05/30/2021 - FOX Sports Sunday with Steve Hartman and Rich Ohrnberger - Fox Sports Radio

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports. Ah, Yes, living the drain
once again on a fabulous Sunday, Hartmann and arm Burger
together in our Fox Sports Radio studios. It is a
Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully everybody's having a great Memorial Day weekend.
Of course, our thoughts are with the families of those

(00:22):
who have family members that have made the ultimate sacrifice
to ensure the freedoms that we enjoy in the greatest
country on the planet here in the United States of America.
Here we are rich on this Memorial Day Sunday, it's
really a Memorial Day weekend. Will officially celebrate tomorrow, by
the way, tomorrow being my son Garrett's birthday, as one

(00:46):
is his birthday. By the way, we had a big
Friday dinner for him Friday night dinner, went out to
a nice restaurant. You know, we're getting back to sort
of the norms, right, you know, and so well you
mentioned and I echo your sentiments. By the way, all
of our servicemen and women women who serve valiantly protecting

(01:06):
our freedoms. Buddy, I I I'm I I don't know.
We all them everything. We owe them everything. There's no
question about it, So we thank you for that continued effort,
and we we thank those families who obviously lost someone
they love and are remembering, especially this weekend, who fought
for our freedom. So uh here here to that. And

(01:28):
then you know, alongside of that, like you said, things
opening up this weekend. It wasn't a year ago this
weekend where we were encroaching on a hundred thousand deaths
from COVID nineteen and this pandemic was brand new, a
novel virus that we were unsure what the outcome was
gonna be or how many people we would eventually lose,

(01:50):
and it was bleak. And a year later, this really
does feel like the kickoff of getting back to normal,
I least in our country, it feels that way. So
here in California we're still on a different timeline than
everyone else. We're still circling June on our calendars where

(02:10):
you can actually walk around without a mask as long
as you've been vaccinated and everything else. Um. You know,
yesterday I was sitting here with Jeff Schwartz. As you know,
Jeff lives down in the Carolina area and he's just
always shocked when he comes here and actually sees people
outdoors wearing mask. He goes, No one has been wearing
a mask outdoors where I am for six months, So
I mean there's there's masks when we watch the q

(02:34):
I nobody is wearing a mask but here in California.
But that's gonna change. So No, we went out to
a nice dinner a couple of things here, Rich and
I'm gonna give you a little preview. As your boys
get older by the day, So here's what happens when
you get into the twenties. Something age. Right, So it's
a birthday dinner. Denise and I are there with our
three kids, but we also have two add ons. You know,

(02:55):
our oldest son has his girlfriend, and then Paris has
a boyfriend. Those significant others, so now seven people at
the table. So we walk in a really nice restaurant,
uh near where we live, and the owner of the places,
someone Denise knows quite well. He comes over. He has
a mask on, right, and of course we have to
enter with the mask into the restaurant. The place was packed,

(03:18):
and of course once everyone sits down, no one's wearing
a mask. And he walks over and he goes, can
I take this mask off? Yes? Because we've all been
vaccing it yet drops the mask and everything else. But
here's what happens. So you're already going to have healthy
appetites as you see what your boys, but then as
they get to a certain age, add on not only
the extras like the dates, um alcohol. See how as

(03:41):
you know when you when you go out, the real
costs is the alcohol. So the next thing you know,
I'm ordering a nice bottle of red and on top
of that, everyone else's drinking. So when I get the
final bill, I'm looking at like I'm having a heart palpitations.
It's like, okay, because honestly, the entrees weren't all that bad.

(04:03):
When you start adding extra people and that alcohol and
everything else, Holy Mac, you gotta start treating it like
visits a movie theater way back. I mean when movie
theaters were a thing still right, uh sneak a bottle
of wine in the trousers? You don't you know what
I maybe we're a park. I understand it, we're encroaching
on June. But but say, hey, look I I got

(04:24):
a little chill in my bones. And then you know,
and then just pull out a little Boons want Boons Farm, No,
it was I was not gonna drink. I do not
drink that. Anyway. We had a wonderful dinner, but it
was great to see everybody out and about and more
and more people enjoying life and getting back to a
semblance of normality. Um. Same thing as far as the
sports rules concerned. I want to start today by talking

(04:46):
and about an event that's going on right now. We're
talking about the Indianapolis. This is an event that when
I was a kid. Um, this was a major event.
This was part of the Memorial Day weekend festivities where
you watch the Indianapolis five. In fact, I'd go back
so far as listening to on the radio before they

(05:07):
actually did have a live broadcast. Remember ABC, back in
the Jim McKay days would show a tape delay of
the Indianapolis five hundred the day of the race. But
I would be out there with my dad. My dad
was always working outside and and we would listen to
the race on the radio where Haro in turn one,
you know, on sir taking a turn and ready behind him. Um.

(05:28):
And and it was part of American And it's interesting
to me how certain sports have grown. We always talk
about the NFL and then certain events has seemed to diminish,
and the Indianapolis five hundred nascars surpassed any car racing
as far as popularity. Formula one. A lot of people
are suddenly getting into the Formula one uh scene that's

(05:50):
always been around out there. But when you think about
boxing and sort of taking a hit, and certainly any
car racing, because I just remember and by the way,
they have a hundred already five thousand packed in normally
be over three d thousand in Indianapolis. Our buddy Nick Hardwick,
who of course lives in Indianapolis right now, says here
in any it's still monstrous. Yeah, but as far as

(06:12):
the national scope, it it's just not I I agree
with you and I and I think it's uh, it's poignant,
and it's appropriate to point out the regression of other
sports and and it's also it's it's interesting to point
out that it can happen to any sport, it can
happen to any league. You know, professionally, we we see,

(06:33):
you know, the thought process that soccer could potentially maybe
one day take center stage in this country like it
has so many other places across the world that hasn't
yet but that's something that's always been simmering in the background.
UFC when it first started, looked like it was going
to be this brutal sport that was only gonna be
available in the darkest corners of the Internet, or if

(06:55):
you had money to spend with a couple of buddies
for a pay per view. And it's really gone mainstream. Um,
you know. And then, like you mentioned, boxing has taken
a step back. Car racing has taken a step back.
Horse racing has taken a step back. What what may
change over time? We we can't really forecast necessarily, but
times do change, and tastes of certain sports definitely changed

(07:18):
along with it. I'll tell you what's changed a lot
is gambling that I don't think there's And I was
listening to a gambling show that air's here locally, and
the guy's been doing this for about thirty years, and
he was talking today about the fact that when he
first got started, we were in the shadows like you
would in the nineties. There's no way you want to

(07:39):
talk about the dark corners. Yeah, I mean he's like,
you know, we're in the shadows. Now it's completely mainstream.
You have these professional sports leagues just smelling the money,
totally embracing these gambling establishments that for years they shun
and saying, oh, that's not really part of our scene,
even though we knew it. Was a major part of

(08:01):
the growth of the NFL, especially was legal wagerain whether
it's in Vegas, Atlantic, say, wherever it was where you
were betting. Sports books were popping up in Vegas and
people are betting NFL football, which added to the growth
of the sport. But now it has really become the
life blood. I mean, it's just it's just escalating, escalating.
So if you're trying to look into the future of

(08:22):
what sports have the greatest growth potential, tie it to gambling,
you know, and and football is just is the ultimate
gambling sport. I've seen here with Schwartz yesterday. He loves
to bet on everything. Sure, I'm not kidding you. Yesterday,
So we had on yesterday to NBA playoffs going on,
we had some Major League Baseball going on, we had

(08:45):
Spring football going on, and then we had a women's
softball Super Regional game between Oklahoma and Washington. So Jeff,
he's telling him, you gotta get the game, get to
get to get this game the regional, it's like a
super regional. And I'm like, why exactly are we watching

(09:08):
Washington Oklahoma? I guess there, I got a little tipped
from a little you are out of your mind. But
this look at I'm I'm left in the in the
in the in the behind here. This is where it's
at right now. So again, following the growth of these sports,
there is no question there's a direct high to the

(09:29):
legalized sports gambling that was opened up to all states,
and more and more states are realizing, wow, this is
such an a huge revenue stream. Potentially it won't belong
to all fifty states have got an operation going on.
It can be a huge tax pool. And even in California,
who again, you know it, we're kind of slow to
get beyond restrictions with COVID, We're kind of slow to

(09:51):
adopt these gambling laws or legalities are around sports betting. Uh.
It will come up on a citizens initiative vote. I
believe it is statewide in two you know, and so
like you know, and and a state like California with
with as much as the residents pay and tax I
think it's gonna be welcomed by and large, and like

(10:12):
you said, the result of that having a densely populated
state like out here, but other states adopting this in
upcoming elections. It's going to change the way we view sports.
I remember when I was a kid and you would
listen to broadcasts of football. It was tongue in cheek
when an announcer would say something like, yeah, well that

(10:32):
that score was unnecessary to most you know what I mean,
like it's it's it's one of those things where it was,
like you said, it was kind of swept. It was
kept in the you know, the dark fringes of society.
And now announcers when they're you know, just addressing the
matchup we're about to see at the top of the broadcast,

(10:53):
will say, and the Patriots are favorite by three and
a half points on the road today, and you're just
like WHOA large evolution. Back in the mid seventies when
CBS had the first NFL show with Brent Musburger and
Herv Cross and Phyllis George and they had Jimmy the
Greek Snyder, the actually had Jimmy the Greek metality would
talk about the weather and the point spreads and everything else,

(11:14):
and then the NFL was like, no, we're gonna clear
of that area. And then, of course how Michael's for
years is always throwing out little tidbits there, you know
a little, a little about the point spread. Where we
are in the game right now, this is never subtle about.
This is an important drive, important drive here. It's like

(11:34):
a team subtle, absolutely washed and its fourth quarter and
it's two minutes left and the losing team has the ball.
It's like, well, we'll see if they can finish this
one in the end zone. I mean, look at our
Clay Travis here, right, I mean he cashed in big
time without kick the coverage and fully embracing that. Now,
of course he's gonna be taken over with Buck Sexton

(11:54):
now on the on the replacing Rush Limbos through premier networks.
But those that have really embraced this and understand where
we are as far as watching sports and having an
interest of sports are the ones that benefit the most.
All right, we're just getting started here. We got a
lot going on. Huge day in the NBA once again,
all kinds of playoff games. Um, and where are we

(12:17):
as far as the NBA their attendants and interest in
these playoffs? It's actually better news than you might think.
We'll tell you about it coming up next. Yea, Steve

(12:38):
Harbin and Rich Armburger. Enjoy small eye comfort and stay
big on your water bill with a navy and tankless
water heater, or go tankless and navy. Um. You can
save hunters on a new navy and tankless water heater
with local rebates. Visit Tankless made Simple dot com. All right, Hawks,
Nick's going on right now, first quarter early, it is

(12:59):
Atlanta's eating this series two games to one. I think
that Nicks were certainly uh considered favorites, better seed there,
but the Hawks have been playing really well. By the way,
you talk about a draft day trade that worked out
for both teams. Remember the third overall pick in the
twenty eight teams raft was Luca don Chech and number
five was Trey Young, And they actually swapped teams. They

(13:22):
had a deal between Atlanta and Dallas and both these guys,
both these teams got franchise players. And and it's funny
how things work out, right because you look at Trey
Young and I don't know why, but like it's just
such a fit, Like the the attitude, the personality, the swagger,
like the guy. It just feels like he matches, matches

(13:45):
everything about that team and what they need right now.
And same for Luca. Like I I feel like the
Dallas Mavericks for a long time, we're just kind of blah.
You know, they weren't very aggressive. Dirt Nvitski, even though
they were successful and they won game done obviously a
championship was very kind, very like Luca don Chi, there's
a little bit of, you know, a big time man,

(14:09):
digging man. He'll he'll drive the lane on somebody. I
was watching um him him, body up Beverley take him
to the hoop and scoring him and then he was
just shouting. I mean, Patrick Beverley is one of the
pre eminent trash talkers in this league. Just you're too small,
You're two efforts small, and I'm just like, this is great.
Trey Young in the garden, just me mugging the crowd

(14:33):
as the Hawks are taking an advantage. I'm digging it, man.
I think those two teams really hit on those young stars.
It is interesting on the development of stars, and so
much of it is being the right place, right time.
You know, I'm watching Trey Young right now. When we
talk about distant shooters, the guys with the biggest range.
You always start with Steph and Damian Lillard. Those are
the two guys that so dangerous. But I'm watching Trey.

(14:54):
He he put up without a blink like a thirty
two ft or just jumped out, you know, boom. He
saw it in the question is you know you see
guys with these glossy numbers in college one and dunce
is that really going to translate to the NBA. In
the beginning, it wasn't so sure about Trey Win. Those
doubts are down. He is absolutely one of the emerging
stars right now. But I'm want to get back to

(15:15):
the Lakers for a moment here. So the Lakers did
in this series against Phoenix, at least so far, what
they did in the playoffs a year ago. If you
remember last year in the bubble, the Lakers lost the
first game to Portland and ran out four straight wins.
Then they lost the first game against Houston and ran
out four straight wins. They lose the first game to Phoenix,

(15:36):
and they just went back to back and this last
game they were starting to look like the team that
everyone's picking to emerge out of the Western Conference. And
this just gets back to having Lebron James. How Lebron
James so expertly understands how to navigate the postseason. That
first game, let's see what you got right, We're gonna

(15:57):
size you up. And by the way, we're not gonna
know everything we have. Remember eating in that game, and
he's basically destroying Andre Drummond and Montrez Harold. Those two guys,
what they are are rebounders. They're not defensive guys, They're
you know, big time rebounding guys. Meanwhile, you have a
former Defensive Player of the Year sitting on the bench

(16:18):
the entire game, Marcusol. So what happens in game two? Oh,
who shows up? Hey there's Marcus al and studdenly eating
and seeing a different defensive dynamic. So I just love
the fact that you watch a guy like Lebron James
and he understands how the whole postseason operates and you

(16:38):
pick your spots. Now, the only concern I feel for
the Lakers right now, and the only thing that can
prevent them from getting all the way to the NBA
Finals again is just health. Apparently again, Anthony Davis a
little tweak of the knee although he says, there's no
way I'm missing Game four Lakers Game four against Phoenix.
Can taps call well, Pope, I guess they got some
good news. It wasn't as serious as my thing. But

(17:01):
outside of that, when you have Lebron James, the goat,
who not only is the goat based on everything he's
done over the courses curve, but he is the goat
and understanding how the postseason operates, how you set up
your opponent over seven games, the luxury of not having
all these back to back games where you get days
in between. What look when when you've been there as

(17:24):
often as Lebron James has, He's played two extra NBA
regular seasons, actually three now, so we're talking two games
times three in the postseason, which means he's played three
regular seasons worth of basketball in the postseason. You think
this is a guy who knows how to navigate this time.

(17:46):
No moment is going to be too big for him.
He understands how to save himself when he needs to
save himself, when to turn it on when he needs
to turn it on. And we see that, like you
just mentioned, going down one game to the Sun's anybody,
anybody who is freaking out. As a matter of fact,
my co host down in San Diego, we were talking
about this after the loss to the Suns. He goes,

(18:07):
I'm gonna bet the Suns win this series. I said, well,
if you put any money on that, you're gonna lose
all that money. I said, because there's absolutely no way
that's happening. And we're seeing that that prophecy play out
and and it really and my profit, No, there's no
there's no profit here. I You're you're to me, it's
just bad money. If you're betting against Lebron in any

(18:30):
round outside of the Western Conference finals in this playoff
Bracten think about this, alright. So he is now with
the three games in this series, he has played two
hundred and sixty three playoff games. So again, eighty two
times three is to forty six. That's three full seasons
plus plus of regular post season games in postseason series.

(18:51):
In forty nine postseason series, his team is thirty nine
and ten. You know what he is in the opening
round fourteen and oh. In the semi he's eleven and three.
In the conference finals he's ten and one. So everyone
always says, yeah, but he's four and six in the finals.
Will also keep in mind only three of those teams
were actually favored going into the finals. They were always

(19:13):
playing against superior teams with rare exception. So when you
when you talk about his postseason right and people saying
four and six, No, actually he's thirty nine and ten.
When when people diminish what Lebron James has done by
getting to the finals ten times, especially when you look
at some of the teams that he brought to the finals,
I mean, this is a guy who must squad two

(19:34):
tons because he was literally carrying that kind of weight
on his back heading to the finals some of these years.
And we knew what was going to happen in those
finals appointments because like you said, he was outmatched or
outgunned by the other opponents. He didn't have enough help,
and when he did, he won. Whenever Lebron James had
any sort of squad, he won those finals. But showing
up ten times, like when people make the Tom Brady

(19:57):
Joe Montana and I think that debate has quiet it
did some now that Tom Brady has won an additional
super Bowl with a different team. Uh, when they bring
it up, well, Montana was perfect. Yeah, well we'll hang
on right, That's that's great. But he went to four
Super Bowls. Brady has been to ten. Ten, he's seven
and three is seven and three better than four and

(20:18):
oh Lebron James has been to ten. It's just so
so to to act like that in and of itself
is not an accomplishment to be in the postseason for
as long as this man has. Now again, I think
there are things you could be critical of with Lebron James.
As he's getting older, he is showing some signs of degradation.

(20:42):
Everybody does with age, there's no question about it. I
think he can turn it on. But I do think
that we're seeing him, you know, going to sleep mode sometimes,
Like if you leave your computer monitor on too long,
all of a sudden you see the pipes connecting to
each other. I see that happening with Lebron James sometimes
and sometimes in posts in games. But that's okay as
long as the ends justify the means, which is the

(21:04):
ends are that your winning series, you're advancing an inevitably
hoisting championship trophies, which they were able to do with
a horcey jerky season in the bubble last year. I
think what has always been a problem for certain people
that have been hyper critics of Lebron James is that
he has a completely different mentality and always has from
the Michael Jordan's and the Kobe Bryants, who were guys

(21:26):
that would take over at the end of the game.
They're not gonna pass the ball to anybody at the
end of the game. They're going to take that final shot.
Lebron James is more Magic Johnson than he's ever been
a Michael or Kobe, where he still has a distributor mentality,
and people fault him he distributes the ball to someone
who misses the shot. Why did you take that? Take

(21:48):
s extra pass? I remember watching KCP in Game one
or two against the Suns have a wide open look, uh,
you know, from a comfortable spot from three. I've seen
him make from there before. Lebron drove the lane, kicked
it out to him. He made one extra pass to
the corner. The three was missed, and Lebron didn't go
to and forget who it was, whether it was Shrewder

(22:09):
who otherwise, whoever was in the corner. He didn't even
talk to him. He went straight. He went straight to
KCP and got in his face and said, I wanted
you to take the open. That has never changed with him,
he has been there. I remember when he came in
as a rookie. Paul Silas was his original coach with
the Cavaliers, and he looked at him and he got
to know this young man. He goes, he's a point guard.

(22:31):
He's magic. I mean you're looking at this huge body
and yeah, I magic. Believe me magic. Johnson had he
wanted to, could have scored thirty points a game. Who
was going to stop a six eight, six nine point guard?
Nobody with with the of movement. Also, like the guy
was special, and so is Lebron James. Alright, so Lakers
still the team to beat until Lebron proves otherwise. As

(22:52):
long as he's on the court, he is the guy
to beat. All. Let's find out what's trending right now.
Look who we welcome in today on Sunday. Mr David
might let to throw a wrench in this conversation. I
know your hatred, go for it. I don't have any hatred.
But when you are the self or Dame King, I
mean high expectations are placed upon your I mean, eventually,

(23:17):
eventually Lebron James will retire as potentially the greatest scored
NBA history. Correct, So wouldn't it be nice if the
greatest scored NBA history actually had those biggest shots closing
out games as opposed to a K C. P. It's
not so you can't have. If you've been watching even

(23:39):
this series against Phoenix, like especially game two, you lose
Game one, you watch late night game, he was just
piled driving to the who when they needed baskets late.
He just nobody can stop him. Obviously when he's going
to who. Who's going to stand in his way? Nobody exactly.
We've seen that he did it against Detroit back in
the day. He had a monster fourth quarter against the Piss.

(24:00):
I mean, if there's that thought there that if you
can do it against those guys, then why can't you
do it all the time, Because that's not his mentality.
He's not Michael, he's not Kobe. And I also think
that basketball it's it is a star driven lead. There's
no question about it. We look at teams without stars
and you go, Okay, no chance. Hopefully they get who
they need in the draft, but it's still a team sport,

(24:21):
and these guys who are getting to you can't have
it both ways though, Come on, rich, you can't have
it where it's a team sport, but you want to
be the guy at all times. Well, there are like
John Stockton's in the Hall of Fame because he was
a great distributor of the basketball. Lebron James is a
great scorer, and he has the capability and he's playing
to his personality to distribute the basketball. So I look

(24:43):
at it this way, who do I want taking a shot?
A triple team Lebron James in the paint or a
wide open wing shooter who's dropping from or better from
that spot. You see what Danny Green did last year
for the Lakers in the postseason. Yeah, well it doesn't
always work out, And and that's Danny Green's problem, not
Lebron James. And they won the championship last year just

(25:06):
by Danny Green not making a shot. Of course they did,
but after I'm not saying that, I'm not saying that
he does not deserve the praise. But when you talk
about the Eastern Conference and what he did when he
was in Cleveland, I don't think it was more of
a slap to his face, but more of a testament
to how poor the Eastern Conference was. Don't forget that.
Michael Jordan's the fact that he was perfect in the
NBA Finals, that doesn't trump the fact that he was

(25:29):
getting bludgeoned by the Detroit Pistons back in nine. How
How did how did he even win one series against
Golden State? Those four in a row? Point king? Okay,
so he was the reason you want to know. But
you want me to go back to his numbers in
those finals against Golden stuff. But you act like he
did it all by average in the finals that year

(25:50):
in a seven game series, average thirty points, eleven rebounds
at nine assists. I know the gear talking about one
shot by Kyrie Irving at the end. No, but that's
I mean the Batman to Rob right, I mean Shack
and Kobe the same thing. They weren't beaten the Sacramento
Kings without each other. Well you're not, Well, you're definitely
not winning any of those without Kobe. You're not winning
any of those Bulls championships without Jordan, and certainly the Calves,

(26:13):
the Heat and the Lakers in recent history wouldn't have
won any championships without one. Yeah. My point is is that, yeah,
people may knock him for being four and six in
the NBA Finals, but I think that's a further testament
to how poor the Eastern Conference was. As you get
one team that has Lebron Lebron James went from the Cavaliers,
who was obviously the number ones in the Eastern Conference.
He leaves to go to Miami and what are they

(26:34):
their lottery pick the top team in the in the
NBA draft. I I look at I honestly, those those
teams that we're losing, you know, two superior teams in
the NBA Finals. I've said this about the Buffalo Bills
run of four streight Super Bowls, the only team ever
to do it, and the fact that they were able
to bounce back after losing, because we see teams losing
Super Bowls and they go off the rails the next year. Yeah,

(26:57):
we always seen, We saw the forty Niners. The fact
go down the list the Panthers teams lose Super Bowls,
not the Bills. They came back year after year after year.
More punishment in the Super Bowl that the fact that
they got their four straight here to me, it's always unbelievable.
It's always been staggering when people discount that, like David Gascon,
who is a Lebron. No, I'm not just setting it out.

(27:20):
I'm not discutting at all. I think I actually think
that John Elways one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
But I think he's better than Montana. The fact that
he's two and three and the Super Bowls. People will
discount that records of five hundred. I would say, well,
he went to three Super Bowls with Dan Reeves and
nobody around him. Oh wait, passed too much. Knock, he
passed away too much. He should have taken it himself. Jesus. Anyways, guys,

(27:45):
NBA postseason right now, and Nick's right down the Atlanta Hawks,
New York leading by one, two closing seconds to the
first quarter in this thing. Nick's right now down this
series two games to one, and found now they're up
to twenty two. Not the only game in town today,
of course, Phoenix in Los Angeles, Lakers at twelve Pacific,
three thirty Eastern Brooklyn, Boston, Tonight Clippers and Mavericks from Dallas.

(28:08):
Dallas still up in that series to one. Tip Off
time is at nine thirty Eastern in that affair, Major
League Baseball, Tigers to Yankees. Nothing that's in the bottom
of the first Phillies and raised underwhere there's no score
just yet, Brewers to Washington Nationals. Nothing. Pirates and Rockies
are scoreless and the guys the other quick note and tennis,
Naomi Osaka find fifteen thousand dollars areout speaking the French

(28:30):
Open media today after her first round victory. I would
like to follow up on that right now, David, Thank
you very much so. Naomi Osaka, who's already won four
Grand Slam tournaments, she's certainly one of the new rising
stars in women's tennis, has made it clear that she
has no intention on talking to the media, not just

(28:51):
here at the French Open they're going on right now,
but future Grand Slams. And now the people, the powers
would be have basically told her, if you don't fulfill
your obligation to talk to the media, you could be
expelled from all Grand Slam tournaments. If you want to
go that far, then we will expel you from ever

(29:12):
plane in a Grand Slam turn. How do you feel
about that? I mean, do you feel like a player
like that who obviously has been very sensitive to some
of the questions and you know about personal life that
she feels are completely out of bounds. But she obviously
is one of the big names in the sport right now,
and somebody's gonna have to take the baton from Serena

(29:33):
at some point, and she seems to be that player.
If she flat out says, look, I I'm just not
talking to the media. I don't like I don't like it,
I don't want to do it, and they come back with, fine,
if you don't want to do it, then we're just
not gonna allow you to show up. Where where where
do we find some middle ground on this? Well? I

(29:53):
I looked at what Marshawn Lynch did during that time,
which he did with a little bit more tact than
humor than what Naomi Osaka is doing right now as
kind of like a fool's errand a little bit I
but that was a team sport. This is an individual sport,
completely understood. But but both professional athletes like and and

(30:15):
and I think Marshawn Lynch is a is a great guy.
Like I mean, you know, everything I've heard about him
as a team and everything I've heard about him as
a member of his community, Like, this is somebody who
you know is really beloved by a lot of people
who he's uh cross paths. Well, I was covering that
Super Bowl. I was there and and and to be honest,
I thought it was I thought it was a joke.

(30:37):
I mean, this was This is not a joke. With
this she she is she is putting her foot down
and you are potentially robbing the sport of your biggest money,
our biggest stars right now. And she feels like she
has some leverage here. They're pushing back on her at
least for now. Where do we go? Well, I I

(30:57):
think it is incumbent on the professional athlete. Ask questions,
to answer questions. Now, you can answer them however you want.
And like I said, I think that with more tact
and humor. Marshawn Lynch navigated a similar dispute with members
of the media, but but all the same, I felt
like it was a foolish endeavor. And I feel the
same way with Osaka. I mean, whatever your complaint is,

(31:20):
I get it. But the only reason, the only reason
why you are able to cash in the way you
have playing this sport is because people are interested in you.
People are interested in the sport because they have access
to something that they under normal auspices have zero access to.
Your superhuman You're a freak. I mean I remember feeling

(31:40):
this way. You have this talent that people look at
and say, how how did this happen? How did things coalesce?
The right way from a size of physicality is strength
and athleticism, mental fortitude, situation where you could rise where
so many have fallen. And I you can't answer that question,

(32:02):
but but it is part of your job is to
be admired and to understand that they are going to
be tough questions sometimes, easier questions sometimes, but all of
those questions lead down the same path. People are curious
about you specifically and that skill that you are now
being paid handsomely for the reason why you are paid

(32:23):
handsomely for it is because people have interested in you.
So this is ridiculous to me. It was ridiculous when
Marshawn Lynch did it. It's ridiculous now with Osaka. I
think it's it robs your fans, people really care about you,
an opportunity to get to know you on a deeper level,
and I I it lacks authenticity because this whole thing.
The only reason why you're popular, the only reason why

(32:45):
you're rich, is because you play a sport that people
are interested in. Again, everyone has a different level of sensitivity,
but you're right. If you are a public figure, whether
you're in the entertainment field, a politician, an athlete, you
are that's part of the deal. I'm sorry if if
if she decides that she can't do this, then find

(33:07):
something else. To imagine a politicians, but you're a twenty
three year old tennis player, one of the best in
the world right now, number one, and this is what
you signed up for. You don't have to play tennis.
If this is part of what you don't want to do,
then find another line of work. I said this a
million times. If you don't want to be a public figure,

(33:29):
you don't have to. You don't have to be. Look,
you can you can impress everybody at your country club
with how great you're four hands, you know what I mean.
You can still play. You could go to their street
courts almost in every community now you could go play
tennis whenever you want, just find a willing partner and
a sleeve of balls. But you want to get paid
handsomely for your efforts, but you don't want to do

(33:51):
It's sort of like you know, I don't I don't
have on hand comparison, but I will say this I
I agree with your assessment in any public victor, an actor,
a comedian, uh politician. Can you imagine if a politician
on his stump in front of a group of constituents
he's trying to earn a vote from, said I'm not

(34:13):
answering your questions. I don't care what you have to
ask me. I mean, essentially, a member of the media's
job is to ask the questions that people at home
are curious about don't have access to the athletes to ask.
So essentially you're turning back on the people who made
you rich, who made you famous, who gave you a
platform in the first place. It's immature. I felt that

(34:35):
way about Marshawn Lynch. I feel this way about Osaka
and anybody who refuses to speak to the media. There
ways to handle this. You could say no comment, I'm
not answering that question. You could even go after the
reporter for the question asked but refusing to show up,
go find a different thing to do, then well, and
by the way, she's also accepting millions of millions of

(34:57):
dollars in endorsement money. Now, if I'm going to invest
in Aaomi Osaka to endorse my product, that's part of it,
right there, no doubt. So you also will forfeit all that.
If you just don't want to do that, you're too
shy or I don't want to, then you have to
forfeit all that. But once somebody invests in you to
endorse their product, that's part of it. You know. I've

(35:20):
I've seen Serena's sort of changed over the years. She's
softened a little bit, right, and the endorsement money has
been pouring in, and we see, we really see a
different bersonic for Serena. You know what Serena never understands. Well, look,
I don't agree with everything any athletes says at the podium.
I mean, but you know what, I appreciate, whether it's

(35:40):
a political statement, an activism statement, uh, something involving their
personal life. For I don't agree with everything I hear.
It doesn't matter though, the fact that you're vailing the
opportunity for people to get to get to know you better,
and those are the people who are making decisions to

(36:00):
spend their hard earned money that I promise you they
make less than you to go and view your talents. Uh,
do you owe it to them? No, but it's part
of your job responsibility, say the game. Look what McEnroe did, right,
He was the bad boy and then he embraced it
and he was able to play off the laugh at
himself for being the bad boy, and it worked beautifully

(36:21):
for him. So if I were advising her right now,
I'd say, look, take a deep breath. Okay, you have
the potential of have one of the great careers in
the history of tenants. It's a sport you love that
you're really good at. Instead of fighting this, there's a
way to minute. We see it with a Belichick, We've
seen it with a Pop over the years. Coaches and

(36:43):
really don't want to and then it becomes part of
their person. They play with it a little bit. So
it's a deal. And so hopefully, because we want to
see her out on the tennis court, she'll figure this
whole thing out. All right. We got a lot of
NFL news we want to get to as well, including
a made up story. I'm absolutely convinced a completely made

(37:03):
up story by an NFL team. What is it? You'll
find out next? Steve Harman and rich Orenburger. All right,
I mentioned a made up story that followed up maybe
another made up story in the NFL. So you've heard
all about Shannon Sharp geting Julio Jones live on TV

(37:26):
and that he didn't know what was going on, and
more and more that people are investigating that situation, more
and more people thinking this whole thing was staged, because really,
who's libel if and if it was some kind of
illegal live appearance by someone would be Fox, and they
haven't taken any action against Shannon Sharp. So let's let's
put that aside. But I'll tell you what is made

(37:48):
up now, whether or not you know it was a
setup or not, the word got out Julio Jones made
it clear. You know, I'm out of Atlanta. And who
would hurt was the Falcons. I mean, You've got the
Falcons who had the fourth overall pick in the draft
and they use it on Kyle Pitts. And the idea
was instead of taking a quarterback of the future, that

(38:10):
Matt Ryan still has meat left on the bone. So
we're gonna we're gonna add weapons to our offense to
help Matt Ryan get back into the playoff conversation. Then
all of a sudden, Julio Jones is gone. Well, so
Atlanta is suddenly putting it out there that we've already
received a first round pick offer, and there's talk around

(38:31):
circles around the NFL saying no, because their feeling is
if Atlanta actually has an offer on the table for
a first round pick, he would have been traded immediately.
No one believes that they've been offered a first round pick.
So what do you do if you're Atlanta right now
if you can't get a first round pick for Julio Jones.

(38:52):
By the way, it's not just a first round pick.
They also insist that not only have they got in
the first round pick, but they have a team Brady
to take on his entire salary of fifteen million plus
plus any other contractual obligations remaining on his contract. Would
you do all that for thirty two year old Julio Jones?
Would you take that all on? Well? Do I doubt

(39:13):
that they have been offered a first rounder? Yeah, because,
like you, I think that they probably would have moved
Julio if they got an offer that rich. Do I
think that he could still go for a first rounder. Yeah,
if there are enough bids and a team is desperate enough,
I think it's very possible. I also don't think that
now is the time. What's changed since the NFL Draft?

(39:35):
What's changed? I mean, maybe some of these teams have
a clue that one of their draft picks at receiver
didn't work out the way they thought during O T
A S. But that's a stretch. I don't think this
deal gets done. Uh if Atlanta is looking for a
first rounder until maybe training camp at the earliest, because again,
where's the urgency. You know, you want to get some

(39:56):
time for Julio Jones to get working with whatever QUARTERBA
in whatever team and whatever system he goes to. But
certainly you can go the next month, the next two
months without any news on this front. I think they're
just trying to force this year. I think they're trying
to get what they think they're deserved for Julio Jones
talent and move on. I honestly so so Yeah, I'm

(40:19):
not I I have my doubts that they've been offered
what they're looking for as of yet, right, I mean,
they put it out there. Oh yeah, yeah, wait, we
have teams line up with first round picks willing to
take on his entire salary. Look, I get I get
the idea that maybe before it went public, that you
might entertain the thought of moving him a year early,
especially if you get some capital leaf you join Kyle Pitts,

(40:41):
He's gonna be a very dynamic receiver for that team.
It's like what New England has done for years, right,
they get rid of a guy a year earlier, so
you can get max out the price tag on what
you can get as opposed to a diminishing return. So
we will keep our eye on that story at the NFL,
and of course we've always got an eye on the
Aaron Rodgers situation and coming up next. Fox Sports Radio

(41:03):
has the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch
all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot com
and within the I Heart Radio apps search f s
R to listen live. All right, rolling along here on
this Sunday, and it has been a busy day already.
We got plenty of NBA playoff action going, aren't right now?
Atlanta leading the next four. We got under three minutes

(41:27):
to go in the first half end of that game.
Plenty of playoff action. Both the Lakers and Clippers are
playing today. Clippers desperate to get even in that series.
By the way, the home court advantage has been a
zero for that series. Road team has won all three games.
So we've got plenty of NBA news keeping our eye
on the Indianapolis five hunter. They're about halfway through, and

(41:50):
how many people really care? I hate to say that.
I really hate to say that. You know, it's a
hundred and third running of the Indianapolis five hundred. By
the way, did I ever tell you I have kissed
the bricks? I think you did tell me you kissed
the bricks. I've been to the speedway one time. I
will say this if you have any interest in auto

(42:11):
racing at all. The Indianapolis Museum is unbelievable because I
don't know how they had the foresight. Hey, you know,
when a car is a winning car and they go
all the way back to the beginning, keep the car.
Who knows, maybe we'll put it on display sometime. They
literally have the entire history of this race from the
very beginning, which was the first great major race in

(42:36):
the world. So when when when we went for the
Super Bowl back in February. I was with the Patriots.
We played the Giants. Both teams were invited to the
racetrack on different nights, and they called the Brickyard because
obviously the finish line is paved with bricks. Well, the
whole track was brick at one That's why they only
kept that little strip to remind you at one point

(42:59):
it was all break well, yeah in those days. And
the tires are when you actually had your mechanic in
the car with you in the early days because everyone
we have to get out of the chains, the tire
everything else. H yeah, so set his own harm. By
the way, it was very cool. Uh we would you know,

(43:22):
we win and everybody got an opportunity to take pictures
on the track, which, by the way, if you've never walked,
uh an auto track it's or been to a track,
you should go just to see how it's all set up.
Those banked turns are at an angle where you have
to get on your your hands and knees like bear
crawls Daytona. I've been to Daytona a couple of times,
and the the the incline beyond belief. We went around

(43:46):
and whatever the new Camaro was that year, um, and
they were only allowed to take us up to like
a hundred twenty miles per hour. But when you hit
those turns, you were practically like in the lap of
the driver because you're making that left and you're just
lding onto the you know, the o' deer bar on
the side of the frame, just trying not to fall. Uh.
It was a blast. It was very cool. It's a

(44:09):
beautiful track. And like you said, yeah, auto racing has
fallen off in certain parts of this country, though in
the South, certainly the Midwest, well, they got pat crowds
in Indianapolis. I don't see a lot of masks going
on there about a hundred thirty five thousand packed in
this enormous in the summer of Steve. You know what,
have you been able to get to that point now
where you feel comfortable with just walking outside without a mask? Yeah? Yeah,

(44:33):
look again I am. I mean, by the way, have
you noticed walking into the studios all of a sudden
you know, it's not it's not you know, I mean
everyone right, yeah, we're all we're all vaccinate, a vaccinated.
When I go outside, Stephen Rich, I'm like, I'm vaccinated.
We're outdoors. Even if you're unvaccinated, you're probably not gonna
get coronavirus. So I'm like, no more. And by the way,

(44:56):
this is coming from someone a year ago this time
about them. I mean, basically, you were wrapped. You do
not want to be out any part of your body exposed, advocated.
We know that COVID nineteen is more contagious, more virulent
than the flu was, you know. And and part of

(45:18):
the reason why they were encouraging us to wear masks
by they, I mean people smarter than me and the
medical community was because oh, certainly I'm an idiot. I like, yeah,
when when do you got some comments? When when you're
when when you're making the comparison of a PhD or
an m d to uh to Ornberger who has six

(45:40):
years of pushing people out of that You had all
these guys that were doctors, They were all doctors, and
they had very different thoughts on exactly what was going on,
which I appreciate. What did you believe? You have one
doctor say one thing, another doctor say another thing, all experts, right,
what I believe is the chorus of expert opinion when
when there's a majority belief behind something. Now the majority

(46:01):
belief based on evidence, based on the the evidence that
they've been able to acquire over the course of a
year or better. Now dealing with this is outdoor exposure,
extremely low rates of infection, and then mask wearing after
being vaccinated is much less of a concern. Yes, so

(46:21):
what why are It's like almost like a solidarity thing now,
like why are people still wearing masks outdoors? Like if
you're vaccinated, you know, you know, I'll let me tell
you because as we know in Asian countries, a lot
of people have always been wearing masks. That's something that
predates any pans. By the way, doctors and nurses throughout
my entire time getting surgeries wear masks when they enter rooms.

(46:43):
And the prevailing wisdom is this, if somebody costs along
with the microscopic you know, viruses that could escape through
the cloth lining of this mask whatever, Yes, that that
can cost many times. Have you literally been on a
plane flight, right, I've been a hundreds of plane flights

(47:03):
and you have someone near you're just up like you're
just like, but but will cover up the thing that
masks really present and present a guard against when when
somebody sneezes, do you have any idea how many little
droplets and they're little, you can't see them, but they're

(47:24):
not as small as virus billions, and they I mean
it's actual spray. It's actually it's actually a globule of
their saliva that's floating through the air's water vapor, and
it's going to attach itself to the into your face,
mucus linings of your nostril and your esophagus. And the

(47:44):
idea of the idea of wearing a mask in public,
some people will never stop they feel and think of I.
Fortunately I never had COVID or anything at least not
that I know. You know, I never goes tested once.
I have never been testing me. There's a range of

(48:05):
things that you should be tested for before. Yeah, I
look at you, and I just I want to know
a lot more than that, especially been feel like when
you're when you're wearing a mask, right, you feel healthy? Right?
I had gotten sick over. That's why I keep from
never because people talk about the wrong thing. People are

(48:26):
talking about these microscopic whatever virus. No, no, no, I'm
worried about your sneeze spray. I'm worried about, you know
how like when you peel an orange and they show
it like up close high definition film and you're like,
oh wow, I had no idea that when you peel
an orange the skin releases so much vapor, so much water,
so much oils are being Really, that's what's happening from

(48:47):
somebody's mouth when they're talking to you, like, yeah, I'm
I'm okay with Some people wear masks. Social distancing makes sense.
You really want somebody in your face up close, no, really,
no back off. And there's a lot of people little
space with each other, a lot of people who don't
really they don't pay attention to oral hygiene. Back up

(49:10):
a little, you say it, don't spray an some of
these people they ought to, you know, up there, they're
they're they're table to fix it them. Maybe we've learned
a few things right, although again I'm watching these crowds.
They're jammed in everywhere, and certain arenas they're all jammed
in right now. By the way, speaking of it, was
pretty funny the difference between the Clippers and the Lakers

(49:31):
for their home playoff games, so the Clippers had home
court advantage, although it didn't show as they lost two
straight to the Mavericks, they went back to the cardboard
cutouts in the lower bowl area. They went back to
the bubble. Suddenly you're in Orlando again, cardboard cutouts. They
had some fans and floor seats, but opposite they actually

(49:53):
had cardboard cutouts. And I'm thinking, when the Lakers get
back to Staples, They're not gonna do that, are they.
They did. They tarked off much of the lower area.
They had about fans and an arena the holds three
times that many. And guess what it was good? The

(50:13):
fans made noise miss an opportunity to part a fool
with his money, right, that's a that's an old sailing.
When when somebody is willing to have their picture taken
and then to have that picture blown up onto a
piece of fifty card style that was so anymore want
to have that taped with masking tape to the chair

(50:34):
they normally occupied, and then to spend money doing that.
That's somebody who probably doesn't need whatever. Steve Bomber, who
could literally buy the entire NBA three times over, would
worry about a few extra bucks with cutouts. Well, you'd
have to ask Stevie Bomber because I don't have the answer,
but I will say this, hopefully, hopefully all of that

(50:58):
money with all of these different teams went to charitable benefits,
you know whatever like that stuff. I'm okay with. But
if if any of that money, literally a dollar of
it was pocketed by these teams, how shame on them
because that is absolutely ridiculous and frankly shame on the
people who did it, if they were full had full

(51:18):
knowledge that this money was going to go into the
pockets in some part to these owners or because it's
just all of it, all of it is ridiculous. It
made no difference to the game. I mean, maybe some
people could say, hey, look there I am honey, huh,
I guess. But outside of that, if it didn't go
to charity, it was it was rinky dink. It was embarrassing,

(51:41):
and the team are spinned by losing two straight games
at home and put themselves in a mighty hole trying
to get back into that series. I would hope when
the Clippers do return to a Game five, because they
know they at least have one more game at Staples,
that they will remove that. I'd rather see a tarp
overseats than those cuts that is in the past. I

(52:01):
have no problem with you want to throw a tarp
on the seats, you want to throw advertising on there.
You want to make money that way because you know
that those seats are gonna be viewed however many times.
And you can go to a car company or a
Toyota or or a tire company or what you know,
a bridget whatever it is, and say, hey, do you
want to have an ad? That's cool, but like parting

(52:21):
your your season ticket holders with their money so that
they can they're gonna have their smiling mug on cardboard
unless you all went to charity, by the way, in
darkened seats where he couldn't see them anyway. Unbelievable. All right.
On the other side, we have a little more indication
on the future of Aaron Rodgers with the Green Bay Packers.

(52:46):
We'll tell you what it is coming up next Steve
Arman and rich Arnburger. The ongoing saga of Aaron Rodgers
and the Green Bay Packers. I have I have some
not so good news for Aaron Rodgers. Now, look, we
all agree that Aaron Rodgers is holding all the cards

(53:06):
right now, but one possible play could be out of play,
and that is hosting Jeopardy. So here's here are the
numbers right now rich as far as all the guest
hosts that they've had on Jeopardy. And understand again, when
you're when you're looking for an audience that is as
entrenched as the Jeopardy audience has been with Alex Trebek

(53:30):
all these years. They have a big say on who
is going to be sitting in that seat next, and
they've done a lot of pulling on all the guests.
And there's one guy that stands alone, and that's Ken Jennings,
the all time leader as far as winds and everything else.
He is royalty to the Jeopardy crowd. He is the

(53:52):
all time champion, and when he is hosted the show,
the ratings are the biggest. And when they pull people on,
who do you think is the right guy? It's Ken Jennings. Now,
the good news Ron Rogers is he seems to be
running secret or third. He's he's above Anderson Cooper or
Katie Kirk or any of the celebrity host He seems

(54:14):
to have enamored himself to the Jeopardy audience because he
seems serious about it. But if you're Jeopardy, think about this,
and and let's say they want to him. First of all,
we're not gonna hire you unless you're all in. We're not.
We're not gonna do this for you to sit out

(54:36):
a year of football and then go back. So we
would have an iron contract with you that you're not
going anywhere. We're getting five seven or did whatever it is.
If we sign you, you're done with the NFL. You
are Mr Jeopardy from this point on. So that's something
I'm sure they would throw at him. Now, he may decide, Wow,

(54:58):
exactly what I wanna do? I played sixteen years in
the NFL. I checked every box. I've won Super Bowls
and m vps. There's nothing I haven't accomplished in my
NFL career. I'm a first ballot Hall of Famer. It's
time to turn the page and move on to something
that's less harmful to my body, like hosting Jeopardy. He
may decide to do that, but it's not gonna be
one of those where people say, because I've I've I've

(55:20):
read this, where they say, well, he may retire for
a year and then come back all right, thinking, how
think about how how dicey that would be if you're
Aaron Rodgers. So if you retire for a year, it
doesn't matter. The Packers still hold your rights. They maintain that,
so you you could It's not like you could be

(55:41):
retired a year and then just choose another team. That
doesn't work that way. So if he were to retire
a year, think about this, if you're the Green Bay Packers,
it would actually almost be luxury. So you get Jordan's
love now to actually play a season, and who knows,
maybe Jordan's love actually exceeds expectations. Maybe they don't win

(56:04):
thirteen games, but maybe they win eleven games and all
of a sudden, now Aaron Rodgers says, well, I'm ready
to come back. All right, All right, now what do
you do? So let me jump in Because the hypotheticals
you're laying down are improbable at best. How are they improbable? Well,
you're you're banking on a couple of different things you're
banking on. First of all, Look, replacing Aaron Rodgers is

(56:29):
a tough put either way. It is so rare that
you get a situation where you have a Brett far
followed up by an Aaron Rodgers. Right, it's so rare
where you have a Peyton Manning followed up by and
Andrew Luck. I'm not saying it's impossible, but I am
saying it's highly improbable, more than more than likely. Jordan's
Love is gonna fall well short of the bar that

(56:51):
far Vian Rodgers have held up. But what if he doesn't. Well,
let's say they win, right, but probably won't. It's my point.
It's it's so like when you play the odds in Vegas,
or you know, or you play I don't know, whatever
game's your favorite game. Typically you want to play the
games that give you the best odds to win, right.
You want to? You want to. People are attracted to

(57:12):
the best possible odds. Now, don't get me wrong. Some
people like long shots. Some people like to play the
middle of the roulette table and play the numbers as
opposed to the outside. I get it. There are risk takers.
But when you are a general manager or you're a
head coach, and you're in the position where you need
to win otherwise your job is on the line, are
you really going to take the gamble that Jordan's Love

(57:35):
could be better? No? But I'm not saying that. What
I'm saying is you're not if Aaron Rodgers chooses to
sit out the season, You're saying he's taking a huge
risk if he tries to re enter the fold as
a pack. Can you name a team right now that
Aaron Rodgers could join where he would you know, the

(57:57):
team that would want him to replace whatever they have
a starting quarterback where he has a better chance of
getting to the super Bowl than his current situation in
Green Bay, where he's been in the NFC Championship Game
the last two years. Is there a team out there
that he would go Denver? Go down the list, Raiders,
give me a team that he would go to, Well,

(58:17):
give here. He would automatically have a better opportunity to
win a super Bowl than his current situation in green Bay.
Denver is high on my list as a landing spot him.
They leap frog over the Chiefs. I think that with him. Yeah, well,
let me put it to you this way, first and
second in the end in the a f C West,
all of a sudden becomes a lot closer for race

(58:39):
right now, we put it between this, he have a
better chaman joining the Denver broncos of getting to the
Super Bowl than he currently has with the Packers. Does
he have a better chance of getting to the Super Bowl? Yeah, potentially.
How explain this to me? If you look at the
NFC right now? The NFC was won by a Tampa
team that had a lot of things is going forward

(59:01):
with a soon to be forty four year old quarterback
in Tom Brady. You were the second best team in
this conference the last two years getting into the conference
championship game. You don't have to go through Patrick Mahomes
or other elements. Would you on the whole? Would you
say the a f C is stronger than the NFC
right now? I would. So I'm thinking if I were

(59:24):
Aaron Rodgers and my end goal is to get to
the Super Bowl, I have a much better chance with
this Green Bay team as is than I would with
any team in the a f C right now. Well, again,
you're probably right, But I'm saying, among the teams who
could potentially throw their hat in the ring and really
make an offer that the Green Bay Packers may be

(59:45):
interested in and have a chance to get to the
super Bowl, you have to jettison a lot to get him, obviously. Well, yeah,
you'd have to get rid of a lot three number ones,
two twos, multiple players. I think the players is going
to be the part of it that gets a little
murd key. I don't know how many players you would
have to part with. Probably some, but absolutely I think
the conversation starts with three first surrounders. But again, part

(01:00:08):
of it is obviously continuing having success in the NFL,
There's no question about it. I think that's part of
the reason why Tom Brady opted uh to sign with
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and free agency, because he thought
he had a chance to continue winning with Tampa Bay.
But also there's principle he wants to play for a
different organization. I know from I mean, look, I've seen emails.

(01:00:30):
I I know from evidence that I've put my eyes
on that there was a huge rift between Bill Belichick
and Tom Brady. And I'm not gonna expose who I
saw these emails from, but I I have I've seen
the proof, first hand proof that there was real issues
because Tom Brady opened up the TB twelve clinic at

(01:00:51):
Patriot Place, you know, in the Strip mall next to
five next to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, and he was
luring the top ot on the Patriot team and a
lot of other players to go and train over there.
It was TB twelve versus the Patriot Way, and that
rift was dividing the room. And then on top of it,
obviously he wanted to receive more credit for what he

(01:01:13):
was doing. And for all this he didn't want more money.
He never wanted more money. At no point of tom
Brady's career we ever heard him saying pay me or
get rid of me. Well, but but again that's also
a misnomer, because yes, was that a misnomer because they
were keeping a lot of the cap numbers down, but
he was getting paid a lot of guarantees, a lot

(01:01:34):
more of the guaranteed money is not okay, But that's
not the way. No, no, I understand that. My My
point being tom Brady was not getting through. Rogers has
been about I give me my money and then you
figure out the rest. Tom Brady was not getting fleeced
by the Patriots. They were finding workarounds anyway. But Aaron
Rodgers mentality is I don't care. I give me my money.

(01:01:58):
But the point you'll figure out the red Other organizations
like the Craft family, who made an investment in Tom
Brady in guaranteed money that they'll never be able to
get back. You can't recoup that. You can recoup some
of the contracted money due to different scenarios that come up,
you cannot recoup guaranteed money rendered. So with Aaron Rodgers
and the Patriots or or the Packers organization, yeah, there's

(01:02:20):
no question that he's looking to be compensated fairly per
his talents. But on top of them, he's looking yeah,
and he should be. He's the reigning super or is
the reigning NFL m VP. But he also is asking
them to build around him. Tom Brady had the same
complaints in New England. He kept them more low key,
and then what he was able to do when they
couldn't bring all the receiving talent that he wanted, He

(01:02:44):
created talent like West Welcome until until he couldn't because
that last year that the copies were barren, it didn't
look good anymore. And then he went to Tampa Bay
with a lot of talent anyone, and look, Aaron Rodgers
is no dummy. He's like, yeah, okay, similar issue over here.
If I'm the Packers right now, Look, Aaron, you're not
happy with what we've done over the last couple of years,

(01:03:06):
back to back thirteen and three seasons. We changed our coach.
We've done a lot of positive things. By the way,
they did address some knees, especially on the defensive side
of the football. They needed a corner, they got one
in the draft. They needed help on the deep. Remember
how when you look back to that NFC Championship game,
why did they lose that game? Because of their secondary
A complete breakdown at the end of the half. A

(01:03:28):
walk in touchdown was the difference in the NFC Championship game.
They've addressed on the off season. If you want to
walk away from your twenty million dollar salary and sit
on the sidelines, go for it. We'll take a look
at the number one pick that we met, Julian Matt
Ryan is still the quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons and
and draft the first rounder, uh Tom Brady. All right,

(01:03:49):
they got Kyle Trash later in the draft. Even the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a forty three year old man
love that was taught that Aaron Rogers game was going down.
He obviously proved everybody off. Lisburger is the starting Pittsburgh
Steelers quarterback with a bad elbow that didn't take a

(01:04:10):
first rounder. Look, if you're if you're Kon's somebody who
we didn't even know who he was. You saw Jordan's
love in college. I'm taking Aaron Rodgers side, so I
don't remember you disminishing Jordan's love. Is some non talent
coming out of Are you suddenly saying the guy that

(01:04:30):
you talked about glowingly at Utah State doesn't have the
talent to be a starting quarterback in the NFL. I
didn't talk about him glowingly. I said he's a project.
I said that about Josh Allen, to remember, guess what
he was? A project who who had a better everybody's
a project? Well, well, hang on a second. We're talking
about the Mountain West group of five players who play

(01:04:52):
against talent that that doesn't even compare like Josh Allen,
doesn't even compare to the talent they're going to see
Like Josh Allen, Yeah, who, by the way, wasn't a
great passer when he got the league, built himself up
over the past three season four seasons to become an
incredibly talent down field pastor. Look, there's work to be
done still, with Josh Allen. Jordan Love havn't he hasn't

(01:05:14):
even started. We haven't even seen game one, and he's
playing behind the reigning NFL MVP. By the way, Packer
their top five receivers, no shows that the O T A. S.
Is that a sign because we've already got well exactly
they are so look at I'm not saying that the
Packers are clear now. They got a major in house problem.

(01:05:38):
Blame Brian gutten Cousts for this whole thing, because he's
the one less the Ultimates stay with that organization. You
don't have an owner. The team president Green Bay got
on a conference call together in the war room and
they were like, yeah, look, I think we like Jordan Love.
Let's trade up together. I don't know, I don't know.

(01:06:00):
Somebody has to have a final say there. All right, Uh,
we have much more on that. We have much By
the way, we always like to talk about special athletes,
we have another example of a guy that has an
interesting season going so far in Major League Baseball. I
want to get to this guy, but first let's find
out what's trending right now. As we welcome in, Yes,

(01:06:23):
the one and only David Gascott. I uh, I think
they should blow it all up Green Bay, right, you
cann do that? Blew it up. Send Aaron Rodgers to
the Denver Broncos. Just do it. We'll get three number ones. Block.
This is coming from a Denver fan. Do you honestly

(01:06:45):
believe that he would have a better chance of getting
to the super Bowl with the Broncos than with the
current Packer team? No? No, no, because he has a
major obstacle. It's Patrick Mahomes. Well, he's got a major
obstacle in the NFC. His name is Tom Brady y. Yeah,

(01:07:07):
well one is forty four, the other is like but
that doesn't matter in a single season. I also think
there's a big issue with him in the NFC. With
San Francisco. I mean, San Francisco last season was just
decimated with injuries, especially on their defensive front. I think
they're gonna be a playoff team in an NFC contender.
Which team do you think is better right now? The
San Francisco forty Niners or the Buffalo Bills. Which which

(01:07:30):
is a better team right now? The forty Niners or
the Bills Bills? I can so, who do you think
is a better team right now, the Kansas City Chiefs
or the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa Bay, I know they
blew him out in the Sampa Bay. I'm also gonna
say the Rams are better than the Bills. You are

(01:07:56):
assuming that Matthew Stafford plays not sixteen but sevent games.
I think Matthew Stafford's ballerin. He might be, but he's
not on the field all the time. Actually I know
he is. I mean, now again, you're right, you know
that as well as I do that when you're losing
as many games as he's lost, and it's not all
his fault that you're piling up a lot of numbers

(01:08:19):
in games that are lost against prefense defenses that are
allowing you to pile up numbers. At the end of
do know, go to game winning drives and see who
who's an active quarterback who has more than he has. Again,
he has ten wins and teams that have finished records
strong arms, and I know that he gets a tongue bath,

(01:08:40):
especially here in l A. But would you take Sean
McVeigh over Sean McDermott, not just play calling, I mean
as a head coach. I think he's built a great
culture in Los Angeles. I and don't get me wrong,
I've heard wonderful I have a I know people in
Buffalo who sing the prey is Sean McDermott. We're talking

(01:09:01):
about we're parsing the best. You may see the Bills
are better. I look at the Rams and I see
but he had better defense and and frankly an offense.
You're talking about a defense with Aaron Donald. I mean,
Aaron Donald did not have a major impact last year
in the postseason when he was out. Exactly, you should

(01:09:23):
be able to recover if guy is not there, and
if Josh Allen isn't able to play there, the Bills
are a different team. What what what are we doing?
We're assuming health. I'm making these proclamations in June, you know,
I mean, I'm assuming that Sean McVeigh is an offensive
coach and this team got where they got a year
ago on their defense, not in their offense, which was
his frustration. It's the same thing with Kyle Shanahan. Sean

(01:09:45):
mcdih and Kyle Shanahan at some point over the last
year's have been hailed as the you offensive geniuses of
the league, and yet they've had underperforming offenses. So we
need to change that dynamic at quarterback because the problem
is of me, I'm a genius. The problem is I
can't get a quarterback to execute what's going on in
my brilliant offensive mine. Which is why both these teams

(01:10:06):
have decided to move on from what they thought were
inferior quarterbacks. You know, Jimmy Garoppolo, Jared Goff, two guys
that they believe will be able to translate my genius
onto the field. I saw in the two down yeards
with Jared Goff and with Jimmy Garoppolo were offensive lines
who are ravaged with injuries. And so when you can't
protect the quarterback again, it all comes back to the

(01:10:30):
the most important part. Now, don't be wrong. I think
that was a good change in l A. I think
it's probably gave to number one to get rid of
a guy. Yeah, because you gotta win. Now. Your windows
open right now with this defense, and you're gonna bring
in a quarterback that's never won a playoff game. I'm
gonna bring in a quarterback that has led close to
as many fourth quarter come ways back in the league

(01:10:51):
most of his career, had probably the most talented receiver
in the league in Calvin Johnson, and literally nothing else,
literally nothing name a Lion during that time, name Alvin Johnson.
That's it. You don't think that with Stafford stats benefited
from having Calvin Johnson. It is a little, I would say,

(01:11:16):
opaque for you to completely discount the talent of a quarterback.
I like the financial right now was run into the
next show here. No, but I was gonna say, Steve
to answer your question. That's why I like Tampa Bay
ben in Kansas City because don't forget Kansas City has
reshuffled their offensive line. So as good as they is

(01:11:37):
to upgrade their offensive line, have they not We'll see.
We'll see. They obviously had to fill their two offensive
tackle position. That's the biggest area of conserva. And don't forget,
for as good as Tampa Bay is, they were a
balanced football team. Look it right now, I agree with
Tampa Bay is the team to beat. They dominated that
Super Bowl and they have a verybody coming back. So no,

(01:11:58):
I'm not arguing that point. But if I'm looking at
Aaron Rodgers and a better situation in Denver than Green Bay,
I don't I mean, don't forget they did get punked
a few years ago by San Francisco with a healthy roster.
I mean they got punched in the mouth. So um,
I guess we'll stay with what's going on in the
NBA guys. The Knicks right now a little bit of
a dogfight with Atlanta Hawks leading. Trey Young's got twenty

(01:12:21):
points seven of seven teen from the field, just three
of eleven from downtown Nix, and they had percent. They
got a bunch of balance. Derek Rose has eighteen, Julius
Randall with fourteen. R J. Barrett has fifteen of his
z own. But they're down that game by eight points
as it stands right now. Major League Baseball, how about this?
The Yankees taken on the Tigers. They're in the virgin
getting swept in the three game series. Detroit leading right

(01:12:43):
now six to nothing is a score of this games
on the bottom of the fourth inning from Detroit raised
two Phillies nothing, Blue Jay's three one right now over
the Cleveland Indians. Boom, what's up? Man? Alright? Very good quarterback.
I don't know, Okay, I'm gonna get off this first.
I love Rogers. Go ahead. We'll be talking plenty about

(01:13:06):
this story the course of the season. I want to
talk about one of the most interesting athletes on the
planet right now, and that's Fernando Tatis Jr. Of the
San Diego Padres. Yesterday, the Potres are playing the Houston Astros,
and the Astros are winning this game six to three.
It's the ninth inning, two out. Tatis is up, two

(01:13:27):
runners on base, and he hits a foul pop up.
First baseman runs over. He's set, He's standing right next
to the stands. He's got it right. This is the
end of game, except it wasn't. He missed calculated ball
has spin on it. He falls backwards and the ball
falls foul done. And even the announcers are saying, you know,

(01:13:53):
do you really want to give Fernando Tatis Jr. A
second life? Next pitch has this baul Andy? Yet this
ball was so crushed. I don't know, you know, minute
made there. It's it's on like there's a train track, right,
I mean, it's on above everything. There's a track. And
I actually never saw the ball. Land A said it was.

(01:14:15):
It's on the tracks. So and the Potre has come
back to win. I'm gonna give you some numbers on
Fernando Tatis Jr. First of all, he has missed seventeen games,
so he has missed a third of the games played
so far by the Padres. He currently leads the National
League and home runs and stolen basis. By the way,
the last time that anyone led the league in both

(01:14:37):
stolen basis and home runs in the same season was
a nineteen thirty two. He's leading in both categories despite
the fact he's missed a third of the games. He
leads the Majors and slugging percentage. But there is a problem.
In his first thirty three games at shortstop, fourteen errors problem.

(01:15:01):
All right, it's not a problem because you could put
him elsewhere. That's not problem. But let me ask you this,
how important is it for the brand of Fernando Tatis
Junior that he remained a shortstop. It's not important. It's
not a problem. Okay, So where what would you do
with you? Are you gonna give up on the idea
that he's a short stop? Fourteen airs and thirty three

(01:15:23):
games at shortstop, he's not helping. He's shown the propensity
at the major league level to keep this under control.
Last year, I'll be a short season sixty games. He
only had three hours fielding the same position, and he
makes some of the most extraordinarily athletic plays in baseball period,
but especially at the position he fields, he's incredible. His

(01:15:44):
range is incredible, his armtown is incredible. He's he's marketable
if you put him in right field, as he would
be at shortstop, because the athleticism on the base path,
because the athleticism at home plate when he's in the
batter's box. This guy avoided get hit by a pitch
and did a split next to the plate. I mean,

(01:16:04):
it just does something electric, makes the ordinary extraordinary at
all aspects of his games. This was like Derek Jeter
obviously was an outstanding hitter, you know, big offensive numbers.
The Yankees kept him at shortstop despite the fact that
year in and year out he would literally the worst
shortstop in the American League when you talk range, factor,

(01:16:25):
all these different things. But every once in a while
he makes some extent, you know, great play. They would
get the highlight reel. But if you're crunching the numbers,
I mean ye're in a near out. He literally was
the worst building shortstop in the American League. But it
was a shortstop with the Yankees. And there's a spotlight
on that shortstop position. There always will be looking infielders. Obviously,

(01:16:46):
especially down down the left field line, you're going to get.
Shortstop is much bigger than third base question. But I'm
just saying the left part of endfield is gonna obviously.
But if he's in the outfield, does he get the
same attention? Yes, because it again what I said, his
athleticism will lead you to have to watch. I mean,
first of all, he he pummels the baseball. When he

(01:17:08):
barrels up a fastball, it's it's different the bat, flipping
the hair, the sunglass, everything he does. Everything he does
is cool. Right now, the rest of I feel like
in our corner of the United States were more familiar
with Fernando Tatis Jr. I think word is spreading. I
think the more national country knows about Fernando by now.

(01:17:29):
Look at his Twitter. I mean, unfortunately, if you look
at Lebron James, He's got over forty million followers on Twitter.
You make it Fernando Tatis Junior. I think he's got
a hundred maybe two hundred, four hundred thousand. I mean,
it's just baseball players. It's a lot harder for you
to make waves than it is for other sports. So
I will say that, but I'm enamored with this guy.

(01:17:51):
I don't care what his fielding success looks like, because
you don't pay a player for three million dollars because
he's got and in an amazing glove to pay for
his bat, and his bat's incredible. It really is. I mean,
think about it. He's missed a third of the games,
leads a league in home runs and stolen bases, not
done since nineteen thirty two. Mays led the league in
both categories four times, never in the same season. All Right,

(01:18:12):
put that aside. All Right, we're gonna get back to
the NBA right now on what's going on in this
playoff series and what happened to the Miami Heat. We're
gonna tell you coming up next, Steve Arban and Rich Armburger,
the Miami Heat surprise finalists in the NBA a year ago,

(01:18:34):
four and out. They got swept out by the Milwaukee Bucks,
a team by the way they beat in the playoffs
a year ago. And I think it's really an indication
on how skewed what happened last year in the bubble
was for certain teams I still believe the best team

(01:18:55):
won with the Lakers, and I think the Lakers will
prove it again this year. Whether it's a bubble sitch
Away shouldn't again. When you have Lebron James, He's gonna
adapt to whatever the environment is. But the Miami Heat
was a young team that especially with one player, Tyler Hero,
who was eliminated from distraction, and it worked for them.

(01:19:17):
They were able to sort of keep everybody focused when
when you're playing in South Beats as a young player,
there could be a little outside distractions. I remember this
was going on with Tyler where he had some kind
of Instagram model that he partied with as soon as
they lost the NBA Finals and there was talk about
trying to sneak girls into everything else like this. I
don't want to just condemn him, because look, your social

(01:19:39):
life is your social life. It really doesn't matter. If
you're producing on the court, then who cares what your
social life is all about. But I think that there
was certain teams that really fit the bubble environment last year,
and I think the Heat were definitely one of those teams.
Because you were saying are they that good? I mean,
are they better than Milwaukee or Philadelphia, b Austin, and

(01:20:01):
I think we got our acts and answer this year.
They're not at that level. Yeah, I think the look
the bubble benefited some teams for multiple reasons. Like you said,
isolating players were the only thing you have to concentrate
as basketball, and trust me, outside of Instagram, models or
whatever could be distracting you in your social life, family

(01:20:22):
even though you love them, can be distraction. Ticket requests,
especially during postseason times, and entertaining guests at your house,
there was none of that. Like you were legitimately locked
away somewhere where nobody else could reach you by any
avenue other than phone. You could be a gatekeeper a
little bit as far as who has access to you,
and these teams could as well. So there were teams

(01:20:43):
who really had more success as a result of the bubble.
I'm convinced of it. Also, players, when you're shooting at practice,
it is a lot different than shooting in front of
a live, raucous arena of a visiting UH city. You know,
that's a completely different environment. And Tyler Hero maybe a
better practice player than he is a actual player, right,

(01:21:08):
I mean a lot of players you go and I
don't know that. That's that's an appraisal based on one
bubble season and then a return act this year. You
know you, you you, But there is something different about
playing in an empty ballroom versus playing in a visiting arena, right,
And I think it had an adverse effect. The Bucks
were a team that definitely had an adverse effect because

(01:21:29):
a big part of their success was at home court
advantage and you, you're the number one cdo and and
all of that is taken away from you. It definitely
had an adverse effect. I want to, on the other side,
get to a series that's been most intriguing to me
because the home team is yet to win a game. Well,
the Dallas Mavericks take out the Clippers, and if so,
what is the future? The Clippers will tell you next.

(01:21:52):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox sports
radio dot com. In within the I Heart Radio app,
search f s R to listen live. Well, we're coming
down the stretch of the Indianapolis five hundred HM any answers, No, No,

(01:22:13):
I mean I'm unfamiliar with literally every single name on
the leg right now, running second ELEO Costa Nevis, who
was a three time in the five hundred champion. Should
he win today, he would tie the all time record
held by al unswer A, J. Foyd and Rick Meers
of four indie championships. Is that of any significance to you?

(01:22:35):
I mean zero? Uh? And look, I'm I'm not ashamed
to mention the sports that I don't follow us closely,
certainly in recent years. Then h L has piqued my
interest at different times, but it's diminished. I mean, NBA,
m l B, NFL are the stalwarts. I check into
UFC and boxing on occasion when there are great fights,

(01:22:58):
but but or were great cards because sometimes you have
more than one fight you're interested in. But uh, yeah,
I mean it's it's difficult to keep, you know, to
keep a sport like car racing high on the priority list.
Having I like, i'd call a car racing. Yeah, I
think it's auto racing, but you're you're calling a car
racing vehicles. Those aren't vehicles. Those like rocket ships. So

(01:23:23):
they honestly I am impressed by by Uh. First of all,
the I I the drivers get too much credit. In
my opinion, the mechanics are who should like The drivers
do not get too much credit when you're going over
two hundred miles an hour and if you blink you
could literally lose your life. No, you're not. You're not

(01:23:43):
over playing the drive. They they're not just sitting there.
They are dependent on somebody keeping a car in condition
and shape. They're dependent on not hitting a wall at
two hundred plus miles, There's no question about it. But
you're when you're racing alongside other people, getting in a
chariot that's basically built by another human being. I understand
that isn't tightened enough. You know you got you don't donay.

(01:24:07):
There's not a lot of sports where term will cost
you your life that doesn't pass inspection. The Mechanics eight
crews in general will never diminish the skills of these
Steve you are, you are a front runner. I mean,
I'm gonna be in the pit crew with the guys
who really matter. You can be in the winner circle

(01:24:28):
drinking milk or with me the milk of these guys
with the leather leather gloves. I'm gonna be with the
grease mo. I could almost do a play by play.
The Mechanics castor Nevis is now leading. All right, so
you're not interested in that, and I've only got a
passing interest. Now, one thing we're both interested in is

(01:24:49):
the NBA playoffs right now, and there is a franchise
at a very critical moment right now, and that is
the Los Angeles Clippers. I want to go back two
the signing of Kawhi Leonard, and we remember how that
all went down, and a lot of people thought he
was going to join the Lakers, and the Clippers jumped

(01:25:10):
in and said, as we now know in retrospect, what
is it gonna take for Kawhi Leonard to become a Clipper,
And he basically made it clear, in order to seal
the deal, you need to get Paul George, which is
what they did. Let me remind everyone what the Clippers

(01:25:32):
gave up to get Paul George from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
They gave up Shay Giljis, Alexander Danilla, Gallinari, the Clippers
first round picks in and the first round picks of
the Heat in twenty and twenty three, which were owned
by the Clippers, and the right to swap picks based

(01:25:55):
on what is a better pick in twenty three and
twenty five, and and on top of that, they extend
Paul George's deal to pay in between a hundred and
ninety million and two six million. So far it's working out.
That is what they had to do in order to
get Kawhi Leonard. So you gave up they have no
first round picks until seven. You have given up everything

(01:26:18):
in the draft to get Paul George in order to
get Kawhi Leonard. Now, what's interesting to me when this
deal was made. Immediately people are saying, all right, you
got Lebron and a d with the Lakers. But from
a defensive standpoint, you have literally created a Bermuda triangle
for point guards. When you can put Kawhi Leonard, Paul George,

(01:26:43):
and Patrick Beverley and this Bermuda triangle, no point guard
were able to operate against that. Well, there's a point
guard for the Dallas Mavericks, who right now in this
series in three games is averaging thirty eight points, about
ten rebounds at ten assists, and doesn't seem to have
any chance of being hindered at all by whatever it

(01:27:06):
is that the Clippers throw at you. If the Clippers
lose this first round series to the Dallas Mavericks. Where
are they where? Because there's no way out they are.
They have everybody under lock and key. They have no
way to maneuver anybody unless you want to jettison Kawhi Leonard. Look,

(01:27:28):
there's a way, there's a really because if this is
as good as it gets, and you're the Clippers right now,
this is not what you signed up. The problem, the
problem you have is right now. In my opinion, this
isn't the right mix of talent. And I don't know
if Kauai is the problem. I don't know if PG
is the problem. It feels like Paul George's playoff UH

(01:27:51):
statistics are really the glaring issue here. You look back
to last year. I mean, he was making the excuse
of having a really hard time in the bubble and
that's obviously well documented now and a lot of players
complained about that. You know, the isolation I think benefited
some players, I think for others it really did have
a negative impact. Okay, so nobody really, nobody really gave

(01:28:14):
Paul George all that heart of a time for his
UH for for his is And don't get me wrong,
Clippers fans felt differently about this, But I mean the
line share. People are willing to roll with that excuse.
The Clippers are running out of excuses this defense. Even
when they put it all together and everybody was talking
about their defense, I was like, since when is this
a defensive league? Lebron James is the best player in

(01:28:37):
this league. He could have easily won the m v
P many times over if they didn't want to just
sort of promote stars year after year. He is the
most valuable player not only in this league, but on
every team that he plays with nearly every single year.
And so I looked at the Lakers is being a
much better team with a D and Lebron, but everybody
was sold on defense. Defense doesn't win the NBA anymore.

(01:29:01):
So if that was the Clippers, Steve Ballmer and Jerry
West and the other assemblers of this great super team,
what they were thinking, they thought wrong. Now, Kawhi Leonard
is a great two way player, Paul George used to
be an extremely effective offensive player, and they have a
really talented surrounding cast. But they're just not producing postseason results,

(01:29:25):
and that's the only thing that matters, all right, So
here's the dynamic for the Clippers moving forward. Paul George
is locked up through season. By the way, the last
year of that deal, he has a player option for
forty eight million dollars. My guess is he'll pick up
that option. What do you think I would argue, he's
gonna he's looked. That's looking good, all right, I'll tell

(01:29:46):
you he's got a player option immediately, and that's Kauai Leonard.
Kawhi Leonard can right now opt out of his contract,
and as indicated, he will after this season. So he's
going with the shorter term contract said we saw with
Kevin Durant, We've seen it with Lebron James, right so
he theoretically could walk away from the Clippers after this season. Now,

(01:30:08):
most people expect that he will opt out of his
deal to sign a much bigger deal with the Clippers
down the road, because again, they can offer him more
money than anybody else. But if they flame out in
the first round and you're Kauai Leonard and you're thinking,

(01:30:29):
is this really where I want to hitch my wagon
for the next five or six years, no matter how
much money they're paying me. Because this is a guy
there's reputation is built on he's a champion, he wanted
in San Antonio, he wanted in Toronto. He wants to
win championships. So whether you're making forty million a year
or fifty million a year, does that really matter a guy.

(01:30:51):
Maybe it does, I don't know. But if it doesn't,
if he's saying, hey, I want to be open to options.
Look at Kevin Durant. He walked away from Golden State.
He ends up with the Brooklyn Nets. Maybe Kauaiet Leonard decides,
you know what, maybe maybe I have a better opportunity.
And if that's the case, if Kawhi Leonard were to

(01:31:11):
walk away, you are now stuck with Paul George for
five more years, no first round picks, until you're in
a heap of trouble. There's no honor in the n
B anymore. As far as like loyalty to a name,
a team, a brand like that, there's none of that left.

(01:31:31):
I mean the contracts, I mean they're there, they all
get torn up. They these players control their destinies as
much as in any league we've ever seen. These guys,
if they stomp their feet loud enough and they want
to trade, they'll get their trade. It happened with the
Pelicans and Anthony Davis. It happened with kawahiet Leonard and
San Antonio. Happened with Kwai Leonard in San Antonio. It'll

(01:31:53):
happen again. And and who knows if it's gonna Kawa
if they lose in the first round to Dallas. Do
you think that he will resign a long term deal
with the Clippers or he'll be gone. And if he's gone,
where are they there? In no man's well. Again, that's
when you you're gonna have to obviously trade away George
and trading for that contract. Yeah, it's gonna be a

(01:32:17):
tough put Again. They went all in, and I don't
blame them. Look, I appreciate big swings. Even if you
even if I personally appraised the situation and said, well,
the Lakers are better with Lebron and a D than
the Clippers are with Patrick Beverley and Kauai and and
Paul George, it's nothing to shake. It's nothing that you
could turn your nose up bad. I still think it

(01:32:39):
was a great idea, and it still puts him in
contention for the West, And who knows, depending on the series,
if you get to the Western Conference finals against the Lakers.
Maybe you win right. I don't think they are a
better team or never did, but could they could I
see them winning the finals finals with that combination and player.
Sure didn't work out last year because guess what. As

(01:32:59):
good as those players are during the regular season, both
of them faded last year. I mean quite less than
Paul George, but there were two games in the second
to final round that the Clippers played where he scored
or in the last round where he scored less than
twenty points. Paul George never showed up for the postseason

(01:33:21):
last year in the bubble, so it didn't work. This season.
They're getting road rashed by the Mavericks so far, but
who knows. Maybe they make it a series. Well they might,
but if they don't. Look at it's not like Steve
Bombers worrying about his next meal. The commount of money
that he's investing the Clippers is literally a drop in
the ocean for a guy that has a worth of
over sixty billion dollars. But he's got to be just

(01:33:42):
beside himself. I mean, I mean, maybe they come back,
they rolled back, and they win this series and all
of a sudden they get on a roll. That's a
different story. But if they go down in the first
round and then Kauai opts out and leaves, yeah yeah, yeah,
yeah yeah. All right, So that's what's facing that's sort
of what's on the line for the Clippers. They get
ready for Game four of their series. Again, Dont apparently

(01:34:05):
has a little bit of a next situation. He's feeling
a little pain in the neck and in the shoulder,
but he is expected to be out there. And again
they've had zero answer for Dutch none. He is absolutely
toyed with this Clipper team right now. All right. On
the other side, we get back to a little NFL news.
Oh t as have been going on? What does this

(01:34:25):
really mean? Everyone keeps talking about how the off season
is different for the NFL, But is it really gonna
change any of the dynamic of the upcoming season. We're
gonna tell you. Coming up next, Steve har Rich Harburger
coming down the stretch. Eight laps to go right now
in the Indianapolis five. Rich wanted me to update him

(01:34:45):
on that. Yeah, eight more laps, eight more laps there.
The leader is someone I don't recognize the name, so
I won't mention it. Oh now, I know Sato is leading,
he's a two time champion. Is the defending champion? Might
win a third? Indianapolis five what do you think? I
know that one guy's following this, Mr Midwest himself, Iowa Sam,

(01:35:07):
you follow the Indianapolis five hundred. I just love their names.
Great games because it's an international sport. It really is.
All right? Oh when consta Nevis has moved in a second?
So we got two former champions one two? Right? Now
does he need new tires? Does he get to replace
the rob by the way? Apparently Scott Dixon, who was
the pole sitter, former champion in the favorite, he ran

(01:35:29):
out of gas. Come on, now, how does that happen?
You gotta check her? Oh man, you talk about your crew.
They gotta keep you updated. And he fell out of
the leaderboards. So there you run out of gas. All right.
I want to talk a little bit about modern time. O.
T A. S. Let's go back to when you first
came into the league back in two thousand and nine,

(01:35:51):
joining the New England Patriots as a fourth round draft pick.
Do you remember your first O? T A S? Oh yeah,
and so Bill Belichick organized team activities. Okay, give it,
give us a sense as a rookie about what you gain,
what you learn, what it was all about, at least
with New England as far as ot As was concerned,

(01:36:12):
back in two thousand and nine. All right, well, you
show up for Rookie otis and it's select veterans and
the rookies who they drafted or undrafted free agent signings.
So you come into the building and it's just a
lot of the stuff that they have to get out
of the way, all right, So they give you an itinerary.
Obviously you walk in and saying, all right, here is

(01:36:35):
what we need to get out of O t A.
It's usually a lot of the stuff, right, you gotta
sign this paperwork, you gotta do this, you gotta get
this physical, you gotta you know, go these places. We
gotta get baseline assessments. And then you do some on
field work, you do some classroom work in your meeting rooms,
and you start learning the offensive or defensive system. All right.

(01:36:56):
So normally, the way I always falling O t a
s over the any years is that they would never
actually last as long as they were scheduled. The last
like you get to last day of O t a
S and the coaches like I've always seen enough you
can go right sometimes. I mean there there were years
where that happened, there were years where it didn't. It
just depends, But yeah, I would say I would say

(01:37:17):
for the most part, they end a little bit earlier
because let's be very honest with each other. When you
hear organized team activities, they are organized. They are team activities,
but they are not practices. You're not getting much out
of this time. The coaches love O T S. And
I'll explain why this is a three sixty five uh

(01:37:38):
job for these coaches. They have to show up every
single day, whether it's on the road checking out prospects
coming out of college, whether it's going to combine, whether
it's sitting in their office all off season long watching
film or thinking up new ways to exploit defenses or
offenses they're gonna face in the upcoming season. What I'm

(01:38:00):
trying to say is they have a lot of they
have a lot of boring work to do in the
off season, and they love having the players around because
that's the fun part. Well, it's fun for the coaches,
it's not fun for the players, and and honestly, they
get more out of it than the players do. All right,
So I'm reading some reports out of Green Bay right
now where there's no Aaron Rodgers, none of your top

(01:38:20):
receivers are there, and the coaches privately are apparently telling
everyone this is like the best thing could happened to
us right now, because now we're giving a chance for
Jordan's Love to get rep after rep after Rep. Matt Lafleura.
The Packers get an extra long look at the guy.
They're also getting a chance to see some other guys that, hey,

(01:38:41):
we want to see because we didn't get this opportunity
last year, you know, with no O t A's really
no offseason at all. Everything was completely shut down. That
we're getting an extended look because we don't need to
see Aaron Rodgers, we don't need to eat Davonte Adams
or Aaron Jones or any of our established veterans. If anything,
extra reps could actually hurt them on the back side,

(01:39:02):
especially now that you've extended the season from sixteen to
seventeen games. So I'm just trying to figure out the
evolution of the off season for the NFL, whether what
we learned a year ago that turned out to be
a season despite all the distractions, all the testing, everything
else that went on to pull off that season. At

(01:39:23):
season's end, the numbers look pretty much the same. Like
Aaron Rodgers put up the best season statistically of his
career with no off season, no preseason, and you just
gotta wonder off season benefits rookies. Also, I probably misspoke
when I said no players really benefit from the off
season training activities rookies. You know, first and second year

(01:39:46):
players probably benefit the most, because again, like you said,
there is truth to that, the idea that when you
are a backup quarterback or a backup offensive lineman or
the fourth receiver, you're just not gonna get a lot
of burn even at practice, You're just not gonna get
a lot of reps because you're trying to prepare a
team to win. And wow, it's important to have a

(01:40:07):
fourth receiver. It's not important that he gets reps with
Aaron Rodgers or with the starting offense in general. You know,
so having younger players show up during these times may
benefit them in the long run. By the way, it's
unofficial because the official standings are not posted. Eleo Castor
Nevis is now joined A J. Foyt Al Unser and

(01:40:30):
Rick Mires as a four time in champion. Congratulations cast
never spider Man. You know he'll scale the defenses, defenses
like Spider Man. There he is right there. He can't
believe after all these years he had three quick He's
been waiting year after year after year, keep coming back
to the Indianapo Speedway and hopes of getting that record

(01:40:51):
time fourth. And it looks like Elo cast Nevis has
pulled it off his fourth. And what about this, Sam,
how do you feel about Eleo Caster Nevis five only
getting his fourth? Good for him? And this is almost
like a Phil Mickelson situation, right where a guy is
sort of like he's still there, but he's not really
a contender anymore. And then on the biggest stage boom,

(01:41:13):
he just showed up and did it. He pulled it off,
driving the eight six car, making the number look really good.
And he just ran out of fuel too, by the way.
Yeah that was it. Yeah, that victory lap was cut
short because he forgot to gonna actually have to push
him again. They're gonna put Yeah, he's trying to get out.
He's got his five point harness off. Maybe it's more

(01:41:34):
Oh no, here he goes, I think he's Spider Man
is gonna go on the fence. He's going for the fence.
He goes, get out of the way. I'm Spider Man here.
He's like, I'm on fire. They're like, yeah, Spider Man, Ricky,
You're not on fire. A look at that. Wow, We're
good for him. I have actually had a opportunity to

(01:41:56):
meet him on several occasions. He's one of the most
engaging guys ever. Want to meet Super Guy could not
be happier. So Elliot Custer Nevis apparently has one the
Indianapolis five Hunter. I just gotta break in there. I
know that you know there's very limited interest, but not me.
Here he is. He's tearing up right now. Steve named

(01:42:16):
five IndyCar racers. Nan, i'man, do you want to do
Scott Dixon will Power? You wanted me to go down
the list? Sotto? These are guys are just in this
race on array? What else do you want to know?
All these? I'm named six? Okay, how many more do
you want me to team? So? I just named that?

(01:42:37):
What's his first name? How about Montoya also was in
this race? And all I have to say is Andretti
and I know there's an Andretti in the race and
there was the best names ever, Yeah, best names all right,
So there you go. Spider Man, Elliot Custer, Nevis is
one the Indianapolis five. Alright. So justin long, just to

(01:43:02):
wrap this up, as far as the O T A
s are considered, can you see the day that comes
or will it be the insistence of these coaches like
you say, these this is their time, right, more than
it is anything constructive as far as the development of
player talent or even the identification of player talent. It's

(01:43:22):
more just the coaches have to have something to do
in the off season and almost have to justify their existence.
This This will eventually go away. Gone, This will eventually
go away. And the reason is because players don't need it.
It's becoming more and more abundantly clear, especially with the pandemic.
So this, this will pass. This time in the off
season where coaches must have time with the players, it's

(01:43:44):
gonna go. Is that well? And on the other side,
I want to I want to ask you the follow
of then, is is that healthy? I mean, could it
be destructive for the NFL to eliminate all this off
season activity? But right, now let's welcome back in Mr
David Gascon. Now, do you have any excitement at all
in the Indianapolis five hunter? You know, as someone that
has actually driven a stock car? Um, I don't. I

(01:44:06):
don't watch a lot of these races, but man, there
is nothing like being on the track. And I have
a propensity to speed. Yes, so I've actually driven one
out in in Pomona and uh yeah, I got the
got the speed up closer to the the hundred seventy miles
an hour and uh why not? Yeah, there's nothing like it. Well,

(01:44:30):
as you heard Rich say earlier, the drivers should get
zero credits. The people to put the cars together and
everything else, they're just a passenger. Yeah, the pit crews,
those are the I mean, are we really going to
credit NASA? Are we gonna credit mission control for getting
those astronauts home safe? Mission Control? Okaynna have a conversation
with Neil Armstrong about that. Well, I had a conversation

(01:44:51):
with Buzz Aldrin about the landing of Apaula Levin, and
believe me, he'll give a lot of credit to Neil Armstrong.
The fact that he's still even with us anymore, that
is absolutely amazing. I mean, Steve, Now, do you watch
Formula one? I do something, not as much as I
do the Indy Cars or NASCAR, but yes, So what
is your favorite? Well, I mean the thing about street

(01:45:12):
racing is and when you talk about Formula one, I
mean aesthetically, it's it's much more appealing than just going
in an oval. Absolutely to watch it. Absolutely, I love
Formula one. So does that mean that in a couple
of days you will be at the movie theaters watching
uh Fast nine f nine. By the way, is John

(01:45:34):
Cena finished with this apology yet? I don't know. Yeah,
I don't know. He's working on his Mandarin still. By
the way, the one thing I could say is he
can't see you anymore. He nailed the Mandarin part of it.
On the other side, John Paul Morosi, I do have
a question that's in the It's in the pipeline for
JP by the on right. Well, get to that in

(01:45:56):
a second. Alright, So you guys have mentioned the five
hundred Elio Castro nevis out winning for the fourth time
in his illustrious career. U Meanwhile, in the NBA, it
was an absolute boat race today for the Atlanta Hawks.
One nineties six of the New York Knicks. They're up
in that series now, three games to one. Trey Young
not one from the field, that twenty seven points in
the victory. Julius randalls seven of nineteen twenty three, but

(01:46:19):
he was a minus seventeen on the court. Sons and
Lakers in about five minutes from now Brooklyn, Boston Tonight,
Clippers and Mavericks from Dallas. Tip off times at nine
thirty Eastern Major League Baseball Detrait six New York Yankees.
Nothing to trade wins today. They'll superside the Yankees in
their three game series. Alright, Uh, let's I don't go anywhere,
because I'm gonna give you the first question joining us

(01:46:39):
right now is, of course the esteem John Paul Morosi,
Fox Sports Radio. MLB Insider works for the MLB Network
and the NHL Network JP. First of all, Happy Memorial
Day Sunday to you. And we're we're gonna allow Gascon
to ask, which we anticipate to be a Stanley Cup
playoff questions. What's your question here? Alright, GPS, So if

(01:47:02):
this thing is complete, at least with Montreal, who will
be the biggest disappointment the Stanley Cup playoffs will be
the Edmonton Ailands were swept foreseeably by the Winnipeg Jets.
Or will it be the Toronto maple Is blowing a
three one lead over the Canadians. Excellent question, David. I
would say it has to be Toronto, and not just
because this is the big story in front of us

(01:47:24):
right now. Let's think about this. The Toronto Maple Leaves
have now lost seven executive possible series clinching games going
back to That is incomprehensible really that over multiple playoff
rounds they have never been able to advance out of

(01:47:45):
the first round. They've lost seven possible series clinchers I
think right now, and of course you go back, they
have not one a class series since oh four. Of course,
the Orders have been to a Stanley Cup final since then.
They very nearly made it to a Western Conference final
several years ago. So I think the magnitude of being
up three one and then losing would be much more

(01:48:07):
damaging on the leaf side. I think that the oiler
is lost to a better team. I think Winnipeg is
a very good playoff caliber team. Uh my goodness at
the halves who are under man in this series. If
they come back and winness after being down three one, Uh,
there will not be enough eight in all of Canada.
Still in the papers discussing why the Leaves have fallen

(01:48:27):
yet again. Yeah there it is game seven tomorrow, by
the way, we'll see how that plays. As you mentioned,
the Maple Leaves were up three one, lost the last
couple of games and ot and now heading to a
game seven. All right, we move that aside. Uh, let's
talk a little major league. But by the way, how's
your Uh do you have big plans over the Memorial
Day weekend? How does it work with you? J P? Well,
thank you for asking. Yes, uh, some family time here

(01:48:50):
in the great state of Michigan. There is no better
place to begin uh summer than here in my beautiful
home staces. Just getting a lot of family time, extended
family time here as well. It was a little chilly,
little chilli on Friday, but it's nice and warm right now,
gorgeous and halfball the Tigers, David, thank you for the
update there. By the way, the Tigers beating the Yankees
six nothing in beautiful downtown Detroit. Working on a serious

(01:49:13):
sweep of the Yankee So betterday's that You've got Spencer
Turnbull's no hitter. We've seen Casey Miyas pitched pretty well.
I knew day is dawning. My friends and the beautiful
say in Michigan up with the baseball team, and I
wish all the best all of you for your holiday
weekends as well. Absolutely well the Padres. We always talked
about the team with the best record in baseball. They
got a couple of problems right now. Let's start with

(01:49:35):
Blake Snell, who got slacked today They're down seven nothing
to the Astros. He pitched us three innings seven earned runs.
He's now sporting an e r A of five fifty five.
I'm trying to get in the head of Blake Snell.
Give us a little background here. He wins the Cy
Young Award with the Rays, and then we saw what
happened a year ago in Game six of the World

(01:49:57):
Series where they just were not going to allow him
to go through the do to line up a third
time after he completely had shut them down. They end
up losing that Game six, and we seem to be
seen similar problems with Snell right now in San Diego.
Get us inside the head of Blake Snell. What is
going on? Well, all very fair questions, and Blake is

(01:50:19):
someone who I've always found to be a very relaxed player.
He has never been someone who I think has has
stressed out too much about his craft. He's passionate about baseball,
but he's not someone who I have found to be
someone who puts a lot of pressure on himself. And
perhaps now coming to a team with with major World

(01:50:39):
Series winning expectations, the rays, of course always are in
the conversation, but it's a different blend of pressure. I
think with the Padres right now, there's this expectation to
win and perhaps whether it's coming off of the workload
of last year. And one thing I would say to
that that we have to look at and it's hard
for me to get to say this about any individual picture,

(01:51:01):
but when you look around the league and you see
the number of pictures who are either on the injured
list or struggling or going through a dead arm phase
of one kind or another, I think it's it's a
little challenging to really see how different pictures are managing
the stress of a hundred six two games season coming
after a sixty game season. The thing I'll say about

(01:51:22):
the Podres is that with the emergence of young arms
like Ryan Weathers. They have I believe the wherewithal to
deal with the underperformance of a picture like Snell, but
there's no question about its tep To your point, I
think maybe for Blake, maybe physically resting a little bit,
getting a bit of a mid season breather could help

(01:51:42):
him for the long term, because I do believe it's
gonna be hard to imagine the Padres winning the World
Series without the likes of Snell and Darvish at the
very best. No staing our attention across the country into
a different team and then nolt a picture who's not
struggling at all is j the Gram right now is
carrying a sub one e r A through I got

(01:52:05):
it at eight starts. He missed a couple with injuries.
This guy has been not only great, but wildly efficient
because some of these pitch counts and the number of
innings he pitched using such a paltry number of pitches
is impressive as well. Is it possible we could see
Bob Gibson's uh famed e r A of one one

(01:52:27):
one too unseated by the Gram. I mean, this guy
is just a fabulous picture, and he's painting the corners
better than we've seen him in recent memory. Well, you're
exactly right, and I do think all of those historical
numbers are in play when you're a picture right now,
and to your point, you think about in some of

(01:52:47):
the underlying numbers about offense around baseball. We have not
seen this happening since, And of course that was the
year of the picture, of the year of Bob Gibson,
the year that preceded the mound being lower, because at
that point in time the game had swung so dominantly
toward pictures. When you consider the grum and you do
a good job of illustrating this, I mean, he's he's

(01:53:10):
someone who's fastball is almost two a hundred miles an
hour even on an average. I mean it's basically they're
consistently ninety nine averaging, and he'll occasionally obviously go above it.
But he is someone who who has that velocity. And
then it is pin point with the slider and the changeup,
and that change up, by the way, average is nine
one mile an hour change up with movement. This is

(01:53:35):
an arsenal that you just would never have imagined was
possible from a human picture five years ago, and yet
and yet you're seeing it. And I think when you
look at his data at baseball Savant, which is where
all the stat cast data is propiled, baseball savant dot
com as this incredible repository of information. And if you
just look at the plot of those three pitches, the fastball,

(01:53:59):
the slider and the change up, there is almost the
distribution of where he's throwing these pitches is so small
that he is commanding it not just to the strike zone,
but to the hard to hit areas of the strike zone.
He has command precisely in the zone with elite stuff.

(01:54:20):
And when you have that combination in an era where
we're seeing all the swing in this he's just he
is simply toying with National League hitters right now. And
and you're seeing, as you point out Rich, that the
results are quite simply historic. I know that numbers of
change in baseball, and you're you're a historian like I
am when it comes to the history of this game.
But when you look at the Graham who's gonna be

(01:54:42):
thirty three next month, he has won seventy three games
in his career, I mean, it is conceivable that when
this guy's career is over. He barely has a hundred
wins despite his dominance and the e r RA and
the whip categories that a Hall of Famer could. Can
he still make the Hall of Fame if let's say
he wins a hundred and eight games in his career,

(01:55:05):
that's an excellent question. And and when you think about
his his win total, consider Pedro Martinez, who, in the
scope of Hall of Fame pictures, was on the lower
end in terms of wins, and and obviously his dominance
is what has earned him the spot in the Hall
of Fame. But even then, Pedro had two hundred nineteen
victories and by the way, it was last win came

(01:55:31):
in his age thirty seven season. So at this point
in time, I think that when you're talking about d
Graham being about term thirty three, so let's assume somewhat
conservatively that he pitches to at least he's thirty seven
thirty eight years old, which I think that that's certainly hope.
He's going to do all every bit of that, given
what his contract says. But even if he averages fifteen

(01:55:52):
wins a year between now and then, which is certainly ambitious,
then you're still talking about someone who's somewhere in the
mid range of winds. I mean, it's gonna be a
challenge for him to get up around. But for me,
I would say, and I'm probably I'm probably to the

(01:56:13):
middle of where the modern Hall of Fame voter is,
where I still look at some of the old tiny stuff,
and I still look at some of the new stuff
as well. For me, the Grama is gonna have to
continue his his peak for a little longer. For me,
I'm gonna need to see two to three more years
of sheer dominance for him. But I mean, there's no
question about it. At over a period of the last

(01:56:33):
three to four years, he has been a defining elite
picture of this era. And if you stretch that amount
of time out for a couple more years, guys, I
would put the Grama in the Hall of Fame even
if his wind total is low, because I believe he's
been one of the handful of the truly elite dominant
pictures of this time. Great stuff, great stuff. Yeah, I'm

(01:56:55):
I'm always intrigued because you have to sort of readjust
your eyeballs, right, I mean, a hunter nine hers already
has four complete games. I'm sorry, it's such a different era.
And then again and on the wins and losses. I mean,
he had back to back years where his combining record
was twenty one and seventeen, and he was a near
unanimous young winner both of those years. So different game,

(01:57:18):
different stats, different everything. One thing that never changes, the
best of the best, John Palmer ROSSI JP enjoy the
rest of your Memorial Day holiday with your family. Gentlemen,
Thank you so much, and what we'll we'll catch up
during the week as well. I look forward to talking
about the Piers in third place right now, ls Man,

(01:57:39):
it's gonna be a lot of fun to watch right
after game well, I know this, Dodgers and Giants will
make up some ground today because we lost him right there.
The Padre is getting pounded seven to one by the Astros.
Grinky just gave up a home run, but I don't
think he'll linkish that lead all right. On the other side,
Lakers sons have tipped off. Does Phoenix have any shot

(01:58:01):
to get back in this series? We're giving an update
coming up next Steve Iran and Rich Horburger. I hope
you are enjoying your Memorial Day Sunday, and we got
a lot of things going on, a lot of baseball
going on. A look curious about the Potteries right now.
We mentioned that Blake Snell got slacked. He's got major problems.
Joe Muscro, the guy that threw the no hitter for

(01:58:22):
the Potters earlier this year, was their schedule starter tomorrow
when they opened up a series that regularly field against
the Cubs. That's not gonna happen because he came in
to relieve Blake Snell. So I'm not quite sure where
the Potteries are. Although the Potteries, unfortunately or fortunately because
they won three of these four games, four consecutive X

(01:58:43):
or inning games that will gash your bullpen, I think
I'm more interested in the fact that the Houston Astros,
after and I realized the revelation that they had cheated
in the scandal I'd become uncovered only a year ago,
although they have barely acknowledged it then themselves. They they
won the World too seen, and that's the World Series
that they were implicated to have cheated during and and

(01:59:06):
all of it right there. They still and and more
so now than before. Really they're still being punished for
this by fans at opposing ballparks, and they're they're they're
getting you know, Bregman and Altuve and others who were
on the team during to see what the Dodger fans
did in Houston during their series. The fans were, they

(01:59:27):
showed up in houston're getting her rank still and and
it's it's just amazing. I'm curious how long this goes on.
I'm curious is gonna take until every single player of
note from that World Series has moved on to a
different team. Is gonna take? What's it gonna take? The
GM's gone, the managers elsewhere, the owner said, Hey, as
far as I'm concerned, we won that World Series fair

(01:59:48):
and square. I don't know if that was pretty much.
He hasn't conceded anything, but I will say this, they
obviously paid some steep penalties as a team. But the
fans of this game, and certainly Dodgers fans, are not
finished with the Houston Astriis. They'll never forget, ever, ever, ever,

(02:00:08):
ever they robbed him, especially against center at the time,
the Dodgers had, you know, twenty nine straight years without
When the World Series, you have a Game seven at home,
you Darvish was on the mount and get shellacked and
lose that game. And and specifically you Darvish because he
now pitches for the Padres and he had he had
the appearance here yesterday, didn't pitch particularly well by the

(02:00:29):
way h four earned runs. You know, So, I mean,
it's just it's just going to I guess it's gonna
take Well, you know, you played for a cheating organization
than New England page. They were guilty of spik spy Gate,
the flake gate, I mean, one cheating scandal after another.
Gate felt more like now opposing coaches the lost Super

(02:00:50):
Bowls to them, they are absolutely convinced, asked John Fox
asked a few coaches that lost them that they knew
things that there's no way they didn't would have known
had they not cheated. Well, here's the other thing about
the Astros. Here's the other thing about the Patriots. And again,
during my time there, I have no evidence that they
were doing anything underhanded during that time, and certainly nothing
about the football's right. But here you go, I mean,

(02:01:13):
across all leagues, across all teams, there's a group of
teams that are either conspiring to do things they know
they shouldn't be doing or are are actively looking the
other way while players they are fully aware of our
abusing the rules. In Major League Baseball, this uh, this

(02:01:33):
video footage, you know, sign stealing stuff. This was going
on in multiple clubhouses. It's gone over every one. This
when they always say, if you're not cheating or not trying,
have ever ever come across a player, either as a
teammate or as an opponent that was adamant to follow
the rules as written? Now, no matter what, is there

(02:01:57):
such a place to ever cross pass with I'm telling
you right now, and this is a small infraction, but
it's a truth. I cheated on every play. Thank you
that I was ever in a game in the NFL.
I held as an offensive woman. And I mean, if
you want to go through every stitch of film, did
they show you, like single talk, let me define what

(02:02:18):
holding is. Okay, you cannot do this, and yet you
don't just about every player and yeah, they said don't
do this, and I did that right exactly every single time.
So in other words, exactly, I see, I'm with you.
Come on, come on now, you're gonna do whatever it takes.
And honestly, from a fan standpoint, we don't care as
long as my team wins. I don't care, all right,

(02:02:41):
Lakers Sons? Can the Sons get back in the series?
Will tell you next. Fox Sports Radio has the best
sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all of our
shows at Fox sports Radio dot com and within the
I Heart Radio app search f s R to listen live.
Al Right, we continue our role here this Memorial Day Sunday.

(02:03:02):
It's been a day in which we've taught plenty of baseball.
We've got NFL news going on. By the way, just
a quick update here on the Julio Jones story, which
is picking up a lot of steam as we speak.
Reports are that the Titans are willing to part with
a second round pick. Is that going to be enough?
The Rams are very much in the mix right now

(02:03:24):
when you think about it, right, if Julio Jones is available,
give me any coach that wouldn't want to have Julio
Jones to your repertoire if the price is right, well,
and I think for the Falcon's sake, there probably more
interested in the Titans than they are the Rams because
they could see the Rams in the postseason, whereas the

(02:03:44):
Titans play on the opposite side of the dockets. So
I think they're gonna lean a f see if they
can help it. But obviously you can't turn down a
great trade offer if somebody's gonna give you better value.
And we'll see where it all again. To me, this
story is only crescendoing right now because that's Atlanta wants.
They want to get whatever. Also, three days away from

(02:04:05):
a possible trade, right right, isn't that when we start
the trades here? I think? But but again I don't
really necessarily understand the urgency though, because outside of the
league year starting and being available to do these sort
of transactions. I mean, do you need Julio Jones in
your building today? No? You don't, Yeah, I mean you

(02:04:27):
just don't. A lot of these teams haven't even had
the full complement of players back in the building yet.
You know what Julio Jones is. Certainly you've watched his
film and you know what he can do for your
organization if you've been paying attention, and all these teams have.
But there isn't like this. We must get him now
because we have all these injuries because training camp hasn't
gone well for us. I think it could happen obviously

(02:04:51):
sooner than later. But I also could see a situation
where Julio Jones kind of waits and training camp gets underway,
and maybe he holds down and eventually gets dealt. Alright,
one team that apparently has moved into the serious conversation
the Seattle Seahawks. And in some way this ties into

(02:05:12):
the Aaron Rodgers situation, because it wasn't that long ago
that we were convinced the Russell Wilson had played his
last game for the Seahawks. Ever, he went on with
Dan Patrick, he was openly complaining, why am I not
getting the same kind of consideration? Tom Brady got where
if I want guys to come in And apparently Seattle
has calmed things down, now if they all of a sudden,

(02:05:35):
because I went as soon as I heard about the
Julio Jones thing, I'm thinking, hello Green Bay, you want
to calm down Aaron Rodgers make a deal. Well, now,
all of a sudden, the team that may be making
a deal for Julio Jones, the Seattle Seahawks. Now you
add him to the receivers they already have. Wow, I wrote,
I was looking pretty impressive. I wrote this tweet on

(02:05:59):
This is a couple of days ago, but this is
exactly what I wrote, Julio Jones wants to win. I
really like New England and Seattle as landing spots from
both cultures. Have done a great job incorporating outside town
and uh and that talent having an immediate impact on
the success of the team. Now, don't get me wrong.
In New England's case, you have uncertainty at quarterback. Cam

(02:06:20):
Newton's not the long term answer. We'll see what Mac
Jones brings them as the draft pick. But Seattle makes
sense to me. Now again, an NFC team, a team
that the Falcons probably don't want to trade Julio Jones too.
It's gonna have to be a value assessment. By the way,
Seattle does not have a first round pick in two
that they traded that for Jamal Adams, so they don't

(02:06:40):
have a first round pick to give up for Julia Jones.
But just talking about the fit, what I love about Seattle,
and similarly about New England is New England has this
track record, and so does you know Belichick and Pete
Carroll both of being able to incorporate a player who
may have been scrap heaped elsewhere or may not have
worked out, or people are saying he's kind of you know,

(02:07:02):
he's hitting, he's hitting the back nine of his career.
He might be on the seventeenth hole. And they've made
great adjustments to their offense to fit these players in
and and young and old. I mean seeing the impact
that DK Metcalf had on the Seattle Seahawks team immediately
was impressied. And don't forget Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf

(02:07:23):
both had over a thousand yards receiving and double digit touchdowns.
Can you imagine adding a Julio Jones to that arsenal
and think about the effect does that suddenly when they're
in the same division obviously with the Rams and the
forty Niners, where would that put Seattle? It would put
Seattle really really high in the conversation, not just in
their division. As a quarterback, Russell Wilson or Matthew Stafford,

(02:07:46):
I know it's Matthew Stafford. Didn't make that clear earlier
that Matthew Staffords is the best quarterback in the NFC West.
Russell Wilson, I mean by far, so I'm adding a
Julio Jones Theoretically yea, when that puts you above the Rams.
If you're Seattle, well, let's let's put it this way.
The Rams are a very complete team. In my opinion,

(02:08:08):
that defense, assuming you have continued success with a new coordinator,
is an impressive defense. And again I think it's I
think it's a better offense with Matthew Stafford, and not
just by a little bit. I think it's gonna be
a much better offense with Matthew Stafford. But with Seattle,
this is a team that if you add Julio Jones,

(02:08:28):
in my opinion, you're gonna get immediate effectiveness out of
Julio Jones, which just watch what they did with Josh Gordon.
And that's similar to the reason why I think the
Patriots could benefit from Julio Jones, because you take a
guy who people were counting out and you get immediate
success from him incorporating him into your offensive UH system.
Seattle did a great job with that. Obviously it didn't

(02:08:50):
work out. Julio Jones would be an insane red zone
UH target for them. I mean, can you imagine if
you have Metcalf and Julio Joe Owns, who's getting doubled?
I mean, you got. You got a problem on your
hands if you've got Seattle on your schedule and you're
trying to figure out who to pay attention to in

(02:09:10):
the red zone or the low red. I mean, it's
just going to be bonkers if he goes to New England.
And the reason why I like that fit is because
they brought in John H. Smith. They brought in Hunter Henry,
both capable tight end pass catchers. You bring in Julio Jones,
all of a sudden, they're a matchup nightmare and still
have to have a quarterback that could get him the ball.
Don't think I mean Mac Jones with his eyes clothes

(02:09:32):
could probably find Smith, Henry or Jones, you know. I mean,
I'm just saying there are some places that hold on
the last time I check, Cam Newton is the quarterback.
Cam Newton could throw with his left arm and find
Jones or or Henry or John Smith. I'm just I'm
just asking. It's interesting now again getting updates and the
reason why we mentioned June one as salary cap implications

(02:09:55):
for the faccons. They wait after June one, they get
some relief. They can split some of the space over
a couple of years, which is why nothing's gonna get
done until uh Tuesday at the earlies. As far as
Julio Jones is concerned, I just don't know what Seattle
could offer. I mean, if I do believe there's enough
competition out there of teams interested in Julio Jones where
they are going to land a first round pick, yeah,

(02:10:17):
he could go for a first rounder. And again, like
you said, and they don't have a first round pick
to offer. Thirty two these days looks very different. I
just virtually every position than thirty two looked even five
years ago. People just look at age differently in the NFL. Now,
there's less contact in this game, especially against wide receivers
because the NFL has made it a point to open

(02:10:40):
up offenses to make this game more exciting downfield, and
so there's there's a there's a lot longer of a
career ahead of wide receivers starting his career today than
there was even five years ago or ten years ago
in this league. So thirty two it doesn't look like
thirty two anymore. It looks like twenty eight two. Me

(02:11:00):
these days, Julio Jones still has a couple of years,
maybe four, of continued success all Right, coming up, I
want to start getting by the way, Lakers early lead
against the Suns. Right now started the second quarter, Lakers
are leading this game, so the Suns are hanging in
at least early in this game. Uh, down to one

(02:11:20):
in this series. I think after watching the Lakers the
last two games, a lot of people just assume Phoenix
is going to go away. This is a team that
was fifty one twenty one. This is a team also
that has a banged up Chris Paul, so they're not
even at full strength. By the way, is it's like
second of course saying it was the old saying, I mean,

(02:11:42):
like how many how many postseasons postseason games is Chris
Paul gonna miss with injury? Over that this is the
most unlucky postseason point guard I've ever heard of. All Right,
which brings up a question I've been meaning to ask you,
talking about why it is that certain athletes seem to

(02:12:03):
shine brightest when the games matter most, and other great athletes,
for some reason, circumstance, whatever might be, do not play
at the same level. All Right. I want to get
from because you played with some of the greatest of
all time, You've also played against some of the greatest

(02:12:24):
of all time. And you've seen others where for whatever reason,
and it doesn't matter what the sport is, any sport,
and and and I I always wonder about this because
if you're not actually in the game, we watch these games.
We know as a fan how important these games are.
In the playoffs are a whole different beasts. But from

(02:12:44):
a players standpoint, the things change. Why do some respond
others don't. I want to get to that coming up,
and will continue to update you on what's going on.
By the way, Dodgers Giants game with the Padres losing today,
somebody's gonna pick up the game in the n O
West standings. Clayton Kershaw back on the mound for the Dodgers,
So we got a lot going on. Elia Castor Never's

(02:13:07):
winning the ind I will not say enough of that.
I'm so excited Spider Man when it's fourth in. But
we'll talk about why it is that maybe frustrated fans
can't figure it out why their star player isn't as
big as star when the games matter most. Coming up next,
Steve Harba, Rich Hornburger, Hope you're enjoying your Memorial Day Sunday.

(02:13:29):
Now do you have I I know the answer to
this already, but I'm just curious. What's gonna be on
the barbecue today? I mean, what's going on today? Today?
We're not doing barbecue. It's tomorrow. Tomorrow is the big
day we all have. We actually have a day off,
which is very rare for me personally. But uh, all right,
so let's let's look at your Memorial Day Monday. Yeah,
we're doing You're gonna be celebrating my son, Garrett's birthday,

(02:13:52):
that's right. Yeah, We're gonna be the celebration of Garrett Hartman.
I mean, I already have the gift pack, the gift basket, okay,
so they went all out for me. So that's okay.
So you're you're the master of the barbecue, right certainly.
All right, so you wake up tomorrow, now, you there's
a lot of prep work right night before to get
things ready to go, you know, Or do you do morning?

(02:14:16):
How do you set up the grill for with it's
gonna be an earlier morning. You get the you get
the smoker going in the morning, You get it. You
just I mean, you want that sucker just low and
slow all day long. Baby. Now, you're not bringing out
the blowtorch tomorrow, are you? The blowtorch may make an appearance. Yeah.
One of the things that one of the ways I
like to put a seer on the steak, as you know,

(02:14:37):
is with a propane blowtorch, and then is a blowtorch
o you. Alright, So if you remember the movie Once
upon a Time in Hollywood, Leonardo DiCaprio taking out the
woman in the pool, that's essentially what he has as
part of his arsenal when he's trying to get a
little seer on the steak. All right, so you just

(02:14:58):
what what? What's so? What's on the menu tomorrow? What
do we got? We got we're gonna have three racks
of ribs and we're gonna share with some neighbors. And
then cedar plank uh habannarow pineapple salmon. Wow? Yeah, Now
where this little orange slices on top? Yeah, I don't know.
I just found a great glaze and somebody said works

(02:15:18):
well with fish, and then I did a little research
and put the veggies on the grill. Everything. Yeah, well,
everything go on the grill. We're doing a corn on
the cob. We're gonna do a bunch of like pasta
and you know, potato salads and stuff like that. Oh, no,
it's gonna be watermelon block party. I mean this is
just for me. Are we are we just wondering. We're

(02:15:41):
not a hundred percent clear in California any restrictions where
you live on how many people you can entertain mask
wearing vaccinations. What are you looking at? Well, I mean
the governor's coming, there's an open house. No, we're gonna
have a couple of neighbors come by. We're gonna do
a each day in the morning. Look, it's gonna be

(02:16:02):
your your typical you know, red blooded American Memorial Day,
weekend barbecue. And now all right, now this is one
little interesting note I want to finish up here about
Riches family. He has two sons, Tie and Sebastian, and
Tie is growing like any young man is growing up.

(02:16:23):
But Sebastian from birth literally was your clone. I mean,
we we acknowledge the fact that, like when he came
into this world, it's like, oh my, if you don't
believe in cloning, we have X. He is your twin. Yeah,
there's nothing there's facially looks like you. He's built like you.
And everything else. But there's one major difference for some reason.

(02:16:45):
Now old is Sebastian. Now he's three. He's gonna be
three in July, all right, so he's gonna be three
in July. He is adverse, really adverse. The eating meat.
Hasn't done it, won't do it, will not eat meat
since I mean, since he was old enough to try
solid food. He'll eat cheese, he'll eat yogurt. But he

(02:17:06):
is built like a tank. He moves boulders like as
a one year old. I mean, the the how is
it possible he can do all that without eating any
meat protein? I think, I think, honestly, what's happening is
and we're not seeing it, probably because he's you know,
he's he's a tricky kid. He's probably sneaking like slim

(02:17:27):
Jim's in his diaper. There must be something going hounding
beef jerky in his bed, and I like, you know,
I don't know what. I don't know how he's You
and your wife Anna been throwing you know me pin
and turkey and ham and kid turns down bacon. I
don't know, no child of mine. Wow, I want the DNA.

(02:17:49):
No this this, it's it's it's mine. It's mind blowing.
So you're gonna have this full barbecue tomorrow. That barbecue
smell intoxicating. He'll have a slice of the watermelon. Yeah,
give me a He won't even eat the salmon. Dude,
he won't. I can't get him. I mean anything you
put in front of him, and sometimes you like, say,

(02:18:12):
you give him a scoop of something he likes. Whatever, right,
you don't meal, he won't. He eats mac and cheese. Well, really,
even what is he a vegetarian? Yeah? I mean so
far that's exactly what he could call him an embarrassment
to the orm Burger family. I know he's off the will,
but but maybe we'll work him back in. If you

(02:18:32):
imagine an orm burger that doesn't partake. What does your
father say about this? I mean he's going to be
coming out in the summer months here, my folks are
coming out to stay with us. He's going to be
a ghast. I I I we haven't told him yet.
Oh cheese, you kid? Even kid? How do I have

(02:18:55):
a hot dog with me? Here? Rich? What is an
orm burger If he won't eat a burger? How about this?
There's a there's a local restaurant in San Diego that
has a burger named after me or Burger and Sebastian.
My youngest will never know the pleasures of a delicious

(02:19:15):
half pound burger patty. By the way, is anyone you've
seen taken down in orne burger quicker than me? No?
You for four bites and that thing was gone? Was
everything on there? Dude? You want to hinge your jaw
like you're reticulated python. You know what's on there? Is
the fried avocado. I think actually Hartman is an invasive
species that was unleashed in the Everglades back in the seventies,

(02:19:39):
and he's just he just worked his way west and
now he's unleashed on this market fried a Yeah, the
fried avocado and the lapeno ray. I'll tell you that.
I look, I'm I'm proud of a lot of things.
Are proud of my son's maybe a little of Sebastian. Well, okay,

(02:20:03):
we're working on them, working on that one. But this
this burger I made, it's it's and by the way,
they even have a junior version of it. Don't think, yeah,
you know, I mean and and again that's that was
specifically earmark to uh to to quit the appetites of
my my wonder kin. Ye, not happening. Not happening. I wanted.

(02:20:27):
I wanted to talk to you about And I'm always
curious about this. So when you took the field for
your first NFL playoff game, do you remember Do you
remember your first NFL playoff game? I would imagine you
would right going into that game, did you think to yourself,

(02:20:50):
all right, this is different, especially being on a perennial
playoff team like the New England Patriots, and then I
have to have a different mindset and having never experienced before, right, like, okay,
this is this is you know, it's a do or die.
Did you go into that game with a different mindset?

(02:21:11):
And when you observe your own teammates, many of which
were Super Bowl champions and thus you're seeing some of
the greats out there, did you see anything different or
did you find out that those that were most successful
in handling the spotlight really had no change at all?
So let's go back, especially on a team like the

(02:21:32):
Patriots that were a perennial team you got Tom Brady
or seeing the master at work out there, Belichick. Obviously,
I'm just curious the first experience of the playoffs. What
did you find out about preparing for a game like
that and playing with teammates that have been there, done
that successfully. I will, uh, I'll first talk about the

(02:21:54):
coaching because at that time in my career and I
had opportunities to play in playoff games after that. Um,
but I was I was drafted as a future replacement
to starting offensive linemen who are getting long in the
twoth So my first playoff experience, I really was looking
at it as a reserve offensive lineman and and witnessing

(02:22:17):
how others prepared for a moment like that. And I
remember from a coaching standpoint, Belichick the way he looked
at the postseason was obviously was ramped up from the
regular season. He gave the speech at the beginning of
the season. He said, preseason has its own pace. The
regular season obviously has its own pace. But the regular
season changes in November, right around the time where you're

(02:22:38):
starting to get ready for Thanksgiving dinner. The regular season,
all of a sudden, you have teams pushing for playoff polling,
you know, improve their seating. You have teams pushing to
get into the wild card. You have teams who are
trying to secure home field advantage. So it jumps up
the pace of the season, jumps up around November late November,

(02:23:00):
and then obviously it gets to a fever pitch in
the postseason, in the playoffs. And he wasn't wrong, but
one of the things, and we were talking about kids
just a second ago, that I've always been capable of
doing and witnessed it with players in that locker room
because they have been to the postseason. For the majority
of them who have been veterans and have been with

(02:23:20):
the Patriots for a while, have been to the playoffs
so many times that they were treating it like it
was just another Sunday. It was just another day going
to work and doing our business, and so that like
you looked at the coaches, you looked at the players.
Nobody seemed abundantly nervous. Nobody seemed like they were outside

(02:23:42):
of themselves. It was a normal days preparation and then
the results of which were success. I mean, over the
three years I was with New England, we're in the
postseason every year and we made it all the way
to the Super Bowl my final season with them. Yeah,
I would It makes sense because we always talk about
when you take your game to the next level any sport,
you need to slow things down because the pace of

(02:24:04):
everything is more intense because you got the premier athletes
all on the field at the same time. But to
be able to maintain that And this this goes back
to individual sports as well. I mean, we we watch
golfers and major golf championships lose it and others can
just step up and make the putts. You know, they

(02:24:25):
can somehow keep their focus not get rattled. You know,
we always are just blown away that they can do that.
And and golf is actually good comparison. I'm glad you
brought it up, because that's a sport where typically, you know,
especially when you're you're talking about a major event, especially
when you're talking about like the top eight year or

(02:24:45):
so players in the world, you notice how they never
really celebrate any like even some forty footers, Like usually
it's just the tip of the capital the crowd or
they chip in and they barely give it an a
knowledge and they give a high five to their caddy
and then they move on to the next hole. Yeah,
it's the idea that all of this is is just
what I was expecting and and you never let the

(02:25:08):
peaks go too high. You know, it was John Wooden
actually who used to say this. He goes every peak
is followed by a valley. So you never want to
spike your heartbeat. You never want to spike your emotion
because it's going to be followed by some sort of slump.
So if everything stays on an even keel, you're never
going to You're never going to experience that lull after

(02:25:29):
the high. I think he also said something along play fast,
but don't hurry right right right, and now there words control.
You want to play at a high pace, but under control.
All about self control. Right in the postseason, you have
to be able to handle the emotion. One one of
the reasons I brought this up was, you know Chris Paul,
who's had a Hall of Fame career. I mean, you

(02:25:50):
look statistically, he's probably one of the top five point
guards ever, all defense, all league, top five all time,
and assist and and and then steals both ends of
the court. He has this game, and yet he's only
once ever been to the conference finals. He's never been
to the NBA finals. And we watched this year where
he suddenly gets hurt again, You're like, wow, can this

(02:26:10):
guy catch a break? But there's there's something to be
said about those that understand we we were talking about
Lebron James understands how to navigate through the postseason and
take care of business at hand, but still have enough
gas left in the tank, knowing, hey, that's one series,
two series, three, series, four series, and he's able to

(02:26:33):
pace himself throughout this And it just it just seems
where I do I think less of Chris Paul as
a player because he's never been to the NBA Finals.
Not really. I mean I can take the sum of
his entire career and say, look, look, the numbers don't lie.
Plus the fact he plays both ends of the court. Yeah, No,
he's great two way player. He's one of those stoppers

(02:26:54):
on defense. Especially at a guard position. You need one
of those guys, and typically you bring in a guy who's,
you know, maybe a three and D player, maybe he's
a spot shooter on the one side of the court,
and that's really his role, and then he can lock
somebody down defensively. It's very rare that you have such
a contributor on the offensive side who can also defend

(02:27:16):
his position as well as Chris Paul. That's what's gonna
make him a Hall of Famer essentially. But you're right,
he's been unlucky in the postseason, and I'm curious if
it isn't because he does he does he change his
style of player preparation when he gets that point of
the year. I don't know, it's it doesn't translate for
whatever reason. All right, And when we know this, there

(02:27:36):
are different styles of play postseason. Regular season hockey is
the most notorious. Let's find out what's trending right now.
David Gascon is back with us, and you know, David,
your big hockey Officionada. When we get to the UM,
I means it's literally a different sport. We saw that

(02:27:58):
with the l A Kings. We're one year there an
eight seed, and and and and they were six seed
two years later when they won a second top and
they were in between we're in the Western Conference finals.
But that was a team built for playoff hockey. Don't forget.
They're only one of a couple of teams in in
pro sports history to ever come back from a three

(02:28:21):
nothing hole and win a series. Can I can I
share a quick story about that all right. So they're
playing the San Jose Sharks. It it won the Cup
in twelve, lost to the Western Conference finals of the Hawks.
So they're down three out of the Sharks, and it
just looks like, all right, this is gonna be a

(02:28:41):
quick exit from the playoffs. And I'm at Staples Center
for Game four, okay, and so and one of our
other reporters TV reporters is up in Sacramento for the
Clippers opening up their series against the Kings. So I'm
hearing this in my ear. Look, nobody cares about the
King's right now, so quick report just in an out.
Kings won the game, but it's you know, are going

(02:29:03):
back to Santos. It's over. So I'm sitting there thinking
of just that. Right, So, all of a sudden, I'm
hearing right before I go in that our reporter in Sacramento,
we can't get him. So now you're gonna have to stretch.
So so we got our anchor and she's throwing it
out to me, Well, let's go out to Steve. I go, well,
the Kings stoppaged the game, and uh, you know, quick report,

(02:29:25):
And all of a sudden I hear this, ask him
a question another question. She's like, oh, so, what do
you think can the Kings win this series? I'm like,
all right, well, they were down three games to none.
There's only been three times ever, so it's it's highly unlikely.
So I figured that's it. And all of a sudden,
they're like, stretch, So she goes, can the Kings win
it all? And I'm just searching for anything to say.

(02:29:48):
I said, I'll tell you one. If the Kings come
back to win this series down three games to none,
they will win the Stanley Cup. I'm just throwing it. Yeah.
They as it turned out, that's exactly and they kept
playing this replay are Steve Hartman was the first to
predict this, and I'm like, I didn't make any prediction.

(02:30:10):
I was asked to stretch and just say something outlandish
to fill time. Made me look like a genius, and
which is wild, because not only did they come back
from three nothing in that first round, they won three
straight game seven's and did that before win the Cup.
They beat the New York Rangers on the road on
the road, and uh, you know, they won the Cup

(02:30:33):
at home. They beat I was there for that couple winning,
but no, they the three previous series. That's what they did. Yeah, well,
I guess if you want to count the Ducks on
the road. But but I think, in my personal, humble opinion,
having being a big fan in covering all four major
sports in North America, that Major League Baseball in the
National Hockey League have a considerable elevation in their game

(02:30:57):
when you go from regular season to post season. Oh,
there's no question. And the NHL and I agree the
Major League Baseball. A lot of times we go through
a hundred and sixty two games and you're like, what
is it about this game I'm supposed to like? And
then you get into the post season and magic happens.
It happens time and time again in the MLB. You

(02:31:18):
look at what the Nationals did a few years ago.
They had one of the worst bullpits in Major League Baseball.
I think it was twenty nine or thirty out of
all those teams, but it was Strasburg and Suzer. Those
are your two horses. They rode them all the way
through the postseason. Drama bills, right, you know, when you
have the drama, the pitch, waiting for the next pitch
and everything else, it works so beautifully in postseason for

(02:31:41):
base Yeah. That the one thing. I will say regular
season baseball, the biggest problem they have is how many
games they play. It's not necessarily the length of the
game's individually. It's because we saw this last year. There
was no pitch clock, there was no but there was
no issue because in a sixty game, uh, he reached one.

(02:32:01):
You had such beautiful urgency in his sport that's so
desperately needs it in there. What about the NBA, though,
trust me to play the games. I mean, I have
both of these seasons and you have something special. Oh man, yeah, baby,
I don't know so much. Speaking of that. Right now,
Phoenix in the Los Angeles Lakers are going at it

(02:32:23):
at the end of the first half of this thing.
Phoenix actually has a one point lead right now at
one to fifty. Earlier today it was all Atlanta. Taken
it to the New York Knicks. Yea, it looks gets
it in finally to John Collins, who hands it now
to Trey Ung. Tray shoots another three and he makes
this one. Trey Young knocks down along three and the
Hawks have a fifteen point lead down sent sixty one.

(02:32:44):
That's twenty four ty Nicks were skunked one nineties six.
Atlanta now up in that series three games to one.
Boston trying to get things even with Brooklyn. They'll tip
off in about a couple hours from now. They're down
the series two games to one. Clippers and the Mavericks.
Tonight Major League Bay small sweep complete Tigers a three
game series sweep of the New York Yankees, winning today

(02:33:05):
six to two with the final score. Naomi Osaka find
fifteen thousand dollars by the French Open for not speaking
to the media after her first round matchup series victory.
And Elo Castro Nevis, for the fourth time ever in
his career, captures the checkered flight Indianapolis five hundreds. That's
a uh, you know, a big fan of Ia Sam.

(02:33:25):
I was Sam rocking that Castro Nevis tight skinny shirt
that he wears. That's true. Uh yeah, alright, it also
might be an in and out shirt. But you know, guys,
out of the first half. Now Sons up by four
of the Lakers. Wow. Alright, So there you go. We'll

(02:33:45):
be following all these NBA playoff games. By the way,
I don't want to call out Jeff Schwartz. Remember Sam. Yesterday,
we asked Jeff his best NBA play of the day
the rest of the that's how we ended the day,
and his play of the day was so Utah Memphis
Game three, going back to Memphis, series tied one apiece,

(02:34:08):
Grizzlies got the winning game one, and he said, my play,
take the money line Grizzlies first quarter, just first quarter
because the crowd's gonna be fired up. I don't I'm
not saying they're gonna win the game. Take Memphis first quarter.
What did you check the box? So the end of
the first quarter score was Utah. What was interesting about

(02:34:36):
that game is Memphis played him even the rest of
the game. Star got m hey, I want to I
want to just for a moment here. Get back to
something we discussed very early on the show, and this
is this story about Naomi Osaka, and this is really interesting.

(02:34:56):
So the four Grand Slam tournaments, the Australian, French, US Open,
Wimbledon all work in cahoots, okay, And so they're making
it clear to her that if she continues to decline
her media obligations, she is violating the rules and could

(02:35:19):
trigger a major offense investigation and future Grand Slam suspensions.
So if she tries to continue this during the French Open,
they could expel her. You're done, You're out of this
Grand Slam, and we could ban you from future Grand

(02:35:40):
Slams if you continue to take this stance of not
fulfilling your media obligations. And the thing we were talking
about before was I don't think she fully understands what's
going on here, if she's offended by questions or feels
like the questions are border my personal questions that have

(02:36:01):
role no real you know, bearing on what she's doing
on the tennis court, what she has to do. And
I've we've seen especially tennis tennis tennis players in general
tend to be a little prima donnish, can I say
a little sensitive? Remember they're usually so young. Tennis is

(02:36:22):
a very young sport, right, I Mean, we we get
the grizzled veterans, but you've got to learn how to
play the game. If you're dealing with the spotlight of
the media, and we see athletes do this all the time,
you got to figure out how to manipulate. I would
just hate to see her like really push this to
the point where they say you're giving us no choice. Look,

(02:36:42):
if you're not going to address the media, then you're out.
You're done. One one outlet. Let's see, I'm trying to
get you. So there's a sports reporter with with a
different outlet who says it's time to accept and they
only I Saka as a human being before she's an athlete.

(02:37:02):
Stepping away from things that do not serve as an
essential practice for your well being, regardless of how mandatory
society makes those things is smart, not problematic. But here's
the problem. Here's why what Naomi Asaka is doing is
problematic is she can't step away from this. This is

(02:37:24):
her professional obligation. I'm sorry, it's in her contract essentially.
I mean, I'm sorry. I I understand that it may
not be good for your game to have to feel
questions about poor performances during a tournament. It may not
feel good to have to answer for whatever it may be,

(02:37:46):
or answer personal questions that you have no interest in
answering during a tournament. And maybe that's uncomfortable for you.
I get it. I get it. It's not comfortable, it's
not completely unnatural, and I've done it before. Where you're
standing at a podium in front of a pool of
reporters and writers and media types, and you're answering questions
about the state of the team, You're answering questions about

(02:38:09):
your state, you're answering questions about the the upcoming opponent,
and you're trying to navigate all this without saying something
that could get you in trouble, that could put the
team in a diminished light whatever I mean. And then
specifically in individual sports like tennis or golf, when the
focus is completely and solely on you and you're a

(02:38:30):
young talented player, I get it. I get it, but
it's a part of your job. Well here, here's where
it gets tricky, though, because what she is sighting is
is that she's putting her mental health at jeopardy, Like
she's saying, I have a mental potential mental health problem.

(02:38:50):
Based on this necessity to address the media. Many people,
before we even knew who she was, said that she
was very shy. Some people thought that maybe she was
a little prima donagh, like she didn't really want to
talk to anybody. But more and more people realize that
she is very much a shy person. So I guarantee

(02:39:11):
you she's gonna have people back in her, because when
you start bringing up the mental health issue and something
that she's already openly talking about, some people may side
with her saying, look, look at you. You're not gonna
jeopardize her mental health. Alright, This is a fine line
because she is one of your big stars right now
and you need her out there. I'm not doubting that

(02:39:33):
mental health is an issue, and I'm talking about overall, right,
But whatever you struggle with, whether it's you know, uh,
a fear of public speaking, anxieties or or depression or whatever.
I mean, there's a myriad of things that can affect
you on a daily basis. There's no question about it,
and many people do and struggle. Uh, if you specifically

(02:39:56):
believe that being addressed by the media is a mental
health struggle for you, I just think there are probably
better ways to handle it than the way we've seen
this handled well. The one thing they make clear is
we do not make exceptions. Were if we make an
exception for you, you you can only imagine others are gonna say, well,

(02:40:20):
she doesn't, why am I doing this? And they can
have that snowball effects. So this is a story developing
right now as we have the French open going on
on the other side. We're gonna get you ready for
the rest of your Memorial Day weekend coming up next,
save Irman and rich Armburger. All right, let's thank the
crew today. I alwas Sammy got big plans for the

(02:40:41):
rest of your Memorial Day weekends. I'll be here working
on the Dan Patrick Show tomorrow with Doug Gottlie Band,
Rob Parker. Look at that. This guy Ryan bursting here,
look at that. So that answers those two. Oh Ryan,
It's good to see Ryan all the time now working
around the clock. Apparently this is my network now. Yeah,

(02:41:03):
it's like Captain Phillips. You've taken over. You're not relinquishing
power of control. Hold on, I gotta check in with
Gascon David. Are you matching grill power with Rich over
the weekend. I am. I'm in the process of thawing
out a two and a half pound tomahawk, so I'm

(02:41:23):
gonna have that. But I will I will not be here,
but I will be on chapter thirty nine of forty
six in an audio book that I need to finish
by tomorrow. So I'm gonna be busy for a little
while too. Very very good very very good. That's the spirit, right,
That is the spirit. That's what's all about. Watching the
n O West right now. Interesting games going on. Clayton

(02:41:44):
Kershaw is having a rough day. He's down for nothing
the Giants and the Padres. This is a weird game.
They're down seven nothing to the Astros. Blake Snell got yanked.
They decided to save their arms because you're down seven nothing,
you're not going to win the game, right that. They're
gonna use tomorrow's starter, Joe Musgrove, the guy that's through

(02:42:04):
the no hitter for the Padres earlier this year. So
he pitched five innings in relief, and you know what
he did. He didn't. In fact, the only batter to
reach base was on a hit batter. Ironically, that's what
he did in his no hitter. Meanwhile, the Padres have
hit one home run after another here in the ninth inning,
and it's suddenly a seven or four game and the

(02:42:27):
Astros bringing what what you sort of bringing the guy
that you don't want to waste your bullpen, So you're
just basically saying, throw strikes, except he's throwing strikes and
the Patres keep hitting the ball out of the ballpark. Well,
his name is literally scrub and yeah, I don't know
if they're hitting the ball out of the park. Ever
been a low hanging fruit here, But there might be
a joke attached to this one. I don't know. Uh

(02:42:51):
So it's now seven to four in this game. Either way,
the Padres will continue to be leading the National League West,
but the Dodger a little struggle. Remember they blew out
this Giant team up in San Francisco and now it's
the Giants trying to return the favor against the Dodgers
at a Dodger stadium. Yeah, it's this cent On West

(02:43:12):
is going to get exciting. I mean, these these three
teams continue to jockey for position. People didn't see the
Giants coming. They don't think they're gonna be at the
party long. But there, boy, they're sticking around. And we're
getting closer and closer to All Star breaks. So when
do we start counting the Giants as a potential contender?
I I I have dismissed them, but I can no

(02:43:32):
longer do it. They have impressed. Well, the Lakers win today, Rich,
what are your thoughts here are This is gonna be
an even up series today dub

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05/30/2021 - FOX Sports Sunday with Steve Hartman and Rich Ohrnberger

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}05/30/2021 - FOX Sports Sunday with Steve Hartman and Rich Ohrnberger