Tracy Sandler & Nikki Kay Talk Eagles Parade, NBA All-Star Game, the Rise of Women's Hoops & More!

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

Speaker 2 (00:04):
We are broadcasting live from the tire rack dot Com studios.
Tire rac dot com will help you get there an
unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free road hazard protection, and
over ten thousand recommended installers. Tire rac dot com the
way tire buying should be.

Speaker 3 (00:20):
And be sure to check out the Fox Sports Radio
YouTube channel, especially this weekend. There's a ton of great
videos from this week alone, as Fox Sports Radio was
live this week from Super Week in New Orleans. All
of our videos from the great big name interviews can
be found on our YouTube page. Just search Fox Sports
Radio on YouTube and you'll see a whole lot of

(00:42):
video highlights from our shows. And be sure to subscribe
so you always have instant access to our Fox Sports
Radio videos on YouTube.

Speaker 2 (00:50):
I am Tracy Sandler, joined by the wonderful Nikki k Nikki.
A week ago, you and I were in New Orleans
at a Nelly concert, which was amazing.

Speaker 4 (00:58):
What a time that was and what a blur New
Orleans was.

Speaker 3 (01:02):
I would have to say that was It's gotta be
one of the top four Super Bowl host cities in
the rotation.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
I one hundred percent agree. I kind of think all
super Bowls should be in New Orleans, just the ease
of getting around and the parents are the character of
the city.

Speaker 4 (01:17):
It was. It was really fun.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
I have been very blessed to be at a lot
of Super Bowls, and this was one of my most
favorite weeks I've had.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
Yeah, and I've got to ask, okay before we get
into you know, the reaction from the week following. Okay,
let's say super Bowl rotation is narrowed down to four
cities for warm weather cities, right, what what are your
top four?

Speaker 4 (01:36):
Oh?

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Man, I don't There'd be lots of cities mad at me,
but I'll just I'll just go to it. I'm gonna
go with New Orleans. I'm gonna say LA because I'm
based here. So it's a purely selfish situation, right Vegas, yes,
very spread out, and then so that my forty nine
ers fans followers don't get mad at me. I'm gonna

(01:59):
go a tie with San Francisco and Arizona.

Speaker 3 (02:01):
Okay, Okay, I so I'm kind of out on LA
hosting just because of how widespread. I mean, it was
really fun when it was here in twenty twenty two,
but like the commute. Just you know, you have an
activation in Santa Monica, then in West Hollywood, and then
the games in Englewood. So I'm going to go with Miami,

(02:21):
New Orleans, Arizona.

Speaker 4 (02:24):
And where was I get?

Speaker 5 (02:27):
Oh?

Speaker 4 (02:27):
Vegas? Vegas?

Speaker 2 (02:28):
Absolutely and see to me, Miami is so spread out. Yeah,
but you know what, I just love the ocean goes round?

Speaker 4 (02:33):
Yeah, right, go around. That's fair. Well.

Speaker 2 (02:35):
Last week's Super Bowl Eagles win it all, as I'm
sure everybody knows right now. Championship parade was yesterday, and.

Speaker 4 (02:42):
We have Valentine's Day nonetheless on.

Speaker 2 (02:44):
Valentine's Day for Eagles fans to show their love to
their beloved Eagles.

Speaker 3 (02:50):
How many how many women do you think heard from
from their significant others? Hey, honey, I'm just gonna go
to the parade. It'll only be for a couple of hours,
but I'll come back and then we'll have our Valentine's
State plans.

Speaker 4 (03:02):
I want to know how many men heard it from women?
For that is what show.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
I want to know, so deserved and or maybe a
couples just going together.

Speaker 2 (03:10):
I mean, it's filly. What a great way to celebrate this?
Is there anything that more romantic? Than the Philadelphia Eagles
me in the Super Bowl in Philadelphia, I think not.

Speaker 4 (03:17):
And Jalen Hurts understood the assignment.

Speaker 2 (03:20):
Wearing his Love Hurts sweatshirt on Valentine's eighth the parade,
it was just it was it was iconic. Jalen Hurts also,
he's really good at keeping a promise. It's what the
man does well and well that in football. But he
had promised on draft Day he wasn't going to the
Rocky Steps until he won a championship.

Speaker 4 (03:38):
He made it there. I just got goose bumps.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
That's like a you know, a really cool delivery.

Speaker 4 (03:46):
I guess on your words, right.

Speaker 3 (03:47):
I was watching on the Jimmy Fallon Show when he
had Jalen Saquon on and then they brought out the
O line. The guys were shotgunning beers and Jalen just
ever so cool, opens up his.

Speaker 4 (04:02):
Beer and just dumps it on one of his teammates.
You know, I love it. He just has an aura
and he's in a league of his own.

Speaker 2 (04:09):
He is he is in a league of his own,
and he always seems so serious that it was kind
of cool.

Speaker 4 (04:12):
As the parade went on, it looked like he was
having more and more with your hair down. Yeah, hair down,
and I think he did is again.

Speaker 2 (04:19):
Then I saw him like running with the trophy slap
in hand, so I think he had a blast. Cooper
Jean Or Dejeane hit himself with a bud light chain,
so he's got a cut, but he said it was
a self inflicted wound and he was he was fine
with it.

Speaker 4 (04:33):
Howie Roseman got hit with a beer can. Oh right,
Oh he was. He was bleeding.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
So I mean it was peak Philly, if you want
my opinion, totally peak Philly.

Speaker 3 (04:42):
Absolutely. Were you around for the Rams Super Bowl parade?

Speaker 4 (04:46):
I was. I didn't go to the prede No, I wasn't.
I was in Cabo. Sorry, I don't blame me on
that one. It was.

Speaker 3 (04:53):
It was an interesting time, right because it was coming
out of the pandemic and also the Rams just kind
of you know, I think gay a footprint more and
more in this city as a Super Bowl team. So
the parade was a little understated. But I was on
stage doing interviews with like the guys you know, in
all their glory, and it's like Sean mcvayh you know,

(05:15):
Matthew Stafford just.

Speaker 4 (05:18):
Drunk.

Speaker 3 (05:19):
But drunk on the success of their accomplishments, and it's
being around that type of energy is so special and
such a great moment for these guys who've laid it
all on the line, their entire lives, and what a
pinnacle of success.

Speaker 2 (05:36):
And we saw with the Dodgers, who in twenty twenty
didn't get a parade that was such a big thing
for them this past year. We want our parade and
they enjoyed every second. And it's great for the city.

Speaker 4 (05:46):
It's great for the fans in Philadelphia. Public schools level, Yeah, Philadelphia.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
Public schools all off on Friday so that kids could
could attend the parade.

Speaker 4 (05:54):
So a lot of fun, a lot of fun in Philadelphia.

Speaker 2 (05:57):
But here's the thing with the NFL. Now everybody is
zero and zero, right, we are heading into this thing
that people speak of called the off season.

Speaker 4 (06:08):
As what off season? Yeah right, I don't really know
what that is.

Speaker 2 (06:12):
But there are some questions coming out of the Super Bowl,
mainly will Travis Kelsey retire?

Speaker 1 (06:19):
Right?

Speaker 3 (06:19):
And I you know that man has every right to
walk away from the game, not only as one of
the greatest tight ends of all time, maybe the greatest,
you could argue there's an argument for it, But I
just I would wonder if after his performance in this
super Bowl, which was not great by any means.

Speaker 4 (06:42):
That was a very nice way to say that, right, right?

Speaker 3 (06:44):
Is that what you hang them up on? I like,
is that where you hang up your cleats?

Speaker 4 (06:50):
I don't.

Speaker 3 (06:50):
I can can't imagine that's how he wants to leave
the game.

Speaker 4 (06:55):
But I would also.

Speaker 3 (06:56):
Give him his flowers immediately. You know, yes, sir, I
get it. You know it's time. But what would you
say if you were, you know, to maybe if you
had to buy someone's dinner on it?

Speaker 4 (07:09):
What are you saying?

Speaker 2 (07:10):
Well, I think there's there's two ways to look at it,
and then I'll get back to the dinner buying.

Speaker 4 (07:14):
Yeah, where am I buying this dinner? Just so I
know how invested I am in this. I know how you.

Speaker 3 (07:19):
I know you like your spots in Quijo. So let's say, like,
let's go Laurel Hardware. Okay, I think there are two
ways to look at it. I think, on the one hand, yes,
do you want to leave that way? It was not
a great performance.

Speaker 2 (07:30):
However, it wasn't a great performance for anybody, So at
least it's not like.

Speaker 4 (07:34):
You were the reason they locked the superle I think.

Speaker 2 (07:37):
The other side of it is, You've had a tremendous career.
You are maybe the best tight end of all time
though George Kittle with like a word, but you maybe
are the best type and Gronk with like a number
of words actually on that. So you you are maybe
the best. You're certainly one of the best. So do
you say I've had a tremendous career. Know that last

(07:58):
game isn't how I wanted it to go, but I
think it's time because you don't want your whole season
to look like that next year exactly.

Speaker 4 (08:07):
So if I'm.

Speaker 2 (08:08):
Buying dinner on it, all of that being said, if
I'm buying dinner on it, I don't think he retires
because he is a competitor and professional athletes, I want
to go out on top, and that's what I have
for that.

Speaker 3 (08:19):
I heard someone saying it is like for professional athletes,
you you die two times in life, Like you die
a little bit when your career ends, and then obviously
there's there's the real death that you know. But at
the end of the Sorry, God got a little grim there.
But I was just trying to talk about how significant
this decision and monumental it is. And I know he

(08:41):
was talking to his brother on his podcast, someone who
also has had to kind of really sit in it
and watch firsthand. As the team he just you know,
chose to leave, which Jason Kelsey every right to retire,
but then the Eagles went on, you have to win it.
So I can imagine there's a lot of emotions in
that family right now. And also do is this the

(09:02):
start of the revenge doc for Patrick Mahomes? Like now
people are saying.

Speaker 4 (09:07):
He's washed, he's overrated, he's done at the end.

Speaker 3 (09:10):
Of his career, Like, you know, is this where he says,
let me prove you wrong.

Speaker 2 (09:15):
Well, first of all, we in sports media hyperbolic little
bit Mahomes is so far from wash. It was a
bad game. He had a bad game, but back to
everybody had a bad game. He had zero time to
throw the ball. The Chiefs all season were not the
Chiefs that they were. The reasons they made it as
far as they did were Patrick Mahomes and the defense

(09:38):
and this was just and a lot of luck. But
I do think good teams can be lucky. So he
is not washed. He'll come back, Nick Cheryl'll have a
great season.

Speaker 4 (09:47):
But this is something we do in sports media.

Speaker 2 (09:49):
It is part of our charm and it gives us
something to talk about for the next several months. Except
there is more to talk about the next several months,
and I want to touch upon this. The NFL Combine
starts next week. Invites went out this last week. I
just want to lay out that for everybody being like,
it's the off season, Oh, don't you worry plenty to
look forward to franchise tag deadline coming up free agency.

(10:12):
Just right after the Combine owners meetings, the draft rookie
Mini camps. OTA's My point here is football may feel
like it's over.

Speaker 4 (10:21):
Football is football back? Yes, we are totally back with football.

Speaker 2 (10:29):
I want to ask your opinion on one Combine thing.

Speaker 4 (10:32):
Travis Hunter going in as a dB.

Speaker 3 (10:35):
You know what, I think that man is such an
athlete that if that's the inclination he has on where
he's going to, you know, make his mark, I trust
it wholeheartedly. So I think the best thing for him
get in what the right franchise, get with the right team,

(10:57):
and then explore options of you.

Speaker 4 (11:00):
Know, the duality of what you're able to do on
a field. I like that, right, I like that a lot.

Speaker 3 (11:05):
I like I'm gonna say go with your gut on
that one, Travis.

Speaker 2 (11:09):
Actually I would say generally good life advice, yes, is
to go with your gut.

Speaker 3 (11:13):
You know what, We're here in therapy on a Saturday afternoon.

Speaker 4 (11:17):
We have everything for you.

Speaker 2 (11:18):
We have sports, we have some we have their busy,
we're buying dinner. Right, it's we've got all kinds of things.
Go ahead, and what are your other major off season
storylines in your opinion, other than will Er Travis Kelsey
retire and if Patrick Mahomes is watched, which I can't.

Speaker 3 (11:31):
I know well, and I also want to I mean,
there is now discussion of like what is on the
horizon for the Philadelphia Eagles obviously an incredibly talented team
in all three phases, but you know, you lose Kellen
Moore to the New Orleans Saints and Jalen Hurts now
has this fifth different play caller, you know, on the horizon,

(11:54):
So what's that going to look like in Philadelphia? And
then you also have big names on expiring contracts, Zach Bond,
Milton Williams, Josh Sweat. You know, it's like what does
the future for the Philadelphia Eagles look like? And well,
we see them in contention again next year.

Speaker 2 (12:13):
Well, and let's pretend they get a great pry caller.
Everyone signs good. The other thing we saw this year,
you saw it in Detroit. They were the favorite. They
were gonna write at all. They have thirteen defensive starters
throughout the season end up on ir and it catches
up with them. That in the five turnovers in the
playoff game, but it catches up with them. The forty
nine ers were the favorites going in and it was

(12:34):
like the disasters. There's just so much that can happen
right that it's hard to say. I mean, the Eagles
right now look like definitely the best team in the NFL.
Looks like they have they could you know, run it back.
But there's so much that can happen. And I do
want to touch on the Kellen Moore thing because I
think to the to the casual fan, and maybe I'm

(12:55):
completely wrong about this, so feel free to tell me
i am. The losing of a play caller the lou
a coordinator is a huge thing for a football team
and it's huge thing for players.

Speaker 4 (13:04):
And I think we see it.

Speaker 2 (13:04):
Like, Okay, Ben Johnson's going to the Bears. Kellen Moore
love New Orleans so much, he's going to the staying
there and he's gonna be a say But it's a
big deal for teams, and it's as big a deal
as losing a star player.

Speaker 3 (13:16):
Yeah, I think the movement around the league in terms
of coordinators is going to be really interesting to see
how it affects the you know, the quality of plays,
like you talk about Chicago. But it's so funny like
preparing for this show and thinking about the topic of

(13:37):
like who's up next in terms of teams we want
to see or will or we think we will see
in the spotlight, you know, the final two when it
all matters, and it's like there's there's a handful. The
parody feels the potential for parody feels very real.

Speaker 4 (13:55):
Yes, it does.

Speaker 6 (13:55):
Well.

Speaker 2 (13:56):
We are going to see over the next several months,
and then of course when the Sea Natural starts back,
football is back. But until it is back back, we
have a lot of other sports to talk about. Is
NBA All Star weekend, But first we are going to
go to a break.

Speaker 4 (14:09):
We are Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 6 (14:11):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 2 (14:23):
We are coming to you live from the Tyraq dot
com studios. I am Tracy Sandler, joined by the fantastic
Nikki k Nikki.

Speaker 4 (14:31):
It is All Starreek weekend in the NBA, and all
the festivities are going on up in San Francisco.

Speaker 3 (14:38):
It's a it's a party, and I feel like it's
kind of going to be a little precursor to what
we're going to see, you know, for the Super Bowl
next year around this time, right, Yes, for sa Very
all host it just all seems very you know, uh,
indicative of what's to come.

Speaker 4 (14:54):
But yeah, I mean.

Speaker 3 (14:55):
Keep the parties going. And it's so funny. I think
Draymond Green was like, I guess we're the host right now.
It's like, no, no, you are. You are hosting so
and I love the new format. How do you feel
about it? It's more tournament style, right.

Speaker 2 (15:09):
It's more tournament style, which I think people like. And
he got to mix things up. We saw the NFL
do it with the Pro Bowl. Majorly baseball seems the
only one that could keep the format as is with
it working, but I think it mixes things up.

Speaker 4 (15:21):
It makes it a little bit more fun. It should
be fun.

Speaker 2 (15:23):
It's an all star game, so I really love what they're.

Speaker 4 (15:27):
Doing with it.

Speaker 2 (15:28):
Last night Friday Night's Rising Stars Challenge Team C one
like the I like the team names. Candace Parker is
their honorary GMAS with Team Candace now.

Speaker 3 (15:40):
Right, right, And so so let me as I'm kind
of parsing through how far is it all going to
work out?

Speaker 7 (15:46):
Right?

Speaker 3 (15:47):
So there's a tournament style to this Sunday where it's
going to be four teams basically starting in two semi
final matchups, so three games total with the championship all
start game and there's going to be no clock. And
it's the first time first team to forty Yes, right,
that is great. And the way they figured out these

(16:07):
teams was that the TNT talent Shack Chuck, Ernie Kent,
No Candace.

Speaker 4 (16:14):
It's Shack, Chuck and Kenny and any Candace. Yes, Okay,
sorry about that and you are forgiving yes. And so the.

Speaker 3 (16:21):
Rising Stars Kandaces Team Yes played to kind it was
like the play in game. It's like the player that's okay, great,
and so now Kandace's team, the Rising Stars, yes, is.

Speaker 4 (16:34):
Going to go up against too.

Speaker 2 (16:35):
They they go up against Shack Shacks t Os, which
is really so it's by the old Stars versus the Ogs.

Speaker 4 (16:43):
Is like, quite the It's gonna be so fun.

Speaker 2 (16:45):
It's the beginning of the careers to the right, the
sun setting of careers.

Speaker 4 (16:49):
Not quite, the sun is not set, but the sun
is setting.

Speaker 3 (16:53):
And Shak's team, it's like, you've got Lebron, Steph Kyrie,
Jason Tatum, Kevin Durant, Dame is that all tardened?

Speaker 4 (16:59):
Jalen Brown.

Speaker 3 (17:00):
I mean, you look at that. Like when I was
looking at the names right on these on these teams
that one, I was like, well they have everyone, and
then I'm just it just shows how this new era
of NBA talent is so sneaky because these are the
old guys.

Speaker 4 (17:16):
Now these aren't.

Speaker 3 (17:17):
This isn't like the indisputable best team in this All
Star Challenge, you know, but it's kind of like the Avengers.
It's the Team USA. It's I mean, but it's very
it's very vintage.

Speaker 4 (17:30):
But I just after what.

Speaker 3 (17:31):
We watched in the Olympics, I like seeing Lebron and
Steph share a jersey.

Speaker 4 (17:38):
It's really special.

Speaker 3 (17:40):
It is really and I know, you know it would
have been a very interesting dynamic had Anthony Davis been
healthy and there. Yes, it's sure whatever, right right, but yeah,
the the shas OG's is one team and then we've
got you want me to just read the do it
all right? So we've got all the people an these
young stars, Okay, so this is Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson,

(18:02):
Jaron Jackson, Junior, Jalen Williams, a lot of Jays on
that team, Darius Carland, Evan Mobley, Kate Cunningham, Tyler Hero
and then Chuck's Global Stars, Nikola Jokic, Shay Gilles, Alexander,
Alexander Wemby his first All Star appearons, Pascal s Yakam Alprin,
Sengoon Kat Donovan Mitchell, and Trey Young and then the

(18:25):
Rising Stars, which I think is so funny because Dalton
Connect who's back on the Lakers. Yeah, he's now going
to be going against Lebron James, who is in his
twenty first straight All Star game. You look get Wemby's
first versus Lebron, saying twenty first. I think also naming
them the Ogs was a lovely.

Speaker 2 (18:42):
Way to say that because you have the rising stars,
the young stars, the ogs.

Speaker 3 (18:49):
What a nice way to say that, and then the
global stars and the global stars. Right, So as you
look at this new format and like the NBA's adaptability, right,
I guess when you looking at the leagues, it's like
the NFL just seems to.

Speaker 4 (19:05):
Have it dialed.

Speaker 2 (19:06):
They sure do you look super Bowl Weak just drives
home how dial the NFL is and global it is.

Speaker 4 (19:12):
And how it rains supreme.

Speaker 3 (19:14):
And then you have Baseball, which I have to say
bigger basis the faster pitching clock like for a sport
that is so you know, old and traditional. I think
they made some of the biggest changes last season in
terms of over the past couple of seasons in terms
of making it more exciting and quicker and like more

(19:38):
consumed consumer friendly.

Speaker 4 (19:40):
Right, oh for sure. So now here is Adam Silver.

Speaker 3 (19:44):
Once again tweaking and the NBA for how I want
to say, it's start like I'm trying to find a
way to describe what.

Speaker 4 (19:56):
It's star driven.

Speaker 3 (19:57):
It's glitzy and it's but there is a talk right
now around like eighty two games being too many?

Speaker 4 (20:05):
How do you make it relevant?

Speaker 3 (20:06):
How do you know stars sitting out? Like I feel
like there's more talk than ever, especially with ratings around them.
So maybe this all star reconfiguration is kind of the
you know, first thing we see in terms of the
NBA trying to make some changes.

Speaker 2 (20:23):
I guess, Oh, I think you're right, and everybody has
to because the ratings thing is is huge and the
numbers don't lie and you don't have as many people watching.
And then with the NFL now getting Christmas Day, so
now they're competing with the NBA there, they've got to
do something to make it even glitzier.

Speaker 4 (20:41):
I like the word glitzy. By the way, that was
a Sparkle Girls.

Speaker 2 (20:44):
We are, we are definitely spark Sparkle Girls, but making
it even glitzier.

Speaker 4 (20:48):
I think this is a really good start. I'm super
excited to watch it.

Speaker 2 (20:51):
I know that the team I'm going with, Okay, yes,
Steph's I'm not step Shacks Ogs, but Steph step but Ogs.

Speaker 4 (21:00):
Who do you think is winning this thing?

Speaker 3 (21:03):
Okay, you know what I'm going, mister worldwide here, I'm
going Chuck's Global Stars. I mean seeing Yokich and Wemby
with shape. You know, like I my mind, I feel
like is about to be blown.

Speaker 5 (21:18):
But it is.

Speaker 4 (21:18):
It does feel like a USA versus World moment. I
does I love it?

Speaker 6 (21:23):
Well?

Speaker 7 (21:23):
You did?

Speaker 2 (21:24):
You mentioned the Avengers. I absolutely love it. It's gonna
be a lot of fun to watch. So tune in tomorrow.
But right now we are going to go to Martin Weiss,
who's got all kinds of updates for us.

Speaker 8 (21:39):
You guys are just talking about the All Star Game
NBA midway through their festivities. Obviously, the Rising Stars Game
was last night. Well Spurs gar Stefaran Castle won the
Rising Stars MVP. He's also going to be in the
Slam Dunk Contest tonight, and because he won that Rising
Stars tournament.

Speaker 9 (21:57):
He's playing on Sunday, which means he will.

Speaker 8 (21:59):
Be the first player to participate in all three days
of All Star Weekend since twenty eleven. That was Blake
Griffin and his rookie year Bucks guard Damian Lillard. Also
going for his third story three point contest win tonight.
In the four nation face off, Finland beat Sweden four
to three in overtime. Cale mccarr is a game time

(22:20):
decision for the United States tonight against Canada.

Speaker 9 (22:23):
That game, I believe eight Eastern.

Speaker 8 (22:25):
The Saints are set to interview Deonte Jones for their
defensive coordinator position. Jones is the defensive backs coach and
passing game coordinator.

Speaker 9 (22:33):
For the Vikings Falcons.

Speaker 8 (22:35):
Tight end coach Kevin Cooger declined an opportunity to interview
with that same staff the offensive coordinator position in New Orleans.

Speaker 9 (22:42):
Coger he did an interview for the.

Speaker 8 (22:45):
Jobs in Cleveland and Dallas offensive coordinators this offseason. Men's
college basketball, we got some heavy hitters in play right now.
Number one verse number two an SEC matchup at Alabama
and Auburn. The Tigers the first ranked team in the nation.
Crimson tie second Alburn, leading fourteen to ten with fourteen
minutes left in the first half. The twelve forty Texas

(23:07):
Tech Red Raiders have a sixty five to forty lead
over Oklahoma State with ten twenty left in the game.

Speaker 9 (23:13):
At the half.

Speaker 8 (23:13):
Georgia leads from the twenty first ranked Missouri forty one
to thirty eight. Third ranked Duke has a twenty six
to seventeen lead over Stanford with about ten minutes twenty
seconds left in the first half. That game is we'd
played at home tenth rank to Iowa State with a
twenty seven to twenty three lead over Cincinnati eight minutes
twenty four left in the first half.

Speaker 9 (23:32):
Earlier today, Texas A and.

Speaker 8 (23:34):
M, the eighth RAN team in the nation, beat the
John Caliparis Arkansas Razorbacks sixty nine to sixty one. Arkansas
four and eight in SEC playing Cali Parties. First year
Clemson beat Florida State seven to two to forty six.
Fifth ranked Tennessee hung on to beat Vanderbilt eighty one
to seventy six.

Speaker 9 (23:51):
A sixteenth rank Wisconsin upset seventh per Due ninety four
to eighty four, and.

Speaker 8 (23:56):
Sixth thrank Houston beat thirteenth rank to Arizona sixty two
to fifty eight.

Speaker 2 (24:01):
Back to you guys, all right, we are coming to
you live from the tiraq dot Com studios and super
excited to welcome our first guest, Marcus Thompson from The Athletic,
one of the best writers you will ever read in
sports or probably anywhere, coming to us from the All
Star Game. Marcus, Welcome to our show.

Speaker 7 (24:25):
Yeah.

Speaker 10 (24:25):
I did not pay Tracy to say that.

Speaker 4 (24:28):
Just for the record, that wasn't That wasn't me, Marcus.

Speaker 7 (24:32):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (24:32):
We're gonna have to go double. We're gonna have to
check that, Marcus. We're gonna see it. We'll get the
receipts and see if it's true. But Marcus, you are
up at the NBA All Star Game in San Francisco.
What are the vibes. I'm a big vibe girl. What
are the vibes?

Speaker 5 (24:47):
Well, actually, I am at Oracle Arena. Oh, for the
first time since twenty nineteen, since they the Warriors moved across.
They're having the All Star practice here at Oracles. So
the vibes are.

Speaker 10 (25:02):
Very, very nostalgic.

Speaker 5 (25:04):
I'm talking if you blink, you might shed a tear
type vibes. Right, Like, there's a lot of people who
just feel the old school aura of this place. I
just talked to Steph Curry at his old locker. Oh
my god, inside of Oracle Arena. Kyrie Irvin hit the

(25:24):
biggest shout of his life.

Speaker 10 (25:26):
In this arena.

Speaker 5 (25:27):
All of the Canadians are lit because the last game
ever in this NBA game here was when they won
a championship in twenty nineteen. So like it's very nostalgic
in here right now.

Speaker 4 (25:39):
First of all, I can't believe it was twenty nineteen,
Like that feels a lot.

Speaker 10 (25:43):
It sounds like a different decade.

Speaker 2 (25:45):
Well it well it was second right, but it does
like almost a different century.

Speaker 4 (25:48):
I mean it forever ago.

Speaker 5 (25:51):
Crazy, it's been what six years?

Speaker 10 (25:53):
I think, yeah, but it feels like thirty.

Speaker 4 (25:56):
Did you cry?

Speaker 10 (25:58):
I didn't blink, but I think that would have.

Speaker 5 (26:00):
Okay, that's you be at that moment where it's right there,
you just hold on. If you blink, your crime.

Speaker 10 (26:05):
So technically I didn't cry because I didn't blink.

Speaker 2 (26:07):
Okay, that's fair, that's really fair. What are your thoughts?
Because you are been covered, You've been covering the NBA
a long time. You are I consider you like an
NBA extraordin there. What are your thoughts on this new
format and how it's all going to go?

Speaker 7 (26:22):
Well?

Speaker 5 (26:22):
Can I just be like honest about it, please?

Speaker 10 (26:25):
I think it's the laying that it's needed. I think
they should just play hard, right, like this is real
simple okay.

Speaker 5 (26:34):
But also I don't have like millions of dollars on
the line, right, I don't nobody's gonna troll me on
social media if I lose or I don't have all
of the concerns that they have. So I get while
they have the concerns, but as a person who just
grew up watching an All Star game, I'm like, yo,
just play hard.

Speaker 10 (26:52):
They don't need to do all this.

Speaker 5 (26:53):
But with that said, I do I do think this
has a chance to be interested in the NBA. They
tend to be pretty good about these ideas because it's
so collaborative. Like we thought the playing tournament will be trash,
right now, it's pretty good. They just do these things
pretty well. So I'm reserve and judgment, but they seem

(27:16):
to be excited about it. I do think anytime you
put embarrassment on the line, like money moves people and
not being embarrassed moves people. So they got these rookie,
these rising stars in there, and now you can't lose
to them because then you really get controlled, right, So
I feel like it's a smart play by them to
do something to reinvigorate it. But in the name of

(27:37):
the no style, JAB feel right now, how about this
play hard and then none of this stuff is necessary?

Speaker 4 (27:43):
Marcus. I really feel that Nikki kay here pleasure to
be chatting with you.

Speaker 3 (27:50):
I wonder, is this kind of you know, a smaller
arrow pointing in a bigger trend of direction that the
NBA is looking. I know they're always you know, you know,
moving things around, but like, what needs to change around
the league to engage more interest because we know the

(28:12):
ratings slump has been real?

Speaker 10 (28:15):
Yeah, I mean that.

Speaker 5 (28:16):
That's the tough part. There's this transition to a new
generation that that feels like something needs to happen.

Speaker 10 (28:26):
And the truth is, like, just to.

Speaker 5 (28:28):
Somebody who's been around a long time, like it always
kind of finds its way. So the member, it was like, oh,
what is the league going to do after Jordan? And
then here comes a dude named Kobe who's kind of
just like him? Right, what is the league going to
do after Kobe? And there's a dude in high school
name Lebron who comes out of nowhere, and then it's like, oh,
my goodness, Steph was out of nowhere. So there's a

(28:50):
there's a bit of like, hey, just let let the
cards fall where they're made. This thing always works itself out,
but then there's also this need to be innovative.

Speaker 10 (28:59):
I do wonder how they'll deal with this rating thing.

Speaker 5 (29:02):
Because clearly it's an issue, but also people are still
lining up to buy the league. I mean, they just
had a bidding war with T and T in Amazon, right,
and they just got NBC. So it's almost like, yeah,
I feel the ratings are tough, but is it that
bad that people are willing to spend billions on it?
It's it's I think we're just in a weird landscape

(29:23):
scape of media where we don't know what the metric
is or the.

Speaker 10 (29:27):
Rubric to determine success. It used to be ratings. Maybe
that's just an.

Speaker 5 (29:32):
NFL thing though, right, maybe everybody else has to view
it differently. It's it's kind of weird, but it does
feel like something needs to.

Speaker 3 (29:38):
Be done, Like something needs to be done, like writing
a conspiracy theory to get Luca to the Lakers?

Speaker 5 (29:46):
Right? Is that all?

Speaker 4 (29:47):
Is that all part of gauging interest in the league?

Speaker 5 (29:50):
I feel like I feel like, whoever is in that
room with Aaron Sorkin and you know what I'm saying,
I feel like this, you know, Shonda Rhanz and SKA
and put them on the duty and let them figure
out ways to drum this up. Right, You go, oh
my god, there is a solution. It's take one of
the biggest young stars in the world and put them

(30:11):
in La or New York. I see, all this stuff
always just works its way out at some point, right,
like Shay Gilgis Alexander will end up on the Knicks
and then everything.

Speaker 10 (30:20):
Is fine, right, like it's gonna happen somewhere or another.

Speaker 5 (30:23):
But yeah, that's that's a very curious decision by Nico Harrison,
the general manager of the Mavericks, who not only did
did they do this, they get it under the cover
of darkness. It wasn't even like an open market sale.
Luca's available and they got this massive bounty, like they
traded Luca to the Lakers in the same way somebody

(30:45):
stoups tickets like it's crazy.

Speaker 2 (30:48):
I was in Dallas this week and at least I
don't know a dozen people who asked where I was
visiting from.

Speaker 4 (30:55):
Every one of them was like, oh, you have Luca.

Speaker 2 (30:58):
We're devastating my granddaughters, my daughters, my nieces, my nephews.
I couldn't stop crying. It was they're devastated. I mean
they they are devastated. I am thrilled because I love Luca,
like absolutely love Luca. Little anecdote. I had a terrible
flu when he was traded. They were unrelated, but I
so I didn't know about the trade for like fifteen hours,

(31:20):
and when I was finally better, my mom was like,
I wanted to tell you, but you were so sick.
I didn't even know if you would comprehend it because
I love him. Sick am I being punk and I
being punk? Luca is a laker. But this does leads
me to something I want to ask you about Marcus
before we let you go. Jimmy Butler on the Warriors,
how is that going? Kind of when is that done

(31:40):
for the energy of the team?

Speaker 5 (31:42):
First off, kid, I just acknowledged that was like the
most LA thing I've ever heard of.

Speaker 10 (31:46):
Say like, yeah, poor Dallas, har for you. When I
got over the flu, it was wonderful.

Speaker 3 (31:54):
Ripest tut Marcus adversity on and off the court.

Speaker 4 (31:57):
I mean, sorry Raps fans, but I got to think
about myselfie.

Speaker 10 (32:00):
You know what I'm saying, Pop your collar one time?
That was La right then?

Speaker 5 (32:04):
That was it? You know, and you know La has
definitely earned the right to be La.

Speaker 10 (32:08):
You know, you all endured some stuff. This this this
this win this spring winter. So yeah, yeah, go ahead
and pop your collar. But that was a very la thing.

Speaker 5 (32:17):
But to the Jimmy Butler point, I do think that's
another situation where I wonder if this was in a
writer's room, right, because Jimmy Butler on one of the
Glory franchises, next to one of the greatest stars in
the league, the biggest stars in the league, has like
reinvigorated the Warriors, which is one of the ratings Giants

(32:39):
like Warriors Lakers Knicks right.

Speaker 10 (32:41):
Rating, that's where you get the numbers at.

Speaker 5 (32:43):
So it feels like this might have all been choreographed
by some writers, and perhaps I'm in the wrong profession.
Maybe I should be in that writer's room because Jimmy
Butler and Steph Curry and Draymond Green, like, there's gonna
be fireworks one way or the Either they're gonna be
really good and it's gonna be great, or it's gonna

(33:04):
like be really bad and it's gonna be great for us.

Speaker 10 (33:06):
Right, well, either way, it's.

Speaker 4 (33:08):
Gonna win, that is true. It is going to the
content is going to be spectaclic. You're coming one way
or the other.

Speaker 2 (33:15):
Marcus, we appreciate your time. No, it's a super busy
weekend for you. Thank you so much for joining us today.
We are going to a break.

Speaker 4 (33:23):
We are Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (33:27):
You're listening No, Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (33:31):
We are coming to you live from the tire rack
dot Com Studios. I am Tracy Sandler, joined by the
incredible Nikki k Nikki.

Speaker 4 (33:38):
Every time we come back, I'm gonna have a new
adjective to describe you. Oh, I love it, I love it.

Speaker 2 (33:43):
I love it so right now it's incredible because you
are incredible, and it is time for our dues and our.

Speaker 1 (33:51):
Don't highlighting the duh.

Speaker 5 (33:54):
I love that.

Speaker 1 (33:55):
Putting a spotlight on the don't.

Speaker 11 (33:57):
The subject brings me no joy.

Speaker 9 (33:59):
Don't.

Speaker 1 (33:59):
That's insane. It's time for the dues and the don'ts
in sports.

Speaker 4 (34:04):
All right, Nikki, would you like to go first? Or
would you like me to go first?

Speaker 3 (34:08):
You know what, Tracy, thank you so much for being
so courteous.

Speaker 4 (34:12):
I will go first. Do it, step right up.

Speaker 3 (34:15):
Don't miss the moment, don't miss out, don't miss out
on the moment that women's college basketball is having right now.

Speaker 4 (34:23):
And it's not just a moment because.

Speaker 3 (34:25):
The level of play we are seeing is incredible, and
I'm specifically referencing the spectacle we watched with usc UCLA woman.
And I'm not going to get too much into it
because I know we're going to talk about it later,
but I did hear some you know, I have heard
that age old.

Speaker 4 (34:44):
You know, Oh, I just can't get into the women's game.

Speaker 3 (34:47):
But actually you're not watching then, because the quality of
half court possessions and basketball by these athletes has truly ascended.
It's not just a Caitlin Clark phenomenon anymore. No, it's
that game here to stay.

Speaker 2 (35:01):
Well, it's funny that you bring that up in your
don't because my don't. One of my don'ts was don't
count out your superstars. Whither We're all with all this
talk about.

Speaker 4 (35:09):
Ju Ju's lossage. Is it a sophomore slump?

Speaker 2 (35:12):
And then she goes out against the number one team
of the country and absolutely nails it thirty eight points,
eleven rebounds, five assists, eight blocks.

Speaker 4 (35:21):
I would say there is no sophomore slumping going on there.

Speaker 2 (35:25):
We are going to talk more about it later, but
I can I just say right off the bat, I
love that this segment has started with us talking about
women's college basketball.

Speaker 3 (35:33):
That's right, that's right, because I start, I'm starting to
recontextualize myself even when I say it's not it's just
college basketball now, right, and it's really special and awesome
to see it.

Speaker 4 (35:47):
I think this score is just going to continue.

Speaker 3 (35:50):
To attract viewers and engagement, and it's really really awesome.

Speaker 4 (35:55):
And here we are talking about it top off the block,
all right.

Speaker 2 (35:58):
I have one thing to add to that. I want
to just say. I had tweeted about Michigan. I said,
we're a football and basketball school again, and someone commented
on the tweet and said women's basketball too, and I said, yeah,
I said basketball, we are a football and basketball school.

Speaker 4 (36:10):
And then everybody, hey, yep.

Speaker 3 (36:12):
We gotta readjust the vernacular here, right, football and basketball.
So my next du is, do start dusting off those
college basketball brackets. Because the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee unveiled.

Speaker 4 (36:28):
The top sixteen seeds in the March Madness bracket today.

Speaker 3 (36:33):
We are one month away from selection Sunday, Tracy, I
love the Super Bowl, I love the NBA.

Speaker 4 (36:39):
Finals, but.

Speaker 3 (36:41):
March Madness is my favorite sporting event in the calendar year.

Speaker 4 (36:45):
Well, the one and done of it all. It just changes.

Speaker 2 (36:48):
It changes everything, and it's not a It's like you
have a seven game series the NBA.

Speaker 4 (36:52):
That's why NFL playoffs are so fun. It is one
and done.

Speaker 2 (36:55):
Kyle Shanahan always says with the playoffs, and this is
true of March Madness not the best team. It's two
best plays for bloop his best for three and a
half hours.

Speaker 4 (37:02):
March Badness is the best. It's also my favorite. Right,
I love it?

Speaker 5 (37:05):
All? Right?

Speaker 4 (37:06):
My do do keep your promises?

Speaker 2 (37:08):
And that goes back to what we talked about at
the top of the show. Jalen Hurts promising to run
the Rocky steps when he was a champion and not
before he did it the other day. But he also
generally has kept his promises, and I think for an athlete,
that's pretty cool. They can all talk, everybody can talk
and say a lot of things, but can you deliver,
Jalen Hurst delivery my.

Speaker 4 (37:30):
Next do do we think?

Speaker 3 (37:33):
Show?

Speaker 4 (37:33):
Hey, o'danie's gonna be? Do you know a force to
be reckoned with?

Speaker 3 (37:38):
In this Dodger's pitching rotation, we just saw him throw
the first bullpen today.

Speaker 4 (37:42):
Absolutely sensational.

Speaker 2 (37:44):
We do, we absolutely do, and I'm really glad you
brought this up, because there are a few people I.

Speaker 4 (37:51):
Love more in life than showing Otani that maybe his
dog decoy. It's gonna be kind of amazing.

Speaker 2 (37:56):
It's going to be very interesting to see he had
such an incredible he's in the plate. What happens when
he's on the mound doesn't change anything. But I think, sho, hey,
o Tani. We'll add this to a do do exceed expectations.
It is very very rare that someone comes anywhere with
so much hype and then exceeds those expectations.

Speaker 4 (38:17):
Will he do it? Do it again? My next I'm
going to keep it with do this is to the NFL.

Speaker 3 (38:26):
I'd say, let's let's keep the super Bowl rotation to
for warm weather cities.

Speaker 7 (38:32):
Fair.

Speaker 4 (38:32):
That's that's fair, all right. I think that that's very baby.

Speaker 2 (38:36):
Don't do the super Bowl where it's freezing, right, No,
if you've ever been to a super Bowl. And I'm
gonna not name a city, because I love the NFL
and I love the city.

Speaker 4 (38:45):
We love cities. I love cities. But there was one
a few years ago where it was.

Speaker 2 (38:49):
So cold that I was at radio road and called
U an uber and the man said could you wait outside?
And I said, sir, I am so sorry, but I
will not. It is zero degrees, so no, I cannot
wait outside.

Speaker 3 (39:03):
I know a couple of girls who were in New
Orleans covering the Super Bowl. There was kind of a
running joke though about not doing your hair because the
second you stepped outside, right, So I guess that's a timesaver.

Speaker 2 (39:18):
My eyelashes curled, which is kind of eyelashes off the
So there we.

Speaker 4 (39:23):
Go an eyelash moment. I have do pack extra glue.
Do pack extra glue. I have one more do for you.
Do stay tuned because we have a lot more to.

Speaker 12 (39:33):
Talk about as we people, as we go to the break.
We are Fox Sports Radio. Well and do stay with
us for another twenty second day with.

Speaker 4 (39:45):
Us for another twenty seconds. But I like that Super Bowl,
warm warm weathers.

Speaker 3 (39:50):
And I'm going to give another thumbs up due to
the NBA all start for madam.

Speaker 4 (39:53):
I'm with it. I'm with it too. And when we
talked about March Madness, it made me even more with it. Exactly.

Speaker 3 (39:57):
Okay, I want to see tournaments style tournaments are right,
all right?

Speaker 2 (40:01):
Once again, I'm gonna say it, Do stay with us
don't stop believing this is Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (40:11):
You're listening to Fox Sports.

Speaker 2 (40:14):
We are broadcasting live from the tire rack dot Com studios.
Tire rack dot Com will help you get there and
unmatched selection, fast free shipping, free road hazard protection and
over ten thousand recommended installers. Tire rack dot com the
way tire buying should be. Welcome to our two with
me Tracy Sandler and.

Speaker 4 (40:33):
The amazing Nikki Ka. I'm used to kill it with
these adjectives all day long.

Speaker 3 (40:39):
Watch out my egos, my egos getting bigger and bigger.

Speaker 2 (40:42):
Well, I think I have something that might bring your
ego down, and I don't want to bring.

Speaker 4 (40:47):
Me up just to knock me down. Trace I basically
that is that is what happening.

Speaker 2 (40:52):
For what's happening For those of you who don't know,
Nikki is a UCLA Bruin. She loves her Bruins despite
the fact that some imes they struggle in sports. However, However,
now I'm going to bring you back up or down thin.
Her women's college basketball team in the number one in
the country. And then, as we mentioned earlier, they came

(41:13):
into the buzzsaw that was Juju in USC how was
that for you, how are you recovering from the law?

Speaker 4 (41:19):
Well, here's the thing.

Speaker 3 (41:20):
This is what head coach Corey Close called a dress
rehearsal for a final four matchup, right, or a final
four meeting with one of the.

Speaker 4 (41:28):
Best teams in the nation.

Speaker 3 (41:29):
Right, Okay, UCLA undefeated, number one seed USC no joke
in itself of number six, and it basically shows just
how small the margin is a top the best programs
for women's basketball in the country right now, and you're
looking at the Big ten's best offense in the conference

(41:50):
in UCLA going against the best defense in the conference
in USC and then the ascendant star in Juju Watkins.
And what a game like for a rivalry. It had
everything that lived up to the hype that this game
had been tapped for.

Speaker 5 (42:08):
Right.

Speaker 3 (42:09):
It was back and forth, it was close, it was
Juju taking over in the fourth quarter. And I think
as a Bruin obviously, you know a lot of people
have this discussion if if you're undefeated, when do you.

Speaker 4 (42:23):
Want to take that loss?

Speaker 3 (42:24):
I want it as a fan, I want a loss
earlier than later, right exactly, But I also want, you know,
time to be able to go back to the drawing
board from a loss like this and coach saying after
the game like we were out toughed, especially you know
on the boards, those second chances, and then when you
when you have a defense like USCS that allows Juju

(42:45):
to get out in transition, it's game over. So I
think there were learning lessons for the Bruins. But most importantly,
I think this was such a fantastic I don't I
keep trying to stay away from using the word moment
because it's not a moment. This is now for women's
college basketball, and what a fun game to tune in too.

Speaker 2 (43:07):
But I think it can be a moment because there
are moments in sports all the way around. Jaden Daniels,
who was at the game, I want to see what
I did there?

Speaker 4 (43:14):
Yeah, so get it back Daniels. He had moments throughout
the season that defined his rookie year. Right, moments of
Super Bowl could be a moment.

Speaker 2 (43:23):
So I think it's okay to say moment because you're
not saying that women's college basketball is.

Speaker 4 (43:27):
Having its moment.

Speaker 2 (43:28):
But that game was a moment in a season and
with momentum in a sport that people have just fallen
in love with and I don't think that's a bad thing.

Speaker 4 (43:36):
Momentum moment, and.

Speaker 3 (43:38):
We got to talk about Juju's line really quick. Thirty
eight points, eleven rebounds and eight blocks. Eight blocks is
absolutely insane, and that's going to go down as one
of the most impressive stat lines in the sports history.
Hopefully we keep seeing numbers like this from these athletes.
But talk about a sophomore who rose to meet the moment.

Speaker 4 (44:00):
She you know, she's a star.

Speaker 3 (44:02):
And that's why this sport is and women's sports in general,
has more engagement and more interaction from fans because in.

Speaker 4 (44:10):
The women's game, you're not getting a lot of movement.

Speaker 3 (44:14):
You're having these stars grow and establish their brands where
fans can become and invested, right. And so I think
when what we're going to continue to see in the
landscape of the coverage and the exposure of women's sports
is companies starting brands starting to pour in money, right

(44:34):
because they realize that's where the eyeballs are and that's
where the engagement is.

Speaker 2 (44:39):
When you talk about Juju's line, I want to go
back to that for a second, because the first half
so much offense and then show what a tremendous athlete.

Speaker 5 (44:46):
She is.

Speaker 2 (44:47):
The second half, she's like all defense. I mean, still
obviously scoring points, but she was able to carry. She carried,
she carried the team both ways. It's just pretty incredible
and it is going to be so fun to watch
no sophomore slump.

Speaker 4 (44:59):
Sorry those of you that were well, of course.

Speaker 3 (45:02):
What a great, great time to break out of her
slump that against UCLA in the brightest spotlight. So I
think as Bruins, yes, they're you know, you lick your wounds,
but you rise up and you know that you got
another chance for redemption. March first, already a sold out
crowd at poly Pavilion.

Speaker 4 (45:19):
Yeah, that's that's amazing.

Speaker 2 (45:20):
So we're about a month away, as we talked earlier,
month away from the tournament. I'm going to go through
the schedule just a little bit perfew to get everybody
really fired up here. Selection Sunday, March sixteenth, your first
four March nineteen twentieth, first round, twenty first, twenty second,
second round, twenty third, twenty fourth, the Sweet sixteen, that's
when it really starts to get exciting. Twenty eight, twenty ninth,

(45:42):
the Elite eight thirty thirty first final four is Friday,
April fourth, and the championship game Sunday, April sixth. Those
are both from Tampa, Florida. Warm Weather city by the way,
I'm just since we've been talking about that, definitely a
warm weather city. Right now, your top four teams are UCLA, Notreed, Texas,
and the defending champion South Carolina.

Speaker 4 (46:04):
Nikki kind of how do you see this playing out
over the next month?

Speaker 3 (46:07):
Well, I have, And it's interesting, right We're based in
LA right now, and talking about USC UCLA could seem
very you know, city centric of us. But I do
think these two programs will be back in the final rounds.
We will be watching them late late in March, early April,

(46:27):
you know. And I would be for the script, put
for the plot, put USC and UCLA in that final
four as well. I don't know, you know, South Carolina
is rounding it out. I don't know if they're going
to have the gas to make it back. But also
that's what's so wonderful about this tournament. It's like survive

(46:48):
in advance, Right, who do you have in your final four?

Speaker 4 (46:52):
I'm so bad at this. I so it's also really early,
it is very early. But for the plot, yes, I'm.

Speaker 2 (47:00):
Going sc and Ucla because the plot, it would be fine.
I want to put South Carolina kind of okay, Caroline
back there. I would like to see them. That's a
great story for the plot. That's also the defending champs.

Speaker 1 (47:11):
Could they make it?

Speaker 4 (47:11):
It didn't look like it. And then they go on
this run.

Speaker 1 (47:14):
And then.

Speaker 4 (47:16):
I'll go with Texas. Okay, mainly because you know some
in Dallas they're so upset about Luca.

Speaker 2 (47:21):
Let's give them something to smile about. Because the Cowboys
ain't going to do it. So I think it would
be great to give them something to smile about.

Speaker 4 (47:26):
Here's a bone for you, State of Texas.

Speaker 2 (47:28):
I'm really like a backhanded complimenter today in this segment specifically.

Speaker 4 (47:33):
I will take it.

Speaker 3 (47:34):
And right now we're watching on the men's side, number
one and number two Auburn and Alabama. It's a three
point game as as the first half has about three
minutes left, so I know a lot of hype was
built up around this SEC just absolutely dominating in the
men's college basketball space right now.

Speaker 2 (47:51):
Well, on a conference note, earlier, when you were talking
about Ucla, I seed you said big ten.

Speaker 4 (47:57):
I still was it? Were you like Nikki Zilla was like,
what are we going to talk about Michigan?

Speaker 2 (48:03):
Like, I still can't quite wrap my head around it.
I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm sure by
the year, you know, twenty thirty, I'll have it done.

Speaker 3 (48:10):
And I was. I was supposed to be at the
Michigan UCLA men's game earlier in January. It's I mean,
it's really cool having these schools and fan bases in
the mix.

Speaker 4 (48:25):
Now, it's really fun. It's not a Big ten Pride
on the line, a lot of Big ten pride.

Speaker 2 (48:30):
And by the Big Ten, it's like the Big twenty
seven because they're eight million schools.

Speaker 3 (48:33):
And then I used to cover the Big twelve, and
even now I like that same stutter step you're brained
in with the Pac twelve Big Ten, with the Big twelve,
Big Ten, I'm like, wait, but there's like so many
more schools in the Big ten.

Speaker 4 (48:47):
It, you know, we're all over the map literally and
figure it literally.

Speaker 2 (48:51):
And figured let's talk a little bit about the men's
We're going to talk about it later, but we may
we may have a little change based on a guess
that we have talked about this all we could talk
about this all day long. You guys, if you want
to tune in for the next several hours, Nick, you know,
to take over and we'll talk about it all day long.
But let's talk about about the men's You mentioned the
Auburn Alabama game, which is definitely not disappointing.

Speaker 4 (49:12):
Who else has been exciting to you?

Speaker 2 (49:15):
I think we all know who's been exciting to me,
But I want to know who else has been exciting
to you in the men's game.

Speaker 4 (49:19):
Well, I just I think as we.

Speaker 3 (49:21):
Look at like what, you know, the March Madness Gods
came out with their sixteen you know, top seeds, it
was really interesting. First of all, looking at the dominance
of the SEC. I think historically, yes, these programs have
you know, had had momentum and foundations of success, but

(49:42):
we always think of SEC as football.

Speaker 4 (49:43):
Collect really, right, I think, like looking at that the.

Speaker 3 (49:49):
I guess pull rankings that came out today, we saw
you know, a good, big ten pecking order in how
they were perceived in a seating perspective, right, Like, so
Purdue look good, and let's see what other schools have
I written down here in my I have it, Yes, give.

Speaker 4 (50:07):
Me some in front of me.

Speaker 2 (50:09):
We have our top sixteen, and I'm not necessarily going
into orders going to the top sixteen. Auburn, Texas, tex Texas,
A and a lot of Texas, Wisconsin, Alabama, Kansas, Perdue,
Iowa State, Florida, Michigan, Michigan, Houston, Kentucky. He's so much Texas, right,
Duke Saint John's Tennessee and Arizona Tennessee. I love the

(50:30):
Tennessee of as Ault just because I've always truly thought
of them as a football school and they're really becoming
a basketball school last several years.

Speaker 4 (50:37):
And Saint John's being releive.

Speaker 3 (50:39):
I love that, and I think, yeah, Michigan crashing the party,
that's what we do right right watching your team up
close as a Michigan alum, what has the evolution of
their season looked like?

Speaker 4 (50:54):
The turnaround is unbelievable.

Speaker 2 (50:57):
With Dusty may is done, it's kind of a moment,
the moment Sam. But it's not just that they're winning,
it's how they're winning. It's the energy, the energy at
Chrysler Arena. They're selling it out again. People are excited,
the players are excited. It's been a long time, so traditionally,
after a Michigan win.

Speaker 4 (51:19):
You see in the locker room, all right, you know
what to do. Hey, I'll do the victims.

Speaker 2 (51:23):
We haven't seen that as much in college basketball, and
it's been for Michigan, and it's been so fun. My
friends who get nervous about things say they hope he
doesn't leave for Indiana, and I'm like, I don't think
he's gonna do that.

Speaker 4 (51:39):
But let's enjoy the moment, right, Let's enjoy it.

Speaker 2 (51:40):
But but he's turned the program around so quickly it's
pretty impressive.

Speaker 3 (51:44):
Right right, And then how about this Duke just remaining
right back up there, right back up at the top
of the pyramid, and talk about a funky ACC matchup
Duke and Stanford playing right now, and Duke just crushing
Stanford's show, and I meanwhile, we have USC in Minnesota.
It is it is like just so, it's gonna take
a little minute to get used to these conference matchups

(52:07):
that we've got. So I know, as a UCLA fan,
I think there's some frustration that I also see this
because it's my Twitter timeline, right or x timeline. Sorry
that they've been left out of the top twenty five rankings,
but like you know, keep underestimating.

Speaker 4 (52:24):
Us and go and we'll continue to prove you wrong.
I'm going to ask you a question that I absolutely
don't know the answer to. I might not either, you
might not. But this is the fun thing here.

Speaker 2 (52:34):
I get to put you on the Spiders kick right,
the best part of marchmadness, of course, And I know
we're a month away and it's super early, but is
the upset? It's actually I'm going to do it a
different way. What is your favorite upset historically? What is
one where you were watching where you were like, oh
my gosh, this was this was incredible, well from.

Speaker 3 (52:54):
A passion and career standpoint one that I mean, and
I will wax poetic about this Bruin squad.

Speaker 4 (53:02):
It was twenty twenty one.

Speaker 3 (53:04):
They were in the first four, meaning you know they're
playing to get into the tournament.

Speaker 5 (53:10):
Yep.

Speaker 4 (53:11):
They beat Michigan State and then they went all the
way Michigan State right well, and.

Speaker 3 (53:18):
They went all the way to the final four. I
got to I got to go to Indianapolis to cover
that game. Obviously, they lost to Jalen Suggs and Gonzaga
on that bail, that buzzer beater, that was just absolutely wild.
But the fact that these bruins and we're talking Hi
may Hawk is oh my gosh, why am I blanking

(53:41):
on this?

Speaker 4 (53:42):
Johnny Joosang? You know, it was just such a magical.

Speaker 3 (53:46):
Run and one of the coolest things I've been able
to witness as a like fan and up close, you know,
understanding what this moment meant for this program.

Speaker 4 (53:57):
I love that. Yeah, So that's that's a very highest
upset story. What about you?

Speaker 2 (54:02):
Well, my favorite moment would be the Jordan Poole last
second shot and for Michigan and that that wasn't an upset,
but that just is one of my favorite moments and
I will forever love him.

Speaker 4 (54:10):
My favorite upset before we go is.

Speaker 2 (54:14):
The Gonzaga upset a long time ago that made Gonzaga
Gonzaga perfect. You brought them up and that that is
the one. We are going to take a break and
then we'll be back with much more. This is Fox
Sports Radio.

Speaker 4 (54:26):
We are coming to you live from the tyrack dot
com studios.

Speaker 3 (54:30):
And shortly after the show, this podcast will be going up.
If you missed any of today's show, be sure to
check out the pod. Just search Fox Sports Radio wherever
you get your podcasts and be sure to also follow
Rate and Review.

Speaker 4 (54:42):
Again.

Speaker 3 (54:43):
Just search Fox Sports Radio wherever you get your podcasts
and you'll see this show posted right after we get
off the air.

Speaker 2 (54:49):
Fantastic Tracy Sandler here with the sparkling Nikki Kay Razzle Dazzle,
Baby Razzle Dazzle.

Speaker 4 (54:58):
You said glitz earlier, and I think it's really inspired, big.

Speaker 3 (55:01):
Perfect it is. I am staring at your bedazzled. Is
that a a stanley?

Speaker 2 (55:05):
It's not an it is a stand free height No,
but it's it's just a big dazzled cup that looks
like that and holds a lot of water.

Speaker 4 (55:13):
But ye's fantastic. It is actually well, here's a fun
fact that is gonna lead right. This is really amazing.
My mom got it for me in Dallas.

Speaker 3 (55:24):
Oh, where as we talked about earlier, there's a funeral
there very for an NBA franchise.

Speaker 4 (55:30):
No, I'm joking, very very.

Speaker 2 (55:32):
Sad about Luca and we're going to talk about NBA,
so that not even on purpose.

Speaker 4 (55:37):
There's such a good segue. I told you that you
were sparkling.

Speaker 3 (55:40):
Oh my gosh, the stars are aligning. Here's the Star
Sports Radio studio.

Speaker 4 (55:44):
They are aligning.

Speaker 2 (55:45):
So second half of the season coming up. He's obviously
the huge trade. We talked a little bit about it
earlier All Star break. The Maps can't catch a break.
They got Daniel Gafford out at least six weeks. They're
just really really struggling right now in Dallas. They are ready,
They're like onto twenty twenty five, twenty six is what
they are onto there.

Speaker 4 (56:04):
But also break, you were saying, there are some funny
questions being right you wanted to talk about. Okay, yes,
right now.

Speaker 3 (56:11):
So one of my favorite parts about these big sports
weeks right media days. So I guess Draymond Green has
been asked who would win an NBA one on one
tournament one B one, who's coming out with the crown
of all the stars? Think of any answer. He had

(56:32):
a very distinct answer. I want to hear who you.

Speaker 4 (56:35):
Would pick to win? Aw Man, everybody's healthy.

Speaker 3 (56:41):
Yes, everybody's healthy. Just talent on talent and survive in advance.
And who at the end is left standing atop the hill.

Speaker 2 (56:49):
This is one hundred percent with my heart. Yes, I'm
going to just be really honest about that. Yes, Luca,
all right.

Speaker 4 (56:56):
All right, well, Lebron said without a doubt.

Speaker 2 (56:59):
Sorry, Mon said without a doubt Lebron James, I mean
Lebron would also say without a doubt Lebron, So I
think that was really fake exactly.

Speaker 3 (57:06):
No, It just it's so funny when you think of
how these guys regard each other's skill sets, right, and Lebron,
even at forty years old, is being thought of as
the indisputable for sure, You're right, right, And I get
it too.

Speaker 4 (57:19):
He knows every player's book like the back of his hand.
So I think I'd.

Speaker 3 (57:24):
Probably lean with Draymond's inclination on this one as well.

Speaker 4 (57:28):
He definitely I would go Draymond over me as one
hundred percent. I going with with my heart. I'm just
so happy he's here.

Speaker 2 (57:34):
But yeah, I think, I mean, Lebron is the He's
the greatest, and he's the greatest of this of this generation.

Speaker 3 (57:40):
Do you do you tune into the slam Dunk contest
three point shooting?

Speaker 5 (57:44):
Like?

Speaker 3 (57:45):
Do you do you watch those? Are you excited to
see who emerges victorious?

Speaker 2 (57:49):
I'm probably gonna watch more of the highlights right mainly
because I'm gonna be driving during them. I'll see it
on TikTok and you'll see how TikTok? I yeah, that's
basically what has happened. And this is interesting goes back
to the conversation about the MP and switching things up,
because where are people watching their content? And are people
going to watch a whole contest or they gonna watch
a TikTok? But I think it's fun. You see such athleticism,

(58:09):
and that's the fun part of the game. Maybe when
you're at a basketball game and someone hits a major
three point shot, is everybody jumps up? Is there anything
more exciting? So, you know, I think it'll be fun
or slam dunk. I mean, it'll it'll be fun.

Speaker 3 (58:21):
But what and mac McClung on the line for a
three pet here I believe for the see and we
thought this week we weren't going to see any three peats,
and here we go.

Speaker 4 (58:30):
We have another potential three on the horizon. Twenty five
was craving. Oh my, everybody was talking.

Speaker 3 (58:39):
About it and there you go, you know, and I'm
just so intrigued, like with you know, all the stars
assembled and All Star Weekend is truly a time where
networking and schmoozing goes on in the League. Of course,
I wonder what the if the discussions and the reverberations
around this Luca trade, if we're going.

Speaker 4 (58:58):
To get any more like this is what really happened.

Speaker 3 (59:02):
But I honestly feel like in the last two weeks
since the trade that it really was just Nico Harrison
didn't believe that Luca was going to be the generational
star that everyone else seems to think he is.

Speaker 2 (59:18):
Yeah, I don't think there was a script. I mean,
it was always fun we talk about that. I totally
agree with you. We think this is a basketball decision.
I think this was the Mavericks looking at their team
and looking at the future and kind of seeing what's
happened to this point. I disagree with him, but I
also think it's going to be so interesting to see
with Luca surrounded by other people. I mean, you think
of that image of him last year in the finals,

(59:39):
like iced up, completely just completely kind of a mess,
trying so hard to carry this team. So I don't
think it was a big conspiracy, but it's certainly fun
to think of it that way.

Speaker 4 (59:52):
But it was kind of interesting.

Speaker 2 (59:53):
I'd love your opinion on this, and I know the
trade is a couple weeks old, but his first game
was the other night in La I was there were
so that's why I wanted to get your repition on this.
It did feel like in the beginning when Luca was traded,
he felt a little shell shocked. He looked ill shel
shoans were too, fans totally shell shocked, and he almost
looks a little sad or he didn't know how to
deal with it. Then when he got to his first game,

(01:00:15):
even before he played, the the welcome, the reception from
the fans, he'd make him happy. And then the other
night he looked comfortable. But you were there and you
told me offline it was electric. So if you could
kind of say, right.

Speaker 3 (01:00:26):
Absolutely, And that was Monday, which seems like ages ago.

Speaker 4 (01:00:29):
Oh my gosh, it was it that long. Yeah, it
just you know, the way everything continues to move.

Speaker 3 (01:00:34):
Super Bowl Sunday, Luca's debut in a Lakers uniform on Monday,
and so interesting, right. He revealed that he had had
an inner you know, in exchange with Lebron earlier in
the day, and Lebron said, you choose, you know, do
you want your name announced last in the you know?
And Luca said, you know, like something along the lines
of like can I just have it last tonight? And

(01:00:56):
then it goes back to you being last. So it
was so cool moment for him being in reduced to
Laker fans, and what I meant by fans were shocked
was obviously Dallas fans in misery and understandably so. But
I would have to say the exchanges I've had with
Laker fans over the past two weeks have been like
people almost didn't think, like it hadn't hit yet. That

(01:01:19):
was the moment it really hit. And I'll tell you
I have in Crypto dot com slash Staples Center's history,
I have never seen so many people in the arena
wearing the free T shirt. There were so many number
seventy seven shirts being worn in the lower bowl too,
where you know is the razzle, dazzle, the glitz and

(01:01:42):
the glam wearing the free T shirts. And it was
really I mean, right off the bat, you see Luca
is just IQ on display. And I do have to
I think a lot of I heard some people being
like I didn't realize what a good passer he was, And.

Speaker 2 (01:01:59):
It will kind of go back to what I said,
what happens when there are people around him, and it's
not just the Lucas Show, right.

Speaker 4 (01:02:05):
I think that's something that was on display and it's.

Speaker 3 (01:02:08):
Comparable to the Show Hey arriving to the Dodgers' impact
of having this international superstar come to the biggest market,
one of the biggest brands in sports period and it's
now everything's just so much more like brand, I guess,

(01:02:30):
is what you want to say. So it's obviously going
to take some time. He's on a minute's restriction, around
thirty minutes. I think he played twenty four that night,
So really exciting, really exciting for the league and all
the intrigue that's to come.

Speaker 2 (01:02:43):
We are going to talk more Show Hey with our
next guest, but first we have an update from the
Grade Martin.

Speaker 8 (01:02:48):
Wise men's college basketball Anti c matchup between the number
one and number two team in nation, the Tigers of
Auburn Tigers number one hat Alevocrimson Tide second right now
Auburn with a forty two to thirty three lead at
the half, that game about to start the second half
any minute now, eleven forty five left in the game

(01:03:09):
for Stanford and Duke the Blue Devils, third ranked team
in the nation, with a seventy three to forty eight lead.

Speaker 9 (01:03:14):
Over the Cardinal.

Speaker 8 (01:03:15):
Tenth ranked Iowa State lead Cincinnati fifty two to forty
eight with twelve minutes thirty seconds left in the game.
Earlier today, we saw Texas Tech annihilate Oklahoma State. Missouri
the twenty first ranked team in the nation with a
eighty seven to seventy four win over Georgia. Fifth rank
Tennessee beats Vanderbilt, Houston beats thirteenth ranked Arizona. The Cougars

(01:03:37):
themselves the sixth ranked team in the nation, sixty two
to fifty eight. Wisconsin upsets per Due ninety four to
eighty four, Texas A and M, the eighth ranked team
in the nation, im cruise to ninety three, and SEC
play is they beat Arkansas coach Cow's first year coaching
the Razorbacks.

Speaker 9 (01:03:53):
They fall to four and eight and SEC play sixty
nine to sixty one the final score there.

Speaker 8 (01:03:58):
Twenty three ranked Clemson improves teen and two in the conference,
beating Florida State seventy two to forty six. NBA is
in its All Star weekend activities Bursguard's defon Castle, one
of the Rising Stars. MVP Castle will also be in
the slam Dunk Contest tonight, Bucks guard Damian Lillard going
for his third straight three point contest win. The Saints

(01:04:18):
are set to interview Derante Jones their defensive coordinator position.

Speaker 9 (01:04:22):
Jones right now is.

Speaker 8 (01:04:23):
The defensive backs coach and passing game coordinator for the
Vikings in that same coaching staff. Falcons tight end coach
Kevin Coger declined an opportunity to interview for the offensive
coordinator position in New Orleans. Coger did interview for the
OC job in Cleveland and in Dallas this offseason.

Speaker 9 (01:04:40):
In the Four nation face.

Speaker 8 (01:04:41):
Off, Finland beat Sweden four to three in overtime, and
Cole mccarr is a game time decision for the United
States tonight against Canada.

Speaker 9 (01:04:48):
That puck drops there at eight o'clock Eastern.

Speaker 2 (01:04:50):
Back to you guys, Thank you so much, Martin. We
are coming to you live from the tyraq dot com studios.
Super excit I to welcome our next guest, Kirsten Watson
of Sports in LA, who was at spring training with
the Dodgers and show.

Speaker 4 (01:05:08):
Here's welcome to no but intended welcome to the show.

Speaker 7 (01:05:15):
Literally that there's a few times now, but I'm so
excited to tell you guys, thank you for having me.

Speaker 2 (01:05:20):
Absolutely we understand because it was posted that show he
had his first bullpen session today.

Speaker 4 (01:05:27):
What was that like? What was the evitable like, tell
us everything beginning again?

Speaker 7 (01:05:33):
Honestly, Well, first, I just I think it was like
the most watched in the highly anticipated bullpen I think
I've ever seen. There were so many people and I
think there yes this Saturday, so a lot of fans
were out. I candled back Branch today as well. But
I think just like there was so much excitement just
seeing how everything was going to play out. He looked amazing.

Speaker 11 (01:05:53):
I mean for it being his first one, he isn't
doing a lot of like.

Speaker 7 (01:05:58):
It's playing catch on flat ground, has had bullpins like
here and there, just kind of getting off the mound,
but like this was his first one of spring training
and really like diving in to prepare himself for the season,
so just to be able to see it, honestly, like
he looked like he just hasn't been hurt. He looked phenomenal,

(01:06:19):
to be honest. He threw like proa like fifteen to
twenty pitches. After every pitch, he was very adamant about
getting feedback and just kind of seeing where he's at.
Dave Robertson at the velocity was in that like ninety
four ninety five range, which I was assumed, I know,
I would have assumed he would have been in the

(01:06:40):
like I don't know, maybe I was like, oh, like
eighty five to ninety you know, yeah, he could go
there in a baseball game tomorrow, to be honest, but no,
in all seriousness, like he looks he looks phenomenal, and
he was excited everyone, all of the players than like

(01:07:00):
at the same time of his bullpon it was Kirby
Yates and Blake China, Blake Snell I'd just thrown before,
so it was.

Speaker 11 (01:07:09):
Kind of like all eyes were on him. So it
was it was a special one, that's for sure.

Speaker 2 (01:07:15):
What was it like for the other pictures on the
staff as they were watching him. Were they just so excited?
Were they kind of been awe Were they like, well,
it's show, hey, so obviously he's amazing. What was what
was that like among the pitching staff?

Speaker 7 (01:07:27):
You know, I think first and foremost it was just
seeing it up close and personal. You know, a lot
of guys have had the upstrade to especially on the
hating standpoint, like facing him. But I think this is
the first time.

Speaker 11 (01:07:43):
Essentially, all yeah, all these things are just going to
be their first time being his teammates as a pitcher.
So I think just seeing it up close and personal,
it was they were engaged, like that's the best.

Speaker 7 (01:07:58):
Way to put it. I don't know if it was
like excitement things like that. I think they're all very
understanding of like timelines and everyone's on a different timeline.
Whereas like Blake Snell, like for example, Yoshi Noobian Moto,
he threw in a live bullpen yesterday, but she did
live batting practice yesterday and he was striking out the
hitters left and right.

Speaker 11 (01:08:16):
So we were like, hey, great, he's ready to play
in the real game.

Speaker 7 (01:08:19):
Blake snell bullpins have been so sharp and the execution
has been phenomenal, but they're also going to be available
come opening day, you know. Whereas for a.

Speaker 11 (01:08:29):
Show made, he does have more time.

Speaker 7 (01:08:31):
So I think it was more of just like there
was definitely some awe in it. I accomplished that, Like
Dave Roberts is definitely excited and.

Speaker 11 (01:08:39):
Probably a little giddy, you guys know his personality.

Speaker 7 (01:08:44):
I think he was definitely like over the moon, but
teammate wise, I would say they were just lost in
Like everyone was definitely engaged. Everyone was giving him five
fives afterwards, and so yeah, so it definitely some excitement,
but more just like I feel like we're taking in
information and kind.

Speaker 6 (01:09:04):
Of what it looks like.

Speaker 3 (01:09:05):
Yeah, Kirsten, I am smiling from ear to ear because
I first of all, camel Back Ranch is such a
special place bring training is such a magical time, and
like the excitement it sounds like there is around this
this club right now, and and the fans and I
know we joked about you not having an off season

(01:09:25):
at all because the Dodgers acquisitions.

Speaker 4 (01:09:28):
You're like, I was like another one, another one.

Speaker 3 (01:09:31):
But I love what I love what Dave Roberts said
at FanFest about like the new talent coming in is
the fuel to the fire that that basically counter counter
acts like a world championship or World Series complacency.

Speaker 4 (01:09:48):
Right, Like these new guys cut.

Speaker 3 (01:09:50):
Right, So I guess what what's the vibe around you know,
outside of what you just witness, like the the overall
feeling around the Dodge right now?

Speaker 6 (01:10:02):
You know what this is.

Speaker 7 (01:10:05):
This is a fun team, and you both got the
privilege of being around them, and like.

Speaker 11 (01:10:10):
They get along really well.

Speaker 7 (01:10:12):
But I have never seen them like so. The infielders
were doing drills maybe like two days ago and after
like literally just a generic ground ball up a seconds,
throw them all over to the coach at first, like
routine plays, just kind of doing some reps. These boys

(01:10:32):
were like jumping up and down like and I was
literally just smiling at them. I was like wow, like
you know, it's like, you know, boys is being boys,
having the time of your life, and like reminding yourselves
that this is just just it's a sport.

Speaker 11 (01:10:51):
And they're having fun and this is their dream to
be playing.

Speaker 7 (01:10:53):
At the highest of levels. But like watching them just
jumping around in a circle and yelling, and they were
either yelling I love LA or like oh something like that,
or like welcome to LA. I don't remember specifically what
they were saying, but I think that's a perfect example.
And it was funny because the guy who was who
had made the play was heys On Kim. He's a

(01:11:15):
new doctor, and seeing all of the guys just rally
behind him with so much joy and energy, I feel
like that's just what we are seeing this year completely
and that's not that they didn't have that advantage last year.
It's just totally different. And with having new faces and
new guys on this team, it does bring a different

(01:11:36):
drive because just as you said, Nikki, like not all now,
there are players on this team that have never won
a World Series championship and they want that hardware and
they came to this team to win that hardware. So
there is a different drive. I also think that this
team is really hoping to achieve something that hasn't happened

(01:11:57):
in twenty five years by going back to back. It's
no easy feat, but I do think it's another It's
another motivator they need many they don't need much, but
it's another motivator to just add to the fire.

Speaker 3 (01:12:11):
I think, Oh it's that is what I would define
as joy. What the picture you just painted and and
really and speaking of joy and good vibes, I mean
the Dodgers just bringing back Kik and play and like
like that's got to be such just like a value
add in terms. I mean, I remember Clayton like after
the World Series.

Speaker 4 (01:12:29):
Being like I didn't do much, but I love being
so I mean, how heartwarming is that, I guess in
terms of just the culture, Yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:12:39):
No, I think it's huge. I think when it comes
to seeing when Clayton Kersa after he after he resigned,
when we spoke to the media, he was in years past,
there's been the question is set to go to the Rangers?
Is he gonna stay with the Dodgers kind of There
are obviously a lot of perks for him with the Rangers.
It's considering and that's where home is, and so his

(01:13:01):
kids are getting older and being around for more things.
But I love what he said that there's something really
special about playing with one organization for your entire career,
and when you have the privilege to do that, like
you shouldn't take it lightly. And so for Kershaw specifically,
he is someone who he brings so much to the game.

(01:13:24):
He's a first Belt Hall of Famer. Yes, he's been
battling injuries here and there, but when he's been on
the mound, he has been excellent for this team. When
he's been off the mound, he's also been I mean,
he's been a huge mentor to some of these guys.
I mean, even Blake Snell coming in his first year
with the Dodgers this year. He was adamant that he
wanted to be next to Clayton Hershaw in the clubhouse

(01:13:46):
and have a locker right next to him and sook
up as much information as he possibly can. So there
is multiple benefits of having a player like him, not
only his skill on the field, but what he brings
off the field, whether it's just like experience in the game,
experience in big moments, helping kind of really not necessarily developed,

(01:14:08):
but just to give advice to some of the younger guys.
So I think that's a big thing just on for
Clayton Kershaw with Heka, I mean he is truly he's
a fan favorite.

Speaker 11 (01:14:19):
He's a fan favorite.

Speaker 7 (01:14:20):
I think he's a clubhouse favorite. He is someone who
he brings a different energy, he brings a different playfulness
and one sixty two is a grind to get. Then
you add spring training, then you add the postseason, he
shows up and clutch moments. He I mean that might
be mister October get someone who he shows up in

(01:14:44):
huge moments, and I think he does a really good
job of Yeah, he's playful and he can be goofy
and silly, but he's also very serious he like navigates
that fine line very well, but he built really good
relationships with Miguel Rojas and Tayoska her name, is very
adamant about his return, and I think when guys are

(01:15:07):
like that, that's very telling of who they are like
behind closed doors, who we don't always get to see
on the public side. And so that to me has
always been so telling. When your teammates are like fighting
for you to come back, I think that that's a huge,
huge symbol of who you are as individual. So everyone
was thrilled that he was back. He you know, he's

(01:15:29):
having to be back. It's it's just it's a great
fit for him and his family. And so we'll see
how it all plays out though, because obviously it's a
lot of depth on this team. I think his line
specifically was the Dodgers roster is more crowded.

Speaker 11 (01:15:44):
Than a Bad Bunny concert, which we all know.

Speaker 7 (01:15:47):
It's possible to get into. So I love that we'll
see what happened.

Speaker 4 (01:15:52):
Yeah, that is that is That is awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:15:55):
Thank you tomorrow, Thank you, Thank you for sharing that
with us. You guys, we are heading to a break, Karsip,
thank you for joining us. We are Fox Sports.

Speaker 4 (01:16:03):
Radio coming to you live from the Tyraq dot Com studios.
This is Tracy Sandler with.

Speaker 2 (01:16:09):
My last advocate for the day, the spectacular Nick Carty.

Speaker 4 (01:16:12):
Wrack Nikki.

Speaker 2 (01:16:14):
We just talked to Kirsen Watson talking about Dodgers spring
training show, Hey pitching his first bullpen being incredible. But
she brought something up that I thought was interesting. Dodgers
obviously coming off a World Series win, lots of news faces.

Speaker 4 (01:16:28):
That brings some fresh energy.

Speaker 2 (01:16:29):
And also the Dodgers can go back to back and
that's the first time any team will have done it,
I believe over twenty years.

Speaker 4 (01:16:35):
It's something I'd even think about.

Speaker 2 (01:16:37):
But it does take away any sort of not that
I thought there would be, but any sort of complacency. O,
we won the World Series. You've got all these guys
who haven't won the World Series now joining this team, right.

Speaker 3 (01:16:46):
And I think the biggest shift that we saw in
the Dodgers last season was the commitment to one another.
And the guys talked about that in the space between
the regular season and the postseason. They had a meeting
and they locked in and they said, we love our families,
but can we commit to each other for you know
the next three four weeks and that was.

Speaker 4 (01:17:08):
Really the difference.

Speaker 3 (01:17:09):
And that chemistry is rolling right on into Camelback and
with the aggressive nature with which the Dodgers fro an
office attack this off season, the rest of the league
should be on.

Speaker 2 (01:17:20):
Notice because this front office said, yeah, we won the
World Series, we want to win more and we're going
to win more. And they they made sure and I
think we talked about this last time we did this
show together that people were thinking, Oh, the Dodgers are
runing baseball.

Speaker 4 (01:17:34):
They're just they're doing the work that maybe other people
aren't doing.

Speaker 2 (01:17:37):
You go to Camelback Ranch this week, just share a
little bit what the excitement level is.

Speaker 3 (01:17:43):
To me, it's always a I use the word magical
to describe camel Back Ranch, and this time not just
that it's the start of a new season, but the
aura and the vibes and you got good weather and
everyone's fresh because there is the excitement of something new
and promising on the horizon. But this year I was
like getting giddy listening to Kirsten describe it, and Dodgers

(01:18:07):
at spring training like your time and time again. It's
been bringing Mookie Bets and Freddie Freeman just making big,
big moves, and yet here's one where it's it's like
the bar continues to raise there.

Speaker 2 (01:18:19):
So I can't be more excited to go to Cammel
Back Ranch. You're also gonna see Justin Verlander. Oh yes,
for as a Giant for the first time. So there's
there's a lot of exciting things right going on in
spring training. As we look ahead of the season. The
Red Sox have had a really good off season. Jack
Clarty back with the Tigers. As we look out of
the season, it's a lot of a lot of fun

(01:18:41):
things going to happen.

Speaker 3 (01:18:42):
Right And I do think coming off last season with
like the faster pitching clock, and you know, I think
baseball has has some hype right now and it's it's
really fun.

Speaker 4 (01:18:54):
So I'm thrilled for something new.

Speaker 3 (01:18:57):
I'm also as we're watching these March Madness games, I'm
sorry college basketball games, I'm thinking about March Madness as
my brain shorts are getting there. Like I just yes,
we are, you know, putting a bookend to you know,
the NFL season, although we do have the combine right
around the corner.

Speaker 4 (01:19:14):
But like this this time of year is so fun.

Speaker 2 (01:19:16):
It is really fun and it is fun to focus
on other sports. For personally, it's really fun. I get
to be a fan. I do not cover a baseball team,
so I get a flo a fan, fan of March
madness at So much to look forward to over these
next several months in sports. As you mentioned, combine just
around the corner. So you can still get your NFL fixes,

(01:19:38):
but we've got some good stuff coming right.

Speaker 3 (01:19:41):
I am fixed not to mention the NBA All Star
Game tomorrow, absolutely, and we certainly cannot sign off.

Speaker 2 (01:19:49):
We would be remiss if we did not acknowledge that
today is the anniversary of Caitlin Clark breaking the scory wrecker.

Speaker 3 (01:19:57):
Talk about a game changer. We got to give her,
you know. I mean, I can't say your name enough.

Speaker 4 (01:20:04):
That is very true. It has been so fun hanging
with you, Nikki at all of you. We are Fox
Sports Radio Live.

Speaker 7 (01:20:09):
Laugh.

Speaker 3 (01:20:10):
Love,

All Episodes

Episode Transcript

Fox Sports Radio News

Host

Jonas Knox

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know

The Joe Rogan Experience

Dateline NBC

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

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Tracy Sandler & Nikki Kay Talk Eagles Parade, NBA All-Star Game, the Rise of Women's Hoops & More!