Things I discovered lately while falling into a sports world rabbit hole that seemingly has no bottom.

Just because you’re rich and famous doesn’t mean your pops isn’t looking out for your welfare.   

And 2025 seems to be a boom time for overprotective fathers with famous athletic sons.

The current “Dad of the Year” favorite is Tyrese Haliburton’s father, John Haliburton, who was banned from Indiana Pacers playoff games last spring after going onto the court and confronting Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo after the Pacers ousted the Bucks in their Eastern Conference semifinal series.

He’ll face tough competition in Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who got in a heated discussion at a game with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith over commentary about LeBron’s son, Lakers guard Bronny James. LeBron James later said it got “personal,” adding: “It’s my job to not only protect my damn household, but protect the players.”

Protecting the future of his son was also the plan for Carl Williams, the father of Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. The two allegedly searched for ways to circumvent the NFL draft and keep him out of Chicago, according to a book. “Chicago is the place quarterbacks go to die,” Carl told the author, Seth Wickersham. Caleb calmed things down with a news conference in May, saying those were just “ideas” and that “being able to have those thoughts is, I think, fair.”

But now his dad has been usurped by James Odunze, the father of teammate Rome Oduzne, who reposted a tweet that asked if the Bears could trade the receiver to a team “that will actually throw to him.” Rome took the story with grace, telling reporters his dad “feels like he needs to voice those things on social media. That’s his prerogative. But he speaks for himself. I speak for myself.”

James Odunze then lauded former NFL Hall of Fame receiver Marvin Harrison Sr. in a post of an ESPN report on Harrison criticizing the Arizona Cardinals offense as “hard to watch.” Marvin’s son, Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., is part of that offense. The older Harrison told ESPN if he had played in the Cardinals offense the Hall of Fame would’ve asked: “Could you please send that jacket back?”

I don’t know the answer to this growing epidemic of overprotective dads of professional athletes. We know you care about your child. That can be said of any parent.

But on behalf of the kids, please butt out.

Sticking to sports is difficult … especially when the president keeps inserting himself into sports stories. President Donald Trump reportedly pardoned disgraced former New York Mets star Darryl Strawberry from past tax evasion and drugs charges, then announced Friday that he would be attending Sunday’s Washington Commanders-Detroit Lions game via a White House text to ESPN’s Pat McAfee, who deemed the text “breaking news” instead of a press handout.

On Saturday the White House confirmed to ESPN that Trump wanted the Commanders’ new $3.7 billion stadium in Washington to be named after him. “He has cards to play,” a source told ESPN. “He can make it very difficult, through government environmental approvals and other things, to make sure everyone who wants this stadium to be built will join to put his name on it.”

One thing is crystal clear: ESPN is rapidly becoming the Fox News of sports.

Cubs manager David Ross looks out from the dugout before a game against the Rockies on Sept. 22, 2023, at Wrigley Field. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

After a two-year silence following his firing as Chicago Cubs manager, David Ross told the Athletic last month that he “badly” wanted to return to managing again. But the Atlanta Braves hired bench coach Walt Weiss, and with only one managerial opening left in Colorado, it appears as though Ross will have to wait a while longer.

After a two-year silence following his firing as Northwestern football coach, Pat Fitzgerald told an ESPN podcast last week that he’s ready to coach again and feels “fully vindicated” from the hazing scandal that ended in an undisclosed settlement between him and the university.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Fitzgerald’s media strategy is more successful than Ross’.

Cubs pitcher Andrew Kittredge warms up his hand during Game 3 of the NLDS against the Brewers on Oct. 8, 2025, at Wrigley Field. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Former White Sox owner Bill Veeck invented the “rent-a-player” concept at the start of free agency. Cubs President Jed Hoyer took it to another level with his trade-deadline acquisition of Andrew Kittredge, who was traded back to the Baltimore Orioles last week after helping the Cubs in the postseason.

After the Cubs season ended in Milwaukee in the Game 5 loss in the National League Division Series, I asked Kittredge whether he thought he would be back. He pointed to his team option and said: “I’d love to be back here, but that’s not entirely up to me. I know the offseason is a long process and every team has to get its ducks in a row, so to speak. But I loved my time here and would love to be back.”

Kittredge had a $9 million option, which was affordable, and he provided a stabilizing influence to the bullpen, especially after Daniel Palencia’s injury stint in September. But the Cubs didn’t wait to get their ducks in a row. Kittredge was Hoyer’s first trade of the offseason, heading back to the Orioles for cash considerations.

Andrew, we hardly knew ye.

Fans watch the fourth quarter during a Bears-Lions game on Dec. 22, 2024, at Soldier Field. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Has anyone ever conducted a conclusive study disproving the existence of “Bear weather?” I’d like to propose a special commission to study the subject, consisting of local Bear weather experts Dan Hampton and Ed O’Bradovich, Mark Giangreco, Charles “Peanut” Tillman, Dave Wannstedt, Peggy Kusinski and meteorologist Tom Skilling.

Sunday’s game against the New York Giants could offer some clues.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/09/overprotective-dads-pro-sports/