The new trend in the NFL is skewing toward less seasoned coaches and coordinators getting more opportunities, like Mike Macdonald’s recent hiring by the Seattle Seahawks. Do younger coaches who are willing to toe the company line have a greater appeal to organizations than those who have been at it for decades and expect to be given more control over teams? Are veterans like Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll now the outsiders?

Is Jim Harbaugh bringing a lot of baggage along with him to LA in the wake of NCAA sanctions against Michigan? Will there be a carryover onto Harbaugh personally for his part in the activities that brought about the sanctions, or will the majority fall on the shoulders of the new coach and the school itself? How will this affect the Chargers, and can his college mindset approach to coaching transfer to the pro realm? What kind of say will he have in acquiring talent?

The sports and entertainment worlds mourn the passing of Carl Weathers this week. Immortalized on the big screen as Apollo Creed in the Rocky films and appearing most recently in The Mandalorian, Weathers was a former football player who found a successful second career in acting and directing in the same tradition as the legendary Jim Brown. He was 76.

Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers has missed a lot of court time this season due to a knee injury, and is close to being ineligible for MVP because of a new rule that candidates must play at least 65 games and can only miss a maximum of 17. Will surgery be required? If so, how long will he need to spend on the sidelines? Is Laker Anthony Davis racking up injuries that might also preclude him from eligibility under the new rule?

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