June 20, 2024 • 38 mins
Former NFL offensive lineman and FOX Sports Radio Weekend host Ephraim Salaam is in for Rob, and he and Chris discuss why the number of Black players in professional baseball continues to dwindle and share their thoughts on the uncertain future of free-agent-to-be Paul George. Plus, former NBA veteran and FOX Sports Radio NBA analyst Kerry Kittles swings by to discuss the Los Angeles Lakers’ decision to hire JJ Redick as their next head coach, how the non-LeBron players might respond to such an inexperienced hire, why it’s far from a lock that Team USA will bring home the gold at the Olympics and much more!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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Speaker 2 (00:25):
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Speaker 3 (00:31):
It is The Odd Couple.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
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Speaker 3 (00:51):
We will be taking.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Calls this hour eight seven, seven ninety nine on Fox
eight seven seven nine nine six sixty three sixty nine
if you want to weigh in on this next topic.
And ephraim as I said, we both have on the
Major League Baseball game at rick Wood Field, the oldest
stadium baseball stadium in the United States. Saint Louis up
(01:16):
three to zero in the bottom of the second over
San Francisco.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
But even more important.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Than the game is why they're there. They're celebrating the
Negro Leagues. Before the game, they had the surviving or
the remaining Negro League players who are still alive were
on the field. Of course, Willie Mays, who just died
a few days ago, he started his career for that
(01:43):
team and played in that stadium, the Birmingham Black Bearons,
And so it is a special moment and it's wonderful
to see. And Ephraim, I would imagine that most young
(02:04):
maybe even twenty something and younger. I could go probably
higher than that, but I'll say twenty somethings and younger,
particularly teenagers and kids younger than that. They're probably looking
at this baseball and how it's celebrating all these former
African American players and the Negro Leagues and all of that,
(02:28):
and saying.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Baseball, like baseball today is.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Viewed as a white sport or obviously you have a
lot of players from the Caribbean, but it is definitely
not viewed as an African American sport anymore. And ifan
I'm gonna throw some numbers at you this year, let
me just I don't know, you may know.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Did you look at the notes? Yes, Okay, so you
know the no members.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
But this year, at the start of the season opening
day twenty twenty four, African American players represented just six
percent of Major League Baseball rosters six percent. We're fourteen
percent of the population in America, yet only six percent.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
You look at football, which is about.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Seventy percent, basketball which is about seventy three seventy four
percent African American. Even soccer now, which is a bit
surprising to me, has more African American participants than baseball.
And so I'm sure a lot of kids are like, wow,
(03:45):
like blacks were into baseball like that.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
And you know, and I'm older than you.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
When I grew up, I lived in a lot of places,
but I'm thinking Cincinnati, Indianapolis as a kid up until
I was about twelve years old, those towns in the Midwest,
and I played in baseball leagues that were, if not
at least half black, and maybe I would say majority black,
(04:13):
and our coaches were black fathers, and you know, the
commissioners of the league and all of that. And so
when I grew up, we loved baseball just like we
loved basketball and football.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
And now it is completely different.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
And we got a lot, you know to unpack in
regards to this, But what are your thoughts on why?
And you know, I know you have to believe your
son plays baseball, right, so you coach it. So you're
you're a great person to ask about this, But why
do you think that you know, there really aren't very
many African Americans playing baseball anymore.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Well, just you know, at the little league. We're here,
you know, at Sherman Oaks Little League, which is very
open and welcoming to all. We just run into a
situation where there may be a handful of black coaches
who have kids on teams. My son was the only
(05:15):
African American on his team on our team this year,
and he's been on teams where it's just been you know,
one or two three at the most, even at this age.
And now you know where you live, your demographic things
like that all comes into play.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
Like I said, we're in Sherman Oaks.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
But the thing about kids and like so, the two
sports that American youth play first because you can play
at the youngest, are soccer in baseball. Those are the
sports you can play. You start playing the youngest. My
first was baseball that I play. You can five years old,
(06:03):
you can go to the p B right right, and
soccer four years old, you can go out there. All
it is a bunch of.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Kids running around in the other like moving the ball.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
It's the first time parents get a chance to have
kids really socialized outside of preschool or you know, daycare
or something like that, and it teaches them how to
be a part of a team. And these valuable lessons
parents want kids to have as they get older. So
as you move forward, the interest in soccer goes away
(06:38):
almost immediately because when they're old enough to play other sports,
parents immediately put them into other things. So a lot
of kids, you know, play soccer. Then when they get
to that age where they play baseball, they may do
one year of soccer and baseball. Then baseball takes over.
When you start getting up to six seven, now you
can start playing basketball. Right now, you can get into basketball.
(07:01):
It's a little bit more nuanced, a little bit more
a coordination that you need to be able to play
basketball because it's constant moving, it's dribbling and shooting. It's
a lot for someone under the age of six to
really get a handled on.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Yep ye.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Then you know you have pop Warner football right America sport.
Most dads, most parents want their kids to play football,
so as soon as they're old enough to go out there,
it's starting with flag football. Now it didn't used to
be flag football, used to just be pop one, and
now it's flag football. So a lot of kids are
playing flag football. The real change happens when you get eleven, twelve,
(07:48):
after twelve, not just for it's not just for black players,
but for players in general. If you continue to play
baseball after twelve years old, because no longer a lot
you're you're you aged out a little league right at
after it's over right, So now it's a Now it's
(08:09):
a whole nother thing. It's a commitment, like you gotta
go somewhere else. You need to be pretty good, and
you gotta be because you got thirteen fourteen year olds
who are unreal, right, they've bought in, they're all in,
they're going for it.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
So we see it a lot.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
A lot of kids age out of baseball because it's,
first of all, it's a game of losing, right, Like
you have to be okay with losing, meaning if you
if you bet three hundred for your career in the majors.
You're going to the Hall of Fame. At thirty percent,
you're britting thirty percent times you're had to play, you
(08:49):
get a hit.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
You failing. Unless you get you're failing pretty much seventy percent.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
It's a game of failing.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
And a lot of kids can't deal with that emotionally.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
I will say this from having you know, I played
all three your football, basketball, baseball growing up through high school.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
Not good at any but go ahead, hey, I was.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Doing my.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
But baseball. Like you said, you go in slumps. Yes,
I don't care who you are, how great you are,
you're gonna have slumps. And when you're slumping in baseball
it was of the three sports it was the worst times,
right because I mean, you don't really slump in football.
You either good or you're not good. Basketball can be
(09:32):
some I mean you can.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Die right right.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Baseball, when you are not hitting and you're slumping over
you feel.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Terrible and it's hard to deal with that as a
as a young player. My son went through one of
those slumps this year and he looked at me and
said that I think this is the last year I'm
playing baseball. Wow, And he was it so this was
my last year probably coaching. He is, he was serious,
He's like, I want to focus on basketball. He's ten
year so he just turned over turned ten next Monday.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
Right.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Well, so, but I'll say this when you get older,
when you get to the high school level, what's the
number one currency for a high school kid? Popularity? Yeah,
number one currency. The problem with baseball up compared to
basketball and football is nobody watches a high school baseball game.
(10:25):
When I was in high school, the games were actually
being played while we were still in school. We were
in class. Why, I like, I'm talking about six period.
The baseball game is going on, right and the only
people are out there, parents and coaches. Like, there was
no fanfare, there was no rally, no pep rallies for
(10:48):
the baseball team. And in basketball you get the pep rallies,
you got the gym is packed, and you know football
Friday night lights everybody it's some town in some cities
that shut down to.
Speaker 5 (11:02):
Go watch high school basketball.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Absolutely, when you take dynamic athletes, African Americans who grow
up and they have all this talent and all that,
that currency of popularity outweighs anything you can do on
the baseball field, and so you turn that athleticism into
being one of the best basketball players one of the
football because it's instant gratification, it's instant acknowledgement. Baseball, you
(11:29):
gotta wait till you get drafted and get into the big.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Right You not even college baseball.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
Nobody watches college baseball. It is not on anywhere.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
That's right. Well, that's a great point because little league baseball.
When I played Little league and all the sports, little
league baseball was as big.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
You know that you have a similar crowds through football
and Pop Warner and.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Cyo basketball, whatever it was.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
When you're right, high school baseball is not even No,
it's no more people at that game. Then they're on
the soccer game. It's football and basketball. And then, like
you said, even if you play in college, you are.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Not a national star.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
No, nobody knows you until you not only get to
the it takes a while to get to the.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Majors too, ye, and that it can take you forever
if you get there. Right, So look, take this, If
Lebron James was a phenomenal baseball player, I'm talking about
one of the best in the country. Does Lebron James
get the same type of fanfare he got, as would
(12:36):
he be on the cover of Sports Illustrated right as
a kid in high school? Will he be driving around
in the humb like all of these things? Would Nike
have a Nike hundred million dollar deal? This is what
I'm telling you million and and and and baseball has
a problem because they don't know how to market baseball.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Well, look, and we're gonna keep talking. We'll throw it
out to the listeners. But I want to keep talking
about this because this is a good and important sport
and it's an appropriate time to talk about it.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Because I think there are other reasons.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
But you know from obviously we do this show sports
talk radio. We do I do first things first, which
is you know, national sports talk television for that.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
But we got I'm working on it. I'm working on
I can.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
Fly to New York for a week out there.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
You just.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
But whether it's our show or you know, you can
talk about Undisputed, you can talk about Speak, you can
talk about the Herd, you can talk about First the
First take on.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
ESPN and Get Up.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
They the national shows hardly ever talk baseball.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
I remember I was on First.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Take Back at ESPN with Skip Bayless and this must
have been I don't know, two thousand twelve ish eleven
twelve ten, somewhere around there. And it was October. So
the World Series was, you know, going on in the
baseball playoffs. I don't know if it's actually the World
Series or just the playoffs, but I was like, why
(14:18):
are we talking baseball? In my mind? And we were
talking football week four or five whatever it was, right,
basketball is about to start and we're talking that and
hardly any baseball, if any at all, And I was like,
what is going on?
Speaker 3 (14:34):
And it was.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Because these study groups showed that when people talk to baseball,
the ratings dropped.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
And you notice these shows, majority of these shows. Now,
ESPN has a little more leeway because they' kind of
the default channel, right and people just naturally put it
on ESPN, so they'll talk a little baseball on these shows,
but they're even like FS one, overwhelmingly NFL and NBA.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
And that's a problem for baseball.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
That is a real problem because outside of you know,
the baseball specific shows or Sports Center, they're not having
any The shows aren't talking about them. And that goes
for national radio too. We probably talk more baseball than
any most national shows, if not all. Now, locally they'll
talk some baseball, but nationally it's kind of become a
(15:28):
regional sport and there's more meat on this bone.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
So we're gonna keep talking about this, but we'll throw
it out to you guys eight seven seven ninety nine
on Fox A seven seven nine nine six sixty three
sixty nine.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Why do you think African Americans are no longer playing baseball?
Speaker 3 (15:45):
For the most part? Eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
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You're turned the way in on why African Americans aren't
playing baseball as much as they used to.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Your thoughts, Uh, we got Andre from Pennsylvania. You're in
the odd couple with Chris and ethrom What you.
Speaker 8 (17:10):
Got Yeah, I think One, it's the bat and gloves
is expensive and a lot of parents can't afford it.
They cost a lot of money to the.
Speaker 9 (17:21):
Blacktop for basketball.
Speaker 8 (17:22):
It's just it's cheaper to maintenance. And three, the role
to start them in baseball is just too long and grueling.
The other sports are more rewarding, faster. So if you're
a guy from the inner city and you're trying to
get your family right, I mean, going to the miners
and traveling on a bus is to you you know
(17:42):
for how many years it takes. It's just too long
of a process.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
I think I think all three of.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Those are good point those are those are really good points.
It out.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Equipment is expensive, trust me. To get a bigger batman,
you got to get the one. I'm like, pawing it
out a bat now, yes, really out of control.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Wow, I can't imagine what the aluminum bats are like now.
It's it's probably probably six hundred feet.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
I'm telling myself, I'm like, hey, ma, I'm gonna take this.
If you don't hit this ball, take this bat from you, Okay,
get it back to somebody who want to hit. Oh,
we got Chad in Pennsylvania again. You on the couple
of Chris and Epan? What you got?
Speaker 10 (18:29):
Hey to the honor to call in love the show. Hey,
I've been I've been coaching for a long time, and
I don't disagree with the last caller. First of all,
I think there's two big things. The media is definitely one.
You guys are exactly right, and so it was the
last caller. It is much quicker, much more rewarding, faster,
but it looks glorious. They glorify it, and and that
(18:49):
is one thing, But I think the other thing is
also what I've noticed, and it's not just with my
minority players or it doesn't have anything to do with race.
What I've noticed is that these kids are stabbed thing
away from sports because of parents. Parents have gotten to
the point where they want to see everything. Their kid
deserves everything immediately, and unfortunately the children are less willing
(19:10):
to work hard. I've got a ton of examples I
can tell you about. But these are such talented young
men and women. They just need to work, and the
parents are almost defensive of asking them to work. So
I think both things play against these athletes.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
That's a good point. As a coach, I know exactly
what you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Parents don't watch all to coach them hard.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Don't no, no, no no, they they they You know.
For me, if you are one of the kids that
I coach, I coach the parents first. So I told
I talked to them about expectations. I talk to them
about how I coach, my background and all of that.
So we're on the same page prior to anything, right like,
so we're not gonna be going this back and forth
(19:54):
and know what he don't, Hey, man, I coach everybody
the same way. Everybody has an opportunity. Some kids have
played a lot, some kids haven't played that much. As
my job as a coach to bring put the best
team together and to teach them life lessons through sports
that will help them anywhere, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
I'm wondering, and I want to We'll continue to talk
this in the next hour, Ephraim. But I wonder too
if obviously black Americans have become have been for a
while now dominant in football and basketball especially. I mean,
think about it, interestingly, the best running back in the
league now is white Christian McCaffrey. But and you know,
(20:34):
you've got some obviously great good receivers too. But for
the most part, if you want, especially if you're a
skilled position player, I mean, they're almost all black running
backs and wide receivers and now obviously a lot of
quarterbacks too.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
I wonder if some of the better or.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Maybe the best white athletes are looking at baseball as like,
you know what, I probably can't be a running back
in the NFL or a point guard in the NBA,
but I can play in the majors in baseball.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
I wonder if that's happened do you see any of
that or.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
I don't really see it like that because, like I said,
my kids are younger as we get up through this thing.
Because there's a lot of you know, white kids. It's
all nationalities on the basketball circuit at this age. Now,
DNA tends to separate. You know, some kid might like
(21:31):
my son will probably wake up at six nine one day,
it's gonna make basketball as big. He's tallest head. But
both of my kids, like I'm six eight, my wife
is five eleven. It is what it is. So at
one point my kid, my nine year olds gonna wake up.
He's gonna be six nine. Basketball gonna be a little
bit easier than some of his current teammates. Right now,
(21:51):
we got Chris and Virginia. You're in the odd couple
with Chris and e.
Speaker 9 (21:54):
From what you got Hey, Man, Hey Chris, say you guys. Man,
love you Chris and everything you do.
Speaker 8 (21:59):
Man.
Speaker 9 (22:00):
From a totally different perspective, I'm gonna come from a
to any different perspective. For me, it's exposure and somewhat
of the minds of the family. And I'll tell you
why I'm from down south. I'm from Virginia. And when
I was growing up. My dad played. It was called
an underground Negro league all over the South. There were
just hundreds of black teams. And as she began to
(22:21):
stop playing, I began to play in all my buddies,
and they were hundreds of guys all over the country
and all over down South playing. A lot of a
lot of us ended up playing college baseball as a
result of that. But as we got older, we started
noticing there were no young kids coming behind us. And
what we noticed was a lot of the young African
American boys didn't have fathers, and we all played because
(22:43):
of our dance. And then I saw it turned to
a suburbial sport. I work in corporate America. Most of
my friends don't look like me. They're paying between four
to seven thousand dollars a summer. Just talked to one
today for their kids to play during the summer, and
we just don't have those kinds of fun for our
kids to play. And one of my buddies was high
school in Virginia. I was a mouthing state guy and
he coaches, and he was telling me that seventy five
(23:06):
guys came out for the team, and the coach that
if you haven't played since like twelve thirteen a ball,
don't even don't even waste my time.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
This was what type. This was a high school team.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
This is a high school team. And one of the coaches,
a buddy of mine, coach at one of those high schools,
and he toldally kids, he said, if you haven't played,
been playing for yourself thirteen, I can't get you know,
we just.
Speaker 8 (23:25):
Cavett you up.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
No.
Speaker 9 (23:27):
I think financial yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
I think you made great points, and I you know,
I was gonna give some of my points at the
top of the next hour, but one of them was
the breakdown like the lack of fathers, you know in
the homes in the African American communities, because you're right,
he from, I mean, you coach, your dad, coach and
your son. All the coaches when I played, the black coaches,
their sons played, and your dad introduced you to the sport.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
And you can go whether I've got a dad or not,
I can go.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Out and play basketball with my friends or even one
on one football. We could play on the street, we
can play in the yard, whatever, and you can kind
of teach yourself that right. You can't teach yourself baseball
you can't teach yourself how to feel the grounder properly,
how to swing the bat, not swing for the fences.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
All this Like baseball.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
You have to be taught the skills of baseball. You
can't just go out there on your own and do
it like you can in basketball and football.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
And so I think that is a legitimate point.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
I mean, in the inner cities, the major leagues are
trying to put these programs in place, but if there
aren't a lot of.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Men in those inner cities, I'm talking about the inner.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Cities that have their kids and that will coach them
and teach them how to play, that is going to
be a problem.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
I agree with that, and you look, you're absolutely right.
One my boys, both of my boys started playing baseball.
I didn't play baseball growing up. I had a dad,
but I just didn't. I didn't play anything. Like I
told you it, I had to learn the game. I
went and learned the game of baseball. So I was
(25:11):
very I was hyper focused on not teaching any one
of the kids the wrong technique. So I went. Growing up,
I had a good friend named Derek Lee. We're on
the same All Star basketball team together. I played for
the Cubs first basement for a long time, tremendous player.
And when we were graduating high school, we were on
our our all Star team and we were all talking
(25:35):
about the colleges we were going to and who we
were playing. And I was like, Derek, where are you going?
He was like, hey, man, this is my last basketball game.
I'm going to play baseball.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
Right, So he was like, I'm I'm out. I'm I'm
I'm playing baseball.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
And he was.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
He was a dope, dynamic basketball. We were on the
same All Star team and he was like, I'm out, man,
I'm I'm really going up to play back. I'm going
to get drafted and and it's over. And he waiting
in the majors for however long he did. And so
it's you know, you get an outlier every now and then.
(26:14):
Before the most part the kids our age, we were
going hoop or play football.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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Speaker 3 (26:29):
We're live from the tirereg dot com studios.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Our next guest, former NBA veteran now with Fox Sports
Radio NBA analyst our man Carrie Kittles.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Carrie, what's up, Broun?
Speaker 6 (26:41):
Hey, what's going on? You doing?
Speaker 3 (26:43):
I'm good? We got e from salam In for Rob Parker.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
What's going on?
Speaker 5 (26:48):
How you doing man?
Speaker 6 (26:49):
I'm doing great? Thank you?
Speaker 3 (26:51):
So JJ Reddick, what you glad to put you on
the What are your thoughts?
Speaker 5 (27:03):
Well?
Speaker 6 (27:03):
I thought that it was interesting that the Lakers were
kind of test the waters to other coaches, obviously trying
to get her only from from Yukon was that was
their first choice. But listen, you know, the thing is
that he has a great relationship with Lebron James, and
that's all that matters, right. I think if your best
player and your head coach were on the same page.
(27:25):
They seemed really had some real nice chemistry in the podcast,
and so obviously that's that's not the regular season of
the NBA and the grind, the daily grind of getting
guys to play at a high level. But I think, listen,
he's been around the league for a while, He's been
coached by Doc Rivers, so he understands now, right what
(27:45):
it means to have a relationship with with every guy
in the locker room to be able to connect with
every guy. So I think it's a win win.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
Speaking of Lebron James, and you know the stories out
about Brini being, you know, the one of the Lakers
draft picks, and that possibly he gets a chance to
play with his father. What do you think about the
notion of Brownie James being a draft pick? Do you
(28:15):
believe he's ready in terms of his abilities now to
be a draft pick?
Speaker 6 (28:21):
Yeah, I think he's I think he's kind of earned
himself with the way he played in Chicago and you know,
the way he shot the ball, his his numbers were good. Listen,
He's still a developing young talent overall. Is he ready
to play in the NBA right now? I don't think so.
I think he has a lot of work ahead of
himself this summer in particular, and then wherever he goes,
(28:45):
probably to the Lakers, you know, to continue to work
and develop all parts of his game. He's athletic, he'll
be a very good defender on the ball, but there's
so many parts of his game that he has to learn,
in particular how to pick and choose winn to score win,
to be a playmate, and how to have an impact
on the NBA game.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I want to go back.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
To JJ Carrey and look, he was just playing in
the league three years ago and he was a good player,
but he wasn't a great player.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
Does that matter?
Speaker 1 (29:14):
I mean he might have players coaching that were, like, dude,
I used to hunt you like I want you to
be you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Like you telling me about defense, and we used to
take you to the rack.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
I mean, do you know you look at Steve Kerk,
Phil Jackson.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
They weren't great players either, pat Riley, but.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
They kind of coached a generation after them, so to speak,
you know what I mean, where it wasn't guys they
played against for the most part. Do you think that
can be a factor in terms of coaching players that
that feel like that that played against you and maybe
we're and certainly in many cases were better than you.
Speaker 6 (29:55):
Yeah, I think it's definitely a factor whenever you're making
that jump to coaching guys. Right, and you look at
the Lakers roster. You know D'Angel Russell, what you know
what he come back next year to the last year
of his deal. What they bring back, Spencer Denudy, those guys, right,
they played against Reddick, they were I'm sure they had
some pretty good nights scoring against so put their mature
(30:19):
veterans right, and they understand that, Like they're going to
give opportunities to guys like Reddick who played the game,
who are very knowledgeable about the game. They understand that
all areas and aspects of coaching and what it takes.
But I think he'll he will come in and he
was about to relate to those guys, and they'll they'll
listen to understand that he's the main guy now right.
(30:40):
He's a guy we have to listen to and he's
the voice of the Lakers moving forward, although obviously behind
the scenes Lebron will have his influence as well. So
I don't I don't think it would be much of
a problem to be and with you, Chris. I think
that Reddick has earned, you know, with with his with
his knowledge speaking covering the game of the esc and analysts.
(31:02):
I think God can listen to them.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Look, we know the relationship he has with with Lebron,
but we also have seen relationships get strained when you're
in a situation, uh, the high tension of the season.
Things aren't going uh as well as you had projected
or hope for them to go and relationships have been strained.
We saw it happen in uh In in Brooklyn when
(31:30):
Steve Nash took over, and and and KD and uh
Kyrie were all on board of that, and then they
couldn't wait to get him out of there faster. Like
what needs to happen and for for that not to
for that relationship not to sour, and if it does,
I'm pretty sure the podcast is over.
Speaker 6 (31:51):
With the podcast, you never you never know. I think
you never know when it comes to the n b
A and and the stress and the tension that can
build whenever you're expecting success. So right, I think what
has to happen is can they surround Lebron and Ad
with the right pieces. This is gonna be a big
(32:12):
offseason for for that team. I think otherwise it can
look at the same story. We're looking at a team
that's gonna finish somewhere around the play in right six
seven eight spot, you know, fishing up this season. So
their roster this offseason, I think Blinco's gonna have his
work cutoff for him. Can they find the right pieces?
(32:33):
Can they go out there and and find the right
shooters to complement those guys. I think Austin Austin Reeves
has played really well for them as a young talent.
Van the build has been spotty, but I think other
than that, harsh Murra is not the answer. They have
to build a roster around those guys, and I think
if they have the right pieces around those guys, I
(32:53):
think the chemistry between Lebron and Reddick will will will
form over time, and I think they'll they'll good the
White chemistry throughout the season.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Carry we got about a minute for your answer. Do
you think we're a lot to win the Olympics? You know,
gold medal.
Speaker 6 (33:13):
A lot.
Speaker 8 (33:14):
I don't know about a lot.
Speaker 6 (33:15):
I think overall international plays has improved dramatically in the
last ten years, so there's no lot for the USA
team to go out there. When I think, you know,
you look at the players now that are in the
NBA that are foreign Brown players that are competing international. No,
they're not a lot. I think they'll be better this
(33:35):
year with the names we have on the team, I
think will definitely be better, But there's not a lot, guys,
not a lot.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
I think we should be the favorites this. We better
win this.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
This could be the last one we went for a while.
I mean, man, that's our man. Carrie Kittle's great stuff. Carrie,
thank you.
Speaker 6 (33:59):
I think that the appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Yup, Marin a couple coming your way.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
All right, it's the odd Couple Live from Thetiereck dot
Com studios. Let's go to the NBA quickly. E From
And we thought that the Sixers, who you know, they're
trying to get their ring Philadelphia. They haven't had a
ring since nineteen eighty three.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Joel MB.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
We talked yesterday e From about who's gonna take command
of this era? Will it be Jokic, Will it be
y honest, will it be Luca who has yet to
even win a ring. Will it be the Celtics with
Tatum and Brown, but like really take command of it?
Or someone else? Okayc or Minnesota. It definitely ain't looking
(34:43):
like it's gonna be Philadelphia. And Joel MB's gotta get
in that conversation. You've never even been past the second
round and they have max cap room this summer and
everybody has assumed I think including Joel when you looked
at him on the pop broadcast for the Finals that
they were gonna go after Paul George.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
The latest report.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Though, from Sham Sharania NBA Insider, is that the Philadelphia
seventy six Ers This is a direct quote from his tweet.
Interest in pursuing Paul George has significantly waned in recent days,
and the franchise is expected to be aggressive elsewhere with
its salary cap, flexibility and draft capital leading into next
(35:28):
week's NBA Draft.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Sources tell The Athletic, I felt like.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
When you saw Paul George and Joe l Embiid on
the set with ESPN before the Finals, and MB kind
of motioned, you know, with his eyeballs that he wanted
Paul George. Not just at that moment, because George probably
didn't even see his eyeballs, but the whole interaction between
(35:56):
those two or just while George and while they were
up there, George just didn't seem all that eager to
me to go to Philadelphia, Like he just wasn't, you know,
wasn't joking around with him being you know, like you might.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Think a player would.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
And I think he wants to stay in southern California
with the Clippers, but what and I think that may
be like the Sixers may have gotten some sense of that,
and that may be why they have.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Lost interest in Paul George, What are your thoughts on this?
Speaker 4 (36:33):
Uh, just you know, reading some of the things he said,
I don't necessarily think it's the Clippers because he was
speaking a lot about finding a place where he where
it fits, right, and what happened when they acquired Harden
(36:56):
and you start putting all these pieces together, especially older
super stars. The the the glue work, the dirty work
of being on the NBA team now falls in the
lap of the superstars. Right now you have to guard
the best player. Now you have to dive and get
all the balls. Now you have to do these things.
(37:19):
That's third guy that right like, So now you you
have to do that all of that heavy listen lifting.
So coming down the stretch in the playoff game, our
series or in the fourth quarter, you know you're more
exhausted than you normally would be because you have to
pick up the slack. And that's why three and D
guys are so valuable, right they can they guard, they
(37:41):
get to the corner, you shoot the open three as
you drive and pitch it out. That's what But when
you take those away for another gun. All right, James
Harden I have guarded nobody now.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
And he's fortunate because you might say he's the third
best star at this point. But he's got the ball
in his hand. Means he's just saying, well, Kawhy is
your best player. Harden has the ball in his hands.
Westbrook's coming off the bench, so George does have to
kind of do more of that dirty and spot up.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
He not looking for like, he not gonna have a
ball much in his hands.
Speaker 4 (38:18):
Right, that's not that's not the style of basketball he's
looking to play.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
I don't know where he's it'd be interesting to see
where he would like to go.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
Yeah, it's what what what I think fits him. It'd
be really interesting and just to look at lineups and see, okay,
where could we put him?
Speaker 5 (38:42):
Right? Can you put him in Golden State for Wiggins
or something like that.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
He'd be great there if you could get him.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
I don't know what you can for Wiggins. But all right,
we got an hour left eye couple locket
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast. Be sure
to catch us live every weekday from seven pm to
ten pm Eastern four to seven pm 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 (00:25):
Get this pun you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
It is The Odd Couple.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
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Speaker 3 (00:51):
We will be taking.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Calls this hour eight seven, seven ninety nine on Fox
eight seven seven nine nine six sixty three sixty nine
if you want to weigh in on this next topic.
And ephraim as I said, we both have on the
Major League Baseball game at rick Wood Field, the oldest
stadium baseball stadium in the United States. Saint Louis up
(01:16):
three to zero in the bottom of the second over
San Francisco.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
But even more important.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
Than the game is why they're there. They're celebrating the
Negro Leagues. Before the game, they had the surviving or
the remaining Negro League players who are still alive were
on the field. Of course, Willie Mays, who just died
a few days ago, he started his career for that
(01:43):
team and played in that stadium, the Birmingham Black Bearons,
And so it is a special moment and it's wonderful
to see. And Ephraim, I would imagine that most young
(02:04):
maybe even twenty something and younger. I could go probably
higher than that, but I'll say twenty somethings and younger,
particularly teenagers and kids younger than that. They're probably looking
at this baseball and how it's celebrating all these former
African American players and the Negro Leagues and all of that,
(02:28):
and saying.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Baseball, like baseball today is.
Speaker 1 (02:35):
Viewed as a white sport or obviously you have a
lot of players from the Caribbean, but it is definitely
not viewed as an African American sport anymore. And ifan
I'm gonna throw some numbers at you this year, let
me just I don't know, you may know.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
Did you look at the notes? Yes, Okay, so you
know the no members.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
But this year, at the start of the season opening
day twenty twenty four, African American players represented just six
percent of Major League Baseball rosters six percent. We're fourteen
percent of the population in America, yet only six percent.
Speaker 3 (03:22):
You look at football, which is about.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
Seventy percent, basketball which is about seventy three seventy four
percent African American. Even soccer now, which is a bit
surprising to me, has more African American participants than baseball.
And so I'm sure a lot of kids are like, wow,
(03:45):
like blacks were into baseball like that.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
And you know, and I'm older than you.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
When I grew up, I lived in a lot of places,
but I'm thinking Cincinnati, Indianapolis as a kid up until
I was about twelve years old, those towns in the Midwest,
and I played in baseball leagues that were, if not
at least half black, and maybe I would say majority black,
(04:13):
and our coaches were black fathers, and you know, the
commissioners of the league and all of that. And so
when I grew up, we loved baseball just like we
loved basketball and football.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
And now it is completely different.
Speaker 1 (04:32):
And we got a lot, you know to unpack in
regards to this, But what are your thoughts on why?
And you know, I know you have to believe your
son plays baseball, right, so you coach it. So you're
you're a great person to ask about this, But why
do you think that you know, there really aren't very
many African Americans playing baseball anymore.
Speaker 4 (04:53):
Well, just you know, at the little league. We're here,
you know, at Sherman Oaks Little League, which is very
open and welcoming to all. We just run into a
situation where there may be a handful of black coaches
who have kids on teams. My son was the only
(05:15):
African American on his team on our team this year,
and he's been on teams where it's just been you know,
one or two three at the most, even at this age.
And now you know where you live, your demographic things
like that all comes into play.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
Like I said, we're in Sherman Oaks.
Speaker 4 (05:41):
But the thing about kids and like so, the two
sports that American youth play first because you can play
at the youngest, are soccer in baseball. Those are the
sports you can play. You start playing the youngest. My
first was baseball that I play. You can five years old,
(06:03):
you can go to the p B right right, and
soccer four years old, you can go out there. All
it is a bunch of.
Speaker 5 (06:13):
Kids running around in the other like moving the ball.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
It's the first time parents get a chance to have
kids really socialized outside of preschool or you know, daycare
or something like that, and it teaches them how to
be a part of a team. And these valuable lessons
parents want kids to have as they get older. So
as you move forward, the interest in soccer goes away
(06:38):
almost immediately because when they're old enough to play other sports,
parents immediately put them into other things. So a lot
of kids, you know, play soccer. Then when they get
to that age where they play baseball, they may do
one year of soccer and baseball. Then baseball takes over.
When you start getting up to six seven, now you
can start playing basketball. Right now, you can get into basketball.
(07:01):
It's a little bit more nuanced, a little bit more
a coordination that you need to be able to play
basketball because it's constant moving, it's dribbling and shooting. It's
a lot for someone under the age of six to
really get a handled on.
Speaker 5 (07:16):
Yep ye.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Then you know you have pop Warner football right America sport.
Most dads, most parents want their kids to play football,
so as soon as they're old enough to go out there,
it's starting with flag football. Now it didn't used to
be flag football, used to just be pop one, and
now it's flag football. So a lot of kids are
playing flag football. The real change happens when you get eleven, twelve,
(07:48):
after twelve, not just for it's not just for black players,
but for players in general. If you continue to play
baseball after twelve years old, because no longer a lot
you're you're you aged out a little league right at
after it's over right, So now it's a Now it's
(08:09):
a whole nother thing. It's a commitment, like you gotta
go somewhere else. You need to be pretty good, and
you gotta be because you got thirteen fourteen year olds
who are unreal, right, they've bought in, they're all in,
they're going for it.
Speaker 5 (08:25):
So we see it a lot.
Speaker 4 (08:26):
A lot of kids age out of baseball because it's,
first of all, it's a game of losing, right, Like
you have to be okay with losing, meaning if you
if you bet three hundred for your career in the majors.
You're going to the Hall of Fame. At thirty percent,
you're britting thirty percent times you're had to play, you
(08:49):
get a hit.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
You failing. Unless you get you're failing pretty much seventy percent.
Speaker 5 (08:54):
It's a game of failing.
Speaker 4 (08:55):
And a lot of kids can't deal with that emotionally.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
I will say this from having you know, I played
all three your football, basketball, baseball growing up through high school.
Speaker 5 (09:05):
Not good at any but go ahead, hey, I was.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
Doing my.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
But baseball. Like you said, you go in slumps. Yes,
I don't care who you are, how great you are,
you're gonna have slumps. And when you're slumping in baseball
it was of the three sports it was the worst times,
right because I mean, you don't really slump in football.
You either good or you're not good. Basketball can be
(09:32):
some I mean you can.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Die right right.
Speaker 1 (09:36):
Baseball, when you are not hitting and you're slumping over
you feel.
Speaker 4 (09:41):
Terrible and it's hard to deal with that as a
as a young player. My son went through one of
those slumps this year and he looked at me and
said that I think this is the last year I'm
playing baseball. Wow, And he was it so this was
my last year probably coaching. He is, he was serious,
He's like, I want to focus on basketball. He's ten
year so he just turned over turned ten next Monday.
Speaker 5 (10:02):
Right.
Speaker 4 (10:03):
Well, so, but I'll say this when you get older,
when you get to the high school level, what's the
number one currency for a high school kid? Popularity? Yeah,
number one currency. The problem with baseball up compared to
basketball and football is nobody watches a high school baseball game.
(10:25):
When I was in high school, the games were actually
being played while we were still in school. We were
in class. Why, I like, I'm talking about six period.
The baseball game is going on, right and the only
people are out there, parents and coaches. Like, there was
no fanfare, there was no rally, no pep rallies for
(10:48):
the baseball team. And in basketball you get the pep rallies,
you got the gym is packed, and you know football
Friday night lights everybody it's some town in some cities
that shut down to.
Speaker 5 (11:02):
Go watch high school basketball.
Speaker 4 (11:03):
Absolutely, when you take dynamic athletes, African Americans who grow
up and they have all this talent and all that,
that currency of popularity outweighs anything you can do on
the baseball field, and so you turn that athleticism into
being one of the best basketball players one of the
football because it's instant gratification, it's instant acknowledgement. Baseball, you
(11:29):
gotta wait till you get drafted and get into the big.
Speaker 3 (11:32):
Right You not even college baseball.
Speaker 5 (11:34):
Nobody watches college baseball. It is not on anywhere.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
That's right. Well, that's a great point because little league baseball.
When I played Little league and all the sports, little
league baseball was as big.
Speaker 1 (11:47):
You know that you have a similar crowds through football
and Pop Warner and.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Cyo basketball, whatever it was.
Speaker 1 (11:54):
When you're right, high school baseball is not even No,
it's no more people at that game. Then they're on
the soccer game. It's football and basketball. And then, like
you said, even if you play in college, you are.
Speaker 3 (12:07):
Not a national star.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
No, nobody knows you until you not only get to
the it takes a while to get to the.
Speaker 4 (12:15):
Majors too, ye, and that it can take you forever
if you get there. Right, So look, take this, If
Lebron James was a phenomenal baseball player, I'm talking about
one of the best in the country. Does Lebron James
get the same type of fanfare he got, as would
(12:36):
he be on the cover of Sports Illustrated right as
a kid in high school? Will he be driving around
in the humb like all of these things? Would Nike
have a Nike hundred million dollar deal? This is what
I'm telling you million and and and and baseball has
a problem because they don't know how to market baseball.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
Well, look, and we're gonna keep talking. We'll throw it
out to the listeners. But I want to keep talking
about this because this is a good and important sport
and it's an appropriate time to talk about it.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
Because I think there are other reasons.
Speaker 1 (13:09):
But you know from obviously we do this show sports
talk radio. We do I do first things first, which
is you know, national sports talk television for that.
Speaker 3 (13:21):
But we got I'm working on it. I'm working on
I can.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
Fly to New York for a week out there.
Speaker 6 (13:28):
You just.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
But whether it's our show or you know, you can
talk about Undisputed, you can talk about Speak, you can
talk about the Herd, you can talk about First the
First take on.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
ESPN and Get Up.
Speaker 1 (13:44):
They the national shows hardly ever talk baseball.
Speaker 3 (13:49):
I remember I was on First.
Speaker 1 (13:53):
Take Back at ESPN with Skip Bayless and this must
have been I don't know, two thousand twelve ish eleven
twelve ten, somewhere around there. And it was October. So
the World Series was, you know, going on in the
baseball playoffs. I don't know if it's actually the World
Series or just the playoffs, but I was like, why
(14:18):
are we talking baseball? In my mind? And we were
talking football week four or five whatever it was, right,
basketball is about to start and we're talking that and
hardly any baseball, if any at all, And I was like,
what is going on?
Speaker 3 (14:34):
And it was.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
Because these study groups showed that when people talk to baseball,
the ratings dropped.
Speaker 5 (14:44):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
And you notice these shows, majority of these shows. Now,
ESPN has a little more leeway because they' kind of
the default channel, right and people just naturally put it
on ESPN, so they'll talk a little baseball on these shows,
but they're even like FS one, overwhelmingly NFL and NBA.
Speaker 3 (15:05):
And that's a problem for baseball.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
That is a real problem because outside of you know,
the baseball specific shows or Sports Center, they're not having
any The shows aren't talking about them. And that goes
for national radio too. We probably talk more baseball than
any most national shows, if not all. Now, locally they'll
talk some baseball, but nationally it's kind of become a
(15:28):
regional sport and there's more meat on this bone.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
So we're gonna keep talking about this, but we'll throw
it out to you guys eight seven seven ninety nine
on Fox A seven seven nine nine six sixty three
sixty nine.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
Why do you think African Americans are no longer playing baseball?
Speaker 3 (15:45):
For the most part? Eight seven seven ninety nine on Fox.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
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
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Speaker 3 (16:00):
Hey it's me Rob Parker.
Speaker 7 (16:03):
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Speaker 1 (16:31):
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That's Expresspros dot Com eight seven seven ninety nine. On Fox,
You're turned the way in on why African Americans aren't
playing baseball as much as they used to.
Speaker 4 (17:04):
Your thoughts, Uh, we got Andre from Pennsylvania. You're in
the odd couple with Chris and ethrom What you.
Speaker 8 (17:10):
Got Yeah, I think One, it's the bat and gloves
is expensive and a lot of parents can't afford it.
They cost a lot of money to the.
Speaker 9 (17:21):
Blacktop for basketball.
Speaker 8 (17:22):
It's just it's cheaper to maintenance. And three, the role
to start them in baseball is just too long and grueling.
The other sports are more rewarding, faster. So if you're
a guy from the inner city and you're trying to
get your family right, I mean, going to the miners
and traveling on a bus is to you you know
(17:42):
for how many years it takes. It's just too long
of a process.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
I think I think all three of.
Speaker 5 (17:49):
Those are good point those are those are really good points.
It out.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Equipment is expensive, trust me. To get a bigger batman,
you got to get the one. I'm like, pawing it
out a bat now, yes, really out of control.
Speaker 1 (18:08):
Wow, I can't imagine what the aluminum bats are like now.
It's it's probably probably six hundred feet.
Speaker 4 (18:16):
I'm telling myself, I'm like, hey, ma, I'm gonna take this.
If you don't hit this ball, take this bat from you, Okay,
get it back to somebody who want to hit. Oh,
we got Chad in Pennsylvania again. You on the couple
of Chris and Epan? What you got?
Speaker 10 (18:29):
Hey to the honor to call in love the show. Hey,
I've been I've been coaching for a long time, and
I don't disagree with the last caller. First of all,
I think there's two big things. The media is definitely one.
You guys are exactly right, and so it was the
last caller. It is much quicker, much more rewarding, faster,
but it looks glorious. They glorify it, and and that
(18:49):
is one thing, But I think the other thing is
also what I've noticed, and it's not just with my
minority players or it doesn't have anything to do with race.
What I've noticed is that these kids are stabbed thing
away from sports because of parents. Parents have gotten to
the point where they want to see everything. Their kid
deserves everything immediately, and unfortunately the children are less willing
(19:10):
to work hard. I've got a ton of examples I
can tell you about. But these are such talented young
men and women. They just need to work, and the
parents are almost defensive of asking them to work. So
I think both things play against these athletes.
Speaker 4 (19:24):
That's a good point. As a coach, I know exactly
what you're talking about.
Speaker 3 (19:30):
Parents don't watch all to coach them hard.
Speaker 4 (19:32):
Don't no, no, no no, they they they You know.
For me, if you are one of the kids that
I coach, I coach the parents first. So I told
I talked to them about expectations. I talk to them
about how I coach, my background and all of that.
So we're on the same page prior to anything, right like,
so we're not gonna be going this back and forth
(19:54):
and know what he don't, Hey, man, I coach everybody
the same way. Everybody has an opportunity. Some kids have
played a lot, some kids haven't played that much. As
my job as a coach to bring put the best
team together and to teach them life lessons through sports
that will help them anywhere, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (20:13):
I'm wondering, and I want to We'll continue to talk
this in the next hour, Ephraim. But I wonder too
if obviously black Americans have become have been for a
while now dominant in football and basketball especially. I mean,
think about it, interestingly, the best running back in the
league now is white Christian McCaffrey. But and you know,
(20:34):
you've got some obviously great good receivers too. But for
the most part, if you want, especially if you're a
skilled position player, I mean, they're almost all black running
backs and wide receivers and now obviously a lot of
quarterbacks too.
Speaker 3 (20:48):
I wonder if some of the better or.
Speaker 1 (20:51):
Maybe the best white athletes are looking at baseball as like,
you know what, I probably can't be a running back
in the NFL or a point guard in the NBA,
but I can play in the majors in baseball.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
I wonder if that's happened do you see any of
that or.
Speaker 4 (21:09):
I don't really see it like that because, like I said,
my kids are younger as we get up through this thing.
Because there's a lot of you know, white kids. It's
all nationalities on the basketball circuit at this age. Now,
DNA tends to separate. You know, some kid might like
(21:31):
my son will probably wake up at six nine one day,
it's gonna make basketball as big. He's tallest head. But
both of my kids, like I'm six eight, my wife
is five eleven. It is what it is. So at
one point my kid, my nine year olds gonna wake up.
He's gonna be six nine. Basketball gonna be a little
bit easier than some of his current teammates. Right now,
(21:51):
we got Chris and Virginia. You're in the odd couple
with Chris and e.
Speaker 9 (21:54):
From what you got Hey, Man, Hey Chris, say you guys. Man,
love you Chris and everything you do.
Speaker 8 (21:59):
Man.
Speaker 9 (22:00):
From a totally different perspective, I'm gonna come from a
to any different perspective. For me, it's exposure and somewhat
of the minds of the family. And I'll tell you
why I'm from down south. I'm from Virginia. And when
I was growing up. My dad played. It was called
an underground Negro league all over the South. There were
just hundreds of black teams. And as she began to
(22:21):
stop playing, I began to play in all my buddies,
and they were hundreds of guys all over the country
and all over down South playing. A lot of a
lot of us ended up playing college baseball as a
result of that. But as we got older, we started
noticing there were no young kids coming behind us. And
what we noticed was a lot of the young African
American boys didn't have fathers, and we all played because
(22:43):
of our dance. And then I saw it turned to
a suburbial sport. I work in corporate America. Most of
my friends don't look like me. They're paying between four
to seven thousand dollars a summer. Just talked to one
today for their kids to play during the summer, and
we just don't have those kinds of fun for our
kids to play. And one of my buddies was high
school in Virginia. I was a mouthing state guy and
he coaches, and he was telling me that seventy five
(23:06):
guys came out for the team, and the coach that
if you haven't played since like twelve thirteen a ball,
don't even don't even waste my time.
Speaker 3 (23:12):
This was what type. This was a high school team.
Speaker 9 (23:16):
This is a high school team. And one of the coaches,
a buddy of mine, coach at one of those high schools,
and he toldally kids, he said, if you haven't played,
been playing for yourself thirteen, I can't get you know,
we just.
Speaker 8 (23:25):
Cavett you up.
Speaker 5 (23:27):
No.
Speaker 9 (23:27):
I think financial yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:29):
I think you made great points, and I you know,
I was gonna give some of my points at the
top of the next hour, but one of them was
the breakdown like the lack of fathers, you know in
the homes in the African American communities, because you're right,
he from, I mean, you coach, your dad, coach and
your son. All the coaches when I played, the black coaches,
their sons played, and your dad introduced you to the sport.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
And you can go whether I've got a dad or not,
I can go.
Speaker 1 (23:57):
Out and play basketball with my friends or even one
on one football. We could play on the street, we
can play in the yard, whatever, and you can kind
of teach yourself that right. You can't teach yourself baseball
you can't teach yourself how to feel the grounder properly,
how to swing the bat, not swing for the fences.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
All this Like baseball.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
You have to be taught the skills of baseball. You
can't just go out there on your own and do
it like you can in basketball and football.
Speaker 3 (24:27):
And so I think that is a legitimate point.
Speaker 1 (24:30):
I mean, in the inner cities, the major leagues are
trying to put these programs in place, but if there
aren't a lot of.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Men in those inner cities, I'm talking about the inner.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
Cities that have their kids and that will coach them
and teach them how to play, that is going to
be a problem.
Speaker 5 (24:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
I agree with that, and you look, you're absolutely right.
One my boys, both of my boys started playing baseball.
I didn't play baseball growing up. I had a dad,
but I just didn't. I didn't play anything. Like I
told you it, I had to learn the game. I
went and learned the game of baseball. So I was
(25:11):
very I was hyper focused on not teaching any one
of the kids the wrong technique. So I went. Growing up,
I had a good friend named Derek Lee. We're on
the same All Star basketball team together. I played for
the Cubs first basement for a long time, tremendous player.
And when we were graduating high school, we were on
our our all Star team and we were all talking
(25:35):
about the colleges we were going to and who we
were playing. And I was like, Derek, where are you going?
He was like, hey, man, this is my last basketball game.
I'm going to play baseball.
Speaker 5 (25:47):
Wow.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
Right, So he was like, I'm I'm out. I'm I'm
I'm playing baseball.
Speaker 5 (25:52):
And he was.
Speaker 4 (25:53):
He was a dope, dynamic basketball. We were on the
same All Star team and he was like, I'm out, man,
I'm I'm really going up to play back. I'm going
to get drafted and and it's over. And he waiting
in the majors for however long he did. And so
it's you know, you get an outlier every now and then.
(26:14):
Before the most part the kids our age, we were
going hoop or play football.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
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 (26:29):
We're live from the tirereg dot com studios.
Speaker 1 (26:31):
Our next guest, former NBA veteran now with Fox Sports
Radio NBA analyst our man Carrie Kittles.
Speaker 3 (26:39):
Carrie, what's up, Broun?
Speaker 6 (26:41):
Hey, what's going on? You doing?
Speaker 3 (26:43):
I'm good? We got e from salam In for Rob Parker.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
What's going on?
Speaker 5 (26:48):
How you doing man?
Speaker 6 (26:49):
I'm doing great? Thank you?
Speaker 3 (26:51):
So JJ Reddick, what you glad to put you on
the What are your thoughts?
Speaker 5 (27:03):
Well?
Speaker 6 (27:03):
I thought that it was interesting that the Lakers were
kind of test the waters to other coaches, obviously trying
to get her only from from Yukon was that was
their first choice. But listen, you know, the thing is
that he has a great relationship with Lebron James, and
that's all that matters, right. I think if your best
player and your head coach were on the same page.
(27:25):
They seemed really had some real nice chemistry in the podcast,
and so obviously that's that's not the regular season of
the NBA and the grind, the daily grind of getting
guys to play at a high level. But I think, listen,
he's been around the league for a while, He's been
coached by Doc Rivers, so he understands now, right what
(27:45):
it means to have a relationship with with every guy
in the locker room to be able to connect with
every guy. So I think it's a win win.
Speaker 4 (27:54):
Speaking of Lebron James, and you know the stories out
about Brini being, you know, the one of the Lakers
draft picks, and that possibly he gets a chance to
play with his father. What do you think about the
notion of Brownie James being a draft pick? Do you
(28:15):
believe he's ready in terms of his abilities now to
be a draft pick?
Speaker 6 (28:21):
Yeah, I think he's I think he's kind of earned
himself with the way he played in Chicago and you know,
the way he shot the ball, his his numbers were good. Listen,
He's still a developing young talent overall. Is he ready
to play in the NBA right now? I don't think so.
I think he has a lot of work ahead of
himself this summer in particular, and then wherever he goes,
(28:45):
probably to the Lakers, you know, to continue to work
and develop all parts of his game. He's athletic, he'll
be a very good defender on the ball, but there's
so many parts of his game that he has to learn,
in particular how to pick and choose winn to score win,
to be a playmate, and how to have an impact
on the NBA game.
Speaker 3 (29:04):
I want to go back.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
To JJ Carrey and look, he was just playing in
the league three years ago and he was a good player,
but he wasn't a great player.
Speaker 3 (29:13):
Does that matter?
Speaker 1 (29:14):
I mean he might have players coaching that were, like, dude,
I used to hunt you like I want you to
be you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Like you telling me about defense, and we used to
take you to the rack.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
I mean, do you know you look at Steve Kerk,
Phil Jackson.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
They weren't great players either, pat Riley, but.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
They kind of coached a generation after them, so to speak,
you know what I mean, where it wasn't guys they
played against for the most part. Do you think that
can be a factor in terms of coaching players that
that feel like that that played against you and maybe
we're and certainly in many cases were better than you.
Speaker 6 (29:55):
Yeah, I think it's definitely a factor whenever you're making
that jump to coaching guys. Right, and you look at
the Lakers roster. You know D'Angel Russell, what you know
what he come back next year to the last year
of his deal. What they bring back, Spencer Denudy, those guys, right,
they played against Reddick, they were I'm sure they had
some pretty good nights scoring against so put their mature
(30:19):
veterans right, and they understand that, Like they're going to
give opportunities to guys like Reddick who played the game,
who are very knowledgeable about the game. They understand that
all areas and aspects of coaching and what it takes.
But I think he'll he will come in and he
was about to relate to those guys, and they'll they'll
listen to understand that he's the main guy now right.
(30:40):
He's a guy we have to listen to and he's
the voice of the Lakers moving forward, although obviously behind
the scenes Lebron will have his influence as well. So
I don't I don't think it would be much of
a problem to be and with you, Chris. I think
that Reddick has earned, you know, with with his with
his knowledge speaking covering the game of the esc and analysts.
(31:02):
I think God can listen to them.
Speaker 4 (31:06):
Look, we know the relationship he has with with Lebron,
but we also have seen relationships get strained when you're
in a situation, uh, the high tension of the season.
Things aren't going uh as well as you had projected
or hope for them to go and relationships have been strained.
We saw it happen in uh In in Brooklyn when
(31:30):
Steve Nash took over, and and and KD and uh
Kyrie were all on board of that, and then they
couldn't wait to get him out of there faster. Like
what needs to happen and for for that not to
for that relationship not to sour, and if it does,
I'm pretty sure the podcast is over.
Speaker 6 (31:51):
With the podcast, you never you never know. I think
you never know when it comes to the n b
A and and the stress and the tension that can
build whenever you're expecting success. So right, I think what
has to happen is can they surround Lebron and Ad
with the right pieces. This is gonna be a big
(32:12):
offseason for for that team. I think otherwise it can
look at the same story. We're looking at a team
that's gonna finish somewhere around the play in right six
seven eight spot, you know, fishing up this season. So
their roster this offseason, I think Blinco's gonna have his
work cutoff for him. Can they find the right pieces?
(32:33):
Can they go out there and and find the right
shooters to complement those guys. I think Austin Austin Reeves
has played really well for them as a young talent.
Van the build has been spotty, but I think other
than that, harsh Murra is not the answer. They have
to build a roster around those guys, and I think
if they have the right pieces around those guys, I
(32:53):
think the chemistry between Lebron and Reddick will will will
form over time, and I think they'll they'll good the
White chemistry throughout the season.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Carry we got about a minute for your answer. Do
you think we're a lot to win the Olympics? You know,
gold medal.
Speaker 6 (33:13):
A lot.
Speaker 8 (33:14):
I don't know about a lot.
Speaker 6 (33:15):
I think overall international plays has improved dramatically in the
last ten years, so there's no lot for the USA
team to go out there. When I think, you know,
you look at the players now that are in the
NBA that are foreign Brown players that are competing international. No,
they're not a lot. I think they'll be better this
(33:35):
year with the names we have on the team, I
think will definitely be better, But there's not a lot, guys,
not a lot.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
I think we should be the favorites this. We better
win this.
Speaker 1 (33:46):
This could be the last one we went for a while.
I mean, man, that's our man. Carrie Kittle's great stuff. Carrie,
thank you.
Speaker 6 (33:59):
I think that the appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (34:00):
Yup, Marin a couple coming your way.
Speaker 5 (34:02):
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (34:03):
All right, it's the odd Couple Live from Thetiereck dot
Com studios. Let's go to the NBA quickly. E From
And we thought that the Sixers, who you know, they're
trying to get their ring Philadelphia. They haven't had a
ring since nineteen eighty three.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Joel MB.
Speaker 1 (34:21):
We talked yesterday e From about who's gonna take command
of this era? Will it be Jokic, Will it be
y honest, will it be Luca who has yet to
even win a ring. Will it be the Celtics with
Tatum and Brown, but like really take command of it?
Or someone else? Okayc or Minnesota. It definitely ain't looking
(34:43):
like it's gonna be Philadelphia. And Joel MB's gotta get
in that conversation. You've never even been past the second
round and they have max cap room this summer and
everybody has assumed I think including Joel when you looked
at him on the pop broadcast for the Finals that
they were gonna go after Paul George.
Speaker 3 (35:02):
The latest report.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Though, from Sham Sharania NBA Insider, is that the Philadelphia
seventy six Ers This is a direct quote from his tweet.
Interest in pursuing Paul George has significantly waned in recent days,
and the franchise is expected to be aggressive elsewhere with
its salary cap, flexibility and draft capital leading into next
(35:28):
week's NBA Draft.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
Sources tell The Athletic, I felt like.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
When you saw Paul George and Joe l Embiid on
the set with ESPN before the Finals, and MB kind
of motioned, you know, with his eyeballs that he wanted
Paul George. Not just at that moment, because George probably
didn't even see his eyeballs, but the whole interaction between
(35:56):
those two or just while George and while they were
up there, George just didn't seem all that eager to
me to go to Philadelphia, Like he just wasn't, you know,
wasn't joking around with him being you know, like you might.
Speaker 3 (36:16):
Think a player would.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
And I think he wants to stay in southern California
with the Clippers, but what and I think that may
be like the Sixers may have gotten some sense of that,
and that may be why they have.
Speaker 3 (36:30):
Lost interest in Paul George, What are your thoughts on this?
Speaker 4 (36:33):
Uh, just you know, reading some of the things he said,
I don't necessarily think it's the Clippers because he was
speaking a lot about finding a place where he where
it fits, right, and what happened when they acquired Harden
(36:56):
and you start putting all these pieces together, especially older
super stars. The the the glue work, the dirty work
of being on the NBA team now falls in the
lap of the superstars. Right now you have to guard
the best player. Now you have to dive and get
all the balls. Now you have to do these things.
(37:19):
That's third guy that right like, So now you you
have to do that all of that heavy listen lifting.
So coming down the stretch in the playoff game, our
series or in the fourth quarter, you know you're more
exhausted than you normally would be because you have to
pick up the slack. And that's why three and D
guys are so valuable, right they can they guard, they
(37:41):
get to the corner, you shoot the open three as
you drive and pitch it out. That's what But when
you take those away for another gun. All right, James
Harden I have guarded nobody now.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
And he's fortunate because you might say he's the third
best star at this point. But he's got the ball
in his hand. Means he's just saying, well, Kawhy is
your best player. Harden has the ball in his hands.
Westbrook's coming off the bench, so George does have to
kind of do more of that dirty and spot up.
Speaker 3 (38:15):
He not looking for like, he not gonna have a
ball much in his hands.
Speaker 4 (38:18):
Right, that's not that's not the style of basketball he's
looking to play.
Speaker 1 (38:22):
I don't know where he's it'd be interesting to see
where he would like to go.
Speaker 4 (38:28):
Yeah, it's what what what I think fits him. It'd
be really interesting and just to look at lineups and see, okay,
where could we put him?
Speaker 5 (38:42):
Right? Can you put him in Golden State for Wiggins
or something like that.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
He'd be great there if you could get him.
Speaker 2 (38:48):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (38:49):
I don't know what you can for Wiggins. But all right,
we got an hour left eye couple locket
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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