5-24-24 Hour 1

Firebirds-West Texas preview
Celtics-Pacers Game 2 and want it means
Robots taking over the world? 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Love back and guys live in myoffice. That's right, we're in my
office right now. I love alittle understand. First of all, I'm
let me have no music today.Now the music has been an issue this
week. I'm coming in, I'mcoming out. I'm coming in, coming
in and coming out. There.He is the legend, Ben Nelson,
the best in the business right herewhen it comes to social media. You're
a Celtic fan. I didn't knowthat. Am shaking his hands too long?

(00:23):
I'm sorry, Ben, I'm sorry. There he is the lego guy
right there. There's the man rightthere. We follow each other on YouTube
saying the lego guy. He's apart of the show. Now, sorry,
Ben, do you have something tosay before? Sorry? Fifty fifty
five Thank you, guys to thebest right there are part of the Firebirds
staff. Best right now? Wow? Wow Wow, that's when that comes

(00:43):
from Benny Wednesday, the best,the best evaluator of Pithon's pizza in the
history of the universe. We haveany here today. I'm a little hungry.
He never shares. I asn't reallyto say so, Ben, that
is like the most responsible kill onthe planet. I know we're sidetracking for
so like he turns twenty one,I think in June, yes, late
June, so we have a party. I walked out to him to that

(01:07):
I have a very important question tothat, and he goes. He gets
like ready because he's ready to dowork. I go, where are we
getting you drunk on your birthday?And he just laughed and walked away.
I'm like, I'm not I'm nottaking not you. He has never drunk,
not a drinker. Okay, thatresponsible to legal to drink un her
twenty one. But everybody, like, you know, we're like nobody can
see here have a beer, youknow whatever. He's like, nah,

(01:30):
like I said, you want tojust have a taste, so you know
what, Nah, wait until I'mtwenty one. So he's gotten away with
it to this point, but twentyone we go hurt that boy. I'll
say this because he's irresponsible like mostpeople out there, Russell, I think
he's gonna spit that beer out.I think he's gonna be like work his
way up. He's gonna have tohave like a a very light, tasty

(01:51):
mixed drink like a rum and coke. Yeah, but like a very you
know, gonna he's gonna spit Samthe lego guy. He leg guy was
surely temples at every flock university.Hey, he's on brand. Okay,
that's crazy. All right, whatwere you saying about? This office is
lovely office. Yeah, so youwere under selling it. We're here at
m v P Arena for the bestarena football game of the season so far,

(02:12):
on a Friday night in the Capitolregion. I would argue, with
no disrespect to the Patroons, becausethe patroons are on the road. This
is the biggest local event going onright now in the five one eight.
We are the biggest local sporting event. I agree, And there are tickets
still available. You can you cango ahead and go right to the m
v P box office to get him. You can, Uh, you can
give us a call. Joe Naireis here. He'll he'll take your Yeah,

(02:37):
he's not talld. I remember this. Everybody's walking. Everybody's walking in
the office in this segment. Ienjoy it awkwardly shaking everyone's Hey, what's
up, man, what do youmean? All right? All right,
well I'll talk about the Celtics andPacers. This is the fun part about
being at m VP Arena for alive show. Because you get to see
the real staff of the Firebirds comein talk about what's going on during the

(02:58):
game. Last night Celtics Pacers Gametwo of the Eastern Conference Finals one twenty
six, one ten the final score. We previewed the game yesterday, we
thought it was all day Celtics.It basically was I was winning for the
moment, for potentially that game toget closer into the second half. Celtics
have that, if my math iscorrect, double digit lead going into the

(03:21):
fourth quarter, and that was enoughfor them to hang on. There was
no collapse and then quick cover atthe end like Gay was trying to go
through in the play of the day. It's Celtics by sixteen. Once Halibert
heard his hamstring was over, itwas, I mean, it was over
over. And that's and I thinkthat's what we all have to remember this
year, that when the Celtics playfor the championship in the NBA Finals,
that they got there easy, thatthere's Goulda be An Asterix, that somehow

(03:46):
they're hurting all the best players onevery other team. I don't know how
they're doing it. I don't know. I don't know what the the tease
with a voodoo doll. I thinkthere might be a voodoo doll involved.
And and if if so, AntMan, Kyrie, Luca, Karl Anthony

(04:06):
Towns, be careful. Somewhere someone'sputting a pin into a doll looks just
like you right now, and you'regonna be hurt soon, okay, because
the Celtics are gonna win this thingand no one, no one is gonna
be on the court. You andI are going to play for the winning
the other team because everyone's gonna behurt that. It's that simple, it's
that easy. They're cheating somehow,they're cheating the Boston. Boston is cheating.

(04:28):
That's per usual, that's put Ithink I actually made Shorts mad last
night, Trammont Shorts of the AlbanyFirebirds. He is such a Celtics fan,
and I was ribbing him. Hestarted ribbing back. I ribbed him
some more. He ribbed back.And anyone talks to me, I think,
like, like, listen, youare one of the best football players
I've ever seen in person. Butnobody talks Max like I talks Mac.

(04:50):
That's a whole other level, especiallywhen Scotch is involved. What I mean
this, this is a sweep.Now, if Halliburton can't play right,
if Halliburton is not gonna play,or he's gonna play hampered by that by
the hamstring injury and everything, thisis a sweep. They can't beat him
without they can't. No, ohno, no, it's over. It's

(05:10):
over without Haliburton. It might havebeen over with Haliburton. That's this could
have been a four or five gameseries. Because of how efficient the Boston
Celtic offense has been. What Iget tripped up about, and maybe some
people as well, watching the Celticsall the time, Why did the Celtic
team in the postseason that we forgetwhat happens in the regular season when we
talk about the stats of the BostonCeltics. We brought this up in the

(05:30):
regular season that statistically, this isthe greatest efficient offense in the history of
professional basketball. And you feel like, guys, you've used that storyline like
three times. No, the statstell me true. Last year was the
Kings. They didn't go with Starisand Celtics. Before that, it was
the Warriors. We're watching per pointper one hundred possessions. This is the
greatest team of all time scoring wise. Well, what happens in the postseason.

(05:53):
Is they're not putting up these historicnumbers. They're not We as fans
don't see like the Golden State Warriors, the Splash Brothers putting up threason that
whoh, this is something we've neverseen before. We don't see what was
always called poetry in motion with theold Spurs teams when you had Manu and
Parker and Duncan and every guy pastanother extra time like, woh, that's

(06:13):
a good basketball. Yeah? Isthis the Spurs? Because the Spurs were
boring, like as good as theywere, Like you're just like, oh,
watch them play fundamentally sound basketball betterthan everybody else. Is that why
the Celtics are so annoying? Arethe Celtics the new Spurs? They just
played great fundamental basketball. I thinkit's less about the style of basketball as

(06:34):
to why they're born and more aboutno superstar stealing a headline and making the
story inline easy. You know,we talked about Lebron earlier this week,
about the legacy of Lebron and howmany consecutive NBA finals you'd been in.
We can talk about. We dida lot yesterday on Luca and Kyrie and
Anthony Edwards in the future of theLeague, in the face of the league
and all that, there is morecompelling storylines. The problem with the Spurs

(06:57):
of the nineteen ninety nine season andthen into the two thousands was that Tim
Duncan didn't want to talk. TimDuncan didn't want to do endorsements. Maybe
Tim Duncan was kind of boring andhe was the things in the league.
Now Tony Parker, right, thebig fundamental man and Tony Parker were a
little bit more intriguing. But everytime Tony Parker found himself in headlines,
it was more international headlines and itwas about cheating on evil and Gooria like

(07:18):
which suck because she was playing thirdbase for the Rays and didn't even know
what was going on, no clue. And Greg Popovich will use a word
of di despoperate third basement. Ithink she was on Greg Popovich. Is
kntankerous? Is the word all theuse for the sat kids out there,
Kin tankeros for the recent college graduatesput that down that he wasn't always offering

(07:41):
up the best quotes. Actually,the lack of quotes, that's what people
embrace him. So I think thatkind of goes to the Celtics where it's
like, it's not Lebron, it'snot these guys, it's Tatum trying to
be a superstar. It's Dalen Brownbeing the second best player. I don't
know if you caught the postgame pressconference with Brown where they asked Brown about,
well, you had a great gametonight, but you haven't got the
All League nods and at the posthe'son awards. How do you feel about

(08:01):
that? Do you think about that? He goes, I'll clean it up
a little bit. I don't haveblank in time to think about that.
I don't give a blank, whichI honestly think is true out of him.
He's like, I got enough onmy play man. I don't need
to worry about accolades like that.I've made three hundred million dollars soon to
be in my career, more thanany basketball player ever. You can keep
the All NBA. I'll keep thechecks. That's I mean, I wish

(08:24):
you would have said that that wasdoing great. He's and he's doing a
lot for the community, the Bostoncommunity too, which is which is really
nice. He's he's the He's probablythe closest thing to a superstar. I
mean, as much as I don't, I think you're absolutely correct when you
say he's the second best player.I think Tatum is better than he is.
But Tatum is like the fact thatTatum is in that one commercial where

(08:46):
they're like talking to him and he'slike they're gonna interview him or so.
I don't know, I don't knowwhat the commercial is. But even there,
he's boring, like they don't It'slike, I think the gimmick is
they don't really know who he isor something. It's some weird thing like
Brown has that not it, butit's like, I don't know if it's
charisma, but you pay attention tohim, like he grabs your attention.

(09:07):
So even though he's not a betterplayer than Tatum, he's close. He's
probably your superstar because he's the he'sthe guy that people think of. Now
here's what could have made the Celticsagain. This is a sixteen point victory.
The best player for the Pacers goesdown. They've been fairly dominant through
their stretch, both through the regularseason and nounce to the postseason. If
you want to ooh, now I'min that's a little juicy, that's a

(09:28):
little Desperate Housewives. To flip itback to that. Here's what could have
been the most intriguing scandalous back pagenews about the Celtics is if Magidoku,
the former coach of the Celtics,if that story inline came back. You
know how I'm always intrigued by this. He may Doku fired by the Boston

(09:50):
Celtics and we still don't know why. And he's coaching the Houston Rockets now.
Now I get it for those whodon't know. Again, the ball
bustin Celtic head coach was fired andwe don't know why. We think we
do. But because Adrian Bodoranowski andcham Charnia shared the same agent, all

(10:11):
representatively by CIA, they didn't wantto leak the story. Let's have that
happen. All these reporters love gettingclicks around a big story, hit in
the absolute peak, and then theyput out the hit piece. There you
go. You want some intrigue aboutthe Celtics, someone do some diggit on
them. While the old coach gotcanned, why Joe Mizzoula is the head
coach, then I'm in that makesthem more interesting. But they're really good

(10:31):
on the court, They're on thecourt and Porzingis's not really contributed at all,
exactly right, and he didn't.I like the way they use him
to like this, damn. Ifthey were wearing any other uniforms, I
would actually kind of like this team, because again I enjoy the teams that
other people don't like because all theydo is play well, like I enjoyed,
Like those are almost like I.Actually, you weren't my co host

(10:54):
when the Spurs were dominant. Myco host at the time was from Texas
and hated the Spurs, Armin Williams, and I love the Spurs because I
was like, dude, all theydo is play good basketball, like all
they do, Like if I like, there's anybody who does what you and
I do for a living. Guys, we somehow see ourselves as athletes,

(11:15):
like obviously not in a mirror,but like if I was ever going to
be like a basketball player of anyrenowned, if I was ever like when
I was actually in shape, ifI was gonna go play for the Patruons,
I couldn't play for this patranc teambecause they play above the rim.
They live above the rim. Theseguys are are jumping out of the gym.

(11:35):
I would have to play for ateam that everybody went. Everyone do
your job perfectly. Everyone, everyonepassed the ball, only takes shots when
they when they're guaranteed to go in. I would have to be on that
boring, fundamentally fundamentally sound team.That's what I would have to be.
So maybe that's why I like theseteams. And obviously I'm also never gonna
be a pro athlete, and wellI did. I was a pro basketball

(11:56):
player. Actually, now that Irecke you, one day we will beat
the Globetrotters. Once a general,always a general. I mean, you
feel if you're a Pacer fan rightnow, but now the Celtics are being
called boring. You're down two tooh stephen A. Smith saying he doesn't
even want to be there, Like, come on, don't Can it always
all be about New York? Right? Did you guys really want the next

(12:20):
of that bed? Now? Everybody'sawful? Please, Everybody wanted Boston,
New York. Yes, everybody wantedBoston, New York, but it didn't
happen, So hop in your littleCRV and peddle your butt home. Then
okay if you don't like it.Everybody wanted Firebirds West Texas Desert Hawks.
Everybody wanted it, and now you'regetting it, guys, thanks to our

(12:43):
friends in Mohawk Hondas sort of.Actually it's a Malalk Chevy game, a
sponsor's day, but all Mohawk family. We family, yeh. And we
twisted there about CRV, which Idrove over here. Let's tell a quick
story about my vehicle. I lovemy ride, yes, every damn loving
it more and more, Agan,I had had a pilot for about four
and a half, maybe even fiveyears, so I'm getting used to the
CRV. I enjoy it. Familyenjoys the spots a little bit better.

(13:05):
Yeah, I'm like happier wheeling itin. I feel like I'm parking better.
I know that has nothing to dowith it, but mentally, I'm
like, I'm killing this park.Isn't it does? It's easier to park.
Here's what I did today though,as I get used to my new
ride. So, as you know, I wear like a college freshman keys
around the neck a lanyard. I'vealways worn it because I've just accepted I'm
gonna lose everything if I don't rockthe eighteen year old college freshman lanyard.

(13:28):
Super Bowl there it is. That'snice. So you get the key to
getting your dorm and everything else.Whatever happened. I didn't tie the key
well enough today, so I droppedmy key, and I will tell you
the sweat was pouring, and itwasn't just sweat, it was the stress
sweat we all get. So thereI am freaking out trying to find my

(13:48):
key as I parked here at MVPArena and I cannot find it. But
luckily the car didn't lock me out. Luckily I knew it was in the
vehicle. Yes, trust me.If you've got the old right, if
you're right from the nineteen nineties,you be in trouble. You might have
a vehicle, you might have thesenior citizen in your life. It's like
no, no, no, stillgot some wheels left on it, I

(14:09):
know. Go get it. Geta new Ryde Go get a new ride
that could have been you. Ifyou're coming to the game today and you've
got a vehicle that's older than somebodyin your family that counts your cousins too,
go to Mohawk Conda. Get yourselfa new ride today. Get yourself
in twenty twenty four. To makesure moments like that don't happen it.
Where are your keys? My keysare in my computer bag right. Oh
no, no, they're on thefloor. Okay, I need to remember

(14:30):
that they're on the floor in youroffice. Love my CRV. Get yourself
a new ride, maybe like theEV prologue. There's so many great deals
going on in Mohawk. Honda,shut the Greg Johnson, the entire ment
kind of families. I say,Shohn and Service told me no bears,
guys, no bears attacked this vehicle, and you'll be just fine. I
ever got my truck stretched my truckglass. Ooh, it's not good.
Mohawkanda, where they always go outof their way to please you. Love

(14:52):
love love them. All Right,We're coming back to you live from the
MVP Arena right here on Fox SportsRadio ninety five to nine and eighty.
Well, we'll be right back.And there's a line of people who ask
me questions at my door, sogods will be right back. I might
be right back. We'll back in. Guys. We are in the Traveling

(15:13):
GT Toys Studios. That's toys witha Z. Guys. I'm gonna I'm
gonna own UPNA, I'm gonna putit out there. It's we've always done
this show with a kind of likea full disclosure, pull back the curtain
kind of thing. I am ashungover as I have been in the last

(15:37):
I would say, two three yearstoday, game day back. Yeah,
you gotta be a team president isyeah right, I'm ready, all right,
listen, I play hurt. Allright. This is like a throwback
game because you remember in the twentyeighteen twenty nineteen years when you and I
were the jesters. You know,we run out in the field and like

(15:58):
who wants t shir to here comescatch up. I don't think I ever
got through one of those games withoutdry heaving because because we'd be out the
night before, I'd be out,or you know, I was I think
I was dating a much younger woman. Yeah Friday night, you gotta go,
Wow, you want to keep thatmuch younger woman? This was you
and I in twenty eighteen. Iwas, Yeah, I was over.
I was hung over almost every gamebecause you, like you've been. That

(16:25):
was back when old Gazi Bear waslike being all secretive with the fam and
the girl. I think I wasa gag. Anyways, beyond that,
okay, so like yeah, tothe point where like the team president at
that point. George Manis would usuallycome find me before a game and how
you feeling every game? How youfeeling because he knew. He's like,
you want a little hair of thedog before we go out there. I'm
like, I don't drink on gameday and he would just laugh, and

(16:48):
then after the game I would drink. Uh, but no, I I
we had like one of It's justone of those one that gets away from
you, you know what I mean, just like you know, you go
out with the best of intentions andit gets away from you. You know,
It's just you start having a littlemore fun than you should and the
next thing, you know, yougotta find your car the next day,
you know, And that's that's lifesometimes. You know, this might be

(17:15):
the most entertaining three hour show we'veever done. Again, I don't know
how much longer I'm gonna have younow this is this is factor and I
know Flock University's taking over our thirdhour. We are live from the MVP
Arena in your office. Good Flockthis week too. It smells good.
Coach were is gonna join us?So that's it smells fine. It's smell
It was smelling like Spike for awhile. We got we got Spike out
of bath, so Spike will bebetter this week. No, I just

(17:37):
again, I just uh we didso. Andy Glcher Mike Corda Richie says
that great owners, great bosses,good dudes. Not just saying that either,
I mean it. They took theguys out for a salbratory dinner because
the Sunday game, the only nightthat worked was last night, so the
guys didn't get to you know,drink, but they ate and had a
great time. Trevon Schwartz was there, Big Big. I didn't know Coach

(18:03):
Gabe was also a Celtie. Wehad a couple of Celtics fans on the
team, so we had the gamegoing. During that, well, trash
talk between me and Shorts and Ijust you know, started throwing back a
little bit and to make up forwhat they couldn't do at the celebratory dinner.
And uh a may or may nothave ended up on under the orange
roof at some point. Really yeah, well yeah, okay, so it's

(18:25):
the thing, but I'm here,you know what I mean, Like this,
play hard, work hard, kids, that's the rule, don't you
know? No days off as asthey say, unless it's the gym and
then I take all the days off. Yeah, so so yeah, I
just I'm just letting you know,just letting you know. It's it's my
filter because you know, this guy'smore than most people. My brain actually

(18:45):
works faster and meaner, and myfilter is completely broken when I'm hungover.
So there's a chance that you're gonnalike whoever's got the dump button back at
the at the actual GT Toy studio. They may be, they may you
might get a little carbeled tunnel today. You might be up against it will
be offer of a spoiler alert.Maybe you listen to local Capital or Region

(19:06):
sports Rada. By the way,we did come to work today. I
heard some other local shows decided totake an early holiday. We are here.
We are doing this spoiler alert Lavaca. If you decide to swear during
today's show, there is no oneto stop you. There's nobody back intew
we've actually figured out technology. Wedon't need a college in turn back there,
we figured it out. We don'tdon't need it or don't have it?
Is? Which one is it?Oh? You don't have to I

(19:27):
can I can probably make us needone. Let's not but it will be
an entertaining three hours. Make sureyou have your iHeart, make sure on
your iHeart app you have us uptoday. We will have a fun show.
Let's break down the game. Isent you a text a few hours
ago because I'm very excited about beingon the broadcast again time. If you
are a Capital Region sports fan,you can follow the action on the Albany

(19:48):
Firebird YouTube page. But we hopethat you come out to MVP Arena.
If you're starting your vacation, yourholiday early, we hope you started right
here at MVP Arena for the Firebirds, local sports support and local squads doing
big things. The Firebirds, whichcould the match with the two best teams,
And I still believe that the twobest teams in arena football will square
off tonight right here in the CapitolRegion. It has such a big game
feel, Friday night battle of thetop two teams. The vibes are good,

(20:11):
the summer is here. I nevertold you this, that's right,
I never told you this. Itold Boston and this as well when there
was a big game back in Salva, New York and little Old Ghazi Bear
who was hitting the Friday night lightsand having the big hoops games. Baseball
games not so much in Geneva.There was no point to do this with
the early kickoffs at noon while Iwas still there with my helmet on in

(20:33):
the fifty yard line. But thebig high school games, for whatever reason,
back to Pop Warner, I wouldget a hershey bar in a purple
Gatorade. I think it was justto give you that little extra boost before
the game. You must have hadinteresting color duties. It wasn't every game,
it was not. It was onlythe big Friday night rivalry rivalry game
like that big maybe three or fourtimes a year. Purple Gatorade hershey bar

(20:56):
has been consumed for this. That'sthe biggest compliment I can give this.
Let's go, let's go, let'sget after it a little bit. I'm
ready. This is yeah, thisis a huge game, and it's it's
it's cool, like pregame is cool. Whenever we get done with this,
or whenever I just decide to walkaway, I'll get to go see Jonathan
Baine. I haven't seen him sinceOrlando. I'll get to see you know,

(21:18):
Pudge Calvin Fans. I haven't seenhim since maybe maybe twenty two Kenny
Veale. I haven't seen viel Inforever, like some of these guys that
you know helped us win championships herein the Capitol Region, coming back and
they're wearing the other team's uniforms.Lannie Outlaw, I haven't. I haven't
sworn at him on a football fieldsince he was in Columbus. He's about
six foot seven. I would notrecommend doing that. That's sorry. You

(21:40):
can't hear him all of it.He can't. You know, Listen,
I'm at this point. Knock meout. I'm ready. I'll take a
little nap right there on the field. I ain't scared. But you know,
it'll be good to see those guyspregame, during the game. It's
not gonna be great to see thoseguys because they're all really, really good
football players. Let me ask thisquestion because I know that it's an ever
evolving arena football league in two thousandtwenty four. Let's play this scenario out.

(22:00):
Okay, Albany should be the favoritecoming into this game. They're undefeated,
They've showed the most talent in theleague so far. That is not
being biased to the broadcaster. That'sthe truth. The Firebirds are the best
team right now in arena football,they the Firebird will play West Texas a
get him in about two weeks fifteendays down in Permian. So a scenario

(22:21):
could play out here that if thetiebreaker is let's say Albany gets West Texas
in this game, the Desert Hawksget him in two weeks, they split
this series but win margin home andaway. What I'm getting at is,
let's say, for instance, WestTexas and Albany are time at the end
of the season. Couldn't this gamepotentially decide who has home field advantage through

(22:44):
the playoffs? Couldn't this game potentiallydesign whether or not the Capitol region is
hosting and already FOOTBA leagu Championship becausecavalry to sports fans, you've been a
bit spoiled. You got the twentynineteen championship game here, twenty twenty one
championship game here, twenty twenty twochampionship game here. Twenty twenty three is
a different story. We've covered thata few times this week with a certain

(23:06):
somebody. But like lovec isn't thatthe storyline of the top two teams?
And because of scenarios and how theschedule now lays out there is a chance
of this game team to decide ina playoff push if the Capital region one
more time gets to host a championshipgame. So I do feel like this
is the I think this is apreview. I think like if you if
you look at our our this willbe our fourth home game. You know,

(23:30):
technically we have we have four victoriesalready, but if you look at
the teams we played, I wouldtell you that one of these three games
is uh is the preview of thechampionship game. Like I don't like because
what we're hearing right now and thisis these these are details that could change,
right They're gonna a high seed forthe for the playoffs. There's a

(23:55):
chance we will do a special locationfor the championship game. It's that's being
gust right now. But like we'reeither gonna host a playoff game and a
championship game, and that championship gameit's gonna be Albany, Orlando, Albany
Nashville, or Albany West Texas.It's gonna be one of those three.

(24:15):
So this is your this is oneof your chances to see what it's gonna
look like like. Even if itis a remote a different location, and
I don't know. I don't knowthat. I don't I know that.
Like I said, I just there'sdiscussions happening, and I'm just being as
transparent. It's really possible this gametonight, you nailed it. Who's who's
gonna be the host of that game? Who's gonna be who's gonna have one

(24:36):
up on the other team in thatgame? Because West Texas is good,
Orlando is is? I think Orlando'sright up there and Nashville now that we're
playing with the unlimited substitutions, whichis a really nice way of saying,
we're scared of Albany and they're reallygood at iron Man and we're not as
good as them as Ironman, wethink we have a chance if we do
unlimited substitutions. Which is that likethat just didn't fit on the front of

(24:57):
the binder for the rules like italicsand the ASTA and then stuck it in
and that font that just shows yoursounding like a little bit of a weasel.
Like that puts Nashville up a littlebit. I think it makes Nashville
a little bit better. So Ido. I think tonight tonight is a
what your money where your mouth is. It's gonna be a fight. We

(25:18):
we love the ownership, we lovea lot of the people, but that
doesn't mean we don't want to beatthe living hell out of them. I
don't think this will be factored inthe final decision, but I know a
lot arena football fans listen to ourshow, whether it's on the iHeart app
or on demand. On the podcastside, I will offer up my opinion
of whether or not it should bea remote championship game or it should be
the host city. Usually, Iwould say almost nearly a one hundred percent

(25:42):
of the time, winning city insports is selected to be able call it
the neutral site title game spot,whether it's a Super Bowl, a Final
four, a Women's final, fora regional site for the NCAA tournament that
has announced a year plus in advancebecause of travel arrangements. Like if you're
a fan of Connecticut it you mighthave an idea of where you're going.
If you're a fan of Iowa basketball, we saw this, Like Caitlin Clark,

(26:03):
you were, I believe both NCAAtournaments recently, the Caitlin Clark won
here in Albany, and then theone previous with Amster Dams on Audrey Jackson.
When do you come on the championshipif it, well, just I'm
getting random city, Las Vegas.Okay, the Arena FOOTBA leagu Championships gonna
be held in Las Vegas and thegame is gonna be mid July. Well,
if you're an Albany fan, oryou're an Orlando fan or West Texas,
now you have to buy a moreexpensive flight, a more expensive room

(26:27):
you get in an advance, youget it a little bit less expensive.
You can plant. That'd be mytake. I think it's a little too
far now into the season to doa neutral site if you want to do
that for twenty twenty five and getArena Football League fans a heads up,
But not my decision. But someonecan tag me on Twitter and say firebird
broadcaster at Tom Goss, Tomgozz,he says this about the Dutro unless that

(26:48):
again, I get paid to goto that city and then everything can change.
That's about me. I knew thatwas the I knew that was the
finisher of it. I mean,you've called the bunch champions games now I
do, and like you and Andrewdo a great job to the point.
Well, I never liked it.I didn't really get I still don't.
But you know, the people atthe NFL network when they were still considering,

(27:11):
you know, coming here, theysaid they would use your broadcast.
So that's that's a huge compliment.If it does end up being a different
location, there'll be a reason behindit, you know what I mean,
There'll be something that makes sense behindit. Like I The one thing I
will say is, I'm if ifwe were having this conversation a couple of

(27:33):
weeks ago and different people were incharge, I would tell you, I
don't know why you're doing it.I don't like it, I don't care.
Uh. These people that are allkind of negotiating and talking it through
and whatever, these are all peoplewho have proven that they can weather storms
and and come up with good decisions. So I'm very hopeful, obviously,
But of course I want to hostit, but I also don't want to

(27:55):
work it like the opposite of you, like basically by working you and I've
covered many Super Bowls. You've coveredsix, I've covered four. No,
I think it's five and seven.Excuse me, five and seven. Now
you know that other teams have hadto be called in to say, hey,
it's in Las Vegas. A lotof people don't know that, Like,
hey, if the Ravens don't makeit, like Chad Steel is there,
He's still there. Yeah, everyyear, which is a great porn

(28:17):
name. I actually thought when Isaid it, I got it confused with
a Steel or Lexington or either one. There. Don't look those up.
Yeah, go do it. Don'tbe a whimp. I was trying to
fix this water Bob, But that'sgonna be I'm gonna wareb that are we
both riting about those steels? Anyway? I don't know. I don't know.
I kind of want to look atit. I mean, I've never
I've never watched the adult films.I don't believe in them. They're they're

(28:37):
there's the Devil, Yeah, theDevil Bobby Bouchet. But I don't I'm
not gonna. I'm not gonna whenyou say, work it like I mean
in when we were in the NLin twenty one and twenty two, I
had to do everything like like mystaff, not just me, like you
know and and and you know,the ownership and everything. We had to
build the press conferences and this andthat and the other thing. We didn't

(29:00):
do it all, and I don'twant to do that again, like I
want to. I want to justlike I want to just watch the game.
I know we're gonna talk about Drewpres I know we're gonna talk a
little bit more fibers Drew Prescott.But what Levac just said, if you've
been watching ESPN's coverage of the EasternConference Finals between the Pacers and the Celtics,

(29:21):
yes, that quote Levac just hadit was very similar to what Stephen
A. Smith said last night whenthey asked him a prediction on the Eastern
Conference Finals, and he said,you turn to Michael Wilbon and goes,
I've worked with you for decades.I've never said this before, but let
me be honest with you. Ihope it's a short series so I get
a few days off. You're basicallyto stephen A. Smith. I hope
we do well. I hope wehost the championship, but I hope I

(29:42):
have to do that much well.And I gotta be honest, like I've
got the staff I've got now,I do a lot less like I can
actually delegate it and it works nooffense to former staffs. You're probably sleeping
right now. But it's it is. It's just something about the ability to
just go and watch that and youknow, take care when we go to
road games, like my responsibilities.Just make sure I got my guys have

(30:04):
what they need. That's it.So it's like a regular game for me.
When we host the championships press conferences, it's make sure the media availability
is, make sure the other team'sready, make sure the other team's got
this, the other team's got Idon't want to do anything for the other
teams. God, you know,God bless you. We're here. I'm
here to help you. But atthe same time, I want to put
a boot in your in your butt. That's what I want. And that's

(30:26):
and then like the real the fortuneguy from last night, Yeah that's great.
What did he say again? Butyeah, and oh my god,
and that guy knew he was goingviral. That was awesome. I don't
know, like I said, Ijust I think I feel really good about
this game. I hope everybody cancome out and see it Friday night lights
and we get to be a teamthat plays in Odessa. That's amazing.

(30:48):
And it's a really good team.It's a really really good team. It's
if you haven't planned ahead to behere tonight, you probably one of those
seat of the pants crazy people whomay or may not. There's a lot
of money in the world of finance. World of finance, very treacherous,
very crazy. You need a goodplan, you need a good guide.
That's Drew Prescott. Prescott PW dotcom. Give him a call. Five

(31:11):
one eight two zero three, nineteeneighty three. Drew Prescott has been helping
people grow their financial wealth for yearsand years and years. And listen,
I want to be very clear,nothing is for certain in the world of
finance. But if you have avery good plan and a good advisor,
you have a better chance of weatheringany financial storm out there. And that's
true. Prescott. Sit down andtalk to him, get to know him

(31:32):
yourself, make your own call,and then Drew Prescott, maybe he's your
financial advisor, and now you're onyour way to serious financial wealth. That's
what's up. Drew Prescott, Prescott, PW dot com. Guys. Next,
I think we should talk about thesefilthy Celtics and this the easiest path
ever to a championship. I thinkthey have voodoo dolls. That's how they're

(31:53):
getting all these people hurt. There'svoodoo dolls coming out of Boston. We'll
prove it next Fox Sports ninety five, nine to nine eighty. Well back
in guys, live from the MVPArena what I would label and Goz has
already said this, so obviously hewould as well. The biggest and probably
best arena football game of the yeartonight as the Desert Hawks three and one

(32:17):
Desert Hawks come in here to takeon the four and oh all many Firebirds.
A lot of our former guys willbe there. We have a lot
of love for a lot of thosepeople. Outside of today seven pm,
they will get no love, butguys. So I've been very focused on
this, and then we've got twobig road trips coming up, so I've

(32:37):
been working with our travel people toget that done. And I'm hungover.
I don't know a lot of what'sgoing on in the world. Let's do
a little all of a sudden,guys, learn me somegning, Like,
tell me what's like you've got someheadlines on. I know we get top
four or four coming up, butgive me some of the things that you
want to talk about that haven't madethe top four and four, so that
later on tonight when somebody comes upto me and goes, hey, do

(32:58):
you hear about I'd be like,yes, I did. I know you're
talking about robots may or may notbe taking over the world. Okay,
we'll get to that in a fewminutes, but first at Tom guys,
tmgo is easy. This hurts mebecause it involved my Baltimore Orioles. It
also hurt me because the replacement fortruly one of the people I admire went
through the career with Jason Bennetti,used to call White Sox games, now
calls the Tigers. John Schriffen isgetting roasted in Chicago for how Betty is

(33:22):
almost as bad as the young femalebroadcaster for the Eights. We'll get to
them in a second. But thecall last night in the Orioles White Sox
game to end the game maybe thesingle worst baseball call I've ever seen ever
in the history of the sport.Now I get it, people are gonna
point back to that World Series withthe Cardinals and Royals. The safe outcohol

(33:43):
Armando Galarraga. Is no perfect game. There are times where umpires miss strike
calls. This one, by theway, go back and look at nineteen
ninety seven's World Series when Levon Hernandezis tearing it up. Whoa, that's
strikes one of that empire was likethe Little League, Oh gosh, that
strikes to that umpire looking back twentyseven years later is a little wide.
But this okay for young baseball playerswho might be enjoying the firebirds, who

(34:07):
are driving over the game listening tothis the field, there we go the
in field fly rule. Ball hitto the infield, up in the air,
runner on first and second or first, second and third, less than
two outs, ball goes up inthe air. The batter is automatically out
and runners advance at their own risk. So why is the in field fly

(34:31):
rule a rule? Because somebody couldintentionally drop the ball and turn a double
play. It prevents that from happening. To say, the ball gets hit
high up to the short stop,there's a runner on first and second,
The short stop or the third baseis better way up in the air to
the third baseman stindy right on thirdbase. He can drop it, tag
the banks, throw it over tofirst. He has the advantage. So

(34:52):
that's the infield fly rule. Forthose who young young sports fans. What
happened last night? In the Orielgame, ball gets hit up the short
infield. The fly rule is called, so it goes from one out to
two outs. But because the baserunner was trying to get back to the
base, they said the base runnerfor the Chicago White Sox interfered on the

(35:14):
play. Oh god, with theshortstop trying to make it play, the
ball barely touched him out number three. That's the ballgame. Orioles win,
eight to six. If you haven'tseen it, I think we're gonna retweet
it at WOFX nine eighty as well. Maybe the worst call in the history
of professional baseball, if not anyother level of baseball. It is.

(35:35):
It's a bad year for the ams. Like it the amount of like you're
always gonna question their calls, We'realways gonna hate them because they are the
other team. Uh. But atthe same time, like this year feels
like a far more awkward year andfar more obvious stupid mistakes like Judge Aaron

(35:57):
Boone getting kicked out because something afan said, you know, stuff like
that, and then not apologizing like, ah, he's responsible for what comes
out of that area. The fansnow now the manage responsible for the fans
say like it does. It feelslike a year where the the referees,
the umps, all the dudes inbaseball, all the officials are just worse,
which leads to this, and thisis his second reference on the show.

(36:21):
I feel like we're teasing an UncleHowdie debut in the wwe we're dropping
little hints that your old co hostArmind Williams might be back. This West
Texas is being played today. Iremember producing that show Armand Levac. Yeah,
and Armand's maybe most famous take fromthe show is that he was pro
robot umpires. He desperately wanted robotumpires major I think that was just because

(36:45):
he hates me. I think hewanted me not to have what I want.
Major League Baseball is announced today thatrobot a home plate umpires are unlikely
for twenty twenty five. Rob Manfredsaid, quote, we still have some
technical issues. We haven't made asmuch progress in the minor leagues this years.
We sort of hoped. At thispoint, I think it's becoming more
and more likely this will not bea go for twenty twenty five. Uh.

(37:07):
I know that quote seems pretty generic. I do think there's a little
humor to that where It's like,look, machines aren't working as we'd hope,
we must improve them. Umpires arelike, come on, can we
just not ever have the machines takeour jobs? Please? This is kind
of weird. What do you makeof the news there for Manford saying not
going like we hope for the robotimps and where's Armon Williams to yell and
scream about it? Well? LikeI like the I like the challenge they're

(37:30):
doing in the minors, Like youknow, I the visual of Jason Demegez,
you know, hit the top ofhis head to challenge us a ball
or strike, like I like,can't. I think that's the next step.
Like if that doesn't fix it,then we can talk about robots.
But like, right now, ifwe can, we have the technology to
fix it, I think without youknow, having Rosie the made from the

(37:53):
Jetsons takeover behind home plate, LikeI don't, I don't want that.
There is there's something about the humanexperience with strikes and balls, like you've
you know, you were talking aboutlike this guy's strike windows here, this
guy's here. There's something about itthat I do at no matter how much

(38:13):
I can plaining, I do actuallykind of like it's endearing to me,
But at the I think I lost, Like I think the robots like from
what you just said, the waythe quotes out to me, it's not
if it's when like they're coming.It's happening. We're gonna take all the
humanity out of baseball. Don't worryabout it. Sooner later robots will just
play baseball and then you know,oh, look at the Aaron Judge bot

(38:37):
two thousand is really raking this year, guys. But like so, I
guess I should just get get usedto the idea. But I just I
don't like. I don't like therobot MP. It feels like the robot
ump in the sport of baseball.A tennis is somewhere in this equation is
just gonna become a thing because thesport allows it to become a thing.
Like, for instance, basketball,you really can have a robottom because there's

(39:02):
hand checking, there's contact going tothe basket. You need someone to be
the interpreter is almost a better termthat might be used in the future for
whether or not a violation of therules were committed. So basketball doesn't really
allow it. Football the same waybecause you've got back judges checking for holding,
you've got people in the secondary,different line judges and more so,
really that won't implement technology that's new. Hold that thought for a few minutes,

(39:29):
and it just seems like baseball setsus up up for safe out catch,
no catch robot. I'm with you, though, I think robottoms will
never be a thing. I actuallydon't. I think they trot it out
realized it's not as good as theythink. It's actually slowing down the game
because people have to look up ballstrike ball strike. No, I actually
don't think we will see a daywhere behind the plate we'll have hopefully it
umpires in major League bass. Imean, I hope not. I didn't

(39:52):
think I would like the challenge,but I do like the challenge. And
maybe it's because almost the only timeyou see it is when they get it
right. Maybe if I saw peoplegetting it wrong all the time, I
be ticked off. But like II there's gotta be a better way.
No, no, I'm not.I just there's a certain for all you
freaks out there that think Feel theDream is a good movie. Like that's

(40:13):
because there's a human level to baseball. Okay, like you know what I
mean, like, like you wantto believe that that's that you know over
the baseball can fix your relationship withyour parents. It can't, Like it
can't your parents your parents hate you? There going okay, that's better whatever.
But at the same time, likeI said that, that's like when

(40:34):
I think of Yankee Stadium now,I used to think of Yankee Stadium where
when you know, me and mybros went, we got beers who watched
the Yankees win. Yah. NowI think about it like I brought my
daughter. We both mocked gods becausethe oriels suck. You know, it's
a family thing. Like bad officials, they should never do this. You
shouldn't anticipate the call because your mindwill be set for that. While Levac
was giving his Field of Dreams take, I anticipated like this is gonna get

(40:58):
dark and really not going the directionI thought it would. And then he
opened up with like, oh theumpires. I'm like, oh, he's
gonna go like a ghost joke here. And then he went to people's family
hating them and then insulting me,and then watching your daughter insulting. Then
I was like, Okay, that'swhere we're back on bread it's like a
human thing there. There's a humanpart of the game. You know.
It's like, yeah, I thinkof my friends and my family going to
the like not my older family,not like my my siblings because they all

(41:20):
like don't like me, but likemy daughter her boyfriend, they want to
go. You know, you andmy kids and your wife they want to
go. You know, those kindof things. Speaking about robots, ghosts
and people liking their families and more. We all love football, We all
like going an NFL games. Therecould be something of the past that this
could even go to smaller levels offootball for the pop order to the high

(41:42):
school days. You always have thevolunteer dad holding the chains on the sidelines.
You know, it's a part ofit. Somebody needs to be a
part of the chain gang. Well, the NFL might be done with the
chain gang. According to reports,the NFL intends to move forward with an
optical tracking system for Lyne to gainrulings that's from multiple outlets. They're gonna
test out the system in the twentytwenty four preseason. If it works well

(42:05):
and if it's approved by NFL owners, the league could have it start as
soon as this upcoming season. Sothis optical tracking system effectively demote the chain
gang. So if you don't knowwhat the system's about, I love our
chain gang. Yeah, I thinkthey'll do an awesome job. This is
sort of like the system that's usedin tennis. I don't know how often
people see it, but like you'llquickly see a challenge and technology is caught

(42:28):
up where you can see the ballsin er out. This is gonna say,
Okay, where did the ball carriergo? Let's pull it up.
Okay, this ball crossed the lineof the thirty seven yard line, so
first down raiders. A lot ofpeople did complain during the season of we
have a bunch of different replays,we can do games from different countries.
We still have guys on the sidelinesholding yard markers that tell us whether or

(42:52):
not it's a first down. Itseems as if technology is caught up.
I want to see this in action. I don't want to say I'm naive
to how this would work, butI I kinda just want to see it.
I didn't think the chain gang wasa problem. I believe the existence
of the chain gang for a longtime was to just visually see, like,
how long do we have to go. Now, they could still be

(43:14):
there, but they're not gonna bringout the chains. Like I feel like
there needs to be still a visualelement of where I have to go.
I like the post out there becausewhen I'm watching it at home, I
get like, I I hear youguys, you know when you do the
color and the play by play andall that stuff. But I hear you
guys, go oh, it lookslike, you know, he's out like
the four or whatever. Like Ican't see that, Like, for whatever

(43:36):
reason I don't have my brain doesn'tpick that up. But if I see
where the yard marker is, Ican I have an eye. Like now
I can judge where they are basedon that, like a Okay, that's
a first down, so there arethree yards past that, that's thirteen yards,
that's you know what I mean.Like without that, I wouldn't be
able. I'd have no special recognitionon a football field. I think the
issue is that, okay, wehave to bring out the chain gang.

(43:59):
Okay, a referee has to holdthe middle chain and walk them out in
a perfectly straight line, and thenone person has to stretch it and then
it was a legendary play with theRaiders, right, was a yeah,
it may have not been him.Somebody brought up the credit card, right,
and then just it was it wasa it was a three by five
card. It was it was apiece of paper and used it to judge

(44:19):
how close the ball was. Butit was like a folded It was like
a folded piece of paper. Andand this was how we determined that the
Raiders didn't get The first out isa folded piece of paper fit between the
ball and the and the first downmark. That situation may never happen again.
People actually felt the walking chains out. I don't think that will happen

(44:42):
Like that card never happened again.That deal went. That went the way
of the dinosaur. There they're donewith that. But that was that really
well. I still to this dayI tear up every three by five card
I see. Even even though technologyis taking over sports, baseball not so
much. But they tried football potentiallythis preseason. That's what's gonna happen.
Where to see this happen in person, I will say that until I see

(45:05):
that when happen, I will atleast have doubts about. But if it
is good five years from around andbe like oh, we did what in
the past. Here's what I learnedduring COVID, you know, like in
COVID. Learned a lot in COVID. But remember they used to air old
sporting events because they had nothing elseto air. I'm talking to everybody.
Everybody busted out something. How didolder sports sayings? Watch sports in the

(45:27):
eighties and seventies, they had noticker, Like all the scores from around
them, they weren't there. Theycall it a bug in television where it
says like Villanova eighty North Carolina seventy. Right, they didn't have a bug,
so at times you didn't know whatthe score was, what the time
was. In my lifetime, Iremember when they invented the first down marker,
so like you could see on thescreen like, okay, it's a
yellow marker. They have to getthere, and they're like this is annoying,

(45:52):
and then like three plays later you'relike, yoh, that's awesome.
They just got the first There arecertain things that are added to a telecast
a broadcaster. You're like that soundsstupid. You see how awesome it is.
Maybe this is one of these methodsand we'll see. My favorite thing
was when Fox because people thought theline was really on the field, like
what he runs? Why is he'srun past the Olow line? And then
Fox is a thing where like thegoing to commercial graphic that would come up

(46:14):
like we'll be right back fox.It was a green and yellow paint roller
like so like okay, yellow lineand then and then paint over it with
a green line. And I waslike, that's the greatest thing I've ever
seen, and like I think Ithink one of the adults that were in
the room when they did that waslike, is that how they do it?
And I was just like I don't, I can't. I hopefully you
don't breed? All right? Uhthey're in the television. Why are the

(46:40):
athletes so small? If? Howthey get him in there? When you're
when you're at tonight's game Firebirds hostingDesert Hawks and you see a giant iceberg
down in the down down on theone end zone, that's because my friends
at elevation ten thousand rush made mea white Jazz that I can wear tonight

(47:00):
for the white out. Whoa likea young Rick Patino out there like a
Colonel Sanders. Well you so gossyou like I like those cage jackets.
I got you a blue one.Yeah, I got the gray one here
that for, you know, justin case. So they so Christian,
I called Elevation ten thousand, Isaid, Christian, you know, I
know you get mad when I rushyou, but I didn't know this was
happening. Yesterday I ordered it.He's like, I'll get it done.

(47:23):
You need it, I'll get itdone, and now I have it.
Last night we had the reward dinner. Andy Gelcher brings in a couple of
cases of hoodie sweatshirts that look greatfor the guys, and I'm like,
where'd you get those? He goes, damn cleotde over at Elevation. I'm
like, no, wonder Dave's notanswering me. He's talking to Andy.
That's so, you know whatever,But no, the point is, like

(47:44):
he goes, dud dude. Youwant it done right, you want to
look great, and you want itfast. You need you need Elevation ten
thousand. I'm like. Hearing thatguy say it, who's way more you
know, versed in the world ofbusiness than I am, makes me feel
good. You know. It's like, Hi, I have also been telling
people of the greatness of Elevation tenthousand, pretty much whatever you're looking for,
whether it's a redesigned, better website, a better strategy for marketing.

(48:07):
I saw Blake today, the onewho directs all the TV comps, Yes,
you know, TV course, whateverit is you're looking for, and
you're just like, how do Iget this done? How does everybody else
do this? I don't know howelse does it, but the way we
do it. If we go toelevation ten k dot com elevates your brand
with elevation ten thousand, a coupleof guys be here tonight, guys for
the game elevation ten thousand, CORDTwill you be here for hour number two?

(48:29):
Because I've got a full hour outof you. You think you could
squeezed one more hour before we havea flock university takeover. If everyone calls
five one eight five, five,seven, eight seven nine nine and gets
tickets to tonight's game, I'll stayfor another hour. I need a bunch
of tickets. So it's like atelephone please call you need your help.
Or if you go right to theVP Arena box office and get your tickets,

(48:50):
I will stay for for more morefootball. I will do it.
Or we're talk whatever I'm looking atfootball right now. My brain is not
good, so get ready. Itcan only get worse from here for me,
buddy. It is Fox Sports Radioninety five, ninety nine, eighty,
Top four and four coming up next. I think we're gonna do a
little late the way I like it.