Buck & Fitz React Live to UConn vs. Illinois, Discuss Luka's Injury, Kirk Cousins the Raider & More!

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Don't listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Ah, the culmination of the madness. It's nearly upon us.
We got the Final Four ahead, we had some fun,
some sparks fly in the women's tournament yesterday, and we're
happy to be here to react to all of it
with you. He's Jason fitz I'm Buck Rising, hanging out
here with you on this Fox Sports Saturday.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
We've got Ian and Mary back in.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
The studio in Los Angeles making it all go. The
road ends in Indie, state of my youth, state of
my birth, Fitzie, and we will see whether or not
the Final Four has more intrigued than the actual National
Championship itself, because much like the NFL season towards the
end in the NFC Championship game where we both looked

(00:47):
at that ram Seahawks matchup and said, oh, this might
be a better game than the actual Super Bowl. This
Arizona Michigan game tonight, this feels like it has the
same vibes.

Speaker 3 (00:56):
How we feeling. Where are you in the world.

Speaker 2 (00:58):
You're doing ifl You're bopping around and I'm just happy
to see that you're on the show today for once
to do your job.

Speaker 4 (01:03):
Wow.

Speaker 5 (01:04):
Wow, Wow, that is you know where I am. I'm
twenty minutes from Indy. But you know what I didn't do.
I didn't take tickets. I didn't take tickets.

Speaker 6 (01:11):
I got offered tickets to a game, and I was like, no,
I've missed enough.

Speaker 5 (01:14):
I've missed enough bucking fits. I'm not going to miss
it to go watch yukon Illinois. So no, like I
am here, I am in Fishers, Indiana where tomorrow night
I'll be the sideline reporter for the Fishers Freight game
in the Indoor Football League. Brent Stover going to be
on the call. Brent Company, He's doing all the CBS
stuff coming straight over. Look, we're stacked. It's going to
be a sold out game, big crowd in India. Apparently

(01:35):
there's some basketball going on here too. Who knew, but
you're right. This matchup, this Arizona Michigan matchup. I keep saying,
Book is the ultimate flip of the coin. Like to me,
it's the ultimate Spider Man name. It's two teams that
have so much size and length and so much ability
to get to perimeter to defense, so much ability ability
to disrupt.

Speaker 6 (01:55):
I genuinely have no idea. I am no less, no
more confident.

Speaker 5 (02:00):
I should say today two hours before that game tips off,
then I was Monday trying to figure.

Speaker 6 (02:05):
Out who's going to win that one?

Speaker 5 (02:06):
Like it just that game feels like it is going
to be one for the ages to me.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
And of course you have Yukon and Illinois. Yukon getting
to the final four in improbable fashion and now they
get the opportunity to.

Speaker 3 (02:21):
Face a quality Illinois team.

Speaker 2 (02:23):
Where as far as the coaching goes, I don't know
who necessarily is at the greater advantage because where Danny
Hurley is experienced and understands how to manage his roster
in these critical moments, Brad Underwood and Illinois, man, they
are a legit threat to win this thing. You could
say any of these four teams remaining in the field

(02:45):
are a threat to actually win this thing. In fact,
I'd say Yukon has a weaker case than any of
the other three.

Speaker 5 (02:50):
Yeah, Yukon's the worst of the four remaining teams with
the best coach, right, I mean that's the crazy part.
The best coach as long as he doesn't get himself
in trouble, Like two things can be true here.

Speaker 6 (03:00):
I'm glad they.

Speaker 5 (03:01):
Didn't call a tech, but it also could have been
a tech at the end of that game. Is he
now famously whatever had leaned into the official let me
tell you something, Brothers roller in full hall Cogan. When
I booked my plane tickets weeks ago to get to
Connecticut from Connecticut to Indianapolis this morning for the Fishers
Freight game tomorrow night, I never would have imagined that

(03:23):
I'd be going into one of the most chaotic airplane sequences.
You can imagine every single seat filled with you, like
the amount of Ukon posters chance I heard in the flights,
like these fans had been raren to go. It is
interesting to me because I wondered if proximity would be
a real advantage for Illinois in this game. Just feels
like they're going to have more fans that can get

(03:44):
there easily. But the airlines had to add flights over
the last forty eight hours just to account for all
of the people flying from Connecticut into Indianapolis.

Speaker 6 (03:53):
Like these crowds are going to be raging.

Speaker 5 (03:55):
Hurley's a cheat code, but Connecticut's not as good as Illinois.
Illinois should win this game unless really can cheat code
their way into it.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
Show of Hands back in the La studio. Of course,
Martin Weiss is they're doing updates as well. They'll be
on after us to continue to get you through this
evening of college hoops.

Speaker 3 (04:13):
Show of Hands.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
Do we actually think that Jason Fitz was offered tickets
to the Final four and decline them for the sake
of being on this radio show?

Speaker 3 (04:21):
Anybody else in the room believe him?

Speaker 7 (04:23):
Everyone has their hands down, by.

Speaker 6 (04:25):
The way, correct, Yeah, I will hands screenshot.

Speaker 5 (04:28):
I will scree shot the text to our agent a
few days ago that said, Hey, I got offered tickets.

Speaker 6 (04:33):
What should I do?

Speaker 7 (04:33):
You don't got to come with those, brother.

Speaker 6 (04:37):
I'm telling you Buck. Buck's not a believer. Buck is
not a believer. You know what.

Speaker 5 (04:41):
A couple of things you know about me? Number one,
I'm a pleaser. I don't want to let people down.
I'm missing some.

Speaker 6 (04:46):
Time for these IFL games. I'm not well, so I'm also,
you know, an entrepreneur said that lightly. So I like
making money. You know, I like making money, so I'm
always going to work over not work on that.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Well, that you're a greed supersedes all of this. That's
the most convincing argument that you've made so far. He's
Jason Fitz on Buck Rising, hanging out with you on
this Fox Sports Saturday.

Speaker 3 (05:09):
So how are we feeling about the direction that these
games will go tonight?

Speaker 2 (05:14):
Because as I see it, FITZI Michigan, who's just clubbed
every opportunity or every opponent that they've gone up against,
Arizona turning it on basically in the second half against Purdue,
pulling away pretty comfortably, showing their athleticism, showing their ability
to just be devastating around the rim. The more that

(05:36):
I watch those two teams, the more conflicted I am
about how.

Speaker 3 (05:41):
This game is going to go.

Speaker 2 (05:42):
And yet I feel even though I picked Michigan to
win our bracket. By the way, I don't know where
you were in this Fox Sports Radio bracket challenge. I
got my ass kicked. I'm somewhere in the thirties at
this point in time.

Speaker 3 (05:51):
Martin may last.

Speaker 2 (05:52):
When last we got together a week ago, Martin was
at or at least close to the top of the
order there. I don't know how his bracket has fared
the last week of basketball upsets.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
Perhaps we'll get an update when we get to the update.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
Later in the show, but the more that I feel,
or the more that I watch these two teams and
go back and forth on how I feel about picking
the game, I feel like Arizona's got the best chance
to win this thing, even though I pick Michigan to
win the whole damn thing.

Speaker 6 (06:20):
I haven't looked at our bracket challenge.

Speaker 5 (06:22):
I know that I got three of the four right
in my final four, Florida being the only one that
I missed in my final four four, so I feel
pretty good about it. I had Arizona win it at
all coming into this tournament. I think the best of
Michigan is better than the best of Arizona, but I
trust a little bit more the depth of Arizona. I
think the most important part on that game, Buck is

(06:42):
the first five minutes in the officiating Number one. We
need to know that to call in it evenly across
the board. I trust that they'll do that. The question
to me is are they calling this one tight? Are
they letting them play? Because both of these teams are
so physical at the rim. If the reps are stepping
out of the way, this becomes quickly just a slug fest.
If the refs are trying to control the pace of

(07:03):
the game. Early on, this becomes a foul fest, and
now all of a sudden we're talking about depth and
who picks up those two thousand too quick and.

Speaker 6 (07:10):
How they run that bench like.

Speaker 5 (07:12):
I think the officials are actually the most interesting part
of the late game because I'm not one hundred percent
sure of how they'll adapt to how the game is
being called.

Speaker 6 (07:22):
So that's the biggest variable to me.

Speaker 5 (07:24):
But again, I think, to me, the Michigan Arizona game
has that chance to just be ugly, physical, nineties feeling
basketball where guys are colliding under the rim over and
over and over again, and I'll keep going back to
the length that the guys have. For anyone that hasn't
watched these two teams, they look kind of scrunny. When
I say that they're physical, They're not physical like Jani
Sante Tekupo currently under the rim, right, They're not physical

(07:46):
like trucks.

Speaker 6 (07:47):
They're physical like they're.

Speaker 5 (07:48):
Long and so they dis rupped so many shots and
they just force you off balance so much. I think
that's the real beauty of the way the defense is
played by both of these teams. But man, that's why
I think this is sort of one of those hammer
the under and get ready for ugly sort of games.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
To me, Yeah, Arizona had sixty points in the paint
against Purdue to advance to this final. For the Wildcats,
thirty points from the free throw line as well. It's
the most combined points in an nc NCUBA Tournament game
in the past twenty years. And then you know, Purdue

(08:22):
hung with them as long as they could. They ended
up finishing with forty points in the paint twenty points
from the free throw line, outscoring the boiler Makers by
a combined twenty eight points in those areas. That's according
to ESPN stats and information. So you understand how these
two teams want to play. You understand that Arizona right now,
Arizona has I think greater athleticism. But the thing that

(08:44):
makes me sick fits is because I'm in Indiana alum.
My football team is a national champion, which is delightful,
but my basketball team is God forsaken and in part
because they did not make all manner of efforts to
hire Dusty May, a former Indiana grad. Well he is
an indianigrd and Bob Knight, a former Bob Knight assistant
in the final days of Bob Knight at Indiana University.

(09:06):
And this man not only did he get FAU to
the final four, he's got Michigan absolutely humming. They they
to me, FITZI have looked like the best team in
the tournament start to finish the whole way through. I
am so impressed with the job that he has done,
with the job, with the way that he's been able
to get that roster to play for him and galvan
I to play for each other as well.

Speaker 3 (09:27):
It's clear in the way that they go about this.

Speaker 2 (09:30):
And like we talked about the game at that they
beat Saint Louis in where I felt like Saint Louis
played one of their best basketball games, if not the
best basketball game that squad has played all year long,
and Michigan was just overwhelming, just absolutely inevitable that Saint
Louis had nothing for them or could not keep pace
with them, because when that team is on, the Wolverines
are right now.

Speaker 3 (09:51):
I mean, I would argue that the best team in
the country.

Speaker 5 (09:55):
I think through the course of the entire season, that's
what they've been. And look, there were good broadcast not
you know, hot taking broadcasters. We're good broadcasters in January
that we're trying to say that Michigan had the chance
to be one of the greatest college basketball teams of
all time.

Speaker 6 (10:09):
That's how good it looks. When it looks really good.

Speaker 5 (10:11):
And if their shots fall in I know that's modern
college basketball, but particularly if their shots falling on top
of the size that they have, God, they're absolutely indefensible
and unbeatable. The thing to me that surprises me is
every time I've sat there and said, oh my god,
Michigan's a unit you can't get in their way. Then
I watch Arizona and I'm like, wait, so are they so?
I think part of this is just like I underestimate.

(10:32):
Even though I picked Arizona to win it, I just
felt like Arizona had a better draw to get them there.
I'm I'm stunned by how efficient Arizona has been throughout
the course of this tournament repeatedly.

Speaker 6 (10:43):
I think that's the part that's sort of like blown
my mind.

Speaker 2 (10:47):
The thing that will blow your mind when you download
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(11:07):
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just search Fox Sports Radio in the iHeart app. Let's
talk about this Luka doncic in injury and what it
means for the Los Angeles Lakers. He's Jason Fitz. I'm
Buck Rising, hanging out here with you on a Fox
Sports Saturday on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (11:31):
Hey, it's me Rob Parker.

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Speaker 9 (12:02):
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listen live.

Speaker 2 (12:14):
He's Jason Fitz I'm Buck Rising. We're here with you
on Fox Sports Radio. NCAA tournament getting ready to get
back underway with the final four just ahead. In the meantime, FITZI,
let's talk some basketball. On the pro side of things,
Luca is expected to miss at least the rest of

(12:34):
the regular season with a hamstring injury. According to Sham Sharania,
it's a circumstance for the Lakers that is less than ideal,
especially because about an hour ago we got the news
that Austin Reeves is also going to miss some time
as well. What does this mean for this Lakers team
is their playoff situation is not terribly certain.

Speaker 5 (12:56):
I mean, their playoff situation was already pretender, right, Like,
I think the hardest part for the Lakers is that
we just have to be honest about who they are.
And it's okay to say the Lakers are better than
we thought they would be now compared to where this
season started. But also they don't belong in the same
conversation as Okac or San Antonio or Denver. This is
just sort of worst case scenario for the Lakers because

(13:19):
it sort of amplifies some of the problem. This was
the team built on the concept, and Wendy came on
ma Yahu Show and talked a little bit about this,
Like they knew they were going to have defensive liabilities,
they just thought it wouldn't matter because their offense would
be so good.

Speaker 6 (13:32):
They figured that out over the course of March, obviously,
but then think about it.

Speaker 5 (13:36):
In the game, Luca was hurt in he was hurting
the game that Oka see was just toying with them,
just absolutely.

Speaker 6 (13:41):
Demolishing them, like I got demolished on the you know.

Speaker 5 (13:45):
The dodgeball courts as a fat kid like Okay s
was just absolutely torturing them up by thirty at that
lap and they still had Luca in that game. So,
you know, I think that was a big statement, reminder
that the Lakers were always pretenders for what they actually want,
which is a title. So I think this just forces
them to look at the mirror and understand that this
year has been fun but not what they expected.

Speaker 3 (14:06):
Well, and that's that. I guess that's at the crux
of the issue.

Speaker 2 (14:11):
The Lakers fans aren't in this just for fun, right
like the Lakers fans are invested in championships. They've traded
for a young star who is going to I mean,
who has taken over for Lebron as the best player
on the team, even though Lebron James, at forty one
years old, continues to do just outrageously athletic things for anybody,
not just for somebody of his age, and you know

(14:34):
this will keep him. By the way, Luca short of
the sixty five game threshold needed to be eligible for
the end of season awards, so the MVP hopes for
Luca also out with this injury.

Speaker 6 (14:47):
That's the most consequential portion of this to me, because
look the sixty five games, and I heard Greeney on
get Up say.

Speaker 5 (14:53):
The players did this to themselves, And I just think
that's one of the most asinine takes I've heard in
sports in a long time, because we're for getting that
load management as a concept wasn't originated by players. It
was originated by pop like the most legendary coach of
his generation. In many people's minds, it was Popovich that
looked around and said, you know what, We're going to
start resting players.

Speaker 6 (15:14):
So often players get rested for.

Speaker 5 (15:16):
Load management, and we look at it and say, well,
the players just showed up that day and said, nah,
I don't feel like coming to work, when in fact,
it more often than not, it's the team doctors that
are actually looking at the players and saying, hey, it's
night to have a back to back, you're not going
to play tonight. It's the team conditioning staff and training
staff that says you're not going.

Speaker 6 (15:33):
To play tonight. So, like, I think it's wildly asinine that.

Speaker 5 (15:36):
A sixty five game limit has been put in that
puts constraints on the player's ability to make money, but
doesn't actually penalize the people that are forcing this to happen,
which are the teams. Like, we turned this into an
anti player conversation, not we, you and I, but many people.
And I think the teams need to take a hell
of a lot more ownership in why sixty five games
even exists.

Speaker 3 (15:57):
Uh yukhn.

Speaker 2 (15:58):
For what it's worth, Up early early on Illinois, as
the first game of the Final Four gets underway, We'll
keep you updated with all of the latest in that
game because that will be on for the duration of
our show today, and of course Martin will keep you
updated once they get on the air as well. So
this is this is Luca's first full season with the Lakers.

(16:19):
We understand the he's not going to complete the full season,
the full regular season, do the injury FITZI. But as
we sit here and look at Luca and what Lakers
fans got, has the juice been worth the squeeze so
far in the first full season that we've seen of him.

Speaker 6 (16:35):
Oh hell yeah. And the funny thing to me about
that is buck is that this team still needs a
lot of help.

Speaker 5 (16:41):
And I'm not sure what Lebron's future is going to
be with this team, but they've really cemented themselves as
the ability to contend. Having the ability to contend, you're
in and you're out for the next decade. Like that's
the amazing thing. This is definitely a different version of Luca.
And also this is a version of Luca going back
to our sixty five game conversation, like part of why
people are bummed as he was clearly an All Pro

(17:02):
and clearly an MVP candidate, Like we're going to reach
the point where so many All pros and MVP candidates
aren't eligible that you're getting the MVP next year. So
but I mean, that doesn't take anything away from the
fact that Luca was having an MVP caliber season being
with all of the pressure and all of the lights
and all of the everything that comes with LA, I
think he's owned every single outs of it. So I think,

(17:23):
if anything, Lucas exceeded my expectations so far in LA,
And it looks like they've got a juggernaut.

Speaker 6 (17:29):
Like, look, at some point you're.

Speaker 5 (17:30):
Gonna have to figure out how to replace six hundred
and seventy three year old Lebron James or Robin in
this situation. But I think that they've really put themselves
between Luca and Austin Reeves in a situation where now
it's like, hey, we've got two of our building blocks.
Now we need to go out and find building blocks three, four,
and five. It takes more depth in that. But man,
whatever the Lakers are going to be is largely im
part of because of Luca. Whatever they won't be, I

(17:52):
think is very little on his shoulders. He's he's been
absolutely electric to them.

Speaker 2 (17:58):
Yeah, and Lebron, you know, I know there's there's always
some kind of conversation about Lebron James and how would
he handle operating in a more ancillary role At this
point in his career. I think he's been awesome so
far this year fifty. I think he's been everything that
you could have asked for him to be. You disagree, No.

Speaker 6 (18:17):
I think he's been great.

Speaker 5 (18:19):
You're a thousand percent right, Like I think people the
problem with Lebron is that everybody has a big opinion
that we're not allowed to change, So it always has
to be easy to goat is he not to go?

Speaker 6 (18:28):
What's it mean for Lebron's legacy? I think you're one
hundred percent right.

Speaker 5 (18:31):
Like Lebron's been honest about, you know, disconnecting and not
really caring what people think. He's been honest about watching
more golf than he does basketball now, and I think
he's taking.

Speaker 6 (18:40):
This role and really owned it.

Speaker 5 (18:42):
Like everybody keeps wanting to play Lebron somewhere else next year,
I think that's crazy.

Speaker 6 (18:46):
If I'm Lebron, I'm coming right back to the Lakers.

Speaker 5 (18:48):
I'm just going to trust the Lakers to put more
pieces around and continue to build a championship caliber.

Speaker 6 (18:53):
Team with me.

Speaker 2 (18:54):
Uh, We're going to continue to talk hoops with Alicia Clark,
who's going to join us here in jail a little while. Obviously,
the WNBA having a lot of news here lately with
the new collective bargaining agreement and her as the vice
president of the WNBPA. I'm looking forward to getting some
insights and some analysis on that situation and also on
the basketball that we have happening on both the women's

(19:17):
side last night and the men's side tonight. First, let's
have Martin get us caught up on everything that's happening.

Speaker 10 (19:25):
Got the first of the two final four games today,
Yukon and Illinois, the two seed Huskies doubling up the
fighting in nine. I will never mind eighteen to eleven.
Now the score Yukon being led in scoring by Teres
Reed junior. He's got seven points four rebounds so far.
For the senior, Keaton Wagler's got three points. This game

(19:45):
will be followed by Michigan and Arizona, and about that is.
Tips off at eight forty nine Eastern.

Speaker 3 (19:52):
And over time.

Speaker 10 (19:53):
The Denver Nuggets beat the San Antonio Spurs won thirty
six to one, thirty four. Denver now with their eighth
straight win. Nikole Jokic had a great day today. He
had what fifty forty points, eight rebounds, thirteen assists, Victor
web Minyama tried to put it up, but thirty four
points for him eighteen rebounds.

Speaker 3 (20:14):
That guy puts up video game numbers pretty much every
time he hits the court.

Speaker 10 (20:17):
The Heat beat the Wizards one fifty two to one
thirty six Kyo ware with twenty four points, nineteen rebounds,
and seven blocks. In Major League Baseball, the Orioles lead
the Pirates two to one in the bottom of the
seventh inning. Bottom of the eighth, the Dodgers with a
ten to two lead over the Nationals, bottom of the seventh,
Astros with a ten to nothing lead over the A's,
and the Padres lead the Red Sox shooting and I

(20:39):
think going toward the bottom of the eighth. Earlier we
saw the Tigers beat the Cardinals. That game called in
the top of the ninth inning, but it was an
eleven to six win for Detroit. Troit also adding Justin
Berlander to the injured list today. He's the oldest player
in Major League Baseball at forty three years old. He's
got a hip injury. On the fifteen day il the

(21:00):
Brewers and the Royals, Milwaukee with a five to two
win over Kansas City in the first game of a
double header, and the White Sox lead the Blue Jays
six I'm sorry, beat the Blue Jays six to three.
Alejandro Kirk on the injured list as well, he's got
a hurt thumb. Guardians, Guardians and Cubs postponed to tomorrow.
That'll be a straight doubleheader on the Lakers side of things.

(21:22):
Luka Danciz is out. Austin Reeves just and now he's
going to be out for the rest of the year
as well instead of the regular season, I should say,
with a back injury. Right now, Yukon eighteen, Illinois twelve,
just under twelve minutes left in the first half of
the first game of the Final Four.

Speaker 3 (21:39):
Fellas back to you, Thank you Martin.

Speaker 2 (21:42):
He's Jason Fitz I'm Buck Rising, hanging out here with
you on a Fox Sports Saturday. FITZI, as Martin mentioned,
the Final Four going on right now, Yukon with the
early lead in the first half of this contest. As you,
as you look at Danny Hurley and what he has
already accomplished in his career at that program, specifically, how
much it means to that program specifically, how much what

(22:07):
would Danny Hurley be in the scale or scope of
college basketball coaches.

Speaker 3 (22:14):
If he were to win another title this year.

Speaker 5 (22:17):
I think if he wins another title and that gives
him three and four, then we need to start having
Mount rushmore like conversations. Honestly, I mean, Hurley is at
this point the face of college basketball. He's the villain
of college basketball, and to some he's the hero all
wrapped up and won.

Speaker 6 (22:33):
There's a brand relevance to him that's absolutely incredible.

Speaker 5 (22:36):
But I'll also remind people like Yukon is actually the
program we talk about Duke like they are, Like Yukon
has more national championships over multiple generations now with multiple
head coaches.

Speaker 6 (22:47):
It's just they're a factory. So for Hurley to come in.

Speaker 5 (22:51):
And be able to do what he does, how he
does it, and really to be able to get the
entire state of Connecticut to decide. Remember, Connecticut is the
only school that in the country that decided they would
invest more money in basketball than football.

Speaker 6 (23:04):
I think a lot of schools should.

Speaker 5 (23:06):
Turn around and that Yukon men's Yukon football team has
made a Bowl game two years in a row doesn't matter.
Like Curly has convinced the entire state of Connecticut that
the one thing that has to matter is that brand
and that team.

Speaker 6 (23:18):
I think not only are we.

Speaker 5 (23:20):
Looking at the best modern coach, but we're looking one
of the best coaches of all time. And the longer
he says Yukon, the more he wins championship to be
Illinois the team.

Speaker 6 (23:28):
And right now Yukon has the drug of belief in
this game.

Speaker 2 (23:31):
Well, and that is a strategy though from an athletic
department fits. I mean, how many programs anywhere else in
the country could justify putting that amount of resources into
their basketball team over their football program. We can get
into that a little later on, but I believe we
have Alicia Clark with us now on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 3 (23:51):
Alicia, thank you so much for taking some time.

Speaker 11 (23:54):
Of course, thanks for having me.

Speaker 3 (23:56):
We are so excited for.

Speaker 2 (23:58):
You guys and for the league with the announcement of
the new collective bargaining agreement. Just to just to get
your thoughts here initially, and I know you've spoken in
a number of different outlets about the consequences and the
significance of this particular deal, But how big of a
win is this for the players?

Speaker 4 (24:14):
Man? First of all, thank you, It's it's a huge win.
You know, we not only just did something transformational for
the WNBA, but I think just for women's sports in general,
the way that we are valued, the way that negotiations go,
and just kind of standing.

Speaker 11 (24:34):
Up for you know, fighting for what you deserve. And
so I'm just extremely proud of.

Speaker 4 (24:41):
Our executive committee, our PA staff for just I mean honestly,
like not even just those eight days in New York,
but these last seventeen months that we were preparing for
those eight days, and yeah, I'm just super excited, not
only just for the players now, like it's there's going
to be immediate effects. I mean when you look at
the minimum salaries last year from sixty six thousand dollars

(25:03):
now to two hundred and I think like seventy thousand dollars,
Like that's that's significant and that's life changing for a
lot of players. And then not to mention for the
players coming up once they come out of college, coming
into the league and being treated and compensated as a professional.

Speaker 11 (25:18):
And that's just I'll forever be proud.

Speaker 6 (25:20):
That I got to be a part of this.

Speaker 5 (25:23):
Alisha, I'm a collective bargaining nerd admittedly, and one thing
I always go back to is it's really hard to
get a unified front when everybody's at a different spot
in their career and has different wants and needs, right like,
and you're dealing with the future of the game all
these like how did you guys manage to stay together
when everybody's needs are so different and you're trying to

(25:45):
protect yourselves and the future.

Speaker 4 (25:47):
Yeah, you know, I think one is the representation of
the executive committee. You know, we had everyone from you know,
the one percenters we like to say, like the superstars,
those players that are going to be in those max
salary categories, and then you had a good representation of
like the middle group and what I like to call

(26:08):
the heartbeat of the league, those of us that you know,
are complimentary players to those superstars, that unsung heroes that
are often forgotten about when it comes to these types
of negotiations.

Speaker 11 (26:19):
And so, you know, and within that you have players
like me who I was cut twice. I've been on
the bench where I wasn't playing.

Speaker 4 (26:26):
I've worked my way into a starting role and then
just becoming significant, you know, pieces for the championship teams
that I.

Speaker 1 (26:33):
Was a part of.

Speaker 4 (26:33):
And so I think when you have that collective experience
with everyone, I think it really gave us a leg
up these negotiations because we thought about everything. You know,
when we were talking about increasing the max salary, it's like, okay,
well what does the minimum salary look like? And oftentimes
that's at least in the last go around, it was

(26:53):
forgotten about.

Speaker 11 (26:54):
It was like, oh, well that's okay. And then you know,
to the point of what.

Speaker 4 (26:58):
You're talking about just different stages, is it's like, what
about us veterans. You know, in any other career field, you're.

Speaker 11 (27:04):
Not getting punished for having experience. And what we saw happened.

Speaker 4 (27:09):
Last time in our CBA negotiations was the vets were getting.

Speaker 11 (27:13):
Fate priced out. It was like, oh, we have to
pay that for you, Well, we'll go get a cheap rookie.

Speaker 4 (27:18):
And so we wanted to make sure that everyone was
thought of and everyone saw themselves in this negotiation. So
I think just starting with who was on the executive committee,
you make it sound.

Speaker 2 (27:29):
So simple, just in the way that you were able
to summarize at Alisha, but I know that it's never
quite like that.

Speaker 3 (27:35):
She's Alisa Clark.

Speaker 2 (27:36):
By the way, WNBPA vice president here with us on
Fox Sports Radio. We're talking about the new collective bargain
agreement for the w We'll talk some more hoops with
Alisha here in just a second. But I can't even imagine.
I'm sure at some point you lose count just about
how many hours did you spend in meeting rooms or
at a table across from people negotiating the fine points

(27:58):
of this deal?

Speaker 4 (28:00):
Oh man, Honestly, if it wasn't, if it wasn't for
the four reporters that were there. The journalists that were
there said they called themselves the Langham Four.

Speaker 11 (28:11):
Shout out to them because they kept a tally.

Speaker 4 (28:14):
And you know, had they not kept that tally of
one hundred plus hours, we would have never known. But
it was definitely, I mean, over one hundred hours in
those eight days, and it seemed like forever.

Speaker 5 (28:27):
And it's funny because, let me tell you, I talked
to some of those reporters afterwards. They were excited to
finally get somewhere in shower. I'm just saying, y'all, like
they were living outside that door. The weirdest part about negotiations,
Oh yeah.

Speaker 6 (28:38):
No, it's crazy. It's crazy.

Speaker 5 (28:39):
But the weirdest part about negotiations is that you're face
to face with somebody that's disputing your value. And I
don't think enough people think about that. Like imagine sitting
down with your boss, your CEO of a company and
being like, well, I think I'm worth this, and they don't.
How do you guys sort of go back to work
in a normal relationship when things at times were contentious
with some of the owners, or even with Kathy Engelberton,

(29:01):
just in the entire process.

Speaker 4 (29:04):
Yeah, I mean, I think, first of all, like when
you're sitting across from them, understanding that there are employers.

Speaker 11 (29:10):
You know, for them, it's everything is the bottom line.
They see numbers, that's how they operate.

Speaker 4 (29:15):
Everything is a business from like a business standpoint, and
so as players.

Speaker 11 (29:19):
We understand that, and you know, we knew it wasn't
I'm not going to.

Speaker 4 (29:23):
Say not personal, because I think at some point it
becomes personal when you're sitting across telling us what we
aren't worth. But you know, for us, it's it's keeping
the main thing, the main thing, and it's understanding that
without us as players, there is no league, there is
no WNBA.

Speaker 11 (29:39):
And so just constantly being in that position to remind.

Speaker 4 (29:41):
Them, like, this business that you guys get to, you know,
run the bottom line for and bring in money from
it doesn't exist without us. And so I think, you know,
just kind of when we're going and sitting across from them,
having these conversations, just reminding them of that, and to
be honest, like, when we're not in front of them,
we understand it's a business too.

Speaker 11 (30:02):
As much as we love our jobs and what we're
able to do, we know, at the drop of a dime,
these these teams, these.

Speaker 4 (30:08):
Owners are going to do whatever's best for their business's
bottom line, and so I think just constantly having that
at the forefront of your mind as a professional athlete kind.

Speaker 11 (30:16):
Of helps with that.

Speaker 4 (30:17):
You're able to compartmentalize and you know.

Speaker 11 (30:20):
It's just business as usual.

Speaker 6 (30:21):
We show up and at least this.

Speaker 11 (30:24):
Time we're going to get a piece of, you know,
the revenue that we're helping drive. And so that's something
I think can kind of.

Speaker 4 (30:30):
Just help keep the focus on what matters, and that's
us being the best, you know, versions of ourselves on
that floor and putting out the best product night in
a night out, and having pride.

Speaker 2 (30:39):
In that WNBPA Vice president Alisha Clark here with us
on Fox Sports Radio. Also a former MTSU Blue Raider,
which gives you pride here out Nashville, Tennessee doing the show.
That's Fitzie and I know each other from working together
in Nashville. I'm still in Nashville for ten years now, Alisia,
and I know that it's been It's been cool for

(31:01):
you to be able to you know, work from here
and and have at the AU Pro Basketball also be
a big part of what the city is doing on
the on the women's sports front. If you could, if
you could share your thoughts on those first couple of
seasons that you guys have had here in Nashville, and
your thoughts about what it's done for just another outlet
for for women to get out there and compete.

Speaker 11 (31:23):
Yeah, no, I I love having AU here in Nashville.

Speaker 4 (31:28):
You know, I think I just took immense pride in
being able to show, you know, showcase to my peers.

Speaker 11 (31:34):
This is the support that women's basketball here has here
in the.

Speaker 4 (31:37):
State of Tennessee, especially Middle Tennessee. You know, I was
fortunate to be able to experience that from high school
all the way through and you know, having all the
all these players come you know here to Nashville and
experience that was so much fun. And you know, to
be able to play at home again since college, which
was you know, nine hundred million years ago, you know,

(32:00):
being able to be back in front of you know,
people either old teammates from high school, my college and
high school coaches, you know, fans that came to the
game that saw me way back when, was just so
so special to me. And not only that, but like
Nashville blew all of the numbers for aus previous seasons
out of the water.

Speaker 11 (32:21):
I mean, this is such a great location. It's right
here in the southeast, and there's so many states that
so many people.

Speaker 4 (32:27):
Even just were like, yeah, we drove in from Indiana,
we drove up from Atlanta, we drove in from South Carolina,
like just all around, and.

Speaker 11 (32:35):
I just to me, I'm like, this was I think
the coolest thing.

Speaker 4 (32:39):
And just not only do I get to play in
front of family and friends as a professional, but I
get to continue to help grow the game and hopefully,
you know, be a part of laying the foundation for
an expansion franchise in the future.

Speaker 11 (32:51):
Here for the WNBA because we deserve it.

Speaker 4 (32:54):
Nashville deserves it the way they've supported women's sports and
women's basketball over the years, and just the rich in
basketball history in this state. I think deserves to be
celebrated with a team. So yeah, just having an opportunity
to stay domestic and you know, get to go see
my niece run track and go to my nephew's basketball
games on the weekend, and you know, I just have

(33:16):
a routine with family that I've missed for the last
over a decade because I've had to play overseas.

Speaker 11 (33:21):
It just it's really awesome.

Speaker 2 (33:24):
Oh well, and we can spend we would immediately hang
on one second, fits I don't mean to cut you
off there, but we would immediately have the best name
in the w NBA right the Tennessee Summit's that's kick ass?

Speaker 3 (33:35):
Are you kidding me?

Speaker 9 (33:36):
It really is.

Speaker 6 (33:39):
Yeah, you're at LSIA.

Speaker 5 (33:42):
You're talking to two very fraid to people that the
w didn't put a franchise in Nashville.

Speaker 6 (33:46):
Plut I have to ask you because.

Speaker 5 (33:48):
I want to get the opportunity to get your thoughts
on the biggest story right now happening in women's college basketball.

Speaker 6 (33:54):
We watched it last night, you know, sort of lost
his mind at dawn.

Speaker 5 (33:58):
Staley afterwards issued an apology to South Carolina, but didn't
specifically mention Don name as somebody that knows that sport
so well, what did you make of just the way
all of that went down?

Speaker 11 (34:10):
Oh man?

Speaker 4 (34:12):
To be honest, when I was watching the game, once
I know South Carolina climates.

Speaker 11 (34:17):
Closed out, I went back and was, you know, out
back with my nieces.

Speaker 4 (34:20):
I'm playing outside and come back in and I see
everybody in an uproar about what happened, and.

Speaker 6 (34:25):
I was like, wait, what did I miss?

Speaker 4 (34:27):
And going back and watching that video, it's just it's disappointing,
you know, just from an all around standpoint.

Speaker 11 (34:33):
In terms of like, you know, when people want to
harp on.

Speaker 4 (34:35):
Sportsmanship, and for me, I'm just like Don Don is
the epitome of class and integrity, and you know, when
they got smacked.

Speaker 11 (34:43):
Last year, she took it on the tin and you know,
as you're supposed to do. And so to see that
happen was just disheartening because.

Speaker 4 (34:50):
It took away from what actually mattered, and it was
the masterclass that South Carolina put on last night and
stopping you know, Yukon and they've been so dominant l season,
and so I think it was really an unfortunate situation
to take away from, you know, just something really special
that happened, and you hate to see that. And you know,
the apology issue today, I saw that too.

Speaker 11 (35:13):
But for me, I'm just like you. I don't know,
I feel like.

Speaker 4 (35:17):
It should have been as much as that disrespect happened
last night, Like the apology should have been just as loud,
and you know, hopefully it was a personal reach out
before you know, that statement was issued. But you hate
to see that kind of thing take away from what matters,
and it's the athletes and their performance out there. So hopefully,
you know, it gets put behind and you know this,

(35:37):
two teams in the UCLA and South Carolina can be
celebrated for what they're doing on the court and not something.

Speaker 3 (35:42):
Else, no doubt.

Speaker 2 (35:44):
I'm very well said by Alicia Clark, w NBPA vice president,
kind enough to spend some time with us here on
this Saturday on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 3 (35:53):
She's seen three cbas come and go and.

Speaker 2 (35:56):
Got to be a huge part of negotiating this one
for the health of the sport and for the betterment
of the players. Alicia, again, congratulations to you and all
the women who have fought for this opportunity and continue
to fight for women to have more opportunities in that sport.
It's just a really, really cool thing, and we're grateful
to have some time with you here on this show.

Speaker 4 (36:15):
Oh, thank you so much, and I appreciate you guys
having me and just continuing to help celebrate, you know,
these milestones for women athletes.

Speaker 2 (36:24):
Absolutely, that's Alisia Clark there with us on Fox Sports Radio.
We'll continue to react to what's going on in the
men's side of the bracket because we do have some
updates you need to be paying attention to. He's Jason
fitz I'm Buck Rising hanging out here with you on
Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (36:42):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 3 (36:45):
Radio, you Cohn. Their lead is dwindling.

Speaker 2 (36:51):
Early on or late rather in the first half of
this first Final four game between the Huskies and the
ALIGNI keep you updated the course of the show today,
but quickly, FITZI, since we just had such a lovely
visit with Alicia Clark, I do want to talk about
the women's Final four last night with Gino with Don Staley,

(37:12):
with Yukon just smoking, or rather South Carolina just smoking
Yukon sixty two forty eight after Yukon had been a
juggernaut all year long. And it may well be that
the winner of that game is just going to win
the title. In Don Staley, who's done a lot of
winning of consequence in her career. Gino Arima obviously one
of the most accomplished figures in women's college basketball anywhere

(37:37):
in sports.

Speaker 3 (37:38):
Frankly, as you watched that conflict.

Speaker 2 (37:41):
At the end, though, because as Alicia mentioned, it was
a shame that the dramatics at the end of the
game took away from the actual basketball that was played
on behalf of South Carolina. Gino Arima is one of
the most petulant figures in all of sports. And whatever
he said to Don Staley to set her off that way,
I think that's pretty lucky that Dawn's staff was there

(38:03):
to hold her back.

Speaker 5 (38:05):
Yeah, And you know the unfortunate thing about it is
it was a huge win for South Carolina and Gino
made it about Gino, which is just so crazy to me.
Even if you felt disrespected because you felt like there
wasn't a handshake, and by the way he was asked
afterwards about the fact that there's video evidence of a
handshake before the game, video and photo evidence, and his

(38:26):
response to the reporter was, you're missing the point.

Speaker 6 (38:28):
So Gino was so in his fields in that moment.

Speaker 5 (38:32):
The very coach that stands in front of his team
and says, hey, play within your emotions can't control his emotions,
ends up looking like a child, and.

Speaker 6 (38:39):
It takes away from a massive upset. South Carolina has
spent the last year.

Speaker 5 (38:44):
Remembering just a butt whooping in a national championship game,
and they came out and showed that against an undefeated
Yukon team. That should be the story book, but Gino
made the story. Gino and how loud he apologizes, unless
it's as loud as his actual moment was, A lot
of us are.

Speaker 6 (38:59):
Going to roll.

Speaker 11 (39:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:02):
And that's the thing like Pat Summit, obviously, as I
sit here doing the show from Nashville, State of Tennessee.
State of Tennessee means a great deal to the history
of women's college basketball. For Pat Summit to feel the
way that you did about Geno Arima, I feel like,
tells me everything I need to know about Geno.

Speaker 5 (39:23):
You're not wrong you're not wrong, Like, it's not the
first time that he's been questioned by a legend.

Speaker 6 (39:28):
So and you know Don's not gonna let it go.
That's gonna fuel South Carolina.

Speaker 3 (39:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (39:33):
Well, we'll continue to break down the men's Final four
now that we have a women's championship game set. Stick
around right here on Fox Sports Radio. You're listening to
Fox Sports Radio Radio. Illinois is trying to battle back
against Yukon in this first game of the Final Four.

Speaker 3 (39:53):
Will they be able to pull this win off? As
they were.

Speaker 2 (39:58):
Favored heading in tonight's game? Of course, we got Michigan
and Arizona on the docket as well to decide who
will be playing in the National Championship. He's Jason Fitz.
I'm abouck Rising, hanging out here with you on this
Fox Sports Saturday. Bucking fits fitsy on assignment for the
IFL on the outskirts of Indianapolis where the Final Four

(40:21):
is currently taking place. And you said your plane was
overrun with Yukon huskies and fans and chants and all
manner of different things.

Speaker 3 (40:30):
Do you enjoy that on your flight or you curmudgine
like me?

Speaker 2 (40:33):
And would you yell at people to shut up because
you're trying to sleep on the plane, because I would
do that.

Speaker 9 (40:37):
It is.

Speaker 6 (40:37):
It is the worst. I like, look, I can sleep.

Speaker 5 (40:40):
I still have my molded like in ears that I
wore when I toured, like so I can't hear anything
when I put those in. But just the y'all, Like,
just realize when you step on the plane, maybe everybody doesn't.

Speaker 6 (40:53):
Really care why you're traveling. It's the same thing.

Speaker 5 (40:55):
Like I don't understand, like as a person that travels
a lot of Southwest and have my whole life, like
I've always had status in Southwest.

Speaker 6 (41:02):
I've got the Southwest credit card, I've got all the things.
I I'm all in our Southwest right, I fly it
all the time.

Speaker 5 (41:06):
I do not understand why so often planes applaud when
you land, like that's the bare minimum, you landed the
plane without killing us. I shouldn't have to applaud that
you made it through that, like congratulations, huzzah, captain, you
landed the plane.

Speaker 6 (41:21):
I don't understand behavior.

Speaker 5 (41:22):
And flyers like I don't understand I was in the
exit row last week because I'm flying around in the
indoor footballing I mean their row. I've got a couple
next to it, and they make you take your headphones
off to audibly tell them that you can help. I
had a couple they came onto the plane that was
not of an age that they were gonna help anybody.

Speaker 6 (41:38):
We had to help them get their bags into the overhead.

Speaker 5 (41:41):
Then she proceeded the elderly lady next to me to
take her shoes off to get nice and comfy.

Speaker 6 (41:46):
Then they start slamming wine.

Speaker 5 (41:48):
I mean they are slamming wine before we've even gotten
into the air.

Speaker 6 (41:52):
They were having their first wine. They're getting tanked. And
then but yeah, they can help you in an emergency.

Speaker 3 (41:57):
Row.

Speaker 5 (41:57):
I don't understand flyers, and I don't understand like when
you get on the plane, even if you are in Connecticut,
need you cur.

Speaker 6 (42:03):
Like I don't need that. I don't need you.

Speaker 5 (42:05):
I don't need to chance save your champ for the arena.
Right now on the plane, I need to sit down,
shut up coloring your books so we can take off
and we can all rest.

Speaker 2 (42:12):
I thought I was gonna be the curmudgeon. I really,
I really thought that I was gonna be the bad
guy here. I know, I know it's a huge upset
that FITZI would lack more whimsy in this particular situation
than I would. I'm actually surprised that you're not one
of these people that's down to bring the party to
the plane.

Speaker 3 (42:31):
Because I you know, I'm I I'm not.

Speaker 6 (42:33):
I get it.

Speaker 2 (42:34):
Like I understand, everybody's fired up, everybody's making a trip together.
You see a lot of people in uh, you know,
similar jerseys or uniforms and all.

Speaker 3 (42:42):
These different things.

Speaker 2 (42:43):
So you're gonna get You're gonna get fired up, You're
gonna get the party started before you even arrive in
Indy for the Final four. Indy well suited for these
kind of events anyway, and God knows there's going to
be a lot of partying around this particular final four
or if, especially of Arizona advances.

Speaker 3 (43:02):
I can't even imagine what that's going to look like.

Speaker 2 (43:03):
I was in Arizona for the game that saw them
advanced to the Final four. Fitsie just hanging out at
NFL owners meetings last week when you were also on assignment,
Fitzy doing a lot of work for the ifl over.

Speaker 3 (43:16):
The course of the spring and summer.

Speaker 2 (43:18):
But this this Arizona team, I don't think it really
matters who advances at this.

Speaker 3 (43:23):
Illinois Yukon game.

Speaker 2 (43:24):
I feel like Arizona or Michigan is going to smack
whoever ends up in the National Championship.

Speaker 6 (43:30):
Yeah, I think you're a thousand percent right.

Speaker 5 (43:32):
This is the league game tonight is the best game
that we're going to get over the next several days.
And you know, look, I think and also it is
interesting because you know, I don't know how many times
you've been around the Final Four, but you know, when you.

Speaker 2 (43:45):
Think, so one event that I actually want to go
to that I haven't been able to. I mean, not
that I haven't been able to go to. I'm sure
if I really really put some effort in, I could
get to a Final four and get d Eentild or
something like that. But yeah, that's why I'm hoping that
Nashville ends up hop hosting the Final Four once the

(44:05):
new Nissance Stadium opens for the Titans, not necessarily about
the Titans games, about all the other cool things that
they're going to bring to Nashville.

Speaker 5 (44:12):
In that situation, it is truly one of the most
elite things to get to be around in all of sports.

Speaker 6 (44:19):
I've been lucky.

Speaker 5 (44:20):
ESPN never sent me Yahoo has sent me a couple
of times, and it just hits different. Everything about the
experience hits different. But one thing we all have to
think about is that, you know, people buy their plane
tickets and they get ready, they get here. The way
that tickets are sold, you have to buy basically for
the whole weekend.

Speaker 3 (44:36):
So you have to buy.

Speaker 5 (44:37):
You couldn't just buy one of the two games today,
you have to buy both of them, and you have
to buy the championship in advance. So what happens for
all of this is that tonight two of the four
teams will be eliminated, which means they'll just sell their tickets.
So I was at the Yukon Purdue championship game, for example,
a couple of years ago. Well you know, there just
weren't that many fans in the stadium for the championship game,

(44:59):
and almost all of them were Purdue fans.

Speaker 6 (45:01):
Because frankly, Yukon was.

Speaker 5 (45:03):
Back to back at that point, they didn't have the
same fire in the belly for the fans.

Speaker 6 (45:07):
So the place is overrun by Purdue.

Speaker 5 (45:09):
I think it actually gets kind of interesting if we
get to a championship game that has Michigan or Illinois.
Proximity to Indiana makes it really easy for everybody to
try and fill that place up on Monday night, So
I think Monday could actually be sort of electric with
the crowd. But you're also right, how many people have
flown here with Arizona because you finally have a chance.
And I don't know what's a weirder stat for everybody

(45:30):
that we haven't seen a Big Ten champion since whatever
it is two thousand, or that we haven't seen a
champion in the Pacific time zone since nineteen ninety seven.
When Arizona did it, like it's wild the droughts that
could come to an end if Michigan, you know, or Illinois,
but particularly Michigan, Arizona looked like the favorites to end
a significant drought in college basketball.

Speaker 2 (45:53):
I think people would be more surprised about the Big
Ten route because that's that even if they haven't been
the best college basketball conference, because the Big Twelve has moments,
the ACC has obviously long standing historical success in college basketball.
The SEC has really made inroads, I would say, in
the last ten years and has at times been the

(46:14):
best college basketball conference the Big Ten. People associate that
conference with excellence in college basketball in the same way
that I think they hold the ACC in that similar esteem.

Speaker 3 (46:26):
But it's just not been the case.

Speaker 5 (46:30):
Would it not feel disappointing Because I've talked to so
many Big Ten fans in my life just about what
they're rooting for, and certainly, if you're a Michigan State fan,
you're never rooting for Michigan. But there's a little piece
of many Big Ten fans that are just sitting there saying, Hey,
this is a chance to make a statement, given how
many Big Ten teams advanced into the Elite eight, and
you know, given the fact that you have two of

(46:50):
the four Suite two of the four Final four teams
or Big Ten teams, Like, I just wonder how disappointing
it would feel to that entire conference if, yet again,
you walk out of this whole thing empty, Andy, Because
you're right, I think the consistency of and the amount
of attention we paid to Big Ten basketball just makes
it feel different.

Speaker 6 (47:08):
And this Michigan team has felt different all year.

Speaker 5 (47:10):
Like I hesitate to ever say we'd be disappointing for
a team to not win a championship, because I think
there's so many variables that go into it. But this
Michigan season to end without a championship, I think would
force us to look at this season much differently because
they have been so dominant at times in this season.
To walk away with nothing but a footnote that, hey,
we made it to the Final Four with just not

(47:30):
I mean, that would sit in the minds I would
think of Michigan fans.

Speaker 6 (47:33):
For a long time.

Speaker 3 (47:35):
Yeah, we are at the half, for what it's worth.

Speaker 2 (47:37):
In this first Final Four game, Yukon leads thirty seven
to Illinois's twenty nine. You cannot buy any stretch of
the imagination comfortable right now, even though they're hanging on
to that lead.

Speaker 3 (47:48):
It's been a three point battle so far.

Speaker 2 (47:50):
Illinois is three of fourteen, Yukon seven of eighteen, so
obviously giving themselves a significant advantage. Illinois has just won
a session in the entire half. Yukon zero turnovers so
far in this game. You had made a note in
our show group text before we went on the air

(48:11):
today FITZI about the North Carolina job and Tommy Lloyd
at Arizona, who is of course going to stay at
Arizona moving forward. Tommy Lloyd turned down reportedly the North
Carolina basketball coaching job, and they still don't have a resolution.
It's going to be so curious to see who they
end up landing on, given the profile of that job,

(48:33):
the scrutiny of that job, frankly, the fact that that
athletic department is already kind of under fire for the
Bill Belichick stuff, where you had a split decision as
far as boosters being on one side, alumni being on another,
vice versa, as far as the Bill Belichick hire goes.
So you know that there's going to be some contentiousness

(48:54):
with the basketball higher given it that is the significantly
more important hire at North Carolina. What do we make
of Tommy Lloyd turning down UNC?

Speaker 5 (49:05):
I think the fact that he's turned down, at least
reportedly an offer from UNC that would have made him
the second highest co paid coach in college basketball.

Speaker 6 (49:12):
He took less money the state of Arizona. But this
is the most.

Speaker 5 (49:16):
College football thing that's happened to college basketball, and it's
just we got to step back. We got to step
back whatever we're talking whatever college sport we're talking about,
we have to understand that the concept of cachet is
no longer what it once was because certainly we look
across the board constantly in college football and now in
college basketball, and this is in this situation and we

(49:38):
talk about, well, that job just means so much, that
brand means so much, the history means so much. A
coach would want to go there. You see Tommy Lloyd say,
you know what, I'm good at Arizona. Why because every
year he's going to have a shot at a national
championship game in Arizona.

Speaker 6 (49:54):
Every single year, he's.

Speaker 5 (49:56):
Got a path that's going to get him into the
NCAA tournament. He's got to pack the great record, he's
got to pack to incredibly successful regular seasons. Like I
just think that we need to recalibrate the way we
consider certain jobs because what we're forgetting is that now
in the modern landscape, when everybody can pay everybody, Kurt
Signetti can go out and find better success in Indiana. Like,

(50:17):
why would Kurt Signetti ever leave for any other college
football job because he can win Natties and be incredibly
well paid in Indiana. I think we're seeing that now
in college basketball too, Like this concept of well you
got to want to be the coach of Duke, you
gotta want to be the coach at North Carolina, do you?

Speaker 6 (50:34):
Because if you.

Speaker 5 (50:35):
Win a bunch of games in Arizona, life is pretty
good and the money is pretty even all.

Speaker 6 (50:39):
The way across the board. And oh, by the way,
you don't have to worry.

Speaker 5 (50:42):
About taking your family out to dinner and having the
waitress give you a piece of their.

Speaker 6 (50:45):
Mind because you didn't beat Duke last week.

Speaker 5 (50:47):
Like I just quality of life, the understanding of platform,
the ability to win wherever you are, the spreadout of recruits.
I think NIL has changed coaching movement in a beautiful way.

Speaker 6 (51:00):
It deaus there's a lot more consideration.

Speaker 5 (51:01):
Cachet alone is no longer a reason that somebody leaves
a great job for another job that.

Speaker 6 (51:06):
Some people would con see to be better.

Speaker 2 (51:09):
You saw the Tommy Lloyd quote about turning down the
UNC opportunity, right, No.

Speaker 6 (51:17):
I didn't see it in the fault enough.

Speaker 3 (51:18):
Okay.

Speaker 2 (51:19):
So he was asked about this at a press conference
this week. He called North Carolina quote an amazing place.
He said that there was no phone call that happened
between him and Michael Jordan, obviously, who was a UNC alum.
And this was the quote that followed that it's an
honor to be to even be considered for that job.
With that being said, though, I made a decision that

(51:40):
you know, my Michael Jordan is Steve.

Speaker 3 (51:42):
Kerr and I'm proud to be in Arizona. Wodcat. That
some world class pandering.

Speaker 5 (51:49):
That is absolutely you know anytime you know, guys, it's
just an honor to have even been considered. But I'm
going in a different direction and I'm going to throw
out Kurt like that, Yeah, that's beautifully played.

Speaker 6 (51:59):
That is beautif played.

Speaker 5 (52:00):
And you know, pander away because you just he also
got his assistance, more money, he got more budget for recruits,
he got everything he could want to continue to win
games at Arizona. And that's the craziest part about it, Buck,
is that you know, ten years ago, North Carolina probably
had a much better.

Speaker 6 (52:18):
Path to a championship year in and year out than
other schools.

Speaker 5 (52:22):
Just like in college football, ten years ago, Alabama had
a better path to a championship than Indiana could ever imagine,
what do you do when that's no longer the case.
That's what we're seeing, that is what we're It's not
going to change the fact that you know, if you
have an inkling a success at a school like Belmont,
then you're going to suddenly try and blow.

Speaker 6 (52:38):
That up into a better job like that. That's not
going to change.

Speaker 5 (52:41):
But the concept that you're at a team that's winning
championships and so suddenly you need to go to North
Carolina because it's North Carolina is dead and.

Speaker 6 (52:49):
I love it.

Speaker 3 (52:50):
I love it. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (52:52):
Shout out to former Belmont coach Casey Alexander, who is
now the head coach at Kansas State after having great
success at Belmont.

Speaker 3 (53:01):
So speaking of success, there is nobody.

Speaker 2 (53:03):
More successful when it comes to negotiating NFL contracts than
Kirk Cousins. And Kirk Cousins is now going to be
one of the newest members of Jason Fitz's Las Vegas Raiders.
We'll talk about it, what it means for the Raiders
and Fernando Mendoza as the future number one overall pick.
Coming up next on Fox Sports Radio these Jason Fitz,

(53:25):
I'm Buck Rising hanging out here with you on Fox
Sports Radio. So it's not really the last NFL quarterback
domino to fall this offseason, though, it is one of
consequence and it's got something to do with Jason Fitz's
Las Vegas Raiders a five year, one hundred and seventy

(53:47):
two million dollar deal with Kirk Cousins to come in
and be starting quarterback for a period of time and
future transition quarterback for number one overall pick forer Nando Mendoza. Now,
when you get into the nuts and bolts of the deal,
it's like one year eleven point three, I think, is

(54:07):
what the the contract ultimately ends up being. And you're
also getting some money that Cousins is making from the
Atlanta Falcons after they released him. But you know, you
get about a twenty million dollar pay day again if
you're Kirk Cousins at thirty seven years old.

Speaker 3 (54:23):
Fitzy, do you like the move for your Raiders?

Speaker 6 (54:26):
This was a home run and like this is I
think this is an incredible move. I don't just like it,
I love it.

Speaker 5 (54:31):
And on Yahoo Sports Daily, which you can listen to
with me and Caroline Fenton, I've been calling for almost
two months that Kirk Cousins would be the inevitable starting
quarterback here.

Speaker 6 (54:39):
So there's a couple of things.

Speaker 5 (54:40):
As you mentioned, it's eleven point three million dollars out
of the Raiders pocket and it's carved.

Speaker 6 (54:46):
Out in a way that you know.

Speaker 5 (54:47):
Mike Florio from Pro Football Talk immediately said, the league's
going to look to close the loophole because what they're
doing is paying him one point three million dollars this
year and a ten million dollar bonus next year that's
already guaranteed. By paying it next year, it forces the
Falcons to still pay their ten million dollars they owe
this year instead of offset. Right, So it's a way
for Kirk and Cousins to just make a bunch more money.

(55:10):
So Kirk's agent brilliant move. It makes him a twenty
million dollar quarterback basically, but the Raiders are.

Speaker 6 (55:15):
Only on the hook for eleven point three million dollars.

Speaker 5 (55:18):
And here's the thing, Like you were just at the
owners meetings, John Spytek, the GM of the Raiders. If
you look at his history, he's so bluntly honest that
people think he's lying. And I'll go back to before
the brock Powers Draft when he was asked how he
looked at, you know, the draft knee versus best player available,
and he said, I'll take the best player available no
matter what.

Speaker 6 (55:37):
Well, that's exactly what they did, and everyone thought it
was shocking until brock Powers worked out to be great.

Speaker 5 (55:42):
And last year there was a question you take a
running back at you know six overall where the Raiders
were picking, and his answer repeatedly was, we're not worried
about that. We're worried about getting the best player we
can in that spot. Blah blah blah blah blah.

Speaker 3 (55:55):
What do you know.

Speaker 5 (55:55):
We'll go back to a couple of months ago when
Spy Tech and Clint Kubiak both said clearly, we do
not believe a young quarterback should have to start Week one.

Speaker 3 (56:04):
So what do they do?

Speaker 5 (56:05):
They get their Alex Smith if they believe that they're
going to draft their Patrick Mahomes. And I'm not saying
he belongs in that category, but you know what I mean,
your future franchise quarterback. The one thing that Mahomes has
said repeatedly in interviews is that he credits Alex Smith
for being the pro that taught him here's the.

Speaker 6 (56:20):
Way to strust your week, here's the.

Speaker 5 (56:21):
Best day to do this, Here's the right way to
break down film on the Here's how to live your
life as a pro. That's what Kirk Cousin steps in
and does from day one for Fernando Mendoza. Takes all
of the pressure off. If Fernando wins the job, great,
but if he doesn't win the job, great. Kirk can
go out there, he can take the beating behind an
offensive line that still needs some improvement. Fernando can learn,

(56:42):
and whenever he's ready, he steps in. I just I
think this is what competent teams do. Stop chasing trying
to be good next year, and start chasing trying to
lay the foundation to being good long term.

Speaker 6 (56:51):
I love this move.

Speaker 2 (56:54):
Well, and that brings it full circle for me anyway, Fitz,
because I you are getting ready to root for the
future number one overall pick in Fernanda Mendoza. I am
covering the most recent number one overall pick who started
all seventeen games. Now, he didn't finish all seventeen games.

(57:14):
He got knocked out of the Week eighteen start cam
Moore did against the Jacksonville Jaguars. He ran in a
touchdown at an ac joint sprain in his shoulder that
shut him down for the rest of the game, and
at that point, obviously their season was over, so there
was no point putting him back out there to battle
through an injury that he just needed to rest and
recover from. But there was never any question that they

(57:36):
were going to start cam from day one. And I'm
sure that you don't have to take the same tact
with every player, understanding that organizations are in different spots.
But I kind of go a little bit revisionist here
with the Titans circumstance and say, why the hell didn't
you get somebody better for him than Brandon Allen, who

(57:56):
was the Titans backup quarterback last year? And there was
the logic was system familiarity with the current coaching staff
that has obviously since been fired in Brian Callahan and
everybody else that was working for Brian Callahan at the time,
Robert Salaz now the coach in Tennessee, Brian Dables the
offensive coordinator. But for cam Ward, couldn't things have been

(58:16):
made a lot a hell of a lot easier. It's
always going to be a struggle, it's always going to
be adversity. You're going to be put in some bad
situations when you are a rookie quarterback making any kind
of a start, whether it be week one or week fifteen,
for a team that was most recently picking first overall.
But I look at the way that Cam's rookie season

(58:37):
went and said and say to myself, how the hell
did they not have a more viable option that could
at least give Cam some level of grace before they
just threw him out there to the Wolves literally at
Denver in Week one against that defense.

Speaker 5 (58:52):
I think, when you look at some of the things
that have to go right, this is where the Titans
went wrong last year. I've said this to you before,
but I think for the Raiders it speaks loudly now.
I need when you draft a quarterback number one overall,
I need everybody in the building two things. One, I
need everybody on the same timeline right. And that happens
for the Raiders now because Clint Kubiak comes in so

(59:12):
and one thing that Spytech admitted after Carol was fired
from the Raiders. One thing he admitted is I think
we have to take a long look at our roster
and understand that this is going to be.

Speaker 6 (59:22):
A hard process.

Speaker 5 (59:24):
So what your GM and your new coach are telling
you is like, hey, we're on a multi year rebuild plan.
So I love that because that changes some of your
expectations when you walk in and then the other thing
is that when you draft quarterback number one overall, everybody
down to the janitor needs to speak the love language
of that quarterback. Every single person in the building needs
to speak to developing the quarterback because you're no longer

(59:45):
going to be judged on wins and losses. You're going
to be judged on whether or not do you have
the guy that will lead your franchise for the next
fifteen years, because that's what you get when you get
it right. That's why I look at year one and
I think there's such a grace period to it. Only
one quarterback drafted first overall since the year two thousand
Andrew Luck has had a winning season his rookie year.

(01:00:05):
Every other quarterback is not. So that tells you that historically,
when you're drafting first overall, it's going to be a process.
So if you look at it and say, man, even
though I think the Raiders have spent really good money
to get much better, I really believe that there's still
probably a six win team. So if you're going to
go through the ups and downs of a six win team,
who cares whether or not you've got Fernando or Quirk
at the quarterback position this year. What you care about

(01:00:28):
is what's Fernando learning along the way, what's he viewing,
how's he getting better, How's he get better every single day?
For some guys, that's time on task, and certainly being
in games helps for some guys. But I also think
that just letting him learn what it's like to be
a pro is not the worst thing in the world.
Like him figure it out. But if he figures it out,
he's figuring it out on his own every step of

(01:00:49):
the way. I'd much rather have a support system helping
my young quarterback lift him up, whether he's playing week one,
week ten, or not.

Speaker 6 (01:00:56):
Until year two.

Speaker 2 (01:00:58):
We are going to get into some more NFL news
and also keep you updated with what's happening in the
Final Four, because the.

Speaker 3 (01:01:05):
Eagles have been messy again yet again this week.

Speaker 2 (01:01:09):
But first, Martin is gonna make us smarter about what's
happening on the basketball court.

Speaker 3 (01:01:14):
Right now.

Speaker 10 (01:01:14):
You got about fifteen minutes thirty seconds left in the
second half and Illinois down by eleven, Yukon with a
forty seven to thirty six lead in the Final Four.

Speaker 3 (01:01:24):
The first game of two.

Speaker 10 (01:01:25):
In the men's Final Four, Yukon being led in scoring
by Brayln Mullins.

Speaker 3 (01:01:30):
He's got twelve.

Speaker 10 (01:01:31):
That's the hero from the last game against Duke Terris
Ree Junior's got eleven.

Speaker 3 (01:01:35):
Alex Caravan has seven.

Speaker 10 (01:01:37):
On the Illinois side of things, Keaton Woggler has fourteen points.
Getting ready for Michigan in Arizona. That game we'll tip
shortly after this one is over. That's about eight forty
nine looking for that first tip from Michigan in Arizona.
In Major League Baseball, bottom of the first inning, the
Marlins lead the Yankees two to nothing. Top of the second,
Reds two to nothing over the Rangers. The Raising Twins

(01:01:59):
scoreless three one inning. Bottom of the second, the Royers
and Royer Brewers and Royals. That's easy for me to say.
Game two of a double header, bottom of the second, scoreless. There,
top of the second, Braves and Diamondbacks both scoreless. Game
one of that Brewers Royals doubleheader was a five to
two win for Milwaukee. White Sox beat the Blue Jay

(01:02:20):
six to three, Pirates best of the Orioles three to two,
Dodgers ten to five over the Nationals, Astros eleven nothing
over the A's and the Padres squeak past the Red
Sox three excuse me, three to two. The Tigers beat
the Cardinals eleven to six. That game was called with
one out in the top of the ninth inning due
to a rain delay. Justin Verlander is gonna have to

(01:02:41):
wait to make his home debut because he's on the
injured list with a hip injury. In the NBA, the
Denver Nuggets improved their win streak to eight in a
row the one thirty six to one thirty four win
over the San Antonio Spurs. Nicole Jokich had forty points,
eight rebounds, thirteen assists, Victor Wan Benyama four points and
eighteen rebounds, and just a stat studded affair. Right now

(01:03:05):
the Pistons lead to seventy six ers twenty nine to
twenty three. With three point thirty left in the first quarter,
we saw the Heat beat the Wizards one fifty two
to one thirty six.

Speaker 3 (01:03:16):
Kyo Ware had a hell of a game. He had
twenty four points.

Speaker 10 (01:03:20):
Also, adding to that twenty four points, he had nineteen
rebounds and seven blocks.

Speaker 3 (01:03:26):
So wembin Yama type stat line fellas back to you.

Speaker 2 (01:03:32):
He's Jason Fitz I'm Buck Rising hanging out here with
you on this Fox Sports Saturday Bucking fits as is
the custom. So there was a report from Tim McManus,
who is the ESPN dot com Eagles beat writer, and
Jeremy Fowler, one of ESPN's national NFL insiders, detailing a
lot of the friction that went on with the twenty

(01:03:55):
twenty five Philadelphia Eagles, as.

Speaker 3 (01:03:57):
If that has not been documented exhaustively enough.

Speaker 2 (01:04:01):
But among the different things that we learned in this
piece FITSI is that Jalen Hurts comes under a lot
of external criticism about his play, but now he is
also receiving internal criticisms about the way that he goes
about his job, about his level of input and his
level of comfort with some of the plays that former

(01:04:23):
offensive coordinator now because he's since been fired, Kevin Patulo
was calling, especially in critical waning moments of their home
playoff game, a game in which they lost at home
to the San Francisco forty nine ers, who were basically
out there starting you and me at defensive end and
defensive tackle. The Jalen Hurts component of this story, where

(01:04:45):
he is being described as having poor body language and
can be difficult to work with at times, and even
described by some as not the easiest to coach.

Speaker 3 (01:04:55):
That is not what Jalen hurts with.

Speaker 2 (01:04:57):
A mild mannered persona and a mono tone delivery often
gives off, in fact, a lot of that character. A
lot of those characteristics are assigned to aj Brown, who
is constantly tweeting and deleting various messages on social media,
expressing in so many different ways his frustration.

Speaker 3 (01:05:15):
But what do we think about this, Jalen Hurtz report.

Speaker 5 (01:05:19):
I'm interested to think to hear what you about anonymous sources,
because you're really well positioned to talk about this. To me,
it's hard to get anybody to talk on the record,
and I'll just be, you know, wildly transparent. Like if
somebody put a microphone in front of my face right
now and said, hey, what do you think of and
listed five bosses at ESPN? My answer to that would

(01:05:41):
be they're all great. And I think to say, because
there's no win in saying anything. Now, if somebody came
to me that I trusted and said, off the record,
what has your experience been with these five bosses, I
might have something different to say, because you know, frankly,
I can be more comfortable to be open.

Speaker 6 (01:05:56):
That's just being real. Like I have an NDA with
the Van Parry, So even.

Speaker 5 (01:05:59):
If somebody wants it on the record for me to
say something about the band, I literally can't, So I
have to be off the record. A lot of fans
have looked at some of that stuff and said, oh,
talking off.

Speaker 6 (01:06:10):
The record is cowardly, and they're making it.

Speaker 3 (01:06:12):
Up to me.

Speaker 5 (01:06:14):
When people are willing to speak, even off the record
about your starting quarterback the way that he's spoken about,
and they're willing to call out some of the things
that he's doing, I think it's a huge statement to
toxicity inside the building. It's a huge statement of people
wanting to make sure that Jalen Hurts knows that they're
not happy. Like they're not talking to Jeremy Fowler. They're

(01:06:34):
talking to Jalen Hurts. They're just using Jeremy Fowler's pen
to do it. So I think it was a statement
that the players, organization, coaches, everybody wants.

Speaker 6 (01:06:44):
Jalen Hurts to know they feel some kind of way,
and that to me stands out well.

Speaker 2 (01:06:49):
And the thing that we don't know because to your point,
this is what I do on a day to day
basis covering an NFL team here in Nashville specifically, certainly
not the profile of the Philadelphia Eagles, though I did
have aj for the first three years of his career
when he was drafted here in the second round out
of Ole miss before John Robinson, who has since been
treated like a war criminal these last four years, the

(01:07:11):
former general manager that God traded him to Philadelphia.

Speaker 3 (01:07:14):
By the way, shout out to John J.

Speaker 2 (01:07:16):
Rob Back in the league with the Dolphins in an
assistant personnel advisory capacity, I did see that him and
Malik Willis reuniting, which is an interesting storyline just from Afar.
But for the purposes of this, FITZI, our jobs are
impossible people who report, not just teams, but anything. You
have to have people who are comfortable having off the

(01:07:39):
record conversations with you. And I understand why on the
consumer side of things, it would be easy to dismiss
anonymous sources or discredit anonymous sources because you're not totally
familiar with the nature the way that the information exchange
has to exist for there to be credible reporting done

(01:08:03):
on this. The thing that we don't know that I
would point out about at least from my perspective on
this story, is how often, how early and often have
people with the Eagles, whether it be teammates, coaches, executives, ownership,
Because we know ownership had to step in with Carson
Wentz and Doug Peterson a couple of years ago, and
Jeff Lurry is not above that as probably the most

(01:08:25):
respected owner in the NFL right now, what we don't
know is how often people inside that organization have tried
to do this privately? Because I covering, how many different
coaches have we had in Tennessee now since I've done this, Malarkey,
Vrabel Callahan, and now Robert sala So sala is my

(01:08:46):
fourth coach. The last coach that I had or covered
that was trying to message two players through the media
was Malarkey.

Speaker 3 (01:08:55):
It's a very old school way of doing.

Speaker 2 (01:08:58):
Things, and the tact with he was here before he
became the Patriots coach was I wouldn't say anything to
you guys, meaning the media, that I wouldn't say directly
to the players before I walked out here. I'm never
going to message through the media. Callahan took a similar approach,
even if it didn't resonate the same way from Mike

(01:09:19):
We're able to Brian Callahan, the approach was still similar there.
So we don't know if this is just a last
ditch effort to try and metaphorically grab Jalen Hurts by
the shoulders and shake him and say, hey, we are
trying to tell you this privately. You've left us no
choice but to message publicly, because I think once you
start to do that, the relationship between the athlete and

(01:09:40):
the organization has already a bit broken.

Speaker 5 (01:09:44):
You're not wrong, you're not wrong, and I think your
context of how they talked to him, we don't know
is really an interest. I hadn't really thought about that,
and I think it's important here because I want to
give Jalen a little bit of benefit of the doubt.
A lot of people don't realize this, but if you
go all the way back to his college career, he's
quite literally had eleven different primary play callers in.

Speaker 6 (01:10:06):
The last eleven years. So when we hear that he's
uncoachable book, I just wonder how much of it is.

Speaker 9 (01:10:13):
Man.

Speaker 6 (01:10:13):
Every damn year, I have a new voice, somebody new
telling me what to do.

Speaker 5 (01:10:18):
And here's the thing, you're gonna be gone in a year,
and I'm still gonna be here, So I'm gonna tell
you what I like, and I'm gonna do what i want.

Speaker 6 (01:10:24):
To a certain extent because I'm still going to be
here long after you are. I think there's a human
element to that. When you've literally had eleven.

Speaker 5 (01:10:34):
Different primary play callers or offensive coordinators in your last
eleven seasons going back to college, like, that's a reason
most quarterbacks would be a while fail.

Speaker 6 (01:10:43):
And Jalen Hurts in that process, has won a Super Bowl, He's.

Speaker 5 (01:10:46):
Been literally voted in All Pro like, He's played well
enough to get consideration from people everywhere considering the circumstance.

Speaker 2 (01:10:55):
Yeah, and certainly now with a super Bowl championship an
MVP on his resume, I'm of two minds of it
because obviously I don't I'm not there in Philadelphia.

Speaker 3 (01:11:07):
I'm not covering that team.

Speaker 2 (01:11:08):
I don't know the parties, the principal parties other than
AJ Brown, And like I said, it's been four years
since AJ was here, so I wouldn't pretend to know
how that circumstance has gone or even how AJ has
grown and evolved as a person since he was here
in Tennessee, at the onset of his career, all I
know is that AJ Brown gets painted as a diva publicly.
And I'm not here to defend everything that AJ does,

(01:11:29):
because I do think that there's some level of immaturity
to AJ's approach that could be curbed and could be
handled just a little bit better. But I see this
and understand the way that AJ Brown is painted and
look at the Jalen.

Speaker 3 (01:11:45):
Hurts reported behavior.

Speaker 2 (01:11:47):
Again, we have not had personal experience with this, so
we're going off secondhand reporting here. But if AJ Brown
is being painted a diva and the quarterback causes as
many problems, if not more problems, especially given the reporting
here about the input that he had on the final
plays and the four verts of it after they just
ran the concept against the Niners, and the Niners were

(01:12:08):
very quick to snuff it out just because Jalen Hurts
isn't comfortable with what's being called on the field and
the play callers trying to add some diversity to the
offense that the quarterback is pushing back on. Listen, if
you're a quarterback or a certain caliber, it's your right.
It's kind of a similar situation with Lamar Jackson and
Todd Munkin it sounds like based on the reporting that
was done there, But I do think that it's important

(01:12:29):
to keep the same energy if you're gonna come after
a j Brown that way, it sounds like Jalen Hurts
has a little bit.

Speaker 3 (01:12:34):
Of this to his game as well.

Speaker 2 (01:12:36):
Speaking of games, we are going to play America's favorite
game show, Would You Rather? On Fox Sports Radio coming
up next. I'm a little nervous. We do would you Rather?
At the end of the show every day or every
time we do the show, But today Jason Fitz is
on assignment for the Indoor Football League, and he's got

(01:12:57):
a different kind of connection than.

Speaker 3 (01:12:58):
We normally use.

Speaker 2 (01:13:00):
And if you're familiar with this particular show, you know
that we in unison attempt to announce that we are
getting better to play would you rather?

Speaker 6 (01:13:08):
No?

Speaker 3 (01:13:08):
Yeah? It was too soon? Yeah, too soon? So well,
wouldn't be the first time for you a little premature?

Speaker 5 (01:13:13):
Are you?

Speaker 6 (01:13:15):
Yeah? Always? Always always?

Speaker 7 (01:13:19):
That was a false start flag, by the way, false
start penalty there.

Speaker 2 (01:13:22):
Well, speaking of the fine system, it is fitsy. Before
we for a any further, I think it's important that
we take a moment and wish one of the fine,
upstanding members of this show. A happy birthday, even though
it was yesterday. It's Mary's birthday, Big twenty three. Happy birthday, Mary.

(01:13:43):
Are we embarrassing you?

Speaker 3 (01:13:45):
Or we like? Are we like helicopter parents?

Speaker 7 (01:13:48):
I said that in confidence.

Speaker 6 (01:13:49):
That's incredible.

Speaker 3 (01:13:50):
Happy birthday, Thanks man. You said that in confidence to
your birthday? Get over it? Yeah, but like off air,
you don't care.

Speaker 6 (01:14:01):
There's no off the record with Buck.

Speaker 5 (01:14:03):
Most importantly, if we had been in l A and
you could only invite either Buck or I to your
birthday dinner, which one of us are getting the answer
that would you rather have but or I at your
birthday dinner?

Speaker 3 (01:14:16):
Wait? Wait, wait, wait wait, spin the wheel, spin the wheel.
Let's do this proper? We do you'd rather do? We
open with this?

Speaker 6 (01:14:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:14:24):
This is U fun? Would you rather now it's an official?
Would you wait?

Speaker 7 (01:14:28):
Would you can I just play the stageer first?

Speaker 5 (01:14:30):
Then?

Speaker 3 (01:14:30):
Yeah? Yeah?

Speaker 6 (01:14:30):
Okay, sure.

Speaker 1 (01:14:34):
It's easy, guys, don't think too hard.

Speaker 7 (01:14:37):
I'm not a moron.

Speaker 6 (01:14:38):
Would you rather Bucket?

Speaker 3 (01:14:39):
Touch no good?

Speaker 1 (01:14:40):
Or fix it?

Speaker 6 (01:14:43):
Oh?

Speaker 3 (01:14:43):
What a mess?

Speaker 7 (01:14:44):
I hate you? Guys. We already spun the wheel, though,
so we have already landed on a would you rather question?
If they ready for you?

Speaker 3 (01:14:54):
Guys here you mean it's it's fixed. The wheels fixed.

Speaker 12 (01:14:57):
It's fixed. It's fixed. It's a miracle fixes in. It's spinning,
spinning it all right, all right? Would you rather swim
in the ocean at night? No, damn it, a shark
could be nearby, or spend the night in a house
you believe is haunted it.

Speaker 3 (01:15:18):
We just talked about this. This is not the first
would you rather?

Speaker 6 (01:15:21):
He is going? He is just like you know what,
I'm trying to save my back from this. There's no saving.

Speaker 7 (01:15:27):
I'm trying to sneeze us back on track right now.

Speaker 3 (01:15:30):
Were you not listening?

Speaker 6 (01:15:33):
I can't pick?

Speaker 1 (01:15:34):
What the heck?

Speaker 7 (01:15:34):
That's so mean you have to pick?

Speaker 1 (01:15:37):
Would you reel to jews between the two of you
as who?

Speaker 3 (01:15:41):
All right, it's it's important.

Speaker 2 (01:15:43):
It's important that we establish a hierarchy on this show
right now. The best way that we can wish Mary
a happy birthday is by making her deeply uncomfortable the.

Speaker 3 (01:15:51):
Day after a birthday? Would you rather to your birthday
or me?

Speaker 13 (01:15:55):
If you had to pick one, like you guys, would
both like do stuff that you guys see. But the
thing is, I feel like Buck would try to take
me to a bar, and I'm not really like a
big bar girl, So I might have to go with
Fitzy because I feel like he would take me like
a karaoke bar and like we just do.

Speaker 3 (01:16:11):
Karaoke all night.

Speaker 13 (01:16:15):
Yeah, I'm not gonna lie it might I love you Buck,
and I feel like buck Buck would get so crazy
and I think he would lose sight of like, oh,
we're here for Mary's birthday, and I feel like he
would start talking to like a bunch of girls in
the club or something like whoa and would leave me alone.

Speaker 6 (01:16:34):
And I would high in the corner, enjoying all of
the moment. I would just be high in the corner,
enjoying the moment.

Speaker 2 (01:16:41):
That I agree this was the right choice, because you
have identified the actual behavior that I would display.

Speaker 13 (01:16:47):
If we went out for your birthday, But I would
I would rather have it with both of you guys
to kind of balance it out.

Speaker 3 (01:16:52):
See no hard feelings. I get it.

Speaker 2 (01:16:54):
I understand it that it's been that damn wheel scared
a conflict around here? Figure it out or family?

Speaker 7 (01:17:04):
Dammit, do you guys want to answer the the one
that I asked, or do you want a different one.

Speaker 6 (01:17:08):
Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I'll live in I'll hang
out in the Haunted. I can't swim, so I can't
do anything that.

Speaker 5 (01:17:13):
Involves a swimming because I forgot about that, and I
actually didn't. I did live in a house that I'm
very convinced was fun. It was like very Amitaville in Nashville.

Speaker 6 (01:17:21):
Like it was like it was. It was a weird,
terrible vibe in the house. So I've gone through that.

Speaker 5 (01:17:26):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (01:17:26):
But like I get in the water, I die. So yeah,
I'm in on the hanted house.

Speaker 3 (01:17:31):
Yes, I also can't swim.

Speaker 7 (01:17:33):
Neither neither of you can swim that.

Speaker 6 (01:17:35):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (01:17:36):
No, I mean I like to get in the water,
but I don't like swim.

Speaker 7 (01:17:39):
Yeah, grow up, you guys.

Speaker 6 (01:17:41):
We're all floaties. When we have a yata party, we
should have a pool party.

Speaker 11 (01:17:50):
Okay.

Speaker 12 (01:17:51):
Would you rather have wet hands whenever you need to
shake hands with somebody or have to wear a wet
pair of socks for a whole day once a week?

Speaker 2 (01:17:58):
Oh I could I could eat the shame of the
wet sox having sweaty hands when you shake somebody's hand,
that's like every.

Speaker 7 (01:18:06):
Well, so it could be sweat It could be water.

Speaker 3 (01:18:09):
It doesn't.

Speaker 2 (01:18:09):
There's a lot of things it could be, but it
doesn't matter. It's it's it's just the the sliminess of
your hand. That's like every prepubescent, uh young male's nightmares.
Because you're going through hormonal changes, You're sweating all kinds
of different places. Your hands are clammy and sweaty. You
gotta shake somebody's hand. They pull back away from your
hand because it's disgusting. No, give me the sweaty socks.

Speaker 5 (01:18:33):
Guys, you're so wrong about us, because here's the thing.
The sweaty hands make everybody else uncomfortable. The wet socks
make me uncomfortable. I don't want to be uncomfortable all day.

Speaker 6 (01:18:43):
I don't care. Just don't shake my hand like I can.
Like sorry, wet hands, Yeah, like no, that's fine. I'll
just look at to be like they're wet.

Speaker 3 (01:18:54):
Let's get out of here. We appreciate you hanging out
with us on Fox Sports Radio

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