Steve Hartman and Kerry Rhodes talk Tyreek Hill’s Madden routine and more!

Steve Hartman and Kerry Rhodes preview the NFL season, react to Tyreek Hill’s Madden routine, discuss how the Alabama Crimson Tide are in uncharted waters heading into the season, talk about the Padres struggles after an expensive offseason and so much more!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio Fabulous Sports Saturday.
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(00:24):
All right, if you're a football fan, we got really
good news for you. Week zero of the college football
season is next Saturday. The two headline games Notre Dame
Navy USC and San Jose State. Then the following week
is the full first week of the college football season,
and then the Thursday after that we get the Pats

(00:45):
and the Lions to kick off the NFL season. Carrie,
I am chomping at the bit. I cannot. I mean,
we were here. We'll get you updated, as we always do,
get you ready for any kind of football talk, baseball talk,
whatever's going on in the world sports. But it's that
this point of the year that I get just really antsy,

(01:05):
like we're close, you know how. It's it's like that
week before Christmas, like you know, and you're a kid
and you just you can't wait to open the Presidents
but you're still a week away. That's how I feel
about this football season.

Speaker 2 (01:18):
Ye, it's crazy like at that time, Christmas time for sure,
that week leading up is like you notice all the
candy canes.

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Uh huh.

Speaker 2 (01:25):
You have the sense of smell start to get you know,
scintillated with all these aromas. And that's exactly what's happening
right now. We're about to get to smell the green grass,
the hot dogs, a bruski if you want one, who
can take one.

Speaker 1 (01:40):
So that's where we are now. It's so much fun,
all right, So quick update where we are here in
southern California. I'm reading off one of the major news websites.
So this is the headline, top headline. Southwest braces for
catastrophic and life threatening flooding. So we have this Hurricane Hillary.

(02:01):
Very rare that we get one in the Pacific, but
it's barreling toward southern California, the Arizona area, just gonna
blanket Cobo. I mean, now, are you ready for this?
I mean you've battened down the hatches here, We've we've
prepared ourselves. I have TV tonight, so it's going to
be all night TV reports on this storm coming in.

(02:23):
But they say, we haven't had a tropical storm hit
southern California since nineteen thirty nine. It's been eighty four
years since we've had a storm like this.

Speaker 2 (02:36):
I don't know if you're ever ready for a storm
like the one that we're gearing up to receive, but
I think, yes, I am aware. I have taken precautionary
steps of getting some you know, a few little extra
things in my refrigerator and my cabinets just in case
I'm locked down. So yes, I'm aware of it, and
I'm as secure as I can be at the moment.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
That is smart. I'll tell you who's not prepared, apparently,
and that is the Los Angeles Chargers. Oh, they ever prepared.
So the Dodgers are playing the Marlins, and they had
a game schedule tomorrow, and they're playing that game right now,
so they already knew taking full heat of what's happening
with the weather tomorrow. So they're playing a day night

(03:20):
doubleheader today knowing that there is going to be a
complete washout at Dodgers Stadium tomorrow. Smart. Right, So most
of the NFL preseason games are today. We got a
lot of games going on. We'll catch up to date
on all the preseason action. But the Chargers are hosting
the Saints tomorrow at SOFI Stadium. Kickoff is set at
four o'clock four to seven tomorrow. Now, according to every

(03:44):
single weather expert, the height of the storm coming in
and we're talking like multiple inches of rain and a
very short amount of time flooding is very flash flooding,
all this kind of stuff. Wins could be in the
twenty twenty five miles on our range. But the height
of the storm is gonna hit essentially when this game

(04:05):
is scheduled between four and seven o'clock. All right, carry,
let's use a little sense here. This is first of
all preseason game. In other words, if you were to
cancel the game, nobody is going to lose a job.
No one's gonna lose any sleep about missing a preseason game.
And by the way, if you're the Saints, why are

(04:26):
we flying in? And by the way, it's a little
ironic right with the New Orleans Brandon said, isn't interesting
the Saints, you know, in New Orleans with all their hurricanes,
would come into town. Why would you even bother with
this game, you wouldn't.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
You would be smart to stay home if you're the Saints,
and you would be smart if you're the Chargers to
let this one go. I think game two for these guys.

Speaker 1 (04:47):
Right, have another game next week, Sunshine by the way, next.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
Week, Yeah, talk this not but I know the guy's
a little tired right now with the dog days of camp. Anyway,
give them a day off, watch a little film. You
can play Madden. You can play Madden. You can play
the Saints versus Chargers and in the Madden game and
see who wins, and simulated anything to anything other than
coming out here and really not being able to play
a game.

Speaker 1 (05:09):
Am I? Am I overstating it? Or am I on
the mark when I say that the second game of
a preseason has probably never but I'll maybe maybe one
out of a thousand second games played in a preseason
has actually determined whether or not someone has actually made
the team or got booted from a team.

Speaker 2 (05:31):
You know what, I would say, no, But I would
also say, like, if you're that guy that didn't get
that game and that extra rep and you didn't make
the team, would you blame it on not having an
extra game?

Speaker 1 (05:44):
Because rosters first of all, pretty much determined for a
season begins, and those few spots that might be open.
I mean, obviously injuries can change the dynamic, but the
few spots that may be up for grabs, so much
of that really has decided what they see in practice,
isn't it.

Speaker 2 (05:59):
Yeah, I mean, the game, the game take more than
anything gets for the other thirty one teams that may
want you down the line.

Speaker 1 (06:05):
Right, that is possible, absolutely, and there are there's a
history of football has had. You know, sometimes a guy
shows up in a preseason game, gets released by a team,
Another team takes notice, signs him, and then he goes
on to a Hall of Fame career. It actually happened,
you know me, I always defended history. The undefeated Miami
Dolphins team in nineteen seventy two, the anchor of their

(06:26):
offensive line was their center Jim Langer. Okay, and he
came out of a small school in college, he was
in nobody. He wasn't even drafted, and he was signed
by the Cleveland Browns for the preseason and got released. Well,
it just so happens the Dolphins saw him sign him.
He backed up for two years. They made him the
starter the year they went undefeated. In next six years
in Arrowli was first team All Pro and then made

(06:48):
the Hall of Fame. Come Saints, you got to come
play the game.

Speaker 3 (06:50):
Now.

Speaker 1 (06:50):
That's where we're headed at. That's where we're heading to now,
all right, Well, we do have a lot of NFL
stories that we have to get into. By the way,
have you been watching Hard Knocks? I have not watched
any Hard Knocks at all. All right, so you might
be very intrigued by this because of your Jets' roots. Secondly,
because you remember that Aaron Rodgers when it was first

(07:13):
mentioned that they're almost going to force the Jets to
be the team for Hard Knocks the season that he
basically said he had nothing but disdain. He didn't want
any part of it. So the first two episodes have
aired is Aaron Rodgers and not just Aaron Rodgers being featured.
It's Aaron Rodgers being interviewed, Aaron Rodgers talking, Aaron Rodgers

(07:38):
on the sidelines, Aaron Rodgers all day long. In other words,
he can't keep the It's like, bring the camera over here.
Now that you're here. I want all the focus, which
of course is like a dreamland. That's that's who they
are most interested in. Try to explain this to me again.
He bitched basically had bitched moan about the fact that

(08:00):
he didn't have any interest in Hard Knocks. It's going
to be a new team, new camp and everything else.
But they show up and now he can't get enough
of the camera. Steve, I'll tell you why.

Speaker 2 (08:09):
And I think the reason he didn't want it is
because obviously it's really invasive and you have no privacy, right,
but if you're going to be here, and we know
you're going to be here, why not let me write
the narrative for myself. And I think that's really what
he's doing right now. Well, and he's doing exactly that.

Speaker 1 (08:26):
Yeah, I mean, outside of showing Salah on the sidelines
a couple of times. You know, Nathaniel Hackett is being
brought in. Leaf Schreiber, who does the voice work for
Hard Knocks, actually visited Jet's camp and Aaron was all
over him, calling him the voice of God. And then

(08:46):
they show Aaron walking over to Hackett and he says, yeah, man,
you gotta go talk to him, and Hacket's like who,
He's like, No, he's the guy, He's the voice voice
of God everything else he can see hackets like, I
have no interest in talking to him. What I have
nothing to say to him. I know. No, Aaron's doing
for me. Man.

Speaker 2 (09:05):
He's really doing a great job of showing his leadership
in a way that's never been seen before.

Speaker 1 (09:11):
And so he's also being able to rewrite that as well.
Absolutely so. They're showing like these preseason games, like they
had the Hall of Fame game, and by the way
they show him talking to you know, both teams. But
this last game where they blew out Carolina, this was
the debut for Bryce Young twenty seven. That think they
played well the Jets right, and the whole thing was
him on the sidelines, I know, you know, he's he's

(09:32):
talking to Zach Wilson, you know, and he's trying to
get him into the game and telling them all this
kind It really is amazing watching the show that it
is the all Aaron Rodgers show. Completely. That's the reason
they're on Hard Knocks. Steve, I mean I understand that
that's not I was thinking, all right, well, Aaron Rodgers

(09:54):
doesn't want any part of this, you know, Zach Wilson
be an interesting story in the preseason see how he
takes it. Ye, it's all at Rogers. Let him live, Steve,
let him list. But again, I think, like you pointed
this out, carry the idea of his not only inclusion
with this team, but taking a leadership role. And at

(10:17):
least what he's portraying on the show is that I
am all in. I'm here to help whoever needs my help.
I'm here to offer advice to anybody seeks my advice.
I'm here for the coaches, I'm here for my teammates.
Any doubt that this guy was, you know, not a
great teammate because we've never really saw anything pull back

(10:38):
the curtain all those years of Green Bay. He's at
least given us the impression that not only am I
a good teammate, I'm the ultimate.

Speaker 2 (10:46):
Team he's an ultimate teammate. And the guys are rallying
and they like him. I mean, they genuinely like the guy.
And I know that obviously, when you have a guy
with the stature of of ban Aaron Rodgers come in,
there's going to be all and there's going to be
respect from that standpoint. But when you really genuine like
a guy as a totally different dynamic, all.

Speaker 1 (11:02):
Right, So On the other side, we're gonna talk a
little bit more about the big addition the Jets made.
Dalvin Cook is signed with them. Zeke Elliott has a
new home right now. It's sort of the continuous odyssey
of the running back in the NFL. Who benefits most,
We'll tell you. This is Fox Sports Saturday. Hey, it's
me Rob Parker.

Speaker 4 (11:22):
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(11:44):
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Speaker 1 (12:01):
Steve Harbin and carry Rhads Fox Sports Saturday. We are
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(12:49):
The way tire buying should be. All right, before we
get back to the conversation about running backs and everything else,
we're watching this game just kicking off right now, first
quarter again. This is week two of the preseason Texas
taken on the Dolphins, and Tua is firing the ball
around to Tyreek Hill, who, by the way, has made

(13:10):
it clear he doesn't watch film. He plays Madden. All right,
So I'm curious about this, I really am, because again
video everything is post me. Okay this you know when
I actually played Pong like the original video game. I
actually had a friend one of the first people had,
and we could play for Don Dunk back and forth.

(13:33):
So I've never played Madden, none of this. But I
keep hearing NFL do we have this? This is Tyreek
Hill talking about the best way for him to prepare
each week against his opponent.

Speaker 6 (13:45):
I feel like Madden has a good tale of how
good players are. So I just played Madden the night
before and I go look it all air ratings. So
let's say, for instance, they had Steve Nelson and Derek
Stingley over there, two phenomenal players. By the way, I
just go get on Madden. I go to EA Rostis.
Then I scrolled on and see what they awareness is.
They speed is and they sprint and that's how I

(14:05):
get a good tail on me.

Speaker 1 (14:06):
Okay, so Carrie, when you were playing in the NFL,
did you use Madden to prepare for your opponents? I
did not play Madden, so no, I did not.

Speaker 2 (14:16):
But yeah, this is this is just it's preposter it's
a preposterous take. I mean for him to even say that,
I just I was really taking the back. But I
also know we live in this information this hot take,
social media driven world, where the most outlandish things you say,
the better. So I understand where he's coming from with it,
But there's no way he's going out to play a

(14:37):
game with the type of coach he has and the
type of system he has, and the type of coach
and the type of system he came from with Andy Reid.

Speaker 1 (14:44):
There's no way.

Speaker 2 (14:45):
Those guys weren't prepared and knowing the tendencies of the
other guy.

Speaker 1 (14:48):
So it didn't happen, all right. So going back to
Aaron Rodger, You remember when Aaron Rodgers was talking about
the use of hallucinogenics. Yes, And I was saying at
the time, if I'm the coach, I'll pull them a
and say, Aaron, look, I'm not going to tell you
how to prepare for a game. You know more than
I do. But going public with that sort of sends

(15:09):
the message to everybody else. Well, if it's good for
Aaron Rodgers, maybe it's good for me and not everybody's
wired the same way. I would do the same thing
if I made the white ride receivers coach of the Dolphins,
saying how you prepared Tyreek again, you got a ticket
for the Hall of Fame. Someday but that may not
work for everybody else. So you know, keep that between us,

(15:32):
because I'm sitting here in a room trying to coach
guys up, and you're out there saying, I don't need
any of that. Man. All I have to do the
night before the game is watch Madden and I'm good exactly.

Speaker 2 (15:44):
That's the key sticking point of what you just said
right there. I say it the other day. I was
on on the show the other day saying the same thing. Fine,
even if it was true, that's you keep that personal.
You keep that even locker room talk if you wanted to.
But the fact that you went public and now your
peers and your younger guys who are looking up to

(16:04):
you as a leader saying these things will think that
they can do that as well, and that just isn't
the way to be a leader. And especially on the
team like this that has high, high aspirations and wants
to do something big, you don't.

Speaker 1 (16:15):
You don't do that. Yeah, I mean, if you're Tyreek Hill. Look,
if you're if you're a superstar talent, right like Aaron Rodgers,
you can get away with doing a lot of things,
some things, but ninety nine point nine percent of the
players don't have that talent, right, They got to work
at it, They got to study film, they got to
get every single Maybe the addition of Madden could help.

(16:38):
It's not replacing something else, Steve.

Speaker 2 (16:40):
I'll tell you right now, if you're going by the
numbers on Madden, you're you're going to be sadly mistaken.

Speaker 1 (16:45):
The numbers are skewed anyway, the research. Don't do the
research all the way through. It's just it's it's it's
like I said, it's preposterous. Do players actually do talk
about their numbers so that they get on Madden?

Speaker 2 (16:56):
Oh yeah, I remember when when mine came out. I
mean I was as high as a ninety eight one
on Man really, Oh yeah, I was.

Speaker 1 (17:01):
I was a real deal.

Speaker 2 (17:02):
But I was really upset about my ratings when it
came to my throwing power in my accuracy because I
was a high school high school college I heard it
back right, So if they really did the research, they
would know that my throwing power at my accuracy should
be higher than Nick mangles.

Speaker 1 (17:18):
My center well you know what I mean, why would
they have that for a safety I don't know, but
it was there.

Speaker 2 (17:24):
And so I actually went through all the numbers and
I see my throwing power, at my accuracy, I'm like twenty.
So I go to Nick Mango. I said, what's what's
Nick Mangles. He's a friend of mine, Solf, what's his
His is like thirty three. I'm a center, He's a center.
I'm upset.

Speaker 1 (17:38):
Wow. We're brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Progressive it
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no surprise, Dalvin Cook is a New York Jets signs
a one year deal with the Jets. And you know,

(17:59):
watch this Jets team and knowing all the young talent
they have, and now they have not only one of
the greatest quarterbacks of all time, but apparently the ultimate
leader according to Hard Knocks. How do you see Dalvin
Cook fitting in with this team. It's gonna be interesting
to see.

Speaker 2 (18:16):
You have a guy Breist Hall who's so good already
at such a young age, and it was really was
really before it getting injured last year, having a I
mean MVP type of season. I know, that's a stretch,
but that's the type of season he was having. So
now you got to reintegrate him into the system with
a super talented running back in Dalvincook adding him to

(18:39):
the mix as well. So getting these guys the right carries,
getting the ball delegated to these different star players that
they have on in offense, now it's gonna be a
tough It's a tough job for Hacket.

Speaker 1 (18:49):
It's gonna be hard to see. The one thing again,
staying with the Jets for a moment here, because they're
one of those teams a lot of people are just
very curious about, even if you're not a Jets fan,
on how their season is going to develop this year.
And they got a lot of great players. I mean
Twinnant Williams on that defensive line. Man, that kid is unblockable,

(19:10):
I mean unblockable. He's so quick off the ball. He
creates all kinds of bronze. When you have someone you
know like an Aaron Donald. He's got ways to go
to get to that level, but he's on his way.
But that aside. When you think about this Jets team offensively,
the question still remains about that offensive line. I mean

(19:32):
You could have all the skill set players, you could
have the best quarterback in the league, but if you're
not given that extra half second, offense isn't working, Like
you got to keep the bodies off your quarterback.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
Yeah, that's the position that right now is obviously taking
the most flat as well. I mean, I know the
episode I didn't watch it, but the episode of Hard
Knocks where you know sala is talking to the offensive
line and saying how they missed the opportunity to get
better and all the things right. I mean, those guys
are I think this situation and being in the heat
of the moment with a guy like Aaron Rodgers, somebody

(20:09):
that usually elevates the people around them, he'll do the
same with these guys. And I know that Aaron came
out and told the media to be patient. They haven't
put a start in five together yet that's worked together,
so you need time with that. And so they're trying
to plug and play and see which guys are ready
to play and are going to be able to help
this team as they move forward. So I would say

(20:30):
I would preach patients as well, but if they don't
get it figured out, it's gonna be a long season.

Speaker 1 (20:34):
Well, I'll take it a step further because Robert sala
he put one hundred percent of the blame on the
offensive line. I mean he was talking about the previous
year and all the emergence of their defense and their
diamonag defensive front, the emergence of all these young skill players,
and now we have a Hall of Fame quarterback. Yeah,
none of it's going to matter if this offensive line

(20:55):
doesn't start doing their job. Yeah. Now, I mean if
you're singled out on a team, because we always hear this,
you know, wow, we're all into it together, right. You know,
I've heard many times where you see guys on the
offense maybe the defense is not playing well, like the
Lions are a prime example. They're putting up boatload of
points a year ago. Their defense couldn't stop anybody, right.

(21:16):
And then I've seen it the other way where the
defense is unbelievable and the team can't generate in the offense,
and you hesitate to like blame one side or the other.
But here's a head coach speaking in front of the
entire team saying the reason that we were seven and
ten last year.

Speaker 2 (21:32):
Was you oh yeah, yeah, yeah, And that's and it's fine,
because good I think it is. I think you put
the onus on the group to get better right now.
This is the preseason, right so we have time to
get better now. He wouldn't do that publicly during the season,
I don't think, and I think that's the difference. Right
now he knows there's still time to build to that,
but also that time is getting short, and so now

(21:54):
we need to come together. I'm gonna let you know
exactly what we have. If you don't see it, I'm
gonna tell you. I'm gonna let know who we have.
We have a Hall of Fame quarterback. We have all
these skilled players who can make plays. If you don't
do your job, you're going to be the problem in
us succeeding. And I think that's a good thing. I
think when the coach tells you directly what the thing
is or the thing the situation's going to make us better.

(22:15):
I like those guys better than the ones that don't.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
How about if there are playing as best they can,
but if they're just not talent. Orough See, that's the
thing I get. It's like, okay, well it'd be great
if we had you know, all pro talent. We just don't.
We're playing as hard as we can possibly play. We
can't play any harder, any better. This is who we are.

(22:39):
But I would think physically they can do it.

Speaker 2 (22:40):
Steve, and I think the one thing with not having
as much time together as a unit, you know, and
you've been around for a long time, the communication aspect
when it comes to the front is even more even
more key than actually being the most talented at that position.
So if you have five guys who can communicate and
switch things off and get calls and protection down and

(23:03):
protect the quarterback in that way with position, body positioning,
being aware of what's going on, they have a chance
to succeed. And so I think more more importantly the
time that they get with the five being named the
five starters for that line will be will be key.

Speaker 1 (23:19):
All right, So we imagined Dalvin Cook is now a jet.
I got some thoughts about how we're going to see
the running back position evolve in the NFL in twenty
twenty three, But first let's find out what's trending. I
want to change the narrative here because I was listening
to Jonas doing a brilliant job as he always does,
every Saturday here and of course in the wee hours
of the morning during the week. But he made some

(23:41):
derogatory comments about this gentleman call the one that either
the meanest or the angriest, or stuff like this. I'll
call you the glue to this entire building. How's that
I might have been.

Speaker 7 (23:53):
I think that that is an exaggeration. Some use of
hyperbole I appreciate. I always love at the word hyperbole.

Speaker 1 (24:01):
In fact, I like I have a drinking game if
I can get you to say the word hyperbole during
the show, and it's never passed.

Speaker 7 (24:09):
So where's your than o'dules right next to you that
you will now shotgun.

Speaker 1 (24:14):
By the way, technically I don't actually have to drink
and oduels, although I do have TV later so they
can get a little awkward. So then doing o'dules, although
there are many people in the TV industry that drink
their dinners, believe me, Oh yes, that's definitely and come
back in a different frame of mind later on in
the evening.

Speaker 7 (24:31):
Oh for sure. And we do know that there is
one NFL preseason game happening right now. Two it's Unga Bloa.
Very first play from scrimmage, he gets picked off by
Denzel Perryman and the Texans don't even they got it
to within the seven yard line and they didn't even
get it in, not even to punch it in. But
the Dolphins are in front seven to nothing here late
first quarter where he mostered with a touchdown run. That's

(24:54):
the only source of scoring so far. Earlier we watched
the Jaguars pick off the line to seven. TJ. Bethard
was a starting quarterback for Jacksonville and he succeeded with
one hundred and thirty eight yards passing, one touchdown and
one interception. More preseason coming up as the guy for
talking about. The next game to get underway will be

(25:16):
at six thirty Eastern time with the Steelers hosting the
Bills News regarding an upcoming preseason game tomorrow involving one
of their players. Of course, the Saints and Charges are
going to be supposedly battling tomorrow from Sofi Stadium as
the guys you're talking about as well. There's the weather
issue that seems to be potentially providing a roadblock. But

(25:39):
saintstot And Jimmy Graham was released from an LA area
hospital today after the team said he suffered a seizure
last night which caused him to act in a disoriented way,
where according to TMZ, there was people witnessing Graham walking
across roads last night into incoming traffic. Law enforcement were
called onto the scene, initially accusing him of being under

(26:01):
the influence of a controlled substance, claiming he also tried
to resist police apprehended, eventually taken to the hospital last night,
released and as mentioned, the Saints and Charges will battle
it out tomorrow. It's weather permitting and quickly. In Major
League Baseball, Cody Bellinger with two home runs for the
Cubs and they are demolishing the Royal six to three

(26:22):
top of the eighth inning. There Padres and Diamondbacks all
square three bottom of the fourth inning, and it is
Manny Macchiado going yard a solo home run for San
Diego and to the finals. To mention here, the Red
Sox with a Grand Slam towering over the Yankees eight
to one. Twelve fits for the Red Sox, Carrie and

(26:43):
Steve only two hits for the Yankees. One of those hits,
Aaron Judge has twenty fourth home r out of the season.
But those guys they can't find offense anywhere, you know.

Speaker 1 (26:56):
Speaking of fining offense, though, you could make the argument
that Cody Bellinger was the worst offensive player in baseball
over the last three years with the Dodgers. Two home
runs today, just updating, he's sitting three twenty six this
year with the Cubs. He has an OPS now of
nine to thirty nine. Where was this guy the last

(27:19):
three years with the.

Speaker 2 (27:20):
Dodgers, Steve, Every time I come here at Saint Bellinger
does well.

Speaker 1 (27:23):
That we talked about him last time. He's got twenty
home runs already. He's doing well, and he's missed several games.
It hasn't been like he's played a full schedule. Comeback
player of the year. He's been watching him on that. Wow,
all right, be fan, Thank you so much again the
glue that holds this entire building together. Once again, Steve Hartman,
Kerry Roads with you Fox Sports Saturday. We're coming live

(27:45):
from the tai Iraq dot Com studios. We're getting a
little NFL fix in this first hour. By the way,
Adam Kaplan will be joining us a little bit later
on the show, our Fox Sports Radio NFL Insider. He's
been out and about to training camp. So he'll give
us his later's report. Actually we missed him last week.
He went to a wedding. Oh, and I'm thinking during

(28:06):
the NFL preseason really at him. We'll update with him
a little bit later on. All right, let's get back
to running back. So Zeke Elliott is now a Patriot.
So these running backs are, you know, getting signed? They're
showing up everywhere. Do we have an update on Josh Jacobs.

Speaker 3 (28:23):
Oh?

Speaker 1 (28:24):
I haven't heard anything about Josh Jacobs, have you none?

Speaker 5 (28:27):
No?

Speaker 1 (28:27):
In fact, last week I did a postgame television show
following the raiders gigantic win by the Way in Week one,
and we talked about Josh Jacobs and again, if they
were sending his franchise tag he becomes a free agent, wow,
I said, if you're a Raider fan, I would like

(28:47):
to see him in a Broncos uniform, or even worse,
how about a Chief's uniform. I mean kidding me. I
get a sense and you'd agree or disagree with this,
Carrie about what we're going to see from running backs
in twenty twenty three. And you know, people keep talking
about the diminished value of running backs. I doubt there

(29:09):
is an offensive coordinator in this league. That will tell
you that running backs have no value because they play
a multitude of roles. For you, you have to do everything.
I remember when Adrian Peterson, the future Hall of Famer,
came into the league. His rookie year with the Vikings,
of course set the league record tw hundred ninety six

(29:31):
yars rushing that rookie year, But his very first training camp,
they were like, dude, you got to block. Yeah, you're
not playing unless you block. Yes, you've got to block.
And Adrian Peterson, to his credit, learned how to block.

(29:52):
So you're a blocker. You're a receiver. On top of
the fact that you carry the load offensively, you will
get more touches than if you're an running back than
anyone else. By far, you don't see any wide receivers
catching three hundred and thirty passes in a year. I
get a sense that by the end of twenty twenty three,

(30:12):
the narrative on running backs is going to change. I'd
see multiple running backs this year having huge production years.

Speaker 2 (30:21):
Oh, I agree, I mean, and that's always the case.
It doesn't matter how devalued the position may seem. You know,
league wide, there's always gonna be guys that are gonna
have really good years at that position. And you said it,
I mean, they're so key. It's not just about the
running part of it. It's in the protection game, in
the past game. The best receivers in running backs that

(30:42):
I know, the best running backs that I know are
some of the great greatest receivers I know as well.
I mean, go talk about Hall of Fame guys. Marshall
Faulk sticks out, Ladanian, Tomlinson sticks out, like those guys
are guys that have changed the game, but change the
game in ways where you look at those guys as
being the most versatile guys on the and that won't
change you have those guys.

Speaker 1 (31:03):
A guy like Josh Jacobs.

Speaker 2 (31:05):
I think he's one of the best backs in the league,
and I know that for a fact, But the fact
that he's not in camp right now with the Raiders,
it bothers me because he also seems like a good
guy too. So you want guys like that to be
paid and taken care of, well, just what is just
baffling to me.

Speaker 1 (31:19):
So Josh McDaniels basically said, this breakout season for Josh
Jacobs was not by his sign Think about this he
had over sixteen hundred yards rushing led the league rushing
last year. The second most yards rushing by any other
Raiders running back last year was sixty six yards. Sixty six. Wow.
They didn't even have a running back outside of Jacobs,

(31:41):
who had one hundred yards rushing last year. That's crazy.
So whether it was by accident or not, the fact
is you uncovered a former first round pick who finally
had the opportunity to show what he was made of,
and he's that good showed you. I mean, I just

(32:03):
it just absolutely baffles me. And again, Josh McDaniel's career
as an offensive coordinator is is what it is. I mean,
you know all these rings from his years of the Patriots,
but as a head coach in his last thirty nine games,
he's eleven and twenty eight. Yeah, he hasn't done really
well at that position. So how do you think you're

(32:27):
okay if you were to get rid of Josh Jacobs
and go with the classic Patriots you know, running back
by committee. You don't have a committee.

Speaker 2 (32:37):
That's the thing. It's that whole Patriot way is I
think it's passe. And I also understand that. I mean,
you work with a guy like Bladcheck where the team
is bigger than any individual, which in most situations that
is the case, but there are a few situations where
you have guys that are alphas and guys that you

(32:58):
have to feed, and guys you have to make sure
is a focal point of what you're doing as a team.
And so Josh Jacobs was that guy last year, and
he would be that guy this year as well, because
he's that talented.

Speaker 1 (33:10):
Here's one thing I know about having a really effective
running game. When you have the lead in the fourth quarter,
if you can't run the ball effectively, you're gonna blow
a lot of fourth quarter leads. Yes, that's where the
running game, that's where that physical nature of the game

(33:31):
takes over. You want to own the fourth quarter, and
the fourth quarter in football comes to who's got the
most gas left in the tank. Yes, and if you
have that big offensive line, you got a big running
back who can run downhill, you just wear down a
defense and the game is yours now. Granted, if you

(33:54):
don't have an effective passing game and you're down two
touchdowns in the fourth quarter, you got an equal problem, right,
But where that running game can make the difference between
and so many close games in the league is that
fourth quarter. That's where a running game matters.

Speaker 2 (34:10):
And who's the master of that in the last four
or five years, that's Tennessee Titans in there. It doesn't
get stronger every game goes on, and no matter how
much of a passing league, this game, this game becomes
the teams. The teams that are physical and half the
guys up front physical and be able to run the
ball physically down the strets are going to be the

(34:30):
teams that win.

Speaker 1 (34:31):
How did they get the one seed? Two years ago?
They were what the fourth or fifth best team in
the AFC because of the dominance of their running back
in that fourth quarter. All right, coming up on the
other side, we want to get a little bit into
what's happening on the college football scene as we are
just yes, one week away from Week zero. And by

(34:51):
the way, a quick reminder, once again, we are brought
to you by Progressive Progressive Insurance. Progressive makes bundling easy
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your motorcycle, RV, boat, a TV, and more all your
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This is Fox Sports Saturday, Steve Armin and Kerry Rhodes,

(35:13):
Fox Sports Saturday. We are live from the tire rack
dot Com studios. It is no secret that college football
is my number one sport. I can watch historical footage
of college football from any era, almost twenty four to seven.

(35:35):
There's just so much in the history of this sport.
And now, of course we're going through a tidal wave
of changes that I predicted years ago would eventually happen
the way it's happened. Maybe I couldn't have predicted, but
we're We're in an incredible season coming up here in

(35:55):
college football. I mean, this is the last year. I mean,
you've got two conferences that are going to be completely
changed after the season. The PAC twelve is not even
going to exist after this year, and the Big twelve
is going to be changed dramatically because they're going to

(36:16):
lose Texas and Oklahoma and then bring in this tidal way. Well,
they have the AAC teams coming in this year, and
then they got those PAC twelve teams coming in in
twenty twenty four. Then of course we're going to see
a whole new Big ten next year with the four
PAC twelve schools joining the conference, and then the SEC
is going to add Texas and Oklahoma. So this is

(36:38):
sort of like this last year as we have known things,
at least in the recent past in college football. So
I say this, I say, let's take it in. I mean,
I find it appropriate that on Week zero the two
ranked teams are going to be featured are Notre Dame
taken on Navy and USC taken on Sanmose State. But

(37:01):
the irony to me with this PAC twelve because I
was looking at the AP preseason rankings. You have USC
at number six, you have Washington at number ten, you
have Oregon at number fifteen, and then poor Oregon State
they're number eighteen preseason and they don't even have a

(37:22):
home for next year. But the other three teams are
all heading out of town in the Big ten. So
what do you make of this? Because to me, I'm
going to sort of inhale this season understanding that after
this year, what I have known in college football is
gone forever. The good old days are gone. Steve? Is

(37:44):
that okay?

Speaker 2 (37:45):
It's it's funny you say that because in college sports
and collegiate sports. I agree with you one hundred percent
it's my favorite as well. I have an affinity for it.
I think it's maybe more basketball for me than football,
but I do love the football side of it. I
think the traditional rivalry still kind of hold their value
even outside of even if they leave the conference, which

(38:08):
we've seen happen in the past as well.

Speaker 1 (38:11):
To be honest, right now, I.

Speaker 2 (38:12):
Don't know where all these teams have been in the
past five years anyway, I've only I mean, obviously I'm
a Louisville. Louisville stand because that's my allegiance. That's where
I went to school in acc which will change also
here soon sooner than later.

Speaker 1 (38:27):
But yeah, I don't really look at it that way.

Speaker 2 (38:29):
I look at matchups a lot more than anything, and
I'm a matchup guy, so I love to see those
things happen, but not the conference stuff as much as you.

Speaker 1 (38:37):
Well, again, before we had the BCS, yep, it all
came down to the polls, and sometimes there were split
polls between the AP and the coach's poll.

Speaker 7 (38:50):
Right.

Speaker 1 (38:52):
Football is very regional in those days, so you know, yeah,
the teams in the South, you had the teams in
the East, he had the teams in the Midwest. He
had the teams in the West, yeah, the teams in
the Southwest. Everyone started playing each other and then at
the end of the year, maybe a couple teams are undefeated,
and then there's this raging argument, well who really was
the best team, which is how we got to the
point of creating a computer generated championship game that didn't

(39:17):
work out well. And then of course this hokey four
school playoff that was made for TV event or no
knock to ESPN. They invested a lot of money in this,
so they wanted to get the best schools out there.
I remember, well, this is going to give more teams
a chance to win a championship. I said from day one,
it's not. I said, no, it's going to make the
top schools even stronger, which is why we saw Alabama, Clempson,

(39:38):
Ohio State in the playoffs feemingly every single year. So
I'm just curious to sort of take a snapshot of
this season, so sort of hold where we've been and
then see how it's going to play out starting in
twenty twenty four. It's going to be amazing.

Speaker 7 (39:55):
Man.

Speaker 1 (39:55):
I think this last year is actually really exciting too.

Speaker 2 (39:57):
And I'm really excited because my Louisville Cardinals are favorite
in every game going into this season, so we'll see
where they end up.

Speaker 1 (40:04):
Really, can you imagine how big would it be for
the Ville to win a national champion? Oh? Man, it
would be everything.

Speaker 2 (40:10):
I mean, We've got We've got one in basketball, we
got one in baseball, we got one in soccer, and
now football needs to come on, come on board.

Speaker 1 (40:16):
All right, on the other side, we get right back
to some NFL news and the greatest baseball season ever.
This is Fox Sports Saturday.

Speaker 5 (40:25):
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 1 (40:37):
All right, rolling along here on another busy sports Saturday,
Fox Sports Saturday. We're broadcasting live from the tire rack
dot com studios. Ty rack dot com. We're gonna help
get you there a unmatched selection, fast, free shipping, free
roadhats or protection, over ten thousand recommended installers tire rack
dot com the way tire buying should be so over

(40:59):
the course of a week, especially when it comes to
the NFL, I'm looking for headline stories, you know, some
of the things that are a little off the beaten path,
because again, when we talk about the rosters of these
NFL teams, everything is pretty well determined. I mean we're
talking like the last few guys on a team, special
teams guys. Injuries obviously a big part of it, which

(41:19):
always brings up the point of every time I see
somebody in season end with a preseason injury, I'm like,
why are we playing these games? There is zero purpose
to play preseason football. So, but every once in a while,
I'm seeing a story and I know, Iowa Sam's going
to jump out of his skin when he hears about

(41:39):
this story. I know, I know how Iowa Sam is.
So Sam, where is he leaving the room? Hold on
a second, what's going on? Sami? Okay? Do you have
to go? I have a question for you. Did you
see the story by the Native American Guardian Guardians Association
about bringing back the Redskins name to the Washington franch

(42:00):
almost one hundred thousand signatures as they bid to stand
up for the dignity of every American under assault in
today's nonsensical culture wars. Now you have new ownership of
the Washington franchise. No one likes the commander's name. Let's
put it that way. So we've been talking about like, okay,
your new owners, you want to get a fresh start.

(42:22):
I didn't mind the Washington football team that sort of
played for me anyway. But this group is stepping up
and said something along this line. The NFL franchise representing
our nation's capital has an opportunity to recognize the history
and value of the American Indian. Now again, redskin by

(42:43):
its nature is racist. In other words, it's identifying somebody
by the color perceive color of their skin, something along
the lines. But this group is pointing out it was
also the name of this franchise for eighty years. And
it's interesting what there was the Cleveland Indians. They would
always make the argument that it was an honor of

(43:06):
that we adopted this nickname in honor of the American Indian,
an honor of Native Americans. Now I don't think for
a second here that the Washington franchise is going to
reconsider and change their name back to the Redskins. But
that being said, this is a franchise that needs to

(43:27):
turn the page from Daniel Snyder. That was the problem.
And by the way, when they do the polling of
these Native American groups. You know they would say, the
Washington Post did this for years about the name Redskins,
and you know they would come back with, look at
if you're asking us if we're offended. We're offended by
many more things in our treatment and a lot of

(43:48):
other things than we are the name of a football team.
So if you're the new owner of this Washington franchise,
are you going to stay with the Commanders? I didn't
mind Washington football team. I'm not a big nickname for
teams anyway, it doesn't really matter to me. But how
would you approach this group that is gathering signatures as

(44:10):
we speak.

Speaker 2 (44:11):
Well, you approach that group by having to sit down
with them. You want to educate yourself. I think the
more educated you are about any subject, any topic, the
better for you, the better off you are as a person.

Speaker 1 (44:23):
Number one.

Speaker 2 (44:24):
But if you're the owner, owner group of a franchise
and you have these you know, these Native Americans, these
people come into you saying we're not offended by the
name that we once that you guys once had, that
would be a beautiful start of something that you could
maybe not go back to the Redskins but entertain a
name change or a new name with you know, with

(44:47):
the culture of people that are supposedly being being attacked
or being not treated properly, saying no, this isn't this
isn't the thing for us. We want to be able
to do something different you guys and stand by you
guys in a certain way. So I think the conversation
being spread and being open in that situation is a
must and a positive thing. But for me, I would say,

(45:10):
you want to start fresh when you come in as
a new owner and new owner group. You want to
have your imprint all over that organization. And so whatever
the name is, it's to represent something that you believe
in and something that you really, you know, really want
to be, want to want to be.

Speaker 1 (45:24):
This is a slippery slope, and again it's it's hard
to talk about it, and I don't want to dwell
on this. I'd much rather get into the kind of
football team we're going to see in Washington this year.
But just one other thought here, I mean, it's always
that slippery slope. And this is not just about this nickname,
but many other things that we've had discussions. I've had
discussions with co hosts for years and years and years, right,

(45:45):
And that is the idea that if something is permissible
to nine out of ten people in the room, right,
but that one person is offended, then you need to
get rid of it. And I'm trying to do the
math on this. I mean, you can't please everyone all

(46:06):
the time. That's one thing I have found out people
that listen to me. You know, there's there's a lot
of people that support what I've done over the years,
and there are a lot of people that have been
loudly critical of what I've done over the years. And
I get it. I can't. I can't please everybody. There's
no there's nobody that is going to please everybody all
the time. I get that. This This really comes down

(46:28):
to a decision, not by the Washington franchise, even though
they paid six billion dollars for this franchise. It really
comes down to the NFL in the league office, got it.
That's where it's That's where a decision like this is
ultimately made. And no matter how many signatures they gather,

(46:49):
believe me, the former name of the Washington franchise will
not return. You don't think it will return. No, No,
that makes sense. The Commanders is lame. Commanders is not
a good one. It's not good. I know where they
came up with that one, but not all the different names.
I mean, you could use for our nation's capitol commanders.
Geez all right, let's let's talk about this washing team

(47:11):
for a moment here, because you look at the NFC East.
You have the defending champion conference champion Eagles. You have
a cowboy team that won twelve games a year ago.
They're going to be two of the elite teams on
the NFC. Giants seen to be on to com Obviously,
they gave Daniel Jones that huge contract Sae Quantill be
back for them, so there, and then he got Washington right,
and Ron Rivera is still there, and they got new

(47:33):
ownership and they're trying to cleanse themselves. This is going
to be a process. It's not going to happen in
a year, not only on the field, but off the
field from the stench that was Daniel Snyder, the owner
of the team. But how for a team, the players
on this team, right, with all this outside commotion and
the obvious spotlight that's going to be on them because

(47:55):
of new ownership, how does that affect the locker room.
Doesn't affect the locker room much at all.

Speaker 2 (47:59):
I think you get to disassociate yourself from a lot
of the outside issues when you're inside the locker room
as far as the players go, because more than anything,
it will be maybe the coaches or the gms or
you know, people in higher positions in that locker room
may have to deal with that and probably do deal
with it. But the players are there just trying to
play the game. And I know that and a lot

(48:21):
of things that happen for players even outside of football,
right in their personal lives. Once they get on the
football field, it's that's the sanctuary. That's where you get
a chance to go out and you know, kind of
ridge yourself from all the everyday worries that are going
on in life. So as far as these situations and
scenarios are going and you know, the groups and all
these things and the new owners doesn't affect the players are.

Speaker 1 (48:43):
Going out and play. Sam Howe's going to be the
quarterback of this team.

Speaker 2 (48:46):
Sam Howell's the quarterback, and I think it's a great
decision for them. I think they have a team that's
even though they've had all this term role. They've still
been pretty competitive on the field, and you know, we
all know Ron Rivera's you know, he's a really good coach,
and so going to have a chance to be competitive.

Speaker 1 (49:02):
The upside with Sam Howe.

Speaker 2 (49:03):
At the quarterback position is going to give them a
chance to see where their seiling is right now. Because
if you go to Jacoby Brissett, which you know would
be the safe bet, he's a guy that we know
he can go run a football team and he can
have you in games and you can have a chance.
But with Sam there's a little bit of an unknown
there where if it's selling goes higher than what we expect,

(49:24):
this team can win nine game, nine, ten games. So
I'm interested to see where they go.

Speaker 1 (49:28):
Yeah, I look at this Washington franchise. The defense is
above average's no question about that, but they just got
to generate some consistent offense. I'd love to see Sam
Howe have a breakout season for Washington. I think that
would be a really dynamic story. It's not like they're
coming off, you know, a three and fourteen season. I
mean they've been hovering around five hundred over the last
couple of years, and big part of that is just

(49:49):
instability at quarterback. I mean, you're bringing Carson Wentz and
you can almost predict how that's gonna go and everything else.
So look, I again getting back to this whole you know,
the origins. I cringe sometimes when people can't say the
name of what this franchise was. For eighty years, they
were the Redskins Skins and they're not the Redskins anymore,

(50:11):
and they never will be the Redskins again. But you
can't just to race history. The Cowboys Redskins rivalry, man,
when I was a little kid in the seventies, was
was easily the most dynamic rivalry in professional football at
that time.

Speaker 2 (50:26):
I mean I was a little kid watching those games,
and yeah, I just remember being blown away by you know, obviously,
I mean the name stood out so much. I mean,
the red Skins and Cowboys, that rivalry stood out. And
you know, in speaking of you know, the Native American culture,
I'm a I'm a proud Native American as well. I
have a big contingency of of chalk taw Indian in me,
So the conversation around it for me, it hits home

(50:49):
on a different level as well. But I also, you
know what that group said, I mean, there's so many
other points the emphasis that we could really be talking about,
and we were talking about the name of a football team.
It's just really ironic though, so it's crazy to hear.

Speaker 1 (51:03):
Yeah, but anyway, they are gathering signatures, so we'll see
no word yet from the new owners of that franchise.
All right, we're gonna switch gears on the other side
because James Harden's got a problem. Oh man, James Harden
has a problem, and what is the best way to
solve it? We're going to tell you. This is Fox
Sports Saturday. Steve Harviccareroads Fox Sports Saturday. We are live

(51:27):
from the tirak dot com studios. Hey football fans, the
return of our popular Saturday and Sunday pregame shows Countdown
to Kickoff, presented by Bett MGM. Are back this week
and be sure to tune into Fox Sports Radio every
Saturday and Sunday morning three hours before kickoff. From now
all the way through Super Bowl Sunday. On Saturdays, Brian

(51:50):
no former Penn State All American, my man, Rich Hornberger
and betting analyst Jared Smith will walk you right up
to college football kickoffs and then on NFL's Brian no,
eight year NFL veteran, Jeff Schwartz, and professional better Bill
crack Crackenberger. Yeah, we'll lead you right up to early
NFL kickoffs. You can listen to countdown to kickoff weekend

(52:14):
mornings right here on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Cannot wait, cannot wait, get us on the football season,
I know, all right. So in the meantime, we got
all kinds of stories outside of the football realm, and
this one is just absurd. Let me ask you this.

(52:34):
If you're an NBA general manager, if you're an NBA coach,
if you're an NBA team owner, do you want James
Harden on your team?

Speaker 2 (52:48):
Absolutely not. No, James Harden has become super cancerous. And
that sucks because he's such a good player and he's
had such a really good career, and you know, you
start to become a little big for your own bredches
in certain situations you think that you're above reproach. But

(53:10):
in the NBA game, we've seen this. You're in, you're in,
you're out once you're a superstar talent, and that superstar
stars to them, you're the one they're gonna get rid of.
First because they know the baggage that comes along with that,
I e. Carmelo Anthony, Right, guys like that who you

(53:31):
know were superstars at their time. You start to get
to a point where teams know that your talent or
your approach in your reach out out reaches your talent,
and that becomes a problem because we know it's not
gonna be an easy transition for him to end up

(53:52):
being a guy that can bring other guys, bring the
younger guys along, or coach them along, because he's still
trying to get his own bag, and so it becomes
a position of being poisoned pertained.

Speaker 1 (54:04):
So absolutely not all right. So here's the dynamic from
a salary standpoint. This is the root of everything, right,
Money's always the root of all problems. Right. So James
Harden signed a deal last year, a two year deal,
and the reason that he's been screaming that Daryl Moury
is a liar is that he is giving you the
idea that he signed a deal that was cap friendly

(54:29):
for the Sixers in the short term, with the promise
that on the other side he would get considerably more money. Right,
Like he is saying that Daryl Mory lied to him
because Moury is not about to give him the kind
of deal that let's say Joel Embiid has. So here
are the numbers. Now, this could be a little embarrassing

(54:50):
for James Harden. So this upcoming season, Harden will be
making thirty five point six million dollars. I don't know
how he can survive on that, Okay, but anyway, he's
going to have to suffer through a year making thirty
five point six million dollars. Here's a problem. Tobias Harris
is making thirty nine point three million. Oh, that's a problem. Okay,
there you go. And Embiid, well, Embiid has signed an
extension that by the time we get to the twenty

(55:13):
six twenty seven season, he'll be making fifty nine million
dollars for one year of basketball. Got it. Yeah, that's
a lot of money. So here's here's here's the problem though,
with James Harden. Now, this is something that if you
want to take it up privately with Moury, fine, but
by making it public, like literally standing in the middle

(55:33):
of a basketball court and calling out Darryl Moury, now
the NBA has gotten involved. Now the NBA has gotten
involved with an investigation like you will promised what what
was going on here? Yeah, so now all of a sudden,
the NBA is sticking their nose in to find out
what is the story? Right, did Darryl Moury lie? Did

(55:56):
he do things on the sly to be working with
the cap and everything else? So this this gets back
to the idea of why would you want a rat
which is essentially what James Harden is. He's ratting out
the organization publicly.

Speaker 2 (56:15):
And public I mean he was doing it in China
at his camp, right, That's what That's what the first is. Yeah,
it's it's just bad for business. I mean again, why
can't these things be handled behind closed doors? And I
think that's the other thing where in this in this
we're in this day and age now where everybody thinks
everything needs to be you know, giving light to which

(56:37):
it doesn't have to. And so that part kind of
ruughed me the wrong way. But with James Harden, it's
what you just said, it's it's it's definitely selfish. Obviously,
I'm sure Morey did probably tell him something before he
signed the deal to come back, and you know, for
for a team friendly deal. But at the end of
the day, when is it gonna come to James Harden

(56:58):
really wanting to win and be a part of something
bigger than himself, And that's kind of where I am
with it.

Speaker 1 (57:04):
Well, and again, let's keep in mind a lot of
this idea of getting these super maxed out deals is
based on you being all the All NBA team. He
has not been first, second, or third team All NBA
the last three years, so I mean, he doesn't even
qualify for any super max sALS. I don't know what
kind of conversation he had with Morey, but based on

(57:26):
where he is in his career, plus again his availability.
In twenty one he played forty four games, twenty two
he played sixty five games. Last year he played fifty
eight games, So he's been missing a lot of games.
He's at the end of what has been a Hall
of Fame career. So no, and the idea again of
them forcing a trade, first of all, if you're the Clippers,

(57:47):
because apparently that's you know, he made it clear, I
want to come back. You know, he's an LA kid.
I want to come back. If you're the Clippers, do
you want James Harden? I mean, seriously, no, we got
enough to handle. But just trying to keep Paul George
and Kawhi Leonard on the court, I need the headache
that's going to be James Harden, who never seems to

(58:08):
be heavy. Yeah, but what are the Sixers going to
get back for? That's exactly much. What are you going
to mean up? It doesn't add up. You do not
want to do what Phoenix did to get Kevin Durant,
where they gutted all the depth on that roster. So
I keep getting back to look at the last three
teams to win the NBA Championship. Milwaukee in twenty one,

(58:30):
the Warriors in twenty two, Denver this year. All three
of those teams. The core of those teams homegrown, right, yes, homegrown? Yeah.
I mean even Golden State's comeback was without Durant, back
to the core that they originally had built, certainly with Denver,
certainly in Milwaukee. Core groups built from within. Yes, that's

(58:55):
the way to win. That's this idea of getting so
I'm one on loan for a year or two.

Speaker 2 (59:02):
Right, it does not work. It is It is hundred
percent right, Steve. I think when you have that core,
that core that's gone through the fire. Yes, learned how
to win, because that's a that's a valuable thing.

Speaker 1 (59:15):
And by the way, core includes coach as well, one
hundred percent.

Speaker 2 (59:19):
But we are so quick in this day and age
to say someone's a failure before giving them a chance
to go through the failures that they need to go
through to be champions. And so a lot of that
stuff we would see in you know, in previous years,
I mean maybe twenty years from from this point now.
But where we are now, people are in that win

(59:41):
now stage and it just it isn't you can't sustain it.
And so having homegrown talent, giving them the chance to
learn how to compete with each other, how to lose
with each other, and then add pieces to that, that's
the formula. And adding the James Hard into the mix
with the Clippers right now would be catastrophe.

Speaker 1 (01:00:00):
Well, the other part of it is for the Clippers.
Here you have a man the last I saw. According
to Forbes, Steve Bomber is the tenth wealthiest person on
the planet in excess of ninety billion dollars. He could
literally buy the entire league without a problem and rename
it the National Bomber Association. But he is being dictated

(01:00:24):
to by Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi Leonard is running out organization
so much so despite his lack of availability in recent years,
they have to extend his deal. In fact, the Clippers
have made a public they plan on extending the deals
for both he and Paul George. Really wow, they're going

(01:00:46):
to continue this path as they exit Crypto dot Com
arena still Staples and going to their brand new arena,
Darren Inglewood. But that's the thing. I mean, if kah
If Kawhi actually went to Bomber and said I want
James Harden, I don't think that's happening. But if he did,

(01:01:06):
he'd say, Okay, yeah, it doesn't seem weird. It would
probably happen.

Speaker 2 (01:01:11):
But I guess when you've invested in two guys who
you know, we thought were going to bring at least
one championship up until this point by now right, we
thought they'd win by now you don't want I don't
I don't think. And all the draft picks they gave
up to OKC, that's the other part.

Speaker 1 (01:01:27):
Of this six years were the Draftecks. That's the whole
that's because he would only sign with the Clippers unless
they got Paul George.

Speaker 2 (01:01:33):
That's the only part about this where you really have
to ride it out.

Speaker 1 (01:01:37):
And I think that's what that's the position they're in
right now. Don't shake him. Well, I will say this,
the Clippers not offering a deal because again Maury, I'm
sure Maury said, fine, let's get rid of this guy.
He's a cancer for our team. Meaning James Harden and
the Clippers were offering nothing. They go, what do you want?

(01:01:58):
Can I get at least like if Vita Zoo? No, no, no, no,
you're not getting that. No no, Norman Powell. No, you're
not getting Norman Powell. No, no, no.

Speaker 2 (01:02:08):
James Harden really has one or two more years in
his body, right, who's.

Speaker 1 (01:02:15):
Getting in the long term contract? And he did in
the playoffs. He had a couple of those big forty
point games. Wow, yes, and what will happen in both
cases the next game, Oh, it was bad, disappeared. Yeah,
he can't do it, he can't do it? No, all right,
you know, and again there's no championship pedigree there as well.
Speaking of championship pedigree, let's find out what is trending
right now. A man that is well versed again. I

(01:02:38):
hate the harp on my dear friend Jonas, because you know,
I love Jonas.

Speaker 7 (01:02:41):
We love Jonas, but when he trained to.

Speaker 1 (01:02:46):
Share tennis expertise with you by throwing out a name,
it's embarrassing.

Speaker 7 (01:02:54):
It is because usually they're basketball players, and I'm like, Jonas,
you at least know the sport you're talking about.

Speaker 1 (01:03:02):
Yeah, don't go somewhere you really don't know, especially with
someone that knows the sport in and out like you do.
Mis Eppen guy.

Speaker 7 (01:03:11):
It's like asking a plumber to give you, I don't know,
advice on the weather. It just you can't ask that
thing for that thing because it says me.

Speaker 1 (01:03:22):
That this thing is overblown tomorrow. That's happened.

Speaker 7 (01:03:24):
Yeah, he said, from what I recall, that the winds
around the LA area wouldn't go more than about fifteen
miles per hour. That's what I've heard from him, and
that it's essentially I.

Speaker 1 (01:03:34):
Hope he's right by the way, Oh yeah, a few.

Speaker 7 (01:03:38):
That it's blown off the shore and that we won't
be getting the brunt of it.

Speaker 1 (01:03:42):
Well, we've been looking everywhere, you know, Like I mean,
I don't know if does Jonas have a weather side.

Speaker 7 (01:03:47):
If he doesn't, I go to like weather dot gov.
You know where he like that. You know where he
gets it. He gets his weather from the onion.

Speaker 8 (01:03:54):
Yea, I will say, yeah, it's from working with him
for a while. He always insists. One of the things
he insists on the for TVs in here, one of
them always has to beat to the weather channel. Really
okay on the weather chant. I think he just wants
to watch ice road truckers though.

Speaker 1 (01:04:09):
Uh huh. So how are you preparing for tomorrow, befans?

Speaker 7 (01:04:12):
Well, so, I initially was going to go down to
San Diego. My sister is in town with her two
year olds, and I think I'm going to do it.

Speaker 1 (01:04:21):
You realize they're going to get a much stronger hit
in San Diego than up here.

Speaker 7 (01:04:25):
The problem is my sister, they all live in Texas,
and I never get a chance to go down there
and see them. They're visiting in San Diego.

Speaker 1 (01:04:32):
But when are you leaving?

Speaker 7 (01:04:33):
You better leave today? Yeah, we're gonna leave tonight and
then just hunker down. Did just hunker down?

Speaker 3 (01:04:38):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (01:04:38):
So hopefully it will be okay. And if not, then
you heard it here.

Speaker 1 (01:04:43):
First, or you will not be at the Chargers game.

Speaker 7 (01:04:46):
Then tomorrow I will not I would consider myself when
it comes to the NFL an NFL fan free agent,
because as a San Diego watching the Chargers leave, and
you said something about me being something around a championship. Stee,
do you know that a San Diego native hasn't sniffed
anything close to a championship unless you're probably talking about

(01:05:07):
the San Diego Soccers, well, the Soccers or the San
Diego Goals, which is some third tier.

Speaker 1 (01:05:14):
It's a minor league hockey team, right, that's yeah, Goals
haven't won a lot of championships. I was there center
ice one time. You own a very quick story.

Speaker 7 (01:05:22):
Sure.

Speaker 1 (01:05:23):
So they were playing for what was called the Taylor Cup,
not to be confused with the Stanley Cup, and my
radio partner and I were asked to drop the like
a ceremonial drop the pocket the center ice there at
the San Diego Sports Arena. These are minor league hockey players,
and they handed us a mic. So I get on
the mic first, and I'm like, you know, hey, you

(01:05:44):
know goals fans. Oh, let's got blah blah blah. My
partner older than me, turns to the visiting bench and
he says something along the lines, We're going to beat
the crap out of you, at which point the handsome
brothers I think they were like handsome brothers came over
the wall in the pregame to come after my partner.

(01:06:05):
Now I'm on ice, I was running as fast as
I could without falling on my face. I don't know
if he hit it out of there. I never saw
him again. You never saw him again. You don't challenge
guys that are making next to nothing minor league hockey
players and get in their face about being the crap
out of them. Bad news.

Speaker 7 (01:06:21):
He probably was checked up against the boards a few
times too.

Speaker 1 (01:06:24):
I was like, are you out of your mind by
the way Steve's doing.

Speaker 7 (01:06:27):
I can't picture you with ice skates on. And if
you are on an ice rink, you're one of those.
And we've all seen it. If you've gone to a
mall or whatever to go to an ice drink, you
are relentlessly holding on to the sign, the wall, to
the wall, and you are too afraid to venture out there.

Speaker 1 (01:06:45):
That could never turn on skates. That was my problem.
So what I would do when I was much younger
is I would get and I could go in a
straight line and then just run into the wall and
then stop and then turn around and do it the
other way. Yeah, I could never turn I can never.

Speaker 2 (01:07:00):
So no redirection skills from me. Sure I could go straight,
could you at least go fast straight?

Speaker 1 (01:07:05):
I could go fast, okay when I was younger, Yeah, okay,
but then I just run into the wall.

Speaker 7 (01:07:09):
Well, when you talk about NFL preseason, I'll tell you
one thing. The Dolphins offense is not running into it.

Speaker 1 (01:07:15):
There's a great section.

Speaker 7 (01:07:16):
No, I mean, I learned from the best. You're Carrie,
You're around We're around Steve all these years, and you
just pick up more.

Speaker 1 (01:07:24):
He does right now, mercifully.

Speaker 7 (01:07:26):
Okay, all right. So the Dolphins are had twenty one
to three preseason football against the Texans in Houston. It
is halftime to a tongue of Belloa sixty one yards passing.
His day is done. Skyler Thompson is in for him
as QB number two has already thrown a touchdown and
Tua had to pick the very first play from scrimmage

(01:07:46):
in the game. We do know that there are plenty
more NFL preseason games later on today, six thirty Eastern
is gonna be the next one when the Steelers start
hosting the Bills. There was one that already wrapped up,
and the Jaguars fly swamp the Lions twenty five to seven,
where the Lions only scoring came in the third quarter
and Jacksonville started at QBCG Bethird and he had one

(01:08:09):
hundred and thirty eight yards passing, one touchdown and one interception. Now,
as you both had alluded to, the Chargers are supposed
to be playing a preseason game at so far tomorrow
against the Saints, which is why the Saints are already
in Los Angeles and their tight end Jimmy Graham, was
released from an LA area hospital this morning after the
team said he suffered a medical episode and potentially a seizure,

(01:08:32):
which caused him to act disoriented, which also caused those
around him last night to call the police on him,
where police then, according to TMZ, had a hard time
getting him detained he resisted arrest. They arrested him on
accusations of being out of the influence of a controlled substance,
but a doctor through the team has said that it

(01:08:56):
was more so a medical episode than anything. The Eagles,
in an effort to trim down the roster. They cut
defensive back Greedy Williams, among others. In lastly, in Major
League Baseball, because of the looming weather here on the
West Coast, the Dodgers have taken the game tomorrow and
then played it earlier today to make it a double header,
and their first of two games already done with a

(01:09:17):
five make that a three to one win against the
Marlins with three runs unanswer. To finish things, Cody Bellinger
hit two home runs he's a former Dodger in a
cub six to four win against the Royals, and the
Red Sox, puncturing the Yankees eight to won. The final
score a Grand Slam there for Boston. And lastly, guys,
Padres are also playing a double header because of the rain,

(01:09:40):
and right now they're getting boat raced by the Diamondbacks
six to three in San Diego, bottom of the seventh.
Carrie and Steve one of the Padres gonna win more
than let's just say, two games in a row. Are
they ever gonna be able to do that this year?

Speaker 1 (01:09:53):
Well, befa, we're gonna have to turn to Brandon because
he is our resident Padres ex Ready look at him.
I've been waiting for this, BFEN. Thank you very much.
Once again, we're coming alive from the tire rach dot
com studios. So, by the way, a huge game for
the Every game is huge for the Padres. You know,
I saw where they have a twenty two percent chance

(01:10:14):
still of making the postseason. But my guess is, if
you never have a winning record, you're not going to
get into the postseason. They haven't been at five hundred
since May eleventh, and they're playing a Diamondbacks team, Diamondbacks
that are ahead of them in the standings in the

(01:10:35):
National League West, and they are losing by a score
of six to three to Arizona now in the bottom
of the seventh. So, Brandon, you have been decked out
in Podrey's gear for much of the season. You are
what I call a true fan. Yes, you're no bandwagon fan.
You have been a Pottery fan. You will always be
a Pottery's fan. My condolences to you. So I want

(01:10:59):
to get your thoughts. It's been an insanely disappointing season
for a team that went in with the third highest
payroll in all of Major League Baseball? What do you
make of this mess? I think it's just pretty awful.

Speaker 9 (01:11:10):
I think at the end of the season, they're really
gonna have to take a long, hard look in the
mirror and really figure out if this plan that they
have of just you know, paying all of these players
who are high profile, if it is the right move
I mean going into next season. I mean, thankfully Hassan
Kim has kind of broken out this year. They've been

(01:11:31):
waiting a couple of years for him to do that.
And I really wish they could transfer the money they
gave to Bogarts to Hassan Kim, to be honest with.

Speaker 1 (01:11:39):
You, Yeah, how about the money they gave cronin.

Speaker 9 (01:11:41):
Worth yeah, or or that as well. I mean they've
just aj Preller has had a problem, has had problems.
He doesn't have a problem throwing around money.

Speaker 1 (01:11:52):
He just has problems his money though. I mean the
argument for him early on Aj Preler has been a
long time now general manager almost ten years now, is
that for years he had no money, So how you
gonna win? You know, Well, now he's got a blank
checkbook thanks to Peter Sidler, who took over as the
principal owner of this team, and he's spending money wildly,

(01:12:13):
and I mean think about the Tatis contract. Think about
that extension you gave to a second year player, fourteen
year contract and he didn't play a single game last year,
got suspended at the time he was about to come back,

(01:12:33):
and this year, now that he's an outfielder, he's hitting
two sixty seven with a seven to ninety nine OPS.
That is below average for an outfielder, and he ain't
going anywhere for a long time. Right. I don't know
how a guy like Aj Preller keeps his job. I

(01:12:54):
hate to say people should be fired, but if you're
a general manager of a professional sports franch so there's
got to be some justification for your position.

Speaker 9 (01:13:03):
Well, there's also been other rumors too, of some locker
room issues as well. Apparently some of the players who
have come in this year don't get along. I don't
want to, you know, make any speculations or name any names,
but that is another thing that's kind of been kind
of been reported around and throwing around the you know,
San Diego newspapers. So what do you what do you

(01:13:24):
think do you think there's a locker room issue?

Speaker 1 (01:13:25):
Steve Well, Bob Melvin to me is one of the
best managers in baseball and he proved it last year.
I mean what he did in Oakland. Look at the
Oakland A's under Bob Melvin, right right, they had back
to back ninety seven wins seasons just a couple of
years ago. I don't think this is Bob Melvin issues.
I don't think it's Bob Melvin for a second. But again,

(01:13:46):
just spending money and just grabbing the hottest free agent
on the market doesn't make a team. I mean, Kerry
that part, yeah, I mean, I keep getting back to
this idea of gathering. We were just talking about assembling,
you know, superstar line in the NBA. On the other side,
I want to delve into this a little bit more
here because even in baseball, which is really an individual

(01:14:07):
sport masquerading as a team sport because it really comes
down to picture hitting, that kind of stuff. But this
whole idea of too many egos in the locker room,
can that work? We'll discuss this. It's Fox Sports Saturday,

(01:14:30):
Steve Hartman and Carrie Rhoads Fox Sports Saturday, coming in
live from the Direct dot Com studios. Carry Brock Food.
Look at you, I got you are you got? I
love to eat you? Got Cash's here I'm a nuts fan.
I'm a nuts fan too, Yeah. Yeah, and they're good
for you. It's really good. No salts, yeah, raw cash
shoots Yeah, really good. Now you are amazing shit always

(01:14:57):
you've maintained in your post NFL career. Of course you're
actor and holding variety of jobs out there. How big
is how big is diet for you? I mean, somehow
I don't see Kerry Roads just munching down on you know,
you waffle fries.

Speaker 2 (01:15:13):
And you know, I do everything in moderation. There you go,
and that's the key. I mean, I eat what I want.
I am strict on during the week because I do
work out during the week four times a week, so
I still maintain that. You know, I'm not eating a lot.
But at the end of the day, it's just moderation
for him.

Speaker 1 (01:15:32):
I actually have a workout guy that I'm going to
go back to. I'm in reasonable shape too, but yeah,
I just want to sort of you know, Yeah, I
get to the point now. I mean, Phil, you got
to work a little harder every once in a while.
You know.

Speaker 2 (01:15:46):
I'm in that position, though, So I mean, I again,
it doesn't this isn't just sixty in the ball and
I'm not giving out ages here.

Speaker 1 (01:15:55):
Hopefully my age as well. Chronicle got it cool, so forty,
that's that's nice. Where you gotta work a little harder
to get a little higher. Remember the days. How do
we all do when we are all so young?

Speaker 3 (01:16:06):
All right?

Speaker 1 (01:16:06):
So we were talking a little bit earlier about, you know,
the Podres situation where they have the collection of all
these high price all stars and it's just not showing
up on the field. We talked about the James Harden
situation where he has gone to several teams as supposedly
the third piece and that missing link that's going to

(01:16:27):
take a team to a championship that has not materialized
to me. The idea of adding superstars because superstars egos
are of a different level. There are superstar players that
do not bring a superstar mentality into a locker room.

(01:16:48):
I mean we can The prime example of this back
in the day was Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan allowed Greg
Popovich to almost use him as a as a whipping boy. Yes,
because the idea is if I can be tough on him,
then I can be tough on everybody. He takes it. Yeah,

(01:17:09):
then all the run's gonna take it absolutely and developed,
you know, as Tony Parker just got in the Hall
of Fame or a monogynobile. It was all on that
relationship between Tim Duncan and Pop. So talk about that.
I mean you've I'm sure you've been in a locker
room where maybe there's one too many egos and is
that something that can be overcome.

Speaker 2 (01:17:30):
No, if the ego thing is at play on your team,
you're in trouble. And I think the teams that do
win with a collection of talent that's far superior than others.
It's what you just said, the Tim Duncan thing. If
you're if your best player and not just meaning best player,
because I mean production on the field can be different,

(01:17:51):
but if your main player who's also producing, can be
coached and coach hard, your team has a has to
be to win and be successful. And so when you
start throwing these guys together in this like this little
grab bag way of trying to build these super teams
and win overnight. I mean take the twenty eleven Miami Heat, right,

(01:18:14):
you get three Hall of Famers, one that was already there,
but two to come on board in your organization. Obviously
you win and you have success, but you don't win
the ultimate goal because things have to take place where
you add the glue guys, the guys that are going
to do the dirty work, and the guys are going
to play roles on that team to be successful well.

Speaker 1 (01:18:33):
And that started with lebroncause when Lebron went to Miami,
he had the same salary as d Wade and Chris Bosh.
All three of them got the exact same salary. Even though,
with all due respect to a couple of other Hall
of famers, Lebron obviously was the best player on the court.

Speaker 2 (01:18:49):
And the funny thing about that is Dwayne Wade the
first year they were both probably trying to compete to
still be that number one guy in that offseason. Going
to the next year, the year they wonted, d Wade
came out and said, this is Lebron's team, and just
it sets that pecking order for everybody to fall in
line and just see that if that guy who's going

(01:19:10):
to be our main guy is going to be coachable.
Which I don't know how much that is true about
Lebron being coachable, because I think he thinks he likes
a lot and knows a lot but from the outside
looking in, it looks like he's the guy. He's being
coachable and we're going to fall in line as well.

Speaker 1 (01:19:26):
Now, I don't know if the Basketball Hall of Fame
speeches are over yet. That was endless they have. I mean,
everyone was focused on Dirk and Dwayne Wade and you know,
Tony Parker and Pop you know some of the pagasol.
I mean those are five guys, okay, those and then
he had a Division three basketball coach. You had a
junior college basketball coach. Wow, in the same class. But

(01:19:52):
guess who didn't show up for d Wade's Hall of
Fame Lebron James. Lebron James was not. He was not
in attendance. Why is that? That seems strange to me.
He was working out. As we get older, you gotta
work out, remember, No, it just seems like he could
have made a quick cameo there.

Speaker 2 (01:20:10):
He made cameos everywhere else. So I don't know. I
don't know what happened there. But the banana boat steal
steal rules though, all.

Speaker 1 (01:20:17):
Right, we caught Adam Kaplan coming up on the other side.
He is our NFL Fox Sports insider. This is Fox
Sports Saturday.

Speaker 5 (01:20:26):
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 1 (01:20:37):
One week away from week zero in the college football season.
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(01:21:47):
Are you one of those guys when you look at
your tires you wait till you have a blowout before
you change them, or are you like overly cautious and like, ah,
I see a little ware.

Speaker 2 (01:21:57):
Yeah No, I'm one of those guys that I need
to have like at least four nails and one tire.

Speaker 1 (01:22:02):
I want all four are flat into the ground.

Speaker 2 (01:22:04):
You're like, it's like, I think I can, I can
go a little bit longer with this. Yeah, that's that's amazing.

Speaker 1 (01:22:09):
That's me. I think that's most of us out there. Okay,
Adam Kaplan's going to be Johnny Us coming up here
in the next hour or in the next segment here.
I don't know which camps we'll find out, which cancy
has been going around. I just as we're at this
point of the NFL season and we've been talking about
a lot of things for the upcoming year. Obviously, you know,

(01:22:34):
I I look at this time of the year in
the NFL where everyone's got hope ya And you know
I said this last week, if I had placed a
wager like a fourteen parlay. A year ago at this time,
I go in to Vegas. I said, yeah, I want
to do a four team parlay, and I want to

(01:22:58):
bet on all four of these teams having a winning record.
And they're like, Okay, which four teams are you picking.
I'm gonna pick the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wow, Okay, I'm gonna
pick the Pittsburgh Steelers. Okay, I'm gonna pick the Detroit Lions.
And I'm gonna pick the Seattle Seahawks. Now a year

(01:23:22):
ago today they're laughing. They're like, understand, under sir, understand
how a parlay works. All four of these teams have
to have a winning record. You pick in a team
Seattle that everyone already says is the worst team in
the league. They got Drew Locke coming in a quarterback.
Jacksonville has had the number one pick in the draft
last couple years, so they're awful. Detroit's Detroit, and the

(01:23:46):
Steelers Big Ben just retired, so they're gonna have a
rookie quarterback. So you're you're you're betting on all four
of those teams having a winning record. I said, they'll
all be at least nine and eight. We'll take your bet.
But I don't know what kind of odds I would
have gotten. But if I had been able to place,
had I had the force side to place that bet,
I'd be a very rich guy right now, rich rich

(01:24:07):
guy right now. By the way, if I were to
take those four same teams Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Seattle, and Detroit
and go back to the same window and said, I
would like to bet that all four of those teams
are going to have a losing record. Yeah, this year,
this year, this year, you'd lose. You lose that one,

(01:24:29):
you think for sure? Okay, So again again the odds
of those four teams having winning records a year ago.

Speaker 2 (01:24:36):
Pittsburgh, I mean, but Pittsburgh's one of those teams that
they always hover around five.

Speaker 1 (01:24:40):
Yes, but that was that was with Big Ben, not
with you know Pickett, I hear you, yes, but I
don't know. Mike Tomlin should have been Coach of the
Year exactly. That was the most I mean, he's had
a Hall of Fame already, He's going to be in
the Hall of Fame, right That was. That was a
mirror one of the best coaching jobs I've ever seen.
But he's such a good coach and such a relation guy. Anyway,

(01:25:01):
he's going to have those guys rise. It doesn't matter
who's at the helm. All right, let's go to Seattle.
All right, let's start with Seattle. Geno Smith. Yep, So,
Gino Smith is on nobody's radar. Before the season, most
people didn't even know he was still in the league.
I mean I was probably one of those guys. Yes, yes,
people didn't even know he was still in the league.
I mean they had made the deal, they got rid

(01:25:22):
of Russell Wilson, they bring in there type been up
Drew Locke, and then Gino Smith beats him out for
the job and has a Pro Bowl season. Do you
honestly believe that he can repeat that this year? Yes?
I think he can.

Speaker 2 (01:25:36):
I think he's turned a corner where Gino Smith had
so much pressure in New York to perform, and you
know how it is a lot of those guys go
win with high expectations going into the New York market,
and they see right away once you have any losing
streak or any string of bad luck in that area,
it's catastrophic. So there's no soft landing spotform there in

(01:25:57):
Seattle where the expectations were low and he had a
chance to rise above that as a competitor, as somebody
who's always been good at his craft. He's always been good,
except when he went to the NFL. Right in college,
he was always really.

Speaker 1 (01:26:10):
Good in college. He got he was throwing bubble screens
to tave on Us. That's okay, I mean he was
real bubble screen to tave on Us and run seventy
yards for t you know, did Yes, that's true.

Speaker 2 (01:26:27):
But I'm saying all that to say he's in the
perfect position for himself with the head coach that knows
what he's doing to repeat this. And I don't think
having the taste of the sour taste in his mouth
in New York and and and that experience, he's not
going to fall back into that.

Speaker 1 (01:26:43):
So he's going to progress. Jacksonville now, Doug Peterson another
guy that deserve Coach of the Year. I mean he
had undue the mess of Urban Meyer and did so amazingly.
Uh And obviously Trevor Lawrence is a major talent and
really showed it in that incredible come back in the
playoff against the Chargers. You throw four picks to start

(01:27:03):
the game and then come back and throw four touchdowns. Yeah.
I mean that's holding it together. I mean, think about
your first playoff game and you're throwing interceptions all over
the place and you're having a nightmare day down twenty
seven to nothing, and you overcome that. That being said,
if you look at some great teams, and this includes
the Patriots, their first Super Bowl was followed by a

(01:27:26):
subpar season before they got back on track. A lot
of times. The forty nine ers did the same thing
in the eighties. They won the first Super Bowl, next
year they had a losing record, then they got back
on track never looked back. I see Jacksonville as one
of those teams. I think they take a step back
and then we'll take many steps forward. I could see
that happen justifying. I could see that happening.

Speaker 2 (01:27:48):
But I also I think that division is so weak
that they'll still be able to maintain it well.

Speaker 1 (01:27:53):
And some people will say the same thing with Detroit
in the NFC North because no one believes them in Minnesota, right,
And I think they're going to desperately miss Dalvin Cork.
Yes they are, okay, Yeah, And so Green Bay's got
a new quarterback. The Bears are the Bears and the
Lions are the sexy pick to do it. They're still
the Lions. I know. I think the Lions have turned

(01:28:17):
the corner.

Speaker 2 (01:28:19):
Yes, usually, but I really believe in what they're doing.
I believe in Dan Campbell the most. I mean, obviously,
we've you know, been up and down on Jared Goff
and what he can do. But I know people are
predicting him to be, you know, the best quarterback in
that division.

Speaker 1 (01:28:35):
Now, and I I they rather have him or Kirk Cousins.
I'd rather have Jared Goff right now. I agree with
you right now.

Speaker 2 (01:28:41):
And so I just I just think that they're in
a division where they're upside, they're low side. They're still
going to win that division.

Speaker 1 (01:28:47):
So they still have their defenses, got a lot of holes.
They got holes, but they can score a lot of points.

Speaker 2 (01:28:53):
Yeah, I'm as I sit here, I'm I'm just like
everybody else.

Speaker 1 (01:28:58):
I'm really young, hold on what they can do.

Speaker 2 (01:28:59):
And I'm I think from an outside, from the outside
looking in as an outsider, but as a fan of football,
there's the only that there's there's a limit to what
you can take as a franchise and being the bottom
dweller for so long. I think there's a chance to
make this thing about Chargering. There was a whole article

(01:29:20):
about Chargering. I look at I there's one franchise. So
few people out there give a crap about the Chargers.
I mean it's they are one of the least favored.

Speaker 1 (01:29:33):
Teams in the NFL. They obviously have a super talented quarterback,
and everyone thinks that'll make the difference. And yet certain
franchises just find a way to lose. They just every
time you think they take step forward, they take a giantly.
The Potrays are showing it just when everyone thought maybe

(01:29:54):
the Potrays no I know, but the San Diego La
Chargers they are.

Speaker 2 (01:30:00):
They've been good though. It's just they just haven't been
able to win the ultimate prize.

Speaker 1 (01:30:05):
So that playoff game, how much do you think that
lingers up twenty seven to nothing and losing the game
and that's your last game of the year.

Speaker 2 (01:30:14):
Yeah, it stings for a while. I mean everybody talks
about it. That's all you hear about. And you know,
a guy like Justin Herbert, who's so talented, and that
coach you that coach is the one that gives me
the ulcers. He thinks he's smarter than everybody else. And
that's the problem with those guys and the analytics stuff. Now,

(01:30:34):
it's football is football, and you can do numbers, can
crunch numbers, you can do all the things, but if
you're not in tune with the game fully and in
tune with your guys and situations, situations of football has
been become a lost art. Now people think that you
can do these numbers and it tells the game. It's
just that part of the human element that's missing, and
I don't see him changing, which is the thing that

(01:30:57):
scares me with LA.

Speaker 1 (01:30:58):
If you're only going to go by and analytics, why
do I need a coach exactly exactly? What are what
are you doing? I could make I can stand there
and say, all right, in this situation, here are the percentages,
do this right. I don't need a coach to do that.
What I need a coach to do is to have
a field for a game exactly and make the right
call right When you're one hundred percent analytics, Honestly, you

(01:31:21):
can be replaced. Anybody can stand there with a sheet
of paper and figure out the analytics all right on
the other side. We're going to talk about a man
that sees it all face to face. He is our
Fox Sports Radio NFL insider. Adam Kaplan joins us. Coming
up next Steve Harmin and Carrie Rhoads Fox Sports Saturday.

(01:31:43):
Once again, we're live from the tirag dot Com studios.
By the way, football fans, the return of our popular
Saturday and Sunday pregame shows Countdown to Kickoff, presented by
Bett MTM, are back this week, and be sure to
tune into Fox Sports Radio every Saturday and Sunday morning
three hours before kickoff. From now all the way through
Super Bowl Sunday. On Saturdays, Brian No, former Penn State

(01:32:06):
All American, Rich Hornberger and betting analyst Jared Smith will
walk you right up to college football kickoffs. Then on
NFL Sundays, Brian No, eight year NFL veteran Jeff Schwartz,
and professional better Bill Krackenberger will lead you right up
to those early NFL kickoffs. You can listen to Countdown
to Kickoff every weekend morning right here on Fox Sports

(01:32:28):
Radio and the iHeartRadio Apple Join us right now. Is
the ultimate NFL insider. He is so gracious to join us, unless,
of course he's going to a wedding. We're going to
find out what that was all about. In the middle
of NFL training camps. The great Adam Kaplan is joining
us once again. When they told us that you were
going to be at a wedding, I was like, you

(01:32:49):
got to be kidding. He calls from a wedding, right,
I mean, it's we're talking football.

Speaker 3 (01:32:52):
He actually thought about that.

Speaker 1 (01:32:54):
I can't imagine you taking your especially during training camps.
You're jetting all over the place. How did this? I mean,
this had to be someone very close to you, Adam. Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:33:03):
A friend of mine with the Eagles actually got married
and he actually got married at Lincoln Financial Stadium on
the field, very cool ceremony while the Eagles were playing
in Baltimore lest Saturday night.

Speaker 1 (01:33:12):
Oh wow.

Speaker 3 (01:33:13):
So I came home for that and I went on
the road to visit the Jaguars, who are being hosted
by the Lions this week. They actually just played back
with the Eagles today. I'll be with them tomorrow. And
then I traveled to Nashville on Monday to see the
Titans hosting the Patriots on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Speaker 1 (01:33:29):
All right, So we were literally Karen and I were
just talking about two of those teams of the Jags
and the Lions, who both had breakout seasons, both finish
at nine to eight, and a lot of people look
at their divisions right now and have cast them as
the favorite. But many times we see this adam where
team has a breakout season and then they take a
step backwards before they take steps forward. So let's start

(01:33:54):
with Jacksonville for a moment. I mean, an incredible comfort
behind victory against the Chargers in that playoff in Doug
Peterson obviously did a great job to a race. Whatever
negative that Urban Meyer had cast over that franchise, what
is how do they look right now? I mean do
they look like a team that's ready to take over
this division or do they still have a lot of

(01:34:16):
question marks heading into twenty twenty three.

Speaker 3 (01:34:18):
Yeah, so spending two days with them, Look, I was
with them one day last year. By the way, they're
over undertotal last year going into the season was just
five and a half and obviously they eclipsed that. As
you said at ninety and eight. What they have to
feel good about is the way that they closed the season.
Now they had a lot of streaks last season. They
had a five game losing streak, then they closed with

(01:34:38):
a five game winning streak to close the regular season.
You talked about their incredible win. They're a relatively young team.
They've got their quarterback in the future. There's no question
Trevor Lawrence, who bounced back from a horrific first season
and then under Doug Peterson's tutelage and the scheme that
they run, which is what we call heavy eleven personnel,
their spread offense, it really worked. Lawrence took to it.

Speaker 1 (01:35:00):
It.

Speaker 3 (01:35:01):
Trent balk he's done a good job of reviving his
career formerly of the Niners, and he's done a good
job of rebuilding that roster. So there are hours in
their way up. I don't see them because to answer
your question, I don't see them regressing at all. And
plus their division is so bad, the worse the National
Football League. It's a little better than last year, but
it's still not very good. At least on paper, they're
going to be very good now. The one issue that

(01:35:22):
I could see is defensively, they're just not good enough.
I think secondary they They've got one really good corner,
Tyson Campbell, who they fill, has had a great train
camp talking to the Jaguars about them and their defense.
But they need more pass rushers. The way it works,
guys in this business, Currie knows is a former player.
You need what we're called blue chip players. They just
don't have enough on defense. Offensively, they're really skilled, but

(01:35:44):
defensively they need more studs and they just don't have
enough of them.

Speaker 2 (01:35:46):
But Adam, let's talk about the other team that you
saw this past week in the Lions as well. I mean,
a lot of teams are a lot of people are
very high on what they can do and what they
can achieve. They've finished the season last year down the
stretch really strong as well, and you know, it took
some momentum going to the offseason, and you know, the
hype around them is starting to grow. And we're not

(01:36:08):
looking at them as the same old Lions again, are we.
I think we're starting to see them as a team
that has some you know, some real upside this year.
So what did you see when you saw those guys
this week?

Speaker 3 (01:36:18):
Yeah, so they won eight out of their last ten
games last season, and I mean to say this is
a big deal, But four and four a way that
considering they've had one of the worst road records in
NFL history, that certainly was an achievement. And I could
tell you from being around the lines for two days
they so believe in Dan Campbell as a head coach.
I don't want. Longtime staffer said he's the best coach

(01:36:39):
they they've had. They feel they think he's special. The
players rally around him, and I think it really does
help that he's a former NFL player. It was a
blocking tight end under Bill Parcells and some other coaches.
But he's done a fantastic job. And you know what,
you know what's really underrated. Last year he did two

(01:36:59):
or three things that were not easy to do in season.
He removed their DB's coach in season during their doing
their bye week, someone that Lions told me that Campbell
went to Aaron Glany said, look, it's not working with
the way we're playing defense. There were too aggressive with
their blitz packages, lack of discipline, terrible secondary. So in

(01:37:19):
the by they decided that they're going to be more
judicious with their their their blitzing and they became way
more disciplined and that's why when they won or the
last ten. A big reason was not their offense, which
is really good, was really their defense, which turned it around,
and they're going to carry that over. They've made a
lot of additions on defense. Jack Campbell, the first round
pick out of Iowa, who's an off the ball line

(01:37:40):
backup but very talented. They've got a good front. CJ. Garder,
Johnson commover from Philly, won a one year deal, who
probably would have led the NFL last season in interceptions
that he not had the last rated kidney. So they've
done a really good job. The only thing I'm concerned
about is are lack of depth a receiver. They remember
now Jamison Williams is suspended for six weeks. Told the

(01:38:01):
hamster injury we'll keep him that he suffered this week
in practice, will keep him from practicing until he gets suspended.
So you're talking about he's going to be down for
about eight weeks more or less unable to practice. That's
not good and that's really the only issue on their
football team right now is their lack of depth at
that roberts Here position.

Speaker 1 (01:38:17):
All right, So last week television wise, my TV station
carries the Raiders games and they demolish the forty nine
Ers and Trey Lance. Yeah, Trey Lance is running for
his life in that beginning of that game. I mean,
some people are now saying that this is going to

(01:38:39):
go down as one of the biggest disaster draft picks
in the history of the NFL. I don't know if
we've gotten to that point, but we might be a
little bit close. Is there any market at all if
they deem him like we got to get rid of
this guy, try to trade him, because I've seen some
potential trades out there. I'm laughing at him, like, I mean,

(01:39:00):
I wouldn't How much would you give up for Trey
Lance anything? I mean, I'm not quite sure. But how
did the forty nine ers get to this point with
a quarterback that they were just leaping to try to
get in the draft just a couple of years ago?

Speaker 3 (01:39:14):
Yeah, my god, I mean what they gave up was crazy.
So here's let's break this down. I want to get
to Aidan O'Connell. By the way, you mentioned the Raiders,
who's on the other side, So I have some interesting
stuff on him. But yeah, with Lance, he was seen
as a project enormous, aren't for strength, great size, great
athletic ability, but he played it new North Dakota State
at lower level football Division one. He was a major project.

(01:39:35):
Mechanics were not good. He was seen as a total
project who would need time to develop. Now there are
people in that building and also liked Mac Jones. Now
Kyle Shanahan made the call. He's got personnel control. And
it just surprised me if they won Lance because if
you look at this type of offense that they run,
which is an old school West Coast offense is based
on timing and precision. That's not Trey Lance's game. Steve, Yeah,

(01:39:57):
that's why Mac Jones. Most of us thought it was
gonna be Mac Jones. And to shock this when they
were training it for Trey Lance of all people, Yeah,
it look for every Trey Lance, there's a rock Party,
Brock Party. Uh. They made this decision when the lots
of the Eagles from talking to the Niners that no
matter what people thought, Lance would not be competing for
the starting job. They love Party's decipher decisiveness, accuracy, leadership,

(01:40:19):
which is really big and the moment was not too
big for him. Unfortunately got hurt, but it wasn't He
handled the pressure of big think about it. The guy
comes out of nowhere, thrown in there in the second
half and they're in the middle of a playoff race
and does as well as he did. That's why they're
sticking with him.

Speaker 1 (01:40:33):
Right, So all right, I want to get to Hard
Knocks and the Jets haven't seen yet though. Do you
remember when the NFL basically forced the Jets to do
the Hard Knocks and Aaron Rodgers, when asked about it,
said he wanted to know part of it. So I've
seen the first two episodes. It's all Aaron Rodgers, like

(01:40:56):
he can't get enough on the camera. He's literally like,
welcome him in. They're showing him on the sideline during
the games. They're showing him talking to coach. They showed
him talking to Leif Schreiber, the voice of Hard Knocks.
It has been the all Aaron Rodgers show. And Carrie,
you know, has the theory that he wants to show
the world that he is. He's not just still a
great quarterback, he's the ultimate teammate, like he'll talk to anybody.

(01:41:20):
I mean, it's over the top the first two episodes. Okay, yeah,
well here's a really I mean, I mean, is this
really Aaron because we have never ever really seen behind
the scenes Aaron Rodgers in his Packer Nay, he Steve.

Speaker 3 (01:41:35):
He's interesting guy. Look, we know he's complicated, the complicated fella,
which is what Mark Murphy, their president, called him. Look,
we know about their the almost bitter divorce they had
two years ago, and somehow they were able amend fences.
He's a mercurial guy, very very different. But talking to
the Jets, like one of the two things that he
did was really cool that he wasn't looking to get publicized.

(01:41:58):
But you know, I'll just give you some background and
intel what he's done. So he didn't know a lot
of these coaches when he got there, other than Nate Hackett,
who was a ZOC with the Packers. He just didn't
know any of these guys. So he made a point
to spend private time, go over to their houses, get
to know the family. Like he just at this point
in his career and he does turn forty, believe it

(01:42:20):
or not, late this year. He just wanted to connect
in a different way. And then a really cool thing
is what he did in OTAs terms of leadership with
the players, they were running a four minute offense. He
told Zach Wilson, Hey, he said, hey, man, come over here.
I want you to see how I call this four
minute offense. Nobody told him to do that, no one
asked him to do that. He wanted to see the cadence.
He wanted to see the cadence and how he calls

(01:42:41):
it because someday, the hope is that Wilson will take
over for Rogers in twenty twenty five. They fully believe
that Rogers will be with him next season. And you
know he did by the way, Wilson played very well
last week against the Panthers. But the bottom line is,
look and you can see if you brought up and
you brought up land Sack, Wilson's another guy. Doesn't look

(01:43:02):
very good. It does not look very good. But the
good thing is he has shown some improvement of late.

Speaker 9 (01:43:07):
Well.

Speaker 1 (01:43:07):
The funny thing about this is Robert Salah getting in
front of the team and saying, the reason we are
seven and ten is that our offensive line sucked. Did
he really sit wow? I mean basically that's what he did.
He singled out in front of the entire team, Oh man,
that I don't know. We have a great defense. We
now have a but nothing's going to happen because the
reason we are seven and ten is because you sucked well.

Speaker 3 (01:43:31):
They got problems to both. Offensive tackle spots are our
real question mark, and that that to me if I'm
probably gonna wint up pick him to win the division
in the AFC East, which is probably you know, a
little the Ford thinking. But the one issue is their
tackle spots. Guys, it's problematic. Makai Beckton's knees, you worry
about it. Dwyane Brown, who should be their left tackle,
is coming off of a shoulder injury. He's just going

(01:43:52):
to start practicing next week for the first time since
last season. He's in his late thirties. That's not good.

Speaker 1 (01:43:57):
Yeah, all right, Well, you have to keep us update
on your wedding schedule, Adam, you know, so that we
can work around that just throws up for some that's
definitely the last one, trust Adam. We can't wait for
the games to begin, the real games. We'll talk to
you next week. Thanks so much, Adam. Adam kaplan are
Fox Sports Radio, NFL inside. Let's find out what is
trending right now? And boy he is there's your love

(01:44:24):
of preseason football so apparent.

Speaker 7 (01:44:26):
Yet should I be leading with maybe baseball? Should I
be leading with the Jimmy Graham situation.

Speaker 1 (01:44:32):
I tell you what, if you're a Houston Texans fan,
you definitely don't want to leave with this football game
because they look awful. Yeah, I'm not looking good.

Speaker 7 (01:44:39):
You know who doesn't look awful? Skyler Thompson. As we
look at this game, backup quarterback for the Dolphins, after
Tua got some smell out there as they as they say,
and Tua had a pick and he had about sixty
two yards through the air. But Skyler Thompson now three
touchdown throws one hundred and fifty two yards through the year.
Twenty eight to three. The Dolphins are leading Texans with

(01:45:00):
about ten minutes to go in the fourth quarter. It's
a game where Memphis Memphis Miami saw Dolphin's rookie running
back Devon Hshane cart it off the field and sent
to the locker room for an injury reason. The NFL
has fined Steelers linebacker Kwan Alexander about forty four thousand

(01:45:20):
dollars for illegally inappropriately using his helmet in a way
that was deemed unnecessary roughness in last week's preseason game
against the Tampa Bay Bucks. Speaking of other games in preseason,
we do know that the Jaguars have a win today
as they take care of the line twenty five to
seven CJ. Beth at one hundred and thirty eight yards

(01:45:42):
passing one touchdown, one pick. And about moments from now,
just a few minutes, we're going to see our third
NFL preseason game get underway today, Steelers hosting the Bills,
so that one's soon to get started. Meantime, we alluded
to it earlier, but Saints Tide and Jimmy released from
an LA area hospital today after doctors said that he

(01:46:04):
experienced a medical episode and potentially a seizure. This after
last night, he was arrested for being disoriented to the
tune of what, according to TMZ, law enforcement thought that
he was under the influence of a controlled substance, and
even according to police, tried to resist them in getting apprehended.

(01:46:25):
Eventually he was, but now he is back with his
team and the Saints are supposed to take on the
Chargers in a preseason game versus the Chargers tomorrow, and
we'll see how that all goes. With the looming inclement
weather coming into the area here shortly Major League Baseball.
I'll leave you guys with this. There are a few
games that are still going on, and.

Speaker 1 (01:46:45):
We're watching right now. The Podrays have won s of
the plate, down six to four, bases loaded, two out,
and he just flew out to end the game.

Speaker 7 (01:46:54):
Another podrais, I'm going to blame that third out on you, Steve,
because I think you jinxed it.

Speaker 1 (01:47:02):
I mean, this has been the story of the Padres
all season long. They're team batting average, runners and scoring
position for much of the year's last in the Major League.
So you're down six to four, bottom of the ninth,
home crowds on their feet, bases loaded. Here's Big one Soto,
a guy he's going against a pitcher that he's four
for five against in his career eight hundred batting average.

(01:47:24):
He just flew out to him. He flew it out
at the track though. That's even more depressing.

Speaker 7 (01:47:30):
Yeah yeah, but by the way, that flyout was a
micro causem as you said of this season. But talking
to producer Brandon and he said, a lot of the
hits that the Padres are getting, well, they're making good contact,
but they're going right to outfielders and there's a stat
that he threw out there just to say that they're
getting good contact on the ball, but just not able
to finish things into run production. And lastly, game one

(01:47:54):
of a doubleheader, Dodgers win three to one against the Marlins,
and their next game is going to be right around
let's say six ' ten, Yeah, six ' ten from
Dodger Stadium, getting into two games today as if to
not have one go tomorrow because of the rain expected.
And Steve, I know you're a big weather guy, and

(01:48:14):
oftentimes I think sometimes I wonder if you have a
newsvan of the back and you're set to chase a tornado,
although there probably aren't too many, and.

Speaker 1 (01:48:22):
Ask me about that, and I am not a storm chaser.
That is a zero appeal to me. In fact, every
time I see one of those crazy weather guys, yeah
you know, standing there hanging on to a tree in
a hurricane, I'm like, you don't have to stand in
the storm to tell me there's a storm.

Speaker 2 (01:48:37):
I think we're just talking about the plot of Twister
right now. Yes, you know, I get it. I know
where we are now.

Speaker 1 (01:48:42):
I mean I get I mean, I understand why your
producer told you to get out there, you know, but
I would find a new line of work.

Speaker 7 (01:48:52):
Well, you know, I think it.

Speaker 3 (01:48:53):
Was shas son of a bit.

Speaker 7 (01:48:55):
The news director probably wanted you to go out there
because of the eyeballs. People are going to be making
fun of what the state of which that person is
in as the sideways rain comes. I would love to
see you, Steve out there covering this weather.

Speaker 1 (01:49:08):
Holding the mic really close, Yes, close to the mouth. Yeah,
ready to go. Yeah yeah. As a TV sports anchor
all these years, I'm going to stay right there. Okay,
I don't want to venture over to the weather side.
I've always had a lot of a lot of admiration
for whether people in television, obviously having worked side by
side with them for so many years. I mean, they

(01:49:29):
just add love. I mean, you just got to sort
of talk, and you gotta at least sound like you
know what you're talking about. But tonight, I got TV tonight,
so our weather guy's going to be working overtime with
this tropical storm heading I hear directly towards your place.

Speaker 7 (01:49:43):
Well, I was surprised that you got in so late.
Usually you get to the studio for your show with
Carrie four to five hours before it starts. You got
in only an hour before it started. I started worrying
about you. I mean, I was worried.

Speaker 1 (01:49:56):
It was actually I was here a half hour early.
I was sitting in my in the parking lot. I
didn't want to get in too early. He was embarrassed.

Speaker 7 (01:50:03):
Don't be so self conscious.

Speaker 8 (01:50:05):
We were in the we were in the control room
here talking about like, man, this California has never seen
something like this in a long time. And I don't
know if people around here no, Like I lived in Georgia, Savannah,
Georgia for five years. Hurricanes just don't happen out here.
And I'm genuinely curious and worried for some people out there, well,
Katalina Island. They're just think it's going to be a

(01:50:27):
little rain. It's it's gonna be a little more than rain.
I'm a litt looking at San Diego. By the way,
the Padres also have the doubleheader today.

Speaker 1 (01:50:34):
Is that good news, Brandon, after watching that first game
that they get to play another one tonight, don't remind me. Yeah, Well,
with a hurricane get here. Seventeen back in the West,
seventeen back Hillary. We're comedy Live for the tirag dot
com studies. What do you make of all this, Carrie.

Speaker 2 (01:50:51):
It's yeah, it's phenomenal, phenomenal topics for us to talk about, right,
that's it.

Speaker 1 (01:50:55):
I think the optics as of right now, the Chargers
Saint preseason game, which is due to kick off four
o'clock West Coast time, which is exactly when the weather
experts are saying the full force of this tropical storm
is gonna hit SOCl. They're actually predicting this matches five

(01:51:16):
to eight inches of rain. Wow, and in twenty four hours.
And they think they're gonna play a game. Yes, And
if you don't understand, Sofi Stadium is not a domed stadium.
It has a roof, but it's not a dome. And
I can't imagine why they're playing this game. Just the

(01:51:38):
Chargers played great last week, right against the Rams. You're
gonna drag the Saints all the way here?

Speaker 2 (01:51:45):
Well, the Saints are already here, so let's play ball then,
I guess, But I just don't.

Speaker 1 (01:51:51):
I don't think it's gonna happen. Steve.

Speaker 2 (01:51:52):
I think they may, maybe they can delay it, but
it's supposed to rain the next day Monday as.

Speaker 1 (01:51:58):
Well, it's basically going to start from midday tomorrow all
the way through midday on month. That's what I thought. Yeah, yeah,
there's no, it's second week, it's not the last pre
season game's not the first breezeas it's a throwaway. We're
gonna be down to two preseason games anyway very shortly. Yeah,
let them go home? Really, that's yeah, Yeah, how flying
out before the run gets absolutely hella Saints go home,

(01:52:20):
go home, really go home the effort and yes, all right,
coming up on the other side, a few more notes
about not only the NFL season, but yes, one week
away from college football, we got the latest. This is
Fox Sports Saturday. First, Hawn for the Miami seventeen to
a fakes the gift, steps to his left, throws town field.

Speaker 5 (01:52:41):
It's picked off right.

Speaker 1 (01:52:42):
Away across the fifteen, TED five and down inside the
six yard line. Paraman with the pick to start the party. Yeah,
that's the Texans Radio network. Good way to start the
game for the Texans. Unfortunately, haul downhill from that point.
It's all our Progressive play of the day, brought to
you by Progressive Insurance. Progressive makes fundly easy and affordable.

(01:53:05):
Get a multi policy discount by combining your motorcycle, RV, boat,
a TV and more, all your protection in one place.
Bundle and save app Progressive dot Com. Steve Harpincerrey Rhodes,
Fox Sports Saturday. We're coming you live from the tai
Iraq dot Com studios. I want to thank the guys today.
Chris jumping in as he always does, taking a hand
off from Iowa Sam Well. We had Befen here, Brian

(01:53:30):
Fanley was here. I'm looking at mister de Saga right now.
I know there he is there. He is right now.
He a myth. He predict absolutely absolutely, Yeah. You know
how long to Saga has known about me. He actually
pulled out a television what was it a telephone message
on the old of a call when I was working

(01:53:50):
for the Raiders. Is this possible, mister de Saga? That
where were you at when you got this message?

Speaker 10 (01:53:57):
My very first job in radio in Anaheim? And it
said Steve Hartman called from the Raiders.

Speaker 1 (01:54:04):
I was probably asking whether or not she wanted to
come on our flight. We used to have free tickets
for everybody to come on our team flights and everything
else was good. It was such a family organization.

Speaker 10 (01:54:12):
It was such a mom and pop raiders thing with
hand typed notes, not computer type writer.

Speaker 1 (01:54:18):
I had a buddy of mine, Gary Mariano, who later
became the PR guy for the Dodgers. Briefly he worked
for the Burbank Daily Review, and we had a free
ticket of free room for him on every road trip.
That's how we reached out the high school paper. It
was pretty close. You know, our buddy Brian Golden from
the Analog Valley Press and.

Speaker 10 (01:54:37):
I used to write like for a credit, so you
know I would get it in a folded piece of
paper back in the mail from Alo cassal Al's assistant.

Speaker 1 (01:54:46):
Yes, Loki, Loki, all the good stuff. Well, Disager is
great to see you here. Steve is always and of
course our brilliant producer Brandon has just had to sit
through yet another devastating Podrey's loss. I see Bob Melvin
addressing the media, just like, what can I tell you?
I mean, I got one soda. The play bases loaded
down to bottom of the ninth inning against a pitcher
that he has an eight hundred career batting average. I'm

(01:55:07):
feeling good about my odds.

Speaker 2 (01:55:09):
Right, But you know, Brendan's also winning today, he has
to blink one shot on so he's yes, at least
has that on, and yes, yeah, well yeah, he's.

Speaker 1 (01:55:17):
Been in full Pattery's gear recently. But I guess that's
a I know that, I know that absolutely. Hey, we
are Carrie. One week from today. Can't wait? We have
college football? Yes, what they call Week zero feature games
are Notre Dame Navy and then USC and San Jose State.

(01:55:40):
But I'm looking at another team, and I'm looking at
the Associated Press came out with their preseason rankings, and
George's number one, and you look down in Michigan's number two,
Ohio State three. Alabama down at four. It's been a
while since they open a season as low as fourth,
but even that might be on name recognition alone. We

(01:56:00):
are two weeks away from Alabama's first game September. Second,
they don't have a quarterback right now. I mean even
players are openly talking about the fact that there has
been no decision wow on who the starting quarterback is
going to be for Alabama this year, coming off a

(01:56:21):
season where he had the returning Heisman Trophy winner, Right,
should Alabama fans be worried about that? No? No, they
have so much talent, it doesn't matter. One of those
guys will be ready to go.

Speaker 2 (01:56:34):
And I think also I think there's some gainsmanship going
on with Saban as well. I'm sure he has an
idea who's going to be the guy, but he's just
not letting the media know that yet. So that's the
old trick that a lot of the you know, the
Belichick disciples and you know those those guys, they would
keep all that information close to the best and you.

Speaker 1 (01:56:53):
Know they have an idea who it is. Though. I
remember after Carson Palmer won the Heisman Trophy at USC,
they had an open competition for the quarterback. It was
two guys, Matt Castle and Matt Lioner, and I remember
at the last second they said, all right, we're gonna
go with Liner. We don't think he has the better

(01:57:15):
physical tools, but he's probably less likely to make mistakes.
That was the selling point I remember. Yeah, I think
he lost one game in three years until that last
lost to Texas. Yeah, it didn't pan out in the
league though, No, And if Zach Matt Castle started a

(01:57:38):
game at USC ends up actually having that one spectacular
year replacing the injured Tom Brady. So yeah, go figure
Alabama probably has the same situation happening. I'm sure those
guys are five star blue Chippers who can definitely play
the game. So I, like I said, I think they're
holding it close to the best of who the guy
is going to be. And I'm sure Satan has an idea.

(01:58:00):
Uh so you were you were bragging about your Louisville Cardinals, right, yeah,
and that they're favored to win every game. And I'm
looking at the preseason rankings. Oh not even their thirty
fifth in the top twenty five. They're thirty fifth, thirty fifth. Yeah,
I mean, are they going to be good? We're going
to be good. It just got Jake.

Speaker 2 (01:58:20):
We've got a Plumber come in to uh to quarterback.
The team has a lot of a lot of potent,
I mean not even potential. He can play the game.

Speaker 1 (01:58:27):
And James Plumber is coming back.

Speaker 2 (01:58:30):
Jake Plumber's back again. I think he's I think he's
fifty two now today.

Speaker 1 (01:58:33):
He's ready to go. He's very heavy, still has some eligibile.

Speaker 2 (01:58:37):
Man, still can move around to Yeah, but we got
the Plumber kid in there, and yeah, we, like I said,
favored in every game and having Brohm come in to
lead the team back to his glory days.

Speaker 1 (01:58:49):
Yeah, we're gonna be We're gonna be fine. How is
that for you to play at a school that's known
for basketball.

Speaker 2 (01:58:56):
Don't you ever say that again, Steve, that I know
that's true. I mean, come on, I know it's too
I know I went to U c l A. I
mean we're no for I mean we've had good football teams. Yes,
well when you say U.

Speaker 1 (01:59:07):
C l A. You think basketball, Yeah, I mean.

Speaker 2 (01:59:09):
You you, but you got to think about our Our
basketball days were in the eighties.

Speaker 1 (01:59:15):
I mean we've won it again. Wait, what are you
talking to Crumb, the great Denny Crumb? You see, like, yes,
you won since then. But the Patino years, the one
with Patino. Yeah, but they back to back final fours.
It wasn't just one year talking about winning. We've made
big Bowl games. We've been in notes. Actually there's no
record of you guys winning the only I think it's champion.

(01:59:38):
That's it's not back in God, it's been a race
like it never happened. Like that guy Kangaroo is a
guy that shattered his ankle during the game.

Speaker 10 (01:59:47):
Was that?

Speaker 2 (01:59:48):
Oh that was Kevin Ware? It was bad That was bad.
That was the worst it was against dude. I was like, yeah,
it was bad. He came back to play.

Speaker 1 (01:59:57):
He hadn't he did.

Speaker 2 (01:59:59):
He had a good a good had a good season
following that, which is crazy.

Speaker 1 (02:00:02):
They do that. All right, Well, Carrie, we're going to
be talking some football down the road in the meantime.
Don't go anywhere, folks. Yeah, we got a storm coming.
It's Fox Sports Radio.