April 10, 2025 • 35 mins
Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington react to Luka Doncic's emotional return to Dallas. The guys debate who is the biggest disappointment in the NBA this season after the Suns were officially eliminated from the playoffs. Plus, Rob and Kelvin react to Deshaun Watson saying he's ready to make a comeback on the NFL.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the best of the Odd Couple.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Let's get started.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
And obviously, the big story in the NBA last night,
Kelvin was the return of Luca and you know, he
piled up a lot.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Of points and the.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Lakers won, and there were tears and the confetti and
T shirts and all that. I'm gonna say this, Luca
had crocodile tears.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
For me.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I'm not buying any of what went on last night,
total league crocodile tears, fake crying like this was the
oh my God, Like he had won eight championships and
he couldn't believe that he's not going to be in Dallas.
And you know, they were showing Nico the GM and
he was in the you know, an attendant. You could
(01:16):
see anyone hiding in the in the corridors or whatever.
But when I think about this whole scenario and what
happened in Dallas. There's only one person to blame for this,
and it ain't the GM, it ain't the coach, and
it ain't ownership. It's it's Luka Doncic himself. He's too
(01:41):
blame and fans don't understand this. You know why he's
the blame, Kelvin because he gave ownership management doubt about
him to where they didn't want to sign him the
three hundred and fifty million dollars. He's the one who
(02:03):
gave them the doubt where they would rather not. We
talked about this over and over. This is not a
basketball trade. You don't trade a twenty five year old
five time All NBA First team guys never happened, but
his behavior.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
I don't have all the details, but obviously it spooked them.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
It scared them that they didn't want to turn over
three hundred and fifty million dollars to a guy they
can't trust. That's why Luca's in Los Angeles, not because
of ownership or they're cheap, or whatever you want to do.
You could blame everybody you want, the rightful blame goes
(02:47):
to Luca, period.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
All right, So I'm gonna start back with more of
the night.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
And the fact that you think Luca's tears were fake
or crocodile tears, stop it, Rod, because right.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Now you are back in New York where you were honored.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
You literally went out of your way to be honored
because you have a memorial there and so therefore you
know what it feels like to be honored for a
place you called home and a place you love. And
that's simply what happened to Luca last night. He was
back where it started, back where he was a teenager
in America, foreign country, where he was mentored by Dirk,
mentored by Mark Cuban, loved by fans, learned to become
(03:25):
a man, and out of the blue, he was not complaining.
There were no trade request rumors. Out of the blue.
The brother is literally closing on a home and he
got so you know, it traded, So of course that
would be emotional. And what do we always hear when
we hear from all players who you know, even if
they're traded nicely, you know this he request of trade
and happens. They always say, it's amazing when I come
(03:48):
back to see the ushers and the concession people and
the equipment manager, because they say it's those people I
saw every day that made sure my you know, I
had the food made sure, gave me a hug on
my way in, and so to see those people again
and also to see a video where it all started.
Come on, Rob, Rob, I know you didne got old,
but your heart is still soft and still much you
(04:09):
still understand what that's like. So that's the first first
part when it comes to that, I totally understand why
he shed the tears. Now we go back to the
organization saying what's who's the cause of this or who's
the blame. I still stand that it's this new ownership
group for multiple reasons.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
One, you don't.
Speaker 5 (04:26):
Give up on the player of this caliber yet to me,
you exhaust all options. And and what's the disconnect between
Mark Cuban, who literally said I'd leave my wife before
I let go a Luca and now this new ownership Right,
So what I'm saying is you haven't been here new
ownership group, because the guy who'd been there is literally
twenty five twenty plus years. The owner loved Lucas so
(04:48):
much so that he would never get I'm looking at
my New Dirk. I never get rid of this guy.
I'm hitching my wagon to him as long as possible.
And in a matter of months or a year he
sells a team and you're ready to get rid of him.
Where's the disconnect that f meaning you didn't even have
time to invest, time to see, Okay, what can we
work with how can we do this? How can we
figure out you're already ready to either get rid of
him or just simply shed dollars. I count that as
(05:10):
an issue with ownership. And if you did feel that way,
if they subscribe to the Rob Parker plan, all right,
then your gots to get me more. You gotta give
me Anthony Davis and Osinines and some picks. I need more.
It can't simply be ad And obviously they got another
pieces and Christie and all, but you get what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I need guys.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Austinines can be a heck of as we've seen third
option or really good third option. I need picks as
we're rebuilding. So to me, if for whatever reasons, Luca
called somebody's wife a B word or something crazy behind
the scenes, we'll never know, then fine, you have to
get more and it can't be an injury prone guy
in Anthony Davis. When you're telling me, I believe at
soon point Luca's gonna be injured, Well, you got the
(05:52):
guy who's always injured, so make it make sense. So
to me, it's just then you saw what your fan base,
how they feel about you.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
It looked like a Laker home game.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
They had fans, were clever, They had Fire Nico, but
they know they couldn't walk in with the sign themselves
and they would get kicked out. So this guy had
f that guy had I, that guy had our, that
girl Gal had E, and so on and down the line.
They knew that the Mavericks tried to cover up the noise.
They played a bunch of music and the only time
in arena you can't play music, it was when somebody's
at the free throw line. And what happened when they
(06:21):
had to be silent Fire and Ico. So they're in
a world of hurt right now. Man, that's too easy.
It ain't him. You and I both agree, and that
it's it's ownership. Absolutely, I agree with that he didn't.
He didn't do that on his own. And that's what
I'm trying to tell you. Is.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
The bottom line is Luca is the one who gave
them doubt about him, just like we talked about Boogie
Cousins at a lower scale, when when they didn't want
to give up the two hundred million dollars to Boogie Cousins.
That's why this has happened to Luca. It has nothing
to do with ownership. It has to do with they
(06:59):
couldn't trust him. They couldn't trust to turn over three
hundred and fifty million dollars to a twenty five year
old out of shape who's doing other stuff that they're
not happy with, who they couldn't control. Kelvin, you're ignoring
a twenty five year old celebrating after going to the
NBA Finals, going to right after winning the Western Conference finals,
(07:23):
and they're taking a beer out of his hand. You're
going to ignore that as if that didn't matter. Right
that that told you all you needed to do to
know if you're really being honest with that situation. He
wasn't illegal, all right, under age, he wasn't drunk, he
wasn't acting disorderly, he wasn't doing anything but being a
(07:44):
grown man drinking a beer on a celebration, and they
still felt compelled to take that beer from him.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
Well, I feel like taking the baked chicken from you
right well a lot I want to take the baked
chicken from you right now. I don't disagree with that,
but that goes to my second point. That fine, if
you felt the need to do that for whatever reasons,
and I think all of us agreed, maybe.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Saying that, like, for whatever reason, you gotta be better
than that. Come on, man, you can't ignore it.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
No, no, no, I'm saying no, we both agree. Why did
they do it? Why did you? No, no, no, Why
do you think they took the beer from him? As
oh the beer?
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Clearly I've talked about a million times when we t
took me and he Michael Finley took the beer and
did not hand it back, and when Luca's face looked
very sour, that let me know there's something real there.
Either he made a promise or they had him on
a regiment or something. I agree with that, But my
second point is if that's the reason, whether it be alcohol, hookah,
or you just don't believe it's in his training, you
gotta get more from me, then you gotta get this
(08:44):
is Luka doncons who was twenty five, and you have
to get more. So that's why to me, it's multiple
layers of failure to me on the ownership. You either A,
you just don't trade this guy, or B if you do,
you gotta get more. Because now you didn't get more,
your fan base is all ruined right now. And I
just it's just a blunder to me that I can
already see the thirty for thirty coming in ten years.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Rob Parker and kelvin Washington weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
All right, Rob, you know, the Suns are officially out
of the NBA playoffs, which many people We've talked about
it earlier in the season when they were struggling and
then Kevin Durant, remember they were trying to trade Yeah,
struggle a and they were trying to trade him. It
was all types of stuff going on, and so the
conversation becomes, Rob, are the Phoenix Suns the most disappointing
(09:36):
team in the NBA this season? Maybe even disappointing storyline
for you? I just you didn't think if you had.
Many people didn't think you had these three guys, that
you'd be in this position, and not to mention the
chaos that came with it. Like I said, all the
trade rumors and Katie and disgruntled. So I'll let you start.
(09:57):
What do you think, man, this Phoenix Suns I was
disappointing as we wind down this NBA season, most disappointing
story and disappointing team for you.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
I'm not really that disappointed, to be honest. I didn't
think it was gonna work. Top Heavy didn't have a bench.
The Bradley Beal disaster was always a disaster. And I've
said on this program, Kevin Durant's NBA dead, Like I'm not.
I'm just I'm really not surprised. What I'm surprised about
(10:28):
is just how how badly they've lost, you know what
I mean, Like they get brought off the court every night.
That's the shocking part or how bad it is. But
did I really think that they were going somewhere? The
only place I thought they were going was home dinner,
maybe a show. But I didn't think they were going
to the NBA Finals or anything. Oh, they had their
Big three. I remember when they traded KD there, oh,
(10:49):
people were like, oh, they're automatical contenders, remember that, because
they're going to the NBA Finals without them, so they
thought KD. My god, he got injured on a non
contact injury. You remember that, And things just haven't been
the same. The Bradley Beal thing. They you want to
talk about swinging and missing on Deshaun Watson. They swung
(11:13):
and miss on Bradley Beal and so bad that even
when they were trying to make an adjustment, he wouldn't
allowed him to do that with that no trade. Can
you imagine having that guy still in your locker room
on your team. You know that you don't want him there,
and you would try to get rid of them, and
he's saying, no, i ain't going nowhere. Pay me my
(11:36):
money and I'm not going nowhere, and I'm just gonna
keep showing up until the check stopped coming.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
You know what I mean? Right? What a bad situation
that was.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
It's and to your point, it's funny like he was
just coming in to the locker room, what's up, y'all?
Hate what everybody good? Putting on the shoes and looking
like man, you holding up a trade. We could have
had this player. If you want here, you could just man,
if you don't get out of here. Guy has to
be weird, right, you know where you're not wanting that's weird, right, Yeah,
you know you're not wanted there yet You're like you're
gonna stand from And it wasn't like let's say he
was a who's a great team.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Let's say he was with the Calves.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
You're like, I ain't leaving here to go play with
you know, some terrible about the Hawks or Utah or
something like, oh, we got a chance to win something.
I can understand that.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Dude.
Speaker 5 (12:16):
You guys were struggling. That might even be kind. You
are underachieving, and it's like, dude, they don't want you.
So that's what I made it. I mean, I don't
know if he got some family in Phoenix. I don't
know what may Bradley Bil want to stick around. But yeah,
I didn't like this last year. You got three of
the same guys. What are they best at shooting with
the ball in their hands? Bradley Bill never elevated a
(12:37):
team on his own in Washington. And I'm not saying
they were loaded and you can't do it all by yourself.
But you never felt like, man, they're so good because
Bradley bill is there, Pete Kevin Durant. Yes, you can
feel like that. And Devin Booker is a really really
quality player, really good player. But the idea of having
three guys who have to shoot. Devin Booker can't go
out and get your ten points, twelve fifteen assists, eight rebounds.
(12:58):
You feel like, oh, he was out there today doing
his thing. Bradley Buil doesn't go out there and get
your twenty rebounds. And you know, or a lockdown defender,
you they can't pivot. They're not Chris Bossware. I'm used
to getting your twenties five and ten and twelve. You
know whoa I'll just lock down, give you eighteen fifteen
rebounds and block some shots. They can't pivot like that.
And so that's to me why I was like, wait,
this is a terrible mismatch it. I don't even know
(13:19):
how they think, I mean matchup. This isn't gonna work.
This is not a well comprised team. Then they got
rid of that, as you mentioned, all their death and
so now I'm like, it's just absolutely not a great team.
When you're talking about putting together a squad. So to me,
if I'm talking about a team, that's disappointing. I got
a couple other ones that I'm a little disappointed in.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
One.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
It's not that I had expectations once they were paired.
I'm just disappointed that you paired them. And that to
me is Joe l Embiid and PG. Thirteen, What in
the world where the seventy six is thinking?
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Joellen?
Speaker 1 (13:51):
I agree with that, but you gotta admit I don't
know how you can really put that he was hurt,
Joel Embiid?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
So why Rob?
Speaker 5 (13:58):
Yes, but why go GETG thirteen? Who's equally always heard?
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Make it? Rob?
Speaker 5 (14:03):
I just like things to make sense, and then I
can say, Hey, things happen, right, things can happen, but
it has to make sense from the start.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Yeah, But the idea that you're never gonna take a
chance on anybody who has ever.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
Heard no, no, no, just ever heard and parentally hurt
are different things, right.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Okay, okay? But all right?
Speaker 1 (14:20):
But then I would say to you, well, how did
Bradley beal get traded when he had an albatross for
a contract in Washington? Nobody wanted him and they still
were Washington was able to move him. What is my
point is that guys you would think nobody would want
or whatever would do, get wind up getting moved.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I'm with you that.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
I said the Clippers were the smartest team because they
were like, no, we're not giving him two hundred something
million dollars. They they picked Kawhi, who was hurt at
the time, over a guy who wasn't heard.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
Because when they're both now healthy, he Kawhi is the
better player without a doubt.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
We all know a lot of people question, oh Kawhi's heard,
you can't count on him, and look where they are now.
I don't know what's gonna happen in the playoffs because
Kawai gonna get hurt, you know what I.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Mean, We don't know. But he's better. But he's a
better player. I would have made the same move.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
I would not have given Paul George two hundred million
dollars and.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
He has the championship resume literally Kawhi right, So you
know that too, yes, exactly. So my point is going
back to the Sixers, I'm not mad at them. Let's
say you're taking a flyer in PG. Thirteen because hey,
he's just there. They want to get rid of him,
you know what, And you say you're pairing him with
a Aunt Edwards, you're pairing him with the Yokis. Hey man,
(15:35):
look you know what, Jamal Murray's heard a lot too.
You know, if we can just get PG sixty sixty
five percent of the games, you paired him with Mbid,
who was already heard, who had surgeries, who we didn't
know when he was gonna come back, and if he
came back, how he was gonna be able to perform.
So that's my only issue, Robinson, not that you got PG.
It's that you're pairing him with that. So that makes
none of the sense for me. So that to me
(15:56):
was just so disappointing as a team that has just
you had put potential hope three years ago, four years ago,
give or take, and then you just went down the
drain and you kept making blunderous moves and this being
another one, and then what happened You never had Maxi
and George and then be prilaying, and then they did,
They only played a couple of games in a few
minutes or something, and when they did, they weren't great.
(16:17):
So I just that's one for me, and then last year,
I'll say this one another team that's disappointing for me.
And it's not as if they suck or they're terrible.
They're in the postseason. They're in the fifth seed. But
for me, there's no way when you have the best
player in the conference, you should be eighteen games back
from first. And yes, Cleveland is having a historic season,
(16:39):
but dang it, Jannis in the Milwaukee Bucks. I can't
have my best player at the conference being eighteen games back.
That's crazy because I thought I would get more from them.
I thought I would have them being a true contender
to Boston, right or to or in this case Cleveland. Well,
we're looking at them legitimately, like who I'm telling Giannis
is on fire. He's dominating these MVP candidate Dames got
(17:01):
a swag back there right there. Instead, they play good
for two or three, then they're bad for two or three.
Then they played good for three or four, then they're
bad for three or four. And to me, Yannas should
be having dominating the headlines as well. Yanna should be
a guy who is a face of the league. Giannis's
team should be competing with the Celtics. We used to
be scratching our head they's to pick him, I don't know,
(17:22):
And instead we never talk about them.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
They're never really any concern.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
We had guests after guess you and I on the show,
and no one ever talks about the Bucks. In fact,
the only person who does is me because I bring
him up, like, what the heck happened to the Bucks?
So to me, that's a more disappointing team because if
I have a best player, one of the best players
in the league in his prime with Day who might
be just out of his prime but still giving you
twenty four a night, they're supposed to be better than that.
(17:46):
We're supposed to be talking about him more. I'm disappointed
in them.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Yeah, I don't know my expectations for the Bucks.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
I hear you with the eighteen and a half and
all that, but I just I don't what were your
real expectations that they were going to do what?
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Seriously, I just what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
But it's more disappointment that if I have Giannis in
his absolute peak prime, that I'm just not even a contender,
right if I have Kobe and his prime shot, but.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
They went out and got Dame, Damian Lill just so
just right.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
So they gotta's hurt, he's hurt. They gotta make that
what hurt? But you know what I mean, sideline, they
just gotta make that.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
How do you how do you make it work when
the guy you went out to get his sideline with
an ailment? Is what I'm trying to say. I understand
what you're but.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
This you get what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
This was before obviously the blood clots, but I'm saying
before that, this is now two years where we're like, eh,
the bucks, right, and before the blood clots, I just
expected more from last year them. We all went, oh,
that was weird. That didn't They didn't look good together
all right, Maybe they just need some time. Remember their
rumors at the offense they wouldn't grooving and even uh,
they didn't look good together exactly.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
I'm like, that's really weird.
Speaker 5 (18:53):
Because Dame had been clamoring I've never played with a
guy this good or even better than me.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Finally got it.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
It didn't work, and Giannis had become hard on the
Bucks and starting to threat about I might leave and
got rid of Adrian Griffin, and oh, you know what
I mean like, oh, this is getting a little weird.
Doesn't work out last year, you say, gay, they just
needed time to jail. This year wasn't that great. They
started off not good this year and then obviously again
Dames out with the injury. Wish him well, But I'm
just saying I just thought, now a year, year and
a half of this pairing and peak Giannis, I would
(19:20):
be seeing more as what I thought.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Yeah, I just I think it's incomplete because of the
ailment to Damian Lillard, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Again, I can understand that I just thought that I
would be getting more from a Jannis in his peak.
I wouldn't think it would be barely at forty three
wins or whatever it is for the season.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
But you gotta have that Chris Middleton no longer there,
you know what I mean. And Chris Middleton was a
big part of that Bucks team when they won the
championship that year. Let's not bury the lead or act
like they're not missing a big part of that as
good as Giannis is, right, Chris Middleton, who was a
second round draft pick by the Pistons, I remember when
he came to Detroit.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
I know which they have by the way they have
a nice list of people they let go or that
ended up being really good.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
He was one of them.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
But so I don't know. And then you're looking at
obviously Boston defending champs, and then Cleveland turned it up
a notch. Cleveland became a killer like that, Nickson better,
you know what I mean, after all, coming off last year.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
So when I look at the Bucks, yes, you know what,
but I'm saying, he's so, yeah, go ahead, eighteen and
a half.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
But I just I don't know how much better he
could be given his supporting cast.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Fifty So Dame played fifty eight games. That's a lie.
It's not like he only played twenty man. We didn't
have him for sixty two games. He played fifty eight games,
and they were still just me and you would talk
about like, you know, we'd have guests on and they
just like, what the heck's up with the Bucks. You
just thought if I had Dang and Giannis for a
season and a half, almost two seasons, I just thought
they would be making way more noise. And I just
(21:00):
was we don't even talk about them, no one that
they're not even on anyone's radar. And you know, heading
into the postseason. The fact that the best player in
the conference at his absolute peak prime looking like a
donna's putting up thirty second in the league in scoring.
I just thought there'd be more of aforced That's just me,
But that's a conversation we can have.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
And just this other Suns.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
Maybe are they the most disappointing story, disappointing team in
the NBA.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Maybe it's somebody else.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Maybe it's somebody else, it's another team, another player where
you're just disappointed as we wind down this NBA season,
that you look at and you say, you know, let's
do it.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
It is a Couple, Our number three on a TV
theme song Thursday and Rob Parker Kelvin Washington coming to
you live from the tyrerech dot Com studios.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Tyreck dot com.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
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And last call as well, we'll do that and much more.
(22:22):
And Kevin, you know I travel all the time. I
know that often I make some mistakes on traveling. I
don't know if you can see me on the cam
right here.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
I can't. But what did you do? So let me
pull it up now since you didn't got me which
I should always a.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Carry a hoodie with me and a hat like a
little ski hat. Just this time of the year is
not July. It's April in New York, right, little chili
out here, and it was wet raining like craft to
buy a hat. Look at my Maryland turping hat, the
turps you see it?
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Yeah? Why just because that was what was available, that
was on the clearance ride.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
I always remember every time I'm buying something, if you
see me wearing it, I'm not sporting it because I
love Maryland.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
Okay, Well, that's we know that. That's why I was like,
that's an interesting choice.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
In New York to Maryland.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Uh terps hat was on clearance Okay, So this hat
down in Maryland probably cost you fifteen dollars.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I paid a dollar nine and nine, but I needed
that hat.
Speaker 5 (23:29):
A dollar ninety nine or yeah in your mind. Let
me tell you something, Rock Parker. You know I ain't
bringing it back just.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
For then get this hat in New York.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
She's gonna be like, what is this austing trash?
Speaker 3 (23:42):
You're gonna throw it away. But I'll tell you what
if nothing else.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
I was just having this conversation with somebody and they
were I don't know, somehow you came up and I
was explaining to them. I said, no, no, no, no, no
no no. Yeah, you like a deal. No one likes
a deal more than Rod Parker. No no no, I said, no, no, no,
you don't understand. No one likes the deal more than
Rop Parker. So yeah, you one ninety nine to four hat.
I'm not mad at that. Well, let's talk about taking
(24:06):
of money. A team that spent way too much money
on somebody. That would be Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns,
and you know you recently had ownership come out and say, yeah,
we might have messed that up. We might've over you know,
dug ourselves in a hole bringing him in and put
all our eggs in his basket and didn't work. Now,
we got to dig ourselves out of this hole. That's
what they said. With Deshaun Watson, feelings like he has
(24:28):
some comeback fuel. Ryan breaking a little bit down what
DeShawn was doing recently.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
Yeah, So this week Deshaun posted a video on Instagram
and there's some music going on in the background. It's
some montage of him working out at the gym, but
during the video he says, quote, everyone's doubting me. Everyone
don't believe in me. Everyone don't think that I can
get back to where I was. But I know and
I believe the work that I put in, what I
believe in myself, the piece that I've been dealing that
(24:55):
I've been channeling these last couple months. I know I'm
going to be way better than before.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
So how coming hadn't happened? I mean, like this is
my issue.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
It sounds good, right, And if you got to use
other people to motivate you, or that's the reason that
you're gonna play better, I just I question it, like
that shouldn't be the reason they're always gonna be. I
don't care how good you are, right, Detractors, people who
are who doubt you? Do you know how many people
I've been talking about great players right who have been
(25:29):
doubted their whole careers. And you shouldn't have to be
motivated by other people because they've watched you the last
few years and you haven't been good, Okay, Like are
they are they saying, oh, he's a fourteenth going to
the Pro Bowl or it was all Pro four years
in a row and I still think he's bad? Is
(25:50):
that what they're saying? Or they watching you and your
stats and your play and saying this ain't the guy
who was in Houston. He's no good and longer? I
don't it sounds good? Kelvin?
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Do you use other people to motivate you?
Speaker 5 (26:08):
I mean I wouldn't say other people. I would say
scenarios because I'm actually one of the people. We've talked
about this before it. I'll give you a real world example.
Some people would go, and this is your guy. They'll go,
man Stephen A Smith, They worth for one hundred million, Man,
Man Wall, he doesn't talk with you. I'm the guy
who goes great because he first off great for him. Secondly,
he just set the bar to me of what is possible.
(26:30):
You get what I mean. So that inspires me. I go,
all right, bet that means that money's out there for
those who us who do what we do for a living.
So I get excited about that. And also I'm fully
aware of what's for me is for me. I strongly
believe that, So I believe there's more room out there.
It doesn't have to be this one person, you know,
blah blah blah, like he got that. I can't get that.
(26:50):
So I don't mind if you get eat a little fuel,
somebody doubt you. Yeah, whatever you need to get to
put a little fuel in your tank. I understand that.
But also you got to deal with reality. And let's
talk a little bit about reality.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Well, but that that's that's my point because if that's
the case, then you wouldn't be bad.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
No one would be bad.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Then if people talking bad, do you understand what I'm saying, right, No,
nobody would be bad. But that's not the case because
you could say I want to use fuel.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
We talk about it all the time. Oh there's bulletin
board material. Oh there it is. You shouldn't have said
that about that other team.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Oh it's gonna come back to you know me time
the other team where he said something and and the
guy was right, and they won, and nobody went back
to say, you gave them bullet board and material only
only only once in a while when it when it backfires.
But but when it doesn't backfire, nobody ever goes write
the story Am I right and say right?
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Never not zero, I've never seen that. No, you're right.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
So to me, Deshaun Watson, here's what you need to
do first and foremost. I do think he's struggling with
a little bit of the maybe he'll get over to
this next season, but I do think for the last
couple of years Rob obviously there's been injuries, Obviously there
was an eleven game suspension, but I think he's also
struggling with the tiger Woods of it all, the shame
(28:11):
of it all, the you know, the you were superman,
literally that's what they were calling him in Houston, right,
he was superman, He was his MVP candidate.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
He was doing it all.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
The offensive line was terrible's running for his life, but
he was still putting them crazy numbers.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
He was doing it all.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
And I think there's an element of the mental aspect
where you feel exposed, you feel seen. You feel shamed,
you feel embarrassed, and you know this. You've been covering
sports for so long. Listen, all of those pros can play.
I don't care what sport, I don't care what position.
That's why they're pros. There's so few in the world
that can do this. But what makes the from solid
to good, from good to great is the consistency. Right,
(28:45):
every guy in the NBA can score forty out the blue,
but who can give me twenty six points at night?
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Right, that's the consistency.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
That makes you a really good player at All Star
and Deshaun some of that is just that little bit
of edge. Some of that is that little bit of
locked in. Some of that is that little bit of
extra confidence or mojo you have. And if that's rocked
or shaken, then I think sometimes you can lose your way,
lose your step. And if the whole world heard about
some freaky stuff allegedly you got to settle out. Of course,
some wild stuff, things are going on, issues at home.
(29:15):
That stuff can rock you and affect you. Right, because
it's that little bit of thing. Maybe you're not focusing
on the film, little bit of damn attention. I'm not
paying there, So I think that played a role in
his poor performance. Obviously, now you're injured, that does not
help as well. But he's also just been struggling simply
thirty four percent QBR is crazy, right, nine and ten
in the games that he's played over the last few
(29:37):
which is limited games, nineteen touchdowns, twelve interceptions not great
as well. So I think sometimes it's okay to say,
in this season in my life, I have to just
shut up, improve it silently. And I think that's okay,
And we're all gonna go through that in life at
some point, whether it be in your family, whether it
be in your work, whether it be to yourself, or
you can go away. I gotta silently go away, shut
(29:57):
up and do what I have to do, and sign
list of critics, silenced them literally while doing it silently,
and let the play be the proof. And so I
think that's what he You know, I would propose for him, like,
just go do the work, because dude, even if people
aren't trying to hate on you or doubt you, they're
literally saying, dude, you've been injured, you haven't played well.
It's not that I'm trying to pick on you. Let alone,
(30:18):
the personal stuff, the off the field stuff. You've just
been injured, you haven't played good. So there are some
people who could just not even be trying to bring
up the past and just say I haven't seen you
play well. And so he has to go out there
and do it and prove it. And to me lastly,
and we talked about this a little bit with Joe.
I brought it up of how sometimes you got to
just say I brought this on myself. You know, the issues,
(30:39):
the the you know the drama I built off the field,
and I kind of got to own this and know
that this is a part of my showing contrition and
changing my life. And I always like to bring up
Michael Vick as a perfect example of that. So that's
what I would be proposing.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
I just think, at this point, why do you even
have to bring Just just go out and play well.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
That's the only thing that anybody's gonna care about, not
that you proclaim you're using his fuel of the negativity
and the haters and the doubters. So so can I
go back and go to a Browns game when the
Browns are zero and six and he's played poorly and.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
Ask uh, how did that fuel go.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
With the haters and the doubters. Did that help you
at all? I would be considered a what if I
went and asked that question after he said that's what
he was gonna use. I just I just you go
out and you play better. And then when they asked
you what happened, what happened from last year to this year?
You know what happened. I tightened up some things. I
worked harder. I went into my inner strength and went
(31:51):
back to the simple things that I used to do
when I was in Houston and I was one of
the best quarterbacks in the league. That's the story people
want to hear.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
You to listen, one thing, we know, winning cures all.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
And if he went out there and all of a sudden,
you know, I don't who knows what they're gonna do
this this this season and as far as draft and
what they're gonna do quarterback. But if he ends up
being a starter at some point and he's out there
and he's playing, and let's say he just even plays
eight games because we know he dealing with injury, he
plays that game, he goes six and two with you know,
fifteen touchdowns and three interceptions. Hey, Browns fans are gonna
(32:25):
be like, you know what, we all need a second chance,
we all need forgive this.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
You know what. I'm loving what the Shaun is doing.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
So go out there, perform, play well man and just
and just shut up and do it in silence, you
know what I mean? And just go do what you
gotta do. Because once he plays better, people forget. That's
one thing I've learned about the NFL. Don't matter what
you do. So drugs did drugs? Uh physically you know
I'm not promoting this, but people have been physical women.
Dante Starworth, you know, he's obviously you know he's a
(32:51):
tone for it. But kill someone drug driving. As long
as you don't kneel, stand up for a cause, Colin Kaepernick,
anything else is acceptable in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Well, we already know that. That's always been the hypocrisy
of the NFL.
Speaker 5 (33:04):
That's the one thing you can't do is goneel for
a cause. Anything else you can be redeemed. It is
pretty much amazing. But this will be interesting. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Maybe he's right, maybe that's what you need, and maybe
other people are the same way. I just I don't
work on that I really don't. And I don't expect
everybody to like me. I don't expect everybody to think
I'm the best radio guy, best TV guy, best writer.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
That that just doesn't.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
I do what I do, and I perform, and I
work at my craft, and I work hard every day
at it, and they're great days, some bad days, you
know what I mean. But I'm happy with and I
don't need to justify anything to anybody matter. I just
got a tweet from somebody with saying, oh, you know,
uh and and and the thing that's funny is, you know,
(33:59):
people think because they disagree with your opinion or something
like I'm negative or whatever.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
It's not that.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
I'm just my opinion doesn't line up with yours. Do
you understand what I'm saying. That doesn't make it negative.
I'm just I just have a different opinion than you,
so and it's fine. I'm cool with it. I'm not
in this for a personality or popularity contest, but in
Deshawn's case, it ain't the only way you're gonna win
(34:31):
public opinion is to play better, is to return to
what you used to be or closer to that. He's
been awful can we say that for the for the
for the owner talking about negative negativity or the haters
or the doubters.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
The owner said, we swung and miss big time. I mean,
what mind you? He's still on the team. It ain't
like he was.
Speaker 5 (34:54):
You know, we made a mistake with a guy who's
no longer here. They're like, hey, we made a mistake,
and that we're staring at the mistake in her eye
right now.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
That we're still paying still paying them.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
I think he's still I think it's forty three million
this coming year, and it's like still it's like still
a buck. What is it a buck thirty or something?
Still bucks seventy old or something? Crazy, Man, it's still
old for sound.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
That's you know, if I'm the Cleveland Browns, I'd have
to burn down my restaurant and collect the insurance money.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
I'm just saying, yeah, that Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
All right, they still got brown underwear for this one.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
You ain't lying.
Speaker 5 (35:25):
They be like, all right, are they yellow in the
front and brown in the back? A Cleveland yellow and
Browns
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 Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the best of the Odd Couple.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Let's get started.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
And obviously, the big story in the NBA last night,
Kelvin was the return of Luca and you know, he
piled up a lot.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Of points and the.
Speaker 1 (00:40):
Lakers won, and there were tears and the confetti and
T shirts and all that. I'm gonna say this, Luca
had crocodile tears.
Speaker 4 (00:54):
For me.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
I'm not buying any of what went on last night,
total league crocodile tears, fake crying like this was the
oh my God, Like he had won eight championships and
he couldn't believe that he's not going to be in Dallas.
And you know, they were showing Nico the GM and
he was in the you know, an attendant. You could
(01:16):
see anyone hiding in the in the corridors or whatever.
But when I think about this whole scenario and what
happened in Dallas. There's only one person to blame for this,
and it ain't the GM, it ain't the coach, and
it ain't ownership. It's it's Luka Doncic himself. He's too
(01:41):
blame and fans don't understand this. You know why he's
the blame, Kelvin because he gave ownership management doubt about
him to where they didn't want to sign him the
three hundred and fifty million dollars. He's the one who
(02:03):
gave them the doubt where they would rather not. We
talked about this over and over. This is not a
basketball trade. You don't trade a twenty five year old
five time All NBA First team guys never happened, but
his behavior.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
I don't have all the details, but obviously it spooked them.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
It scared them that they didn't want to turn over
three hundred and fifty million dollars to a guy they
can't trust. That's why Luca's in Los Angeles, not because
of ownership or they're cheap, or whatever you want to do.
You could blame everybody you want, the rightful blame goes
(02:47):
to Luca, period.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
All right, So I'm gonna start back with more of
the night.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
And the fact that you think Luca's tears were fake
or crocodile tears, stop it, Rod, because right.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Now you are back in New York where you were honored.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
You literally went out of your way to be honored
because you have a memorial there and so therefore you
know what it feels like to be honored for a
place you called home and a place you love. And
that's simply what happened to Luca last night. He was
back where it started, back where he was a teenager
in America, foreign country, where he was mentored by Dirk,
mentored by Mark Cuban, loved by fans, learned to become
(03:25):
a man, and out of the blue, he was not complaining.
There were no trade request rumors. Out of the blue.
The brother is literally closing on a home and he
got so you know, it traded, So of course that
would be emotional. And what do we always hear when
we hear from all players who you know, even if
they're traded nicely, you know this he request of trade
and happens. They always say, it's amazing when I come
(03:48):
back to see the ushers and the concession people and
the equipment manager, because they say it's those people I
saw every day that made sure my you know, I
had the food made sure, gave me a hug on
my way in, and so to see those people again
and also to see a video where it all started.
Come on, Rob, Rob, I know you didne got old,
but your heart is still soft and still much you
(04:09):
still understand what that's like. So that's the first first
part when it comes to that, I totally understand why
he shed the tears. Now we go back to the
organization saying what's who's the cause of this or who's
the blame. I still stand that it's this new ownership
group for multiple reasons.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
One, you don't.
Speaker 5 (04:26):
Give up on the player of this caliber yet to me,
you exhaust all options. And and what's the disconnect between
Mark Cuban, who literally said I'd leave my wife before
I let go a Luca and now this new ownership Right,
So what I'm saying is you haven't been here new
ownership group, because the guy who'd been there is literally
twenty five twenty plus years. The owner loved Lucas so
(04:48):
much so that he would never get I'm looking at
my New Dirk. I never get rid of this guy.
I'm hitching my wagon to him as long as possible.
And in a matter of months or a year he
sells a team and you're ready to get rid of him.
Where's the disconnect that f meaning you didn't even have
time to invest, time to see, Okay, what can we
work with how can we do this? How can we
figure out you're already ready to either get rid of
him or just simply shed dollars. I count that as
(05:10):
an issue with ownership. And if you did feel that way,
if they subscribe to the Rob Parker plan, all right,
then your gots to get me more. You gotta give
me Anthony Davis and Osinines and some picks. I need more.
It can't simply be ad And obviously they got another
pieces and Christie and all, but you get what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (05:28):
I need guys.
Speaker 5 (05:30):
Austinines can be a heck of as we've seen third
option or really good third option. I need picks as
we're rebuilding. So to me, if for whatever reasons, Luca
called somebody's wife a B word or something crazy behind
the scenes, we'll never know, then fine, you have to
get more and it can't be an injury prone guy
in Anthony Davis. When you're telling me, I believe at
soon point Luca's gonna be injured, Well, you got the
(05:52):
guy who's always injured, so make it make sense. So
to me, it's just then you saw what your fan base,
how they feel about you.
Speaker 3 (05:59):
It looked like a Laker home game.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
They had fans, were clever, They had Fire Nico, but
they know they couldn't walk in with the sign themselves
and they would get kicked out. So this guy had
f that guy had I, that guy had our, that
girl Gal had E, and so on and down the line.
They knew that the Mavericks tried to cover up the noise.
They played a bunch of music and the only time
in arena you can't play music, it was when somebody's
at the free throw line. And what happened when they
(06:21):
had to be silent Fire and Ico. So they're in
a world of hurt right now. Man, that's too easy.
It ain't him. You and I both agree, and that
it's it's ownership. Absolutely, I agree with that he didn't.
He didn't do that on his own. And that's what
I'm trying to tell you. Is.
Speaker 1 (06:39):
The bottom line is Luca is the one who gave
them doubt about him, just like we talked about Boogie
Cousins at a lower scale, when when they didn't want
to give up the two hundred million dollars to Boogie Cousins.
That's why this has happened to Luca. It has nothing
to do with ownership. It has to do with they
(06:59):
couldn't trust him. They couldn't trust to turn over three
hundred and fifty million dollars to a twenty five year
old out of shape who's doing other stuff that they're
not happy with, who they couldn't control. Kelvin, you're ignoring
a twenty five year old celebrating after going to the
NBA Finals, going to right after winning the Western Conference finals,
(07:23):
and they're taking a beer out of his hand. You're
going to ignore that as if that didn't matter. Right
that that told you all you needed to do to
know if you're really being honest with that situation. He
wasn't illegal, all right, under age, he wasn't drunk, he
wasn't acting disorderly, he wasn't doing anything but being a
(07:44):
grown man drinking a beer on a celebration, and they
still felt compelled to take that beer from him.
Speaker 5 (07:55):
Well, I feel like taking the baked chicken from you
right well a lot I want to take the baked
chicken from you right now. I don't disagree with that,
but that goes to my second point. That fine, if
you felt the need to do that for whatever reasons,
and I think all of us agreed, maybe.
Speaker 1 (08:09):
Saying that, like, for whatever reason, you gotta be better
than that. Come on, man, you can't ignore it.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
No, no, no, I'm saying no, we both agree. Why did
they do it? Why did you? No, no, no, Why
do you think they took the beer from him? As
oh the beer?
Speaker 5 (08:22):
Clearly I've talked about a million times when we t
took me and he Michael Finley took the beer and
did not hand it back, and when Luca's face looked
very sour, that let me know there's something real there.
Either he made a promise or they had him on
a regiment or something. I agree with that, But my
second point is if that's the reason, whether it be alcohol, hookah,
or you just don't believe it's in his training, you
gotta get more from me, then you gotta get this
(08:44):
is Luka doncons who was twenty five, and you have
to get more. So that's why to me, it's multiple
layers of failure to me on the ownership. You either A,
you just don't trade this guy, or B if you do,
you gotta get more. Because now you didn't get more,
your fan base is all ruined right now. And I
just it's just a blunder to me that I can
already see the thirty for thirty coming in ten years.
Speaker 2 (09:04):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Rob Parker and kelvin Washington weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (09:15):
All right, Rob, you know, the Suns are officially out
of the NBA playoffs, which many people We've talked about
it earlier in the season when they were struggling and
then Kevin Durant, remember they were trying to trade Yeah,
struggle a and they were trying to trade him. It
was all types of stuff going on, and so the
conversation becomes, Rob, are the Phoenix Suns the most disappointing
(09:36):
team in the NBA this season? Maybe even disappointing storyline
for you? I just you didn't think if you had.
Many people didn't think you had these three guys, that
you'd be in this position, and not to mention the
chaos that came with it. Like I said, all the
trade rumors and Katie and disgruntled. So I'll let you start.
(09:57):
What do you think, man, this Phoenix Suns I was
disappointing as we wind down this NBA season, most disappointing
story and disappointing team for you.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
I'm not really that disappointed, to be honest. I didn't
think it was gonna work. Top Heavy didn't have a bench.
The Bradley Beal disaster was always a disaster. And I've
said on this program, Kevin Durant's NBA dead, Like I'm not.
I'm just I'm really not surprised. What I'm surprised about
(10:28):
is just how how badly they've lost, you know what
I mean, Like they get brought off the court every night.
That's the shocking part or how bad it is. But
did I really think that they were going somewhere? The
only place I thought they were going was home dinner,
maybe a show. But I didn't think they were going
to the NBA Finals or anything. Oh, they had their
Big three. I remember when they traded KD there, oh,
(10:49):
people were like, oh, they're automatical contenders, remember that, because
they're going to the NBA Finals without them, so they
thought KD. My god, he got injured on a non
contact injury. You remember that, And things just haven't been
the same. The Bradley Beal thing. They you want to
talk about swinging and missing on Deshaun Watson. They swung
(11:13):
and miss on Bradley Beal and so bad that even
when they were trying to make an adjustment, he wouldn't
allowed him to do that with that no trade. Can
you imagine having that guy still in your locker room
on your team. You know that you don't want him there,
and you would try to get rid of them, and
he's saying, no, i ain't going nowhere. Pay me my
(11:36):
money and I'm not going nowhere, and I'm just gonna
keep showing up until the check stopped coming.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
You know what I mean? Right? What a bad situation
that was.
Speaker 5 (11:45):
It's and to your point, it's funny like he was
just coming in to the locker room, what's up, y'all?
Hate what everybody good? Putting on the shoes and looking
like man, you holding up a trade. We could have
had this player. If you want here, you could just man,
if you don't get out of here. Guy has to
be weird, right, you know where you're not wanting that's weird, right, Yeah,
you know you're not wanted there yet You're like you're
gonna stand from And it wasn't like let's say he
was a who's a great team.
Speaker 3 (12:05):
Let's say he was with the Calves.
Speaker 5 (12:07):
You're like, I ain't leaving here to go play with
you know, some terrible about the Hawks or Utah or
something like, oh, we got a chance to win something.
I can understand that.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
Dude.
Speaker 5 (12:16):
You guys were struggling. That might even be kind. You
are underachieving, and it's like, dude, they don't want you.
So that's what I made it. I mean, I don't
know if he got some family in Phoenix. I don't
know what may Bradley Bil want to stick around. But yeah,
I didn't like this last year. You got three of
the same guys. What are they best at shooting with
the ball in their hands? Bradley Bill never elevated a
(12:37):
team on his own in Washington. And I'm not saying
they were loaded and you can't do it all by yourself.
But you never felt like, man, they're so good because
Bradley bill is there, Pete Kevin Durant. Yes, you can
feel like that. And Devin Booker is a really really
quality player, really good player. But the idea of having
three guys who have to shoot. Devin Booker can't go
out and get your ten points, twelve fifteen assists, eight rebounds.
(12:58):
You feel like, oh, he was out there today doing
his thing. Bradley Buil doesn't go out there and get
your twenty rebounds. And you know, or a lockdown defender,
you they can't pivot. They're not Chris Bossware. I'm used
to getting your twenties five and ten and twelve. You
know whoa I'll just lock down, give you eighteen fifteen
rebounds and block some shots. They can't pivot like that.
And so that's to me why I was like, wait,
this is a terrible mismatch it. I don't even know
(13:19):
how they think, I mean matchup. This isn't gonna work.
This is not a well comprised team. Then they got
rid of that, as you mentioned, all their death and
so now I'm like, it's just absolutely not a great team.
When you're talking about putting together a squad. So to me,
if I'm talking about a team, that's disappointing. I got
a couple other ones that I'm a little disappointed in.
Speaker 3 (13:37):
One.
Speaker 5 (13:38):
It's not that I had expectations once they were paired.
I'm just disappointed that you paired them. And that to
me is Joe l Embiid and PG. Thirteen, What in
the world where the seventy six is thinking?
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Joellen?
Speaker 1 (13:51):
I agree with that, but you gotta admit I don't
know how you can really put that he was hurt,
Joel Embiid?
Speaker 3 (13:57):
So why Rob?
Speaker 5 (13:58):
Yes, but why go GETG thirteen? Who's equally always heard?
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Make it? Rob?
Speaker 5 (14:03):
I just like things to make sense, and then I
can say, Hey, things happen, right, things can happen, but
it has to make sense from the start.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
Yeah, But the idea that you're never gonna take a
chance on anybody who has ever.
Speaker 5 (14:14):
Heard no, no, no, just ever heard and parentally hurt
are different things, right.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Okay, okay? But all right?
Speaker 1 (14:20):
But then I would say to you, well, how did
Bradley beal get traded when he had an albatross for
a contract in Washington? Nobody wanted him and they still
were Washington was able to move him. What is my
point is that guys you would think nobody would want
or whatever would do, get wind up getting moved.
Speaker 3 (14:37):
I'm with you that.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
I said the Clippers were the smartest team because they
were like, no, we're not giving him two hundred something
million dollars. They they picked Kawhi, who was hurt at
the time, over a guy who wasn't heard.
Speaker 5 (14:53):
Because when they're both now healthy, he Kawhi is the
better player without a doubt.
Speaker 1 (14:58):
We all know a lot of people question, oh Kawhi's heard,
you can't count on him, and look where they are now.
I don't know what's gonna happen in the playoffs because
Kawai gonna get hurt, you know what I.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Mean, We don't know. But he's better. But he's a
better player. I would have made the same move.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
I would not have given Paul George two hundred million
dollars and.
Speaker 5 (15:15):
He has the championship resume literally Kawhi right, So you
know that too, yes, exactly. So my point is going
back to the Sixers, I'm not mad at them. Let's
say you're taking a flyer in PG. Thirteen because hey,
he's just there. They want to get rid of him,
you know what, And you say you're pairing him with
a Aunt Edwards, you're pairing him with the Yokis. Hey man,
(15:35):
look you know what, Jamal Murray's heard a lot too.
You know, if we can just get PG sixty sixty
five percent of the games, you paired him with Mbid,
who was already heard, who had surgeries, who we didn't
know when he was gonna come back, and if he
came back, how he was gonna be able to perform.
So that's my only issue, Robinson, not that you got PG.
It's that you're pairing him with that. So that makes
none of the sense for me. So that to me
(15:56):
was just so disappointing as a team that has just
you had put potential hope three years ago, four years ago,
give or take, and then you just went down the
drain and you kept making blunderous moves and this being
another one, and then what happened You never had Maxi
and George and then be prilaying, and then they did,
They only played a couple of games in a few
minutes or something, and when they did, they weren't great.
(16:17):
So I just that's one for me, and then last year,
I'll say this one another team that's disappointing for me.
And it's not as if they suck or they're terrible.
They're in the postseason. They're in the fifth seed. But
for me, there's no way when you have the best
player in the conference, you should be eighteen games back
from first. And yes, Cleveland is having a historic season,
(16:39):
but dang it, Jannis in the Milwaukee Bucks. I can't
have my best player at the conference being eighteen games back.
That's crazy because I thought I would get more from them.
I thought I would have them being a true contender
to Boston, right or to or in this case Cleveland. Well,
we're looking at them legitimately, like who I'm telling Giannis
is on fire. He's dominating these MVP candidate Dames got
(17:01):
a swag back there right there. Instead, they play good
for two or three, then they're bad for two or three.
Then they played good for three or four, then they're
bad for three or four. And to me, Yannas should
be having dominating the headlines as well. Yanna should be
a guy who is a face of the league. Giannis's
team should be competing with the Celtics. We used to
be scratching our head they's to pick him, I don't know,
(17:22):
And instead we never talk about them.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
They're never really any concern.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
We had guests after guess you and I on the show,
and no one ever talks about the Bucks. In fact,
the only person who does is me because I bring
him up, like, what the heck happened to the Bucks?
So to me, that's a more disappointing team because if
I have a best player, one of the best players
in the league in his prime with Day who might
be just out of his prime but still giving you
twenty four a night, they're supposed to be better than that.
(17:46):
We're supposed to be talking about him more. I'm disappointed
in them.
Speaker 3 (17:50):
Yeah, I don't know my expectations for the Bucks.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
I hear you with the eighteen and a half and
all that, but I just I don't what were your
real expectations that they were going to do what?
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Seriously, I just what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (18:04):
But it's more disappointment that if I have Giannis in
his absolute peak prime, that I'm just not even a contender,
right if I have Kobe and his prime shot, but.
Speaker 3 (18:12):
They went out and got Dame, Damian Lill just so
just right.
Speaker 5 (18:15):
So they gotta's hurt, he's hurt. They gotta make that
what hurt? But you know what I mean, sideline, they
just gotta make that.
Speaker 1 (18:23):
How do you how do you make it work when
the guy you went out to get his sideline with
an ailment? Is what I'm trying to say. I understand
what you're but.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
This you get what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
This was before obviously the blood clots, but I'm saying
before that, this is now two years where we're like, eh,
the bucks, right, and before the blood clots, I just
expected more from last year them. We all went, oh,
that was weird. That didn't They didn't look good together
all right, Maybe they just need some time. Remember their
rumors at the offense they wouldn't grooving and even uh,
they didn't look good together exactly.
Speaker 3 (18:52):
I'm like, that's really weird.
Speaker 5 (18:53):
Because Dame had been clamoring I've never played with a
guy this good or even better than me.
Speaker 3 (18:57):
Finally got it.
Speaker 5 (18:57):
It didn't work, and Giannis had become hard on the
Bucks and starting to threat about I might leave and
got rid of Adrian Griffin, and oh, you know what
I mean like, oh, this is getting a little weird.
Doesn't work out last year, you say, gay, they just
needed time to jail. This year wasn't that great. They
started off not good this year and then obviously again
Dames out with the injury. Wish him well, But I'm
just saying I just thought, now a year, year and
a half of this pairing and peak Giannis, I would
(19:20):
be seeing more as what I thought.
Speaker 1 (19:22):
Yeah, I just I think it's incomplete because of the
ailment to Damian Lillard, you know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Again, I can understand that I just thought that I
would be getting more from a Jannis in his peak.
I wouldn't think it would be barely at forty three
wins or whatever it is for the season.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
But you gotta have that Chris Middleton no longer there,
you know what I mean. And Chris Middleton was a
big part of that Bucks team when they won the
championship that year. Let's not bury the lead or act
like they're not missing a big part of that as
good as Giannis is, right, Chris Middleton, who was a
second round draft pick by the Pistons, I remember when
he came to Detroit.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
I know which they have by the way they have
a nice list of people they let go or that
ended up being really good.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
He was one of them.
Speaker 1 (20:09):
But so I don't know. And then you're looking at
obviously Boston defending champs, and then Cleveland turned it up
a notch. Cleveland became a killer like that, Nickson better,
you know what I mean, after all, coming off last year.
Speaker 3 (20:24):
So when I look at the Bucks, yes, you know what,
but I'm saying, he's so, yeah, go ahead, eighteen and
a half.
Speaker 1 (20:32):
But I just I don't know how much better he
could be given his supporting cast.
Speaker 5 (20:37):
Fifty So Dame played fifty eight games. That's a lie.
It's not like he only played twenty man. We didn't
have him for sixty two games. He played fifty eight games,
and they were still just me and you would talk
about like, you know, we'd have guests on and they
just like, what the heck's up with the Bucks. You
just thought if I had Dang and Giannis for a
season and a half, almost two seasons, I just thought
they would be making way more noise. And I just
(21:00):
was we don't even talk about them, no one that
they're not even on anyone's radar. And you know, heading
into the postseason. The fact that the best player in
the conference at his absolute peak prime looking like a
donna's putting up thirty second in the league in scoring.
I just thought there'd be more of aforced That's just me,
But that's a conversation we can have.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
And just this other Suns.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
Maybe are they the most disappointing story, disappointing team in
the NBA.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Maybe it's somebody else.
Speaker 5 (21:22):
Maybe it's somebody else, it's another team, another player where
you're just disappointed as we wind down this NBA season,
that you look at and you say, you know, let's
do it.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Rob Parker and Kelvin Washington weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (21:41):
It is a Couple, Our number three on a TV
theme song Thursday and Rob Parker Kelvin Washington coming to
you live from the tyrerech dot Com studios.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Tyreck dot com.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
We'll help you get there with an unmatched election, fast
free shipping, Free road has a protection and over ten
thousand recommended installers. Tire rack dot com The way tire
buying should be don't forget coming up in about twenty
eight minutes Tyson's Tower of Trivia. Can't wait for that.
And last call as well, we'll do that and much more.
(22:22):
And Kevin, you know I travel all the time. I
know that often I make some mistakes on traveling. I
don't know if you can see me on the cam
right here.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
I can't. But what did you do? So let me
pull it up now since you didn't got me which
I should always a.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Carry a hoodie with me and a hat like a
little ski hat. Just this time of the year is
not July. It's April in New York, right, little chili
out here, and it was wet raining like craft to
buy a hat. Look at my Maryland turping hat, the
turps you see it?
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Yeah? Why just because that was what was available, that
was on the clearance ride.
Speaker 1 (23:04):
I always remember every time I'm buying something, if you
see me wearing it, I'm not sporting it because I
love Maryland.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
Okay, Well, that's we know that. That's why I was like,
that's an interesting choice.
Speaker 3 (23:16):
In New York to Maryland.
Speaker 1 (23:18):
Uh terps hat was on clearance Okay, So this hat
down in Maryland probably cost you fifteen dollars.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
I paid a dollar nine and nine, but I needed
that hat.
Speaker 5 (23:29):
A dollar ninety nine or yeah in your mind. Let
me tell you something, Rock Parker. You know I ain't
bringing it back just.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
For then get this hat in New York.
Speaker 5 (23:38):
She's gonna be like, what is this austing trash?
Speaker 3 (23:42):
You're gonna throw it away. But I'll tell you what
if nothing else.
Speaker 5 (23:44):
I was just having this conversation with somebody and they
were I don't know, somehow you came up and I
was explaining to them. I said, no, no, no, no, no
no no. Yeah, you like a deal. No one likes
a deal more than Rod Parker. No no no, I said, no, no, no,
you don't understand. No one likes the deal more than
Rop Parker. So yeah, you one ninety nine to four hat.
I'm not mad at that. Well, let's talk about taking
(24:06):
of money. A team that spent way too much money
on somebody. That would be Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns,
and you know you recently had ownership come out and say, yeah,
we might have messed that up. We might've over you know,
dug ourselves in a hole bringing him in and put
all our eggs in his basket and didn't work. Now,
we got to dig ourselves out of this hole. That's
what they said. With Deshaun Watson, feelings like he has
(24:28):
some comeback fuel. Ryan breaking a little bit down what
DeShawn was doing recently.
Speaker 4 (24:33):
Yeah, So this week Deshaun posted a video on Instagram
and there's some music going on in the background. It's
some montage of him working out at the gym, but
during the video he says, quote, everyone's doubting me. Everyone
don't believe in me. Everyone don't think that I can
get back to where I was. But I know and
I believe the work that I put in, what I
believe in myself, the piece that I've been dealing that
(24:55):
I've been channeling these last couple months. I know I'm
going to be way better than before.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
So how coming hadn't happened? I mean, like this is
my issue.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
It sounds good, right, And if you got to use
other people to motivate you, or that's the reason that
you're gonna play better, I just I question it, like
that shouldn't be the reason they're always gonna be. I
don't care how good you are, right, Detractors, people who
are who doubt you? Do you know how many people
I've been talking about great players right who have been
(25:29):
doubted their whole careers. And you shouldn't have to be
motivated by other people because they've watched you the last
few years and you haven't been good, Okay, Like are
they are they saying, oh, he's a fourteenth going to
the Pro Bowl or it was all Pro four years
in a row and I still think he's bad? Is
(25:50):
that what they're saying? Or they watching you and your
stats and your play and saying this ain't the guy
who was in Houston. He's no good and longer? I
don't it sounds good? Kelvin?
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Do you use other people to motivate you?
Speaker 5 (26:08):
I mean I wouldn't say other people. I would say
scenarios because I'm actually one of the people. We've talked
about this before it. I'll give you a real world example.
Some people would go, and this is your guy. They'll go,
man Stephen A Smith, They worth for one hundred million, Man,
Man Wall, he doesn't talk with you. I'm the guy
who goes great because he first off great for him. Secondly,
he just set the bar to me of what is possible.
(26:30):
You get what I mean. So that inspires me. I go,
all right, bet that means that money's out there for
those who us who do what we do for a living.
So I get excited about that. And also I'm fully
aware of what's for me is for me. I strongly
believe that, So I believe there's more room out there.
It doesn't have to be this one person, you know,
blah blah blah, like he got that. I can't get that.
(26:50):
So I don't mind if you get eat a little fuel,
somebody doubt you. Yeah, whatever you need to get to
put a little fuel in your tank. I understand that.
But also you got to deal with reality. And let's
talk a little bit about reality.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
Well, but that that's that's my point because if that's
the case, then you wouldn't be bad.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
No one would be bad.
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Then if people talking bad, do you understand what I'm saying, right, No,
nobody would be bad. But that's not the case because
you could say I want to use fuel.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
We talk about it all the time. Oh there's bulletin
board material. Oh there it is. You shouldn't have said
that about that other team.
Speaker 1 (27:24):
Oh it's gonna come back to you know me time
the other team where he said something and and the
guy was right, and they won, and nobody went back
to say, you gave them bullet board and material only
only only once in a while when it when it backfires.
But but when it doesn't backfire, nobody ever goes write
the story Am I right and say right?
Speaker 3 (27:45):
Never not zero, I've never seen that. No, you're right.
Speaker 5 (27:50):
So to me, Deshaun Watson, here's what you need to
do first and foremost. I do think he's struggling with
a little bit of the maybe he'll get over to
this next season, but I do think for the last
couple of years Rob obviously there's been injuries, Obviously there
was an eleven game suspension, but I think he's also
struggling with the tiger Woods of it all, the shame
(28:11):
of it all, the you know, the you were superman,
literally that's what they were calling him in Houston, right,
he was superman, He was his MVP candidate.
Speaker 3 (28:17):
He was doing it all.
Speaker 5 (28:18):
The offensive line was terrible's running for his life, but
he was still putting them crazy numbers.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
He was doing it all.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
And I think there's an element of the mental aspect
where you feel exposed, you feel seen. You feel shamed,
you feel embarrassed, and you know this. You've been covering
sports for so long. Listen, all of those pros can play.
I don't care what sport, I don't care what position.
That's why they're pros. There's so few in the world
that can do this. But what makes the from solid
to good, from good to great is the consistency. Right,
(28:45):
every guy in the NBA can score forty out the blue,
but who can give me twenty six points at night?
Speaker 3 (28:51):
Right, that's the consistency.
Speaker 5 (28:52):
That makes you a really good player at All Star
and Deshaun some of that is just that little bit
of edge. Some of that is that little bit of
locked in. Some of that is that little bit of
extra confidence or mojo you have. And if that's rocked
or shaken, then I think sometimes you can lose your way,
lose your step. And if the whole world heard about
some freaky stuff allegedly you got to settle out. Of course,
some wild stuff, things are going on, issues at home.
(29:15):
That stuff can rock you and affect you. Right, because
it's that little bit of thing. Maybe you're not focusing
on the film, little bit of damn attention. I'm not
paying there, So I think that played a role in
his poor performance. Obviously, now you're injured, that does not
help as well. But he's also just been struggling simply
thirty four percent QBR is crazy, right, nine and ten
in the games that he's played over the last few
(29:37):
which is limited games, nineteen touchdowns, twelve interceptions not great
as well. So I think sometimes it's okay to say,
in this season in my life, I have to just
shut up, improve it silently. And I think that's okay,
And we're all gonna go through that in life at
some point, whether it be in your family, whether it
be in your work, whether it be to yourself, or
you can go away. I gotta silently go away, shut
(29:57):
up and do what I have to do, and sign
list of critics, silenced them literally while doing it silently,
and let the play be the proof. And so I
think that's what he You know, I would propose for him, like,
just go do the work, because dude, even if people
aren't trying to hate on you or doubt you, they're
literally saying, dude, you've been injured, you haven't played well.
It's not that I'm trying to pick on you. Let alone,
(30:18):
the personal stuff, the off the field stuff. You've just
been injured, you haven't played good. So there are some
people who could just not even be trying to bring
up the past and just say I haven't seen you
play well. And so he has to go out there
and do it and prove it. And to me lastly,
and we talked about this a little bit with Joe.
I brought it up of how sometimes you got to
just say I brought this on myself. You know, the issues,
(30:39):
the the you know the drama I built off the field,
and I kind of got to own this and know
that this is a part of my showing contrition and
changing my life. And I always like to bring up
Michael Vick as a perfect example of that. So that's
what I would be proposing.
Speaker 1 (30:54):
I just think, at this point, why do you even
have to bring Just just go out and play well.
Speaker 3 (31:03):
That's it.
Speaker 1 (31:04):
That's the only thing that anybody's gonna care about, not
that you proclaim you're using his fuel of the negativity
and the haters and the doubters. So so can I
go back and go to a Browns game when the
Browns are zero and six and he's played poorly and.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
Ask uh, how did that fuel go.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
With the haters and the doubters. Did that help you
at all? I would be considered a what if I
went and asked that question after he said that's what
he was gonna use. I just I just you go
out and you play better. And then when they asked
you what happened, what happened from last year to this year?
You know what happened. I tightened up some things. I
worked harder. I went into my inner strength and went
(31:51):
back to the simple things that I used to do
when I was in Houston and I was one of
the best quarterbacks in the league. That's the story people
want to hear.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
You to listen, one thing, we know, winning cures all.
Speaker 5 (32:03):
And if he went out there and all of a sudden,
you know, I don't who knows what they're gonna do
this this this season and as far as draft and
what they're gonna do quarterback. But if he ends up
being a starter at some point and he's out there
and he's playing, and let's say he just even plays
eight games because we know he dealing with injury, he
plays that game, he goes six and two with you know,
fifteen touchdowns and three interceptions. Hey, Browns fans are gonna
(32:25):
be like, you know what, we all need a second chance,
we all need forgive this.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
You know what. I'm loving what the Shaun is doing.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
So go out there, perform, play well man and just
and just shut up and do it in silence, you
know what I mean? And just go do what you
gotta do. Because once he plays better, people forget. That's
one thing I've learned about the NFL. Don't matter what
you do. So drugs did drugs? Uh physically you know
I'm not promoting this, but people have been physical women.
Dante Starworth, you know, he's obviously you know he's a
(32:51):
tone for it. But kill someone drug driving. As long
as you don't kneel, stand up for a cause, Colin Kaepernick,
anything else is acceptable in the NFL.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Well, we already know that. That's always been the hypocrisy
of the NFL.
Speaker 5 (33:04):
That's the one thing you can't do is goneel for
a cause. Anything else you can be redeemed. It is
pretty much amazing. But this will be interesting. I don't know.
Speaker 1 (33:14):
Maybe he's right, maybe that's what you need, and maybe
other people are the same way. I just I don't
work on that I really don't. And I don't expect
everybody to like me. I don't expect everybody to think
I'm the best radio guy, best TV guy, best writer.
Speaker 3 (33:32):
That that just doesn't.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
I do what I do, and I perform, and I
work at my craft, and I work hard every day
at it, and they're great days, some bad days, you
know what I mean. But I'm happy with and I
don't need to justify anything to anybody matter. I just
got a tweet from somebody with saying, oh, you know,
uh and and and the thing that's funny is, you know,
(33:59):
people think because they disagree with your opinion or something
like I'm negative or whatever.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
It's not that.
Speaker 1 (34:08):
I'm just my opinion doesn't line up with yours. Do
you understand what I'm saying. That doesn't make it negative.
I'm just I just have a different opinion than you,
so and it's fine. I'm cool with it. I'm not
in this for a personality or popularity contest, but in
Deshawn's case, it ain't the only way you're gonna win
(34:31):
public opinion is to play better, is to return to
what you used to be or closer to that. He's
been awful can we say that for the for the
for the owner talking about negative negativity or the haters
or the doubters.
Speaker 3 (34:46):
The owner said, we swung and miss big time. I mean,
what mind you? He's still on the team. It ain't
like he was.
Speaker 5 (34:54):
You know, we made a mistake with a guy who's
no longer here. They're like, hey, we made a mistake,
and that we're staring at the mistake in her eye
right now.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
That we're still paying still paying them.
Speaker 5 (35:02):
I think he's still I think it's forty three million
this coming year, and it's like still it's like still
a buck. What is it a buck thirty or something?
Still bucks seventy old or something? Crazy, Man, it's still
old for sound.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
That's you know, if I'm the Cleveland Browns, I'd have
to burn down my restaurant and collect the insurance money.
Speaker 3 (35:19):
I'm just saying, yeah, that Cleveland Browns.
Speaker 5 (35:21):
All right, they still got brown underwear for this one.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
You ain't lying.
Speaker 5 (35:25):
They be like, all right, are they yellow in the
front and brown in the back? A Cleveland yellow and
Browns
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Rob Parker
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