Hacksaw’s Thursday Podcast..1:30pm
You Tube-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
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“TNF-RAMS–MUST SEE TV”
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Does not get any better than this.
Late season-Thursday Night Football
Fight for first place in the NFC-West
Rams-Seattle
Both red hot..both won 8-of-9
Rams blazing offense (383YPG)
QB-Matthew Stafford (37TD-5Int-QBR 112)..(3,722Y)
WR-Puka Nakua (102R)..Davante Adams (60R)
RB-Combined over (1,200Y) rushing
Offense scored 54TD this year
An LA win could lead them to a (14-3) record
3-losses this year by 3-3-7
“PADRES-DODGERS-ANGELS…WHAT I FEEL RIGHT NOW”
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Pages and pages of sports stories I cover, glance at, read about, make notes on.
Opinions about what I have feel.
Agree with it. Disagree with it. Tell me what you think about it.
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PADRES…Ownership tells me they will operate with a (211M) payroll, and with guys leaving, it appears they have (35M) payroll sace available…Pay the going rate and keep Michael King and overpay Japanese free agent Tatsuya Imai..Keep Nick Pivetta and stay in the pennant race…So many pitchers have come off the board in 2-weeks…Stop the crazy talk of trading away name assets-to get other young pitchers….The window to be a World Series team has to be right now.
DODGERS…The payroll will be staggering again this year, it costs alot to buy World Series rings these days….The LA luxury tax bill keeps going up and they don’t care about giving up draft picks or international money….The criticism keeps mounting nationwide…Wouldn’t it be something if the Dodgers spending sprees create a force for a true Salary Cap and an increased Floor to Spending for all the small market teams?
ANGELS…For a team that calls itself the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, what a black mark to see them sign refugees, guys coming off surgeries, players from the minor leagues, not 1-established star to fix a substandard roster…Anyone really think guys named Manoah-Pomeranz-Romano are going to put them in a pennant race?….Arte Moreno-Perry Manazian…can be found shopping on Aisle 3-at Dollar General this winter.
TYLER SKAGGS…The jury deliberations continue after a 7-week blame game trial over the Angels pitchers drug death in 2019…End of the day, Skaggs was a drug addict, dealt drugs to his teammates, bought drugs off PR-Director Eric Kay…He killed himself after some 6-years of doing drugs in secret…His family should get no money…MLB should fine the Angels 1M-for their failure to run MLB’s drug program to a tee in a clubhouse rife, that year, with drug abusers on the roster…A terrible tragedy-Skaggs waste of life and the Angels failure to make the drug program work.
Some random thoughts on what I see.
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Hacksaw’s Monday-Bonus Podcast
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“ANGELS-LAWSUIT–GOES TO JURY”
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You are on the jury pool…and now you go behind closed doors to make a decision in the tragic Tyler Skaggs-drug related death-that took the life of the Angels pitcher in 2019-dead of a drug overdose on a road trip in the team hotel in Texas.
PR-Director Eric Kay, himself an addict, was convicted of giving Skaggs an oxycodone pill-laced with fentanyl, that killed him, and is serving 22-years in prison already.
The Skaggs family is suing for 118M-in damages and punitive damages worth over 700M more.
The testimony lasted 7-weeks in a long drawn out case. The jury received the case late Monday afternoon.
It was a sad-angry-dark-dirty case, one side charging coverup-the other side blaming the player for what happened to him.
Here are the key points from testimony for those on the stand:
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CARLI SKAGGS….Hold the Angels for their actions-inactions dealing with Eric Kay..Eric Kay was a drug addict-drug dealer..he was allowed to stay on the job as Angels PR-Director..My husband felt pressure to take drugs-painkillers to stay in the majors.
ANGELS..We believed Eric Kay was bipolar and had depression and the drugs he was on were prescription drugs, that sometimes were out of balance…We had no idea he was an addict…no knowledge he was dealing drugs….He was a Jekyl-Hyde personality but we felt it was because his meds were not handled properly.
DOCTORS..Toxicology report-Skaggs had 11-alcoholic drinks the night he died…a (.14BAC)…a huge amount of oxycodone in his system…a small amount of fentanyl…He was playing Russian Roulette with that much alcohol and oxy in his system..the fentanyl pill did not kill him.
AGENT..No knowledge of his addiction….No Blame on team…Wished he had asked for help.
SURGEON…He hid from me his early career Percocet addiction before I operated on his shoulder.
PROSECUTION..Eric Kay was a drug addict who was never disciplined by the team for erratic actions on the job…He delivered drugs in the clubhouse…He ordered drugs-using secret codes-thru his office computer…The Angels should have known-should have acted.
DEFENSE LAWYERS…Tyler was a drug ringleader…He brought his teammates into the drug use…He introduced them to Eric Kay…He was selfish-secretive..He bought drugs in the clubhouse-in parking lot-in team hotel..He snorted in bathrooms, in clubhouse, in an office.
HUMAN RESOURCES…The Angels should have fired Eric Kay..They never drug tested Eric Kay…They violated their own handbook
TEXTS
..Skaggs…I am an addict
..Wife..You drunk again
..Skaggs..I blacked out on wedding night
..Wife..Popped red hots on wedding night
..Skaggs..Paid (1,650) on Venmo to Eric Kay for pills
..Skaggs asked about buying Codeine..Blue Boys-oxy
..Texted Kay seeking pills a week after Kay release from drug rehab
DRUG DOCTORS
..He was an addict for 6-years
..He was advanced addict use of straws-snorting-mixing drugs
..Rich people have ways to hide it
..He brought players into his drug world
TEAMMATES…
..Mike Trout-offered to pay for Eric Kay drug rehab
..Eric Smith-we snorted drugs as early as 2011 in Arizona
..Wade Miley..introduced Skaggs to percocet in Arizona
..Cam Bedrosian..Skaggs was my drug source
..Matt Harvey…Gave Skaggs 7-percocet pills night before he died
..Matt Shoemaker..He texted me for oxy during a game
..CJ Cron..I purchased drugs 8X from Eric Kay after introduction
..Mike Morin..Skaggs is responsible for his own death..Forever hounded by this
ANGELS PRESIDENT
..Wish we had known-we could have helped him
..We never knew about Eric Kay drug depth
..We helped place Kay in psychiatric hospital
..We called police the day we found out Kay was with Skaggs that night of death
..We fired Kay that day
..We could not search for drugs-or computer purchases because of ADA laws in state
..We stopped payment on contract when we found out after death-Skaggs was a dealer
..Tyler Skaggs was a drug addict and a drug dealer
Those are the facts from a dark moment in Angels history.
You the jury needs to decide. Did the Angels handle Eric Kay’s problems correctly? Should he have been removed from his job? How come he was never drug tested with his erratic behaviour? How come there was no cause-testing of Skaggs? How did the Angels never recognize what the player was doing in off hours?
You the jury needs to decide. Tyler Skaggs addiction stretched from 2011-to-2019, was he an addict of his own choice? Influenced by the addiction of Eric Kay? How come he hid it from his wife-the team? How come no teammates recognized any of this and sought out help for him?
At stake is the salary on the contract and punitive damages that could go as high as another 700M.
You are in the jury room now. Who do you believe is to blame? Tyler Skaggs-or the Angels?
Hacksaw’s Monday Bonus-Podcast…1:30pm
You Tube-Lee Hacksaw Hamilton
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‘CHRISTMAS SEASON—EXCEPT IN KANSAS CITY’
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The Chargers sent the Chiefs an early delivered Christmas card to Arrowhead Stadium
It was a Sunday message, special delivered, in beat-down mode.
It was signed with names like Oweh-Tart-James-Tuli-Jefferson-Omani-Kimani and Justin Herbert.
It was lump of coal in the Chiefs stocking. It was a message under the Kansas City-Christmas tree ‘Home for the Holidays’
It was Take no Prisoners football, where the Bolts walked in, knocked the tree down, kicked the presents around the stadium, and even gave an obscene gesture to the Chiefs fans.
When it was finished the Chargers were (10-4), KC was eliminated from the playoffs, and Patrick Mahomes hyperextended his left knee and limped off in the 4th quarter…an MRI last night showing a torn ACL-a bad break for a brilliant player. But he’s not the same-they’re not the same either.
It was mean street, almost dirty football, on both sides. 7-different players got dinged. It is truly a game the Chiefs will not forget for all the violent hits the Bolts delivered in winning their second game they had to have in this late season push.
Add in 2-blown pass interference non-calls that surely would have changed the game deep in Chargers territory, and maybe the outcome would have been different. Fans were incensed early on and it got worse after taht.
The Bolts were relentless in pressuring Mahomes. Unforgiving in handing out big hits after receivers caught the ball. And nasty with helmet hits, and an ejection, shots at knees and Tony Jefferson giving the fans the finger.
KC is not vintage KC any longer. A disaster of an offensive line. An inability to run the football. A defense guilty of poor tackling and bad penalties.
Herbert survived a tough first half to take control of the game in the 2nd half. His defense had picks at their own 2-and-19 late in the game to snuff out the Mahomes comeback attempts.
The Chargers are peaking at the right time, despite their deficiencies. At this point there are more negatives about Chiefs football than we have ever seen during Andy Reid’s Hall of Fame run in Kansas City.
The Chargers still have 3-more games to play and you wonder if they can do this again vs the Cowboys-Houston and Denver, but they have done more than I thought possible down the stretch, considering the mess that offensive line has been since day one.
For Kansas City, I can hear the echoes…’Bah humbug’. Did not like the early Christmas card from the Chargers.
Hacksaw’s Great Sports Weekend Podcast
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“NFL-MUST WIN WEEKEND”
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Showdown games
Must win games
Backs to the wall games
CHARGERS-CHIEFS…Justin Herbert’s courageous parade thru quarterback sacks and nagging injuries continues. Patrick Mahomes ‘have to do it by myself’ season continues too. Both are great leaders, Herbert (3400APY-23TD)…Mahomes (39412APY-30TD)
BILLS-PATRIOTS..Huge AFC-East grudge match. Josh Allen (3570APY-34TD)-vs-Drake Maye (3412Y-23TD-111QBR)
PACKERS-DENVER..Broncos Orange Crush Defense (55QB sacks-30%-3rd downs-282YPG) vs Jordan Love (22TD-4Int)
LIONS-RAMS..Lions just (4-4) last 8..but offense hot (378YPG)-vs-Matthew Stafford (3354Y-35TD-4Int-113 QBR) and an offense (373YPG)…Is it Sunday yet.
BROWNS-CHICAGO..Shedeur Sanders keeps making plays, running for his life, throwing into coverages, so he gets a longer look at QB-for Cleveland…Bears QG-Caleb Williams (3200APY) is a star.
RAVENS-BENGALS..Two battered QBs-Lamar Jackson-Joe Burrow sentenced to play on struggling teams.
WASHINGTON-GIANTS..NY a miserable (2-11) facing a Commander’s team that has lost 9-of-10.
RAIDERS-EAGLES..Philly has lost 3-in a row and is a ghost of what they were a year ago on offense…the Raiders are hopeless…21-TD on offense…50-allowed on defense…Kenny Pickett takes over at QB for Las Vegas.
JETS-JAGUARS..Hard to believe Trevor Lawrence’s team is (9-4) and yet he has an (80QBR)..the Jets are on their 3rd different starting QB.
ARIZONA-HOUSTON…Jonathan Gannon’s season has gone down with injuries (3-10)..and Houston is storming towards a playoff berth.
CAROLINA-NEW ORLEANS…Taylor Shough making progress at QB for the Saints…Bryce Young-some good-some bad in Charlotte.
TITANS-49ERS…San Francisco is (9-4) and Tennessee is (2-11) and Cam Ward’s first season is almost mercifully over.
COLTS-SEATTLE…Phillip Rivers-really might play for Indianapolis with 3-QBs ailing…Some Sam Darnold season (103QBR) and a defense with 41-sacks giving up just (288YPG)
VIKINGS-DALLAS…JJ McCarthy trying to dodge sacks and bad throws stays at QB in Minnesota…Dallas may be (6-6-1) but has a favorable 4-game stretch and could get to the playoffs.
STEELERS-MIAMI…Tua’s steady play may save Mike McDaniels job; Mike Tomlin’s job still seems tenuous, though Aaron Rodgers is having a good season managing the offense.
Bring it on..some teams could be in trouble my Monday midnite.
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