#sportsreportsasordered - FACES AND SPACES

[00:00:03] Yes, you are now listening to the sound of Sports Reports As Ordered. And tonight we're going to talk to you about a little bit of NFL combine. We're going to talk to you about some news and notes from around the shield, not to be confused around the association. We're going to get to that too. We're going to talk about the face of the league. You saw the thumbnail. Let's get it. And I do, I want to let you know real quick, I have it on good authority that Mr. Logical

[00:00:32] Will not fight your agent and he will not fight your journalist at Starbucks. Just going to get my job at your frappuccino and get the moving. And I did say Mr. Logical, the one and only world famous, world renowned, born in Texas, raised in BA, representing New Jerroos and he wants you to know that all you nerds out there owe everything to New Jersey for confirming the big bang theory.

[00:01:02] The home dell horn at antenna. How about that? But yes, don't bring feelings to a fat fight. Don't do it. And I am your unorthodox statistician. Going left so much to thought I was South Paul. You better tell Lamont Roach to watch out tomorrow. I am. So like review, subscribe, share, rate, do all the free things to do all the good things.

[00:01:30] So Mr. Logical. Listen, when I was a kid, you know, I had told my dad I was about seven years old. And I had some cousins that had their ears pierced. And I said, I want to get my ears pierced. And he said, you better be careful what you wish for. And I said, what that mean? And he was like, those guys with those earrings. They not quite guys.

[00:01:57] So the moral of the story is be careful what you wish for. Jason Tatum apparently wants to be the face of the league. Now, this is my thing real quick. And I'm gonna hand it over to you. Like, look, it's one thing to internally and intrinsically want to be the face of the league. But you can't go politic for it.

[00:02:27] What say you? What say me? And like I said, you and I, we've had this conversation a few times. And I like to pull in different genres and kind of like give my analogies a little life. Last week, the Screen Actors Guild Award. Timothy Chalamet won an award for playing Bob Dylan in this movie called The Complete Unknown. And in his speech, he said, I know this is not common to say, but I'm chasing greatness.

[00:02:56] I want to be known as one of the greats. I'm inspired by the greats. He said, I'm inspired by the greats in this room. He meant to Viola Davis by name. He was like, I'm equally as inspired by Michael Jordan and Michael Phelps. I want to be one of the greats. So someone coming out saying that, I can respect it. Jason Tatum stepping out on a limb because right now being the face of the NBA is stepping out on a limb because you're going to take shots.

[00:03:23] Like I think tonight, like I was watching the game that is set up for the show about this. I guess Boston ended up blowing that lead and losing the game. So that's going to be the conversation. He mentions a few times this week and throughout the documentaries and then going back to Paris last summer with the Olympics, like all the frustration with not getting what he felt is his just do. Like, you know, you won a championship. I thought he should have won one of those awards Eastern Conference finals.

[00:03:51] And I figured Jalen Brown was pretty much a lock for finals MVP because of a few plays he made in like three of the games, three out of five games. But I thought Jason Tatum played very strong last couple of games. So it's like I get it and I knew it would be a toss up for the finals, but I thought Eastern Conference finals. I thought he was going to get it. But, you know, it wasn't like he was completely outplayed. It wasn't like he played seven or eight, 10 points underneath the season average or anything crazy like that.

[00:04:21] And then he goes to the Olympics and it's like, Steve Kerr, you can't find a way to get him in a rotation, but you got him beat out there. You know, a lot of it didn't make any sense. And I think internally he's probably looking like you really think I can't guard this dude from Slovenia. Like I can't I can't I can't be out here with Kevin Durant and LeBron James and understand where I'm supposed to defend. So I just felt like he I think he got a lot.

[00:04:44] I think he got a lot of you reached the mountaintop like you think you're at in a position where all right, cool. Maybe not the commercials or anything, but it's like, you know, I'm going to be favorably talked about like I'm an NBA champion. It's not many. We talked about it between 80s and 99. It was only like 12 teams that really competed for it in that 20 year window.

[00:05:07] So it's not it's not like something that happens often where people are just getting four or five, six championships, not like tennis where you can get three or four majors in a year. It's like there's only one per year. I got one and I'm like, and he's wondering like, yo, what's up? Like, I just have to say, I just have to say, I think it's pretty rich. It's pretty fucking ballsy.

[00:05:33] To say that you feel unappreciated and you want to be the face of the league when, as you just said, you have a teammate who just won Eastern Conference finals MVP, who just won finals MVP. And I'm not saying that Jalen Brown should be the face of the league. I'm just saying odd timing, bro.

[00:05:53] It's a it's an odd time for Boston. It's an odd time for him because we talked about this earlier. This is his eighth year in the league or is he going on nine? It's about right. Yeah, but either way, he has six conference finals appearances. They made the playoffs every year. And what do we say? You could argue that he's the Patrick Mahomes of the NBA in a lot of ways with that type of resume. That type of resume. You get a couple of finals.

[00:06:19] Not the skill per se, but just, you know, just like those accolades, like having them every single year. You're pretty you're competing. Like I talked about this before. They blew out the entire conference last year. It was a complete. You know what I'm saying? So we deliver excuses. Shout out your boy. Right. I blew up the conference last year. They ran through the playoffs. I think they won. They won like over 80 games.

[00:06:46] You know, it was like not that many teams have won over 80 games and seem to include the playoffs. Yeah, they finished 64 wins. They won 16. So they won 80. Yeah, 80 games. So it's just. I personally like just my personal thing is like, I don't care if you verbalize. The credit I think I deserve. I just keep doing me. That's how I personally roll.

[00:07:15] But if if I'm in the media limelight and it's like I'm getting it all the time, like you've seen it on TV, you're getting like, you know, whatever Twitter updates and videos and you're seeing it all the time, especially when you see it from guys you respect. Because I think there's a real disconnect between the 90s, 80s, 90s players, basketball icons and the present day players. I think there's a disconnect. I think there's a.

[00:07:43] The this this this this this battle bravado, which isn't necessary because I don't think other sports do it as frequently and as boldly and as loudly as the former NBA players do. And see, and I think that part of that is. I think basketball. Culturally and just in general shares is very intertwined with hip hop, like we saw people like Alan Overson cross those lines.

[00:08:10] You know, you have people like Rasheed Wallace on DJ Clue mixtapes and all that kind of stuff like that. So when I think of it in that type of way. It's very bravado ish like the NFL is more my cheese mode like I'm tougher than you. I'll beat you up. You know, the NBA is more like hockey and NFL. It's more of a team. Right. You like real quick. I'm not let you go back. That's the league's fault. Right.

[00:08:37] After the Eagles beat the commanders and NC championship game, Fletcher Cox saw Zach Ertz who plays for the commanders now in the hallway called him over gave him a they embraced like 45 seconds. That's a teammate bond. Right. The NBA is very individual. So like a guy wanting to be the face of the league, it comes off as arrogant, but you're going to criticize me if the team doesn't succeed. Well, the team that I'm on is succeeding every single year.

[00:09:07] But yet you're moving the hoop. Now it's like, oh, the three point line is 23 feet. Oh, now because I'm getting close to somebody or I'm starting to like I'm starting to pull away from the guy you selected because a lot of guys are being hand selected off of just personality. Right. You talk about a lot of guys don't have the personality. So it's like Ant man is getting project, you know, Lamella all his other guys, but it's like you got to win. And he's like, yo, I get that you want to promote these other guys, but I'm winning.

[00:09:37] We are winning. My team is winning every year. Well, see, like the thing about it, though, is that winning is just a mere part of it. It's probably the most important part, but it's just a part of it. Like, for example, you didn't see Tim Duncan running around as the face of the league or being advertised in that way because he didn't have that personality. You know, so like when you think about faces of the league, like taking it back, right?

[00:10:01] You know, Jordan and I'm sorry, Magic and Bird put the NBA on the map, you know, TV delay into the new future. That was their blueprint. This is right. And that's why we are here now. They never evolved. It was always because when we were little kids, it was, oh, we got to get home. Jordan versus Ewing or like, you know, you know, Shaq versus David Robinson. It was never Orlando versus San Antonio.

[00:10:25] So like today, it's a little bit different because I don't really hear people say, yo, Tatum and Spider playing tonight. You know what I mean? Because they don't. It's just that they don't say that. It's not a thing. They don't highlight because think about like you said it yourself. These dudes don't have personalities to grab you in. You said that they have enough to be criticized after winning. That's what I mean. Like Giannis won a champion. We got a job to do. And they're like, oh, you didn't win one last year.

[00:10:54] He's like, how many, how many things? It's not the, this is not golf. I don't get four shots a year at a major trophy. It's not tennis. I don't get four shots a year. But this is the problem though. I'll tell you, this is the problem. And I know we had this. I'm gonna go there. We had a little mini thing, you know, but, but yeah. Yeah, because people don't turn the cattle. Like, you know what I mean? Like every, like when you turn on the TV and you hear people like Steven, a, you know,

[00:11:21] people like back in the day, skip Bayless, you know, talking about these players in that way. If you weren't attracted to it, you would have turned the channel the same way that me and you talk about, oh, they always talking about LeBron, Katie Curry. They're about to phase out. Who's the next person coming? And Jason Tatum was like, yo, it's me. You know what I'm saying? But it's, but it's not what you say. It's how you say it. Because they don't know how. They simply do not know how.

[00:11:45] These current pundits on your biggest platforms do not know how to show any kind of praise of adulation for the successful guys. This is the winners. They just don't do it 24 seven. They don't tell me one thing that you heard. A pundit on. Okay. Stephen A. Smith is talking about it now this week, because I think people watching our

[00:12:11] show, cause we talked about earlier, they were talking about it, but more often than not, it's a, it's a negative thing. The whole NBA all-star Draymond Green, who is currently in the NBA said the NBA and then he, but he is, he has a podcast. He is, but he's not, he's not. He's not one of the most vocal guys in the NBA, but he has a podcast. He signed to a podcast network. He signed to a podcast.

[00:12:41] No, I know. But what I'm talking about is Stephen A. and those guys, Stephen A. and those guys came from the newspapers. They came from media degrees. But now they're all media. Hold on. Real quick, real quick. This was, this was kind of a point that he brought up today when he was talking to Gilbert Arenas is that when people talk about how the NBA is criticized or viewed, they're lumping people like them in with the Draymonds and them. And it's two different lanes.

[00:13:10] It's, it's the only league right now that gets this level of criticism. When they are a global league, they're more global than the NHL and NHL has Russian, Finnish, Swedish, Canadian, American players on it. They are more global goals. By the way, the NFL is begging stadiums to put in good grass so they can play. They're going to play a game there in September.

[00:13:40] And the NFL is king. The NBA is global. Their best players are global. Their best players are also local kids from Ohio or North Carolina. And then you got kids from St. Louis and then you have guys from Slovenia and, and former, you know, like they have these guys from all over the world. But yet, because it doesn't look like it looked in the nineties where a lot of these guys who

[00:14:05] were talking heads on TV, where they fit in, they don't fit in this league. Like Charles Barkley does not fit in this league currently. So he feels like I got phased out. Yo, you retired with all your greatness. You retired. Your time is over. It's not supposed to be a spot for you. Now Shaq feels like the big man should be dominant. There's not a spot for 300 pounds, seven footers anymore. That's okay.

[00:14:33] You had your run as an elite 700, I mean 300 pounds, seven footer, you had your time. Tim Hardaway, there's no room for the six foot point guard anymore. It is gone. You need to be either six, two and above six, four to defend them in six, eight and versatile. Like that's what you, that's what you have to be now. And I think a lot of former players physically got phased out. Like you can't shoot the three.

[00:15:03] There's no, it's not enough. You can't shoot the three either. They just got a green light. Most, most of the, most of the teams have good shooters. The American have decent shooters. The white American basketball player got phased out and they're like, just surely trickling back in. But I think they're probably like 20, 25, maybe four of them on Boston. Boston got like three, four of them. Yeah. Three or four of them in their rotation. So it's like,

[00:15:30] So guys like John Stockton don't get on TV talking about how we need a traditional point guard and knows how to throw a pocket pass. He doesn't do that. Mark Price. I don't know where he is. Craig Edle, Dan Marley, Tom Chambers, all these old American white basketball players. Larry Berg is on TV. He talks about how great these players are today. He tells me all the time. Like, listen, stop saying these guys burning hip hop. So. But we'll see. It's these guys who think they got phased out.

[00:15:59] It's like, yo, no one is gonna tell me that they anybody league now short of the white Howard. That was like in this recently that could even slow Shaq down. I think he goes to everybody else passes there. Even the guys that were in his era. I think he slowed himself down by just being big. Like if he probably if you to play the three thirty for the book was create seven or eight

[00:16:26] shifts more than likely because I think that's why I tried to make the hip hop parallel. Right. Because like you had people like Nas, you know, one of my favorites, you know, from New York and everything. But then when the South started bubbling, you know what happened? Like that ain't real music. Hip hop is dead. You know, like, you know, I don't know. I don't think that people like rock him, you know, just shit on everybody or anything like that. But there's a little more of that. Mono a mono. Like I'm better than you.

[00:16:55] Let's get in the booth and all that kind of stuff like that. You know, whereas with the NBA, I think that if you're considered the leader of a team like so I think that Anthony Edwards, you know, when he sees Jason Tatum across the court, you know, saying he's like, yo, I'm going for thirty five tonight or there's just that level of intrinsic competition. And I think there's more of that, but that I don't hear that talked about enough. And that's what we mean was like we tonight we had Spider versus.

[00:17:24] Well, Cleveland versus Boston. That's good enough to be like, yo, these teams have a combined ninety two wins, ninety three wins. You're going to play. It's going to be a game later this week where the teams have a combined thirty three wins. Yeah. And it probably won't be on TV deservedly. So but the two teams with ninety plus wins this early this in February that should be talked

[00:17:52] about like they should talk about how great the game was. But I haven't seen anything. But I bet the pundits, the talking about that airball. Jason Tatum. How Tatum talk about he wants to be the face of the league and he can't hold on to a lead instead of look how good Cleveland is with their starting lineup in their rotation. You know why? You know why? Colin Cowherd has been telling y'all this for years. You know why I talk about USC.

[00:18:21] You know why I talk about the Patriots, the Cowboys, because the ratings tell me to when I talk about hockey, y'all turn the channel. When I talk about baseball, y'all turn the channel. But you know what I mean? So that's why it's that. I don't like it, but that's why it's that way. Yeah, that's why I think I think it's I want to say it's cowardly. I just think it's lazy. I think it's lazy. Well remember one of our earlier episodes. And I think we talked about that with a lot of these other guys that they don't do their own research. Well remember our own research. We have our own conversations.

[00:18:50] We don't get cue cards. So when we have this conversation about how I feel about Mark Price versus Craig Elo versus Kevin John, like it's a conversation that we have intrinsically from information that we have in our head from either growing up watching it or stuff that we've read. These other guys just say shit on TV and it blows my mind. And they wonder why and they wonder why guys don't fuck with him like he showed me that clip earlier with LeBron. He was like, listen, you want to be the face of the league. Be prepared for a lot of almost over the top criticism. You got to get it. Everyone deserves it.

[00:19:21] It's a 24 hour criticism cycle. And it's like, yo, what the fuck you want me to do? Right? Because like we were talking about it last year when we were doing our NFL preview. And you know, El Residente hit us up and was like, yo, y'all literally argued for like 20 minutes about the Carolina Panthers or y'all literally had a 30 minute discussion about the Tennessee Titans. Locked it in. Probably the best conversation they had about either one of those teams all season. Right. And it's like, because like, this is how we feel about sports.

[00:19:49] This is, we don't, it's not a Laker show. It's not a Yankee show. We feel this way about sports. It's a sports conversation show. And those are sports channels. It's not a sports debate show. It's a sports conversation show. Right. And they turn these into debate shows. And then they just, just scream out this obnoxious, just visceral nonsense out of their mouth. And it's like, yo, you're on a sports network. You need to highlight the fucking sports. Well, people watch it. Like you ever seen those videos? How do you think ESPN lost their MLB deal?

[00:20:19] We talked about that. You're the sports network of the world in this point. Like, you know what? We're good. Cause you didn't highlight them. You didn't talk. You ever saw those videos of Stephen A walking around the arena. Like you ever see those videos where Stephen A walks into the arena or like he's, he's courtside walking around. Like he literally looks like he's like Steve Ballmer or something walking around. You know what I mean? Like it's not about the sports. It was like sports and raps are so synonymous. We want to be them. And they want to be us.

[00:20:48] I think Stephen A wants to be. What up Chris? Day one. Like, I think he wants his view to just be kind of like, I think he wants to be viewed as the face of sports. Well, I think, I think that back in our day and younger or older, I think that the people that were reporting on sports did it for the love of the sport because the money, I'm sure they wanted to make money too, but the money wasn't what the money is today.

[00:21:17] Like it just wasn't. The show is better than any episode of first take I've ever watched because it is a real show with real people. Real news. Real research. Yeah. Real research is real voices. It's not a, everything isn't a debate show. I think first take when it used to be called cold pizza. I think skip Bayless is probably one of the people that you can point to is like, yo, you did it the most.

[00:21:45] And it got to the point where, but I'm glad Shannon finally left. And I'm glad he's done with TV because it was so poor. I stopped, I stopped watching the show. Well, it's, it's fine for it to be one. The problem is, is that since it had a little bit of success, people followed it because you had PTI where you could say that PTI was a debate show of sorts at times, but that wasn't the main focus of the show. It was a conversation. Yeah.

[00:22:13] It was like, Hey, it was very, like I said, we kind of like molded our show after that odd couple was like a little bit of an argument, but it was like, they had more of like a barbershop, but it was, it was like a brother and a brother-in-law vibe. Like they just kind of talking to whatever. It wasn't actually, they started just lining up and walking in lockstep. I was like, yo, you guys aren't even odd anymore. You're saying the same exact thing. You just sound like more educated version of these old head basketball plays. Cause it was the same thing.

[00:22:41] So I think I'm literally having the same conversation. Why am I doing this show? That's what I'm saying. People are watching this stuff. So they did not going to, they're not going to fix it. Why would I fix something that is putting millions of dollars into the company or, you know, all this kind of like engagement online. So why would I change that? You know what I mean? It's like, it's like when I mean, I ain't going to get too deep into this, but it's like, it's like when you look at rich people and rich people are saying that they're going to do all these things to help you.

[00:23:11] And it's like, why are they going to do something that makes them less rich? You know what I mean? So, so yeah. So, so, so, so like when you're watching these shows, you know, and this is the formula that's working, you know, say it's the same thing I say every year. Why y'all buying Madden? Because y'all can't live without a football game and they give you trash every year, but you still going to buy it. Cause it's the only thing out. It's the only football game. I'm like my friend. I buy it every year. That's what I'm saying. Every August. That's what I'm saying.

[00:23:41] Like you were saying, but why would they make a better game? Why would they make a better game if they know what the sales are going to be and what the projection is going to be? So, so, so I think that Jason Tatum, I think that that another old saying, right? Like it's not what you say is how you say it. So Jason Tatum, to your point about, I forget the guy's name. The one that said he was chasing greatness or whatever. Timothy Chalamet. Yeah. Yeah. Like, like, so, so if Jason Tatum would have approached it like that, like if somebody

[00:24:09] was talking to him and he was just like, well, as the face of the league, I feel it's my responsibility or whatever. Like, you know, I will, I aspire to be the best at this game. So therefore, Are you chasing greatness when your teammate won Eastern Conference Finals and Finals MVP? How are you going to be? And that's his response. But I know, but what I'm saying, but what I'm saying is, but what I'm saying is he didn't say it like that. And how are you going to be great when you're not even the best. Okay. Think about it like this.

[00:24:39] Think about it like this. Think about it like this. Think about it like this. What would you say if I called you tomorrow? What would you say if I called you tomorrow? And I was like, yo, me and Lindsay had an argument. Like, I just broke down and started. What would you say to me? You would be like, you cried in front of that woman. Are you crazy? Do you know what she's going to do with that now? So that's what Jason Tatum did. He didn't he didn't say assertively. My like, this is what I want. My personal path. I do.

[00:25:07] I do not clamor for admiration. I just do me. I think I think I do different generation. That's used to. I think I've done dope shit. I think I'll continue to do dope shit. I think people who rock with me hear dope shit out of my mouth. That's how I feel. I'm not going to get on TV and beg you to tell me how dope I am. And I think that's what made it lame. It's not what he said. It's how he said it.

[00:25:34] I think that these guys talk to the media a lot because they have to. And I think maybe sometimes I know where to vent my frustration. I just don't know the thing I learned. I appreciate Jason Tatum. That's what I don't understand. What's that? I just don't understand who doesn't appreciate Jason Tatum. Like he's one of the few players that I don't think that I've heard much criticism about him. SGA. I don't hear much criticism about them.

[00:25:58] Like even when they have bad games, people are more or less apologist of like, well, you know, SGA had to be off or like something was wrong. Or when Jason Tatum goes out and scores just like tonight. Right. I ain't never heard that. We never had a real conversation about Jason Tatum before. Right. We started having this conversation about a week ago. And then soon as he started doing something tonight, here comes Mr. Logical 40 and three quarters. You don't say it and all that.

[00:26:25] That's what I'm saying is because if this was three weeks ago, you might not even have brought it up. It's because we want to have a conversation about it. You was like, I'm excited for Cavs Celtics tonight. So I was downstairs cooking. The game was on. Shout out to FUBU TV. And then I was like, bet. I was like at the end of this quarter, I'm gonna come up and get set up. And I was like, boom, 40 through three quarters. That's a big number. That's pretty dope. Steph had 56 the other like, yeah. And you know what? Pause right there for a second.

[00:26:54] Let me say this real quick. And then we get right back to Jason Tatum. It was so hilarious. Right. Because I learned, you know, that Steph Curry has the most 20 point quarters of any player in NBA history. Who do you think number two is? Jordan. No, it's Kobe. Who do you think number three is? Jalen Brown. You were supposed to say Jordan again. Yeah. I figured. Who's number three? Jordan. Jordan.

[00:27:23] No, it's actually LeBron tied with Dame Lillard. Who's number four? Jordan. No, it's actually James Harden. Is Jordan on the list? Not the list I saw, but the point is. I saw a list. It was like the most 50 point games after 30. Steph had the most there. Uh, I think it was another. Oh, the first. Actually, I guess we could go ahead and transition then. Like since we got that.

[00:27:52] Most threes, 12 three pointers after the age of 30 or something like that. You know who, who has a game like that? Who's that? After 30. Kobe. Hmm. I'm like, Kobe hit 12 threes in the game. He did. I just, I just don't, you don't think about. He tied at the time. That was the most. He tied Donyell Marshall. Actually. Donyell Marshall was the other one. Uh, it was like, I think it was like not after 30, but I think it was like just 12 threes in the game. Yeah. That was the record at one point before Steph.

[00:28:21] Actually, Clay came along and broke it, I believe. And then Keegan. Keegan. The, the, the, the guy at Sacramento. Murray. Yeah. Yeah. So it was interesting stuff that I saw. I thought, I figured LeBron would have more 50 point games since 30, since he's played. I don't even think he has that many in general. I don't think so either. I think he might, it probably just takes a lot of energy for him to, he's like, you know, I'm not doing all that. Shoot this three cow. So, so Mr. Logical.

[00:28:53] You know, I hate when people say what about right? Like, you know, I hate when, like, if I say, Hey, LeBron missed that shot. You ain't say that when I hate that. Right? Like, like, we could talk about both of them. Right. But the straw man argument, that's what I'm talking about. Here I go being a hypocrite. Here I go being a hypocrite. Let's hear it. When are we going to start calling Kevin Durant a coach killer? You did say you were going to mention this. I didn't even think about it. I'm glad you just said it now. Yeah.

[00:29:21] Because you know, like, cause so, so, you know, him and Kyrie basically undermined the hell out of Steve Nash. Give me what's the, what's the, what's the number of coaches? Like, are we talking about like fired mid season or after the season? In general. Cause cause you know, cause him and Kyrie disrespected Steve Nash and undermined him at every turn. You know, you got Vogel out of there last year after one year, you know, now there's rumors that Boone and Hoser could be gone.

[00:29:49] But didn't that coach the, that, that new owner fired another guy too. He's fired a guy before. He fired Monte Williams. So he fired Monte Williams. Then he hired Vogel. Then he fired him. And I had. And now allegedly Boone and Hoser's on the table. That's, that's a, that's a. Kevin Durant's career is interesting. You see, I got the golden state hat on. I've had this hat for years.

[00:30:16] I got it like 2011 or 2012 when I was in Vegas. Um, so I'm not a bandwagon. I thought the hat was dope. Obviously I'm not a bandwagon. Yeah. He's wearing a basketball hat. Let me wear one. I mean, solidarity. Uh, but. I think his OKC career. Cause you and I, like I said, we talked about this before. Like, like, what is he going? What is he going to start getting criticized the way these other guys get for not winning championships?

[00:30:46] Which is what I said about Jason Tatum, but it's coming now. Yeah, it's. But he already has his chip. So it was like, now it's like, when are you going to win threes? Like, well, I can only win one at a time. Uh, so then the red goes from OKC to go stay. I thought it was weird. But he said in interviews, he's like, listen, they were my friends. I just like the way they play basketball. So it was like, I want to go here and play basketball. Then he's like, I want to go to Brooklyn's cause I want relationships on the East Coast and make Kyrie.

[00:31:14] And I think he said, and he said it publicly. He was like, I didn't like the way they handled the Draymond situation. And he's like, people made it seem as if because we somewhat squashed it. You know, it was OK. Like they never addressed like, yo, how do you allow this disrespect to just kind of go that way? Like you just like, oh, no, it's just he's going to apologize and be all good. So he always felt that way. So then we left him with the Brooklyn.

[00:31:41] I think the James Harden trade is where they went sideways. I think they should got a real coach in there with some real some real moxie that wasn't going to put up with, you know, no tomfoolery. But yeah, he just he doesn't. He never talks about like his aspirations to win championships and and need a new voice or anything like that. Like Giannis says it a lot.

[00:32:07] LeBron was always kind of, you know, I don't say dry. He was always like, you know, what's what's what's the word that they would use when like that dry snitching. But he's always dropping like little hints and like leaving like little Easter eggs, like letting you know. I'm kind of tired as coach. He did it with Spolstra in Miami and Pat Riley was like, no, dog, I'm running show here. You get a couple of chips and maybe we can talk. And then at the I couple of chips is now you can go ahead and leave.

[00:32:37] But Durant never comes out and says stuff like, you know, I think I think our intensity is off or I think our focus is off. Like all these. They lost. They lost to I want to say New Orleans last night. And there was like a moment and they asked him something along the lines of Budenhoser is that kind of guy where when you lose, he's like, let's get them next time, guys. Or, you know, that kind of attitude. So they had asked Katie about that.

[00:33:04] He was like, I'm not going to say anything that y'all are going to take out of context or whatever. And he just kind of left it alone. So that's probably like the the first. I mean, this is like it frustrations run run over. But in the same sense. You wanted these kind of tumultuous relationships because you had stability, you had.

[00:33:28] Yeah, it was a little rocky with the Draymond thing, but I think in Brooklyn probably could have made it work. They paid you for a whole year when you're rehabbing. Right. And you've been better like Kevin Durant post Achilles is better. Like I think he's up like a point per game point average in 27 still. Yeah. So. And he's about to get traded in the offseason. Probably.

[00:33:51] I wouldn't call him a coach killer, mainly because he was, for lack of a better word, fortunate to be in the league with more polarizing players. To the point where extending that attention to Kevin Durant, it would just look like, OK, you're just reaching to bother all the superstars.

[00:34:15] Because if you think about you got LeBron, you have like as you're polarizing guys, then you have some of these big personalities and then you have teams that are successful Denver boss. You have so much going on that just Kyrie just doesn't really not. But like Katie's like, you know what? Katie's just Katie's that can give you anything is that gonna say. Do you think that Katie to Dallas is a foregone conclusion? I don't. I just don't know how any of that works.

[00:34:45] I don't know. I don't know what Dallas goal would be like who you'd have to give up clay. I mean, is Phoenix gonna take clay? Maybe P.J. Washington, one of the bigs. He wants to do with Bradley Bill because you already wanted him to go. Well, he's got a no trade clause. Well, you gotta. You stuck with him until he decides. You know, wave it like, listen, man.

[00:35:08] I'm thinking actually earlier, I was thinking before we started before we started talking about it, I was like, hmm. Kevin Durant to Minnesota. I know that Anthony Edwards looked up to him, respected him a lot, all that kind of stuff. That could be something. But speaking of Minnesota, do you really believe that Dallas tried to trade Luca for Anthony Edwards? No. Do you really believe that Dallas tried to trade Luca for Giannis? No. Okay. Well, maybe, maybe, maybe Giannis.

[00:35:38] Tell me more. And we talked about this before. I think that Dallas trying to trade Luca sounded crazy to every person who heard it happen. So. It's like, no, this ain't April fools.

[00:35:58] And the reason it sounded crazy is because you're trading your, without a doubt, superstar on your team. Fresh off the finals. Fresh off the finals. And you're calling me and you want me to give up my superstar when I think you giving up your superstar is stupid? No.

[00:36:20] Now, Milwaukee probably would have slid Dame down to Dallas and they would have had the smallest, most skilled backcourt in the league, but not Giannis. I don't know if, I don't know if, I don't know if Milwaukee does it either way, you know, because see, and this is the problem, right? You got to get Luca to commit though. You know what I mean? Like, he's not staying in Milwaukee. He's not staying in Minnesota. I don't know. That's the thing. I don't know.

[00:36:49] I mean, I don't think Dallas is that much different than Milwaukee as far as a market. I think Dallas is, well, I mean, Dallas is a bigger market, maybe just not for the NBA. I don't know what the line, I don't know what the life, the like the nightlife or the hanging out or, you know, I know he has a daughter now. Like, I don't know. I don't know what his motivation would be off the court, but I can't. Like, I can't see him leaving the Lakers basically. Like, you know what I mean? Like he's like the Lakers are.

[00:37:18] And that's why I don't think, like I said, I think he was. I think any team that Nico Harrison called, which is always a bad thing when regular people know your name and you're a GM of a basketball team. Rob Palenka. 2,500 miles away from me or 3,500 miles away from me.

[00:37:37] I can't imagine that he thought he was going to get another team's number one under 26 year old superstar the same way he was willing to move off of his because no one's doing that. Like, maybe if you call it Orlando, maybe you call Charlotte, but you can get LaMelo. Well, like they're not comparable. Oh, I'm so glad you said that.

[00:38:01] So those Charlotte Hornets that you just brought up losses by 53 42 and 36 in their last three games. This week? Yes. I thought that was going to be on the season. And I was thinking, I was thinking like, as you were saying the numbers, like I'm like, he's going to say on the season, like I have a feeling. No, their last three, 130 points or whatever it is. Are they, are they playing at all? Are they, are they playing five on four? Like, how are you?

[00:38:31] I don't know. You're playing well. You know, it's just, it's just ridiculous. Like I said, like I said earlier with Cleveland and you got two teams that are 90, 90 plus wins. And then you're going to have matches for teams that barely have 30 something wins. Charlotte's going to be in that space. Um, I think we're being tricked. I think we're going to get Charlotte to Seattle and Dallas to Vegas.

[00:38:59] The Dallas to Vegas thing. It doesn't seem that crazy considering their ownership group loves casinos. And I love Vegas. And if I had that kind of money, I don't want to do anything I could to make money in Vegas. Like if I had a billion dollars and I had access to people who wanted to build hotels and casinos in Vegas, like I'm making that happen. Cause it's a different life for the people who own Vegas.

[00:39:25] Like it's, it's different rooms and in these hotels and casinos and ballrooms and places you can go that you couldn't imagine. Oh. In that, in that kind of city. So I know why ain't you going to Barclays tomorrow? Man, I'm not doing all that traffic. Oh, okay. The train and getting through like, I love the city, but it's like, I just thought you'd go see tank or something, you know? Um, but, um, you know, box decides to leave for 12 rounds.

[00:39:55] No, but, uh, you know, I think that Charlotte is just a shame, abysmal, you know, just disrespectful to the game of basketball, like altogether. Like the same way you were talking about the nineties guys shitting on the product. Like Charlotte doesn't respect the product either. You know? Yeah. Like, like I said, if, if you're literally calling out something that doesn't, like I said, I still don't understand the trade, the Luca trade. Um, I told you what it was. I don't understand.

[00:40:24] I don't, like I say, going back to Katie, I don't understand this. The owner in Phoenix has no idea. In general, it's like, I'm, if I'm a, if I'm a consultant in the NBA, cause I'm a former player. I'm just a consultant and you are Brooklyn and you bring me in and you say, do we have a championship team? Like, no.

[00:40:51] Like, no, you guys are missing something. If I would have gone to Phoenix, you'd like, Hey man, I got Bradley bill, Devin Booker, and you know, easy money sniper. My championship team. Like now you got three guys that need young guys to do the scrappy stuff or maybe veterans to do this crap. And that want to live in the mid range. And you don't have that. You don't have that dynamic.

[00:41:21] Like we looked at, I looked at Cleveland tonight. They have guys that come off the bench, set hard ass screens, dribble drive, look for Garland, pick and roll. Like they do all the stuff that they need to do to make sure the guy who has the green light is either able to get in the paint and score or they're ready to catch and shoot. Same thing with Boston, Minnesota last year, like even Minnesota this year, I'm not, I'm not knocking.

[00:41:49] I just feel like when Julius Randall gets back, I don't know how freely they flow. Cause I don't, I don't, I don't see him as like a facilitator. Once the ball gets in his hands. I think he's a, I think he has aspirations of being a primary. A bull in a China shop or something like that. I think he just feels like, Hey, if, if the play is for somebody else to get the ball in the corner, I don't think he's involved in that action.

[00:42:14] But if it's options to ISO, if he gets like a pick and roll, if he gets a favorable switch, I think he looks at like, all right, let me make a play because I don't get many plays call for me or whatever the case may be. Like this matchup I can exploit. And I think he, I think he takes that on when the next pass to somebody open in the corner could get you an open three. I think the ball would come to him.

[00:42:39] Like when he waved off Gobert, like that day, like that was an easy opportunity to get the ball down low, but he had already made up his mind that I have a favorable matchup here. Gobert get out of the way. And come on, Anthony Edwards, stop getting suspended, man. You know what I'm saying? Ain't no need for that. 16 technicals for what? You know, even though that last one was kind of shitty. The rest need to be vetted too.

[00:43:05] Like they need to, I think they need to be called into a zoom after the game, after they get changed out of uniform and have a post game wrap up with NBA center. Or debrief. Like a debrief. Like, Hey, what, what led you to go here? And if you say something like, Oh, this is tired of him talking. Like that's not enough. That's not, it's like your, your emotions are irrelevant. Like if you said, yo, you suck still not enough. It's not enough.

[00:43:33] He's allowed to have an opinion of your performance the same way you are critical of his by giving up to technicals, kicking him out of the game. You're not above him. You know what I was thinking about? How come at the combine, we don't have the old school quarterback challenge, little motorized joint that the quarterbacks throw the ball through. Cause yo, that would be so awesome.

[00:43:59] Um, the combine is the, it's the dry cleaner that fronts as a lot, like a money laundering scheme. Like that's what it is. You walk in, you hand the suit, but you also hand over a briefcase that has $80,000 and it needs to get washed in the back. That's what the combine is because cam wars your door.

[00:44:27] If you're drafting in the top seven, cause I think that's the range where we feel like those teams, right? That's where, if you need a quarterback, you got to get in, you got to get in that mix somehow, you know, who you're going to go with. Like that person is not going to make a throw to another guy wearing athletic underwear and cleats in Indianapolis. That makes you like, Oh, I'm changing my mind. Like, look at the zip on that ball.

[00:44:56] What do you, the combine gives guys like, you know, a DB from SMU, an opportunity to run the 40 and show his speed that way. Like teams who are like, Hey, we need a DB in the fourth round. We'll see if this guy's available. But for the most part, it's the place where you get as an agent, you get leverage for your guy you're representing or your group of guys you're representing.

[00:45:23] Because we talked about like, well, you know, it was previously reported yesterday that, uh, they had a little scuffle at Starbucks and then Schefter had report like a sacred sound. I got to keep my head on the swivel Starbucks. So you get Matthew Stafford's agent, but this hypothetical Matthew Stafford's agent is talking to Joe Shane somewhere in the ballroom. Um, you know, it's having a conversation, laughing and joking.

[00:45:51] And, you know, someone over here, give me a call to see what we can do. Now that gets, you know, fiddled around to, to let's go. I think that's the, the GM for the Raiders. No, I think he's gone now. Um, so like GM is, yeah. Um, it's, um, John spy tech or something like that. Yeah. So he, he gets the message. He calls Tom, Tom.

[00:46:17] Hey man, uh, I know there's, you know, we might be in this Matthew Stafford conversation, or we might want to ride the Shador train, but I saw these conversations happening. And that's what the combine is for, you know, you get the, you get to jump, you get the competition, you get the guys that do get to compete and maybe they jumped to draft boards.

[00:46:38] But for the most part, I mean, for me, the number one defensive tackle is going to come off the board, unless they full on go in there and just completely bomb everything. Or you get a defensive end like Abdul Carter that has a stress issue in his foot. You know, when he was projected. He'll find another doctor that says he'll be fine. And, and, you know, um, well, the good news is that he can just rest, you know, so he doesn't need, he doesn't necessarily need surgery. He could probably just, you know, but that I don't know how far.

[00:47:08] And if he falls to 15, you know what I mean? I'm not. You gotta steal. Yeah, I gotta steal. But more than likely if he falls to 15, we're going to get an offensive guard with 15 and he's going to go to whoever's 16 or Philly's going to move up from wherever the hell they are. Right.

[00:47:22] And, you know, um, you know, the combine is also a chance to just get eyes on guys that you don't generally see, you know, like there was a Jacquez Jones from Norfolk state, you know, didn't go so well in some areas because he's five foot 10, 175. But he ran a four or six eight. So that's so great to be that small and have that 40 time, but he broke the record for the cone. So maybe there's some value there. Maybe there's some special four, six, eight at five, 10, 175.

[00:47:53] Yeah. Yeah. It's not really as a wide receiver. And, you know, but, you know, but like I said, he broke the tape. He did the fastest cone ever. So, you know, so maybe there's something for him, you know, um, Jay race around like a four, six. He ran like a four, seven. Yeah. Something like that. Yeah. And there's, there's a guy that I love to be the greatest. There's a guy that I love from Tulane, you know, Caleb ran saw, you know, he's one of those guys that there's issues, right? Like, you know, he's not that great man coverage.

[00:48:23] He's not that great at pressing, but he's such an athlete. You know, he could probably fill in that safety. He did that during the senior bowl and everything, but he ran a four, three, three, 40 inch vert, a 10, nine broad jump. Somebody don't give him a chance. And, and, you know, from what I saw, it's so, it's so hilarious too. Cause you know, when we talk about like, Hey, what do you think that dude will go in the draft? We'd be like, you know, late second, early third. So I was reading up on him a little earlier.

[00:48:51] They were his draft range was round two to round six. What the hell kind of ranges the draft? The draft. Yeah. So, um, I remember like the viral video with Landon Jackson, uh, when he was in high school and he was just like very haphazardly slapping these pads. And then, you know, now he comes out. It's like six, six, two 50, 40. They got him at two 70. Yeah. Uh, vertical.

[00:49:21] So I like that for him, but even if, if that doesn't translate to film, then the combine is just, I think so many teams have been bitten by being enamored with the guy at the combine. Uh, we talked about it with Anthony Richardson. I think teams were enamored with him at the combine and he ended up for, um, the pro day Zach Wilson at rolling left throw back to the right. And we're like, Ooh, he gets second overall.

[00:49:49] He wasn't even a project off that one throw. Uh, John Ross with the four to two. Darius Hayward day. He broke the record, but he hurt himself breaking the record. And then he got drafted and had a career full of injuries. Well, I didn't see him too long horn. Say they going to break, uh, Xavier worthy's, you know, Jane and blue and, uh, as they, a bomb both said, they're going to break the record. And I'm like, I don't know what that means though. That doesn't mean anything. Like, I mean, it's cool.

[00:50:19] It got worthy into the first round and they got him to the Superbowl. I mean, yeah, he doesn't where he went. He runs a four. If he runs a four or four to at that size, I don't think, I don't think the bills in Kansas city have a phone call where they're trading. And they should anyway, but then you got a Shemar Stewart. You got some Mark Shemar Stewart from Texas A&M. I brought him up the other night. I was talking about how him and Nick Scorton, you know, on the same team, Scorton's the more productive one, the better football player.

[00:50:48] But then what did Stuart do? You know, he came out here four or five, nine, six, five, two 67. And he ran a four or five, nine. You know, he had the 10 foot broad jump 40 inch. He's lost 14 pounds since the senior bowl. He going into top 10 now. He going into top 10 now. Like the other day before the combine, there were questions of how good is he versus how good of an athlete he is.

[00:51:14] Is he just one of these freaks, but isn't going to be a good player? Now he's going top 10. So somebody going to find out. How about my guy, James Pierce? I don't know if you remember me talking about him during the season, but you know, yeah, from Tennessee. Yeah. That's my guy. You know, he came out there and ran a fast to 40 to Christian McCaffrey. Yeah. And I saw a Mike that has him going 32 overall to Philly. Yeah. It's crazy. Right. You know what I mean? I mean, it does happen.

[00:51:44] And I think it happens more for guys who just have. I think defensive players probably get a bigger boost because it's you're showing off so much athleticism. You got to chase these dudes. You got to chase these other guys. Whereas the wide receivers. This. I get that the speed works, but let me see that route three. I mean, you got to be able to run the route tree.

[00:52:13] Right. Excuse me. But defensive end, like this guy Pierce or Stewart's like, okay, I guess six foot five, 270 in the building. I can work with that four or five. I can make, I can make him. I can fit him in anywhere. Yep. And then my other sleeper, you know, Maxwell Harrison from Kentucky, you know, the corner. I want him on Washington 4.2, 940, you know, 10 foot nine broad jump.

[00:52:41] But, but of course, you know, the, the best combine so far, I think is a guy that I brought up the other night. You know, Oklahoma. Oklahoma. No, the safety out of South Carolina. And Marry, I think it's how you say it, but you know, he killed it.

[00:53:04] Like, you know, he, he's definitely going, he's going to be one of the first DBs taken, even though he's a safety, I think just because of the stuff that he did at the combine. There's been, there was a lot of guys, but the one thing that stood out to me and I'm not trying to do that thing. Cause you know, why y'all talking about the Cowboys? Why y'all talking about the Lakers? I'm not trying to do that thing.

[00:53:24] But the one thing that stood out to me, leave it up to Shadour Sanders to say one of the illest things that you can tell a franchise that they're going to turn around on him and make it sound like a bad thing. But it's an absolute great statement that he made. And I would love to hear something like this from like a LaMelo ball.

[00:53:48] For example, he said, quote, if you ain't trying to change the franchise or the culture, don't get me. Unquote. That's powerful because that shows you already forget competition, forget like his skill or whatever the case may be. That kind of statement just shows the belief that he has in himself for one. You know what I mean? So you figure he's not going to shy away from big moments.

[00:54:15] And it also, yeah. And if he goes as high in the draft as he's being projected, you're going to a bad team. And, you know, these teams are always trying to hire coaches and say, all right, fix the culture. You don't even need that because you got a quarterback that's willing to walk in there right now. Day one. Just like we made fun of him. Caleb Williams, when he told everybody to clean up the locker room and stuff, we made fun of him and had fun with it. But that was the right thing. That's what I want.

[00:54:45] Yeah, you need. You need that, you know, the whole one bad apple spoils a bunch. You need a guy with confidence. Like I said, it takes a lot. It's 1,500 guys on roster spots in the NFL. I can't have a guy timid think he's going to lead a room full of men looking in his eyes in crunch time. Granted, I know it's just a game. I know what they're playing a kid's game for a king's ransom, but they are competing.

[00:55:13] They are out there 11-year vets, eight-year vets, six-year vets, guys trying to get a new contract, guys trying to come up from the practice squad and keep their spot. Guys just want to live this life playing football. Yeah, they want the accolades. They want the opportunity. They want to make the plays. A game they've probably played since they were seven, eight, nine, ten years old. So, yeah, I need somebody that can come in and confidently handle those moments. We talked about like, you know, we use Zach Wilson's example.

[00:55:42] I remember one time the game they lost to New England where they lost on a punt return like 10-3. And the media asked him, do you think your offense's performance let the defense down? He's like, no. That's his whole answer. I need you to stand up there and take some accountability because you're going to get these shots regardless.

[00:56:06] I think we all learned from Caleb last year, everything he was saying preseason people were going to throw back in his face. I think he handled it pretty well. I don't remember a sound bite where he kind of loses it on some Ryan Leaf shit when he was yelling at the reporter in the locker room because I think he handled it very well. Speaking of which, real quick, did you see that Dan Hurley quote from the other day? Oh, how'd you handle the press? Yeah.

[00:56:34] He's like, the press has been mean to me all year or some shit like that? Yeah, he's like, yeah, I think the press are assholes and they've been mean to me all year. Oh, you meant like a full court press. On the court. I like it because if you think about it, like, yo, back to back national championship coach in the ultimate tournament, it is the ultimate tournament to win. And he's like. But once again, we talk about the media and the limelight and everything that comes with that. So they're looking at they probably looking at a 10 seed right now, by the way.

[00:57:04] But hey, listen, you get it. You do things. But like Cam Ward said, he was like, listen, only people that don't like the way I throw in the media. So, like I said, we talked about it with Sirianni. It was like, I think the media, because it's everywhere and you can do it in so many different formats. I mean, Dan Orlowski used to phone into Pat McAfee show in his car. And this was like real casual with his golf hat on. I was like, you're not even driving.

[00:57:34] You're parked. Cut the cap. But I think people are just kind of just fooling themselves. And it's like, yo, you know, people really don't give a fuck. So if your door is like, listen, I want to change the culture. And I was like, oh, look at this rookie coming in. Like, that's what you want. You want someone to come in and come in. Especially as a quarterback. You got these coaches. It's like 12 or 14 coaches in the league, probably under 40 right now. Probably some very close to 30. But that's the thing. If a linebacker does that, nobody cares. Nobody bats an eye. Or, you know what I mean?

[00:58:04] If this was, and I ain't even trying to do the thing. But if Jackson Dart comes in there like that, Quinn Ewers comes in there like that, they're going to be like, oh man, this guy's ready to go day one. You know, real locker room guy, you know. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Not a distraction. You know, you know all the code words they use. Distraction is a code word for black players because they want you to be quiet. Well, that's like back in the day. And then, you know who my dad is?

[00:58:28] Well, that's like back in the day, you know, when Obama and John McCain were running, and I used to watch the news, they used to say, urban and blue collar. Those were like the two codes, you know what I mean? Like, you pick up on it. But I think that's- It's an episode of the league that like, one of the funniest shows about the fantasy football league. And they talked about one of the characters like, yeah, I'll meet with another doctor, real class act. And they were like, so a black guy? He goes, what? He's like, black guys are always class acts. Articulate. Articulate.

[00:58:57] Very well spoken guys. Yeah. And he was like, we're white guys. He's like, oh, real gym rats, real locker room guys. And then you hear it and you hear it in a comedy format. It's like, it's so funny because that's what- Right. That's how it goes. They use, so. Yeah. But yeah, I like it. You know, I was a little disappointed or I am going to be a little disappointed. I admit that Travis Hunter isn't going to, you know, do anything. I was looking to see that 40. You know what I mean?

[00:59:26] Are they going to do it at Colorado's pro day? He probably is, but he's not doing it for the combine. I don't, I don't like that, but that's just nothing against him or like that. I think that means anything. I just don't like it. Why not? It is for his position and the fact that he wants to potentially play too.

[00:59:48] You would think he would do both things, but I think doing at his pro day with Shador and doing it at in Colorado on their home field, where it's all eyes on all the Colorado guys. I think that might be more of a driving force because like you run a route and you got some quarterback from, you know, Bowling Green throwing you the ball.

[01:00:17] It just, and he doesn't throw it the way you expect your door. But Shador knows like when you plant your foot, like this is where I'm going to put the ball. Mr. Logical so mad at the Falcons that he going to call out another Falcon team. Listen, the air force, the air force guy throwing a ball to him. But yeah, so it's like going to the wild blue yonder. So I think, I think that's smart. I mean, it happens every year.

[01:00:46] It's not like it's this thing where they're setting this trend of this precedent is like, like Kayla Williams. Listen, I'm not giving medical to everybody. Like I'm going to be number one pick all 32. You don't need to see. Yeah. Who's the top six? Y'all can get my record. Yeah. Top five. Yeah. You know, but, but I think, I think the combine. I mean, I guess there's still a place for it. It's just not my thing. You know, I think that.

[01:01:16] It's just a networking event. You know, it's just a chance for GMs to. Great. Yeah. And, and, you know, and I know there were all the reports of like the five or six teams that when you was talked to. You know, there was the conversation about who was interested in Jackson dart. And we don't really need the combine for that because we're just going to get rumors and everything anyway. So like, I think that for real, just looking at it on a broad scale, all I really care about is 40 invert.

[01:01:46] That's all I really care. And I think that's just because I played a lot of basketball in my life. So I want to see the speed and I want to see the hops, but I think that the combine is just, I don't know. Like, I don't know if it's popular. I know fans talk about it.

[01:02:02] Fans have arguments about certain things, but I just don't know if it's, if the juice is worth the squeeze because most of these guys like outside there's outliers that we talked about that will get drafted around higher or something like that. But I think for the most part, the top 15 is probably just the same guy scrambled up a little bit. Like, so you thought this guy was going to go 14. He did something at the combine, but he went seven.

[01:02:29] So he still went top 15 or whatever, but he just went a little higher. So I don't, I don't know if the juice is really worth the squeeze because it doesn't entail. I mean, it doesn't. It might help the back. It might help guys who were, who came in with the fifth round grade. Yeah. And they, they do something not even like crazy, but say you do like HBCU players. But I don't think a lot of, they don't get invited.

[01:02:58] I think there's a, there's an HBCU combine that's held. I'm not sure exactly where it is, but I don't think a lot of them get invited. I think they, they keep the numbers limited. But it's, we talked about these GMs and their exposure and how much. At the Saints practice facility. Yeah.

[01:03:21] So what happens is these NFL player, NFL punt, you know, GMs and coaches, they don't watch that much college football because it's running concurrently with their season. So they'll watch the combine. They'll get the scouting reports. And some guy will do something eye popping and have like one of those days where he ran a four or five, nine at 270 pounds the day before.

[01:03:50] And then he does 32 reps of the bench press. And it's like, well, let's check this guy's tape out. And then maybe he goes from not really being on their board and they look around like, oh yeah, people got a fifth round grade on him and they have an extra fourth round pick. So they'll, they'll, you know, pick them up. I think little stuff like that happens. So I think there is benefit to it is just, it's, I think it's more of a showcase of the

[01:04:16] guys who are fringe draft picks and also the whole behind the scenes stuff. I think it's. You make the combine help Brock Purdy get drafted. Don't even throw the combine. I don't know. I'm just making stuff up, you know, but, um, you know, they played a trick on us. Right. You know, like not that I really believed anything was really going to happen, but there was all that talk about Matt Stafford on the moon.

[01:04:46] Absolutely not. That wasn't going to go anywhere. Yeah. Cause it just doesn't make sense. In a position to do what. Like didn't make any sense because they still with Matthew Stafford, they're still fourth in their division. Well, like even like if it makes sense, if these were teams that were picking like 18 and you figured Cam Ward and Shadour are gone, let me do something and I can grab somebody later to groom or whatever. But it didn't make that. I mean, how long is Matt Stafford playing?

[01:05:15] Like he might play these two years of this contract and then leave. I think Matt Stafford got drafted in 2009. Yeah. Or eight. Yeah. We are. I want to say 2009 was Bradford. 22 minutes from March, 2025. All right. That's a long time. And then the people thinking that they were going to give up a third overall pick or fifth or sixth or seventh. Like you're out of here. You were living in la la land.

[01:05:42] And if you really thought the giants who just let say Quan Barkley walk are going to turn around and give up the third overall pick to go get Matthew Stafford. 37 year old quarterback. Like, come on. And I know like Malik neighbor said it, like he tweeted by and he said it, but he wanted Cooper cup and Matthew Stafford. Okay.

[01:06:10] If LA is doing a wholesale and they're willing to take a fourth and a six and then maybe a second next year. Okay. I'll make that deal. I'll get staff. I don't think anybody wants to take on Cooper cups contract. Um, you know, you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. Cause if he's healthy, then he's done. He's dynamic. Yeah. But even with that, it's like, I mean, as long as you're not, I think any team, I think

[01:06:36] the, as a Falcons fan, I'm more pissed at the Falcons for giving Kirk cousins that much money when you knew you're going to draft Michael Penix anyway. Like if you felt like you were going to get them anyway, like then why sign this other guy for this money? Like considering that he wasn't projected to be a top 10 quarterback. Right. He wouldn't try to be a top 10 pick. So you could have moved that money and gotten, you could have got stout on the defensive line.

[01:07:04] You could have done something where we can affect the pass rush and where maybe you get a turnover, you get the ball back on the other side of the 50 every once in a while. So that's why fans of the Falcons are mad at, you know, our front office. The, the giants fans are like, yo, we know we need a quarterback, but we also need a future. So you've already botched it by giving Daniel Jones 40 million and pretty much throwing him out the door, letting Saquon walk.

[01:07:33] Cause you didn't want to give him 12 million. It's like the last thing you do for this fan base is just bring them Matthew Stafford. It's like, they're still best case scenario with Matthew Stafford. They're third in their division behind the Eagles and the commanders and whatever happens with Dallas, if Dallas makes a couple of proper moves, cause we know Jerry Jones is eccentric, but he drafts well.

[01:08:01] So if he can make, if they make a couple of moves and Dak, you know, who, whatever, whenever the injury happened, it was so early on the year where he got his surgery, his rehab, and it wasn't a rush to get back. If he comes back and he played like the Dak from the previous season, that was second to MVP voting. You as the giants, you might be fourth in your division again, even with Matthew Stafford. So like, I never thought that was a good move. The fact that Tennessee was never involved, I knew like, okay, Tennessee is the only team

[01:08:30] that really needs a quarterback right there. Like Cleveland has the Sean Watson and they have the traffic, but it's like, none of these people are talking about moving that pick. It's not. Yeah. So then, you know, in other news, you know, trades and such, you know, apparently the Washington commanders and the Houston Texans are on the front lines trying to get one Debo Samuel. I understand it for Houston. I understand it for Houston. Don't really understand it for Washington. Why not?

[01:09:00] I don't think Washington needs another running back. I think, I think a person, a player that can do two things very well on a football team and dynamic with the ball in his hand and a chip on his shoulder. And always hurt. A lot of these guys are always hurt. I mean, they play a physical game. Terry ain't always hurt. T. Higgins didn't play at all last year. Like I said, he wouldn't. That was my design. He was like, ah, I'm good. And they going to franchise him again.

[01:09:30] That was my design. Like, oh, my masseuse was out of town this weekend. I can't go, guys. This calf is tight. But what about them? You know what I mean? You got T. Higgins. You know, you got Jamar Chase still wanting a contract. You got Trey Hendrickson coming up. They're going to have to pull off the miracle of all miracles to keep that corp. The people, the most dynamic playmaking group with the offense between Burrow,

[01:09:56] Chase, and T. Higgins, and then Hendrickson on the other side of the ball, to keep all four of those guys for this coming season, be a miracle. If they do it, I'll shave my mustache. Because I look weird without a mustache. Y'all heard it here first. You know, Travis Kelce coming back. You know what I'm saying? He said he can't go out like that. I ain't never expect him to retire anyway. Not with that kind of loss.

[01:10:26] I think 34-31, he gets eight catches, 85 yards, and a touchdown, and they lose. And they lose the game. I think he's like, you know what? That was a good run. But to get molly-wopped and play so poorly, I think he's like, you know what? I can muster up for one more all season. He's probably going to get the Ben Roethlisberger. You don't have to practice. You know, you can get treatment while everybody else is practicing,

[01:10:56] and then we'll just run the routes that you and Pat are familiar with. But I think Kansas City is going to be one of those teams in a unique position where they're going to feel a lot like the underdog. Very similar to how we talked about Boston coming into this season after winning the championship last year. I think they're going to have a chip on their shoulder. I know, the championship wasn't even in the case yet, and I'm like, OKC winning the title.

[01:11:22] Yeah, I don't think the parade happened, and you already were picking a different team for the following season. So I think Kansas City is probably – they're probably not that many moves away. And I also believe, like, I mean, hell, can you imagine Debo Samuel in an offense with Andy Reid calling plays for him? That would be nuts. I mean, can you imagine – Can you get Rasheed Rice back? Like, can you imagine what the screen pass setups would look like? Double your ears, New Jersey. Get another running back in there.

[01:11:55] I think Pacheco plays hard, but I mean – That style don't last very long. Yeah, he's going to have to make sure he gets some kind of insurance that, you know, they're going to sign him because he's going to run hard every time. And I'd hate for that to be a hindrance in this contract negotiation later. You know, you always kind of hurt your shoulders. Like, yeah, because give me the ball and ISO dies on person 10.

[01:12:25] Like, I'm trying to get to second and four. Like, yeah. Did you hear about the other receiver being dangled? Well, not dangled, but getting calls. You know, apparently Green Bay called Seattle about DK. You know, you remember Josh Jacobs talking about, hey, we need a number one receiver. That was a weird statement too. That was a weird statement. That was a very weird statement considering like – It was a true statement, but it's a weird statement.

[01:12:54] I don't think they need – they just need to – I don't think Green Bay needed much more than just to stay healthy. I think they were a good team. I think the chemistry between the wide receivers – I mean, it got their quarterback a $50 million a year contract. Maybe Jordan Reed – I mean, not Jordan Reed. Jalen Reed is the number one, but I don't know if they have a number one that other teams fear. I don't think you need a number one.

[01:13:24] I mean, hell, without that slant pass, Russell Wilson wins back-to-back Super Bowls without a traditional number one wide receiver. I think that some of these things is just play calling. I think Matt LaFleur is great at play calling. Yeah, we saw that it kind of hurt Kansas City in the Super Bowl, but Kansas City was also playing seven – against seven defenders in zone. Like, they were only rushing four guys.

[01:13:52] No one – like, DK Metcalf is not getting open in that. Right. You know, it just was a perfect game plan. But for the most part, most teams have – don't have, like, this traditional number one wide receiver. Like, if you think about it, we talk about who are the top five wide receivers in the league. Like, we don't really get past – it's a debate to about eight. So that's a core of the teams. Like, no one's like, yo, Michael Pittman Jr. in Indianapolis.

[01:14:21] He's the number one. He's one of the best. Like, no, after a certain number wide receivers in that conversation, you just kind of stop. Like, all right, eight is probably the max that you can even audition for the top five. So having three dynamic, young, fast wide receivers and a quarterback that can get the ball to them and a running back that runs hard, that's all you need. Because the last thing you want is a guy you've got to force the ball to. You think that – speaking of wide receivers, you think Tyreek Hill really out of Miami?

[01:14:51] If I was Miami, I'd move him. I'd move him just because it's like – like you said, I don't think the juice is right to squeeze. Like, I mean, like I said, that's just my personal – I'm not an attention-seeking kind of person. I think he is. And I think when you – like if he had four catches, 68 yards, and a touchdown, I don't think his antics are like that. But if he gets four catches, 40 yards, and no touchdown, I was like, oh, they don't look for me.

[01:15:21] That's – it's just – he is the epitome of a diva wide receiver. I think his behavior off the field. I think his lack of maturity. But the man had five kids last year and four touchdowns. Like, let's keep it – let's keep it real. Like, come on. Like, you mean to tell me you don't have self-control to the point where you can't – you created five kids. That means your behavior was way beyond the five. That means if I'm going to throw you the ball, you ain't got no damn energy. You're about to run out of money.

[01:15:51] Like, you're just – you're about to be on some unnecessary stuff because your behavior is going to dictate – your behavior off the field is going to dictate how you act in negotiations, how you act on different platforms, try to spread your brand. I just feel like he is just a powder keg of immaturity, and it's going to explode, and it's going to cost people their jobs. So I'd move him. Can I throw the most random – Probably to the Raiders.

[01:16:21] Can I throw the most random of the randomists out there? Let's hear it. Cover your ears, Chris. You know what I'm saying? Miami got to get Jameis, man. No. You know what I'm saying? They need somebody that can come in. NFL Network needs to get Jameis. You're just turning my man – Just turning your helmet, huh? It's a wrap. It's a wrap. Yo. Why are you treating Jameis like he Draymond? Draymond need to go too. Like, sometimes you just got to call it quits.

[01:16:54] Like, it's okay to do the next great thing. Jameis is not going to get you – not going to join any team and fix any of his bad habits. He's just going to be a great guy at having around. You can't be running those quarterbacks out there when two are hurt. Man, listen. You can run Zach Wilson out there and just hope he can hand the ball off 27 times and throw it 18. Like, let's – Jameis is going to throw games away. It's going to be exciting.

[01:17:22] He might have 500 yards one week. You're just going to win the Ravens game, huh? Yeah. After he threw the pick right to Calhampton and he dropped. It's called Damien yourself. It hit him in both hands. The game's supposed to be over. Like, Jameis is going to like – yeah. So, like, I love Jameis' personality. I love how people really gravitate towards him. But his career as a football player, it'd be just done.

[01:17:51] All right, last one. This is random again. Last one. This is a question. What team do you think will say, you know what? He's still young. You know what I'm saying? He's pretty fresh because he didn't play a lot last year. Let me kick the tires on that old Justin Fields. Not many. Because he got beat up by Russell Wilson. And Russell Wilson didn't look good.

[01:18:21] I was literally thinking about this earlier. That's why I had the answer already in my head. I was thinking about it earlier when I saw a highlight. He's going to be in a situation where he can go to, like – he's going to be a backup. Anywhere he goes. Unless the Giants are like, hey, you know what? Let's try this. But they haven't really been known to be experimental or even competent.

[01:18:52] So I doubt that. I'm not sure Malik Nabors wants a guy who isn't a traditional, consistent passer. Because I love all these quarterbacks. I love the athleticism. I love that they're all getting opportunities. I love that they're starting young. I love the diversity of the quarterback position. I like the fact that everyone doesn't play the same way. I like that Lamar gets to do what he does. I like the way Josh Allen plays. I think it's all great. But when it boils down to it, you got to be able to see the rush.

[01:19:23] You got to be able to check out of a good, bad play into a good play. You got to know when to get rid of the ball. You got to know down in distance. You can't just rely on the fact that if this doesn't go well, I can just run. Because the 6'5", 270-pound defensive end just ran a 4.59. Most of these quarterbacks that are athletic are running four sixes. Like Andrew Luck ran a faster 40 than Cam Newton.

[01:19:52] Cam Newton is viewed as a great running quarterback. But he wasn't outrunning that many guys. A few guys on Atlanta because Atlanta sucked. So there's a couple of highlights there. But you're not always going to be able to beat guys to the edge. It's not college. It's not high school. So you're going to have to be able to stand in there and deliver the ball on time. And I don't think Justin Field does that enough consistently. I think people like him. It's the same thing. But he's going to be a backup. Wherever he ends up, he's going to be a backup. Yeah, yeah. I didn't mean he was going to be a starter. But I was just wondering if somebody just –

[01:20:22] I think so many teams will put him – will have him as a backup. I think Green Bay, if they don't have a backup that's locked in right now, I think that's probably a good spot. Hey, why are you being disrespectful? Malik Willis? Yeah. He came in there and won two games last year. Yeah, I mean, you know, if you got to move a guy to the practice squad or scout team, he's perfect for that. Your boy Sam Howell out in Seattle, if he's still there. I think that's the spot.

[01:20:51] I think maybe even, like – I'm not sure what the Chargers backup quarterback situation looks like, but I know that's probably a great spot for him because you get that Colin Kaepernick treatment from Harbaugh where he's like, listen, I got some packages for you. Are you sure that Tennessee takes the quarterback? At one? Yeah. Give Will Levis a shot. Justin Fields is the backup.

[01:21:15] Unless somebody gives you their percentage of their life insurance, the keys to all their cars and all the players you want at one, and you have enough haul where you can kind of rebuild. But if you think about it, anyone who needs to be at one is probably currently sitting at six or seven. How far down do you want to go and get this capital?

[01:21:46] Because you figure theoretically the Raiders, who didn't get a quarterback last year and they weren't really in position to do so, or the Jets, are they willing to deplete their future considering they just hired coaches? You know what I mean? Like I know Pete Carroll was like, do you want to just put everything into this first overall picks basket?

[01:22:13] Because you're going to have to trade to get – if I'm Tennessee and you call me, I need the one this year, I need the one next year, and I might need your 2027 one, or your two, your one, two this year, your one, two next year, and maybe your two in 2027. I'm going to need a lot because I need a great player, a great prospect,

[01:22:39] and if I'm dropping down to six, it could be a lot of action before I get an opportunity to pick the next great guy that I might have my eye on. Well, I guess – you know, I said last one, but I guess you can't have one without the other. So if I'm going to ask about Justin Fields, I might as well ask about Russell Wilson. I think Russell is going to be a great high school football coach. I don't think his career is over. I just think it's like, what are you going to do? I think he might end up back in Pittsburgh.

[01:23:11] I don't think he did enough, and I don't think Pittsburgh has enough that he can come back and improve. I think he'll just be in the same mediocre situation where they're just – he's no longer the playmaker that he used to be. And then Pittsburgh doesn't have the playmakers out in space where he can – like, you know what, I'm not a playmaker that I used to be, but at least I can get the ball to these guys because Najee Harris is not that guy. Pickens is not that guy.

[01:23:40] You have fryer moves, but the fact that Pickens really is – you can go man-to-man with Pickens all game and just hope your guy wins. Unless Roman Wilson steps it up, I guess that's going to be it. So we'll see. But, hey, we're going to be back on Tuesday. We got more combine. We get them offensive players tomorrow, so it's going to be fun. We got some more basketball going on.

[01:24:09] Clippers and Lakers are on right now. 81-77 Lakers or 83-77 Lakers. What about seven seconds left in the third quarter? So, you know, coming down to a nice finish up in Tinseltown, if you will. You know, enjoy your weekend. Enjoy the sports. Don't forget, when you wake up, it will be March. The madness is here. You know what I'm saying? Get ready. You know what I'm saying?

[01:24:38] We're going to have to start talking about some college basketball here in a minute. You know, I think the clear-cut national champion is out there. We love you. You know what I'm saying? And pollution's over its deuces. Your liquid death. Drink it. All of the above. We love you. Peace. Peace. Like, review, subscribe, share, rate, do all the free things.

[01:25:08] Do all the good things. Peace.