April 17, 2024 • 37 mins
Chris and Rob discuss why expectations and overall interest in Zion Williamson has fallen off so precipitously over the years, tell us if the incredible television ratings for the WNBA Draft are proof that Caitlin Clark can make the league viable and take a trip out to Shekel City for Rob’s nightly bets. Plus, former NFL offensive lineman and FOX Sports Radio Weekend host Ephraim Salaam swings by to preview the play-in game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans, the Chicago Bears outlook assuming they take Caleb Williams first overall, why the Dallas Cowboys have been so quiet in free agency thus far and much more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
to check us out 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
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Speaker 2 (00:24):
Let's get this pun.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. A.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Yeah, it is The Odd Couple.
Speaker 5 (00:42):
I'm Chris Bruce Haard alongside my partner Rob Parker, and
we are broadcasting live from the tire rack dot Com studios.
Tirag dot Com is the way tirebine should be.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
In this right here, The.
Speaker 5 (00:56):
Odd Couple is the way sports talk radio should be.
So keep it locked here on Fox Sports Radio, the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Or serious XM Channel eighty three.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
However you may be listening for the next three hours,
you will not be disappointed. And with that being said,
let me welcome in my partner Rob Parker.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
What's up man?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
What's happened to mister Chris Bussard? How are you?
Speaker 4 (01:24):
I'm wonderful, I'm wonderful.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Are you so wonderful? What's so exciting? Wonderful?
Speaker 6 (01:31):
So?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, Okay, you're always good.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
But yes I am excited Rob Parker about the playoffs
tonight to play in, I should say, to get to
the playoffs. Now, these playing games, the NBA still hasn't
figured it out, Rob, how to deal with them? Don't
they just disappear like you can't, Rob g.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
You might know.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
You can't find a box score nothing from any of
the past playing games. It's like crazy, But I think
they should just.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Make them playoff game.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
Like you can call it the play in but just
count them as a postseason in your postseason stats.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
This is why I'm trashing the play in tournament.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
But they don't even want to tonight.
Speaker 7 (02:15):
Yeah, they don't even want to recognize it. Chris's playoffs.
It can't be in no man's land.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
It affects the playoffs.
Speaker 7 (02:23):
It makes no sense that you don't count for the
regular season and you don't count it for the playoffs,
but it makes you get into the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
How is it not a playoff stat a playoff stats?
What it may all do with that wild card those? Yeah,
that's what it should be, Chris. Those are playoff games, right,
I don't understand it never happened, right, they never happened,
so well, I guess the cats out the bag.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Ralph Parker's trash to play in.
Speaker 8 (02:53):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
It is a.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Trash talking Tuesday. So in the second hour of the show,
you will be able to trash anyone or anything that
you want for thirty to forty seconds. So get your
takes ready, Rob, Let's let's get right into this thing.
The A couple Cruiser full effect. The super producer Rob
G is in the house.
Speaker 7 (03:14):
Yes, or Robe or you offended that we say Rob
G instead of he could just say Rob Pete to
me and Rob to you.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
No.
Speaker 9 (03:23):
No, I'm good Rob, You're the on the marquee. I'm
just a dude here soks o good. All right, you've
been there longer than me. Man, you run the play
I do.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
I got more vacation. The boy up together.
Speaker 5 (03:31):
Yes, that's why you're off there, my goodness. On the
social media of the Great Elijah Sabuna, the update man
Beef in the Loquacious one. Get ready for some big vocabulary,
big million dollar words tonight and on the ones and
(03:53):
two's none other.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Than why you buggin there?
Speaker 5 (04:02):
It is Mary Mary handling the boards, all right, Rob, Yeah,
of course not. They were just like you got the
best one, you got you all right, you got to mix.
So we had to save the best for last. But Rob,
let's talk about I am excited tonight. You've got the
(04:24):
Lakers and the Pelicans in the first game seven thirty Eastern,
four thirty Pacific, and the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento
Kings in the second game ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific.
And the first game is not do or die. You know,
the loser, well, the Lakers Pelicans game, Rob will face
(04:45):
the winner of the Warriors Kings But the loser of
the Warriors Kings is done. Their season's over there going home.
And so, uh yeah, I'm excited about it. I bet
Rob g is excited about it, and you're not.
Speaker 7 (05:01):
I get the logistical I'm talking about. I'm talking about
the logistics Christs. Anytime you have a what you consider
like a single or elimination or put yourself on the
brink of your season being over, it's gonna be exciting.
I don't it could be Tiddley winks. And if it's
like sudden death, we see that every March, right every.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
March, we see it.
Speaker 7 (05:22):
Well, we don't care about college basketball for six months,
four months, and then all of a sudden, you know,
like we're paying attention.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
I'm there's four playing games. I'm hyped about three of them.
Gotta be honest, I really couldn't care less.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
About the Bulls and the Hawks.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Your I mean with me, I mean, I'm not poopo
and it it's just that they're not. They don't Chris, No,
it's not. It's nothing against that. I like the format.
I think Adam Silver a home run with this play in.
Rob Michael Jordan would have been in the play in
(06:07):
in Washington.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Who knows what would have happened. Would have been fun
to see.
Speaker 7 (06:12):
What would have happened is the Bullets or Wizards whatever
they went at that point. Wizards would have lost like
they did all that year. They didn't deserve it.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
They might they might have won. Who knows, Christian a.
Speaker 7 (06:24):
Chinese restaurant, right, have you ever had a pool pool
platter at a Chinese restaurant?
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Well, knowing how you usually used, who knows, I don't
even think about no, what seriously, you never had a
poop pool platter? I've heard of it. I think I have.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
It's just like you the same thing. It's like a sampler.
It's like a chicken.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
Is that only the last two hundred and fifty times
I've been to a Chinese restaurant, And.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
For me, it's like rice. Heavy on the shrimp and
light on the rice. That's what I do. I'm the
pooh Pool King, Thank you man.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
But no, I'm excited, and I think privately, deep deep
deep down inside, Rob Parker's excited too.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
So Rob, we got that.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
As I said, Game one Lakers Pelicans, I'm shocked that
the Pelicans are favorite, are you?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Uh No, I don't understand why their favorite.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
They ain't.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
You think it happened in the one and done. But
they're not good at home in the blender. That's what
they call Smoothie King Center.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Oh I love it. That's a great Yeah, the blender,
but they're bad in the blender.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
They got the worst home record of any of the
top eight seeds in either conference. Of course, the Lakers
have the two best players, Lebron and Ad. Lakers have
hammered the Pelicans three out of four times that they
played this season, by an average of more than twenty
five points. Maybe maybe the Lakers are rolling. They're eleven
(08:00):
in three down the stretch. The Pelicans are not. They're
four and five down the stretch. I mean, what, what
in the world? How And Lebron James by himself has
played more than seventy more playoff games than the entire
Pelicans roster.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
How in the world? Now, Look, I'm off of drama.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
I love a good game, a close game, something nip
and tuck. But I don't know how in the world
Vegas favorite Thepelicans. I guess Rock looked at the they
saw the Ad was questionable and Lebron was probable.
Speaker 7 (08:37):
I guess that has the factor h and they got
to cover themselves if Ad doesn't play or he goes
out in the first they just got to cover themselves
to try to stave off Chris people piling money on
the Lakers and then them taking a bath. So remember
it's always not really who they think is gonna win,
(09:00):
but what line can they put out to get as
many people are putting money on both sides, and obviously
the Lakers are gonna be heavy anyway, You know what
I mean? Just there all the stuff you talk about
their history and Lebron, they won championships and not to
cage for New Orleans, but it's not that New Orleans
(09:22):
thinks or believes that the Pelicans are gonna win the game.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
It's just about gambling.
Speaker 5 (09:28):
Let me ask you this, Rob, And you know, a
few years ago a guy that many thought would be
the future face of the league, Zion Williamson.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
And this year he had a good year. He always
plays well.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
I mean, there's never been a question of his ability.
It's been a question of is he going to play?
Is he healthy?
Speaker 4 (09:49):
This year he's been healthy.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
I'm gonna shout out Zion for playing seventy games right average,
over thirty one minutes a game. So I'm not even
I'm not trying to be funny for season's not making
fun I'm happy for him, and I am I don't
want to say impressed, it's your job, but I'm just
I'm happy for him. And he's a good player. He's
(10:11):
a very good player, has point guard skills. I'm not
saying he's a true point but he brings the ball up,
runs their offense at times, and it's effective for them.
But I want to throw this out at you, Rob
and get your opinion. Is this a big game for
him tonight? Like I mean, if he loses, is their
(10:34):
damage done?
Speaker 4 (10:35):
And if he wins, you know, like, is this a
big game?
Speaker 8 (10:41):
Is this a.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Moment for him?
Speaker 5 (10:43):
Is this something where you know this could make or
break him at least for the time being?
Speaker 7 (10:52):
No?
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Way, No?
Speaker 10 (10:54):
How?
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Wow? And I say that, Chris, because I truly believe.
Speaker 7 (11:02):
Zion Williamson stardom and Zion, you know, is already.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Half baked. And I believe what do you mean by
half baked that?
Speaker 7 (11:16):
And I'll tell you this, I think Zion Williamson is
NBA dead.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
I already think you NBA dead.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
Kill a lot of cats. Further, was Kevin Durant now
is Zion?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yes?
Speaker 7 (11:28):
And I'm saying from this standpoint, Chris, from where he
came from, and the expectations like there's a wet blanket
over him. You talked about it already. He played well,
but nobody talks about Zion. He's not in any conversation. Chris,
what come give me the topic that we talked about.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Zion this year?
Speaker 5 (11:51):
You know what, zero, he's NBA dead. People don't care
either way. If he wins, Chris, okay, if he loses,
while Lebron and ad he was supposed to win, there's
nothing there.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
There's no juice.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
For Zion.
Speaker 7 (12:07):
I'm dead serious that he just doesn't register now, Chris,
does that mean he can't vibe for the MVP a
couple of years from now and the team turns around
and there.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Right, But I'm talking about twenty three right now.
Speaker 7 (12:26):
As far as moving the needle, people caring about a
player and wondering what's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
He's NBA dead, he just is.
Speaker 7 (12:38):
I don't think there's a post there with NBA fans
for Zion anymore, Chris, because he's just been overall a
major disappointment.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Amen, Oh my god, he so much. I think you
watched First Things First this afternoon.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Because exactly what I said I never missed. That's exactly
what I said.
Speaker 6 (13:06):
Rob.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
We've moved on, Zion, we have You're no longer than
new Hotness. We moved on to Wimby and shit, n
SGA and a man.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
And Rob even Jah is former AU teammate.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
When he comes back it some of it can be
his fault. Obviously, anybody can get injured. But he hasn't
been in shape. He hasn't worked the hardest on his body.
His eating habits maye now maybe the light has gone
on going off I should say, but right now, Rob,
(13:50):
you are exactly right.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Zion is just a guy, a good guy. He's you know,
above average place.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
If nobody's saying he's a border start, right, he's still
a good player. But here's the truth too, And if
Zion wants to get to that next level, Rob, he
should hear this. Take heed, Zion, you have got to
my man. I'm glad you played seventy games. You are
a terror, a force of nature at the rim. Rob,
(14:26):
the dude is phenomenal at the rim. And that's why
when he's bringing the ball up court, he just drives
in and scores. But he don't shoot threes, he don't
shoot mid range jumpers.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
You know where he's going.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
And that's one reason he's had problems with playing the Lakers,
because Lebron's big enough that they put him in front
of him. He's gonna at least make it a little
difficult for him to just go to the basket. And
then when he gets to the rim, Anthony Davis is there,
the Lakers packed the paint and Zion has no of
thing right now but stuff at the rim.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
So Zion, you gotta be work on. You should be
a better rebounder.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
Five and a half rebounds a game, that's Steph Curry stuff.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
He should walk into the arena with five and a half.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Thank thank you. So you rebound.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
It has to improve and you've gotta work on your
Jay because.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
As he's headed right now and again, very good player,
their best player.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
But Rob, once that athleticism starts to wane, he would
be in trouble if he don't add some stuff to
his game because he is predictable what he's doing with
the rock.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
So I agree with you. We're on board on that one.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
But I like what you said at the end because
you're absolutely right.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
He could.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
He's only twenty three, healthy and.
Speaker 5 (15:53):
Works hard, and you know, really he still got plenty
of time and he could join that young crop of
future stars. There's no or current even stars, no doubt
about it. But right now he's off the radar as
far as celebrities superstars in the NBA A seven seven
(16:13):
ninety nine on Fox Zion. I mean Rob said it,
he's NBA dead. Do you agree? And what's it gonna
take for him to come back to life? NBA wise
Your thoughts eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox Chris
and Rob The Odd Couple Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Two NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you
right into the NBA Great Five.
Speaker 10 (16:50):
All happening in only one place. This League Uncut, the
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Speaker 5 (17:04):
Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein.
Speaker 10 (17:08):
On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
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Speaker 4 (17:13):
We're jamming in the name of the Lord.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
It's The Odd Couple, Christ and Rob live from the
tire rack dot Com studios. And it's time for you
guys to weigh in eight seven, seven ninety nine on
Fox eight seven seven nine nine, six sixty three sixty nine.
Zion Williamson interest, Did you do that on purpose?
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Mary?
Speaker 6 (17:37):
Mary?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Zion?
Speaker 5 (17:39):
Little Bob Marley's always talking about Zionion.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
I just felt some Bob Marley today.
Speaker 8 (17:44):
That's why a right or not.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Though, that's yeah, Mattress, Zion Williamson, y'all, what do you
think you can he still become a superstar? We all
know he's been a disappointment, not just it's mostly because
of injuries, but uh, what do you what do you
think of him going forward?
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Your thoughts?
Speaker 11 (18:03):
All?
Speaker 6 (18:04):
Right?
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Nick? In New York, you're on the odd couple of
Fox Sports Radio. What's up? Nick?
Speaker 11 (18:08):
Hey, Hey guys, Hey you doing. I love the Bob
Marley bringing in Yeah, this is the first thing I thought.
Zion definitely I have to agree with Rob that he
is a not a failure, but he is definitely not
done what we thought he would like, giving all the
heights coming out of Dukes and everything. I have to
(18:29):
correlate him to being like a Big Baby Davis, a
more athletic and a Blake Griffin mix.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
That's a good mix.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
Is good because he's way better obviously than Big Baby, but.
Speaker 11 (18:44):
One dimensional.
Speaker 8 (18:45):
He's one dimensional.
Speaker 11 (18:46):
He can't do anything. He doesn't extend the floor. He's
good for one or two highlights, but he's his problems
are created by him. They're not I I know what
he was injured, but he doesn't take care of himself.
I mean, you're getting how many millions of dollars?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
No, He's right.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
A lot of times guys get hurt, they get hurt,
and some of his injuries, yeah, you just couldn't help it.
But there is a feeling with him, Robin. I think
it's legitimate that, you know, a lot of these injuries.
He just you know, he didn't lose weight, he didn't
work as hard as he should be working. And so yeah,
I don't think there's a ton of sympathy for him
(19:28):
right now.
Speaker 6 (19:29):
Rap.
Speaker 7 (19:29):
And I'm just saying, be careful because you're talking about
the Hall of Famer Blake Griffin.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Now that he's officially retired. We'll get into that. They'll
get into that.
Speaker 7 (19:38):
So, I mean, Carl in Mobile, Alabama, you're on the
eye couple of Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
What's up call?
Speaker 8 (19:45):
Hey, guys, how y'all doing? Thanks for taking my call.
Good good to get back on here with you guys. Yes, sir,
I have I watched Yeah, I watched him play the
other night. I had a little time off and so
I watched him play and he's bringing the ball up
like a point guard and initiate the offense. And I'm like,
is that what they're paying him all his money to do.
I mean, he looks like just a guy at Direct
(20:06):
Shayer that you play basketball with. He's okay, but he's
not spectacular. And I was like, what, I don't what
happened to the old Zion who was, you know, gonna
take the league by storm. He's just the guy bringing
the ball up now.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
Right, Well, if you're talking about that last game with
the Lakers, yeah, he didn't do much all right, but
generally he's had a good season's averaging twenty two points
a game, five point eight rebounds something like that, about
five and a half assists.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
He's pretty good.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
I'm not gonna say he's a point guard because he's
not that, but he is has been effective bringing the
ball up to court. But yeah, like we talked about,
I mean, he's got to learn. He's got to be
able to shoot to some degree. And so all right,
it is the eye Couple Chris and Rob. Of course,
next hour you been a call back in and trash
anyone in the sports world. We got e from Salam
(21:00):
around the corner. But first the loquations.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (21:13):
Former NFL offensive lineman now Fox Sports Radio Weekend Superstar.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Our Renaissance man e from Salam. What's up?
Speaker 8 (21:23):
Mat?
Speaker 6 (21:26):
Were good? I'm doing good? Man?
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Can't we know?
Speaker 4 (21:30):
You want to talk hoop?
Speaker 8 (21:31):
So we do it.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Yeah, you're a Lakers fan.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
Telling me about what your thoughts are tonight and assuming
they win the playing the Nuggets, the favorite to win
the West, how do you like them in that first
round matchup with the Nuggets?
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Should they get there?
Speaker 6 (21:53):
All right, so this is this is tough for me, okay,
because of course I'm a fan, But then I gotta
be realist stick in terms of you know, my analyzing
the NBA, which I do, I just don't come at
it from a fans point of view. That's boring. You know.
I think back to two games that the Lakers lost
(22:15):
coming down the stretch. Other than that they were clicking
and going, but they lost two games and subsequent enough
that put them in this position, the eighth seed. Now
what that does is I want them to win. Of course,
you don't want to go into a play in game
(22:35):
and lose, you have to do another one because what
you don't want to do is play a Golden State
Warriors team or Kings team, Like, you don't want to
do that. I mean, Anthony Davis against the Bonus is
zero to nine okaying against him. So you don't want
to put yourself in a situation where you're trying to
roll the dice to play a lesser team if you
(22:59):
do make it to the playoffs, which brings me to
the point they win Tonight they play the Denver Nuggets,
the one team in the West, in my opinion, that
they don't match up well against. And you could say
they're big and all of these things, they just, for
whatever reason, they don't have enough size, which is a
(23:20):
hard thing to say about the Lakers given their links,
but they don't have enough size to compete with Denver's
front line and it just hasn't been a good matchup
for the for the last couple of years. So yeah,
I don't think.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
A d likes well, we know he doesn't like playing center,
and most nights he probably doesn't mind because you know,
there aren't that many big centers like that.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
But Jokic, you know, he don't want the best with Yokic.
Speaker 6 (23:46):
Well, no, he's the best player in the league right
now and they're probably is going to be the m
v P. And his skill set is just it's vast,
Like you can't body him, you can't be over physical,
even like you can't pull them away from from the basket,
like he just has his basketball IQ is on par
with some of the greatest point guards to ever play,
(24:09):
And so it's just not a good matchup. And Michael
Porter Jr. Is at the bane of the Laker fans
existed at sixteen being able to shoot the way he does.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Man, let me ask you two things.
Speaker 7 (24:23):
Last year when the Lakers got swept, I can still
remember he from Anthony Davis scored forty points on the
road and they lost. That's when I was like, they
won't win any games, Like like, if you can't win
a game where Ad goes off for forty on the road,
I just don't know what game you're gonna win. But
number two, you talked about a little bit about facing Denver,
(24:45):
and I was surprised.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
I don't know, it wasn't that many people, but.
Speaker 7 (24:49):
Some guys who are former athletes were saying that the
Lakers should should lose on purpose. As a former athlete,
you know, do you you would go into anything thinking
that way?
Speaker 2 (25:01):
It just doesn't sound right to me.
Speaker 6 (25:04):
No, it doesn't sound right. And to become a professional athlete,
there's a certain mentality that you have to have that
you've built up over years, and to go against that
at any moment in your career is a tough thing
to do. You can't go into a locker room and
tell guys how important games are and to bring it
(25:26):
every single night and then say, hey, guys, how about
we take it easy tonight? Like it just doesn't bode well.
And what it does is it trips you up. Right.
You can go in with that mentality and then you
put all your chips in on a Friday game or
a Thursday game, which may not turn out in your
(25:47):
favor because I tell you what, you don't want to
play gold Golden State Warriors, and you don't want to
play the Sacramento Kings and all in on one game?
Are you going home like you don't want to? You
have a buffer right now, so you want to take
(26:08):
care of your business and you want to try the
game plan and give Denver all they can handle and
get them out of the playoffs early. I'd rather hang
my hat on that than a hope and a wish.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
Yeah, because look, I think and I think the Lakers
are better than both the Warriors.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
And the Kings, although the Kings own them. It's a
tough matchup.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
But honestly, man, I don't think you want anybody in
a one and done. Not that you'll lose, but you
know what I mean, Like anything happened, a d could
get hurt. We know that's a possible. Somebody twists an ankle, right,
A team gets hot from three, y'all happen to be
cold from three? Like, yeah, that's why the NBA has
seven games series, so the best team generally wins, right, Yeah,
(26:55):
so saw it.
Speaker 6 (26:57):
We just saw it last week the Golden say the
twenty six threes.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Yep, yep, yep, exactly right.
Speaker 6 (27:05):
So you don't want to run into that bus. So
all like that, get your work done to day, Go
get some rest, and prepare yourself this weekend to go
against defend the champ that's it.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
Going to the NFL, and it looks like Kayleb Williams
will be drafted by the Bears. You know they got
some pieces, some nice pieces, Like do you think that
it's kind of a ready made situation for him to
step into and that they'll be.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Able to make the playoffs next year? A lot of
people are saying that.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Now.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
I wouldn't go as far as a ready made situation
because even with new pieces, we don't know how those
pieces work, including him as a rioting quarterback.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
I would think there's gonna be some growing pains, do you,
of course, of.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
Course, But but look, they'll be better. We know this
for sure. They'll be better. They're trying to build that
roster the right way, opposed to just putting it all
on the shoulders of a young quarterback and saying, hey
save us. They're trying to add you know, value, and
they're trying to add talent to a roster that, if
(28:15):
done properly, they can build well. Now, whether that be
a playoff berth this year, I'm not quite sure, because
you still got the you know, the Detroit Like, there's
not a lot of room for error in that division,
which was you know, it used to be just Green
Bay's the division outright. But what I can say is
(28:36):
you can take steps if you become an eight win
nine win team this year. Now we can start talking
about what that looks like moving forward next year after
having success and these pieces coming together.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
And you got another one. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (28:55):
Look the Cowboys and I know they're saving their money
for this, right, They got.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Time, all right, we get it.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
They got the draft, although they only have three picks
in the top But am I going too far to
say if they if this doesn't if they don't do
something big in these next few months, they could be
in jeopardy and missing the playoffs.
Speaker 6 (29:23):
Well, looking at that division and you you got the Commanders, uh,
and you got the Giants, your only real competition for them.
What they're thinking is Philly, right, Okay, so the urgency
for you know, for Cowboys fans out there for them
to do something. Let's just remember that you're in a
(29:46):
favorable division outside of Philadelphia, so you can you can
get to the playoffs. All right, So let's not I'm
not at NFC.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
South is still we it got better, but obviously the
North is gonna be tough, and then the West is
a little you know, West will be but.
Speaker 6 (30:09):
Their imposition with the current roster that they have, like
we saw this past year, in the year prior to that,
right now, do they have a Super Bowl roster? No,
absolutely not. But in terms of making the playoffs, like
I wouldn't bet against them not making the playoffs. I would.
Speaker 5 (30:27):
All right, that's our man e from Salam great stuff.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Man, enjoyed us game?
Speaker 6 (30:32):
All right? Thank you brothers?
Speaker 2 (30:33):
All right?
Speaker 5 (30:34):
Brother Yep, the w NBA Caitlyn Clark has a rid
and she brought.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
Millions of fans with her. That's next a couple.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (31:00):
All right, here we go with a little Shekel City
for this trash talking Tuesday. I'm taking the Pelicans minus
one and a half hosting the Lakers. Choke job. Choke
job Pelicans minus one and a half. Really yeah, it
feels good. Lakers should win, sorry, Rob Ge, Lakers should win. Okay,
(31:22):
they should win. All right, I'm gonna take up in
the nightcap Chris Kings plus two and a half hosting
the Warriors. And finally, Yankees scuffling offensively blew that game.
Sunday in Cleveland, and now yesterday only one run. I
got the Yankees plus one and a half runs, Chris
(31:44):
in Toronto, So Yankees plus one and a half, Kings
plus two and a half and the Pelicans minus one
and a half as home favorites against the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
And remember, I'm not telling you who the bet on.
Speaker 7 (31:59):
I'm telling you who I bet on whatever.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
All right, rob G?
Speaker 5 (32:05):
I mean, wow, rob so far, so good for the WNBA.
Caitlin Clark, of course, the highlight of last night's draft.
She picked She's picked number one, going to the Indiana Fever.
Speaker 7 (32:19):
It was incredible, Chris. Eighteen million people watched the WNBA draft.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
Last two and a half million people watched it. It
was their biggest show or biggest audience ever. Is that correct,
Rob G?
Speaker 9 (32:31):
That is correct, guys. A three hundred increase in viewership
from year to year.
Speaker 7 (32:36):
Okay, And this is the best part. When I see
her rookie contract, they can put it pennies in a
wheelbarrow for her, Chris. The things that she did as
far as she's gonna get like seventy six thousand dollars,
that's her contract.
Speaker 5 (32:52):
Right, I mean, what what And seventy six thous the
league hasn't make made money. I mean, so that's that's
gonna change if these ratings continue.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
I do think.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
I think you've been around, no, I know, but but
they've been around twenty eight years, and everything she's doing
is setting records. So I'm not predicting that it's about to,
you know, turn the WNBA around, But I'm watching. I'm
ready to see. I'm open to it if it happens.
(33:27):
And if that happens, it will, you know, raise the
amount of money that these women make.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
I don't know. I don't think they have.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
The deal like the NBA where the NBA players get
fifty of the league revenue.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
I you can't. I don't think zero. Yeah. Well but
even what.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
They yeah, I don't think they get anything like that.
Speaker 5 (33:47):
So they need to start making money and hopefully ultimately,
you know, they won't ever make NBA money, but they'll
be able at least get to a point where they
can get fifty percent.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 7 (33:57):
But couse that like her four years is like seventy
oh it is, Hey, it is what it rob.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
We don't watch. Let's just keep it real. People don't
watch the w NBA.
Speaker 7 (34:09):
And I say this with all and I'm not trying
to bust on Caitlin Clark, but with overtime, Rob G
makes more than her.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
I'm just saying.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
Barely, but Rob G am I wrong. No, yeah, I
mean think about that.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
What I just said.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
Why is she even harping.
Speaker 7 (34:29):
On this because she has a unique skill endorsements, Okay,
but she should be paid more than what they're paying.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
Well, the league is in the city.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
If you go to a league that's struggling financially, it
is what it is. No, I think she gonna make
you know, she's gonna make her money in terms of
endorsements and stuff like that, get them to a point
where they make some real money.
Speaker 7 (34:54):
Can you imagine walking across stage when you were drafted
in the first round by Fox Sports Radio. It's a
pret sir, and your contract is thirty five cents. That's
what it must have felt like.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
You know what.
Speaker 9 (35:06):
I think her outfit in the jewelry she had on
last night was more than her salary to be But
in all fairness, right the previous scut.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
I'm just saying, like, I don't get why, like you
coming off Rob like you're.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Making fun of her.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
But in fairness, it's the league. She ain't playing in
the NBA, She's playing in the WNBA.
Speaker 9 (35:24):
Wish nobody watching, right And to your point, Chris, the
previous high for a WNBA draft television ratings was set
twenty years ago six hundred thousand, when Diana Taratzi was first. Okay,
but and Rob, we're not gonna like this one. It's
the first time that a women's draft were more than
a million viewers, and it surpassed the viewership of both
the NHL and Major League Baseball drafts.
Speaker 5 (35:47):
Oh oh, base But you know he didn't like that. Here,
come on, come on, come on, quit on, man from
I'm man for Junior.
Speaker 7 (35:55):
I'm a baseball guy, and asked me how many drafts
I've watched?
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Go ahead, Rob, how many? How many baseball drafts?
Speaker 4 (36:03):
But the baseball draft? Is it even on TV? Like that?
Speaker 7 (36:06):
Because I MLB network now, but been been on television?
Speaker 11 (36:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (36:12):
If nothing, that's my point, Like, I've never watched a
baseball draft.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Here's what I want to ask you. I wanted to
get to this.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
It, Robbed. The pressure is on her.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
Hey, Look, she's lived with pressures ever since she became
a great basketball player, but she the league is riding
on her shoulders. Rob, Let's keep it real. This is
all because of Caitlyn Clark. God bless Angel Revees and
any of these other women. Nobody's tuning in there. This
(36:46):
is about Caitlyn Clark and if she Rob, if she's
not a star, then all this is gonna go away.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
I don't mean for her, I'm I mean for the league,
the interest.
Speaker 5 (37:02):
But if she is a transcendent star, she plays as
well as she does did in college in the WNBA
pretty much right away, then I think, you know, it'll
boost the league as a whole, not.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Just her, but the league as a whole.
Speaker 5 (37:17):
You agree with that, Like, if she's like, if she's
not that good, Rob, I think all of its attention
for the WNBA, it might still be a little better
than it used to before her, but it's it's gonna
pretty much fade.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Of course, all of it, poof, poof.
Speaker 4 (37:34):
It's about her.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
The pressure is on.
Speaker 5 (37:36):
It's a lot to heavy as the head that wears
the crown. Two hours left eye couple, keep it locked
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
to check us out 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 (00:24):
Let's get this pun.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. A.
Speaker 4 (00:36):
Yeah, it is The Odd Couple.
Speaker 5 (00:42):
I'm Chris Bruce Haard alongside my partner Rob Parker, and
we are broadcasting live from the tire rack dot Com studios.
Tirag dot Com is the way tirebine should be.
Speaker 2 (00:55):
In this right here, The.
Speaker 5 (00:56):
Odd Couple is the way sports talk radio should be.
So keep it locked here on Fox Sports Radio, the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
Or serious XM Channel eighty three.
Speaker 5 (01:09):
However you may be listening for the next three hours,
you will not be disappointed. And with that being said,
let me welcome in my partner Rob Parker.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
What's up man?
Speaker 2 (01:21):
What's happened to mister Chris Bussard? How are you?
Speaker 4 (01:24):
I'm wonderful, I'm wonderful.
Speaker 2 (01:27):
Are you so wonderful? What's so exciting? Wonderful?
Speaker 6 (01:31):
So?
Speaker 2 (01:32):
Yeah, Okay, you're always good.
Speaker 5 (01:34):
But yes I am excited Rob Parker about the playoffs
tonight to play in, I should say, to get to
the playoffs. Now, these playing games, the NBA still hasn't
figured it out, Rob, how to deal with them? Don't
they just disappear like you can't, Rob g.
Speaker 4 (01:51):
You might know.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
You can't find a box score nothing from any of
the past playing games. It's like crazy, But I think
they should just.
Speaker 4 (02:01):
Make them playoff game.
Speaker 5 (02:03):
Like you can call it the play in but just
count them as a postseason in your postseason stats.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
This is why I'm trashing the play in tournament.
Speaker 4 (02:14):
But they don't even want to tonight.
Speaker 7 (02:15):
Yeah, they don't even want to recognize it. Chris's playoffs.
It can't be in no man's land.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
It affects the playoffs.
Speaker 7 (02:23):
It makes no sense that you don't count for the
regular season and you don't count it for the playoffs,
but it makes you get into the playoffs.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
How is it not a playoff stat a playoff stats?
What it may all do with that wild card those? Yeah,
that's what it should be, Chris. Those are playoff games, right,
I don't understand it never happened, right, they never happened,
so well, I guess the cats out the bag.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Ralph Parker's trash to play in.
Speaker 8 (02:53):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
It is a.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Trash talking Tuesday. So in the second hour of the show,
you will be able to trash anyone or anything that
you want for thirty to forty seconds. So get your
takes ready, Rob, Let's let's get right into this thing.
The A couple Cruiser full effect. The super producer Rob
G is in the house.
Speaker 7 (03:14):
Yes, or Robe or you offended that we say Rob
G instead of he could just say Rob Pete to
me and Rob to you.
Speaker 2 (03:22):
No.
Speaker 9 (03:23):
No, I'm good Rob, You're the on the marquee. I'm
just a dude here soks o good. All right, you've
been there longer than me. Man, you run the play
I do.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
I got more vacation. The boy up together.
Speaker 5 (03:31):
Yes, that's why you're off there, my goodness. On the
social media of the Great Elijah Sabuna, the update man
Beef in the Loquacious one. Get ready for some big vocabulary,
big million dollar words tonight and on the ones and
(03:53):
two's none other.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
Than why you buggin there?
Speaker 5 (04:02):
It is Mary Mary handling the boards, all right, Rob, Yeah,
of course not. They were just like you got the
best one, you got you all right, you got to mix.
So we had to save the best for last. But Rob,
let's talk about I am excited tonight. You've got the
(04:24):
Lakers and the Pelicans in the first game seven thirty Eastern,
four thirty Pacific, and the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento
Kings in the second game ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific.
And the first game is not do or die. You know,
the loser, well, the Lakers Pelicans game, Rob will face
(04:45):
the winner of the Warriors Kings But the loser of
the Warriors Kings is done. Their season's over there going home.
And so, uh yeah, I'm excited about it. I bet
Rob g is excited about it, and you're not.
Speaker 7 (05:01):
I get the logistical I'm talking about. I'm talking about
the logistics Christs. Anytime you have a what you consider
like a single or elimination or put yourself on the
brink of your season being over, it's gonna be exciting.
I don't it could be Tiddley winks. And if it's
like sudden death, we see that every March, right every.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
March, we see it.
Speaker 7 (05:22):
Well, we don't care about college basketball for six months,
four months, and then all of a sudden, you know,
like we're paying attention.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
I'm there's four playing games. I'm hyped about three of them.
Gotta be honest, I really couldn't care less.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
About the Bulls and the Hawks.
Speaker 5 (05:43):
Your I mean with me, I mean, I'm not poopo
and it it's just that they're not. They don't Chris, No,
it's not. It's nothing against that. I like the format.
I think Adam Silver a home run with this play in.
Rob Michael Jordan would have been in the play in
(06:07):
in Washington.
Speaker 4 (06:08):
Who knows what would have happened. Would have been fun
to see.
Speaker 7 (06:12):
What would have happened is the Bullets or Wizards whatever
they went at that point. Wizards would have lost like
they did all that year. They didn't deserve it.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
They might they might have won. Who knows, Christian a.
Speaker 7 (06:24):
Chinese restaurant, right, have you ever had a pool pool
platter at a Chinese restaurant?
Speaker 4 (06:30):
Well, knowing how you usually used, who knows, I don't
even think about no, what seriously, you never had a
poop pool platter? I've heard of it. I think I have.
Speaker 2 (06:39):
It's just like you the same thing. It's like a sampler.
It's like a chicken.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
Is that only the last two hundred and fifty times
I've been to a Chinese restaurant, And.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
For me, it's like rice. Heavy on the shrimp and
light on the rice. That's what I do. I'm the
pooh Pool King, Thank you man.
Speaker 5 (06:57):
But no, I'm excited, and I think privately, deep deep
deep down inside, Rob Parker's excited too.
Speaker 4 (07:05):
So Rob, we got that.
Speaker 5 (07:08):
As I said, Game one Lakers Pelicans, I'm shocked that
the Pelicans are favorite, are you?
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Uh No, I don't understand why their favorite.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
They ain't.
Speaker 5 (07:24):
You think it happened in the one and done. But
they're not good at home in the blender. That's what
they call Smoothie King Center.
Speaker 4 (07:31):
Oh I love it. That's a great Yeah, the blender,
but they're bad in the blender.
Speaker 5 (07:38):
They got the worst home record of any of the
top eight seeds in either conference. Of course, the Lakers
have the two best players, Lebron and Ad. Lakers have
hammered the Pelicans three out of four times that they
played this season, by an average of more than twenty
five points. Maybe maybe the Lakers are rolling. They're eleven
(08:00):
in three down the stretch. The Pelicans are not. They're
four and five down the stretch. I mean, what, what
in the world? How And Lebron James by himself has
played more than seventy more playoff games than the entire
Pelicans roster.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
How in the world? Now, Look, I'm off of drama.
Speaker 5 (08:24):
I love a good game, a close game, something nip
and tuck. But I don't know how in the world
Vegas favorite Thepelicans. I guess Rock looked at the they
saw the Ad was questionable and Lebron was probable.
Speaker 7 (08:37):
I guess that has the factor h and they got
to cover themselves if Ad doesn't play or he goes
out in the first they just got to cover themselves
to try to stave off Chris people piling money on
the Lakers and then them taking a bath. So remember
it's always not really who they think is gonna win,
(09:00):
but what line can they put out to get as
many people are putting money on both sides, and obviously
the Lakers are gonna be heavy anyway, You know what
I mean? Just there all the stuff you talk about
their history and Lebron, they won championships and not to
cage for New Orleans, but it's not that New Orleans
(09:22):
thinks or believes that the Pelicans are gonna win the game.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
It's just about gambling.
Speaker 5 (09:28):
Let me ask you this, Rob, And you know, a
few years ago a guy that many thought would be
the future face of the league, Zion Williamson.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
And this year he had a good year. He always
plays well.
Speaker 5 (09:42):
I mean, there's never been a question of his ability.
It's been a question of is he going to play?
Is he healthy?
Speaker 4 (09:49):
This year he's been healthy.
Speaker 5 (09:50):
I'm gonna shout out Zion for playing seventy games right average,
over thirty one minutes a game. So I'm not even
I'm not trying to be funny for season's not making
fun I'm happy for him, and I am I don't
want to say impressed, it's your job, but I'm just
I'm happy for him. And he's a good player. He's
(10:11):
a very good player, has point guard skills. I'm not
saying he's a true point but he brings the ball up,
runs their offense at times, and it's effective for them.
But I want to throw this out at you, Rob
and get your opinion. Is this a big game for
him tonight? Like I mean, if he loses, is their
(10:34):
damage done?
Speaker 4 (10:35):
And if he wins, you know, like, is this a
big game?
Speaker 8 (10:41):
Is this a.
Speaker 4 (10:42):
Moment for him?
Speaker 5 (10:43):
Is this something where you know this could make or
break him at least for the time being?
Speaker 7 (10:52):
No?
Speaker 2 (10:53):
Way, No?
Speaker 10 (10:54):
How?
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Wow? And I say that, Chris, because I truly believe.
Speaker 7 (11:02):
Zion Williamson stardom and Zion, you know, is already.
Speaker 2 (11:10):
Half baked. And I believe what do you mean by
half baked that?
Speaker 7 (11:16):
And I'll tell you this, I think Zion Williamson is
NBA dead.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
I already think you NBA dead.
Speaker 5 (11:24):
Kill a lot of cats. Further, was Kevin Durant now
is Zion?
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yes?
Speaker 7 (11:28):
And I'm saying from this standpoint, Chris, from where he
came from, and the expectations like there's a wet blanket
over him. You talked about it already. He played well,
but nobody talks about Zion. He's not in any conversation. Chris,
what come give me the topic that we talked about.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Zion this year?
Speaker 5 (11:51):
You know what, zero, he's NBA dead. People don't care
either way. If he wins, Chris, okay, if he loses,
while Lebron and ad he was supposed to win, there's
nothing there.
Speaker 4 (12:04):
There's no juice.
Speaker 2 (12:06):
For Zion.
Speaker 7 (12:07):
I'm dead serious that he just doesn't register now, Chris,
does that mean he can't vibe for the MVP a
couple of years from now and the team turns around
and there.
Speaker 4 (12:22):
Right, But I'm talking about twenty three right now.
Speaker 7 (12:26):
As far as moving the needle, people caring about a
player and wondering what's gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (12:34):
He's NBA dead, he just is.
Speaker 7 (12:38):
I don't think there's a post there with NBA fans
for Zion anymore, Chris, because he's just been overall a
major disappointment.
Speaker 5 (12:51):
Amen, Oh my god, he so much. I think you
watched First Things First this afternoon.
Speaker 4 (12:58):
Because exactly what I said I never missed. That's exactly
what I said.
Speaker 6 (13:06):
Rob.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
We've moved on, Zion, we have You're no longer than
new Hotness. We moved on to Wimby and shit, n
SGA and a man.
Speaker 4 (13:22):
And Rob even Jah is former AU teammate.
Speaker 5 (13:27):
When he comes back it some of it can be
his fault. Obviously, anybody can get injured. But he hasn't
been in shape. He hasn't worked the hardest on his body.
His eating habits maye now maybe the light has gone
on going off I should say, but right now, Rob,
(13:50):
you are exactly right.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
Zion is just a guy, a good guy. He's you know,
above average place.
Speaker 5 (14:00):
If nobody's saying he's a border start, right, he's still
a good player. But here's the truth too, And if
Zion wants to get to that next level, Rob, he
should hear this. Take heed, Zion, you have got to
my man. I'm glad you played seventy games. You are
a terror, a force of nature at the rim. Rob,
(14:26):
the dude is phenomenal at the rim. And that's why
when he's bringing the ball up court, he just drives
in and scores. But he don't shoot threes, he don't
shoot mid range jumpers.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
You know where he's going.
Speaker 5 (14:42):
And that's one reason he's had problems with playing the Lakers,
because Lebron's big enough that they put him in front
of him. He's gonna at least make it a little
difficult for him to just go to the basket. And
then when he gets to the rim, Anthony Davis is there,
the Lakers packed the paint and Zion has no of
thing right now but stuff at the rim.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
So Zion, you gotta be work on. You should be
a better rebounder.
Speaker 5 (15:08):
Five and a half rebounds a game, that's Steph Curry stuff.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
He should walk into the arena with five and a half.
Speaker 4 (15:14):
Thank thank you. So you rebound.
Speaker 5 (15:17):
It has to improve and you've gotta work on your
Jay because.
Speaker 4 (15:21):
As he's headed right now and again, very good player,
their best player.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
But Rob, once that athleticism starts to wane, he would
be in trouble if he don't add some stuff to
his game because he is predictable what he's doing with
the rock.
Speaker 4 (15:39):
So I agree with you. We're on board on that one.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
But I like what you said at the end because
you're absolutely right.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
He could.
Speaker 4 (15:50):
He's only twenty three, healthy and.
Speaker 5 (15:53):
Works hard, and you know, really he still got plenty
of time and he could join that young crop of
future stars. There's no or current even stars, no doubt
about it. But right now he's off the radar as
far as celebrities superstars in the NBA A seven seven
(16:13):
ninety nine on Fox Zion. I mean Rob said it,
he's NBA dead. Do you agree? And what's it gonna
take for him to come back to life? NBA wise
Your thoughts eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox Chris
and Rob The Odd Couple Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
Two NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you
right into the NBA Great Five.
Speaker 10 (16:50):
All happening in only one place. This League Uncut, the
new NBA podcast with me Chris Haynes and me Mark Stein,
join us as we team up to expound on everything
we're covering Hearing and Chason.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein.
Speaker 10 (17:08):
On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcast.
Speaker 4 (17:13):
We're jamming in the name of the Lord.
Speaker 5 (17:16):
It's The Odd Couple, Christ and Rob live from the
tire rack dot Com studios. And it's time for you
guys to weigh in eight seven, seven ninety nine on
Fox eight seven seven nine nine, six sixty three sixty nine.
Zion Williamson interest, Did you do that on purpose?
Speaker 2 (17:36):
Mary?
Speaker 6 (17:37):
Mary?
Speaker 2 (17:38):
Zion?
Speaker 5 (17:39):
Little Bob Marley's always talking about Zionion.
Speaker 4 (17:42):
I just felt some Bob Marley today.
Speaker 8 (17:44):
That's why a right or not.
Speaker 5 (17:45):
Though, that's yeah, Mattress, Zion Williamson, y'all, what do you
think you can he still become a superstar? We all
know he's been a disappointment, not just it's mostly because
of injuries, but uh, what do you what do you
think of him going forward?
Speaker 2 (18:03):
Your thoughts?
Speaker 11 (18:03):
All?
Speaker 6 (18:04):
Right?
Speaker 2 (18:04):
Nick? In New York, you're on the odd couple of
Fox Sports Radio. What's up? Nick?
Speaker 11 (18:08):
Hey, Hey guys, Hey you doing. I love the Bob
Marley bringing in Yeah, this is the first thing I thought.
Zion definitely I have to agree with Rob that he
is a not a failure, but he is definitely not
done what we thought he would like, giving all the
heights coming out of Dukes and everything. I have to
(18:29):
correlate him to being like a Big Baby Davis, a
more athletic and a Blake Griffin mix.
Speaker 4 (18:38):
That's a good mix.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
Is good because he's way better obviously than Big Baby, but.
Speaker 11 (18:44):
One dimensional.
Speaker 8 (18:45):
He's one dimensional.
Speaker 11 (18:46):
He can't do anything. He doesn't extend the floor. He's
good for one or two highlights, but he's his problems
are created by him. They're not I I know what
he was injured, but he doesn't take care of himself.
I mean, you're getting how many millions of dollars?
Speaker 2 (19:02):
No, He's right.
Speaker 5 (19:06):
A lot of times guys get hurt, they get hurt,
and some of his injuries, yeah, you just couldn't help it.
But there is a feeling with him, Robin. I think
it's legitimate that, you know, a lot of these injuries.
He just you know, he didn't lose weight, he didn't
work as hard as he should be working. And so yeah,
I don't think there's a ton of sympathy for him
(19:28):
right now.
Speaker 6 (19:29):
Rap.
Speaker 7 (19:29):
And I'm just saying, be careful because you're talking about
the Hall of Famer Blake Griffin.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Now that he's officially retired. We'll get into that. They'll
get into that.
Speaker 7 (19:38):
So, I mean, Carl in Mobile, Alabama, you're on the
eye couple of Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
What's up call?
Speaker 8 (19:45):
Hey, guys, how y'all doing? Thanks for taking my call.
Good good to get back on here with you guys. Yes, sir,
I have I watched Yeah, I watched him play the
other night. I had a little time off and so
I watched him play and he's bringing the ball up
like a point guard and initiate the offense. And I'm like,
is that what they're paying him all his money to do.
I mean, he looks like just a guy at Direct
(20:06):
Shayer that you play basketball with. He's okay, but he's
not spectacular. And I was like, what, I don't what
happened to the old Zion who was, you know, gonna
take the league by storm. He's just the guy bringing
the ball up now.
Speaker 5 (20:19):
Right, Well, if you're talking about that last game with
the Lakers, yeah, he didn't do much all right, but
generally he's had a good season's averaging twenty two points
a game, five point eight rebounds something like that, about
five and a half assists.
Speaker 4 (20:35):
He's pretty good.
Speaker 5 (20:36):
I'm not gonna say he's a point guard because he's
not that, but he is has been effective bringing the
ball up to court. But yeah, like we talked about,
I mean, he's got to learn. He's got to be
able to shoot to some degree. And so all right,
it is the eye Couple Chris and Rob. Of course,
next hour you been a call back in and trash
anyone in the sports world. We got e from Salam
(21:00):
around the corner. But first the loquations.
Speaker 3 (21:02):
Be sure to catch live editions of the Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 5 (21:13):
Former NFL offensive lineman now Fox Sports Radio Weekend Superstar.
Speaker 4 (21:19):
Our Renaissance man e from Salam. What's up?
Speaker 8 (21:23):
Mat?
Speaker 6 (21:26):
Were good? I'm doing good? Man?
Speaker 2 (21:28):
Can't we know?
Speaker 4 (21:30):
You want to talk hoop?
Speaker 8 (21:31):
So we do it.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Yeah, you're a Lakers fan.
Speaker 5 (21:39):
Telling me about what your thoughts are tonight and assuming
they win the playing the Nuggets, the favorite to win
the West, how do you like them in that first
round matchup with the Nuggets?
Speaker 2 (21:51):
Should they get there?
Speaker 6 (21:53):
All right, so this is this is tough for me, okay,
because of course I'm a fan, But then I gotta
be realist stick in terms of you know, my analyzing
the NBA, which I do, I just don't come at
it from a fans point of view. That's boring. You know.
I think back to two games that the Lakers lost
(22:15):
coming down the stretch. Other than that they were clicking
and going, but they lost two games and subsequent enough
that put them in this position, the eighth seed. Now
what that does is I want them to win. Of course,
you don't want to go into a play in game
(22:35):
and lose, you have to do another one because what
you don't want to do is play a Golden State
Warriors team or Kings team, Like, you don't want to
do that. I mean, Anthony Davis against the Bonus is
zero to nine okaying against him. So you don't want
to put yourself in a situation where you're trying to
roll the dice to play a lesser team if you
(22:59):
do make it to the playoffs, which brings me to
the point they win Tonight they play the Denver Nuggets,
the one team in the West, in my opinion, that
they don't match up well against. And you could say
they're big and all of these things, they just, for
whatever reason, they don't have enough size, which is a
(23:20):
hard thing to say about the Lakers given their links,
but they don't have enough size to compete with Denver's
front line and it just hasn't been a good matchup
for the for the last couple of years. So yeah,
I don't think.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
A d likes well, we know he doesn't like playing center,
and most nights he probably doesn't mind because you know,
there aren't that many big centers like that.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
But Jokic, you know, he don't want the best with Yokic.
Speaker 6 (23:46):
Well, no, he's the best player in the league right
now and they're probably is going to be the m
v P. And his skill set is just it's vast,
Like you can't body him, you can't be over physical,
even like you can't pull them away from from the basket,
like he just has his basketball IQ is on par
with some of the greatest point guards to ever play,
(24:09):
And so it's just not a good matchup. And Michael
Porter Jr. Is at the bane of the Laker fans
existed at sixteen being able to shoot the way he does.
Speaker 2 (24:19):
Man, let me ask you two things.
Speaker 7 (24:23):
Last year when the Lakers got swept, I can still
remember he from Anthony Davis scored forty points on the
road and they lost. That's when I was like, they
won't win any games, Like like, if you can't win
a game where Ad goes off for forty on the road,
I just don't know what game you're gonna win. But
number two, you talked about a little bit about facing Denver,
(24:45):
and I was surprised.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
I don't know, it wasn't that many people, but.
Speaker 7 (24:49):
Some guys who are former athletes were saying that the
Lakers should should lose on purpose. As a former athlete,
you know, do you you would go into anything thinking
that way?
Speaker 2 (25:01):
It just doesn't sound right to me.
Speaker 6 (25:04):
No, it doesn't sound right. And to become a professional athlete,
there's a certain mentality that you have to have that
you've built up over years, and to go against that
at any moment in your career is a tough thing
to do. You can't go into a locker room and
tell guys how important games are and to bring it
(25:26):
every single night and then say, hey, guys, how about
we take it easy tonight? Like it just doesn't bode well.
And what it does is it trips you up. Right.
You can go in with that mentality and then you
put all your chips in on a Friday game or
a Thursday game, which may not turn out in your
(25:47):
favor because I tell you what, you don't want to
play gold Golden State Warriors, and you don't want to
play the Sacramento Kings and all in on one game?
Are you going home like you don't want to? You
have a buffer right now, so you want to take
(26:08):
care of your business and you want to try the
game plan and give Denver all they can handle and
get them out of the playoffs early. I'd rather hang
my hat on that than a hope and a wish.
Speaker 5 (26:20):
Yeah, because look, I think and I think the Lakers
are better than both the Warriors.
Speaker 4 (26:27):
And the Kings, although the Kings own them. It's a
tough matchup.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
But honestly, man, I don't think you want anybody in
a one and done. Not that you'll lose, but you
know what I mean, Like anything happened, a d could
get hurt. We know that's a possible. Somebody twists an ankle, right,
A team gets hot from three, y'all happen to be
cold from three? Like, yeah, that's why the NBA has
seven games series, so the best team generally wins, right, Yeah,
(26:55):
so saw it.
Speaker 6 (26:57):
We just saw it last week the Golden say the
twenty six threes.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Yep, yep, yep, exactly right.
Speaker 6 (27:05):
So you don't want to run into that bus. So
all like that, get your work done to day, Go
get some rest, and prepare yourself this weekend to go
against defend the champ that's it.
Speaker 5 (27:15):
Going to the NFL, and it looks like Kayleb Williams
will be drafted by the Bears. You know they got
some pieces, some nice pieces, Like do you think that
it's kind of a ready made situation for him to
step into and that they'll be.
Speaker 4 (27:34):
Able to make the playoffs next year? A lot of
people are saying that.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Now.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
I wouldn't go as far as a ready made situation
because even with new pieces, we don't know how those
pieces work, including him as a rioting quarterback.
Speaker 4 (27:49):
I would think there's gonna be some growing pains, do you,
of course, of.
Speaker 6 (27:52):
Course, But but look, they'll be better. We know this
for sure. They'll be better. They're trying to build that
roster the right way, opposed to just putting it all
on the shoulders of a young quarterback and saying, hey
save us. They're trying to add you know, value, and
they're trying to add talent to a roster that, if
(28:15):
done properly, they can build well. Now, whether that be
a playoff berth this year, I'm not quite sure, because
you still got the you know, the Detroit Like, there's
not a lot of room for error in that division,
which was you know, it used to be just Green
Bay's the division outright. But what I can say is
(28:36):
you can take steps if you become an eight win
nine win team this year. Now we can start talking
about what that looks like moving forward next year after
having success and these pieces coming together.
Speaker 2 (28:52):
And you got another one. Yeah.
Speaker 5 (28:55):
Look the Cowboys and I know they're saving their money
for this, right, They got.
Speaker 4 (29:03):
Time, all right, we get it.
Speaker 5 (29:05):
They got the draft, although they only have three picks
in the top But am I going too far to
say if they if this doesn't if they don't do
something big in these next few months, they could be
in jeopardy and missing the playoffs.
Speaker 6 (29:23):
Well, looking at that division and you you got the Commanders, uh,
and you got the Giants, your only real competition for them.
What they're thinking is Philly, right, Okay, so the urgency
for you know, for Cowboys fans out there for them
to do something. Let's just remember that you're in a
(29:46):
favorable division outside of Philadelphia, so you can you can
get to the playoffs. All right, So let's not I'm
not at NFC.
Speaker 5 (29:58):
South is still we it got better, but obviously the
North is gonna be tough, and then the West is
a little you know, West will be but.
Speaker 6 (30:09):
Their imposition with the current roster that they have, like
we saw this past year, in the year prior to that,
right now, do they have a Super Bowl roster? No,
absolutely not. But in terms of making the playoffs, like
I wouldn't bet against them not making the playoffs. I would.
Speaker 5 (30:27):
All right, that's our man e from Salam great stuff.
Speaker 4 (30:30):
Man, enjoyed us game?
Speaker 6 (30:32):
All right? Thank you brothers?
Speaker 2 (30:33):
All right?
Speaker 5 (30:34):
Brother Yep, the w NBA Caitlyn Clark has a rid
and she brought.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
Millions of fans with her. That's next a couple.
Speaker 2 (30:46):
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (30:48):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 7 (31:00):
All right, here we go with a little Shekel City
for this trash talking Tuesday. I'm taking the Pelicans minus
one and a half hosting the Lakers. Choke job. Choke
job Pelicans minus one and a half. Really yeah, it
feels good. Lakers should win, sorry, Rob Ge, Lakers should win. Okay,
(31:22):
they should win. All right, I'm gonna take up in
the nightcap Chris Kings plus two and a half hosting
the Warriors. And finally, Yankees scuffling offensively blew that game.
Sunday in Cleveland, and now yesterday only one run. I
got the Yankees plus one and a half runs, Chris
(31:44):
in Toronto, So Yankees plus one and a half, Kings
plus two and a half and the Pelicans minus one
and a half as home favorites against the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (31:56):
And remember, I'm not telling you who the bet on.
Speaker 7 (31:59):
I'm telling you who I bet on whatever.
Speaker 4 (32:02):
All right, rob G?
Speaker 5 (32:05):
I mean, wow, rob so far, so good for the WNBA.
Caitlin Clark, of course, the highlight of last night's draft.
She picked She's picked number one, going to the Indiana Fever.
Speaker 7 (32:19):
It was incredible, Chris. Eighteen million people watched the WNBA draft.
Speaker 5 (32:23):
Last two and a half million people watched it. It
was their biggest show or biggest audience ever. Is that correct,
Rob G?
Speaker 9 (32:31):
That is correct, guys. A three hundred increase in viewership
from year to year.
Speaker 7 (32:36):
Okay, And this is the best part. When I see
her rookie contract, they can put it pennies in a
wheelbarrow for her, Chris. The things that she did as
far as she's gonna get like seventy six thousand dollars,
that's her contract.
Speaker 5 (32:52):
Right, I mean, what what And seventy six thous the
league hasn't make made money. I mean, so that's that's
gonna change if these ratings continue.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
I do think.
Speaker 5 (33:06):
I think you've been around, no, I know, but but
they've been around twenty eight years, and everything she's doing
is setting records. So I'm not predicting that it's about to,
you know, turn the WNBA around, But I'm watching. I'm
ready to see. I'm open to it if it happens.
(33:27):
And if that happens, it will, you know, raise the
amount of money that these women make.
Speaker 4 (33:32):
I don't know. I don't think they have.
Speaker 5 (33:35):
The deal like the NBA where the NBA players get
fifty of the league revenue.
Speaker 2 (33:40):
I you can't. I don't think zero. Yeah. Well but
even what.
Speaker 4 (33:44):
They yeah, I don't think they get anything like that.
Speaker 5 (33:47):
So they need to start making money and hopefully ultimately,
you know, they won't ever make NBA money, but they'll
be able at least get to a point where they
can get fifty percent.
Speaker 4 (33:56):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 7 (33:57):
But couse that like her four years is like seventy
oh it is, Hey, it is what it rob.
Speaker 4 (34:06):
We don't watch. Let's just keep it real. People don't
watch the w NBA.
Speaker 7 (34:09):
And I say this with all and I'm not trying
to bust on Caitlin Clark, but with overtime, Rob G
makes more than her.
Speaker 2 (34:18):
I'm just saying.
Speaker 4 (34:20):
Barely, but Rob G am I wrong. No, yeah, I
mean think about that.
Speaker 2 (34:27):
What I just said.
Speaker 4 (34:28):
Why is she even harping.
Speaker 7 (34:29):
On this because she has a unique skill endorsements, Okay,
but she should be paid more than what they're paying.
Speaker 4 (34:36):
Well, the league is in the city.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
If you go to a league that's struggling financially, it
is what it is. No, I think she gonna make
you know, she's gonna make her money in terms of
endorsements and stuff like that, get them to a point
where they make some real money.
Speaker 7 (34:54):
Can you imagine walking across stage when you were drafted
in the first round by Fox Sports Radio. It's a
pret sir, and your contract is thirty five cents. That's
what it must have felt like.
Speaker 2 (35:05):
You know what.
Speaker 9 (35:06):
I think her outfit in the jewelry she had on
last night was more than her salary to be But
in all fairness, right the previous scut.
Speaker 5 (35:14):
I'm just saying, like, I don't get why, like you
coming off Rob like you're.
Speaker 2 (35:18):
Making fun of her.
Speaker 4 (35:19):
But in fairness, it's the league. She ain't playing in
the NBA, She's playing in the WNBA.
Speaker 9 (35:24):
Wish nobody watching, right And to your point, Chris, the
previous high for a WNBA draft television ratings was set
twenty years ago six hundred thousand, when Diana Taratzi was first. Okay,
but and Rob, we're not gonna like this one. It's
the first time that a women's draft were more than
a million viewers, and it surpassed the viewership of both
the NHL and Major League Baseball drafts.
Speaker 5 (35:47):
Oh oh, base But you know he didn't like that. Here,
come on, come on, come on, quit on, man from
I'm man for Junior.
Speaker 7 (35:55):
I'm a baseball guy, and asked me how many drafts
I've watched?
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Go ahead, Rob, how many? How many baseball drafts?
Speaker 4 (36:03):
But the baseball draft? Is it even on TV? Like that?
Speaker 7 (36:06):
Because I MLB network now, but been been on television?
Speaker 11 (36:12):
Yeah?
Speaker 7 (36:12):
If nothing, that's my point, Like, I've never watched a
baseball draft.
Speaker 4 (36:16):
Here's what I want to ask you. I wanted to
get to this.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
It, Robbed. The pressure is on her.
Speaker 5 (36:23):
Hey, Look, she's lived with pressures ever since she became
a great basketball player, but she the league is riding
on her shoulders. Rob, Let's keep it real. This is
all because of Caitlyn Clark. God bless Angel Revees and
any of these other women. Nobody's tuning in there. This
(36:46):
is about Caitlyn Clark and if she Rob, if she's
not a star, then all this is gonna go away.
Speaker 4 (36:59):
I don't mean for her, I'm I mean for the league,
the interest.
Speaker 5 (37:02):
But if she is a transcendent star, she plays as
well as she does did in college in the WNBA
pretty much right away, then I think, you know, it'll
boost the league as a whole, not.
Speaker 2 (37:15):
Just her, but the league as a whole.
Speaker 5 (37:17):
You agree with that, Like, if she's like, if she's
not that good, Rob, I think all of its attention
for the WNBA, it might still be a little better
than it used to before her, but it's it's gonna
pretty much fade.
Speaker 2 (37:31):
Of course, all of it, poof, poof.
Speaker 4 (37:34):
It's about her.
Speaker 2 (37:35):
The pressure is on.
Speaker 5 (37:36):
It's a lot to heavy as the head that wears
the crown. Two hours left eye couple, keep it locked
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