August 24, 2021 • 55 mins
Previously un-released 'Let's Talk Ball" segments with NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon, rap legend Mr. Cheeks, and NBA legend Muggsy Bogues.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is cut to it with Steve Smith Senior at
production of The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. I'm
Steve Smith Senior and I'm ger a little John, and
this is cut to it. Good do it? Good do
what that's getting down to? Do it? Good do it.
We asked the questions you always want to know, but
(00:22):
no one ever asked, let's cut to it. You ain't
heard him about it, then we're about to let you know.
It's all. I like to drive. I do not like
to sit. I used to be moving. Jeff Gordon the
(00:45):
retired driver of the number twenty four car. He's a
four time NASCAR Cup Series champion and he has the
third most wins in NASCAR history. Right now, he's a
Fox Sports analyst. Let's talk both. But um, you know football,
so let's let's talk gears. There you go. So in
(01:06):
talking these gears, we're gonna be okay with showing the
lack of understanding. We haven't And for the listeners that
may be dumb questions, but there's never a dumb question.
You gotta you gotta, you gotta school me and Smith.
But there are some dumb questions. Yeah, they're really I
(01:29):
just imagine imagine NASCAR one oh one, and you're the professor. Yes, OK,
here we go. I'll try. I'm not a professor, but
I told you how that I was in school for us,
you are opportunity. Since yeah, did you have a routine
while driving? If so, what was that routine? Yeah? I
(01:51):
mean I think a routine is so important, but we're
talking about driving a car though, well, I'm probably talking
about routine of prepping in the car. That's what I yeah,
see that's what yeah, I mean to me, And you
have to understand and and I'm I'm ignorant to to
you know what your day would have looked like on
(02:13):
on game day, but on race day it's you. You're
with sponsors and fans, and you know, you're interacting with
all these different people from the time you get up
in the morning on race day. That's just part of it, man,
I mean it's I would be well, I mean, I
don't know if it was hours, but you're you would
go to three to four different hospitalities, suites or or
(02:38):
you know at the at the race haller meeting five
ten people that were somehow connected to one of the
sponsors on your so you every morning that so so
at first it was like, man, I can't believe I
got to do all this stuff before I go get
in the race car. But then becomes part of your routine.
You just got to get into the mental place of
(02:59):
I'm going to talk to the people, but like I'm talking,
they're talking through me. Whatever it was, I mean, it
was hard for it to actually penetrate because I'm thinking, Okay,
what that car is gonna feel like, you know, turn one. Okay,
we made these adjustments from practice. So the whole time
I'm thinking about that, but I'm interacting and I'm putting
(03:19):
on a smile and I'm shaking hands and taking that
by itself. It took it took a long time to
really get comfortable with with doing that. And then and
then you go to what they call the you know,
the driver's meeting, which is basically a bunch of sponsors
and your dignitaries or whatever that are there. You're really
not they're learning. It's not like they're saying, hey, here's
(03:40):
how you're gonna drive the race today. I mean, you
already had that out, all figured out. Race you know
what a clutches But it was a big left turn.
But but what I what really became part of my
routine later was was from that moment, from the time
you finally got away from all of the distractions, was
(04:04):
I would I would go do a warm up just
you know. And this is more. When I got older,
my body started failing on me, my back issues and
things like that. But just I get on a bike,
I'd warm up, do a few stretches, exercises, have somebody
you know, kind of pushed me a little bit, and
and then I would go get into my ratio form.
But it was left leg, right leg, left sock, superstitious,
(04:30):
you know. I mean you could look at it that way.
I think you could look at it that way. I
didn't look at that way. But I'm gonna tell you
what right now, if I have somebody, like if my
crew chief walked in, he's like, hey man, what about
I mean, put my hang on one second come back.
So I did not want to mess up the routine.
You know. I wasn't about like lucky pennies and like
(04:52):
a baseball player almost. I mean some like like like
like eat all your yeah, like if you were like
if you were a former picture like like backstage Joe.
Backstage is a former picture who they knew he would
eat fries and they would do various things with those figs.
(05:13):
He still hadn't had because you know, you know, the
fries had more to do than his actual velocity of
arm strength. It was, of course no skill. And now
he has so much you know, like post traumatic that
(05:34):
it carries over and like we can't we have to
have certain meetings and we have to have certain post
games and because the backstage, so yeah, man, that you
know that that so that so that that became a
place for me to just kind of get relaxed. So
that routine, in that superstitition actually was a time for
(05:57):
you to kind of reset to it. Okay, we're done
at the the sponsorships. Now we're in race mode. You
still gotta go out and do driver introduction, but I'm
just saying it's after driving introductions. The best thing that
would happen was, and my wife would even tell you,
like when her and my kids were there, because you
(06:19):
know NASCAR, that's a cool thing about NASCAR's you get
to interact with him right right until the time you
get in the car. It's cool, and it's not cool
because you know, you're you are in this game mode. Yeah, man,
I'm I'm wound up. Whether the day before went good
or whatever our situation is. I could not wait to
get in that car. I mean, like like it could
(06:39):
be a hundred degrees outside. I'm sweating my butt off,
but I'm like, get me in the car because i
just want to get in there and get the helmet on,
get strapped in and just truly get into that place.
And and that was if I miss anything now that
I'm not racing, it's those moments like you get in
there and the anticipation of getting the green flag and
going racing and competing against uh, you know, some of
(07:02):
the best out there. That and and with a great team,
the great car that was. That was a cool thing
to experience. Talking about getting in the mind frame, I've
always wanted to ask a guy, especially because I know
you've had some rivals. Now, I've watched you drivers sometimes
y'all hold me back, hold me back, man. I see
(07:25):
you guys go after it. But I gotta ask you too, though,
like have you like gotten to that fight mode? I'm
off and then you you forget to unbuckle, I melt
(07:47):
or you still got the harness damn harness. We get
made fun of because we leave our helmets on. Like
you get out of the car so fast that if
you gotta get in a fight, you gotta take your
helmet office Like, yeah, I probably shouldn't, but I mean
at one time I did. I've I've flipped over. Uh
car was upside down, and especially in a stock car
(08:10):
went it's upside down that you have an oil tank
behind you and and there's hot oil pouring out that thing,
and you're gonna, I need to get hell out of here.
And and so you're laying upside down and you're like, Okay,
I know I shouldn't be taking my belts up. I
really want to get out of I bet I can
get out of here. And you do it. Bad mistake
because as soon as you unbuckled, you go, you go
(08:32):
straight to the roof your whole body. You don't wait,
and the belts have enough straps and things where usually
it's gonna catch on something. So now not only are
you hanging, but you can't get undone. And oh it's scary,
you know, it's it's like God, that wasn't very smart
and so I tipped over. Um it was a slow
(08:55):
roll at Daytona. Wasn't a bad accent, but it did
go upside down. But I ended up upside down and
so undid the belts. I was like, that was stupid.
They finally got the car right side up and I
got the belts off of me, but I've taken my
gloves off. And that was the really big mistake because
as I climbed out, I didn't realize sheet metal had
been all torn up and it just sliced my finger.
(09:18):
So I get out of the car and they're like,
oh blood, you know. Immediately they're calling, you know, people over.
I'm like, no, no, no, it's just my finger, man,
I just I just cut my finger. It's not kind
of great thing. It was embarrassing, but it's like, oh yeah,
leave the gloves on. So what does what is uh
a NASCAR rival mean to Jeff Gordon? Um, well, it's funny.
(09:44):
It means something different to me now right now that
I do TV man, we need rivals. Yes, it's like
I totally when I was in it. When I was
you know, like I had arrival with Dale Earnhardt and
and he played it up good. I mean he he
that he was a master that and me. I was
just like, I don't want to have anything to do
(10:05):
with that. I just I just want to go out
and do my job. I don't want to get distracted.
He's just trying to mess with me and getting my head,
get an advantage or you know, the media is gonna
gonna take something and then I'm gonna have to answer
those questions and deal. I don't want to do that.
I just want to race. And I probably I wish
I'd have played into a little bit more because I realized,
you know that the fans, what they love so much
(10:28):
is they, like you mentioned earlier, they love to love somebody,
that love to hate somebody, and they love it when
there's a rivalry. It just it just builds more interest
and gives people way more. The personal aspect of it,
the human aspect of it is sometimes more entertaining than
the actual race. And we had to I mean, we
(10:48):
had to fight this past weekend on on Saturday, not
in the Sunday race. Saturday race, man, That's all we
showed on Sunday was these two guys swinging, going at it.
They swing votes, good nest questions. Wasn't intentionally amiss, you know,
I mean you you connect with somebody, you getting suspended.
You you know you get you probably won't be the
(11:09):
next the next week. Yeah, if if they see you
make make contact by throwing a fist, you're you're gonna
you can you can wreck a guy like I've done. Unfortunately,
you can do a lot of things, but man, you
can't swing and hit it out. So what about would
you get suspended for open palm slap since you can't
(11:30):
love it, since you can't punch. That's a good smart ask,
the smart way to get around if you still keep
the helmet on, like you can still smack somebody hard
enough and then well there's that right slapping competitions. But
you can shove and you can talk smack, but I
don't think you could hit him in any No, open
(11:50):
open palm is disrespectful. Of course you'd say that dudes
your locker room backhand somebody in the locker room. It's
intentionally disrespect you in the locker room. In the locker room,
you can do all you want. So is it fighting
in Ah, Well, you gotta understand the locker room. That's
that's usually just like the locker room to us would
(12:14):
be like at the airport getting ready to leave. They
don't really have a locker room. Yeah, it's it's you know,
you have your own individual trailer. But if somebody walked
up into your trailer and punch you are that's that's
so I want to revisit you backhanding people in your
locker Why would you backhand somebody? I mean you're getting
you're getting a little tussle with some one and um
(12:34):
not gonna punch because if first of all, if I'm punching,
then there's you know, we really into it. But open
for me? Why I was right, open palm is all disrespectful,
but a backhand and that's like some old school like backhand,
And so you wanted to show your disrespect, but you
(12:55):
don't want to actually get into a real No, let
me see. This is what you explain. You miss it.
If I back hand you, I'm going back hand the right.
So what comes next is when I back here, you're
gonna come back, and that's what you're gonna catch that
two pieces. This is how you orchestrate fight. Everybody goes,
(13:20):
did he just back hand you? Yes? I did? Is
that like a player? And then here's the problem. When
he realizes he got back hand, he's gonna say he
hit me, like oh, and then he's going to approach,
and then that's on the goes very quickly. Yeah, I'm bare.
This is this is smoke one on one. First of all,
(13:41):
if I back here, I have no respect for you, clearly,
clearly no. I mean I don't really think that's a
respectable type reading if you're back hand someone. Oh yeah,
he respect the hell out of him. I've that there's
a point. I never thought of it that way. I
never once thought it was like a warm greedi. I
(14:04):
might just be mad at him. It doesn't mean I
disrespect him. But if I backhand you, yeah, I just
quite an education here on backhand versus open palm versus.
Let me tell you something, anytime you're about to fight
somebody and an open palm is done, it's not gonna go. Well.
So all right, Um, so we've digressed. But um I
(14:27):
really want to talk about, which I think is really cool.
You've had poles, which is unbelievable. Um, what what's the
key to getting a pole? And when is the pole captured? Again?
(14:48):
I know some of this stuff, but then I'm kind
of like, I get I get the opportunity to talk
to you. Great, and you are you have done and
doing commentary and analyst work, but you also know exactly
what these individuals are trying to accomplish. Yeah, well, first,
let's established there's no actual physical pole. We may even
(15:11):
start from the begin soone may not even know what
the so and and I think pole position goes back
to like horse racing, where where there's like, you know,
the pole is the other side jobs that require I
appreciate you clarified. You said like that goes back to
(15:33):
I was like, yeah, horse racing, Okay, okay, cool. Well
I think it may all come full circle in some forms.
But I see what you did. I see what you did.
Isn't that very thorough British? Let's but but but winning
(15:54):
the pole position or being the fastest qualifier. Um, yeah,
I think obviously you know, the ne thing about racing
is it's a team sport. But but it's it's machine.
The machine is the athlete is the way I look
at it, right, like like people debate whether race car
drivers are athletes. And and don't get me wrong, you
(16:16):
gotta be in in in very good physical shape, a
different type of shape than to say like you had
to be for for football, but you gotta be in
good shape. But the race car, that's what I want
to be the thoroughbread. I want that race car, you know,
to have just a little more down force, a little
less drag, a little more horsepower, just a little more
grip than anybody else out there. Now, if if you know,
(16:41):
if all things were equal, which they're not, I'm sorry,
it's just not the case. It's just racing one oh
one the way it's been forever. Somebody's going to engineer
something to make one car a little bit better than
the next. And NASCAR does an excellent job at at
at trying to create parody and and all the different
ways that they measure the car and and and you know,
(17:06):
inspect the car. Great job. But still there's always gonna
be a way to try to get around that. And
so you know, on that day where you go to qualify,
it's it's that machine and it's you, and you're just
pushing it to the absolute limit of what that car
is capable of doing. And you know, if you do
it right, then you're gonna be the fastest one and
(17:27):
you're gonna win the pole position. And and if you.
If you mess it up, you're either gonna say, Okay,
I I didn't get all of it or the car
wasn't capable of more than I got. And so I
would you know, I I like to qualify. I love
being out there on that single lap just pushing it.
And I was I was always known to be a
driver that that drove you know what we say, deep
(17:48):
into the corner. So there's a lift point that every
race track is not Daytona or Talladega, but on all
the other tracks is this lift point of where you
get in there. You might use break not use break,
depend on the track and corner size and everything, and
you just want to carry as much speed in there,
but you really want to get back to the throttle
and carry all the speed through the center and all
back onto the next straight away. So you know, I
(18:10):
love that challenge, man, I mean I just did. To me.
That's that's the purity of being a race car driver.
So why why is the pole position so important? Well
because a couple of things. One is, it gives you
the starting position to lead the field. You should be
able to lead the field, um, you know, your side
by side. So there's a chance that you might not,
but gives you the best opportunity. Plus it allows you
to get a better pitch stall, So so where your
(18:32):
picker is going to do their work. If you're the
pole positioner, if you're you know, if you're number one
on the grid, you get to pick where you want
to be first. So it gives it has an advantaged
throughout the entire race. And as as soon as I ask,
it's all about, is what tiny advantage can you get
every single time? My starting position, where my where my
pit is. The modifications you make on your car is
(18:56):
Nascar is almost like a game of interest. And and
you know we talked about clean in in racing, and
what that means is if you're the first car, all
the air that's seeing your car, you know, it's there's
nothing disrupting, it's seeing your car first. Okay, so it's
attaching itself giving you the best performance. As soon as
you're the next one back, that air is doing all this,
(19:19):
it's just dancing all of the place. Yeah, so it's
like getting in a jet wash of an airplane and
and you know they're just it's not going to attach
itself to your car. And so you are already at
a disadvantage. Now, if you're five ten cars back haul
like you got nothing, You've got no air getting to
your car. Um just random now just made me think,
(19:40):
do you believe NASCAR will transform talking about clean their act,
my climate change, just my thoughts when you said that,
do you believe NASCAR would transform itself into electric vehicle racing?
One day? They'll have to? I mean, you know, you know,
I think NASCAR plans to be around for a long time.
A while of the race teams plan to be around
for a long time. And you see where the future
(20:02):
is going in in automobiles. Um, so it's happen. It's
happening now. Um you know, is it electric? Is it?
Is it? It's just something something that is even supercharge
as something that's more sustainable though, But and no, I wasn't.
I wasn't asking like higher level I was asking bare
(20:24):
bones you believe, well, electric cars because a lot of
what we do is driven by the O. E. M. S. Right,
And so if they're oh that that I said, but
I really just like I don't really think basically the
manufacturer of the vehicle, so so Chevallet and Ford and Toyota,
um or any other manufacturer that wants coming to NASCAR.
(20:45):
If they say, listen, electric vehicles is our future. That's
what we're gonna be building. We need to find a
path to introduce that to NASCAR. Then it's going to happen.
You know. I think there's already discussions about it. But
I think that what you're gonna see is similar to
what we've seen in Formula One. Yeah. Now there's an
all electric Formula Series out there right now, and what
(21:09):
they do is they swap cars. It's crazy. So they
start in one car and run that thing to the
batteries Outum, come in and get into another car. And
then now I heard that this year they're gonna have
one car with one battery. But it's all about managing
the power throughout the whole race. So like you might say, hey,
right now, I'm gonna use my battery to pass these
(21:32):
two cars ahead of me, but then I'm going to
have less later and right now I'm just talking about
the one car. But yeah, this series, it's called Formula
When they started, you had two cars because they couldn't
run long enough because it took so much because you speed. Exactly,
I have an electric car, so That's why I was asking, Yeah,
(21:53):
so what but what's gonna happen? I think and what
we've seen in Formula one where they introduce electric motor
just for boost, right, just for extra power, just to
help the car accelerate off the corner. And now you're
starting to see Ferraris and other cars that have pource.
Ferrari has this in it that makes the car actually
perform better. So you take a gas powered engine and
(22:14):
the electric power. I think that's what you're gonna see
NASCAR do initially. Whenever that time comes, they'll probably just
have some kind of electric motor and it might be
a boost to pass right too that you get to
use so much of it throughout the race. Maybe it
regeneralizes the extra you earn it like yeah, oh yeah,
(22:36):
yeah not fan vote or or you're like, hey you
gotta win two replays. Yeah, I mean there's some of that.
So I think it's gonna Now I will tell you this,
if we ever go all electric, the thing I'm going
to push the hardest for is that it's got to
make some kind of sound, right, like, like I don't
(22:57):
want to hear the hissing and whistling of of the
drive train or the electric motor winding up. Uh, there's
there's technology out there right now for electric vehicles. Um,
you know that make their own amplified sound. Just make
it sound cool whatever it is. You know, if Chevrolet
or Ford or Toyota says, okay, we're going on electric,
(23:19):
no problem. But man, give me some cool sounding thing
that that. When that car goes by, I'm like, I'm
not gonna say that's a v A. I'm gonna say
that's a kick ass sounding car. It just happens to
be electric. We have to take a break and the
morning anything, we gotta pay some bills. You got check.
(23:41):
I love cut to It and I love it even
more when you download us and subscribe, and you can
follow us on social media to Smithie where where at
that's at cut to It on Instagram? What about Twitter
at cut to It Facebook? Cut to It featuring Steve
Smith Senior, what about online? And you can follow us
(24:03):
at cut to It podcast dot com where you can
buy merch and you can subscribe to us wherever you
listen to podcasts. I got all my answers questions. Uh yeah,
I got all my questions answered. That's what I'm here
for a brother cut to a podcast dot com. Mr
Cheeks co founder of the legendary hip hop group Lost Boys.
(24:25):
He's also a solo artist with four albums of his own,
and he's a native of Jamaica, Queens, New York. Not
putting you on the spot of you know, downplaying these question,
no question for listening to wrap. Now, some some artists,
you can't tell between the course, hook, the hook, the bridge.
(24:51):
You can't. I don't. I can't separate its right, It's
like through the whole song and you it's not even
a real sixteen bars. No, it's like two bars. Mm hmm.
It's like the game got like remember you said three
(25:12):
verses in your records. Yeah, they don't do that no more.
They just try to get away with one verse and
slide on and it's like, what happened? Huh, They're they're
successfully doing it. They win it, Yeah, they win it
because niggas ain't got time that we listening to the
whole stories no more. Just like this now, niggas, what
(25:37):
the bag went? Everything is so fast? Next forgot about
what it is though, Like the game then changing so
far that they fed these niggas or they fed all
thiss like, uh, yeah, it's all about and the radio
stations don't even give you you know, you wait, are
you gonna wake up to them and take your kids
to school or whatever? Yeah, and nigga talking about I
(25:57):
don't even know. I don't want to throw it out
because I don't be really, I'll be here the record
on the way to show them the radio y'all joint
what they're doing. Man. But no, But I'm just different
in the game in the morning and they talk about
(26:18):
give me, I'm like, yo, let's get over there. But
it's just different, man on the game is not the
same man. I mean a lot of people that used
to really care about the game, the Xex and all
of that, they don't care no more. They care about YouTube,
light blue likes and all of that. It's not it's
not even about like talent, the more it's about lights
(26:39):
and ship like the chick that glue the head. If
this is coming out with a red niggers, get out
my flesh, man. I if these thigg just get this
this that got the blue tap to the head, y'all
wowing man. She But you know that's what happens because
it's fame that's how easy it is. Man. You back
(27:03):
in the days you had to work for. We made man,
We had to work for like when you no, I
worked for talking with y'all. Right now it's twenty I
put my first my first record out in five shoot
that in twenty one. I'm talking to mother Bucky Steve Smith,
nig Yes that big things. You already know that. You
know what I'm saying. That love to the shout out
(27:24):
said man, whatever, I'm cutting to it on, I'm cutting
to it. I think what you're saying is it's the longevity,
right like the Jays wrapping now's is still wrapping. They
have longevity. They're still have the storytelling, they still have
the history and the in and painting. How much of
(27:44):
the game right now is? I hear exactly what you're saying. Though.
The point is people are just taking advantage of that
fifteen minutes. Yeah, microwave generation and yeah, instant noodles. Because
(28:05):
but here's the thing, you though. Then they get and
I'm not gonna name a person, but they take four
years and they save up and they and they take
all their money and they get a diamond impressed in
their forehead. Oh man, we're just different ship. Yeah, it's different, right,
(28:29):
it's different. It's different. It's different. It's different. Uh. Man,
you know every time I've seen that, every time I
see the Homeboy with that in his head, now I
think about, you know, my man from the the the
when the superhero ship pull that out of his head
like the Avengers Vengers, like yo, that the Avenger joint
(28:53):
in his head. That's crazy because just putting a Venger
joints in their head, it's cool. I'm just I'm just
these gold teeth man smoke this league. The moral of
that story is, Man, it's his rock stars. You gotta
forgetta remember now. Hey. But here's the thing though, because
(29:14):
his rock stars don't don't leave no cabinet opening and
hit your phone ahead. Oh don't need no cabin opening. Yeah,
he's crazy than me. I love it. He giggled because
(29:34):
he didn left him even left the cabinet door open
and forgot it. But he don't have a comment in
the middle of his forehead. Oh goodness, what happened to
music videos? Man? I grew up watching jukebox, Oh man,
or the basement. You're on TV jams? Yeah? What? Why?
Why are music videos gone with them shows at right? Yeah,
(29:57):
well yeah, I don't know what those shows are either.
But why what why you used to make a song.
When you did a song, you had to follow up
with a music video because if your music video, sometimes
the music video would show your actual song. That's how people,
that's how Yeah, Like so how how has it? I mean,
(30:22):
if you don't mind breaking it down, like just really
how the game has changed? The money? The money? Like
cause because everyone thinks every rapper that has made it
has that bag, and that's the case. There's a lot.
I mean, you look at Tony Braxton, you look at
(30:43):
some of these some of these artists who's who have
had multiple albums who later come out and they say, hey,
a bad contract or the or the deal was not
what I thought it was. Um then you and then
you hear some were getting the yeah, and you hear
some people they're talking about how you know going on
(31:05):
tours the way you make your money. I just I
just want to know, like how is it changing, how
you know for the good and the bad or and
why is all this stuff everybody thinks like like football,
there's fifty three guys on the roster, but they're really
only about twelve guys making bookoo. Then then the other
forties something of them. Uh, they don't all right, you
(31:26):
know they're they're they're doctors and lawyers, but but they
they aren't multimillionaires that people assume they are. Now when
nig is is, it's a different game, brother, Know what
I'm saying, Like we were in the game, we have
(31:47):
to go to labels and get dells and fight boom
and you know, now, like I said, it's like it's
just giving out the money right now, whatever sticks to
the wall bang. You know, That's how I look at
I ain't even mad at saying this. But when you
say they're giving the money, you know, not money, not
using yourself as an example, but now you can use
(32:09):
me an example. I'm saying that mistakes. No, No, I know,
I'm just talking about as far as like, what's what
is you're saying they're giving money away? What's a lucrative
deal that that you're hearing that that's out there? Oh,
they're lucrative deal. They got the three sixties going on?
You feel me? No, I don't know what's explained explain
to us with you asked me, I'll feeling you I
don't they're taking all your show money. They're give you
(32:33):
the biggest shows because they're taking some of that money.
I mean, this is what it is. They give you
budgets because they're geting their money at the see what
the rectors do? You know, like like it always been,
but I really ain't been in the industry, so I
ain't really been in the game. Like I'm on label
and all that. I know my own little routes that
I'm taking the way to sell records and all of that.
So it's like I'm I can explain. I really like
(32:56):
when they're giving out these deals now three sixty, when
they see three sixty, like I said, they're taking most
of them. It's really like not like you're good. It's
not like everything. It's like when you do shows, you
don't you don't give you a label, the money, you
know what I'm saying. When you do you sell the
merchandise you don't get. Don't get that money, I mean
yours that's supposed to be you all day. But now
(33:19):
they got Like I said, you might have to talk
somebody else I know about the really to the three sexy,
But like I said, I'm mean, I am in the
game and about what the industry, industry, you know what
I'm saying. I've been to my own runs doing my
own thing, mown still popping in, but they ain't really
like with a label and all of that song with
my own label and my own you know, my own
(33:40):
back and since when we's doing it. So but it's
just like, Yo, the game is just mad different, man.
I can't really explain it because I ain't really playing
that game with them no more, you know. But like
I said, on what you say, would you say that
guys are in the rap game right now? Not everybody?
You know. You're not talking about the Drakes, We're not
(34:01):
talking about the Kendrick of Mars. You're not talking about
the big guys. We're talking about the middle of the
road guys. Right they're looking apart, but it doesn't always
equal up to the park fast fast. That's a lot
of line going on, a lot of front, a lot
of bullshit, a lot of cloud chasing. We get it,
we get it, but sometimes you gotta take it to
(34:21):
make it. You know. That's so how long based off
what you've experienced, guys that you you hung around with,
the guys that you've seen or you've battled up against that,
you realize even back then there was cloud chasing, but
in the end they lost, Like how well what you know?
(34:42):
And the reason I say that is in not naming
no I got. I got exactly what you're saying, because
we're spending money on their trash, sass and music in
front like they bowling, and the records need selling, so
then they ain't really getting the bag and spending the
bag that they got from the whatever they got it from.
So I don't know, you know what I'm saying, Like
niggas confront all day. They give me on the down
(35:04):
and I'm a front hard body. Do what I do
with my record don't sell and then ship don't really
pop off. I mean the excightening is popping, you know
what I'm saying. If I actually making it happen to
get that money back, I mean, it was all worth nothing,
you know what I'm saying. Like you see what I'm saying,
Like a nigga loan meeds some money to do what
I gotta do, but I don't. I don't come through
from him giving me that money. But I was frightened,
(35:25):
like I was having it and doing it like bing,
but it being and then he really turned out that way.
Now I'm sitting on I'm sitting on the shelf looking crazy, right,
you understand I'm saying, so that be from with the bag.
I don't know. I can't really talk for that nigger,
you know, I just doing that ship. Yeah, it's just
every there's so much music out there. Yeah, it's really
(35:49):
hard to know who's successful and who's nothing. And I
was gonna say that now, the way that you consume,
in the way that it's put out like this, the
whole streaming platforms, it's it's a lot to choose from.
But then I think also what both of y'all are
saying is it seems like that's changed the game too,
like the stream and be good or bad for for
the music industry. Like you said, it's like it's both ways. Man.
(36:13):
You know, it's good. That's good for me. I'm old
nailing Tony what they got, the tunes, they got, the Spotify,
you know, we use all of that. But yeah, I
guess it's good. But then it's also bad because god damn, man,
you get anybody can sell a record, kid, you know,
(36:36):
I don't know, man, I don't know, I don't know
real like music that be hating Niggs music. I'm asking,
I'm not want you, I'm not I'm asking because you
just going back in the day, first of all, get
popped upside the head if you want to more than
(36:56):
one jukebox. Uh was that like the mail thing? No
jukebox was back in the day. Juke box for for
Cali dudes, was you watch television and you can for
ninety nine or feels a feature, you call in and
you request the box that music video or that song,
(37:19):
right yeah, And that's how they do it now. With streaming,
you just you just downloaded, you pay or whatever the
case may be, and you can download whatever you want.
And if it's a feature and it just comes out,
you can download it early, you know, pay for it.
(37:41):
And I just and I just see that things are different.
They And so being an old school cat, you that
have had a number of rectors, when somebody downloads it yours,
you get the residual, but you capture back in the day,
you were able to capture that information. Right now, it
seems like the it seems like it's harder to understand
(38:06):
how they capture it because it's so much well that
twenty a month, I can get I can download as
much as I want. You got peloton, right, I get
on the peloton. I'm I'm running whatever. Right. It just
seems it just seems as music has still stayed the
(38:29):
same with expression, the way you can consume it around
the world is different, right, It's all the strange, man.
And and the question becomes what is the cost of
a stream? And that's a that's an open ended question,
but it goes it goes back to from an artist's perspective,
like Mr Cheesus talking about like I'm sure you you
knew back in the day. Alright, I'm selling the CD.
(38:51):
I get it, I get a cut of the c D.
But now it is it is very different in in
the means of the streaming has just changed the way
that people can hom and the way the people purchase. Yes,
it's a crazy game, brothers. You know, um I remember
I just remember, like when you can buy an album,
Remember you can buy an album, really enjoy an album.
(39:14):
I'm saying, no, fact, you're don't fast forward no records.
Those Yeah, it's a lost there's a lot of lost, man,
But it's still out there though. Don't get it twisted
because there's some good artists that's still got albums out,
Like you know, she Loom got a new album out.
She looke um uh froyd Fluss has got his underground
(39:36):
should I love so much? You know what I'm saying
that I saw, I just want to shut shout that up.
Shout those outum. None of the underground still is as
prominent as it is. The prop is coming back, man,
I mean, like you know, Severny Timess like a several
of the things that go down and is on his
way back the boom back a stuff. Yeah, yo U
(39:59):
check this out, my man. You know, Brucy b You're
the original, you know from Wild Style and all that
Buc I mean not Brucy Busy be Busy be he
gotta wreck it out right now that they really paying
attention to it. But it's so hard, you know what
I'm saying. It's like it's like we don't really pay
attention to all, like you know what I'm saying, music
(40:19):
like we usual because it's not really out there too
for us to get or to hear because they're so
flooded with everything else right now. You know what I'm saying,
it's like look away from the realhood. There were the
classic ways of making music and really putting the network
and some tracks from Pete Rocking. You know what I'm saying, like,
oh man, oh ship. But I don't mean to jumble
(40:42):
of the course, but yeah, I missed music like that,
and uh, it's on his way back. Don't trust me that.
I mean like when you were when you were growing
up talking about music on this way back? The East
Coast versus West Coast? How thick and legitimate was the
East Coast versus West Coast beef? How dick was it? Yeah?
(41:03):
Because you know sometimes people be like it wasn't legit.
It was just awful. It was all authentic. Yes, it
was just all for It was all for show. It
was an awful show because two niggas died, right man,
that ship wasn't no show. Chip is real. But it
was a real beef. I mean it wasn't. It wasn't
really like no Willie I would beef me. But we
(41:26):
was back in biggie because he was on the East
Coast and niggas that was with Topap was backing pop
over them me. But you know the let me tell
you the beauty. The beautiful thing about that East Coast
West Coast beef Me and the motherfucking Dog Pound shot
music made me how remix al in l a together
East Coast West Coast while that beef was going on him.
I'm saying, So it wasn't really like it was like
(41:49):
Diddi and show ship and a lot of people got
caught between that ship. You know what I'm saying. I mean,
I'm not saying it like that, but I'm saying what
you're saying that life was man's alid of other ship,
not the main characters. They didn't tupac beef. They had
the music going on, but other elements came about, you know.
But it seemed like because of the beef that the
(42:12):
realness and the hard work. East Coast tried to outwork
West Coast, West Coast tried to outwork. Yeah, the music
was so direct but also so original, so creative, because
whatever you came out with, then that side of the
coast had to come back, come back to something more substance,
(42:35):
and then and then it burned for more because like
like Mr. Chicks is saying too, like I think they
were able to merge them in the Dog Pound were
able to merge, and then later on then you got
the South riseing the right like you got you got
outcasts into the even having that, but still you're able
to birth other projects in other places from the country,
able to to bring about good music as well. That's
(42:57):
a fact me. Look at that like like when he
goes West, goes beef and motherfucking a t Aliens game
and yeah, I'm from remember all of that. Mr. Oh yeah,
(43:20):
miss Jackson, I think it's about that time. Just take
a little breather. Good, do it, good do. Let's get
down to do it good. Hey Gerard, why did you
get that T shirt? You mean this thing? Oh yes,
(43:42):
I got it from cut to a podcast dot com
where we have exclusive merchandise. Shout out to our guys
at seven or fourth shot. But yeah, you can go on,
buy you a T shirt, subscribe to us wherever you
listen to podcasts. Muggsy Bows. He's not just the shortest
player to ever play in the NBA. He's a fourteen
year veteran, most not to be with the Charlotte Hornets,
first time all a cec A Wake Forest and overall
(44:05):
great and iconic legend in the NBA. Let's talk ball
and again you were the chough overall pick with the
Washington Bullets. Then you were traded a year later. When
you were drafted, you had dreams and goals and aspirations.
At what point in your career of your first year
(44:27):
that you that you realized that there were some goals
and aspirations that were just kid dreams and then you
realize that you know, you have an opportunity to do
something that you've they dreamed, dreamed about, you know, fantasized
about that it was really in your grasp to to do.
(44:50):
M hmm, well, I think you know, my first year
with the Bullets, you know, you come there with a
lot of expectations, a lot of old You know, you're
being drafted. You want to be the rookie of the year.
You want to make sure that you know you you'm
on the top amongst still you want to make you know,
you just have certain personal goals that you know that
(45:13):
you're set for yourself, because those are the things that
you know your capable doing. Um. Of course. Um. During
the middle of during the course of the season, we
had a coaching change, and that kind of change a
little bit of some of my playing time UM and
the way they was, the style of playholl they wanted
to play. And then I realized, you know, it may
(45:37):
not happen this year with the some of the goals
that I had, you know, floating in my head. But
at the same time, you know, you're you. You can't
lose that confidence within yourself because you know, once that happened,
you know that that that that really takes control of
you know, all your you know, your body, for your
(45:57):
your your your the way you play, the way you
act and all that stuff. So the confidence always stayed
at the forefront. It was just a matter of waiting
for the right opportunity to get to showcase it. And
I knew, Um, during the end of the first year
with the Bullets, things were starting to change, you know,
(46:20):
things were starting to kind of, you know, not be
the way I had a envisioned. UM. Then we go
into the playoffs and then my my minutes has cut
a little more UM during the playoff and I kind of,
you know, start to wondering what was going on. But
again after we take you know, Detroit the five games,
(46:41):
that's where it was the best out of five man
after the meeting, I felt like, you know, things were
still good. You know, things was good after we had
that exit meeting. But then again now in hindsight knowing
that it wasn't it was just you know, for what
they were saying. You know, I just it just kind
of message here a little bit. But I never lost
(47:02):
my confidence though. It was just a matter I waiting
for that right opportunity. And then even coming down here
in Charlotte, you know, still faced with the same situation
with Dick Harder, you know, being you know, not believing
in a small god. Yeah, still had that hang up
on I need a taller, bigger God. And you know,
(47:23):
one one incident, he actually went in George Shen's office
and you know this was George and George that Toby.
He actually went in George Shen's office. Uh. And you
know George Shan he's not taught himself. You know, George
ain't about five five five six himself. So the coach
happened to go into the office and he gets down
(47:45):
on his knees and put his arms up to George
shenn and say, George, this is what I'm facing with
every night when I played Muggy and George George Shan
kind of looked at him and like, really, he actually,
you're gonna you know what you need and you get
this to me in front of me about Margre and
(48:05):
Lord knows, of course we was in San Antonio. Of
course Dick hardly got fired right afterwards, and and then
when Jane let Us took over, then that's when, you know,
that's when I started really you know, excellent and become,
you know, the player that I wanted to become. Did
you have any superstitions why you were playing? No, I
(48:30):
didn't really have any superstitions. You know a lot of guys,
some guys had superstitions. For me, it wasn't. I ain't
had no rituals that I did. And uh, because everything
kind of came spontaneous for me, you know. But always,
of course I got to the game at the right time,
always got to the game at a certain time, and
(48:51):
always kind of had a little routine where I stayed
in the locker room and make sure that I ain't
come out the locker room until six fift team, you know,
to do my little warm ups because I knew that
the little kids and everybody was going to be out
there lined up, and I want to make sure that
I get the opportunity to make sure I agree them
to go shoot and then come on back before the
(49:12):
six thirty, you know, for the time to go out
for six thirties. So that was the only rich you know,
I was done a thing, I really did. I ain't
had no uh no particular rituals that I did. Do
you believe the game has changed? And if so, how
has it changed or this destinitely has changed and you
know what and and honestly, I kind of like the
(49:37):
way the game is and every era has it's it's
it's way of a way of play. You know, even
back in the sixties and the seventies, you know, those
guys are more of a it was a slow paced
type of game, more cutting, um, more passing. You know,
the game has evolved so much. You know, back in
(49:58):
my you know, in the eighties and and you know,
we had guys you know, they are seven ftags. You know,
they played with their back towards the basket. You know,
today's game, we got the seven ft of you know,
they're facing the basket, bring the ball up the court.
And you know, the emphasis on the three point shot
is a lot more um. You got a lot more.
The court is spread open a lot than what it
(50:21):
was for us. You know, it was more packed it
in where the guys could camp in the lane a
lot um. We can hand check. It was a more
physical when we play. You know, it's not as physical
as to day, but you know that that's all have
to do with the scoring, you know, the excitement of
the game, the fast pace of the game, and so
you get to see, you know, the skill sets of
the players, you know, which is what's remarkable today. You know,
(50:45):
seeing a guy like Lebron, you know, in the seventeen
years still being able to you know, put up the
numbers that he's able to do and still be productive.
I mean, the game has changed and allow these guys
to play a lot longer, I should say today we
always you know you hear this debate now, especially me
(51:07):
being in the media, and do you hear this goat debate?
You know why why has this topic of discussion come
up so much? I have no I have no ideas, man,
I really don't, man, because you know you're talking about
the goat. The goat, I mean, everybody played the game
(51:29):
and impacted, you know, totally different. You look at it
Woke Chamberlin and Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul Jabal and Magic,
Magic is my guy, you know, Magic and you know
and the m J and Lebront. But the thing about
what I said about all this is that when I
look at a player and athlete and the only guy
(51:54):
that I see as polished as he was and had
no deficiency in his game was m Jack. And that's
the that's the that's where it separates from because when
you got the fundamental aspect of the game and then
the athletic ability, but to the point of where you
(52:17):
know you can it's off the charge with his athletic ability.
I mean, it was breathtaking to see it. And it
wasn't that he did it on one another court. He
did it on both ends of the court. You know.
It's nine time defensive champion as well as in the
thing and the killer us think that he had. But
just the bottom line, just you know, it's just that
(52:39):
you know, everybody, every player has some sort of deficiency
in the game. Every player, every player has some sort
even you know, I'm taking me from Lebron and he
called everybody has some sort of deficience. M J was
the only guy that was able to perfect his deficity
that he had when he first came into and that
(53:01):
was just just shooting a little bit to where he
increased it to the range that where it was three points.
And then once that happened, it was, you know, it
was no way you can stop six rings after that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
that day. But you know, people don't understand that's the
way he the way MJ had that killer in Snake,
(53:21):
it was like, you know, you knew two members gonna
try to stop when he was able to create space
and still make that play, you know, and he never
shot away from making that play. And that's the thing
that stands out about him and reminisced with a lot
of guys because you know, you look at Lebron, Lebron
will make a play, you know, and sometimes he were
(53:44):
shot away from that moment, and you know, and it's
another there's nothing knock on him and just he looking
at the game the way he said and how he
feels like, you know, he can impact it in my time.
It might be a pass, it might be a shot,
who knows, you know, but MJ, you always knew it
was gonna be a shot and less three three three
(54:06):
four came a double team and he kicking out the
Steve to make the shot. But other than that, you know,
all of them to go for me. Man, they all
and the goot stuff is kind of crazy. You know,
they're always some heck of a basketball players and you
know they all kind of within their own right, the
best at it. You are a unique person, You are
(54:29):
well worth it. You are competent and most of all,
your lovable. I'm Steve Smith Senior, I'm Little John and
this is cut to It. Cut to It with Steve
Smith Senior. That is Me is a production of Cut
to It, LLC, Paul Told Creative Media, The Black Effect,
(54:52):
and I Heart Radio. For more podcast from my Heart Radio,
visit the I Heart Radio Apple Apple podcast O wherever
you listen to your favorite shows from Cut to It.
Executive producer Steve Smith, singer co host Gerard Little John,
talent in booking manager Joe Fusci, Social media team Wesley
(55:13):
Robinson and John Show from Balto Creative Media. Cut to
It is produced by Brian Baltaschevic and Meredith Carter, with
production assistance by Alex Lebrec. Production coordinator Taylor Robinson. Theme
music by Alex Johnson, lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton.
If you ain't heard about it, then we're about to
(55:34):
let you now. It's all
This is cut to it with Steve Smith Senior at
production of The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. I'm
Steve Smith Senior and I'm ger a little John, and
this is cut to it. Good do it? Good do
what that's getting down to? Do it? Good do it.
We asked the questions you always want to know, but
(00:22):
no one ever asked, let's cut to it. You ain't
heard him about it, then we're about to let you know.
It's all. I like to drive. I do not like
to sit. I used to be moving. Jeff Gordon the
(00:45):
retired driver of the number twenty four car. He's a
four time NASCAR Cup Series champion and he has the
third most wins in NASCAR history. Right now, he's a
Fox Sports analyst. Let's talk both. But um, you know football,
so let's let's talk gears. There you go. So in
(01:06):
talking these gears, we're gonna be okay with showing the
lack of understanding. We haven't And for the listeners that
may be dumb questions, but there's never a dumb question.
You gotta you gotta, you gotta school me and Smith.
But there are some dumb questions. Yeah, they're really I
(01:29):
just imagine imagine NASCAR one oh one, and you're the professor. Yes, OK,
here we go. I'll try. I'm not a professor, but
I told you how that I was in school for us,
you are opportunity. Since yeah, did you have a routine
while driving? If so, what was that routine? Yeah? I
(01:51):
mean I think a routine is so important, but we're
talking about driving a car though, well, I'm probably talking
about routine of prepping in the car. That's what I yeah,
see that's what yeah, I mean to me, And you
have to understand and and I'm I'm ignorant to to
you know what your day would have looked like on
(02:13):
on game day, but on race day it's you. You're
with sponsors and fans, and you know, you're interacting with
all these different people from the time you get up
in the morning on race day. That's just part of it, man,
I mean it's I would be well, I mean, I
don't know if it was hours, but you're you would
go to three to four different hospitalities, suites or or
(02:38):
you know at the at the race haller meeting five
ten people that were somehow connected to one of the
sponsors on your so you every morning that so so
at first it was like, man, I can't believe I
got to do all this stuff before I go get
in the race car. But then becomes part of your routine.
You just got to get into the mental place of
(02:59):
I'm going to talk to the people, but like I'm talking,
they're talking through me. Whatever it was, I mean, it
was hard for it to actually penetrate because I'm thinking, Okay,
what that car is gonna feel like, you know, turn one. Okay,
we made these adjustments from practice. So the whole time
I'm thinking about that, but I'm interacting and I'm putting
(03:19):
on a smile and I'm shaking hands and taking that
by itself. It took it took a long time to
really get comfortable with with doing that. And then and
then you go to what they call the you know,
the driver's meeting, which is basically a bunch of sponsors
and your dignitaries or whatever that are there. You're really
not they're learning. It's not like they're saying, hey, here's
(03:40):
how you're gonna drive the race today. I mean, you
already had that out, all figured out. Race you know
what a clutches But it was a big left turn.
But but what I what really became part of my
routine later was was from that moment, from the time
you finally got away from all of the distractions, was
(04:04):
I would I would go do a warm up just
you know. And this is more. When I got older,
my body started failing on me, my back issues and
things like that. But just I get on a bike,
I'd warm up, do a few stretches, exercises, have somebody
you know, kind of pushed me a little bit, and
and then I would go get into my ratio form.
But it was left leg, right leg, left sock, superstitious,
(04:30):
you know. I mean you could look at it that way.
I think you could look at it that way. I
didn't look at that way. But I'm gonna tell you
what right now, if I have somebody, like if my
crew chief walked in, he's like, hey man, what about
I mean, put my hang on one second come back.
So I did not want to mess up the routine.
You know. I wasn't about like lucky pennies and like
(04:52):
a baseball player almost. I mean some like like like
like eat all your yeah, like if you were like
if you were a former picture like like backstage Joe.
Backstage is a former picture who they knew he would
eat fries and they would do various things with those figs.
(05:13):
He still hadn't had because you know, you know, the
fries had more to do than his actual velocity of
arm strength. It was, of course no skill. And now
he has so much you know, like post traumatic that
(05:34):
it carries over and like we can't we have to
have certain meetings and we have to have certain post
games and because the backstage, so yeah, man, that you
know that that so that so that that became a
place for me to just kind of get relaxed. So
that routine, in that superstitition actually was a time for
(05:57):
you to kind of reset to it. Okay, we're done
at the the sponsorships. Now we're in race mode. You
still gotta go out and do driver introduction, but I'm
just saying it's after driving introductions. The best thing that
would happen was, and my wife would even tell you,
like when her and my kids were there, because you
(06:19):
know NASCAR, that's a cool thing about NASCAR's you get
to interact with him right right until the time you
get in the car. It's cool, and it's not cool
because you know, you're you are in this game mode. Yeah, man,
I'm I'm wound up. Whether the day before went good
or whatever our situation is. I could not wait to
get in that car. I mean, like like it could
(06:39):
be a hundred degrees outside. I'm sweating my butt off,
but I'm like, get me in the car because i
just want to get in there and get the helmet on,
get strapped in and just truly get into that place.
And and that was if I miss anything now that
I'm not racing, it's those moments like you get in
there and the anticipation of getting the green flag and
going racing and competing against uh, you know, some of
(07:02):
the best out there. That and and with a great team,
the great car that was. That was a cool thing
to experience. Talking about getting in the mind frame, I've
always wanted to ask a guy, especially because I know
you've had some rivals. Now, I've watched you drivers sometimes
y'all hold me back, hold me back, man. I see
(07:25):
you guys go after it. But I gotta ask you too, though,
like have you like gotten to that fight mode? I'm
off and then you you forget to unbuckle, I melt
(07:47):
or you still got the harness damn harness. We get
made fun of because we leave our helmets on. Like
you get out of the car so fast that if
you gotta get in a fight, you gotta take your
helmet office Like, yeah, I probably shouldn't, but I mean
at one time I did. I've I've flipped over. Uh
car was upside down, and especially in a stock car
(08:10):
went it's upside down that you have an oil tank
behind you and and there's hot oil pouring out that thing,
and you're gonna, I need to get hell out of here.
And and so you're laying upside down and you're like, Okay,
I know I shouldn't be taking my belts up. I
really want to get out of I bet I can
get out of here. And you do it. Bad mistake
because as soon as you unbuckled, you go, you go
(08:32):
straight to the roof your whole body. You don't wait,
and the belts have enough straps and things where usually
it's gonna catch on something. So now not only are
you hanging, but you can't get undone. And oh it's scary,
you know, it's it's like God, that wasn't very smart
and so I tipped over. Um it was a slow
(08:55):
roll at Daytona. Wasn't a bad accent, but it did
go upside down. But I ended up upside down and
so undid the belts. I was like, that was stupid.
They finally got the car right side up and I
got the belts off of me, but I've taken my
gloves off. And that was the really big mistake because
as I climbed out, I didn't realize sheet metal had
been all torn up and it just sliced my finger.
(09:18):
So I get out of the car and they're like,
oh blood, you know. Immediately they're calling, you know, people over.
I'm like, no, no, no, it's just my finger, man,
I just I just cut my finger. It's not kind
of great thing. It was embarrassing, but it's like, oh yeah,
leave the gloves on. So what does what is uh
a NASCAR rival mean to Jeff Gordon? Um, well, it's funny.
(09:44):
It means something different to me now right now that
I do TV man, we need rivals. Yes, it's like
I totally when I was in it. When I was
you know, like I had arrival with Dale Earnhardt and
and he played it up good. I mean he he
that he was a master that and me. I was
just like, I don't want to have anything to do
(10:05):
with that. I just I just want to go out
and do my job. I don't want to get distracted.
He's just trying to mess with me and getting my head,
get an advantage or you know, the media is gonna
gonna take something and then I'm gonna have to answer
those questions and deal. I don't want to do that.
I just want to race. And I probably I wish
I'd have played into a little bit more because I realized,
you know that the fans, what they love so much
(10:28):
is they, like you mentioned earlier, they love to love somebody,
that love to hate somebody, and they love it when
there's a rivalry. It just it just builds more interest
and gives people way more. The personal aspect of it,
the human aspect of it is sometimes more entertaining than
the actual race. And we had to I mean, we
(10:48):
had to fight this past weekend on on Saturday, not
in the Sunday race. Saturday race, man, That's all we
showed on Sunday was these two guys swinging, going at it.
They swing votes, good nest questions. Wasn't intentionally amiss, you know,
I mean you you connect with somebody, you getting suspended.
You you know you get you probably won't be the
(11:09):
next the next week. Yeah, if if they see you
make make contact by throwing a fist, you're you're gonna
you can you can wreck a guy like I've done. Unfortunately,
you can do a lot of things, but man, you
can't swing and hit it out. So what about would
you get suspended for open palm slap since you can't
(11:30):
love it, since you can't punch. That's a good smart ask,
the smart way to get around if you still keep
the helmet on, like you can still smack somebody hard
enough and then well there's that right slapping competitions. But
you can shove and you can talk smack, but I
don't think you could hit him in any No, open
(11:50):
open palm is disrespectful. Of course you'd say that dudes
your locker room backhand somebody in the locker room. It's
intentionally disrespect you in the locker room. In the locker room,
you can do all you want. So is it fighting
in Ah, Well, you gotta understand the locker room. That's
that's usually just like the locker room to us would
(12:14):
be like at the airport getting ready to leave. They
don't really have a locker room. Yeah, it's it's you know,
you have your own individual trailer. But if somebody walked
up into your trailer and punch you are that's that's
so I want to revisit you backhanding people in your
locker Why would you backhand somebody? I mean you're getting
you're getting a little tussle with some one and um
(12:34):
not gonna punch because if first of all, if I'm punching,
then there's you know, we really into it. But open
for me? Why I was right, open palm is all disrespectful,
but a backhand and that's like some old school like backhand,
And so you wanted to show your disrespect, but you
(12:55):
don't want to actually get into a real No, let
me see. This is what you explain. You miss it.
If I back hand you, I'm going back hand the right.
So what comes next is when I back here, you're
gonna come back, and that's what you're gonna catch that
two pieces. This is how you orchestrate fight. Everybody goes,
(13:20):
did he just back hand you? Yes? I did? Is
that like a player? And then here's the problem. When
he realizes he got back hand, he's gonna say he
hit me, like oh, and then he's going to approach,
and then that's on the goes very quickly. Yeah, I'm bare.
This is this is smoke one on one. First of all,
(13:41):
if I back here, I have no respect for you, clearly,
clearly no. I mean I don't really think that's a
respectable type reading if you're back hand someone. Oh yeah,
he respect the hell out of him. I've that there's
a point. I never thought of it that way. I
never once thought it was like a warm greedi. I
(14:04):
might just be mad at him. It doesn't mean I
disrespect him. But if I backhand you, yeah, I just
quite an education here on backhand versus open palm versus.
Let me tell you something, anytime you're about to fight
somebody and an open palm is done, it's not gonna go. Well.
So all right, Um, so we've digressed. But um I
(14:27):
really want to talk about, which I think is really cool.
You've had poles, which is unbelievable. Um, what what's the
key to getting a pole? And when is the pole captured? Again?
(14:48):
I know some of this stuff, but then I'm kind
of like, I get I get the opportunity to talk
to you. Great, and you are you have done and
doing commentary and analyst work, but you also know exactly
what these individuals are trying to accomplish. Yeah, well, first,
let's established there's no actual physical pole. We may even
(15:11):
start from the begin soone may not even know what
the so and and I think pole position goes back
to like horse racing, where where there's like, you know,
the pole is the other side jobs that require I
appreciate you clarified. You said like that goes back to
(15:33):
I was like, yeah, horse racing, Okay, okay, cool. Well
I think it may all come full circle in some forms.
But I see what you did. I see what you did.
Isn't that very thorough British? Let's but but but winning
(15:54):
the pole position or being the fastest qualifier. Um, yeah,
I think obviously you know, the ne thing about racing
is it's a team sport. But but it's it's machine.
The machine is the athlete is the way I look
at it, right, like like people debate whether race car
drivers are athletes. And and don't get me wrong, you
(16:16):
gotta be in in in very good physical shape, a
different type of shape than to say like you had
to be for for football, but you gotta be in
good shape. But the race car, that's what I want
to be the thoroughbread. I want that race car, you know,
to have just a little more down force, a little
less drag, a little more horsepower, just a little more
grip than anybody else out there. Now, if if you know,
(16:41):
if all things were equal, which they're not, I'm sorry,
it's just not the case. It's just racing one oh
one the way it's been forever. Somebody's going to engineer
something to make one car a little bit better than
the next. And NASCAR does an excellent job at at
at trying to create parody and and all the different
ways that they measure the car and and and you know,
(17:06):
inspect the car. Great job. But still there's always gonna
be a way to try to get around that. And
so you know, on that day where you go to qualify,
it's it's that machine and it's you, and you're just
pushing it to the absolute limit of what that car
is capable of doing. And you know, if you do
it right, then you're gonna be the fastest one and
(17:27):
you're gonna win the pole position. And and if you.
If you mess it up, you're either gonna say, Okay,
I I didn't get all of it or the car
wasn't capable of more than I got. And so I
would you know, I I like to qualify. I love
being out there on that single lap just pushing it.
And I was I was always known to be a
driver that that drove you know what we say, deep
(17:48):
into the corner. So there's a lift point that every
race track is not Daytona or Talladega, but on all
the other tracks is this lift point of where you
get in there. You might use break not use break,
depend on the track and corner size and everything, and
you just want to carry as much speed in there,
but you really want to get back to the throttle
and carry all the speed through the center and all
back onto the next straight away. So you know, I
(18:10):
love that challenge, man, I mean I just did. To me.
That's that's the purity of being a race car driver.
So why why is the pole position so important? Well
because a couple of things. One is, it gives you
the starting position to lead the field. You should be
able to lead the field, um, you know, your side
by side. So there's a chance that you might not,
but gives you the best opportunity. Plus it allows you
to get a better pitch stall, So so where your
(18:32):
picker is going to do their work. If you're the
pole positioner, if you're you know, if you're number one
on the grid, you get to pick where you want
to be first. So it gives it has an advantaged
throughout the entire race. And as as soon as I ask,
it's all about, is what tiny advantage can you get
every single time? My starting position, where my where my
pit is. The modifications you make on your car is
(18:56):
Nascar is almost like a game of interest. And and
you know we talked about clean in in racing, and
what that means is if you're the first car, all
the air that's seeing your car, you know, it's there's
nothing disrupting, it's seeing your car first. Okay, so it's
attaching itself giving you the best performance. As soon as
you're the next one back, that air is doing all this,
(19:19):
it's just dancing all of the place. Yeah, so it's
like getting in a jet wash of an airplane and
and you know they're just it's not going to attach
itself to your car. And so you are already at
a disadvantage. Now, if you're five ten cars back haul
like you got nothing, You've got no air getting to
your car. Um just random now just made me think,
(19:40):
do you believe NASCAR will transform talking about clean their act,
my climate change, just my thoughts when you said that,
do you believe NASCAR would transform itself into electric vehicle racing?
One day? They'll have to? I mean, you know, you know,
I think NASCAR plans to be around for a long time.
A while of the race teams plan to be around
for a long time. And you see where the future
(20:02):
is going in in automobiles. Um, so it's happen. It's
happening now. Um you know, is it electric? Is it?
Is it? It's just something something that is even supercharge
as something that's more sustainable though, But and no, I wasn't.
I wasn't asking like higher level I was asking bare
(20:24):
bones you believe, well, electric cars because a lot of
what we do is driven by the O. E. M. S. Right,
And so if they're oh that that I said, but
I really just like I don't really think basically the
manufacturer of the vehicle, so so Chevallet and Ford and Toyota,
um or any other manufacturer that wants coming to NASCAR.
(20:45):
If they say, listen, electric vehicles is our future. That's
what we're gonna be building. We need to find a
path to introduce that to NASCAR. Then it's going to happen.
You know. I think there's already discussions about it. But
I think that what you're gonna see is similar to
what we've seen in Formula One. Yeah. Now there's an
all electric Formula Series out there right now, and what
(21:09):
they do is they swap cars. It's crazy. So they
start in one car and run that thing to the
batteries Outum, come in and get into another car. And
then now I heard that this year they're gonna have
one car with one battery. But it's all about managing
the power throughout the whole race. So like you might say, hey,
right now, I'm gonna use my battery to pass these
(21:32):
two cars ahead of me, but then I'm going to
have less later and right now I'm just talking about
the one car. But yeah, this series, it's called Formula
When they started, you had two cars because they couldn't
run long enough because it took so much because you speed. Exactly,
I have an electric car, so That's why I was asking, Yeah,
(21:53):
so what but what's gonna happen? I think and what
we've seen in Formula one where they introduce electric motor
just for boost, right, just for extra power, just to
help the car accelerate off the corner. And now you're
starting to see Ferraris and other cars that have pource.
Ferrari has this in it that makes the car actually
perform better. So you take a gas powered engine and
(22:14):
the electric power. I think that's what you're gonna see
NASCAR do initially. Whenever that time comes, they'll probably just
have some kind of electric motor and it might be
a boost to pass right too that you get to
use so much of it throughout the race. Maybe it
regeneralizes the extra you earn it like yeah, oh yeah,
(22:36):
yeah not fan vote or or you're like, hey you
gotta win two replays. Yeah, I mean there's some of that.
So I think it's gonna Now I will tell you this,
if we ever go all electric, the thing I'm going
to push the hardest for is that it's got to
make some kind of sound, right, like, like I don't
(22:57):
want to hear the hissing and whistling of of the
drive train or the electric motor winding up. Uh, there's
there's technology out there right now for electric vehicles. Um,
you know that make their own amplified sound. Just make
it sound cool whatever it is. You know, if Chevrolet
or Ford or Toyota says, okay, we're going on electric,
(23:19):
no problem. But man, give me some cool sounding thing
that that. When that car goes by, I'm like, I'm
not gonna say that's a v A. I'm gonna say
that's a kick ass sounding car. It just happens to
be electric. We have to take a break and the
morning anything, we gotta pay some bills. You got check.
(23:41):
I love cut to It and I love it even
more when you download us and subscribe, and you can
follow us on social media to Smithie where where at
that's at cut to It on Instagram? What about Twitter
at cut to It Facebook? Cut to It featuring Steve
Smith Senior, what about online? And you can follow us
(24:03):
at cut to It podcast dot com where you can
buy merch and you can subscribe to us wherever you
listen to podcasts. I got all my answers questions. Uh yeah,
I got all my questions answered. That's what I'm here
for a brother cut to a podcast dot com. Mr
Cheeks co founder of the legendary hip hop group Lost Boys.
(24:25):
He's also a solo artist with four albums of his own,
and he's a native of Jamaica, Queens, New York. Not
putting you on the spot of you know, downplaying these question,
no question for listening to wrap. Now, some some artists,
you can't tell between the course, hook, the hook, the bridge.
(24:51):
You can't. I don't. I can't separate its right, It's
like through the whole song and you it's not even
a real sixteen bars. No, it's like two bars. Mm hmm.
It's like the game got like remember you said three
(25:12):
verses in your records. Yeah, they don't do that no more.
They just try to get away with one verse and
slide on and it's like, what happened? Huh, They're they're
successfully doing it. They win it, Yeah, they win it
because niggas ain't got time that we listening to the
whole stories no more. Just like this now, niggas, what
(25:37):
the bag went? Everything is so fast? Next forgot about
what it is though, Like the game then changing so
far that they fed these niggas or they fed all
thiss like, uh, yeah, it's all about and the radio
stations don't even give you you know, you wait, are
you gonna wake up to them and take your kids
to school or whatever? Yeah, and nigga talking about I
(25:57):
don't even know. I don't want to throw it out
because I don't be really, I'll be here the record
on the way to show them the radio y'all joint
what they're doing. Man. But no, But I'm just different
in the game in the morning and they talk about
(26:18):
give me, I'm like, yo, let's get over there. But
it's just different, man on the game is not the
same man. I mean a lot of people that used
to really care about the game, the Xex and all
of that, they don't care no more. They care about YouTube,
light blue likes and all of that. It's not it's
not even about like talent, the more it's about lights
(26:39):
and ship like the chick that glue the head. If
this is coming out with a red niggers, get out
my flesh, man. I if these thigg just get this
this that got the blue tap to the head, y'all
wowing man. She But you know that's what happens because
it's fame that's how easy it is. Man. You back
(27:03):
in the days you had to work for. We made man,
We had to work for like when you no, I
worked for talking with y'all. Right now it's twenty I
put my first my first record out in five shoot
that in twenty one. I'm talking to mother Bucky Steve Smith,
nig Yes that big things. You already know that. You
know what I'm saying. That love to the shout out
(27:24):
said man, whatever, I'm cutting to it on, I'm cutting
to it. I think what you're saying is it's the longevity,
right like the Jays wrapping now's is still wrapping. They
have longevity. They're still have the storytelling, they still have
the history and the in and painting. How much of
(27:44):
the game right now is? I hear exactly what you're saying. Though.
The point is people are just taking advantage of that
fifteen minutes. Yeah, microwave generation and yeah, instant noodles. Because
(28:05):
but here's the thing, you though. Then they get and
I'm not gonna name a person, but they take four
years and they save up and they and they take
all their money and they get a diamond impressed in
their forehead. Oh man, we're just different ship. Yeah, it's different, right,
(28:29):
it's different. It's different. It's different. It's different. Uh. Man,
you know every time I've seen that, every time I
see the Homeboy with that in his head, now I
think about, you know, my man from the the the
when the superhero ship pull that out of his head
like the Avengers Vengers, like yo, that the Avenger joint
(28:53):
in his head. That's crazy because just putting a Venger
joints in their head, it's cool. I'm just I'm just
these gold teeth man smoke this league. The moral of
that story is, Man, it's his rock stars. You gotta
forgetta remember now. Hey. But here's the thing though, because
(29:14):
his rock stars don't don't leave no cabinet opening and
hit your phone ahead. Oh don't need no cabin opening. Yeah,
he's crazy than me. I love it. He giggled because
(29:34):
he didn left him even left the cabinet door open
and forgot it. But he don't have a comment in
the middle of his forehead. Oh goodness, what happened to
music videos? Man? I grew up watching jukebox, Oh man,
or the basement. You're on TV jams? Yeah? What? Why?
Why are music videos gone with them shows at right? Yeah,
(29:57):
well yeah, I don't know what those shows are either.
But why what why you used to make a song.
When you did a song, you had to follow up
with a music video because if your music video, sometimes
the music video would show your actual song. That's how people,
that's how Yeah, Like so how how has it? I mean,
(30:22):
if you don't mind breaking it down, like just really
how the game has changed? The money? The money? Like
cause because everyone thinks every rapper that has made it
has that bag, and that's the case. There's a lot.
I mean, you look at Tony Braxton, you look at
(30:43):
some of these some of these artists who's who have
had multiple albums who later come out and they say, hey,
a bad contract or the or the deal was not
what I thought it was. Um then you and then
you hear some were getting the yeah, and you hear
some people they're talking about how you know going on
(31:05):
tours the way you make your money. I just I
just want to know, like how is it changing, how
you know for the good and the bad or and
why is all this stuff everybody thinks like like football,
there's fifty three guys on the roster, but they're really
only about twelve guys making bookoo. Then then the other
forties something of them. Uh, they don't all right, you
(31:26):
know they're they're they're doctors and lawyers, but but they
they aren't multimillionaires that people assume they are. Now when
nig is is, it's a different game, brother, Know what
I'm saying, Like we were in the game, we have
(31:47):
to go to labels and get dells and fight boom
and you know, now, like I said, it's like it's
just giving out the money right now, whatever sticks to
the wall bang. You know, That's how I look at
I ain't even mad at saying this. But when you
say they're giving the money, you know, not money, not
using yourself as an example, but now you can use
(32:09):
me an example. I'm saying that mistakes. No, No, I know,
I'm just talking about as far as like, what's what
is you're saying they're giving money away? What's a lucrative
deal that that you're hearing that that's out there? Oh,
they're lucrative deal. They got the three sixties going on?
You feel me? No, I don't know what's explained explain
to us with you asked me, I'll feeling you I
don't they're taking all your show money. They're give you
(32:33):
the biggest shows because they're taking some of that money.
I mean, this is what it is. They give you
budgets because they're geting their money at the see what
the rectors do? You know, like like it always been,
but I really ain't been in the industry, so I
ain't really been in the game. Like I'm on label
and all that. I know my own little routes that
I'm taking the way to sell records and all of that.
So it's like I'm I can explain. I really like
(32:56):
when they're giving out these deals now three sixty, when
they see three sixty, like I said, they're taking most
of them. It's really like not like you're good. It's
not like everything. It's like when you do shows, you
don't you don't give you a label, the money, you
know what I'm saying. When you do you sell the
merchandise you don't get. Don't get that money, I mean
yours that's supposed to be you all day. But now
(33:19):
they got Like I said, you might have to talk
somebody else I know about the really to the three sexy,
But like I said, I'm mean, I am in the
game and about what the industry, industry, you know what
I'm saying. I've been to my own runs doing my
own thing, mown still popping in, but they ain't really
like with a label and all of that song with
my own label and my own you know, my own
(33:40):
back and since when we's doing it. So but it's
just like, Yo, the game is just mad different, man.
I can't really explain it because I ain't really playing
that game with them no more, you know. But like
I said, on what you say, would you say that
guys are in the rap game right now? Not everybody?
You know. You're not talking about the Drakes, We're not
(34:01):
talking about the Kendrick of Mars. You're not talking about
the big guys. We're talking about the middle of the
road guys. Right they're looking apart, but it doesn't always
equal up to the park fast fast. That's a lot
of line going on, a lot of front, a lot
of bullshit, a lot of cloud chasing. We get it,
we get it, but sometimes you gotta take it to
(34:21):
make it. You know. That's so how long based off
what you've experienced, guys that you you hung around with,
the guys that you've seen or you've battled up against that,
you realize even back then there was cloud chasing, but
in the end they lost, Like how well what you know?
(34:42):
And the reason I say that is in not naming
no I got. I got exactly what you're saying, because
we're spending money on their trash, sass and music in
front like they bowling, and the records need selling, so
then they ain't really getting the bag and spending the
bag that they got from the whatever they got it from.
So I don't know, you know what I'm saying, Like
niggas confront all day. They give me on the down
(35:04):
and I'm a front hard body. Do what I do
with my record don't sell and then ship don't really
pop off. I mean the excightening is popping, you know
what I'm saying. If I actually making it happen to
get that money back, I mean, it was all worth nothing,
you know what I'm saying. Like you see what I'm saying,
Like a nigga loan meeds some money to do what
I gotta do, but I don't. I don't come through
from him giving me that money. But I was frightened,
(35:25):
like I was having it and doing it like bing,
but it being and then he really turned out that way.
Now I'm sitting on I'm sitting on the shelf looking crazy, right,
you understand I'm saying, so that be from with the bag.
I don't know. I can't really talk for that nigger,
you know, I just doing that ship. Yeah, it's just
every there's so much music out there. Yeah, it's really
(35:49):
hard to know who's successful and who's nothing. And I
was gonna say that now, the way that you consume,
in the way that it's put out like this, the
whole streaming platforms, it's it's a lot to choose from.
But then I think also what both of y'all are
saying is it seems like that's changed the game too,
like the stream and be good or bad for for
the music industry. Like you said, it's like it's both ways. Man.
(36:13):
You know, it's good. That's good for me. I'm old
nailing Tony what they got, the tunes, they got, the Spotify,
you know, we use all of that. But yeah, I
guess it's good. But then it's also bad because god damn, man,
you get anybody can sell a record, kid, you know,
(36:36):
I don't know, man, I don't know, I don't know
real like music that be hating Niggs music. I'm asking,
I'm not want you, I'm not I'm asking because you
just going back in the day, first of all, get
popped upside the head if you want to more than
(36:56):
one jukebox. Uh was that like the mail thing? No
jukebox was back in the day. Juke box for for
Cali dudes, was you watch television and you can for
ninety nine or feels a feature, you call in and
you request the box that music video or that song,
(37:19):
right yeah, And that's how they do it now. With streaming,
you just you just downloaded, you pay or whatever the
case may be, and you can download whatever you want.
And if it's a feature and it just comes out,
you can download it early, you know, pay for it.
(37:41):
And I just and I just see that things are different.
They And so being an old school cat, you that
have had a number of rectors, when somebody downloads it yours,
you get the residual, but you capture back in the day,
you were able to capture that information. Right now, it
seems like the it seems like it's harder to understand
(38:06):
how they capture it because it's so much well that
twenty a month, I can get I can download as
much as I want. You got peloton, right, I get
on the peloton. I'm I'm running whatever. Right. It just
seems it just seems as music has still stayed the
(38:29):
same with expression, the way you can consume it around
the world is different, right, It's all the strange, man.
And and the question becomes what is the cost of
a stream? And that's a that's an open ended question,
but it goes it goes back to from an artist's perspective,
like Mr Cheesus talking about like I'm sure you you
knew back in the day. Alright, I'm selling the CD.
(38:51):
I get it, I get a cut of the c D.
But now it is it is very different in in
the means of the streaming has just changed the way
that people can hom and the way the people purchase. Yes,
it's a crazy game, brothers. You know, um I remember
I just remember, like when you can buy an album,
Remember you can buy an album, really enjoy an album.
(39:14):
I'm saying, no, fact, you're don't fast forward no records.
Those Yeah, it's a lost there's a lot of lost, man,
But it's still out there though. Don't get it twisted
because there's some good artists that's still got albums out,
Like you know, she Loom got a new album out.
She looke um uh froyd Fluss has got his underground
(39:36):
should I love so much? You know what I'm saying
that I saw, I just want to shut shout that up.
Shout those outum. None of the underground still is as
prominent as it is. The prop is coming back, man,
I mean, like you know, Severny Timess like a several
of the things that go down and is on his
way back the boom back a stuff. Yeah, yo U
(39:59):
check this out, my man. You know, Brucy b You're
the original, you know from Wild Style and all that
Buc I mean not Brucy Busy be Busy be he
gotta wreck it out right now that they really paying
attention to it. But it's so hard, you know what
I'm saying. It's like it's like we don't really pay
attention to all, like you know what I'm saying, music
(40:19):
like we usual because it's not really out there too
for us to get or to hear because they're so
flooded with everything else right now. You know what I'm saying,
it's like look away from the realhood. There were the
classic ways of making music and really putting the network
and some tracks from Pete Rocking. You know what I'm saying, like,
oh man, oh ship. But I don't mean to jumble
(40:42):
of the course, but yeah, I missed music like that,
and uh, it's on his way back. Don't trust me that.
I mean like when you were when you were growing
up talking about music on this way back? The East
Coast versus West Coast? How thick and legitimate was the
East Coast versus West Coast beef? How dick was it? Yeah?
(41:03):
Because you know sometimes people be like it wasn't legit.
It was just awful. It was all authentic. Yes, it
was just all for It was all for show. It
was an awful show because two niggas died, right man,
that ship wasn't no show. Chip is real. But it
was a real beef. I mean it wasn't. It wasn't
really like no Willie I would beef me. But we
(41:26):
was back in biggie because he was on the East
Coast and niggas that was with Topap was backing pop
over them me. But you know the let me tell
you the beauty. The beautiful thing about that East Coast
West Coast beef Me and the motherfucking Dog Pound shot
music made me how remix al in l a together
East Coast West Coast while that beef was going on him.
I'm saying, So it wasn't really like it was like
(41:49):
Diddi and show ship and a lot of people got
caught between that ship. You know what I'm saying. I mean,
I'm not saying it like that, but I'm saying what
you're saying that life was man's alid of other ship,
not the main characters. They didn't tupac beef. They had
the music going on, but other elements came about, you know.
But it seemed like because of the beef that the
(42:12):
realness and the hard work. East Coast tried to outwork
West Coast, West Coast tried to outwork. Yeah, the music
was so direct but also so original, so creative, because
whatever you came out with, then that side of the
coast had to come back, come back to something more substance,
(42:35):
and then and then it burned for more because like
like Mr. Chicks is saying too, like I think they
were able to merge them in the Dog Pound were
able to merge, and then later on then you got
the South riseing the right like you got you got
outcasts into the even having that, but still you're able
to birth other projects in other places from the country,
able to to bring about good music as well. That's
(42:57):
a fact me. Look at that like like when he
goes West, goes beef and motherfucking a t Aliens game
and yeah, I'm from remember all of that. Mr. Oh yeah,
(43:20):
miss Jackson, I think it's about that time. Just take
a little breather. Good, do it, good do. Let's get
down to do it good. Hey Gerard, why did you
get that T shirt? You mean this thing? Oh yes,
(43:42):
I got it from cut to a podcast dot com
where we have exclusive merchandise. Shout out to our guys
at seven or fourth shot. But yeah, you can go on,
buy you a T shirt, subscribe to us wherever you
listen to podcasts. Muggsy Bows. He's not just the shortest
player to ever play in the NBA. He's a fourteen
year veteran, most not to be with the Charlotte Hornets,
first time all a cec A Wake Forest and overall
(44:05):
great and iconic legend in the NBA. Let's talk ball
and again you were the chough overall pick with the
Washington Bullets. Then you were traded a year later. When
you were drafted, you had dreams and goals and aspirations.
At what point in your career of your first year
(44:27):
that you that you realized that there were some goals
and aspirations that were just kid dreams and then you
realize that you know, you have an opportunity to do
something that you've they dreamed, dreamed about, you know, fantasized
about that it was really in your grasp to to do.
(44:50):
M hmm, well, I think you know, my first year
with the Bullets, you know, you come there with a
lot of expectations, a lot of old You know, you're
being drafted. You want to be the rookie of the year.
You want to make sure that you know you you'm
on the top amongst still you want to make you know,
you just have certain personal goals that you know that
(45:13):
you're set for yourself, because those are the things that
you know your capable doing. Um. Of course. Um. During
the middle of during the course of the season, we
had a coaching change, and that kind of change a
little bit of some of my playing time UM and
the way they was, the style of playholl they wanted
to play. And then I realized, you know, it may
(45:37):
not happen this year with the some of the goals
that I had, you know, floating in my head. But
at the same time, you know, you're you. You can't
lose that confidence within yourself because you know, once that happened,
you know that that that that really takes control of
you know, all your you know, your body, for your
(45:57):
your your your the way you play, the way you
act and all that stuff. So the confidence always stayed
at the forefront. It was just a matter of waiting
for the right opportunity to get to showcase it. And
I knew, Um, during the end of the first year
with the Bullets, things were starting to change, you know,
(46:20):
things were starting to kind of, you know, not be
the way I had a envisioned. UM. Then we go
into the playoffs and then my my minutes has cut
a little more UM during the playoff and I kind of,
you know, start to wondering what was going on. But
again after we take you know, Detroit the five games,
(46:41):
that's where it was the best out of five man
after the meeting, I felt like, you know, things were
still good. You know, things was good after we had
that exit meeting. But then again now in hindsight knowing
that it wasn't it was just you know, for what
they were saying. You know, I just it just kind
of message here a little bit. But I never lost
(47:02):
my confidence though. It was just a matter I waiting
for that right opportunity. And then even coming down here
in Charlotte, you know, still faced with the same situation
with Dick Harder, you know, being you know, not believing
in a small god. Yeah, still had that hang up
on I need a taller, bigger God. And you know,
(47:23):
one one incident, he actually went in George Shen's office
and you know this was George and George that Toby.
He actually went in George Shen's office. Uh. And you
know George Shan he's not taught himself. You know, George
ain't about five five five six himself. So the coach
happened to go into the office and he gets down
(47:45):
on his knees and put his arms up to George
shenn and say, George, this is what I'm facing with
every night when I played Muggy and George George Shan
kind of looked at him and like, really, he actually,
you're gonna you know what you need and you get
this to me in front of me about Margre and
(48:05):
Lord knows, of course we was in San Antonio. Of
course Dick hardly got fired right afterwards, and and then
when Jane let Us took over, then that's when, you know,
that's when I started really you know, excellent and become,
you know, the player that I wanted to become. Did
you have any superstitions why you were playing? No, I
(48:30):
didn't really have any superstitions. You know a lot of guys,
some guys had superstitions. For me, it wasn't. I ain't
had no rituals that I did. And uh, because everything
kind of came spontaneous for me, you know. But always,
of course I got to the game at the right time,
always got to the game at a certain time, and
(48:51):
always kind of had a little routine where I stayed
in the locker room and make sure that I ain't
come out the locker room until six fift team, you know,
to do my little warm ups because I knew that
the little kids and everybody was going to be out
there lined up, and I want to make sure that
I get the opportunity to make sure I agree them
to go shoot and then come on back before the
(49:12):
six thirty, you know, for the time to go out
for six thirties. So that was the only rich you know,
I was done a thing, I really did. I ain't
had no uh no particular rituals that I did. Do
you believe the game has changed? And if so, how
has it changed or this destinitely has changed and you
know what and and honestly, I kind of like the
(49:37):
way the game is and every era has it's it's
it's way of a way of play. You know, even
back in the sixties and the seventies, you know, those
guys are more of a it was a slow paced
type of game, more cutting, um, more passing. You know,
the game has evolved so much. You know, back in
(49:58):
my you know, in the eighties and and you know,
we had guys you know, they are seven ftags. You know,
they played with their back towards the basket. You know,
today's game, we got the seven ft of you know,
they're facing the basket, bring the ball up the court.
And you know, the emphasis on the three point shot
is a lot more um. You got a lot more.
The court is spread open a lot than what it
(50:21):
was for us. You know, it was more packed it
in where the guys could camp in the lane a
lot um. We can hand check. It was a more
physical when we play. You know, it's not as physical
as to day, but you know that that's all have
to do with the scoring, you know, the excitement of
the game, the fast pace of the game, and so
you get to see, you know, the skill sets of
the players, you know, which is what's remarkable today. You know,
(50:45):
seeing a guy like Lebron, you know, in the seventeen
years still being able to you know, put up the
numbers that he's able to do and still be productive.
I mean, the game has changed and allow these guys
to play a lot longer, I should say today we
always you know you hear this debate now, especially me
(51:07):
being in the media, and do you hear this goat debate?
You know why why has this topic of discussion come
up so much? I have no I have no ideas, man,
I really don't, man, because you know you're talking about
the goat. The goat, I mean, everybody played the game
(51:29):
and impacted, you know, totally different. You look at it
Woke Chamberlin and Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul Jabal and Magic,
Magic is my guy, you know, Magic and you know
and the m J and Lebront. But the thing about
what I said about all this is that when I
look at a player and athlete and the only guy
(51:54):
that I see as polished as he was and had
no deficiency in his game was m Jack. And that's
the that's the that's where it separates from because when
you got the fundamental aspect of the game and then
the athletic ability, but to the point of where you
(52:17):
know you can it's off the charge with his athletic ability.
I mean, it was breathtaking to see it. And it
wasn't that he did it on one another court. He
did it on both ends of the court. You know.
It's nine time defensive champion as well as in the
thing and the killer us think that he had. But
just the bottom line, just you know, it's just that
(52:39):
you know, everybody, every player has some sort of deficiency
in the game. Every player, every player has some sort
even you know, I'm taking me from Lebron and he
called everybody has some sort of deficience. M J was
the only guy that was able to perfect his deficity
that he had when he first came into and that
(53:01):
was just just shooting a little bit to where he
increased it to the range that where it was three points.
And then once that happened, it was, you know, it
was no way you can stop six rings after that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
that day. But you know, people don't understand that's the
way he the way MJ had that killer in Snake,
(53:21):
it was like, you know, you knew two members gonna
try to stop when he was able to create space
and still make that play, you know, and he never
shot away from making that play. And that's the thing
that stands out about him and reminisced with a lot
of guys because you know, you look at Lebron, Lebron
will make a play, you know, and sometimes he were
(53:44):
shot away from that moment, and you know, and it's
another there's nothing knock on him and just he looking
at the game the way he said and how he
feels like, you know, he can impact it in my time.
It might be a pass, it might be a shot,
who knows, you know, but MJ, you always knew it
was gonna be a shot and less three three three
(54:06):
four came a double team and he kicking out the
Steve to make the shot. But other than that, you know,
all of them to go for me. Man, they all
and the goot stuff is kind of crazy. You know,
they're always some heck of a basketball players and you
know they all kind of within their own right, the
best at it. You are a unique person, You are
(54:29):
well worth it. You are competent and most of all,
your lovable. I'm Steve Smith Senior, I'm Little John and
this is cut to It. Cut to It with Steve
Smith Senior. That is Me is a production of Cut
to It, LLC, Paul Told Creative Media, The Black Effect,
(54:52):
and I Heart Radio. For more podcast from my Heart Radio,
visit the I Heart Radio Apple Apple podcast O wherever
you listen to your favorite shows from Cut to It.
Executive producer Steve Smith, singer co host Gerard Little John,
talent in booking manager Joe Fusci, Social media team Wesley
(55:13):
Robinson and John Show from Balto Creative Media. Cut to
It is produced by Brian Baltaschevic and Meredith Carter, with
production assistance by Alex Lebrec. Production coordinator Taylor Robinson. Theme
music by Alex Johnson, lyrics and vocals by Anthony Hamilton.
If you ain't heard about it, then we're about to
(55:34):
let you now. It's all
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