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December 27, 2023 38 mins

In Hour 1 of today’s edition of The Odd Couple, Rob Parker and guest host TJ Houshmandzadeh breakdown the Broncos’ decision to bench Russell Wilson for the final two games of the season. Is Denver using Russ as a scapegoat, or are they justified in making this business decision? The guys debate Lamar Jackson’s case for the MVP, and debates if Brock Purdy still has a chance to win it. Plus, should the Pistons fire Monty Williams following the team’s 27-game winning streak? All that, and much more!

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
to check 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 Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.

Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let's give this.

Speaker 3 (00:25):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 4 (00:29):
Yeah, ho ho ho.

Speaker 1 (00:33):
On a worship Wednesday, we got The Odd Couple and TJ.

Speaker 4 (00:40):
You see who's the big start show and who has
to work the holidays.

Speaker 1 (00:44):
Wow market, that's right.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Yeah, Rob, you'll be putting that work in. Man. Chris
is just, I guess enjoying the fruits of his labra.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
Hey, he's big time, man, He's big time, no doubt.

Speaker 4 (00:58):
It's all right though.

Speaker 1 (00:59):
I'm very happy to be sharing this radio show with
you tonight, and we're broadcasting live from the tire rack
dot com studios. The Odd Couple is also brought to
you by Progressive Insurance. Progressive makes bundling easy and affordable.
Get a multi policy discount by combining your motorcycle, RV, boat,
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(01:22):
and save at Progressive dot com. It is a worship Wednesday.
And yes, the former pro bowler TJ. Huschmann Zada in
for Chris Bussard and TJ. Always a pleasure. What's up,
my man?

Speaker 4 (01:37):
How are you?

Speaker 2 (01:39):
Man? I enjoyed it, So I'm doing well. Man. I
enjoy as you know, doing the show with yourself. I
love it.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Yes, we had a podcast that we had a good
time on. I don't want to talk about how good
TJ was and picking the games.

Speaker 4 (01:55):
I mean, we'll leave that alone.

Speaker 1 (01:56):
But but we had fun on that podcast. I was
mad when they tell me I couldn't do it anymore,
you know what I mean.

Speaker 2 (02:03):
Yeah, that's how they do us, man, you know that
they do us.

Speaker 4 (02:06):
I know it was bad, but it's all good.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
And man, we got a lot to talk about coming
up on the program.

Speaker 4 (02:13):
We're gonna talk. We got a couple of people to
talk to.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
Of course, we're gonna talk with Randy Mueller, who, of
course the former NFL Executive of the Year and the
host of the Football GM podcast and a Fox Sports
radio analysts will get to him. Justin Adams, he works
for CBS News in Colorado.

Speaker 4 (02:32):
He's a sports reporter.

Speaker 1 (02:33):
We'll get some insight on what's going on out there
in Denver. And also at six o'clock Pacific, nine pm Eastern,
we're gonna talk with Eddie House, the former, i should say,
the NBA champ and Fox Sports Radio NBA analysts. But first,
before we get started, TJ, let's welcome into Odd Couple crew.

(02:54):
We wouldn't be able to do this fine radio program
without him. Alex always working is our engineer.

Speaker 4 (03:01):
What's up? Alex?

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Good?

Speaker 4 (03:03):
Rob we chilling?

Speaker 2 (03:04):
If I know there's one thing in radio to always
guarantee on, that's Ron Parker Alex Stysher being.

Speaker 4 (03:08):
Here, no doubt. We got to hold it down. We
got to keep the Eye Couple were the glue, TJ.

Speaker 1 (03:12):
The glue and the tape to hold it together during
the That's right, gotcha, Brandon, the Truth Truth of Brandon
is our producer today and Kevin Kevin Wyatt is at
the anchor desk.

Speaker 4 (03:27):
He'll keep us updated throughout the show. And uh, let's
start here, TJ.

Speaker 1 (03:32):
The big news, of course, in the NFL, with two
games to go and the Broncos still having a chance
to possibly make the playoffs. There's only eight percent chance,
but they have a chance. They decided that they were
going to bench Russell Wilson, So Russell will not play

(03:53):
the final two games of the year. Stinham is going
to be the starting quarterback. They have been eliminated from
the playoffs. And you know what, there's something rotten in Denmark.
And this is TJ. The bad part about pro sports.
And you know this because you played in the National
Football League and there's a money element that's involved, and

(04:17):
people can poop poo it all they want, and all
you just want to win and that's all that matters,
and you don't care about money. But when money's involved,
decisions are made. And this to me is strictly a
money decision. If this guy gets hurt and I mean

(04:38):
doesn't get hurt and play the last two games, you're
gonna be on the hook for that thirty seven million
dollars for the twenty twenty five season.

Speaker 4 (04:46):
If he's on the roster in March and he.

Speaker 1 (04:48):
Passes his physical so they the last thing they want
is for him to play and get hurt and then
that money kicks in regardless, am I saying? And he
had an all Pro year at quarterback, No, did he
have a better year, TJ. Than he had his first
year in Denver. Without question, they were dead in the water.

(05:10):
They bounced back, they got back into it, they won
some games.

Speaker 4 (05:14):
I get it. That lost to the Patriots was just brutal.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
I mean they were down big, came back in that game,
but they still lost.

Speaker 4 (05:21):
They lost to the Patriots. What was that? Christmas Eve?

Speaker 1 (05:24):
Bad loss and basically not all the way knocked him out,
but really damaged their chances of making it to the postseason.
Do you have a problem with where they are in
Denver and what they're doing?

Speaker 2 (05:40):
Man, Rob, there's so many layers to this. Honestly, yeah,
I have a problem with it, But I don't have
a problem with it when when you and this is
the thing you are doing, at least how we see
it now. And I'll say this, I think Jered Stentham
can play. I really do.

Speaker 4 (06:01):
He can play, and he should have been playing before.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
He just hasn't had a lot of reps. He's never
gonna play when Russell Wilson is making that type of money.
I don't care if they thought he was better. He's
never gonna play when Russell Wilson has that contract. That's
the business side of football. But what you're doing with
the Denver Broncos is even if you think Russell Wilson
gives you the best opportunity to win games, you're putting

(06:26):
it economics of all. If he gets hurt, we have
to pay him thirty seven more million, thirty nine million
more guaranteed in twenty twenty five. What about the rest
of the players on his team on a team that's
been busting a butt all season and albeit small, small

(06:47):
percent that you're gonna make the playoffs, but you still
have a chance. What are you telling those guys, You,
guys don't matter. The effort that you guys have given
me all season doesn't matter. I've asked you to give
me your all all season. It doesn't matter. And so
that's where this coaching staff can run the risk of
losing guys. Okay, I'm not just this year, not just

(07:09):
this year. The guys that will be there next year,
give it your all, because I'm gonna give them all.
We're always gonna give you the best chance to win. Hey, guys,
but we're gonna uh been drussed because we don't know
what's gonna happen in twenty twenty five. Like this is
what you're telling the guys that are on the roster
now two years down the road, that's what you're worried about,

(07:31):
and you want me to give it my all, And
y'all worried about twenty twenty five now, the business side
of football. I get it. If I get it. Russell
Wilson is playing good football this year. He's playing football
the brand of football that he played in Seattle. He's

(07:52):
not playing any worse than what he played in seat.
Let's take out last year. What he's doing this year
is what he did in Seattle. But Seattle had a
great defense, a great running game in Marshawn Lynch. He
doesn't have that in Denver. I mean, you're talking three

(08:13):
to four Hall of famers on that defense, and Richard
Sherman and Earl Thomas and Bobby Wagner and Cam Chancellor
and Michael Bennett and those dudes like they had a
great defense. And so that's why he was what he
was in Seattle, because he's playing good football. But the

(08:34):
beginning of the end, Rob was when Sean Payton treated
him like he was nothing on the sideline. I went
on college, I had never seen that in my life.

Speaker 4 (08:46):
And that's where I want to get to because this.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
Has never seen that that was the beginning of the
end right there, That was the beginning the way.

Speaker 4 (08:52):
But this is Sean Payton. This is Sean Peyton, and.

Speaker 1 (08:55):
He's going to use Russell Wilson as escape goes for
what's going on in Denver. He's gonna do this is
this is what's happening. And here's the part that bothers me. Okay,
and here's the difference between baseball and football.

Speaker 4 (09:11):
And you talked about it. Okay, they're worried.

Speaker 1 (09:14):
About twenty twenty five and the chances of him getting heard.
People putting there next and their lives and their bodies
and harms way every game. And they signed the contract,
and now they want to get to make sure that
they can wiggle out when they want to.

Speaker 4 (09:31):
What just happened in baseball?

Speaker 1 (09:34):
What just it's not that just show hail Tony just
signed a seven hundred million dollar contract.

Speaker 4 (09:40):
Guess what, TJ.

Speaker 1 (09:41):
He signed a seven hundred million dollar contract with a
major injury that will not allow him to be a
unicorn next year, right, and that the Dodgers don't know
what kind of picture he's gonna be again when he
takes the mound.

Speaker 4 (09:57):
Do they know? Do they know?

Speaker 1 (09:59):
I I have no idead that stop them from signing
him or giving him money.

Speaker 4 (10:05):
No, it did not.

Speaker 1 (10:06):
And they use that in football all the time to
not pay running backs, to not play players. Why do
NFL players accept this? I don't even understand it.

Speaker 2 (10:19):
I mean, Rob, when you look at it, there's a
handful of players that have that type of power, meaning
you're young and you're great. This is what I want
in my contract. If I don't get it, I'm not signing.
And all those guys that those five or six players
where it's Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, whoever

(10:43):
else is that young guy coming up? It looks to
be possibly now CJ. Stroud. They can really hold firm
on I want to guarantee contract. Oh Lamar tried to
and nobody attempted to sign them.

Speaker 4 (11:00):
We're gonna get into that. We're gonna get in.

Speaker 2 (11:02):
An unexclusive franchise. Taking nobody tried to sign him.

Speaker 1 (11:05):
Well but that and there was a story today NBC.
And this is the financial part that that drives you crazy.
And I don't If you're a Denver Broncos fan and
you just said it too or in that locker room,
and you're asking me to give my all, but you're
going to pull a quarterback not because he's terrible and

(11:28):
we can't win with him, but because we can't have
him get hurt the last two games. And then we're
on the hook because if he's healthy and passing the
physical on March, you know that that guarantee guarantee is
kicked in and there's no turning back from that thirty
seven million. They've already basically said, we're not going to
exercise that, We're gonna part ways. We're not paying that

(11:51):
thirty seven million. We don't care if we make the
playoffs this year. This is Sean Payton, and Sean Payton
came in and for a guy who's won one Super
Bowl and basically is Mike McCarthy in better shape? You know, really,
other than that, what's the difference between Mike McCarthy and him.

Speaker 4 (12:13):
But everybody makes Mike McCarthy.

Speaker 1 (12:15):
Out like he's kind of a buffoon, and Sean Payton
invented football, like it's unbelievable. They both had Hall of
Fame quarterbacks, right, they both won one championship, But Mike
McCarthy never went seven to nine three years.

Speaker 4 (12:29):
In a row with a Hall of Fame quarterback. That's
the difference.

Speaker 1 (12:33):
And Sean Payton talked out of the side of his
mouth about Nathaniel Hackett.

Speaker 4 (12:37):
We all know that he did a terrible job.

Speaker 1 (12:39):
That's why Sean got the job, right, So he started
off with that the team was awful, they gave up
a seventy piece to Miami.

Speaker 4 (12:47):
They bounced back, and now here he is where he
wanted to get rid of.

Speaker 1 (12:51):
Russell Wilson anyway, couldn't do anything because he was winning,
right and they were winning, and as soon as he realized, okay,
here's my last chance, they forsake the team's fortune and
tell the fans screw you. That's what that the Denver
Broncos and uh Sean Payton have done.

Speaker 2 (13:11):
The thing is what kind of support does Russell Wilson
have in that locker room? That that's key? What kind
of support from the better players in that locker room
that are young that means something to that team specifically
uh Patrick certain like, how does he feel about this?

(13:32):
If your young players are up in arms about this,
you got a problem. You have a problem. If you're
the Denver Broncos, because you can't come in the offseason
in training camp and preach this we're gonna give it
all all because we're gonna get you. Give it your
all because we're gonna give it all. We're gonna give

(13:52):
you the best opportunity to win. You can't you can't
even preach that message any longer because you've all showed
me what you would do. You showed me what you
would do, So don't tell me because I see better
than I hear. And so it really depends on the
type of support that Russell Wilson has in that locker room.

(14:15):
Now again, if Jared Stidham goes out there these next
two weeks and balls out, none of this matters.

Speaker 1 (14:21):
No, and if you don't and if he bombs out,
if he bombs out, but it's still the idea that
you've given up the season and we want to hear
from you. Let's get some people involved. Eight seven seven
ninety nine on Fox eight seven seven nine nine six
sixty three sixty nine.

Speaker 4 (14:37):
Where are you on?

Speaker 1 (14:38):
This is Russell Wilson's escapegoat. Do you like this what
they're doing in Denver? Are they sticking the middle finger
up to fans and to the rest of those players
in the locker room, where are you on this? I
call it a debacle. It is as bad as it gets.
You should always strive to try to make the postseason
and put your team in the best position to win.

Speaker 4 (14:59):
And Russell Wilson and being on the sidelines, I.

Speaker 1 (15:01):
Do not believe is the best position eight seven seven
ninety nine on Foughts, it is The Odd Couple on
a worship Wednesday, Rob Parker here, TJ. Houschman's ODDA there
and you there, stick and stay at America.

Speaker 4 (15:17):
Okay.

Speaker 3 (15:18):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 5 (15:29):
HI.

Speaker 4 (15:29):
This is Jay Glazer.

Speaker 6 (15:30):
And you may know me for the world of football
or fighting or even shows like HBO's Ballers.

Speaker 4 (15:35):
Who you don't know is for my entire life.

Speaker 6 (15:38):
I have lived in something I refer to as the
Great Depression anxiety. So now I'm coming out with a
new podcast, Unbreakable, a mental health podcast with Jay Glazer,
where each week, while we talk about mental health, I
hope to describe it, give it words. Listen to Unbreakable
with Jay Glazer on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts.

Speaker 4 (15:57):
Or wherever you get your podcasts.

Speaker 1 (16:02):
It is the Odd Couple on a worship Wednesday, Rob Parker, TJ.

Speaker 4 (16:07):
Huschman Zada in for Chris Buzard.

Speaker 1 (16:10):
We'll come into you live from the Tirerach dot com studios.

Speaker 4 (16:14):
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Speaker 1 (16:15):
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(16:39):
apply our telephone numbers eight seven, seven ninety nine on
Fox eight seven seven nine nine.

Speaker 4 (16:46):
Six sixty three sixty nine.

Speaker 2 (16:48):
Where are you?

Speaker 1 (16:49):
The Denver Broncos have thrown the towel in on the season,
on the surface at least, and they can hope for
a miracle, but on the surface because they don't want
to pay Russell Wilson and we want to hear from you.

Speaker 4 (17:01):
Where are you on this disaster or brilliant? I know TJ.
Guys want to jump there.

Speaker 2 (17:06):
We got Ricky from Montclair. You're in the hyge cup
of what you got for us?

Speaker 7 (17:12):
Okay, So you guys made a you guys made a
statement that Stidham was better than Russell Wilson.

Speaker 2 (17:19):
No he said that. No heard I heard it. No,
you're you're heard wrong. What I said was I believe
Stidham is a good player.

Speaker 4 (17:27):
That's what he said.

Speaker 7 (17:29):
Okay, okay, well he said he well, he was never
going to start because the amount of money Russell Wilson
was made.

Speaker 2 (17:36):
Yes, yes, I said, if he was in.

Speaker 7 (17:38):
Denver started, Okay, Okay. Well, I remember distinctly because I'm
a Raider fan and I really really wanted the Raiders
to get Matt Flynn and he and he got a
bunch of money from Seattle and never played us, never started, right.

Speaker 1 (17:55):
I remember that was when Russell Wilson took the job,
right they they got him from Green Bay.

Speaker 7 (18:00):
Helped me saying I'm a bunch of money. I was sad.
I'm a Raider fan and looking for a quarterback for
a long time, and I was like, man, see I
will save this.

Speaker 4 (18:09):
All right. Where are you on this? Are you cool
with this? What Denver's doing?

Speaker 7 (18:15):
Yeah, they're just they're they're done, they're moving on.

Speaker 4 (18:18):
He's gone, okay, all are you cool with it?

Speaker 7 (18:22):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (18:23):
All right, thanks for the call. Appreciate eight seven, seven
ninety nine On Fox.

Speaker 2 (18:27):
We have Clint in Columbus on our couple. What do
you have for us?

Speaker 8 (18:32):
TJ?

Speaker 9 (18:33):
What's the big dog?

Speaker 2 (18:34):
What's going on? My guy?

Speaker 9 (18:36):
Hey, I'm a big fan of all you guys, but TJ,
I freaking love listening to you on the herd.

Speaker 2 (18:41):
You're great, Thank you appreciate it.

Speaker 9 (18:45):
All right, So yeah, I mean call it last color.
I'm not okay with the decision because I'm a you know,
I'm a huge fan of the NFL, but I like
players more than I like teams. And Sean Payton and
Russ those are two, you know, really big names in
the NFL, and it just seems like it was a
good match, and I think it could be. But I

(19:05):
think Sean Payton is putting his thumbprint on this organization
and he's like, hey, all that stuff Russ wanted him
being at the top, that's not going to fly. I'm
at the top. I think they're off for Russ, and
I think that they're gonna have to kind of go
into a little bit of a rebuild mode because you
just don't get super Bowl quarterbacks. You know, every day
off the marketer in the draft.

Speaker 4 (19:26):
Dude, you look, look, you're spot on from this standpoint.
And TJ, you know this.

Speaker 1 (19:31):
There's sixteen teams looking for a quarterback. I mean, it
ain't like quarterbacks. Look at the guys who have played
this year, TJ. It's shocking, isn't it. There are no
quarterbacks around.

Speaker 2 (19:43):
Amen. Quarterbacks are They're a hot commodity man. Everybody is
trying to find one in it. If you don't have one,
you're going you're looking for one.

Speaker 4 (19:53):
Right, and here we are.

Speaker 1 (19:54):
I mean there's a country at three hundred and thirty
million people and you can't find.

Speaker 4 (19:58):
Thirty starting thirty two in quarterbacks.

Speaker 1 (20:00):
Think about that. It's unbelievable. Eight seven, seven ninety nine
on five.

Speaker 2 (20:07):
Steve and Tucson. You're on our couple. What you have
for us?

Speaker 8 (20:11):
I've heard you guys, right, So I will not try
to say that you guys said that Russell was not
as good as I promise you.

Speaker 3 (20:19):
So.

Speaker 8 (20:19):
I'm from Bedsty, Brooklyn. I moved out here to Tucson, Arizona,
and I have to deal with these University of Arizona people.
And this is the way I look at Sean Payton.
University of Arizona have won one basketball championship for over
one hundred years, and Ludolsen won that one championship, and
they think he's the greatest thing that ever came to basketball.
Just like Sean Payton, he is not the greatest thing.
He won one championship. I would take Russell over him

(20:42):
any day and get rid of Peyton. But in this situation,
we know it's always about the benjamins and the dollar bills.
So if you told me they had a twenty five
percent chance of making the playoffs, yeah.

Speaker 10 (20:54):
I would be a little angry.

Speaker 8 (20:55):
But I think you guys gave a number under tention eight.

Speaker 4 (20:58):
It's eight percent percent, right.

Speaker 8 (21:00):
Not if it was twenty five percent. I'd be mad
as a fan. At eight percent, you know, I understand
going to set them and maybe that thirty seven million
dollars they can use it to build their team better
next year. Instead he give a rousta, it's not.

Speaker 2 (21:13):
Next year, right, It's no, it is next year. He's
guaranteed thirty seven. Regardless if he's guaranteed thirty nine regardless.
If he's on the roster, it's another thirty second, right,
get another thirty right the following year, twenty he's getting
that money regardless.

Speaker 1 (21:29):
Right, it's it's the next year. It's twenty twenty five,
that's exactly. It's not next year. He's going to get
his money. But if they if he's on the roster
in March, it automatically kicks in for twenty twenty five.
That's what they're trying to avoid.

Speaker 7 (21:48):
You've got a.

Speaker 9 (21:48):
Cheer to win.

Speaker 8 (21:49):
See, I didn't know that. I thought it was next year. Understanding, No,
that's wrong. Then now I totally agree. Play the man.
You're paying him that much money gives you right?

Speaker 1 (22:01):
Right, you cannot do that if you signed that deal.
You're the one who put those stipulation. You think, what
did Russell Wilson put that in there? You put that
in there. You made a commitment to the guy, my god,
and he had a better year this year than the
first year there.

Speaker 4 (22:15):
And you are no, last year.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
Was a disaster all across the board, coaching players, every
it was awful last year eight seven, seven ninety nine
on Fox.

Speaker 2 (22:25):
Carl Fort Lauderdale, you're in the I couple what you
have for us?

Speaker 10 (22:30):
Yeah, man, I don't like it. I don't like it.
I saw it from the beginning. I knew that's what
Sean was going to try to do. They hided this
guy like he's some major super Bowl coach.

Speaker 9 (22:40):
I know what.

Speaker 1 (22:43):
It's unbelievable, seriously, And and am I right the difference
between what's the difference between him and Mike McCarthy.

Speaker 10 (22:50):
Nothing, It's the same thing, one one win coach and
they put them on this tedistal. You know what I'm saying.
It's always a perception of certain coaches, and they got
that name and only gonna pay all that money over perception.
The NFL is such a dumb, pumpy cap league. They
pay off perception. And these guys gonna do ships once

(23:10):
they get the job, all right.

Speaker 4 (23:14):
Didn't make it? Trust me?

Speaker 2 (23:15):
What good?

Speaker 4 (23:15):
Thanks for anyway? We got?

Speaker 5 (23:18):
Do we have?

Speaker 10 (23:18):
What more?

Speaker 2 (23:19):
Schol got? That's yes, we got Shack, Richmond, Shack.

Speaker 5 (23:26):
Appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (23:27):
Bright.

Speaker 5 (23:27):
What's good, Bron? What's what's good?

Speaker 8 (23:28):
My man?

Speaker 6 (23:29):
Ron?

Speaker 7 (23:29):
What's good? Teacher?

Speaker 2 (23:30):
All good?

Speaker 4 (23:31):
All good?

Speaker 5 (23:33):
Bro? Got a good good holidays? But yeah, man, I
think the right ones on the wall. And I kind
of saw it man, because I you know, I've been
kind of watching the sports for a while since I
was like a kid. So when they let Randy Gregor
in the other end go out, yeah yeah, I can
see it coming. And what it is like people you know,

(23:55):
kind of shocked. Oh well, they're trying to save money
for twenty twenty five. What it is when they get
rid of this year, they're gonna take the big camp
fit this all season. That way they can get him
all the bad contracts out there, probably move Judy pay
certain and then they have one little off season where
the camp has kind of hepped up, and then the
next year they had that surplus without his contract and

(24:15):
and Peyton to go get his guy. And I heard
the Gems on the chopping block too, So this is
just like a clean house move. I don't think he's
been that. I don't think he's been great, but I.

Speaker 2 (24:26):
Own guy.

Speaker 4 (24:27):
Right.

Speaker 1 (24:27):
He doesn't want he doesn't want him there. That's that's
what it's really about. He just doesn't want him there.

Speaker 4 (24:32):
Hey, all right, TJ.

Speaker 1 (24:34):
Coming up next, I want to get your take on
whether Lamar Jackson is now the MVP.

Speaker 4 (24:41):
Uh. We talked about it on Monday here on the
Odd Couple.

Speaker 1 (24:45):
I'm all in. I was all in before I said
if he I'll do out. Does brock Purty in a
big game on Christmas?

Speaker 2 (24:52):
You know what I mean?

Speaker 4 (24:53):
I said, he's going to be the MVP.

Speaker 1 (24:55):
I want to hear your take how he's playing, who's
your pick for MVP?

Speaker 4 (24:59):
Will do that and much more.

Speaker 3 (25:00):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 4 (25:12):
It is the Odd Couple.

Speaker 1 (25:13):
On a worship Wednesday, Rob Parker, Tjhuschmanzada in for Chris Bussard.
But come into your live from the Tire Ranch dot
com studios. And if you're using debit over the over
credit and you like it, shouldn't you also be rewarded? Well,
now you can with Discover Cashback Debit. It's a checking
account that rewards everyone with cash back on everyday purchases

(25:35):
with no fees period check out eligibility in terms at
Discover dot com. Slash cash Back Debit Discover Bank member
fd I, C. Tjhuschman Zada. I watch with bated breath
and with bad breath on Christmas Day watching the game

(25:56):
of the year. To me, I wanted to see the
forty nine Ers, and I wanted to see the Ravens.

Speaker 4 (26:01):
And what did you make.

Speaker 1 (26:02):
Of a Rock Parties performance and Lamar Jackson performance and
who do you have as the MVP?

Speaker 2 (26:11):
Well, obviously forty nine Ers didn't play a good football game.
You got to give that Ravens defense, defensive coordinator McDonald
a ton of credit. It's two of the better defenses
in the league. But on paper, the Ravens that defense
is top three in every statistical category.

Speaker 4 (26:30):
They give it up like fifteen points a game.

Speaker 2 (26:32):
Number one in the league. Yards per game, number one
in the league. So the Ravens are good. Now, when
when you look at Rock Party's performance, that interception he
threw in the red zone, for me, that was the
one that was the one bad play on his behalf.

(26:54):
If I'm looking at it, you kind of recall the play.

Speaker 4 (26:57):
It changed the game.

Speaker 2 (26:59):
They had two receivers to the left side. It was
a double post concept and so Kittle he ran like
an out. I don't know what kind of route it was.
It was a quick out, like a five yard out.
If you're gonna run that concept. Either kittle route, his
route should have been deeper so that he can occupy
that backside safety. So when he runs his rout at

(27:21):
five yards, that backside safety can fall off, and now
the front side safety can also fall off and take
away the outside post, which I believe was Iu Debo
ran the slot post. And so I don't know if
Kittle's route was short or that was just the concept.
Outside of that, that was the one bad read. The

(27:44):
other the tip balls and you know those things. Brandon
steven has made a great play. He's blitzing, perty tries
to get the ball up, he tips it. He tries
to throw across to the middle with Kittle, Kyle Hamilton
makes a great house to play. The ball gets batted
in the air. It's another and it's so party. Yes,
he threw four interceptions, but to me, one of them

(28:06):
was really just a bad read. To others, it was
just kind of bad luck.

Speaker 1 (28:11):
Okay, but you but you gotta admit this, and I
hear you. But we could do that with everybody. Oh
so and so did this. Oh if it wasn't bad,
of doubt all that he had four interceptions, and that's
what counts on his record, and let me say this,
he might have had that that might be the biggest
game of his life. And what and what I mean

(28:31):
by that is it could have changed everything, mister irrelevant,
the whole country watching on Christmas night against that Ravens defense.
And you remember when he started the game, they were
moving the ball easily, okay, And had he won that game,
you would have had to put the rest about brock
Purty and him not be deserving an MVP and he's this,

(28:54):
and he's that. That would have had to be put
the rest and that guy would have won the MVP.
And now that's out the window. And whether it was
tip balls or not, he didn't perform close to what
people thought. They were six and a half point favorites
coming into that game. Nobody thought the Ravens were gonna

(29:14):
fly across country and beat the forty nine ers at home.

Speaker 2 (29:18):
I thought the Ravens were gonna win that game.

Speaker 4 (29:20):
Well, you're the only one I'm talking about Vegas. Put
up money.

Speaker 1 (29:23):
You heard some of the other people who are Mike
Florio from Pro Football. Oh, they're gonna kick the s
out of them. I mean, it was amazing.

Speaker 2 (29:31):
What people thought.

Speaker 4 (29:32):
I'm with you because I love I love Baltimore's defense.

Speaker 2 (29:35):
I felt like, what the Ravens being the underdog, that
they wouldn't take too kindly to that. Now, I didn't
think they would win in the fashion that they won.
But the Ravens are a good team.

Speaker 4 (29:48):
Tell me about Lamar, because we're running out of time.

Speaker 2 (29:50):
I want to hear is right now, it's three guys
for the MVP. It's Lamar Jackson, is Brock Party, It's
Josh Allen. One of those three will win the MVP.
But Lamar Jackson is playing.

Speaker 4 (30:04):
Parties out of it.

Speaker 2 (30:05):
I don't believe so, I really don't. But when you look.

Speaker 1 (30:08):
At the three game losing streak in the middle of
the season and then that performance, he's he's not winning
an MVP.

Speaker 2 (30:14):
When you look at a new offense and it's a
pass first offense. By the way, Lamar is the to
to think that nobody tried to sign Lamar Jackson when
he was technically he wasn't a free agent, but he
could have been signed. It's crazy. Lamar Jackson is playing

(30:37):
phenomenal football and the Ravens are doing what the Ravens do.
They just win.

Speaker 1 (30:42):
Yeah, he's the best player on the best team and
that performance.

Speaker 4 (30:46):
It reminds me.

Speaker 1 (30:47):
TJ of the baseball season when Akunya came to LA.
I don't know if you remember this. Akunya came to LA.
Him and Mookie Bets were basically like a lockstep right
for MVP in the National League. Alcuna went off in
that series against the Dodgers, had all these home runs whatever,
Mooki didn't do much and walked away. When he left,

(31:09):
he was like he was he was gonna be the MVP.
I just felt the same way. Lamar had such a stamp.

Speaker 4 (31:15):
On that game.

Speaker 1 (31:16):
I know the defense played well, but if you watch
that game and what he does and the other thing
that I think people don't understand, Lamar could have a
lot more touchdowns. If he just all that stuff in
the red zone that they hand off to Edwards, he
could be running those in.

Speaker 4 (31:32):
They don't have to do that. Am I wrong? What
couldn't even wun tho Lamark if he wanted to.

Speaker 2 (31:39):
Lamar Jackson seems to be a player that when you
play with him, guys just like playing with Lamar. They
like being in the locker room with Lamar. They enjoy
him that much. He seems like he's just one of
the guys, like Liz go back to Russell Wilson, Like
it's been reported that like guys on the team didn't

(32:00):
have Russell Wilson's cell phone number.

Speaker 4 (32:02):
So, I don't know what shocked. That's crazy, that's crazy, like.

Speaker 1 (32:07):
That he's that big of a star. You know, it
was like, I don't know if you remember at the
end of Brett Fare's career he dressed in a separate locker.

Speaker 4 (32:16):
Room with the Jets. Did you know that, No, he
dressed in a separate.

Speaker 2 (32:20):
Team and do these type of things. And so Lamar
seems as if he's just one of the guys. And
when you become that, dudes really want to play with you,
play for you. And it's what you said. If they
realize that he could be taking some of these touchdowns

(32:40):
and he's giving them the Gus Edwards, they really appreciate
that because that's gonna help Gus Edwards out more than
it helps Lamar out.

Speaker 1 (32:47):
And so, and he could be selfish and just be like,
we're down there, I'm gonna run them all.

Speaker 2 (32:51):
In and he isn't doing those things. But the Ravens man,
they just win. That's what they This is the year
for the Ravens to kind of put to always been
a really good regular season team. Lamar has one playoff.
This is the year. This is the year I agree
them to go further than they've been with Lamar Jackson.
Now I will say this, They're probably gonna meet up

(33:15):
with the Niners again in the Super Bowl. I don't
know if they'll get the same result.

Speaker 4 (33:19):
All right, Well, see as that happens.

Speaker 1 (33:22):
But coming up next, we got a little Shekel city
and you know what, TJ. I don't care how much
money's on his contract. Many Williams should be fired from
the Pistons. We'll do that and much more. It is
the odd Couple on the Worship Wednesday.

Speaker 9 (33:36):
Stick and stay for a possible firing in the US
of A.

Speaker 3 (33:42):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot Com and within the iHeartRadio app. Search FSR to
listen live.

Speaker 1 (33:54):
Oh yeah, a Worship Wednesday on this Christmas week, It
is the odd Couple, Rob Parker and Tjhuschmann Zada coming
to you live from the tire Rack dot com studios.
Did you know discover once everyone to feels special. That's
why with your Discover card, you have access to twenty

(34:15):
four to seven customer service as well as zero dollar
fraud liability, which means you never, ever, ever, ever are
held responsible for unauthorized purchases. Learn more at discover dot com.
Slash credit card limitations apply, TJ. It is now time

(34:35):
for a little Shekel city.

Speaker 3 (34:39):
Two Shekel City, the whole base for Rob Parker's dally
Dix against the spread.

Speaker 1 (34:50):
All right, here we go, best bet, I'm taking the
OKC Thunder hosting the New York Knickerbockers, that is in
Oklahoma City.

Speaker 4 (35:03):
I'm taking OKC minus three and a half.

Speaker 1 (35:06):
I'm also taking Cleveland plus six and a half.

Speaker 4 (35:13):
At Dallas.

Speaker 1 (35:14):
Dallas may win, but they won't cover that six and
a half points. And boy, TJ, the Phoenix Suns are stinky.

Speaker 4 (35:22):
They are bad.

Speaker 1 (35:24):
My god, fourteen and fifteen at this point, they're in
Houston tonight. I'm gonna take Houston plus three and a half.
You heard me, Houston plus three and a half. I'm
taking OKC minus three and a half, and I'm taking
Cleveland on the road at Dallas plus six and a half.
And remember I'm not telling you who to bet on.
I'm telling you who I bet on. And TJ, let's

(35:46):
go here more NBA. Last night the Detroit Pistons, a
team that I watched for twenty years when I was
a columnist in that town and whatnot, and that won
that championship in two two thousand and four, and I
remember the bad boys and all the other stuff that
was good in Detroit.

Speaker 4 (36:05):
And look at where they are now.

Speaker 1 (36:07):
Twenty seven straight losses set a record last night. And
Manti Williams is the coach. They gave him an incredible contract,
the highest paying contract for an NBA head coach. He
came there from Phoenix with no championships, and they've lost
twenty seven in a row.

Speaker 4 (36:26):
TJ.

Speaker 1 (36:27):
If you can't get fired off of that, you can't
get fired off anything.

Speaker 4 (36:30):
And I know it's financial.

Speaker 1 (36:32):
And if this guy didn't have that big contract, he
would have been gone a long time ago.

Speaker 2 (36:37):
It's really tough to fire coach after one year though
it's his first agent in.

Speaker 4 (36:41):
Twenty seven and in a row, TJ.

Speaker 2 (36:45):
Something wrong with that. They had.

Speaker 4 (36:48):
Had a two and one, rather they lost their first
twenty seven.

Speaker 2 (36:51):
I don't know how you love wow that many games
in a row, like you can't just luck up and
have a great shooting.

Speaker 1 (36:57):
Night, can't last night at home, and they lost.

Speaker 2 (37:02):
At some point. When you lose twenty seven in a row,
it's not all on the players.

Speaker 4 (37:07):
It can't be.

Speaker 2 (37:08):
It's not all on the players. But with that being said,
I believe they gave money Williams sixty seven million or
was it seventy six millionaire.

Speaker 4 (37:15):
Yeah, something like that for six years. They're on the hook.

Speaker 2 (37:18):
His contract is as such, he's not going anywhere anytime soon.

Speaker 4 (37:24):
That's bad for an organization.

Speaker 1 (37:26):
You're telling you, and you know what we saw it
with Josh McDaniels and the Raiders.

Speaker 4 (37:31):
I gotta give Mark Davis credit.

Speaker 1 (37:33):
Josh had four years left on that deal, TJ four
at big money and he already had to pay a
settlement to John Gruden, right, And what did Mark Davis do?
He had to get rid of Josh McDaniels because it
was tearing a part of team, tearing the team apart.
And you got if you're the Pistons owner, I know

(37:54):
it's a lot of money, but there's no way TJ,
you can bring that team back next year. So you're
telling me You're gonna save the coach and get rid
of all the players. Like, really, you bring those same
guys back next year, It doesn't even make sense.

Speaker 2 (38:10):
Those players. You don't even want to bring those players back.
Their condition to losing. You got to bring in some
guys that are used to winning, that can change the
culture and help those young players just start to think
and practice and play differently. You cannot come back with
the same team. It's almost it's infected with a loser's mentality.

(38:35):
You got to bring in some vets and you got
to bring in some guys that as a coach in
the organization can help you change the coach because it's
got a culture. The coaches can't do it.

Speaker 4 (38:47):
No doubt to do it.

Speaker 2 (38:49):
Now.

Speaker 1 (38:49):
Coming up next, our number two, Patrick Mahomes, is being
told to change.

Speaker 4 (38:55):
We'll get into that stick instead. Jordan asking the US
event
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