The Netflix roast of Tom Brady brought back memories of the classic Dean Martin variety shows where celebrities were more than willing to subject themselves (and others) to public ridicule. Brady shared an admission of mea culpa in “Deflate-gate,” Bill Belichick made fun of himself and joked with his team, Kim Kardashian received a post-production makeover to some negative reactions to her speech, and Drew Bledsoe’s comedic chops stole the show, but the excessive profanity made it inappropriate for families to watch together. Was this an appetizer to whet sports subscribers’ appetites? Could the streaming giant’s deep pockets lead to more sporting events on their platform after securing the upcoming Christmas Day NFL games?

Is there a true marquee superstar face for the NBA, with LeBron James and Steph Curry nearing the end of their primes and rumors swirling about their potential moves? Will emerging international talents like Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic take over that mantle? If Jokic and the Nuggets don’t progress in the playoffs, would his chance to represent the league be less likely?
Do the NBA refs show partiality to big-market teams? The Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle thinks so and has released tapes suggesting that referees favor big-market teams over small markets, pointing out almost 80 incorrect calls in the games he included. Will he be fined for speaking out? Is it a matter of preference or incompetence, or something else entirely?

Is the MLB having a hard time bringing fans to the games, with many organizations averaging only about 6,000 tickets sold per game? With over 500 Triple-A teams in other sports drawing more than that on any particular day, what needs to be changed for the pros to start attracting fans to the ballparks again?

Hall of Famer Jimmy Johnson, star of UCLA and the 49ers and a role model to many athletes, has passed away at 86. Selected by San Francisco in the 1961 draft, he was a multi-sports standout both at the university and professional levels, with multiple awards and accolades to his credit, and many didn’t realize that he was the younger brother of another sports legend, Bruin, and humanitarian – Rafer Johnson. He will be sorely missed.

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