I was one of many people who laughed at new Lions head coach Dan Campbell when he ranted about biting people's kneecaps at his introductory press conference.

But in an offseason where a lack of diverse hiring of head coaches has embarrassed the NFL, Campbell deserves some credit for this staff.

He's Assembly.

Campbell hired former charges.

Head coach Anthony Lynn is his offensive coordinator and former Saints defensive backs coach Aaron Glenn as his defensive coordinator.

The Lions higher Duce Staley lasting assistant with the Eagles to a similar position in Detroit of assistant head coach.

That's three black men in important positions on one coaching staff, much like the staff that will lead the Buccaneers in Super Bowl 55.

Campbell received a six year contract from the Lions, which reeked of white privilege, considering the Lions were bidding against themselves for his services.

But that wasn't his fault.

What is in his control, though, is who works with him.

And he did Maurin, 2021 to help his new hires become head coaches than just about every other team did for any other black coach outside of the Texans.

I can't speak to Campbell's motivations, and they don't really matter if the holdup for black coaches is how if you get to be coordinators, this was an important step toward improving the current state of affairs.

If things go well for the Alliance, hopefully we'll talk more about the culture set by their staff than a speech at a press conference.

So the second time it happened, Chicago Sky fans were not as shocked but equally as disappointed.

Let me explain.

It was 2017 superstar former W N B a M V P.

Elena Della Donne was forcing her way out of Chicago ah, trade demand that landed her with the Washington Mystics, where she'd win another W N B A, M V P and a championship ring.

Two years earlier, the superstar had been Sylvia Fowles, demanding her way out of the Windy City landing with the Minnesota Lynx, where she went on to earn a W, N, B, A, M V P, and two championship rings.

So it waas that when the news broke that Naperville, Illinois, native Candace Parker wanted to come to the Chicago Sky, Chicago fans couldn't believe it.

A two time W N b A M v p third in voting for that award just last season, the reigning defensive player of the year and one of the greatest women's basketball players of all time wanting to come to the sky, choosing to come play in her hometown.

Add her to a stacked lineup that includes five time W N B a assist leader Courtney Vandersloot, three time All Star Allie Quigley and All Star Diamond to Shields.

And maybe Chicago's luck is finally turning.

And that long awaited first Chicago Sky Championship could be on the way, followed soon after by hometown boy Anthony Davis coming to the Bulls.

Maybe I'm getting greedy now on the list of people that are hard to feel sorry for.

Multi millionaire athletes aren't far behind hedge fund billionaires.

Yet somehow Bradley Beal of the lowly Washington Wizards seems to be throwing one banger of a pity party.

It seems wherever you look, someone is advocating the Wizards to trade deal and allow the 27 year old to finally utilize his skills on a real winner.

But his sympathy reason enough for the Wizards to definitely move on and rebuild because it kind of feels like the strongest argument.

Normally, if you have a 27 year old who is leading the league averaging 35 points a game, you undoubtedly rebuild around that one piece.

Kobe Bryant was also 27 when he averaged 35 a night on a bad team, but the Lakers stuck with Kobe in 12 more titles despite his 2007 trade demand.

But the Wizards are not the Lakers, and the idea of Beale never getting a chance on the big stage has many wanting the best for him right now.

Not only is Bill a likable player with strong, memorable qualities, but he's a star who didn't try to force his way out.

Not even when his own teammate, John Wall, reportedly was asking out last fall, it made Bill even Mawr embraceable.

I asked a colleague in Washington, D.

C.

If even Wizards fans would be okay with Bill being traded and he said, Ah, lot of people just want Bill to be happy.

Quite the novel concept, but it might actually help this nice guy finish on another team.

In the end, it really wasn't close.

When the Hall of Fame results were announced.

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens both came up short again, with only one year of eligibility remaining on the writers ballot, they needed 75% of the vote, and they both received only 62.

How good were Bonds and Clemens?

Maybe the best ever in 2005, when Clemens was 43 he led the National League and earned run average at 187 in 2007, when he was 43 Bonds led the National League in on base percentage at 4 80 he slugged 5 65 at the age of 43.

Of course, the problem is that their legacies and those astounding numbers are tainted by the specter of performance enhancers.

Bonds admitted using them, albeit unknowingly, while Clemens has denied using them.

But the lead prosecutor in the federal case against Bonds recently told Christian read of Forbes that the evidence that Bonds and Clemens both use steroids is quote incontrovertible, scientifically certain.

Their defenders say Well, they were both Hall of Fame players before steroids, sure, but Joe Jackson was the Hall of Fame player before his involvement in the 1919 world.

Siri's fix right?

It's not that anyone's arguing that Clemens and Bonds weren't Hall of Fame players before.

It's that what they're believed to have done later is disqualifying, at least in the minds of 38% of Hall of Fame voters.

And for what it's worth in my mind to the news that neither made the hall came not long after the news that Henry Aaron had died.

Henry Aaron, who was second all time in home runs behind Barry Bonds.

Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content.

Subscribe to ESPN, plus.