July 15, 2024 • 38 mins
FOX Sports Radio Weekend host Martin Weiss is in for Rob, and he and Chris tell us how Australia was able to expose a few fundamental flaws in Team USA Basketball on Monday, explain why they believe Anthony Davis should start over Joel Embiid, debate where the MLB Home Run Derby ranks amongst the best exhibition events in American pro sports and discuss the impact Skip Bayless has had on the sports media landscape over the last two decades.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Be sure to check us out live every weekday from
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Speaker 3 (00:24):
Let's get this, punies, you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Ah, yeah, it is the Odd Couple.
Speaker 5 (00:42):
I'm Chris Bruce Ard alongside my partner Rob Parker.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It is not Rob Parker you heard it earlier.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
It is Martin Weiss and we are live from the
tire rack dot Com studios.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Tirerack dot Com will help you get there.
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They've got an unmatched election, fast free shipping, free road
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Tiereg dot com is the way tybine should be. In
this right here, the I Couple even sayings Rob Parker is.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
The way sports talk radio should be.
Speaker 5 (01:18):
So keep it locked here for the next three hours
on Fox Sports Radio, the iHeartRadio app or Sirius XM
channel eighty three. With that saying, let me welcome in
my co host for the day, Martin Weiss, what's up.
Speaker 6 (01:34):
Man, living the duram Chris brusaar glad to be here,
especially on a day like today. A lot of stuff
going on, Chris, how are you? It is a lot
going on. I'm good.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I'm good.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
I feel like I haven't been on in a while,
even though I was. I was on Thursday, but I
was on Friday, and I'm back all week and looking
forward to it.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
So welcome into the arena, Martin. Let's see if you can.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
Have oh please come on. Hey, this is no Canadian
basketball over here. All right, I'm hanging in here.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
All right?
Speaker 5 (02:07):
That sounds good. The couple cruis in full effect. The
super producer is with us. Arrive g in the house.
On the ones and tunes, Yep, you guessed that DJ
Alex Tysher is off, but in his place, Mighty Mark
Ramsey will do his thing tonight on the updates.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
You heard him? Who was that earlier? Oh my, I'm
so fonci Bellanio.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
There you go is on the updates and on the
social media are man Elijah is off, so Sagar Patel
filling in admirably.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
And let's get right to it, Martin.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Today earlier Team USA, you mentioned Canada, meaning the Canadian
men's basketball team that Team USA beat, but I think
it was fourteen points last They're opening exhibition game today.
They played Australia and a good test because Australia medaled
(03:06):
in last year's Olympics or or last time they had
the Olympics four years ago.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
And it was a good test.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
We were up by twenty four Team USA, but Australia
rallied and pulled within four. At the end, Team USA
is up, winning eighty six eighty two. A lot of
takeaways from this What was your biggest takeaway from this game?
Speaker 6 (03:34):
My biggest takeaway is that I was right, but we'll
talk about that coming up.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
And I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
And that final score, yeah, that that final score was was.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
It eighty let's see ninety eight ninety two? I'm sorry
ninety eight ninety two. I'll say my biggest takeaway, you
were right? So what were you right about? It's actually
our second topics.
Speaker 6 (03:57):
I don't want to go ahead and jump the gun,
but I was out there saying it on Friday and
Rob Parker was.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah, President read the moment. It's too soon. No, it's not.
We'll get to that exactly. We'll get to that coming
up next.
Speaker 6 (04:11):
The number one takeaway from this game is from a
basketball standpoint, sixty eight points in the paint is not
gonna be a winning recipe very like. Maybe it'll work
here in this exhibition, but if you're gonna give up
nearly seventy points in the paint in a forty minute
basketball game, you are going to lose.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
Well, And you gave up sixty eight points in the
paint to a team that, as far as Biggs was
led by Jock Landout.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
All right.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
This wasn't Shock, This wasn't Patrick Ewing that you were facing.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
It was Jock freaking Landown, all right.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
And here's what I would say, because I'm glad you
brought that up. With all due respect to the great
Steve Kerr and ty Lou. I mean, we got a
great coaching staff obviously, but when I watch these international
games Martin, and I'm thinking about last year in the
Feeble World Cup as well, I gotta be honest, man,
(05:17):
it looks and feels like we get out coached.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I mean it really doesn't.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Now.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
Maybe that's because regular everyday, non descript role players like
Dante Exum and Jacques Landill as I said, and Josh
Giddy are easier to coach than superstars who are gonna
be in the Hall of Fame in a few years.
(05:45):
But whatever the case, when I watch our offense, mark
and tell me what you think. When I watch our offense,
listen to what I'm saying. What I see is a
bunch of dudes passing and moving the ball very quickly,
or driving and kicking. Couple dribbles, drive, draw double ten,
kick out to the three. Either take the three or
(06:08):
couple dribbles, draw defensive attention, kick it out to the three.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Like our whole.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
Offense seems to be just looking for open threes and
they're there. The open threes are there, and we're content
just to sit there and shoot threes. Occasionally, Via and
Anthony Edwards, Lebron did it a few times, maybe a
Jason Tatum. Occasionally there's the drive, you know, all the
(06:35):
way to the whole, or in for a short jumper
or something. But our offense is basically drive it, draw
the attention, kick out for an open three. When I
watch Australia or Canada, or even last year with Germany
and the Feeble World Cup and all that, you know
what I see I see taking threes, I see driving
(06:58):
to the basket, I see high pick and roll, I
see backdoor cuts, I see post.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Moves like I see a full complete game.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
And we used to, Martin, when you know, when we
used to start getting challenged in the in the like
round two thousand and the early arts and all that, right,
we were playing big boy basketball. We still have a
lot of bigs on the team and play inside out.
And the teams were challenging us from Europe because they
were shooting threes, and we were kind of exchanging twos
(07:33):
for threes.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And obviously we've.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
Adapted to that and said, you know, we recognize the
value of the three as well, and we can shoot
that too. But now it's like we've gone the opposite way,
and now we want to do is shoot threes. And
now the European teams are saying, well, yeah, we still
shoot the three, but we'll go inside too, We'll play
a full complement of basketball, whereas your it's like, it's
(08:01):
like Martin, we can't.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
We either gonna be big.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
And play inside out I'll ot twenty years ago, or
we're just gonna play small and everybody wants to shoot
threes and That's what I mean when I say it
looks like we're getting out coached and it's bothersome. Why
can't we play a full, well rounded game of basketball.
Speaker 6 (08:26):
I think it really comes down to Chris. The players
that are on the roster, Like the home run derby
is coming up, right, the Major League Baseball home run
Derby in the All Star Game. None of those guys
are laying down buns at any point in time in games, right,
because you want, if you know, if you got enough
power in your bat to be in the home run Derby,
your manager's gonna want you to swing away.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
None of these guys who are on like.
Speaker 6 (08:49):
This is Embiid, Davis, both of those guys, I mean,
and Bead's the second best player.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
They could go inside. No, they could definitely go inside.
Speaker 6 (08:57):
I'm not saying, well, Joel Embiid, We've been crying for
him to go inside for years.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
That's kind of my point is like who in the
NBA that's American is actually going.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Inside at times? And nobody. That's my point.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
Mark, It's like kids today, listen to me. Dads out there,
you got a young kid, just because your son works
on the three, is a guard has handled.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Maybe that's what he's gonna live and dive ey the three.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
The mid range jumper doesn't mean you can't also develop
some post moves. It's not like, Oh, if I go
start working in the post a little bit, I'm gonna
lose my shot, I'm gonna lose my handle.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
I'm gonna lose my jump shot. Right, you should be
able to play with your back to the bast Thank you.
That's all I'm saying. Go ahead.
Speaker 6 (09:40):
So for me, the thing is, though we talk about
especially not necessarily the inside game to me, but do
you look at the backcuts and the and the passing
and the sharing of the ball you was doing.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Yeah, I think that.
Speaker 6 (09:50):
Comes from having a bunch of guys who were normally
used to getting the ball pass to them and say,
go to work, Devin Booker, go to work, Steph Curry,
go to work. Lebron James as opposed to you know,
Josh Giddy. They're they're were trying to bench him in
the playoffs last year like a freaking all NBA guy today. Right,
But I think when you look at it, so is
(10:11):
it about being out coached or is it just more
about these guys are not used to playing in the
way that they're asked to play now where they're they
may be a role player on this team who's supposed
to be the role players when it's a team of
all stars like the team USA is. So I think
it's more of that as opposed to just these guys
(10:31):
don't want to play that way or can't play that
way or chief Currents Tyleru and Mark Few and the
other coach on the roster, Eric s Bolster are saying,
don't do this right. They're saying, I don't think. I
don't think it's like they're like like being paid, No, but.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
They why not put in an offense that has some
of that?
Speaker 6 (10:49):
I think that might I mean, how else do you
get eighteen turnovers in a forty minute game?
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Like?
Speaker 6 (10:53):
I think they are trying to install an offense that
that involves some of that, right involved?
Speaker 1 (10:58):
What some of the backdoor cuts? I don't see much
backdoor cutting.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
No, it's I mean, do you see any I mean, honestly,
do you see much other than a couple of dribbles,
draw attention, kickout for three either shoot it, oh, a
couple dribbles kick out for it?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Like, do you see much more? Than that. I mean, no, no,
I don't. I don't see much more than that.
Speaker 6 (11:19):
That's about what it is, and so I'd like to
see more of it, obviously, But they play a style
in the Olympics that they're playing in the NBA right now, Like,
you don't see that out of these guys. These guys
aren't back door cutting in regular games, all right, Like
when's the last time maybe Anthony Edwards on a back
door lob if it was a set out of bounds
or you know, somebody like you know, the coaches Bluten.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
State would run it, you know, during their heyday, they
did a lot of that stuff.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
But the conversation then was how how you know how
the conversation.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
That was how unique it was? Right right, these.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
Guys aren't doing it in the NBA, So I guess
it's a it's a it's a risk and reward because
they're not doing it in the league. So how much
do we want to try to input it?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Now?
Speaker 6 (12:00):
They're used to driving kick, driving, kick, driving kick, shoot three,
shoot three, shoot threes, So do we maximize the style
that they've already been playing, or do we try to
implement the style that you know, you see these teams
like but I mean, Chris, you know, just thinking about
the NCAA tournament, like Princeident Yukon, what they.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
Did, that's how they won, right. Their offense was constant movement.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I mean it was that.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
But then a lot of times you see like teams
like Princeton running the Princeton offense, right, they would go
up and knock off some of the big boys because
they're just playing a better brand of basketball. But ultimately
they ain't winning national championships because the talent wins out.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
So I think ultimately that's the decision that talent.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
But these games, this was closer than it needed to be.
Not granted again, we were up twenty four, but I
just think, and look, I understand, if you can beat
your man off the dribble every time, then a lot
of times you just go with that, right, And a
lot of the ultra elite guys aren't moving without the basketball,
(13:03):
running back door cuts and things like that, because they
don't need somebody to get them run a play to
get them a shot.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
They can get the shot on their own exactly.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
But and that's the thing, a lot of even our
elite NBA players don't know how to play that way.
And look again with Jordan and the triangle, that's what
Phil Jackson made it easier on him by getting some
movement and things like that in the offense. And when
you combine elite athleticism and ability with smart basketball, with
(13:38):
ball and player movement, that's when you're unbeatable. And I look,
I think we're gonna win. I say that after we
beat Canada, we're going to win. But some of these
games may be closer than they need to be. And
you just see the flaws in our game right now,
but we'll win just on talent.
Speaker 6 (13:59):
And I also, well, Crook, I just also think that
they would have won this game by more than if
if they weren't playing literally all twelve men that are
going to be.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
On the team except for Derek White. But the thing
is this.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
And I thought, you're right. Normally you would think, Okay,
we're up twenty four. We took our foot off the gas.
We put it in the second unit. But the second
unit is like full of all NBA guys. The second
unit is Devin Booker and Anthony Davison, you know what
I'm saying, Like, so there should be no letdown. In fact,
our second unit is to a large degree play better
(14:32):
than our first unit. But there should be no letdown
because we're so talented, and there was a letdown today.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
All right. Martin Weiss has a big takeaway.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
He thinks it's unique because he was saying it Friday.
Guess what Martin, I was saying it Thursday. That's next
A couple of Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
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Hey Gang Listen.
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Speaker 5 (15:44):
All right, it's the A Couple of christmasor Martin Weiss
is in for Rob Parker and we are live fromthti
iraq dot com studios. Martin has been chomping at the bit.
He's excited. He came in dancing like so overjoyed to
(16:06):
give this take that he copied from me on Thursday.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
First and foremost, Chris, because I was a Friday.
Speaker 5 (16:13):
He said it to Rob and it sounded intelligence, But
I said it to Rob on Friday because that was
the chance I had it.
Speaker 6 (16:19):
I came up with this take when I was sitting
there watching Game one of this thing. But go ahead,
lay it out there, layout your little spiel.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
You're the guest. Have fun half at it. Go ahead.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
So I'm trying to remember when was the first exhibition
game for the US.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Do you remember? No, I know, I know it was Kenny.
Do you remember the day? I think it was Wednesday? Wednesday?
I think it was Wednesday. So I came in.
Speaker 6 (16:43):
Actually, the first place I debuted this was on with
Mike Harmon. I was filling in for Jason Smith on
Thursday night.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Both of them were after my take.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
You listened to the eye couple and say, you know
what Chris is making some sense, So.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Call it mine.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
I say this, and it was proven further right today,
I do not think that Joel Embiid's game translates to
the international game in the in the way that it
does in the NBA. You think about me free throws,
he shoots. Think about how poor the refs were today
at Abu Dhabi when you were watching that game. There
(17:22):
were several times I was like, because I had the
volume down as I was doing my Detroit radio show
Newton the three, twelve seventy am Detroit. As I was
doing my Detroit radio show, I had the volume down.
I'm sitting there looking at him like, man, that's a foul.
That's a foul. That's a foul, and several things did
not get called. Keep in mind, Embiid has averaged over
(17:44):
three files in every season that he has played, including
his MVP season, So he's a handsy type of guy.
Even though he's a plus defender. Went healthy. Secondly or thirdly,
he's not healthy right now, so he look he looks
like he's laboring up and down the court, which all
landed me on. I believe that Anthony Davis is a
(18:06):
better fit in the starting five for Team USA than
Joell ebiid Is, and I think that that change, if
not coming now, should be coming before they play games
that actually matter. I know that they play Serbia, and
I know you need it, you would like to have
embiid for Serbia.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
I'm not saying you staple him to the bench. I
think he's a part of the rotation.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
He has destroyed Jokic one on one in their matchups.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
That's what I'm not saying you. I'm not saying you
never play him.
Speaker 6 (18:36):
I'm not giving them Derek White status where he just
you assume that he was never gonna get off the bench.
I think he'd be better suited on a second unit
where he can be more of a focal point of
the offensive plan. And I think defensively it'll help him
out playing less minutes, because at this rate, I think
he will be filing out of big time games when
(18:57):
you really need them.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
So I think Anthony Anthony Davis has been way better.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Anthony Davis and Anthony Edwards have been the best players
on Team USA. And this is great to see from
Anthony Davis. And I know it's just two games, two
exhibition games at.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
That, but let's keep it real.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
As great as Anthony Davis has been in his career,
we all feel like there's still a little something there
that he's not showing us. And in this tournament he
is playing great. So I'm with you in that you
can start him mb. Here's my thing with m beating
(19:42):
you know, we talk about it all the time, his
unwillingness to play inside for any significant amount of time.
When you have a team full of great perimeter players
and shooters.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Do I really need my seven foot big man.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
Joining in the you know, the perimeter guys and hanging
out there on the perimeter.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
I mean, Joel LMBI makes himself six ' four.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Instead of beasting people at seven feet well over three
hundred pounds, He's out there playing like he's a six
four guard.
Speaker 6 (20:23):
Here's a seven foot to do a shoot. He's a
seven foot, three hundred pounds small forward.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Yeah. Yeah, that's the way he plays, and that's how he.
Speaker 5 (20:29):
Plays with Philly and for all his regular seasons success
and he Martin. I mean I I will not take
a thing away from what he did last year during
the regular season. He was phenomenal electric, Yes, but it
has not translated to playoff success. I think a lot
of that is his other problem. He's hurt all the time,
(20:51):
and he's hurt right now, and I'm a break.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Look why why is Joel l Embiid on the team
when he's hurt? I think they feeling is Kevin Durant
on the team when he's hurt? Kevin Durant want to me?
Makes less sense because.
Speaker 6 (21:08):
If he's too hurt to play now, right, how healthy
will he eventually get? You know what I'm saying, Like,
I know this supposed to be just precautionary, and you know,
but the thing of like it wasn't that the same
story with Kawhi Leonard. Like maybe Jalen Brown has a
point in terms of the Kevin Durant thing, right, because
if you're just gonna sit up there and take up face,
(21:29):
this ain't a fifteen man rofter.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
You only get th he don't.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
Let's keep it real and Kevin Durant is phenomenal, but
we don't need him to win. No, He's had plenty
of international experience and success. He's the all time leading scorer,
he's got three gold medals.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
So it's not like, man, this is his only chance.
You know what? I mean like it was.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
For Kawhi, Right, I just if I'm the Phoenix Suns,
I'm like, wait a minute, he can't play.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Oh, he's going to go out here and play.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
Presumably without being one hundred percent and maybe risk further
aggravation or injury, and that's gonna bleed into our season.
I don't some of this stuff is not making sense.
I'm sorry, not trying to take guys off the team.
I'm just saying, if you're injured, and these two have
(22:25):
a history of injuries, then why why are we doing this?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Especially?
Speaker 6 (22:30):
I mean Embiid makes a little more sense to me.
He's because he's out there playing. Even though what he
was as a plus minus of two a plus minus
of negative two, Davis is a plus nineteen right from
negative two in the two games and both games, Right,
he only played three minutes in the second half, had
a team low sixteen minutes, play tide for a team
(22:51):
high with three turnovers. Right, But he may be okay,
he's playing himself into shape.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Maybe that's something. Why is it? You know what I mean?
Speaker 6 (23:00):
No, I agree with you one hundred percent, but I
can see understand and beat a little bit more that
I can understand Kevin Durant.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
If Kevin Durant is hurt, he needs to go home.
If he's not hurt, he probably needs to be.
Speaker 6 (23:11):
Playing like there's there's a very one binary yes or
no here to me. That doesn't make sense why Kevin
Durant is still on maybe announcing him initially understand it
one hundred percent when he strained this calf though, Right, Hey,
go back to Phoenix, KD.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Put your feet up, make sure you ike that caf
and check us out on the TV exactly get ready
for the season. That's what That's what he needs to do,
all right.
Speaker 5 (23:34):
The Home Run Derby is tonight. It's a nice event,
it's cute, but.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
The granddaddy of them all takes place in February. We'll
get to that next. It's the I Couple, Chris and Martin. First.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
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 FS to
listen live.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
The Home Run Derby is enjoyable, it really is.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
I want to ask you this question, do you think
what's your what is the best All Star Game event
You've got the various events at the Pro Bowl, right,
and those are okay, you know with the quarterbacks, you know,
hitting the targets and so on and so forth. Obviously
(24:28):
you've got the home Run Derby for baseball, and you've
got the Slam Dunk Contest, the Skills competition, and the
three point Shootout for basketball the NBA. Which one do
you think is the best? I think it's a two
event race. But let's hear what you say.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
For me right here, right now, in twenty twenty four,
give me the three point contest.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
That's where the stars are.
Speaker 6 (24:58):
That's where the stars are in the NBA, the three
point Contest and the w NBA too, exactly who knows
you He's multiple w NBA competitors coming up this next uh,
this next February when during All Star weekends, you know,
Sabrina and Caitlin, you see. I don't know, maybe Kayle
got to shoot better than two for eleven from three
like you did yesterday, but that's neither here nor there.
(25:20):
But yeah, to me, it's the three point contest, and
to me it's it's not really close. I think everybody
else is playing for second.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
Wow, I got the dunk contest still and I know
it does go up and down, right, I mean, there
are years where it's just bad. When it was in Cleveland,
that was the last All Star Game I was at live,
it was horrible. I mean it was horrible. It was
the worst ever. But for the most part, I think
(25:50):
they're good. Even last year. Mac mcclun. McClung, you know,
he is so good. You remember his name, huh No,
but he's you know, he he's a nice he put
on the show and he is a great dunker. So
and you know, obviously a lot of people know him
from even his high school days, so he's a name too.
But I agree that the events are better when you
(26:13):
have the stars, and the Home Run Derby still does
have a good number of stars.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
I definitely don't think it's a three point shootout. That's fun.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
It's nice to watch, but I just don't think it's
as exciting as the dunk contest. And I think the
Home Run Derby as much as I enjoyed, and I
think this year they made some good moves.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
They're making it a little bit faster at the end
of the day.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
Over the years, it's been so long that at the
risk of sounding blasphemous. It's been a tad bit, you know, monotonous?
Is it just me with the home run Derby?
Speaker 1 (27:02):
To me, the key only hit a home run one,
like you know what I mean. Like, to me, the
key is the broadcaster.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
If you're sitting watching it on silent, you know, lullabies
will put me to sleep slower.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
But back in the day when you had Chris.
Speaker 6 (27:17):
Brightman back back gone and doing his different make basically
doing his NFL prime time type calls for these home
run uh, you know, having the nicknames and all that
type of stuff, That to me is where the excitement lies. Like, obviously,
the guy's got to hit the home runs out of
the park for things to happen.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Many calls is he gonna have. I'll just remember being
younger anything, I mean, you how many he's gonna watch?
How many home runs?
Speaker 6 (27:45):
I remember being younger and hearing all of like it
seemed like he had to differ something unique to say
for every single one of these things. Maybe I'm looking
back in the past with rose colored glasses, but uh,
that's what I remember the most is the broadcaster. Maybe
maybe actually, well it was more important to me. It's
why I'm sitting in this chair today.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
It was the broadcasting No look, Berman obviously is legendary,
and and I like the home run derby my own.
What I'm saying is this, there are only so many
ways you can hit a home run, right sure, basically
one way you can hit a home run now unless
you're hitting them five to six hundred exactly.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
That's what gets you excited.
Speaker 5 (28:31):
Whereas, obviously with the dunk contest, you know, there's just
a number of ways you can dunk of basketball, and Martin,
I think today now obviously the dunks that these guys
are often doing are way more advanced than what even
the legendary Michael Jordan and hey, even I mean Vince
was phenomenal, but even more than you know, what Vince
(28:53):
Carter did. And you know, it's just the imagination has
run wild. But that also why they missed more Like
Jordan and Vince and and all those guys back in
the day didn't miss because they were doing dunks that
they could do every time.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
And I'm not saying they were they took the easy
way out. I'm just saying that was the day.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
Whereas now, because there's this pressure to kind of do something,
no one's ever seen. Guys are doing dunks that you're
just not gonna make one hundred percent of the time
for the most part, you.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (29:34):
And that's that's you know, one of the things with
the Dunk Contest.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
But you know, they were showing them last.
Speaker 5 (29:41):
Week on NBA TV, a lot of them, and man
it was when it's done right. I mean, Blake Griffin
had a great Dunk Contest performance, obviously, Vince zach Lavine
and Aaron Gordon.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
I think that was the best dunk contest ever. That
was ten years ago.
Speaker 5 (29:59):
Chris, No, I know, but I'm just talking about like
these historic dunk contests. The Dunk Contest ebbs and flows.
But ideal if the thing that would bring it back is.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
If you could get the big names in it.
Speaker 6 (30:13):
Yeah, I'd like to see some more flow less ebb
out of the Dunk Contest, And I'd be right with
you to me, the Dunk Contest has the greatest potential
of all of the movies. But it's just it has
when it pops is the best. It just has yet
to realize that potential for quite some time.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
For a while.
Speaker 5 (30:30):
Yes, although McClung, I'm not mad at McClung. Were you
mad at mclach I mean, he's not an NBA player.
Speaker 6 (30:34):
But still that's the problem, Chris, he's not an NBA player.
He don't qualify. He doesn't qualify. He doesn't qualify. Next
tep But Bronnie James in a three point shootout?
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Oh look, shots fired, were gonna get I would have
hit that shot. Not so much?
Speaker 5 (30:56):
All right, more couple coming your way, keeping locked Fox
Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
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 5 (31:12):
All right, it's the odd couple. Chris Brusard Martin Weiss
is in for Rob Parker. We're live from the tire
rack dot Com studios. Tire rack dot com will help
you get there. They've got an unmatched election, fast free shipping,
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(31:32):
buying should be. Martin wife, We've got some breaking news
and it's a bombshell.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
Yeah. The New York Post.
Speaker 5 (31:41):
Reporting that our colleague Skip Bayless is leaving FS one
obviously Skip the star of the show undisputed, but this
is even more than now. I don't know what he's
gonna do in the future. Is he retiring. I haven't
(32:02):
talked to Skip.
Speaker 6 (32:04):
It one says that he's looking forward for what's to come,
So I don't think he'll be hanging them out.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, so he Skip.
Speaker 5 (32:14):
A lot of people only know him from, you know,
seeing him on television, most people, of course, but.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Skip is a friend of mine.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
I really liked him a lot, great guy, and he's
been great to me in my career, you know.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
He I used to be on first Take with It.
Speaker 5 (32:38):
When I first met Skip Is we were doing Cold
Pizza and I would go on as the NBA reporter.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
This is around, you know, in the early two.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
Thousands, and I would go on as an NBA reporter
and Skip with debate with Woody Page for a portion
of the show called First and Tend and they would
come on every twenty minutes or so and debate a
few topics. And you know, they had me on there
once to debate with Skip for a whole week and
(33:09):
that was really the first time that I did the
whole debate format, and that was kind of my first
step into movie out of just being a reporter, and
Skip of course had to give the had to co
sign that for them to allow me to do a
week on there. And then when it became first take
(33:31):
and they made first take entirely debate at ESPN was
on ESPN two at that point, I would be in
the rotation with Skip and I would do a week
every month or so. Rob Parker, obviously my partner here
was in the rotation, the two Live Studes, remember them,
They were in the rotation.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Jamel Hill was and Skip was a great guy.
Speaker 5 (33:57):
Off the set, We had dinner together, we prayed together,
you know, he was.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
He was a good guy. You know, obviously he could be.
Speaker 5 (34:08):
He's known as being an abrasive, strongly opinionated guy on
the air, and that's what he should have been. But
off the air, really good guy, nice guy. I know,
you know him well to march.
Speaker 6 (34:21):
I've been working with him basically hand in hand for
the last eight years now.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Yeah. Yeah, the end of an era, it really is.
And not just FS one.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
Well again, like you said, maybe he'll be doing something else,
but he he and Steven A.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
Smith.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
You know, maybe you'd say Michael Wilbind and Kornheiser kind
of started this format Tony Kornheiser, I.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Think, and then he and steven A. Smith took it
to the next level.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
Yeah, they made it real, like just no no hols, Bards,
no holes Bard debate and uh. And remember, of course
stephen A was out of it for a little while
and Skip carried that torch and uh. And then if
you know, he gave stephen A, you know, opportunities at
(35:08):
ESPN that obviously steven A has turned into gold.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Take it literally, Yeah, you're right, Shannon Sharp.
Speaker 5 (35:17):
He gave him a shot at FS one, and Shannon,
you know, turned it into gold again. And you know
when I first left ESPN and went to FS one,
or when I was considering it.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Skip was.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
It was Skipp and Colin Cowherd who were like the
two stars at FS one, right, they were the big
names coming from ESPN to build this new network. And
so one of my primary roles was gonna be was
on Undisputed with Skipp and Shannon, And so I had
to meet with Skip again out in LA and we
(35:54):
talked about everything, and because of his stature at the network,
he had to give it the go ahead and he did,
and so Skip. You know, I got nothing but love
for Skip, and so I wish him well with.
Speaker 6 (36:08):
You know, Chris, as do I because I'll be honest,
the job that I got Undisputed was the first quote
unquote real job. I call it my first real job
in sports where I got health insurance and all that
type of stuff. And I walked in there, and as
of now, me and Skipp are the two oldest tenured
members of the show, uh of Undisputed. So it's been
(36:30):
it's been a long ride. But I walked in there
Thanksgiving and I wasn't going home for Christmas or anything
like that. And Skip caught winto that and invited me
to his house for Christmas. And we did Christmases together, me,
his wife and her sister, and and Rob my sister
when she would come to visit. We did Christmas together
up until COVID as to where I bought Skip and
(36:54):
I exchanged Christmas gift several times.
Speaker 5 (36:56):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (36:57):
You know, people have a lot of opinion about and
a lot that they say that this will be formulated
or whatever.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
I was sitting there. I'll never forget this for the
rest of my life.
Speaker 6 (37:07):
It was the Warriors and the Cavaliers Christmas Day and
it was the Kyrie Irving had to depending the game
winning shot on the right block. He turned around and
hit a game winning shot over Klay Thompson. He Skip
pulled the room and said, who do you think is
taking the last shot? I said Lebron. Rob said probably Lebron.
Rob said Kyrie. But everybody else said Lebron. Ernestin sae Lebron.
(37:27):
Everyone else said Lebron. Skip said Lebron. No, Skip said,
Skip said, is going to be Kyrie? Watch this? And
sure enough, Kyrie Irving came out, got the pass from Lebron,
hit the game winning shot, and he just looked back
and he smiled and he said, told you so. And
then he goes on TV the next day and he goes,
I knew Lebron James wasn't taking that shot. I said
(37:49):
it was gonna be Kyrie Irving. And so the point,
as I'm making is there's no way he could have
known that before the moment, and it really informed the
way I look at him. He's been nothing but nice
to me, and I wish him the best of luck
whatever he does going forward.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Got nothing beloved for Skip Bayless. Yeah, He'll be missed.
Speaker 5 (38:04):
He'll be missed obviously by us as friends, but also
on the air.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
It's a loss.
Speaker 5 (38:10):
And I think even those that didn't like Skip you
know that were his antagonists, they will admit he will
be missed, all right.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Two hours left,
Thanks for listening to The Odd Couple podcast.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
Be sure to check us out live every weekday from
seven pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The
Odd Couple at Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 3 (00:24):
Let's get this, punies, you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 4 (00:31):
Ah, yeah, it is the Odd Couple.
Speaker 5 (00:42):
I'm Chris Bruce Ard alongside my partner Rob Parker.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
It is not Rob Parker you heard it earlier.
Speaker 5 (00:50):
It is Martin Weiss and we are live from the
tire rack dot Com studios.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
Tirerack dot Com will help you get there.
Speaker 5 (00:58):
They've got an unmatched election, fast free shipping, free road
hazard protection, and more than ten thousand recommend to installers.
Tiereg dot com is the way tybine should be. In
this right here, the I Couple even sayings Rob Parker is.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
The way sports talk radio should be.
Speaker 5 (01:18):
So keep it locked here for the next three hours
on Fox Sports Radio, the iHeartRadio app or Sirius XM
channel eighty three. With that saying, let me welcome in
my co host for the day, Martin Weiss, what's up.
Speaker 6 (01:34):
Man, living the duram Chris brusaar glad to be here,
especially on a day like today. A lot of stuff
going on, Chris, how are you? It is a lot
going on. I'm good.
Speaker 1 (01:44):
I'm good.
Speaker 5 (01:45):
I feel like I haven't been on in a while,
even though I was. I was on Thursday, but I
was on Friday, and I'm back all week and looking
forward to it.
Speaker 1 (01:56):
So welcome into the arena, Martin. Let's see if you can.
Speaker 6 (01:59):
Have oh please come on. Hey, this is no Canadian
basketball over here. All right, I'm hanging in here.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
All right?
Speaker 5 (02:07):
That sounds good. The couple cruis in full effect. The
super producer is with us. Arrive g in the house.
On the ones and tunes, Yep, you guessed that DJ
Alex Tysher is off, but in his place, Mighty Mark
Ramsey will do his thing tonight on the updates.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
You heard him? Who was that earlier? Oh my, I'm
so fonci Bellanio.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
There you go is on the updates and on the
social media are man Elijah is off, so Sagar Patel
filling in admirably.
Speaker 1 (02:42):
And let's get right to it, Martin.
Speaker 5 (02:45):
Today earlier Team USA, you mentioned Canada, meaning the Canadian
men's basketball team that Team USA beat, but I think
it was fourteen points last They're opening exhibition game today.
They played Australia and a good test because Australia medaled
(03:06):
in last year's Olympics or or last time they had
the Olympics four years ago.
Speaker 1 (03:12):
And it was a good test.
Speaker 5 (03:15):
We were up by twenty four Team USA, but Australia
rallied and pulled within four. At the end, Team USA
is up, winning eighty six eighty two. A lot of
takeaways from this What was your biggest takeaway from this game?
Speaker 6 (03:34):
My biggest takeaway is that I was right, but we'll
talk about that coming up.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
And I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
And that final score, yeah, that that final score was was.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
It eighty let's see ninety eight ninety two? I'm sorry
ninety eight ninety two. I'll say my biggest takeaway, you
were right? So what were you right about? It's actually
our second topics.
Speaker 6 (03:57):
I don't want to go ahead and jump the gun,
but I was out there saying it on Friday and
Rob Parker was.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah, President read the moment. It's too soon. No, it's not.
We'll get to that exactly. We'll get to that coming
up next.
Speaker 6 (04:11):
The number one takeaway from this game is from a
basketball standpoint, sixty eight points in the paint is not
gonna be a winning recipe very like. Maybe it'll work
here in this exhibition, but if you're gonna give up
nearly seventy points in the paint in a forty minute
basketball game, you are going to lose.
Speaker 5 (04:32):
Well, And you gave up sixty eight points in the
paint to a team that, as far as Biggs was
led by Jock Landout.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
All right.
Speaker 5 (04:43):
This wasn't Shock, This wasn't Patrick Ewing that you were facing.
Speaker 1 (04:48):
It was Jock freaking Landown, all right.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
And here's what I would say, because I'm glad you
brought that up. With all due respect to the great
Steve Kerr and ty Lou. I mean, we got a
great coaching staff obviously, but when I watch these international
games Martin, and I'm thinking about last year in the
Feeble World Cup as well, I gotta be honest, man,
(05:17):
it looks and feels like we get out coached.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
I mean it really doesn't.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Now.
Speaker 5 (05:24):
Maybe that's because regular everyday, non descript role players like
Dante Exum and Jacques Landill as I said, and Josh
Giddy are easier to coach than superstars who are gonna
be in the Hall of Fame in a few years.
(05:45):
But whatever the case, when I watch our offense, mark
and tell me what you think. When I watch our offense,
listen to what I'm saying. What I see is a
bunch of dudes passing and moving the ball very quickly,
or driving and kicking. Couple dribbles, drive, draw double ten,
kick out to the three. Either take the three or
(06:08):
couple dribbles, draw defensive attention, kick it out to the three.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Like our whole.
Speaker 5 (06:14):
Offense seems to be just looking for open threes and
they're there. The open threes are there, and we're content
just to sit there and shoot threes. Occasionally, Via and
Anthony Edwards, Lebron did it a few times, maybe a
Jason Tatum. Occasionally there's the drive, you know, all the
(06:35):
way to the whole, or in for a short jumper
or something. But our offense is basically drive it, draw
the attention, kick out for an open three. When I
watch Australia or Canada, or even last year with Germany
and the Feeble World Cup and all that, you know
what I see I see taking threes, I see driving
(06:58):
to the basket, I see high pick and roll, I
see backdoor cuts, I see post.
Speaker 1 (07:05):
Moves like I see a full complete game.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
And we used to, Martin, when you know, when we
used to start getting challenged in the in the like
round two thousand and the early arts and all that, right,
we were playing big boy basketball. We still have a
lot of bigs on the team and play inside out.
And the teams were challenging us from Europe because they
were shooting threes, and we were kind of exchanging twos
(07:33):
for threes.
Speaker 1 (07:34):
And obviously we've.
Speaker 5 (07:36):
Adapted to that and said, you know, we recognize the
value of the three as well, and we can shoot
that too. But now it's like we've gone the opposite way,
and now we want to do is shoot threes. And
now the European teams are saying, well, yeah, we still
shoot the three, but we'll go inside too, We'll play
a full complement of basketball, whereas your it's like, it's
(08:01):
like Martin, we can't.
Speaker 1 (08:02):
We either gonna be big.
Speaker 5 (08:04):
And play inside out I'll ot twenty years ago, or
we're just gonna play small and everybody wants to shoot
threes and That's what I mean when I say it
looks like we're getting out coached and it's bothersome. Why
can't we play a full, well rounded game of basketball.
Speaker 6 (08:26):
I think it really comes down to Chris. The players
that are on the roster, Like the home run derby
is coming up, right, the Major League Baseball home run
Derby in the All Star Game. None of those guys
are laying down buns at any point in time in games, right,
because you want, if you know, if you got enough
power in your bat to be in the home run Derby,
your manager's gonna want you to swing away.
Speaker 1 (08:47):
None of these guys who are on like.
Speaker 6 (08:49):
This is Embiid, Davis, both of those guys, I mean,
and Bead's the second best player.
Speaker 1 (08:54):
They could go inside. No, they could definitely go inside.
Speaker 6 (08:57):
I'm not saying, well, Joel Embiid, We've been crying for
him to go inside for years.
Speaker 5 (09:00):
That's kind of my point is like who in the
NBA that's American is actually going.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Inside at times? And nobody. That's my point.
Speaker 5 (09:08):
Mark, It's like kids today, listen to me. Dads out there,
you got a young kid, just because your son works
on the three, is a guard has handled.
Speaker 1 (09:19):
Maybe that's what he's gonna live and dive ey the three.
Speaker 5 (09:21):
The mid range jumper doesn't mean you can't also develop
some post moves. It's not like, Oh, if I go
start working in the post a little bit, I'm gonna
lose my shot, I'm gonna lose my handle.
Speaker 1 (09:34):
I'm gonna lose my jump shot. Right, you should be
able to play with your back to the bast Thank you.
That's all I'm saying. Go ahead.
Speaker 6 (09:40):
So for me, the thing is, though we talk about
especially not necessarily the inside game to me, but do
you look at the backcuts and the and the passing
and the sharing of the ball you was doing.
Speaker 1 (09:49):
Yeah, I think that.
Speaker 6 (09:50):
Comes from having a bunch of guys who were normally
used to getting the ball pass to them and say,
go to work, Devin Booker, go to work, Steph Curry,
go to work. Lebron James as opposed to you know,
Josh Giddy. They're they're were trying to bench him in
the playoffs last year like a freaking all NBA guy today. Right,
But I think when you look at it, so is
(10:11):
it about being out coached or is it just more
about these guys are not used to playing in the
way that they're asked to play now where they're they
may be a role player on this team who's supposed
to be the role players when it's a team of
all stars like the team USA is. So I think
it's more of that as opposed to just these guys
(10:31):
don't want to play that way or can't play that
way or chief Currents Tyleru and Mark Few and the
other coach on the roster, Eric s Bolster are saying,
don't do this right. They're saying, I don't think. I
don't think it's like they're like like being paid, No, but.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
They why not put in an offense that has some
of that?
Speaker 6 (10:49):
I think that might I mean, how else do you
get eighteen turnovers in a forty minute game?
Speaker 4 (10:53):
Like?
Speaker 6 (10:53):
I think they are trying to install an offense that
that involves some of that, right involved?
Speaker 1 (10:58):
What some of the backdoor cuts? I don't see much
backdoor cutting.
Speaker 5 (11:03):
No, it's I mean, do you see any I mean, honestly,
do you see much other than a couple of dribbles,
draw attention, kickout for three either shoot it, oh, a
couple dribbles kick out for it?
Speaker 1 (11:15):
Like, do you see much more? Than that. I mean, no, no,
I don't. I don't see much more than that.
Speaker 6 (11:19):
That's about what it is, and so I'd like to
see more of it, obviously, But they play a style
in the Olympics that they're playing in the NBA right now, Like,
you don't see that out of these guys. These guys
aren't back door cutting in regular games, all right, Like
when's the last time maybe Anthony Edwards on a back
door lob if it was a set out of bounds
or you know, somebody like you know, the coaches Bluten.
Speaker 5 (11:40):
State would run it, you know, during their heyday, they
did a lot of that stuff.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
But the conversation then was how how you know how
the conversation.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
That was how unique it was? Right right, these.
Speaker 6 (11:51):
Guys aren't doing it in the NBA, So I guess
it's a it's a it's a risk and reward because
they're not doing it in the league. So how much
do we want to try to input it?
Speaker 1 (11:59):
Now?
Speaker 6 (12:00):
They're used to driving kick, driving, kick, driving kick, shoot three,
shoot three, shoot threes, So do we maximize the style
that they've already been playing, or do we try to
implement the style that you know, you see these teams
like but I mean, Chris, you know, just thinking about
the NCAA tournament, like Princeident Yukon, what they.
Speaker 5 (12:17):
Did, that's how they won, right. Their offense was constant movement.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I mean it was that.
Speaker 6 (12:22):
But then a lot of times you see like teams
like Princeton running the Princeton offense, right, they would go
up and knock off some of the big boys because
they're just playing a better brand of basketball. But ultimately
they ain't winning national championships because the talent wins out.
Speaker 1 (12:37):
So I think ultimately that's the decision that talent.
Speaker 5 (12:40):
But these games, this was closer than it needed to be.
Not granted again, we were up twenty four, but I
just think, and look, I understand, if you can beat
your man off the dribble every time, then a lot
of times you just go with that, right, And a
lot of the ultra elite guys aren't moving without the basketball,
(13:03):
running back door cuts and things like that, because they
don't need somebody to get them run a play to
get them a shot.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
They can get the shot on their own exactly.
Speaker 5 (13:12):
But and that's the thing, a lot of even our
elite NBA players don't know how to play that way.
And look again with Jordan and the triangle, that's what
Phil Jackson made it easier on him by getting some
movement and things like that in the offense. And when
you combine elite athleticism and ability with smart basketball, with
(13:38):
ball and player movement, that's when you're unbeatable. And I look,
I think we're gonna win. I say that after we
beat Canada, we're going to win. But some of these
games may be closer than they need to be. And
you just see the flaws in our game right now,
but we'll win just on talent.
Speaker 6 (13:59):
And I also, well, Crook, I just also think that
they would have won this game by more than if
if they weren't playing literally all twelve men that are
going to be.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
On the team except for Derek White. But the thing
is this.
Speaker 5 (14:09):
And I thought, you're right. Normally you would think, Okay,
we're up twenty four. We took our foot off the gas.
We put it in the second unit. But the second
unit is like full of all NBA guys. The second
unit is Devin Booker and Anthony Davison, you know what
I'm saying, Like, so there should be no letdown. In fact,
our second unit is to a large degree play better
(14:32):
than our first unit. But there should be no letdown
because we're so talented, and there was a letdown today.
Speaker 1 (14:40):
All right. Martin Weiss has a big takeaway.
Speaker 5 (14:43):
He thinks it's unique because he was saying it Friday.
Guess what Martin, I was saying it Thursday. That's next
A couple of Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple
with Chris Brussard and Rob Parker. He's at seven pm
Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the
iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Hey Gang Listen.
Speaker 3 (15:07):
Is Jay Glazer, host of Unbreakable, a mental wealth.
Speaker 6 (15:11):
Podcast, and every week we will have on leaders from
sports entertainment like Sean McVay, Lindsey Vaughn, Michael Felt, David Spade,
got Fieri, and also those who can help us in
between the ears, anyone from a therapist to someone like
Ed Milett for John Gordon.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
We've all been through some sort of adversity to get
to the top.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
We've all used different tools.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Listen to Unbreakable with Jay Glazer and Mental Wealth podcast.
Speaker 6 (15:36):
On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get podcasts.
Speaker 5 (15:44):
All right, it's the A Couple of christmasor Martin Weiss
is in for Rob Parker and we are live fromthti
iraq dot com studios. Martin has been chomping at the bit.
He's excited. He came in dancing like so overjoyed to
(16:06):
give this take that he copied from me on Thursday.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
First and foremost, Chris, because I was a Friday.
Speaker 5 (16:13):
He said it to Rob and it sounded intelligence, But
I said it to Rob on Friday because that was
the chance I had it.
Speaker 6 (16:19):
I came up with this take when I was sitting
there watching Game one of this thing. But go ahead,
lay it out there, layout your little spiel.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
You're the guest. Have fun half at it. Go ahead.
Speaker 6 (16:32):
So I'm trying to remember when was the first exhibition
game for the US.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Do you remember? No, I know, I know it was Kenny.
Do you remember the day? I think it was Wednesday? Wednesday?
I think it was Wednesday. So I came in.
Speaker 6 (16:43):
Actually, the first place I debuted this was on with
Mike Harmon. I was filling in for Jason Smith on
Thursday night.
Speaker 1 (16:51):
Both of them were after my take.
Speaker 5 (16:53):
You listened to the eye couple and say, you know
what Chris is making some sense, So.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Call it mine.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
I say this, and it was proven further right today,
I do not think that Joel Embiid's game translates to
the international game in the in the way that it
does in the NBA. You think about me free throws,
he shoots. Think about how poor the refs were today
at Abu Dhabi when you were watching that game. There
(17:22):
were several times I was like, because I had the
volume down as I was doing my Detroit radio show
Newton the three, twelve seventy am Detroit. As I was
doing my Detroit radio show, I had the volume down.
I'm sitting there looking at him like, man, that's a foul.
That's a foul. That's a foul, and several things did
not get called. Keep in mind, Embiid has averaged over
(17:44):
three files in every season that he has played, including
his MVP season, So he's a handsy type of guy.
Even though he's a plus defender. Went healthy. Secondly or thirdly,
he's not healthy right now, so he look he looks
like he's laboring up and down the court, which all
landed me on. I believe that Anthony Davis is a
(18:06):
better fit in the starting five for Team USA than
Joell ebiid Is, and I think that that change, if
not coming now, should be coming before they play games
that actually matter. I know that they play Serbia, and
I know you need it, you would like to have
embiid for Serbia.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
I'm not saying you staple him to the bench. I
think he's a part of the rotation.
Speaker 5 (18:29):
He has destroyed Jokic one on one in their matchups.
Speaker 1 (18:34):
That's what I'm not saying you. I'm not saying you
never play him.
Speaker 6 (18:36):
I'm not giving them Derek White status where he just
you assume that he was never gonna get off the bench.
I think he'd be better suited on a second unit
where he can be more of a focal point of
the offensive plan. And I think defensively it'll help him
out playing less minutes, because at this rate, I think
he will be filing out of big time games when
(18:57):
you really need them.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
So I think Anthony Anthony Davis has been way better.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
Anthony Davis and Anthony Edwards have been the best players
on Team USA. And this is great to see from
Anthony Davis. And I know it's just two games, two
exhibition games at.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
That, but let's keep it real.
Speaker 5 (19:19):
As great as Anthony Davis has been in his career,
we all feel like there's still a little something there
that he's not showing us. And in this tournament he
is playing great. So I'm with you in that you
can start him mb. Here's my thing with m beating
(19:42):
you know, we talk about it all the time, his
unwillingness to play inside for any significant amount of time.
When you have a team full of great perimeter players
and shooters.
Speaker 1 (19:58):
Do I really need my seven foot big man.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
Joining in the you know, the perimeter guys and hanging
out there on the perimeter.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
I mean, Joel LMBI makes himself six ' four.
Speaker 5 (20:13):
Instead of beasting people at seven feet well over three
hundred pounds, He's out there playing like he's a six
four guard.
Speaker 6 (20:23):
Here's a seven foot to do a shoot. He's a
seven foot, three hundred pounds small forward.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
Yeah. Yeah, that's the way he plays, and that's how he.
Speaker 5 (20:29):
Plays with Philly and for all his regular seasons success
and he Martin. I mean I I will not take
a thing away from what he did last year during
the regular season. He was phenomenal electric, Yes, but it
has not translated to playoff success. I think a lot
of that is his other problem. He's hurt all the time,
(20:51):
and he's hurt right now, and I'm a break.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Look why why is Joel l Embiid on the team
when he's hurt? I think they feeling is Kevin Durant
on the team when he's hurt? Kevin Durant want to me?
Makes less sense because.
Speaker 6 (21:08):
If he's too hurt to play now, right, how healthy
will he eventually get? You know what I'm saying, Like,
I know this supposed to be just precautionary, and you know,
but the thing of like it wasn't that the same
story with Kawhi Leonard. Like maybe Jalen Brown has a
point in terms of the Kevin Durant thing, right, because
if you're just gonna sit up there and take up face,
(21:29):
this ain't a fifteen man rofter.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
You only get th he don't.
Speaker 5 (21:32):
Let's keep it real and Kevin Durant is phenomenal, but
we don't need him to win. No, He's had plenty
of international experience and success. He's the all time leading scorer,
he's got three gold medals.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
So it's not like, man, this is his only chance.
You know what? I mean like it was.
Speaker 5 (21:51):
For Kawhi, Right, I just if I'm the Phoenix Suns,
I'm like, wait a minute, he can't play.
Speaker 1 (22:00):
Oh, he's going to go out here and play.
Speaker 5 (22:04):
Presumably without being one hundred percent and maybe risk further
aggravation or injury, and that's gonna bleed into our season.
I don't some of this stuff is not making sense.
I'm sorry, not trying to take guys off the team.
I'm just saying, if you're injured, and these two have
(22:25):
a history of injuries, then why why are we doing this?
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Especially?
Speaker 6 (22:30):
I mean Embiid makes a little more sense to me.
He's because he's out there playing. Even though what he
was as a plus minus of two a plus minus
of negative two, Davis is a plus nineteen right from
negative two in the two games and both games, Right,
he only played three minutes in the second half, had
a team low sixteen minutes, play tide for a team
(22:51):
high with three turnovers. Right, But he may be okay,
he's playing himself into shape.
Speaker 1 (22:56):
Maybe that's something. Why is it? You know what I mean?
Speaker 6 (23:00):
No, I agree with you one hundred percent, but I
can see understand and beat a little bit more that
I can understand Kevin Durant.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
If Kevin Durant is hurt, he needs to go home.
If he's not hurt, he probably needs to be.
Speaker 6 (23:11):
Playing like there's there's a very one binary yes or
no here to me. That doesn't make sense why Kevin
Durant is still on maybe announcing him initially understand it
one hundred percent when he strained this calf though, Right, Hey,
go back to Phoenix, KD.
Speaker 1 (23:26):
Put your feet up, make sure you ike that caf
and check us out on the TV exactly get ready
for the season. That's what That's what he needs to do,
all right.
Speaker 5 (23:34):
The Home Run Derby is tonight. It's a nice event,
it's cute, but.
Speaker 1 (23:40):
The granddaddy of them all takes place in February. We'll
get to that next. It's the I Couple, Chris and Martin. First.
Speaker 3 (23:49):
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 FS to
listen live.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
The Home Run Derby is enjoyable, it really is.
Speaker 5 (24:07):
I want to ask you this question, do you think
what's your what is the best All Star Game event
You've got the various events at the Pro Bowl, right,
and those are okay, you know with the quarterbacks, you know,
hitting the targets and so on and so forth. Obviously
(24:28):
you've got the home Run Derby for baseball, and you've
got the Slam Dunk Contest, the Skills competition, and the
three point Shootout for basketball the NBA. Which one do
you think is the best? I think it's a two
event race. But let's hear what you say.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
For me right here, right now, in twenty twenty four,
give me the three point contest.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
That's where the stars are.
Speaker 6 (24:58):
That's where the stars are in the NBA, the three
point Contest and the w NBA too, exactly who knows
you He's multiple w NBA competitors coming up this next uh,
this next February when during All Star weekends, you know,
Sabrina and Caitlin, you see. I don't know, maybe Kayle
got to shoot better than two for eleven from three
like you did yesterday, but that's neither here nor there.
(25:20):
But yeah, to me, it's the three point contest, and
to me it's it's not really close. I think everybody
else is playing for second.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
Wow, I got the dunk contest still and I know
it does go up and down, right, I mean, there
are years where it's just bad. When it was in Cleveland,
that was the last All Star Game I was at live,
it was horrible. I mean it was horrible. It was
the worst ever. But for the most part, I think
(25:50):
they're good. Even last year. Mac mcclun. McClung, you know,
he is so good. You remember his name, huh No,
but he's you know, he he's a nice he put
on the show and he is a great dunker. So
and you know, obviously a lot of people know him
from even his high school days, so he's a name too.
But I agree that the events are better when you
(26:13):
have the stars, and the Home Run Derby still does
have a good number of stars.
Speaker 1 (26:20):
I definitely don't think it's a three point shootout. That's fun.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
It's nice to watch, but I just don't think it's
as exciting as the dunk contest. And I think the
Home Run Derby as much as I enjoyed, and I
think this year they made some good moves.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
They're making it a little bit faster at the end
of the day.
Speaker 5 (26:42):
Over the years, it's been so long that at the
risk of sounding blasphemous. It's been a tad bit, you know, monotonous?
Is it just me with the home run Derby?
Speaker 1 (27:02):
To me, the key only hit a home run one,
like you know what I mean. Like, to me, the
key is the broadcaster.
Speaker 6 (27:09):
If you're sitting watching it on silent, you know, lullabies
will put me to sleep slower.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
But back in the day when you had Chris.
Speaker 6 (27:17):
Brightman back back gone and doing his different make basically
doing his NFL prime time type calls for these home
run uh, you know, having the nicknames and all that
type of stuff, That to me is where the excitement lies. Like, obviously,
the guy's got to hit the home runs out of
the park for things to happen.
Speaker 1 (27:37):
Many calls is he gonna have. I'll just remember being
younger anything, I mean, you how many he's gonna watch?
How many home runs?
Speaker 6 (27:45):
I remember being younger and hearing all of like it
seemed like he had to differ something unique to say
for every single one of these things. Maybe I'm looking
back in the past with rose colored glasses, but uh,
that's what I remember the most is the broadcaster. Maybe
maybe actually, well it was more important to me. It's
why I'm sitting in this chair today.
Speaker 5 (28:03):
It was the broadcasting No look, Berman obviously is legendary,
and and I like the home run derby my own.
What I'm saying is this, there are only so many
ways you can hit a home run, right sure, basically
one way you can hit a home run now unless
you're hitting them five to six hundred exactly.
Speaker 1 (28:28):
That's what gets you excited.
Speaker 5 (28:31):
Whereas, obviously with the dunk contest, you know, there's just
a number of ways you can dunk of basketball, and Martin,
I think today now obviously the dunks that these guys
are often doing are way more advanced than what even
the legendary Michael Jordan and hey, even I mean Vince
was phenomenal, but even more than you know, what Vince
(28:53):
Carter did. And you know, it's just the imagination has
run wild. But that also why they missed more Like
Jordan and Vince and and all those guys back in
the day didn't miss because they were doing dunks that
they could do every time.
Speaker 1 (29:14):
And I'm not saying they were they took the easy
way out. I'm just saying that was the day.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
Whereas now, because there's this pressure to kind of do something,
no one's ever seen. Guys are doing dunks that you're
just not gonna make one hundred percent of the time
for the most part, you.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
Know what I mean.
Speaker 5 (29:34):
And that's that's you know, one of the things with
the Dunk Contest.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
But you know, they were showing them last.
Speaker 5 (29:41):
Week on NBA TV, a lot of them, and man
it was when it's done right. I mean, Blake Griffin
had a great Dunk Contest performance, obviously, Vince zach Lavine
and Aaron Gordon.
Speaker 1 (29:54):
I think that was the best dunk contest ever. That
was ten years ago.
Speaker 5 (29:59):
Chris, No, I know, but I'm just talking about like
these historic dunk contests. The Dunk Contest ebbs and flows.
But ideal if the thing that would bring it back is.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
If you could get the big names in it.
Speaker 6 (30:13):
Yeah, I'd like to see some more flow less ebb
out of the Dunk Contest, And I'd be right with
you to me, the Dunk Contest has the greatest potential
of all of the movies. But it's just it has
when it pops is the best. It just has yet
to realize that potential for quite some time.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
For a while.
Speaker 5 (30:30):
Yes, although McClung, I'm not mad at McClung. Were you
mad at mclach I mean, he's not an NBA player.
Speaker 6 (30:34):
But still that's the problem, Chris, he's not an NBA player.
He don't qualify. He doesn't qualify. He doesn't qualify. Next
tep But Bronnie James in a three point shootout?
Speaker 1 (30:47):
Oh look, shots fired, were gonna get I would have
hit that shot. Not so much?
Speaker 5 (30:56):
All right, more couple coming your way, keeping locked Fox
Sports Radio.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
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 5 (31:12):
All right, it's the odd couple. Chris Brusard Martin Weiss
is in for Rob Parker. We're live from the tire
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you get there. They've got an unmatched election, fast free shipping,
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(31:32):
buying should be. Martin wife, We've got some breaking news
and it's a bombshell.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
Yeah. The New York Post.
Speaker 5 (31:41):
Reporting that our colleague Skip Bayless is leaving FS one
obviously Skip the star of the show undisputed, but this
is even more than now. I don't know what he's
gonna do in the future. Is he retiring. I haven't
(32:02):
talked to Skip.
Speaker 6 (32:04):
It one says that he's looking forward for what's to come,
So I don't think he'll be hanging them out.
Speaker 1 (32:11):
Yeah, so he Skip.
Speaker 5 (32:14):
A lot of people only know him from, you know,
seeing him on television, most people, of course, but.
Speaker 1 (32:21):
Skip is a friend of mine.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
I really liked him a lot, great guy, and he's
been great to me in my career, you know.
Speaker 1 (32:34):
He I used to be on first Take with It.
Speaker 5 (32:38):
When I first met Skip Is we were doing Cold
Pizza and I would go on as the NBA reporter.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
This is around, you know, in the early two.
Speaker 5 (32:47):
Thousands, and I would go on as an NBA reporter
and Skip with debate with Woody Page for a portion
of the show called First and Tend and they would
come on every twenty minutes or so and debate a
few topics. And you know, they had me on there
once to debate with Skip for a whole week and
(33:09):
that was really the first time that I did the
whole debate format, and that was kind of my first
step into movie out of just being a reporter, and
Skip of course had to give the had to co
sign that for them to allow me to do a
week on there. And then when it became first take
(33:31):
and they made first take entirely debate at ESPN was
on ESPN two at that point, I would be in
the rotation with Skip and I would do a week
every month or so. Rob Parker, obviously my partner here
was in the rotation, the two Live Studes, remember them,
They were in the rotation.
Speaker 1 (33:53):
Jamel Hill was and Skip was a great guy.
Speaker 5 (33:57):
Off the set, We had dinner together, we prayed together,
you know, he was.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
He was a good guy. You know, obviously he could be.
Speaker 5 (34:08):
He's known as being an abrasive, strongly opinionated guy on
the air, and that's what he should have been. But
off the air, really good guy, nice guy. I know,
you know him well to march.
Speaker 6 (34:21):
I've been working with him basically hand in hand for
the last eight years now.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Yeah. Yeah, the end of an era, it really is.
And not just FS one.
Speaker 5 (34:30):
Well again, like you said, maybe he'll be doing something else,
but he he and Steven A.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
Smith.
Speaker 5 (34:38):
You know, maybe you'd say Michael Wilbind and Kornheiser kind
of started this format Tony Kornheiser, I.
Speaker 1 (34:44):
Think, and then he and steven A. Smith took it
to the next level.
Speaker 5 (34:47):
Yeah, they made it real, like just no no hols, Bards,
no holes Bard debate and uh. And remember, of course
stephen A was out of it for a little while
and Skip carried that torch and uh. And then if
you know, he gave stephen A, you know, opportunities at
(35:08):
ESPN that obviously steven A has turned into gold.
Speaker 1 (35:13):
Take it literally, Yeah, you're right, Shannon Sharp.
Speaker 5 (35:17):
He gave him a shot at FS one, and Shannon,
you know, turned it into gold again. And you know
when I first left ESPN and went to FS one,
or when I was considering it.
Speaker 1 (35:30):
Skip was.
Speaker 5 (35:32):
It was Skipp and Colin Cowherd who were like the
two stars at FS one, right, they were the big
names coming from ESPN to build this new network. And
so one of my primary roles was gonna be was
on Undisputed with Skipp and Shannon, And so I had
to meet with Skip again out in LA and we
(35:54):
talked about everything, and because of his stature at the network,
he had to give it the go ahead and he did,
and so Skip. You know, I got nothing but love
for Skip, and so I wish him well with.
Speaker 6 (36:08):
You know, Chris, as do I because I'll be honest,
the job that I got Undisputed was the first quote
unquote real job. I call it my first real job
in sports where I got health insurance and all that
type of stuff. And I walked in there, and as
of now, me and Skipp are the two oldest tenured
members of the show, uh of Undisputed. So it's been
(36:30):
it's been a long ride. But I walked in there
Thanksgiving and I wasn't going home for Christmas or anything
like that. And Skip caught winto that and invited me
to his house for Christmas. And we did Christmases together, me,
his wife and her sister, and and Rob my sister
when she would come to visit. We did Christmas together
up until COVID as to where I bought Skip and
(36:54):
I exchanged Christmas gift several times.
Speaker 5 (36:56):
Uh.
Speaker 6 (36:57):
You know, people have a lot of opinion about and
a lot that they say that this will be formulated
or whatever.
Speaker 1 (37:03):
I was sitting there. I'll never forget this for the
rest of my life.
Speaker 6 (37:07):
It was the Warriors and the Cavaliers Christmas Day and
it was the Kyrie Irving had to depending the game
winning shot on the right block. He turned around and
hit a game winning shot over Klay Thompson. He Skip
pulled the room and said, who do you think is
taking the last shot? I said Lebron. Rob said probably Lebron.
Rob said Kyrie. But everybody else said Lebron. Ernestin sae Lebron.
(37:27):
Everyone else said Lebron. Skip said Lebron. No, Skip said,
Skip said, is going to be Kyrie? Watch this? And
sure enough, Kyrie Irving came out, got the pass from Lebron,
hit the game winning shot, and he just looked back
and he smiled and he said, told you so. And
then he goes on TV the next day and he goes,
I knew Lebron James wasn't taking that shot. I said
(37:49):
it was gonna be Kyrie Irving. And so the point,
as I'm making is there's no way he could have
known that before the moment, and it really informed the
way I look at him. He's been nothing but nice
to me, and I wish him the best of luck
whatever he does going forward.
Speaker 1 (38:01):
Got nothing beloved for Skip Bayless. Yeah, He'll be missed.
Speaker 5 (38:04):
He'll be missed obviously by us as friends, but also
on the air.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
It's a loss.
Speaker 5 (38:10):
And I think even those that didn't like Skip you
know that were his antagonists, they will admit he will
be missed, all right.
Speaker 1 (38:17):
Two hours left,
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