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Let 'Tiger King' Fill Your Sports Void and You Will Be Left Stunned And Dumbfounded: TRAINA THOUGHTS

Random thoughts about Joe Exotic, Carole Baskin and Netflix's wild documentary 'Tiger King.'

Jimmy Traina

1. If you need a break from watching old sporting events these days, I can't recommend Netflix's Tiger King enough.

The seven-part documentary has more twists and turns than any game you'll ever see. 

While you definitely won't fall in love with its cast, like you might with a sports team, you will be absolutely consumed by each and every person that is featured.

It's hard to explain exactly what the series is about without giving spoilers, but I can say it features a little of everything: feuds, arrests, attempted murder, allegations of another murder, crazy relationships and much more. 

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Here are some random thoughts I have about the series. I would love your feedback via email (Jimmy.Traina@si.com) or on Twitter.

• Joe Exotic would've made '80s legends such as Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince very proud with the quality of his music videos.

• Monogamy is a completely foreign concept to the cast. Joe Exotic is married to two men. Doc has an unknown number of wives, and Jeff and his wife are swingers. WHAT IS GOING ON?

• The only maybe slightly normal person is a woman who chose to amputate her arm instead of going through reconstructive surgery for two years after it was bitten off by a tiger.

• Mario Tabraue—a drug dealer who thought he was Tony Montana from Scarface—might have been the second-most normal person in the doc.

• I'm not sure I've ever seen anything on TV more disgusting than the Walmart truck filled with expired meat.

• Joe Exotic reminded me of wrestler Michael PS Hayes of the Fabulous Freebirds.

• I'm completely convinced the internet is a bad thing after watching Joe's internet show where he would shoot the head off blow-up dolls that he turned into Carole Baskin.

• On a similar note, Jeff Lowe using Google Earth to track down where Carole Baskin goes for bike rides so his group could figure out where to murder her was bone-chillingly creepy.

• How Joe Exotic was the only person from this show that ended up in jail is one of the more surreal things I've ever seen.

• Joe Exotic got 664 votes and finished third in the libertarian primary for governor of Oklahoma in 2016. I'm not surprised based on the results of other elections, but how on earth can you not be depressed after seeing that fact? 

2. A new SI Media Podcast dropped today with author, reporter and podcast host James Andrew Miller.

Miller discusses what could happen with the upcoming NFL television contract negotiations, ESPN's getting snubbed by Peyton Manning again, and how the rights landscape could change because of what's going on right now. We also discussed the Curb Your Enthusiasm season finale and Season 10 overall.

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play.

3. We told you Monday that Joe Buck was offering to do play-by-play for whatever you are doing right now to keep yourself busy. Here are some of the results, including Buck calling a marble run, a father-and-son Nerf hoops game and two little Patriots fans in action.

4. Bucs head coach Bruce Arians perfectly summed up his thoughts on now having Tom Brady as one of his players during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show today.

5. Kurt Angle has one of the most iconic entrance songs in WWE history. And it made for a perfect mashup with this Kanye West video.

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6. RANDOM YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY: Tony Soprano never had the makings of a varsity athlete.

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7. SPORTS HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: I'm not sure there's ever been a better moment in NFL history.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on iTunes, Spotify or Stitcher. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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