August 8, 2023 • 37 mins
Chris and Rob explain why they have a big problem with the Baltimore Orioles’ decision to suspend a team broadcaster for pointing out inconvenient facts about the team and tell us why it’s way too soon to declare that Jalen Hurts is a better quarterback than Joe Burrow. Plus, former NFL offensive lineman and FOX Sports Radio NFL analyst Ephraim Salaam swings by to discuss the mess in Washington involving Ron Rivera, Eric Bieniemy and a handful of disgruntled players, why it’s so difficult to change the culture inside of an NFL locker room and much more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to the Best of The Odd Couple with
Chris Brusha and Rob Harker.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Our next guest filled in for Rob last week, did
a good job on Friday. He is a former NFL
offensive lineman now Fox Sports Radio Weekend hosts E from Salam.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
What's up? Fellas? Are y'all doing?
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Hey Ephram, Yo, I'm inviting you on the radio, so you,
your wife, you know whoever you want to bring. You know,
I'm doing a comedy show at the com how Many
Chateau this Friday night. What Tom is this? Seven thirty?
I'm gonna send you the invite. I got free tickets
for you, you and your bride?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
All right? Are we coming there?
Speaker 4 (01:11):
All right?
Speaker 5 (01:11):
Be ready to laugh. You know I've got nothing jokes.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
You definitely got nothing but joke.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
I need that, I need the sound. I need that laugh.
Track from Craig right, you could use that Craig, Yes, Ephraim.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So the big story today, I don't know if you've
seen it, apparently, is that Ryan Rivera, some of the
Washington Redskins players got their panties in a buck have
gone to Ryan Rivera and complained about or at least
talk to him.
Speaker 6 (01:45):
I don't know if complaining is too strong about.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Eric b Enemy's intensity yelling things like that, and here's
Rivera talking to the press about it today.
Speaker 7 (01:56):
I had a number of guys come to me. I said,
just go talk to him. I said, understand what he's
trying to get across to you, you know. And I
think as they go and they talk and they listen
to him, it's it's been it's been enlightening for a
lot of these guys. And there's a whole different approach.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
You know.
Speaker 6 (02:11):
Again, you're getting a different kind of.
Speaker 7 (02:13):
Player from from the players back in the past, especially
in line of how things are coming.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Out of college football.
Speaker 7 (02:19):
So a lot of these young guys, you know, they
do struggle with certain certain things. Eric has an approach
and it's the way he does things, and he's not
going to change. And and and because he believes in it.
Jack has his approach, you know, having been a head coach,
I think Jack has a tendency to try and figure
guys out a little bit more as opposed to, Hey,
this is it, this is the way it's going to be,
that type of stuff where Eric, Eric hasn't had that
(02:40):
that experience.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yet, just that when they came to you, it's just
they felt like Eric was riding them.
Speaker 6 (02:44):
Too hard or well, they just were a little concerned.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
All right, do you have an issue with rivera uh
filling need these means to the media, like you think
you should have just been like, you know, just you know,
not told all the dirty laundry.
Speaker 6 (03:07):
If that's what it is about the players being concerned
or not.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Well, I first of all, I'm of the sound body
in mind of you keep family business in the family,
keep it in house. Ain't got nothing to do with
nobody outside of that locker room, outside of that business.
And this is the problem with today. Everybody wants everything
to be known, and everybody wants to talk about everything publicly. Well,
(03:35):
everything is not made for the public, it's not. And
these are types of issues that would have never come
out previous because there are things that don't have to
deal with anything. But what's going on in the locker room.
I nothing least say to that can change our effects.
What's happening there, So why should we know about it.
(03:59):
It's great for us to talk about now, I'm glad.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Yeah, No, it's good for us, right, Chris said.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Right, But in terms of building a team and building trust,
that's the exact opposite thing.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
You can do it just also, and from I was
saying that Chris before you came on, if he wasn't
like that, they would say, oh, he's so soft, and
this is a country he runs a country club. No
wonder he hasn't been hired as a head coach, you
know what I mean? Like, you can't win what what
you can't win if you if you took that approach.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Well, speaking of not winning the mediocrity that that was
the Redskins and now the Commanders, right, uh, we get
to see why exactly they're mediocre. We get to see
why exactly they don't have the tradition of winning that
the old regime like I'm talking about John Riggins, the
(04:52):
back end of Doug Williams stage had. There's a disconnect
there because if you can go and complain to your
head coach because your coach is yelling at you and
being too mean. Yep, because you suck right right, Well,
(05:14):
you're not doing the things that Eric knows you need
to do to be a winner. Right if you notice
that you're not doing those things. If he as a coach,
it's his responsibility to get you to change the culture
and just change how you approach the game. And if
you're not willing to do it, but you got to
(05:37):
go find someplace else to be.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
We agree, yeah, we agree with even on Rivera putting
it out there. I don't know that he didn't. You
know he did it maliciously, but you just don't need
to You don't need to share that that doesn't.
Speaker 6 (05:51):
Know as a big story.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Right now, the enemy's got another target on him and
on it.
Speaker 6 (05:56):
Let me ask you.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Rivera said, though, today's players and they come out of
college now and they they're different, and can you give
some insight on that. I mean, we we think he
means y'all used to be able to get yelled at
inside and today's players.
Speaker 6 (06:13):
Can't handle it.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
You can't. You can't yell at a player, You can't
cuss at them. You can't do any of those things
to a player because they're coddled. And if you're coddled,
then you're fragile. And I'm not saying anything about uh,
you know, masculinity or toxic masculinity.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Or kicking somebody like Urban Meyer doing that's.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Let me tell you this, as a professional athlete, okay,
coming up in a sport that is highly competitive, only
a very few people have the opportunity to play at
that level and play for a long time at that level.
There's the reason why if you have fin skin, this
is not for you. Okay, if you have finn skin,
(06:58):
go do something else. You're not saying you can't play football,
but you can't play at the highest level. If every
criticism of something you're doing wrong. Now we're not talking
about you're doing everything right and the coach is still
writing you. That's a different topic. We're talking about you're
not doing or performing up to the level you need
(07:19):
to be to become a winner. And then you're mad
because you're being coached to do it. And whichever way
a coach feels that he can get through to you,
that's the problem.
Speaker 6 (07:30):
Eve from that.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
I mean, you mentioned at the highest level, but even
at the lower levels, coaches would yell back in the day.
Speaker 6 (07:39):
When do you think this changed because.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
They've in videos when when kids in high schools are
videotaping their coaches cussing them out for playing like trash, right,
and then the world was appalled, Oh my god, how
are they talking to those children like that? Hey, lady,
you should hear how your son and are your daughters talking?
Speaker 6 (07:59):
And the room right right like this?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
This is the reality of it. I was there, I've
been a teenage boy, I've been in high school. I've
been in every locker room you can be in on
every level, so I know what's going on, and I
know it all from first hand experience. Okay, if you're
appalled because the coach is digging into a team, then
you don't know what that element is. You're not familiar
(08:27):
with the level that you have to get to, right
to be great, Right, coaches are responsible of helping young
players bring out greatness. That's the only way you can
do it, right, I coach. Now, I'm not cussing, and
I'm not dog I'm not doing any of that. But
(08:47):
my players understand the standard we've set. Okay, the intensity
that we must play with. They understand that, and their
parents are thankful. I'm just not cussing at them and
stuff like that. All right, But if you I'm telling you,
if you have thin skin and sports, it's not for you.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
There was a story about Michael Parsons going too hard
at Dak Presscott and maybe hitting him low, and you know,
wanted to compare the video, you know, wanting to complete
the sack, you know what I mean, instead of just
tapping your quarterback like like, does that have to be
explained that you're not trying to hurt your own guys
in practice or or or this is something.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
That's just goofy.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
Yeah, right, it don't make sense.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
That's goofy. I don't care who you are. You can't
justudge quarterback. Man, You cannot touch quarterback.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Can you tap him if you want to show that
you got the sack?
Speaker 6 (09:37):
Can you run by a tap or anything?
Speaker 4 (09:39):
I wanted to touch him at all?
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Right, don't touch him. Don't touch him. Don't tap him,
because all you need is your big helmet and the
way of his hand and him to break three fingers
on one on his thrown head. Don't touch him. We
see the film if you beat an offensive lineman, we
can see it. We know what's happening. Right, You don't
have to be over there. You work on your move,
(10:03):
work on your moves. They got bags and dummies and
all that over there for you to work on actually
completing the sack and tackling to the ground when you're
in the team environment. Hey, brothers, that's the why the
quarterbacks jersey's red.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Yep, don't touch it.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Don't even run near, don't run by them. He's gonna
spend and roll out. And hey man, there's too much
money on the line, brother, go sit down somewhere.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
When we see the practices, and you know, I mean
what we're saying. You know, they're they're not always in
full paths, and obviously they're not.
Speaker 6 (10:39):
Hitting like you ain't hitting.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Ain't no hitting going on.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Yeah, now when you play, y'all hit tackled. Everything was
full of go. I mean maybe not the quarterback, but
everything else.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Everything. In training camp we had live periods. So we're
going live everybody with the quarterbacks and take them to
the ground. Short yardage inside, run, live, drill tackle it.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Right.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
So how do you do you think that the way
they practice for the most part today. How do you
think that affects the product on Sundays?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Oh, well, it's part in some instances. And you can
we can see it. We're sitting with there watching you.
You can see the mistackle. It takes, you know, a
good half the season for teams to really get up
to performance level. You got the mistackle. Nobody plays in
the preseason anymore. So you know, you come out and
(11:36):
the games don't look as sharp as as they necessarily
should look or need to look for that time of year.
But by you know, mid October, somewhere in their team
start to really get around to it and start understanding
tackling and hitting and going against opponent, putting game plans
(11:58):
in and it it's just the nature of the beast. Now,
you don't hit him practice, you don't go full speed
and practice. All of that's off the table now, you know.
And the collective bargaining agreement you can only have so
many padded days, Like what's in the long run for
player health, I absolutely agree with, But in terms of
the short time and and putting the best product on
(12:20):
the field as soon as you can, it's just it's
not it's not you can't have both ways. You can't
have it both ways, all right.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
That is good inside information from our man, Ephraim Salim,
longtime NFL player himself.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Thanks man, great, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
I just want you to know you guys were too
hard on me to day.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
I don't call Scott.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
To call Scott and tell him that I didn't feel
like you got right the right opportunity to speak to
the way I want.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Yes, it's like Rob and Chris worked me over like
a burger and fries.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
You know some of the jokes, yes, oh yes, yeah, yeah, hey.
Speaker 6 (13:03):
E from believe me, you will have heard every joke. No,
it's not true. Stop, I've heard four hundred and seventy
eight times.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
Hey, hey, April, I started my Hall of Fame speech
down in Birmingham with a joke and Chris laughed. He
was a pretty good job, he still laughed.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 8 (13:35):
Listen to comeback stories. I'm Darren Waller. You may know
me best as a tight end for the New York Giants.
He may also know me for my story of overcoming
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tracks as an artist or a producer, and you may
have seen the work that I've done through my foundation.
And you may know my friend and co host Donnie
(13:56):
Starkins as well. He's a mindfulness teacher, yoga instructor, a
life coach, a man fully invested in seeing people reach
their fullest potential. And we've come to form this platform
of Comeback Stories to really highlight not only our own adversity,
but adversity in the lives of well known guests with
(14:17):
amazing stories. Catch us every week on Comeback Stories on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, and.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
We're gonna talk about this situation Rob in Baltimore with
the Orioles. And first they suspend it they're broadcaster, and
now they've brought him back.
Speaker 6 (14:45):
Rob Ge, give us the summary of what's going on
down there with the Orioles. Yeah.
Speaker 9 (14:51):
So, on July twenty three, Orioles play by play broadcaster
Kevin Brown said during the broadcast, at a whole graphic
explaining everything about how Trumpiccana Field, home of the Tampa
Bay Rays has been a house of horrors for them,
that they just have not been winning, that they routinely
get smacked while they play there.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
They haven't won a series like in seventeen series and flat.
Speaker 9 (15:15):
In fact, this season alone, they've won as many games
there this year as they had in the previous three
seasons combined. So he was just talking about how poorly
that they've played well. Very quietly after the game, the
team decided that he would be suspended for his comments,
which they felt were inappropriate to talk about the Baltimore Orioles.
(15:38):
It wasn't until Awful announcing the athletic. The New York
Post several other outlets came out a few days ago,
actually they might have been yesterday in the day before,
and reported that the reason why he had been off
the air since July twenty third was because of these comments. Obviously,
you had a huge blowback. You had Michael kay Go
on the air for the Yankees game, you had the
Mets announcers. All these different broadcasters were talking about out
(16:00):
it during their games last night, and so again earlier
this afternoon. On Tuesday, the Orioles quietly announced that Brown
would be back in the booth on Friday and refuse
to acknowledge whether or not his absence was suspension related,
only calling it a quote personal matter.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
Well, Chris, I listened to the comments. Okay, he didn't
say anything. It was he stated, fact ridiculous And anyway, Chris,
you've been on pregame shows that when they make the
graphics and all that this produces and other people who
are involved with that. He didn't do that on its
(16:39):
own right, right, So the people who were running the show,
it was the most obvious thing here. The Orioles are
having this great year, Chris. They're gonna looks like they're
gonna win the division or they're in the hunt to
win the division, and you're worried about a broadcaster giving
you facts. He didn't say, God, this team is lucky
(17:00):
to be where we are. And the Ools really stink
and Tampa Bay sho went in the division and I
don't know how to oils, you know, like anything like that.
He was dating straight fat Chris. When you listen to
the tape, I was waiting for the waiting, you know,
like wait for it, wait for it, and it never came.
(17:20):
He never said any Nick, did you hear it, Nick
dop On, Well, the thing is you can say it.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Yeah, and I think you're right. And I'm talking about
the tone of it because I want.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
To see Nick, because because Nick is just you're a broadcaster. Yes,
did you did you listen to it? Because Chris did
you hear it? Or you didn't hear it? He just
just Nick, did you hear anything? No?
Speaker 10 (17:43):
No, I mean this, this is very typical things to
say as bro I do a fair amount of play
by play, like myself that this is very You're providing
context to what's going on in past years and current years.
And I think the key sticking point you brought it
up here, Rob is that you have the graphics doing
with it. So this wasn't Kevin Brown on his own.
(18:04):
Literally was there in the graphic. This was pre produced.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
He didn't go wrong.
Speaker 10 (18:08):
It was in the team's game notes as well. So
I don't know why he is the fall guy for
something that came across several people's desks and was put
into the program.
Speaker 4 (18:19):
No doubt, Nick, thank you, Chris, did you It makes
no silly As I said, you did the NBA pregame show.
When something's brought up in a meeting and they make graphics.
That means that the producer's on board. Everybody's on board.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Right, And now, look, you can tell them, hey, let's
do a graphic of this or that, but sometimes they
may put it together on their own, or sometimes you
may do it.
Speaker 6 (18:39):
But the bottom line.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Is, Look, if if we're on a debate show, whether
it's the I Couple or it's First Days First or
Undisputed with Skip Baylor's, whatever it might be, we might
say it in a way that a team might not like.
But if you're saying that, the broadcaster essentially just pointed
it out, Hey, you know when they go to Baltimore,
(19:02):
they struggled, They everyone here and blah blah blah.
Speaker 6 (19:05):
Like it's not like he went on there and saying
they're hot.
Speaker 11 (19:07):
Garbage when they play, and that's ridiculous and good good
for all the broadcasters that called them out and they
got him back on the air.
Speaker 6 (19:19):
And look, Rob, we do.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Know that hometown teams or websites often will want, you know,
soft coverage.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Rob.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
When I first got to FS one, and obviously I
was fresh off of covering the NBA for decades with
ESPN and New York Times and a couple times, I
you know, local Fox stations wanted me to go on
and talk about their teams, and I would talk about
it like a national guy. I wouldn't give all of
(19:52):
the you know, I wouldn't just praise them. They're they're
thirty two and fifty and they want me to praise them,
and I would.
Speaker 6 (19:59):
I would give the real And sometimes they were like.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
He was a little too too hard on our team,
and you know, and that's local stuff, and Rob, you
and I talk about that.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
Look.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Sometimes I mean a league or a team may actually
have a site where they really more so maybe a
league where they let you just report right and if
it's negative, it's negative, but they let it go. But
oftentimes these teams and what they want from their announcers
as well, the announcers or the reporters, Rob, if they
own the site and they own the station and the channel,
(20:35):
they want everything to be favorable. But in this case,
it sounds like, I mean, you have to paint the picture.
You have to be you're right, you have to give
context to the situation.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
No, no doubt, Nick, you got one last thing that
on them, Yeah.
Speaker 10 (20:51):
Just quickly. Also, the title of the graphic one was
it tropical depression?
Speaker 6 (20:56):
Right?
Speaker 10 (20:57):
So I wonder if this graphic guy got a suspension
as well.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
You know what, the producer probably got the business to
Chris that they weren't happy. And you know what coming
up in Baseball Justice David Justice was an analyst for
the Yankees. He's going to talk about, you know, his
scenario and circumstances there and how how sensitive these guys are, Chris.
But but go ahead. I just I don't understand it.
(21:21):
And you know what it did, Chris, It took away
from the Orioles, which is a nice story.
Speaker 8 (21:26):
Am I?
Speaker 6 (21:26):
Right?
Speaker 5 (21:27):
Why are we talking about this instead of that team?
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Yep?
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Now that's a great point. That's a great point. And
they they messed up. That's all there is to it, because,
as you said, we should be talking about the Oriole
they're having this great season, and instead they they look
they got egg on their face.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
Right, they look like they're petty and that they're that
that they like like like.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Like they look like you know what, they look like
a team that's not used to a winning because they're
hand the way they're handling this and they aren't obviously,
but this just makes you look bush league and Rob
you know, I know, it was a long time ago.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
The Oels used to be a really good.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Franchise and they've you know, you know, in some tough times,
having made the playoffs in what about six seven years
or something like that. But this just makes you look
bush league. I mean, gosh, what did he look? Even
if they had been critical? I mean, do you really
need to take him off the air?
Speaker 4 (22:33):
No?
Speaker 1 (22:34):
You know what, like, man, we don't play our best
baseball there. We gotta get it together really, so you
gotta take them off the air.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
You could have had a conversation with them. This isn't
like remember the Oakland Ades announcer or use the N
word or something. Those are the guys you take off
the air like that, Like you can't have that kind
of a slip up, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
And you're as a broadcast.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
What's happened to him? You have any idea?
Speaker 5 (23:00):
Probably off the Yeah, no, nothing.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
I mean it'll be hard for him to get another
job just because you get Chris. You know that you're
a broadcast. There's certain things that was just hard to Yeah,
you can't bounce back.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
Really, how did you get that? How did that come
out of your mouth.
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Yeah that and and you know what, and we talked
about it before, like Charles Barkley. I mean I've watched
inside the NBA when he said, oh this this is unwatchable.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
The NBA is unwatchable.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
That's a good example, you know what I mean, like
what he wants. Charles gets to say whatever he wants,
and that's what makes him so special that most people
can't do that. You're on there, Chris, for the network.
You know what I mean, You're working and you representing
the league. You just can't go ham on these uh
on the league every every chance you get, I'll give
(23:48):
you this.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Well, there's some that think, and I have no idea
if this is true, but you know, there's something that
think Jeff van Gundy was let go at ESPN because
he was out he was often critical of the referees,
and so I don't know if that's.
Speaker 6 (24:02):
The case, but some think that.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
But Chris, and I can tell you and I worked
at the ESPN for eight years, FS one for five
and now MLB. I've never had anybody come up to
me and say, don't say this or you know what
I mean, like, have you been in any meetings like that?
Speaker 1 (24:22):
I have had a couple Like I mentioned the one earlier,
there were a couple of times at ESPN when really
once that I remember, well, I was for interestingly, you know, Rob,
it was rare that you taped anything. Every most of
(24:43):
ninety nine point nine percent of the time it was live.
But there was one time where I said something it
wasn't it wasn't uh, I want to say what it was.
It wasn't bad, but it was it was it had
a racial element to it, and.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
They can we.
Speaker 6 (25:03):
Can we retape that? You know, can we retape that?
Speaker 3 (25:06):
You know?
Speaker 6 (25:07):
But that was one time. But for the most.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
Part ever, but normally like going into it and that
was like something they probably thought it was a little
too hot. But I've never been told like straight up
like don't say anything negative, don't don't say anything negative
about baseball, don't say anything about the commissioner, Like I've
never heard that at MLB network.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
And with the debate shows you know, TV or radio,
mainly TV, people often think Rob, that you know one side,
you know, we're making up stuff like you and I
used to co host Undisputed Feeling in from and Shanning
at times, and a lot of times people think you
know what you take one guy takes one side and
(25:48):
one guy takes the other. It's not like that, like
like we you and I have done that a lot. Obviously,
I still do it with first things first, and.
Speaker 6 (25:57):
You say what you feel right.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
It's sometimes is better or most often is better when
you disagree.
Speaker 6 (26:06):
But I've never in any of it.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
I've done first take, undisputed, first things first, all of them.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
And never have I been.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Told or has the other guy been told to take
a side just so we can rica.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
I've never been. I've never been in a room or
in a meeting with anybody. People used to ask me
that all the time, the skip just do that. I said,
that's not a part of what we do. People will
read through that you just can't do it like right.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
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listen live.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Rob The top ten players in the NFL, and really
the top one hundred has been named, and the top
ten came out today, Rob G, can you read us
the list?
Speaker 9 (27:03):
Actually it came out last night, Chris, But yes, I
have the top ten in order ten to one. They
finished the list on NFL Network last night, Big broadcast
about it. Number ten, Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris
Jones is currently unhappy with this contract.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
Am I thought to have plenty of money for everybody.
Apparently not, I guess.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Mahome Honestly, Mahomes needs to have a conversation with them,
Am I right?
Speaker 6 (27:26):
Chris? Seriously, why are we short?
Speaker 4 (27:28):
Why can't we play one of the best players in
the league, one of the top ten.
Speaker 9 (27:31):
I'm taking less Travis Kelsey is taking exactly we might
lease Chris Jones.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
And also, it's ridiculous, this is what we're talking about.
Stop doing their work.
Speaker 9 (27:42):
That sounds like a segment for tomorrow, Rob for real,
were bookmark that, right, Chris stopping?
Speaker 3 (27:48):
No?
Speaker 1 (27:48):
I mean, look and I and I'm all for you know,
you know if I will take if I'm a quarterback,
I'm not against them taking less money.
Speaker 6 (27:56):
To get better players and win.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
But if they're not going out getting the better players,
they're just counting on him to deliver, right, which he does,
but still get us keep our stars, That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (28:11):
All Right, that's a tease for tomorrows.
Speaker 6 (28:13):
All right, here we go.
Speaker 9 (28:14):
Number nine, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Michael Parsons, Number eight, Buffalo
Bill's quarterback Josh Allen, number seven, the aforementioned Dolphins wide
receiver formerly of the Chiefs, Tyreek Hill. Number six, Bengals
quarterback Joe Burrow number five, the another foementioned Chiefs tight
end Travis Kelcey. Number four, Niners defensive end Nick Bosa,
(28:38):
number three, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, number two, Vikings ride
receiver Justin Jefferson, and number one the guy you just
talked about, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 6 (28:49):
All right, look, this is the players Rob that vote.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
We know we've talked about players voting, but you know
it's they got number one, right, I mean, I think
that's undoubtable. Now, I actually think, you know, he's been
the best quarterback in the league the last several years,
but this is the second time he's been number one.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
But do you have the I'm gonna go here. I
think Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
You know, I love him. I love all his intangibles.
You know I'm big on that, and he improved dramatically
last year as a past Remember, Rob, we've talked to
guys down in Philly that loved him but were like,
he can't throw. And last year he showed you he
could throw sixty six percent completions twenty two touchdowns. Now
(29:42):
that that's not that high, but he doesn't throw it
as much as like the bigger superstar quarterbacks. He threw
it like one hundred and fifty times less than Joe
Burrow roughly, and so his touchdown percentage wasn't bad, but
twenty two six only six picks. Great season, and in
(30:02):
the Super Bowl when they needed him to throw rob
to have a chance to win, he did it.
Speaker 6 (30:09):
He had a high percentage through for three hundred.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Plus yards a touchdown and ran for three touchdowns.
Speaker 6 (30:18):
So a fantastic performance.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
But I don't think he belongs ahead of Joe Burrow,
and I would even say Josh Allen right now. But
and look, if you want to argue he had a
better year last year than Joe Burrow, it's arguable.
Speaker 6 (30:34):
If you want to.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Argue that he will be better than those guys, Josh
Allen and Joe Burrow by the end of this season,
that's definitely an argument.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
If he improves.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
And I expect him to make a jump, but right now,
I would I think.
Speaker 6 (30:53):
Burrow should have been ahead of him. Rob. And here's why.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
One as much as Lamar and Jalen and some other
running quarterbacks Josh Allen, Daniel Jones.
Speaker 6 (31:06):
I mean, he's not in the category of changing the game, but.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Guys, really, Lamar is changing and Jalen are changing the
way we view how the position has to be played.
Like now it's like you can play it different ways.
And even though that's the case, passing is still king,
and Joe.
Speaker 6 (31:29):
Burrow is a better passer I believe.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Two.
Speaker 6 (31:34):
He's done it a little bit longer. I get it.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
He's only been in the league three years himself, but
for two of them he's been great.
Speaker 6 (31:41):
Jalen's had one great year. I want to see Jalen
follow up. I think he will.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I actually think he'll take a jump, but I want
to see it. And then here's the third thing. Rob
Jalen does play behind the best offensive line in football,
and Burrow is playing behind one of the worst. Now,
they I think they tried to improve over offseason. We'll
see if they did, but last year was one of
(32:07):
the worst. The year before it was like bottom ten,
and so he has played with worst offensive lines by
a mile and still playing tremendously. So I think Jalen
should definitely be in the top ten. But I would
have had Burrow aheaded.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
I just think it's you know, it's always a recency bias.
Speaker 6 (32:29):
Well, certainly with the players.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
That's what I'm saying. He went to the Super Bowl,
so they think that he's there and Joe Burrow didn't
last year. I mean I can't look at that. And
that's why I have a hard time with some of
these polls and whatnot, because it's just what happened yesterday.
You talked about Patrick Mahomes. You think he's the best
quarterback the last four or five years, but he's not.
He hasn't been number one every number eight last year.
(32:52):
Well that's what coming off of a year that people
thought he had a bad year, Chris, That's what I'm
trying to say to you. Remember he had the eight
games in a row, he had a pick. I mean,
so so players look at him and okay, he didn't
play uh what he had played before. But number eight.
I just think that that's why.
Speaker 6 (33:08):
Right, he dropped the number eight.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
How do you drop to number eight? I mean you
know what, Lamar was not in the top twenty. He
was in the seventies. That's what I'm He was number
one what a few years ago, That's what that's my
point is, like, yeah, I agree with you that that's
that's the issue I have with these is that's what
these guys are.
Speaker 6 (33:28):
What.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
Oh wait, man, who's in the super Bowl? Oh yeah,
he's one of the best. He's a top ten. Oh yeah,
what happened? Let's see, I don't know where was Aaron
Rodgers on this list. I'm curious.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
I'm just curious to say where you got him.
Speaker 6 (33:42):
I want to say he was in the sixties.
Speaker 4 (33:45):
Yeah, bad year.
Speaker 5 (33:46):
He had a bad year last year.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
So all of a sudden, he can't.
Speaker 6 (33:49):
Play Roger tell us where Aaron Rodgers was at.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Do you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Chris like, oh, yeah, no, it's totally yeah, totally.
Speaker 9 (33:57):
Yeah he was. He was fifty first overall in the
world one.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Yeah, and he was.
Speaker 9 (34:02):
The sixth seventh quarterback overall.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Right, but I'm just saying, and he had a bad
year for him. Uh so he had a bad age. Yeah,
and so they discounted him, and they did it before Chris,
before he had the back to back MVPs. I just
think it's it's recency biased, and that's what people look
at and they just go, oh, yeah, he's probably a
(34:27):
great year last year, so I'm gonna vote for him,
or he had a bad year so I'm not voting
for him, or rather than taking a look at the
body of work and really what these players have done.
It's more than just one season, don't you think when
you're talking about I don't think.
Speaker 6 (34:43):
I mean, are you in agree with me on the
Burrow Hurts thing?
Speaker 4 (34:47):
Yeah, I just Joe Burrow's body of work to me
has been better, uh, because it's more.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
I mean, what are they beating the Chiefs and and
my homes three out of four?
Speaker 4 (34:59):
Chris close that playoffs and that playoff game they would
close to getting back to the super Bowl. They just lost.
I mean, and he won his last eight to get
in that position, Like.
Speaker 6 (35:09):
Seriously, yeah, yeah, And this is.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
And Jalen Hurts had a great Super Bowl. He played,
he did, he was phenomenal. I mean, that might be
one of the best performances for a losing quarterback because
he played great.
Speaker 6 (35:22):
He was great.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Chris Jones of the chief said it was the best
performance he's ever seen from a quarterback in a Super Bowl.
Speaker 6 (35:29):
That's too far.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
He was phenomenal, right, he probably I can't say it's
the best. When he also made the unforced fumble that
played a large role in their loss. You know, they
were up fourteen to seven second quarter, he dropped the
ball on a QB draw and Nick Bolton picked it
(35:51):
up and ran thirty six yards for a touchdown. Rob
if they go up twenty one to seven on that drive,
it's a whole different problem now. And I don't want
to say he played poorly. He still had an a
minus game. But when you talk the superlatives of the
best ever by a quarterback, that's that's all I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (36:09):
That's not right.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
And that's a big turnaround, and it's yeah, he played great.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
And that's the thing he showed I think, and he
showed it most of last year that he can throw
the football. And so Rob now he does have a
new OC. You know, he's got to get used to that.
But Doug Peterson still the head coach.
Speaker 4 (36:29):
But and I'll be interested to see now that they
see what he does, do they force him put an
extra man in the box and make him past.
Speaker 5 (36:38):
Chris like, yeah, like we're just we're just not.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Giving up the run. Okay, we understand that if you
if you're gonna get us downfield, we're gonna have to
live with that. But we can't allow you to run
all over us and then make the throw. The other
throws one or the other. I got. I gotta cut
something off, and if I'm cutting off something from him,
I'm cutting the legs off.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
I have to until he proves otherwise because they look
they have some great receivers too, Davante Smith and aj
Brown like they got people him to throw the football too.
So but I I agree, you try that and if
he proves it, you know that he's slinging it, then
you gotta then you.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
Gotta regroup and adjust, Chris, but you gotta do something
with your game plan on him. Ye
Thanks for listening to the best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to the Best of The Odd Couple with
Chris Brusha and Rob Harker.
Speaker 1 (00:31):
Our next guest filled in for Rob last week, did
a good job on Friday. He is a former NFL
offensive lineman now Fox Sports Radio Weekend hosts E from Salam.
Speaker 3 (00:47):
What's up? Fellas? Are y'all doing?
Speaker 4 (00:49):
Hey Ephram, Yo, I'm inviting you on the radio, so you,
your wife, you know whoever you want to bring. You know,
I'm doing a comedy show at the com how Many
Chateau this Friday night. What Tom is this? Seven thirty?
I'm gonna send you the invite. I got free tickets
for you, you and your bride?
Speaker 3 (01:09):
All right? Are we coming there?
Speaker 4 (01:11):
All right?
Speaker 5 (01:11):
Be ready to laugh. You know I've got nothing jokes.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
You definitely got nothing but joke.
Speaker 4 (01:18):
I need that, I need the sound. I need that laugh.
Track from Craig right, you could use that Craig, Yes, Ephraim.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So the big story today, I don't know if you've
seen it, apparently, is that Ryan Rivera, some of the
Washington Redskins players got their panties in a buck have
gone to Ryan Rivera and complained about or at least
talk to him.
Speaker 6 (01:45):
I don't know if complaining is too strong about.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Eric b Enemy's intensity yelling things like that, and here's
Rivera talking to the press about it today.
Speaker 7 (01:56):
I had a number of guys come to me. I said,
just go talk to him. I said, understand what he's
trying to get across to you, you know. And I
think as they go and they talk and they listen
to him, it's it's been it's been enlightening for a
lot of these guys. And there's a whole different approach.
Speaker 4 (02:11):
You know.
Speaker 6 (02:11):
Again, you're getting a different kind of.
Speaker 7 (02:13):
Player from from the players back in the past, especially
in line of how things are coming.
Speaker 4 (02:18):
Out of college football.
Speaker 7 (02:19):
So a lot of these young guys, you know, they
do struggle with certain certain things. Eric has an approach
and it's the way he does things, and he's not
going to change. And and and because he believes in it.
Jack has his approach, you know, having been a head coach,
I think Jack has a tendency to try and figure
guys out a little bit more as opposed to, Hey,
this is it, this is the way it's going to be,
that type of stuff where Eric, Eric hasn't had that
(02:40):
that experience.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Yet, just that when they came to you, it's just
they felt like Eric was riding them.
Speaker 6 (02:44):
Too hard or well, they just were a little concerned.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
All right, do you have an issue with rivera uh
filling need these means to the media, like you think
you should have just been like, you know, just you know,
not told all the dirty laundry.
Speaker 6 (03:07):
If that's what it is about the players being concerned
or not.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
Well, I first of all, I'm of the sound body
in mind of you keep family business in the family,
keep it in house. Ain't got nothing to do with
nobody outside of that locker room, outside of that business.
And this is the problem with today. Everybody wants everything
to be known, and everybody wants to talk about everything publicly. Well,
(03:35):
everything is not made for the public, it's not. And
these are types of issues that would have never come
out previous because there are things that don't have to
deal with anything. But what's going on in the locker room.
I nothing least say to that can change our effects.
What's happening there, So why should we know about it.
(03:59):
It's great for us to talk about now, I'm glad.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Yeah, No, it's good for us, right, Chris said.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
Right, But in terms of building a team and building trust,
that's the exact opposite thing.
Speaker 4 (04:10):
You can do it just also, and from I was
saying that Chris before you came on, if he wasn't
like that, they would say, oh, he's so soft, and
this is a country he runs a country club. No
wonder he hasn't been hired as a head coach, you
know what I mean? Like, you can't win what what
you can't win if you if you took that approach.
Speaker 3 (04:31):
Well, speaking of not winning the mediocrity that that was
the Redskins and now the Commanders, right, uh, we get
to see why exactly they're mediocre. We get to see
why exactly they don't have the tradition of winning that
the old regime like I'm talking about John Riggins, the
(04:52):
back end of Doug Williams stage had. There's a disconnect
there because if you can go and complain to your
head coach because your coach is yelling at you and
being too mean. Yep, because you suck right right, Well,
(05:14):
you're not doing the things that Eric knows you need
to do to be a winner. Right if you notice
that you're not doing those things. If he as a coach,
it's his responsibility to get you to change the culture
and just change how you approach the game. And if
you're not willing to do it, but you got to
(05:37):
go find someplace else to be.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
We agree, yeah, we agree with even on Rivera putting
it out there. I don't know that he didn't. You
know he did it maliciously, but you just don't need
to You don't need to share that that doesn't.
Speaker 6 (05:51):
Know as a big story.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Right now, the enemy's got another target on him and
on it.
Speaker 6 (05:56):
Let me ask you.
Speaker 1 (05:57):
Rivera said, though, today's players and they come out of
college now and they they're different, and can you give
some insight on that. I mean, we we think he
means y'all used to be able to get yelled at
inside and today's players.
Speaker 6 (06:13):
Can't handle it.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
You can't. You can't yell at a player, You can't
cuss at them. You can't do any of those things
to a player because they're coddled. And if you're coddled,
then you're fragile. And I'm not saying anything about uh,
you know, masculinity or toxic masculinity.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
Or kicking somebody like Urban Meyer doing that's.
Speaker 3 (06:36):
Let me tell you this, as a professional athlete, okay,
coming up in a sport that is highly competitive, only
a very few people have the opportunity to play at
that level and play for a long time at that level.
There's the reason why if you have fin skin, this
is not for you. Okay, if you have finn skin,
(06:58):
go do something else. You're not saying you can't play football,
but you can't play at the highest level. If every
criticism of something you're doing wrong. Now we're not talking
about you're doing everything right and the coach is still
writing you. That's a different topic. We're talking about you're
not doing or performing up to the level you need
(07:19):
to be to become a winner. And then you're mad
because you're being coached to do it. And whichever way
a coach feels that he can get through to you,
that's the problem.
Speaker 6 (07:30):
Eve from that.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
I mean, you mentioned at the highest level, but even
at the lower levels, coaches would yell back in the day.
Speaker 6 (07:39):
When do you think this changed because.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
They've in videos when when kids in high schools are
videotaping their coaches cussing them out for playing like trash, right,
and then the world was appalled, Oh my god, how
are they talking to those children like that? Hey, lady,
you should hear how your son and are your daughters talking?
Speaker 6 (07:59):
And the room right right like this?
Speaker 3 (08:02):
This is the reality of it. I was there, I've
been a teenage boy, I've been in high school. I've
been in every locker room you can be in on
every level, so I know what's going on, and I
know it all from first hand experience. Okay, if you're
appalled because the coach is digging into a team, then
you don't know what that element is. You're not familiar
(08:27):
with the level that you have to get to, right
to be great, Right, coaches are responsible of helping young
players bring out greatness. That's the only way you can
do it, right, I coach. Now, I'm not cussing, and
I'm not dog I'm not doing any of that. But
(08:47):
my players understand the standard we've set. Okay, the intensity
that we must play with. They understand that, and their
parents are thankful. I'm just not cussing at them and
stuff like that. All right, But if you I'm telling you,
if you have thin skin and sports, it's not for you.
Speaker 4 (09:04):
There was a story about Michael Parsons going too hard
at Dak Presscott and maybe hitting him low, and you know,
wanted to compare the video, you know, wanting to complete
the sack, you know what I mean, instead of just
tapping your quarterback like like, does that have to be
explained that you're not trying to hurt your own guys
in practice or or or this is something.
Speaker 3 (09:27):
That's just goofy.
Speaker 4 (09:28):
Yeah, right, it don't make sense.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
That's goofy. I don't care who you are. You can't
justudge quarterback. Man, You cannot touch quarterback.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
Can you tap him if you want to show that
you got the sack?
Speaker 6 (09:37):
Can you run by a tap or anything?
Speaker 4 (09:39):
I wanted to touch him at all?
Speaker 3 (09:40):
Right, don't touch him. Don't touch him. Don't tap him,
because all you need is your big helmet and the
way of his hand and him to break three fingers
on one on his thrown head. Don't touch him. We
see the film if you beat an offensive lineman, we
can see it. We know what's happening. Right, You don't
have to be over there. You work on your move,
(10:03):
work on your moves. They got bags and dummies and
all that over there for you to work on actually
completing the sack and tackling to the ground when you're
in the team environment. Hey, brothers, that's the why the
quarterbacks jersey's red.
Speaker 4 (10:17):
Yep, don't touch it.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
Don't even run near, don't run by them. He's gonna
spend and roll out. And hey man, there's too much
money on the line, brother, go sit down somewhere.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
When we see the practices, and you know, I mean
what we're saying. You know, they're they're not always in
full paths, and obviously they're not.
Speaker 6 (10:39):
Hitting like you ain't hitting.
Speaker 3 (10:42):
Ain't no hitting going on.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
Yeah, now when you play, y'all hit tackled. Everything was
full of go. I mean maybe not the quarterback, but
everything else.
Speaker 3 (10:51):
Everything. In training camp we had live periods. So we're
going live everybody with the quarterbacks and take them to
the ground. Short yardage inside, run, live, drill tackle it.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Right.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
So how do you do you think that the way
they practice for the most part today. How do you
think that affects the product on Sundays?
Speaker 3 (11:14):
Oh, well, it's part in some instances. And you can
we can see it. We're sitting with there watching you.
You can see the mistackle. It takes, you know, a
good half the season for teams to really get up
to performance level. You got the mistackle. Nobody plays in
the preseason anymore. So you know, you come out and
(11:36):
the games don't look as sharp as as they necessarily
should look or need to look for that time of year.
But by you know, mid October, somewhere in their team
start to really get around to it and start understanding
tackling and hitting and going against opponent, putting game plans
(11:58):
in and it it's just the nature of the beast. Now,
you don't hit him practice, you don't go full speed
and practice. All of that's off the table now, you know.
And the collective bargaining agreement you can only have so
many padded days, Like what's in the long run for
player health, I absolutely agree with, But in terms of
the short time and and putting the best product on
(12:20):
the field as soon as you can, it's just it's
not it's not you can't have both ways. You can't
have it both ways, all right.
Speaker 1 (12:26):
That is good inside information from our man, Ephraim Salim,
longtime NFL player himself.
Speaker 6 (12:33):
Thanks man, great, absolutely.
Speaker 3 (12:36):
I just want you to know you guys were too
hard on me to day.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
I don't call Scott.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
To call Scott and tell him that I didn't feel
like you got right the right opportunity to speak to
the way I want.
Speaker 4 (12:50):
Yes, it's like Rob and Chris worked me over like
a burger and fries.
Speaker 5 (13:00):
You know some of the jokes, yes, oh yes, yeah, yeah, hey.
Speaker 6 (13:03):
E from believe me, you will have heard every joke. No,
it's not true. Stop, I've heard four hundred and seventy
eight times.
Speaker 4 (13:09):
Hey, hey, April, I started my Hall of Fame speech
down in Birmingham with a joke and Chris laughed. He
was a pretty good job, he still laughed.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 8 (13:35):
Listen to comeback stories. I'm Darren Waller. You may know
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He may also know me for my story of overcoming
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(13:56):
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(14:17):
amazing stories. Catch us every week on Comeback Stories on
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Speaker 1 (14:31):
We're gonna talk about this situation Rob in Baltimore with
the Orioles. And first they suspend it they're broadcaster, and
now they've brought him back.
Speaker 6 (14:45):
Rob Ge, give us the summary of what's going on
down there with the Orioles. Yeah.
Speaker 9 (14:51):
So, on July twenty three, Orioles play by play broadcaster
Kevin Brown said during the broadcast, at a whole graphic
explaining everything about how Trumpiccana Field, home of the Tampa
Bay Rays has been a house of horrors for them,
that they just have not been winning, that they routinely
get smacked while they play there.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
They haven't won a series like in seventeen series and flat.
Speaker 9 (15:15):
In fact, this season alone, they've won as many games
there this year as they had in the previous three
seasons combined. So he was just talking about how poorly
that they've played well. Very quietly after the game, the
team decided that he would be suspended for his comments,
which they felt were inappropriate to talk about the Baltimore Orioles.
(15:38):
It wasn't until Awful announcing the athletic. The New York
Post several other outlets came out a few days ago,
actually they might have been yesterday in the day before,
and reported that the reason why he had been off
the air since July twenty third was because of these comments. Obviously,
you had a huge blowback. You had Michael kay Go
on the air for the Yankees game, you had the
Mets announcers. All these different broadcasters were talking about out
(16:00):
it during their games last night, and so again earlier
this afternoon. On Tuesday, the Orioles quietly announced that Brown
would be back in the booth on Friday and refuse
to acknowledge whether or not his absence was suspension related,
only calling it a quote personal matter.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
Well, Chris, I listened to the comments. Okay, he didn't
say anything. It was he stated, fact ridiculous And anyway, Chris,
you've been on pregame shows that when they make the
graphics and all that this produces and other people who
are involved with that. He didn't do that on its
(16:39):
own right, right, So the people who were running the show,
it was the most obvious thing here. The Orioles are
having this great year, Chris. They're gonna looks like they're
gonna win the division or they're in the hunt to
win the division, and you're worried about a broadcaster giving
you facts. He didn't say, God, this team is lucky
(17:00):
to be where we are. And the Ools really stink
and Tampa Bay sho went in the division and I
don't know how to oils, you know, like anything like that.
He was dating straight fat Chris. When you listen to
the tape, I was waiting for the waiting, you know,
like wait for it, wait for it, and it never came.
(17:20):
He never said any Nick, did you hear it, Nick
dop On, Well, the thing is you can say it.
Speaker 1 (17:28):
Yeah, and I think you're right. And I'm talking about
the tone of it because I want.
Speaker 4 (17:34):
To see Nick, because because Nick is just you're a broadcaster. Yes,
did you did you listen to it? Because Chris did
you hear it? Or you didn't hear it? He just
just Nick, did you hear anything? No?
Speaker 10 (17:43):
No, I mean this, this is very typical things to
say as bro I do a fair amount of play
by play, like myself that this is very You're providing
context to what's going on in past years and current years.
And I think the key sticking point you brought it
up here, Rob is that you have the graphics doing
with it. So this wasn't Kevin Brown on his own.
(18:04):
Literally was there in the graphic. This was pre produced.
Speaker 6 (18:06):
He didn't go wrong.
Speaker 10 (18:08):
It was in the team's game notes as well. So
I don't know why he is the fall guy for
something that came across several people's desks and was put
into the program.
Speaker 4 (18:19):
No doubt, Nick, thank you, Chris, did you It makes
no silly As I said, you did the NBA pregame show.
When something's brought up in a meeting and they make graphics.
That means that the producer's on board. Everybody's on board.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Right, And now, look, you can tell them, hey, let's
do a graphic of this or that, but sometimes they
may put it together on their own, or sometimes you
may do it.
Speaker 6 (18:39):
But the bottom line.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
Is, Look, if if we're on a debate show, whether
it's the I Couple or it's First Days First or
Undisputed with Skip Baylor's, whatever it might be, we might
say it in a way that a team might not like.
But if you're saying that, the broadcaster essentially just pointed
it out, Hey, you know when they go to Baltimore,
(19:02):
they struggled, They everyone here and blah blah blah.
Speaker 6 (19:05):
Like it's not like he went on there and saying
they're hot.
Speaker 11 (19:07):
Garbage when they play, and that's ridiculous and good good
for all the broadcasters that called them out and they
got him back on the air.
Speaker 6 (19:19):
And look, Rob, we do.
Speaker 1 (19:21):
Know that hometown teams or websites often will want, you know,
soft coverage.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Rob.
Speaker 1 (19:30):
When I first got to FS one, and obviously I
was fresh off of covering the NBA for decades with
ESPN and New York Times and a couple times, I
you know, local Fox stations wanted me to go on
and talk about their teams, and I would talk about
it like a national guy. I wouldn't give all of
(19:52):
the you know, I wouldn't just praise them. They're they're
thirty two and fifty and they want me to praise them,
and I would.
Speaker 6 (19:59):
I would give the real And sometimes they were like.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
He was a little too too hard on our team,
and you know, and that's local stuff, and Rob, you
and I talk about that.
Speaker 6 (20:11):
Look.
Speaker 1 (20:12):
Sometimes I mean a league or a team may actually
have a site where they really more so maybe a
league where they let you just report right and if
it's negative, it's negative, but they let it go. But
oftentimes these teams and what they want from their announcers
as well, the announcers or the reporters, Rob, if they
own the site and they own the station and the channel,
(20:35):
they want everything to be favorable. But in this case,
it sounds like, I mean, you have to paint the picture.
You have to be you're right, you have to give
context to the situation.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
No, no doubt, Nick, you got one last thing that
on them, Yeah.
Speaker 10 (20:51):
Just quickly. Also, the title of the graphic one was
it tropical depression?
Speaker 6 (20:56):
Right?
Speaker 10 (20:57):
So I wonder if this graphic guy got a suspension
as well.
Speaker 4 (21:00):
You know what, the producer probably got the business to
Chris that they weren't happy. And you know what coming
up in Baseball Justice David Justice was an analyst for
the Yankees. He's going to talk about, you know, his
scenario and circumstances there and how how sensitive these guys are, Chris.
But but go ahead. I just I don't understand it.
(21:21):
And you know what it did, Chris, It took away
from the Orioles, which is a nice story.
Speaker 8 (21:26):
Am I?
Speaker 6 (21:26):
Right?
Speaker 5 (21:27):
Why are we talking about this instead of that team?
Speaker 4 (21:31):
Yep?
Speaker 1 (21:32):
Now that's a great point. That's a great point. And
they they messed up. That's all there is to it, because,
as you said, we should be talking about the Oriole
they're having this great season, and instead they they look
they got egg on their face.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
Right, they look like they're petty and that they're that
that they like like like.
Speaker 1 (21:54):
Like they look like you know what, they look like
a team that's not used to a winning because they're
hand the way they're handling this and they aren't obviously,
but this just makes you look bush league and Rob
you know, I know, it was a long time ago.
Speaker 6 (22:11):
The Oels used to be a really good.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Franchise and they've you know, you know, in some tough times,
having made the playoffs in what about six seven years
or something like that. But this just makes you look
bush league. I mean, gosh, what did he look? Even
if they had been critical? I mean, do you really
need to take him off the air?
Speaker 4 (22:33):
No?
Speaker 1 (22:34):
You know what, like, man, we don't play our best
baseball there. We gotta get it together really, so you
gotta take them off the air.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
You could have had a conversation with them. This isn't
like remember the Oakland Ades announcer or use the N
word or something. Those are the guys you take off
the air like that, Like you can't have that kind
of a slip up, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (22:54):
And you're as a broadcast.
Speaker 6 (22:56):
What's happened to him? You have any idea?
Speaker 5 (23:00):
Probably off the Yeah, no, nothing.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
I mean it'll be hard for him to get another
job just because you get Chris. You know that you're
a broadcast. There's certain things that was just hard to Yeah,
you can't bounce back.
Speaker 5 (23:10):
Really, how did you get that? How did that come
out of your mouth.
Speaker 4 (23:14):
Yeah that and and you know what, and we talked
about it before, like Charles Barkley. I mean I've watched
inside the NBA when he said, oh this this is unwatchable.
Speaker 5 (23:25):
The NBA is unwatchable.
Speaker 4 (23:27):
That's a good example, you know what I mean, like
what he wants. Charles gets to say whatever he wants,
and that's what makes him so special that most people
can't do that. You're on there, Chris, for the network.
You know what I mean, You're working and you representing
the league. You just can't go ham on these uh
on the league every every chance you get, I'll give
(23:48):
you this.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
Well, there's some that think, and I have no idea
if this is true, but you know, there's something that
think Jeff van Gundy was let go at ESPN because
he was out he was often critical of the referees,
and so I don't know if that's.
Speaker 6 (24:02):
The case, but some think that.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
But Chris, and I can tell you and I worked
at the ESPN for eight years, FS one for five
and now MLB. I've never had anybody come up to
me and say, don't say this or you know what
I mean, like, have you been in any meetings like that?
Speaker 1 (24:22):
I have had a couple Like I mentioned the one earlier,
there were a couple of times at ESPN when really
once that I remember, well, I was for interestingly, you know, Rob,
it was rare that you taped anything. Every most of
(24:43):
ninety nine point nine percent of the time it was live.
But there was one time where I said something it
wasn't it wasn't uh, I want to say what it was.
It wasn't bad, but it was it was it had
a racial element to it, and.
Speaker 4 (25:00):
They can we.
Speaker 6 (25:03):
Can we retape that? You know, can we retape that?
Speaker 3 (25:06):
You know?
Speaker 6 (25:07):
But that was one time. But for the most.
Speaker 4 (25:09):
Part ever, but normally like going into it and that
was like something they probably thought it was a little
too hot. But I've never been told like straight up
like don't say anything negative, don't don't say anything negative
about baseball, don't say anything about the commissioner, Like I've
never heard that at MLB network.
Speaker 1 (25:26):
And with the debate shows you know, TV or radio,
mainly TV, people often think Rob, that you know one side,
you know, we're making up stuff like you and I
used to co host Undisputed Feeling in from and Shanning
at times, and a lot of times people think you
know what you take one guy takes one side and
(25:48):
one guy takes the other. It's not like that, like
like we you and I have done that a lot. Obviously,
I still do it with first things first, and.
Speaker 6 (25:57):
You say what you feel right.
Speaker 1 (26:00):
It's sometimes is better or most often is better when
you disagree.
Speaker 6 (26:06):
But I've never in any of it.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
I've done first take, undisputed, first things first, all of them.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
And never have I been.
Speaker 1 (26:16):
Told or has the other guy been told to take
a side just so we can rica.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
I've never been. I've never been in a room or
in a meeting with anybody. People used to ask me
that all the time, the skip just do that. I said,
that's not a part of what we do. People will
read through that you just can't do it like right.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 1 (26:48):
Rob The top ten players in the NFL, and really
the top one hundred has been named, and the top
ten came out today, Rob G, can you read us
the list?
Speaker 9 (27:03):
Actually it came out last night, Chris, But yes, I
have the top ten in order ten to one. They
finished the list on NFL Network last night, Big broadcast
about it. Number ten, Kansas City Chiefs defensive lineman Chris
Jones is currently unhappy with this contract.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
Am I thought to have plenty of money for everybody.
Apparently not, I guess.
Speaker 1 (27:22):
Mahome Honestly, Mahomes needs to have a conversation with them,
Am I right?
Speaker 6 (27:26):
Chris? Seriously, why are we short?
Speaker 4 (27:28):
Why can't we play one of the best players in
the league, one of the top ten.
Speaker 9 (27:31):
I'm taking less Travis Kelsey is taking exactly we might
lease Chris Jones.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
And also, it's ridiculous, this is what we're talking about.
Stop doing their work.
Speaker 9 (27:42):
That sounds like a segment for tomorrow, Rob for real,
were bookmark that, right, Chris stopping?
Speaker 3 (27:48):
No?
Speaker 1 (27:48):
I mean, look and I and I'm all for you know,
you know if I will take if I'm a quarterback,
I'm not against them taking less money.
Speaker 6 (27:56):
To get better players and win.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
But if they're not going out getting the better players,
they're just counting on him to deliver, right, which he does,
but still get us keep our stars, That's all I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (28:11):
All Right, that's a tease for tomorrows.
Speaker 6 (28:13):
All right, here we go.
Speaker 9 (28:14):
Number nine, Dallas Cowboys linebacker Michael Parsons, Number eight, Buffalo
Bill's quarterback Josh Allen, number seven, the aforementioned Dolphins wide
receiver formerly of the Chiefs, Tyreek Hill. Number six, Bengals
quarterback Joe Burrow number five, the another foementioned Chiefs tight
end Travis Kelcey. Number four, Niners defensive end Nick Bosa,
(28:38):
number three, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, number two, Vikings ride
receiver Justin Jefferson, and number one the guy you just
talked about, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 6 (28:49):
All right, look, this is the players Rob that vote.
Speaker 1 (28:53):
We know we've talked about players voting, but you know
it's they got number one, right, I mean, I think
that's undoubtable. Now, I actually think, you know, he's been
the best quarterback in the league the last several years,
but this is the second time he's been number one.
Speaker 6 (29:12):
But do you have the I'm gonna go here. I
think Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
You know, I love him. I love all his intangibles.
You know I'm big on that, and he improved dramatically
last year as a past Remember, Rob, we've talked to
guys down in Philly that loved him but were like,
he can't throw. And last year he showed you he
could throw sixty six percent completions twenty two touchdowns. Now
(29:42):
that that's not that high, but he doesn't throw it
as much as like the bigger superstar quarterbacks. He threw
it like one hundred and fifty times less than Joe
Burrow roughly, and so his touchdown percentage wasn't bad, but
twenty two six only six picks. Great season, and in
(30:02):
the Super Bowl when they needed him to throw rob
to have a chance to win, he did it.
Speaker 6 (30:09):
He had a high percentage through for three hundred.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
Plus yards a touchdown and ran for three touchdowns.
Speaker 6 (30:18):
So a fantastic performance.
Speaker 1 (30:21):
But I don't think he belongs ahead of Joe Burrow,
and I would even say Josh Allen right now. But
and look, if you want to argue he had a
better year last year than Joe Burrow, it's arguable.
Speaker 6 (30:34):
If you want to.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Argue that he will be better than those guys, Josh
Allen and Joe Burrow by the end of this season,
that's definitely an argument.
Speaker 6 (30:45):
If he improves.
Speaker 1 (30:47):
And I expect him to make a jump, but right now,
I would I think.
Speaker 6 (30:53):
Burrow should have been ahead of him. Rob. And here's why.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
One as much as Lamar and Jalen and some other
running quarterbacks Josh Allen, Daniel Jones.
Speaker 6 (31:06):
I mean, he's not in the category of changing the game, but.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
Guys, really, Lamar is changing and Jalen are changing the
way we view how the position has to be played.
Like now it's like you can play it different ways.
And even though that's the case, passing is still king,
and Joe.
Speaker 6 (31:29):
Burrow is a better passer I believe.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
Two.
Speaker 6 (31:34):
He's done it a little bit longer. I get it.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
He's only been in the league three years himself, but
for two of them he's been great.
Speaker 6 (31:41):
Jalen's had one great year. I want to see Jalen
follow up. I think he will.
Speaker 1 (31:44):
I actually think he'll take a jump, but I want
to see it. And then here's the third thing. Rob
Jalen does play behind the best offensive line in football,
and Burrow is playing behind one of the worst. Now,
they I think they tried to improve over offseason. We'll
see if they did, but last year was one of
(32:07):
the worst. The year before it was like bottom ten,
and so he has played with worst offensive lines by
a mile and still playing tremendously. So I think Jalen
should definitely be in the top ten. But I would
have had Burrow aheaded.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
I just think it's you know, it's always a recency bias.
Speaker 6 (32:29):
Well, certainly with the players.
Speaker 4 (32:30):
That's what I'm saying. He went to the Super Bowl,
so they think that he's there and Joe Burrow didn't
last year. I mean I can't look at that. And
that's why I have a hard time with some of
these polls and whatnot, because it's just what happened yesterday.
You talked about Patrick Mahomes. You think he's the best
quarterback the last four or five years, but he's not.
He hasn't been number one every number eight last year.
(32:52):
Well that's what coming off of a year that people
thought he had a bad year, Chris, That's what I'm
trying to say to you. Remember he had the eight
games in a row, he had a pick. I mean,
so so players look at him and okay, he didn't
play uh what he had played before. But number eight.
I just think that that's why.
Speaker 6 (33:08):
Right, he dropped the number eight.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
How do you drop to number eight? I mean you
know what, Lamar was not in the top twenty. He
was in the seventies. That's what I'm He was number
one what a few years ago, That's what that's my
point is, like, yeah, I agree with you that that's
that's the issue I have with these is that's what
these guys are.
Speaker 6 (33:28):
What.
Speaker 4 (33:29):
Oh wait, man, who's in the super Bowl? Oh yeah,
he's one of the best. He's a top ten. Oh yeah,
what happened? Let's see, I don't know where was Aaron
Rodgers on this list. I'm curious.
Speaker 5 (33:40):
I'm just curious to say where you got him.
Speaker 6 (33:42):
I want to say he was in the sixties.
Speaker 4 (33:45):
Yeah, bad year.
Speaker 5 (33:46):
He had a bad year last year.
Speaker 4 (33:48):
So all of a sudden, he can't.
Speaker 6 (33:49):
Play Roger tell us where Aaron Rodgers was at.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
Do you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Chris like, oh, yeah, no, it's totally yeah, totally.
Speaker 9 (33:57):
Yeah he was. He was fifty first overall in the
world one.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Yeah, and he was.
Speaker 9 (34:02):
The sixth seventh quarterback overall.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Right, but I'm just saying, and he had a bad
year for him. Uh so he had a bad age. Yeah,
and so they discounted him, and they did it before Chris,
before he had the back to back MVPs. I just
think it's it's recency biased, and that's what people look
at and they just go, oh, yeah, he's probably a
(34:27):
great year last year, so I'm gonna vote for him,
or he had a bad year so I'm not voting
for him, or rather than taking a look at the
body of work and really what these players have done.
It's more than just one season, don't you think when
you're talking about I don't think.
Speaker 6 (34:43):
I mean, are you in agree with me on the
Burrow Hurts thing?
Speaker 4 (34:47):
Yeah, I just Joe Burrow's body of work to me
has been better, uh, because it's more.
Speaker 5 (34:53):
I mean, what are they beating the Chiefs and and
my homes three out of four?
Speaker 4 (34:59):
Chris close that playoffs and that playoff game they would
close to getting back to the super Bowl. They just lost.
I mean, and he won his last eight to get
in that position, Like.
Speaker 6 (35:09):
Seriously, yeah, yeah, And this is.
Speaker 4 (35:12):
And Jalen Hurts had a great Super Bowl. He played,
he did, he was phenomenal. I mean, that might be
one of the best performances for a losing quarterback because
he played great.
Speaker 6 (35:22):
He was great.
Speaker 1 (35:23):
Chris Jones of the chief said it was the best
performance he's ever seen from a quarterback in a Super Bowl.
Speaker 6 (35:29):
That's too far.
Speaker 1 (35:31):
He was phenomenal, right, he probably I can't say it's
the best. When he also made the unforced fumble that
played a large role in their loss. You know, they
were up fourteen to seven second quarter, he dropped the
ball on a QB draw and Nick Bolton picked it
(35:51):
up and ran thirty six yards for a touchdown. Rob
if they go up twenty one to seven on that drive,
it's a whole different problem now. And I don't want
to say he played poorly. He still had an a
minus game. But when you talk the superlatives of the
best ever by a quarterback, that's that's all I'm saying.
Speaker 6 (36:09):
That's not right.
Speaker 4 (36:10):
And that's a big turnaround, and it's yeah, he played great.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
And that's the thing he showed I think, and he
showed it most of last year that he can throw
the football. And so Rob now he does have a
new OC. You know, he's got to get used to that.
But Doug Peterson still the head coach.
Speaker 4 (36:29):
But and I'll be interested to see now that they
see what he does, do they force him put an
extra man in the box and make him past.
Speaker 5 (36:38):
Chris like, yeah, like we're just we're just not.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Giving up the run. Okay, we understand that if you
if you're gonna get us downfield, we're gonna have to
live with that. But we can't allow you to run
all over us and then make the throw. The other
throws one or the other. I got. I gotta cut
something off, and if I'm cutting off something from him,
I'm cutting the legs off.
Speaker 1 (36:59):
I have to until he proves otherwise because they look
they have some great receivers too, Davante Smith and aj
Brown like they got people him to throw the football too.
So but I I agree, you try that and if
he proves it, you know that he's slinging it, then
you gotta then you.
Speaker 4 (37:18):
Gotta regroup and adjust, Chris, but you gotta do something
with your game plan on him. Ye
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