Axios Sports: Twitter trades — NFL's best — Trading suits for polos

1 big thing: 💬 When trades go down on Twitter | Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Open in app View in browser   Axios Sports By Kendall Baker ·Nov 24, 2020 👋 Good morning! Let's sports. Note: Tomorrow's edition will be my last before I take a two-week vacation. Jeff Tracy will be taking over in my absence. Today's word count: 1,981 words (7 minutes).     1 big thing: 💬 When trades go down on Twitter Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios   There's a new tradition in sports: finding out you've been traded on social media. The latest: Ricky Rubio found out he'd been traded by the Suns last week while scrolling Twitter at his home in Barcelona, he told The Athletic (subscription). Kelly Oubre found out he'd been dealt after a workout at the Suns' facility. "I just see people looking at me with like a glare in their eyes," he said. "I was like, hmm. And then Cheick Diallo was like, 'Hey, my boy, check Twitter.'" Between the lines: In an ideal world, players first hear the news from their team or agent, but the lightning-fast social media news cycle makes that difficult. Most NBA trades involve a bunch of people, ranging from GMs and coaches to scouts and "capologists," who specialize in salary-cap and trade rules. News of the trade often leaks to the media before teams can inform the players themselves, which can lead to some awkward exchanges. Sign of the times: In 2010, Vince Carter found out he was being traded through the ESPN ticker, a service that social media has essentially replaced. "The first time I found out was over social media, but I was cool with that. My friend texted me and said, 'You going to Memphis?' He texted me Adrian Wojnarowski's tweet." — Garrett Temple, via NBA.com The big picture: In addition to being the place where athletes learn about trades, social media is also increasingly where they go to request or angle for one. Yannick Ngakoue got into a public feud with Jaguars co-owner Tony Khan in April, tweeting a clown emoji at him and telling him to "stop hiding" and "just trade me." Four months later, he got his wish. Carlos Dunlap tweeted his way out of Cincinnati last month, publicly calling out the coaching staff and listing his house for sale on Twitter. A few days later, he was dealt to the Seahawks. The bottom line: Athletes are frequently traded from workplace to workplace, often without their immediate knowledge. It's a unique reality, made all the more absurd when life-changing news is delivered in 280 characters.     2. 🏈 Meet the NFL's highest-graded player Wyatt Teller. Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images   Wyatt Teller is the highest-graded player in the NFL this season, according to Pro Football Focus. Position: Guard Team: Browns Grade: 95.6 How it works: PFF grades every player on every play using a scale of -2 to +2 with half point increments. "Every player starts off with the default score of '0,' which means you did what you were supposed to do — no more, no less," says Sam Monson, PFF's lead NFL analyst. "If you exceeded expectations, you get a positive grade. If you didn't meet them, you get a negative grade. How severe the win or loss is dictates how far up or down the scale you go." Each game is double-blind graded and cross-checked by PFF analysts to ensure they pick up any discrepancies and try to weed out subjectivity or bias. Inside Teller's grade: On any given play, an offensive lineman is generally either pass blocking or run blocking. Pass-blocking: Teller, a fifth-round pick out of Virginia Tech in 2018 who was traded from the Bills to the Browns last year, has given up five total pressures on 195 snaps. Run-blocking: He's been even better in this area and is a huge reason why the Browns rank third in rushing yards (156.8 per game). Between the lines: We often talk about skill position players in terms of their "fit" with a certain coach or philosophy. The same is true for offensive linemen. New Browns coach Kevin Stefanski installed the zone-blocking scheme popularized by Mike Shanahan's Broncos in the 1990s and currently used by his son, Kyle (49ers), plus others like Sean McVay (Rams) and Matt LaFleur (Packers). The scheme — which involves a lot of pocket movement, QB roll outs and run plays that look like pass plays (and vice versa) — tends to generate career years out of QBs and offensive linemen, and the two are inextricably connected. "Anytime you convince a pass rusher to pause a beat before he pins his ears back and comes after the QB, that's a step that the offensive lineman doesn't have to deal with," says Monson. "It wouldn't be fair to call Teller a system player, but Cleveland's offense is a beneficial one and certainly isn't doing him any harm." Bonus: The highest-graded NFL player at every position: QB: Aaron Rodgers, GB (92.6) RB: Damien Harris, NE (90.2) FB: Andy Janovich, CLE (68.5) WR: Davante Adams, GB (92.0) TE: Travis Kelce, KC (91.8) T: Garett Bolles, DEN (90.0) G: Wyatt Teller, CLE (95.6) C: Corey Linsley, GB (89.9) DT: Aaron Donald (92.8) DE: T.J. Watt, PIT (92.1) LB: Bobby Wagner, SEA (87.9) CB: Jaire Alexander, GB (86.9) S: Jessie Bates III, CIN (91.0)     3. 🏀 College hoops ditches the suits Jay Wright during a 2019 exhibition game. Photo: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images   ACC and Big Ten coaches have decided en masse to ditch suits this season, and other leagues could follow, The Athletic's Seth Davis reports (subscription). Rick Pitino, Iona: "I'm definitely not wearing a suit. Why would you want to wear a suit when there are no fans at the games?" Jay Wright, Villanova: "I think we all wear suits and ties out of respect for the game ... but when you see guys squatting down and running around and sweating through your clothes, it's kind of silly. ... It's going to be a lot more comfortable, I can tell you that." The big picture: "It is odd that basketball coaches have stuck with formal attire for so long, given that their hyperactivity inside a hot gym often leaves them a disheveled, sweaty mess," Davis writes. "The only other sport where coaches dress this way is pro hockey, but at least they keep cool near the ice. Baseball managers suit up like they are going to play, for goodness sakes. "But ask any basketball coach why he enters the arena like he's going to a 'GQ' shoot and the answer invariably is: That's the way it has always been done." Dating all the way back to James Naismith, who wore a wool suit and vest. James Naismith, the inventor of basketball. Photo: Bettmann Archives/Getty Images     4. ⚡️ Catch up quick Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images   🏈 Rams 27, Bucs 24: Matt Gay, who was waived by the Bucs before the season, kicked a 40-yard FG with 2:36 remaining, and safety Jordan Fuller intercepted Tom Brady to secure the win for the Rams, who improved to 7-3. 🏀 UConn hits pause: The third-ranked Huskies women's basketball team has postponed its first four games and put all team activities on hold for at least 14 days after a member of the program tested positive for COVID-19. 🎬 "Netflix for Terps": Maryland Athletics just unveiled a new streaming platform called Terrapin Club+. Their in-house video team has already created five shows and hopes to produce "30 for 30"-style documentaries. 😷 New NFL protocols: All players not entering the game or wearing a helmet must wear a mask on the sideline, with violators subject to discipline. Plus, play-callers no longer have the option to wear only a face shield. Shields are still allowed but must be accompanied by a mask. The Andy Reid face shield + mask combo will be legendary. Photo: Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images     5. ⚽️ MLS playoffs continue tonight Bracket: Axios Visuals The MLS Playoffs began this weekend, and by day's end the conference semifinal matchups will be set, Axios' Jeff Tracy writes. Play-in round: Nashville beat Miami and now heads to "Toronto," which is playing its home games at UConn (6pm ET, FS1). New England beat Montreal and gets top-seeded Philadelphia on the road (8pm, ESPN). Round One: Dallas pulled the lone upset, defeating Portland in a thrilling shootout. Other winners: Orlando and Sporting KC also won in penalties; Columbus held on to beat the Red Bulls; and Minnesota breezed past Colorado. Coming up: Tonight: Along with Nashville and New England's aforementioned games, Seattle hosts LAFC (10:30pm, ESPN) to complete the first round. Sunday: The conference semifinals begin.     6. ⚽️ Champions League resumes today Table: Axios Visuals Champions League Match Day 4 is upon us. Manchester United will be looking to avenge an embarrassing loss to İstanbul Başakşehir, while PSG will try to make up ground against RB Leipzig in Group H. Today Group E: Chelsea (England) vs. Stade Rennais (Italy); Krasnodar (Russia) vs. Sevilla (Spain) Group F: Lazio (Italy) vs. Zenit (Russia); Dortmund (Germany) vs. Brugge (Belgium) Group G: Juventus vs. Ferencvárosi (Hungary); Dynamo Kyiv (Ukraine) vs. Barcelona (Spain) Group H: Manchester United (England) vs. İstanbul Başakşehir (Turkey); PSG (France) vs. RB Leipzig (Germany) Tomorrow Group A: Atlético Madrid (Spain) vs. Lokomotiv Moscow (Russia); Bayern Munich (Germany) vs. RB Salzburg (Austria) Group B: Mönchengladbach (Germany) vs. Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine); Inter Milan (Italy) vs. Real Madrid (Spain) Group C: Olympiacos (Greece) vs. Manchester City (England); Marseille (France) vs. Porto (Portugal) Group D: Liverpool (England) vs. Atalanta (Italy); Ajax (Netherlands) vs. Midtjylland (Denmark) Go deeper: Four trends to keep an eye on (CBS Sports)     7. ⛪️ Field trip: Vatican City Thanks for choosing Axios Airlines. We'll be traveling to a new destination each morning this month. Sit back and enjoy the flight. Screenshot: Google Maps Location: The Apostolic Palace Coordinates: 41.9035°N, 12.4562°E Welcome to Vatican City, where NBA players boarded a flight this morning after meeting with the pope on Monday to discuss social justice initiatives, Jeff writes. The Vatican is an independent city state within Rome, which gained independence from Italy in 1929. It's the smallest sovereign state in the world, measuring just 0.19 square miles (one-seventh the size of NYC's Central Park). Landmarks: St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world, and the Sistine Chapel and its ultra-famous works of art by Michelangelo are located in the southwest wing of the Apostolic Palace — the pope's official residence. NBA players meeting with Pope Francis. Courtesy: Vatican Media The visit: The 30-minute meeting can together after the Vatican extended an invitation to the players' union, saying the pope wanted to learn more about their past work and future plans regarding social justice. The delegation included Kyle Korver, Sterling Brown, Jonathan Isaac, Marco Belinelli, Anthony Tolliver and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, all of whom flew overnight Sunday for their Monday morning meeting. Pope Francis, a noted soccer fan, praised the players' humility and humanity, and encouraged them to continue using sports to unify and lead others. "This visit is the kind of thing that gives you ... the sense of confirmation that the work that you're doing is making a difference. The confirmation comes from someone whose life is spent giving to others, saying what you're doing is exactly what you should be doing." — Roberts     8. Nov. 24, 1991: 🏈 Argos win the title Rocket Ismail and Bruce McNall after Ismail signed with the Argonauts. Photo: Rick Eglinton/Toronto Star via Getty Images 29 years ago today, the Toronto Argonauts beat the Calgary Stampeders, 36-21, in the 79th Grey Cup — the Canadian Football League's version of the Super Bowl. MVP: Argonauts receiver and return specialist Raghib "Rocket" Ismail broke the game open with a fourth-quarter kickoff return TD. 🎥 Highlight: Ismail's 87-yard score. The backdrop: The story of the season was the Argonauts' impressive move to sign Ismail away from the NFL's eager arms. L.A. Kings owner Bruce McNall bought the team in 1991 for $5 million, with Wayne Gretzky and Argos superfan John Candy joining as minority owners. Ismail was a do-everything star at Notre Dame, and the Heisman runner-up was expected to go near the top of the NFL draft. But McNall convinced him that he'd benefit from being the big fish in the CFL pond, and even got Raiders owner Al Davis to agree to draft him in the fourth round just in case the CFL didn't work out. By the numbers: The cherry on top was Ismail's record-breaking four year, $18.4 million deal. It was the highest annual salary in North American football history at the time, and nearly $1 million more than most CFL teams made per season. Co-owner John Candy raises the Eastern Division cup. Photo: Jeff Goode/Toronto Star via Getty Images The big picture: The 1991 season was a rousing success for Toronto. With its Hollywood ownership group and the most exciting young player in the league, the Argos went 13-5 en route to their 12th Grey Cup title. Yes, but: As Robert Frost wrote, nothing gold can stay. The Argos went just 6-12 the following year and Ismail's wandering eye turned south to the NFL. By December 1993, "Rocket" was playing for the Raiders and McNall was in prison for committing $236 million worth of fraud. Go deeper: The far-out (but true) story of the '91 Argos (CBC)     9. 🏈 CFL trivia Ismail enjoying some banana bread. Photo: Bernard Weil/Toronto Star via Getty Images Rocket Ismail is one of two Heisman Trophy runners-up from Notre Dame that signed with the Toronto Argonauts. Question: Who was the other? Hint: He enjoyed a 12-year NFL career as a QB; won Super Bowl XVII (1983). Answer at the bottom.     10. 📸 MLB in photos: A pitcher with a camera Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole pitching in his backyard. Screenshot: @adamottavino (Instagram) Armed with a Leica M240 camera, a trio of lenses and an iPhone, Yankees reliever Adam Ottavino spent the season snapping photos of his teammates and their often surreal surroundings. Take a look.   Talk tomorrow, Kendall "That banana bread looks delicious" Baker Trivia answer: Joe Theismann Invite friends to follow Axios Sports Use your personal link to track how many readers you bring into the community You currently have 00 referrals. 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