Coffee Is For Closers LeBron, Pour Lonzo a Cup

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
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(00:25):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. All Yeah, it is
The y Couple. I'm Chris Bruce, Sorry, joined by my
main man, Rob Parker, and as always, we're coming to
you live from the Geico Fox Sports Radio Studios. Fifteen

(00:46):
minutes could save you fifteen percent or more in your
car insurance. Visit Geico dot com and get yourself a
free rate quote. And boy, have we got a show
for you today. First off, we got some great guests
joining us. It's Bucky Brooks in the second hour of
the show, NFL Network and Fox Sports One NFL analysts

(01:08):
breaking down what's coming up this weekend, Dez Bryant, new
team with the New Orleans Saints, everything going on in
the NFL we can talk to Bucky about. And then
the third hour of the show, stay tuned for Karan Butler,
NBA champion two time NBA All Star now an NBA
analyst with Fox and other places. So Karan has all

(01:31):
of the juice going on with the NBA, and we
got a lot to talk about. We got NBA with
Lebron and Linzo ball. They got a big win last
night over the Minnesota Timberwolves. We got some baseball with
Bryce Harper. Numbers that we have not seen before associated

(01:52):
not just with a baseball player, but with any of
the pro athletes in the three major sports. Really gotta
go to boxing to see these times, even that it's
not the same, you know what I mean, because there
are event driven right like like a like a one
person boy just part of her career, remember, but a
part of a team to be able to talk about

(02:12):
the type of money that they're talking about, right, No,
you'll be interested in hearing these contracts. And then of
course some NFL talk lots to get to their leaveon
bell and and all sorts of stuff. So let me
bring in my man, Rod Parker. How you doing today? Man?
I'm doing just great. How are you? I'm great? Can
I say I went to go get a haircut today?
You know what I can never tell and I don't

(02:35):
mean this in a bad way. I can never tell
when you got a haircut, Like it's not lined up
in the front, not fading. You can y'all tell he
got a haircut. I know the listeners. Man, he might
be at I'm serious, I can't now, did I look closely?

(02:57):
A little neater, a little shorter? Right? My point is
there's no fade. No, it's no line. You know there's
a line. It's a line. You're saying. No, not much.
Doesn't charge you, man, I can't tell you I can
do that. I could do that for free. No, you
can't because I could do you. I'm serious. I could

(03:19):
do that for free. But but you wore that hands
in college? Did you really? Yeah? I wasn't that great.
But and I cut my own hair. I could tell that.
But there's all kinds of other stuff that goes on.
He's given me, Like he washes my hair, gives me
a facial hair? Are you serious? I do? Chris is
gonna have a heart? Are you serious today? Wash my hair? Yeah? Washed?

(03:41):
You can't wash on hair. I do wash my hair.
But he cut it, washed it and then finished cutting it.
Sometimes I like to get it washed professionally. Why what
I mean? First, of all, you don't have that much
hair where and I mean your hair for for a
senior citizen is did you hear that? Well? You you
showed me that give you the scene your dis can't
get you wow? But for a guy your age, let's

(04:06):
put oh here's another one age. No, you know, I'm happy,
but yeah, you you I'm har better than most the
overwhelming majority. You're in the like top what or something
of hair at your age? No, I'm not. I'm happy,
but it's still not a lot. You know your hair
is not long? No, no, no, but but I keep
it cut at least every week. My nephew cut it

(04:28):
when I was in New York and he cut it
really low, so I didn't have to really get a
haircut when I came back. But he just keeps it
needed you know what I mean. It's not skin fade.
I don't like to do all that, but I like
to have a cut and he didn't. Yeah, shave, and
a facial. You know where they put that black mask
on you. It's like, I don't get facial. You never
had a facial? Not? No, I don't think I've ever

(04:50):
had alex not to this day. No, I'm not Rob.
Of course I have Rob Parker. Thank you. You've gotten facials? Yes, yeah,
you know what. I have friends, you know, male friends
who who've gotten pedicures, and uh, they were at our
house We're having a barbecue and a couple of them
they were like, yeah, we get pedocures. My wife and

(05:12):
daughters were like, don't you think about really? Yeah, they like,
I'm a man's man, that's what they say, like, yo,
you my I mean, my stuff ain't no stuff not
at you ever see guys NBA players, I get. I
get why if I an NBA player, I get why

(05:32):
they get pedicures because it's just you know, it's more
than I'm telling yeah, or messed up, but medical. Yeah.
Like I said, if you're an NBA player, your stuff's
gonna be banged up because of the nature of your
what you put on your feet a regular guy. What
you're doing, man, that you need you get pedicure. Yeah,

(05:52):
once in a while. I'm not all the time saying
I wouldn't, but my wife and daughter had all they
were like, don't, don't, don't do it. Don't you even
the you're not getting what's your calling, you're not getting
polished and that kind of stuff on your neck. It's
just a matter of them cutting it down and filing
it to be nice. No, that's all right, I guess no,
no polish. I wouldn't want polish, all right. It is

(06:15):
the Yad Couple, indeed, And yes, we got so much
off to a hot star, to a hot star, unbelievable.
You know, a rob g Remember we should throw that
out there. How do real men get real men? Here?
We go real out there, a severe real man even

(06:36):
take out the I'm just asking y'all, do you I'm
not because I'm not dissing guys and get pedicures? How
can you? You love friends? Get them? You love them?
You love Lebron, He get your pedicure. Now, you ain't
a real man. He's an NBA player. That's the nos.
His excuse. That's ridiculous to y'all. They just see it
at the desk all day. What you're doing getting pedicures. Unbelievable.

(06:57):
All right, let's Chris welcome in the couple crew because
he wouldn't be able to do this fine little radio
program without him. So you know what, I'm gonna go
cancel all those gift certificates I got pro pedicures for
everybody for Christmas. So you're not getting that gift certificate.
How's that all right? As always, um, let's welcome in
Rob g our producer, Alex, our engineer. Our anchor of course,

(07:20):
is Deb Carson, and our intern Daniel. They're all on
the other side of the glass on this TV theme
song Thursday, christal Let's kick some ass better. Right, that
was a lot better. Better. Right, You're still not there yet,
but that was all right. Let's get it started, all right. Look,
I watched the Lakers game last night. I know you

(07:41):
watched the Lakers game last night. It was a great win,
a good team. Look, I don't care. I'm gonna They're
gonna win some games. I mean, don't don't make it like, oh,
they beat Minnesota at home that had a losing record,
Oh what a great win. Hold on, Oh my god, no,
l did I say. I said it was a really
good win. Everybody knows. Let me let me just share

(08:06):
why I think it was a great win. First of all, obviously,
the Lakers need everyone they can get. Number two, don't
be fooled by Minnesotia's record. That's like saying Houston is
under five hundred, Utah is under five hundred. They are,
But you know, these are really good teams. Houston is,
I mean, Minnesota is a really good team. Obviously you
got Karl Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins looked good last night.

(08:28):
Jimmy Butler is one of the best twelve fifteen players
in the league. And the resurgence. I might know Ryan
Hollins an apology for yesterday, but Derek Rose is bawling.
Andy balled last night. We have thirty one I think
missed the game, potential game winning three, but sank two

(08:48):
right before that to keep them in the game and
give them a shot. So I think that for the
Lakers it was a good win. When you get you're
gonna complain about the win. I'm not complaining about the one.
You got something that you got something negative to say
about the wind, Just don't dress it up as if
it was some moment in the making or some turning corner,

(09:09):
turning corner for the lab We'll see, That's all I'm saying. No,
we do know there ain't no turning corner. But what
I loved at the end was in the last six
minutes of the game. Of course, Lebron James was one
for four and shooting, including a couple of terrible three
point attempts in the final forty seconds forty five seconds
when the Lakers were only up by one. I don't
know what those shots were. Can you explain those? Those

(09:31):
were terrible shots. What I'll say is that Lebron with
it was a couple minutes left, he made a nice
little eight foot step back to give them a lead.
So that was a big shot. But the two three
pointers at the end were terrible shots, Like what do
you do when you can get into the lane whenever
you don't need to do that, you know. And they

(09:53):
weren't even just regular three pointers. They were like twenty
seven footers. I mean, he was way behind the line.
And this is not new. Lebron's taking the doing this
the last few years later in games, he's taking these
extra long three pointers. He's not a great three point shooter,
He's okay. Um, It's just that's not smart basketball. Tyson

(10:14):
Chandler may have saved him by pat you know, tipping out,
tapping out the rebounds, and that's wisdom from Tyson Chandler.
If you can't grab the rebounds tapping back. Those were
great plays by the veteran, but I'm not you know,
the bad shots by Lebron. I expect him to do better,
but I don't think you know. But the night the

(10:34):
little eight foot step back, that was a nice shots.
Still trying to say, I'm just closing on And despite
winning three of their last four, the Lakers are still
just twenty fifth in the NBA fourth quarter within fourth
quarter margin minus two point three and they were zero
point four last year. So that's the other part. They
still haven't gotten there yet. But we'll see. I mean,

(10:55):
a win at home, you'll always take that, chrisp. But
I'm just saying it shouldn't be some stamp of approval
that life is great and you've got you've already mentioned
it seven of the next nine or against teams under
five hundred. They gotta win some of these games. So
they started off this on a good note. Had they
lost it, then I think people were question like, oh
my god, here you go. You're at home against the

(11:17):
team that's under five hundred, not playing particularly well. What
have they lost now four in a row or five
in a row. They've lost four in a row. I
think the tea will Yeah, I mean they're struggling there,
four and eight, they're really struggling badly. Yeah, they've lost
like four or five in a row. Now four in
a row, so you gotta win that game. And it's okay.
I'm not knocking him for beating a team on the slide,

(11:37):
but let's not make it bigger than it really is.
All right, And you know what, here's your one guy.
You could ask what people to call and just taking
real Roger from Ohio, real quick, welcome to the eye couple.
What part of Ohio? Roger? Youngstown, Chris, I've been following
you for many years. Man, just an honor to talk
to you. My friends, thank you. One of my one

(11:58):
of my best friends in college, I was from Youngstown.
We hung out there. Okay, yeah yeah, any so I
can you a manny petty type? Can you just straight
out let you walk around Youngstown? Sound young sounds like
Detroit that you can't get it? We had we had

(12:18):
two nail texting our barbershop in Detroit. Go ahead, you
sure you want to make sure you want to say
this before you do. Look at you. I'm a I'm
a man's man. I think you know you gotta know
who you are to do some of the things that
that men should enjoy to decompress the times. Look just
this past Saturday, I got a royal pedicure and uh

(12:43):
a man's manicure. I got the jail polish. I'm a
truck driver, so I like keeping my hands uh nice
and neat. So when me and my wife this weekend
go to Columbus, you know, I'm gonna be looking good
with my grandkids and having a good time the Cavs game,
you know, and going to a truck. I'm proud of

(13:13):
made a good living driving a truck, and I have
a college degree as well. But uh, you know, I
called also to talk about the Lakers, and I don't
want to take you up too much. Once the Lake,
I followed Lebron for many years, and my wife and
I are real quick. Are going to Los Angeles. I've
never been to California, so we're going to Los Angeles

(13:34):
March ninth to watch Lebron play Boston. Now I think
whenever once, like, if you go back when Lebron went
to Miami, they had a horrible losing streak. They were
crying in the locker room. I remember when you were
reporting that, so once they begin to put together, they
begin to put together six or seven game winning streak

(13:57):
when they decided to play defense, and when they played defense,
they got the same with the exception of a great shooter.
They need some outside quickly. We gotta get ready to
go to break. But your point is that the Lakers
will get it together, just like Miami and Cleveland did. Exactly. Okay,
I'm not mad, Roger. You were wrong right on one thing,

(14:19):
wrong on the other. All right, this is not Miami
and this is not Cleveland. I just get off of
Just ignore what you just heard. This time last year
he was being talked about as a future Hall of Famer.
Now he might be on the trade block. That's next.
It's The Eye Couple of Fox Sports Radio. Thanks for
listening to The Odd Couple podcasts. Be sure to check

(14:39):
us out live every weekday from seven pm to ten
pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for The Odd Couple at Fox
Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every day
on the iHeartRadio app by searching f s R. That's right,

(15:02):
It's The Odd Couple and it is a TV theme show. Thursday,
Rod Parker's favorite day of the week. Along with trash
talk you know, I'm excited, and our DJ Alex Tysher
putting his own little personal twist on this flint Stones
themes on that's Freshman. Yeah, I like that. I like that. Also, Rob,

(15:24):
in case you didn't know, car shopping can be confusing
terms like dealer, price list, price invoice. What True Car
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a new or even a used car, visit Truecar to

(15:46):
enjoy more confident car buying experience. We start off the
show with a little pedicure talk, but also Lebron, James
and the Lakers. We're gonna get into lines of boff.
You want to get in on the conversation, hit us
up at eight seven, seven ninety nine on Fox. That's
eight seven seven nine nine six sixty three six nine.

(16:07):
And one thing about the game last night, Rob, you
mentioned you didn't think Lebron was the big closer. I
actually think it's fine that you know you can have
different guys closed games Kuzma made a couple of big shots.
Some other guys, you know, they made some good plays.
It wasn't just Lebron at the end, and we both
admitted he took a couple of bad three pointers. But

(16:29):
one guy that was missing, that was noticeably absent at
the end of the game. In fact, he sat out
the last or was on the bench for the last
sixteen minutes and thirty seven seconds. I believe ye six
and a half minutes. Yeah, six last sixteen and a
half minutes, Linzo Ball. I don't think it's a big deal.

(16:54):
I'm fine. Look, but people gotta understand that the days
last year, it was just last year, wasn't the days
it wasn't several years. But Lonzo Ball is no longer
a part of the Lakers nucleus. Now, it's still open
for him to be a part of it. Like if

(17:15):
he plays well enough and becomes stop part of it,
I'm gonna stop you what, I'm gonna stop you. He's
no longer a part of their nucleus. That's something wrong
with that. No, I'm just saying I want all the
Lonzo Ball people to who when he when he had
the one big game, Oh he had twelve points in
eight we bounds and eight assists. Oh my god, Lonzo,

(17:36):
he should be the starter of the rest of the way.
Nobody needs Rondo. That's what I heard. Where are you
now when you look at this guy over the last
few games, ever since Rondo came back, he's called up
into a little ball and rolled into the corner. That's
where Lonzo ball is right now. He's awful, Chris, He's awful.

(17:57):
That's why I didn't played the last sixteen and a
half minutes of the close game. He's awful. They know it.
They know It's got a great not a very No,
you got a very good point guard in front of you.
He's an older guy, the futures not that old. He's
way older than than Lonzo. Better than Linzo. The guys

(18:17):
helped the team win a championship. He's on a woman
in contract. You're not winning the championship this year. Rondo
should not be playing. I don't care. You're trying to win. No,
Lonzo's about Lonzo. You're not trying to win. No. No,
those days, this is my point. Those days are over.
It's not about let's see what Linzo can do. Why doors,

(18:38):
Because I got Lebron James. Now I'm about winning the championship.
Now you're not winning this year. Everybody knows it. So
why not play the kid and see if this kid
could really play? Because it's about more than championship. We
still if you're the Lakers, they still want to make
the playoffs and get to the Western Conference. Magic Johnson
stood there and told me this guy's was gonna be

(19:00):
in the rafters. He pounded his chest and talked about
Lonzo Paul is the face of the franchise, and less
than a year ago, now you're talking about this guy
can't get off up off the bench. In the last
sixteen and a half minutes, Magic Johnson misspoke, all right,
he was wrong. Clearly, this guy is no longer part

(19:23):
of the nucleus. Now, as I said, the nucleus isn't set.
The only one we know is a part of the
nucleus is Lebron James. Everybody else The next spot the
deck spot. After that, it's wide open. If Linzo goes
up and grabs it and snatches it, great, I'm sure
the Lakers would love that kid. He's not gonna be
given to him. He can't what they're saying he can't

(19:45):
snatch anything if he's not playing. If he if he
don't deserve to play, then he's not gonna play sixteen
and a half minutes. That's ridiculous. Why I was on
the Laker court more than he was sixteen and a
half minutes the final of the game. He's not even playing.
They should be like he winning in mids, three shots
or tattoo turnovers, and you take him out and go.

(20:06):
He's not ready. They're not even putting him out there.
Rondo was that good that he couldn't get a blow
for two or three minutes. Lonzo, they don't even want
him on the call. He played for twenty one minute.
I'm talking about the last sixteen and a half in
the game that went down to the trying to win.
If he's not good enough to play, then I'm not
gonna run him out there when I'm trying to win
a ball game. Again, I've got Lebron James. Now it's

(20:30):
all changed. If you don't like, get sorry, but now
it's about winning this year, next year, the year after that,
and again the door's open. Come on, lines, I walk through.
They're not gonna hold him back, but you gotta earn
it eight seven, seven ninety nine on Fox. I think
that the so they should just be like Philadelphia and

(20:51):
throw this throw a Marquelle faults out. Yeah, terrible. It
was the first overall pick. Yeah, they should be playing him.
Why because you see trying to win now. But you can't.
Let me tell you something in the Lonzo ball situation,
he is never going to even be close to what
they thought he was if you continue to use them
the way that they're using them, which is in non

(21:12):
constant in in uh meaningless minutes early in meaning nothing's
meaning sixteen and a half long as a quarter, Chris,
it's a twelve minute. So you need to tell me
he didn't play the entire There wasn't like like thirty
seconds in the fourth quarter. He didn't, and then he
missed another. He's got to earn it. Rob they're saying

(21:33):
they practice, he's not showing him anything in practice. Then
let him go get rid of him. Then if he's
not gonna play a second overall they get some good
offers for him, maybe they will. That's all wrong. Do
you agree with the way that Lonzo's being now here?
I am defending Lonzo and in that I just think
that you played a kid. This isn't even if it

(21:55):
means losing. This is a year that you already know
Rondo's here for signed a one year on track, and
you don't even know. This team is not uh set
up to win anything. Okay, they're set up to anything.
They're set up to be as good as anybody in
the West outside of Golden State, honestly, and and they not.

(22:15):
Can they not do that right and hold on? If
things go to the way that they expect them to go,
Rondo won't be here next year when they go to
try to sign the big name player they're gonna need
the money to cap. They won't be able to have
that money. They they could. Here's the deal. They won't
be able to keep Rondo Rondo from Rondo's not getting
huge money, no, but they're gonna get anything. That's why

(22:36):
he's here. They they could still go out and get
a big time free agent and if they want keep Rundo.
I'm just saying this makes no sense to me. It's
just you gotta earn it. I'm this is the freaking NBA.
This ain't c yo. When the minutes get given to you,
how did he arner last year when when they played
last year was a different st They were in a

(22:57):
different stratosphere last year. Last year we were no good.
We had a bunch of young boys and let's just
throw them out there and see what they can do.
Now everything's changed. That's it. That's what happens when you
got the best way in the world. If you don't
like it, then go play in the G League, go
play somewhere where they just Dad's league. But in the NBA, baby,

(23:20):
you got to earn your minutes, especially when your teammate
is Lebron James. That's all you gotta play the kid.
I'm sorry, I'm just earned it to give him my
hand down and ain't a hand out. I'm giving them
government cheese and plane talk. That's what he should get.
All right, We're gonna continue this conversation. We got a
lot of people that want to weigh in even a

(23:41):
little more pedicure talk, but they went to weigh in,
So we'll do that after the one and only Dab
Carson gives us the latestness for Dad. Let me just
ask you, because people starting to jump on you, got it.
Do the men in your family get pedicures? Um, not lately,
but yes I have proven no no, no, no, no, yes,
I'm saying we haven't had time. Yes, absolutely, pedicures are

(24:01):
a good thing. No polish though, no, no, no, just
just try goals soaked the feet, massage, no polish, no no, no,
the simple stuff. Just clean them up a little bit, exactly,
take care of my old feet. Well that's good. Definitely,

(24:22):
no polish, no, no, no, shine, I'm just all right,
all right, yeah, all right, and no you know, nail polish,
no proof stuff. No, no, anyway, got a big game
coming up, hey, but fun marky matchup potentially Panthers and
Steelers tonight. Fox TV has the coverage there. Panthers come
in at six and two. They've won three in a
row and they're a game behind the Saints in the

(24:43):
NFC South wall the Steelers of one four in a row.
They're five two on one. They leave the AFC North
a half game ahead of the Bengals. Also have acc
Action featuring a top fifteen team, fourteenth ranked NC State
hosting Wake Forest. That game is just about to kick
off from Raleigh, and other our NFL news. Patriots tighten
Rob Gronkowski, receiver Julian Edelman and running back Tony Michelle.

(25:06):
We're all limited in practice today because of injuries. Mean
Wallola NBA News. Thunderguard Russell Westbrook still out tonight against
the Rockets because of that ankle he sprayed. Monday Night.
Rockets and thunder tip off at eight eastern Tonight, Big
Markey matchup in the NBA Tonight though Bucks and Warriors.
That tips ten thirty Eastern from Northern California. Thursday's Discover

(25:26):
Card Key matchup on the ice. The Vancouver Canucks are
at Boston taking on the Bruins, and right now the
Canucks are up one zip. They are midway through the
first period. Speaking of great matchups. Become a new card member.
Discover Card will match all the cashback you've earned dollar
for dollar at the end of your first year. Learn
more at discover dot com. Slash match limitations apply. Thank
you so much, Dad, appreciate you. Welcome all right, Dad,

(25:50):
thank you. It's the Eye Couple. Chris Brusar, Rob Parker
coming to you live from the Geico Fox Sports Radio studios.
It's easy to say fifteen or more on your car
insurance with Geico. Go to Geico dot com or call
eight hundred nine four seven auto. The only hard part
is figuring out which way is easier. All right, let's
go to the phones. We got people ready to chime in.
Let's go to Timothy and Dallas. You're on the odd

(26:12):
couple of Fox Sports Radio. Timothy, Yeah, let's go. Hey,
but Chris don't. Two thinks. It seemed like Luke Bawden
is kind of holding back also because he trusts Rondo
more because he's scared about his job. Well, he's not
playing him, he's not playing him as much. I think

(26:33):
the charge with the Lakers, they are trying to do
two separate things that don't necessarily go together. Develop the
young guys find out who can play with Lebron, but
at the same time win Now like they definitely want
to make the playoffs. I get that and go as
far as they can. And if I'm Luke, I look,
he's already been called on the carpet by magic. He's
got to win games. So if Rondo's the one delivering,

(26:56):
so b it. If Linzo delivers or looks great in
practice or whatever it is. In his twenty one minutes
that he got last night, he was one for six.
He had three points, he had six and since Rondo
had ten. So I'm just saying, if he earns the minutes,
he'll get them. But when Rondo was suspended, you were
like rand and raving about Lonzo and he was shooting

(27:18):
him well, and now you don't want him out the No,
I don't say that. I'm just saying, earn the minutes.
He hasn't played that well since Rondo got back. And look,
if Rondo's presence intimidate you back, whatever, that's what I'm
saying that. I think the Lakers want to see, do
you have the dog? Can you handle a veteran and
accomplished veteran like Rondo being behind you and beat him

(27:39):
out and called competition. That's what it's about. All I'm saying.
I agree with that, But I'm just saying that goes
sixteen and a half minutes is a long stretch. It
would have been bad had they lost. They won, I
won't worry about it. Mark in New Orleans, welcome to
the Eye Couple. How you doing y'all? Y'all? I like
that he is the man with the accent. Yeah, I

(28:00):
like that. Man. I just want to don't pick me off.
I want to make one statement. I want to pick
a bone with Chris. Go ahead, here we go. You
get pedicures two or something. No, no, nothing about that.
Stop talking about Lonzo Ball. He's a bust. Now, let
me pick my bone with Chris. He keeps bringing up
this ain't this is this ain't happening. Uh, Anthony Davis
being trade to the Lakers. Now, he may go to

(28:20):
the Lakers, but as long as New Orleans owns his rights,
he's not being traded there. Why would I trade into
a Western Conference team? If he told me he wanted
to go to the Lakers, I tell him to kick
rocks and pounds, sad. Just just let me ask you.
Just like Mark, just like the Spurs, Just like the Spurs,
wouldn't trade Kawhi to the Lakers. It's it's the same everybody.

(28:41):
I told you, Remember that, I told him it ain't
gonna happen. They're not gonna do that. Why would you
happen to say the Lakers all the rod Here, here's
here's the all. Look, here's the issue. And I don't
disagree necessarily with what you guys are saying, but you
keep bringing it up that he might be traded to them.
There's not a snowball chance in hell. Look if the
if Anthony Davis, if I'm not saying he definitely will.

(29:04):
If he goes to New Orleans front office after this
season and says I want to be traded to the
Lakers or I want to be traded, they say where
he says the Lakers, nobody else. That's where I want
to go. Now. They can play hardball all they want,
but especially if Kawhi Leonard leaves Toronto this year, If
Kawhi Leonard stays in Toronto, they might get some decent

(29:26):
offers because that will be two All stars who've done that,
Paul George staying in Oklahoma City Kawhi Leonards staying in Toronto.
But if Kawhi goes to Toronto, I doubt that they
get great offers. You think Boston's gonna give up all
their draft picks and some of their young stars for
Anthony Davis if he might leave, But I'm still not

(29:47):
trading to the Lakers. If you so, you would rather
let him walk away for nothing and get nothing for
what if you what did he have to wind up doing?
Buying and win a coach? What if you can get
brandon Ingram, you know, Kyle, you're not gonna do it,
Old Ball whoever for Anthony Davis. That's better. It ain't

(30:09):
gonna happen, Mark, because you're not gonna hurt yourself in
the Western Conference by making the Lakers great by giving
them your player. That's san Antonio traded Kyria Boston. All right,
that was a mistake and they knew it, by the way,
and they knew it. All right. Let's go to Mike
and Los Angeles. Join the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio.
What's up, Mike, Yo? What's up? Fellas? Hey, I gotta

(30:30):
I got a solution for the Lakers. I'm not a
Laker fan, but I have a solution for their problems.
They need to trade three players, brandon Ingram to um
Minnesota for Jimmy Jimmy Jimmy Butler, and then trade Lonzo
Ball in CASECP to the Wizards for Bradley Bill. They'll

(30:51):
get shooting and then get defense, you know, because they
don't have time to try to develop players because hast
for three years. Look, those are those are good? I mean,
if the other teams would do that, those aren't bad.
I don't. I don't. First of all, brandon Ingram you
gotta find some other way to get the money up

(31:12):
to match Jimmy Butler's that's number one women that doesn't work.
That doesn't work. And then you got to make sure
Butler wants to stay with the Lakers. You're not giving
it up, giving all this up if he's gonna leave Washington.
I think they probably rather trade John Wall at this point,
Bradley Bill. So, but look, if you're the Lakers, those
makes sense. But all right, they haven't even put pen

(31:36):
to paper yet, and I guarantee they're already having buyers remorse.
I'll explain next. It's the Eye couple of Fox Sports Radio.
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(31:58):
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for greatness search Indeed be sure to catch live editions

(32:20):
of the Odd Couple with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker
week days at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. You're listening to
the I Couples Chris Brussard and Rob park on this
TV theme show Thursday. Now, what is it? Oh? This
is a SpongeBob but way mcwizzle, we don't get the words. No, no, no, oh,

(32:43):
I want this is amb I can tell. I don't know.
I never wanted. Oh, come on, I want to sing
SpongeBob alight. That's why he's not playing the worst. They
don't want to hear you. We had to, don't. No,
I don't get petticues, and I don't watch SpongeBob. All
you gonna sing with me? I would sing with him?

(33:05):
All right? Come on, all right, give me a sack.
All right, look just just one line like not a lie?
Are you trying to hear to Rob? Do you know
the lie? I'm no, don't don't think because you're your
little thing with Ari stears, I won't don't go viral,
but dab, I don't know the words to sponge deb

(33:26):
and I you know, we watch sitting around watching cartoon
ain't dab. He's family shaming me because a family I
was sitting around and watch cartoon exactly. It's no surprise
that the guy Bob Square Pets, who's start with your
yellow and porg SpongeBob Square Pet, who's not uncle nonsense?

(33:49):
Is something you wish SpongeBob Square Pets, Bob Square Pets,
Fob Square Pets, you know, SpongeBob squab fire, sponge Bob
Square stop it, please please, I'm begging you now, all right.

(34:09):
You know, I'm not feeling so bad about having the
Disney Junior tunes stuck in my head. They're a little
catchier than than than That was my goodness. I've never
seen sponge What did your daughters watch? That was for
that floor? Um? The the what were the little the
little Tubby teletubbies? Wre was Barney Big One? I knew

(34:34):
the things watch with them, but no it wasn't Alex.
Thank you. That move on? All right, let's go please,
all right? Did you see what it looks like Bryce
Harper is going to get from the Philadelphia Phillies Rob
I heard courting to Bob Nightingale or USA today and

(34:54):
Bob is one of the best baseball writers in the country. Okay,
that guy's plugged in. Now he's saying, is something like
twelve years, Rob g you wanna give us some of
the specifics. Twelve expect is going to be at least
twelve years. Anywhere between four hundred and five hundred million dollars. Hey,
baseball is due is having a Betty Betty good year

(35:18):
that they're giving away. And remember, Chris, every Nichola is guaranteed.
Imagine a four between four hundred thousand and five hundred thousand. Right. Look,
don't let your baseball bias get in the way of
good logic. This is not a smart million, right, four
hundred million, one hundred between four hundred and five hundred

(35:40):
million up, totally guaranteed, one hundred percent. I like Bryce Harper,
he's a very good player, but there is no way
he is worth four hundred It's let's say fifty million,
because it's in four hundred, five hundred, four hundred and
fifty million dollars, Chris, over twelve years, Rob names the

(36:01):
names a big contract like this or you know close,
nothing's been this high that's been worth. It was Alex
Rodriguez's worth the two championship fifty two million with Texas.
They didn't even make the playoffs. No, he wasn't worth
right what he won one title with New York I mean, heck,

(36:22):
they win plenty without him, he won one. He's a
great player. Hall of Fame, you know, type player, whether
he gets in or not. But ten years, two hundred
and seventy five million, one title. Albert Poolhos ten years
two hundred and forty million with the Angels. Has he
been worth it? Hecky naw? Jan John Carlos Stanton thirteen years,

(36:47):
three hundred and twenty five million. How did he look
this year? Okay, he looked like he was worth that
type of Bunny mcgrail Cabrera ten years, two hundred ninety
two million. How's that looking right now? Say, thirty eight
games this year? No sense he got that contract he's heard? Yeah,
Robinson Canoe, don't know, ten years two hundred and forty

(37:08):
I mean, rob I'm not even trying to hate. I'm
just saying none of these guys have been worth the money. Well,
I mean all most of them, if not all of them.
At the time they got those deals, they had displayed
more consistency than Bryce Harper. When you get in baseball
the way it's set up, because they own your rights

(37:29):
for the first six or seven years, right, right, you
get paid for what you get underpaid, Chris for your
first six or seven years. You put up Albert Pools
put up all these great numbers, right, Miguel Cabert, But
they didn't make that kind of money, like the star
money that they should have been backing. You're following me, yeah, yeah, okay,
So then they get overcompensated for the future years because

(37:50):
you get paid usually in baseball for what you accomplish,
not what you're going to accomplish nothing. Does that make
sense for the number two because they keep the cost
down early on when they're not sure, instead of giving
a guy like they used to do in football, a
guy would never played one hundred million dollars like a
Matt Stafford right out of college. Right. They make you

(38:11):
earn your way and then you get the big deal
and then oftentime. But here's the other part when you
talk about these deals, there's a bad team tax that
you have to pay. That's what the Phillies and I
know the Phillies were better. They had a run, they
finished the second place in the NL East. I get it.
And they're not a terrible franchise, but they haven't wanted.

(38:31):
They haven't won in a while, five or six years. Okay,
And there's a bad team tax. If you want to
get somebody to move and come to join your team,
you gotta pay to be able to lure them. So
let me go. He turned down three hundred million from Washington,
so you already know it's gotta be more than that.
Why has it got to be four hundred million? How

(38:51):
about three fifty? Why can't it be four? How much
you work? How much? How much are you worth? Let
me ask you how much you're worth? You're worth whatever
someone pay. If that's oh, if I'm Bryce Harper, I'm
I'm dancing for joy, I'm fine with him. But for
the Phillies, does this make any sense? Rob? It's a business.
It's how much better is it about winning? Is it

(39:14):
about selling series? Well, but that's what they hope. But
they also they sell more season tickets, They sit their
TV ratings to hire locally in Philadelphia. They get more
revenue from television and from selling they make more money.
Is trust me? They're not giving them four hundred and
fifty million, thinking that they're gonna lose four hundred and

(39:35):
fifty millions. I bring up, it's a business with the NBA.
You shoot me down. What are you talking about? Always say, oh,
it's about winning. I'm like, well, sometimes it's just about
somebody that can fill the seats. No, but they got
a young team with a lot of guys who aren't
making a lot of money. How much talent was around
Bryce Harper in Washington, Yeah, but they're gonna have more

(39:56):
talent than that in Philly. But Philly had a run.
Washington's going one, Philly's on the on the rise. So
they're thinking that they got enough room on their salary cap,
you know, under the under the uh uh salary number
to be able because they don't have a cap. But
there's a threshold, uh that you have to stay on.
I'm over joyed for Bryce harperd. I mean, this is incredible.

(40:16):
If he gets this. I'm just saying, this is gonna play.
It's gonna be too record. How many guys have and
I get what's gonna get it too? Yeah, I'll get
what you're saying, but none of these guys have lived
up to that. And if you're saying, but I wanted
they're paying them for what they did, well, pay them
a little less for what they did, because it also
does have the factor in what they're going to But

(40:38):
I want you to take a look at what those
guys made their first six years, Chris, and then you
understand why they're overcompensated the other on the back half.
I know it doesn't make sense, but they own their rights.
It's the CBA right to where they own their rights.
And they aren't free agents, and they can't do anything.
They can't move. So you put these some of these
guys put up unbelievable numbers, made four hundred thousand dollars.

(41:02):
They made no money for the stats that they put off.
So now this is the overcompetent. I get it. It
doesn't look right, it doesn't sound right, but it is
fair because they were stymied from making their real market
value early on in their career. Now I get that.
I'm just saying Philadelphia will regret this, and he'll he

(41:22):
may get trade. I mean they're a big market. They
may be able to keep him if they want a
championships send up having to get rid of it. Would
you be happy as a fan to win one or
two championships in ten years. Yeah, okay, so then that's
all they can do that. I'm just saying a lot
of these guys have fallen off. Now. I know he's younger,
so we'll see. I like Bryce Harper, happy for him.
I Couple stay tuned Fox Sports Radio. Yes, indeed it

(41:46):
is the Eye Couple. I'm Christmas alongside my partner Rod Parker,
and you can check us out on Twitter, give us
a follow, and maybe even send it in a tweet
during the show. You never know when something might get
read on the air. You might get a man. You
can follow yours truly at Chris Underscore Bruce Hard and
you can follow Rob at Rob Parker f S one

(42:07):
And as always, we are coming to you live from
the Gueco Fox Sports Radio Studios. Fifteen minutes could save
you fifteen percent or more on your car insurance. Visit
geco dot com and get yourself a free rate quote Rob.
Let's move on to the NFL Big Game coming up tonight.
Carolina Panthers, who are hot football, playing great football. Cam

(42:31):
Newton has probably I don't he certainly I don't think
would be a front runner for the MVP, but he's
thrust himself into the conversation. So Norv Turner has worked
his magic again. As an offensive coordinator for whatever reason,
guys get better around him. And as a head coach.
He just never really worked out as a and some
guys are like that, and hopefully Norv has realized that

(42:54):
and is fine with it, because that's that's fine to
be in life. You gotta find out where your niche
and what you do the best at right, no question
about it. So the Carolina Panthers and they're playing Pittsburgh.
That's gonna be a great game. I've got the Steelers
in this one. I think the Steelers are gonna win.
They got the plans well, both playing really well. I
think the Steelers are gonna miss a Levy on Bell

(43:16):
tonight and this will be the beginning of the end
of the Steelers. The running Game were joking. No, I'm
being serious. They're gonna realize these games matter now. They
count matter now. Yeah, because now we got the playoff push.
What are you talking about? James Connor? He has been
more didn't even know who James Connor was before. Now

(43:38):
you're gonna tell me. Oh, James Connor James Connor has
no record, has never played in the big game. Yet
there was no big game for James. The NFL every
game is big. It's not Major League Baseball one hundred
and sixty two. It's not the NBA where they're eighty two.
Every Sunday is monumental. It's time and my man, James

(43:59):
kind of has that look. I like Levion. I hope
he gets paid. Let's move on to leiyon because there's
all types of news coming out. Well, you've heard the latest.
The first thing is I'm gonna wind up being right
because I told you he's gonna wind up getting paid,
and it's all gonna be. No, I ain't not guaranteed
he gonna get. Let me get guaranteed. Jump on your
high course, because he's not getting tied gurly money. I'm

(44:19):
telling you why. Maybe the Jets will give it to him.
They got money to burn, they need a running back plenty.
But if I'm I don't know why your team would
give a twenty seven year old tied girly money. Well,
because he's only really yeah, he should get big money.
Don't get me wrong, I give him big money. I
wouldn't give him girly money. But in football years, he's
only twenty five, No, because he because he didn't play

(44:42):
the sad injuries and those games off in football years,
that's one, but it's like two years. We're gonna get
pounded about that. And you had a second round draft pick.
I think James Connor from pitt come in and be
more productive than you were behind the same. And then
when they're losing the playoff game because they can't rush

(45:04):
in the yard, get in the yards, people gonna say,
what because didn't take him any further? Lebon didn't take
him any further. Please, you know that'll be a conversation.
This guy is on pace to rush from more yards
and leveonnas he already has more carries of twenty yards
or twice as much more than twenty almost three times.

(45:27):
They don't have any kid yet, they don't have any
film on this kid yet, not enough to change it.
They're gonna alter it in the next chair Backs. Next
art year, he'll laverage. You'll get one point two yards
of carry. Come on, man, he's averaging four point seven
yards to carry levion average four last year. And the look,
I don't I don't want to act like I'm ripping Levion.
I'm just you called me the whole boat, You're the

(45:48):
whole boat. I'm just saying I think he should be
playing to get that fourteen and a half million that
he's basically giving up. But here's the deal, Rob g
give us the news. Now, we all expected, while Babe
not live on belly, he would come back for Week
ten so we could accrue his season towards his free
agency and whatnot. Because if he didn't, supposedly that's what

(46:11):
every everybody would, he would lose the evitability because that
year would not count. So you need that extra year,
that year to qualify. So that actually got squashed by
Jay Glazer. J Glazer clarified, No, he already accruited enough years.
He's fine. So then it was while he's definitely got
to come back by November thirteenth, you know, to get

(46:32):
his accrual there in the last part of the season
to get some money again so we could be franchised
a second time. While that's all under the previous CBA,
there's a loophole in the new CBA, which basically says
that if he sits out the entire year, that this
offseason the Stealers would only have two options. Number one,

(46:53):
they could franchise tag him again, but this time the
mark would be much higher Rather than the believe it
is fourteen million, he was making it closer to twenty
five millions. It's next year, say maybe on stay out.
Or they could transition tag him, which works kind of
like a restricted free agent where he could negotiate with

(47:14):
other teams in the NFL and the Steelers would have
the right to match it, but he would essentially be
a free agent this season. So either he gets twenty
five million guaranteed or he's a free agent. Where's my
hallelujah luyah. Were not going into franchising. No, but he's
gonna get He didn't gonna get twenty five million and

(47:34):
be able to walk and go do his ow. He
was gonna lose fourteen No, No, that's okay. If he
is okay, Yeah, it's okay, because you're gonna make it
up in the deal that he's gonna sign. He's gonna
make it up. He's not. He told us, what'd you
tell us last week that he Well, a couple of
days ago, you said he'd have to get forty one million,
he'd have to get forty one million dollars to make

(47:55):
up what he lost this year. But that was that
addition that that was assuming, that was assuming he was
gonna make about nine million this year, right. No, that
was based on him getting offered a deal by the
Steelers before the season with just just under thirty million
dollars guaranteed plus whatever he was gonna make this year

(48:15):
under the franchise tag. Right. But now if he doesn't
come back at all, he's not gonna make anything. No,
so he'd have to have fifty plus guarantee. That's not
getting that, right. This is all When this is all over,
you'll have egg on your face, Chris, because it was
thought out. They understand what they're doing. Maurice. Maurice Jones
drew who's represented. I hate to say it because I'm

(48:36):
not trying to This is a boat, no, Maurice Jones
drew a bolt. Maurice Jones drew from the NFL network.
His agent is the same agent as Leveon Bell. He
said the agent didn't know that this provision existed, this loophole.

(48:56):
He don't know. So this now now they know. But Chris,
the only way he the only option he had is
to sit out to try to get a deal. That's
the only legs that a player has to stand on.
So that's that's the only thing. Now it might wind
up working out even better than he thought where he
didn't have to come back at all this year, which
is fine. But you have to give to get any sacrifice,

(49:18):
any struggle in life. Nobody just you go, hey, I
want this and they come. You know, people have had
to walk out, teachers have had to disrupt school for
months at a time, and a team. But I'm just saying,
but they they sacrifice the kids education to get an
honest wage. Sometimes this casualty when you gotta fight for
what yours. And you know what, the casualty is that

(49:41):
Levion didn't play this year and he's gonna lose some money.
But it's the principle. Sometimes you gotta stand up for
yourself and and and fight for what you believe in.
And it's okay Chris that he that he doesn't get
every dime or every dollar that he could have if
he follows you sit here talking like he's fighting for
the right sir, I'm just telling you fighting for what

(50:02):
he believes police brutality, believes that he's word, what is
what he of what the man's word what he believes
is I want more money? No, how does giving up
fourteen and a half million dollars of money help you
get more money? Because I'm saying because when he signs
that new deal with you, who knows if he ever
was going to get that in Pittsburgh will He's gonna

(50:23):
played this year, got hurt and never got the deal,
never got the long term contract that he wanted. And
it wasn't like he walked out the first time they transitioned.
They gave him a franchise tech twice. That's not fair.
Pay the man. He's done nothing but produced in his career.
It's not fair, Chris fair and a lot of life

(50:45):
isn't fair, okay, but some people are willing to fight
for it, and that's fine. But Leveon Bell to me,
and you want to talk about a real man, you
talk about a pedicure. Levion Bell's a real man who
decided I'm gonna fight. I'm gonna fight for what Martin
Luther King Junior or somebody like that, fighting for the oppressed,

(51:05):
the dissent, franch I would follow fighting to get more
money for himself, which is fine, but let's just calm
down with the some of the rhetoric. I would I
would follow him with march on the wall of mal
of Washington, d C. I would follow Levion at this point. Look,
I hope Lavian gets paid because I'm with you that

(51:27):
it's not right for the NFL to be able to friend,
I mean, franchise tagger guy like the James Connor. Right,
we're talking about having a great year. He's making what
under six hundred thousand this year, and year it's gonna
be like six hundred and then the year give him
it will be about seven and they don't have to
give him a don with you. That's but here's the
thing we talked about it yesterday. Oscar Robertson went to

(51:49):
court when he wanted to fight against something, but I
got it. Kurt Flood went to court when he wanted
to change the rules leave and I'm not saying he
had to do, but that's you're you're putting him in
the class of those guys. If you really want to
change the system for everybody, go to the government, go
to court and say this CBA is atrocious and it's

(52:13):
unfair and by the time we you know, we have
to do our our greatest years of production under this
minimal money relatively right, and then right now we could
get paid, we're banged up. Or that's what the NFL
is set up on. And it's unfair. A lot of
guys never get paid. You've seen You've seen so many
players get dumped after they've had their best years somewhere right,

(52:36):
and then it's like, Okay, now my pay day comes. Nope,
we will let you go, or you can come back
at less money. How about that when you have a
deal already in place, Chris, Oh yeah, no, no, you
can come back, but you gotta take a pay cut.
Well I gotta take a pay cut. Well we'll find out.
I'll I don't root for him to players, I don't
root for players, but all Avion Bell I respect that

(52:58):
he was willing to put up a lot of guys
talk a big game, Chris. He was willing to put
his money on the line as well and say he's
gonna fight for I was willing if you're willing to
count the cost And if he counted up the costs
and said, look, if I lose this fourteen million dollars,
I'm fine with it. If you do that, that's fine,
right and I respect that. You know what he said.

(53:19):
All he has to do is lay off the weed
during this year and he'll save himself money. He don't
need to force you say that. NOA, but we'll say,
I hope I have to. I hope I have to
buy you wings because we bet that he's I say,
he's not getting tired gurly money. You said he is.
I hope I have to buy you wings. All right,

(53:41):
all right, but I'm thinking you're gonna have to buy
me wings. We'll see, all right. Would Levian Bell be
making a mistake if he decides to sit out the
entire season. NFL analyst Bucky Brooks has the answer. Next,
it's The Eye Couple Fox Sports Radio. You're tuned into
the odd couple of Chris brus Are and Park on
his TV theme song Thursday, we are brought to you

(54:04):
by Discover Card because Discover Card treats you like you
would treat you. And we're bringing in our next guest.
He is an NFL analyst for the NFL Network and
Fox Sports One. He's the co host of Fox Sports
Saturday with Mark Willard. That's every Saturday from four to

(54:25):
eight pm Eastern Time radio. Right of us. We're partners
with Mark Willer. Yes, that's Fox Sports Radio. Let's welcome in,
Bucky Brooks. Bucky, welcome to the Odd Couple. Hey man,
appreciate it's always great to have you on. And obviously
we've got the Steelers and the Panthers playing the night. Uh.

(54:46):
This there's a lot of new stuff coming out regarding
Levian Bell. Now he doesn't have to report this season
to become a free agent next summer or next offseason. Uh,
he could get the twenty five million dollars quarterback franchise
tag if he, you know, for next season, if the
Stealers franchise him. And now the Steelers are saying they

(55:09):
expect Leveon to report next week. What do you think
at this point with all the new news coming out,
should should Leveon come back? Or you think he's better
served just sitting out the rest of the season. Man,
this is a tough one for me because I understand
Levion's position in terms of one to sit out or whatever.
I just find it hard to walk away from fourteen

(55:31):
plus million dollars. But at this point, I think Levion
is kind of like proves his point in terms of
he didn't want to sign a fourteen million dollars franchise
tag and then have the Steelers run him to the
ground and then not resign him for the next year,
and so he can come in in week ten get
his fully a true season. Bill Potter probably put him

(55:53):
on the exemp list for a couple of weeks where
they may not have to pay him his salary, and
then they'll have him for the final four games games
and whatever happens in the playoffs. I think some Stillers
and some Stillers fans believe that James Connor had done
a bang up job. He's maybe just as productive is
Levian Bill. But what you're going to find is that

(56:15):
Levian doesn't show up in the postseason, and when it
starts to really really matter, the hone in teams recognize
that James Connor is not Levian Bill. He is one
of the reasons why, like in terms of Levian Bill,
he's one of the reasons why Antonio Brown is able
to get off because you have to make the extra
defendant to the box. With James Connor, teams aren't necessarily

(56:38):
doing those special things that necessarily contain him while also
containing Antonio Brown. They're making the decision that they don't
want eighty four to beat them, and they'll concede whatever
it is to James Connor and hope that they're able
to win games. Thank you, Bucky Brooks. I just said
the same thing a little while ago, that these game

(57:00):
er not quite with as much he could tell. That's
what he was saying. But that's what I exactly said
on this. Everybody thinks, oh, you don't need Levion Bell,
you got James Connor poppy Cock. I'm not buying that.
And I appreciate Levion Bell, as you talked about earlier,
trying to get what you're worth and not have these

(57:23):
teams they use up players and then they don't want
to pay him. He's been nothing but productive, Bucky, and
should have gotten paid by now. Absolutely, man. I'll be
the first to say that they should have paid him.
If they were gonna pay him, the should have went
on and pay them. Um, they decided that they didn't
want to pay him. And I know, like for whatever reason, fans,
we always side on management side. But if you're the

(57:46):
player and you're knowing they look, here's what it is.
You want me to produce. I produce. When I don't produce,
you want to cut my pay, But then I've overproduced
beyond what my salary is. You don't want to pay up.
King can't have it both ways. Look, if a guy's
a good player, he has put up historic number and
I think that's what people fail to realize. His numbers

(58:08):
are beyond the great Jim Brown, Barry Sanders, Walter Payton.
That's the category and company that Levy and Bell is keeping.
And so you need to pay people at that rate.
And I know people are talking about the running back
position is not as valuable, But when you look at
the best teams, the common denominator is there is a

(58:29):
bang bang running back that is getting it done. From
from Christian McCaffrey to Tide Gurley to Kareem Hunt, all
of those guys are producing at high levels. The running
back position is back and bold, and you get to
pay this such no doubt you think he's because I think, Look,
I hope he gets paid. I don't think the system
is fair. Well, I would not give Levan, at twenty

(58:54):
seven years old, Tie Gurley money if I was another team,
I give him a lot of money, I am, but
I think the money, like you said, for him, he
has to get give him to make up for the
fourteen and a half million he may be given up
this year. Yeah. So the way it was explained to me,

(59:15):
like in talking to people that are close to him
in his camp, really the number that they needed to
be made whole was thirty four million dollars guaranteed because
based on what the cap was for the two years
twelve million plus fourteen million, it's like twenty six twenty
seven million that they were going to get anyway just
signing the tax. The negotiation needed to start at thirty

(59:38):
four to make it even worse doing it because what
the stealers were offering when they did the new deal,
they were offering them thirty million thirty four million guaranteed,
but they wanted him to sign a five year deal.
So when signed an attack for two years, he would
have gotten just as much money. The stealers wanted a

(59:58):
five year commitment with the guaranteed that have been the
same as a franchise tag. That's why they couldn't get
it done. So for him to behold next year, he
needs to get about thirty five to forty million guaranteed
and they believe on the open market they absolutely can
get that kind of money and guarantee money despite age factor.

(01:00:18):
No doubt about him. It's the odd couple of Fox
Sports Radio, Bucky Brooks of course, NFL Network and FFS
one NFL analyst And if you want to reach him
my Twitter, it's at Bucky Brooks. The Thursday night game,
we got Cam Newton and the Panthers against the Steelers.
Tell me about Cam Newton, North Turner shows up. Wasn't
a great head coach, but he does something with quarterbacks

(01:00:41):
and as an offensive coordinator. Tell me what has he
done with Kim. Kim's playing as well as even better
than when he won the MVP. He is slaying better
than his MVP season. I would say that this is
the best innovative job that north Turner has done, because
when you think of north Turner, you think about the
statuesque quarterback that he's coached in the past, from Troy

(01:01:03):
Aikman to Philip Rivers to some of the other guys
even when he had Teddy Bridgewater. Those guys are not
even the same kind of style quarterback as Cam Newton.
But to North's credit what he has done. He has
taken what Cam Newton does really really well then a
dual thread playmaker, being a guy that can make plays
with his legs, and blended his skills into a scheme

(01:01:25):
that also allows him to do some of the things
that Norv traditionally has done in terms of pushing the
ball down the field while also having some of that
other stuff. And he's also added Christian mccafley and some
of the other versatile playmakers to the mix, where now
Cam is more efficient because he's throwing shorter passes, but
he's still just as dangerous because he's still a high

(01:01:47):
volume runner that gets big yards, particularly down in the
reds all Man, Cam Newton is playing great because Norv
Turner is pushing all the way. But Buckie, how do
you think Das Briant is going to do in New Orleans.
I think he's gonna light it up in New Orleans.
I think this is the best possible situations for Dad Bryant,
and it's because he's going to a place that has

(01:02:07):
two important factors for him. Great quarterback and Drew brees
Dad Bryant. Except when he had Tony Romo, Tony Romo
was a guy that was a really good accurate thrower.
He would throw him off and he trusted him to
win the fifty fifty bass. Dak Prescott is young, doesn't understand.
Look half a step is open, let me let it go. Also,

(01:02:29):
Sean Payton is an outstanding schemer. The older you get,
the better the play call and play designer needs to
be to help me mask my deficiencies as a player.
We saw Bruce arians extend Larry Fitzgerald's career by putting
him in the slot, creating opportunities for him to get open.
Sean Payton is going to put Dez Bryan in the

(01:02:50):
slot and think of dead Bryant doing some of the
things that Jimmy Graham used to do in that offense.
In the slot, big target, working inside the numbers. He
can have advantages over linebackers nickelbacks because he's big and physical.
Now you have Michael Thomas who's done a lot of
damage in the slot and did vunt. The Saints now

(01:03:11):
have kind of interchangeable big body receivers that they can
use in a variety of ways. He may not put
up big numbers, but what you're hoping for because you
guys have a basketball background. You remember when teams were
signing those veteran players, the Boston Selfians always signed an
old vent wouldn't really play a lot during the regular season,
but in the playoff and come up with a big performance.

(01:03:32):
They're hoping that did Runt in a big game in
December in January, he can give them a couple big
plays for the one point for me in dollar salary
that they could be given them is well worth the risk.
He could be a big time player for them in
a key moment. So they already may have been the favorite,
especially after beating the Rams last week. Do you is

(01:03:52):
that enough time to push them over the top. Is
your favorite to get to the Super Bowl out of
the NFC? I mean, I think the NFC is loaded.
I think they certainly are on the driver's sea because
they can play a style of play where whatever they
need to do. If they need to run it heavy,
they can run it. They need to throw it, they
absolutely can throw it. But the NFC is so tough
because you got the Panthers, you have the Rams, you

(01:04:13):
have the Vikings who have outstanding defense, and even the
depending champs to fill the the Eagles, you can't count out.
I think the Saints should be considered the front runner,
but they got a tough road to the hope. When
it comes to getting there, it is important for them
more than any other team to get home field. If
they get it where they can play all the games
in the Dome, then I think you can put their

(01:04:33):
name in and pencil, not pen but put their name
in the pencil in terms of representing the NFC. Hey, Bucky,
last thing, thirty seconds the Baker Mayfield. Is he trending
up or down as we go into the second half
of the season. I mean, it's kind of flatline right now.
I think the thing that Hurson is say what you
want to about Hugh Jackson and Todd Hailey. At least

(01:04:55):
they knew and then for the whole all season of
work trying to get him right. I think Baker may
Field will eventually be okay, but I don't expect when
to play at a high level. Too many moving parts,
too many new coaches, too many new voices in his head.
All right, Bucky Man, thanks a lot with what was great?

(01:05:16):
That's good? All right, it's the couple of Fox Sports Radio.
There's more coming up, but first let's get to Dev
Carson for what's trending. Well, guys, the Panthers scored on
their first drive, Cam Newton with a twenty yard touchdown
toss and run to Christian McCaffrey, So Carolina on the
board first. They have a seven nothing lead over the
Steelers early in the first quarter, and while we also

(01:05:38):
have a game four to go first quarter at Oklahoma City,
Thunder out to a nineteen seventeen lead over the Rockets
Oklahoma City without star Russell Westbrook. He's missing again tonight
because of his sprained ankle he suffered Monday against the Pelicans. Well,
a Red Sox slugger J D. Martinez just become the
first became the first major league player to win two
Silver Slugger Awards in one season. The award given to

(01:06:01):
the best hitter at each position, so he was named
one of the three American League winners in the outfield.
Also won for the DH position. This is voted on
by the Major league coaches and managers, so he may
not be a finalist for the al MVP, but here's
a little consolation for him. Other multi time winners Jose
Altuve of the Astros one fifth time for his slugging

(01:06:23):
as he plays second base the outfield. Also in the
Al has Mike Trout in that he won his six
Silver Slugger Award and fourth apiece for Goldschmidt, the first
baseman of the Diamondbacks and third baseman Nolan Arnado of
the Rockies. Well from season Vets to Rookies. Under the
hood auto Zones Free Loaner tool program has the specialty

(01:06:43):
tools you need deposit required, get in the zone. AutoZone
Red Socks released a statement earlier today calling tweets sent
by their senior consultant, Bill James absurd and inappropriate. James
is one of the godfathers of the analytics movement. He
also holds a title one of the titles in fact,
that he has a senior advisor Baseball Operations of the
Red Sox got into a little Twitter beef with a

(01:07:06):
fan today, I guess, and his quote was, if the
players all retired tomorrow, we would replace them. The game
would go on in three years. It would make no
difference whatsoever. The players are not the game anymore than
the beer vendors are. You know. Uh, he should be
fired by the Red Sox as a consultant. I mean
that's the idea that he would put that out there

(01:07:27):
and dismiss the talent and hard work that players have
to put in to get to that level is just
it is observed. Well. Absolutely. I think one of the
problems analytics guys have is they think that they are
the system. Yes, as opposed to yeah, you need some
key talented people to be in that system in order
for it to work, your analytics system. And everybody's played

(01:07:49):
little league. Everybody can't make it to the major league
because you don't have the eye hand coordination, you don't
see the ball away certain people do. Do you know
what I mean? There's so many things. Look for any
of these pro terrible, pro basketball, pro baseball, they're only
a handful of guys that can do it at this level. Yes,
it's simple as that. Now, if he was trying to

(01:08:10):
say that if we replaced the best pro players, the
major leaguers, the NBA players with minor leaguers in in
three four years, whatever, people wouldn't reck that would be
you know, that's not playing right. If he said that,
of course, you take what you get, but that's not

(01:08:30):
say that they would be as good as the players
are now. And and and that the players are as
replaceable as the beer vendors. I mean, what an insult.
One of the players came back and bashed in the
union should and he should be fired by the Red Sox. Yeah.
Well again, the Red Sox have not only distanced themselves,
but they're pointing out, Hey, he's not an official employee
of the team. He's just a consultant. He's a consultant

(01:08:53):
like a beer vendor. Yes, yes, yeah, that's right. The
ironic thing is that they won the championship this year
with a good mix, really the perfect mix analytics. Yeah,
Core did a nice job of mixing the two. Alright,
thank you, But it's true. I mean that week didn't
talk about that at some point, don't analytics. Guys just

(01:09:17):
didn't understand the human element. And he didn't sound like, yes, Chris,
you know harder? Did you played basketball? You're not harder
than me. This only four hundred NBA jobs, four hundred.
You'd be surprised, though, how some guys don't understand how
good these players, even even the scrubs. When I and
I say that loosely, you know what I'm saying, Like

(01:09:38):
like the players. Also, the guys in double a single
A are tremendous. The guys in the G League and
basketball are trements. I you know, look, I played Division
three basketball and I wasn't even a star in Division three.
But you know, I play around with media and you
know all that most of them didn't play at any level, right,

(01:09:59):
and so I'm I'm with the media and all that.
I've had media guys say to me, I think I
could maybe be a twelfth man in the God I'm really,
I'm like, there's no way that's I couldn't play in
the G League. I couldn't hope to play in the vague.
There are so many different levels. Again, I played Division
three just up to Division two is another level. Then

(01:10:21):
Division one, because I played with Division one guys, that's
a whole other level. Then you're talking about G League
and then the NBA. I mean that it's not these guys.
The worst guy on an NBA roster would run circles around.
I used to watch Rick Brunson, who was played on
a lot of teams, Journey, That's the Knicks, several other

(01:10:45):
teams in Summer league. This kid exaggeration. He used to
look like Jason kidd lea couldn't get off the bench
in the NBA. And thinking about the NBA, there's three
guys who don't even dress, who can't get on, who
are NBA playing you know what I mean, even get on,
get on the team. And you know what else this
brings up and I was shocked. H Paul Pierce, who

(01:11:07):
I love Paul. I like him on TV because he's fun.
He's almost like a very poor man's Barkley. Maybe he'll
develop more and to get closer to Barkley. But he
says anything right, which I like that you want the honesty.
But he actually said, Duke with Zion Williamson and beat Cleveland.

(01:11:30):
Stop there's no way. Always make that excuse out there
and stop Alabama. Alabama. I'm the Oakland Raiders would destroy Alabama.
Here's the thing. Colin Sexton, who is not impressing anybody
at this point in Cleveland, was a freaking superstar in college.

(01:11:53):
I mean how many he said that some of the
guys on the on the kevlist said that he didn't
know how to play right right, Chrin, But he was
saying he don't know how to play, He don't know
how to set picks, he don't know how to fight
through picks. I was reading the story just like right now,
I'm telling you met Look, stop it with the college

(01:12:14):
teams could beat NFL teams or NBA teams, because, like
we said, how many guys that lit it up in college,
that were spectacular in college don't do anything in the
NBA happens. Let's look at the Phoenix Suns. Devin Booker
is a is a great player. I know at Kentucky
he didn't put up huge numbers because they had so

(01:12:34):
many stars. Nobody did, right, But if he was in
college his second year as a sophomore, when he went
out to the NBA, he would have been an All American.
DeAndre Ayton was arguably the best player in college last year,
maybe the best. They can't win a game, right, I mean,
come on, are you gonna tell me Duke or Kansas
or somebody could beat in the NBA teams? Stop it

(01:12:54):
all right, It's the R Couple coming to you live
from the Gueko Fox Sports Radio Studios. It's easy to
save fifteen percent or more in your car insurms with Geico.
Go to Geico dot com or call eight hundred nine
four seven Auto. The only hard part is figuring out
which way is easier. We we've been having James, he's
been waiting for a while, wants it, wants to rap

(01:13:17):
about the Lakers in the t Wools game last night.
James from Los Angeles. Welcome to the OA. This is
James from Minneapolis. Show Lakers team. Your Lakers can look
really good at some point and some effects of the game.
But I was enjoying Jimmy Butler. I love his side.
The man he's gotta go on like the soap oper man.
Ain't enough, not enough to talk about Jimmy Butler man.

(01:13:39):
And they call him Jimmy Buckets. What he should call me, Jimmy.
When I was in the quarter, Jimmy, Jimmy, and every
times Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy got the ball, This took a
shot and sometimes seventy five percent of one hundred percent
he'd made that shot. Jimmy Butler had doing they got
to do, and a tim Wolves got to do what
they got to do. And I love him. The Los
Angeles Lakers come to town. I wish you always here
to take for him. Now, all right, all right, Jimmy, Jimmy,

(01:14:03):
could you could you understand the words I could understand
where Jimmy Butler that's it. Yeah, I didn't get that either.
We'll have to we need to get a translator in.
All right, the time is now to take a stand.
That's next. It's the Eye Couple. Fox Sports Radio. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple with
Chris Brussar then Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern
four pm Pacific. It's The Eye Couple of Chris Brusari

(01:14:25):
and Rob Parker. That is what is that Growing Pains?
That's yes, that's for you. Like that shot? I like
Growing Pains. It wasn't my favorite. I used to watch it.
Did you watch it? I watched it? A little bit
of What Deceivers? Right? Kirk Cameron? Cameron Cameron, Yeah, it
was pretty good. I did like that. Who was the
other guy? The main guy? Who's Aleck Alec? No? No, no, Alan,

(01:14:50):
Remember you had a bad late night TV show on
Fox The Thick of the Night. I didn't know. I
didn't know about right, the Thick of the Night. You're
gonna sing this one for us? No, I don't notice
one like that. I don't either, So don't don't expect
me to sing Hey, SpongeBob SquarePants was good enough for
me tonight. I'm good. Thank God for small favorites. I

(01:15:10):
just need a cigarette. So good. It's time for shop talk.
Ain't nobody ain't never been a bomb shop you know that.
Ain't nobody you talk about whoever, whatever, whatever you want
to it's shop talk, all right, all right, rob Ge,

(01:15:30):
bring it to us, all right, the guys. I know,
usually in this segment we'd like to touch on more
of the lighter stories, things that we like to have
fun with, ye, but you know, every once in a
while we'd like to touch on something serious. Now, you
guys are both established members of the media. Before you
ever got into TV and radio an entertainment aspect of media,
you guys were journalists, work for newspapers, went to Jay's

(01:15:53):
school a whole nine yards. So. One of the big
developments this week occurred at the White House, where a
CNN reporter, Jim Acosta exactly, was essentially banned from appearing
at any other White House affiliated media events because they
allege that he physically abused or assaulted a White House

(01:16:15):
staffer during the media questioning. Now there's videos. You can
take whatever side you agree with it the truth and
not the truth. What do the videos show, I mean, now,
have any evidence that he there is there's some videos
that look like the White House staffer was being aggressive
towards him and he was just you know, holding onto
the mic. But also you gotta put it in context.

(01:16:36):
He's been going at tromp and and and the who
was her name, Sarah Standers? Right? Yeah, yeah, like they've
been going at it and they don't like Jim Acosta
and they've they've they've been on his case like the
whole time because he's asking questions that they don't like.
So this is their way of getting back. They're not
saying your band from asking questions because they're saying because

(01:16:58):
he it's a smoke screen, but basically they don't want
him there to ask questions. Yes, and the White House
put out a video they made it look like the
other way that he really was using his off arm
to kind of push down on her fore arm. I
thought it was something they said they doctored that, right,
There was a story that photoshop right. So my question
then to you guys, the conversation would be is something

(01:17:21):
like this, should it be acceptable? You guys are members
of the media. Is something like this acceptable. Not only
should it not be acceptable, Chris, and you know this,
the other reporters should not go to any and I'm serious,
any White House event where Jim mccot a news event
or press conference where Jim acostas not allow from CNN

(01:17:44):
to do his job. Once you allow them to pick
out him, pick a guy because they don't like his
questions or whatever, you're gonna be next once they get
away with it. So the media has to stay together.
And it doesn't mean that you have to agree with
Jim Acosta's techs, his questions. Well, you don't work for
the same news outlet anything, But it's all for one

(01:18:08):
and one for all. I'll give you real quick a story.
Larry Holmes did this when he was a boxing champ.
They had a training session in Vegas before big fight
and legendary column is Dick Young from the New York
Daily News. The late Dick Young wrote a column that
Larry Holmes didn't like, so Larry Holmes had his hooligans

(01:18:31):
throw Dick Young out of the training session. Oh no,
get him out of here, get that m I for out.
Blah blah blah blah, blah, we don't want him here.
All the other sports writers who were there to cover
the workout all walked out with Dick Young, and Larry
Holmes said, where are you guys going? I didn't say you,
I said Dick Young. And they said, if you're not
gonna allow Dick Young to do his job, we will

(01:18:53):
not be here either. They all walked out. Larry sent
that one of his minions out and said everybody can
come back, and including Dick Young. And that's about sticking together.
Even though they could have said Dick writes for the
other paper, I could get an exclusive, I could trump him.
Do you know what I'm saying? Oh? Good, Dick's out
that I agree. I agree with you completely. My one

(01:19:14):
question is this, This just popped into my head. Uh,
let's say the whole media in support of Acosta didn't
show up to the press briefings and just stop covering
what was going on in the White House. Here's the problem.
That wouldn't stop the White House from doing their business

(01:19:35):
and then the public would not know about it. But
you cannot give it. I get what you're saying, but
here's my but let me let me finish. Okay, in
the Larry Holmes situation that sports Larry Holmes was losing
by no media being there. No media if they decided
not to cover him, that hurts Larry Holmes, that hurts
his fight, that hurts his purse, that hurts sports and

(01:19:56):
nobody Sports isn't that important if you if if the
me media is actually informing the public, especially this administration now,
but of what let me just finish of what's going
on with the White House, and a lot of the
media are helping doing something to keep them in check.
If we just totally stop covering it, then they would

(01:20:17):
still be going on doing their business, but nobody would
know about it, and a lot of people wouldn't be
able to keep him in check. The difference is people
would look at the White House in Trump and say
this is wrong, that there's a media embarking that medias
are aren't covering it, and they would be pressured in
to reinstate Jim Macaza, I don't think it would take forever.
They would go like even like would be like, well,

(01:20:39):
this is America, what do you mean? In the Washington
Post isn't covering the White House? Or the New York
Times isn't covering the White House. Do you know what
I mean? Like like they would be, I would be
now the question. There would be added pressure to the
White House and even the Trump to realize this ain't
the fight we really want to take. He's been fighting
with them. No, you know what I mean. But there's
more than that. Even people fool might be Trump supporters

(01:21:01):
will understand that if you have a democracy, this is
a democracy. This is a state run newspaper where they
tell you what you want to hear. Is that where
we're heading? And I don't think most people, even Trump supporters,
would would agree to something like that. No, I hear you.
Even Fox would have to not show up Fox News,
I would hope. So. No, I was being a part
of the media the same way that that when Obama

(01:21:22):
was a president, OBABMA wouldn't throw somebody else say oh
you work for Fox. Uh don't you can't come to
the prescore they stand for that or Bill O'Reilly can't
ask any questions. No, I agree. I agree that, like
I said, the media shop in this case stick together. Um,
but I think there's a difference between you know, but
I'm just talking about stick sticking together. Is that type

(01:21:43):
of the backlash would be quick and swift, and hopefully
you wouldn't even you know, it would just you can't.
We need the media. But because the media shows us
a lot that's going on, there's no you wish you
again in an administration that you know they're doing. I mean,
if they did, in fact photoshop this, this picture disgraceful

(01:22:04):
and disgraceful, that's terrible. So but you gotta stick together.
That's how you get things changed. And it's always dividing. Conquer.
Take out Jim Accosta. Now, next one it will be somebody,
somebody from NBC News, and then it's somebody from ABC.
Do you see what I'm saying. That's what they just
start thinking you can get away with. Yes, all right,
it's the Eye Couple of Fox Sports Radio. We got

(01:22:25):
one more hour coming up, keeper locked. Yes, indeed, it
is the Eye Couple. I'm Chris Brussard alongside my partner
Rod Parker, and we are coming to you live from
the Guecoe Fox Sports Radio Studios. Fifteen minutes could save
you fifteen percent or more in your car insurance. Visit
guecode dot com for a free rate quote and Rob.

(01:22:47):
As most people know, we are in Los Angeles, where
we broadcast from, and a lot of Lakers people are
excited about that victory last night. Obviously, the Lakers haven't
been off to the rady to start there four and
or five and six now, but they have now won
three of their last four games, including a nail bier

(01:23:09):
last night. They won one fourteen, one ten over a
Minnesota Timberwolves team that is very talented but has been struggling.
They've lost four straight now, but I thought it was
a good sign for the Lakers. I've said this stretch
is critical. It began last night where seven of their
next nine opponents now six of their next eight are

(01:23:31):
below five hundred. The Lakers need to make some ground
up in the Western Conference during this stretch. If they don't,
if they fall, you know, into a hole, maybe only
go three and six or worse during the stretch, then
I think Luke Walton could be in trouble. But I
thought last night was a good sign. But you saw

(01:23:52):
some things you didn't like. Yeah, I mean, I'm not
pooh pooh and winning, and you know they just don't
want people get crazy. Minesota's hit the skids, and I
know that Derek Rose is playing better, playing outstanding right
fifty points and then he had thirty one last night,
so he's playing better, but they're still struggling. They lost

(01:24:12):
four in a row now, so it's not as big
of a win as you thought. And it was at
home against the team that's scuffland. So but Lebron James
continues to struggle in the fourth quarter or when when
it when it comes to closing games. And I guess
that's the part that if you're a fan, you just wonder.
And I know it's only what eleven games in. It

(01:24:32):
ain't the end of the world. A season's not over.
But Lebron h had in the last six minutes of
the game last night. He shot one for four from
the field, had two horrible three point attempts in the
final forty five seconds when the Lakers were only up
by one point. So it was it was and maybe

(01:24:53):
uh Tyson Chandler uh you know, bailed him out right
offensive rebounding up two, they tap tapouts and it allowed
other guys to get here the threes. He took a
twenty five or twenty six footer with forty set forty
nine seconds left when they were up one. Chandler did

(01:25:14):
get the offensive rebound. Then with fifteen seconds left, Lebron
took a twenty nine footer, and again Tyson Chandler got
the offensive rebound twenty nine feet. Why are you doing that?
You can get to the rim whenever you want. You're
not Steph Kurry. You're not like a great three point shooter.
Why I don't understand he could go to He's been

(01:25:34):
killing that the last few years, but they can't defend him.
If he would have just take the ball and just
take the ball in, get fouled and make it or
penetrate till you can and then kick it to somebody.
We know he's a great passer that just just putting
up threes like that. If I'm the defense, thank that's
the shot I want you. Thank right. We'll take that

(01:25:54):
every day. And if you make it, you tip your
cap to him. But those on on shots he normally makes.
So so uh, the Lakers are actually worse as far
as points like differential from a year ago now than
that young team. And I know it's early, it's only
eleven games, but that's something else that you wouldn't expect
by having Lebron as a part of your team. You

(01:26:16):
would expect that that would get better in the fright
fourth quarter, that that that stat would improve, but it hasn't.
He didn't make a nice step back eight foot shot. Yeah,
I mean two forty two left to give him a
four point which is fine. I mean, I'm not saying
he was just you know, one for four. You were
searching for what what could you pick out about me?

(01:26:38):
Not me? I'm just just balanced. I'm not that guy,
you know me? Me? Yeah. And the other part that
goes with this, and this is where I know people
are gonna have a hard don't be careful, don't drive
off the road. But I think the Lakers are mishandling
Lonzo Ball. He didn't play for the final sixteen and

(01:27:03):
a half minutes. You know what I call sixteen and
a half minutes stretch. I'm not playing till the end
of the game. I call that a benching that he
got benched, Chris, that's a bench sixteen and a half minutes.
I don't think it was a bench. I do because
you're not definitively better. In heck, you're not better. They
didn't want to get Rondo a blow three minutes. For

(01:27:23):
two or three minutes. It Rondo. I don't know if
Rondo played all sixteen. My guess is Rondo didn't play
off sixteen and those minutes. Obviously you got Lebron James
who can play the point. No, I got that. I'm
rob g check that out for us. But that's my guest.
But the only reason I would say it's not a
benching rob is because I've got two point guards who

(01:27:44):
I'm gonna be generous to Linzo and say of equal ability. Okay.
And if I got two point guards of equal ability,
then which everyone has it going? Which everyone is running
the team better? That's who I'm going with down this sky.
Think it is a bench, and I think it's just, Hey,
Rondo had us going, and he was playing better, and
I'm leaving him in a year ago, the fan fair
and conversation about Lonzo not even that, Chris, you even

(01:28:07):
got caught up as a prison of the moment the game,
the game when they made when they made him the starter.
Oh look, did you see Lonzo last night? Did you
see Lonzo last night? But have you seen have you
seen him since? Since Rondo came back, He's rolled up
into a ball and and gone into the corner Okay,
so why are you demanding for him to play? Because

(01:28:29):
let's see if this guy, what are you gonna do
with this kid? Can he play? The rondo did play
the last sixteam minute. I'm telling you that it was
a benching that's still not a bench. Yes, I think
they would have put the popcorn guy in instead of Lonzo.
Anybody could have gotten minutes except for Lonzo last night.
And my only point is play the kid for an

(01:28:52):
extended let's see if the kid really can play. I
know he had a couple of glimpses where he's still
making open threes because they still don't respect him enough
to defend him. Chris, So would you agree with that
they're letting him shoot? Well, okay, the most part, the
most part, and he knocked him down. So if you
if you know, you make it three from three last
night and he was one for six, right, b Yeah,

(01:29:12):
here's eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox eight seven
seven nine nine six nine. Give us a call if
you want to weigh in on the lebron Linzo Lakers talk. Yeah,
what are you cool with the way that if he
doesn't play or he just has to earn his way
and if he doesn't earn his way and ro I
know keeps playing well that he should just sit on

(01:29:33):
the bench and learn. Why. Here's why I'm cool with it,
because things have changed in Lakerland. A year ago, we
were they were a young, rebuilding team with a bunch
of young guys, and Linzo along with Brandon Ingram, were
the faces of the franchise. But once Lebron James decides, hey,

(01:29:53):
I want to be a Laker, everything changes. Now. It's
no longer about developing the young guys. It's no longer about, hey,
if we make the playoffs, that's great, it's gravy. It
is now about making the playoffs. And no, they're not
gonna beat Golden State and they know it, but they
feel like and they should rightly, so feel like they

(01:30:14):
can play with anybody else in the West Portland, U taught, Denver, Oklahoma, Houston, whoever.
And so, yeah, if you're the Lakers, they would love
to get to the Western Conference finals. And beyond what
it would do for you this year, that would impress
other free agents. And that's really critical that other free

(01:30:36):
agents say the Lakers are somewhere they want to go
play and win a championship next summer. So now you're
so you do all that, you don't make it. You
get knocked out in the first round. Lonzo hasn't played
at all. Now you're going into next year. You do
not know if this kid can play really or not
because he hasn't played enough, and what have you really? Getten?

(01:30:57):
Then Rondo goes somewhere else next year, Rondo. Rondo's on
a one year contract. He's not sewn into the fabric
of what the Lakers are gonna be about. All I'm
saying is I would rather. I would rather right now,
right now, watch Lonzo play. Just put him out there
and let him play. Let's see if this kid can play. Now,

(01:31:19):
if you determined to worry about wins, play the entire game,
but twenty one minute, sixteen and a half minute benching.
When the games matter, you gotta see if you can
play in crunch time he's having he's playing in crunch
time before, not not lately has him been playing. What
my point is this, rob Now, it's about earning it.
Last year, you're the second pick. We're not a team

(01:31:41):
that's gonna win. Now you're given the position, you're given
the minutes that all changed again when Lebron James joined
the Lakers, and now you have to earn it. I
think the Lakers would love nothing more than if Linzo
outplay Rondo in practice, outplayed him in games, and earn
the starting position. Heck, he didn't start the year off

(01:32:03):
as a starter. Now he's a starter. He played well
when Rondo was suspended and they let him keep the job.
But if he doesn't earn it, if he doesn't deliver,
I gotta go with Rondo because guess what my core
is open? Now I know I have one guy in
my core, Lebron James. Who's gonna be the second guy,
who's gonna be the third guy that is up for grabs.

(01:32:24):
You don't get it, Linzo, go get it, Kyle, get it, Brandon,
you're telling me. Magic totally wiped and had no idea
what he was saying. When Magic stood up there and
talked about Lonzo Balls Geergy being up in the raft
of the Staples Center, that he was going to be
the face of the franchise. He went from that to
eleven games into the season where they would rather play

(01:32:45):
a popcorn sales a popcorn vendor than Lonzo Balls and
a game against Minnesota, overstating it. If he doesn't start
the next game, then you can say guy bench. But
right as of now, he's still the starter. And like
I said, tooken starter, he ain't no starter. If I can't,
he's not better than the backup. So whoever's playing better

(01:33:06):
at that moment in that game, I'm going with down
the stretch, That's what it is. Now. Last year wasn't
the case because we weren't any good. We were young.
Now I got you're telling me Magic was wrong. Magic totally.
He was definitely wrong about the press conference. I'm not
saying he was wrong about drafting him. Obviously, if they
did the draft, then we did the draft. Now he

(01:33:26):
wouldn't even be a top ten pick. I don't know
about that. I don't know. If I think he might
have to look through the name, I think he'd be
people looking at him. Now it's just a different vibe.
I can't get over how a guy has fallen so
much in so little time and now. But Rob, you
gotta admit, it's a whole different thing now that Lebron

(01:33:47):
is there, Right, you can get that that part I
get eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox is the number.
If you want to chime in, Uh, give us a call,
if you want to talk about Lonzo, if you want
to talk about Lebron. The Lakers will continue this next.
It's the Eye Couple of Fox Sports Radio. This is

(01:34:07):
this is I noticed you know it? After Uh? Yeah,
this was ABC's Uh did I do that? No? No,
this isn't it. Knew that and I was thinking it
was what was the one with the family matters? That's

(01:34:31):
what I was thinking. Aware that was great? Good? Yeah,
then I ain't doing that. We need to we need
to get that drop, all right. It's the Eye Couple
on the theme TV Theme song Thursday, and uh, car
shopping rob can be confusing terms like dealer, price list,
price invoice, but True Car shows you what other people
pay for the car you want. That's really what you

(01:34:53):
need to know because then you can recognize what's a
good price and what's a bad price. When you're ready
to buy a new or even to use car, visit
True Car to enjoy more confident car buying experience. And
we got into some Lakers talk how they're using Linzo ball.
Do you like it? Do you dislike it? I'm like, look,
now it's time to earn your money, dude, earn your minutes.

(01:35:14):
And if Rondo is beating you out, then so be it.
We gotta win. Now, you think they need to just
play lines and see what he's made up? And I wasn't.
And I was the one I told you he was
a bust last year, and and now I'm telling you
that if if you got Lebron, you want to see
what pieces you have. This kid's gotta play, and I
gotta see if he could do anything and crunch time,

(01:35:35):
not just to start the game and play the first
half and play twenty minutes and then sit down. I
gotta see because I think is a reg's he's playing
some crunch minutes. So he didn't last night in a
close game, and the last couple of games, Chris, he
just hasn't. He's not a I don't know what if
he hadn't played, well, why am I gonna keep it? Okay?
Eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox, Let's go to

(01:35:57):
Shariff in Los Angeles. Shariff, welcome to the Hey, I
want to yo you know me? Yes, I want to
say first time, long time and my long time. I
mean I've known you guys a long time, and I
could not be happier. I was listening to this show
at home, and this reminds me of good old school

(01:36:18):
sports talk that I used to listen to growing up
in New York and New Jersey. The chemistry is amazing.
I absolutely, sincerely and genuinely love the show. Thank you.
I didn't at first when you were saying serif, I
didn't recognize. Then I heard the voice. Man, it's good
to hear from help us out on this, Lonzo. Listen, listen.

(01:36:41):
I prep I precked Chris yesterday for lock it in.
I prepped you. We talked about this, but Chris, you're
my guy. I love you. I want you to be
on our show all the time. But man, I gotta
side with I gotta side with my man, Rob Parker. Yes,
but I'm sorry, But here's why. Here's here's why, real quick.
In my opinion, it's because Lebron when he came to

(01:37:05):
LA even said, this is not a win now scenario.
Of course they want to show out it's Lebron, but
they're in this thing for the long term. And I
believe that one of two things. You have to play Lonzo,
Like you said, Chris, they're still trying to figure it out.
He wants to see what this team can do. But
you have to play Lonzo just to develop some chemistry

(01:37:29):
with the rest of the team. You got to get
some chemistry with Kuzma and with Ingram and I've obviously
with Lebron. Now, if Lonzo's not the long term answer,
his stock also is not great right now, and you
want to do whatever you can do to raise and
increase his stock. But down the stretch man, they've got

(01:37:51):
to get Lonzo in there. They have to let him
run the point. I still believe he's actually a little
bit more talented than Rondo at this point. Rondo in
the play off is a different guy. But Lonzo, you've
got to play him. Gotta let him develop that chemistry
or just tenoral eleven games and get his confidence up.
And if he's not the guy, then you deal him

(01:38:11):
in the off season. But you've gotta let him get back,
all right, the man I see tom said, yeah, we'll all.
We're all you working them coming in the dressing room
to prep me. Man, no doubt. Hey Tommy in Atlanta,
you're on the odd couple of Fox Sports Radio. What's up, Tommy? Hey,

(01:38:32):
what's going on, guys? What's happening? Man? Hey, Hey, hey man,
So this is I think I'm going I'm leaving with you,
Chris Alonzo. He has an opportunities to go head on
and take advantage of of the opportunity that he has,
and he's not taking advantage of it, and so he
to me, he kind of suffers, kind of like with
Andrew Wicks over in Minnesota. He's kind of passes. He

(01:38:55):
has the talent and the skill set, but he doesn't
take advantage of it. Here who's in heart and the
rest of those guys, they're coming out there being aggressive.
And so now since Luke Walton has that pressure from
Magic to win, now he came aft to just keep
having Linzo coming out there being passive and not going
to be an aggressive you know, taking his shots or

(01:39:17):
going to the whole. So it's things that he has
to do on his own to build the confidence up
from the coaching staff to keep him out there on
the court. Yeah. I think that's well said, Timmy, because
here's the thing, Rob, I see where you're coming. We
all want to see what lines open because we really
don't know it. He's like, well, but I just think
now it's a situation of you're gonna have to earn

(01:39:38):
the minutes. They're not like holding him back because they's starting.
If he plays well, he's gonna play more than Rondo.
But if he's not playing well, they're gonna play round knew,
But you don't even play no matter what. Even when
they signed Rondo and start the season, they use that
injury coming back from injury as an excuse for Rondo,
they named the starter. Yeah, because they mightn't he wasn't healthy,

(01:40:00):
but they named him a startup but didn't look at
the look how many minutes he started playing right off
the bat, and then when the suspension came Chris, he
came in the second week. It wasn't like it came
a month or two later, and he recovered when they
needed him, they started playing him and starting him. So
he could have started the first week if he started
the second week, is my point. Well, no, Lionzo had
to start the second week once once round Well, but
I'm just saying, but he's still I'm talking about but

(01:40:21):
he still could have started, just like he's not playing
the whole game, saying as you gotta beat him out,
all right, Sam and Denver. Welcome to the Eye Couple. Hey, guys,
I love the show. Thanks for having me on. Hey
just fire to say, Linzo's the best chance if he
wants to play more. He has to make himself into

(01:40:42):
an elite defender. And you know he can do that.
He's got a lot of links for the point guard position.
But he's never gonna be a scorer. He needs to
make himself into a fantastic defender who can just be
out there with and he's long and he can read.
That's a good point. He's got good defensive ends us.

(01:41:03):
That's a good point. But he's not a good defender
at all. Right, he's not a bad team defender and
a point guard in the NBA, he's got to stay
in front of guy. Well, he's not gonna be at
to stay in front of guy. I mean, hey, most
most point guards, most can't stay in front of another
point guard. Well then well then he's he's in trouble.
And hey, one more thing. I think it's funny you
guys are giving lebron craft for taking those shots. At

(01:41:25):
the end of the game. He is the best player
in the world. Then he used to catch flak for
not taking shots like that earlier. But you can't take Sam, No, No,
twenty nine for this guy could go to the whole
every single time. Nobody can defend him. Stop Sam. We can't,
we can't. We can't sign off on twenty nine foot
shots late in the game that aren't going in. I

(01:41:48):
want my best player taking as many shots as he
snake one shot last night. No, he Lebron can take
the shot, but he's not. He's three point shooting. Is
it his forte? He shouldn't be doing that when you
can get to the whole, why not do it? Hey,
Tony and California, you're on the odd couple of Fox
Sports Radio. What's up, Tony? Hey, guys, what's happening. I

(01:42:12):
just want to say, I think Alonzo should be finishing
most of the games unless Rondo did really out playing him.
And last night Lonzo was one for six, Rondo was
one for seven. Lonzo had three steals in twenty minutes,
Rondo had zero. So I just think if you assist
the ten assisted Rondo had, well that was yeah, he

(01:42:34):
played five more minutes, but and those assist four or
five of them came in. Lebron wasn't on the quarter
and Lonzo played a lot with Lebron, so I think
that takes away from some of the assists Lonzo could get.
But your point is that it wasn't that Rondo didn't
light it up. Actually right, yeah, yeah, so I think
if it's close, you need to play Lonzo and see
what he can do. All. I appreciate the call, Tony,

(01:42:54):
thank you. Let's go to Zeus and Tampa. Zeus, Welcome
to the couple. I love that name, Zo. Yes, is
that your real name? You know? I really like your
guys show? Thank you? Is that your real name? Zeus? Now,
that's my nickname. My real name is I can't give
you the real name, don't so the reason I used

(01:43:18):
to listen to you guys on Sundays. So I'm glad
that you guys finally got a show. I haven't been
able to really listen to you know you live so
so this is my first time calling. But just real quick,
I just wanted to say, I have really a question podcast.
So my main thing is, you know, how come. I

(01:43:39):
don't know if he's pacing himself. I don't know if
Lebron is just seeing things out, but last night, man
like I hate to agree with Rob really, but I
mean this question is really for Chris. Really. Why is
it that he's just like real passing, Like I mean,
I think Linzo, you mean yes, no, no, I'm talking

(01:44:00):
my lapaon Like, Okay, I don't know if you were guys.
Remember but it was like two minutes left and they
were up by by seven, Derek Rose, we made the three,
and then they were down by four, and I'm thinking,
I'm waiting for La barm to just close the game up,
you know, put the name on the coffin, and I'm like,
this is what he was brought here to do, you
know what I'm saying. So I am a La barmb

(01:44:20):
supporter and everything, but you know I got to see
it from you guys. Yeah, I get what you asked.
A good, good question, zus. I mean, look, Lebron I
said yesterday in my Big Six disappointments, he was one
of them so far just because he was number one, right,
he was I think five, but he uh, he hasn't
been as aggressive down the stretch. And then last night

(01:44:42):
when he does take the shots at the end of
the game, they're two bad three pointers. Their theories out
there that one he wants to see what the young
guys can do. And I think the young guys are
being aggressive Kuzma Ingram. They're not just deferring to Lebron
anymore than a half court. They look like they're trying
to do I give him credit for that. Um some people.

(01:45:04):
I do know that Lebron. He says he wants to
be patient, and I think mentally he does, but instinctively
bad basketball bothers him, and and maybe he gets disengaged
when he sees things happening that he doesn't doesn't like.
But I don't know. Zeus is right, he hasn't been
as aggressive as normal. I think it'll pick up. I

(01:45:25):
think he probably is. If there are close games at
a chance to win early in the season, why are
you giving those up? Like there were nights you know
what I mean, where you'll let the other guy take
the lead, or you know what I mean. A's like
a game that might not you might not be able
to get. But the games that they had chances to
win would have been big wins earlier in the yield

(01:45:46):
to set a different tone. That's what I think of
missed opportunity. Yeah, no, you're right, You're right. All right.
Are the Lakers making a mistake by playing rondover Linzo
and Crunch time NBA champion Carin Butler has the answer.
That's next, But first let's bring in Dab Carson for
the latest in sports. Well, guys, it look like the
Steelers we're gonna run away with this Thursday night game,

(01:46:06):
Week ten is underway from Pittsburgh. Steelers were up twenty
one seven, Newton throwing left flat, McCaffrey wide open, world
coast in for the touchdown. That's the second connection between
Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey for the game. It's a
twenty one fourteen lead now for the Steelers over the Panthers.
That was a Panthers radio network with a call just

(01:46:28):
under four minutes to go in the second quarter. Jets
coach Todd Bowles finally made it official today He named
Josh McCowen as the starting quarterback for Sunday's game against
the Bills. So rookie Sam Donald, who's been nursing a
strained right foot, has been ruled out as the starter,
but Bowles says, quote I don't know if I'll rule
him out yet for the game end quote, So he

(01:46:48):
could potentially be the backup. Just isn't going to start,
And if he's not well enough to be the backup,
then Davis Webb will have to be promoted from the
practice squad. I'd rather be safe and sorry, that's your futitive. Yeah, absolutely, yeah,
save him if he's if he's even just tweaked. Red
Sox Slugger j D. Martinez became the first major league
player to win two Silver Slugger Awards in one season,

(01:47:10):
given the best hitter at each position, won it for
both the AL outfield and for the DH position. Meanwhile,
the NHL Discover Card key matchup of the night the
Canucks at the Bruins. Vancouver leads at Boston seven to four,
nine ago in the third period. Right now at the
half in Oklahoma City, Thunder with a fifty ninety five
lead over the Rockets, Celtics being ripped by the Suns

(01:47:32):
right now, Phoenix up twenty two eight in the desert,
three to go in the first and finally, Hornets owner
Michael Jordan's reportedly even turning down trade offers for guard
Kemball Walker. According to The Athletic, Walker is a free
agent at the end of the season. Boston will come
back and win that game. And deb, as you were speaking,
the Steelers just going another touchdown. It was about a

(01:47:55):
fifty yarder they started. Yeah, thirty one Burger to Antonio
Brown thirty one fourteen. All right, de thanks a lot,
appreciate it too. It's the I Couple, Chris brussor Rob
Parker coming to you live from the Gueco Fox Sports
Radio studios. It's easy to say fifteen percent or more

(01:48:15):
in your current shoots with Geico. Go to geco dot
com or call eight hundred nine four seven auto. The
only hard part is figuring out which way is easier.
And we are honored as always to bring in our man,
the NBA champion, the two time All Star. We've been
calling him an NBA analyst, but I think now we

(01:48:35):
can call him an NBA insider because he's breaking news
all over the place too. Karan, But you ain't breaking
news when you're friends with everybody. You breaking news? Hey,
whatever you got to do? Right? Hey man, Hey bro,
Hey Robe, you know who that is? You know who
that is? Hey? One thing about me, I'm consistent, all right?

(01:49:01):
It looked good on you, man, Thank you, Thank y'all
wearing well, man, I've been doing it for thirty two years.
All were great. We got a lot to get to.
We've been talking about last night's Lakers game over the Timberwolves.
They won one, fourteen und ten and Rajon Rondo played

(01:49:21):
the last sixteen and a half minutes, and that means
Linzo Ball sat the bench for the last sixteen and
a half minutes. I'm on one side of saying, look,
it's to the point. I mean, Lebron's here now, It's
not like last year where Linzo was given the minutes.
Now you have to earn them, and if he doesn't
beat out or play better than Rondo, then Rondo's gonna play.

(01:49:42):
Rob's on the other side where he says, look, you
gotta find out what Linzo can do. He's a number
pick of the draft. He should be playing to see
what your future is with him. Where do you side?
Where do you go on this side of the argument? Listen,
I have to side with you on this one. And
this is my and why the future is now. You
know before you had two three years obviously to develop

(01:50:05):
and learn on the fly, and it was all about
you putting the ball in your hand, letting you explore
let you make mistakes on the fly. But now with
Lebron James and the mix on the team, I mean
every time he steps on the court, that is a
championship game for whatever team that's coming to Staples and
obviously if they're playing on the road. So now it

(01:50:25):
means every game means so much more. You need guys
to go out there and help you right now and
be a better version of itself. That's why you got
a guy like Rajon Rondo, season VET champion, know how
to win, gonna play the right way, and he's gonna
lead by example. He's gonna show ball how to be
a point guard now and how to win ball games.

(01:50:45):
You ain't gonna be a don't you have to play
in order to get to that level. I'm karan and
so basically officially we should say Lonzo's a bus? Right?
Is he a bus? Because because he can't beat out Rondo,
he can't even play in the last sixteen and a
half minutes of a game in November game eleven, It's
come down to this, He's not a bus. But also

(01:51:09):
when you look at the narrative that's been created, right,
the Lakers need to win. Now, what's going on with
the Lakers. Lukewarm job at stake, Okay, so they need
to win now. He has to put out the guys
that can help him win right now, not for the future,
but right now. And the guys that's ready in the moment,
they're gonna play. You heard Linzo say it hisself. He

(01:51:31):
addressed himself and he manned up and said, look, I
was not engaged. So until you're engaged on a consistent basis,
I cannot put you out there with things on the line,
my job on a consistent basis. When you're not engaged, Now,
who who brings that engagement night in the night out veterans,
guys that have been there, been through the battles. Lebron's

(01:51:54):
gonna bring that. Still the best player on the planet.
Rondo's gonna bring that. He brings a certain distance, aition
to his game and to the floor every time he
steps on the court. Tyson Chandler's gonna bring that. Olympian champion,
been an All star, defensive presidence, JaVale McGee better version
of himself, got off to a great start. Kyle Kozma
was ready brandon Ingram. When he's been available, he's been

(01:52:16):
great so like, you gotta put guys out there that's
gonna win and help you right now. So Magic missed
the boat. He was totally wrong about a Lonzo franchise
hanging up at the Staples Center. He's the face of
the franchise. Did he totally miss it? On Lonzo? I
thought he got it right because you're talking about the future.
But now, when when the future is now, things changed,

(01:52:39):
you have to pivot in another direction. I mean, things
change immediately the second that Lebron James is on your roster,
because not like you're adding a player like an All
Star or whatever, and it's like, okay, now we got
a piece. Now we're probably get enough like you, You've
got you exerted, inserted a whale on your roster. Now

(01:52:59):
it's like, okay, we have to do this now and
make it intriguing for the Lakers. Have to be a
carrot for another superstar player to come and join next season.
So you gotta make an intriguing You gotta make an
excite like, look, you're all we're missing going forward. If
we have you, we're gonna hang a banner up. And
that's what that's what the narrative gotta be for this season.

(01:53:21):
They're gonna make the playoffs, They're gonna play over five
hundred basketball. They're gonna be the story and headline all season.
But you need to make an intriguing for a superstar
caliber player to come here. In free agency, it's the
eye couple of Chris Brussa Rod Parker were joined by
NBA champion Karan Butler Karan. The Celtics are down thirty
two to twelve in Phoenix. Now, I know it's early.

(01:53:42):
I'm they probably they could come back and win the heat.
It's the heat out there, but this one they lost
their last two. They lost their last two games. I
think they got a lot of different issues that they
didn't have last year. I think Kyrie still the best player,
but now Jason the gap between him and the second
best player isn't what it was last year. So they

(01:54:04):
have to deal with those new roles. Jason Tatum feeling
more like he's a star. Gordon Hayward now came in
as this all star free agent. He's a role player. Now.
I think there's a and they got expectations which none
of these Brass Stevens teams have had in the past.
Do you think that is the case, and they got
a lot of issues they have to deal with. Or

(01:54:25):
do you think this is nothing really to worry about
for the Celtics. I think long term they'll be fine,
But right now they do have some stuff internally they
got to deal with. And Chris, you touched on it
and you hit it right on the nose. Look now,
those guys, rob are dealing with a situation in which
you know what you have in Jason Tatum. He's a
young superstar on the rise. He showed you glimpse and flashes,

(01:54:49):
actually showed you more than that, and he showed you
what he can be and what he's going to be
going forward for years to come. Took time out of
his schedule to work out with Kobe Bryant and many
more in the off season. And this showing and paying
is paying wonders. So when you know that you got
that Jalen Brown, Scary Terry, all those guys, and then
now you have to insert an All Star and Gordon
Hayward you and you paid him big money. You got

(01:55:11):
to insert Kyrie Irvin because that's uncle Drew, one of
the best players on the planet. So now these guys
have to regress and figure out a way on how
to play with Kyrie. And he's a ball dominant guard.
He needs the ball to be what he is and
it's warranted. So now everybody rolls in games and suggesting
and they're trying to figure it out, and they will

(01:55:32):
because they're a basketball team and guys understand that. Look,
it's a complete failure if they did not come out
the Eastern Conference and go to the finals. It's a
fell season for the Boston Celtics if they're not in
the finals. Verse whoever coming out the West know the
State Warrior. I'm glad you said that. All right? And
what about Houston? We got about the less than a minute.

(01:55:55):
Where are they? I know they got off to a
really bad start, uh, and then they've won some games
of lay. Are they going to be back in the
mix to be to really give the challenge to Golden
State when the season is uh at the end. I
think it's up for grabs. I honestly do. And the
reason I say that is because defensively, they they're not

(01:56:16):
even like in the middle of a in the pack
of the association on a consistent basis. So that's what
I'm worried about with Houston. I know they're gonna be
able to score. I know Chris Paul James Harden those
guys to do wonders with the basketball, and Carmelo is
going to get into his flow even more. But at
the same time, on the defensive end of the floor,
can they stop anyone? Your offense cannot be your defense

(01:56:37):
for entire forty eight minutes, all the way through a
marathon of a season and also a playoffs. All right,
that's the one and only Carian Butler NBA insider. I'm
still waiting on my chicken wings. Man, I got you, Brot.
I gotta eat those wings first, and then you'll get

(01:56:59):
another bad later on during the playoffs. We'll do that,
all right. Well, alight it anytime, bro all right, it's
starting to look like a real life Revenge of the Nerds.
That's next. I couple Fox Sports Radio. When you're hiring,
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(01:57:20):
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(01:58:02):
search f s R to listen live. All right, it's
the final segment of the Eye Couple Chris Brussard and
Rob Parker. And Rob probably wants to sing no, I'm
gonna sing goodness. Yeah, this was This was Uh, I'm
for some reason, I'm it's just family matters. Yeah, this
was one of my favorites. Nine. All right, Look, before

(01:58:26):
we get into the last topic, Rob, the Houston Rockets
being dismantled by an Oklahoma City team without Russell West,
that's just a bad night. That's when you've when you've
cashed it in and just noll. But it's beyond cashing
it in. They got some issues like look, and I'm
a Carmelo Anthony fan. Stop he's a first ballot Hall

(01:58:49):
of Famer. I adn't think he's gonna stop. No, he's
the first. He ain't the first ballot Hall of Famer
up on. Oh wait, man, you're right, because it's not
the pro it's not the NBA Hall of Fame. It's basketball.
It was one of the top ten players in the
league for ten years. But anyway, that's neither here nor there.
Um when when when he's on the floor for Houston

(01:59:13):
this year, Carmelo, when he's on the floor, they have
the worst defense in the league. What a shot? Right
when he's off the floor or actually, when he's off
the floor, they're they're pretty good defensive, right, I mean
the stats are showing that, like, and that's their problem.
Like they they got issues, man, they got serious issues
when they signed Carmelo. He didn't fit. I never thought

(01:59:36):
he fit Chris. I didn't understand why they were hell
ben on adding his name. But anyway, right, I hear you.
And speaking of being dismantled, Pittsburgh is man handling the Panthers.
Is it thirty one fourteen at the half? Yet he
rob real quick because we were talking about this baseball thing,
can you just uh yeah, give us the facts on

(01:59:58):
the bill, James, Greg Segue Parker, Sorry, just just sharp, right,
just no. Mcgooney got time is running out. Bill James,
you might know him from the Moneyball He's the guy
who kind of inspired the money ball movement. He was
engaging with people on Twitter about, you know, the value
or perceived value major League Baseball players, and he said

(02:00:20):
in a deleted tweet, if the players all retired tomorrow,
we would replace them. The game would go on three years.
It would make no difference whatsoever. The players are not
the game anymore than the beer vendors are now. Since then,
the Red Sox have distanced themselves, calling his comments absurd
and inappropriate. You had the head of the Major League

(02:00:43):
Baseball Players Association, Tony Clark what he's saying. He basically
got really upset. He said, the comments made by Bill
James are reckless and insulting considering our game's history regarding
the use of replacement players. Yeah, guys like Justin Verlander
calling him out a little bit. You had Tory Hunner,
you know, Jackie Bradley was didn't really see anything directly,

(02:01:04):
but was saying, hey, thanks for a ladder, I appreciate
you standing up for is that kind of stuff? It
was just all bad look all around. It's just Bill James.
Bill James, like seriously, like like you think anybody could
roll in and play major League baseball. There are guys
in the minor leagues for ten years, Chris, We're trying
to break in to the to the major league. They
can't make it. No, this is this is this is ridiculous,

(02:01:26):
and it's really indicative of the analytics guys. And and
let me state this. Analytics has a place in sports.
It is part of the equation. But this is what
I would say about analytics guys like Sam Hinky was
an analytics guy in Philadelphia when it comes to front
offices in any of the sports, and analytics guys should

(02:01:47):
be a part of your basketball or baseball or football.
But not the head exactly, not the head. They they
look at the games only in numbers, and they don't
understand the human element, chemistry, or how difficult apparently, Bill James,
how difficult the games are to play like, they don't
know any of that. It's just like what they were

(02:02:10):
said in the playoffs. You might be able to use
those stats during the regular season, but in October on
a big stage, those numbers go out the window. You
don't know about the the stress about being on a
big stage basis lower two outs in the ninth it's
not the same as a regular game in may regular
season game. And I'm glad you brought that up because
we know the first team to take the analytics and

(02:02:31):
money bar was the Oakland A's okay, and they became
a decent team when they anything, never want to they
won it back in the day they went they were great.
So you know that's the James stop it. I guess
he'll be assumed x red Side consultant because I can't
imagine I'm keeping his job right, all right? I couple podcasts.

(02:02:53):
Go the iTunes, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, download the podcast every Day,
tell your friends, tell your family, leave us a comment
and five stars, and of course tune in tomorrow on
Fox Sports Radio Odd Couple Piece

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