July 14, 2026 • 33 mins
Jason Smith and Mike Harmon debated how many actual fights Connor McGregor has left in the UFC? Jason and Mike gave LeBron free agency advice. And Austin Reaves is very excited about the Lakers' new pieces!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Foxsports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every night on the
iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Back back, back, back, back, gone, gone, back, gone gone.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
He's been doing this for seven straight minutes, back staring
into space.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Back back, gone back back, way back, way back.
Speaker 5 (00:43):
Gone, back back back gone.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Cause you're really trying to channel Berman at every level,
from his earliest home run derby calls to his last
and every inning in between, or every batter I should
say in between, as to how his voice would fluctuate. Look,
there's young Berman, full throated, raspy. Yeah, I've called n
(01:11):
four home runs today. That's my specialty Berman. It's more Berman,
like I said the third hour of the home run derby,
week sixteen of the NFL season, when it's near the holidays,
it's been cold and everybody's sick, and he's got no voice.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
And the bolts and the Colts today from the Murph and.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Back back back back like like that's you know that,
that's kind of where my the Berman comes from. DJ.
Speaker 6 (01:36):
The voice gets a lot deeper, and as as the
season goes on, it's just I'm more of a week
not not not a week one more than a week
sixteen week seventeen?
Speaker 4 (01:46):
Is Burman on cameo or anything where we can hire
him to do a couple of bits.
Speaker 7 (01:51):
I just have to say back back back for a minute, yes, okay,
back back back, back, back back. I mean if you
went back speed, if you went back DJ, if you
would like if cal she did this like sight unseen,
I said, okay, took a random home run derby when
Berman would do it and said, okay, what's the over under?
For number of times Berman would say back from the
(02:14):
beginning of the derby, first home run, first batter, to
the end when it's over, like what would be the
over under he would set at, because remember he would
call every single one, every single one.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
Was back back, back back back.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
You're right, you're actually doing math to do this. I'd
say I'd said it at about three hundred and seventy.
That's a lot. You're gonna have ten people, You're gonna
have them hit about fifteen home runs each, probably more.
So that's one hundred and fifty home runs. Let's say
one hundred and seventy home runs. But each home run
(02:54):
is going to give you at least three back back
back back. Yeah, yeah, no, probably closer to five hundred. Yeah,
I mean yeah, I would. If you said it, I
think you got to put it at five hundred. I
think that's what I was just thinking.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
About today, right because we had the leaders, what had
thirteen each in the first round. Then we had the
low of seven, So just extrapolating for that because eight participants,
it's fuzzy math.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
No, either way, we're getting close to five hundred bive hundred,
five hundred, yeah, five hundred backs. I mean that's more
than the uh the Jackson's when baby you know. Calshi
will not pay out because there were only six berman
backs in the home run by Frank Thomas that was
the twelfth home run of his round, So we're only
paying out four hundred ninety eight backs, not four ninety nine.
(03:39):
It was only six backs. The other one was a
cough back that doesn't count because he cleared his throat.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Back, back, back, gone, gone back on.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
What a night though the Homebank Derby celebration of the
Midcember classic.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
What if he was a guy that worked at beginning
of Costco, you can ask him questions, Hey, can you
tell me what the toilet paper is?
Speaker 8 (03:59):
Back back back back back back in the back, back
back back back, because the toilet paper is always all
the way in the back of the No, that's it.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
They want to get you to go through the store, right, Oh, yeah,
you gotta go all the way there. Yeah, he's here, Justine,
where the toilet paper, the paper towels, like the dog food,
like all this stuff is all the way and.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
In back back back back back.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Brack brack, brack. No, you need you to have the
staples at the back back back. I don't think there's
any more staples. He can't work at Staples. You can't
work there now Target Staples still exists, don't exist, does it?
Speaker 5 (04:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
I don't know, man.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Maybe the store is operating with a phobe with a
false front, like where.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Where are the books and the uh and the and
and the music?
Speaker 8 (04:45):
Back back in the back back back back back back
back back back, And then when the person.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You don't see him anymore, he says, gone. Like he
walks out of the site. You up, you up a
lane and make it turn gone. I think at think
he calls everybody, and everybody walks in. He calls him TJ.
Excuse me, start yes, TJ. Okay, not my name? Can
you tell me where the He calls everybody but my
(05:10):
but my name tag says, where are the flushable wives?
Back back back back back back flush from gone gone. See.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
I mean there's a store at Huntingdon Park, California state
still exist, all right, not to the same level, and okay,
and great that they once did.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
It's like Dennis Duffy and thirty Rock. He was the
only pager salesman in New York City. Well you have
to have one, hey, one guy only pager salesman. That's it.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Someone still needs to service all the pagers that doctors
and other off the books kind of folks are still
working with.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
So this weekend, coming back back back back back to
m M A and now gone. Connor McGregor, Yeah, the
McGregor fight lasted all of half a second. Hey, sorry,
nine nine. The first time he tried to kick he
went down with an injury. He could not continue. It
was a bad leg injury. It looked like he was
(06:04):
favoring his leg coming into this event. He didn't say
exactly what it was, but surgery for it. He says,
he's gonna come back and fight one more time. I
got news for you, man. MMA is in a tough
spot right now. They're at a crossroads because this was
a sport that had incredible growth over most of the
(06:24):
aughts into the teens. It was something that people would
go out every Saturday night to find a bar that's
got the MMA pay per view. I'm gonna go watch, right.
It was really fun to see that. And they had
all the stars, right, whether it's Randy Couture or Chuck Lydell,
or it didn't Matt you know, Rampage Jackson, whatever, it was,
Kimbo Slice. They had all the big stars. And then
(06:45):
Ronda Rousey comes in and suddenly Ronda Rousey takes the mantle.
But now MMA UFC like it feels like it's a
Legends fight league. Right. The last couple of big ticket
events have been stuff where they're kind of their gags
or they're they're one shots. Right. It's McGregor, which was
(07:07):
completely unfulfilling. It was Rousy and Gina Carrano, which was
completely unfulfilling. After thirteen seconds, Gina Carano's defeated, and then
they're hugging and smiling, like, okay, I could have not
trained at all for something like this. Right, you go
back and there's all the stunt casting now, and then
you know Jake Paul and the octagon and all this stuff. Right,
(07:28):
MMA is in a tough spot because they don't have
the stars anymore. They were printing stars for the longest time. Right,
it was a new sport and everybody liked who they
were following, and you had the old guard of MMA
that would take you into the new Garden and all that.
You know, John Bones Jones when he came in was
a big star, and there were so many. But now
the last decade, like you're still waiting for Connor McGregor
(07:49):
to come back, right, the guy was the biggest name
and he hasn't fought in five years, and still here
you are. It's like MMA is like a Legends League
now because they don't have anybody that they can promote.
And while MMA fans are always gonna be there. You know,
we talked about this early in the show. You want
the cat You need the casuals to keep coming in.
I don't know that they're coming in because what are
you coming in for? Again? This is this is the
(08:12):
biggest star made sport there is. Like we talk about
the NBA being a star sport, forget it. That's nothing
compared to m m A and UFC and all the
different offshoots of it. Like, you need the individual stars
are the ones that people come to see, and when
you don't have them, that stinks. And when you throw
out these legacy fights that people watch and leave unfulfilled,
(08:35):
I'm not gonna go I'm i go back. I watched
the Gina Carona Ronda Rousey thing because I told you
I thought it was gonna be great and it wasn't.
And I said, well, you're not getting my money for
the or. You're not getting my attention either for the
Connor McGregor fight. You're not getting it. And I didn't,
and I you know, I waited sall the results after
and everything else, and I'm going I'm glad I didn't
wait all night to watch that fight and let didn't
stick around for it. They have to be hemorrhaging viewers.
(08:58):
And I got a feeling Dana Whit is concerned because
you could you could hear him after again going yeah,
another minute fight and you know hopefully he was okay,
Like you don't know was Connor McGregor hurt coming in?
Like these are big events now that take a minute, right,
I mean and less than that?
Speaker 9 (09:11):
Right?
Speaker 1 (09:11):
You really stayed for thirteen seconds for Ronda Rousey and
Gina Carono to go watch that, like that was what
you wanted to go see that that's fulfilling to you
as a sport. It's not. And people don't want to
wait through all these cards of people that you don't
even know to get to a main event that the
intro is gonna be longer than the event itself, right,
Like I feel like MMA needs some sort of they
(09:32):
need some sort of injection of star power or just
a different way to put these events out because the
legacy fights aren't aren't big draws, they're unfulfilling and the
star power that is just not there. It's kind of
like where the PGA tour for a while, we're going
where we go without Tiger Woods, right, Like Tiger Woods
is not playing anymore he's not forget about him coming.
(09:55):
I know people are on the hangover of tiger Woods,
but he's never really gonna make it back. It's never
gonna happen. We got a find a way to get
on and they finally found it. But it's been a decade.
It was a decade at tiger Woods, right, But at
least you had other people. It was just can we
promote Rory McElroy or Jordan Spieth or Keepko or d schambea.
Then they leave for live golf and that becomes a
whole big thing. And now finally it looks like that
(10:15):
the world of golf is as healthy as it's been
anytime pre Tiger Woods. But it took a long time
for that. But at least you had consistent events and players,
and you had big events and tent poles that you
could throw out there with the four majors like and
then they like, what are you gonna do? Like this
is now you're at a real crossroads where you got problems, man,
You got problems with the product, You got problems with
how people are perceiving it, and you got to fix that.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Well, the base is always gonna be there, As we said, right,
regardless of sport. But then it becomes the getting the
casuals in the name recognition, the thing that cuts through
that leads right, McGregor, there's a lot there. I mean,
some of it's the cash grab. You had that civil
trial off a horrible allegation, no criminal, it didn't stick criminal.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
But we know the the.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
What the evidence, and you know the the burden of
evidence and everything and burden of proof being different. But
all of that to say, you know, controversy of was
he hurt? Did he know that this happened? All this
z appruner film of here he's going into a training center, limping.
Here he is in the pre fight limping, here's all
of these things, trying to take off his shoe when
(11:25):
it looks awkward, and then you have what gets to
a minute nine officially far less than that, quite obviously
in terms of calling it. So yeah, as soon as
you start getting back into the questions of integrity and
conspiracies or whatever, it's a problem. And we see those
in all our sports as related to officiating and so
(11:47):
many other things that have gone on. I mean, look
at some of the big events like the World Cup,
like we're watching now, all the subplots to it all,
but for the MMA specifically, you talk about all those
big personalities.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
You talk about those those guys that have cut.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
Through going into WWE, going into movies, right, Gina Caronto
with a long career, Ronda Rousey making her her mark
in WWE for a while, and others crossing over into
film and all of that, and it's helped propel them.
Now they've got a seven year, seven billion dollar deal
with Paramount Plus. So at least folks that tuned in
(12:24):
if you were a casual waiting for the Connor McGregor fight,
well you're only in for your eight ninety nine or
nine ninety nine a month for your but.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
No, but it's you know, some events that are big
that become the pay per view. Some events are just
but it's just are you gonna watch?
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Yeah, they've got forty three events per per year as
part of this deal. That's an awful lot of fights.
But they do have one guy on the card and
he actually fought before McGregor. Do we have our Patty
pimblet Because he wasn't even waiting till the body was cold.
Speaker 10 (12:55):
Waiting for it, waiting for it. Evidently, you're not gonna
get that. I'm never getting not gonna get tried. I tried,
but the body wasn't even cold.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
He's watching the the footage on the monitor and he goes.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Hey, your boy's here. Yeah, boy's here.
Speaker 5 (13:11):
I'm ready.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
So he's Patty the Baddy. He gets a guy by
submission very quickly. Uh. In the fight proceeding, let's hear,
let's hear Patty brought up for me? Will you shoots in?
Speaker 11 (13:23):
What happened?
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Oh my god? Can I just do it already? Alice
finished the New Boys.
Speaker 8 (13:33):
In Tomare you gonna be in the face of the
organization now? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Yeah? Like what he said, the man's here, and he
sounded like you said, man's eer like from Seinfeld the
bro and the man's Jerry's still a row in the
man's ear. In the man's ear. But there you go.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
He's saying, hey, I'm ready, and he's a good talker.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
But you guys like that, you just have to find
I mean, whatever it is, whatever magic formerly you had,
Like you're like you're coming up empty, you know, with.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
You're trying to find find that next breakthrough. Maybe maybe
he's the guy he's had great success what is he
twenty four and four or something like that. It's I mean,
ridiculous record a lot of submissions along the way, so
so perhaps you know you can get a little bit
of a run there. But all of it to say, yeah,
your your points well taken. But like the w NBA
(14:31):
that we talked about last week, maybe they've already got
the bag now right, the broadcast rates are already there,
but how do you best service them?
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Exit out? About a Fresco exit swelling dome. Jason Smith
Mike Harmon Live from the Fox Sports Radio Studios. Coming
up next, we got new info on Lebron's free agency,
plus a big hot take from the NBA today. Oh yeah,
it's piping hot, served up fresh for you next Jason
and Mike Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show
with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 9 (15:09):
Hey it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller.
Would mean a lot to have you join us on
our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's name
is the Fifth Hour? I'll tell you it's a spin
off of it. Ben Mather show a could hit overnights
on FSR.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Why should you listen?
Speaker 9 (15:25):
Picture if you will? A world will? We chat with
captains of industry in media, sports and more every week
explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen
to the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Back back back, back back to you, it would be
a much different song. Burman does Oasis and to DJ
today's the day They're gonna throw it.
Speaker 8 (15:54):
Back back back back back back back back back back
back to you.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
God appropriate that we end up in a karaoke mode.
I set you to think of the the.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
Great mister Belding Dennis earlier, who actually cut several songs
and was known for his karaoke prowess at Burbank up here.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Now, I got to ask Mary Mack, did you play
that song because the word back was in the first
few seconds of it. No, okay, I'm just an England fan.
It was just it was oh, okay, so Britannia, Okay,
are very good? Okay.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
Harry Kane all right, uh back back back back back and.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
He says, no, he's got the thumbs down. But that's
the thing. Get ready to battle in there. As soon
as I heard this song, as I go, oh, he's
gonna say back, I can do the back back, back
back back, not smashing watermelons TJ, but the Gallagher brothers
in a wonder wall. Oh back back back back over
the wonder wall and a home run DJ. What'd you
(16:56):
see the positivity from the Gallaghers and it come on
man back after all those years? Oh yeah, yeah, whatever
an acrimony and chaos. Here they are at World Cup events,
laughing their asses. You know, England's the great unifier soccer.
It's a great unifier U. Now, football news tonight in
the NBA. Well we'll get to the big hot take
(17:17):
from the NBA in a minute. But uh, Lebron James
supposedly now is closing in on his free agency. Oh yeah. Now,
the first thing I will say is this, The fun
part of Lebron is actually going to be what teams
do after he makes his decision. Right, if he goes
to the Pistons, are the Knicks gonna do something? If
(17:39):
he goes to the Heat, are the Celtics gonna do something?
Speaker 11 (17:44):
Right?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Because he could definitely be in over the top kind
of guy. If he goes to the Calves, will the
Knicks do something? Well, will someone go like suddenly they
go out for DeMar DeRozan, Like what will happen? Like
that's gonna be a fun thing because Lebron could be
in over the top kind of guy. But now that
he's got his team that we thought was three, now
they're five. Uh in the mix forward because the Warriors
are back in, now that the Tea Wolves supposedly are
(18:06):
back in with the other three we thought with the
Heat and the Calves. And you know, the thing is
is that I get what Lebron is trying to do.
I get Rich Paul, I get that it's I love
the attention and I'm trying to create as much attention
with this as possible. And where Lebron signs is a
big story, right, it is, but it's not what it
(18:27):
was years ago. It's not You can't have the decision
part seventeen, right, Like, you're only gonna get so much
before people say, you know what, I really don't care,
and so you gotta find the sweet spot where you know, Okay,
we're gonna get the decision somewhat soon. Because I feel
like we can't just we know eventually we're gonna get
(18:47):
too close to the NFL season and people we want
people to care. We want people to then spend a
lot of attention for Lebron James, Like I can't believe
he's gonna do it for the semi finals days of
semifinals of the World Cup. So is it gonna be
after that, Like he's gonna do it on Friday? Like,
but this whole thing, I feel like you gotta just
know when are you gonna get the most attention for it?
(19:07):
And after that it's just gonna ebb because that's how
it's gonna go. Eventually, we're gonna get to point where, oh,
we don't care anymore. And and because again it's you know,
it is a story and is a decent sized story,
but it's not Lebron where everybody is hanging on what
he's going to do. I can't wait see what Lebron's
gonna do. Okay, uh, let us you know. Eventually it's
gonna be let us know, let us know, but it's
(19:28):
not quite the point yet. But I gotta think that
if we don't know by the end of this week,
like what's he what else is he waiting for by
the end of like if he doesn't know, like you know,
he's only dragging it out until he finds Now I
can get where people are gonna pay attention to me
and it the most, Like what is that sweet? But
that's why I keep looking on the calendar, going, Okay,
well we had the World Cup Games last weekend. The
United States is playing on Monday. We're not gonna have
(19:49):
it then, Like is he gonna have it tomorrow? You know,
because then we have two days of two World Cup games?
And is he gonna what's he gonna do? Like I
gotta think by the end of the week, because that's
what he's gonna look and see the sweet spot of thing.
But I'm like, I'm really that's really what it is.
Everybody else has made a decision. Everybody else knows where
they're going to play, unless you were newly given your
freedom like DeMar DeRozan, who is let go now he's
(20:11):
got to figure out he's seeing, Okay, I know I
can fit in someplace and win a title. Maybe he's
waiting for where Lebron's gonna go. But at some point
you got to just go all right, man, you know,
let's just make the call. Let's just do it.
Speaker 4 (20:22):
I mean, you have his buddy Draymon and James Harden
both need new contracts too. The current cal she breakdown
here is we're looking at one hundred and nine million
of volume. Cleveland forty one, Golden State twenty six, Miami seventeen,
Philly nine, Minnesota three. Now, obviously I've given you all
(20:45):
my big run of how the Odyssey and the Man's
Long Journey Going Home, so we got that in the offing.
The other I want to bring attention to is later
on this week, there's an event called fanatics Fest. Last year,
Kevin Durant was in the middle of a session and
he was doing a round table when he found out
he was traded, giving us one of the greatest trading
(21:07):
card photos of all time. As he's just got a
smirky at the camera. Lebron James is scheduled to be
part of two panel discussions at fanatics Fest, and as
we know, Michael Rubin has more money than just about anybody.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
But God, he'll announce my decision. So he's doing the
shop and he's doing whatever. Mind either of those days
when the Odyssey debut, yes, seventeen. You don't want to
share it.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
I'm just saying the opportunity is there for either to
be there. We had one of our our friends that
listens and contributes in the Instagram world sent me a
clip from the old thing called The Quest where all
those guys were running through the desert whatever, and then
he did a thing with the players in the locker
(21:55):
room based on three hundred Once upon a Time. So
he does know the movie tie in as well as
his starring roles.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Yeah, actually, yeah, so I mean that potential is there.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
But yes, there are a couple of days where the
World Cup does not play before we get to the final.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
We have been looking, okay, what what when's an open
day in the sports count That's.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Because if he was going to Philly, today was a
great day, or tomorrow would be a great No, no,
tomorrow would be great.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
To uh unseat anything happening in the City.
Speaker 4 (22:24):
Of Brotherly Love during the All Star Game, You're to
throw out the first pitch.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Never gonna happen in Philadelphia. Philadelphia sounds great, but when
you don't know what kind of relationship Joel Embiid and
Jalen Brown are gonna have. Is Lebron James gonna sign
up for that? Forget it, man, forget it. I'm talking
about entertainment for me. No, but okay, it's a predicted
markets that would be really entertaining. I'm going to Philadelphia,
(22:48):
where potential chaos is or having the old guys running
around together like it's last. Yeah, but that's not. That's
not gonna have like Philip on the dance at that
Jay Z concert. It's not Anson doing the finger point
and whatever else comes. He's not gonna happen in Philadelpia.
I want chaos, I know you do, but it's not.
(23:10):
That's not happening.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
That's not He can even borrow the Carl Weather's trunks
if he needs to, if he's d He's not going.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
To Cleveland, which he is going to clear We told
you for a year. That's the only place he can
finish where if he doesn't win, he can go out
on top. If he doesn't, the only other place is Yeah,
he's not gonna take a chance in Minnesota, not knowing
because you know the relationship. Look, look the things haven't
been great in Minnesota as well. They keep making changes,
So that's out like I can see the traveling Stars
in Golden State and I could potentially see, yeah, me
(23:39):
and Yannis can do it. Maybe I would say in
order Cleveland are far number one, Then I would say
Golden State, and then I would say mine.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Think about the movie they're making, this documentary that it
culminates with him sitting face to face with pat Riley.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
If he got the guts, pat if you get on
your knees and you bet me to come back, I
like a WWE moment. You get on your knees and
beg and then I will allow him acknowledge me. Now,
not the only big NBA story today, because you're ready
for the big hot take hit me. Austin Reeves spoke
(24:17):
today for the first time since the big news that
Lebron James was going to take his talents elsewhere. The
Lakers made a slew of free agent signings and the
Lakers new number two. Uh decided now, yes, number two,
the Lakers new number two. Weighed in on the Lakers
moves and he's a big fan of all of them.
Speaker 11 (24:35):
Yeah, I think they're good. I mean, obviously, you know,
being with the guys that are leaving for you know,
a couple of years and then you know, Bron for
you know, five years. You know you hate to see
you know, guys, let that go. But you know the
pieces that are coming in very excited about and you know,
happy to get started kind of today and see where
it goes.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
All right, now, why this is a big story. What's the
hot take? Austin Reeves likes the moves the Lakers made.
Austin Reeves spoke today and it became a big NBA story, right,
big story on ESPN dot com, big story on social media.
Why because Austin Reeves is now a star. He was
given that battlefield promotion when Lebron James left. He went
(25:14):
from yeah, okay, he's really you know, one of the
big three there in La Luca gets the headlines, Lebron
is still there. All three's allowed to hey kind of
do your own thing, but gets the big contract. And
now when he speaks, people listen. He's a star. Now
he got that promotion. So he's now the number two
on the Lakers without a doubt. You can cut it
(25:35):
up however you want it. With Lebron. Yeah you think Lebron,
but now he's pippin to Lucas Jordan. The Lakers moves
that they made this offseason. Right, forget about building around Lucas.
Everybody builds around their superstar, right, there's superstars everywhere in
the league. Brunson, wenb Brunson, Brunson, don't forget about Brunson.
But you build, you know, you build your superstars. But
(25:56):
the Lakers built this team the way they did. They
went out and got a lot of depth, They got
a lot of size, they got defense, they got some shooting.
But they went out and got guys who are clearly
going to be the supporting cast. They didn't go out
and get a third superstar who's gonna play alongside and
make life easier for Luca and for Austin Reeves. The
(26:17):
Lakers went out and made these moves, hoping, gambling, expecting
Austin Reeves to make that jump into being a star.
Because now, okay, you want the money, you got everything.
Now you're the star. You've spent the last few years
working towards it. Now you're gonna realize what it's like
to wear that mantle when you're pipping. Now. The Lakers,
(26:39):
if they didn't think so they went out and try
to get another star. Hey, we're gonna team it up
and see it to make it work. But they went
out with a plan of Okay, Lucas won Reeves Is
are two, and these all guys are coming in and
they're gonna be support players. They're gonna be guys off
the bench, they're gonna be bigs. Whatever real role we
need them to fill, they're going to fill. There is
no two. There is no second best player on a
(27:00):
team in the NBA this year with more pressure and
more responsibility than Austin Reeves. If Austin Reeves makes that
continue jump, the Lakers are gonna be where they were
last year near the end of the year when they
had the great record, they were running up the top
of the Western Conference. That's where the Lakers will be.
If Austin Reeves does not, they'll have they'll struggle to
get in the playing Like as good as Luca is,
We've seen teams with one big star and you struggle
(27:22):
in the standings and maybe you're you make the seven
to ten playing maybe you get hot, maybe you don't.
Like Luca is gonna be Luca right, one of the
top players in the league, but you need more. There
is no number two that has more pressure or more
responsibility than Austin Reeves. As he goes, that's how the
Lakers are gonna go. Because I know how how Luca's
gonna go. I know that's gonna happen. But as Reeves goes,
(27:44):
that's how the Lakers go. No second best player has
more on them.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
Yeah, I'm gonna go. I got two things for you.
Number one, bam Adebayo would disagree. Many punch buckethead. Okay,
so everybody, wait, wait, wait, wait, he didn't punch bucket.
Heead bucketthhead is a guitarist. Yeah, you did not punch
bucket hack. Okay, he punched chicken. He likes to wear
bucket hats. Okay, did not punch buckethead. Hey you left
(28:09):
guns and roses Axel kicked me out. I'll kick your ass.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Oh yeah, I did. He punch him when he had
the buckets so we couldn't see, like the bucket was
on might be a little bit couldn't see. Well, he
pulled it down over his eyes and then hit him.
Speaker 4 (28:24):
Uh the second, you gotta stop loosely doing that, Jordan
Pippen stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
These guys ain't want anything.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
You gotta find Two guys that play together that had
some pretty good runs but never got there.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Okay, like Wemby and stuff. Castle, Oh you do that
so that he didn't hit me in the bucket, heead
but he hit him in the back to soon Okay, Okay.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
The thing with Austin Reeds and with Luka Donchets and
you have all these secondary parts. I mean, Roston reives
he's been that that great story of look at the
contract that this undrafted player signed and he gave a
few dollars back. Because that's the subplot to this. Also
is that in theory that helps them tremendously as they
hit the free agent market next year. So that's great,
(29:04):
gives them more money. I think it takes it from
what would be like a six million dollars to like
a fifteen million dollar guy. I mean, which, as we
know in the cost of doing business, fifteen million dollar
player gives you someone substantive for your rotation. That's great,
But I also need to see both these guys play
some defense, and Castler will pick up for that. Some
(29:25):
of the parts that they've added in are great. The
other is they have to stay healthy. That's something Austin
Reeve hasn't done very well. That's such a luke at
just not done very well. You're right the healthy but
I mean, obviously if they get hurt that but for
anybody if they obviously, But like looking at it, you
made a big bet that this guy's going to take
care of himself.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Both of these guys, Yes, all right, because Spain didn't work. No,
Spain didn't work. He tried, Spain didn't work. Spain is
only working in the World Cup and it's not working.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
And Jamal's got I mean, there's all sorts of issues.
You know, you don't got beef with that French guys.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Come on, for a guy that scored one goal in
the World Cup, boy, your Mal's talking like he's going
to win the Golden Boot. Yeah, but you have to
pay attention to like man, it's all about shifting coverage.
But you scored one goal and it was five games ago.
I mean, come on, man, you gotta understand. You do
it a lot of talking. It's nineteen years old. I know,
I get it. This is still the World Cup. It's
(30:20):
still the World Cup.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Man, But he's still got them alive because you got
pay attention to Yet I don't.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, but okay, okay, when when you are a scorer
and you are a striker, you're a big offensive player.
I mean, I know, scorer, but it's very easy to
look and say did you have a good game or not?
Let me look at the scoreboard. I mean you can't
sit back and go, well, as a mid he graded
out pretty high, you had a great game, control the ball. No,
when you are a scorer, it's very easy to go
(30:45):
did you have a good game or a bad game?
Speaker 4 (30:47):
But you got to say this last game, say Messi
didn't have a good game because he didn't score. No,
Messi scored, but it's Alvarez that that got the headliner. Okay,
well he can't score every man.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
I'm just saying. I mean, Messi could win the Golden Boot,
you know. I mean that he's still I mean he's
still got him and him and Mbappe are right to
stay alive. Well, well they both do. And then you
got Harry Kane and Juke Bellingham. Yeh sep ut yea
yea yeah, yeah, Well it's okay, it's okay Harry Kane.
You know, with tighter being off tonight, like I've missed
hearing the Hrry Kane. Yeah, no, I mean it's it's
still rattling in your brain. Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure, sure,
(31:23):
I mean there's true about okay, but yeah, the Austin
Reeves part of things.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
It's gonna be a fascinating watch. Your guy JJ Reddick's
gonna lose his mind if this doesn't work though, Yeah, no,
I know it's it's gonna be back to my friend
JJ Reddick.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Yeah, he's gonna be mad because he's not fighting you
right now.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
No, no, no, I mean because they got a little
bit of good will at the end of that season.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
But I mean below Honestly, nobody with more pressure than
Austin reeves that the Lakers season will go as he goes.
Is he ready to be a star? That's the biggest
guy taking a big step because now, oh wow, when
I speak, it's headlines. Not that he said anything bad,
but just when I give my opinion and tell you something,
Oh that makes news people pay attention. This is part
of the next level of stardom. Well, because it's.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
The they chose you and the other guy is gone.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Because if you look at the Calci, the other guy.
Speaker 5 (32:09):
Is back, back, back, back, gone.
Speaker 4 (32:11):
It says Los Angeles l gone or retires. They didn't
even give them the Lakers on that board, it says
the Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
L be sure to catch live editions of The Jason
Smith Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern,
seven pm Pacific.
Speaker 9 (32:26):
Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller.
Would mean a lot to have you join us on
our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's name
is the Fifth Hour. I'll tell you it's a spin
off of it Ben Mather Show, a cult hit overnights
on FSR.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Why should you listen?
Speaker 9 (32:42):
Picture if you will a world will. We chat with
captains of industry in media, sports, and more every week
explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen
to The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller or the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Coming up next, as we get set for the first
semifinal in the World Cup. Uh, what kind of changes
are we going to see to the next World Cup?
A huge one on the table. That's next. Jason to
Mike Fox Sports Radio
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Foxsports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every night on the
iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Back back, back, back, back, gone, gone, back, gone gone.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
He's been doing this for seven straight minutes, back staring
into space.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Back back, gone back back, way back, way back.
Speaker 5 (00:43):
Gone, back back back gone.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Cause you're really trying to channel Berman at every level,
from his earliest home run derby calls to his last
and every inning in between, or every batter I should
say in between, as to how his voice would fluctuate. Look,
there's young Berman, full throated, raspy. Yeah, I've called n
(01:11):
four home runs today. That's my specialty Berman. It's more Berman,
like I said the third hour of the home run derby,
week sixteen of the NFL season, when it's near the holidays,
it's been cold and everybody's sick, and he's got no voice.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
And the bolts and the Colts today from the Murph and.
Speaker 1 (01:30):
Back back back back like like that's you know that,
that's kind of where my the Berman comes from. DJ.
Speaker 6 (01:36):
The voice gets a lot deeper, and as as the
season goes on, it's just I'm more of a week
not not not a week one more than a week
sixteen week seventeen?
Speaker 4 (01:46):
Is Burman on cameo or anything where we can hire
him to do a couple of bits.
Speaker 7 (01:51):
I just have to say back back back for a minute, yes, okay,
back back back, back, back back. I mean if you
went back speed, if you went back DJ, if you
would like if cal she did this like sight unseen,
I said, okay, took a random home run derby when
Berman would do it and said, okay, what's the over under?
For number of times Berman would say back from the
(02:14):
beginning of the derby, first home run, first batter, to
the end when it's over, like what would be the
over under he would set at, because remember he would
call every single one, every single one.
Speaker 5 (02:26):
Was back back, back back back.
Speaker 1 (02:31):
You're right, you're actually doing math to do this. I'd
say I'd said it at about three hundred and seventy.
That's a lot. You're gonna have ten people, You're gonna
have them hit about fifteen home runs each, probably more.
So that's one hundred and fifty home runs. Let's say
one hundred and seventy home runs. But each home run
(02:54):
is going to give you at least three back back
back back. Yeah, yeah, no, probably closer to five hundred. Yeah,
I mean yeah, I would. If you said it, I
think you got to put it at five hundred. I
think that's what I was just thinking.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
About today, right because we had the leaders, what had
thirteen each in the first round. Then we had the
low of seven, So just extrapolating for that because eight participants,
it's fuzzy math.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
No, either way, we're getting close to five hundred bive hundred,
five hundred, yeah, five hundred backs. I mean that's more
than the uh the Jackson's when baby you know. Calshi
will not pay out because there were only six berman
backs in the home run by Frank Thomas that was
the twelfth home run of his round, So we're only
paying out four hundred ninety eight backs, not four ninety nine.
(03:39):
It was only six backs. The other one was a
cough back that doesn't count because he cleared his throat.
Speaker 5 (03:46):
Back, back, back, gone, gone back on.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
What a night though the Homebank Derby celebration of the
Midcember classic.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
What if he was a guy that worked at beginning
of Costco, you can ask him questions, Hey, can you
tell me what the toilet paper is?
Speaker 8 (03:59):
Back back back back back back in the back, back
back back back, because the toilet paper is always all
the way in the back of the No, that's it.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
They want to get you to go through the store, right, Oh, yeah,
you gotta go all the way there. Yeah, he's here, Justine,
where the toilet paper, the paper towels, like the dog food,
like all this stuff is all the way and.
Speaker 5 (04:16):
In back back back back back.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
Brack brack, brack. No, you need you to have the
staples at the back back back. I don't think there's
any more staples. He can't work at Staples. You can't
work there now Target Staples still exists, don't exist, does it?
Speaker 5 (04:33):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
I don't know, man.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
Maybe the store is operating with a phobe with a
false front, like where.
Speaker 1 (04:41):
Where are the books and the uh and the and
and the music?
Speaker 8 (04:45):
Back back in the back back back back back back
back back back, And then when the person.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
You don't see him anymore, he says, gone. Like he
walks out of the site. You up, you up a
lane and make it turn gone. I think at think
he calls everybody, and everybody walks in. He calls him TJ.
Excuse me, start yes, TJ. Okay, not my name? Can
you tell me where the He calls everybody but my
(05:10):
but my name tag says, where are the flushable wives?
Back back back back back back flush from gone gone. See.
Speaker 4 (05:18):
I mean there's a store at Huntingdon Park, California state
still exist, all right, not to the same level, and okay,
and great that they once did.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
It's like Dennis Duffy and thirty Rock. He was the
only pager salesman in New York City. Well you have
to have one, hey, one guy only pager salesman. That's it.
Speaker 4 (05:36):
Someone still needs to service all the pagers that doctors
and other off the books kind of folks are still
working with.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
So this weekend, coming back back back back back to
m M A and now gone. Connor McGregor, Yeah, the
McGregor fight lasted all of half a second. Hey, sorry,
nine nine. The first time he tried to kick he
went down with an injury. He could not continue. It
was a bad leg injury. It looked like he was
(06:04):
favoring his leg coming into this event. He didn't say
exactly what it was, but surgery for it. He says,
he's gonna come back and fight one more time. I
got news for you, man. MMA is in a tough
spot right now. They're at a crossroads because this was
a sport that had incredible growth over most of the
(06:24):
aughts into the teens. It was something that people would
go out every Saturday night to find a bar that's
got the MMA pay per view. I'm gonna go watch, right.
It was really fun to see that. And they had
all the stars, right, whether it's Randy Couture or Chuck Lydell,
or it didn't Matt you know, Rampage Jackson, whatever, it was,
Kimbo Slice. They had all the big stars. And then
(06:45):
Ronda Rousey comes in and suddenly Ronda Rousey takes the mantle.
But now MMA UFC like it feels like it's a
Legends fight league. Right. The last couple of big ticket
events have been stuff where they're kind of their gags
or they're they're one shots. Right. It's McGregor, which was
(07:07):
completely unfulfilling. It was Rousy and Gina Carrano, which was
completely unfulfilling. After thirteen seconds, Gina Carano's defeated, and then
they're hugging and smiling, like, okay, I could have not
trained at all for something like this. Right, you go
back and there's all the stunt casting now, and then
you know Jake Paul and the octagon and all this stuff. Right,
(07:28):
MMA is in a tough spot because they don't have
the stars anymore. They were printing stars for the longest time. Right,
it was a new sport and everybody liked who they
were following, and you had the old guard of MMA
that would take you into the new Garden and all that.
You know, John Bones Jones when he came in was
a big star, and there were so many. But now
the last decade, like you're still waiting for Connor McGregor
(07:49):
to come back, right, the guy was the biggest name
and he hasn't fought in five years, and still here
you are. It's like MMA is like a Legends League
now because they don't have anybody that they can promote.
And while MMA fans are always gonna be there. You know,
we talked about this early in the show. You want
the cat You need the casuals to keep coming in.
I don't know that they're coming in because what are
you coming in for? Again? This is this is the
(08:12):
biggest star made sport there is. Like we talk about
the NBA being a star sport, forget it. That's nothing
compared to m m A and UFC and all the
different offshoots of it. Like, you need the individual stars
are the ones that people come to see, and when
you don't have them, that stinks. And when you throw
out these legacy fights that people watch and leave unfulfilled,
(08:35):
I'm not gonna go I'm i go back. I watched
the Gina Carona Ronda Rousey thing because I told you
I thought it was gonna be great and it wasn't.
And I said, well, you're not getting my money for
the or. You're not getting my attention either for the
Connor McGregor fight. You're not getting it. And I didn't,
and I you know, I waited sall the results after
and everything else, and I'm going I'm glad I didn't
wait all night to watch that fight and let didn't
stick around for it. They have to be hemorrhaging viewers.
(08:58):
And I got a feeling Dana Whit is concerned because
you could you could hear him after again going yeah,
another minute fight and you know hopefully he was okay,
Like you don't know was Connor McGregor hurt coming in?
Like these are big events now that take a minute, right,
I mean and less than that?
Speaker 9 (09:11):
Right?
Speaker 1 (09:11):
You really stayed for thirteen seconds for Ronda Rousey and
Gina Carono to go watch that, like that was what
you wanted to go see that that's fulfilling to you
as a sport. It's not. And people don't want to
wait through all these cards of people that you don't
even know to get to a main event that the
intro is gonna be longer than the event itself, right,
Like I feel like MMA needs some sort of they
(09:32):
need some sort of injection of star power or just
a different way to put these events out because the
legacy fights aren't aren't big draws, they're unfulfilling and the
star power that is just not there. It's kind of
like where the PGA tour for a while, we're going
where we go without Tiger Woods, right, Like Tiger Woods
is not playing anymore he's not forget about him coming.
(09:55):
I know people are on the hangover of tiger Woods,
but he's never really gonna make it back. It's never
gonna happen. We got a find a way to get
on and they finally found it. But it's been a decade.
It was a decade at tiger Woods, right, But at
least you had other people. It was just can we
promote Rory McElroy or Jordan Spieth or Keepko or d schambea.
Then they leave for live golf and that becomes a
whole big thing. And now finally it looks like that
(10:15):
the world of golf is as healthy as it's been
anytime pre Tiger Woods. But it took a long time
for that. But at least you had consistent events and players,
and you had big events and tent poles that you
could throw out there with the four majors like and
then they like, what are you gonna do? Like this
is now you're at a real crossroads where you got problems, man,
You got problems with the product, You got problems with
how people are perceiving it, and you got to fix that.
Speaker 4 (10:37):
Well, the base is always gonna be there, As we said, right,
regardless of sport. But then it becomes the getting the
casuals in the name recognition, the thing that cuts through
that leads right, McGregor, there's a lot there. I mean,
some of it's the cash grab. You had that civil
trial off a horrible allegation, no criminal, it didn't stick criminal.
Speaker 1 (11:00):
But we know the the.
Speaker 4 (11:04):
What the evidence, and you know the the burden of
evidence and everything and burden of proof being different. But
all of that to say, you know, controversy of was
he hurt? Did he know that this happened? All this
z appruner film of here he's going into a training center, limping.
Here he is in the pre fight limping, here's all
of these things, trying to take off his shoe when
(11:25):
it looks awkward, and then you have what gets to
a minute nine officially far less than that, quite obviously
in terms of calling it. So yeah, as soon as
you start getting back into the questions of integrity and
conspiracies or whatever, it's a problem. And we see those
in all our sports as related to officiating and so
(11:47):
many other things that have gone on. I mean, look
at some of the big events like the World Cup,
like we're watching now, all the subplots to it all,
but for the MMA specifically, you talk about all those
big personalities.
Speaker 1 (11:59):
You talk about those those guys that have cut.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
Through going into WWE, going into movies, right, Gina Caronto
with a long career, Ronda Rousey making her her mark
in WWE for a while, and others crossing over into
film and all of that, and it's helped propel them.
Now they've got a seven year, seven billion dollar deal
with Paramount Plus. So at least folks that tuned in
(12:24):
if you were a casual waiting for the Connor McGregor fight,
well you're only in for your eight ninety nine or
nine ninety nine a month for your but.
Speaker 1 (12:33):
No, but it's you know, some events that are big
that become the pay per view. Some events are just
but it's just are you gonna watch?
Speaker 4 (12:38):
Yeah, they've got forty three events per per year as
part of this deal. That's an awful lot of fights.
But they do have one guy on the card and
he actually fought before McGregor. Do we have our Patty
pimblet Because he wasn't even waiting till the body was cold.
Speaker 10 (12:55):
Waiting for it, waiting for it. Evidently, you're not gonna
get that. I'm never getting not gonna get tried. I tried,
but the body wasn't even cold.
Speaker 4 (13:05):
He's watching the the footage on the monitor and he goes.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
Hey, your boy's here. Yeah, boy's here.
Speaker 5 (13:11):
I'm ready.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
So he's Patty the Baddy. He gets a guy by
submission very quickly. Uh. In the fight proceeding, let's hear,
let's hear Patty brought up for me? Will you shoots in?
Speaker 11 (13:23):
What happened?
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Oh my god? Can I just do it already? Alice
finished the New Boys.
Speaker 8 (13:33):
In Tomare you gonna be in the face of the
organization now? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Yeah? Like what he said, the man's here, and he
sounded like you said, man's eer like from Seinfeld the
bro and the man's Jerry's still a row in the
man's ear. In the man's ear. But there you go.
Speaker 4 (13:57):
He's saying, hey, I'm ready, and he's a good talker.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
But you guys like that, you just have to find
I mean, whatever it is, whatever magic formerly you had,
Like you're like you're coming up empty, you know, with.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
You're trying to find find that next breakthrough. Maybe maybe
he's the guy he's had great success what is he
twenty four and four or something like that. It's I mean,
ridiculous record a lot of submissions along the way, so
so perhaps you know you can get a little bit
of a run there. But all of it to say, yeah,
your your points well taken. But like the w NBA
(14:31):
that we talked about last week, maybe they've already got
the bag now right, the broadcast rates are already there,
but how do you best service them?
Speaker 1 (14:40):
Exit out? About a Fresco exit swelling dome. Jason Smith
Mike Harmon Live from the Fox Sports Radio Studios. Coming
up next, we got new info on Lebron's free agency,
plus a big hot take from the NBA today. Oh yeah,
it's piping hot, served up fresh for you next Jason
and Mike Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show
with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 9 (15:09):
Hey it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller.
Would mean a lot to have you join us on
our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's name
is the Fifth Hour? I'll tell you it's a spin
off of it. Ben Mather show a could hit overnights
on FSR.
Speaker 2 (15:24):
Why should you listen?
Speaker 9 (15:25):
Picture if you will? A world will? We chat with
captains of industry in media, sports and more every week
explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen
to the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller on the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Back back back, back back to you, it would be
a much different song. Burman does Oasis and to DJ
today's the day They're gonna throw it.
Speaker 8 (15:54):
Back back back back back back back back back back
back to you.
Speaker 1 (15:58):
God appropriate that we end up in a karaoke mode.
I set you to think of the the.
Speaker 4 (16:04):
Great mister Belding Dennis earlier, who actually cut several songs
and was known for his karaoke prowess at Burbank up here.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Now, I got to ask Mary Mack, did you play
that song because the word back was in the first
few seconds of it. No, okay, I'm just an England fan.
It was just it was oh, okay, so Britannia, Okay,
are very good? Okay.
Speaker 5 (16:30):
Harry Kane all right, uh back back back back back and.
Speaker 1 (16:34):
He says, no, he's got the thumbs down. But that's
the thing. Get ready to battle in there. As soon
as I heard this song, as I go, oh, he's
gonna say back, I can do the back back, back
back back, not smashing watermelons TJ, but the Gallagher brothers
in a wonder wall. Oh back back back back over
the wonder wall and a home run DJ. What'd you
(16:56):
see the positivity from the Gallaghers and it come on
man back after all those years? Oh yeah, yeah, whatever
an acrimony and chaos. Here they are at World Cup events,
laughing their asses. You know, England's the great unifier soccer.
It's a great unifier U. Now, football news tonight in
the NBA. Well we'll get to the big hot take
(17:17):
from the NBA in a minute. But uh, Lebron James
supposedly now is closing in on his free agency. Oh yeah. Now,
the first thing I will say is this, The fun
part of Lebron is actually going to be what teams
do after he makes his decision. Right, if he goes
to the Pistons, are the Knicks gonna do something? If
(17:39):
he goes to the Heat, are the Celtics gonna do something?
Speaker 11 (17:44):
Right?
Speaker 1 (17:44):
Because he could definitely be in over the top kind
of guy. If he goes to the Calves, will the
Knicks do something? Well, will someone go like suddenly they
go out for DeMar DeRozan, Like what will happen? Like
that's gonna be a fun thing because Lebron could be
in over the top kind of guy. But now that
he's got his team that we thought was three, now
they're five. Uh in the mix forward because the Warriors
are back in, now that the Tea Wolves supposedly are
(18:06):
back in with the other three we thought with the
Heat and the Calves. And you know, the thing is
is that I get what Lebron is trying to do.
I get Rich Paul, I get that it's I love
the attention and I'm trying to create as much attention
with this as possible. And where Lebron signs is a
big story, right, it is, but it's not what it
(18:27):
was years ago. It's not You can't have the decision
part seventeen, right, Like, you're only gonna get so much
before people say, you know what, I really don't care,
and so you gotta find the sweet spot where you know, Okay,
we're gonna get the decision somewhat soon. Because I feel
like we can't just we know eventually we're gonna get
(18:47):
too close to the NFL season and people we want
people to care. We want people to then spend a
lot of attention for Lebron James, Like I can't believe
he's gonna do it for the semi finals days of
semifinals of the World Cup. So is it gonna be
after that, Like he's gonna do it on Friday? Like,
but this whole thing, I feel like you gotta just
know when are you gonna get the most attention for it?
(19:07):
And after that it's just gonna ebb because that's how
it's gonna go. Eventually, we're gonna get to point where, oh,
we don't care anymore. And and because again it's you know,
it is a story and is a decent sized story,
but it's not Lebron where everybody is hanging on what
he's going to do. I can't wait see what Lebron's
gonna do. Okay, uh, let us you know. Eventually it's
gonna be let us know, let us know, but it's
(19:28):
not quite the point yet. But I gotta think that
if we don't know by the end of this week,
like what's he what else is he waiting for by
the end of like if he doesn't know, like you know,
he's only dragging it out until he finds Now I
can get where people are gonna pay attention to me
and it the most, Like what is that sweet? But
that's why I keep looking on the calendar, going, Okay,
well we had the World Cup Games last weekend. The
United States is playing on Monday. We're not gonna have
(19:49):
it then, Like is he gonna have it tomorrow? You know,
because then we have two days of two World Cup games?
And is he gonna what's he gonna do? Like I
gotta think by the end of the week, because that's
what he's gonna look and see the sweet spot of thing.
But I'm like, I'm really that's really what it is.
Everybody else has made a decision. Everybody else knows where
they're going to play, unless you were newly given your
freedom like DeMar DeRozan, who is let go now he's
(20:11):
got to figure out he's seeing, Okay, I know I
can fit in someplace and win a title. Maybe he's
waiting for where Lebron's gonna go. But at some point
you got to just go all right, man, you know,
let's just make the call. Let's just do it.
Speaker 4 (20:22):
I mean, you have his buddy Draymon and James Harden
both need new contracts too. The current cal she breakdown
here is we're looking at one hundred and nine million
of volume. Cleveland forty one, Golden State twenty six, Miami seventeen,
Philly nine, Minnesota three. Now, obviously I've given you all
(20:45):
my big run of how the Odyssey and the Man's
Long Journey Going Home, so we got that in the offing.
The other I want to bring attention to is later
on this week, there's an event called fanatics Fest. Last year,
Kevin Durant was in the middle of a session and
he was doing a round table when he found out
he was traded, giving us one of the greatest trading
(21:07):
card photos of all time. As he's just got a
smirky at the camera. Lebron James is scheduled to be
part of two panel discussions at fanatics Fest, and as
we know, Michael Rubin has more money than just about anybody.
Speaker 1 (21:22):
But God, he'll announce my decision. So he's doing the
shop and he's doing whatever. Mind either of those days
when the Odyssey debut, yes, seventeen. You don't want to
share it.
Speaker 4 (21:35):
I'm just saying the opportunity is there for either to
be there. We had one of our our friends that
listens and contributes in the Instagram world sent me a
clip from the old thing called The Quest where all
those guys were running through the desert whatever, and then
he did a thing with the players in the locker
(21:55):
room based on three hundred Once upon a Time. So
he does know the movie tie in as well as
his starring roles.
Speaker 1 (22:03):
Yeah, actually, yeah, so I mean that potential is there.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
But yes, there are a couple of days where the
World Cup does not play before we get to the final.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
We have been looking, okay, what what when's an open
day in the sports count That's.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Because if he was going to Philly, today was a
great day, or tomorrow would be a great No, no,
tomorrow would be great.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
To uh unseat anything happening in the City.
Speaker 4 (22:24):
Of Brotherly Love during the All Star Game, You're to
throw out the first pitch.
Speaker 1 (22:28):
Never gonna happen in Philadelphia. Philadelphia sounds great, but when
you don't know what kind of relationship Joel Embiid and
Jalen Brown are gonna have. Is Lebron James gonna sign
up for that? Forget it, man, forget it. I'm talking
about entertainment for me. No, but okay, it's a predicted
markets that would be really entertaining. I'm going to Philadelphia,
(22:48):
where potential chaos is or having the old guys running
around together like it's last. Yeah, but that's not. That's
not gonna have like Philip on the dance at that
Jay Z concert. It's not Anson doing the finger point
and whatever else comes. He's not gonna happen in Philadelpia.
I want chaos, I know you do, but it's not.
(23:10):
That's not happening.
Speaker 4 (23:11):
That's not He can even borrow the Carl Weather's trunks
if he needs to, if he's d He's not going.
Speaker 1 (23:17):
To Cleveland, which he is going to clear We told
you for a year. That's the only place he can
finish where if he doesn't win, he can go out
on top. If he doesn't, the only other place is Yeah,
he's not gonna take a chance in Minnesota, not knowing
because you know the relationship. Look, look the things haven't
been great in Minnesota as well. They keep making changes,
So that's out like I can see the traveling Stars
in Golden State and I could potentially see, yeah, me
(23:39):
and Yannis can do it. Maybe I would say in
order Cleveland are far number one, Then I would say
Golden State, and then I would say mine.
Speaker 4 (23:48):
Think about the movie they're making, this documentary that it
culminates with him sitting face to face with pat Riley.
Speaker 1 (23:55):
If he got the guts, pat if you get on
your knees and you bet me to come back, I
like a WWE moment. You get on your knees and
beg and then I will allow him acknowledge me. Now,
not the only big NBA story today, because you're ready
for the big hot take hit me. Austin Reeves spoke
(24:17):
today for the first time since the big news that
Lebron James was going to take his talents elsewhere. The
Lakers made a slew of free agent signings and the
Lakers new number two. Uh decided now, yes, number two,
the Lakers new number two. Weighed in on the Lakers
moves and he's a big fan of all of them.
Speaker 11 (24:35):
Yeah, I think they're good. I mean, obviously, you know,
being with the guys that are leaving for you know,
a couple of years and then you know, Bron for
you know, five years. You know you hate to see
you know, guys, let that go. But you know the
pieces that are coming in very excited about and you know,
happy to get started kind of today and see where
it goes.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
All right, now, why this is a big story. What's the
hot take? Austin Reeves likes the moves the Lakers made.
Austin Reeves spoke today and it became a big NBA story, right,
big story on ESPN dot com, big story on social media.
Why because Austin Reeves is now a star. He was
given that battlefield promotion when Lebron James left. He went
(25:14):
from yeah, okay, he's really you know, one of the
big three there in La Luca gets the headlines, Lebron
is still there. All three's allowed to hey kind of
do your own thing, but gets the big contract. And
now when he speaks, people listen. He's a star. Now
he got that promotion. So he's now the number two
on the Lakers without a doubt. You can cut it
(25:35):
up however you want it. With Lebron. Yeah you think Lebron,
but now he's pippin to Lucas Jordan. The Lakers moves
that they made this offseason. Right, forget about building around Lucas.
Everybody builds around their superstar, right, there's superstars everywhere in
the league. Brunson, wenb Brunson, Brunson, don't forget about Brunson.
But you build, you know, you build your superstars. But
(25:56):
the Lakers built this team the way they did. They
went out and got a lot of depth, They got
a lot of size, they got defense, they got some shooting.
But they went out and got guys who are clearly
going to be the supporting cast. They didn't go out
and get a third superstar who's gonna play alongside and
make life easier for Luca and for Austin Reeves. The
(26:17):
Lakers went out and made these moves, hoping, gambling, expecting
Austin Reeves to make that jump into being a star.
Because now, okay, you want the money, you got everything.
Now you're the star. You've spent the last few years
working towards it. Now you're gonna realize what it's like
to wear that mantle when you're pipping. Now. The Lakers,
(26:39):
if they didn't think so they went out and try
to get another star. Hey, we're gonna team it up
and see it to make it work. But they went
out with a plan of Okay, Lucas won Reeves Is
are two, and these all guys are coming in and
they're gonna be support players. They're gonna be guys off
the bench, they're gonna be bigs. Whatever real role we
need them to fill, they're going to fill. There is
no two. There is no second best player on a
(27:00):
team in the NBA this year with more pressure and
more responsibility than Austin Reeves. If Austin Reeves makes that
continue jump, the Lakers are gonna be where they were
last year near the end of the year when they
had the great record, they were running up the top
of the Western Conference. That's where the Lakers will be.
If Austin Reeves does not, they'll have they'll struggle to
get in the playing Like as good as Luca is,
We've seen teams with one big star and you struggle
(27:22):
in the standings and maybe you're you make the seven
to ten playing maybe you get hot, maybe you don't.
Like Luca is gonna be Luca right, one of the
top players in the league, but you need more. There
is no number two that has more pressure or more
responsibility than Austin Reeves. As he goes, that's how the
Lakers are gonna go. Because I know how how Luca's
gonna go. I know that's gonna happen. But as Reeves goes,
(27:44):
that's how the Lakers go. No second best player has
more on them.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
Yeah, I'm gonna go. I got two things for you.
Number one, bam Adebayo would disagree. Many punch buckethead. Okay,
so everybody, wait, wait, wait, wait, he didn't punch bucket.
Heead bucketthhead is a guitarist. Yeah, you did not punch
bucket hack. Okay, he punched chicken. He likes to wear
bucket hats. Okay, did not punch buckethead. Hey you left
(28:09):
guns and roses Axel kicked me out. I'll kick your ass.
Speaker 1 (28:12):
Oh yeah, I did. He punch him when he had
the buckets so we couldn't see, like the bucket was
on might be a little bit couldn't see. Well, he
pulled it down over his eyes and then hit him.
Speaker 4 (28:24):
Uh the second, you gotta stop loosely doing that, Jordan
Pippen stuff.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
These guys ain't want anything.
Speaker 4 (28:30):
You gotta find Two guys that play together that had
some pretty good runs but never got there.
Speaker 1 (28:35):
Okay, like Wemby and stuff. Castle, Oh you do that
so that he didn't hit me in the bucket, heead
but he hit him in the back to soon Okay, Okay.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
The thing with Austin Reeds and with Luka Donchets and
you have all these secondary parts. I mean, Roston reives
he's been that that great story of look at the
contract that this undrafted player signed and he gave a
few dollars back. Because that's the subplot to this. Also
is that in theory that helps them tremendously as they
hit the free agent market next year. So that's great,
(29:04):
gives them more money. I think it takes it from
what would be like a six million dollars to like
a fifteen million dollar guy. I mean, which, as we
know in the cost of doing business, fifteen million dollar
player gives you someone substantive for your rotation. That's great,
But I also need to see both these guys play
some defense, and Castler will pick up for that. Some
(29:25):
of the parts that they've added in are great. The
other is they have to stay healthy. That's something Austin
Reeve hasn't done very well. That's such a luke at
just not done very well. You're right the healthy but
I mean, obviously if they get hurt that but for
anybody if they obviously, But like looking at it, you
made a big bet that this guy's going to take
care of himself.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
Both of these guys, Yes, all right, because Spain didn't work. No,
Spain didn't work. He tried, Spain didn't work. Spain is
only working in the World Cup and it's not working.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
And Jamal's got I mean, there's all sorts of issues.
You know, you don't got beef with that French guys.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
Come on, for a guy that scored one goal in
the World Cup, boy, your Mal's talking like he's going
to win the Golden Boot. Yeah, but you have to
pay attention to like man, it's all about shifting coverage.
But you scored one goal and it was five games ago.
I mean, come on, man, you gotta understand. You do
it a lot of talking. It's nineteen years old. I know,
I get it. This is still the World Cup. It's
(30:20):
still the World Cup.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
Man, But he's still got them alive because you got
pay attention to Yet I don't.
Speaker 1 (30:25):
Yeah, but okay, okay, when when you are a scorer
and you are a striker, you're a big offensive player.
I mean, I know, scorer, but it's very easy to
look and say did you have a good game or not?
Let me look at the scoreboard. I mean you can't
sit back and go, well, as a mid he graded
out pretty high, you had a great game, control the ball. No,
when you are a scorer, it's very easy to go
(30:45):
did you have a good game or a bad game?
Speaker 4 (30:47):
But you got to say this last game, say Messi
didn't have a good game because he didn't score. No,
Messi scored, but it's Alvarez that that got the headliner. Okay,
well he can't score every man.
Speaker 1 (31:00):
I'm just saying. I mean, Messi could win the Golden Boot,
you know. I mean that he's still I mean he's
still got him and him and Mbappe are right to
stay alive. Well, well they both do. And then you
got Harry Kane and Juke Bellingham. Yeh sep ut yea
yea yeah, yeah, Well it's okay, it's okay Harry Kane.
You know, with tighter being off tonight, like I've missed
hearing the Hrry Kane. Yeah, no, I mean it's it's
still rattling in your brain. Yeah, yeah, yeah, sure, sure,
(31:23):
I mean there's true about okay, but yeah, the Austin
Reeves part of things.
Speaker 4 (31:27):
It's gonna be a fascinating watch. Your guy JJ Reddick's
gonna lose his mind if this doesn't work though, Yeah, no,
I know it's it's gonna be back to my friend
JJ Reddick.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Yeah, he's gonna be mad because he's not fighting you
right now.
Speaker 4 (31:38):
No, no, no, I mean because they got a little
bit of good will at the end of that season.
Speaker 1 (31:42):
But I mean below Honestly, nobody with more pressure than
Austin reeves that the Lakers season will go as he goes.
Is he ready to be a star? That's the biggest
guy taking a big step because now, oh wow, when
I speak, it's headlines. Not that he said anything bad,
but just when I give my opinion and tell you something,
Oh that makes news people pay attention. This is part
of the next level of stardom. Well, because it's.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
The they chose you and the other guy is gone.
Speaker 1 (32:07):
Because if you look at the Calci, the other guy.
Speaker 5 (32:09):
Is back, back, back, back, gone.
Speaker 4 (32:11):
It says Los Angeles l gone or retires. They didn't
even give them the Lakers on that board, it says
the Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
L be sure to catch live editions of The Jason
Smith Show with Mike harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern,
seven pm Pacific.
Speaker 9 (32:26):
Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller.
Would mean a lot to have you join us on
our weekly auditory journey. You're asking, what in God's name
is the Fifth Hour. I'll tell you it's a spin
off of it Ben Mather Show, a cult hit overnights
on FSR.
Speaker 2 (32:40):
Why should you listen?
Speaker 9 (32:42):
Picture if you will a world will. We chat with
captains of industry in media, sports, and more every week
explore some amazing facts about human nature and more. Listen
to The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller or the iHeartRadio app,
Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
Speaker 1 (32:57):
Coming up next, as we get set for the first
semifinal in the World Cup. Uh, what kind of changes
are we going to see to the next World Cup?
A huge one on the table. That's next. Jason to
Mike Fox Sports Radio
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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