X's and BrO's - "Mondays with Mitch" - June 16, 2025

Mitch Lyons joins the show live from Alaska for our weekly "Mondays with Mitch" chat.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
I know Mondays can be viewed as a negative because
the weekend is over. I like them because there's a
lot to discuss and because we get a chance to
visit with our friend Mitch Lyons and Mitch Lion's Wealth.
Pole question is out there right now. How much does
home field court ice matter? A lot, a little, not much,
not at all. Check it out on our website, check

(00:20):
it out on our Twitter handle at XP Mornings, Mitch
Lion's Wealth Mitch Lion's Wealth dot com eight six six
eighty five steel. He joins us, Happy belated Father's Day
to you, my friend. You're in Alaska? Huh is that true?

Speaker 2 (00:32):
I am. I'm standing here on a on a three
thousand foot perch over looking the Nanana River in Denali
and it's not even dark out three fifteen in the morning.
Holy cow.

Speaker 1 (00:42):
We'll appreciate you getting up with us. Hey, so, is
this the first time you've been to Alaska?

Speaker 2 (00:46):
It is, and it's absolutely breastaking and you can't even
put into words how beautiful the landscape is. It's really amazing.
I'm up here with my in law's little bucket list
trip and enjoyed Father's Day yesterday with my father in law.
My dad's passed, so spend the time of him was good.
But yeah, I hope every had a great Father's Day.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Oh man, that is so cool. Just real quick before
we get into some sports. What's the agenda? Are you fishing?
Are you whale watching? Are you yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:15):
What are you doing? Yeah? We got here initially we
went out on a boat down off Seward and that
was awesome. Saw killer whales, glacier sea lions, sea otters,
that was amazing. Took it a seven and a half
hour train up to Donale a couple of days ago,
and we went on the tour of the park yesterday.
Saw a moose within about five minutes, which was awesome.

(01:37):
Saw some grizzly bears, Kyle or shooting foxes. Saw a
ton of wildlife, cariboo and stuff. So it was really, really,
really neat and it's just this gorgeous And today we're
actually taking a plane within a half mile of Denale
and Pallas Peak in North America and going around it.
So we're really looking forward to that. That's kind of
the last Hurrah and Denali anyway.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Yeah, it's a place I've always wanted to visit. Mitch Lions.
Mitch Lions wealth dot Com joins is from Mondays with Mitch.
All right, let's dive into some things. Do you like
to see the best athletes brought to their knees? We
saw US Open only one player finished in red figures.
Sometimes I like it, but sometimes I feel like it's
almost unfair, and it puts things in perspective for me.

(02:22):
How do you look at it?

Speaker 2 (02:24):
I think I like it the US Open because it's
it's kind of a unique tournament, right, It's the only
one where really it's it's you know, they're they're lucky
to shoot below power right or shoot par and I mean,
they were one sixty foot put away from nobody finishing
on their parer yesterday, which is amazing. So I like
it from that standpoint. They know exactly what they're getting into, right,
I mean, but it's humbling. I think as a golfer,

(02:47):
it's almost like it gives us hope to see the
best players in the world struggle like that at times. Right.
So I don't know that one tournament a year, I
don't I don't know if I'd like to watch that
every every week with conditions like that, But you know,
you know, exactly what you're getting into the US Open,
and I think everybody you know kind of watches an
anticipation of that, just to see who can survive. That's
you know, a steer conditions and the rough like they

(03:09):
always have it. And that was amazing, and you know,
JJ spawn obviously stepped up and got it done.

Speaker 1 (03:15):
So it makes me wonder then just a little bit,
to take it to your sport. You played seven years
in the National Football League with Pittsburgh in Atlanta. That
means you appreciated the ninety nineteen eighty five Bears. It
means you appreciated the two thousand Ravens. You appreciate the
defensive side, even though you were an offensive player, because
that is the hard I mean, if it's all about

(03:35):
scoring points in the NFL, playing against the best defenses
has to make you appreciate things a little bit more
in that regard.

Speaker 2 (03:42):
Oh, no, no question about it. And the thing with
those teams, heck, those defensive scored about as much as
you know, the offensive they were opposing, so they made
offense with the defense. So yeah, no question about it.
I mean, when you play a team like that, or
you're facing conditions like that, definitely gets your attention, and
you know you'd rather not have to face that and weekend,

(04:04):
and we believe me. And you know those teams, I
mean I played against some strong or raven defenses and
over the years between the Steels and the Ravens had
some good battles, but you knew you were going to
be feeling it the day after for sure.

Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah, and the Giants as well under your while you
were playing. How much do you appreciate the grinders in sports?
The brad Marsians who made history over the weekend, the
Sam Bennett's as role players, the Jalen Williams for Oklahoma
City who's willing to do the dirty work. What do
you appreciate the most about guys who do some things
that maybe others don't want to do.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
Well, The thing about it is that those guys are
more than They might not get all the headlines and
stuff like the you know, superstars do, but within that
locker room, guys know exactly what they bring to the table.
And you know, I appreciate them for sure. I love them.
You know, I was I was never the superstar guy.
I was kind of the grinder myself, where you you know,
came in, you did your job day in, day out,

(04:59):
and and you know, and for to play at the
highest level and then playing championship games and then see
what like Marshan has done and stepped up and did
a critical moments. That's awesome, right, I mean, that's just
it's kind of like who shines when the lights the brightest? Right,

(05:19):
A lot of guys will cover a lot of superstars
will you know, don't maybe perform at the highest level
when the lights the brightest. But some guys are just
kind of built for that moment.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
It was just a little bit more than a year
ago the Red Sox signed Rafael Devers to a ten year,
three hundred and thirteen and a half million dollars extension.
They saw him as the face of the franchise. They
saw him as the cornerstone to them moving forward. They
traded him yesterday to San Francisco because he's a guy
who didn't want to accept first base responsibilities. He thought

(05:52):
he was a third baseman. Then you made me a
DH That's who I'm going to be. So this is
a two part question. First, he was considered their best player.
Fifteen homers, fifty seven RBIs really good. Offensive player. What
does it do to a room when you lose arguably
your best player.

Speaker 2 (06:11):
Well, I think there's so many facets to this story, right,
I mean, you sign him obviously, you know, he thinks
he thinks he's going there to be a third baseman,
and then all of a sudden, you know, they pull
the rug out from him a little bit and bring
Gregman in and now they're asking him not to play
third base. I get his frustration, but but once this
thing got going the wrong way, and then you know,

(06:32):
the first base make gets hurt and they're asking him
play first and he won't step up and do it
for the betterment of the team, you know, inside those
locker room, I mean that that becomes a cancer and
a hurry, right, And you know, for me, I'd be
like Colm Man, I mean, it's the worst team whatever.
You know, Yeah, I get it that, you know you're
upset about you know, the situation changed when when you
came here. But now we're in the middle of the

(06:54):
throws of a you know, trying to win a win
a World Series here, and then you're not going to
do what's best for the team that doesn't sit right
in the locker room I do get it somewhat from
his standpoint, But once you're into the season, man, and
you're playing for your brothers, I just don't understand that
you look guys in the eye and say, nah, I'm
not going to play the field because I just don't
want to.

Speaker 1 (07:13):
Okay, So what's the message?

Speaker 2 (07:15):
I think the messages is all right, hey, we're you know,
management saying we're not going to play that game. Right,
But however, you just lost a big stick in your
lineup too, so not not what right? So yeah, it's
it's not a good situation. And trust me, the Red
Sox management, they clearly didn't see that happening when they.

Speaker 1 (07:33):
Made that time no no, So take me into the
mindset of an athlete. Then do you view it as
our franchise and franchise is not messing around, nobody's bigger
than the team, or do you look at it like
our franchise? I mean, what is it that Bill Cower
always said to you? What did they What did they say,
George Perlis and all your great coaches, what did they

(07:55):
say to you? They said, Look, everybody is going to
be read it the same, but the rules are the same,
but not everybody's gonna be treated the same. Something along
those lines, was right, Bill build Cower. So is that
how you have to look at it, or do you
feel like, you know what, we just got screwed because
they wanted to see who's bat was bigger, and the

(08:17):
Red Sox were proving a point here and we're all
going to have to fall in line.

Speaker 2 (08:22):
Well, I wasn't a fly on the wall in that
locker room, but you know, i'd be really curious to
see some of the responses in the next couple of
days from guys to see you know, but I suspect
I get I'm speculating, but I just know how I
would feel. You know, I would suspect the fact that
he wouldn't step up. And do you know what's good
for the team? You're gonna pay a lot of money, right,

(08:43):
and whether you were playing third base, you were going
there and you were fine playing third base, and all
of a sudden you won't just slip over to the
other corner and then take some take some the reps
over there for the team. I know that, you know,
a lot of guys in that team are pretty upset
by that, that he's just gonna flat out and not
play the field now because he just feelings got hurt
about getting moved from third base. So for me, I'd
be like, you know what, screw them, and you know, hey,

(09:04):
let's let's move on and we're you know, we've won
championships without them in the past and we can do
it going forward. So that's just kind of the mind
that you got to have. I guess it just that
kind of distraction. It helps nobody in the course of
the season.

Speaker 1 (09:18):
Yeah, one hundred percent agree. Hey, listen, be safe out there.
My friend would continue to enjoy it. Looking forward to
seeing some pictures when we can connect. Thanks for the
time as always, and thanks for really appreciate you getting
up early. Didn't realize it was I can that case,
but you're you're a trooper, man.

Speaker 2 (09:31):
I appreciate it. It's fine. I woke up before my
alarm and I panicked because I thought for sure i'd
overslept it.

Speaker 1 (09:36):
But you're right on time as usual. Thanks, buddy, appreciate it.
It's Mitch Lions from mitche Linswealth dot Com. Eight sixty
six eighty five. Steel is the number. Sign up for
his free newsletter, pick up his book, Retirement of Steel.
Providing people with the retirement advice. There's a digital copy
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