January 7, 2026 • 36 mins
Dan and Kerry discuss John Harbaugh's firing in Baltimore as the Ravens are looking for a new coach. Dan and Kerry welcome FSR NBA Insider Ric Bucher onto the show to talk about Lebron James, Trae Young and all of the headlines around the NBA. Dan and Kerry break down the Demond Williams situation at the University of Washington.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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 iHeartRadio app All right.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Way to go.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
You made it to the middle of the week and
we'll get to Carry Roads in a second. He's just
taking victory laps around this days year at Fox Sports Radio.
How many do you want to take in calling that
John Harbaugh would be out as the Baltimore Ravens head coach.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
You know what, Nan, I'm a humble guy. Yeah, you are, definitely,
And i Am not going to take any praise. I'm
just gonna let the conversation go where it may.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Is this Carry Rhodes? We sure? Are we sure? This
is carry? You didn't you did?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
You've been calling this for a while. Yeah, that John
Harball would not return as the Ravens head coach. Carry
and our team up on Sundays on Fox Sports Radio
in our end Zone Radio show, bringing you all the
action from the late window of the NFL schedule. We
sign off right before Sunday night football kicks off, and
as we signed off on Sunday, I gave him three
(01:02):
options on who would be back next year. It was
Aaron Rodgers, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh. And when I
asked about John Harbaugh, you said that he would not
be back. Was this your gut? Was this intel? What
let you know on Sunday that Sunday Nights game in
Pittsburgh would ultimately be John Harbaugh's last with the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
It's one of those things where it's a gut filling
for sure, but also being in the locker room and
being around guys, and you know, you know, guys have
their own agendas. People are trying to reach certain milestones.
You have coaches that are trying to coach for their jobs.
You have other coaches that are seeking jobs. You have
all these things that are happening in a locker room.
(01:46):
Right where are you supposed to be on one accord?
So when that all too common, praise comes out like
we're all in together. Yeah, we're all in together when
things are good. Because when things aren't good, people have
you know, it's human people have thoughts and of their
agendas and other things that creep in. And when you
watch the Ravens this year and not even just this year,
(02:07):
but the last couple of years, when things are good,
you don't hear a thing come out of there. You
don't You don't hear you hear the coach openly praising
their star quarterback and their star players. You hear the
players being complementary to the coach all the time. And
you know it's just certain factors and certain like talking
points and key points come out when things are good.
(02:29):
This year hasn't been that at all. I mean from
the start of the season, the expectations were high. And
when the expectations are high, and especially for a coach
that's been there for a long time, if you don't
meet those expectations, there are ramifications. Now if there's not
going to be coordinator's gone or players gone, somebody's somebody's
going to be gone. And you think about their situation.
The GM is set as many players as he's brought in,
(02:51):
and the type of caliber players he brought in, they're good, right,
the players have they underachieved for the Ravens a thousand percent.
But if you're not gonna get if you're not gonna
get rid of some of those key players, then where's
that fall to Dan? And so it's just like it's
almost like the process of elimination, gut and also just
(03:12):
being in the locker room and knowing how the factory
works well.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
And I want to get to that because it felt
that a lot of the comments from Harball were reactionary
to comments that were made instead of being proactive.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Is that fair?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Throughout the season where you talked about the leaks that
we would never hear, then we started to hear leaks,
and then it was in response to the leaks that
Harball would have to say what he had to say. Well,
then there was the Mike Preston article that was criticizing Lamar.
I felt that there was more of a campaign that
Harball was on his way out, and I felt that
the Preston piece in the Baltimore Sun about Lamar was
(03:50):
in response to all of the Harball stuff. Whether that
was the way it actually went or not, the fact
is this stuff was getting out to people that we
hadn't seen in the last eighteen years with the Ravens.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Yes, and that's the tail tale sign man. When the cracks,
when when the fisher start, fisher starts to widen, you
know there's trouble.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
There's there. It's bigger than the fisher.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
It's a chasm at that point and so once you
get to that point and then all these things start
to leak out, and then the performance goes down, and
then we start to do our own research and like
have our data points on this team, specifically in the
Lamar years, and you see all the years that they've
had and they've been really good in the regular season,
there's still be doubts of you know, is Harbball making
(04:33):
the right decisions?
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Is Harbball being a little bit too lenient?
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Is Horrball Like those things would still kind of come out,
but they would ge swept under the rug. But when
you're not winning, there's nowhere to hide those things, and
so that's where it comes out to.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I just I compare it.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
I think it's very difficult to compare it to Pittsburgh
because of Pittsburgh's ownership with the Rooney family and how
they've always treated head coaches. The Ravens a newer franchise
in the world of the NFL. Plus you have Steve Bashatti,
the owner took over from Art Modell and the Modell family,
so Bashadi's there, but there seems to be quite a
(05:07):
bit of loyalty to Harbaugh. I compare it to I
compare it to what happened in Seattle with Pete Carroll.
And I think a lot of these long tenured coaches
and the Saints are different. The Saints were different as well,
because I felt that Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis were
kind of running the Saints when Tom Benson ended up
passing away, then Gail Benson took over, so the people
(05:29):
that she knew best were Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis.
So maybe their stay and Mickey Loomis is still in
New Orleans, but their stays were longer because of the
ownership situation in Seattle. Maybe it could have been like
that because of the passing of Paul Allen, it ends
up going to you know, through the estate and his
sisters running the team. But the point I bring up
(05:51):
is this is it's probably better to do it sooner
rather than later. Okay, So for Baltimore in this case,
Seattle waited a long time to let go of Pete Cary.
And we see where Seattle is now with a new
head coach and a new energy, and it probably should
have happened sooner. But the timing for them now to
have Mike McDonald as their head coach. Probably that's the
way that it had to go. I just I don't
(06:14):
see the ultimate reason carry when we look at all
these other head coaching changes on the surface and on paper,
to be like hardball's the one that needs to go.
And I'm not saying Lamar needs to go either, but
I'm just saying two years ago this team was in
an AFC championship game. Last year they lost a playoff
game in Buffalo. Like that, there's Mark Andrews drop. What
(06:35):
happens to me ends up catches, you know, catching the pass,
and things change. And so this year you're on a
year where Lamar has been hurt. You haven't been afraid
to change coordinators. They've had to go through many whether
the defensive coordinator, whether it be Mike McDonald Leving or
whether a b Rex, Ryan Leving or whoever, of all
of the coaches that have been in Baltimore, at least
(06:57):
at one point or another, they've been able to turn
over that. And they've turned over the offensive coordinator position before.
I just was surprised that this was it. And so
that's why when you're talking about the messaging coming out,
it seems like it was a lot more on the table,
and after a long discussion yesterday, the move was ultimately made.
But I just never felt that the Ravens were at
(07:20):
this point to let go of John Harbaugh because of
what we've seen throughout the NFL and what we've seen
in other places. And so now that he's out, I
think that it's simple like Lamar Jackson, if this is
Lamar Jackson aided, it's got to be careful for what
he wished for, oh for sure, because the gress isn't
necessarily greener on the other side. And as I used
(07:42):
two cliches, he's also lost his shield. John Harball was
a great shield because if things went wrong, yes, let's
blame it on John Harbaugh, it's his fault. It's his
fault for bringing in this coordinator. It's his fault for
this and that now Lamar wins this back, and with
that becomes a lot of responsibility. So now Lamar, now
(08:06):
Lamar has to produce. If you're the Ravens quarterback and
it's his birthday today, is Chris Prophett mentioned the theme
threw out the show. But now all of this is
on Lamar, and that's why I just say, be careful
what you wish for because you may want hardball out,
but that may not be better for you as a player.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Yeah, And I think the angle that it's solely Lamar
wanted them out, I don't think that would be the
main reason he's gone now. I say that because, yes,
he is the franchise player. We've seen quarterbacks have that
ability to, you know, get the man they want or
get rid of the man they don't want.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Right.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
You made a great point, like it is it is
on him now, and I think it was gonna be
on him now anyway. And I think they were kind
of step in tow they were locked together, you know,
like you have the head coaches and gms that are
kind of locked together and one goal with the other
has to go in this situation, you can't get rid
of both of them, right, And so all right, if
you're gonna choose a two time MVP, somebody that you
(09:04):
still believe in that can get the job done, where
you had a head coach that got the job done before,
but as of that moment hasn't gotten back there yet, right,
and had ample opportunities to get back there. Where in
a player you talked about it, We've named and we've
seen plenty emphasis and plenty instances where you know it
wasn't Lamar's fault. Now, he's been at fault at times
(09:27):
as well, but in these last couple of years, there's
been other guys who you know, he's gotten the ball
to and they fumbled or they've dropped the ball. Right,
So you have that evidence in the last couple of
years where this team has been good and they have
had their shortcomings, the players on the field have determined
determined also why they haven't gotten there. But these past
few years it hasn't been Lamar, and so we can
(09:49):
remove that part of the you know, the big equation
here right, Like, he hasn't come up short in those moments.
So now if we put him with the right person,
the person that can press the buttons to where you know,
things matter, the small details matter. For us to win,
it has to come from the head coach. If the
head coach isn't giving them the right to obviously he
(10:09):
can't get the new hands to catch the ball, but
like make them understand that there are consequences, consequences if
you don't show up in the spot. And I don't
think that was the case in the last couple of
years with the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Do you do you find it an appealing job if
you were a head coaching candidate. Yes, I is it
appealing because of Lamar? Or is it appealing because of
the franchise's structure and stability that they've shown throughout. I
guess it's inception.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Both both, and you don't you got it? You don't think,
so go ahead.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
I just think with Lamar, who turns twenty nine today,
that you're now coming off of another injury season.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Yep. And it's not about I think the standard.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Of Super Bowls gets overblown, but it's the world that
we live in, so we end up dealing with it.
But there is good to come a time like this
season where we saw Lamar couldn't run as well as
he did when he was twenty three and twenty four. Absolutely,
and so now how does that affect everything else that happens?
Like the threat of Lamar Jackson was sometimes worse than
(11:12):
what he would actually do because of all of the
stuff that he could do on a football field, and
he had one of the not this past year, but
the year before was maybe I think it's top three,
top two best passer season that we've seen. I know
it's top five for sure, Yeah, for what we've seen.
So but that everything comes with that. So Lamar's ability
(11:33):
to move the weapons that they have, Derrick Henry, that's there,
All of that works out, All of that now is
kind of erased because it's now just all on Lamar.
And so now, at twenty nine years old, which I
think he's an older twenty nine than a younger twenty nine,
I'm not sure that the second half of Lamar's career,
which is maybe at the point we're at right now,
is going to be better at the first half. And
(11:55):
so that's the only thing that I would question, Like,
if I'm Baltimore, there's I'm not taking anybody on the
defensive side. I am hiring an offensive head coach. I
don't care. Yeah, you have to be locked in and Harbaugh,
I guess to his defense, he was more of CEO
right because he comes over as a special teams coach.
Let the offense do that, let the defense do that.
But you have to hire an offensive coach and you've
(12:17):
got to make it work because if it doesn't work,
I don't think it's going to be the fall of
the offensive head coach. It's going to go on the
shoulders of Lamar because now we're going to say, look,
we fired John Harball after eighteen seasons and one season
where sure they finished below five hundred and eight to nine,
but that was after you know, back to back playoff
appearances and almost a bid to the Super Bowl. So
(12:39):
now that's all on Lamar. So that's I just I
find it appealing with the stability, and I find it
appealing with the talent. But you better win right away,
you better win next year, you better win the next
year after that, because I just don't think that Lamar
is going to continue to get better as a quarterback.
There is going to be a slide in his career.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
And why do you feel that way, Dan, Why do
you feel is going to be a slide?
Speaker 4 (13:00):
And I know the obvious thing about the moment, because.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
He is probably top three the most dynamic quarterback that
we have seen in the NFL. Michael Vick is I
think I would put I would put up there. He
put me on skates, yeah right right, So so just
the threat of running the football right like that ability.
It's going to happen with Josh Allen at some point
where Josh Allen is not going to be able to
(13:25):
run as effectively as he has, and you've got to
figure out a way to make that make your game
be just as dangerous without that. And so that's the
point that I look at with Lamar. There are no
questions about passing, there are no questions about running, there
are no questions about reading defenses, just none of that.
(13:45):
But your athletic ability which made him so dangerous, is
not going to be there in your thirties like it
was in your twenties, for sure. So that is the
reason why. So if defense is don't have to worry
about Lamar running and breaking off.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Of the You're gonna always have to worry about him running.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
But they're not gonna have to worry about a sixty
five yard run. No right, no, no, of course not.
But then they're still gonna have to worry about it.
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
I mean, we saw him in the game last week
eighty five what eighty seventy five percent whatever, He is
always going to be a threat. Like if you don't
gain plan for him and you play man and man
coverage and you turn your back on Lamar Jackson at
seventy five percent, He's still going to be a threat,
and that's and that's the thing.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
So like it just depends on what length we're talking about.
And he's healthy next year, so like he's got the
off season, so that threat. My point is that threat
is there, and that's why it's so important for next
year for there to be success because there are now
no more excuses because John Harbaugh isn't there. So all
of that pressure and everything that's on Lamar Is is
(14:44):
now on his shoulders because of this decision. And I
think it's ultimately the decision that they make, Like the
Seahawks chose Pete Carroll ultimately over Russell Wilson, But it
really wasn't that. It was they just knew Russell Wilson
probably was towards the end of his career. They didn't
want to pay him the money that he was going
to demand in this next contract, and they shipped him
out when they felt that they needed to, and it
worked out great for him.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
I got a question that part.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
So in that situation, you thought you thought Pete Carroll's
voice got I guess old end and you would rather
have had Pete Carroll than Russell Wilson at that.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Point, I I don't think that they were tied together
like they were with the Ravens. I think that they
understood John Schneider and Pete Carroll understood that Russell Wilson
was not the same quarterback that he once was. And
so at the time, honestly, like when you looked at
like when they should have traded Wilson or could have
traded him, they maybe could have waited a season to
(15:37):
do it, but they did it at the time that
they did and were able to get the package that
they got from from the Broncos, which was a very
very healthy package because I think that they knew that
he was going to be damaged to goods after that.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
And what, Russell Wilson's older than Lamar Jackson as well,
So like the end, at the time of the trade,
like it wasn't Russell Wilson was twenty nine years old.
Russell Wilson was an older quarterback. But that's the Seahawks
made that decision. I think you could still look at
Lamar Jackson and say, all right, if he's healthy, he'll
he'll be fine, He'll be fine. Yeah, But it's also
(16:10):
as the whole of the next five years and what
is going on with the Ravens that you look at
and say, all right, where are we going to be now?
Where we're going to be with the next five years?
Where you hope that the next coach that you hire
is going to be there for that span and you're
not hiring somebody new in two years, sure, because if
you are, then it was a complete mess in Baltimore.
He called it from the get go? How did you
(16:31):
have some Louisville insights on there? I will not tell you,
will not reveal his sources. He is carry Roads. I'm
Dan Byer. Jason Stewart is here Iowa. Sam Chris Perfetts
at the news desk keeping us updated of what's going
on today.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
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 iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
App Fox Sports Radio. He's the Allprokerry Roads. I'm Dan Byer.
Only can you hear carry on myself?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Now?
Speaker 3 (17:01):
You can hear a Sunday's five Eastern two Pacific here
on Fox Sports Radio. Wild Card coming up this weekend,
so we smack dab in the during our show. We'll
get a majority of our show will be about forty
nine Ers Eagles joining us now to talk NBA our
Fox Sports Radio NBA Insider FS one NBA analyst that
you can find on x at Rick Buker also finding
(17:25):
the Seams, teaming up with Brendon Aywood on their podcast.
Rek Buker joins us here on Fox Sports Radio. Hey Rick,
how are you?
Speaker 5 (17:31):
I am well? How are you?
Speaker 3 (17:33):
I'm doing great? It sounds like the Lakers are doing great.
I mean they're third in the West. Win last night,
Lebron and Lucas celebrating on the court, Lebron afterwards saying,
I don't have to Luca doesn't have to do anything
around me. I'm the one that needs to bend around
the big superstar. Is everything as great as it seems
(17:54):
right now for the Lakers in La La Land?
Speaker 5 (17:56):
Well for now it is. For now it is for sure.
Winning certainly makes everybody feel good about themselves. The question
is going to be, and we've seen it when they
when they struggle, or they when they play the better
teams and uh and and they lose a few or
their their complete lack of defense or having so many
defensive holes is exposed, then things get a little rough.
(18:19):
I don't know that the all of the chatter outside
of it, whether it's Rich Paul or Lebron James himself,
all of that raises some questions in terms of when
and when and how it's going to infiltrate the team
uh and and the dynamics there. But the reality is
(18:41):
they're they're not a good defensive team. They're not going
to be a good defensive team and uh And they
have two guys that are ball dominant at their best
in Lebron and uh and Luca. If you're winning, everybody's
everybody can go along with it. When you start losing,
that's that's and the questions are raised. So this I'll
(19:03):
put it this way in short order, The mellow drama
that is the Los Angeles Lakers this year has just
begun and it will have sequels over the course of
the year. It's going to get very, very interesting because
they're not going to continue to win at the same
level once they play the better teams.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Rick and then you throw in an Austin reeves to
that to that case as well, who needs the ball
as well. So it's going to be interesting for sure.
But I want to talk about Trey Young a little bit.
I mean, obviously this seems like the wheels have fallen
off the there in Atlanta with him, him and the organization.
Has this been going on for a while, because obviously
Trayce has some great moments in Atlanta, but his shortcomings
have really been on display as far as his defense
(19:45):
goes and and maybe even his shot selection and what
he and how he handles the game.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Can you talk about that and what his future holds
for Trey Young?
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Well, the Eastern get into the Eastern Conference Finals in
twenty one, certainly end of the shelf life and the
belief along with Tony Wrestler, the son of the of
the owner, being really close with Trey. And so when
there were guys who got tired of playing with Trey
because he.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
Dominates the ball and does.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
Not defend, they were like, okay, well we just need
to get guys who are good with that. So that
they they moved out the Bugdanovic's and the Andre uh
Hunters and.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
And DeAndre Hunters, and and.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
Then they got a new group Jalen Johnson's and the
Dyson Daniels, and they're like, well, these guys are pretty good,
and they don't really like doing it playing or.
Speaker 6 (20:36):
So maybe maybe maybe.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
We need to change something else here. And and so
I think that's that's where they are there, and and
I and I do believe in in part. It's also
like I look at the you know, whether it's Zachary,
Risha Shea or or or some of the other pieces
they have, like there's there's some really good young talent
on that team, and but I just don't know as
(21:03):
good as Trey is. And this is this is the
real riddle with him. I mean, when it comes to
playing pick and roll, scoring off the pick and roll,
he's as good as anybody in the league. But he
just hasn't evolved in any other way. And now when
you're looking at Okay, he's coming up for a contract
where he's going to expect the max super.
Speaker 6 (21:26):
Mac something along those lines of like is this what we.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Want to invest in? And by all indications, Atlanta Hawks
are saying no, it's not.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
This may be unfair. Rick Buker joining us here on
Fox Sports Radio. So hold this against Trey Young. I've
never been a Tray Young fan. He's Carrier Roads. I'm
Dan Byer. But I even go back Rick to his
days at Oklahoma, Like I remember because he took college
basketball by storm in the first part of the only
season he was in Norman. But there is a game
where he probably took thirty shots for the Sooners and
(21:57):
he came down the stretch and all of a sudden
he got double team. The clock's winding down, end of
the game, and he passes to a guy and guys like, well,
I haven't shot all game because you've been shooting all
the time. Misses the shot, and then there's like, oh man,
why did you miss the shot? And it's never changed.
It feels like with that with Trey Young, like it's
always just been his way or the highway. So I
(22:19):
find it interesting now. I think you laid it out
perfectly of why the timing is now, But it just
seems like it's always been about Tray Young more than
anything else.
Speaker 6 (22:29):
Yeah, And you know, we can be sort of deceived.
Speaker 5 (22:35):
Because the numbers can look good, including the assists that
can look good. There's been plenty of guys who have
averaged a high number of assists, and yet it it's deceptive.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
You think, oh, well, he's an unselfish guy.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
He's setting other guys up. And but the reality is
it's either it's when you're when the assists are happening,
and are.
Speaker 6 (23:02):
There are there any hockey assists in there?
Speaker 5 (23:05):
Is?
Speaker 3 (23:05):
It?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Is it?
Speaker 5 (23:06):
I'm giving the ball up to allow other guys to
make plays. And if you have a team that's capable
of being a making a deep run in the playoffs,
you're gonna have multiple guys who can do something with
the ball. And and if they don't get the opportunity
to do that and.
Speaker 6 (23:22):
The team is struggling, at some point, they're gonna go, hey, we.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
Could could could we share the ball a little bit,
or you know, send me someplace else. And I will
say ron Kruger deserves a tremendous amount of respect because
I believe it's Trey Young.
Speaker 6 (23:38):
And I believe he also had Austin.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
Reeves like those guys in their ability to make the
most out of their physical limitations and manipulate the game
through the pick and roll.
Speaker 6 (23:50):
Ron Kruger did a tremendous job of teaching.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Both of those guys. But when we talk about like
franchise players and dominating the ball, that only goes so far.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Well records funny because the other guy who's always going
to be linked to him has that same issue, but nobody.
I mean, well, I guess he did get traded too,
so I guess all's fair at the end of the day,
between Luke and Trey, right, they both got traded for
each other, and they both kind of played the game similarly.
But you know, Lucas, obviously, you know, in a in
a different situation, in a better situation now in La.
(24:21):
But I want to ask you one more question about
the OKC thunder And obviously, you know, the beginning of
the season was on they were on the record record
setting pace, and obviously people started talking about being, you know,
the best team ever and having the best record ever.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
What's happened? What's happened in Oka? See?
Speaker 4 (24:36):
I know Jalen Williams has come back, and maybe that's
thrown off a little bit of their chemistry. I'm not
sure that's what it kind of feels like. But what's
your assessment of OKC right now.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
It's December January and the level at which they were
playing so much of it was just their defensive energy.
You know, they were suffocating teams and and you know
it's at some point you just feel like, hey, if
we're gonna play for a title. We're gonna play for
(25:06):
another title. We've got to be good to go in
May and June and the and then, and it generally
happens against the lesser teams, which I think is what
we've seen here for the most part. They've been surprising
losses because they've let go of rope against teams that
they thought they at this point they could just go
(25:26):
out and right and and roll over. And so I
think the combination of that that that's the biggest element.
I just the combination of that and the way we
started to talk about them at the start of the season.
You know that the one of the all time greats,
and they're gonna take you know that when they're going
(25:54):
eighty and two.
Speaker 6 (25:57):
Okay, this overreaction, like what are we doing here?
Speaker 5 (26:00):
You've played in the league, you know how it goes,
like maintains I mean, honestly, it wouldn't make any sense
for them to maintain that kind of intensity at this
point in the season, because winning back to back championships
is a grind and it does take uh, you know,
(26:23):
the game goes to another level and you're already getting
everybody's best shots because it's a feather in their cap
to uh to knock off the defending champs. And then
I would also say that I think that that that
teams have also taken something from the San Antonio Spurs
and their dominance. There's now tape there that shows if
(26:47):
you can, if you can meet Okay sees physicality, You're like,
that's that's where you need to go meet their physicality.
Don't be, don't be, don't take a step back at
the way they come at you. And then when you're
defending them, be honest, keep them off the line. And
(27:07):
so I think the com I think the other part
here is that the San Antonio Spurs have given everybody
the blueprint for making the game more competitive when they're
when they're paying playing the thunder, and now the thunder
are going to have to adjust. They have the talent,
they have the coaching, they have everything to do that,
but it may take a beat for them to respond.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
All right, I got one last one for you, because
they talked about it earlier this week. Steve Kerr gets
ejected from the game against the Clippers, his first dejection
in about three or four years. We had the Draymond
interaction it's final year of his contract, their eighth in
the West, Like are we starting to see the beginning
of the end with Steve Kerr and Golden States? I
just got the sense that this is all building up
(27:52):
and that maybe that this is this is the end
of the line. What do you see in Golden State?
Speaker 5 (27:57):
He sure looks worn out, and you know, I just
look at Bob Meyer stepping off and there they're what
people don't know who aren't around the franchise on a
regular basis. I live in the Bay Area, so I
am is that Joe Lakab has been a great owner,
no doubt about it. But his attachment to reality when
(28:22):
it comes to the NBA, I think it's loose because
you don't remain a dynasty forever. And with the apron
and reducing not only the money that he wants to
spend on this team, but the ability to continue to
replenish it, there's you're going to fall off. You can't
(28:45):
be a contender forever, no matter you know how Steph
Curry is playing, because it's it's not just one guy,
and so especially a thirty eight about to turn thirty
eight year old, six and eighty pounds guy so I
think Bob Myers just got to a point where it
was like, the returns are not worth what I have
(29:09):
to go through in terms of what the expectation is
and the pressure. And Steve, I think I don't think
it's any accident that he came out and said, hey, look,
the dynasty days are over. Like the idea that we're
going to knock off the San Antonio Spurs, that Oklahoma
City Thunder, that we're built to be a championship team
(29:33):
right now is not realistic. And I just wonder how
much of that was not just a message to the
world at large, but to his owner Joe Lacob to say,
let's be realistic about where we are and what we have.
If we're if we're making the playoffs, that is still
(29:55):
a wild success for this team when you look at
the roster overall.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Our Insider Fox Sports One Insider Finding the Scenes with
Brendon Haywood Rick Buker joining us here on Fox Sports Radio.
Thanks Rick, love talking to you.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Have a net week, Hi pleasure, guys.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
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 iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
App from bad to worse. He's carry Roads.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
I'm Dan Byer not talking about us here on Fox
Sports Radio, talking about this situation going on in the
Pacific Northwest with the University of Washington, and I think
he's still their quarterback to Mon Williams. But we shall
see welcome in hit carry up at Carrie twenty five Roads.
He is the former All Pro. Find me at Dan
Byer on Fox. Jason Stewart's here, Chris Purfett, Iowa, Sam Carrie.
(30:44):
It's time now for our ti Iraq play of the day.
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Speaker 7 (31:03):
B give it out six to give it him some
space and I yes he will time out.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
New Orleans of course against the Pelicans, as Rick Buker said,
wait till they faced tough for teams. Right Kerry there.
It is Lakers Television from Spectrum Sportsnet. Lakers gonna win
last night against the Pels and Luka Doncic talking ish
to the fans after they were talking to him. There's
a lot of talking going up at the University of Washington.
(31:35):
This is the world of Nil. This is the world
that we now live in. The drama if you're unfamiliar
with it. Washington quarterback DeMont Williams had agreed to an
NIL deal to stay at Washington. A lot has changed
over the last couple of days. Trinidad Chambliss gonna stay
at Ole Miss. If he's allowed to be back in
twenty twenty six, we'll not be following Lin Kiffin to LSU.
(31:58):
So now LSU continue used to look for a quarterback,
Sam Levitt Arizona State quarterback could be a possibility, But
there was also a guy that was gonna play quarterback
at Ole Miss ultimately did not, and that was Demand
Williams of Washington, who just signed this four million dollar
ANIL deal with the Washington Huskies. And now just days
after agreeing to that contract, Carrie, he wants out, he
(32:22):
wants out of the deal, and Washington is saying not
so fast. How do you look at this drama involving
nil in the Washington quarterback.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
Well, we've opened ourselves up to it. It's here to stay.
So that's number one. And I think it's a great thing.
Get these kids are getting paid. I think four million
dollars is way too high for any college player in general.
So that's neither here nor there. But I'm gonna say
this about the whole situation. Right we're teaching these kids
how to not handle commitment, but the example they've had
(32:53):
is in their face of not fulfilling that commitment all
the time. Anyway, right, Dan, We've seen head coaches sign
on for seven your deals and go take another job
with another team after two three years, and and you know,
nobody talks about that. I mean there's little chatter around
maybe from the school, from the team, some of the players,
but on the white on a on a global scale,
that's not a conversation. So a player, you know, says
(33:17):
he's gonna sign this deal for four million dollars and
another option comes out and it looks a little bit better,
a little bit more appealing, and you know, the player
right now has the right to entertain that. I know
it doesn't sit well with a lot of people. I'm
not gonna get on this player for you know, if
they're subtling out this type of money to people and
(33:37):
there's another another situation where he can go make money
and help his family, I'm all for it. I'm not
up in arms as much as other people are about it.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Dan, do you think nil deals need to have buyouts? Oh,
that's a good thing, because this is this is the difference.
So if Jedfish wanted to leave Washington for the Michigan job,
which he was a candidate for, we'll just use Washington
for an example, there would have been a buyout of
Jetfish's contract. Now, if Jedfish signed the contract and four
days later left for a different job, it would be
(34:07):
a completely different situation than that. Buyout probably would have
been enormous. But Jedfish and whoever would have known when
he signed, when he signed on the dotted line. That's
where I stand. And I do think that people make
a big deal about coaches, maybe not as much, And
we look at the hierarchy of college football and say, okay,
if you're you know, if you're leaving if you're leaving
Washington State and going to Iowa State, if you're you know,
(34:29):
like if you're building if you're leaving Ole miss to
go to LSU, be okay, that's a step up. I'm
using some of the examples that we've seen in college
football this year when we see it with players, I
can understand it as well. However, I do think that
there is a commitment. There is a commitment for signing
on that dotted line. Now, Washington could just end up
(34:52):
pivoting and saying we're going to go look another direction.
But in a transfer portal window, the window is small. Yes,
So when you've committed to those four days, I'm sorry,
that's like you signed the deal. I don't think that
Demon Williams should be let out of his deal. I
think he should have to play for Washington next year.
And if you want to put a buyout in that deal,
yea for if he goes to play at LSU and
(35:13):
alis he says, all right, we'll send him to our
nil deal and we'll pay X amounts of Washington, then
that's fine. But if he signed the deal, then he
signed the deal. And if they're not able to get
anything for him, you should be playing for the Huskies.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Yeah no, No, I like that idea, Dan. I think
the buyout thing would be really cool. But I think
the buyout situation, in this situation alone, it just wouldn't
work because he didn't get the four million dollars yet.
Right like the head coaches, they've been already paid in
that process, So after they've left two or three years,
they've already earned money from that contract or that school
that situation, he hasn't got a dollar yet, and so
(35:47):
he's he's hurting the team. I know that that's not
I'm not trying to gloss over that. Like the window,
the portal window is small, and some of those top
guys or guys that could be that could be replacements
have already signed over the places, so it doesn't They
got to figure it out, and you're right now.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
I do like the buy out thing, though it's gotta
I understand the parallels. I don't always think it's apples
to apples with coaches and players, but it's just four
days later, all of a sudden, Lsu now may have
an opening or may have room and he could rejoin
Lane Kiffin. Well, maybe that should have been thought of
prior to it. I understand. I actually feel that it's
this is a whole different deal than signing a letter
(36:24):
of intent and signing a letter of intent and then
being like, Okay, I'm not too sure I understand that
portion of it. But when you get into the finances
and the dollars of it all, I think it's a
different story. And I think you should have to abide
by his contract, whether you're twenty year old quarterback or not.
I think you should have to live by it. He's
Carrie Rhodes, I'm Dan Byer. It is Fox Sports Radio.
(36:44):
Tiger Wood celebrated a birthday recently. Wait you see how
he celebrated
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 iHeartRadio app All right.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Way to go.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
You made it to the middle of the week and
we'll get to Carry Roads in a second. He's just
taking victory laps around this days year at Fox Sports Radio.
How many do you want to take in calling that
John Harbaugh would be out as the Baltimore Ravens head coach.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
You know what, Nan, I'm a humble guy. Yeah, you are, definitely,
And i Am not going to take any praise. I'm
just gonna let the conversation go where it may.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Is this Carry Rhodes? We sure? Are we sure? This
is carry? You didn't you did?
Speaker 3 (00:40):
You've been calling this for a while. Yeah, that John
Harball would not return as the Ravens head coach. Carry
and our team up on Sundays on Fox Sports Radio
in our end Zone Radio show, bringing you all the
action from the late window of the NFL schedule. We
sign off right before Sunday night football kicks off, and
as we signed off on Sunday, I gave him three
(01:02):
options on who would be back next year. It was
Aaron Rodgers, Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh. And when I
asked about John Harbaugh, you said that he would not
be back. Was this your gut? Was this intel? What
let you know on Sunday that Sunday Nights game in
Pittsburgh would ultimately be John Harbaugh's last with the Ravens.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:24):
It's one of those things where it's a gut filling
for sure, but also being in the locker room and
being around guys, and you know, you know, guys have
their own agendas. People are trying to reach certain milestones.
You have coaches that are trying to coach for their jobs.
You have other coaches that are seeking jobs. You have
all these things that are happening in a locker room.
(01:46):
Right where are you supposed to be on one accord?
So when that all too common, praise comes out like
we're all in together. Yeah, we're all in together when
things are good. Because when things aren't good, people have
you know, it's human people have thoughts and of their
agendas and other things that creep in. And when you
watch the Ravens this year and not even just this year,
(02:07):
but the last couple of years, when things are good,
you don't hear a thing come out of there. You
don't You don't hear you hear the coach openly praising
their star quarterback and their star players. You hear the
players being complementary to the coach all the time. And
you know it's just certain factors and certain like talking
points and key points come out when things are good.
(02:29):
This year hasn't been that at all. I mean from
the start of the season, the expectations were high. And
when the expectations are high, and especially for a coach
that's been there for a long time, if you don't
meet those expectations, there are ramifications. Now if there's not
going to be coordinator's gone or players gone, somebody's somebody's
going to be gone. And you think about their situation.
The GM is set as many players as he's brought in,
(02:51):
and the type of caliber players he brought in, they're good, right,
the players have they underachieved for the Ravens a thousand percent.
But if you're not gonna get if you're not gonna
get rid of some of those key players, then where's
that fall to Dan? And so it's just like it's
almost like the process of elimination, gut and also just
(03:12):
being in the locker room and knowing how the factory
works well.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
And I want to get to that because it felt
that a lot of the comments from Harball were reactionary
to comments that were made instead of being proactive.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Is that fair?
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Throughout the season where you talked about the leaks that
we would never hear, then we started to hear leaks,
and then it was in response to the leaks that
Harball would have to say what he had to say. Well,
then there was the Mike Preston article that was criticizing Lamar.
I felt that there was more of a campaign that
Harball was on his way out, and I felt that
the Preston piece in the Baltimore Sun about Lamar was
(03:50):
in response to all of the Harball stuff. Whether that
was the way it actually went or not, the fact
is this stuff was getting out to people that we
hadn't seen in the last eighteen years with the Ravens.
Speaker 4 (04:00):
Yes, and that's the tail tale sign man. When the cracks,
when when the fisher start, fisher starts to widen, you
know there's trouble.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
There's there. It's bigger than the fisher.
Speaker 4 (04:12):
It's a chasm at that point and so once you
get to that point and then all these things start
to leak out, and then the performance goes down, and
then we start to do our own research and like
have our data points on this team, specifically in the
Lamar years, and you see all the years that they've
had and they've been really good in the regular season,
there's still be doubts of you know, is Harbball making
(04:33):
the right decisions?
Speaker 2 (04:34):
Is Harbball being a little bit too lenient?
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Is Horrball Like those things would still kind of come out,
but they would ge swept under the rug. But when
you're not winning, there's nowhere to hide those things, and
so that's where it comes out to.
Speaker 2 (04:45):
I just I compare it.
Speaker 3 (04:46):
I think it's very difficult to compare it to Pittsburgh
because of Pittsburgh's ownership with the Rooney family and how
they've always treated head coaches. The Ravens a newer franchise
in the world of the NFL. Plus you have Steve Bashatti,
the owner took over from Art Modell and the Modell family,
so Bashadi's there, but there seems to be quite a
(05:07):
bit of loyalty to Harbaugh. I compare it to I
compare it to what happened in Seattle with Pete Carroll.
And I think a lot of these long tenured coaches
and the Saints are different. The Saints were different as well,
because I felt that Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis were
kind of running the Saints when Tom Benson ended up
passing away, then Gail Benson took over, so the people
(05:29):
that she knew best were Sean Payton and Mickey Loomis.
So maybe their stay and Mickey Loomis is still in
New Orleans, but their stays were longer because of the
ownership situation in Seattle. Maybe it could have been like
that because of the passing of Paul Allen, it ends
up going to you know, through the estate and his
sisters running the team. But the point I bring up
(05:51):
is this is it's probably better to do it sooner
rather than later. Okay, So for Baltimore in this case,
Seattle waited a long time to let go of Pete Cary.
And we see where Seattle is now with a new
head coach and a new energy, and it probably should
have happened sooner. But the timing for them now to
have Mike McDonald as their head coach. Probably that's the
way that it had to go. I just I don't
(06:14):
see the ultimate reason carry when we look at all
these other head coaching changes on the surface and on paper,
to be like hardball's the one that needs to go.
And I'm not saying Lamar needs to go either, but
I'm just saying two years ago this team was in
an AFC championship game. Last year they lost a playoff
game in Buffalo. Like that, there's Mark Andrews drop. What
(06:35):
happens to me ends up catches, you know, catching the pass,
and things change. And so this year you're on a
year where Lamar has been hurt. You haven't been afraid
to change coordinators. They've had to go through many whether
the defensive coordinator, whether it be Mike McDonald Leving or
whether a b Rex, Ryan Leving or whoever, of all
of the coaches that have been in Baltimore, at least
(06:57):
at one point or another, they've been able to turn
over that. And they've turned over the offensive coordinator position before.
I just was surprised that this was it. And so
that's why when you're talking about the messaging coming out,
it seems like it was a lot more on the table,
and after a long discussion yesterday, the move was ultimately made.
But I just never felt that the Ravens were at
(07:20):
this point to let go of John Harbaugh because of
what we've seen throughout the NFL and what we've seen
in other places. And so now that he's out, I
think that it's simple like Lamar Jackson, if this is
Lamar Jackson aided, it's got to be careful for what
he wished for, oh for sure, because the gress isn't
necessarily greener on the other side. And as I used
(07:42):
two cliches, he's also lost his shield. John Harball was
a great shield because if things went wrong, yes, let's
blame it on John Harbaugh, it's his fault. It's his
fault for bringing in this coordinator. It's his fault for
this and that now Lamar wins this back, and with
that becomes a lot of responsibility. So now Lamar, now
(08:06):
Lamar has to produce. If you're the Ravens quarterback and
it's his birthday today, is Chris Prophett mentioned the theme
threw out the show. But now all of this is
on Lamar, and that's why I just say, be careful
what you wish for because you may want hardball out,
but that may not be better for you as a player.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Yeah, And I think the angle that it's solely Lamar
wanted them out, I don't think that would be the
main reason he's gone now. I say that because, yes,
he is the franchise player. We've seen quarterbacks have that
ability to, you know, get the man they want or
get rid of the man they don't want.
Speaker 2 (08:42):
Right.
Speaker 4 (08:43):
You made a great point, like it is it is
on him now, and I think it was gonna be
on him now anyway. And I think they were kind
of step in tow they were locked together, you know,
like you have the head coaches and gms that are
kind of locked together and one goal with the other
has to go in this situation, you can't get rid
of both of them, right, And so all right, if
you're gonna choose a two time MVP, somebody that you
(09:04):
still believe in that can get the job done, where
you had a head coach that got the job done before,
but as of that moment hasn't gotten back there yet, right,
and had ample opportunities to get back there. Where in
a player you talked about it, We've named and we've
seen plenty emphasis and plenty instances where you know it
wasn't Lamar's fault. Now, he's been at fault at times
(09:27):
as well, but in these last couple of years, there's
been other guys who you know, he's gotten the ball
to and they fumbled or they've dropped the ball. Right,
So you have that evidence in the last couple of
years where this team has been good and they have
had their shortcomings, the players on the field have determined
determined also why they haven't gotten there. But these past
few years it hasn't been Lamar, and so we can
(09:49):
remove that part of the you know, the big equation
here right, Like, he hasn't come up short in those moments.
So now if we put him with the right person,
the person that can press the buttons to where you know,
things matter, the small details matter. For us to win,
it has to come from the head coach. If the
head coach isn't giving them the right to obviously he
(10:09):
can't get the new hands to catch the ball, but
like make them understand that there are consequences, consequences if
you don't show up in the spot. And I don't
think that was the case in the last couple of
years with the Ravens.
Speaker 3 (10:18):
Do you do you find it an appealing job if
you were a head coaching candidate. Yes, I is it
appealing because of Lamar? Or is it appealing because of
the franchise's structure and stability that they've shown throughout. I
guess it's inception.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Both both, and you don't you got it? You don't think,
so go ahead.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
I just think with Lamar, who turns twenty nine today,
that you're now coming off of another injury season.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
Yep. And it's not about I think the standard.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Of Super Bowls gets overblown, but it's the world that
we live in, so we end up dealing with it.
But there is good to come a time like this
season where we saw Lamar couldn't run as well as
he did when he was twenty three and twenty four. Absolutely,
and so now how does that affect everything else that happens?
Like the threat of Lamar Jackson was sometimes worse than
(11:12):
what he would actually do because of all of the
stuff that he could do on a football field, and
he had one of the not this past year, but
the year before was maybe I think it's top three,
top two best passer season that we've seen. I know
it's top five for sure, Yeah, for what we've seen.
So but that everything comes with that. So Lamar's ability
(11:33):
to move the weapons that they have, Derrick Henry, that's there,
All of that works out, All of that now is
kind of erased because it's now just all on Lamar.
And so now, at twenty nine years old, which I
think he's an older twenty nine than a younger twenty nine,
I'm not sure that the second half of Lamar's career,
which is maybe at the point we're at right now,
is going to be better at the first half. And
(11:55):
so that's the only thing that I would question, Like,
if I'm Baltimore, there's I'm not taking anybody on the
defensive side. I am hiring an offensive head coach. I
don't care. Yeah, you have to be locked in and Harbaugh,
I guess to his defense, he was more of CEO
right because he comes over as a special teams coach.
Let the offense do that, let the defense do that.
But you have to hire an offensive coach and you've
(12:17):
got to make it work because if it doesn't work,
I don't think it's going to be the fall of
the offensive head coach. It's going to go on the
shoulders of Lamar because now we're going to say, look,
we fired John Harball after eighteen seasons and one season
where sure they finished below five hundred and eight to nine,
but that was after you know, back to back playoff
appearances and almost a bid to the Super Bowl. So
(12:39):
now that's all on Lamar. So that's I just I
find it appealing with the stability, and I find it
appealing with the talent. But you better win right away,
you better win next year, you better win the next
year after that, because I just don't think that Lamar
is going to continue to get better as a quarterback.
There is going to be a slide in his career.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
And why do you feel that way, Dan, Why do
you feel is going to be a slide?
Speaker 4 (13:00):
And I know the obvious thing about the moment, because.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
He is probably top three the most dynamic quarterback that
we have seen in the NFL. Michael Vick is I
think I would put I would put up there. He
put me on skates, yeah right right, So so just
the threat of running the football right like that ability.
It's going to happen with Josh Allen at some point
where Josh Allen is not going to be able to
(13:25):
run as effectively as he has, and you've got to
figure out a way to make that make your game
be just as dangerous without that. And so that's the
point that I look at with Lamar. There are no
questions about passing, there are no questions about running, there
are no questions about reading defenses, just none of that.
(13:45):
But your athletic ability which made him so dangerous, is
not going to be there in your thirties like it
was in your twenties, for sure. So that is the
reason why. So if defense is don't have to worry
about Lamar running and breaking off.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Of the You're gonna always have to worry about him running.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
But they're not gonna have to worry about a sixty
five yard run. No right, no, no, of course not.
But then they're still gonna have to worry about it.
It doesn't matter.
Speaker 4 (14:07):
I mean, we saw him in the game last week
eighty five what eighty seventy five percent whatever, He is
always going to be a threat. Like if you don't
gain plan for him and you play man and man
coverage and you turn your back on Lamar Jackson at
seventy five percent, He's still going to be a threat,
and that's and that's the thing.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
So like it just depends on what length we're talking about.
And he's healthy next year, so like he's got the
off season, so that threat. My point is that threat
is there, and that's why it's so important for next
year for there to be success because there are now
no more excuses because John Harbaugh isn't there. So all
of that pressure and everything that's on Lamar Is is
(14:44):
now on his shoulders because of this decision. And I
think it's ultimately the decision that they make, Like the
Seahawks chose Pete Carroll ultimately over Russell Wilson, But it
really wasn't that. It was they just knew Russell Wilson
probably was towards the end of his career. They didn't
want to pay him the money that he was going
to demand in this next contract, and they shipped him
out when they felt that they needed to, and it
worked out great for him.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
I got a question that part.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
So in that situation, you thought you thought Pete Carroll's
voice got I guess old end and you would rather
have had Pete Carroll than Russell Wilson at that.
Speaker 3 (15:15):
Point, I I don't think that they were tied together
like they were with the Ravens. I think that they
understood John Schneider and Pete Carroll understood that Russell Wilson
was not the same quarterback that he once was. And
so at the time, honestly, like when you looked at
like when they should have traded Wilson or could have
traded him, they maybe could have waited a season to
(15:37):
do it, but they did it at the time that
they did and were able to get the package that
they got from from the Broncos, which was a very
very healthy package because I think that they knew that
he was going to be damaged to goods after that.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (15:49):
And what, Russell Wilson's older than Lamar Jackson as well,
So like the end, at the time of the trade,
like it wasn't Russell Wilson was twenty nine years old.
Russell Wilson was an older quarterback. But that's the Seahawks
made that decision. I think you could still look at
Lamar Jackson and say, all right, if he's healthy, he'll
he'll be fine, He'll be fine. Yeah, But it's also
(16:10):
as the whole of the next five years and what
is going on with the Ravens that you look at
and say, all right, where are we going to be now?
Where we're going to be with the next five years?
Where you hope that the next coach that you hire
is going to be there for that span and you're
not hiring somebody new in two years, sure, because if
you are, then it was a complete mess in Baltimore.
He called it from the get go? How did you
(16:31):
have some Louisville insights on there? I will not tell you,
will not reveal his sources. He is carry Roads. I'm
Dan Byer. Jason Stewart is here Iowa. Sam Chris Perfetts
at the news desk keeping us updated of what's going
on today.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
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 iHeartRadio.
Speaker 3 (16:53):
App Fox Sports Radio. He's the Allprokerry Roads. I'm Dan Byer.
Only can you hear carry on myself?
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Now?
Speaker 3 (17:01):
You can hear a Sunday's five Eastern two Pacific here
on Fox Sports Radio. Wild Card coming up this weekend,
so we smack dab in the during our show. We'll
get a majority of our show will be about forty
nine Ers Eagles joining us now to talk NBA our
Fox Sports Radio NBA Insider FS one NBA analyst that
you can find on x at Rick Buker also finding
(17:25):
the Seams, teaming up with Brendon Aywood on their podcast.
Rek Buker joins us here on Fox Sports Radio. Hey Rick,
how are you?
Speaker 5 (17:31):
I am well? How are you?
Speaker 3 (17:33):
I'm doing great? It sounds like the Lakers are doing great.
I mean they're third in the West. Win last night,
Lebron and Lucas celebrating on the court, Lebron afterwards saying,
I don't have to Luca doesn't have to do anything
around me. I'm the one that needs to bend around
the big superstar. Is everything as great as it seems
(17:54):
right now for the Lakers in La La Land?
Speaker 5 (17:56):
Well for now it is. For now it is for sure.
Winning certainly makes everybody feel good about themselves. The question
is going to be, and we've seen it when they
when they struggle, or they when they play the better
teams and uh and and they lose a few or
their their complete lack of defense or having so many
defensive holes is exposed, then things get a little rough.
(18:19):
I don't know that the all of the chatter outside
of it, whether it's Rich Paul or Lebron James himself,
all of that raises some questions in terms of when
and when and how it's going to infiltrate the team
uh and and the dynamics there. But the reality is
(18:41):
they're they're not a good defensive team. They're not going
to be a good defensive team and uh And they
have two guys that are ball dominant at their best
in Lebron and uh and Luca. If you're winning, everybody's
everybody can go along with it. When you start losing,
that's that's and the questions are raised. So this I'll
(19:03):
put it this way in short order, The mellow drama
that is the Los Angeles Lakers this year has just
begun and it will have sequels over the course of
the year. It's going to get very, very interesting because
they're not going to continue to win at the same
level once they play the better teams.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Rick and then you throw in an Austin reeves to
that to that case as well, who needs the ball
as well. So it's going to be interesting for sure.
But I want to talk about Trey Young a little bit.
I mean, obviously this seems like the wheels have fallen
off the there in Atlanta with him, him and the organization.
Has this been going on for a while, because obviously
Trayce has some great moments in Atlanta, but his shortcomings
have really been on display as far as his defense
(19:45):
goes and and maybe even his shot selection and what
he and how he handles the game.
Speaker 2 (19:50):
Can you talk about that and what his future holds
for Trey Young?
Speaker 5 (19:54):
Well, the Eastern get into the Eastern Conference Finals in
twenty one, certainly end of the shelf life and the
belief along with Tony Wrestler, the son of the of
the owner, being really close with Trey. And so when
there were guys who got tired of playing with Trey
because he.
Speaker 6 (20:12):
Dominates the ball and does.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
Not defend, they were like, okay, well we just need
to get guys who are good with that. So that
they they moved out the Bugdanovic's and the Andre uh
Hunters and.
Speaker 6 (20:25):
And DeAndre Hunters, and and.
Speaker 5 (20:27):
Then they got a new group Jalen Johnson's and the
Dyson Daniels, and they're like, well, these guys are pretty good,
and they don't really like doing it playing or.
Speaker 6 (20:36):
So maybe maybe maybe.
Speaker 5 (20:38):
We need to change something else here. And and so
I think that's that's where they are there, and and
I and I do believe in in part. It's also
like I look at the you know, whether it's Zachary,
Risha Shea or or or some of the other pieces
they have, like there's there's some really good young talent
on that team, and but I just don't know as
(21:03):
good as Trey is. And this is this is the
real riddle with him. I mean, when it comes to
playing pick and roll, scoring off the pick and roll,
he's as good as anybody in the league. But he
just hasn't evolved in any other way. And now when
you're looking at Okay, he's coming up for a contract
where he's going to expect the max super.
Speaker 6 (21:26):
Mac something along those lines of like is this what we.
Speaker 5 (21:29):
Want to invest in? And by all indications, Atlanta Hawks
are saying no, it's not.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
This may be unfair. Rick Buker joining us here on
Fox Sports Radio. So hold this against Trey Young. I've
never been a Tray Young fan. He's Carrier Roads. I'm
Dan Byer. But I even go back Rick to his
days at Oklahoma, Like I remember because he took college
basketball by storm in the first part of the only
season he was in Norman. But there is a game
where he probably took thirty shots for the Sooners and
(21:57):
he came down the stretch and all of a sudden
he got double team. The clock's winding down, end of
the game, and he passes to a guy and guys like, well,
I haven't shot all game because you've been shooting all
the time. Misses the shot, and then there's like, oh man,
why did you miss the shot? And it's never changed.
It feels like with that with Trey Young, like it's
always just been his way or the highway. So I
(22:19):
find it interesting now. I think you laid it out
perfectly of why the timing is now, But it just
seems like it's always been about Tray Young more than
anything else.
Speaker 6 (22:29):
Yeah, And you know, we can be sort of deceived.
Speaker 5 (22:35):
Because the numbers can look good, including the assists that
can look good. There's been plenty of guys who have
averaged a high number of assists, and yet it it's deceptive.
Speaker 6 (22:53):
You think, oh, well, he's an unselfish guy.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
He's setting other guys up. And but the reality is
it's either it's when you're when the assists are happening,
and are.
Speaker 6 (23:02):
There are there any hockey assists in there?
Speaker 5 (23:05):
Is?
Speaker 3 (23:05):
It?
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Is it?
Speaker 5 (23:06):
I'm giving the ball up to allow other guys to
make plays. And if you have a team that's capable
of being a making a deep run in the playoffs,
you're gonna have multiple guys who can do something with
the ball. And and if they don't get the opportunity
to do that and.
Speaker 6 (23:22):
The team is struggling, at some point, they're gonna go, hey, we.
Speaker 5 (23:24):
Could could could we share the ball a little bit,
or you know, send me someplace else. And I will
say ron Kruger deserves a tremendous amount of respect because
I believe it's Trey Young.
Speaker 6 (23:38):
And I believe he also had Austin.
Speaker 5 (23:40):
Reeves like those guys in their ability to make the
most out of their physical limitations and manipulate the game
through the pick and roll.
Speaker 6 (23:50):
Ron Kruger did a tremendous job of teaching.
Speaker 5 (23:52):
Both of those guys. But when we talk about like
franchise players and dominating the ball, that only goes so far.
Speaker 4 (24:00):
Well records funny because the other guy who's always going
to be linked to him has that same issue, but nobody.
I mean, well, I guess he did get traded too,
so I guess all's fair at the end of the day,
between Luke and Trey, right, they both got traded for
each other, and they both kind of played the game similarly.
But you know, Lucas, obviously, you know, in a in
a different situation, in a better situation now in La.
(24:21):
But I want to ask you one more question about
the OKC thunder And obviously, you know, the beginning of
the season was on they were on the record record
setting pace, and obviously people started talking about being, you know,
the best team ever and having the best record ever.
Speaker 2 (24:34):
What's happened? What's happened in Oka? See?
Speaker 4 (24:36):
I know Jalen Williams has come back, and maybe that's
thrown off a little bit of their chemistry. I'm not
sure that's what it kind of feels like. But what's
your assessment of OKC right now.
Speaker 5 (24:44):
It's December January and the level at which they were
playing so much of it was just their defensive energy.
You know, they were suffocating teams and and you know
it's at some point you just feel like, hey, if
we're gonna play for a title. We're gonna play for
(25:06):
another title. We've got to be good to go in
May and June and the and then, and it generally
happens against the lesser teams, which I think is what
we've seen here for the most part. They've been surprising
losses because they've let go of rope against teams that
they thought they at this point they could just go
(25:26):
out and right and and roll over. And so I
think the combination of that that that's the biggest element.
I just the combination of that and the way we
started to talk about them at the start of the season.
You know that the one of the all time greats,
and they're gonna take you know that when they're going
(25:54):
eighty and two.
Speaker 6 (25:57):
Okay, this overreaction, like what are we doing here?
Speaker 5 (26:00):
You've played in the league, you know how it goes,
like maintains I mean, honestly, it wouldn't make any sense
for them to maintain that kind of intensity at this
point in the season, because winning back to back championships
is a grind and it does take uh, you know,
(26:23):
the game goes to another level and you're already getting
everybody's best shots because it's a feather in their cap
to uh to knock off the defending champs. And then
I would also say that I think that that that
teams have also taken something from the San Antonio Spurs
and their dominance. There's now tape there that shows if
(26:47):
you can, if you can meet Okay sees physicality, You're like,
that's that's where you need to go meet their physicality.
Don't be, don't be, don't take a step back at
the way they come at you. And then when you're
defending them, be honest, keep them off the line. And
(27:07):
so I think the com I think the other part
here is that the San Antonio Spurs have given everybody
the blueprint for making the game more competitive when they're
when they're paying playing the thunder, and now the thunder
are going to have to adjust. They have the talent,
they have the coaching, they have everything to do that,
but it may take a beat for them to respond.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
All right, I got one last one for you, because
they talked about it earlier this week. Steve Kerr gets
ejected from the game against the Clippers, his first dejection
in about three or four years. We had the Draymond
interaction it's final year of his contract, their eighth in
the West, Like are we starting to see the beginning
of the end with Steve Kerr and Golden States? I
just got the sense that this is all building up
(27:52):
and that maybe that this is this is the end
of the line. What do you see in Golden State?
Speaker 5 (27:57):
He sure looks worn out, and you know, I just
look at Bob Meyer stepping off and there they're what
people don't know who aren't around the franchise on a
regular basis. I live in the Bay Area, so I
am is that Joe Lakab has been a great owner,
no doubt about it. But his attachment to reality when
(28:22):
it comes to the NBA, I think it's loose because
you don't remain a dynasty forever. And with the apron
and reducing not only the money that he wants to
spend on this team, but the ability to continue to
replenish it, there's you're going to fall off. You can't
(28:45):
be a contender forever, no matter you know how Steph
Curry is playing, because it's it's not just one guy,
and so especially a thirty eight about to turn thirty
eight year old, six and eighty pounds guy so I
think Bob Myers just got to a point where it
was like, the returns are not worth what I have
(29:09):
to go through in terms of what the expectation is
and the pressure. And Steve, I think I don't think
it's any accident that he came out and said, hey, look,
the dynasty days are over. Like the idea that we're
going to knock off the San Antonio Spurs, that Oklahoma
City Thunder, that we're built to be a championship team
(29:33):
right now is not realistic. And I just wonder how
much of that was not just a message to the
world at large, but to his owner Joe Lacob to say,
let's be realistic about where we are and what we have.
If we're if we're making the playoffs, that is still
(29:55):
a wild success for this team when you look at
the roster overall.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
Our Insider Fox Sports One Insider Finding the Scenes with
Brendon Haywood Rick Buker joining us here on Fox Sports Radio.
Thanks Rick, love talking to you.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Have a net week, Hi pleasure, guys.
Speaker 1 (30:09):
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 iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (30:16):
App from bad to worse. He's carry Roads.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
I'm Dan Byer not talking about us here on Fox
Sports Radio, talking about this situation going on in the
Pacific Northwest with the University of Washington, and I think
he's still their quarterback to Mon Williams. But we shall
see welcome in hit carry up at Carrie twenty five Roads.
He is the former All Pro. Find me at Dan
Byer on Fox. Jason Stewart's here, Chris Purfett, Iowa, Sam Carrie.
(30:44):
It's time now for our ti Iraq play of the day.
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Speaker 7 (31:03):
B give it out six to give it him some
space and I yes he will time out.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
New Orleans of course against the Pelicans, as Rick Buker said,
wait till they faced tough for teams. Right Kerry there.
It is Lakers Television from Spectrum Sportsnet. Lakers gonna win
last night against the Pels and Luka Doncic talking ish
to the fans after they were talking to him. There's
a lot of talking going up at the University of Washington.
(31:35):
This is the world of Nil. This is the world
that we now live in. The drama if you're unfamiliar
with it. Washington quarterback DeMont Williams had agreed to an
NIL deal to stay at Washington. A lot has changed
over the last couple of days. Trinidad Chambliss gonna stay
at Ole Miss. If he's allowed to be back in
twenty twenty six, we'll not be following Lin Kiffin to LSU.
(31:58):
So now LSU continue used to look for a quarterback,
Sam Levitt Arizona State quarterback could be a possibility, But
there was also a guy that was gonna play quarterback
at Ole Miss ultimately did not, and that was Demand
Williams of Washington, who just signed this four million dollar
ANIL deal with the Washington Huskies. And now just days
after agreeing to that contract, Carrie, he wants out, he
(32:22):
wants out of the deal, and Washington is saying not
so fast. How do you look at this drama involving
nil in the Washington quarterback.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
Well, we've opened ourselves up to it. It's here to stay.
So that's number one. And I think it's a great thing.
Get these kids are getting paid. I think four million
dollars is way too high for any college player in general.
So that's neither here nor there. But I'm gonna say
this about the whole situation. Right we're teaching these kids
how to not handle commitment, but the example they've had
(32:53):
is in their face of not fulfilling that commitment all
the time. Anyway, right, Dan, We've seen head coaches sign
on for seven your deals and go take another job
with another team after two three years, and and you know,
nobody talks about that. I mean there's little chatter around
maybe from the school, from the team, some of the players,
but on the white on a on a global scale,
that's not a conversation. So a player, you know, says
(33:17):
he's gonna sign this deal for four million dollars and
another option comes out and it looks a little bit better,
a little bit more appealing, and you know, the player
right now has the right to entertain that. I know
it doesn't sit well with a lot of people. I'm
not gonna get on this player for you know, if
they're subtling out this type of money to people and
(33:37):
there's another another situation where he can go make money
and help his family, I'm all for it. I'm not
up in arms as much as other people are about it.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
Dan, do you think nil deals need to have buyouts? Oh,
that's a good thing, because this is this is the difference.
So if Jedfish wanted to leave Washington for the Michigan job,
which he was a candidate for, we'll just use Washington
for an example, there would have been a buyout of
Jetfish's contract. Now, if Jedfish signed the contract and four
days later left for a different job, it would be
(34:07):
a completely different situation than that. Buyout probably would have
been enormous. But Jedfish and whoever would have known when
he signed, when he signed on the dotted line. That's
where I stand. And I do think that people make
a big deal about coaches, maybe not as much, And
we look at the hierarchy of college football and say, okay,
if you're you know, if you're leaving if you're leaving
Washington State and going to Iowa State, if you're you know,
(34:29):
like if you're building if you're leaving Ole miss to
go to LSU, be okay, that's a step up. I'm
using some of the examples that we've seen in college
football this year when we see it with players, I
can understand it as well. However, I do think that
there is a commitment. There is a commitment for signing
on that dotted line. Now, Washington could just end up
(34:52):
pivoting and saying we're going to go look another direction.
But in a transfer portal window, the window is small. Yes,
So when you've committed to those four days, I'm sorry,
that's like you signed the deal. I don't think that
Demon Williams should be let out of his deal. I
think he should have to play for Washington next year.
And if you want to put a buyout in that deal,
yea for if he goes to play at LSU and
(35:13):
alis he says, all right, we'll send him to our
nil deal and we'll pay X amounts of Washington, then
that's fine. But if he signed the deal, then he
signed the deal. And if they're not able to get
anything for him, you should be playing for the Huskies.
Speaker 4 (35:25):
Yeah no, No, I like that idea, Dan. I think
the buyout thing would be really cool. But I think
the buyout situation, in this situation alone, it just wouldn't
work because he didn't get the four million dollars yet.
Right like the head coaches, they've been already paid in
that process, So after they've left two or three years,
they've already earned money from that contract or that school
that situation, he hasn't got a dollar yet, and so
(35:47):
he's he's hurting the team. I know that that's not
I'm not trying to gloss over that. Like the window,
the portal window is small, and some of those top
guys or guys that could be that could be replacements
have already signed over the places, so it doesn't They
got to figure it out, and you're right now.
Speaker 3 (36:02):
I do like the buy out thing, though it's gotta
I understand the parallels. I don't always think it's apples
to apples with coaches and players, but it's just four
days later, all of a sudden, Lsu now may have
an opening or may have room and he could rejoin
Lane Kiffin. Well, maybe that should have been thought of
prior to it. I understand. I actually feel that it's
this is a whole different deal than signing a letter
(36:24):
of intent and signing a letter of intent and then
being like, Okay, I'm not too sure I understand that
portion of it. But when you get into the finances
and the dollars of it all, I think it's a
different story. And I think you should have to abide
by his contract, whether you're twenty year old quarterback or not.
I think you should have to live by it. He's
Carrie Rhodes, I'm Dan Byer. It is Fox Sports Radio.
(36:44):
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