Two major sports leagues made quiet but telling decisions this week — and both involve avoiding accountability. In Hour 2 of Jen, Gabe & Chewy, the crew reacts to the NFL successfully blocking the NFLPA from publicly releasing its annual team “report cards,” which graded ownership, facilities, travel, coaching, and treatment of families. 021626 JGC Hour 2 The reasoning? The grades were deemed to “disparage” clubs. The hosts aren’t buying it. 🏈 The NFL’s Accountability Problem The NFLPA report cards gave players a voice. They revealed: Cheap ownership (hello, Cincinnati) Dysfunctional leadership (Woody Johnson’s F grade) Differences in facilities and player treatment Instead of fixing the issues, the league chose to eliminate public transparency. Jen frames it bluntly: Feedback is valuable — unless you’re a billionaire who doesn’t want to hear it. The conversation then pivots to whether this is strategic leverage for the next CBA negotiation — particularly around the looming 18-game regular season. Chewy suggests owners may use facility upgrades as bargaining chips: “You want better grades? Give us 18 games.” ⚾ MLB’s Strike Zone Controversy The second half of the hour shifts to baseball. Major League Baseball is introducing ABS challenge systems this year — but at the same time, broadcasts will no longer visually indicate balls and strikes using the strike zone box. The reasoning? Prevent teams from using broadcast feeds to gain a competitive advantage in real time. The crew questions: Is this solving a problem that doesn’t exist? Why are we hiding transparency instead of improving officiating? If technology works, why not use it fully? Chewy argues if robots are going to call strikes, they should actually be better than humans — not equally inconsistent. 🧠 Bigger Theme: Transparency vs Control Both stories highlight the same tension: Leagues want modernization. They just don’t want scrutiny. From NFL ownership resisting grades to MLB softening visual strike-zone clarity, the throughline is clear: Transparency is great — until it becomes uncomfortable. 🏁 The Bottom Line Players want accountability. Fans want clarity. Owners want control. Whether it’s NFL report cards or MLB strike zones, the message feels the same: The leagues are fine with evaluation — as long as it isn’t public. 🎧 A sharp, funny, and surprisingly philosophical hour about accountability in sports — and why transparency always seems to have limits — only on Jen, Gabe & Chewy. NFLPA report cards, NFL ownership grades, Woody Johnson F grade, NFL 18-game season, MLB strike zone change, ABS challenge system, robot umpires MLB, MLB transparency, sports accountability, ESPN Milwaukee, Jen Gabe and Chewy
