March 13, 2024 • 38 mins
Chris and Rob discuss how much blame the New York Jets deserve for the ongoing circus surrounding Aaron Rodgers, debate whether Isiah Thomas is correct when he says that Kevin Durant saved the legacies of Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green and tell us why the USA Today column suggesting that the face of women's college basketball has to be a Black player is flat out wrong.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the Best of The Odd Couple with
Chris Brusson and Ron Harker.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
All right, Rob, let's get into it.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
The air Rogers story, just you know, it was the
big talk on a lot of shows today and we
talked about on first things first, You and I got
to it last night. But there's more and now according
to the Daily Mail.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
So that's what we're That's what we're That's the Daily Mail.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
They have some decent it's out of it's out of
the UK, but it's reputable.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
But anyway, they have.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
A quote from somebody apparently close to the situation.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Here's how they set it up. They say they are
the Daily Mail is reporting.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
They say exclusively, all right that the Jets are upset
with Rogers and say it's quote ridiculous to think he
could be campaigning and playing football at the same time.
Here's what the soort says, Rob, Lots of the Jets
coaches and players want Aaron to commit to the team
(01:40):
and worry about winning the Super Bowl over a chance
to be in the White House.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Aaron and Robert aren't going to win.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
But for Aaron to consider helping run the country over
playing for the team has many with the Jets all
upset because you have to pick one or the other.
He can't be campaigning through the week and then playing
the Dolphins the following weekend. It's ridiculous. When Aaron is retired,
(02:08):
he can do whatever the heck he wants. I inserted heck,
the Jets aren't paying him not to play. The team
has already had to accept and take on his various
controversial beliefs and comments, and to add a political career
to the situation is exactly the distraction the team wants
(02:28):
no part of at all. Last sentence, There's only enough
leash they can give and offer Aaron, and they want
him to be a teammate and not a running mate.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Rob your thoughts, the Jets are one hundred to blame,
not Aaron Rodgers. When you went out and you signed
Aaron Rodgers, Chris Bussard, this is what you get. Aaron
Rodgers been very transparent that he's been.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
This is who he is. Everybody knows about it. He
goes on.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
What's the show, I just Pat McAfee, he's got something
to say. It's always some little controversy or whatever it is,
or against the grain.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
This is who he is Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
This is who he is, Like Chris waited, Yeah, you know,
say today exactly. That's what he turned into with the
Pat McAfee show. So I'm i'm the Jets have gone
through this. He's gonna wind up being Brett Favre probably.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
One and done and then saying, well.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
You did it already before with a Packers great quarterback,
and it might happen again. I don't know what else
to say, other than to say you can't marry an alcoholic.
And then you be surprised when he wants to stop
off on the liquor to the liquor store on the
way home. This is who Aaron Rodgers has become Chris
over the last few years of his career. They knew
(04:04):
that when they signed up for him, and I'm not
surprised that there's yet something else brewing or something else.
Yet to talk about something other than football.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
This is what he's become.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Well, look the quote from the anonymous source, whoever that
may be.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
It sounds right on the money. It almost sounded too
good to be true. It was perfect. I'm not saying
I'm not. I don't. I have no idea. I'm definitely
not saying it's not true. Christ. That was a perfect quote.
It was right on it.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
It's always scary too, you notice in journalism sometimes when
the quote is perfect and fits. He said, we want
him to be a teammate, not a running mate. Like
that part right there sounds like that's that ain't a
quote that I don't know, but it is.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
It is a perfect quote, right, I mean, yeah, whatever,
it's right.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
They are right. It is ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
And if he thinks that he he can play football
and run for vice president, he's lost his mind, that
right there. I mean he gonna win. I doubt he
is the running mate, but if he was, I don't
think they'd win. But just the fact that someone would
think they could do both, that right, there's enough not
(05:21):
to vote for him because they're not practical, all right.
And look, Row, I'm gonna say this, at forty years old,
who knows what Aaron rodgers aspirations are. But them coming
to him, and you know, when what we've seen over
the last few years of him and his quotes and
(05:41):
his interests and things like that, I'm not surprised they
came to him and he's like, you know what, man, maybe.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
But like that, I don't be's.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
I don't play him for looking at oh mulling it
over if that's what he's doing or considering it now.
If this were Patrick mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Jordan Love, you know,
somebody that's young and starting their career.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Even if it were Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
At that point in his career, I think they'd be
I'm a football player. You know, maybe when I'm done playing,
but right now I'm a football player. I think that
would be the case. But I don't have an issue
with him, you know, considering this and as we said yesterday, Rob,
it'll be over in a couple of weeks. Right if
(06:31):
they say he's not the guy, then we don't have
an issue that. You know, they still got plenty of
time to get ready for the season, and you can't
a guy that has other interests. There's no problem with
having other interest and so that's behind the play.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
That's why the quote to me is strange. And I'm
not saying it's made up or phony or whatever. But Chris,
if I'm the Jets and I said this yesterday, if
he's gonna announce his one they made in two weeks,
this is a non issue until Aaron Rodgers says he's
gonna be vice pro. To me, I wouldn't comment at
I wouldn't comment at all because nothing's happening right now
(07:11):
for the next two weeks.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Nothing well.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
I think the challenge is it is free agency, and
this is now, I hear you. It can if in
two weeks he's not the VP candidate.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Then they can just move on.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
But they are trying to build a team now, and
this is what this leads to my next point, Rob
and they need to sit down with him and talk
to him and see where he's really at. Now they
can still wait for the final answer from RFK Juniors,
(07:50):
Robert Kenny's Junior's you know camp and what he decides,
But if they know there are reports that he already
knows who he's gonna pick, and he's just gonna announce
it a few weeks.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
They need to find.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
Out because Rob, if Aaron Rodgers, Let's say they do
pick Aaron Rodgers and he's the VP candidate and Rogers accepts.
If I'm the Jets, I'm I mean, I'm sure they
can get out of that contract. I would think, right,
you go to the league, You're like, look, you can't
(08:22):
do both.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
And they can wash.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Their hands of the Aaron Rodgers era for snaps. As
long as it was wash your hands of it. He
shouldn't get his money if he's, you know, walking away
from the sport, even if it's just for this year.
If I'm the Jets Rob and he ends up being
(08:46):
the vice president candidate, I am trying my best to
get out of this contract. Move on, and I'm trading
for Justin Fields. That's what I'm doing. And Tyrod Taylor
actually a nice backup to veteran who might be the
help Justin Fields sometimes somewhat similar skill sets, and so
(09:12):
that would be what I'm doing.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
But I'm enough is enough?
Speaker 4 (09:15):
I mean again, And I don't mind him having these
thoughts and even aspirations.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I'm sure he probably never.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Thought this clattering anybody who will sit there and tell
you is not flattering.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
They're lying to you.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Okay, it's flattering that somebody thinks of you, and that
ilk Chris, but but that.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
My only thing is this is who he is.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
He's You can't ask somebody to change to be different.
You can't go out and get a guy and then
think he's going to be different or he's not gonna be.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Out there a little bit. He's a little out there
and this fits.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
With his brand one hundred percent on where he is
the last four years. So if there's anybody to blame,
its the Jets for not doing their vetting to understand
who he is to be.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
And I'm and I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Give the Jets up just a little bit of a
break because I don't see any official word from anybody.
I don't because that's the right move, is not to
make an official comment on anything Chris until the shoe
drops when they announced that it's it's somebody else saw
Jesse the body Ventura that it's a non issue. And
(10:24):
you could say, hey, it was nice to be considered,
but I never was offered that job and I never
said I was taking it like that. That would be
the next year. He conversing like, and that's the thing too.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
When we discussed this on First Things First, Nick Wright
and Kevin Wilsese, my co host, thought that this would
linger even if he's not voted. I said, if it
lingers this because he wants it to linger, Rob, he
could debt it on his first comments after this, and
so could the Jets. He could be like, look it
was it was like you said, it was an honor it.
(10:55):
I thought that would come my way. So yeah, I
thought about it. I was like, man, let me really
think about this. He didn't ask me, and so you know,
obviously I'm not doing it, and I'm ready to, you know,
do what I've been saying, which has helped the Jets
win a Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
And do our breath. Like you know, you could kill
the story. Now. He might not do that, Rob, You know,
to your point, he might.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Every week he might start talking about the racer basically
supporting Kennedy and saying stuff this newsworthy about politics and
creating distraction distractions. But he could end it if he
indeed wanted to. So we'll see, Rob. But it's very
interesting in man, you ain't lying. This is what they
(11:35):
signed up for. When they got Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Hey, what's up everybody?
Speaker 5 (11:51):
It's me three time Pro Bowl of LeVar Arrington and
I couldn't be more excited to announce a podcast called
Up on Game?
Speaker 3 (11:58):
What is up on Game?
Speaker 5 (11:59):
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Speaker 3 (12:02):
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Speaker 5 (12:05):
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Speaker 3 (12:07):
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Speaker 5 (12:11):
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Speaker 3 (12:31):
And speaking with Whop. That's where we're going to stay.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
Roped the legend friend of both of ours, friend of
the show. We both love, Isaiah Thomas, one of the
greatest players ever. I have him as the fourth greatest
point guard rop ever. Magic Steph Oscar Isaiah and he.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Was talking ree. Where do you have him? I have
him two two wow behind magic obviously yep, okay.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
But anyway, he was talking on the Draymond Green podcast
recently and here's.
Speaker 6 (13:16):
What he said, and I hope this don't upset you.
Before Kevin Durant arrived in Golden State, y'all were on
the verge and being remembered as the team that wins
seventy three and nine and lost to a Cleveland Cavalier
team in the finals. You up three to one and
probably one of the biggest collapse in NBA Finals history.
(13:40):
Kevin Durant comes that summer and really saves y'all basketball legacy.
You win two championships after that, the Golden State Warriors
dynasty that you're going to go into the Hall of
Fame own and everything else. It is cemented because if
Durant don't come that summer and you guys are remembered
(14:01):
as the seventy three and nine team, all of your
legacies are different.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Hog wash. He no, he spot on them.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
I love Isaiah, but that is hogwall, the proof the crew.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
We gotta talk one at a time. You want to
go now or you want What I'm saying is he's spot.
You agree with him, but you want to go ahead?
Go ahead? No, you go ahead? Back it up, go ahead,
go first.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
I mean, Isaiah's already made I agree with him, so
it doesn't make sense for me to go you should okay,
But they did.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
They proved it.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Look, I think, and I felt this way before they
even won it in twenty twenty two, that that team
rob that gave up the three one finals league, and
Isaiah said, it was one of the biggest finals collapses.
It's the biggest cause three to one, it's never happened.
That was the only time it happened, and that will
stick with them. I mean, that's just something. It is
(14:57):
what it is. But I thought even before they came
back and won the championship in twenty twenty two, I
felt like that following year they would have come back
and won it. They would have been so focused, they
would have been so upset, just like San Antonio when
(15:21):
they played Miami in twenty thirteen.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Robin, you know it, well, we think you were there.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
I was there for sure, and everybody thought that the
San Antonio Spurs had won in game six games.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Even about five thousand fans who were outside the building.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
I remember and Ray Allen hits one of the biggest
shots in NBA history. They come back to win it
in seven. The rest is history, so to speak. Those Spurs,
they didn't only want to come back and win the championship,
they wanted the heat because they knew they gave one away.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
And I think it would have been the exact same
thing with the.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Warriors, because that Warriors team without Kevin Durant did win
seventy three games. I mean, we can't act like they
weren't a great team in the regular sea. They won
seventy three without KD. That Warriors team without KD was
up three to one on that great Cavaliers team with Lebron,
(16:25):
Kevin Love and Kyrie.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
They were up three to one, and I think, and
I don't take anything.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
Away from the Calves because you had to go get
it done. And injuries have been a part of finals
since time immemorial. But I think they this wasn't an injury.
But I think the Calves won that series because Draymond
Green was suspended for Game five.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
I was covering it.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
The Cavs seemed dead in the water, and I remember
thinking when they when he.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Was suspended I was like, this is.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
I didn't know if it was gonna definitely happen, but
I had a distinct feeling from being around the teams,
particularly Cleveland. I was like, man, this is what they needed.
This was the momentum shift, this was what they needed
to feel like, look, let's get this one. Once you
got that one, it was like, okay, we can get
another one and then it's on. And so that's what happened.
(17:23):
So I think they would have came back in won.
I'm not trying to take anything away from KD.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
He was great.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
He won those finals MVPs like I felt he would
win at least one of the finals MVPs. They were
a phenomenal team with him, but.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
They proved it.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
If you don't believe, because nobody really knows, had they
not got him, what would have happened. I'm telling you
what I think would have happened. Isaiah said what he
thinks would have happened. But what we do know, and
to me this is this drops the mic. They came
back in one with an older Clay who came off
serious injuries. Then Andrew Wiggins, who you know that was
(18:04):
his best year, but he hasn't been any type of superstar.
Draymond was a tad older not probably not quite what
he used to be when they lost to Cleveland, and
they still won the championship and ran through Yokic, ran
through Luca, ran through Tatum and Brown, ran through Jah
(18:28):
and Jaron Jackson and Desmond Bay like they'd be some
good teams.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
So I just don't that's it.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
You weaken debate whether they would have came back and
won it the next year.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I think they would. Isaiah thinks they wouldn't have. Fine,
we don't know.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
What we do know is that they came back and
won it again without Durand so what we're talking.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
About easy, Isaiah spot on.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
And if you don't believe Isaiah, Chris, you think they
would have come back to win, let's hear from Draymond
Green who doesn't agree with you, Chris Busha and he
the team.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
I don't mean nothing.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Opinion on that.
Speaker 7 (19:03):
I don't think the outside world gave Kevin enough credit.
I think if you came within our organization, Kevin was
given all the credit. But the reality is is, I
don't think that team wins another championship if Kevin doesn't
come Now, you may say, oh, yeah, but y'all won
the fourth one without Kevin. But there's a gap in there,
(19:25):
thank you, where teams started to figure us out.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Would would you guys have beat two years without Kevin?
Speaker 7 (19:33):
Yeah, we was beating them for sure. That team was
never going to beat us. It just was not going
to happen. He was talking about, we would not have
beat the Cavs coming back around without Kevin because you
guys had won.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
He there you go, and look that that's right. Who
does Draymond love more than anybody Lebron? For him say
we would not have beaten Lebron in that team? Why not?
You were up three to one.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
But that's his opinion. Chris, I'm trying to okay, and
you have your opinion. No, I think I think I think.
I think Isaiah's spot on. And the difference is you're
not that say, you're not a dynasty winning three out
of four. You wind up winning, Uh, you would have
won lost a few years, three years and then you
win again and sure you get the second championship, but
(20:27):
you don't feel the same way about where they were
winning three out of four. To me, you win three
in a row or three out of four you're a dynasty.
That's my definition. If they don't win those other two,
they would be a have a nice organization that had
a nice run and won two titles in the course
of ten years or whatever it is. But it's not
(20:48):
the same like dominating and winning three out of four.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Isaiah's right won.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
I just don't believe they would have won because they
could because because you don't choke Chris. In the NBA,
no team ever in the history of the league had
ever lost a three to one deficit.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Ever. So the thing about that is the.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Thing about the NBA is most of the time, because
you gotta win four out of seven, the best team
almost always.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Wins four out of seven.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
That was a colossal choke that might have stuck with them.
You could have come back with that feeling, but you
would have also been a little vulnerable that no lead
is safe. Oh my god, the Warriors are down. Next
next series are down. The next year, they're down. Oh two, wow,
we might not be able to make it. Well, you know,
we couldn't even hold a three to one lead. There's
(21:40):
a lot of things that psychologically play with you, even
though you might be talented. They wouldn't have run to
go get Kevin Durant if they really truly believed that
they didn't need him and what had just happened to them,
And I do believe that. I think Isaiah is right
about their legacy, that Kevin Durant is the one who
cemented it by having them win three out of four.
(22:03):
And I'm more of I don't even know, Chris, if
they even want winning twenty twelve, if they never won
the two with Kevin mean twenty I'm sorry twenty twenty two.
I mean, we just I'm never saying I don't know
that for sure, but we don't know anything for sure.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
But to say that he was long gone by then,
I mean, why in the world wouldn't they been They
would have already won the championship shown they got championship medal,
and then he's gone for three years and they come
back and win it, and we're saying they wouldn't have
won it had he not.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
He didn't teach them how to win. They taught him
how to win. That's real. And Durant needed.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Them and they needed him, and they don't get Wiggins
without right Durant.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
Wasn't that a big I mean that that's trades. Yeah,
I mean that's all you know, that was part of
the trade or somehow they end up getting Wiggins. But
I mean that, but that's not what we're talking about.
One the court things that happen, and look, we don't know.
It's all opinion, as you said, But I look at
the fact that they came back and won, the fact
that they were up so big on that Calves team,
(23:12):
the fact that they were the greatest regular season team
in history, all without Kevin Durant.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
I don't see how it's even in debate. Now, you
are right, Rob.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
If they don't win those two rings with Durant or
you know, say he doesn't go there and they don't win,
absolutely their legacy is different. I'm just saying they would
have won. Now they would they have won two straight?
Would they have won maybe two out of three? Would
they have just won one? I don't know. What I
feel strongly about is that they would have come back
(23:44):
in twenty what was that seventeen and won that championship.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
The only thing is is that that year the Calves
were even better than the year before. When they came
into that finals, Chris in twenty seventeen, they were twelve
and one.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
They were twelve playoff runs before that, No, what I
was saying?
Speaker 1 (24:05):
And then they ran into the buzz saw that was
Kevin Durant, But they were twelve and one.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Man was so weak, rib come on stop it. You
know how weak the nobody in the East was going.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
So none of Lebron's stuff Miami Boston?
Speaker 2 (24:20):
What was that?
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Are we discounting everything Lebron did in the East because
the East was weak during that time?
Speaker 4 (24:24):
No, because it wasn't weak when he was in Miami,
but it was weak when he was when he was
in Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
The second go round, that team won fifty one games.
What are you talking about?
Speaker 4 (24:34):
The game they were year twenty sixteen, they won fifty seven,
So what are you talking about?
Speaker 8 (24:44):
They wouldn't need to by designed, they took their foot
off the gas.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
They didn't. Well you can't.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
There's nothing. You got no evidence that they were better.
They won fifty one games.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
So the Lakers ain't no good either.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
They coached it in the regular season and got to
the Western Conference Finals, right.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
What Lakers didn't they make it to the What Lakers
were talking about?
Speaker 6 (25:02):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (25:03):
One? Lakers? Remember that team?
Speaker 2 (25:06):
What again?
Speaker 4 (25:07):
Is you you said the Cavs were better the next year, Well,
they were one person.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
In the regular season. They weren't better, No, but twelve
and one going into the finals. You don't think they
felt like they had a chance to win a championship.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
You know what they were the year before that going
into the finals twelve and two.
Speaker 8 (25:26):
Next year, huge difference. Twelve and one, they only twelve
and twelve and two.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Huge difference.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
Bottom line is in regular season and playoffs. They and
Rob Parker the is wrong. I listened to Utah. You
gotta listen to me talk regular season and playoffs. They
won more games in twenty sixteen than they did in
twenty seventeen.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
There is no evidence whatsoever that they were better. And
they were the twelve season. Oh my gosh, couldn't have
been beat.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Fox Sports Radio as the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
There was an interesting article Rob written in USA Today Today.
It was by Lindsey Schnell and the title was women's
basketball needs faces of future to be Black. Enter Juju
Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
I guess the power.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Line if you will. In the story, Rob was in
a game built by black women. It matters that the
faces of the future looked like the faces of the past.
She's talked, She talked a little bit about how you
know she feels like, well, here's I'll just read it.
(26:56):
Over the past few years, as women's basketball has exploded
in popular hilarity, much of the media and marketing attention
has focused on three prominent white players. Caitlyn Clark yukon
junior Page, Beckers in Oregon, Sabrina an Esque, I'm mispronouncing it,
Inscu who graduating in twenty twenty. She, of course is
(27:16):
the one that you know had the three point shootout
with Steph.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
So, Rob, what are your thoughts on this?
Speaker 4 (27:23):
The WNBA also has pointed out seventy percent black, very
close to the NBA is about seventy three seventy four
percent black.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
So what are your thoughts on this? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
I don't know how you're going to manipulate that when
a player the Caitlin situation, Chris, I don't know how
you are going to push someone else. And Juju's having
an unbelievable year at USC Okay, she she's on pace
already her rookie year.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
And I know this, Chris, because I work at USC
do a.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
Sports show, you know, We're do a sports show every
Wednesday and they talk about her, you know what I mean,
every week.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
So I know about Juju, her stats and what she's doing.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
And she's on pace to bet Caitlin record, Like she's
already her freshman year. Chris has been that great that
she's on a better pace than Caitlin. So she could
be the next big thing, you know what I mean,
come four years from now. But the idea now you're
talking about marketing and whatnot, we also know the country
(28:26):
and that we live in.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Which is.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Majority white. So we do know that, and a lot
of times, if you can, you.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
Would Chris.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Alter or present not in all cases, because if that
was the case, the NFL wouldn't be sixty nine seventy
percent black and NBA wouldn't be seventy five percent black
if you were just playing those numbers, you know what
I mean. So that that that's you know, and pushing
somebody ahead. No, it's about talent, and we're supposed to
(29:04):
live in a world where, more so than anything else, Chris,
sports is the only place where once you get on
the field, it's supposed to be equal footing for everybody
and the best win. That's why the white How many
black owners are there in the NBA?
Speaker 3 (29:24):
None? Right, not of Michael Jordan's giving up his team, right, None?
Not majority? Okay, that's what I'm taking majority owner. Well,
and I like, let me just say this so so.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
In you know, we know this, Chris, because the last
time I remember when Boston and Utah played a game,
Dick Heydenson, I mean, uh, what's his name? Heinsen to
Tommy Heinsen and Dick Stockton were doing the game on CBS.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
I'll never forget it.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
And it was a blowout game long time ago, Chris
on CBS, and it was a blowout game and both
coaches emptied their benches and put ten players out on
the court.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
I'll never forget it. Tommy Heysen said, Hey, if.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
You got your TV set up to a VCR record this,
this will be the last time you ever see ten
white players in the NBA on the court. At the
same time, I give the guy credit because he thought
of it.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
It was that in the eighties, I.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Think eighty wouldever see the like CBS's last year of
having the game before.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
They moved to NBC.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Go google it. You probably mean YouTube, and I bet
you again the line. Yeah, what I'm just saying is
you can't. You can't pick talent based on anything other
than talent.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Yeah. The playing field is objective.
Speaker 4 (30:49):
You put two guys in a boxing ring, on a track,
on a basketball court, football field, baseball diamond. If you
want to win, you gotta take the best one. It's
obvious who's best better. And if you want to win,
you got to take the better player, whether black, white, green, red, yellow, whatever.
And that's why African Americans have been able to excel
(31:12):
in sports, because it's just been objective. All the little
biases and prejudices that in corporate America can keep Blacks
out can't on the field.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
If you want to win, they did it. They did it.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
They read it the quarterback as long as they could,
and they getting real.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
And now you're that wall has finally been broken. Rob.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
I think I feel I know, I disagree with the article,
and I think I feel like it's pandering to black people.
What we want is equal opportunity. We want black girls
and black boys to be able to have as just
as much of a shot at playing sports in the
big time as kids of any other race, and that
(31:59):
you have that in women's basketball, he said, WNBA seventy
percent black.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
You got it in basketball, you got in sports.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
So if the white players, if some of them end
up being better, if the best players end up being white,
as long as we got the opportunity, I'm fine with it.
And I think a Caitlyn Clark is so popular because
the same reason Steph. She's shooting shots. She's a great player, obviously,
but she's taking shots from distances that we haven't regularly
(32:28):
seen in the women's game, and that's what we saw.
That's why people fell in love with Steph because he
did that and he was winning, and he's black, obviously,
And I feel like it's pandering because what we need
more than another great black basketball player are more blacks
(32:49):
in the front office, more blacks in ownership, more blacks
running the athletic departments or having high ranking positions in
these schools, more black students at these schools. U c
l A is about two three percent black at USC
is probably not very high either. That's what we need
(33:10):
more of than just more athletes and so and I
feel also Rob like she could. The article pointed out
how black women who built the sport haven't been acknowledged,
and obviously there's there was been racism in the past
that they faced.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
But I I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
I think the problem, Rob is the w n b
A is not popular. And when we'll see if Caitlyn Clark,
remember it was written she and Michael Jordan, we'll see
because you and.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
I and you know, you know, I don't think that's
gonna happen even with her commercials.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
No, probably have some commercials and all that.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
And tickets Indiana those so rackets in Indiana. But but
we'll see. The league has been around for twenty someone,
twenty eight years.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
How long has it been around since ninety six?
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Chris like Wilder was huge, and we don't hear as
much about her. I mean, obviously and she had the
issue in Russia, but I mean as far as just
for basketball, we don't hear as much about her because
the WNBA is not that high. Diana Tarasi and Lena
Della don Lauren Jackson, do they get more publicity or
(34:30):
more love than Cynthia Cooper and Cheryl Soops and you.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Know, maya more some of the great black people. I
don't think so.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
I mean, I look at w the ESPN pregame show,
Rod they got Shane the WNBA player, She's black on there.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
On the pregame show.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
Like, I can't sit here and say, I just think
that Caitlyn Clark and Page Beckers are really good and
exciting players. And when you know, and you do have
black players like that too, and they'll get the publicity
too if they dominate.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
I totally agree.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
I think Juju Chris in her time, and she's a
freshman at USC, it'll happen for her because she's that
dynamic from the stuff I've seen, she shoots from all
over the court as well, and Caitlyn is one of
those situations.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
There's no way you can ignore that.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
I just I did the notion and and you might
if you want to write another article and say.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
The shame of.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
The the shame of the exposure of Caitlyn is that
I can list you five or six people did really
extraordinary things who got nothing. That that's fine, But but
to say that the future gotta be players.
Speaker 3 (35:52):
We talked about it.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Chris Major League baseball, right, they wanted who do they.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Want from the Angels?
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Oh my god, Mike Trout they want. Mike Trout would
have been the perfect all American guy. Chris good looking, big, strong, right,
all that stuff, great baseball player, don't have the personality right?
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Didn't work right? Right? Show? Hey, O, Tani, you can
see whatever you want.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
The ratings prove it. The Jersey sales prove it. Chris,
I was at spring training. They're ten rows deep watching
batting practice. Do you know what I mean? Like, like,
what what You're gonna try to squeeze somebody else in right,
because he's from Japan.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
No, your game, O, Your game will speak speak for it. Absolutely,
Your game will draw the attention. And like you said, Juju,
I think they will.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Get, you know, the attention if Juju passes Caitlin, Chris,
how won't she? Right?
Speaker 4 (36:59):
Right, she's gonna get Because Caitlyn, we weren't hearing as
much about her a few years ago earlier.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
It was just the last two years, to be honest,
she emerged.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
And so yeah, I mean we, like I said, we
want equal opportunities. We want just as much of a
chance to play, excel and be treated like everybody else.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
And once you get that, made the best player get
the most attentions I have.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
You might want to say that some black women might
have been slided along the way. And I'm not gonna
dispute that, Chris, But to say that the face of
the sport has to be black.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
Women, I can't even get in line with that.
Speaker 4 (37:34):
Rob we're even saying I thought a few years ago
that I didn't say the face necessarily had to be
American of the NBA. I just thought it would be
hard for the face of the league not to be American.
I don't feel that way anymore. I mean, we're too good.
First team all NBA is gonna be a bunch of
five international players, right, we admit.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Let's get some more great American players.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
But if they're not, if they long as they got
the same opportunities, which obviously they do, if these guys
are just better, it is what it is, Chris.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
Look how about this the NBA.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
It's been a long time in coming since a Larry
Bird came around?
Speaker 4 (38:14):
Like think about actually wanted to see a great white American.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
But from this way, from this country, like like, where
where are they the next?
Speaker 4 (38:24):
I think check Holmgren is gonna be one. He's I
think he's he's gonna be at least a star. We'll
see if he can be a superstar.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
But Larry Bird was was just oh my god when
him and Magic came out of college and that championship game.
College basketball is still the highest rated Chris and probably
will always.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Be oh it will you know? That's that landscape now? Definitely?
Am I right? Yeah? No, it was, it was. It
was phenomenal.
Thanks for listening to the best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the Best of The Odd Couple with
Chris Brusson and Ron Harker.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
All right, Rob, let's get into it.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
The air Rogers story, just you know, it was the
big talk on a lot of shows today and we
talked about on first things first, You and I got
to it last night. But there's more and now according
to the Daily Mail.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
So that's what we're That's what we're That's the Daily Mail.
Speaker 4 (00:56):
They have some decent it's out of it's out of
the UK, but it's reputable.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
But anyway, they have.
Speaker 4 (01:05):
A quote from somebody apparently close to the situation.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Here's how they set it up. They say they are
the Daily Mail is reporting.
Speaker 4 (01:19):
They say exclusively, all right that the Jets are upset
with Rogers and say it's quote ridiculous to think he
could be campaigning and playing football at the same time.
Here's what the soort says, Rob, Lots of the Jets
coaches and players want Aaron to commit to the team
(01:40):
and worry about winning the Super Bowl over a chance
to be in the White House.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Aaron and Robert aren't going to win.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
But for Aaron to consider helping run the country over
playing for the team has many with the Jets all
upset because you have to pick one or the other.
He can't be campaigning through the week and then playing
the Dolphins the following weekend. It's ridiculous. When Aaron is retired,
(02:08):
he can do whatever the heck he wants. I inserted heck,
the Jets aren't paying him not to play. The team
has already had to accept and take on his various
controversial beliefs and comments, and to add a political career
to the situation is exactly the distraction the team wants
(02:28):
no part of at all. Last sentence, There's only enough
leash they can give and offer Aaron, and they want
him to be a teammate and not a running mate.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
Rob your thoughts, the Jets are one hundred to blame,
not Aaron Rodgers. When you went out and you signed
Aaron Rodgers, Chris Bussard, this is what you get. Aaron
Rodgers been very transparent that he's been.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
This is who he is. Everybody knows about it. He
goes on.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
What's the show, I just Pat McAfee, he's got something
to say. It's always some little controversy or whatever it is,
or against the grain.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
This is who he is Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (03:24):
This is who he is, Like Chris waited, Yeah, you know,
say today exactly. That's what he turned into with the
Pat McAfee show. So I'm i'm the Jets have gone
through this. He's gonna wind up being Brett Favre probably.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
One and done and then saying, well.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
You did it already before with a Packers great quarterback,
and it might happen again. I don't know what else
to say, other than to say you can't marry an alcoholic.
And then you be surprised when he wants to stop
off on the liquor to the liquor store on the
way home. This is who Aaron Rodgers has become Chris
over the last few years of his career. They knew
(04:04):
that when they signed up for him, and I'm not
surprised that there's yet something else brewing or something else.
Yet to talk about something other than football.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
This is what he's become.
Speaker 4 (04:16):
Well, look the quote from the anonymous source, whoever that
may be.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
It sounds right on the money. It almost sounded too
good to be true. It was perfect. I'm not saying
I'm not. I don't. I have no idea. I'm definitely
not saying it's not true. Christ. That was a perfect quote.
It was right on it.
Speaker 1 (04:34):
It's always scary too, you notice in journalism sometimes when
the quote is perfect and fits. He said, we want
him to be a teammate, not a running mate. Like
that part right there sounds like that's that ain't a
quote that I don't know, but it is.
Speaker 4 (04:50):
It is a perfect quote, right, I mean, yeah, whatever,
it's right.
Speaker 3 (04:55):
They are right. It is ridiculous.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
And if he thinks that he he can play football
and run for vice president, he's lost his mind, that
right there. I mean he gonna win. I doubt he
is the running mate, but if he was, I don't
think they'd win. But just the fact that someone would
think they could do both, that right, there's enough not
(05:21):
to vote for him because they're not practical, all right.
And look, Row, I'm gonna say this, at forty years old,
who knows what Aaron rodgers aspirations are. But them coming
to him, and you know, when what we've seen over
the last few years of him and his quotes and
(05:41):
his interests and things like that, I'm not surprised they
came to him and he's like, you know what, man, maybe.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
But like that, I don't be's.
Speaker 4 (05:54):
I don't play him for looking at oh mulling it
over if that's what he's doing or considering it now.
If this were Patrick mahomes, Lamar Jackson, Jordan Love, you know,
somebody that's young and starting their career.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
Even if it were Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 4 (06:11):
At that point in his career, I think they'd be
I'm a football player. You know, maybe when I'm done playing,
but right now I'm a football player. I think that
would be the case. But I don't have an issue
with him, you know, considering this and as we said yesterday, Rob,
it'll be over in a couple of weeks. Right if
(06:31):
they say he's not the guy, then we don't have
an issue that. You know, they still got plenty of
time to get ready for the season, and you can't
a guy that has other interests. There's no problem with
having other interest and so that's behind the play.
Speaker 1 (06:48):
That's why the quote to me is strange. And I'm
not saying it's made up or phony or whatever. But Chris,
if I'm the Jets and I said this yesterday, if
he's gonna announce his one they made in two weeks,
this is a non issue until Aaron Rodgers says he's
gonna be vice pro. To me, I wouldn't comment at
I wouldn't comment at all because nothing's happening right now
(07:11):
for the next two weeks.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
Nothing well.
Speaker 4 (07:15):
I think the challenge is it is free agency, and
this is now, I hear you. It can if in
two weeks he's not the VP candidate.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Then they can just move on.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
But they are trying to build a team now, and
this is what this leads to my next point, Rob
and they need to sit down with him and talk
to him and see where he's really at. Now they
can still wait for the final answer from RFK Juniors,
(07:50):
Robert Kenny's Junior's you know camp and what he decides,
But if they know there are reports that he already
knows who he's gonna pick, and he's just gonna announce
it a few weeks.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
They need to find.
Speaker 4 (08:01):
Out because Rob, if Aaron Rodgers, Let's say they do
pick Aaron Rodgers and he's the VP candidate and Rogers accepts.
If I'm the Jets, I'm I mean, I'm sure they
can get out of that contract. I would think, right,
you go to the league, You're like, look, you can't
(08:22):
do both.
Speaker 3 (08:24):
And they can wash.
Speaker 4 (08:25):
Their hands of the Aaron Rodgers era for snaps. As
long as it was wash your hands of it. He
shouldn't get his money if he's, you know, walking away
from the sport, even if it's just for this year.
If I'm the Jets Rob and he ends up being
(08:46):
the vice president candidate, I am trying my best to
get out of this contract. Move on, and I'm trading
for Justin Fields. That's what I'm doing. And Tyrod Taylor
actually a nice backup to veteran who might be the
help Justin Fields sometimes somewhat similar skill sets, and so
(09:12):
that would be what I'm doing.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
But I'm enough is enough?
Speaker 4 (09:15):
I mean again, And I don't mind him having these
thoughts and even aspirations.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
I'm sure he probably never.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Thought this clattering anybody who will sit there and tell
you is not flattering.
Speaker 3 (09:28):
They're lying to you.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Okay, it's flattering that somebody thinks of you, and that
ilk Chris, but but that.
Speaker 3 (09:35):
My only thing is this is who he is.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
He's You can't ask somebody to change to be different.
You can't go out and get a guy and then
think he's going to be different or he's not gonna be.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Out there a little bit. He's a little out there
and this fits.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
With his brand one hundred percent on where he is
the last four years. So if there's anybody to blame,
its the Jets for not doing their vetting to understand
who he is to be.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
And I'm and I'm gonna.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Give the Jets up just a little bit of a
break because I don't see any official word from anybody.
I don't because that's the right move, is not to
make an official comment on anything Chris until the shoe
drops when they announced that it's it's somebody else saw
Jesse the body Ventura that it's a non issue. And
(10:24):
you could say, hey, it was nice to be considered,
but I never was offered that job and I never
said I was taking it like that. That would be
the next year. He conversing like, and that's the thing too.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
When we discussed this on First Things First, Nick Wright
and Kevin Wilsese, my co host, thought that this would
linger even if he's not voted. I said, if it
lingers this because he wants it to linger, Rob, he
could debt it on his first comments after this, and
so could the Jets. He could be like, look it
was it was like you said, it was an honor it.
(10:55):
I thought that would come my way. So yeah, I
thought about it. I was like, man, let me really
think about this. He didn't ask me, and so you know,
obviously I'm not doing it, and I'm ready to, you know,
do what I've been saying, which has helped the Jets
win a Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
And do our breath. Like you know, you could kill
the story. Now. He might not do that, Rob, You know,
to your point, he might.
Speaker 4 (11:15):
Every week he might start talking about the racer basically
supporting Kennedy and saying stuff this newsworthy about politics and
creating distraction distractions. But he could end it if he
indeed wanted to. So we'll see, Rob. But it's very
interesting in man, you ain't lying. This is what they
(11:35):
signed up for. When they got Aaron Rodgers.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Hey, what's up everybody?
Speaker 5 (11:51):
It's me three time Pro Bowl of LeVar Arrington and
I couldn't be more excited to announce a podcast called
Up on Game?
Speaker 3 (11:58):
What is up on Game?
Speaker 5 (11:59):
You asked, along with my fellow pro bowler TJ.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Huschman Zada and Super Bowl champion.
Speaker 5 (12:05):
Yup, that's right, Plexico Birds.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
You can only name a show with that type of
talent on it. Up on Game.
Speaker 5 (12:11):
We're going to be sharing our real life experiences loaded
with teachable moments. Listen to Up on Game with me
Lebar Arrington, TJ. Hutschman Zada, and Plexico Birds on the
iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast from.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
And speaking with Whop. That's where we're going to stay.
Speaker 4 (12:33):
Roped the legend friend of both of ours, friend of
the show. We both love, Isaiah Thomas, one of the
greatest players ever. I have him as the fourth greatest
point guard rop ever. Magic Steph Oscar Isaiah and he.
Speaker 3 (12:57):
Was talking ree. Where do you have him? I have
him two two wow behind magic obviously yep, okay.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
But anyway, he was talking on the Draymond Green podcast
recently and here's.
Speaker 6 (13:16):
What he said, and I hope this don't upset you.
Before Kevin Durant arrived in Golden State, y'all were on
the verge and being remembered as the team that wins
seventy three and nine and lost to a Cleveland Cavalier
team in the finals. You up three to one and
probably one of the biggest collapse in NBA Finals history.
(13:40):
Kevin Durant comes that summer and really saves y'all basketball legacy.
You win two championships after that, the Golden State Warriors
dynasty that you're going to go into the Hall of
Fame own and everything else. It is cemented because if
Durant don't come that summer and you guys are remembered
(14:01):
as the seventy three and nine team, all of your
legacies are different.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
Hog wash. He no, he spot on them.
Speaker 4 (14:12):
I love Isaiah, but that is hogwall, the proof the crew.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
We gotta talk one at a time. You want to
go now or you want What I'm saying is he's spot.
You agree with him, but you want to go ahead?
Go ahead? No, you go ahead? Back it up, go ahead,
go first.
Speaker 1 (14:27):
I mean, Isaiah's already made I agree with him, so
it doesn't make sense for me to go you should okay,
But they did.
Speaker 3 (14:33):
They proved it.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Look, I think, and I felt this way before they
even won it in twenty twenty two, that that team
rob that gave up the three one finals league, and
Isaiah said, it was one of the biggest finals collapses.
It's the biggest cause three to one, it's never happened.
That was the only time it happened, and that will
stick with them. I mean, that's just something. It is
(14:57):
what it is. But I thought even before they came
back and won the championship in twenty twenty two, I
felt like that following year they would have come back
and won it. They would have been so focused, they
would have been so upset, just like San Antonio when
(15:21):
they played Miami in twenty thirteen.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
Robin, you know it, well, we think you were there.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
I was there for sure, and everybody thought that the
San Antonio Spurs had won in game six games.
Speaker 1 (15:36):
Even about five thousand fans who were outside the building.
Speaker 4 (15:40):
I remember and Ray Allen hits one of the biggest
shots in NBA history. They come back to win it
in seven. The rest is history, so to speak. Those Spurs,
they didn't only want to come back and win the championship,
they wanted the heat because they knew they gave one away.
Speaker 3 (15:58):
And I think it would have been the exact same
thing with the.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
Warriors, because that Warriors team without Kevin Durant did win
seventy three games. I mean, we can't act like they
weren't a great team in the regular sea. They won
seventy three without KD. That Warriors team without KD was
up three to one on that great Cavaliers team with Lebron,
(16:25):
Kevin Love and Kyrie.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
They were up three to one, and I think, and
I don't take anything.
Speaker 4 (16:31):
Away from the Calves because you had to go get
it done. And injuries have been a part of finals
since time immemorial. But I think they this wasn't an injury.
But I think the Calves won that series because Draymond
Green was suspended for Game five.
Speaker 3 (16:48):
I was covering it.
Speaker 4 (16:50):
The Cavs seemed dead in the water, and I remember
thinking when they when he.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Was suspended I was like, this is.
Speaker 4 (16:59):
I didn't know if it was gonna definitely happen, but
I had a distinct feeling from being around the teams,
particularly Cleveland. I was like, man, this is what they needed.
This was the momentum shift, this was what they needed
to feel like, look, let's get this one. Once you
got that one, it was like, okay, we can get
another one and then it's on. And so that's what happened.
(17:23):
So I think they would have came back in won.
I'm not trying to take anything away from KD.
Speaker 3 (17:27):
He was great.
Speaker 4 (17:28):
He won those finals MVPs like I felt he would
win at least one of the finals MVPs. They were
a phenomenal team with him, but.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
They proved it.
Speaker 4 (17:38):
If you don't believe, because nobody really knows, had they
not got him, what would have happened. I'm telling you
what I think would have happened. Isaiah said what he
thinks would have happened. But what we do know, and
to me this is this drops the mic. They came
back in one with an older Clay who came off
serious injuries. Then Andrew Wiggins, who you know that was
(18:04):
his best year, but he hasn't been any type of superstar.
Draymond was a tad older not probably not quite what
he used to be when they lost to Cleveland, and
they still won the championship and ran through Yokic, ran
through Luca, ran through Tatum and Brown, ran through Jah
(18:28):
and Jaron Jackson and Desmond Bay like they'd be some
good teams.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
So I just don't that's it.
Speaker 4 (18:34):
You weaken debate whether they would have came back and
won it the next year.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
I think they would. Isaiah thinks they wouldn't have. Fine,
we don't know.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
What we do know is that they came back and
won it again without Durand so what we're talking.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
About easy, Isaiah spot on.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
And if you don't believe Isaiah, Chris, you think they
would have come back to win, let's hear from Draymond
Green who doesn't agree with you, Chris Busha and he
the team.
Speaker 3 (19:01):
I don't mean nothing.
Speaker 2 (19:02):
Opinion on that.
Speaker 7 (19:03):
I don't think the outside world gave Kevin enough credit.
I think if you came within our organization, Kevin was
given all the credit. But the reality is is, I
don't think that team wins another championship if Kevin doesn't
come Now, you may say, oh, yeah, but y'all won
the fourth one without Kevin. But there's a gap in there,
(19:25):
thank you, where teams started to figure us out.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Would would you guys have beat two years without Kevin?
Speaker 7 (19:33):
Yeah, we was beating them for sure. That team was
never going to beat us. It just was not going
to happen. He was talking about, we would not have
beat the Cavs coming back around without Kevin because you
guys had won.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
He there you go, and look that that's right. Who
does Draymond love more than anybody Lebron? For him say
we would not have beaten Lebron in that team? Why not?
You were up three to one.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
But that's his opinion. Chris, I'm trying to okay, and
you have your opinion. No, I think I think I think.
I think Isaiah's spot on. And the difference is you're
not that say, you're not a dynasty winning three out
of four. You wind up winning, Uh, you would have
won lost a few years, three years and then you
win again and sure you get the second championship, but
(20:27):
you don't feel the same way about where they were
winning three out of four. To me, you win three
in a row or three out of four you're a dynasty.
That's my definition. If they don't win those other two,
they would be a have a nice organization that had
a nice run and won two titles in the course
of ten years or whatever it is. But it's not
(20:48):
the same like dominating and winning three out of four.
Speaker 3 (20:51):
Isaiah's right won.
Speaker 1 (20:55):
I just don't believe they would have won because they
could because because you don't choke Chris. In the NBA,
no team ever in the history of the league had
ever lost a three to one deficit.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Ever. So the thing about that is the.
Speaker 1 (21:11):
Thing about the NBA is most of the time, because
you gotta win four out of seven, the best team
almost always.
Speaker 3 (21:17):
Wins four out of seven.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
That was a colossal choke that might have stuck with them.
You could have come back with that feeling, but you
would have also been a little vulnerable that no lead
is safe. Oh my god, the Warriors are down. Next
next series are down. The next year, they're down. Oh two, wow,
we might not be able to make it. Well, you know,
we couldn't even hold a three to one lead. There's
(21:40):
a lot of things that psychologically play with you, even
though you might be talented. They wouldn't have run to
go get Kevin Durant if they really truly believed that
they didn't need him and what had just happened to them,
And I do believe that. I think Isaiah is right
about their legacy, that Kevin Durant is the one who
cemented it by having them win three out of four.
(22:03):
And I'm more of I don't even know, Chris, if
they even want winning twenty twelve, if they never won
the two with Kevin mean twenty I'm sorry twenty twenty two.
I mean, we just I'm never saying I don't know
that for sure, but we don't know anything for sure.
Speaker 4 (22:20):
But to say that he was long gone by then,
I mean, why in the world wouldn't they been They
would have already won the championship shown they got championship medal,
and then he's gone for three years and they come
back and win it, and we're saying they wouldn't have
won it had he not.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
He didn't teach them how to win. They taught him
how to win. That's real. And Durant needed.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
Them and they needed him, and they don't get Wiggins
without right Durant.
Speaker 4 (22:49):
Wasn't that a big I mean that that's trades. Yeah,
I mean that's all you know, that was part of
the trade or somehow they end up getting Wiggins. But
I mean that, but that's not what we're talking about.
One the court things that happen, and look, we don't know.
It's all opinion, as you said, But I look at
the fact that they came back and won, the fact
that they were up so big on that Calves team,
(23:12):
the fact that they were the greatest regular season team
in history, all without Kevin Durant.
Speaker 3 (23:17):
I don't see how it's even in debate. Now, you
are right, Rob.
Speaker 4 (23:21):
If they don't win those two rings with Durant or
you know, say he doesn't go there and they don't win,
absolutely their legacy is different. I'm just saying they would
have won. Now they would they have won two straight?
Would they have won maybe two out of three? Would
they have just won one? I don't know. What I
feel strongly about is that they would have come back
(23:44):
in twenty what was that seventeen and won that championship.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
The only thing is is that that year the Calves
were even better than the year before. When they came
into that finals, Chris in twenty seventeen, they were twelve
and one.
Speaker 8 (24:00):
They were twelve playoff runs before that, No, what I
was saying?
Speaker 1 (24:05):
And then they ran into the buzz saw that was
Kevin Durant, But they were twelve and one.
Speaker 4 (24:10):
Man was so weak, rib come on stop it. You
know how weak the nobody in the East was going.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
So none of Lebron's stuff Miami Boston?
Speaker 2 (24:20):
What was that?
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Are we discounting everything Lebron did in the East because
the East was weak during that time?
Speaker 4 (24:24):
No, because it wasn't weak when he was in Miami,
but it was weak when he was when he was
in Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
The second go round, that team won fifty one games.
What are you talking about?
Speaker 4 (24:34):
The game they were year twenty sixteen, they won fifty seven,
So what are you talking about?
Speaker 8 (24:44):
They wouldn't need to by designed, they took their foot
off the gas.
Speaker 3 (24:47):
They didn't. Well you can't.
Speaker 4 (24:49):
There's nothing. You got no evidence that they were better.
They won fifty one games.
Speaker 3 (24:53):
So the Lakers ain't no good either.
Speaker 1 (24:55):
They coached it in the regular season and got to
the Western Conference Finals, right.
Speaker 4 (24:58):
What Lakers didn't they make it to the What Lakers
were talking about?
Speaker 6 (25:02):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (25:03):
One? Lakers? Remember that team?
Speaker 2 (25:06):
What again?
Speaker 4 (25:07):
Is you you said the Cavs were better the next year, Well,
they were one person.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
In the regular season. They weren't better, No, but twelve
and one going into the finals. You don't think they
felt like they had a chance to win a championship.
Speaker 4 (25:20):
You know what they were the year before that going
into the finals twelve and two.
Speaker 8 (25:26):
Next year, huge difference. Twelve and one, they only twelve
and twelve and two.
Speaker 3 (25:32):
Huge difference.
Speaker 4 (25:33):
Bottom line is in regular season and playoffs. They and
Rob Parker the is wrong. I listened to Utah. You
gotta listen to me talk regular season and playoffs. They
won more games in twenty sixteen than they did in
twenty seventeen.
Speaker 3 (25:51):
There is no evidence whatsoever that they were better. And
they were the twelve season. Oh my gosh, couldn't have
been beat.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
Fox Sports Radio as the best sports talk lineup in
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listen live.
Speaker 4 (26:10):
There was an interesting article Rob written in USA Today Today.
It was by Lindsey Schnell and the title was women's
basketball needs faces of future to be Black. Enter Juju
Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
I guess the power.
Speaker 4 (26:34):
Line if you will. In the story, Rob was in
a game built by black women. It matters that the
faces of the future looked like the faces of the past.
She's talked, She talked a little bit about how you
know she feels like, well, here's I'll just read it.
(26:56):
Over the past few years, as women's basketball has exploded
in popular hilarity, much of the media and marketing attention
has focused on three prominent white players. Caitlyn Clark yukon
junior Page, Beckers in Oregon, Sabrina an Esque, I'm mispronouncing it,
Inscu who graduating in twenty twenty. She, of course is
(27:16):
the one that you know had the three point shootout
with Steph.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
So, Rob, what are your thoughts on this?
Speaker 4 (27:23):
The WNBA also has pointed out seventy percent black, very
close to the NBA is about seventy three seventy four
percent black.
Speaker 3 (27:30):
So what are your thoughts on this? I don't know.
Speaker 1 (27:33):
I don't know how you're going to manipulate that when
a player the Caitlin situation, Chris, I don't know how
you are going to push someone else. And Juju's having
an unbelievable year at USC Okay, she she's on pace
already her rookie year.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
And I know this, Chris, because I work at USC
do a.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
Sports show, you know, We're do a sports show every
Wednesday and they talk about her, you know what I mean,
every week.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
So I know about Juju, her stats and what she's doing.
Speaker 1 (28:03):
And she's on pace to bet Caitlin record, Like she's
already her freshman year. Chris has been that great that
she's on a better pace than Caitlin. So she could
be the next big thing, you know what I mean,
come four years from now. But the idea now you're
talking about marketing and whatnot, we also know the country
(28:26):
and that we live in.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
Which is.
Speaker 1 (28:32):
Majority white. So we do know that, and a lot
of times, if you can, you.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
Would Chris.
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Alter or present not in all cases, because if that
was the case, the NFL wouldn't be sixty nine seventy
percent black and NBA wouldn't be seventy five percent black
if you were just playing those numbers, you know what
I mean. So that that that's you know, and pushing
somebody ahead. No, it's about talent, and we're supposed to
(29:04):
live in a world where, more so than anything else, Chris,
sports is the only place where once you get on
the field, it's supposed to be equal footing for everybody
and the best win. That's why the white How many
black owners are there in the NBA?
Speaker 3 (29:24):
None? Right, not of Michael Jordan's giving up his team, right, None?
Not majority? Okay, that's what I'm taking majority owner. Well,
and I like, let me just say this so so.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
In you know, we know this, Chris, because the last
time I remember when Boston and Utah played a game,
Dick Heydenson, I mean, uh, what's his name? Heinsen to
Tommy Heinsen and Dick Stockton were doing the game on CBS.
Speaker 3 (29:57):
I'll never forget it.
Speaker 1 (29:58):
And it was a blowout game long time ago, Chris
on CBS, and it was a blowout game and both
coaches emptied their benches and put ten players out on
the court.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
I'll never forget it. Tommy Heysen said, Hey, if.
Speaker 1 (30:13):
You got your TV set up to a VCR record this,
this will be the last time you ever see ten
white players in the NBA on the court. At the
same time, I give the guy credit because he thought
of it.
Speaker 3 (30:24):
It was that in the eighties, I.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Think eighty wouldever see the like CBS's last year of
having the game before.
Speaker 3 (30:31):
They moved to NBC.
Speaker 1 (30:33):
Go google it. You probably mean YouTube, and I bet
you again the line. Yeah, what I'm just saying is
you can't. You can't pick talent based on anything other
than talent.
Speaker 3 (30:45):
Yeah. The playing field is objective.
Speaker 4 (30:49):
You put two guys in a boxing ring, on a track,
on a basketball court, football field, baseball diamond. If you
want to win, you gotta take the best one. It's
obvious who's best better. And if you want to win,
you got to take the better player, whether black, white, green, red, yellow, whatever.
And that's why African Americans have been able to excel
(31:12):
in sports, because it's just been objective. All the little
biases and prejudices that in corporate America can keep Blacks
out can't on the field.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
If you want to win, they did it. They did it.
Speaker 4 (31:28):
They read it the quarterback as long as they could,
and they getting real.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
And now you're that wall has finally been broken. Rob.
Speaker 4 (31:35):
I think I feel I know, I disagree with the article,
and I think I feel like it's pandering to black people.
What we want is equal opportunity. We want black girls
and black boys to be able to have as just
as much of a shot at playing sports in the
big time as kids of any other race, and that
(31:59):
you have that in women's basketball, he said, WNBA seventy
percent black.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
You got it in basketball, you got in sports.
Speaker 4 (32:06):
So if the white players, if some of them end
up being better, if the best players end up being white,
as long as we got the opportunity, I'm fine with it.
And I think a Caitlyn Clark is so popular because
the same reason Steph. She's shooting shots. She's a great player, obviously,
but she's taking shots from distances that we haven't regularly
(32:28):
seen in the women's game, and that's what we saw.
That's why people fell in love with Steph because he
did that and he was winning, and he's black, obviously,
And I feel like it's pandering because what we need
more than another great black basketball player are more blacks
(32:49):
in the front office, more blacks in ownership, more blacks
running the athletic departments or having high ranking positions in
these schools, more black students at these schools. U c
l A is about two three percent black at USC
is probably not very high either. That's what we need
(33:10):
more of than just more athletes and so and I
feel also Rob like she could. The article pointed out
how black women who built the sport haven't been acknowledged,
and obviously there's there was been racism in the past
that they faced.
Speaker 3 (33:31):
But I I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
I think the problem, Rob is the w n b
A is not popular. And when we'll see if Caitlyn Clark,
remember it was written she and Michael Jordan, we'll see
because you and.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
I and you know, you know, I don't think that's
gonna happen even with her commercials.
Speaker 3 (33:53):
No, probably have some commercials and all that.
Speaker 1 (33:55):
And tickets Indiana those so rackets in Indiana. But but
we'll see. The league has been around for twenty someone,
twenty eight years.
Speaker 3 (34:05):
How long has it been around since ninety six?
Speaker 4 (34:07):
Chris like Wilder was huge, and we don't hear as
much about her. I mean, obviously and she had the
issue in Russia, but I mean as far as just
for basketball, we don't hear as much about her because
the WNBA is not that high. Diana Tarasi and Lena
Della don Lauren Jackson, do they get more publicity or
(34:30):
more love than Cynthia Cooper and Cheryl Soops and you.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Know, maya more some of the great black people. I
don't think so.
Speaker 4 (34:38):
I mean, I look at w the ESPN pregame show,
Rod they got Shane the WNBA player, She's black on there.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
On the pregame show.
Speaker 4 (34:46):
Like, I can't sit here and say, I just think
that Caitlyn Clark and Page Beckers are really good and
exciting players. And when you know, and you do have
black players like that too, and they'll get the publicity
too if they dominate.
Speaker 3 (35:00):
I totally agree.
Speaker 1 (35:01):
I think Juju Chris in her time, and she's a
freshman at USC, it'll happen for her because she's that
dynamic from the stuff I've seen, she shoots from all
over the court as well, and Caitlyn is one of
those situations.
Speaker 3 (35:18):
There's no way you can ignore that.
Speaker 1 (35:20):
I just I did the notion and and you might
if you want to write another article and say.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
The shame of.
Speaker 1 (35:33):
The the shame of the exposure of Caitlyn is that
I can list you five or six people did really
extraordinary things who got nothing. That that's fine, But but
to say that the future gotta be players.
Speaker 3 (35:52):
We talked about it.
Speaker 1 (35:53):
Chris Major League baseball, right, they wanted who do they.
Speaker 3 (36:00):
Want from the Angels?
Speaker 1 (36:03):
Oh my god, Mike Trout they want. Mike Trout would
have been the perfect all American guy. Chris good looking, big, strong, right,
all that stuff, great baseball player, don't have the personality right?
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Didn't work right? Right? Show? Hey, O, Tani, you can
see whatever you want.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
The ratings prove it. The Jersey sales prove it. Chris,
I was at spring training. They're ten rows deep watching
batting practice. Do you know what I mean? Like, like,
what what You're gonna try to squeeze somebody else in right,
because he's from Japan.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
No, your game, O, Your game will speak speak for it. Absolutely,
Your game will draw the attention. And like you said, Juju,
I think they will.
Speaker 1 (36:51):
Get, you know, the attention if Juju passes Caitlin, Chris,
how won't she? Right?
Speaker 4 (36:59):
Right, she's gonna get Because Caitlyn, we weren't hearing as
much about her a few years ago earlier.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
It was just the last two years, to be honest,
she emerged.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
And so yeah, I mean we, like I said, we
want equal opportunities. We want just as much of a
chance to play, excel and be treated like everybody else.
Speaker 3 (37:16):
And once you get that, made the best player get
the most attentions I have.
Speaker 1 (37:22):
You might want to say that some black women might
have been slided along the way. And I'm not gonna
dispute that, Chris, But to say that the face of
the sport has to be black.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
Women, I can't even get in line with that.
Speaker 4 (37:34):
Rob we're even saying I thought a few years ago
that I didn't say the face necessarily had to be
American of the NBA. I just thought it would be
hard for the face of the league not to be American.
I don't feel that way anymore. I mean, we're too good.
First team all NBA is gonna be a bunch of
five international players, right, we admit.
Speaker 3 (37:55):
Let's get some more great American players.
Speaker 4 (37:58):
But if they're not, if they long as they got
the same opportunities, which obviously they do, if these guys
are just better, it is what it is, Chris.
Speaker 3 (38:06):
Look how about this the NBA.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
It's been a long time in coming since a Larry
Bird came around?
Speaker 4 (38:14):
Like think about actually wanted to see a great white American.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
But from this way, from this country, like like, where
where are they the next?
Speaker 4 (38:24):
I think check Holmgren is gonna be one. He's I
think he's he's gonna be at least a star. We'll
see if he can be a superstar.
Speaker 1 (38:33):
But Larry Bird was was just oh my god when
him and Magic came out of college and that championship game.
College basketball is still the highest rated Chris and probably
will always.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
Be oh it will you know? That's that landscape now? Definitely?
Am I right? Yeah? No, it was, it was. It
was phenomenal.
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kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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