Sports

Contrary to the opinions of those who have nothing better to do than complain about our periodic Bill Belichick/Jordon Hudson stories, we do many other things than write about the most oddly compelling story in all of football.

For example, I've resisted (for now) the temptation to post more items with quotes from the recent visit by Pablo Torre to #PFTPM for a 45-minute chat on all things Belichick/Hudson. Some things, however, can't be ignored.

In an article focusing on the recent sports media misadventures of Ryan Clark, John Mamola of Barrett Sports Media mentioned something very interesting. The portion of the WQAM radio show in which The Pivot Podcast co-host Channing Crowder said Hudson "choreographed" Belichick's solo interview with Clark is gone.

Expunged. Disappeared. Kaput.

From the show's website. From its Apple podcast feed. From its Spotify podcast feed.

We checked, just to be sure. Both the portion of the show during which the comments were made on May 16 (hour three) and the full May 16 show are gone from all three platforms. Only hours one, two, and four remain.

Here's what Crowder said, beyond sharing his perception that Hudson "choreographed" the interview: “She kind of coordinates and brand manages. She has her paws on the situation. It’s different . . . It was weird to be around Belichick and Jordon. . . . I don’t see Belichick in that light. But he just smiles and nods. . . . His old lady is different. . . . She lurks. It’s weird to know him as Coach Belichick running the entire organization as G.M., head coach, talent coordinator, all that stuff, and then to see this tiny, little 95-pound girl kind of — pretty much telling him what to do.”

Wrote Mamola: "Did Ryan Clark ask to have that hour removed? Did Bill Belichick or Jordon Hudson ask to have it removed?"

Those are very fair questions. It's an extreme measure for any radio station to delete archived audio. The longer it's up before it's gone, the more awkward it is to scrub it from the web.

While it's not known whether Clark's, Belichick's, and/or Hudson's fingerprints are on the removal of the Crowder audio, it's just another delayed-action development that kicks up the broader story's otherwise settled dust.

Clark's one-on-one with Belichick delved into issues that had begun to fade away from view, such as the disastrous CBS interview. Crowder’s apology, followed by Clark's unpersuasive effort to show that Hudson didn't control the Belichick interview, woke up the echoes of a wrinkle that had been largely forgotten after the control-alt-delete of Memorial Day weekend.

Bottom line? It's all very weird. And Clark pulled himself and his popular podcast into the lingering morass by doing something seemingly far more detailed, planned, and (yes) choreographed than the usual podcast interview, where the guest shows up, talks for a while, and then leaves.

It's obvious at this point that the Belichick interview was anything but a spontaneous and organic conversation, free from selective editing over which Belichick (and/or Hudson) may have had control. The best evidence of this fact is that Clark finagled the first (and only, so far) sit-down interview with Belichick and Hudson — and killed it.

That general strangeness of the Belichick/Hudson story has returned to the center of the radar screen because it wasn't enough for Crowder to apologize for saying what he said about Hudson. Those words had to be erased from digital existence.

At the behest of someone.

Someone who doesn't realize the simple wisdom of leaving well enough alone.

Ravens tight end Isaiah Likely is entering the final year of his rookie deal, recently noting that he's focused on making plays happen rather than his contract.

But if his head coach's vision comes to fruition, Likely will be in line for a big payday moving forward.

"I want to see [Likely] be an All-Pro," John Harbaugh said in his press conference this week. "That'd be my goal for him, and he's capable of it.”

Likely has flashed his potential throughout his first three seasons. A fourth-round pick in 2022, he’s been the second tight end to Mark Andrews for much of his career. In last year’s season opener, he caught nine passes for 111 yards with a touchdown — and nearly had a second at the end of the game.

But Likely didn’t have another 100-yard game for the rest of the season. His top output was four catches for 75 yards in a Week 11 loss to the Steelers. He ended the year with 42 receptions for 477 yards with six touchdowns.

Entering 2025, Likely said this week that he sees himself as a versatile piece for the offensive unit.

“I feel like in the offense, whether I'm out wide, in-line, in the backfield, anywhere, really just understanding [my job] and making plays where the plays really aren't there to be made,” Likely said of his expectations for the upcoming season. “Just always trying to go the distance. Whether I catch a pass, whether I'm blocking down the field, always trying to make an explosive play happen while I’m on the field.”

In 49 total games with 19 starts, Likely has 108 catches for 1,261 yards with 14 TDs.