March 17, 2021 • 37 mins
Chris and Rob debate if Damian Lillard's loyalty to the Portland Trail Blazers could actually end up hurting his long-term legacy, and tell us why multi-sport prep stars should try to avoid playing football at the next level if at all possible. Plus, Michigan Fab Five member Jimmy King swings by to discuss the impact the Fab Five has had on college basketball, the job his former teammate Juwan Howard has done as the school's newest head coach, and much more!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
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(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rod Harker. Dame dollars you
said down seventeen and he just goes off, ends up
with fifty points, ten dimes, six rebounds and rob Damian
Lillard's second in the league and scoring right now at
(00:43):
thirty point five points per game. And he's been without
his second and third best players but most of the season.
CJ McCollums it. Jess came back last back last night, right, Yeah,
first game back. Usef nerd Kitch is out and Dame
still has them right there in the thick of the
(01:06):
playoff race in the Western Conference. There the six s six. Well,
they're tied with Denver for fifth. I guess that's fifth.
And here's what I want to say about Dame and
this is his Let's see one, two, three, four or five, six, seven, eight,
ninth season in the NBA. He's a correct me if
(01:29):
you think I'm wrong, Rob, he's a first ballet Hall
of Famer. You agree with that? Wow? I guess not.
I just don't. I don't know what the criteria in
the NBA is, you know, all the basketball Hall of faction.
I mean, what is he what? He hasn't won a championship. No,
it's not. He's a career Okay, He's averages twenty five
(01:53):
points for his career, six and a half dimes. You know,
one of the best shooters we've seen, not the best,
one of the best team is consistently in the players
and actually has been to a conference final. Um, not
like A and Tracy mcgrady's a Hall of Famer. Rob
never and Tracy was great. I never want to play serious,
(02:14):
But that's what I said. Is that That's why I
don't know what to If Tracy's in, everybody should get it.
I mean, according to that, Tracy was a great record.
He never won his series, but he was a great player.
I mean, you we can quibble over what was how
much great. I don't one of the average Tracy McGrady.
I can't even you couldn't get I couldn't give you
(02:35):
any of his numbers, Chris, you talk about him being great,
I don't remember. Did he win an MVP that I
forgot about, but none of that. No, I'm just aren't
the only people in the Hall of Fame. No, But
I'm just saying, like, that's why it's skewed for me.
I don't know he landed the league and scoring twice.
You know, he for for a five year stretch, rob
and and you say it's only five years. He was
(02:57):
a top five player in the NBA. And even if
you look at his player and he definitely deserves some
blame for not even winning one playoff series, but he
put up big numbers. He did put up big numbers.
But again, I'm not trying to defend he didn't get it.
I'm just I don't want to get sidetracked. I don't
know what but to make it to the Basketball Hall
(03:20):
of Fame. What the criterias. That's why I struggle with it. Well,
I think that you are supporting the point I'm about
to make, which is this, And let me first say
it this way. I respect Damian Lillards and I've said
it before I respect his stance that this is my
team and I'm gonna try my best to win it
(03:42):
right here in Portland. I'm not. My style isn't to
go join a super team. I respected, just like I
respected it with Russell Westbrook, and just like I respected
it with Alan Iverson, who ended up getting traded, but
it wasn't his choice. Those guys are saying, look, this
is my team. I'm loyal, and if we can't, I'm gonna,
(04:03):
you know, give everything. I got blood, sweat and tears
one hundred and fifty percent to get it done here
and bring this franchise a championship. And I can live
with it if I don't. So I respect that. But
and this is just the cold I believe, Rob, the cold,
hard reality of the situation. Like I said to me,
(04:27):
Damian Lillard already is a first ballot Hall of Famer.
He's already gonna go down. You know that's a great
I mean, that's an all time great. He did not
top twenty anything like that, but all time great player
because he's a Hall of Famer. But he will to me, Rob,
he will never get he will never be as appreciated
as he should be unless he goes to play with
(04:53):
a super team and wins the championship. Now you could say, yeah,
if he wins one in Portland, then certainly he will
be But I'm just saying, looking at this squad, they're good,
they're not a championship team. And so I use Harden
as exhibit a. James Harden. We know how great he
was in Houston, same thing, hall of Famer, won an MVP,
(05:14):
all that. But now Rob, you can see it now,
just now, the level of appreciation for Harden has gone
way up. And I don't even want anything yet. And
you know, I think they will win a championship, but
if he would, If Harden wins a championship, then his
legacy is gonna be even greater than it was with
(05:37):
all the numbers he put up in Houston. And I
think Dame is in the same boat. Yeah, I'm just
not of that school. There are a lot of great
players who played who didn't win championships. Does that mean
Call Malone's not the second all time? Am I saying?
I'm not saying he's not great or Charles Walkley's not
a great player. We all know. I'm just saying, because
you're right, you could say, I don't know, as Dame Lilli,
(06:00):
if he plays all these years in Portland, his last
year he goes on and he's he's Gary Payton and
he and he hooks onto a team and wins a
championship at the end, does that mean all of a
sudden it's right, It doesn't. Yeah, there comes a point. Yeah,
you got my right, Okay, that's what I'm saying. Morning,
(06:20):
Remember the same thing. Yeah, I mean really, even David
Robinson to some degree, right, he was still a really
good player in their first ship with Duncan. But did
it really change his legacy? No? Him say it right?
Is that? I hear your point in the way people
talk about it. But I think if he's able to
(06:43):
stay there, get them to a championship, win a championship,
and if they win one. But yeah, I think obviously,
and that's all he would just have to do. If
he won one and he did it on his own,
people wouldn't look at his career and say it's incredible.
He went. He was in Portland, he didn't run anywhere
else to go try to stack a team. He went
through the trials and tribulations. They got swept in the
(07:03):
Western Conference, finals a couple of years ago, Chris and
he was able to stick it out. And guys you know,
played and they developed a guy or they got lucky
in the draft and got some player or something, And
I think people would appreciate that. I understand. There's no
doubt what what world we live in, and people want
instance gratification, and if you don't have you know, you
(07:25):
don't have a ring all of a sudden, nothing you
do matters. I don't prescribe to that. I understand how
if you're talking about the greatest of all times, how
that factors in. But talking about just greatness, it shouldn't
have to include a championship because everybody can't win. Everybody.
Reggie Miller was a great player. He didn't win. Patrick Ewing.
(07:48):
I covered Patrick every night. Nobody wanted to win or
played harder than him or Charles Oakley. Those are the
guys I watched every night. They wanted to win so
bad and they did everything. Choles Oakley used to jump
into the crowd to get a loose ball Chris in
the second quarter. You know here, they all want to win.
They want to I'm just saying, but but it doesn't
(08:09):
mean that Patrick Ewin's career was was a waste or
no good because he didn't win a championship. I agree,
but and I think some of this robe is the
change in the way things are done. I think we
can argue before Lebrin goes to Miami, maybe the thinking
(08:33):
would have been, Nah, you more respected if you stay
there and don't win, then if you go join the
super team and win. But now that everything's changed, Kevin Durant,
if he had stayed in Oklahoma City, and you're right,
I mean, who knows, maybe little will win one in Portland.
(08:53):
I don't see it now, you know, like you said,
if they get another great player somehow, but right now,
don't look like that's on the horizon. But if Kevin
Durant has stayed in OKAC and never won a championship
with those with Golden State, even as people want to
put a mental asterisk on him as stuff, the fact
(09:17):
is his legacy is greater because he does have those rings.
Harden's legacy will be greater if he wins a championship
in Brooklyn this year and next year whatever. And that's all.
I agree with you. It's not fair because Damian Lillard
is straight up great, right, but I don't think he'll
(09:40):
ever be as appreciated as he should be or could
be unless he wins a championship. And you are right
in that it has to be like in his prime
and he is Yeah, yeah, it can't. You riding somebody
(10:01):
else's coattails and all that um, and I just think
that's how it is. Rob. Unfortunately, now I will give
you this, as great as Dame is, he's not. And
maybe it's just because of his size, because very few
point guards, you know, small point guards have led their
teams to championships, so maybe he gets an out with that.
(10:24):
But you know, he is not like Lebron kind of
had to win because he was being compared to Michael
Jordan and all that. Kevin Durant kind of had to
win because he was being compared to Lebron James. You know, Yannis, Rob,
Yannis is in that class where he better win. You
(10:45):
was Rob as great as we know you he was?
You know, there are people that don't appreciate Ewing for
as good. You know, there are people that yeah, nice
in New York, but when they when they get wasn't
that draft lottery? Rob? You know what the thinking was
happy days are here again because we're about to win
some championships and it never happened, no doubt. You know
(11:07):
when people twice they just didn't win, right, And people
can appreciate him more now, you know, when he's done playing,
people respect him and all that. But you know in
New York Ribe, I mean there's some people that still
they just he never got him that ring and they're
sore about it, and so I I it's not fair,
(11:28):
but I do feel like, like, just think about it,
if if the if the Nets win it this year, Rob,
how much is that gonna enhance James Harden's legacy. No,
a lot, there's no doubt about it, especially if he's
in the MVP conversation of or even if he wins it.
I mean, it will change a lot. But also we
(11:49):
saw a lot and there's no doubt they already have
great players, but we saw him change his game, Chris
Uh to fit what was going on there. And I
think that's the part where you look at and go
he didn't just show up and jump on the bandwagon.
And and and Durant and and Kyrie were already rolling,
do you know what I mean? Like Ryan, he's as
(12:09):
big of a part of what's going on now, if anything,
who knows Durant might be the Johnny Come Lately one
they get down to it, I mean, they don't seem
to lose, and and Durant hasn't played. I mean, it's incredible. No,
I think Harden is the key period, you know, and
we we both everybody Premisch agrees Durant's the best player,
(12:31):
but Harden is the key. He makes the engine go
and uh so, yeah, it's uh. I don't think Dame
would do it. I mean, he said it as much
several times and I respect it again, but this dude
is awesome, and I don't know that it'll fully get
appreciated as it should unless he wins, you know, goes
(12:53):
to a superteam and and wins it. Unless he can
somehow leave Portland where he is. Be sure that atch
live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and
Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, this
is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my
(13:15):
podcast Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical
sports pod, pushing the same tired narratives down your throat
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Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
(13:39):
you get your podcasts. This next guest is a member
of Michigan's famed Fab Five, Jimmy King. Jimmy, Welcome to
the acable bo What up? What up? Cup? It's going on, man,
(14:00):
It's great to have you on, man, really, especially this
time of year, Chris, I was gonna appreciate it. I
appreciate it, you know. Um My blood gets to flow
in and pumping a little bit more um this time
of year, especially with my Wolverines being a number one
seed and in the mix. I'm excited for my brother
Juan Howard and what he's done with the team so far.
(14:21):
I'm ready to get it crack. I was gonna say.
Jimmy and I used to when I was still living
in Southfield. We'd run into each other at the supermarket
all the time, right, Jimmy, Yeah, yeah, yeah, all the
time because getting that amis kicking, that's right, no doubt
about it. But for let's let's start with Juwan and
a lot of people. I mean, there were guys in
the radio who were ripping the hire that it was
(14:42):
like a pr stunt, even though he had uh coach
down in Miami and whatnot. But people thought, oh, they're
reaching back, want to get somebody who who has a name,
and that's why they're hiring him. And did you know,
did you know, Jimmy, that Juwan really what could be
that good of a coach when you played with him
(15:03):
or did you ever get that sense early on? Absolutely? Um,
you know for us when we were people got to
remember when we were being recruited as all Americans coming
out of high school. Jiwan was the first to commit
in Michigan and that was the first taste of him really,
(15:24):
I guess, you know, putting on his recruiting boots and
recruiting the rest of the fact five. So he gained
that experience at a young age and then of course
all the experience from college to the pros twenty plus
years in the NBA coaching six years and a great
staff in the Miami Heat. You know, I didn't have
(15:45):
a doubt. I did a lot of interviews last year
or yeah, last year when Jiwan was hired, and and
it was just the main question was what you said.
It's like, you know, people didn't understand his pedigree. But
what I tried to what I tried to make sure
(16:06):
they understood was no one was going to outwork him.
And you can see that because it's infectious with his team.
They love and share the ball with each other. And
also he has the number one recruiting class coming in.
So he's done the job from aginning to end so far. Jimmy,
do you you know when you look at these it's
(16:27):
all the way up to the NBA friends coming together
to play and create these super teams. A few years
ago Kentucky, you know they had they've hadded a few
times a bunch of you know, top players come together
to play at Kentucky. Do you feel like when you
see that stuff that you guys started to trend. You're
known for the black socks, the long shorts, all that,
(16:47):
but it's another trend that could be traced back to
you guys to some degree. Yeah, So what and we
didn't think of it like that. We just wanted to
play with great players. We we we were students at
the game. We um. We understood um that if we
came together as a group, you know, we had a
(17:09):
possibility that no one would step on each other's ses.
We all did something kind of different and if we
accepted the roles, we could make something special. So it
wasn't a foresight, you know, so early on in our
high school career. Um. But once, like I said, it's
a tribute to Juwan. When Juwan was calling us, I
(17:31):
remember coming home from practice being tired. You know how
it is a high school. You know, five thirty is dark,
so like seven thirty, you know it's it's dark, you're tired,
You're trying to get something to eat. And I got
this kid from Chicago calling me, asking me what's up.
And I'm avoiding him, you know, more than his call,
(17:52):
because all I wanted to do is eat and sleep.
But that was that's that's Juwan, and that's it, you know,
again a test how much did you know each other? Again,
we were just students of the game. UM, so it
like you knew, Nah, they didn't know each other really right,
except Christian Jalen maybe right right. They were from so
(18:13):
they just saw your game. He Juwann kind of felt
like all your games were meshed together and you could
do something special. Yep. So so you know, reading the
MAC back then it was just the recruiting magazines that
you can get your hands on, and uh you see
who's you know consistently the top ranks um and you
(18:33):
follow them um by. You know, back then you had
to go to the library, maybe get some articles from
Michael Fish or something, right, but exactly, but see see that.
But see that's the type of homework that we did.
You know, like the kids today they got this stuff
at their fingertips. I would do so much research on
(18:53):
my boot in and uh my peers, I would know
everything about them to get an advantage through and through. Hey, Jimmy,
I do want to ask you about the five five,
but let's get this question in about this Michigan team
and then I do want to follow up. But uh,
Isaiah us out and that that's going to obviously you know, derail,
(19:17):
what what aspirations? Can they still make a big run
or does that losing the player of his caliber? Is
that kind of take them out of a chance of
winning a championship or am I wrong? It's it's hard
to replace the Isaiah Livers, especially with his experience being
an upper classman, playing in big games, hitting big shots
(19:38):
in big games. Um, he's someone that the Wolverines could
lean on when things get stagnant or hard. So when
you take that away, obviously, you know you diminish your chances. However,
UH coach what he preaches, his next man up, So
(19:59):
God should be prepared to step into the stage. Um.
You know, you don't have time to really die chest
or you know, really think about what's what's what's going down.
You should be prepared and be all the pilot at
this point. Um. If they've been practicing that all year,
which I believe they have, and it looks that way,
(20:21):
so I believe they can make a deep run. Um.
I think Uh Sandy Brown will step up um again,
and then you're gonna need you know, guys who didn't
get a lot of minutes coming off the bench, like
Williams to step in and um, you know, fill the gap.
Uh as Isaiah is out all right, last thing for me,
(20:44):
last thing. Uh as much notoriety as the Fab five
gets how much does it? That? Does it hurt a
little bit that if you guys would have been able
to win just one of those championship, not even both,
but win that one. What a difference it would have made,
you know, Like, do you ever think about that? Like
you got there? Hell yeah, man, I mean hell yeah, right,
(21:11):
you always that's what you played for. Also, although although
we you know, we won, um, the hearts and minds
of millions, right still was the championship, you know, um,
And but really the life lesson in that is that
there is a consolation and your life isn't over if
you don't win. You know, that's the that's the lie,
(21:32):
you know, that failure. I just read something about Twitter
that just said we were uh, we were just fashion
uh fashion uh fashion, I don't even know what he called.
H yeah, fashion icons with no wins or something like that.
That was our contribute to the game. But um, but
(21:55):
you know, we're always because we didn't win. Yeah, just
because we didn't win a Big ten championship or an
NC double a championship. But um, but let me ask
you this, Let me ask you this, Jimmy. We got
about a minute left. Um, do you ever wonder had
you gone somewhere else Obviously, if you got five stars,
(22:15):
you know everybody's not gonna be able to put up
big numbers. Do you ever wonder like if you had
gone somewhere else where you were like the only star
going in and you you put up big numbers and
things like that. Does that ever cross your mind? You
think about that? Of course? And the fellas know they
know how much I sacrificed. They don't they don't they know.
They know I would be They know I'd be the Jay,
(22:38):
the Kobe. They know that. They know that. That's our secret,
that's our little secret. And I'm cool with that, all right,
I hear you, man. Always a pleasure, my man, definitely,
thank you. I'm coming back to the D man, I'll
hitch you up. Let you know what this left the D.
I'll be back next week. Bett, Okay, all right, Jimmy,
(23:01):
thank you brother. That's Jimmy King. Michigan's five five. Fox
Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox sports Radio dot
com and within the iHeart Radio app. Search f SR
to listen live. Start off the show with Deshaun Watson,
sexual allegation or sexual misconduct allegations now being put charged
(23:28):
against him civil lawsuits, I should say, but the other
news regarding Deshaun Wiser rob was that reportedly he wants
to go to either the forty nine ers or the Broncos.
I look, if he's not gonna be in Houston, i'd
I'd love to see him in San Francisco. I've been
(23:49):
saying that for the longest that if he's in San Francisco.
With that defense, they got some good receivers, nice running game.
I think that they could be a Super Bowl contender. Yeah,
I don't. I don't know where I'm at with the
forty nine ers because of how quickly everything and I
(24:11):
know they were injuries, Chris. I just think the NFC
is a lot tougher than it was. I don't know
where where they are. I don't feel the same about
them and what they had going, you know what I mean.
But but obviously, if you're at a quarterback of that
caliber is gonna, you know, put you and definitely put
you in the mix. So I get what you're saying,
(24:32):
but I don't where are the forty nine ers now?
You still feel good about them? Well, when the healthy
and here's and I'm glad you brought that up because
this is an interesting point. And and Marcellis widely was
making it today on Speak for Yourself. I don't know
that I buy it, but it's interesting. He was saying
(24:53):
that Deshaun Watson, for all this greatness, is twenty eight
and twenty five as a starter, and Houston Robe, you
noticed they were making the playoffs here and there before
him there with him right like like like for all
as good as he is, he hasn't really changed their
(25:15):
fortunes that much. And that record is pretty amazing when
you think about it, to be right. And and then
you look at Jimmy Garoppolo, and I mean, his record
is incredible. It's it's it's twenty Let me get his
record as a starter twenty four and eight and you
(25:38):
might say, well, yeah, he's with a good team tonight
is Oh, hold on, they weren't good. They were one
and ten when he got there, and he immediately won
five straight games. Rob next year he only plays three games.
They have a horrible year, he gets hurt, then he
goes thirteen and three, they go to the super Bowl,
and then last year they're three and three with him
(26:01):
and three and seven without him. So we can say
what we want about Jimmy g Rob something about the
dude when he wins games. You know what I'm saying, right, No,
I mean, hard to argue about it, but um DaShan
(26:22):
is a better individual quarterback, yeah, and then he probably
should have been winning. But there's other issues. You can't
always look at a guy's record for sure and put
it all on him, even though we do do that
when it comes to uh quarterbacks. We give them too
much credit when they win and too much blame when
they lose. But but uh, yeah, the forty nine ers,
(26:44):
I mean, if everything comes back to where they were, Chris,
the way they ran the ball. I mean, and when
you say, look, I think they're probably a playoff team
with Jimmy g I don't. I wouldn't. I think Tampa
Bay and Green Bay are the class of the NFC now,
and I don't. Look, I don't agree with you that
(27:04):
Jamis Winston is gonna lead New Orleans to the Division crown.
But I think they could be very good. I think
it could be very good and a factor, you know
what I mean in the NFC. And then the Rams
are there you know. Um, but I think Green Bay
and Tampa Bay are the class right now. So uh,
let's move on to uh interesting story. We got the
(27:27):
NCAA tournament, and you make sure you feel like your
bracket because it's playing games start tomorrow, not at all.
I'm gonna have to do it tonight. Yes, um so,
but but but the bracket doesn't have the playing team.
It's about the team that makes it right. You know who,
I'll tell you who I picked. Um, don't copy me,
(27:48):
but I'm a copy copy. It's a copy that's a
copy radio show. It's a copy league, and it's a
copy radio show. Go ahead. No, I picked Illinois over
acause the most people are picking Gonzaga undefeated. I get it.
Everybody thinks that this is it they're gonna be Yeah.
(28:11):
I was tempted, but but I went with uh. I
went ahead and went with uh, Illinois. I liked their guard.
I U demand su and UH they got some experience.
You know, Solda is Gonzaga. It's just we'll see what happens.
But anyway, Gonzaga's best player is this freshman point guard
Jalen Sucks and he averaged about fourteen points about five
(28:36):
dimes and rob He is viewed as a top five
pick in the NBA, and he was a tremendous football
player as well. He's from Minnesota Saint Paul and actually
was recruited by Ohio State, had offers from Ohio State,
Iowa State, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota to play quarterback. So right,
(29:01):
so when I when and he obviously turned it down
to go to Gonzaga and play basketball. He's choosing the
NBA over the NFL. Essentially, I want to throw this
out to you, and we can go bring MLB into
it too, because Kyler Murray obviously and Russell Wilson both
chose the NFL over MLB. If you were and we're
just gonna make we're gonna get absurd and say you
(29:22):
had your choice as a high school player, you're awesome
at everything, and you had your choice to go NBA, NFL,
Major League Baseball, and the routes did it take? So
you'd go to college, you know in basketball and football,
maybe you go to the minor leagues or whatever. In baseball?
What would you do? Me? Yeah, let me say this.
(29:46):
There is one guy who was drafted by four professional leagues.
Want I think I know Dave Winfield. Dave Winfield for
people don't know you, Dave Winfield was an unbelievable athlete. Okay,
Dave Winfield never went to the minor leagues, Chris. He
wound up picking baseball and playing twenty years. Right, and
he went straight to the mayor, which went straight to
(30:09):
the majors, to the San Diego Padre. He was drafted
by the NFL, He was drafted by the NBA, and
he was drafted by the ABA. He four leagues drafted
this guy, and he chose baseball and played twenty years.
And I had a great careers in the Hall of Fame. Okay,
but I would eliminate it. Yeah, let's not make it
(30:32):
necessarily our personal No, no, no, obviously your favorite sports baseball.
I'm just saying, but I would eliminate football from the
health if I if I could play another professional sport
and not have to play football, I wouldn't. If I
could play football, and that's all what I was optioned,
my option, Chris, then I would consider playing it. Obviously,
(30:54):
I played it in college, and I have a chance
to make a big living. Do you see what I'm saying? Like,
if I have the wait so you're saying if you could,
if football was your only option, Yeah, I wouldn't say
I wouldn't do it because obviously so you wouldn't definitely play. Yeah,
I would consider it, but from the standpoint of I
probably played in college. That's the only reason why I
have an opportunity. So yeah, so you you're not saying
(31:15):
you beat this college football and then to play, That's
all I'm just saying. But if I had a choice.
It's funny because we just got some sound from Dion
Sanders for MLB bro Chris, which debuts April first, Okay,
and Dion is on the record saying that if he
could do it all over again and he could just
(31:36):
pick one sport out of the two, he always says
he would pick baseball if he could have been the
star baseball. Yeah, so why didn't he? I don't know,
I mean, and just he just says that he if
he could play at the level that he played football,
you know what I mean, that he would pick He
looks like, I mean, look, it's a very small sample size,
(31:56):
and especially in I think baseball ride more than other sports,
you have to be very careful about a small sample size.
You know what, I'm saying, no, a lot of a
year or two, right, but he he was fantastic. No,
it's like a Hall of Famer, you know what I mean.
That's right. But anyway, I'm just saying if I didn't,
(32:18):
if I, if I had an option outside of football
from my for my health, I would take basketball or
baseball over football every single time if I had the option. Yeah,
I mean that that's there's no doubt that you don't
hear about. Well, no, I'm just saying no, I'm saying
from a health standpoint, right, But that's what I'm saying,
(32:38):
just from a health stall right. You don't hear about
the baseball and the basketball players with CTE and you know,
so I hear you from that standpoint. I Um, I
think Sugs, I'll go basketball, baseball or basketball football right now.
I think Sugs made the right decision. If you're equally
(32:59):
great in both, say then yeah, I mean, first of all,
you're gonna be it's you. You, your body won't take
as much of a pounding right in basketball, and rob
you'll make more money. So if I'm equally good in both,
what what what's the decision? You know what I'm saying,
now baseball football. I I think it's a difference in that,
(33:25):
and obviously it's the same thing health wise and money wise. Right,
if you're a star, you're gonna make more money in
baseball's not gonna you're gonna play longer. Though, here's the
difference in my view. I don't know if you'll agree,
the most recognizable athletes in the world, or at least
in American athletes are basketball and bait and football players.
(33:52):
So if football players most people, most people, if you
other than a handful of guys, you don't almost of
the players who play in the NFL, Right, But I
think the stars in in football get more notoriety than
the stars in baseball. Not that there aren't baseball guys
(34:14):
that get it, but like even like a Mike Trout,
he could walk down the street, people would know who
he was a lot. Yeah, but I've been I've known,
I've been around a lot of people do the same
thing with football players. They don't know football players because
they don't see them a guy or this is a handful,
this is a handful of football players who who they know.
Even when they do commercials. The one thing I've always
(34:36):
noticed they always put those guys in uniform or because
I mean they're where helmets. But my point, but even
that's a good point. Look at the commercials. More of
the football players get commercials than baseball. So I'm just
saying I think that could be like you're going to be.
I mean, there are cultural icons obviously in baseball, but
(34:58):
you have a better chang i'd say, of being a
cultural kind. If that's important to you in football nowadays,
then in baseball, or even if you just look at
like we always talk about we're one of the we
talk more baseball than any other national radio show. Obviously,
(35:18):
the debate shows and stuff on TV don't talk that
much baseball. If that's important to you, If if your
brand and all that is important to you, I think
that's something that could make you think about football, even
with its negatives over baseball. For me, I would choose
football over baseball and basketball over football. Yeah, I just
(35:41):
wouldn't play football if I if I could avoid it
at all costs. And you see a lot of parents
are stopping kids from playing, and I get it. Until
there's better protection and different things going on, you got
to really think about it. Because of what's happened and
if you have an option and you don't have to
play it, I would just set and I mean being
(36:01):
a star. If I'm Dave Winfield, uh, and i can
go into the major leagues and I'm not going to
the minor leagues or whatever, then I'm doing that. Yeah,
And I'll say this, And obviously people have their preferences.
My favorite sport growing up was football, but I love
playing all the sports pretty pretty much equally. You know,
back that's what people did. Yeah, yeah, it's not like that.
(36:26):
Everybody now specializes in one thing and does it. It's
it's like all the kids, Chris who have arm injuries. Now,
you know why they have arm injuries because they only pitch.
They only pitch. That's not how we grew up when
you played because you might have been a good pitcher,
you played shortstop because you were the best player every
day and week right, that's not how out And they
(36:53):
need to go back to that because these histories are crazy. Right.
The kids are taking or having a Tommy John sir Jewels,
it's crazy
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f
(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rod Harker. Dame dollars you
said down seventeen and he just goes off, ends up
with fifty points, ten dimes, six rebounds and rob Damian
Lillard's second in the league and scoring right now at
(00:43):
thirty point five points per game. And he's been without
his second and third best players but most of the season.
CJ McCollums it. Jess came back last back last night, right, Yeah,
first game back. Usef nerd Kitch is out and Dame
still has them right there in the thick of the
(01:06):
playoff race in the Western Conference. There the six s six. Well,
they're tied with Denver for fifth. I guess that's fifth.
And here's what I want to say about Dame and
this is his Let's see one, two, three, four or five, six, seven, eight,
ninth season in the NBA. He's a correct me if
(01:29):
you think I'm wrong, Rob, he's a first ballet Hall
of Famer. You agree with that? Wow? I guess not.
I just don't. I don't know what the criteria in
the NBA is, you know, all the basketball Hall of faction.
I mean, what is he what? He hasn't won a championship. No,
it's not. He's a career Okay, He's averages twenty five
(01:53):
points for his career, six and a half dimes. You know,
one of the best shooters we've seen, not the best,
one of the best team is consistently in the players
and actually has been to a conference final. Um, not
like A and Tracy mcgrady's a Hall of Famer. Rob
never and Tracy was great. I never want to play serious,
(02:14):
But that's what I said. Is that That's why I
don't know what to If Tracy's in, everybody should get it.
I mean, according to that, Tracy was a great record.
He never won his series, but he was a great player.
I mean, you we can quibble over what was how
much great. I don't one of the average Tracy McGrady.
I can't even you couldn't get I couldn't give you
(02:35):
any of his numbers, Chris, you talk about him being great,
I don't remember. Did he win an MVP that I
forgot about, but none of that. No, I'm just aren't
the only people in the Hall of Fame. No, But
I'm just saying, like, that's why it's skewed for me.
I don't know he landed the league and scoring twice.
You know, he for for a five year stretch, rob
and and you say it's only five years. He was
(02:57):
a top five player in the NBA. And even if
you look at his player and he definitely deserves some
blame for not even winning one playoff series, but he
put up big numbers. He did put up big numbers.
But again, I'm not trying to defend he didn't get it.
I'm just I don't want to get sidetracked. I don't
know what but to make it to the Basketball Hall
(03:20):
of Fame. What the criterias. That's why I struggle with it. Well,
I think that you are supporting the point I'm about
to make, which is this, And let me first say
it this way. I respect Damian Lillards and I've said
it before I respect his stance that this is my
team and I'm gonna try my best to win it
(03:42):
right here in Portland. I'm not. My style isn't to
go join a super team. I respected, just like I
respected it with Russell Westbrook, and just like I respected
it with Alan Iverson, who ended up getting traded, but
it wasn't his choice. Those guys are saying, look, this
is my team. I'm loyal, and if we can't, I'm gonna,
(04:03):
you know, give everything. I got blood, sweat and tears
one hundred and fifty percent to get it done here
and bring this franchise a championship. And I can live
with it if I don't. So I respect that. But
and this is just the cold I believe, Rob, the cold,
hard reality of the situation. Like I said to me,
(04:27):
Damian Lillard already is a first ballot Hall of Famer.
He's already gonna go down. You know that's a great
I mean, that's an all time great. He did not
top twenty anything like that, but all time great player
because he's a Hall of Famer. But he will to me, Rob,
he will never get he will never be as appreciated
as he should be unless he goes to play with
(04:53):
a super team and wins the championship. Now you could say, yeah,
if he wins one in Portland, then certainly he will
be But I'm just saying, looking at this squad, they're good,
they're not a championship team. And so I use Harden
as exhibit a. James Harden. We know how great he
was in Houston, same thing, hall of Famer, won an MVP,
(05:14):
all that. But now Rob, you can see it now,
just now, the level of appreciation for Harden has gone
way up. And I don't even want anything yet. And
you know, I think they will win a championship, but
if he would, If Harden wins a championship, then his
legacy is gonna be even greater than it was with
(05:37):
all the numbers he put up in Houston. And I
think Dame is in the same boat. Yeah, I'm just
not of that school. There are a lot of great
players who played who didn't win championships. Does that mean
Call Malone's not the second all time? Am I saying?
I'm not saying he's not great or Charles Walkley's not
a great player. We all know. I'm just saying, because
you're right, you could say, I don't know, as Dame Lilli,
(06:00):
if he plays all these years in Portland, his last
year he goes on and he's he's Gary Payton and
he and he hooks onto a team and wins a
championship at the end, does that mean all of a
sudden it's right, It doesn't. Yeah, there comes a point. Yeah,
you got my right, Okay, that's what I'm saying. Morning,
(06:20):
Remember the same thing. Yeah, I mean really, even David
Robinson to some degree, right, he was still a really
good player in their first ship with Duncan. But did
it really change his legacy? No? Him say it right?
Is that? I hear your point in the way people
talk about it. But I think if he's able to
(06:43):
stay there, get them to a championship, win a championship,
and if they win one. But yeah, I think obviously,
and that's all he would just have to do. If
he won one and he did it on his own,
people wouldn't look at his career and say it's incredible.
He went. He was in Portland, he didn't run anywhere
else to go try to stack a team. He went
through the trials and tribulations. They got swept in the
(07:03):
Western Conference, finals a couple of years ago, Chris and
he was able to stick it out. And guys you know,
played and they developed a guy or they got lucky
in the draft and got some player or something, And
I think people would appreciate that. I understand. There's no
doubt what what world we live in, and people want
instance gratification, and if you don't have you know, you
(07:25):
don't have a ring all of a sudden, nothing you
do matters. I don't prescribe to that. I understand how
if you're talking about the greatest of all times, how
that factors in. But talking about just greatness, it shouldn't
have to include a championship because everybody can't win. Everybody.
Reggie Miller was a great player. He didn't win. Patrick Ewing.
(07:48):
I covered Patrick every night. Nobody wanted to win or
played harder than him or Charles Oakley. Those are the
guys I watched every night. They wanted to win so
bad and they did everything. Choles Oakley used to jump
into the crowd to get a loose ball Chris in
the second quarter. You know here, they all want to win.
They want to I'm just saying, but but it doesn't
(08:09):
mean that Patrick Ewin's career was was a waste or
no good because he didn't win a championship. I agree,
but and I think some of this robe is the
change in the way things are done. I think we
can argue before Lebrin goes to Miami, maybe the thinking
(08:33):
would have been, Nah, you more respected if you stay
there and don't win, then if you go join the
super team and win. But now that everything's changed, Kevin Durant,
if he had stayed in Oklahoma City, and you're right,
I mean, who knows, maybe little will win one in Portland.
(08:53):
I don't see it now, you know, like you said,
if they get another great player somehow, but right now,
don't look like that's on the horizon. But if Kevin
Durant has stayed in OKAC and never won a championship
with those with Golden State, even as people want to
put a mental asterisk on him as stuff, the fact
(09:17):
is his legacy is greater because he does have those rings.
Harden's legacy will be greater if he wins a championship
in Brooklyn this year and next year whatever. And that's all.
I agree with you. It's not fair because Damian Lillard
is straight up great, right, but I don't think he'll
(09:40):
ever be as appreciated as he should be or could
be unless he wins a championship. And you are right
in that it has to be like in his prime
and he is Yeah, yeah, it can't. You riding somebody
(10:01):
else's coattails and all that um, and I just think
that's how it is. Rob. Unfortunately, now I will give
you this, as great as Dame is, he's not. And
maybe it's just because of his size, because very few
point guards, you know, small point guards have led their
teams to championships, so maybe he gets an out with that.
(10:24):
But you know, he is not like Lebron kind of
had to win because he was being compared to Michael
Jordan and all that. Kevin Durant kind of had to
win because he was being compared to Lebron James. You know, Yannis, Rob,
Yannis is in that class where he better win. You
(10:45):
was Rob as great as we know you he was?
You know, there are people that don't appreciate Ewing for
as good. You know, there are people that yeah, nice
in New York, but when they when they get wasn't
that draft lottery? Rob? You know what the thinking was
happy days are here again because we're about to win
some championships and it never happened, no doubt. You know
(11:07):
when people twice they just didn't win, right, And people
can appreciate him more now, you know, when he's done playing,
people respect him and all that. But you know in
New York Ribe, I mean there's some people that still
they just he never got him that ring and they're
sore about it, and so I I it's not fair,
(11:28):
but I do feel like, like, just think about it,
if if the if the Nets win it this year, Rob,
how much is that gonna enhance James Harden's legacy. No,
a lot, there's no doubt about it, especially if he's
in the MVP conversation of or even if he wins it.
I mean, it will change a lot. But also we
(11:49):
saw a lot and there's no doubt they already have
great players, but we saw him change his game, Chris
Uh to fit what was going on there. And I
think that's the part where you look at and go
he didn't just show up and jump on the bandwagon.
And and and Durant and and Kyrie were already rolling,
do you know what I mean? Like Ryan, he's as
(12:09):
big of a part of what's going on now, if anything,
who knows Durant might be the Johnny Come Lately one
they get down to it, I mean, they don't seem
to lose, and and Durant hasn't played. I mean, it's incredible. No,
I think Harden is the key period, you know, and
we we both everybody Premisch agrees Durant's the best player,
(12:31):
but Harden is the key. He makes the engine go
and uh so, yeah, it's uh. I don't think Dame
would do it. I mean, he said it as much
several times and I respect it again, but this dude
is awesome, and I don't know that it'll fully get
appreciated as it should unless he wins, you know, goes
(12:53):
to a superteam and and wins it. Unless he can
somehow leave Portland where he is. Be sure that atch
live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Broussard and
Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Hey, this
is Jason McIntyre. Join me every weekday morning on my
(13:15):
podcast Straight Fire with Jason McIntyre. This isn't your typical
sports pod, pushing the same tired narratives down your throat
every day. Straight Fire gives you honest opinions on all
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Do yourself a favor and listen to Straight Fire with
Jason McIntyre on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever
(13:39):
you get your podcasts. This next guest is a member
of Michigan's famed Fab Five, Jimmy King. Jimmy, Welcome to
the acable bo What up? What up? Cup? It's going on, man,
(14:00):
It's great to have you on, man, really, especially this
time of year, Chris, I was gonna appreciate it. I
appreciate it, you know. Um My blood gets to flow
in and pumping a little bit more um this time
of year, especially with my Wolverines being a number one
seed and in the mix. I'm excited for my brother
Juan Howard and what he's done with the team so far.
(14:21):
I'm ready to get it crack. I was gonna say.
Jimmy and I used to when I was still living
in Southfield. We'd run into each other at the supermarket
all the time, right, Jimmy, Yeah, yeah, yeah, all the
time because getting that amis kicking, that's right, no doubt
about it. But for let's let's start with Juwan and
a lot of people. I mean, there were guys in
the radio who were ripping the hire that it was
(14:42):
like a pr stunt, even though he had uh coach
down in Miami and whatnot. But people thought, oh, they're
reaching back, want to get somebody who who has a name,
and that's why they're hiring him. And did you know,
did you know, Jimmy, that Juwan really what could be
that good of a coach when you played with him
(15:03):
or did you ever get that sense early on? Absolutely? Um,
you know for us when we were people got to
remember when we were being recruited as all Americans coming
out of high school. Jiwan was the first to commit
in Michigan and that was the first taste of him really,
(15:24):
I guess, you know, putting on his recruiting boots and
recruiting the rest of the fact five. So he gained
that experience at a young age and then of course
all the experience from college to the pros twenty plus
years in the NBA coaching six years and a great
staff in the Miami Heat. You know, I didn't have
(15:45):
a doubt. I did a lot of interviews last year
or yeah, last year when Jiwan was hired, and and
it was just the main question was what you said.
It's like, you know, people didn't understand his pedigree. But
what I tried to what I tried to make sure
(16:06):
they understood was no one was going to outwork him.
And you can see that because it's infectious with his team.
They love and share the ball with each other. And
also he has the number one recruiting class coming in.
So he's done the job from aginning to end so far. Jimmy,
do you you know when you look at these it's
(16:27):
all the way up to the NBA friends coming together
to play and create these super teams. A few years
ago Kentucky, you know they had they've hadded a few
times a bunch of you know, top players come together
to play at Kentucky. Do you feel like when you
see that stuff that you guys started to trend. You're
known for the black socks, the long shorts, all that,
(16:47):
but it's another trend that could be traced back to
you guys to some degree. Yeah, So what and we
didn't think of it like that. We just wanted to
play with great players. We we we were students at
the game. We um. We understood um that if we
came together as a group, you know, we had a
(17:09):
possibility that no one would step on each other's ses.
We all did something kind of different and if we
accepted the roles, we could make something special. So it
wasn't a foresight, you know, so early on in our
high school career. Um. But once, like I said, it's
a tribute to Juwan. When Juwan was calling us, I
(17:31):
remember coming home from practice being tired. You know how
it is a high school. You know, five thirty is dark,
so like seven thirty, you know it's it's dark, you're tired,
You're trying to get something to eat. And I got
this kid from Chicago calling me, asking me what's up.
And I'm avoiding him, you know, more than his call,
(17:52):
because all I wanted to do is eat and sleep.
But that was that's that's Juwan, and that's it, you know,
again a test how much did you know each other? Again,
we were just students of the game. UM, so it
like you knew, Nah, they didn't know each other really right,
except Christian Jalen maybe right right. They were from so
(18:13):
they just saw your game. He Juwann kind of felt
like all your games were meshed together and you could
do something special. Yep. So so you know, reading the
MAC back then it was just the recruiting magazines that
you can get your hands on, and uh you see
who's you know consistently the top ranks um and you
(18:33):
follow them um by. You know, back then you had
to go to the library, maybe get some articles from
Michael Fish or something, right, but exactly, but see see that.
But see that's the type of homework that we did.
You know, like the kids today they got this stuff
at their fingertips. I would do so much research on
(18:53):
my boot in and uh my peers, I would know
everything about them to get an advantage through and through. Hey, Jimmy,
I do want to ask you about the five five,
but let's get this question in about this Michigan team
and then I do want to follow up. But uh,
Isaiah us out and that that's going to obviously you know, derail,
(19:17):
what what aspirations? Can they still make a big run
or does that losing the player of his caliber? Is
that kind of take them out of a chance of
winning a championship or am I wrong? It's it's hard
to replace the Isaiah Livers, especially with his experience being
an upper classman, playing in big games, hitting big shots
(19:38):
in big games. Um, he's someone that the Wolverines could
lean on when things get stagnant or hard. So when
you take that away, obviously, you know you diminish your chances. However,
UH coach what he preaches, his next man up, So
(19:59):
God should be prepared to step into the stage. Um.
You know, you don't have time to really die chest
or you know, really think about what's what's what's going down.
You should be prepared and be all the pilot at
this point. Um. If they've been practicing that all year,
which I believe they have, and it looks that way,
(20:21):
so I believe they can make a deep run. Um.
I think Uh Sandy Brown will step up um again,
and then you're gonna need you know, guys who didn't
get a lot of minutes coming off the bench, like
Williams to step in and um, you know, fill the gap.
Uh as Isaiah is out all right, last thing for me,
(20:44):
last thing. Uh as much notoriety as the Fab five
gets how much does it? That? Does it hurt a
little bit that if you guys would have been able
to win just one of those championship, not even both,
but win that one. What a difference it would have made,
you know, Like, do you ever think about that? Like
you got there? Hell yeah, man, I mean hell yeah, right,
(21:11):
you always that's what you played for. Also, although although
we you know, we won, um, the hearts and minds
of millions, right still was the championship, you know, um,
And but really the life lesson in that is that
there is a consolation and your life isn't over if
you don't win. You know, that's the that's the lie,
(21:32):
you know, that failure. I just read something about Twitter
that just said we were uh, we were just fashion
uh fashion uh fashion, I don't even know what he called.
H yeah, fashion icons with no wins or something like that.
That was our contribute to the game. But um, but
(21:55):
you know, we're always because we didn't win. Yeah, just
because we didn't win a Big ten championship or an
NC double a championship. But um, but let me ask
you this, Let me ask you this, Jimmy. We got
about a minute left. Um, do you ever wonder had
you gone somewhere else Obviously, if you got five stars,
(22:15):
you know everybody's not gonna be able to put up
big numbers. Do you ever wonder like if you had
gone somewhere else where you were like the only star
going in and you you put up big numbers and
things like that. Does that ever cross your mind? You
think about that? Of course? And the fellas know they
know how much I sacrificed. They don't they don't they know.
They know I would be They know I'd be the Jay,
(22:38):
the Kobe. They know that. They know that. That's our secret,
that's our little secret. And I'm cool with that, all right,
I hear you, man. Always a pleasure, my man, definitely,
thank you. I'm coming back to the D man, I'll
hitch you up. Let you know what this left the D.
I'll be back next week. Bett, Okay, all right, Jimmy,
(23:01):
thank you brother. That's Jimmy King. Michigan's five five. Fox
Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
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to listen live. Start off the show with Deshaun Watson,
sexual allegation or sexual misconduct allegations now being put charged
(23:28):
against him civil lawsuits, I should say, but the other
news regarding Deshaun Wiser rob was that reportedly he wants
to go to either the forty nine ers or the Broncos.
I look, if he's not gonna be in Houston, i'd
I'd love to see him in San Francisco. I've been
(23:49):
saying that for the longest that if he's in San Francisco.
With that defense, they got some good receivers, nice running game.
I think that they could be a Super Bowl contender. Yeah,
I don't. I don't know where I'm at with the
forty nine ers because of how quickly everything and I
(24:11):
know they were injuries, Chris. I just think the NFC
is a lot tougher than it was. I don't know
where where they are. I don't feel the same about
them and what they had going, you know what I mean.
But but obviously, if you're at a quarterback of that
caliber is gonna, you know, put you and definitely put
you in the mix. So I get what you're saying,
(24:32):
but I don't where are the forty nine ers now?
You still feel good about them? Well, when the healthy
and here's and I'm glad you brought that up because
this is an interesting point. And and Marcellis widely was
making it today on Speak for Yourself. I don't know
that I buy it, but it's interesting. He was saying
(24:53):
that Deshaun Watson, for all this greatness, is twenty eight
and twenty five as a starter, and Houston Robe, you
noticed they were making the playoffs here and there before
him there with him right like like like for all
as good as he is, he hasn't really changed their
(25:15):
fortunes that much. And that record is pretty amazing when
you think about it, to be right. And and then
you look at Jimmy Garoppolo, and I mean, his record
is incredible. It's it's it's twenty Let me get his
record as a starter twenty four and eight and you
(25:38):
might say, well, yeah, he's with a good team tonight
is Oh, hold on, they weren't good. They were one
and ten when he got there, and he immediately won
five straight games. Rob next year he only plays three games.
They have a horrible year, he gets hurt, then he
goes thirteen and three, they go to the super Bowl,
and then last year they're three and three with him
(26:01):
and three and seven without him. So we can say
what we want about Jimmy g Rob something about the
dude when he wins games. You know what I'm saying, right, No,
I mean, hard to argue about it, but um DaShan
(26:22):
is a better individual quarterback, yeah, and then he probably
should have been winning. But there's other issues. You can't
always look at a guy's record for sure and put
it all on him, even though we do do that
when it comes to uh quarterbacks. We give them too
much credit when they win and too much blame when
they lose. But but uh, yeah, the forty nine ers,
(26:44):
I mean, if everything comes back to where they were, Chris,
the way they ran the ball. I mean, and when
you say, look, I think they're probably a playoff team
with Jimmy g I don't. I wouldn't. I think Tampa
Bay and Green Bay are the class of the NFC now,
and I don't. Look, I don't agree with you that
(27:04):
Jamis Winston is gonna lead New Orleans to the Division crown.
But I think they could be very good. I think
it could be very good and a factor, you know
what I mean in the NFC. And then the Rams
are there you know. Um, but I think Green Bay
and Tampa Bay are the class right now. So uh,
let's move on to uh interesting story. We got the
(27:27):
NCAA tournament, and you make sure you feel like your
bracket because it's playing games start tomorrow, not at all.
I'm gonna have to do it tonight. Yes, um so,
but but but the bracket doesn't have the playing team.
It's about the team that makes it right. You know who,
I'll tell you who I picked. Um, don't copy me,
(27:48):
but I'm a copy copy. It's a copy that's a
copy radio show. It's a copy league, and it's a
copy radio show. Go ahead. No, I picked Illinois over
acause the most people are picking Gonzaga undefeated. I get it.
Everybody thinks that this is it they're gonna be Yeah.
(28:11):
I was tempted, but but I went with uh. I
went ahead and went with uh, Illinois. I liked their guard.
I U demand su and UH they got some experience.
You know, Solda is Gonzaga. It's just we'll see what happens.
But anyway, Gonzaga's best player is this freshman point guard
Jalen Sucks and he averaged about fourteen points about five
(28:36):
dimes and rob He is viewed as a top five
pick in the NBA, and he was a tremendous football
player as well. He's from Minnesota Saint Paul and actually
was recruited by Ohio State, had offers from Ohio State,
Iowa State, Nebraska, Iowa, Minnesota to play quarterback. So right,
(29:01):
so when I when and he obviously turned it down
to go to Gonzaga and play basketball. He's choosing the
NBA over the NFL. Essentially, I want to throw this
out to you, and we can go bring MLB into
it too, because Kyler Murray obviously and Russell Wilson both
chose the NFL over MLB. If you were and we're
just gonna make we're gonna get absurd and say you
(29:22):
had your choice as a high school player, you're awesome
at everything, and you had your choice to go NBA, NFL,
Major League Baseball, and the routes did it take? So
you'd go to college, you know in basketball and football,
maybe you go to the minor leagues or whatever. In baseball?
What would you do? Me? Yeah, let me say this.
(29:46):
There is one guy who was drafted by four professional leagues.
Want I think I know Dave Winfield. Dave Winfield for
people don't know you, Dave Winfield was an unbelievable athlete. Okay,
Dave Winfield never went to the minor leagues, Chris. He
wound up picking baseball and playing twenty years. Right, and
he went straight to the mayor, which went straight to
(30:09):
the majors, to the San Diego Padre. He was drafted
by the NFL, He was drafted by the NBA, and
he was drafted by the ABA. He four leagues drafted
this guy, and he chose baseball and played twenty years.
And I had a great careers in the Hall of Fame. Okay,
but I would eliminate it. Yeah, let's not make it
(30:32):
necessarily our personal No, no, no, obviously your favorite sports baseball.
I'm just saying, but I would eliminate football from the
health if I if I could play another professional sport
and not have to play football, I wouldn't. If I
could play football, and that's all what I was optioned,
my option, Chris, then I would consider playing it. Obviously,
(30:54):
I played it in college, and I have a chance
to make a big living. Do you see what I'm saying? Like,
if I have the wait so you're saying if you could,
if football was your only option, Yeah, I wouldn't say
I wouldn't do it because obviously so you wouldn't definitely play. Yeah,
I would consider it, but from the standpoint of I
probably played in college. That's the only reason why I
have an opportunity. So yeah, so you you're not saying
(31:15):
you beat this college football and then to play, That's
all I'm just saying. But if I had a choice.
It's funny because we just got some sound from Dion
Sanders for MLB bro Chris, which debuts April first, Okay,
and Dion is on the record saying that if he
could do it all over again and he could just
(31:36):
pick one sport out of the two, he always says
he would pick baseball if he could have been the
star baseball. Yeah, so why didn't he? I don't know,
I mean, and just he just says that he if
he could play at the level that he played football,
you know what I mean, that he would pick He
looks like, I mean, look, it's a very small sample size,
(31:56):
and especially in I think baseball ride more than other sports,
you have to be very careful about a small sample size.
You know what, I'm saying, no, a lot of a
year or two, right, but he he was fantastic. No,
it's like a Hall of Famer, you know what I mean.
That's right. But anyway, I'm just saying if I didn't,
(32:18):
if I, if I had an option outside of football
from my for my health, I would take basketball or
baseball over football every single time if I had the option. Yeah,
I mean that that's there's no doubt that you don't
hear about. Well, no, I'm just saying no, I'm saying
from a health standpoint, right, But that's what I'm saying,
(32:38):
just from a health stall right. You don't hear about
the baseball and the basketball players with CTE and you know,
so I hear you from that standpoint. I Um, I
think Sugs, I'll go basketball, baseball or basketball football right now.
I think Sugs made the right decision. If you're equally
(32:59):
great in both, say then yeah, I mean, first of all,
you're gonna be it's you. You, your body won't take
as much of a pounding right in basketball, and rob
you'll make more money. So if I'm equally good in both,
what what what's the decision? You know what I'm saying,
now baseball football. I I think it's a difference in that,
(33:25):
and obviously it's the same thing health wise and money wise. Right,
if you're a star, you're gonna make more money in
baseball's not gonna you're gonna play longer. Though, here's the
difference in my view. I don't know if you'll agree,
the most recognizable athletes in the world, or at least
in American athletes are basketball and bait and football players.
(33:52):
So if football players most people, most people, if you
other than a handful of guys, you don't almost of
the players who play in the NFL, Right, But I
think the stars in in football get more notoriety than
the stars in baseball. Not that there aren't baseball guys
(34:14):
that get it, but like even like a Mike Trout,
he could walk down the street, people would know who
he was a lot. Yeah, but I've been I've known,
I've been around a lot of people do the same
thing with football players. They don't know football players because
they don't see them a guy or this is a handful,
this is a handful of football players who who they know.
Even when they do commercials. The one thing I've always
(34:36):
noticed they always put those guys in uniform or because
I mean they're where helmets. But my point, but even
that's a good point. Look at the commercials. More of
the football players get commercials than baseball. So I'm just
saying I think that could be like you're going to be.
I mean, there are cultural icons obviously in baseball, but
(34:58):
you have a better chang i'd say, of being a
cultural kind. If that's important to you in football nowadays,
then in baseball, or even if you just look at
like we always talk about we're one of the we
talk more baseball than any other national radio show. Obviously,
(35:18):
the debate shows and stuff on TV don't talk that
much baseball. If that's important to you, If if your
brand and all that is important to you, I think
that's something that could make you think about football, even
with its negatives over baseball. For me, I would choose
football over baseball and basketball over football. Yeah, I just
(35:41):
wouldn't play football if I if I could avoid it
at all costs. And you see a lot of parents
are stopping kids from playing, and I get it. Until
there's better protection and different things going on, you got
to really think about it. Because of what's happened and
if you have an option and you don't have to
play it, I would just set and I mean being
(36:01):
a star. If I'm Dave Winfield, uh, and i can
go into the major leagues and I'm not going to
the minor leagues or whatever, then I'm doing that. Yeah,
And I'll say this, And obviously people have their preferences.
My favorite sport growing up was football, but I love
playing all the sports pretty pretty much equally. You know,
back that's what people did. Yeah, yeah, it's not like that.
(36:26):
Everybody now specializes in one thing and does it. It's
it's like all the kids, Chris who have arm injuries. Now,
you know why they have arm injuries because they only pitch.
They only pitch. That's not how we grew up when
you played because you might have been a good pitcher,
you played shortstop because you were the best player every
day and week right, that's not how out And they
(36:53):
need to go back to that because these histories are crazy. Right.
The kids are taking or having a Tommy John sir Jewels,
it's crazy
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