Best of The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon

Jason Smith and Mike Harmon discuss Brandon Nimmo’s 8-year $162 million dollar deal to stay with the Mets. Brittney Griner is freed from a Russian prison in exchange for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer. Plus, Jason and Mike react to Baker Mayfield’s first stint with the Rams vs the Raiders and so much more!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of The Jason Smith
Show with My Carmen podcast. Be sure to catch us
live every weeknight from ten pm to two am Eastern
seven to eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find
your local station for The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Carmen at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every night on the I Heart Radio app by
searching fs R. This is the best of The Jason

(00:23):
Smith Show with Mike Harmon on Fox Sports Radio. Gratings
and welcome inside. Happy Thursday. The Jason Smith Show with
my best friend Mike Harman hobo broadcasting live from the
tire Iract dot Com studios. Tirect dot com will help
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(00:44):
road hatchet protection, and over ten thousand recommended installers. Tirect
dot com the way tire buying should be well. After all,
you guys had the night off last night. Everybody's back
for Thursday night. You at chance you guys took off
last night. Rich Ornberger came in and he had the

(01:07):
greatest takes ever. He actually produced the show too. We
talked to Dan Foul, We talked to every charger legend,
there Is. We talked to foul We we talked to
Charlie Joyner, We talked to John Jefferson, we talked to
Louis Culture, We talked to everybody. It was unbelievable last night.
Who did Dan found decided he was gonna criticize yesterday?

(01:30):
I wanted to use that ten minutes for oh what do?
We talked a lot about Oregon, you know, anywhere we
went to school, and and then then we got into
the Charges a little bit. And then we had Philip
Rivers came on. We had Ryan Leaf on the show.
They were in studio with us. He just kept calling people.
They just kept walking into the studio. It was fantastic,
veritable turnstyle, no doubt. Did you say my name? You know?

(01:52):
I didn't know he didn't actually say your name? No,
And I said, I said rich Ornberger. I said, produced
so many. We had so many Charger legends on the
show last night, Frostburger, keep my name out your mouth.
We had we had so many legends. It was unbelievable.
And when you say legends, he had in studio next
to me, I had Fouts, and then I had stand Humphreeze,
and then I had Craig wheel ahand and then they

(02:14):
had Yeah, there were anybody's going to that guy's house.
Was unbelievable as a big round table of Charger quarterback,
just orange and they would cut. Yeah, he came out,
Tony Martin came into. Oh it was great. It was unbelievable.
Oh yeah yeah, and he was he was calling out

(02:35):
high school plays and everything. He was cursing up the store.
He was cursing so many times. It was just dumped dump,
umped up. But he keeps dropping all these curse words.
He's just well, I mean, people change at different times
in their lives. You're gonna try different things. And and

(02:55):
maybe the guy that never uttered an expletive and always complaining,
which he did a out of two opponents and referees,
maybe he's decided his post playing career that the let
the explet his fly. I don't know, but I know
you you guys were off less that you had that
it was the big corporate night at Corporation. Yeah it wasn't.

(03:19):
It was. It seemed like we were out there wearing
like tuxedos and suits. Yeah. No, I mean I ran
into all the boys that were there, and uh, you know,
they were enjoy enjoying a nice adult beverage. We introduced
them to the concept of mac and cheese and a
bread bowl in his finest clothing. You know, I did go.

(03:39):
I wore my Mary Sithness short shirt no no, and
I had my um my holiday holiday holiday shoes on.
I was ready to ready to go, and my daughters
had a great time. It was good to run into
folks randomly while waiting in line for rides and meeting
up and listening to some singers. Right tight shirt. We
had a good time. They were listening to the missiletoes

(04:01):
and they were getting after it, and they locked the
fact that we were allowed and obnoxious in the bag.
It was great. You said your holiday shoes, those are
your iron cheek boots. Right yeah, okay, very good. Even
though we weren't actually at Disneyland. We were at California Adventure.
I thought I'd go with an a Laddin team, so
I took those boots. So I addressed his Princess Jasmine.

(04:22):
So I addressed addressed as the iron sheet and the
rest was history. Why am I not surprised? Uh? So,
I'm glad you guys had fun again. We had Paul
Knerico on the show last night, was we had we
had Ozzy Gee and was on the show. You would
have had been dump Ozzy Gee, and so often it
would have been like you had the iron cheek on

(04:44):
and Knock would have been calling doing what the hell
are you guys doing? Orn Berger called everybody man, Greg
Lazyinski came in. It was unbelievable, and I noticed how
it's none of your people. He was on air with
you and ignoring any of your childhood fantasies of who
you You wouldn't all of those people, all those great kids.
We normally one guest tonight, and you're like, there's a

(05:06):
caval gand of stars? Did you know the retirement or
what we we had on? You know, you're not gonna
believe this, um, but the amazing that you know, Frostburg,
you can't just chump onto my punchlines like that, you know,
I mean it's brilliant, you know, I look, I had

(05:27):
all these names of people who were did you did
you go and find a bunch of illustrators from a
bunch of people from the automated world right now? Lucy Christian, Okay,
that's pretty good. Rico Fajardo, Megan Shipman, Yeah, Tia Ballard,
I had all these names, Megan what you crossed? Reference

(05:50):
that with one of the sites, Megan Shipman, the Stallion. Yeah,
Tia Ballard, I had all these names, all these animated
ain't ready got did you have animate? As long as
Mukoto Shinkai wasn't on? I'm chilling. We're fine. Oh we
had Koto Shinkai. No you did not? She she yes,

(06:11):
that's I forgot. Yes, because there were so many guests.
He was on with us too. Don't know were they
using pronouns in the questions? I mean, who knew? Well, Jason,
guess what since you had so many legends on last night,
we have zero guests tonight. Oh it's okay, that's fine.
Like last night was one of those nights we could be.
We had we had, we had alcohol, we had all
kinds of stuff. You know what. I was just at

(06:31):
the holiday holiday holiday party? You know who? It wasn't there? You? No? No,
I had shaking hands, kissing babies and no I had
I had a day with Zoe today where it was
a very big day for us. It's a big day
for us every year. And we had our own thing
we did. We do every December eight, Zoe and I
sing a bunch of John Lennon song No No, No,
every December eight because it just holiday December. It's not

(06:53):
a holiday, but tradition that we've been doing for about
ten years now where she and I go and we
create a Christmas ornament and we do it every December.
And she's dad, we got to do it every December eight.
It was four years old. Every December, right, okay, And
so every December rates since she was four, we go
to Color Me Mine, which is you know, a place
where you can you make stuff and you can make

(07:14):
bowls and glasses and stuff, and we decorate a Christmas
ornament with all things from the year that we had in.
Today was our day to go do that. So I
couldn't go to the Christmas party because of that. Not
the answer you're expecting. You're expecting. I went to McDonald
I was expecting, took a nap. There you go. That's
what it was. Sappy and sentimental and what it was.

(07:36):
Because of course I would have come to the party,
but today I did today. Yeah, that's what I want, dad.
Why is what Dad? Why is my harmon wear? Shorts
all the time, and why is he cursing? Why is
he trying d have done a little bit of cursing
and finger pointing with ones that might not be appropriate
for television. Uh, welcome inside the first hour again The

(07:59):
Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike carbon Twitter
at how about a fresca Mike gets swollen dome. We
could talk about how complicated other banks make it to
a deem credit card rewards, or we could talk about
how we discover you can redeem your rewards for cash
and any amount at any time. I mean talk about
amazing learn more discovered dot com slash redeemed rewards terms
they do apply well. Thursday Night Football, the Rams are

(08:21):
getting the football back. Baker Mayfield has been playing the
vast majority of this game, and they're getting the ball back.
Because if you wanted to say, hey, what is roughing
the kicker look like? And and can you show me
example of it? This is just what happened as the Raiders.
Uh completely, Uh it was. It wasn't even I can't
even say running into the kicker. The kick was away, right,

(08:43):
I mean like the kick was away and and and
Riley Dixon has taken two steps and one of the
Raiders players just runs into him. Both acts handled behind
him and hits them. So it looks like the Rams
are gonna get the ball back. They're trailing thirteen to
three to the Raiders right now, and you know, look,
this is a game that really it's it's just a

(09:05):
shocking thing because well, we we actually have an injury
update to tell you. Josh Jacobs, who has run for
seventy three yards in a touchdown, is questionable to return.
He's got an arm injury. He was just our hand
injury because he was running for a first down a
few minutes ago, came down kind of awkwardly walked off
the field trying to brace his fall on a big

(09:26):
fifteen yard run. Uh, he's questionable to return. So the
Raiders now dealing with that as they try to get
back in the playoff picture. But Baker mayfield tonight four
out of twelve or seventy yards. At times he has
looked like okay, and most of the time it's oh boy,
he's off. You know, it's I don't get the big
push to say we gotta have Baker. He's gotta start,

(09:47):
He's gotta please got I mean this push to get
him in and get him the football, get him to
play with, get him on the field. I mean this
is like unprecedented, Mike. I mean, this is not a
team that's nine and three and is or is fighting
for a playoffs. But this season is over right, like
they're three and nine. Man, it's done. But this, but this,
this desire to get him in the game and get
him playing right away. I don't understand it. I don't

(10:08):
I just why was it We have to get him?
But these guys gotta play, We gotta get gotta gotta
gotta got he's gotta plays, gotta play's gotta play. Okay,
Why he's been with the team, What has he had
one practice? Has he even had a practice? Does he
even know any many of his teammates? How many plays
could he possibly know? And and the desire to get
him at her on Thursday night football? I don't get it.
I really, I mean I like to think I have
the answers for a lot of things, but boy, this

(10:30):
I really just don't get why. Hey, we're gonna push
to get him out there right now? Well, I think
to a couple of levels, right, obviously, Wolford comes out Uh,
and departs very quickly. Right, you have your three and
out and and then it's the Baker Mayfield show. You
get his great ovation and all that fun stuff. Uh.
And as you said, it's been scattershot. A couple of
really nice plays, right, did a good job also of

(10:52):
getting a penalty drawn on the raider defense like he
did some he's done some good things. Uh. And then
a couple where he snapped it off a good two
to three yards short of the would be receiver's route.
So a little bit of miscommunication, as you'd expect. But
to your point about getting him in, it becomes the
we brought him in. Wofford isn't ready, Perkins is ready,

(11:14):
so break glass in case of emergency. He knows enough
of the base packages. We're actually having this conversation. Know,
as part of the holiday holiday holiday party, you would
have cleaned up on the sliders by the way as
we go. Um, now I saw them and they were
gone before I turned back and got it late. Jason
would have been whimpy from it could have been you
might have stacked him up and said they need some too.

(11:37):
But the the idea being that you decided you we're
gonna bring this guy in. Based terminology is based terminology,
and he's a guy that through his travels enough familiarity
with the style of offense McVeigh wants to run. So
now you get into a little bit of the verbage,
a little bit of the communication with the wide receivers,

(11:57):
and it's something that isn't unattainable in the thirty seven
hours or whatever that time up, whatever that clock is.
Since he was added to the squad right get through
the playbook. They got it to him immediately. Uh and
and starts going through the process. Doesn't mean you're going
you're gonna do anything exotic, anything crazy in your offense,

(12:18):
but you want to see at least at a base
where he's at, and you really don't have any other options.
You're gonna sign someone else off the street to come
in and play this game. With Wolford physically not able
to perform, I mean, you might as well throw him
under fire and just say, okay, offensive lineman, do your
best job, Baker, get rid of the ball or get
the hell out of dodge as fast as possible. And

(12:40):
thus far that's not a bad strategy. Be sure to
catch live editions of the Jason Smith Show with Mike
harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven pm Pacific. So
now holiday holiday holiday music starts, well, I don't know.
I mean, we heard this as we were walking around
cars Land yesterday. It was the first holiday song I heard.
The later by Grandma got run over by rain here,

(13:02):
but we and Grandma likes to rocket like a boogie
woogie shoo joe train. But this was the first one,
and I immediately sent it to the guys, like, you
need to go to cards Land now so you can
da have. My girls were dancing in the street to it.
It was beautiful. Yeah, you're not supposed to bring attention
to the music. What are you doing? It's well Ty
Shirts finally playing. I mean, I know he feel the

(13:23):
fact that you brought attention to it. Now we're not
playing another one all night, gonna we're gonna be running
up that damn hill all night because of you, because
all you're doing is robbing the people of hearing Bill.
People don't want to hear it till the week of
We've done studies on the people want to hear Bill
Belichick doing have yourself a merry little Christmas. We were

(13:45):
celebrating Kost Coast here in southern California, who've been playing
holiday holiday holiday music. It's November one, so you know, yeah,
but that's not what we do, no, it is. You're
absolutely right. Tysa's just gonna playing holiday songs like whatever.
He feels like it's gonna drop one in on you.
I get no problem with that. You know, keep people guessing.

(14:07):
Here's Bachman turning overdrive doing taking care of Christmas. Here
we go, one dud. We could talk about how complicated
other banks may get to redeem credit card rewards, or
we could talk about how with Discover you can redeem
your rewards for cashing any amount of anytime. I mean,
talk about amazing learn more discover dot com slash redeem
rewards terms they do apply. Raiders still lead the Rams

(14:28):
thirteen three. This is like watching a Jets game. I mean,
this is like a Zach Wilson quarterback Jets game. Watching
the Rams. That's gott that's kind of where it's at.
They have like a hundred yards of offense. It doesn't
look like they're getting down the field penalties that give
them yards or their best plays. I mean, it's like
watching a Jets game. Yeah, winning ugly is a real thing. Now,
if you had the Rams plus six and a half,

(14:49):
you're still kind of salty, even though you got Baker
Mayfield running out there that you've got the Raiders fifteen
first down to the Rams eight. Uh wanted sixty total
yards to the Rams one time of possession. Actually only
within five minutes. And when you got super to out
here coming to kick field goals, it's all good. Jason.

(15:15):
I'm picturing you with the scepter in the King's chair
with the crown on, watching in the whizz and nobody
beats me. I'm the kid I'm wearing. I'm wearing the
I got the Jets Christmas Santa outfit going. Yes, this
is this is my game right here, This is what
I watched. This is they just trying to sixty one
yard field goal for expect your sixty one yards away.

(15:35):
You gotta do something right. Trumpet's playing every time you
go to the kitchen. No, it starts being Timmy l
is there. It comes the Jason Boo, the Queen of refuse,
the Queen of garbage. Two and a half to go
in the third quarter. Yes, the Rams miss a sixty

(15:55):
one yard field goal. So the Raiders still with the
thirteen three lead. They have the football just on the
ram side of midfield. Uh Now, before we get to
the Brittany Grinder story, let me just say this. Something
is going to happen in Major League Baseball this year
that we have never seen before. After the Mets today
signed Brandon Nemo to a eight year, hundred and sixty

(16:18):
million dollar contract extension, and David Robertson they bring him in,
who had a big bounce back year last year. What
d wright the that we we were? I think we're
still captain. Let's go, we're still paying David, Right, you
got a couple of throws and you don't. The Mets
will be the first team in the history of Major
League Baseball to begin a season with a three hundred

(16:40):
million dollar payroll. And don't forget the big tax that
kicks in a two million where you pay like tax.
It was done just country income. They basically go dollar
for dollar with you. It's ridicularly they do this just
for Steve Cohen. Oh, I don't like the fact that
he's got more money than me. I'm sorry, you're not
a rich for him. I'm sorry. It's they made well

(17:05):
if he's the guy who exceed the Yeah, maybe he
gets a trophy with the best record in the during
the regular season. Here, you don't have enough cash, then
don't own a team. If you can't keep a team competitive,
don't own a team. Three hundred million dollar pad doesn't matter.
We're not done. We're gonna get out Tani. We're gonna
get Korea, We're gonna get everybody. We're gonna everybody else

(17:27):
that's out there. We're gonna go get them. Because I
can't tell you how much I love the fact that, hey, yeah,
we'll spend as much as possible, because for thirty years
it was we're counting every dime and making sure we're
not paying one dime more than I want to to
anyone going forward. Here, that's life under the Wilpons. No, No,
I got a guy down. I don't care what I'm

(17:47):
gonna may. I really don't give a crap. Hey, but Jason,
I thought you said you hate contracts that go like
eight years. Why are you paying a guy when he's
thirty seven thirty eight years old. If my owner doesn't care,
then I don't care. The guy just bought out Robinson
Canoe for twillion dollars because they didn't want to put
him in the lineup last year. If my owner doesn't
care that, I don't care if if it we're just

(18:08):
talking about money for most other teams. Yeah, money is
a big deal. All we're gonna be nervous. What's gonna
happen when we're still have to pay Tred Turner when
he's thirty five years old with five years left on
his contract. Yeah, Steve Cohen says, yeah, you wanted to
buy out trade Turner for you? I got that money
right here because I'm worth eighteen billion dollars. Yes. I
love the fact that money money, money, money, and it
doesn't matter no, and that's the beauty of it. Like,

(18:29):
as as a fan of the team, you want to
know that your ownership group or individual whoever's running the
show signing the checks, is trying to put a winner
out there. Say what you will about Jerry Jones, there's
a lot of things that people find distasteful at any level.
Right go through if you want to do the photo

(18:50):
thing from you got that, you want to go through
some of the home for wayward players and guys that
he signed in the past, you can do. You that,
But what you can't do is question whether the guy
wants to win in the NBA. It's the same thing
with Mark Cuban. Right Again, we go through the hiring
and retention process and some of the stuff that has

(19:12):
gone on within those offices, and it's abhorrent behavior. Right
Nobody is on board with a lot of that process.
But you recognize that this is a guy that's spending
money and is working to try to build a winner.
I just read a threat of emails from people that
are emailing Rhinsdorf and the ownerships slash management of the

(19:34):
Chicago White Sox because they got their renewal notices and
every one of them wrote back a letter telling them
to go to hell. They started getting their calls and
emails and they shared what they wrote back. Now are
all of them a dent? Hey, I actually set this
versus on a twitter tough guy. I don't know what
that the veracity is uh in terms of percentage, but

(19:57):
based on what they shared and what I know to
be true even within my own family, of a couple
of family members that have told them to beat it.
At some point, if you're not spending money and you're
actually making jokes about the ineptitude and failures of your team,
as Ryan's doorff did at the winter meetings down here
in San Diego. Then you're telling your your fans it's

(20:19):
all a joke. I'll take the TV money, I'll take
the revenue share, and you can all beat it. And
so when we have this with the Mets, is it
as some people are gross overspending or people getting mad
about Xander Bogart's and all these other things. It's like,
it's one, it's not your money, and yes you will
see some of it in the ticket prices, etcetera. So

(20:41):
beat judicious about the games you go. Maybe used to
go to eight, now you gotta gotta go to four
or five. Guess what it's the economy in general, But
it's also big boy sports. In two thousand twenty two,
the cost of playing poker to bring in pre eminent
free agents has gone through the roof. So if you
want to seat at the table, guess what trickle down

(21:03):
effects and the economic impact means, Yeah, you probably have
to pay a little more for your popcorn, your nacho helmet,
or whatever the hell else do you consume at a
ball game, and you have to get over it, because
that's the price of winning. And Steve Cohen right now,
for the New York Mets, I'd love to be a
fan of the Mets if I were, if I were

(21:23):
in your shoes, Smith, because you've got a guy who
is thinking like a fan and has the wallet of
an owner, and those two coming together at least means
you'll have a seat at the table. Comes that for
a monologue? Take that. It'll be four hundred million next year?
Five hundred way do we get Otani? Man? And that's
gonna be another five legitimate? I got it, man, I

(21:46):
got it. I'm all good. Yeah. How good is that? Though?
To have an ownership ship uh process whereby it's a
all right? I know I'm now in the punitive side
of things, right where these dollars have been setting and
agreed upon, and I still say, tell with it. I
want to build a winner. Last year's win winning total

(22:06):
in the regular season was great. The playoff left that
much of a not my gut for two months that
I want to go back and I'll spend more to
trying to fix those problems, to solve those issues and
fill the gaps on a roster. How great is that?
It's why it's great to have a fan for an owner,
because he thinks the same way that I do. I

(22:28):
want to win. I want to win. I buy the
team because I want to win. Yeah, I highly doubt
he's the same in business, in this edge fund as
he's doing this because I want to win. I want
to tea. I want to be the stop. You're just
upset with what are you doing? We're outbidding you for everybody.
It doesn't matter, you can nobody lander. We outbid you

(22:51):
for what you found Nemo t J. Yeah, okay, Yeah,
that's that's a contract. I'm okay. He wanted to go
and win a World Series, unlike because that's what he's
getting ready to do. And the Rangers, that's all and
that's all they do is win World Series. The Rangers. Yes,
that's all they don't man, Sometimes teams just spend money

(23:14):
to spend money. Yeah, you talked about it. I remember
when people were mocking the Jaguars for Christian Kirk. Sometimes
you gotta pay a little bit more to get someone
to Hey, he's had a nice here, but sometimes you
gotta pay a little more to get people to come
to a destination. That's normally not on the map for them.
That yet, I think that's kind of kind of do

(23:35):
a degree on you gotta do. Maybe they like him
a lot, Maybe he's really good at game night everybody
what No one would come here if they didn't want
to be here, and they all want to be here.
It's all very exact, all signed robertson Cantona. Let's say
all them, Mike, tell them all about him. I was left,

(23:57):
but he's gone. All the guys you wanted Frost, but
we're just outbidding you for everyts That's all I need.
We're gonna get road on too. We're gonna get everybody
man you can. We're gonna we could take Zach Wilson
away from the Jets and make things easier. Hey, we'll
just take him over here. Okay, you know you don't
have to worry about just worry about Mike White will
take Zach Wilson over here. This is gonna be awesome, fantastic,

(24:20):
Twitter and out about a Fresca. Mike gets swollen down
the Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon.
I mean, when you when money is no object, it's
I feel I can't believe This is like how most
of the other sports world lives, where it's like, oh, yeah,
we'll spend money. Really you'll spend my don't understand it?
Now I love it. It's a whole new world. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show
with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific.

(24:43):
The Jason Smith Show with My best friend Mike Harmon.
And it's not very often we're the biggest story in
sports and the biggest story in the country, uh intersects.
But that happened today. You likely woke up to the
news that Brittney Griner was freed after almost ten months
to ten ship in a Russian prison after a swap
that was made public today. We had heard the parameters

(25:06):
um starting a couple of months ago where the United
States traded Victor Bout, who is one of the biggest
arms dealers in the world, a guy nicknamed the Merchant
of Death. His story was so shocking and so big
they made a movie out of him called The Lord
of War with with Nicolas Cage in the role. And
there's and there's you know, look, there's so much to

(25:28):
to get to with this story, with Brittany Grinder coming
because it's it's not without controversy, but you know, celebrate
that she's home. You know. The first thing that that
came to me, Mike with this is that when when
this news came out today, before it got to the
point where well, why don't we get somebody else? Why
didn't we get this? Just think about this for a second,
for for ways of life. When this prisoner exchange went on,

(25:50):
we wanted a basketball player, right, we went who did
we want to free? We wanted a basketball player? Right?
We wanted up someone who's played basket ball, who has
been a role model, who is who is a gay
African American player that plays basketball for a living. This
is who we wanted freed. Who did Russia want an
arms dealer that was doing all kinds of time, who

(26:12):
was one of the most dangerous people in the world.
So just think about that for a second. We wanted
a basketball player, they wanted an arms dealer. Yeah. As
we we go through the process of this, right, obviously
many political arms to it, a lot of discussion points. Uh,
the fact of the matter is, at his core, you
had the release of Brittany Grinder, and we could get

(26:35):
into all the different areas of the negotiation process, from
political winds too, to the idea of Paul Wheland, who's
the other UH individual that whose name you saw a
lot earlier, right the attending the wedding of a marine
colleague in Russia and then was arrested in ten espionage charges.

(27:00):
US says, there falls, he says, their false look, I'm
just there marine background. It becomes a more politicized process
for Brittany Grinder. There are a lot of reasons from
a a social standpoint, from a political standpoint, all of
those that go through, and we can always go through
the process of just the base as we talked about

(27:21):
months ago, of whether she was rightfully wrongfully detained depending
on your perspective. And I know it's a divisive UH
story on so many levels, Folks saying, well, look what
it was like part of the world down distant circumstance
treatment of people and how different members of society are

(27:44):
are looked at, looked upon the importance of a basketball player,
because I saw that's how it was reduced by a
number of people, was a basketball player instead of the marine.
Well with from ah, there there's two parts to it, right,
you're running. If you're on the Russian side of things,
you're you're running two part two separate things. You've got
the internal of well, ay, we got an American hero.

(28:11):
We'll use that term here for for Brittany grind Right,
celebrity basketball player, all of these things, and you have
a shot against the American military military, and you're you're
trying to figure out you know, espionage, and you could say, look,
it's the the badness of the United States. So there's
capital there for the politics and the global understandings of

(28:38):
engagement as it goes. So we we look through and
that's where we're at in this process. So you know,
as this comes down, I saw the divisive language and
the just a basketball player like no, there there's a
lot of people that for this, this is a a
large victory culturally. Uh. And certainly going back again to

(29:02):
the alleged infraction. Two wonder allowed about the sentencing. I
question as we were talking to the executi producer, Justin
Prosperg and the you know you you had Wheeland able
to talk to a CNN correspondent do an interview talks
about reading books constantly in that interview, talks about getting

(29:24):
mail constantly. So I am being detained, no question about it.
A hell escape unlike any other. But the way he
described it, he still has some of the creature comforts
that allow for at least an existence right not in
and not being subjected while he did go through a
laundry list of other ills and the retention of anybody

(29:47):
that we're doing these swaps. You can go down and
depending on how you want to go down to this politically,
uh and socially and and we talk. You know, I
kept seeing the word wokeness all over the place. A
successful exchange was negotiated, and the fact that we're talking
about someone who's got the moniker of the Lord of War,

(30:10):
the fact that Hollywood made a movie about it doesn't
diminish the fact that something was accomplished by the State
Department and by the presidency. Here in the US. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show
with Mike Harman weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio app. Hello,

(30:33):
Welcome inside our to The Jason Smith Show with my
best friend Mike Harman, live from the ti Irac dot
Com Studios tirect dot com will help you get there
an unmatched selection, fast, free shipping, free road hazard protection
over ten thousand recommended installers ti irac dot com The
way tire By should be well because this is peak

(30:55):
Raiders that you know. I shouldn't say I'm surprised about
this because this is absolutely the Raiders m O right.
They lose a bunch of games. They lose to Jeff
Saturday in his first game as a head coach in
the NFL, when people don't even know if he's qualified.
It looks like Josh McDaniels is gonna get fired. And
then what happens. The Raiders went three in a row
and they beat some decent teams along the way. Now

(31:17):
they're on the periphery of the playoff chase. Oh, it's
gonna be a rollover game against the Rams. The Rams
are gonna play Baker Mayfield. Baker Bayfield's had like eight
hours with the playbook. Where are we right now? The
Raiders need a couple of first downs to keep the
ball away from Mayfield. As a touchdown by the Rams, uh,
cam Akers goes up for one yard uh to make

(31:39):
it a six team ten game. Raiders getting the football
back with three minutes left to go. And this is
this is like peak Raiders. Every time you think the
Raiders are gonna do one thing, they do the other.
That's kind of how I should be. Now that's really
you know, forget about what I think and and and
and you know which way and trying to figure out
trends for the Raiders. It's gonna be whatever I think

(32:00):
it's gonna happen. It's gonna be the opposite all the Raiders.
They're gonna win like three in a row. Here, they're
gonna be really good. No, that means the Raiders are
gonna lose three in a row. Say that instead. Okay,
the season's over for the Raiders. They're firing their head
coach and there it's gonna be a go all. They're
gonna spiral to the bottom and they're looking at the
NFL Draft. No, instead, say the Raiders are gonna win
three in a row. Okay, great, here they are Thursday

(32:20):
Night Football five and seven. They can get to six
and seven. They're gonna win this game by thirty over
the Rams. No, instead, say it's gonna be a difficult
game and somehow Baker Mayfield's gonna have the Rams within
a score with three minutes left to go. I just
have to go the opposite Mike, and that that's what
I need to do. Well, everybody assuming that the Rams
are gonna lay down and die even without Aaron don

(32:40):
you know, with Aaron Donald out and Stafford out. I didn't.
I didn't buy it because it's the Raiders, like you,
all of a sudden, You're gonna go from three weeks
ago saying everybody's getting fired, this is a disaster. They
should trade this guy, move with their move out of
the way and and bounce this guy Derek Carr all
of the tearful press conference or whatever. That suddenly everything

(33:03):
was gonna be right with the world, I guess to
a degree, but this one just had had a feel
to it because of all of the hyperboles surrounding the Raiders.
Sean John mcveakin is still coach. I wanted to get
Sean Payton in, but that's that's it. That's if he

(33:23):
leaves it. Well, listen, Sean Payton. Look, there's eleven teams
that I'm sure we're talking about. Yeah, whatever you can
negotiate to bring him in, right, I mean, you still
got he's under contract with New Orleans. You still got
to make a deal, so we'll we'll see, And obviously
they'd love him to go to the FC. With the
point with the rams is cam Akers had had run well,

(33:44):
the fumble obviously a problem, the first down throw on
fourth in the yard that you had to fight all
the way down near the gold line to get done. Fine, whatever,
They punched it into the end zone, giving themselves a chance.
Still have Wagner, still have a bunch of defensive players
that can make plays. And again it's the Raiders. Then

(34:05):
you can't get out of their own way. Like I
wasn't I was supposed to believe. They suddenly flipped the script.
So like this week's Detroit Minnesota game is so dangerous, right,
Detroit being a narrow favorite. We've seen all the close
wins from the Vikings. Respect level isn't there, and you've
got a surging Lions team. So what's the media take? Oh,

(34:25):
the Lions look out here they are, which means they
probably score four points a couple of safeties and that's it.
I mean, it's it's that kind of weak that we
have here. As we're in week fourteen of the year,
just when you think you've got it figured out, or
just when you think you've got all the answers, I
changed the questions. It's very very nice, Rowdy Roddy Pipe,

(34:46):
thank you very much. We could talk about how complicated
other banks make it to rade aam credit card rewards,
or we could talk about how with Discover you can
redeem you rewards for cash and any amount at anytime.
I mean talk about amazing learn more at discovered dot
com slash right d rewards terms they do apply. So
we'll have more in this game coming up again. Raiders
trying to kill the clock, a couple of time outs
called by the rams, and we're gonna have that big

(35:09):
um new NFL insider story coming up in the minutes,
because we have to look this guy could be the
next great insider. He says he's better than Adam Schefter,
says he's better than Jordan's Sheltz. We have to bleep
out stuff that he says. That's how good he is
as an insider. We have to bleep out what he
said today about a destination for a potential Odell Beckham

(35:32):
Um situation. We have to we have to bleep out
what he says, this guy's new school, man, he's gonna
be a new school insider. So once we bleep it out,
then we can be able to bring it to you
in a few minutes. But I didn't think we'd have
to do that. But hey, this this is what is
two man people? People are you know, I'm trying to
find my own path, man, And and I'm not just

(35:54):
gonna get on there and talk. I'm gonna make sure
I curse and I say a bunch of things before
I give you my insight. And where I think someone's
gonna go fantastic. Uh so Uh. The other thing that
um was really shocking today is this is that you know,
and I'm pretty surprised, speaking of insiders, Right, Jason Cole

(36:15):
who joins us every single week. Right, We've been talking
to him every week for like a decade. Right, he
comes on has the time of his life with us
every single time. It's the best ten minutes of his
week when he comes on with us to talk football.
It's been coming up. We get him sandwiches when he
comes into town. He could have broke his whole. Hey,
the forty niner is gonna look into Tom Brady and

(36:37):
Aaron Rodgers at the end of the season. He could
have done it with us. Instead he does it on
out kick and I get he could have done that
with us and done us a solid here. You know,
we had him on for ten years. We could have
done that Sandwich we did. That's where one of those things. No,
we've listen. He signed a five year, six sandwich deal.

(36:58):
All right, that's that's that's not my know, that's the dealing.
He's gonna come into town. I mean he's got I mean,
I'm like when I saw that today, when I saw
the story, hey, uh, you know NFL insider Aaron Rodgers,
Tom Brady could be on forty Niners radar. I said, oh, Jason,
Jason called, come on, man, what the hell? Why is
he not coming on with us and breaking that what's

(37:19):
going on here? I was really happen you don't come on?
I mean, come on, we I mean, it's the best,
it's the best ten minutes of his of his week
when he comes on with us and he gets to
talk and talk and said that he couldn't he couldn't
come on with us. He couldn't do that with you
couldn't get it. I mean, as soon as you saw

(37:40):
this reported, we I mean, we could have been the
first to talk to him. Then they're yes, I know,
I can't believe you had that, but he did have
the story today that there could be the expectation that
the forty niners are gonna look into potentially getting Tom
Brady or Aaron Rodgers in the off season. Now, the
first thing, my first thing with this is this, I

(38:01):
can't wait for another off season in San Francisco. No, no, no,
Trey Lance is our guy. No no, no, no, stop
stop stop stop with all the silliness, Tray Lance is
clearly our guy, so much so we couldn't let Jimmy
Garoppolo go, We couldn't trade him. And now yeah, now
we're gonna kick the tires on Aaron Rodgers and and
and Tom Brady. No, no, but look, but Trey Lances.

(38:21):
We love Tray. Come on, I can't believe you guys
are saying this as you wind up talking to all
different quarterbacks and guys say it's gonna be another off
season of John Lynchon and Kyle Channing and saying, now,
come on, what are you doing? Trades? Our trades our
guy with Brady and Roger's gonna be walking behind him
in press conferences and no, they're just here to say Hi, Look, Trade,

(38:42):
we loved I talked to Trade today. Tray knows we
love him. Trays our guy. We love Tray Lands. I
can't wait for that story to play out. That's gonna
be a long ass off season for the forty Niners.
They keep bringing upon themselves. Right, you opened the door,
speculation is there. You got a guy who hasn't played
a lot of football coming off a very severe injury.
You've got a team that has the opportunity potentially to

(39:05):
make some big noise here down the stretch and into
the playoffs. So trying to figure out how you keep
that momentum going because remember, eventually everybody needs to get
paid and fed. Right, that's what we thought. We go
through all the way, all the way through. As much
as we love the Legion of Boom and that front,
front line defense and everything else, you knew eventually the

(39:27):
band was gonna break up pretty fast because everybody needed
to get paid. Likewise, you're looking at a situation in
San Francisco, you're not paying everybody age is gonna come
and knocking on the door as well, injuries pile up
guys who start to slip a bit, So what are
you gonna do? You're gonna try to make that move,
even it's for a year or two, like the Rams

(39:47):
that we're watching here on Thursday night football, to try
to get yourself over the top. And that may mean
a lot of tap dancing around the subject of trail Lands.
I can't wait. That's gonna be awesome, John, Let's go. Oh,
come on, all the all the affronting of I can't
believe you're you're telling me that, no, we loved Why
why do you think we try? Tray Lance hasn't played
football in three years. It's could be three years or

(40:09):
to play. No, we love Tray. Tray is our guy.
The other thing is this and and I can't say
this enough because I hear people say this and it
just drives me crazy. Aaron Rodgers can't get trade You
just see what are Aaron Rodgers cap hit is nine
million dollars? Yeah, it's ninety million dollars? Is it less?
If Aaron Rodgers traded after June one? It is? Could

(40:30):
you make it work? Yeah? You could. No one is untradeable.
No one's contract is unmovable salary cap. Stuff can get
figured out if the sides are motivated, and that would
be a motivated Aaron Rodgers wants to move on. The
Packers want to move on from Aaron Rodgers. Somebody wants
Aaron Rodgers. There's always ways to get it done. Don't

(40:53):
see it to look at go Nope, can't do it.
Look look at that cap. If you really want to
move on, if you really want it can happen. You
can move money around many ways. You can defer, you
can pay out, you can see what someone else will pass.
There's a way to do it. If the Niners really
want Aaron Rodgers and the Packers really want to move
on from him, they will find a way after June

(41:15):
one to get it done. No, it's it's novel. You
can never look out the situation. This guy is absolutely
as you can see, everybody is tradeable, Everybody is movable,
regardless of contract, regardless of anything else. You can move
on from a guy if you really want to. And
in the off season, I'm telling you the Packers are
gonna be really motivated to move on from Aaron Rodgers.

(41:36):
This is a disaster. They're not gonna get any better.
They know what that money, what's going on, and we
we can't sign anybody anyway. We gotta look at Jordan's love.
Jordan's love is gonna We're gonna have to exercise the
option on him. It's just too much of a difficult
situation going forward with Aaron Rodgers. Do we see a
path to victory? There's not. The team needs way too much.
You see where they're at right now. Once in a

(41:58):
while they can get a win where and oh look,
I'm surprised, but this is not a team trending in
the right direction. It's not a team with a ton
of offensive talent. And you're gonna need money freed up
at some point, You're gonna need a younger quarterback. You're
gonna need to go on. The Packers are gonna want
to do it. And never underestimate a motivated team in
what they can do. So if you think, don't ever
listen with someone's Aaron Rodgers, not you. Aaron Rodgers tradeable

(42:21):
as long as you got motivated sides, And there will
be a couple of sides interested in Jets telling you
the Jets are gonna want the Jets are gonna want
Aaron Rodgers. The Jets are gonna looking into the season.
Mike White. Wouldn't boy, Aaron Rodgers would be great in here,
wouldn't he? With all these wide receivers. He would love
all these weapons. We have a great defense. He knows
what it's like to win in the Northeast. He's still
got some zip on his fastball. Oh yeah, Aaron Rodgers.

(42:42):
Aaron rod Where let's go get him? Aaron Rodgers would
love to live in New York. Suddenly I'm the king
of the town. People listen to what I have to say. More,
the Jets will be after him. Maybe there will be
a market for him, and the Packers will look and
they'll be able to trade him if they want to.
Trust But you can do it well, we've talked about
it as we look at the salary cap and the
game's been ship you play and the rams are on
full display here late on a Thursday night. The idea

(43:06):
of how you work a cap. Sure, it could come
back to bite you in an as in the ask
very fast right, the number of injuries they've had, all
the different sequences that they've gone through. But you can
also reach the highest of heights and you'll go over
the cap. You'll play with the cap. You'll massage money's
and spread things out and rework deals as you need to.

(43:29):
With Aaron Rodgers, it becomes the same thing for the Packers.
They've got to start looking towards the future. And if
Rogers and La Fleur can figure it out, then great.
If not, then you've already got your air apparent, or
at least we believe so. We'll get more of an
audition at some point. But as we stand right now, Rogers,
even if he's of what he was, still a pretty

(43:51):
damn good quarterback. I think we can. I'll stipulate to
that Twitter at How about a Fresco Mike gets Swelling
down the Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon. We could
talk and how complicated other banks make it trading and
credit card rewards, or we could talk about how with
Discover you can redeem you rewards for cash in any
amount at any time. I mean talk about amazing learn
more at discovered dot com slash redeem rewards terms they do. So, Yes,

(44:15):
Harry Ladgers could get traded and the Raiders can lose
this game. Wait, will we tell you just to let
you know what just happened in the last thirty seconds.
Sixteen ten lead. Raiders punt to the Rams. The Rams
take over inside their five yard line and Baker Mayfield
drives the Rams down the field throws a touchdown past

(44:37):
to Van Jefferson to tie the game at sixteen apiece.
Gay is in for the extra point that could give
them the lead with ten seconds left to go on
the clock. This would be an unbelievable victory by the Rams.
Seventeen sixteen Rams with the lead, Baker Mayfield showing up

(44:58):
with eight hours of practice and he's gonna wind up
winning a football game ice cubes, leaving Mark Davis on
the tar mat. That's how bad the Raiders are. Yes, Raiders,
Stay Raider. We break down this unbelievable Thursday night football development.
Coming up next, Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio,