1. Bob Ryan wrote for the Boston Globe from 1968 to 2012. During that time he became known as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, basketball writer of all time.
Ryan also became a fixture on ESPN, appearing regularly on The Sports Reporters and Pardon the Interruption.
But as we’ve seen a million times, no matter what someone’s credentials are, no matter how talented he/she may be, Twitter is a great equalizer because there’s always going to be a time when you put something out there that causes people to turn on you.
That happened to Ryan on Saturday, but it wasn’t a sports take that caused a Twitter uproar. It was about something way more important than sports: candy.
NEVER HEARD OF A TWIX?!?!?
Maybe this is shocking to me because I’m fat and have consumed many a Twix bar during my life, but Twix is legitimately a top-5 candy bar of all time. How could one have never seen the tantalizing gold wrapper that holds the two delicious chocolate bars filled with a perfect balance of caramel and cookie at a newsstand or in a vending machine or at the check-out line at a drug store or on Halloween?
How?
Bob Ryan, 74 years old, has never had a Twix. Astonishing and tragic.
Ryan, though, doubled down on his sugary sacrilege, while starting another controversy.
O.K., before we get to Ryan’s second mistake, we have to give him props for at least getting it right when it comes to Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. They are the undisputed GOAT, so good job by Ryan there.
However, accusing people of never hearing of a Clark Bar is just so shortsighted. Of course everyone has heard of a Clark Bar just based on this all-time Seinfeld scene.
2. The NHL is losing the greatest play-by-play man the sport has ever seen. Doc Emrick announced his retirement Monday. He also narrated his own announcement.
3. If you’re a hardcore NFL fan, you will love this thread that explains how Titans coach Mike Vrabel had his team draw a too-many-men-on-the-field penalty late in yesterday’s game against the Texans to preserve time so Tennessee could try to pull off a comeback—which it did.
4. One thing to always remember about NLCS Game 7 hero, Cody Bellinger: The Dodgers star revealed during a 2017 interview with Scott Van Pelt that he had no idea who Jerry Seinfeld was.
5. It all came full circle for the Jets yesterday. They went from the butt fumble to the butt interception thanks to defensive back Marcus Maye.
6. The latest Sports Illustrated Media Podcast features an interview with Turner’s Ernie Johnson. The host of Inside the NBA talks about the show’s popularity, working with Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, the one time he got legitimately mad at Barkley, how he navigates the unruly cast, the lessons he learned when doing MLB play-by-play, whether he regrets talking politics in 2016 and much more
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher and Google Play.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: The Seinfeld scene I posted in the lead item is from “The Dinner Party,” my all-time favorite Seinfeld episode. The wine/cake vs. Pepsi/Ring Dings argument is as good as it gets.
8. SPORTS VIDEO OF THE DAY: The Derrick Henry highlight reel from yesterday is absolutely bonkers.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Stitcher. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.
