They created an entire industry out of thin air.
An industry that nobody asked for or needed.
It’s an industry that if it disappeared overnight would not affect the sports landscape in the slightest.
There’s no reason the Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t have tweeted the Luke Doncic trade themselves.
Any literate person working for the Lakers would be qualified to do so.
But instead, they let some guy named Shams do it first.
I don’t know.
That’s just how things are done now.
I think they genuinely have worked their asses off building relationships to get where they are today.
Plus, they have to be available 24/7.
They put a lot into their jobs.
Which makes the whole thing even crazier.
Honestly, they might even delay the process.
But companies like ESPN pay these guys millions of dollars.
If you didn’t know any better you’d think they brokered the deal themselves.
They’re $3M per year middlemen.
It’s an all-time racket being run in plain sight.
I don’t know how they managed to do it, but they did.
So we’ve established I feel about the industry.
But I don’t automatically dislike these guys as people.
I think Adam Schefter is great.
He’s got a bit of a personality.
He contributes actual football knowledge across a wide variety of TV shows and podcasts.
Shams has never done anything that would make me dislike him.
ESPN even told their reporters, “Hey reporters.
Stop ruining the draft for people by revealing the picks.
It’s stupid and nobody likes it.”
He just couldn’t help his gigantic ego.
Just look at that smug stupid face.
He thinks he’s so important.
On top of that, he used to dabble in the world of high school & college basketball.
Something that kid has probably been looking forward to his entire life.
Woj would just take his moment from him.
He did it to Rutgers' Dylan Harper two years ago.
It’s borderline villainous.
You broke news for a living.
You were a middle man for trade details.
You didn’t make the NBA a better place.
You just made it different for no reason at all other than to create a lucrative career for yourself.
But you’re not that important.
Sorry, I could go on forever talking about how much Woj bothers me.
But you get my point.
Then I promise I’ll get to the auction stuff.
Phones that have spent time in Woj’s very own suit pockets.
Touched his very own face.
Have been in his very own shower.
All to raise money for St. Bonaventure’s men’s basketball program.
Well the auction ended this week.
Let’s see what Woj’s celebrity was able to do for St. Bonaventure.
There were 12 Woj items in total up for grabs.
Unfortunately, at this point, we only have the answers to one of those questions.
Sans however much money the Woj Experiences brought in,the auction raised $22,675for Saint Bonaventure Basketball.
Which is about what I’d have guessed.
But something tells me Woj isn’t going to be thrilled with that number.
Hopefully the people who purchased these phones and credentials will reveal themselves over the coming weeks.
How many of the items do you think were purchased by people as a joke?
I’m thinking about half.
It would shocking if Big Cat didn’t purchase at least 1 piece of memorabilia.
I’d set the O/U at 1.5.
Woj’s ESPN ID badge has Darren Rovell’s tiny hands all over it.
It reeks of Darren.
For one, you know Darren still feels some key in of way about ESPN letting him go.
And you know Darren fancies himself a hysterical person.
He loves a good internet troll.
The problem is, he’s really bad at it.
For example, one time he created a fake Twitter account for Big Cat’s new born child.
He thought it would have the internet in stitches.
When it comes to the Paul George/Kawhi Leonard phone that sold for $5,000.
I’m almost positive Woj purchased that item himself.
I’m damn near certain of it.
Without this $5,000 sale, he wouldn’t have even hit the $20k mark.
I would actually be surprised if this is the only item Woj purchased himself.
I’m not sure what he thought he would raise.
That number seems expected to me.
But I bet Woj had his eyes set on six-figures.
I bet he though that Covid phone was going to rip.
I can’t have the most expensive phone in my auction be sold for a Barstool Sports bit."
Then threw $5,000 at his stupid Paul George phone to save face.
Maybe that would get the ball rolling (it didn’t).
I suppose it didn’t hurt anything.
But for the Bonnies sake, I hope Woj has a few more tricks up his sleeve than that.
I hope this wasn’t his big surprise, ace-in-the-hole money making venture for the season.
I’m sure it’s not…
