Jason Martin & Arnie Spanier discuss the LeBron James controversy, Cooper Flagg’s marketability, and Texas Tech’s pursuit to built a College Football giant in the NIL Era.

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
What's happening? It is indeed Fox Sports Saturday. I am
Jason Martin. He is Arnie Spanier aeron Torres out. He said, Arnie,
this is the last time until after football.

Speaker 3 (00:14):
Basically, yeah, I believe that when I see it.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
That's the voice of course of Arnie Spanner. He's at
Steak a genius one on Twitter X whatever you wanna
call it. I'm at jmur Radio. Our telephone numbers eight
seven seven nine nine six six three six nine a's
eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox Live here from
the Fox Sports Radio studios, live out at Summer League.
Our friend Mark Medina, he'll join us next hour. We'll

(00:41):
be able to talk all things Cooper Flag, Ace Bailey,
anything else on your mind. Cooper Flag had a better
second game than he did a first game there or nomenal.

Speaker 3 (00:48):
I've watched both games now, pretty much the entire game,
and I just love this kid, even after he had
a so so or below average first game. I just
love everything about him. So I can't wait to see
what kind of career he's gonna have.

Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yeah, I mean the social first game, I'm like, I
can't I can't be bothered to care about having some
like having a kind of a shaky first outing in
your first summer league game. I think his career is
not going to be defined by you know, day one
in a MAVs uniform. I think he's gonna be okay.
But we'll get the lowdown from Mark Medina a little

(01:23):
bit later on. We are going to talk plenty of NFL,
plenty of college football as well on this.

Speaker 3 (01:27):
Oh really college football a little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
Yeah, I'm gonna sneak in some F one because you're
gonna catch me doing that a lot going forward, because
it's kind of become my thing.

Speaker 3 (01:35):
I just can I just say this that you brought
up college football real quick. One of the local media
guys down in Tucson, Arizona. You know, I'm an Arizona fan,
did one of those simulcasts of you know, playing Madden
or not mad whatever, the college version of college football
twenty six right at Arizona's first opponent, Hawaii, and we're

(01:57):
like a fourteen point favorite and we lose thirty one.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
What he ate?

Speaker 3 (02:00):
And then it started to bother me today. I'm like,
it's like, we actually lost. That's how much I love football.
I'm like, season's over now. If we actually lose the
Hawaii's season's over.

Speaker 2 (02:11):
I can't believe this.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
I'm sure we're gonna lose it. That was I even
told my wife. She goes, of course, that's typical Arizona.
It was like, we actually lost the game. So I'm
only sports, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (02:20):
Only sports simulated EA sports brand college football. And you're
still saying we yeah, like you're taking it personally that
you lost the Why now if you no, I will
say this, losing to Hawaii is not a good look.

Speaker 3 (02:34):
Now, even in the simulation that you get, that's not
a good look. No, not at all.

Speaker 2 (02:39):
No, not great.

Speaker 3 (02:40):
But it bothered me today.

Speaker 2 (02:42):
I'm like, as well, tough luck. But maybe maybe the
real game will go differently and figd out. So I
think maybe. So, since we're gonna do the summer League
thing with Martin Medina in hour two, I feel like
the biggest thing that's happened, at least in the last
handful of days in the world of sports is kind

(03:02):
of this like big deep dive piece from Brian Windhorst
to Ramona Shelburn that backed up some other reporting throughout
NBA circles about the Los Angeles Lakers. Weirdly enough, we're
gonna talk about the Lakers, but hey, we're not going
to talk about Bronnie. Even though every point that he makes,
every shot that he takes, somehow finds its way onto

(03:23):
a splash screen on one of the most popular websites
in the world. I don't know how that happens, but
it does tend to happen quite a bit. But this
piece and this storyline about how after the trade Arnie
that brought Luca to LA they sit down with him
and his representation at a fancy restaurant out in Los

(03:45):
Angeles and basically have the conversation with him that they
used to have and other teams have always had with
Lebron James, where all right, here's what we're looking at doing.
We want to bring in somebody that can play alongside
you here, what are you thinking about this? Essentially, what
this piece argues and has evidence to back it up,

(04:06):
is that the Lakers are moving on from Lebron James,
that there's an end date to the Lebron James experiment
in LA and it's going to be Spring twenty twenty six,
and this team is now effectively Luka Doncic's team. They
are building it around his skill set, and so Lebron
finds himself, pretty much for the first time in his career,

(04:26):
in a spot where a team didn't offer to extend him.
He picks up his one year option. He starts tweeting
some of that kind of passive aggressive stuff that we've
seen in the past, like a Calvs jersey here or
a welcome home hat there.

Speaker 3 (04:41):
Know what happened tonight about about an hour ago, all
over Twitter, I sent you the story about him, not
why he's at the Summer League game, and he doesn't
want to go on and he doesn't want to talk
about it about what the Lakers did because I got
nothing to say, right, yeah, which I thought was a
bogus I thought that was a bogus accounted first, I'm like,
no way he said that. But it's all over Twitter now.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Yeah. So look that tells you all you need to know.
I mean, everything that Lebron James does is calculated. It
always has been. I mean, he's a brilliant businessman, and
he's got great representation with Rich Paul, who's always looking
out for his best interest, and so you know, everything
he's done, and when Horston Shelber make this point, and
the piece is to maximize his contract time but also

(05:24):
his options and his money. And so you look at this,
he picks up this one year option, and he is
all but telling you he's ready to leave. He's ready
to go somewhere else. He even kind of passively aggressively
talked about Anthony Davis after he left and about how
Anthony Davis said what he wanted, and a week later

(05:44):
he was gone when he was asked about potentially having
a center. So it does look like Lebron's going to
be somewhere else. And you know, we are getting to
that point where we could start having the conversation about
is he going to be anywhere else or is going
to be about time to to head on down that
dusty trail to go make a bunch of money doing

(06:05):
other things in his life. I don't know. I mean,
he still plays at an awfully high level, so it
just depends. But he also doesn't seem to be nearly
as concerned about winning as he once did.

Speaker 3 (06:16):
So many different things to talk about this. First of all,
has there ever been a more hated superstar in any
sport than Lebron James think about this definitely.

Speaker 2 (06:27):
On the short list. Man, it's him, and I think
Tom Brady when he was maybe in New England, but
I think he actually turned that around in Tampa Bay.

Speaker 3 (06:34):
Jason, people didn't hate O Jay Simpson as much for
crying out loud.

Speaker 2 (06:39):
Oh wait, wait, wait, wait wait wait. I mean.

Speaker 3 (06:45):
It seems like he really gets a brun of the
hatred out there, and really for what reason. There's nothing
he really did wrong. That's that's the first thing too.
He's in a situation where he's never been like that before.
He's not wanted by the Lakers, and he knows it,
and he doesn't know what to do about it.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
Now.

Speaker 3 (07:04):
There was reports today that four other teams are interested
in him. I don't know how true those reports are
if that's his agent trying to leak it out there.
By the way, how did that private dinner with Luca
make its way to the media. I don't understand that.
If it was just the Lakers and Luca who leaked
it to the media, and how did Lebron find out

(07:25):
about it? That's that's another story. I don't know.

Speaker 2 (07:28):
But well, I mean, the dinner's kind of obvious right.
I mean, like, look who wrote the report about the dinner, right,
I mean wind Horse right, right? So I mean if
you want to get it to either, if you want
to get it to Lebron, that would be one guy
you might go through. All though that relationship seems to
a soured a bit, right, wind Horses become Windhrs has
just become really good at his job period, Like he's

(07:50):
just really talented. So is Romon Schelbron for that matter.
I mean, it could easily be Rob Polinka. I mean,
anybody that's trying to make a power play to basically
say hey, we turn the page. I mean, we're talking
about all of this. This is all coming out this week.
A lot of the details of this are coming out now,
even though this thing happened months ago.

Speaker 3 (08:08):
When you do that and you leak that out, that
puts Luca in a bad position if he doesn't go
to Lebron and tell him about the dinner. So now
you're causing animosity. You're causing animosity between the two stars
if they have to stay one more year together. Now,
I don't think Lebron's gonna play another game in the
Laker uniform. Now, if that's if that was their thinking

(08:29):
from the very beginning, then they don't care if there's animosity.
But if you're doing that, you're causing some problems here
between Luca and Lebron. That's the last thing you want
to do it one year left and then Lebron having
to come back.

Speaker 2 (08:43):
Yeah, look, that's a really good point. So that's so
you drop that in the middle that you think he's
done in La.

Speaker 3 (08:48):
Oh. Yeah, I don't think he's ever going to play
a game in well with the Lakers. Who knows if
he plays with the.

Speaker 2 (08:56):
In LA.

Speaker 3 (08:57):
Yeah, I don't think he'll ever put on a Laker
uniform again. And I believe the reports that there's four
other teams. And you know I said this before, Jason,
I don't even know how true it is, to be
honest with you, and I know NBA is different. But
the Walters Group, they're also the same group that owns
the Dodgers. And you saw there a creative thinking when
it came to Otani and other contracts. Also that everybody's

(09:21):
screaming to the bloody rooftops. If anybody could make this work,
it'd be the Walters Group and Lebron. Lebron's making what
fifty two million plus or whatever it is. Why can't
he make one million and get a fifty two million
dollar bonus or whatever that way it's easier to trade
him and go to another team. I don't know. There's
got to be a creative way to work with the

(09:42):
finances to make this work so somebody doesn't have to
unload a complete team, and I really believe there is.
I don't believe in this whole salary cap. And I
believe if two people come to an agreement, they could say, Okay,
we're gonna give you the fifty two million, like Bobby Benilla,
and stretch that over for the next hundred years or something,
you know, do some creative math. I'm sure they could

(10:03):
work something out because Lebron, I think, would want to go.

Speaker 2 (10:07):
So I don't know exactly how it all works, and
I'm not sure if there is some kind of like
a he's designated as like a star and so there's
a minimum threshold or whatever like that. I'm gonna admit this,
and I've said this before, like I have tried to
wrap my head around contracts and all the terminology and
second aprons, right and mid level exceptions and all of

(10:32):
those things. I have come to a conclusion and I'm
okay with this. I just can't get it in my head,
like I just read this stuff and say, Okay, that's
how it works in this instance.

Speaker 3 (10:44):
I Ben a Flack, get that the accountant Ben Flag Yeah, yeah, okay.
I thought that was pretty good work with him.

Speaker 2 (10:51):
And then they made a sequel to that film.

Speaker 3 (10:52):
Yeah, that's a good movie.

Speaker 2 (10:54):
I'm really sure why. I actually thought the first one
was decent, but I don't think it made very much money.
So it's just like really made at one of these
You really are ideas, aren't you. So? All right, so
you said four teams. I know you said you sent her.
I said it to you one the Cavs said they
only want him for a buyout, right right, at least
that's what that's what's been reported, right. I know Golden

(11:17):
State has kicked the tires on it.

Speaker 3 (11:19):
Before absolutely that that would be two of the Forum guests.

Speaker 2 (11:22):
So you think Cleveland is still one of them for
the sake of a buyout Golden State probably for him
to actually be there, or do you think Cleveland is
Cleveland would actually not pull that.

Speaker 3 (11:30):
No, I think Cleveland is one whether it's whatever type
of contract they have to work out, they'll work out.
So I do think that's one out there are the
New York Nicks. Somehow.

Speaker 2 (11:41):
I just saw a few people say could the Knicks
be interested in Lebron James? They could. I rolled my eyes,
but I guess they could.

Speaker 3 (11:48):
They could be interested who their coaches they're good for.
They could let him coach h Yeah, exactly. So it's
a different situation the second time around. So that could
be the one surprise team out of the four if
that's true. If that report turns out to be true. Look,
there's teams I'm sure would love that have Lebron just

(12:09):
to boost their interest in the public and maybe make
their franchise more valuable. Maybe bringing Bronny and put them
together and that would you know, Lebron would like that.
There's a lot of reasons he'd go to different teams
out there. We just have to see which one step up.
But I still think Cleveland is the first and obvious
right now.

Speaker 2 (12:29):
I mean, I feel like the only teams that would
would actually want to try that is a team that's
pretty close to a championship. The Cavs were the one
seed in the East last year, so you could make
that argument. Golden State were kind of high and low
last year, but you've still got Steph Curry, so mys
you've still got something. And right now you've got Jimmy Butler,
and for pro con you've got Draymond Green, and the

(12:51):
Knicks are certainly at least on the cusps. They're certainly
in the mix, you would think.

Speaker 3 (12:58):
I think the question next to the favorite in the
Eastern Conference.

Speaker 2 (13:01):
Yeah, right, is Lebron willing to just come in and
play basketball or does he still want to come in
as the BMOC that he's been throughout much of his career.
I think that's the question. Like there are some teams where,
look what we have, we like, but we'd sure like
to add your basketball talent to that. But some of

(13:22):
this other stuff we're not as keen on anymore. Like
these are the leverage you used to have, we don't
really need that. It's kind of like there was a
time when you would have been okay grabbing Aaron Rodgers
for all the things that Aaron Rodgers would have wanted
to do because he was so great outside of that.
But then there comes a point where it's man, you
come in and play quarterback. But outside the rest of that,

(13:43):
just kind of stay quiet and just let us run
the team. We're not going to sign Alan Lazard, We're
not going to bring Randall Cobb back out of retirement again.
Just come on and play quarterback for us, and we've
got everything else covered. I don't know if Lebron has
hit that spot, but I do think some teams would
hire of the maneuvering and some of the things that

(14:04):
he's certainly been accused of throughout a lot of his.

Speaker 3 (14:06):
Career, Jason, If I was Lebron and this is what
I would want to have done, I think it's too
late now that ship has sailed, because I actually talked
to Bernie Fratter, who follows us after this show tonight, yep,
And I didn't know it was this far off. If
anybody could make it work, maybe it's the NBA, like
the way the A's are playing in Sacramento and they

(14:26):
haven't quite moved to Vegas yet. But if I was Lebron,
I wanted to come in this last year, after this
last year, become a owner player for a team in
Las Vegas, for an expansion team in La Las Vegas.
Bring my son with me. Bring my other son from
Arizona will have one or two years in the books

(14:46):
down there, Aget played one more year, put together some
other guys around me that still want to play, and
usher in a new franchise in Las Vegas. That'd be
what I would want to do to finish up my
career and be an owner operator, play or something like that.

(15:07):
I don't know if you could do that though, to
be honest.

Speaker 2 (15:09):
When we come back out of the break, we're gonna
talk about the other side of this Lakers equation. Then
we can talk about some of the other things that
have happened to free agency Aaron and I and I'm
sure you and Aaron also we've talked about KAD and
what that looks like in Houston. But what about the
Pacers finding way to let Myles Turner go and then
he goes to the Bucks. So there have been some
other things that have happened. I do want to talk
about the New York Knicks coach and get your thoughts

(15:30):
on it there. Mister Nick, absolutely as well. But I
kind of I do want us to look at this
from the Luca lens, because this whole thing is built
to make sure that Lucas signs long term with them,
and as now, that hadn't happened and they kind of
wanted it before August. He's playing some international balls, so
it might be September. If you're Luca, how do you

(15:50):
feel about this entire situation right now? We're going to
talk about that a bit when we come back. We
are live in the Fox Sports Radio studios. He's already Spaniard.
I'm Jason Martin and this is Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 4 (16:02):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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listen live.

Speaker 3 (16:14):
Hey, what's up everybody?

Speaker 5 (16:15):
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couldn't be more excited to announce a podcast called Up
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Speaker 2 (16:22):
What is Up on Game?

Speaker 5 (16:23):
You ass along with my fellow pro bowler TJ. Huschman
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You can only name a show with that type of
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(16:45):
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Speaker 2 (16:51):
You get your podcasts from quarter Back Fox Sports Radio Studios,
along with Arnie Spaniard, m Jason Martin Fox Sports Saturday.
So ESPN updated their article.

Speaker 3 (17:07):
This is a big difference, Jason, does it not because
it says since a narrative that we were talking about
and that everybody else was talking about all week long.
It just kind of falls in our lap, though.

Speaker 2 (17:20):
So this is from what this is the account Lakers
better that you sent me. But I've seen at other
places and I actually read the article again right before
we went on the air, and so, I mean I
read this update, didn't even realize it was an update. Yeah,
but it says I'll just read the part that changed.
It says when the Bus family agreed to sell a

(17:43):
majority stake in the franchise to Mark Walter on June eighteenth,
Doncic was given a heads up and notably posted the
congratulations on social media afterward. After the publication of this article,
sources said James was notified to the sale via his representation,
but he did not post any public acknowledgment. So it
goes from he didn't know about it too. He knew

(18:04):
about it, he just didn't post any states, which is
a vast difference.

Speaker 3 (18:08):
Does that change your mind on anything? Because to me,
the whole point was the Lakers didn't tell him, and
the Lakers didn't tell him because he Gordon from his representatives.
I don't know if that really changes anything in any light.
I can still see why he's mad, and I still
see the Lakers making a point by not telling him.

Speaker 2 (18:28):
Yeah, I mean, I don't know how much it changes, right,
It's definitely a different story. But are the feelings still
generally the same. It's like, yeah, they tell Lebron, they
didn't tell him, Hey, are you cool with this?

Speaker 6 (18:42):
Right?

Speaker 2 (18:43):
It seems like in the past Lebron would have even
been included in a discussion like that. Now should he
have been as a different question, But would they have
talked to him three four years ago before they did this?
In this case, Hey, we're selling this, This majority stake
is going to the Walters, and so we're letting you
know about this, but it's already a done deal. And

(19:03):
then he decided he didn't comment. But it does change
like he just did he need to comment. I don't know, Like, yes, yes,
it seemed like it was out of his hands at
that point. Yeah, so it does change that a little bit.
But I still think, look, because he opted into that
one year, I think that told you all you needed
to know about him and feeling like he was going

(19:24):
to end his career there or wanting to be there,
Like it seemed like at that point it had shifted
to some degree or in some direction away from La
From Lebron and Rich Paul's perspective.

Speaker 3 (19:36):
What did you want him to do? Opt not opt
in for that money and go somewhere else for the
five million dollar mid level exception, I'm not quite following
what everybody wanted him to do at that point.

Speaker 2 (19:47):
Well, I don't know. I mean, you got two things right,
because the Lakers didn't offer him the extension.

Speaker 3 (19:52):
Opt in out are the things you could do?

Speaker 2 (19:55):
You know? Well, no, you got two sides, meaning from
the Lakers standpoint there, this is the time that somebody
has you know, gotten to this final year and not
given him the opportunity for the extension. They were not
interested in doing that. At that point, He's like, yeah,
I'll go ahead and opt in and maybe at that
point it was just kind of like, yeah, so I'm
gonna have surprised.

Speaker 3 (20:15):
By the way that that they weren't gonna give him
an extension that wasn't surprise to him or surprised to
anybody out there.

Speaker 2 (20:22):
I don't know, because we don't know exactly what. And
I think this is going to be something we can
talk to Medina about an hour or two as well,
because he's pretty plugged into those circles. It's I don't
know how. I don't know how frosty the relations have
been there for the last year.

Speaker 3 (20:37):
He should have known. He should have know just I
agree with that he should have known by his age,
what happened last year, who they got in a trade,
how it went down, If he really knew or didn't
know about Anthony Davis and all that, he should have
known that he was going to be next on the list.
I can't feel bad for him, you.

Speaker 2 (20:54):
Know, Yeah, that's right. It does feel like I'm not
saying the Kers went out of their way to kind
of shun him a little bit. Yeah, but it does
seem like the kind of just kind of respect and
I guess just you've kind of You've kind of always

(21:14):
come to Lebron with some sense of like he's got
some authority here, like he's somebody that you don't just
do stuff without talking to Lebron James, and here the
Lakers seemingly, for the most part, did that. And Lebron's
response was kind of the weird stuff on social media
that we've seen many times, and a lot of that
kind of stuff. So I kind of look at all

(21:36):
of that and just say, it's a relationship that looks
like it has gone south. Even if this article, you know,
now you look at it and it does have some
errors or it has a has a fairly big error
that needed to be corrected here, that maybe changes the
tenor a little. I don't think I would go like,
like the person who tweeted this is just kind of like,

(21:56):
hey man, the media is trying to create a story
that's not there. I don't necessarily that because I don't
think that the way Lebron said, I don't have anything
to say tonight right like him saying that right summer League,
there's something there's still some fire behind that.

Speaker 3 (22:11):
Of course, that's exactly what's going on. First of all, Jason,
he did get shunned. The Lakers did tell Luca, but
they didn't tell Lebron. They told his representatives. They could
have made a call to him, So yes they did.
They did shut him. That's like your girlfriend calling me
up and saying, I'm gonna break up with Jason later on. Okay,
well you know that you're not gonna tell Jason, So no, lady,

(22:32):
you gotta tell Jason. So you know, it's the pecking
order here, and for the first time in his life,
he's not first in the pegging order. Two, they don't
want him back, and I don't think Laker fans really
want him back, and he feels it for the first
time in his career. And I bet you if you
took a poll out there, I bet it's seventy five
twenty five. If you ask the Laker fans, they don't

(22:54):
want him back for the upcoming year. They'd rather move on.
The Lakers won fifty games if Lebron wasn't on the team.
How many games would they win this year if he
wasn't on the team and you just replaced him using
that fifty two million, I'd say just about the same.
So I think it's time to move on from Lebron
and see what you could do without him.

Speaker 2 (23:14):
Now, Yeah, I mean I think that's I think that
last point is critical when you're thinking about the Lakers
thought process and what you're saying about the fans. I
agree with, but I also look at it just from them.
It's like, Okay, so he brought us the championship in
the bubble, right, but we're not getting any closer now,
all right, So we've had We've gone through a couple
of coaches that he's wanted us to go. Now we
have his old podcast buddy as a head coach, who

(23:36):
at times I thought did a pretty good job. I
thought did a poor job in the playoffs. But at
the same time, you know, we've brought in Luca, and
Luca is the future. Look at his age. He doesn't
play the same way as Lebron. It didn't seem to
be like the most magical fit. And they got rid
of somebody Lebron loves like like ultimately Ad was this

(23:59):
guy was his friend. Ad was somebody that that he
really enjoyed playing alongside. And they moved on from that
guy and they brought in somebody who can't be a
second banana like Luka Jancic cannot come in and be
part of something. He kind of has to be the maestro.

(24:20):
And so I think ultimately, like right there, I think
you had you probably had some.

Speaker 3 (24:24):
Issues, oh for sure.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
Yeah, And so you look at so at this point,
what does Lebron want to do? Who does he want
to be? And so you talk about the four teams
that are out there that are interested in his services
or whatever like that. I think eventually he's gonna have
to decide, you know, what it is he's looking for.

Speaker 3 (24:40):
It's pretty easy. If I'm here, I go back to Cleveland.
Them in the New York Knicks have an easy road
to the Eastern Conference finals. Might as well just put
him in there, especially with Boston be in without Tatum
and Haliburton, So it's it's a done deal. Might as well,
that's gonna be bad for the NBA. But that's a
whole nother a story there. So I'd go to Cleveland,

(25:02):
stee even getting back to the NBA Championship. But filling
myself one more about who I.

Speaker 2 (25:09):
Just mentioned Philadelphia.

Speaker 3 (25:10):
Just like that, I went, why would I want to
go to Philadelphia? Get on it?

Speaker 2 (25:16):
You a to Miami?

Speaker 3 (25:17):
That would be a possibility. That'd be third on my list.

Speaker 2 (25:21):
They're not gonna win a championship there, But he go
live in Miami.

Speaker 3 (25:23):
Again, if you go live in Miami, maybe recruits one
more person. They make a little bit of a run
in things.

Speaker 2 (25:29):
Hey man, the Hawks had a really good draft and
a good start to free agency. No, I'm just kidding.
I'm just kidding. If he goes to Atlanta, it will.

Speaker 3 (25:38):
Be the Yeah, don't overthink it with Lebron, And it's
gonna be Cleveland or Golden State, I really believe are
the only two places will end up going.

Speaker 2 (25:47):
Yeah, Like I tend to agree, it's it's crazy that
his it has gotten to this point, but eventually you
do kind of hit a spot where your value is
just not what it once was. And the Lakers eventually
the Lake. Until you move on from Lebron James, you
can't turn the page. And I think with a new
owner and everything else, all right, this is the Luca Ero,

(26:10):
which means we kind of need to move on completely.
We have to build this thing around him, and you
can't build around him and build around Lebron James, and
you can't build around him. With Lebron James, I don't
think because Lebron. Lebron's got a big ego and he's
still got a lot of pride, and there's still some
things that he's going to want to command. And I
think that if you want to look at it, who

(26:31):
was more successful the Luka Doncic in Dallas that went
to the NBA Finals a year ago or the Lakers
version that had Luca and Lebron and kind of a
weird mishmash of pieces that got obliterated in the first round.
Number done right right.

Speaker 3 (26:48):
No, there's no doubt. It's the Luca team in Dallas,
and it's Luca's future. There's there's no infans or buds
about this. Like I said, I would want to get
the hell out of there. Lebron's not wanted. Is there
a reason why he's so hated among Laker fans. I'm
not really sure the attitude. It can't be because I'm
gonna take my talents to South Beach. Not really sure.

(27:10):
He did bring the Lakers a championship, but I'll never
go down to the top five Waker of all time.
It's just that very popular. I can't think of a
superstar that's less popular than lebron James. It's really that
bad out there. But I've got to leave. I can't
play one more year here in LA. I get to
find myself another team.

Speaker 2 (27:30):
Wow. I think I just heard like a shout of
joy when Arnie Spanier said I've got to.

Speaker 3 (27:37):
Leave, got to leave, and that was Steve Sager.

Speaker 2 (27:40):
Of course, a man, we have just enough money left
under the mid level exception to bring in a veteran
like Steve de Sager, Steve.

Speaker 7 (27:48):
And in your honor, we're gonna lead with Bronnie James
victory at the Summer League Lakers beat New Orleans ninety
four to eighty one. Bronnie James fourteen points, three assists,
four turnovers, three point one for five.

Speaker 2 (28:01):
Hey, man, that would have put him on the cover
of a two K twenty six for the women.

Speaker 7 (28:07):
Yeah, it's yeah, I'm not even gonna go there. This
This is exactly this has already been going over and
I think we all agree. These Spurs defeated the Mavericks
today seventy six sixty nine. Cooper Flag of Dallas did
have thirty one points out of the sixty nine. They
are eight games a day in Vegas for this summer League,
which started Thursday. WNBA Chicago beat Minnesota, which was eighteen

(28:31):
and three eighty seven eighty one, Angel Reese nineteen points,
Las Vegas one oh four, one oh two over Golden State.
Asia Wilson thirty four points back from a wrist injury
that the Women's Euros Sweden for to one over Germany
and MLS Action Miami beat Nashville two to one tonight,
two goals for Lionel Messi. The FIFA Club World Cup
Final is Sunday in New Jersey. Egos Fiontek won the

(28:53):
Wimbledon Women's final six love, six love today against American
Amanda Andissimova, and it took just fifty seven seven minutes.
Ciontek now six to zero in major finals, including the
four she's won at the French Open.

Speaker 3 (29:06):
The men commercials in between points.

Speaker 7 (29:08):
Problem Sunday, it was, yeah, exactly. It was from the
very beginning, it was obvious this was not gonna last
very long. I looked it up her semi final where
she upset the number one player, Arena Sableca. That was
two hours, thirty seven minutes.

Speaker 3 (29:24):
Wow.

Speaker 7 (29:24):
The final didn't even make it to sixty minutes. Pato
O Ward took Today's Indy Carve and Indy Cars at
Iowa This weekend Saturday and Sunday races on Fox TV.
Roy McElroy moved into a tie for first at the
Scottish Open. He'd been four shots back after round two.
At the Celebrity Golf event in Lake Tahoe, Soccer's Taylor
twelve minutes tied for the league. Golf Hall of Famer

(29:45):
Anika sorens Dam is in fifth place. Tony Romo is
tied for six with John Smoltz. Brown's second round running
back quin Shawn Judkins was arrested for domestic violence. He
played for Ole Miss and Ohio State. Former Cardinals Pro
Bowl tackle Lewis Sharp died at the age sixty five.
Two late ballgames in the majors. It's bottom of the
seventh in Anaheim Angels sixty three over the Diamondbacks. Arizona

(30:07):
got two early home runs from Auhennio Suarez. He has
thirty one this year. Two run shot for the Angels.
Mike Trout his seventeenth trout, batting two thirty three this season,
pretty good, seemingly as a fifty two year contract with
that team as well. The Blue Jays are tied to
two at the A's in the bottom of the fifth,
Toronto his first place in the Alas. There were two

(30:28):
games over the Yankees to start the day. The Yankees
lost at home to the Cubs, five to two. Aaron
Jidge judged it Homer at thirty fifth this year. It's
number three fifty for his career. Milwaukee won at six
straight with three runs bottom of the ninth, six to
five over Washington. Seattle fifteen to seven. Winners at Detroit,
and the starting pitchers were announced tonight for the Tuesday

(30:49):
All Star Game. Detroit's Trek Scuebel and Paul Skeans of
the Pirates. Unfortunately for the Pirrits.

Speaker 2 (30:56):
Still with the Pirates. Yeah for the thirty five minutes.
I see a piece about how he's about to be traded.

Speaker 7 (31:00):
Yeah, these Pirates have lost eight in a row and
Skeens is pitching so well and it doesn't seem like
they score win he pitches today. It was twelve to
four Minnesota over Pittsburgh. Byron Buxton hit for the cycle
and went five for five. The Braves with a run
of the ninth one at Saint Louis seven to six.
The Dodgers held off the rival Giants two to one.

(31:21):
Sho Heyo Tani pitch three scoreless innings with four strikeouts.
Cincinnati with two runs bottom of the ninth, edged Colorado
four to three. The Rockies record now twenty two and
seventy three. Miami and Cleveland each one on the road.
Boston won it's ninth straight. The Mets won three to
one at Kansas City, while the Phillies lost five to
four at San Diego. So the Phillies now a half

(31:42):
game back of the first place Mets in the NL East.

Speaker 2 (31:45):
Can we just not talk about the NL East?

Speaker 7 (31:47):
And the Houston Astro with two runs in the bottom
of the eleventh beat Texas five to four. Or reminder,
All Star Week coming up that includes the All Star
Game on Fox TV Tuesday, home Run Derby on Monday.

Speaker 2 (32:00):
Back to you, be sure to check out the Fox
Sports Radio YouTube channel. Ton of great videos from all
the Fox Sports Radio shows. Search Fox Sports Radio on YouTube.
You'll see a bunch of video highlights from the shows.
Be sure to subscribe so you always have instant access
to Fox Sports Radio videos on YouTube. I'm serious about
a moratorium on n L East talk anytime where I

(32:25):
am near a radio. This is such a dreadful year
for the Braves. I just can't take it.

Speaker 3 (32:31):
Just the Phillies and the Mets. Now, that's all it
really is, all the way.

Speaker 2 (32:34):
That is my nightmare. Well, actually, you know what, I
actually don't hate the Mets as much as I hate
the Nationals. Phillies and Nationals are the two teams I
absolutely cannot stand.

Speaker 3 (32:47):
Overall though they can't even be see if you went
split season, you'd have a whole new refound life. Now
you can't even do that. You canna just suck it
up and wait till the next year.

Speaker 2 (32:58):
So I joked about it. Just now there's a cover
athlete on two K twenty six that makes sense, really
makes sense as a matter of fact, a legend that
I guess kind of makes sense. And then a women's
representative that, yeah, that's that sounds about right for the WNBA.
We'll come back, we will chat about that. He's Arnie Spaniard.
I'm Jason Martin. This is Fox Sports Radio. Welcome back

(33:22):
live Fox Sports Radio Studios. I'm Jason Martin. He's Ernie
spanier eron Torres taking his final week, final week off
until after football.

Speaker 3 (33:34):
No vacations.

Speaker 2 (33:35):
It's busy for him.

Speaker 3 (33:36):
What nothing for you? No vacation for you?

Speaker 2 (33:39):
Well, I mean I had surgery. It would have been
almost two weeks ago.

Speaker 3 (33:45):
Wow, And so.

Speaker 2 (33:46):
That's why I was out last week because I was
in recovery and still kind of find of getting the
finishing touches off of recovery now. But back in the saddle.
I am gonna have to take a little bit of
time in September because I need to go to a
hybrid weekend for my graduate school. So I'm going to
have to actually go to campus for the first time.

(34:09):
I've done as much as I can distance, and then
there's actually some there's a tie in and a connection
to where I can take some live classes here in
Nashville as well. So I'm gonna have to do that
and outside of that, maybe the beach in October. We'll see. Man,
you got a four year old and a fifteen month
old who just learned all steps a few days ago. Like,

(34:29):
I don't know if I life is a vacation, this
show is a vacation. Exact party, because I was able
to let you know at this point, I've got a
microphone and that's it. Like I don't have. I don't
have a four year old and a fifteen month old
that I am just chasing around relentlessly. The thing has
been hard for me is I haven't been able to

(34:49):
exercise in a couple of weeks doctor's orders. That's been
kind of difficult. But the surgery is hopefully going to
be really good for quality of life, So I'm excited
about what that can look like. Not gonna be buying
two K twenty six this year by NBA two K
twenty six. So here's the biggest reason. It's not honestly
because of this. This isn't help, but a game hadn't

(35:13):
been good in a while, if we're just being real,
just this is information that I know you're an expert
on this, Arnie, soona why I'm telling you. But the
game has become riddled with what are called micro transactions,
which is just you have to pay basically to advance
in the game, so you spend seventy bucks on the game,
but then you have to spend another one hundred to
be competitive after that. I don't believe in that, Like,

(35:34):
if it's a game where I have to keep putting
a bunch of money into it after I've already bought
the thing.

Speaker 3 (35:39):
A lot like that, Yeah, there's a lot like that.

Speaker 2 (35:41):
Yeah, there are. Most of them are like that, right, right, right?
But the extra reason is this, So the cover of
two K twenty six for the men's cover, there's a
men's cover of women's cover and some kind of a
legend or a Hall of Famer or something like that cover.
Who do you think would be based on the season
that just took place? Who do you think the male

(36:04):
representative should be or could be?

Speaker 3 (36:07):
I'm gonna go Glahoma City SGA. You am I wrong
on that?

Speaker 2 (36:11):
No, you're right, Okay, makes sense, rightly, MVP of the
league just won the championship. And it wasn't like it
came out of nowhere. They were the one seed, They
were the best team in the league all season long.
They win it. All right? The hall of Famer I
don't think you would be able to get. But it's
Carmelo Anthony.

Speaker 3 (36:29):
Okay, that's all right, it's fine.

Speaker 2 (36:31):
I mean it's fine.

Speaker 3 (36:34):
No, no great shakes there. I mean he's a great player, yes.

Speaker 2 (36:36):
All right, But who do you think would be on
the women's cover?

Speaker 3 (36:39):
I know this? This was Angel Rees.

Speaker 2 (36:41):
Yes, do you think that that should have been the case.

Speaker 3 (36:44):
You know, these games are made to enjoyment into, so
as much as you can putting Angel and putting the
best athlete on the cover. Also, Angel rees is not
the best athlete in the w n b A and
she's not gonna see you the most copies. That would
have been Caitlin Clark. Now, Caitlyn is actually going through
a real tough time, and I believe Angel in her

(37:05):
last six or seven games has been pretty damn good,
actually very good over those last six or seven games.
But this was decided before them. This was another reason
that the WNBA can't get out of their own way.
It's ridiculous to put this situation out there. Should have

(37:26):
been Caitlin Clark on the cover. She's the most polarizing.
She really is the best in the WNBA, regardless of
what she's done in the last three or four games.
And you would sell double, maybe triple the amount of
games if she was on the cover.

Speaker 2 (37:43):
All right, So they asked, so do you think Caitlin
was on it last year for the women.

Speaker 3 (37:49):
No, I'm gonna say no, she wasn't.

Speaker 2 (37:51):
Hodger Wilson was, Okay, Wilson was all right. So they
asked the executive two K why they picked Angel Reese
over Caitlyn Clark, and to your point quote, well, we're
never scared to start conversation. And then they go into
basically how this is exactly what this is as that's

(38:11):
part of our game. It often provokes debate and conversation.
Basketball is full of it. That's what's fun about the
sport as well as being a fan of it, So
we never shy away from that. He talked about there's
been a relationship two K has had over the years
with Angel Reese. We've had a great relationship with Angel.
We love her on court and off the court style,
and she's willing to provoke conversation and be audacious too.

(38:32):
So this year we're really excited to partner with her.
It felt like the right time. Cool, it's a long
to me, Yeah, Like, okay, great, it's basically putting Dennis
Rodman on your cover as opposed to Michael Jordan or

(38:52):
Magic or someone like that, like Ijah Wilson or Angel Wilson.
She was pretty much the best player in the league
last year, if you want to do that. Okay, it
was rookie year for Kaitlyn Clark. That's fine. But based
on the ratings and based on the entest level and
all that kind of stuff, you're gonna put Angel Rees
on the cover? Why exactly? Because let me just tell
you this, if you would put Caitlyn Clark on the

(39:12):
cover of two K twenty six, the women's cover, it
would have outsold the SGA cover one hundred percent.

Speaker 3 (39:19):
I agree with you one hundred percent. You know now
I feel like putting out my own game, calling it
women's basketball and putting Caitlon Clark on the cover. I'll
pay her and see somebody I can sell. Yeah, I
really should, shouldn't we?

Speaker 2 (39:31):
Like, you can make all the argument you want if
you're two K about all this kind of crap. I'm sorry,
I don't buy this. You've had a long term relationship
with Angel Reese. How long exactly has your relationship been
with Angel Rees? You haven't made a college basketball game
since I think two thousand and eight was the last
two K college basketball game. That sounds like a bunch
of ball back.

Speaker 3 (39:49):
Yeah, I just I don't.

Speaker 2 (39:50):
Really buy that you had Kandas Clark or Kansas Parker
rather two K twenty two ian sq in twenty three,
and then Angel Wilson twenty four. Rightfully, no question on that.
I think Diane ta Rossi and Sue Bird we're also
on it. Caitlyn Clark should be on your cover. It's ridiculous.
Everybody's looking at you with the side eye. Just know
that when we come back, we're gonna talk about summer League.

(40:12):
Cooper Flag went from not so good to thirty one points.
We'll talk about that. Plus Mark Medina will join us
in the second segment. Don't go anywhere, Arnie and Jason,
we'll be right back.

Speaker 1 (40:21):

Speaker 2 (40:24):
Welcome back or welcome here, whichever way. Welcome. Glad to
be with you live from the Fox Sports Radio studios,
Torres out this week. We'll be back with me a
week from this evening. So Arnie Spanier is in his
stead like you was in mine a week ago. I
do believe. Is that right? You were with Torris last week?

Speaker 3 (40:42):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (40:42):
I was good.

Speaker 3 (40:43):
We were doing a giane Torres and I did Friday
Saturday and then something that was with Chris Planks.

Speaker 2 (40:48):
Okay, gotcha, all right? So that's Arnie Spanner, who's that
sinking genius? One send all your love mail there also,
I guess you're hate mail. I don't know who hates you, Arnie.
I don't think anybody does.

Speaker 3 (40:58):
You're getting a few little people attacking you on Twitter
right now. I see that.

Speaker 2 (41:03):
Okay, well, you please tell me all about that. I'm
at Jbar Radio. You can find me there if you
would like. Uh, we're gonna have Marbadina on in the
next second. We'll be able to talk Summer League with
him as he's out there and get some more thoughts
on the lebron thing. So who's tweeting it? Who's who's
hit me? U? But the angel upset?

Speaker 3 (41:20):
Yeah, he wrote a couple of things and he said
this is from New koresh three three three Jay mart
That take was ridiculous. Maybe if you used it a
year ago it made sense. But if you're paying any
attention to the w n B A, Angel Rees has
been the better player by far recently. At one point,
saying Caitlin was Jordan de Rodman was warranted. If you've

(41:41):
watched Angel Rees play in the last month or so,
you know she's no Rodman. So that's what he wanted
to say out.

Speaker 2 (41:49):
Maybe the greatest rebounder of all time.

Speaker 3 (41:51):
That's that's I was gonna say, that's those.

Speaker 2 (41:56):
Yeah, yeah, George actually trying to couple with a better
comparison of Jordan, But I was looking at the same team,
but I was looking at marketability. Asia Wilson being on
there last year made all the sense in the world
because she's the best player, right Clark is by far
the most popular player of the league has ever had
and probably will ever have. Right and to not strike

(42:17):
while that iron is hot, even to the point that
you're making, like even to the point that the that
that commenter is making like do it now? Then if
she's on the tail end, you know, she's getting hurt
all the time now and all this kind of stuff. Yeah,
but she's still super marketable. And the whole point two
K is all about making money. That's why they sell
micro transactions and everything else. Angel Reese, you know, for
whatever you want to say about her, positive or negative,

(42:39):
she's not going to sell like Caitlin Clark is in
twenty twenty five. It's not even a fair fight, not.

Speaker 3 (42:44):
Even going to be close. Did you see there was
a w NBA game on and they put on underneath
the highest attendance of a non Indiana Fever game with
and they had to put that in there because they
know nothing's going to rival what Caitlin Clark brings in

(43:06):
and it's it's not even close. That's why I would
have loved been a fly on the wall hearing people
talk about no, no, can't put Caitlyn Clark on Jesus,
what gonna sell too many? You know, too many of
the games.

Speaker 2 (43:18):
Let me tell you what they did, Cude. They didn't
look at the stats and say, oh, well, Angel Reesis
had better stats and like over the last half of games,
he's right by the way, Like just looking at it
purely from a.

Speaker 3 (43:27):
Humber standards, this decision was made.

Speaker 2 (43:29):
He's one a bit of a tear in this last hample,
but you were exactly that's the point, Like it was
for the of how she's played a month ago, how
she's played in the last three weeks, and the biggest again,
it's all about selling as many copies as you can
year after year. Uh and and the best way to
do that and look to that point like it's sga
gonna sell as many copies as others.

Speaker 3 (43:49):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (43:49):
I would say that you're not buying it based on
the men's cover, like Jason Tatum was on the front
of it last year, Right, they won the championship, SGA,
let me tell you he's not gonna win the championship.
Angel Reese's team is not gonna in a w NBA championship.
But more to the point, like you're not really buying
it because of who's on the men's cover. The women's
cover can sell if it's Caitlin Clark because it becomes

(44:10):
something you just want to have that on your shelf,
because she's just a different kind of athlete. She's like,
her popularity is just it's just different. It's just completely unique.
Not that we need to get completely all into this,
but his point is not incorrect in terms of Angel
Reese's and how she's playing. It's just about the marketability

(44:31):
and selling the game.

Speaker 3 (44:32):
It is, And you're right this this was made before
even the start of the WNBA season, so they have
had to have had a meeting. And I'm wondering how
many people were in on this, on this decision that said, Okay,
we're all together now it's gonna be Angel Rees. I mean,
if anything, probably put both on the cover. But it's
certainly Caitlin Clark deserved it, and I can't believe they were.

(44:55):
They had to have known that it's going to suffer
in sales. If they didn't know that, what type of
business people are they? I mean, I everybody knows that,
right or we just knuckleheads when we say something like that,
Well I would now would different.

Speaker 2 (45:07):
I mean, I don't know that's gonna suffer in sales.
Most of the hardcore fans are gonna buy it regardless
who's on the cover. That's the truth of the matter,
because they they play it, they gamble on it, they
do whatever it is that they do, and they love
it year after year after year.

Speaker 3 (45:19):
I mean that's the Madden Game. But I'm yeah, the
Madden Game, you're buying anything Whoever's no I could.

Speaker 2 (45:25):
Be on the same thing as true with basketball. I
mean the NBA game has been that popular as well.
But here's the thing, Like, when it comes down to it,
there are people that don't generally buy it that would
buy it even if they're going to keep it sealed
because Caitlin Clark is going to be on it, because
it's like, we're going to add this to our collection
for our daughter who loves her or whatever it is, right,

(45:46):
because she's just She's just a unicorn in in many respects.
So that's what you will lose because nobody's gonna go
buy the Angel Reese. That's that wasn't going to get
the game anyway. I don't think add a sale because
you bring Angel Reese onto it, except maybe Ryan Clark.

Speaker 3 (46:05):
I agree with you one hundred percent on that. I
really think they made a massive mistake and they could have,
you know, got in on the popularity of Caitlin Clark.
I don't know why they didn't want to do something
like that. And the WNBA seems to be making mistakes
over and over and over again. When it comes to
Caitlin Clark not Puttinger on the Olympic team. That was crazy.

(46:26):
It just seems like every year there's one mistake after another.

Speaker 2 (46:29):
So tell me, mister Spaniard, Yes, sir, how soon will
Cooper Flagg be on the cover of a two K game?

Speaker 3 (46:37):
I just love him. I watched both games, Jason, I
just absolutely love.

Speaker 2 (46:41):
Break that guy's entire catalog.

Speaker 3 (46:43):
Yeah, I look, I know he didn't have a great
first game and it was blow subpar and what he
was expecting and today's game was actually a little better,
even though he scored thirty one. But he's got the
biggest problem for him when he gets to the NBA.
Now is going to be the three point shop. You
could see that he's struggling a little bit because going

(47:04):
back about four or five feet is certainly, you know,
gonna take its toll on him. He's gonna get his range,
though he hit like one or two today, but he's
so tough. He's a good drive to the basket. He's
got to get a better handle, especially going left. But
he's only eighteen years old. Eighteen years old, he's just
gonna be phenomenal. I love everything about his game.

Speaker 2 (47:27):
Yeah, I mean it's hard to say that he doesn't
do things pretty well. I don't know that like he's
gonna He's not gonna be Luka Doncic in a Maps
uniform when it comes to scoring right, because that's not
his game. His game is more well rounded, more balanced.
He's gonna give you a lot of different aspects. He
plays pretty solid defense, he rebounds at a pretty high clip.

(47:48):
He's way athletic, more so than you would even think.
But he showed it at Duke and he's showing it
out as well. Now he's gonna I think he will
be probably more a streaky shooter, and he's probably more
likely to average in the low twenties or something like that.
But I mean, he had that first game, right, and
it was five and twenty one from the field and

(48:11):
missed all his threes, and it was him and Bronnie
And it's not like Bronnie was was good or anything
else like that. But so now then everybody has their
take on Cooper Flag the next day. As soon as
I saw this, I was just I just shrugged my
shoulders and said, Okay, that's not super impressive numbers, but
who cares. Let's see what he does going forward. And

(48:32):
then tonight he has thirty one. Yes, he goes ten
of twenty or ten of twenty one from the field, right,
and it's a lot more aggressive out there and just
makes more shots. Because some Knights you're gonna make shots,
some nights you're not. Maybe there's a little bit of
adrenaline rolling on that first night in Summer League. You know,
a ton of people are watching that. ESPN has marketed
like it's a really big deal, not just because it's Flag,

(48:54):
but because it was Brownie as well, So you add
both of those two things in. I just if anybody,
and I don't know, because I didn't really pay attention
to that much of the discourse afterwards. I hope that
people didn't overreact like, oh, he's gonna be a bust.
But I imagine that's the world that we live in.
It's like instant reaction. He probably he may have overperformed
a little bit on Saturday Night even though they lost,

(49:16):
and he probably underperformed a little bit in Game one,
And who really cares because he's gonna have, you know,
borring some injury or something horrifying. He's probably gonna have
ten to fifteen year career in the league, and we're
gonna get a whole lot bigger of a sample size
on what Cooper Flag can do.

Speaker 3 (49:30):
No, you're right about that. There was one host that
said he was waving the white flag on Cooper Flag
after the No, I'm not kidding you.

Speaker 2 (49:38):
Did that guy mean it or do you think he
was just trying to generate discussion? Do you think that
was an intellectually honest assessment of Cooper Flag that waved
the flag with the two g's.

Speaker 3 (49:51):
I think he believed that. I'm not so sure, man. Yeah,
I'm not believing that. So you know, I just I
do love him.

Speaker 4 (50:00):
Uh.

Speaker 3 (50:00):
I don't put a lot of stock into these games.
I just wanted to see him out there and what
he's going to do and run around and you could
see it. Eighteen years old, he's just got all the
physical tools. He's just got everything. You know, we were
talking about w NBA popularity. Cooper Flag is the face
of the NBA. He's going to be the most popular athlete.
He's going to be the next Lebron James. People are

(50:23):
going to know who Cooper Flag is. He's everybody's gonna
want to watch him play and act. He may replace
Jerry West as a logo.

Speaker 2 (50:31):
I mean the party hardy, hardy, hardy. We've gone from
white Flag to He's going to replace the logo. He's
the next face. Look easy. Now, I'm not gonna let
I agree with you, like, we can't get too down
on him when he has a bad night or whatever
like that. We got to slow the roll on, let
you get away with the extremes on either side.

Speaker 3 (50:52):
I think he didn't we say that about Lebron when
he came into the NBA, that he was going to
be the new face of the NBA, that he was,
you know, the next kid genius and the next kid
everything and this guy was all everything And it turned
out that way as it did. But didn't we say
everything about that about Lebron when he came into the NBA.

Speaker 2 (51:12):
Yeah, I mean yes, But that was a different time too.
Like I'm looking around this league and all the young
talent in the league, and I'm not saying that that
you could you couldn't be right. I'm just saying that
that's a conclusion that I think there's not really any evidence.

Speaker 3 (51:30):
To draw that yet, no base. But we saw him.

Speaker 2 (51:33):
Just wait a little bit before we jumped the gun.

Speaker 3 (51:36):
Well, the show is today. As of today, I'm telling you,
this guy is going to be just transitional.

Speaker 2 (51:41):
He's he is going to be transitional.

Speaker 3 (51:43):
I know he's going to be transcendent. Yeah, Transcendent is
the word I'm looking for.

Speaker 2 (51:49):
I just thought he might be a transitional guy, right
like the league might be transitioning to the Cooper Flag era.

Speaker 3 (51:55):
I just think he's going to be Yeah, thank you,
He's going to be the every thing about him is
going to be Ratings and they're gonna put their games
on the air, and he's gonna just he's gonna be
the face of the NBA. You wait, do you see
what the NBA has in Cooper Flag. It's gonna be
close to what the WNBA has with Caitland Clark. That's

(52:17):
what it's gonna be like.

Speaker 2 (52:18):
But there's a lot of players that you will pay
to watch in the NBA. Like that's the difference. Caitlin
Clark's a unicorn in that she's the only real attraction.
So I will try to argue against this, but I'm
sorry for the vast majority of the non WNBA hardcorese
or regulars. You watch Kaitlyn Clark and that's about it.

(52:39):
I don't think that's the case in the NBA. I
don't think Cooper Flag is a unicorn because it's not
a unicorn league. He could still, you could be right,
he could end up being a face of league right
like that. I'm not suggesting that part is untrue. I'm
suggesting it would be hard for him to have a
Caitlin Clark impact because the league is already on such
a better foundation from a star perspective.

Speaker 3 (53:00):
Oh you see the difference. He's already made in the
first two preseason games. And it's not like Bronni James,
who we wanted to watch because his father was Lebron.
We're talking about a talent here. That's why we wanted
to watch the first two games. I went out of
my way. There was nobody that was going to have
me tune in the Summer League this summer. If you
told me that Jalen Brunson was going to play for

(53:21):
the nixt Summer League team, I don't think I would
have tuned in. I probably wouldn't have tuned in.

Speaker 2 (53:25):
I was so what Osle You would have come on
the air and say, what are you doing? Get hurt
playing league?

Speaker 3 (53:30):
Or if Lebron played so then what I don't I
don't care. The only person that could get me to
tune in was Cooper Flag And.

Speaker 2 (53:39):
Did you watch Wemby?

Speaker 3 (53:42):
I did watch Wemby's first game, Yes.

Speaker 2 (53:44):
Did you watch? Well, I can't even played because he
might have been hurt. I would say that Flag's the
biggest biggest prospect since his iron absolutely fair enough in
terms of how he was perceived coming into the league.

Speaker 3 (53:58):
Yes, I think there's a more upside with Cooper Flag,
but yes, what are the people wanted to see? What?
People wanted to see what Zion was going to do.
They watched his first Summer League game. But he's not
nearly as polarizing as Cooper Flag, There's no doubt.

Speaker 2 (54:13):
So Wemby just because he wasn't in the States, like
we heard a lot about him, but we watched Zion
at Duke and we watched Cooper Flag a Duke. I
think that might be one of the reasons different, just
because it was something that was happening in this country.
But yeah, I mean, I'm with you. Like Zion, I

(54:33):
was skeptical up from the beginning, just because I thought
his health was going to be a problem, not a
skill set, not what he was able to do on
the floor. I just thought because the way his body
was made up and the explosiveness with which he played,
I wasn't sure how it was going to hold up.
And unfortunately it really hasn't, and some other things have
gone wrong for him as well, even though he look
he's still got time to write his career differently, perhaps,

(54:55):
But outside of that, I would say, are we looking
at a league at some point that's going to be
Wemby versus Flag.

Speaker 3 (55:05):
No, I look, I think you.

Speaker 2 (55:07):
Still see a bunch of other guys in that mix.

Speaker 3 (55:09):
No, No, I think Wenby's going to be a good player,
but not nearly as polarizing as Cooper Flag. Matter of fact,
I think Cooper Flag if you look up, like who's
googled more, it's got to be like Cooper Flag more
name than any other name in the in the NBA
right now. He's he's the face of the NBA right now.
I don't know if you guys know that he's he's

(55:29):
more people Flag.

Speaker 2 (55:30):
Is he face of the NBA right now?

Speaker 3 (55:32):
Yeah, more people are gonna want to watch a Cooper
Flag play than any other player in the NBA right now.
Can you tell me another player in the NBA right
now that did rather watch over Cooper Flag? No, you can't.

Speaker 2 (55:44):
Yeah, I think there's probably a handful lag.

Speaker 3 (55:46):
No, there's no zero, there's zero because.

Speaker 2 (55:48):
I still think there's a name recognition thing that there's
still a lot of casuals that don't know who Cooper
Flag is yet. It's still gonna take some time, but
they still know who Lebron is. They still know who
Steph Curry is, they know who Abron. It thank you're watching.
I still think you're picking Steph, Like, okay, look for
the curiosity factor in somebody that's new and fresh. I'll disagree, right.

(56:10):
But on the flip side, I I think that like
the long term, the long term fans certainly would want
to watch Cooper Flag now because he's seen the rest.
But the casual I still think is gonna come for
Steph and Lebron first because they know who that is.
There's still it's going to take time for Cooper Flag
to become household.

Speaker 3 (56:29):
You could be both. Did it take a long time
for Magic and Larry to become I don't know.

Speaker 2 (56:34):
Nie, You're gonna have to tell me about that. I mean,
I saw, I saw a good bit of their pro career,
but I did not see when they entered the league.

Speaker 3 (56:41):
I remember it might have been the first game of
the year. The Lakers hit a Kareem hit, had shot
from the corner a hook sean to win the game,
and Magic just went absolutely crazy. Uh and the plays
was just going absolutely nuts and creams like a slowdown
big guy. We got to like, any one more games

(57:02):
to go? But yeah, they made a difference. People wanted
to watch Magic and Larry right away, right off the bat.
And I don't remember what it was like with TV
back in those days, so it was probably tough. But
same thing with Cooper fig They want to watch what
he can do well.

Speaker 2 (57:19):
I want to listen to and talk to our friend
Mark Medina about Cooper flying, Summer League, and maybe a
little bit of Lakers talk as well. That'll be on
the other side of this. Breaks that don't go anywhere.
He's already Spannier. I'm Jason Martin. This is Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 4 (57:33):
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
listen live.

Speaker 2 (57:45):
Welcome back live from the Fox Sports Radio studios. He's
already span here. I am Jason Martin. We're gonna have
Martin Medina talk Summer League, maybe talk some Lakers. It's
some NBA with us here momentarily, but first let's get
an update from our friend mister Steve de Sager.

Speaker 7 (58:01):
Steve, Hello, once again, you guys were talking about Summer
League TV ratings, which I just literally tonight happened to
run across and for ESPN Over the years, the best
Summer League rating they've had was Zion Williamson's debut in
twenty nineteen. That game got one point six million viewers.
Number two on the list was Victor wibin Yama's debut
a couple of years ago one point four million. Number

(58:24):
three on the list a twenty seventeen Celtics Lakers game
Jason Tatum and Lonzo Ball one point one million. And
number four on the list is now the Cooper Flag
game on Thursday when Dallas played the Lakers. That was
close to one million viewers, and Cooper Flag did have
thirty one points for Dallas. Today, Spurs beat the Mavericks
seventy six sixty nine, meaning that Flag had thirty one

(58:46):
of the sixty nine points. Geez Ryan Emhard one of
ten shooting in this game. He had seven assists, five turnovers,
six fouls for the Spurs. Dylan Harper sixteen points. Eight
games a day at the Las Vegas Summer League. It
started Thursday. It goes from July tenth to twentieth. Oklahoma
City over the Pacers one oh four to eighty five.
Former first rounder Nicola Tapicic has had some bad games

(59:08):
in the past week, but not today ten assists for him.
Buddy Beheim of the Pacers oh of six shooting off
the bench, all from three point range. The Lakers tonight
beat New Orleans ninety four to eighty one. Brownie James
with fourteen points, three assists, four turnovers with his dad
in attendance. Derek Queen of the Pelicans twelve points, thirteen rebounds,
seven fouls. No, you do not file out with six

(59:31):
in Summer League minnese eight.

Speaker 2 (59:33):
You can go to ten.

Speaker 3 (59:34):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (59:34):
Minnesota defeated Denver ninety four eighty three. Terrence Shannon from
Illinois had twenty four points. Guard Cole Anthony is reportedly
being bought out by Memphis. He plans to sign with Milwaukee.
The new president of the NBA Players Union is the Rockets,
Fred Van Vliet, taking over for CJ McCollum. Just two
w NBA games, Chicago a winner Angel Reaes nineteen points,

(59:55):
eleven rebounds, six turnovers. Her team was six and thirteen
but beat minnesot Ia eighty seven eighty one. Minnesota was
eighteen and three for the Minnesota side and the FISA.
Collier missed a free throw, breaking her streak at fifty
four straight.

Speaker 3 (01:00:09):
Wow.

Speaker 7 (01:00:10):
Las Vegas one O four, one O two over Golden
State Asia Wilson, back from missing the last game with
a wrist injury. Wilson thirty four points, sixteen rebounds, no turnovers.

Speaker 3 (01:00:20):
By the way.

Speaker 7 (01:00:20):
Caitlin Clark of Indiana returned from injury on Wednesday. She'd
missed the previous five games with a groin injury and
again struggled from three point range one of seven Friday,
she had twelve points, nine assists. Clark is one of
the All Star Game captains along with Collier. Indianapolis is
going to be hosting the WNBA All Star Game next Saturday.

Speaker 2 (01:00:39):
Vegas.

Speaker 7 (01:00:39):
Fiontek won the Wimbledon Women's Final six love, six love
against Amanda and Nissimova of the US. This means that
Wimbledon siatech now the eighth consecutive first time women's champion.
Not just no repeats, it's the last eight times they've
had Wimbledon. It's somebody who's never won the event before.
The Wimbledon Men's Final is Sunday. Rory McElroy moved into

(01:01:02):
a tie for first at the Scottish Open. Brown second
round running back quin Shawn Judkins was arrested for domestic violence.
Former Cardinals Pro Bowl tackle Lewis Sharp died at the
age of sixty five. Two late ballgames in the major leagues.
One of them has gone final in Anaheim Angels ten
to five over Arizona despite a couple of early home
runs from the Diamondbacks au Henneo Suarez. He has thirty

(01:01:25):
one top of the eighth in Sacramento A's four to
three over Toronto. The Blue Jays are first in the
AL East. They started the day two games up on
the Yankees, and the Yankees lost in New York five
to two to the Cubs. Milwaukee with three in the
bottom of the ninth beat Washington six to five. Brewers
have won six straight. The Red Sox won their ninth
in a row one nothing over Tampa Bay a three

(01:01:47):
hitter for Garrett Crochet. Mets won three to one at
Kansas City, and the Mets are now in first in
the NL East, half game up on the Phillies, who
lost five to four at San Diego and Houston in
eleven innings beat Texas tonight with two runs in the
bottom of the elevens.

Speaker 2 (01:02:02):
Back to you, Thank you, Steve. We'll have a long
segment with Steve. A little bit later on, He's at
Mark g Underscore Medina on X and I saw his
latest tweet. I was just googling it and it says
Lebron James just left the Lakers Pelicans game with about
five minutes to play. And I thought, man, this must
be like months old. This is not his latest one.

(01:02:24):
Then I read it again and I saw okay two
hours ago and said, what am I missing? Oh no,
he was at the game. He wasn't playing in the game.
So I read that I read the comment completely wrong.
So that's how I bring in Mark by saying that
I completely misread his X account. Mark, what's going on?

Speaker 6 (01:02:42):
Not too much? You know what.

Speaker 8 (01:02:43):
I think we're all misreading a lot of Lebron's actions
because they're very conflicted and contradictory. But that's what happens
because that's Lebron James experience for you.

Speaker 2 (01:02:54):
So I want to talk some Summer League before we
even get there. Tell me what is going on with
Lebron in your opinion? Talked about it to lead off
the show. The big story that came out from Windhorst
and Ramona Shelburn backing up a lot of other reporting
and then there was a change in the article. So
where do we stand and what is your opinion of
where we're going here?

Speaker 8 (01:03:13):
Yeah, I think the fascinating thing is where it ends
isn't really dramatic.

Speaker 6 (01:03:17):
I think that he is going.

Speaker 8 (01:03:18):
To be a Laker next season, and it'll retire as
a Laker either probably next season, maybe even the following,
but I think it's going to be next season. But
I think what's what's happening here is this is Lebron's
really last chance to exert any kind of pressure, even
if it's not real to the front office about having
a championship contending team. And I think that from the

(01:03:40):
Lakers perspective, they want to win a championship. It doesn't
have to be an either or you know, they don't
want to squander Luka Doncica's prime yeers either. But I
think there's a difference of making win now moves just
for this season while still preserving calf flexibility. So I
think really that's the source of frustration. Lebron James has

(01:04:01):
everything else, you know, it's been I think extra curricular,
and as a result, I think he's still going to
be in a Lakers uniform because the reality is the
Lakers aren't going to get enough assets that make it work.
That to Tray Lebron James, I don't think there's really
enough of a market for a team to, you know,
really mortgage their future just to get him for one season.

(01:04:24):
So as a result, it's going to end up in
a whole lot of nothing.

Speaker 2 (01:04:27):
Wow.

Speaker 3 (01:04:28):
You know, Marcus said, you think he's going to retire
as a Laker. Does that mean you think he's going
to retire after this year or he's going to play
many more years with the Lakers.

Speaker 8 (01:04:37):
Well, I don't think it's going to be many more
years because he's going to be forty one in December thirtieth.
I thought before all this.

Speaker 6 (01:04:45):
He was going to have two more years.

Speaker 8 (01:04:47):
But that was because I thought he was going to
opt out and negotiate a relatively smaller deal because Luca
is on the team, they have a chance to win.
But Lebron decided to max his earnings.

Speaker 6 (01:04:59):
Which is fine.

Speaker 8 (01:05:00):
He has that right, and even though he doesn't necessarily
need the money, at this point, he's in the billionaire club.
I think part of it has to do with one,
he took pay cuts earlier in his career. Two he
is being prepared to try to become an owner at
some point, maybe when Vegas gets a team, and when
you do that, you need to have as much liquid

(01:05:21):
cash as possible. So yeah, I think at the end
of the day, the Lakers they're not going to force
the issue as far as him retiring as a Laker.

Speaker 6 (01:05:32):
But I no talk with Genie Buss.

Speaker 8 (01:05:34):
Over the years, she has said that it would mean
a lot for the Lakers and the brand for him
to retire as a Laker because of just their franchise
history with having so many iconic.

Speaker 2 (01:05:45):
Players iconic players earlier. Actually, last segment, Arnie Spaniers suggested
that Cooper Flag is already the face of the NBA,
to which I pushed back pretty strongly and said, let's
let him play in the NBA first, because he's playing
in the summer league. But I do think the extremes

(01:06:05):
on both sides are interesting, just that some people here
watch one game they don't like it, then he s
thirty one tonight. What the what sort of kind of
the buzz around Cooper Flag a summer league is kind
of kicking into full gear.

Speaker 8 (01:06:18):
Yeah, well, I don't think he's the face of the
NBA yet, only because there's still different options, whether it's
Luka Daci ch Anthony Edwards, victor One Banyama. But I
could very well see him to come in the face
of the NBA at some point earlier in his career because.

Speaker 6 (01:06:32):
He has a complete package.

Speaker 8 (01:06:34):
I mean, this isn't hyperbole at all. Talking to Mark
Cuban after the seat of the Summer League opener, he
was liking a few thags. He said that his step
back jumper remind him of the early stages of what
Dirk Navinski had during this one of year career. He
also said it wasn't a direct player comparison, but he said,
in light of his poor shooting numbers, you know, his

(01:06:57):
trajectory might be similar to how Kobe I was where
you know, he was drafted as a high school phenom.
There was a lot of hype, but he didn't start
right away. It took him, you know, two years before
he starts finally seeing what makes him such a special player.
And with Cooper's case, he's not the number one option
because he's joining the team with Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis,

(01:07:20):
and Klay Thompson, and so unlike other number one picks,
he's not going to be expected to carry the franchise
right away.

Speaker 6 (01:07:26):
But guys, like.

Speaker 8 (01:07:28):
Before the draft, talking to different people around the league,
they all projected he'll be a multi year All Star,
multa year All NBA player, and like we will get
those knots every single season besides his rookie year. I mean,
he has a complete skill set. Is a great score,
great dunker, great passer, great teammate, great worker. And I

(01:07:48):
know his trainer really well, Mac McKenzie. You know, these
last few months, he's in a really tight circle where
they're always scrutinizing his game and trying to figure out
how to get better. I mean so much that he
wasn't worried about his poor shooting performance in the Summer
League opener. But Matt was telling me today that he

(01:08:08):
was so upset with himself with how poorly he shot
that he was just talking a lot of shops, you know,
before today's game, on how to improve you know, his
shot making and rhythm, so that that wasn't an issue
moving forward.

Speaker 3 (01:08:21):
He may be the first hundred million dollar a year
player when when it's all said and done, but when
you get to the arena, what was like the buzz
like I hear that there was a line before the
first game that people were waiting like eight to ten
hours in line to get into the arena for the
game or something. What's the buzz in there like that?

Speaker 2 (01:08:38):
For that?

Speaker 6 (01:08:39):
Yeah, I mean there was definitely a buzz.

Speaker 8 (01:08:40):
Now, incidentally, there was actually more buzz for Brownie James
in the Summer League opener, but that's only because there's
more Laker fans here at Summer League, because the Lakers
are a global brand. LA is closer to Vegas than Dallas.
But no mistake about it. When when Flag was playing
against the Lakers, when he was laying against the Spurs,

(01:09:00):
everyone was really excited. Anytime he got the ball, he
would he threw down a few dunks. He's really great
in transition, and the crowd just love just how assertive
he is with trying to make the right basketball play.
Didn't necessarily correlate with him hitting shots consistently, but he
had the complete package everywhere else, and so you're seeing
a lot of excitement throughout each game.

Speaker 2 (01:09:25):
What else is happening outside of Flag? Anybody impressing, anybody
raising some eyebrows in the wrong direction. I know, Ace
Bailey didn't have a great first game that he played
a lot better of the second games, and I know
we're going to see a lot of that, But is
there any other kind of intel coming out of Summer
League that feels particularly newsworthy?

Speaker 8 (01:09:44):
Well, I think you know this isn't highlight reels. This
is just more of the reality. Like guys like DJ
Edgecombe and con Kin Nipple, they missed their second Summer
Week game because it's just they're trying to be cautious
with minor knickknack injuries. But I think as far as
the notable highlights, I think Jeremiah Fears has gotten a
lot of buzz with the Pelicans.

Speaker 6 (01:10:03):
Same thing with Derek Queens.

Speaker 8 (01:10:05):
They're players that have struggled with foals, struggle with turnovers,
but they are very aggressive, very confident. Jeremiah is a
very very quick point guard, and they're really given the
keys to both of those players to try to carry
this team moving forward.

Speaker 6 (01:10:23):
I mean, to be clear, this is Zion Williamson's team.

Speaker 8 (01:10:26):
But because the Pelicans have made a lot of different
moves this offseason with trading our way veterans, they're really
trying to groom these two players to become pretty important
players for the next season, and so far, aside from
the turnovers, I really like their aggressiveness of confidence together.

Speaker 3 (01:10:43):
Are the Are the other games sold out or are
they just it's just for to see Cooper Flag.

Speaker 6 (01:10:50):
No, the game.

Speaker 8 (01:10:50):
The games aren't sold out. But you have to keep
in mind here your ticket at Summer League. You could
say as long or as little as you want, so
you know, when you buy a ticket that gives you
access to see every simple game.

Speaker 6 (01:11:04):
I'm at the Blazers game right now.

Speaker 8 (01:11:07):
There's a lot of mcc so. But at the same
time you're talking, you know, nine forty and Vegas.

Speaker 6 (01:11:12):
On Saturday night.

Speaker 8 (01:11:13):
But it's a very well attended event because you can
see so many different young players and different guys, and it's,
you know, compared to an NBA regular season ticket, it's
not that expensive.

Speaker 2 (01:11:27):
I don't know that we talked to you since the draft, Mark,
who do you feel really helped themselves in the draft?
We mentioned a lot of people seem to like what
Atlanta did in the draft and ended free agency when
it opened, as well as anybody else kind of really
improved their fortunes or we're gone in the opposite direction.
Seems like the Pacers and Miles Turner, that one was
one that seemed like it really disappointed a lot of

(01:11:47):
Indiana fans.

Speaker 8 (01:11:49):
Yeah, that the Miles Turner thing I think was the
biggest misstep because ironically, Miles Turner was on the trading
block almost his entire career of the dand then they
don't trade them and he has shown he is a
great defender, great stretch five and they had said it
it's their number one priority.

Speaker 6 (01:12:05):
To retain him. And I know that, you know, they
don't always.

Speaker 8 (01:12:08):
Have control and free agency, but they weren't proactive enough
and giving him enough of a dollar figure for him
to not listen to other offers. So I think that was.

Speaker 6 (01:12:17):
The biggest disappointment.

Speaker 8 (01:12:18):
I think the biggest draw is what the Houston Rockets
did prior to free agency, not just getting with Kevin Durant,
but what they didn't give up. They still have Amantops
and they still have Outbreage Singer, and I still think
that the Oklahoma City Thunder are the favorite to repeat it,
let alone get out of the West, but there is
a team that could challenge the Thunder next season the playoffs.

(01:12:40):
I put my money on the Rockets to be able
to do that because they have that great combination of
an established star player that knows how to win at
a high level, but a lot of good young players
that compliment him well. So I think that Kevin Durant
experienced at Houston's almost the complete opposite of the Phoenix Suns,
where that team top heavy a lot of termal oil

(01:13:00):
within ownership and coaching staffs. With the Rockets, it's been
stability ever since they made that James Harden try a
fee years ago, and they're they're off and running, and
I think they're just gonna get started.

Speaker 3 (01:13:12):
Just one more thing, because I gotta know, what does
Mark Mendina do in Vegas on a Saturday night at
ten o'clock? Is it blackjack? Is it crabs poker? I
can only imagine what you're going to be doing.

Speaker 8 (01:13:24):
Yeah, well, I definitely have dinner dinner plans with my
wife and then we're going to go to the red
up table. That's my game of choy, where you go
I usually lose money, but you can prolong the experience
because it's takes a while for the numbers to land.
And you know what, one year I walked out four
hundred dollars, So maybe this year is a year to
repeat nice.

Speaker 2 (01:13:44):
You luck Mark, appreciate your brother. That's Mark Medina. He's
at Mark Underscore Medina. That's a good question. That was
a solid question right there, and I think that answer
was probably fairly honest and also safe for his family,
So smart on that front. Make sure you're by the

(01:14:04):
way stream the show, all of our Fox Sports Radio
shows live twenty four to seven and the new and
improved iHeartRadio app. So just search Fox Sports Radio in
the app you can stream us live. One of the
new features is you could select Fox Sports Radio as
a preset like the old presets on a radio deal
with me and Arnie. Remember sure, all you gotta do
is preset Fox Sports Radio any iHeartRadio app. It will

(01:14:25):
always pop up at the top of your screen. Popping
up after this break the segment with our friend Steve
di Seger go nowhere. He's Arnie Spanner. I'm Jason Martin.
This is Fox Sports Radio Live from the Fox Sports
Radio studios. It's Fox Sports Saturday. Arnie Spanier in for
Aaron Torres. I'm Jason Martin. Our thanks to Mark Medena,
our NBA insider for a little bit of intel on

(01:14:45):
what's happening now to summer league and his thoughts that
Lebron's gonna retire a Laker and he thinks it's gonna
be after this year. Wow. So that's something right there,
somebody that's never gonna retire, because greatness doesn't retire, It
just ages like fine wine the Great Steve Disager. Time
for the de segment.

Speaker 7 (01:15:03):
Steve, Well, we just deal with news, actual hard facts
here at the desk. So I'm not sure I can
confirm or deny all of what which just said. I
can't update something we talked about on last night's show.
First off, are you aware that we are already in
week six of the Canadian Football League season?

Speaker 3 (01:15:20):
Wow?

Speaker 7 (01:15:20):
I repeat, we are in week six. The schedule had
one game for Friday night, one for Saturday night, one
for Sunday night, and I guess a couple of teams.
It's only eight ten teams in the whole league, of course,
but there was supposed to be a home game for Saskatchewan,
which was four and oh, hosting the second place team Calgary. However,
they never wound up playing the game, and it wasn't

(01:15:41):
due to a weather delay. Per se. It wasn't waiting
for lightning and thunderstorms to pass here, and it was
the air quality because of wildfires in the province. Wow,
they were waiting and making constant measurements of the air quality.
And I mean waiting and waiting. I read three hours
and forty five minutes last night. They waited until they

(01:16:04):
never kicked off and finally called the game and say
come back tomorrow. Your ticket for tonight will be good
for tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock. And by the way,
for a Saturday, there will be limited food options at
the stadium. You can bring your own snacks.

Speaker 2 (01:16:19):
Not bad boy, you can bring your own snacks.

Speaker 7 (01:16:22):
Yes, they were prepared to if they got a good
number on the air quality last night, they were prepared
to kick off the game at eleven fifteen as late
as that. They did eventually call it. They played it today.
Saskatchewan did lose at home twenty four to ten to Calgary.

Speaker 2 (01:16:40):
They did play the game.

Speaker 7 (01:16:42):
Meanwhile, the Chargers and Lions have the Hall of Fame
game in the NFL this year to kick off the
preseason at the end of this month. So those are
the first two teams to have people report to camps
Chargers vets this week. Lions Vets report next Saturday. Chargers
rookies were reporting to training camp today and second round
wide receiver Trey Harris from Ole Miss not there, not

(01:17:04):
because he has anything against the Chargers necessarily, It's just
that most of the second round is essentially boycotting their teams.

Speaker 2 (01:17:12):
They have yet to sign. They're all holding out, almost.

Speaker 7 (01:17:16):
All of them because of what happened early a second rounder,
a Texans receiver became the first ever outside of round
one to get a fully guaranteed contract, and so then
the Browns gave their linebacker early second rounder a fully
guaranteed deal, and now all of the other second rounders
have failed to sign. If you look at a list

(01:17:37):
of the unsigned draft picks of twenty twenty five, almost
all of them are from round two. There is that
Cincinnati first rounder due to contract language, the edge dresser
Shamar Stewart has not signed.

Speaker 2 (01:17:48):
But overall in the.

Speaker 7 (01:17:49):
League, it's almost ninety percent of the draft picks have
signed up to this point. But that does not include
I should say that does not include a list of Hey,
this guy from the second round is signed and that one. No,
most of the second round has not signed. We had
quite the sweep at the Wimbledon Women's final this morning.
Egos Fiantek, who's already won four French Open titles, wins

(01:18:10):
her first ever grass court event, and it's Wimbledon, and
she's now six and oh in major finals. And the
score here's the news, six oh six to oh against
Amanda and Issimova of the US. And it took just
fifty seven minutes.

Speaker 3 (01:18:24):
Glad I didn't watch it.

Speaker 7 (01:18:26):
You would have missed it if you blinked. That is
Anissimova committed twenty eight unforced airs and they only played
twelve games of tennis. In the semis. She had upset
number one Arena sabolenka I mentioned that match took over
two and a half hours. This one not even one hour.
Imagine spending the money for a Wimbledon finals ticket and
it's over in fifty seven minutes. Since nineteen eleven, only

(01:18:50):
one women's final in a major had ended six love,
six love, and that was a Stepfi graft win in
Paris in nineteen eighty eight. So it's Fiantek in her
career in May, her record now one hundred wins, just
twenty losses, The Wimbledon Men's final is Sunday. Number one
Yanick Center, who swept Novak Djokovic in the semis, goes
up against number two Carlos Alcarez tomorrow. Alcarez won a

(01:19:15):
classic French Open final against this same opponent about a
month ago. Alcarez has won twenty four straight matches. Indy
Cars at Iowa this weekend. Saturday and Sunday races on
Fox TV. Today. The event went to Pato Award. Joseph
Neugarden led most of the lapse but finished in second.
And we mentioned it earlier that Brown's second round running

(01:19:36):
back quin Shawn Judkins is in the news. Played for
Old Miss in Ohio State, arrested for domestic filence.

Speaker 2 (01:19:44):
Yeah, that's an unfortunate story. You hope that maybe some
of that is not not as bad as it sounds,
but we will find out. We are going to talk
some football, however, Ye sure, in the third hour of
the show, how about college football and money being thrown
around at Texas.

Speaker 3 (01:19:57):
Tech Crazy crazy and Dion.

Speaker 2 (01:20:00):
Back in the news and he thinks the athletic maybe
not the hottest in town. We'll be right back and
talk all about it.

Speaker 1 (01:20:08):

Speaker 7 (01:20:11):
I'll go I'm Steve de Seger.

Speaker 2 (01:20:14):
Hour number three of the program Welcome Back or Welcome in.
He's on a spaniel. I'm Jason Martin. Aaron Torres is
out this week, says it would be the last time
till after football probably July gets busy for him. You
said earlier you didn't buy it.

Speaker 3 (01:20:31):
I don't buy it. Yeah, I don't buy Yeah, he's
always missing the time. He's all go back out to
the Vegas or something like that. You know, I'll have
something going on.

Speaker 4 (01:20:39):
I may.

Speaker 2 (01:20:39):
Yeah, I'll be talking to you.

Speaker 3 (01:20:41):
I want to see him at the Yukon Arizona game
in November in Connecticut. How great would that be?

Speaker 2 (01:20:49):
That's something else, man, That's a football game that I
just couldn't possibly be bothered to care. Okay, all right,
I was making sure you had to tell me it's November.
It's November. I'm not thinking basketball, right, right, you're right,
still think of football. But I also was like, why
is Yukon playing Arizona in November and football they're not?
That would be the answer.

Speaker 3 (01:21:08):
No, it was basketball. My bad, My bad.

Speaker 2 (01:21:10):
He's at stack of Genius one. I'm at JMAR Radio.
If you want to find us on socials, you can
do that eight seven and seven ninety nine on Fox
to reach this eight seven seven nine nine six six
three six nine. Talk plenty of hoops on this show.
If you miss any part of it, go back podcast
at wherever you get your cast. You can get Fox
Sports Radio. Just search it, find it, you download it
and try and chat it to our friend Mark Medena,
who's out at Summer League covering that got the intel

(01:21:33):
on Cooper Flag and we talked plenty of Lebron James Luka,
Doncic and Lakers earlier in the program, a little bit
of two K twenty six Angel Reese chatter as well.
But let's actually talk some football. My wife asked me,
she goes, when does football start? And I said, well,
for me, when College Football twenty six comes out. Whatever.
The pretty much when college football, when that game came out,

(01:21:53):
is when I started caring. Now the years that they
didn't have a college football game, it would still be
around that time, and then it would just be us
lamenting the fact that that game didn't exist.

Speaker 3 (01:22:03):
Football starts to be in the Hall of Fame game.
That's that's when football gets in the way when we
get the first Hall of Fame game.

Speaker 2 (01:22:08):
Not quite there, but we're getting there. Yeah, I know,
you guys had them on last week or you know
somebody that's pretty close to this situation. But we're going
to talk about Dion here in a minute. But Texas
Tech is a fascinating story because Texas Tech is paying

(01:22:29):
serious money and they have landed some incredible talent out
of the transfer portal. They're loaded for bear. This is
a year where you would think, if you can have
the best team money can buy. They're pretty much in
that mode at this stage. So this becomes an interesting
test case, I think, Arnie for what college football is

(01:22:50):
going to look like going forward. And I find it
intriguing because it's not really one of the halves that
you would expect. It's a different team that's coming out
and trying to even the playing field in the best
way that they know how in sort of this new
brand of college football. I find this to be quite
the experiment that we're going to watch starting this fall.

Speaker 3 (01:23:11):
Yeah, you know, it's interesting. Aaron torres knew Derek Shelby.
He's the agent for Felix Oho, the young man who
signed the three year guaranteed with Texas Tech, though when
we're doing the math, it really didn't come out to
three year five point one million dollars. Like all the
reports came out earlier. It was like seven hundred thousand
guaranteed per year, and then the rest is made up

(01:23:34):
through donations and stuff like that and alumni and all that.
But it seems like it was the first three year
contract guaranteed, and I'm wondering if that's going to be
the way of the future. He was very open and
honest with us Texas Tech not only making a noise
in football, but look what they did in basketball. Also
the softball pitcher Kennedy that they have, she's getting over

(01:23:56):
a million dollars. He represents her also, So Tech Tech
making a lot of waves here. They have two guys,
the oil and gas guys. Whatever they do, I forget
their names, but Plank knows all about them. They donate
obviously a lot of money. But the first twenty million,
I believe, you know, obviously come from you know, like

(01:24:20):
everybody else's year up. The first twenty million is what
all the teams have to deal with.

Speaker 2 (01:24:24):
Y's capt it twenty and a half, right, right.

Speaker 3 (01:24:26):
Yeah, something like that. And after that it's where you're
going to find the money. After that, that's a lot
of money to give him. You know, Texas Tech was
not even in the final five or seven teams when
they cut it down. They only joined the list when
they came up with the money that they were going
to go ahead and pay him. Then they're like, oh,
he well, let'll put you in the final five or

(01:24:47):
or seven. And he took his trick to his trip
to Lubbock and said, you know what, let's do it.
And they were the highest priced out of all the
teams out there. The other teams pretty much said no
to the three year guarantee, said they they couldn't do it.
I think there may be Texas Tech and one other
team promised a three year guarantee. So we went with
Texas Tech and it was a It was a big

(01:25:09):
contract for the young man and his family, so so
good for them.

Speaker 2 (01:25:14):
Yeah. So to your point about Oho, it looks like
the five point one I've seen reporting. I think the
Athletics said two point three with the potential for more, right,
they could come out of that, So I don't think
it's just five point one straight. I don't think there's
incentives like potential to increase. I think is exactly how
it's written here, right. But if you look at some

(01:25:35):
of the comments in the article about like some of
the coaches, some of them are calling it childish. They're
saying this is look at me stuff and all this,
and some of them are saying good for them, And
I think that's probably the right feeling, because whether you
like it or not, it's what college football is now.
This is this is what we're looking at. This is
the world we're looking at. I'm not really I don't know.

(01:25:57):
I'll have to see how I feel about college ball
five ten years from now. I still think I'm gonna
love the sport, but it's just going to be different
the way that the way that you're rooted for it.

Speaker 3 (01:26:06):
If this was Alabama that signed this young man, it'd
be a different narrative about the whole signing or what.

Speaker 2 (01:26:12):
That's a good question. I don't know. I don't know
how much different it would be. I think the only
change would just be this is a this is a
blue blood that's continuing to do what they have to
do to stay on top. I don't I don't know
that it would be seen differently. I just think it
would kind of it would get more of a shoulder shrug.

Speaker 3 (01:26:31):
And somehow blame Nick Saban somehow. I don't know how.

Speaker 2 (01:26:36):
I mean, yeah, it's probably true. Yeah, I mean I
think that's probably it. I mean, when you I would
be curious to know who these coaches are that stayed
anonymous right that said it's not good for college football
and calling them ridiculous and all this other cust of stuff.
I wonder if those are the halves what's not good
for halves or the have nots.

Speaker 3 (01:26:58):
The three year guarantee or the money amount, what's because
I know what, d you need.

Speaker 2 (01:27:02):
Some money amount? I think the one that said, the
one that used to quote ridiculous talked about how they're
they're not bidding against anybody else. They're paying three times
more than everybody else. Well, and I think they're just
trying to create a sense now of people next year,
of guys and their families and whoever's representing them at
this point making their decision in college that this is

(01:27:24):
this is a place that's willing to just pay you
what they think you're worth, as opposed to just trying
to outbid the other guy. Why they're trying to go
so far and beyond?

Speaker 3 (01:27:32):
Why is this money ridiculous? Did you see the story
about what Cooper Flagg was making it Duke, Now, Chris
Plank says he doesn't believe it and we could cut
it in two thirds. But did you see the story
that said he was making twenty eight million in nil money.
I don't know how you come up with that type
of money. But even if it was half that, that's

(01:27:53):
fourteen million. Nobody ever said anything about Cooper flag making
that type of money. All of a sudden, Now we're
going after a kid that's supposedly making what a million
dollars in a year. That's crazy.

Speaker 2 (01:28:05):
Yeah, yeah, I mean I think it's just that they're
paying for so many guys and this is leg so
you look at all of that. I mean, so they're
going to pay what fifty five million Texas Tech in
nil across all sports. And then of course, so they've
got another basically thirty five past that cap limit of

(01:28:26):
twenty and a half. So they've got, you know, a
softball pitcher, and they've got some other players. They've got
the toppings on the basketball team. That's a stud there
I think they're paying him more than three million dollars.
And then they got twenty transfers or twenty actually more
than twenty transferred it transfers in and a lot of
these were some of those high ranked guys that a

(01:28:47):
lot of teams wanted, and they just kept on paying
them and bringing him innut.

Speaker 3 (01:28:50):
This is what want.

Speaker 2 (01:28:51):
You would say it's not good for college football is
because you're a school that doesn't want to keep having
to up the anti year after year. I do think
they're there. At some point it's going to become outrageous,
and I do think that college football is going to
you talk about certain things. Certain luxuries price themselves out

(01:29:12):
of the market. Sometimes products place themselves and price themselves
out of the market because the real fans can no
longer afford to go to the games, for example, and
now these luxury boxes and everything, everybody's PSL prices go up,
So now you don't have the same people in the seats.
The same fans that have been in there for thirty
years are no longer are and so you've got companies,

(01:29:33):
and so the fan base and the volume there and
things like that, everything changes. So I think that that
might be how you look at college football is there's
gonna be a lot of schools that are just going
to be priced out of the market.

Speaker 3 (01:29:47):
No, you're right about that. That's going to hurt them
as mostly something you can do right. And I'm not
sure whether there's so many good players though, so maybe
it'll be a trickle down effect. But this is what
you wanted, right, This is what you and everybody else
was clamoring about when you said we got to pay Well,
when you say you got to pay the athletes and that,
this is what we had to do in the athletes
deserve their fair share, and you know they they make

(01:30:09):
the NCAA make so much money pay the athletes. So
now we're paying the athletes. Now people like, well we're
paying them too much. Now, well, you can't have it
both ways. This is the you know, this is what
they're worth. This is their value. Uh and and they
want their fair share, they want their value there. So
I have no problem with it.

Speaker 2 (01:30:28):
Well, you said you as if like, well, you're the
greatest now you felt about it? No, I know, but
are you talking about you included in that as well?

Speaker 3 (01:30:35):
Well, I wasn't. No, I wasn't big on paying the
At first, I didn't want to pay the athletes. Later on,
I kind of changed my mind. I did the one eighty,
and people were, you know, I saw how much money
was being made, and I said, we got to give
them something.

Speaker 4 (01:30:48):
You know.

Speaker 3 (01:30:48):
It was to the point where kids were they can't
even have lun shot side the summer and can't have dinner,
and they're starving to death. I'm like, okay, enough, let's
give them something. Whether it's like fucking around money they
you know, five hundred one thousand a month. I thought
something like that, but I never thought I would get
to something like this, to be honest with you.

Speaker 2 (01:31:08):
Yeah, well, one person that well, I don't know. He
said two different things. Dion was all in the news. Yeah,
Arnie Dion. He said one thing and then he kind
of flipped on the other side and said the exact
opposite thing. And in the process he also called the
athletic what do you call it? Bunk bull junk bull
junk bull junker.

Speaker 1 (01:31:28):
Right.

Speaker 2 (01:31:28):
I think that's actually about the same thing. I think
if you take Oul John away from it, then you've
got bunk, right, Like you basically had the exact same
things at that point. So Dion's doing his thing. Man,
he's got I don't know these I'm curious to know
what side he's actually on. But what do you make

(01:31:49):
of just everything surrounding Dion as it relates to this topic.

Speaker 3 (01:31:53):
Well, he wants a salary cap, I guess in college football.
Now he didn't want a salary cap when his son
and Travis or we're playing in college football. But now,
all of a sudden, let's go ahead it.

Speaker 2 (01:32:03):
Well, the money's getting bigger.

Speaker 3 (01:32:04):
Yeah, well how much bigger? How much money did Shadur
make you.

Speaker 2 (01:32:09):
Know in Colgorado?

Speaker 3 (01:32:11):
Yeah, I'm sure hell of a lot more than the
average college football player. I think Dion's a year too late,
and it really it's kind of bothers me. Then all
of a sudden he wants to have a salary cap.
Let's take a look at dion salary and how much
he's making, and some of the other coaches are making
in NCAA football, they're making tons of money. So I

(01:32:32):
don't want to hear a salary cap when it comes
to college football. This is the door you opened up,
so everybody stepped through it. As for well, we'll get
to what he called the athletic later on, But I
think he made a major mistake with that. Well, he
made a mistake the athletic he doesn't like. They asked
him a question, said, yeah, yeah, you're that thing that

(01:32:52):
you guys are a bunch of bull junk and he
and he wouldn't answer their question. Don't like that, you
know what I mean. I don't like when you could
pick and choose who you want to talk to. But
I guess that's the that's the way of the future.
That's what we do now. If you don't like somebody,
you just shun them and you move on and you
go to the people that like you and you answer
their question. So I'm not sure I'm like it where

(01:33:14):
journalism is going from.

Speaker 2 (01:33:15):
Here on out. Well, I mean, you know, Dion has
has kind of been a little combative with the media
at different times since he got to Colorado. Before that
you really hear all that much in terms of like
him as a coach. At least at Jackson State and
things like that, you didn't hear about it. But at
Colorado he's kind of sparred with the media, and he's
kind of at Tom's been on their side, and that
Tom's been way away from them depending on the topic

(01:33:37):
at hand. Of course, maybe he's not as big a
fan of the media now considering what should doors last
couple of months has been right, right, I think it
might be a little salty after the draft process and
the way he was talked about that weekend and all
of those things. I can't imagine that would have that
would have upset me as a father.

Speaker 3 (01:33:56):
I'm wondering how many more years he has left the
Colorado I guess he was going to dress his health
issues to his team before he dressed the rest, but
I still have not seen anything about about that. I'm
wondering how many more years he has left before he's like,
you know what, I just can't continue with this with
all all the health issues out there. Maybe which is
the reason why he didn't go to an NFL job,

(01:34:16):
because he does take a lot of time away from
the team.

Speaker 2 (01:34:19):
Yeah, look, I mean I think that's a fair question
about his health. And I think that if they have
a if they have a rough year and he is
dealing with health issues his coming year, that that end
may come soon. Could that not to say if they succeed,
he'll stay. Understand that, like if there's if they're if
they're still having If it's a lot more fun when

(01:34:40):
you're winning, that can be better for you from a
psychological standpoint. A lot of times you're dealing with health issues.
It's kind of whether or not you can be optimistic
in those moments or whether or not you are still
feeling positive.

Speaker 3 (01:34:52):
How can they win though?

Speaker 2 (01:34:53):
Were they getting the dress matters?

Speaker 3 (01:34:55):
Were they getting the money though they got you during
Travis Hunter without having the pone, you have big money
out there. Where are they getting the money for all
these athletes?

Speaker 2 (01:35:04):
Yeah? Well, I mean those are questions that you know,
the local media is gonna have to answer more than
anything else because they do the collective structure and all
of those things. But to play in this in this
age of college football, you got to pay. It is
paid to play and pay to win at this point
in time. And so we're going to see. But I
think Texas Tech, because of the money that they have

(01:35:24):
committed here, like they got to win, right Like if
they don't, boy, is that going to look poor? I
mean that's not only is gonna look like wasted money,
it's good. I mean if you're a coach and you
don't win with that you're probably out of a job.

Speaker 3 (01:35:39):
We asked them how good they were going to be.
Matter of fact, Derek Shelby, the agent, he said, not
only are they going to make the playoffs, they're a
top four team in the playoffs. They have eleven excuse me,
twenty one starters returning out of the twenty two. Because
I looked that up, I'm like, how good is this
team really going to bed? Last year?

Speaker 2 (01:36:00):
Did you see?

Speaker 3 (01:36:01):
No, I don't know off the top of my head,
to be honest, I don't know the top Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:36:06):
But I didn't know if you had looked at it
last week. I didn't look at it either. I didn't
think about it until you just mentioned that. But I
would be curious to know, you know, at this point
what that would actually look like, like, what what was
that team last year compared to what they're doing now?
You talk about who they brought back a lot, a
lot of that will tell you, you know, based on

(01:36:26):
how they actually finished last year, whether or not that matters, right,
I don't recall them being that bit. Okay, so they
were it's like they were eight and five, it's six
and three in conference. Last year they were like middle
of the road. They were tied for second in the
conference in terms of record, but they finished seventh overall

(01:36:48):
in the rank.

Speaker 3 (01:36:49):
He made it sound like they were going to be
stacked this year, and.

Speaker 2 (01:36:54):
From a talent standpoint, looks like they are. Question is
does that talent all work well together and do they
have a stat that's going to help them continue to develop.
I mean that A and M team that Jimbo had
had a ton of talent on had Walter Nolan on it,
and great receivers and all this, but it just didn't
work out. And sometimes it doesn't sometimes the talent. Sometimes
cal Perry was able to win big in Kentucky and

(01:37:16):
sometimes he wasn't. So football is a different sport than basketball.
But you get the points. So you look at it
from that standpoint, you just say, it just depends on
how all that talent meshes. But I can tell you
if it doesn't mesh, it's going to fall on the
coach before it falls on the players.

Speaker 3 (01:37:31):
I wonder if the favorites are one of the favorites
to go and win the Big Twelve this year. You
would think they are, but I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:37:38):
They have to be. They have to be, Like I mean,
maybe they aren't the fit. But if they're not, they
I'll have to maybe we need to see that or
send out a bat signal. So send out a Bernie signal,
because he's probably listening because he's preparing for his show.
If he's listening, What are the odds on top second

(01:37:58):
winning the Big Twelve?

Speaker 3 (01:38:00):
I have and says you're the twenty twenty five Big
Twelve Football Championship. Oh that's the championship. Yeah, it's considered
wide open. Kansas State, Arizona State, Baylor, Texas Tech, and
Utah all tied for the best odds at plus six hundred,
So they're all six to one according to Yahoo Sports.
And all these teams have returning starting quarterbacks from twenty

(01:38:21):
twenty four.

Speaker 2 (01:38:23):
So Kissett, Texas Tech was one of those.

Speaker 3 (01:38:25):
Yes, okay, yeah, they were one of them, So.

Speaker 2 (01:38:29):
Okay, all right, so they're in the mix then, oh yeah, yeah,
at least how they're how they're being perceived now, I'm
just curious what that's going to look like. I wonder
how much bigger this story can get if they go
out and start drubbing people in the first half of
the season. How much are we going to hear about
this topic and how it's changing the face of college football,

(01:38:51):
even more so because it's not the Ohio State, the Alabama,
even the USC or or somebody like that. It's it's
a Texas Tech team that we haven't really thought about
in ages that that changes the game, have thought about
and how much.

Speaker 3 (01:39:06):
Love are they going to get in the polls? That's
going to be the question, you know, are they Are
they going to shoot right up or are going to
people try to keep them down because of what's going on.
I get the feeling they're going to you know, it
comes in what's week six, week seven the polls, So
I get a feeling they'll do quite well among their peers.
To be honest, I think they'll do I don't.

Speaker 2 (01:39:28):
Think you would dog them out now. I think at
this point, because of the way college football is, I
think you have to kind of rate it differently than
you have before. People are gonna have to adjust their
perspectives before the season. And again I've already told you
I hate preseason rankings. I wish they were not done
because I think that they create artificial hurdles for teams
that are lower that they have to start from the

(01:39:48):
beginning of a perception, but I think some of that
will change. I agree with you. I feel like they
probably will get the benefit of the doubt because they
have the talent. It's not like Rutgers coming out of nowhere.
It's not like one of the teams last year, like
Indiana for example, right they did. They're not gonna have
to prove it because people already buy it. A team
that hasn't had to prove it in a while, at

(01:40:08):
least in the AFC is the Kansas City Chiefs. We're
not going to talk about the Chiefs in terms of
what they're going to do in the league this year.
We are going to talk about what their star had
to say about an extended NFL schedule. That plus some
All Star game talk we'll do a little How about
Andre Dawson wanting to change from the Expos to the Cubs.
We'll talk some of that as well. Stick around, he's

(01:40:30):
already spanning of Jason Martin. This is Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 4 (01:40:33):
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
listen live.

Speaker 2 (01:40:46):
Welcome back, We're live in the Fox Sports Radio studios
shortly after the show podcast goes up. Miss any part
of today's show, check out the podcast search Fox Sports
Radio wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to follow
review the podcast. Rate it five stars. That's gonna help us.
Those reviews are big time. Search Fox Sports Radio wherever

(01:41:06):
you get your podcasts. You'll see today's show posted right
after we get off the air. Well, the Eagles are,
You're defending champions. They beat the Chiefs in the Super Bowl.
I'm not going to talk about the season yet. We
got plenty of time before the season starts to get
to that, Arnie. But Patrick Mahomes had some thoughts about

(01:41:29):
eighteen games, which is sort of the next step in
the line. We can see this coming that we've already
kind of read these tea leaves and we've seen this
set now for a couple of years. And Hal's not
a big fan of it, right Arnt.

Speaker 3 (01:41:44):
No, He's doesn't want the eighteen games, but it's inevitable.
It's the next step. It's what's going to happen. It
means too much money for the NFL. You know, Jason
is going to come to the point now we talk
about load management. In the NBA, there'll be a slight
load management. I can't say I blame that. In the NFL,
a quarterback is probably going to have to play maybe
sixteen games as a starter, and then you're gonna have

(01:42:07):
to get a backup quarterback to start two games if
it goes to eighteen a quarterback that if you have
like a Sunday game and you got to play on
the next Thursday or something where it's lessing a week
or listening ideal or there's so much travel, or maybe
it's a team you think you can be with the
backup just to give your starter ar rest. But the

(01:42:27):
days of a starter gonna go seventeen or even eighteen games, now,
I think that's gonna go by the wayside. You're gonna
see more quarterbacks that won't play in seventeen games. You're
gonna need a backup there to get through one or
two games in the NFL season.

Speaker 2 (01:42:44):
Yeah, I mean I think that's true. I mean, we've
already seen the injury bug. There's always gonna be three
four quarterbacks that can drop that you just you can't replace.
And yeah, just like fantasy team need two quarterbacks.

Speaker 3 (01:43:01):
Yeah, but usually backups are not are not like big
names and they're just there to knop a ross. Respond,
you're gonna need the backup to win one or two games, now,
is what's gonna happen?

Speaker 2 (01:43:11):
Yeah, I mean I think that. I think there's there's
a lot to that. The quote like, how does that
change your strategy even in the draft, right right? Trying
to find somebody young? But yeah, but you find somebody
young that's talented as well, and it's not. And look,
I saw the story. I'm sure you did too. Kirk
Cousins wasn't wasn't happy with the way that the Falcons
communicated to him about Penix and all this. He's kind

(01:43:33):
of not been happy about anything that doesn't go his
way the same way in Minnesota. It's just it's been
that way in his career. He doesn't he doesn't like.
But but guys are going to have to get used
to that. I think it's my point that to to
your argument, the more games you play, the more people
are gonna get injured. The jury rate is one hundred

(01:43:53):
percent at some point in time, right, So, uh, going
into and expecting that it's going to be a thing.

Speaker 3 (01:44:01):
This could work out. Imagine if you're playing sixteen games,
and you ask a rookie or a second year quarterback
to play one or two games a year until he
starts getting the hang of it, starts feeling good. Doesn't
have to play eight, ten, fifteen, just one or two
a year is a backup against probably a less superior team,
just to get his reps in. I think more quarterbacks

(01:44:22):
would like to order that way instead of just being
thrown to the fire, or at least teams would probably
like it that way. I'm not so sure about the players,
but it would It would probably be better at learning
experience than just throwing him out there with a crappy
team and going one in fifteen or something to that effect.

Speaker 2 (01:44:40):
Yeah, I mean you talk about the other thing with
the backup. I think you find the right opponent. And
I know that this sounds crazy because it's the NFL,
but you find the right opponent and you get a lead,
you pull that guy. Yeah, yeah, you pull the starter
a few times. I don't want to use the term
load management, but I mean you do something where you
protect us, like when you feel like you've got it

(01:45:02):
in hand, and if you have to pull the guy
back off the bench and putting back in. I mean,
there's gonna be some strategy there. But if you're going
to add more games, then this is a sport where
the chances that you get through a season unscathed with
a star player diminished. But you talk about just at
the quarterback. I mean, that's gonna be true everywhere, right right,
more depth, but you don't, Yeah, go ahead.

Speaker 3 (01:45:23):
The Thursday game after a Sunday, that's when you go
ahead and replace the quarterback. I believe if it's a court,
if it's a team that you can beat on four
days rest, that's impossible. It's not impossible. But that's got
to hurt. Your muscles have got to be sore of
going into that Thursday game.

Speaker 2 (01:45:40):
Yeah, I think so. I don't know. I don't know.
We we kind of do want more football. That's the thing,
Like you don't want to see guys get hurt. But
you also really like the NFL, and it feels like
the season just goes away pretty fast.

Speaker 3 (01:45:58):
Well, there'll be too there'll be too by except it
goes to an eighteen game schedule. I think that's what
they'll do is give them. They have to give them
two by weeks. I think that's what the NFL Players
Association would want, So that should help them a little bit,
not a lot, but a little bit there in that situation.

Speaker 2 (01:46:13):
Yeah, I think that's probably true. So from there, I
don't know how you segue to this, but we haven't
talked to any baseball and because it's All Star weekend,
we're going to try out the basically the terminator. We're
going to try out rising machines here in terms of
balls and strikes any All Star game. How are we
feeling about that?

Speaker 3 (01:46:32):
I like it just as a tryout, especially it's the
All Star Games, so you know, people are not going
to be that upset about it. If it works good,
I'm ready to go to implement it in the regular season.
I think it's a you know, I think it's about
time that we got the calls right. That's the only
thing that really hurts spaceballs, the ball and strike call,

(01:46:54):
because you can't look back at it, you can't test it,
you can't you know, say hey, I want to overlook that.
Let's look at that one again now. If you have
a computer calling it, I'm fine with it, because you know,
it's tough calling balls and strikes, especially with the curves
and the way the movement on the on the baseball
is and every you know, umpires a different strike zone.

(01:47:15):
So I think it's about time we kept up with
the times and decided to do this with the balls
and the strikes.

Speaker 2 (01:47:22):
Well, that actually surprises me. Aren't he really kind of
expected you to go to you? I don't know. I mean,
you're like a thousand years old.

Speaker 3 (01:47:30):
Yeah, but you want to get it right. I hate
when the umpires, you know, get it wrong, or an
umpire has his own strike zone and he's calling that
low strike below the knee over and over again, and
you're like, what's going on here, buddy? Now, everybody's got
to make an adjustment. The hitters got to adjust. They're
swinging at low pitches. It it affects the whole game

(01:47:53):
so terribly. I think it's better off to just go
ahead and have that strike zone, and it's easier for
us at home, I believe. I think it's great when
we can say, Okay, that's a ball, that's a strike,
no doubt about it, you know.

Speaker 2 (01:48:03):
Yeah, No, I mean I agree with you. I just
I'm surprised that you were going to eliminate the humans
in favor of the computers. That just that caught me
a let's just say that caught me a bit off guard.

Speaker 3 (01:48:13):
Yeah, I don't know how you gonna tell, you know,
the catcher that strike three or that's ball three and
somebody's stealing a base and you're gonna throw it down,
and how that's going to work. So it'll be interesting
to see how they work that out.

Speaker 2 (01:48:25):
So let's bring Steve to Sega in for the final
time and get an update. And I want to ask
Steve if he is surprised that Arnie would actually favor
the machines over human beings.

Speaker 3 (01:48:35):
I think the Sega you favorite machines calling balls and strikes.

Speaker 7 (01:48:38):
Yeah, I just it's a misnomer when some people call
it robot umpires. The home plate umpire is still calling
every ball and strike and administrating the game and calling
safe out at the plate. It's just the egregious things
can be corrected, and we saw in spring training they
can be corrected pretty quickly. It's a far shorter pause
for the game than the current video challenge system for

(01:49:00):
outer safe at second or whether it was a home
run or not.

Speaker 2 (01:49:03):
Things like that.

Speaker 7 (01:49:04):
I can't wait to see it for use in the
All Star game, like, we just saw it in spring
training and it's been in the minors as well.

Speaker 3 (01:49:12):
So it's not every pitch, is that what you're saying.

Speaker 7 (01:49:14):
No, it's you can just challenge, and not from the bench,
not the manager, just the batter or catcher or of
course the pitcher can challenge. They're the only ones involved.
Your first baseman can't start yelling. I thought the management
he cannot.

Speaker 3 (01:49:29):
I thought the new wave of the future would be
them doing it for every pitch. You know, that would
be the wave. That's the new thing.

Speaker 7 (01:49:34):
No, and if you're right, apparently you keep your challenge
as well, and it gets a couple of challenges each side.
It's overdue in my opinion seeing this year yet again
some of the ball and strike calls. As for the
basketball update, we did have Caleb Loves He's on fire
at the NBA Summer League tonight. In the late game
for Portland, he had eighteen points. He was seven of

(01:49:58):
twenty one shooting. Portland, for what it's worth, lost ninety
six eighty six to Memphis twenty three points for Jalen Wells. Earlier,
Spurs beat the Mavericks seventy six sixty nine, but Cooper
Flag of Dallas had thirty one points out of the
sixty nine. Lakers beat New Orleans Brownie James fourteen points,
three assists, four turnovers, two WNBA games. Chicago got Angel

(01:50:20):
Reese's nineteen points eleven rebounds in a win over Minnesota,
which had been eighteen and three. Las Vegas edge Golden
State Asia Wilson thirty four points. In MLS action, Miami
got two goals from Lionel Messi in a two to
one win against Nashville. Minnesota beat San Jose four to one.
Sunday on FS one, the Women's Euros continue with England
against Wales. Today, Sweden won four to one over Germany.

(01:50:42):
Each team had been two to zero in the tournament
so far. The FIFA Club World Cup Final is Sunday
in New Jersey, Chelsea against Paris Saint Jermont. This is
thirty two team tourney that's ending tomorrow, which the US
has hosted. Wimbledon Men's final on Sunday, Number one Yanick
Center against number two Carlos Alcarez, who's won twenty four straight.
The women's final was over in less than an hour

(01:51:04):
today six love six love for Egos Fiantek, who's six
to zero in major finals. She beat American Amanda and Asamova.
Pato Award took today's Indy Car event Indy Cars at
Iowa on Fox TV with Saturday and Sunday races this weekend.
Rory McElroy moved into a tie for first at the
Scottish Open. Dustin Johnson his four shots behind Taylor Gooch.

(01:51:24):
His live golf is in Spain this weekend. The celebrity
golf event is going on at Lake Tahoe. Soccer's Taylor
Twelveman tied for the lead. By the way, Aaron Rodgers
tied for twelfth XQB, Derek Carr eighteenth place, Jerry Rice
twenty third. Charles Barkley was believing or not in the
top twenty five after the first of the three rounds
he got. He is now tied for sixty first place

(01:51:47):
with Vince Carter.

Speaker 3 (01:51:48):
There you go.

Speaker 7 (01:51:49):
Grant Hill tied for eighty sixth with Jason Kelsey, Rich
Eyesen in eighty ninth place in Tahoe.

Speaker 3 (01:51:56):
Who's in lackin.

Speaker 7 (01:51:57):
Somebody who works for the network that is carrying the
golf Okay, So that was the way that got an
entry I'm pretty certain to say the Angels defeated Arizona
eight to five, make that ten to five. Mike Trout
a home run and four RBIs. It was the A's
four to three over Toronto Brent Rooker homer, three RBIs.
The Toronto Blue Jays have been hot. They are still

(01:52:19):
first in the AL, still two games over the Yankees,
who lost at home today. Cubs five to two over
the Yanks. Matthew Boyd eight scoreless innings got the win.
He's ten and three. This was a five to nothing
lead in the ninth Aaron Judge with career homer number
three point fifty, his thirty fifth this year. Judge had
three hits. The rest of the Yankees were three for
twenty eight. Combined the loss to Max Freed, who had

(01:52:41):
been eleven and two. He went three innings, three earned run,
seventy three pitches in the three innings. So the Cubs
are first in the NL Central, still one game over
the Brewers, who won their six straight six' five Over
washington thanks to three. Runs bottom of the Ninth seattle
fifteen to seven winners At, Detroit minnesota twelve four or Over,
pittsburgh which is lost state Straight Byron buxton of The

(01:53:03):
twins hit for the cycle and went five for. Five
the starting pitchers For Tuesday's All Star, Game Detroit's Trek
scouble And Paul skeans of The pirates wins For. Cincinnati
The mets are in first. Place they Won philly. Loss
boston won it's ninth in a. Row houston won in
eleven Innings atlanta with a run in the ninth one
At Saint louis seven to, six and The dodgers Beat
San francisco two to one to end a seven game losing.

(01:53:25):
Streak Tanner scott to save The giants, offense went three
for twenty. Nine Shoeo toddi was the starting, pitcher three scoreless,
innings four. Strikeouts back to.

Speaker 2 (01:53:34):
You thank, You, steve appreciate. It have a good. EVENING
i would, say have a Good. Sunday BUT i know
who you're gonna be, with so you see how that.
GOES i don't Think steve's gonna be winning the. Lottery
speaking of the, Lottery, arnie you sent me this. Story
we're gonna talking about this. STORY i would rather not

(01:53:54):
win the. LOTTERY i think if you have any skeletons
in the. Closet don't win the. Lottery they're going to find.
You all of them are going to find. You we'll
talk about that when we come. Back you will not
want to miss. That plus pretty big retirement in THE,
nfl ALTHOUGH i did not know he was still active
in The welcome. Back He's Arny Spanning Jason. Martin this

(01:54:16):
Is Fox Sports. Radio we're live in The Fox Sports radio.
Studios all, Right, arnie you sent me. THIS i looked at,
IT i read. IT i was baffled by. It, yeah almost.
Entirely we never even got To Andre dawson say something
About Andre dawson real fast, First So i'm not going
to do the expots saying he wants to actually change
to The. Cubs he you know.

Speaker 3 (01:54:37):
Back AND i didn't know. Why back in two thousand and,
one when you got inducted to The hall Of fame
as a, player as a, player you got to pick
what cap you. Wanted after, that it was up To
Major League baseball to decide for you what cap you.
Wanted that started because The Tampa Bay, Rays we're going
to Pay Wade boggs to put out A tampa ad

(01:54:59):
on instead of A Red. Sox he's in as A
Red sox or you, know some people thought he should
be A. Yankee Andre dawson never got to make that. Decision,
now he did play ten years for The, expos only
five years for The, Cubs So Major League baseball made
the right decision by putting him in An expo. Cap
but he is The hall Of. Famer it should be

(01:55:21):
up to the. Player if he wants to go down
as A, cubs so be. It i'm for. Him i'm
okay to put it as A. Cub but his best
numbers were as An. Expo there was no doubt about.

Speaker 2 (01:55:32):
That, yeah which weird is because my, AGE i remember
more as A. Cub, oh he had the national coverage
there with, Him Ryan, Samberg Mark race and so, Like
i'm cool with it just because WHEN i Think Andre,
DAWSON i immediately think. Pubs BUT i know you're. Right, yeah,
historically like The expos and what he did there was

(01:55:52):
was more of his. Career. RIGHT i will also say,
this Maybe i'm, popular BUT i was a huge fan
of That expos. Cap, yeah that was a big fan
of that. THING i miss. IT i miss it a,
lot Like clubs is a. Classic i'm not saying it's.

Speaker 3 (01:56:05):
Not, YEAH i still see it up here from time
to time because you, know it's not. Far and if
they ever do get a baseball team up, there it'd
be interesting to see how many people will cross the
border and go up. There but you're, RIGHT i always
thought of him as an, expo BUT i do remember
as a Cup but, yeah he's spent a lot more,
years double the years With. Montreal, yeah well do you he?

Speaker 2 (01:56:28):
Said he, said some people are going to be, upset
but he doesn't. Care, yeah he's good for, him. Exactly
glad he's gonna make the decision he feels like he
needs to. Make all, Right so a, Waitress, yeah this
is a great. Story got tipped a lottery. Ticket, yes
we've seen that before and won ten million. Dollars, right and.

Speaker 3 (01:56:46):
We've seen that. Before also we've seen.

Speaker 2 (01:56:48):
Them good for her man ten million. Dollars, YEAH i
mean a lot of times you might get, tipped you win,
nothing maybe you win two, bucks and then it's kind
of like an old school tip or something like. That,
right she wants too million. Dollars so everybody's going to
be really happy about, THIS i would imagine in her.

Speaker 3 (01:57:05):
Life, yeah not real by her co. Workers, yeah well
that first of, all, yeah sued by her co. Workers
how many co workers were, there so it could be
probably like around nine or, Ten so now ten of
them all want a part of the pie, there so that.

Speaker 2 (01:57:20):
Starts though you're supposed to put your tips in the
tips together and all that.

Speaker 3 (01:57:25):
Exactly exactly, exactly SO i thought that.

Speaker 2 (01:57:29):
Good and good luck trying. That sued by the guy
who gave her the, ticket right, now you're that's on you.
Man you could have given her a five dollar bill
and kept a lottery.

Speaker 3 (01:57:39):
Ticket, YEAH i disagree when you tip somebody a lottery
ticket and they, win if you're the person that gets
the ticket and the guy comes, back or you call
them up and you, say LOOK i won ten million,
dollars let's split it five million, each and you know
that's only the honorable thing to, do and that that's
that's the good karma thing to. Do Is and then

(01:58:01):
if you gave each Coworker tanner twenty thousand dollars and
there was ten of, them that's what a two hundred,
thousand then shut them. Up they wouldn't even sue. You
they take the money and forget about a. Lawsuit that's
what you're supposed to do when it's all. Said, No
but it got, worse didn't.

Speaker 2 (01:58:17):
It, Jason if you're the, way if you're the, waitress
how much are you gonna how much would you be offering.

Speaker 3 (01:58:24):
To the co workers or to the, guy the person.

Speaker 2 (01:58:27):
Who gave you the ticket half the first they gave
you the ticket.

Speaker 3 (01:58:29):
Half, Yeah so after BECAUSE i know we are were
sure that's just part of the. Story, Yeah because after,
that the ex husband kidnapped her and she shot him
in the chest and. Escaped so she was doing jail.
Time and while she was doing jail, time THE irs,
said wait a, minute wait a, minute what about. Us
we were going to charge you because we wanted want

(01:58:52):
you to pay your taxes on that lottery. Winning so
four different groups of people came after her after winning the.
Lottery so there you.

Speaker 2 (01:59:00):
Go, well the third group of, people the third person
was an ex husband who kidnapped.

Speaker 3 (01:59:04):
Her, yeah and.

Speaker 2 (01:59:08):
Then THE I R s came, last because of course they,
do like the grim reaper that they, are they came.
Last so no good deed goes. Unpunished what you sent,
me that's pretty much. Accurate what a ridiculous. Story that
is absolutely. Nuts Bernie frido might not even have a
better story than, that But i'm gonna tune in to find,
out all, right it's always, Fun, buddy, later my.

Speaker 3 (01:59:29):
Friend thank, you thank, you appreciate.

Speaker 2 (01:59:31):
You, yeah

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