Annual ‘Turkey Awards’ cost more this year

By David Mullen

There are many reasons to be thankful for sports. We appreciate the incredible talents of NL MVP Shohei Ohtani and AL MVP Aaron Judge, the flair of the NBA Champion Oklahoma City Thunder, the gritty play of Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen and Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, the creative mind of Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes, the skill of Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, among others.

But there are still on- and off-field incidents worth forgetting. These are the moments that qualify for the annual “Mull It Over” Turkey Awards.   

At the Thanksgiving table, after trying to explain to Uncle Harry why Bad Bunny deserves to headline the Super Bowl LX halftime show, you can expound on some of this year’s sports moments that were truly turkeys. As soaring prices carve into this year’s Thanksgiving offerings, one can gobble up these free nibbles while fighting through Aunt Betty’s overcooked string bean casserole.

Nico Harrison. Proving a shoe salesman does not make a good GM, on February 1, the Dallas Mavericks GM Harrison traded fan favorite and once-in-a-generation talent, 25-year-old Luka Doncic, to the hated Los Angeles Lakers for oft-injured now 32-year-old Anthony “Street Clothes” Davis. The Mavs have derailed since the trade and are currently a train wreck. They have gone from the 2024 NBA Finals to basketball’s basement in less than one year, in large part due to the former Nike executive’s judgement.  

Thus far in the 2025-26 season, Doncic leads the NBA in scoring with a 34.4 ppg average. Harrison was fired on November 11 as Davis sat in his familiar seat on the bench — wearing street clothes — with a left calf strain. Like Davis, it may take an eternity for the Mavs to recover.

We’re No. 1. Proving an oil and gas developer does not make a good GM, the NFL fined Dallas Cowboys GM and owner Jerry Jones for an “inadvertent” obscene gesture toward fans during an October 5 game at MetLife Stadium against the lowly New York Jets. We are unable to confirm whether his one-finger salute was made in the role of GM or owner.

Jones first denied the incident, stating that the sign was meant to “be a thumbs up.” The NFL didn’t believe Jones and fined him $250,000. Ironically, the same gesture is embraced by Jets fans when directed at their team.

We’re No. 32. On August 28, Jones traded defensive standout Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, primarily for draft picks. 

As the Dallas defense faltered spectacularly, on November 4, Jones traded draft picks to acquire DT Quinnen Williams. The Cowboys are still at or near the bottom of most league defensive rankings.  

Former NFL QB Mark Sanchez. A color analyst on Fox NFL broadcasts, Sanchez was allegedly drunk and stabbed an individual the evening before a telecast in Indianapolis on October 4. Facing charges, Sanchez was fired by Fox. 

Some players really give a spit. Before the Dallas vs. Philadelphia game on September 4, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Cowboys QB Dak Prescott. The NFL fined Carter one game, which cost the expectorator his per game roster bonus of $57,222. 

Then, on November 16, the NFL suspended Cincinnati Bengals star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase one game for spitting on Pittsburgh Steelers defensive back Jalen Ramsey. The suspension will cost Chase more than $500,000. “I didn’t spit on nobody,” Chase said, despite the incident being captured by multiple on-field cameras. No booth revue was necessary. 

Roger Goodell, the NFL and streaming services. The richer the NFL commissioner and his teams get, the more out of touch they become. And their money grab is at the expense, literally, of the average American sports fan. To watch NFL games on television in 2025, viewers must have access to Fox, NBC, CBS, ABC, ESPN, Netflix, Prime Video, Peacock, YouTube and Paramount. A fan doesn’t need a game program to follow the NFL, they need a TV Guide. 

Turkeys of the Year: Clase, Ortiz, Billups, Rozier and Jones. While the names sound like a law firm, these are actual sports figures in need of legal representation. 

Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted for allegedly rigging pitches to benefit prop bets. Hall of Famer and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, Miami Heat player Terry Rozier and former player Damon Jones have all been arrested for their alleged involvement in illegal betting activities.

Once taboo, the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL continue to partner with online betting services like FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, ESPN BET and others for their lucrative sponsorship dollars. Leagues are playing with fire. 

Honorable mention Turkey of the Year awards go to the New York Mets and Detroit Tigers for late season collapses, numerous players that continue to drop the football at the one-yard line instead of reaching the end zone to complete a touchdown and the ESPN 3D pitch box which is more confounding than a Yoshinobu Yamamoto splitter.

There will be many more incidents to come, which will be available for viewing on FanDuel TV.