June 11, 2025 • 45 mins
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver shares that NBA expansion will be looked at this summer and breaks down finding out that Michael Jordan will be a special contributor to NBC's NBA coverage next season. Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee previews the U.S. Open and places Scottie Scheffler in a class of his own. And former NFL QB Chris Simms gives his top 4 NFL QB list and breaks down which QB will be facing the most pressure this season.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
You are listening to the Dan Patrick Show on Fox
Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Let's bringing the Commissioner Adam Silver joining us on the program.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Do you have business cards?
Speaker 4 (00:10):
Me?
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Yeah, hold on, wait what should say?
Speaker 5 (00:15):
It says National Basketball Association Adam Silver, commissioner, the whole
phone numbers and an address.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Okay, how often do you hand those outs?
Speaker 5 (00:23):
You know, it's so funny when I give them to
younger people, they go like this. But our generation still
likes business cards. So I still carry them or I
got a I had about a thousand printed, I think
when I became commissioners, so I'm going.
Speaker 6 (00:37):
To use them up.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
You should just hand them out, autograph them. You know,
collectors items are impressed.
Speaker 6 (00:43):
You gotta impressed. I had them in my pocket.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
That's impressed and rehearsed this.
Speaker 7 (00:47):
I know.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
That's impressive. You were at the University of Chicago, what
late eighties?
Speaker 6 (00:53):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Okay, do you remember your first Jordan Bulls game when
you were in school?
Speaker 5 (00:58):
I do, because so I got to I went to
law school at University of Chicago. I got there in
nineteen eighty five, and at that time, we could just
go down to the I mean, you just bought tickets
at you know, literally at the ticket window at game time.
I mean, you know, I had gone to Duke, so
I knew Michael from North Carolina. I mean not he
(01:20):
wasn't secret, but they weren't selling out all the games
back then. I mean it was you know, people forget it.
It was several years before he won his first championship.
I mean, he was great, but it wasn't the Michael
Jordan that he turned into.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
When do you remember when it was more than just
a basketball game?
Speaker 6 (01:37):
Not?
Speaker 5 (01:38):
Well, I was, well, I remember there was an All
Star game in Chicago, so it would have been I
don't know, it was like eighty seven or something.
Speaker 6 (01:47):
I remember that.
Speaker 5 (01:47):
What was the year when he went to the game,
eighty eighty Yeah, okay, so that you know, I think
that transformed I think him into this global icon in
a way. I just think that that iconic shot I
can picture of him flying through the air. I remember,
you know, I did not have great seats, but I
remember I was in the arena when he did that,
and I just remember that that was transformational.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I think, how involved were you with NBC bringing in
Michael Jordan?
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Not at all?
Speaker 5 (02:17):
You mean, just now they're just this announcement they're bringing
them back now. I mean they told me they were
going to try and I said, good luck. I didn't
honestly didn't think he was going to do it.
Speaker 6 (02:27):
You know.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
It took us, as you know, decades to convince him
to do the documentary, you know, the Last Dance, which
came out during the pandemic and ended up still I
think it's one of them, you know, widely viewed on Netflix.
But he didn't you know, he didn't want to do
that for a long time. We had the footage, and
I know there were other inquiries over the years, and
(02:48):
I think he, for whatever reason, he was ready to
do it.
Speaker 6 (02:51):
Now. I think he.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
Has, of course, incredibly fond memories of NBC. I don't
think that's lost on anyone he has. You know, as
you well know, some of the very same people are there,
people like John Miller, who he had a relationship from
back all those years ago. You know, Mark Lazarus was
still you know, they are just switched over to the
(03:12):
other side of the operation. But you know, so I
think like he had those relationships and again I didn't
discourage them, but I was surprised he said, yes.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yeah, still trying to figure out what his role is
going to be. Now do you follow up? Do you
want Are you curious about what role Jordan is going
to play with the upcoming camp?
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (03:33):
No, I you know, well, I you know, I didn't
know in advance, but that you know, they told me
what their idea was for him in that role, and
I think that they're still working through that. I think that,
you know, I spoke to Michael about it. I mean,
he's he's excited about it. I think for him, it
means he's got to stay current with the game. Obviously
(03:53):
he's he's a small owner still in Charlotte, but he
he's so passionate about it. I mean, we talked about
it all the time. I mean, he you know, he
wants the game to be played the right way.
Speaker 6 (04:04):
He he he.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
You know, he's still got a huge business around the
game with the Jordan brand. But I think more importantly,
he watches a lot of basketball and and you know,
he knows it's it's what defines him still and so
I think fans are going to enjoy hearing his his take,
you know, on on the modern League. I think one
of the things that I'm excited about in terms of
(04:28):
NBC coming back, and this goes back to the Dick
eversol days. You know, is that I remember that sign
behind Dick's death that said storytelling. I mean, I think
they're still some of the best edit you know, and
I think telling stories around the game, I mean even
right now. I mean that's sort of this narrative out
there about small markets whatever else. I mean, you know,
incredible stories around Shay and you know, and Tyres and
(04:52):
Pascal Siakam. I mean, I my job too. You you know,
we first met when I was at MBA Entertainment. But
to tell those stories to fans, I think that's what
draws them in. I mean, there's the lovers of pure basketball,
and I think the basketball is fantastic, but you also
have to show how multi dimensional these players are, and
you know, explain to them the storylines, the conflict on
(05:14):
the floor. And nobody does that better than NBC.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
You talked about Michael staying current. There are times when
Charles may not know who's even playing in a game
that he's watching. Now, it's funny to us, but you're
the commissioner and this is your lead broadcast team or
studio show. How does that kind of settle with you.
When Charles may not even know who he's talking about, well.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
That may be a little extreme.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
I mean I'm down there a fair amount at their
studio Atlanta.
Speaker 6 (05:47):
I mean, he's watching the games.
Speaker 5 (05:48):
I mean they made a decision to take an entertainment
route with that studio show. I mean, I think ESPN
was always about more hardcore. Well maybe NBC was somewhere
in the middle in the old days. But it's an
entertainment show and he's entertaining and fans seem to love it.
Speaker 6 (06:10):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:10):
Sometimes he's a bit of the crazy uncle, I think.
But even when he's I think there's a difference when
putting aside, you know, how focused he is on the game.
My sense always when Charles is critical, it is a
little bit like your uncle at the Thanksgiving table being critical.
It's like there's no doubt it comes from a place
of love.
Speaker 6 (06:30):
You know. I don't feel the same way about some
of the other.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
Commentators, and I think it's just it's you know, Charles
found a lane and he does it well, and it'll
be interesting to see how that converts. As you know,
they're now bringing that studio show to ESPN and ABC
next year. Yeah, I think, you know, we'll see how
that works out. I mean, I you know, I love
(06:54):
the fact that those guys are still going to be
involved in our telecast, but you know, I'm not sure
whether it will be produced differently for them, or there'll
be a different expectation from ESPN and ABC fans or
watchers that maybe what people are seeing late at night
on TNT.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
He's the commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver. You know,
everybody gets caught up in ratings and I just say,
either watch it or not, you know, But the role
that social media plays on your priority list because this
is a global game and people may not watch the game,
but they're watching those clips. You know, you're getting views there.
(07:30):
But as the commissioner, you got to, you know, pay
homage to the networks. But where does social media rank
on your priority list?
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Social media is high on our priority list. I mean,
first of all, we've had something like a billion view
so far globally on social media since the finals have started.
But also to get back to your ratings point, I
think what gets lost sometimes is just like social media
is global, so are the telecasts of our games. And
I understand people wanting to talk about our domestic ratings
(08:04):
and the extent that the ratings are down, that's a storyline,
or they're up, there's a storyline. And there is a
correlation between market size more than I'm happy about.
Speaker 6 (08:14):
You know.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
I was listening to Aaron Rodgers yesterday and he was
talking about now becoming a Stealer, and he was saying, now,
I've played for two of the most storied franchises, the
Packers and the Steelers. But nobody stopped them to say, oh,
those are small markets. And so maybe I'm jealous in
a way from the NFL that that's never you know,
Steelers and Packers. The storyline is, it's unimaginable. It would
(08:36):
be can you believe two small markets they're meeting in
the Super Bowl this year it's two storied franchises. And
in the NBA, I think because there was so much
outsize success of certain franchises over the first several decades
of the league. I mean, the statistic is roughly over
the first sixty five years of the league, three teams
(08:56):
won sixty percent of the championships, and so it's understandable
that Lakers Celtics Bowls still globally have these huge followings
because it gets almost passed on generationally, and to make
ourselves more like the NFL, I think we're moving in
that direction where we have a system now where Oklahoma
City and the Indianapolis can compete in the same way
(09:20):
that larger markets can because of a cap system and
tax and all that stuff. So it's going to take
us a while to get there, but I understand why
ratings are part of the story. Now, the last part
I'll say about social media. I do think something we'reth
thinking a lot more about and getting more sophisticated about,
is how do you translate social media into a desire
(09:41):
to watch live games. I'll give you just one example.
I think we may even talked about it. Last time
I was on Victor wembin Yama was in New York
playing on Christmas and then played in Brooklyn a few
days later, so he was staying in New York around
that time.
Speaker 6 (09:56):
He's a chess player.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
He went to Washington Square Park chess in the rain
for forty five minutes. Within five days, one hundred million
people had viewed him playing chess. And it was just anecdotally.
Anyone I would ask because It was also on a
lot of the morning shows. I said, do you see Victory,
Oh yeah, that was the guy from France.
Speaker 6 (10:14):
He played.
Speaker 5 (10:15):
Now the question is seeing that he also plays chess,
and he's, by definition you could say, a multi dimensional guy.
There's far more to him than ball playing. He speaks
multiple languages, even the fact that he's you know, grew
up outside of Paris, et cetera. How do we as
the league use that to bring people to the set
(10:36):
to watch live games? Because I would say, looking back,
we've gotten distracted at times and forgotten sort of or
I've forgotten that My core responsibility is to get more
people to be passionate about NBA basketball and watch our games.
That's what sustains our business. I mean, of course ticket sales.
But ticket sales are as high as they've been in
(10:58):
the history of the league, and there's not a lot
more room to grow because our buildings are roughly ninety
five percent full. We have a global following, so there's
enormous opportunity both through social media, but where the real
value comes is from people watching live games. So I
think we can do a better job using social media
to bring people to the set to say tonight eight
(11:18):
thirty ABC. You know, game three, tune in and to
be more sophisticated about understanding is it would people rather
see more about Shay Gilgess, Alexander's background, growing up in Canada,
et cetera. What are the things he loves or do
they want to see him, you know, working out what
(11:38):
aspects of him are going to cause people to be
more likely to be interested in watching the game tonight.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Why does the All Star Game have to be competitive?
Speaker 5 (11:49):
It's an interesting question because again I was just talking
about how how jealousyam of aspects of the NFL. The
Pro Bowl at this point is flag football, and I
think that fans that seem to accept that it gets
a good rating, and nobody suggests that that's indicative of
a lack of desire or passion by NFL players for
(12:10):
whatever reason. In the case in the NBA, when we've
tried other things and thought, all right, we'll go more
entertainment route or whatever else, the reaction is, I can't
believe your players aren't giving their all for an All
Star Game, or at least maybe they don't expect them
to play like they would in the playoffs, but they're
expecting a competitive game, and so that's fair. Then we
(12:30):
have to respond to that, and I haven't been successful
frankly in the last few years. We tried some new
things in San Francisco. I mean part of it was
there was a format issue. There was a huge stoppage
of play in the final. You know, we had this
round robin where you know, there was a celebration around Turner,
which they deserve, but.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
I think the game lost to all its momentum.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
So something you've talked a lot about historically is this
USA World concept. And obviously so I watch what other
sports are doing. The NHL had great success with the
Fur Nation face off. So we're looking now for next year.
We'll be in LA we'll be into a dome where
the Olympics are going to take place in twenty eight
and we're going to be on NBC back to NBC
(13:12):
for the All Star Game, and we're going to be
smack in the middle of winter Olympic coverage. So ever
a time to move to USA World, it's now. What
we're toying with now and working with Andrea Gudala at
the Players Association, is what's the right format Because I
don't I think straight up USA World probably won't work
because although the number of international players is growing and
(13:35):
it's roughly thirty percent of our league right now, it
wouldn't be fair to pick the All Star seventy percent
as one team thirty percents of the other. So I
think we're again playing off what the NHL did. Maybe
there's there's multiple teams, maybe there's more than one USA team,
but we can achieve that concept and I think create
a sense of nationalism around it and again feel like
(13:56):
we belong sort of on the Sunday where it's otherwise
Olympic coverage. So I'm hopeful that we can create something
more competitive there.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Do you have your wish list of expansion like the
cities right now.
Speaker 6 (14:11):
There's cities we're thinking about.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
How many cities would you say are on that wish list?
Speaker 5 (14:16):
Well, let me begin by saying it it's not obvious
to me we should expand. I think it's likely over
time we will. And the reason I say it's not
obvious is because as a global business, you know where
something like two billion people will connect with us on
social media, over a billion people over the course of
the year.
Speaker 6 (14:36):
We'll watch some portion of the game.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Adding another US city, arguably it's unclear how much growth
will get as a result of that. And when you're
adding expansion franchises, you're deluding their competition. Two more Let's
say we expand my two teams, two more teams that
you know are going to be competing for those same players,
and you're deluting your economics. The extent we have locked
(15:00):
in television money now for the next decade, you have
two more partners. Having said that, I do believe certain
markets potentially can be additive to the NBA, and that's
what we're going to look at. And I think part
of it is geographic. It's a big country, you know,
making sure we're represented, you know, all around the country,
and then over time, maybe there's more we can do
(15:20):
in Canada and Mexico City is a city we've talked
about before.
Speaker 6 (15:25):
You know.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
I don't want to say specific cities today, just because
many have reached out to us to say they're interested.
I and our reaction so far has been thank you
for your interest. We haven't taken any meetings with any cities.
We have a board meeting in Las Vegas around the
summer League in July. I know we're going to be
talking about it.
Speaker 6 (15:43):
Then.
Speaker 5 (15:43):
I had been saying for the last several years, let
us get through collective bargaining, which we did, let us
figure out our new media relationships, which we have, and
that would be the time to consider it seriously.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
So that's what we're going to do this summer.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
But I'm retiring in three years, Commissioner, will what I'm
retiring in three years? Will we have expansion in three years?
Speaker 6 (16:04):
I'm honestly not sure.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
I okay, I whether if, even if we were to
announce we're engaged in a process, it's not clear to
me at what moment they would start playing. But look this,
I don't mean to tease people with this. This is
the summer we're gonna look at it seriously.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
I thought you'd be a little more emotional about my retirement.
I mean, it's kind of blue right past that.
Speaker 6 (16:25):
You're like Michael Jordan, you've retired before.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
I'm not coming real yet, I'm not coming. I'm not
gonna play baseball, just gonna let you know. I'm not
gonna let you. But hey, thanks for joining us, have
fun tonight and thanks again.
Speaker 6 (16:40):
Yeah, thanks Dan.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
That's Adam Silver NBA Commissioner.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
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Speaker 2 (17:52):
US Open Live on NBC, USA Network and Peacock. The
world's best golfers taking on one of the toughest golf
courses in the world, Oakmont Country Club US Open starts
Thursday on USA, NBC and Peacock. Part of the broadcast
team Randall Chamblee Golf Channel, Leeds Studio analyst joining us
(18:14):
from Pittsburgh. The course just outside of downtown Pittsburgh. I've
been describing Oakmont. I played there, I think in two
thousand and seven, and they had cleared out the trees
and I just remember I wanted that round to end,
wish that. I wish that the golf course was like
thirteen holes, although I got to eighteen and I loved it,
(18:37):
but I got roughed up. It's not for the meek there.
What's your handicap and what would you shoot on that course?
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Right now?
Speaker 4 (18:46):
I'm a plus three. If I played from the tips,
I probably shoot eighty. Okay, skoy shefl I think is
a plus eleven or twelve. I think I saw recently
something like that. Yeah, yeah, I have no doubt if
I played from the tips. It's not that long. It's
only like seven three hundred yards long, and most of
(19:07):
that is in two really long par threes in a
six hundred and fifty yard par five. It's not that
long's it's just I liken it to Augusta National with
five inch rough. You know, the fairways are slopey like
Augusta National. The greens are diabolical like Augusta National. But
imagine playing Augusta National with five inch rough and by
(19:29):
the way, twenty five yard thirty yard wide fairways. Augusta
National has four wider fairways than that.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Yeah, you can blast it at Augusta, but here like it.
You have to put it in the fairway.
Speaker 6 (19:40):
You do it.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
You know, you go back and look at the winters here,
and I mean it. It is an absolute, stellar driver,
stellar list of winners with only one exception. We don't
exactly have the data on Sam Parks in nineteen thirty five.
Every other winner is a is a god.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
And you know one thing when you get to these,
certainly a US Open course is don't make double bogies
like you're gonna make bogies, just don't compound it by going,
you know what, I think I could get out of
this rough exactly.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
You know, I think Dustin made one double and route
to winning there in twenty sixteen, on Hill didn't make
any And again you go back and look, and I
mean every one of these guys from Dustin to on
Hill to Ernie El's to Larry Nelson, and that's as
far back as we have Dad in nineteen eighty three,
they were all first in greens and regulation or you
know second, I mean they were right there. So it's
(20:38):
very much a control golf course. But obviously it helps
from a control standpoint if you're coming in with shorter irons,
So it tests everything.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Are we to the point where it's Scotty Scheffler versus
the field? Have we graduated into the Tiger category?
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (20:54):
And even at Tiger's best though he only won what
thirty forty percent of the time, so the odds were
always in favor of the field. But you wouldn't pick
any one, two, three, or four or five players collectively
to beat Scotty Scheffler, nor would you do it to
beat tiger Woods. You know, the guys that challenged Tiger
Woods were usually the sort of the middle of the
(21:15):
road kind of guys that weren't psychologically invested in it.
I wouldn't pick any other three or four or five
players as a group to beat Scotty Scheffler this week.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Okay, So if I gave you Deshamba, Rory rom Schoffley,
and Colin Morrikowwa, that's a great group, and I took Scheffler,
or you took Scheffler and I took those guys.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Yeah, let's do that for fun.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
You're taking Scotty and I got the gut.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Okay, Yeah, let's do that for fun. I think that'd
be a fun bat. I think that's the only way
you would have a fifty to fifty chance to beat
Scotty this week. Of course, he could get hugely unlucky somewhere.
He could end up under a lip or a bank
and make a seven or eight. That's how crazy this
course is. But it's it's unrealistic to think that those
other players aren't going to have a train wreck somewhere
along the line. Scotty is I mean, this could be
(22:05):
his two thousand US Open. He could win by double digits.
He really could. Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
I was watching the broadcast last night by the Way
Golf channel, Rich Lerners the host. It is great, you
guys do a wonderful John.
Speaker 6 (22:20):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Rich is amazing.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
And what stood out was your comments about Rory McElroy
because the number of people who said to me after
he won at the Masters, oh boy, now the pressure's off.
Now you're going to see Rory go out there and
just you know, take down people. But your commentary was
I text Fritzy right away, I said, see if Brande
(22:43):
ol join is because you were pointing out something to
the contrary with Rory McElroy, and then you brought up
Ben Hogan as well, so enlighten our audience on what
you said last night.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Yeah, I don't think that Rory's necessarily lost his form
as he's lost his foot, and there is some precedent
for that, you know Ben Hogan. Mind you, he was
forty when he did it, and Rory's in his mid thirties.
But Ben Hogan in nineteen fifty three, it had never
played the Open Championship, went over and played the Open.
Now he won it and completed the career Grand Slam
and had the best year in the history of golf
(23:16):
to that point in major championships, and the idea was,
that's it. He's going to go on a tourrant for
the next you know, four or five years. And he
had won twenty five percent of his golf tournaments at
that point in his career. And he would play fifty
three times after that on the PGA Tour and win
just one other golf tournament and that was six years later,
(23:38):
nineteen fifty nine. He won one time after completing the
career Grand Slam. So, you know, I think there's this
huge sense of accomplishment. It's not unique to golf. We
see it in the arts and other sports where somebody
climbs out mountain and they realize, you know, they lose
their focus, they lose the sort of creativity and the
inspiration that it took to achieve what they did, and
(24:01):
they struggle to find it again. And it's a very
small sympathize as far sys three or four tournaments for Rory,
But I've never seen him play this poorly. I've never
seen him look this disorganized. He's never had a tournament
where he played as bad as he did at the
Canadian Open his last outing, and he said it Dan
Dan in the media center. He says, Yeah, it's really
hard for me to get out and go hit three
you know, hit balls for three or four hours, and
(24:23):
I'm not aiming at anything, and I don't really have
any long term goals anymore. And I think I said, look,
if you were a coach and you had heard a
quarterback talking like that, you'd bench. He Yeah, you can't
play if you can't find the focus to play at
your best. This game is really hard to play at
the high level if you are focused. Nobody is talented
(24:43):
enough without the fire, you know, burning white hot in
them to compete at the highest level.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
But you can kind of see him, and you guys
discussed body language when he's meeting with the media. It
just feels different that you're almost exhaling, whereas Tiger was inhaling,
like he was like, yeah, I want to Okay, what's next?
And and you know, granted, there's nobody like him, you know,
even David Duvall. He got to the mountain and he's like,
(25:11):
I think I want to come down off the mountain. Yeah,
but understanding and Rory does what I love about He's
one of my favorite interviewer interviews because he does listen
to what you're asking him, and he does he does
give you something that feels like it's not robotic there,
but just watching the body language.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Yeah, it just feels like he's so.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Kind of there to, you know, be the grand master,
you know, grand Marshal there, Harry here, I am hi, hi,
hi hi, And that's about it.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
So true. I think he's the best interview in golf.
I've asked other writers, who's the best interview in golf?
Speaker 11 (25:49):
Is?
Speaker 4 (25:49):
They all just unanimously on the men's side, say say
Roy McRoy. Nothing, sayd Tiger Woods. I mean, he wanted
to name all the mountains and the rivers. I think
Rory is at a point in his life where he
wants to enjoy his life. You know, he wants to
drink some nice wine, he wants to take some trips
with his buddies. He's got his fingers in a lot
(26:10):
of pies in the business world. You know, I'm pretty
sure he's worth billions or on his way to being
worth billions, and he's taking a leadership role in a
lot of different ventures. So I think, you know, he's
just different, and I think that's one of the reasons
why he's such a great interview is because he is insightful,
he is bright, He thinks about a lot of different things,
and I think he's got a lot of different interests.
(26:32):
Can he find his way back to focus. I hope so,
because I was joking. I mean, he was put on
this earth to play golf, like Leonardo da Vinci was
put on this earth to paint angels, and they just
don't come around like Rory very often. And I'm sure
he's great at all these other things, but that man
was put on this earth to play some golf.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
And then Bryson de Shamba all of a sudden, It's
like a body switching movie where all of a sudden
he's somebody different. He brings the US Open Trophy out,
letting fans touch it. We saw the Masters where he
came out and embracing the crown.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Is this calculated.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
There's a lot of people that think it is calculated,
But as I used to say about Phil Mickelson, it
doesn't really matter whether it's calculated or not. All that
matters is that people are entertained and they get the
autograph and they get the exchange because four is really
about entertainment, and he's great entertainment. You'd be hard pressed
to find anybody more entertaining in the game of golf
(27:32):
than Bryson. I don't know, I feel like it's sincere.
I'm kind of gullible that way.
Speaker 7 (27:36):
Dan.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
I look at him, I'm like, all right, I'm buying it.
He looks like a hell of a nice guy. To me,
he sounds like a nice guy. Maybe he's a little
awkward socially amongst his peers, but right now, the most
I'm not gonna say, the most devastating. Scotty Scheffler's iron
plays the most definite devastating weapon in the game. But
when I watch Bryson hit driver, it reminds me of
(27:58):
Steph Curry hitting threes. It's just you can't do what
he's doing. Scottie Scheffler is the best driver in the
world as far as we know, because we can't we
don't have the data on Bryson on live events, but
eye test wise, Bryson's the best driver of the golf
ball in the world, and that's obviously hugely important.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
This week, we love seeing birdies. We liked the roarers
but we're not going to see maybe as many birdies
as people would like. And there will be criticisms that
I didn't tune in to watch somebody play like I
do on Saturdays here. But your thoughts on making this,
you know over par is going to win this tournament.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
Well, I grew up and I always just felt like
the US Open was the most intimidating test in golf.
You know, the rough used to be the thickest that
the players face, The green's the fastest, and the farmist
and it was supposed to be a place where players
went to bitch. And as you would see somebody shooting
four or five sometimes seven over par, it was it
(29:04):
was a gauntlet. And the US Open became a little
bit more like everybody gets trophy and the rough's not
that day. And we got graduated rough and we're listening
to the players and if they complain, we do this
or we do that. I feel like this one's getting
back to what the US Open. It had its own
identity for a long period of time, draconian test, and
I feel like that's what this is. So if you
(29:25):
like birdies and all that and twenty under par, you
probably not gonna enjoy what you're gonna see the next
four days, you know, talking to some of the players,
talking to some of the guys that have been out
there a lot, I've heard people say that it wouldn't
it's not out of the realm of post the possibility
that double digits over par could win this week.
Speaker 6 (29:44):
I don't.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
I don't think it's gonna be that high, but it
could be over part because it's going to be dry
until a little bit Saturday could rain, but otherwise it's
gonna be dry.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Yeah, don't put the ball above the whole on some
of those screens or hit it in the rough.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
You know, a few months back, Tiger kind of threw
it out there casually that he had a setback that
he tore his achilles, Like, that's not a like, oh,
by the way, I had a little setback. You know,
sprained ankle is a little setback. Are we gonna see
Tiger ever again?
Speaker 4 (30:16):
Every time I'm asked that question, I always say, I hope.
So he was teasing me and teasing all of us
in that you know, the simulator, you know events his
clubhead speed was getting close to one hundred and eighty
miles an hour. His swing was long, he was pushing
off the right foot. I absolutely got giddy watching him.
I thought he's coming back, if he could just get
(30:37):
around a gust or get the right week where it's hot.
But the Achilles, you know, that's about a year setback
or something like that. And you know another year older.
He's going to be fifty years of age. And so yeah,
I could go out on a limb and say I'll
never win again, and I have say it. You know,
I would love him to prove me wrong. I'd love
if he won one more time, one more time. That'd
(31:00):
be eighty three. And now people say he's tied with
Sam's need. I disagree, but nonetheless people say he's tied
with Sam's need at eighty two. I say Tiger's all
alone at eighty two and Sam seventy seven. But nonetheless
he gets one more. I think that'd be one of
the coolest things ever happening golf.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yeah, his son Charlie might win before Tiger wins.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Charlie looked really good when in that tournament recently, big
tournament with a great field in it. He's got a
heck of a swing too.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Yeah, he looks like Dan, Hey, thanks, thanks for joining
us as always and we'll be watching.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
Later on Always a pleasure, Dan, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Brandal Shambley.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan
Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio WAPP.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Chris Sims Pro Football Talk Live, co host Football Night
in America and his Unbuttoned podcast, Former legendary quarterback just
asking a sims A program.
Speaker 11 (32:02):
Wow, you don't ask me because I'm not gonna say
I'm a legendary quarterback.
Speaker 7 (32:05):
I don't know who you're getting me confused with.
Speaker 11 (32:07):
Maybe a legendary mouth, all right, and maybe I got that,
but not a legendary quarterback.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Okayry speaking of legendary quarterbacks, help me understand these ratings
rankings that you have. Do you have Patrick Mahomes as
the fourth best quarterback going into this season.
Speaker 7 (32:23):
As of right now?
Speaker 6 (32:24):
I do? Yeah.
Speaker 7 (32:25):
I mean it's it's not easy.
Speaker 11 (32:27):
First off, I think we got to talk about when
you talk about the top four quarterbacks in football right now,
I would argue it's as good as the top four
as we've ever had in the history of the game,
right all in their prime all the similar age, right,
It's hard to find ever. I know we had like
lay Marino Montana right in the mid eighties. Okay, but
who was the fourth I'm not sure we want to
(32:47):
throw in Jim Kelly. Jim Kelly, right, but he didn't
really show up until late eighties. But yeah, I hear
you that that would probably be one. I'm with you there. Well,
you had Aikman and Steve Young and Brett farv in
the mid nineties and that crew, that crew there, right,
and and I'm probably missing another guy that could cross
over to that, Warren Moon exactly right. Great call by you.
(33:09):
You know, you get to the two thousands and you go,
we had Brady Breeze, Brett Farb right Manning, Holy crap,
that was a good four.
Speaker 7 (33:17):
This is a special four. Right, So this is it's
nitpicky here.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
But yeah, give me your four.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Give me a number one quarterback in football going into
the season is Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 7 (33:26):
Lamar Jackson number one.
Speaker 11 (33:28):
I think when you look at it from game by
game basis consistency, playing at an extremely high level. Lamar
Jackson's done that better than everybody in football, probably over
the last two years, but especially last year and listen,
I went into this thinking I was probably gonna have
Josh Allen number one.
Speaker 7 (33:45):
I really thought that.
Speaker 11 (33:46):
But as I started to watch film and break it
down and go through it, I just went I mean,
every game, Lamar Jackson, it's great play from the pocket,
it's great decisions, it's versatile throws all over the field.
When nothing's there, something good still happens.
Speaker 6 (34:02):
Right.
Speaker 11 (34:02):
So that's where Lamar Jackson, to me, is separated himself.
But it was hard.
Speaker 7 (34:07):
I mean, Joe Burrow could have won the MVP.
Speaker 11 (34:09):
Josh Allen did win the MVP, and I voted for him,
just so you know that, right. And then Mahomes, who's
maybe the greatest quarterback I've ever seen in my life,
are certainly in that conversation. Okay, he's mastered winning. I
understand that, but winning is also not just a quarterback thing.
We've got a little too carried away with just giving
the quarterback winning all the time. I don't love that.
(34:31):
Now he's mastered that, and he s as clutch as
can be, certainly, but I think if you sat and
watched film with me, especially last year and even the
year before, and we went game by game, and we
looked at it, you'd go, yeah, Lamar Jackson's playing the
position a little bit better right now. But it is
tough because Mahomes two knows his team. He knows Oh,
(34:51):
third down, okay, Oh wait, I could fit it in there.
Oh no, I'll just throw it in the dirt incomplete.
My defense is awesome and it'll keep us in the game.
I don't think like Josh Allen and Joe Burrow had
that luxury. They don't have the luxury to do that.
It's like, oh no, if you don't com believe that
the other team's gonna get the ball and go down
and score on you guys right now. So you got
to make it happen. And so that's where it was
really tough. With the top four, Dan and Dan. I
(35:14):
still can't believe I got Mahomes number four either. I'm
shocked by it.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Chris Sim's Pro Football Talk Live co host with Mike Fluriel,
precedes this show Monday through Friday. We have tiers of pressure,
so levels of pressure and level one. We had Ravens
on there, had the Bills on there. Anybody else, any
other team or player that you would like to put
(35:37):
on that list are the Lions on that Tier one
level one pressure.
Speaker 11 (35:43):
I don't know if I'm gonna put it there. Their
expectations are high, but I think it's a little different
than maybe some of the ones you just talked about.
I think Miami Dolphins have some pressure. I do you
know there's a lot of talk about they can never
win tough, physical games.
Speaker 7 (35:57):
Are they gritty enough?
Speaker 3 (35:58):
All of that, right, the coach is under pressure.
Speaker 7 (36:02):
The coach is under pressure. I feel like two is
under pressure, but.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
He's still got that content, he's got that contract.
Speaker 11 (36:07):
No I know, but at some point you got to start,
you got to start putting it up. But I think
that would be just another team I would throw in
that conversation. Steelers, I think probably getting that conversation now,
especially with Aaron Rodgers, because the coach, the quarterback. They
haven't won a playoff game, and who knows how long
I'd throw them in there with it. Dak Prescott would
probably be the guy I would put in say, I
don't think there's more pressure than anybody in football than
(36:29):
Dak Prescott. In my opinion, you're the highest paid quarterback
in the league. I don't think you're one of the
top ten quarterbacks in football. I don't think a lot
of people would think you're a top ten quarterback in football, right.
They haven't had playoff results there or anything as well.
So I look at Dak Prescott to be one of
the guys I would say is under maybe the most
pressure out of anybody in football.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Yeah, but the over under seven and a half wins.
There's no expectations on them.
Speaker 7 (36:54):
I get it.
Speaker 11 (36:55):
But just what I don't understand is like sometimes sometimes
quarterbacks get it expectations about who you are and what
you are and you got to carry the team. And
here we go, the highest made guy and we're just like, ah,
we don't expect anything from you. And that doesn't make sense,
not to me at least. And I do think the
team is a little more talented than the public is
giving it credit for.
Speaker 6 (37:14):
I do.
Speaker 11 (37:15):
I look at them and I think they're one of
those teams that could be a surprise playoff team. There's
not a whole lot of weakness with their roster. But again,
the play has not been stellar, the results have not
been stellar. The most stellar thing the last few years
has been the amount of zeros on his contract, and
I think some you got to start justifying some of
that too, Trevor Lawrence, I'd throw in that book there too, Dan.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
Yeah, I was going to put him second level. I
would put Jordan Love in there at second level pressure.
I put JJ McCarthy in there, Like there's pressure because
this is a team that was great. Your quarterback has
gone and they passed on Aaron Rodgers. You got the
best receiver in football, and you got a great, great
(37:58):
head coach. So we want to see, we want to
see what JJ McCarthy's all about, right.
Speaker 7 (38:04):
Right, I think so too. I'm with you. There too,
a ton of pressure on him.
Speaker 11 (38:08):
I think that's why they forwarded with Aaron Rodgers a
little bit early in the offseason because of all the
things you're talking about. They're looking at it going I
think we're kind of in the super Bowl window, and
I go, yeah, I agree. The team itself, when you
take the other fifty two guys, you go, oh damn.
The Vikings are good and they made themselves better this offseason.
But the quarterback is the question mark, right, and we'll see.
(38:29):
I think they like him. He fits I think what
they and how they want to play there.
Speaker 7 (38:34):
He has played pro style of football.
Speaker 11 (38:36):
Right, playing in Michigan where it's Jim harball, and you
might go five eight, throw eight plays in a row
where you don't throw the ball, and then all of
a sudden it's like, hey, you got to make a
big throw for us.
Speaker 7 (38:45):
We didn't get you.
Speaker 11 (38:46):
In rhythm, but now throw a bullseye twenty five yards
down the field. He did that consistently, But I'm with you,
there is a lot of pressure on him.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
What are the Steelers getting on the field with Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 7 (38:56):
They're getting.
Speaker 11 (38:58):
Something better than I thought I was gonna see, getting
back to my quarterback rankings and a little bit of
the Rogers. He was one of my pleasant surprises when
I went back and watched. I think at the second
half of the year, when he finally accepted who he
was and what he was capable of, I thought, more
times than not, the games are pretty damn good. I
(39:20):
think once he realized he can't move around, he's not
gonna be able to make magic happen anymore. Those days
you're done. You're confined to the pocket, right and within
that stayed in the pocket last year and was aggressive
throwing the ball down the field late in the year.
That to me was the encouraging thing, because that's been
my number one knock on him the last three or
four years. Not aggressive enough, not playing to win, playing
(39:43):
more than not to lose, instead of going to get
the game and winning it and taking it by the reins.
The Steelers offense has not been good for the last
few years. They've been hampered by quarterback play where yeah,
defenses they kind of know what to expect from their
offense is not creative. They've had quarterbacks that don't know
how to use the whole field with how they throw
the football. I think Aaron Rodgers is going to bring
(40:04):
that to the table. I think their whole lines in
a good spot. I think the Steelers are breaking molds
a little bit bringing DK metcalf in paying him what
they did. That's not a usual type of business type
of thing from them. I think they realize that the
good teams in football are aggressive right now and they
got to do that. They put himself in a little
bit of a bad spot with the quarterback situation with
Rogers and basically being desperate for him. But he's going
(40:25):
to make them at least capable of winning a playoff
game if they can get there.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
I think Joe Burrow's going to shoulder a little extra
pressure because.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
He went out on a limb.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
He went to management, he said, I got to have
these guys.
Speaker 7 (40:37):
Now.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
He didn't get Trey Hendricks and at least not yet.
But you know, the Bengals reputation kind of precedes them. Yeah,
you gotta have some defense here because you're not going
to win that many shootouts in the NFL.
Speaker 7 (40:52):
No, No, it's tough to do that.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
Now.
Speaker 11 (40:54):
He's special enough to where I think you'd probably be
with me and I know people that I do Football
Night America, Jason Garrett, Devin mccordy. I mean, at the
end of the year last year, we were all like,
oh my gosh, that the Bengals get in the playoffs,
they might go to the super Bowl. With how he
played and did all that. I love Joe Burrow that
he keeps the pressure on the organization. He has to.
(41:15):
He's got to continue. The Bengals just can't get out
of their own way. I mean, they messed up last
offseason and here they are trying to mess it all
up once again. And it's just it's incredible. They're in
a window with the best player they've had in the
franchise history. Joe Burrow is by far the biggest thing
that's ever happened to the Cincinnati Bengals. And that's not
taking anything away from Awesome Boomera Sizon and everybody else
(41:37):
that's been there. But Burrow, as you know, is a superstar.
He's an international superstar. He's one of the best quarterbacks
in football, that's not even close. And I love the
comments he made about Trey Henderson. I hope he continues
to say things like that. Them doing what they're doing
with Trey Hendrickson, what they're doing with their first round
pick Shamar Stewart, who's a raw, freak of nature athlete
(41:59):
who would benefit from learning from Trey Hendrickson and getting
his game because they're gonna need him to play right away.
They're hurting both players right now by screwing up the
Shamar Stewart contract situation and not having him out there
and the Trey Hendrickson one.
Speaker 7 (42:12):
I just don't understand it.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
You're Alma Mater, Texas of course has arch manning there,
and I'm wondering the Saints right now DraftKings has them
as the team with these second fewest wins this upcoming season.
Speaker 3 (42:25):
Yeah, let's say they.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Have the worst record in football, they're on the clock,
and Arch Manning that's his hometown team. And do you
think that would be enough for him to leave when
it felt like he was going to probably be there
for two years at Texas.
Speaker 7 (42:42):
I don't know.
Speaker 11 (42:43):
Yeah, they're a smart family. They're not gonna chase pipe dreams.
Speaker 7 (42:47):
We know that.
Speaker 11 (42:48):
Even though it would be really cool to say, man
Archie Manning's playing quarterback for the same team as you know,
the other Archie Manning played for is his grandfather. That
would be amazing. But I also I think they're they're
into their education, the Manning family. They're into making sure
we get enough reps at the college level to make
sure when we get to the NFL we're ready to go.
(43:08):
So I don't think they'll be rushed by any type
of scenario.
Speaker 7 (43:12):
Right.
Speaker 11 (43:12):
If they feel like arch is really ready and he's
polished and ready to go, then I'm sure they'll send
him out in the draft. But if they're like, oh, hey,
you only get to go to college once. There's a
few things you need to work on here, you want
to win a national championship, I certainly.
Speaker 7 (43:25):
I expect them to be there two years.
Speaker 11 (43:27):
I do, and I'm expecting big things from him, you know,
but I do love him and I think he's in
that conversation of what you're talking about, one of the
top quarterbacks in football this year, along with that Nussmeyer
kid at LSU. I look at him and go, man,
I think he's got some talent as well. Be interesting
to see how it all shakes out.
Speaker 2 (43:43):
In two years. Will arch Manning be the first quarterback taken?
Speaker 7 (43:46):
I would say so.
Speaker 11 (43:47):
I would say so, yes, That's where I would I
expect them to stay this year, get the experience. Texas
dominates college football, right and hopefully he comes back and
we dominate football one more time. On top of that,
and we just remind everybody who the Longhorns are.
Speaker 2 (44:03):
Where are you in the old time list for touchdown passes?
Speaker 11 (44:06):
It Texas man, I want to say I'm top five.
I don't Quinn Youwers. I think just passed me up
in some ways or whatever.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
Major Apple White number one on that list.
Speaker 11 (44:19):
I don't know if he's number one, but I think
he's a little above me as far as touchdowns are concerned.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yes, Paul So.
Speaker 7 (44:25):
Number five is Chris Sims with fifty eight.
Speaker 4 (44:27):
Number four is Major apple White with sixty, Quinn Yours
sixty eight in the third spot, Sam Erlinger ninety four
touchdown pass.
Speaker 3 (44:34):
Oh yeah, all those right.
Speaker 11 (44:35):
I think if you took my rushing touchdowns, I probably
pass up Major apple White.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
Col McCoy on twelve, Oh yeah, that's right. Could McCoy, Well,
what did Vince Young have?
Speaker 7 (44:46):
What did he have?
Speaker 11 (44:47):
I mean forty one hundred damn. I feel like he
had one hundred touchdowns just in that one.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
Season against USC exactly right.
Speaker 11 (44:55):
But yeah, it's it's uh, it's one of the Hey, listen,
I'm proud of my time at Texas. We didn't win
a national championship, but we had a good run and
that was a damn good team we were on.
Speaker 2 (45:03):
And then you got paid and you showed up in
a limo the first day.
Speaker 11 (45:07):
Yeah, and you're a jerk, And that's not exactly how
it went down.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
Didn't you show up in a limo?
Speaker 6 (45:12):
No?
Speaker 7 (45:12):
I did not. I showed up in a bus that
said Limo bus. Okay, but it was a bus all right?
Speaker 3 (45:18):
So was it a party bus? It was?
Speaker 7 (45:21):
It was like we had to rent something from the hotel.
Speaker 11 (45:23):
And it was like one of those party buses that
said Limo bus on the side, and just the older
guys on the team just took that and ran with it.
Speaker 7 (45:32):
And I can never fight it off for as long
as I.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
Went in a stripper pole in the party bus.
Speaker 7 (45:37):
It wasn't there. It wasn't there. I've seen a few
of those poles in my day, but it wasn't in
that bus.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
All right, Thank you Chris always, and that's Chris Simms.
You are listening to the Dan Patrick Show on Fox
Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Let's bringing the Commissioner Adam Silver joining us on the program.
Speaker 3 (00:07):
Do you have business cards?
Speaker 4 (00:10):
Me?
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Yeah, hold on, wait what should say?
Speaker 5 (00:15):
It says National Basketball Association Adam Silver, commissioner, the whole
phone numbers and an address.
Speaker 3 (00:20):
Okay, how often do you hand those outs?
Speaker 5 (00:23):
You know, it's so funny when I give them to
younger people, they go like this. But our generation still
likes business cards. So I still carry them or I
got a I had about a thousand printed, I think
when I became commissioners, so I'm going.
Speaker 6 (00:37):
To use them up.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
You should just hand them out, autograph them. You know,
collectors items are impressed.
Speaker 6 (00:43):
You gotta impressed. I had them in my pocket.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
That's impressed and rehearsed this.
Speaker 7 (00:47):
I know.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
That's impressive. You were at the University of Chicago, what
late eighties?
Speaker 6 (00:53):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Okay, do you remember your first Jordan Bulls game when
you were in school?
Speaker 5 (00:58):
I do, because so I got to I went to
law school at University of Chicago. I got there in
nineteen eighty five, and at that time, we could just
go down to the I mean, you just bought tickets
at you know, literally at the ticket window at game time.
I mean, you know, I had gone to Duke, so
I knew Michael from North Carolina. I mean not he
(01:20):
wasn't secret, but they weren't selling out all the games
back then. I mean it was you know, people forget it.
It was several years before he won his first championship.
I mean, he was great, but it wasn't the Michael
Jordan that he turned into.
Speaker 2 (01:32):
When do you remember when it was more than just
a basketball game?
Speaker 6 (01:37):
Not?
Speaker 5 (01:38):
Well, I was, well, I remember there was an All
Star game in Chicago, so it would have been I
don't know, it was like eighty seven or something.
Speaker 6 (01:47):
I remember that.
Speaker 5 (01:47):
What was the year when he went to the game,
eighty eighty Yeah, okay, so that you know, I think
that transformed I think him into this global icon in
a way. I just think that that iconic shot I
can picture of him flying through the air. I remember,
you know, I did not have great seats, but I
remember I was in the arena when he did that,
and I just remember that that was transformational.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I think, how involved were you with NBC bringing in
Michael Jordan?
Speaker 6 (02:16):
Not at all?
Speaker 5 (02:17):
You mean, just now they're just this announcement they're bringing
them back now. I mean they told me they were
going to try and I said, good luck. I didn't
honestly didn't think he was going to do it.
Speaker 6 (02:27):
You know.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
It took us, as you know, decades to convince him
to do the documentary, you know, the Last Dance, which
came out during the pandemic and ended up still I
think it's one of them, you know, widely viewed on Netflix.
But he didn't you know, he didn't want to do
that for a long time. We had the footage, and
I know there were other inquiries over the years, and
(02:48):
I think he, for whatever reason, he was ready to
do it.
Speaker 6 (02:51):
Now. I think he.
Speaker 5 (02:52):
Has, of course, incredibly fond memories of NBC. I don't
think that's lost on anyone he has. You know, as
you well know, some of the very same people are there,
people like John Miller, who he had a relationship from
back all those years ago. You know, Mark Lazarus was
still you know, they are just switched over to the
(03:12):
other side of the operation. But you know, so I
think like he had those relationships and again I didn't
discourage them, but I was surprised he said, yes.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
Yeah, still trying to figure out what his role is
going to be. Now do you follow up? Do you
want Are you curious about what role Jordan is going
to play with the upcoming camp?
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (03:33):
No, I you know, well, I you know, I didn't
know in advance, but that you know, they told me
what their idea was for him in that role, and
I think that they're still working through that. I think that,
you know, I spoke to Michael about it. I mean,
he's he's excited about it. I think for him, it
means he's got to stay current with the game. Obviously
(03:53):
he's he's a small owner still in Charlotte, but he
he's so passionate about it. I mean, we talked about
it all the time. I mean, he you know, he
wants the game to be played the right way.
Speaker 6 (04:04):
He he he.
Speaker 5 (04:06):
You know, he's still got a huge business around the
game with the Jordan brand. But I think more importantly,
he watches a lot of basketball and and you know,
he knows it's it's what defines him still and so
I think fans are going to enjoy hearing his his take,
you know, on on the modern League. I think one
of the things that I'm excited about in terms of
(04:28):
NBC coming back, and this goes back to the Dick
eversol days. You know, is that I remember that sign
behind Dick's death that said storytelling. I mean, I think
they're still some of the best edit you know, and
I think telling stories around the game, I mean even
right now. I mean that's sort of this narrative out
there about small markets whatever else. I mean, you know,
incredible stories around Shay and you know, and Tyres and
(04:52):
Pascal Siakam. I mean, I my job too. You you know,
we first met when I was at MBA Entertainment. But
to tell those stories to fans, I think that's what
draws them in. I mean, there's the lovers of pure basketball,
and I think the basketball is fantastic, but you also
have to show how multi dimensional these players are, and
you know, explain to them the storylines, the conflict on
(05:14):
the floor. And nobody does that better than NBC.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
You talked about Michael staying current. There are times when
Charles may not know who's even playing in a game
that he's watching. Now, it's funny to us, but you're
the commissioner and this is your lead broadcast team or
studio show. How does that kind of settle with you.
When Charles may not even know who he's talking about, well.
Speaker 6 (05:42):
That may be a little extreme.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
I mean I'm down there a fair amount at their
studio Atlanta.
Speaker 6 (05:47):
I mean, he's watching the games.
Speaker 5 (05:48):
I mean they made a decision to take an entertainment
route with that studio show. I mean, I think ESPN
was always about more hardcore. Well maybe NBC was somewhere
in the middle in the old days. But it's an
entertainment show and he's entertaining and fans seem to love it.
Speaker 6 (06:10):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:10):
Sometimes he's a bit of the crazy uncle, I think.
But even when he's I think there's a difference when
putting aside, you know, how focused he is on the game.
My sense always when Charles is critical, it is a
little bit like your uncle at the Thanksgiving table being critical.
It's like there's no doubt it comes from a place
of love.
Speaker 6 (06:30):
You know. I don't feel the same way about some
of the other.
Speaker 5 (06:33):
Commentators, and I think it's just it's you know, Charles
found a lane and he does it well, and it'll
be interesting to see how that converts. As you know,
they're now bringing that studio show to ESPN and ABC
next year. Yeah, I think, you know, we'll see how
that works out. I mean, I you know, I love
(06:54):
the fact that those guys are still going to be
involved in our telecast, but you know, I'm not sure
whether it will be produced differently for them, or there'll
be a different expectation from ESPN and ABC fans or
watchers that maybe what people are seeing late at night
on TNT.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
He's the commissioner of the NBA, Adam Silver. You know,
everybody gets caught up in ratings and I just say,
either watch it or not, you know, But the role
that social media plays on your priority list because this
is a global game and people may not watch the game,
but they're watching those clips. You know, you're getting views there.
(07:30):
But as the commissioner, you got to, you know, pay
homage to the networks. But where does social media rank
on your priority list?
Speaker 5 (07:40):
Social media is high on our priority list. I mean,
first of all, we've had something like a billion view
so far globally on social media since the finals have started.
But also to get back to your ratings point, I
think what gets lost sometimes is just like social media
is global, so are the telecasts of our games. And
I understand people wanting to talk about our domestic ratings
(08:04):
and the extent that the ratings are down, that's a storyline,
or they're up, there's a storyline. And there is a
correlation between market size more than I'm happy about.
Speaker 6 (08:14):
You know.
Speaker 5 (08:15):
I was listening to Aaron Rodgers yesterday and he was
talking about now becoming a Stealer, and he was saying, now,
I've played for two of the most storied franchises, the
Packers and the Steelers. But nobody stopped them to say, oh,
those are small markets. And so maybe I'm jealous in
a way from the NFL that that's never you know,
Steelers and Packers. The storyline is, it's unimaginable. It would
(08:36):
be can you believe two small markets they're meeting in
the Super Bowl this year it's two storied franchises. And
in the NBA, I think because there was so much
outsize success of certain franchises over the first several decades
of the league. I mean, the statistic is roughly over
the first sixty five years of the league, three teams
(08:56):
won sixty percent of the championships, and so it's understandable
that Lakers Celtics Bowls still globally have these huge followings
because it gets almost passed on generationally, and to make
ourselves more like the NFL, I think we're moving in
that direction where we have a system now where Oklahoma
City and the Indianapolis can compete in the same way
(09:20):
that larger markets can because of a cap system and
tax and all that stuff. So it's going to take
us a while to get there, but I understand why
ratings are part of the story. Now, the last part
I'll say about social media. I do think something we'reth
thinking a lot more about and getting more sophisticated about,
is how do you translate social media into a desire
(09:41):
to watch live games. I'll give you just one example.
I think we may even talked about it. Last time
I was on Victor wembin Yama was in New York
playing on Christmas and then played in Brooklyn a few
days later, so he was staying in New York around
that time.
Speaker 6 (09:56):
He's a chess player.
Speaker 5 (09:57):
He went to Washington Square Park chess in the rain
for forty five minutes. Within five days, one hundred million
people had viewed him playing chess. And it was just anecdotally.
Anyone I would ask because It was also on a
lot of the morning shows. I said, do you see Victory,
Oh yeah, that was the guy from France.
Speaker 6 (10:14):
He played.
Speaker 5 (10:15):
Now the question is seeing that he also plays chess,
and he's, by definition you could say, a multi dimensional guy.
There's far more to him than ball playing. He speaks
multiple languages, even the fact that he's you know, grew
up outside of Paris, et cetera. How do we as
the league use that to bring people to the set
(10:36):
to watch live games? Because I would say, looking back,
we've gotten distracted at times and forgotten sort of or
I've forgotten that My core responsibility is to get more
people to be passionate about NBA basketball and watch our games.
That's what sustains our business. I mean, of course ticket sales.
But ticket sales are as high as they've been in
(10:58):
the history of the league, and there's not a lot
more room to grow because our buildings are roughly ninety
five percent full. We have a global following, so there's
enormous opportunity both through social media, but where the real
value comes is from people watching live games. So I
think we can do a better job using social media
to bring people to the set to say tonight eight
(11:18):
thirty ABC. You know, game three, tune in and to
be more sophisticated about understanding is it would people rather
see more about Shay Gilgess, Alexander's background, growing up in Canada,
et cetera. What are the things he loves or do
they want to see him, you know, working out what
(11:38):
aspects of him are going to cause people to be
more likely to be interested in watching the game tonight.
Speaker 2 (11:44):
Why does the All Star Game have to be competitive?
Speaker 5 (11:49):
It's an interesting question because again I was just talking
about how how jealousyam of aspects of the NFL. The
Pro Bowl at this point is flag football, and I
think that fans that seem to accept that it gets
a good rating, and nobody suggests that that's indicative of
a lack of desire or passion by NFL players for
(12:10):
whatever reason. In the case in the NBA, when we've
tried other things and thought, all right, we'll go more
entertainment route or whatever else, the reaction is, I can't
believe your players aren't giving their all for an All
Star Game, or at least maybe they don't expect them
to play like they would in the playoffs, but they're
expecting a competitive game, and so that's fair. Then we
(12:30):
have to respond to that, and I haven't been successful
frankly in the last few years. We tried some new
things in San Francisco. I mean part of it was
there was a format issue. There was a huge stoppage
of play in the final. You know, we had this
round robin where you know, there was a celebration around Turner,
which they deserve, but.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
I think the game lost to all its momentum.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
So something you've talked a lot about historically is this
USA World concept. And obviously so I watch what other
sports are doing. The NHL had great success with the
Fur Nation face off. So we're looking now for next year.
We'll be in LA we'll be into a dome where
the Olympics are going to take place in twenty eight
and we're going to be on NBC back to NBC
(13:12):
for the All Star Game, and we're going to be
smack in the middle of winter Olympic coverage. So ever
a time to move to USA World, it's now. What
we're toying with now and working with Andrea Gudala at
the Players Association, is what's the right format Because I
don't I think straight up USA World probably won't work
because although the number of international players is growing and
(13:35):
it's roughly thirty percent of our league right now, it
wouldn't be fair to pick the All Star seventy percent
as one team thirty percents of the other. So I
think we're again playing off what the NHL did. Maybe
there's there's multiple teams, maybe there's more than one USA team,
but we can achieve that concept and I think create
a sense of nationalism around it and again feel like
(13:56):
we belong sort of on the Sunday where it's otherwise
Olympic coverage. So I'm hopeful that we can create something
more competitive there.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
Do you have your wish list of expansion like the
cities right now.
Speaker 6 (14:11):
There's cities we're thinking about.
Speaker 2 (14:13):
How many cities would you say are on that wish list?
Speaker 5 (14:16):
Well, let me begin by saying it it's not obvious
to me we should expand. I think it's likely over
time we will. And the reason I say it's not
obvious is because as a global business, you know where
something like two billion people will connect with us on
social media, over a billion people over the course of
the year.
Speaker 6 (14:36):
We'll watch some portion of the game.
Speaker 5 (14:39):
Adding another US city, arguably it's unclear how much growth
will get as a result of that. And when you're
adding expansion franchises, you're deluding their competition. Two more Let's
say we expand my two teams, two more teams that
you know are going to be competing for those same players,
and you're deluting your economics. The extent we have locked
(15:00):
in television money now for the next decade, you have
two more partners. Having said that, I do believe certain
markets potentially can be additive to the NBA, and that's
what we're going to look at. And I think part
of it is geographic. It's a big country, you know,
making sure we're represented, you know, all around the country,
and then over time, maybe there's more we can do
(15:20):
in Canada and Mexico City is a city we've talked
about before.
Speaker 6 (15:25):
You know.
Speaker 5 (15:25):
I don't want to say specific cities today, just because
many have reached out to us to say they're interested.
I and our reaction so far has been thank you
for your interest. We haven't taken any meetings with any cities.
We have a board meeting in Las Vegas around the
summer League in July. I know we're going to be
talking about it.
Speaker 6 (15:43):
Then.
Speaker 5 (15:43):
I had been saying for the last several years, let
us get through collective bargaining, which we did, let us
figure out our new media relationships, which we have, and
that would be the time to consider it seriously.
Speaker 6 (15:53):
So that's what we're going to do this summer.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
But I'm retiring in three years, Commissioner, will what I'm
retiring in three years? Will we have expansion in three years?
Speaker 6 (16:04):
I'm honestly not sure.
Speaker 5 (16:05):
I okay, I whether if, even if we were to
announce we're engaged in a process, it's not clear to
me at what moment they would start playing. But look this,
I don't mean to tease people with this. This is
the summer we're gonna look at it seriously.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
I thought you'd be a little more emotional about my retirement.
I mean, it's kind of blue right past that.
Speaker 6 (16:25):
You're like Michael Jordan, you've retired before.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
I'm not coming real yet, I'm not coming. I'm not
gonna play baseball, just gonna let you know. I'm not
gonna let you. But hey, thanks for joining us, have
fun tonight and thanks again.
Speaker 6 (16:40):
Yeah, thanks Dan.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
That's Adam Silver NBA Commissioner.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
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Speaker 2 (17:52):
US Open Live on NBC, USA Network and Peacock. The
world's best golfers taking on one of the toughest golf
courses in the world, Oakmont Country Club US Open starts
Thursday on USA, NBC and Peacock. Part of the broadcast
team Randall Chamblee Golf Channel, Leeds Studio analyst joining us
(18:14):
from Pittsburgh. The course just outside of downtown Pittsburgh. I've
been describing Oakmont. I played there, I think in two
thousand and seven, and they had cleared out the trees
and I just remember I wanted that round to end,
wish that. I wish that the golf course was like
thirteen holes, although I got to eighteen and I loved it,
(18:37):
but I got roughed up. It's not for the meek there.
What's your handicap and what would you shoot on that course?
Speaker 3 (18:44):
Right now?
Speaker 4 (18:46):
I'm a plus three. If I played from the tips,
I probably shoot eighty. Okay, skoy shefl I think is
a plus eleven or twelve. I think I saw recently
something like that. Yeah, yeah, I have no doubt if
I played from the tips. It's not that long. It's
only like seven three hundred yards long, and most of
(19:07):
that is in two really long par threes in a
six hundred and fifty yard par five. It's not that
long's it's just I liken it to Augusta National with
five inch rough. You know, the fairways are slopey like
Augusta National. The greens are diabolical like Augusta National. But
imagine playing Augusta National with five inch rough and by
(19:29):
the way, twenty five yard thirty yard wide fairways. Augusta
National has four wider fairways than that.
Speaker 2 (19:35):
Yeah, you can blast it at Augusta, but here like it.
You have to put it in the fairway.
Speaker 6 (19:40):
You do it.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
You know, you go back and look at the winters here,
and I mean it. It is an absolute, stellar driver,
stellar list of winners with only one exception. We don't
exactly have the data on Sam Parks in nineteen thirty five.
Every other winner is a is a god.
Speaker 2 (20:02):
And you know one thing when you get to these,
certainly a US Open course is don't make double bogies
like you're gonna make bogies, just don't compound it by going,
you know what, I think I could get out of
this rough exactly.
Speaker 4 (20:15):
You know, I think Dustin made one double and route
to winning there in twenty sixteen, on Hill didn't make
any And again you go back and look, and I
mean every one of these guys from Dustin to on
Hill to Ernie El's to Larry Nelson, and that's as
far back as we have Dad in nineteen eighty three,
they were all first in greens and regulation or you
know second, I mean they were right there. So it's
(20:38):
very much a control golf course. But obviously it helps
from a control standpoint if you're coming in with shorter irons,
So it tests everything.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
Are we to the point where it's Scotty Scheffler versus
the field? Have we graduated into the Tiger category?
Speaker 3 (20:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (20:54):
And even at Tiger's best though he only won what
thirty forty percent of the time, so the odds were
always in favor of the field. But you wouldn't pick
any one, two, three, or four or five players collectively
to beat Scotty Scheffler, nor would you do it to
beat tiger Woods. You know, the guys that challenged Tiger
Woods were usually the sort of the middle of the
(21:15):
road kind of guys that weren't psychologically invested in it.
I wouldn't pick any other three or four or five
players as a group to beat Scotty Scheffler this week.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
Okay, So if I gave you Deshamba, Rory rom Schoffley,
and Colin Morrikowwa, that's a great group, and I took Scheffler,
or you took Scheffler and I took those guys.
Speaker 4 (21:37):
Yeah, let's do that for fun.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
You're taking Scotty and I got the gut.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Okay, Yeah, let's do that for fun. I think that'd
be a fun bat. I think that's the only way
you would have a fifty to fifty chance to beat
Scotty this week. Of course, he could get hugely unlucky somewhere.
He could end up under a lip or a bank
and make a seven or eight. That's how crazy this
course is. But it's it's unrealistic to think that those
other players aren't going to have a train wreck somewhere
along the line. Scotty is I mean, this could be
(22:05):
his two thousand US Open. He could win by double digits.
He really could. Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
I was watching the broadcast last night by the Way
Golf channel, Rich Lerners the host. It is great, you
guys do a wonderful John.
Speaker 6 (22:20):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
Rich is amazing.
Speaker 2 (22:22):
And what stood out was your comments about Rory McElroy
because the number of people who said to me after
he won at the Masters, oh boy, now the pressure's off.
Now you're going to see Rory go out there and
just you know, take down people. But your commentary was
I text Fritzy right away, I said, see if Brande
(22:43):
ol join is because you were pointing out something to
the contrary with Rory McElroy, and then you brought up
Ben Hogan as well, so enlighten our audience on what
you said last night.
Speaker 4 (22:56):
Yeah, I don't think that Rory's necessarily lost his form
as he's lost his foot, and there is some precedent
for that, you know Ben Hogan. Mind you, he was
forty when he did it, and Rory's in his mid thirties.
But Ben Hogan in nineteen fifty three, it had never
played the Open Championship, went over and played the Open.
Now he won it and completed the career Grand Slam
and had the best year in the history of golf
(23:16):
to that point in major championships, and the idea was,
that's it. He's going to go on a tourrant for
the next you know, four or five years. And he
had won twenty five percent of his golf tournaments at
that point in his career. And he would play fifty
three times after that on the PGA Tour and win
just one other golf tournament and that was six years later,
(23:38):
nineteen fifty nine. He won one time after completing the
career Grand Slam. So, you know, I think there's this
huge sense of accomplishment. It's not unique to golf. We
see it in the arts and other sports where somebody
climbs out mountain and they realize, you know, they lose
their focus, they lose the sort of creativity and the
inspiration that it took to achieve what they did, and
(24:01):
they struggle to find it again. And it's a very
small sympathize as far sys three or four tournaments for Rory,
But I've never seen him play this poorly. I've never
seen him look this disorganized. He's never had a tournament
where he played as bad as he did at the
Canadian Open his last outing, and he said it Dan
Dan in the media center. He says, Yeah, it's really
hard for me to get out and go hit three
you know, hit balls for three or four hours, and
(24:23):
I'm not aiming at anything, and I don't really have
any long term goals anymore. And I think I said, look,
if you were a coach and you had heard a
quarterback talking like that, you'd bench. He Yeah, you can't
play if you can't find the focus to play at
your best. This game is really hard to play at
the high level if you are focused. Nobody is talented
(24:43):
enough without the fire, you know, burning white hot in
them to compete at the highest level.
Speaker 2 (24:50):
But you can kind of see him, and you guys
discussed body language when he's meeting with the media. It
just feels different that you're almost exhaling, whereas Tiger was inhaling,
like he was like, yeah, I want to Okay, what's next?
And and you know, granted, there's nobody like him, you know,
even David Duvall. He got to the mountain and he's like,
(25:11):
I think I want to come down off the mountain. Yeah,
but understanding and Rory does what I love about He's
one of my favorite interviewer interviews because he does listen
to what you're asking him, and he does he does
give you something that feels like it's not robotic there,
but just watching the body language.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Yeah, it just feels like he's so.
Speaker 2 (25:34):
Kind of there to, you know, be the grand master,
you know, grand Marshal there, Harry here, I am hi, hi,
hi hi, And that's about it.
Speaker 4 (25:45):
So true. I think he's the best interview in golf.
I've asked other writers, who's the best interview in golf?
Speaker 11 (25:49):
Is?
Speaker 4 (25:49):
They all just unanimously on the men's side, say say
Roy McRoy. Nothing, sayd Tiger Woods. I mean, he wanted
to name all the mountains and the rivers. I think
Rory is at a point in his life where he
wants to enjoy his life. You know, he wants to
drink some nice wine, he wants to take some trips
with his buddies. He's got his fingers in a lot
(26:10):
of pies in the business world. You know, I'm pretty
sure he's worth billions or on his way to being
worth billions, and he's taking a leadership role in a
lot of different ventures. So I think, you know, he's
just different, and I think that's one of the reasons
why he's such a great interview is because he is insightful,
he is bright, He thinks about a lot of different things,
and I think he's got a lot of different interests.
(26:32):
Can he find his way back to focus. I hope so,
because I was joking. I mean, he was put on
this earth to play golf, like Leonardo da Vinci was
put on this earth to paint angels, and they just
don't come around like Rory very often. And I'm sure
he's great at all these other things, but that man
was put on this earth to play some golf.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
And then Bryson de Shamba all of a sudden, It's
like a body switching movie where all of a sudden
he's somebody different. He brings the US Open Trophy out,
letting fans touch it. We saw the Masters where he
came out and embracing the crown.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Is this calculated.
Speaker 4 (27:11):
There's a lot of people that think it is calculated,
But as I used to say about Phil Mickelson, it
doesn't really matter whether it's calculated or not. All that
matters is that people are entertained and they get the
autograph and they get the exchange because four is really
about entertainment, and he's great entertainment. You'd be hard pressed
to find anybody more entertaining in the game of golf
(27:32):
than Bryson. I don't know, I feel like it's sincere.
I'm kind of gullible that way.
Speaker 7 (27:36):
Dan.
Speaker 4 (27:36):
I look at him, I'm like, all right, I'm buying it.
He looks like a hell of a nice guy. To me,
he sounds like a nice guy. Maybe he's a little
awkward socially amongst his peers, but right now, the most
I'm not gonna say, the most devastating. Scotty Scheffler's iron
plays the most definite devastating weapon in the game. But
when I watch Bryson hit driver, it reminds me of
(27:58):
Steph Curry hitting threes. It's just you can't do what
he's doing. Scottie Scheffler is the best driver in the
world as far as we know, because we can't we
don't have the data on Bryson on live events, but
eye test wise, Bryson's the best driver of the golf
ball in the world, and that's obviously hugely important.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
This week, we love seeing birdies. We liked the roarers
but we're not going to see maybe as many birdies
as people would like. And there will be criticisms that
I didn't tune in to watch somebody play like I
do on Saturdays here. But your thoughts on making this,
you know over par is going to win this tournament.
Speaker 4 (28:42):
Well, I grew up and I always just felt like
the US Open was the most intimidating test in golf.
You know, the rough used to be the thickest that
the players face, The green's the fastest, and the farmist
and it was supposed to be a place where players
went to bitch. And as you would see somebody shooting
four or five sometimes seven over par, it was it
(29:04):
was a gauntlet. And the US Open became a little
bit more like everybody gets trophy and the rough's not
that day. And we got graduated rough and we're listening
to the players and if they complain, we do this
or we do that. I feel like this one's getting
back to what the US Open. It had its own
identity for a long period of time, draconian test, and
I feel like that's what this is. So if you
(29:25):
like birdies and all that and twenty under par, you
probably not gonna enjoy what you're gonna see the next
four days, you know, talking to some of the players,
talking to some of the guys that have been out
there a lot, I've heard people say that it wouldn't
it's not out of the realm of post the possibility
that double digits over par could win this week.
Speaker 6 (29:44):
I don't.
Speaker 4 (29:45):
I don't think it's gonna be that high, but it
could be over part because it's going to be dry
until a little bit Saturday could rain, but otherwise it's
gonna be dry.
Speaker 2 (29:52):
Yeah, don't put the ball above the whole on some
of those screens or hit it in the rough.
Speaker 3 (29:58):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
You know, a few months back, Tiger kind of threw
it out there casually that he had a setback that
he tore his achilles, Like, that's not a like, oh,
by the way, I had a little setback. You know,
sprained ankle is a little setback. Are we gonna see
Tiger ever again?
Speaker 4 (30:16):
Every time I'm asked that question, I always say, I hope.
So he was teasing me and teasing all of us
in that you know, the simulator, you know events his
clubhead speed was getting close to one hundred and eighty
miles an hour. His swing was long, he was pushing
off the right foot. I absolutely got giddy watching him.
I thought he's coming back, if he could just get
(30:37):
around a gust or get the right week where it's hot.
But the Achilles, you know, that's about a year setback
or something like that. And you know another year older.
He's going to be fifty years of age. And so yeah,
I could go out on a limb and say I'll
never win again, and I have say it. You know,
I would love him to prove me wrong. I'd love
if he won one more time, one more time. That'd
(31:00):
be eighty three. And now people say he's tied with
Sam's need. I disagree, but nonetheless people say he's tied
with Sam's need at eighty two. I say Tiger's all
alone at eighty two and Sam seventy seven. But nonetheless
he gets one more. I think that'd be one of
the coolest things ever happening golf.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Yeah, his son Charlie might win before Tiger wins.
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Charlie looked really good when in that tournament recently, big
tournament with a great field in it. He's got a
heck of a swing too.
Speaker 2 (31:31):
Yeah, he looks like Dan, Hey, thanks, thanks for joining
us as always and we'll be watching.
Speaker 4 (31:36):
Later on Always a pleasure, Dan, Thank you.
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Brandal Shambley.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
Be sure to catch the live edition of The Dan
Patrick Show weekdays at nine am Eastern six am Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio WAPP.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
Chris Sims Pro Football Talk Live, co host Football Night
in America and his Unbuttoned podcast, Former legendary quarterback just
asking a sims A program.
Speaker 11 (32:02):
Wow, you don't ask me because I'm not gonna say
I'm a legendary quarterback.
Speaker 7 (32:05):
I don't know who you're getting me confused with.
Speaker 11 (32:07):
Maybe a legendary mouth, all right, and maybe I got that,
but not a legendary quarterback.
Speaker 2 (32:12):
Okayry speaking of legendary quarterbacks, help me understand these ratings
rankings that you have. Do you have Patrick Mahomes as
the fourth best quarterback going into this season.
Speaker 7 (32:23):
As of right now?
Speaker 6 (32:24):
I do? Yeah.
Speaker 7 (32:25):
I mean it's it's not easy.
Speaker 11 (32:27):
First off, I think we got to talk about when
you talk about the top four quarterbacks in football right now,
I would argue it's as good as the top four
as we've ever had in the history of the game,
right all in their prime all the similar age, right,
It's hard to find ever. I know we had like
lay Marino Montana right in the mid eighties. Okay, but
who was the fourth I'm not sure we want to
(32:47):
throw in Jim Kelly. Jim Kelly, right, but he didn't
really show up until late eighties. But yeah, I hear
you that that would probably be one. I'm with you there. Well,
you had Aikman and Steve Young and Brett farv in
the mid nineties and that crew, that crew there, right,
and and I'm probably missing another guy that could cross
over to that, Warren Moon exactly right. Great call by you.
(33:09):
You know, you get to the two thousands and you go,
we had Brady Breeze, Brett Farb right Manning, Holy crap,
that was a good four.
Speaker 7 (33:17):
This is a special four. Right, So this is it's
nitpicky here.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
But yeah, give me your four.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Give me a number one quarterback in football going into
the season is Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 7 (33:26):
Lamar Jackson number one.
Speaker 11 (33:28):
I think when you look at it from game by
game basis consistency, playing at an extremely high level. Lamar
Jackson's done that better than everybody in football, probably over
the last two years, but especially last year and listen,
I went into this thinking I was probably gonna have
Josh Allen number one.
Speaker 7 (33:45):
I really thought that.
Speaker 11 (33:46):
But as I started to watch film and break it
down and go through it, I just went I mean,
every game, Lamar Jackson, it's great play from the pocket,
it's great decisions, it's versatile throws all over the field.
When nothing's there, something good still happens.
Speaker 6 (34:02):
Right.
Speaker 11 (34:02):
So that's where Lamar Jackson, to me, is separated himself.
But it was hard.
Speaker 7 (34:07):
I mean, Joe Burrow could have won the MVP.
Speaker 11 (34:09):
Josh Allen did win the MVP, and I voted for him,
just so you know that, right. And then Mahomes, who's
maybe the greatest quarterback I've ever seen in my life,
are certainly in that conversation. Okay, he's mastered winning. I
understand that, but winning is also not just a quarterback thing.
We've got a little too carried away with just giving
the quarterback winning all the time. I don't love that.
(34:31):
Now he's mastered that, and he s as clutch as
can be, certainly, but I think if you sat and
watched film with me, especially last year and even the
year before, and we went game by game, and we
looked at it, you'd go, yeah, Lamar Jackson's playing the
position a little bit better right now. But it is
tough because Mahomes two knows his team. He knows Oh,
(34:51):
third down, okay, Oh wait, I could fit it in there.
Oh no, I'll just throw it in the dirt incomplete.
My defense is awesome and it'll keep us in the game.
I don't think like Josh Allen and Joe Burrow had
that luxury. They don't have the luxury to do that.
It's like, oh no, if you don't com believe that
the other team's gonna get the ball and go down
and score on you guys right now. So you got
to make it happen. And so that's where it was
really tough. With the top four, Dan and Dan. I
(35:14):
still can't believe I got Mahomes number four either. I'm
shocked by it.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Chris Sim's Pro Football Talk Live co host with Mike Fluriel,
precedes this show Monday through Friday. We have tiers of pressure,
so levels of pressure and level one. We had Ravens
on there, had the Bills on there. Anybody else, any
other team or player that you would like to put
(35:37):
on that list are the Lions on that Tier one
level one pressure.
Speaker 11 (35:43):
I don't know if I'm gonna put it there. Their
expectations are high, but I think it's a little different
than maybe some of the ones you just talked about.
I think Miami Dolphins have some pressure. I do you
know there's a lot of talk about they can never
win tough, physical games.
Speaker 7 (35:57):
Are they gritty enough?
Speaker 3 (35:58):
All of that, right, the coach is under pressure.
Speaker 7 (36:02):
The coach is under pressure. I feel like two is
under pressure, but.
Speaker 2 (36:04):
He's still got that content, he's got that contract.
Speaker 11 (36:07):
No I know, but at some point you got to start,
you got to start putting it up. But I think
that would be just another team I would throw in
that conversation. Steelers, I think probably getting that conversation now,
especially with Aaron Rodgers, because the coach, the quarterback. They
haven't won a playoff game, and who knows how long
I'd throw them in there with it. Dak Prescott would
probably be the guy I would put in say, I
don't think there's more pressure than anybody in football than
(36:29):
Dak Prescott. In my opinion, you're the highest paid quarterback
in the league. I don't think you're one of the
top ten quarterbacks in football. I don't think a lot
of people would think you're a top ten quarterback in football, right.
They haven't had playoff results there or anything as well.
So I look at Dak Prescott to be one of
the guys I would say is under maybe the most
pressure out of anybody in football.
Speaker 3 (36:48):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (36:49):
Yeah, but the over under seven and a half wins.
There's no expectations on them.
Speaker 7 (36:54):
I get it.
Speaker 11 (36:55):
But just what I don't understand is like sometimes sometimes
quarterbacks get it expectations about who you are and what
you are and you got to carry the team. And
here we go, the highest made guy and we're just like, ah,
we don't expect anything from you. And that doesn't make sense,
not to me at least. And I do think the
team is a little more talented than the public is
giving it credit for.
Speaker 6 (37:14):
I do.
Speaker 11 (37:15):
I look at them and I think they're one of
those teams that could be a surprise playoff team. There's
not a whole lot of weakness with their roster. But again,
the play has not been stellar, the results have not
been stellar. The most stellar thing the last few years
has been the amount of zeros on his contract, and
I think some you got to start justifying some of
that too, Trevor Lawrence, I'd throw in that book there too, Dan.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
Yeah, I was going to put him second level. I
would put Jordan Love in there at second level pressure.
I put JJ McCarthy in there, Like there's pressure because
this is a team that was great. Your quarterback has
gone and they passed on Aaron Rodgers. You got the
best receiver in football, and you got a great, great
(37:58):
head coach. So we want to see, we want to
see what JJ McCarthy's all about, right.
Speaker 7 (38:04):
Right, I think so too. I'm with you. There too,
a ton of pressure on him.
Speaker 11 (38:08):
I think that's why they forwarded with Aaron Rodgers a
little bit early in the offseason because of all the
things you're talking about. They're looking at it going I
think we're kind of in the super Bowl window, and
I go, yeah, I agree. The team itself, when you
take the other fifty two guys, you go, oh damn.
The Vikings are good and they made themselves better this offseason.
But the quarterback is the question mark, right, and we'll see.
(38:29):
I think they like him. He fits I think what
they and how they want to play there.
Speaker 7 (38:34):
He has played pro style of football.
Speaker 11 (38:36):
Right, playing in Michigan where it's Jim harball, and you
might go five eight, throw eight plays in a row
where you don't throw the ball, and then all of
a sudden it's like, hey, you got to make a
big throw for us.
Speaker 7 (38:45):
We didn't get you.
Speaker 11 (38:46):
In rhythm, but now throw a bullseye twenty five yards
down the field. He did that consistently, But I'm with you,
there is a lot of pressure on him.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
What are the Steelers getting on the field with Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 7 (38:56):
They're getting.
Speaker 11 (38:58):
Something better than I thought I was gonna see, getting
back to my quarterback rankings and a little bit of
the Rogers. He was one of my pleasant surprises when
I went back and watched. I think at the second
half of the year, when he finally accepted who he
was and what he was capable of, I thought, more
times than not, the games are pretty damn good. I
(39:20):
think once he realized he can't move around, he's not
gonna be able to make magic happen anymore. Those days
you're done. You're confined to the pocket, right and within
that stayed in the pocket last year and was aggressive
throwing the ball down the field late in the year.
That to me was the encouraging thing, because that's been
my number one knock on him the last three or
four years. Not aggressive enough, not playing to win, playing
(39:43):
more than not to lose, instead of going to get
the game and winning it and taking it by the reins.
The Steelers offense has not been good for the last
few years. They've been hampered by quarterback play where yeah,
defenses they kind of know what to expect from their
offense is not creative. They've had quarterbacks that don't know
how to use the whole field with how they throw
the football. I think Aaron Rodgers is going to bring
(40:04):
that to the table. I think their whole lines in
a good spot. I think the Steelers are breaking molds
a little bit bringing DK metcalf in paying him what
they did. That's not a usual type of business type
of thing from them. I think they realize that the
good teams in football are aggressive right now and they
got to do that. They put himself in a little
bit of a bad spot with the quarterback situation with
Rogers and basically being desperate for him. But he's going
(40:25):
to make them at least capable of winning a playoff
game if they can get there.
Speaker 2 (40:29):
I think Joe Burrow's going to shoulder a little extra
pressure because.
Speaker 3 (40:33):
He went out on a limb.
Speaker 2 (40:35):
He went to management, he said, I got to have
these guys.
Speaker 7 (40:37):
Now.
Speaker 2 (40:37):
He didn't get Trey Hendricks and at least not yet.
But you know, the Bengals reputation kind of precedes them. Yeah,
you gotta have some defense here because you're not going
to win that many shootouts in the NFL.
Speaker 7 (40:52):
No, No, it's tough to do that.
Speaker 3 (40:54):
Now.
Speaker 11 (40:54):
He's special enough to where I think you'd probably be
with me and I know people that I do Football
Night America, Jason Garrett, Devin mccordy. I mean, at the
end of the year last year, we were all like,
oh my gosh, that the Bengals get in the playoffs,
they might go to the super Bowl. With how he
played and did all that. I love Joe Burrow that
he keeps the pressure on the organization. He has to.
(41:15):
He's got to continue. The Bengals just can't get out
of their own way. I mean, they messed up last
offseason and here they are trying to mess it all
up once again. And it's just it's incredible. They're in
a window with the best player they've had in the
franchise history. Joe Burrow is by far the biggest thing
that's ever happened to the Cincinnati Bengals. And that's not
taking anything away from Awesome Boomera Sizon and everybody else
(41:37):
that's been there. But Burrow, as you know, is a superstar.
He's an international superstar. He's one of the best quarterbacks
in football, that's not even close. And I love the
comments he made about Trey Henderson. I hope he continues
to say things like that. Them doing what they're doing
with Trey Hendrickson, what they're doing with their first round
pick Shamar Stewart, who's a raw, freak of nature athlete
(41:59):
who would benefit from learning from Trey Hendrickson and getting
his game because they're gonna need him to play right away.
They're hurting both players right now by screwing up the
Shamar Stewart contract situation and not having him out there
and the Trey Hendrickson one.
Speaker 7 (42:12):
I just don't understand it.
Speaker 2 (42:14):
You're Alma Mater, Texas of course has arch manning there,
and I'm wondering the Saints right now DraftKings has them
as the team with these second fewest wins this upcoming season.
Speaker 3 (42:25):
Yeah, let's say they.
Speaker 2 (42:26):
Have the worst record in football, they're on the clock,
and Arch Manning that's his hometown team. And do you
think that would be enough for him to leave when
it felt like he was going to probably be there
for two years at Texas.
Speaker 7 (42:42):
I don't know.
Speaker 11 (42:43):
Yeah, they're a smart family. They're not gonna chase pipe dreams.
Speaker 7 (42:47):
We know that.
Speaker 11 (42:48):
Even though it would be really cool to say, man
Archie Manning's playing quarterback for the same team as you know,
the other Archie Manning played for is his grandfather. That
would be amazing. But I also I think they're they're
into their education, the Manning family. They're into making sure
we get enough reps at the college level to make
sure when we get to the NFL we're ready to go.
(43:08):
So I don't think they'll be rushed by any type
of scenario.
Speaker 7 (43:12):
Right.
Speaker 11 (43:12):
If they feel like arch is really ready and he's
polished and ready to go, then I'm sure they'll send
him out in the draft. But if they're like, oh, hey,
you only get to go to college once. There's a
few things you need to work on here, you want
to win a national championship, I certainly.
Speaker 7 (43:25):
I expect them to be there two years.
Speaker 11 (43:27):
I do, and I'm expecting big things from him, you know,
but I do love him and I think he's in
that conversation of what you're talking about, one of the
top quarterbacks in football this year, along with that Nussmeyer
kid at LSU. I look at him and go, man,
I think he's got some talent as well. Be interesting
to see how it all shakes out.
Speaker 2 (43:43):
In two years. Will arch Manning be the first quarterback taken?
Speaker 7 (43:46):
I would say so.
Speaker 11 (43:47):
I would say so, yes, That's where I would I
expect them to stay this year, get the experience. Texas
dominates college football, right and hopefully he comes back and
we dominate football one more time. On top of that,
and we just remind everybody who the Longhorns are.
Speaker 2 (44:03):
Where are you in the old time list for touchdown passes?
Speaker 11 (44:06):
It Texas man, I want to say I'm top five.
I don't Quinn Youwers. I think just passed me up
in some ways or whatever.
Speaker 2 (44:16):
Major Apple White number one on that list.
Speaker 11 (44:19):
I don't know if he's number one, but I think
he's a little above me as far as touchdowns are concerned.
Speaker 3 (44:24):
Yes, Paul So.
Speaker 7 (44:25):
Number five is Chris Sims with fifty eight.
Speaker 4 (44:27):
Number four is Major apple White with sixty, Quinn Yours
sixty eight in the third spot, Sam Erlinger ninety four
touchdown pass.
Speaker 3 (44:34):
Oh yeah, all those right.
Speaker 11 (44:35):
I think if you took my rushing touchdowns, I probably
pass up Major apple White.
Speaker 3 (44:40):
Col McCoy on twelve, Oh yeah, that's right. Could McCoy, Well,
what did Vince Young have?
Speaker 7 (44:46):
What did he have?
Speaker 11 (44:47):
I mean forty one hundred damn. I feel like he
had one hundred touchdowns just in that one.
Speaker 2 (44:51):
Season against USC exactly right.
Speaker 11 (44:55):
But yeah, it's it's uh, it's one of the Hey, listen,
I'm proud of my time at Texas. We didn't win
a national championship, but we had a good run and
that was a damn good team we were on.
Speaker 2 (45:03):
And then you got paid and you showed up in
a limo the first day.
Speaker 11 (45:07):
Yeah, and you're a jerk, And that's not exactly how
it went down.
Speaker 3 (45:10):
Didn't you show up in a limo?
Speaker 6 (45:12):
No?
Speaker 7 (45:12):
I did not. I showed up in a bus that
said Limo bus. Okay, but it was a bus all right?
Speaker 3 (45:18):
So was it a party bus? It was?
Speaker 7 (45:21):
It was like we had to rent something from the hotel.
Speaker 11 (45:23):
And it was like one of those party buses that
said Limo bus on the side, and just the older
guys on the team just took that and ran with it.
Speaker 7 (45:32):
And I can never fight it off for as long
as I.
Speaker 2 (45:34):
Went in a stripper pole in the party bus.
Speaker 7 (45:37):
It wasn't there. It wasn't there. I've seen a few
of those poles in my day, but it wasn't in
that bus.
Speaker 2 (45:41):
All right, Thank you Chris always, and that's Chris Simms.
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