July 14, 2026 • 37 mins
Steve Byrne joins to talk about his 5th annual Comedy Jam, then the Last Word.
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Speaker 1 (00:08):
Maya mal Kid for Spain looks like he's twelve. He's
got braces. For God's sakes, you can play football though.
Tonight is the All Star Game, except the following All
Stars aren't playing. Skeins, Miseroski, Judge, Otwni, Guerrero, Yamamoto, Wheeler, Suarez, Schnittler,
(00:33):
how do you pronounce That's a tough name to pronounce, Burns, Kurts,
Max Meyer, Ashcraft, that's what thirteen fourteen maybe more. You
lose track at so many that aren't playing. And the
Pirates are not represented, and that's for the first time ever,
the Pirates are not represented in the MLB All Star Game.
(00:54):
It's weird that the Pirates lead MLB and runs scored
and none of their hitters made. But for me, too
many legit guys are ditching for this All Star game
to matter much. All Star games and all sports are
an antiquated concept and should be canceled permanently. So Hey,
MLB All Star Game, guess what you just made? The
(01:17):
last the last brought list by the Steelers Pro Shop.
Get it direct from the team at shop dot Steelers
dot com. Got an interesting last word coming up? We're
(01:40):
gonna talk about Lamar Jackson. Every year, the NFL players
do a survey where they rate the top one hundred
players in the league, and Lamar dropped from number two
to number sixty nine, and a lot of people, most
notably Ryan Clark of ESPN, have their knickers in a
twist over it. I don't think it's a big deal.
I think if you look at Lamar's year last year,
(02:02):
it might be truth in packaging. Also, and this is
the funny one. The Bills have that new stadium in Buffalo.
OJ Simpson will not be recognized anywhere in it. He's
their best player ever. He had the first two thousand
yard season ever. I know what he did was terrible,
(02:24):
although he did get acquitted, But does that make what
he did on the football field in Buffalo go away?
Can you really ignore that kind of history within the
context of that franchise. We'll talk more about that a
little bit later, But getting back to the All Star
Game and in particular last night's Home on Derby and
(02:47):
case Love that You Hurt Him. I saw the highlights,
and yeah, there was a lot of drama to it,
especially the fact that Jordan Walker won what turned out
to be a road game the Home Run Derby, because
Philly was rooting for Schwarber and against everybody else. But
I pointedly did not watch the Home Run Derby live
(03:09):
because a boring b Netflix and see if guys look Otani, etc.
Don't participate. It's like the All Star Game itself. It's
very watered down. But I guess the story coming out
of the Home Run Derby. It is Will Ferrell, Luke
Wilson and some other dufis did commentary on the Home
(03:32):
Run Derby and it was terrible according to all accounts,
just not funny. And it brings us back to a
topic we've discussed for years, which is, let's be honest.
Will Ferrell hasn't been funny for years, hasn't done a
good project for years, whether it's movie, TV, whatever. Really,
(03:57):
Will Ferrell's career has been wholly overrated. He's only done
two or three really good things, semi pro Step Brothers,
the cameo and wedding Crashers. And Will Ferrell can't carry anything.
He's got to be part of a cast or do cameos.
He's good in short doses, like his Harry carry. Imitation
is magic. So Pharaoh Wilson and the other Dufis are
(04:23):
doing some original series on Netflix, and that brings me
back to another beef I have with with sports media today.
Everything involves cross promotion. The Home on Derby just couldn't
be the Home on Derby. It has to be. Hey,
watch these three dorks with their Netflix series. And by
(04:43):
the way, nothing in sports media, nothing, nothing is worse
than the NBA Summer League coverage on ESPN, games, highlights, interviews.
Absolutely nothing is worse. I'm off tomorrow, just skipping town
(05:06):
for one day. Tim Bens will be filling in. I'm
going to see ac DC at the Horseshoe in Columbus.
I'd forgot. I bought a really expensive ticket, like like
luxury suite, single ticket, because I want to be you know,
in a controlled environment. It's could be hot, but I'm
looking forward to it. You know, they can't They won't
(05:29):
scratch Angus Young the way the Brewers scratched Misrowski when
I bought that expensive ticket. On Sunday. Then Motley Crue
in town on Friday night at star Lake. That's gonna
be fun as well. I got some people on Twitter
(05:50):
question the sincerity by Will Howard Switcherou I'm allowed to
change my mind. I'm allowed to think big picture. I'm
allowed to believe, Mike McCarthy, you get something out of
this guy. I'm a lot to believe that. Since it's
Rogers or Bust, then make the most of bust by
looking forward. Bottom line, I changed my mind, and I
(06:10):
have a test that IQU have won sixty six, so
that is a lot of mind to change. We've been
talking about Sophie Cunningham and her athletic hotness like Livy Dunn,
and she was the ring card girl at UFC, and
I think I mentioned this earlier. Angel Reese said that
(06:32):
that's the problem with UFC. They don't have any black
ring card girls, except they do, and one work the
card that night that Sophie Cunningham did, and that was impromptu.
You Anyway, Sophie Cunningham ran into Dana White and said
she wanted to do it, so he had her do it,
which was a good move. And it suddenly strikes me
that even though they're teammates, and even though Sophie Cunningham
(06:52):
does a lot to stick up for Caitlyn Clark, that
out of nowhere, Sophie Cunningham maybe the face of the
WNBA now and not Caitlyn Clark. And she's white and
straight just like Caitlyn Clark. But ain't nobody gonna beat
her up? Has a belt in taekwondo, has proven her toughness,
(07:18):
can't be bullied. Did the finger pointing thing? I love
Sophie Cunningham, and not because she's hot, because she is hot,
but with me, nothing really works anymore anyway, Okay, get
calls in eight three three, four one two WXDX. I
want to get back to that Joe Hayden thing maybe
where Joe Hayden said that Mike Tomlin had a looseness
of accountability. Yeah, he was a fraud. He won with
(07:42):
somebody else's team leaders and culture. The team sucked for
the last decade with him coaching. He never was a
good coach. He'll be the worst coach in the Hall
of Fame ever. And Mike McCarthy's gonna bring us back
to reality by being twice the coach. Tomlin was right away, Boom,
write it down, you heard it here. One five. I
can't say enough about how Spain played. Spain was just incredible,
(08:03):
and that Tunil went over France totally controlled the game,
and Ian Dark, who is a football pundit, set on
Twitter that he suspected France was a team that was
great when it was on top, but when they got
shut down and couldn't play, they would sulk and disappear,
and that's exactly what happened after a point in today's
(08:25):
too nil lost to Spain. I still think France had
the best roster in this World Cup, but it didn't
mean anything on the pitch today and Spain were clearly
the better team and very worthy winners. Now we have
the storybook reenactment of the Falklands Loire tomorrow. The other semifinal,
England looking for their first World Cup berth championship since
(08:46):
nineteen sixty six, first bought in the finals since then
as well, and Lionel Messi looking to win a World
Cup at thirty nine, which would establish him clearly to
my mind as the best footballer of all time. UH
eight three three four one two w xdx is the
number to call. We're nen't get a lot of pirate
(09:08):
talk going today with the citizens. That's all right. My
Howard Switcheroo saying he should be the number two quarterback
seems to have taken some by surprise. You want to
call Get involved now eight three three four one two WXDX.
We got Steve Byrne. We have the Comedy Jam, the
DV Comedy Jam this Friday at Rivers Casino to benefit
the Lemieux Foundation. Steve among a lot of very funny
(09:33):
people on that program. Uh. Like I said, I'm going
to see ac DC tomorrow and Columbus Motley Cruze Friday
at star Lake. And I've heard some of the new
Rolling Stones album Foreign Tongues. It sounds like the Stones.
I can't pay a higher compliment. I heard an interview
(09:54):
with Mick on Sirius XM and it was very good.
In fact, I've heard more than one mix making the
rounds to promote the LP, which you wouldn't think he
has to do. But at this point, at eighty three,
maybe interviews are fun. Maybe you know you're getting near
the end of the interview line as well as all
other lines. I hope Mick never dies. I hope, I
(10:15):
honestly don't live to see that. That would be him.
Jimmy Page, there's certain guys when they go Robert Plant
all the UFO guys. Although Pete, my friend Pete Way
has already passed. It'll feel like a part of my
childhood dies now. It sounds like from the interview, Mick
would like to play live without traveling as much. Now
(10:39):
to me, what they should do and then is do
one residency at MSD in New York, I don't know,
like a show every other night for a week, and
then do the same thing at the Sphere in Las
Vegas and charge a ton. And if they did that,
I would go to both. Now you wonder if Keith
(10:59):
is up to it. Keith hasn't done as much in
the promotion of this album as Mick. Then again, that
was always Nick fourt a. Mick is such a unicorn?
Is he what? He's eighty two? Now I said eighty three.
I was wrong. Uh. And Mick also made news a
couple of days ago when he said in one of
these interviews, one with The New York Times, the nation's
(11:23):
leading woke publication, Mick said he doesn't want to preach
politics from the stage like Springsteen, and people, of course
spent that all out of shape. Nick didn't say Springsteen shouldn't,
Mick just said he didn't want to. There's a difference
there let's go to David and Washington. David, you're on
(11:43):
with Mark.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Hey, Mark, I want to ask you, do you think
there's any chance that your job or Sea Loves could
be the number one goalie or do you think they'll
be split fifty to fifty like last season you just did.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I think it'll split roughly fifty to thirty, fifty for
Morishaff thirty for Shilloffs, assuming Morishoff proves he can do it.
I think it'll start out fifty to fifty and as
the season progresses, it'll swing more to Morrishoff.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Okay, I just want to see what you thought, because
I know last year there were some stretches where Skinner
played really good and it was still fifty to fifty.
So I just I didn't know what would he even do.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Yeah, but I don't think in the case of Skinner
and Shilloffs that management saw either as the long term
number one goalie. Although Shilloffs you have to say he's
in with a chance because he's still here and he's
a young guy, and I thought he did Okay, but
only okay. Let's go to Jude. Hey, Jude, you're on
with double M. Good day, Double M. I said, good day.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Hey, I like your idea potentially, you know, trading crews
for you.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Know, to help on a run this year. I guess
I'm not that worried.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
At this point, you know, as he's approached thirty, that
he's finally going to bust out and become an MVP
candidate like.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
I think Cruse. I think Cruise is what he is.
He's going to have some great moments and some lousy
weeks and frustrate you as much as he helps you,
maybe more.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Yeah, and I know he was having his best year
to this point before he got hurt, but he could
get you know, maybe like a top tier reliever and
really add to that bullpen.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
I think it might be worth the gamble.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
And as you mentioned, they kind of have a surplus
the bautfielders a little bit, so I think it'd be
a bold move worth taking. So I'd like to see.
I wouldn't mind, did.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
You did you hear my plan? B? If you don't
want to trade him, move him back to short stop,
move move him back to short stop till Griffin's healthy.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Yeah, that's that's not a bad idea too.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Yeah, he wouldn't want to do it, but if this
team just keeps doing what the players want to do.
They're not going to get as far as they want.
A three three four, Thank you for the call. A
three three four one two w DX.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Up.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Next, we got Steve Burn I'm gonna read it right
off the promo sheet here. The fifth Annual Comedy Jam
is Friday at seven pm at Rivers Casino to benefit
the Mary Lemu Foundation. I'm Mark Madden one O five
to nine. We got the fifth Annual Comedy Jam Friday
night at Rivers Casino. Joining me now is the MC,
(14:23):
the founder of the Feast and the funniest guy I
know from Hampton. He is the pride of the Talbots.
He is Steve Byrne.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Steve, what's up? Mark?
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Did I miss something? This just to be the didn't
this used to be the goddamn comedy Jam? Did you go? Pg? Thirteen?
What's the story?
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Yeah? I think that's what happens.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Right.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
You start off a little dangerous, and just like Eddie Murphy,
you start doing family friendly movies towards the back half
of your career. So maybe this is what's happened to me.
I've gone soft in my old age. But also my
mom is very religious, and she's like, I like comedy, jam,
I don't like a goddamn a comedy. Jam. I go, okay, Mom,
I'll change it. So that's really why it happened.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
But she said, goddamn, she said it.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
Yeah, she said it in deferential to to make her point.
And by the way, I know in your in your
lead and you were there was something about you talking
about being having trophy wives, and you know, Mark, you
and I both know. I've been in stand up comedy
for a long time and anybody in entertainment you always
want to end up with a trophy wife. And look,
you met my wife. I think it's fair to say
(15:25):
I got a participation trophy wife. People.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Come on, guys, Hey, I saw on Twitter. I got
to expand on this. She talked about both sides of
a bar fight, and I think that's worth exploring because
I've literally been on both sides through the aging process.
But talk about that because there's two kinds of people
in bar fights, two kinds of men in bars.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Really yeah, I think when you're in your twenties, it's
a it's a blank canvas, right, the whole world is
yours and you're you're looking for fun. You're looking to
have to meet girls, like there's endless possibilities. When you
over the age of forty in a bar, you're there
because things did not work out the way you want
them to. So the bottom line is, if you're twenty
(16:09):
and you're picking a fight with a dude who's like
forty or fifty, it's like back up because this guy
his wife just left him, his kids don't talk to him,
his IRA's going down the toilet, his retirement, he's not
Amazon Prime. So just like, buckle up, you're gonna get
the beating of your life. If you ever fight an
old man, it's old man's strength times ten.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
You're right because that guy showed up angry. He didn't
get angry. He was angry when he got there.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
He's not there for a fun times. That's the point, right,
Like a kid in his twenty he's like, hey, let's
do shot. Say where are you from? Oh? You look
the Indians. It's like a guy in his forties he's
drinking alone, he's with nobody. Like you see the glint
in his eye. He's he's like literally two weeks away
from from just walking into the woods. And you'll never
see him again.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
I'm embarrassed to say this, but like I said, I've
been on both sides of that, you know, both both
the genres in the bar, and I'm better at the latter.
I'm better at being the forty year old angry guy
now sixty five.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
Yeah, well you don't look at you look fantastic, but
I hear you, man, I'm right there with you, just
like I go everywhere myself. I'm a comic, so I'm
traveling by myself. I go the movies by myself, I
eat by myself. It's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Now we got to talk about the WNBA because that
has appeared on your Twitter discussion about that. It's just
have you ever seen a league in sports, your sports guy,
anything more insane than just I can't even narrow it done.
There's the Caitlin Clark stuff, but everything about that league
is nuts.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
Yeah, I think you know, it's so crazy because like
these leagues, I think during the whole woke movement, right
within the last five to ten years, they're kind of
going all in and politicizing certain aspects of society, bringing
it in. And it's only until the last two to
three years you're starting to see some backlash. It's like
(18:02):
the WNBA is the one league where they're just like, no,
not only are we going we're not going to retract,
We're gonna double down on it. We're gonna alienate as
many people as possible. It's like Rachel Zigler with Snow White,
Miley Alcock with Supergirl. You know you're doing the red car,
but you're seeing these really inalienating things, and it's like,
it's that every night in the WNBA with these press conferences.
(18:25):
They're just social justice warriors, and honestly, you're in the
in the NFL, the end zone say and racism. It's like,
if you're gonna put that anywhere, put in the WNBA,
because these white girls, again, their ass is whooved every
night on this on Twitter and social media.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
It's crazy. Well in on the court too. If you're
Caitlyn Clark, she is the league's golden Goose. In the
poll for the All Star Game, like there's player voting,
fan voting, coach voting. The players voted her the eleventh
best guard in the WNBA, and she is obviously, you know,
no lower than two and very likely number one. She
gets bull she gets tapped by hard files but a
(19:04):
lone Rangers come in on her white straight horse. Ironically,
Sophie Cunningham, Yeah, her teammates, She's going to come the
face of the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
That's all I know about the WNBA.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Mark, That's it.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
I go to socials and I'm just watching Sophie Cunningham
point do that finger point.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I'm looking at.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Her stand up for a teammate, and that's all I know.
And that's you and I both know this. You've been
in the game long enough. Why is the NBA having
a tough time market itself. Why is the WNBA going
out there and capping and being extremely physical to the
Golden Goose. It all starts at the top. It's leadership.
We've seen in the NHL, people taking liberties with Crosby
(19:45):
all these years. Lemieu is in the league, his hand
gets chopped by Adam Graves. You know, it always starts
at the top. And I think what the wa NBA
commissioner did the other day, blowing off by the way,
probably one of the most classier guys. He's not doing
it for click but Dan Patrick right like, and then
he goes live and says, hey, we had this call.
(20:05):
She's supposed to come in. She's gonna address some stuff.
I'm a journalist. I got to do my job, but
I'm gonna be fair minded. And then they cut to
her shanking balls out of a sand trap. It's like,
I mean, you might as well just be getting your
nails done, get a manny penny, and and be like,
this is what was more important than selling your league
to a bunch of people that potentially you could swaye right?
Speaker 1 (20:26):
But she didn't want to talk about what we're talking about,
the Caitlin Clark thing, and Steve I wouldn't even care
the Caitlyn Clark gets beat up. I don't know her,
but just admit that it's because she's straight and white
that the league isn't straight and white. She is. She's
the best player. That's why they're jealous. And that's the
root of this. If you admit that, I'll let you
do it. I'll help you do it. I'll run out
there and push her over myself.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
Yeah. I mean, look, we don't need to be told.
We're all seeing it with her eyes. We're seeing it all.
I've never watched a WNBA game in my life. Okay,
if I want to watch a bunch of people play
and not I'll just go outside and watch my kids play.
But I watched the clips that make that go viral
on socials, and the only clips that go viral is
Andrew Reese Brick after Brick missing layups, or Caitlyn Clark
(21:14):
getting her butt whoops, and then all of a sudden
she comes up to court and sinks a three, and
you know, she's not show boating, She's just doing her job.
And that to me is like the most intriguing aspect
of it. So I think we're all kind of rooting
for her, We're all kind of rooting for Sophie Cunningham
because it ultimately is like the next time there's a
Jackie Robinson day, it's like they should honor Kitlyn Clark,
to be honest with it's rehearsed.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
You know, it's you tweeted that, and I just went ballistic.
It's so funny, and and I hesitated to use it
because I mean, Jackie Robinson, They're not gonna kill Caitlyn
Clark at spring training, which was a possibility back then.
But there is a legitimate comparison. Caitlyn Clark, straight and
white is the oppressed minority, Like Jackie Robinson.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
Yeah, but unfortunately we live in a day and age
where they're going to actually celebrate that. You know, there's
a faction of the society, a faction of the people
that will agree with it and go, yeah, well, you
know this is for all those years of oppression, you know,
now you know how it feels, et cetera, et cetera.
Instead of being truly progressive and moving forward and being
(22:18):
inclusive to all. I think that's what's getting lost, and
I think there's no Here's what I'll say. There is
zero accountability in the w NBA. There's zero accountability from
the top down. And that's why she ran away from
that interview, and that's why that league is defunct, and
that's why, just like the Post Office, it'll continue to
lose millions of dollars a year.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
We have the comedy Jam Friday at Rivers Casino and
it is inclusive. It is fun for the whole family, correct.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
Yeah, I mean, look, my kids have been coming to
this thing for the last four years. So yeah, you
got joy footone for men sink Joe Gatto from a
Practical Jokers, James Murray from Practical Joke Is Jess Casuto
from Pussycat Dolls, a ton of great comedians, Pittsburgh's own
Bill Crawford. We got a lot of special guests on
this one, and it's the greatest night I have all year.
You know, you get to do stand up comedy and
(23:11):
then you sing songs with the live band, and they're
all single on songs, so everybody knows them. It's Billy Joel,
It's Springsteen, it's you know, Bruno mars it's all the hits.
So it's literally one of the funnest nights I have
in comedy. But it's all there to benefit the Mario
Lemux Foundation. And the good news is if you go
to Riverscasino dot com, it's this Friday the show. It's
(23:32):
at seven o'clock the Right and Left Wings that we
just released tickets at thirty four dollars, I believe, so
it's incredibly affordable. We've always sold it out and we're
hoping to sell ou out this year. Help us break
our record, because again, it all goes to such an
incredible cause, and that's under the umbrella one of the
greatest names to come in sport, but certainly out of Pittsburgh,
(23:55):
Mario Lemieux.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Also oppressed also straight and white.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
Well, I think the French Canadian is probably that's where
that's where he gets it.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Right, Oh, that's that's where he didn't get the MVP
in nineteen eighty nine. Hey, I got to ask you
what point? And this hasn't happened to you, and I
doubt it never will. But do comedians ever stop being funny?
And then I have an example to give you. Jerry
Lewis is my example.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
I think I think some guys get a little along
in the tooth and they don't know why to hang
it up, Like Vince Neil. It's like Vince Neil, go home,
David lee Rock go home. It's like there's certain people
you just age out of being funny. So I completely
agree with that sentiment. That'd be my answer.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Yes, Okay, Now to that point, did you watch the
home run Derby last night? I did not.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
I saw that there was a lot of backlash because
of the Netflix coverage, but that's all I know.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Well, Will Ferrell was doing commentary.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
Oh, he's got to hang it up, He's got to
hang it up.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Yeah, Now let's just skip right at now let me
ask you this. You know where this is. Was he
ever funny? I mean, I think in small doses he
was brilliant, but the smaller the dose, the more brilliant.
And I can't recall where he truly carried movies like
it was either an ensemble cast or him and John
c riley or whatever.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Yeah, look, him and Adam McKay did incredible work together.
He and John c riley did incredible work together. But yeah,
I think I think it's almost to the point where
you know, he's just kind of desperate for laughs and
chasing relevancy. It's okay to get quiet, it's you can
you know. Chris Ross said the best you can't make
an entrance if you never leave. And I think if
Will Ferrell just disappeared for a good few years and
(25:42):
then we got to the point we missed him and
he came back guns of blazing and took that time
to write something incredible, which he's totally capable of. Yeah,
but until then he's just making he's chasing and and
all we're getting a slop.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Yeah, but you brought up a key name there, since
he had his falling out with Adam McKay over not
being passed in that HBO Lakers thing that they John
c Riley instead. I don't know. I'm going to think
more and more that Adam McKay was an even bigger
part of that equation that we knew.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
Well, it's Larry David Seinfeld thing, right, I mean, everybody
knows what Larry David's gone on and has has exhibited
he's capable of. And Seinfeld made, you know, a pop
tart movie.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
So it's said that was a pretty funny movie.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Okay, okay, I didn't see if I heard bad things
about it, but if you like it, I'll stand by it.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
I mean, it wasn't Jaws or you know it was.
It didn't win award that maddened.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Ask you this go ahead because I can't talk to
you about Penn's talk were saying is a name I've
seen bubble up over the l since he got drafted,
And I was always like, I wonder, you know, do
you think that this could be a reclamation project that
fits under the banner of dubas.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Yes, I do, but I don't sense that's imminent, Like
right now, it's kind of gone dark, like you know,
all about the Jason Robertson thing, and I think that's
dead because he filed for arbitration in Dallas. I think
he wants to stay there, but I keep hearing whispers uh,
and it reminds me of remember when the Penguins got
(27:17):
Carlson for weeks. It's dead, it's dead, it's dead, it's dead.
One day I'm going to an Eric Carlson press conference
and he's there, so I'm not and Dubas. One thing
about Dubas making a deal for a guy he really wants, Steve.
He's incredibly patient, which a lot of gms are not
right right, So Biden time.
Speaker 4 (27:38):
Yeah, well, the fingers crossed on the Jason Robinson. I mean,
look on behalf of the Asian community. We haven't had
this much electricity or fever pitch since Jimmy Pack. So
we are no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
You're forgetting Richard park.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
Ah, there we go.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Okay, Okay, Pelets have led the way in Asian hockey relations.
I think that's right. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
Yeah, when they got drafted, my mother said, oh, we
could use a little puck rock And I said, Mom,
do you mean puck luck or she said no, the twins,
So hopefully they come through it too.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Very good. Now I saw another one of your things
on Twitter. I'm going to New York City soon? Do
you think I need a passport? Mark?
Speaker 4 (28:29):
I remember the days when you would walk into Saint
Patrick's Cathedral. You know, maybe you stop in, you say
a prayer, and then you're back about your day. Now,
if you go to New York, you pray at least
five times a day. I think that's really what it's
come to lately. So yeah, I don't think you're far
off on that.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
What I do is when I go to New York, seriously,
I stay across the street from wherever I'm going be
Con Theater to see Robert plant right across the street,
Rangers game at the Garden, right across the street. If
I go to a steakhouse, I take an uber. I
prefer that over cab. I would like an arm guard,
but I can't afford it. It's just amazing how the
(29:09):
enlightened cities have become the war zones.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I remember a time when the
worst thing about New York City was the constant smell
of piss in marijuana, and now it's that plus crime,
plus homelessness, plus the guy taking a dump on the sidewalk,
plus you know, the constant activism that's happening every other block,
and it's just like what happened to the City that
Never sleeps. It's just it's exhausting. You almost want to
(29:35):
take in that.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Now, Steve is always great stuff. I do have a
confession to make, and there's some irony because it's a
callback to earlier in the interview. I can't make the
comedy jam because I'm going to see Vince Neil and
Motley Crue on Friday.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Oh my god, I can't believe I'm saying this, but
we actually might have better singers at our show than
the crew. But one of the greatest moments professional stand
up career, and you'll appreciate this, Mark Madden, was when
NICKI six started to follow me and then he started
dming me, complimented me on jokes and I'm like, oh
(30:09):
my god, if high school Steve could see this right now,
this is the coolest thing. I feel like a made man,
So enjoy the crew.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
See see. I'm jealous now because I have a bucket
list of interviewees, which I rarely make public because none
of them are coming on to show if they haven't already, right,
and Nikki six is one of them, and a few
years back, because I think he's just a genius. I
think his inventiveness in like, you know, as a writer,
as a photographer, he just has really done a ton
(30:38):
and he's you know, every covering addict too. There's such
a great story there.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
So about five years ago, a guy I've known for
three or four decades, Freddy Kowalo, who's probably listening now,
becomes Six's base tech. He like works closely was six
so so so uh so Freddie goes, well, put a
word in, you know, I'll talk to the PR guy
called I'm tell him you know me, and we'll get
(31:01):
six on the show. No go, no six, no nothing.
Uh but I.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Still love We got eighty seven on Nikki six.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
And John five's the guitar player.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
Let me see, let me reach out to him. I'll
see what I can do.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
I'll try.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
Yeah, tell him I don't have much sway, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Tell him to just well if his road he couldn't.
I mean but that I love six. I mean I've
met him a few times. He's brilliant. But again, if
they haven't come on by now, Steve, I mean, you're
my last great guest. You're my last great guest.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Oh it's sad days in Pittsburgh. It's sad, sad days. Well,
you know, next time, next time we come through whatever,
I'll have some of the some of the If there's
anybody intriguing on the jam list, you let me know
and I'll get him on for you.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Steve, great stuff. I'll talk to you real soon.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
You're the best, super genius. I love you, buddy. Take care, guys.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
That's Steve Byrne. He is the best in the fifty
Annual Comedy Jam. Tickets still available. Just opened up a
few that weren't there before Friday at Rivers Casino to
benefit the Lemu Foundation, which of course I love and support.
Up next, we're going to talk about Lamar Jackson's precipitous
drop from number two to number sixty nine in the
player voted NFL rankings. A Mark Madden one oh five nine.
(32:15):
It's Madden on the Ax. And we got two topics
for today's last Word. One is the big fuss being
kicked up about the NFL players voted and rated the
top one hundred players in the NFL. And Lamar Jackson,
the Baltimore quarterback he dropped from number two in the
voting last year to number sixty nine this year. That's
(32:36):
a big drop, but I get it. Lamar missed four
games last year. Baltimore missed the playoffs and went six
and seven in games. When Jackson played, his stats were
only okay and his rushing yards were way down. Like
I said, there's a big fuss about lack of respect,
et cetera. Hey, the players are idiots and don't take
(33:00):
that voting seriously. It's not like they watch tape and
do research and be who cares all these lists and ratings?
Who cares? Ryan Clark was on ESPN talking about respect, respect,
respect in this vote that dropped Jackson the number sixty nine.
In fact, let's play that sound bite.
Speaker 5 (33:20):
Now, outside of Patrick Mahomes, there is no more accomplished
quarterback in the entire NFL.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Individually.
Speaker 5 (33:29):
There's no quarterback who carries more than Lamar Jackson. There's
no quarterback who's asked to do more than Lamar Jackson.
There's no quarterback who you have to have a game
plan for in the run game.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
You have to have a game plan for in the
past game, and then you have to have a secondary
game plan for when he does Lamar Jackson type.
Speaker 5 (33:49):
Stuff, and so when you take his career as a whole,
if I'm a player, the way I'm voting is this,
if this dude is healthy, how much do I fear him?
If this dude is healthy, how difficult is it's a
game plan for him throughout the week. And we talked
about some of the disrespect he has gotten. That's disrespect
I expect it.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Yeah. Like I said, the Ravens were six and seven
in games Jackson played last year, so it won all
that hard to put a game plan together for him.
Ryan Clark is too typical of too many NFL players
and ex players. Clark requires respect but doesn't like to
give any. This should be no big deal to Lamar.
(34:34):
Just go finally win the super Bowl, which Lamar ain't
never gonna do. In fact, I bet Baltimore misses the
playoffs again. And then there's OJ Simpson who is somehow
in the news again. The Bills got that new stadium
and they will not honor OJ at all at that
(34:57):
new stadium. What just because he killed a couple of people. Listen,
we all know what OJ did, but we also know
what he did on the football field for the Bills too.
I don't know how you pretend that OJ Simpson didn't exist.
If in the Buffalo Bills, OJ's their best player ever,
(35:19):
along with Jim Kelly. OJ had a two thousand yard
season before anybody else did. We're talking about an all
time great football player, arguably the best running back ever.
The numbers don't lie. Nineteen seventy two, two thousand and
three yards rushing. He averaged six yards per carry, and
(35:42):
nobody's endorsing what OJ did. Nobody endorses a double murder,
what he got away with. But his playing career, the Hurtsads,
the Naked Gun movie, OJ Simpson was everywhere. Maybe the
Bills should to act like he doesn't exist, but that's
really hard to do. You can't change history. OJ is
(36:07):
still in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and he
was the man in Buffalo. Don't forget the Bills have
never won a Super Bowl, so all they got is
individuals and their accomplishments. You got OJ, Jim Kelly and
all of them guys who lost for Super Bowls, Mark Kelso,
(36:28):
the North Hills High School alum with the great Kazoo helmet,
and Josh Allen now I guess oj is still on
the Bill's Wall of Fame. You can't take stuff like
that away, not even if you kill your wife and
a waiter to give the late great Norm McDonald a callback.
(36:52):
Let's hit the music. I should be playing a whole
lot of Rosie here because I'll be in Columbus to
see ac DC tomorrow. Tim Ben's filling in. Then I'm
back on Thursday. Good talk, see you out there. What
O five nine The X
Maya mal Kid for Spain looks like he's twelve. He's
got braces. For God's sakes, you can play football though.
Tonight is the All Star Game, except the following All
Stars aren't playing. Skeins, Miseroski, Judge, Otwni, Guerrero, Yamamoto, Wheeler, Suarez, Schnittler,
(00:33):
how do you pronounce That's a tough name to pronounce, Burns, Kurts,
Max Meyer, Ashcraft, that's what thirteen fourteen maybe more. You
lose track at so many that aren't playing. And the
Pirates are not represented, and that's for the first time ever,
the Pirates are not represented in the MLB All Star Game.
(00:54):
It's weird that the Pirates lead MLB and runs scored
and none of their hitters made. But for me, too
many legit guys are ditching for this All Star game
to matter much. All Star games and all sports are
an antiquated concept and should be canceled permanently. So Hey,
MLB All Star Game, guess what you just made? The
(01:17):
last the last brought list by the Steelers Pro Shop.
Get it direct from the team at shop dot Steelers
dot com. Got an interesting last word coming up? We're
(01:40):
gonna talk about Lamar Jackson. Every year, the NFL players
do a survey where they rate the top one hundred
players in the league, and Lamar dropped from number two
to number sixty nine, and a lot of people, most
notably Ryan Clark of ESPN, have their knickers in a
twist over it. I don't think it's a big deal.
I think if you look at Lamar's year last year,
(02:02):
it might be truth in packaging. Also, and this is
the funny one. The Bills have that new stadium in Buffalo.
OJ Simpson will not be recognized anywhere in it. He's
their best player ever. He had the first two thousand
yard season ever. I know what he did was terrible,
(02:24):
although he did get acquitted, But does that make what
he did on the football field in Buffalo go away?
Can you really ignore that kind of history within the
context of that franchise. We'll talk more about that a
little bit later, But getting back to the All Star
Game and in particular last night's Home on Derby and
(02:47):
case Love that You Hurt Him. I saw the highlights,
and yeah, there was a lot of drama to it,
especially the fact that Jordan Walker won what turned out
to be a road game the Home Run Derby, because
Philly was rooting for Schwarber and against everybody else. But
I pointedly did not watch the Home Run Derby live
(03:09):
because a boring b Netflix and see if guys look Otani, etc.
Don't participate. It's like the All Star Game itself. It's
very watered down. But I guess the story coming out
of the Home Run Derby. It is Will Ferrell, Luke
Wilson and some other dufis did commentary on the Home
(03:32):
Run Derby and it was terrible according to all accounts,
just not funny. And it brings us back to a
topic we've discussed for years, which is, let's be honest.
Will Ferrell hasn't been funny for years, hasn't done a
good project for years, whether it's movie, TV, whatever. Really,
(03:57):
Will Ferrell's career has been wholly overrated. He's only done
two or three really good things, semi pro Step Brothers,
the cameo and wedding Crashers. And Will Ferrell can't carry anything.
He's got to be part of a cast or do cameos.
He's good in short doses, like his Harry carry. Imitation
is magic. So Pharaoh Wilson and the other Dufis are
(04:23):
doing some original series on Netflix, and that brings me
back to another beef I have with with sports media today.
Everything involves cross promotion. The Home on Derby just couldn't
be the Home on Derby. It has to be. Hey,
watch these three dorks with their Netflix series. And by
(04:43):
the way, nothing in sports media, nothing, nothing is worse
than the NBA Summer League coverage on ESPN, games, highlights, interviews.
Absolutely nothing is worse. I'm off tomorrow, just skipping town
(05:06):
for one day. Tim Bens will be filling in. I'm
going to see ac DC at the Horseshoe in Columbus.
I'd forgot. I bought a really expensive ticket, like like
luxury suite, single ticket, because I want to be you know,
in a controlled environment. It's could be hot, but I'm
looking forward to it. You know, they can't They won't
(05:29):
scratch Angus Young the way the Brewers scratched Misrowski when
I bought that expensive ticket. On Sunday. Then Motley Crue
in town on Friday night at star Lake. That's gonna
be fun as well. I got some people on Twitter
(05:50):
question the sincerity by Will Howard Switcherou I'm allowed to
change my mind. I'm allowed to think big picture. I'm
allowed to believe, Mike McCarthy, you get something out of
this guy. I'm a lot to believe that. Since it's
Rogers or Bust, then make the most of bust by
looking forward. Bottom line, I changed my mind, and I
(06:10):
have a test that IQU have won sixty six, so
that is a lot of mind to change. We've been
talking about Sophie Cunningham and her athletic hotness like Livy Dunn,
and she was the ring card girl at UFC, and
I think I mentioned this earlier. Angel Reese said that
(06:32):
that's the problem with UFC. They don't have any black
ring card girls, except they do, and one work the
card that night that Sophie Cunningham did, and that was impromptu.
You Anyway, Sophie Cunningham ran into Dana White and said
she wanted to do it, so he had her do it,
which was a good move. And it suddenly strikes me
that even though they're teammates, and even though Sophie Cunningham
(06:52):
does a lot to stick up for Caitlyn Clark, that
out of nowhere, Sophie Cunningham maybe the face of the
WNBA now and not Caitlyn Clark. And she's white and
straight just like Caitlyn Clark. But ain't nobody gonna beat
her up? Has a belt in taekwondo, has proven her toughness,
(07:18):
can't be bullied. Did the finger pointing thing? I love
Sophie Cunningham, and not because she's hot, because she is hot,
but with me, nothing really works anymore anyway, Okay, get
calls in eight three three, four one two WXDX. I
want to get back to that Joe Hayden thing maybe
where Joe Hayden said that Mike Tomlin had a looseness
of accountability. Yeah, he was a fraud. He won with
(07:42):
somebody else's team leaders and culture. The team sucked for
the last decade with him coaching. He never was a
good coach. He'll be the worst coach in the Hall
of Fame ever. And Mike McCarthy's gonna bring us back
to reality by being twice the coach. Tomlin was right away, Boom,
write it down, you heard it here. One five. I
can't say enough about how Spain played. Spain was just incredible,
(08:03):
and that Tunil went over France totally controlled the game,
and Ian Dark, who is a football pundit, set on
Twitter that he suspected France was a team that was
great when it was on top, but when they got
shut down and couldn't play, they would sulk and disappear,
and that's exactly what happened after a point in today's
(08:25):
too nil lost to Spain. I still think France had
the best roster in this World Cup, but it didn't
mean anything on the pitch today and Spain were clearly
the better team and very worthy winners. Now we have
the storybook reenactment of the Falklands Loire tomorrow. The other semifinal,
England looking for their first World Cup berth championship since
(08:46):
nineteen sixty six, first bought in the finals since then
as well, and Lionel Messi looking to win a World
Cup at thirty nine, which would establish him clearly to
my mind as the best footballer of all time. UH
eight three three four one two w xdx is the
number to call. We're nen't get a lot of pirate
(09:08):
talk going today with the citizens. That's all right. My
Howard Switcheroo saying he should be the number two quarterback
seems to have taken some by surprise. You want to
call Get involved now eight three three four one two WXDX.
We got Steve Byrne. We have the Comedy Jam, the
DV Comedy Jam this Friday at Rivers Casino to benefit
the Lemieux Foundation. Steve among a lot of very funny
(09:33):
people on that program. Uh. Like I said, I'm going
to see ac DC tomorrow and Columbus Motley Cruze Friday
at star Lake. And I've heard some of the new
Rolling Stones album Foreign Tongues. It sounds like the Stones.
I can't pay a higher compliment. I heard an interview
(09:54):
with Mick on Sirius XM and it was very good.
In fact, I've heard more than one mix making the
rounds to promote the LP, which you wouldn't think he
has to do. But at this point, at eighty three,
maybe interviews are fun. Maybe you know you're getting near
the end of the interview line as well as all
other lines. I hope Mick never dies. I hope, I
(10:15):
honestly don't live to see that. That would be him.
Jimmy Page, there's certain guys when they go Robert Plant
all the UFO guys. Although Pete, my friend Pete Way
has already passed. It'll feel like a part of my
childhood dies now. It sounds like from the interview, Mick
would like to play live without traveling as much. Now
(10:39):
to me, what they should do and then is do
one residency at MSD in New York, I don't know,
like a show every other night for a week, and
then do the same thing at the Sphere in Las
Vegas and charge a ton. And if they did that,
I would go to both. Now you wonder if Keith
(10:59):
is up to it. Keith hasn't done as much in
the promotion of this album as Mick. Then again, that
was always Nick fourt a. Mick is such a unicorn?
Is he what? He's eighty two? Now I said eighty three.
I was wrong. Uh. And Mick also made news a
couple of days ago when he said in one of
these interviews, one with The New York Times, the nation's
(11:23):
leading woke publication, Mick said he doesn't want to preach
politics from the stage like Springsteen, and people, of course
spent that all out of shape. Nick didn't say Springsteen shouldn't,
Mick just said he didn't want to. There's a difference
there let's go to David and Washington. David, you're on
(11:43):
with Mark.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
Hey, Mark, I want to ask you, do you think
there's any chance that your job or Sea Loves could
be the number one goalie or do you think they'll
be split fifty to fifty like last season you just did.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I think it'll split roughly fifty to thirty, fifty for
Morishaff thirty for Shilloffs, assuming Morishoff proves he can do it.
I think it'll start out fifty to fifty and as
the season progresses, it'll swing more to Morrishoff.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Okay, I just want to see what you thought, because
I know last year there were some stretches where Skinner
played really good and it was still fifty to fifty.
So I just I didn't know what would he even do.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Yeah, but I don't think in the case of Skinner
and Shilloffs that management saw either as the long term
number one goalie. Although Shilloffs you have to say he's
in with a chance because he's still here and he's
a young guy, and I thought he did Okay, but
only okay. Let's go to Jude. Hey, Jude, you're on
with double M. Good day, Double M. I said, good day.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
Hey, I like your idea potentially, you know, trading crews
for you.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
Know, to help on a run this year. I guess
I'm not that worried.
Speaker 3 (12:58):
At this point, you know, as he's approached thirty, that
he's finally going to bust out and become an MVP
candidate like.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
I think Cruse. I think Cruise is what he is.
He's going to have some great moments and some lousy
weeks and frustrate you as much as he helps you,
maybe more.
Speaker 3 (13:14):
Yeah, and I know he was having his best year
to this point before he got hurt, but he could
get you know, maybe like a top tier reliever and
really add to that bullpen.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
I think it might be worth the gamble.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
And as you mentioned, they kind of have a surplus
the bautfielders a little bit, so I think it'd be
a bold move worth taking. So I'd like to see.
I wouldn't mind, did.
Speaker 1 (13:34):
You did you hear my plan? B? If you don't
want to trade him, move him back to short stop,
move move him back to short stop till Griffin's healthy.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Yeah, that's that's not a bad idea too.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
Yeah, he wouldn't want to do it, but if this
team just keeps doing what the players want to do.
They're not going to get as far as they want.
A three three four, Thank you for the call. A
three three four one two w DX.
Speaker 4 (14:02):
Up.
Speaker 1 (14:03):
Next, we got Steve Burn I'm gonna read it right
off the promo sheet here. The fifth Annual Comedy Jam
is Friday at seven pm at Rivers Casino to benefit
the Mary Lemu Foundation. I'm Mark Madden one O five
to nine. We got the fifth Annual Comedy Jam Friday
night at Rivers Casino. Joining me now is the MC,
(14:23):
the founder of the Feast and the funniest guy I
know from Hampton. He is the pride of the Talbots.
He is Steve Byrne.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Steve, what's up? Mark?
Speaker 1 (14:32):
Did I miss something? This just to be the didn't
this used to be the goddamn comedy Jam? Did you go? Pg? Thirteen?
What's the story?
Speaker 4 (14:39):
Yeah? I think that's what happens.
Speaker 1 (14:41):
Right.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
You start off a little dangerous, and just like Eddie Murphy,
you start doing family friendly movies towards the back half
of your career. So maybe this is what's happened to me.
I've gone soft in my old age. But also my
mom is very religious, and she's like, I like comedy, jam,
I don't like a goddamn a comedy. Jam. I go, okay, Mom,
I'll change it. So that's really why it happened.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
But she said, goddamn, she said it.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
Yeah, she said it in deferential to to make her point.
And by the way, I know in your in your
lead and you were there was something about you talking
about being having trophy wives, and you know, Mark, you
and I both know. I've been in stand up comedy
for a long time and anybody in entertainment you always
want to end up with a trophy wife. And look,
you met my wife. I think it's fair to say
(15:25):
I got a participation trophy wife. People.
Speaker 1 (15:28):
Come on, guys, Hey, I saw on Twitter. I got
to expand on this. She talked about both sides of
a bar fight, and I think that's worth exploring because
I've literally been on both sides through the aging process.
But talk about that because there's two kinds of people
in bar fights, two kinds of men in bars.
Speaker 4 (15:47):
Really yeah, I think when you're in your twenties, it's
a it's a blank canvas, right, the whole world is
yours and you're you're looking for fun. You're looking to
have to meet girls, like there's endless possibilities. When you
over the age of forty in a bar, you're there
because things did not work out the way you want
them to. So the bottom line is, if you're twenty
(16:09):
and you're picking a fight with a dude who's like
forty or fifty, it's like back up because this guy
his wife just left him, his kids don't talk to him,
his IRA's going down the toilet, his retirement, he's not
Amazon Prime. So just like, buckle up, you're gonna get
the beating of your life. If you ever fight an
old man, it's old man's strength times ten.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
You're right because that guy showed up angry. He didn't
get angry. He was angry when he got there.
Speaker 4 (16:36):
He's not there for a fun times. That's the point, right,
Like a kid in his twenty he's like, hey, let's
do shot. Say where are you from? Oh? You look
the Indians. It's like a guy in his forties he's
drinking alone, he's with nobody. Like you see the glint
in his eye. He's he's like literally two weeks away
from from just walking into the woods. And you'll never
see him again.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
I'm embarrassed to say this, but like I said, I've
been on both sides of that, you know, both both
the genres in the bar, and I'm better at the latter.
I'm better at being the forty year old angry guy
now sixty five.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
Yeah, well you don't look at you look fantastic, but
I hear you, man, I'm right there with you, just
like I go everywhere myself. I'm a comic, so I'm
traveling by myself. I go the movies by myself, I
eat by myself. It's wonderful.
Speaker 1 (17:22):
Now we got to talk about the WNBA because that
has appeared on your Twitter discussion about that. It's just
have you ever seen a league in sports, your sports guy,
anything more insane than just I can't even narrow it done.
There's the Caitlin Clark stuff, but everything about that league
is nuts.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
Yeah, I think you know, it's so crazy because like
these leagues, I think during the whole woke movement, right
within the last five to ten years, they're kind of
going all in and politicizing certain aspects of society, bringing
it in. And it's only until the last two to
three years you're starting to see some backlash. It's like
(18:02):
the WNBA is the one league where they're just like, no,
not only are we going we're not going to retract,
We're gonna double down on it. We're gonna alienate as
many people as possible. It's like Rachel Zigler with Snow White,
Miley Alcock with Supergirl. You know you're doing the red car,
but you're seeing these really inalienating things, and it's like,
it's that every night in the WNBA with these press conferences.
(18:25):
They're just social justice warriors, and honestly, you're in the
in the NFL, the end zone say and racism. It's like,
if you're gonna put that anywhere, put in the WNBA,
because these white girls, again, their ass is whooved every
night on this on Twitter and social media.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
It's crazy. Well in on the court too. If you're
Caitlyn Clark, she is the league's golden Goose. In the
poll for the All Star Game, like there's player voting,
fan voting, coach voting. The players voted her the eleventh
best guard in the WNBA, and she is obviously, you know,
no lower than two and very likely number one. She
gets bull she gets tapped by hard files but a
(19:04):
lone Rangers come in on her white straight horse. Ironically,
Sophie Cunningham, Yeah, her teammates, She's going to come the
face of the WNBA.
Speaker 4 (19:15):
That's all I know about the WNBA.
Speaker 1 (19:17):
Mark, That's it.
Speaker 4 (19:18):
I go to socials and I'm just watching Sophie Cunningham
point do that finger point.
Speaker 1 (19:23):
I'm looking at.
Speaker 4 (19:23):
Her stand up for a teammate, and that's all I know.
And that's you and I both know this. You've been
in the game long enough. Why is the NBA having
a tough time market itself. Why is the WNBA going
out there and capping and being extremely physical to the
Golden Goose. It all starts at the top. It's leadership.
We've seen in the NHL, people taking liberties with Crosby
(19:45):
all these years. Lemieu is in the league, his hand
gets chopped by Adam Graves. You know, it always starts
at the top. And I think what the wa NBA
commissioner did the other day, blowing off by the way,
probably one of the most classier guys. He's not doing
it for click but Dan Patrick right like, and then
he goes live and says, hey, we had this call.
(20:05):
She's supposed to come in. She's gonna address some stuff.
I'm a journalist. I got to do my job, but
I'm gonna be fair minded. And then they cut to
her shanking balls out of a sand trap. It's like,
I mean, you might as well just be getting your
nails done, get a manny penny, and and be like,
this is what was more important than selling your league
to a bunch of people that potentially you could swaye right?
Speaker 1 (20:26):
But she didn't want to talk about what we're talking about,
the Caitlin Clark thing, and Steve I wouldn't even care
the Caitlyn Clark gets beat up. I don't know her,
but just admit that it's because she's straight and white
that the league isn't straight and white. She is. She's
the best player. That's why they're jealous. And that's the
root of this. If you admit that, I'll let you
do it. I'll help you do it. I'll run out
there and push her over myself.
Speaker 4 (20:49):
Yeah. I mean, look, we don't need to be told.
We're all seeing it with her eyes. We're seeing it all.
I've never watched a WNBA game in my life. Okay,
if I want to watch a bunch of people play
and not I'll just go outside and watch my kids play.
But I watched the clips that make that go viral
on socials, and the only clips that go viral is
Andrew Reese Brick after Brick missing layups, or Caitlyn Clark
(21:14):
getting her butt whoops, and then all of a sudden
she comes up to court and sinks a three, and
you know, she's not show boating, She's just doing her job.
And that to me is like the most intriguing aspect
of it. So I think we're all kind of rooting
for her, We're all kind of rooting for Sophie Cunningham
because it ultimately is like the next time there's a
Jackie Robinson day, it's like they should honor Kitlyn Clark,
to be honest with it's rehearsed.
Speaker 1 (21:35):
You know, it's you tweeted that, and I just went ballistic.
It's so funny, and and I hesitated to use it
because I mean, Jackie Robinson, They're not gonna kill Caitlyn
Clark at spring training, which was a possibility back then.
But there is a legitimate comparison. Caitlyn Clark, straight and
white is the oppressed minority, Like Jackie Robinson.
Speaker 4 (21:57):
Yeah, but unfortunately we live in a day and age
where they're going to actually celebrate that. You know, there's
a faction of the society, a faction of the people
that will agree with it and go, yeah, well, you
know this is for all those years of oppression, you know,
now you know how it feels, et cetera, et cetera.
Instead of being truly progressive and moving forward and being
(22:18):
inclusive to all. I think that's what's getting lost, and
I think there's no Here's what I'll say. There is
zero accountability in the w NBA. There's zero accountability from
the top down. And that's why she ran away from
that interview, and that's why that league is defunct, and
that's why, just like the Post Office, it'll continue to
lose millions of dollars a year.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
We have the comedy Jam Friday at Rivers Casino and
it is inclusive. It is fun for the whole family, correct.
Speaker 4 (22:51):
Yeah, I mean, look, my kids have been coming to
this thing for the last four years. So yeah, you
got joy footone for men sink Joe Gatto from a
Practical Jokers, James Murray from Practical Joke Is Jess Casuto
from Pussycat Dolls, a ton of great comedians, Pittsburgh's own
Bill Crawford. We got a lot of special guests on
this one, and it's the greatest night I have all year.
You know, you get to do stand up comedy and
(23:11):
then you sing songs with the live band, and they're
all single on songs, so everybody knows them. It's Billy Joel,
It's Springsteen, it's you know, Bruno mars it's all the hits.
So it's literally one of the funnest nights I have
in comedy. But it's all there to benefit the Mario
Lemux Foundation. And the good news is if you go
to Riverscasino dot com, it's this Friday the show. It's
(23:32):
at seven o'clock the Right and Left Wings that we
just released tickets at thirty four dollars, I believe, so
it's incredibly affordable. We've always sold it out and we're
hoping to sell ou out this year. Help us break
our record, because again, it all goes to such an
incredible cause, and that's under the umbrella one of the
greatest names to come in sport, but certainly out of Pittsburgh,
(23:55):
Mario Lemieux.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
Also oppressed also straight and white.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
Well, I think the French Canadian is probably that's where
that's where he gets it.
Speaker 1 (24:06):
Right, Oh, that's that's where he didn't get the MVP
in nineteen eighty nine. Hey, I got to ask you
what point? And this hasn't happened to you, and I
doubt it never will. But do comedians ever stop being funny?
And then I have an example to give you. Jerry
Lewis is my example.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
I think I think some guys get a little along
in the tooth and they don't know why to hang
it up, Like Vince Neil. It's like Vince Neil, go home,
David lee Rock go home. It's like there's certain people
you just age out of being funny. So I completely
agree with that sentiment. That'd be my answer.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Yes, Okay, Now to that point, did you watch the
home run Derby last night? I did not.
Speaker 4 (24:48):
I saw that there was a lot of backlash because
of the Netflix coverage, but that's all I know.
Speaker 1 (24:53):
Well, Will Ferrell was doing commentary.
Speaker 4 (24:55):
Oh, he's got to hang it up, He's got to
hang it up.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
Yeah, Now let's just skip right at now let me
ask you this. You know where this is. Was he
ever funny? I mean, I think in small doses he
was brilliant, but the smaller the dose, the more brilliant.
And I can't recall where he truly carried movies like
it was either an ensemble cast or him and John
c riley or whatever.
Speaker 4 (25:19):
Yeah, look, him and Adam McKay did incredible work together.
He and John c riley did incredible work together. But yeah,
I think I think it's almost to the point where
you know, he's just kind of desperate for laughs and
chasing relevancy. It's okay to get quiet, it's you can
you know. Chris Ross said the best you can't make
an entrance if you never leave. And I think if
Will Ferrell just disappeared for a good few years and
(25:42):
then we got to the point we missed him and
he came back guns of blazing and took that time
to write something incredible, which he's totally capable of. Yeah,
but until then he's just making he's chasing and and
all we're getting a slop.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Yeah, but you brought up a key name there, since
he had his falling out with Adam McKay over not
being passed in that HBO Lakers thing that they John
c Riley instead. I don't know. I'm going to think
more and more that Adam McKay was an even bigger
part of that equation that we knew.
Speaker 4 (26:11):
Well, it's Larry David Seinfeld thing, right, I mean, everybody
knows what Larry David's gone on and has has exhibited
he's capable of. And Seinfeld made, you know, a pop
tart movie.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
So it's said that was a pretty funny movie.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
Okay, okay, I didn't see if I heard bad things
about it, but if you like it, I'll stand by it.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
I mean, it wasn't Jaws or you know it was.
It didn't win award that maddened.
Speaker 4 (26:40):
Ask you this go ahead because I can't talk to
you about Penn's talk were saying is a name I've
seen bubble up over the l since he got drafted,
And I was always like, I wonder, you know, do
you think that this could be a reclamation project that
fits under the banner of dubas.
Speaker 1 (26:57):
Yes, I do, but I don't sense that's imminent, Like
right now, it's kind of gone dark, like you know,
all about the Jason Robertson thing, and I think that's
dead because he filed for arbitration in Dallas. I think
he wants to stay there, but I keep hearing whispers uh,
and it reminds me of remember when the Penguins got
(27:17):
Carlson for weeks. It's dead, it's dead, it's dead, it's dead.
One day I'm going to an Eric Carlson press conference
and he's there, so I'm not and Dubas. One thing
about Dubas making a deal for a guy he really wants, Steve.
He's incredibly patient, which a lot of gms are not
right right, So Biden time.
Speaker 4 (27:38):
Yeah, well, the fingers crossed on the Jason Robinson. I mean,
look on behalf of the Asian community. We haven't had
this much electricity or fever pitch since Jimmy Pack. So
we are no, no, no.
Speaker 1 (27:51):
You're forgetting Richard park.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
Ah, there we go.
Speaker 1 (27:55):
Okay, Okay, Pelets have led the way in Asian hockey relations.
I think that's right. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (28:05):
Yeah, when they got drafted, my mother said, oh, we
could use a little puck rock And I said, Mom,
do you mean puck luck or she said no, the twins,
So hopefully they come through it too.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
Very good. Now I saw another one of your things
on Twitter. I'm going to New York City soon? Do
you think I need a passport? Mark?
Speaker 4 (28:29):
I remember the days when you would walk into Saint
Patrick's Cathedral. You know, maybe you stop in, you say
a prayer, and then you're back about your day. Now,
if you go to New York, you pray at least
five times a day. I think that's really what it's
come to lately. So yeah, I don't think you're far
off on that.
Speaker 1 (28:45):
What I do is when I go to New York, seriously,
I stay across the street from wherever I'm going be
Con Theater to see Robert plant right across the street,
Rangers game at the Garden, right across the street. If
I go to a steakhouse, I take an uber. I
prefer that over cab. I would like an arm guard,
but I can't afford it. It's just amazing how the
(29:09):
enlightened cities have become the war zones.
Speaker 4 (29:13):
Yeah, yeah, I mean, I remember a time when the
worst thing about New York City was the constant smell
of piss in marijuana, and now it's that plus crime,
plus homelessness, plus the guy taking a dump on the sidewalk,
plus you know, the constant activism that's happening every other block,
and it's just like what happened to the City that
Never sleeps. It's just it's exhausting. You almost want to
(29:35):
take in that.
Speaker 1 (29:35):
Now, Steve is always great stuff. I do have a
confession to make, and there's some irony because it's a
callback to earlier in the interview. I can't make the
comedy jam because I'm going to see Vince Neil and
Motley Crue on Friday.
Speaker 4 (29:49):
Oh my god, I can't believe I'm saying this, but
we actually might have better singers at our show than
the crew. But one of the greatest moments professional stand
up career, and you'll appreciate this, Mark Madden, was when
NICKI six started to follow me and then he started
dming me, complimented me on jokes and I'm like, oh
(30:09):
my god, if high school Steve could see this right now,
this is the coolest thing. I feel like a made man,
So enjoy the crew.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
See see. I'm jealous now because I have a bucket
list of interviewees, which I rarely make public because none
of them are coming on to show if they haven't already, right,
and Nikki six is one of them, and a few
years back, because I think he's just a genius. I
think his inventiveness in like, you know, as a writer,
as a photographer, he just has really done a ton
(30:38):
and he's you know, every covering addict too. There's such
a great story there.
Speaker 4 (30:41):
Sure.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
So about five years ago, a guy I've known for
three or four decades, Freddy Kowalo, who's probably listening now,
becomes Six's base tech. He like works closely was six
so so so uh so Freddie goes, well, put a
word in, you know, I'll talk to the PR guy
called I'm tell him you know me, and we'll get
(31:01):
six on the show. No go, no six, no nothing.
Uh but I.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Still love We got eighty seven on Nikki six.
Speaker 1 (31:10):
And John five's the guitar player.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
Let me see, let me reach out to him. I'll
see what I can do.
Speaker 1 (31:16):
I'll try.
Speaker 4 (31:17):
Yeah, tell him I don't have much sway, but yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:20):
Tell him to just well if his road he couldn't.
I mean but that I love six. I mean I've
met him a few times. He's brilliant. But again, if
they haven't come on by now, Steve, I mean, you're
my last great guest. You're my last great guest.
Speaker 4 (31:34):
Oh it's sad days in Pittsburgh. It's sad, sad days. Well,
you know, next time, next time we come through whatever,
I'll have some of the some of the If there's
anybody intriguing on the jam list, you let me know
and I'll get him on for you.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Steve, great stuff. I'll talk to you real soon.
Speaker 4 (31:49):
You're the best, super genius. I love you, buddy. Take care, guys.
Speaker 1 (31:52):
That's Steve Byrne. He is the best in the fifty
Annual Comedy Jam. Tickets still available. Just opened up a
few that weren't there before Friday at Rivers Casino to
benefit the Lemu Foundation, which of course I love and support.
Up next, we're going to talk about Lamar Jackson's precipitous
drop from number two to number sixty nine in the
player voted NFL rankings. A Mark Madden one oh five nine.
(32:15):
It's Madden on the Ax. And we got two topics
for today's last Word. One is the big fuss being
kicked up about the NFL players voted and rated the
top one hundred players in the NFL. And Lamar Jackson,
the Baltimore quarterback he dropped from number two in the
voting last year to number sixty nine this year. That's
(32:36):
a big drop, but I get it. Lamar missed four
games last year. Baltimore missed the playoffs and went six
and seven in games. When Jackson played, his stats were
only okay and his rushing yards were way down. Like
I said, there's a big fuss about lack of respect,
et cetera. Hey, the players are idiots and don't take
(33:00):
that voting seriously. It's not like they watch tape and
do research and be who cares all these lists and ratings?
Who cares? Ryan Clark was on ESPN talking about respect, respect,
respect in this vote that dropped Jackson the number sixty nine.
In fact, let's play that sound bite.
Speaker 5 (33:20):
Now, outside of Patrick Mahomes, there is no more accomplished
quarterback in the entire NFL.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
Individually.
Speaker 5 (33:29):
There's no quarterback who carries more than Lamar Jackson. There's
no quarterback who's asked to do more than Lamar Jackson.
There's no quarterback who you have to have a game
plan for in the run game.
Speaker 1 (33:41):
You have to have a game plan for in the
past game, and then you have to have a secondary
game plan for when he does Lamar Jackson type.
Speaker 5 (33:49):
Stuff, and so when you take his career as a whole,
if I'm a player, the way I'm voting is this,
if this dude is healthy, how much do I fear him?
If this dude is healthy, how difficult is it's a
game plan for him throughout the week. And we talked
about some of the disrespect he has gotten. That's disrespect
I expect it.
Speaker 1 (34:11):
Yeah. Like I said, the Ravens were six and seven
in games Jackson played last year, so it won all
that hard to put a game plan together for him.
Ryan Clark is too typical of too many NFL players
and ex players. Clark requires respect but doesn't like to
give any. This should be no big deal to Lamar.
(34:34):
Just go finally win the super Bowl, which Lamar ain't
never gonna do. In fact, I bet Baltimore misses the
playoffs again. And then there's OJ Simpson who is somehow
in the news again. The Bills got that new stadium
and they will not honor OJ at all at that
(34:57):
new stadium. What just because he killed a couple of people. Listen,
we all know what OJ did, but we also know
what he did on the football field for the Bills too.
I don't know how you pretend that OJ Simpson didn't exist.
If in the Buffalo Bills, OJ's their best player ever,
(35:19):
along with Jim Kelly. OJ had a two thousand yard
season before anybody else did. We're talking about an all
time great football player, arguably the best running back ever.
The numbers don't lie. Nineteen seventy two, two thousand and
three yards rushing. He averaged six yards per carry, and
(35:42):
nobody's endorsing what OJ did. Nobody endorses a double murder,
what he got away with. But his playing career, the Hurtsads,
the Naked Gun movie, OJ Simpson was everywhere. Maybe the
Bills should to act like he doesn't exist, but that's
really hard to do. You can't change history. OJ is
(36:07):
still in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and he
was the man in Buffalo. Don't forget the Bills have
never won a Super Bowl, so all they got is
individuals and their accomplishments. You got OJ, Jim Kelly and
all of them guys who lost for Super Bowls, Mark Kelso,
(36:28):
the North Hills High School alum with the great Kazoo helmet,
and Josh Allen now I guess oj is still on
the Bill's Wall of Fame. You can't take stuff like
that away, not even if you kill your wife and
a waiter to give the late great Norm McDonald a callback.
(36:52):
Let's hit the music. I should be playing a whole
lot of Rosie here because I'll be in Columbus to
see ac DC tomorrow. Tim Ben's filling in. Then I'm
back on Thursday. Good talk, see you out there. What
O five nine The X
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