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Traina Thoughts: Sports World Reacts to Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper's Emotional Oscars Performance
1. All anyone could talk about Sunday night and Monday morning was the emotional performance by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper at the Oscars.
[youtube:https://youtu.be/uGjKCQ_12ZQ]
Even Mets third baseman Todd Frazier chimed in on the sexual tension/chemistry between the A Star is Born actors.
Sports fans also had fun with the duo's blantantly clear admiration for each other, as well.
2. The Big Lead's Ryan Glasspiegel caught this promo on CBS in which the network took a not-so-subtle shot at ESPN and FS1 for their awful hot-take shows.
“If you want your sports news without the hot takes, why don’t you stream CBS Sports HQ — the free, 24/7 network for more highlights and analysis?” asked play-by-play man Andrew Catalon.
It's rare you see one network take aim at other networks like this in today's day and age, but we like it. Network-on-network crime is always enjoyable, even though this was like a 3 on a scale of 1 to 10. Was the promo effective? Who knows? I can't see anyone downloading the CBS HQ app because of that line, but we'll always support one network mocking other networks.
We've long said that the issue isn't with ESPN and FS1 airing contrived nonsene, a.k.a. debate shows. It's that people watch them. It's also unfair to compare the two networks. Obviously, Stephen A. brings down the curve on ESPN, but the World Wide Leader isn't nearly as embarrassing as FS1 when it comes to its daytime slate of made-up debates and made-up fights
The real tragedy of what ESPN and FS1 have done, though, is they've made "hot take" a bad word (or is it bad words?), when, in fact, there is nothing wrong with a hot take if it's authentic and not something so unrealisitc and outlandish that you easily can tell it's only said for the sole purpose of shock value and getting attention.
For example, WFAN's Bart Scott said last week that the Patriots should be stripped of all their draft picks this year because Robert Kraft allegedly enjoyed the extracurricular services of a massage parlor.
That's not a good hot take. There's zero chance that would ever happen, the punishment doesn't come remotely close to fitting the crime and it's just over the top. Bad take.
These are good hot takes.
And I stand by each and every one of those takes.
3. Rumors were swirling Monday morning that the Dodgers were back in the mix for free agent Bryce Harper. Then came this report from ESPN's Pedro Gomez.
4. HUGE WWE news: Bruce Prichard, who has been co-hosting the wildly popular "Somthing to Wrestle" podcast the past couple of years, is reportedly back on the WWE creative team, where he had been from 1987 to 1991 and then 1992 to 2008.
5. Speaking of the WWE, huge happy birthday to one of the greats of all time, Ric Flair, who turns 70 years today.
6. The latest SI MEDIA PODCAST features an interview with Paul Bissonnette, aka @BizNasty2point0. Topics include how he transitioned from player to media member, how Twitter has helped and hurt him, balancing a Coyotes radio gig with the Spittin Chiclets podcast, why he dislikes Skip Bayless and Colin Cowherd, Don Cherry's anti-celebration stance, and much more. You can listen to the podcast below or download it on iTunes.
7. RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY: On this date in 1986, We Are the World won Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the Grammy's. I will go to my grave believing that Dan Aykroyd's inclusion in this is one of the most random, bizarre and illogical things in the history of pop culture.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustarted Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina. You can also follow on Twitter and Instagram.
IN CLOSING: Can't wait to see how Phillies fans react when Bryce Harper signs with the Dodgers.
