July 13, 2026 • 41 mins
Former NFL offensive lineman Ephraim Salaam is in for Rob, and he and Kelvin discuss why NFL executives believe Josh Allen has surpassed Patrick Mahomes as the NFL’s QB1, the exhausting coverage of LeBron James’ free agency courtship, and the allegations that the fix is in by FIFA to ensure Argentina makes the World Cup finals.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the best of the Odd Couple.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Even now.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
You mentioned in this week, which is supposed to be
a down week for sports, football has somehow taken over
the top line once again. ESPN puts out their annual rankings,
compiled of coaches, executives, scouts, what have you. They say,
give us the ten best at every position in the league,
and every day they reveal a new position. Of course,
today was the quarterbacks, the one everybody cares about, and
(00:52):
for the last basically ten years, it's been Pat Mahomes won.
Everybody else fight for second place. This year we have
a changing of the guard. For the first time in years,
Patrick Mahomes was not listed as the number one quarterback
in the NFL by the execs, coaches, and scouts. No,
that honor belongs to Joshua Allen of the Buffalo bills, your.
Speaker 5 (01:17):
Thoughts, my thoughts to this sea from. It really is
a facts over feelings kind of a thing. And I've
been at Patrick mahomesh you know, screaming his name and
saying how good and how great are the team's gonna
bounce back to my own faults, to my own detrimenty
from because Rob used it against me last season. Because
I'm like, it's gonna be a bounce back. They're gonna
do this, They're gonna do that, and they didn't. They
(01:38):
didn't even mook the postseason. Obviously he was hurt, but
they weren't that great even when he was playing at times.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
So this is where you gotta do. Facts over feelings.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
You gotta do, you know, taking your emotion out of
it because and also remembering too, this ain't a legacy conversation.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Legacy.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Who can you beat him? He's got three v three,
two MVPs, three super Bowl titles. You can't beat that
with any of these young crop of guys. Now, you'd
be hard pressed to do that. But again, this is
why I got to keep.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
It a butt.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Last season for Patrick Mahomes, believe it or not, was
the bounce back season.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Right, We're like, all right, he looked all right.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
He looks a very better version of himself than he
had the last few, you know, years, And so you're like, oh,
that that was a bounce back season. Problem is, the
bouts back season wasn't that great compared to his standard.
So if you're going based off last year, he looked
as solid, he looked, he looked good, he looked you know,
he made some plays. But then you look at the
year before and that's where you maybe stalled him out
(02:34):
because you would say, well, look, he wasn't the numbers
one great, but shoot they were fifteen to two, all right,
And ultimately what matters most quarterbacks the win category. And
you will find a way, and I'm guilty of it,
finding a way to build up these cues. Hey, he
did what he needed to do. And it's true in
the sense that he did what he needed to do
to win games, big plays, big drive, a big fourth
(02:54):
quarter to get it done. But when you look at
what he's done over the last couple of seasons, three seasons,
they haven't been great. Up to his first two thirds
of his court career, you look at what Josh Allen
has been able to do and You're looking at.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Multiple seasons where he could have been the MVP.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
Now he you know, he got it, not this past
season as Matthew Stafford the year before, but he's been
right there as as a candidate for MVP that has
not been Patrick Mahomes for the most part. And when
you add in the dual threat of Josh Allen, whoever
the last couple of seasons has twenty six rushing touchdowns.
He from twenty six rushing touchdown that you'd be something
(03:30):
Emmitt Smith add back in the day over a couple
of seasons twenty six compared to Mahomes of seven. He
has obviously more rushing yards in Mahomes, he obviously in it.
And you're looking at passing yards. Mahomes has like a
buck twenty more literally, that's it. But he also has
Josh Allen more passing touchdowns than him as well. And
here's the key component too. What was Josh Allen known
for when he came in the first few leagues, first
(03:52):
few seasons when he was in the NFL turnover yep, Well,
he's controlled that. He only sixteen intercepts over the last
two seasons too. Patrick Mahomes as twenty two and last
season was a good one because they only had twelve
I believe it was. So when you just compare the
two on what they've been able to do, you know
what it reminds me of e from Patrick Mahomes. For
people trying to continue to defend where he is right
(04:14):
now is like defending your favorite rapper, your favorite band
or your favorite you know, uh director, your world who
ain't been hitting with their last few projects, and you
start defending it. Got a couple of maybe not even
four on does but you just you got to over
explain Ephraim. Yo, you heard that new such and such album?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Man? I mean no, I'm saying, Look, he going through it.
He going through a lot.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
And the budget, the record label budget wasn't budgeted, right,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
And you see you don't get it.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
He see he went into his artistic bag and he
was mixing it up and giving you different things. He
was real introspective and you like find yourself defending him.
That's where it is with Patrick Mahomes right now, where
you find yourself trying to be like no, no, no, because
if you look at see what he didn't have enough help,
see no they're not spending the money like they normally spend.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
And eventually you gotta be real.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
And Josh Allen has become that in the league, and
I got to pay his respect. Patrick Mahomes is still
kind of a Calvin, Like I said, feelings, I still
had that nostalgic, that feeling with him. I'd pick him
over a game. But if you're just saying, I get
why they would rank him there, I get that.
Speaker 6 (05:18):
I when you look at that list and you see
that Patrick Mahomes for the first time is dropped out
of the number one spot, I don't have a problem
with that. Even like you said two years ago, even
when the Chiefs were fifteen and two, it wasn't because
(05:42):
of Patrick Mahomes. It was in spite of Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (05:47):
And so when you look at his numbers the last
three years, his production has declined. The last three years,
I'm not talking about last year. I'm not talking about
the year before. The last three years, his production has declined.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Less.
Speaker 6 (06:06):
The touchdowns interceptions are up double digit interceptions last all
of the last three years. Yards now he got there.
He only played fourteen games last year, got hurt, but
his passing yards were steadily declining. And so when you
(06:27):
look at this list, he hasn't made a Pro Bowl
in a couple of years and missed the playoffs all
together last year.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yep. And like you said, prior to.
Speaker 6 (06:37):
Him getting hurt, he just wasn't good and we were
asking ourselves, like, what's going on right now? The year
before last it was the offensive line, so they went
worked on the offensive line, beefed it up a little bit.
Now it's like, okay, well he doesn't have receivers to
take the top off. Now they going through all kinds
(06:57):
of stuff with receivers.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Off the field. They don't want to stay out of trouble,
right and say.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
Okay, but Patrick Mahomes has always been a cut above
all of that. No matter what's happening, He's always been
able to summon something. Well, his summoning stones aren't working anymore.
And when you need right and when you look at
Josh Allen, what's what you a perfect example of what
(07:24):
a dual threat quarterback is. And I don't think there
isn't a passer in the NB in the NFL, excuse
me watching summer league that is a pocket passer that
can be at the top of this list anymore because
of what the Josh Allens are doing and the Caleb
(07:46):
Williams and all of the quarterbacks. Now they're mobile. That's
a great point. They're mobile that you gotta it's gonna
break down. You're not gonna have you know, somebody's gonna misprotection.
You're not going to be able to sten plays like
you used to going sideline the sideline. You're gonna have
to cross the line of scrimmate. You're gonna have to
make something happen down the field with your feet. And
(08:09):
if you're not, then you're sitting duck in the pocket.
And that's what we've seen for the last two years
with Patrick Mahomes being under heavy pressure. You have to
have an element to your game. Now in mind you
they haven't had a run game and ever that's a
great point.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
I mean, they keep bringing back the guys and Pachecko
and this, and it hasn't worked out where they have
a dominant run where they're even like a top ten
You don't gotta be top three, Can you beat top.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Ten running the ball?
Speaker 6 (08:37):
What it does is it puts a lot of pressure
on Patrick Mahomes and the Patrick Mahomes isn't being Patrick Mahomes,
then what do you do?
Speaker 3 (08:42):
What do you turn to?
Speaker 5 (08:43):
Not to mention again, I mentioned how he he's holding
on too long. Yes, he's got the superman itis when
you can make all the plays, but sometimes you don't
need to. You know, who want to about at least
three of his Super Bowls, maybe more. We're just dunking
and DP, you know, dunking and dunk tom Brady.
Speaker 6 (09:01):
Tom Brady was like, hey me, that little paper paper
cut you out of death.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I said, four quarters.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
And so Patrick Mahomes doesn't have to be that version
of himself throw for four forty four touchdowns. He doesn't
have to be then, And sometimes I feel like he
doesn't remember that at times. And again the team hasn't
done him a service of bringing him a big thing
of talent.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
And I'll give you one better. I don't see the
trend changing this year.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
Of them thinking he's Superman, of him getting back to
where he was four years ago, well off, coming off
the injury that he had right rebuilding his knee, all
of that coming in and you're gonna go back to
to the Patrick Mahomes that that there was running rough
(09:47):
shot through the league do you think that can help
him though? And that you know this where sometimes athletes
I can't do what I think I can do, so
almost almost put him back in his fundamentals, right. I
think that that happens when you can't you see that
you just mentioned NBA dude. That happens all the time
when guys get a little nicked up, or they get
a little older, and now they're really in their fundamental
bag because I can't just rely on my pure athleticism
(10:07):
or just my instincts. Some of it becomes let me
just get back to what I'm supposed to be doing,
what the play design is, and so so many of
those things.
Speaker 6 (10:16):
I like what you're saying, But do they have the
talent around him for him to have the time to.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Figure it out? Eric be enemy bag help it all?
Speaker 6 (10:27):
I get it.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
I understand that maybe older Travis Kelse locked in on
massive square guard. He's a married man now, man got
other things to worry about.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
He does.
Speaker 6 (10:40):
All I'm saying is coming off an injury. We'll be
hard pressed to say Patrick Mahomes is going to get
back to form, and we haven't seen it when he
was healthy the last two years.
Speaker 5 (10:50):
And the only thing I will say if you're trying
to if you're throwing him bail, he would say, you
saw a better version of me last year than you
did the year before.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
It wasn't very good either. It's not a better version. Yeah,
but maybe if you're better than bad, then how good
are you? Jackson with Lisa, Who's bad? If you're better
than bad, then how good are you?
Speaker 2 (11:12):
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Speaker 3 (11:56):
Rich Paul has some things to say about you know who.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
Well, I mean, depending what time you catch him on
your local podcast feed television show, his answer to what's
going on Lebron James might flip because you've heard usc
Chris mentioned in the updates that hey, Sean Sharania spoke
to Rich Paul and this decision is coming to any
minute now, because we're all waiting with bated breath on
where Lebron's gonna take his talents to this time. And
(12:23):
then you'll go on the Shannon Sharp podcast and say,
I just want to be happy.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
He wants to be happy.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Don't know when's gonna make decision, And he's gonna jump
on the Sports Center and say, you know, winning a
championship not the thing that really matters to him. He
just wants to be happy, and he's gonna go another thing.
He says, well, you know, he wants to be in
the winning championship business. That's what he really wants. And
so basically what it comes down to is either nobody
knows anything or Rich Paul is really jumping through hoops
to make you think that Lebron James hasn't made his decision,
(12:47):
and he really has. So now we got reports to
that Lebron's decision is coming, that executives, GMS and players
are being asked to send phone voice messages to Rich
Paul that he will then relayed to Lebron James Cornets. Yeah,
exactly that Draymond Green is gonna be taking They're gonna
be hanging out together.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
That's gotta be reported.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
And Draymond got confirmed down his own podcast.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
They went golfing together and he made a pitch that
was crazy. So this whole.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Lebron James free agent situation is starting to feel eerily similar,
if not even worse than what we saw with the
decision sixteen years ago.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
I'm gonna scale it back. I'ma I'm gonna let that was.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
You know, that was a whole other thing because he
was in the beginning of the peak of his powers.
At that point, he had been an MVP and you know,
he was the guy.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Then. This isn't that. So I won't go that far.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
But what I'll say is, I think what we've realized
to me from a this is one end.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
It is the gift of the curse.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
The gift is the compliment to Lebron is he's been
this good and even last year was as good, even in.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
The postseason for the Lakers.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
Yep, you could argue, I'll played that SGA in those
games against the Thunder. That team still won them, and
teams still feel he he's the missing piece. We can
win Cleveland if we get to Lebron, we can go
to the finals and be past the Knicks. Right, Philly, man,
we got a bunch of talent. If we get a
guy who's been there before, Spurs, that's all why you're
missing was a veteran presence, you know, so you can
(14:12):
go on down the line where guys are willing to wait,
organizations are willing to wait. And that's a compliment to
him that he can hold the league hostage. The downside,
the curse, is that Lebron has become such a thing
that careers have been built on it. Shows have been
built on it. Writers and reporters who have been on
the beat of Lebron for twenty four years have made
careers of it. That now any and everything is reported upon.
(14:37):
You know, Lebron had a Philly cheese steak, so that
means he's going to Philly. You know that e from right,
You know Lebron, they said, Rich Paul said, golf matters.
Where is better golf than on the West coast? So
he must be going up to the Bay Area, you know, Lebron.
You know he always said his favorite favorite family vacation.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (14:55):
We're getting to the point where any and everything he's
going to hang out with Draymonds.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
That means he's a warrior. And Lebron likes the troll
stumping through the town. What town is in Lebron? When
he's puzzling the video rolling through the city. Oh shoot, you.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Know what you're doing? You know, we gonna dissect every tree,
every landmark. Where is he? What does he mean? What
is this? Why do we read into it?
Speaker 5 (15:15):
And I think that's the part that has become fatiguing
for those who are either indifferent to Lebron or those
who hate him, is how he's covered, how everything's a thing,
how everything becomes it's on social media. If he posts something,
it becomes a thing. And to you know, are we
talk about it too? And I think that adds to
(15:37):
the Again, if you already don't like him, you like see, man,
this is because it just adds to because instead of
just what makes sense just basketball wise, I get that
where the fit matters, it's every little thing he does.
And I think that wears on people. Now Here, we
are twenty four years of it, where people are just
over that. They're over what they'll deem the drama, the
(15:57):
extra stuff. Uh, and I think people get worn out
by it. And Rich Paul, who kind of plays both sides,
last point for he kind of like, oh, no, no, no,
I'm just doing a podcast.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I even think about Lebron. No, no, no, you.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Gotta understand Lebron what he's looking for. No, no, no,
this is just me talking. I'm not talking.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
You know everything you say is going to somehow benefit Lebron.
You're never gonna harm Lebron or any other your clients,
and you know what you're doing. So he tries to
play oh no, no, I'm just you know, just it
is what it is. But then it's like, no, I
see what you gonna stand Lebron. It's not about money. Well,
he doesn't want to be in a he's not team
jumping for contenders, Ephraim.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
He's just saying he wants to be in a competitive situation.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
So it's like, Okay, Rich, how am I supposed to
take anything you say when I know everything you're saying
is either from him or for him.
Speaker 6 (16:40):
Okay, So does any of that surprise you?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
No? So why does it bother you? I wouldn't say
it bothers me.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
I'm saying this is the fuel to why I think
some of Lebron hate isn't just his play, is what
I'm saying. And I think it's these things that have
worn on people for say, let's say the last fifteen,
because I think the first eight nine it was like
whatever Lebron, whatever is Lebron's good.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
And I think the last ten.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
Twelve, fifteen years have been this stuff that the business
side of it when look at the bait shows, as
they start to blow up, they realize we're gonna get
the three greatest hits and we're gonna beat that into
the ground, and he was one of them.
Speaker 6 (17:21):
I don't have a problem with anything transpiring right now.
I think Lebron James and going into year twenty four,
has earned this. I think he's not holding free agency
hostage because he's not commanding a salary that would make
any team, you know, have to make real decisions in
(17:44):
terms of getting to the second apron or not.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Right.
Speaker 6 (17:48):
In twenty four years, Lebron James has been the talk
and the story of the NBA. He's been the face
of the league at forty at forty one, he's the
face of the league. I don't have a problem with
him making the decision whenever he makes it, because teams
have already gone out in free agency and spent the
(18:09):
money they He didn't get.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
In the way of the Yannis trade. He didn't get
in the way of.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
The Paul George trade, or the Kawhi trade. He didn't
get in the way of anything. Matter of fact, there
is no trade. He's a free agent. He literally gets
to pick where he wants to go. He's come out
and said it's not about the money. Not about the money. Well,
I mean, he's a billionaire, so but what I'm saying
is Lebron James, really, as good as he is now
(18:38):
on the open market could command twenty five thirty five
million dollars a year still right now, right, he can
get a two year deal for sixty plus million dollars
right with a player option or or team out, whatever
that is. He can command that he's not interested in that.
What that did was it opened up everyone.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Right.
Speaker 6 (19:01):
It opened up teams like Philly who are approaching the
second Apron, who couldn't afford to pay Lebron James thirty
million dollars a year. It opens up teams like San
Antonio who have a young cores. They just re upped
Victor woman y'ama five years, two hundred and fifty two
million dollars.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Right.
Speaker 5 (19:22):
It even opened up the Lakers. A lot of people
thought maybe he could you know, it was still come back.
He can still come back. So all I'm saying is
Lebron James has earned the right to number one, take
his time.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Number two.
Speaker 6 (19:35):
He's taking his time and it's not interrupting any other
NBA business. The team Lebron is gonna pick already knows,
you think, so we just don't know. Of course, of course,
let me let me make them explain something to you.
Number one, the team has to have the mid level
exception what they have to have the room. So you
(19:59):
mean tell me Lebron James is just gonna pick a
team without them knowing.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
Well, I think these teams, I do think there's an
element of still surprised, and I think they just I
think they're saying, I'm gonna keep three to five ready.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
No, a team that he picks whenever he decides to
tell us. They know and have known.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
That's it, that's it. You could be right.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
I just think there is he's going to Philly, and
I'm not saying that's what he's doing. You don't think
he's he has a place to stay out there already.
I mean, you think he's just gonna make a decision
and then.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
We gotta get out there, we gotta go get to
I think Lebron can do anything he needs to. What
I'm saying, if you decide on a team like.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
The summer is almost up, summer's almost up. I just know,
I genuinely believe that he's still figuring this out. I
could be not. I could be wrong.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
He knew he wasn't gonna be a Laker, yeah, he
I don't think that was a lot. He knew that,
but he knew he wanted his son to still stay
there and still have Yeah. Yeah, I think I agree
with that. So whatever he decides to do, I'm all
for it. I thank you for what he did for
the Lakers. We were irrelevant prior to him coming there,
we got a championship.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
Are you the only Laker fan that says that what
most Laker fans good riddens never wanted you?
Speaker 6 (21:16):
Because I'm a realist. Number One, I work in the business.
I'm a fan, but I work in the business, so
I'm looking at it like talking points and the reality
of a situation. Sometimes being a fan can blind you
to the reality of what's happening and what a person
meant to a franchise.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
You ever looked at somebody sideways even when they did
something good for you, like, yeah, but that's all A
lot of Laker fans rob you.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
You're a Laker fan. I feel like living here, being
on the airways when he came.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
I literally was on local station here the day that
he signed, and we took the calls, me and whoever
I was with that day, and I was blown away
at the Laker fans that were, you know, like not happy.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
You know what I know is the.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
Kobe Kobe because they played against each other, but their
powered No, it looks it's it is if they were Bird,
if Bird was coming to the Lakes where they were
supposed to play in the finals. They blew it, blew
it the year that the magic got there. So what
I'm saying, look, but wouldn't any fan, No, no, no, no, nope.
That's how Kobe is revered here. That's how much Kobe
(22:19):
is revered here. All right, Okay, let me ask you.
Let me ask you this. Michael Jordan. Yes, he retires
that second time, right after they won the three P
ninety eight he retires. I don't like where you're going
with this. What I think I know where you're going
with this. What Karl Malone comes to Chicago or whatever
(22:46):
other Clyde Drexler comes to Chicago, right a superstar, Barkley,
a superstar comes to Chicago. Are they gonna replace? You're
gonna feel a certain type of way. But if Barkley
leads them in two years, I think a championship had
(23:08):
to be you don't replace Jordan.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
You're thankful for that, but I.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
Don't think many were. I think it was like a
you know, like when you you can't been begging you
for something, you say no, you say no.
Speaker 6 (23:18):
We hadn't made a playoffs in six years prior to
Lebron not being rational James problem, you're being rational.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Even in the second year.
Speaker 6 (23:27):
Even in the COVID shortened year, they were the number
one team in the West. Heading into the last three
weeks of the regular season, Robs, they were the favorites
to win the NBA Championship.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Jump in on this because I need you as a
Laker fan.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
I feel more people even when they wanted were like,
thank God, we wanted for Kobe, not so much like, oh, Lebron,
wait to win it for us, and he's being rational
because I've been real.
Speaker 5 (23:57):
No, I'll compliment you, but I don't think most fans here.
I think it was always a side eye with Lebron.
Even when things were good. It was like, and I
think you're better To answer your question would have been
what if Kobe came to replace Jordan, because I think
it has if it's Claude, if it's Barkley.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
I don't think there's apples to apples because all right, cool,
we got a big nose. That's a good point. You're right,
it has to have been coked.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
I didn't want to do that because right, but it
makes it because then they would go because the part
of the thing was people felt Lebron skipped Kobe and
the greatest of all, people were like at that point,
it wasn't a done deal, but it was like it
was twenty eighteen, so a lot of people already made
their mind, Oh he's the second best, or he's the
first or whatever. But yeah, if Kobe did come in
and replace Kobe coming in like after those first three
(24:45):
with Shack or something, or you're like, oh, because a
party you was like, is he about.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
To be better than Mike?
Speaker 8 (24:50):
No?
Speaker 2 (24:50):
No, no, he ain't.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
Heck no, I mean I was saying somebody who was
a peer of Jordan. I got what you mean, but
there has to be some smoke. I got you, I
got you, and that's what. And so in Chicago fans
wouldn't embrace Kobe like we like Laker fans really didn't
embrace and I just we appreciated what you did on
the court for us, but we I mean, look, we Bro,
this is Kobe Country.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Do you think magic and Kobe last? I think it's
a good question too. Kobe God blessed dead, doesn't pass
less vitriol more welcoming.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
Yes, because Kobe would have accepted Lebron like he did.
That's what I'm wondering like today, That's that's the That's
the bridge we don't we don't have. That's the bridge.
Kobe loved Lebron. I know that loved him. I loved,
loved for him to come to the Lakers.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
Because he understood the brand and we knew what we
knew what we need.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
I wasn't my best last half. He knew what we needed.
But that I'm always wondering like if he was.
Speaker 6 (25:53):
Look, I'm not a before he got to the Lakers.
I was a Kobe guy. So that's just what it
was when he came to the Lakers. I was grateful
that he came to the Lakers. It got us our
seventeenth championship at the time. It tied us with the Celtics,
which is the only thing I care about now. They
won up on us, right, So I'm I'm a real fan, man,
(26:15):
I've been a fan. I've been going to the Great
Western Farm. I used to live a mile away from
the farm in Inglewood growing up. Bob mcadou's my uncle.
When he played for the Lakers, like I used, we
used to go all of that. So I'm in. I'm
I'm Laker through and through. You would you agree that
you're the anomaly? Yeah? Most most fans are I think
(26:37):
lak hero fans than Laker fans. I could be wrong.
Laker fans are you know, the real Laker fans are
purest right. I'm I was there cheering on them when
Sedell three was running the point, right when when little hands,
little feet, baby Elden Campbell.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
You know he helped the trade.
Speaker 6 (26:55):
Yeah, all right, whatever, you know, right when Van X
was like uh a one two three can coon and
then found himself bouncing around the NBA and was no
longer Nick the quick, Nick the quick to get on
another team. That one thing changed his whole career because
Kobe was like, not here, Robert soccre Era.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Yes, all of it. Yeah, Chris Manns wasn't of this, right, Yeah,
that was some reveling. So it's some lean times.
Speaker 6 (27:24):
Lebron James brought us back from obscurity into prominence, and
it's been you know, miss the playoffs, get to the
but you know, the play in all of we've played
relevant basketball the last three four years.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
I'm okay, I'm okay with that.
Speaker 5 (27:42):
But that's what I've said, and I also told you
if you look at what other guys have done over
the eight years, he's right on part with the you
know the guys. We would say the Giannis is, the
Jokers and the SGAs.
Speaker 6 (27:53):
You've never been another Lebron James. Yeah, there'll never be
someone to play twenty four years at a level he's played.
That's why it's never been someone like that.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
It's crazy.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
There's a reason there's never been a Lebron and won't
be another Lebron who's doing that. Nobody doing it twenty
four years because you could play twenty four years, six
and six last year at forty yeah, you forty one
before that. This is what we're talking about. His just
his career past thirty eight is greater than some entire
(28:28):
career for NBA players.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
For sure. His numbers argue Hall of Famers without a doubt.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
There's some Hall of famers who the last eight years,
if they had that record, they would love that.
Speaker 6 (28:40):
It's like Kobe Bryant right when you look at him,
the number eight, Kobe Bryant, the number twenty four Kobe Bryant.
Two separate careers, two separate players, they're both in the
Hall of Fame. They both have multiple championships. That's greatness.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
Where we draw the line for Lebron with Jerry Is
it when he changed the six or something? Where we
is it Miami post? Is it any before any the
second round of Cleveland back? Like what I mean the
second time you wet the Cleveland the first half step
in the No, I think, I think the Cleveland and
Miami's first half. Nope, are you Cleveland?
Speaker 6 (29:12):
Miami is the first half and and Cleveland now is
the second half?
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Got 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 3 (29:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Argentina, despite having the goat the greatest player of all
time and the most popular athlete in the basically athlete
in the world, Linnel Messi as the front man of
their squad, has been shrouded in controversy throughout this World
Cup run to the semi finals, most recently in a
game against Egypt where.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
They had several calls go their way and you had.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
The Egyptian manager openly say, I think the fixes in
to get Argentina as deep as possible. Right after that,
when they all new eyes were on them, they found
a way to get the what do they call the
They call it Argentina. Now because var is suddenly in
support of what's going on with Argentina, they going their way.
(30:14):
They're saying that FIFA actually stands for fix it for Argentina.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
There are a lot of people, not just fans, not
just reporters and media outlets. But when you have the
other competitors openly suggesting that the fix is in to
help these guys make a run, it's kind of put
a damper on this whole situation.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
It has and if you're Argentina and USC Christ but
he ain't looked at me like this the whole first
hour and a half that he looking he ready for
this talk.
Speaker 8 (30:42):
I looked at you for the Detroit talk earlier.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Okay, all right, I did all this. You looked up
for that. But now this one was a stern you
ready to talk about this. I'll say this. You know
this he from confirmation biases like the idea that if
you got into that match against Switzerland and you were saying, man,
they always out trying to help Argentina. They want mess
in the finals, they wont look how they did, then
you got exactly what you were looking for. You got
(31:06):
the call where they had the the they called the
yellow card on Argentina player. They review it, they Argentina,
they go to the VRD, they look at it and
what do they see that it was a Switzerland player
who actually dove and they rescind the yellow card for
the Argentinian player.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
He didn't. Don't die.
Speaker 6 (31:25):
He took him took it die. Yeah, he, I mean
he that's their best player. That's the part I don't
I'm This is where I hate the rule of the
law and this versus the spirit of the law. The
rule of the law is if you take the yellow card,
you gotta give it to him.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
To give it to that's the rule. But the spirit is, man,
he already got a yellow card earlier. He you know,
took a dive. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, okay,
and that's the best player that's in a great match
so far as equalized one to one.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Let's just let's just you know, kind of turn a
blind eye.
Speaker 5 (31:53):
Alright, we're gonna take the yellow card back, but we
don't have to give it rule letter of the law,
we have to give it to you. So that's where
anybody else could have took the dive even would have
been all right because it just would have been a
yellow part that he puts it.
Speaker 6 (32:06):
The rule was put in for a reason. The rule
was put in for a reason. That is the reason.
And that was the most egregious one I've seen. The
whole thought to do the shot rookie and boys and
the hood was out there.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
That's what it looked.
Speaker 6 (32:18):
And the ref called it from across the field because
that's how gregious it looked. So when he went back
and looked at the va R and was like, so,
no one touched you. He wanted, Oscar, you have bro,
you that's a Lebron flop. Hold on right, that's a
Lebron flop. That's the Remember he was down on the
ground and he look up that was that's amazing means
(32:41):
but that's what I'm saying, Like it was that level,
and just think about it. It's the NBA took flopping
as serious as feed for one year.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
No, no, I'm not.
Speaker 6 (32:49):
I'm talking about if you flop like that now it's
no longer a foul on the person, It is a
foul on you. It was just that you got a warning, right,
and if he got two, if you got no. I'm
talking about we're going to take the foul from them
and give it to you.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
You gotta go one up too, and if you get
a file out and a technical free throw, and if
you already got one, till you get out, because that's
the problem.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
He a, you gotta go. So here's what I mean
by that.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
So that's what I'm saying with the confirmation by so
but if you believe Argentina, Argentina always gets these favorable
calls and all this stuff, then that just confirmed it
for you. And then lastly, on the other side, if
you're a person who says, well, look Argentina, they fight
through everything. They underplayed some of their teams, they didn't
play the best, but they find a way to win.
That's what champs do. They know how to pull it out,
(33:40):
close games, blowouts, it doesn't matter. Then again, you were
confirmed in a very close game. It was equalized one
to one. Switzerland was hanging in there, kind of had
a little bit of momentum. They found a way to win.
They find a way to win against Egypt when they
scored three goals, like, they find a way to win
because they're champs. So you can be in that camp.
I like to lean in more along and if less
Lexi was here, he would fight me. But I would
(34:02):
like to lean a little bit more on. As you mentioned,
that was of egregious.
Speaker 6 (34:07):
He had to go. I didn't want him to because
it was a great match. You shame on you for
doing that. Yeah, a shame on you. I gotta lick
a contact, got a shoela, shoelace to shoelace or nothing.
I can't, I can't. These are grown men.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Hey, going back to the Egypt again, USC Chris, and
he is chomping at the bit.
Speaker 5 (34:25):
You let him get three goals in like thirteen minutes Egypt,
I'll give you one. If it was contra okay, maybe
the refl three goals in like thirteen minutes.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
That's on you. Am I wrong, Chris?
Speaker 8 (34:37):
I think what's stemmed from all of this against Switzerland.
I agree with you, guys. It was egregious. The flopp
was egregious. There's no way to save it. At that
point you have a yellow car. You should know the
eyes of the officials are on you. At that point.
You get another one, it's red. You're done. I think
the problem is is that it is the Egypt game.
I think that's at the forefront of this, but it's
gonna poison everything moving forward with Argentina because what they
(35:00):
called against Egypt was like egregious.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
I think in this.
Speaker 8 (35:04):
Tournament overall, var has been used in very weird ways,
which gave us the Balligan situation where it's like va
R is not supposed to be used like this.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Point I mentioned that they never used it and they
never slow it down like that.
Speaker 8 (35:17):
For they did, There's been a ton of irregularities. You
have that Norwegia Norway England game where the ball hit
the wire on but then Fia said, because there's it
doesn't tip the monitor on the on the ball itself.
But everyone, who are you gonna believe the monitor or
your lying eyes? Everyone saw it hit hit, hit, the
hit the wire and it wasn't called. So I don't
(35:39):
know if it's fixed in there, but I definitely think there.
I think this pattern with Argentina goes well beyond just
this tournament, and I think it's just boiled over. Egypt
was the inflection point. The Switzerland thing feels like a
false positive what I think, and it's going to be
worse when we get to England because the English press
will not shut up about anything, anything if England is
(36:01):
aggrieved against Argentina.
Speaker 5 (36:03):
And that's the bad part is that now anything any
if a dude, you know, he tackles somebody, they don't
call it, it's gonna be looked at it. If I mean,
we're gonna be in that position where because again now
it's out there on Argentina that everybody's looking for any
and everything.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
Now, I will say.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
Any sea from Laker fan, I do believe the leagues
would love to have their favorite player and or team,
in this case, Lionel Messi in the finals.
Speaker 6 (36:28):
Well, I'm sure they want to repeat of four years ago. Yes,
and if you can, and if.
Speaker 5 (36:34):
You let's say things come down to a close call,
well I don't think it's gonna be that close day.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
Get two thousand and two Lakers Sacramento Kings. That was two, right?
What was that three? I don't know what you're getting. Oh,
you know what I'm getting.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
Don't know what you getting one of the worst officiated
games in the history of mankind.
Speaker 6 (36:51):
You don't know what you're getting at. So what are
you getting at? I just said it? Where the Kings
were robbed the Kings were robbed that game.
Speaker 5 (36:58):
Yes, I'm not saying, sirih and you know it. I
don't give a day back to usc talking about our eyes.
We all seen it. We sainted. What did you sink?
I see what did? The rest were either calling or
not calling stuff. I seen Kobe blow through Bibby's face
and they called it on Kobe.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
I mean, on baby the fire, But what's the foul?
I'm not doing this? You talking about doing this with you?
Speaker 5 (37:22):
That was one of the most dude you know me
When the last time bring that up to Chris Webber,
you might He's usually a cool, calm collected Chris. I know,
bring that up to you might just bring it up
behind glass or somewhere like he can't he gonna go crazy.
Speaker 6 (37:36):
Look, man, they had a little spark. That spark went out.
It's ober ain't been the same thing, and I'm about
to hit you with a spark plug, right, I ain't
been in the same shit.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
That was funny. I love that. That a couple of
years of great rivalry for I'm saying, we.
Speaker 5 (37:50):
Need those in the league. Hot second, we need it. Well,
y'all ruined it hot second, breaking.
Speaker 9 (37:57):
It up following this conversation, though, who do you guys
have for the England and Argentina came and who do
you guys think is gonna take it?
Speaker 6 (38:06):
Argentina Argentina have the greatest baller on the planet.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
But look, let me tell.
Speaker 5 (38:17):
England is their first real matchup, right usc Chris like
their first?
Speaker 8 (38:22):
I think it was big. I think it was big
for them to take down Norway. I will say for
England it has been Harry Kane carrying this load. But
Jude Bellingham coming on for two goals. I think they
are I think they're at this point they're deeper than Argentina.
They are, they are, but they're and they're battle tested
to Only three teams have beaten Mexico in as Teca
Martin sixty.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
That's hard to do. They're one of them.
Speaker 6 (38:42):
Boy, that was an impressive win. That was a really
impressive win. I'll say this, you know what greatness is
right when you and you got to look at Lanno
Messi like you look at Michael Jordan's I mean he's
that like you look at Kobe like you look at
the greatest magic bird, some of the lebron some of
(39:03):
the greatest players on the planet. For whatever reason, they
can summon something that us mere mortals, even us other
professional athletes can't summon. Right, That's what they're up against,
and that gives the edge to Argentina. When you and
he and look for all intense purposes, if you've been
(39:26):
watching Lionel Messi has been not exerting.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
A lot of energy. It's a lot of killed.
Speaker 6 (39:32):
The ball touches his foot and you can instantly see
at thirty nine, Oh he better than everybody else.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
No, it's different. I ain't gonna lie you.
Speaker 6 (39:40):
Just he's better than every single person on the pitch
when the ball touches his foot and in those show
short bursts, that's dangerous.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
Man.
Speaker 8 (39:49):
You know what helps him too is he's been playing
in this climate in MLS, this summer climate.
Speaker 6 (39:53):
This is home.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
This is this is his home.
Speaker 8 (39:55):
He's been playing here for a few years now. So
like when England Norway were gas is one hundred and
three feeling on the on the pitch in Miami seven.
Speaker 5 (40:02):
Yeah, yeah, he's used to that now. Man, you gotta
find him sometimes he ain't.
Speaker 6 (40:07):
You, No, he and he will, man, I will sit
and he'll be hiding, and that ball across and oh
he got it and then he just like boo boo
bo It's a whole nother.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Just watch his foot speed at thirty nine years old.
Speaker 5 (40:22):
When he gets the ball in traffic, You're like, oh,
you know what he has that they're not taking. That
he has that the magical people in any sport have
is where you expect the unexpected from them, and it is.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
That's why we watch.
Speaker 6 (40:33):
That's what he knows what you're gonna do before you
do it, and that's why he's good.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
It looks like it does, look like he's in a difference.
Speaker 6 (40:39):
I'm telling you he'll be standing or walking and that
ball will come across the middle and it'll touch his
foot and it's zero to one hundred and it split and.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
Passes lived there.
Speaker 6 (40:48):
Oh my god, on the money, I'm gonna put it
right where it's supposed to be.
Speaker 9 (40:52):
But y'all, y'all think that Messi's again just his accuracy,
because again you have to consider his age. I don't
I genuine because I'm going for England not to be
a homer, but I don't think he is, Like I
don't think it's enough like especially have you guys, have
you guys seen England's goalkeeper Puford and the way he's
just been defending the ball.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
And I'm with you. I'm England. I'm not gonna lie.
I think Britannia takes it. I think they're crazy enough
to take it.
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):
Even now.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
You mentioned in this week, which is supposed to be
a down week for sports, football has somehow taken over
the top line once again. ESPN puts out their annual rankings,
compiled of coaches, executives, scouts, what have you. They say,
give us the ten best at every position in the league,
and every day they reveal a new position. Of course,
today was the quarterbacks, the one everybody cares about, and
(00:52):
for the last basically ten years, it's been Pat Mahomes won.
Everybody else fight for second place. This year we have
a changing of the guard. For the first time in years,
Patrick Mahomes was not listed as the number one quarterback
in the NFL by the execs, coaches, and scouts. No,
that honor belongs to Joshua Allen of the Buffalo bills, your.
Speaker 5 (01:17):
Thoughts, my thoughts to this sea from. It really is
a facts over feelings kind of a thing. And I've
been at Patrick mahomesh you know, screaming his name and
saying how good and how great are the team's gonna
bounce back to my own faults, to my own detrimenty
from because Rob used it against me last season. Because
I'm like, it's gonna be a bounce back. They're gonna
do this, They're gonna do that, and they didn't. They
(01:38):
didn't even mook the postseason. Obviously he was hurt, but
they weren't that great even when he was playing at times.
Speaker 3 (01:43):
So this is where you gotta do. Facts over feelings.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
You gotta do, you know, taking your emotion out of
it because and also remembering too, this ain't a legacy conversation.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Legacy.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Who can you beat him? He's got three v three,
two MVPs, three super Bowl titles. You can't beat that
with any of these young crop of guys. Now, you'd
be hard pressed to do that. But again, this is
why I got to keep.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
It a butt.
Speaker 5 (02:05):
Last season for Patrick Mahomes, believe it or not, was
the bounce back season.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Right, We're like, all right, he looked all right.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
He looks a very better version of himself than he
had the last few, you know, years, And so you're like, oh,
that that was a bounce back season. Problem is, the
bouts back season wasn't that great compared to his standard.
So if you're going based off last year, he looked
as solid, he looked, he looked good, he looked you know,
he made some plays. But then you look at the
year before and that's where you maybe stalled him out
(02:34):
because you would say, well, look, he wasn't the numbers
one great, but shoot they were fifteen to two, all right,
And ultimately what matters most quarterbacks the win category. And
you will find a way, and I'm guilty of it,
finding a way to build up these cues. Hey, he
did what he needed to do. And it's true in
the sense that he did what he needed to do
to win games, big plays, big drive, a big fourth
(02:54):
quarter to get it done. But when you look at
what he's done over the last couple of seasons, three seasons,
they haven't been great. Up to his first two thirds
of his court career, you look at what Josh Allen
has been able to do and You're looking at.
Speaker 3 (03:07):
Multiple seasons where he could have been the MVP.
Speaker 5 (03:09):
Now he you know, he got it, not this past
season as Matthew Stafford the year before, but he's been
right there as as a candidate for MVP that has
not been Patrick Mahomes for the most part. And when
you add in the dual threat of Josh Allen, whoever
the last couple of seasons has twenty six rushing touchdowns.
He from twenty six rushing touchdown that you'd be something
(03:30):
Emmitt Smith add back in the day over a couple
of seasons twenty six compared to Mahomes of seven. He
has obviously more rushing yards in Mahomes, he obviously in it.
And you're looking at passing yards. Mahomes has like a
buck twenty more literally, that's it. But he also has
Josh Allen more passing touchdowns than him as well. And
here's the key component too. What was Josh Allen known
for when he came in the first few leagues, first
(03:52):
few seasons when he was in the NFL turnover yep, Well,
he's controlled that. He only sixteen intercepts over the last
two seasons too. Patrick Mahomes as twenty two and last
season was a good one because they only had twelve
I believe it was. So when you just compare the
two on what they've been able to do, you know
what it reminds me of e from Patrick Mahomes. For
people trying to continue to defend where he is right
(04:14):
now is like defending your favorite rapper, your favorite band
or your favorite you know, uh director, your world who
ain't been hitting with their last few projects, and you
start defending it. Got a couple of maybe not even
four on does but you just you got to over
explain Ephraim. Yo, you heard that new such and such album?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Man? I mean no, I'm saying, Look, he going through it.
He going through a lot.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
And the budget, the record label budget wasn't budgeted, right,
you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (04:40):
And you see you don't get it.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
He see he went into his artistic bag and he
was mixing it up and giving you different things. He
was real introspective and you like find yourself defending him.
That's where it is with Patrick Mahomes right now, where
you find yourself trying to be like no, no, no, because
if you look at see what he didn't have enough help,
see no they're not spending the money like they normally spend.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
And eventually you gotta be real.
Speaker 5 (05:01):
And Josh Allen has become that in the league, and
I got to pay his respect. Patrick Mahomes is still
kind of a Calvin, Like I said, feelings, I still
had that nostalgic, that feeling with him. I'd pick him
over a game. But if you're just saying, I get
why they would rank him there, I get that.
Speaker 6 (05:18):
I when you look at that list and you see
that Patrick Mahomes for the first time is dropped out
of the number one spot, I don't have a problem
with that. Even like you said two years ago, even
when the Chiefs were fifteen and two, it wasn't because
(05:42):
of Patrick Mahomes. It was in spite of Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 3 (05:47):
Yeah.
Speaker 6 (05:47):
And so when you look at his numbers the last
three years, his production has declined. The last three years,
I'm not talking about last year. I'm not talking about
the year before. The last three years, his production has declined.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Less.
Speaker 6 (06:06):
The touchdowns interceptions are up double digit interceptions last all
of the last three years. Yards now he got there.
He only played fourteen games last year, got hurt, but
his passing yards were steadily declining. And so when you
(06:27):
look at this list, he hasn't made a Pro Bowl
in a couple of years and missed the playoffs all
together last year.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Yep. And like you said, prior to.
Speaker 6 (06:37):
Him getting hurt, he just wasn't good and we were
asking ourselves, like, what's going on right now? The year
before last it was the offensive line, so they went
worked on the offensive line, beefed it up a little bit.
Now it's like, okay, well he doesn't have receivers to
take the top off. Now they going through all kinds
(06:57):
of stuff with receivers.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
Off the field. They don't want to stay out of trouble,
right and say.
Speaker 6 (07:03):
Okay, but Patrick Mahomes has always been a cut above
all of that. No matter what's happening, He's always been
able to summon something. Well, his summoning stones aren't working anymore.
And when you need right and when you look at
Josh Allen, what's what you a perfect example of what
(07:24):
a dual threat quarterback is. And I don't think there
isn't a passer in the NB in the NFL, excuse
me watching summer league that is a pocket passer that
can be at the top of this list anymore because
of what the Josh Allens are doing and the Caleb
(07:46):
Williams and all of the quarterbacks. Now they're mobile. That's
a great point. They're mobile that you gotta it's gonna
break down. You're not gonna have you know, somebody's gonna misprotection.
You're not going to be able to sten plays like
you used to going sideline the sideline. You're gonna have
to cross the line of scrimmate. You're gonna have to
make something happen down the field with your feet. And
(08:09):
if you're not, then you're sitting duck in the pocket.
And that's what we've seen for the last two years
with Patrick Mahomes being under heavy pressure. You have to
have an element to your game. Now in mind you
they haven't had a run game and ever that's a
great point.
Speaker 5 (08:26):
I mean, they keep bringing back the guys and Pachecko
and this, and it hasn't worked out where they have
a dominant run where they're even like a top ten
You don't gotta be top three, Can you beat top.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Ten running the ball?
Speaker 6 (08:37):
What it does is it puts a lot of pressure
on Patrick Mahomes and the Patrick Mahomes isn't being Patrick Mahomes,
then what do you do?
Speaker 3 (08:42):
What do you turn to?
Speaker 5 (08:43):
Not to mention again, I mentioned how he he's holding
on too long. Yes, he's got the superman itis when
you can make all the plays, but sometimes you don't
need to. You know, who want to about at least
three of his Super Bowls, maybe more. We're just dunking
and DP, you know, dunking and dunk tom Brady.
Speaker 6 (09:01):
Tom Brady was like, hey me, that little paper paper
cut you out of death.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
I said, four quarters.
Speaker 5 (09:06):
And so Patrick Mahomes doesn't have to be that version
of himself throw for four forty four touchdowns. He doesn't
have to be then, And sometimes I feel like he
doesn't remember that at times. And again the team hasn't
done him a service of bringing him a big thing
of talent.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
And I'll give you one better. I don't see the
trend changing this year.
Speaker 5 (09:27):
Of them thinking he's Superman, of him getting back to
where he was four years ago, well off, coming off
the injury that he had right rebuilding his knee, all
of that coming in and you're gonna go back to
to the Patrick Mahomes that that there was running rough
(09:47):
shot through the league do you think that can help
him though? And that you know this where sometimes athletes
I can't do what I think I can do, so
almost almost put him back in his fundamentals, right. I
think that that happens when you can't you see that
you just mentioned NBA dude. That happens all the time
when guys get a little nicked up, or they get
a little older, and now they're really in their fundamental
bag because I can't just rely on my pure athleticism
(10:07):
or just my instincts. Some of it becomes let me
just get back to what I'm supposed to be doing,
what the play design is, and so so many of
those things.
Speaker 6 (10:16):
I like what you're saying, But do they have the
talent around him for him to have the time to.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
Figure it out? Eric be enemy bag help it all?
Speaker 6 (10:27):
I get it.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
I understand that maybe older Travis Kelse locked in on
massive square guard. He's a married man now, man got
other things to worry about.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
He does.
Speaker 6 (10:40):
All I'm saying is coming off an injury. We'll be
hard pressed to say Patrick Mahomes is going to get
back to form, and we haven't seen it when he
was healthy the last two years.
Speaker 5 (10:50):
And the only thing I will say if you're trying
to if you're throwing him bail, he would say, you
saw a better version of me last year than you
did the year before.
Speaker 6 (10:58):
It wasn't very good either. It's not a better version. Yeah,
but maybe if you're better than bad, then how good
are you? Jackson with Lisa, Who's bad? If you're better
than bad, then how good are you?
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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Speaker 7 (11:24):
Hey, it's Ben, host of The Fifth Hour with Ben
Maller along with my trustees sidekick David Gascon. Would mean
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(11:46):
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Speaker 3 (11:48):
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Speaker 7 (11:50):
Listen to the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller on the
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Speaker 3 (11:56):
Rich Paul has some things to say about you know who.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
Well, I mean, depending what time you catch him on
your local podcast feed television show, his answer to what's
going on Lebron James might flip because you've heard usc
Chris mentioned in the updates that hey, Sean Sharania spoke
to Rich Paul and this decision is coming to any
minute now, because we're all waiting with bated breath on
where Lebron's gonna take his talents to this time. And
(12:23):
then you'll go on the Shannon Sharp podcast and say,
I just want to be happy.
Speaker 3 (12:26):
He wants to be happy.
Speaker 4 (12:27):
Don't know when's gonna make decision, And he's gonna jump
on the Sports Center and say, you know, winning a
championship not the thing that really matters to him. He
just wants to be happy, and he's gonna go another thing.
He says, well, you know, he wants to be in
the winning championship business. That's what he really wants. And
so basically what it comes down to is either nobody
knows anything or Rich Paul is really jumping through hoops
to make you think that Lebron James hasn't made his decision,
(12:47):
and he really has. So now we got reports to
that Lebron's decision is coming, that executives, GMS and players
are being asked to send phone voice messages to Rich
Paul that he will then relayed to Lebron James Cornets. Yeah,
exactly that Draymond Green is gonna be taking They're gonna
be hanging out together.
Speaker 3 (13:07):
That's gotta be reported.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
And Draymond got confirmed down his own podcast.
Speaker 3 (13:10):
They went golfing together and he made a pitch that
was crazy. So this whole.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Lebron James free agent situation is starting to feel eerily similar,
if not even worse than what we saw with the
decision sixteen years ago.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
I'm gonna scale it back. I'ma I'm gonna let that was.
Speaker 5 (13:26):
You know, that was a whole other thing because he
was in the beginning of the peak of his powers.
At that point, he had been an MVP and you know,
he was the guy.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Then. This isn't that. So I won't go that far.
Speaker 5 (13:37):
But what I'll say is, I think what we've realized
to me from a this is one end.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
It is the gift of the curse.
Speaker 5 (13:44):
The gift is the compliment to Lebron is he's been
this good and even last year was as good, even in.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
The postseason for the Lakers.
Speaker 5 (13:51):
Yep, you could argue, I'll played that SGA in those
games against the Thunder. That team still won them, and
teams still feel he he's the missing piece. We can
win Cleveland if we get to Lebron, we can go
to the finals and be past the Knicks. Right, Philly, man,
we got a bunch of talent. If we get a
guy who's been there before, Spurs, that's all why you're
missing was a veteran presence, you know, so you can
(14:12):
go on down the line where guys are willing to wait,
organizations are willing to wait. And that's a compliment to
him that he can hold the league hostage. The downside,
the curse, is that Lebron has become such a thing
that careers have been built on it. Shows have been
built on it. Writers and reporters who have been on
the beat of Lebron for twenty four years have made
careers of it. That now any and everything is reported upon.
(14:37):
You know, Lebron had a Philly cheese steak, so that
means he's going to Philly. You know that e from right,
You know Lebron, they said, Rich Paul said, golf matters.
Where is better golf than on the West coast? So
he must be going up to the Bay Area, you know, Lebron.
You know he always said his favorite favorite family vacation.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
You know what I mean.
Speaker 6 (14:55):
We're getting to the point where any and everything he's
going to hang out with Draymonds.
Speaker 5 (14:58):
That means he's a warrior. And Lebron likes the troll
stumping through the town. What town is in Lebron? When
he's puzzling the video rolling through the city. Oh shoot, you.
Speaker 3 (15:08):
Know what you're doing? You know, we gonna dissect every tree,
every landmark. Where is he? What does he mean? What
is this? Why do we read into it?
Speaker 5 (15:15):
And I think that's the part that has become fatiguing
for those who are either indifferent to Lebron or those
who hate him, is how he's covered, how everything's a thing,
how everything becomes it's on social media. If he posts something,
it becomes a thing. And to you know, are we
talk about it too? And I think that adds to
(15:37):
the Again, if you already don't like him, you like see, man,
this is because it just adds to because instead of
just what makes sense just basketball wise, I get that
where the fit matters, it's every little thing he does.
And I think that wears on people. Now Here, we
are twenty four years of it, where people are just
over that. They're over what they'll deem the drama, the
(15:57):
extra stuff. Uh, and I think people get worn out
by it. And Rich Paul, who kind of plays both sides,
last point for he kind of like, oh, no, no, no,
I'm just doing a podcast.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
I even think about Lebron. No, no, no, you.
Speaker 6 (16:09):
Gotta understand Lebron what he's looking for. No, no, no,
this is just me talking. I'm not talking.
Speaker 5 (16:12):
You know everything you say is going to somehow benefit Lebron.
You're never gonna harm Lebron or any other your clients,
and you know what you're doing. So he tries to
play oh no, no, I'm just you know, just it
is what it is. But then it's like, no, I
see what you gonna stand Lebron. It's not about money. Well,
he doesn't want to be in a he's not team
jumping for contenders, Ephraim.
Speaker 3 (16:30):
He's just saying he wants to be in a competitive situation.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
So it's like, Okay, Rich, how am I supposed to
take anything you say when I know everything you're saying
is either from him or for him.
Speaker 6 (16:40):
Okay, So does any of that surprise you?
Speaker 3 (16:49):
No? So why does it bother you? I wouldn't say
it bothers me.
Speaker 5 (16:52):
I'm saying this is the fuel to why I think
some of Lebron hate isn't just his play, is what
I'm saying. And I think it's these things that have
worn on people for say, let's say the last fifteen,
because I think the first eight nine it was like
whatever Lebron, whatever is Lebron's good.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
And I think the last ten.
Speaker 5 (17:06):
Twelve, fifteen years have been this stuff that the business
side of it when look at the bait shows, as
they start to blow up, they realize we're gonna get
the three greatest hits and we're gonna beat that into
the ground, and he was one of them.
Speaker 6 (17:21):
I don't have a problem with anything transpiring right now.
I think Lebron James and going into year twenty four,
has earned this. I think he's not holding free agency
hostage because he's not commanding a salary that would make
any team, you know, have to make real decisions in
(17:44):
terms of getting to the second apron or not.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Right.
Speaker 6 (17:48):
In twenty four years, Lebron James has been the talk
and the story of the NBA. He's been the face
of the league at forty at forty one, he's the
face of the league. I don't have a problem with
him making the decision whenever he makes it, because teams
have already gone out in free agency and spent the
(18:09):
money they He didn't get.
Speaker 3 (18:11):
In the way of the Yannis trade. He didn't get
in the way of.
Speaker 6 (18:17):
The Paul George trade, or the Kawhi trade. He didn't
get in the way of anything. Matter of fact, there
is no trade. He's a free agent. He literally gets
to pick where he wants to go. He's come out
and said it's not about the money. Not about the money. Well,
I mean, he's a billionaire, so but what I'm saying
is Lebron James, really, as good as he is now
(18:38):
on the open market could command twenty five thirty five
million dollars a year still right now, right, he can
get a two year deal for sixty plus million dollars
right with a player option or or team out, whatever
that is. He can command that he's not interested in that.
What that did was it opened up everyone.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
Right.
Speaker 6 (19:01):
It opened up teams like Philly who are approaching the
second Apron, who couldn't afford to pay Lebron James thirty
million dollars a year. It opens up teams like San
Antonio who have a young cores. They just re upped
Victor woman y'ama five years, two hundred and fifty two
million dollars.
Speaker 2 (19:21):
Right.
Speaker 5 (19:22):
It even opened up the Lakers. A lot of people
thought maybe he could you know, it was still come back.
He can still come back. So all I'm saying is
Lebron James has earned the right to number one, take
his time.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Number two.
Speaker 6 (19:35):
He's taking his time and it's not interrupting any other
NBA business. The team Lebron is gonna pick already knows,
you think, so we just don't know. Of course, of course,
let me let me make them explain something to you.
Number one, the team has to have the mid level
exception what they have to have the room. So you
(19:59):
mean tell me Lebron James is just gonna pick a
team without them knowing.
Speaker 5 (20:04):
Well, I think these teams, I do think there's an
element of still surprised, and I think they just I
think they're saying, I'm gonna keep three to five ready.
Speaker 6 (20:13):
No, a team that he picks whenever he decides to
tell us. They know and have known.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
That's it, that's it. You could be right.
Speaker 6 (20:21):
I just think there is he's going to Philly, and
I'm not saying that's what he's doing. You don't think
he's he has a place to stay out there already.
I mean, you think he's just gonna make a decision
and then.
Speaker 5 (20:32):
We gotta get out there, we gotta go get to
I think Lebron can do anything he needs to. What
I'm saying, if you decide on a team like.
Speaker 3 (20:40):
The summer is almost up, summer's almost up. I just know,
I genuinely believe that he's still figuring this out. I
could be not. I could be wrong.
Speaker 6 (20:50):
He knew he wasn't gonna be a Laker, yeah, he
I don't think that was a lot. He knew that,
but he knew he wanted his son to still stay
there and still have Yeah. Yeah, I think I agree
with that. So whatever he decides to do, I'm all
for it. I thank you for what he did for
the Lakers. We were irrelevant prior to him coming there,
we got a championship.
Speaker 5 (21:09):
Are you the only Laker fan that says that what
most Laker fans good riddens never wanted you?
Speaker 6 (21:16):
Because I'm a realist. Number One, I work in the business.
I'm a fan, but I work in the business, so
I'm looking at it like talking points and the reality
of a situation. Sometimes being a fan can blind you
to the reality of what's happening and what a person
meant to a franchise.
Speaker 5 (21:33):
You ever looked at somebody sideways even when they did
something good for you, like, yeah, but that's all A
lot of Laker fans rob you.
Speaker 3 (21:40):
You're a Laker fan. I feel like living here, being
on the airways when he came.
Speaker 5 (21:45):
I literally was on local station here the day that
he signed, and we took the calls, me and whoever
I was with that day, and I was blown away
at the Laker fans that were, you know, like not happy.
Speaker 3 (21:56):
You know what I know is the.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
Kobe Kobe because they played against each other, but their
powered No, it looks it's it is if they were Bird,
if Bird was coming to the Lakes where they were
supposed to play in the finals. They blew it, blew
it the year that the magic got there. So what
I'm saying, look, but wouldn't any fan, No, no, no, no, nope.
That's how Kobe is revered here. That's how much Kobe
(22:19):
is revered here. All right, Okay, let me ask you.
Let me ask you this. Michael Jordan. Yes, he retires
that second time, right after they won the three P
ninety eight he retires. I don't like where you're going
with this. What I think I know where you're going
with this. What Karl Malone comes to Chicago or whatever
(22:46):
other Clyde Drexler comes to Chicago, right a superstar, Barkley,
a superstar comes to Chicago. Are they gonna replace? You're
gonna feel a certain type of way. But if Barkley
leads them in two years, I think a championship had
(23:08):
to be you don't replace Jordan.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
You're thankful for that, but I.
Speaker 5 (23:12):
Don't think many were. I think it was like a
you know, like when you you can't been begging you
for something, you say no, you say no.
Speaker 6 (23:18):
We hadn't made a playoffs in six years prior to
Lebron not being rational James problem, you're being rational.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
Even in the second year.
Speaker 6 (23:27):
Even in the COVID shortened year, they were the number
one team in the West. Heading into the last three
weeks of the regular season, Robs, they were the favorites
to win the NBA Championship.
Speaker 3 (23:41):
Jump in on this because I need you as a
Laker fan.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
I feel more people even when they wanted were like,
thank God, we wanted for Kobe, not so much like, oh, Lebron,
wait to win it for us, and he's being rational
because I've been real.
Speaker 5 (23:57):
No, I'll compliment you, but I don't think most fans here.
I think it was always a side eye with Lebron.
Even when things were good. It was like, and I
think you're better To answer your question would have been
what if Kobe came to replace Jordan, because I think
it has if it's Claude, if it's Barkley.
Speaker 3 (24:17):
I don't think there's apples to apples because all right, cool,
we got a big nose. That's a good point. You're right,
it has to have been coked.
Speaker 5 (24:22):
I didn't want to do that because right, but it
makes it because then they would go because the part
of the thing was people felt Lebron skipped Kobe and
the greatest of all, people were like at that point,
it wasn't a done deal, but it was like it
was twenty eighteen, so a lot of people already made
their mind, Oh he's the second best, or he's the
first or whatever. But yeah, if Kobe did come in
and replace Kobe coming in like after those first three
(24:45):
with Shack or something, or you're like, oh, because a
party you was like, is he about.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
To be better than Mike?
Speaker 8 (24:50):
No?
Speaker 2 (24:50):
No, no, he ain't.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
Heck no, I mean I was saying somebody who was
a peer of Jordan. I got what you mean, but
there has to be some smoke. I got you, I
got you, and that's what. And so in Chicago fans
wouldn't embrace Kobe like we like Laker fans really didn't
embrace and I just we appreciated what you did on
the court for us, but we I mean, look, we Bro,
this is Kobe Country.
Speaker 5 (25:13):
Do you think magic and Kobe last? I think it's
a good question too. Kobe God blessed dead, doesn't pass
less vitriol more welcoming.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
Yes, because Kobe would have accepted Lebron like he did.
That's what I'm wondering like today, That's that's the That's
the bridge we don't we don't have. That's the bridge.
Kobe loved Lebron. I know that loved him. I loved,
loved for him to come to the Lakers.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
Because he understood the brand and we knew what we
knew what we need.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
I wasn't my best last half. He knew what we needed.
But that I'm always wondering like if he was.
Speaker 6 (25:53):
Look, I'm not a before he got to the Lakers.
I was a Kobe guy. So that's just what it
was when he came to the Lakers. I was grateful
that he came to the Lakers. It got us our
seventeenth championship at the time. It tied us with the Celtics,
which is the only thing I care about now. They
won up on us, right, So I'm I'm a real fan, man,
(26:15):
I've been a fan. I've been going to the Great
Western Farm. I used to live a mile away from
the farm in Inglewood growing up. Bob mcadou's my uncle.
When he played for the Lakers, like I used, we
used to go all of that. So I'm in. I'm
I'm Laker through and through. You would you agree that
you're the anomaly? Yeah? Most most fans are I think
(26:37):
lak hero fans than Laker fans. I could be wrong.
Laker fans are you know, the real Laker fans are
purest right. I'm I was there cheering on them when
Sedell three was running the point, right when when little hands,
little feet, baby Elden Campbell.
Speaker 3 (26:53):
You know he helped the trade.
Speaker 6 (26:55):
Yeah, all right, whatever, you know, right when Van X
was like uh a one two three can coon and
then found himself bouncing around the NBA and was no
longer Nick the quick, Nick the quick to get on
another team. That one thing changed his whole career because
Kobe was like, not here, Robert soccre Era.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
Yes, all of it. Yeah, Chris Manns wasn't of this, right, Yeah,
that was some reveling. So it's some lean times.
Speaker 6 (27:24):
Lebron James brought us back from obscurity into prominence, and
it's been you know, miss the playoffs, get to the
but you know, the play in all of we've played
relevant basketball the last three four years.
Speaker 3 (27:40):
I'm okay, I'm okay with that.
Speaker 5 (27:42):
But that's what I've said, and I also told you
if you look at what other guys have done over
the eight years, he's right on part with the you
know the guys. We would say the Giannis is, the
Jokers and the SGAs.
Speaker 6 (27:53):
You've never been another Lebron James. Yeah, there'll never be
someone to play twenty four years at a level he's played.
That's why it's never been someone like that.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
It's crazy.
Speaker 6 (28:03):
There's a reason there's never been a Lebron and won't
be another Lebron who's doing that. Nobody doing it twenty
four years because you could play twenty four years, six
and six last year at forty yeah, you forty one
before that. This is what we're talking about. His just
his career past thirty eight is greater than some entire
(28:28):
career for NBA players.
Speaker 3 (28:30):
For sure. His numbers argue Hall of Famers without a doubt.
Speaker 5 (28:35):
There's some Hall of famers who the last eight years,
if they had that record, they would love that.
Speaker 6 (28:40):
It's like Kobe Bryant right when you look at him,
the number eight, Kobe Bryant, the number twenty four Kobe Bryant.
Two separate careers, two separate players, they're both in the
Hall of Fame. They both have multiple championships. That's greatness.
Speaker 5 (28:53):
Where we draw the line for Lebron with Jerry Is
it when he changed the six or something? Where we
is it Miami post? Is it any before any the
second round of Cleveland back? Like what I mean the
second time you wet the Cleveland the first half step
in the No, I think, I think the Cleveland and
Miami's first half. Nope, are you Cleveland?
Speaker 6 (29:12):
Miami is the first half and and Cleveland now is
the second half?
Speaker 2 (29:17):
Got 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 3 (29:29):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Argentina, despite having the goat the greatest player of all
time and the most popular athlete in the basically athlete
in the world, Linnel Messi as the front man of
their squad, has been shrouded in controversy throughout this World
Cup run to the semi finals, most recently in a
game against Egypt where.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
They had several calls go their way and you had.
Speaker 4 (29:51):
The Egyptian manager openly say, I think the fixes in
to get Argentina as deep as possible. Right after that,
when they all new eyes were on them, they found
a way to get the what do they call the
They call it Argentina. Now because var is suddenly in
support of what's going on with Argentina, they going their way.
(30:14):
They're saying that FIFA actually stands for fix it for Argentina.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (30:19):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (30:20):
There are a lot of people, not just fans, not
just reporters and media outlets. But when you have the
other competitors openly suggesting that the fix is in to
help these guys make a run, it's kind of put
a damper on this whole situation.
Speaker 5 (30:36):
It has and if you're Argentina and USC Christ but
he ain't looked at me like this the whole first
hour and a half that he looking he ready for
this talk.
Speaker 8 (30:42):
I looked at you for the Detroit talk earlier.
Speaker 5 (30:44):
Okay, all right, I did all this. You looked up
for that. But now this one was a stern you
ready to talk about this. I'll say this. You know
this he from confirmation biases like the idea that if
you got into that match against Switzerland and you were saying, man,
they always out trying to help Argentina. They want mess
in the finals, they wont look how they did, then
you got exactly what you were looking for. You got
(31:06):
the call where they had the the they called the
yellow card on Argentina player. They review it, they Argentina,
they go to the VRD, they look at it and
what do they see that it was a Switzerland player
who actually dove and they rescind the yellow card for
the Argentinian player.
Speaker 3 (31:23):
He didn't. Don't die.
Speaker 6 (31:25):
He took him took it die. Yeah, he, I mean
he that's their best player. That's the part I don't
I'm This is where I hate the rule of the
law and this versus the spirit of the law. The
rule of the law is if you take the yellow card,
you gotta give it to him.
Speaker 5 (31:39):
To give it to that's the rule. But the spirit is, man,
he already got a yellow card earlier. He you know,
took a dive. It wasn't the worst thing in the world, okay,
and that's the best player that's in a great match
so far as equalized one to one.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
Let's just let's just you know, kind of turn a
blind eye.
Speaker 5 (31:53):
Alright, we're gonna take the yellow card back, but we
don't have to give it rule letter of the law,
we have to give it to you. So that's where
anybody else could have took the dive even would have
been all right because it just would have been a
yellow part that he puts it.
Speaker 6 (32:06):
The rule was put in for a reason. The rule
was put in for a reason. That is the reason.
And that was the most egregious one I've seen. The
whole thought to do the shot rookie and boys and
the hood was out there.
Speaker 3 (32:17):
That's what it looked.
Speaker 6 (32:18):
And the ref called it from across the field because
that's how gregious it looked. So when he went back
and looked at the va R and was like, so,
no one touched you. He wanted, Oscar, you have bro,
you that's a Lebron flop. Hold on right, that's a
Lebron flop. That's the Remember he was down on the
ground and he look up that was that's amazing means
(32:41):
but that's what I'm saying, Like it was that level,
and just think about it. It's the NBA took flopping
as serious as feed for one year.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
No, no, I'm not.
Speaker 6 (32:49):
I'm talking about if you flop like that now it's
no longer a foul on the person, It is a
foul on you. It was just that you got a warning, right,
and if he got two, if you got no. I'm
talking about we're going to take the foul from them
and give it to you.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
You gotta go one up too, and if you get
a file out and a technical free throw, and if
you already got one, till you get out, because that's
the problem.
Speaker 3 (33:16):
He a, you gotta go. So here's what I mean
by that.
Speaker 5 (33:19):
So that's what I'm saying with the confirmation by so
but if you believe Argentina, Argentina always gets these favorable
calls and all this stuff, then that just confirmed it
for you. And then lastly, on the other side, if
you're a person who says, well, look Argentina, they fight
through everything. They underplayed some of their teams, they didn't
play the best, but they find a way to win.
That's what champs do. They know how to pull it out,
(33:40):
close games, blowouts, it doesn't matter. Then again, you were
confirmed in a very close game. It was equalized one
to one. Switzerland was hanging in there, kind of had
a little bit of momentum. They found a way to win.
They find a way to win against Egypt when they
scored three goals, like, they find a way to win
because they're champs. So you can be in that camp.
I like to lean in more along and if less
Lexi was here, he would fight me. But I would
(34:02):
like to lean a little bit more on. As you mentioned,
that was of egregious.
Speaker 6 (34:07):
He had to go. I didn't want him to because
it was a great match. You shame on you for
doing that. Yeah, a shame on you. I gotta lick
a contact, got a shoela, shoelace to shoelace or nothing.
I can't, I can't. These are grown men.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Hey, going back to the Egypt again, USC Chris, and
he is chomping at the bit.
Speaker 5 (34:25):
You let him get three goals in like thirteen minutes Egypt,
I'll give you one. If it was contra okay, maybe
the refl three goals in like thirteen minutes.
Speaker 3 (34:32):
That's on you. Am I wrong, Chris?
Speaker 8 (34:37):
I think what's stemmed from all of this against Switzerland.
I agree with you, guys. It was egregious. The flopp
was egregious. There's no way to save it. At that
point you have a yellow car. You should know the
eyes of the officials are on you. At that point.
You get another one, it's red. You're done. I think
the problem is is that it is the Egypt game.
I think that's at the forefront of this, but it's
gonna poison everything moving forward with Argentina because what they
(35:00):
called against Egypt was like egregious.
Speaker 3 (35:03):
I think in this.
Speaker 8 (35:04):
Tournament overall, var has been used in very weird ways,
which gave us the Balligan situation where it's like va
R is not supposed to be used like this.
Speaker 3 (35:13):
Point I mentioned that they never used it and they
never slow it down like that.
Speaker 8 (35:17):
For they did, There's been a ton of irregularities. You
have that Norwegia Norway England game where the ball hit
the wire on but then Fia said, because there's it
doesn't tip the monitor on the on the ball itself.
But everyone, who are you gonna believe the monitor or
your lying eyes? Everyone saw it hit hit, hit, the
hit the wire and it wasn't called. So I don't
(35:39):
know if it's fixed in there, but I definitely think there.
I think this pattern with Argentina goes well beyond just
this tournament, and I think it's just boiled over. Egypt
was the inflection point. The Switzerland thing feels like a
false positive what I think, and it's going to be
worse when we get to England because the English press
will not shut up about anything, anything if England is
(36:01):
aggrieved against Argentina.
Speaker 5 (36:03):
And that's the bad part is that now anything any
if a dude, you know, he tackles somebody, they don't
call it, it's gonna be looked at it. If I mean,
we're gonna be in that position where because again now
it's out there on Argentina that everybody's looking for any
and everything.
Speaker 3 (36:17):
Now, I will say.
Speaker 5 (36:18):
Any sea from Laker fan, I do believe the leagues
would love to have their favorite player and or team,
in this case, Lionel Messi in the finals.
Speaker 6 (36:28):
Well, I'm sure they want to repeat of four years ago. Yes,
and if you can, and if.
Speaker 5 (36:34):
You let's say things come down to a close call,
well I don't think it's gonna be that close day.
Speaker 3 (36:39):
Get two thousand and two Lakers Sacramento Kings. That was two, right?
What was that three? I don't know what you're getting. Oh,
you know what I'm getting.
Speaker 5 (36:47):
Don't know what you getting one of the worst officiated
games in the history of mankind.
Speaker 6 (36:51):
You don't know what you're getting at. So what are
you getting at? I just said it? Where the Kings
were robbed the Kings were robbed that game.
Speaker 5 (36:58):
Yes, I'm not saying, sirih and you know it. I
don't give a day back to usc talking about our eyes.
We all seen it. We sainted. What did you sink?
I see what did? The rest were either calling or
not calling stuff. I seen Kobe blow through Bibby's face
and they called it on Kobe.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
I mean, on baby the fire, But what's the foul?
I'm not doing this? You talking about doing this with you?
Speaker 5 (37:22):
That was one of the most dude you know me
When the last time bring that up to Chris Webber,
you might He's usually a cool, calm collected Chris. I know,
bring that up to you might just bring it up
behind glass or somewhere like he can't he gonna go crazy.
Speaker 6 (37:36):
Look, man, they had a little spark. That spark went out.
It's ober ain't been the same thing, and I'm about
to hit you with a spark plug, right, I ain't
been in the same shit.
Speaker 3 (37:46):
That was funny. I love that. That a couple of
years of great rivalry for I'm saying, we.
Speaker 5 (37:50):
Need those in the league. Hot second, we need it. Well,
y'all ruined it hot second, breaking.
Speaker 9 (37:57):
It up following this conversation, though, who do you guys
have for the England and Argentina came and who do
you guys think is gonna take it?
Speaker 6 (38:06):
Argentina Argentina have the greatest baller on the planet.
Speaker 3 (38:16):
But look, let me tell.
Speaker 5 (38:17):
England is their first real matchup, right usc Chris like
their first?
Speaker 8 (38:22):
I think it was big. I think it was big
for them to take down Norway. I will say for
England it has been Harry Kane carrying this load. But
Jude Bellingham coming on for two goals. I think they
are I think they're at this point they're deeper than Argentina.
They are, they are, but they're and they're battle tested
to Only three teams have beaten Mexico in as Teca
Martin sixty.
Speaker 3 (38:41):
That's hard to do. They're one of them.
Speaker 6 (38:42):
Boy, that was an impressive win. That was a really
impressive win. I'll say this, you know what greatness is
right when you and you got to look at Lanno
Messi like you look at Michael Jordan's I mean he's
that like you look at Kobe like you look at
the greatest magic bird, some of the lebron some of
(39:03):
the greatest players on the planet. For whatever reason, they
can summon something that us mere mortals, even us other
professional athletes can't summon. Right, That's what they're up against,
and that gives the edge to Argentina. When you and
he and look for all intense purposes, if you've been
(39:26):
watching Lionel Messi has been not exerting.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
A lot of energy. It's a lot of killed.
Speaker 6 (39:32):
The ball touches his foot and you can instantly see
at thirty nine, Oh he better than everybody else.
Speaker 3 (39:39):
No, it's different. I ain't gonna lie you.
Speaker 6 (39:40):
Just he's better than every single person on the pitch
when the ball touches his foot and in those show
short bursts, that's dangerous.
Speaker 2 (39:48):
Man.
Speaker 8 (39:49):
You know what helps him too is he's been playing
in this climate in MLS, this summer climate.
Speaker 6 (39:53):
This is home.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
This is this is his home.
Speaker 8 (39:55):
He's been playing here for a few years now. So
like when England Norway were gas is one hundred and
three feeling on the on the pitch in Miami seven.
Speaker 5 (40:02):
Yeah, yeah, he's used to that now. Man, you gotta
find him sometimes he ain't.
Speaker 6 (40:07):
You, No, he and he will, man, I will sit
and he'll be hiding, and that ball across and oh
he got it and then he just like boo boo
bo It's a whole nother.
Speaker 3 (40:17):
Just watch his foot speed at thirty nine years old.
Speaker 5 (40:22):
When he gets the ball in traffic, You're like, oh,
you know what he has that they're not taking. That
he has that the magical people in any sport have
is where you expect the unexpected from them, and it is.
Speaker 3 (40:32):
That's why we watch.
Speaker 6 (40:33):
That's what he knows what you're gonna do before you
do it, and that's why he's good.
Speaker 3 (40:37):
It looks like it does, look like he's in a difference.
Speaker 6 (40:39):
I'm telling you he'll be standing or walking and that
ball will come across the middle and it'll touch his
foot and it's zero to one hundred and it split and.
Speaker 3 (40:47):
Passes lived there.
Speaker 6 (40:48):
Oh my god, on the money, I'm gonna put it
right where it's supposed to be.
Speaker 9 (40:52):
But y'all, y'all think that Messi's again just his accuracy,
because again you have to consider his age. I don't
I genuine because I'm going for England not to be
a homer, but I don't think he is, Like I
don't think it's enough like especially have you guys, have
you guys seen England's goalkeeper Puford and the way he's
just been defending the ball.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
And I'm with you. I'm England. I'm not gonna lie.
I think Britannia takes it. I think they're crazy enough
to take it.
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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