🃏 Uncomfortable Convos Loom!

When do we start talking about Nikola Jokic being one of the all-time greats?

Author

Stomping Ground Sports
March 08, 2025

Good Morning, Stumpers!

WEEEEEEKENDDD! Gotta love a good Saturday morning. You know what else you gotta love? Our GLUE GUY today! You know WHAT ELSE you gotta love?? Just an overall Saturday edition of The Daily Stump. Soo ummm….someone respond to this email and let us know, when are we going to start talking about Nikola Jokic being possibly the greatest Center of all-time? We’re waking up feeling dangerous this morning!

Today’s Rundown

What’s in today’s edition?

  • 🃏 When do the All-Time convos begin for the Joker?

  • 🤯 The NFL Trade NOBODY saw coming

  • 🤕 Gerrit Cole staring down the injured list once again

  • 🥹 Bruins captain dealt at deadline

On This Day

On This Day…

📸 Sinatra x Boxing Takes Over The World

Photo via Los Angeles Times

The “Fight of the Century” took place on this day in 1971 between Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali. The star-studded crowd was highlighted by none other than Frank Sinatra, who could be seen with a camera in his hand ringside.

Sinatra was the focus of attention as he prepared to take his ringside shots and one of his photos took the cover of LIFE magazine. The fight itself was epic, with Frazier ending Ali’s 31-fight win streak in front of a sellout crowd at Madison Square Garden.

Today’s Trivia

🧠 Test your sports knowledge…

Three Men's College Basketball programs are tied for the most national championship appearances with 12. One is UNC, two is UCLA, who is the third?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Yesterday’s Trivia Answer: (C) Kentucky! UNC, UCLA, and Kentucky are tied for the most Men’s National Championship Game appearances with 12. Duke is in solo second with 11. Can they make it 12?

Before We Dive In…

🔍️ Stump Spotlight

Saturday Thought Bubble

🏀 31 - 22 - 21! Unbelievable

Ron Chenoy // Imagn Images

Just a quick one for you to ponder on this fine Saturday morning…

Nikola Jokic. Yesterday he had 31 points, 22 assists, and 21 rebounds. The first 30-20-20 game in NBA history! I’m just going to go ahead and say it. The conversation of where he ranks in today’s NBA is the wrong conversation.

I truly believe the proper conversation is ‘Where does he rank all-time?’ The thing that separates the Top 10 from him would be the rings. The greats have multiple rings. Jordan, Lebron, Kobe, Magic, Bird, Shaq, Steph, Duncan, Kareem; they have rings. Plural (just named 9 by the way).

The conversation should start right now, but if he wins another 💍 this year…we’ll have to have some very uncomfortable conversations about a seismic shift in the TOP 10 ALL-TIME.

That’s my thought and I’m sticking with it!

The Hot Stove

Photo via Seattle Sports

🏈 Geno Reunited with Pete Carroll

I can confidently say that NOBODY saw this one coming, but man, it honestly makes all too much sense. Since Pete Carroll was hired as the head guy for the Raiders, he’s been adamant that he wants to be in a win-now mindset in Las Vegas. Well, trading for Geno Smith to play QB immediately upgrades the position, and the team. Geno is a well-respected veteran who’s more than held his own as a starter in this league with the Seattle Seahawks. Smith broke franchise records in Seattle last season, but couldn’t secure a long-term contract. Now, he reunites with his former head coach, Pete Carroll, to turn around a Vegas franchise desperate to win some football games. Here’s more on the details of the move..

🤕 Uh Oh, Gerrit Cole

Yankees ace Gerrit Cole has been one of the most dominant pitchers in major league baseball over the last 5-10 years, with one caveat. That caveat being his health. Cole missed the first 75 games of last season, but he ended up pitching his way back into form. Yesterday, the Yanks announced that Cole is scheduled to undergo further testing on his right elbow, nearly a year after he was shut down last season. Cole was quoted earlier this spring training that he feels like he’s “in a really good spot comparative to years past..”, but this is an obvious setback. We’ll keep you updated on where this is going, but the Yanks are already in a tough spot after losing their reigning AL Rookie of the Year in pitcher Luis Gil for three months. Check this article out for more information on Cole and the Yankees..

😢 Marchand Traded Out of Boston

In an absolutely stunning trade at the end of yesterday’s NHL Trade Deadline, the Boston Bruins sent their captain Brad Marchand to the reigning Stanley Cup Champion Florida Panthers. Marchand, 36, has spent the entirety of his NHL career in Boston since he debuted with the team in the 2009-10 season. He’s currently sidelined with an upper-body injury that will keep him out until right around the postseason, but his career record speaks for itself. He is also in the last few months of an eight-year deal and talks stalled with Boston this past offseason. I get why Boston did it, but it’s not going to feel right seeing him in any other jersey. Great article from ESPN with all the details

⛳️ Arnold Palmer Day Two

A world where Shane Lowry is playing good golf is a world that I want to live in, the guy is just way too easy to root for. Lowry takes a two-shot lead into the weekend as he was masterful with a -5 at a time when the course wasn’t playing very easily. Some guys who started slow yesterday really turned their rounds around; Jason Day shot 8-under, Sepp Straka 6-under, Sungjae Im with a 5-under, all to get their scores under par. Lowry is trailed by some big names in Wyndham Clark (-6), Collin Morikawa (-5), Jason Day (-5), Rory McIlroy (-4), Justin Thomas (-3), and Keegan Bradley (-3). On to Saturday!

Quick Links

What We’re Watching

Photo via Los Angeles Times

🏀 Solo Dolo Game televised game in the NBA:

  • ABC: Lakers vs Celtics (8:30 PM on ABC)

  • More to watch: Pacers @ Hawks (7:30 PM), Magic @ Bucks (8:00 PM)

🏒 Massive NHL slate today with a ABC double header snuck in there!

  • ABC: Kraken @ Flyers (12:30 PM), Bruins @ Lightning (3:00 PM)

  • More to watch: Maple Leafs @ Avs (7:00 PM), Blues @ Kings (8:00 PM), Stars vs Oilers (10:00 PM)

⚾️ Spring Training Schedule:

  • Red Sox vs Twins (1:05 PM), Pirates vs Braves (1:05 PM on MLB.com), Dbacks vs Reds (3:05 PM), A’s vs Rockies (3:10 PM), Yankees vs Astros (6:05 PM), full schedule

🏀 College Basketball ranked action:

  • Men’s: (6) St. Johns vs (20) Marquette (12:00 PM on FOX), (19) Kentucky vs (15) Mizzou (12:00 PM on ESPN), (7) Alabama vs (1) Auburn (2:30 PM on ESPN), (24) Arizona vs Kansas (4:30 PM on ESPN), (2) Duke vs North Carolina (6:30 PM on ESPN), (3) Houston vs Baylor (10:00 PM on ESPN), Utah vs (23) BYU (10:00 PM on ESPNU)

  • Women’s: (3) UConn / (23) Creighton idk yet

⛳️ GOLFFFF! Day 3 of the Arnold Palmer Invitational! WEEKEND GOLF! Full leaderboard HERE!

The Moment You’ve Been Waiting For

Glue Guy OTD

Benny the Bull

Bulls Mascot

I mean look at this dude, you kidding me? Just take one look at him and think “glue”. Absolute stud who’s been in the game for longer than I can count.

Quote OTD

“Never ascribe to malice what is adequately explained by incompetence.”

Napoleon Bonaparte

Submission from a friend of the program. All timer from a guy who knew a thing or two about being inadequate. But a FIRE quote known the less.

Song OTD

Arms Wide Open

Creed

Find me a karaoke joint and something cold, this song is being belted at the top of my lungs.

Can’t thank you enough for sticking to the end of this thing we call The Daily Stump. If you know anybody who might want this bit of daily juice in their life, send them this link, it would go a long way. Appreciate the hell out of you all!

Trees may get chopped. Stumps hold strong 🌴