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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Let's get to some quick hitters from the world of sports.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Did y'all hear about what happened to the University of
Tennessee this past weekend. The university has moved on from
starting quarterback Nico Iamalava. Nico was a no show at
practice on Friday while it was nil. Contract negotiations with
the university were ongoing. University was prepared to pay Nico
two point four million dollars, but apparently representatives for Nico
(00:27):
wanted four million dollars. Head coach Josh for his Hypel
had this to say about Nico.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Quote, this program has been around for a long time.
There are a lot of great coaches, a lot of
great players who.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Came before that laid the cornerstone pieces the legacy, the
tradition that is Tennessee football. It's going to be around
a long time after I'm gone and after they are gone.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
End quote.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
On Friday night, Iamalava notified the team that he was
in the process of filling out his paperwork and planning
to enter the transfer portal when it opens up this Wednesday.
This is a bad look for this kid. Let's get
that out the way first. It's a bad look for
the kid. It's not entirely his fault. He's a kid,
they say supporters. Reportedly his father's involved. Obviously he's got
(01:12):
an agent. We all listen to our representatives, we all
listen to our lawyers, but the adults in the room
ultimately have to concede and acquiesce to what the client wants.
In this case, it would be Ia Malava. When you
look at Nico, he's a kid, he's a young man,
(01:34):
and in all likelihood he's following his father's advice and
they're going from there. The NCAA is the ultimate corporate,
of course, because they've been exploiting kids for ages. This
is why they ultimately had to acquiesce to things like
nil deals and transfer a portals and what have you,
because they utilize the system to their own benefit at
(01:56):
the expense of kids for decades, and now they're receiving
their come uppens. But along the way, we also have
to recognize the losses we've suffered. Mike Krzyzewski, although he
was in his mid seventies, there's no doubt that these
kind of things played the role in his willingness to
walk away from the game. The same could be said
for Roy Williams at the University of North Carolina and
(02:17):
their basketball program. It most certainly could be said said
I can speak directly to this because Nick Saban told
me himself as to what played the role in his
deciding to walk away from college football. Is the greatest
coach the game has ever seen, along with various others.
It's also why, you know, folks, you know didn't want
to participate in it.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
When you think.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
About a Dabbosweeney at Clemson, why you think that this
stuff is a headache for him, Why he never wanted
to get involved in it. You have players now in
colleges acting like pro athletes or acting like as if
they're pros because the system now allows it and mandates it.
What it ultimately comes down to, ladies and gentlemen, is
(02:59):
the need for a collective bargaining agreement. There are no
uniform rules or regulations in college football anymore in college
basketball because of the money involved.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And the only way.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
To rectify that is to have a collective bargaining agreement.
And let me tell you why it's necessary. You know
it's bad when a corporation like the NC DOUBLEA is
begging for congressional interference.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Usually they run from such things.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Now they're running to that because they want Congress to
solve problems for them that they can't pull off themselves.
So there's no doubt that the NCAA probably likes something
like this going on because they know it's going to
create a public uproar and as a result, elected officials
are going to be clamoring to get involved, similar to
what Corey Booker, Senator Corey Booker alluded to a couple
(03:48):
of weeks ago right here on this show along with
other elected officials. This is what the NCAA wants. So
if you're the players, if you're representatives of the players,
if your parents, you want a collective bargaining negotiation to
take place.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
So they are uniform rules and regulations that.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Everybody has to follow, because that's what it's gonna take
to save the sport of college football and basketball.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Without it, the sport is going to die.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I'm telling you that right now, because the NFL or
somebody else is gonna find a way to infiltrate your
proceedings and take advantage, whether it's the NBA, to NFL
or anybody else, because business is business. But in the end,
Let's not forget the most important thing in all of this.
The most important thing in all of this is that
this was necessary because the NCAA spent decades taking advantage
(04:37):
of the student athlete. Yamalava is not a bad guy here,
but his representatives are making him look like the bad
guy because they're chasing an extra million or a million and.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
A half dollars. His valuation was at.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Three point one million, he's getting paid two million, around
two point two million. Tennessee was willing to go as
high as two point four million. His value CIA was
at three point one million, but he's asking for four million.
So worst case scenario, we're talking about a difference of
one point six million dollars a year. And that's what
all of this is for. After taxes take off half
(05:12):
that fifty percent. Come on, now, we could do better.
Collective bargaining resolves this issue, getting adults in the room
and negotiating a collective bargaining agreement. And the good news
there is that finally, after all of these years, players
will have representation. That's what the nc DOUAA had denied
(05:35):
them the opportunity to have for so long, and they
got away with it. I don't want to hear about Center,
the Ted Cruz or anybody else trying to get involved
in all of this in any constollation's way whatsoever. I
want to see you collectively bargain a deal with the
nc DOUBLEA that doesn't require Congressional interference, because Congress clearly
(05:56):
took the side of the NCAA for far too long.
Otherwise the athletes wouldn't have been as long as they
were exposed or exploit it. Rather, it wouldn't have happened
that long if you had done the right thing decades ago.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
So Iamalava is not the bad guy here. He just
looks like it.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Because you sign a contract, you want to honor it.
Your quarterback shouldn't be looking to just desert your team.
That's how he looks right now. But it ain't all
his fault, it really isn't. It's just that he's the
face of change that apparently is imminent. Now, let's get
to the WNBA that's preparing for the draft tonight. Paige Becker's,
(06:36):
fresh off her national championship with Yukon, is expected to
be the projected number one overall pick.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
But that's not the only deal. Beckers is in the works.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Sources told the ESPA yesterday that she's also signing a
three year deal with the three on three Unrivaled League.
Page signed in an il deal with Unrivaled last year,
which gave her equity in the league. Sources tell the
ESPN at Becker's first year of salary for the ten
weeks Unrivaled season will exceed what she would make in
four years of her WNBA rookie contract. Now, keep in
mind her WNBA rookie contract was scheduled to pay her
(07:08):
a little over seventy eight thousand this year. The highest
paid player in the WNBA is Kelsey Mitchell in Indiana,
who's getting paid about two hundred and thirty nine thousand.
Right now, Paige Beckers, they're saying, over four years she
would make a little over three hundred and fifty thousand dollars,
whereas in this ten week league she's scheduled to make
(07:28):
more than that. If y'all remember last year, in its
first year, it was projected that the Unrivaled League would
make approximately twelve to thirteen million dollars, and they made
over twenty seven million. So consider that. Pay attention to that. Now,
pay attention to the brilliance of this girl's Paige Beckers,
who just won a national championship, by the way, who
(07:49):
is spectacular all season long. National Player of the Year
went to Juju Watkins of the USC, of course, but
Paige Beckers was something sensation that went to the final
four all four years of her career, got injured to
an ACL, came back, overcame it, finally won a national
championship and now is considered on the Mount Rushmore of
Yukon basketball, which is a great, great tribute to have
along with the people like Danis Rossi briand the Stewards
(08:10):
of the world, Maya Moore's of the world.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
That kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
But let's get back to what the brilliance of Paige
Beckers truly is.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Do y'all know that she.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Invested in the unrival League last year while she was
still in college. Did you know that she has an
equity stake in the Unrivaled League. Do you know that
she's making money as a partner as well as a player,
And on top of it all, it's only gonna build
her profile even more so when she gets drafted and
goes to the WNBA, she gonna get more money and
(08:39):
endorsement dollars from that. Paige Becker's is doing her thing,
clearly guided by the right people.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
She knows what the hell she's doing. Major, major props
to that young lady. She's doing big things.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
And it ain't just Caitlyn Clark now it's Paige Becker's
and soon, hopefully it's gonna be Juju Watkins when she
comes back from that knee tear, and she's gonna recap two.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Wishing nothing but the best for her.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Let's not forget Asia Wilson, who's the best in the
business right now, Let's not forget her for WNBA best
in the business. Our last quick hitter takes us to
golf where history was made at the Masters yesterday. That's
because Rory McElroy became just a sixth golfer to win
all four major championships in the Masters era. McElroy joins
Jeans Sarazen, Zarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicholas and
(09:25):
Tiger Woods is the only golfers to win the Masters,
the US.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Open, the British Open and the Tour Championship. Here's the story.
It's really a story about perseverance.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
The man was suffering an eleven year drought, came close
numerous occasions, finished in the top ten at the Masters
eight times over that time span, and still couldn't close
the door until he finally did yesterday. It's a story
of perseverance, and here's why you should love it, never
giving up, always coming back to fight the good fight,
(09:54):
to try to strive to be all you can be.
That's what Rory mckleroy did and it paid off. He's
thirty five years of age and regardless of that huge
monkey that was on his back, he kept going. There's
a lot of times we could look at people and
we can look at their talent and then we can say, hey,
we just don't have that ability, we just don't have
that greatness. But you know what we all have inside
(10:16):
of ourselves. If we really dig deep enough, the ability
to persevere no matter how rough times get, we can
somehow find our way through the maze and come out
better than we were when we entered the fray. That's
the lesson to still from Rory McElroy, and major props
(10:38):
to him for his accomplishments. That's all I wanted to
say about that.
Let's get to some quick hitters from the world of sports.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Did y'all hear about what happened to the University of
Tennessee this past weekend. The university has moved on from
starting quarterback Nico Iamalava. Nico was a no show at
practice on Friday while it was nil. Contract negotiations with
the university were ongoing. University was prepared to pay Nico
two point four million dollars, but apparently representatives for Nico
(00:27):
wanted four million dollars. Head coach Josh for his Hypel
had this to say about Nico.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
Quote, this program has been around for a long time.
There are a lot of great coaches, a lot of
great players who.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Came before that laid the cornerstone pieces the legacy, the
tradition that is Tennessee football. It's going to be around
a long time after I'm gone and after they are gone.
Speaker 1 (00:49):
End quote.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
On Friday night, Iamalava notified the team that he was
in the process of filling out his paperwork and planning
to enter the transfer portal when it opens up this Wednesday.
This is a bad look for this kid. Let's get
that out the way first. It's a bad look for
the kid. It's not entirely his fault. He's a kid,
they say supporters. Reportedly his father's involved. Obviously he's got
(01:12):
an agent. We all listen to our representatives, we all
listen to our lawyers, but the adults in the room
ultimately have to concede and acquiesce to what the client wants.
In this case, it would be Ia Malava. When you
look at Nico, he's a kid, he's a young man,
(01:34):
and in all likelihood he's following his father's advice and
they're going from there. The NCAA is the ultimate corporate,
of course, because they've been exploiting kids for ages. This
is why they ultimately had to acquiesce to things like
nil deals and transfer a portals and what have you,
because they utilize the system to their own benefit at
(01:56):
the expense of kids for decades, and now they're receiving
their come uppens. But along the way, we also have
to recognize the losses we've suffered. Mike Krzyzewski, although he
was in his mid seventies, there's no doubt that these
kind of things played the role in his willingness to
walk away from the game. The same could be said
for Roy Williams at the University of North Carolina and
(02:17):
their basketball program. It most certainly could be said said
I can speak directly to this because Nick Saban told
me himself as to what played the role in his
deciding to walk away from college football. Is the greatest
coach the game has ever seen, along with various others.
It's also why, you know, folks, you know didn't want
to participate in it.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
When you think.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
About a Dabbosweeney at Clemson, why you think that this
stuff is a headache for him, Why he never wanted
to get involved in it. You have players now in
colleges acting like pro athletes or acting like as if
they're pros because the system now allows it and mandates it.
What it ultimately comes down to, ladies and gentlemen, is
(02:59):
the need for a collective bargaining agreement. There are no
uniform rules or regulations in college football anymore in college
basketball because of the money involved.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
And the only way.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
To rectify that is to have a collective bargaining agreement.
And let me tell you why it's necessary. You know
it's bad when a corporation like the NC DOUBLEA is
begging for congressional interference.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Usually they run from such things.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Now they're running to that because they want Congress to
solve problems for them that they can't pull off themselves.
So there's no doubt that the NCAA probably likes something
like this going on because they know it's going to
create a public uproar and as a result, elected officials
are going to be clamoring to get involved, similar to
what Corey Booker, Senator Corey Booker alluded to a couple
(03:48):
of weeks ago right here on this show along with
other elected officials. This is what the NCAA wants. So
if you're the players, if you're representatives of the players,
if your parents, you want a collective bargaining negotiation to
take place.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
So they are uniform rules and regulations that.
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Everybody has to follow, because that's what it's gonna take
to save the sport of college football and basketball.
Speaker 1 (04:13):
Without it, the sport is going to die.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
I'm telling you that right now, because the NFL or
somebody else is gonna find a way to infiltrate your
proceedings and take advantage, whether it's the NBA, to NFL
or anybody else, because business is business. But in the end,
Let's not forget the most important thing in all of this.
The most important thing in all of this is that
this was necessary because the NCAA spent decades taking advantage
(04:37):
of the student athlete. Yamalava is not a bad guy here,
but his representatives are making him look like the bad
guy because they're chasing an extra million or a million and.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
A half dollars. His valuation was at.
Speaker 2 (04:52):
Three point one million, he's getting paid two million, around
two point two million. Tennessee was willing to go as
high as two point four million. His value CIA was
at three point one million, but he's asking for four million.
So worst case scenario, we're talking about a difference of
one point six million dollars a year. And that's what
all of this is for. After taxes take off half
(05:12):
that fifty percent. Come on, now, we could do better.
Collective bargaining resolves this issue, getting adults in the room
and negotiating a collective bargaining agreement. And the good news
there is that finally, after all of these years, players
will have representation. That's what the nc DOUAA had denied
(05:35):
them the opportunity to have for so long, and they
got away with it. I don't want to hear about Center,
the Ted Cruz or anybody else trying to get involved
in all of this in any constollation's way whatsoever. I
want to see you collectively bargain a deal with the
nc DOUBLEA that doesn't require Congressional interference, because Congress clearly
(05:56):
took the side of the NCAA for far too long.
Otherwise the athletes wouldn't have been as long as they
were exposed or exploit it. Rather, it wouldn't have happened
that long if you had done the right thing decades ago.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
So Iamalava is not the bad guy here. He just
looks like it.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Because you sign a contract, you want to honor it.
Your quarterback shouldn't be looking to just desert your team.
That's how he looks right now. But it ain't all
his fault, it really isn't. It's just that he's the
face of change that apparently is imminent. Now, let's get
to the WNBA that's preparing for the draft tonight. Paige Becker's,
(06:36):
fresh off her national championship with Yukon, is expected to
be the projected number one overall pick.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
But that's not the only deal. Beckers is in the works.
Speaker 2 (06:46):
Sources told the ESPA yesterday that she's also signing a
three year deal with the three on three Unrivaled League.
Page signed in an il deal with Unrivaled last year,
which gave her equity in the league. Sources tell the
ESPN at Becker's first year of salary for the ten
weeks Unrivaled season will exceed what she would make in
four years of her WNBA rookie contract. Now, keep in
mind her WNBA rookie contract was scheduled to pay her
(07:08):
a little over seventy eight thousand this year. The highest
paid player in the WNBA is Kelsey Mitchell in Indiana,
who's getting paid about two hundred and thirty nine thousand.
Right now, Paige Beckers, they're saying, over four years she
would make a little over three hundred and fifty thousand dollars,
whereas in this ten week league she's scheduled to make
(07:28):
more than that. If y'all remember last year, in its
first year, it was projected that the Unrivaled League would
make approximately twelve to thirteen million dollars, and they made
over twenty seven million. So consider that. Pay attention to that. Now,
pay attention to the brilliance of this girl's Paige Beckers,
who just won a national championship, by the way, who
(07:49):
is spectacular all season long. National Player of the Year
went to Juju Watkins of the USC, of course, but
Paige Beckers was something sensation that went to the final
four all four years of her career, got injured to
an ACL, came back, overcame it, finally won a national
championship and now is considered on the Mount Rushmore of
Yukon basketball, which is a great, great tribute to have
along with the people like Danis Rossi briand the Stewards
(08:10):
of the world, Maya Moore's of the world.
Speaker 1 (08:11):
That kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
But let's get back to what the brilliance of Paige
Beckers truly is.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Do y'all know that she.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Invested in the unrival League last year while she was
still in college. Did you know that she has an
equity stake in the Unrivaled League. Do you know that
she's making money as a partner as well as a player,
And on top of it all, it's only gonna build
her profile even more so when she gets drafted and
goes to the WNBA, she gonna get more money and
(08:39):
endorsement dollars from that. Paige Becker's is doing her thing,
clearly guided by the right people.
Speaker 1 (08:44):
She knows what the hell she's doing. Major, major props
to that young lady. She's doing big things.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
And it ain't just Caitlyn Clark now it's Paige Becker's
and soon, hopefully it's gonna be Juju Watkins when she
comes back from that knee tear, and she's gonna recap two.
Speaker 1 (09:02):
Wishing nothing but the best for her.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Let's not forget Asia Wilson, who's the best in the
business right now, Let's not forget her for WNBA best
in the business. Our last quick hitter takes us to
golf where history was made at the Masters yesterday. That's
because Rory McElroy became just a sixth golfer to win
all four major championships in the Masters era. McElroy joins
Jeans Sarazen, Zarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicholas and
(09:25):
Tiger Woods is the only golfers to win the Masters,
the US.
Speaker 1 (09:28):
Open, the British Open and the Tour Championship. Here's the story.
It's really a story about perseverance.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
The man was suffering an eleven year drought, came close
numerous occasions, finished in the top ten at the Masters
eight times over that time span, and still couldn't close
the door until he finally did yesterday. It's a story
of perseverance, and here's why you should love it, never
giving up, always coming back to fight the good fight,
(09:54):
to try to strive to be all you can be.
That's what Rory mckleroy did and it paid off. He's
thirty five years of age and regardless of that huge
monkey that was on his back, he kept going. There's
a lot of times we could look at people and
we can look at their talent and then we can say, hey,
we just don't have that ability, we just don't have
that greatness. But you know what we all have inside
(10:16):
of ourselves. If we really dig deep enough, the ability
to persevere no matter how rough times get, we can
somehow find our way through the maze and come out
better than we were when we entered the fray. That's
the lesson to still from Rory McElroy, and major props
(10:38):
to him for his accomplishments. That's all I wanted to
say about that.
Host
Stephen A. Smith
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