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Void
Richard JeffersonRichard Jefferson

Championship teams don't need to be friends, they just need to respect each other

There is no championship team that are just holding hands and skipping their way to the finals. There's going to be moments where you don't want to talk to each other... you have to respect each other. You don't have to get along. I think that's been proven time in and time out.

This is a long-standing debate in sports psychology, but many championship teams (like the 2000s Lakers or 90s Bulls) have succeeded despite internal feuds.

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Win
Dec 23, 2020
#3732
Big CatBig Cat

The Pittsburgh Steelers are straight up frauds

The Pittsburgh Steelers are frauds straight up frauds. 11 and 0 to 11 and 3 losing as 14 point favorites to the Bengals. They are broken, they are hurt. They are damaged. And I don't know, like, has there ever been a team that's gone 11-0 and finished 11 and 5 and still going to the playoffs?

The Steelers finished 12-4 and lost in the Wild Card round at home to the Cleveland Browns, confirming the 'fraud' narrative for that season.
Void
Dec 23, 2020
#3734
Big CatBig Cat

Eli Manning had the best retirement strategy by leaving early rather than hanging on like Big Ben

Who actually is coming out the biggest winner, Phillip Rivers, Eli Manning. Eli Manning retired first. He was the first to leave the party. Now he was obviously, when he got bad at the end, it was bad, but our lasting memories are now going to be a bad, bad Big Ben... Eli's just sitting, eating, whatever, like sloppy Joes... and he's going to end up being like, Oh, remember Eli. He was awesome. He never got bad. He's like, it is a great lesson. Like leave the party, be the first to leave.

This is subjective but historically supported; Roethlisberger played one more season in 2021 where his physical decline was heavily criticized, while Eli's 2019 season is often viewed more through a lens of nostalgia.
Loss
Dec 23, 2020
#3736
Big CatBig Cat

If the Titans can't run the ball down the Packers' throat, the Packers are frauds

This game to me is everything. Unfortunately it is everything. Because if the Titans can't run the ball down the Packer's throat and score at will, I'm going to start having very bad feelings about the Packers being frauds.

The Packers actually beat the Titans 40-14, and Derrick Henry was held to under 100 yards, proving the Packers weren't frauds in that specific context.

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Loss
Richard JeffersonRichard Jefferson

Grant Williams is the key X-factor for the Celtics if the Warriors go small

I would say the two people... I mentioned Grant Williams, I think Grant Williams... he's going to be key because the Warriors just force everyone to play small... If he plays well, like he did in the Milwaukee series where he hit eight threes, 93, whatever it was, then, you know, Boston's going to be a problem.

Grant Williams struggled for much of the Finals, averaging only 5.2 points per game and losing minutes as the series progressed.
Void
Richard JeffersonRichard Jefferson

Milwaukee would have won the East and reached the Finals if Khris Middleton was healthy

I think that Milwaukee was the best team this year. If they would have had Middleton, they'd be in final right now.

While logically sound given the 7-game series, it's ultimately an unprovable hypothetical.
Push
Richard JeffersonRichard Jefferson

The Warriors will win the NBA Finals in 7 games with an overtime finale

I'm going to [say] warriors in seven in an overtime game seven. Wow.

The Warriors won in 6 games, not 7, and there was no overtime.

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