The Fellas with Anthony Gargano & Kevin Figgers talk NBA Playoffs, The New York Knicks BACK, Upcoming NFL Schedule Release, & MORE!

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

Speaker 2 (00:03):
RADIOA good morning, good morning, good morning, good morning everybody.
Well happy Abby, Abby Abby, Fox Sports Saturday broadcasting live
from the Fox Sports Radio studios. Yeah, what're the fellas,
Anthony Gargano, Kevin figures my main man figure on this

(00:23):
uh Mother's Day weekend? So just be good to mom,
all right, Mom's rule and uh just FYI figure. I
don't have to tell you, but the baby has to
give mom. The president.

Speaker 3 (00:41):
Oh, trust me, the president has already been purchased. The
President's ready. The baby has a card, the baby has
a gift. He is all set and locked in for
his first Mother's Day. Trust me.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
I see you're on top of it, dude.

Speaker 3 (00:52):
Well I'm not on top of it. My son, quote unquote,
he is on top of it right right. He loves mama,
does anything for mama.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
So that's it. That's it, that's it. I'm proud of you, man.

Speaker 3 (01:03):
You and your boys have any plans for your wife.

Speaker 2 (01:08):
So now we're at a different stage of life, okay,
all right right please, So so my wife's not exactly
thrilled by this weekend. So, uh, it's My oldest is
a freshman in high school. He uh so you have
to play two sports. He plays football and he rows

(01:30):
and uh we he's got a big race right now.
The rowing people do do Mother's Day up. This is
our first, my first, uh indoctrination in the row. And
now he's he'll do the rowing. And then my little
one plays travel baseball. So we have a tournament. So

(01:55):
I helped coach on the baseball. So so we have
a tournament and I'll be at the tournament all day
on Mother's Day, which doesn't really go over well no,
you know what I'm saying, It makes sense to me.
So meanwhile I hear so I went to one. I

(02:19):
try to you know, I try to do everything right,
so you know, you want to try to do for
both kids. So I'm always working with both of them.
Like they both play football, so I'm always working with
them there and I help out at his high school team.
But so the rowing I really having a chance because
it's baseball season. We didn't we were off one weekend,

(02:39):
I wanted to one of the rowing things and I
was like, I was blown away because it's it's just
these elaborate tents that are set up and you know,
they bring griddles all kinds of like food, like they're

(03:01):
making meals, Like the guy, what are the parents? It's unbelievable,
how incredible this thing is, Like they make ridiculous meals
for the kids and the parents because it's bizarre, right,
Like you're there all day and the race you know
and last a minute. You know, it's nuts.

Speaker 3 (03:24):
So I think the race is called regatta. Have to
use the actual term. Yes, it's somewhere some are I mean, okay,
I am completely out of the rowing space. I have
no I this.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
Is my first yeah, my first foray, So it's awesome,
like you know, it really is, I mean, and then
I recommend it like for like if for whatever sport
you play, may get you in shape, like absolutely, and
became a beast, you know, I mean he was. He
would always like I had n't lift him, but you

(04:00):
know he's just you know he's scary.

Speaker 3 (04:02):
Oh yeah, your arms, your back.

Speaker 2 (04:04):
Absolutely.

Speaker 4 (04:04):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (04:05):
I was like, wow, yo, dude, man, it's good. It's
really good. You know, it gets your core rolling. Man.
So but I didn't know, I didn't know where. It's
the whole culture. Man, it's wild anyway, I mean, like
they put so she was like, so we do the

(04:26):
travel baseball and she burns her, right, because we have
these tournaments and they go it's the Mother's ats ornament.
And meanwhile, what happens is the moms have to get
together and you know, they do like a they'll have
to have like, oh, we're gonna do mimosa's, so it's
like a table and they'll pick up little things and

(04:48):
you know they might have a mimosa whatever. I mean,
it's really not a lot. Meanwhile, the rowing thing, oh
they have everything. I mean you name it, like a
ridiculous high breakfast, you know, and then surf and turf
right like for a brunch, Like it's unbelievable what they have.
Nice and she's like, well, I'm going to be at

(05:11):
that rowing and they're taking care of the moms, unlike baseball,
where they just throw. We have to do our own.
It's a plastic glass of a mimosa and a dunkin
donut munchkin. Right. Well, I mean.

Speaker 3 (05:28):
She's not wrong, but first of whose idea was it?
And I know you have certain schedules in certain seasons.
This is the Mother's Day tournament, Like maybe can you
take a hiatus for a weekend.

Speaker 2 (05:39):
Well, that's possible. I mean, that's I mean, that's what
should happen. I mean, come on, right, right, they should
do that, but they don't, you know, I mean it's
not hya's for Easter. We were all for Easter, but
other than that, there was where we play every other weekend.

Speaker 3 (05:58):
I mean, it's not like, with all due respect to
the kids, these games are not like on ESPN eight
the OCHO or something where there's TV window time to
ask to be filled. I mean, you can definitely put
these off for another weekend or so back up the weekend.
Some people kids can spend a weekend with their mothers.
There's probably not too much to ask. Seems like a
little bit much to me.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
Yeah, dude, well if you think that's much, oh wait,
you're gonna wait, are you get in love? The fate
with the youth sports is unrecognizable from when we were kids. Okay,
and I'm older than you, so when you were a kid,
you know. I mean, it's not you know, ancient history,

(06:38):
it's it's completely different. It's not even it's unrecognizable. First
of all, you gotta play every sport, right, Like every
sport is all year long, like the basketball thing. Your
your travel basketball spring is a big deal, like you

(06:58):
can't play and be able to sport.

Speaker 3 (07:02):
Which is insane because back in the day, to your point,
you had you know certain sports throughout the year. If
you just take middle school or high school, you play
a certain play, play baseball, then you roll into basketball,
then you roll into football. It's a little bit of crossover.
But to your point, nowadays, I've definitely noticed you can't
play every sport because you're solely dedicated to the one.

(07:23):
There's no off season because once your your high school
season ends or your excuse me, your your your regular
school season ends. Now you're playing travel ball in the
off season or club in the AAU and basketball.

Speaker 2 (07:35):
It never stops.

Speaker 3 (07:36):
It never ends, which I think is travesty is strong,
but I really think you're doing a detriment to a
lot of the kids who ninety nine percent of them
are not going to go pro or not going to
play division on college basketball or baseball, and they just
want to have time to spending out there and have
camaraderie with their friends and their coaches. But everybody now
thinks that they have aspirations of being a major leaguer

(07:58):
or an NFL player, and so that no, no, you
gotta work in the off season, you gotta lift weights,
you gotta it's it's a little bit much, and I
think these kids are really overworked.

Speaker 2 (08:07):
Well I gotta do this for it. It's not. But
here's where it's changed too, because the nil is very real.
The it's not just about hey, you know we're gonna
try to you know, you could play and you're trying
to get to the NFL, and it's his dream that
everybody has. No you you're gonna get paid. You're gonna

(08:28):
go to college and get paid in college, which means
it's a huge pool. Right, So now all of a
sudden it's it's more of an attainable thing, a little.

Speaker 3 (08:43):
Bit more of an attainable thing. But I mean, like
I mean, and the skid always scales.

Speaker 2 (08:47):
As the numbers are the numbers, right, Like you know
the percentage, right, you know, I mean, obviously the percentage
it is. But when you're theoretically adding all those jobs
and that's what they are, right, those are very real.
They're real. I mean, I know, kids, well, I forget
the football. I mean, that's football is crazy. And I'm

(09:08):
not just talking about for quarterbacks. The quarterback thing is rare, right,
Like the quarterback you're you're I mean you're getting you know,
I'm not going to say you're you're set for life,
but you're getting money that you're good. I mean, if
you're if you're a good quarter I have a kid,
in fact, his dad's a friend of mine, who's a
sophomore in uh in high school. He and he's very good.

(09:35):
I mean, he's going to go to he's got all.
He just got Miami, he's got Georgia, Syracuse. I mean
he's going to wind up making you know, somewhere between
I don't know, five and fifteen million dollars, probably probably
closer closer to fifteen right over the course of his

(09:57):
college career. That's insane.

Speaker 3 (10:00):
I mean when you look at Carson Beck, you know,
by what ten million dollars in nil for him, Yeah,
I mean, ever played, if he never goes to the NFL,
if he's somewhat smart with his money, he is generally
set for life.

Speaker 2 (10:11):
Yeah. And that's and that's the that's the you know,
the high side and the and the and the biggest upside.
But like it's very real, Like there's kids, you know,
I mean, if you're a good quarterback and you get
the right training and the right care and everything else,
and it's it's not it's not insane.

Speaker 3 (10:33):
Yeah, well, even if you're not a quarterback, you know
certain collectives. And then this happened with Utah I think
it was two years ago, not last year, where a
giant Booster or o the nil collective gave every single
player on.

Speaker 2 (10:44):
The roster a truck.

Speaker 3 (10:46):
Yep, every player on the roster, whether you are a backup,
offensive lineman, walk on, whatever else, if you were on
the roster, they gave it to you. There's gonna be out.
And there's a lot more of those deals on Division
one programs. There's a ton of guys, the majority of
these people playing on these Division one rosters even have
no designs of making it, you know, to the NFL.
But you imagine want to give you a brand new
truck at nineteen years old, when usually you know, if

(11:09):
you can scrauch together a couple of shekels, you buy
yourself a little beater or whatever. Now all of a sudden,
you have a new car that you can drive around.
That's one less expense that you have. Oh yeah, I
mean these all those little things end up adding up.

Speaker 2 (11:21):
I mean, look, the roster, the roster is going to
be caught, the whole, the landscapes fast. I have been
doing deep dodves into this stuff and I'm fascinated. But
I'm also working on a college football, uh scripted show.
So you know, I have a friend of mine ro
coaches and we're so I'm trying to live it with them,

(11:44):
and dude, it's it's like we know it, but when
you hear it and what their day to day life is.
First of all, the idea that you know the kids,
they get to renegotiate their content twice a year, basically
twice a year when the portals are open December and April.

(12:08):
It's free agency. Like you, I was told to a
coach and the coach goes to me. Yet we don't
sleep until the portal's closed. We're hoping that we don't
get a call from the collective saying the kid wants
to renegotiate their kids. Because we have is, they'll have
agents and unlike the NFL, you don't have to register

(12:32):
to be an agent. I mean you're supposed to, but
it's never enforced. Correct. So you have all these these
kids you know, you have these agents that are just
rogue agents. Before you had street agents, right now you
have these. It's even worse because I was told you
had these Ivy League shark kids coming out and they're
repping kids, and then you know they're lying and we

(12:54):
have an offer from Clemson and they may not. But
if you if you need that linebacker or you need
that left tackle, because it all goes into it, you know,
like not having a left tackle, but you spent five
million dollars in a quarterback? What goods that? So at
the NFL it is well.

Speaker 3 (13:14):
And then there's also there's a flip side to this
too that doesn't get reported. A lot kids who do
sign his in IL deals and they never get paid
a cent. Who is a quarterback from unlv a's Suka
Sluka when he transferred out because he said he transferred
in or excuse me, he signed his letter of intent,
had it in IL deal and never got a single cent.

(13:35):
I think it was one hundred thousand dollars that he
said he was gonna get from either one l V
and they never gave it to him. So he said,
you guys had to breach a contract. I'm leaving.

Speaker 2 (13:42):
Yeah, you know it does work both ways to a
certain degree too. That's a rarity, it is, but it does.
It's a rarity. And there's also you know, and that's
the that's the issue about binding. They're not contracts, right
because there's no CBA agreements, right, yeah, and that allows

(14:03):
you know, the player has all the has all the advantages,
I mean, unlet and the only the only issue arises
is if the if those programs don't have it, you know,
just run out of money, which happens Joe. You know,
it's run out of money. If you're like a U.

Speaker 3 (14:21):
N l V versus a Georgia or right.

Speaker 2 (14:24):
Well, you never have to worry about that, right, Georgia
never has to worry about that.

Speaker 3 (14:27):
Right, If you're a middle, a middling program like that,
that's where the issue is gonna pop up.

Speaker 2 (14:31):
Well, it's gonna and that's gonna be fun. That's gonna
be interesting because the landscape's gonna change so dramatically with
this new ruling that rosters limits are gonna be one
hundred and five. Right, So talking to one of the coaches,
they were like, listen, we're not gonna be We're only
going to recruit like five to eight freshmen every year,

(14:53):
so they want older players. So you're going to go
and just go into the portal and raid. So that
means you're gonna have this complete division where those programs
you're talking about un l V, you know, Tulain all
there's they're gonna wind up being almost moder leagues.

Speaker 3 (15:17):
Yea, the programs, yeah, yeah, yeah, And I mean, and
I think we talked about this about a month or
so ago when the Grambling head coach said, look, if
a guy transfers out and gets an NIL deal, the
school that he leaves should get compensated for that. And
I do wonder if that's something that's gonna end up
sliding into place because these schools know, you know, if
you are if you're a mid major football player and

(15:39):
the big boys are gonna start calling after your sophomore
season seeing that you have some good upside, this is
gonna happen constantly.

Speaker 2 (15:45):
Over and over and over again.

Speaker 3 (15:46):
And it's it's I know, we only pay attention and
care about the you know, the Big ten in the
SEC and the ACC, but you know, these other leagues
are Division one programs too, And by the way, have
a claim to the College Football Playoff as well, and
you can't just keep po them over and over and
over again. They get literally nothing out of it. Now,
whether that's something that needs to be bargained between the
you know, with the NCAA and broker between all the

(16:08):
other conferences, I'm not sure, but it does scream of
unfairness that the power five schools can just are power
four schools can just keep poaching players from the smaller
conferences and the smaller conferences get nothing in return from it.

Speaker 2 (16:21):
I know, the system is completely messed up. I'm a
big believer and the kids should be paid. The only
the only issue when we're talking about this is they
wind up. The college experience is completely you know, perverted, right,

(16:41):
Think about it, like you're gonna go to three two,
three four schools, you're gonna go to one school. It's
presumably you're not one of the elite kids, right, Although,
because if all those big programs are only going to
offer freshman five to eight slots, most kids are gonna

(17:02):
wind up going to either JUCO because it won't count, right,
or go to you know that the mid majors go
to the max. Eh, So why you're gonna go to
Bowling Green for a year, and then you're gonna wind
up going to not North Carolina, that's for sure. Then
you're gonna go to SMU, and then you're gonna go

(17:24):
to Georgia. So you're gonna wind up going traverse the
country and go to three different schools. That shouldn't be
your college experience, you know.

Speaker 3 (17:33):
Yeah, but it's not about the college experience anymore. These
guys are semi professionals. They that's unfortunately what it's turned into.
Like again, I agree that they should be paid. And look,
there's no limits on coaches who are able to pick
up and leave. For everybody that argues against players that
you know, well, coaches can you know, get up and
leave their They signed a twelve year contract and can
leave that next year. Kids should be able to do

(17:55):
the exact same thing. And I certainly understand that sentiment
that are uh, but there has to be a level
of commitment somewhere, you know, especially I look at the
Nico eam Aliava situation where you can up and leave
in the middle of spring football practice when they ate
the full expectation that you were going to be a
starting quarterback and now they scramble to find a replacement. Yeah,

(18:15):
that just shouldn't happen. That shouldn't be allowed to happen.
Look credit to Nico.

Speaker 2 (18:19):
There's no rules.

Speaker 3 (18:20):
It's a town without a sheriff. He has the ability
to do it by all means. There should be legislation
in place that makes sure that stuff like that cannot happen.
I guess is my greater point.

Speaker 2 (18:31):
Now I feel this should I feel you can I
just tell you this, all that stuff aside, I just
I love I just can't wait for football to start.
Oh yeah, of course, I mean for you know, listen,
it's all crazy and then whatever. But man, come week zero,
there's nothing better. Well there's a week one better than

(18:53):
a week zero. But no, no, no, no, I'm that
week zero meaning it begins, it does begin, Yes, like
the whole thing like zero. Is it like I met
week zero leading into the season. Once college football's here,
I know we got still got a little ways to go.
But man, oh we just love it. We love it.

Speaker 3 (19:14):
It ends up mattering once they actually strap on the
pads just start playing.

Speaker 2 (19:18):
So we'll get to it. We'll we'll we'll get to
it all uh And you know, football I didn't mean
for this to wind up to start the show. But
we'll get into it. We got to talk NBA playoffs, man, absolutely,
I mean the Knicks, Celtics. The Knicks are the greatest, man.
I I can't believe now, you know, I'm a Philly guy.

(19:41):
The the Nova Knicks were were, uh, you know, a
bane of existence in Philadelphia. Absolutely, because they're winning with
our kids of course, you know, and now our pope
right like, but all kidd inside like the Nova Knicks are.
The Knicks are awesome, like that story. He's been great.

(20:01):
The playoffs all right, man, the playoffs have been good, living,
real good. So we'll go over with you. We got
that to do. We'll get back in the NFL. We'll
dive into some baseball, all kinds of stuff to get to. Oh,
Tony's ridiculous too, right, Oh my god, you expect him
to do that, I know every time. Oh my god.

(20:26):
We're the Fellas. Kevin figures in for Jason Fitz. I'm
Anthony got up right here every week Fellas on Fox.

Speaker 5 (20:35):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to listen.

Speaker 2 (20:46):
Live Fellas, Kevin Figures, Anthony Gargano Figure Cuz with You,
And last night, the NBA playoffs continue to entertain. I
know I railed on it on this regular season, but man,
there's something about the playoffs and it kicks in the gear.

(21:07):
Last night in Oh Team and Nuggets, Oh you know, fake,
it was one of those games where I'm like, God,
this is okay see And it felt like the entire game,
it leads leading into overtime. It felt like it was
gonna be an okay see game, right Yeah.

Speaker 3 (21:28):
And it was at a hill battle for Denver the
entire night. The entire night, even though it was close,
you never felt that. You always felt that Oklahoma City
was in control. I'll put it that way.

Speaker 2 (21:38):
I know, I know what did night between Jamal and
Murray who was terrific, and Michael Porter Junior and Gordon
my god, I mean, how about what Gordon's doing this
whole series, this whole playoff run? Oh my god? Wins
the game last night. He four for six from three,

(22:02):
eight boards, five assists, twenty two points, placed forty six
minutes with the OT. I mean, Jamal Murray forty eight minutes.
You know what's amazing is they they got their starters
Gordon forty six, Porter forty two, jokicch forty four, Murray

(22:22):
forty eight, and Brawn forty three.

Speaker 3 (22:26):
That's what the playoffs are about. I mean, he basically
played two guys off the bench, you know, Westbrook and
Watson Zechnology, got a cup of coffee, but really didn't
do anything. And this is why, and again I brought
it up multiple times. Low management hasn't been much of
an issue this particular season in the NBA. But this
is the reason why they do that is so that
these guys can Jamal Murray can literally play every single

(22:48):
second of the game in the postseason and play at
a high level. And by the way, he had health issues.
No one knew I was going to perform in the
postseason with his knee situation. That's part of the reason
why I wasn't super high on Denver.

Speaker 4 (22:58):
One.

Speaker 3 (22:59):
You make a coaching changed that late in the year,
Obviously things are bad and things are not pointing up
in the upswing for you. They've been terrible defensively literally
the entire season. Uh and Nicola Yolks by the Way
had one of his worst playoff performances that I can
think of.

Speaker 2 (23:15):
Granted total points of sixteen rebounds.

Speaker 3 (23:18):
Yeah, and they still find a way to win, which
is more That's what makes it such a big gut
punch for Oklahoma City. Now, granted, Shae didn't play great either.
He also struggled a lot. Uh Yeah, but Jalen Williams
is never going to play better than he played, you know,
basically he picked up that he basically was Shay last night.

Speaker 2 (23:39):
The probably their bench, right maybe their bench is so
good and so deep, but they got nothing really off
their bench last night, which is an oddity for them, right, well,
nothing off their bench.

Speaker 3 (23:51):
The big, the big zero for them has been Dort.
You really throw out the end of the first round
of the as well. Dort has really struggled offensively. Defensively,
he's fine, but he showt you know, over forty percent
from three in the regular season. This guy can't you know,
he fill out of It's ridiculous. And so he's really
killing him on the offensive end. And when you have

(24:12):
a guy who's going zero for four, oh for six
from three or whatever. It's been the last couple of
games and basically a negative, a net negative on the
offensive end of the floor. It's really hard to play
four on five with a team like Denver, who, when
they're on at least offensively, can score with the best
of them. Their defense might be up and down, uh,
but they can score with anyone. And when they choose
to lock in defensively, like they did in overtime, out

(24:34):
scoring them eleven to two. You know, that's that's the
championship medal. That's how you know they can end up
making a deep run despite dowgers like myself.

Speaker 2 (24:41):
Yeah, now what spot on. I mean, look, they were
nine for thirty five from three, you know, I mean
that's kind of that's what did him in.

Speaker 3 (24:52):
Yeah, well that's and we can get into that when
we talk more about the names in the Celtics series too.
You know, they'll live by the three, die by the
three situation that a lot of these teams find themselves in.
And look, it's one thing if the look at the
three point shot is not if we understand the analytic
of it, and you know, if you're not gonna be
able to make threes, generally speaking, you're not gonna win.
But when you're not making them and you're in a close,

(25:12):
competitive game, you've got to be able to pivot and
do something else. You can't just keep going out there
and chucking it up, you know. I always go back
to that game seven between the Rockets and the Golden
State Warriors. I don't know if it was twenty eighteen,
twenty nineteen. It was one of the Kevin Durant Warrior teams.
That was Chris Paul and James Harden, that Rocket team,
and they started like zero for twenty six when three
or something, and it's like, I know that you're bread

(25:33):
and butter, but at a certain point you gotta be
able to switch it up and find and find a
different method. Just trying to saving over and over again
when it's not working is not gonna.

Speaker 2 (25:42):
Work for you. I guess when I never understood is
you're if you're not shooting well, then you do not
do transition threes right now, you're bypassing layups for threes.
I I if you're not true by all means, if
you're feeling it all right, like you know like and

(26:05):
we know the difference, otherwise take take the easy bucket.

Speaker 3 (26:10):
Right and you're seeing too many teams nowadays, there was
a game and towards the end of the regular season,
I forget what he were playing, but to the hero,
basically passed up shooting a layup that would have drawn
the heat within like two points in the final thirty
seconds and pulled up for a three when there was
nobody you know, it could have been. Was basically a breakaway.
And he's like, yeah, I was feeling it.

Speaker 2 (26:30):
What you mean, you're feeling it? You have a layup?
Shoot the layup.

Speaker 3 (26:32):
But that was wrong with you.

Speaker 5 (26:33):
I know.

Speaker 3 (26:34):
That's the part of the NBA.

Speaker 2 (26:36):
Four times this year was already.

Speaker 3 (26:39):
When they'd be nice cold, yeah, and when you and
the problem with Boston too is it's not like you
don't have guys who can't attack. Jalen Brown Jason Tatum
are talented enough to be able to take guys off
the dribble, work in the pinch, post work, in the
mid range, and they're just choosing not to do it.

Speaker 4 (26:57):
I know.

Speaker 2 (26:57):
It makes no sense to me. Fields lazy is what
it feels. It is like I get that when they're
when they're shooting the ball, well, they're prolific, right, yeah,
but man, it's just it. I don't know. I'm with you.
I hate their offense. They shot Game one, they shot

(27:19):
sixty threes, right, sixty three, And you wonder why teams
come back on you.

Speaker 3 (27:25):
Right, I mean the three point that's the great equalizer,
the three point shot. Oklahoma City, perfect example. You win
by forty three points because you made eighteen or nineteen
threes the other night, but now you make nine or
forty or whatever it is, and now you lose the game.
You can lose by twenty, you can be down by
twenty and come back, or be up by twenty and
lose because of an over reliance on the three point shot.

Speaker 2 (27:47):
And you know, when you think about Okay se right
wherever they shot, I just said it from three, you know. Yet,
imagine if you didn't take thirty five threes and make
six or whatever it was, you wouldn't have went to overtime.
You don't won the game, correct, you know, absolutely? And
that game was That game was an ot game like Boston,

(28:08):
New York. The Knicks came back on him twice.

Speaker 3 (28:12):
Twice, down by twenty twelve minutes, you know, I mean
that's unfixable. It's unheard of, you know, And that's where
and I look.

Speaker 2 (28:20):
That's coaching, man, Yeah, that's your coach. I just have
a feeling that's why you're there. That's getting it to you.

Speaker 3 (28:28):
Yeah, getting into the hands of your players. Are saying,
Jaylen Brown, you're one for you're one for eight from three.
Maybe move inside a little bit, maybe take a go
hold school, do some mid range, which he can do.
Just attack the rim, attack the rim what you can
do and Tatum can do, and they're just choosing not
to do it.

Speaker 2 (28:43):
It is lazy and it feel you know to me.
That's that, to me, is coaching. Gata go back to it,
like you got to understand nobody knows your team like
you do, and that's where you got to be like, yo,
fella's come on man, yeah you know we need buckets. Now.

Speaker 3 (29:00):
There was an element too, because I don't know what
Joe Mizzoula is or isn't saying. In timeouts. He could
be saying, hey, Tatum, he needs to be more aggressive.
Tatum could take that as being like, all right, I'll
just shoot more, and it's like, well, no, be more
aggressive going to the rim. The coaches can only tell
the players what to do. Well, the players have to execute.

Speaker 2 (29:16):
The problem is though, Yeah, the problem is like you
don't see a sea change in your attack, right, so
you still see them firing up freeze, right, So I
mean I I doubt they're just completely you know, blowing
them off, right, Yeah, I mean, I mean, you know,
I think that's what you're I think a lot of
coaches almost stubbornly like we're not going away from what

(29:40):
we do, right and listen, I'm all for it. But again,
if you're gonna run your offense, you have to be
multi faceted, multi prommed, especially when we have great players
like that that you know, you get you get, you
get buckets when you need to get buckets when you're
when you're freeze not fault, right. I mean there's sets.

Speaker 3 (30:03):
Yeah, there's a philosophy like this is how we play,
which I understand. They look sometimes it doesn't work. Sometimes
you have to be, you know, a chameleon and change.

Speaker 2 (30:10):
You know, do you see because I don't see I
don't see them, at least in the first two games
of the series. I didn't see them not teake suddenly
stop taking threes and trying to run a different offense
when I made a different offense, but make different decisions
with the basketball.

Speaker 3 (30:27):
Yeah, you know, make you know, call plays that get
you guys, that gets guys on the move going towards
the basket, or you know, as opposed to trying to
set up the three as your first option. Now, granted,
this shooting the three point in some senses, especially in
the first half of Game two, help them get to
that twenty point lead, but at a certain point when
they start shipping away at it and it's not working,

(30:48):
you gotta do something to stimey the momentum. I mean,
I'm looking at Game two, for the game they lost
in overtime to the Knicks. You show twenty two of
twenty six from the free throw line. You could have
shot thirty six free throws if he didn't shoot six
two three pointers, you know what I mean. It's things
like that that that just don't sit well with me.
And that's the end game adjustments that you have to
be able to make in series adjustments. By the way,

(31:10):
I don't think that Boston is done in the series.
People are saying like, oh, the Knicks are gonna win
this thing in five. I do think Boston is too
good of a shooting team to continue to shoot this
poorly in the series.

Speaker 2 (31:20):
Now they'll have a game where they blow them out. Yeah,
they will, and that that could be I mean, you
know that could that could wind up being you know today.

Speaker 3 (31:28):
Yeah, I mean it could be the Cavs Indiana effects.
You know what happened in Indiana last night.

Speaker 2 (31:33):
Oh, that garden is going to be crazy. Will be
a hell of an atmosphere. Ah, the celebrity row all man,
that's gonna be nuts. It will.

Speaker 3 (31:45):
I'm going forwards it that the NBA is better when
the Knicks are good. I agree, if they haven't been
good very often the last twenty years. So yeah, this
is pretty exciting.

Speaker 2 (31:56):
The uh so, if you go back to game two,
Pritchard hits a three that puts him up sixteen, all right,
and then if you go down and you start looking
I'm looking at the play by play and they continue

(32:17):
to just jack up threes like there's a possession. They're
up fourteen, eighty four to seventy. Pritchett gets a board,
jacks up a three to get an offensive rebound. Pritchett
takes another thirty three foot three right clank clank bridges.

(32:40):
Right scores eighty four to seventy two. Horford three clank
bridges makes a lut eighty four to seventy four. Horford
misses bridges eighty four to seventy seven. Derek White misses

(33:04):
another three. All right, and then it's well, look, every
possession is a three, Derek White. It's eighty six eighty
Derek White missus a three. Heart makes it because the
Knicks are all inside, they're all in the paint.

Speaker 3 (33:20):
I mean, I'm just looking at the shot shart from
the fourth quarter. The Celtics are all above the three
point line than the Knicks have a handful of three
point shots, but they're all.

Speaker 2 (33:28):
In the paint. Josh Hart another one, little little floater.
It's eighty six eighty two. What happens? Jalen Brown misses
a three. It's unbelievable. Man.

Speaker 3 (33:38):
Well, you know what if you know how this works
to what ends up happening when the lead starts to shrink,
you know, and all of a sudden, there's more and
more pressure on the team that has to gie you're tighter. Yeah,
you're tighter, So your SHOT's gonna be a little bit
you know off, you know, you're pressing a little bit more.
It's easier to make her layup in that situation.

Speaker 2 (33:55):
Than nice to make a three tack the rent right,
you know again the little shoulder. I know. All right,
let's say quick to you continue our talk hanging on
a good Saturday morning. Hope everybody's doing well, fellas figure,
cause right here Fox Sports Radio, Fellas, Hey, be sure

(34:17):
to check out Fox Sports Radios YouTube channel. Tons of
great videos for many of our Fox Sports Radio shows.
Just search Fox Sports Radio on YouTube and you'll see
a whole bunch of video highlights from all of our shows.
Be sure to subscribe so you always have instant access
to our Fox Sports Radio videos on YouTube. Kevin figures

(34:42):
Anthony Gargan hanging out with you on this Mother's Day weekend. Hey,
I gotta throw this at you. So yesterday the Pablo Torre,
who's a really good podcaster for me ESPN guy, came
out and said that Jordan Hudson, Belichick's girl friend was

(35:04):
banned from North Carolina from the facility. In the whole thing,
right and man, right away, the statement came from the school.
She is not banned and she is welcome at the facility.
And you saw the picture of her in the cowboy
boots on the field. I mean, what's good ole fake.

Speaker 3 (35:28):
I feel like someone's playing some giant like joke on
us or something. Right, right, none of this is real
And this is like the most anti Bill Belichick thing.
If you would have told us, you know, eight nine
years ago, when the Patriots were still in the thick
of their dynasty, that a decade later, Bill Belichick would
be dating a twenty something year old who's you know,
a button head inside of an interview that he's doing
about their how they met, and whether or not she's

(35:51):
banned from the facility, no one would ever believe you.
You could not be able to make this up. We're
being I truly believe like this is like a real
life punked situation or something. None of this seems real.
I can't make sense of it. I really can't go on.

Speaker 2 (36:07):
It's the weirdest story ever. You know, forget about age
difference and whatever the optics are, just having a Bill
Belichick being led around by his nose. Yeah, I mean,
it's bizarre, like it's Belichick of all people, right, Like, listen,

(36:27):
you knew he was mercurial, right, Like, I'll never forget
during the thick of the Patriots run there is he
pops up in an interview on CNBC, and I was like,
oh my god, he was so ridiculously charming in the interview, right,

(36:49):
Like it wasn't about football. There was a little football,
but it was more about leadership, about life. He was
like showing this great depth, like and he was engaging,
he was charming. It was dirty, it was you know,
right in the middle of everything. And I'm going, man,
he does have a side toem. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (37:09):
Anybody that knows him, which I don't, but people have
talked to that do know what I'm saying, Like he's
very funny, very engaging. He just kind of puts on
for the media that this is really tough guy persona
that doesn't talk and doesn't but anyone that actually knows
him says that he's actually a pretty entertaining, pretty thoughtful,
pretty funny guy, which I've never denied. Certain people put
on certain faces for the media. I understand that. But

(37:32):
to your point, to seemingly be led around like a
puppy dog by a you know, a twenty what is
she twenty four, twenty three year old? Yeah, woman, it
just seems unbecoming of Bill Belichick.

Speaker 2 (37:42):
It really does well, especially when it feels like, hey,
It's one thing when you're doing yoga on the beach,
all right, all right, whatever, you know, it's weird but
all right, right to each his own. But when you're
she's woken around on the football field dressed like Katie Perry, Like,

(38:04):
I mean, yo, yo, Bill, this is something that now
let's work, Like how does that you want to talk about?
You know, the podcast and she's in charge of the
pocket like because the stories of that are are making
the rounds. It's crazy. Like, you know, people, it's a
small world, right, and some people will tell you all

(38:27):
kinds of stories about what's going on behind the otherdog thing, right,
But that's one thing the football field I thought that
was sacred.

Speaker 3 (38:36):
It should be, especially for someone like Bill Belichick.

Speaker 2 (38:39):
Well yeah, shit, you're gonna walk around in those boots
and the whole thing. Like what like if you're a
if you said your son there, your son was a
great player.

Speaker 3 (38:52):
No, well, first of all, I mean that the story
about the hard knocks that was initially gonna happen and
then wasn't gonna happen. The fact that it was even
discussed in a Bill Belichick program told me that something
was off, because that's something he never would have done
in New England. And then you follow that up with this,
I don't know if he's going through like a some
sort of crisis or something. You know, you can't call

(39:13):
it a mid life crisis. He's what eighty year knocking
on the door of eighty years old at this point
in time. But I still something's definitely happened in there.
I don't know what it is, and I don't think
it's good for inst for you, unc football, I'll put
it that way. Everyone's talk about everything except football, and
that's the anti Belichick.

Speaker 2 (39:29):
At least a Belichick we've known for the last forty years.
It's it's the whole thing is just so crazy, man,
It's insane. All right, Fellas, Big Hour coming up next up,
going to her right here, Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (39:47):
Don't listen to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (39:50):
Well, good morning, good morning, good morning, happy happy Mother's
Day weekend to all cross the country. It is the
fe Kevin Figures Anthony Garganta as we come to you
alive from the Fox Sports Radio studios. Figure. Uh, best
mom and sports moment that you've ever had, Oh mom

(40:13):
in sports moment, it could be her taking you to
one of your games, it could be watching a game together,
just any kind of confluence of mom and sports.

Speaker 3 (40:27):
There is not many, to be honest, because my mother
did support all of my athletic efforts when I was
in middle school or have you, But my mom is
not a sports fan at all, so we never actually
sat and watched sports together. The fact that she made
a great effort to come to many of my games,
even again, a lot of games where I didn't even play.
But the fact that she, know, working to sometimes three

(40:49):
jobs and it's still carving out time in her day
to make sure that she supported what I did was
really big of her. And I know there are a
lot of friends whose parents were in the same situation
and they didn't necessarily get at least that consistent support.
So I've always loved and appreciated her for supporting the
things that I was involved in. So I can give
that as a general overview for sure.

Speaker 2 (41:11):
Yeah, Yeah, which is huge.

Speaker 3 (41:13):
You know, anybody that's not that's you know that is
a parent or you know, has been in a situation
like that. You just knowing you have that sort of
support from anybody that you care about, let alone your
actual parents, is so huge.

Speaker 2 (41:25):
Yeah, it's it's it truly is and it shows you
your you know, the selflessness that they had right, Like
they're not My mother wasn't into sports either, right, but man,
you know because we loved it. You know, they would
do anything, right, you know. I remember my mother and
my aunt there were sisters, and uh, they would take

(41:50):
me and my cousin to the baseball game. You know
that mean, like clockwork, we had people there and they
would It was like a great cheap day out right,
and we loved it, right because we're just you know,
it's going to the Phillies game, going to the ball game, yeah,
and the countless games. And then she would come to

(42:10):
our games and and her and my aunt and and
it was it was the best you know that they were.
They they're special. Uh all right, So let's let's dive
back into the NBA for a second, because today here's
what we got going on. So you're we got Game
three of Celtics and Knicks. Now it's gonna be back

(42:34):
at the garden. The Knicks. You know, it's funny. I
thought they were good, but I didn't think that they
were a championship team, did you.

Speaker 3 (42:46):
No, I mean, truth be told I still don't. But
in the big stat that everybody used against them heading
into the postseason is they're losing record or subpar record
against quality opponents that they beat up on a lot
of bad teams, but when they came to actually facing
the cream of the crop, they really struggled. And now
you totally flip that at this point in time and

(43:08):
look at what they've done to Boston or granted you
fall behind twice by twenty points, but to the grit
and the fight to be able to come back and
do that to them on the road, the defending champions.
It says something about just their mental makeup and how
tip they are. And like nobody will ever question the
mental toughness or physical toughness of a TIBs team. Usually

(43:30):
the issue that people have is like they end up
getting run down. Because we talked about all the minutes
that the Nuggets starters played last night. You know, usually
TIBs teams, by the time they get to the game six,
game seven of a series are just worn out because
they played so many minutes. So I wonder how that
attrition is gonna end up. Like Michael mccal bridges played
fifty one minutes in Game one fifty one. I know

(43:51):
they win the overtime, but I mean fifty six Randanobi
Brunton only forty four, which is impressive, like so eventually
and between.

Speaker 2 (44:01):
And these are grind minutes like these are these these
are these aren't highway miles, you know.

Speaker 3 (44:09):
Yeah, say what you want about Boston. Yes, they shoot
a lot of threes. They ain't soft, right, these are
These are tough, physical games that you're playing.

Speaker 2 (44:17):
So I wonder how those Nova Nicks are used to
playing like that. They're used to playing big minutes, and
they're grit like Josh Hart. Yeah, he does every bit
of grit. I love Josh Hart because he's the ultimate
lunch pal guy. He'll readbown four, you step back, make

(44:39):
a three. He's got great court vision, so always making
the right pass. He usually makes the right basketball play
like he's just such a glue guy. Him and Bridges
are I I you know, I mean Brunson. Brunston is
just the beast man, the gest tough as they come.

(44:59):
He's a Roodelphia guard with all kinds of tough things.
You just relentless. He's not scared.

Speaker 3 (45:05):
You're not scared of the moment that doesn't care. That's
one of the cluss I think there's I guess that
there's a new award over the last couple of years,
the Clutch Player of the Year, which he won because
every time a big shot needs to be made, it
was always Jalen Brunson.

Speaker 2 (45:19):
I got.

Speaker 3 (45:19):
I want to think for a lot of people that
still doubt it, he's not seen as a you know,
top ten player in the NBA. The way that he's
played the last three seasons, I don't know how you
can argue against it. When you know he's gonna get
the ball. You know, he's taking every big shot and
more often than not, at least it seems like he
makes it and when it matters most, and big big
moments against you know, the defending champions on.

Speaker 2 (45:40):
The road twice, Yeah, the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (45:43):
It's insane.

Speaker 2 (45:44):
Do you remember when the Knicks offered that contract and everybody,
you and I are probably like, wow, man, that's a
lot of money for Brunson. Right, he was good in Dallas.

Speaker 3 (45:58):
He was he was a good player, and he had
a couple of breakout games. They were like all right, cool,
but it's like wow, the Knicks really overreacting and just
overpaid this guy because they had money to spend and they.

Speaker 2 (46:07):
Have to spend it on somebody. It turned out to
be a great turned out to be great signing man.
Phenomenal signing.

Speaker 3 (46:15):
I mean a steal, one of the great free agent
acquisitions in the last you know, fifteen.

Speaker 2 (46:19):
Years, do you? And again you know they have they
have the great to knock that to actually finish the job. Now,
I agree with you. I'm not counting Boston out because
they can go into the Garden and win by forty
today like you that can at some one of those games,
their threes are gonna fall and it's gonna be they'll

(46:42):
be ugly. Right. So if you're an if you're a
fan of the Knicks, you just got to look at
it like it's math. Man. I just need to win
one of these two games at home. That was my thought.
I gotta get one.

Speaker 3 (46:57):
I need to be three to one going back to
Boston to feel good myself.

Speaker 2 (47:01):
Yeah, and you then you feel great because you go,
all right, Boston. If I'm up three to one, Boston
is gonna have at night where they don't shoot the ball. Well,
they're not gonna shoot the lights out in all three games.
You know, in five, six, and seven, a couple of them,
I would have bet that they would, yes, right, but

(47:23):
there's gonna be a game where they don't shoot well,
and that's gonna be our opening to close them out.

Speaker 1 (47:28):
Right.

Speaker 3 (47:29):
Well, you know people always talk about when you know
a player is hot or a team is hot, there's
a regression to the mean. I often feel like with
teams like Boston there's a progression back to the mean. Yeah,
not as bad as they've been shooting these last Cup
they were one of the best three point shooting teams.

Speaker 2 (47:43):
In the entire league. Yep.

Speaker 3 (47:44):
That's how they thrive. That's how they won sixty games,
sixty one games this year. So they're gonna get back
to being themselves here. It's probably gonna start today. I honestly,
if I had to bet, and I don't know what
the line is, I would absolutely favorite Boston, even though
they're in New York, because their backs are essentially against
the I think Boston's winning this game today, and the
big one is gonna be Game four.

Speaker 2 (48:04):
Boston's five and a half.

Speaker 3 (48:06):
I'd see, yeah, And you know what, I'd probably take that.

Speaker 2 (48:09):
And I think last night Cleveland was around I mean
that maybe they were four and a half five, well
ask the brain later, but I think they were four
and a half five yesterday in Indiana, right, which is
also a tough place to play. And you know, the
Pacers have been doing the same thing the Nicks have
been doing to to Boston with the Pacers have done

(48:32):
to Cleveland.

Speaker 1 (48:33):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (48:33):
Well, I mean I'm telling you talk about in game
adjustments or in series adjustments. You know, Cleveland one number one,
Cleveland getting three of their top players back makes a
huge difference. I mean, not having those guys. Yeah, he's
obviously tough sledding and they still almost won that game. Yeah,
excuse me, but switching up and playing his own defense,
just completely throwing Indiana out of their out of sorts.

(48:54):
I mean, Howlett Burdon had what three points or whatever?
I mean, you had a horrible playoff game, like the
worst playoff games of his career after going off in
games winning game two.

Speaker 2 (49:04):
Yeah, well, I mean think about it when you all
of a sudden box him in and he's a terrific player, right,
and he's right, yeah he can, but he needs space
to work. And you know they clogged. It was smart.
It was a good move and it really messed him up,
mess their rhythm up. You know. I mean he's a

(49:26):
good shooter, but he's not great shooter. He's got to
penetrate right well.

Speaker 3 (49:30):
And then the problem is when you're penetrating too And
now you have Evan Mobley, the defensive player of the year,
back on the back line and even the front line
at times on his own defense.

Speaker 2 (49:38):
That's just hard.

Speaker 3 (49:39):
That's tough sledding him. By the way, Donovan Mitchell's been
a beast like even though they lost the first couple
of games. I mean, it wasn't because of him. He's
been spectator and continued it last night.

Speaker 2 (49:50):
He's a game.

Speaker 3 (49:51):
He gets lost in the shuffle when talking about great
players and great playoff performers. You know, even those Utah
teams were never great, but he always brought it.

Speaker 2 (50:00):
You know, he was always you.

Speaker 3 (50:01):
Knew you could rely on Donovan Mitchell to play well
when it mattered.

Speaker 2 (50:03):
Most, do you? Because which fascinated to this the next thing,
because just to get back to it, I didn't think
that they were a title team, right, championship contender? Man,
you know, they could they could beat Cleveland. I mean

(50:25):
this team could go to the finals. They could. I mean,
you beat Boston.

Speaker 3 (50:29):
I mean that's obviously gonna be the toughest test you're
gonna face through the Eastern Conference. So if you can,
if you if you find a way to be Boston,
why can't you beat Cleveland and certainly Indiana at that point?

Speaker 2 (50:40):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, and do way you're great is they're
a great story man.

Speaker 3 (50:49):
There really are. And it's as hard as it is
for people to root for, you know, a team like
New York just you know, the market and all that,
the way that they play, they're easy to root for
because they're not superstar late and we talked about Jalen
Brunton not being lauded as a great superstar face of
the league type. They don't have any superstars like that.

(51:09):
They don't have Lebron, they don't have you know, you know,
Jason Tatum. They're just a workmanlike crew. And yes, Jays
Jalen Brunt is a great player, but the police is
around him. It's like a hole is better than some
of its parts. Like they're just a very very tough,
defensive minded team who never gets down. They get down
by twenty and they fight back and never give up.
So it's usually it's rare that a team like New

(51:31):
York can end up being a favorite or like a
darling of your sort of your everyday NBA fan who
usually would hate on a franchise like the Knicks or
the Lakers or a major market team like that.

Speaker 2 (51:42):
I know, I know. You know what's wild too, is
you're gonna have like that scene tonight is gonna be amazing.
That's gonna be a great scene.

Speaker 1 (51:54):
Man.

Speaker 3 (51:55):
Yeah, because what was the last time Nick fans had
like real hope, true hope. It's been a while.

Speaker 2 (52:03):
Trying to remember. Like I covered, I used to work
for New York Posts and I covered the last kind
of before this. I mean, hey, I mean nineties right
Riley into Jeff, and I mean it was it was
great stuff. I mean I was at that game where

(52:25):
there was the big brawl of Miami and Alonzo Morning
had had Van God, it was holding it was crazy
Vic Goddy's holding on. There was ankles and a lots
of Morning trying to shake him off like he's a
like a shit zu right, like a little dog. It
was bizarre. It was crazy. Yeah, Yeah, it was wild. No, man,

(52:54):
it's been a long time three point thirty today Eastern.
I mean that's gonna be uh, that's gonna be a
spectacle man Saturday afternoon at the Guard. That's great sports
right there. It really is, it really is.

Speaker 3 (53:08):
And I you know this is you know, no shade
to the Boston Actually plenty of shade to the Boston Celtics.
I know, no disrespect. But I'm a Laker fan. So
anytime Boston wins, I lose. That's the way I look
at it. So I hope the Knicks actually come out
and come out in full force behind their home crowd
and find a way to get this win and go
up through nothing. The problem is, I think Boston is

(53:29):
just too good and too talented. I don't see that happening.

Speaker 2 (53:33):
Yeah, it's funny. How's How's how's the fallout been for
you between the Lakers and Clippers? Not great.

Speaker 3 (53:42):
I think both teams had aspirations of winning their series.
I think a lot of pundits thought that both teams
both LA teams have win their series in five or six,
so obviously disappointing. I think more disappointing for the Lakers
because people thought that the offensive ceiling with Luca Lebron
and Austin Reeves would just be too much for Minnesota,
even though Minnesota is younger and has a lot of wings,

(54:04):
and for whatever reason, Austin Reeves came up small. Lebron
had one great game, but it was okay the rest
of the series. Luca got sick in Game three, I
believe it was, and it wasn't himself, So I would
say it's measured disappointment because honestly, the roster was not
really formulated for success.

Speaker 2 (54:23):
Around Luca Doncership's talents.

Speaker 3 (54:25):
That's why people say it's so hard to win a
championship or make a deep run when you make such
a seismic trade mid season. It almost never happens where
a team makes a deep run because there's the team
is built one way in the offseason, and now you
have to change your entire orbit around a different type
of player. That's just really hard to change on the
on you know, a mid season. And for the Clippers

(54:48):
it was actually as not shocking, but yeah, you thought
that James Harden being the you know, the big guy
and not the a guy on the team might help
and let a little bit of pressure. But the problem
is they still relied on him. Kawhi Leonard can play well,
but they were not going to win unless James Harden
pulled his weight and unfortunately in all of the lowss.

Speaker 2 (55:10):
I lived through it, dude, Yeah, I live through it. Ah,
Game six against the Celtics close them out hardest. Some
guys just for.

Speaker 3 (55:24):
Whatever reason, can't get it done when it matters the most,
but yet they want to run it back. Lawrence Frank said, like,
you know, James Harden is our top priority in the
off season, so they have no designs of letting them go.

Speaker 2 (55:37):
Yeah, I mean, listen, you know you can get this
certain threshold.

Speaker 3 (55:42):
Yeah, I mean, look, he played seventy nine games. It
was a really good player. His numbers were listened this year.

Speaker 2 (55:46):
He's a great ballplayer, man, Like he just is great ballplayer.
He just always will lump up. I mean, that's just
gotta say what it is, you know, I mean you
see it every year.

Speaker 3 (55:59):
Well, it's really hard to try to build the championship
contender around someone who is an eighty two game player
but can't really bring it with it matters when you
need him the most in the postseason.

Speaker 2 (56:10):
There's something about I don't know what it is. Too,
because it's not like in the games, it's really he
just played poorly, like the whole game.

Speaker 3 (56:21):
Yeah, I'm saying it's not like the final thirty seconds
he's like over thirty or whatever.

Speaker 2 (56:24):
It's right or short your front rims it and short
arms like like that. He's tight tight, he just plays
bead right bad.

Speaker 3 (56:35):
And you know it's and I mean this this has happened.
He's been in the league now for what fourteen years
whatever it's been. Yeah, I mean this goes back to
his days at Oklahoma City. Yeah, that NBA Finals series
they lost to the Heat. He was terrible. Yeah, after
being probably their most important player, not for kidding, not
named Kevin Durant. He had that entire postseason run leading
up to it.

Speaker 2 (56:55):
And the issue is, like you can say all you want,
like he's he's not the prime merry guy. He's got
the ball in his hands, correct, He's the point he's
the point guard. So because you have the ball in
your hands, you have to play. There's no hiding. It's
not like you know you're playing off the ball. You ball,
You're it's about you, right, I mean I dealt with

(57:18):
it within beating him and listen, and they were both
I mean they played well together, but like game six,
they're up three to two against Boston, Game six and home,
and they just were tight the chances to pull away.

(57:39):
In that game. Jason Tatum was hard. I don't know
if you remember the game. He was like Jason Tatum
was like one for twenty two or something, Yes, something ridiculous. Yes,
And then they're hagging around, hagging around the harder to bead.
They can't get any separation. And then then Tatum fallally

(57:59):
got hot like five of his last six or something
like that. Yeah, yeah, inside inside three minutes in the game,
and they just and they ran away the last three
minutes and the game seven, they'd even show up Game
seven and I saw him do it. You're previous against
Miami where they don't show up I mean hard. It
just didn't fly. It like he was shot after game six.

Speaker 3 (58:22):
Yeah, that's the hard part. Like we're just talking about
a guy like Jalen Brunson, you know, work hard, bulldog,
Maybe not the most naturally talented, but there's an it
factor to him.

Speaker 2 (58:33):
He's not scared of the moment.

Speaker 3 (58:36):
I mean, James Harden is a better player than Jalen
Brunson if we're just put him side by side like
prime for prime. But if you're asking like who would
I rather have on my team? Would anybody argue against
a Jalen Brunson? Oh No, I mean he's just built differently.

Speaker 2 (58:49):
Yeah, Now he's man. He's just tough, strong with the ball,
and he just lays it out. I mean, you know
that's not hard. He's game right, right. But I got
to answer you what the Bakers sure, and we're gonna
take We'll take quick TL, we'll come right back. But
what do you do? What do you do? Are you
gonna go after a big? Do you want to take

(59:11):
a shot with Joe LMBI? Do you want to make
a beast? Now? After the break? No, think about it.
Think a moment, Think about how you would respond to
the trade offer? All right? Where the fellas hanging out
on a Saturday morning, Mother's Day weekend right here on
Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 5 (59:29):
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 2 (59:43):
Fellas Figgie, Kevin Figures, I'm cuz Anti Garget, I'm hanging
out on a Saturday morning, Mother's Day weekend, our fine
production team, pre Brie and of course mighty mark Uh.
I asked you a question because I was curious to

(01:00:04):
see how desperate right now the Lakers for a big
would they take a flyer on, say Joel Ebid?

Speaker 3 (01:00:14):
Absolutely not, no way, you know, first of all, outside
of the obvious reasons, the injury history and all that
he's making fifty five million dollars next year, followed by
fifty eight, sixty two and then sixty seven the years
after that. On top of the fact, again like I mentioned,
injury issues, one the Lakers couldn't put it put together

(01:00:37):
enough salaries to even trade for Joel Embiid.

Speaker 2 (01:00:40):
And I think, yeah, we worked it out. It was
like Hotchie more like, you're not giving up anything, okay,
I mean it's only the only think you're giving up
is like a pick. There's like two picks and Dulton
Cannact and the rest are just expiring contracts.

Speaker 3 (01:01:02):
Yeah, I mean those expiring contracts are kind of important
to what they do. Like riochmorro Is one of their
top rotation players. Austin Reeves obviously is their third option.
You know, Gabe Vincent came on towards the end of
last season.

Speaker 2 (01:01:15):
I think you're getting it without read You're you're not
getting up giving up Reeves.

Speaker 3 (01:01:20):
That would be the okay, because it was under my
assumption that you would have to give them up if
you're making that trade, in which the Lakers would not do.

Speaker 2 (01:01:26):
So you're said a way to do it without that,
because here's the thing, if you're the Sixers, you have
to make a decision. Now. I don't I don't think
they're going to do this because I think More is
gonna run it back and it's going to be another disaster.

Speaker 3 (01:01:47):
Well, there's there's very little wigger room that he has.

Speaker 2 (01:01:50):
Well no, I mean you have two choices. You give
and beat away and Paul George away nothing right. Basically,
what we can do is you get out of the
contracts and you build around Maxie McCain and you know,
you just you start over. You have a you have

(01:02:12):
a lottery pick coming up, you know, and and then
so you build that way and you just scrap it right,
and if you're the Lakers, you're going all right. Like
I'm still like, here's a shame about him being is
that he has to come to grips with his knee

(01:02:34):
is got you know, cartlage damage right, Like, there's a
lack of cartilage, and it's sometimes painful and uncomfortable. Really
more than pain, it just doesn't sometimes doesn't feel right,
which messes you ups. But he can play like he's

(01:02:56):
got to get through it and Tody, he could play now.
He may not be his old explosive self which made
him like ridiculous, but he's still a plier.

Speaker 3 (01:03:08):
Yes, but you're asking me to trade for a player
who again has four more guarantee years on his contract
at sixty plus million dollars, who you just mentioned, has
no cartilage, who's born on bone, which is only going
to get worse as he gets older. Who anywhere is
trading for that?

Speaker 2 (01:03:24):
That's the issue. Well, especially with this new restrictive.

Speaker 3 (01:03:27):
CBA with first and second April luxury taxes and all that,
and this guy's going to eat up thirty percent of
your salary cap of the amount of money he's making.

Speaker 2 (01:03:34):
I don't know if any team would trade for that
contract right now. That's that's the problem. No, I'm with you.
I mean it has to be a special situation, like
how many years does Lebron have left. Yeah, well, look,
I would think you know, he had a player because
here's the thing. You know, medical science is amazing, right,

(01:03:58):
so you know there's with transplanters, what kinds of things
that they can yeah, to extend Yeah, to extend careers. Right,
And it's a great selling point. By the way, I
love the job you're doing. This is great. Well, he
could play like it's not like he like he's a talent.
He's a talent. Like you're not getting anybody else anywhere,

(01:04:22):
You're not getting anybody close to his ability. No, but
even if he's not what he was at his prime,
he's still a great player. Yeah, you're right, you're gonna
have Now you have. Did Lebron complain about not having
the big.

Speaker 3 (01:04:41):
Well, yeah, when the problem is so now you have
Lebron making fifty, you have Luca making fifty, and you
have him making fifty. So now you have to fill
out the roster with a bunch of minimum salary guys.
Lebron is forty and has had injury issues. Luca is
twenty six. But I mean it's had issue of injury issues.
That's why he got traded. Endurability or whatever, his weight
whenever you whatever. Dalla tried to make up as why
they traded him and then beat us health issues. So

(01:05:04):
those are gonna be your big three with the roster
full of minimum salary players having to fill the rest
of it out. I mean, it's gonna be hard to
get through eighty two games having those guys play the
bulk of the minutes in the bulk of the games,
just don't have any depth.

Speaker 2 (01:05:16):
You have no doubt. You're just doing this for the
play I mean, you're gonna be a four or five
seed and you're doing it to take a shot in
the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:05:25):
Isn't be going to be available and healthy for the playoffs?

Speaker 2 (01:05:28):
I mean, I wish I could tell you that.

Speaker 3 (01:05:30):
But that's the that's the problem, man. That's why I
can't make the move.

Speaker 2 (01:05:34):
Even if I could. I don't see what we make
the move. I will. You're not You're not gonna go.
You're not gonna win. The issue is, and I know
what you're trying to do, which I would do the
same thing, which is prolong your window with Luca. Correct
And that's what you're trying to do. And that makes
sense to me. I mean I get it. Yeah, I'm not.

Speaker 3 (01:05:57):
I don't think the problem is I'm not prolonging my
window with Luca by trading for Embiid, who is a
taking time bomb, who might he might retire before his
contract is even up. His injury history is that dire,
with a frame that big, with the kind of injuries
that he's had. Yes, there's medical science and they have
injectionable ejectionable cartilage and all that stuff, which lasts for

(01:06:19):
like two weeks. By the way, I just don't see
them doing that. They'd rather let Lebron James walk after
next season, after at least or maybe the season after that,
clear off money and they try to go into free
agency and try to bring in another start to play
with Luca that way, or trade for somebody younger or
more durable.

Speaker 2 (01:06:38):
But you're not trade for you don't have any assets
to trade for anybody of note. No, you can't improve
on the margin.

Speaker 3 (01:06:46):
You can get a big you can get somebody that
can come in and be a lob threat, which Luca wants.
You can improve around the margins, sure, and bank on
Austin Reeves and Lebron and Luca be having a full
training camp together and formulating an offense and having some
continuity while adding another piece or two. I do that
before I would trade for someone like Joel Embiid.

Speaker 2 (01:07:07):
Yeah, listen, it's fair, it's I don't blame you, Yeah,
but I.

Speaker 3 (01:07:15):
Feel bad for the Sixers just in general, because it's
really hard trying to find a way out of that
MB contract at this point.

Speaker 2 (01:07:22):
Yeah, well, I mean you can't. I mean again, unless
you had a team that goes right, well, I'll take
a shot, and we just went through the exercise and
taking a shot on a great player with a degenerative
knee is you know, I mean, I don't know always
doing that. Yeah, I don't think the Lakers would be
the only to be the only place to go, because

(01:07:45):
you go, well, if the knee, if you can handle it,
you're getting a great player, you know. But the problem,
like you said, is you know, what's he going to
be like in three years or four years and when
that contract is still going on and yeah, you know
what that kind of money.

Speaker 3 (01:08:02):
I would entertain an anthony if he was on the
second to last year of his deal or something. Yeah,
maybe I'd do that, But when his contract isn't up until.

Speaker 2 (01:08:10):
To d and I it's saddens me because but I
like it beating, and I think he gets a raw
deal in the sense that you know, he got he
got injuries. He's a huge guy and he's hurt. You
can't control that sort of thing, you know, and he's

(01:08:33):
always flying on the floored it. I mean, that's kind
of how he's always played.

Speaker 3 (01:08:38):
Yeah, I mean, look, Anthony Davis got a lot of
flack out here for that exact same reason. He always
always heard and he's soft and he's so he's not soft,
but he just gets injured a lot. That happens to
certain guys for whatever. Some guys are injury prone and
it's it's not their fault. They can't control it. It
just happens. That's especially if you're especially if your body's

(01:08:58):
built a certain way like em beat, you know, and look,
you have a devastating injury already, you know, your first
year coming out and then you know you start compensating
and doing other things. Is going to build up over
the course of your career. And look, a body frame
as big as his and as good of an athlete
as he was in his prime, is not meant to

(01:09:19):
like take the beating and the wear and tear and
running up and down the court as often. So just
that in and of itself is not good or conducive
to long term success. Add on the fact on top
of that, the fact that he's had a history of injuries.
It's just it's it's a recipe for disaster.

Speaker 2 (01:09:33):
Yep, yep, yep. Now, but it's interesting in how teams
get built. Right, So right like you look at Indiana obviously,
okay sees the crown jewel. I mean, you're still in
the in the best possible situation. You got a million picks.

(01:09:54):
You're as deep as they come. You look, you know,
I mean that's one of wanted how you built the
idea of And this is what you know I was
talking about this week because Darryl Morey spoke for the
first time. I mean, all they were was star hunting,
star hunting, star hunting. We're getting stars. I got news

(01:10:17):
for you. This era of ball you're better off building
it correctly.

Speaker 3 (01:10:25):
And these new I brought up the first and second
luxury tax aprons, which is very punitive. If you're over
a certain threashold for a certain amount of time, you're
just not gonna be able to build around two and
three stars anymore.

Speaker 2 (01:10:38):
You can't sustain that.

Speaker 3 (01:10:41):
You're gonna have to build through the draft, get minimum
salary guys, mid level guys, cultivate them, shift those guys
out for somebody else new. That's kind of the new
era of the NBA. You cannot have a roster where
you're paying three guys sixty million dollars each is just
not gonna be financially feasible. You're gonna end up kill
yourself by not having the ability to make trades, by

(01:11:03):
not being able to by having draft picks taken away.
So it's really I'm really interested to see how the
NBA revolutionizes itself over this next five to eight year
stretch with these new rules in place, Like, how does
the hou's Oklahoma city going to sustain this? Because yeh,
Shay Iss coming up in a couple of years on
free agency where he's going to be able to make

(01:11:23):
fifty plus million dollars. Jalen Williams is on his rookie
deal next year, he's going to be a free agent.
He's going to command over thirty million dollars. You still
have harden Stett, You have all these guys making all
this money. You're not going to be able to keep everybody.
People are talking about this with Boston, like Boston at
some point this offseason, probably to avoid the second luxury
at tax, Apron is going to have to end up

(01:11:44):
getting rid of somebody, whether it's Drew Holladay, Derek White, someone.
You're just not going to be able to have all
these high salary guys on your roster for six seven
years anymore. It's a different landscape in the NBA.

Speaker 2 (01:11:55):
Now, yeah, yeah it is. I mean, look, you know,
but looking in the add of that that play, I
mean you have hal Burton and company. I think the
new model is going to be more like one star
correct and really good players around them. Yep.

Speaker 3 (01:12:13):
Yeah, one guy's making sixty, you have a three or
four guys making twenty five. You know, a couple of
guys making fourteen. That's kind of like the model that's
going to be.

Speaker 2 (01:12:21):
The model that's Indiana. You know, that's okay, see right now,
right now?

Speaker 3 (01:12:29):
Right well, even Cleveland, you know a lot of their
impact players, say for Donovan, Donovan Mitchell are on rookie
scale deals, are their second contracts, right, So those guys
haven't gotten into a position where they can really get
paid yet.

Speaker 2 (01:12:39):
But I mean it's almost like the rookie quarterback. It's
exactly what that is, you know. Yes, yeah, you guys,
that's your win, that's your opportunity to win, to win.
Next hour, by the way, oh all football, Oh the
football hour. Yes, it's the witch hour, it's the full hour.

(01:13:05):
You know. The schedule comes out Wednesday.

Speaker 3 (01:13:08):
Yes, I think they're gonna tease us with the international
schedule on Tuesday.

Speaker 2 (01:13:13):
And then I got a couple of games if you
want them, you yeah, well look at you well you
know they're guests.

Speaker 3 (01:13:23):
Inside information.

Speaker 2 (01:13:24):
He was like, all right, I think an educated guests.
All right, all right, we'll we'll have some fun with it.
Win totals for a chance to kind of dissect where
everybody's at the big Cowboys trade. Yes, like, I can't wait.
There's a lot to talk about.

Speaker 3 (01:13:44):
All right, finally did something.

Speaker 2 (01:13:46):
Huh. I mean that's a big move. It is. It's
a big move. CD Lamb and George Pickings together. I
still think they needed better or that they needed more
of a running running back. But we'll talk about where
the fellas right here on Fox Sports Radio. Fellas don't

(01:14:06):
forget for the best pregame show every weekend. Be sure
to tune into Fox Sports Radio's Countdown presented by BETMGM
every Saturday Sunday morning nine am to noon Eastern six am.
It's nine Pacific will count you down to all the
biggest games of the day. Tune in the Countdown presented
by BETMGM every Saturday and Sunday morning, right here on

(01:14:28):
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. So fake. We
got one of our fine listeners and my man, Eddie Webster,
and Eddie goes the NBA playoffs. It just goes on
too long. It's drawn out. And my response is, I

(01:14:53):
hear you, but I like it. I think it's great theater.
Now it completely devalues the regular season, and I get that,
and it kills the regular seasons momentum, and I'm with you,
I get it, but I enjoy these playoffs. I love
the hockey. NBA playoffs seasons are awesome. Like I go
back and forth. We had baseball last night, we had

(01:15:16):
a we just started our weekend tournaments. At a game.
I come back, I catch the end, the Indiana and
the Cleveland and the end and the overtime between Florida
and Toronto, and then I'm in on the Talla Buck
who was unbelievable last night, and uh and then I

(01:15:36):
was and I'm all in on Denver o KC.

Speaker 1 (01:15:39):
So it was.

Speaker 2 (01:15:40):
I mean, it's just great theater. I mean, I don't know,
I enjoy I love the playoffs like I love it too.

Speaker 3 (01:15:45):
I will say, like, there are certain years where you know,
you have your haves and your have nots, and there's
a lot of blowouts. You haven't really had a lot
of that this year in the NBA postseason, which makes
it a lot more exciting. So I do think it
kind of ebbs and flows. You'll have years where you know,
there's a bunch series that are three to one or
that are sweeps. You didn't really have a whole lot
of that this year, which I think makes it a

(01:16:07):
lot more compelling and a lot more entertaining to watch.
And then the upset factor. You know, few people saw
Minnesota upsetting the Lakers. Few people, nobody, say a few people.
Nobody saw the Knicks being up to nothing on the
Boston Celtics.

Speaker 2 (01:16:18):
In Boston win Boston games.

Speaker 3 (01:16:21):
I think a lot of people thought that, you know, Denver, Yeah,
they beat the Clippers in seven games, and that was cool.
A lot of people felt that Oklahoma City was probably
gonna run Denver off the floor, and that hasn't happened
save for one game.

Speaker 2 (01:16:32):
So I'm with you. Does it go on a little
longer than maybe it needs to? I don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:16:37):
Maybe there's a lot of times there's two three days
off in between games that maybe isn't necessary, but they
do that for TV purposes, so I understand why they
do it. They don't want too many games happening. Concurrently,
I don't mind it at all. I think as long
as the product is entertaining and we're getting good games,
which we have been, why would you want less of it?
Why would you want less of quality basketball and entertaining basketball.

Speaker 2 (01:16:59):
Give me more? Yeah, And I'm like, I get any point,
you know, but what's the rush? What are you doing?
What else? I mean? I mean you look at it
and you go, all right, what you know? It's great basket.
It's the most competitive basketball. Like you wait, let me,
let's be real. The regular season just takes There's too

(01:17:22):
many bad teams, there's too many times guys don't play right.

Speaker 1 (01:17:27):
It just is what it is.

Speaker 2 (01:17:29):
Yeah, And then you finally get to the good stuff.
I don't want to fancet forward. I want to enjoy it. Yes,
I want to. I think baseball can learn a little
bit about it because the regular season is way too long,
there's way too much fluff, and then you try to
rush through the playoffs when that's the best, that's your
best that's your best product is the playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:17:54):
Right Well, Baseball's issue is it was never constructed to
have fourteen playoff teams in the field or whatever it
was initially constructed. Basically, well, first of it was interially
constructed to have two whoever had the best record. Neither
of the league made it to the World Series. Then
they paired it down to the LCS, and it just
kind of trickled down even more. That's why you played
one hundred and sixty two games back in the day

(01:18:15):
and gave you enough regular season games to separate who
the best teams were. The problem is now that you
have an ex expanded postseason field, you don't need one
hundred and sixty two games. It's it's not necessary anymore.
Right so when baseball they won't they won't do it.
They're gonna keep doing what they've been doing. Either retract
the regular season schedule and keep the playoffs where they are,
or retract the postseason and leave the regular season where

(01:18:36):
it is. They're not gonna do either of it at
this point, but you're gonna have a lot of you know,
empty stadiums in Seattle in July, you know, and you
just continue to have to deal with that.

Speaker 2 (01:18:45):
Yeah, you know. I think we've reached a point where
it's like, what are you trying to preserve? Right? The numbers?
Nobody cares about numbers anymore.

Speaker 3 (01:18:55):
Well in baseball, I think people care about certain numbers.

Speaker 2 (01:18:57):
No, I mean records. I mean those kinds of numbers.
I just think it's all excuse when you're you can't
compare errors anymore. So all that stuff, of these of
these historical records, and that's that's the only reason why
you're clinging to it. We'll discuss it where the fella

(01:19:17):
is right here, hanging out Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (01:19:22):
Listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:19:25):
Good morning, good morning, good morning, of morning, Happy Mother's Day, weekend.
Fell It's Kevin Figures. Anthony Gargan will come to you
live from the Fox Sports Radio studios on this Saturday morning.
All right, fig real quick, and then and then I
want to make this our football hour. Okay, but since
we were talking about this the end of the last segment,

(01:19:48):
I kind of want to just dive into it real quick.
So we're talking about one of our great listeners was
talking about how the playoffs drive on you, and I
contend that it's great theater and it's this is the word.
The sport is at its best. They they play defense.

(01:20:09):
Guys are playing you know, you see it overtime, right,
Guys are playing forty five minutes. Right, So you're it's
the best of the sport. It's the best players that
are playing. They're playing hard, like this is good stuff.

Speaker 3 (01:20:24):
Right, You want more of this, not less of it.

Speaker 2 (01:20:27):
Right. So you look at baseball and you correctly, you know,
assessed the issue. Baseball originally was built to play one
sixty two or one four. When they did they did
it right. You You had no playoffs. You had the
winner of the American League play the winner of the

(01:20:48):
National League, and that was your World Series. And then
it became you played the league championship series, and then
you played the World Series, and then came three divisions
and wild calls, and so you have this expanded layer
of playoffs now, but you're still playing one sixty two.

(01:21:08):
So the effect is you play a long season and
you rush through the best part of it because baseball
is the greatest in the playoffs, it's timeless, it's you know,
pitch by pitch, you're you're on edge. It's got all

(01:21:29):
the drama, and so why not why continue with the
nonsense and go all right, Either we're gonna go back
to where it was the past, which I just don't
think is viable. They won't do it.

Speaker 3 (01:21:45):
I kind of wish that kind of part of me
wish as they would, but they're not going to go
back to just maybe an LCS system. Top two teams
in each league make it to the LCS. Because I
always put more emphasis you can't say the record season
doesn't matter. Is all that matters, because your regular season
record determines whether or not you make it into You

(01:22:06):
have a chance to win.

Speaker 2 (01:22:07):
The World Series without a doubt. The issue, though, is
for teams that are out of it, Yeah, you're dead,
and we know that in America in twenty twenty five.
If you tease out of it with you know, half
the season left or third of his season left, nobody goes.

(01:22:31):
Nobody cares. Correct, We're just all about it's championship, war's draft, right, right,
that's what we are about.

Speaker 3 (01:22:40):
And you're selling hope. So by expanding the postseason what
they did a couple of years ago, gives more teams
the opportunity to have hope to make it. Because baseball,
unlike any other sport, maybe in some of years hockey,
just getting in oftentimes is good enough. You get in,
you ride a hot pitcher or two, you can make
a deeper run regardless of where you're slotted.

Speaker 2 (01:23:01):
That's right, So why not shorten the regular season, dramatically
open up the playoffs even more, have a tier, let
it breathe so pitching, so you could actually use your
pitching and not rush through pitching and make the playoffs

(01:23:26):
in August or September, in October, right, you'd start it
in in uh some time in August, and then you
got two and a half months of playoffs.

Speaker 3 (01:23:36):
So if you're expanding the postseason, I believe as of
now was it in fourteen teams making the postseason as
it right, so more teams would make the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (01:23:44):
In this scenario where you would certainly you would do
you would follow the NBA NHL route, which is all
seven game series, okay, which I like, and you would
go eight teams and eight teams I don't like. The
only thing I don't like the NBA, I think the

(01:24:04):
play in stupid. Yeah, I understand why they do it though. Two.

Speaker 3 (01:24:10):
It adds an extra element of drama to the end
of the regular season, keeps teams alive to a certain
degree distance and advises tanking, not all the way, but
to a certain degree. And you talk about teams that
you know, fan bases and teams being apathetic towards the
end of the season where they have nothing to play for,
or if you're a nine or a ten seed, whereas
in years past you're playing out the string, you do

(01:24:32):
have something to play for. So it it adds more
meaningful quote unquote meaningful games to the end of the
regular season for teams that otherwise will be playing out
the string.

Speaker 2 (01:24:41):
Right. But the only thing I would contend is who
cares about getting in? Is an eight seed? You're not?
You're not. You're not getting me with that.

Speaker 3 (01:24:54):
Yeah, I mean, there's been a couple of occasions that
I can think of where an eight seed is the
Knicks way back when they've lost to the Spurs in
the finals well ninety nine, right, and then the Miami
Heat and the bubble against the Lakers. I believe we're
in eight.

Speaker 2 (01:25:07):
Seed, right, But you're talking about slop of the slop
teams that you're trying to give hope to, right, because
it's not just the eighth seed, it's nine, ten, eleven, twelve, right, correct.

Speaker 3 (01:25:22):
Yeah, I think the more likely resort, more oft than that,
it's going to be what happened to Miami in the
first round this year, who you just get run off
of the floor in every single game, right, So it's
basically just, you know, a walkover series for the one seed.

Speaker 2 (01:25:36):
So ultimately, if you get back to the NBA NHL
model and baseball did that, you would have you know,
you start the you start the playoffs in the middle
of August. Now look at the sprint you have from
April or end of March to middle of August.

Speaker 3 (01:26:00):
You're right, So theoretically, I'm with you one thousand percent. Practically,
how do we do this and have the franchises not
lose revenue? Because if you're reducing the regular season, I
don't know how much you're reducing it by if you're
going from one sixty two to one thirty or one twenty.

Speaker 2 (01:26:18):
Or so, what are you gonna lop off? So if
you're gonna, if you're gonna, really would have to be
one twenty two, So you lop off forty games, twenty homes,
twenty home games. That's a game, make that up and
a TV revenue and by adding a whole other tier

(01:26:40):
of playoffs. I don't know that well.

Speaker 3 (01:26:42):
It's also because it's a part of the revenue sharings
model too with the with Major League Baseball, which is
not as robust as it is in the NFL or
even the NBA to a certain degree. So you get revenue,
but you don't get as much as the other pro
sports leagues do from their postseason packages. So I don't
know the exact numbers of what the math would be
on that, anthony. If it's like, if you lopped off
twenty games, twenty home games could have be made up.

Speaker 2 (01:27:04):
No, you're no, you're right about the rev share.

Speaker 3 (01:27:06):
In REP share, I don't.

Speaker 2 (01:27:07):
I don't think it would be right.

Speaker 3 (01:27:09):
So that would be that that would be the toughest,
the toughest sales. I don't think the owners would necessarily
mind having fewer games if you can give them a
guarantee that they will be able to make up that
revenue somehow. I just don't know if there's a practical
way to do that.

Speaker 2 (01:27:21):
Yeah, to me, it would have to be you'd have
to you'd have to tweak your share model, your rev share. Yeah,
because the play like I mean, I would think, I mean,
you look at now their national deal is is is
not great?

Speaker 3 (01:27:39):
No, I think every team gets like I have to
look at it, but there's like a one hundred million
dollars or something like that. I don't I figure exactly
what the exact number is with the rev share. It's
nowhere close to where other pro sports leagues are.

Speaker 2 (01:27:51):
I mean, and now and now, if you had two
months of playoffs, I don't know, you know you have
September in October as playoff months. I mean I think
first of all, now it goes into November. That's way
too long, yeah, right, I mean.

Speaker 3 (01:28:11):
It used to end like before the Halloween and now
we're getting into early November.

Speaker 2 (01:28:15):
To your point, right, Like, so if you're if you're playoffs,
you know, you begin play and then you could begin playoffs,
you know, Labor Day weekend, and there's little things you
could do around calendars to make things special, right.

Speaker 3 (01:28:32):
I just looked it up, by the way, So it
says teams that do receive revenue sharing is to range
between fifty and one hundred million dollars per season, which,
again in comparison to the National Football League.

Speaker 2 (01:28:43):
Is nothing. It's not a whole lot. No.

Speaker 3 (01:28:46):
Well, I mean to you and I obviously and everybody
else listening, yes, but to these billionaire owners, that's a
drop in the bucket.

Speaker 6 (01:28:56):
I asked teams that don't have one hundred million dollar payrolls. Yeah,
it's it's I mean, it's amazing. Like Pittsburgh files just manager, like,
what do you for? What series?

Speaker 2 (01:29:08):
You know?

Speaker 3 (01:29:09):
Like that he's supposed to do. It makes it sport
to me whatsoever.

Speaker 2 (01:29:12):
I'll be honest with you, I just don't know how
it exists. Like I mean, the league. I love the sport,
but MLB because of the inequity, I just don't. I
don't understand how for all this law, all this time,
I just never understood why they didn't follow the NFL model. Well,

(01:29:35):
the players Association has to agree to that, and they won't. No,
I know, but at what point throughout the year, like
this is this is the age old problem, right, Like
this goes back to the strike strikes of the eighties,
Like they couldn't institute that at some point in the
last fifty years, forty years.

Speaker 3 (01:29:57):
Yeah, I mean there's also in the sport, there's an
element of personal responsibility that goes in this too. I
mean there are certain teams obviously that make more money
than others, right, so there's also small market teams that
find ways to compete on a year in, year out basis,
even though they're working at it, decided to disadvantage to
other teams too. So I don't want to use that

(01:30:17):
as an excuse for teams like Pittsburgh or Colorado or
Miami for not finding ways to be able to compete
when teams like Tampa Bay have been able to do
it for the past twenty years, or Minnesota every three
or four years find their you know, you know, are
competitive and find a way to float around the top
of their division in the.

Speaker 2 (01:30:36):
Central you can do it Cleveland.

Speaker 3 (01:30:38):
Cleveland's good almost every single year and have no money
and sell guys off all the time.

Speaker 2 (01:30:43):
Right. But the problem is is that for the fans
of those teams. You lose players, you lose momentum, and
you're right in that they compete, but there's always a
threshold to how far they can go generally.

Speaker 3 (01:31:02):
Yeah, I would say, I would say that's true. Yeah,
but there's no one stopping the owners from spending more.

Speaker 2 (01:31:11):
No, you're a hundred percent right. But the NFL battles
just so perfect, like the even playing field, the idea
that teams go up and down. It's just it's my
bothering to me that you can't replicate that in sub
Way when you have all these all these teams across

(01:31:32):
the country. Like, I don't know what it's like if
you're a Pirates fan. I do know in Colorado. I
got friends of mine in Denver, Like the Rockies don't
even exist, right, right, You have too many teams like
that that don't exist.

Speaker 3 (01:31:51):
So is that and maybe it's maybe it's a double
edged sworder, it's it's multiple reasons about I was gonna say,
is that the major League Baseball is issue? Or was
that the issue with Rockies ownership or was it.

Speaker 2 (01:32:02):
Boat Yeah, I think it's a baseball issue one, and
then it goes down to Rockies ownership, because at some
point you're operating a business, right, so at some point
you're not generating enough revenue to support your payroll.

Speaker 3 (01:32:20):
But when have you even ever tried to even press
the limit of what you can do with your payroll
before selling things off, you know, selling out arenas and
getting sponsored.

Speaker 2 (01:32:28):
I mean, you're never going to be able to measure
up to l A the I mean the Rockies. For
the Rockies tried.

Speaker 3 (01:32:36):
I mean they had Helton and the holiday they had,
they had a they had a run, I would say,
but they never tried. They never sustained anything.

Speaker 2 (01:32:46):
Two thousands that that two thousands run like oh.

Speaker 3 (01:32:51):
Six or seven I think it was. Yeah, they made
it all into the World Series against Boston.

Speaker 2 (01:32:57):
I mean, I you know, again, whereas the NFL, Oh
you have Detroit, you have Green Bay, right, you have Minnesota,
you have Chicago in that division and they all ye know,
they're all even footing.

Speaker 3 (01:33:16):
Yeah, and it's more cyclical. It's rare that you have
in the NFL. And also ran that's terrible for fifteen
straight years. You don't see that in the NFL. Doesn't
have it doesn't really exist.

Speaker 2 (01:33:28):
Except the Jets, and they're in the biggest market.

Speaker 3 (01:33:30):
I mean, well, okay, in some senses, yes, but even
the I mean the Jets. You're right, now, you're right,
but I'm just but to your point, even a team
that like the Jets, who gets, you know, crapped on
all the time, or the Browns given the Browns over
the past fifteen years have had decent teams that have
made the postseason, that win nine, ten, eleven games here
and there. You don't just enter into a season automatically

(01:33:53):
knowing that, like the Pittsburgh Pirates, you have no chance
to compete whatsoever on a year in year.

Speaker 2 (01:33:57):
Our basis right, So I'll give you that right like
you could like the A's. I mean, you're playing in
a minor league ballpark for numerous years until the stadium
is like it's just it's sanity. I don't know. I
don't know how you run a real franchise. I don't
know how you run a sport a professional in this era,
how you run that without being a farce? And I

(01:34:19):
love baseball, love I love it right like I love
those the four team sports. I just let do her.
I find my own joy in each of them. And
you're like kids of mine, like obviously football is my favorite,
but you know, the other ones are all tied for two.

Speaker 3 (01:34:38):
You know, right, Well, here's what you're gonna have to
do if you really want to make a change, And
it's a scorched earth method. And it has been talked
about Ken Rosethal and Evandralic of the Athletic I've written
about this the last couple of years. As far as
the the CBA coming up at the end of next season,
the owners might lock the players out and force their hand.

Speaker 2 (01:35:00):
Yeah, we lock you out. We are not coming back to.

Speaker 3 (01:35:02):
The negotiating table until you give us a salary cap
right now.

Speaker 2 (01:35:08):
Will they do that?

Speaker 3 (01:35:08):
I would doubt it, but that's kind of the only
way that's gonna happen. Yeah, because the player the Major
League Baseball Players Association is the strongest union in all
of professional sports and has been for a long period
of time, yep. And they have not been willing to
budge on that to your point, going back to the
split season in eighty one or however ninety four, all
those lockouts, all those strikes. One of the big sticky

(01:35:32):
points this has been a salary cap. And this entire time,
the Players Association has said no, So it's gonna take
it's gonna take it upon the owners to say we're
not doing this anymore. We get a cap or we
ain't playing.

Speaker 2 (01:35:44):
That's why I know, that's why there's only one NFL baby. Yeah, absolutely,
And like I can't really like the we're gonna talk
about this with the schedule coming up and we'll try
and giving the team my team win totals and everything else.
But you know it's nuts. Is it's so perfect. It's

(01:36:06):
it's manifest destiny. Like the NFL take it over the world. Yeah, right,
Like like look at how they incorporate, Like we're gonna
be in the drid right this year. We're all the internationals,
Like we're arcing towards the eighteen game schedule where everybody

(01:36:28):
will be forced to play an international game. Like it's
all system. It's run brilliantly. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:36:38):
They're in a unique position that they have a scarce
product because you only have you know, seventeen games soon
to be eighteen games that you can market. You have
a very small win to of time that you actually play,
which allows people to pay a premium for your product,
which adds a sense of urgency to your product and
which we thought. That's why their revenue share is so

(01:36:59):
big and their TV contracts are so humongous because there's
so few pieces of the pie. All these networks are
willing to pay out of their tails to make sure
they get a little slice of it. Major League Baseball,
there's too many games for that. It's not it's not
a premium product. There's too much of it, right, right,
If they can get like that, make that sort of money, Anthony,

(01:37:19):
this wouldn't be a problem, right, be a problem at all.

Speaker 2 (01:37:22):
No, you're you're you're spot on. But you know what's
amazing with the league right in the NFL, they just
make the right decision though, well, they make the decision
to see how they can get more money in their pocket,
which correct, But it works it all. It's it also
is an oddity where I think it works with the fan, like, yeah,

(01:37:46):
the TV drives everything, correct, but we want to watch
I don't know, I want to watch it, right. I'm
glad they took over Christmas. Yeah, I've been listen. I
love Christmas and the family and everything else, but I
don't know. I love sports on during holidays. I just do.
I just I love sports, and to me it's it

(01:38:08):
as family and people are together and you know, you
get the game on and the degrees of paying attention.

Speaker 3 (01:38:16):
Let's at your home team or whatever. It's kind of
the background, but it's a good background thing to happen.

Speaker 2 (01:38:20):
It's good, you know what I mean. Like you mixed
that with a with a movie, and it's all like
it's all part of the it's all part of the celebration.
I don't know, right, but I like. I like the
way the schedule is all kind of done out and
it's a part of it. It's also part of how

(01:38:40):
we connect.

Speaker 4 (01:38:42):
Like we.

Speaker 2 (01:38:45):
Football, we go out and we watch it and we're together.
It's excuse to do things together.

Speaker 3 (01:38:53):
Absolutely, even if you're not going to the stadium. You
meet your friends up at a bar, or ye come
to each other's house.

Speaker 2 (01:38:59):
Like I look at it more from its stimulis it's
a stimulus for the masses in a good way. It
brings us together.

Speaker 3 (01:39:07):
It does because I'll use my wife as an example.
She doesn't have a team, but she has a fantasy
team and she's a fan of that. So we I
can watch any generic game and she'll be interested because
she has a player either on that team or against
our team. And it's the way to bring us together,
even though we don't have necessarily a common interest in
the particular game that we're watching.

Speaker 2 (01:39:26):
You know, it's just it's a it's a good healthy
hat hat like a hobby like right like, And that's
a and and it has a profound effect in bringing
the mass. I would say sports builds churches. And it
does because it's a church. It's a gathering of souls
right well together for common common calls. Yeah, and and
here we are what And I don't care what anybody

(01:39:48):
says when teams are going well, there's a lot of
love in the air, all right, crime, I haven't. I
have the status of Philadelphia. Crime dissipates when when the
teams are good. So it's not surprising me, you know.
All right, let's take quick to you and dived dude

(01:40:09):
football right here, fellas, Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 5 (01:40:15):
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 2 (01:40:28):
All right, fellas, Good morning, Mother's Day weekend. How's the
baby fake? He's doing amazing?

Speaker 3 (01:40:38):
Uh, he's getting ever so closer to walking here pulling
himself up doing a little bit of a side step,
can hold himself far for about a quarter of a
second on his own before tumbling back down. But he's active,
these kids on the move. It's the fastest crawler I've
ever seen in my life. Is ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (01:40:56):
Ah, look at that dude. Income be that great got back.

Speaker 3 (01:41:01):
You know what he's got some lyngth to him though.

Speaker 2 (01:41:03):
That's the problem.

Speaker 3 (01:41:03):
He's he's in the ninety seven percent island height for
his four so he clearly does not get that from me.
He gets that from his uh, from my brothers in law,
my father in law, they're all one of my brother
in law sixty five one is six fall, my father
in law is six three, So.

Speaker 2 (01:41:18):
He gets all that from them. That's a big fig
that's big. That's right.

Speaker 3 (01:41:23):
So so now there's an internal battle between my my
wife and I as to whether or not he's gonna
play volleyball or basketball. And then my mother in law
is like, they could do both. So you know, we'll
figure out how that how that ends up playing itself out.

Speaker 2 (01:41:36):
I know what he's gonna fight, man, He's gonna be
a shooting guards gonna via six five two training threes
two way could could could lock it down defensively, I
could totally see it. Either that or he may be
a receiver, because.

Speaker 3 (01:41:57):
Yeah, that's that's even more of enough about playing football.

Speaker 2 (01:42:01):
So listen, I'm going to tell you right, and this
is all due respect to the beautiful ladies out there,
and we wish you happy Mother's Day, all right, like
we we and the ultimate respect. But fig don't back

(01:42:26):
down on football. Oh I'm not.

Speaker 3 (01:42:28):
One thing I will say is I don't necessarily I
agree that I don't want to necessarily playing tackle super
super early on.

Speaker 2 (01:42:36):
So here's the misnomer. Can I just tell you that?

Speaker 3 (01:42:38):
Yeah, all right, listening.

Speaker 2 (01:42:41):
So they don't people think that that it's the NFL.
They don't move that fast. The collisions aren't as violent
the games I'm about to say, you don't get hurt,
all right, But it's not really what you think about

(01:43:02):
playing at that age. It's not. And I'm a youth football.
I'm a believer in it, and I'm gonna tell you
why we have.

Speaker 3 (01:43:09):
Experience in it. You're in your hand, you've been you've
been doing.

Speaker 2 (01:43:13):
My Athony was I don't know he was fifth grade, whatever,
eleven years old, ten eleven years old, and you know whatever,
just to he had the round his shoulders. He was
a little pown cheat right. The whole thing baseball. I
had had him in baseball. He really wasn't a soccer player.

(01:43:36):
Basketball he was. He wasn't a good basketball player. I
mean he could play, but whatever. I'm like, oh, he's
playing football in my life. No, no, no, he's not
playing football. Not playing football for the football. He loved
it right now. Again, you know, football is not fun

(01:43:58):
in the summer, and you know, give camp is camp,
and it's like that with you too. Practice everybody, you're
learning the game. There's a lot to teach the kids.
It's a commitment. By the end of the first season,
I saw that boy go from round the shoulders to

(01:44:19):
shoulders back chest out and when like adults say hey
do you play sports, and he'd say, I play football,
And it gave him confidence. I saw from then on,
I see, I saw a different boy. I saw a
confident kid. And listen, yeah, you know you have to

(01:44:41):
now he had size, all right, he had some size,
not that he was overly large, but he was he
was on the on the bigger side, So you know
that's true. Yeah, I don't know. You know, you have
to judge your own child comes to how big they are.

Speaker 4 (01:44:55):
But just.

Speaker 2 (01:44:58):
My little one plays, I just think it does wonders
for confidence they learn, they become. You know, I don't
want to say tough and all that stuff, but there
is a degree of that and you need that and
boys need that stuff. I'm a believer in it.

Speaker 5 (01:45:14):
Man.

Speaker 2 (01:45:15):
Well, I think they they give that confidence. Man, It's
it's huge for children. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:45:23):
Well, I'll say this too, like I'm a firm believer
in exposing kids to as many things as possible. So
I want him to play some semblants. I want him
to play football. I want him to play soccer. I
want him to play volleyball. I want to play so
he can figure out what he enjoys and what he
doesn't and we can further lean into the things that
he excels at or the things that he enjoys. I
have no issues with him playing football. There are studies

(01:45:45):
that show that even if they're they're they're hitting each
other at a much slower pace and not as violently
as adults. You're still hitting a developing brain at a
young age. So I don't know if it's necessary for
him to have for a child to have to play.

Speaker 2 (01:46:00):
Ever, to each their own.

Speaker 3 (01:46:01):
By the way, I'm not telling anybody what they should
or shouldn't do.

Speaker 2 (01:46:03):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm just giving you advice. I'm just
giving you my own personal experience with youth football. And
I mean I think it was about saying that if
you do suffer concussion, then you better make sure that
he is completely healthy and keeled before you ever before

(01:46:27):
you play another down, right, Like that's where you have.
We had a great pediatrician the whole thing, you know,
knock on wood, there was no concussions, right right, So
but I hear you, and I'm not you know, like
Willy Nilly with that. I'm just giving you a big
picture itself.

Speaker 3 (01:46:45):
No, I agree, And I do think some of those
same principles, you know, thoughts of you know, camaraderie and
toughness and togetherness and having a shared purpose, you can
certainly do that in other sports too. So I mean
a lot of the same things that you can learn
through football you can learn through playing basketball or playing baseball.
And I know it's different, but it's also similar. It's

(01:47:08):
still a team sport, playing together as a collective, having
camaraderie with your your friends and other players. So all
that stuff can still be built through a different sport.

Speaker 2 (01:47:16):
I agree.

Speaker 3 (01:47:16):
So I got no issues with tackle football whatsoever. It's
just like for me, I think it's probably best of
kids hold off for just a little bit and not
play tackle football. That's you know, six seven, eight years old.

Speaker 2 (01:47:27):
That's just me though. Yeah, I got you, I got you.
All right. Let's talk big football, big boys, all right,
the big fellas. Let's talk international. Okay, So this is
what it looks like so far, all right, and some
of the rumors and some of the stuff that we're
hearing because the schedules comes out Wednesday and there's a

(01:47:48):
huge international slate, right yep. So we're for the first
time the NFL is going to be in Spain, Madrid,
and it looks like it's going to be Miami against
the Commanders or the Bengals in Madrid. Then it looks

(01:48:11):
like the Steelers are in Ireland. Then it looks like
you have we got we got the oh Kansas City
in Brazil. Then you would have Cleveland, Minnesota in London.

(01:48:33):
We know that's the Jets Broncos and the Rams, Jaguars
would all be the lot in London games. That's all
been released.

Speaker 3 (01:48:45):
We know the Chargers are playing somebody, right and yeah,
salth Paulo, we just don't know who.

Speaker 2 (01:48:50):
We think it's Kansas City, Kansas City, you believe, Okay, Yeah,
that it would be Chiefs Chargers in Brazil. That's big.

Speaker 3 (01:48:59):
Taking it to Vision and a division home game away
from somebody.

Speaker 2 (01:49:03):
I mean, I think they all have to. I mean
that happened to the Eagles last year. Yeah, they the Packers.

Speaker 3 (01:49:10):
Well, I mean that's also it's it's an NFC matchup,
but that's not a you know, that's Charger Chargers a West. No,
you're right, So that's that's that's if they're going to
play an actual divisional matchup overseas, that's maybe it's been
done before. There've been so many international games. I you know,
I've forgotten. I'm sure I'm trying to think.

Speaker 2 (01:49:27):
I don't know, I don't.

Speaker 3 (01:49:28):
I feel like they tried to avoid doing that because
those games are so.

Speaker 2 (01:49:33):
Now. Listen, if you're going to be in Madrid, several
games in London, Brazil, Ireland, Germany right to Brown Germany,
it's right, that's a lot of international games. How do

(01:49:54):
you feel about it. I'm a little bit torn.

Speaker 3 (01:49:57):
I feel like, you know, in previous years we've talked
about this and I was kind kind of against it.
I was like, you're taking home games away, you know,
from players and from fans from you know, it's one
less home game for the fans to be able to
go out and see, you know, their favorite team. But
the NFL just as a whole in a macro, as
a business, it's one of the smartest things they can
do because you're trying to grow the sport. So you're

(01:50:18):
gonna have all these games kicking off at different times.
People are gonna wait. People wake up out here at
six o'clock in the morning to watch the London games.
So it doesn't matter that the ratings are gonna be
what the ratings are. So they're not worried about the
TV per se. They know people are gonna watch regardless
of when it's on. But they get the international markets
involved when they previously haven't been, and garnering an international

(01:50:38):
fan base is one of the smartest things that the
NFL could have ever done. You're hitting Marcus that you've
never hit before. Going to Madrid, going to South Aulo,
Brazil place. You know, the NFL is becoming a bigger
and bigger international sport and by actually putting the product
on the ground for these fans to be able to
see and interact with is smart business. So while I

(01:51:02):
hate it for the domestic fans, if I'm in the
NFL front office, I would do it one hundred times
over because it makes all the sense in the world.

Speaker 2 (01:51:11):
I like the idea too, that as a fan of football,
that it's global, right, I like that. I know people
don't care. Well, it's like the world it's kind of
come here next year, right, Yes, they that's a big deal.
It's like the World comes is gonna be coming to America,
to USA two fifty, right, the whole thing. You know.

(01:51:35):
I like the fact that that football is will be worldwide.

Speaker 3 (01:51:39):
Yeah, it would not surprise me that within the next
twenty five thirty years the NFL's plan is to start
hosting Super Bowls in these cities in London and South
Polo and to make pick enough global game where super
Bowls will be played there. Wow, not next year, not
in ten years, I'm thinking much much further down the road.
But you're laying this, you're planting the seeds.

Speaker 2 (01:52:01):
For that, right. I don't know that you need to
do that, but I I hear they might. I really
think they might. I could see. The only thing they
could see and I don't know how you do it
is if you had an European division.

Speaker 3 (01:52:13):
Yeah, that's in the pipeline too. They've talked about London potentially.

Speaker 2 (01:52:16):
Germany, Ireland, and then you just play they play within
each other, and then you would have to then you'd
have to then have them because of the travel, they
have to come to the States and come here and
stay here exactly, you.

Speaker 3 (01:52:31):
Play all your road games at once.

Speaker 2 (01:52:33):
I mean that would be a tough haul, but I
don't know.

Speaker 3 (01:52:37):
Well, look there's a will, there's away and again yeah,
if there's a way to get money out of it,
they'll find a way to make it work.

Speaker 2 (01:52:42):
Yeah. Yeah, all right, let's turn our attention to the field,
and uh, we'll start with the Cowboys and the big
trade George Pickens and see d Land. What's that mean
for Dallas. We'll talk about that coming up next. And

(01:53:05):
you were bullsh for the Cowboys last year?

Speaker 1 (01:53:08):
Was a you.

Speaker 2 (01:53:13):
Yeah, you guys, that's curiousy how you feel now with
a Fellas hagging out on a Mother's Day weekend right
here on Fox Sports Radio, Welcome back, Fellas, k fake
my man Figgie in for Fitzie. Because all right, Cowboys

(01:53:38):
needed they needed a shot in the arm, right, they
needed a playmaker. They needed to give that offense a jult.
I thought, you know, they they were more status quot
last year, and I thought that offense needed Obviously, Dak
gets hurt and that was the end of the season,
but they needed something. Now. I still think they need.

(01:54:01):
That run game feels old to me and slow. But
they bring in George Pickens. I you know, I mean,
I think that's that. I think that's that's a great
jolt of a move. Now we know what happened at Pittsburgh.
But in fairness to George Pickens, you know, I mean,

(01:54:21):
it's hard to have no quarterback.

Speaker 3 (01:54:23):
When I was like, who's throwing you.

Speaker 2 (01:54:24):
With the ball?

Speaker 4 (01:54:25):
Right?

Speaker 3 (01:54:25):
Roshed up Russell Wilson and Justin Fields Sloaney, what are
we doing?

Speaker 2 (01:54:29):
Right?

Speaker 3 (01:54:29):
So I think it's a great move for Dallas. You know,
a CD, and they can it's a perfect compliment to CD.
You can kind of take the top off in George
doesn't get a lot of separation, but gets a lot
of contested catches, which is great. He can be a
possession guy, just opens up their offense a lot more.
To your point, all they're missing is a running back.
And I still it's still it was ridiculous to me
that they didn't find some way to address that in

(01:54:51):
the draft, considering how deep of a running back draft
it was. That they clearly don't think that it's a
major issue, and they think Miles Sanders and Javonte Williams,
who can't stay hell healthy or the answer. I just
don't see it. So that's still a major issue for me.

Speaker 2 (01:55:05):
Yeah, I mean, I you know, you take Jayden Blue
from Texas and you know, but he was more of
a complimentary back.

Speaker 3 (01:55:13):
Correct, He wasn't going to really move the needle a lot.

Speaker 2 (01:55:15):
Uh uh? And then Mahwa from Clemson. I don't know.
I mean, it's not a lot there, right, And I'm
with you. Javonte he was never the shame after the knee.

Speaker 3 (01:55:26):
No, which is a shame because he was great before
that injury.

Speaker 2 (01:55:28):
He was runner, you know, And Miles Sanders, I don't
I don't like Miles Sanders a little bit. But I'll
ask you because you were really high on the Cowboys.
Now I'll ask you because clearly the Eagles are the

(01:55:49):
best team in the division and aren't going anywhere. This
is true. But who although you've lost a little bit,
that's gonna happen, but not real Well, I'll go out.
I'll tell you their defense is going to be nasty.

Speaker 3 (01:56:06):
Well, they've just reloaded.

Speaker 2 (01:56:07):
That's what they do. Yes, Uh is Dallas, We're Washington,
the second best team in the NFC East.

Speaker 3 (01:56:20):
Definitely Washington. Yeah, Because I mean, now you can say,
and this happens a lot of times of players. You know, Daniels,
he's gonna have kind of a sophomore slump and regress
a little bit, because that oftentimes will happen your first year.
You come out on fire, the league figures you out
a little bit, maybe you take a little bit of
a step back, and then you kind of go on
from there. So we'll see. But just even from just

(01:56:40):
a team standpoint, I like Washington much more than I
like the Cowboys right now. It doesn't mean I don't
think the Cowboys are good. The problem with them is
you downgraded at head coach. How that's gonna end up
affecting your offense.

Speaker 2 (01:56:52):
I don't really know.

Speaker 3 (01:56:53):
Yes, you brought in Pickens, which is gonna help, but
you still can't run the ball. So I have issue
is from not that McCarthy was, you know, some spectacular
Hall of Fame level coach, but you replaced him with
a guy who was on nobody's radar to be a
head coach at the NFL level and has had his
share of issues as an offensive coordinator pretty much at

(01:57:14):
every stop he's been at, and now he has to
run the entire operation. So I think the Cowboys actually,
even even despite the fact they've gotten better from a
talent standpoint with the trade for Pickens, I still think
the coaching situation is a major downgrade for them.

Speaker 2 (01:57:29):
Oh yeah, so I got Watching.

Speaker 3 (01:57:32):
So even if we're just based on that, Anthony, I
would say Washington. But I think Washington's roster too is
better than Dallas's.

Speaker 2 (01:57:38):
Right now, Well, I like Washing today, Yes, me, I
would say Washington. I think Watching is the truth, right,
Like they're just you know, first of all, I love Daniels.

Speaker 3 (01:57:50):
Right, He's a local guy from out here, trust me.
Phenomenal play, great.

Speaker 2 (01:57:54):
Kid, Yeah, he's just a what a player he is right,
good head on his shoulders too. You know, he's like
a perfect quarterback you want, you know, and you go.

Speaker 3 (01:58:04):
Out and you get you know, your offense was already
really good last year with him. You go out and
get Deebo Samuel who just you know, adds to it.
Like they haven't gotten worse, they've gotten They've actually gotten
better this offseason.

Speaker 2 (01:58:18):
Well you got Larmy Tounsel now left tackle, correct, right,
I mean, I mean, look, you know I agree with you.

Speaker 3 (01:58:28):
Thank for me to say that they'll push the Eagles
for the NFC East.

Speaker 2 (01:58:31):
Yeah, I don't think so, but you know, okay, I
think the Eagles are where the Chiefs were. Oh really okay,
all right then yeah, I think are a dynastic like
they have a chance to be really they have a
chance to win again. Now I'm curiously how Detroit comes back, right,

(01:58:53):
But when I look at the NFC East Washington and
I know they beat the Eagles in one of the
games in the regular season, and we'll we'll get into
it coming up because we have to take a quick
time output where the fellas Kevin figures, Anthony Garganel right here.
Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (01:59:14):
Don't listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (01:59:18):
Well, good morning, good morning, good morning, good morning, happy
happy Fox Sports Saturday where the Fellas, Kevin Figures, Anthony
Gargano hang it out, FITZI will be on later today, Hey,
don't forget. For over forty years, tire Rack has been

(01:59:38):
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(02:00:00):
Jamal Marry burying the triple in overtime last night against
OKAC Bluse.

Speaker 1 (02:00:08):
Paul comes down at Jamal Murray. He's got door to beat.

Speaker 2 (02:00:10):
Lay up, God tied out, Thunder, Nuggets open up a
seven point lead and overtime, let's go. It's the Altitude
Radio Network on the call and the Nuggets shock okase,
look it that up two to one. In this series,

(02:00:34):
we how about that fig I love it?

Speaker 3 (02:00:36):
You know, Jamal Murray. We talked about Jalen Brunson earlier
in the show. How you know he's a really good player.
All star level, maybe not a superstar, but not afraid
of the moment, not afraid to take big shots.

Speaker 2 (02:00:46):
Jamal Murray's kind of is not kind of. He's in
that mold too, you know.

Speaker 3 (02:00:50):
I remember him sinking a game winner against the Lakers
at the buzzer against over Anthony Davis last year or
a couple of years ago. In the postseason, he even
as great as the joker is, and he's the best
player in the NBA when he's healthy and he's on,
Jamal Murray is really the closer for that team, creating
a shot for himself and for others, and is not
afraid to take the big shot. So I love Jamal

(02:01:12):
Murray too. He's one of those guys where you know,
in the regular season he may be in, maybe out,
may average nineteen twenty points a game, may not do
a whole lot on a night in, night out basis
from a superstar standpoint, but you need it most. He's
the guy that can really carry you in the postseason
when you need big shots in big moments. So that's
something that shouldn't be lost either. How big an impact
he makes for that team.

Speaker 2 (02:01:32):
Yeah, on a night when Jokicic goes, oh for ten
from three right, right, So he struggles and it was
you know, Murray, and it was Gordon and it was Porter.
I mean, by the way, how about Gordon. My god,
it's been incredible, easy clutch, big time Aaric Gordon.

Speaker 3 (02:01:55):
But it goes to like a larger conversation. And I
think we talked about this a little bit with the
Celtics and Tatum and Brown are getting a lot of incoming,
specifically Tatum for not playing and rightfully so, they're not
playing well and not shooting well as a team overall.
But the star players get so much flack or so
much credit when the team wins or doesn't win.

Speaker 5 (02:02:14):
You know.

Speaker 3 (02:02:15):
Lebron James talked about this on the podcast he does
with Steve Nash. I think it came out on Friday morning.
He's like, there's, you know, a bunch of guys on
the floor. It's not just me as and Luca is
what him talking about, is like, we have other players
on the floor too. It's not just the stars. Like
teams win and teams lose, it's not about the star players. Yes,
they have a heavy hand in it, but Nicola Jokic, if.

Speaker 2 (02:02:35):
It was just on his shoulders.

Speaker 3 (02:02:36):
They never would have lost by forty tonight or last
I should say, right, because they at their high level
role players step up and play well. You know, he
can have an off night and the team can still win.
So I think a lot of times I just I
hated so much that is such a zero sum, Like
Charles Barkley's not that great because he never won a championship.
Well like, well, it was a great player. He just

(02:02:57):
didn't have the right players around him to be able
to win a championship during senior. That's not an indictment
on him. It's not Dan Marino's fault that he didn't
win a championship, right, right, And I hate so much
that players get so much flack for not winning and
if it's some sort of narrative against them, you didn't win,
therefore you weren't that great, And those are not necessarily

(02:03:19):
one of the same.

Speaker 2 (02:03:21):
No, I'm with you, I'm i'm i'm, I'm I'm with you. Now,
did Lebron? What was the tenor of that podcast?

Speaker 3 (02:03:32):
So I out in full disclosure, I've not heard all
of it, just a couple of snippets just kind of
talking about like, yeah, you know, the Lakers lost to
the Timberwolves. It was not Luca and Lebron lost to
Julius Randall and Anthony Edwards. He also said that matchups
are a big you know, are a big you know,
determining factor and who wins and who loses. In basketball,
you know, you can have two of the better individual players,

(02:03:53):
but if if a team is built a certain way
to take away your strengths, you know that ultimately can
end being the reason why you lose. And he said
the timber Rules were just a bad matchup for the Lakers,
is you know, kind of how he justified it. So
you can agree or disagree, because I will say a
lot of pundents, including myself, I thought the Lakers would
win five games.

Speaker 2 (02:04:14):
So well, I agree with him in that it matchim
the way it turned out was not a great matchup
for them.

Speaker 3 (02:04:21):
Yeah, the way things worked out, You're right, it was,
I mean the way that it was supposed to shake out,
at least in my mind. I knew Minnesota was younger
and had better athletes, but I also know that their
half court offense is a bit of a mess, and
the Lakers half court offense conceivably should be amazing when
you have guys like Austin Reeves, Lebron James, and Luka
Doncik controlling the floor and especially in clutch situations. Yeah,

(02:04:44):
if it's you're in and I need a bucket situation
down the stretch, I trusted the Lakers offense more than Minnesota.
That didn't bear itself out. The Lakers lost every single
fourth quarter in that series. So it just didn't work
out the way that people predicted.

Speaker 2 (02:04:59):
All right, let's get back to the NFL and what
I want to do with you, because since the schedule
comes out Wednesday, we'll have an even better idea of
how the over under could play out. Because, look, there
are you know, I believe in the schedule, even though
you can't tell injuries and everything else when you're doing

(02:05:22):
the wsn l's type of thing. If you're going to
make an investment on over or under win total, the
schedule is a big piece of it because you know
what comes after international games, three straight road games where
things kind of go. I think that stuff matters.

Speaker 3 (02:05:41):
Yeah, if you're a West Coast team playing against Cleveland
and December, you know that sort of stuff matters.

Speaker 2 (02:05:47):
So I want to switch it with you, and I
want to get more into some of the pointed questions
now that it's post draft, right and we kind of
I have an idea now who the rosters are we
kind of we we talked about the NFC East. I
do think the Eagles. I I didn't think they lost

(02:06:11):
And people say, oh, they got gunted defensively, And I'll
be honest with it, no one, what's behind those guys
and who they lost? Like, I didn't think. First of all,
I have shot Milt Williams got that much money, I mean,
and even Josh Sweat, who I like of us?

Speaker 3 (02:06:31):
What will be a decent sized loss?

Speaker 2 (02:06:32):
Actually, yeah, I don't. He was a guy that was
very he was he was more of a close guy
than uh, you know, an impact and a lot of it.
What makes Eagles the defensive front so good is Carter

(02:06:52):
Like he's just getting more dominant and dominant, Like he's
so good. He he just makes everything work up front
that way. Uh. And then the other thing that made
him go was Nolan Smith, right, See, he blossomed last year.

Speaker 3 (02:07:14):
Yeah after initially people were kind of disappointed at the
early returns on him.

Speaker 2 (02:07:19):
Yeah, pasts rushers, you can't judge past rushers in the
rookie season.

Speaker 3 (02:07:24):
You know, Yeah, you can't expect everybody to be Javon
Curse or something from day one, you know, I.

Speaker 2 (02:07:28):
Mean, just can't. It just doesn't work that way. Yeah. One,
he's from a part Yeah, yeah, exactly. And he's more
of an edge guy anyway. True, but Nolan's more of
a the end And I mean look, and I saw
a huge impact in what he did. I mean huge.
I mean he just he became the player opposite you know,

(02:07:53):
they helped out sweat right like he was that deep,
he played that well anyway, I just look at that
team and I've never seen an Eagles team that good.

Speaker 3 (02:08:05):
Yeah, well, especially up front. That that front seven is
was ridiculous. And then by the way you involved with
your secondary. I mean, dude, q Y, nobody talks about him.
He teams didn't throw his way, right he it was

(02:08:26):
it was revis light. I mean it was like that, right,
like for a rookie, For for a rookie to make
that sort of impact, it was insane.

Speaker 2 (02:08:38):
And then and then Cooper dejen who could play outside, corner, slot, middlefield,
rover back. I mean, he made a huge when he
got it into the lineup. I mean those kids. I
mean that's a rarity, like when you get two secondary
pieces that play right away and have that kind of.

Speaker 3 (02:09:00):
Back, huge impact like that. Absolutely, you know it's hard
to bet on that. And by the way, you draft
John Campbell, who kind of fell to you and who
knows exactly what he's gonna end up turning into, but
he can be a rotational guy to start next year.
You mentioned guys might get off to a bit of
a slow start as a pass rusher, but once you
get incorporated, who knows what he's gonna end up being,
not even this coming season, but next year you have

(02:09:20):
to have the pressure on his shoulders to be the
quote unquote impact first round pick.

Speaker 2 (02:09:24):
This year. Nah, he's like he's a he's a beast.
And so you know, I think that they're they're probably
another year like they're they're the elite of the NFC
East again, and it'll it'll, you know, because you're bringing
back They brought back Dallas.

Speaker 3 (02:09:43):
Goddard, which was huge at a at a discount at that.

Speaker 2 (02:09:47):
You know, they restructured his deal for two more years,
So you're that's a big that's a huge not losing
your tight end, your old line is other than other
than uh losing back in who the they have internally covered,
You're intact the same offense A J. Brown, DeVante Smith sakwan,

(02:10:08):
I mean every you know like that. That's a great offense.
It is so I still think that they are. Now
that's the NFC North, that's me again, is probably the
most fascinating division. And as good as the East is
with Dallas in Washington in Philadelphia, and I do think

(02:10:29):
the Giants are better and as good as as that
division is hard to be worse right right, But the North,
the North is frightening.

Speaker 3 (02:10:41):
North is good, which we said going into last season,
by the way, yeah, and ended up playing itself out.
Now the problem is what are the Bears gonna look
like with all the moves they made this offseason or.

Speaker 2 (02:10:53):
Are like I don't know about you, but I'm actually
to see Caleb now with Ben Johnson. You know, I
think that's gonna work. I'm hopeful that it does.

Speaker 3 (02:11:04):
I'm a guy that you know that their roots for
Caleb obviously at USC kid and played played extremely well
well the Heisman Trophy and had his took his lumps
last year. But with all the weapons they have around
him with the new innovative head coach uh more emphasis
on the run game.

Speaker 2 (02:11:18):
I seen.

Speaker 3 (02:11:19):
There's no there's no reason why it shouldn't work for
them this year. But it brings up a fascinating aspect
to your point, I mean, every single team in that
division I think can Like maybe the Bears are probably
are maybe not knocking on the door of quote unquote
winning the division. Maybe you can say they're fighting for
a wildcard, but Detroit, Minnesota, Green Bay. Can't you make
a case for all three of them to win the division?

Speaker 2 (02:11:39):
Yeah? I I the Lions. I actually feel I feel
horrible for the Lions and their fans because of all
the injuries, Like they got robbed last year. They were
a great team and they only fell off because of

(02:12:01):
all the injuries.

Speaker 3 (02:12:02):
Yeah, starting in like week twelve, there was like an
important guy that went down like every week after that.
It was insane.

Speaker 2 (02:12:07):
I mean you get decimatal defense, correct, You know, when
you lose your your great players at one point, and
you lose your best pass rusher and three quarters of
your secondary, it's hard to overcome. Yeah, you can't. You can't.
And by the way it looks, Montgomery.

Speaker 3 (02:12:28):
Right, well, it's also the unfortunate part is it's something
that you just can't predict, you know, going into a
season or going into the postseason, when you face that
much attrition. That's why people say, like, the team that
wins is the team that's the healthiest at the end
of the year. A lot of time, your health is
almost as more important than how talented and how talented
you are because you have important pieces. Imagine in Philadelphia,

(02:12:52):
you know, if they would have lost a bunch of that, like,
nobody's able as good enough to overcome that.

Speaker 2 (02:12:56):
They just aren't nobody. Nah, you're right on uh. I mean,
Minnesota is about McCarthy, right, so it's all about him.
At Green Bay, you're curious. You like their moves, I
mean you get it. You get a real receiver.

Speaker 3 (02:13:14):
Yeah, And which I know is something that you've been
critical of, is getting the more weapons for Jordan Love.
I like their moves. I like them like they're look
their offseason moves. I think we're really good.

Speaker 2 (02:13:24):
You know.

Speaker 3 (02:13:25):
Getting the defensive back Hobbs from the Raiders I think
is huge helping their secondary. He's one of the best
slot corners in the entire league. The big thing for
them offensively is just keeping their receivers healthy. They have
a good I think they have a good young stable
of receivers, but they got to keep these guys like
Reading like Watson on the fields.

Speaker 2 (02:13:43):
That's the problem. The guys just can't stay healthy. Yeah, yeah,
I'm I'm with you, man.

Speaker 3 (02:13:49):
But I mean, if these young guys can all stay
and grow together, I mean, these guys can end up
taking over the division for the next five six years.

Speaker 2 (02:13:57):
Yeah, I mean, I love Detroit. I mean Kibs is
still young, like Kibbs is a beast. But no, I mean, listen,
your point is right now. I just like I like Golden.
I thought every every time Texas needed a big play
down the field, he made.

Speaker 3 (02:14:16):
It true, absolutely true. He was their go to guy.

Speaker 2 (02:14:20):
Give you no, I'm just saying, so you go, Golden,
Reed Dobbs. I mean, you know, I think Golden makes
those tears. I think Golden. I think Golden is a
legit number one in this league. I like him. I'm
I'm I like that pick.

Speaker 3 (02:14:37):
Yeah, I mean clearly they do too. So and I
still like Christian Watson too. I think he's an impact
player when he's healthy. He just like I said, never
is ye, And you have Jacobs, who someone obviously I
as Raider fan, know extremely well, and he's a great back.
So I like I like Green Bay's chances as much
as anybody's. I can't pick Minnesota to duplicate what they

(02:14:57):
First of all, nobody thought Minnesota would do what they
did last year, so that's one. So I cannot reasonably
predict that they win fourteen games again, especially with JJ
McCarthy at the quarterback, because I just don't know what
he is.

Speaker 2 (02:15:09):
He could be.

Speaker 3 (02:15:09):
Patrick Mahomes, he could be Mark Sanchez, you know what
I mean, Like, I have no idea what this guys.
That there's no sample size whatsoever, preseason or otherwise to
even know the kind of player that he would be,
so I will be skeptical. So I would say Minnesota
probably takes a half a step back. So I probably
drop Minnesota and pump up Chicago if I have to
do like a little bit of an NFC North projection shuffle.

Speaker 2 (02:15:32):
The only figure is that floor is. I love Floras.
I think I love that defense, and I think their
defense is still strong.

Speaker 3 (02:15:41):
Their defense is very good. Do they have enough offensively
at the quarterback? They look to have the offensive talent, right,
I mean, obviously Addison Jefferson are great in Hockinson when
he's able to be healthy too.

Speaker 2 (02:15:53):
Yeah, Hawkinson's a big deal. If you could stay healthy,
that's a big deal.

Speaker 3 (02:15:57):
He's phenomenal, He's excellent, He's one. He's one of the
you know, up top eight tight ends of the league
when he's healthy, receiving tight ends at least yep. But
it's just a matter of keeping him on the field.
But the biggest question mark is at the most important position.
And that's why I am skeptical about them, and that's
JJ McCarthy. So I think they take a step back
for that reason.

Speaker 2 (02:16:16):
You know, you know why I'm looking forward to saying
let's go to the south Man Tampic just gets better, right,
Like Igbuka, you draft to go with Evans and Godwin
and McMillan, who was terrific last year.

Speaker 3 (02:16:34):
Remember McMillan is kind of like carbon copy of Mike
Evans from a Bill Sat build and play standpoint. So
that's probably like a Lauren under Mike. You guys play
a similar position, similar style and then once he ushers out,
you slide into his to his spot. I think it
was a phenomenal, really really smart draft pick by them.

Speaker 2 (02:16:53):
I mean that, I mean I look at that team.
I mean, and then you add defensively at son Reddick, right,
I mean you had uh, I don't know. I look
at that team. I mean as old as Vaveay is
in there in the middle of that defense, that's they're nasty.
They are. Baker Baker became just legit man. He got

(02:17:16):
a great year.

Speaker 3 (02:17:18):
He is he is I wouldn't say better than above average.
He's a good starting NFL quarterback at this point in time.
Not great, not gonna be a you know, all pro
or anything. But he's gotten himself to the status with
He's now a quarterback where you say, with the right
pieces around him, you can win with him.

Speaker 2 (02:17:35):
He's gotten to that status. I mean the numbers were,
they were through the roof. I know. Yeah, Where would
you put him in the NFC? I'm curious, let's play
it played this little I.

Speaker 3 (02:17:47):
Put the Bucks over all in the MC. No, where
would you put Bakers Baker quarterback in the NFC. Well,
let's just look like you.

Speaker 2 (02:17:55):
Got Jayleen, you got Stafford, you got uh golf love.
I'm just throwing quarterbacks out there that of the best
team Jack. I mean, dude, he's he's top three now three,

(02:18:18):
All right, Well, I mean I'd rather Baker than Dak,
but that's all. That's all, you think. I'll take Baker
every day to week.

Speaker 3 (02:18:26):
When they're both at their best. I think they're probably
on par at this point in their careers. I'll put
it that way.

Speaker 2 (02:18:31):
I think, like a flip, I mean Baked, like in all.

Speaker 3 (02:18:36):
Due respect to Baker too, Like I mean, it's it's
a one year sample size of this sort of production.
Dak has had a couple of years like this. I
got to see him do it again.

Speaker 2 (02:18:48):
Okay. I don't know if you know, I'll take Baker,
but I okay, but just you know that's fine.

Speaker 3 (02:18:53):
Like, I don't think either of them are great, but
I think Baker at best, I think it's kind of
on par with Dak, and I probably it's here below
And that's just because I gott to see him do
it again. But I'm still taking Stafford over him. I'm
taking Jalen over him. Yeah, I'm taking Daniels over him.

Speaker 2 (02:19:11):
Oh yeah, well Daniels is one. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:19:14):
The golf is interesting because I do think golf to
a certain degree is elevated because they he's a product
of the system. But I I can't hope that against
him because I make this argument all the time. Everybody's
a system quarterback. So I will take golf over Baker.
I'll say that, I'll take love over him. You take
golf over Baker, Yeah, I take Baker over golf. Well,

(02:19:36):
I think those guys will probably probably.

Speaker 2 (02:19:38):
Put with those weapons. Yeah, I'll take Baker over golf.

Speaker 3 (02:19:42):
Yeah, I think they're probably on par.

Speaker 2 (02:19:44):
Plus. I think he's He's just a better athlete too.

Speaker 3 (02:19:48):
Oh yeah, I mean, I mean, I don't know if
that you can be you know, have to be a
great athletes and to be a great quarterback.

Speaker 2 (02:19:53):
But well no, no, but I'm saying I just think
Baker's better. I think he can move, can move more.

Speaker 3 (02:19:58):
Yeah, that's fine, Baker can move better than Stafford. I
still think Stafford's better.

Speaker 2 (02:20:03):
Than he is. Yeah. Well, I mean, but Stafford's Stafford's
an anomaly, right, Like he's your last pocket quarterback that
that you could you just love, that can win, right like, Yeah,
because Baker, Baker's legs are under rated.

Speaker 3 (02:20:20):
Yeah, he can move on that. He's not gonna you know,
run for five hundred yards. Lamar, But he's but he's
you know, he can keep playing a little better than
Dak does.

Speaker 2 (02:20:29):
He does.

Speaker 3 (02:20:29):
Yes, that could never move that well. That is even
before his leg injury.

Speaker 2 (02:20:33):
That is true. That is true. Look, if you're ranking
him in the NFC, Daniels is won, and then you
got Stafford Jalen, right, like, depending on your offense appetite.

Speaker 3 (02:20:47):
Yeah, I'll take love over him, you take, I would take.

Speaker 2 (02:20:51):
I'm a love guy. I am. I think his his
line hurt him last year. Yeah, not to take it well,
you know, not to give him an alboy because.

Speaker 3 (02:21:03):
He makes some poor decisions and poor throws as. But
I mean in general an amalgam. I think he's he's
he's excellent trending towards being being excellent. He's really good,
trending towards.

Speaker 2 (02:21:14):
Being I'm still a love fan, man, I can tell
football day. It's just fun. When coming up the the
Braid's coming up. We'll talk a little, uh playoffs and
I'll have some pics. We'll uh, we'll chop it up
with him. Next where the Fellas Radio with the Mother's
Day Weekend on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 5 (02:21:39):
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 2 (02:21:54):
I fellas Figgie cause you know what time it is now,
fig Yes, sir? So what do I tell you where?
You know? The brain is the world traveler right, absolutely?
So he just God blessed him and he's he deserves it.

(02:22:16):
He's one of the nicest people, like just good hearts.
I root for good people and he's good. So his experiences,
he collects experiences. So Brain, tell FIGI where you were
this week?

Speaker 4 (02:22:33):
You know, it's funny. I'm not thank you for good
to hear you. Yes, he always great to hear you.
Not a big golfer, h It's interesting. I grew up
playing other sports, never really golf, but like I see,
it was like three or four years ago I got
invited through my gambling to the British Open, and so
like I went there, I took my son played the
British Open courses. Again. I stink, but God blased. It

(02:22:57):
was so much fun. And then me and my son
were like, you know what, it may not be good
at golf though he's actually getting better now. Let's go
to the best courses, play like once a year, like
are like the best rank courses. So we played band
in Dunes in Oregon, which was incredible.

Speaker 2 (02:23:10):
We did a couple of.

Speaker 4 (02:23:11):
Amazing ones in Vegas. We played Pebble Beach, and I
got to tell you, I'm I know for a fact,
just my own case. It's like, I'm sure you guys,
you know certain things. You just know your personal taste.
I could play every golf course in the world. There's
a zero percent chance I will find something nicer than
Tubble Beach based on what I find amazing and cool.

Speaker 2 (02:23:38):
On the sea. I mean, it's unbelievable. It was me.

Speaker 4 (02:23:42):
It was absolutely we got lucky. See, we got a
beautiful day. It was probably seventy two and Sonny no wind.

Speaker 2 (02:23:48):
It was so beautiful.

Speaker 4 (02:23:50):
Everything about it was just I was just like, you can't.

Speaker 2 (02:23:54):
I don't know how you.

Speaker 4 (02:23:55):
Could ever have a nicer course than Tebble Beach for
anyone who likes golf, don't like golf. I think it's
actually almost a relevant for anyone who just just wants
to a great experience. Cannot recommend highly enough. Pebble Beach
also played not Spyglass it was a Spanish bay, but
to me that was nice. But no comparison to me,

(02:24:18):
Pebble Beach for anyone who has interest in golf even
a little bit, it's not even a bucket list thing.
I'd think if you don't do it, you should just
be ashamed. It was that it's expensive. I get it,
but in life it is about experiences and if you
don't do that, if you have any interest in golf,
shame on you. It was that amazing.

Speaker 3 (02:24:36):
Yeah, he wants to Beanie Babies or Paul because you
can collect experiences like Pebble Beach. I mean, come on,
that's what you know.

Speaker 4 (02:24:42):
It's funny, and it's funny. We were actually going to
go anthanauty we got both hes, got diverted to Denver.
Got diverted to Denver, and I swear I was going
to go to the Denver ok C game. I was
going to do it, but had a family obligation here
and I couldn't pull it off.

Speaker 2 (02:24:58):
Oh my god, you know what then game dude, that
would have been awesome.

Speaker 4 (02:25:03):
Still still getting that. He's like, we would have the
best time, like I know, but family obligations have been doing.

Speaker 2 (02:25:12):
Yeah, that would have been fantastic. Yeah it was.

Speaker 4 (02:25:15):
It was good stuff. But the golf was really really fun.
As I said, anyone who looking for experience. I could
not rank it highly enough.

Speaker 2 (02:25:22):
So all right, let's talk NBA, buddy, because I mean,
what an incredible Uh it's the second round's been awesome
between the Knicks, right and Denver. Okay, so he's been awesome,
the Pacers and Calves. I mean it's a lot of fun. Man,

(02:25:44):
it's good. It's just great theater. Uh let's look at
who are you for?

Speaker 4 (02:25:49):
Celtics or Nicks.

Speaker 2 (02:25:51):
Oh it's not even close. I'm ok, yeah, it's not. Listen.
The Celtics are blood enemy of me. I hate.

Speaker 4 (02:26:02):
No, I agree, you know that's the greatest.

Speaker 2 (02:26:07):
I see that green. Oh yeah, the same way.

Speaker 4 (02:26:10):
Okay, we're in the same page, all three of us.

Speaker 2 (02:26:14):
Oh yeah, we share that figured and I bonded over
our Celtics hate absolutely.

Speaker 3 (02:26:20):
I grew up a Laker fan, Brad so Enough said.

Speaker 4 (02:26:23):
Yeah, well yeah, I was was funny and like Celtic Lakers.
I rooted for obviously Lakers one hundred percent of the time.

Speaker 2 (02:26:28):
Under I mean like I didn't like we were we
were magic sympathizers, nice like we like magic over bird
any good reason.

Speaker 4 (02:26:39):
I wasn't the same that I could have been riding
the same boat as you guys. I had the same
same feelings. So yeah, I totally I totally get. But yeah,
listen to the playoffs. It's interesting, guys. I have to
do the math on it. I got to do the
math on my guests this time.

Speaker 2 (02:26:51):
I got.

Speaker 4 (02:26:52):
I'm just throwing this number out there, probably five thousand
and one that the chances of the playoffs running out
six and oh, if you just did a parlay of
knicks to be up to nothing, Calves to be down
to nothing, Okay, See to lose Game one, and Minnesota
to lose Game one, I think it had to probably
be close to five thousand and one.

Speaker 2 (02:27:11):
Oh my god.

Speaker 4 (02:27:12):
That was just unbelievable with those first six games. And
obviously we saw Golden State came back, okay, See came
back to Burley in Game two, and then the Cavs
were able to you know, get back in the series yesterday.
But yeah, it's it's been an incredibly interesting, you know,
playoff second round in terms of just seeing these teams
that we thought were the best teams not being able

(02:27:35):
to win. So it's it's certainly been extremely good TV.
And again the guy, can you imagine beat the Celtics.
The Knick's been leading for what twenty seconds and these
two games and they're two and zero.

Speaker 3 (02:27:46):
Yeah, it's pretty wild, I guess. And I haven't seen
the numbers. I've been trying to find it, but the
odds of the Celtics coming back to coming back to
win this series, Brad, I don't know what the number is.
Maybe you do, but do you think that will be
a solid bet for a lot of people who feel
like though Boston has looked so bad these first two games,
that they're still.

Speaker 2 (02:28:03):
The better team.

Speaker 4 (02:28:04):
Well, I think Boston clearly is the better team right now.
The series price Boston, believe it or not, it's about
a dour twenty favorite, still still favored, still favored. And
there was a lot of sharp money from a lot
of people that I didn't quite get there, but there
was a lot of money bet on Boston minus about
three twenty or so after Game one, thinking, you know what,
there's no way to lose in Game two and they're

(02:28:25):
still going to win this series probably relatively still easily is,
but yeah, look down through nothing, but they got to
win this game, and again I think they're gonna do it.
But I'm not laying a dollar twenty with Boston. I'll
tell you why, because I think we'll talk about this game.
You can get six twice with the Knicks yere. Now,
I don't think the Knicks are that great. But here's
the thing. Boston's not that great. No, it's that great.

(02:28:48):
And I think perzingis his health is a big thing
following Boston closer this year. I thought he was their
second best player in the forty two games he did play,
him giving them not much because of this his unfortunate nailment.
I think that's a big deal. I think today's game
is gonna be closed. Line is six, and I say

(02:29:09):
to myself, I get the desperation, and I think again, yes,
then it's gonna win the game. Guys, I think Boston
will win the game. But with six points, yeah to Yes,
the crowd is gonna be insane. It's gonna be the
most crowd game of the year.

Speaker 2 (02:29:25):
Yes, why why?

Speaker 4 (02:29:27):
Why is Boston again? I always say to these things,
any fancy think about it? Just because they're down to nothing,
does that just mean that New York's say we're not trying.
I always like laugh when I think these things. Okay,
we're up to two, uncod let's not even try. Let's
just make it two to one.

Speaker 1 (02:29:40):
I mean, come on, it's.

Speaker 4 (02:29:42):
Gonna be a charge game for the Knicks.

Speaker 2 (02:29:45):
Yeah. I mean, here's the thing. I think we're looking
at Cleveland, Indiana. Last night in Cleveland, what was Cleveland
four and a half last night and a half?

Speaker 4 (02:29:57):
Three opened at three.

Speaker 2 (02:30:00):
Okay.

Speaker 4 (02:30:00):
One of my one of my betting partners at achieved
made it his biggest bet of the year. Is like,
de Line's going to close five and a half. He
nailed it. Shout out to my boy JB. But Line
closed it five and a half. Uh And yeah, I mean,
but I think you're right, Anthony, And what you saw
Cleveland and a quote unquote must win just absolutely dominate
Indiana and I went by twenty five. I think you're

(02:30:22):
getting a little bit. And then you saw game two
Minnesota get dominated or dominate Golden State, and you saw
Golahoma City doing I think you're getting a little bit
of it. But then I think to myself, so I just.

Speaker 2 (02:30:32):
Said, this matchup is different, and the Knicks are different.
The Knicks are a rugged team, right with a rugged coach, right,
and rugged teams don't get like I would be shocked
if Boston blew them out. The only way Boston blows

(02:30:52):
them out is if they're on fire from three. Now
they that will happen, But that I think there's gonna
be a lot uh that won't happen in one game
where Boston for sure shoots the lights out where they.

Speaker 4 (02:31:06):
May Yeah, there's gonna be one game they probably do
blow them out just because they shoot so well from
the way the way we play.

Speaker 2 (02:31:12):
But I don't think today, I don't think that happens
just because of all the energy it's going to be
in that building. I mean, that's gonna be msg uh
and it'll be at its height.

Speaker 4 (02:31:24):
Like really, I think the more fair line here is
for so they get six. To me, I think the
Knicks Merricks A bet I do again, Boston probably gonna
win it, but again winning by seven, and the pup
this crowd you're gonna see all year with a cry.
All right, maybe they do it. But and then, by
the way, here's the thing also to me, let's just

(02:31:47):
look at these things. Oklahoma City had to play Denver
at home and their quote unquote, they want it Golden State.
You miss or not play Golden State at home? They
want it to me Indiana. I just don't think is
is I just don't consider at Indiana versus at New
York in the same level. I know Indiana salid and
they're tough. I get it, But I just think this

(02:32:07):
is a much harder road to go with Boston than
these other teams are going to do. I think it's
gonna be tough game, I really do.

Speaker 3 (02:32:15):
What are you thinking about? You mentioned Golden State there
about their prospects. Today they're getting five and a half
against Minnesota. Obviously Steph Curry is out and could be
out as far as like game six, How far this
how long this series goes? How do you how are
you looking at today? Golden State is at home, they're
better at home, but obviously not having Steph in the
lineup is a big loss.

Speaker 4 (02:32:36):
It's a huge loss. Look here that you look at
Golden State and I just don't think they're a very
good team without him. Uh And they finally again, I
I wish again, I wish I could speak to Steve
Kerr and somebody's finally cominging to me. Was, you know,
outside of Jimmy Butler. I thought their next best offense
player that he's been dusted off. They finally used them,

(02:32:56):
you know, finally used them, and they're playing these guys
that can't score. I just don't understand it. But they
finally used the me had like twenty points played. Well,
all that being said, again, lean here, I like, actually
like the mix. Lean here, Golden Tate getting the five
and a half. Just because they're at home. I think
maybe one of these two games that are going to
keep close, one of them will probably lose by double digits.

(02:33:20):
No again, not a game I'm betting personally, I think miss.

Speaker 2 (02:33:23):
Wet Ring, we got like thirty seconds. Yeah, so can
you can you run through the games tomorrow? Any hockey,
any baseball, whatever you got?

Speaker 4 (02:33:35):
Love Love Love the capitalis plus one seventy five. I
think it's a fifty to fifty game. Love that one
of my favorite bets. Love the maple Leafs plus a
dollars sixty five in game four, I think it's a
fifty to fifty game. Some baseball, real quick Corton Byurns
fifteen and a half outs thirty sorry, thirty one and
eight if last thirty nine starts, give me over fifteen

(02:33:55):
and a half outs for him. Love under five and
a half in the Yankees A's five inn line series
has been terrific all year. We're going right now with
in the best picture outside of schoobl in the world
allowed twenty five forty nine innings. Love under five and
a half runs in that one. And if you can
grab a four in either the Red Sox game or
the Giants twins scheme under four and a five in line,

(02:34:17):
both those very solid bets in my opinion.

Speaker 2 (02:34:19):
All right, Bardy, good stuff. Good to have you back.
Have a great weekend, man, Thanks, Bratt, be good. There
is the brain, all right, figured it out. I'll be
right back. We'll take a quick to come back and
wrap up a fun morning Fellas on Fox. Fellas wrapping

(02:34:41):
up a show on a Mother's Day weekend, figuring I
want to wish everybody a happy Mother's Day, all your
mom's out there, wives and just making a special day.
And don't forget for the best pregame show every weekend,
be sure to tune into Fox Sports Radios count I'm
presented by MGM every Saturday and Sunday morning, nine am.

(02:35:04):
The noon eastern six to nine Pacific will cut you
down to all the biggest games. Tune in the Countdown
presented by BED MGM every Saturday and Sunday morning right
here on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. By
the way, I do want to thank our five production team,
Brianna and everybody Mark. They are the best, right absolutely,

(02:35:30):
Happy Mother's Day to your beautiful wife. Thank you and
yours as well. Thanks brother.

Speaker 3 (02:35:36):
You got all the mimosas that she can. Yeah, she
you know, hold it up, mom, you deserve that.

Speaker 2 (02:35:46):
Yeah, they shall be. She'll be eating well that the
little surf and turf for the moms tomorrow.

Speaker 3 (02:35:52):
I said, I can't believe that phenomenal spread that you
talked about about the rowing.

Speaker 2 (02:35:57):
That's incredible. The rowing figures, unbelieve.

Speaker 5 (02:36:00):
I like that.

Speaker 2 (02:36:02):
Yeah. So I've been the one regatta race right, and
you know, like all these schools have tents and it's
like this row of tents on the banks of the
river and they all have like these like enormous grills

(02:36:24):
and and flap flat tops and they're cooking. You know,
they start with the breakfast sandwiches and then you know
all the different coffees and stations, and I mean it
sounds like it's exactly what it is. And then they
go from that to like, you know, they're making cheese
steaks and you know, I mean, you know all kinds

(02:36:45):
stall that themes like the sickle de mile one was,
you know, all like my one, all the stuff. Meanwhile,
I'm at baseball and you know they had they all
have the concession stands at baseball.

Speaker 3 (02:36:58):
Right, the little pop upstand and over there off the field, right,
and it's like going to it's like going to Wrigley Field.

Speaker 2 (02:37:07):
Like the prices, yeah, are are like it's they're crazy.
These these concession stands charge seven dollars for hot dog. Yeah,
I'm not paying fifteen dollars for taffy Tail's wrong with you?
It's not. It's like this is you faithful? It's twelve
you right? And you know because these these tournaments, right,

(02:37:28):
they bring all these teams and a lot of times
you're stuck, like you got time, you got all this
time before get like in between games, and they're right
like we're playing like five six games during the week,
and sometimes you don't have time to go anywhere, so
you go to concession standing. It's like oh daddy, I
want fingers, all right, chicken figures. Twelve dollars for chicken figures.

Speaker 3 (02:37:50):
Like what ridiculous. That's why, you know's and stuff. They'll
just throw an air fry. Stuff you can do at home,
you know. Oh yeah, buy a giant a giant box
of you know, frozen nuggets for twelve dollars that the
last year, five months.

Speaker 2 (02:38:05):
Yeah, yeah, it's ridiculous. Shame on.

Speaker 3 (02:38:09):
Yeah, yeah, it's out on the parents of the kids
who are just out there trying to have a good
time with their kids.

Speaker 2 (02:38:14):
Wrong. Yeah, it's it's insane. I mean you do you
know the other trick, like they'll get they'll buy pizzas
and then they'll get like you'll buy a pizza for whatever,
just say twenty bucks, right, and then they'll sell a
slice for six dollars. Oh right, So like, you know,

(02:38:35):
it's unbelievable, like they you know, kids don't get it
because of course there's kids in the parents are there
and yeah, in between they have the gatorade. Uh, daddy,
I gotta red gatorade, daddy. You know, So, I mean
that's what you go to these states. You're like, oh
my god, I just bet like forty six dollars, like
want nothing. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (02:38:57):
It was like this a little league game where I'm out, like,
you know, Dodger Stadium, What the hell we do exactly?

Speaker 2 (02:39:02):
It's ridiculous and like if I'm getting a Dodger dog
all right, you know, Oh we're at We're done. Have
a great everybody. We love you, See you next week.

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