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‘Hard Knocks’ Features a Fiery Must-See Mike McDaniel Speech to the Dolphins After a Loss

Also in Traina Thoughts: New ‘SI Media With Jimmy Traina’ episode; Tua needs to get his story straight; Mad Dog has a list of Christmas dislikes and more.

Jimmy Traina

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1. It doesn’t really make a ton of sense that the in-season Hard Knocks never seems to get the same attention as the preseason Hard Knocks.

The reason is obvious. In the summer, we need a football fix, so Hard Knocks fills that void. During the season, we have NFL games four days a week, so Hard Knocks becomes a side thing.

But logically, a show that follows a team during the season is going to be much more compelling than a show that follows a team during exhibition games.

That was proved this week when the HBO show aired Mike McDaniel’s speech to the Dolphins after their surprising Monday Night Football defeat to the Titans.

“We’re gonna hit this and if ‘its brutal, f--- yeah, bring that s---,” McDaniel told his players right before they were about to watch film of the loss.

In evaluating the film, McDaniel made sure to take responsibility for his own poor performance against the Titans.

“We lost the game for 15 different reasons,” McDaniel told the team. “And I have my hand fully in that s---. Trash plan on my part against their zero. There’s better s--- than having to throw a fadeaway jumper. Now, I’ve got a quarterback trying to overcompensate for me.”

McDaniel wasn’t done calling himself out, while also trying to send a message to his players. 

“Yeah, I called some trash f---ing plays,” McDaniel admitted. “That will f---ing happen. Just like you’ll have bad plays. You know what makes me a f---ing man? Is that I don’t blink at that s---, nor do I avoid it. I’m going to learn from that s---. You don’t get mad. You don’t get sad. F--- that s---. We learn lessons.”

I’ve been on the McDaniel bandwagon since Day 1, so I’m not surprised by the coach’s uniqueness, but he deserves props for not changing his personality while the Hard Knocks cameras are rolling and giving NFL fans an inside look at what happens during a team meeting the day after a loss.

2. A brand-new SI Media With Jimmy Traina dropped today, and it’s an all-Traina Thoughts mailbag edition with weekly contributor Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV in New York.

Listeners of the podcast had questions about what Fox will do with Greg Olsen next year when Tom Brady joins the network’s No. 1 NFL crew, whether Warner Brothers Discovery would pass on re-upping with the NBA if it signed a deal with WWE, what the best role for Bill Belichick would be if he went into broadcasting, ABC and ESPN airing two Monday Night Football games at the same time, if a documentary on sports broadcasters would work and much more. 

On the nonsports media front, listeners asked about the best Christmas movie, reclining on airplanes, Family Double Dare or Family Feud, the Sopranos character who would have the best grievances on Festivus and more

You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Google.

You can also watch SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Sports Illustrated‘s YouTube channel.

3. Chris “Mad Dog” Russo had one of his vintage segments on Wednesday’s First Take when he listed his top-five Christmas dislikes.

4. Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa needs to keep his story straight. At his press conference Wednesday, Tua discussed the narrative that he’s not a good quarterback if he doesn’t have Tyreek Hill. At different points in the presser, Tua said the following regarding the narrative:

“I could care less, I don’t listen to it.”

“At the end of the day, I really don’t care.”

“I could care less about it.”

“Like, I don’t care. I really don’t.”

However, Tua also said, “I keep receipts,” which is the exact opposite of not caring. Keeping receipts means you care.

Also, you beat the pathetic Jets last week without Hill. I hate to break it to you, but that’s not a receipt.

5. Ian Eagle gave an A+ effort on his call of a basketball knocking a drink out of rapper Travis Scott’s hands at Wednesday’s Knicks-Nets game.

6. The Chargers’ social media team is having a much better season than the football team as you’ll see in this video asking people to vote kicker Cameron Dicker to the Pro Bowl.

7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: If you’re a good person, you will watch Home Alone at some point this holiday season, if you haven't already. Consider this video an important supplement to the iconic film.

Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out SI Media With Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Google. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter, Instagram and TikTok.

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Jimmy Traina
JIMMY TRAINA

Jimmy Traina is a staff writer and podcast host for Sports Illustrated. A 20-year veteran in the industry, he’s been covering the sports media landscape for seven years and writes a daily column, Traina Thoughts. Traina has hosted the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2018, a show known for interviews with some of the most important and powerful people in sports media. He also was the creator and writer of SI’s Hot Clicks feature from 2007 to '13.

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