33 THREES

[00:00:05] Sports Reports As Ordered. We are here. It's Friday night. We got playoff games. Nah, that's not how we do it. We started off like this. Yes, you are now listening to the sound of Sports Reports As Ordered.

[00:00:27] And you know what? I wasn't the only person in the world that didn't realize that Tyson Fury and Alexander Ushik Part 2 is tomorrow. Boxing fails again. Jeez.

[00:00:43] That Saudi money.

[00:00:45] That Saudi money is long. And I got with me the even kill. Born in Texas, raised in VA, representing New Jerus.

[00:00:54] And he wants you to know that New Jersey is the most cultured state in our nation as they had the first Native American reservation.

[00:01:04] I'm telling you, man. Don't move here, though. Don't move here, though. Mr. Logical, do not bring feelings to a fact fight.

[00:01:13] Yeah, Maya from afar.

[00:01:14] And then you got me, your unorthodox statistician, a.k.a. the Aggie Daddy.

[00:01:22] Going left so much, I thought I was South Park. I go by the name of 2-5.

[00:01:29] Like, review, subscribe, share, rate, do all the free things.

[00:01:35] Do all of those good things.

[00:01:39] And Mr. Logical's gonna get us started with something that's on his mind.

[00:01:45] Yeah, so a lot of sports stuff hasn't really been getting on my nerves too bad recently.

[00:01:51] Like, we're kind of, like, clawing for the get-off-my-chest topics.

[00:01:54] But when they do come across, it really locks me in.

[00:01:59] The junior college NCAA eligibility extending.

[00:02:05] Like, I don't know all the details of it.

[00:02:09] But it's something as simple as this.

[00:02:11] That time should count.

[00:02:15] You're gonna graduate high school.

[00:02:19] Let's take it back.

[00:02:21] Like I said, my sons in youth sports, a lot of kids are re-classing.

[00:02:25] That's the term they're using.

[00:02:26] They're holding the kids back.

[00:02:28] So you got guys graduated from high school, 19, you know, with the hopes that they have.

[00:02:34] Like, they get that man body in their junior, senior year.

[00:02:39] So you go to JUCO four years.

[00:02:43] You get out of there, you're 23.

[00:02:46] And then you do another four years at Wyoming or Indiana or UTEP, wherever you end up.

[00:02:53] Vanderbilt?

[00:02:54] Vanderbilt.

[00:02:55] So now you're 27 years old.

[00:02:59] I have a friend on Facebook.

[00:03:01] Her son just won.

[00:03:05] Their team just won.

[00:03:06] He goes to Milton High School in Georgia.

[00:03:08] They just won back-to-back state championships.

[00:03:10] He's going from high school to Tennessee.

[00:03:14] So now Tennessee, Vandy are on the schedule next year.

[00:03:20] He's gonna be 19.

[00:03:23] And Pavia is what?

[00:03:25] He's 23.

[00:03:26] 23.

[00:03:28] 24 years old.

[00:03:29] It's like, that's a five-year gap when that guy should have already been done with school.

[00:03:34] Now you're gonna increase that to a six- and seven-year gap.

[00:03:37] Cam rising, trying to do 26, 27.

[00:03:41] Well, you remember the guy from Miami, the tight end, that was on his ninth year this year.

[00:03:45] He's on his ninth year.

[00:03:46] There's guys that, you know, graduated with Jason Tatum in high school in basketball, still playing college basketball.

[00:03:54] Jason Tatum on a $300 million contract right now.

[00:03:57] Well, another one, right?

[00:03:58] Bo Nix and Justin Herbert played against each other.

[00:04:03] Yeah, when he was at Auburn.

[00:04:04] Yeah, when he was at Auburn.

[00:04:06] And he's a rookie now, and Herbert's in year five.

[00:04:09] Yeah, on his second contract.

[00:04:12] And I get that the pendulum swing, because we talk about basketball.

[00:04:19] We don't think the NCAA basketball product is as entertaining, because we don't think the talent here at home isn't as entertaining as the NBA.

[00:04:29] Whereas college football, we, it resonates a bit more.

[00:04:32] But I don't want grown men, 25-year-old men, taking away spots.

[00:04:38] Like I said, I got a 15-year-old son.

[00:04:40] He graduates 20, 27.

[00:04:42] That means he's walking onto a college campus to try to play sports.

[00:04:46] August, September, 20, 27.

[00:04:49] He's going to be 18.

[00:04:52] I don't want some dude that was born in 2000 still taking, you know, trying to tackle him or taking his spot.

[00:05:01] Like, it's like, yo, dog, you had your run.

[00:05:05] It's not going to happen.

[00:05:06] Like, no one's going to draft you at 27, unless Brandon Wheaton did the baseball team.

[00:05:10] Brandon Wheaton and Chris Winkie.

[00:05:12] You know, some of those guys.

[00:05:13] But their careers fizzled out, because it's like, yo, if you were nice, you would have stayed with football, and you would have pursued that.

[00:05:20] You know what I mean?

[00:05:20] So, it's okay for your dream to end.

[00:05:26] But you can't just keep taking away opportunities from other players, because you don't want to give it up.

[00:05:33] You're too old.

[00:05:34] And that was what Diego.

[00:05:35] I'm not trying to be dangerous, but like, dog, you're too old to be in meeting rooms with people.

[00:05:41] If your car insurance dropped, and you can rent cars legally, you're too old to be playing football with 18, 19-year-olds.

[00:05:52] And, you know, and that's the thing.

[00:05:54] So, you know, the most upset people about this decision is the state of Alabama.

[00:05:58] You know what I'm saying?

[00:05:59] Diego Pavi is the reason Alabama's not on TV right now.

[00:06:03] Diego Pavia went into Jordan Hare, you know, as a quarterback at New Mexico State.

[00:06:10] It came through, crushed the buildings, beat them this year.

[00:06:13] You know, but like, he was the one that was the face of this case.

[00:06:18] You know, he went in and filed it.

[00:06:20] So, I guess the overall issue within itself is that the NCAA doesn't preside over the junior colleges.

[00:06:29] And that's where the question came in of why are you counting this as eligible years if you're not the governing body over the organization that I'm playing for?

[00:06:43] And I think that's a valid question.

[00:06:45] Now, I agree with you that as far as the ageism and like, get these guys out of here, you had just shot, you know.

[00:06:53] Some people got to start at junior college.

[00:06:55] Nothing wrong with it.

[00:06:56] Cam Newton had to go to junior college after the thing happened at Florida.

[00:07:00] Correct.

[00:07:00] So, there are ways that you can overcome situations like this.

[00:07:06] But if the NCAA doesn't preside over JUCO colleges or JUCOs, you know, I don't know how they would count it.

[00:07:16] You know, I don't know.

[00:07:17] I mean, if you think about this, remember the Olympics or just the whole aspect of amateurism versus professionalism.

[00:07:25] So, in the NCAA, with guys that were declaring for the NBA draft mainly, if you didn't hire an agent, you could go back to school.

[00:07:34] That was the line in the sand.

[00:07:37] So, it's a simple line.

[00:07:39] If you go to JUCO, keep it at two years.

[00:07:43] Two years will give you up to three years because we figure you go to JUCO two years, you transfer to a new program.

[00:07:51] It might take you a year to get acclimated to that program, which counts, and you get two years to play.

[00:07:58] So, if you're 23 at the beginning of your college football season, that is your last year.

[00:08:05] There's nothing wrong with putting cutoffs on things.

[00:08:08] If you want to join active duty, if you're active duty, you want to go to-

[00:08:12] And we got NIL now.

[00:08:13] If you want to go to Air Force Academy, there was a cutoff.

[00:08:17] It was like you could join the Air Force at 17 or 18.

[00:08:19] And if you figured, like, you know what?

[00:08:21] I want to try to join the academy.

[00:08:23] The academy had a line in the sand.

[00:08:24] You had to be under the age of 23.

[00:08:28] I believe it was like August 1st, August 15th of the year you're trying to get into the academy, either the prep school or the academy.

[00:08:35] That was a line in the sand.

[00:08:37] Yeah, you could be a very, very capable 25-year-old, but they don't want you at 25 trying to be a cadet with a bunch of mostly people who came out of high school.

[00:08:47] So, it's like, listen, we got to set a cutoff.

[00:08:49] There's nothing wrong with setting boundaries and cutoffs.

[00:08:52] Because everybody's not supposed to be-

[00:08:53] Well, it's just like before we came on here-

[00:08:55] It's not fair.

[00:08:56] I get it.

[00:08:57] But it's like if you know the rules before you apply, you know your timeline.

[00:09:01] And it's just like before we started, you know, we were talking about Kyle McCord, you know, who's a senior trying to file for a fifth year of eligibility because one of the years that he was at Ohio State, he played in five games.

[00:09:16] The rule is four.

[00:09:18] And the rule's been four for-

[00:09:20] Sorry.

[00:09:20] Before the crazy transfer portal, the rule's been four.

[00:09:23] Go to the NFL or find another lot in life.

[00:09:25] You know what I mean?

[00:09:26] That's where we are right now.

[00:09:27] But as far as taking sports away from the colleges, you know, I've heard that, but I would have to sit down and actually think because I don't know how that would actually work.

[00:09:38] Like, I don't know if the school would sponsor them, but they wouldn't be affiliated because they would still be students either way.

[00:09:44] I don't think you need to take sports away from the colleges.

[00:09:47] I think you just need to draw a hard line in the sand.

[00:09:49] And just stick to it.

[00:09:50] That's based on like realistic expectations.

[00:09:54] I have an expectation that your postgraduate academics and athletics should not extend beyond, you know, your 2015-

[00:10:05] You're going to have to come on here and share it with us.

[00:10:09] You know, but yeah, I mean, I'm interested in hearing that idea.

[00:10:14] And I think that we're just at a point of everything, to your point, everything shouldn't be appealable, you know?

[00:10:22] And it's kind of...

[00:10:25] The other problem, though, is that the NCAA has gone unchecked for so long, you know, as far as checks and balances and those things.

[00:10:35] And the schools, the players are just tired.

[00:10:39] And I've been telling you that I think the NCAA might not be here in 10 years.

[00:10:43] I think the NCAA is operating like they don't have the leverage.

[00:10:48] And that's the part.

[00:10:50] It's like...

[00:10:50] They don't.

[00:10:50] You're saying that they're going unchecked.

[00:10:52] I think they're giving in too much.

[00:10:54] I think they should say, like, I get it.

[00:10:57] You got injured.

[00:10:58] I'm sorry.

[00:10:59] You don't get two more years off of that.

[00:11:02] If the SEC tomorrow said, NCAA, we're done with you, then what?

[00:11:10] I don't, like I said, as far as, like, I don't know, like, the nuance and what binds each college to the overall nonprofit organization that is NCAA as far as, like, their, like, as far as their athletics or academics.

[00:11:25] I'm not sure, like, if they operate like a governing body or if it's just a figurehead position.

[00:11:33] I'm not sure exactly what it is.

[00:11:35] But I imagine whatever the SEC has been getting out of their affiliation with the NCAA, they'll keep it going.

[00:11:43] But the NCAA has to be able to say no to some things.

[00:11:48] Because it's getting out of hand.

[00:11:50] Like I said, that guy in Miami is going eighth and ninth year.

[00:11:54] Trying to do another one.

[00:11:55] Cam Risen was trying to do another year.

[00:11:57] It's like...

[00:11:58] Yeah.

[00:11:59] That just goes to prove that the NCAA is...

[00:12:01] What agent...

[00:12:02] The agent's going to tell you...

[00:12:04] What agent's going to sit you down at 25 when you're about to strap on your helmet again for Arkansas and say, hey, man, I think I can get you a first-round grade?

[00:12:16] Like, at that point, you're a practice squad player at best.

[00:12:21] Seven years in college.

[00:12:22] So you can live out your dreams.

[00:12:24] Be a coach.

[00:12:26] Well, you know, and that's one of the other downsides.

[00:12:30] You know, I support NIL.

[00:12:32] But that's another one of the downsides to NIL is a lot of these dudes are sticking around because they know they aren't going to have an NFL career.

[00:12:41] Like the guy from UNLV, granted, you know, granted, you know, he is alleging that the school didn't uphold their deal.

[00:12:50] You know what I mean?

[00:12:51] But he's probably going to be at another school next year.

[00:12:54] So trying to get back the money that they didn't pay him, you know.

[00:12:58] And so there you go.

[00:13:00] And there you go.

[00:13:00] Residente has an answer for you, you know, Mr. Logical.

[00:13:04] This is, you know, his interpretation of the NCAA's role, you know, within the scope of the sports.

[00:13:14] Okay.

[00:13:16] I kind of get that.

[00:13:18] It just seems like they've had a little bit more control over.

[00:13:21] Well, they did.

[00:13:22] But at the time, the school.

[00:13:24] But see, but this was the problem at the time.

[00:13:26] It's just like us, right?

[00:13:28] Us in our 40s.

[00:13:29] You know, when we joined the military, we knew what it was.

[00:13:33] We knew we were going to get yelled at.

[00:13:34] We knew that we were going to have to cut grass or mop floors or whatever.

[00:13:38] And we just did it because we were airmen, soldiers, whatever.

[00:13:43] We were going to do what we were told to do.

[00:13:45] Whereas a lot of these new airmen came in in the 2000s and like, what I got to mop the floor for?

[00:13:52] Or like whatever.

[00:13:53] They challenged that authority.

[00:13:54] So with the NCAA, they had all these years of not being checked.

[00:13:59] And the schools were benefiting from it because they were getting all the money.

[00:14:03] Exactly.

[00:14:04] That's why they're losing every case.

[00:14:06] Because they were sitting around doing these things.

[00:14:09] The schools were in collusion with them to freeze out the players from the incentives.

[00:14:14] So then the players got smart and said, besides the NIL, once that came along, players were like, oh, we could take this to court.

[00:14:25] And now they go to court and the NCAA loses.

[00:14:29] So because it's not legal, they're just doing things because or they were doing things because they weren't challenged.

[00:14:36] You know what I mean?

[00:14:37] And now when you go for the law.

[00:14:38] And I think because of that, they're cowering and they're swinging a pendulum.

[00:14:43] Right.

[00:14:44] And next year we got revenue sharing.

[00:14:46] Like, I mean, it's very similar to I remember talking to my landlord when I lived in Germany.

[00:14:51] It was like.

[00:14:53] Because of the notorious stuff that Germany was doing in World War Two, that she was telling me that they just kind of.

[00:15:01] They basically said, we're sorry.

[00:15:04] Anything you want will abide by.

[00:15:07] Like, that was kind of part of the treaty of Versailles from World War One.

[00:15:09] And Hitler came in and was like, no, we're not paying this anymore.

[00:15:12] And then they got another set of sanctions post-World War Two.

[00:15:17] So, like, their borders opened up.

[00:15:19] They just kind of opened up a lot.

[00:15:21] And then that's why East Germany was kind of locked in because they're like, no, we're doing it this way here.

[00:15:26] Y'all can do it this way over there.

[00:15:28] We're doing it this way here.

[00:15:29] And I think after a while it was like, this isn't making a lot of sense.

[00:15:33] Let's try to, like, let's get a more balance.

[00:15:36] And I think the NCAA is starting to give in way too much.

[00:15:39] Right.

[00:15:39] They don't have a choice, though, because they're being told that what you're doing is not legal.

[00:15:45] And to Residente's point, you know, like we were talking about last year when Dartmouth, when the basketball team were trying to unionize and file all these documents.

[00:15:58] Northwestern football team did it 10 years ago.

[00:16:01] That's a great loss.

[00:16:03] That's going to be the future.

[00:16:03] You know, like I said, we're already starting revenue sharing next year where the schools are going to be responsible for divvying up funds to athletes across the sports spectrum.

[00:16:16] Not just football, but also NIL will still be a thing.

[00:16:19] Because you're earning, like I said, that's what I'm saying.

[00:16:21] And the schools are, every time the school sells a bag of popcorn because there's a volleyball game, then the people playing in the volleyball game, she gets some money because you're not selling that popcorn just so people can walk to the campus.

[00:16:37] Yeah, it's like King of New York.

[00:16:39] You know what I'm saying?

[00:16:39] If a nickel bag gets sold in MacArthur Park, I want in.

[00:16:42] But even with that being said, as NCAA, I can still say, hey, cool.

[00:16:47] I still want a cap on the age of the people trying to operate under this free labor.

[00:16:53] It's like, listen, OK, cool.

[00:16:54] There's a cap.

[00:16:55] There's a cap to you participating.

[00:16:58] We will cut you your money from this obligation that we have established through law.

[00:17:04] But with that being said, we're also going to establish this boundary.

[00:17:09] You can't contest it.

[00:17:11] You are 23, the beginning of your college football season.

[00:17:15] That is your last football season.

[00:17:17] That lets everyone know.

[00:17:19] So at 18, don't reclass and then go juco for three years and think you're going to get four more years in the NCAA.

[00:17:27] There's plenty of people coming up.

[00:17:29] There's plenty of guys that can run the ball, throw the ball, catch the ball, block.

[00:17:32] So you take your opportunity when the stars and the calendars align for you to take your opportunity and you go for it.

[00:17:41] If it doesn't land in that window, sorry for you.

[00:17:45] There's 134 football programs.

[00:17:46] We can't cater to you as an individual and have you out here until you're 28 years old trying to make your NFL dream come true.

[00:17:54] The only positive thing about the NCAA is the first weekend of March Madness.

[00:17:58] That's all I got.

[00:18:00] You know what I'm saying?

[00:18:01] But we're getting close to the finish line.

[00:18:04] You know, we're up to week 16 in the NFL.

[00:18:08] And Mr. Logical, my prediction might be in trouble.

[00:18:13] You know, because I was running.

[00:18:16] Well, no, I was just running around these streets.

[00:18:17] And I'm like, yo, the Bengals ain't making the playoffs.

[00:18:20] The Bengals ain't making the playoffs.

[00:18:23] Bengals might make the playoffs.

[00:18:25] Bengals aren't making the playoffs.

[00:18:27] They might make the playoffs.

[00:18:28] They're not making the playoffs.

[00:18:29] Their defense will let them down.

[00:18:31] They might make the playoffs.

[00:18:32] So think about it like this.

[00:18:34] So this is how I'm looking at this.

[00:18:35] This is how I'm looking at this.

[00:18:36] You funny resident.

[00:18:38] This is how I'm looking at it.

[00:18:39] You know, Cincinnati obviously has to win out.

[00:18:43] You know, but the good news is they play Cleveland this weekend.

[00:18:48] They host them, ironically.

[00:18:51] They host Denver next week.

[00:18:56] And Denver closes with Kansas City.

[00:19:00] Now, I'm not going to play anyway.

[00:19:01] Well, it depends.

[00:19:02] Because you got to remember.

[00:19:04] You got to remember.

[00:19:05] Buffalo beat Kansas City.

[00:19:06] Kansas City.

[00:19:07] So if Kansas City loses a game before that Denver game, they're going to have to play to get home field advantage.

[00:19:14] So that's Kansas City losing either Houston or who?

[00:19:20] Hold up real quick.

[00:19:21] Hold up.

[00:19:22] Let me answer this.

[00:19:22] Hold up.

[00:19:23] Well, that ain't going to happen because the Ivy Leagues play at a lower level.

[00:19:26] So you're asking people to go down.

[00:19:29] Like the Ivy League just approved playing in the football playoffs this week.

[00:19:33] You know, so they're not going to steal any Bama recruits or Georgia recruits.

[00:19:37] They have the money for sure.

[00:19:39] But they would have to reclassify and come up to FBS to pull that off.

[00:19:44] Or they would have to somehow turn into a major conference in basketball to pull that off.

[00:19:50] Yeah.

[00:19:50] And real quick on another NCAA thing before we, you know, go off on NFL.

[00:19:57] I think it's about perspective that you have for the NIL.

[00:20:03] Like I was talking to someone at work today and I was saying, you know, people like, oh, I got to pay bills.

[00:20:09] I'm like, no, you get to pay bills.

[00:20:11] You get to be in a position where you are capable of, you know, getting an apartment, getting a mortgage, getting a loan.

[00:20:18] You get to go to work because you have this opportunity.

[00:20:21] I think guys have to look at it like, listen, I might not have an NFL dream.

[00:20:25] But if I can go to college and make 80 grand a year playing running back for Northwestern or get 125,000 to be the wide receiver at UNLV.

[00:20:38] Hey, I might not have an NFL dream.

[00:20:40] But if I can get through college, leave here with a few million dollars and start my life after that.

[00:20:47] I think that's the ultimate thing because there's a lot of guys eight, nine years ago that were getting money under the table and they left college and they tried to get practice squads and everything else.

[00:20:57] And it was like none of that was happening.

[00:20:59] So at least you get to leave with some money, get to negotiate something.

[00:21:03] Like I said, all the players in Utah got trucks.

[00:21:05] So at a minimum, hell, if you want a DoorDash with this truck that the school paid you for for a year, boom, you got it.

[00:21:13] Or you want an Uber or you just want to just ride around and just have your freedom.

[00:21:18] You have all of that because of NIL.

[00:21:21] And I think people are confusing NIL and transfer like NIL is for you.

[00:21:25] You negotiate whatever deal you can get and you let it benefit you.

[00:21:28] So, yeah, I think that's going to be the biggest thing.

[00:21:31] And make sure y'all checking out that One Mic podcast Mondays and Thursdays.

[00:21:36] Get them gems, black on black news, a little bit of history and a little bit of everything.

[00:21:40] But back to what I was saying before.

[00:21:42] So Cincinnati has to win out.

[00:21:44] You know, they have to beat Cleveland this weekend.

[00:21:47] They have to beat Denver at home next week.

[00:21:51] And then they close at Pittsburgh.

[00:21:53] So depending on what Pittsburgh does this weekend, because if Pittsburgh beats Baltimore this weekend,

[00:21:58] Pittsburgh clinches the division.

[00:22:01] So they might sit starters.

[00:22:03] Now, who's more likely to sit their starters?

[00:22:06] These are two veteran coaches.

[00:22:08] You got the number one seed, Kansas City, locked up.

[00:22:13] Or you have number three.

[00:22:16] Number three.

[00:22:17] Number three, Pittsburgh.

[00:22:18] We're just hypothetically.

[00:22:19] Number three, Pittsburgh's locked up.

[00:22:20] Right?

[00:22:21] Because I think Buffalo is going to get two.

[00:22:23] In my scenario.

[00:22:25] Well, I think they would both sit down.

[00:22:27] I think they would both sit there, players.

[00:22:28] But you're playing against Denver.

[00:22:30] You're playing against Cincinnati.

[00:22:32] Is Mike Tomlin willing to be the reason that Cincinnati doesn't make the playoffs?

[00:22:38] And is Andy Reid willing to be?

[00:22:40] Well, I guess it would depend on the health of T.J. Watt.

[00:22:46] You know, it probably comes down to that.

[00:22:49] You know, but so also the other things that Cincinnati needs, they need Miami and Indianapolis to lose.

[00:23:00] One game.

[00:23:01] Do I think Miami and Indianapolis are winning out?

[00:23:06] Absolutely not.

[00:23:08] You know what I'm saying?

[00:23:09] So there's a window here.

[00:23:10] That's all I'm saying.

[00:23:11] I'm not saying it's going to happen.

[00:23:12] I'm just saying it's a lot more likely than I would have thought two weeks ago.

[00:23:16] That's all I'm saying.

[00:23:17] But let's take it from the top.

[00:23:19] We got two games tomorrow.

[00:23:21] We got the Houston Texans invading Arrowhead Stadium.

[00:23:25] And they're going to win.

[00:23:28] Shout out to the NFL for just being a monopoly of sports.

[00:23:31] You know the college football playoff is going to be this weekend.

[00:23:34] You could have fixed this.

[00:23:35] Well, also, you know, we got this whole thing where these two or these four teams that are playing tomorrow are playing on Christmas.

[00:23:43] They got like a little round robin type thing going on, you know, so that's just nuts within itself.

[00:23:49] You know, it's all happening.

[00:23:51] I'm glad we had the Jake Paul Mike Tyson fight.

[00:23:54] Two pro games tomorrow.

[00:23:55] Yes.

[00:23:56] So we can see if Netflix figured out their situation.

[00:24:00] Right.

[00:24:01] Yeah.

[00:24:02] I thought I was streaming it.

[00:24:03] It was so bad.

[00:24:04] Yeah.

[00:24:05] Yeah.

[00:24:05] So we got the Texans in the Chiefs at Arrowhead.

[00:24:08] And then you got Pittsburgh going to Baltimore.

[00:24:12] So Houston's already in the playoffs.

[00:24:14] They've already clenched the division.

[00:24:16] But remember last week and some people hit me up and was like, what the hell are you talking about?

[00:24:21] Because I said, I thought that Buffalo going into Detroit was a must win last week.

[00:24:27] I think this is a must win for the Texans from the standpoint of when you look at the rest of their schedule

[00:24:34] that they've played this year.

[00:24:35] You know, they had the win against Buffalo where Josh Allen probably had his worst game of the season, not named Baltimore.

[00:24:42] You know, but they had the five interception game against Detroit that they lost.

[00:24:48] Yeah.

[00:24:48] They got absolutely dog walked up in Minneapolis.

[00:24:54] They lost a tight one in Green Bay.

[00:24:56] So what I'm saying is, is that they haven't had the best season.

[00:25:01] Their offense hasn't been clicking this year.

[00:25:02] They've had injuries, receivers in and out, but that's not an excuse.

[00:25:07] You're professionals.

[00:25:08] Next man up.

[00:25:09] You got to win this game.

[00:25:11] Yeah.

[00:25:12] That next man is not Nico Collins Jr.

[00:25:14] Yeah, I know.

[00:25:16] But you got to win this game to prove something for yourself.

[00:25:18] You know, Mahomes has the busted ankle.

[00:25:21] I think he's still going to play.

[00:25:22] If not, we're back to Carson Wentz.

[00:25:25] You know, Hollywood Brown might be back.

[00:25:27] You took the words right about Mount Pauls.

[00:25:29] Yeah.

[00:25:30] Hollywood Brown might be back.

[00:25:31] But Brown, in somebody's, I was listening to a podcast this week.

[00:25:35] I believe it was Rich Eisen.

[00:25:37] And he said, and when he said it, it was like, you should have more confidence in Kansas City

[00:25:43] with the way he said it.

[00:25:44] But it was like, if someone would have told you last year when Kansas City was making their Super Bowl run,

[00:25:52] that the following year they would have Travis Kelsey, DeAndre Hopkins, and Hollywood Brown suiting up for them to catch passes,

[00:26:04] it's like, you would think you're crazy.

[00:26:07] Hopefully for them, Hollywood didn't catch the ball.

[00:26:09] You know, I've seen him drop a lot of passes in his career.

[00:26:12] But, you know, but will this be checked down central for Kansas City?

[00:26:16] You know, Houston's going to bring a lot of pressure, especially with Mahomes.

[00:26:21] You know, he's already the most hit quarterback in the league this year.

[00:26:25] Yo, he gets hit.

[00:26:26] And he's going to get hit some more.

[00:26:28] I don't know what the percentage is, but I know when I watch the games, he's getting picked up off the ground a lot.

[00:26:35] I don't know what he got off the ground for Christmas.

[00:26:38] I know Brock Purdy bought a bunch of Toyotas and a couple of the Panthers.

[00:26:45] Yeah, Daniel Jones brought a bunch of stuff for the Giants linemen.

[00:26:48] But, yeah, so I'm going to try to find me a prop and see if I can find a pick six prop

[00:26:55] because I think somebody's going to pop Mahomes and Stingley's going to take it to the house.

[00:27:00] But I'm taking Houston in a – you know, it's Kansas City, so it always comes down to the margins.

[00:27:08] I'm going to take Houston to win that game 20-16.

[00:27:13] 20-16 is a good number.

[00:27:16] I don't know what the over-under is, but if it's 36-and-a-half, I'm going to take the under.

[00:27:21] I still like Kansas City.

[00:27:24] I just think that, oddly, since the 50-touchdown year and then the subsequent Super Bowl run after that,

[00:27:33] like those two years after that, so you had the 50-touchdown year, AAC Championship loss to Tom Brady,

[00:27:39] back-to-back Super Bowl appearances.

[00:27:41] I feel like they haven't had, like, their best stuff.

[00:27:45] I feel like they've been a pitcher that used to throw 97, but now he throws a mean-ass 89-mile-an-hour slider,

[00:27:52] and it's just effective.

[00:27:54] And I think they just – they employ that when it needs to be, and I think worthy.

[00:28:01] I know they try to run him on these routes where he has to make decisions when he's 15 yards downfield,

[00:28:06] whether he flattens out the route or he turns out of the field.

[00:28:09] He seems to do it wrong a lot.

[00:28:13] Because, like, a lot of his passes, like, it looks like he's running and out.

[00:28:18] But it's like a 45-degree angle when he plants his left foot and he turns right to the sideline.

[00:28:23] Mahomes is putting the ball, like, I need you to come flat down the line, like straight towards the boundary,

[00:28:29] the way the ball hits from your hands, and the guy can't get underneath.

[00:28:33] And it seems like he takes it, like, at a bad angle a lot.

[00:28:37] I think they're just going to figure – you know what?

[00:28:40] Hollywood's back.

[00:28:40] He'll run those routes.

[00:28:42] We'll get you on these deep posts, these deep overs, these go-routes, and these checky stuff.

[00:28:48] That'll work some other weeks, but I don't think they're going to have the time against Houston to do it.

[00:28:53] You know?

[00:28:54] And to answer your question –

[00:28:55] Those are like the – there's Tony routes.

[00:28:57] Like, you're going to get these bubble screens, get you in space, because I think that's where he belongs.

[00:29:04] We talked – remember when Buffalo got Amari Cooper?

[00:29:06] And we said having Amari Cooper there as your ex allowed everybody else to slide naturally into position.

[00:29:14] Keon Coleman had better games.

[00:29:15] Sharif had better games.

[00:29:17] After that, the Titans had better games.

[00:29:18] It's just when you get a guy that knows I need to flatten this route out to get to the sideline,

[00:29:26] it's like, okay, I can trust you over here.

[00:29:28] Xavier, you're a slot guy.

[00:29:30] I need you in space.

[00:29:32] This is how I get you on the safety.

[00:29:34] This is how I get you matched up with a linebacker, get you the ball quick, and let you just use your speed.

[00:29:40] I think this is going to be the week.

[00:29:41] I know Hollywood Brown probably isn't 100%.

[00:29:43] I don't know what his pitch count is going to be, but I just feel like if they put him there

[00:29:48] because he's used to being there with DeAndre Hopkins, now you can get worthy in the space where he's matched up

[00:29:54] because now you've got to move that safety off of Kelsey.

[00:30:01] Somebody's – a linebacker's not worthy.

[00:30:02] That's why I brought up the check down.

[00:30:04] Yeah, that's why I brought up the check down.

[00:30:06] So I think just having Hollywood out there, you've got to respect the fact that he can still run by.

[00:30:12] He had a shoulder injury.

[00:30:13] So as long as he's in shape, he can still run by.

[00:30:15] But Joe Mixon got to do better.

[00:30:17] 12 carries for 23 yards last week.

[00:30:19] That ain't going to get it done.

[00:30:20] And to answer your question, the over-under is 42.5.

[00:30:25] Take it under.

[00:30:26] Take it under.

[00:30:27] Then you got the Steelers going into my hometown to continue their hex over the Ravens.

[00:30:34] Lamar Jackson has never played the Steelers in front of a Baltimore crowd.

[00:30:44] That's just strange.

[00:30:46] When he played against Baltimore, it was the COVID year.

[00:30:48] I mean, when he played against Pittsburgh, it was the COVID year.

[00:30:50] So empty stadium.

[00:30:52] And two MVPs.

[00:30:54] In a five-year window and hadn't played his division rival at all.

[00:30:59] Right.

[00:30:59] The main rival, too.

[00:31:00] And so the Ravens shot themselves in the foot the first time they played the Steelers.

[00:31:06] Derrick Henry fumbled early in the game.

[00:31:09] They had a couple of years.

[00:31:11] Yeah, they had a couple of early holding calls that turned second in threes to second in 13 and things like that.

[00:31:18] You can't do that against the Steelers because the Steelers are rarely going to beat themselves.

[00:31:22] You know, George Pickens looks like he's not going to go.

[00:31:25] You know, so if that doesn't happen, I don't know where they generate the offense from.

[00:31:31] And this is one of those moments of Mike.

[00:31:34] I hope you're listening.

[00:31:35] This is one of those moments where you look at Mike Tomlin and it's like, look at what he wins with.

[00:31:41] You know what I mean?

[00:31:42] Like Pittsburgh has had two or three years.

[00:31:46] If you wasn't going to get the quarterback right and you were going to start Kenny Pickett, you should have went out and got some receivers, too.

[00:31:52] You know what I mean?

[00:31:53] But anyway, 18 to 16, Pittsburgh didn't score a touchdown in that game.

[00:31:59] Justin Tucker missed a field goal in that game.

[00:32:02] So Pittsburgh wins the North with a win.

[00:32:06] In that game, George Pickens had 12 targets.

[00:32:11] He had eight catches for 89 yards.

[00:32:13] The rest of the Steelers wide receivers in that game against Baltimore a couple of weeks ago.

[00:32:20] Three targets, negative one yard.

[00:32:27] Give me the Ravens.

[00:32:28] Yeah, I'm taking the Ravens at home.

[00:32:34] Like, you know, when you play a game against like the Giants, it could be fool's gold.

[00:32:43] I think Baltimore has talent.

[00:32:45] They're the home team.

[00:32:46] I'm just going to give them the benefit of the doubt that they have an MVP candidate.

[00:32:50] Lamar Jackson has 33 touchdowns.

[00:32:53] Mm-hmm.

[00:32:55] And...

[00:32:56] 34 touchdowns, three interceptions.

[00:32:58] Three interceptions, yeah.

[00:32:59] So...

[00:33:01] Yeah.

[00:33:02] Yeah, so I'm taking Baltimore.

[00:33:04] Okay.

[00:33:04] Let's read the comment.

[00:33:05] No sympathy for Devondre Campbell.

[00:33:07] Not one iota of sympathy.

[00:33:11] I wouldn't say a lack of sympathy.

[00:33:14] I just say, like, we don't understand what was going on.

[00:33:17] I don't know if it's a mental health thing.

[00:33:18] You could be worn out with the job.

[00:33:21] You go ahead, take it down, Mike.

[00:33:22] I can see it.

[00:33:23] You could be worn out with a job, and it could just come at any kind of moment.

[00:33:27] Like, sometimes you wake up and realize, you know what?

[00:33:31] It's time for me to click that button and retire.

[00:33:33] Or sometimes it's a conversation while you're at work.

[00:33:36] Like, you know what?

[00:33:37] Like, tomorrow I'm not going to be as motivated as I was this morning.

[00:33:40] It just comes to that.

[00:33:43] My thing is, like...

[00:33:44] There's ways to handle that, though.

[00:33:45] There's ways to handle it, yeah.

[00:33:47] Yeah.

[00:33:47] There's a professional way to handle it.

[00:33:49] It's an honest way to handle it.

[00:33:51] And it may not be smooth, but at the same point, it's like...

[00:33:55] My thing is, like, I don't want you coming back...

[00:33:57] That's the thing.

[00:33:58] Don't come back with no, you know, no soft, like, oh, well, you know, he didn't talk to me nice.

[00:34:04] Whatever.

[00:34:05] It is what it is.

[00:34:06] If you didn't feel like doing it, just standing at the podium, whenever you get the opportunity to talk, it's like, you know what?

[00:34:11] Yeah, my head wasn't in it.

[00:34:12] My heart's not in it.

[00:34:13] I love football.

[00:34:14] I played it since I was eight years old.

[00:34:16] But I realized in that moment that I can't go on the field if my head's done it.

[00:34:21] The game is too dangerous to not have your head in the moment.

[00:34:26] So I decided to say, hey, listen, I can't run it.

[00:34:29] Yeah.

[00:34:30] And y'all might want to take the under on that Pittsburgh-Baltimore game, too.

[00:34:35] Ravens favorite by seven over under 44 and a half.

[00:34:39] You know, then you got the Eagles.

[00:34:41] 44 and a half.

[00:34:43] Yeah.

[00:34:43] Give me 27.

[00:34:46] 27-17 is 44.

[00:34:48] And I can see that easily.

[00:34:50] And you would still win, though.

[00:34:51] But you would still win.

[00:34:52] That's higher than I'm thinking.

[00:34:54] Like, 27-17 seems realistic.

[00:34:58] But then you got Philadelphia, you know, coming down I-95, switching over to 295 to get down to Landover.

[00:35:07] I think they're taking a bus, too.

[00:35:09] They took the bus to Baltimore.

[00:35:10] They should.

[00:35:11] The Eagles favored by three and a half over under 45 and a half.

[00:35:16] Last time Washington played Philadelphia a couple of weeks ago, Washington came into the fourth quarter with a 10-6 lead.

[00:35:27] Philadelphia scored 20 points in that fourth quarter.

[00:35:30] Terry McLaurin, you know, top five leading receiver this year.

[00:35:36] One catch, 10 yards.

[00:35:38] He got stuck on Quinion Island.

[00:35:42] So Washington is living on a prayer, trying to hold on to the last wild card spot in the NFC.

[00:35:49] But you remember a little while ago.

[00:35:52] Don't get triggered, though.

[00:35:54] You remember a little while ago, Paul Pierce came down to the Wizards and he hit the game winner against the Raptors in that playoff series.

[00:36:01] And he's like, that's why they bought me here.

[00:36:04] Marshawn Lattimore, this is why we bought you here.

[00:36:09] You can't cover both of them.

[00:36:11] You don't got to cover both of them because we got a little rookie that Mike knows very well from the University of Michigan.

[00:36:18] Mike Sanistril coming on late in the season.

[00:36:21] The safeties is where the problem is.

[00:36:23] So if they go over the top, then yeah.

[00:36:25] That's where your help is.

[00:36:27] That's how you end up looking bad.

[00:36:28] Like Deion talked about that.

[00:36:29] He's like, listen, man.

[00:36:30] We said he cussed safety.

[00:36:31] I'm like, listen, don't make me look bad when I'm doing my job.

[00:36:34] This guy right past me.

[00:36:35] That's the only sidekick.

[00:36:36] You're supposed to be here.

[00:36:37] Yeah.

[00:36:38] So in that first meeting, I think Jaden Daniels was still dealing with those ribs.

[00:36:44] You know, he didn't look like himself.

[00:36:47] He wouldn't take off.

[00:36:49] He was a little hesitant.

[00:36:50] That's gone now.

[00:36:52] Philadelphia coming in 10 in a row.

[00:36:57] The offensive line is going to be the question in this game because Philly's defense has been playing lights out.

[00:37:03] You know, they held Baltimore to 12 points before garbage time.

[00:37:08] But I'm going to take the commanders.

[00:37:12] I'm taking Philly.

[00:37:14] I figured you would.

[00:37:17] I'm just taking Philly because I think they have too many weapons.

[00:37:20] And I think their biggest weapon, they can get the ball in his hand so easy.

[00:37:25] Like sometimes you look at like we talked about with Kansas City.

[00:37:28] Like my whole soliloquy about Kansas City was about the opportunity to get Xavier Worthy the ball on deep shots because the other one else is there.

[00:37:36] You can throw the ball to Saquon.

[00:37:39] Screens, hands-offs, direct snaps.

[00:37:41] He can get the ball in his hand and just make it happen.

[00:37:44] So like that's the difference.

[00:37:46] I think he sets the tone for the whole team.

[00:37:48] A.J. Brown gets an easier matchup because Saquon is going for six and a half yards of carry in the first quarter.

[00:37:55] Yeah.

[00:37:56] And Saquon ran for 126 in that last game too.

[00:37:59] So you got the Lions traveling the Soldier Field six and a half point favorites over under 47 and a half.

[00:38:06] I'm not going to spend much time on this game because I'm picking Detroit despite the fact that.

[00:38:10] And I'm taking the over.

[00:38:12] Yeah, that too.

[00:38:13] But I'm taking Detroit despite the fact that they have more injuries than they have wins this year.

[00:38:18] You know, and on top of that, the last time we saw Chicago in Detroit, that was Matt Eberflus' last game.

[00:38:27] The clock management at the end.

[00:38:29] And so since Thomas Brown has been the head coach, the Bears have been outscored 68 to 25 to include 53-0 in the first half.

[00:38:41] Get them out of here.

[00:38:42] Give me the Lions.

[00:38:44] Yeah, Chicago.

[00:38:46] I talked to a guy that's piloted in my office and he's a Chicago fan.

[00:38:52] I told him two weeks ago.

[00:38:53] I was like, yo, you better be ready for these fifth-round pick offers for DJ Moore.

[00:38:59] He was like a fifth-round pick?

[00:39:01] Seriously?

[00:39:01] I was like, it's not a talent thing.

[00:39:04] It's apparent.

[00:39:05] Like, I'm watching.

[00:39:06] I mean, Devontae Adams went for a fifth.

[00:39:08] I'm like, I'm watching the game and I can tell he don't want to be in Chicago.

[00:39:12] He's been saying since last year he didn't want Caleb.

[00:39:15] So it's like, if I'm the GM from another team, why would I offer you anything more than that?

[00:39:19] Like, I'll start at five.

[00:39:21] I'll be willing to give you a four.

[00:39:23] DeAndre Hopkins went for a fifth.

[00:39:25] I'm like, DJ Moore's going for a fifth, man.

[00:39:28] I'm like, if I was Atlanta's GM, I'd make that call.

[00:39:31] The only thing he got over there is any.

[00:39:32] But Atlanta's GM is not a former thinker like myself, so he won't make a call.

[00:39:36] But someone like the Rams would make that call.

[00:39:43] Maybe San Francisco would make that call.

[00:39:46] DJ Moore is going to be on another team that really needs him for a fourth, fifth round pick.

[00:39:53] And everyone's going to be sitting around like, man, I could have got DJ Moore for a fifth round pick.

[00:39:57] Tune in the sports reports is ordered.

[00:39:59] Listen to me and you'll keep your GM.

[00:40:02] Don't listen to Woody Johnson because it depends on what DJ Moore's Madden rating is.

[00:40:07] So, you know.

[00:40:08] If I'm Joe Douglas, I'm airing it out.

[00:40:11] Like, I'm about to go on a world tour.

[00:40:13] Like, I don't care.

[00:40:15] I don't want to work in the NFL anymore anyway.

[00:40:17] I'm about to air out every meeting, every silly email.

[00:40:21] It's about to be.

[00:40:22] I'm about to be on Oprah talking about the Jets.

[00:40:25] So, we got the, speaking of the Jets, we got the Rams coming up to your neck of the woods.

[00:40:31] You know, three-point favorite over under 46 and a half.

[00:40:35] I think the Jets have a chance to win this game.

[00:40:38] You know, like the last couple of weeks, you know, Aaron Rodgers has looked a lot better.

[00:40:43] He still ain't shit overall, but he's looked a lot better than he did before.

[00:40:48] 23 touchdowns, eight interceptions on the season.

[00:40:50] Not so bad, but coming off of what we know him to be, it's disappointing.

[00:40:55] But the Rams have blood in their eyes.

[00:40:57] You know, they're on a high right now.

[00:40:59] They just beat Buffalo two weeks ago, put up 44.

[00:41:02] They went to Levi.

[00:41:04] I was about to say candlestick.

[00:41:06] They went to Levi and beat the Niners last week and showed that they can actually play some defense.

[00:41:13] You know, so I feel like they might, this might be one of those NFL games where they're riding high.

[00:41:18] And you have the inexplicable loss that you can't explain.

[00:41:23] It's going to be tough.

[00:41:25] It's going to be what team or what older quarterback can operate in this weather.

[00:41:31] Because right now, Friday night.

[00:41:33] The one that played in it.

[00:41:35] But, I mean.

[00:41:37] Because Zach has been in the dome most of his career.

[00:41:39] He's been in the dome most of his career.

[00:41:41] But he is, like, you know, he's a big, strong guy.

[00:41:43] Hasn't had major injuries to come back from.

[00:41:46] Has always been, like, a big, you know, opposing guy.

[00:41:49] Got those new veneers and shit.

[00:41:50] So, he's good to go.

[00:41:52] I think Aaron Rodgers, he doesn't look like he moves well.

[00:41:57] I think the turmoil within the organization leads onto the field.

[00:42:03] It's probably impacting most teams that are doing poorly.

[00:42:06] Apparently, it's not players on the field.

[00:42:09] I mean, the Bengals are doing poorly.

[00:42:11] But they have, you know, MVP caliber quarterback and a triple crown wide receiver threat.

[00:42:16] It's just the.

[00:42:17] And the sack leader.

[00:42:19] It's the.

[00:42:19] And the sack leader.

[00:42:20] So, it's like the desire to be in this group of people to do this thing.

[00:42:25] It's going to be cold.

[00:42:26] It's like it's already snowing right now.

[00:42:28] It's not going to get any warmer throughout the weekend.

[00:42:30] I just feel like the Rams have a little bit more to play for.

[00:42:34] And it's going to be, like I said, like I told you before, it's going to be a lot of guys out with hamstring tightness and quad tightness for the next three weeks.

[00:42:43] Well, hopefully.

[00:42:43] A lot of guys setting up that next job.

[00:42:46] I'm going to ride out these last few weeks, get these checks on Tuesday, and not risk my body for this team.

[00:42:52] That's going to completely implode after week 18.

[00:42:56] So, well, hopefully that's where Kyrie Williams comes in, you know, the fourth leading rusher in the league, you know.

[00:43:02] So, then.

[00:43:04] Let me pull up my odds again, my bad.

[00:43:06] Then we go out to Seattle, out to the Pacific Northwest, where the Vikings are a three-point favorite in a game that's over under is 42 and a half.

[00:43:18] Sounds like Geno Smith is going to play.

[00:43:20] Thank goodness, because in relief, Sam Howell last week, 5 of 14 with 24 yards and an interception.

[00:43:29] In his career, he has more interceptions than touchdowns.

[00:43:32] So, Seattle is saying their prayers and thanking the Lord that this man is not playing this weekend.

[00:43:39] You know, they should have Kenneth Walker back this week, but it sounds like Charbonnet may be out now.

[00:43:44] I guess they're just playing rotating running backs.

[00:43:46] I don't know.

[00:43:47] But if Seattle wins out, they win the West.

[00:43:51] The only problem is they ain't going to win this game.

[00:43:55] Yeah, that's – I had Seattle – before the Rams made, like, this little mini run, I had Seattle, you know, right in the ship and winning the West.

[00:44:06] And I believe you might have said something about the Rams winning the West, and I was like, I didn't really see it.

[00:44:14] But it seems like the Seahawks kind of go in these waves where when expectations are levied upon them, they just fall short, which is probably regular for every team.

[00:44:27] But it just seems as if it just – it happens to them in the wrong times.

[00:44:32] And I think it's happening now.

[00:44:34] And it's a tough part of their schedule because they're going to lose Minnesota.

[00:44:39] Minnesota with the connection between Addison, Jefferson, Donald, Connell, Hockington.

[00:44:47] It's just like Aaron Jones doing the Spider-Man pose at these 50th touchdowns.

[00:44:53] So it's just like –

[00:44:53] You know, speaking of which, you know what I'm saying?

[00:44:56] And Minnesota's still playing for –

[00:44:57] Aaron Jones is a top 10 rusher this year.

[00:44:59] Yeah.

[00:44:59] Yeah.

[00:44:59] Yeah.

[00:45:00] So –

[00:45:00] I ain't going to spend much time on Bengals and Browns.

[00:45:03] I think we both got the Bengals.

[00:45:05] DTR's coming in.

[00:45:07] All I'll say is the last time they played was the game Deshaun Watson went down.

[00:45:12] DTR came in, you know, and in that game, it was just beyond awful.

[00:45:18] So on top of that, he had three carries for 44 yards.

[00:45:23] The rest of the Browns, 18 rushes for 33 yards.

[00:45:27] Somehow, the Bengals stopped a team, and they're going to do it again.

[00:45:33] Yeah, I see it too, Mike.

[00:45:34] I think Geno could get hurt, especially against this pass rush.

[00:45:37] You know, Flores is going to send the house at him.

[00:45:40] So then the game that Mr. Logical is looking forward to,

[00:45:43] he's ready for some big pennocks energy – pause –

[00:45:47] you know, as the Giants travel down to the compressor to play his Atlanta Falcons.

[00:45:55] So, hmm.

[00:45:57] Yeah, I'm taking the Falcons just because they're my team.

[00:46:02] I hope Pennix does well.

[00:46:05] All right, what you think the spread is on this one?

[00:46:08] Three and a half.

[00:46:11] For real?

[00:46:12] Yeah.

[00:46:14] Have some faith in Vegas, man.

[00:46:16] Falcons by nine.

[00:46:19] Cap.

[00:46:19] Falcons by nine.

[00:46:21] The over-under at 43 and a half, but I'm probably taking the under

[00:46:25] because I can't trust the Giants to get to 10.

[00:46:28] Take the Giants on the points.

[00:46:30] I can't trust the Giants to get to 10.

[00:46:32] But I'm looking forward to this.

[00:46:33] I feel like you've got to figure you've got a rookie –

[00:46:36] a rookie's going to potentially throw a couple of bad passes,

[00:46:39] and if they're on out routes, that can be to the house.

[00:46:44] I smell cap.

[00:46:45] I smell cap.

[00:46:46] You know what I'm saying?

[00:46:48] No, the Giants ain't tanking.

[00:46:49] They just not good.

[00:46:52] They're not doing it on purpose.

[00:46:56] They're doing it on purpose.

[00:46:57] When they went to the game, it was Drew Locke.

[00:46:59] But I guess after you see Drew Locke, it's like –

[00:47:02] No, you remember when you were a little kid

[00:47:04] and y'all were snapping on each other and somebody was like,

[00:47:08] you better stop acting dumb before people think you're dumb.

[00:47:14] And somebody would be like, he ain't acting.

[00:47:15] You know what I'm saying?

[00:47:16] That's the Giants.

[00:47:17] They dumb.

[00:47:18] You know what I'm saying?

[00:47:19] All right, you've got Titans at Colts.

[00:47:21] And it sounds like Will Levis is going to be on the next thing

[00:47:25] smoking out of Nashville.

[00:47:27] You know, they played earlier this year.

[00:47:29] It was a three-point win.

[00:47:30] Mason Rudolph is back in.

[00:47:32] So, in this game, the Colts need basically to win out

[00:47:38] to even have a chance to make the playoffs.

[00:47:40] They're a four-point favorite over under 42 and a half.

[00:47:44] I don't know because Anthony Richardson had the game against the Jets

[00:47:48] a couple weeks ago and it was like, oh, maybe that benching was good.

[00:47:52] He's turning the corner.

[00:47:53] He came out here and went 17 for 38 last week.

[00:47:56] You know, and then –

[00:47:57] He should never throw 38 passes.

[00:47:59] And then Jonathan Taylor –

[00:48:00] He should be capped at 31 passes.

[00:48:06] And then Jonathan Taylor, you know,

[00:48:09] with his Deshaun Jackson impersonation, you know,

[00:48:12] trying to score a touchdown and just celebrate it too early.

[00:48:16] Yeah, I'll never say that.

[00:48:17] Just give me the Colts, man, because as bad as Will Levis is,

[00:48:21] Mr. Logical, the Titans average 4.4 less points with Mason Rudolph.

[00:48:29] They are not a well-run organization.

[00:48:34] Hence why they drafted two quarterbacks.

[00:48:38] They traded A.J. Brown.

[00:48:40] They fired their coach.

[00:48:43] They traded for Ernest Jones.

[00:48:46] Week one into rebuilds.

[00:48:49] And it sucks because there's an expectation that these guys really laid on the line

[00:48:55] week in and week out.

[00:48:56] But they knew in March 2024 that this entire season was a rebuild.

[00:49:04] And you have to act like you want to win.

[00:49:07] And you have to believe you're going to win.

[00:49:10] But any smart person that knows anything about football knows that that's not a winning football team.

[00:49:16] Yeah.

[00:49:16] And they traded for Ernest Jones in the offseason just to trade him for another person at his position to Seattle.

[00:49:23] Whatever.

[00:49:24] You know, and for those of you keeping count out there, the Sugar Bowl is set.

[00:49:29] The Notre Dame fighting Irish coming down into SEC country to play the dogs without Carson Beck.

[00:49:37] So Buffalo, the Bills coming off their big win in Detroit last week.

[00:49:43] They are at home.

[00:49:45] They are a 14-point favorite over the Patriots.

[00:49:48] 46.5 is your over-under.

[00:49:51] Give me Buffalo to cover.

[00:49:53] Give me the over.

[00:49:55] Unless it's a blizzard.

[00:49:58] You said what was the over?

[00:50:00] What was the over?

[00:50:01] He's six and a half.

[00:50:03] Nah.

[00:50:05] Take the under.

[00:50:06] But Buffalo is still going to cover.

[00:50:08] It depends on the weather.

[00:50:09] If it's not.

[00:50:11] Buffalo.

[00:50:13] You ain't trying to put no money on it.

[00:50:15] I ain't talking about me.

[00:50:16] I'm talking about Vegas.

[00:50:18] You know.

[00:50:19] But I'm just saying.

[00:50:20] All right.

[00:50:20] So.

[00:50:21] But I think we're both taking Buffalo.

[00:50:22] I was thinking Notre Dame wins too.

[00:50:24] Just when you said without Carson Beck, I was like.

[00:50:26] But I looked at Riley Leonard's numbers.

[00:50:28] He had like 202 yards.

[00:50:30] A touchdown.

[00:50:30] And he's not a passer.

[00:50:32] Like he's a.

[00:50:33] He's a.

[00:50:33] But he only had 30 yards rushing.

[00:50:35] So it was like.

[00:50:35] He's what we joke about Jalen Milrow being.

[00:50:38] He's the real answer.

[00:50:40] But he white.

[00:50:41] So a lot of people don't say it.

[00:50:43] So you know.

[00:50:45] Sneaky athletic.

[00:50:45] Sneaky athletic.

[00:50:46] That's what they call him.

[00:50:47] Yeah.

[00:50:48] Yeah.

[00:50:48] So then you got Jacksonville and the Raiders.

[00:50:51] The only thing I want to know about this game.

[00:50:54] Well, first of all, the Raiders are favored by one.

[00:50:56] Or I'm sorry.

[00:50:56] By two.

[00:50:57] Over under is 40 and a half.

[00:50:59] The only thing that will decide this game.

[00:51:04] Is if Jacksonville wants Travis Hunter more than the Raiders want Shadur.

[00:51:09] That's all they plan for.

[00:51:13] You know what I'm saying?

[00:51:14] But I'm going to go with the Raiders.

[00:51:15] You know.

[00:51:15] Because when all else fails, you just go with the home team in a situation like this.

[00:51:20] And get Cups Ted McMillan.

[00:51:23] Do the right thing, Elliott Wolfe.

[00:51:25] Imagine being a coach of Jacksonville and Las Vegas right now.

[00:51:31] And you're trying to get these guys ready for this weekend.

[00:51:35] And it's like, dog.

[00:51:38] If I was a Jacksonville fan, I would travel to Vegas and not go to the game.

[00:51:43] We take it for a quarterback.

[00:51:46] They take it for his teammate.

[00:51:48] We just go out here and put the flags on.

[00:51:51] And just put on an all-star game show.

[00:51:54] Let some fans come on the field and throw passes.

[00:51:56] Because Desmond Ritter is not throwing.

[00:51:58] He didn't even look downfield.

[00:52:00] I don't think Desmond Ritter looked towards the goal post the whole game last week.

[00:52:04] If it was here, it was here.

[00:52:08] And then it was running down the middle.

[00:52:09] That was it.

[00:52:10] He didn't look for anything deep.

[00:52:12] Very similar to how he played in Atlanta for the last couple of years.

[00:52:16] Well, luckily for America, we don't have to waste our time watching Desmond Ritter.

[00:52:21] Because it sounds like Aiden O'Connell is going to get the start this week.

[00:52:24] Well, that's just a whiter version of Ritter.

[00:52:28] All I say is thank you, Base God.

[00:52:31] You know what I'm saying?

[00:52:31] And then you got the Cardinals traveling down to Carolina.

[00:52:35] You remember that clip I sent you?

[00:52:36] They were talking to Kyler Murray about the weather.

[00:52:39] And he's like, yeah, how cold is it going to be?

[00:52:41] They're like 35.

[00:52:41] And he's like, yeah.

[00:52:43] Yeah.

[00:52:44] And I said the same thing.

[00:52:46] Give me the Panthers.

[00:52:47] I'm taking the Panthers, too.

[00:52:49] Oh, okay.

[00:52:50] I don't know.

[00:52:50] I like Kyler Murray.

[00:52:51] I think he's a winner.

[00:52:52] But just something that, like, I don't know if football and winning football games is a priority to him.

[00:52:59] You know what I mean?

[00:53:00] Sometimes you can kind of just see certain players and, like, the results of the games.

[00:53:04] Like, Josh Allen had that loss to the Rams.

[00:53:09] But he had six total touchdowns.

[00:53:11] Granted, a couple of them were tush-push.

[00:53:13] But it's like he threw three.

[00:53:14] He ran for three more.

[00:53:16] You can tell, like, the effort he put into that, he really wanted to win that game.

[00:53:21] Even in the Baltimore game where he got knocked out and just kind of popped back up and didn't come out the game.

[00:53:28] You can tell he really wants to be out there.

[00:53:30] Sometimes I don't know if Kyler Murray really wants to win games or he just likes being a quarterback.

[00:53:37] You know, I think he just likes being in the NFL.

[00:53:40] But I don't know if he really – like, the statement about it's not my job to get Marvin Harris on the ball, like, that's literally –

[00:53:46] fuck it, Marvin's down there somewhere.

[00:53:48] Like, I'm out here to win.

[00:53:50] You know, you think Tom Brady would have been like, you know, it's not my job to get Randy the ball.

[00:53:56] He was like, are you serious?

[00:53:57] That's Randy.

[00:53:58] The Cardinals might have the best tight end in the league, though.

[00:54:00] You know what I mean?

[00:54:01] Yeah, no touchdowns.

[00:54:01] Once again, like, another thing, like, you got a guy catching that many passes and you're not looking for him when you get in the red zone.

[00:54:08] Like, that's what I mean.

[00:54:09] It's like, you're the quarterback.

[00:54:11] Your job is to, like, be the guy for your team.

[00:54:16] Sound like Julio Jones, ain't it?

[00:54:19] Julio, he said it openly.

[00:54:21] He was like, listen, I don't care to get the ball because I got six eyes on me in the red zone.

[00:54:27] He's like, so there's three guys watching me than other people open.

[00:54:30] Yeah.

[00:54:31] But he was getting, you know, he was still getting some targets.

[00:54:35] So Scott McBride should have already had a target.

[00:54:37] Like, that should have been, you should go into the game like, yo, I'm getting you a touchdown no matter what.

[00:54:43] So the loser of this game will guarantee that they finish with a losing season.

[00:54:52] We probably didn't think that before the season.

[00:54:55] But the Miami Dolphins are a one-point favorite at home against the San Francisco 49ers over under 46 and a half.

[00:55:04] Could it be the fate of the 49ers is dependent on the legs of Patrick Taylor?

[00:55:14] Because Isaac Garindo sounds like he's got this hamstring and trending in the wrong direction.

[00:55:19] This is teacher versus pupil.

[00:55:21] The problem is when you usually have a teacher-pupil dynamic, you take things from your teacher and then you add on.

[00:55:31] And then eventually you fold into your own identity, even though we can still see some of the concepts.

[00:55:38] Mike McDaniel hasn't evolved.

[00:55:41] He hasn't evolved.

[00:55:42] He hasn't evolved.

[00:55:48] You mute it?

[00:55:51] Yeah.

[00:55:52] Mike McDaniel might not have evolved like this advanced play calling.

[00:55:57] But you don't need advanced play calling when you have guys that run four threes all over the place.

[00:56:02] Well, you know, I mean, Tyree got more touchdowns.

[00:56:05] We talked about it.

[00:56:07] Yeah.

[00:56:08] Like, that's the thing.

[00:56:09] Even with that, you can't go single coverage.

[00:56:12] You can't go man-to-man at any point throughout the game.

[00:56:15] If he's lined up on Tua's left side, you are going to have to.

[00:56:20] You have to have two people whose sole job is it to make sure that that guy doesn't get loose.

[00:56:27] No matter how I feel about him as, like, a player and, like, you know, his cockiness, whatever else,

[00:56:33] the fact that he is that dynamic with the ball in his hand is, like, you have to – you can't ignore, you know,

[00:56:42] like, you can't look at, like, oh, he only has four touchdowns this year.

[00:56:44] He can have four on you tomorrow if you don't cover him right.

[00:56:48] I mean, cover you this week.

[00:56:49] I'm still trying to understand how they're only averaging 3.9 yards per carry with all that speed and weaponry around,

[00:56:55] you know what I'm saying?

[00:56:56] So I guess the offensive line, you know, I know you hate that, but the offensive line must not be doing something right.

[00:57:01] Yeah.

[00:57:01] They're break dancers.

[00:57:02] You know, they're a finesse team.

[00:57:06] But California is probably going to be, you know, 50-some degrees at kickoff.

[00:57:10] Well, no, they're playing in Miami.

[00:57:12] Oh, in Miami?

[00:57:13] Oh, yeah, so you're good to go.

[00:57:14] Yeah, yeah, so give me the Dolphins, you know what I'm saying?

[00:57:17] And I want to pick Shanahan over McDaniels, and that would be the only reason I picked the 49ers.

[00:57:23] But Shanahan doesn't have a track record of being undergunned and, like, undermanned and overcoming the odds.

[00:57:35] That's not his record at all.

[00:57:36] You're trying to call him James Franklin?

[00:57:39] Yeah.

[00:57:40] Like, look at his record with Jimmy Garoppolo, who was an above-average quarterback.

[00:57:46] But when he had to play with, like, what's the dude?

[00:57:49] The resident ain't going to take you to task.

[00:57:51] Like, CJ Beathard and Mullins.

[00:57:56] Nick Mullins, yeah.

[00:57:58] And I get it.

[00:57:59] Those guys aren't top-tier quarterbacks.

[00:58:01] But he lost a lot of those games without his, you know, his above-average QBs.

[00:58:09] So without above-average talent, I just don't want to catch him in the hand.

[00:58:12] Hold on, Residente.

[00:58:13] I'm holding him back.

[00:58:14] I'm holding him back.

[00:58:15] Hold on, Residente.

[00:58:16] Listen, he knows I'm not taking a shot.

[00:58:19] He feels the same way.

[00:58:21] All right.

[00:58:21] So you got, even though Mike said what he said, give me Tampa.

[00:58:27] You know, even though Dallas has won three or four, so you've got to give him that.

[00:58:32] You know, Tampa, you know what I mean?

[00:58:37] 455 and a half yards in their last four games.

[00:58:39] Hold on, hold on.

[00:58:41] Hold on, hold on.

[00:58:41] Hold on, hold on.

[00:58:43] Hold on, hold on.

[00:58:44] Hold on, hold on.

[00:58:44] I'm not saying he's supposed to have a great record.

[00:58:47] I'm just saying, like, just historically, he does have, he does get a lot of credit for his fully assembled team.

[00:58:58] I'm not saying he's a bad coach.

[00:59:00] It's just that I think what he wants, he needs top-tier talent to do.

[00:59:06] Mike Tomlin has a more simple, physical, upfront punch-you-in-the-mouth kind of plan, so he can kind of go at that with 78 to 81 rated Madden-level talent.

[00:59:20] You don't think that it matters a little bit that you're talking about a defensive coach versus an offensive coach?

[00:59:26] It's just coaching.

[00:59:28] It's just, like, because even Bill Belichick still needed Tom Brady in this excellent IQ.

[00:59:32] The defense was on point, but he still needed Brady's offensive IQ to make it work.

[00:59:39] Okay.

[00:59:40] I think Cal Shanahan is one of those coaches that just, because what he does is so intricate and it's so, it feels like finesse.

[00:59:48] I think he needs all people to be on board to really make it pop.

[00:59:55] And sometimes it's like, you can't plug in play guys.

[00:59:58] People try to say the system is easy.

[01:00:00] His dad won with John Elway and Terrell Davis run that zone.

[01:00:05] And Clinton Portis is a really, really good running back.

[01:00:07] And RD3 were good.

[01:00:08] They were good players.

[01:00:09] It was a good scheme when you have, the scheme looked great when you had good players.

[01:00:15] Hey, Orlando's Gary and TJ Anderson got some yards.

[01:00:18] Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[01:00:19] Like, when you have good players, they have such a great scheme that it's all elevated.

[01:00:25] But when you have, like, average players, it's hard to get it up over the edge.

[01:00:29] And I think that's the problem that you're running into now in San Francisco.

[01:00:33] It's not a knock.

[01:00:33] It's just people aren't available.

[01:00:34] There's only so much you could do with, you know, third and fourth string players starting.

[01:00:40] It's not a knock.

[01:00:41] It's just a reality of talent.

[01:00:43] Yeah.

[01:00:44] So Mike is absolutely right.

[01:00:46] Tampa can't stop the run.

[01:00:47] And they can't stop the pass either, you know.

[01:00:50] But the problem is, is that they don't, Dallas doesn't have the quarterback.

[01:00:54] If Tampa does put up a little resistance that I can trust to outgun Baker Mayfield.

[01:01:03] So unless Dallas is going to hold the ball the way that Vanderbilt held the ball against Alabama, then I don't know how much that really matters.

[01:01:11] But as is Tampa's favorite by four and a half, you know, over-unders 48 and a half.

[01:01:17] Matter of fact, the Cowboys even have a win at home this year.

[01:01:19] I don't think they've been playing well at home.

[01:01:21] I believe they do have a win recently, but I don't think they've been playing well at home.

[01:01:25] And you got Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan coming in as well.

[01:01:33] Bucky Irvin's been showing out, you know, but Diggs is out for the season now.

[01:01:39] So Dallas is falling apart right before our eyes as well.

[01:01:42] So I'm going to take Tampa in this game.

[01:01:45] You know, I just think that they just got too much.

[01:01:49] And Overshown's gone as well, which it might be even a bigger loss than Diggs.

[01:01:53] Because, you know, Diggs is going to give up as much as he stops.

[01:01:57] Yeah.

[01:01:57] He's going to get a pick, though.

[01:01:59] You know what?

[01:02:00] Yeah.

[01:02:00] Like, Diggs is like the cornerback version of Sammy Sosa.

[01:02:04] Like, it's either a home run or a strikeout.

[01:02:06] Swing and a miss or a home run.

[01:02:08] You ain't never getting a double.

[01:02:09] You know what I'm saying?

[01:02:11] And then finally, Monday Night Football down in or up in Lambeau Field.

[01:02:18] The Packers are favored by 14 and a half over the Saints.

[01:02:23] 42 and a half is your over-under.

[01:02:25] Take the points.

[01:02:27] Take the points.

[01:02:28] Spencer Rattler's getting the start just like he should have last week.

[01:02:32] But give me Green Bay.

[01:02:34] Jordan Love's doing that thing again, Mr. Logical.

[01:02:37] He's doing that thing again.

[01:02:38] No, you remember last year, you know, November hit?

[01:02:42] He didn't throw an interception until that second-round game against San Francisco?

[01:02:46] Getting hot late.

[01:02:47] He's doing it again.

[01:02:49] He's doing it again, you know.

[01:02:50] So, last four games, seven touchdowns, no interceptions.

[01:02:54] Are the Saints even going to have Alvin Kamara?

[01:02:57] Please, I hope they have Alvin Kamara.

[01:02:59] This guy is 50 yards away from his first 1,000-yard season of his career.

[01:03:06] Don't do him like that, football gods.

[01:03:08] Don't do him like that.

[01:03:09] There's going to be a lot of quads.

[01:03:11] You know, things are kind of tight.

[01:03:13] Yeah.

[01:03:14] All right.

[01:03:14] So, those are the picks for Week 16.

[01:03:17] Mr. Logical wanted to have a conversation about bowl games and these players opting out.

[01:03:24] So, I'll let you start us off.

[01:03:27] The bowl game, opt out, opt in, get the prize, play, or, you know, sit out and get drafted,

[01:03:36] drop out of school, finish your degree online later.

[01:03:38] I think everything is an option.

[01:03:42] And we talked about the NCAA and their governing and how it might not coincide with what the school wants.

[01:03:49] And if they can't figure out, you know, you got the NCAA and the schools making money together.

[01:03:54] So, if they can't figure out their relationship as a player, you got to think like, listen, I don't know if they're looking out for my best interest.

[01:04:00] So, the two examples of that is Jake Butt from Michigan.

[01:04:04] When he played, he won the Mackey Award that year.

[01:04:07] He was a nation's top tight end.

[01:04:09] He probably would have been a first or second round pick.

[01:04:13] Ended up tearing his ACL for the second time, which then gives you pause.

[01:04:17] Like, oh, maybe he's injury prone.

[01:04:20] In the Orange Bowl against Florida State.

[01:04:22] In the Orange Bowl.

[01:04:23] He falls in the draft.

[01:04:25] He did say he took out an insurance policy.

[01:04:29] That's a bad call, by the way, on the Notre Dame thing.

[01:04:32] Took out an insurance policy so that doesn't make up for it.

[01:04:35] I remember Jameis Winston was going to be the number one pick.

[01:04:37] He took out an insurance policy.

[01:04:39] But his insurance policy was like $5 million.

[01:04:43] It wasn't the hundreds of millions of dollars he was expected to make as a starting quarterback.

[01:04:50] You know, between your first and second contract.

[01:04:52] As a first round draft pick.

[01:04:55] And then we got Jalen Smith.

[01:04:58] Ended up getting drafted by Dallas.

[01:04:59] But that's because he was such a superior talent.

[01:05:03] After that leg injury.

[01:05:04] And it was after the...

[01:05:07] I was in the stadium for that one.

[01:05:09] Yeah.

[01:05:10] He got pushed in the back and tore his knee all apart.

[01:05:13] And he ended up getting drafted by Dallas.

[01:05:14] He was going to be a top five pick.

[01:05:18] So seeing those...

[01:05:21] I'm fully with players opting out of the bowl.

[01:05:25] If you have real...

[01:05:27] If you have a real opportunity to go to NFL draft.

[01:05:32] Then opting out makes the most sense.

[01:05:34] If you are a fringe third or fourth round guy.

[01:05:39] Maybe.

[01:05:41] Maybe playing might be better.

[01:05:42] But if you...

[01:05:44] Are going to be a top five pick.

[01:05:47] I.e.

[01:05:48] You're going to talk about Caleb Williams.

[01:05:51] Like...

[01:05:51] If I'm...

[01:05:51] If I know I'm going to be a top overall pick.

[01:05:54] Why am I going in this bowl game?

[01:05:56] Because not only you opting out.

[01:05:57] Because you're going to the draft.

[01:05:58] You got guys opting out.

[01:05:59] Because they're transferring.

[01:06:01] You got guys opting out.

[01:06:02] Because they don't want to get injured.

[01:06:04] You got guys opting out.

[01:06:05] Because it's like...

[01:06:06] Listen.

[01:06:06] I'm done with the coach.

[01:06:08] The coach got another job.

[01:06:09] So I'm opting out.

[01:06:10] I.e.

[01:06:10] Marshall.

[01:06:11] All those guys hopping into the portal.

[01:06:13] Maybe all of them wanted to leave.

[01:06:14] Maybe they didn't.

[01:06:15] But they're like...

[01:06:16] You know what?

[01:06:16] In solidarity.

[01:06:17] I'm getting out of here.

[01:06:18] So that bowl game.

[01:06:20] We saw happen with Florida State against Georgia.

[01:06:23] It's like...

[01:06:23] Do I really want to play in this compensatory bowl?

[01:06:26] Or do I want to...

[01:06:27] Or do I want to set myself up for the future?

[01:06:31] Because that's the whole point of going to college.

[01:06:33] Is to set yourself up for the future.

[01:06:35] So the future says I'm going to get...

[01:06:37] One of these rookie wage scale draft pick spots.

[01:06:42] Because I'm going to be one of the first 64 guys.

[01:06:44] I'm going with that.

[01:06:46] So Marshall's a little different.

[01:06:48] You know, just because their coach left.

[01:06:50] So, you know, that's the whole...

[01:06:51] You know, you got the 30-day window.

[01:06:53] Yeah, but those guys could have stayed.

[01:06:55] They still could have stayed.

[01:06:56] But why would they?

[01:06:57] We're going to play this bowl game.

[01:06:58] But it's like, why would I?

[01:07:00] Like, why would I?

[01:07:01] So I also think that...

[01:07:03] I also think it depends on the player in the situation.

[01:07:07] So, you know, Shador...

[01:07:09] I know Deion has already said that they're going to finish what they started.

[01:07:12] Travis Hunter and Shador allegedly are going to play in the Alamo Bowl against BYU.

[01:07:18] I say, Deion, let's just pray they don't get hurt.

[01:07:21] Because I don't think they should be playing.

[01:07:23] You know?

[01:07:23] But if you're someone like, say, Nick Nash, the guy who everybody or a lot of people said got screwed out of the Bolitnikoff, and you're a day three projection, it might not hurt to have a little bit more tape.

[01:07:39] You know what I mean?

[01:07:40] You're playing against...

[01:07:41] And in his particular situation, you're playing against South Florida, who isn't that great of a team, but it's teams with Florida speed.

[01:07:49] And the number one knock on you is your separation skills.

[01:07:53] That might give you another window unless you're going to play in the senior bowl or something along those lines, which you're probably not.

[01:08:00] So in a situation like his, then I could see it maybe.

[01:08:06] I could see you thinking about it at the very least.

[01:08:09] But then again, if you get hurt and you were a day three projection, now you're just not getting selected at all.

[01:08:14] Now you're trying to get another year of eligibility.

[01:08:17] Right.

[01:08:19] You're set back for a year.

[01:08:21] But something stood out to me today.

[01:08:24] I was going to take this conversation a whole different route until I saw what I saw today.

[01:08:31] Jameer Latimer down at Jacksonville State.

[01:08:35] He entered the transfer portal.

[01:08:37] They had their bowl game today against Ohio.

[01:08:40] Rich Rod was their head coach.

[01:08:42] He left last week to go back to West Virginia.

[01:08:45] Latimer played in the bowl game.

[01:08:47] And still entered the portal.

[01:08:49] So he put his name in the portal and he played in the bowl game.

[01:08:53] Because you know what?

[01:08:54] For a guy like him, that could be an audition for another school.

[01:08:58] You know, especially if you're a G5 kind of guy like, you know, playing at Jacksonville State Conference USA.

[01:09:06] But let's say you have aspirations.

[01:09:09] You know, maybe you want to go to Missouri.

[01:09:12] You know, just.

[01:09:12] Yeah.

[01:09:13] If you're going to.

[01:09:14] Yeah.

[01:09:14] If you're going to use this primetime game opportunity.

[01:09:17] Because if you think about it.

[01:09:18] There was what?

[01:09:19] How many games that came out of the day?

[01:09:20] Maybe four.

[01:09:22] So we had this game that came on at 8 o'clock.

[01:09:27] The Jackson State game.

[01:09:29] Or Jacksonville State came on probably a little earlier.

[01:09:32] So if you're using it as like, hey.

[01:09:34] It's going to be on ESPN.

[01:09:36] It's against a different opponent.

[01:09:38] Case in point.

[01:09:39] San Jose State playing against USF.

[01:09:42] That's not a school they play.

[01:09:44] You said the Florida Speed.

[01:09:45] So if you're going to use this game as an audition.

[01:09:48] Then rock with it.

[01:09:50] If you are playing with a bunch of guys.

[01:09:52] And listen.

[01:09:52] We're just playing college football.

[01:09:55] They know like when I take these shoulder pads off.

[01:09:57] After this last game here.

[01:10:00] This is the end of my football career for the most part.

[01:10:03] I'm going on to whatever I was going to do in life.

[01:10:05] Then ride or die with those guys.

[01:10:07] But certain schools.

[01:10:08] It's a business.

[01:10:10] And certain players.

[01:10:11] It's a business.

[01:10:12] You have to make a business decision.

[01:10:13] Like I've been making jokes about quads and hamstrings.

[01:10:16] It's a lot of guys on teams like the professional ranks.

[01:10:20] These guys are already getting money.

[01:10:22] It's a lot of guys that probably left games early.

[01:10:26] Because of tightness.

[01:10:28] Because it was a 21 point lead.

[01:10:30] Soft tissue.

[01:10:31] Soft tissue stuff.

[01:10:33] There's probably a lot of guys that are like.

[01:10:34] Listen.

[01:10:34] I'm not going with this lead.

[01:10:35] I said it.

[01:10:36] I said it in the preseason.

[01:10:38] T. Higgins was going to miss a handful of games this year.

[01:10:42] For something that he probably would have played through.

[01:10:45] If they would have paid him.

[01:10:46] But they didn't pay him.

[01:10:47] They franchised him.

[01:10:48] So it's like.

[01:10:49] Why am I going to risk.

[01:10:51] My body.

[01:10:52] If you're not even going to pay me properly.

[01:10:54] So you got guys in college.

[01:10:55] Yeah.

[01:10:55] They might be getting some NIL money.

[01:10:57] They might be getting some shoe money.

[01:10:59] They might be getting some free restaurant.

[01:11:02] Cheese steak money.

[01:11:03] But they're not getting NFL buy house money.

[01:11:06] Right.

[01:11:06] So you guys are in a position where.

[01:11:09] I could potentially get.

[01:11:10] Buy house in my hometown money.

[01:11:13] If I don't play in this bowl game.

[01:11:15] Then don't play in the bowl game.

[01:11:16] And also.

[01:11:17] You know.

[01:11:18] As devil's advocate a little bit.

[01:11:21] You know.

[01:11:22] Some of these schools.

[01:11:23] Don't get this opportunity.

[01:11:25] You know.

[01:11:25] To be on TV.

[01:11:27] Or to get that type of marketing.

[01:11:29] And these games.

[01:11:30] A lot of these games.

[01:11:31] Like that Jacksonville State Ohio game today.

[01:11:33] It was a standalone game.

[01:11:35] So you know.

[01:11:36] It wasn't a game.

[01:11:37] It wasn't another game.

[01:11:38] For you to flip a channel to.

[01:11:39] Notre Dame and Indiana.

[01:11:41] Wasn't on.

[01:11:42] For you to be like.

[01:11:42] I'm watching the CFP.

[01:11:44] So a lot of these kids.

[01:11:45] In this.

[01:11:46] In these schools.

[01:11:47] This is going to be the.

[01:11:48] One of the only shots they get.

[01:11:50] At having major TV audience.

[01:11:52] And most of those guys.

[01:11:54] I think you know that.

[01:11:56] Going in.

[01:11:57] To like the team you sign up for.

[01:11:58] Right.

[01:11:59] And Jalen.

[01:12:00] If I'm Jalen Milrow.

[01:12:01] And someone's telling me like.

[01:12:02] Hey.

[01:12:03] You might go six overall.

[01:12:04] And I'm a running quarterback.

[01:12:07] I'm not.

[01:12:07] Then I'm not playing.

[01:12:08] I'm not playing this bowl game.

[01:12:09] Yeah.

[01:12:09] And just like Tulane today.

[01:12:11] You know.

[01:12:11] Tulane was playing against Florida today.

[01:12:13] You know.

[01:12:14] They got stomped.

[01:12:15] Because their quarterback.

[01:12:15] Left him with the Duke.

[01:12:17] But.

[01:12:18] That was an opportunity for you.

[01:12:19] To play against the SEC school.

[01:12:21] You know.

[01:12:21] Beat an SEC school.

[01:12:22] You know.

[01:12:23] All that kind of stuff.

[01:12:24] But.

[01:12:24] If he didn't have the Duke spot.

[01:12:26] Then I can see him playing.

[01:12:28] And maybe auditioning.

[01:12:29] For this Indiana spot.

[01:12:30] I don't know what Indiana situation.

[01:12:31] Will be with their quarterback next year.

[01:12:33] Oh yeah.

[01:12:34] He's gone.

[01:12:35] He's gone.

[01:12:35] Maybe they need a spot.

[01:12:36] So it's like.

[01:12:37] I'm playing this game today.

[01:12:39] Maybe when this guy.

[01:12:41] Graduation goes on.

[01:12:42] Or if he goes to the NFL.

[01:12:44] USFL.

[01:12:44] Wherever he ends up.

[01:12:46] Maybe I can slide in Indiana.

[01:12:47] So it just all depends on.

[01:12:50] Where your visibility has been all year.

[01:12:52] Travis Hunter.

[01:12:53] Shador.

[01:12:53] Ward.

[01:12:54] Cam Ward.

[01:12:55] Carson Beck.

[01:12:57] Like I think.

[01:12:58] If Georgia didn't get into the college football playoffs.

[01:13:01] Carson Beck isn't playing in the Alamo Bowl.

[01:13:05] Or the Monarchy Cardcare Bowl.

[01:13:06] Or anything like that.

[01:13:07] I think he's prepping himself.

[01:13:09] Same thing with Texas.

[01:13:10] I think Quinn Ewers is probably already.

[01:13:12] Potentially transferring.

[01:13:14] And Archman is going to get his shot.

[01:13:16] But.

[01:13:17] If he knew he was going to be a number one pick.

[01:13:19] And they'd left Texas out of the CFP.

[01:13:21] Because they felt.

[01:13:22] Their strength of schedule wasn't legitimate enough.

[01:13:24] Then I don't think he's playing.

[01:13:26] In that bowl game either.

[01:13:28] So what surprised me was.

[01:13:30] You know.

[01:13:30] Because I'm like.

[01:13:31] There's so many bowl games.

[01:13:33] I think there's 41 or so.

[01:13:35] And you know.

[01:13:36] After the Marshall thing happened.

[01:13:37] They replaced Army with a 5 and 7 Louisiana Tech team.

[01:13:41] So I was thinking to myself.

[01:13:44] Who.

[01:13:46] Watches these games.

[01:13:48] Besides me.

[01:13:49] And so.

[01:13:50] So as I was thinking about that.

[01:13:52] I found Ross Dellinger.

[01:13:53] You know.

[01:13:54] The savant over.

[01:13:55] No pun intended.

[01:13:56] Over there at Yahoo.

[01:13:58] You know.

[01:13:59] He had some stats for me.

[01:14:00] And it goes a little something like this.

[01:14:02] So you know.

[01:14:03] Obviously.

[01:14:05] Caleb Williams.

[01:14:07] Was the number one draft pick last year.

[01:14:10] Or this year.

[01:14:10] He wasn't going to play in the bowl game.

[01:14:13] Against Louisville.

[01:14:15] But.

[01:14:16] According to Ross Dellinger.

[01:14:19] The Dukes Mayo Bowl.

[01:14:20] The Holiday Bowl.

[01:14:22] And the Military Bowl.

[01:14:23] Last season.

[01:14:24] All three of them got at least 2.2 million viewers.

[01:14:30] On the days that they played their games.

[01:14:34] They outdrew.

[01:14:35] The league that we're about to get to in a minute.

[01:14:38] The NBA.

[01:14:39] In the NHL.

[01:14:40] Neither one of those sports.

[01:14:42] Got more than half a million.

[01:14:45] Now.

[01:14:46] I know you're thinking like.

[01:14:47] Okay.

[01:14:47] Well.

[01:14:48] What were those games?

[01:14:49] You know.

[01:14:50] It wasn't.

[01:14:51] Marshall against.

[01:14:52] Yeah.

[01:14:52] You're right.

[01:14:52] It wasn't.

[01:14:53] But this is what it was.

[01:14:54] It was Virginia Tech against Tulane.

[01:14:57] And Michael Pratt didn't play.

[01:15:00] It was the Mayo Bowl.

[01:15:02] West Virginia against North Carolina.

[01:15:04] Drake May didn't play.

[01:15:07] Holiday Bowl.

[01:15:08] USC against Louisville.

[01:15:10] No Caleb.

[01:15:11] That's when Miller Moss came in.

[01:15:13] And threw the six touchdown passes.

[01:15:14] So people are still watching it.

[01:15:17] So you know.

[01:15:17] So from that standpoint.

[01:15:19] And that goes back to the original point.

[01:15:22] That I was making.

[01:15:23] Is that.

[01:15:24] It's an opportunity to highlight yourself.

[01:15:26] Like yeah.

[01:15:27] I'm not saying that you were a third round pick.

[01:15:30] You showed out in your bowl game.

[01:15:31] And you're going to go top 15.

[01:15:33] That's what the combine is for.

[01:15:34] Yeah.

[01:15:35] But you could go from.

[01:15:37] Second.

[01:15:38] Third round pick.

[01:15:39] Six touchdowns in a bowl game.

[01:15:42] And a great pro day.

[01:15:43] And now you're Zach Wilson.

[01:15:45] Yeah.

[01:15:45] It could be a cautionary tale now.

[01:15:48] Because Zach Wilson ended up going too.

[01:15:50] And then it didn't really pan out.

[01:15:51] But.

[01:15:52] A lot of people aren't going to look at like previous years.

[01:15:54] And like you know what.

[01:15:55] We're not going to make that mistake.

[01:15:56] They're going to look at.

[01:15:57] What you did.

[01:15:58] What you put on tape.

[01:16:00] And what they feel like.

[01:16:02] And what.

[01:16:02] And what they feel like you.

[01:16:04] You could do.

[01:16:04] And you know Mike.

[01:16:06] You know.

[01:16:07] As we transition to NBA.

[01:16:08] Yeah.

[01:16:09] Let me hear.

[01:16:09] Hit on that.

[01:16:10] Let me hear being impatient.

[01:16:12] We get.

[01:16:12] We was going to get there.

[01:16:13] He's like it feels like a chore.

[01:16:15] Playoffs are cool.

[01:16:15] We were going to get there.

[01:16:16] But I'm not excited to watch.

[01:16:17] So Mr. Logical.

[01:16:18] What's wrong with the NBA?

[01:16:19] Is there something wrong with the NBA?

[01:16:21] I heard a question on club.

[01:16:24] On the 560 podcast.

[01:16:28] Jeff Teague and his boys.

[01:16:30] And.

[01:16:31] The guy asked.

[01:16:33] He's like.

[01:16:33] Is the league ready.

[01:16:35] For an NBA without LeBron.

[01:16:37] Teague said no.

[01:16:39] And his boy was like.

[01:16:40] His boy said I am.

[01:16:42] And you should be.

[01:16:43] Like.

[01:16:44] It should be.

[01:16:45] A pass in the torch.

[01:16:46] Yeah.

[01:16:47] I was ready for that.

[01:16:47] Five years ago.

[01:16:49] I just.

[01:16:50] Don't know.

[01:16:51] If the NBA.

[01:16:53] Is doing a good enough job.

[01:16:55] At finding.

[01:16:56] The person.

[01:16:57] To carry that torch.

[01:16:59] They tried to make it in.

[01:17:02] But he plays.

[01:17:03] Not necessarily in the small market.

[01:17:04] But.

[01:17:05] You got to get.

[01:17:06] You got to get Minnesota.

[01:17:07] To the east.

[01:17:08] You got to do some conference.

[01:17:09] Realignment.

[01:17:10] To line up your stars.

[01:17:11] Stars.

[01:17:12] So you got to get Memphis.

[01:17:15] And.

[01:17:16] Minnesota.

[01:17:17] In the east.

[01:17:19] Move new.

[01:17:20] Leave New Orleans in the west.

[01:17:21] Maybe move somebody else.

[01:17:23] To the west.

[01:17:23] Or when you do your expansion.

[01:17:25] Those should be the teams.

[01:17:27] Especially if they still have their stars.

[01:17:31] I think they're trying.

[01:17:32] To invest in it.

[01:17:34] I don't.

[01:17:35] It's just that the guys.

[01:17:36] I just think the personality.

[01:17:38] Just doesn't work.

[01:17:39] I think LaMelo Ball.

[01:17:40] For a personality to work.

[01:17:42] Dad's a great personality.

[01:17:44] He had the show.

[01:17:45] But it's like.

[01:17:46] For a personality to work.

[01:17:49] For a personality to work.

[01:17:51] I have to put a camera on you.

[01:17:53] You know what I'm saying?

[01:17:54] Like we get up here.

[01:17:56] We joke around.

[01:17:57] All that kind of stuff like that.

[01:17:58] We have fun.

[01:17:59] But nobody would know that about us.

[01:18:01] If we didn't do this.

[01:18:03] You know what I mean?

[01:18:04] And we live in this age.

[01:18:06] Where.

[01:18:06] TikTok.

[01:18:07] Social media.

[01:18:08] Some of that.

[01:18:09] The players could do themselves.

[01:18:10] But let me tell you about some things.

[01:18:12] That are happening.

[01:18:12] In the NBA right now.

[01:18:14] That the NBA.

[01:18:15] Should be talking about.

[01:18:17] But it's not talking about.

[01:18:19] Okay.

[01:18:19] So the Cleveland Cavaliers.

[01:18:21] Have the best record in the league.

[01:18:23] At 23 and 4.

[01:18:26] Not a peep.

[01:18:28] Not a peep.

[01:18:29] If that was LA.

[01:18:31] It'd lead every show.

[01:18:33] That wasn't NFL related.

[01:18:35] If it was Boston.

[01:18:37] It would be.

[01:18:37] Who's going to stop them again?

[01:18:39] It's the Cleveland Cavaliers.

[01:18:41] And everybody went night night.

[01:18:42] Because fuck Lake Erie.

[01:18:44] You know.

[01:18:45] The Thunder.

[01:18:46] Are 21 and 5.

[01:18:48] My NBA final pick.

[01:18:49] By the way.

[01:18:50] My NBA champion.

[01:18:51] By the way.

[01:18:51] But not only.

[01:18:53] Not only are they 21 and 5.

[01:18:55] Mr. Logical.

[01:18:57] Chet Holmgren has been out.

[01:18:59] Since November 10th.

[01:19:02] Isaiah Hartenstein.

[01:19:04] Missed the first 15 games.

[01:19:07] In their 21 and 5.

[01:19:09] Next man up.

[01:19:11] For real.

[01:19:12] They had SGA playing power forward.

[01:19:14] Out here.

[01:19:14] Some of these games.

[01:19:16] And they were winning.

[01:19:17] Their 21 and 5.

[01:19:19] Jokic is averaging a triple double.

[01:19:20] As a center.

[01:19:22] Granted.

[01:19:23] The team ain't necessarily doing the best.

[01:19:26] But.

[01:19:27] A center averaging a triple double.

[01:19:29] Now.

[01:19:29] I know Russell Westbrook.

[01:19:31] Kind of cheapened the triple doubles a little bit.

[01:19:33] I guess.

[01:19:34] None of that.

[01:19:34] None of that gives me personality.

[01:19:36] Yeah.

[01:19:37] Exactly.

[01:19:37] Mike.

[01:19:38] The Bulls just beat Boston last night.

[01:19:40] Yeah.

[01:19:40] Teams are going to win games.

[01:19:42] I know.

[01:19:43] But I'm just saying.

[01:19:44] You don't care about wins and losses.

[01:19:44] Hold up.

[01:19:45] But wait.

[01:19:45] But that's the difference.

[01:19:46] But that's the difference.

[01:19:47] Right?

[01:19:48] When Alabama lost to Vanderbilt.

[01:19:51] It was like.

[01:19:52] Alabama really lost to Vanderbilt.

[01:19:54] When.

[01:19:55] If the Browns beat.

[01:19:56] Well.

[01:19:56] I don't know.

[01:19:57] That's not a good example.

[01:19:58] If the Bears beat the Lions this weekend.

[01:20:01] You don't think that's going to be all over TV?

[01:20:05] It will be.

[01:20:06] That's what I'm saying.

[01:20:07] But that's because football.

[01:20:10] Football is.

[01:20:11] The NFL is the personality for the game of football.

[01:20:16] I'll give you some games here in a second, Cups.

[01:20:18] The players individually are the things that get you to tune in.

[01:20:23] You.

[01:20:25] You can charge $400 a ticket.

[01:20:30] At Madison Square Garden.

[01:20:32] When Golden State and Steph Curry comes to New York.

[01:20:36] You can't charge that for De'Aaron Fox in Sacramento.

[01:20:40] Even though it's the same distance.

[01:20:43] So like they're both flying across country.

[01:20:45] They're on their East Coast road trip.

[01:20:47] One is Golden State and Steph Curry.

[01:20:51] And Steve Curry and the personalities.

[01:20:53] Against the big East Coast brand.

[01:20:56] The New York Knicks.

[01:20:58] Right.

[01:20:58] I think the NBA players.

[01:21:01] Are just not as.

[01:21:06] They're not as.

[01:21:09] Appealing.

[01:21:10] You can't tell me.

[01:21:11] Anthony Edwards doesn't have personality.

[01:21:14] He does.

[01:21:15] But he plays in the West.

[01:21:16] So his games come on at 10 o'clock.

[01:21:19] What time zone is Minnesota in?

[01:21:22] Yeah.

[01:21:22] But their games.

[01:21:23] Their games.

[01:21:24] They don't get the first East Coast slots.

[01:21:25] So if they had a back.

[01:21:27] If they had double header nights.

[01:21:29] Every day in the NBA on TV.

[01:21:31] Which is another thing you probably should look into.

[01:21:33] Like yeah.

[01:21:33] How do we get two games on.

[01:21:35] For all these teams.

[01:21:37] Every single night.

[01:21:38] From October.

[01:21:40] Until April.

[01:21:41] Like it should be games on all the time.

[01:21:43] They shouldn't worry about competing with the NFL.

[01:21:46] Because the NFL doesn't care.

[01:21:47] The NFL does not care.

[01:21:49] That the NBA has Christmas Day games.

[01:21:51] Well they just stole Christmas.

[01:21:53] They stole it.

[01:21:54] The NFL is the Grinch that stole Christmas.

[01:21:56] They got Mariah and Beyonce.

[01:21:59] They stole Sunday from Jesus.

[01:22:02] And then they stole his birthday from the NBA.

[01:22:04] So it's like they've done it all.

[01:22:06] And now they're trying to steal Wednesdays from AEW.

[01:22:10] As the league.

[01:22:11] They make sure that they showcase the rookie matchups.

[01:22:17] Caleb versus Jane Daniels.

[01:22:19] They will hype that up.

[01:22:20] Those teams could have both been under 500 when that game kicked off.

[01:22:24] And it would have still been one versus two.

[01:22:27] You know who got it right.

[01:22:29] And that would have been the whole conversation.

[01:22:31] LaMelo Ball.

[01:22:32] He got drafted third overall.

[01:22:34] I can't remember who went one in his draft.

[01:22:38] Who?

[01:22:39] LaMelo Ball.

[01:22:41] Zion wasn't it?

[01:22:42] No that was Zion and Morant.

[01:22:44] That was John Morant.

[01:22:45] Yeah.

[01:22:45] So they went one too.

[01:22:47] They don't hype that matchup as one versus two from that draft.

[01:22:53] The way they hype up the draft matchup.

[01:22:57] Matter of fact it was Anthony Edwards.

[01:22:58] Yeah it was Anthony Edwards.

[01:23:00] Was it Anthony Edwards?

[01:23:01] Yeah.

[01:23:02] But that's what I'm saying.

[01:23:03] LaMelo was three.

[01:23:04] Because remember Golden State took Wiseman.

[01:23:07] Yeah.

[01:23:07] Yeah.

[01:23:08] So like a lot of that stuff needs to be built into their marketing formula.

[01:23:13] And I don't think they do a good job of that.

[01:23:15] Especially considering LaMelo Ball was famous at 14.

[01:23:19] Well LaMelo Ball.

[01:23:20] I'm glad you brought him up.

[01:23:21] Because that was going to be my next point.

[01:23:23] You know what I'm saying.

[01:23:24] He's averaging 30 and 8 this year.

[01:23:26] You know what I'm saying.

[01:23:27] So for one.

[01:23:28] Get me LeVar back on TV.

[01:23:29] That's first and foremost.

[01:23:30] I have a microphone in his face every single time.

[01:23:35] I have him, Charles Barkley, and Shannon Sharp just sitting on the sideline having conversations.

[01:23:40] Heard again.

[01:23:41] Yeah.

[01:23:41] Talk to me what it's about.

[01:23:42] But before that you know he still wasn't being talked about.

[01:23:44] You know you got the Rockets.

[01:23:47] Third in the West.

[01:23:48] You know right now.

[01:23:50] Emei Udoka redemption story.

[01:23:52] This is where the NFL and like even March Madness.

[01:23:56] The storyline.

[01:23:57] They build that.

[01:23:57] Like this is Emei's I mean I don't want to say resurrection.

[01:24:02] But you know what I mean.

[01:24:02] But he's coming back basically from the ashes.

[01:24:05] And that should be covered more.

[01:24:08] The Warriors.

[01:24:08] And that shows how good of a coach he is.

[01:24:10] And once again that's the focus on that.

[01:24:12] But I don't know if the NBA.

[01:24:14] I think they just kind of they're riding the wave of KD, Steph, James Harden, the Kawhi, LeBron.

[01:24:23] Like the Lakers.

[01:24:25] They're riding the brands.

[01:24:26] They're riding the Knicks brand.

[01:24:28] They hope the Knicks are good.

[01:24:30] They you know they hope the Lakers are good.

[01:24:32] But as long as the Lakers still have LeBron.

[01:24:34] They don't have to be good.

[01:24:35] They just have to keep LeBron.

[01:24:38] And I think that's what they're riding with.

[01:24:40] And that's that's the problem.

[01:24:41] I think they're they're using.

[01:24:43] A.

[01:24:45] A.

[01:24:45] A false.

[01:24:46] False.

[01:24:48] It's like the squid game.

[01:24:50] When they were like jumping from one glass to the next.

[01:24:53] It's like yeah it's good for now until you make the wrong choice.

[01:24:56] And you jump and everything falls through.

[01:24:58] Because.

[01:24:59] Your ratings aren't going up.

[01:25:01] And the NFL.

[01:25:02] Not the NFL products crazy great.

[01:25:04] It's just that.

[01:25:05] We tune in to Josh Allen.

[01:25:07] We tune in.

[01:25:08] For Mike Tomlin.

[01:25:09] We tune in.

[01:25:11] For the Aaron Rodgers interview.

[01:25:13] With.

[01:25:14] McAfee on Tuesdays.

[01:25:15] Like.

[01:25:16] So much of our week.

[01:25:18] As NFL fans.

[01:25:20] Is encapsulated.

[01:25:21] As far as that goes.

[01:25:23] As far as.

[01:25:23] We get football.

[01:25:25] Multiple days out of that week.

[01:25:27] As far as that goes.

[01:25:28] It's a little different.

[01:25:29] Because.

[01:25:30] In most weeks.

[01:25:31] You know.

[01:25:31] NFL teams have six days off.

[01:25:33] Before their next game.

[01:25:35] You know.

[01:25:35] NBA teams are playing back to back.

[01:25:37] So they're playing every other night.

[01:25:38] We get.

[01:25:39] We get Thursday night football.

[01:25:40] We get Sunday night.

[01:25:41] We get Sunday all day.

[01:25:42] Those are only two teams.

[01:25:44] But we get.

[01:25:44] No I'm just saying.

[01:25:45] We get to talk football.

[01:25:48] It's a standalone games.

[01:25:50] And we highlight.

[01:25:51] Different storylines.

[01:25:52] Like.

[01:25:53] The Mike Tomlin.

[01:25:54] Never going under 500.

[01:25:55] I don't know if Mike Malone.

[01:25:57] The coach of the Nuggets.

[01:25:58] Has ever been under 500.

[01:26:00] But.

[01:26:00] The Mike Tomlin storyline.

[01:26:02] We talk about all the time.

[01:26:03] We talk about.

[01:26:05] You know.

[01:26:05] Tom Brady.

[01:26:06] Seven rings.

[01:26:08] Is Mahomes going to be the GOAT?

[01:26:10] Like right now.

[01:26:11] Where's Wimby at?

[01:26:12] Goat.

[01:26:14] A lot of guys are foreign.

[01:26:16] And they don't.

[01:26:16] But that don't.

[01:26:17] I mean.

[01:26:18] But to some degree.

[01:26:19] Right.

[01:26:19] So a guy like SGA.

[01:26:21] You know.

[01:26:21] I don't know what his personality is.

[01:26:23] But he's Canadian.

[01:26:24] So it's not like.

[01:26:25] You have this Luka issue.

[01:26:26] Where.

[01:26:27] Or like this Giannis issue.

[01:26:28] Where.

[01:26:29] They have these accents.

[01:26:30] It might be a little hard to understand them.

[01:26:32] Or the swag.

[01:26:35] Like SGA can.

[01:26:36] You know.

[01:26:37] Have a conversation.

[01:26:38] Or Jalen Brown.

[01:26:39] Just won finals MVP.

[01:26:41] Where he at?

[01:26:42] They hate talking to Jalen Brown.

[01:26:44] Because.

[01:26:44] I know.

[01:26:45] But that's even more reason to talk to him.

[01:26:47] He should be on TV.

[01:26:49] They hated Barry Bonds.

[01:26:50] You know what I mean?

[01:26:51] That's even more reason.

[01:26:52] They should have Jalen Brown on CNN.

[01:26:54] Devin Booker.

[01:26:55] That's a good one Mike.

[01:26:56] I was going to bring up Devin Booker's name.

[01:26:58] Because.

[01:26:58] You know what I mean?

[01:26:59] And I don't know if he's up next.

[01:27:00] But he's probably having his best season.

[01:27:02] Of his career right now.

[01:27:04] And nobody's talking about it.

[01:27:06] You know what I mean?

[01:27:07] Like.

[01:27:07] You got the Pistons.

[01:27:08] I know nobody really wants to talk about the Pistons.

[01:27:11] But the Pistons won 14 games last year.

[01:27:14] Totally.

[01:27:14] When the Pistons were the bad boys.

[01:27:17] They were the talk of the town.

[01:27:18] And then when.

[01:27:19] Rasheed Wallace.

[01:27:20] And Ben Wallace.

[01:27:21] And Chauncey Billups.

[01:27:22] And Tayshaun Prince.

[01:27:23] And Rip Hamilton.

[01:27:25] When they started running the East.

[01:27:26] They were the talk of the town.

[01:27:28] They were like a conglomerate.

[01:27:29] They were the team we talked about.

[01:27:32] Even though.

[01:27:33] I'm not even saying.

[01:27:34] None of them were like top tier talents.

[01:27:36] It's just that.

[01:27:36] They presented.

[01:27:38] Like.

[01:27:38] Golden State with the Splash Brothers.

[01:27:40] Like.

[01:27:41] That whole.

[01:27:41] Like.

[01:27:42] The Miami.

[01:27:43] The Miami Heedles.

[01:27:44] The Boston Three Party.

[01:27:46] It's just.

[01:27:47] It's not just.

[01:27:48] The end result.

[01:27:49] Because.

[01:27:50] Boston only won one championship.

[01:27:51] With that.

[01:27:52] Garnett.

[01:27:54] Paul Pierce.

[01:27:55] And.

[01:27:55] Ray Allen.

[01:27:57] Ray Allen.

[01:27:58] Combo.

[01:27:59] But.

[01:27:59] They were the talk of the town.

[01:28:01] They were the proverbial villains.

[01:28:03] Same thing.

[01:28:03] Miami went two out of four.

[01:28:05] But they had.

[01:28:06] They.

[01:28:06] They encapsulated.

[01:28:07] Like.

[01:28:08] The personality.

[01:28:09] The lead.

[01:28:09] But.

[01:28:10] But that's why you highlight people.

[01:28:11] Because we already talk about how.

[01:28:13] And.

[01:28:14] Residente talks about it all the time.

[01:28:15] How.

[01:28:16] A lot of people don't know.

[01:28:18] These players in these drafts.

[01:28:20] You know.

[01:28:20] A lot of them are foreigners.

[01:28:21] A lot of them went to college for one year.

[01:28:23] Some of them went to small colleges.

[01:28:25] That.

[01:28:25] We didn't get a chance to necessarily just sit back.

[01:28:28] And watch.

[01:28:29] To understand.

[01:28:30] But my point about the Pistons was.

[01:28:32] They.

[01:28:33] They.

[01:28:33] Won 14 games last year.

[01:28:35] 14 and 68.

[01:28:37] They've won 11 games already.

[01:28:39] Wimby and the Spurs are over 500 right now.

[01:28:42] After 27 games.

[01:28:44] So.

[01:28:44] So.

[01:28:44] So then you get back to.

[01:28:46] Mr. Logical.

[01:28:48] What's the problem with the on the court?

[01:28:50] Prada.

[01:28:51] So.

[01:28:51] Yo.

[01:28:52] Perfect transition.

[01:28:53] Because I was about to get into that.

[01:28:54] When we watch these videos.

[01:28:56] Of the open runs.

[01:28:58] Up here.

[01:28:58] This gym.

[01:28:59] And I think it's somewhere in Manhattan.

[01:29:01] Lifetime fitness.

[01:29:03] And we see guys doing the UCLA runs.

[01:29:06] We talk about the Miami Pro-Ams.

[01:29:08] I think Seattle has one.

[01:29:10] I believe Minnesota has one.

[01:29:11] A lot of guys play in that.

[01:29:13] So the fact that I can name off all these different Pro-Ams.

[01:29:16] That these guys play in.

[01:29:18] Jamal Crawford.

[01:29:19] Jalen Suggs.

[01:29:22] Shunk still plays in a lot of those things.

[01:29:24] Michael Beasley plays in the Miami ones.

[01:29:27] Jeff Teague plays in a lot of them.

[01:29:29] All of those look like pure basketball.

[01:29:33] It's dribble drives.

[01:29:34] It's attacking the rim.

[01:29:36] It's shit talking.

[01:29:38] It's real competitive.

[01:29:40] Mono-a-mono basketball.

[01:29:42] They get to the NBA.

[01:29:44] You hit a shot.

[01:29:46] And wink at a dude.

[01:29:47] That's a technical.

[01:29:48] They ready to throw you and the coach out.

[01:29:50] They ready to find the owner.

[01:29:52] It's like they're trying to micromanage this product.

[01:29:55] I'm like yo.

[01:29:56] These dudes came from where they came from.

[01:29:59] Balling the way they ball.

[01:30:01] Showing off their personality.

[01:30:02] And as soon as they throw a three in somebody's face.

[01:30:05] You want to give them a tech.

[01:30:07] But when these guys play these open runs.

[01:30:10] They're attacking the rim.

[01:30:11] They're not shooting 53s in open gym.

[01:30:14] These guys are attacking the rim.

[01:30:16] Mellow out there with the hoodie on.

[01:30:18] Doing this thing.

[01:30:19] They got like teenage college kids out there.

[01:30:22] It's like they're playing real basketball.

[01:30:24] That's entertaining.

[01:30:25] Like I'd probably watch the open runs.

[01:30:29] If they were televised.

[01:30:31] More than like the all-star game.

[01:30:33] And like the main game.

[01:30:34] But like for instance.

[01:30:36] The game last week.

[01:30:37] Where they missed 75 threes combined.

[01:30:39] Why they ain't let Mellow wear his hoodie?

[01:30:42] Like you mean tell me you couldn't pump fake.

[01:30:44] And get maybe 17 of those 74 three-point attempts to two-pointers.

[01:30:49] But analytics.

[01:30:50] And I listen to these guys with MIT.

[01:30:52] Who can talk this talk with the math.

[01:30:54] It's like yo.

[01:30:54] Your product is not good.

[01:30:56] And you're still only averaging like 110 points.

[01:30:59] It's not like shooting more threes.

[01:31:00] Getting you more points.

[01:31:01] So I saw that Adam Silver is conducting an investigation.

[01:31:06] Trying to figure out the play styles and whatnot.

[01:31:09] I don't know what that's going to accomplish.

[01:31:11] I don't know what he's going to unlock.

[01:31:13] Get rid of the nerds.

[01:31:14] Bring back the hood dudes.

[01:31:16] Go get the hood dudes.

[01:31:18] Go get the dudes that are really grinding to play basketball.

[01:31:21] Right now you got a lot.

[01:31:22] A bunch of NBA player sons.

[01:31:24] A bunch of private school guys.

[01:31:26] A bunch of prep school guys.

[01:31:27] A bunch of foreign guys.

[01:31:28] A bunch of guys that can afford to play in the EYBL.

[01:31:32] And all these Adidas leagues.

[01:31:33] And they get to go to Kansas.

[01:31:35] And they go to Kansas State.

[01:31:36] And they go to Duke.

[01:31:37] They go to UNC.

[01:31:39] Or they play in these overtime elite leagues.

[01:31:41] And they get to come to the league with nobody hitting them.

[01:31:45] Nobody bumping them.

[01:31:46] The hood dude is being legislated out of the league.

[01:31:50] So you got to bring back.

[01:31:51] You got to bring back the ability.

[01:31:53] Like I think Joe Mazzola says something along the lines of like.

[01:31:56] I'm paraphrasing.

[01:31:57] But I think it'd be cool if they could fight again type.

[01:32:00] Not necessarily like throw hands running the stands.

[01:32:02] But at least show some like real moxie.

[01:32:06] Because right now guys are just complaining and bitching for calls.

[01:32:09] So if they shoot a three.

[01:32:11] They sticking their feet out hoping they get tripped.

[01:32:14] I'm still waiting for Jordan Clarkson to throw a punch.

[01:32:16] Yo.

[01:32:17] All he does is this.

[01:32:19] Like yo.

[01:32:20] Your ribs are open and your face is open.

[01:32:22] You better off just backing away at that point.

[01:32:24] But that's what I'm saying.

[01:32:25] It's like you got to bring back.

[01:32:27] You got to allow the physical personality to come through and be expressed through basketball.

[01:32:35] Right now it's basically pick and pop.

[01:32:37] Brooke Lopez is seven feet tall.

[01:32:40] I watched the Milwaukee game.

[01:32:41] We were doing a show the last time.

[01:32:43] Every time I looked at me we shoot a 26 foot three.

[01:32:47] Tallest dude on the court.

[01:32:49] Tallest dude on the court.

[01:32:50] I haven't met a seven foot tall person in my life.

[01:32:53] I'm 43 years old.

[01:32:54] He out there with other seven foot tall dudes shooting like Miles Turner shooting three points.

[01:33:01] It's like yo.

[01:33:02] You don't have to bring back the post game.

[01:33:04] But yo.

[01:33:05] Pick and roll.

[01:33:05] Get into the paint.

[01:33:07] Allow for some contact.

[01:33:09] Don't call every single ticky tack call.

[01:33:12] I'm not saying you should fight because it is.

[01:33:14] It's still a good.

[01:33:14] You still got a good product.

[01:33:16] But you got to allow for some taunting.

[01:33:20] You got to allow for a push.

[01:33:22] You got to allow for some arguments.

[01:33:24] You got to allow that stuff because you want these guys to play to the edge of their emotions.

[01:33:29] And when they get there you cutting them off.

[01:33:31] It's like you're impacting the game.

[01:33:33] We already see like the referee is like the referees is kind of butchering a lot of games by just being in the way.

[01:33:39] Like yo.

[01:33:40] Sometimes like listen.

[01:33:41] We're going to swallow the whistle.

[01:33:42] So you guys can't beat each other up.

[01:33:44] But like we want you to earn these buckets.

[01:33:46] That's why guys are shooting threes.

[01:33:48] Because they can't earn the buckets in the paint.

[01:33:50] And this one's for you cups.

[01:33:52] You know what I'm saying?

[01:33:53] Like I don't know why they don't put a microphone in Trey Young's face.

[01:33:57] Like he obviously has personality.

[01:33:59] But then again the city of Atlanta is disrespected as a sports town anyway.

[01:34:05] I ain't going to say why I think that is.

[01:34:08] But you know but Atlanta doesn't get respect.

[01:34:10] Even when the Falcons were at the top or close to the top at least.

[01:34:15] You know it wasn't it wasn't over.

[01:34:17] It wasn't flowing that way.

[01:34:19] Like Atlanta is a sports town.

[01:34:23] I think Atlanta is a popular city.

[01:34:26] That has.

[01:34:26] But that's but that's the NBA's job though is to.

[01:34:29] Dallas is a sports town.

[01:34:31] Not to make the town a sports town.

[01:34:32] But the NBA's job is to market this stuff and make you want to consume the product.

[01:34:37] Like so so you know I always talk about Madden.

[01:34:40] People buy Madden every year.

[01:34:42] It's the same shitty stupid game.

[01:34:44] But people gonna play it because it's the only football game that's available.

[01:34:48] You know what I mean?

[01:34:49] The NBA is the only professional basketball league that's available.

[01:34:55] But it's not a video game.

[01:34:57] It doesn't renew every year.

[01:34:59] I can go to a game whenever I want.

[01:35:01] But you gotta make them want to come to the game.

[01:35:05] I think the NBA thinks they have a good enough product.

[01:35:09] I think the NBA feels like we got 30 NBA teams.

[01:35:13] They probably feel they have 10 marquee superstars.

[01:35:17] I think they're complacent with the TV deals.

[01:35:19] I think that's what it boils down to.

[01:35:21] And they're not on I don't think they're on TV enough.

[01:35:23] I don't think they're on regular TV enough.

[01:35:25] I don't think they're on TV at times that aren't really conducive.

[01:35:30] Because Iverson talked about this.

[01:35:32] I was watching the clip.

[01:35:33] And he was saying like yo if I go to the club all night.

[01:35:37] Even if I get back to my hotel at 6 or 7.

[01:35:40] If we're not playing our game until 3.

[01:35:42] I'm good.

[01:35:44] Like why you not let me do my thing?

[01:35:46] Like we playing at 3.

[01:35:46] But it's like the NBA.

[01:35:47] I don't know how many games they have on at 3.30 on Saturdays anymore.

[01:35:53] 2.30.

[01:35:54] And just kind of like really just putting the game on for the sake of putting the game on for the fan.

[01:36:01] Because if you make me wait all day and the only option you give me is to hope that one of these stars plays.

[01:36:08] And they sit out.

[01:36:09] And I waited all day to see Clippers versus Golden State.

[01:36:13] And Steph and Kawhi aren't playing.

[01:36:16] Speaking of which, Golden State got that ass tapped by 50 last night.

[01:36:20] You know what I'm saying?

[01:36:22] And I was talking to Residente on the phone yesterday.

[01:36:25] And it was one of those things, right?

[01:36:28] Like one of the things that I talked about was this is a story right here.

[01:36:36] Dennis Schroeder, I know he's foreign.

[01:36:39] But he's got some spunk in him if you will.

[01:36:42] You know, he'll fight.

[01:36:43] He always ready to fight.

[01:36:44] Yeah, like I want to see him and Jordan Clarkson go at it in the cage, you know.

[01:36:48] But anyway, so Dennis Schroeder played against Memphis last Friday.

[01:36:54] Him and John Morant got into it.

[01:36:56] Taylor Jenkins was yelling at him.

[01:36:58] It was like this whole big thing, Brooklyn and Memphis.

[01:37:01] He got traded to the Warriors.

[01:37:04] The first game as a Warrior was against Memphis.

[01:37:08] That should have been highlighted.

[01:37:10] That should have been highlighted.

[01:37:11] Like, so his last game was against them and there was beef.

[01:37:15] And then he's playing them again.

[01:37:17] And the NBA, like to some degree, you have to lean into something that makes you stand out.

[01:37:23] So to James' point about the WWE.

[01:37:26] I think they feel they have enough superstars.

[01:37:30] I think so too.

[01:37:31] Coast to coast that they can just, they can throw, they can throw the Knicks against whomever at this time of day.

[01:37:40] They can give you Chicago because Chicago is just a legacy name against whomever.

[01:37:45] They can give you John against whomever.

[01:37:48] They can give you OKC versus Detroit.

[01:37:51] See, but that's the problem.

[01:37:53] What you're talking about is the problem.

[01:37:55] They can give you Yolens versus Dallas.

[01:37:56] But what you're talking about is the problem.

[01:37:59] They can give you LA go to state.

[01:38:00] Like, what you're talking about is the problem.

[01:38:02] Because even in the NFL, right?

[01:38:04] Like, Mason Rudolph was playing for the Steelers.

[01:38:07] If the Steelers and Ravens were playing, we don't care that Mason Rudolph's the starting quarterback instead of whoever.

[01:38:14] We're like, hey, this is Ravens-Steelers.

[01:38:17] That's because the NFL is the caricature of that league.

[01:38:22] Correct.

[01:38:23] But what I'm getting at is individuals versus teams.

[01:38:27] Because when we were growing up, you had certain matchups.

[01:38:30] Like, you had Bulls versus Blazers, Bulls versus Knicks, whatever.

[01:38:34] But most times it was Barkley versus Magic.

[01:38:37] Karl Malone versus Sean Kemp.

[01:38:40] It wasn't Jazz versus Sonics.

[01:38:42] So we don't follow it that same way.

[01:38:45] Right.

[01:38:46] But we don't follow it that way.

[01:38:48] And I think that's the way they still follow it.

[01:38:51] Right.

[01:38:51] And that's what I'm saying.

[01:38:52] I think that was a long-term effect that is still hurting the league.

[01:38:58] But I think it would work.

[01:38:59] There's no rivalry.

[01:39:00] Who's the rivalries in the NBA right now?

[01:39:02] I don't really think you need a rivalry.

[01:39:03] I think you just need your marquee players.

[01:39:08] It's just that they only take the easy marquee players.

[01:39:12] Like, I'll give you an example.

[01:39:14] I was talking to my son, my oldest son, before he graduated.

[01:39:17] And I was saying, like, listen, guidance counselors will take a kid that was probably already going to get accepted to a four-year school, work with them, and get them to a better four-year school, and rest on the fact, like, I got this kid into Yale.

[01:39:34] Yeah, he was probably already on that path and was, like, planning on just going to Rutgers and you helped him get to Yale.

[01:39:40] But it's like, he probably was going to get into a four-year school anyway.

[01:39:44] Give me the kid that was going to go to community college as a sophomore, and then you get him or her to a four-year school just off of your efforts.

[01:39:53] The NBA wants you ready to go, being marketable, and then just puts you anywhere.

[01:40:00] Like, Zion Williamson, I think they thought they were going to ride that college wave, and he was going to New Orleans, and that was going to be a thing.

[01:40:09] Right.

[01:40:09] And it's been nothing.

[01:40:10] He hasn't even got a different haircut.

[01:40:13] Like, he's had the same haircut.

[01:40:15] It's like, you're not even, like, marketing yourself.

[01:40:18] You're barely available.

[01:40:21] You're not in any, like, there's only a couple of commercials.

[01:40:24] You had a Jordan deal, but you just, you're fading out in the middle of your rookie deal.

[01:40:29] But can I get a Knick?

[01:40:32] Like, you know what I mean?

[01:40:32] Like, New York, the number one, you know, city, biggest city in the country, biggest market, you know, outside of L.A., you know, you would think that they would get a lot of, you know.

[01:40:42] They had Mellow and didn't love it.

[01:40:44] You know what I'm saying?

[01:40:45] No, no, but I'm just thinking about, like, the personalities or, like, the trying to shine, you know, because the Knicks came into this season as, are they going to be Boston's biggest?

[01:40:55] You know, you know, the John Brunson guy get rid of that hair.

[01:40:57] Like, you got to, like, you got to look like an adult.

[01:40:59] You look like a teenager with that hair.

[01:41:00] Like, I keep it a bean.

[01:41:02] Like, Cam Newton talked about it when he was-

[01:41:04] Get off my lawn.

[01:41:05] When he was a starting quarterback for Carolina.

[01:41:08] He said the owner sat him down and said, this is what I, I want you to look a certain way because you are the CEO of the team.

[01:41:15] Right.

[01:41:16] And I get it.

[01:41:18] At some point, it has to be, like, deliberately negotiated and marketed with, like, a publicist.

[01:41:25] Like, it has to be a real investigation to, like, how do we just, a league of their own.

[01:41:32] Like, we talked about that movie.

[01:41:34] Right.

[01:41:34] They used the pretty girls.

[01:41:35] They put them in the skirts to play baseball.

[01:41:38] That is not a good uniform to play baseball.

[01:41:40] But they needed to sell the product.

[01:41:42] Like, the NBA feels like we have enough guys who can sell the product.

[01:41:47] But it's, like, they don't realize these guys are getting older and older and less and less likely want to deal with the bullshit.

[01:41:56] Like, LeBron's like, I'm out.

[01:41:58] I'm taking a break.

[01:41:59] I'm not-

[01:41:59] He's not doing an interview.

[01:42:00] He's not on the road.

[01:42:02] KD, I don't know if KD's done much as far as, like, to boost the NBA as far as, like, using his platform.

[01:42:15] You know, but, yeah.

[01:42:17] And that's the thing.

[01:42:18] Like, you know what I mean?

[01:42:18] Like, marketability, like, obviously somebody within the league structure is theoretically talking to some of these guys.

[01:42:28] Maybe trying to find the next.

[01:42:30] You know, and maybe that guy could be Jason Tatum.

[01:42:34] You know, if Boston wins another title this year, he gets finaled.

[01:42:38] They gotta go to the rim.

[01:42:39] They gotta-

[01:42:39] They have to create an exciting thing.

[01:42:42] Like, the only dudes that want to dunk it is the small dudes.

[01:42:46] That's what I'm saying.

[01:42:47] John Morant's exciting.

[01:42:48] He's going to the rim.

[01:42:49] He's dunking.

[01:42:50] But he's getting knocked down.

[01:42:52] Listen, I'm not trying-

[01:42:53] I'm not knocking his hair.

[01:42:55] It's just that it doesn't look-

[01:42:57] The same thing I said about Trey Young.

[01:42:59] It's like, yo, I'm trying to sell you.

[01:43:02] You just-

[01:43:05] You don't look like a guy that people follow.

[01:43:09] I mean, like, you don't look like a guy that's a trendsetter.

[01:43:12] Your playing style isn't transcendent.

[01:43:14] So it's like, you have to do different shit.

[01:43:16] I mean, and that's what it is.

[01:43:18] Like, a guy like Patrick Beverly.

[01:43:19] He's not that great of a player.

[01:43:21] But his personality, his tenacity, he's always running around.

[01:43:23] He's all over-

[01:43:24] Jose Alvarado's the new Pat Beverly.

[01:43:26] You just-

[01:43:27] You just, like, I can focus on you and that thing that you do.

[01:43:31] What you do brings my eyes to you when you're on the court.

[01:43:35] Giannis is just incredibly athletic.

[01:43:37] And it's like, how does this guy get from half court and two dribbles?

[01:43:40] Well, I think it's just too easy now.

[01:43:43] Like, you know, these guys have so many avenues to get revenue.

[01:43:48] And to be-

[01:43:49] You know, they can get their own commercials.

[01:43:51] You know, they can get their own, you know,

[01:43:53] like, shoe independent of the league.

[01:43:55] Or, you know, whatever the case may be.

[01:43:57] So, like, I don't think-

[01:43:59] So, I don't know.

[01:44:01] What came first?

[01:44:02] What came first?

[01:44:03] And also, there's no shoe commercials either.

[01:44:06] Like, shoe commercials used to be a big deal.

[01:44:07] But now, like, you know, like, ever since I remember I was buying and trading Jordan's,

[01:44:11] like, 2014, 2015.

[01:44:13] And I was noticing less and less commercials about shoe drops.

[01:44:18] It was all internet stuff.

[01:44:21] So, the NBA, like, I think these guys might have independent deals.

[01:44:27] But they don't promote these players as individuals.

[01:44:32] Like, the Boston Celtics have probably one of the best years in NBA history.

[01:44:37] Like, a top five, top six year in NBA history last year.

[01:44:40] And the whole time, all the pundits were just calling them frauds and not believing in them.

[01:44:46] It's like, yo, you got to pump that narrative because that's an East Coast team that we can play games at 730.

[01:44:54] ESPN, I need all the pundits.

[01:44:56] I need someone on the panel to say why they were going to be the best team in history.

[01:45:01] That way, at least that conversation is happening at 6 in the morning, 9 in the morning, 11 in the morning.

[01:45:06] Yes, but that leads to my last question.

[01:45:08] So, that leads to my last question that I was going to ask you.

[01:45:12] Do you agree with Jason McIntyre's statement about how shows like Inside the NBA and the talk around the NBA are ruining the NBA?

[01:45:24] The talk around the NBA is it's LeBron.

[01:45:27] It's been LeBron-centric for so long that they can't make the pivot to another guy.

[01:45:34] Like, we talked about it every year, even a couple years we've done this podcast and years before.

[01:45:40] It's like, we start the season October, November.

[01:45:45] The Lakers start out average, just like everybody else.

[01:45:49] 30 games there, 18-12, 17-13.

[01:45:54] And the question was, what does LeBron need to get a championship?

[01:45:59] And it's like, that doesn't make any sense.

[01:46:02] Like, everybody has, like, everyone has championship aspirations.

[01:46:06] Why is the topic of this show?

[01:46:08] Now, LeBron and the Lakers can have that conversation all day.

[01:46:12] The Laker local media can have that conversation all day.

[01:46:17] But when the Lakers are 17-13 and then you have a team like the Knicks, just a hypothetical, are 20-10.

[01:46:25] But you're not saying, hey, what do the Knicks need to win a championship?

[01:46:29] You're talking about the Lakers, a West Coast team, in your East Coast prime sports talking slot.

[01:46:34] And that's what people talk about all day long.

[01:46:37] And then the Knicks play the Celtics that night and it's not marquee on ESPN.

[01:46:44] Would people literally stop watching ESPN if LeBron or the Dallas Cowboys weren't a topic?

[01:46:51] No.

[01:46:52] People were still watching.

[01:46:53] I know.

[01:46:53] The YouTube clips would still go up.

[01:46:55] We would still share the clips.

[01:46:58] Like, when they talk about the Eagles, the Eagles are a very good team.

[01:47:03] No one's talking about the 2-12 Raiders.

[01:47:09] Even though the Raiders are a marquee franchise, no one's talking about what kind of coach they need.

[01:47:14] That's not leading segments.

[01:47:15] The Lakers could be out of the championship contention in, like, February.

[01:47:21] It could be clear.

[01:47:23] They're not going to make a championship run.

[01:47:25] And the topic would be, can the Lakers be the first 9th seed to go into the play-in and make it to the West Conference Finals?

[01:47:33] I'm like, that's not a realistic thing.

[01:47:35] It happened one time, but that's not, like, the expectation that you would have for a 9th-seeded Detroit team.

[01:47:42] But they have these conversations.

[01:47:43] And I think that's the problem.

[01:47:45] It turns people off to the conversation because the conversation is pseudo-asinine.

[01:47:51] But just to drive ratings, I'm like, yo, dawg, we're already watching.

[01:47:55] People are already watching first take.

[01:47:56] They're already watching.

[01:47:58] You're a conglomerate, basically.

[01:48:00] Like, you know, and to Mike's point, yeah, I don't watch ESPN either unless it's an actual game.

[01:48:06] You know, I might catch a segment.

[01:48:08] Like, on college game day, like, on college game day, I turn on the TV 10 minutes till the game because I know that's when the picks are happening.

[01:48:17] That's it.

[01:48:18] I watch Get Up clips.

[01:48:21] Mike Tannenbaum always says some crazy shit.

[01:48:24] I watch...

[01:48:25] 100% Resident Evil, 100%.

[01:48:28] What's the hell, fans, that drive discussion, which is...

[01:48:31] First take was never on.

[01:48:33] Like, it ain't fall off.

[01:48:34] It was never on.

[01:48:35] Like, it was cool when it was first take 10.

[01:48:37] First take used to be good.

[01:48:39] No, it didn't.

[01:48:40] It used to be real.

[01:48:42] Well, when they were talking about LeBron back in the day, it was when he was on his...

[01:48:46] He was running, like, he had eight straight years of running the East.

[01:48:51] That's a conversation in the East Coast for a team with the guy who you were marketing as going to be the goal.

[01:48:58] It was like, that was a realistic conversation.

[01:49:01] Dallas had a lot of good years back in the day.

[01:49:03] That was a real conversation when they were, like, leading the NFC East.

[01:49:07] And the East Coast-based teams, essentially, as far as, like, their playing time and their opponents.

[01:49:12] The problem was, when these teams and these players started moving, they didn't pick up the mantle for another team and generate a genuine conversation.

[01:49:23] It just, they kept going back to the old conversation.

[01:49:26] It's like, you can have the other conversation now.

[01:49:30] Like I said, put the games back on.

[01:49:33] You know, Matt, we grew up watching Saturday morning cartoons.

[01:49:36] At noon, that went off.

[01:49:38] Soul Train came on.

[01:49:39] NBA game came on right after that.

[01:49:42] Put that back out there.

[01:49:43] Like, put that back out there to where you're highlighting the players.

[01:49:48] Get John Morant on TV more.

[01:49:50] Not just the games against the Lakers.

[01:49:52] Not against the games where you're just hoping that the marquee matchups work out.

[01:49:56] Because it doesn't always pan out.

[01:49:59] But if I'm always, if you're talking about John Morant a lot, or if you're talking about Jason Tatum a lot, or if you're talking about Kat a lot, if you're talking about Ant a lot,

[01:50:08] and you're constantly having segments to where you're breaking down how Ant did last night, or how Dane did in the NBA Cup,

[01:50:19] or how Booker's doing, or how they look in Phoenix, or Phoenix, if that's the conversation every day, that's fine.

[01:50:28] The problem was the conversation became the Lakers every single day.

[01:50:31] Right.

[01:50:32] And, you know, and to your point, Mike, last thing before we get out of here, you know, ESPN almost pulled me back in because they brought back the sports reporters.

[01:50:40] And I was all excited until I saw that Paul Feinbaum was a part of the lineup that they were presenting.

[01:50:49] Yeah, we don't need him.

[01:50:50] I used to like to listen to Paul Feinbaum on my way home as just entertaining noise.

[01:50:56] But sports reporters are supposed to be, like, it's supposed to be the next level of sports talk.

[01:51:03] It's not supposed to be...

[01:51:04] And his son Jeremy Shapp.

[01:51:05] Yeah.

[01:51:06] You know, John Saunders.

[01:51:08] Those conversations, like, a lot of my vernacular came from early ESPN and those types of shows,

[01:51:15] when, like, the guys would just really have a real conversation.

[01:51:17] The yell media...

[01:51:19] Mike Lupica.

[01:51:21] The yell media that we're in now is bothersome.

[01:51:25] I even miss Jay Mariotti these days, you know what I mean, from Around the Horn, and Around the Horn's going away.

[01:51:31] You know, and you know what I mean?

[01:51:32] ESPN, you know, didn't want to push Mo Mani for whatever reason.

[01:51:36] And, you know, so now, like, I got to figure out what Waze Entertainment is.

[01:51:42] But, you know...

[01:51:42] It's weird because I think every single...

[01:51:46] I think they're making money.

[01:51:48] I think ESPN...

[01:51:49] They have to be.

[01:51:50] They're making money.

[01:51:52] And...

[01:51:53] The spot ain't no better.

[01:51:53] It's like this.

[01:51:54] It's like, okay, if I got first take, and first take is making me...

[01:51:59] That's a profitable show.

[01:52:02] Get up's a profitable show.

[01:52:04] Any NBA coverage they have is a profitable show.

[01:52:08] Let me keep the Around the Horn's, the PTI's, the Pablo Estorio, the Bomani Jones...

[01:52:15] Even if these shows aren't driving crazy ratings...

[01:52:20] Let me keep them there as glue.

[01:52:22] To keep people on my channel.

[01:52:24] Because I don't want three, four hours of...

[01:52:29] First take after two hours of get up.

[01:52:32] And then we get back-to-back-to-back episodes of SportsCenter.

[01:52:37] And they're talking about the same thing back-to-back-to-back.

[01:52:40] And they throw a little PTI in there.

[01:52:41] Like, let me get this variety of sports.

[01:52:44] Like you said, sports reporters are real journalists.

[01:52:46] I want to hear the story about...

[01:52:48] The kid in St. Louis that grew up and wanted to play hockey...

[01:52:52] Ended up playing baseball.

[01:52:53] And how that impacted his community.

[01:52:55] That's a real story.

[01:52:57] Doesn't all have to be...

[01:52:58] Just shock jock stuff.

[01:53:01] Yeah.

[01:53:01] You know what I'm saying?

[01:53:02] So, I don't know.

[01:53:04] You know what I'm saying?

[01:53:04] Like, it is our mission.

[01:53:07] To bring sports back.

[01:53:09] You know what I'm saying?

[01:53:10] So, join us on this journey.

[01:53:12] He is the even kill.

[01:53:15] Mr. Logical.

[01:53:17] Do not bring feelings to a fact fight.

[01:53:20] Not at all.

[01:53:21] And I am the Aggie Daddy.

[01:53:24] Do five.

[01:53:26] We love you.

[01:53:27] We will be back next Friday.

[01:53:30] You know, we're going to spend some holidays with our families and everything.

[01:53:34] Absolutely.

[01:53:34] I'll be down in the big, easy eating some turtle soup.

[01:53:37] You know what I'm saying?

[01:53:39] Appreciate you, residente.

[01:53:41] Appreciate it.

[01:53:41] Appreciate the engagement, fellas.

[01:53:43] Yes, sir.

[01:53:44] Like, review, subscribe, share.

[01:53:45] Great.

[01:53:46] Do all of the free things.

[01:53:49] And while you're at it, make sure you're doing all the good things.

[01:53:58] Peace.

[01:53:59] Peace.

[01:54:02] Peace.

[01:54:05] Peace.

[01:54:05] Peace.

[01:54:05] Peace.