February 15, 2026 • 35 mins
Doug explains why the NFL’s controversial Bad Bunny halftime show was a stroke of marketing genius, despite online outrage, what this Super Bowl and the NCAA Tournament have in common.
Then, Doug is joined by NBA Reporter Mark Medina to discuss why the Bucks didn’t move Giannis Antetakupomo at the trade deadline, if the NBA can stop teams from blatantly tanking, and where LeBron could play his final season of his NBA career.
Finally, 7-time MLB All-Star Matt Holliday breaks down the Brewers trading 2025 rookie of the year finalist Caleb Durbin to the Red Sox, and if a salary cap will ever become a MLB reality.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Hey, welcome in. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is a yeah,
this Doug Gottlieb show. You're like, yeah, I know that.
I know that. It's an old radio technique. It's called
the reset. So who are you? Where are you? I'm
in Green Bay? What are you doing? I'm not really sure,
but it's great to be with you. And one of
the beautiful things about having a chance to do a
(00:34):
pod periodically, which you can see on WFRV Plus as
well as obviously listen to and download on wherever you
download podcasts, is the fact that you get a chance
to kind of catch your breath and really kind of
formulate thought. So here we are, and the data of
this recording is February thirteenth, twenty twenty six. That data
(00:56):
is significant for a lot of reasons. We'll get to.
Why offer me personally a second? But it is five
days after the Super Bowl, so right, five days after
the Super Bowl, and it's given me a chance to
ingest so much of the nonsense of the halftime show.
(01:16):
And also I haven't heard the take that I have
on the actual game. What, Yeah, there was an actual
football game. It wasn't a it wasn't a terribly well
played offensive football game, but actually decided who won the
Super Bowl. Yeah, that did happen. And instead of saying
(01:37):
that game has sucked or they even wins championships, which
I did actually tweet them, that's me. I'm responsible for it.
I have a different sort of take. So let's start
with the halftime show and then we'll get to the
actual game. So somehow the halftime show has become politics
(02:01):
at its breaking point. I don't know when we got
actually do know when we got to this point. We'll
get to that, but I don't know when we got
to the point that the selection of who is performing
at halftime became a huge point for political discourse. But
here we are, so instead of getting to what was
the moment that we tipped where sports became like political news.
(02:27):
Guy in the right, guy in the left, everybody picked
their side, nobody finds common ground. Somehow sports has become
that as well. And maybe maybe it's the proliferation of
sports debate on television right started with because it wasn't
first Take. It was actually first and ten as a
segment in the Old Cold Pizza Show on ESPN two.
And of course you have pardon the eruption, which technically
(02:49):
you got two old guys that have been great newspaper
writers arguing for days, regardless of which the right would
lead you to believe. The right politically would lead you
to believe this is woke behavior and that's what this represents.
The left would say this is a win because you
(03:11):
have the right all bothered and it shows how united
the left is. I don't even care. I don't think
it's about any of that. Okay, you are first, you're
taking the bait from all of these people that want
to make everything political. It's no different than people want
to make everything racial. Everything is not racial, Everything is
(03:32):
not political. But you know what everything is in the NFL.
It is financial and it was brilliant and you're like, what,
so what you have in me is you have the
rare sheet code. I don't know everything, but I sat
in meetings at three different networks and they told you
why everything happens, and the number one thing that was
(03:52):
told to us over and over again, even going back.
I was ten years at ESPN, nine years in Bristol, Connecticut,
and they would constantly say the number one market. We're
trying to figure out how to capitalize on is Latino
demographic and just are Spanish speaking, English speaking foreign born
(04:13):
born in the United States, Spanish as your first language,
Spanish your second language, doesn't actually matter. They are. It's
a vibrant market, vibrant market. It's a growing market, one
of the few growing markets in professional sports. And oh yeah,
by the way, gigantic NFL market. Additionally, and this is
(04:35):
a big thing if you look historically, it hasn't always
taken place. The LA super Bowl halftime show wasn't really that,
but many of the shows have been. The demo for
halftime entertainment is the female demo?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Why?
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Well? Again, one, there are a lot of female NFL fans,
but there are a lot of female fans that don't
watch NFL all year, but they go to a super
Bowl party, they watch a little bit of the NFL.
So if you're watching this show on the Vio Harvey
Plus or anyone in the next Star network, or you're
listening to us on our podcast, you might sit here
(05:12):
and go like, well, dig I'm already a sports fan.
I was going to watch the super Bowl and that's
where I go, eh ha. Here's the thing. Most of us,
as guys, we can't and especially the people that are
arguing this on TV and on radio can't understand there
are actually people out there who don't watch the Super Bowl.
You're like, what, yeah, like do the math. Okay, So
(05:34):
about one hundred and twenty five to one hundred and
fifty million people watch the super Bowl, right, that's the
that's what we learn from ratings, Okay, and you probably
throw in twenty five thirty more maybe that we can't
calculate because you know, not that I would do it,
but some people do bootleg their stuff, right, I mean,
it just does happen, And it's still a hard calculation
(05:55):
for how many people are watching in bars and restaurants,
group homes. I'm kidding, but when we're watching out in public.
So even if it's one hundred and seventy five million
people watch, how many people in the United States three
hundred and fifty million people? Yeah, so I just blew
(06:15):
your mind. More people don't watch the super Bowl in
the United States than watch Super Bowl. I don't know
any of them. Actually I do, my daughter Grace. It's
actually a good point. My daughter Grace had a I
went to my daughter Harper's Super Bowl party in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Regret.
My son came in. We bought a bunch of food,
we made some I made crab dip again. I don't
(06:38):
know why. I saw it on the internet and I
like everybody, I'm like, I can make this and it
wasn't bad anyway. My daughter, Grace, she's nineteen years old,
talented musician. She didn't want to watch the halftime show.
She's like, I get studying to do. And it is
one of those things where if you want to rob
a bank, grant's on a Sunday, but Super Sunday a
good day to do it, cause one hundred and seventy
(06:59):
five per people are watching the Super Bowl. The point
is more people don't watch the super Bowl than watch
the super Bowl. It feels really because I don't know
any of these people. Well, I know Grace. And then
when I first moved to Connecticut at ESPN in two
thousand and three, my neighbors invited us to Thanksgiving dinner
and those early Thanksgiving dinner and at some point in time,
(07:21):
I go, hmmm, you guys gonna throw on the game,
and they said what game. I was like, it's Thanksgiving
Football TV, Cowboys, Lions. This is not hard, right, So
there are people out there that don't watch Super Bowl.
Those people are more likely to watch the Super Bowl
if the halftime show is something that appeals to them.
(07:44):
That's why Madonna was the halftime guest, like thirty years
after Madonna's prime, because older women, people who don't watch
the NFL, they're like, oh Madonna, yeah, I know that,
I'll watch that. It really is that simple. There's other
parts to it, right. I think this was presented by Apple,
so it has to be somebody associated with Apple. Previously
(08:06):
was Pepsi and Pepsi had tonight. It really does go
through those lines. If you're if you represent Coke on
your tour, you're not going to perform at the super Bowl.
But the point is that Bad Bunny brings in a
demo extremely young that don't watch NFL. Okay, Latin Spanish
(08:27):
speaking that don't watch the NFL. Women dig him right,
English speaking, Spanish speaking, whatever, And it's it's a demo
of people that, yes, some watch the NFL, but many
do not. And that's how you get them to watch
the first half of the game because they're sitting there
telling their husband, their wife there, whomever, their buddy or
(08:50):
their girlfriend or their boyfriend. When's the super Bowl coming on?
Because this is when's the halftime show coming on? Because
this is super boring and that is why they watch.
It's really that simple, Like you're sitting there, you're massively
overthinking this thing. And it worked. It absolutely worked, because
(09:11):
ask yourself this, did you watch the second half? Yeah?
Because the first half was bad. I'm like, well, maybe
in the second half they're going to open up a
can and all of a sudden, New England's can remember
how to throw a FOURD pass? Right? That was your bobby,
your thought you were gonna watch regardless. Hey, we do
this in radio. Okay, if you're a when you do
(09:34):
a radio show that's two three hours, like three hour shows.
Here's a little tip. So Colin Cowherd's first segment he
repeats in his third hour and you're like, wait what, Yeah,
you know why, because if you're listening in the first
hour and you're listening to the third hour, you're what's done.
As a P one listener, You're gonna listen. If he
talks on while he's sitting on the can, you don't care.
(09:57):
But most people only listen for a segment and then
they parachute back in and you have to constantly reset
who you are what you are. We did the start
of the podcast, So you're a P one viewer if
you will, You're going to watch the super Bowl no
matter who's playing it. Why, Because that's what we do.
We're a guy or guys or women, and we grew
up in America and we're like, you know what, I
(10:18):
watched super Bowl? Why? The super Bowl was crummy my
entire childhood, right, Think about if you're a fan of
the Broncos, remember John Elway's first two Super Bowls? Like, oh,
I was a Charger fan with the nature and means
and stand the man Humphrey. That sucker was over as
soon as the coin toss was done. But I still
watched because that's what we do, right. It's the terrible
(10:40):
cliche that adults always use now my adults, so I
try not to use it, which is why do we
always do it? That's because we've always been done that way?
But we watched the Super Bowl. You're already going to watch.
The halftime show is for people who probably wouldn't watch,
to get more of them to watch, because the more
of them watch, the more people overall, it bumps up
(11:00):
the rating of the game and it works, and it worked.
It was brilliant, it was genius. It's just like, well
everything in the NFL. They're successful for a reason, right.
They set specific game times. They got Thursday, we got Sunday,
and then late and we got Monday and then sometimes,
letting the hear, we'll get to Saturday. Why are the
(11:21):
Cowboys always on Thanksgiving? Because everybody watches the Cowboys. You
either hate watch them or you like watch them, but
you watch them. There are people at all of the
major networks and the minor networks for a living. They're
in what's called programming, and all they do, and I
don't know how they do it is calculate. It's like,
why is the game time at six twenty four kickoff?
(11:43):
Because they calculate exactly when at the quarter hours you're
going to be watching the most nationally so they can
get the bigger ratings. It's all about the money, right.
It's professional sports. The best run professional sport in America
is the NFL. And they melt it because you're talking
(12:05):
about it. There's the value to social media equity, whether
you like it or you don't like it. And by
talking about it and by talking about it leading up
to it, more people are going to watch it. And
the perfect example is the president who put on Trump's
social a tweet or is it a tweet if it's
(12:26):
on Trump's social or is it a social on Trump's
I don't know. It's very confusing. They don't actually have
a word for whatever. He a post post. Okay, But
the brilliant thing about it is that even if he
hated it, watched it. He watched it. It's the old
(12:47):
no publicity is bad, publicity, that's bad, buddy. So the
point is that it wasn't racial, it wasn't political. And
I'll be honest with you, like my son loved it.
I don't know. It was like honestly, it was like
going to a Broadway show. You're like, is this good?
(13:08):
Is this what's he's saying? I don't know. I did.
I felt eighty years old. I can't understand a word
he's saying. But I mean I liked it. I just
didn't know what he was saying or whatever. Yeah, it
all mostly in Spanish or in span It was different. Okay,
(13:28):
it was different, but let's get over ourselves. It's a
halftime show. The idea was to get people to watch.
It worked. A lot of people liked it, and the
people who didn't still watched it and talked about it.
Nobody was harmed in it, and the NFL once again
wins because the ratings keep going up and up and up,
(13:48):
and they keep charging more and more and we keep
paying regardless of the fact that here's the other kicker.
The game actually sucked, right, the game actually sucked. My
old radio producer Jason Stewart out in Laws Angeles, he
used to he called it the oh, what's the what's
the U two album? Uh? I thought it was Zuopa?
(14:10):
But like to me, Zuopa was was? What was Zuopa?
A really bad album? I can't remember he had? Wasn't
Octun Baby? That was a good one. And the point was,
because it was you two, you were always going to
buy the album. Because the NFL, you're always gonna watch,
even though the product hasn't been particularly good, especially recently.
And the Super Bowl is the perfect example. And the
(14:32):
genius to it is no one people have said, hey,
the game sucked, but you still watched because you were like, well,
maybe it'll turn, well, maybe it'll turn And then the
Patriots are down big, and you're like, well, the Patriots
did come back back. When it's long, it's Tom Brady.
I'm gonna watch for if it's a Tom Brady come back.
It was not, which leads me to a take about
(14:53):
the NFL about the Super Bowl that I don't think
anybody has had. This is just like the NCAAH tournament
when you have upsets. Right. So I'm a gigantic Sam
Donald fan. Sam Donald grew up in San Clementy, California.
I'm matriculated, you know. I lived in Milwaukee as a
(15:15):
baby till I was six and we moved out to
Orange County, California. San Clementy is the southernmost outpost of
Orange County. There's a lot of sc alums that are
just obnoxious, and they've had all these other quarterbacks. Sam
is the first one to break through. San Clementy. Though
it's changed some, is still the most kind of old
school Orange County beach town. There is the most normal people.
(15:37):
It's not like the OC you saw on TV. Sam's
been through a lot. Everybody I know says he's an
awesome dude, and because of that, I was cheering for him.
Plus I like Cooper Cup. I thought Cooper Cup's performance
with the La Rams when they won the Super Bowl
a couple of years ago and he was basically the
only healthy wide receiver and caught every ball on the
game winning touchdown drive was heroic. And Cooper Cup kind
(16:01):
of being thrown out with the trash by the Rams
and basically by the league because he had aged out
and after his knee injury, didn't have the same burst
and finding a role with the Seahawks, Like I was
cheering for the Seahawks though I had no connection with them,
and their defense was elite all season long. And the Patriots, well,
with eight free agent signings, they done a great job
(16:23):
of turning that thing around. But this is what happens
when you have an upset. It doesn't mean that Drake
May won't eventually get back to the Super Bowl. It
just means it wasn't supposed to happen this year. And
that's what happens when you have a series of upsets. Right,
the Bill had the Bills beaten the Broncos, the Bills
(16:43):
probably end up beating the Patriots because Josh Allen is
the best quarterback in the NFL. Now they didn't because
of I thought ad blown call, a controversial call, and
then when the Broncos did move on, their quarterback was hurt,
so they start to go like, wait, is Drake May
really great? Now? The Chiefs had kind of aged out
(17:05):
this year. They got to hit refresh. The Chargers would
have been better than the Patriots, but they lost their
bookend tackles, and you can't protect Justin Herbert, you got
no chance. They just had too many injuries to really advance.
The Indianapolis Colts were an elite team until Danny Dimes
got hurt. Not to say that Danny Dimes is going
to be better than Drake May, but with Taylor in
(17:28):
the backfield, they were pretty dynamic. They were the best
team in the AFC for a good poorsch time until
injuries set in, and then of course the Bills did
their Bills thing in the playoffs. I did think they
lost on a bad call, But the point is that
all of these teams probably would have been Colts would
have been as good. Everybody else would have been better
(17:49):
at the quarterback position or better than where the Patriots were.
They weren't expecting to be a super Bowl team. They
probably didn't even think of themselves as the Super Bowl team.
But that's what happens when you have upsets at injuries.
It's no different than the NCAA tournament when you have
a one and done tournament, and this has happened in
college football. You go back last year, right, the Ohio
(18:10):
State Buckeyes were what the seventh seed and they go
all the way and win the championship. Now they were
really good seven see, But the point is that when
you have a major injury or a major upset, and
the AFC had two right injury to the Broncos quarterback
in the same game, which there is an upset over
the Buffalo Bills. Now a sudden you knock out two
(18:32):
of the best team. Broncos are the best defense in
the AFC and probably the best play caller, albeit I'm
not in love at quarterback. But the Bills this was
supposed to be their year. So when you have upsets
in one and done's, it's no different than when Butler
got to their second national championship game and they played
(18:54):
Yukon they couldn't score in the first half. It's because
they really weren't that good. Right, you just have one upset.
That's why on so many levels the NBA playoffs. Though
the NBA regular season is a mess, the NBA playoffs
are pretty awesome. But it also usually gives you the
best team because the best team, if healthy over time,
(19:14):
will went out. That's what happened last year. Right, the
Oklahoma City thunder survived the Denver Nuggets in seven games,
but after that they were the best team in the
regular season, they're the best team in the postseason, and
they end up winning.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Now.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
They were also helped out by the fact that the
Pacers had an injury, the Celtics sen injury, etc. It's
no different than the reason that the Seahawks and the
Patriots were in the Super Bowl. Is no different than
the reason that the Indiana Pacers were in the NBA Finals. Right,
Jason Tatum doesn't get hurt, it might be a whole
(19:46):
different story. Injuries do play a part at a part
of upsets, and in one and done's when you get
an early upset, it obviously changes everything dramatically. All right, Well,
not welcome in Doug Gottlieb show rolls on, and uh,
let's welcome in A dear friend of mine, a guy
(20:07):
who's the NBA insider for Fox Sports Radio and CBS
in LA. He's Mark the Funky Cold Medina uh and
and he joins us. Also, our guy Matt Holliday is
gonna going to join us as well at some point
in time. Here there, there's Matt. We'll talk some baseball,
We'll talk some basketball. Let's start with Mark as uh Mark,
(20:27):
We're on NBA All Star Weekend. Why is Yannis still
a member of the Milwaukee Bucks?
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Very refleshinged Doug. I think it's two reasons.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
One, the Milwaukee Bucks didn't feel like there was a
trade that justified dealing their franchise player. I think Giannis
Antetokoumpo also had some mixed feelings about whether he actually
wants to leave the Bucks. He never made a direct
trade demand, and I think you know, the Bucks have
always operated unless we hear direct correspondence from our star player,
(20:59):
We're gonna operate as if he's with us moving forward.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
So what does that mean moving forward? I think it's
just buying time.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
He's not expected to play the second half the season
because of his cap injury, and I think, you know,
with more teams potentially being the mix and having more
time to assess potential deals.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
He'll be traded at some point in the off season.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Well, and plus there's the like, look, this is a
really valuable rookie, potential rookie class. You wait till after
the draft lottery and now you'd know where somebody picks
and it gives a different value to their trade assets.
Is that fair?
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Completely fair?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
And I think the other thing that we have to
keep in mind, as you know, Doug, when it gets
into the NBA Draft, there's more teams that are willing
to become buyers because the NBA Draft, can you move
the dynamic and the standings here. I think the other
thing is there's an expectation that even with outside of
the draft, there's going to be more teams with cap
(21:59):
space with I think more patients to make a deal.
The Lakers are probably the best example of that because
Lebron James is expected to either retire or go to
another team, so that clears a lot of cap space.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
They're going to devote toward trying to resign Austin Reeves.
Speaker 4 (22:14):
But they have more money to play with than they
would have, you know otherwise ahead of the trade deadline,
So we add those two things up, and I think
the Bucks concluded, you know what we can do better
when it comes to part and waste with our franchise player.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
A percentage chance he ever plays for the Bucks again.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
Yeah, Doug, he cut right to the heart of the
batter here. I never say zero percent or one hundred
percent in today's world because anything can change. By that
cavey out of side, I would give it like five percent.
I think even though Janis has been very loyal to
the Bucks, he appreciates that, through both good deals and
bad deals, the Bucks have always been aggressive with trying
(22:55):
to put the best roster around him. He still, I think,
remained genuinely grateful that they drafted him at number fifteen
and developed him into a really good prospect. But I
think that he has reached the conclusion that they're just
spinning their wheels. They've gone through consecutive first round access
for the past three years, you know, I don't it
(23:16):
looks like after the All Star they're going to be
tanking towards his stand ins to try to protect their
draft picks. So yeah, I think it's I would be
very surprised if he's.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
In a Bucks uniform next season.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Here's the marriage analogy, right, They're they're sleeping in separate rooms.
The kids are out of the house after in the summer,
they're going to you know, they're going to going away
to college, and that's kind of the time in which
they'd be like, eh, well mom and dadd are going
to live separately after after that. Speaking of tanking, like,
we've reached the point of ridiculousness. I want to bring
(23:51):
up the Jazz from this perspective. Ryan Smith's the owner
of the Jazz, right, so he donated to Utah Prep
where AJ debandsa win. He gave a bunch of money
to BYU where AJ debandsa win. Now his team potentially
has is aiming to tank for the number one overall
pick and may select aged. Like, we're getting to an
(24:14):
obscene level of manipulation in order to get to get
the number one pick to draft a guy. What can
the NBA do, well, one, they.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Can enforce their existing rules a lot better.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
You know, prior to this episode where the NBA you know,
gave some fines to the Jazz and the Pacers, they
had the player participation policy. But I think the NBA
didn't get too involved because they want to steer clear of,
you know, really micromanaging. Okay, this is what rotations are
going to look like, because that's what an organization and
a coaching staff is in charge of doing.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
But I think that philosophically, what they.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Can do is a lot more severe than these five
hundred thousand dollars fines if they gave the Jazz or
one hundred thousands to the Indiana Pacers, because if you
really look at it, this is almost just a luxury tax.
You know that teams are spending if they're going over
the cap, right, so I think it has to be
a forfeiture of draft picks. I think the other thing,
big picture, if if teams are just going to be
(25:14):
this bad, you know, let's do that European soccer model
model with relegate in here. I think the ironic part, Doug,
is that they're.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Not gonna They're not gonna come on, dude, they're not
going to relegate anybody. Like, it's not happening. There's too
much money involved in this thing. It's like the people
like they're going to shorten the season. Not shortened the season, okay,
because you have the forty one dates for inventory for
all these all these venues. They're not shortened the season stop,
they're not relegating anybody. How do they stop teams from
(25:44):
blatantly or even very smartly tanking. How do they stop it?
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Yeah, well I get your point here, but it can
do some behavior modification.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
I'm with you on eighty two games is.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Not going away.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
But the more practical part, I think draft picks and uh,
the finds.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Aren't going to do anything. So it has to be
lost of draft picks.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
And almost like with second Apron, if you reach a threshold,
you're you don't have the ability to fully you know,
put a mid level together or do.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Sign in trades.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
I think it has to go to those mechanisms because
of financial penalties. These things are worth too much. They
just they'll just view that as a luxury text.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Okay, fair enough, last one and you kind of you
you talked about Lebron. I just I cannot see him
going out without a without a tour, right, I just can't.
That's just one He's earned it. I mean, he's the
all time lining score in NBA history. So like as
much as many people who are doing podcasts and radio
(26:43):
shows and TV shows will say, you know it's his ego.
Of course, he's got a big eagle, but he's incredibly accomplished.
So when you're all the time lending scorer, you're going
to do a victory tour, one last tour. Maybe, I
don't know, But where with who? You know, like Amy
bringing him back. I don't think Cleveland wants him back.
(27:03):
I don't know the Lakers don't want him back. So
where where does it happen?
Speaker 2 (27:10):
You know what?
Speaker 3 (27:10):
A month ago, I didn't think it was gonna be anywhere.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
I do think it could be Cleveland under the guys
that look, they got James Harden. They're in a win
now mode. But it has to be under specific parameters.
He's got to be the third player on the team.
From both a role player standpoint and a financial standpoint,
I would tell you this, Doug. I don't think the
Lakers would even be opposed to that. I just know
(27:33):
that they know that Lebron doesn't want to sign up
for that. Where from a salary role standpoint, he's behind
Luca and Austin Reeves.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
It's one thing to tap into his ex's and o's.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
He can't win. He'm like, listen, you can't win the NBA,
if you have more than one guy who can't guard
Lebron James, he's forty one years old. He can't guard
the chair that I'm sitting in. Luca doesn't guard and
probably can't guard either, And then you know, Austin Reed like,
that's the flaw to the Lakers is they get too
many dudes. They can't they can't guard, and if you
add Lebron, you can't have your top three players you know,
(28:07):
all be swinging gates defensively. It just doesn't work, you know,
And so that that doesn't.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Work, Yeah, and it has to the other thing is
with his salary, it's going to affect roster construction. So sure,
I don't think it's to the point that if he
wants to prolong his career he has to go on vetmentimum,
you know, mid level, but it has to be like
ten million range. It's certainly not in the twenties, let
alone fifty two that he's making this season. And I
(28:32):
think the challenging thing for Lebron is that he's seen
that he's not the same player as he was in
as brime me mentioned. Defensively, he doesn't have the same athleticism,
but you see, you know, like the flickers of life,
so to speak, like, for example, the most recent game
with having a triple double even with all his flaws,
that's very impressive, but what it creates is a gray
(28:52):
area where it's not clear you know what, your body's broke,
breaking down, you're just spinning a weirdless what's the point
that helped crystals when Kobe Bryant decided to retire And
here it's a little bit more complicated that he's on
a team that's not great but still good. They're not
in the lottery, and he's also playing not great but
(29:13):
still good, and so with that presents more challenges on
how do you try to find that final bow of
an exit.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Mark you're the best man. Enjoy Enjoy the All Star
Game and the All Star Break. We'll check in with
you on the other side. Thanks so much for being
our guest in the Doug Outlib Show.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
A great to Rea and I with you, and congrats
with all your success.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Let's bring in my guy Matt Holliday, who of course
was a seven time All Star in in Major League Baseball,
and Matt, I did want to get your opinion on
the Caleb Durbin trade.
Speaker 5 (29:49):
Caleb Durbin trade. So look, I think that I think
the Red Sox we're looking for somebody established. They have
some good young players. I think Marcelo Mayer is a
guy they're going to consider with with many more at
bats this year.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
They have a guy named Mikey Romero.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
They have some young players, but I think Caleb Durban
offers them.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
A little bit more of they know what they're.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
Going to get, and he can play a couple of
different positions, and he's established himself kind of in this
grinder mode that they're trying to adopt. As you know,
they lose Alex Bregman, who kind of brought that element
to their team last year. I think they're looking for
a guy similar to Alex Bregman and and and.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
That sort of grinder guy. It's worked his way up.
Speaker 5 (30:46):
Not overly big and talented, but you know, just kind
of figures things out. And then I think that the
Brewers maybe you know, selling high, maybe they they pick
up a high high, tighly talented, it hasn't quite put
it together, left handed pitcher and Harrison. I think they're
(31:07):
they're maybe looking at they have enough of guys like
Durban that they can, you know, they can trade him high.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
He had to come off of.
Speaker 5 (31:16):
A really nice season and and maybe pick up a
high end uh guy with stuff and Harrison a starter
potentially that if he puts it all together, it could
be you know.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
More of a frontline starter.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
So you know, I think it's probably just just that
when it comes down to.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Yeah, I mean, you try to get a chance at
another you know, like great power pitcher, and that's how
you got to win the playoffs, and they've been able
to find other Durban's out there. That makes sense. There's
also the financial ramifications of it, right, So there's this
new calls, especially from the small market teams, for a
salary cap. The CBA expires at the end of this
(31:59):
calendar year, so we still have the season to kind
of go through. Does a salary cap work? And will
I mean we've always been told it never happens in
Major League Baseball? Will it happen?
Speaker 5 (32:13):
I mean, look it one, it depends on how hard
the the players are willing to fight. And previously they've
been willing to fight. They've been willing to they've been aligned,
and they've been willing to lose money and.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Sit out and be locked out.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
I guess the owners are going to lock them out.
I don't know how strong the players Association is at
this time.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
I think there's I think there's things.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
That could be negotiated that maybe would soften their stands. Now,
if you bring the floor up, if you allow players
to get the free agency one year sooner, or you
allow them to get to arbitration one year sooner to
where players are making more money.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
Earlier in their career.
Speaker 5 (32:57):
To offset that, I think that might bring a conversation
to the table. I don't think it guarantees more equal
you know, sort of an equal playing field, because it
has been. I mean, the Dodgers have won the last two,
but if you look at the last five to ten years,
there's more parody in baseball than there is in football,
(33:18):
and even I don't know for sure in basketball, but
there's been parody in baseball despite the fact that.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
There is no salary cap.
Speaker 5 (33:27):
And yes, when Kyle Tucker gets the contract that he gets,
it certainly jumps off the page at a common sports
fan to say, well, the Dodgers doing that with Kyle
Tucker that we need. There's got to be a change,
There's got to be a salary cap, and so again
I don't know whether there's going to be one. I
(33:49):
do think, like I said earlier, if they're willing to
let players get to free agency younger, allow them to
make millions in arbitrary sooner, raise the floor where teams
have to pay players. And then what is the salary cap?
And does it keep rising as revenue keeps coming in
(34:13):
and so yeah, I mean there's a lot. So there's
a lot to dive into when you start talking about,
you know, a hard salary cap.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
Matt, you're the best man. Really appreciate you get us
some clarity on this, and thanks so much for you
and our guests. All Right, that's it for this edition
of the Doug Gottlieb Show. Again, remember, okay, that the
NFL won, even if you hated it because you watched it.
The NFL always wins because they find ways to get
(34:42):
more and more money. And if you didn't like the
Super Bowl, it's because the Super Bowl was a lot
like some NCAA tournaments where there were some upsets and
some injuries early, so it wasn't a true representation of
who the two best teams are. And if you're a
Bucks fan, and you're wondering, Hey, maybe Jannis not being
traded means he's going to be a Buck. When Mark
Medina says five percent, he means zero point five percent.
(35:07):
The Bucks are simply waiting and waiting because they don't
want to do what the Mavericks did, trading a guy
for a package, which is not deemed worthy of a
league MVP, a finals MVP, because you know what happens
when you do that mid season. Everybody gets fired, and
nobody particularly wants to get fired. There you go a
(35:27):
little knowledge for you, a little Yucks for you, a
little Doug Atleab show for you,
Hey, welcome in. I'm Doug Gottlieb. This is a yeah,
this Doug Gottlieb show. You're like, yeah, I know that.
I know that. It's an old radio technique. It's called
the reset. So who are you? Where are you? I'm
in Green Bay? What are you doing? I'm not really sure,
but it's great to be with you. And one of
the beautiful things about having a chance to do a
(00:34):
pod periodically, which you can see on WFRV Plus as
well as obviously listen to and download on wherever you
download podcasts, is the fact that you get a chance
to kind of catch your breath and really kind of
formulate thought. So here we are, and the data of
this recording is February thirteenth, twenty twenty six. That data
(00:56):
is significant for a lot of reasons. We'll get to.
Why offer me personally a second? But it is five
days after the Super Bowl, so right, five days after
the Super Bowl, and it's given me a chance to
ingest so much of the nonsense of the halftime show.
(01:16):
And also I haven't heard the take that I have
on the actual game. What, Yeah, there was an actual
football game. It wasn't a it wasn't a terribly well
played offensive football game, but actually decided who won the
Super Bowl. Yeah, that did happen. And instead of saying
(01:37):
that game has sucked or they even wins championships, which
I did actually tweet them, that's me. I'm responsible for it.
I have a different sort of take. So let's start
with the halftime show and then we'll get to the
actual game. So somehow the halftime show has become politics
(02:01):
at its breaking point. I don't know when we got
actually do know when we got to this point. We'll
get to that, but I don't know when we got
to the point that the selection of who is performing
at halftime became a huge point for political discourse. But
here we are, so instead of getting to what was
the moment that we tipped where sports became like political news.
(02:27):
Guy in the right, guy in the left, everybody picked
their side, nobody finds common ground. Somehow sports has become
that as well. And maybe maybe it's the proliferation of
sports debate on television right started with because it wasn't
first Take. It was actually first and ten as a
segment in the Old Cold Pizza Show on ESPN two.
And of course you have pardon the eruption, which technically
(02:49):
you got two old guys that have been great newspaper
writers arguing for days, regardless of which the right would
lead you to believe. The right politically would lead you
to believe this is woke behavior and that's what this represents.
The left would say this is a win because you
(03:11):
have the right all bothered and it shows how united
the left is. I don't even care. I don't think
it's about any of that. Okay, you are first, you're
taking the bait from all of these people that want
to make everything political. It's no different than people want
to make everything racial. Everything is not racial, Everything is
(03:32):
not political. But you know what everything is in the NFL.
It is financial and it was brilliant and you're like, what,
so what you have in me is you have the
rare sheet code. I don't know everything, but I sat
in meetings at three different networks and they told you
why everything happens, and the number one thing that was
(03:52):
told to us over and over again, even going back.
I was ten years at ESPN, nine years in Bristol, Connecticut,
and they would constantly say the number one market. We're
trying to figure out how to capitalize on is Latino
demographic and just are Spanish speaking, English speaking foreign born
(04:13):
born in the United States, Spanish as your first language,
Spanish your second language, doesn't actually matter. They are. It's
a vibrant market, vibrant market. It's a growing market, one
of the few growing markets in professional sports. And oh yeah,
by the way, gigantic NFL market. Additionally, and this is
(04:35):
a big thing if you look historically, it hasn't always
taken place. The LA super Bowl halftime show wasn't really that,
but many of the shows have been. The demo for
halftime entertainment is the female demo?
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Why?
Speaker 1 (04:51):
Well? Again, one, there are a lot of female NFL fans,
but there are a lot of female fans that don't
watch NFL all year, but they go to a super
Bowl party, they watch a little bit of the NFL.
So if you're watching this show on the Vio Harvey
Plus or anyone in the next Star network, or you're
listening to us on our podcast, you might sit here
(05:12):
and go like, well, dig I'm already a sports fan.
I was going to watch the super Bowl and that's
where I go, eh ha. Here's the thing. Most of us,
as guys, we can't and especially the people that are
arguing this on TV and on radio can't understand there
are actually people out there who don't watch the Super Bowl.
You're like, what, yeah, like do the math. Okay, So
(05:34):
about one hundred and twenty five to one hundred and
fifty million people watch the super Bowl, right, that's the
that's what we learn from ratings, Okay, and you probably
throw in twenty five thirty more maybe that we can't
calculate because you know, not that I would do it,
but some people do bootleg their stuff, right, I mean,
it just does happen, And it's still a hard calculation
(05:55):
for how many people are watching in bars and restaurants,
group homes. I'm kidding, but when we're watching out in public.
So even if it's one hundred and seventy five million
people watch, how many people in the United States three
hundred and fifty million people? Yeah, so I just blew
(06:15):
your mind. More people don't watch the super Bowl in
the United States than watch Super Bowl. I don't know
any of them. Actually I do, my daughter Grace. It's
actually a good point. My daughter Grace had a I
went to my daughter Harper's Super Bowl party in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Regret.
My son came in. We bought a bunch of food,
we made some I made crab dip again. I don't
(06:38):
know why. I saw it on the internet and I
like everybody, I'm like, I can make this and it
wasn't bad anyway. My daughter, Grace, she's nineteen years old,
talented musician. She didn't want to watch the halftime show.
She's like, I get studying to do. And it is
one of those things where if you want to rob
a bank, grant's on a Sunday, but Super Sunday a
good day to do it, cause one hundred and seventy
(06:59):
five per people are watching the Super Bowl. The point
is more people don't watch the super Bowl than watch
the super Bowl. It feels really because I don't know
any of these people. Well, I know Grace. And then
when I first moved to Connecticut at ESPN in two
thousand and three, my neighbors invited us to Thanksgiving dinner
and those early Thanksgiving dinner and at some point in time,
(07:21):
I go, hmmm, you guys gonna throw on the game,
and they said what game. I was like, it's Thanksgiving
Football TV, Cowboys, Lions. This is not hard, right, So
there are people out there that don't watch Super Bowl.
Those people are more likely to watch the Super Bowl
if the halftime show is something that appeals to them.
(07:44):
That's why Madonna was the halftime guest, like thirty years
after Madonna's prime, because older women, people who don't watch
the NFL, they're like, oh Madonna, yeah, I know that,
I'll watch that. It really is that simple. There's other
parts to it, right. I think this was presented by Apple,
so it has to be somebody associated with Apple. Previously
(08:06):
was Pepsi and Pepsi had tonight. It really does go
through those lines. If you're if you represent Coke on
your tour, you're not going to perform at the super Bowl.
But the point is that Bad Bunny brings in a
demo extremely young that don't watch NFL. Okay, Latin Spanish
(08:27):
speaking that don't watch the NFL. Women dig him right,
English speaking, Spanish speaking, whatever, And it's it's a demo
of people that, yes, some watch the NFL, but many
do not. And that's how you get them to watch
the first half of the game because they're sitting there
telling their husband, their wife there, whomever, their buddy or
(08:50):
their girlfriend or their boyfriend. When's the super Bowl coming on?
Because this is when's the halftime show coming on? Because
this is super boring and that is why they watch.
It's really that simple, Like you're sitting there, you're massively
overthinking this thing. And it worked. It absolutely worked, because
(09:11):
ask yourself this, did you watch the second half? Yeah?
Because the first half was bad. I'm like, well, maybe
in the second half they're going to open up a
can and all of a sudden, New England's can remember
how to throw a FOURD pass? Right? That was your bobby,
your thought you were gonna watch regardless. Hey, we do
this in radio. Okay, if you're a when you do
(09:34):
a radio show that's two three hours, like three hour shows.
Here's a little tip. So Colin Cowherd's first segment he
repeats in his third hour and you're like, wait what, Yeah,
you know why, because if you're listening in the first
hour and you're listening to the third hour, you're what's done.
As a P one listener, You're gonna listen. If he
talks on while he's sitting on the can, you don't care.
(09:57):
But most people only listen for a segment and then
they parachute back in and you have to constantly reset
who you are what you are. We did the start
of the podcast, So you're a P one viewer if
you will, You're going to watch the super Bowl no
matter who's playing it. Why, Because that's what we do.
We're a guy or guys or women, and we grew
up in America and we're like, you know what, I
(10:18):
watched super Bowl? Why? The super Bowl was crummy my
entire childhood, right, Think about if you're a fan of
the Broncos, remember John Elway's first two Super Bowls? Like, oh,
I was a Charger fan with the nature and means
and stand the man Humphrey. That sucker was over as
soon as the coin toss was done. But I still
watched because that's what we do, right. It's the terrible
(10:40):
cliche that adults always use now my adults, so I
try not to use it, which is why do we
always do it? That's because we've always been done that way?
But we watched the Super Bowl. You're already going to watch.
The halftime show is for people who probably wouldn't watch,
to get more of them to watch, because the more
of them watch, the more people overall, it bumps up
(11:00):
the rating of the game and it works, and it worked.
It was brilliant, it was genius. It's just like, well
everything in the NFL. They're successful for a reason, right.
They set specific game times. They got Thursday, we got Sunday,
and then late and we got Monday and then sometimes,
letting the hear, we'll get to Saturday. Why are the
(11:21):
Cowboys always on Thanksgiving? Because everybody watches the Cowboys. You
either hate watch them or you like watch them, but
you watch them. There are people at all of the
major networks and the minor networks for a living. They're
in what's called programming, and all they do, and I
don't know how they do it is calculate. It's like,
why is the game time at six twenty four kickoff?
(11:43):
Because they calculate exactly when at the quarter hours you're
going to be watching the most nationally so they can
get the bigger ratings. It's all about the money, right.
It's professional sports. The best run professional sport in America
is the NFL. And they melt it because you're talking
(12:05):
about it. There's the value to social media equity, whether
you like it or you don't like it. And by
talking about it and by talking about it leading up
to it, more people are going to watch it. And
the perfect example is the president who put on Trump's
social a tweet or is it a tweet if it's
(12:26):
on Trump's social or is it a social on Trump's
I don't know. It's very confusing. They don't actually have
a word for whatever. He a post post. Okay, But
the brilliant thing about it is that even if he
hated it, watched it. He watched it. It's the old
(12:47):
no publicity is bad, publicity, that's bad, buddy. So the
point is that it wasn't racial, it wasn't political. And
I'll be honest with you, like my son loved it.
I don't know. It was like honestly, it was like
going to a Broadway show. You're like, is this good?
(13:08):
Is this what's he's saying? I don't know. I did.
I felt eighty years old. I can't understand a word
he's saying. But I mean I liked it. I just
didn't know what he was saying or whatever. Yeah, it
all mostly in Spanish or in span It was different. Okay,
(13:28):
it was different, but let's get over ourselves. It's a
halftime show. The idea was to get people to watch.
It worked. A lot of people liked it, and the
people who didn't still watched it and talked about it.
Nobody was harmed in it, and the NFL once again
wins because the ratings keep going up and up and up,
(13:48):
and they keep charging more and more and we keep
paying regardless of the fact that here's the other kicker.
The game actually sucked, right, the game actually sucked. My
old radio producer Jason Stewart out in Laws Angeles, he
used to he called it the oh, what's the what's
the U two album? Uh? I thought it was Zuopa?
(14:10):
But like to me, Zuopa was was? What was Zuopa?
A really bad album? I can't remember he had? Wasn't
Octun Baby? That was a good one. And the point was,
because it was you two, you were always going to
buy the album. Because the NFL, you're always gonna watch,
even though the product hasn't been particularly good, especially recently.
And the Super Bowl is the perfect example. And the
(14:32):
genius to it is no one people have said, hey,
the game sucked, but you still watched because you were like, well,
maybe it'll turn, well, maybe it'll turn And then the
Patriots are down big, and you're like, well, the Patriots
did come back back. When it's long, it's Tom Brady.
I'm gonna watch for if it's a Tom Brady come back.
It was not, which leads me to a take about
(14:53):
the NFL about the Super Bowl that I don't think
anybody has had. This is just like the NCAAH tournament
when you have upsets. Right. So I'm a gigantic Sam
Donald fan. Sam Donald grew up in San Clementy, California.
I'm matriculated, you know. I lived in Milwaukee as a
(15:15):
baby till I was six and we moved out to
Orange County, California. San Clementy is the southernmost outpost of
Orange County. There's a lot of sc alums that are
just obnoxious, and they've had all these other quarterbacks. Sam
is the first one to break through. San Clementy. Though
it's changed some, is still the most kind of old
school Orange County beach town. There is the most normal people.
(15:37):
It's not like the OC you saw on TV. Sam's
been through a lot. Everybody I know says he's an
awesome dude, and because of that, I was cheering for him.
Plus I like Cooper Cup. I thought Cooper Cup's performance
with the La Rams when they won the Super Bowl
a couple of years ago and he was basically the
only healthy wide receiver and caught every ball on the
game winning touchdown drive was heroic. And Cooper Cup kind
(16:01):
of being thrown out with the trash by the Rams
and basically by the league because he had aged out
and after his knee injury, didn't have the same burst
and finding a role with the Seahawks, Like I was
cheering for the Seahawks though I had no connection with them,
and their defense was elite all season long. And the Patriots, well,
with eight free agent signings, they done a great job
(16:23):
of turning that thing around. But this is what happens
when you have an upset. It doesn't mean that Drake
May won't eventually get back to the Super Bowl. It
just means it wasn't supposed to happen this year. And
that's what happens when you have a series of upsets. Right,
the Bill had the Bills beaten the Broncos, the Bills
(16:43):
probably end up beating the Patriots because Josh Allen is
the best quarterback in the NFL. Now they didn't because
of I thought ad blown call, a controversial call, and
then when the Broncos did move on, their quarterback was hurt,
so they start to go like, wait, is Drake May
really great? Now? The Chiefs had kind of aged out
(17:05):
this year. They got to hit refresh. The Chargers would
have been better than the Patriots, but they lost their
bookend tackles, and you can't protect Justin Herbert, you got
no chance. They just had too many injuries to really advance.
The Indianapolis Colts were an elite team until Danny Dimes
got hurt. Not to say that Danny Dimes is going
to be better than Drake May, but with Taylor in
(17:28):
the backfield, they were pretty dynamic. They were the best
team in the AFC for a good poorsch time until
injuries set in, and then of course the Bills did
their Bills thing in the playoffs. I did think they
lost on a bad call, But the point is that
all of these teams probably would have been Colts would
have been as good. Everybody else would have been better
(17:49):
at the quarterback position or better than where the Patriots were.
They weren't expecting to be a super Bowl team. They
probably didn't even think of themselves as the Super Bowl team.
But that's what happens when you have upsets at injuries.
It's no different than the NCAA tournament when you have
a one and done tournament, and this has happened in
college football. You go back last year, right, the Ohio
(18:10):
State Buckeyes were what the seventh seed and they go
all the way and win the championship. Now they were
really good seven see, But the point is that when
you have a major injury or a major upset, and
the AFC had two right injury to the Broncos quarterback
in the same game, which there is an upset over
the Buffalo Bills. Now a sudden you knock out two
(18:32):
of the best team. Broncos are the best defense in
the AFC and probably the best play caller, albeit I'm
not in love at quarterback. But the Bills this was
supposed to be their year. So when you have upsets
in one and done's, it's no different than when Butler
got to their second national championship game and they played
(18:54):
Yukon they couldn't score in the first half. It's because
they really weren't that good. Right, you just have one upset.
That's why on so many levels the NBA playoffs. Though
the NBA regular season is a mess, the NBA playoffs
are pretty awesome. But it also usually gives you the
best team because the best team, if healthy over time,
(19:14):
will went out. That's what happened last year. Right, the
Oklahoma City thunder survived the Denver Nuggets in seven games,
but after that they were the best team in the
regular season, they're the best team in the postseason, and
they end up winning.
Speaker 2 (19:25):
Now.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
They were also helped out by the fact that the
Pacers had an injury, the Celtics sen injury, etc. It's
no different than the reason that the Seahawks and the
Patriots were in the Super Bowl. Is no different than
the reason that the Indiana Pacers were in the NBA Finals. Right,
Jason Tatum doesn't get hurt, it might be a whole
(19:46):
different story. Injuries do play a part at a part
of upsets, and in one and done's when you get
an early upset, it obviously changes everything dramatically. All right, Well,
not welcome in Doug Gottlieb show rolls on, and uh,
let's welcome in A dear friend of mine, a guy
(20:07):
who's the NBA insider for Fox Sports Radio and CBS
in LA. He's Mark the Funky Cold Medina uh and
and he joins us. Also, our guy Matt Holliday is
gonna going to join us as well at some point
in time. Here there, there's Matt. We'll talk some baseball,
We'll talk some basketball. Let's start with Mark as uh Mark,
(20:27):
We're on NBA All Star Weekend. Why is Yannis still
a member of the Milwaukee Bucks?
Speaker 3 (20:36):
Very refleshinged Doug. I think it's two reasons.
Speaker 4 (20:39):
One, the Milwaukee Bucks didn't feel like there was a
trade that justified dealing their franchise player. I think Giannis
Antetokoumpo also had some mixed feelings about whether he actually
wants to leave the Bucks. He never made a direct
trade demand, and I think you know, the Bucks have
always operated unless we hear direct correspondence from our star player,
(20:59):
We're gonna operate as if he's with us moving forward.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
So what does that mean moving forward? I think it's
just buying time.
Speaker 4 (21:06):
He's not expected to play the second half the season
because of his cap injury, and I think, you know,
with more teams potentially being the mix and having more
time to assess potential deals.
Speaker 3 (21:16):
He'll be traded at some point in the off season.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Well, and plus there's the like, look, this is a
really valuable rookie, potential rookie class. You wait till after
the draft lottery and now you'd know where somebody picks
and it gives a different value to their trade assets.
Is that fair?
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Completely fair?
Speaker 4 (21:37):
And I think the other thing that we have to
keep in mind, as you know, Doug, when it gets
into the NBA Draft, there's more teams that are willing
to become buyers because the NBA Draft, can you move
the dynamic and the standings here. I think the other
thing is there's an expectation that even with outside of
the draft, there's going to be more teams with cap
(21:59):
space with I think more patients to make a deal.
The Lakers are probably the best example of that because
Lebron James is expected to either retire or go to
another team, so that clears a lot of cap space.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
They're going to devote toward trying to resign Austin Reeves.
Speaker 4 (22:14):
But they have more money to play with than they
would have, you know otherwise ahead of the trade deadline,
So we add those two things up, and I think
the Bucks concluded, you know what we can do better
when it comes to part and waste with our franchise player.
Speaker 1 (22:29):
A percentage chance he ever plays for the Bucks again.
Speaker 4 (22:33):
Yeah, Doug, he cut right to the heart of the
batter here. I never say zero percent or one hundred
percent in today's world because anything can change. By that
cavey out of side, I would give it like five percent.
I think even though Janis has been very loyal to
the Bucks, he appreciates that, through both good deals and
bad deals, the Bucks have always been aggressive with trying
(22:55):
to put the best roster around him. He still, I think,
remained genuinely grateful that they drafted him at number fifteen
and developed him into a really good prospect. But I
think that he has reached the conclusion that they're just
spinning their wheels. They've gone through consecutive first round access
for the past three years, you know, I don't it
(23:16):
looks like after the All Star they're going to be
tanking towards his stand ins to try to protect their
draft picks. So yeah, I think it's I would be
very surprised if he's.
Speaker 3 (23:26):
In a Bucks uniform next season.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Here's the marriage analogy, right, They're they're sleeping in separate rooms.
The kids are out of the house after in the summer,
they're going to you know, they're going to going away
to college, and that's kind of the time in which
they'd be like, eh, well mom and dadd are going
to live separately after after that. Speaking of tanking, like,
we've reached the point of ridiculousness. I want to bring
(23:51):
up the Jazz from this perspective. Ryan Smith's the owner
of the Jazz, right, so he donated to Utah Prep
where AJ debandsa win. He gave a bunch of money
to BYU where AJ debandsa win. Now his team potentially
has is aiming to tank for the number one overall
pick and may select aged. Like, we're getting to an
(24:14):
obscene level of manipulation in order to get to get
the number one pick to draft a guy. What can
the NBA do, well, one, they.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Can enforce their existing rules a lot better.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
You know, prior to this episode where the NBA you know,
gave some fines to the Jazz and the Pacers, they
had the player participation policy. But I think the NBA
didn't get too involved because they want to steer clear of,
you know, really micromanaging. Okay, this is what rotations are
going to look like, because that's what an organization and
a coaching staff is in charge of doing.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
But I think that philosophically, what they.
Speaker 4 (24:52):
Can do is a lot more severe than these five
hundred thousand dollars fines if they gave the Jazz or
one hundred thousands to the Indiana Pacers, because if you
really look at it, this is almost just a luxury tax.
You know that teams are spending if they're going over
the cap, right, so I think it has to be
a forfeiture of draft picks. I think the other thing,
big picture, if if teams are just going to be
(25:14):
this bad, you know, let's do that European soccer model
model with relegate in here. I think the ironic part, Doug,
is that they're.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Not gonna They're not gonna come on, dude, they're not
going to relegate anybody. Like, it's not happening. There's too
much money involved in this thing. It's like the people
like they're going to shorten the season. Not shortened the season, okay,
because you have the forty one dates for inventory for
all these all these venues. They're not shortened the season stop,
they're not relegating anybody. How do they stop teams from
(25:44):
blatantly or even very smartly tanking. How do they stop it?
Speaker 4 (25:49):
Yeah, well I get your point here, but it can
do some behavior modification.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
I'm with you on eighty two games is.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Not going away.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
But the more practical part, I think draft picks and uh,
the finds.
Speaker 3 (26:02):
Aren't going to do anything. So it has to be
lost of draft picks.
Speaker 4 (26:05):
And almost like with second Apron, if you reach a threshold,
you're you don't have the ability to fully you know,
put a mid level together or do.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
Sign in trades.
Speaker 4 (26:14):
I think it has to go to those mechanisms because
of financial penalties. These things are worth too much. They
just they'll just view that as a luxury text.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Okay, fair enough, last one and you kind of you
you talked about Lebron. I just I cannot see him
going out without a without a tour, right, I just can't.
That's just one He's earned it. I mean, he's the
all time lining score in NBA history. So like as
much as many people who are doing podcasts and radio
(26:43):
shows and TV shows will say, you know it's his ego.
Of course, he's got a big eagle, but he's incredibly accomplished.
So when you're all the time lending scorer, you're going
to do a victory tour, one last tour. Maybe, I
don't know, But where with who? You know, like Amy
bringing him back. I don't think Cleveland wants him back.
(27:03):
I don't know the Lakers don't want him back. So
where where does it happen?
Speaker 2 (27:10):
You know what?
Speaker 3 (27:10):
A month ago, I didn't think it was gonna be anywhere.
Speaker 4 (27:12):
I do think it could be Cleveland under the guys
that look, they got James Harden. They're in a win
now mode. But it has to be under specific parameters.
He's got to be the third player on the team.
From both a role player standpoint and a financial standpoint,
I would tell you this, Doug. I don't think the
Lakers would even be opposed to that. I just know
(27:33):
that they know that Lebron doesn't want to sign up
for that. Where from a salary role standpoint, he's behind
Luca and Austin Reeves.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
It's one thing to tap into his ex's and o's.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
He can't win. He'm like, listen, you can't win the NBA,
if you have more than one guy who can't guard
Lebron James, he's forty one years old. He can't guard
the chair that I'm sitting in. Luca doesn't guard and
probably can't guard either, And then you know, Austin Reed like,
that's the flaw to the Lakers is they get too
many dudes. They can't they can't guard, and if you
add Lebron, you can't have your top three players you know,
(28:07):
all be swinging gates defensively. It just doesn't work, you know,
And so that that doesn't.
Speaker 4 (28:11):
Work, Yeah, and it has to the other thing is
with his salary, it's going to affect roster construction. So sure,
I don't think it's to the point that if he
wants to prolong his career he has to go on vetmentimum,
you know, mid level, but it has to be like
ten million range. It's certainly not in the twenties, let
alone fifty two that he's making this season. And I
(28:32):
think the challenging thing for Lebron is that he's seen
that he's not the same player as he was in
as brime me mentioned. Defensively, he doesn't have the same athleticism,
but you see, you know, like the flickers of life,
so to speak, like, for example, the most recent game
with having a triple double even with all his flaws,
that's very impressive, but what it creates is a gray
(28:52):
area where it's not clear you know what, your body's broke,
breaking down, you're just spinning a weirdless what's the point
that helped crystals when Kobe Bryant decided to retire And
here it's a little bit more complicated that he's on
a team that's not great but still good. They're not
in the lottery, and he's also playing not great but
(29:13):
still good, and so with that presents more challenges on
how do you try to find that final bow of
an exit.
Speaker 1 (29:21):
Mark you're the best man. Enjoy Enjoy the All Star
Game and the All Star Break. We'll check in with
you on the other side. Thanks so much for being
our guest in the Doug Outlib Show.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
A great to Rea and I with you, and congrats
with all your success.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Let's bring in my guy Matt Holliday, who of course
was a seven time All Star in in Major League Baseball,
and Matt, I did want to get your opinion on
the Caleb Durbin trade.
Speaker 5 (29:49):
Caleb Durbin trade. So look, I think that I think
the Red Sox we're looking for somebody established. They have
some good young players. I think Marcelo Mayer is a
guy they're going to consider with with many more at
bats this year.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
They have a guy named Mikey Romero.
Speaker 5 (30:12):
They have some young players, but I think Caleb Durban
offers them.
Speaker 2 (30:17):
A little bit more of they know what they're.
Speaker 5 (30:19):
Going to get, and he can play a couple of
different positions, and he's established himself kind of in this
grinder mode that they're trying to adopt. As you know,
they lose Alex Bregman, who kind of brought that element
to their team last year. I think they're looking for
a guy similar to Alex Bregman and and and.
Speaker 2 (30:41):
That sort of grinder guy. It's worked his way up.
Speaker 5 (30:46):
Not overly big and talented, but you know, just kind
of figures things out. And then I think that the
Brewers maybe you know, selling high, maybe they they pick
up a high high, tighly talented, it hasn't quite put
it together, left handed pitcher and Harrison. I think they're
(31:07):
they're maybe looking at they have enough of guys like
Durban that they can, you know, they can trade him high.
Speaker 2 (31:14):
He had to come off of.
Speaker 5 (31:16):
A really nice season and and maybe pick up a
high end uh guy with stuff and Harrison a starter
potentially that if he puts it all together, it could
be you know.
Speaker 2 (31:26):
More of a frontline starter.
Speaker 5 (31:27):
So you know, I think it's probably just just that
when it comes down to.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
Yeah, I mean, you try to get a chance at
another you know, like great power pitcher, and that's how
you got to win the playoffs, and they've been able
to find other Durban's out there. That makes sense. There's
also the financial ramifications of it, right, So there's this
new calls, especially from the small market teams, for a
salary cap. The CBA expires at the end of this
(31:59):
calendar year, so we still have the season to kind
of go through. Does a salary cap work? And will
I mean we've always been told it never happens in
Major League Baseball? Will it happen?
Speaker 5 (32:13):
I mean, look it one, it depends on how hard
the the players are willing to fight. And previously they've
been willing to fight. They've been willing to they've been aligned,
and they've been willing to lose money and.
Speaker 2 (32:27):
Sit out and be locked out.
Speaker 5 (32:30):
I guess the owners are going to lock them out.
I don't know how strong the players Association is at
this time.
Speaker 2 (32:37):
I think there's I think there's things.
Speaker 5 (32:39):
That could be negotiated that maybe would soften their stands. Now,
if you bring the floor up, if you allow players
to get the free agency one year sooner, or you
allow them to get to arbitration one year sooner to
where players are making more money.
Speaker 2 (32:53):
Earlier in their career.
Speaker 5 (32:57):
To offset that, I think that might bring a conversation
to the table. I don't think it guarantees more equal
you know, sort of an equal playing field, because it
has been. I mean, the Dodgers have won the last two,
but if you look at the last five to ten years,
there's more parody in baseball than there is in football,
(33:18):
and even I don't know for sure in basketball, but
there's been parody in baseball despite the fact that.
Speaker 2 (33:26):
There is no salary cap.
Speaker 5 (33:27):
And yes, when Kyle Tucker gets the contract that he gets,
it certainly jumps off the page at a common sports
fan to say, well, the Dodgers doing that with Kyle
Tucker that we need. There's got to be a change,
There's got to be a salary cap, and so again
I don't know whether there's going to be one. I
(33:49):
do think, like I said earlier, if they're willing to
let players get to free agency younger, allow them to
make millions in arbitrary sooner, raise the floor where teams
have to pay players. And then what is the salary cap?
And does it keep rising as revenue keeps coming in
(34:13):
and so yeah, I mean there's a lot. So there's
a lot to dive into when you start talking about,
you know, a hard salary cap.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
Matt, you're the best man. Really appreciate you get us
some clarity on this, and thanks so much for you
and our guests. All Right, that's it for this edition
of the Doug Gottlieb Show. Again, remember, okay, that the
NFL won, even if you hated it because you watched it.
The NFL always wins because they find ways to get
(34:42):
more and more money. And if you didn't like the
Super Bowl, it's because the Super Bowl was a lot
like some NCAA tournaments where there were some upsets and
some injuries early, so it wasn't a true representation of
who the two best teams are. And if you're a
Bucks fan, and you're wondering, Hey, maybe Jannis not being
traded means he's going to be a Buck. When Mark
Medina says five percent, he means zero point five percent.
(35:07):
The Bucks are simply waiting and waiting because they don't
want to do what the Mavericks did, trading a guy
for a package, which is not deemed worthy of a
league MVP, a finals MVP, because you know what happens
when you do that mid season. Everybody gets fired, and
nobody particularly wants to get fired. There you go a
(35:27):
little knowledge for you, a little Yucks for you, a
little Doug Atleab show for you,
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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