September 15, 2020 • 38 mins
Doug talks about Ben Roethlisberger’s first game back after season ending elbow surgery a year ago. He also gets you ready for game 7 between the Clippers and the Nuggets.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Doug got Leave Show podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday three to
six Eastern twelve to three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for the Doug got Leave Show
at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the I Heart Radio app by searching
fs R. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. What Up,
(00:27):
Dog Gotli Show, Fox Spots Radio. We now have all
sixteen teams have played a football game, all sixteen teams,
and I think every team had there's lots of questions.
Every team had a big question coming in right like
just kind of go through them, like New England, like
(00:47):
what would how would they use Cam Newton? They used
Cam Newton as a running quarterback right Um? The Arizona Cardinals,
how would they integrate new Hopkins? They throw to them
on these out routes all the time, time, all the time.
They would What the hell is the purpose of having
one of the best wide receivers in the NFL if
you're not gonna use him? Right? Um? For the Kancerity Chiefs,
(01:10):
how would that? You know? How much would Clyde Edwards
Hilaire play in his first game? A Ton a ton
and they used him a bunch, you know for Houston?
Did they have enough weapons without new Copkins? And the
answer is and doesn't feel like it? Not really right.
There's something, but not a lot of Oh would the
(01:32):
Cowboys be any different with a new head coach? Not
really know. Everybody had a question, not all of the
more answered. Um, you know, like I don't when you
don't have your best wide receiver for Drew Lock, like
it was hard to tell. But I do think if
the question is, hey, can Drew Lock play? You think like, yeah, yeah,
(01:56):
I think he can play. Do I think it'll be great?
Like I don't think he's like the next No, ay,
but he's athletic, he can throw, he seems agile, he
seems pretty smart. He got the ball to Jerry Judy.
Like to not have your best wide receiver of veteran
and to play a playoff team like it ain't bad.
I think Tennessee. If the answers, are they any more
dynamic than they were last year? No? No, the same,
(02:20):
the exact same thing. Um, New York Giants Daniel Jones
can he play? I think the answers Yeah? Is their
offensive line better? No? Not yet? And for the Pittsburgh Steelers,
there was one big question. I don't think anybody questioned
their defense. Everybody thinks it would be great, especially against
the run, which it was yesterday. Um, you know, they
(02:43):
haven't been the same in terms of wide receiving crew
since they lost Antonio Brown. But you know all they
needed last year was competent quarterback play. And you had
to ask yourself. I think the big question was could
Big Ben play? Could he throw a football? And I
don't know anybody watched last night was like Naw's arm.
(03:05):
Early on, he was a little inaccurate, probably a little
fired up. He hadn't played in a year. He overthrew
some guys, but by and large he settled down. And
again the question is not you know, Ben's always gonna
make some decisions which leave you scratching your head where
he throws it into traffic. Ben is is always gonna
(03:26):
hold onto it too long at some point. And I
but my the question was his arm, because like if
the question about Cam Newton's arm, I don't think we
actually have an answer. Through the ball nineteen times and
most within five yards of the line of scrimmage. But
for Ben Roethlisberger, to come off of major elbow surgery.
(03:50):
If you asked me, Kenny throw, the answer is yeah, yeah,
right music, would you agree with that? Is that? Is
that a fair assessment? Yeah? I think you know. It
wasn't like they dropped back fifty times and he was
winging it down, you know, throwing hail Mary's all day.
But um, it certainly looked like they did take some
(04:11):
shots down field. He was a little it was a
little touch and go there in the first quarter. Um,
but I think once he's sort of settled in and
they got through the first couple of series, and by
the second quarter and certainly after halftime, he looked like
I'd say seventy of old Big Ben, which is about
(04:32):
the most you could hope for in a no preseason
first snap that he's taken in about a year. Okay, Um,
that's interesting. It's really interesting because I thought the exact
same thing, right, Like, how he feels today, Like they
(04:52):
asked him after the game, how his elbow is, how
he feels today is going to be important. How sore
is he because no matter what you've done in practice,
how much you're thrown in practice, just different in the game. Right,
But as he settled down. His arm look live, and
he wasn't like throwing and holding his his arm or
his forearm. You now, and you know if they were
(05:13):
a playoff caliber team last year, with what they were
throwing out there at quarterback, it stands the reason there'll
be a playoff team this year with Ben Roethlisberger. It
doesn't mean to be a super Bowl team, but we'd
all agree at the a f C is not in
terms of the level of talent at the very top,
is not at the level of the NFC. And I
do feel like they've gotten better than me by adding him,
but continue to add to their their both sides of
(05:36):
the football. Like I'm with it. I'm I think they're
a playoff team as long as he's healthy. So I
did you Isaac? Did you watch the game as well?
Did you head? Did you for him? Are you doing local?
He's doing local? I you know, because anybody who says
they they know, you just don't know. In practice and
(05:57):
in games, you gotta give him your first drive, a
little scat are shot. It's the opposite of of what
I thought for the Giants. The Giants on script early
looked really good, but we knew that Daniel Jones can
play on script, what can you do off script? Desinthly
got a little shaky for for for Big Ben, it
(06:18):
was like the perfect game, right. The Giants aren't good enough,
aren't talent enough to challenge him, to challenge his arm,
to challenge him physically, to challenge their team. They didn't
have to be great to just get out win the game.
And so he can be a little radic at first,
and the Giants couldn't run away from him. You know,
(06:40):
it's the opposite of what the Browns like. I don't
think the Browns, I don't think Baker Mayfield play well.
But they were so overwhelmed that the line of scrimmage
and he had such a trouble picking up the blitzes,
and they had trouble picking up their blitz protections. Whatever
that you couldn't really you couldn't really tell. Anybody says
(07:00):
they know the Browns are gonna be terrible. Let's see
against the Bengals, who have some talent, but they too
are reworking some things. Level of competition absolutely matters, and
your confidence absolutely matters. And we'd be blind if we
didn't point out that your confidence does get a little
shaken when you're you know, you know, when you're constantly
(07:21):
running for your life the way that Baker Mayfield was
or that uh that Sam Donald was. Because we can
we can point out that the Jets don't have talent.
Levy on Bell got hurt, their offensive line isn't great,
they don't have talent, and the the one thing the
Bills have is builds are really good on defense. Sean
mcderman's a defensive guy, defensive coordinator. He built that team
(07:44):
based upon defense. And then Josh Allen just just do
your best, score some points, get us the lead, don't
turn it over, which he almost did give it back
to him. So I'm not gonna make any grand conclusions
about how good Pittsburgh is that their ceiling, but I
will make one on Ben Roth's burger and deem him
healthy enough to be that guy coming up next. Speaking
(08:06):
of the Giants, at some point, it's time to admit
that their best player was part of a mistake, Like wait, what,
how do you And he's a great player, but it
was a mistake. Yeah, it can happen. We'll get to
that next. Be sure to catch the live edition of
(08:26):
the Doug Gottlieb show weekdays at three pm Easter noon
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio
ah App, Doug otlip Ship Backmark Radio. All Right, stick
with me for a second, because this is this is
a little different way of looking at things. What if
I told you you drafted a really good player, a
Pro Bowl caliber player at a position of importance, and
(08:49):
it was still the wrong player to draft, not even
because there was a definably better quarterback, but just because
of how the whole process of of rebuilding a team
that that make any sense to you? Right, Look, I'm
(09:10):
not sitting here telling you running backs are not important.
Last year's NFL was dominated by teams that could run
the football. The NFC Championship Game was won by the
San Francisco for the Niners because the Green Bay Packers
could not stop the running game of the Niners. Right
and by the way, the change in the Green Bay
Packers offense from Mike McCarthy uh to the one they're
(09:32):
operating now was Aaron Jones running the football. Do we
agree on that? Okay, we'll go to the other side now.
The KNC Chiefs were able to get away with not
having nearly the same running game but it's also one
of Also, you know, part of it was they kept
getting behind, so they didn't need a running game, but
they might not have been behind twenty four nothing. The
Texans are gotten behind in every game if they could
(09:53):
run the football, which, by the way, they addressed in
the off season getting Clyde Edwards Hilaire were okay there
and the New England Patriots, the um the Tennessee Titans,
the Baltimore Ravens. What did they do to get to
be successful in the regular and in the postseason? Wait
for it, they ran the football, right, I mean Baltimore
(10:16):
had a quarterback that ran it more than any quarterback
in the history of the sport. Again, I know, to
win big, he's gonna be able to throw. But Tennessee,
how did they get to where they got running the football?
So I'm not sitting here telling you running the football
it's not important, but it depends on where you are
building a team. I watched the Giants play last night.
(10:36):
Sae Kwon Barkley had six yards on fifteen carries. Does
that mean se Kuon Barkley socks no? No, No, that's
because the average average was a negative point seven rushing
yards before contact per attempts. These are crazy numbers. Crazy
(11:05):
So he got hit behind the line of scrimmage all
the time, all the time. He never had a chance.
And why did you never have a chance, Because look,
if you're drafting number two overall, what should you do?
You should need the draft a quarterback, and if you
(11:25):
don't love the quarterback, you should trade down and get
more picks and help rebuild your team. Maybe they thought, well,
we got I mean, you know, at the thought the
time was we got Eli Manny. If we have a
running game that can that can lengthen Eli Manning's career.
But they need an entire offensive line, they need defensive
playmakers that they need so many things. What they did,
(11:47):
here's the housing analogy for you that that works for you.
They walked into a house, which is nice. You know,
there's these things called um tweeners and houses. Okay, you
walk into a house and it's done done. Everything has
been redone. Kitchen floors, walls, paint, when new windows, new doors,
(12:08):
pool has been redone. Everything has been refreshing. You're like,
people will pay top dollar for that. Or you walk in,
you go and let's let a match and start over, right,
then there's these tweener houses. You walk in and in
two thousands, somebody reading a house. Now it's two thousand twenty.
So you know, if they're using you know, terra cotto,
(12:31):
or you're using Torozzo tile, or you're using you know,
any sort of anything, Tuscan Like Tuscan is kind of
out right now. It's modern farmhouses whatever, but farmhouse style.
But like you walk in, you're like, okayt's redone twenty
years ago, which is nice, but I got it. That's
what the giants were, you know, ten years ago. They
(12:52):
were really good. And so Dave Gettleben walked in. It's like,
you know, if we just we just do the kitchen,
well we just read do the master bathroom. That's the
redo the master bathroom. You know. So they readied the
master bathroom and got and got Sae Kwan Barkley. Then
the next year they still sucked, so they readed the
kitchen and got Daniel Jones. Now you've got a nice kitchen,
(13:15):
you've got a nice master bathroom, but you still gotta
do the floors, the walls that the pool outside needs
to be completely redon. There's so many things that need
to be redone. You're like, man, we great, we had
a good kitchen, but everything else is still got an SDTV.
They've been the worst team in the NFL the last
(13:36):
three years. Worse than the Browns, worse than the Bengals,
worse than the Jaguars. When you think of bad football teams,
You're like, Bengals, Giants have been worse. When you think
of bad football teams, do you think Jack's Giants have
been worse? Browns? Browns are laughing? Stock up. Remember the
Browns they went through two years where they won one game. Now,
granted we're doing the three year things, so it's only
(13:56):
one one, right, and then you get the last two years.
But still, the point is their giant has been terrible
and they have a really good player. They have a
really good player. But like, this is a team game.
You're so much better off trading down to getting litany
of picks or getting a quarterback that year and then
(14:20):
getting a running back later in the same draft or
in a later draft, or getting one off the street.
All right, but Dave Gentleman built the way they used
to build. Let's get a running back of let's build
run that running back. Like, yeah, who's gonna block for
that running back. And I get it. Like Nate Solder,
who they got as a free agent from New England,
(14:41):
he was a bust and now he's opted out and
they've tried to replace guys, and they've drafted. They drafted
pretty well, but you can't just like two drafting too
offensive lineman does not fix all five positions of the
offensive line. And then like there's a reason that you
need playmakers on defense. Now, maybe they fall into this
(15:03):
kind of happy medium area this upcoming off season where
because their quarterbacks on a rookie deal, because Sa Kuon
Barkley still on a rookie deal, they can spend a
bunch of money and get a bunch of surrounding talent
and they'll have a good draft pick. But man, they
still they seem just devoid of the level of talent
to compete to allow Sa Kuon Barkley's talent to come out,
(15:24):
which legion to believe that the se Kuan pick was
a bad pick. By the time they're finally good, they're
gonna have to overpay Sae Kwon Barkley and then the
next year I have to overpay Daniel Jones. And it's
if and only if they hit on everything else, and
if they don't, they'll still have to overpay Sae Kwon Barkley,
or you let him walk, or you trade union. You
trade him because you don't want to pay the pirates
(15:45):
bounty because he's taken such a beating in his first
couple of years. It was a really good pick in
terms of the player and the person. There's a really
bad pick in terms of how high and where they
were in the rebuild process. Be sure to catch them
live edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three
p m. Easter noon Pacific. We don't know everything, but
(16:07):
we know people that know what you want to know.
You know, sounds like you meet a guy. I got
a guy. Let's hit your head for tonight's Game seven
of the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs. The
winner gets the l A Lakers. Jovon Buha joins us.
He covers the Clippers for the Athletic He joins the
(16:29):
Doug Gotlip Show on Fox Sports Radio. What's the mood
around the Clippers? They're still confident? Um, you know, I
think one thing that hasn't wavered with this team throughout
the season, and I think you even saw it cost
them a little bit in the regular season with some
of the resting that they did was this team is
confident no matter the matchup. That they basically said, you know,
(16:52):
during the regular season, let's just go to the postseason.
It doesn't matter what seed we are, whether we have
home court advantage or not, we can beat anybody. And
obviously things changed with with the bubble and everything, but um,
I think this group is very confident going into Game seven.
They have not played that way obviously in the second
halfs of games five and six, But I do think
(17:12):
you will see a desperate and hungry Clippers team today, uh,
and one that is looking ahead to that Western Conference
Finals matchup. What can they do differently when they have
those leads? What what's going to change about their plan?
The biggest thing that has changed in the second halves
of both of those blown losses has been the Clippers pace.
And there's a pace discrepancy between both of these teams. Uh.
(17:35):
The Clippers were eighth and pace this season, the Nuggets
were twenty nine. And you've kind of seen that correlate
to the wins and losses for the Clippers, where in
wins they've been able to speed up the Nuggets get
out and transition, and in losses, the Nuggets have been
able to control the pace, slow it down, play more
of a half court style. So I really think that
(17:55):
the pace of this game will will kind of determine
what ends up happening. Obviously, in the playoffs, play slows down,
especially in game Seven's if you look at the three
we've had, Um, you know, they tend to be a
little bit slower. So I would favor Denver if it
is a slower game in that sense. But um, for
the Clippers, it's just look, you got a three one
series lead, you were up by fifteen plus in the
(18:16):
second halves of games five and six, Um, you know
you've got to stop playing, uh, not to lose and
just play to win. And I think if you look
at their body language, you just look at the way
they kind of crumbled in both of those games. Um,
it was clear they were scoreboard watching. I mean Doc
even mentioned that that in in huddles, guys looking at
the scoreboard, and you could just see their body language
(18:37):
kind of suggest that they were a little bit frozen
out there. So I think as long as they can
kind of get back to what they've done for most
of the series. Um, I do expect them to have
a double digit lead at some point. It's just if
they do get one. Are you confident in them closing
it out? Because right now it feels like all the
momentum is with Denver. Let's say they win. Let's say
(18:57):
they win, Um, how do they how do they? How
do they keep get their energy back? Like the Lakers
are just sitting out there being arrested. And the big
question for the Lakers a bigger, a team with some
age to them, Like, I gotta feel like there's gotta
be some exhaustion at some point setting in Yeah, no,
I do think the one thing that could give this
(19:19):
Clippers some extra juice and kind of get them back
on track is a matchup with the Lakers. Um. You know,
it's no secret that these two teams don't like each other. Um.
You know this has been a rivalry between the franchises
that's brewing the last few years, really throughout the decades
since the Botch Chris Paul Trade Um, and I think
you saw it last offseason with some of the Clippers marketing. Uh,
(19:42):
you know, the the great over glamour and in different
billboards that they had around the city, Like these two
teams have been taking shots at each other all year.
They both had this matchup circled, and I think for
the Clippers, they've clearly come out ready. I mean, you
saw that opening night, um, you know, all the way
back in October, you saw it on Christmas, Like they
get up for those Laker games. So I think, you know,
(20:04):
Clive us Lebron PG versus a d um, you know,
the respective benches versus each other, Like this is going
to be a very hyped matchup on both sides. And
I think for the Clippers it's just been they've been
lack of days ago when when they see an opponent
they think they're better then. But with the Lakers, I
I do think they'll be up for that matchup. Yeah,
I did to. Lou William has been picked on a
(20:24):
bunch defensively. Does he play late in the close game?
I think it really depends on if he's scoring or not.
I think, honestly, the bigger issue for him has been
he's averaging ten and a half points a game in
this series. And you know he was supposed to be
that third guy for them, and they've really not had
that in um you know, so I think for him,
if his shots falling, you can kind of get away
(20:45):
with some of the stuff he doesn't bring defensively. But
if he's not scoring and he's not providing defense, like,
there's really no point for him to be out there.
So um, you know. Another thing that Doc has talked
about is the foul trouble. PG has been in a
lot of foul trouble. Pat Beverley just fouled out in
seventeen minutes last game. So if their perimeter guys are
in foul trouble, that they might have to turn to
loo uh for for you know, those closing minutes. But
(21:08):
I think if a guy like Pat Beverley can stay
out of foul trouble or at least not foul out,
you probably want to close with him. So um, you know.
I do think overall, the biggest disappointment for the Clippers
in the postseason so far has been the supporting cast.
You look at the numbers of Kawai and PG, those
guys have pretty much showed up most nights. You know,
PG had that that rough stretch in the in the
first round, But where the most party is still putting
(21:30):
up twenty three every night. It's been Lou Williams, Montrez, Harold,
Marcus Morris, Landry Shammit. Those guys have not really stepped
up consistently, and I think that's what they're really looking for.
In game seven, Jovan Buha joining us UM if they lose.
If they lose, what's the reaction of their owner? I mean,
(21:50):
Steve Baumber is such an avid supporter, but they are
all in on winning, right. He's building a new arena.
He went and moved mountains, and they trade away everybody
to get all this thing done. Just if they lose,
what happens. I think they have to shake up the
core um. You know, I think Doc Rivers job is safe,
and obviously I think Kauai and PG. You know, they're
(22:12):
going to trade those guys, are gonna move those guys.
But I think everyone else, you know, is on the
table to be moved. You know. Montrez Herald is a
free agent who has not performed weble in the playoffs.
You know, do do you let him walk? Marcus Morris
is a free agent who's kind of been up and down.
Lou Williams is an expiring contract that at eight million
dollars is pretty movable in this market. Um, so I
(22:33):
really think they re examine the core. I think Doc
will way back. I think Kauai and PG will be there,
but anyone else is on the table to be moved.
And I do think in the case that they lose
in this round in particular, I think it's one thing
if you lose the Lakers. I think those two teams
are pretty evenly matched. You could probably argue the Lakers
have the better stars. But if they lose in this
round in this fashion, blowing a three one lead, blowing consecutive,
(22:56):
you know, fifteen plus point leads in the second halves,
I do think you will see a reasonably different roster
next season. Great stuff, Jovan, thanks so much for joining us.
Can't wait to read your work seat tonight's game and
react to it. Appreciate being our guest. Appreciate I got
a guy man, Brandon Christal. He joined us yesterday because
it did sideline for the Broncos game, but of course
the KOA and Denver. He also covers the Nuggets. Let's
(23:20):
start with Let's start with the Nuggets. Um, you're coming
off the Broncos game, like what's the give me the
temperature of the town in terms of of the the
how how much people are paying attention to see if
this upset happens. I think right around now, honestly, is
when people are starting to get over the Broncos loss,
because they needed more of an explanation from Vic Fangio
(23:41):
as to why he sat on those timeouts late, and
he finally came out on Koway this morning and then
a couple hours after that on his Zoom press conference
saying that it was on him. He was focused on
the next defensive plate. Colin wasn't paying enough attention to
the clock, which is obviously a mistake that shouldn't happen,
but it did happen. So I think now as we're
a few hours away, I guess a little less than
(24:04):
three and a half hours away from tip off in
in Orlando, will the city start to get really ramped
up for the Nuggets and still a Broncos town, but
with the Nuggets in a lot of ways playing with
house money. I mean, listening to your last guest, it
doesn't sound the Nuggets even need to show up because
the Clippers and Lakers are a foregone conclusion. But they're
gonna show up anyway, and Joker has certainly come to play,
(24:24):
and Jamal Murray has proven throughout the playoffs that that
he is a star on the rise in a lot
of ways. And Michael Porter Jr. And the rest of
their supporting cast are gonna show up tonight. So uh, look,
they've they've kind of taken a laid back approach, if
you will, are just kind of thrown caution to the wind.
And even though they're down nineteen last game, they found
a way to win. So I think the Nuggets fans
(24:46):
are at best cautiously optimistic. But you know, Joker and
Jamal Murray is a pretty formidable duo too, So they're
gonna They're gonna watch a game, and I think that
you know, Twitter around Denver will be all about the
Nuggets here for the next seven hours or so. It
is going to be interesting. Um, what what's your sense
of of I mean, like, look, it's one thing to
(25:08):
get down big one game, but to get down big
just about every game, Like it does feel like a
bit of a mismatch. On the other hand, like they
I mean the bounce back to stick to it inness
of it, especially of Jamal Murray and of U Yoki
is amazing. Is this actually more of a mismatch and
it's just the Clippers taking their foot off the gas. Well,
(25:28):
I would think so, And I think I'm intended to
briefly yesterday when I had Charles barkl on a couple
of weeks ago, you know, I both thought that it
wasn't a good matchup for the Nuggets. Uh, just because
of the way the Clippers are built, with all those
further defenders that can flow down Murray and then those
big guys with Zubats and Harold that that you can
just keep throwing big bodies at Joker and even you know,
(25:49):
mixing a Morrison and a Carol and and it's just
a lot more depth there for the Clippers. But Joker
is better than those other dukes, even though they're they're
pretty good defenders. Uh, He's just found ways to make plays,
especially because he's I think it's probably not much of
an argument, but he's the best passing big man in
basketball big man in basketball right now. And if they're
(26:10):
making shots, they're gonna stay in games, or we'll get
back into games. And you get contributions from guys like
Gary Harris and that'll knock down some shots. Monte morrisel
knocked down a shot Michael Porter Jr. Obviously, So they're
gonna come in there, and I think they're gonna not
borrow the Rockets law. So even they're gonna try to
win at the three point line. And if they do
that and can get some more stops. It's really what's
(26:30):
kind of separated them in games they've won is that
they've kind of locked down defensively, not necessarily a calling
card of the team, even though it's a calling card
of Michael Malone. So I think that they're gonna again
and go go in there. Their bags are already packed,
They've been packed for the last two games, and so
that they know that the world's against them and Vegas
is against them, but they're gonna go out there and
give it a game. At least that's the hope. Vegas
(26:51):
is not against them. Well they were, Uh no, no, no,
that's not how it works, Vegas. The Vegas doesn't sit
there and go like mant the Clipper. That's not the
way it works. We know what's the line right now,
it doesn't matter. It doesn't mean Vegas is against them.
I get it. I understand. No, you like again, you're
doing the fan thing the line seven a half. Vegas
thinks that the betting line should be Clippers by seven
(27:14):
and a half, that the Clippers should win by somewhere between,
you know, six to eight points. That's not Veggas being
against them. They're trying to do their jobs. Are against them,
and more people are betting on the Clippers not only
to win to night, but to have advanced farther. And
so you know, with that mentality, I think you go
in there and you throw caution to the wind and
you try to make some shots. I guess the real
(27:36):
question is does it really matter? And you live in
southern California, Doug doesn't really matter. I know people are
excited about Kauai and Paul George. If the Clippers lose,
but the Lakers are still in the Western Conference finals,
and if Lebron and a d end up getting to
the finals, regardless of whether they have to go through
the Nuggets or the Clippers want, most of l A
still be pretty happy. Uh yeah. I will tell you
(27:57):
though that like there is so little buzz about the
Lakers when they play right now, it is it is
really odd because there's no nothing going on at Staples Center.
It is it is just odd. Just the buzz of
the event is part of how many people do you know?
They just want to be in the scene, right, They
just want to be there, be courtside or four rows
back seeing Jack, seeing all the celebs and and paying
(28:20):
a thousand dollars for a ticket up top. They want
to be there. They want to they want to be
near Lebron and before that, obviously Kobe and Shack and
right just going down the list, that's part of the
whole l A. It's it's woven into the fabric of
Los Angeles. So I think that playing people will buy
championship gear if either of those teams win, specifically the Lakers.
But yeah, it's this has been a very weird year,
(28:41):
as we know, and it's certainly a very weird sports
six weeks between the two bubbles, a quiet start to
the NFL season and a baseball season, and I think
people are paying attention to But it depends on the
city limit. Yeah, no, I mean, like like the Dodgers
Padres last night was entertaining. Again, I just don't know,
even though it's ain being played out here that's just
it's just different. It's a very different to see it
(29:04):
and happy inside of a television set. Um, even if
it's at the same stadium you're used to going at
ten is just it's just great. All right. Last thing
you mentioned Denver last night um outside for a fangio
completely mismanaging the clock down the stretch. Although I I
got from what he said, he was like, look, I
thought Guskowski was gonna was gonna was gonna choke again, right,
(29:24):
that kind of felt like the first thing he was
saying was like, you know, the kicker had been I
almost almost almost felt like he was daring them to
let Guskowski kick it from thirty five and see what happened.
Outside of that, biggest takeaway from last night, well, I
think the big takeaways are the Broncos defense is still
pretty solid, evening that von Miller. They could have gotten
to the quarterback a little more, but Tannehill is getting
rid of the ball quickly. Drew Lock certainly continues to
(29:45):
look the part. But two d and sixteen yards and
thirty three one touchdown isn't four touchdowns and three thirty
three yards, you know, so, But he didn't have Courtland Sutton,
and there was I thought I thought that, I thought
that there was a big drop from Jerry Judy, as
good drop, even two drops it. But here's the thing
to last night and then coming up this week when
they go to Pittsburgh and maybe week twelve against the Saints,
(30:07):
those are the three toughest defenses they're gonna face. So
they're gonna get the Titans out of the way and
then at Pittsburgh and then they're gonna get a little bit,
you know, easier time. Not not that the NFL is
ever easy on a given Sunday, but I think that
they didn't turn the ball over, and they didn't give
up a sack for an old line that's been so
scrutinized to not give up a sack and no penalties.
You didn't hear holding number seventy two, which is something
(30:29):
that we heard almost every game last year, especially in
the first ten uh in a bunch of the year before.
So the fact that Garrett Bowls and the rest of
the old line held up and came out healthy, I
think that you you're cautiously optimistic, which is the word
I use about the Nugs, or two words rather a
phrase uh so, I think that the Broncos there, they're
not gonna win this division. Chiefs still play here, but
they do think they're a playoff team, and I'm not
(30:50):
gonna argue against that just yet. If all of a
sudden their own three year old, or well, they're going
to the Jets in week four, If all of a
sudden their own three, then then we'll revisit the playoff conversation.
But but they'll at least wanted three by the time
they visit Adam Gates in the Jets. Great stuff as
always be, Kay, thanks for joining us. So you needed
a guy, we got you a guy. Guy, A winner
(31:11):
from week one, the NFL and their best offensive players
already asking for a trade. I'll tell you who next.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox sports
Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app.
Search f s R to listen live. While we got
big breaking news in the college football world, let's get
(31:32):
to the press, the press. I tell me something good, Okay, Doug,
I will The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper reporting that a
proposal has been approved for the Big Time Conference to
play an eight game football schedule this fall. Now. Earlier today,
(31:53):
University of Nebraska president Ted Carter was caught on a
hot mike saying, we're getting ready to announce the Huskers
and Big Ten football all tonight. Even backtrack from those words,
the Big Ten, for the record, has not officially yet
said whether any sort of announcement about anything is imminent.
Way to go, Ted, Way to go. Um, Look, that's
(32:14):
good news, you know. I mean those of us who
have sports kids, our kids are just chomping at the
bit to play. And I think a lot of this
is fomo. You know, you see other kids playing and
you're like, man, why can't my kid play? I want
my kid to play? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. So, UM, I
get it. I obviously like it. No, no, no, I
love it. Um. I hope we can. I think we
(32:36):
can do it safely. I think I think what happened
if we look back on it. I don't think there
is anything sinister, like we we make this thing out
to be like some political thing. I just think there's
some doctors and scientists that got some early information. And
this is what doctors do. They they they do things
out of an abundance of caution, like have you ever
(32:56):
sprained an ankle? And the doctors like, man, you're gonna
stay off that a month, Like, Doc, I'm playing tomorrow.
I have a game tomorrow, Like that's what they do. Well,
what happens? You're way you could reinjure it, Like okay,
but what if I don't you know, I mean won't
It's still gonna go through the process of healing. O. Yo,
you know, you could lots of things you could do.
Um you know yeah, by the way, I mean, the
(33:17):
reality is if we were really concerned about kids health
and safety, not sure they'll be playing anyway. Just gonna
bite that one out. It's an appropriate segue because in
the National Football League today, then national football I'm so
glad you didn't do that. Why do people do that?
Wasn't Who's the first one who did that? Was that?
But yeah, but it's like a it's like a takeoff
on the takeoff on the what's it called? I mean,
(33:41):
it's one thing for Burman to do it, but if
other people are trying to duplicate it without like being
an homage or just a little reference, yeah, it just
doesn't carry the same weight. No, pun intended. The New
York Jets today put running back Levy on Bell as
well as receiver Denzel Mims on injured reserve, both because
of hamstring injuries. Bell is gonna out at least three games.
(34:02):
Oh yeah, this after Levy on Bell soa, there's nothing
wrong with his hamstrings yesterday on social media? Right oops, oops,
I'm not sure it's actually it's probably his hamstring. But
also they just don't on around. So speaking of social media,
Atlett Robinson, currently of the Bears, deleting all references to
them from his social media accounts on both Twitter and Instagram.
(34:26):
That must have been a project in itself, right well,
According to Brad Bigs of the Chicago Tribune, he reports
that Robinson has asked the Bears about a possible trade.
He's in the final year of a three year, forty
two million dollar deal. I just don't understand the like
I mean, it's the it's the let's call it the
Van Pelt. Van Pelt did this one to the ESPN
(34:47):
where he's in the contract negotiation, and he thought he
was gonna so he cleaned out his office and remarkably,
they came around and gave him a new deal right, like,
I just the the doing it in public when you
just played in one, like you just want to game,
you're down three scores, you came back in won a game.
Trabisky played great like you have an agent for a reason.
(35:07):
Act like an adult. Show up at work, let him negotiate.
If you want to be dealt, tell him you want
to be dealt. But but the the doing in public
is so immature. Wait a minute, so Van Pell actually
did that in real life or was that one of
those This is Sports Center commercial? He really didn't realize,
no kidding, I guess it did. Absolutely. While you're carying
(35:29):
around a box today, Doug, if I had an office,
he had been cleared up. Chris Godwin, a receiver of
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, says that their offense and Tom
Brady taking Bruce Arian's recent criticism after their loss ed
New Orleans in stride. He said, we understand that often
quarterbacks take the large majority of the blame for what happens.
(35:49):
But we've been around Tom enough to know that he's
not bothered by that. We certainly aren't bothered by it.
We understand the type of player that he is. You've
been around Tom for like three weeks. Yeah, we've been
around Tom. Um, don't call him Tom. I don't want it.
I don't go by Mr Brady please yeah, um yeah,
(36:10):
Goat is okay. Goat is okay. Mr Brady is okay.
Tom not okay. No word yet what Giselle has to
say about my husband did not catch the vote and
throw the volley at the same It all one of
the most awesome moments of all time. That that was
(36:30):
just yes. I mean, it made her just so imminently likable.
I mean, yes, of course the opposite. I mean, here's
this eminent supermodel complaining just like every other fan. It
was great. She seemed very much like a supermodel, all right,
Like supermodel complaining. Those things seem to go together quite well. Well,
complaining because they lost a Super Bowl, I understand, but
(36:53):
you're supposed that there's supposed to be a dignity to it.
It's not because the water in the dressing room was
seven any one degrees instead of seventy two point five.
By the way she's talking about, was West Welker that
was a hard ball to catch the diving and he's
got short little t rex armed. Was that was that
(37:15):
was that at his draft scouting report, short little t
Rex R. Maybe the best high schoolball player I've ever seen.
He did everything, kicked field goals too. You can also
say his arms on that play were like me when
the check arrives at the Finally, Baker Mayfield says his
connection with Odell Beckham Jr. Has to come naturally. Said,
I think we had some great one on one opportunity Sunday.
(37:38):
We just didn't connect. We're working on that. We'll get
it fixed. Has not come naturally, but they've been together
for a little bit. I'm just gotta come naturally, That's
what he said. So there's so many creepy parts to it.
That's what she said. By the way, my son is Levin.
He's taken to That's what she said, which is pretty amazing.
(37:58):
That is good parenting or terrible parenting. I'm not really sure,
not really sure I care, right, but it's it's pretty fun.
Does Lucas say that's what she said? Yet? He does
not say that. But he's only eight, So hey, always time,
There's always time, There's always time. What do you like
tonight music? You picked up clippers and seven half. I'll
(38:22):
take the clippers What about you there, Ike Denver. Yeah,
I like Denver Close. Denver Close should be fun. Back tomorrow,
Doug Gotlips Show
Thanks for listening to The Doug got Leave Show podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday three to
six Eastern twelve to three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for the Doug got Leave Show
at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the I Heart Radio app by searching
fs R. You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. What Up,
(00:27):
Dog Gotli Show, Fox Spots Radio. We now have all
sixteen teams have played a football game, all sixteen teams,
and I think every team had there's lots of questions.
Every team had a big question coming in right like
just kind of go through them, like New England, like
(00:47):
what would how would they use Cam Newton? They used
Cam Newton as a running quarterback right Um? The Arizona Cardinals,
how would they integrate new Hopkins? They throw to them
on these out routes all the time, time, all the time.
They would What the hell is the purpose of having
one of the best wide receivers in the NFL if
you're not gonna use him? Right? Um? For the Kancerity Chiefs,
(01:10):
how would that? You know? How much would Clyde Edwards
Hilaire play in his first game? A Ton a ton
and they used him a bunch, you know for Houston?
Did they have enough weapons without new Copkins? And the
answer is and doesn't feel like it? Not really right.
There's something, but not a lot of Oh would the
(01:32):
Cowboys be any different with a new head coach? Not
really know. Everybody had a question, not all of the
more answered. Um, you know, like I don't when you
don't have your best wide receiver for Drew Lock, like
it was hard to tell. But I do think if
the question is, hey, can Drew Lock play? You think like, yeah, yeah,
(01:56):
I think he can play. Do I think it'll be great?
Like I don't think he's like the next No, ay,
but he's athletic, he can throw, he seems agile, he
seems pretty smart. He got the ball to Jerry Judy.
Like to not have your best wide receiver of veteran
and to play a playoff team like it ain't bad.
I think Tennessee. If the answers, are they any more
dynamic than they were last year? No? No, the same,
(02:20):
the exact same thing. Um, New York Giants Daniel Jones
can he play? I think the answers Yeah? Is their
offensive line better? No? Not yet? And for the Pittsburgh Steelers,
there was one big question. I don't think anybody questioned
their defense. Everybody thinks it would be great, especially against
the run, which it was yesterday. Um, you know, they
(02:43):
haven't been the same in terms of wide receiving crew
since they lost Antonio Brown. But you know all they
needed last year was competent quarterback play. And you had
to ask yourself. I think the big question was could
Big Ben play? Could he throw a football? And I
don't know anybody watched last night was like Naw's arm.
(03:05):
Early on, he was a little inaccurate, probably a little
fired up. He hadn't played in a year. He overthrew
some guys, but by and large he settled down. And
again the question is not you know, Ben's always gonna
make some decisions which leave you scratching your head where
he throws it into traffic. Ben is is always gonna
(03:26):
hold onto it too long at some point. And I
but my the question was his arm, because like if
the question about Cam Newton's arm, I don't think we
actually have an answer. Through the ball nineteen times and
most within five yards of the line of scrimmage. But
for Ben Roethlisberger, to come off of major elbow surgery.
(03:50):
If you asked me, Kenny throw, the answer is yeah, yeah,
right music, would you agree with that? Is that? Is
that a fair assessment? Yeah? I think you know. It
wasn't like they dropped back fifty times and he was
winging it down, you know, throwing hail Mary's all day.
But um, it certainly looked like they did take some
(04:11):
shots down field. He was a little it was a
little touch and go there in the first quarter. Um,
but I think once he's sort of settled in and
they got through the first couple of series, and by
the second quarter and certainly after halftime, he looked like
I'd say seventy of old Big Ben, which is about
(04:32):
the most you could hope for in a no preseason
first snap that he's taken in about a year. Okay, Um,
that's interesting. It's really interesting because I thought the exact
same thing, right, Like, how he feels today, Like they
(04:52):
asked him after the game, how his elbow is, how
he feels today is going to be important. How sore
is he because no matter what you've done in practice,
how much you're thrown in practice, just different in the game. Right,
But as he settled down. His arm look live, and
he wasn't like throwing and holding his his arm or
his forearm. You now, and you know if they were
(05:13):
a playoff caliber team last year, with what they were
throwing out there at quarterback, it stands the reason there'll
be a playoff team this year with Ben Roethlisberger. It
doesn't mean to be a super Bowl team, but we'd
all agree at the a f C is not in
terms of the level of talent at the very top,
is not at the level of the NFC. And I
do feel like they've gotten better than me by adding him,
but continue to add to their their both sides of
(05:36):
the football. Like I'm with it. I'm I think they're
a playoff team as long as he's healthy. So I
did you Isaac? Did you watch the game as well?
Did you head? Did you for him? Are you doing local?
He's doing local? I you know, because anybody who says
they they know, you just don't know. In practice and
(05:57):
in games, you gotta give him your first drive, a
little scat are shot. It's the opposite of of what
I thought for the Giants. The Giants on script early
looked really good, but we knew that Daniel Jones can
play on script, what can you do off script? Desinthly
got a little shaky for for for Big Ben, it
(06:18):
was like the perfect game, right. The Giants aren't good enough,
aren't talent enough to challenge him, to challenge his arm,
to challenge him physically, to challenge their team. They didn't
have to be great to just get out win the game.
And so he can be a little radic at first,
and the Giants couldn't run away from him. You know,
(06:40):
it's the opposite of what the Browns like. I don't
think the Browns, I don't think Baker Mayfield play well.
But they were so overwhelmed that the line of scrimmage
and he had such a trouble picking up the blitzes,
and they had trouble picking up their blitz protections. Whatever
that you couldn't really you couldn't really tell. Anybody says
(07:00):
they know the Browns are gonna be terrible. Let's see
against the Bengals, who have some talent, but they too
are reworking some things. Level of competition absolutely matters, and
your confidence absolutely matters. And we'd be blind if we
didn't point out that your confidence does get a little
shaken when you're you know, you know, when you're constantly
(07:21):
running for your life the way that Baker Mayfield was
or that uh that Sam Donald was. Because we can
we can point out that the Jets don't have talent.
Levy on Bell got hurt, their offensive line isn't great,
they don't have talent, and the the one thing the
Bills have is builds are really good on defense. Sean
mcderman's a defensive guy, defensive coordinator. He built that team
(07:44):
based upon defense. And then Josh Allen just just do
your best, score some points, get us the lead, don't
turn it over, which he almost did give it back
to him. So I'm not gonna make any grand conclusions
about how good Pittsburgh is that their ceiling, but I
will make one on Ben Roth's burger and deem him
healthy enough to be that guy coming up next. Speaking
(08:06):
of the Giants, at some point, it's time to admit
that their best player was part of a mistake, Like wait, what,
how do you And he's a great player, but it
was a mistake. Yeah, it can happen. We'll get to
that next. Be sure to catch the live edition of
(08:26):
the Doug Gottlieb show weekdays at three pm Easter noon
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio
ah App, Doug otlip Ship Backmark Radio. All Right, stick
with me for a second, because this is this is
a little different way of looking at things. What if
I told you you drafted a really good player, a
Pro Bowl caliber player at a position of importance, and
(08:49):
it was still the wrong player to draft, not even
because there was a definably better quarterback, but just because
of how the whole process of of rebuilding a team
that that make any sense to you? Right, Look, I'm
(09:10):
not sitting here telling you running backs are not important.
Last year's NFL was dominated by teams that could run
the football. The NFC Championship Game was won by the
San Francisco for the Niners because the Green Bay Packers
could not stop the running game of the Niners. Right
and by the way, the change in the Green Bay
Packers offense from Mike McCarthy uh to the one they're
(09:32):
operating now was Aaron Jones running the football. Do we
agree on that? Okay, we'll go to the other side now.
The KNC Chiefs were able to get away with not
having nearly the same running game but it's also one
of Also, you know, part of it was they kept
getting behind, so they didn't need a running game, but
they might not have been behind twenty four nothing. The
Texans are gotten behind in every game if they could
(09:53):
run the football, which, by the way, they addressed in
the off season getting Clyde Edwards Hilaire were okay there
and the New England Patriots, the um the Tennessee Titans,
the Baltimore Ravens. What did they do to get to
be successful in the regular and in the postseason? Wait
for it, they ran the football, right, I mean Baltimore
(10:16):
had a quarterback that ran it more than any quarterback
in the history of the sport. Again, I know, to
win big, he's gonna be able to throw. But Tennessee,
how did they get to where they got running the football?
So I'm not sitting here telling you running the football
it's not important, but it depends on where you are
building a team. I watched the Giants play last night.
(10:36):
Sae Kwon Barkley had six yards on fifteen carries. Does
that mean se Kuon Barkley socks no? No, No, that's
because the average average was a negative point seven rushing
yards before contact per attempts. These are crazy numbers. Crazy
(11:05):
So he got hit behind the line of scrimmage all
the time, all the time. He never had a chance.
And why did you never have a chance, Because look,
if you're drafting number two overall, what should you do?
You should need the draft a quarterback, and if you
(11:25):
don't love the quarterback, you should trade down and get
more picks and help rebuild your team. Maybe they thought, well,
we got I mean, you know, at the thought the
time was we got Eli Manny. If we have a
running game that can that can lengthen Eli Manning's career.
But they need an entire offensive line, they need defensive
playmakers that they need so many things. What they did,
(11:47):
here's the housing analogy for you that that works for you.
They walked into a house, which is nice. You know,
there's these things called um tweeners and houses. Okay, you
walk into a house and it's done done. Everything has
been redone. Kitchen floors, walls, paint, when new windows, new doors,
(12:08):
pool has been redone. Everything has been refreshing. You're like,
people will pay top dollar for that. Or you walk in,
you go and let's let a match and start over, right,
then there's these tweener houses. You walk in and in
two thousands, somebody reading a house. Now it's two thousand twenty.
So you know, if they're using you know, terra cotto,
(12:31):
or you're using Torozzo tile, or you're using you know,
any sort of anything, Tuscan Like Tuscan is kind of
out right now. It's modern farmhouses whatever, but farmhouse style.
But like you walk in, you're like, okayt's redone twenty
years ago, which is nice, but I got it. That's
what the giants were, you know, ten years ago. They
(12:52):
were really good. And so Dave Gettleben walked in. It's like,
you know, if we just we just do the kitchen,
well we just read do the master bathroom. That's the
redo the master bathroom. You know. So they readied the
master bathroom and got and got Sae Kwan Barkley. Then
the next year they still sucked, so they readed the
kitchen and got Daniel Jones. Now you've got a nice kitchen,
(13:15):
you've got a nice master bathroom, but you still gotta
do the floors, the walls that the pool outside needs
to be completely redon. There's so many things that need
to be redone. You're like, man, we great, we had
a good kitchen, but everything else is still got an SDTV.
They've been the worst team in the NFL the last
(13:36):
three years. Worse than the Browns, worse than the Bengals,
worse than the Jaguars. When you think of bad football teams,
You're like, Bengals, Giants have been worse. When you think
of bad football teams, do you think Jack's Giants have
been worse? Browns? Browns are laughing? Stock up. Remember the
Browns they went through two years where they won one game. Now,
granted we're doing the three year things, so it's only
(13:56):
one one, right, and then you get the last two years.
But still, the point is their giant has been terrible
and they have a really good player. They have a
really good player. But like, this is a team game.
You're so much better off trading down to getting litany
of picks or getting a quarterback that year and then
(14:20):
getting a running back later in the same draft or
in a later draft, or getting one off the street.
All right, but Dave Gentleman built the way they used
to build. Let's get a running back of let's build
run that running back. Like, yeah, who's gonna block for
that running back. And I get it. Like Nate Solder,
who they got as a free agent from New England,
(14:41):
he was a bust and now he's opted out and
they've tried to replace guys, and they've drafted. They drafted
pretty well, but you can't just like two drafting too
offensive lineman does not fix all five positions of the
offensive line. And then like there's a reason that you
need playmakers on defense. Now, maybe they fall into this
(15:03):
kind of happy medium area this upcoming off season where
because their quarterbacks on a rookie deal, because Sa Kuon
Barkley still on a rookie deal, they can spend a
bunch of money and get a bunch of surrounding talent
and they'll have a good draft pick. But man, they
still they seem just devoid of the level of talent
to compete to allow Sa Kuon Barkley's talent to come out,
(15:24):
which legion to believe that the se Kuan pick was
a bad pick. By the time they're finally good, they're
gonna have to overpay Sae Kwon Barkley and then the
next year I have to overpay Daniel Jones. And it's
if and only if they hit on everything else, and
if they don't, they'll still have to overpay Sae Kwon Barkley,
or you let him walk, or you trade union. You
trade him because you don't want to pay the pirates
(15:45):
bounty because he's taken such a beating in his first
couple of years. It was a really good pick in
terms of the player and the person. There's a really
bad pick in terms of how high and where they
were in the rebuild process. Be sure to catch them
live edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three
p m. Easter noon Pacific. We don't know everything, but
(16:07):
we know people that know what you want to know.
You know, sounds like you meet a guy. I got
a guy. Let's hit your head for tonight's Game seven
of the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs. The
winner gets the l A Lakers. Jovon Buha joins us.
He covers the Clippers for the Athletic He joins the
(16:29):
Doug Gotlip Show on Fox Sports Radio. What's the mood
around the Clippers? They're still confident? Um, you know, I
think one thing that hasn't wavered with this team throughout
the season, and I think you even saw it cost
them a little bit in the regular season with some
of the resting that they did was this team is
confident no matter the matchup. That they basically said, you know,
(16:52):
during the regular season, let's just go to the postseason.
It doesn't matter what seed we are, whether we have
home court advantage or not, we can beat anybody. And
obviously things changed with with the bubble and everything, but um,
I think this group is very confident going into Game seven.
They have not played that way obviously in the second
halfs of games five and six, But I do think
(17:12):
you will see a desperate and hungry Clippers team today, uh,
and one that is looking ahead to that Western Conference
Finals matchup. What can they do differently when they have
those leads? What what's going to change about their plan?
The biggest thing that has changed in the second halves
of both of those blown losses has been the Clippers pace.
And there's a pace discrepancy between both of these teams. Uh.
(17:35):
The Clippers were eighth and pace this season, the Nuggets
were twenty nine. And you've kind of seen that correlate
to the wins and losses for the Clippers, where in
wins they've been able to speed up the Nuggets get
out and transition, and in losses, the Nuggets have been
able to control the pace, slow it down, play more
of a half court style. So I really think that
(17:55):
the pace of this game will will kind of determine
what ends up happening. Obviously, in the playoffs, play slows down,
especially in game Seven's if you look at the three
we've had, Um, you know, they tend to be a
little bit slower. So I would favor Denver if it
is a slower game in that sense. But um, for
the Clippers, it's just look, you got a three one
series lead, you were up by fifteen plus in the
(18:16):
second halves of games five and six, Um, you know
you've got to stop playing, uh, not to lose and
just play to win. And I think if you look
at their body language, you just look at the way
they kind of crumbled in both of those games. Um,
it was clear they were scoreboard watching. I mean Doc
even mentioned that that in in huddles, guys looking at
the scoreboard, and you could just see their body language
(18:37):
kind of suggest that they were a little bit frozen
out there. So I think as long as they can
kind of get back to what they've done for most
of the series. Um, I do expect them to have
a double digit lead at some point. It's just if
they do get one. Are you confident in them closing
it out? Because right now it feels like all the
momentum is with Denver. Let's say they win. Let's say
(18:57):
they win, Um, how do they how do they? How
do they keep get their energy back? Like the Lakers
are just sitting out there being arrested. And the big
question for the Lakers a bigger, a team with some
age to them, Like, I gotta feel like there's gotta
be some exhaustion at some point setting in Yeah, no,
I do think the one thing that could give this
(19:19):
Clippers some extra juice and kind of get them back
on track is a matchup with the Lakers. Um. You know,
it's no secret that these two teams don't like each other. Um.
You know this has been a rivalry between the franchises
that's brewing the last few years, really throughout the decades
since the Botch Chris Paul Trade Um, and I think
you saw it last offseason with some of the Clippers marketing. Uh,
(19:42):
you know, the the great over glamour and in different
billboards that they had around the city, Like these two
teams have been taking shots at each other all year.
They both had this matchup circled, and I think for
the Clippers, they've clearly come out ready. I mean, you
saw that opening night, um, you know, all the way
back in October, you saw it on Christmas, Like they
get up for those Laker games. So I think, you know,
(20:04):
Clive us Lebron PG versus a d um, you know,
the respective benches versus each other, Like this is going
to be a very hyped matchup on both sides. And
I think for the Clippers it's just been they've been
lack of days ago when when they see an opponent
they think they're better then. But with the Lakers, I
I do think they'll be up for that matchup. Yeah,
I did to. Lou William has been picked on a
(20:24):
bunch defensively. Does he play late in the close game?
I think it really depends on if he's scoring or not.
I think, honestly, the bigger issue for him has been
he's averaging ten and a half points a game in
this series. And you know he was supposed to be
that third guy for them, and they've really not had
that in um you know, so I think for him,
if his shots falling, you can kind of get away
(20:45):
with some of the stuff he doesn't bring defensively. But
if he's not scoring and he's not providing defense, like,
there's really no point for him to be out there.
So um, you know. Another thing that Doc has talked
about is the foul trouble. PG has been in a
lot of foul trouble. Pat Beverley just fouled out in
seventeen minutes last game. So if their perimeter guys are
in foul trouble, that they might have to turn to
loo uh for for you know, those closing minutes. But
(21:08):
I think if a guy like Pat Beverley can stay
out of foul trouble or at least not foul out,
you probably want to close with him. So um, you know.
I do think overall, the biggest disappointment for the Clippers
in the postseason so far has been the supporting cast.
You look at the numbers of Kawai and PG, those
guys have pretty much showed up most nights. You know,
PG had that that rough stretch in the in the
first round, But where the most party is still putting
(21:30):
up twenty three every night. It's been Lou Williams, Montrez, Harold,
Marcus Morris, Landry Shammit. Those guys have not really stepped
up consistently, and I think that's what they're really looking for.
In game seven, Jovan Buha joining us UM if they lose.
If they lose, what's the reaction of their owner? I mean,
(21:50):
Steve Baumber is such an avid supporter, but they are
all in on winning, right. He's building a new arena.
He went and moved mountains, and they trade away everybody
to get all this thing done. Just if they lose,
what happens. I think they have to shake up the
core um. You know, I think Doc Rivers job is safe,
and obviously I think Kauai and PG. You know, they're
(22:12):
going to trade those guys, are gonna move those guys.
But I think everyone else, you know, is on the
table to be moved. You know. Montrez Herald is a
free agent who has not performed weble in the playoffs.
You know, do do you let him walk? Marcus Morris
is a free agent who's kind of been up and down.
Lou Williams is an expiring contract that at eight million
dollars is pretty movable in this market. Um, so I
(22:33):
really think they re examine the core. I think Doc
will way back. I think Kauai and PG will be there,
but anyone else is on the table to be moved.
And I do think in the case that they lose
in this round in particular, I think it's one thing
if you lose the Lakers. I think those two teams
are pretty evenly matched. You could probably argue the Lakers
have the better stars. But if they lose in this
round in this fashion, blowing a three one lead, blowing consecutive,
(22:56):
you know, fifteen plus point leads in the second halves,
I do think you will see a reasonably different roster
next season. Great stuff, Jovan, thanks so much for joining us.
Can't wait to read your work seat tonight's game and
react to it. Appreciate being our guest. Appreciate I got
a guy man, Brandon Christal. He joined us yesterday because
it did sideline for the Broncos game, but of course
the KOA and Denver. He also covers the Nuggets. Let's
(23:20):
start with Let's start with the Nuggets. Um, you're coming
off the Broncos game, like what's the give me the
temperature of the town in terms of of the the
how how much people are paying attention to see if
this upset happens. I think right around now, honestly, is
when people are starting to get over the Broncos loss,
because they needed more of an explanation from Vic Fangio
(23:41):
as to why he sat on those timeouts late, and
he finally came out on Koway this morning and then
a couple hours after that on his Zoom press conference
saying that it was on him. He was focused on
the next defensive plate. Colin wasn't paying enough attention to
the clock, which is obviously a mistake that shouldn't happen,
but it did happen. So I think now as we're
a few hours away, I guess a little less than
(24:04):
three and a half hours away from tip off in
in Orlando, will the city start to get really ramped
up for the Nuggets and still a Broncos town, but
with the Nuggets in a lot of ways playing with
house money. I mean, listening to your last guest, it
doesn't sound the Nuggets even need to show up because
the Clippers and Lakers are a foregone conclusion. But they're
gonna show up anyway, and Joker has certainly come to play,
(24:24):
and Jamal Murray has proven throughout the playoffs that that
he is a star on the rise in a lot
of ways. And Michael Porter Jr. And the rest of
their supporting cast are gonna show up tonight. So uh, look,
they've they've kind of taken a laid back approach, if
you will, are just kind of thrown caution to the wind.
And even though they're down nineteen last game, they found
a way to win. So I think the Nuggets fans
(24:46):
are at best cautiously optimistic. But you know, Joker and
Jamal Murray is a pretty formidable duo too, So they're
gonna They're gonna watch a game, and I think that
you know, Twitter around Denver will be all about the
Nuggets here for the next seven hours or so. It
is going to be interesting. Um, what what's your sense
of of I mean, like, look, it's one thing to
(25:08):
get down big one game, but to get down big
just about every game, Like it does feel like a
bit of a mismatch. On the other hand, like they
I mean the bounce back to stick to it inness
of it, especially of Jamal Murray and of U Yoki
is amazing. Is this actually more of a mismatch and
it's just the Clippers taking their foot off the gas. Well,
(25:28):
I would think so, And I think I'm intended to
briefly yesterday when I had Charles barkl on a couple
of weeks ago, you know, I both thought that it
wasn't a good matchup for the Nuggets. Uh, just because
of the way the Clippers are built, with all those
further defenders that can flow down Murray and then those
big guys with Zubats and Harold that that you can
just keep throwing big bodies at Joker and even you know,
(25:49):
mixing a Morrison and a Carol and and it's just
a lot more depth there for the Clippers. But Joker
is better than those other dukes, even though they're they're
pretty good defenders. Uh, He's just found ways to make plays,
especially because he's I think it's probably not much of
an argument, but he's the best passing big man in
basketball big man in basketball right now. And if they're
(26:10):
making shots, they're gonna stay in games, or we'll get
back into games. And you get contributions from guys like
Gary Harris and that'll knock down some shots. Monte morrisel
knocked down a shot Michael Porter Jr. Obviously, So they're
gonna come in there, and I think they're gonna not
borrow the Rockets law. So even they're gonna try to
win at the three point line. And if they do
that and can get some more stops. It's really what's
(26:30):
kind of separated them in games they've won is that
they've kind of locked down defensively, not necessarily a calling
card of the team, even though it's a calling card
of Michael Malone. So I think that they're gonna again
and go go in there. Their bags are already packed,
They've been packed for the last two games, and so
that they know that the world's against them and Vegas
is against them, but they're gonna go out there and
give it a game. At least that's the hope. Vegas
(26:51):
is not against them. Well they were, Uh no, no, no,
that's not how it works, Vegas. The Vegas doesn't sit
there and go like mant the Clipper. That's not the
way it works. We know what's the line right now,
it doesn't matter. It doesn't mean Vegas is against them.
I get it. I understand. No, you like again, you're
doing the fan thing the line seven a half. Vegas
thinks that the betting line should be Clippers by seven
(27:14):
and a half, that the Clippers should win by somewhere between,
you know, six to eight points. That's not Veggas being
against them. They're trying to do their jobs. Are against them,
and more people are betting on the Clippers not only
to win to night, but to have advanced farther. And
so you know, with that mentality, I think you go
in there and you throw caution to the wind and
you try to make some shots. I guess the real
(27:36):
question is does it really matter? And you live in
southern California, Doug doesn't really matter. I know people are
excited about Kauai and Paul George. If the Clippers lose,
but the Lakers are still in the Western Conference finals,
and if Lebron and a d end up getting to
the finals, regardless of whether they have to go through
the Nuggets or the Clippers want, most of l A
still be pretty happy. Uh yeah. I will tell you
(27:57):
though that like there is so little buzz about the
Lakers when they play right now, it is it is
really odd because there's no nothing going on at Staples Center.
It is it is just odd. Just the buzz of
the event is part of how many people do you know?
They just want to be in the scene, right, They
just want to be there, be courtside or four rows
back seeing Jack, seeing all the celebs and and paying
(28:20):
a thousand dollars for a ticket up top. They want
to be there. They want to they want to be
near Lebron and before that, obviously Kobe and Shack and
right just going down the list, that's part of the
whole l A. It's it's woven into the fabric of
Los Angeles. So I think that playing people will buy
championship gear if either of those teams win, specifically the Lakers.
But yeah, it's this has been a very weird year,
(28:41):
as we know, and it's certainly a very weird sports
six weeks between the two bubbles, a quiet start to
the NFL season and a baseball season, and I think
people are paying attention to But it depends on the
city limit. Yeah, no, I mean, like like the Dodgers
Padres last night was entertaining. Again, I just don't know,
even though it's ain being played out here that's just
it's just different. It's a very different to see it
(29:04):
and happy inside of a television set. Um, even if
it's at the same stadium you're used to going at
ten is just it's just great. All right. Last thing
you mentioned Denver last night um outside for a fangio
completely mismanaging the clock down the stretch. Although I I
got from what he said, he was like, look, I
thought Guskowski was gonna was gonna was gonna choke again, right,
(29:24):
that kind of felt like the first thing he was
saying was like, you know, the kicker had been I
almost almost almost felt like he was daring them to
let Guskowski kick it from thirty five and see what happened.
Outside of that, biggest takeaway from last night, well, I
think the big takeaways are the Broncos defense is still
pretty solid, evening that von Miller. They could have gotten
to the quarterback a little more, but Tannehill is getting
rid of the ball quickly. Drew Lock certainly continues to
(29:45):
look the part. But two d and sixteen yards and
thirty three one touchdown isn't four touchdowns and three thirty
three yards, you know, so, But he didn't have Courtland Sutton,
and there was I thought I thought that, I thought
that there was a big drop from Jerry Judy, as
good drop, even two drops it. But here's the thing
to last night and then coming up this week when
they go to Pittsburgh and maybe week twelve against the Saints,
(30:07):
those are the three toughest defenses they're gonna face. So
they're gonna get the Titans out of the way and
then at Pittsburgh and then they're gonna get a little bit,
you know, easier time. Not not that the NFL is
ever easy on a given Sunday, but I think that
they didn't turn the ball over, and they didn't give
up a sack for an old line that's been so
scrutinized to not give up a sack and no penalties.
You didn't hear holding number seventy two, which is something
(30:29):
that we heard almost every game last year, especially in
the first ten uh in a bunch of the year before.
So the fact that Garrett Bowls and the rest of
the old line held up and came out healthy, I
think that you you're cautiously optimistic, which is the word
I use about the Nugs, or two words rather a
phrase uh so, I think that the Broncos there, they're
not gonna win this division. Chiefs still play here, but
they do think they're a playoff team, and I'm not
(30:50):
gonna argue against that just yet. If all of a
sudden their own three year old, or well, they're going
to the Jets in week four, If all of a
sudden their own three, then then we'll revisit the playoff conversation.
But but they'll at least wanted three by the time
they visit Adam Gates in the Jets. Great stuff as
always be, Kay, thanks for joining us. So you needed
a guy, we got you a guy. Guy, A winner
(31:11):
from week one, the NFL and their best offensive players
already asking for a trade. I'll tell you who next.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Fox sports
Radio dot com and within the I Heart Radio app.
Search f s R to listen live. While we got
big breaking news in the college football world, let's get
(31:32):
to the press, the press. I tell me something good, Okay, Doug,
I will The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel newspaper reporting that a
proposal has been approved for the Big Time Conference to
play an eight game football schedule this fall. Now. Earlier today,
(31:53):
University of Nebraska president Ted Carter was caught on a
hot mike saying, we're getting ready to announce the Huskers
and Big Ten football all tonight. Even backtrack from those words,
the Big Ten, for the record, has not officially yet
said whether any sort of announcement about anything is imminent.
Way to go, Ted, Way to go. Um, Look, that's
(32:14):
good news, you know. I mean those of us who
have sports kids, our kids are just chomping at the
bit to play. And I think a lot of this
is fomo. You know, you see other kids playing and
you're like, man, why can't my kid play? I want
my kid to play? Etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. So, UM, I
get it. I obviously like it. No, no, no, I
love it. Um. I hope we can. I think we
(32:36):
can do it safely. I think I think what happened
if we look back on it. I don't think there
is anything sinister, like we we make this thing out
to be like some political thing. I just think there's
some doctors and scientists that got some early information. And
this is what doctors do. They they they do things
out of an abundance of caution, like have you ever
(32:56):
sprained an ankle? And the doctors like, man, you're gonna
stay off that a month, Like, Doc, I'm playing tomorrow.
I have a game tomorrow, Like that's what they do. Well,
what happens? You're way you could reinjure it, Like okay,
but what if I don't you know, I mean won't
It's still gonna go through the process of healing. O. Yo,
you know, you could lots of things you could do.
Um you know yeah, by the way, I mean, the
(33:17):
reality is if we were really concerned about kids health
and safety, not sure they'll be playing anyway. Just gonna
bite that one out. It's an appropriate segue because in
the National Football League today, then national football I'm so
glad you didn't do that. Why do people do that?
Wasn't Who's the first one who did that? Was that?
But yeah, but it's like a it's like a takeoff
on the takeoff on the what's it called? I mean,
(33:41):
it's one thing for Burman to do it, but if
other people are trying to duplicate it without like being
an homage or just a little reference, yeah, it just
doesn't carry the same weight. No, pun intended. The New
York Jets today put running back Levy on Bell as
well as receiver Denzel Mims on injured reserve, both because
of hamstring injuries. Bell is gonna out at least three games.
(34:02):
Oh yeah, this after Levy on Bell soa, there's nothing
wrong with his hamstrings yesterday on social media? Right oops, oops,
I'm not sure it's actually it's probably his hamstring. But
also they just don't on around. So speaking of social media,
Atlett Robinson, currently of the Bears, deleting all references to
them from his social media accounts on both Twitter and Instagram.
(34:26):
That must have been a project in itself, right well,
According to Brad Bigs of the Chicago Tribune, he reports
that Robinson has asked the Bears about a possible trade.
He's in the final year of a three year, forty
two million dollar deal. I just don't understand the like
I mean, it's the it's the let's call it the
Van Pelt. Van Pelt did this one to the ESPN
(34:47):
where he's in the contract negotiation, and he thought he
was gonna so he cleaned out his office and remarkably,
they came around and gave him a new deal right, like,
I just the the doing it in public when you
just played in one, like you just want to game,
you're down three scores, you came back in won a game.
Trabisky played great like you have an agent for a reason.
(35:07):
Act like an adult. Show up at work, let him negotiate.
If you want to be dealt, tell him you want
to be dealt. But but the the doing in public
is so immature. Wait a minute, so Van Pell actually
did that in real life or was that one of
those This is Sports Center commercial? He really didn't realize,
no kidding, I guess it did. Absolutely. While you're carying
(35:29):
around a box today, Doug, if I had an office,
he had been cleared up. Chris Godwin, a receiver of
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, says that their offense and Tom
Brady taking Bruce Arian's recent criticism after their loss ed
New Orleans in stride. He said, we understand that often
quarterbacks take the large majority of the blame for what happens.
(35:49):
But we've been around Tom enough to know that he's
not bothered by that. We certainly aren't bothered by it.
We understand the type of player that he is. You've
been around Tom for like three weeks. Yeah, we've been
around Tom. Um, don't call him Tom. I don't want it.
I don't go by Mr Brady please yeah, um yeah,
(36:10):
Goat is okay. Goat is okay. Mr Brady is okay.
Tom not okay. No word yet what Giselle has to
say about my husband did not catch the vote and
throw the volley at the same It all one of
the most awesome moments of all time. That that was
(36:30):
just yes. I mean, it made her just so imminently likable.
I mean, yes, of course the opposite. I mean, here's
this eminent supermodel complaining just like every other fan. It
was great. She seemed very much like a supermodel, all right,
Like supermodel complaining. Those things seem to go together quite well. Well,
complaining because they lost a Super Bowl, I understand, but
(36:53):
you're supposed that there's supposed to be a dignity to it.
It's not because the water in the dressing room was
seven any one degrees instead of seventy two point five.
By the way she's talking about, was West Welker that
was a hard ball to catch the diving and he's
got short little t rex armed. Was that was that
(37:15):
was that at his draft scouting report, short little t
Rex R. Maybe the best high schoolball player I've ever seen.
He did everything, kicked field goals too. You can also
say his arms on that play were like me when
the check arrives at the Finally, Baker Mayfield says his
connection with Odell Beckham Jr. Has to come naturally. Said,
I think we had some great one on one opportunity Sunday.
(37:38):
We just didn't connect. We're working on that. We'll get
it fixed. Has not come naturally, but they've been together
for a little bit. I'm just gotta come naturally, That's
what he said. So there's so many creepy parts to it.
That's what she said. By the way, my son is Levin.
He's taken to That's what she said, which is pretty amazing.
(37:58):
That is good parenting or terrible parenting. I'm not really sure,
not really sure I care, right, but it's it's pretty fun.
Does Lucas say that's what she said? Yet? He does
not say that. But he's only eight, So hey, always time,
There's always time, There's always time. What do you like
tonight music? You picked up clippers and seven half. I'll
(38:22):
take the clippers What about you there, Ike Denver. Yeah,
I like Denver Close. Denver Close should be fun. Back tomorrow,
Doug Gotlips Show
Host
Doug Gottlieb
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com