back from a break in the game, Albert and Olczyk provided on air commentary and then tossed to ice level reporter Brian Boucher who has grown into a tremendous asset to the TNT broadcasts. Boucher provided real talk about Colorado’s objectives of staying on top of their division and vying for the top seed in the Western Conference.

The Penguins, squarely in a rebuilding year having dumped talent at the NHL trade deadline, surprisingly jumped out to a 2–0 lead in this game, and the TNT between periods studio crew was all over it. The excellent Liam McHugh hosted alongside Colby Armstrong, Anson Carter, and Keith Yandle.

Armstrong was especially entertaining. With Pittsburgh outshooting the Avs 16-4, Armstrong noted that it’s the best he’s seen Pittsburgh play in a long time. His reasoning was that teams get geared up for playing Colorado even if it’s out of fear. Great stuff.

Both teams tallied two goals in the second period giving Pittsburgh a 4-2 lead heading into the final frame. When Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon set up Jonathan Drouin for a goal to make it 4-3, Albert and Olczyk showed their strengths.

Albert called the pass from MacKinnon and one-timer goal from Drouin, and immediately noted that MacKinnon now had a point in all 34 of Colorado’s home games this season. On the goal replay, Olczyk showed how the play developed pointing out how McKinnon allowed Pittsburgh’s Evgenii Malkin to come in close before making the past to Drouin.

The TNT production team then showed a graphic displaying that McKinnon is now second all-time in longest home points streaks trailing only Wayne Gretzky. This was a sublime sequence of symmetry between talent and technicians like a songwriter, musician, and singer creating beautiful music.

What was supposed to be a blowout win for Colorado had now become a hockey barn burner, and the TNT crew was up to the task. Every goal and key play was followed up with replays from multiple angles showing the genesis of the action.

TNT has certainly taken to the velocity of the hockey broadcast with movement that challenges directors, graphics professionals, and videographers.

When there were breaks in this non-stop action, Olczyk was at his best. No hockey analyst draws on his experience as a player and explains that experience better to viewers. The TNT broadcast also lets Boucher freewheel and join in the flow of discussion without having to be introduced.

TNT does not merely rely on the traditional wide shot of the entire rink. We see close-up shots of each goaltender after a great save and the sweat of players on the bench or in the penalty box.

When McKinnon tied the game at 4-4 with 4:38 left in the third period, we got a series of tremendous crowd shots showing the Colorado fans going absolutely berserk. The sage Albert and Olczyk wisely remained quiet for several seconds, letting the cheers do the talking.

When Drouin scored the game winner at 4:06 of overtime, Albert exercised controlled enthusiasm, raising his voice on the call of the goal, but not becoming the show and overshadowing the play itself. He is definitely in the mold of Dan Kelly, Gary Thorne, and Sean McDonough, announcers who enhance but do not supersede the game.

Putting a cherry on top of this hockey Sunday, TNT showed a graphic that the Avalanche now led the NHL in comeback wins this season with 25 and that they were riding a 9-game winning streak. In analyzing the goal, Olczyk opined that the altitude of playing in Colorado was prevalent as the Penguins seemed to tire as the game progressed – really interesting insight.

In the postgame show, Anson Carter made a great point that the chemistry between Drouin and MacKinnon stems from the fact that they have been playing together going back to junior hockey. McKinnon joined in from the arena for a postgame interview. The analysts asked solid questions and even did a funny MVP chant together as the interview ended.

The NHL on TNT takes no back seat to its elder NBA sister. The broadcast provides viewers with flash, dash, and serious hockey talk from every angle – in studio, from the broadcast booth, and on the ice.

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Kim Mulkey Now Has Everyone Anticipating Washington Post Story

I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it.

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photo of LSU women's college basketball coach Kim Mulkey
Credit: Dailymail.co.uk

The Washington Post, you might’ve heard, has a story coming out about controversial LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey. The reason you might’ve heard is because Kim Mulkey told you. The Tigers coach read a fiery prepared statement just before her team started the Women’s NCAA Tournament. In the statement, Mulkey threatened to sue The Post for defamation before the first word was even published.

Now, I’ve never run a public relations firm but that did not seem like a good idea. The Washington Post story on Mulkey is one of the bigger stories in sports right now and nobody even knows what’s in it. The reason the story, apparently unflattering to Mulkey, is even on anyone’s radar screen is Mulkey herself.

It all started with an innocuous social media post by Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde right in the middle of the most anticipated two days in sports, the NCAA Tournament Round of 64. On his X account, Forde posted: “Hearing some buzz about a big Washington Post story in the works on LSU women’s hoops coach Kim Mulkey, potentially next week. Wagons being circled, etc.”

You know what generally will go unnoticed at 4:00 on the first Friday of the NCAA Tournament? A post on X about a women’s basketball coach. But don’t tell Mulkey, she saw Forde’s post and decided to fight fire with nuclear weaponry. The result: the average person like me now is really interested in what has Mulkey so incensed. By “average person like me” I mean that I can’t imagine what headline, under normal circumstances, the Washington Post would have to put on a Kim Mulkey story to make me want to read it. Maybe:

“LSU Women’s Coach Discovers Ark of the Covenant”

Or:

“Mulkey Reveals True JFK Assassin(s)”

Perhaps:

“Famed Women’s Basketball Coach Reveals the Mystery Behind Slow Drivers in the Left Lane”

Literally any of those catch my attention more than whatever will likely be the Washington Post headline about Mulkey. But now Mulkey is “Mad as Hell and is not going to take this anymore” so I now have an interest I would never before have had in this story. It has been fascinating to watch the online speculation about the subject of the article and all we really know, as of now, is that it will be written by Kent Babb. This is a dream come true for Babb; he writes an article that is, presumably, not flattering about Kim Mulkey and, before it is even published, she gives the article the greatest commercial anyone could give it. Babb couldn’t have entered into a business agreement with Mulkey and had this turn out better for him.

For those who don’t follow Babb, he is a former NFL reporter who now is an award-winning writer for the Washington Post. In his 14 years with The Post, he has written sports features and authored a couple of books. One of those sports features stories was a deep dive into what he viewed as a large inequity in the level of pay for LSU head football coach Brian Kelly and his LSU players. It is this piece Mulkey described as a “hit piece” and, based on that piece, referred to Babb as a “sleazy reporter.” Babb, and many others, resented the fact his story was labeled as a hit piece. In fact, Babb essentially confirmed he was the author Mulkey was referencing when he shared the original article on X with the comment: “Hit piece?”

Whether a printed piece or a recorded interview, I can’t imagine a better promotion for it than the subject of the interview threatening a libel/slander lawsuit, especially before it is even released. That simply screams “This piece is salacious!!” Also, libel and slander suits get settled all the time, right? Of course they don’t, they seem to never even get filed. That little thing called discovery is a scary thing for most public figures.

The NCAA Tournament has been very entertaining, and I think the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight will be terrific. For only the fifth time ever, the top two seeds have advanced to the third round which sets up for a remarkable weekend. For me, I guess it will now include a Washington Post article, not a sentence I’d normally say.

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