DeSean wants out of Tampa Bay, Buccaneers say good riddance
DeSean Jackson has a reputation for being difficult. And after he asked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to trade him, Bucs management leaked stories of the star receiver’s misbehavior during his two seasons in Tampa. Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported that Jackson has been heavily fined for being late to meetings and for sleeping during meetings. He was tardy for a meeting last year because he was in the locker room playing cards with a teammate, defensive tackle Chris Baker. “When told he was going to be fined again, Jackson erupted and kicked over a display that Bucs receivers were using for a Secret Santa gift exchange.” Jackson then scuffled with a coach and had to be restrained by teammates.
Between the Lines: Jackson tends to wear out his welcome wherever he goes. But at 32 he’s still faster than most wide receivers. One of his former teams, the Philadelphia Eagles, have indicated interest in bringing him back.
Dallas Stars CEO Lites rips his top two players, Benn and Seguin, after a victory
You might have expected the CEO of the Dallas Stars to be happy when his team beat the Nashville Predators 2-0 on Thursday night. But Jim Lites was furious with his star players, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin. “We are getting terrible play from our top two players,” Lites told The Athletic. “We’re a stars-driven league, and our stars aren’t getting it done. These guys are not good enough. They get their money; we expect them to not be outplayed every game they’re in.” Benn is salaried at $13 million this season, while Seguin is earning around $10 million. They have not been total busts. Through 38 games, Benn leads the team with 15 goals and has 15 assists. Seguin has 11 goals and 21 assists. The players did not dispute the criticism; they both said they should “play better.”
Lions considering trading Stafford because he’s not a leader like Tom Brady
Matthew Stafford is in his second year of a 5-year contract extension, but rumors are flying that the Detroit Lions may trade their starting quarterback before the 2019 season. In a posting of NFL executives making anonymous predictions for the new year, this one seemed the most daring: “Matt Patricia (head coach) and Bob Quinn (general manager) both spent a long time in the Patriots’ organization, where they watched Tom Brady very closely. They want somebody who prepares and manages the game more like Tom.” A second insider told ESPN: “Patricia is going to say, ‘This is not the guy that’s going to get me fired.’” Under Patricia, Stafford is averaging 6.71 yards per pass, his lowest number in eight years. But his contract is difficult to unload. He’s set to earn $29.5 million in 2019, and the Lions are on the hook for an additional $30 million that was part of his $50 million signing bonus.
Between the Lines: Stafford’s teammates respect him as an on-field leader who plays with painful injuries, but he’s faulted for not providing leadership in the locker room or elsewhere. He’s thought to be more interested in his stat sheet and personal glory than in the team’s overall performance.
Austin Rivers didn’t get along with Chris Paul in LA, but now joins him in Houston
When Austin Rivers and Chris Paul were teammates on the Los Angeles Clippers, it was no secret that the two point guards were not fond of one another, the relationship strained by the fact that Rivers’ father coached the team. Paul felt endlessly threatened by his younger teammate. So it was something of a shock when the Houston Rockets this week signed Rivers, 26, to a contract for the remainder of the season. But necessity is the mother of reconciliation. The Rockets were nothing if not desperate, with Paul expected to miss a month of action after stretching a hamstring. Rivers is shooting only 39% this season, but Scottie Pippen insisted on The Jump that “there’s nothing wrong with Austin Rivers between the lines. If he and Chris Paul didn’t get along in LA, whatever, it didn’t happen inside the lines. It’s not going to be an issue in Houston. They need Austin Rivers to help them win ballgames. Chris Paul is glad he’s there.”
Between the Lines: There’s little doubt that Rivers has NBA skills, but he was faulted for sulking in a backup role in Washington and Phoenix. He will get along with Paul as long as he doesn’t undermine him.
Lombardi considered concussion no excuse for missing games or practice
Vince Lombardi may have been the greatest football coach ever, but was not ahead of his time in his consideration of concussed players. In his book, Collision of Wills, Jack Gilden writes of Lombardi’s treatment of Bill Curry after the center was kicked in the head during a preseason game. Curry was so disoriented that he could not remember snap counts. Two days later, when he was sitting at his locker gripping his head in pain, Lombardi ordered an assistant coach to lead the player onto the field and have him go one-on-one in a full-speed blocking drill against All-Pro linebacker Ray Nitschke.
