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Rodgers, Watson And The QB Drama Inferno

Franchise-hopscotching that first boomed with NBA superstars, and continued with Tom Brady, is now the NFL’s hottest and most divisive story — and we can thank 21st-century athlete entitlement for that.

Jay Mariotti

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From the day he slings his first touchdown pass in Pop Warner ball, the quarterback is a pampered, fussed-over golden child. The path leads him to high school, where college coaches bribe him, classmates worship him, girls slide into his DMs and analysts project him as a pro prospect before he learns to drive. This 24/7 stroking eventually brings riches, fame, power … and, too often, an ego bordering on megalomania.

And when that ego is insulted and bruised, while the TV pundits scream that he’s underachieving and not worth his money, the golden child summons all the clout in his life portfolio to demand a trade and protect his legacy.

5 NFL Star Players Who Could Be Traded Next This Offseason

Only now, the NFL’s escape hatch is more crowded than a rogue vaccine site, thanks to an unprecedented barrage of get-me-out-of-here-ism that isn’t a good look for some of football’s biggest names. At the front of the line is Aaron Rodgers, whose considerable self-esteem again has regressed into pouty finger-pointing after dropping to 1-4 in NFC championship games. In itself, this is a stunning and potentially historic development, the idea that Rodgers, going on 38, would demand a trade and seek bigger success in San Francisco, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. But it’s even more astonishing when he’s joined on the upward-mobility train by two quarterbacks, Deshaun Watson and Matthew Stafford, who also are likely to wear gold Hall of Fame jackets someday.

At the most important and glamorous position in team sports, never has the possible activity been more volatile. Already, numerous franchises are plotting deals, which is catnip for commentators and columnists who won’t be spending Super Bowl week in Tampa during this pandemic postseason and need fodder extending beyond Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes. Nothing tantalizes sports fans more than trade rumors involving superstars. Thus, with so many QB situations in flux throughout the league, the blast furnace is burning about Rodgers maneuvering his way to the 49ers or Rams or Raiders, or Watson forcing a trade to the Jets or Patriots or Saints. Hell, think of all the other teams that need QB upgrades now or in the near future: Colts, Bears, Steelers, Broncos, Panthers, Washington, Falcons. Do the Eagles really think a head coaching change, Doug Pederson to the obscure Nick Sirianni, can fix Carson Wentz? And what about the Packers, Texans and Lions if Rodgers, Watson and Stafford are gone?

Suddenly, no one cares about the NBA, the NHL, college basketball, the endangered start of baseball spring training or, at least until late next week, Super Bowl LV. It’s all about who gets Rodgers and Watson, and, to a lesser extent, where the less-demonstrative Stafford lands along with other QBs on the move. Oh, the fake news soon to be disseminated by agents and front offices alike — hold your nose, America.

Rodgers becomes more polarizing by the minute. The man is never happy, even after a presumptive MVP season when he seemed to forge a relationship with coach Matt LaFleur. Ten maddening seasons since his only Super Bowl victory, he was going to be distraught if the ending didn’t include a cigar and the Vince Lombardi Trophy. So when his offensive line broke down against Tampa Bay’s fearsome rush and some of his weapons were shrinking violets, sure, he was going to be upset — especially when losing to Brady, who, in his first NFC season, has as many conference titles as Rodgers.

But where Rodgers lost me was in his post-game Zoom conference. Rather than accepting defeat like a dignified grown man, he spilled more of the whine that sometimes makes him unlikable. Yes, LaFleur blew it Sunday — as pointed out here and pretty much everywhere — when he snubbed Rodgers on 4th-and-goal at the enemy 8-yard-line, preferring a field goal with 2:09 left instead of trying to tie the score with the MVP. Brady ran out the clock on a 31-26 victory, and next thing you knew, Rodgers was all but singing about his native state, “California dreamin’. On such a winter’s day …”

“It’s a good question,” he said when asked what was next. “I don’t know, I really don’t. There’s a lot of unknowns going into this offseason now. I’m going to have to take some time away, for sure, and clear my head and just kind of see what’s going on with everything. But it’s pretty tough right now, especially thinking about the guys that may or may not be here next year. There’s always change. That’s the only constant in this business. It’s a grind just to get to this point. And that makes the finality of it all kind of hit you like a ton of bricks. That’s why it’s a gutting feeling in your stomach.”

Rodgers laments Pack's uncertain future: 'Myself included' | WLUK

He soon shifted the tone from frustration to sadness. “(The Packers have) a lot of guys’ futures that are uncertain — myself included. That’s what’s sad about it most, getting this far,” Rodgers said. “Obviously, it’s going to be an end at some point, whether we make it past this one or not, but just the uncertainty’s tough and finality of it all.”

Does this sound like a man who wants to finish his career with LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst, the general manager who drafted a quarterback, Jordan Love, in the first round last spring? Or a man who soon was on the phone with his agent, discussing immediate possibilities beyond Green Bay? Rodgers feels he doesn’t get proper love from management — meaning, he wants more control over the roster and his offensive weapons. The bosses think his $134-million extension, which he signed in 2018 and extends through 2023, is ample respect. They dealt with his moods last year, when he voiced resentment about Love. It’s safe to assume they don’t want another offseason of misery, though, at this point, they only can kiss his ring … his only ring.

When asked if Rodgers will return next season, LaFleur said, “I sure as hell hope so. I mean, the guy’s the MVP of this league. He’s the heart and soul of our football team. So, hell yeah, he better be back here. He’s our leader, and you know, just so appreciative of him buying into what we’re trying to get done around here and leading that group. His voice carries a lot of weight in that locker room and just, you know, I feel for him. Him being in this situation and for us not to get it done, man, it hurts.”

Also, it’s not as simple as the Packers striking a quick deal. They could send Rodgers to the 49ers for some combination of draft picks and Jimmy Garoppolo; or to the Rams, who have soured on Jared Goff; or to the Saints, who must replace the retiring Drew Brees. But if Rodgers leaves now, Green Bay is stuck with $31.5 million in salary-cap dead money. If he demands a trade with a retirement threat, they’d have to cede to his wishes and eat the money. In cities throughout the league, fans are urging their teams to acquire Rodgers. “Hasn’t he always been a Hollywood QB? With the Malibu house? And the actresses and Danica Patrick?” they’re asking in L.A. “Shouldn’t he come home for his final years?” they’re asking in northern California, where he grew up in Chico and played at Cal.

The excitement about Watson might be more palpable. Only 25, he has a good decade ahead of him as a dual-threat machine. And unlike Rodgers, his complaints in Houston are greeted with more sympathy. No pro franchise in American sports is more chaotic than the Texans, and Watson has left zero doubt: He wants out. He’s disgusted that owner Cal McNair views him as the help and has allowed the mysterious Jack Easterby to wreak organizational havoc, such as blocking Watson from voicing his opinion about the general manager vacancy, filled by Bill Belichick-disciple Nick Caserio. Even if the Texans do the right thing with their head coaching vacancy and hire Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy — a Mahomes whisperer who’d mesh ideally with Watson — reports say Watson wants no part of a Houston future regardless of the coaching hire.

The New York media, devastated when the Jets won just enough games to lose presumptive top draft pick Trevor Lawrence, are pushing the Jets to land their first superstar QB since Joe Namath (the 2008 Brett Favre experiment was ill-fated). A better trade partner for the Texans might be Miami, which could offer Tua Tagovailoa and picks. Or the 49ers, who have eyed Stafford, he of the eight 4,000-yard passing seasons, but know how Watson could thrive in a Kyle Shanahan system.

“You can’t say anything with certainty,” Shanahan said when asked about his QB outlook. “You don’t sit here and make promises on anything.”

It could be Watson ends up in New York, Stafford in Indianapolis and Rodgers in Vegas, where Jon Gruden could ship Derek Carr to Green Bay while Love develops. Or, maybe Rodgers makes amends with the Packers and tries again. Or, knowing his whims, maybe he retires as a big-game loser who is mocked in memes. The Cheeseheads have had the good fortune of watching Rodgers for 13 starting seasons after watching Favre for 16 seasons, yet they’ve also suffered as both wobbled through drama in their late 30s. So far, Rodgers’ problems haven’t approach the spectacle level of Favre. But if he keeps losing in the playoffs, who knows how ugly this becomes?

Brett Favre's take? Packers 'burned a bridge' with Aaron Rodgers by  drafting Jordan Love | Pro football | madison.com

Of course, Brady launched the Great Quarterback Exodus when he waited out Belichick and left New England, seeing a better life with the Buccaneers. Now that he has proved his point, Rodgers and Watson are right behind him. In the bigger picture, this is the latest installment of the ongoing 21st-century series, “The Business Entitlement Of The Corporate Athlete.” If LeBron James and Kevin Durant could bounce around to better situations, for their careers and lives, why not elite NFL quarterbacks?

Sometimes, you wonder if this rampant get-me-out-of-here-ism has become a bigger deal than the championship seasons themselves. I would say none of it is good for football or sports, but would the blinking banks of talk-show callers on hold agree with me?

Probably not.

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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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