Carmen Vitali and Tracy Sandler talk NBA playoffs & NFL Draft!

Carmen Vitali and Tracy Sandler talk about the NBA playoffs, the drama surrounding Brandon Aiyuk this offseason, some Do’s and Don’ts, the NBA MVP race, how the QB position is going to effect the NFL Draft, and more! Plus, Annie Costabile and Mike Golic, Jr join the show!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio Radio.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
What's up, guys, Happy Saturday, Happy weekend. Alex Curry is
actually out, she's running around uh here in LA. But
I have a special guest with me. Her name is
Tracy Sandler. She is the founder of Fangirl Sports Network.
She covers the forty nine ers very in depth. She
goes between both San Francisco and to LA. I don't

(00:25):
know how she does it. She's a renaissance woman within
the NFL, especially Thank you.

Speaker 3 (00:32):
I love that.

Speaker 2 (00:32):
And she's joining me today. I'm so excited to have you.
Thanks for being here, Trace.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Thank you for having me.

Speaker 4 (00:38):
I am so excited to talk a bunch of NFL, NBA,
all of the things with you today.

Speaker 3 (00:43):
So it's going to be a good time.

Speaker 5 (00:44):
Amazing.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
Well, we are broadcasting live from the tirac dot com studios.
Ti iraq dot com will help you get there an
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Speaker 4 (00:59):
Should be sure to catch Fox Sports Radio's Draft Night
live throughout the first round of the Draft this Thursday,
beginning at eight pm Eastern presented by Express Pros, the
official employment agency of Fox Sports Radio's draft coverage insider
Jake Glaser, former Cardinals GM, Steve Kaim, College Football Hall
of Famer LeVar Arrington, and Big Nune Kickoffs Rob Stone

(01:21):
will have pick by pick predictions and reactions to every
first round pick. That's Thursday at eight pm Eastern throughout
the entire first round of the draft, live right here
on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart app, presented by
Express Pros.

Speaker 5 (01:34):
Excellent Ray Chy.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
We have Bo Benson and Chris Purfett Kevin Wyatt as
the update anchor with us today and they're gonna help
be helping me get through pulling hosting duty. This is
usually Alex Curry, but she's out for today. We are
going to we have so much good stuff though today
we have, like you said, NBA playoffs, we have the
NFL Draft letson a week away we're gonna have We're

(01:57):
gonna be joined by Anni Costabiel from the Chicago Sun
time to talk to WNBA because the draft just happened,
as well as Mike Golick Junior to talk football and
obviously we have to get his reaction to Taylor Swift
because he's a huge swifty.

Speaker 5 (02:10):
I don't know, are you a swifty?

Speaker 1 (02:11):
I am?

Speaker 3 (02:11):
I am a swift Okay.

Speaker 2 (02:12):
All right, so you guys are gonna have to teach
you some things because I am just not. And I
love her. I think that she's uber talented, but the
whole everything around her is just absolutely insane.

Speaker 5 (02:24):
It takes over pop culture.

Speaker 4 (02:25):
I mean, oh, it does all of a sudden. The
other night, it was like nine to twenty Pacific time,
and I was like, oh my god, it came out
twenty minutes ago.

Speaker 2 (02:33):
This is another This is another instance where the Pacific
time zone really is a buddy to you because you
know it's coming out midnight on the East Coast and
then you have to stay up listening to thirty one songs.
I have to say that I think the West Coast
is also really beneficial when you're watching the NBA.

Speaker 5 (02:49):
Playoffs, correct and these planes.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
I turned on the Bulls game the other night and
I was like, wait a second, why is it just starting.
It's nine pm in Chicago and it's I'm like, the
what what It's passed my bedtime, especially when it's on
a weeknight. But there are so many we saw it.
We heard the Calves. The Calves just one. We're in
the thick of it today. There's multiple games on today,

(03:12):
but I want to talk about given that we're in
LA and they're always a big storyline, always, the LA Lakers.

Speaker 5 (03:21):
I need.

Speaker 2 (03:22):
I want to figure out their chances and how far
they can go because last year, you know, okay, they're
matching up with the Nuggets for the first round.

Speaker 5 (03:31):
Yeah, last year, we all know how last year when
Lakers get swept.

Speaker 2 (03:35):
But the Lakers kind of hobbled into the playoffs last year,
whereas this year, the relatively I mean, Lebron is day
to day. Ad is day to day, but like when
is Lebron not day to day essentially.

Speaker 3 (03:46):
So to day?

Speaker 2 (03:47):
To be honest, that's true. You turn thirty and it'll
just thirty five. It all goes downhill from there. And
he's even older than that. But the Lakers are healthy,
and the Nuggets said as much. They're like, this is
not gonna me last year. We're you know, we're preparing
for this to be a really competitive first round. Denver's
won eight straight games over the Lakers, and Nicolaiokisch was like, well,

(04:11):
I think they're due, so stop talking about it. He
was these, these the Nuggets are taking the Lakers seriously.
But I just want to know how seriously you are
taking the Lakers right now and when it comes to
the playoffs this year.

Speaker 4 (04:24):
So I grew up a Lakers fan, so know that
it's what I'm about to say is somewhat painful for me.
Oh No, I don't think they're gonna get swept. I
agree they are due, they are due to win the game.
Maybe they're going to win a couple games. But this
Nuggets team is just better. They're just a better team
than the Lakers. And that is taking no respect away
from Lebron nothing from that, Davis. They certainly are healthy,

(04:46):
they're certainly better than they were last year going to
the playoffs. However, this Nuggets team is just too good.
And Kyle Shanahan always says in the NFL playoffs, he says,
it's who plays the best for three and a half hours.
It's not necessarily the best team that's going to win.

Speaker 5 (05:01):
That's great and great point.

Speaker 4 (05:02):
And so I think what's different about, of course, the
NBA playoffs is it's going to be who plays the
best throughout a series. And I just don't think the
Lakers are going to be able to match up up
against them night after night and win the series.

Speaker 3 (05:15):
And that breaks my.

Speaker 4 (05:16):
Heart because I want them to go Lakers. But I
just think it's just going to be too tough a matchup.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
No, I mean, you have to be realistic at the
end of the day. And I do think I agree
with you though. I think this is going to be
a competitive series. And I also Lebron is thirteen and
three in game ones in his career, so that bodes well,
one of those.

Speaker 4 (05:36):
Three being against the Nuggets last year. Sorry, guys, I'm sorry,
it's you'd think I was a Lakers fan with it.

Speaker 6 (05:42):
Again.

Speaker 2 (05:43):
He's healthy, he is healthy, the team around him is healthy.
But you know they were and this is the thing
too about the Lakers. What they were thirteen and two,
twelve and three, sorry, twelve and three in the last
fifteen games down the stretch, so they kind of got
hot at the right time. And I think that that
MNOM can carry you into a couple of good games
in the first round.

Speaker 5 (06:04):
But this is also matching up against a team who has.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
Been hot essentially the entire correct season, and you have
the front runner for MVP, which we'll get to a
little bit more in depth in Jokic, but it's just
it's it's going to be really interesting. And I hope
for Los Angeles fans, I hope for a good series.

Speaker 4 (06:22):
Yes, I hope for a good series for sure, And
you know, I also want to throw out and oftentimes
Los Angeles we forget. There is another Los Angeles team
that is in the playoffs and the Clippers, and I
think the hopes.

Speaker 3 (06:33):
They really maybe the NBA.

Speaker 4 (06:36):
Playoff hopes should ride a little bit more on them.
But I would be happy to be proven wrong. I
don't need to be right all the time. And if
the Lakers somehow pull this out, then let's do this.
I just think the chances are not high.

Speaker 5 (06:50):
Hey, they're getting Denver out of the way.

Speaker 2 (06:52):
Yeah, I mean, this is probably a good time to
have Denver rather than have to like match up with
them later on.

Speaker 4 (06:56):
But SUO in that last year they had them the
second round after beating the Warriors.

Speaker 3 (07:00):
That was a tough series. So you know, we'll see
how this does out. That's why they play the game
or games, is the case.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
Will be Well, speaking of the Warriors, what you're up
in the Bay Area quite a bit.

Speaker 5 (07:11):
Is what is happening there?

Speaker 2 (07:13):
I mean, it's you have such a good core and
you have them locked in. Like Steph Curry, his contract
goes through twenty twenty six. They signed Steve Kerr in
February to an extension that matches his contract up with
Steph Curry. You had Draymond Green signing an extension and
he's still under contract, but there was there was a

(07:34):
big chunk of this season where Draymond Green was not
available to the Golden State Warriors. And now you have
Klay Thompson coming up in this offseason, he'll be an
unrestricted free agent. I just I want to know, like
how much the alarm bells are sounding for Warriors fans.

(07:54):
Do you is this something where there needs to be
some drastic changes made, or do you still try and
keep that core together and then just kind of tweak
it a little bit and see if you can get
better results, because I mean, obviously they're not too far
removed from their their last title, but I don't know,
it seems like, especially the way that they lost the

(08:18):
play in I mean, this was the earliest exit for
any Steph Curry led team ever. I just want to
know how much are we hitting the panic button in
the Bay Area right now?

Speaker 3 (08:30):
So I have a few thoughts on this.

Speaker 4 (08:31):
I think the one being, of course, when you have
a somewhat dynasty like you have with the Warriors, this
is where the business comes in.

Speaker 3 (08:38):
This is where it always gets tough. Eventually it has
to end.

Speaker 4 (08:42):
Eventually, Guys games, they get older, their games aren't as strong,
et cetera, et cetera. But when you look at the Warriors,
really it's all about Klay Thompson right now.

Speaker 3 (08:53):
That's what everything is about.

Speaker 4 (08:54):
He's still a really, really good basketball player, but he's
not the player he was. So they want him to stay.
They've been saying over and over they want him to stay.
The question is would he be willing to stay in
a somewhat different role. Is there another team out there?
We talk about the Lakers, The Lakers could.

Speaker 3 (09:10):
Be a team like this.

Speaker 4 (09:11):
There's another team out there that could have Clay come
in and stay in the role that he's been in.
But if he's gonna stay with the Warriors, it's gonna
have to be in a different role because they have
to upgrade. So the question becomes, do you keep the
core together and like you said, tweak around. I don't
think you have to blow it all up, but it's
all gonna be around Lay Thompson. That is the big million,

(09:32):
multimillion dollars A question, MUTI ultimately do question right now,
but that that is gonna be the big thing, And
I don't entirely know the answer that I know the
Warriors are the answer to that. It may come down
to Clay testing the market and saying, well, you know,
do I want to stay here where maybe if we
tweak this and that I'm just in a different.

Speaker 3 (09:48):
Kind of role.

Speaker 4 (09:49):
I'm gonna win a championship. Do you want to go
somewhere else where? I'd have That's what it's gonna come
down to. But it's not going to be an easy
decision for anyone. And I do think basketball is a business.
Sports is a business.

Speaker 3 (09:59):
We know that. But this core loves each other.

Speaker 4 (10:02):
This chord's releaping together a long time, and I do
think something will come into play here where Clay may
decide he wants to stay with his guys and kind
of figure it out, or he may want to move on.

Speaker 3 (10:13):
And I don't know there's a right or wrong answer
for him. It's just what's going to work that?

Speaker 2 (10:16):
And here's the thing too, Like the new CBA has
made harsher restrictions for the most expensive teams, which with
the addition of what Claig Thompson would likely cost you.
I mean, the Golden State Warriors roster is expensing.

Speaker 3 (10:29):
It is it is, And this is the other thing.

Speaker 2 (10:31):
Yeah, It's like, do you want to then have to
impose those financial restrictions on your franchise in the name
of keeping this big four together or this core together
that isn't the core it once was. But at the
same time, they've seen a lot of success they could
I don't know. Draymond is also a whole other thing
where I'm like, do you They are very insistent that

(10:53):
he's in their future plans, but I don't know how
many chances you can continue to give a guy that now,
his antics, if you want to call them, that are
costing him time on the court, which is costing your team.
And that's what I think this all boils down to,
is his inavailability when he does get suspended, and he's
good for missing few games throughout each season. It's gonna

(11:16):
be very interesting to see how Like I think the
path of least resistance is what is kind of keeping
the core together and tweaking. But it's going to be
very interesting because you're not gonna be able to replicate
the dynasty that they've been.

Speaker 5 (11:29):
Anytime soon.

Speaker 2 (11:30):
So the whole hold that but Butding dynasty is probably
these Boston Celtics. I don't know if you can call that,
call it that that's that's probably reaching a little bit,
but it's I just feel like the Path in the
East will wrap this up really quickly. But the path
in the East is it's it's paved for them at
this point. Jimmy Butler's out for their first round matchup

(11:50):
against the Heat and now beyond that, Giannis is hurt.

Speaker 5 (11:54):
So like you have to think that you're going.

Speaker 2 (11:56):
To get through the Wolves pretty easily, and they're the
odds on favor it to win the NBA this year.

Speaker 4 (12:01):
It's the biggest cliche, but I honestly think the only
the only team in the East that can beat the
Celtics or the Celtics if they play up to their potential,
if the talent, they're talented, they're balanced, they have they
have stars, and they're just good. They're just a really, really,
really good basketball team. If they play how they are
used to playing, they I think are unstoppable in the East,
maybe all the way through, but I think they're the

(12:23):
only ones that can truly beat them.

Speaker 3 (12:25):
Not to be super cliche, but I do believe that
to be true.

Speaker 5 (12:28):
Okay, well, we're going to take a quick break, but
afterwards we're going to talk about a guy you know
very well, Brandon. I you again, some wide receiver drama
in San Francisco. We'll be our back.

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Speaker 5 (13:19):
Wow.

Speaker 2 (13:21):
Okay, Chris, I always get surprised and I be very
pleasantly surprised by the music selection for the for the
Bump in Music. But welcome back, coming to you live
from the tirec dot com studios. I'm Carmen Vitally in
for hosting duties for Alex Curry and I have Tracy
Sandler with me to help me out. We just kind

(13:41):
of shifted roles. I'm you know, I'm now hosting for Alex,
and then you're in.

Speaker 5 (13:45):
As the sidekick. I guess, oh, I like that Batman
and Robin. Maybe we are.

Speaker 2 (13:52):
We just finished talking some NBA playoffs. But Tracy covers
the forty nine ers very very very closely. I do,
and it just so happened that one of forty nine ers.
There's there's some drama going on in the bed.

Speaker 3 (14:04):
There's always drama going on with I know that's fair.

Speaker 2 (14:08):
But we have my favorite I always mentioned this my
favorite tweet. It's from Carter Carter Doonic and it is
basically a rubric for different positions and what their tweets are.
So it's like quarterback love my teammates, love God, let's go.
And then it's you know, tight end DIRP and then
wide receiver.

Speaker 5 (14:25):
It's like the enemy.

Speaker 2 (14:26):
Speaks softly and carries a knife like they are all
so dramatic, and if you know the tweet, you know
what I'm talking about. Brandon Ayyuk airs on a state's own.
That's that's mi alma mater. There's some he did the
whole unfollow which in recent memory that has actually made

(14:47):
a difference, Like we've seen it happen where these guys
are unfollowing these teams and something then comes down the pipeline,
whether it's the form of a release, a trade, whatever
it is.

Speaker 8 (14:57):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (14:57):
He's also been posting just certain thing thanks to his
social media again that are just very cryptic, very mysterious,
very wide receiver asque uh I am, I want to
know where this stems from. I want to know what, Brandon,
how you wants? Is it money? Is it the trade?

Speaker 5 (15:16):
What is it? You've got a good setup.

Speaker 2 (15:18):
I get it that they haven't won the Super Bowl,
but they've made it and this is one of the
best offenses. You've got one of the best play callers
in the league in the history of the league in
Kyle Shanahan. You've got all these other fun offensive weapons
around you. It's just it's a fun team. Like, what more,
what more do you want?

Speaker 5 (15:37):
Brandon?

Speaker 3 (15:38):
Tell me, Well, what he really wants is a contract extension.

Speaker 5 (15:41):
Tell me what you want, that's what he wants. He wants.

Speaker 4 (15:43):
He wants a contract extension. He wants to get paid
what he thinks he's worth. And I do not blame
him for that for a second. So he doesn't want to,
you know, he doesn't want to go into the season
without a contract extension.

Speaker 3 (15:54):
But that's what this comes down to. The unfollowing the
team thing.

Speaker 4 (15:58):
I find it all a little silly, but I think
it sort of sends a message I will take us
back two years. Deebo Samuel also wanted a contract extension.
He unfollowed the forty niners. He scrubbed his social media scrubs,
which that's like, also, that's a lot of work. I mean,
that's just that's just a lot of work that went
into that. And he requested a trade, as you guys
probably I'll know, he did not get traded. He did

(16:19):
get his construct extension, he refallwed the forty nine ers.

Speaker 3 (16:21):
And he has stuff up on He lived aptly ever after,
so so there is that.

Speaker 4 (16:27):
But you know, there have been so many rumors about
that Brandon has requested trade all of that. John Lynch
denied it at the owners meetings. Brandon, He's gone on
social media and been very clear this has not has happened,
that these trade requests have not happened, you know.

Speaker 3 (16:44):
I think this is one of those.

Speaker 4 (16:45):
Things where we won't know for sure until after Thursday,
after Round one of the draft. However, I would be
nothing short of shocked if Brandon Ayuk is not on
this team this year he doesn't get his extension. The
forty nine ers historically do their extension later in the year,
getting closer to training camp. Maybe they get it done
earlier with Brandon, but he's so important to this offense.

Speaker 3 (17:08):
He's important to this team.

Speaker 4 (17:10):
They see him as their wide receiver of the future.
He's incredibly important to Brock Purty, who is their franchise quarterback,
who is another guy they're going to have to pay
very very soon. But that is a huge deal in itself,
and we saw Brock and Brandon have tremendous chemistry throughout
the season. In the beginning of the playoffs, things were
a little off. They got it back together. I don't

(17:32):
really think he's going anywhere, and they don't really have
to make the super tough decisions until next offseason when
they are going to have to talk make some really
tough decisions. We talked about the Warriors earlier. It's going
to be a similar thing. They're going to have to
make some tough decisions. This is probably not the year.
So I think at the end of the day, he

(17:52):
wants a contracttension, he wants.

Speaker 3 (17:54):
To get paid. That's really what he wants.

Speaker 4 (17:55):
I don't think he's unhappy in the Bay Area, but
he wants what he feels he deserves and what he's worth.
And I don't blame him for that because he should
get paid and he should put himself in a position
to get paid. And if that means he's got to
hold out, I don't know that he will. But I
will also take us back to Deebo Samuel again, because
Deebo did hold out. He came to training camp a

(18:16):
little bit late. He and Nick Bosa. Nick Bosa held
out last year. They both were at mandatory mini camp,
and I think that's those are important dates.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
Because Brana so far has not been at the forty
nine ers off season program.

Speaker 5 (18:27):
But it's it's volunteer, it's all vote that's.

Speaker 3 (18:30):
No big deal, but a lot of guys haven't.

Speaker 2 (18:31):
I mean, when mandatory mini caamp comes around in June,
that's kind of the first date where we're going to
realize how serious it says.

Speaker 5 (18:37):
If he doesn't get dealt before.

Speaker 3 (18:39):
Then yes, I just don't think he's getting delt. But
I will say this.

Speaker 4 (18:42):
Deebo mentioned at the beginning of this last offseason, he
said that he thought he had a terrible season the
year before, and he did, to his credit, say that
he felt that the holdout and asking for the trade
requests and all of that coulntribute it to that Nick
Bosa had a slower start to the seat.

Speaker 3 (19:00):
And he did not have any training camp.

Speaker 4 (19:02):
He also said that again Brandon may hold out, and
again he should. All of these guys should get with
their worth. They are in his sport where the careers,
even their longest careers, are not that long. One play
and it could all be over, and they have to
treat it as a business, just as the teams do.
But I don't think that we're going to see this
go that long.

Speaker 3 (19:22):
Like we did last time.

Speaker 4 (19:23):
I think Nick Bosa's situation went way longer than anybody
thought it would I even asked John Lynch, are you
surprised at how long it's taking it? He kind of
laughed and he was like, honestly, yes, but we are
where we are, So I don't think he's getting dealt.
But at the end of the day, he wants a
contract ascension and they're going to figure it out.

Speaker 3 (19:39):
They're not.

Speaker 4 (19:40):
I just don't think they're letting Brandayu go anywhere. I
just I think that he is a under contract for
another year.

Speaker 5 (19:45):
Right, Well, there's that, so you would have to trade,
but you could.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
While I think brand now Yuke is underrated in the
public sphere, in the fans sphere, I think everybody within
the league understands what Brandon and Ayuke means to that team,
sure what he means to that offense in particular, I
don't think that Deebo Samuel is Deebo Samuel without Brandon Nyuk.
I don't even thin Christian McCaffrey is necessarily Christian McCaffrey
without Brandon night Yuke.

Speaker 3 (20:09):
There I think Christian Christian McCaffrey, no matter what.

Speaker 2 (20:13):
I know he's I keep waiting for him to slow
down because he's like getting a little bit older and
like it just hasn't happened. But like watching him in Carolina,
like when I was with the Buccaneers and he was
the Panther's entire offense for so many years. Uh, it
can do it all, all these amazing things. But I
do think that again, this system just clicks and it
works because it's made up of all these different puzzle
pieces that if you take one away, nothing quite fits

(20:36):
the same. It doesn't fit as well in the Shantan offense.
And I think that Brandon Nyuk is absolutely a coveted
guy though, And that's what scares me is that there
are plenty of teams that do need a wide receiver. Now,
there is a pretty good ride wide receiver class in
this year's draft. Ye, so uh that probably works against
any sort of leverage that any other that the four

(21:00):
and I would have in a package for Brandon Aiyuk.

Speaker 5 (21:03):
But I don't know.

Speaker 2 (21:05):
I mean, I could see a team missing out on
they're like one of the big three wide receivers in
this draft class and being like, eh, like I don't know,
Pittsburgh Steelers, I like, and you and you have this
year where you want to help out whoever's under center.
If it ends up being Russell Wilson, which I think
it will be, or even justin fields, you want to

(21:25):
have that reliable guy because you got rid of Deontay Johnson.

Speaker 5 (21:28):
I just I want to know.

Speaker 2 (21:32):
How much of a market there is for Brandon and
Iyuk and how much other teams are putting like a
full court press onto the forty nine ers, being like
agnit tradum, Egan tradum, we'll give you this.

Speaker 4 (21:42):
Well, but i'd look at so I look at what
they got for Stefan Diggs in Buffalo and grit. Stefan
Diggs is older than Brandon, Yeah, for sure, but he
is a larger sample size. He's had many years of
being one heck of a wide receiver. No matter what
Twitter wants to say and how Bill's Twitter wants to
make themselves feel better, Stefan Diggs as a top receiver
in this league. So when you look at what the

(22:02):
Bills got for Diggs, I think it gives kind of
an idea of what the fort nine ers would get
for Brandon, and I don't know if it's going to
be enough. But going back to Christian McCaffrey, I think
Christian also creates an interesting situation in which when the
forty nine ers, if the forty nine ers have to
make a tough decision and they may not teams figured

(22:23):
out the CAF is a myth, they can figure out
how to do. I mean, I don't I think it's
a myth, but I think it's it's not a myth,
but you can we see teams doing it all these
You can maneuver, you could get things to work. We
see them restructure contracts all the time. And this is
a team also that's very team first and not me first,
so we see a lot of things happen. Say it's

(22:44):
a myth, but it can be maneuvered. So they can
probably end up paying Brandon and Debo long term and
it might be fine. But if they're making decisions long term,
you have Christian McCaffrey, you need Brandon Aiyuk. Deebo is
an incredible talent, he's so unique, he is amazing this offense.
Mile Shanahan trust him implicitly. But if you are having
to make decisions and you already have Christian McCaffrey, you

(23:07):
need to keep Brandon Ayuk. You might have to make
a different decision later. I just I don't think Brandon
ayukuld go anywhere. That's my If I'm wrong, I'm wrong,
But I just don't think brand Night's going on.

Speaker 2 (23:16):
We're we're gonna find out probably Thursday, and then again
we'll see if he shows up for mandatory Mini caamb
in June. But right now we're going to go over
to Kevin Wyatt for an update.

Speaker 8 (23:28):
You got seven minutes to go in the second quarter
up in Minneapolis, the second playoff game of the day
in the NBA, with the Timberwolves leading the Phoenix Suns
by a score of forty to thirty six. Kevin Durant
the leading scorer for Phoenix. He's got eleven points, a
couple of boards, and to steal. As for the Timberwolves,
it's Rudy Gobert leading the way with six points and

(23:50):
nine rebounds. As Minnesota and Phoenix in a high shooting affair.
As a Phoenix sixteen to thirty so far shooting the
basketball three is seven from the three point line. Not
quite as great of a pace for Minnesota, but they
do have the lead sixteen thirty five shootings so far.
As again, we got about seven minutes to go in

(24:11):
the second quarter.

Speaker 6 (24:13):
The first game of the day Cavaliers and Magic.

Speaker 8 (24:15):
The Cleveland Cavaliers putting on a defensive clinic, holding the
Magic to just thirty two percent shooting in a ninety
seven two eighty three victory. Donovan Mitchell thirty points and
three assists as well as three steals. Evan Mobley sixteen
points and eleven rebounds also had himself three blocks as
the Cavaliers take a one nothing series lead in this

(24:39):
best of seven first round matchup.

Speaker 6 (24:41):
In Major League Baseball, they.

Speaker 8 (24:43):
Needed extra innings to get any runs across the board,
and it's the Tampa Bay Rays out last of the Yankees,
two nothing in ten innings as Nester Corts has nine
strikeouts in seven shutout innings. Zach Effln six strikeouts in
six shutout innings, I'll swear. In Major Lee Baseball, they're
into the bottom of the seventh inning in Saint Louis
as the Browers pulling away.

Speaker 6 (25:04):
From this one.

Speaker 8 (25:04):
They're leading at nine to four, twins on top of
the Tigers four to three. They're in the bottom of
the eighth inning up in the Twin Cities and at
Regular Field they're heading to the ninth inning and the
top of the ninth inning as the Cubs trying to
close out the first of a doubleheader with the Miami
Marlin Chicago ahead at two to one.

Speaker 6 (25:21):
Top of the second inning.

Speaker 8 (25:22):
Up in San Francisco, Giants over the Diamondbacks two to one,
Red Sox leaving the Pirates to nothing. They're in the
bottom of the second over in Pittsburgh Nationals Astros are
tied at one in the bottom of the second Mets
lead the Dodgers won nothing and they are heading to
the bottom of the first out in Los Angeles, back
to you.

Speaker 5 (25:40):
Guys, Dodgers just got on the boards.

Speaker 2 (25:44):
So now we've got one to one with the Mets
and the Dodgers basically voted.

Speaker 6 (25:48):
And they just get up did get one.

Speaker 2 (25:50):
So one one here here in Los Angeles, which it's
now sunny.

Speaker 5 (25:54):
It was it was going earlier, but all right, so
much baseball going on.

Speaker 2 (25:58):
Holy Holy Jesus, Like, oh my god, I didn't realize
how many games we're going on right now. But we're
going to switch to something that just happened this week
Monday night, following the National Championship, record breaking National Championship,
women's sports are having this wonderful moment and this moment
is going to continue. It's going to be more than
a moment. I want to keep start saying that it's

(26:18):
be more than a moment. And to talk about that,
I have my dear, dear friend Annie Costabiel, who covers
the WNBA, among other things, talk about a renaissance woman
for the Chicago Sun Times.

Speaker 5 (26:30):
Annie, are you there? How are you?

Speaker 9 (26:32):
Sarmon?

Speaker 10 (26:33):
I'm smiling so big. I can't believe that I'm on
your show right now and we're not like getting you know,
martinis right now. I know I love I love.

Speaker 2 (26:42):
Either same, same, And honestly, if I had my way,
we'd be drinking martinis and doing I'd.

Speaker 10 (26:49):
Tell me, tell me once. Sounds like an ideal broadcast.

Speaker 5 (26:53):
Annie, I'm so excited to have you on.

Speaker 2 (26:54):
And honestly, not only is women's sports getting their moment
via the NCAA Women's Tournament now the WNBA, but that
means that people like you that have covered this league
and especially the Chicago Sky and have been such an
advocate for women's basketball are getting there shine too. And
it warms my heart because you work so hard. You

(27:15):
are so detailed all of your the articles that appear
in Chicago sometimes I mean This woman waxes poetic and
makes me, like honestly want to cry anytime she talks
about women's sports. It's incredible. And I just want to
get your thoughts on this shift and how we can
maintain this momentum for a really good product that was

(27:36):
overlooked for so long.

Speaker 10 (27:39):
Yeah. I really appreciate you saying that first and foremost.
But the thing that stands out to me when I
think about why our coverage has been successful is because
we don't cover the sky as like some one off
glory story about you know, women doing good in the community,
or look at women they're so strong and powerful, like
we cover We cover this as a sport. This is

(28:02):
a sport that's entertaining, that has a super strong fan base,
and it deserves coverage. And when you cover it that way,
when you show up that way, I mean, look at
what just happened with the NCAA tournament. This isn't a coincidence.
Of course, Caitlyn Clark has brought unprecedented eyes to this sport,
but look at what happens when the game is put
in primetime slots. People tune in, you know, And I

(28:25):
think that's what we need to give more effort too,
is putting these broadcasts in primetime spots and dedicating great
reporters to covering these teams in these sports as we
do every other team in major cities. Right It's like,
it's not rocket sciences, Like, just show up and cover
the sport in a traditional manner and you're going to

(28:47):
see results.

Speaker 4 (28:49):
I love that you said that, because that is the
reality of it. And putting the games in primetime spots
obviously changes things dramatically. And then there is, of course
the Caitlin Clarks effect. But how important is it that
the rest of these incredibly talented women in the WNBA
are also getting their shine and getting their time and
the coverage that they deserve. And obviously the fact Katelyn

(29:11):
Clark has had has been incredible, but we want that
to continue throughout the league.

Speaker 10 (29:16):
Oh my god, I can't say enough about this. So
one example I'll you is like in Chicago, right back
when the Sky won the twenty twenty one championship, there
was a lot of attention. Rightfully, so on Candace Parker.
She comes home these these everything she touches turns to gold.
When Candace Parker enters a room, enters an organization, it

(29:38):
just blows up. It's really remarkable to see the touch
that Candace Parker has on anything she's a part of.
But in her joining the Sky, it brought eyes to
all these other players again, and we had been covering them,
but it brought eyes and attention to all these other
players that had been there, that had been putting in
the work, that had been building the Sky to a

(29:59):
point that even warranted a player like Candice Parker to
come home and sign with the Sky. Two of them specifically,
I'm talking about our Courtney vander Slut and Ali Quigley.
So anyways, my point is Kayln Clark might bring these
eyes and attention to the w ones that have not
been there before, but once they're there, they're going to

(30:20):
be drawn to all of these other names, all these
other talents that have existed and built the lead to
a point where Kayln Clark can even enter it and
have so much power and to be put in a
position to have so much success right like this. One
conversation that's going on right now that is so hilarious
to me is that somehow Diana Tarassi has been dubbed

(30:42):
a hater of Kaitlin Clark, and it's like, if anybody
knows Diana t Rossi, SE's one of the toughest competitors
that exists anywhere in the world. If you think Diana
Tarassi's waiting for Kaitlin Clark with flowers on the basketball court,
please sit down, okay, like you want to. She wants
to go at it with this young woman, and that

(31:03):
doesn't take away from the game. That in fact adds
to it.

Speaker 9 (31:05):
So let's enjoy it now.

Speaker 2 (31:07):
That was so much of the discourse too with Kaitlyn
Clark and Angel Reese in college, where they're like, oh,
you know, they hate each other because they're chirping back
and forth. I'm like, when have you ever thought that
two men hate each other because they're chirping back and
forth on the court or on the field or wherever.
Women are just as big a competitors as men are.
Diana Tarassi doesn't want Kitlyn Clark coming for all of

(31:27):
her records.

Speaker 5 (31:28):
Are you kidding?

Speaker 2 (31:29):
This is very elementary sportsmanship, and I really appreciate that
we're seeing it level off because I think that that
is a indication of the fact that we're making some progress.
And I want to know how close we are, because
there's another fun social media thing going around about people
finding out how much Kitlyn Clark is about to make

(31:50):
in her WNBA first contract, and it's peanuts compared to
what we're used to professional athletes getting paid. We hear
that the commissioner of the WNBA is now going to
try to fight for more money in these media rights deals.
How close are we to seeing the revenue kind of
start matching the product and these women start getting paid

(32:10):
a little bit more of what they're worth.

Speaker 10 (32:13):
Yeah, So that media rights steal is going to play
a huge, huge role in it, right Because the collective
Bargaining Agreement that the WNBA signed was ratified in twenty
twenty I believe, and extends through twenty twenty six. But
the players can opt out at the end of this year.
So if they do when they do, essentially because it's

(32:34):
assumed that they will, that meteor rights deal that they
negotiate for is going to have a huge impact on
their salaries. I mean, as we saw the historic deal
that was executed at the collegiate level was significant, and
the commissioner spoke about, you know, she's looking to at
least double and when I say at least, I tweeted

(32:56):
about this because yes, at the very very very least,
like that's just the jumping off point. You should not
sign anything that's only double of what the media rights
deal is now. But it's it's it's going to play
a significant role. But the other thing we need to
talk about here is is the investment outside of just
the media rights deal. Right, we know that the NBA

(33:19):
is a lucrative business because of all the eyes on
the NBA. Well why aren't all those eyes on the NBA,
major corporations, major companies partner with the NBA. Why does
that happen? We'll look at all the investment, look at
look at all the media investment from from local to
national that gets put into men's sports leagues. It doesn't

(33:40):
even stop at the NBA, right, It's it's all of
these men's sports leagues. And of course they've existed for
a long time, longer than our women's sports leagues have.
There's a reason for that title. NIND shout out you guys,
put us on the map, and we have a lot
of time to make up. But now that we see
finally people's eyes are open to the lucrative product that

(34:01):
is the WNBA and women's sports. It's time to show
up in a meaningful way, even if you know we're
not ESPN, even if we're not these major corporations, because again,
it goes back to that first point I was making.
This is an entertaining product. It's just good business to
show up and cover these teams.

Speaker 2 (34:17):
Annie, I'm so excited for you too, because the Chicago
skuy made some moves in the draft. They got not
only Angel Reese, but Camilla Cardozo, who was so instrumental
in South Carolina's undefeated season winning the championship.

Speaker 5 (34:29):
We got some big girls.

Speaker 2 (34:30):
We've got some size on the sky now, and I
am so excited to see what they end up doing,
how you end up covering it.

Speaker 5 (34:38):
I cannot thank you enough for coming on. Annie.

Speaker 2 (34:40):
Tell everybody where they can find you and where they
can follow along on your wonderful coverage.

Speaker 10 (34:44):
Yeah, you guys can subscribe at the Chicago Sun Times.
Don't be alarmed. I know it may seem like that
comes with some costs or something that's completely free. Login subscribe,
give us your email, and that's all you have to
do to read all of our coverage. And then for me,
you guys can follow me Annie Costa on all social
media platforms. I'm on TikTok two guys.

Speaker 5 (35:03):
Yeah, I love a TikTok queen.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
Okay, Annie, thank you so much, guys.

Speaker 5 (35:12):
Okay, And with that we are. We will have some more.

Speaker 2 (35:18):
NFL conversations when we come back, and some NBA.

Speaker 5 (35:21):
Superlatives as well.

Speaker 2 (35:23):
To switch back over to the men's game, join us,
stay right here, see you in a little bit. Oh
my god, just what I think the nineties are so bad?

Speaker 5 (35:34):
Guys.

Speaker 2 (35:36):
Hey, I'm Carmen Vitally. We're broadcasting live from thee tirec
dot Com studios for Fox Sports Saturday. I am joined
by Tracy Sandler because Alex Curry is out today. Before
we get to more NBA's perlatives, before we get to
the NFL Draft.

Speaker 5 (35:53):
We have some dues or don'ts on deck for you.

Speaker 1 (36:01):
Highlighting the dues that putting a spotlight on the don't.

Speaker 6 (36:05):
The subject brings me.

Speaker 1 (36:06):
No joy on crack, It's time for the dues and
the don'ts in sports.

Speaker 5 (36:13):
We got there, We got there, Chris. We love it
all right. I've got a don't.

Speaker 2 (36:18):
Just start out with don't mess with Jimmy Butler. Kelly
you Bray Junior landed on Jimmy Butler's leg in the
Heat sixers game, which forced Butler finished the game, but
it forced him to miss the Heat's play in game
verst the Bulls. Spoiler alert, they still won, much to
my sgrin.

Speaker 5 (36:36):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (36:37):
But Butler commented on the Heat's Instagram post announcing his
injury by tagging Kelly literally added him and said, we
throw in hands, and I'm like, I love this first
of all, because obviously Jimmy's frustrated. He's going to be
out for a few weeks and he's going to miss
this first series.

Speaker 5 (36:55):
Uh. And I just love the fact that he was
not getting shy away from it. He just added.

Speaker 2 (37:00):
Kelly was like, you know what, screw you, dude. I'm
really mad and you you cost like my team probably
one of its best players. So I I don't know.
I love Jimmy Butler from the time in Chicago.

Speaker 5 (37:10):
He'll always be a bole to me.

Speaker 2 (37:12):
I know that that's, you know, not the nobody else
thinks of him that way.

Speaker 5 (37:16):
But that's okay, we you.

Speaker 4 (37:17):
Do, and that's all the matter Himmy Butler, Jimmy Butler.
I like that Ebo once called Garoppolo himmy g himmy Garoppolo.

Speaker 5 (37:25):
I loved all the hemmi puns.

Speaker 3 (37:26):
All the hemmy puns are great.

Speaker 5 (37:28):
What do you have? I think you're a little bit
more positive.

Speaker 3 (37:30):
Than I'm a little more positive minor bold dues.

Speaker 4 (37:33):
So I'll start with my first du Both of my
dues are around two of my favorite NFL dads that
are just so dads.

Speaker 3 (37:41):
And everything about them.

Speaker 4 (37:42):
So I'm going to start with Kirk Cousins, who tweeted
the other day that that didn't take long about three
weeks in and one of his teammates turned him at
lunch and said, you give off so many dad vibes,
and my thing with that is be.

Speaker 5 (37:56):
You do be you be me.

Speaker 2 (37:58):
Well, I not know that coming in like her, Cousins
literally has like a coal sponsorship, but this exactly did
you not know that?

Speaker 5 (38:04):
He's like the ultimate dad?

Speaker 4 (38:05):
But I love I love the idea of him just
sitting in the falcons the cafeteria eating his lunch and
then he's.

Speaker 3 (38:12):
Like, you, dude, you're just such a dad, and I
love it.

Speaker 4 (38:15):
So one of the things I love about Kirk Cousins
is that he's just so unapologetically himself and he embraces
it and I love that.

Speaker 3 (38:24):
So that's my first doo.

Speaker 2 (38:26):
Okay, well I have another do and this actually doesn't
have to do with sports, but there were a couple
of people that commented on it, like celebrities and athletes
and stuff like that, do live up to your character.
And you might think that that stiguratively. I'm taking it
quite literally because I'm a huge Law and Order Rescue
you fan. Mriska Harjte, who plays Detective Benson on the show.

Speaker 5 (38:51):
She was filming in New.

Speaker 2 (38:52):
York and a little girl was literally lost in Central
Park as they were filming, and came up to her
thinking that she was a real and she helped her
find her mother, and I'm like, oh my god, this
is exactly what Detective Benson would do.

Speaker 5 (39:07):
It was the coolest thing.

Speaker 2 (39:09):
And he's been on forever and ever and ever. I
mean I binged it in high school. So this was
just one of the things that everybody got in on.
I mean, it was plastered on Sony people socials. It's
just it's one of those like the universe just kind
of comes together and wraps everything up in like a
feel good little bow. And I thought that was great,
So yeah, I love that a little bit of a
little loop.

Speaker 3 (39:28):
But my last do is do be a man of
your word.

Speaker 4 (39:31):
And of course this will be my favorite one to
talk about is Jim Harvaugh back in Ann Arbor this
weekend for the National Championship ring ceremony and the spring game.
And he had said before the season started, if Michigan
won a national championship, he would get a tattoo, and
he got one before the spring game as an M fifteen,
and Oho, the man was getting his tattooed and said,

(39:53):
I'm impervious to pain. Talk about somebody who was going
to always be himself but such a man of his word.
It was epic. And then he was like, I and
see how person would want more of these? And now
I just love the idea he is Jim Harbaugh with
the tattoo sleeve.

Speaker 2 (40:05):
That video of him, because and it's does such a
good job of just like zooming in on his face
while he's just staring like blankly into the camera like
as the tattoo orters is literally like drawing on his skin,
and he's like and I think he even like raised
his eyebrows like gave this little grin like when he
looked at it. I just I really enjoy that, like
at a party somewhere. Jim Harbaugh is just gonna bust

(40:26):
at what.

Speaker 3 (40:27):
I got for the rest of it.

Speaker 5 (40:28):
But hey, we're going to join you for hour two.

Speaker 2 (40:31):
We'll be right back. Welcome back to Fox Sports Saturday.
I'm Carmon Vitally. I am in hosting for Alex Curry.
She is out and I have enlisted Tracy Sandler to
join me.

Speaker 5 (40:45):
For today's show. This is our two.

Speaker 2 (40:49):
We're broadcasting live from the Tirec dot com studios. Tire
iraq dot com will help you get there an unmatched selection,
fast free shipping, Free road has their protection in over
ten thousand recommended installers. Tirec dot com. The way it's
hire buying should be all right. We heard it in
the update. We're right at the start of the NBA playoffs,

(41:11):
but I want to take a little bit of a
look look see back on what's on what's happened this season.
More specifically, I want to talk a little bit about
NBA MVP because I think the field for contenders is
a pretty good one, and it's it's a really balanced

(41:31):
and even one to.

Speaker 5 (41:33):
I still at the end of the day, I think
Nikola Jokic is probably the guy.

Speaker 3 (41:37):
Yeah, I would agree with that.

Speaker 2 (41:38):
But at the same time, you have Yanni's attemp to Kempo,
you have Jason Tatum, Luca Danciach and the Edwards, Shay Gildess, Alexander.
I mean, especially with the relatively surprised success of the
Oklahoma City Thunder. I mean not that they were successful,
but that they pushed for the one seed and they

(41:58):
were really good down the stretch, and Shay Shay had
so much to do with that.

Speaker 5 (42:06):
I just it's so close for me.

Speaker 2 (42:09):
But when you look at Nikola or Nikola Jokic and
you look at what he means to the Denver Nuggets,
who are so dominant, you know they're coming right back
into the NBA playoffs, seemingly not taking a step back
in their title defense, and Yokic is leading the way.

(42:29):
He missed out on the MVP last year. Controversially, I
feel like Joel embiid gets the gets the award last year.
He was MVP twenty twenty one, twenty twenty two, finished
runner up to Joel embid last year. I mean, the
Nuggets are I found the stat from Yeah who Sports.

(42:51):
The Nuggets are a sixty nine win team when Nikola
is on the floor. Yokic is on the floor, they're
a seventeen win team when he's not. It's that differential
is twice that of anybody else that we just mentioned
or that I just mentioned.

Speaker 5 (43:04):
And not only that, but Yokic has been available.

Speaker 2 (43:07):
He has played more games than everybody else except for
Anthony Edwards on that list too, So like he is
omnipresent for the Denver Nuggets, who are one of the
most dominant teams in the league.

Speaker 5 (43:21):
I just I have to think that it goes Yokic's way.

Speaker 4 (43:26):
Again, I think it does too, because when I look
at MVP, I say, what does he do for the team?
When you say the difference in wins when he's on
the court when he's not, it's kind of not to
be dramatic, but it's staggering. It's a tremendous difference. And
what does he do to the players around him? And
does he make the team better? And I think he
fits all of those categories, So I don't know how

(43:47):
he doesn't get it. Everybody else you mentioned is so
deserving and I am like a low key Lucastan, Like
I love Luka just kind of he's so relatable, he
really is.

Speaker 5 (43:57):
I just like the way that he just wants to
go out.

Speaker 2 (43:59):
And I mean Jokics too, though both of them are
just like I just want to play basketball.

Speaker 5 (44:03):
I don't really care about anything else.

Speaker 4 (44:04):
And I was in Dallas, but I spent a fair
amount of time in Dallas for a while, and I
was like, this is this is my favorite athlete. And
I'm a Dak person too, but this was Luca kind
of overtook. Is my favorite Dallas athlete. Now it's Corey Seeger.
But I'm getting off topic. The point is I agree
with you. I think it is totally jokicet win and
also be so fun to parade. And I know that

(44:24):
doesn't go into it, but it should. Yes, but the
difference he makes for the team, the difference he makes
for the league, and they are dominant, and part of
the reason they're dominant is because he's dominant and he
makes everyone around him more dominant. And I think that's
the thing when I look at like Michael Jordan, did
he make everyone around him better? Yes, he did, And
I think that's what we're looking at here and he
just he has a tremendous impact and those numbers are staggering.

(44:46):
I mean, that's that is a tremendous differential. So I
don't know how this year it doesn't go to him.

Speaker 2 (44:54):
It's interesting too, because you have to like, Giannis is
probably the best all around player on this list because
of how good of a defender he is. But you
hit the nail on the head talking about what Yokic
means to the Nuggets, who are one of the teams
to be in the NBA and have been for multiple
years now. And that's what I think is missing in

(45:16):
the Yannis debate is like what he does when he's
on the floor, for like, I just I don't think
that necessarily it's as big of an impact. And that
is not to say that I like I love Yannis too,
especially like you talk about how great Yokic is parades
like Yannis in commercials is just is the.

Speaker 5 (45:35):
Best things it into Seriously.

Speaker 2 (45:39):
I mean, he's in an ad for like a website.

Speaker 5 (45:43):
I don't like when you can build your own website.

Speaker 2 (45:45):
I forget which one it is, honestly, because that's I
don't I literally just pay attention to be honest in it.
But I'm like, it's a fun commercial because Yannis is
in it and it's like a really not fun topic
or it's just a very bland thing and he just
makes it really fun. But again, I just I think
that jokicic just means means more. H I do want

(46:05):
to talk a little bit more though about Shay. Yeah,
about kills Alexander.

Speaker 5 (46:09):
Because he's such a fun one.

Speaker 2 (46:10):
I don't he averaged thirty point one points this year
coming off of a season last year where he is
you know, it's the second All Star appearance this year.
Last year thirty one point four points per game. But
he's now shooting a career high fifty three point five percent,
and I just now it seems like we see like

(46:33):
he's like a budding superstar that even though he had
all these awards last year, it seemingly came out of nowhere.

Speaker 5 (46:39):
Especially like much like the Thunder, Much like the Thunder.

Speaker 2 (46:43):
And I think that's it's it's fun to see fresh
faces and you see these guys being kind of we're
talking about the field of MVP play for the NBA
right now, and it is different names. I mean, yeah,
Dancie's is still on there, you know, obviously Jokic and Yannis,
but like you see some of these other guys kind
of slipping in there, and I appreciate that. Out of

(47:04):
out of the NBA in general.

Speaker 4 (47:05):
Well, I think with Shay, which will be kind of
fun to see, is where does he fall in the
MVP voting because I don't know that he's going to
win it this year.

Speaker 5 (47:12):
I think it was a fifth last year too, So.

Speaker 4 (47:13):
I'll be interested to see where he falls this year
because I think how he played down the stretch, how
the Thunder played, how the Thunder played because of how
he played, will make a difference. And so it'll be
kind of interesting to see because he may be the
MVP of the future. He maybe next year he could,
he could sneak either this type. I just think it's
it's probably not going to be him, but I'm curious
to see kind of where he falls in his voting

(47:34):
because I think it will give us a little bit
of an indication of where he's going to fall in
the future.

Speaker 2 (47:39):
Yeah, that's like, that's kind of what I'm talking about here,
where it's it's interesting to see he's you know, coming
into his own and now we're going to This is
like the butting of someone who is going.

Speaker 5 (47:49):
To be a household name.

Speaker 2 (47:51):
I feel like in the next couple of years, as
as we continue these conversations for who means what to
what team? Uh and these NBA superstars, and then you
have a guy like Jason Tatum, who I think is going
weirdly overlooked even though the Celtics are just kind of
the perceived champions in the East.

Speaker 5 (48:10):
Like I no one we talked about it earlier.

Speaker 2 (48:13):
Everything is lining up for them to just kind of
steamroll their way into the NBA Championship because of the
fact that you know, Jimmy Butler's out for the heat,
and then because the fact that Giannis is dealing with
injury right now, it just seems like that path is cleared.
And Jason Tatum has been that dude in Boston and
Boston is that team. So why is is that not

(48:35):
more of a consideration. But I think that speaks more
to how good Yokic really isn't.

Speaker 5 (48:39):
What he means.

Speaker 4 (48:40):
I also think it speaks in hereat watch what I'm
about to do here for boy, I think I'm going
to compare the Celtics to South Carolina who just won
the women's tournament in which you have a very talented,
very balanced team, So one person doesn't necessarily get the
star power, yeah, as maybe some of these other teams do.
And I think that's the situation with the Celtics and

(49:01):
Jason Tatum.

Speaker 3 (49:02):
So there's that. That's what I did there.

Speaker 5 (49:04):
I like that.

Speaker 2 (49:05):
No, I like that because it so much of oh
my god, we can just draw all these comparisons now
to women's basketball, because Jokich is Caitlyn Clark at this point,
and but the Celtics are quietly dominating the entire conference,
whereas like South Carolina, especially in what was supposed to
be a down year for them, a rebuilding year, went out,

(49:27):
had a completely undefeated season.

Speaker 5 (49:29):
Don Staley gets her third championship, but.

Speaker 2 (49:31):
Like, all of the storylines are still about Kaitlyn.

Speaker 4 (49:35):
But I think I think that that's kind of that's
kind of the same situation that we're seeing here with
Jason Tatum.

Speaker 2 (49:41):
And yeah, no, I agree with that, especially when you look, yeah,
you just you look at how good the Celtics have been.

Speaker 5 (49:51):
I love that. I really really love that.

Speaker 2 (49:52):
We I'm these playoffs are going to be really interesting, though,
especially like in the West, the play inns were more
of the like there were so much drama, so.

Speaker 4 (50:03):
Much drama, But I think the playans were created for drama.
There's no reason to have a plan, but it creates
more drama and I think it helps the sport. But no,
they there was drama, but they they were built for
drama and they delivered.

Speaker 3 (50:15):
Good job, guys, I know.

Speaker 2 (50:17):
I that's that was the biggest thing where I wonder
if that can work elsewhere. I mean not necessarily even
just like the NBA or like into the NFL and
stuff like that, because the playoffs are already a one
and done so that's dramatic enough. But I feel like
for these series, you're starting to see more and more
of this because.

Speaker 3 (50:34):
They had it in baseball for a while.

Speaker 4 (50:35):
For a while, there was the there was a one
and done And I mean you had a couple of
years ago the Dodgers and the Giants and the two
best records in the league, and the Dodgers are in
a one and done game against the Cardinals. They pulled
it out and it was extremely exciting, but they had
the second best record league by like one game, and
had they lost that game, that was it for them
that was dramatic, But then I think people felt maybe
like it was too dramatic.

Speaker 2 (50:56):
I know, I know, but there hasn't been again, there's
hasn't been as much drama when it comes to the
East at least, and then the West. Now, I mean,
there was that like who's going to get the It
was there's three way tie at the end of the
season going into who was going to be the first seed?
And I mean, I I just I really appreciate that

(51:18):
there was no sophomore slump for the Nuggets, even if
they ended up as the number two seed. But now
they get the Lakers, and it's going to be more
competitive than I think it was in the second round
last year.

Speaker 5 (51:31):
But I just see.

Speaker 2 (51:34):
Nikola Jokic being that guy that's going to keep the
team together as much as he can and really propel
them forward into like the West, which is objectively more
competitive than the East is. But I just I think
that that has to mean that he is MVP this year.

Speaker 4 (51:54):
I would think so. I mean, he would get my
vote if I were voting. I'm not, but he would
get he would get my vote for the.

Speaker 2 (52:00):
Reasons, well, if we were voting, how like parade behavior would.

Speaker 4 (52:03):
Also Actually I take a of fire voting. I'd probably
vote Luca because I'd vote with my heart. And that's
why I'm not voting. That's why no one's having to
me vote for mbat well I.

Speaker 5 (52:12):
Think they should.

Speaker 2 (52:14):
We are going to get to some NFL Draft conversation
coming up next, because that is just mere days away. Finally,
I feel like it's so slow and then all of
a sudden, it's here when we come back. Did you
do this because this is in my Twitter bio? Say again,
did you just because it's in my Twitter bio? I
have no clue what was in your Twitter bio? So

(52:36):
this is so funny, Chris, this is on my wall.
This is my like permanent rotation. This is the first
thing in my Twitter bio says the x's and o's
they haunt me. But it's like x's and o's like football.

Speaker 6 (52:46):
Yeah, Oh that's clever. I like that.

Speaker 3 (52:48):
Yeah, we notice that. That's so clever.

Speaker 2 (52:51):
I love it when a plan comes together. We are
broadcasting live from the Tirec dot Com studios at his
Fox Sports Saturday. I'm Carmen Vitally and it Tracy Sandler,
Alex Curry is off today.

Speaker 5 (53:03):
We're having a great time.

Speaker 4 (53:05):
Shortly after the show, our podcast will be going up.
If you missed any of today's show, be sure to
check out the podcast. Just search Fox Sports Radio wherever
you get your podcasts, and be sure to follow, rate
and review again. Just search Fox Sports Radio wherever you
get your podcasts, and you'll see this show posted right
after we get off the air.

Speaker 2 (53:25):
Thanks to our wonderful producers, that will be be up.
That will be up, and it'll be on my social.

Speaker 5 (53:31):
I'm sure Tracy is going to put.

Speaker 2 (53:34):
It up on her social, Oh for sure. Okay, we're
you know, we're We're all about the social this. We're
social Gurlees, We're social creamer.

Speaker 3 (53:41):
We are.

Speaker 2 (53:43):
We are going to get to some more NFL talk
because finally we're.

Speaker 3 (53:47):
Draft gurlies too.

Speaker 5 (53:49):
The NFL Draft is here too. I cannot wait.

Speaker 2 (53:52):
It's they're so the the mock draft cycle has just
taken on a life of its own. Feel like every
year it just gets more and more robust, I guess,
but like saturated too. I always tell the story I
tried to tell my mom, or explained to my mom
what a mock draft was. She's not into sports. She's

(54:13):
not really into football, and she was like, so you
just guess basically yeah, and people read that yeah and.

Speaker 4 (54:23):
Argue about it and get really mad at it, right,
really mad, right, And she was like, huh okay, And.

Speaker 2 (54:30):
I'm like, you know, you know what, when you kind
of take a step back and you look at this,
it's but I am so glad that we are now
finally we're almost past the prognostication and we are getting
to what's actually going to happen. In order to determine though,
what is going to actually happen, there is this is
this draft is gonna be a weird one, man. I
just I feel it, and I it's going to have

(54:50):
everything to do with the quarterbacks. And it's not only
how many quarterbacks I think go in the top ten
or even the top five, but when they go and
who goes is going to determine so many things for
different teams.

Speaker 5 (55:09):
I cover the NFC North for Fox Sports.

Speaker 2 (55:12):
That's my day job, and the Vikings are probably one
of the most interesting teams in this draft because they
don't have control right over They don't have control over
their draft, their draft class. Despite the fact they have
two first round picks. They're one of three teams that
has two first round picks. They're the only team of
those three that needs a quarterback. And even so, Kevin

(55:34):
O'Connell was giving this like talk at a I believe
it was.

Speaker 5 (55:39):
Like a parish in Minnesota.

Speaker 3 (55:42):
I forget all football teams, all.

Speaker 2 (55:44):
Great football coaches, but it was a huge congregation, right,
And he was asked about the difference, like the very
specific differences between J. J. McCarthy and Drake may as
quarterback prospects and what they can do in YadA YadA, YadA,
and like what their strategy. And Kevin O'Connell was like, well,
you know, we also need some teams to be complicit

(56:04):
with the Minnesota Ikings getting a quarterback.

Speaker 5 (56:07):
Actually, we just need one of.

Speaker 2 (56:08):
Those teams to be complicit in getting a quarterback. And
he's like, I may or may not have sent a
bouquet of flowers to Robert Kraft because so much hinges
on that third spot with the Patriots. Are they self
aware enough to trade down and get a haul and
kind of accelerate their rebuild or are they going to
take advantage of being in the third overall spot with
a good quarterback class.

Speaker 5 (56:28):
I see both sides.

Speaker 2 (56:29):
I'm team Hall, but then trading up into the third
spot is also only worth it if your guy is there,
and who is Washington gonna take. They went so far
as to bring in all of these guys at once, which.

Speaker 4 (56:44):
Is something Adam Peters took from the forty nine ers. Yes,
so I just want to say that it became a
big deal because it was quarterbacks, because it's Adam Peters
first year as the GM of the Commanders. But that
is something the forty nine ers have done, is they
bring prospects in to see how they interact with each other.

Speaker 2 (57:01):
I think it's so interesting though, doing that with quarterbacks
who are so used to you know, they're the ones
in charge there, they're like And rumors are coming out
now that Jaden Daniels was not pleased with that process
or his agents were, even though his agents came and said, no,
this fake news.

Speaker 5 (57:18):
We don't care, YadA, YadA, YadA.

Speaker 2 (57:20):
But I have to think where there's smoke, there's fire,
because there's been more smoke now about Jadeen Daniels wanting
to go to specific places, and one of those places is.

Speaker 5 (57:32):
The Minnesota Vikings.

Speaker 2 (57:33):
And so now you're kind of shifting where everybody thought
it was Drake May, and then I was like, Okay, well,
if they can't get Drake May, they can get J. J.

Speaker 5 (57:40):
McCarthy, who I think would be great in Minnesota.

Speaker 4 (57:42):
Quite honestly, that is I think. I don't know anybody
who follows me knows that's what I want for JJ.
I want JJ to go to the Minnesota Vikings.

Speaker 2 (57:50):
You've got a ton of talent on the offensive side
of the ball. You have Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, t J. Hockinson.
You have a good offensive line, although some of the
interior guys are you know, you can get a little
better in there. You have a defense that can win
you games. And you have a bridge starter in Sam
Darnold that you do not have to be the guy
right and Kevin McConnell and Josh McCown.

Speaker 4 (58:10):
Yeah, you've got a quarterbacks and I think and I
love JJ McCarthy, I am. I think it's been made
clear what a michiganmpanion and I absolutely absolutely love JJ McCarthy,
but I think it would be who JJ McCarthy to
go into a situation where he didn't have to come
in day one and save the franchise. He can come
in probably mid season, I think, depending how things are going,

(58:31):
even if it was a full season, I think that
would be the best thing for him. I actually think
that's one of the best things for all Ricky quarterbacks.

Speaker 5 (58:36):
Like CJ.

Speaker 4 (58:36):
Stroud is an anomaly, but he also came into a
decent situation.

Speaker 3 (58:40):
But I think it's a great thing for all Ricky quarterbacks.

Speaker 4 (58:42):
I think for him to have to go to the commanders,
for anyone to go to the commanders and be like, well,
good luck, save the franchise is a lot.

Speaker 3 (58:49):
But this smoke coming out, I don't know.

Speaker 4 (58:52):
I've never really thought JJ was going to the commanders,
though I still think it's going to be Jaden Daniels.

Speaker 3 (58:57):
But I don't know everything it orge or way.

Speaker 4 (59:01):
But then I still think you end up with potentially
getting JJ to Minnesota. I don't know, it's going to
be very interesting, but it is the amount of quarterbacks
where they go, what do you decide to do? It'll
be interesting. And I do think that what the commanders
did perhaps did throw a wrinkle into the process. I mean,
the commanders may have had an idea, maybe it really

(59:22):
did throw a wrinkle in the process. Maybe that really
was their way of deciding who they want because it
says a lot. And if you are a guy who
thinks they're the guy and can come in and still
interact well with your competition, so to speak, it says
a lot about you and what you can do in
an organization.

Speaker 2 (59:38):
Yeah, and I think there's a competition factor to that,
and I really think that you can learn a lot
about a guy's character and personality from that. But at
the same time, like I want my quarterback to be cocky.
I want my quarterback to come in and be like,
why is everybody else here?

Speaker 5 (59:51):
I'm the dude. That's one of those.

Speaker 2 (59:53):
Positions where like you need like too much confidence doesn't
exactly exist, especially if you can obviously, if you can
back it up.

Speaker 3 (01:00:00):
If you can back it up, if you can.

Speaker 5 (01:00:01):
Back it up, that's the big part here.

Speaker 2 (01:00:03):
But it will be very interesting to see, all right,
say Drake may does go well, then do you really
push to get to that third spot with the Patriots
if you're the Vikings And if you do, does that
mean you're going up to get Jane Daniels or does
that mean can you afford to wait until maybe Arizona's
pick if your guy is j J. McCarthy and you

(01:00:24):
can let the command or the Patriots get Jade Daniels.
Everything has been so convoluted and now it's lying season two,
so like, I don't know that I buy a ton
of stock in Jane Daniels to the Vikings necessarily. But
something Kevin O'Connell said in that if you go back
and watch the video I tweeted it out about this
talk with this congregation.

Speaker 5 (01:00:45):
Something he said in that, like the clip was I
have had to He essentially alluded to having to veto
a couple of quarterback ideas or like he's been is
like the quarterback killer because he's finding certain flaws, or
he is not exactly on the same page with some

(01:01:06):
of these guys that even his staff has been. That's
kind of what it alluded to.

Speaker 2 (01:01:11):
And I was like, Okay, well, if there hasn't been
a lot of smoke with the Vikings and Jade and Daniels,
was this Kevin O'Connell's way of kind of saying, Yeah,
I'm not really in on Drake May, I'm not really
in on JJ McCarthy. I'm actually in on Jayden and
Daniels and like they went to Baton Rouge. They met
with Jadeen Daniels at LSU and like, hold all the

(01:01:31):
brasted So I'm like, oh, or is that them trying
to throw McCarthy. Yes, and then like met with Drake
May like they did all that too, but this late
in the game and for Kevin O'Connell to say, I
had to kind of fight off some quarterback ideas in
favor of what I want to do. And then the
last thing that they just did was go down to

(01:01:52):
Baton Rouge. That kind of I don't know. I don't
know how much to read into this. It's such it's
going come Thursday. It's just going to be an insane draft.

Speaker 5 (01:02:03):
It really is.

Speaker 2 (01:02:03):
And I we didn't even talk about how this could
matriculate into different positions because we could not see a
defensive player go in the top ten, in the top
fifteen even we may not.

Speaker 3 (01:02:13):
We may not.

Speaker 4 (01:02:14):
But going back to your question about then do you
put it all in to get to number three? The
reality is if you have your guy and it's the
guy you want.

Speaker 3 (01:02:24):
And he's there at three, you do it. But you
do not. And this is something I think the four
Nighters could tell you they learned you do not trade
up to.

Speaker 4 (01:02:30):
Three and not know the guy that you want and
then pick so and then or then design a couple
of days before. But I think that's really important. But yeah,
I think with the draft, especially with the team like
the Vikings for all the reasons that you mentioned, good
offensive line, justin Jefferson, Kevin O'Connell, Josh kan all the things,
good defense. They're in a win not win now but
kind of they're in a win now place. So they

(01:02:52):
don't need to be too cute. So if they have
their guy and they're like, he's there at three and
the Patriots are willing to deal and we want him
whoever him is.

Speaker 5 (01:03:00):
But it depends on the Patriots.

Speaker 3 (01:03:01):
That it depends on the Patriots.

Speaker 4 (01:03:02):
Depends that it takes that that's the thing, and then
if the Patriots takes someone else. But I don't think
if your guys, if your guys not there at four,
don't trade up everything at four just to get a quarterback.

Speaker 3 (01:03:14):
That's that's my feeling on that.

Speaker 2 (01:03:16):
That is we are going to talk a little bit
more about the offensive players that could go, and especially
the offensive line. Yes, because right after we go to
Kevin for an update.

Speaker 5 (01:03:33):
Break.

Speaker 8 (01:03:33):
Yeah, they're in the middle of the third quarter up
in Minneapolis with the Timberwolves leading the Phoenix Sun seventy
six two sixty eight.

Speaker 6 (01:03:41):
Kevin Durant doing all they can to keep Phoenix in
this game.

Speaker 8 (01:03:43):
Is He's got twenty eight points along with three rebounds
as well as the steal and the block. But it
is Phoenix down by eight as Carl Anthony Towns leading
the score sheet form Minnesota nineteen points.

Speaker 6 (01:03:56):
He's off five to nine.

Speaker 8 (01:03:57):
Shooting, also a perfect eight of eight from the free
throw line, six rebounds, four assists, as well as the
steel Carl Anthony Towns an outstanding games so far for Minnesota.
Rudy Gobert on the verge of a double double. He's
got nine points and eleven rebounds as they're approaching in
the five minute mark up there in the Twin Cities.
Earlier today, the Cavaliers smothering the Orlando Magic ninety seven

(01:04:19):
eighty three, holding Orlando to thirty two percent shooting, and
they also held them to just eight to thirty seven
from beyond the three point arc.

Speaker 6 (01:04:27):
Donovan Mitchell led the way for Cleveland with.

Speaker 8 (01:04:30):
Thirty points, also had himself three assists, three steals, and
Evan Mobley had the double doubles sixteen points, eleven rebounds
to go along with a couple of assists and three blocks.
Coming up later today in the NBA, about thirty minutes
or so from now, will be at Madison Square Garden
seventy six Ers and Knicks, first game of that best

(01:04:50):
of seven series. Lakers and Nuggets will get going at
eight thirty in Game one of that series. Now, the
Lakers have not beaten Denver in four hundred and ninety days,
so they're hoping to reverse to that trend that includes
that sweep in the Western Conference Finals last year. As
Lakers are trying to at least reverse that trend get

(01:05:13):
themselves on the victory board here in that series. In
Major League Baseball, we have had a few games go
final already. Marlins hold off the Cubs, they come from
behind the beach Chicago three to two at Wrigley Field.
Brewers will a blow out win against the Cardinals twelve
to five at Busch Stadium. Twins over the Tigers four
to three, and in extra innings. That's what it took
to get some scoring in this ballgame. With the Rays

(01:05:35):
outlast the Yankees in an outstanding Pitchers duel between Nestro
Cortes and Zach epflin Quartes nine strikeouts and seven innings,
Eppelin six strikeouts and in six innings. Other scores going
on right now Major League Baseball. The Dodgers and Mets.
New York has taken a two to one lead over
Los Angeles. There right now up to bat are the

(01:05:55):
Dodgers in the bottom of the fourth inning out in
Los Angeles, now over the Astros two to one. They're
in the top of the seventh inning in Washington, Red
sux Ley and the Pirates two to one. They're in
the top of the six and the Diamondbacks and Giants
all knotted up at three. They're in the bottom of
the fifth inning up in San Francisco.

Speaker 6 (01:06:13):
Back to you, ladies.

Speaker 5 (01:06:14):
That was Kevin Wyer, Thank you so much.

Speaker 2 (01:06:18):
We were talking about the NFL drafts, some offensive linemen.
It's a great tackle class. And to talk more about that,
we have a former Notre Dame offensive lineman, somebody that's
got the gift of gab, the host of the Gojo
and Golic podcast, Mike Golick Junior.

Speaker 5 (01:06:34):
How are you friend?

Speaker 9 (01:06:36):
I'm doing well. Appreciate you guys having me excited to
talk about some of this Grade eight top choice beef
we got coming out.

Speaker 5 (01:06:43):
Yeah, hell yeah, dude.

Speaker 2 (01:06:46):
We were talking mostly about the quarterbacks last segment, just
given the fact that how many are going to go
in the top ten top five, and how much depends
on not only how many go, but who goes and
when they go.

Speaker 5 (01:06:58):
But then when you look at the rest of the.

Speaker 2 (01:07:00):
Top ten, you see offensive need after offensive need after
offensive need. We could potentially not see an offense or
defensive player go in the top ten top fifteen, and
that is a testament to a the wide receiver class.
But be this tackle class man, I gotta I want
to break this down for the big guys.

Speaker 6 (01:07:21):
Who is your who is your?

Speaker 2 (01:07:23):
Who gets like the usdah choice stamp on h on
the Michael Junior Big board of offensive tackle beef.

Speaker 9 (01:07:32):
I know he's gonna say, yeah, exactly, listen like I
have to. Obviously, as you guys mentioned, admit my biases
up front. Yes, I am a former ore game offensive lineman.
My claim to fame as being a year older than
Zach Martin and thus I can claim to have taught
him everything he knows. You learn more about what not
to do by watching me than what to story for

(01:07:53):
another day.

Speaker 7 (01:07:54):
Though.

Speaker 9 (01:07:55):
All that is to say, like I do think Joe
Walt would be the first tackle off my board even
if that weren't the case, And I went in trying
to really go with the fine tooth comb over this situation,
because there's so much to like about this tackle class,
Like you said, carm but I think at the end
of the day, with Joe, it's twofold is one in
this day and age in the NFL, I really do
think you need to rely on pedigree guys that come

(01:08:17):
in technically more ready when you're picking this high in
the first round, because the premium on someone you can
plug in right away and have be effective in a
day and age where you just don't have as much
time on the field with these guys because of the
collective bargaining agreement. I think he checks that box well,
also having a ton of upside. We've heard plenty about how, hey,
this is a guy that made the switch from tight
end to tackle when he made the move from high
school to college. He's a guy that's twenty one going

(01:08:39):
on twenty two, so he's got a lot of time
to work with all these physical gifts, and so I
think he provides the best mix of immediate ability to
step onto a field and be effective, not be overwhelmed
by what you're going to see. In the NFL, they
were scheme multiple at Notre Dame, so we've got a
lot of looks at that. While also saying, hey, spending
a high pick on this, we've also got upside that
we can look forward to.

Speaker 4 (01:09:00):
Just because your bias doesn't mean you're wrong. I think
he is far and away the best tackle in the draft,
and they're certainly fantastic guys close behind him, but he's
he has been excellent. But let's talk about this wide
receiver class. This is one heck of a class. And
as we talked about the wide receivers, the quarterbacks have
a lot to do with the fact we may not see
a defensive player go in the top ten, top.

Speaker 3 (01:09:19):
Fifteen your team.

Speaker 4 (01:09:22):
The thing with these wide receivers are so different Romaana Dunze,
Marvin Harrison, Junior, Malik Neighbors. They're so different and they
bring so many different things. But which one of them?
For all the reasons you just talked about Joe alt
being ready. Which one of them do you think is
ready day one to be a game changer?

Speaker 9 (01:09:37):
So I actually think there's two right away that can
come in no matter where they end up, and be
in great position to succeed. And that would be Marvin
Harrison Junior, who'd be my first pick. He's everything that
we have talked about him being for the last two years.
I think this draft cycle, we honestly just got bored
and you have to play with some of the other
choice on the table. And I think it's happening in
a lot of positions as we had towards the draft,
by the way, like so you look at two, Olufushano

(01:10:00):
from Penn State's gonna be in the mix, and in
that I think a lot more than people would have thought. Yeah,
guy who probably would have been a top five pick
last year if he had come out in a less
crowded class, Rock Bowers the same way, and I think
for Marvin Harrison Junior, it's gonna be the same story
where hey, we're done overthinking this and you're gonna go
back to who can you trust the most to come
out there and be pro ready? And there is so
much Polish already on this guy's game. I would trust

(01:10:22):
him in a heartbeat. But then roma dundas not far
behind what they asked him to do in that Washington offense. Yeah,
maybe a little less over the middle of the field,
but the contested catches, the catch radius on him, him,
especially in the end zone. The body control that he
has at his size, it's like a basketball player. It's incredible,
And so I think you can come in and trust
him right away to elevate your team in those fifty

(01:10:44):
to fifty ball areas and be a real difference maker
up front. Well, think Nighbor's a great player. His speed
is tantalizing. He's as explosive as any receiver in this class.
But there might be some limitations either you know, size,
the slot, something like that, or just in general the
kind of scheme that you're gonna need because we haven't
seen him have to get off press coverage as much
as those other guys have to work in complex situations.

(01:11:05):
Because they just had so much speed on that deep
on that offense at LSU, and certainly a great quarterback
in Jade and Daniels. That took a lot of tension away.

Speaker 4 (01:11:13):
I something you just said, and maybe I'm just a
prisoner of the moment, Carmen.

Speaker 3 (01:11:17):
I'm interested in your thoughts on this too.

Speaker 4 (01:11:19):
Does it feel like in this draft more than any other,
we are overthinking and we are just born, and it's like, well,
we're just not there yet, so let's keep just rehashing
and relooking at things more than we normally do.

Speaker 9 (01:11:28):
I think so, And I mean I think this happens
a lot when we've got prospects that we have a
lot of tape on. Yeah, Like the draft is I
think most fun conversationally when you've got guys that are
incredibly talented but without a ton of reps under their belt,
and for everybody else, like the prime example to me
is always and certainly I want to separate what's happened
for him off the field since this and what we

(01:11:48):
were doing and exercising and trying to grade the prospect
is DeShawn Watson coming out in the same year as
Mitch Trubisky. Where we had seen Deshaun Watson perform at
a high level consistently during his time at Clemson, been
over a number of years, and Mitch had all this
great talent that we saw on basically a slash and
a season, and we got so much more hung up
on that the traits, not necessarily the tape, and I

(01:12:10):
think kind of learned a lesson there, and so I
think that applies to a lot of these guys in
this draft class where brock Bauer has been a name
for three years now, Marvin Harrison Junior, since he step
foot on Ohio States campus has been considered the best
receiver to come through there on and on down the list.
I think we've done that at nauseam this year.

Speaker 2 (01:12:25):
And I think it's interesting too to consider the COVID
factor to all of this, where some of these guys
are older and they've had more of a chance in
college and we've seen a lot more from them, where
I think you're talking a lot more about player floors
this draft than you are about player ceilings, because there's
just not as much, not as many guys that have
a question mark, like you were just talking about Mike, But.

Speaker 9 (01:12:47):
Go ahead, I think you've seen that well and I
think you saw like this might also be a little
bit of the brock Purty effect, where hey, oh, especially
at the most important position, the importance of a guy
with a high floor coming into these offenses that are
a little already made for the quarterback, a team that
might have more in place around that position and doesn't
need to them to come in and save the world.
And then you look around everywhere else and say, huh,

(01:13:08):
maybe we can apply that to more places. So I
think that combined which is also like an incredible amount
of talent in this group, makes it really really interesting
and a lot different. The COVID factor, also, Carmen, I
think applies to the evaluation process where we've seen a
number of these high profile guys decide we don't want
to play the game anymore. We don't want to do
your stuff at the combine, we don't need to do
stuff at the pro day because they saw pine'sool, because

(01:13:31):
they saw Jamar Chase. Guys that sat out entire seasons
didn't have to go through that process, and the scouting
world had to evolve a bit out of need during COVID,
And now I think a lot of high end process
are saying, why do I need to do this if
we all know you're still going to end up picking
me that.

Speaker 2 (01:13:45):
And I think the NIL and all of the transfer portal,
all these guys are businessmen too, and they realize if
time is money and their time is worth some things,
so they're not going to spend any doing.

Speaker 5 (01:13:54):
Anything they don't want to or need to do.

Speaker 2 (01:13:58):
But going back to talk about this tackle class and
how good it is, and then the reverse of this.
Every every reaction has a every action has an equal
opposite reaction, right whatever law that is the defensive side
of the ball.

Speaker 5 (01:14:11):
It's not as a defensive rich of a draft.

Speaker 2 (01:14:14):
But I think we're undervaluing a lot of these dtackles,
especially given today's NFL, where you have to be able
to push the pocket. Who is your beef on the
other side of the line that we should be looking
out for that could maybe sneak go a little higher,
sneak a little bit further up the draft boards.

Speaker 5 (01:14:33):
Then we're talking about.

Speaker 9 (01:14:34):
Yeah, I think Byron Murphy has been one of the
winners of the off season, the dtackle lot of Texas.
You know, it's interesting that it took I think him
going to the combine and seeing him run drills next
to all these other guys, seeing not only how we looked,
but how we moved to comparison one after the other.
It's why I said the combine still has utility for
some guys, because I do think that, combined with incredible

(01:14:56):
tape and a reputation that honestly probably should have had
him closer in this conver station before. Because you talk
to any of the coaches at Texas and as soon
as he stepped on campus, they said, hey, ninety and
bird Orange is different. I'm just telling you, like I
remember calling their games and he was a freshmen, and
they're like, this dude is just different. And you see
his ability to beat double teams, his low center of gravity,
the power that he plays with, how even as a

(01:15:16):
guy who's a little bit undersized by modern defensive tackle standards,
still takes on double teams effectively causes havoc in the backfield.
I think he is exactly what you talked about in
a day and age where we're going to see and
we have seen already.

Speaker 1 (01:15:29):
Right.

Speaker 9 (01:15:29):
The market reflects this and the veterans more value placed
on d tackle in a world where there's still a
lot of teams that want to go with lighter box looks,
that want to spread it out offensively, and so you
need guys that have free down utility. Not only his
run suffers out of these spread formations, but guys that
can stay on the field and third down and get
after it.

Speaker 5 (01:15:46):
Yeah, I love that.

Speaker 2 (01:15:47):
Well, Mike, I could talk to you about the draft
all day and back too, very often over over here.
But thank you so much for joining us today, and
we'll talk to you soon.

Speaker 5 (01:15:57):
Guys will be right back. And now we got edm going.

Speaker 2 (01:16:02):
Excellent job all afternoon, Chris, Thank you so much. Carving
vitally here Fox Sports Saturday, coming to you live from
tirec dot com Studios, joined by Tracy Sandler for these
last couple hours. Alex Curry was out today. We got
our feel good story of the week to talk about

(01:16:24):
and going back, so we talked to Annie Hospital from
the Chicago Sun Times, who covers the Chicago Sky and
has covered the WNBA and Chicago Sky for years now.
And finally the coverage and everything is starting to match
the product. Things outside of the game are kind of
starting to measure up.

Speaker 5 (01:16:41):
And that is not more true.

Speaker 2 (01:16:44):
Than Caitlin Clark, who is reportedly in the works to
sign a shoe deal with Nike worth at least eight
figures or well into eight figures, I believe, is what
sham Sharania was reporting on the Up and Adam Show
are friend Kay Adams. The shoe deal is well north
of twenty million dollars, is what he said. How far

(01:17:06):
beyond that he doesn't know, but it's well north of
twenty million dollars. The thing about this too, was there
was a bidding war for Kaitlyn Clark.

Speaker 5 (01:17:14):
It wasn't just Nike.

Speaker 2 (01:17:15):
It was And what makes so much sense too is
we talk so much about how Kitlin Clark has modeled
her game after Steph Curry and has actually been able
to apply that to the women's game along with her
own personal touches. And Steph Curry is an under rummer guy,
and under Armer pitched Caitlin really heavy, so much so

(01:17:36):
that they had Steph Curry FaceTime into the meeting to
try and get Kaitlyn Clark. This is finally you're seeing
these very rich endorsement deals for these WNBA athletes, And
while that doesn't have a direct impact on how much
the league itself, makes you think about the visibility that

(01:17:59):
these women players are going to get, which should translate
eyes to the women's game, which then does have an
impact on revenue, streams, media rights deals, all that fun stuff.
We were talking to Annie about earlier, and this is just,
you know, another step in the right direction.

Speaker 5 (01:18:16):
I love it. I love it so much.

Speaker 3 (01:18:17):
Oh, it's fantastic.

Speaker 4 (01:18:18):
And she's probably it's reportedly she's gonna have a signature shoe.
And so that shoe does well and you've got people
wearing that shoe all over the place, then other w
NBA athletes are going to have these kind of deals.
It's a trickle down effect and it's going to be amazing.
I am for sure buying a Caitlin Clark signature shoe
if it, if it all comes a fruition, if I
can get it, where do I is there? I need

(01:18:39):
someone to send me a link to us.

Speaker 5 (01:18:41):
I know who's got I need a plug. I don't
have a sneaker plug.

Speaker 2 (01:18:43):
Like I'm trying death really to be a sneaker person,
and I just don't have the plug. And there's so
many of these shoes. You have to have a plug.
You can't just like you can just going on a
Nike dot com and get one.

Speaker 4 (01:18:55):
But I love the idea, I mean, I just love
the idea of young girls budding WNBA stars being like
coming home and saying I've got to get the Kitlin
Clark shop, that is just that just brings a smle up.

Speaker 2 (01:19:09):
I mean, you see celebrities wearing her jersey. Even now
you see other basketball like NBA players wearing Kaitlin Clark jerseys.
This is opening the door in so many ways as
Kitlin Clark has done just for the women's game in general,
you see that she's now affecting the bottom line, which
I think is what is actually going to grow this sport,
because that's it all comes down in money.

Speaker 3 (01:19:30):
It's business.

Speaker 5 (01:19:31):
It's it's a.

Speaker 2 (01:19:32):
Business, and if you can prove that the WNBA is
a viable business, that you know, this is a viable
model to invest in, which it always has been, but
now you're actually getting the eyes that it deserves. You're
breaking all these viewership records all the way down to
the NCAA level with the nil and all that kind
of stuff. We're going to see athletes really have a
lot more power to bring these brands along. But I

(01:19:56):
want to thank you Tracy for bringing me along because
this is my first time hosting with Alex Gon and
you were a wonderful partner in crime guys at Chris Purfet,
Bo Benson, Kevin Wyre.

Speaker 5 (01:20:08):
Thank you guys so much. This was awesome.

Speaker 2 (01:20:11):
We are going to see I'll see you again next
Saturday alongside Alex Curry.

Speaker 5 (01:20:15):
Thank you guys so much for joining us. You have
a great Saturday.

Speaker 3 (01:20:18):
Thanks Sports Radio