03/06/2021 - FOX Sports Saturday with Steve Hartman and Geoff Schwartz - Fox Sports Radio

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Yes, living the dream
once again on a fabulous Saturday. It is Hartmann and
Shorts and we are broadcasting live from the Farmers Insurance
Fox Sports Radio Studios. Called one eight eight Farmers to switch.
You could say big on your auto insurance. Really the
best thing you can do with your phone in just
a few minutes. Called one eighty eight Farmers and start

(00:24):
saving today. We are farmers all right, Well reunited on
this Saturday. Jeff, it's uh. We missed you last week.
I know you and your beautiful bride decided to take
a little trip last weekend. We did, and Um she
needed far more than I did. She is a nurse.

(00:46):
Um she um has been working basically since May through
the pandemic. Our clinics have been open um and then
she went to They wrote to her back to the
hospital a little bit for six weeks, and in the
early part of of this year when in North Carolina
where I live, things got that she didn't need help.
So she needed a break very badly. And we're able

(01:07):
to take that break. And I didn't miss talking to you.
I very much enjoyed doing this and talking talking ball.
It's my favorite thing to do in the world. But
we had a relaxing time and I'm glad to be back,
and there's there's never a moment where the NFL like
I was on vacation and J. J. Watt goes with
the Cardinals and my editors at Fox Sports wonderful editors, like, hey,

(01:27):
can you write something? I'm like, you know what, Yes,
I can, because it's just like, how can I miss
out on talking about J. J. Watt signing with a
team no one expected to sign with. Well, and and
by the way, that that that's a little story we
we always taught before the show. We didn't even bring
this up. So remember there was this thing about this peloton.
I didn't understand this. So apparently he had a bio.

(01:49):
I didn't realize if you get a peloton, you have
a bio. And that was not you do have a bio.
I have a biolright, So the story was his peloton bio.
Peloton bio gave some cryptic message that said SB fifty six,
which is next year's Super Bowl, and it had green Bay,
it had Buffalo and Cleveland right abbreviations for those three.

(02:12):
So everyone's like, wow, green Bay, Buffalo, Cleveland. They all
make sense. I mean those are three playoff teams, Green Bay,
Buffalo were one step away from the super Bowl. And
then he came out and he goes, I don't even
own a bike, and the next thing we know, he
agrees to his deal with the Arizona Cards. All right,
so what can you tell us about this? Because you

(02:34):
know how it is right now where you get a
guy like J. J. Watt, future first ballot Hall of Famer,
he's out on the open market. Everyone's trying to get
the inside and where this is going. How did this
peloton thing come about? The peloton thing was nothing. Someone
just made a profile or twister profile picture to what
I I wrote the peloton again today like this morning,

(02:54):
and it wants to follow me. G Schwartz seventy four
or seventy four. I think it is go ahead and
do that. We have a lot of well it's right saturdays.
We have a ton of fun doing it. Um. But
like no, I mean that just was something that someone
saw and ran with because there wasn't much information out
and people love people love and you know this, and
I'm not sure how active you are on social media
like I am, but people love you know, an athletes,

(03:15):
especially for agents or people, are athletes that want to
get out of a situation. They follow unfollow their their
favorite teams. Right, It's like something we always talk about. Oh,
Jeff Schwartz, it happened to me. I. Um was it
was down to the Giants and the Rams, and I
had decided on the Giants. I just started following a
bunch of like Giants beat reporters and Giants UM insiders

(03:36):
and the Giants team account. Everyone's like, see Jeff's on
the Giants. I was like, dangn they they got me. Um.
So that's what happens. So people obviously win with that.
But the J. J. Watt story is a tale as
old as time. Right, an athlete says they are going
to go somewhere to win a Super Bowl ring, or
go to somewhere to win the you win the World Series,

(03:57):
or go somewhere to win the Larry Brian Trophy, and
and I feel like, actually the NBA and of all places,
is kind of where that that happens more than any
other sport. Um Because if you you could join a
Lebron team and have a good chance to get to
the finals. Um. But in the NFL. Guess what, it
almost never happens because money money right, no guarantee contracts

(04:18):
in the NFL. And J J. Want went for the money. Steve,
That's what he did. He went for the money. And
it's fine, it's okay, But the idea that guy go
for less money to you know, a contender. And and
and the reports are that there was one report from
Arizona's media members saying that Arizona this was not the
highest offer. It very clearly was. Okay, no one was

(04:39):
offering him twenty three million dollars guaranteed, no other team was.
And that's very very it just so he just took
the money. And it's fine. He did that, well, it
is and and and I mean the big question is
what kind of impactfully have on that Arizona Cardinals defensive line.
I think we would all agree that his peak efficiency
as an edge guy is no longer there. But if

(05:00):
put if you put J. J. Watt anywhere on the
defensive line, he had account for the guy and he
could be devastating on the inside. And of course, pretty
much with the Texans, that's what he's always done. They've
moved him inside outside, you know, wherever they can create
mismatches and everything else. So do you think he's gonna
have that kind of impact in Arizona? It will help,
um Chandler Jones, Um who is you know, the really

(05:23):
elite pass rusher. It might even help like a Son
Reddick who rushes the other side, or Devin Kinnard. I
believe Canard is there as well. Um. And you know
Steve time that the general manager was always calling yesterday
I believe it was and Um, you know calling basically
asked him that question like why why him? Well, why
do you need J. J. Watt? And he said, well, leadership,
We need to have better leadership. We had we led
the league in penalties last year. Or hoping that he's

(05:45):
able just to bring a level level head a leadership
work ethic said a better standard for us and all
said that you're paying a lot for that, right, you're
paying a premium for that. In his capit this year
is not that bad. But he went for the money.
He went for the money. Um, and again that's fine.
Look and athletes can convince themselves all the time that

(06:07):
that you, oh, this is the money. And guess what
Arizona in any last year Kylin Murray's will be his
third year. We're gonna get better, right, We're gonna we're
gonna be the super Bowl hunt. But realistically, if you
look at the rest of the division, even the NFC
and the coaching in Arizona, they're lacking, right, So especially
at the four Niners bounce back, they should which they should,

(06:28):
I mean even when when when Kyle Shanahan, their head coach,
has been there four seasons, he said one season where
he had his quarterback for all sixteen games. They went
the Super Bowl that year, Like and Jimmy g I
think we all agree, is not like dynamic of a quarterback.
Nine it's gonna be good. We'll talk about Russell Wilson
the second. The Rams have Matthew Stafford now and with
Sean McVeigh, they're always gonna be a you know, eight, nine, ten,

(06:48):
eleven win team. Um, so good for j J. He
went for the money, which again it's fine, but that's
what happens in the NFL because it's hard to turn
down twenty three million dollars guaranteed when maybe the next
best team is only offering you, you know, one year
deal for twelve million or two year deal for for
twenty million with one year guaranteed money, so to year
to year guaranteed deal. Well, and now we were talking

(07:08):
about social media. You, I'll put it this way. You
put out over a hundred seven thousand tweets. I have
put out less than five hundred and nine years. I'm
amazed I have followers, but I do, but not like you. Now.
I followed Jeff Schwartz at Jeff Shorts by the way,
and I saw this yesterday. What is going on here?
You were mentioning about a gruten QB camp and would

(07:30):
people be interested in a similar camp with offensive line
prospects happening? And it says here officially this is happening
on give us the what is going on here? So? Uh?
At the end of the football season, so I I
work for Fox Sports on the digital side on their
their their their website and their app, and I do
gambling content um during the season. And now as we

(07:53):
transitioned to the off season, we were talking about ways
with my with my producer on the digital side and
the gambling shows that we're doing, about ways to just
do more things. And he's like, what if we did?
Like uh? Like uh, you talk to like the prospects
like the old line prospects, Like you mean like a
Gruden Camp offensive line and he's like yeah, And I'm
very fortunate that my my best friend trains basically the

(08:19):
number two tackle, the number one guard, the number like
one and two centers like a lot of these guys.
He trains right now in Dallas, So I have access
to these players as well. So we kind of went
back and forth and um, we worked on some details
and got the word like this is happening. So I'm
gonna Dallas in a couple of weeks, Um, where a
lot of players are at right now, I'll knock you out.

(08:39):
I think five guys in Dallas. Six guys were interview
in Dallas, and we'll do one more in l a
And as one other guy, we might try to get
who's in Arizona, and um, boom boom boom, and we'll
put together a little offensive line. Gruden Show should be
good man. Um, it's gonna it would be a lot
of fun. It's gonna be, and it's gonna be We're
gonna talk technique a lot. But what I love talking

(09:02):
to people about players about his process, right, Like how
did you how did you get to where you're going.
Why did you make this play? Why do you make
this block? What happens if this happened? Like why is
your hand here? Like things like that, And so we're
gonna have a lot of fun with this project. Well
and working with you, working with Rich Arnberger, heavy knowing
Nick Hardwick, working here. I'm around a lot of offensive lineman, okay,

(09:26):
and this is the one thing I gather about offensive lineman.
You believe, and maybe there's science to this, that offensive
linemen on the whole are the most intelligent players on
a football field. Would you say that? I mean, is
a position group total? Yes, I mean quarterbacks, the high
level guys are. I mean they know far more than

(09:48):
we have to know. But as a as a unit,
as a position group, we gotta know a lot. Man
Like um, here's a good example. So when we have
before games, our coaches give us a test, right like
all coaches give their positions a test. And I saw
a defensive alignment's test one time d tackle. All he
had to write was where the two tackles lined up,

(10:09):
Just put a t like in a three technique or
one technique of shade wherever eyes. Offensive linemen have to
write in what all five guys do with the tight
ends doing what the quarterbacks doing, what the running back
is doing, and probably put in nine of the eleven
guys on defense on my test and draw it all
up right, Like I don't know everything except the routes,
so uh we we gotta know a lot. Like that's

(10:31):
what high level linemen do. They look at safeties, They
look at linebackers and look at the corner. Sometimes if
you're if you're in the island, they survey the field. Okay,
work in my d lineman, rush, do I have help? Here?
Is a linebacker coming down? Is that? I mean there's
a blitz coming well? And also you gotta do this
in unison with the other guys on the line. Yeah,
and then you get to a point where you have
to have a collective brain on that line, right yeah,

(10:54):
I mean you're doing pass protection, especially when there's pressure
like on third down, but the run game, it's more
to just you and the guy next to you. And
like I play with Marshall Newhouse, who's played eleven years
now in New York, and uh it's the last guy
played a long time with and I was the guard.
He was a tackling. You get to a point where
you don't even you don't even say anything, like you
walk the line of scrimmage and I turned to Marshall,

(11:15):
you turned to me and be like you're good. I'm like, yeah,
I'm good. And that could mean seventeen different things depending
on what play it was. But we knew were on
the same page. And then we get fake calls as well.
That would Pisto d linement offically, but like, yeah, we
have to know, we have to know a lot, and
you have to be and you have to do this,
by the way, when it's loud, when it might be

(11:37):
hot or cold, when you played poorly, when you're playing well,
when you're not feel when you when you when you're
not feeling well, when you're you're beat up, when you're injured,
when someone next you might be injured, and it's all
part of the game. It's what I loved. I love
the mental part of of that, you know, like having
to step up in certain situations. Um, obviously knowing where

(12:00):
people are going to be because I was not very fast,
so I had to know, okay, the safety is down,
they're bringing pressure here, my guys crossing my face like
I had to know these things. I couldn't just adjust
on the fly. Some guys or that they just adjust
on the fly, never meet. So I'm hoping to bring
all of this out, um in this in this show
be probably oh eight to ten minutes. Um, you know

(12:20):
it's to be digital episode in to ten minutes. Most
likely we'll pull we will do a Q and A
will pull some film. We've got some stuff with them
working out. Um'll be a lot of fun, man, all right, Well,
we're looking forward to that, Jeff. I'm also looking forward
to your thoughts on this. All right. So when push
comes to shove in New England, we saw how that
work out Belichick one Brady lost or did he? How

(12:43):
did that work out for the New England Patriots? At
least in year one? Could we be facing a very
similar situation with the Seattle Seahawks. We're gonna tell you
all about it coming up next. Fox Sports Radio has
the best sports talk lineup in the nation. Catch all
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(13:05):
to listen live. Hey what's up everybody, It's me three
time Pro Bowl La Barrington and I couldn't be more
excited to announce a new podcast called Up on Game.
What is up on Game? You asked, along with my
fellow pro bowler t J. Hudgman's OUTA and Super Bowl Champion.
That's right, Plexico Birds. You can only name a show

(13:26):
with that type of talent on it. Up on Game
We're going to be sharing our real life experiences loaded
with teachable moments. Listen to Up on Game with Me,
LaVar Arrington, t J. Hudgman's Otta, and Plexico Birds on
the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you
get your podcast from. Steve Harbin, Jeff Schwartz Here on

(13:51):
a fabulous Saturday. A lot of things going on right now.
Later on, we're gonna get into tomorrow NBA Also a
game tomorrow, Jeff. We at the NBA All Star Game tomorrow.
All the All Star fistivity is gonna be jammed into
a single day down there in Atlantic. Course, that wasn't
originally on the schedule, but it was added so we

(14:11):
get into that also, Believe it or not, Jeff, we
are a week from tomorrow selection Sunday for March Madness.
How much does March Madness meet you? By the way,
your Oregon Ducks blew out my Bruins in the second
half of that game up in Eugene. Uh, that was
a little uncomfortable for me. I thought we had that
game in hand. I am not hearing Jeff Hilary is

(14:35):
oh sorry, um U up nine with about six minutes
left ish about and then organist to Actually it's like
came started nine. I was basically fell asleep, uh four
or five minutes left, and woke up to in the
morning and saw that over in haad one, which was
obviously very enjoyable. Today, I mean, I think Organ, Organ State,
it's tomorrow. Um, winner of that game wins the conference.

(14:56):
Who of Organ wins? They're in So yeah, you know
the Hospital Tournament, you know. I think the college basketball
is It's really tough for me when you spend all
year in the NFL college football world. Right, we have
all these superstars that you enjoy watching. I sit down
to watch X quarterback play, right or in college game,
I want to watch the Factory of Alabama or you know,

(15:19):
or Davante Smith or or I want to watch you know,
Trevor Lawrence play, or anyone in Ohio State play. Justin
fields and for me college basketball. Now, I watched the
pat talk of my job, um, but there's no one
I want to sit down to watch well. But again,
I want to get into this a little bit later on,

(15:39):
because you know, there's some new things happening as far
as the NBA's drafts concerned that could have an effect
on college basketball. But I want to put that aside
because I really want to get into that in depth.
I also want to get the answer to where are
the Seahawks going right now with this Russell Wilson situation. Now,
we had a push come to shove of situation in
New England where it was clear that Belichick wanted to

(16:01):
move on from Tom Brady. And so that was it.
Tom Brady, Bye bye, seal later, good luck and wherever
you go. And now Tom Brady has another Super Bowl
Trophy in his possession and the New England page has
had a losing season, so at least one year in
definitely in favor of Tom Brady. Now we have a

(16:22):
potential situation brewing in Seattle. I heard our buddy T. J.
Houshman Za to talk about the power of Pete Carroll
in Seattle, and who was there to put him in check.
Remember John Schnyder is now the general manager of the Seahawks.
He was brought in by Pete Carroll. John Schneyder is
not going to challenge Pete Carroll. Paul Allen, of course,

(16:43):
the longtime owner of the Seahawks passed away. His sister
now owns the team. She's not going to get in
the way of Pete Carroll. And when we had a
situation where you had a Richard Sherman Earl Thomas and
maybe they overstepped their bounds despite their all pro status,
where did they end up leaving Seattle? So if Russell
Wilson continues to push this scenario where he feels like

(17:07):
he needs to have a much more major input as
far as personnel decisions, any kind of franchise decisions, could
he get to the level of irritation or Pete Carroll says,
you know what, Russell, You're right, you need to go
bye bye. I know the Bears are all psyched up
thinking they got a big package ready to put together

(17:28):
for Russell Wilson. But could egos get to the point
and and in someday extent, that's what we had in
New England where Pete Carroll finally says, hey, John, get
rid of this guy. Bye bye. Russell Wilson. Uh. While
on the beach and pool in Mexico, I read the
Patriots the Dynasty book that came out, I think right

(17:50):
before the season. I hadn't read it yet, and um,
you know, it details obviously all the winning that was
done in New England and the different personalities between Belichick
in Brady and kind of how they made it work
through all the winning right and then, and the common
goal was always that they were they were both aligned
and how to win right, how to win well. It
feels like Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll a they have

(18:12):
not had the success that Brady and Belchick had, but
be they're not align on how to win right. Carroll
wants to be kind of the um, you know, the
kind of the more of the old school right one
one run the football and we want to play great defense.
And our quarterback is there to to supplement our offense.
And yes, makes him play sometimes, but we're going to
invest in and running backs and defensive players and we're

(18:34):
not gonna put as much into the passing game. Russell Wilson,
for reasons that we all know and I think we
all agree with wants to pass the ball more right,
and he wants to have input in how the offensive designed.
I'm with him on having input in the offensive design.
I'm not really with him on siding who they signed,
as he's not he's not a personnel guy. He's not
watching films, not figuring out what works best. But nonetheless,

(18:54):
that's I think we're the first difference is at right,
is that Hey, Russell Wilson wants this, and he feels
that his age and and and the worth he has
for the franchise and organization, and his his um level
of accomplishment in the NFL puts him in a position
where he's allowed to voice up. He's been there nine
years and said nothing. And that's the first time he's
really ever said a couple of years back he said,

(19:15):
you better assign me to a deal. They did it
like seven days later, but you know, like not, he's
the first time he's really kind of like given you
shown his power that he has. And then Pete Carroll
einer Side done this forever right. He went in college,
he's wanted at Seattle and he's stubborn in the way
that he's gonna do things and not going to take
into the into the equation what what Russell Wilson wants.

(19:37):
So we're an impass right one wants to do this,
wants to do that. I don't think they're gonna come
together and find a way to design an offense that
Russell Wilson wants. It's kind of goes against what Pete wants.
I don't think it's gonna happen. If if I were Seattle,
if I was a Seattle fan and I was, and
I wanted a solution to this issue, the answer it's

(20:00):
never gonna happen. But the answer is get rid of
Carol and Keith Wilson. But you mentioned it. Pete Carroll
is basically the owner like he he is. It's it's
you know, it's Paul Allen's daughter, and that's Pete Carroll
in the organization like one then two, and it's just
the way it is. And that's why Russell Wilson I
think he's on the team this year because the teams

(20:20):
he wants to go to are not teams that have
the the assets to come back to Seattle. I mean,
Chicago doesn't have. In my opinion, the draft picks necessary,
the players on the team necessary to make it worth.
Seattle's um to make it worth the Seattle ple just
be like, dude, show up and play, and Russell Wilson

(20:41):
will show up and play. They'll do it um and
they'll play hard and maybe behind the scenes no one
talks to each other. It's possible, and it happens to
other places too, and you can just make it work
for this season and then figure out, you know, the
next New Orleans for example, they don't have any money.
They can't just they can't trade for they have no
assets to trade for them. So I think it's it's

(21:01):
difficult if those two teams he wants to go to.
If the Jets want him, I'm sure that will love
that package. But does Russell want to go play for
the Jets? Well, here here's what this is why I
understand if you don't remember, we always talked about who
made who right, Belichick versus Brady uh And obviously those
are on the Brady side are having a field day
right now. But Pete Carroll's first two years in Seattle,

(21:24):
they were seven and nine, seven and nine, seven and nine,
and then in they made a deal to get Matt
Flynn free agent, and they also draft Russell Wilson in
the third round and they make the decision, obviously the
right decision to start Russell Wilson from day one. Let's
let's put the context when we talk about an offense

(21:45):
that Russell Wilson wants as opposed to what they're running.
So he has been the starting quarterback for nine years
in Seattle. He has started every game. He has not
missed a single game a single start. Hundred forty four
in a row regular season, sixteen in the postseason. His
record in the regular season and one. I mean, the

(22:05):
bottom line is is that the offense that he runs
is the perfect offense for his skill set. And when
we get back to this idea of all the times
he gets sacked in everything else, and we've had this
discussion many times, Chap, half those sacks are on him.
He's a kind of guy who tries to extend plays.
I mean, when you're when you're wrestling with the big

(22:26):
bear in front of you, right, and you're you're trying
to and and you're you're trying to almost gauge where
your quarterback who might be scrambling to extend a play.
Is you're you're I'm sure you're based in on where
the eyeballs are of the guy that you're blocking and
wrestling with to try to keep them away. But you're
only responsible for so much and now ultimately over extensive
play and gets sacked, you're like, well, I didn't my job.

(22:49):
We as an offensive line did our job. But that's
the quarterback you are. I don't understand what does he
think he's gonna be elsewhere? He's a quarterback that uses
his army, uses his legs. He's a guy that will
extend plays. He can make the spectacular play, but that
could also lead to plays where he gets sacked for
a major loss. I'm trying to figure out what is

(23:10):
his vision as a quarterback, because, to be honest with you,
when I look at his record in Seattle, they have
absolutely maxed out his ability as a quarterback. What what what? What?
What is he things going to change? Well? I think
we saw this year though, that there is another level
to him in his ability to throw the ball down

(23:30):
the field and for there should be some variety of
the offense. I think he and rightfully so, um he
wants to be in an offense that features him first
not to run first. Um and look you you you
as a valid point, right, is can he be the
guy who the offense is run through all the time,
right like Pat Mahomes or or you know, Tom Brady

(23:51):
or Drew Brees. I mean all these guys that you know,
Aaron Rodgers kind of the offense feels very much run
through them. I think he can do that. I think
he can be that Moore. I just think he wants okay,
like if Pete Carroll wants a fifty split, fifty fifty runs,
fifty passes and you never get a hundred plays, but um,
you know Russell Wilson probably wants sixty four if they're
not that far apart. Um. I think Russell Wilson just

(24:14):
wants to feel like they try to maximize everything he
can do. And it looks step there are people that
agree with you that, hey, this is the max Russell Wilson,
this is what he can do. He is he is
a quote unquote system quarterback. I think he's better than that.
But I can see the argument for that because you know,
even this year we kind of let Russ Cook four
or five weeks into that it was great. Then boom

(24:35):
eight turnovers in three weeks and we went away from that.
But some people say that part of the reason that
happened was teams figured out their basic passing game. I
think he wants it just an opportunity to be in
a little different offensive featured him more, and then then
we'll know that will know after one year whether or
not this can be sustainable or go back to what
Pete Carroll has done. Well, I would say to both

(24:57):
sides of this, figure it out, because the best thing
for Pete Carroll is Russell Wilson, and I think the
best thing for Russell Wilson is to remain s Seattle Seahawk.
All right, let's find out what's trending right now once again,
we're broadcasting live from the Farmer's Insurance Fox Sports Radio
Studios called Farmers Today for a quote Ralph Irvan in
the house. By the way, Ralph religiously follows you Jeff

(25:20):
on Twitter, and that's how he jumped in. He goes,
are you gonna talk to Jeff about this new offensive
lying camp thing? And I said, I better, absolutely, and
I'm glad I did. But that's you, Ralph. You always
followed Jeff everything he does. All right, thank you. That
sounds a little creepy. Yeah, I'm a professional. That well.

(25:45):
I found out my wife what didn't follow me Instagram
on the trip. So at least at least have some
support from you, Ralph. I'll take it. What's an instagram? Uh?
We've got college basketball action the final weekend of the
regular season at number six Westward Jina trailing at home
now to play in the second half, and number seventeen
Oklahoma State leads the Mountaineers fifty seven fifty three, eleven

(26:08):
and a half to play in the second half in Athens,
and number eight Alabama's taking the lead at Georgia fifty
seven fifty four, Number twenty three perdu a forty thirty
one lead over Indiana. That's what ten o two to
play in the second half at the intermission, Providence with
a seventeen point advantage, leading Number ten Villanova thirty one

(26:29):
from earlier Notre Dame surprise, Number eleven Florida State eighty
three seventy three, Number twenty loyal of Chicago and easy
win over Indiana State sixty five forty nine at the
Arnold Palmer Invitational. That's at Bay hill. Right now, we
guess who's sitting up top the leaderboard. Yeah, it's a
guy who had nace on the second hole. That's Jordan's

(26:50):
speed at ten under par, one shot ahead of Keegan Bradley,
Bryson Deshambo and Corey Connors. By the way, speed about
to tee off on the par five number twelve. As
we sent it back now to Steve Hartman and Jeff Well,
you mentioned Jordan's speech. Ralph and Ralph, by the way,
Jeff is a huge golf guy. Um, he's been in

(27:14):
contention a couple of times this year, which is good.
It's at least we're mentioning his name. Unfortunately, the Sundays
have not gone well for him, so it's been he
hasn't won a tournament since he won the Open Championship
back in what was that, It's been a while. I
think it's the curse of being the next Tiger. Every
time someone wins and start their career fast to the
next Tiger, and they just never end up being the

(27:35):
next Tiger because there is no next Tiger. Well exactly,
I'm glad you mentioned that whole tiger situation. By the way,
once again, we're broadcasting live from the Farmers Insurance Fox
Sports Radio Studios called one eight Farmers a switch you
could save a bundle on your auto insurance. Haven't spoken
to Jeff since the accident. Um. By the way, have
you seen the HBO special on Tiger? Did you? I

(27:56):
have watched it? Yes, yes, And uh, you know, we
were talking about Ralph and I were talking about this
how it really painted a picture like at the end,
you feel sad for this guy, like, wow, he's been
and and and Ralph, who knows a lot of people
really know Tiger, will insist believe me, his life has
been anything but sad. Okay, He's had a lot of
great times in its life, as you could imagine. But

(28:19):
it really painted a very negative picture on his upbringing
and people that he was around, and his old undoing.
But this accident situation is it's pretty crazy because now
they are saying the first person that came upon the
accident scene wasn't actually the police, It was a neighbor
or somebody that lived in the neighborhood. And he said

(28:41):
in an Affidavid that he was unconscious when he came
upon the car. And then when the people the you know,
people's police schedule, sheriff's barbon showed up. He was conscious
out there. They're gonna they're gonna do a full investigation
in this. But what are your takeaways? I'm I mean,
the melodrama of the life of Tiger Woods is extraordinary

(29:03):
when we think about it. But what do you make
of the whole situation? Well, I don't I don't know.
Feeling sorry for him is the is the right word
to use, But it definitely explained I think for a
lot of us kind of who he is a little
bit better right, and kind of why he made some
decision he made. But I've I've always said this from
the beginning, is that, um, as long as you don't
commit a crime, I don't care what you do in

(29:23):
your free time with your an athlete. Like if if
Tiger had to go and go to Perkins and find
him a waitress and they made him a better golfer,
and that made my enjoying, you know, my experience of
watching him play better. Well whatever, man like, that's his life.
Like I just that's the only thing is I feel
bad that his life became so publicly. That's something that

(29:44):
him and his wife had to deal through, and obviously
it became public because of his his accidents. Um, and
that's just the thing that like, out of the whole thing,
I was like, yeah, I just but otherwise, yeah, I
mean that was a good documentary. I enjoyed it explained
who he was and obviously success and how Earl raised
him and you know how he was raised to beat
this champion, and I thought interesting. And when I get

(30:06):
back to his accident recently, just you know, it reminded
me of Kobe a little bit, right, like just out
of nowhere, right, and just like it was a Sunday morning,
Saturday morning, whenever it was m and the same as Kobe, right,
like all of a sudden, it was like Kobe has
been in a helicopter accident. You're like, what what? And
then the report's obviously got much worse after that. So
I'm glad he's alive. It doesn't feel like he's gonna

(30:27):
play golf anymore. But um, I'm sur yeah. I mean
I I've talked to Rich Ornberger about this. You and
him are the exact same age, born the same year,
and so when he won his first Masters, you know,
you were at ten eleven years old, and for a
guy like Rich he said that was right his introduction
to golf, Like I didn't, I didn't mean know about golf,

(30:49):
and all of a sudden, here's this guy Tiger Woods.
Now he's become a golf fan since then beyond Tiger Woods.
But um but yeah, I mean we any golfer right
now that's thirty five years or younger, they all say
the same thing. Their inspiration was Tiger Woods. I mean
that was that was their inspiration to get into the game,
their inspiration of trying to achieve a certain level of

(31:11):
greatness in this sport. Um so, I mean he can
never understate the impact of Tiger Woods at all. And
it was, you know, it was. I mean we the
documentary covered it well at the phenomenon that was Tiger right.
And and I really think that we see is often
with with your young actors and actresses who kind of

(31:35):
get the spot out early on. You're not mentally developed
enough to have the spotlight that age. And that was
I think part of what the of the documentary showed
as no matter how much Earl prepared him his father
for the moment, you're never ready for that moment mentally,
Like there's no way you can be right. I mean,
you're eighteen years old, nineteen, your rock star. Anywhere you

(31:56):
go people are streaming your name, and like, don't you
can actually like really get feel alive. Is like Vegas
because Vegas is a celebrity town, right, and that you know,
you're not haunted as much. I have areas where you
can go kind of be by yourself. It's just like
kind of it's like, of course he was gonna struggle
with fame, right, I mean, I absolutely understandable. And by

(32:18):
the way, all that Vegas stuff when it was happening,
we'd already known about that. Certain people had had you know,
the connections and new but they would gather in Vegas
and everything else, and like they said, they had isolated
and they had these hostesses, so to speak, but they
would bring in the women and everything else. That The
thing about Tiger always heard was is that when you're
a sports alpha male, right, you're you're one of those

(32:39):
alpha males in the sports world. He always felt a
little less because he played golf. You know, he's not
a basketball players out of football player, he's not a
baseball player. Somehow he felt like he almost had approved
that he belonged with these other alpha males, and that
he took um took that to the next level when

(33:03):
it came to some of the women that he was
exchanging pleasantries with, so I could see that. I mean,
maybe that explains that Navy seal training right exactly exactly it.
I mean, remember how they said about his father, because
he is his father was Green Beret and everything else.
And no matter how much how great you are as
a golfer, how tough for you, what kind of man

(33:25):
are you? I mean, you know, And he felt like
whether it was necessary, that's arguable, but in his mind
it was that's not necessary, well necessary for him personally.
I don't think it necessary for him to play golf,
but I mean some of these other activities sort of
show his you know, machoism or whatever. It might have
been a little bit carry on there all right. On
the other side, I want to get into the Ben

(33:47):
Roethlisberger situation with you. Big Ben is going to remain
a Pittsburgh Steeler. That's that's great or is it the
future of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Coming up next, Steve Harbin
and Jeff Schwartz coming up in the next hour. Get
more into the march Mandis and a big surprise, A

(34:08):
big surprise courtesy of one Jeff Schwartz. Well, that's coming
up in the next hour. He's not even a hundred
percent aware of it, but you'll find out what it's
all about. Jeff. I do want to ask you, though,
about Ben Roethlisberger. He agreed to a four million dollar
pay cut to stay on as the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback. Um.

(34:28):
I feel like there was little choice on either side
as far as this was concerned. The Steelers obviously do
not have a ready made quarterback, sorry Mason Rudolph, to
step in as the starting quarterback of a team that
I'm sure still has designs on being a playoff team
in And I don't think there's a whole lot of

(34:49):
suitors out there for Ben Roethlisberger should he be cast
a drift. I don't know if there would be a
lot of teams lined up to be sunny Ben Roethlisberger.
But it sort of bring up the point that the
Steelers are proud franchise that always thinks of themselves as
a team that should be in contention, are on the
break right now. They they have to figure out what

(35:13):
their next move is at quarterback after well, they certainly do.
And this what this is kind of what's happening around
the NFL with some other organizations to Saints that don't
really have a plan for the future. And it's very
hard when you are in the trying to win a
championship year and a year out to take that future

(35:34):
quarterback right, take the quarterback in the future. We've seen
it very rarely work, right the Packers obviously Farvan Rogers.
We've seen it work with you, Andrew Luck and not
really Andrew Lucky manny, I mean they weren't there at
the same time. Even um, I guess we saw it
in a smaller aspect with Alex Smith and Pat Mahomes.
But it doesn't happen very often, right, So I understand
why the Steelers in the Saints haven't gone after the

(35:58):
quarterback future and and and number guys. A third round
draft pick is not a quarterback in the future, all right,
the first round draft pick. It's a very high second
round draft pick. It's almost Jalen Hurts for the Eagles,
either the fringe of like we took our next franchise
quarterback right, a third round draft pick, fourth round, fifth
one if they become Dak Prescott or Cousins or Tom

(36:20):
Brady Russell Wilson. Those are the outliers. Okay, Almost everyone
else at that position who is fabulous is a first
round pick or high second round pick, or maybe a
Derek Carr kind of bought my second round guy. So
I get why they haven't done it, But Sears have
have not prepared for Big Ben to leave, and now
they're stuck with Big Ben. Right, you sign them to
a contract. A couple of years ago, they had heat

(36:43):
their cap it was so high this year they had
to keep him on the roster. Ben said, hey, man,
I know my cap its high. I want to keep winning.
There's a chance you cut me, just eat the cap
and we just are really bad this season, and but
I want to stay. I want to play one more year,
so I'll take us. So it was mutually in official
for both parties to get this done. By the way,
we're broadcasting live from the Farmers Insurance Fox Sports Radio

(37:05):
Studios called one to eight Farmers, and you could save
a whole lot of something odd auto insurance, and that's
that's part of the danger. Look what happened to New England? Right?
I mean, they had brought quarterbacks in. They drafted a
lot of quarterbacks when Tom Brady was there, but when
tom Brady actually left, they had nothing. I mean, well
they had they had to be trading away, so they

(37:27):
did have that guy, but they did trade him away.
So when they finally did pull the plug on Tom Brady,
Jared Stidham was not the answer. We knew that. And
then you were forced to roll the dice on Cam
Newton and there and they're still now in a position
where they got to figure out, what the heck are
we going to do a quarterback? But look at them,
even the last like let's go back to Joe montanais
Teve Young. Since then, what we had farm Rogers's succession

(37:53):
and both those situations where he had a quarterback in
waiting for several years and you know, Mahomes, Alex smith
Us one year. It was one year. But I'm coming
off top of my head. Do we have other situations
where you had a winning or you know, winning franchise
who multiple years in a row made the playoffs, who
decided to think we're back in the first round. I mean,
the Packers, I get sort of I've tried it this

(38:14):
year with Jordan, last year with Jordan's love. Again, try
to do it again, but it doesn't happen very often.
So I get I understand where the Patriots and the
Steelers and the Saints haven't tried to find the quarterback
in the future in the draft because it's very hard
to say, hey, we're close to winning, let's you know what,
let's skip on that right tackle we need and let's
get a quarterback is not gonna play this year. Yeah,

(38:35):
but you you brought up two prime examples of a
team that replaced one Hall of Fame quarterback with another
Hall of Fame quarterback. In the Steve Young situation, he
would have been a first round pick in the NFL.
He went to the USFL and that's where the signing. Well,
he went to Tampa and then they picked him up
and he was with the Bucks for a couple of years.
He was terrible, but he sat for four years behind

(38:57):
Joe Montana and obviously the Aaron Rodgers Simon Simon or situation.
I mean, if you if you're thinking the best way
to do it, if you can get a talented quarterback
to play the waiting game, then it's it can work out.
Really well for you, and that's what those franchises did.
I think a big difference here is um and the

(39:18):
gms last a lot longer than coaches. But there's no
patience anymore. Right, So if you are you know, if
you're Mike Tomlin and he's won a lot, he might
be the bad example. But you know, if you're Mike
Tomlin and you're the owner and you're you're Kevin Colbert,
the GM and your art Rooney, uh, you know, Junior,
I think the third maybe um, you know as as

(39:39):
the uh you know, the ownership group, and you say
to yourself, you know, what we've wanted for so long?
Do we kind of want to suck for a couple
of years to get a quarterback? Do we want to
waste you know, the first round draft pick that we
use on making Fitzpatrick who's been a great player for us?
Do you want to draft a quarterback who may or
may not be good eventually? And are we gonna waste

(40:00):
to pick on that we're gonna like, are we gonna
waste you know, Devin Bush who has been a great
part of their defense. First round draft pick, you know,
are they happy they draft him or with the draft
of court. I just think it's it's hard to justify
when you're winning for everyone involved, the idea that you're
just kind of giving up the draft a quarterback for
the future when everything is now right. Coaches coach for now,

(40:22):
drum managers try to win now unless you're brand new
and you take on a new organization and they stake.
I think it's just hard to get yourself in the
position to draft a guy like that when you know
you try to win now. Yeah, it's it's a difficult situation.
When we say very few examples that tells you how
difficult that is. And the smooth development of one quarterback

(40:43):
to walk in for another quarterback. But right now the
Steelers are up against it all right. On the other side,
we're a week away from selection. Sunday. Is the n
c A Tournament gonna remain the impact event is has
for years? Will tell you next, all right, rolling along
on this big Saturday once again, broadcasting live from the

(41:05):
Farmers Insurance Fox Sports Radio Studios called one eight to
D eight Farmers the switch you could save on your
auto insurance? What else you gonna do with your phone
for the next few minutes? Look at pictures of food
your friends eight again call one eight to eight farmers
for a quote. We are farmers, all right, before we
get into this March madness conversation tomorrow A week from

(41:28):
tomorrow Selection Sunday. I was told by our producer Lee
that we have a SoundBite that I need to hear.
Let's hear it, guys. We're just a bunch of fat
kids living a dream. Wow. Wait a second, Hold on
a second here. Now, I've been opening up my weekend
national shows for years saying, live in the dream, Live

(41:52):
in the dream, living the dream. I had no idea.
And by the way, that was in your voice. Living
the dream is some thing that's been part of your
Give us the background. How did live in the Dream
of that? That's Jeff Kendall, my old teammate. Um, yeah,
so two seven, I was an Oregon and we were
really good and we were you know, we were eight
and one at the time that the Dennis got hurt.

(42:14):
But um, we were five and one or something. And
I think I think Jonathan Stewart, a running back, went
on Jim Rome Show, and UM and Jeff Kenna and
I were huge Roman fans. We listened to him every day. Um,
what what's the word for even forget? I WoT listened
so long? What was the term used for when you
listen to Rome for have a take, don't suck clones

(42:37):
or something? Maybe the clones? Okay, So then we had
I think Mike Blodie went on the week after and
we kept winning, and then Dennis Dixon went on, so
we told him, Hey, Dennis, tell Rome during the interview
that a bunch of offensive linement are clones and listen
to the show. So he did. He did, and Jim
Rome said, hey, guys, if you win this weekend we
were playing Arizona State. We were I think we were

(42:58):
fourth the country, they were six, that if we win
this game national televised Game Day. Was there all that
we win this game that we could come on as
an offensive line. So we're like sweet, so we win
the game. Unfortunately, that's the game Dennis originally heard as
a c l um. And so we call on Monday
his show. It's me Kendall, who's our backup center, and
Max Unger, who played in the NFL for eleven years

(43:21):
for the season and um, so we go on the
show and there's somebody interview in the very end. Jeff
Kennell pulls out seven pieces of paper, says, hey, rom, Hey,
ro give me a second. I got a rant and
it's on YouTube. It's like six and a half minutes.
He just went off and he said that in the
middle of the of the of the rant, and um.
Then we made shirts of it. I still have my

(43:41):
shirt in my closet. Um from two seven. Fact. He's
just a fact. You're living a dream. I had no idea.
I had no idea. It's a very spec I mean
you you had to be a Gym Rome fan and
specifically listened to him in you know, November of two seven, uh,
in the interview, but it's on my It's on my
Twitter profile too, affect. You're living a dream. Well, to

(44:03):
give you an idea, how long I've been around Jim
used to be my update guy. H Yeah, I don't
know where it happen to the guy. You know he
I thought he had talent. He's he's not doing so bad,
all right, the n c A Basketball tournament good stuff though.
Living the dream. We are living the dream here and

(44:24):
we're always living the dream here in the month of
March because of March madness. I mean it is an
American institution. And we talk about the fact that as
we get ready for March Madness, Selection Sunday is going
to be a week from tomorrow, nine nine point nine
of the people that will be filling out a bracket

(44:45):
have probably not seen a single college basketball game, nor
did they really follow college basketball. But nine nine point
nine of the brackets that will be filled out will
be filled out by those people. So how does this work? Right?
I mean, how how is it that a sport that

(45:05):
is so dependent on three weeks and really one week
because it's the first week. It really is the first
week of the n State Tournament where an entire country
is focused on one thing, their brackets. Everyone's out there,
they out their office, got multiple practets. No one even
fills out one bracket too through I got all these brackets,

(45:26):
whether in a little league of your own or you're
doing on a national scale, everyone's got their brackets in hand.
The reason I bring this up is that college basketball
is going through yet another phase now, Jeff, if you
don't know about the NBA G League Ignite, this was

(45:49):
the new league that was offered up for an alternative
for high school basketball stars to earn salaries up to
five hundred thoul and dollars. And if you look at
the upcoming NBA draft and some of the mock drafts
that we already have up, you're gonna see names on

(46:10):
this list like Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd, you're gonna see
Jonathan comminga guys that you've not seen because they're not
playing college basketball. But these guys were all five star recruits.
These are guys that were five star recruits that said
you're gonna pay me what as opposed to doing a

(46:31):
one and done on the college scene. And so this
is another alternative where at least since they put in
the one and done now that of course replaced the
old days when the Lebron James, the Kobe Bryants, that
Kevin Garnett's players of that ilk just bypass college altogether
went straight into the NBA. So what it's doing is

(46:53):
once again robbing college basketball of elite talent. And if
this works, you're gonna get more and more of the
elite five star players saying well, no, I'm not gonna
do a one and done at a college when I
could get paid to go to with this ignite you know,
leg league thing and get paid and then still enter

(47:16):
the NBA Draft. But the question is does that even
matter when it comes to college basketball? If you look
at like the last I was looking, since Anthony Davis
is the m o P Most Outstanding Player the n
c A Final Four, you look at the guys that
have won that award the last seven times, they're like,

(47:36):
literally nobody's None of these guys went on to any
success in the NBA. So does future NBA success or
even the fact that you have elite players at the
college level matter when you have something as powerful as
the n c A Basketball Tournament. Well as many things
I think to hear, one is the tournament and the

(47:58):
popularity college basketball will never go away. Um, no matter
who is or who or who not? Who isn't I
should say who and who isn't playing in the in
in you know, in college basketball because people gamble on
the tournament. That's simple, right is that that keeps the
revenue flowing, That keeps the TV partners um happy because

(48:18):
people are watching these games. I mean, who you know,
why else are you watching two teams you haven't watt
all season? Play Thursday at three p m. Eastern because
you have twenty dollars on VCU minus six, right, Like,
that's why, that's why we're watching these teams. So until
people stop camp playing, which is not ever gonna happen,
there's always gonna be a place for a tournament. Now,

(48:38):
we might not know the names of the players in
the tournament, a lot of us we might not you know,
recognize maybe some of the teams in the tournament. Um,
but there's going to be a tournament always, now to
the players and to your point about about you know what,
what's happened in college basketball. So there's NBAG League, there's
this new league that they announced this week. I'm not

(48:59):
worried about that. That the overtime sports or something that
that's nothing. Um. And there's talk now about repealing the
one and gutten, which would obviously change all this because
players would just go to the NBA and look, and
you mentioned some of the greatest players of of when
I was a childhood and my childhood were all the
guys that came from high school right straight out of
it started. It was a restart with Kevin Garnett in

(49:21):
course for years, way twenty years before that, Moses Malone
was one of the couple of players. But it started
with Garnett. And then I remember when Kobe decided in
a draft there like they always thought it's only only
big men, like it's it's got to be a big
man situation the guard I mean skipping out on college
it didn't make any sense. Well, that changed the whole dynamic,

(49:41):
and it followed through all the way through Lebron and
that class. Uh. And then they decided to put the
one and done rule, UH, which I don't know how
much has really added to the college game. I mean,
we've had some great one and done players, there's no
question about that. I mentioned Anthony Davis, you know, a
Kentucky and go back to uh car Maarlo Anthony at
Syracuse what he did in his one and done here

(50:03):
at Syracuse. But um, it doesn't matter because again college basketball,
you can say, well, how good is the game, it
doesn't even matter. You bring up the gambling aspect, which
to some degree is what these brackets are all about.
It doesn't and March Madness is always going to be magical.
It does. It doesn't matter who the schools are. You know,

(50:24):
you can have some certain Cinderella's um and and you know,
Sam brings up the point in college basketball, the coaches
are the stars. I mean, we've got coaches. You realize
that Jim Behim has been the coach at Syracuse since
Gerald Ford was president. I'm not kidding you. He has

(50:45):
been the head coach at Syracuse since Gerald Ford was president. Yeah. Well,
I think some could argue that's a little too long.
Some Syracuse fans may tell you that. But um, but yeah,
I mean, and and it is a very much kind
of name on the front and the coach school than

(51:06):
his name on the back. Nbas I think more name
on the back, right, and well, name on the back
and and so people still like the purity of of
college sports. And I don't really understand by the way
people that say, hey, I like to watch college sports
better than pro sports because it's more pure. I'm like,
that's a weird thing to say. Um, pro sports is
far superior to watch their better players and better athletes. Um,

(51:28):
and yeah, people, these kids are getting money anyways, Like
what do you what do you so? The one thing
that might save college basketball his name, image and likeness. Okay,
so for those who might not have paid attention, name,
image and likeness is various bills in different states that
will allow players who are under the NT double A
kind of you know umbrella to profit off their name,

(51:52):
image and likeness, which as of now has not been
possible while your point makes you ineligible to play UM
and they're basically change do the rules. And it's a
mess right now because of course the NT double A
is not doing this on their own. So every state's
coming up with their own things. And you know, one
state is allowing more than the other states. And some
people worried about recruiting. But you know, if you're if
you can go somewhere and play at Kentucky and you're

(52:15):
the number one recruit and they say, hey, man, we
got a car dealership here that will give you a
hundred grand to um, you know, to sell cars, and
we have somewhere here they'll give you extra fifty maybe
this and that, maybe kids will be more come. I'll
just say this, Steve, I do not I think naming,
image and likeness will have the impact that people think
in basketball and football. I think it will be most

(52:37):
impactful as Olympic sports, where a lot of these athletes,
especially on the West Coast, have to leave school early
because they want to get endorsements. While their Olympic athletes
we've seen all the time in swimming, we see in
track and field. I think that's where a lot of
the money is. I'm not sure there's a lot of
football and basketball. I think there's a lot to be
made for Olympic sport athletes. Well, I'm not sure about

(53:01):
that from the sport athletes the Olympics. To me, those
athletes that that like like Kenyla Decki was a cow
she left because she wanted to get paid. I understand that.
But how many of these Olympic athletes, I mean for
the Michael Phelps of the world, that's one thing, But
how many Olympic athletes are able to cash in on

(53:23):
the moment of glory in the Olympics. So here's the argument. Okay,
so I'm Jeff schwartz I'm a three star player of California.
I don't going to Eugene organ Um, I'm not getting
anything in Eugene. Like I'm like, there's no name, image,
you likeness for Jeff Schwartz. Um. Maybe back home, I
went to a you know, I live from Los Angeles,
but let's say I was from a smaller city and

(53:45):
they wanted to you know, some touchdown club and smaller
city or some local you want to feature me and
they give me a thousand dollars. I mean that feels
more lucky than getting a car dealership sponsor and Eugene.
But if you're an Olympic athlete, if you're one of
the the the you know, the um you know Ashton
Etan who was an Olympian, not in Oregan when he
left Oregan, but was an NT double a champion all

(54:05):
through college. There's money for him to be had with
with these track companies, with and door, with apparel companies,
with anyone with you know, with a running shoe, whatever
it is like on Instagram, on on social media, on
TikTok um. Nothing for Jeff Schwartz, more for him than me,
which is fine, I mean, it's the way. It's what

(54:27):
my frustration is. This is this when you when you
even get into track and field. When I was when
I started college, you know, in the mid seventies. Uh
and my freshman year, by the way, u c l
A was Jim Beehind's first year as the head coach.
And yes, Gerald Ford was the president of the United
States of that time, track and field was a big deal,
and of course you went to Oregon where Eugene obviously

(54:48):
was the home of the Olympic Trials for many, many
many men man in the years still but it's the
sport itself in this country has gone by the wayside.
It's huge in Europe, I mean, and a lot of
parts of this. It was such a monstrosity in our country.
At one time it really was. Yeah, I mean, great
track and field stars. Everybody knew their names. They don't

(55:11):
do that anymore. Well, it just don't. It's different, but
I think it was. I think a lot of it
though with social media will be a big, big reason why.
By the way, it track. Have you seen Organs New
Track Stadium? No, I have not. You need to go
online and search some pictures. It is the best in
the world. It's incredible there. This was supposed to debut

(55:31):
last year for the Olympic Trials. That's never happened. They're
happening this summer. Um. You should go on the Google machine.
I'm still a fan. I am such Organs New Hayward Field.
It's incredible. How many laps around would you run that track?
I mean you you what in your heyday? Yeah, I
mean I would need I would need. It's not really

(55:53):
the oxygen, it's my knees and my ankles running on
the hard track. Um, so you would be probably hospitalized
one lap around the track or what would we talk?
Would if I ran a mile? So the four laps,
obviously I would need to have my physical therapist like
in the in the building, like just collapsed and and
just he just fixes me on the table right there there.
It is, okay, well, well not We're not gonna put

(56:15):
you through that, Jeff. Uh. Some guys who could handle
that track to play in the NBA. Tomorrow's the NBA
All Star Game. What exactly is this all about? Why
did they actually added to the schedule. We'll try to
explain coming up next. We're just a bunch of fat
kids living a dream, Steve Harman and Jeff Schwartz. All right,

(56:37):
so tomorrow NBA All Star Game and more. Now, if
you're curious about the schedule tomorrow, here's how it's gonna work.
Five pm Eastern, two o'clock Pacific. You're gonna get things started,
because it's all gonna be condensed into one day. Jeff,
You're gonna start with the Skills Challenge, followed by the
three Point Contest, and then you have the All Star

(57:00):
Our Game. The Slam Dunk Competition will be at halftime.
So they're gonna condense everything into one day for a
NBA All Star Game that originally was not even scheduled.
So if you if you know the background of this season,
they condensed the schedule from eight two to seventy two games,

(57:20):
but because the season started two months later than normal
and they want to have the NBA Finals conclude before
the Olympics, the schedule Olympics, they really if you're not
following the NBA, they're playing like every other day. It's
already a very condensed schedule. So a lot of the stars,
especially there might be part of this All Star Game.
We're looking forward to those five days off coming up

(57:42):
here in March. Well, that did not happen. And by
the way, by participating, they have to go through the
normal COVID protocol and everything else to get ready for
this game. So before we get to the specifics of
the game itself, I mean, obviously they're they're they're doing
this for charity. Uh, they're in partnership with a third

(58:02):
Good Marshall College Fund, un CFU, the United Ugo College Fund,
the National Association for Equal Opportunity. They're racing some good
money for people. Uh that you know, really can you
use the money in and and help a great cause.
But at the same time, Adam Silver, the commissioner the league,
said we need normalcy and part of our season is

(58:26):
an All Star game. So are they playing this game
for the right reasons. We're playing it for money, yes,
and you mentioned the donations are fantastic. They can make
those anyways, they don't have to do that. Correct with
an All Star game, you can still make a donation.
Playing money to go around the NBA UM this year

(58:48):
is not normal though, So to say that you want
to do this for Susce's a normal city, I mean
it's not normally or we're just getting fans back in
the stands and most arenas and in the NBA UM.
At least I know in North Carolina there's fans. I'm
sure there's fans in Florida. Uh, no idea, what California's
gonna left fan? I don't They announced yesterday right there,
allowing amusement parks and some fans and places Yeah, well,

(59:09):
you have a governor who obviously is under fire right now,
facing a possible recall, so he's loosening the reins a
little bit here, But because he was making an insurance
assurance the other day that as far as opening day,
I mean, remember, there's five Major League Baseball teams in
the state of California that they can expect all of
them expect some fans to be present for their opening

(59:30):
days next month. So that's it. Took a normal, like
a normal game for the for a fan, I like
fifteen exactly, like fifteen percent capacity would be a normal
game for Oakland A's Yes, So I don't even know.
I don't even care about the I don't know said that,
Um so did everyone still show up late the doctor games?
In this situation? I know this. The ticket prices is

(59:50):
gonna be ridiculous. Did you hear what some of these
spring training tickets are going for in Arizona? Like face
value a hundred and twenty dollars, secondary market tickets going
up as as much as three hundred dollars for a
spring training game where half the guys on the field
are wearing number which is not a good number for
a baseball players left tackle, but not for a baseball

(01:00:15):
I've been in many spring training games in Arizona because
I was training for the for the off season there.
And the one thing you don't realize about that, well,
what is it? You're right, the superstars are just gone.
It is what is um? But secondly is that it's
very hot, obviously, and a lot of the bleachers there
and these these parks, they don't they're not covered like

(01:00:36):
only it's only covered between like you know, like basically
the batter's boxes, right, like trying to wrap around. It's hot.
Like if you don't buy a seat that's under the
covered area, you're in for a miserable time. I learned
that the hard way a couple of times, buying tickets
and just being out, you know, in in in the wharf.
But I love spring training. I don't love it to

(01:00:57):
pay that much money though. No, Well that's that's how
starved they are. And by the way, if you're playing
only at fifteen or twenty percent capacity, you know, the
ticket prices are gonna be ridiculous. Uh And of course
you know, well, I mean most of these teams, obviously
their season ticket holder is gonna get first call in
these tickets, but they can put them on a secondary
market and get ridiculous amounts of money from people who

(01:01:19):
are just starving. The Major League Baseball all right, now,
they format for the All Star Game that they used
last year, Jeff, they're gonna use again now if you
don't know this, So basically, you begin each of the
first three quarters to score zero zero, and then they
restart the clock and reset the scoreboard, and then after
three quarters you add up all the points at that point,

(01:01:42):
and then whatever team is leading, you add twenty four
points to the leading team's total and that becomes the
target number for the fourth quarter. I remember last year
thing and this is a gimmick. I'm not into real
gimmicky stuff, but it actually worked out pretty well and
it came out where Lebron versus Janice's team, Lebron wonted

(01:02:03):
one five and was exciting because once you get to
that target number, you know you might be three point
and you guys are taking three point shots trying to
get to that target. Um, but they're gonna used the
exact same format. The twenty four points was in honor
of Kobe last year. They're gonna stay with that this year.
But when they start gimmicking up these All Star games.

(01:02:24):
We've seen this in the NFL, We've seen this in
Major League Baseball. Does it take away from the appeal
of the game or was there any appeal in the
game for you to begin with. I think all Star
games are, especially the NBA, for the younger generation. Um,
and the younger generation loves gimmicks like this, and this

(01:02:44):
is why they're doing it. They're doing it for social
media or doing it for the younger crowd. Because if
you're an NBA fan and you're in, you know you're
you're in. You're a fan already, like you don't they
don't need to get you. And if they have a
weird All Star game structure, guess why you're not gonna
watch it. But you're still gonna watch the NBA finals, right,
You're STI gonna watch the playoffs. They're trying to get

(01:03:04):
people to the game by having this different format, making
it fun, make it unique. I said this last week,
I believe about two weeks ago now about All Star games.
Like to me, I don't watch him as much anymore
because growing up on the West Coast, you know, an
All Star game might be the only opportunity that I
would was able to see somewhere from the Eastern Conference
play right or someone from the American League and the

(01:03:27):
East Coast play UM. And it's not that way anymore.
I can turn on the TV and watch any game
I want to see any highlight on one on the
social media, and so to me, the All Star Game
is just not worth sitting down and watching UM as
it was when I was a kid, or even just
maybe twelve ten, ten, twelve years ago. Like to me,

(01:03:50):
I can. I can watch Lebron playing night. I watch
he plays you honest in a normal season three times
a year, like I don't. I don't need to watch
him play honest in All Star Game all this time.
A course, he's gonna have him as a teammate because
Kevin Durant, who had the choices on the other side,
is not gonna be playing in this game. So I
don't know. In a normal game situation, I would be

(01:04:13):
intrigued to see, you know, how the skill set of
of Janice and Lebron would mash. But again, it's not
played like a real game. They're just sort of out
there having a good time, which I get in and
I think you're right. Its gates for a totally different audience.
Once again, we're broadcasting live from the Farmers Insurance Fox
Sports Radio Studios called one eight eight Farmers A Switch.
You can save a bundle on your auto insurance. Let's

(01:04:35):
find out what's trending right now. We welcome back Ralph
Irvin and I'm watching this u c l A USC games.
So far, so good from my bruins. Looking good. Well, yeah,
I figured you'd want to know that score even though
you can see it. It is eighteen seven u c
l A. Course, they were up nine at Oregon and
completely collapsed. But if USC can't shoot, they can't win.

(01:04:59):
And so that's going so far. There you go, And
now it's twenty to seven u c l A. But
let's get to the scores that are ranked. The top
twenty five teams. Finals have been coming in. Number seventeen
Oklahoma Stata winner at number six West Virginia eight, number
eight Alabama finishes off Georgia seventy nine, number twenty three
p sixty fifty eight over Indiana. Now on the floor,

(01:05:23):
Providence holding on to a fifty two fifty lead over
number ten Villanova. That's with one on one to play
in the second half seven eight teen ago. In the
first half, number four Illinois to lead at number seven
Ohio State and number twenty one Virginia twenty lead over
over Louisville. That's with six fifty two to play in

(01:05:45):
the first half of that contest. A PGA tour in Orlando.
It's the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a four way lead, a
top of the leaderboard, Jordan's Speed, Lee Westwood, Bryson De Shambo,
and Corey Connors all sitting at tend to under Park.
One player one shot backed up being Keegan Bradley, So

(01:06:06):
the players are lightening up at Arnie's place. We sent
it back now to Steve Hartman and Jeff Schwartz. Ralph,
thank you very much. Once again, we're broadcasting live from
the Farmers Insurance Fox Sports Radio Studios called one to
eight Farmers. You can save a whole lot of something
on auto insurance. I can't believe we've gone this far
into the show without saying the name Deshaun Watson. But

(01:06:26):
that is going to end right now. I I this
this SNAr. Did you hear about his meeting with his
new coach, Kelly where He basically walked in and told
the guy, I have no intention of ever playing for you.
I mean, we just that's the end of the conversation.
I mean, I'm sure they had you know, Kelly, he's
been around for a hundred years and this guy, you know,
maybe the older guy could settle in and maybe, you know,

(01:06:47):
talk about some things that might be interesting to Shaun Watson. Apparently,
Sean had no interest in any conversation with the new
coach of the Texans other than to reiterate that he
has absolutely no intention of ever playing another game for
of the Houston Texans. And yet, once again, the Texans
have maintained steadfastly, we have no intention of trading him.

(01:07:08):
And there are several teams that have said that they
have reached out and they're getting no answer. Nobody's picking
up the phone in Houston. So we've been at this
now for about a month. Where are we going with this,
Jeff Well, I'm not sure Texans have gone what they
want from, you know, from the from any of these teams.

(01:07:28):
But I think here's the reality from the Jets and
Dolphins perspective is they're still doing the homework on the
quarterbacks in this class still right, and and those would
be at the very top of the draft. Obviously Trevor
Lawrence Zack Wilson, who just his momentum seems a little
bit misguided, um ad Justin Fields right now. Right. So,
if you're the Jets and you're sitting at to you

(01:07:49):
gotta figure out two things. A. Do we want to
keep Sam Donald keep our draft picks? B do you
want to use our draft pick on Justin Fields and
then keep arrest of our draft picks and build ross
Because remember this, the Jets trade for Deshaun Watson and
trade up all and give away all these first round picks,
the second round picks. They're not good enough to win
with that roster and Deshaun Watson they need those picks

(01:08:11):
to build the roster up. The Dolphins have a good
enough roster, they don't need those picks like the Jets.
So I think the Jets are figuring out exactly how
they want to build the roster and maybe Deshaun Watson
as part of that. The Dolphins, to me feel it
the do a brainer and and you know, Houston gets
to in the deal and they get an opportunity to
draft that overall too. If they want to take another

(01:08:33):
different quarterback or someone else, they have the chance to
do that. But I go back to that since for
a while now shown Watson might say he doesn't want
to play for the Texans, But is he willing to
sit out an entire season to prove his point? Or
two seasons or three seasons? It feels unlikely. I don't

(01:08:53):
know it was the last time a quarter but calls
some Palmer right, last quarterback to sit out of season. Um,
that's a bold move to do that. And Carson Palmer
was what your tandem? He was way more established. Ums
his better player, more impactful. But Houston, who calls bluff
if they want to Well here, this is the thing
I heard in Vegas that there you know, future prop bets,

(01:09:17):
you know all the future bets are big in Vegas,
and there's a lot of money coming in on the Jets,
who are obviously are a major long shot right now
in the anticipation of the possible deal that could land
to Shawn Watson with the Jets. And I'm thinking to myself,
think about betting on the Jets right now if you

(01:09:39):
were that if if they made the deal and get
got to Shaun Watson and you suddenly believe that his
arrival with the Jets is gonna make him a Super
Bowl contender. Keep in mind again this past season, he
had the second highest passer radio in the league. He
led the league in passing yards. I think he was
second in the league in touchdown passes. He had a

(01:10:00):
phenomenal season. His team was four and twelve, so as
I mean, could he be any better with it if
he even put up the same numbers with the Jets.
We saw him put up those numbers, and yet because
that team in Houston had other problems, they were still
a four and twelve team. So this this gets back
to the idea that whoever lands Deshaun Watson is punching

(01:10:24):
their ticket to the Super Bowl. I think that that
is way overplayed. I mean, Deshaun Watson is a really
talented young quarterback and I can understand its frustration at Houston,
but this is not Tom Brady. And by the way,
Tom Brady joined a Buccaneers team that was loaded with
skill set talent, and they were able to add to that,

(01:10:46):
you know, with Gronk and for Ned and you know
and Tony brown O the guys. They were able to
get and they also had a really good defense in place.
So I just I'm just you know, the Dolphins, I
agree we to make sense because they seemed to have
a lot of the components necessary and bringing in a
vetted quarterback gig. But some of these other teams I
mean I saw were in Houston, they're throwing it out there.

(01:11:08):
How about making a deal with Arizona and swap quarterbacks,
get Kyler Murray? Like really, what is Kyler Murray gonna
do for in Houston? So I am sure if Houston
would love that trade. But this idea that just Sewn Watson,
you suddenly it's instant super Bowl. I I think that's
way over exaggerating. I think the Jets like their roster's
not there yet. The Dolphins were very close to the

(01:11:31):
playoffs right they they're very well coached, are good on defense.
Look defensive pullback is defensively due year year to year.
They drafted three offensive linement of the three rookies playing
last season for them, so they're young there. They do
need to get itself as a wide receiver, and there's
a great, great free class um this year for for
for wide receivers, so there's ways to be very good,

(01:11:53):
very quick in Miami with the Shaun Watson there's just
less of a path for the Jets to make that happen.
And I do think there's something too kind of perpetual
losing Francis down. The Jets obviously had those two years
with Sanchez and Rex Ryan, but they've not really been
a winner very much outside of that, right, And um,

(01:12:15):
does he really want to go somewhere that if it's
all about the winning, which again not always about the winning, UM,
the Jets is just not the place for him. The
Dolphins have had more success, um there more sex recently,
which obviously was been been important for him. So yeah,
I think the Dolphins are the place where he should go.
Or me the Niners will be great too, but I'm
not sure to have assets for that. Yeah, it'll be

(01:12:39):
interesting how this plays out. By the way, he's basically
told him, I'll sit out. Now, how much money would
he walk away from over twenty million dollars if he
were to sit out the season? If Houston, I mean
Houston really could drop the hammer. And I'm still I
still believe that behind the scenes, cal McNair, who's taking
ever for his father, is the man owning this team

(01:13:00):
is getting some pressure, a lot of pressure I think
from other owners saying, do not cave in on this guy.
Do not cave in on this guy, because if you
cave in on this guy, if you give in on
his demands. And by the way, remember this about about
the deal that he signed with Houston. He signed his
extension after the DeAndre Hopkins trade. He signed his extension

(01:13:25):
after they Jettiston, the best receiver in the league. So
what is Deshaun Watson really about? It's all about winning,
because if you signed that extension with the Texans after
they traded Hopkins, maybe it was about the money. And
there's a lot of money there, a million guaranteed, a
twenty seven million dollars signing bonus. So what is DeShawn

(01:13:47):
Watson really about? Jeff Well, it's hard to pass up
that money, right, Okay, I'm not blaming him. But even
if you even if you say to yourself again, you know,
players have the incredible ability. And I've done this on
teams I've been on the team is not very good,
but you can ut yourself otherwise, right, you can put
yourself you know, I was on the Giants for two

(01:14:09):
years and it was after they had won their their
super Bowls and we were six and five and five
and five at one point, and I thought, and we
were first the NMFC East, I think at that point too,
and a time for first, and I was like, look, guys,
all we gotta do is just kind of like do
what they didn't do then in eleven, just or seven
I think it was seven, just like sneaking the playoffs

(01:14:30):
and just going to run. They did. They've done it before.
We could do it too, And obviously we we didn't.
We didn't win the division that year, were six and ten,
But like that's how players think, and Deshaw Watson probably thought,
hey man, all just stick it out in Houston, make
it happen. And something behind the scenes, obviously um combined
with the play last year and the firing of the coach,

(01:14:53):
made it to where he doesn't want to be there
anymore now. It's agent also is an agent too, has
had other players threatened to sit out, has other players
attempt to sit as other players who have set out.
It's kind of what he does a little bit. So
put it all together, I'm not that surprised. Where were
you know, we are? Where we are right now, well,
I agree with you on this in the respect you have.

(01:15:13):
If there's gonna be a deal done, it's gonna be
as close to the draft as possible, because ultimately, you
have to think, if we're gonna get a boatload of
draft picks and we're gonna get multiple ones, multiple twos
in this upcoming draft, then you got to do your homework,
and they got to give them some time to do that.
They can't just make a last second trade and all
of a sudden, I mean, they're gonna have their draft

(01:15:34):
boards ready, but all of a sudden, if you've got
an extra couple of number one picks, I get days
old dynamic of your approach to the draft. Think about
this too. By now, we've had the combine, right, we
would have had the medical part of the combine, which
is a huge part of why that right. They haven't
done that yet. Yeah, there's no combine like, but they're
gonna do the medicals, but they're gonna do a more

(01:15:57):
like individually, either were the place you're training it or
in the city you're you know, let's just use l a.
You see, USC players will just go to a doctor
in Los Angeles who do the physicals for the NFL.
So they're not even there yet. I mean, you know,
you might if you're the Jets and you really want
Justin Fields, you might get a report back about his
medical It's like he's got a you know, arthurrisis near

(01:16:20):
or his throwing shoulder has this, or his elbow does that,
and you, you know, you you might say, hey, man, okay,
now we'll trade for the Shawn Watson. You don't know
this stuff yet. You don't have a complete picture to
make that deal. You have a complete picture to make
for Seattle trade, I think, But for this there's not
enough to know yet in the draft. If you're training
for for Shaun Watson, all right, I mean you mentioned

(01:16:41):
Justin Fields. I have a question on the other side
about Justin Fields. And we're going to weigh into the
impact of fans egg games more or less than we
thought with the absence of the fans coming up next
Steve Harman and Jeff Schwartz. When I sank the crew today,

(01:17:03):
Iowa Sam a week from tomorrow, how do you think
your Hawkeyes A two or three? What do you think
two or a three seed? I'm gonna aim low and
hope high and I'm gonna go say three seed. Okay,
all right, I've seen some of the brack cataldies have
them as a two on the car. Now it depends
on what they do in the tournament conference tournament. And

(01:17:23):
by the way, a lot of teams are contemplating this
whole notion of even playing in these conference tournaments, like
why are we putting ourselves at added risk taking our
teams to these conference tournaments. We got all these teams together,
uh Daggers trying to bail out on the WCCED tournament.
Did you see what happened in the Missouri Valley Conference tournament.

(01:17:43):
You know what happens. So, yeah, Drake in Northern Iowa.
We're supposed to play two instate instate rivals, and they
gave the wind to Drake, the advancement to Drake because
there is a positive test and uh, the city of St.
Louis just didn't want to allow it. Well, I mean,
the rule on the on these conference tournaments is the
winner at the conference surnam it gets the automatic bid, right,
so you have the tools bailing and other schools actually play.

(01:18:07):
You would really mess up your field. Well, you you
mess up for the you know the big conferences that
have those last FOURIGN teams, right, like, that's what he's all.
Conza doesn't play, then you're gonna you have a different
automatic qualifier. And of course if it's another tournament team
that wins, you look like a state. Let's say it's
not as important. But if someone there's an upset and

(01:18:28):
another qualifier gets in, then yes, one other team in
a in a in a power six conference as up.
I don't know how that's gonna play out. We're gonna
find out shortly with these conference tournaments next week. Ralph
irvan jumping and brilliant is always great, Ralphie? Are you
as Ralphie back tomorrow? Ralph? Are you gonna be here tomorrow?
Is giving me the thumbs up? Yes? No? Was he

(01:18:50):
here just today, Ralph? I don't know. He's he's out
and about. He's he's got a lot of things going on,
just following up on the golf guards. All right, very good?
Are you gonna be here tomorrow, Ralph? No? No, okay, uh,
it's great to work with you. Crowd cheers now uh.
And then there's little lot of course, the earlier producer
who always is wearing his packers gear and and still

(01:19:11):
is decided not to cut his hair because the women
in his life, women loved the flowing locks. I had
long hair when I met my wife, and she very
much enjoyed my long hair past my shoulders. Way, that's
that's where Lee is. These days, you got the flowing
locks once again. Broadcasting live from the Farmers Insurance Fox

(01:19:33):
Sports Radio, Steels call Farmers today for a quote. I
don't know if I asked you this the last time
we spoke since the Carson Wentz trade. But if you're
the Philadelphia Eagles, you have the sixth pick in the draft,
are you sold on Jalen Hurts Or if Justin Fields
is sitting there at number six, are you gonna switch

(01:19:54):
gears with your quarterback? I think you dropped someone else.
So if you have Justin Fields, assuming that he's on
the board, would you take Justin Fields at number six
if you're the Eagles, Yes, all right? That so I
want to hear that. I just don't think Jalen Hurts
is is the guy there? All right? So that's interesting

(01:20:16):
And also final words today, I I to me, it's
a no brainer. Absolutely. I take Justin Fields and I
like Jalen hurts. But if I had Justin Fields sitting
in front of me, absolutely, this is this is a
team that was the worst team in the worst division
in the history of the NFL. Okay, you're bad. So
here is a do over. And to start with that quarterback,

(01:20:39):
are you happy about fans back and what impact do
fans back on these games have for the players? Do
you think just more juice, more energy. It's a lot
of fun. It's just for us a lot of fun
to watch as a fan, and I think that's what
wefer from spring training as well. Hey, folks, just keep
it there. On Fox Sports Radio

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03/06/2021 - FOX Sports Saturday with Steve Hartman and Geoff Schwartz

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