July 11, 2024 • 38 mins
Chris and Rob take Kevin Durant to task for claiming that he, Steph Curry and LeBron James are still the current Big 3 of the NBA, tell us if it's fair of Jaylen Brown to blame Nike for him being left off the Team USA roster in favor of his Boston Celtics teammate Derrick White and rip the Pittsburgh Pirates for pulling rookie phenom Paul Skenes after he threw 7 innings of no-hit ball and discuss whether all this hype surrounding Anthony Edwards is warranted.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seventh Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusa and Ron Harker.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Rob g So, Jalen Brown. You know. Grant Hill addressed
why he did not make the team and instead his
teammate Derek White, who's not a star, not as good
as Jalen Brown. He was chosen and essentially they played
the same position. But Grant talked about wanting a player
(00:52):
who you.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Know, they're building the team.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
It's not just getting the best names and how they
like that.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Derek White not only only uh.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
You know, is a he's a great defender and shooter,
but he the role he plays for Boston is the
role he'll play for Team USA. So it's not like
you have to ask a star to hey, can you
just be a role player on this team. That's what
Derek White does. That's what Derek White is and so
(01:22):
it'll be second nature for him to fit in where
get in where he can fit in and play the role.
But Jalen Brown and we we said it, Rob rightly,
upset Rob G give us kind of the latest. He's
he's blaming Nike.
Speaker 5 (01:37):
Yeah, he's not buying what grat Hill is selling.
Speaker 6 (01:40):
He's doubled down on it.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Grant even saying I wore Feliz most of my career.
He kind of jokingly was saying, it's not about Nike,
but Jalen's not buying it.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
So you'll recall yesterday he did the the monocle emoji,
you know, and then he did the at Nike, this
is what we're doing well. On Thursday, he doubled down
on it with another tweet saying I'm not afraid of
you or your resources, a direct shot at Nike, saying
that Nike is the reason why he's not on Team USA,
(02:10):
regardless of what grat Hill says. And actually the Athletic
did a deep dive on this exact situation months ago because,
according to them, Brown has had a rocky relationship with
Nike for years now. You know, we talked about the
Kyrie Irving tweet that he put out where he said
he questioned their ethics, he had an Adidas deal that
(02:33):
expired three years ago, and he's so anti conglomerate, according
to this report, that he's never reared with another shoe company,
and when he wears Nikes in games, he'll actually cover
up the swoosh. That's how much he dislikes what they
got going on over there. So, if you believe Jalen Brown,
this has nothing to do with fit or chemistry or
(02:53):
skill set. It has to do with him being anti
establishment when it comes to the swoosh.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I'll say this, Rob, I'm not automatically dismissing what Jalen
Brown is saying, because we know business politics, it's always
lingering in the background somewhere, and Nike is a sponsor
(03:20):
for Team USA. Most of the players on the team,
I think all but three are Nike guys, and the
last thing they want is for Jalen Brown to be
up on the podium with a world on the world
stage and to say something about Nike. So I'm not
(03:41):
dismissing that that could have been a factor, or maybe
even the factor. I don't know, but I'm certainly not
just throwing it out as an impossibility.
Speaker 6 (03:52):
Yeah, I'm with you.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
We know that these things are all somewhat connected, so
it's not a and they do know. They remember what
people do and what people say and all kinds of stuff,
and they know whether you're on board or not. And
Jalen is not on board, which is fine, and that's
what you just have to deal with or live with,
(04:15):
Chris in some of these situations. But the idea that
Derek White is replacing Kawhi Leonard just to I understand
all the role players that we need him to do
to he should have been on a team. Then why
wouldn't he on a team? Come on, come on, stop,
you can't have it both ways, or somebody of that
(04:38):
ilk Chris, who was just better than him, you know,
like somebody who does the same stuff that was better
than him. If Kawhi Leonard was healthy, he'd still be there.
He wouldn't be and he wouldn't be a role player,
and he wouldn't be doing the stuff that you need
guys like that to do. That's the problem. And Chris
the only other non Nike athlete on this team, Joel
(05:02):
Embiid sketchers, I think is who he's with, So he
likes comfortable shoes that don't cost a lot of money.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Steph Curry, he does have those lower limb so he
needs right like you know, he's like to help.
Speaker 6 (05:15):
His under armor. Steph Curry.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
People make fun of Steph Curry and his shoes, but
the nurses in the hospitals a lot of them wear
his sneakers because they.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Everybody said that because of the one the first?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Was it the first? Because the early ones that came
out Christ House ones were white.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
His first sign shoe was white first, Yes, and fluffy.
They look like nurse's shoes.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
I think those were after I think anyway.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Well you know what I mean, but you know that
they were a pair that people were like, those are
nurses shoes? Uh? And then Anthony Edwards christ was with right,
So those are only three nine Nike guys on the team.
Speaker 6 (05:56):
Everybody else's Nike.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I would say this, and Jalen I look, he has
a problem with conglomerates, as Rob G said, So he
doesn't have a shoe deal with anybody, but he's wearing
the shoes.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
And I get it.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
You have to play in something, but if you're gonna
play an Adidas you might as well get get some
of the money from them, I say, But I would
also say this, Rob, don't wear Nikes. Why why if
you're that upset with Nike, why are you wearing their sneaker?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Probably for comfort, like you get you used to wearing
something Christmas.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
But he's not wearing them all the time. He's wearing
Adidas sometimes, you know, like I just if you you
you are covering up the logo. That's probably bringing more
attention to them. Uh And and someone could say, I
guess it could be viewed as negative. You're covering up
the logo, but nobody's stopping buying Nikes because of that.
(07:00):
So I would say, if you don't like Nike to
the point where you have to cover up the logo,
now maybe you don't like Adidas either, but you're not
to the point where you're covering up the three stripes.
So just wear Adidas or under armor or something else
that you're not as upset about. But I'm saying, if
(07:20):
you're that ticked off by Nike, don't wear the shoes.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
That would make sense if you really are that bothered
by it. But maybe he really isn't. Now he's just
of course upset or frustrated because he's not on a
team and believes that they're behind it.
Speaker 6 (07:38):
So that's a little bit more. And I hear you.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I know, if somebody did something maybe that I didn't
like or had something, I definitely wouldn't entertain it, or
wouldn't go back to their restaurant, or wouldn't, you know
what I mean, patronize anything. I mean, you know, if
you raise the money on a diet coke on me,
I might not ever come back into your restaurant. I'm
just saying.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I think you've done that.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
But you know what I'm.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Saying, right, I could easily say, well it's convenient, right
and and it's closed and I want to found drink
and no, but I decided that I wasn't gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
So I'll hear you, Yeah, it's unfortunate.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I I don't think it will cause a problem with
the Celtics. I think he understands, you know, it's it's
Derek White, is not his fault. I don't want to,
you know, say it like it's just a negative. Obviously
it's a great thing for Derek White. So I wouldn't
think that Jalen Brown would allow US to mess up
(08:36):
their locker room. Uh, they have three Celtics on the
team Team USA, and it's not about Jalen Brown.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Yeah, he shouldn't hold against Derek.
Speaker 6 (08:47):
Derek didn't pick itself with the team.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
That's not fair, right.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
And I'll say this too because somebody I don't know
if it was maybe it was Rob g saying it yesterday.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
How or maybe it was a caller.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
I don't am not a guest, but somebody brought up
how you know it was Eddie House actually, how he's
been snubbed, you know, didn't make all NBA. There are
a couple that was once now of course this Team USA,
and there was one other snub.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
I couldn't think about what it was.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
But remember he was voted Eastern Conference Finals MVP and
robbed in a situation which I'm not I don't think
it was you know that Jason Tatum.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Got jobbed or got robbed.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
But I do think Jason Tatum should have been the
finals MVP. I think it was close, and I think
you know the numbers. I mean he led them in
his points, rebounded and assists, so I think he is
the only one who had two thirty point games so
I think even though he certainly wasn't didn't play an
(09:59):
A plus series or even maybe an A series, I
thought he should have been the finals MVP.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
You thought that as well.
Speaker 6 (10:07):
Well. He let in every category.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
That's hard to not get it when and.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
The other thing too, and and I don't remember off
the top of my head was it's six for twenty
Jalen play had a terrible shooting night in the close out.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Game, right right, right right.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
I don't know a lot of exactly saying, well, the
first three games were the most important.
Speaker 6 (10:25):
Yeah, but the close out is a close out. It's tough.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
But it's tough to close I just not when you
shoot that poorly, you know what, Like it was a
really six for twenty.
Speaker 6 (10:34):
Two, well something like that. It was, it was, it
was pretty bad.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
And so I just you know, he didn't get you know,
snug when came the finals MVP, maybe he got you know,
even you know, it was close, I mean it was
very close.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
I think it was five to four, so it was close.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
But you know, I just don't want it to paint like, oh,
everybody hates Jalen when he did, you know, just get
two great awards.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
But it's unfortunate because we do think you should be
on the team.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Pollie Fusco here with Tony Fusco. You know, as the
host of the number one rated Paully and Tony Fusco show.
We get tons and tons of fanmail every day.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Piles of it.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
In fact, Tony, why don't you open up one of
those letters right now and read what's inside? Hey, listen
to this.
Speaker 7 (11:30):
Dear Pauli and Toni, your sports takes the dumbest and
most terribly.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
That Wait, open this other one.
Speaker 7 (11:37):
Dear Pauli and Toni, you suck more than anyone.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Wait, try this one.
Speaker 7 (11:42):
Dear Paulie and Tony, you guys are the absolute best.
There you go coming up with the stupidest take agget.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Just listen to the Polly and Tony Fusco Show on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 8 (11:57):
Rob, I'm sick, I'm upset, I'm at my wits end.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
And it had something to do with baseball.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Yes, Wow, Why oh why does it keep happening? I know,
I know what your analytics say, I know what the
trend is, but the fact is it ain't working. Guys
(12:36):
are still getting hurt. I'm not saying eliminate pitch counts
and all that altogether. But when someone who is having
a legendary start to a career, someone who can bring
eyeballs to baseball that usually are on baseball, someone who,
(13:03):
on average his average fast bass darn near one hundred
miles an hour, not his best, his average fastball darn
near one hundred miles an hour, he is rob We
talked about Fernando Valenzuela a few days ago.
Speaker 6 (13:21):
Fernando Mania, Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Nineteen eighty one. Right, well, Paul Schemes with his eighty
nine strikeouts his one point nine zero ERA this season,
he has the most strikeouts with a sub two point
zero RORA three eleven starts since ERRA became an official
(13:49):
statistic in nineteen thirteen. The second guy with the most
was Valezuela in nineteen eighty one, he had seventy nine. Wait,
I say all that to say this, You heard Steve
de Seger say it earlier. Paul schemes, who has taken
the major leagues by storm, just got drafted out of
(14:14):
lsu Is has been the best pitcher in the league
since he's you know what made when he started throwing.
He had a no hitter going through six was his
six or seven innings? A no hitter going through seven innings?
Eleven K's was mowing them down in Milwaukee.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
Oh, but he threw ninety nine pitches.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Never mind that sixty five of them were strikes. He
wasn't getting weary, but the analytics geeks were getting scared.
Ninety nine pitches, no hitter, Sure, who cares? History in
the making? Who cares? The fans who pay top dollar
(15:09):
and want to see something special?
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Who cares?
Speaker 4 (15:16):
They took him out, Rob.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
And his replacement gave up a hit with the quickness
there would be no combined and no hitter. The Pirates
still won, but they lost the no hitter, and more importantly,
Paul's schemes lost the no hitter and Rob.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I'm tired of it. I'm sick of it.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
It's hard for me to push back or argue on
this because I'm with you. I just do not understand
the thought process. This is a young guy, a rookie, Chris,
give him a chance. If he gives up a hit,
or you know, he walks somebody or you know where,
it's obvious. Okay, maybe he's tiring or something. Then, but
(16:01):
to just take it out of his hands makes no
sense to me. Paul Skeins has been so impressive Chris,
and I'm not this prisoner of the moment.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
Hey put him in the All Star Game? Do this?
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Do that his numbers are worthy, Like you just brought
up Fernando Valezuela. When you start to mention, go look
at some of the other pitchers he's link with. You
know who carry wood to pitch for the Cubs.
Speaker 6 (16:25):
You remember him. Chris was a fireball.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Dwight Good and Doctor k pitched for the Mets. He's
in He's in the territory with all those guys. Yep,
Mark Fiedrich. The Bird Chris pitched and started the All
Star Game in nineteen seventy six after only eleven starts.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
So I love you remember the Bird. He was exciting,
he brought like color. You know, he was charismatic and
all that. But but he pitched on it. He only
had eleven starts. Chris, he started the All Star Game
for them. He's the biggest thing in baseball. Skeens is
in the All Star Right.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
What I'm saying, I make him the starter is what
I'm saying, Like, oh yeah he should be.
Speaker 6 (17:02):
He should start the game.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
But the idea that they keep robbing us, they're you know,
in trying to you know, safeguard people.
Speaker 6 (17:13):
People still get hurt.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Even with all these kid gloves going around, Chris, it
doesn't stop people from getting hurt. People are still getting
hurt and whatnot. So I don't know what the kid
gloves are all about. And the other thing I don't
like is you're robbing the fans of some history and
you don't go to the ballpark all the time. I
watched David Wells pitch a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins,
(17:36):
Chris and Yankees s. I remember it, and I remember
his stuff, and I was like, can you imagine had
they taken him out? Because oh my god, how many
pictures he's thrown. It's ridiculous. Give the guy a chance.
Somebody gets a hit, Chris, and it's broken up. Okay,
it's over right. We're gonna leave you in kid until
you if you got it and now it's just like, well,
(17:59):
ninety nine pictures need to get him out of there.
We don't need to because we don't want to burn
him out. We don't want to do that. What a
young kid, the prime of his life. What's wrong with
these guys?
Speaker 4 (18:11):
Rob, We talked about it yesterday.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
How you know Willie Mays and Hank Air and made
twenty plus All Star games? Will we ever see it again?
No one's made twelve more than twelve straight because of
the injury since Mariano right, the injuries guys Back in
the day, ninety nine pitches was nothing.
Speaker 6 (18:33):
What do we always bring up Nolan Ryan the two
thirty five? What he pitches?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Yeah, in a game and Rob, he ended up pitching
till he was what forty six in his forties, but
he had he unbelievable and threw hard as anybody. He
was the hardest thrower at that time.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
So I'm like and schemes. By the way, Rob, and
I was alluding to this at the start of the segment.
His average fastball is ninety nine miles an hour average.
You know what the average is in the in MLB
among the starting pitchers ninety three ninety three. You're right
(19:11):
ninety three. So this dude on averages throw at ninety nine.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And Chris I was right. It was June fourteenth, nineteen
seventy four. Nolan Ryan threw two hundred and thirty five
pitches Chris in a start against the Red Sox.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
His stat line it was a thirteen inning game.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Chris, nobody didn't the bullpen didn't come in. Two hundred
and thirty five pitches hitch ready, thirteen innings, nineteen strikeouts,
He walked ten guys and he faced fifty eight batters.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Can you imaly didn't even miss a start?
Speaker 6 (19:46):
No, he pitched his next start.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
He absolutely did, because I did read that in thinking, well,
did that cost him a starter or too after? No,
he made his next start. Can you imagine a manager
coming to getting Nolan Ryan and Rob here in the end?
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Look, it bears repeating because I've said it before, as
we've talked about this, because I'm sure the analytics, we know,
they're telling them it's just better for the picture. You're
saving his arm, which there's no, we don't see the
evidence because guys keep getting hurt.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
Now it seems more than ever.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
But maybe there's something else they'll say, because maybe not
in this case. I don't see how they would have
in this case. But other cases, Rob, they'll say, well,
this is the third time or fourth time around that
they're seeing this picture right the lineup, Well, can I
stop that?
Speaker 6 (20:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (20:36):
He would charge his final sixteen, Chris right, striking out
eight of them. This is like his final sixteen batters
right that he faced Right and Schemes now is the
only player in Major League Baseball history to have multiple
games with six plus innings. Chris pitched zero hits and
allowed as a rookie in a rookie season. So think
(20:58):
about that.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
They're taking away moments, Rob, They're taking away moments. The
no hitters always been special, always been special.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
It is special.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
You know how they're taking it away.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
As I told you before, as a guy Chris who
goes to baseball games, who covered baseball since nineteen eighty six,
I haven't seen that many no hitters, you know, like
it doesn't happen every day. I just gave you the
perfect game of David Wells against the Twins, and you
remember it, and I remember it because it is special.
You don't see that every day you go to the ballpark.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Right, and now they're taking away those moments. I don't
care if you think it's more effective to bring in
a reliever who's got a fresh arm. At the end
of the day, this is entertainment too. These are This
is about creating memories too. There were young kids there
(21:58):
rob at the game who would have loved to have
seen a no hitter. They would have been able to
tell that story their entire lives. Now it's gone. The
shift rip. It's the same thing as the ship. The
shift was great. Strategically, it's not and this isn't good
(22:20):
for the game. When you take the ball out of
the player's hands. Chris, let the players decide, not the
managers in some geek with a pencil protector.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
He's there, stop it. We saw them do this to uh,
even Clayton Kershaw. You remember a couple of years ago, Chris,
he had a perfect game going. I don't and they
were like, whoa, we're trying to save him from getting hurt.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
He still got hurt that year they took him out.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
He still got hurt, as what are you doing a
chance to pitch a perfect game?
Speaker 6 (22:51):
Let him walk.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
The guy in he ate to start the eighth Chris,
if he walks a guy, or if he gives up
a hint, then you take him outright.
Speaker 6 (22:58):
He might have got a first.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Pitch pop up, you know what I mean, and got
out of the inning after giving up eight pitches.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
And I don't think it had anything to do with
them thinking he you know, oh he's losing it. No, no, no,
not gonna be to stay hot. I think it was
totally like they got a rule, right, you don't get
more than one hundred pitches or whatever. I mean. It's
just terrible because look, these games, we need stars, we
(23:26):
need superstars, we need big names. And players become in
any of the sports, they become big names by doing
the incredible and one of the incredible things is the
no hitter.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
And you know, just this Chris.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
So the manager was questioned about the whole thing after
the game, and the you know, the media pushedback and
said was this analytics and asked him that directly, and
he said no, it wasn't, which of course company line,
but he said Christian was the eye test. The eye
test is that he would tire sixteen straight right and
struck out eight of them.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
I would say, what eye tests?
Speaker 1 (24:08):
What did you see when he was retiring sixteen in
a row, that made you think he was losing it?
Speaker 6 (24:13):
What what? What was it?
Speaker 1 (24:15):
He's struck out a guy, He's struck out a guy
on five pitches instead of three.
Speaker 6 (24:19):
Is that one when he was losing it?
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Right? I mean come on, yeah, eight of those guys
went down strikeouts, right, eight of those last sixteen. It's
just look, it's just baseball getting in its own way again, Rob.
They made some good decisions with the pitch cla have
they changed on bringing the stolen bases back and all that,
But it's just I'm sorry, like analytics just it's like
(24:46):
takes all the fun out of the thing.
Speaker 6 (24:48):
Big time in some ways. You know, Rob g tell us,
I think you have the breakdown.
Speaker 5 (24:53):
Yeah, so they said he was tired the eye test,
that's what the manager said that he looked tired. Chris,
listen to the manager, Derek Shelton, and here are the
speeds of the last six or he threw seven pitches
in the seventh inning, so it's not like he was
laboring there at the end. Ninety seven mile hour fastball,
eighty one curve ninety one, splitter ninety three splitter eighty
(25:15):
one curve ninety three splitter and you could talked about
it and he looked tired and to get him out
of there.
Speaker 6 (25:21):
Ninety three is the average pitch, that's the pitch in
the major length.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
And I was a splitter, was splitter right now.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
That's just And that's the thing about Skins like he
he's I mean, as hard as he throws, he's got
more than just he looks older than than he does, right, Yeah,
he definitely does. He has an older look to him
like that, No doubt, he definitely does, no doubt. I
hope Rob that he stays healthy because this dude is
you know, and you mentioned you mentioned the carry Woods
(25:49):
and you know, like good even Fernando didn't go on
you know what I mean to like have the career
that that would equate to the hots start right, I.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Hope this kid does.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
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 and.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Man last night, we talked about it earlier. Anthony Davis
was great. You could call him the star of last
night's exhibition victory for the United States over Canada their
first bit of action. But Rob, it was interesting, and
I know it's just one game. I wouldn't and not
gonna make a big deal out of it, although I
(26:37):
do think Anthony Davis looked a lot better than joelmbi
That to me was significant.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
More so because of Mbiad's just health.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
It wasn't like, if he was healthy, Rob, I wouldn't
even think it's that big of a deal, but the
fact that he's not fully healthy. He ended the season
obviously playing on one leg so to speak. They're all
talking about how he's not back to one hundred percent.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
Now I'm kind of like, why is he out there playing?
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Why?
Speaker 4 (27:08):
And then Anthony Davis did look a lot better.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
But Rob, the second team, which was the young guys,
they looked better than the first team.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
I mean, there's no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Yeah, he's like you said, I mean you you were
upset that that Lebron was the best player.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
In King That's what I was saying.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Because of the younger players, Chris, they should be the
ones out there moving and shaken. It's not a disrespect,
it's that the young boys should be out there.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
That's what I am.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Now they they they should be taking control of this situation.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
And last night, look, Tyrese Halliburton, Rob comes off the.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Bench six assists for steals that it was a team
high four steals, team high six assists. I mentioned Anthony Davis,
not a young boy, but he was with that second unit,
team team high four blocks, eleven boards to go along
with ten points. Jason Tatum the numbers, you know, he
(28:06):
drove to the basket, you know, attacked the rim. He
had eight points, but got him going in the first
half when they were down Bam out of Bayu was
pretty good with seven rebounds himself, and Anthony Edwards Robbed.
Everybody's trying to push the Jordan second Jordan, you know,
second coming to Michael Jordan on him. But last night
(28:28):
he looked really good, six for ten from the field.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
So in nineteen minutes he scores thirteen points, which was
a team high, also added a steal and three boards,
and he you know, he said one thing I like
about him, I like a lot about him, but is
that he is not scared and he respects the older guys.
(28:57):
I mean, I think that's clear, Rob, He's actually able
to like I guess kind of sort of talk trash,
be braggadocious, but in a way or and let me
throw this and not defer to the older legends he's
(29:19):
playing with, but in a way that doesn't come off
as disrespectful, Like when when he talked trash to Kevin
Durant in the playoff series and they swept the Timberwell
swept the suns. I mean, he gave so much love
to Durant in the in the uh in the press conferences,
(29:40):
saying that it was his idol that he used to
watch him growing up and that's who he modeled a
lot of his game after and all that that it
didn't come off as disrespects It didn't Durant for sure,
because Durant was just smiling, was talking trash and killing
them right. And I will say this though about this
time when he said the other day I'm the number
(30:03):
one option on this team. I love the confidence. That's
a Kobe Bryant type thing to say. But again, I
don't think he did it in a way Rob that's
disrespectful to the Lebrons and the Durance and the staffs
and all these guys that are the legends on this team.
(30:25):
And last night he went out there and played like
he thought he was the number one option and they
needed what he gave him, which was a team I
thirteen points. He didn't complain about coming off the bench. Well,
he might come off the bench. That might be his
job with this team. But I liked what I saw
from him. And maybe, like I said earlier to a caller,
(30:45):
I guess his coming out party was this season, if
some want to say it was Feba last year. But
maybe this will be a supplement, if you will, to
his coming out party.
Speaker 6 (30:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
I still think it's all you know, has been way premature,
as good as he is, Chris, and we saw it.
Speaker 6 (31:06):
I just think people and I get it.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
You know, you see something happening before your eyes and
you're ready to crown somebody. And everybody thought, okay, uh, Minnesota,
they're going to the NBA Finals. You know, everybody picked Minnesota.
Speaker 6 (31:18):
They were they were.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
I ended up saying that after they they beat I
picked it they did. I was like, Okay, they got this,
but they clearly rob I think they felt that was
their championship.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
You most yeah, it probably was because they didn't expect
to be doing what they did right, and they were
if you remember correctly, it was they looked when they
won the first two games, then they melted at home
for a couple of games, and then you know, they
wound up winning that game seven, uh in Denver, and
that was huge, But they looked like they Yeah, but
(31:49):
they looked like even after they won the first two games,
like they were going to fall apart, like totally, and
they wind up winning the series. But I just think
it's all premature, and I think that stuff comes in time.
You know, as you play, Chris, as you start to uh,
make shots, make plays, people start to see more and more.
And it doesn't mean that he's not a star and
(32:11):
can't be a big star, Chris. That's not what I'm saying.
It's just about crowning people too soon. And I think
he's been crowned or for you, Yeah, I think I
thought people were trying to crown him during that And
you know that we talked about it. Whenever you mentioned
somebody in Michael Jordan, you're talking about rarefied Air, not
(32:31):
to and and forget about the resemblance, Chris, I'm just
meaning you're talking about Michael Jordan with anybody, people are
gonna look at you a certain way and expect certain
things from you. And then he had a couple of
subpar games. Uh you know in the uh uh in
the Western Conference finals.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
You know what I mean, he was by his own admission,
he was exhausted.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Right, He just he didn't look like he did early
where he was just balling out.
Speaker 6 (33:02):
He look like he was unstoppable. And now I can
see why.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
People would get crazy, to go crazy over a guy,
young guy doing that, playing at that level in the postseason,
knocking off the defending champs being a big reason why.
But still I think people are expecting a little bit
too much.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
The only thing I think is premature are the Jordan comparisons.
I can't get them out of my head, though, Chris,
I don't think anything else.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
I mean, nobody's saying he's the best player in the world.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
People are saying he could be the future face of
the league or will be the future face of the league. Look,
I mean, right, it seems like it's clearly gonna be
win Binyama. But if you want to go American face
of the league or if they if they win you know,
a championship before in San Antonio, which is very likely,
or you know, I should say they got a better
chance of doing it first. He could be the face
(34:00):
of the league for a while. I mean, I think,
clearly though it's Winbin Yama. But I just think I
see and I've said it, and I texted with Jordan
about it, like there are clear similarities in their games,
the way he plays, and then even when you want
to talk about some of the attitude, the swagger, the
(34:21):
spectacular nature of his game most people, the defensive approach
as well as offense.
Speaker 6 (34:27):
But people, I think take it to even more.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
I know what you're saying, but they're like, oh, he's
the next Jordan, Like, well, that's not the conversation, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
I don't think he'll ever be.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
And I say this respectfully, I don't think Anthony Edwards
Rodd will ever be like in the Goat conversation. And
that's what when you say, if you're saying he's like
Michael Jordan and that his game has similarities, he reminds
you of Jordan, that's fine, but you gotta clarify what
(34:59):
you mean, Am I right? Because that's what the greatest
player ever? Because that's at worse in some people's eyes,
the second greatest. I don't think Edwards is going to
be in that conversation, and that doesn't mean he couldn't be.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
I think he.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Could be an all time great.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
I think the trajectory is that he will be an
all time great. But there's a difference between all time
great and Goat conversation.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Big time, and I think people though I think people aren't.
I think I think it's blurred just because he's people
are mentioning Michael Jordan, so you think of the ultimate greatness.
You don't just think of like the type of stuff
that he does, or the way he carries himselves or
(35:45):
the way he gets after it. Chris defensively like people
just say, oh, Michael, he's the next Michael Jordan. No,
And I think you're right, No, No, He's not going
to be in that Goat conversation. Uh just how could
you look at how could you look and think anybody
is like like see, you have to see like a
couple of years, Chris, of work and championships at the
(36:07):
MVP before you could even have that. Kevin Durant has accomplished. Chris,
He's not in that conversation.
Speaker 6 (36:15):
The guys won. STEP's not in the go that's not
in that compe. He's got four championships.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
That's what I'm trying to say is like those guys
don't even mention and they and their way of what
well accomplished.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
I do think like I think, and I I put
it this way, I do think you can see a
guy and it's so different that you you never know
if he's gonna fulfill his potential.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
Right, that's what you have to wait and see.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
But somebody like win beinn Yama, Rob, if he fulfills
his potential, I think he could be in the Gold
conversation if he fulfills his.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
Potent, like his potential is go Anthony Edwards.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
If he fulfills his potential, Rob, I still don't think
it's gold, Like I just don't see that. And so
that's that's what I mean. But he's great and you're
right like Rob, You remember we were covering the league
when all types of a Jerry Stackhouse.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
Harold Minor was Grant Grant Hill.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
I believe it was like it were so many guys
that were supposed to be the next Jordan.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
And Harold Minor.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Did you just say, yeah, Harold Minor, I covered him
with with the Cleveland Cavaliers. And I'll say this, Rob,
even at that time, which was the late mid to
late nineties, when you compare somebody to Jordan now and
correct me if you think I'm wrong, it's different than
it was then. And I'm not saying people didn't think
(37:51):
he was the greatest ever in the late nineties, but
now it's different because his legend has grown so much
even as he hasn't been playing. But you know what
I mean, Rob, Like back then, it was like people understood.
You weren't saying he's gonna be the greatest player in
the league necessarily. You weren't saying he's gonna be you know,
(38:12):
the goat or in that conversation, you were just saying, ok,
he's gonna be great like Jordan and exciting.
Speaker 4 (38:18):
Well, now I feel like it's gone beyond that.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
And when you compare somebody to Michael Jordan, it's like,
oh wow, that's you saying something, right, that's.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
A tall order, That's what I'm saying. Like people gotta
look at it, squinch up their face. Chris and got Jordan,
what right? Like really really Okay,
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seventh Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live
every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
You're listening to the Best of the Odd Couple with
Chris Brusa and Ron Harker.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
Rob g So, Jalen Brown. You know. Grant Hill addressed
why he did not make the team and instead his
teammate Derek White, who's not a star, not as good
as Jalen Brown. He was chosen and essentially they played
the same position. But Grant talked about wanting a player
(00:52):
who you.
Speaker 4 (00:53):
Know, they're building the team.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
It's not just getting the best names and how they
like that.
Speaker 4 (00:58):
Derek White not only only uh.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
You know, is a he's a great defender and shooter,
but he the role he plays for Boston is the
role he'll play for Team USA. So it's not like
you have to ask a star to hey, can you
just be a role player on this team. That's what
Derek White does. That's what Derek White is and so
(01:22):
it'll be second nature for him to fit in where
get in where he can fit in and play the role.
But Jalen Brown and we we said it, Rob rightly,
upset Rob G give us kind of the latest. He's
he's blaming Nike.
Speaker 5 (01:37):
Yeah, he's not buying what grat Hill is selling.
Speaker 6 (01:40):
He's doubled down on it.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Grant even saying I wore Feliz most of my career.
He kind of jokingly was saying, it's not about Nike,
but Jalen's not buying it.
Speaker 5 (01:49):
So you'll recall yesterday he did the the monocle emoji,
you know, and then he did the at Nike, this
is what we're doing well. On Thursday, he doubled down
on it with another tweet saying I'm not afraid of
you or your resources, a direct shot at Nike, saying
that Nike is the reason why he's not on Team USA,
(02:10):
regardless of what grat Hill says. And actually the Athletic
did a deep dive on this exact situation months ago because,
according to them, Brown has had a rocky relationship with
Nike for years now. You know, we talked about the
Kyrie Irving tweet that he put out where he said
he questioned their ethics, he had an Adidas deal that
(02:33):
expired three years ago, and he's so anti conglomerate, according
to this report, that he's never reared with another shoe company,
and when he wears Nikes in games, he'll actually cover
up the swoosh. That's how much he dislikes what they
got going on over there. So, if you believe Jalen Brown,
this has nothing to do with fit or chemistry or
(02:53):
skill set. It has to do with him being anti
establishment when it comes to the swoosh.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
I'll say this, Rob, I'm not automatically dismissing what Jalen
Brown is saying, because we know business politics, it's always
lingering in the background somewhere, and Nike is a sponsor
(03:20):
for Team USA. Most of the players on the team,
I think all but three are Nike guys, and the
last thing they want is for Jalen Brown to be
up on the podium with a world on the world
stage and to say something about Nike. So I'm not
(03:41):
dismissing that that could have been a factor, or maybe
even the factor. I don't know, but I'm certainly not
just throwing it out as an impossibility.
Speaker 6 (03:52):
Yeah, I'm with you.
Speaker 1 (03:54):
We know that these things are all somewhat connected, so
it's not a and they do know. They remember what
people do and what people say and all kinds of stuff,
and they know whether you're on board or not. And
Jalen is not on board, which is fine, and that's
what you just have to deal with or live with,
(04:15):
Chris in some of these situations. But the idea that
Derek White is replacing Kawhi Leonard just to I understand
all the role players that we need him to do
to he should have been on a team. Then why
wouldn't he on a team? Come on, come on, stop,
you can't have it both ways, or somebody of that
(04:38):
ilk Chris, who was just better than him, you know,
like somebody who does the same stuff that was better
than him. If Kawhi Leonard was healthy, he'd still be there.
He wouldn't be and he wouldn't be a role player,
and he wouldn't be doing the stuff that you need
guys like that to do. That's the problem. And Chris
the only other non Nike athlete on this team, Joel
(05:02):
Embiid sketchers, I think is who he's with, So he
likes comfortable shoes that don't cost a lot of money.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
Steph Curry, he does have those lower limb so he
needs right like you know, he's like to help.
Speaker 6 (05:15):
His under armor. Steph Curry.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
People make fun of Steph Curry and his shoes, but
the nurses in the hospitals a lot of them wear
his sneakers because they.
Speaker 4 (05:26):
Everybody said that because of the one the first?
Speaker 3 (05:30):
Was it the first? Because the early ones that came
out Christ House ones were white.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
His first sign shoe was white first, Yes, and fluffy.
They look like nurse's shoes.
Speaker 4 (05:42):
I think those were after I think anyway.
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Well you know what I mean, but you know that
they were a pair that people were like, those are
nurses shoes? Uh? And then Anthony Edwards christ was with right,
So those are only three nine Nike guys on the team.
Speaker 6 (05:56):
Everybody else's Nike.
Speaker 3 (05:58):
I would say this, and Jalen I look, he has
a problem with conglomerates, as Rob G said, So he
doesn't have a shoe deal with anybody, but he's wearing
the shoes.
Speaker 4 (06:10):
And I get it.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
You have to play in something, but if you're gonna
play an Adidas you might as well get get some
of the money from them, I say, But I would
also say this, Rob, don't wear Nikes. Why why if
you're that upset with Nike, why are you wearing their sneaker?
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Probably for comfort, like you get you used to wearing
something Christmas.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
But he's not wearing them all the time. He's wearing
Adidas sometimes, you know, like I just if you you
you are covering up the logo. That's probably bringing more
attention to them. Uh And and someone could say, I
guess it could be viewed as negative. You're covering up
the logo, but nobody's stopping buying Nikes because of that.
(07:00):
So I would say, if you don't like Nike to
the point where you have to cover up the logo,
now maybe you don't like Adidas either, but you're not
to the point where you're covering up the three stripes.
So just wear Adidas or under armor or something else
that you're not as upset about. But I'm saying, if
(07:20):
you're that ticked off by Nike, don't wear the shoes.
Speaker 1 (07:25):
That would make sense if you really are that bothered
by it. But maybe he really isn't. Now he's just
of course upset or frustrated because he's not on a
team and believes that they're behind it.
Speaker 6 (07:38):
So that's a little bit more. And I hear you.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I know, if somebody did something maybe that I didn't
like or had something, I definitely wouldn't entertain it, or
wouldn't go back to their restaurant, or wouldn't, you know
what I mean, patronize anything. I mean, you know, if
you raise the money on a diet coke on me,
I might not ever come back into your restaurant. I'm
just saying.
Speaker 4 (07:59):
I think you've done that.
Speaker 6 (08:00):
But you know what I'm.
Speaker 1 (08:01):
Saying, right, I could easily say, well it's convenient, right
and and it's closed and I want to found drink
and no, but I decided that I wasn't gonna do it.
Speaker 4 (08:12):
So I'll hear you, Yeah, it's unfortunate.
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I I don't think it will cause a problem with
the Celtics. I think he understands, you know, it's it's
Derek White, is not his fault. I don't want to,
you know, say it like it's just a negative. Obviously
it's a great thing for Derek White. So I wouldn't
think that Jalen Brown would allow US to mess up
(08:36):
their locker room. Uh, they have three Celtics on the
team Team USA, and it's not about Jalen Brown.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Yeah, he shouldn't hold against Derek.
Speaker 6 (08:47):
Derek didn't pick itself with the team.
Speaker 4 (08:48):
That's not fair, right.
Speaker 3 (08:51):
And I'll say this too because somebody I don't know
if it was maybe it was Rob g saying it yesterday.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
How or maybe it was a caller.
Speaker 3 (09:01):
I don't am not a guest, but somebody brought up
how you know it was Eddie House actually, how he's
been snubbed, you know, didn't make all NBA. There are
a couple that was once now of course this Team USA,
and there was one other snub.
Speaker 4 (09:18):
I couldn't think about what it was.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
But remember he was voted Eastern Conference Finals MVP and
robbed in a situation which I'm not I don't think
it was you know that Jason Tatum.
Speaker 4 (09:34):
Got jobbed or got robbed.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
But I do think Jason Tatum should have been the
finals MVP. I think it was close, and I think
you know the numbers. I mean he led them in
his points, rebounded and assists, so I think he is
the only one who had two thirty point games so
I think even though he certainly wasn't didn't play an
(09:59):
A plus series or even maybe an A series, I
thought he should have been the finals MVP.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
You thought that as well.
Speaker 6 (10:07):
Well. He let in every category.
Speaker 4 (10:09):
That's hard to not get it when and.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
The other thing too, and and I don't remember off
the top of my head was it's six for twenty
Jalen play had a terrible shooting night in the close out.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Game, right right, right right.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
I don't know a lot of exactly saying, well, the
first three games were the most important.
Speaker 6 (10:25):
Yeah, but the close out is a close out. It's tough.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
But it's tough to close I just not when you
shoot that poorly, you know what, Like it was a
really six for twenty.
Speaker 6 (10:34):
Two, well something like that. It was, it was, it
was pretty bad.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
And so I just you know, he didn't get you know,
snug when came the finals MVP, maybe he got you know,
even you know, it was close, I mean it was
very close.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
I think it was five to four, so it was close.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
But you know, I just don't want it to paint like, oh,
everybody hates Jalen when he did, you know, just get
two great awards.
Speaker 4 (11:02):
But it's unfortunate because we do think you should be
on the team.
Speaker 2 (11:05):
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
the nation. Catch all of our shows at Foxsports Radio
dot com and within the iHeartRadio app search FSR to
listen live.
Speaker 3 (11:17):
Pollie Fusco here with Tony Fusco. You know, as the
host of the number one rated Paully and Tony Fusco show.
We get tons and tons of fanmail every day.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Piles of it.
Speaker 3 (11:26):
In fact, Tony, why don't you open up one of
those letters right now and read what's inside? Hey, listen
to this.
Speaker 7 (11:30):
Dear Pauli and Toni, your sports takes the dumbest and
most terribly.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
That Wait, open this other one.
Speaker 7 (11:37):
Dear Pauli and Toni, you suck more than anyone.
Speaker 3 (11:41):
Wait, try this one.
Speaker 7 (11:42):
Dear Paulie and Tony, you guys are the absolute best.
There you go coming up with the stupidest take agget.
Speaker 3 (11:50):
Just listen to the Polly and Tony Fusco Show on
the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 8 (11:57):
Rob, I'm sick, I'm upset, I'm at my wits end.
Speaker 6 (12:09):
And it had something to do with baseball.
Speaker 3 (12:12):
Yes, Wow, Why oh why does it keep happening? I know,
I know what your analytics say, I know what the
trend is, but the fact is it ain't working. Guys
(12:36):
are still getting hurt. I'm not saying eliminate pitch counts
and all that altogether. But when someone who is having
a legendary start to a career, someone who can bring
eyeballs to baseball that usually are on baseball, someone who,
(13:03):
on average his average fast bass darn near one hundred
miles an hour, not his best, his average fastball darn
near one hundred miles an hour, he is rob We
talked about Fernando Valenzuela a few days ago.
Speaker 6 (13:21):
Fernando Mania, Yes.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
Nineteen eighty one. Right, well, Paul Schemes with his eighty
nine strikeouts his one point nine zero ERA this season,
he has the most strikeouts with a sub two point
zero RORA three eleven starts since ERRA became an official
(13:49):
statistic in nineteen thirteen. The second guy with the most
was Valezuela in nineteen eighty one, he had seventy nine. Wait,
I say all that to say this, You heard Steve
de Seger say it earlier. Paul schemes, who has taken
the major leagues by storm, just got drafted out of
(14:14):
lsu Is has been the best pitcher in the league
since he's you know what made when he started throwing.
He had a no hitter going through six was his
six or seven innings? A no hitter going through seven innings?
Eleven K's was mowing them down in Milwaukee.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
Oh, but he threw ninety nine pitches.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Never mind that sixty five of them were strikes. He
wasn't getting weary, but the analytics geeks were getting scared.
Ninety nine pitches, no hitter, Sure, who cares? History in
the making? Who cares? The fans who pay top dollar
(15:09):
and want to see something special?
Speaker 1 (15:11):
Who cares?
Speaker 4 (15:16):
They took him out, Rob.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
And his replacement gave up a hit with the quickness
there would be no combined and no hitter. The Pirates
still won, but they lost the no hitter, and more importantly,
Paul's schemes lost the no hitter and Rob.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I'm tired of it. I'm sick of it.
Speaker 1 (15:40):
It's hard for me to push back or argue on
this because I'm with you. I just do not understand
the thought process. This is a young guy, a rookie, Chris,
give him a chance. If he gives up a hit,
or you know, he walks somebody or you know where,
it's obvious. Okay, maybe he's tiring or something. Then, but
(16:01):
to just take it out of his hands makes no
sense to me. Paul Skeins has been so impressive Chris,
and I'm not this prisoner of the moment.
Speaker 6 (16:12):
Hey put him in the All Star Game? Do this?
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Do that his numbers are worthy, Like you just brought
up Fernando Valezuela. When you start to mention, go look
at some of the other pitchers he's link with. You
know who carry wood to pitch for the Cubs.
Speaker 6 (16:25):
You remember him. Chris was a fireball.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Dwight Good and Doctor k pitched for the Mets. He's
in He's in the territory with all those guys. Yep,
Mark Fiedrich. The Bird Chris pitched and started the All
Star Game in nineteen seventy six after only eleven starts.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
So I love you remember the Bird. He was exciting,
he brought like color. You know, he was charismatic and
all that. But but he pitched on it. He only
had eleven starts. Chris, he started the All Star Game
for them. He's the biggest thing in baseball. Skeens is
in the All Star Right.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
What I'm saying, I make him the starter is what
I'm saying, Like, oh yeah he should be.
Speaker 6 (17:02):
He should start the game.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
But the idea that they keep robbing us, they're you know,
in trying to you know, safeguard people.
Speaker 6 (17:13):
People still get hurt.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Even with all these kid gloves going around, Chris, it
doesn't stop people from getting hurt. People are still getting
hurt and whatnot. So I don't know what the kid
gloves are all about. And the other thing I don't
like is you're robbing the fans of some history and
you don't go to the ballpark all the time. I
watched David Wells pitch a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins,
(17:36):
Chris and Yankees s. I remember it, and I remember
his stuff, and I was like, can you imagine had
they taken him out? Because oh my god, how many
pictures he's thrown. It's ridiculous. Give the guy a chance.
Somebody gets a hit, Chris, and it's broken up. Okay,
it's over right. We're gonna leave you in kid until
you if you got it and now it's just like, well,
(17:59):
ninety nine pictures need to get him out of there.
We don't need to because we don't want to burn
him out. We don't want to do that. What a
young kid, the prime of his life. What's wrong with
these guys?
Speaker 4 (18:11):
Rob, We talked about it yesterday.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
How you know Willie Mays and Hank Air and made
twenty plus All Star games? Will we ever see it again?
No one's made twelve more than twelve straight because of
the injury since Mariano right, the injuries guys Back in
the day, ninety nine pitches was nothing.
Speaker 6 (18:33):
What do we always bring up Nolan Ryan the two
thirty five? What he pitches?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Yeah, in a game and Rob, he ended up pitching
till he was what forty six in his forties, but
he had he unbelievable and threw hard as anybody. He
was the hardest thrower at that time.
Speaker 6 (18:49):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (18:50):
So I'm like and schemes. By the way, Rob, and
I was alluding to this at the start of the segment.
His average fastball is ninety nine miles an hour average.
You know what the average is in the in MLB
among the starting pitchers ninety three ninety three. You're right
(19:11):
ninety three. So this dude on averages throw at ninety nine.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
And Chris I was right. It was June fourteenth, nineteen
seventy four. Nolan Ryan threw two hundred and thirty five
pitches Chris in a start against the Red Sox.
Speaker 6 (19:25):
His stat line it was a thirteen inning game.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
Chris, nobody didn't the bullpen didn't come in. Two hundred
and thirty five pitches hitch ready, thirteen innings, nineteen strikeouts,
He walked ten guys and he faced fifty eight batters.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Can you imaly didn't even miss a start?
Speaker 6 (19:46):
No, he pitched his next start.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
He absolutely did, because I did read that in thinking, well,
did that cost him a starter or too after? No,
he made his next start. Can you imagine a manager
coming to getting Nolan Ryan and Rob here in the end?
Speaker 3 (20:01):
Look, it bears repeating because I've said it before, as
we've talked about this, because I'm sure the analytics, we know,
they're telling them it's just better for the picture. You're
saving his arm, which there's no, we don't see the
evidence because guys keep getting hurt.
Speaker 4 (20:16):
Now it seems more than ever.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
But maybe there's something else they'll say, because maybe not
in this case. I don't see how they would have
in this case. But other cases, Rob, they'll say, well,
this is the third time or fourth time around that
they're seeing this picture right the lineup, Well, can I
stop that?
Speaker 6 (20:35):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (20:36):
He would charge his final sixteen, Chris right, striking out
eight of them. This is like his final sixteen batters
right that he faced Right and Schemes now is the
only player in Major League Baseball history to have multiple
games with six plus innings. Chris pitched zero hits and
allowed as a rookie in a rookie season. So think
(20:58):
about that.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
They're taking away moments, Rob, They're taking away moments. The
no hitters always been special, always been special.
Speaker 6 (21:10):
It is special.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
You know how they're taking it away.
Speaker 1 (21:14):
As I told you before, as a guy Chris who
goes to baseball games, who covered baseball since nineteen eighty six,
I haven't seen that many no hitters, you know, like
it doesn't happen every day. I just gave you the
perfect game of David Wells against the Twins, and you
remember it, and I remember it because it is special.
You don't see that every day you go to the ballpark.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Right, and now they're taking away those moments. I don't
care if you think it's more effective to bring in
a reliever who's got a fresh arm. At the end
of the day, this is entertainment too. These are This
is about creating memories too. There were young kids there
(21:58):
rob at the game who would have loved to have
seen a no hitter. They would have been able to
tell that story their entire lives. Now it's gone. The
shift rip. It's the same thing as the ship. The
shift was great. Strategically, it's not and this isn't good
(22:20):
for the game. When you take the ball out of
the player's hands. Chris, let the players decide, not the
managers in some geek with a pencil protector.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
He's there, stop it. We saw them do this to uh,
even Clayton Kershaw. You remember a couple of years ago, Chris,
he had a perfect game going. I don't and they
were like, whoa, we're trying to save him from getting hurt.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
He still got hurt that year they took him out.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
He still got hurt, as what are you doing a
chance to pitch a perfect game?
Speaker 6 (22:51):
Let him walk.
Speaker 1 (22:51):
The guy in he ate to start the eighth Chris,
if he walks a guy, or if he gives up
a hint, then you take him outright.
Speaker 6 (22:58):
He might have got a first.
Speaker 1 (23:00):
Pitch pop up, you know what I mean, and got
out of the inning after giving up eight pitches.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
And I don't think it had anything to do with
them thinking he you know, oh he's losing it. No, no, no,
not gonna be to stay hot. I think it was
totally like they got a rule, right, you don't get
more than one hundred pitches or whatever. I mean. It's
just terrible because look, these games, we need stars, we
(23:26):
need superstars, we need big names. And players become in
any of the sports, they become big names by doing
the incredible and one of the incredible things is the
no hitter.
Speaker 6 (23:45):
And you know, just this Chris.
Speaker 1 (23:47):
So the manager was questioned about the whole thing after
the game, and the you know, the media pushedback and
said was this analytics and asked him that directly, and
he said no, it wasn't, which of course company line,
but he said Christian was the eye test. The eye
test is that he would tire sixteen straight right and
struck out eight of them.
Speaker 6 (24:06):
I would say, what eye tests?
Speaker 1 (24:08):
What did you see when he was retiring sixteen in
a row, that made you think he was losing it?
Speaker 6 (24:13):
What what? What was it?
Speaker 1 (24:15):
He's struck out a guy, He's struck out a guy
on five pitches instead of three.
Speaker 6 (24:19):
Is that one when he was losing it?
Speaker 3 (24:21):
Right? I mean come on, yeah, eight of those guys
went down strikeouts, right, eight of those last sixteen. It's
just look, it's just baseball getting in its own way again, Rob.
They made some good decisions with the pitch cla have
they changed on bringing the stolen bases back and all that,
But it's just I'm sorry, like analytics just it's like
(24:46):
takes all the fun out of the thing.
Speaker 6 (24:48):
Big time in some ways. You know, Rob g tell us,
I think you have the breakdown.
Speaker 5 (24:53):
Yeah, so they said he was tired the eye test,
that's what the manager said that he looked tired. Chris,
listen to the manager, Derek Shelton, and here are the
speeds of the last six or he threw seven pitches
in the seventh inning, so it's not like he was
laboring there at the end. Ninety seven mile hour fastball,
eighty one curve ninety one, splitter ninety three splitter eighty
(25:15):
one curve ninety three splitter and you could talked about
it and he looked tired and to get him out
of there.
Speaker 6 (25:21):
Ninety three is the average pitch, that's the pitch in
the major length.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
And I was a splitter, was splitter right now.
Speaker 3 (25:27):
That's just And that's the thing about Skins like he
he's I mean, as hard as he throws, he's got
more than just he looks older than than he does, right, Yeah,
he definitely does. He has an older look to him
like that, No doubt, he definitely does, no doubt. I
hope Rob that he stays healthy because this dude is
you know, and you mentioned you mentioned the carry Woods
(25:49):
and you know, like good even Fernando didn't go on
you know what I mean to like have the career
that that would equate to the hots start right, I.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Hope this kid does.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
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 and.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
Man last night, we talked about it earlier. Anthony Davis
was great. You could call him the star of last
night's exhibition victory for the United States over Canada their
first bit of action. But Rob, it was interesting, and
I know it's just one game. I wouldn't and not
gonna make a big deal out of it, although I
(26:37):
do think Anthony Davis looked a lot better than joelmbi
That to me was significant.
Speaker 4 (26:43):
More so because of Mbiad's just health.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
It wasn't like, if he was healthy, Rob, I wouldn't
even think it's that big of a deal, but the
fact that he's not fully healthy. He ended the season
obviously playing on one leg so to speak. They're all
talking about how he's not back to one hundred percent.
Speaker 4 (27:04):
Now I'm kind of like, why is he out there playing?
Speaker 1 (27:07):
Why?
Speaker 4 (27:08):
And then Anthony Davis did look a lot better.
Speaker 3 (27:11):
But Rob, the second team, which was the young guys,
they looked better than the first team.
Speaker 4 (27:18):
I mean, there's no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (27:20):
Yeah, he's like you said, I mean you you were
upset that that Lebron was the best player.
Speaker 6 (27:25):
In King That's what I was saying.
Speaker 1 (27:27):
Because of the younger players, Chris, they should be the
ones out there moving and shaken. It's not a disrespect,
it's that the young boys should be out there.
Speaker 6 (27:34):
That's what I am.
Speaker 3 (27:36):
Now they they they should be taking control of this situation.
Speaker 4 (27:40):
And last night, look, Tyrese Halliburton, Rob comes off the.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
Bench six assists for steals that it was a team
high four steals, team high six assists. I mentioned Anthony Davis,
not a young boy, but he was with that second unit,
team team high four blocks, eleven boards to go along
with ten points. Jason Tatum the numbers, you know, he
(28:06):
drove to the basket, you know, attacked the rim. He
had eight points, but got him going in the first
half when they were down Bam out of Bayu was
pretty good with seven rebounds himself, and Anthony Edwards Robbed.
Everybody's trying to push the Jordan second Jordan, you know,
second coming to Michael Jordan on him. But last night
(28:28):
he looked really good, six for ten from the field.
Speaker 1 (28:31):
Rob.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
So in nineteen minutes he scores thirteen points, which was
a team high, also added a steal and three boards,
and he you know, he said one thing I like
about him, I like a lot about him, but is
that he is not scared and he respects the older guys.
(28:57):
I mean, I think that's clear, Rob, He's actually able
to like I guess kind of sort of talk trash,
be braggadocious, but in a way or and let me
throw this and not defer to the older legends he's
(29:19):
playing with, but in a way that doesn't come off
as disrespectful, Like when when he talked trash to Kevin
Durant in the playoff series and they swept the Timberwell
swept the suns. I mean, he gave so much love
to Durant in the in the uh in the press conferences,
(29:40):
saying that it was his idol that he used to
watch him growing up and that's who he modeled a
lot of his game after and all that that it
didn't come off as disrespects It didn't Durant for sure,
because Durant was just smiling, was talking trash and killing
them right. And I will say this though about this
time when he said the other day I'm the number
(30:03):
one option on this team. I love the confidence. That's
a Kobe Bryant type thing to say. But again, I
don't think he did it in a way Rob that's
disrespectful to the Lebrons and the Durance and the staffs
and all these guys that are the legends on this team.
(30:25):
And last night he went out there and played like
he thought he was the number one option and they
needed what he gave him, which was a team I
thirteen points. He didn't complain about coming off the bench. Well,
he might come off the bench. That might be his
job with this team. But I liked what I saw
from him. And maybe, like I said earlier to a caller,
(30:45):
I guess his coming out party was this season, if
some want to say it was Feba last year. But
maybe this will be a supplement, if you will, to
his coming out party.
Speaker 6 (30:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
I still think it's all you know, has been way premature,
as good as he is, Chris, and we saw it.
Speaker 6 (31:06):
I just think people and I get it.
Speaker 1 (31:08):
You know, you see something happening before your eyes and
you're ready to crown somebody. And everybody thought, okay, uh, Minnesota,
they're going to the NBA Finals. You know, everybody picked Minnesota.
Speaker 6 (31:18):
They were they were.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
I ended up saying that after they they beat I
picked it they did. I was like, Okay, they got this,
but they clearly rob I think they felt that was
their championship.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
You most yeah, it probably was because they didn't expect
to be doing what they did right, and they were
if you remember correctly, it was they looked when they
won the first two games, then they melted at home
for a couple of games, and then you know, they
wound up winning that game seven, uh in Denver, and
that was huge, But they looked like they Yeah, but
(31:49):
they looked like even after they won the first two games,
like they were going to fall apart, like totally, and
they wind up winning the series. But I just think
it's all premature, and I think that stuff comes in time.
You know, as you play, Chris, as you start to uh,
make shots, make plays, people start to see more and more.
And it doesn't mean that he's not a star and
(32:11):
can't be a big star, Chris. That's not what I'm saying.
It's just about crowning people too soon. And I think
he's been crowned or for you, Yeah, I think I
thought people were trying to crown him during that And
you know that we talked about it. Whenever you mentioned
somebody in Michael Jordan, you're talking about rarefied Air, not
(32:31):
to and and forget about the resemblance, Chris, I'm just
meaning you're talking about Michael Jordan with anybody, people are
gonna look at you a certain way and expect certain
things from you. And then he had a couple of
subpar games. Uh you know in the uh uh in
the Western Conference finals.
Speaker 3 (32:52):
You know what I mean, he was by his own admission,
he was exhausted.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
Right, He just he didn't look like he did early
where he was just balling out.
Speaker 6 (33:02):
He look like he was unstoppable. And now I can
see why.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
People would get crazy, to go crazy over a guy,
young guy doing that, playing at that level in the postseason,
knocking off the defending champs being a big reason why.
But still I think people are expecting a little bit
too much.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
The only thing I think is premature are the Jordan comparisons.
I can't get them out of my head, though, Chris,
I don't think anything else.
Speaker 4 (33:33):
I mean, nobody's saying he's the best player in the world.
Speaker 3 (33:37):
People are saying he could be the future face of
the league or will be the future face of the league. Look,
I mean, right, it seems like it's clearly gonna be
win Binyama. But if you want to go American face
of the league or if they if they win you know,
a championship before in San Antonio, which is very likely,
or you know, I should say they got a better
chance of doing it first. He could be the face
(34:00):
of the league for a while. I mean, I think,
clearly though it's Winbin Yama. But I just think I
see and I've said it, and I texted with Jordan
about it, like there are clear similarities in their games,
the way he plays, and then even when you want
to talk about some of the attitude, the swagger, the
(34:21):
spectacular nature of his game most people, the defensive approach
as well as offense.
Speaker 6 (34:27):
But people, I think take it to even more.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
I know what you're saying, but they're like, oh, he's
the next Jordan, Like, well, that's not the conversation, you
know what I mean.
Speaker 4 (34:35):
I don't think he'll ever be.
Speaker 3 (34:39):
And I say this respectfully, I don't think Anthony Edwards
Rodd will ever be like in the Goat conversation. And
that's what when you say, if you're saying he's like
Michael Jordan and that his game has similarities, he reminds
you of Jordan, that's fine, but you gotta clarify what
(34:59):
you mean, Am I right? Because that's what the greatest
player ever? Because that's at worse in some people's eyes,
the second greatest. I don't think Edwards is going to
be in that conversation, and that doesn't mean he couldn't be.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
I think he.
Speaker 4 (35:13):
Could be an all time great.
Speaker 3 (35:15):
I think the trajectory is that he will be an
all time great. But there's a difference between all time
great and Goat conversation.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Big time, and I think people though I think people aren't.
I think I think it's blurred just because he's people
are mentioning Michael Jordan, so you think of the ultimate greatness.
You don't just think of like the type of stuff
that he does, or the way he carries himselves or
(35:45):
the way he gets after it. Chris defensively like people
just say, oh, Michael, he's the next Michael Jordan. No,
And I think you're right, No, No, He's not going
to be in that Goat conversation. Uh just how could
you look at how could you look and think anybody
is like like see, you have to see like a
couple of years, Chris, of work and championships at the
(36:07):
MVP before you could even have that. Kevin Durant has accomplished. Chris,
He's not in that conversation.
Speaker 6 (36:15):
The guys won. STEP's not in the go that's not
in that compe. He's got four championships.
Speaker 1 (36:20):
That's what I'm trying to say is like those guys
don't even mention and they and their way of what
well accomplished.
Speaker 3 (36:26):
I do think like I think, and I I put
it this way, I do think you can see a
guy and it's so different that you you never know
if he's gonna fulfill his potential.
Speaker 4 (36:39):
Right, that's what you have to wait and see.
Speaker 3 (36:42):
But somebody like win beinn Yama, Rob, if he fulfills
his potential, I think he could be in the Gold
conversation if he fulfills his.
Speaker 4 (36:52):
Potent, like his potential is go Anthony Edwards.
Speaker 3 (36:57):
If he fulfills his potential, Rob, I still don't think
it's gold, Like I just don't see that. And so
that's that's what I mean. But he's great and you're
right like Rob, You remember we were covering the league
when all types of a Jerry Stackhouse.
Speaker 4 (37:19):
Harold Minor was Grant Grant Hill.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
I believe it was like it were so many guys
that were supposed to be the next Jordan.
Speaker 6 (37:27):
And Harold Minor.
Speaker 3 (37:29):
Did you just say, yeah, Harold Minor, I covered him
with with the Cleveland Cavaliers. And I'll say this, Rob,
even at that time, which was the late mid to
late nineties, when you compare somebody to Jordan now and
correct me if you think I'm wrong, it's different than
it was then. And I'm not saying people didn't think
(37:51):
he was the greatest ever in the late nineties, but
now it's different because his legend has grown so much
even as he hasn't been playing. But you know what
I mean, Rob, Like back then, it was like people understood.
You weren't saying he's gonna be the greatest player in
the league necessarily. You weren't saying he's gonna be you know,
(38:12):
the goat or in that conversation, you were just saying, ok,
he's gonna be great like Jordan and exciting.
Speaker 4 (38:18):
Well, now I feel like it's gone beyond that.
Speaker 3 (38:21):
And when you compare somebody to Michael Jordan, it's like,
oh wow, that's you saying something, right, that's.
Speaker 1 (38:28):
A tall order, That's what I'm saying. Like people gotta
look at it, squinch up their face. Chris and got Jordan,
what right? Like really really Okay,
Hosts And Creators
kelvin washington
Rob Parker
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!