Up On Game Presents: Straight Facts Podcast Discuss NBA Playoffs And Breaking Down The NFC East.

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
It's Thursday again. Tell everybody to lock in, grab some
popcorn and drinking, go and throw your air pods. And
it's the one hour show, constantly speaking facts, bullet proof
stats are always shooting from Matt. And when it comes
to Kyle, you getting numb as a style, Jake is
gonna educate you. He has the knowledge on fire players
at the Game Up. Don't be sluggish, you're lazy or

(00:27):
Jimmy Jay might hit you with a shaky baby. Catch
him on YouTube or any podcast platform, breaking all the
news down like Shock does a back boards, no hot takes.
This is where the hottest debates at and I'll take
your feed up because it's time for Strate Fact. What's

(00:50):
going on, y'all? Welcome back to Straight Facts, a sports
show that educates and entertains, brought to you by the
UP on Game Presents Network. That's your boy, James Jackson, Guys,
Jake Galllean, stat Matt Robinson, our board. Kyle could not
join us today, that's all right. We remember him in
spirit as we always do, but in the home offices
today because um, Jake, I don't know what it is, man, Man,

(01:15):
it's uh my car like I've never seen a tire.
I don't know if you guys have seen the episode
of Martin where he's all like beaten up and like
lumped up in the face. It literally is flat. Yeah, yeah,
that's what my tire looked like. I came out. I
must have hit some pothole. But apparently it's really bad
to drive on on a hit a pothole or did something,
because last time you just kid out the crib and

(01:36):
now this is I would assume this is like on
the highway going sixties seventy right over a pothole. That's
what I have to imagine. And it happens frequent enough
that I don't the most the most messed up part
about living in maniac is you don't know where or
which pothole because there's a thousand Yeah, it's like you're

(01:56):
walking on stilts on like a like a balance beam
or something trying and it's and it's Mini San Francisco.
It's literally all hills, nuts, nuts, stop. How about you
got any hitty poles lately? No, I've been very careful
with my new car, very very very careful, Star said No. All,
I have the safe driving Bonus check from like low

(02:18):
bearing tires I'm very conscious of that. You did just
buy a new car. So that's why it takes you
so long to get to the studio when we're in
studio because you stap actually crawled on the highway. Um,
all right, Yo, before we get into the pond. There's
actually a debate that and I wanted to surprise you
guys with this. I want to get your raw take
on it. There's a hot debate in the podcast world.

(02:39):
Um came off a part of my take. Uh at
Diana Russini. Gotta give her the the original credit. Um,
when you use your stovetop, what is your preferred burner? Jake,
I'll start. I'll start with you. If your preferred burner
on the stovetop gotta be the bottom right or your
handedness if your left handed are gonna be bottom left? No, no,

(03:00):
what do you think? What do you is your preferred
I think it says something about you. So what's your
preferred bottom right? Like, like like if I'm looking at it
and it's like boom bottom, I'm like the closest to
me to the right, my right hand front right, you
look like it depends. It depends because my burners are
different size. So I got the you got two big burners,
two little burners. I really thought you were gonna get

(03:23):
matt on it, yes or no question? Really, I forgot
bottom right. I like bottom right? Oh where are you? I?
I'm with two front writers front left, front left, so
that is that is no brainer to me? And by
front you mean the closest one to you? Yeah, bottom left.
I guess you guys are I don't really have an

(03:44):
issue you guys are? You guys are both right handed? Right?
So what do you? What? Are you starting the pain
with your left hand while the spatul is in my right.
There's a science behind this. It's not actually a bad logic.
Maybe off the I'm not seeing Look, I don't have
a hard stance. It's just what I've been doing. I
can see how your food cooks all and even panol
flying all that's actually now, I got the drawer with

(04:09):
all Like the cooking utensils is like I'm tied to
breaking down. I'm trying to breaking down as long as yeah,
I mean boiling water while cooking on the front ones
only Like that's come on, we we have we have

(04:30):
scents out here, but we got to move on to
actual basketball because the NBA playoffs have been in full swing.
It's the second round, so the conference semifinals right now,
and they've been really good. Um, but we have to
focus on on two series in particular that are kind
of mirroring each other, very similar, and it happens to
be the ones that aren't playing on once the night

(04:51):
when we're recording gives us a good chance to talk
about them. But they are the Sixers Heat series and
the Sons mav series. Both series went from OATS two
to three two, and they kind of we put them
under the umbrella of what's changed, why, what's had gone
from O two to both series being tied to to
the one sees looking like they're in trouble and then

(05:12):
now three two opposite ways. So first what we'll focus
on the later game that was on Tuesday night, the
MAVs um Sons game where you know, my Sons go
up to oh the MAVs stormed back oh too, winning
both games in Dallas. Everyone has the same little shock
like they same oh no, all this are the Sons

(05:34):
in trouble. It's just poeople don't have it. It's it's Devin.
But and then and then what happens. We went in
the valley, we go up three two, and the noise
is kind of quieted down a little bit. But we'll
encompas the whole series because we have, you know, only
got to talk about one game. I think on the
last pot on the last pod, so o two to
three two. But it's really what our intensive purposes was,

(05:57):
oh two to two two. Yeah, you know this isn't
when we first talked about it, we mentioned Luca needing help.
We he needs the others to step up, and that's
really for any superstar across the board. Uh. And another
thing that we know is that your role players are
going to play better at home versus on the road.
So I don't want to say that it's as simple

(06:19):
as chalking it up to like you're gonna play better
at home, and you and your role players play better
at home. I mean Brunson did. He has looked improved
Oney eight in game three, big time difference maker eighteen
in game four. Uh. And they've also been holding onto
the ball a little bit more at home, have the
Dallas Mavericks. They think they want to turn over battle
both of their wins, uh, which against some good a

(06:45):
little bit of home cooks some great calls, non Scott
Foster calls. I'm like, put their multipliing he was off
getting James. They said, hey, you get hard and we'll
take care of CP when he's in Dallas and Cocker.
But I think what game I've showed you, and this
is ultimately what the deciding factor in my opinion of
the series will be in game six and how the

(07:06):
Sons turned it back around. Is our man who found
himself a little birkin, a guy who who's found himself
a little place to put things that he can use
over and over again down the court. DeAndre Ayton, uh
didn't play a ton of minutes because it was mostly
a blowout twenty two minutes in Game five, but he
still had twenty and nine. So that's a guy who
I mean, look, that's how Utah tried to attack Alice.

(07:27):
Didn't work. You're gonna have to get him download make
him pay for going small. Eytan's got to do it
in my opinion. And and um, I believe it was
Grant Hill on the broadcast set it last night. Um
he said Jandre and isn't a name that we have
really mentioned much since Game one and for as a
Phoenix Suns fan, that's unacceptable. For DeAndre Ayten, that's to

(07:49):
me unacceptable from last series, unacceptable from the matchup and
then this series when you're talking about a matchup of
Maxi Kleiba and Dwight Pow No, no disrespect. But that's
a number and overall pick who's looking to get paid
this summer and a guy who's been billed as needed
to be a valuable piece to a big three. To
win in this title, that has to be a matchup

(08:10):
you win night in and nine out. That twenty and
nine has to be night in and night out. And
I just think it's nothing nothing less than that, Like
it's it's you have to win that matchup. You Also,
last week we talked about how Booker really wasn't fully
back from his hamstring injury, and he Game three he
also struggled, But then games four and five he's really
played well. He put up thirty five in a Game

(08:31):
four loss, and then last night he put up eleven
or twenty shooting. He's back to being the devon Booker.
We know that's really scary times for Dallas. Yeah, I
mean it's it's I love and we had the Devin
Booker takeover on Tuesday Night. You know it's it's how
like Chris Paul didn't like the world on fire. Devin
Booker takes over um and he leads the Sons to

(08:54):
to a win. But I'm watching as you know, Devin
Booker tries to take over these games. It looks like
book gets going the most when the game is in
the Sun's flow. And the game didn't break open until
late in the second half. It was it was you
know that nippet tuck most of the first half. Yeah, yeah,
still and still in the Sun's flow. Still still in

(09:15):
the Sun's tempo. But when it wasn't in Dallas, you
don't see Devin Booker have these explosion games, these takeover games,
and the pace wasn't you know, in their favor in Dallas,
because Chris Paul gets taken out of the game both
you know, rhythm and rhythmically and and physically, you know,

(09:36):
fouling out in game four. But it's something that I
kind of want to tokey in on because Chris Paul
is known as a disruptor. He is, you know, and
an irritant of sorts. That's this category. Easy now, easy
now I could say it, but what the Mavericks were
able to do was disrupted, disruptor in games three and four,

(09:57):
get them in foul trouble in both scenereios him out
of his rhythm, and now Chris Paul is taken out
of the game. The pacemaker of the Sun's then the
Sun struggle and you know Jalen Brunson has his eighteen
portant games. Um, you know, his his twenty plus point
games in the playoffs. That's that's really what I saw.
And if you just look at the game five numbers

(10:21):
four Dallas, it's unbelievable. So Bronson and Luca combined to
go nineteen forty for uh fifty points? Is that fifty
one point? The rest of the team combined shot eight
of thirty one, So the entire team outside of two

(10:41):
players made eight shots throughout four quarters. That's just that's
unconscionably bad. Yeah, I um, I don't know. I don't
like at his age, really, Chris Paul shouldn't be asked
to carry a team like I mean, I get that,
that's the reality. Like we're probably gonna if if we're
going to the further, we go to beat these harder

(11:03):
you know, beat teams, not not carry carry. But like,
you can't have twelve points, you can't have five points,
you can't have seven point. I need I need you
in the high teams and then give me. It's like God,
I need you to guide this team. Can't guide this team,
and you need to be a settling factor. You know, no,
no seven turnover games, uh, like we saw in game three.
But like like I said, truly, if you can just

(11:26):
on on when the Mavericks are on defense, if you
put the ball into the paint and post DeAndre in
as deep as possible, they won't be able to play
small because Kleiba and Powell will be in foul trouble
or they'll have to play differently when when Ayton has
the ball in his hands and you can you can
adjust accordingly. I I really do think that that is
the key, uh, the key battle because because if Dallas wins,

(11:48):
you know, it shifts their way. Yeah. And and it's
funny when you look at Luca's output, because you know,
I think Lucas is kind of playing a dangerous game
in my opinion, and Luca is trying to out gamesmanship
Chris Paul. He's trying to out, you know, manipulate the game, outfoul,

(12:10):
bait him. He's trying to play Chris Paul's game and win.
And in Dallas, that's gonna get you a couple of
games and moments. That's gonna get you a couple of wins.
Be careful, be careful playing this game. You're a really good,
a great player, Luca playing your game like like, be
careful trying to play this game, because that's that's the

(12:30):
master at it, especially in today's NBA, in this modern
are of NBA. Like I'm not I'm not talking about
perfectly trying to bait fouls. You know what I mean
when I say manipulate the angles of the game, manipulate
the movements of the game. Be careful trying to swim
in this water, I would say, you know, you also
kind of want to goat him into a like Luca

(12:50):
will get into zones where and he's a great player
like he he maybe even should take these shots, but
he'll take like just awful Harden esque dribble dribble drib
will step back, clangs off the rim, and that was
like the worst possession ever. I think if you're as
long as he's not in the zone which we saw
in the first round against Utah. I think it might

(13:11):
have been game five. Uh, he was sitting some crazy threes.
He feels it and he takes him and then they're
good shots. But like, if you can got him into
thinking that he can beat the Suns by just playing
hero ball, that that's where I think, like, really it's
the classic matchup of veteran versus young up and comer.

(13:31):
Because when you were saying James about how he can't
try to do like the Chris Paul games and ship
bating fouls, that's exactly what Chris Paul wants him to do.
Chris Paul wants to frustrate him and get Luca out
of the game that Luca's best at playing, which is
being a dynamic playmaker and getting his team involved. If
Luca just tries to respond by getting angry about a

(13:54):
cheap foul that Chris Paul is able to draw on
a teammate, then he's then the Mavericks are missed. Mean
their best way to score on offense, which is through Luca,
And when a young player like Luca gets mad, they
either do try to do stupid gaming things or shock
Euro ball shots, like Jake was saying. And it's easier

(14:15):
to do, you know, easier to stay composed when you're
at home and you know your day of environments for you.
It's much harder to do it when you're on the
road and you know all the bad stuff is tempting you.
But um, you know it's it's also funny. I'm noticing
it from Devin Booker, Like Devin Booker is coming along
very nicely at his tutelage under under Chris Paul. When

(14:35):
you see him, you know, smack the ball out of
Lucas hands and you know, you know, trying to do that.
What do you say, the Lucas special when he's on
the ground, like getting into their head. Oh, he's coming
along very nicely. Peg attentions at all the Chris Paul movements.
But one of the biggest narratives of these playoffs of
his entire career so far is get Lucas some help,

(14:56):
and obviously people are screaming it in games one, in
game two, and then after games three, in game four
in Dallas, you see him get that help from Dorian
fifty Smith, from Maxi Kleiba, from Reggie Bullock, and then
you see guys like Dorian fifty Smith and Reggie Bullock
repeat it in game five still give him some help.
So is that something that Luca can bank on for

(15:18):
maybe the rest of the series to try to push
it to six and seven games? Is that help that
he's been getting. Luca could never bank on getting help,
but he that he has to hope that it's there
because if he just plays hero ball, it's a one
intent shot that they can win. Um. I think I

(15:39):
think they probably win in Dallas, but I think it's
a home team wins every game, and I don't think
it's really close to game seven. Um. I just think
the golf and depth fish is gonna show itself like
I did in other games. And honestly, if there isn't
a bunch of calls like of the Mavericks Way, that

(16:01):
might be over tomorrow night. Uh So, when I I
went on a friends podcast UH called Remember that Guy,
and pretty much the premises you bring a guy, and
you a guy and he can't be a star. Uh
So the guy that I brought and wanted to look
into it and in duct into the Hall of Fame
was Jay Crowder eventually settled on to Mary Carroll for

(16:22):
the point being this, they are the same in the
sense that you need you need that, and he is
now so he doesn't really fit the comparison. But when
he was getting wrecked by Lebron back in the day, Yeah,
like you need that guy on your team, but when
it push comes to shove, like that guy is not
good enough to win, Like like when you're when you
are without multiple stars, you need Jay Crowder is like

(16:45):
a must on any winning team, but he will ultimately
be like your downfall, not anymore. That player is Dorian
Phinney Smith, Dorian Phinney Smith, and I know that he's
actually had a decent series, But like when Luca like
turns and kicks, like when Lebron does it, it it goes
to Kyrie. When Luca does it, it goes to insert

(17:05):
long wings stretched forward, Like those guys can't ultimately compete
with the mckel bridges, Devin Bookers, Chris Paul's of the world.
And now you're you're saying, you're saying it's not lasting.
You're I'm saying it's like he's stuck. I'm saying Luca
is stuck in a paradox of yeah, one in ten
that I can go hero ball and win this. How

(17:26):
many out of ten? Is it that? You know? I
can consistently count on Dorrian Finney Smith or Dwight Pale
or who who I mean? You know, throw throw throw
your your your rotational guy in there there and and
and I think they're having good stretches like and the
reason why I asked, can it? Can it sustain itself? Like?
Is it consistent? Because the stretch they're on seeing the

(17:48):
basket really well, it's crazy right now, Dory Freddy Smith
twelve three porters made and the Maps two wins in Dallas.
Reggie buok Uh, you know I had a great game
three fifteen four and two a fish shooting with no
turnovers in game three. If if Luca gets that, because
we know Luca is one of the best that getting
into the paint creating and distributing. If he does get

(18:09):
that production on on kickouts, on rolls to the ram
efficient shooting, the Maps, can you know, stretch us to
six and seven game We're already gone six, but the
Maps can stretch this to seven games. But it's it's
got to happen again in Dallas. It's got to happen
again in Phoenix for them to win cann do that.
Can it repeat itself? I don't. I really don't think,

(18:30):
Like I think Phoenix is is gonna wrap up here.
I think this was this was kind of the harbinger
of doom, that thirty point loss, that guy that they
gave to Dallas. Because you know, another option on defense is,
like you said, Luca, creating open, wide, open books is
a way for them to win. Um and he does

(18:50):
that through penetrating. Well, if you put a a good
on ball defender on him and then be just say,
look if he beats us, he beats us in the paint,
let him, let him make a contested layup, and we're
not giving any help defense. That's another way that you
can go about it. Uh as Phoenix, and I think
is gonna yield good results. If you see the Sixers,
which we'll talk about doing the same thing to Jimmy

(19:11):
Butler uh and and getting wins out of it despite
Jimmy having these thirty games. I really think it comes
down to staying discipline and not getting yourself in a
foul trouble. If you if you defend hard without fouling,
you force them Mavericks and the tough shots forced them.
It's a long possess into which you know doesn't go
in their favor. Make them use the whole shot clock

(19:31):
and get tired, and then it allows you to keep
the pace of the game and your favor. And that
was That's the pattern I see in the three wins
and the two losses for the Sons is foul trouble,
not just with Chris Paul, foul trouble with DeAndre and
as well too in one of those two losses. So
that that's what I see. If the Suns don't win
this series, there's no way around saying, it's like a

(19:54):
horrible collapse. Where were who went there? Why? Why? There's
no there's no excuse if the Sun's lose this series.
Like they didn't even think that was the hypothetical we
were arguing. I thought it was whether the Sun's winning
six or seven games. No, No, that's my point. So
if if Dallas actually managed to come back from three

(20:16):
to and make the conference finals, it's a really, really
bad loss. There's no reason unless Luca drops sixty in
Game seven. Um, Like, there's no reason that I'm calling.
I'm calling right now for a Son's a Son's victory
in Dallas on Thursday night. They wrap it up in

(20:37):
six and and the same thing happens. You know, they
go up to well that we go on the road.
They went two games. Who this guy is falling with
the song. It's all like and then and then it happens. Uh.
The next thing that happens after that is that Dallas

(20:58):
makes a big push for Rudy Gobert. I'm ready to rebrand.
I'm ready to rebrand as a Rudy Gobert fan if
he's on the MAVs. I will be in on Rudy
Gobert as a because now you pair him with Luca
instead of Donovan Mitchell. Uh, he'll be pretty much the same.
He's gonna probably cost them some games on the offensive end.

(21:19):
But the hope is that he now kind of gives
the antithesis to all of the all of the strategies
that have been used against the Dallas Mavericks so far,
attacking them down load. Rudy Gobert would fix a lot
of those holes. All I'm saying. Also, Luca is a
much better distributor than anyone. That's true. If that happens,

(21:41):
we'll see you get personal rebrand is fine. I don't
know about a whole the whole show rebrand. I still
have I still have some qualms about the brother, but
we'll move on. We'll move on to the to the
other series that's O two to three too, just in
a different way. And at six ers verse that he
I mean story, we can get right into it. The

(22:02):
story is Joel Embiid right, like the story is. You know,
he comes back that he's out for the first two games.
Obviously the Heat win in Miami. He comes back for
Game three. You guys win Games three and Games four
and Philadelphia and then Tuesday night in Miami. It's just
talk to me like that what happened? Like what happened?

(22:23):
And be didn't show up? Well, actually the whole team
didn't show up. But it starts, thank you, go ahead,
look and don't don't don't get it twisted. I was
actually I've never I've never called into a sports talk
radio show. Today was the closest I've been in my
entire life to absolutely trying to remount one of the
w i P hosts for going in on Joel Embiid.

(22:44):
He's a quitter, he's a baby, like if you have
any criticism of Joel Ebid. Your head doesn't work, your
head doesn't thank you. Um, do you have any criticism?
Like this guy has gone through literally like half the
stuff he's gone through in his professional career would break
most people. Um, he is the rightful m VP despite
it going to another guy, which we don't have to

(23:04):
talk about. And some people say, like, oh, it was
the m v P that that that went into him,
went into him having bad game. How about this? How
about this? You let me bash your face in hand
relentlessly with a hammer, and then we'll play a basketball
game and we'll see how well you do with the
basketball game. By the way, during the basketball game, I'm

(23:25):
gonna push the ball and in the same spot that's broken,
I'm gonna I'm gonna hit it again. Also, you you
you're not allowed of condition yourself at all because you
got a concussion. For six days. You have to sit
in a dark room and then immediately gets inserted a
playoff basketball. You play two unbelievably must win high intensity
games at home, the crowd you can feed off that.
Then you go on the road and it's it's it's

(23:49):
it's an impossible task for asking him to do like
it's it's, it's and it's there's so many things that
I can like explain what went wrong game five, and
I really think it's just like the little internal things
that are inside like people's heads, like you're down, oh two,

(24:09):
you claw back to get it too too um. At home,
you get your best player back and your mentality is good,
we did our job, we got back home. Well, Miami
is thinking there's no way we can lose Game five
or else. It's so for it's just that and that

(24:30):
that little like oh, you're down eighteen to ten five
minutes into the game game and then it's just like, oh,
that's just the way it's gonna go. And that just happened.
I've seen it happen so many times in game five,
like against Toronto of two years ago when it was
two too um, we got blown out Game five and

(24:51):
we almost won that. Seriously, it's just calling the series dead.
And after that Game five loss and I that Embat
even even a hurt and beat h he has literally
said I'm a decoy and he still manages to put
up like sixteen seventeen last night he led the team
with seventeen. That's not going to get it done. Uh. So,

(25:12):
like there's like the idealist Sixers where Ebad is your
centerpiece and you go through him. Uh and then there's
the realist Sixers, which where we're at right now, you
have to use him like he's prime DeAndre Jordans, Clinton Capella,
rim running center who who who is not to have

(25:34):
the ball from further than like fifteen feet because he's
just not a threat from there anymore. And it allows
the defense to compensate where he can still be a
physical threat in the paint one big Like if you
talk about games one and two to games three and four,
the the most glaring thing that immediately happened was when
they were building a wall to stop James Harden, the

(25:56):
ball was getting lobbed over top to Joel Embat And
that's all days of right then and there. That that's
an immediate adjustment forced by him just being there. Um.
But this is the one seed that you're dealing with.
And I think in game five what you saw is
a return to team basketball for Miami. No more Jimmy
Butler hero ball. The Sixers are gonna have to adjust
for Game six. I don't know, and and and I'm

(26:18):
So glad you said one seed, because I think that's
a lot of things that that Sixers fans are forgetting.
Is there's another team over there, another professional NBA team. Yeah,
and not just any team the number one seed in
the Eastern Conference all season, but the whole time, my mind,
literally the whole time. The Celtics had it for like

(26:39):
three days and then he took it back and it
was been It's been theirs ever since. So when when
you when you talk about like, you know, they just
didn't show up, you know, I saw a lack of effort. Yes,
I think the Sixers came out a little flat. I
think they're dealing with a lot and beads, dealing with
a lot of these emotional you know, uh, tone center
of the team, he's dealing with a lot. He came
out flat, So the team came out flat. They're also

(27:01):
dealing with one of the most physical teams in the NBA,
a team who led by Jimmy Butler, when when smells
butt in the water, will like go full throttle, foot
to the neck. So, like you have to remember, I
give them credit for not only being you know, a
physical team, being one of the best scheme teams in

(27:21):
the NBA led by one of the best scheme and
exits and those coaches in the NBA. You don't think
adjustments are gonna be made going back home. You don't
think that you're not gonna be able to do the
same things you were doing, Philadels. That's right, be the
biggest mismatch on paper that y'all. That that that there is, like,
so let's remember and give the Heat credit for the

(27:44):
number one see that they are like it's it's you
know that that that really frustrates me when I see,
you know, when I when I see that lack of
credit going to the Heat, Honestly, I don't respect the
Heat that much. And that there it is right there.
I really think we're watching the third and fourth best
teams in the East play each other right now. They

(28:06):
really sin Conference finals is happening between Boston and Milwaukee.
And it's a shame that Milwaukee doesn't have Chris Middleton.
Um even though that series is too too and up
for grabs, be three to somebody by the time you
guys listen to this, um uh the key. Nothing about
them has impressed me, like like they're a one seed,

(28:26):
but they don't seem like a team that can win
the title. Maybe I'm just wrong. They're a team that
doesn't have holes. That's where that's what I think you're discounting.
They don't have like like, no matter the game's script,
they really can do a lot mainly because of their
guard depth. Like when you have Duncan Robinson picking up
d nps because you just didn't need his three point
shooting or because, I mean, there's other reasons why he's

(28:48):
picking up d nps because he's because he's a being.
You can fill that hole with another guy. Whereas if
I'm playing another team and they don't really attack guards,
you know that that are bad on defense, like Duncan Robinson. Yeah,
Duncan Robinson can play, and now we're gonna be a
plus plus plus three point shooting team. Like they just

(29:09):
have a ton of different books with a really really
great coach and players who are like I'm not saying
that they're not good, they're really they're they're like they're
they're a very good team. But like I just I
just really don't see them either team the winner of
the series winning the East. I really don't see it.
You know, My mom actually of all people brought up

(29:31):
this hurt piece to me today about you know, if
you really think about it, the reason Jimmy Butler left
the Sixers and did not resign partially Brett Brown. The
other part is a guy who's probably not gonna ever
play an NBA game again. Ben Simmons needed the ball
in his hands. Were right. When I was Ryan McDonald's
podcast producer, we interviewed Jimmy Butler's agent legitimately said Philly

(29:53):
was not ready to have Jimmy Butler be their main
guy on offense, and that for that reason we moved
to Miami shows Ben over Jimmy. So you literally choose
Ben over Jimmy. Because of that, you're stuck with a
d eighty million dollar to bias. You probably don't go
after our Horford. Um, maybe maybe Toby gets the out
Horford contract. He probably takes that money instead of the
one that's the first and then you and then Ben's unhappy,

(30:17):
and you trade them and we're and we and we
are a deep team with people who all try hard
and we like I'm not sure that that is the
case for this pain. That's that's only a little easy
about Big James there's a million sliding doors moments. What
I think about a lot that's underrated is the fact

(30:38):
that we had went seven in a draft that we
had twenty four and twenty six and embat with Friends
with Sakam and we took Cork Mas and Timothy Law Chicabo.
We have a title because we beat Toronto. Yeah, they
wouldn't have them. And speaking of that Toronto series, I
think that's how the rest of the series is gonna go.

(31:00):
I think Sixers win Game six and then Game seven.
I'm not gonna say who's gonna win games something. The
Game seven is gonna be closely tight. I'm gonna be
having like panic attacks throughout the entire second half type
Game seven, two point game. Somebody wins. That's that's how
That's how the rest of the series is gonna get grueling, grinding.

(31:22):
That's that's gonna be tough. Um, But we got to
talk about you know that the game's leading up, you
know games three, four and five, because you go it's
it's funny what happened, especially when you look at Jimmy
Butler's output. You you he struggles in games one until
we're averaging about eighteen and a half points a game
they win and then explodes in Philly for games three

(31:43):
and four, thirty three and forty and in two losses.
And it seems like that the Sixers mindset is, you know,
it's okay if Jimmy Butler gets off as long as
nobody else beats us, that that kind of you know,
Jimmy Butler doesn't have a insane game five, but me
Butler has a good game five and and then the
heat still win. Um, So I think it's it's that's

(32:06):
just interesting to look at when you when you say, normally,
if your best player goes off like that, you're expecting
to windows those games. And the flip side of it
is he's running around trying to score forty or has
to score forty to keep his team in it, and
then you're not getting the same Jimmy Butler on the
defensive end when you come back down the court, so well,
he's he's going. I just think that it speaks to

(32:27):
the fact that he doesn't really like if he added
his way, he maybe scores twenty and has like, you know,
six rebounds, eight assists. That's like the which is what
we exactly what we saw in game when they crushed.
I don't like Jimmy can be a forty point score,
can score in the thirties. He did for a good
chunk of this season before falling off a little bit.
But that's not like who Jimmy Butler wants to be.

(32:48):
He's not a pull up jump shooter. Um. And I
think the Sixer's idea is, look, we're not gonna let
you get your shooters, Tyler, Hero, Max Shrews, Gabe Vincent.
We're not gonna let them get these easy looks. Instead,
we're just going to force Jimmy Butler to take thirty
shots and hit like to to be competitive with us.
So I think if you're the Sixers, just sleep well

(33:11):
on that. But it's just a little concerning that they
just got completely jumped right out of the gates in
game five, like Miami had them figured out well, I
mean Miami had them, had the Sixers on their back heels,
had Joel on his back heels, and this just kind
of fall suits in game four and then Harden made
a bunch of shots that he's missed throughout the rest

(33:34):
of the Sixers, and and they you know, they call
it a maker mis league, and that for James Harden,
That's what it's coming down to. But we talked about
how it beats the emotional tone center for the Sixers.
That's where I want to call on the other vets
that the Sixers have on their team, the James Hardens,
the Tobias Harris is heck that DeAndre Jordan's if if
it calls for it and I don't call it, listen,

(33:59):
not on the I'm not I'm not calling for it
on the court. But you you have to recognize when
you're superstar big man is physically battered. You want to
talk about Jake You you thought that's what Martin was,
what your tire look like, It's gotta what it be
looks like right now. You're recognize what is going on.
And if he doesn't have it, And if I'm James

(34:19):
Hardy and I'm Tobias Harris, I cannot allow you know,
the the upper the team just to come in and
simply outwil us. That's not what I'm gonna allow them
to do. They have to step up and it beats absence,
and it's gonna look more than just making shots. And
I'm talking about you know, uh, showing the heat showing
the heat, you know, physical resistance, Like you're not just

(34:40):
gonna go and bully us and push us around just
because our biggest asset, you know, literally is injured. It's
not gonna go down like that. If you gotta realize, like,
I gotta be the emotional tone center for the team,
if you were to rank it's funny thinking about this,
like teams that respond well to physicality the Eastern Conference

(35:01):
with the team's left, I think it's pretty clear there's
three that are alike and one that's been a reason
why the Sixers haven't been And like, look, I don't
like like you get hit with the deck here, what
are you gonna do and beats hurt? But that's been
the case a lot of the time. So you know
they don't they've they've they've failed to have a contingency
plan yet for the physicality of the playoffs. Someone like

(35:24):
Paul Reid has a third of your offensive rebounds when
when Vitory does I really like Paul Reid. He has
a third of the team's offensive rebounds. He's played like
seventy five minutes in the series. That's you've gotta be
better on the boards than that, especially offensively. It's tough
during the whole series because it beat was out the

(35:46):
first two times. But just and the fact that p J.
Tucker gets every offensive rebound, that's that's why he's not
excusing the offensive redbounds. I'm just saying that don't don't
numbers are a little Also think a big factor for
Miami playing better in Game five is that they realize
that they're better without one like Kyle Lowry, that they

(36:14):
don't need a point guard because there's such a balanced
passing team. The Heat have a hundred ten as sisters
series the Sixers. Oft, the Sixers have been playing much
more hero ball um and less just distributing. And despite

(36:35):
the fact that they have hardened, who's the second leader
and assist in the NBA this year, it's it's just
better coach, better balanced team is can you can? You guys?
That's just I think I mentioned it previous episodes and it
it popped in my mind again because I mentioned it
with Donovan Mitchell hold Truth, Jimmy Butler. I don't know
if there's like an attacking two guard in this league

(36:57):
that wouldn't be better suited as of the team's main
ball handler and distributed and distributor you go look at like,
I love CP, but Devin Booker is a good example
where I think you get a little bit more out
of him if you activate him as a distributor. Donovan Mitchell,
Jimmy Butler, same thing, Uh, Luca, same thing. I don't
know if Zacht Lavine can do it, but that that's

(37:18):
an idea there too. The only guy who I think
can really not do it would be Brad bel He's
the only one that fits the descript that doesn't fit
the descript the description Jayson Tatum has has started to
do it right. Another one. Yeah, look how it's unlocked
this game. Yeah, we'll see. I mean, that's what you got.
Donovan Mitchell's the Utah Jazz fans are screaming, right, get

(37:40):
better distributing the ball, and get better being all around,
and make sure an all around better player. We'll see.
And I think back, there's something that we said. That's
not that they don't need a point guard. It's one
we've done this without Carl Lowry before. We did it
without Kyle Lowry a lot in the regular season. By
the way, it was hurt a lot as we're a
lot of stars I think that's where the balance comes from.

(38:01):
The Heat is they've played a lot of this season
without you know, this guy or that guy for a
lot of the season. Jimmy Butler missed a lot of time,
Carl I missed a lot of time. P J Tuckers time,
Damn this time. All of their big name players missed
time at one point. And like we said, the Heat
never stopped being the one seed in the Eastern Conference.
I think it but this up. So we'll see UM

(38:22):
game six back in Philly. UM. You know it was
on Thursday night. We'll see, you know, if who comes
out the more physical team UM, And we'll see we'll
see if if it beat is affective. By the way,
I almost forgot to mention this, By the way, shame
on Shock and Chuck. Shame on Shack and Charles Barkley
for their assessment of Embeid right after the game, just

(38:46):
just saying that he came out with no heart, no will,
didn't want to you know, came out soft, you know,
didn't didn't show any fight in the game. As former players,
as former big men, how can you not under stand
and and have some sort of you know, not not
sympathy but there's some sort of understanding of what embeat

(39:08):
is going through physically, Like you know how physical a game?
I don't know if I don't, I don't know if
Shaq truly knows what it's like someone and and say
out that's I don't. That's like, I don't know if
that's true. That's that's true. But Jake, you do you
named it. You talked about like has anyone have you

(39:28):
ever broken his bone under your eye? Right? Imagine it
probably wouldn't be a ton of fun. That's that's that's
a bone in your skull. That's that's that's that's not
that's not fun. And that affects your vision. It's right
under your eye like you see every time there's a
dead ball and be take the mask off and kind
of do this little blinking thing. That's because it's it's
probably shaken shooting from isn't the same. So not only

(39:50):
doesn't he do you know, the best vision, he doesn't
have the best touch because it's and the thing that
got me I didn't watch the past game because I
knew I'd get annoyed by it. Because I was annoyed
by the halftime stuff off the shack at halftime was like, oh,
we see uh beat average thirty points per game this
regular season. He's down to twenty four in the postseason.

(40:10):
Usually want to see guys have bump up that point
per game in the postseason. It's like wait, wait wait
wait wait wait wait wait, this is this He's he's
playing at like sixty percent And the fact that he
got eighteen in game three was like incredible and like,
what are we doing? I'm so shocked by the lack

(40:32):
of understanding, by what this and when when we ever
had to question and beats heart and will if he
wanted to fold, he could have folded months ago. He
could have don't don't give me the m v P stuff.
Don't don't give it to me that this man that
the second Ben Simmons got traded posted a meme. He
knows what's going on on social media. He's plugged in,

(40:54):
he's known just like everybody else's known. He's not getting
the m v P. Heck, players probably have some sort
of inside channel within them that told us before them
that LEO votes are coming in. Bro, you're not You're
not getting it, so so why choose now to mope
about not getting the m v P if you're gonna
not if you're gonna pivotal Game five in the second

(41:15):
round to do that. The only thing I'll say to
defend them before we move on is they've often both
of them, Like Joel has came out and said, like
I like when they're tough on me, like it motivates me.
That's the only thought to like I mean, and like
Shack even said with Rudy Gobert, like after Gobert fire back,
like I respect that, he said, I respect that for

(41:35):
Rudy's saying like I would lock your ass up. Um,
so I do think hilarious. By the way, in the
end right now, you wouldn't. We have a local far clip.
We've seen the Julia local fark clip. You're not locking up.
He knows, he knows he wouldn't something and beat had
eleven in the third quarter to last night like like
he was only like he he had a bad first aff.

(41:56):
They were as remember twelve, he puts up eleven, the
rest of the team collapses around him. That's all. And
let's let's remember the team. He's playing, a team who
is very savvy, knows where your weaknesses is. And a
guy Jimmy Butler, bam, who isn't afraid to let you
know if I know your a little tibit. I'm not
afraid to let my arms flail a little bit more.
I'm not afraid to lead into yeah, dude like like

(42:22):
so so if I'm in bed, he probably went down
in there in game three and four and probably set
out a bunch of times. And I you know, I
got on a flight, I stood in a hotel room,
I went all these places I'm not familiar with, and
then try to go play a basketball game against that
same team. So no, I'm sorry, I can't. I can't
go in there today. I've taken that beating. My thumb

(42:43):
is hanging off my hand. I can't go in there to.
This is the actual last thing on the matter. Notice
when and be something I found really funny because there
was a Reddit comment from a Raptors fan like livid
about it, and then I started paying attention to it.
So that in Bid tries to hurt people by falling
on them. And I don't think he necessarily tries to

(43:03):
hurt them, but every time someone gets up under his
legs or trips him, he it's like a heat seeking missile,
his body, his torso will crunch torso. He got someone
so bad. I think it might have been BAM or
PJ landed on them so hard, and I was like,
that's like the it's like the fat school yard and
a bully, like he sits on you last. That's funny,

(43:27):
all right. So, like we said, the sixers and he
had a Game six in Philadelphia on Thursday night. Um,
we will see who wins that. We didn't forget about
the other two series in the playoffs. By the way, y'all,
we know that the Warriors up on the Grizzlies three
one and the Celtics and tied to it may actually
be over. Yeah, probably probably, But because of that reason,

(43:50):
we're recording literally as they're going on. We will save
the conjecture I'm gonna revisit them next pot. Don't trust me, y'all.
Cat takes on that series. But we'll move on because
we have yet to really assess the NFL since the draft.
Our guy Matt v did a great job of breaking
down the draft and every possession group pre draft. Now
that it's post draft and and post NFL offseason shake up,

(44:12):
get fall. Off season is still here, but post big moves,
it's time to really assess just the different landscape of
the NFL. And I like the way we're gonna go
into it. We're gonna go into it with like the
teams that that shook up top trenders in the league.
And fortunately for y'all, the Eagles might be the trendiest

(44:33):
team in the NFL after the moves and draft picks.
That Sir Howard not I. I refused to call him
Howie Roseman anymore. He's Howard right after what he's after
after you disrespected the name and then the banners fell
last time when we were in studio, that was that
was That was enough energy than I needed. But the

(44:55):
Eagles um absolutely just a slam dunk on the offseason
so far. They get acquisitions of obviously the big trade
for a j. Brown to get Hassan Reddick, Kauzere White
and Jordan Davis and n Kobe Dean in the draft.
You also resigned Fletcher Cox, Derek Barnett, Anthony Harris, and

(45:16):
Boston Scott. Anthony Harrison, Boston Scott too low key just
you know, good solid players for the Eagles last year.
Only big loss is losing safety Rodney McLeod. That does
kind of hurt losing some identity of your defense like that.
But we're gonna use that as as the Eagles shake
up to talk about the NFC East as a whole,
and and this will be a little recurring thing. Will

(45:37):
do as Will Karlo use a team to dive in
to each division in the NFL, this one, we're gonna
use the Eagles to dive into the NFC East. So first,
go ahead, guys, talk about how how happy you guys
must be that how we has y'all looking like this.
I don't know how to feel. It's bizarre. I'm not
used to this. I am so alien to feeling good

(45:59):
at like a static after a draft. I feel like
there's like something's wrong and if someone hasn't told me yet,
like like, oh, the A. J. Brown trade happened only
because he has a degenerative knee injury that he's gonna
have to retire in three years or something like that.
It's just it's it's or like what happened with Brandon

(46:19):
rowing basketball. Um. The It's the only thing that can
hold back this Eagles team is the fact that I'm
not sold on the quarterback I like her. Obviously he's
pretty good, but oh boy, it would be nice to
have someone that I was confident in. Well well, I mean,

(46:41):
and let's even give more testament to Howard as you
have two first round picks sitting next year that you
could do a bunch with you pack He's Howard jas
really is funny heard it's just gonna be casually, Howard.
You have two first round picks that you can either
package to go get a to scrubptle quarterback. There's going
to be a disgruntic order back this year. There's too
many teases of the strong quarterbacks leaving to not get one.

(47:04):
Did Kyler Murray get his deal? Did they give him
a big deal? Now? Kyler Baker Carson might be on
the move again. Who know what, whatever you whatever, you
want pick a quarterback. Les it into that Kelly Green
new Kelly Green helmet that they're printing out pretty well.
So I'm saying that how he has the safety that
if Jalen Hurts doesn't work out, and you have you know,
your your big name, your big assets, you have them

(47:26):
for years. A J. Brown is not a one you know,
a one year deal. Deavante Smith is still don't. Don't
call me crazy, but I wouldn't hate Baker as a
backup or as like are competing for the start. I
thought about no, no, like, I think he's pretty good.
If somethink it's pretty good, I would like to bring

(47:47):
him and compete. I don't. I don't see what. I
don't see him doing anything more than Jalen Hurts couldn't
do at at his best. Baker got the Browns a
playoff one Baker. That's true. People had had a tremendous
defense that year in the best running back tandem in
the league. You give Jalen Hurts that he might get
the Cleveland Prods, but you know that's a fair point.

(48:10):
But it's always maybe to get him on the team.
See what happens. He didn't very true. I don't want
to get off I don't want to get off the
point too much because because we're got to use the
the Eagles to kind of get in the whole scope
of the NFC East. So how does this, if it
does at all, how much does is shake up the
NFC East all these editions that the Eagles have Because

(48:32):
you're right now you have the Cowboys last year, what
twelve and five wanted division but lost in the wild card.
You guys come in second nine and eight, lost in
the wild card um and then the Washington Commanders go
seven and ten miss the playoffs. Obviously, the New York
Giants go four and thirteen and missed the playoffs. So
how does this really shake up the NFC East, which
I all just did? So two things. Number one, I

(48:53):
believe the Eagles are the team to beat in this
division over the Cowboys who have been winning it. Actually
one last, that's that's that's first and foremost. And then secondly,
something that I don't think is as obvious because I
think it starts the clock for major players and major
pieces in both Dallas and Philly. Mike McCarthy, Nick Sirianni.

(49:15):
So for Mike McCarthy's perspective, Okay, we can't be going backwards.
We've got big money tied up into the running back
quarterback pretty much. Max stat with them, they had to
let a lot a lot of people go. When you
look at the people who they lost, Amari Cooper, Cedric Wilson,
they lost his airline, they lost Keyan O'Neil and Casey
in their defensive secondary they lost Landing College, Like, there's

(49:39):
a lot of players that are not coming back to
the Dallas Cowboys. And I think despite that, like if
I'm Jerry Jones and if I'm the Dallas ownership, like
I'm looking at Mike McCarthy like, look, dude, you got
all the tools you have, Dak Prescott. We need to
be winning the division. We need to be going deeper
than the wild card uh in the playoffs, and ultimately
playoffs will really decide. This same thing goes for Nick Sirianni.

(50:01):
We looked at what happened to Brian Flores, look at
on the flip side of the positive side of how
can how can an accelerated timeline can help you? Is
Matt Lafleur. Matt la Flour jumped right in, had success
and then continued having success, and he's viewed as one
of the top young coaches in the NFL. Brian Flores
overachieved with the Dolphins team a couple of years in

(50:23):
a row, had a middling year gone. So I just
think that for Nick Sirianni and for Jalen Hurts, this
is the year. Like if you I think we could
see a new face both maybe less likely at the
coaching spot, but very likely. If the Eagles do are
are not two playoff win team, the two playoff win

(50:44):
team this year, I would say Hurts has probably gone
for whoever the best guy they can bring in is
I think one. I think one playoff win Hurts one, dude,
I did, I would say, because because because that's progressions,
it's not that binary. You can lose a playoff game

(51:05):
and put up three fifty and three touchdowns. Guess, I
guess it does depend a little bit of how you lose.
You know, that second playoff game. But that second playoff
game you know, most likely you know is in the
divisional round, but maybe could be. No, because because you
don't have to you have to be the number one seed.
But if there's a number one seed, then it doesn't matter.
I would say, if he's good enough to get you

(51:26):
to the number one seed, you're probably I'm not projecting
them that far. But what I will say is I
have no problem with you saying the Eagles of the
team to be in the NFC East. I'm tired of
just giving it to the Cowboys. I really, I really
am NFC East champion three or four, and I'm sorry,
like they should have. They should have been NFC East

(51:48):
champs like four or five years running by now. But
I'm tired of them being headed for the past handful
of years the worst division in football, and you know,
fumbling it like they're catting ahead. Like I'm really sick
and tired of it. So if I see a subtraction
on their end and addition on on the end for
a team who really just ran out of time to

(52:09):
catch them, yeah, and you three or four more weeks
in the NFL season, you guys are probably the division
winners of the NFC East, if we're being honest. And
you want to know, so you told me me saying
the Eagles. I was under the impression you were gonna
say it. Dallas is still the best team. There's still
the best. I think that the team to beat is
the team like you guys are. You weren't that far
behind them, so you're exciting, you're moving faster here. Here's

(52:32):
okay speaking moving faster. Here's where you guys need to
expectations set for me here, because I would go as
far to say in the NFC East, as far as
the NFC East goes, Dallas isn't even the second best team.
I might put them neck and neck fair. You can't
put them further than neck and neck with the New

(52:52):
York Giants. Am I crazy for saying that? With Daniel
Jones at the Yeah, yeah, you're crazy. There's the commander.
I think the commanders because they Neil Evan, neil An
NFL ready tackle in the fold, Cavon Thibodeaux potentially and
you never know what like look, I will say the
draft k yeah, me too, me too, but you just

(53:14):
never know. But I put them up there. I agree
they're one. They're confident in Daniel Jones. And look, if
they're confident in Daniel Jones, like my mama says, you're
the only one that needs confidence in yourself to go ahead. Boy,
if you confident Daniel Jones, let it rock. You have,
say Kwan Buckley coming back on what seems like to
him a personal kind of revenge. Tori has been hurt
the past couple of years. I'm here to prove I'm

(53:34):
still that back that everyone thinks I am. And they
do have, you know, a good draft class, and so
we'll see the Giants draft classes. It was very good. Yeah,
the them in the Jets to me, are in the
very same boat ironically in the same city too. They're
building something. They go still stick next year, but they're

(53:57):
building something for sure. Quite question. Did you guys see
the story about Commander's quarterback Sam How oh I did it?
That's such a red flag so so so the only
neat he eats is chicken steak, never had, never a steak.
It's never a steak. The only thing he has is
chicken like chicken tiggers. Here's the thing, if you if

(54:20):
you know something is weird, why not just keep it
to yourself like why? Because why why put a target
on yourself like that? Let's go on Twitter that. Here's
what I'm gonna say. I can only when when you
say that, do think two things pop into mind? Sports
players weird eating Patrick Mahomes puts ketchup on steak and

(54:41):
it's Patrick Mahomes, so stak that number two, That number two.
You know what? Also sounded weird when Gabe Kapler said,
Oh yeah, I just like to put the ice cream
in my mouth, switch it around and spit it out
because I like the taste, but I don't want to
get the calories from eating it. And then he led
the Giants to one of the craziest division title win

(55:01):
wins of the so hey maybe and that's and that's
another reason this kind of transitions perfectly into the Commanders,
Like do you really think they're going to be that
good with Carson Wentz. I don't. I watched him for
a lot in the past couple of years. I don't
people people the question I wanted to ask people. I

(55:22):
don't want to sound ridiculous, but people are underwriting Carson
like he he he wasn't people like like he was here.
He was run of the mill average. You can be
a good team if you have a run of the
mill average quarterback. And they were, and they were. The

(55:44):
Commanders are improved that quarterback. Yeah, Wentz is still going
to drive people, Commanders fans crazy, much better than but
he's But he's definitely and he's the I'll put he's
the best back the Nutson's cousins by far. And here's
the thing, Jake, you have to remember that Carson Wentz

(56:05):
exists outside of the last year and a half in Philadelphia.
He he does, he does everything like you did. Played
horrible against Jacksonville, cost the playoff. He played the season
on Jacksonville tape Jacksonville and tell me what you see here.
Here's here's what I'm gonna do. That's what I'm gonna do, Matt.
Here's what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna be fair

(56:26):
both ways. Now, Carson Wentz didn't play bad. He played
terrible in Jacksonville. And the NFL is the off the
ultimate what have you done for me lately? League? And
it's nuts that he played so bad in Jacksonville that
that one game made Frank Gregg break up with him
and send him to Washington. It's it's it's really nuts
that that's that really one game that is that's nuts.

(56:47):
But if you look at his season as a whole,
what twenty seven touchdowns, single digital receptions. When you look
at I'm not sure about the interception number, but when
you look at the raw stats, it's probably not that
bad until it's out and you and then you look
at the Washington commander side of things. Offense listen, listen,
and offense that was that has pieces in place. You

(57:09):
got another deep threat in Johan Dotson to go in
and seven come on, man. And you look at their defense,
a defense that gets back and healthy. This season, you
get chasing back big big for their team, Bigger than
getting Carson wins over Ryan Fitzpatrick. Bigger upgrade. I'm saying
that this this same team minus Johan Dotson got to

(57:30):
the playoffs and what your division? That doesn't? Why is
that account because seven wins isn't gonna win a division
and they got better. I'm saying that team won a
division and to your point, upgraded their quarterback division with
a quarterback who starts with just named. If Carson does
that this season, I don't think it's in a positions

(57:53):
are eleven and six? Cowboys go eleven and six, Commanders
go like nine and eight, eight and nine, Giants go
like five and twelve or whatever. So real quick, then
before I guess we're done here is let's rate one
through four. Everyone give their NFC eas power ranking. Is

(58:14):
that that's how? Yeah, you won't believe who I've got
number one? The Philadelphia Eagles saw them on it, rather
pencilman number one, number two seed. Maybe we'll see. Uh,
I'm gonna stand firm on my Giants take. This is
gonna be one of the ones that I may strike
out on this year. I got the Giants number two.

(58:35):
I may look like a dumb idiot, but I just
think that, like you have pieces to Like if we're
saying Carson Wentz being average doesn't matter, or if we say,
you know, Jalen Hurts being average is still enough. The
Eagles have a negative. You if you have a negative,
you have Carson Wentz. What do you think of Daniel Joke?
I view them equivalently. I actually of Daniel Jones. Daniel

(58:57):
Jones is like if Carson Wentz was less good quarterback
but had all of his athleticism from when he's first
entered the NFL, Like he doesn't. You're gonna tell me that, Pa, No, no,
you're in pain that you're in paid. Because here's what
I understand. Like like if you look around the NFL

(59:17):
and you look at what we could say last year,
that's fine last year. Like a team like say, I
don't know Pittsburgh, What did pitts What did Pittsburgh Pittsburgh
ended up having? What was their record? They made the playoffs?
The Ben Roethlisberger quarterback. Okay, interesting, No, that's just interesting.

(59:40):
I find it interesting. They were able to win a
couple of games with the corps of Ben Roethlisberger. We
don't think the Giants could click a few off in
the most competitive get hired by the Giants. That that
is that that that's the one and that's what I'll
give Washington. So also a rookie coach over there with
the Giants. That's the one thing. I'll say give Washington
this over the Giants, over Eagles, maybe even over Cowboys.

(01:00:03):
They have the most experienced UH coach and Ron Rivera.
I'll take him over Mike McCarthy. But that's probably the
finish your finish your ranking. Dallas going in three, and
then I have Washington coming in last. If that, it'll
prove I know nothing about the NFC. E's that that
goes on, it'll prove I don't nothing about the NFC
is not giving you a ranking. Uh, Unfortunately, I'm gonna

(01:00:25):
put Dallas one. Eagles are close to Washington, three, Giants distant, distant. Fourth.
You're hating that on me. I hate, um my, my mirrors,
Matt's You know, Dallas one, Eagles to probably not as

(01:00:46):
close as you have it, Commanders three probably closer than
you have it, and Giants four. I don't really care
how far you have it. Giants. Giants could be bad,
but I do think one um, the Commanders are closer
to the top of the end of the East then
we think. And the last time people thought this was
a two horse race between the Eagles and the Cowboys.
Washington kind of middled back here for a lot of

(01:01:08):
the season and then cut you all at the end
of the season. So it can Washington go eight and nine? Absolutely? Yeah,
well eight and nine win the division if it does
good for them, but that's not gonna win their division.
Don't let Carson beat y'all. You don't want to come
back on this podcast. You know, if you were to

(01:01:29):
go back in time from like three years back into
the past and I showed them the picture of Carson
Wentz in the commander uniform, that's enough to break your
understanding of reality. Who were the commanders? Why is Carson
Went's not in the Eagles? That's why is Ron Rivera
on their side? All these things were confused. All right,

(01:01:50):
we're all side time for this episode of straight Facts.
It's been a great one as always. We can get
some shots at the buzzer. Someone got shot at the buzzer.
Get us out, and I just want to give a
little tribute to the person that got me into Philadelphia sports,
and that's Ray deddingre Um. He's basically not whatever. He's
retiring after a legendary career. I remember being ten years old,

(01:02:12):
nine or ten years old getting an Eagles encyclopedia for
Christmas that he wrote with Robert Lyons and was autographed
by him. My grandma got an autograph and I read
that thing cover to cover a million times. The book
is like in tatters, but I still have it for
sentimental value. I'll rate injure is such an important part

(01:02:33):
of me becoming disinterested in Philadelphia sports and in all sports.
And I'm happy he's they're hiring, but I'm sad to
see him go right right now. A Philly legend. And
if if any Philly sports fan needs some like solace
and some ease in their hearts, go watch Rate. One
of the best Philly sports fan defenses I've ever seen

(01:02:58):
was Ray Deninger at the Super Bow Super bowls. Oh man,
you know it's it's it's an amazing defense. So his
name is Michael Felger, he is and that was great.
That was only a couple of months after Felger said
that holiday deserve to die being an idiot. He's a
good guy. That sounds like a real hey Boston man. Really,

(01:03:19):
they really know how to make those guys up in
Boston anyways. Is a happy, happy end to the show here.
Uh So, as I've talked about for a while on
this show, industry can be tough. Pushing the ball up
the hill can be tough. Roll around the hill something
we've done. And and just personally, you know, last two
or three years, you know me, you, Matt and Kyle. Uh,

(01:03:42):
I think I've really grown as as content creators and
as as people into this industry. And uh got the
call a day ago. I am officially being brought on
full time by Odyssey. I will be the production manager
of sports. We're gonna be making local podcasts. If you
have a team that you like, we're going to have

(01:04:04):
a podcast for it. And I will be the one
at the helm, uh pretty much creating it, finding the
talent everything, putting it all together and getting it out
to you. Uh So, Yeah, I really was stunned. I
was like, I'm so used to getting the no on
the other end, like, oh, like hey, Jake, you interviewed, well, right,
come on, dude, like I got things, let me down,

(01:04:25):
Let me down for you. You got the job. I
didn't know what to say, you know, I don't know
what's in your hands, sort of rickey bobby sort of thing.
They're like, they're like, Jackie got the job. You guys
are really gonna regret what which it was pretty much sorry,
but long time coming and something that will open up
some doors for a straight facts podcast. Absolutely, man, congratulations,

(01:04:45):
hard work paying off. About time they recognized, you know,
they recognize the talent, you know, just like you, Just
like Jalen Brunson. It's about time to get that bag
man right back. What's coming? Um? All right, all I
gotta say at the buzzer, it's time to play again
our favorite game. Does James have unrealistic social expectations? For reference? Guys?

(01:05:07):
For a reference, my mom has put me in a
real existential crisis. Yeah, because we're one day she told
me that I have unrealistic social expectations because I got
mad at her that she didn't bless me when I sneezed,
which by the way, I would do again tomorrow if
it happened again tomorrow. So here's the next one. I'm
walking into wall. All right, I'm a young gentleman to

(01:05:28):
hold the door for for anyone who's who's running near it,
you know, coming to it. So hold the door, do
you guys know what? Watchs two doors you're going through,
one going through the other. Am I wrong for thinking that?
If I hold the door for you on the outside,
just you know, common courtesy, hold the door for me
on the inside. And this dude walks right by me,

(01:05:49):
just thank you, thanks, and then goes in just not
even like give us a little push it open, not
just whimself. And you know them thinks vacuum shuts closed. Notice, man,
that's not honest with me? After? Like, am I wrong
forget mad at that? James? That sets me off like

(01:06:11):
nothing else in I really, I truly am not like
someone who will start fights in public at all. But
I will bet un vocally like well, what I'll do
is like I will say you're welcome, even if you
didn't say thank you in a situation like that, like
when I thought you were gonna say you opened door,
they walk through it, don't hold it and don't say
thank you. Watch for me to knock me off too much.

(01:06:32):
That's what I would sure James isn't like living out
Seinfeld plots. It's pretty loose Sinfeld. Does Jenny Seinfeld have
a bit about this because I got there's a whole
episode about that, saying bless you when someone sneezes, Oh
there you go, fire fire up that the scriptwriters a game.
But I got another hole. I got a whole another season,

(01:06:54):
a sign from if we go out on this, if
we go out on this theme, because it's it's ridiculous
to me, like I sometimes I feel it's intentional. So
thank you for validating you know, you're not a way
my way of life. And um, we'll catch you next
time on you know, does James have unrealistic social expectations?
So far? It's one to James two. All right, I

(01:07:19):
rather I rather always hear you. I'll say bless you
when I sneeze about that. But if if I'm like that,
all right, But we're out of time for this episode.
A straight facts. We remember our guy Kyles Sarah. You
know he's doing great things out there. We'll talk to
you next week. Bro also shout out to everybody on
the up on Game Network, and also shout out my
guys Jake Galley and stat Matt Robin said, I'm James Jackson.

(01:07:41):
These are the facts.

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