Best of the Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon

Jason and Mike tell why Luka may have taken this whole trade thing personally. The guys congratulate Diana Taurasi. Jason explains that the Travis Kelce/Chiefs situation is Matthew Stafford/Rams 2.0. Plus, the return of an NFL LEGEND!? Plus, we take a trip around the diamond with MLB Insider Jon Paul Morosi.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Jason Smith
Show with Mike 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 Jasonsmith Show with Mike Harmon
at Foxsports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
night on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.

Speaker 2 (00:21):
This is the best of the Jason Smith Show with
Mike Harmon on Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (00:30):
Greetings, Welcome inside, Happy Tuesday Jason Smith Show with my
bes friend Mike Harmon. Let's go live from the ti
rack dot com studios. Diirect dot com help you get there.
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(00:50):
the way tire buying should be. We are less than
five minutes away from the marquee game of the night
in the NBA. Luka Doncic playing the Mavericks for the
first time since the Big Trade a few weeks ago. Obviously,
no Anthony Davis takes a little bit of the luster
out of this game, you know, the game being in
Los Angeles, but still here's Luca first time back against

(01:12):
the Mavericks, and you know, watching him warm up. They
have the ISO camera on him the entire time, and
I love the video before the game just you know,
and sometimes you pictures snap at a really weird time.
But Nico Harrison, the GM of the Mavericks, who's just
sitting up against the scorer's table with his arms folded,
watching Luca take jump shots.

Speaker 3 (01:30):
I'm just saying, this is so awkward. This is like
like blue suit on he looks like a bill.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
This is like like when your friends in high school
and something happens at a party and there's a big
fight and the next day it's like, okay, none of
us are speaking, but we all have to be in
class together and it's just really really awkward.

Speaker 3 (01:50):
That's kind of what that looked like.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
Him just standing there watching Luca, who's just laughing and
not even paying attention, not even looking to the sideline
he's shooting warming up. I'm like, oh, this is awesome,
this is so this is so petty. Already, like Luca
won't look over. Nico Harrison's got that look like Luca's
gonna go for seventy tonight.

Speaker 4 (02:07):
Well add the extra pettiness of As Nico Harrison made
his way down to court side, he got a standing
ovation from Laker fans who were in sure. So you
add that to they will chant his name in the
when Luca has a couple of big time they will
chant Niko Meko.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
Me gooh, they'll they'll unfer banners of him. Oh yeah,
they're gonna. They're gonna probably maybe at halftime. You get
and now let's look up to the Raptors for a
very special presentation right next to Taylor Swift selling out
Staple Center.

Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's gonna be the big Nico Harrison.

Speaker 4 (02:36):
No, it's yeah, it's good. And then you add another
layer to the on. You keep peeling it back. There's
Anthony Davis who's not gonna play, but he was out
there tape putting up shots in the warm ups, so
he was wearing it. I'm not gonna going on. And
then Luca given some pre parking to a couple with
the lots.

Speaker 3 (02:54):
That's nice, pretty good stuff.

Speaker 4 (02:56):
Get in was at two hundred and sixteen bucks when
I checked earlier this afternoon. You go out in the
guard to drive in again. If Anthony Davis's play would.

Speaker 2 (03:04):
Him.

Speaker 4 (03:05):
Yeah, but but either way, a nice healthy profit margin
for those that are turning their seats over as they
welcome Luca for another big night, and we have great
expectations of what we're about to see.

Speaker 3 (03:15):
All right, how do you feel, Frostburg, What do you
got from this?

Speaker 5 (03:17):
I mean, you know how much I love Luca, how
much loves Luca. Sure, but he's he's not in the
stratosphere that Nico's in.

Speaker 3 (03:26):
Love.

Speaker 5 (03:26):
Guys in all the city, he might I mean really
a statue. It's like it's he's getting a statue with.

Speaker 4 (03:32):
That pose where he's leaning again, swearing a blue suit.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
If the Lakers win the title. What do you mean
if okay, when the Lakers win the title this year,
you need to take this bet with me. Lakers win
the title, you rename your two children, Nico and Harrison,
my future. Now you already have you have to tell them? Hey, sorry,
wait wait, wait, breaking news. He's going back for more.

(03:57):
I tell Jackson, Hey, sorry, I know you've been going
by this for a long time, but you're now, Nico.

Speaker 5 (04:01):
If it gets us another championship, I don't think he
would be down.

Speaker 3 (04:04):
All right, very good, Okay, I'm.

Speaker 4 (04:05):
Nico now, missus Johnson, you gotta call me Nico.

Speaker 3 (04:08):
Do you like what Daddy's happy? Here's the proposition.

Speaker 4 (04:12):
This is either my kids Nico and Harrison. What yeah,
oh that's a big trade. Yeah okay, no, but I'm
not breaking news or anything. That guy's getting he's getting
a statue. I don't know when exactly, but it's happening, dude.

Speaker 1 (04:21):
The the the trolling that's gonna happen tonight from the
crowd to Nico Harrison is going to be insane.

Speaker 3 (04:27):
It really is.

Speaker 4 (04:28):
I mean, and I would guess the what what would
the what would the statue be?

Speaker 3 (04:32):
Nico like on the phone with thumbs up? You know
what that be? What it is?

Speaker 4 (04:36):
Yeah, he's sitting having coffee with Rob Polinka. Is it
them staring at each other? That's what it is, star
Cross sitting across the table and.

Speaker 1 (04:44):
And and they're and they're uh and they're toasting coffee
with each other.

Speaker 3 (04:48):
That's how you're doing glass around it, like.

Speaker 1 (04:51):
Like the picture was, oh yeah, yeah, the glah yeah yeah,
oh yeah yeah with the glass yes, okay, very good.

Speaker 3 (04:56):
What do you call this statue? Fleece?

Speaker 1 (04:58):
It sounds like Frostburg's ready to design this. Oh no, no,
he's been working on tracked her out and everything.

Speaker 5 (05:03):
Early he was calculating against out the window statue as
a go guys.

Speaker 4 (05:08):
For your kids, Nico and Harrison, that's gonna be sa
like I'm scared, like silly Jerry Pasta. He's got little
statues all over. Oh, so here we go, Christy, he's
getting his start, so everybody was showing him some love.

Speaker 1 (05:23):
So uh yeah, Luca Doncic is shaking hands with everybody.
Lebron is laughing like a giddy school kid before tip off.
Here Luca is tapping up with his former teammates. We
get ready, and A d is just sitting on the bench,
uh wearing a light big light blue fuzzy jacket. And

(05:44):
that's the only real, uh Mavericks thing I see, because
I think they banned Mavericks, Luca Dncics Jersey didn't did that?

Speaker 3 (05:52):
Did that happen or no? They ban the Jerseys. I'm
not sure.

Speaker 4 (05:55):
I thought I saw that somewhere, but yeah, getting aggressive
right off the ump and missing a jumper, but easy
rebound in a score.

Speaker 3 (06:04):
So Laker's on the board the way we go.

Speaker 1 (06:06):
So here it is ruey Hotchimoor the first basket of
the game, rebounding a missed Luca three. Luca took that
first three about ten seconds into the.

Speaker 3 (06:13):
Game, just wanted to get that one off his chest
right away.

Speaker 1 (06:16):
Bam, Lakers won the tip, and he said, come on,
come on, this the entire night's he checked night.

Speaker 4 (06:21):
Come on, give me the ball, give me tho. He's
gonna see Luca clappy. Give it to me, Give it
to me, Give it to me. But did One of
my favorites though, was the shot of him walking into
the arena today after all of the talk about wow,
he's overweight and this that the other like, was he really?
I mean he's kind of like the James Harden was
he wearing a fat suit?

Speaker 2 (06:41):
Thing out of thing?

Speaker 4 (06:42):
It's not so much about deception and whatever. I mean, well,
here's the thing, and here's the thing with Luca. When
we talk about him being overweight, it's not that he's overweight,
it's that he doesn't have as much muscle tone sure
as most athletes do. And he gets tired easy, which
is part of not being in shape. Right, so you
see that he's okay, He's not really. You know, you
can get by with a body like that if you're

(07:02):
Pete Alonzo and you're playing first base shooting fifty home
runs a year, it's tough to get by. It's only
one year. He did fifty this year, and he'll at
fifty this year because he wants that big contract show.
So but when you play basketball, it's kind of tough
to get away with.

Speaker 3 (07:17):
Okay, this is what I look like.

Speaker 4 (07:18):
It's like, dude, don't you get in the gym, where's
your where's your chisel? But usually the year one to
year two transformation from this is how I've done it in
my life. Okay, we're gonna get rid of the baby fat,
We're gonna get rid of everything else, and you're gonna
be much more chiseled, more in shape, and more.

Speaker 3 (07:31):
Yeah more.

Speaker 1 (07:32):
DaMina took me while I was fifty one, and here
I am. Okay, everybody comes to a row road.

Speaker 3 (07:37):
So that's it.

Speaker 4 (07:38):
But the other thing with Luke, I think that's been
lost in a lot of the conversation, right when we
start comparing ages of guys and and wear and tear
on the body. He has been playing professionally since he
was what like five, So I mean there's a lot
of international play and battles on that body. So he's
not your normal twenty five and you could say, yay,
guys have been played in college.

Speaker 3 (07:59):
Whatever, it's not the same. It's just not no, it's
not no.

Speaker 1 (08:03):
That's why when you get you know, hey, training table
in college is great, that's one thing. But when you
get to the NBA, it's a quite differ. And usually
the first year they don't go crazy with all. Right, listen,
come in, get used to the get used to the NBA.
You know, instead of playing thirty five games a year,
now you're gonna play double that even more than that.
I know you played a lot of AAU games, but
this is different, the travel. But then after okay, that

(08:25):
first year was great. Now he gets you in the
gym and usually see that mark transformation from year one
to year two. Lucas in year you know, the year six,
year seven, and it's like, yeah, no, I'm still looking
the same. I'm still absolutely looking the same. That's what
it is.

Speaker 3 (08:38):
He just got teed up too, Now what's going on?

Speaker 1 (08:42):
So Luca goes in for a layup and he wants
a foul call and he doesn't get it, and he
stands in front of the ref and he does the
hall slapping of his finger hands together like he wants
the call, and he gets teed up, which is ridiculous.

Speaker 4 (08:59):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (09:00):
I mean he didn't doesn't touch the reft, doesn't bump
them coming back down. But clearly the referee, the official
did not want anything to do with Luca. Again, Luca
goes in for a layup and he misses, wants a foul,
does the hole slap his hands come on, but he
does it right in front of the referee. The referee
tees him up. Luca's dad is not happy they showed him.
Nico Harrison right now is standing up waving his jacket

(09:23):
over his head.

Speaker 3 (09:24):
He's saying, throw him out, give.

Speaker 4 (09:25):
Him another one, give him another one. Uh, like the helicopter.
This is this is where we're at right now. Lakers
lead the Mavericks eleven to five. Early in the first quarter.
Luca Danchard so far for the Lakers. Again, he missed
that first bucket, but he has since scored. He's got
a couple of points now and again, Lakers up nine

(09:47):
to five To'll have more on this game coming up,
but to spend a couple of minutes on the other
really big story out of basketball today is that we
wave goodbye to the greatest women's basketball player we've seen.
Diana Tarassi decides to hang it up after a twenty
year career in the WNBA. Nobody is decorated as her.
Three national championships at Yukon, three titles in the WNBA,

(10:10):
Why fourteen all WNBA teams, three MVPs, Like she's had
a six gold medals, Like she's had a career unlike
anybody so far, and it's been awesome to see. And
you know, for her hanging them up today after twenty
years of playing. At forty two, she won the last
gold medal. This last summer she started a little bit
but then came off the bench. It really pretty much

(10:32):
took the spot that was going to go to Caitlin Clark.
But you know, she has a career that's just incredible,
and she goes through, she goes through the beginning of
women's basketball where the WNBA was still starting and trying
to get noticed and on the and on the big board.
And here's where she leaves where it's the best it's
ever been and it's cut through to be another big

(10:54):
sport like in the WNBA, the w is a thing now.
It's not like, well, no, it's you.

Speaker 1 (10:58):
You have you have baseball, football, basketball, and part of
basketball is NBA WNBA Women's College basketball. Like the w's
become a thing, and she's seen it from its early
stages of maybe this can be something, and we have
to keep it going to where it is right now,
leaving it in the hands of Caitlyn Clark, Angel Reeves,
Brianna Stewart, Asia Wilson, all these other big stars now

(11:18):
and when it comes down to it, like this is
a big thing to know.

Speaker 4 (11:21):
This is a big takeaway from Diana Tarrossi's career. And
this is gonna sound weird, but the best thing about
Diana Tarossi is that all these records that show maybe
not six gold medals, but all these records that she
holds are all gonna get smashed. And that's the best
part about her career because when you're playing the WNBA
and the stars aren't there yet and you're playing okay,

(11:44):
you own a lot of records and it's awesome. But
now this new level of superstar that has come in,
led by Caitlyn Clark, all her records are gonna go
ten thousand points and WNBA history. That's gonna be gone.

Speaker 1 (11:55):
While when someone's midway through their career, three pointers, three
pointers in the postseason gone on, all of that is
going to be eclipsed because she's going to be known
as the conduit that took W the w NBA from
its early stages. She was the big star to look
where we are now and look how big the game
is now, almost like Richard Petty and NASCAR to kind
of give you a bigger explanation. King the King, he

(12:17):
was a conduit, right, he was. He was the best
NASCAR driver for so long. But it was when NASCAR
was still kind.

Speaker 4 (12:23):
Of a cultish sport, and I mean like it was
a it was a cult sport in itself. I mean,
now you see the ratings for these races on Fox
pretty much anything other than the NFL. But NASCAR was
still was still a cult was still a cult sport,
and it was still had a rabid fan base, but
it wasn't that big. And then it got to the
mainstream in the nineties with Dale Earnhardt and Jimmy Johnson

(12:43):
and Jeff Gordon and Sterling.

Speaker 1 (12:45):
Marlin and all these other great drivers. Dale Earnhard Junior
so now look at where NASCAR is. It's it's it's
it's at the peak of its powers. And that's what
Richard Petty is known at because he was that guy
for so long. And that's Diana Tarassi. And the best
thing I can say is all of her records, which
which are amazing, are all gonna get smatched, and that's
a great thing.

Speaker 4 (13:03):
But you're gonna have that celebration of her all the
way through twenty years. I mean, the longevity just amazing.
You know, we talked about the MLB ESPN split the
other night. Guess who's there and poised to jump into
some of that as well, some of that money, some
of that airtime, some of that space. It's the WNBA, right,
it's another opportunity for growth and exposure. And Diana Tarassi

(13:24):
with all of these accolades, and you just think twenty
years and leaving while she's still averaging fourteen a game,
still able to play on a high level. Now we're
watching the game change. You're getting that next crop and
really a slew of great players. We talk about the
women's college game all the time, that she is that

(13:45):
bridge and celebrating go back to her and you see
some of the others on the broadcasts or that get
the star treatment, right, whenever Sue Byrd shows up to something,
there she is. Whenever, you know, you look at Rebecca
Lobo as a broadcast and you get to put up
her accolades and reminder of where this game has long been.

(14:06):
But now just you know, mainstream coming around, as you say,
with NASCAR when it got its juice, when Junior and
Stuart and all those guys were at their peak. So
fun times ahead, no question about it, and a celebration.
Hell of a run, man, is just amazing. She goes,
I am full. Yeah, it was the endgame statement. I'm

(14:26):
full just reading all her accomplishments. I'm like, yeah, okay,
all right, yes, I'm fuck I got full halfway through
the article reading all this thuff. I mean, it was crazy,
but that's the best part. All her records are going
to get smashed.

Speaker 1 (14:38):
Speaking of smashing records, I don't know if he's trying.
I told you he was going to score seventy tonight.
Luca might be on his way. It is nineteen fourteen.
Lakers lead the Mavericks. They just cut to Mark Cuban
on the sideline giving one of those. The camera's on me,
so I'm smiling even though I'm really mad. Luca has

(14:58):
just hit his second three in the last two minutes.
He has ten already. Midway through the first quarter. Lakers
lead the Mavericks nineteen to fourteen.

Speaker 4 (15:08):
Can you read lips? What do you think he said
to them? Avericks bench right there?

Speaker 6 (15:11):
Ooh.

Speaker 1 (15:12):
We will keep you posted on this coming up throughout
the show tonight. Hey, be sure to check out the
Fox Sports Radio YouTube channel. Just search Fox Sports Radio
on YouTube. You'll see a whole bunch of video highlights
from our shows. Be sure to subscribe so you never
miss our very best Fox Sports Radio videos on YouTube.
But coming up next, two big stories out of the NFL.
One superstar looks like he's coming back next year. One

(15:34):
superstar might be coming back after being away for the
last three years. One of those things is a good idea.
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Speaker 2 (17:13):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 1 (17:26):
I traded Luca Donches to the Laker Nation. Keep going
Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 4 (17:33):
The Jason Smith Show with My best friend Mike Harmon
livemthetirerack dot com studios.

Speaker 3 (17:41):
You can stream this show in all of our Fox.

Speaker 1 (17:43):
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Speaker 4 (17:52):
Select Fox Sports Radios one of your presets, just like
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it in and rip the naby is that in the
that's not in the copy. I mean, that is one
of the great lines of radio history. I think it

(18:13):
was Z one hundred growing up in New York with
Z one hundred, log it in and rip the naby.

Speaker 3 (18:19):
Does it go to eleven? Ah, that's awesome, so a
d They just showed him. Of course.

Speaker 1 (18:24):
Anthony Davis not playing in the game tonight, still injured.
Lakers lead the Mavericks twenty three to eighteen.

Speaker 3 (18:31):
It has been a.

Speaker 1 (18:32):
Big first quarter so far for Luka Doncic. He has
every single but no Lucadangez has has ten points tonight
for the Lakers. It is a big obvious trolling game,
Mark Cuban, Nico Harrison.

Speaker 3 (18:47):
Everybody is there gritting their teeth as much as they can.
Luca's old man, Yeah, Luka.

Speaker 1 (18:51):
Eallia, everybody, everybody who was anybody in this trade is
there tonight. But they did have a nice moment. They
showed Anthony Davis on the jumbo tron that had a
big standing ovation for nice moment for him, even though
he is not playing the night sitting on the bench.
Did work out a little bit before the game, took
some shots, but clearly not the not the Luca moment
that he has he is. Actually, I'm sorry I gave

(19:12):
him one more point than he has. That's all right,
Luca Is It's two and a half to go in
the first quarter. Luca is nine seven and four, nine points,
seven rebound, four assists.

Speaker 3 (19:24):
Are they gonna get to five by five? Yes, I know.

Speaker 1 (19:27):
I don't think he has five turnovers. Again, he is
nine seven and four tonight so far midway and this
is late in the first quarter. Yeah, he's playing like
a man possessed. I mean that haircut I think made
a more aero dynamic as well. Tims would say, hey,
I would take that from a guy off the bench
for the entire game for us, if they could.

Speaker 4 (19:46):
Go nine to zer, that would be a cumulative of
your bench players.

Speaker 3 (19:49):
You would take that right now.

Speaker 4 (19:51):
I'll take nine, four, nine and four from those three
guys in the five minutes they're gonna play.

Speaker 3 (19:56):
Oh take it.

Speaker 1 (19:57):
So a twenty five to twenty lead for the Lakers
over the Mavericks. Meanwhile, not to be outdone, deciding I'm
gonna really show up tonight, Kyrie Irving already has fourteen
in the game here. So Kyrie said, hey, hey, hey,
why why is it's not about me all of a sudden,
I want it to be about me. So twenty five
twenty is the score again about two minutes ago in
the first quarter, and it is just up and down

(20:18):
the floor. It is an epic night so far. We'll
keep you updated on this throughout the night.

Speaker 3 (20:24):
But two big.

Speaker 1 (20:26):
So we got a bunch of big stories now from
the NFL because teams are arriving at the combine and
we're getting gms and head coaches talking and they're all
saying good things, almost like they had a big meeting
with Roger Goodelli say hey, listen, we got to take
the new cycle back. So say good things when you
talk to reporters.

Speaker 3 (20:40):
Don't just be bland and not say anything. Say something good.
And we got good things today. Hype man for the
new year. Did they bring out pit Bull with his glove?

Speaker 4 (20:51):
I no ladies and gentlemen here to get you ready
for your combine pull.

Speaker 6 (20:56):
Now.

Speaker 1 (20:56):
The first star that we're pretty sure is coming back
for next season now is chief tied in Travis Kelcey.
This is because earlier today their GM Brett Veach said
oh yeah, yeah, no, I'm expecting a big motivated Travis
Kelcey back in twenty five.

Speaker 6 (21:13):
How we left at the end of.

Speaker 3 (21:14):
Season is that he was fired up.

Speaker 6 (21:15):
He has one more year under contract, and you still
think he has that frier and desire to play. And
as far as I'm concerned, right there is no deadline.

Speaker 2 (21:22):
I think we left it as he'd be back and
it's pet excited.

Speaker 3 (21:24):
To get hit back.

Speaker 4 (21:25):
Okay, And remember when we told you when this came up,
this was about money.

Speaker 1 (21:31):
This is Matthew Stafford light. Okay, you want to know
what this is really about. When we first heard after
the Super Bowl, Kelsey said, I don't know, it takes
some time.

Speaker 4 (21:39):
Don't want to make a hasty decision. We told you
right away. No, this is about money.

Speaker 1 (21:43):
Anytime someone talks about retirement, first thing you do go
look at their contract. And this is the last year
of Travis Kelcey's deal. It's the biggest payday he'll ever
get in the rest of his NFL career. No matter
what you do for a podcast, you're not going to
make eleven million dollars a year on a podcast. And
with this being the final year of his contract and
him slowing down, I am sure he was pushing and

(22:05):
the final bit of leverage to try to get a
new deal to play another couple years. Because remember it
was three days before the super Bowl when Travis Kelsey
said they was asked, what are you doing in three
years hopefully still playing? I feel great, I'm motivated, this
is awesome. Oh you lost the super Bowl, So now
sudden you know if you want to play anymore. This
is a contract thing, and it's Matthew Stafford light because

(22:26):
both sides feel the same way as the Rams of
Matthew Stafford about money. Matthew Stafford wants more money. The
Rams don't want to give it to him. But that's
gotten combative, and now the Rams have allowed Matthew Stafford
to go out and potentially get his own deal. If
you want, we could trade you someplace else Whereas the
Chiefs have been hey, hey, hey, yeah, we know what
you're doing, not falling for it. All the Chiefs have

(22:46):
said to a man was, hey, take your time.

Speaker 4 (22:49):
We love you. We're hoping you come back next year.
We're not gonna replace you as a tight end. We
love you.

Speaker 3 (22:56):
Nope.

Speaker 1 (22:56):
Not hearing the stuff about money, Gonna ignore it, didn't
hear it, Gonna keep going forward. We love you, take
your time, because Travis Kelsey doesn't want it to get combative,
doesn't want it to get this way. But this is
what you're seeing.

Speaker 4 (23:09):
And Kelsey threw out that little bit of I don't know,
I gonna take some time, and clearly the Chiefs haven't
gone for it. There's gonna be no new money for
Travis kelcey, no new deal, none of this. They know that, hey, great,
he's a great ambassador for the team. He's still a
top five tight end, you know, five ish tight end
going into this year, still out of you know that
kind of year last year, but obviously his skills are
deteriorating and.

Speaker 1 (23:29):
The Chiefs want to move on. Are you gonna get
better at tight end this offseason? Probably not so one
more year Travis Kelsey is okay, but they're not going
to extend him. But they're keeping that message of positivity.
If we love you, take your time, what about the man?

Speaker 3 (23:42):
Don't bring up money?

Speaker 1 (23:44):
Now, we love you, take your time. This is Matt
Stafford light. But this is exactly what Kelsey wanted. He's
not gonna get it, but he will come back, Like
we said when this went on, he will come back
for one more year. He's still playing at a decent
enough level. He's not gonna get paid, even though that's
what this is all about.

Speaker 4 (23:59):
I mean, you had a bunch of reports, and something
else Vacha broached in his comments was that, you know,
Kelsey was really sick, as were a lot of guys
on both sides. We were getting that report towards the
end of the week. Look, flu's going around. Take care
of yourselves, people. I mean, we've got guys getting filled
left and right around the schools and workplaces in America.
And if you're six, stay the hell home. All of

(24:21):
that to say, you know, part of that when we
get into the discussion of wanting to come back right
in the PostScript, he had a miserable game. It was
a miserable three and a half hours, and in the
immediacy of it, you're like, yeah.

Speaker 3 (24:35):
I've done I don't want this anymore, screw this.

Speaker 4 (24:38):
And then fifteen hours later you get some pedia light
in you, a little bit of sleep, You're like, I'm
ready to go, and I have nineteen million reasons to
come back, right, Because as much as you've got all
this stuff on the outside, that's great unless you're still
playing football and in the public view there, I think.

Speaker 3 (24:54):
That wanes a little bit.

Speaker 4 (24:56):
And then you screw Jason too because you're gonna take
some money out of his pocket.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
No, No, he's got the late night show now and
all kinds of stuff. Everybody still love Jason kelce I.

Speaker 4 (25:04):
Want one of those. I could probably get as many
people to watch. The Eagles offensive line was better without him.
It's better on television. Wow, look at that hot take.
Hot take, future Hall of Famer. The better without you.
But for Kelsey, right, it still was over ninety catches,
but was at what eight point four eight point five
yards per per catch, So you know that's down, But

(25:26):
you also were missing one of your big hayes. Open
up the field and give him opportunities, Like, there's a
lot to get excited about if this offense comes back
because zaf You're worthy started to show out the second
half of the year. Yeah, you've got to fix the
old line. But for Travis Kelcey a lot of money
to come back and you can play that. I think
the Chiefs legitimately and he still want to be in,
you know, in business together.

Speaker 3 (25:47):
I'm not so sure the Rams really care.

Speaker 4 (25:49):
Which is why they said Hey, Matt, go go and
see what else is out there, knowing that there's so
many desperate teams.

Speaker 3 (25:54):
Like, yeah, go ahead. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (25:56):
But that's the thing is that, Hey, Travis Gott, we're
being nice. I love being a chief.

Speaker 3 (26:00):
What about a little bit more. Yeah, we're not going
to do the money thing. Boy, but I could retire.

Speaker 4 (26:04):
Yeah, but boy, we're really not going to give you money. Okay,
let's keep it all surfacing in light. But if you do,
it's just like a party when hey, we're at odds
with somebody. But let's keep it surfacing in light. Let's
sweep it a mile. Sweep it under the rug. Would
you like some of the shrimp here?

Speaker 3 (26:17):
You go, sweep it.

Speaker 1 (26:18):
This is not Luca and Nico Harrison the first game
back as they're staring at each other.

Speaker 4 (26:22):
Sweep it under the rug. Did you see Luca was
doing push ups in the pregame too. The other thing is,
you know, when you're you're each and you've got some
things you obviously need to address both defensively on the
D line, you need some more help.

Speaker 6 (26:34):
Right.

Speaker 4 (26:34):
Jones was hurt and banged up a little bit in
the Super Bowl. Attribute it to the push push or not.
Carl Loftus is there, but you need some a little
more support there in the front seven, but definitely need offense.
One nineteen million dollars helps you get there. Plus the
augmented salary cap. There's a lot of gaps. So I
was like, all right, we love you, Travis, but we

(26:57):
can play this game too. X at how about a
Fresca exit swollen dome Jason Smith Mi car. When we
told you at the beginning, this was about money. Travis
Kelsey's coming back. He's not gonna turn eleven and a
half million. Maybe they do something fun for him at
the end. When when they've bought all their free agents
have money, Hey, we'll give you a little bit.

Speaker 1 (27:15):
More, another five hundred grand. We'll do something as a bonus.
That's what's gonna happen. He's gonna come back. It was
about money. They're calling his bluff. He's gonna move on.

Speaker 3 (27:25):
Time out to find out what's trending in the wide
world of sports.

Speaker 1 (27:27):
A guy who's been called the Jason Kelce of Fox
Sports audio universal praise or what he does.

Speaker 3 (27:34):
But then when he doesn't do it for a year
or so, they.

Speaker 4 (27:38):
Realize the updates is still pretty good without him, it's
Steve the Seger.

Speaker 7 (27:42):
I'm sure that will be the case. We have fine
coworkers here. Honestly, when you started the paragraph, I thought
you were gonna say, and people call him the Jason
Smith of Fox. Oh really? Oh okay, high compliment.

Speaker 3 (27:54):
There we go. I'll try to find a shoehorn that
in at some point.

Speaker 7 (27:57):
We just ended the first quarter in LA Lakers lead
the Dallas Mavericks twenty eight to twenty. Luka doncich Now
with LA, played the first ten minutes of that opening period,
had nine points, seven rebounds, just one three pointer. A
second one that did go in was later not counted
after video review because he stepped on the sideline.

Speaker 1 (28:15):
As I saw Nico Harrison standing at the replay booth
grabbing the official by the lapels, going that's a two,
that's a two.

Speaker 7 (28:23):
He tapped the top of his head like Major League
Baseball and said, I want to go.

Speaker 1 (28:27):
To the video review. He's just saying that the entire game,
doing the wind up with his hands. Go look at it,
Go look at it, go.

Speaker 3 (28:34):
Look at it.

Speaker 7 (28:34):
It started overtime at Memphis. The Grizzlies are leading one
forty two to one, forty over the Phoenix Suns and
the other late games at Golden State, It's Warriors twenty
eight eighteen over the Hornets at the end of one.
Hornets without LaMelo ball tonight out due to a bad ankle.
New Orleans was fourteen and forty three, but edge San
Antonio one oh nine one oh three. It combined thirty

(28:55):
nine turnovers in that game. Houston came back to beat
Milwaukee one hundred to ninety five. Boston won at six
in a row, winning at Toronto one eleven, one oh one,
and Cleveland won it's eighth straight one twenty two eighty
two at Orlando. Kawhi Leonard of the Clippers is off
the injury report for tomorrow. He's missed the last two
games with the sore foot. The Clippers this weekend will

(29:15):
play the Lakers on Friday and Sunday nights. For Philadelphia,
Joel Embiid will miss another game Wednesday. He's having tests
on his knee this week. To college basketball, Georgia at
home upset number three Florida eighty eight eighty three, and
Oklahoma State at home its beaten number nine Iowa State
seventy four sixty eight, Fifth ranked Tennessee, extending its lead

(29:35):
to fifty three forty four at LSU with about seven
minutes to go. Also in progress, nineteenth ranked Louisville has
tied at Virginia Tech fifty three, all nine minutes to go.
The Atlanta Falcons say Kirk Cousins will stay with the
team as a backup quarterback. Kansas City says it expects
tight end Travis Kelsey to keep playing. The Bills gave

(29:55):
wide receiver Khalil Shaki a four year extension. The Colts
say they'll add competition at quarterback for Anthony Richardson. Among
the twelve NHL games, Toronto came back for an overtime
win at Boston five to four, and the Washington Nationals
resigned closer Kyle Finnegan to a one year deal.

Speaker 1 (30:12):
Back to you, Thank you, Steve O, Jason Smith, Mike Harmon,
Lifromthetirack dot Com studios. Now we have the other big
NFL story coming up and decide it looks like Travis
Kelsey's coming back. But we want to say this because
you know we mentioned this tonight the biggest game of
the night in the NBA Lakers and the Mavericks and
Steve just gave you the updates on it.

Speaker 6 (30:28):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (30:28):
Incredible game going on right now in Memphis, Sons in
the Grizzlies one forty six to one forty four. Sons
have the lead this game in overtime again, one forty
six to one forty four. This is a game with
Booker and kd and and John Morant in a great season.
The Grizzlies are having. Get in for this game tonight,

(30:50):
earlier today, get in for this game. Not one, not two,
not three.

Speaker 3 (30:57):
Four dollars. That's with fees. Not no, that can't be
with it was with fee.

Speaker 4 (31:02):
No, come on, I'm telling you you can't be.

Speaker 3 (31:05):
I saw that earlier. That can't be. No that No,
there's no way. So what is it? Two dollars? It
was two dollars plus fees. Yeah, no way, no way, No,
I saw it. We see it. We went back and
forth on that earlier.

Speaker 4 (31:19):
I unbelievable way you guys are lost four dollars with fee,
with fee, that's everything.

Speaker 2 (31:23):
I mean.

Speaker 4 (31:24):
Obviously got a park, and I put the tickets in
my cart, and I go through all that, I check
all the things, yes, yes, yes, yes yes, and I
come out with four dollars, four dollars.

Speaker 3 (31:32):
It's not suddenly seventeen. No, And when you pulled up,
Katie parked your car.

Speaker 4 (31:39):
What's insane with this Also is as we sat down
in the studio, as we're getting ready to take off
and start watching the the Lakers get after it, we
had that game on.

Speaker 5 (31:48):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (31:48):
John Moran was just having this miserable night where he
he was over eight from three and really hadn't it
a shot.

Speaker 3 (31:54):
Now he's up to twenty nine points, so he's still
having a miserable night.

Speaker 4 (31:57):
He's still seven out of twenty two, but he's been
perfect from the foul line at fourteen for fourteen to
get him over.

Speaker 3 (32:03):
Yeah, I don't. I gotta think nights like this.

Speaker 1 (32:05):
I subscribe to the philosophy of hey, if you're if you're,
if you're missing your shots, this is the basket. Go
go ahead, buddy, go get it. I'm not gonna put
you on the frame. This is not your night, man.
Let go to the bad there it is, go shoot,
go do whatever.

Speaker 6 (32:18):
You want to do.

Speaker 3 (32:19):
I mean really, that's what I would do.

Speaker 4 (32:20):
And then he's got to be careful because with that frame, man,
you know, every hit is one that's a problematic situation
with fees with fee, with fee. Can you show me
proof of that, because I really show not that I
think line of me, but I think maybe you missed something,
because I can't believe.

Speaker 3 (32:33):
There's that was the report.

Speaker 4 (32:35):
I didn't go and try to check out myself to
verify it. If you're questioning it, you're gonna pay two
dollars in fee. Hey, I get this ticket for two dollars. Yeah,
what about the fees? It's as much as the tickets. Uh, okay,
I'm good. I think i'm good. I think i'm good.
I think I'm going in there, you go, we'll again.

Speaker 1 (32:51):
It goes, it goes in my cart. And then it says, oh,
here's your ticket fee. Here's your entrance fee. Here's your
parking fee. Here's your tax for d on the road
outside great, here's your tax for.

Speaker 4 (33:03):
Using the website. Here's a time spent on the website
and all there. Yes, Look, psychologically, I can't. I can't
tell you what that cost is to be buying a
ticket to see the Suns. Four dollars that's for you
to decide. Okay, well, hey, at least with that four
dollars you're seeing a great one.

Speaker 1 (33:17):
Hey, you got a lot of points for sure, But
coming up next a former NFL superstar is he really
thinking about coming back to play? And it's not Tom Brady.
That's straight ahead right here, Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio.
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(33:38):
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call eight sixty four six four four nineteen hundred. That's
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four sixty four four.

Speaker 2 (33:59):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific, Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 1 (34:08):
The Jason Smith Show with My best friend Mike Harmon
Live from the tire Rack dot Com Studios. Lakers and
the Mavericks, The Big Luca Revenge Game. Nico Harrison off
the bench. He's got twelve for the Mavericks in a
suit and tie. Kyrie's got fourteen, but it's the Lakers
with a forty two to thirty six lead so far,

(34:30):
Luka Doncicch nine points, seven rebounds, and four assists. We
are midway through the second quarter. More NBA coming up
in a few minutes. But look, big day of NFL stuff, right.
We had the Travis Kelce story a few minutes ago.
You got the big quarterback story coming up in a
few minutes. But this story first via Cecil Lammy, who

(34:51):
is a Broncos insider Denver sports dot Com, and then
and then picked up by other outlets.

Speaker 4 (34:58):
Yeah, yeah, today that potential Rob Gronkowski is working towards
a return to the NFL and the Broncos are extremely
interested in. Sean Payton is extremely interested in getting Rob
Gronkowski back on the field to play for the team
this year. Now, first things first, Rob Gronkowski, Sean Payton,

(35:19):
how accurate is this story? When stories like this come out,
if they're wrong, we usually hear about that right away.

Speaker 1 (35:27):
And this story's been out a long time today to
not get something in response, either from Sean Payton or
from Rob Gronkowski. So if you say to me, how
really say yeah, this is a smoke fire thing, because
It's not like this story is like an hour or
two old. No, this is there's a long time today
to catch up with Gronkowski or Sean Payton to say hey,
what's going on? And Sean Payton say no, no, no,

(35:49):
I never told how fast?

Speaker 3 (35:50):
Did that?

Speaker 1 (35:51):
Trevor Lawrence to the Steelers story get tamped out when
that broke?

Speaker 3 (35:55):
So, yeah, is there something to it? Sure?

Speaker 4 (35:58):
But I gotta tell you this is like a like
a one man intervention. Gronk, don't do it, man, don't
do it. I'm sorry you walked away too early. You
haven't played in three years. Thirty two is young, and
you decided, for whatever reason, you're injured, need a time away,
mental time away, walk away. Brady retired. Okay, you got
to live with that decision. You're thirty five now, you

(36:19):
haven't played in three years. You weren't the same player,
even though last year in Tampa he wasn't. What does
he really think is gonna happen?

Speaker 3 (36:26):
Now?

Speaker 1 (36:26):
I get that, you get if you're sold a bill
of goodsby go, you're gonna do this and this and
this and this.

Speaker 3 (36:31):
Yeah, can you.

Speaker 4 (36:31):
Physically do that? Can you still physically do that? He
was a diminished guy in Tampa, Like, I get that,
you know, you get that itch again.

Speaker 3 (36:39):
I'm feeling great. I want to come back out.

Speaker 4 (36:41):
But who comes out of retirement in the NFL after
even more than a couple of months and gets back
out and plays really well. This is three years for
a guy who plays a very physical position that's had
physical problems before and is thirty five years old. What
does he really think is gonna happen? Travis kel he
is near the end of his career. Had a year

(37:01):
last year. The boy, if Gronk came out and had
that year, he would say, Man, I should.

Speaker 3 (37:04):
Hang it up.

Speaker 4 (37:05):
I if this is something that Gronk is thinking about doing, dude,
stay retired.

Speaker 1 (37:10):
Stay retired. Well, Sean Payton's gonna put you in the
red zone. It's gonna throw to you, throw jump ball
to you in the red zone. Try to get you
to come all the way across the line of scrimmage
and run across field like you used to. Like, I
get it. You know you're retired at thirty two, you
still had football in you. Instead of taking time away
and coming back, you decide I'm not going to play
for three years. At this point, you're retired. This is
this is not gonna go how you think it's gonna This.

Speaker 3 (37:30):
Is a leverage play.

Speaker 4 (37:31):
What's his contract situation with fox? A? All that to say,
you know, I'll go to the immortal words of the
great Randy Travis quote, but you've been too gone for
too long, So why don't you just stay gone? You've
been too long, gone for too long. Now it's too
late to come back home. Sing it with the baritone,

(37:53):
keep Brandy Travis. I can only do that when I'm
like inebriated, and then the voice goes low with a
bunch of alcohol. We can arrange that, or or laxing.
Get him and he comes in drunk every night. He's
talking him drunk with powers. Oh sorry, allegedly comes in.

Speaker 3 (38:06):
Yeahs what he's doing.

Speaker 1 (38:07):
He sits in his he sits in his car. I
see him out the window three minutes before the show starts.
I see him pull open that flask and drink from
for the last time, puts it down, stumbles in singing
some kind of song.

Speaker 3 (38:18):
And we go in there and do the shows.

Speaker 4 (38:21):
Tell it is that's the bottom line. But I'd love
to see it. I think you could be ugly I
could they fell grunk. I thought you meant this right here?
Love to see that me hanging out in my car,
head out of a flask right before the show?

Speaker 3 (38:34):
Hey, leave me alone? What are you looking at? Go
to your hot yoga class? Leave me alone?

Speaker 6 (38:40):
Jerk.

Speaker 3 (38:42):
Never see a guy change his pants before Hey.

Speaker 4 (38:45):
So so this would be fun. But would this be
the nineteen seventy three tops Willie May's car with the Mets?

Speaker 3 (38:54):
Would this be a picture of Joe Namath as a ram?

Speaker 6 (38:58):
What?

Speaker 3 (38:58):
What are we looking at here? Be interested to see it?

Speaker 6 (39:01):
Right?

Speaker 4 (39:01):
It's a position where we've got, uh, there's depth, but
there's several guys that moved the needle, and certainly as
a media personality he has. It's a team that's on
the come a bit. Bo Nicks I think exceeded expectations
for most can remember because he was fighting with Peyton
early in the year or the show, it seemed.

Speaker 3 (39:19):
And then down the.

Speaker 4 (39:20):
Stretch you see with Courtland Sutton became and and what
they had had a viable running back and put him
in to where you've got a couple of burners on
the edges.

Speaker 3 (39:30):
He could have it a.

Speaker 4 (39:30):
Bit of an impact and I think anybody would take
Kelsey's year overall ninety four was it?

Speaker 1 (39:36):
Ninety four catches? And you can tell he's on the way. Sure,
there's no question. Yeah, the explosiveness isn't there. But he
could sit down in his zone just as well as
he ever did.

Speaker 4 (39:45):
He cut one hundred passes for eighty eight to eight
for paths for eight hundred yards. It's not monster, not
quite as dynamic as as he used to be. No,
but you know the old gray Mayor, she ain't what
she used to be. And at some point, and you
have the physical and his skills and also what the
offense can do. He still needs to pretend to block
more than I think Kelsey did, and that's one thing

(40:06):
Gronk was always a bit underrated on, so he could
help that process as well. I'd love to see it
again when these guys come back or stick around another year.

Speaker 3 (40:16):
I don't feel as old. Keep coming back.

Speaker 4 (40:20):
It's about me so I can go back and drink
out of my flesh shot at the show.

Speaker 3 (40:25):
Yeah, I'm not drunk, uncle, Let's tell everybody know.

Speaker 1 (40:29):
Harmon coming in every night is like that scene in
Hoosiers when in the middle of the game, all of
a sudden Dennis Hopper comes walking across the court and
he's yelling, Coat.

Speaker 4 (40:40):
I bring a level of excitement and professionalism and enthusiasm
for the job unrivaled.

Speaker 3 (40:45):
It's on parallel. He's an assistant coach. Tell what do
you be? A technical foul?

Speaker 4 (40:48):
What are you talking about? Yeah, Gronk, be at peace, Man,
be at peace. It's been too long you've been gone.
Be at Peacey stay, stay retired, Stay with us at
Fox Man, stay with us.

Speaker 3 (40:58):
Everything is everything is good.

Speaker 4 (40:59):
He can dab one of the chairs here next to
us once a week if he wants to just come
on and talk.

Speaker 1 (41:04):
Come on Jason and Mike live from the tire Rack
dot Com Studios. Coming up next a big quarterback decision
in the NFL.

Speaker 3 (41:11):
This as Fox Sports Radio.

Speaker 2 (41:15):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 3 (41:27):
Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show.

Speaker 4 (41:29):
With My bas friend Mike Harmon Live from the Tirack
dot Com Studios.

Speaker 1 (41:34):
Don't forget you miss any of the show. Right after
the show, our podcast goes up. Just search Jason Smith
and Mike Harmon wherever you get your podcasts from, be
sure to follow review the podcast rate at five stars.

Speaker 3 (41:44):
Again.

Speaker 1 (41:45):
Just search Jason Smith and Mike Harmon wherever you get
your podcasts, you'll find today's show and a best of
version posted.

Speaker 3 (41:51):
Right after we get off the air.

Speaker 1 (41:53):
Third quarter said to get underway at the crypt Lakers
lead the Mavericks fifty nine fifty one, twelve points, twelve rebounds,
seven assists for the Lakers in his first game against
his former team member Anthony.

Speaker 3 (42:06):
Davis cannot.

Speaker 1 (42:10):
And there's the thank you Nico chance, and we told
you we're gonna come, Lucas shooting free throws and the
Laker crowded chant and thank you Nico to Nico Harrison, who,
unfortunately for him his court side to watch this game
as Mavericks GM well wearing a bright blue suit, you know,
so he could fit in, also wearing a bright blue
suit because he's still upset the Lions fell short in

(42:32):
the playoffs. Yeah, joining us now in the hot line,
longtime front of the show, MLB Network Insider, Fox Sports
Radio Baseball Insider getting set for the opening of the
Major League Baseball season. He leaves tomorrow for the Dodgers
Opening Day, which is coming up in like three weeks.
It is John Paul Morosi, what's happening, buddy?

Speaker 6 (42:53):
How are you? Man? I'm I'm doing great. And I believe,
as per the lyrics of this song, to purchase that
aforementioned suit would require the spending of some serious GE's
I believe right, well, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (43:08):
But I mean, you got that MLB network money, John Paul,
you can go somewhere in Detroit and get a powder
blue suit to wear that I don't think is that expensive.

Speaker 6 (43:16):
It's it's it's a very frequent request in the Motor City.
Can I tell you what though, By the way, we
might have, after a long period of not having playoffs
for any of our franchises, which eventually obviously ended with
the Lions end of the playoff drought the Tiger's end
of the playoff drought, we might have the Pistons and

(43:39):
the Wings and their playoff droughts.

Speaker 2 (43:41):
The Pistons are.

Speaker 6 (43:43):
Legit, and I was seeing Jason the potential matchup of
a of a Nick's Pistons series in the first round,
bringing back memories of the Isaiah Thomas Bernard King classic
back at the Joe Louis Arena about forty years ago,
so we could be headed for one more great matchup
there between the Pistons and the Nicks. And you did not.

(44:05):
You did not think, no, I'm going to go there
to begin this conversation.

Speaker 3 (44:08):
I did not.

Speaker 1 (44:09):
But I notice how you have pivoted away from the
Lions very deftly and now gone to the Pistons. So
that's very nice, John Paul.

Speaker 6 (44:16):
Yeah, and the Wings Simon Edmondson two goals tonight. And
speaking of hockey, I think if you were to go
back and replay the tape from last Thursday's conversation, I
think I, among the three of us, probably came the
closest to giving the the accurate prediction of what was
going to happen on Thursday night there between the US

(44:37):
and Canada.

Speaker 1 (44:38):
Yes, I believe you came out and said, and watching overtime,
that somehow the best player in the world will be
left all alone in front of the men and we'll
score the game winning goal.

Speaker 6 (44:47):
Damning is still in the slot, and then Marner is
going to be able to get in the buck. Now
was it was a great tournament in every way, of course,
from from the American perspective. Perhaps not the optimal ending,
but all makes for a more intriguing matchup next February
in Milano, Cortina, Italy.

Speaker 1 (45:07):
All right, well, let's get to some baseball now on
got Lee and look, clearly hear a big story. Dodgers
are one and five? Are they overrated? Are they a failure?
Which is it? Which is it? John Paul?

Speaker 4 (45:18):
Here?

Speaker 3 (45:18):
Panic, panic City.

Speaker 6 (45:20):
Panic is setting in, Panic is setting in. Uh, just
like I'm reminded of the of that first spring when
when show Hayes struggled a bit offensively and in the
belief was that he was a bust and was never
gonna was never gonna become a major league player. So uh,
the spring training can deceive, the first week of which

(45:42):
can wildly deceive. I don't really worry about the Dodgers
at this juncture, and honestly, what I will say is
the most important thing today for them was not the
result of the game, but rather Blake's noell thru well
and and if he's if he's one, of course, last
year at this time he wasn't even signed yet. Yeah,

(46:04):
and he still went out and had a pretty solid year.
So if their rotation is healthy, then I feel great
about their chances. Hessong Kim, of course, he has struggled
a bit offensively. Dave Roberts achnology made it having to
start the year in the minor leagues again. Hessong Kim
is not going to be the one who determines if
this season is a success or failure. If Blake Snell

(46:27):
is healthy, and if glass Now is healthy, and if
they're if the main guys who are part of the
core of that team offensively are healthy, They're going to
be just fine in twenty twenty five.

Speaker 4 (46:37):
See, I actually had a positive note from the White
Sox campus Teal hit a home run off of Sasaki,
So that was great feel man game.

Speaker 3 (46:45):
So there you go.

Speaker 4 (46:47):
It was.

Speaker 6 (46:47):
It was exactly the kind of trade, Mike that the
White Sox needed to make. They've made it. So they
traded crocheted one of the more prospect rich organizations in
the game. They did it Kyle Teal. Let's see how
many games he catches on the south side this season.
Where oh, I believe Mike. The search for a new

(47:08):
home ballpark remains very much in effect, although I did
hear reports indicating they've actually shortened the name of the
stadium to just rate rate feeld.

Speaker 3 (47:20):
That's right.

Speaker 6 (47:21):
We're not talking about if it's a low rate or
if it's a guaranteed rate.

Speaker 4 (47:24):
Apparently it's not guaranteed it No, I know exactly now, it's.

Speaker 6 (47:28):
We don't know if it's an in placed an adjusted
rate or what adjustable rate mortgage. None of that, we're not.
We're just calling it rate field, all right.

Speaker 4 (47:39):
So help us out here a little bit, because I
kind of get one story, the other one not so much.
I get the Yankee saying, hey, we're going to allow
people to have beards on the team because they need
to be more player friendly. They're not the destination they
used to be, especially after losing Soda deciding to play
a different song after they lose Instead of New York,
New York, they're playing That's Life.

Speaker 1 (48:00):
Why would you have a loser song, John Paul When
no team says, hey, this is our loser song.

Speaker 4 (48:04):
Yet the Yankees have decided to make these big cosmetic
changes going into this season.

Speaker 6 (48:10):
I understand the beard policy because I think it has
an actual potential benefit to the roster on the field
in terms of just creating a bit more of a
casual and comfortable vibe. I think that's fine. I will
miss I will miss hearing the more solemn rendition of

(48:34):
New York, New York when the Yankees lose. I've often
thought that the way the ballpark sounds we're doing our
postgame interviews, if it was a surprising win by the
Royals or whichever team is in the visiting dugout, it
just it sets the affect. That's the thing about Yankee
Stadium that I think is coruly unique. We should not

(48:54):
change it.

Speaker 2 (48:55):
Yankee Stadium.

Speaker 6 (48:56):
Even though it's the newer version of it, it still
feels like no other ballpark. So it is in my
estimation Beard. I've seen Beard the Yankee Stadium that I've
seen that is not a new phenomenon. They've just been
on the other side of the diamond and in the stands,
which last I checked. Is okay to be a fan
with a beard and go watch the Yankees play.

Speaker 3 (49:17):
But as you know, you don't know they could change that.

Speaker 6 (49:20):
You start changing, you start changing the playlist. All I'm
going to say is this, Jason, are we now going
to have a scenario where back in the New York
Groove is the best post game song that we hear
in New York.

Speaker 3 (49:36):
Baso, it's always been the best.

Speaker 6 (49:38):
It's always bad, you know, as you know now now
And speaking of which, for those of you new to
the program, new to the conversation, Jason loves the Mets
and we're talking about city field.

Speaker 4 (49:48):
Uh.

Speaker 6 (49:49):
And and as part of as part of my U
my service to the show and to the conversation, I
have I have reached out to uh Jim and Ayah.
I am happy to lend my oblique if if that
would help him come back sooner good. And to Frankie Montas,
I am also willing to give my UH. I believe
that's that's a las so lats oblique. I am basically

(50:12):
just giving it all to the Mets to help their
pet get healthy by opening day, trying to be a
team guy.

Speaker 1 (50:18):
No Showan can still hold a microphone, he can give
up whatever he needs.

Speaker 4 (50:21):
We're all good, right, But the hell did sternsy bail
you out of in college? Although An, I tell you this,
this is this is interesting.

Speaker 6 (50:30):
This is a new development, that is one of our
most recent conversations. I actually participated in a charity hockey game.
And and Chris Tamer, former New York Ranger played in
it too, and Chris is a tough dude, and I
was I was lucky that we was a a no
check game and b for a period of it, I
was on the same team as as Chris. But but

(50:52):
so this is what I'm saying, And as a long
way of saying it, I don't want to give away
too many of my functional muscles or limbs, because now
that I am into this whole charity hockey player vibe,
I'm basically kind of a hockey player for hire here.
So I may I may need, I may need my
lap muscle to be able to shoot a hockey puck.

Speaker 4 (51:13):
Well, I can see you skating around on the offensive zone,
tapping your stick on the ice, going, Pope gets the puck.

Speaker 3 (51:19):
Now, Pope gets the puck.

Speaker 6 (51:20):
Right, That's that's also that's also in the in the
trade that is known as the beaver tail, because you know,
the beaber slaps the tail on the on the on
the ground that's over the water. That when you smack
the stick on the ice and you say that you
want the puck. So Alex Ovechkin can do that, I

(51:41):
I really can't.

Speaker 3 (51:42):
I'm not really You could have.

Speaker 4 (51:43):
Played out here for the big celebrity game they had
for the Fires all day, and you could have fought
Jeremy Ronick.

Speaker 6 (51:50):
Right, my friend Jenny Task played in the game. And
then I saw so here's the thing. I was in
second on Michigan. I I loved my game, and I'll
put my team up against any But I also realized
that Jenny Tapp, I believe, was centering a line with
Justin Bieber and and Steve Carrell. So it was a
little bit of a different group out there in La.
But I I love my mid Michigan vibe as well.

Speaker 3 (52:12):
That would have been funny all of a sudden JP
taking a run at Bieber. I kind of dig that.

Speaker 4 (52:16):
Oh yeah, yeah, sure, Well, because he's Canada, John Paul
is Michigan, right right, yeah, right there, this is the
they would they would call him the Ambassador Bridge Brawl.

Speaker 3 (52:26):
That's what would be. It would be the Ambassador Bridge Brawl.

Speaker 6 (52:28):
Well, to update everybody, if I'm gonna if we're gonna
make sure we're correcting all this stuff, there is now
a new bridge. There's now a new bridge that is
spanning Detroit and and actually like a little bit south
of windsor sort of towards Amhersburg. And that bridge is
now going to be called the Gordy Howe International Bridge
because he is the man who brings our countries together,

(52:51):
of course, the great Canadian who became a legend in
Detroit and and so yeah, so we have we have
a new bridge, and uh and and we have a
new bridge. And I'm trying to trying to foss that
that spirit of cooperation, collaboration and neighborly values between our
great country.

Speaker 4 (53:07):
And if you want to ride on that bridge, Mike
got if you know this but I read about this
is that you have to have a goal and assist and.

Speaker 3 (53:13):
A fighting Okay you want to.

Speaker 6 (53:14):
I gotta have.

Speaker 3 (53:16):
Any order, a goal and assistant, a fight.

Speaker 6 (53:18):
You have that?

Speaker 3 (53:19):
No, I did that?

Speaker 6 (53:20):
The Gordy Howe hat trick, my friend, you got it.
And I think I have to now look up for
my next homework assigned by the time we have our
next conversation next week, I've got to figure out who
actually is the all time leader in the NHL in
Gordie Howe hat trick. I actually don't think it's Gordi
how himself. Uh So I need to now learn it.

(53:40):
May well, it may well be Keith Kachuk, and certainly
he passed along that virtue to his sons.

Speaker 3 (53:46):
And there you go. There you have it.

Speaker 4 (53:47):
John Paul Barrossi on Twitter at John Rossi where you
finally leave out the age because mom said so?

Speaker 3 (53:52):
J O N M O R O S I on
with us.

Speaker 4 (53:55):
It's Jason Smith Mike Harmon here from the diirec dot
Com Fox Sports Radio Studios.

Speaker 3 (53:59):
I'm ask this one JP.

Speaker 4 (54:01):
A lot of eyeballs, you know, on the would be
bounce back seasons, guys like Julio Rodriguez, Corbyn Carroll hit
a home run and it was in my timeline repeatedly.
I think people just trying to wish that into existence.
Is there anybody you've got your eye on, either the
breakthrough or the comeback that has you most intrigued?

Speaker 6 (54:18):
Sure, that's a great question. I think that Julio Rodriguez,
as you mentioned, does stand out to me because he
could be the difference maker in Seattle if he has
an above average year by his standards, or if he
just has a normal Julio year, to be honest with you,
which would be better than what he did last year.
Seattle has a chance to win the division. And you

(54:41):
know this is tough for Mariner fans to hear, but again,
if he had, if he just had a regular year
last year, they would have made the playoffs. He just
had a down year. The other one I'd mentioned is
Boba Schet, similar situation. He can elevate that Blue Jays
team right in the middle of the conversation. Now in
the American leaguees, especially as the Yankees have these issues

(55:01):
with what exactly is going to be going on with
Stanton when's he going to be able to play, they
still have a question over at their base, a little
bit of drama about what the rotation is going to
look like. So I think that if if the Schett
bounces back, Toronto can be a playoff team, and if
Julio just is Julio, the Mariners could be a playoff
team too. And I think finally, the the.

Speaker 4 (55:22):
Other one year eleven of picking the Mariners, I.

Speaker 6 (55:27):
Know, I know, I know, notice it was a conditional
pit they couldn't get there. I think Justin actually has
a Morosi's Greatest Hits of all the all the times
I have I've said, of course, now my brother in
law's a devoted Mariner fan and the Tigers effectively knocked
them out last year, so that was a little little tough.

(55:49):
I was trying to explain it to Justin. But the
other the other answer I will give on bounce back
is like the entirety of the Braves team because they
were either below their standard, hurt or both. And if
they're a dangerous team. I know we talk a lot
about the Mets, and we should. They've got one. So
they got a great team. But let's not forget how
great the Braves are when they actually just have their

(56:11):
guys healthy and Strider coming back and a Kunya coming
back and bounce back heres from Riley and Olsen. That's
a dangerous team for the National League to have after
wrecking with there the Atlanta.

Speaker 1 (56:22):
Braves EMLI Network insider John Paul BARROSSI check him out
on Twitter at John Morosi, and I believe the name
you're gonna be.

Speaker 3 (56:29):
Looking for it, John Paul is Rick Tockett, the all
time leader, Rick Cockett.

Speaker 6 (56:35):
Rick Tockett and I saw Rick Tockett a couple of
saturdays ago in Montreal. What a great gentleman. I heard
this my wife do him. What a great guy. I
didn't even realize that that actually is the all time leader.
Rick Tockett was a great power forward and he was
part of the gold medal winning coaching staff for Team
Canada at the Four Nations face Off.

Speaker 3 (56:56):
No great stuff. As always, John Paul enjoyed the games
this week. We'll talk to you next week.