June 17, 2025 • 51 mins
On a Tuesday edition of The Best Of The Doug Gottlieb Show: Doug sums up game five of the NBA Finals as Oklahoma City takes a 3-2 series lead. Doug answers the question: what should Rick Carlisle do with Tyrese Haliburton?
Dan delivers his "Beyer's Remorse". Doug welcomes former NBA player Olden Polynice onto the show to break down the NBA Finals.
Doug weighs in on the Stephen A Smith/Solitaire controversy. Doug welcomes prolific podcaster John Middlekauff onto the show to talk football and golf.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Thanks for listening to the best of The Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
three to five Eastern twelve two Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for The Doug Gottlieb Show at
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Doug Gottlieb Show, Fuck Sports Radio. I hope you're having
(00:31):
a great day. The Doug Gottlieb Show broadcast live every
single day. In this case, we're in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Man, beautiful, hot, summy,
sunny Southern days meet sunny summer day. I said, Southern
sunurd day. Let's get right after it. Okay, So, by
(00:54):
now you heard the story Tyrese Haliburt. It explains a
lot of it. Right. You're like, man, how does a
dude that's so good? B? So, what's the term mid? Right?
That's the kids say, it was so mid last night.
(01:15):
The only thing you can think of is he's injured.
And look, they were a prohibitive underdog going into last night.
Last night the thunder one that thunder covered. They were
a prohibitive underdog going into the series and again winning
game one. I think many people. Dan Byer was one
of those people, was like, I was, you know when
(01:38):
the when the Heat beat the Thunder, the Thunder went
won game one and then it was a gentleman sweep
in five games. But it's when they won game three
that Okay, now you have my attention. Now we have
the series. Their inability to capitalize on a late lead
in Game four ends up now becoming game five. In
game five, it does feel over despite the fact that
(01:58):
the Pacers, you know, they gotta win two games as
opposed to Oklahoma City only has to win one. Uh,
but it's hard to go, Hey, where do you pick
and what do you say? Here's Mark Dagno, who's who's
the head coach of the Thunder, talking about the team
(02:19):
playing in front of their home fans.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I think the crowd puts the win at our back.
I'm always I always marvel at how enthusiastic and positive
they remain in the ebbs and flows of a game
or of a season. You know, they're always trying to
put the win at our back. They're always trying to
lift the team up, and I just think that's a
great spirit. That's on display in all these games, but
they were amazing tonight.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Obviously, fans don't win games. Teams win games, but the
fans can definitely help you. We'll get We'll circle back
to Oklahoma City a second. Here's Rick Carlisle talk about
Halliburton's injury.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
He's not one hundred percent, it's pretty clear. But I
don't think he's gonna miss the next game. And you know,
we were concerned at halftime, and uh, he insisted I'm playing,
And I thought, I thought he made a lot of
really good things happened in the second half.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
But he's he's not.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
He's not one hundred.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Percent, you know, and there's a lot of guys in
the series that aren't.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Here's Haliburton talking about his calf jury.
Speaker 5 (03:19):
I mean, c NBA Finals, it's the finals, man. I've
worked my whole life to be here, and I want
to be out there to compete, you know, help my
teammates anyway I can. You know, I was not great
tonight by any means, but uh, you know, it's not
really a thought of mine to to not play here.
You know, if I fucking uh, you know, walk, then
(03:40):
then I want to play. So you know they understand that,
and uh, you know is what it is, and uh
you know, I gotta be ready to go for Game six.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Yeah, so there's a bunch of different ways we could
go with it. Uh I. I do believe the Thunders
defense was outstanding. I also think that the under whether
it's home crowd, the where they play, they shorten their
bench as well, but they get away with being really
really physical, physical defensively. And I know he didn't shoot
(04:11):
the ball well last night, but Caruso just has been
so important for what they do. But anytime you get
forty points from your second best scorer and your leading
scorers got thirty. I don't track it, but I would
guess that that's like a ninety five to ninety eight
percent of the time. You get seventy combined with good
shooting percentages from two dudes, you're gonna win more games.
(04:35):
Then you lose. The secret sauce is their defense. Some
of the energy to that secret sauce is the crowd
support is the officials reaction to that crowd support is
the way they play. I don't think the Pacers played
tentative in any way. If anything, a team that plays
(04:55):
fast does have a tendency to get sped up. But
they could never really get a handle on the Thunder
last night, and that game was never within really reach
of them. In the second hand, there's never a h
but here they go. It was a lot more like
what Game one would have been like had the Thunder
done the right things to close the door at the end.
(05:18):
Which brings us around. And this is why seven games,
even though it's long and it's spread out and it
can be hard to pay attention for those of us
with that sports add that we want answers to who's
the champion? Now, now, now, now now. Ultimately, partially with
the help of an injury to Halliburton, but mostly because
(05:39):
they're just better, the Thunder are gonna win the series,
which is why it's a seven game series. If there's
a one game series that's an unbelievable comeback and unbelievable
win and the pacer of your champion, it's not and
generally not always the better team wins or the healthier
team wins, and this case, the better healthier team will win.
(06:02):
They will win. Now, I will say this about this
is a weird one with Oklahoma City. Weird from this standpoint,
that on some level it's bad for the NBA because
small markets don't have big ratings and the thunder are
(06:22):
good and they're going to be good. Are they going
to be a champion ten times over? I don't know.
I don't know how they react to what's going to
be a late summer of celebration Oklahoma. Right, everybody can say, hey, look,
I'm based upon talent, but you can lose yourself when
you're the toast of an absolute state, not just town,
a state and you got like a month to go celebrate,
(06:46):
or maybe two months to go celebrate. But they're going
to be good for a while. And if you're going
to be good for a while and you're a small
market and you don't have huge names and shake gill
Z Alexander is an outstanding basketball player, I don't think
he'll ever be some amazing corporate superstar the likes of
(07:10):
which we've seen even from a Damian Lillard, who he's
a much better player than Damian Lillard. Okay, but Damian
Lillard because of Oakland, because he can rap, because he
just he has a really cool personal story with Weaver State.
It feels like Damian Lillard has kind of broken through,
(07:32):
even though his game is not as good as Shay's game.
But if you don't have a superstar, if you don't
have a Durant, you don't have a Westbrook, you don't
have somebody who will be a rating straw, and you
have a really good team, it's going to be a
bit of a problem for the NBA. Not a huge
(07:52):
problem because people are still watching, but the overall ratings
when they're in big games won't be great. That's said.
I do think it's great from the NBA are all
professional sports, because here's a market that when they first
got there, it wasn't big enough. It shouldn't have been
able to support an NBA team. The only reason they
(08:13):
ever got a team was because of Hurricane Katrina. Right,
they had Hurricane Katrina. So they got the Pelicans for
two years. And they only got the Pelicans for two
years because you had a bunch of local businessmen who
are like, hey, we don't care if we lose money,
we just want our city to be recognized as as
a as a major league city. So they get the
(08:34):
they get the then Hornets make it work. Hornets go back,
and Horns didn't want to go back. They were kind
of forced to go back, like it's New Orleans. You
can't lose the team. Clay Bennett goes and buys the Sonics,
They move the Sonics, and the rest, as they say,
is history. They got an unbelievable GM who's been able
to sustain, for the most part, successful teams year after
(08:55):
year after year. But the home court advantage, the crowd
showing up, which that's what it was like in Oklahoma
State when I played, That's what it's like in Oklahoma
and football. It's the combination of those two, which by
the way, has hurt both of those crowds oh U
football and OSU basketball. But they're more like collegiate fans.
They show up at the airport, win or lose. They
(09:17):
cheer for you when you're down twenty. They don't walk
out right. They wear team colors like their school colors.
It's a completely different vibe. And we've seen this in
the NBA before. Sacramento has had it, a couple other
small market teams have had it. But the uniqueness of
this story, a city that was that small when they
got the team, a team that trade away star players
(09:40):
who weren't going to be there anymore, and used it
to get draft picks and traded for Shay Gildsess Alexander
and he became an MVP. All these things are an
unbelievab unique story, which is a great thing. Not as
many people will hear it or watch it because of
the size of the market. Buyer, Do you think there's
any way this series isn't over?
Speaker 6 (09:58):
No, Well, I think it'll go game I think the
Pacers can win Game six. So I'm gonna say Indiana
holds serve on Thursday, with or without Haliburton. I'll just
if and Sham's reported that he's gonna have an MRI
here just to determine the severity of the injury. But
I'll say the Pacers end up winning Game six and
(10:21):
we have a Game seven. What I do think is
interesting about the Oklahoma City thing is it's small market,
but I also think that it's the one team market.
And if you go back to the Blazers of the seventies,
which I wasn't around, but that's Rip City and that's
where Rip City.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Ended up originating.
Speaker 6 (10:42):
I remember the Jazz and their run obviously with Stockton
Malone in the nineties. Sure what it was like to
play in Salt Lake. In dealing with that, San Antonio
had a great team, no doubt about it. Like that
that really helps when you're playing those things. But I
also think that there is just something so unique about
the one team market, and I think that's what makes it,
(11:06):
in my mind cool for Oklahoma City because it's not
like they're ever going to get an NFL team, right,
You're not going to have one in Oklahoma City. So
that's kind of their baby in that way, and I
find that pretty cool. But we've seen it throughout NBA
history and now this time around it's turning into Oklahoma City.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, I think it's case. Do you had something?
Speaker 7 (11:29):
I got a question?
Speaker 8 (11:30):
Yeah, there's a question that needs an answer.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
And the answer is if only.
Speaker 8 (11:37):
There was someone with the authority and the wisdom to
give us that answer.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
No, I'm the head coach.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
I get to set the schedule.
Speaker 8 (11:44):
Hold on, let's ask the coach.
Speaker 7 (11:46):
So you have a you have a player saying that
he wants to play, he really wants to play, he's
obviously compromised. Sham says that it's a CAF strain severity TBD.
Then you have a head coach who says that the
player insisted on being on the court. If you're a
Pacers fan, wouldn't you want your head coach to be
(12:09):
more discerning than that? If he's hurting the team, why
not tap into somebody who's one.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Again, I don't know the severity, I don't know the
pain threshold. I don't know what a shot will do.
There's so much I don't know. It's really really unfair.
Go ahead, Dan.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Here's what I think is interesting is if this was Lebron, like,
they're not pulling him. But this adds to the Halliburton
debate on who is he? What is he? Is he overrated?
Is he not overrated? Is he a superstar? Is he
not a superstar? And I think Jason's question really kind
(12:53):
of straddles that line and the decision on Rick Carlile.
Like Carlisle obviously is tree him like he's Lebron James,
and that no matter what happens, unless your entire body
cramps up, you're going to be out on the floor.
But to Jason's point, maybe they're better without Tyrese Haliburton.
I think that adds to the intrigue on this debate
(13:15):
and if there's anything we're going to take from these finals.
Maybe that's it that Tyreese Halliburton now is just a
normal part of our conversation when we debate the NBA
for whatever, you know, variety of reasons.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
I think all that's fair. Again, I just if you
don't know the severity of it. My guess is he's
got a he's got a partially torn calf, right, Like,
that's a reasonable guess. If it's fully torn, then he
won't be able to play. There's nothing you can do.
It's very likely to be partially torn, like a sprain.
For people to understand, a sprain is actually a tear. Okay,
(13:52):
it's actually tear. It's the degrees of sprain are the
severity of the tear. So we have no idea. But
to your point, Jay Stu and your point Dan, is
they hampered Tyrese Haliburton. If he can't guard, if he
can't move, if he can't get a shot off, or whatever, like,
(14:13):
you're better off having somebody. And that's what happened with
the Lakers when Magic started at center for them and
they won NBA title. They had Kareem who ended up
becoming later on his career the NBA's all time leading score,
but they were better off without him because he was
too injured to play.
Speaker 7 (14:30):
Yeah, and my my question is more about allowing the
player to dictate if they play or not. I mean
Carlisle actually said he insisted on being out there. Isn't
that don't you want your head, coach? And I'm not
even talking about game six. I'm talking about what we
saw last night. He was obviously compromised, right.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Yes, yeah, it's a really hard one. And I don't
think Haliburton is Lebron or is Jim Miller is Michael Jordan.
But generally the player is his own best doctor, and
you give guys that carte blancheve coach. I don't take
me out. But then at some point, now that we've
(15:11):
seen how he's played, when he's compromised, now Rick Carlock
can go like, look, I love you, I know you
want to be out there, but we just we gotta
play somebody else.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
It's tricky because he's the head of the snake, right.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, not easy? Uh not easy. This
is the Doug Gottlieb Show. You're on Fox Sports Radio.
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Speaker 9 (15:49):
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Speaker 10 (15:54):
Can your right hand lay up?
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Thunder one ten?
Speaker 4 (15:56):
The pace was ninety seven? Is this some team something?
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Head through the cold?
Speaker 9 (16:01):
Game five Jalen Williams Massive for thirty seven. The Oklahoma
City Thunder one win away from their first ever NBA championship.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
For the first time in the finals.
Speaker 9 (16:12):
They lead the Pacers pre victories to tool resounding Game
five home court win one on nine as the Thunder
have two shots to get one win to hoist their
first ever NBA title.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
That's our tyrac play of the day.
Speaker 8 (16:30):
This is the best of the DOUN dot Leap Show
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Slash Doug for details. It's a Doug Outleeb show here
on Fox Sports Radio. We got Olden Polonies upcoming. I
don't know if we're playing Olden days or not. We
got an update coming from Dan Byer on potential injury
or injury update for Tyrese Halliburton. And some trades going
(17:43):
on in the NBA even while the season is still
going on, including one with one of the teams playing
in the NBA Finals. But one sho like just a
moment to take back a take you had with your buddies. Well,
Dan Byer gets that moment. We call it buyer's remorse.
Speaker 8 (18:00):
Some have remorse.
Speaker 6 (18:02):
I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
I engage, come on, but.
Speaker 8 (18:08):
There's nothing quite like buyer's remorse.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
All right there, damn.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
Buyer, Doug.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
I've branched out, been taking liberties with this because I
know I'm wrong a lot, but I can't always be wrong,
so sometimes I try to look in different areas. And
what I'm remorseful about today was that I didn't bring
this up yesterday. This was a behind the scenes situation
at Fox Sports Radio. We've had some difficulties technically with
our clocks here. They've been like a second or two offs,
(18:34):
so or engineering department has been going crazy and trying
to sort this whole thing out. And yesterday Andrew from
the fifth floor came downstairs and Iowa Sam to his face,
said hey Corey, and it was so and Andrew goes,
(18:56):
I'm Andrew, and it was one of those hilarious, awkward
moments that I actually thought. Iowa Sam called Andrew Corey
for some hidden reason because he was so confident in him,
but called him the wrong name to his face, a coworker,
and it was just it was so funny. It was hilarious,
(19:19):
and I am remorseful that I didn't bring it up
yesterday as part of my love and hate.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Do you remember this, Sam?
Speaker 1 (19:25):
What did you feel?
Speaker 4 (19:26):
What he said? It's Andrew?
Speaker 11 (19:27):
Well, okay, I see the guy maybe once here, so
he's not really a coworker.
Speaker 12 (19:31):
He is, he works here, and he's got glasses. It
is bald. Yeah, Corey's Corey does not wear glasses and.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Is not bald.
Speaker 10 (19:38):
I think Corey does wear glasses and he is bald.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
They're both times, they're.
Speaker 11 (19:41):
Both bald with glasses. Yeah, they're the different guys, and
it was just a genuine mistake.
Speaker 10 (19:47):
I mix them up. So I'm glad that you found
a way to throw me under the bus for.
Speaker 12 (19:50):
Your you're not throwing you under the bus is let's
say a little bit, a little bit because you know
they I could have brought it up today.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yesterday it did air on National Radio EN podcast.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Oh, because it was hilarious fun Andrew.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Have you ever that happened? One of my assistant coaches.
I have a player named Mac Recky. He's a new coach.
He keeps calling him Matt and they're like, hey, you
gotta tell coach his name is Mac not Mac. Like, nah,
just see how long he goes until he figures it out.
Speaker 10 (20:22):
It's like the Susie and Elaine thing from Seinfeld. Oh sus.
Speaker 11 (20:27):
So, I'm glad he corrected me off the bat and
I and then I I like when I said Andrew,
I was like in my head, I was like, that's
that's all right, So it's Corey, Like that's.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
Not Coy Corey.
Speaker 10 (20:38):
And I knew it immediately, and I was like, yeah,
that's not that's not gonna.
Speaker 7 (20:42):
Listen or uh chiming in here, Corvette Guy twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Corvette Guy twenty eight, he's listening.
Speaker 7 (20:47):
And did Sam look on Google for Corey's name.
Speaker 6 (20:51):
The funny thing is is Jason is told the uh
Tyris Thomas story at least four times on this network,
has no problems talking about it. But I bring up
this one interaction and you feel like I'm throwing you
under the bus.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
And I just I thought it was we're.
Speaker 11 (21:08):
Putting out fires back here, and then all I hear
is this little embarrassing funny story to start.
Speaker 10 (21:13):
And it's like, how is this tied into buyer's remorse?
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Oh?
Speaker 10 (21:16):
Because I should have.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
Because I'm bringing up.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Oh, it was.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
It was great, especially because I feel like Iowa Sam
tries to go the extra mile, you know, and being friendly,
and then they're just flat out calling a guy by
a wrong name straight to his face. It was just
it wasn't and it wasn't like an Andy Andrew sort
of thing, like you weren't even in the same zip code.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
It was.
Speaker 11 (21:44):
But yeah, I just listen, Dan, I respect how clever
you were in looping this into buyer's remorse, so I'll
give you credit for that. And I am glad that
the world got to hear this story. I could have
been remorseful.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
About saying JJ spond would finish outside the top ten
you had as opposed to winning.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
But est to the two is.
Speaker 11 (22:05):
Drow my old corpse under the rolling bus wheels go
round and round.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
All right, let's uh, let's get you ready for more
NBA in a second. First is that it Dan? Do
you have anything I want of your l That's it,
all right, Let's get back to Dan. Get a quick
update now when.
Speaker 6 (22:18):
He got Tarry's Halliburton have an MRI and his injured
right calf according to the ESPN Pacers, then we'll figure
out a plan for Halliburton's Game six is on Thursday.
Pacers training their first round pick and next week's draft
and the rights to mav A Young to the Pelicans
New Orleans. That's number twenty three overall. Next week, New
Orleans is giving the Pacers back their original first round pick.
In twenty twenty six, Oilers from Panthers eight o'clock Eastern time,
(22:41):
Stanley Cup Final tonight. Panthers up three to two, trying
to go back to back as Stanley Cup champions. Oilers
going back to Stuart's skinnering goal for tonight's contest. PGA
Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan will be stepping down following the
twenty twenty six PGA Tour season. Hall of Fame skipper
Joe Tory will serve as an honorary coach for the
America League during the next month's All Star Game in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Doug, back to you, all right, thanks so much, Doug
Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Let's get some
insight on the NBA Finals story on the op All
the Ponies, Fox Sports Radio NBA analysts spent fifteen years
in the league. He joined us on the Doug Gotlip
(23:24):
Show on Fox Sports Radio. Op thanks for taking time.
What's your assessment of Halliburton? Looks like a strained calf.
I'd headed MRI today. Not healthy. Insisted on playing. If
you're Rick Carlisle, you keep throwing them out.
Speaker 13 (23:39):
There, well you're gonna have to. I mean, this is
the Finals. But at the same time, you gotta beware
because that same calf could turn into something more serious.
So it's you know, six and one half dozen the others.
But I saw the way TJ McConnell was playing last
night that he said, just kept playing them, you know.
(23:59):
I mean, that was the wrench that they needed to
throw into that game. And those guys, you know, and
that's the problem with a lot of a lot of players,
you know, when the when the lights get bright, sometimes
a backfires, you know. But with tyreevese, I mean, he's
been stepping up with a lot of games, so you
kind of knew he was hurt. He was definitely not himself,
(24:21):
so it was tough to watch. But you know, that's
part of sports. You know, injuries do happen. But you know,
we'll have to wait and see.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Now, what are your thoughts on the likelihood that Oklahoma
City can keep this group together and continue to compete
for league championships.
Speaker 13 (24:43):
It's a great question. I want to say it's likely
and unlikely at the same fact. But again, you know,
my favorite saying, we've seen this before, and so we've
seen this movie before. They had Harden, they had the Rant,
they had Westbrook, if they had a boxer and you know,
went to the finals loss and they were not able
(25:05):
to keep it together for financial reason. It's going to
come up to the same thing that whole Apron first April,
second Apron thing of the NBA. Now it makes it
very difficult, you know, but you know, we'll see. But
I think they're gonna have to make some moves eventually
because they can't pay all these guys. You know, you
can't say this guy is a superstar, as he is
superstar right now, so you got to pay him. You can't,
(25:27):
you know, say Jaylen William's superstar, because then you got
to pay him. Ched Holman is gonna have to get paid,
so It's just it's gonna come down to what are
they want to do. But again, Oklahoma, see thunder have
so many draft picks, they can just go get some
different guys.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
The New York Dicks. And again this is for reports
Durant wants to go there, they're not interested. Why would
they not be interested in Ken.
Speaker 13 (25:52):
Rant the same reason why they fighted Thibodau when they
did the mix A side show. I mean, I was
really happy to see them being relevant again in the NBA.
But at the same time, some of the decisions that
they make. I'm not saying that they shouldn't have fied Tobe.
I think, you know, he's kind of like, you know,
(26:13):
it's tough sometimes watching him, you know, mismanage the team
and everything else. I get all that, but at the
same time, the timing of it was the problem for me.
You know, It's like, you can't do it right after
you lose, you know, especially with the season they had,
you know, start the next year or somebody, oh fire
him before. I mean, it's just it was just weird
(26:33):
the timing at all. And the Knicks havept been known
to do stuff like that, so I'm not surprised at all.
I mean, why wouldn't you want Kevin Durant. I'm I'm
assuming it's probably because of that asking price, you know,
because I know call Anthony Towns is probably odd man's
out right now. But I don't think they want to
give up either Michel Bridges or og Ananobi. But one
(26:53):
of those guys is going to have to go in
any trade, so we'll see.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Obviously, as you said, you wouldn't have traded you you
went to fired Tom Thibodeau. They haven'ten able to get
a head coach yet. Who should they hire? Who's who's
the best guy for them to hire?
Speaker 13 (27:09):
Well, the fact that they went after Jason Kidd tells
you a lot. You know, It's like they were just
you know, we're making this, you know this thing right
now where we fired Thibodeau, so, you know, to to
appease a fan base, we had to make a splash.
And but you can't go after people that are already on
the contract. You went after Thibodeau, I mean after Jason Kid,
(27:30):
and which is insane. And then now all of a sudden,
you you double back to Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown.
I mean that should have been your starting two right there,
you know, to see but at the same time, I don't.
Taylor Jenkins to me is probably the only one that
makes sense right now. But the most obvious one is
(27:50):
the one that I don't know if they're ever gonna
get is Mike Malone. To me, that's the guy that
they need. And so they're not willing to do something
like that because if you rehash Mike Brown, you're gonna
have the same issues that Sacramento Kings had because after
a while he wears on players. That's the problem.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Yeah, I guess my question why not Jeffan Gundhi.
Speaker 13 (28:16):
Thank you, somebody like that, But I don't know Van. Yeah,
Van Gundy is with the Clippers right now, I could
see that. But again, bring him back with this kind
of talent. Yeah, that makes some sense. But the word
around right now, with a lot of teams that around
the nbas if some of these guys are not able
to make changes, you know, with the current players, you know,
(28:38):
they're stuck in their ways. Perfect example. I mean, I
love the man to death, but Papovich, for all his
greatness and all that, I think he even realized that.
You know what, I think, I'm a little outgrown this league,
and so they got to get you know, certain types
of coaches now that can relate to these guys.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
You know, yeah, I agree some of us related, but
you have to relate while still being able to coach him.
Olden Polinies start getting Yeah, yeah, it's got to do both.
Like it, just relating doesn't work, just coaching doesn't work.
Got to be able to do both that works, And
then you have to have one. And it's really hard
to fire Tim Tom Thibodeau because he hasn't won deep
in the playoffs and then not hire somebody who has.
(29:18):
So that's what at least I get about Jason Kidd
and somebody the other guys is at least somebody's been
to the NBA Finals before as a player and as
a coach. Op joints us here on the Doug Gottlieb Show,
What do you do with You're the Lakers? And I
say that because it's really hard to have more than
one guy who's not a strong defender on the floor
(29:40):
at once. Their three best offensive players are all poor defenders.
Luca hadn't played any defense, Lebron doesn't anymore, and you know,
then you have oh god, what's the why am I
forgetting his name from uh which to State and Oklahoma?
Who's their their the leading scorer Austin Reeves. Yeah, Austin Reeves,
(30:04):
what do you do with your Lakers and that's your
three best offensive players?
Speaker 13 (30:09):
You tell them to olklomb and see it's under and
watch other teams. I mean, Gillis Alexander is the MVP
and top score and everything else. He gets down there
and play defense, he scraps. It's a mindset. You can't
keep rewarding people for stupidity, or you can't keep importing
people for lack of effort. I'm tired of it. It's
(30:32):
ridiculous to me. Yes, these guys are great players offensively,
but playing defense is a mindset. You just have to
commit to it. But if you keep allowing people to
doce or I can't play defense, they're not good defenders.
Of course they're going to be that way. You know,
take some of that money away from them and see
how much defense they play then. So I don't buy
into all that stuff because the reason I say that
(30:54):
is this, Austin Reeves, at some point in time played defense.
That's how he got into the NBA at some point
in time, Lebron played defense. At some point in time
Luca played defense. They're just not being consistent with it
because they're relying so much on the offense and the
mindset that all I can do now is offense. And
(31:14):
that's not fair to the game, that's not fair to
the teams, that's not fair to the fans. That's why
they lost because I knew they weren't gonna do well
because everybody kept saying that they're not good defenders, so
they bought into it.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Stephen A said earlier today that NBA players don't feel
safe in Memphis. Do you what do you feel about
that comment? Oh?
Speaker 13 (31:38):
God, I really got issues with him and in his
comments though. But it's like another athenine statement by an
asenine individual. It's like ridiculous, How are you gonna make
that dumb statement? You might as well say that about
every other city you go to. That's absurd to me.
I mean, there's never been issues in Memphis. How all
(32:00):
of a sudden that there's a Memphis problem. He's just
looking for clickbait, that's all that is.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Any thought in your mind that Indiana comes back wins
this series, Yes.
Speaker 13 (32:13):
I believe it. I mean it's based on this MRII specifically,
but I do believe Indiana's gonna win Games six on Thursday,
and it's him. Sevens are always a freetball and so
to me, it's gonna be fun to see, and I
believe Indiana can win this series. I mean, they've played well.
(32:34):
Outside of the turnovers and some of these crazy whistles
we get at inopportunity times, they really played well. They
played solid, so I'm not surprised, you know, and it's
been really good basketball to watch. Again outside of the
turnover because some of those turnovers are not unforced either.
The unforced ones kill Indiana, but the ones that the
(32:57):
referee is allowed to happen, you know, guys get hitting
the head and everything else. You know, that's neither that's
you know, That's what I'm really talking about. But at
the same time, they have as good a shot as
any And again, all the pressure has been on, okay
see because they have to win. They've the number one steed,
so they have to win. Amy has been playing with
(33:19):
free money all year.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Ope, you're the best man. I appreciate you joining us.
Thanks so much for being our guest. On Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 13 (33:27):
All right, thank you.
Speaker 8 (33:29):
Fox Sports Radio had the best sports talk lineup in
the nation yet. Catch all of our shows at Fox
sports Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
It's Dog Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio. So
during Game four of the NBA Finals, Steven A. Smith
was both photographed and there's been video of him sitting
watching the game while playing Solitaire on his phone. His response,
(34:05):
his response when asked about it on social media when
the picture was posting he was tagged, was basically, hey,
it's during a timeout. I can do whatever I want.
Then somebody else saw that and posted the actual video
of him playing Solitaire while the game was going on.
Here's Steven A. Smith of ESPN discussing it on TV.
(34:28):
I can ask you a question.
Speaker 14 (34:29):
I should also be playing a little game on my phone,
that's right, like I'm doing so, yes, I mean, what's
going on here? And I was doing what the hell
I always do. And for those out there who don't
like it, kiss my eyes when I'm watching the game.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
I'm watching the game.
Speaker 14 (34:43):
If there's a break into action, it could be a
dead ball, it could be a time out of something
like that. I could play the damn thing for two seconds.
Somebody is standing over me upper deck, zooming in on
my phone, watching me and saying, oh, he's playing Solitaire.
He's not com he's not focusing on the game. Watch
over one hundred games a year. I'm on TV every
(35:04):
morning for two hours, ten hours live every day. And
that's just one job. That don't count, count Down, that
don't count Sports Center, that don't count all the obligations
that I have. And I'm sitting there and getting a
little break, and I decide to play a little Solitaire, which,
by the.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Way, I always do, and I mean always.
Speaker 14 (35:22):
If I sit up there, if this halftime, I might
go on my foe for two minutes to play Solitaire.
At the end of the game. Before a game, I
do the same thing. Damn it. If you had had
a little break in between, I might have been praying
to it again because I like the game.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
How'd you do I want?
Speaker 4 (35:34):
That particular was?
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Okay? It could have been something else on that phone.
Speaker 15 (35:38):
Right, Oh, this one's too easy. Right, it's just too easy.
The levels to it, which are embarrassing. I'm probably gonna
miss some. So Jason, you may be able to hop
(36:01):
in on it. The first thing is, again, this is
about optics as much as anything. Okay, if we're being
honest with ourselves. I watched their halftime show and they
go to stephen A first and he does what he
always does.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
Again, and it's work for him. So I'm not blaming him.
Is it's always some big bombastic statement that has that
he is his takeaway from the first half of the game,
the first twenty four minutes of the game, right, somebody's terrible,
They're horrible, they're not ready to play there, blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah. So it actually doesn't matter
(36:37):
if we're really honest about him watching each possession, because
he doesn't know he's watching anyway. I mean, that's the
reality of it. Like, what are we kidding ourselves. He
can watch every play and he still doesn't see it,
doesn't feel it. It's not a basketball like you guy.
And and by the way, that's not his brand, and
that's not his brand. But it's embarrassing because of the
(37:02):
optics of it. Right, here's a guy who's making more
money than anybody on ESPN. They're the rights holder, and
you can't even pay attention to the game. And then
when somebody says, like you're watching the Solitaire, like, ah,
my bad. You know it's a bad habit. I usually
do it during timeouts, and I had leaked over into
the game. That's what any normal rational. But the defiance
of it kind of proves our point, right because then
(37:26):
the defiance of it, he goes to the all the
other jobs that he has, which is not really even
part of the question. Nobody cares about the other jobs
you have. Nobody asks you about your radio show or
your podcast or TV show or anything. Nobody zero people
asked or cared. They asked you're analyzing a game, you're
on pre post half time, and you're not paying attention.
(37:49):
You're playing Solitaire, And the reasonable explanation is like, ah
my bad. Yeah, I was watching the game playing Solitaire
and should have been doing in the game. My bad.
But then you get defiant. You start doing I got
this job and I got that job. You know what
that is. That's I make a lot of money. I
work really hard so I can do what I want
(38:11):
to do. It's obnoxious, it's entitled and super embarrassing. Imagine
if you work at a ESPN and you're like, wait,
that dude's the face of our company. He makes twenty
million a year and he can't even he can't even
pay attention. And then when asked HI about paying attention,
he goes into some defiance, child like I got all
(38:32):
these jobs, nobody cares. And again, if it would be
one thing is if you were always prepared for everything
you do. The secret is Steven A. Smith. He's has
never prepared. He doesn't right. And look, some things you
can't prepare for. Some things you can't bring in stats,
(38:53):
and guys can overprepare in the business. And I get it,
I understand it. I got some of that myself. But like,
this is what happened to him when he was doing
Monday Night Football, Monday Night Countdown, and was it Hunter Henry.
He's like, Hunter Henry is going to be a huge
factor to night for the Chargers against the Patriots. But
Hunter Henry was out for the year with the torn
acl and he didn't know that. Why because he doesn't prep,
(39:14):
He doesn't study, He doesn't even take notes from a
PA because his ego is too gigantic to have somebody
who actually watches the games prep for him give him
a note and just just repeat what you see on
a card. Can't do it. John Middlecoff joints this year
on the Doug Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio, John
(39:34):
steven A. Smith playing Solitaire, wall of game going on
and oh yeah, by the way, saying I only did
it during a break, and then there's video of him
doing it. Not the end of the world, but tracks
to just about what everybody thought. Right, Well, I.
Speaker 16 (39:49):
Would say this, you know, when I got into radio
after football, I was going to all the major sports,
and football, basketball and baseball. Obviously baseball screw around in
a position that you're gonna have to talk about a
game between pitches, and same thing kind of with football
between plays. There was some downtime. I was going to
a lot of Warriors games now a lot like these
(40:11):
teams in the NBA finals, especially the Pacers, they go
out rapid speed. If you start bsing with the guy
next to you or start messing on your phone, you know,
for a couple of minutes, a lot happens in the
game of basketball. Like I would say, of all the
sports to me, if you told me he was at
like an NFL game, I don't think it would be
that crazy, right, you got forty seconds between plays. I'm
sure other guys do it like it wouldn't be a
(40:33):
great look. I think basketball at the NBA Finals. I
mean it's it's hard to pay attention in that sport.
I mean, you know better than anybody if you're not
really just watching the game, right, I mean, it'd be
one thing if it was during a time out, it
was clearly during the actions.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
Well, and then it's during the action. All you got
to say is like, yeah, my bad, he said. He
goes into defiance mode and tries to make us I didn't.
Speaker 13 (40:55):
Even see who asked him about it.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Well, yeah, we'll play it for you here. You guys
got that clip. This is Steven a when he was
asked about it. I can ask you a question.
Speaker 14 (41:04):
I should also be playing a little games on my phone,
that's right, like I'm.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
Doing so yeah, I mean, what's going on here?
Speaker 14 (41:10):
I was doing what the hell I always do. And
for those out there who don't like it, kiss my ass.
When I'm watching the game, I'm watching the game. If
there's a break in the action, it could be a
dead ball, it could be a time out or something
like that. I can play the damn thing. For two seconds,
somebody is standing over me upper deck, zooming in on
my phone, watching me and saying, oh, he's playing Solitaire.
(41:31):
He's not coming, he's not focusing on the game. I
watch over one hundred games a year. I'm on TV
every morning for two hours, ten hours live every day.
And that's just one job. That don't count count Down,
that don't count Sports Center, that don't count all the
obligations that I have. And I'm sitting there and getting
a little break, and I decide to play a little solitaid, which,
(41:53):
by the.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Way, I always do, and I mean always.
Speaker 14 (41:56):
If I sit up there, if this halftime, I might
go on my phone for two minutes to play solitude.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
Yeah, so he goes on and on and on instead
of just going I mean it was.
Speaker 16 (42:05):
They were playing. What in the game you could see
you could see No, there's there's.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
There's yeah, there's video of them playing.
Speaker 16 (42:15):
I don't think any if you had said it was
a time out and it was clear, I don't think
anyone would it would have been funny, but it wouldn't
have been a big deal. I mean, they were they
were playing, right.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
That that's where that's where the old. It's the cover
up is bigger than the crime, right, Like, yeah, I
was playing solid term on my phone. My bad. Instead
you start raising your voice and going like you get
my alf You're like, okay, dude, clearly you're defense about it.
Obviously it's a problem. You got caught not paying attention,
you know, Okay. I just it's just weird where our
(42:49):
industry has gone. Doug Gotlieb show here on Fox Sports Tradio,
John middleco choices Straight Out is the is the podcast? Uh,
what's your thoughts on Micah Parsons and this contact negotiation
with the Cowboys?
Speaker 16 (43:02):
Yeah, I mean I think we have a history now Dallas,
the way they do business. I mean my theory is
like Jerry must have some incredible investment that he doesn't
want to lose, you know, pulling out the cast to
the last possible second. Because if you're a betting man,
I don't know how you would bet against this being
done sometime I don't know, after August twentieth. From his
(43:23):
he has a pretty clear history now the last several
deals that have been massive in Ceedee Lamb and Dak
and I think it was a couple of years when
they gave Zach Martin that raid the last possible second.
I would expect it to be somewhat similar to this,
Like I don't think my expectation is like July twentieth,
(43:44):
you know, a couple of days before camp, Michaeh Parsons
has been extended, Like, I mean, that would be going
down a different path than Jerry, who has this unique position.
He owns the team, it's his money, and he conferns
himself to GM. It's like Al Davis without all the
football experience. Beside, I get, I mean Jerry played back
(44:06):
in the early sixties or whatever, but it's just how
Jerry does this.
Speaker 1 (44:12):
Yeah, I just I just thought it was interesting and
it is how he does biz. And he said as
much last year. He said, hey, I'd rather pay more
knowing everything than I would signing signing a guy too early,
And it does track.
Speaker 16 (44:27):
But the thing is, like, I get what he's saying,
and I think, like, you'd rather pay more. You'd rather
pay an extra five million dollars a year in free
agency you know you're getting the pro bowler than overpaying
an average guy. I totally these are always Jerry's guys. Yes,
he's extending people that like Jarry You've known ceedee Land
since he was twenty one. Jerry, You've known Dak since
(44:49):
you drafted him ten years ago. You've known Michael Parsons
now for whatever five five plus years. Like these aren't
like random acquisitions, right, I mean, this isn't a merger
at act with where you've just you've done a little
uh some uh you know, you put a pi on
it to get some like this guy's been your building
every day for several years.
Speaker 13 (45:08):
Well, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
I did want to ask you a little bit, uh
jumpin a Coofsar guesting owns the podcast. He also has
a Going Low podcast, which is his golf podcast. Couple
of things, First, do you like did you like the setup?
And it was a very very difficult golf course.
Speaker 16 (45:28):
In SIY I did, because it's like the one time
really every three or four years. I mean they only
played this course. It's the hardest course in America, uh
said by every player that moves on property. And then
you're watching it, you're like, you know, I don't need
thirty under, but I do like some more fireworks.
Speaker 5 (45:45):
Uh.
Speaker 16 (45:46):
And it does you know, let's face it, when it's
that difficult and random. You know, the leaderboard actually doesn't
look bad. There's the Schefflers and the Xanders and the Koepkas,
but they were never really in the mix. Uh So, like,
I don't know, I'm I mean, I do like it's
a unique tests. It's our you know, championship here in America.
(46:06):
It's always kind of what it's hung. He's had on
since I was a kid, some of those courses in
the nineties. I remember you the Olympic Club and Peyne
Stewart was like putting it off the green back.
Speaker 13 (46:16):
At his feet.
Speaker 16 (46:17):
But watching it is like this might be a little
too hard, you know, So I'm torn.
Speaker 1 (46:24):
Yeah, you saw Jye Monahan is gonna gonna step down.
You know, he's been there a decade. But this is
this is all the live thing, is it not?
Speaker 13 (46:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 16 (46:35):
I mean I think the headline says that he's gonna
step down in twenty six let's say that his career
ended today, Yes, right, And they hired this guy, you
know my thing is and I was just kind of
putting together a podcast. I think this guy, I don't
know if you saw the details on Brian roll App
I think is his name. Twenty two years with the NFL,
(46:55):
and I was looking you know, Pete Rozelle way back
in the day, in the sixties. I mean, it was
a world. But if you look at the last two
Tagliaboo and Roger, right, Tagliaboo was the NFL's lawyer in
the eighties and obviously they had gone through a lot
in the eighties, so like he was very entrenched with
the business. Roger worked for Tagliaboo. New insight that this
is not your normal force five hundred company, where like Chipotle,
(47:19):
you know, Starbucks hires the guy from Chipotle. They're not
hiring some random guy outsider. They're going to hire someone
that knows where the bodies are buried. This guy, you know,
Roger sixty six. So this guy goes the PGA tour
IF over the next several years, he does a really
good job, and now you know, Arthur Blank and some
of these football guys are involved with financing the tour.
(47:39):
This guy's going to be the next commissioner because he
will not only know the way the NFL works, he's
worked there for twenty two years, he's worked side by
side with Roger for the last several but now he
will have been in charge of something. It's smaller than
the NFL, but you know, these golf's unique because they
get these enormous sponsors with big time money. It's kind
of a knee steal, but it's a it's a highly
(48:01):
lucrative niche deal. And he would be like I have,
like I know what it's like to be in charge
of the whole thing. So if this goes well and
there can be a transition with Live, I would look
for this guy to succeed Roger Goodell. And you know,
I don't know four or five years.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
Yeah, no, I mean it's and and people have wondered
out loud who the next commissioner of the NFL is
when Goodell's tenure comes to that not a guy you
necessarily want to uh follow. But if you have that experience,
if you can figure out a way to unite Live
and the PGA Tour, if you can figure out a
way uh to get to to move golf back to
(48:38):
where it was in the Tiger Woods era, you can
figure those out, then you can do it with the NFL.
Speaker 13 (48:43):
And think about this.
Speaker 16 (48:46):
The one thing he'll be dealing with very closely, just
like in all these leaks, is they're in business with CBS.
They're they're in business with ESPN and and NBC and
obviously streaming and merging that over the next four or
five years with golf it will be huge Google and
YouTube with the YouTube influences massive. So he like where
this is going. And he I think that was kind
(49:07):
of his job with the NFL, but now like he
no longer has to go up the chain, like he's
at the top of the chain. So I think he
will have a resume in a couple of years. And
who knows, maybe you know, he's making so much money
and things are going with PGA tourries, like it's not
even the NFL is not even worth a headache. But
I'd be stunned if this guy, if it goes well,
I don't know. He's not the lead candidate here in
(49:29):
a couple of years.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Last thing, this is a new system for Aaron Rodgers,
a different style. He doesn't have a ton of time
as a lead up, but he should have enough time.
How does he fit in to this offensive system?
Speaker 16 (49:45):
Well, I think that the experience with Lafleur and once
he kind of relented after nineteen and started winning those
MVPs in twenty and twenty one, it was about run
first past second, you know, which you know, even with
McCarthy was about spreading it out and slinging around. When
you look at Arthur Smith when he became a hot
name in the NFL, it was with Tanny Hill running
(50:06):
the ball and really playing defense. And at the end
of the day, like Bruce Arians was fired once from
Pittsburgh after they won the Super Bowl. Why because they
passed it too much. So the family business is running
the ball and playing in defense. And if you're Aaron
at forty one years old, I mean part of like
when he got to the Jets, why people thought he
(50:27):
was gonna be success, Like great defense, they got brief
Hall take pressure off them, and then it kind of
morphs that a lot fell on his back. So if
the defense can't improve, I mean last year down the stretch,
the SEALSS.
Speaker 13 (50:39):
Holds off on defense.
Speaker 16 (50:41):
And this young guy from Iowa. I don't know how
much Iowa football you watched last year, but I thought
Caleb Johnson was a beast. He's like six' to two
or he's like sixty one two twenty, five but he's a.
Rookie you, know if he could have a big year
With Jalen, warren and they can just run the ball
and play d and then just Let rogers do what he.
Does you, know ideally like twenty five thirty attempts a,
(51:03):
game not, fifty you, KNOW i think they could have some.
Speaker 1 (51:06):
Success John minocoff, three now's a, podcast also The Going
Low Golf. Podcast if it's a, podcast he'll do. It
he joins us On The Doug Gotlip. Show johnny The.
Best thanks for joining, Us, Motter doug
Thanks for listening to the best of The Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
three to five Eastern twelve two Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for The Doug Gottlieb Show at
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Doug Gottlieb Show, Fuck Sports Radio. I hope you're having
(00:31):
a great day. The Doug Gottlieb Show broadcast live every
single day. In this case, we're in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Man, beautiful, hot, summy,
sunny Southern days meet sunny summer day. I said, Southern
sunurd day. Let's get right after it. Okay, So, by
(00:54):
now you heard the story Tyrese Haliburt. It explains a
lot of it. Right. You're like, man, how does a
dude that's so good? B? So, what's the term mid? Right?
That's the kids say, it was so mid last night.
(01:15):
The only thing you can think of is he's injured.
And look, they were a prohibitive underdog going into last night.
Last night the thunder one that thunder covered. They were
a prohibitive underdog going into the series and again winning
game one. I think many people. Dan Byer was one
of those people, was like, I was, you know when
(01:38):
the when the Heat beat the Thunder, the Thunder went
won game one and then it was a gentleman sweep
in five games. But it's when they won game three
that Okay, now you have my attention. Now we have
the series. Their inability to capitalize on a late lead
in Game four ends up now becoming game five. In
game five, it does feel over despite the fact that
(01:58):
the Pacers, you know, they gotta win two games as
opposed to Oklahoma City only has to win one. Uh,
but it's hard to go, Hey, where do you pick
and what do you say? Here's Mark Dagno, who's who's
the head coach of the Thunder, talking about the team
(02:19):
playing in front of their home fans.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I think the crowd puts the win at our back.
I'm always I always marvel at how enthusiastic and positive
they remain in the ebbs and flows of a game
or of a season. You know, they're always trying to
put the win at our back. They're always trying to
lift the team up, and I just think that's a
great spirit. That's on display in all these games, but
they were amazing tonight.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Obviously, fans don't win games. Teams win games, but the
fans can definitely help you. We'll get We'll circle back
to Oklahoma City a second. Here's Rick Carlisle talk about
Halliburton's injury.
Speaker 3 (02:53):
He's not one hundred percent, it's pretty clear. But I
don't think he's gonna miss the next game. And you know,
we were concerned at halftime, and uh, he insisted I'm playing,
And I thought, I thought he made a lot of
really good things happened in the second half.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
But he's he's not.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
He's not one hundred.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Percent, you know, and there's a lot of guys in
the series that aren't.
Speaker 1 (03:16):
Here's Haliburton talking about his calf jury.
Speaker 5 (03:19):
I mean, c NBA Finals, it's the finals, man. I've
worked my whole life to be here, and I want
to be out there to compete, you know, help my
teammates anyway I can. You know, I was not great
tonight by any means, but uh, you know, it's not
really a thought of mine to to not play here.
You know, if I fucking uh, you know, walk, then
(03:40):
then I want to play. So you know they understand that,
and uh, you know is what it is, and uh
you know, I gotta be ready to go for Game six.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
Yeah, so there's a bunch of different ways we could
go with it. Uh I. I do believe the Thunders
defense was outstanding. I also think that the under whether
it's home crowd, the where they play, they shorten their
bench as well, but they get away with being really
really physical, physical defensively. And I know he didn't shoot
(04:11):
the ball well last night, but Caruso just has been
so important for what they do. But anytime you get
forty points from your second best scorer and your leading
scorers got thirty. I don't track it, but I would
guess that that's like a ninety five to ninety eight
percent of the time. You get seventy combined with good
shooting percentages from two dudes, you're gonna win more games.
(04:35):
Then you lose. The secret sauce is their defense. Some
of the energy to that secret sauce is the crowd
support is the officials reaction to that crowd support is
the way they play. I don't think the Pacers played
tentative in any way. If anything, a team that plays
(04:55):
fast does have a tendency to get sped up. But
they could never really get a handle on the Thunder
last night, and that game was never within really reach
of them. In the second hand, there's never a h
but here they go. It was a lot more like
what Game one would have been like had the Thunder
done the right things to close the door at the end.
(05:18):
Which brings us around. And this is why seven games,
even though it's long and it's spread out and it
can be hard to pay attention for those of us
with that sports add that we want answers to who's
the champion? Now, now, now, now now. Ultimately, partially with
the help of an injury to Halliburton, but mostly because
(05:39):
they're just better, the Thunder are gonna win the series,
which is why it's a seven game series. If there's
a one game series that's an unbelievable comeback and unbelievable
win and the pacer of your champion, it's not and
generally not always the better team wins or the healthier
team wins, and this case, the better healthier team will win.
(06:02):
They will win. Now, I will say this about this
is a weird one with Oklahoma City. Weird from this standpoint,
that on some level it's bad for the NBA because
small markets don't have big ratings and the thunder are
(06:22):
good and they're going to be good. Are they going
to be a champion ten times over? I don't know.
I don't know how they react to what's going to
be a late summer of celebration Oklahoma. Right, everybody can say, hey, look,
I'm based upon talent, but you can lose yourself when
you're the toast of an absolute state, not just town,
a state and you got like a month to go celebrate,
(06:46):
or maybe two months to go celebrate. But they're going
to be good for a while. And if you're going
to be good for a while and you're a small
market and you don't have huge names and shake gill
Z Alexander is an outstanding basketball player, I don't think
he'll ever be some amazing corporate superstar the likes of
(07:10):
which we've seen even from a Damian Lillard, who he's
a much better player than Damian Lillard. Okay, but Damian
Lillard because of Oakland, because he can rap, because he
just he has a really cool personal story with Weaver State.
It feels like Damian Lillard has kind of broken through,
(07:32):
even though his game is not as good as Shay's game.
But if you don't have a superstar, if you don't
have a Durant, you don't have a Westbrook, you don't
have somebody who will be a rating straw, and you
have a really good team, it's going to be a
bit of a problem for the NBA. Not a huge
(07:52):
problem because people are still watching, but the overall ratings
when they're in big games won't be great. That's said.
I do think it's great from the NBA are all
professional sports, because here's a market that when they first
got there, it wasn't big enough. It shouldn't have been
able to support an NBA team. The only reason they
(08:13):
ever got a team was because of Hurricane Katrina. Right,
they had Hurricane Katrina. So they got the Pelicans for
two years. And they only got the Pelicans for two
years because you had a bunch of local businessmen who
are like, hey, we don't care if we lose money,
we just want our city to be recognized as as
a as a major league city. So they get the
(08:34):
they get the then Hornets make it work. Hornets go back,
and Horns didn't want to go back. They were kind
of forced to go back, like it's New Orleans. You
can't lose the team. Clay Bennett goes and buys the Sonics,
They move the Sonics, and the rest, as they say,
is history. They got an unbelievable GM who's been able
to sustain, for the most part, successful teams year after
(08:55):
year after year. But the home court advantage, the crowd
showing up, which that's what it was like in Oklahoma
State when I played, That's what it's like in Oklahoma
and football. It's the combination of those two, which by
the way, has hurt both of those crowds oh U
football and OSU basketball. But they're more like collegiate fans.
They show up at the airport, win or lose. They
(09:17):
cheer for you when you're down twenty. They don't walk
out right. They wear team colors like their school colors.
It's a completely different vibe. And we've seen this in
the NBA before. Sacramento has had it, a couple other
small market teams have had it. But the uniqueness of
this story, a city that was that small when they
got the team, a team that trade away star players
(09:40):
who weren't going to be there anymore, and used it
to get draft picks and traded for Shay Gildsess Alexander
and he became an MVP. All these things are an
unbelievab unique story, which is a great thing. Not as
many people will hear it or watch it because of
the size of the market. Buyer, Do you think there's
any way this series isn't over?
Speaker 6 (09:58):
No, Well, I think it'll go game I think the
Pacers can win Game six. So I'm gonna say Indiana
holds serve on Thursday, with or without Haliburton. I'll just
if and Sham's reported that he's gonna have an MRI
here just to determine the severity of the injury. But
I'll say the Pacers end up winning Game six and
(10:21):
we have a Game seven. What I do think is
interesting about the Oklahoma City thing is it's small market,
but I also think that it's the one team market.
And if you go back to the Blazers of the seventies,
which I wasn't around, but that's Rip City and that's
where Rip City.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
Ended up originating.
Speaker 6 (10:42):
I remember the Jazz and their run obviously with Stockton
Malone in the nineties. Sure what it was like to
play in Salt Lake. In dealing with that, San Antonio
had a great team, no doubt about it. Like that
that really helps when you're playing those things. But I
also think that there is just something so unique about
the one team market, and I think that's what makes it,
(11:06):
in my mind cool for Oklahoma City because it's not
like they're ever going to get an NFL team, right,
You're not going to have one in Oklahoma City. So
that's kind of their baby in that way, and I
find that pretty cool. But we've seen it throughout NBA
history and now this time around it's turning into Oklahoma City.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
Yeah, I think it's case. Do you had something?
Speaker 7 (11:29):
I got a question?
Speaker 8 (11:30):
Yeah, there's a question that needs an answer.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
And the answer is if only.
Speaker 8 (11:37):
There was someone with the authority and the wisdom to
give us that answer.
Speaker 1 (11:42):
No, I'm the head coach.
Speaker 6 (11:43):
I get to set the schedule.
Speaker 8 (11:44):
Hold on, let's ask the coach.
Speaker 7 (11:46):
So you have a you have a player saying that
he wants to play, he really wants to play, he's
obviously compromised. Sham says that it's a CAF strain severity TBD.
Then you have a head coach who says that the
player insisted on being on the court. If you're a
Pacers fan, wouldn't you want your head coach to be
(12:09):
more discerning than that? If he's hurting the team, why
not tap into somebody who's one.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
Again, I don't know the severity, I don't know the
pain threshold. I don't know what a shot will do.
There's so much I don't know. It's really really unfair.
Go ahead, Dan.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Here's what I think is interesting is if this was Lebron, like,
they're not pulling him. But this adds to the Halliburton
debate on who is he? What is he? Is he overrated?
Is he not overrated? Is he a superstar? Is he
not a superstar? And I think Jason's question really kind
(12:53):
of straddles that line and the decision on Rick Carlile.
Like Carlisle obviously is tree him like he's Lebron James,
and that no matter what happens, unless your entire body
cramps up, you're going to be out on the floor.
But to Jason's point, maybe they're better without Tyrese Haliburton.
I think that adds to the intrigue on this debate
(13:15):
and if there's anything we're going to take from these finals.
Maybe that's it that Tyreese Halliburton now is just a
normal part of our conversation when we debate the NBA
for whatever, you know, variety of reasons.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
I think all that's fair. Again, I just if you
don't know the severity of it. My guess is he's
got a he's got a partially torn calf, right, Like,
that's a reasonable guess. If it's fully torn, then he
won't be able to play. There's nothing you can do.
It's very likely to be partially torn, like a sprain.
For people to understand, a sprain is actually a tear. Okay,
(13:52):
it's actually tear. It's the degrees of sprain are the
severity of the tear. So we have no idea. But
to your point, Jay Stu and your point Dan, is
they hampered Tyrese Haliburton. If he can't guard, if he
can't move, if he can't get a shot off, or whatever, like,
(14:13):
you're better off having somebody. And that's what happened with
the Lakers when Magic started at center for them and
they won NBA title. They had Kareem who ended up
becoming later on his career the NBA's all time leading score,
but they were better off without him because he was
too injured to play.
Speaker 7 (14:30):
Yeah, and my my question is more about allowing the
player to dictate if they play or not. I mean
Carlisle actually said he insisted on being out there. Isn't
that don't you want your head, coach? And I'm not
even talking about game six. I'm talking about what we
saw last night. He was obviously compromised, right.
Speaker 1 (14:50):
Yes, yeah, it's a really hard one. And I don't
think Haliburton is Lebron or is Jim Miller is Michael Jordan.
But generally the player is his own best doctor, and
you give guys that carte blancheve coach. I don't take
me out. But then at some point, now that we've
(15:11):
seen how he's played, when he's compromised, now Rick Carlock
can go like, look, I love you, I know you
want to be out there, but we just we gotta
play somebody else.
Speaker 4 (15:20):
It's tricky because he's the head of the snake, right.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Yes, yes, yes, yes, not easy? Uh not easy. This
is the Doug Gottlieb Show. You're on Fox Sports Radio.
For over forty years, Tyrek has been helping customers find
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(15:43):
the way tire buying should be. It's down time for
our tyreq play of the day here on the Thunder
Radio Network.
Speaker 9 (15:49):
Slashing left away from demark down the laye high off
the windows set home a high ar.
Speaker 10 (15:54):
Can your right hand lay up?
Speaker 1 (15:55):
Thunder one ten?
Speaker 4 (15:56):
The pace was ninety seven? Is this some team something?
Speaker 1 (16:00):
Head through the cold?
Speaker 9 (16:01):
Game five Jalen Williams Massive for thirty seven. The Oklahoma
City Thunder one win away from their first ever NBA championship.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
For the first time in the finals.
Speaker 9 (16:12):
They lead the Pacers pre victories to tool resounding Game
five home court win one on nine as the Thunder
have two shots to get one win to hoist their
first ever NBA title.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
That's our tyrac play of the day.
Speaker 8 (16:30):
This is the best of the DOUN dot Leap Show
on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (16:37):
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Slash Doug for details. It's a Doug Outleeb show here
on Fox Sports Radio. We got Olden Polonies upcoming. I
don't know if we're playing Olden days or not. We
got an update coming from Dan Byer on potential injury
or injury update for Tyrese Halliburton. And some trades going
(17:43):
on in the NBA even while the season is still
going on, including one with one of the teams playing
in the NBA Finals. But one sho like just a
moment to take back a take you had with your buddies. Well,
Dan Byer gets that moment. We call it buyer's remorse.
Speaker 8 (18:00):
Some have remorse.
Speaker 6 (18:02):
I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
I engage, come on, but.
Speaker 8 (18:08):
There's nothing quite like buyer's remorse.
Speaker 1 (18:11):
All right there, damn.
Speaker 4 (18:12):
Buyer, Doug.
Speaker 6 (18:14):
I've branched out, been taking liberties with this because I
know I'm wrong a lot, but I can't always be wrong,
so sometimes I try to look in different areas. And
what I'm remorseful about today was that I didn't bring
this up yesterday. This was a behind the scenes situation
at Fox Sports Radio. We've had some difficulties technically with
our clocks here. They've been like a second or two offs,
(18:34):
so or engineering department has been going crazy and trying
to sort this whole thing out. And yesterday Andrew from
the fifth floor came downstairs and Iowa Sam to his face,
said hey Corey, and it was so and Andrew goes,
(18:56):
I'm Andrew, and it was one of those hilarious, awkward
moments that I actually thought. Iowa Sam called Andrew Corey
for some hidden reason because he was so confident in him,
but called him the wrong name to his face, a coworker,
and it was just it was so funny. It was hilarious,
(19:19):
and I am remorseful that I didn't bring it up
yesterday as part of my love and hate.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
Do you remember this, Sam?
Speaker 1 (19:25):
What did you feel?
Speaker 4 (19:26):
What he said? It's Andrew?
Speaker 11 (19:27):
Well, okay, I see the guy maybe once here, so
he's not really a coworker.
Speaker 12 (19:31):
He is, he works here, and he's got glasses. It
is bald. Yeah, Corey's Corey does not wear glasses and.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
Is not bald.
Speaker 10 (19:38):
I think Corey does wear glasses and he is bald.
Speaker 4 (19:40):
They're both times, they're.
Speaker 11 (19:41):
Both bald with glasses. Yeah, they're the different guys, and
it was just a genuine mistake.
Speaker 10 (19:47):
I mix them up. So I'm glad that you found
a way to throw me under the bus for.
Speaker 12 (19:50):
Your you're not throwing you under the bus is let's
say a little bit, a little bit because you know
they I could have brought it up today.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yesterday it did air on National Radio EN podcast.
Speaker 4 (20:02):
Oh, because it was hilarious fun Andrew.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Have you ever that happened? One of my assistant coaches.
I have a player named Mac Recky. He's a new coach.
He keeps calling him Matt and they're like, hey, you
gotta tell coach his name is Mac not Mac. Like, nah,
just see how long he goes until he figures it out.
Speaker 10 (20:22):
It's like the Susie and Elaine thing from Seinfeld. Oh sus.
Speaker 11 (20:27):
So, I'm glad he corrected me off the bat and
I and then I I like when I said Andrew,
I was like in my head, I was like, that's
that's all right, So it's Corey, Like that's.
Speaker 4 (20:37):
Not Coy Corey.
Speaker 10 (20:38):
And I knew it immediately, and I was like, yeah,
that's not that's not gonna.
Speaker 7 (20:42):
Listen or uh chiming in here, Corvette Guy twenty eight.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Corvette Guy twenty eight, he's listening.
Speaker 7 (20:47):
And did Sam look on Google for Corey's name.
Speaker 6 (20:51):
The funny thing is is Jason is told the uh
Tyris Thomas story at least four times on this network,
has no problems talking about it. But I bring up
this one interaction and you feel like I'm throwing you
under the bus.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
And I just I thought it was we're.
Speaker 11 (21:08):
Putting out fires back here, and then all I hear
is this little embarrassing funny story to start.
Speaker 10 (21:13):
And it's like, how is this tied into buyer's remorse?
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Oh?
Speaker 10 (21:16):
Because I should have.
Speaker 4 (21:17):
Because I'm bringing up.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Oh, it was.
Speaker 6 (21:20):
It was great, especially because I feel like Iowa Sam
tries to go the extra mile, you know, and being friendly,
and then they're just flat out calling a guy by
a wrong name straight to his face. It was just
it wasn't and it wasn't like an Andy Andrew sort
of thing, like you weren't even in the same zip code.
Speaker 4 (21:42):
It was.
Speaker 11 (21:44):
But yeah, I just listen, Dan, I respect how clever
you were in looping this into buyer's remorse, so I'll
give you credit for that. And I am glad that
the world got to hear this story. I could have
been remorseful.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
About saying JJ spond would finish outside the top ten
you had as opposed to winning.
Speaker 4 (22:02):
But est to the two is.
Speaker 11 (22:05):
Drow my old corpse under the rolling bus wheels go
round and round.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
All right, let's uh, let's get you ready for more
NBA in a second. First is that it Dan? Do
you have anything I want of your l That's it,
all right, Let's get back to Dan. Get a quick
update now when.
Speaker 6 (22:18):
He got Tarry's Halliburton have an MRI and his injured
right calf according to the ESPN Pacers, then we'll figure
out a plan for Halliburton's Game six is on Thursday.
Pacers training their first round pick and next week's draft
and the rights to mav A Young to the Pelicans
New Orleans. That's number twenty three overall. Next week, New
Orleans is giving the Pacers back their original first round pick.
In twenty twenty six, Oilers from Panthers eight o'clock Eastern time,
(22:41):
Stanley Cup Final tonight. Panthers up three to two, trying
to go back to back as Stanley Cup champions. Oilers
going back to Stuart's skinnering goal for tonight's contest. PGA
Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan will be stepping down following the
twenty twenty six PGA Tour season. Hall of Fame skipper
Joe Tory will serve as an honorary coach for the
America League during the next month's All Star Game in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
Doug, back to you, all right, thanks so much, Doug
Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio. Let's get some
insight on the NBA Finals story on the op All
the Ponies, Fox Sports Radio NBA analysts spent fifteen years
in the league. He joined us on the Doug Gotlip
(23:24):
Show on Fox Sports Radio. Op thanks for taking time.
What's your assessment of Halliburton? Looks like a strained calf.
I'd headed MRI today. Not healthy. Insisted on playing. If
you're Rick Carlisle, you keep throwing them out.
Speaker 13 (23:39):
There, well you're gonna have to. I mean, this is
the Finals. But at the same time, you gotta beware
because that same calf could turn into something more serious.
So it's you know, six and one half dozen the others.
But I saw the way TJ McConnell was playing last
night that he said, just kept playing them, you know.
(23:59):
I mean, that was the wrench that they needed to
throw into that game. And those guys, you know, and
that's the problem with a lot of a lot of players,
you know, when the when the lights get bright, sometimes
a backfires, you know. But with tyreevese, I mean, he's
been stepping up with a lot of games, so you
kind of knew he was hurt. He was definitely not himself,
(24:21):
so it was tough to watch. But you know, that's
part of sports. You know, injuries do happen. But you know,
we'll have to wait and see.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Now, what are your thoughts on the likelihood that Oklahoma
City can keep this group together and continue to compete
for league championships.
Speaker 13 (24:43):
It's a great question. I want to say it's likely
and unlikely at the same fact. But again, you know,
my favorite saying, we've seen this before, and so we've
seen this movie before. They had Harden, they had the Rant,
they had Westbrook, if they had a boxer and you know,
went to the finals loss and they were not able
(25:05):
to keep it together for financial reason. It's going to
come up to the same thing that whole Apron first April,
second Apron thing of the NBA. Now it makes it
very difficult, you know, but you know, we'll see. But
I think they're gonna have to make some moves eventually
because they can't pay all these guys. You know, you
can't say this guy is a superstar, as he is
superstar right now, so you got to pay him. You can't,
(25:27):
you know, say Jaylen William's superstar, because then you got
to pay him. Ched Holman is gonna have to get paid,
so It's just it's gonna come down to what are
they want to do. But again, Oklahoma, see thunder have
so many draft picks, they can just go get some
different guys.
Speaker 1 (25:43):
The New York Dicks. And again this is for reports
Durant wants to go there, they're not interested. Why would
they not be interested in Ken.
Speaker 13 (25:52):
Rant the same reason why they fighted Thibodau when they
did the mix A side show. I mean, I was
really happy to see them being relevant again in the NBA.
But at the same time, some of the decisions that
they make. I'm not saying that they shouldn't have fied Tobe.
I think, you know, he's kind of like, you know,
(26:13):
it's tough sometimes watching him, you know, mismanage the team
and everything else. I get all that, but at the
same time, the timing of it was the problem for me.
You know, It's like, you can't do it right after
you lose, you know, especially with the season they had,
you know, start the next year or somebody, oh fire
him before. I mean, it's just it was just weird
(26:33):
the timing at all. And the Knicks havept been known
to do stuff like that, so I'm not surprised at all.
I mean, why wouldn't you want Kevin Durant. I'm I'm
assuming it's probably because of that asking price, you know,
because I know call Anthony Towns is probably odd man's
out right now. But I don't think they want to
give up either Michel Bridges or og Ananobi. But one
(26:53):
of those guys is going to have to go in
any trade, so we'll see.
Speaker 1 (26:58):
Obviously, as you said, you wouldn't have traded you you
went to fired Tom Thibodeau. They haven'ten able to get
a head coach yet. Who should they hire? Who's who's
the best guy for them to hire?
Speaker 13 (27:09):
Well, the fact that they went after Jason Kidd tells
you a lot. You know, It's like they were just
you know, we're making this, you know this thing right
now where we fired Thibodeau, so, you know, to to
appease a fan base, we had to make a splash.
And but you can't go after people that are already on
the contract. You went after Thibodeau, I mean after Jason Kid,
(27:30):
and which is insane. And then now all of a sudden,
you you double back to Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown.
I mean that should have been your starting two right there,
you know, to see but at the same time, I don't.
Taylor Jenkins to me is probably the only one that
makes sense right now. But the most obvious one is
(27:50):
the one that I don't know if they're ever gonna
get is Mike Malone. To me, that's the guy that
they need. And so they're not willing to do something
like that because if you rehash Mike Brown, you're gonna
have the same issues that Sacramento Kings had because after
a while he wears on players. That's the problem.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Yeah, I guess my question why not Jeffan Gundhi.
Speaker 13 (28:16):
Thank you, somebody like that, But I don't know Van. Yeah,
Van Gundy is with the Clippers right now, I could
see that. But again, bring him back with this kind
of talent. Yeah, that makes some sense. But the word
around right now, with a lot of teams that around
the nbas if some of these guys are not able
to make changes, you know, with the current players, you know,
(28:38):
they're stuck in their ways. Perfect example. I mean, I
love the man to death, but Papovich, for all his
greatness and all that, I think he even realized that.
You know what, I think, I'm a little outgrown this league,
and so they got to get you know, certain types
of coaches now that can relate to these guys.
Speaker 1 (28:56):
You know, yeah, I agree some of us related, but
you have to relate while still being able to coach him.
Olden Polinies start getting Yeah, yeah, it's got to do both.
Like it, just relating doesn't work, just coaching doesn't work.
Got to be able to do both that works, And
then you have to have one. And it's really hard
to fire Tim Tom Thibodeau because he hasn't won deep
in the playoffs and then not hire somebody who has.
(29:18):
So that's what at least I get about Jason Kidd
and somebody the other guys is at least somebody's been
to the NBA Finals before as a player and as
a coach. Op joints us here on the Doug Gottlieb Show,
What do you do with You're the Lakers? And I
say that because it's really hard to have more than
one guy who's not a strong defender on the floor
(29:40):
at once. Their three best offensive players are all poor defenders.
Luca hadn't played any defense, Lebron doesn't anymore, and you know,
then you have oh god, what's the why am I
forgetting his name from uh which to State and Oklahoma?
Who's their their the leading scorer Austin Reeves. Yeah, Austin Reeves,
(30:04):
what do you do with your Lakers and that's your
three best offensive players?
Speaker 13 (30:09):
You tell them to olklomb and see it's under and
watch other teams. I mean, Gillis Alexander is the MVP
and top score and everything else. He gets down there
and play defense, he scraps. It's a mindset. You can't
keep rewarding people for stupidity, or you can't keep importing
people for lack of effort. I'm tired of it. It's
(30:32):
ridiculous to me. Yes, these guys are great players offensively,
but playing defense is a mindset. You just have to
commit to it. But if you keep allowing people to
doce or I can't play defense, they're not good defenders.
Of course they're going to be that way. You know,
take some of that money away from them and see
how much defense they play then. So I don't buy
into all that stuff because the reason I say that
(30:54):
is this, Austin Reeves, at some point in time played defense.
That's how he got into the NBA at some point
in time, Lebron played defense. At some point in time
Luca played defense. They're just not being consistent with it
because they're relying so much on the offense and the
mindset that all I can do now is offense. And
(31:14):
that's not fair to the game, that's not fair to
the teams, that's not fair to the fans. That's why
they lost because I knew they weren't gonna do well
because everybody kept saying that they're not good defenders, so
they bought into it.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Stephen A said earlier today that NBA players don't feel
safe in Memphis. Do you what do you feel about
that comment? Oh?
Speaker 13 (31:38):
God, I really got issues with him and in his
comments though. But it's like another athenine statement by an
asenine individual. It's like ridiculous, How are you gonna make
that dumb statement? You might as well say that about
every other city you go to. That's absurd to me.
I mean, there's never been issues in Memphis. How all
(32:00):
of a sudden that there's a Memphis problem. He's just
looking for clickbait, that's all that is.
Speaker 1 (32:08):
Any thought in your mind that Indiana comes back wins
this series, Yes.
Speaker 13 (32:13):
I believe it. I mean it's based on this MRII specifically,
but I do believe Indiana's gonna win Games six on Thursday,
and it's him. Sevens are always a freetball and so
to me, it's gonna be fun to see, and I
believe Indiana can win this series. I mean, they've played well.
(32:34):
Outside of the turnovers and some of these crazy whistles
we get at inopportunity times, they really played well. They
played solid, so I'm not surprised, you know, and it's
been really good basketball to watch. Again outside of the
turnover because some of those turnovers are not unforced either.
The unforced ones kill Indiana, but the ones that the
(32:57):
referee is allowed to happen, you know, guys get hitting
the head and everything else. You know, that's neither that's
you know, That's what I'm really talking about. But at
the same time, they have as good a shot as
any And again, all the pressure has been on, okay
see because they have to win. They've the number one steed,
so they have to win. Amy has been playing with
(33:19):
free money all year.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Ope, you're the best man. I appreciate you joining us.
Thanks so much for being our guest. On Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 13 (33:27):
All right, thank you.
Speaker 8 (33:29):
Fox Sports Radio had the best sports talk lineup in
the nation yet. Catch all of our shows at Fox
sports Radio dot com and within the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (33:39):
It's Dog Gottlieb Show here on Fox Sports Radio. So
during Game four of the NBA Finals, Steven A. Smith
was both photographed and there's been video of him sitting
watching the game while playing Solitaire on his phone. His response,
(34:05):
his response when asked about it on social media when
the picture was posting he was tagged, was basically, hey,
it's during a timeout. I can do whatever I want.
Then somebody else saw that and posted the actual video
of him playing Solitaire while the game was going on.
Here's Steven A. Smith of ESPN discussing it on TV.
(34:28):
I can ask you a question.
Speaker 14 (34:29):
I should also be playing a little game on my phone,
that's right, like I'm doing so, yes, I mean, what's
going on here? And I was doing what the hell
I always do. And for those out there who don't
like it, kiss my eyes when I'm watching the game.
Speaker 1 (34:42):
I'm watching the game.
Speaker 14 (34:43):
If there's a break into action, it could be a
dead ball, it could be a time out of something
like that. I could play the damn thing for two seconds.
Somebody is standing over me upper deck, zooming in on
my phone, watching me and saying, oh, he's playing Solitaire.
He's not com he's not focusing on the game. Watch
over one hundred games a year. I'm on TV every
(35:04):
morning for two hours, ten hours live every day. And
that's just one job. That don't count, count Down, that
don't count Sports Center, that don't count all the obligations
that I have. And I'm sitting there and getting a
little break, and I decide to play a little Solitaire, which,
by the.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
Way, I always do, and I mean always.
Speaker 14 (35:22):
If I sit up there, if this halftime, I might
go on my foe for two minutes to play Solitaire.
At the end of the game. Before a game, I
do the same thing. Damn it. If you had had
a little break in between, I might have been praying
to it again because I like the game.
Speaker 1 (35:32):
How'd you do I want?
Speaker 4 (35:34):
That particular was?
Speaker 1 (35:36):
Okay? It could have been something else on that phone.
Speaker 15 (35:38):
Right, Oh, this one's too easy. Right, it's just too easy.
The levels to it, which are embarrassing. I'm probably gonna
miss some. So Jason, you may be able to hop
(36:01):
in on it. The first thing is, again, this is
about optics as much as anything. Okay, if we're being
honest with ourselves. I watched their halftime show and they
go to stephen A first and he does what he
always does.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
Again, and it's work for him. So I'm not blaming him.
Is it's always some big bombastic statement that has that
he is his takeaway from the first half of the game,
the first twenty four minutes of the game, right, somebody's terrible,
They're horrible, they're not ready to play there, blah blah
blah blah blah blah blah. So it actually doesn't matter
(36:37):
if we're really honest about him watching each possession, because
he doesn't know he's watching anyway. I mean, that's the
reality of it. Like, what are we kidding ourselves. He
can watch every play and he still doesn't see it,
doesn't feel it. It's not a basketball like you guy.
And and by the way, that's not his brand, and
that's not his brand. But it's embarrassing because of the
(37:02):
optics of it. Right, here's a guy who's making more
money than anybody on ESPN. They're the rights holder, and
you can't even pay attention to the game. And then
when somebody says, like you're watching the Solitaire, like, ah,
my bad. You know it's a bad habit. I usually
do it during timeouts, and I had leaked over into
the game. That's what any normal rational. But the defiance
of it kind of proves our point, right because then
(37:26):
the defiance of it, he goes to the all the
other jobs that he has, which is not really even
part of the question. Nobody cares about the other jobs
you have. Nobody asks you about your radio show or
your podcast or TV show or anything. Nobody zero people
asked or cared. They asked you're analyzing a game, you're
on pre post half time, and you're not paying attention.
(37:49):
You're playing Solitaire, And the reasonable explanation is like, ah
my bad. Yeah, I was watching the game playing Solitaire
and should have been doing in the game. My bad.
But then you get defiant. You start doing I got
this job and I got that job. You know what
that is. That's I make a lot of money. I
work really hard so I can do what I want
(38:11):
to do. It's obnoxious, it's entitled and super embarrassing. Imagine
if you work at a ESPN and you're like, wait,
that dude's the face of our company. He makes twenty
million a year and he can't even he can't even
pay attention. And then when asked HI about paying attention,
he goes into some defiance, child like I got all
(38:32):
these jobs, nobody cares. And again, if it would be
one thing is if you were always prepared for everything
you do. The secret is Steven A. Smith. He's has
never prepared. He doesn't right. And look, some things you
can't prepare for. Some things you can't bring in stats,
(38:53):
and guys can overprepare in the business. And I get it,
I understand it. I got some of that myself. But like,
this is what happened to him when he was doing
Monday Night Football, Monday Night Countdown, and was it Hunter Henry.
He's like, Hunter Henry is going to be a huge
factor to night for the Chargers against the Patriots. But
Hunter Henry was out for the year with the torn
acl and he didn't know that. Why because he doesn't prep,
(39:14):
He doesn't study, He doesn't even take notes from a
PA because his ego is too gigantic to have somebody
who actually watches the games prep for him give him
a note and just just repeat what you see on
a card. Can't do it. John Middlecoff joints this year
on the Doug Gottlieb Show on Fox Sports Radio, John
(39:34):
steven A. Smith playing Solitaire, wall of game going on
and oh yeah, by the way, saying I only did
it during a break, and then there's video of him
doing it. Not the end of the world, but tracks
to just about what everybody thought. Right, Well, I.
Speaker 16 (39:49):
Would say this, you know, when I got into radio
after football, I was going to all the major sports,
and football, basketball and baseball. Obviously baseball screw around in
a position that you're gonna have to talk about a
game between pitches, and same thing kind of with football
between plays. There was some downtime. I was going to
a lot of Warriors games now a lot like these
(40:11):
teams in the NBA finals, especially the Pacers, they go
out rapid speed. If you start bsing with the guy
next to you or start messing on your phone, you know,
for a couple of minutes, a lot happens in the
game of basketball. Like I would say, of all the
sports to me, if you told me he was at
like an NFL game, I don't think it would be
that crazy, right, you got forty seconds between plays. I'm
sure other guys do it like it wouldn't be a
(40:33):
great look. I think basketball at the NBA Finals. I
mean it's it's hard to pay attention in that sport.
I mean, you know better than anybody if you're not
really just watching the game, right, I mean, it'd be
one thing if it was during a time out, it
was clearly during the actions.
Speaker 1 (40:49):
Well, and then it's during the action. All you got
to say is like, yeah, my bad, he said. He
goes into defiance mode and tries to make us I didn't.
Speaker 13 (40:55):
Even see who asked him about it.
Speaker 1 (40:56):
Well, yeah, we'll play it for you here. You guys
got that clip. This is Steven a when he was
asked about it. I can ask you a question.
Speaker 14 (41:04):
I should also be playing a little games on my phone,
that's right, like I'm.
Speaker 4 (41:07):
Doing so yeah, I mean, what's going on here?
Speaker 14 (41:10):
I was doing what the hell I always do. And
for those out there who don't like it, kiss my ass.
When I'm watching the game, I'm watching the game. If
there's a break in the action, it could be a
dead ball, it could be a time out or something
like that. I can play the damn thing. For two seconds,
somebody is standing over me upper deck, zooming in on
my phone, watching me and saying, oh, he's playing Solitaire.
(41:31):
He's not coming, he's not focusing on the game. I
watch over one hundred games a year. I'm on TV
every morning for two hours, ten hours live every day.
And that's just one job. That don't count count Down,
that don't count Sports Center, that don't count all the
obligations that I have. And I'm sitting there and getting
a little break, and I decide to play a little solitaid, which,
(41:53):
by the.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Way, I always do, and I mean always.
Speaker 14 (41:56):
If I sit up there, if this halftime, I might
go on my phone for two minutes to play solitude.
Speaker 1 (42:01):
Yeah, so he goes on and on and on instead
of just going I mean it was.
Speaker 16 (42:05):
They were playing. What in the game you could see
you could see No, there's there's.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
There's yeah, there's video of them playing.
Speaker 16 (42:15):
I don't think any if you had said it was
a time out and it was clear, I don't think
anyone would it would have been funny, but it wouldn't
have been a big deal. I mean, they were they
were playing, right.
Speaker 1 (42:24):
That that's where that's where the old. It's the cover
up is bigger than the crime, right, Like, yeah, I
was playing solid term on my phone. My bad. Instead
you start raising your voice and going like you get
my alf You're like, okay, dude, clearly you're defense about it.
Obviously it's a problem. You got caught not paying attention,
you know, Okay. I just it's just weird where our
(42:49):
industry has gone. Doug Gotlieb show here on Fox Sports Tradio,
John middleco choices Straight Out is the is the podcast? Uh,
what's your thoughts on Micah Parsons and this contact negotiation
with the Cowboys?
Speaker 16 (43:02):
Yeah, I mean I think we have a history now Dallas,
the way they do business. I mean my theory is
like Jerry must have some incredible investment that he doesn't
want to lose, you know, pulling out the cast to
the last possible second. Because if you're a betting man,
I don't know how you would bet against this being
done sometime I don't know, after August twentieth. From his
(43:23):
he has a pretty clear history now the last several
deals that have been massive in Ceedee Lamb and Dak
and I think it was a couple of years when
they gave Zach Martin that raid the last possible second.
I would expect it to be somewhat similar to this,
Like I don't think my expectation is like July twentieth,
(43:44):
you know, a couple of days before camp, Michaeh Parsons
has been extended, Like, I mean, that would be going
down a different path than Jerry, who has this unique position.
He owns the team, it's his money, and he conferns
himself to GM. It's like Al Davis without all the
football experience. Beside, I get, I mean Jerry played back
(44:06):
in the early sixties or whatever, but it's just how
Jerry does this.
Speaker 1 (44:12):
Yeah, I just I just thought it was interesting and
it is how he does biz. And he said as
much last year. He said, hey, I'd rather pay more
knowing everything than I would signing signing a guy too early,
And it does track.
Speaker 16 (44:27):
But the thing is, like, I get what he's saying,
and I think, like, you'd rather pay more. You'd rather
pay an extra five million dollars a year in free
agency you know you're getting the pro bowler than overpaying
an average guy. I totally these are always Jerry's guys. Yes,
he's extending people that like Jarry You've known ceedee Land
since he was twenty one. Jerry, You've known Dak since
(44:49):
you drafted him ten years ago. You've known Michael Parsons
now for whatever five five plus years. Like these aren't
like random acquisitions, right, I mean, this isn't a merger
at act with where you've just you've done a little
uh some uh you know, you put a pi on
it to get some like this guy's been your building
every day for several years.
Speaker 13 (45:08):
Well, it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (45:10):
I did want to ask you a little bit, uh
jumpin a Coofsar guesting owns the podcast. He also has
a Going Low podcast, which is his golf podcast. Couple
of things, First, do you like did you like the setup?
And it was a very very difficult golf course.
Speaker 16 (45:28):
In SIY I did, because it's like the one time
really every three or four years. I mean they only
played this course. It's the hardest course in America, uh
said by every player that moves on property. And then
you're watching it, you're like, you know, I don't need
thirty under, but I do like some more fireworks.
Speaker 5 (45:45):
Uh.
Speaker 16 (45:46):
And it does you know, let's face it, when it's
that difficult and random. You know, the leaderboard actually doesn't
look bad. There's the Schefflers and the Xanders and the Koepkas,
but they were never really in the mix. Uh So, like,
I don't know, I'm I mean, I do like it's
a unique tests. It's our you know, championship here in America.
(46:06):
It's always kind of what it's hung. He's had on
since I was a kid, some of those courses in
the nineties. I remember you the Olympic Club and Peyne
Stewart was like putting it off the green back.
Speaker 13 (46:16):
At his feet.
Speaker 16 (46:17):
But watching it is like this might be a little
too hard, you know, So I'm torn.
Speaker 1 (46:24):
Yeah, you saw Jye Monahan is gonna gonna step down.
You know, he's been there a decade. But this is
this is all the live thing, is it not?
Speaker 13 (46:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 16 (46:35):
I mean I think the headline says that he's gonna
step down in twenty six let's say that his career
ended today, Yes, right, And they hired this guy, you
know my thing is and I was just kind of
putting together a podcast. I think this guy, I don't
know if you saw the details on Brian roll App
I think is his name. Twenty two years with the NFL,
(46:55):
and I was looking you know, Pete Rozelle way back
in the day, in the sixties. I mean, it was
a world. But if you look at the last two
Tagliaboo and Roger, right, Tagliaboo was the NFL's lawyer in
the eighties and obviously they had gone through a lot
in the eighties, so like he was very entrenched with
the business. Roger worked for Tagliaboo. New insight that this
is not your normal force five hundred company, where like Chipotle,
(47:19):
you know, Starbucks hires the guy from Chipotle. They're not
hiring some random guy outsider. They're going to hire someone
that knows where the bodies are buried. This guy, you know,
Roger sixty six. So this guy goes the PGA tour
IF over the next several years, he does a really
good job, and now you know, Arthur Blank and some
of these football guys are involved with financing the tour.
(47:39):
This guy's going to be the next commissioner because he
will not only know the way the NFL works, he's
worked there for twenty two years, he's worked side by
side with Roger for the last several but now he
will have been in charge of something. It's smaller than
the NFL, but you know, these golf's unique because they
get these enormous sponsors with big time money. It's kind
of a knee steal, but it's a it's a highly
(48:01):
lucrative niche deal. And he would be like I have,
like I know what it's like to be in charge
of the whole thing. So if this goes well and
there can be a transition with Live, I would look
for this guy to succeed Roger Goodell. And you know,
I don't know four or five years.
Speaker 1 (48:17):
Yeah, no, I mean it's and and people have wondered
out loud who the next commissioner of the NFL is
when Goodell's tenure comes to that not a guy you
necessarily want to uh follow. But if you have that experience,
if you can figure out a way to unite Live
and the PGA Tour, if you can figure out a
way uh to get to to move golf back to
(48:38):
where it was in the Tiger Woods era, you can
figure those out, then you can do it with the NFL.
Speaker 13 (48:43):
And think about this.
Speaker 16 (48:46):
The one thing he'll be dealing with very closely, just
like in all these leaks, is they're in business with CBS.
They're they're in business with ESPN and and NBC and
obviously streaming and merging that over the next four or
five years with golf it will be huge Google and
YouTube with the YouTube influences massive. So he like where
this is going. And he I think that was kind
(49:07):
of his job with the NFL, but now like he
no longer has to go up the chain, like he's
at the top of the chain. So I think he
will have a resume in a couple of years. And
who knows, maybe you know, he's making so much money
and things are going with PGA tourries, like it's not
even the NFL is not even worth a headache. But
I'd be stunned if this guy, if it goes well,
I don't know. He's not the lead candidate here in
(49:29):
a couple of years.
Speaker 1 (49:31):
Last thing, this is a new system for Aaron Rodgers,
a different style. He doesn't have a ton of time
as a lead up, but he should have enough time.
How does he fit in to this offensive system?
Speaker 16 (49:45):
Well, I think that the experience with Lafleur and once
he kind of relented after nineteen and started winning those
MVPs in twenty and twenty one, it was about run
first past second, you know, which you know, even with
McCarthy was about spreading it out and slinging around. When
you look at Arthur Smith when he became a hot
name in the NFL, it was with Tanny Hill running
(50:06):
the ball and really playing defense. And at the end
of the day, like Bruce Arians was fired once from
Pittsburgh after they won the Super Bowl. Why because they
passed it too much. So the family business is running
the ball and playing in defense. And if you're Aaron
at forty one years old, I mean part of like
when he got to the Jets, why people thought he
(50:27):
was gonna be success, Like great defense, they got brief
Hall take pressure off them, and then it kind of
morphs that a lot fell on his back. So if
the defense can't improve, I mean last year down the stretch,
the SEALSS.
Speaker 13 (50:39):
Holds off on defense.
Speaker 16 (50:41):
And this young guy from Iowa. I don't know how
much Iowa football you watched last year, but I thought
Caleb Johnson was a beast. He's like six' to two
or he's like sixty one two twenty, five but he's a.
Rookie you, know if he could have a big year
With Jalen, warren and they can just run the ball
and play d and then just Let rogers do what he.
Does you, know ideally like twenty five thirty attempts a,
(51:03):
game not, fifty you, KNOW i think they could have some.
Speaker 1 (51:06):
Success John minocoff, three now's a, podcast also The Going
Low Golf. Podcast if it's a, podcast he'll do. It
he joins us On The Doug Gotlip. Show johnny The.
Best thanks for joining, Us, Motter doug
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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