The Bernie Fratto talks Lakers Clown Era with LeBron, Joey Chestnut Records, Luis Ortiz Scandal, & MORE!

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

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Well, that's right, you heard the man. Is that time
of week. My name is Bernie Friday. We are coming
to your live from the Fox Sports Radio studios here
in Las Vegas and takes you up to three am
Pacific six am Eastern, and we have a ton of
stuff to get to, a couple of great guests. Of course,
the midnight hour will be rollicking as always. But before

(00:24):
I begin tonight, I want to make an obvious statement,
never doubt the power of connectivity and the significant sports provide.
My good buddy Bob Pugh, who we were high school
football and baseball teammates. We remained connected throughout the decades,
and we were talking the other day and I want

(00:46):
to give him a shout out. Bob's a great guy.
And he had a home run, a big home run
in our CIF playoff game against Chafy High School. Pretty
much won the game for us, and that was significant
in itself. But what we didn't really realize to me
years later because a gentleman he hit the home runoff
of went on to be an All American left tackle
at USC went on to play ten years with the

(01:09):
Cincinnati Bengals, including the Super Bowls in the NFL Hall
of Fame as well. I'm talking about Anthony Munos. Bob
wondered if I remember that. Of course I remember. It'll
never forget it. So for what it's worth, as you know,
the connectivity sports provide and certainly the significance, and that
to me actually is kind of a cute little segue

(01:31):
and to how we have to begin the show tonight.
Because the Lakers, they're in an organization, they're a franchise
of eras, and I'm talking about going back seventy seven years.
The air began in Minnesota. They moved to Minneapolis, and
they were defined by George Mike and he dominated. The

(01:53):
Lakers won five championships during that period. The team relocated
to Los Angeles in nineteen six, and you had the
Elgin Baylor and Jerry West era. They reached the NBA
Finals six times, but lost to the Celtics each of
those times. And you get to the seventies, Will Chamberlain
arrived one of the greatest teams. The seventy two Lakers

(02:13):
won the championship thirty three games in a row. They
won probably a record. They don't have to be broken. Then,
of course the Showtime Era, which I'm most familiar with
because I was an intern at the Forum. Magic's rookie year, Magic,
Kareem James Worthy. They brought a brand of basketball. Jerry
Buss had bought the team in July seventy nine. Pat
Riley with his Italian suits, slipped back here. They reached

(02:36):
the NBA finals nine times in twelve years, won five championships.
That was the Magic Era. And of course Kareem I
want to talk about him in just a second, because
the notion that DeAndre eight would actually help the Lakers. Okay,
I could come up with a funny, smart ass line
right now. I want to keep my role going on
the Laker eras. Then you entered the Shaq Kobira from

(02:57):
ninety six to four. Phil Jackson joined that group. They
had kind of a new dynasty, three consecutive championships between
two thousand and two thousand and two. Then the Kobe
Era by himself for twelve years. They added two more
championships twenty nine and twenty ten. That takes us up
to twenty eighteen to the present. I'm calling it the
Clown Era. Thank you, Lebron, your clown. We're gonna talk

(03:20):
about this in the Mannight Hour. Yeah, I get it.
They won a championship in twenty twenty, and I won't
take it away from it. That's the year. If you
heard me on the air, been with Fox eight years now,
I called it the Hotel California Finals. You can check
out any time you want, but you can never leave. Look,
I won't give Hi an asterisk for one reason. Everybody
was in the same boat. It's the Roger Morris comparison

(03:43):
to Babe Ruth. Marris had sixty one home runs. Ruth
at sixty, Maris got eight more games. He played in
one hundred and sixty two games versus one hundred and
fifty four. That doesn't diminish the accomplishment. It merely puts
an asterisk on it. That's all. So I won't put
an astress on the Lakers. But I will say this,
they would not have won that championship if they'd hadn't
that four months off and they didn't have to travel otherwise.

(04:06):
Look what they've done since five of the seven years
either missed the playoffs or get knocked out in the
first round. They look worse and worse as the season
goes on. The bottom line is this that all time
off is not created equal. So I'm tired of hearing
these stories how miserable it was in the bubble, and
how terrible it was you stayed in the five star

(04:26):
hotel and got to watch reruns to leave it to
beaver all day and get all the rest in the world. Look,
the bottom line is, yeah, they won one kind of
sort of. And you heard what Alex Caruso said. I
heard he said, Hey, finally won a real championship. Now,
all right, so let's just leave that there. So what
the hell exactly happened this past week? Let me tell
you what you're witnessing, the slow beginning of the end

(04:49):
of Lebron James. And for the last several years it's
appeared so Lebron was prepared to end his career in
Los Angeles. However, his decision Sunday to me raised speculation,
more speculation. He opted into his fifty two million dollars
player option for next season, which is his right. No
one else was gonna give him fifty to two man,

(05:10):
he should have opted out if he really wants to
win a championship. But Lebron wants to have his cake
and eat it too. So right now, there's no retirement announcement,
no planning of a farewell tour. But I'll tell you this.
What happens Sunday made one thing extremely clear. This is
the beginning of the end for the self proclaimed best
player to ever grace a basketball court. It's kind of

(05:31):
a double dose of captivating reality because of course, when
you're forty, right, you should be near retirement. James is
the longest tenured player ever. I think he's played less
games than Robert Parrish, but that that's beside the point. Okay,
So by opting in, James will now become an unrestricted

(05:52):
free agent next offseason. And James has never been a
free agent. This is his twenty third year in the league.
He's never not been the guy. He's not the guy now,
Luca is. He's never been on an expiring contract. And
you know, look, Rich Paul, who's done a fabulous job
with all his clients, said he told ESPN that quote.
James wants to compete for a championship and he recognizes

(06:14):
that the Lakers are building for the future. That's a contradiction,
isn't it. What happened to the ring culture soliloqually Lebron
had a couple of weeks ago. Lebron will never retire,
at least not in his own mind. His career has
spanned seven presidential terms, playing in the NBA. He's like
the pyramids are just always there. Yet it is going
to come to an end in Los Angeles. It may

(06:36):
happen before the season. I don't think so, because there's
no willing dance partner. It could come to the end
during the season. That could happen. But by the end
of next year, the clown era of Lebron will be done.
This is a simple reality. Luka Doncic, the twenty six
year old, well you can call him a superstar because
he is. We'll see if he ever wins a championship.

(06:58):
He's going to be the centerpiece of direct the future
of the franchise. With all due respect for James, they're
already planning for life without him. Any future Laker title
contention is going to center around Luka Dancic, which means,
for once in his career, Lebron James his leverage went
bye bye. I'm not sad, are you? This might be

(07:22):
the greatest day of my life. See here's the thing.
Lebron James has had his way, and I'm not going
to list the litany of things, but a little later
in the show I'm going to talk about I'm going
to dive into NFL NBA free agency a little bit
more fervently, and what I'm going to do is list

(07:43):
the winners and losers. The Lakers is one of the losers.
Think about this for a second. J. J. Reddick had
such little trust in his bench that he went the
entire second half of a playoff game without a single substitution.
That has ever once happened in NBA history until it
did against the Minnesota Timberwolves. I want to say it

(08:05):
was like Sunday, May twenty seventh or something like that.
It was a Sunday. Now Rob Polinka, who frankly has
done a pretty good job in the front office, So
you figure, well, they're going to go out and start
to add some meaningful pieces if they can, right. Well,
not so fast there, of course. Instead, Dorian Finney Smith,

(08:28):
one of the five players JJ Reddick trusted, says I'm
out of here. He departed for the Rockets. He got
on a rocket and went to be with the Rockets.
Who are much improved. They replaced him with the legendary
Jake Larevia. If you've never heard of them, you know,
I guess you never watched Lake Forest basketball. He's serviceable,
nothing wrong with him. It's a downgrade from Dorian Finney Smith.

(08:51):
The Lakers, also, let's be honest, desperately need a center
to pair with Luka Dancic. DeAndre Ayton was one of
the few remaining options after the center market dried up.
But his attitude, in his effort, that was the reason
he was available. You can tell me he's talented. I
will tell you I saw Chris Wood back in December

(09:12):
twenty fourteen when UNLV knocked off number three Arizona right
before Christmas clown all over DeAndre eight, and I've never
gotten that out of my mind. So I'll get to
that in a second. The Lakers have tremendously limited cap space.
After Lebron says, Okay, you don't want to give me
a multi year deal, We'll take a little less, but
I want more years. Okay, screw it, I'll take my

(09:33):
fifty two mate. No one else is gonn offer me that.
That hamstrings the Lakers tremendously, so If you're gonna tell
me the Lakers have improved this offseason, I'm gonna tell you.
You're almost said something really nasty, and I'm glad I didn't.
They haven't improved. There a matter of fact, the gap
between the Lakers and the Thunder and the Nuggets and

(09:54):
the Rockets and the Timberwolves and even the Clippers has grown.
Now back to DeAndre eight here's what you're getting. Now,
Maybe he'll make a liar out of me. What the hell?
He only missed one hundred and four games in the
last four years while averaging fourteen points a game. He
ain't that old. I mentioned Kareem abduing Jabbar. You know,

(10:16):
after the age of forty, Jabbar got to the finals
three times and won two more championships eighty seven and
eighty eight, and then they lost in eighty nine when
Magic got hurt to the Pistons. What if I told
you at age forty Kareem played seventy eight games. At
age forty one, he played eighty games. At age forty two,

(10:39):
he played seventy four. So his final three years he
missed ten games. In the last four years. DeAndre eighten,
he's missed one hundred and four games. Be very concerned,
Laker fans, be very concerned. By the way, be sure
to check out the Fox Sports Radio YouTube channel. There's
a ton of great videos from any of our Fox

(11:00):
Sports Radio shows. Jeff. Search Fox Sports Radio on YouTube
and you'll see a whole bunch of video highlights from
our shows. And be sure to subscribe so you always
have instant access to our Fox Sports Radio videos on YouTube.
Coming out, Mark Medina Medina Magic. We'll dive into some
more of this Michigas. So don't go anywhere or your
first deligne for a front of abotomy. I'm first maybe

(11:23):
I'm first aligned for front of Abotomy. I'm Bernie Fraddleber
come to your line from Las Vegas, Fox Sports Radio Studios.
Keep it locked and listen to the Bernie Frattle Show
on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 3 (11:32):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 4 (11:44):
Hey, it's Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller.
Would mean a lot to have you join us on
our weekly auditory journey dressed what in God's name is
the Fifth Hour. I'll tell you it's a spin off
of the Ben Mahler Show. Could hit overnights on FSR.
Why should you listen? Pick sure if you will a
world will we chat with captains of industry in media,
sports and more every week explore some amazing facts.

Speaker 2 (12:06):
About human nature and more.

Speaker 4 (12:08):
Listen to the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

Speaker 2 (12:14):
How We're back on the Bernie Frattle Show, Fox Sports Radio.
Come to your life from the Las Vegas Fox Sports
Radio Studios. A plethora of NBA news, Summer League getting
ready to start here in Las Vegas, and let's face it,
it's the hot still season for the NBA. Three simple words.
It's that time. Mark Medina Medina Magic, our Fox Sports

(12:36):
Radio guru. You hear him seven days a week, twenty
four to seven on all one hundred and sixty eight
shows here on Fox Sports Radio. But I think we
started the parade right here. Mark, Welcome in, buddy. We
got so much to talk about.

Speaker 5 (12:48):
Bernie. Yeah, she said, Plumper of NBA News, You got
the dictionary right in front of you.

Speaker 2 (12:53):
As soon as I get home, I'm gonna look that
word up. Mark, Let's start with the big news of
the week. Lakers bring Jake D'reva. I remember him at West.
I forget it. I'm not going to start with humor.
Let's get to the meat. I only want to spend
ten seconds on Lebron and it's this ten seconds, Mark.
This is the first time in his career he's been
on an expiring contract, and it's the first time in

(13:16):
his career he's not quote the guy. Those things are
both objectively true. So I ask you. He's already started
to pout, what's the season really gonna look like, Mark.

Speaker 5 (13:26):
Well, you said ten seconds. I'll keep it simple. He's
gonna play with the Lakers the entire season. It's not
because the Lakers won him. It's because that's the best
option available.

Speaker 2 (13:36):
I'm in agreement with that. No, No, that's yeah, that
prediction fair enough. I'm talking about his countenance, his demeanor.
What's I'm not saying he's not gonna play hard, but
between the load management and drinking wine on the bench
and saying they're not staying off of Twitter, I just
feel in my heart this is a super big distraction.

Speaker 5 (13:58):
Yeah, I think on the court all Star caliber numbers.
I want to be surprised if he averages close to
a triple double. But off the court, he is going
to be the league leader in eye rolls, passive, aggressive tweets,
Instagram videos, podcasts, all those things. I think ironic part
is the Lakers could be a team that's back in

(14:19):
the mix, not the favor because that belongs to Oklahoma City.
But you can buy Lebron James still plan at all
star caliber level at forty one luka Doncic being a
superstar player and not a great but decent supporting cast.
Now you know they could be four fifth in the West.
It also could fall off the rails, and so I

(14:40):
think that moving into the season, once the back and
forth settles down, there's not a trade partner that's worth
it for the Lakers to entertain. The moment adversity hits,
that's when I you know, perk my ears up or
eyebrows up, and you know, perk my ears up a
little bit, and wonder well some of this frustration of
merger again. But I think right now, I saw Jurassic

(15:04):
Park over the weekend. Lebron's an old dinosaur roaring a lot,
but he doesn't do anything right. I think that's exactly
what's gonna happen to ours of the summer.

Speaker 2 (15:14):
All right, So let's they don't the Lakers don't exist
in a vacuum. Let's talk about from my perspective and
get your thoughts on what I believe who the real
winners were in free agency. I mean, look at Denver.
They pick up two excellent shooters and Cam Johnson and
Tim Hardaway Junior, and they had Jonas fashion Lunis to

(15:34):
spell Jokic put them on the floor of the Lakers
in a seven game series. I'm taking the Nuggets.

Speaker 5 (15:39):
Your thoughts, oh yeah, I would definitely tell you the Nuguts.
I mean they have more depth. They have Nikole Okitcher's
the MVP of the team. So when you look at it,
the Nuggets have the better number one player Jokich versus Luca.
They have more depth. They even have a little more
continuity because you look at Nikole Jokitch and Jamal Murray,
they have had more time together than Lebron James and

(16:01):
Luka Dacos. I think the other thing this is huge
Michael Porter Junior. He's a great scorer, but not a
great defender. And they save some money trading him and
Cam Johnson. He's not a better scorer, but he's a
more consistent two way player. Bruce Game. Bruce Brown's huge
because you may recall him the twenty twenty three NBA

(16:22):
title run. He was their key locked up. The fact
that he left wasn't because the Nuggets didn't want to back.
They just couldn'tra actually could not, you know, overspend because
of these second Apron concerns. So this is huge. Jonas
valenciunis also great. You know, he'll he'll play you know,
some limited minutes here, and that's that's all they need.

(16:43):
They just need some depth, and he is a great
stretch five. He's very physical inside, but he knows how
to hit a jumper too, and knows how to play
the thick and roll. So they're they're starting to become
a complete team. But I still think that there is
clear separation between Oklahoma City, the defending champs have the
Gang back, and then the Houston Rockets with Kevin Durant

(17:04):
and a lot of good young talent.

Speaker 2 (17:06):
I'm glad you brought up Bruce Bowen because in signing
Cam Johnson or acquiring Cam Johnson, he's on a significantly
cheaper contract, and that was able to clear up the
cap room to sign Bruce Bowen, who was an impact player.
So I'm glad you brought that up. I want to
jump to the Houston Rockets. Man. They took off like
a rocket. I actually think, I think, I really think

(17:26):
Durant will help this team, Dorian Finnie Smith's can help
this team. And then they signed Clint Capella, who I
think the Lakers would have rather had than DeAndre Ayden,
just my opinion. So Houston's committed to size a typical
email Udoka team. He utilizes big lineups to get offensive rebounds,
which create extra possessions. I would take the Rockets over
the Lakers in a seven game series. Your thoughts, I agree.

Speaker 5 (17:50):
I was ready for you to say, Houston, we have
a problem, but I guess I'll use the cliche and
hope for some generous to personize. Yeah, there's a lot
of injury questions ever since twenty nineteen, but when you
look at his production on the floor, very efficient, and
he's going to still be that consistent score and the

(18:11):
fact that he doesn't have to carry the load is
a huge testament to this Rockets team, and they don't
have I don't think really any weaknesses. They have Tom
and Thompson, great wing defender, really fast emerging score that
you just mentioned, Jorri and Finney Smith. He's another great
three and D guy. You know Alpern Singoon, he's developed

(18:32):
as a center. He's been a lot more physical, his
offensive games more polished. I remember you Medoka tell me
earlier in the season they're getting the European game out
of him. You know, they still have the fundamentals with him,
but adding some more strength, muscle, toughness. And then when
you look at Fred van Vliet, you know he is
not as championship test as Kevin Durant, but he wanted

(18:54):
title in twenty nineteen. He's coming back and he's a
great point guard. I think that he's still playing a
high level and he's a great locker room guy. And yeah,
they have a lot of reinforcements. I'm with you that
played Capella is better than DeAndre. And then there's a
reason why the Rockets made Shore to keep them so
that he wouldn't leave for a team like the Lakers.

(19:14):
So you add that up and the fact that Emo
Odoka is one of the best coaches in the league.
I would still give the favorite to the Thunder assuming
no major injuries, but they're going to be pretty darn
close toward challenging them in the Western Conference finals.

Speaker 2 (19:28):
Well, when you look at the Las Vegas betting odds,
the Thunder still are the odds on favorite two. Yeah
all next year, but Houston is third best to win
the title and plus eight fifty or second best to
win the West, alongside the Thunder and the Nuggets. So
I'm just going to jump to the end. I'm going
to predict the Lakers finish no better than sixth next year,

(19:50):
behind the Thunder, Nuggets, Rockets, Timberwolves, and Clippers. And that
may not even be a guarantee. So I think you're
looking at a playing team. Wow, Mark, they got worse.
You can't tell me they got better. We saw the
act they lost by They lost in five to Minnesota
and it wasn't really that close, and then Minnesota got

(20:11):
clowned on by OK. See, there's a tremendous delta here
right in front of our eyes. We can't ignore it.

Speaker 5 (20:17):
Yeah, I see your point. I would argue that they
haven't gotten significantly better, but they have gotten better. Here's why.
The more time that Lebron James Luca Dodgers are on
the floor, they're going to continue to iron out chemistry.
Same thing with Austin Reeves. He'll raise this game to
another level. Really hot chimorea great wing player. I have

(20:37):
question marks about DeAndre Aiden, but literally ever since the
Na Davis trade, they didn't really have a center besides
Jackson Hayes. So we just have another center. He I
have questions about his consistency with health, his attitude, professionalism,
halo managed, you know, not being a focal point, but

(20:58):
from a number standpoint, he is double double the average,
double double. Getting at what I'm getting at here is
that they have gotten better, but to the broader point,
they have a lot of work to do. And this
is a fragile situation. So I'm saying what you're saying
with your prediction, very well might happen. I respectfully disagree.

(21:20):
I think that they will be fourth in the West.
I think I can get to the second round. But
you know, the thin line between what I'm predicting and
you are predicting is very razor thin, and it's you know,
by the margins. Because any of these worst case scenarios
can't happen, as well as how things pail with Lebron James,
with his feeling with the team, if it's hours enough

(21:42):
that they say let's trade them before the trade deadline,
as well as the fact that you know he's forty
one years he'll be forty one years old in December,
and even though he is the beacon of taking care
of your body right from a dieting training standpoint, when
you're forty one years old, all bets are off.

Speaker 2 (21:58):
Well, let me address a couple of those things, because
I love you, gave the litany of peccadillos that eight
and has including effort attitude in those things. He's only
twenty seven. They're paying him thirty four million dollars a year,
and I gotta say this double double stat is the
most nebulous stat. His numbers are worse than Kareem Abdul

(22:20):
Jabbar is worse of forty two. You are aware that
DeAndre Eton not only only played forty games for Portland
last seasons, he's missed what I think like seventy out
of a possible one hundred and sixty four games the
past two years, and he missed one hundred and four
games four years cumulatively, and they're only paying him thirty
four million dollars. So I'm just not in on this.

(22:42):
I can't Mark. I trust my eyes. They tell me
a lot.

Speaker 5 (22:45):
Yeah, I totally understand. You know, as brianics in at
test being a Sun fan, she's seen you know, DeAndrea
at his worst and best. I would remind you of
this though. He really he took his game to another level,
especially in the twenty twenty one playoffs, and part of
that had to do with his talent and accepting tough

(23:07):
coaching for Monnie Williams and tough accountability from Chris Paul.
I think the short term he can buy into that
because he knows he's at rock bottom. He wants to
turn his career around. It's the Lakers pressure cooker. It's
Lebron James who doesn't play. You know. Michael Thompson, he's
a fellow Bhemians, huge fan, often in his ear. But

(23:30):
I think that at some point the question is going
to be, Okay, you can do this short term, but
can you do it long term? I think it's very telling.
Michael Thompson is always the Laker optimist, right and He's
a huge Dendre Ayton fan. I think it's telling that
on one hand, he thought that he could be the
next David Robinson, which is a stretch, obviously, but he

(23:54):
admitted to me this weekend or this week that he's
had an unachieving career and he thought that he would
be a multi year All Star by this point he hasn't.
And he totally understands the skepticism that someone like you,
someone like me, and other NBA fans have about him,
and he's his message is you know what it's it's

(24:16):
put up or shut up time, and you're with the Lakers.
This is a huge opportunity with all the championship history,
the litany of great centers, playing with Lebron James, playing
with Luca. If this stuff doesn't get you motivated, then
you know there's no other solution here. So what I'm
getting at is there is a weird feeling that because
he's at rock bottom, all he can go is up,

(24:39):
and I think for the short term that can help him.
It's more of the long term, you know later on
the season, next season, how well he can sustain that.

Speaker 2 (24:49):
Yep, never mind, the horse is blind, Just keep loading.
The cart, Well, we're going to have next spring, and
we're kind of an opposite side. You're maintaining a modicum
of objectivity when mine is basically subjectivity. But again, I
trust my eyes. They tell me a lot in twenty one. No,
a lot of time.

Speaker 5 (25:05):
Ago, Bernie. I'm skeptical as well. I'm just free laying
the optimist that Michael Thompson has. You know that he's about.
But I think it's telling that someone who is always
bullish on the Lakers, championship chances everything else has his
own set of doubts over someone he's a huge fan
of because of the Bahamas connections. I think, if anything,

(25:26):
it really reinforces our concern level.

Speaker 2 (25:29):
Sounds like the bad New News Bearers when Englman got
a file ball in the seventh inning and coach Morris
Buttermaker said, relaxed boy, as Rome wasn't built in the day,
and Alfred Lutter said, no, Coach, it took several hundred years.
I don't like this movie. I'll tell you we're gonna
have some fun next year, and I'll admit if I'm wrong.
By the way, the Bucks, I believe their title chance
has actually improved this came as a shock to me

(25:51):
they were able to sign Miles Turner, and I think
that you know, no more Damian Lillard. We get that,
but I got a funny feeling that might a little
bit of fire under Jannison Antenna Coople.

Speaker 5 (26:04):
Yeah, I actually agree the Damian Lower trade or not
trade the wave was very surprising. As Chris Hans reported,
it didn't sit well with the honest I'd get it,
but Damian Lower wasn't likely going to play next season
anyway because of his Achilles injury. I think it's also
telling that you know, people around Daman Loward say, don't
feel sorry for him. He's actually pretty happy about this

(26:26):
because it's a win win situation. He gets he can
go home to Portland, be closer to his family rehab,
he can look at a different set of options to
join a team that he feels is a better fit,
can help him point a title. And you know, even
in this scenario that he takes a discount because of
fore he's on his career with age and achilles, He's

(26:46):
still going to get paid for Milwaukee. So all that
is gravy for all sides. I'm with you on the
Miles Miles Turner signing. He's a huge upgrade over brook Lopez,
great defender, great stretch fund. I've part of the fact
that they let brook Lopez go and wave Damian Lillward
gave them the kind of money to spend a miles

(27:08):
term pluck them away from Indiana, which was a sleep
at the wheel. I mean, they spent almost his entire
career making him available in trade rumors and then they say, okay,
he's the number one priority this offseason, all of a
sudden they don't have enough money to spend huge loss
for Indiana, and so the Bucks still have question marks.
But you know, the reality is the Eastern Conference is

(27:30):
going to take a back seat this upcoming season because
Jason Tatum's out with an achilles, tires Halburn's out with
an achilles. You know, the Knicks, they're in a transition faith.
I think the Mike Brown hires good, but they still
have questions about the roster. So everything is up in
the air in the Eastern Conference. So even though on
paper they still have some question marks, all they need

(27:52):
to do is have a fighter's chance and then they
can make some noise.

Speaker 2 (27:57):
Last thing mark the Boston solve like superior to be
stripping is stripping themselves down to the studs? Are they
just punning on next season they move off? Drew Holidy.
I realized Jason Tatum's injury casts a paul over the
whole season. But you know, no more porzingis, no more
Al Horford, no more Luke Cornett thoughts on the Celtics

(28:17):
next year.

Speaker 5 (28:18):
Yeah, well, I don't think it's going to get down
all the way to the studs. They're gonna keep Jaylen Brown.
I would be very surprised if that happens. But I
think the broader point you're making, it's on point. I mean,
they've had to make some cost savings because of second
Apron concerns. I think the other part is, you know,
they're very well aware that even though they haven't given
timeline and they're you know, given positive progress reports on

(28:42):
Jason Tatum, it's very unlikely he'll come back to play
next season. So I think it's kind of a batter
of hitting the pause button and just collect assets developed
from within and then once Jason Tatum's back, make another run.
So yeah, I mean they're trying to find that fine line,
good balance between not tearing the studs, but you know,

(29:04):
trying to clean out their clause.

Speaker 6 (29:06):
A little bit.

Speaker 2 (29:07):
So one of my great listeners, mister Lucky, tweeted at
both of us, says, allow me to quote chick hern
on the upcoming season, the Lakers have two chances of
winning the title, slim and none. Slim just left town.
He's got a meme of Luca who I am. Then
he closes with quote, the Lakers couldn't guard their suitcase
at the airport. He's not wrong. They're flawed when you
compared to some of these teams we've mentioned, like Houston

(29:29):
and Denver, it's a they're flawed. Man, You got the
last word.

Speaker 5 (29:34):
Yeah, they have a lot of flaws. Now, I do
think that that image of Luca is not real. I
have everything I've heard from people is that he has
gotten in better shape, he's toned down all that stuff.
But the reality is, none of this stuff is going
to mean anything until the season actually starts. I do
think of all the things that are concerning the Lakers,

(29:57):
Luca Doctis is at one of them. He's going to
have a much better second season with more time with Lebron,
more time with the roster in general, more time to
you know, fully recover from the calf injury that sidelined
them for a good bit before you even play with
the Lakers, as well as address up of the condition issues.
So I think you know you're going to see a

(30:17):
significantly improved version of Luca Dodtrich. But the Lakers have
even more problems in that with Lebron and question marks
about what's going to happen with him as well as
the rest of their supporting cast. But Luca will be
a bright spot.

Speaker 2 (30:32):
Fair enough, Mark great stuff is always buddy, And as
we say at the end of this segment, every Saturday night,
I can't wait to see what the new secle brings
for next Saturday.

Speaker 5 (30:41):
Well, how about this for a tease. I'm in Vegas
for Summer League, so I'll break down Bronni James's return.

Speaker 2 (30:47):
I don't think he's going to play in the Summer League?

Speaker 6 (30:49):
Is he?

Speaker 5 (30:49):
He is?

Speaker 2 (30:51):
Is he really?

Speaker 5 (30:52):
Yes? Oh my goodness, get your tickets. I mean it's
probably already sold out.

Speaker 2 (30:56):
But I can get a credential. But I'm actually on
a playing tomorrow morning five am. I'm glad you told me.
I'm gonna wait till the season's over to you till
I come back. All right, good stuff, Mark, We'll see
you next week, Buddy, coming up. We set up the
Midnight How. We have three great, salacious, fun rollicking topics.
As you know, twenty one minutes from now, it will

(31:17):
be twelve midnight. Literally in Las Vegas, that's where I live.
Las Vegas be twelve midnight, and perhaps where you live
it'll be twelve minute. And also, but I can tell
you figuredly it's twelve minute everywhere, which means you get
the last word. Eight seven seven nine nine six six
three sixty nine eight seven seven ninety nine one Fox.
Let's hear from you. The callers have been fantastic. You're

(31:38):
the one that makes six segment. Let's blow it up tonight.
Tonight's gonna be a lot of fun. It's always a
lot of fun. We're not trying to solve the world's problems.
We got three topics here. I think you really get
a kick out of. I'm Bernie Fraddle. We're come to
your line from the Las Vegas Fox Sports Radio Studios.
Keep it locked. You're listening to the Bernie Frattle Show
on Fox Sports Radio. All right, back on the Bernie

(31:58):
Frattle show Fox Sports Radio. Comeing from the Las Vegas
Fox Sports Radio studios. Take hip to three am Pacific,
six am Eastern. Just getting started. We are fourteen minutes
away from the midnight hour eight seven seven nine nine
six six three six nine eight seven seven ninety nine
on Fox. It will be midnight literally here in fourteen

(32:21):
minutes in Las Vegas where I live. But it's midnight
figuredly everywhere. Because you get the last word topic number one,
How could it not be Lebron? He opted in his
powerplay failed, He's not getting a multiple year deal for
the first time in twenty three years. He's not the guy.
And oh, by the way, he is on an expiring contract.
It's never happened to him. He's still gonna be a

(32:43):
first ballot Hall of Famer all that. We're not gonna
talk about his legacy. We're not gonna talk about whether
or not he gets a statue. I don't even know
why people want statues. It never looks like the person anyway. Look,
what I'd like to know is I want to know
how you feel when Lebron's done? Who me? Yep? You

(33:04):
will you be sad or you be glad? The epitome
is sad. Is when Magic Johnson had a nineteen ninety
one November nineteen ninety one press conference that he had
to retire because he he had aids that was sad
and he ended up coming he had a wonderful life. Okay,

(33:24):
so we'll keep it simple and you can comment, you
can tell me why. But when Lebron's done, maybe you're
done with the Lakers, done with the NBA. You may
hang around three more years. I think he's going to
he wants to. But when he's finally done it, you
can't see him play anymore. You're gonna have to you know,
we'll follow him on Twitter because he'll tweet ninety three
thousand times a day. Will you be sad or will

(33:45):
you be glad? There's an old saying there's only two
tests of people in life. Those are those where you
are happy when they walk into the room or you're
happy when they leave the room. There So tell me
how you feel about Lebron and that situation, because we
are nearing the end. Okay, make no mistake. What you
saw this last week is it's extremely clear the self

(34:09):
proclaimed best player to ever grace the basketball court that
we're nearing the end. This is the simple reality.

Speaker 7 (34:16):
Now.

Speaker 2 (34:19):
I hate that we have to do this, but we
have to. So. The WNBA All Star Game is July nineteenth,
and let me give you some perspective before I get
into the topic. In twenty twenty three, Asia Wilson, who
I think arguably is the best player of the WNBA,
she got more All Star fan votes than anybody in

(34:41):
the entire league, total of ninety and sixty Well, this year,
Caitlin Clark got the most votes of any fan of
any player in the league for the All Star Game
fan votes, the number one million, two hundred and ninety three,
five and twenty six. That's an increase the third teen
thousand percent in two years over Asia Wilson, she won

(35:04):
the NBA. Kitlin Clark won the NBA All Star Fan
vote with one zero point three million votes. But as
for her peers, they ranked her ninth among guards, not
all WNBA players guards. Clark's averaging about nineteen points nine assists.
All that blah blah blah. She's missed some time with

(35:26):
the injury and the already I mean, her fellow players
rated Kitlin Clark as quote the second best guard on
her own team, behind Kelsey Mitchell Clark took it in stride,
says she's excited to host the Fever, to host the
All Star Game. She's a captain, right dig vital If
you ever get a chance to meet dig viteal, He's

(35:47):
everything is advertised. He's the nicest human being and what
a storied life. He never says anything. He tweeted out
absolute pure jealousy in caps that w NBA players voted
Kaitlyn clar the ninth best guard. Someday they we'll realize
what she's done for all the players in the w NBA.
Charted planes, increasing salaries, sold out crowds, and proved TV ratings.

(36:09):
These are facts. He's calling it pure jealousy. H Clark
is always a conversation starter and she always generates considerable reaction.
The fans voted one point three million they want her
the players ninth best among guards, second best on our
own team. Okay, that's that's the part that slays me.

(36:30):
The WNBA continues to actually set viewership records because of
Caitlin Clark's She doesn't play their down fifty percent. By
the way, her first sneaker release was a week ago.
It was an instant sellout from Nike's Kobe V line
and is now selling for two times the retail price
of one hundred and ninety dollars on the aftermarket. You

(36:52):
tell me why you think this happened, Give me your thoughts.
We know what we know. You know, we know what
Dick Vitale had to say. So topic number one. Lebron
is nearing the end. You saw what happened. He opted in.
He didn't get what he wanted, which is an extension,
so he said, screw it. I'll take the fifty two million.
No one else is gonna offer me that he's hamstrung

(37:13):
the Lakers, he'll play. I believe the likelihood is he's
in Los Angeles almost the whole year. If not the
whole year, we'll see, but this will be his last
year in LA. Not it out in my mind unless
some completely unforeseen happens. You never say never, But I
think he'll land somewhere else if he does leave LA.
And at one point he's going to retire. He has

(37:35):
to because no one's gonna want him. And how will
you feel about that? Will you be sad or glad?
And you can give your your justification. Why again, Caitlin
Clark leads all vote getters by the fans in the WNBA.
She got one point three million votes. Compare that to
two years ago when Angie Wilson got ninety five thousand votes.

(37:59):
But yet her Here is the people she plays against,
and there's sort of an odd irony here. They game
plan for Caitlyn Clark. They you know, they rush her,
They double teamer, They Mauller. Why she's only the ninth
best guard? Why are you doing that? Why are you
leaving Kelsey Mitchell wide open? If Caitlin Clark is only
the ninth best guard and the second best player on

(38:20):
her team. Seems like an interesting dichotomy to me. But
be that as it may. The fans like her. The
players don't give me your reasons. Why. Finally every year
and I've gotten to do the July fourth show with
Arnie three years in a row. Last night, Aaron and
Arnie worked together as a great show. But we've always
talked about the hot dog eating contest in some of

(38:42):
Joey Chestnuts X Boys. I'm gonna get that a little
bit later, But I got a question for you. Is
it possible they've been doing this hot dog eating contest
since nineteen sixteen. But is it possible to jump the shark?
Did you watch it? He was back? Remember he was
banned last year of a Naddy did for some meatless
hot dog. I'm talking about Joey Chestnut and I bet

(39:04):
you can't name who the winner was last year. Of
course you can't. It was Patrick Bertoletti. Shout out to
Patrick Bertoletti. He gave fifty eight hot dogs. I believe
chest Nut he's seventy and a half. But there's no
more world records anymore. They can't go anymore. It's done.
They've reached the human limit in hot dogs. There's no rival.
Kobayashi's gone. So every year it's this mundane spectacle, but

(39:27):
it's fun. And it's the fourth of July. Some of
these people have been hooked up to a blender since
a minute they got out of bed and they're hooting
and hollering. It's kind of cool. But has it jumped
the shark? Are you watching it? There's no rival, no Kobayashi,
no more world records. You know. They try to make
a big deal out of Joey Chestnunt being back. What
it's not like he was back from Lukemi or something.
He's back. He took a year off, so we got Lebron.

(39:48):
We'd be glad or sad when he's gone. Finally, Caitlin Clark,
what the hell happened? Number one among the fans, number
ninth among guards, two on our own team, among the players.
And then, of course the Nathan hot Dog eating contest?
Has it jumped to shark? Did you watch it? There's
no rival, there's no Kobayashi, there's no more world records.
There you have it. The midnight hour, dial him up,

(40:09):
eight seven, seven, nine and night on Fox. Keep it locked.
You're listening to the Bernie Frowner Show on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (40:16):
You don't listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (40:19):
Yep, that's right, you heard the man. The Bernie Frowner
Show keeps rolling right along. We'll take up to three
am Pacific, six am Eastern from the Fox Sports Radio
studios here in Las Vegas, and the phone are lighting
up and I'm happy to see it real quickly. The
midnight hour. We've got Lebron. His days are numbered? Will

(40:41):
you be glad or sad when he leaves the game?
Caitlin Clark number one among her among fans one point
three million votes, compared that to ninety five thousand two
years ago that Asia Wilson got but ninth among guards,
second on her run team. Well, why do they player
so hard?

Speaker 8 (40:58):
Then?

Speaker 2 (40:59):
If it's kind of an odd ecotomy and then finally
has a Nathan's hot done, geting contest jumped to shark.
There's no rivalry, no Kobayashka, no more world records. I'm
sure you remember Patrick Berdoletti winning it last year with
fifty eight dogs. All right, very simple, it's been that
hour eight seven seven nine nine, six six three six nine.
Please be patient. We're gonna get to all you, all

(41:19):
your opinions matter. We begin with Kevin in Los Angeles. Kevin,
start us off tonight, Buddy, what's going on?

Speaker 9 (41:27):
Ernie?

Speaker 2 (41:27):
How are you doing? Buddy?

Speaker 9 (41:29):
Hey, I'm a big big Laker fan. Look, you gotta
look at the parameters of what happened with the team
last season when they ran in the Minnesota. They became
a one dimensional perimeter team. If Luca didn't make the shot,
Lebron had to make the shoft they didn't make it,
that was it. They had no inside presidence. So keeams
are just sagging off and just going on Luca and

(41:49):
Lebron when you get eight and at least you're giving
some low post presence where teams will have to pay
if they get up on Luca, which will get the
lob for eight and with Lebron and Luca. Now when
they ain't had a great player like Devin Booker on Phoenix.
He saw what he did in twenty twenty one. They
got to the finals and he had one of the
most dominant stretches of a big especially against the Lakers

(42:12):
and Anthony Davis. I mean, he was putting up twenty
two points twenty five rebounds, and people say he was
motivated for a MAX contract. Well, he's gonna be motivated
for another MAX contract. And the Lakers had him counted
for two years on a bargain from a buyout from Portland.
They didn't have to give up any of their core players.
Dalton connect Austin reeves to get a Jared Allen.

Speaker 2 (42:30):
Here's what I want you to do, Kevin. I want you.
I want you to call my show next March. We
can call anytime, call every week, but let's revisit this, okay,
because what I really want to find out tonight is
Lebron's days are numbered? Will you be glad or sad
when he's gone?

Speaker 9 (42:45):
I would be sad because he's a great player for
the Lakers. I won't be I won't. I won't be
mad about it because they'll they'll have more roster flexibility,
and they preserve the flexibility to guys like Jonathan and
jokers who two years.

Speaker 2 (43:01):
Sarah got you fair enough? All right? Anything on Caitlin
Clark or the Nathan's Hot Tag union contest?

Speaker 9 (43:06):
Okay, Caitlyn Clark, this is the dumbest thing I've ever
heard of. I've been a WNBA fancist nineteen ninety six
a certain sceptions Kaitlyn Clark. The league has grown because
of Kaitlin Clark. What Michael Jordan is to the NBA
is what Kaitlyn Clark is to the w NBA. And
for those women to be so so egotistical and so
jealous makes no sense because she's changed the league with

(43:28):
the with the private des the charter flights, with the revenue,
with ticket sales, with the contracts going up. That's all
Kaitlyn Clark. She's boxed office, She's Magic Johnson, Larry Bird.
So for those players not understand what's happening with that
league right now. They have no understanding about business and
basketball business as a whole. Kaitlyn Clark is WNBA basketball

(43:50):
right now, and she's the reason why the league is exploding.
What Angel Reefs and Kaitlyn Clark is, That's what magic
and Bird was in the age for the NBA, and
these players got to start recognizing it. Kaitlyn Clark is
box office, and she drives the lead.

Speaker 2 (44:03):
She drives a fair enough good good stuff anything real
quickly on the Hot Dog, any contest?

Speaker 6 (44:10):
Does it?

Speaker 2 (44:10):
Jumped the Shark?

Speaker 9 (44:12):
Bring Kobyashi back?

Speaker 2 (44:16):
Well, remember Kevin, thanks a lot, Kevin, I appreciate you many,
very well prepared call. Look, Kobayashi and uh Joey Chestnut
had that one off last September and kobey Ashi's lost
the yard office fastball. They should bring him back because
he's a draw too. But man, I don't know. Joe
and Miami Joint just welcome in Joe the Bernie Frowdles Show.
How are you?

Speaker 5 (44:36):
Hey?

Speaker 10 (44:36):
How are you?

Speaker 5 (44:37):
First of all?

Speaker 11 (44:37):
Great show, real quick on Easting's number one, no hot
dog great? You know, it's just fun to see Chestnut
so without a rivalry, it's still great. So okay, I
think that's so we still love it. Caitlyn Clark, It's
it's very obvious. Look she represents in all honesty everything
that's that's the opposite of the rest of the NBA.

(45:00):
He is heterosexual, white and just nice and they hate that.
Just at the bottom line, it's beyond obvious, and that's
just what it is. And then number three is just
with the Lakers Lebron. I'm big Lakers fam man in
many years.

Speaker 12 (45:15):
But he's still really, really good.

Speaker 11 (45:18):
So what I don't understand is just that. Why why
are they kind of looking two years from now? Why
not just right now? Why didn't to get Miles Turner,
Like I don't want toe Lebron go. He's still super good,
so he just needs some help. I'm not sure why
people are not in on that training.

Speaker 2 (45:34):
Okay, fair enough, we're two for two, so people like
to see Lebron hang around. Fair enough? Thank you. Joe
Steve in Kansas City, never a man lacking shyness, take
it away.

Speaker 13 (45:46):
Your is big Ernie and All Star. Fourth of July,
the of the mid nine hour. You know, I'm kind
of glad for Lebron. Actually, he's is shown some maturity
by taking I've senior golf according to these posts.

Speaker 2 (46:04):
Yeah, now, was that a golf swinger? Is he trying
to kill a snake in a phone booth?

Speaker 13 (46:08):
I couldn't tell he's better than Charles Barkley. Listen, I'm
here in rumors he may try and go out to
the senior Tour. He's finally maturing. You're not trying to
tell me that he's the He's Michael Jordan, that no one,
you know, no one's ever gonna consider him. I think
Medina Magic was exactly right that DeAndre Ayton's about to

(46:28):
lead the league and miss practices and Playton Fly, miss
times for practices and Playton Fly. It is going to
be fascinating to see how it plays.

Speaker 2 (46:36):
Only missed one hundred and four games the last four years.
I mean, all right, so are you going to be
sad or glad when Lebron leaves?

Speaker 13 (46:43):
Listen, I I'm glad that Lebron is finally finding passion
in something besides going on podcasts and blowing hot air.
Let him let him play golf. I mean, let him
do it, Tony Romo and try out.

Speaker 2 (46:58):
For this He said every year, need to get a plate. Yeah,
you all need to get a clue. All right, move on,
let's get to Caitlin Clark. What the hell happened there?

Speaker 13 (47:06):
Okay, let's get in.

Speaker 14 (47:07):
Let's get into this.

Speaker 13 (47:08):
And now Skip Bayless has been out front and saying
that that the the elderly players are going to rebel,
are going to revolt against the league. That's that's what's
happening here. Is that is that the referees have been
instructed to give Caitlin and her space and Page Beckers,
but the elderly contingent I'll call them the Britney Grinder,

(47:32):
whoever you want to call them, Asia Wilson, that they
are going to revolt against the league if they if
they don't keep doing the Detroit bad Boys piston inside
the ball. So we're at an impass here that no
one's going to do anything. I think the move for
Caitlyn Clark is to immediately take that offer from the
Big Three and ice Cuban, take ten million dollars in

(47:55):
play both and force the w NBA's hand. She's in
after that, after she won the Commissioner's Cup, she kind
of was complaining a little bit after, you know, she's
finally she's finally waking up and waking up to the
fact that they're getting that they're not getting paid anything.
And she was complaining a little bit in the locker room.
I don't think anybody really picked that up. But you know,

(48:18):
she they're not Nike and they're not doing anything for her,
so she needs to do she needs to do for
herself or he's just gonna get injured. Now, onto Joey, Onto,
Joey Chestnut and Kobyashi. I think it's all. I think
it's a wonderful event.

Speaker 15 (48:35):
Uh.

Speaker 13 (48:36):
I think bring everybody back.

Speaker 5 (48:37):
I don't care.

Speaker 13 (48:38):
I don't care if Kobyashi eats five hot dogs. He
deserves the spot, he deserves a place of honor. He's
a winner. It's like the Masters. Once you it's like
the Masters of hot Dogs. Once you win, you always
you always get to come back to the to the
champions table, no matter what. And Joey Chestnut still has

(48:59):
to go for seventy six dogs and the record. So
I don't think it'll ever go away, going away.

Speaker 2 (49:06):
I've just had that's right, all right, thanks a lot, buddy.
It's not going away. And I you know, I watched
it myself, but I'm just wondering if it's losing some
of its luster. Spock's weed and Oregon, You're on fire
to that on Twitter, buddy, take it away.

Speaker 8 (49:21):
Hey, I'm glad it didn't have to tee off because
these other calls have been excellent.

Speaker 2 (49:26):
Well you have Flint too, show switching out there.

Speaker 8 (49:30):
All right, Well, Lebron, I'm going to say something a
little strange, And what I'm going to say is I'm
sad that I am glad that Lebron is getting out.

Speaker 2 (49:42):
He made me around three more years. But when he's
finally gone go ahead.

Speaker 8 (49:46):
Yes I will, I will be pleased. He is the
most self centered. There is no team in Lebron. Basketball
is supposed to be a team sport, and everything he
does is just to set himself up for whatever is
that he wants. He lost me when he did the
half hour hour show where it was Miami, I'm taking

(50:10):
my talents to Miami.

Speaker 7 (50:12):
I mean that was a complete.

Speaker 2 (50:13):
Either or not. That's been fifteen years now. If Duley
know it, let's I got you on that spot. So
let's jump to Caitlin Clark and the Nathan's Outdoor Contest.

Speaker 8 (50:23):
Kaitlyn Clark, like like everybody said, she is the Jordan,
the Michael Jordan of basketball. I believe that all these
other women would rather relegate themselves back to obscurity than
have Kate and Clark in the league. It's a sad thing.
I don't understand these people.

Speaker 5 (50:42):
And don't you.

Speaker 2 (50:43):
Find it ironic that they rankor ninth among guards? Yes,
it sure as hell guard her a lot tougher than
Kelsey Mitchell, who.

Speaker 8 (50:52):
Yes, they're extremely hypnocritical and we all know where it
comes from. And it's sad that that the w n
b A League won't take action to like write the
ship if you.

Speaker 14 (51:05):
Know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (51:07):
Well, the commissioner is non existent. There the leadership less
and the damn thing I've ever seen? All Right, a
hot dog eating contest is a jump to shop.

Speaker 8 (51:19):
Yeah, absolutely, when Joey is king, there is no question
about that. I'd love to have. Uh I forget the
guy that that one before I think what they need
to do.

Speaker 2 (51:29):
Yeah, Kobe Ashi and then last year had a guy
named Patrick Bertoletti. He's a a trivia question, go ahead,
trivia answer.

Speaker 8 (51:35):
There's two more things I want to say.

Speaker 14 (51:37):
They need a guy that looks.

Speaker 8 (51:38):
Like John Belushi to be a part of the hot
dog eating hut.

Speaker 2 (51:42):
That'd be for the jello eating contest.

Speaker 14 (51:43):
If absolutely he needs I'm a ZiT and the other thing.

Speaker 2 (51:49):
They need to give up with the German attack Pearl
Harmer Forgan, you got the last word.

Speaker 8 (51:57):
They need to change the hot dogs and make it
more interesting. They need to go ahead and use the
Costco quarter pounders or something more challenging and kind of,
you know, kind of regress to like, you know, maybe
they can eat thirty hot dogs, but they're the big.

Speaker 6 (52:12):
Ones, all right.

Speaker 2 (52:15):
Well, always always entertaining their spot. Appreciate you, buddy, Alan
Saint Louis, welcome back in. How are you tonight?

Speaker 16 (52:21):
What's up? Bertie? How are you I I'm doing grab
a start with the hot dog eating contests, right, Okay,
as long as Nathan's is a sponsor, it hasn't jumped
the shark. And trust me, this contest does a lot
for the sale of Nathan's hot dogs. It's all about
business and let's face it, it's in the middle of

(52:42):
the morning, early afternoon, fourth of July. It's a great
filler for ESPN because nobody else is really watching tv'spectacle.

Speaker 2 (52:51):
Yeah, I can't. I can't disagree with anything. And to
boot my good buddy Jeremy Schaefter's the name drop Jeremy. Yeah,
it's been closed for twenty eight years. He was part
of the event. So I accept that, Alan, You're right. Yeah,
I mean that's a pragmatic kind of a view. So
let's get to Lebron and Kitlin Clark.

Speaker 16 (53:10):
Lebron concerned And when I say I will be glad
when he leads the league, it's nothing personal. I'm just
sick and tired of all the personal attacks towards him.
You know, he may be with the previous call and
said a little self centered or whatever, but what this
guy has done for basketball and what he's done outside

(53:32):
of basketball, you know, people don't want to talk about that.
He's put hundreds of kids through school, through college, never
got in trouble with the law, never had married, no problems.
But once he's on the court, he's polarizing. And you know,
I can't watch a talk show or listen to a
talk show on the radio where some tolls is just

(53:52):
it's just bashing him for no reason. And I'm just
tired of it.

Speaker 14 (53:55):
Man.

Speaker 2 (53:56):
You know, well, you know, I gotta be fair because
I've been guilty of it myself. We can hold two
thoughts concurrently about his records, but he's it just feels
like Allan, so many things he's done are so disingenuous
or self serving, and people are put off by that.

Speaker 16 (54:13):
Bernie. I think the difference with you criticize him and
other people. You don't take it personal. No, no, you're
You're just offered a constructive, constructive criticism, which is fine.
You could just tell by the tonal people voices. I mean,
everybody knows that Steven A. Smith doesn't really care for him,

(54:33):
you know, and sometime it just takes over the show
you got to host, over your your radio o your station,
who I believe doesn't like Lebron. So that's just one thing.
Basketball will be fine without him because it's so many
good stars, you know. So that's on that they I'm
going to get to Caitlin Clark, go ahead. I think
these players are crazy and I'm using that term. Do

(54:56):
they realize what this woman is of the WNBA? And
I say they better take a good look at her
this year? She suffering little injuries. Now Caitlin Clark is
one career in the injury away from the w NBA
players losing everything they got. If nobody thinks that this

(55:20):
TV contract that WNVAJ sign isn't tied to Caitlin Clark.
You think they're gonna keep paying if she gets a
career in the injury, They're gonna go back to be
it on planes sitting next to some crying baby or
some drunk woman who's got to complain about why her
husband isn't any good. All the perks state, all the

(55:42):
perks they got, they better take a good look. They
better take a good look at it, because one Kaitland
Clark is gone, everything else gone. And well, you don't
do what I do. I'll go into this. I checked
the attendance a lot of WNBA games.

Speaker 14 (55:56):
Yep, nobody.

Speaker 16 (55:57):
You know, with the reception of a few cities, nobody's
going asho talk that mess. All she wants to the
average about three or four thousand of corgo. And when
they're on the road, they aren't drawing people. You know,
this this thing with asereson Caitlin Clark, it's just a myth.
It's all one side. And so the w NBA players,
they better take a look at what's going on, because

(56:20):
when she's got their little injuries this year, and I
hope she is healthy, but that thing Bill vote to
her the ninth not the ninth best player, the ninth
best guard in a WNBA. That's ridiculous. And I think
they bet they better watch it because once she's gone,
every other person, the commercials are gone. Everything take care

(56:40):
of Bernie the Gospel.

Speaker 2 (56:42):
According to Alan, By the way, I only need to
start an emo's pizza eating contests with the great pizzas
in Saint Louis. I don't care what anybody says. Great stuff,
Andre Emmett, Bryceon Texas, Todd, Niawa, Andrew and Bakersfield. You're
all getting in. Please be patient. I greatly appreciate your patience.
You take the time of Dyland. You are getting non
for the best pre game show. Every weekend, be sure
to tune into Fox Sports Radio's Countdown presented by BETMGM,

(57:06):
every Saturday and Sunday morning from nine am to noon
Eastern six to nine am Pacific. We will count you
down to all the biggest games. There's no better place
to prime you for the tournament games. And right here,
tune into Countdown presented by bet in GM every Saturday
and Sunday morning. Right here on Fox Sports Radio and
the iHeartRadio app. The Midnight Hour continues. Don't go anywhere.
You're listening to Bernie Fraddle Show on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 3 (57:27):
dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 2 (57:39):
All right back on the Bernie Frattle Show, The Midnight
Hour continues, a rollicking midnight hour. Callers have been great
so far. We go back out to the full lines.
Andre in Massachusetts. Thanks to your patients, Andrea.

Speaker 7 (57:51):
Litter Rip, Bernie, how you doing?

Speaker 17 (57:55):
Thanks for taking the call. In terms of Lebron, we
can't be naive when we have greatness with us, right,
and Lebron he's transcended. He's top two all time as
far as I'm concerned, So we need to appreciate this
for as long as it lasts. Right, these supernovas, these
blue moons, right, it might might not be in your
lifetime that you see a player that literally is on

(58:17):
the top of Mount Olympus when it comes to all
time greatness. So I think he should play as far
as long as possible. I think forty five is not
out of the realm of conversation, specifically because Bryce and
Bron here there, and because of all the health and
fitness stuff he does, and also because it's a pitty
pat too in.

Speaker 2 (58:35):
I noted doubt my mind, he probably wants to play
the forty five. But go ahead, go ahead, buddy.

Speaker 17 (58:41):
I've been noticed as sad when he decided to hang
him up because again, growing up in the Jordan era,
you know what I mean, and then what Jordan, Well,
there was not because Jordan left the ninety eight, then
he came back, and so there wasn't too many years
between those. And obviously Kobe was a bridge. But the
more Lebron, the better hope he stays as long as possible.
But the situation the NBA, right, Caitlin Clark roll over

(59:02):
a million votes, Okay, but she's the ninth best guard,
not ninth best player, ninth best guard given what the players,
what the players are saying, so obviously there's animist there.
There's jealousy, right, it's not what it's not greed, right,
it's it's envy that that brings us down to that
in a number of uh, right, just quantified, but it's
just not helpful for anybody. So I do think at

(59:25):
a certain point we talked about like Bird and Magic
and how it was good for the NBA, and now
you've got Clark and Angel Reese and those rivalries are good.
But overall we're hearing too much about the bickering about
Caitlyn Clark rather than celebrating Kaitlyn Clark.

Speaker 2 (59:41):
And it's distinct never mentioned ninth best guard, which of
course has been the theme tonight's second best on our
own team. Well that's the case. Why do they defensively
game plan for Kitlyn Clark so much more aggressively than
Kelsey Mitchell? Right, Okay, see the hypocrisy.

Speaker 17 (59:55):
He is, she's a generational talent.

Speaker 14 (59:58):
Right.

Speaker 17 (59:58):
We saw this coming from the awesome eighties when Larry
Bird come into the NBA nineteen eighty all right and
was giving people the business from day one, went toe
to toe with Doctor Jay's first year, won a championship
in year two, okay, and there was some pushback because
people weren't used to this tick from French Liqus coming
out here. And he's just as good as anybody else,
if not better.

Speaker 10 (01:00:19):
One three straight MVPs.

Speaker 17 (01:00:20):
My point is David Thurdin didn't allow those you know,
those things to dominate the narrative. We saw magic and
bird and that's what accelerated the NBA into the stratage.
Here Wnba, I'm hearing, I'm hearing too much of the
bickering and the envy and not the celebration and go ahead,
right is that it's different. Michael Jordan was a cultural

(01:00:43):
phenomenon because of the air Jordan's okay, so it was
it was it was what he was doing on the court,
but then also the things that he did off the
court that just lifted him into the stratus. Where so
Caitlyn Clark, it mostly just what she's doing on the court.

Speaker 7 (01:00:55):
You're not buying her shoes.

Speaker 17 (01:00:57):
So it's taking away, exapping some of the energy from
what should be rising. It should be a rising hot
grawl boat. You got other callages. Hot dog contest. We
need some competition for Joey Chestnut. I don't watch the
hot dog contest, Burne. That's not my top of tea.
I want to sit down and I want to enjoy
some good So how they just throw down these hot dogs?
Sixteen seven, it's not for me, but I certainly got

(01:01:17):
to respect Joey Chestnut, you know. And I do tune
in when he has the rivalry to see who want
I don't watch it though. I can't watch him right,
It's just it doesn't do me well. I need to
sit down, I get my costa, my school, your dell,
you know, and I just want to enjoy the food.
So I don't want to do all that stuff.

Speaker 7 (01:01:31):
But you are correct.

Speaker 17 (01:01:32):
It's an American. It's an America. Fourth of July. Somebody
challenged Joey Chestnuts so we can enjoy a hot dog contest. Bernie,
I'm throwed to be with you.

Speaker 14 (01:01:39):
Okay, thanks having.

Speaker 7 (01:01:40):
On the show.

Speaker 2 (01:01:41):
I always appreciate it. Right, nicely done, and Rick, all
these appreciate your thoughts. Am. I what's up man, Bernie?

Speaker 18 (01:01:51):
Fred to hope you had a great Fourth of July?
How are you doing?

Speaker 2 (01:01:54):
I didn't blow any fingers off, so that's good. I
got that going for me.

Speaker 18 (01:01:57):
Yeah, same here all ten fingers?

Speaker 16 (01:01:59):
Are you know?

Speaker 18 (01:02:00):
Accounting for you?

Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
I told you I told you I met Jason Pierre
Paul once. Did I tell you about that? I gave
him a high three? Oh? No, go ahead, you got
the floor.

Speaker 18 (01:02:09):
Hey, and I did see something earlier before I get
into this that Jason Pierre Paul wants to end his
career as a New York Giant, And I feel like
that was ironic coming out, But yeah, for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:02:18):
But all right, so we got Lebron, we got can't
when we got the hot dog getting contest, I'll.

Speaker 18 (01:02:22):
Start with Lebron. My answer has changed on this over
the past few years as I've started to get older
and realize like what people are saying in terms of
their comments. I think Lebron is a great player. What
he does on the court is great and you can't
discount it. But the thing that irks me about Lebron,
and we've had this discussion before on this show, Bernie Frida,
is the stuff that he says. It's very disingenuous, like

(01:02:43):
you were saying, like the whole The thing that made
me a little bit mad this week was when he said, oh,
I'm taking the fifty two million dollars, which on the
one hand, it's like, get your money, but then you
come out and complain that the Lakers can't do anything
and they don't have money, and you don't think that
this roster is capable of winning a chance be and
shit when you could have restructured that deal and taken
less money to help the team out if you truly wanted.

Speaker 14 (01:03:06):
To win with that team.

Speaker 18 (01:03:07):
The thing is the reason why the Lakers are in
this situation. I mean, half of it is Rob dwinkferre
okaying it, but we have to admit that Lebron James
has been the reason why they're giving up these assets.

Speaker 2 (01:03:17):
So the b I got to get to the bottom line.
Are you going to be glad or sad when he
leaves the game? Glad?

Speaker 18 (01:03:23):
And I hate to say it because he's a great player,
but it's just I'm tired of it. I want to
see these new stars like Kay Cunningham, my Anthony Edwards,
like SGA, like Nikoy Jokis, Caitlin Clark. Though jealousy. I mean,
all the callers said it one hundred percent perfectly how
I would say it. I just think it's absolutely crazy
how ninth best guard and she is literally the reason why.

Speaker 7 (01:03:44):
This league is the league that it is.

Speaker 18 (01:03:46):
In today's game, and I know that they've lost the
money and you're talking about their whole financial situation not
being the best, but ninety five thousand votes compared to
one point two million votes is all you need to know.
This woman has brought the sport to a whole other
level and it sucks, Like I understand, like maybe these
players they do have that feeling in the back of
their mind where they're like, Okay, maybe I should have

(01:04:06):
been this player. But you have to give credit to
Caitlin Clark because she has done so much for the
game of basketball as a whole.

Speaker 2 (01:04:12):
For these women, so everybody does better, fellow players.

Speaker 9 (01:04:15):
Uh hot Dog hot Dog Competition.

Speaker 18 (01:04:18):
I don't really watch it, for say, but I do
keep up with it on Twitter and I get to
get the ESBN notifications. I can never eat seventy and
a half hot dog, So I give all the credit
in the world to Joey Chestna. I feel bad for
his toilet after what you're doing is great. I hope
there's some sort of rivalry, some sort of person that
can catch them up. Maybe if they're smart, you got

(01:04:39):
to go to one of these YouTubers. I don't know
if you guys anyone in the back or you know
who Matt Stony or Eric the Electric is. But bringing
a guy in like those guys who are professional eaters
on the internet and see what can happen with that?

Speaker 2 (01:04:49):
All right, buddy, thanks a lot. Em Brice in Texas,
thanks for hanging on. What do you got for us tonight?

Speaker 19 (01:04:58):
Well, also start by saying put in my Patiota Arnie
to not call in the night.

Speaker 14 (01:05:02):
But I guess he.

Speaker 19 (01:05:03):
Deleted that email for the fourth of July weekend. But
as far as the Joey Chessnunt thing, real quick, the
last guy I literally just said what I was about
to say is I don't think that the hot dogg
geting contest is well off its feels, but there is
definitely room for them to go and experiment into like
YouTube or social media to kind of grow it some more.

(01:05:25):
I would say this weekend, I've seen more posts about
Joey Chessnunt than I have baseball or anything else when
it's ports related.

Speaker 2 (01:05:31):
That's the same point. That's an excellent point. Thoughts on
lebron and Caitlyn Clark.

Speaker 19 (01:05:37):
Uh, Kaitlyn Clark, I'm going to sound like the Broken Records,
like they love the noise.

Speaker 6 (01:05:44):
The WNBA loves this noise, and even though it's.

Speaker 2 (01:05:47):
Hiring and the I don't like the rivalry twenty three
million fans vote for her to be in the All
Star Game, and the players every ninth. Tell me why
you think that happened?

Speaker 19 (01:05:57):
The noise, it's it's it's the same they're running the
Linda McMahon Vince McMahon playbook. The more more rivalry, the.

Speaker 2 (01:06:03):
More the top from the commissioner. I'm not arguing with you.
I'm just I mean your theory. I'm not gonna argue
with your theory. It's just I don't think they're that
smart style bolical.

Speaker 20 (01:06:13):
I don't think the commissioner.

Speaker 19 (01:06:14):
I don't think the commissioner is doing it.

Speaker 6 (01:06:15):
But the non.

Speaker 2 (01:06:16):
Action's certainly allowing it, right.

Speaker 19 (01:06:19):
The non action is basically encouraging it. And the agents
that are working with these players are not coming out
and saying anything either, Like, nobody's saying anything about it
except the media in the in the community, which is
what's boosting the NBA or the WNBA right now. So
in my opinion, they slightly love the noise, so they'll
shut up about it because the more noise they have,

(01:06:40):
the more people that are involved.

Speaker 2 (01:06:41):
Like you said, all right, that's an interesting theory. Bryce,
that's a thoughtful theory. I won't dismiss it. I don't
know if I agree, but I won't dismiss it. I
appreciate you Bryce, thanks for checking in, and thanks to
your patience. Todd and Iowa. Are you a first time
or two? The Men That Hour and the Bernie Fottle Show?

Speaker 21 (01:06:58):
First time calling in? Love your show. Thanks for giving
me an opportunity here.

Speaker 2 (01:07:02):
Thanks, thanks for checking in. Don't be a stranger.

Speaker 7 (01:07:05):
Uh As I.

Speaker 21 (01:07:06):
Really I'm thinking the hot dog thing isn't my thing,
but I'm thinking if we combine hot dogs eating and
golf and let the guys take a stroke off every
hot dog, then when they're done eating the hot dog,
they got to go shoot around at golf and see
how well they.

Speaker 2 (01:07:19):
Do with that.

Speaker 21 (01:07:20):
I think that makes it a lot more interesting.

Speaker 2 (01:07:22):
Yeah.

Speaker 21 (01:07:24):
Uh, Caitlyn Clark is a reason why I called from
from I would love Caitlyn Clark, love everything that she
has brought to the game.

Speaker 14 (01:07:32):
Uh.

Speaker 21 (01:07:33):
She's made me interested in women's basketball. You told me
five years ago ifout have cared, i'd have said, your nuts.
But we are through the looking glass on this. I
am invested in what she's doing. I'm interested. I find
it a compelling storyline. He had to call her previously. Alan,
I think he was talking about, don't don't these people
know that they they've got to know what they're what

(01:07:53):
she's bringing to the game, and what she's bringing to
the league.

Speaker 2 (01:07:56):
That therein lies the irony to kill the golden goose
like that repeat. I thought, I actually it was dumb
enough to think that maybe they put it all behind
him last year and the w NBA would transition this year.
It's just as bad, if not worse.

Speaker 21 (01:08:09):
Well, I think I love this call, but I'll disagree
with it. I'm going I'm going to offer that they
don't know and uh, I'm just going to offer the
critical basketball theory. I think this is this is a
political ideological thing that is being brought brought into all
of this, and I think the commissioner is part of
all this, and it's kind of going against the oppressor

(01:08:30):
class and they don't want Caitlin Clark to be the
face of the league. And that's where if you're if
she's ninth best guard in the league, I think everyone
that voted her below number two, uh, should be declared
academically ineligible and not be allowed to play. This is
this is something I don't. I really really think that

(01:08:52):
these people just don't know, They just don't understand. They
think if it weren't for her, one of them would
be that person. And I really think that that's the deal,
and I think they're living in a fantasy land. The
All Star voting is clear. We're spending an hour having
having extended talk about the w NBA back in twenty

(01:09:13):
twenty three. I don't think there's an entire hour on
overnight sports talk radio that was devoted.

Speaker 2 (01:09:17):
No, none of it. None of us did. But this
transcends the league. Are anything else. I just want to
get to all the callers.

Speaker 22 (01:09:22):
Dodd, Yeah, Lebron, James. If you're in the argument for
best player ever with Jordan, I think it's Jordan. But
if you're in the argument, I want you to stick
around as long as long as you can.

Speaker 5 (01:09:34):
That's all I got.

Speaker 18 (01:09:35):
Thank you, Okay, thank.

Speaker 2 (01:09:36):
You, good stuff. Andrew and Bakersfield, welcome in.

Speaker 15 (01:09:38):
Buddy, Hey, Bernie. I always wanted to ask you. Is
Stil Collins from Detroit? I always wondered, why do you
play his version of that song?

Speaker 2 (01:09:50):
Well? I only played Motown and my producer Mark Ramsey
asked if we could add it a couple three years ago,
and I said, sure, it is actually the Motown version
song that was originally recorded by the Supreme, so we
keep it in the loop.

Speaker 15 (01:10:03):
Okay, cool for Lebron non blinking.

Speaker 7 (01:10:09):
Let me go to Kate the.

Speaker 2 (01:10:10):
Bottom line, you'd be sad or glad when he finally
hangs him up. I've seen enough of the guy. If
you click tomorrow, I'll be the best day of my life. Okay,
you'd be sad, fair enough?

Speaker 15 (01:10:20):
Continue on why because he's good.

Speaker 2 (01:10:26):
That's good enough for me. We don't need to overthink this.
Let's get to the Caitlin Clark snub as it were,
I say that in air quotes, and then the Nathan
South dogg getting contest.

Speaker 15 (01:10:36):
Yes, Kaitlin Clark, Okay, I just think of soccer. W
NBA is kind of like a pioneer into progressing women's
sports soccer. Similar you think of lend and Donovan or
Christian Polistic and they're great and you want them on

(01:10:59):
the team. And I'm talking about the fact that Kaitlyn
Clark wasn't on the Olympic team. I just think that
if you have someone who's good, there's no reason not
to promote them because fair enough.

Speaker 2 (01:11:15):
I it just makes too much sense. I get it.
Uh so we got Lebron, we got Caitlin real quickly
on the hot dog getting contest. Does it jump the shark?

Speaker 10 (01:11:25):
What does that come from?

Speaker 15 (01:11:26):
That phrase?

Speaker 2 (01:11:27):
Well, it actually comes from a Happy Days episode when
the fawns was worn a leather jacket and went surfing
and it jumped over a shark. And the bottom line
is it became a metaphor for Okay, after that, Happy
Days became a kind of a dumb show. It just
has it when when when people say that, it means
that okay, you've you've overstayed, You're welcome. Now, I'm not

(01:11:50):
implying that it has. It's just that there's no rivalry anymore.
There's no more role records. It's it's the same spectacle
of year. It's just the same thing every there's nothing new.
That's all. So without overthinking it, I mean, if you
still like it, most people still do. I watched it
just wondered if you thought, you know, it's just completely
lost its luster. Now.

Speaker 15 (01:12:07):
I I was thinking about economically, okay, because I'm thinking
sitting here, like, man, all those hot dogs couldn't someone's
starving and affter you know somewhere eat those. So my
thought is, if you're in a good economy and you're
already giving to people and everyone, then it's like a
celebration and you can have the contest. But like right now,

(01:12:29):
maybe people aren't interested because they're like, what are we
doing here?

Speaker 2 (01:12:32):
All right? That's interesting. I appreciate it. Thanks a lot, Andrew.
This is going to be one of those nights where
we go over time because we got to get to
Tony VG in North Carolina, Mike the Leprechaun, Greg and
Texas Domingo and San Diego. If you dial in before
one am Pacific, you're getting in as long as you're
willing to wait. And I try to move as quick
as I can. Callers do a good job. They have

(01:12:54):
a lot to say, and I just want to make
sure we're not too redundant, and we standpoint. But that's
an interesting seeing angle there by Andrew. Later in the show,
I'm going to share with you some of Joey chestnuts
other exploits, okay, because he owns about seventy five eating records,
I mean, one hundred and forty one hard boiled legs
in eight minutes. What'll I get going on that later

(01:13:15):
we'll have some fun with it, but the midnight hour
will continue. We're gonna get to all of it. As
long as you dial in before one am Pacific, four
am Eastern. I promise we'll get to you. Just be patient,
keep it locked you listen to the Bernie Fraddle Show
Fox Sports Radio. All right, back on the Bernie Frattle Show.
The midnight hour continues. We will be going overtime, so
if I don't get to you before we get to

(01:13:37):
the top of the hour, we will get to you
right after one am Pacific, four am Eastern. Just hanging
in there. I appreciate the patience. Tony and Miami. How
are you, buddy? Hey, Bernie?

Speaker 6 (01:13:48):
Happy for it.

Speaker 12 (01:13:48):
Let's try to fit these calls in, like Kobyashi before
four am.

Speaker 6 (01:13:52):
I'm going to make this record setting.

Speaker 12 (01:13:55):
I have nothing on anything else except you want to
know if I'll be happy or sad when number twenty
three or thirty two or whatever his number is, you know,
takes his crown off at Burger King. I am actually
going to have a gathering and it's gonna be it's

(01:14:18):
gonna be sponsored by Nugenics and if We're gonna call
it the conclusion. We're all gonna get drunk on white Claw.
We're all gonna get drunk on white Claw, and it's
gonna bee hundred dollars white Claw in all of the
proceeds are gonna go to Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.

Speaker 6 (01:14:37):
It'll be great.

Speaker 12 (01:14:38):
Oh seriously, though, in wrapping it up, he should absolutely
take it as an honor for anyone over the age
of I would say fifty who actually saw a magic
bird Isaiah, and obviously the greats before that. If he
if he is mentioned in the top ten, you take

(01:15:00):
that as an absolute honor. I'm in my early forties.
I did not get to see you know, magic Isaiah.
I mean the majority the context of it, watching them
not necessarily live but on TV. And you know the
guys that did see I definitely.

Speaker 6 (01:15:18):
I mean I have him. I have him where I
have him ranked.

Speaker 12 (01:15:20):
If five A, five B, I saw four better players
that walked up that hill, didn't take the helicopter and cheat.
We all see it as it is.

Speaker 6 (01:15:29):
And to the other callers before or you.

Speaker 12 (01:15:32):
Know, there's a couple that said he is a family men.

Speaker 6 (01:15:35):
We don't know who he is so.

Speaker 21 (01:15:36):
Please stop that.

Speaker 12 (01:15:37):
We don't know what any of these people are, especially now.
So for what he did, he is a competitor, he
is a champion. I'm not gonna take.

Speaker 6 (01:15:47):
That away from him.

Speaker 12 (01:15:47):
I do not hate him, but yeah, we're we're gonna
move on.

Speaker 6 (01:15:52):
And I know you got the other callers. Let's try
to fit it in and switch some water down. Burn.
I love your happy force and enjoy the rest of
the weekend.

Speaker 2 (01:16:00):
Thanks John. I mean you're just being You're being honest. Okay,
he just doesn't resonate with you. There's an old sin.
You can buy dance lessons, but you can't buy rhythm.
The other players you mentioned, Bird Magic, Jordan or t Kolbe.
Those guys had a panache about them that Lebron just
wishes he had. And I think that's where I kind
of fall short with him. VJ in North Carolina. Thank

(01:16:22):
you for your patience, Welcome in.

Speaker 23 (01:16:25):
Thank you, Thank you, Bade for taking my call. First,
I want to get to Lebron.

Speaker 14 (01:16:30):
Lebron.

Speaker 23 (01:16:32):
I'm going to be sad when when he's gone. He's
the greatest player of our generation. I don't think people
really understand that when he's gone, he's gone, and it's
going to be a void there with that. Like he
like I said, he's the greatest player of our generations,
I don't he is what it is. Okay, when it
comes to Caitlin Clark, I'm going to be a contrarian

(01:16:52):
to the rest of the callers. The players rate they're knife.
Let's be honest. She has not been this good this year.
She leaves the league in turnovers, She her numbers across
the board have been down. She's not the best player
on her team. She's not the second best player on
the team. That would go to Leah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell. Like,

(01:17:13):
I need the rest of America to start being honest
about Caitlyn Clark. She just has not been that good
this year. So I think the players are being absolutely honest.

Speaker 2 (01:17:23):
Would it be fair though, to surmise VJ that she
set so many records for rookie year that there's a
natural slight drop off. Yeah, he's been hurt with groin injury,
and of all the all the flavorant finals committed in
the league, twenty percent against her. So I don't think
it's a level playing field. Your point is respected, I

(01:17:46):
got you, but I don't agree with it, continue on.

Speaker 23 (01:17:49):
And I'll get the Joey chests. Night I watched the Hoddle.
I enjoyed it. Joey's to go and I enjoyed him
taking down everyone. I still enjoy a hot dog getting contests.

Speaker 2 (01:18:01):
Hey, listen, I appreciate your call. Thank you for your
patience and hanging on, and don't be a stranger, okay,
because I appreciate your candor and you backed up your
opinion with relevant specifics. She has Caitlin Clark has not
been as good this year. She hasn't, but maybe because
we're it's juxtaposed against the rookie season that was off
the charts after people like Geno Orima said you would

(01:18:25):
even basically make it in the league, and so many
others said that. At least I think Geno Oremy has
said something similar to that, And so there's just this
dichotomy where the fans want to see her, but the
players have kind of kind of got in for Yeah,
she has lined a lot of turnovers, can't that's undeniable.
Stevie Wonder can see that. But that's like saying, you know,

(01:18:45):
Reggie Jackson's not that good because he struck out too much.
I'd rather focus on the home runs in the strakeouts,
but the callers are just fair. That was a really
good call. Okay, you opened it up by saying I'm
going to be a concernon That's what we want though,
also because the most boring conversations are when everybody agrees

(01:19:05):
and not everybody has to agree. And again VJ was inbolviating.
He was basically giving a thoughtful opinion and he justified
it with specific and he did to say one thing
that's true. When Lebron's gone, there will be a void.
There will actually be a void. Now we'll see you
believe me. Great players have retired and the league goes on.

(01:19:27):
And I never get into the Jordan versus Lebron argument.
I think you have to recuse yourself if you haven't
seen him both play courtside I have. All I would
say is if my life is on the line, then
I needed to win one game. It would be Jordan,
not Lebron, Mike the Leprechaun, Greg and Texas Domingo and
San Diego, Jeff and Denver, Rick and Louisiana. You all
got in under the bell. We're gonna take your calls
coming over the top of the hour, So hold those thoughts.

(01:19:49):
I appreciate your patience, and I appreciate all the calls tonight.
We don't have to agree. We don't have to agree.
It just gets you fluffy if we all agree. So
keep it up, keep up the great work, keep it locked.
Because you're listening to the Bernie Frattle Show on Fox
Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (01:20:06):
Don't listen, Hey, no, Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:20:13):
That's straight. You heard the man. Bernie Frattle Show keeps
rolling right along, and so does the midnight Hour continuing
on from the Fox Sports Radio studios here in Las
Vegas for going overtime. We have five callers to get to.
They have been patient, so let's get to these. We
begin with Mike the Leprechaun. Mike, welcome in.

Speaker 20 (01:20:35):
Hi.

Speaker 7 (01:20:35):
I'm in an elevator right now.

Speaker 20 (01:20:36):
Hold, but I'm up to mind. I'm in LA right now.

Speaker 2 (01:20:39):
Actually, let's get to the point, my friend, because I
got other callers on the line, so we have three tops.

Speaker 7 (01:20:45):
So I'm gonna say, I'm pretty sad about the people
in Texas.

Speaker 10 (01:20:50):
But anyway, that's very side.

Speaker 7 (01:20:52):
So chilly chessa he is of that, Jenny.

Speaker 10 (01:20:55):
I think He's on.

Speaker 7 (01:20:56):
Seventeen in a row, which is amazing. Oh, thank god
if the elevator I'm in La right now. But so
Joey Chaws is a Jaws is amazing. And also, don't
forget the lady.

Speaker 2 (01:21:11):
She has eleven time Mickey Pseudo. So so the bottom
line is you like it, and it hasn't I'm not wrong.
It hasn't lost its luster. The hot talk contest is
still No.

Speaker 9 (01:21:20):
It's brilliant. American needs more fun these days.

Speaker 2 (01:21:24):
Thank got it. That's a fair take, all right, how
do you feel about Lebron, Caitlin Clark? Lebron is near
to the end.

Speaker 9 (01:21:30):
Yes, no, yes, do you know what he should do?

Speaker 7 (01:21:34):
Well?

Speaker 10 (01:21:34):
He should watch his ego.

Speaker 20 (01:21:36):
A little bit.

Speaker 7 (01:21:37):
He should do at least one more year.

Speaker 10 (01:21:38):
He should come to Boston.

Speaker 9 (01:21:39):
Boston could use them for.

Speaker 7 (01:21:41):
One year like Shaquille and Leo.

Speaker 9 (01:21:43):
My god, he would be very popular in Boston.

Speaker 10 (01:21:46):
I give you that.

Speaker 9 (01:21:47):
And yeah, is that fair enough?

Speaker 20 (01:21:50):
He should go to box them and then Kate and.

Speaker 10 (01:21:53):
Kate and talks.

Speaker 17 (01:21:54):
She is injured, she's not oprated.

Speaker 9 (01:21:58):
Cage Bucker's will be better, I think in time.

Speaker 20 (01:22:00):
But she's having the saphomore Trump that.

Speaker 2 (01:22:04):
Might be a fair point. Thank you, Leprechaun. There's something
to be said for that which we haven't really got to,
but didn't really answer the question as to why he
thinks the league would only have her as a ninth
best guard when they sure guard are different than someone
who's only to be the ninth best guard. But good
Thanks for checking in, Greg and Texas. Thanks for your patience.
Welcome in.

Speaker 20 (01:22:24):
What's going on?

Speaker 14 (01:22:24):
Man?

Speaker 20 (01:22:25):
Okay, let's go to the So we got the first one,
which is grown. I'll be sad when he retires because
seeing a guy his age do things he's done is
truly remarkable, and then setting the bar for the flops
that's never going to be broken. And most of all,

(01:22:45):
I'll be happy because Jerry Jones will once again be
the worst general manager of all the sports. So that's
where I'm at with that. With Kitin Clark, I think
it goes deeper. Although the gentleman that called in really
stay in the facts that she's not having a good season.
That's truly valid. So I can't really bat on the

(01:23:08):
people at all. But what I can say is perhaps
the w NBA needs a code of ethics and make
these people more professional or maybe perhaps post their boats.
So I'll leave it at that.

Speaker 2 (01:23:26):
Are you there, I'm here, I'm listening.

Speaker 20 (01:23:28):
All right, okay, And then to the hot dog eating contest.
I think if they the old thing I can think
of they can do is expand it to where you
have hot dogs, tacos, hamburgers, and at the n have
just you know, a megathon of settle lamb just a.

Speaker 2 (01:23:45):
Little bit, and that's been suggested. Thanks a lot. Look,
the only problem is sponsored by Nathan's. And a little
later in the show, we'll have a little fun segment
where I'll get to some of Joey Chestnuts eating eating records. Okay,
I mean one hundred and three white castles and eight
minut it's those little Hostess donuts. Two hundred and fifty
seven up in six minutes. All right, we know it's

(01:24:06):
hot dog record seventy six in ten minutes. I don't
think you'll ever break it. I just don't.

Speaker 20 (01:24:11):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:24:12):
Domingo and San Diego, Welcome into the Bernie Fradlesield. This
is your first time calling.

Speaker 19 (01:24:17):
Oh no, this doesn't like my fourth time calling.

Speaker 5 (01:24:19):
I'm not that.

Speaker 2 (01:24:19):
Smart, Domingo. I'm sorry, buddy, I got a fool man,
go ahead.

Speaker 7 (01:24:22):
It's cool man. F'm the mingo in San Diego.

Speaker 24 (01:24:25):
Hey, I do want to chime in about the hot
dogg eyeing the contact and Lebron James and Kiln Clark.

Speaker 10 (01:24:31):
Okay, I don't know.

Speaker 7 (01:24:32):
I'm thirty three or four years old.

Speaker 24 (01:24:34):
I've seen Lebron James and ever since he went in
high school. I've seen Joey Test that ever since I
was like in high school. Also, I've seen these guys dominate.
I'd be so sad when me both of these guys
actually decided to finish and their careers, even Joey Test
and Lebron James, I don't know.

Speaker 18 (01:24:51):
I seen.

Speaker 24 (01:24:52):
I've seen the Lebron dominating high school win championship.

Speaker 7 (01:24:56):
If you went to college, I think he would have.
He would have went to Ohio.

Speaker 19 (01:24:59):
State Chestnut when he won.

Speaker 24 (01:25:03):
He's like a seventeen time I don't know what the
record is, seventeen times a hot dog eating Nathan hot
dog eating contest winner. He'll holds other record. He'd beat
Kobe Yashi, he'd beat mat Stony, Lebron James beat who
Paul Pierce, He'd beat Dwight Howard. So I don't know,
greatness is right there, at least for Kaitlin Clark. I

(01:25:25):
think we have to be Patrie Rapper.

Speaker 9 (01:25:27):
I don't think he's up.

Speaker 24 (01:25:28):
To the greatness as Lebron James or or Chowy Chestnut,
but maybe she will. I think we just have to
be patient right now, that's my call for tonight.

Speaker 2 (01:25:38):
All right, excellent de Mano and he bring up a
couple of good points. It's undeniable, Frank Sinatra said, at
best for something to be said for longevity, Lebron's been
in the league. His rookie year was oh three h four.
Twenty years later, twenty two years later, twenty is twenty
third year, he's still competing and putting up good numbers.
Longevity is something that's revered, I believe, saying with Joey Chestmutt.

(01:26:02):
So that's that's really an excellent thing. That's one of
the midnight hour callers are so good. You get these
different angles, and I think that when they've been such
a fixture for so long, I guess it doesn't surprise
me that so many people will be sad when Lebron leaves.

Speaker 20 (01:26:15):
Now.

Speaker 2 (01:26:15):
I know there are other factions who feel differently, but
we're dealing with the callers on our show tonight, Jeff
in Denver. You are up next. Welcome into the Bernie Frash.

Speaker 10 (01:26:24):
Hey, Bernie. First off, I just want to give you props.
One of the greatest shows, open minded, knowledgeable, and just
everything in general.

Speaker 6 (01:26:33):
One of the greatest show.

Speaker 2 (01:26:35):
We didn't lose you, did we No, I'm here.

Speaker 14 (01:26:37):
Can you hear me?

Speaker 2 (01:26:38):
I can hear you? Just fine, All of a sudden,
it just it just stopped. And you can go on
as long as you like with your oratory. No, go ahead.

Speaker 10 (01:26:46):
Oh, you're the greatest show ever. You're just so knowledgeable,
open minded. You take everything you spin it roll and
get a great show to listen to.

Speaker 2 (01:26:54):
First of all, appreciate that very much. All right, start
with any of these three times topics, going anywhere you want.

Speaker 10 (01:27:02):
Oh, the Lebron thing, I'd be so happy for him
to go. I just have never I mean, he's put
up great numbers, good player, but he's a me player.

Speaker 14 (01:27:12):
M e.

Speaker 5 (01:27:13):
He's a me player.

Speaker 14 (01:27:14):
He's never been a team player.

Speaker 10 (01:27:16):
The best player in the league. I'm I'm in Denver,
so yes watching Nicolekic. I named my dog after Joker.
That guy is the best player.

Speaker 5 (01:27:26):
In the league.

Speaker 10 (01:27:26):
I think because he's a team player.

Speaker 2 (01:27:29):
Lebron is a me player. He's got a real panache
about him too. Jokchez he's got that ry sense of
humor and he's kind of got this earthy common sense.
He didn't care about a trade. He wanted to get
back to his home country, right that. He's just there's
a real authenticity about Jokic too. But go ahead, oh.

Speaker 10 (01:27:46):
When they too, when they changed the when they fired Maloney,
He's like, it's a job. I'm just really good at
my job.

Speaker 7 (01:27:53):
That's all it is.

Speaker 10 (01:27:54):
So that in respect to Lebron, yeah, he's put up
great numbers, but he just I've watched him take place
off on defense.

Speaker 6 (01:28:03):
This does not play defense.

Speaker 10 (01:28:04):
So I'll be glad to see him going. Kaitlyn Clark,
the best way I can describe Kitlyn Clark is the
glass slipper of Sendorola. The w NBA should be happy
that she found the glass slipper. And every team, even
in the NFL, when somebody has a good year, they

(01:28:25):
uh program their defense or they fok focus on that player.
So of course her numbers are down this year because
everybody's going to focus on her and that's why her
numbers are down.

Speaker 6 (01:28:39):
Do you agree with that?

Speaker 2 (01:28:41):
Sure, they've made adjustments since she's not healthy. She still
has some big games. She's still a walking highlight reel.

Speaker 10 (01:28:48):
Right, she's the glass.

Speaker 2 (01:28:50):
People want to watch her play and she's a.

Speaker 14 (01:28:53):
Would you do you like the the.

Speaker 10 (01:28:56):
Comparison to the glass slipper?

Speaker 2 (01:28:59):
Yeah? I think you're right. And I thought you were
about to say strike midnight if they don't knock this off,
because I think a lot of people have had about
enough of it. We get it. You don't like her, okay,
but what she's done for the league? Go, okay, you
got the last word.

Speaker 10 (01:29:12):
Oh yeah, she's the reason the league has expand that
she's the reason the league is going to be going
to expand. Without her, they wouldn't have any coverage.

Speaker 14 (01:29:23):
Yeah, well we did that to.

Speaker 2 (01:29:25):
Oh the hot dog eating contest.

Speaker 10 (01:29:27):
Oh respect greatness. I mean I could not fathom.

Speaker 14 (01:29:31):
I don't even.

Speaker 10 (01:29:32):
Understand how one person could eat that much. I mean,
it's greatness. It's it's just greatness. If put him on showing,
I mean, if one person can do that and no
one else can do it, then respect me. It's just greatness.
I couldn't fathom eating how many.

Speaker 2 (01:29:49):
Hot dogs not in ten minutes? Jeff, don't be a stranger.
I appreciate you, Car, I appreciate you listening to the show.
Thanks for your nice comments. Uh, Rick in Louisia always interesting.
You are bringing us home tonight. Rick, you'll be the
final word on all these matters.

Speaker 14 (01:30:06):
All right, and thanks, thanks, Bernie, and I hope you're
doing all right, sir.

Speaker 2 (01:30:12):
Alrighty.

Speaker 14 (01:30:14):
Starting with the hot dog eating, I'm just more power
to him if he can just gobble them down like that.
But I think that if he go like you said
he has done the egg eating contest, that could really
work to advantage because one thing about it, if he

(01:30:34):
gets back in there he can you know, he'll have
gas to sail. Price of gas goes up. We just
called him. Hey, man, we need you to any.

Speaker 2 (01:30:45):
Rate the comedic stylings of Rick and Louisiana opening up
for Shecky Greed and the Catskills this week Saturday. Don't
forget to try to semi bonelet spaghetti and tip those
waiters and waitresses. Hey, no tax on tips up to
twenty five thou hell yeah, let's oh, I'm sorry.

Speaker 14 (01:31:01):
Rick got the floor that's all right, that's all right.
The next one, what I think Kayln Claude should consider
is retirement and then have everybody begged her back. Not
any intentions of staying out, but stay out for a
while so they can miss her, because sometimes people got

(01:31:23):
to miss you and then realize, well, we made a mistake,
we shouldn't have been so blah blah blah. You know,
so retiring come back back. My suggestion.

Speaker 2 (01:31:33):
That one it's fun Lebron. Will you be sad or
glad when he's played his last game? Did you see
the tears crocodile to your head?

Speaker 14 (01:31:45):
I will be sad. I'm gonna be sad because for
the last twenty years during basketball season, it's always about him,
whether he's on the bench, whether he makes whether he
wins the championship, whether he loses the championship when he

(01:32:05):
was going to it. It's always about what he didn't
do as opposed to what he did. So you know,
here we have right now, Okay c has won a championship,
but we ain't really hear nothing about them or Shay Alexander.
But what I am looking forward to, based on some
rumors I'm here, I would like to see him go

(01:32:29):
to New York or Houston. That would be interesting. But
you know, if he goes to New York, his retirement
may be sooner them, we think, because New York ain't
gonna put up with it. He's losing if he's on
the team. So you might want to encourage that, Hey,
go to New York.

Speaker 9 (01:32:50):
We'd like to see Lebron in New York's and she say, you.

Speaker 2 (01:32:53):
Want to see him? Know what's funny about that, Rick,
He's had a alliance with New yorksince twenty ten. He
visited with the Knicks before he had his press conference
about taking his talents to Miami. And there was always
a thought that Lebron would like to play in New York.
And you know, they could actually trade Carl. I think
they could trade Karl Anthony Towns straight off for Lebron
and the salaries would match. Do I think that's gonna happen?

(01:33:15):
I did sick at the end of the day. No,
but you raise an intriguing point. Anything else, Rick, No,
that's it all right, buddy, appreciate your patience and hanging on.
I want to thank all the callers. We had some
new ones tonight, Jeff and VJ and Todd and Iowa
and a lot of the great regulars. This was interesting
tonight because my read was wrong. I think the advanced

(01:33:37):
majority of the folks tonight will be a little sad
when lebron leafs. They're looking at a little bit more pragmatically.
And that's fair. And we didn't always agree, and that's
okay too. But I really appreciate the folks who take
the time dial in and wait on hold. You are
the ones who deserve all the credit for the popularity

(01:33:57):
of the midnight hour. By the way, shortly after the show, Oh,
our podcast will be going up. If you missed any
of tonight' show'll be sure to check out the podcast.
Just search Fox Sports Radio wherever you get your podcasts,
and be sure to follow and review the podcast or
rated five stars. Again, just search Fox Sports Radio wherever
you get your podcasts. You'll see tonight show posted right
after we get off the air. Coming up, final thought

(01:34:21):
on NBA Free agency, because it was really active this week.
I think there were four teams I'll put in the
winter category and three teams I'm going to put in
the loser category, and I'll nail them all with bullet
points and relevant specifics. I'm Bernie Fraddleworck Comedy live from
the Las Vegas Fox Sports Radio Studios. Don't go away.
You are listening to the Bernie Fraddle Show on Fox
Sports Radio.

Speaker 3 (01:34:42):
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 2 (01:34:54):
All right back on the Bernie Fraddle Show, Fox Sports Radio.
Come to you live from the Fix Sports Radio studios
here in Las Vegas. Take up to three m Pacific,
six am Eastern, and I want to remind you for
the best pregame show every week, and be sure to
tune into Fox Sports Radio's Countdown presented by BETMGM, every
Saturday and Sunday morning from nine am to do an
Eastern six to nine am Pacific. We will count you

(01:35:17):
down to all the biggest games. Tune into Countdown presented
by BETMGM every Saturday and Sunday morning right here on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart Radio app. All right.
Putting a cap around NBA Free agency because it was
very active. There were because of the movement, there have
been various changes in championship odds, and so let's break

(01:35:40):
it down. These are the four winners. Denver is a
clear winner. Their championship odds went from seventeen to one
to eight to one to win the title. And when
you look at their war room, they got it done.
First they trade Michael Porter Junior for Cam Johnson. Now
those two players have a similar profile their wings scorers
and high volume three point shooters. But the last couple
of years, Porter Junior has had a difficult shooting twenty

(01:36:03):
five percent from behind the arc, couldn't throw a pee
in the ocean, had a rough series against the Thunder.
Johnson is on a much cheaper contract, and that was
able to you know, that enabled the Nuggets to clear
up cap room to sign other impact players, including Bruce Brown,
who helped the Nuggets win the championship in twenty twenty
three alongside Jokic. By the way, Denver also signed Tim

(01:36:26):
Hardaway Junior. He shoots about thirty six percent from behind
the arc for the Pistons last year. And the Nuggets
also got Jonas Valanciunis, who's a backup center. But what
he's going to do is take a little bit of
pressure off of Nikole Jokic when he's not on the floor,
you know Denver can maintain a little bit better. So

(01:36:49):
give Denver a huge A plus. He addressed all their
areas of concern by a surrounding Yokick with shooters and
adding depth and giving him a reliable backup center. Now
I realize they're not the favorite to win it, but
they closed the gap with the thunder and the Nuggets
are very very real next year, And since no one
repeats in the nba'd be interesting to see the Atlanta Hawks.

(01:37:11):
We haven't talked much about them. They went from twenty
five to one to nine to one to win the East.
Remember Jalen Johnson, He's a guy who wants to average
nineteen points, ten rebounds, five assists and was on his
way to make an All Star team, but he only
played thirty six games because he had a terrible injury. Okay,
now his return should really boost the hawks chances. The

(01:37:33):
East is declining, it appears to be declining for the reasons.
You already know. You got Trey Young, he had a
ker high and assists last season. Dyson Daniels almost improved
player winner, and you had the number one or the
first overall pick Zachary Reshia say they're all returning with
more experience. By the way, Atlanta was also active in

(01:37:54):
the offseason. They traded for Christaph Parsingis. They signed the
kail Alexander Walker. He's a very good backcourt partner for
Trey Young, an excellent ballhander, a tenacious defender. Now you've
got rent protection for Zingis Alexander Walker. Will you know
swarm opposing guards? Atlanta has should have one of the
best defenses in the NBA next year. After ranking in

(01:38:16):
the bottom half. The Bucks, well, they actually improved a
little bit. They went from seventy five to one to
win the title to fifty to one to win the title,
twenty five to one to twenty to one to win
the East. Somehow they managed to get Miles Turner away
from Indiana, so no more Damian Lillard. I think Miles

(01:38:38):
Turner is a big upgrade over Brook Lopez, and he
will pair well with Jannis, who obviously is their best player,
a stretch bag who can also protect the rim. But
the Bucks long term outlook might be a little bleak,
but at least for next year, it's just kind of
a short term play. The Bucks thought they would entice

(01:38:58):
Giannistry manage a but you just don't know. He's still
mulling his future. So if at backfires, maybe maybe Milwaukee's
not in the winter category. Maybe they're in the loser category.
But I still think you saw how good Miles Turner
was in the NBA Finals and during the playoffs with
the with the Indiana Pacers, so that can only help

(01:39:21):
the Bucks and help you, honis the Rockets look out.
They went from eighteen to one to eight to one
to win the title, and they're legit. They are super athletic.
They got off the schneid before the free agency even started.
On the same day of the game seven of the finals,
what two Sundays ago, the Suns traded Kevin Durant to

(01:39:42):
the Rockets, and that's what basically abade. The odds shortened
from eight to eighteen to one to eight to one.
I think Durant is motivated to win one more title.
He wasn't great in Phoenix, and I don't know what
he's an enigma. He's a misunderstood guy, but he's incredibly talented.
You saw what he did in the Olympic and you
saw what he did with them with the Golden State Warriors.

(01:40:03):
But it wasn't just Kevin Durant that the Rockets acquired.
They didn't stop there because when free agency opened up,
they wasted no time getting Dorian Finney Smith from the Lakers,
who's a great three and d forward shot forty one
percent from behind the arc last year. Then Houston also
pegged Clint Capella, who's better than DeAndre Aiden. And I'm

(01:40:25):
convinced that the Lakers would have much rather had Clint
Capella than DeAndre Aiden. And all of a sudden, you
got this monster front court featuring alt parents singing and
Steven Adams Houston. This is a team that wanted to
be wanted to commit to size, and they did. This
is Ema Udoka. This is his stock in trade. He

(01:40:47):
utilizes big lineups. He's got two big lineups that will
grab offensive rebounds. And what does that do? That creates
extra possessions and that puts pressure on your competition. The
Rockets tied now for the second best overall odds to
win the West at plus five hundred, which is basically
five to one, and third best to win the title
at plus eight fifty, which is eight and a half
to one. So they're just right there neck and neck,

(01:41:09):
basically neck and neck with the Thunder and the Nuggets
the losers. I don't know, man, I mean we'll talk,
you know, in about thirty minutes. We've got Jeff Austin
coming up from Boston. The Celtics went from eighteen to
one to twenty eight to one to win the title.
You know, Mark Medina was right. They didn't strip all

(01:41:31):
the way to the studs because you still got Jalen Brown.
But they really stripped down. They've essentially punted on next
season because you got Jason Tatum rehabbing on then Achilles,
and with Jalen Brown and Derek White still in Boston
and Tatum's injury in the Celtics exorbited payroll, well guess what.
They no longer have Drew Holliday, Christaps persingas al Over

(01:41:52):
and Luke Cornett. Without Tatum, the Celtics have no chance
in the championship. Let's just speak true, okay, Especially the
rest of the East will take advantage of Boston's misfortune
because some of them are going all in. The Celtics
st have the six best outs to win the East,
just ahead of the Pistons, but that might be gaming

(01:42:12):
Boston too much credit. All right. Now, when Tatum returns
for the twenty six to twenty seven season, then they'll
be well positioned to build around that trio of Tatum,
Brown and White. Until then, you cannot say that Boston
is a contender. They were contender this last year. They
got beat by a hungry your team, and they won

(01:42:34):
it all the year before. So if Boston regressed, yes
they have, this next year will be a mulligan for
the Celtics. I'd begrudgingly say this, but I think the
Pacers took a step back too, and they went from
fifteen to one to twenty five to one to win
the East. All right, and I'll give them top credit.

(01:42:58):
Rick Carlisle almost pulled it off. Will never know what
would have happened if Tyree Saliburton hadn't gotten hurt in
Game seven. It's a what if rumination. They were literally
twenty four minutes away from the first NBA championship, and
now they dropped to the ninth ben stops to win
the conference the following season. Well, let's add it up.
It all began win Tyree Saliburton tore his achilles in

(01:43:19):
the opening quarter of Game seven. So if you think
the Pacers are anywhere near as formidable next year as
they were this year, because they're not going to have
Tyres Halliburton. No even last year's run was considered improbable
and inspiring. No one expected them to do it, but
they earned it. They were legitimate. They were that good.

(01:43:40):
All right, Halliburton is gone next season because of injury.
They have no chance without their best player and a
point guard. And Tyler Halliburtons is a really good point guard.
You might not get enough credit for what a good
feel generally is. He dictates pace, he dictates style, he
distributes the ball, can shoot, he can pass. You know,

(01:44:03):
I've said this a thousand times on the air. Isaiah
Thomas once told me he thought point guard was the
most important position in all of sports. Why well, because
one man with the ball in his hand could dictate
the movements of nine other people. And Tyree Saliburton did that.
Then the Pacers lose Miles Turner and free agency. They

(01:44:24):
not only lose them, they lose them to a bitter
rival in Milwaukee. Miles Turner spent his entire ten year
career in Indiana. It was a huge part of their
playoff rount He's part of the heart and soul. Now
Indiana has no center that creates an even more difficult
path to win the title. As you know, there aren't
any starting centers on the market that I can see

(01:44:44):
that would step in and replace Miles Turner. So without
two key starters, I think the Pacers are in for
a mulligan against again next year. Right, They've had a
terrible ten days.

Speaker 14 (01:44:56):
You know.

Speaker 2 (01:44:56):
First, first, you know Tyre's Caliburton are terrible. Two weeks,
Haliburton tears his achilles, and then of course they lose
Miles Turner finally, and not to beat a dead horse,
which I am. The Lakers only dropped from eight to
one to eight and a half to one to win
the West. But I just cannot see it. I think

(01:45:18):
the gap between when you already saw the gap between
the Lakers and Minnesota and saw the gap between Minnesota
and OKAC. Come on, man, and I'm gonna repeat what
I said earlier, Okay, JJ Reddick had such little trust
in his bench that he went the entire second half
of a playoff game without a single substitution. For the

(01:45:38):
first time in NBA history, Rob Polenka the Lakers' front office, well,
some expected him to immediately try to add some meaningful pieces.
Maybe they tried, but here's what happened instead. Dorian Finney Smith,
one of the five players JJ Reddick actually trusted, departed

(01:45:59):
for the right. The Lakers replaced him with Jake Lareva,
who's a serviceable player who contribute, but a big downgrade
from Finney Smith. The Lakers also desperately need a centertor
pair with Luka Doncic. You know how I feel about
DeAndre eight. He was one of the few remaining options
because the center market dried up. But why was he available?

(01:46:20):
Because his attitude net for concerns are well documented. They
say he has talent, but then feel free to show it.
Because when you miss one hundred and four games in
four years, and now everybody talks about fourteen and ten,
fourteen and ten, those are Jogi barristats man meaningless. And
that's what I believe, because they don't lead to success.
In the w column and I chronicle this earlier. Kareem

(01:46:43):
Abdul Jabbar after the year of forty, after the age
of forty, played three more seasons, missed eleven games in
three years. DeAndre Eighton has missed one hundred and four
games in four years. Jabbar played seventy eight games at
the age of forty He played any games at the
age of of forty one eight And Okay, I'm basically

(01:47:06):
repeating myself and basically at the point of stuttering. Now
if he gets on the floor, it makes a liar
about me. Fine, I'll eat it.

Speaker 10 (01:47:16):
What do I care.

Speaker 2 (01:47:17):
We're just doing sports talk radio here. We're not trying
to solve the world's problems. But here there's a deeper
There's a deeper aspect to this that I think has
been neatly ignored because the Lakers are an iconic franchise.
I believe they are the most iconic franchise in the
entire NBA. Boston fans might not like carrying that, but
they are. And they've had many distinct eras defined by

(01:47:42):
key players, defined by coaching styles, defined by championship runs.
Starting seventy five years ago in Minnesota, all right, they
actually won five championships with George Mike and the big
seven foot center to war Glasses. Then in nineteen fifty
eight they moved to Los Angeles and the Lake are
actually nineteen sixty and that you know was part of

(01:48:04):
the Jerry West, Gil Goodrich you know era, and they
made the NBA Finals six times in the sixties, often
facing the Celtics, but they couldn't secure a title. Jumped
to the seventy one seventy two season. They set a
record for the longest winning streak thirty three games in
a row, and a championship with the aforementioned Jerry West
and Will Chamberlain and Gail Goodrich. That era was a

(01:48:28):
very successful era. You can't win every year. Then the
Showtime Era began nineteen seventy nine. I'll never forget. Today
it was announced that Jerry Buss bought the team from
Jack King. Cook bought the Lakers the Kings in the
Forum for sixty seven million dollars. His family just sold
it for ten billion. I don't know if they sold
the Kings in the Forum, and they're not in the
Forum anymore. You would get the point. The arrival of

(01:48:50):
Magic Johnson and to put the coaching style of Pat
O'Reilly ushered in what was known as his Showtime era.
He had to see it to believe it. High octane,
fast paced style of play. Magic nine NBA appearances in
twelve years and five championships. That was an incredible era.
Now that they had a bit of a wall for

(01:49:10):
four or five years, and then the Shaq and Kobe
era began. In ninety six, the Lakers completely revitalized their
franchise thanks to Jerry West. They acquired Shaquille O'Neil Kobe Bryant.
They draft him as a seventeen year old, actually they
did and Charlotte drafted him, but they acquired him. That
duel along with coach Jackson. Phil Jackson led the Lakers
to three consecutive championships from two thousand and two thousand

(01:49:33):
and two. Shaq left and the Kobe Bryan era started
in twenty oh four. Kobe led the Lakers winning two
more championships in nine and o ten with the help
of pau Gassault. And then after twenty eighteen, I'm calling
it the clown era. The arrival of Lebron James marked
a new chapter. Yes, they won a championship in the
Bubble in twenty twenty, and you can't take it away

(01:49:54):
from and you have to say it's legit because they
were doing the same thing everybody else was. I'll draw
the Parrots comparison. Again, Roger Maris said an asterisk when
he had sixty one home runs beat baby with sixty
because he got to do it in one hundred and
sixty two games versus one hundred and fifty four. That
doesn't diminish the accomplishment. All it does is make a

(01:50:16):
notation that there was a distinction. There's a difference. So
the Lakers are in the bubble. I call it the
Hotel California. You could leave anytime you want, you could
check anytime you want. You can never leave check whatever.
Because it was goofy and I get you know, there
was terrible conditions and all that. I don't know about
all that, but it was weird. It was out of

(01:50:37):
the ordinary. But here's the kicker. The Lakers benefited tremendously.
They're weary bones from not having to play a game
for four months and not having to travel once during
the playoffs. I will never back off of that. Yes,
other teams got rest too, but not all rest is
created equally. In the other seven years Lebron's been around.
Five of the seven they either didn't make the playoffs

(01:51:00):
that got knocked out in the first round. So one
year they went it, and then they had a nice
run to the NBA Finals a couple years ago and
got swept by Denver. So this era is about to
come to an end. In the free agency, I don't
feel the Lakers did a whole hell of a lot
to really help themselves, and I just feel that this
is going to be a odd, unique year, and I

(01:51:24):
think Lebron is unhappy. For the first time in his
twenty three years, he's not the guy Luca is. They're
going to build around him, and for the first time
in his twenty three years, he's going to work on
an expiring contract that has never happened coming up, all right,
I've talked about this throughout the show, and during the
midnight hour, I was appreciative that fans really still get

(01:51:47):
a kick out of the hot dog eating contest, and
so why I just wondered if it's lost its luster.
There's no more Kobayashi, there's no more rivalry. Joy Chestnut
missed the year Patrick Pertoletti fifty eight hot dogs. Chest
Nut ened at seventy seventy and a half, his record
seventy six. Hard to believe he'll break that record. He's

(01:52:08):
won the record He's won the competition seventy times, so
it feels a little aning climactic, but it's fun. It
kicks off the July fourth, and it's a bit of
a spectacle, and I'm sure there's alcohol involved for the onlookers.
But what's interesting, though, is Joey Chestnut is not just
a hot dog eating aficionado. He holds I don't know

(01:52:32):
fifty one world records. Hey, when I share with you
some of the things, some of the categories of food
where he holds world records in, you will scratch your head.
By the way, it's not all junk food, you know.
He holds the world record for asparagus eight twelve pounds
twelve and a half pounds of asparagus in ten minutes,

(01:52:55):
So he's looking out for his diet. Will continue with
the rest of the Michigan's coming up. I'm Bernie Frattole
Company live from the Las Vegas Fox Sports Radio Studios.
Keep it locked. You're listening to the Bernie Frattle Show
on Fox Sports Radio. What we're back on the Bernie
Frattle Show Fox Sports Radio comany live from the Las
Vegas studios Here in Las Vegas. So we've mentioned it

(01:53:17):
at least seventy two times tonight. Julie Chestnut is not
a one trick pony. So without further ado, let me
share with you some of his other eating exploits. Dude
canash right, So I told you he ate twelve and
a half pounds asparagus in ten minutes, So you know

(01:53:38):
he's not prone to not eating healthy.

Speaker 20 (01:53:41):
Right?

Speaker 2 (01:53:41):
Wait, I just screwed that up. That's terrible English. You
know what I'm trying to say. I just butchered it.
What if I told you he also weighs sixteen pounds
of bologney in eight minutes. Now, sometimes you're gonna be
a little hungry for dessert after that. So he ate
fifteen pounds of boisonberry pie in eight minutes. Now he
likes Mexican food too, Who doesn't we all love it?

(01:54:02):
He ate fifteen pounds of burritos in ten minutes, eighty
two carnitas tacos in eight minutes, and you even ate
forty six cheese steak egg rolls in eight minutes. More dessert,
seventeen and a half pounds of cherry pie in eight minutes.
Everybody likes wings, right, whether you're not, you're like flat

(01:54:23):
you like legs long form ba ba. He ate one
hundred and eighty two chicken wings in thirty minutes. He
likes his corn beef sandwiches two. He ate twenty eight
ounce corn beef sandwiches in ten minutes. I talked about
this earlier. Eggs hard boiled eggs one hundred and forty

(01:54:44):
one hard boiled eggs in eight minutes. Now he might
like beef tacos, but he also likes fish tacos. Joey
Chestnut holds the world record for eating thirty six ounce
fish tacos in only five minutes. Once again, probably reaching
for the dessert. Maybe he went to the Iowa State
Fair six pounds of funnel cake in ten minutes. Who

(01:55:08):
doesn't like a grilled cheese sandwich or forty seven forty
seven grilled cheese sandwiches in ten minutes. Maybe he's on
the Mediterranean diet once in a while, because he wants
eight thirty euros eight ounced euros in ten minutes. Now,
everybody loves white castle burgers.

Speaker 20 (01:55:28):
Right.

Speaker 2 (01:55:28):
If you don't, something's wrong with you. Now I get it.
Maybe you've been imbibing all night and you need something
to soak it up. There's nothing wrong with that. It's
as American as apple pie and Toyota. One hundred and three,
one hundred and three white Castle burgers in eight minutes.
Oh my god. Once again, you're probably reaching for some dessert,

(01:55:51):
right Hostess donuts. Now, no word whether they were powdered
or chocolate or whatever. But he ate two hundred and
fifty seven and I have been six minutes. That's one
that blows me away. I don't even know you can.
Can you even throw two hundred and fifty seven Hostess
donuts against a wall in six minutes? It's just do
The matter is three hundred seconds, it's that's just about

(01:56:13):
one every second, just about. We already know that he
owns the world record for seventy six hot dogs in
ten minutes. Once again, might be reaching for some dessert.
Twenty six ice cream sandwiches in six minutes. If that
ain't brain freeze, I don't know what is' that's torture.
I think I like ice cream sandwiches, Hallopenia poppers. He

(01:56:36):
might want to reach for the n acid pill after
this one. One hundred and eighteen Jalapenno poppers in ten minutes. Yeah,
there's your boy, Joey Chestnut, I've never had even one
mutton sandwich, and I'm pretty sure I'm never gonna have
a mutton sandwich. I don't even know what you get one.
But Joey Chestnut had eighty one mutton sandwiches in ten minutes.

(01:57:00):
They must be small because he can only I say
only in air quotes, only ate twenty five Pistrami sandwiches
in ten minutes. But he did eat forty three pepper
pepperoni rolls in ten minutes and twenty three Philadelphia cheese
steaks in ten minutes. How about ribs? People have ribs

(01:57:20):
on Fourth of July? Right, fourteen pounds of pork ribs
in twelve minutes, placed down the road here in Fay
pull pork. Nine pounds six ounces of smoke pull pork
in ten minutes. That is just forget it. As Guy
Fury would say, that's out of bounds. Man, I don't

(01:57:41):
know what the hell you do with that. Ramen noodles.
Ramen noodles a favorite among college students on a budget.
Ten cups of ramen noodles in one minute. In fifty seconds,
you think a sodium might have gone through the roof
on that one who doesn't like a little shrimp cocktail
before their steak dinner, maybe twenty one pounds of it.
Twenty one pounds of shrimp cocktail in eight minutes, by

(01:58:06):
the way, equal opportunity. Joey Chestnut also likes soft tacos,
soft beef tacos, ate fifty three of them in ten minutes,
but managed to somehow eat one hundred and twenty six
traditional tortilla tacos and only eight minutes and staying in
the same motif joy Chestnut once he holds the world record,
actually one hundred and two Tomali's and twelve minutes. Now,

(01:58:31):
we're not that far from Thanksgiving, right, We're four months away.
The future always has a way of arriving at a schedule.
Snap your fingers, it will be here. He ate a
whole nine and a half pound turkey in ten minutes
by himself once again. Probably wants some dessert Twinkies. Who
doesn't like twinkies? Well, maybe somebody doesn't, but I don't
want to know that person. I like twinkies. I don't

(01:58:52):
know if I've ever had one recently, But Joey Chestnut
holds the record one hundred and twenty one twinkies in
six minutes. Now, pizza, he's right out my alley. He
ate a two foot pizza slice, six and a half
of them and ten minutes. What does heat when he
gets up for breakfast? Well, one morning he had aagle
style waffles. It only took him eight minutes to eat

(01:59:13):
eighty one of them. So you see. Joey Chestnut might
be the winner of seventeen straight hot dog eating contest,
winning his first one in two thousand and seven, taking
the title away from six time champ Kobayashi, But he's
not a one trick pony. Give it up to Joey
chestnutt a five tool player. Keep it locked. It's Bernie
Froodler Show on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (01:59:36):
Don't listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:59:39):
That's right, you heard the man. The Bernie Frowdles Show
keeps rolling right along. My name is Bernie Frodder. We're
Kimedy live from the Fox Sports Radio compound here in
Las Vegas. We'll take you up to three am Pacific,
six a m. Eastern. It's been a rollicking show, specifically
a rollicking midnight hour. We've covered a lot of ground.
We're about to cover more. We welcome in a gentleman

(02:00:00):
who's been on the show many times. He comes to
us from Boston. He sees sports invests. Say hello to
Jeff Dawson. Jeff, thanks for getting up early, pal.

Speaker 7 (02:00:11):
Oh Bernie, always a pleasure here back east. I'd like
to say the sun is rising on Cape Cod as
we speak. Happyfourth and July weekend to you.

Speaker 2 (02:00:22):
Back at you. So we were gonna have you on
a couple of weeks ago, right after the Rafael devastrade,
we just haded to wait. I'm kind of glad we
did because through fifteen games with the Giants, Devers is
hitting like two points above the Mendoza line, and he
struck out twenty five times. And the Giants and him

(02:00:43):
have struggled, But Boston hasn't been great shakes either. Now
that the dust is settled the devastrade, what are the
good folks in Boston? What is the synopsis regarding that?

Speaker 7 (02:00:55):
I mean, Bernie. The bottom line here is when you
take a look back a half dozen years, Mookie Bett's
hand of Vogarts and now Raphael Devers, the big three
in Boston have all now left the building with nothing
in return. And the Raphael Devers move had to be made.

(02:01:22):
It was mishandled from Jump Street. It was mishandled from
the spring training. Goora put his hat in the ring
during spring training, and then once Henry and Breslo flew
out to Kansas City to speak to Raphael, they didn't
get a response that they were looking for. So once

(02:01:43):
they left Kansas City, this trade was eminent. It was
going to be made. They were just looking for a
team that was going to take the whole contract two
hundred and eighty eight million dollars. And at that point,
once San Francisco says we're in, the deal was made
fair enough.

Speaker 2 (02:02:03):
So I guess there's no looking back on we'd uppards.
It's ironic now he's playing first base, but that's all
water under the bridge. I don't know if anybody really
wants to win the NL East, it probably is. It's
probably glad for Bostonians to see the Yankees are struggling
might lea but Boston's forty five and forty five, so

(02:02:23):
we're at, you know' July fourth now, which is kind
of this demarcation point. Sixty one percent of the teams
in the last thirty years who were in first place
on July fourth, go on to win their division. But
that means four and ten, don't so do you like
your chances in Boston to overtake Tampa Bay in Toronto?
And I don't know what's going on with the.

Speaker 7 (02:02:41):
Yankees, Bernie, I can tell you this. I did not
have this on my big go card. It is just amazing.
The Yankees have now lock six in a row. He'd
come the surgeon Toronto Blue Jays and just taking a
quick look here Toronto fifty one and thirty eight, and
that's a surprise in itself. Yankees now forty eight and

(02:03:04):
forty one, so live three games back, and the Rais
are just hanging around two as well. At forty eight
and forty one. They're tied with the Yankees and the
Red Sox at forty five and forty five. Will the
Red Sox be buyers? Will they be sellers? I could
just take it from my advantage point here and what
they've been in this spot now three years in a row,

(02:03:26):
and every year at this point, and when it becomes
to the All Star break and then the deadline, we
have a player or two on the IL that's getting
ready to come back and then we'll sell a piece off.
Or they have not been buyers or big buyers, I

(02:03:47):
should say. I mean, what we're hoping here is Bregman
extension come back sooner than later. That's number one. I
would expect them, honestly to move off of Chapman. He's
had an amazing year. They signed him for eleven million dollars.

Speaker 5 (02:04:06):
I know a lot of.

Speaker 7 (02:04:07):
Teams in contention that would be knocking down the door.
We have Jordan Hicks to move into that closer role
from the San Francisco deal endeavors, and we also have
the left handed pitcher Harrison ready to come up from Woosters.
So I don't expect them to be buyers. We're just
hanging around. I think their under over was around eighty

(02:04:29):
five eighty six. I don't think they're going to get there,
but we're holding out optimism back here, Bernie, all right, let's.

Speaker 2 (02:04:38):
Jump to I talked about this earlier in the show Boston,
the check that the Celtics really have fallen off a
cliff a little bit. I mean, you lose Jason Tatum
and now to injury, and thanks to you know, salary considerations,
four more key players. Is this just a mulligan year
for the the Celtics coming up.

Speaker 7 (02:05:02):
Well again, it's a.

Speaker 14 (02:05:03):
Good way to put this.

Speaker 7 (02:05:07):
We knew there was going to be implications for tax purposes.
The first and second apron. You win the title two
years ago, Tatum gets injured, they lose to the next Porzingis,
Drew Holiday, a couple other pieces had to leave the garden.

(02:05:32):
New ownership purchase the Celtics for six billion dollars looks
like a dalc and the Lakers went.

Speaker 8 (02:05:39):
For ten billion.

Speaker 7 (02:05:40):
But the restructuring of the Celtics now Jalen Brown, Derek White,
Prichard now incomes of potential Damian Lillard who also has injury,
who will be out for the year. There's been talks
that he might come to Bosman for a minimum was

(02:06:01):
like five point seven million dollars, the Bucks paying the
rest of the salary. There most experts, Bernie see the
Celtics in that six seven eight maybe play in situation.
I still think there's a cutter to still to be made.
I don't think they're fully under the apron where they

(02:06:22):
want to be for this year.

Speaker 20 (02:06:23):
And next year.

Speaker 7 (02:06:24):
They don't want to be in the repeaters tax as well.
But not a lot of optimism here with this Celtics team.
Maybe fifty wins tops, maybe six seven eight seed Bernie
all right, I speaking.

Speaker 2 (02:06:42):
Of optimism, I actually think in it's legitimate, there should
be optimism about the million Patriots. I mean, I know
they were four and thirteen last year. But you bring
in Mike Vrabel, you're bringing you know, Josh McDaniels as
your offensive coordinator, are not much of a head coach,
but he success there. Of course, you did have Brady,
but this could be the Pat's best team in the

(02:07:04):
last few years because they drafted well I thought, and
they did a lot through free agency, and they have
new leadership from the top down. By the way, I
want to get your prediction as part of this question.
They open up against the Las Vegas Raiders. I believe
they're four four and a half point favorites and it's
going to be here before you know it. I mean
we're already into July. Basically, we're sixty days away from that. Now,

(02:07:27):
how do you expect the Patriots to do? Could they
be one of the teams like it's been done in
the last twenty five years twenty five times that goes
from worst to first. Now that's a tall order because
you got Buffalo in there, right, But give me your
takeaways on the Patriots and their optimism, Berdie.

Speaker 7 (02:07:45):
This is our hope in Boston for twenty twenty five,
twenty six. A lot of people want us, are expecting
and hoping to emulate what Washington did last year. Year,
new head coach, new quarterback. I was gonna say the Redskins,

(02:08:07):
excuse me, the Commanders took the NFC East by storm. Patriots,
they're hoping Drake may year number two, Josh McDaniels back.
They bring in, as you said, coach Rabell. They drafted
Trevion Henderson, they drafted the wide receiver Kyle Williams. A

(02:08:27):
lot of optimism back here. They spent a lot of
money on free agency on the defensive side. I think
the under over Bernie opened at seven and a half.
I'm here in eight and a half now at local Wow.

Speaker 10 (02:08:43):
Yeah, that would be a big jump.

Speaker 7 (02:08:45):
Yeah, and I say pumped the brakes just for this reason.
I think in the last three years, Bernie, the Patriots
have won a total of four home games in the
last three years. So that's with coach Mayo, that's with

(02:09:06):
Belichick as he was getting ready to depart as well.
So they do have a very soft start at home
the beginning of their season. They could get their sea legs.
They could come out three and one, four and one.
What are they doing the back end here? It's Buffalo
is definitely the favorite and should be the wind the East.

(02:09:27):
I think the Patriots will be battling. I like the
Jets as an upstart team there. I don't know what
to make of Miami. I mean nine and eight eight
nine I think is right where the Patriots would be,
and at four and a half point favorites Bernie against anyone.
I think it is a tall, tall order. I'd be

(02:09:49):
leaning too, a higher scoring game looking at the over
here first one to twenty seven wins. But I'd been
leaning today, Bernie, I give me the four to half in.

Speaker 2 (02:10:02):
Yeah, I look out my fire on them too, actually,
but that could be a field goal game, and you
never know what's gonna happen. Finally, real quickly without overthinking
it too much. Do you expect Lebron to finish this
season with the Lakers or be traded during the season.
Before the season, what are your thoughts?

Speaker 7 (02:10:24):
The million dollar question? I mean, who wouldn't opt into
what over fifty million dollars they had to had to
you know, where would he go in the middle of
the year. I mean, would he go back to Cleveland? Yeah?

(02:10:44):
I don't think they do either. I mean Miami, that's
too late there. Would he go somewhere in the West.
I think this is it, Bernie. I think you know,
he made the bed. He's got to sleep in the bed.
Maybe they can add a piece of two. Maybe it
comes in the camp in shape. I mean that West
is locked and loaded. I mean, look what the Rockets

(02:11:07):
have done. You've got Okay, se defended Jamps. I think
he ends up staying there. I think it's drama in Hollywood.
Maybe the Swan song. Maybe this is what we can
play into. This is your last year.

Speaker 20 (02:11:22):
Enjoy it.

Speaker 7 (02:11:24):
I'm gonna take that he sticks and stays.

Speaker 2 (02:11:26):
Bernie, Yeah, I'm with you. I just think that the
market isn't as big when you consider the salary that
they're you know, bound by Jeff great stuff. As always,
the NFL is upon us as we are closer in
college football. I want to get your thoughts on that.
So get some rest there, buddy. Enjoy your Sunday in Boston.

Speaker 7 (02:11:45):
You as well, Bernie can't wait.

Speaker 2 (02:11:47):
You take care that is Jeff Austin E C Sports
invest just kind of, you know, put poiri of subjects
there because I think this Patriots are story this year,
and the Celtics are ours this year, and so o
the Red Sox. So something to just follow. Now, coming
up a couple things. Major League Baseball is investigating a

(02:12:11):
pitcher and you're gonna want to know why this is
not exactly fun and games. This is starting to become
more rampant. And oh, by the way, the Pittsburgh Steelers,
the Pittsburgh Steelers. I've got a very odd sort of
betting aspect about the Pittsburgh Steelers coming up this season.

(02:12:34):
I'm Bernie Fraddlewick Company line from the Las Vegas Fox
Sports Radio Studios. Keep it locked right here. You're listening
to the Bernie Fradles Show on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 3 (02:12:42):
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 2 (02:12:55):
We're back on the Bernie Frale Show Fox Sports Radio.
I want to remind the folks you can stream this
show and all of our Fox Sports Radio shows live
twenty four to seven and the new and improved iHeartRadio app.
Just search Fox Sports Radio in the app to stream
us live. And one of the newest features in the
app is that you can select Fox Sports Radio is

(02:13:17):
one of your presets, just like the presets on a
radio dial. So be sure to preset Fox Sports Radio
in the iHeartRadio app and it will always pop up
on the top of your screen. So Major League Baseball
is investigating Guardians, pitcher Luis or Tees over alleged gambling,
apparently having to do with some prop that whether a

(02:13:38):
pitch would be a ball or a strike. He's been
placed on what's called non disciplinary paid leave at least
through the All Star break which ends on July eighteenth,
and the investigation, again has to do with gambling. So
not a lot of details have come out. There's been
some speculation and if the Guardians are not allowed to

(02:13:59):
calm and I think the league wants to, you know,
their confidential investigative process to be respected, which it will be.
And because of what happened, Ortiz missed his start Thursday
night against the Cubs and listen, this is serious. Major
League Baseball as a zero tolerance policy now when it
comes to gambling on baseball. Remember last year, San Diego

(02:14:21):
Potter's infielder, to Competer Marcano was banned from Major League
Baseball for life after an investigation revealed he placed tens
of thousands of dollars on MLB related wagers. Not after that,
you know, and I got to tell you, the Pteroles
thing is real. So not long after that, an umpire

(02:14:42):
was also fired over a gambling probe. So something to
keep an eye on, something else to keep an eye on.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have very much been the news incessantly.
You can't swing a dead cat without hearing some radio broadcaster. Well,
Mike Tallman might okay, let's let this play out. And

(02:15:03):
the Steelers appear to be going kind of all in
as it were. But the oddsmakers aren't necessarily on board
with the Steelers since they haven't won a playoff game
in eight years. And if you look at it objectively,
a lot of odds makers aren't sure they'll make the playoffs.

Speaker 8 (02:15:25):
Now.

Speaker 2 (02:15:25):
I don't really know that I agree with that, but
this is revealing, right, This is revealing now Remember that
a point spread is not a predictor. Las Vegas sportsbook
operators are not in the business of fortune telling or
predicting the future. They're in the business of maximizing profits
and minimizing risks. So a betty line is merely created

(02:15:48):
to make equal action on both sides, and the book
makes their money off the vigor ish. Remember, you have
to put up one hundred and ten to one hundred.
Usually it can be even more than that sometimes, but
it's still revealing and worth noting that of the seventeen
Steelers games this year, they're only favored in six of them.
That means they're underdog eleven times. They're favored twice against

(02:16:13):
the Browns six and a half at home and two
and a half on the road. They're also favored opening
night against the New York Jets minus three at the
New York Jets. They're a one and a half point
favorite at home versus Seattle, they visit Indianapolis where they
are a three and a half point favorite, and then
the only other time their favorite would be against the

(02:16:33):
Miami Dolphins, where they're two and a half point favorites.
So what does that basically mean? It means Pittsburgh is
an underdog in eleven other seventeen games. Now by comparison,
if you go back to last year, and that's when
you had the tandem of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.

(02:16:54):
Remember the Pittsburgh Steelers actually won ten games, win ten
and seven, but they were underdog in ten of the
seventeen games last year. And the odds makers did their
job because Pittsburgh went five and five against the number
as a dog in those games, and that includes zero
to five against the spread the final five games of

(02:17:15):
the season. Of course, markets will speak and lines will
change all the time, and the NFL is still a
couple of months away from opening nights, and these are
sund off lines, so real action hasn't come in yet
on these lines, God forbid, nobody gets hurt, but the
landscape could look a little different when they go to

(02:17:35):
the Jets. I doubt they'll be more than a three
point favorite. But you have to let this play out
because once a line moves heavily in one direction, or
what's a betty, action comes in heavily on one side,
the bookmakers are going to move things around to attract
the action on the other side. Again, they're not in
the fortune telling business or their prediction business. They are
in the business of maximizing profit and minimizing risks. If

(02:18:02):
it would be nice, if you've got that in English,
thank you for your participation. However, here's the thing. It
seems unlikely that there are any you know, other blockbuster
developments that will come out of the Steelers. And they're
you know, they're what are we talking about here? They're

(02:18:24):
moves there. I don't think you can't really make any
more moves? Can they? Between now? And will they sign TJ. Watt?
Will they lock he's do to make twenty one million
this year. I'm hearing they're about to, you know, break
the bank with TJ Watt. Okay, let's face it. I
think TJ. Watt himself is worth two wins. I really
believe that. And that is right now perhaps the biggest

(02:18:45):
question mark facing the Steelers whether or not Pittsburgh will
work out its contract impass with TJ. Watt. Here's a
guy who's a four time All Pro He's in the
final season of a one hundred and twelve million dollar
contract extension, a four year extension. So far, TJ. Watt
has held out of his Steelers mandatory veteran mini camp

(02:19:06):
to try to force the team to renegotiate. But depending
on who you listen to, they're either not close or
the Steelers will end up doing what they need to
do because look, TJ. Watt, you can't trade him. He's
one of the NFL's best defenders. And you know if
you lose him, Pittsburgh's not going to be favored in

(02:19:30):
any more games, and they might be an underdog in
more of those games. All Right, So the NFL is
a wide open season by season extravagans every year. One
of the things I'm going to talk about next week
is there are eight teams that finished in last place
last year, obviously because there're eight divisions, But the NFL

(02:19:53):
has always been a league of parody, and it's because
of the way they schedule, the way they draft, and
teams can turn around fairly quickly after a poor season.
And even though no team went from worse to first
than its division last year, if you go back to
twenty oh two two thousand and two, that's when the
NFL transitioned to eight fourteen divisions, twenty five franchises have

(02:20:18):
achieved that feat from going worst to first since twenty
oh two. There were actually two teams did in one year.
I think it was twenty eighteen. Remember the Chicago Bears
did it with Mitch Trubisky. Remember him? People make fun
of him. He's twenty five and sixteen as a starter,
went to the playoffs two or three years and had
there not been a double doing field goal miss, he
might have won a playoff game. But I digress. But

(02:20:40):
Cleveland finished last, The Giants finished last, The SAME's finished last,
The Raiders, the Tennessee Titans, Chicago Bears, the aforementioned Chicago
Bears are they were only five and twelve last year,
and then of course the New England Patriots who we
just talked about, and the San Francisco forty nine ers.
For my money, I think the San Francisco has the

(02:21:00):
best shot by far of going from worse to first.
Not only they have the NFL's easiest drink to schedule,
they did a similar turnaround not long ago. After they
got smoked by the Chiefs in twenty twenty, they slipped
from the standings in the next season. That's a pattern
they're repeated. But you know what they did in twenty
twenty one. They bounced back. They won ten games and
got to the NFC title game. So they suffered tremendously

(02:21:23):
from injuries last year. So all of a sudden, you're
gonna have McCaffrey back, Trent Williams, Nick Bolsa, you get
the picture. Next week we'll dive into the worst to first,
we'll see what the Steelers do. I like their culture. Look,
I get it, they've been people have been beaten on
them because they haven't done much recently. What have you
done for me lately? That's just the way it is
in the world of sports, all right, what have you

(02:21:46):
done for me lately? In the world of soccer, Well,
Chris Prefet's about to tell us. Coming up, Chris Preffetts.

Speaker 25 (02:21:51):
World of Soccer, the greatest goals finishes, the international drum.

Speaker 2 (02:22:05):
Him him at the end of the level.

Speaker 26 (02:22:09):
It's all here in this report from the world of soccer, Well, Bernie.
The summer marches on. We're kind of near the finish
line for a lot of the twenty twenty five summer
big events. As the Club World Cup is coming to
a head. We have the semi final set Fluminence is
the remaining of those Brazilian clubs we have lauded throughout

(02:22:32):
the Club World Cup taking on English side Chelsea. And
the rest is of course European parasing Germain against Real
Madrid and really setting up for once again parising Germain
taking on another one of its former stars, as Killian
Embappe will be playing for Real Madrid. Meanwhile, in the

(02:22:53):
CONCACAF Gold Cup. In spite of all the angst coming
into the tournament, somehow we have arrived once again in
the same familiar place. Sunday, July sixth, seven pm Eastern
on Fox, we'll see the United States taking on Mexico somehow,
in spite of angst for both countries, for Mexico trying

(02:23:17):
to turn a chapter in its own story tradition, and
for the United States coming into this tournament still looking
for that first win for Mucio Polchettino and getting it
in spades, and doing some of this without some of
their stars. I mean, it is Conca calf But at
the same time, USA Mexico has a lot of importance.

(02:23:39):
It is the home of Dosa Sero. It is the
great rivalry of the North American continent, and it is
the only two teams nations really worth talking about from
the Conca calf region. As USA Mexico will both of
course be automatic bids to the World Cup, so this
Gold Cup is per functory. But if you know anything

(02:24:01):
about USA Mexico, you would hope there's pride on the
line and you would hope there's will to keep playing,
not just for any kind of tune up for a
feasible World Cup in the future, but just because rivalries
should be honored. You should get really fired up to
play a rivalry, even when it's between countries. Unfortunately, that

(02:24:23):
is not the main news of the week. The news
is tragedy as the soccer world and really all of
Europe mourns the passing of Diego Jota and his brother
Andre Silva, both footballers. Diego Jota have been playing for
Liverpool and was the big name that everyone gravitated to Liverpool,

(02:24:45):
of course, lifting a trophy with an English Premier League title.

Speaker 1 (02:24:50):
The two were on a road.

Speaker 26 (02:24:52):
In northwestern Spain and their tire burst into while overtaking
another car Lamborghini then left the road and caught fire
and both were killed. Joja's death is a tragedy of
three countries in Spain, especially in Portugal, where it sends

(02:25:13):
reverberations deep into those of his countrymen who played alongside
him and honored him as a fantastic Portuguese footballer.

Speaker 2 (02:25:24):
During the Women's.

Speaker 26 (02:25:25):
Euros which are going on right now in twenty twenty five,
there was a massive ceremony to honor him during before
the match, and of course it is a tragedy. In
England where he played for Liverpool. Wimbledon going on right
now actually relaxed their dress codes to allow for Portuguese
players to pay honor and tribute to Diogo Jota. I

(02:25:49):
believe it was Francisco cabral I wore a black ribbon
on his tennis shirt during the match for Liverpool. It
is another tragedy to a cabinet of tragedies that seems
to follow around that club and unfortunately makes the slogan
of you will never walk alone one of bitterness and

(02:26:14):
bittersweet memories for this to come for Liverpool after one
of their most fantastic seasons they've had in recent memories.
For Jota, who is a major major part of this
Championship winner winning Liverpool squad, it's not easy.

Speaker 3 (02:26:35):
It's not easy at all.

Speaker 26 (02:26:37):
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klop weighed in on this and said,
this is a moment where I struggle. There must be
a bigger purpose, but I can't see it. It is
something that has gone beyond sports and brought a lot
of people together about the procarity of life. For now,
this has been the world of soccer. We honor Diego
Jota and his life may rest piece.

Speaker 2 (02:27:02):
All right, a somber note, but I don't want to
sign off the segment without reminding folks that four o'clock
Pacific time later today PM Mexico and the United States
for the Gold Cup. Conca calf and the US is in.
They're they're going to the goal. They're going to the
World Cup next year because we're hosting.

Speaker 20 (02:27:21):
It right now.

Speaker 2 (02:27:22):
I hate to break up the party, but if you lie,
you're breaking one of the commandments. I'm not gonna lie.
I think Mexico's gonna win two to one. It's not
that the US isn't capable of winning the game, but
and this is a heat rivalry, and it'll be It'll
be a hell of a match, I believe. It's just listen,
Mexico's Gold Cup roster man for man is simply stronger
than what the US has. They have more depth on

(02:27:45):
the bench and that could define the game. And oh,
by the way, the US has played very well, but
they haven't rotated much, so I don't know how much
gas don't tank. These guys have left, and Mexico has
I think a bit more quality in their attack, so
I think it's a one goal game. I feel like
Mexico wins two to one. And this is a part
where I guess, I say, I hope I'm wrong. I
don't know. You know, yeah, we have a rooting interest.
I'd love to see the US win that game. It'd

(02:28:06):
be nice. They haven't had much to cheer about like ever.
I don't know, it's just not our sport. They always
threaten it. It's going to be, but it's not. Coming up,
we wrap up the show, and you know, college football
is around the corner, and we always get a kick
out of players that have distinctive names. And if by chance,

(02:28:27):
you happen to watch any Bowling Green games this year,
you will see an individual on the team and it's
not even close. He's got the most distinctive name in
all of college football. Maybe ever, I'll share it. Coming
up I'm Bernie Friderick, coming to your life from Las Vegas,
Fox Sports Radio Studios. Keep it locked, you're listening to

(02:28:48):
the Bernie Fraddle Show on Fox Sports Radio. All right,
wrapping it up on the Bernie Fraddle Show. I don't
think my producers Mark and Brianna appreciate all the efforts
turning all the dials, keeping us glued together, managing through
all the phone calls on the midnight hour. Thanks for
all the hard work and professionalism, very much appreciated. Before

(02:29:11):
I get to the perhaps the most distinctive college football
player name any of us have ever heard of, we
should wish another Happy Bobby Benia Day. In case you
missed it, it was Tuesday. Every in baseball circles, you know,
every July first is recognized as Bobby Benia Day. And
by the way, there's still ten of them left. This

(02:29:34):
is going on through twenty thirty five. We celebrate Bobby
Benia Day every July first, because that's the day the
Mets have to pay Bobby Bania one point two million dollars.
Even though Bobby Benia hasn't been in the Major League
since two thousand and one, he receives yearly checks from
the Mets because he agreed to a deferred deal back

(02:29:55):
in two thousand. That's why Bobby Bania gets one point
two million every July first, and that's why we call
it Bobby Beania Day. And it's gonna run out. In
twenty thirty five, Bobby Banill will be seventy two years old.
To how did this happen? Well, Benina initially signed a
five year, twenty nine million dollar contract with the Mets
right before the nineteen ninety two season, but that's not

(02:30:17):
the contract that led to Bobby Beania Day because what
happened was after three and a half seasons with the Mets,
Benina was traded away. So they went to Baltimore and
signed a four year, twenty three million dollar contract with
the Marlins in ninety seven, and that's the deal that
resulted in Bobby Beania Day because with the Marlins they Miami,
they were the Florida Marlins at the time. When they

(02:30:40):
inked Bobby Bania to that contract, the team never intended
to pay it out. See after helping the team win
the World Series in ninety seven, Benina was traded the
following year. They dumped everybody. Remember how the Florida Marlins
was Jim Leland managed that team. He spent half the
season with the Dodgers before he was traded right back
to the Mets for the nineteen ninety nine season. If

(02:31:03):
you followed all that, you're a better man than me.

Speaker 21 (02:31:05):
Now.

Speaker 2 (02:31:06):
Bania ended up struggling that season. He had like a
bucks sixty only bat at one hundred and fifty times,
and at the end of the season, the Mets told
b Benia he was going to be released, but he
still had five point nine million dollars remaining on his contract.
So instead of paying out that five point nine million
to Beanie immediately, the team wanted to defer payments on
the deal, believing they could make more profit through investments

(02:31:28):
with wait for it, Bernie Madoff true story. So as
a result, the Mets agreed to pay Bania one million,
one hundred and ninety three thousand, two hundred and forty
eight dollars and twenty cents every year. But those payments
didn't have to start for eleven years later, started in

(02:31:50):
twenty eleven, and they goes till twenty thirty five. Well, obviously,
you know Bernie Madoff was no longer with us. That
he went to federal prison. That turned out to be
a Ponzi scheme, and it was kind of embarrassing for
the former Mets owner Jeff Wilpond, who was part of it,
where he invested in it. So as a results of that,
the five point nine million that Benia was owed swelled

(02:32:13):
all the way to twenty nine point eight million. And
that's not a bad deal for a player who hasn't
taken a major league at bat once since two thousand
and one. So the truth of the matter is patience.
Patience truly is a virtue. Now I now, by the way,
but Nia is not the only MLB player to receive
deferred money. Check into Prince Fielder's contract. That's a faghees too.

(02:32:35):
And as you know, the Dodgers famously are paying deferred
money to Freddie Freeman and Mooki Betts long after they're
done playing. And then that's been completely usurped by the
deferred deal that Choi Otani's gotten. Ten years, seven hundred
million dollar contract signed by Otani and six hundred and
eighty million of that is deferred. Okay, by the way, again,

(02:32:58):
I do this every year, but it was since just
the first time an MLB team issued deferred payments, it
happened to Catfish Hunter, Sparky Lyle, Bruce Souter, Jim Rice.
They all got deferred money. But the thing about it
is Bobby Bania not only gets that money from the Mets,
he gets another five hundred thousand from the Oriols every year.

(02:33:19):
And those payments started in twenty oh four and they
end in twenty twenty nine. So that is probably all
the Bobby Vania information you're going to ever get at
this day and age. Look, he at one point was
a very good player. He had a three year stretch
from ninety eight to ninety or eighty eight to ninety one.
I remember when he was on his free agency tour.
He visited the Angels and he talked to talk and

(02:33:42):
he turned out to be full of crap. He had
no intention to sign with the Angels, but they coreed
him right. He had just hit ninety eight home runs
in the three years prior to made the All Star
team all three years. Actually finished second in the MVP
voting in the National League in nineteen ninety. So the
truth of the matter is, you know, people make fun
of this, but he was a pretty good player and

(02:34:03):
businessmen you know, sometimes make questionable decisions. But Bobby Bania
continues continues to benefit from this. And of course we'll
run it back next July first too, because you have to.
It's Bobby did. There's only ten of them left, all right.
College football is just around the corner.

Speaker 21 (02:34:22):
Now.

Speaker 2 (02:34:22):
Over the years, there have been some some classic names
in the in the world of sports. Uh, and certainly
in basketball. I remember God Sham God and by the way,
he won the five. Uh just tweeted in not to
forget Steve young Side for deferred forty men with the

(02:34:43):
La Express of the USFL. I remember that, like yesterday
was nineteen eighty three. I went to some LA Express games.
I don't believe he ever got very much of that money,
but that was also a deferred contract. Good stuff you.
That's some damn good USFL knowledge there, all right. But
back to football, college football. So there is a player

(02:35:04):
who is from Ohio and he's six to two d
and twenty pounds. He played for Dayton last year and
he transferred to Bowling Green and he's a pretty good player. Okay. Now,
he was a three time Almos State running back and
a linebacker when he went to high school at Keystone
High School in Dayton, Ohio, then began his football career

(02:35:25):
college at the University of Dayton, where he's playing defense now.
He had twenty three tackles for loss last season. This
year he's transferred to Bowling Green. But way back when,
and by the way, there's a reason that this gentleman
wanted his highlights to make it to ESPN last year,
but none of them made it, so now he's transferred
to Bowling Green. You got maction right on Tuesday night,

(02:35:47):
Wednesday and Thursday night, you're going to get a chance
to see this guy, probably on ESPN, which coincidentally allows
us to segue and to what his name is. His
name is Gideon Espn Lampron. He goes by the name ESPN.

(02:36:07):
Can't make this up. His full legal name is Gideon
Espn Lampron, but he goes by the name ESPN. Now
he'll start at linebacker, I believe this year for Bowling Green.
And the story has it that his father wanted to
name him after ESPN despite his mother's wishes against it.
Do you think can you imagine if the kid didn't

(02:36:28):
like sports. Nothing against band or band camp, but what
if it would have backfired, and his father admitted right,
he did so with the whole the extreme hope that
his son would be into sports. Thankfully that ended up
being the case. But he knew it was a gamble.
And is I believe his father's name is Briggs. He

(02:36:51):
was quoted he said, quote it was a big gamble
because well, you know, I could have ended up liking instruments,
or he could have ended up being in the band
or something like that, which is what I just said.
Nothing against that, but he wouldn't have had kind of
the same Uh. You know, umph as a linebacker named

(02:37:11):
ESPN again, good player out of high school, three time
All State running back and a linebacker, started at Dayton
and he had twenty three tackles for lost last year.
So this year he's going to Bowling Green. I don't
know what his number is. You could probably find the roster.
And he was upset that last year none of his
highlights made it at Dayton on the ESPN, but he
says he's looking forward to hopefully being on ESPN highlights

(02:37:36):
this year. It's a natural, right, you gotta I would
believe or think or wonder will ESPN kind of go
a little more all out and covering this player since
at his name is ESPN. Yeah, I think I think
that might be a a good play, right, So again,

(02:38:00):
make this stuff up. And this is why we like
the world of sports so much, connectivity, significance, and you're
the greatest invention. It's the greatest reality show. But you
can script everything but the inning. Speaking of the inning,
what will the ending be for Lebron? Because many people
have thought tonight that he could end up somewhere else.
Next week, I'm going to rank the teams he could

(02:38:22):
potentially go to. Cleveland is potentially in the mix, The
New York Mix are potentially in the mix, The Golden
State Warriors are potentially in the mix, and believe it
or not, the Dallas Mavericks could be in the mix.
Or he could go to none of those teams. But
could you see Lebron a Clipper or a Denver Nugget
or a Spur or Brooklyn net doubt it. You never

(02:38:45):
go back to Miami. I can't see him going to Boston.
Too much bad blood, Oklahoma City, what for Indiana Common?
And then at the bottom of the wrung, he ain't
going to Utah, He ain't going to New Orleans or Charlotte.
He ain't going to Washington. He ain't going to Sacramento
or Toronto. And that's why we're watching this. It's become
a soap opera. We don't know where he's going, and
we don't know what his future is with the Lakers, really,

(02:39:07):
because I know he's gonna play, is gonna give an effort,
but it's gonna be weird. It's gonna do it for
the Bernie Frattles Show. We'll see you next Saturday night
at eleven pm. Keep it locked up next to the
Great Andy Furman on Fox Sports Radio

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Fox Sports Radio News

Host

Jonas Knox

Popular Podcasts

Crime Junkie

24/7 News: The Latest

Stuff You Should Know

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}The Bernie Fratto talks Lakers Clown Era with LeBron, Joey Chestnut Records, Luis Ortiz Scandal, & MORE!