One of the great joys of sports is the unpredictability they provide. Sometimes, though, off-field stories unfold in a manner that follows a predicted narrative to perfection. Four recent examples:
1. Jim Harbaugh's ultimate demise in San Francisco: In February, Pro Football Talk reported that the Browns and 49ers nearly agreed on a trade that would have sent the successful San Francisco coach to Cleveland. The report was denied, but enough smoke lingered to convince plenty of people that Harbaugh's time in San Francisco could be coming to a close soon.
The working theory was that Harbaugh's style was wearing thin with 49ers players … but the additional thought was that it might work better if he went back to being a college coach. Michigan floundered in 2014, opening up a job at his alma mater. It was almost too convenient — and it actually happened.
2. Marc Trestman's fall in Chicago: The Bears re-signed mercurial quarterback Jay Cutler to a seven-year deal in January with $54 million in guaranteed money. They were essentially saying to Trestman, a QB guru, "Here's your guy; go win with him." It was a marriage predicted to fail despite Trestman's reputation and Cutler's talent. That's exactly what happened, with Cutler tying for the NFL lead in interceptions with 18, the Bears tumbling to a 5-11 record and Trestman getting fired Monday.
3. Johnny Manziel's difficulty adjusting to life in the NFL: The critiques of Manziel coming out of college sometimes sounded like "get off my lawn" shouting. He parties too much! He doesn't respect the game! He's too small and will get hurt playing with his reckless style!
Sometimes even the hottest sports takes are correct. Manziel acknowledged Monday, after another weekend incident, that it's time for him to clean up his act. We'll see if actions follow his words this time.
4. LeBron James and the Cavaliers' initial struggles: The theory was a cast of talented players, including LeBron, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, might not be a perfect fit — and at the very least would take time to become a cohesive unit.
The Cavaliers are 18-12, but they're just 4-6 against teams from the tougher Western Conference. They rank near the bottom in many defensive categories. And there are reports of a rift between the team and head coach David Blatt. LeBron turns 30 on Tuesday, and this can't be how he pictured his return to Cleveland — even if a lot of others did.
