The 'Fergamerican National Anthem' book is pure genius.
1. The year was 2018. The event was the NBA All-Star Game. The venue was the Staples Center.
Pop star Fergie performed the national anthem and it instantly became known as one of the worst renditions of all time. Players, especially Draymond Green, couldn’t even contain their laughter at the trainwreck.
The reaction was so harsh that Fergie had to put out a statement the next day to explain what the hell happened.
Then Fergie’s ex-husband, actor Josh Duhamel, got all bent out of shape, saying at the time, "I was pissed off at Draymond Green, first of all. I think he owed her an apology. I thought he was kind of a prick."
It was just one of those great sports stories that those of us in the content business couldn’t get enough of.
Cut to today where we have a creative genius turning Fergie’s awful rendition of the anthem into a children’s book. Sit back, watch, enjoy, marvel at the ingenuity.
Just when you think there is nothing good on the Internet, something like this comes along and restores all your faith. Well done.
2. A brand-new SI Media Podcast dropped this morning and it features two guests.
First up is WWE superstar Becky Lynch, who talks about her real-life heat with her Survivor Series opponent, Charlotte Flair. Lynch also discussed her return to wrestling after having a baby, balancing work and motherhood, the positive and negative reaction she got during her SummerSlam return and much more.
Following Lynch, The Ringer's Kevin Clark joins the podcast to talk about a wide variety of NFL topics including Aaron Rodgers, the taunting rule, the ManningCast, Bill Belichick's genius, the Chiefs' struggles and much more.
The show closes with the weekly "Traina Thoughts" segment featuring WFAN and SNY's Sal Licata. You can get the full story behind my recent Instagram joke gone wrong, the latest episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, avoiding spoilers and much more.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Stitcher.
You can also watch the SI Media Podcast on YouTube.
3. Everyone has been freaking out the past couple of days because the NFL fined Aaron Rodgers only $14,650 for his COVID-19 protocol violations. The big narrative is that Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb has been fined more than $15,000 for an untucked jersey.
The real outrage, however, should be that taunting costs about the same as a crack-back block. Waving to someone is as bad as taking out their legs??? How on Earth does this make any sense?
4. There aren't any surprises on the list of the top-five most-watched games of the NFL season. People like to watch the Cowboys, Tom Brady and Tom Brady's old team.
5. I love this quote from Charles Barkley.
6. It wasn't quite Carpool Karaoke, but The Rock joined James Corden last night for what was basically Golf Cart Karaoke.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: Happy Veterans Day.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Stitcher. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.