JB Talking Sports

CAITLIN CLARK SHOULD LEAVE THE WNBA — MAYBE THEN THEY’LL UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY HAD

I’m so damn tired of watching Caitlin Clark get mistreated in the WNBA.

At this point, I almost wish she would just leave.

Go play overseas. Go to Europe. Take Sophie Cunningham with you.

And then sit back and watch what happens.

Because there are a whole lot of people in and around that league who apparently still don’t understand what Caitlin Clark has done for them.

She didn’t just bring a few new fans.

She brought millions of eyes to a league that most of America barely paid attention to.

She filled arenas.

She drove television ratings.

She sold merchandise.

She brought national sports media coverage.

She made people who had never watched five minutes of WNBA basketball suddenly know when the Indiana Fever were playing.

And yes, the WNBA had great players before Caitlin Clark. Of course it did. Nobody is taking anything away from the women who built that league.

But stop pretending Caitlin Clark didn’t change everything.

She did.

And instead of protecting that investment, instead of recognizing what she means to the future of women’s basketball, we keep watching the cheap shots, the hard fouls, the petty resentment, the jealousy, and the constant attempts to diminish her.

It’s ridiculous.

And the irony is that many of the same players who seem to resent the attention she receives are benefiting from the money, exposure, packed arenas, charter flights, sponsorship interest, and growing television audience that came exploding into the league when she arrived.

That’s what makes this so damn frustrating.

Caitlin Clark doesn’t need the WNBA nearly as much as the WNBA needs Caitlin Clark.

I genuinely wish she would call their bluff.

Go overseas.

Let another league market her like the global superstar she is.

Let Sophie Cunningham go with her.

And then let all the people who spent their time whining about Caitlin Clark’s attention explain where the fans went.

Explain where the ratings went.

Explain why the arenas aren’t as full.

Explain why the national media suddenly stopped caring.

Maybe then they would finally understand something they should already know:

You don’t have to like Caitlin Clark.

You don’t have to root for Caitlin Clark.

But you damn well better understand what she has done for your league.

Because sometimes you don’t appreciate what you have…

until it walks out the damn door.

What If America Had Embraced Soccer Decades Ago?

I have always believed the United States could have been a dominant force in World Cup soccer if the sport had taken hold here in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s the way football, baseball, and basketball did.

The United States has one of the deepest athletic talent pools in the world. We produce elite athletes in almost every major sport. But for generations, most of our best athletes chose football, basketball, or baseball long before they ever seriously considered soccer.

Imagine if that had been different.

Imagine if Adrian Peterson had grown up dreaming of scoring goals instead of running through NFL defenses. With his explosion, balance, power, and speed, he could have been terrifying as a striker or winger.

Imagine Derek Jeter choosing soccer instead of baseball. His footwork, anticipation, leadership, and ability to read a game could have translated beautifully into the midfield.

And then there is LeBron James.

Can you imagine LeBron as a goalkeeper? At 6-foot-9, with that wingspan, reaction time, coordination, and competitive fire, he might have been unlike anything the sport had ever seen. A keeper with that kind of size and athleticism would change the geometry of the goal.

The list could go on. Randy Moss. Calvin Johnson. Allen Iverson. Bo Jackson. Deion Sanders. America has produced generations of athletes who, had they been raised in a soccer-first culture, might have become world-class players.

But the real issue is not just athleticism.

It is culture.

Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, and the other traditional powers do not dominate soccer simply because they produce better athletes. They dominate because soccer is woven into the fabric of childhood. Kids in those countries often begin playing at four or five years old. They grow up touching the ball every day. They develop technique, vision, instincts, and creativity before they are teenagers.

That is where greatness in soccer is built.

If the United States had embraced soccer in the 1970s the way it embraced the NFL, Major League Baseball, and the NBA, everything would have changed. Every city would have developed elite youth programs. Television money would have flowed into the sport. Coaching would have improved decades earlier. A strong domestic league would have arrived much sooner. Millions of American kids would have grown up dreaming of the World Cup instead of the Super Bowl, the World Series, or the NBA Finals.

In that alternate history, the United States would not be hoping to make noise in the World Cup.

It would expect to.

The U.S. would likely be a regular quarterfinal team. It would make semifinals. It would have a real chance to win the tournament. Over fifty years, I believe America would have captured at least one World Cup, and possibly more.

Would the United States dominate every tournament? Probably not. Soccer is too global and too difficult for any nation to own completely. The margins are thin. One mistake, one bad bounce, one penalty kick, and even the best team can go home.

But America would absolutely be in the conversation with Brazil, Germany, Argentina, France, Italy, and Spain as one of the great soccer nations.

The truth is, we may just be late to the party.

Soccer has grown tremendously in the United States over the last several decades. More kids are playing. The youth academies are better. The domestic league is stronger. More American players are going overseas and competing in top leagues. The foundation is finally being built.

So maybe the question is not whether the United States could have dominated soccer.

Maybe the question is how much longer it will take before the rest of the world realizes what might happen when America finally decides soccer matters.

The Brendan Sorsby Case Is Why College Football Needs a Commissioner

The Brendan Sorsby situation isn't really about Brendan Sorsby.

It's about everything that's wrong with college football.

In one story, we have gambling allegations, NIL money, multiple transfers through the portal, NCAA sanctions, endless appeals, and now a court stepping in to overrule the governing body of the sport.

If you're looking for proof that college football has become the Wild West, this is Exhibit A.

For years I've argued that college football needs a commissioner. Not a committee. Not another NCAA working group. Not a conference commissioner looking out for one league's interests.

A commissioner.

One person with the authority to govern the sport and make final decisions.

The NFL has one.

Major League Baseball has one.

The NBA has one.

Yet somehow the second most popular sport in America is being run by a collection of conferences, courts, attorneys, television executives, NIL collectives, and a weakened NCAA that nobody seems to respect anymore.

Think about what we've created.

Players can transfer multiple times.

Schools can essentially bid for talent through NIL collectives.

The transfer portal never seems to close.

Rules change every few months.

And now when the NCAA finally makes a ruling, the decision ends up in a courtroom.

Whether you agree or disagree with the punishment isn't even the point anymore.

The question is simple:

Who is actually in charge?

Because right now the answer appears to be nobody.

The NCAA has spent years losing authority through lawsuits and legal challenges. Every major decision seems destined for a courtroom. Every eligibility dispute becomes a legal battle. Every enforcement action is challenged by attorneys.

That isn't governance.

That's chaos.

College football has grown into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Television contracts are worth billions. Coaches are making ten million dollars a year. Players are signing NIL deals worth millions.

Yet the sport is still trying to operate with a governing structure that no longer works.

The game desperately needs leadership.

A commissioner could establish uniform transfer rules.

A commissioner could establish NIL guidelines.

A commissioner could create a collective bargaining structure for athletes.

A commissioner could establish gambling policies with clear consequences.

Most importantly, a commissioner could make decisions that are final.

Not subject to conference politics.

Not influenced by television partners.

Not overturned every time someone finds a friendly courtroom.

Fans deserve consistency.

Coaches deserve clarity.

Players deserve to know the rules before they make life-changing decisions.

And the sport deserves leadership.

Because if college football continues down this road, we're headed toward a future where every roster dispute becomes a lawsuit and every major decision gets settled by a judge instead of the people running the game.

That's not a sustainable model.

The Brendan Sorsby case is not the disease.

It's the symptom.

The disease is a sport that no longer knows who is in charge.

Until college football finds someone willing and able to lead it, situations like this will continue to happen.

And the chaos will only get worse.

College football is at a crossroads.

For decades, the sport thrived because it was built on tradition, rivalries, school pride, and the unique connection between players, universities, and fan bases. Today, however, the game is changing at a pace that threatens its very foundation.

Let me be clear: I believe players should be able to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness. If a coach, university, television network, or apparel company can make millions from college football, players deserve an opportunity to benefit as well.

But what we have now isn't a system.

It's chaos.

The transfer portal has essentially created unrestricted free agency. NIL has become recruiting inducement in many cases. Rosters are rebuilt every offseason. Coaches are forced to spend as much time retaining their own players as they do recruiting new ones. Fans struggle to form connections with athletes who may be gone a year later.

What college football desperately needs is leadership.

The sport needs a commissioner.

Not a conference commissioner. Not another committee. One commissioner with the authority to establish and enforce rules that apply across the sport.

A commissioner could help create:

• Standardized transfer windows

• Clear NIL regulations

• Revenue-sharing guidelines

• Contract structures for players

• Competitive balance measures

• Uniform eligibility standards

• Enforcement mechanisms with real consequences

Most importantly, college football needs a collective bargaining agreement between the athletes and the institutions. The reality is that players are no longer operating in the same environment that existed ten years ago. The rules must evolve to reflect that reality while still protecting the traditions that make college football special.

Without structure, the gap between the richest programs and everyone else will continue to grow. Smaller schools will become little more than developmental programs for larger schools. Rivalries, loyalty, and continuity will continue to erode.

As for who should lead it?

I believe Nick Saban would be an outstanding choice.

He understands the old model. He understands the new model. He commands respect from coaches, administrators, television executives, and players alike. More importantly, he's one of the few voices in the sport who has consistently spoken about preserving college football while adapting to change.

The goal shouldn't be to turn back the clock.

The goal should be to save college football from becoming something its fans no longer recognize.

Because if we don't establish leadership and structure soon, NIL and the transfer portal won't destroy the game overnight.

They'll slowly change it into something entirely different.

And that would be a loss for everyone who loves college football.

My top SEC quarterbacks heading into 2026 season

Baby girl said “ what is the sign for? We don’t have a dog.” Lol

Here is Jim Baxter’s first Big Board Assessment for the Best Players Available in the 2026 NFL Draft — based on talent ceiling, positional value, production, and NFL readiness. I leaned into a classic football-mind approach: who projects to dominate on Sundays, not just who had the best college stats.

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Jim Baxter’s Top Players – 2026 NFL Draft 🏈

Tier 1 – Franchise Cornerstones ⭐

Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana)

Why #1: Franchise quarterbacks change everything. Mendoza has elite processing speed, arm strength, and pocket command. He looks like a 10-year starter the moment he walks into an NFL facility. Raiders will be grateful to oick him No.1 overall.

Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State)

Why #2: The most instinctive defensive player in the class. Plays fast, diagnoses faster. Reminds scouts of elite hybrid safeties who can erase mistakes across the field. I love this kid.. He is the best defensive mind in the draft. Would love to see my Steelers get him, but that ain’t gonna happen. He won’t be available if I were the Dallas Cowboys I would try to get him a number 10 if he’s there.

Rueben Bain Jr. (EDGE, Miami)

Why #3: NFL body, NFL motor, NFL production. Bain has the burst and power to become a double-digit sack player early in his career.

Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame)

Why #4: Complete running back. Vision, speed, hands, toughness. Every era still has room for a back who can control the tempo of a game.

Francis Mauigoa
(OT, Miami)

Why #5: Premium position, elite size and athleticism. Protecting the quarterback never goes out of style.

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Tier 2 – Impact Starters Early 🔥

Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)

Polished route runner with reliable hands. NFL-ready skill set.

David Bailey (EDGE, Texas Tech)

Explosive pass rusher who wins one-on-one battles consistently. I’m thinking the Jets get him a number two.

Makai Lemon (WR, USC)

Smooth separator who creates problems for defensive backs at every level.

Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon)

Ballhawk instincts. Always around the football.

Arvell Reese (LB, Ohio State)

Modern linebacker build with sideline-to-sideline speed. Jess should probably take this guy at number two, but more than likely, we’ll go with David Bailey from Texas Tech.

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Tier 3 – High Upside First-Round Talent 📈

Omar Cooper Jr. (WR, Indiana)

Big target with strong hands and red-zone value.

Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State)

Versatile defender who can cover, blitz, and play downhill.

Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)

Deep threat ability that stretches defenses vertically.

Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)

Physical press corner who matches up well with bigger receivers.