July 30, 2025 • 35 mins
Mike and Rich debate if Jon Gruden deserves one more chance at coaching in the NFL.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 3 (00:29):
Greetings and welcome in fineal.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Hour of the program as we come to it from
the Fox Sports Radio studios. Keeping an eye on things
in Hawaii, the tsunami warning videos starting to come out
of cars trying to get away and find their way
to better, higher, safer grounds. So thoughts and prayers with
(00:53):
the community there as they try to do the evacuation
plan and patience always key in these processes, but certainly
vigilance and listening to your local law enforcement and leaders
as they map out.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
A plan for safety.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Waiting for this to hit the landside coming up in
the next fifteen minutes or so. Rich pretty scary moments
watching some of the videos starting to circulate in social media,
and really just the massive humanity trying to ascertain, you know,
how severe things are. And then even here we got
(01:29):
three hours before the estimated potential landfall in southern California,
same kind of thing, trying to ascertain. And we've got friends,
family up and down the coastline that are that are
trying to get the most information they can as well.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
Yeah, yeah, be safe and get to higher ground if
you still can.
Speaker 6 (01:52):
I have some family on why.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
Both on Oahu and Molokai they gotten to safety. They
and they did exactly what they were told when they
were told to. So I just wish that everybody heed
the warnings and get to wherever they can that's available
to them right now out of the flood zone or
the warning areas.
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Yeah, it says, it's scary.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
We were talking about this a little bit earlier on Mikey.
When you're living on a planet, you know, you're going
about your day to day, you're not thinking much about
what could potentially happen, you know, in terms of hurricanes
or tornadoes or tsunamis. But then all of a sudden,
when an emergency strikes, it's the only thing you're thinking
(02:39):
about because obviously your safety is the number one concern.
So we know that fear we felt it here in
southern California plenty with wildfires and earthquakes and the alike.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
So we feel for you and we hope you're safe
wherever you are.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Coming off the earthquake eight point seven is the measurement
that hit near off the coast of Russia and now
making its way. So keeping an eye on this as
we do. But back to the business of sports, as
we keep our eye on this thing at Hornberger where
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(03:19):
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You evangelized to friends and family and they'll tend to
tell ten friends and so on and so on. Guy
(03:40):
that wants to get back into the good grace has
got plenty of YouTube videos, plenty of unboxings. He's got
to have the biggest house in the world with some
of the stuff that keeps showing up from colleges and
pro teams, and people, good well wishers all across the way.
It's former Buccaneers and Raiders head coach John Gruden. Go
back to twenty twenty one release of a a number
(04:00):
of offensive emails came out that ended his coaching career
rather abruptly, some related to Demorris Smith, former head of
the NFL PA. Guy we've talked about. He's got a
new book out. It's on my reading list here for
the end of summer. But gruden'szat Lyons camp this week.
He told Dave Burkett of the Detroit Free Press. Hopefully
(04:22):
I'm not done. I'm about to make a comeback. I'm
working hard to maybe get one more shot. But hopefully
some of these guys that fell off my branch, if
you say it that way, maybe they can hire me
because I'm looking for a job. He does consulting. We've
seen the videos right once upon a time that was
some of the most popular video that you'd have during
an NFL week. Some of the breakdown, some of the
(04:43):
interviews with draft prospects entering that process, Hey what did
you see here? And some of it was his you know,
gruff nature with them, the way he would ask questions like,
why would you throw a ball like that?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
You know, what were you seeing? What did you see?
And it became, you.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Know, stuff that got parodied. But certainly some of the
evaluation process was very, very curious. I don't care if
I coach at Jones Junior High. I'm gonna coach again.
I'm still coaching. I'm just not on a team officially,
but I do have some private assignments I work on
and I wear some gear when I'm watching the games
that nobody knows about who I'm pulling for. Does he
(05:22):
get another shot rich before this is done?
Speaker 6 (05:25):
It's possible, I don't want to.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
It definitely has gone from in my mind's eye an
impossibility to a possibility.
Speaker 6 (05:36):
Is it probable, I'm not sure. I'm not sure.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
I would say it depends on how desperate a coaching
staff is to potentially en a front office is to
potentially take on the negative press that would be associated
with that hiring, which, as we get further and further
(06:02):
departed from that scandal, it seems to sting less now,
doesn't it. I remember at the time, you know, with
the misogynistic and racially insensitive and homophobic language used in
the email, correspondences that John Gruden was caught up in with,
(06:24):
you know, members of the front office in Washington while
he was coaching out a variety of placesm namely the
Vegas Raiders. But like obviously from before then as well,
these emails stemmed back. It didn't look good for John
Gruden's future. He had to go away for a little while.
(06:45):
And then he made a return to social media and
he went viral a couple of times. And then he
made a return to media because he's now hired by
barstool and you know, he's now made a return to
con which is and consulting in the NFL, which is
something I did not forecast coming. And look, this isn't
(07:07):
the first time that a coach with legal action against
the league or involved in legal action with the NFL
has resumed coaching. Brian Flores, that's that's a guy who
sued the league. The Miami Dolphins, you know, was caught
up in a legal situation after claiming that an owner
was trying to pay him allegedly to lose football games.
(07:32):
You know, so I'm this this isn't unprecedented. Obviously, that
was a very different situation for Brian Flores than it
is for John Gruden. But I'm saying, if we just
look at legal action between the league and a coach,
whether or not they can still coach, there is precedent there. So,
(07:52):
like I said, I'm going to relegate it in the
world if possible. Would you say it's still possible that
he coaches in the NFL MIC.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Always a possibility.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I mean, you've got a changing temperature on a lot
of things here in the country right now. Some of
the you know, you see comedians and others that a
couple of years ago they were relegated to all right,
you're in clubs, but you're not getting your TV specials,
you're not showing up, you're getting bounced off of this
that the other disinvited as it were other celebrities and
(08:23):
public figures that it's it's a different climate.
Speaker 6 (08:26):
Now.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Does it excuse any of that because we watched it
with you know, the passing of Hulkgan.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
No matter how much you talked about.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
The the greatness of the era of wrestling, it came
back to the unionization and some of those onslaught of
racial language that was put out right and that was
years ago. But in his passing, became a hot button
topic because for a lot of people, they don't remember that, right,
(08:56):
It came and went, and so it got dredged up.
I dubbed it performative to a way, and I would
suspect if John Gruden were to be hired as something
more than a consultant, we'd see more of the same.
Doesn't mean that there is a percentage of folks to
where this is all too real, just like the whole
Cogan you know stuff didn't It doesn't go away, and
it doesn't trivialize it, and it doesn't push it down.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
That's not the point.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
The point is that you know, in terms of you know,
when when have you paid a penance?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
When is long enough?
Speaker 6 (09:27):
Right?
Speaker 4 (09:28):
When when have you cleared whatever the air was? And
for John Gruden, I don't know what the answer to
that is.
Speaker 6 (09:36):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
We know the power of the league.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
We talked about it, you know, with the Bryce Harper
Rob Manford stuff that percolated, right, and there were warnings
on broadcasts of hey, Manford's not a guy you want
to cross. Well, Roger Goodell's very much that guy too,
Right in terms of protecting his league, protecting his.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Shield, that has long been the mantra.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
So if they believe in any way, shape or form
that Druden, you know, tarnishes that, then perhaps it's a
it's a bit more.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
But at this point he's.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
Around teams, he's consulting, it's it's a short jump back
onto a staff, whether you're the head guy or not,
might be a whole other thing. But coming back as
a position coach or coordinator and then getting the read
of the temperature, I could see an ownership group deciding
he could be the guy to to pull the plug
(10:27):
and give him that opportunity. I would also say this
for John Gruden. He had that great success, there was
a lot of mediocrity in his coaching.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Run as well.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
That you know, we we think about the highs, uh,
there was a lot of mid performances along the way.
So whether whether that plays a part in the decision
making is part of it as well.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
Yeah, Look, I think talent really dictates a lot in
our culture. I don't know about other cultures as intimately
as I do the sports and the sports entertainment culture
in this country, but certainly, you know, there's there's so
(11:10):
many comparisons you can make across different genres of entertainment,
certainly in this country in particular, but also across the world.
I mean, Ozzy Osbourne just passed away last week. Ozzy
Osbourne was equally loved and hated throughout the course of
his career, but his talent was undeniable. So second and third,
(11:33):
and fourth and fifth and sixth and so on chances
were awarded to the Prince of Darkness over the course
of a long, tenured, embattled, and overwhelmingly successful career in
the public eye because talent wins.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
You know how many.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
Times was Ozzy arrested or almost arrested for antics?
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Well, the ALMO celebrated his public urination thing and tricking out.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
I mean, that's a perfect example of something that was
deemed horribly offensive to have a foreigner desecrate a national
monument to you know, you know, successes and tragedy both
at the Alumo. Obviously it's a mixed history there, but
(12:26):
my point being, like Ozzy Osbourne was lionized, and actually tomorrow,
with the funeral procession and the live streaming of that event,
I imagine millions will be tuning in. Hundreds of thousands
are expected in Birmingham City to to grieve the loss
of an icon, right, and that's a guy who obviously
(12:47):
was talented.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
Now tell me that you've got that in your calendar
the way you just rattled that off. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
you saw Rob Druhido's speech and everything.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
Yeah, there's no doubt, there's no doubt I'll be interested.
And that's my point. John Gruden's talented. He is a
talented coach, He's a talented orator. He obviously is so
talented and so undeniably talented and inexorably connected to the
NFL that they can't keep him off the fields. There
that there are plenty of veteran coaches who still want
(13:18):
his opinion on how to make things work a little
bit better in their camps. Because this is the third
team to my knowledge, he's been linked with as a consultant,
the Saints, the Chiefs, now the Lions. He's looking for
a way back in, and I, like I said, I
deem it right now as a possibility, and it may
be bordering if he's really motivated to get back in.
(13:39):
Improbable that it will happen because talent wins, and so
whether you find his actions deplorable, just like Ozzy Osbourne
and so many other talented entertainers in our past. Talent
seems to overcome negative opinions, and it happens all the time.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
As we sit here today, you've got the ages of
coaches with Andy Reid up there and Pete Carroll, and
then you look at he would be with John Harbaugh
and yeah, Mike McCarthy actually he's not a head to
coach anymore.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
And Todd Bowles, Almongst others.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
It's an old list, obviously updated, but it's just that
that idea of one of the elder statesmen. But sixty one,
we look around as like sixty one and old, and
he's got something still.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
To give to the games. So certainly on the collegiate.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
Side, we see guys that have been lifers whatever the sports.
So yeah, I'd be curious to see if he can
navigate that. It's been four years, which seems a lot longer,
doesn't it. Yeah, that does seem like like a much
longer process. But yes, certainly, being around teams, as you said,
(14:52):
is third that we're aware of. Let alone all those
teams as he said, he's wearing their gear that you
would have no knowledge.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Of big at rich Orberger at Hornberger on Twitter.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Find me over at Swollen Dome as we continue here
Fox Sports Radio. They had a scary moment, terrible circumstance
at the NFL headquarters yesterday. We're not going to do
a deep dive it, but something the specter of CTE
has been brought up.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Curious to talk with rich about.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
That, having been around the league and whether that that
still holds on the larger scale as it did. You know,
much like the gruten comments of a few years ago,
ct has kind of fallen to the wayside in our
public consciousness.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Should it have. We'll talk about that next as we continue.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
It's Fox Sports Radio Jason Smith Show with Me, Mike
carbon Rich in for Jason.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Be 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 4 (15:57):
Welcome back in Fox Sports Radio Jason Smith Show with
Me and Mike Carmen rich Orenberger in for Jason Smith tonight.
To talking about so much in the great sporting universe.
We got a couple of fun stories as we we
finish up these last few minutes here on the show.
Be remiss if we didn't at least give a minute
and rich with the terrific situation that happened in Manhattan
(16:19):
at the NFL offices yesterday, four people killed gunman, but
in the aftermath talking about ct coming front and center
and claiming now played in high school, and it was
all over the local news here in Los Angeles, as
it was, you know, from a city very near here
(16:40):
to where we are in the Fox Sports radio studios.
But it's something that just a curiosity for me. And know,
we talked some some union talk yesterday, and certainly it
was a hot button topic a few years ago, but
this might be the first reference I'd seen the CTE
in a while.
Speaker 6 (16:59):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's unfortunate.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Well, listen, I mean, the whole thing is obviously horrible.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
Yeah, it's it's an unfortunate situation from start to finish.
It's also unfortunate that we know so little about CTE
and it feels like it's it's a disease. I'm I
I'm not even sure what the categorize it as, but
(17:29):
it's it's an affliction that gets thrown around, probably far
too casually right now, almost as a punchline at times.
Or almost like a statement to prove that that football
is inherently dangerous or or you know, contact sports are
inherently dangerous, which they obviously are, but can they have
(17:53):
massive ramifications later in your life that can lead you
to do horrible things like what what's been perpetrated here?
That part of it I think is still unknown. I'm
not I'm listen, and I'm not claiming to know better
than anybody else on this subject. I haven't done a
(18:14):
tremendous amount of research outside of what I'm comfortable with,
because as a former player, you know, and having played
six years in the NFL and five years of college
football and four years of high school football and one
year of contact football and middle school, and you know,
that amounts to, you know, fifteen plus years of football
and a lot of contact, especially as an offensive lineman,
(18:36):
I do have massive concerns that, you know, this boogeyman
could be coming.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
For me too.
Speaker 5 (18:41):
So I've researched it up to my comfort level because
it's not something I want to think about on a
daily basis, because I don't want to ruminate over the.
Speaker 6 (18:50):
What ifs and the hypotheticals.
Speaker 5 (18:52):
Or my my, my future potentially and also something that
could have a massive impact on my family's future. But
it is it's spooky that it keeps coming up in
this context that people are capable of doing absurdly almost
in well absolutely in human things, and it's related to
(19:17):
something that's related to contact sports.
Speaker 6 (19:21):
It's it's it's pretty scary.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Rich Rberger and for Jason Smith, thank thank you for
your your heart there, rich and and your mindset on this.
It's just a story, uh that will keep monitoring obviously,
but you know affected so many and people that we
know that work in and around the offices and throughout
the league. Uh and all the way through the the
(19:44):
chain as you went all the way back into uh
middle school, et cetera. That you know, it's something we
keep apprized of looking for more science, more more.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Data, uh, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
But uh, the business here, you know, trying to entertain
inform you. And let's get back to something that I
found pretty entertaining coming out of Comic Con of all places,
Rich And that's Sophie Cunningham. We talked about yesterday the
Hot Girls Eat RB shirt. Well, how about the fact
that you have a something called the Women of Wrestling
Now It's one of those glow that we had all
(20:18):
those years ago, which then was popularized once again in
a short lived Netflix show.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
I was waiting for the next season. It is not materializing.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
So a little bit salty there because it was set
in those eighties times where you still had all those
great caricatures, you know, on the women's side, like you
did the men's of you know, Nikolai Volkoff and such.
You had the women equivalent Alison Brie part of that stuff.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
But they've got this league.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
Going and this guy named Dave McLain, co founder owner,
Indianapolis native, You've got some level of interest financially in
it from Genie Buss.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
But he put up the idea that well, you know,
you got the.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Enforcer like Marty McSorley was Dwayne gretzkyal those years ago.
Sophie Cunningham now with the Indiana Fever that she's become
the protector of Caitlyn Clark. He's like, well, what if
we can make this happen, you know, she takes down
the competition, she makes sure Caitlyn Clark's safe on the floor.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
We want to have her in Wow, And we.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Started thinking about it, like from a dollars and cents perspective,
And if you're Sophie Cunningham, we've watched after that incident
where she went and protected Clark getting battered around a
little bit that you know, she tripled her TikTok. Following
she started seeing more and more a run on her videos.
And certainly now you've got this Arby's deal that you know,
(21:43):
would it be behoover maybe to open the door to
this and go take a bump and go sell merch.
Maybe you have a couple of action figures, all of
that kind of stuff, And did you ever think about
becoming a professional wrestler?
Speaker 3 (21:56):
And what would your name have been?
Speaker 6 (22:00):
Super Nova? And yes, wow, Supernova, you had that right
at the tip.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Of your.
Speaker 6 (22:07):
I mean that was a knee jerk reaction, but that's great.
But if you're listening.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Well you're good on the mic, which is more than
more than ninety of the guys that they've got.
Speaker 5 (22:23):
Consider myself as showman. Uh well, here's the thing. I
never really, ever strongly considered playing any sport or participating
in anything after my football playing career because the reason
why I finished playing football was because my body was
breaking down. You know, back pain from a back surgery,
(22:44):
and knee injuries and foot and ankle injuries. Like you know,
at some point you hang it up because you know
you're you're done with the game, or because the game
is done with you.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
And I was very much so the latter.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
I felt like, I felt like I really did play
it out until the wheels came off and I really
couldn't give it another true go. But in terms of like,
for example, this Sophie Cunningham storyline and the phenomenon that
is the w NBA recently and Caitlin Clark's emergence as
(23:19):
a superstar in that league and the way the w
A has handled it, Just to grab onto that bit
of this story for a second, anybody in that league
who rubs up against Kaitlyn Clark for good or for bad,
positive or negatively, is all of a sudden thrust into superstardom.
(23:39):
I mean it is now a well known, well beaten
path to getting your a lot of hype around your
And we've seen this with with friend and foe, you know.
So what's fortunate for all parties involved is, you know,
all ships eyes with a rising tide, and that's what
(24:03):
Caitlin Clark.
Speaker 6 (24:04):
Has done to this league. She's buoyed the WNBA.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
However, what I will say is the negative ramifications are
obviously we're seeing people get a lot of hype for
hating on Caitlin Clark and for I mean frankly accosting her,
whether it be via social media slander or on the court.
You know, actually within the parameters of the game, if
(24:30):
you get in her grill, there's a chance that you
may make it on Sports Center, you may end up
being interviewed about it, and you may end up making
a couple extra bucks marketing because your social media following
has exploded after some sort of incident with Caitlin Clark.
So I think I think that phenomenon mikey is is
as rewarding and damaging to the WNBA and maybe even
(24:55):
specifically to Caitlin Clark as this you know story there
season two and the wheel turns.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Yeah, at this point, they just need her back on
a court.
Speaker 4 (25:06):
Now, Indians had some successes with her off it, but
certainly as a league, we you know, we do keep
an eye on to a degree what the television ratings
and following and everything.
Speaker 6 (25:17):
Are.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
The last couple of headlines for the league. Last night,
you had a player's wig came off Kalia Copper and
she ran to the locker room. There was a pause
in the action and then someone mocked it and got
thrown out.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
So there's a headline.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Today there was a play suspended late in the game
because a glow in the dark adult novelty found its
way to the court and had to be investigated. Those
are the headlines more so than the the actual play
at times. So that's the tough side of it as well. Right,
(25:58):
for all the successes, some of the great performances that
we've seen across the league and the number of star
players that were there before Caitlin Clark and now play
alongsider is that there's certainly going to be a lot
of entities and media outlets that are going to be
looking for the downside of things.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Me, I'm just trying to think of what her wrestling
name would be.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
I mean, you already copped super Nova for yourself, which
is pretty good. Yeah, I don't know that there's one. Historically,
I'll have to go back into the archives watching.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
This stuff a long time. Rich, I don't remember that one.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
Yeah, I mean that's uh again, like that would just
sort of appeared in my brain as soon as you
ask the questions. So with a little bit more work,
if it is a homework assignment, and if need be
for another fill and night, I'll give you a list.
But but yeah, it's for Sophie Cunning him, it could
(26:52):
be something that includes the adjective cunning.
Speaker 6 (26:57):
I don't know, I mean off the top of my head.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Maybe she could just be self named until she's she's
officially indoctrinated.
Speaker 6 (27:05):
But but but can.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
You give yourself a nickname like Travis Hunter did call
himself the Unicorn.
Speaker 6 (27:11):
Oh, the Unicorn. I love that so much, gosh, I.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
Mean because that's like one of those like almost like
an uh hotmail email address that you gave yourself when
you were like sixteen years old that you really regret
later in life. Like I have a feeling, true, I
have a feeling Hunter later in life is not gonna
want to go by the unicorn at some point. I
feel like, you know when when you're when you're sixteen
(27:38):
years old and you you make yourself and I'm really
dating myself here, but like an AOL instant Messenger name,
and then.
Speaker 6 (27:45):
You grow up and you look back on those times.
Speaker 5 (27:47):
Yeah, you know, mistakes were made, but I digress to
point out, you know, you made a really good point
about the w the w NBA. The headlines often do
not reflect how competitive.
Speaker 6 (28:02):
Of a league it is.
Speaker 5 (28:04):
And if I'm being one hundred percent truthful, and I
try always to be when I'm talking about all sports,
I don't know a lot about that league. I know
as much as I have availed to myself, which is
admittedly very little. I don't watch it on a nightly basis.
I'm not particularly interested in women's basketball. Kaitlyn Clark is
(28:27):
the number one reason why I've turned on WNBA games.
She is the number one reason why I talk about
the wire. I'm interested in her. But you're one hundred
percent right, Mike. I mean, most of the headlines I
read about WNBA are almost like side show fashion. Something
gets thrown onto the court, there's an on court altercation
(28:48):
between Kaitlyn Clark and another player. There's you know, a
call for these players to you know, make more money,
and they're wearing T shirts at the All Star Game
and things of that nature, and it's like not a
lot of it is about the actual sport itself or
consideration for the competitive nature of the league.
Speaker 6 (29:10):
It's it's for the side show that sort of follows it.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
No, that's the thing, trying to push the ladder away
and get back to the powers that be in terms
of better play and storylines, Page Becker's coming up, and
all of these others. Cameron Brink getting back into action
tonight after missing a year, the Sparks playing better of late,
trying to get back into.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
The playoff bix.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
I mean there are there are a bunch of storylines,
but yeah, it's the macro and micro kind of spears
in terms of where the league is in trying to
get to that next level of growth and the eyeball
retention that came with Caitlin Clark's arrival.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
He's Rich Orenberger on Mike Rmon.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
It's Fox Sports Radio Jason Smith Show with me, Mike Harmon.
Jason will be back tomorrow night, Doctor Rich kind of
enough to stay up late with us here in the
Fox Sports Radio studios. Now, let's turn it over to
Steve Desaga for the final time tonight. Get an update
on all the action that went down. I'm sure I'll
hear Schwarber's home run again. And Andrew Vaughn and how many
(30:13):
other ex White Sox guys or guys that came back
to crush me are gonna be mentioned today?
Speaker 7 (30:20):
Yeah, you mentioned WNBA. There was that big Sunday National
TV matchup Indiana one at Chicago. Kayln Clark with no
timetable for a return with a groin injury and Angel
Reeves was out. They still got a million and a
half hours.
Speaker 6 (30:33):
You really a for that?
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yes, there were.
Speaker 7 (30:37):
Three games tonight, wins for Golden States and Washington which
beat Chicago. Angel Reefs returned after missing the previous two
games with the bad back. She had twenty two points
thirteen rebounds in defeat in LA. Cameron Brink returned after
missing over a year with the torn ACL did not start,
had five points in fourteen minutes off the bench. Her
team was already down twenty six to nine by the
(30:58):
time she entered off the bench. Asia Wilson had started
eight of age shooting, finished with thirty four points. Las
Vegas wins at LA eighty nine to seventy four. Speaking
of injuries, Brianna Stewart, New York Star, was out on
Monday with a leg injury. Everything final in Major League Baseball,
the Padres beat the Mets seven to one. The Mets
lead in the NLS down to a half game over
(31:19):
the Phillies, and the Mets Juan Soto left after he
fouled the ball off his foot. It is called a bruise.
Manny Machado three run homer. The Angels beat Texas eight
to five. A's over Seattle six to one. The A's
placed All Star shortstop Jacob Wilson on the injured list
with a broken arm. The Giants record since acquiring Rafael
Devers not good. He was acquired in trade last month,
(31:43):
since his first game was San Francisco, they actually had
the worst record in the Majors. The Giants lost their
fifth straight game tonight, gave up two runs in the eighth.
Pirates three to won the final at San Francisco. So
while Pittsburgh has won seven of eight, the Giants have
dropped eleven of thirteen, and the Giants offense went two
for twenty seven tonight. Justin Verlander no decision, pitching five innings.
(32:06):
He's won in eight this year. It was Houston ending
a five game losing streak beating Washington seven to four.
Houston's the first place team in the Aost four games
over the Mariners, Texas five back. Miami beats Saint Louis
and Sunny Gray five nothing, Philadelphia six' three over The White.
Sox Kyle schwarber hit his thirty seventh. Homer Kansas city
(32:27):
Over atlanta nine to. Six the brave starter was the
newly Acquired eric Fetti is now three and, eleven And
Ronald acunye Of atlanta left this game with achilles. Tightness
he is in a walking. Boot The royals designated Pitcher
Rich hill for Assignmon twins Outfielder Byron buxton placed on
the aisle with ribcage. Inflammation minnesota is beaten at home
(32:48):
By boston eight to. Five Former White sox Pitcher Lucas
giolito now seven and two for The Red, sox going
six innings for the.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Win here the hits just keep on.
Speaker 7 (32:57):
Coming At, Milwaukee andrew come On dex of The White
sox six, RBIs including a grand. Slam brewers beat The
cubs again nine to. Three Quinn priester ten and two
got the. Win Jackson. Churio The brewers did leave with
a bad, hamstring but the Brew crew up two games
over The. Cubs now in THE Nl Central dodgers came
back to win At cincinnati five to, four got a
(33:19):
run in the top of the. Ninth yankees Beat Tampa
bay seven to, Five Max free twelve and four with
the victory wins For detroit And, cleveland And baltimore's won
five straight after sweeping a twin bill From. Toronto bengals
defensive End Trey henrickson will likely report to training camp
finally On wednesday's been holding out for a new, contract
(33:39):
which he does not have at this. Point ravens tight
End isaiah likely will miss a few weeks after rolling
his ankle at. Practice The jets signed veteran Kicker Nick.
Folk and women's soccer ON fs, one A Copa america
semifinal went To brazil five to one Over. Uruguay tournament
final Is saturday ON fs. One and by the, way
with The Men's World cup up being co hosted by
(34:01):
THE us next, Summer Las vegas reportedly will be Hosting
december's draw for next Year's World.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Cup schedule back to, You they're gonna put it in a.
Hopper maybe make it part of a roulette. TABLE i,
mean what are we talking here?
Speaker 7 (34:14):
Saying do draw out the little plastic balls with a
piece of paper. Inside, oh this will be the team
in THE us. Group remember it's an Expanded World cup this.
Year already two, teams it's forty, eight let's. Go so you,
know you may not think one of them all is,
good and they're, not but they're still alive to be
in That World cup next.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
SUMMER i don't, know polistic doing a lot a lot
of talking for a guy sitting on his ass right.
Speaker 7 (34:35):
NOW i didn't see hide or hair of him on
the pitch this.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Summer here you, Go thanks so.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
Much Steve disager at the news desk a, legend and
you can tell how much he hates me with the
number of Ex White sox. Players, now good that we're
mentioned in that particular news.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
Break he's Rich Or berger in For Jason. Smith I'll Mike.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
Garmin, hey anybody got two undred and fifty thousand dollars
they want to loan? ME i got something in the
Marketplace i'd love to. Buy maybe you can.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Help be sure to catch live editions Of The Jason
Smith show With Mike harmon weekdays at ten Pm eastern
seven Pm pacific
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 (00:22):
Give you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Greetings and welcome in fineal.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Hour of the program as we come to it from
the Fox Sports Radio studios. Keeping an eye on things
in Hawaii, the tsunami warning videos starting to come out
of cars trying to get away and find their way
to better, higher, safer grounds. So thoughts and prayers with
(00:53):
the community there as they try to do the evacuation
plan and patience always key in these processes, but certainly
vigilance and listening to your local law enforcement and leaders
as they map out.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
A plan for safety.
Speaker 4 (01:09):
Waiting for this to hit the landside coming up in
the next fifteen minutes or so. Rich pretty scary moments
watching some of the videos starting to circulate in social media,
and really just the massive humanity trying to ascertain, you know,
how severe things are. And then even here we got
(01:29):
three hours before the estimated potential landfall in southern California,
same kind of thing, trying to ascertain. And we've got friends,
family up and down the coastline that are that are
trying to get the most information they can as well.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
Yeah, yeah, be safe and get to higher ground if
you still can.
Speaker 6 (01:52):
I have some family on why.
Speaker 5 (01:56):
Both on Oahu and Molokai they gotten to safety. They
and they did exactly what they were told when they
were told to. So I just wish that everybody heed
the warnings and get to wherever they can that's available
to them right now out of the flood zone or
the warning areas.
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Yeah, it says, it's scary.
Speaker 5 (02:18):
We were talking about this a little bit earlier on Mikey.
When you're living on a planet, you know, you're going
about your day to day, you're not thinking much about
what could potentially happen, you know, in terms of hurricanes
or tornadoes or tsunamis. But then all of a sudden,
when an emergency strikes, it's the only thing you're thinking
(02:39):
about because obviously your safety is the number one concern.
So we know that fear we felt it here in
southern California plenty with wildfires and earthquakes and the alike.
Speaker 6 (02:52):
So we feel for you and we hope you're safe
wherever you are.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
Coming off the earthquake eight point seven is the measurement
that hit near off the coast of Russia and now
making its way. So keeping an eye on this as
we do. But back to the business of sports, as
we keep our eye on this thing at Hornberger where
you find him on Twitter, find me over at Swollennome. Also,
be sure to check out the Fox Sports Radio YouTube channel.
(03:19):
Search Fox Sports Radio on YouTube. You'll see a whole
bunch of video highlights from the shows. Be sure to
subscribe so that you never miss any of the very
best Fox Sports Radio videos on YouTube. And as always
we ask after you like it and give it five stars.
You evangelized to friends and family and they'll tend to
tell ten friends and so on and so on. Guy
(03:40):
that wants to get back into the good grace has
got plenty of YouTube videos, plenty of unboxings. He's got
to have the biggest house in the world with some
of the stuff that keeps showing up from colleges and
pro teams, and people, good well wishers all across the way.
It's former Buccaneers and Raiders head coach John Gruden. Go
back to twenty twenty one release of a a number
(04:00):
of offensive emails came out that ended his coaching career
rather abruptly, some related to Demorris Smith, former head of
the NFL PA. Guy we've talked about. He's got a
new book out. It's on my reading list here for
the end of summer. But gruden'szat Lyons camp this week.
He told Dave Burkett of the Detroit Free Press. Hopefully
(04:22):
I'm not done. I'm about to make a comeback. I'm
working hard to maybe get one more shot. But hopefully
some of these guys that fell off my branch, if
you say it that way, maybe they can hire me
because I'm looking for a job. He does consulting. We've
seen the videos right once upon a time that was
some of the most popular video that you'd have during
an NFL week. Some of the breakdown, some of the
(04:43):
interviews with draft prospects entering that process, Hey what did
you see here? And some of it was his you know,
gruff nature with them, the way he would ask questions like,
why would you throw a ball like that?
Speaker 3 (04:56):
You know, what were you seeing? What did you see?
And it became, you.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
Know, stuff that got parodied. But certainly some of the
evaluation process was very, very curious. I don't care if
I coach at Jones Junior High. I'm gonna coach again.
I'm still coaching. I'm just not on a team officially,
but I do have some private assignments I work on
and I wear some gear when I'm watching the games
that nobody knows about who I'm pulling for. Does he
(05:22):
get another shot rich before this is done?
Speaker 6 (05:25):
It's possible, I don't want to.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
It definitely has gone from in my mind's eye an
impossibility to a possibility.
Speaker 6 (05:36):
Is it probable, I'm not sure. I'm not sure.
Speaker 5 (05:39):
I would say it depends on how desperate a coaching
staff is to potentially en a front office is to
potentially take on the negative press that would be associated
with that hiring, which, as we get further and further
(06:02):
departed from that scandal, it seems to sting less now,
doesn't it. I remember at the time, you know, with
the misogynistic and racially insensitive and homophobic language used in
the email, correspondences that John Gruden was caught up in with,
(06:24):
you know, members of the front office in Washington while
he was coaching out a variety of placesm namely the
Vegas Raiders. But like obviously from before then as well,
these emails stemmed back. It didn't look good for John
Gruden's future. He had to go away for a little while.
(06:45):
And then he made a return to social media and
he went viral a couple of times. And then he
made a return to media because he's now hired by
barstool and you know, he's now made a return to
con which is and consulting in the NFL, which is
something I did not forecast coming. And look, this isn't
(07:07):
the first time that a coach with legal action against
the league or involved in legal action with the NFL
has resumed coaching. Brian Flores, that's that's a guy who
sued the league. The Miami Dolphins, you know, was caught
up in a legal situation after claiming that an owner
was trying to pay him allegedly to lose football games.
(07:32):
You know, so I'm this this isn't unprecedented. Obviously, that
was a very different situation for Brian Flores than it
is for John Gruden. But I'm saying, if we just
look at legal action between the league and a coach,
whether or not they can still coach, there is precedent there. So,
(07:52):
like I said, I'm going to relegate it in the
world if possible. Would you say it's still possible that
he coaches in the NFL MIC.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Always a possibility.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I mean, you've got a changing temperature on a lot
of things here in the country right now. Some of
the you know, you see comedians and others that a
couple of years ago they were relegated to all right,
you're in clubs, but you're not getting your TV specials,
you're not showing up, you're getting bounced off of this
that the other disinvited as it were other celebrities and
(08:23):
public figures that it's it's a different climate.
Speaker 6 (08:26):
Now.
Speaker 4 (08:27):
Does it excuse any of that because we watched it
with you know, the passing of Hulkgan.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
No matter how much you talked about.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
The the greatness of the era of wrestling, it came
back to the unionization and some of those onslaught of
racial language that was put out right and that was
years ago. But in his passing, became a hot button
topic because for a lot of people, they don't remember that, right,
(08:56):
It came and went, and so it got dredged up.
I dubbed it performative to a way, and I would
suspect if John Gruden were to be hired as something
more than a consultant, we'd see more of the same.
Doesn't mean that there is a percentage of folks to
where this is all too real, just like the whole
Cogan you know stuff didn't It doesn't go away, and
it doesn't trivialize it, and it doesn't push it down.
Speaker 3 (09:19):
That's not the point.
Speaker 4 (09:20):
The point is that you know, in terms of you know,
when when have you paid a penance?
Speaker 3 (09:26):
When is long enough?
Speaker 6 (09:27):
Right?
Speaker 4 (09:28):
When when have you cleared whatever the air was? And
for John Gruden, I don't know what the answer to
that is.
Speaker 6 (09:36):
Right.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
We know the power of the league.
Speaker 4 (09:38):
We talked about it, you know, with the Bryce Harper
Rob Manford stuff that percolated, right, and there were warnings
on broadcasts of hey, Manford's not a guy you want
to cross. Well, Roger Goodell's very much that guy too,
Right in terms of protecting his league, protecting his.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Shield, that has long been the mantra.
Speaker 4 (09:56):
So if they believe in any way, shape or form
that Druden, you know, tarnishes that, then perhaps it's a
it's a bit more.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
But at this point he's.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
Around teams, he's consulting, it's it's a short jump back
onto a staff, whether you're the head guy or not,
might be a whole other thing. But coming back as
a position coach or coordinator and then getting the read
of the temperature, I could see an ownership group deciding
he could be the guy to to pull the plug
(10:27):
and give him that opportunity. I would also say this
for John Gruden. He had that great success, there was
a lot of mediocrity in his coaching.
Speaker 3 (10:35):
Run as well.
Speaker 4 (10:36):
That you know, we we think about the highs, uh,
there was a lot of mid performances along the way.
So whether whether that plays a part in the decision
making is part of it as well.
Speaker 5 (10:49):
Yeah, Look, I think talent really dictates a lot in
our culture. I don't know about other cultures as intimately
as I do the sports and the sports entertainment culture
in this country, but certainly, you know, there's there's so
(11:10):
many comparisons you can make across different genres of entertainment,
certainly in this country in particular, but also across the world.
I mean, Ozzy Osbourne just passed away last week. Ozzy
Osbourne was equally loved and hated throughout the course of
his career, but his talent was undeniable. So second and third,
(11:33):
and fourth and fifth and sixth and so on chances
were awarded to the Prince of Darkness over the course
of a long, tenured, embattled, and overwhelmingly successful career in
the public eye because talent wins.
Speaker 6 (11:49):
You know how many.
Speaker 5 (11:49):
Times was Ozzy arrested or almost arrested for antics?
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Well, the ALMO celebrated his public urination thing and tricking out.
Speaker 5 (12:02):
I mean, that's a perfect example of something that was
deemed horribly offensive to have a foreigner desecrate a national
monument to you know, you know, successes and tragedy both
at the Alumo. Obviously it's a mixed history there, but
(12:26):
my point being, like Ozzy Osbourne was lionized, and actually tomorrow,
with the funeral procession and the live streaming of that event,
I imagine millions will be tuning in. Hundreds of thousands
are expected in Birmingham City to to grieve the loss
of an icon, right, and that's a guy who obviously
(12:47):
was talented.
Speaker 4 (12:48):
Now tell me that you've got that in your calendar
the way you just rattled that off. Yeah, yeah, yeah,
you saw Rob Druhido's speech and everything.
Speaker 5 (12:55):
Yeah, there's no doubt, there's no doubt I'll be interested.
And that's my point. John Gruden's talented. He is a
talented coach, He's a talented orator. He obviously is so
talented and so undeniably talented and inexorably connected to the
NFL that they can't keep him off the fields. There
that there are plenty of veteran coaches who still want
(13:18):
his opinion on how to make things work a little
bit better in their camps. Because this is the third
team to my knowledge, he's been linked with as a consultant,
the Saints, the Chiefs, now the Lions. He's looking for
a way back in, and I, like I said, I
deem it right now as a possibility, and it may
be bordering if he's really motivated to get back in.
(13:39):
Improbable that it will happen because talent wins, and so
whether you find his actions deplorable, just like Ozzy Osbourne
and so many other talented entertainers in our past. Talent
seems to overcome negative opinions, and it happens all the time.
Speaker 4 (13:58):
As we sit here today, you've got the ages of
coaches with Andy Reid up there and Pete Carroll, and
then you look at he would be with John Harbaugh
and yeah, Mike McCarthy actually he's not a head to
coach anymore.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
And Todd Bowles, Almongst others.
Speaker 4 (14:18):
It's an old list, obviously updated, but it's just that
that idea of one of the elder statesmen. But sixty one,
we look around as like sixty one and old, and
he's got something still.
Speaker 3 (14:29):
To give to the games. So certainly on the collegiate.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
Side, we see guys that have been lifers whatever the sports.
So yeah, I'd be curious to see if he can
navigate that. It's been four years, which seems a lot longer,
doesn't it. Yeah, that does seem like like a much
longer process. But yes, certainly, being around teams, as you said,
(14:52):
is third that we're aware of. Let alone all those
teams as he said, he's wearing their gear that you
would have no knowledge.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Of big at rich Orberger at Hornberger on Twitter.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
Find me over at Swollen Dome as we continue here
Fox Sports Radio. They had a scary moment, terrible circumstance
at the NFL headquarters yesterday. We're not going to do
a deep dive it, but something the specter of CTE
has been brought up.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Curious to talk with rich about.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
That, having been around the league and whether that that
still holds on the larger scale as it did. You know,
much like the gruten comments of a few years ago,
ct has kind of fallen to the wayside in our
public consciousness.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Should it have. We'll talk about that next as we continue.
Speaker 4 (15:42):
It's Fox Sports Radio Jason Smith Show with Me, Mike
carbon Rich in for Jason.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Be 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 4 (15:57):
Welcome back in Fox Sports Radio Jason Smith Show with
Me and Mike Carmen rich Orenberger in for Jason Smith tonight.
To talking about so much in the great sporting universe.
We got a couple of fun stories as we we
finish up these last few minutes here on the show.
Be remiss if we didn't at least give a minute
and rich with the terrific situation that happened in Manhattan
(16:19):
at the NFL offices yesterday, four people killed gunman, but
in the aftermath talking about ct coming front and center
and claiming now played in high school, and it was
all over the local news here in Los Angeles, as
it was, you know, from a city very near here
(16:40):
to where we are in the Fox Sports radio studios.
But it's something that just a curiosity for me. And know,
we talked some some union talk yesterday, and certainly it
was a hot button topic a few years ago, but
this might be the first reference I'd seen the CTE
in a while.
Speaker 6 (16:59):
Yeah, yeah, it's it's unfortunate.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
Well, listen, I mean, the whole thing is obviously horrible.
Speaker 5 (17:07):
Yeah, it's it's an unfortunate situation from start to finish.
It's also unfortunate that we know so little about CTE
and it feels like it's it's a disease. I'm I
I'm not even sure what the categorize it as, but
(17:29):
it's it's an affliction that gets thrown around, probably far
too casually right now, almost as a punchline at times.
Or almost like a statement to prove that that football
is inherently dangerous or or you know, contact sports are
inherently dangerous, which they obviously are, but can they have
(17:53):
massive ramifications later in your life that can lead you
to do horrible things like what what's been perpetrated here?
That part of it I think is still unknown. I'm
not I'm listen, and I'm not claiming to know better
than anybody else on this subject. I haven't done a
(18:14):
tremendous amount of research outside of what I'm comfortable with,
because as a former player, you know, and having played
six years in the NFL and five years of college
football and four years of high school football and one
year of contact football and middle school, and you know,
that amounts to, you know, fifteen plus years of football
and a lot of contact, especially as an offensive lineman,
(18:36):
I do have massive concerns that, you know, this boogeyman
could be coming.
Speaker 6 (18:40):
For me too.
Speaker 5 (18:41):
So I've researched it up to my comfort level because
it's not something I want to think about on a
daily basis, because I don't want to ruminate over the.
Speaker 6 (18:50):
What ifs and the hypotheticals.
Speaker 5 (18:52):
Or my my, my future potentially and also something that
could have a massive impact on my family's future. But
it is it's spooky that it keeps coming up in
this context that people are capable of doing absurdly almost
in well absolutely in human things, and it's related to
(19:17):
something that's related to contact sports.
Speaker 6 (19:21):
It's it's it's pretty scary.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Rich Rberger and for Jason Smith, thank thank you for
your your heart there, rich and and your mindset on this.
It's just a story, uh that will keep monitoring obviously,
but you know affected so many and people that we
know that work in and around the offices and throughout
the league. Uh and all the way through the the
(19:44):
chain as you went all the way back into uh
middle school, et cetera. That you know, it's something we
keep apprized of looking for more science, more more.
Speaker 3 (19:53):
Data, uh, et cetera.
Speaker 4 (19:55):
But uh, the business here, you know, trying to entertain
inform you. And let's get back to something that I
found pretty entertaining coming out of Comic Con of all places,
Rich And that's Sophie Cunningham. We talked about yesterday the
Hot Girls Eat RB shirt. Well, how about the fact
that you have a something called the Women of Wrestling
Now It's one of those glow that we had all
(20:18):
those years ago, which then was popularized once again in
a short lived Netflix show.
Speaker 3 (20:23):
I was waiting for the next season. It is not materializing.
Speaker 4 (20:27):
So a little bit salty there because it was set
in those eighties times where you still had all those
great caricatures, you know, on the women's side, like you
did the men's of you know, Nikolai Volkoff and such.
You had the women equivalent Alison Brie part of that stuff.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
But they've got this league.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
Going and this guy named Dave McLain, co founder owner,
Indianapolis native, You've got some level of interest financially in
it from Genie Buss.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
But he put up the idea that well, you know,
you got the.
Speaker 4 (20:59):
Enforcer like Marty McSorley was Dwayne gretzkyal those years ago.
Sophie Cunningham now with the Indiana Fever that she's become
the protector of Caitlyn Clark. He's like, well, what if
we can make this happen, you know, she takes down
the competition, she makes sure Caitlyn Clark's safe on the floor.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
We want to have her in Wow, And we.
Speaker 4 (21:20):
Started thinking about it, like from a dollars and cents perspective,
And if you're Sophie Cunningham, we've watched after that incident
where she went and protected Clark getting battered around a
little bit that you know, she tripled her TikTok. Following
she started seeing more and more a run on her videos.
And certainly now you've got this Arby's deal that you know,
(21:43):
would it be behoover maybe to open the door to
this and go take a bump and go sell merch.
Maybe you have a couple of action figures, all of
that kind of stuff, And did you ever think about
becoming a professional wrestler?
Speaker 3 (21:56):
And what would your name have been?
Speaker 6 (22:00):
Super Nova? And yes, wow, Supernova, you had that right
at the tip.
Speaker 5 (22:05):
Of your.
Speaker 6 (22:07):
I mean that was a knee jerk reaction, but that's great.
But if you're listening.
Speaker 4 (22:15):
Well you're good on the mic, which is more than
more than ninety of the guys that they've got.
Speaker 5 (22:23):
Consider myself as showman. Uh well, here's the thing. I
never really, ever strongly considered playing any sport or participating
in anything after my football playing career because the reason
why I finished playing football was because my body was
breaking down. You know, back pain from a back surgery,
(22:44):
and knee injuries and foot and ankle injuries. Like you know,
at some point you hang it up because you know
you're you're done with the game, or because the game
is done with you.
Speaker 6 (22:54):
And I was very much so the latter.
Speaker 5 (22:56):
I felt like, I felt like I really did play
it out until the wheels came off and I really
couldn't give it another true go. But in terms of like,
for example, this Sophie Cunningham storyline and the phenomenon that
is the w NBA recently and Caitlin Clark's emergence as
(23:19):
a superstar in that league and the way the w
A has handled it, Just to grab onto that bit
of this story for a second, anybody in that league
who rubs up against Kaitlyn Clark for good or for bad,
positive or negatively, is all of a sudden thrust into superstardom.
(23:39):
I mean it is now a well known, well beaten
path to getting your a lot of hype around your
And we've seen this with with friend and foe, you know.
So what's fortunate for all parties involved is, you know,
all ships eyes with a rising tide, and that's what
(24:03):
Caitlin Clark.
Speaker 6 (24:04):
Has done to this league. She's buoyed the WNBA.
Speaker 5 (24:08):
However, what I will say is the negative ramifications are
obviously we're seeing people get a lot of hype for
hating on Caitlin Clark and for I mean frankly accosting her,
whether it be via social media slander or on the court.
You know, actually within the parameters of the game, if
(24:30):
you get in her grill, there's a chance that you
may make it on Sports Center, you may end up
being interviewed about it, and you may end up making
a couple extra bucks marketing because your social media following
has exploded after some sort of incident with Caitlin Clark.
So I think I think that phenomenon mikey is is
as rewarding and damaging to the WNBA and maybe even
(24:55):
specifically to Caitlin Clark as this you know story there
season two and the wheel turns.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Yeah, at this point, they just need her back on
a court.
Speaker 4 (25:06):
Now, Indians had some successes with her off it, but
certainly as a league, we you know, we do keep
an eye on to a degree what the television ratings
and following and everything.
Speaker 6 (25:17):
Are.
Speaker 4 (25:17):
The last couple of headlines for the league. Last night,
you had a player's wig came off Kalia Copper and
she ran to the locker room. There was a pause
in the action and then someone mocked it and got
thrown out.
Speaker 3 (25:35):
So there's a headline.
Speaker 4 (25:37):
Today there was a play suspended late in the game
because a glow in the dark adult novelty found its
way to the court and had to be investigated. Those
are the headlines more so than the the actual play
at times. So that's the tough side of it as well. Right,
(25:58):
for all the successes, some of the great performances that
we've seen across the league and the number of star
players that were there before Caitlin Clark and now play
alongsider is that there's certainly going to be a lot
of entities and media outlets that are going to be
looking for the downside of things.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Me, I'm just trying to think of what her wrestling
name would be.
Speaker 4 (26:18):
I mean, you already copped super Nova for yourself, which
is pretty good. Yeah, I don't know that there's one. Historically,
I'll have to go back into the archives watching.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
This stuff a long time. Rich, I don't remember that one.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
Yeah, I mean that's uh again, like that would just
sort of appeared in my brain as soon as you
ask the questions. So with a little bit more work,
if it is a homework assignment, and if need be
for another fill and night, I'll give you a list.
But but yeah, it's for Sophie Cunning him, it could
(26:52):
be something that includes the adjective cunning.
Speaker 6 (26:57):
I don't know, I mean off the top of my head.
Speaker 5 (27:00):
Maybe she could just be self named until she's she's
officially indoctrinated.
Speaker 6 (27:05):
But but but can.
Speaker 4 (27:07):
You give yourself a nickname like Travis Hunter did call
himself the Unicorn.
Speaker 6 (27:11):
Oh, the Unicorn. I love that so much, gosh, I.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
Mean because that's like one of those like almost like
an uh hotmail email address that you gave yourself when
you were like sixteen years old that you really regret
later in life. Like I have a feeling, true, I
have a feeling Hunter later in life is not gonna
want to go by the unicorn at some point. I
feel like, you know when when you're when you're sixteen
(27:38):
years old and you you make yourself and I'm really
dating myself here, but like an AOL instant Messenger name,
and then.
Speaker 6 (27:45):
You grow up and you look back on those times.
Speaker 5 (27:47):
Yeah, you know, mistakes were made, but I digress to
point out, you know, you made a really good point
about the w the w NBA. The headlines often do
not reflect how competitive.
Speaker 6 (28:02):
Of a league it is.
Speaker 5 (28:04):
And if I'm being one hundred percent truthful, and I
try always to be when I'm talking about all sports,
I don't know a lot about that league. I know
as much as I have availed to myself, which is
admittedly very little. I don't watch it on a nightly basis.
I'm not particularly interested in women's basketball. Kaitlyn Clark is
(28:27):
the number one reason why I've turned on WNBA games.
She is the number one reason why I talk about
the wire. I'm interested in her. But you're one hundred
percent right, Mike. I mean, most of the headlines I
read about WNBA are almost like side show fashion. Something
gets thrown onto the court, there's an on court altercation
(28:48):
between Kaitlyn Clark and another player. There's you know, a
call for these players to you know, make more money,
and they're wearing T shirts at the All Star Game
and things of that nature, and it's like not a
lot of it is about the actual sport itself or
consideration for the competitive nature of the league.
Speaker 6 (29:10):
It's it's for the side show that sort of follows it.
Speaker 4 (29:14):
No, that's the thing, trying to push the ladder away
and get back to the powers that be in terms
of better play and storylines, Page Becker's coming up, and
all of these others. Cameron Brink getting back into action
tonight after missing a year, the Sparks playing better of late,
trying to get back into.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
The playoff bix.
Speaker 4 (29:34):
I mean there are there are a bunch of storylines,
but yeah, it's the macro and micro kind of spears
in terms of where the league is in trying to
get to that next level of growth and the eyeball
retention that came with Caitlin Clark's arrival.
Speaker 3 (29:50):
He's Rich Orenberger on Mike Rmon.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
It's Fox Sports Radio Jason Smith Show with me, Mike Harmon.
Jason will be back tomorrow night, Doctor Rich kind of
enough to stay up late with us here in the
Fox Sports Radio studios. Now, let's turn it over to
Steve Desaga for the final time tonight. Get an update
on all the action that went down. I'm sure I'll
hear Schwarber's home run again. And Andrew Vaughn and how many
(30:13):
other ex White Sox guys or guys that came back
to crush me are gonna be mentioned today?
Speaker 7 (30:20):
Yeah, you mentioned WNBA. There was that big Sunday National
TV matchup Indiana one at Chicago. Kayln Clark with no
timetable for a return with a groin injury and Angel
Reeves was out. They still got a million and a
half hours.
Speaker 6 (30:33):
You really a for that?
Speaker 3 (30:35):
Yes, there were.
Speaker 7 (30:37):
Three games tonight, wins for Golden States and Washington which
beat Chicago. Angel Reefs returned after missing the previous two
games with the bad back. She had twenty two points
thirteen rebounds in defeat in LA. Cameron Brink returned after
missing over a year with the torn ACL did not start,
had five points in fourteen minutes off the bench. Her
team was already down twenty six to nine by the
(30:58):
time she entered off the bench. Asia Wilson had started
eight of age shooting, finished with thirty four points. Las
Vegas wins at LA eighty nine to seventy four. Speaking
of injuries, Brianna Stewart, New York Star, was out on
Monday with a leg injury. Everything final in Major League Baseball,
the Padres beat the Mets seven to one. The Mets
lead in the NLS down to a half game over
(31:19):
the Phillies, and the Mets Juan Soto left after he
fouled the ball off his foot. It is called a bruise.
Manny Machado three run homer. The Angels beat Texas eight
to five. A's over Seattle six to one. The A's
placed All Star shortstop Jacob Wilson on the injured list
with a broken arm. The Giants record since acquiring Rafael
Devers not good. He was acquired in trade last month,
(31:43):
since his first game was San Francisco, they actually had
the worst record in the Majors. The Giants lost their
fifth straight game tonight, gave up two runs in the eighth.
Pirates three to won the final at San Francisco. So
while Pittsburgh has won seven of eight, the Giants have
dropped eleven of thirteen, and the Giants offense went two
for twenty seven tonight. Justin Verlander no decision, pitching five innings.
(32:06):
He's won in eight this year. It was Houston ending
a five game losing streak beating Washington seven to four.
Houston's the first place team in the Aost four games
over the Mariners, Texas five back. Miami beats Saint Louis
and Sunny Gray five nothing, Philadelphia six' three over The White.
Sox Kyle schwarber hit his thirty seventh. Homer Kansas city
(32:27):
Over atlanta nine to. Six the brave starter was the
newly Acquired eric Fetti is now three and, eleven And
Ronald acunye Of atlanta left this game with achilles. Tightness
he is in a walking. Boot The royals designated Pitcher
Rich hill for Assignmon twins Outfielder Byron buxton placed on
the aisle with ribcage. Inflammation minnesota is beaten at home
(32:48):
By boston eight to. Five Former White sox Pitcher Lucas
giolito now seven and two for The Red, sox going
six innings for the.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Win here the hits just keep on.
Speaker 7 (32:57):
Coming At, Milwaukee andrew come On dex of The White
sox six, RBIs including a grand. Slam brewers beat The
cubs again nine to. Three Quinn priester ten and two
got the. Win Jackson. Churio The brewers did leave with
a bad, hamstring but the Brew crew up two games
over The. Cubs now in THE Nl Central dodgers came
back to win At cincinnati five to, four got a
(33:19):
run in the top of the. Ninth yankees Beat Tampa
bay seven to, Five Max free twelve and four with
the victory wins For detroit And, cleveland And baltimore's won
five straight after sweeping a twin bill From. Toronto bengals
defensive End Trey henrickson will likely report to training camp
finally On wednesday's been holding out for a new, contract
(33:39):
which he does not have at this. Point ravens tight
End isaiah likely will miss a few weeks after rolling
his ankle at. Practice The jets signed veteran Kicker Nick.
Folk and women's soccer ON fs, one A Copa america
semifinal went To brazil five to one Over. Uruguay tournament
final Is saturday ON fs. One and by the, way
with The Men's World cup up being co hosted by
(34:01):
THE us next, Summer Las vegas reportedly will be Hosting
december's draw for next Year's World.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Cup schedule back to, You they're gonna put it in a.
Hopper maybe make it part of a roulette. TABLE i,
mean what are we talking here?
Speaker 7 (34:14):
Saying do draw out the little plastic balls with a
piece of paper. Inside, oh this will be the team
in THE us. Group remember it's an Expanded World cup this.
Year already two, teams it's forty, eight let's. Go so you,
know you may not think one of them all is,
good and they're, not but they're still alive to be
in That World cup next.
Speaker 4 (34:31):
SUMMER i don't, know polistic doing a lot a lot
of talking for a guy sitting on his ass right.
Speaker 7 (34:35):
NOW i didn't see hide or hair of him on
the pitch this.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
Summer here you, Go thanks so.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
Much Steve disager at the news desk a, legend and
you can tell how much he hates me with the
number of Ex White sox. Players, now good that we're
mentioned in that particular news.
Speaker 3 (34:51):
Break he's Rich Or berger in For Jason. Smith I'll Mike.
Speaker 4 (34:54):
Garmin, hey anybody got two undred and fifty thousand dollars
they want to loan? ME i got something in the
Marketplace i'd love to. Buy maybe you can.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
Help be sure to catch live editions Of The Jason
Smith show With Mike harmon weekdays at ten Pm eastern
seven Pm pacific
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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