May 6, 2025 • 55 mins
Recorded May 4th, 2025
Birthday celebrations and playoff hockey collide in this special episode where Graham turns 42 while the NHL delivers some of the most dramatic Game 7 moments in league history.
The conversation kicks off with Graham's birthday weekend recap before Scott launches into passionate analysis of what he calls "one of the greatest hockey games" he's ever watched—the Dallas Stars' historic comeback against the Colorado Avalanche. We break down how the Stars became the first team in playoff history to overcome a multi-goal deficit in the third period of a Game 7 and win in regulation, with Miko Rantanen scoring a hat trick against his former team. Even more remarkably, this historic comeback was immediately followed by the Winnipeg Jets pulling off the exact same feat the very next night.
This playoff magic sparks the episode's central debate: why hockey playoffs consistently deliver more drama and intensity than basketball's postseason. Scott doesn't hold back, criticizing the NBA's "load management" culture while celebrating hockey players who get stitches and return to the game. Graham offers counterpoints about different physical demands and roster strategies, leading to a spirited back-and-forth that hockey and basketball fans alike will find entertaining.
We dive deep into second-round matchups for both leagues, from the Knights-Oilers showdown featuring "the best player on the planet" Connor McDavid to the surprising NBA landscape where young teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder face closing championship windows due to upcoming salary constraints. The episode wraps with our signature "Hot Chick of the Week" segment featuring Jackie Redmond of NHL and WWE fame.
Whether you're a die-hard hockey fan, a basketball enthusiast ready to defend your sport, or simply enjoy authentic sports talk without filters, this birthday episode delivers entertainment and insights in equal measure. Join us for the celebration and stay for the debates!
#baldguysonthebench #graboneandcrackone #nhl #stanleycupplayoffs #nba #nbaplayoffs
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Announcer (00:07):
Welcome to another episode of the Bald Guys on the
Bench podcast, with your hostsGraham Cohen and Scott Wasco.
Scott (00:21):
What's up everyone.
Welcome to a special edition ofyour favorite sports comedy
podcast, the ball guys on thebench.
Last week was episode 150.
Today's episode we'll call it42, because it's my boy,
Graham's birthday.
Unfortunately, my boy Grahamhas to share a birthday with all
(00:45):
the Star Wars nerds out thereand we got to hear this May the
4th be with you.
Bullshit.
But, Graham, happy birthday myguy.
Let's go.
What's cracking what you doing?
Graham (00:59):
Thank you.
Thank you, my friend.
It's a pleasure man.
Let's just say it's been a goodday.
Last night was a little rough,had some fun, but you know,
doing the podcast today, I'mexcited about it, but I'm going
to be real, I'm a little parched.
So how about we grab one andcrack one and then we'll get
into it?
Sound good.
Scott (01:20):
It's about time.
Graham (01:22):
He keeps staring at me like bro say the phrase Well,
can you?
Scott (01:26):
say it please.
I mean, even though I'm goingto grab one and crack one.
It is late here on the EastCoast because we just got to
watch another doozy game sevenbetween the Jets and the Blues.
That we'll get into in a minute.
But my gosh, graham's birthdayweekend.
He just told you he's a littlebanged up from last night.
(01:46):
Other than that, what did youdo this weekend?
You're off today and tomorrow,right?
Graham (01:52):
Yes, just worked really.
Saw a movie the Amateur withRemy Malek was really good, yeah
, and then just watched sports,so that's all I had going on.
What about you?
Scott (02:06):
Where'd you go last night with your boys?
Graham (02:08):
Yeah.
So last night we just went toOne of the local gaming bars
that's in town.
It's called Distilled.
There's like 40 locations andit's right outside the club.
So just went there, had somedrinks, Played pool, Dusted off
the old Q-stick and whooped someass outside the club.
So just went there, had somedrinks, played pool, you know,
dusted off the old cue stick andwhoops a mess, you know.
(02:29):
Do you know what that's like?
Scott winning it?
Yeah.
Scott (02:33):
I know a lot, but we're not even going to get into that.
We don't have enough time forthis.
But not take any shots Anything.
I mean no, it's taken.
You yeah Low key.
I mean, did you take anylow-key?
I know you're bummed becauseyou were supposed to go to XS
tonight.
Graham (02:48):
Yeah, so that didn't happen.
Well, folks, if you'rewondering why we're not going to
XS, it's only because theweather here is going to rain
and they canceled the show.
So I was going to go to XS withsome friends.
We were going to get a bottleservice and do it up like we
were 30 again.
But it's not in the cards fortonight.
(03:08):
But we'll probably do it in acouple weeks.
You know, I have a friend whowas playing tonight there, Not
that I know the new people butyeah, I think his name is
XSession.
Announcer (03:22):
Yeah, no clue.
I think that's what it's called.
Graham (03:27):
But yeah, no, no, they had this whole big party planned
, it wasn't?
It wasn't like one of those,just like regular uh events.
You know that they I want tosay events, but, like you know,
just a regular sunday night.
But that being said, since thisis may, today would have been
the first um what they call, uh,adult swim nights, which
basically means sunday, sundayswim.
Scott (03:44):
Yeah, adult sunday swim sunday, swim Right yeah.
Graham (03:48):
It is what it is, but you know there's always another
time.
You know it's funny.
My phones are.
Friends are blowing me up evennow, like so where are we going?
Where are we going?
And I'm just like bro, I'mstill doing the podcast, leave
me alone.
Scott (03:58):
I was like yeah, I mean it's only.
It's eight, 30, your time.
Tell them to relax.
Graham (04:05):
I'm like just text me what bar you're at and I'll meet
you there, like all right, allright, all right so, but I had a
great time.
Today was chill, just reallykind of recovered a little bit.
This morning was rough, butthen a lot of my time was just
spending it on the phone talkingwith old friends you know
people I don't get to talk tovery often and just catching up.
(04:25):
Got steaks grilled at hometonight.
That was really good.
Did a nice little berry cobblerfor dessert and here we are.
Scott (04:35):
Wait, wait, wait, you didn't get your favorite dessert
.
Graham (04:39):
No, it's what I wanted.
I thought you were.
I'm a pecan pie guy.
Pecan pie guy yeah pie yeah,come on.
Scott (04:46):
Well, come on mama I well she wouldn't.
Graham (04:50):
It's not that she wouldn't make it, it's just
that'd be something that Iwanted, something that I know
both my parents would eat.
I mean they'd have like a slice, but they the whole pie would
just be for me and I don't.
I just didn't want to have allthat sugar.
So I know it's my birthday, Iget it, I get it.
I still really enjoyed what Ihad, so yeah, hey, that's all
(05:11):
that matters, right?
Scott (05:12):
that's all that.
Uh, my weekend worked yesterday.
Ava had her prom last nightfelt really old.
Uh.
Came home, watched game sevenlast night stars avalanche my
god was losing it and supposedto have kellen's first flag game
(05:36):
today.
Like I told you last night,weather was supposed to be shit
today and it was.
Game was canceled.
Literally was up late watchinghockey and everything and woke
up early.
I'm looking at the clock.
I'm like, oh my god, it's 10o'clock.
They've already emailed thegame's canceled.
What the shit am I supposed todo today?
It was a long day, so your boydecided he's gonna nap, watch
(05:57):
some golf, nap a little bit more.
Watch some golf and you know,wasn't much of a golf tournament
because scot Scheffler justlaid the wood to everybody.
I mean, if you like, shooting 31under.
I mean thanks for playing,scotty, and you know you and I
were talking about it before weeven get into anything else.
We were talking about, you know, the PGA Championship at Quail
(06:19):
Hollow, not this week but nextweek.
How about the storylines, dude,heading into that?
Scotty dominates.
Scotty dominates this week.
You know Bryson won on live.
Jordan shot nine under, I think, today to get in the top five.
You know people haven't beentalking about it but you do
(06:40):
realize Jordan is a PGAChampionship away from the
career Grand Slam.
Graham (06:47):
That's insane.
Scott (06:50):
How wild would it be to have two in?
Graham (06:51):
a year.
That's crazy.
I mean, when you mentioned itto me earlier, I completely
forgot Like I was thinking aboutit.
I was like yeah, you're right.
Yeah, and Spieth's still young.
Scott (07:06):
Yes, Like real young.
Rory just completed the GrandSlam going to a golf course he
owns yeah, you know Quail Hollow.
He's won there how many times?
Justin Thomas got his firstmajor there.
There's a lot of fun going tohappen at the PGA Championship
and a lot of fun gonna happen atthe pga championship and a lot
(07:28):
of drama.
It's gonna be awesome, it'sgonna be sick, but this week the
truest championship, which isnormally held at quail hollow,
had to be moved.
Obviously you're not going toplay there two weeks in a row
because of the major right.
They're playing at phillycricket club up in philadelphia.
If you're not going to playthere two weeks in a row because
of the major Right, they'replaying at Philly Cricket Club
up in Philadelphia.
If you're a golf fan, watch it,because this golf course is
(07:53):
sick.
They had the PGA Club ProChampionship there four or five
years ago.
Okay, sick, awesome location,but going to be fun and it is an
elevated event, so they're allgoing to be playing.
But anyhow, as the weekend goes.
Dude, we were just talking aboutit, game 7 last night, one of
(08:18):
the greatest hockey games I'veever watched in my life, between
the Stars and the AvalancheDude, that series lived up to
the hype.
You know it was insane, it waswild.
It had the storylines Stars aredown two going into the third
(08:39):
period, homeboy and Miko rantingand that was traded from the
stars to the hurricanes earlierin the season.
And then the hurricanes turnedaround after he said he wasn't
going to sign an extension,traded him to the stars.
That's insane.
Had a hat trick against his oldteam, not in the game, but in
(09:04):
the third period.
Granted, one was an empty net,don't care, it's still three
goals, right, dude, it wasinsane.
Ava, her date, her boyfriend,andrew, they got back from prom
and Kellen and his buddy werehere and I'm watching the end of
(09:25):
it and you know, you've beenaround me with a Knights game.
When the Knights score, it'sthe loud boom, you know Right,
and the tying goal.
Your boy hits the boom.
Ava looks at the TV and she'slike Dad, the Knights aren't
even playing.
What is going on?
And I'm like this is insane,right, insane.
(09:46):
It was wild, dude, incredibleDude.
The Stars, first team inplayoff history.
Multiple goals in the thirdperiod of a game, seven Down.
Multiple goals in the thirdperiod and winning regulation,
they're down two to nothing.
Dude, score four.
I mean the Avalanche become thefirst team in Major League
(10:11):
Baseball, nba, nhl to lose sevenconsecutive Game 7s.
Announcer (10:18):
Damn, damn Right.
Scott (10:23):
Peter DeBoer, the old Sharks coach, then the Knights
coach, now the Stars coach.
My guy's undefeated in gameseven.
Graham (10:33):
I mean.
Scott (10:35):
But he's never won the cup.
Announcer (10:40):
Gotta throw that out there.
Graham (10:42):
Yeah, couldn't handle it with your team, but here's the
thing the Stars were down.
Scott (10:47):
Their best defenseman Wasn't playing in the game.
Another dude they were down twoof their best players.
Incredible dude, Insane.
Graham (10:57):
Like just for that game, or they like playoff.
Scott (11:00):
They've been their defender's been out since
February, I think Can't eventhink of his name.
I'd have to go look it up.
But they're down.
Two of their best players inthis series.
Move on.
Off-hockey playoffs dude,insane.
My Knights advanced the othernight against the Wild in game
(11:22):
six.
It was insane.
That was a home game.
Up two goals, dude, with threeminutes left, stone hits that
one to go up two and then, like30 seconds later, the Wild
scored to make it a one-goalgame.
I'm like, oh God, empty net,last three minutes.
(11:43):
We hold on to win.
But the coolest thing aboutthat, it was Fleury's last game.
And the coolest thing in thehockey playoffs is the handshake
right at the end of the game.
The officials, the referees,everybody stayed on the ice to
say goodbye to Fleury.
It was sick, it was insane,especially, you know, before
(12:08):
he's playing against the team.
He left Pittsburgh to go to theKnights year one Stanley cup
finals.
You know, it was just amazing.
Amazing hockey playoffs, dude.
The respect, the intensity, Ican't even describe.
(12:30):
I mean, last night I'm on theedge of my seat, I don't even
have a dog in the fight.
Yeah, no, it was insane.
But I don't know, not evenbetter than a good football game
.
More intense.
Graham (12:44):
Yeah.
Scott (12:46):
Yeah, I mean a playoff football game.
I can at least go take a leakbecause there's a TV timeout.
Fair, you know what I'm saying?
It's just intense, dude.
I just wish more people gotinto it because it's wild.
But you know, euler bound twogames and nothing against the
(13:08):
kings.
The kings, dumbass coach, makesthat stupid challenge in game
three, lose the challenge, gofrom up one to down one in like
30 seconds.
Then the oilers rattle off fourgames in a row.
So knights oilers, round two.
Let's go right at home.
Is that like four games in arow?
So, knights-oilers, round two,let's go Bring it on.
Graham (13:28):
Is that like three years in a row now?
Scott (13:30):
Well, the Kings and the Oilers were, I think, four or
five years in a row, first round.
Graham (13:36):
Yeah, no, I remember you saying that before.
Scott (13:38):
Yeah, the year the Knights won the Cup two years
ago we played them in, I think,the second round.
Not sure, because last year wegot bounced in Game 7 in the
first round against the Stars,the team we won in the Western
Conference Finals to go to theCup.
But you know, everybody knowsyou're going to go deep in the
playoffs.
(13:58):
You're going to have to playthe Oilers I mean, they do have
the best player on the planetyeah.
Graham (14:03):
I mean they do have the best player on the planet.
Scott (14:06):
Yeah, I mean, he's our David and they have dry sidle.
But everybody knows the Oilershave one line.
You take advantage of that oneline.
You keep that line in check.
You're going to be all right.
But I don't know, dude, I feltbad for TP, that the Kings, you
know shit the bed after lookingso good through two games.
(14:29):
But you know it's playoffhockey, yeah it sucks.
Graham (14:34):
I mean you were sounding pretty, pretty confident about
the Kings after their first twowins Dude 100%, absolutely, dude
, a hundred percent, absolutely.
Scott (14:43):
And anybody that listened to the episode with me and TP,
the team I didn't want to playin the second round was the
Kings.
Yeah, you know, I'd rather playthe Oilers than the Kings.
Yeah, the Kings are a heavierteam.
Better goalie, the Oilersgoalie suspect.
(15:04):
You know the Oilers have onetop line.
Am I saying the knights aregonna win?
No, I think we are.
We're the better team, butbetter team doesn't always win
hockey.
But you know, I don't knowHockey playoffs, dude.
I mean, it's the first round.
(15:25):
We had two game sevens lastnight and tonight Two game
sevens bro, where the team thatended up winning was down two
goals going into the thirdperiod, and both won.
Graham (15:41):
We had two game sevens in the NBA.
Scott (15:44):
Yeah and they were fucking blowout, blowouts.
Were you glued to your TV going?
Oh, come on, let's go, let's go, clippers, come back.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Kawhi Leonard played in sevengames this year.
Cause a load management, as hisvagina is hurting.
And then tonight the rockets,the two seed get blown off the
(16:06):
court by.
They're down 12 at halftime andSteph's only got two or three
points.
Oh, load management, get out ofhere, dude, get out of here.
Don't even talk to me about.
I mean, I don't even want tohear it at all.
Graham (16:27):
I'm sorry, I knew it.
I mean, am I wrong Am?
Scott (16:33):
I wrong.
Graham (16:33):
It's not that you're wrong, it's just.
Scott (16:37):
I'm right, exactly.
I'm not needing a pat on theback because I know the NBA is
boring.
Graham (16:47):
It's not boring, it's just compared.
Hockey is a very unique sport.
That.
Scott (17:00):
Because dudes care and don't sit out on a back-to-back
game because they have a bruisedtoenail.
Graham (17:09):
So what about the guys that don't play back-to-backs in
the MLB?
Scott (17:15):
Yeah, you know what they're called Pitchers.
You don't pitch back-to-backgames.
Graham (17:22):
I'm talking about the hitters, bro, not the pitchers.
I know that I'm just saying.
It's a completely differentsport, one's way more physical
than the other.
Like I get it it's, it's thenba last night in the first
period.
I'm just saying the firstperiod.
Scott (17:40):
oh boy, gets cross-checked to the face.
Okay, he's bleeding.
Instant four-minute penaltyagainst the avalanche.
Billy texts me I could notimagine getting cross-checked
into the face on ice and I'mlike dude, I couldn't imagine
half the shit these dudes do onice On a blade.
(18:02):
That's about that thick.
No, I get it.
Mark Stone the other night.
Mark Stone last week goes intothe locker room in the second
period, gets stitches in his eye, comes back out in the third
period In the NBA, lebron wouldbe out for a month.
Graham (18:19):
Oh my god, First off you know, he's like 42 years old
right.
Scott (18:29):
I don't give a right lebron at age 28 if he got his
eye opened up in the thirdquarter of an nba game.
You're telling me he's gonnacome back in the playoff game.
Graham (18:37):
It's in a playoff game?
Yeah, he would come back.
Scott (18:40):
They'd stitch him up and if they needed him, he'd pass,
with the game on the line withthree seconds left.
Graham (18:45):
Oh, my God, I can't with you right now.
Tomato, tomato, because I'mright.
No, it's just Because I'm right.
Scott (19:02):
I'm 100% right.
I'm 100% right.
Imagine buying tickets to anNBA game to go see the Lakers on
the road.
You spend 500 bucks for yourfamily.
Oh sorry, lebron's not playingtonight.
He played last night.
It's load management.
You ever see that shit in theNHL.
(19:22):
The only person you're gonnaprobably see sit out in a
back-to-back game in the NHL isthe goalie.
Graham (19:31):
First of all in hockey.
They're sitting down half thefucking time.
Scott (19:38):
Who is?
Graham (19:39):
The players, because they're always rotating.
They go in, they play for likea minute and a half, then they
come back and sit down and thenthey wait another minute and a
half and then the other linegoes down.
Scott (19:49):
Graham, graham, graham.
I'm just going to tell you tostop talking right now, because
you're making yourself look dumbon your birthday.
I'm just telling you just stoptalking.
Graham (19:57):
Are there not line changes?
Scott (19:59):
No, A hundred percent.
There's line changes.
Graham (20:02):
Yeah.
Scott (20:04):
Go run versus go.
Use your legs to skate back andforth and change directions and
get pounded into the boardsversus flopping.
Graham (20:17):
Oh, my God, All right.
Announcer (20:20):
We're done with this conversation.
Scott (20:27):
Oh man, I don't even know what to say right now, except
for you know what it's?
20 minutes into the episode,You've got four minutes left of
your birthday and I haven't donemy ritual.
You're going to do it.
It's time.
Graham (20:44):
All right, let's hear it , buddy.
Scott (20:46):
It's time.
All right, let's hear it.
Buddy, it's time.
I'm gonna get mine runningthrough the hood with my hand on
my nine.
Which one do you want first?
Hebrew you are a Hebrew.
My favorite Hebrew your name isGraham.
Happy Hebrew, my favoriteHebrew.
Your name is Graham.
Happy birthday to my favoriteHebrew.
(21:08):
I don't remember how the songgoes, but happy birthday.
I'm not going to do the otherone because you know obvious
reasons, but anyhow, here's toyou, my boy, my best friend.
Cheers to you.
Tap in the computer.
To you, my boy, my best friend.
Here's to you Tap in thecomputer.
Happy birthday, my brother.
Graham (21:29):
I'm like here, there you go, so you can see it Tap.
I hope you have a good day.
Scott (21:33):
I hope you man up and go out tonight.
Oh no, and I hope your boys buyyou some shots.
Graham (21:38):
Yeah, I'm going out Just one, but I'll have A Jameson
tonight ew, that just made melike try he thinking about it.
Well, let me guess your shot ofchoice is tequila anything with
jameson anything, so you'll dono, no, I used to love jameson.
Scott (22:03):
I'd rather have jameson, oh, unless, unless the best shot
of jameson I ever had in mylife was at excess and $20 for a
shot.
Thanks for playing.
But it was a shot and it hadlike little ice pellets in it.
It was legit.
But for $20 a shot, and better,tickle my balls, tickle my
(22:26):
balls.
Am I wrong?
I'm not.
So second round hockey playoffsis set up.
We got the Knights, we got theOilers, we got the Stars, we got
the Jets.
Crazy thing is TP actuallytexted us earlier, before we
even started the teams playingeach other.
(22:48):
The Jets and the Stars wereboth down two goals heading into
the third period and both endedup winning the game.
Tonight the Blues and the Jetswas a snooze fest until the
third period.
I mean Connor Hollenbuck,however you say homeboy's name,
(23:08):
best goalie on the planet in theregular season may win the MVP,
and he had been pulled threetimes in the series through six
games heading into the thirdperiod because he was
snakebitten, was gettinghammered, gave up too early
tonight.
Graham (23:29):
That's crazy.
Scott (23:30):
And then wins Insane, insane Second round.
Like I said, stars, jets,knights, oilers.
On the East, we got Toronto,the Panthers and we got
Washington and the Canes.
Solid matchups, dude, I'm justgoing to go out on a limb and
say the Panthers are going toboat race the Maple Leaf.
(23:56):
Really, I don't know why.
I just think it's going tohappen.
Graham (24:03):
So what you're saying is look at the odds right now.
Scott (24:07):
Yeah, I mean, I was actually looking at it before we
got on for the series props andall that stuff.
The Canes and the Capitalsnobody's giving the Capitals
dude respect, which I don'tunderstand.
The Canes are minus 160 in theseries against the Capitals,
plus 140.
The Capitals are the number oneseed in the East.
(24:27):
Yeah, dude, oilers are favoredover the Knights.
The Panthers are minus 170against the Maple Leafs For the
series.
To win the series yeah.
Graham (24:43):
Yeah, you're showing me a game.
Scott (24:46):
Yeah, you got to go to series winner Stars are minus
145 against the jets plus 125.
The knights oiler series, uh,what's it have?
I think the oilers are minus115 and the knights are minus
105, so that's pretty much deadon.
But wild dude, second round.
(25:09):
Dude, second round, let's go,it's going to be fun.
Graham (25:13):
I'm excited, you know.
Remember when you told me toclick that link on the stars on
Vegas' website so I could getthe up-to-date information, aka
potentially get discountedtickets.
Well, I got a message from themthe other day.
It's like, hey, we got playofftickets available.
And I'm like, hmm, let's justsee how much these cost.
Announcer (25:36):
Let's look at it, yeah.
Graham (25:38):
I was like hmm, and then I saw the price and I was like
maybe not.
Scott (25:42):
Yeah, second round's going to be expensive.
Graham (25:46):
Dude.
Scott (25:47):
What were they?
Graham (25:48):
Home opener game one Tuesday night.
Dude, the last row at the topwas like $170.
Scott (25:59):
That's better than I thought it would be.
Yeah, I was like.
Graham (26:05):
I mean to be my first game and it be a playoff game
would be pretty exciting.
Scott (26:10):
but I'm like yeah, I will tell you this, I've sat in the
last row.
My first hockey game ever thatI went to were the Ducks, and we
sat on the last row way backwhen I was at SCGA.
It's not a bad spot, right.
I've sat super low at T-Mobile,at the fortress, and, like man,
(26:31):
I think I'd rather be higher.
Graham (26:34):
Yeah, you know but hockey is one of those sports
where it's kind of like football, where it's just like you'd
much rather be like in thatmiddle area.
You know you're not yeah,middle for sure.
Scott (26:46):
Yeah, something.
I just saw dude talking aboutthe two goal comebacks last
night and tonight in game seven.
Here's a stat for you two goalcomebacks in the third period to
win a game seven in hl historyfirst 106 years three.
Last two days two.
(27:06):
What?
First, 106 years three.
Last two days two.
Graham (27:18):
That's insane.
I'm just like what?
Scott (27:26):
Dude, that is wild, wild, I don't know.
I don't know.
I mean, I texted Jerry lastnight after the Stars came back
and I'm like, dude, that mighthave been my favorite hockey
game of all time that did notinclude the Knights.
And another game I compared toit is the first game with Canada
(27:50):
and the United States and theFour Nations thing, when there
were all those brawls in thefirst three or four minutes.
The hockey game that myfavorite is obviously the
clinching when we dominated thePanthers game five, when we won
a million to two or three andwon the cup.
But last night, not having adog in the fight, dude, it was
(28:11):
wild.
I just go back to Ava going Dad,you just yelled boom, and the
Knights aren't even playing.
And I go back to the textthread with the San Diego League
, where I finally got thosemorons to turn on hockey and
somebody was like all right, Iturned it on, who are we rooting
(28:33):
for?
And my response was we're notrooting for a team, we're
rooting for a sport where loadmanagement is not a thing.
Oh my God.
Graham (28:45):
I think the title of this episode is I hate
basketball.
Scott (28:50):
No, no, no, it's going to be load management, but I don't
know.
I don't know, I mean look.
Fun fact for you today.
I wish I would have seen thisbefore.
Look Fun fact for you today.
(29:10):
I wish I would have seen thisbefore Mets got rained out
yesterday and for the last 15years, the Mets have lost their
34th game of the season.
Okay, rained out yesterday andso we had a doubleheader today
(29:32):
and we lost our 34th game forthe 16th year in a row.
I'm like not that I was goingto go throw a bet on the
Cardinals against myMetropolitans, but I'm like I
could have shared thatinformation with my boys if I
would have known that I was justgoing to ask you, did you bet
it?
Graham (29:45):
And then hope all of you lost.
Scott (29:47):
No, I was going to you know here, boys make this bet.
I hope you all lose.
But funny thing, nba playoffs.
You know NBA is your deal.
I thought it was very weird howyou know game seven last night
the Clippers and the Nuggets,then game seven tonight, the
Warriors and the Rockets, but wehad game one before game seven
(30:09):
tonight the Warriors and theRockets, but we had game one
before game seven started.
Game one of the second roundbetween the Pacers and the
Cavaliers.
Aren't the Cavs the one seed,yeah, and the East, yeah.
It was weird to me how I mean,obviously they won a game seven
on prime time Sunday night, butthey started the second round
(30:30):
before the first round was over.
And this is where we enter,graham, with all your NBA
knowledge.
Graham (30:37):
Yeah, that's TV contracts, bro, but I mean, like
I said, I get it.
Scott (30:42):
You want game seven on primetime, you don't want game
one.
I mean well, especially betweena franchise, cleveland and
Indiana.
And I heard something the otherday and I'm just going to throw
this at you real quickObviously, the Lakers got beat
in five I think, wasn't it fiveby the Timberwolves.
(31:04):
Yes, the NBA wants the Lakersto advance.
Announcer (31:11):
Yeah.
Scott (31:13):
How bitter is the NBA that they're knocked out after
the first round?
Obviously, you have the hold on, hold on, hold on.
You got the big boys in theEast Boston and New York playing
in the second round, boston andNew York playing in the second
round, and in the West you gotOKC Minnesota.
(31:35):
I mean the Warriors are gettingup to that, I mean obviously,
but the Lakers, they have fansall over the world.
Announcer (31:45):
Yeah.
Scott (31:47):
And, like I asked you earlier, I'm like dude, are the
Timberwolves that good, what?
And your response was yeah theyare.
Graham (31:56):
Yes, Like how you were saying with hockey in the NBA
this year.
Well, I wouldn't say this yearor even last year.
The NBA had a problem about 10,15 years ago for about five to
seven years straight where theleague was very top heavy on in
(32:16):
both conferences.
So it's just like when you'revery top heavy you don't get a
lot of the good matchups, andthen that's also where you see a
lot of the same teams play,like there was a reason why you
saw the Cavs and the Warriorsplay four times in the finals.
You know what I mean it's justlike when you got two dominant
teams, one on each side, andmostly they blew through each
(32:39):
conference fairly easily.
You don't have that anymore.
There's a lot more depth to theteams and, honestly, when
there's more depth it makes itmore exciting.
There's better matchups andyou're not seeing the same thing
.
Watching the same thing happenover and over again is not
exciting, which is why a lot ofpeople don't like seeing teams
win all the time, which is why alot of people were betting
(33:01):
against the they bet against thePatriots when they were always
winning.
They were betting againstKansas city when they were
always winning.
It's just like, after a while,team people are just like all
right, I'm done seeing the samething over and over again, like
it's not exciting anymore.
Um, but now you know there's alot.
The NBA is getting younger in asense.
I mean it's always gettingyounger.
(33:27):
But you know a lot of the facesof the NBA are in the tail end
of their career.
I mean LeBron's 41, 42 yearsold.
Steph Curry, you know, is like36, I believe maybe 37.
Kevin Durant's old.
It's just like when you have alot of your marquee players that
have played 15 plus yearsalready, that's the tail end of
a career.
I mean, the fact that LeBron'splaying in his 23rd season is
(33:49):
just no 22nd season.
It's bizarre, it'smind-boggling, it's wild.
People forget or I can't sayforget whether people know this
or not, because I'm sure youdon't know this, and when I say
this you're probably like who.
Lebron spends a million and ahalf dollars on his body every
(34:10):
year, of course, just to stay inhealth, of course, like at that
age.
You know what I mean.
It's just like I'm surprised,if not more.
Scott (34:20):
Yeah, if you consider a chef and is the dude preparing
meals for him, you know I'msurprised anymore oh yeah, dude,
that's the chef is the cheapestpart.
Graham (34:34):
Yeah, crowd therapy every day, the massages, I mean
just everything you know.
The workouts, I mean like hisday is packed all day, I mean,
and that's just for basketballstuff, not the other obligations
that he has with family andstuff like that.
But yeah, I mean getting backto the playoffs.
There's a lot of good matchups.
We did have quote unquote anupset because we had the
(34:57):
Warriors, the seventh seed, beatthe Rockets, the two seed, so
that was pretty good and look,but is that an upset, though?
Scott (35:11):
On paper, yes, because of their seedings, but is it once?
The Warriors added Homeboy?
Yeah, and by Homeboy you meanButler.
Graham (35:19):
Added homeboy.
Yeah, and by homeboy you meanJimmy Butler.
Announcer (35:21):
Yeah, I mean see that's the thing.
Graham (35:23):
In the West.
The number one seed had apretty high advantage.
I mean not high advantage, butlike they had more wins, like
they only lost.
Don't quote me on this, but itwas like maybe around like 15
games or something.
But you know, from two to seventhere was, the difference was
only, I think it was a couple ofgames.
(35:44):
Yeah, it was definitely lessthan 10.
It wasn't much, so it's justlike a lot of teams are right
there type of thing, where inthe past there was a much bigger
discrepancy.
I mean there were years, likewhen I was saying there was
those down years, there wereteams making the playoffs that
had um, I can't think of theterm, but they were under 500.
(36:06):
Like you imagine making theplayoffs and you're not even 500
?
I mean it's rare when ithappens in the NFL.
I mean I remember when theFalcons made the playoffs and
they were 7-9.
Like what?
So it's just, it's different.
I mean it's and look, it's goodfor the game that way.
(36:27):
And plus, there's a lot ofteams that are finally figuring
it out.
I mean, look the Pacers, theyare a low-key quality team.
But the thing also is, with all, sports cream rises to the top.
Now in this second round,you're really going to see.
Just to reiterate real quick.
Yeah, go ahead.
Scott (36:45):
I'm just throwing this out there.
I don't want to interrupt you.
Announcer (36:47):
No, go ahead.
Scott (36:47):
But, dude, the Lakers were the three seed and they
were 50-32.
Okay, playing against Minnesota, minnesota it was 49 and 33.
One game, three seed to the sixseed.
Announcer (37:08):
Yeah.
Graham (37:10):
Insane Right.
Scott (37:14):
And the Thunder lost 14 games.
Graham (37:16):
Yeah, I was about to say it was pretty close and the
Thunder lost 14 games.
Yeah, I was looking to say it'spretty close, um, yeah, so it's
just like, with the matchupsnow that are happening, it's
just like there's some reallygood matchups that I'm like
looking forward to see.
Um, I'm really shocked that thePacers uh, beat the calves.
As you were saying.
That first game in the secondround that started already the
(37:39):
Knicks-Celtics should be a goodseries.
I think the Celtics are goingto take care of business.
Fairly candidly, let's just saythis I don't think it's going.
It's not going seven games.
I think it's going to be a 4-2series, maybe a 4-1 series.
But I like what else we gothere.
(38:01):
I mean, what's going to?
Scott (38:03):
And, like I told you the other night, I'm always a year
late.
Remember last year on the showI was like OKC going to the
finals.
Graham (38:11):
Yeah, they had a chance.
Scott (38:13):
Who's going to beat them?
This year they had a chance.
Graham (38:17):
Who's going?
To beat them this year, dudethey.
The thing is, they need to doit this year, and the reason why
I say that, folks, is because alot of their talented players
are all on rookie contractsright now, like they have three
people that they need to payreally big money to very soon
(38:38):
and they're not going to be ableto keep that team together.
I mean, it's like their team15-plus years ago when they had
dude think about this theydrafted all of these players.
Announcer (38:51):
I know exactly where you're going.
Graham (38:52):
Kevin Durant, james Harden and Westbrook on the same
team, and Westbrook came offthe bench.
Like what?
Scott (39:03):
Dude, I will never forget being in Vegas with Bear and we
went down to cash his ticketwhen the Giants won the Super
Bowl and we sat at a sports bookand got buckets of beer special
and watched a playoff game withOKC and the Lakers and I'm like
(39:28):
look at these dudes?
Are you kidding me right now?
Yeah, so the Thunder NuggetSeries.
The Thunder are minus 700betting.
The Celtics are minus 800.
The Cavaliers are minus 210.
(39:50):
The Timberwolves are minus 180.
Announcer (39:54):
Yeah.
Graham (39:56):
I mean, like I was saying there's good matches,
like it's going to be good, likeI'm I'm really curious to see
what's going to happen in thissecond round, just to see who's
going to play in the conferencefinals.
Like it's going to be somereally good matchups, like I'm
really curious what's going tohappen, like you were saying, in
the warriors series.
That's going to be.
Scott (40:16):
I mean you got Steph Jimmy Butler versus what's his
nuts for the Timberwolves.
Anthony I can't think of hisname yeah.
Announcer (40:26):
Yeah.
Scott (40:28):
Michael Jordan's whatever Everybody always calls him
Jordan's little hooker baby,Dude the Warriors plus 155.
Little hooker baby, but dudethe Warriors plus 155, I think
I'm taking that.
Graham (40:45):
Yeah, I mean, they like I right, it's a.
Scott (40:54):
I mean the experience.
Graham (40:56):
They got a lot of good players.
I mean, dude, I keep onforgetting they got Randall on
their team that they got on thetrade during the offseason.
He was on the Knicks, he wasreally good.
When I saw him I was like damn,I'm really not watching enough
of this basketball.
Like I completely forgot youwere on the team.
I was just like, oh, um,there's a lot of good storylines
(41:20):
.
I mean I I really think thatseries could go either way.
Um, I mean, jim, it's it's thething.
Scott (41:33):
Here's the funny thing to me Cleveland, the number one
seed in the East, okay, mm.
Hmm, me, cleveland, the numberone seed in the east, okay.
The Pacers against them areplus 120, plus 175.
Cleveland's minus one, minus210.
The Celtics minus 800 againstthe Knicks.
I know I'm not a huge NBA guy.
(41:53):
If you put a gun to my headright now and said, hey, why
name a player on the Pacers, theCavaliers or the Knicks, one
player for three teams?
Graham (42:15):
I seriously don't know if I could do it.
I mean, to be fair, it's notsomething you normally watch.
So I mean, most of thebasketball that you watch is
just to throw some fun bets on,to be honest, just because
you're bored at night, yeah.
Scott (42:31):
But still one player to be named for three teams that
are in the semifinals.
Graham (42:44):
Yeah, I mean there's.
Scott (42:48):
Who's Donovan Mitchell played for?
Doesn't he play for theCavaliers?
He does, there, you go.
Graham (42:51):
All right, there's one, let's go.
I didn't even look that up, Ipromise.
I swear to God, the only reasonI know his name is because he
was interviewed on the Kelseypodcast.
Let's go, all right, there'sone, let's go.
I didn't even look that up, Ipromise.
Scott (42:56):
I swear to God.
The only reason I know his nameis because he was interviewed
on the Kelsey podcast.
Let's go, let's go.
But as far as the Pacers, Imean the last Pacer I could tell
you, reggie Miller, my boy DebtLeft Shrimp.
Let's go Back in the past.
(43:18):
I'm saying dude, pacers arewinning that series.
Graham (43:24):
Oh, that's definitely not happening.
Well, I can't say that, oh,it's happening.
They down one.
What's happening?
That'd be sad.
That'd be sad.
Scott (43:36):
How pissed would the NBA be if it was like the pacers
versus okc in the finals no,they want.
Graham (43:44):
I mean I mean okc boston and okc cleveland would be
amazing.
I mean I think the nba wouldwant the Warriors just because
of Steph and his age.
Scott (44:00):
Steph, yeah.
Graham (44:04):
That also, because if I would say don't quote me on it,
but I'm pretty positive yeah,jimmy Butler hasn't won a
championship yet.
So I mean they're kind ofpulling for that a little bit
too.
But yeah, I mean I really thinkthat they I mean, look, the
Thunder is the team to beat.
They've just been so dominantthis year and it's just like
(44:26):
they got a lot of guys Like andthey're guys that you forget
about too Like I keep like theytook the dude from like the
seven foot one white dude,that's like.
That looks like a toothpick andI can't think of his name off
the top of my head right now.
Number one overall three yearsago, but he was hurt last year.
(44:49):
It's just like they got studsand the funny thing is is their
best player.
Okc wasn't even drafted by them.
He was actually drafted by theClippers, but the Clippers
traded him because they didn'tsee his potential, his rookie
year.
Wow, could you imagine anorganization trading away a
player that turns into be thebest player in the league?
Scott (45:15):
Do we need to talk about the Mavericks trading Luka?
Graham (45:18):
Well, here's the thing with that.
Scott (45:21):
And his hot mom to the Lakers.
Graham (45:23):
Yeah, but see, look, a lot of reasons why the Lakers
lost is because newsflash Lukadoesn't play defense.
And when you don't play defenseand they're very top heavy,
like they pretty much just havetheir starting five, their bench
is not the greatest.
Look, can he score?
Yes, but if his shots ain'tdropping, he's almost a
(45:47):
liability out there.
Like there was a play,specifically within the last
couple minutes of the game,where he drove the lane and made
and went to go for a layup,didn't make it and spent like 15
seconds complaining to the reflike he got fouled and he really
didn't even get fouled.
And it's just like, bro, youhave to try, like, and by try I
(46:08):
mean you got to try and playdefense you got to be, you know,
and it's just like that's theone knock on him.
It's like, yeah, you're a greatindividual scorer,
congratulations.
But you know, your defense hasbeen subpar his whole career.
So people were thinking that,hey, you know, uniting with
lebron, lebron's a gooddefensive player.
(46:29):
You know, maybe it will rub off, you know it's things like that
, but it's just like now.
Nowadays in the NBA, you can'thave a superstar be
one-dimensional in the sense ofonly being an offensive player.
You know what I mean.
Like you've got to be able toplay some type of defense and it
(46:50):
was on full display.
I mean like it was to the pointwhere it was obvious.
I mean like it was to the pointwhere it was obvious.
And when it's obvious, it'sjust like you can kind of
understand why the Mavericksmade that play.
I mean, I wouldn't say that'sthe reason they did it, but like
you know, it's a-.
Scott (47:11):
He didn't watch his nuts.
In his press conference, theircoach, JJ Redick, throws
something out there and be likenext year we need everybody in
shape.
Look, and wasn't that the knockon, luka yeah.
Graham (47:27):
No, it definitely was.
But also, I mean, I would alsosay that some of the blame for
the Lakers in the playoffs, likehow they finished the regular
season, was amazing, but it'sjust some of his coaching
decisions, even though he'sanalytically brilliant when it
comes to basketball.
I mean, look, this is his firstyear, yeah you know who else
was analytically brilliant.
Scott (47:46):
You know who else was analytically brilliant that got
a head coaching job.
That never deserved it.
That douchebag, brandon Staley.
How'd that work outAnalytically, moron?
Okay, when he first came to theleague with the Chargers, it
(48:07):
was great and the motherfucker'sgoing for fourth and 18 and
whatever Never deserved a job.
At least Reddit played for Dukeplayed in the league league.
There's lots of players thathave played in the league that
have taken head coaching jobsright, oh for sure but you know,
(48:27):
I don't know.
I've heard a lot of media, a lotof people questioning reddick
at the end of the season.
Graham (48:39):
But Well, a lot of it was just because he wasn't
subbing players Like he just had, like he just had his starters
out he played his starters thewhole fourth quarter and it's
just like, yeah, if those areyour five best players, like I
get that.
But like, even with the bestconditioning, like you got to
take a seat, you know you got toCome on guys.
Scott (48:57):
It's time for a little load management.
You played last night.
Graham (49:00):
You got to be whooped, I mean come on.
Scott (49:03):
I mean you're getting paid billions of dollars.
I mean you don't need to playtonight.
Graham (49:08):
You played last night.
There's more to I know.
Scott (49:14):
I'm just throwing the, I'm just saying the.
Graham (49:16):
I'm just saying versus.
In hockey there's more ways youcan affect the game without
scoring.
You know what I mean.
Where in the NBA, scoring iskind of the thing you got to do.
You know what I mean.
Scott (49:28):
Yeah.
But, coaches, the old saying I'mgoing back, you know years here
, you know, and just throwinghaymakers at my chargers.
How many close games did thechargers lose in the fourth
quarter?
Good coaches win close games,bad coaches don't.
(49:53):
Yeah, it's all how you manageyour squad, I agree, but I don't
know.
Something we haven't done in awhile we're going to bring back
tonight and that is our hotchick of the week.
(50:17):
And if you watch the J jets andthe blues game tonight, you saw
who our featured hot chick ofthe week is and that is Jackie
Redmond.
And she was interviewing thejets head coach at the end of
the game.
And I'm like I'm sorry, what?
(50:39):
Where did this chick come from?
Look her up.
Yeah, not only does she dohockey, she's on WWE 38 years
old smoke show.
You're welcome.
All these dude, all these hotchicks.
Like I said, you are taking allthe sports jobs and you were
(51:01):
like, oh, it's because it getsguys to watch sports.
No, graham, it's not because itgets guys to watch sports.
We watch sports because we lovesports.
It gets guys to watch theinterviews after the God dang
games.
When the game's over, you'reflipping channels.
Now, I mean the GOAT, aaronAndrews, right?
Announcer (51:28):
Yeah.
Scott (51:29):
The first one of them Smoke.
Then you got Amanda Baleonisand golf and whatever.
We're not even going to getinto all this.
Graham (51:43):
So who's the football?
Scott (51:44):
one.
Graham (51:44):
But Aaron Andrews.
Scott (51:47):
Well, you got Amanda Baleonis.
You got Aaron Andrews.
Uh, Paul, the, you know whoyour boy's favorite is.
If you don't say this within 10seconds, right now, I'm going
to be bitter Betty.
Graham (52:06):
Wait, interviewer.
Scott (52:10):
Yes, sideline.
Graham (52:13):
Oh, sideline.
Oh, Stacey Colbert.
No, no, no, god damn.
You love Amanda Pallionis.
You said Sideline, I'm assumingfootball, so I'm like.
That's the first person thatcame to mind.
Scott (52:27):
Melissa Stark.
Graham (52:29):
Oh, I wouldn't All right .
I vaguely remember that now.
Yeah, you speak more aboutAmanda Pallionis than anyone, so
that's why I was, just, like wesaid, silent.
Announcer (52:39):
Duh, duh.
Scott (52:46):
I don't even know who you are anymore.
No, no, no, no, no, Stop, stop,stop.
Can I get two slaps and uh?
Graham (52:55):
That's what I was gonna do.
Scott (52:58):
Okay, a birthday one.
Oh, that's what I was gonna do.
okay, a birthday one and folksjust like that.
I think it's time for Graham togo out and get blacked out if
you're in the 702, to go out andget blacked out If you're in
(53:22):
the 702.
Hit my boy up, buy him a shot,throw him a little Venmo at
Graham Cohen or whatever it is.
Send him some cash, money, payfor some drinks.
Graham, I love you, it's yourbirthday, mine is next Monday
and we got a Knights game on mybirthday.
(53:42):
It only happened twice.
The first year it happened, wemade it to the Stanley Cup
Finals.
The second year it happened, wehad a special episode when we
won the Cup.
Yes, sir.
Special episode when we won thecup, yes, sir.
So, with all that being said,go Knights, go Graham.
(54:03):
Happy 42nd birthday.
Love you, brother.
Hope you had a good time and onthe West Coast in Nevada, it's
still your birthday, yes sir.
So go have some fun.
Get this show out.
Tell Mama Cohen, next year Iexpect some pecan pie.
Other than that, get us out ofhere, bro.
Graham (54:29):
Scott, it's always a pleasure doing the podcast with
you.
I appreciate the birthdaywishes.
I look forward to next week foryour birthday and also I'm
surprised you didn't mention itTwo days after that.
The schedule release for theNFL Can't wait for that You're
looking at me right now I'm toonervous to even think about that
.
I know, sweet baby Jesus.
(54:51):
Please, all right, mum's theword.
All that being said, scott,it's always a pleasure and, as
the best homie always says,buh-bye.
Scott (55:00):
Good night friends.
Good night, jackie Redmond.
I'm glad I discovered youtonight.
Go Knights, go Go.
Announcer (55:15):
This episode of the Ball Guys on the Bench podcast
is brought to you by our friendsat Northstar Credit Union and
Southern Auto, located inSoutheast Virginia.
Welcome to another episode of the Bald Guys on the
Bench podcast, with your hostsGraham Cohen and Scott Wasco.
Scott (00:21):
What's up everyone.
Welcome to a special edition ofyour favorite sports comedy
podcast, the ball guys on thebench.
Last week was episode 150.
Today's episode we'll call it42, because it's my boy,
Graham's birthday.
Unfortunately, my boy Grahamhas to share a birthday with all
(00:45):
the Star Wars nerds out thereand we got to hear this May the
4th be with you.
Bullshit.
But, Graham, happy birthday myguy.
Let's go.
What's cracking what you doing?
Graham (00:59):
Thank you.
Thank you, my friend.
It's a pleasure man.
Let's just say it's been a goodday.
Last night was a little rough,had some fun, but you know,
doing the podcast today, I'mexcited about it, but I'm going
to be real, I'm a little parched.
So how about we grab one andcrack one and then we'll get
into it?
Sound good.
Scott (01:20):
It's about time.
Graham (01:22):
He keeps staring at me like bro say the phrase Well,
can you?
Scott (01:26):
say it please.
I mean, even though I'm goingto grab one and crack one.
It is late here on the EastCoast because we just got to
watch another doozy game sevenbetween the Jets and the Blues.
That we'll get into in a minute.
But my gosh, graham's birthdayweekend.
He just told you he's a littlebanged up from last night.
(01:46):
Other than that, what did youdo this weekend?
You're off today and tomorrow,right?
Graham (01:52):
Yes, just worked really.
Saw a movie the Amateur withRemy Malek was really good, yeah
, and then just watched sports,so that's all I had going on.
What about you?
Scott (02:06):
Where'd you go last night with your boys?
Graham (02:08):
Yeah.
So last night we just went toOne of the local gaming bars
that's in town.
It's called Distilled.
There's like 40 locations andit's right outside the club.
So just went there, had somedrinks, Played pool, Dusted off
the old Q-stick and whooped someass outside the club.
So just went there, had somedrinks, played pool, you know,
dusted off the old cue stick andwhoops a mess, you know.
(02:29):
Do you know what that's like?
Scott winning it?
Yeah.
Scott (02:33):
I know a lot, but we're not even going to get into that.
We don't have enough time forthis.
But not take any shots Anything.
I mean no, it's taken.
You yeah Low key.
I mean, did you take anylow-key?
I know you're bummed becauseyou were supposed to go to XS
tonight.
Graham (02:48):
Yeah, so that didn't happen.
Well, folks, if you'rewondering why we're not going to
XS, it's only because theweather here is going to rain
and they canceled the show.
So I was going to go to XS withsome friends.
We were going to get a bottleservice and do it up like we
were 30 again.
But it's not in the cards fortonight.
(03:08):
But we'll probably do it in acouple weeks.
You know, I have a friend whowas playing tonight there, Not
that I know the new people butyeah, I think his name is
XSession.
Announcer (03:22):
Yeah, no clue.
I think that's what it's called.
Graham (03:27):
But yeah, no, no, they had this whole big party planned
, it wasn't?
It wasn't like one of those,just like regular uh events.
You know that they I want tosay events, but, like you know,
just a regular sunday night.
But that being said, since thisis may, today would have been
the first um what they call, uh,adult swim nights, which
basically means sunday, sundayswim.
Scott (03:44):
Yeah, adult sunday swim sunday, swim Right yeah.
Graham (03:48):
It is what it is, but you know there's always another
time.
You know it's funny.
My phones are.
Friends are blowing me up evennow, like so where are we going?
Where are we going?
And I'm just like bro, I'mstill doing the podcast, leave
me alone.
Scott (03:58):
I was like yeah, I mean it's only.
It's eight, 30, your time.
Tell them to relax.
Graham (04:05):
I'm like just text me what bar you're at and I'll meet
you there, like all right, allright, all right so, but I had a
great time.
Today was chill, just reallykind of recovered a little bit.
This morning was rough, butthen a lot of my time was just
spending it on the phone talkingwith old friends you know
people I don't get to talk tovery often and just catching up.
(04:25):
Got steaks grilled at hometonight.
That was really good.
Did a nice little berry cobblerfor dessert and here we are.
Scott (04:35):
Wait, wait, wait, you didn't get your favorite dessert
.
Graham (04:39):
No, it's what I wanted.
I thought you were.
I'm a pecan pie guy.
Pecan pie guy yeah pie yeah,come on.
Scott (04:46):
Well, come on mama I well she wouldn't.
Graham (04:50):
It's not that she wouldn't make it, it's just
that'd be something that Iwanted, something that I know
both my parents would eat.
I mean they'd have like a slice, but they the whole pie would
just be for me and I don't.
I just didn't want to have allthat sugar.
So I know it's my birthday, Iget it, I get it.
I still really enjoyed what Ihad, so yeah, hey, that's all
(05:11):
that matters, right?
Scott (05:12):
that's all that.
Uh, my weekend worked yesterday.
Ava had her prom last nightfelt really old.
Uh.
Came home, watched game sevenlast night stars avalanche my
god was losing it and supposedto have kellen's first flag game
(05:36):
today.
Like I told you last night,weather was supposed to be shit
today and it was.
Game was canceled.
Literally was up late watchinghockey and everything and woke
up early.
I'm looking at the clock.
I'm like, oh my god, it's 10o'clock.
They've already emailed thegame's canceled.
What the shit am I supposed todo today?
It was a long day, so your boydecided he's gonna nap, watch
(05:57):
some golf, nap a little bit more.
Watch some golf and you know,wasn't much of a golf tournament
because scot Scheffler justlaid the wood to everybody.
I mean, if you like, shooting 31under.
I mean thanks for playing,scotty, and you know you and I
were talking about it before weeven get into anything else.
We were talking about, you know, the PGA Championship at Quail
(06:19):
Hollow, not this week but nextweek.
How about the storylines, dude,heading into that?
Scotty dominates.
Scotty dominates this week.
You know Bryson won on live.
Jordan shot nine under, I think, today to get in the top five.
You know people haven't beentalking about it but you do
(06:40):
realize Jordan is a PGAChampionship away from the
career Grand Slam.
Graham (06:47):
That's insane.
Scott (06:50):
How wild would it be to have two in?
Graham (06:51):
a year.
That's crazy.
I mean, when you mentioned itto me earlier, I completely
forgot Like I was thinking aboutit.
I was like yeah, you're right.
Yeah, and Spieth's still young.
Scott (07:06):
Yes, Like real young.
Rory just completed the GrandSlam going to a golf course he
owns yeah, you know Quail Hollow.
He's won there how many times?
Justin Thomas got his firstmajor there.
There's a lot of fun going tohappen at the PGA Championship
and a lot of fun gonna happen atthe pga championship and a lot
(07:28):
of drama.
It's gonna be awesome, it'sgonna be sick, but this week the
truest championship, which isnormally held at quail hollow,
had to be moved.
Obviously you're not going toplay there two weeks in a row
because of the major right.
They're playing at phillycricket club up in philadelphia.
If you're not going to playthere two weeks in a row because
of the major Right, they'replaying at Philly Cricket Club
up in Philadelphia.
If you're a golf fan, watch it,because this golf course is
(07:53):
sick.
They had the PGA Club ProChampionship there four or five
years ago.
Okay, sick, awesome location,but going to be fun and it is an
elevated event, so they're allgoing to be playing.
But anyhow, as the weekend goes.
Dude, we were just talking aboutit, game 7 last night, one of
(08:18):
the greatest hockey games I'veever watched in my life, between
the Stars and the AvalancheDude, that series lived up to
the hype.
You know it was insane, it waswild.
It had the storylines Stars aredown two going into the third
(08:39):
period, homeboy and Miko rantingand that was traded from the
stars to the hurricanes earlierin the season.
And then the hurricanes turnedaround after he said he wasn't
going to sign an extension,traded him to the stars.
That's insane.
Had a hat trick against his oldteam, not in the game, but in
(09:04):
the third period.
Granted, one was an empty net,don't care, it's still three
goals, right, dude, it wasinsane.
Ava, her date, her boyfriend,andrew, they got back from prom
and Kellen and his buddy werehere and I'm watching the end of
(09:25):
it and you know, you've beenaround me with a Knights game.
When the Knights score, it'sthe loud boom, you know Right,
and the tying goal.
Your boy hits the boom.
Ava looks at the TV and she'slike Dad, the Knights aren't
even playing.
What is going on?
And I'm like this is insane,right, insane.
(09:46):
It was wild, dude, incredibleDude.
The Stars, first team inplayoff history.
Multiple goals in the thirdperiod of a game, seven Down.
Multiple goals in the thirdperiod and winning regulation,
they're down two to nothing.
Dude, score four.
I mean the Avalanche become thefirst team in Major League
(10:11):
Baseball, nba, nhl to lose sevenconsecutive Game 7s.
Announcer (10:18):
Damn, damn Right.
Scott (10:23):
Peter DeBoer, the old Sharks coach, then the Knights
coach, now the Stars coach.
My guy's undefeated in gameseven.
Graham (10:33):
I mean.
Scott (10:35):
But he's never won the cup.
Announcer (10:40):
Gotta throw that out there.
Graham (10:42):
Yeah, couldn't handle it with your team, but here's the
thing the Stars were down.
Scott (10:47):
Their best defenseman Wasn't playing in the game.
Another dude they were down twoof their best players.
Incredible dude, Insane.
Graham (10:57):
Like just for that game, or they like playoff.
Scott (11:00):
They've been their defender's been out since
February, I think Can't eventhink of his name.
I'd have to go look it up.
But they're down.
Two of their best players inthis series.
Move on.
Off-hockey playoffs dude,insane.
My Knights advanced the othernight against the Wild in game
(11:22):
six.
It was insane.
That was a home game.
Up two goals, dude, with threeminutes left, stone hits that
one to go up two and then, like30 seconds later, the Wild
scored to make it a one-goalgame.
I'm like, oh God, empty net,last three minutes.
(11:43):
We hold on to win.
But the coolest thing aboutthat, it was Fleury's last game.
And the coolest thing in thehockey playoffs is the handshake
right at the end of the game.
The officials, the referees,everybody stayed on the ice to
say goodbye to Fleury.
It was sick, it was insane,especially, you know, before
(12:08):
he's playing against the team.
He left Pittsburgh to go to theKnights year one Stanley cup
finals.
You know, it was just amazing.
Amazing hockey playoffs, dude.
The respect, the intensity, Ican't even describe.
(12:30):
I mean, last night I'm on theedge of my seat, I don't even
have a dog in the fight.
Yeah, no, it was insane.
But I don't know, not evenbetter than a good football game
.
More intense.
Graham (12:44):
Yeah.
Scott (12:46):
Yeah, I mean a playoff football game.
I can at least go take a leakbecause there's a TV timeout.
Fair, you know what I'm saying?
It's just intense, dude.
I just wish more people gotinto it because it's wild.
But you know, euler bound twogames and nothing against the
(13:08):
kings.
The kings, dumbass coach, makesthat stupid challenge in game
three, lose the challenge, gofrom up one to down one in like
30 seconds.
Then the oilers rattle off fourgames in a row.
So knights oilers, round two.
Let's go right at home.
Is that like four games in arow?
So, knights-oilers, round two,let's go Bring it on.
Graham (13:28):
Is that like three years in a row now?
Scott (13:30):
Well, the Kings and the Oilers were, I think, four or
five years in a row, first round.
Graham (13:36):
Yeah, no, I remember you saying that before.
Scott (13:38):
Yeah, the year the Knights won the Cup two years
ago we played them in, I think,the second round.
Not sure, because last year wegot bounced in Game 7 in the
first round against the Stars,the team we won in the Western
Conference Finals to go to theCup.
But you know, everybody knowsyou're going to go deep in the
playoffs.
(13:58):
You're going to have to playthe Oilers I mean, they do have
the best player on the planetyeah.
Graham (14:03):
I mean they do have the best player on the planet.
Scott (14:06):
Yeah, I mean, he's our David and they have dry sidle.
But everybody knows the Oilershave one line.
You take advantage of that oneline.
You keep that line in check.
You're going to be all right.
But I don't know, dude, I feltbad for TP, that the Kings, you
know shit the bed after lookingso good through two games.
(14:29):
But you know it's playoffhockey, yeah it sucks.
Graham (14:34):
I mean you were sounding pretty, pretty confident about
the Kings after their first twowins Dude 100%, absolutely, dude
, a hundred percent, absolutely.
Scott (14:43):
And anybody that listened to the episode with me and TP,
the team I didn't want to playin the second round was the
Kings.
Yeah, you know, I'd rather playthe Oilers than the Kings.
Yeah, the Kings are a heavierteam.
Better goalie, the Oilersgoalie suspect.
(15:04):
You know the Oilers have onetop line.
Am I saying the knights aregonna win?
No, I think we are.
We're the better team, butbetter team doesn't always win
hockey.
But you know, I don't knowHockey playoffs, dude.
I mean, it's the first round.
(15:25):
We had two game sevens lastnight and tonight Two game
sevens bro, where the team thatended up winning was down two
goals going into the thirdperiod, and both won.
Graham (15:41):
We had two game sevens in the NBA.
Scott (15:44):
Yeah and they were fucking blowout, blowouts.
Were you glued to your TV going?
Oh, come on, let's go, let's go, clippers, come back.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Kawhi Leonard played in sevengames this year.
Cause a load management, as hisvagina is hurting.
And then tonight the rockets,the two seed get blown off the
(16:06):
court by.
They're down 12 at halftime andSteph's only got two or three
points.
Oh, load management, get out ofhere, dude, get out of here.
Don't even talk to me about.
I mean, I don't even want tohear it at all.
Graham (16:27):
I'm sorry, I knew it.
I mean, am I wrong Am?
Scott (16:33):
I wrong.
Graham (16:33):
It's not that you're wrong, it's just.
Scott (16:37):
I'm right, exactly.
I'm not needing a pat on theback because I know the NBA is
boring.
Graham (16:47):
It's not boring, it's just compared.
Hockey is a very unique sport.
That.
Scott (17:00):
Because dudes care and don't sit out on a back-to-back
game because they have a bruisedtoenail.
Graham (17:09):
So what about the guys that don't play back-to-backs in
the MLB?
Scott (17:15):
Yeah, you know what they're called Pitchers.
You don't pitch back-to-backgames.
Graham (17:22):
I'm talking about the hitters, bro, not the pitchers.
I know that I'm just saying.
It's a completely differentsport, one's way more physical
than the other.
Like I get it it's, it's thenba last night in the first
period.
I'm just saying the firstperiod.
Scott (17:40):
oh boy, gets cross-checked to the face.
Okay, he's bleeding.
Instant four-minute penaltyagainst the avalanche.
Billy texts me I could notimagine getting cross-checked
into the face on ice and I'mlike dude, I couldn't imagine
half the shit these dudes do onice On a blade.
(18:02):
That's about that thick.
No, I get it.
Mark Stone the other night.
Mark Stone last week goes intothe locker room in the second
period, gets stitches in his eye, comes back out in the third
period In the NBA, lebron wouldbe out for a month.
Graham (18:19):
Oh my god, First off you know, he's like 42 years old
right.
Scott (18:29):
I don't give a right lebron at age 28 if he got his
eye opened up in the thirdquarter of an nba game.
You're telling me he's gonnacome back in the playoff game.
Graham (18:37):
It's in a playoff game?
Yeah, he would come back.
Scott (18:40):
They'd stitch him up and if they needed him, he'd pass,
with the game on the line withthree seconds left.
Graham (18:45):
Oh, my God, I can't with you right now.
Tomato, tomato, because I'mright.
No, it's just Because I'm right.
Scott (19:02):
I'm 100% right.
I'm 100% right.
Imagine buying tickets to anNBA game to go see the Lakers on
the road.
You spend 500 bucks for yourfamily.
Oh sorry, lebron's not playingtonight.
He played last night.
It's load management.
You ever see that shit in theNHL.
(19:22):
The only person you're gonnaprobably see sit out in a
back-to-back game in the NHL isthe goalie.
Graham (19:31):
First of all in hockey.
They're sitting down half thefucking time.
Scott (19:38):
Who is?
Graham (19:39):
The players, because they're always rotating.
They go in, they play for likea minute and a half, then they
come back and sit down and thenthey wait another minute and a
half and then the other linegoes down.
Scott (19:49):
Graham, graham, graham.
I'm just going to tell you tostop talking right now, because
you're making yourself look dumbon your birthday.
I'm just telling you just stoptalking.
Graham (19:57):
Are there not line changes?
Scott (19:59):
No, A hundred percent.
There's line changes.
Graham (20:02):
Yeah.
Scott (20:04):
Go run versus go.
Use your legs to skate back andforth and change directions and
get pounded into the boardsversus flopping.
Graham (20:17):
Oh, my God, All right.
Announcer (20:20):
We're done with this conversation.
Scott (20:27):
Oh man, I don't even know what to say right now, except
for you know what it's?
20 minutes into the episode,You've got four minutes left of
your birthday and I haven't donemy ritual.
You're going to do it.
It's time.
Graham (20:44):
All right, let's hear it , buddy.
Scott (20:46):
It's time.
All right, let's hear it.
Buddy, it's time.
I'm gonna get mine runningthrough the hood with my hand on
my nine.
Which one do you want first?
Hebrew you are a Hebrew.
My favorite Hebrew your name isGraham.
Happy Hebrew, my favoriteHebrew.
Your name is Graham.
Happy birthday to my favoriteHebrew.
(21:08):
I don't remember how the songgoes, but happy birthday.
I'm not going to do the otherone because you know obvious
reasons, but anyhow, here's toyou, my boy, my best friend.
Cheers to you.
Tap in the computer.
To you, my boy, my best friend.
Here's to you Tap in thecomputer.
Happy birthday, my brother.
Graham (21:29):
I'm like here, there you go, so you can see it Tap.
I hope you have a good day.
Scott (21:33):
I hope you man up and go out tonight.
Oh no, and I hope your boys buyyou some shots.
Graham (21:38):
Yeah, I'm going out Just one, but I'll have A Jameson
tonight ew, that just made melike try he thinking about it.
Well, let me guess your shot ofchoice is tequila anything with
jameson anything, so you'll dono, no, I used to love jameson.
Scott (22:03):
I'd rather have jameson, oh, unless, unless the best shot
of jameson I ever had in mylife was at excess and $20 for a
shot.
Thanks for playing.
But it was a shot and it hadlike little ice pellets in it.
It was legit.
But for $20 a shot, and better,tickle my balls, tickle my
(22:26):
balls.
Am I wrong?
I'm not.
So second round hockey playoffsis set up.
We got the Knights, we got theOilers, we got the Stars, we got
the Jets.
Crazy thing is TP actuallytexted us earlier, before we
even started the teams playingeach other.
(22:48):
The Jets and the Stars wereboth down two goals heading into
the third period and both endedup winning the game.
Tonight the Blues and the Jetswas a snooze fest until the
third period.
I mean Connor Hollenbuck,however you say homeboy's name,
(23:08):
best goalie on the planet in theregular season may win the MVP,
and he had been pulled threetimes in the series through six
games heading into the thirdperiod because he was
snakebitten, was gettinghammered, gave up too early
tonight.
Graham (23:29):
That's crazy.
Scott (23:30):
And then wins Insane, insane Second round.
Like I said, stars, jets,knights, oilers.
On the East, we got Toronto,the Panthers and we got
Washington and the Canes.
Solid matchups, dude, I'm justgoing to go out on a limb and
say the Panthers are going toboat race the Maple Leaf.
(23:56):
Really, I don't know why.
I just think it's going tohappen.
Graham (24:03):
So what you're saying is look at the odds right now.
Scott (24:07):
Yeah, I mean, I was actually looking at it before we
got on for the series props andall that stuff.
The Canes and the Capitalsnobody's giving the Capitals
dude respect, which I don'tunderstand.
The Canes are minus 160 in theseries against the Capitals,
plus 140.
The Capitals are the number oneseed in the East.
(24:27):
Yeah, dude, oilers are favoredover the Knights.
The Panthers are minus 170against the Maple Leafs For the
series.
To win the series yeah.
Graham (24:43):
Yeah, you're showing me a game.
Scott (24:46):
Yeah, you got to go to series winner Stars are minus
145 against the jets plus 125.
The knights oiler series, uh,what's it have?
I think the oilers are minus115 and the knights are minus
105, so that's pretty much deadon.
But wild dude, second round.
(25:09):
Dude, second round, let's go,it's going to be fun.
Graham (25:13):
I'm excited, you know.
Remember when you told me toclick that link on the stars on
Vegas' website so I could getthe up-to-date information, aka
potentially get discountedtickets.
Well, I got a message from themthe other day.
It's like, hey, we got playofftickets available.
And I'm like, hmm, let's justsee how much these cost.
Announcer (25:36):
Let's look at it, yeah.
Graham (25:38):
I was like hmm, and then I saw the price and I was like
maybe not.
Scott (25:42):
Yeah, second round's going to be expensive.
Graham (25:46):
Dude.
Scott (25:47):
What were they?
Graham (25:48):
Home opener game one Tuesday night.
Dude, the last row at the topwas like $170.
Scott (25:59):
That's better than I thought it would be.
Yeah, I was like.
Graham (26:05):
I mean to be my first game and it be a playoff game
would be pretty exciting.
Scott (26:10):
but I'm like yeah, I will tell you this, I've sat in the
last row.
My first hockey game ever thatI went to were the Ducks, and we
sat on the last row way backwhen I was at SCGA.
It's not a bad spot, right.
I've sat super low at T-Mobile,at the fortress, and, like man,
(26:31):
I think I'd rather be higher.
Graham (26:34):
Yeah, you know but hockey is one of those sports
where it's kind of like football, where it's just like you'd
much rather be like in thatmiddle area.
You know you're not yeah,middle for sure.
Scott (26:46):
Yeah, something.
I just saw dude talking aboutthe two goal comebacks last
night and tonight in game seven.
Here's a stat for you two goalcomebacks in the third period to
win a game seven in hl historyfirst 106 years three.
Last two days two.
(27:06):
What?
First, 106 years three.
Last two days two.
Graham (27:18):
That's insane.
I'm just like what?
Scott (27:26):
Dude, that is wild, wild, I don't know.
I don't know.
I mean, I texted Jerry lastnight after the Stars came back
and I'm like, dude, that mighthave been my favorite hockey
game of all time that did notinclude the Knights.
And another game I compared toit is the first game with Canada
(27:50):
and the United States and theFour Nations thing, when there
were all those brawls in thefirst three or four minutes.
The hockey game that myfavorite is obviously the
clinching when we dominated thePanthers game five, when we won
a million to two or three andwon the cup.
But last night, not having adog in the fight, dude, it was
(28:11):
wild.
I just go back to Ava going Dad,you just yelled boom, and the
Knights aren't even playing.
And I go back to the textthread with the San Diego League
, where I finally got thosemorons to turn on hockey and
somebody was like all right, Iturned it on, who are we rooting
(28:33):
for?
And my response was we're notrooting for a team, we're
rooting for a sport where loadmanagement is not a thing.
Oh my God.
Graham (28:45):
I think the title of this episode is I hate
basketball.
Scott (28:50):
No, no, no, it's going to be load management, but I don't
know.
I don't know, I mean look.
Fun fact for you today.
I wish I would have seen thisbefore.
Look Fun fact for you today.
(29:10):
I wish I would have seen thisbefore Mets got rained out
yesterday and for the last 15years, the Mets have lost their
34th game of the season.
Okay, rained out yesterday andso we had a doubleheader today
(29:32):
and we lost our 34th game forthe 16th year in a row.
I'm like not that I was goingto go throw a bet on the
Cardinals against myMetropolitans, but I'm like I
could have shared thatinformation with my boys if I
would have known that I was justgoing to ask you, did you bet
it?
Graham (29:45):
And then hope all of you lost.
Scott (29:47):
No, I was going to you know here, boys make this bet.
I hope you all lose.
But funny thing, nba playoffs.
You know NBA is your deal.
I thought it was very weird howyou know game seven last night
the Clippers and the Nuggets,then game seven tonight, the
Warriors and the Rockets, but wehad game one before game seven
(30:09):
tonight the Warriors and theRockets, but we had game one
before game seven started.
Game one of the second roundbetween the Pacers and the
Cavaliers.
Aren't the Cavs the one seed,yeah, and the East, yeah.
It was weird to me how I mean,obviously they won a game seven
on prime time Sunday night, butthey started the second round
(30:30):
before the first round was over.
And this is where we enter,graham, with all your NBA
knowledge.
Graham (30:37):
Yeah, that's TV contracts, bro, but I mean, like
I said, I get it.
Scott (30:42):
You want game seven on primetime, you don't want game
one.
I mean well, especially betweena franchise, cleveland and
Indiana.
And I heard something the otherday and I'm just going to throw
this at you real quickObviously, the Lakers got beat
in five I think, wasn't it fiveby the Timberwolves.
(31:04):
Yes, the NBA wants the Lakersto advance.
Announcer (31:11):
Yeah.
Scott (31:13):
How bitter is the NBA that they're knocked out after
the first round?
Obviously, you have the hold on, hold on, hold on.
You got the big boys in theEast Boston and New York playing
in the second round, boston andNew York playing in the second
round, and in the West you gotOKC Minnesota.
(31:35):
I mean the Warriors are gettingup to that, I mean obviously,
but the Lakers, they have fansall over the world.
Announcer (31:45):
Yeah.
Scott (31:47):
And, like I asked you earlier, I'm like dude, are the
Timberwolves that good, what?
And your response was yeah theyare.
Graham (31:56):
Yes, Like how you were saying with hockey in the NBA
this year.
Well, I wouldn't say this yearor even last year.
The NBA had a problem about 10,15 years ago for about five to
seven years straight where theleague was very top heavy on in
(32:16):
both conferences.
So it's just like when you'revery top heavy you don't get a
lot of the good matchups, andthen that's also where you see a
lot of the same teams play,like there was a reason why you
saw the Cavs and the Warriorsplay four times in the finals.
You know what I mean it's justlike when you got two dominant
teams, one on each side, andmostly they blew through each
(32:39):
conference fairly easily.
You don't have that anymore.
There's a lot more depth to theteams and, honestly, when
there's more depth it makes itmore exciting.
There's better matchups andyou're not seeing the same thing
.
Watching the same thing happenover and over again is not
exciting, which is why a lot ofpeople don't like seeing teams
win all the time, which is why alot of people were betting
(33:01):
against the they bet against thePatriots when they were always
winning.
They were betting againstKansas city when they were
always winning.
It's just like, after a while,team people are just like all
right, I'm done seeing the samething over and over again, like
it's not exciting anymore.
Um, but now you know there's alot.
The NBA is getting younger in asense.
I mean it's always gettingyounger.
(33:27):
But you know a lot of the facesof the NBA are in the tail end
of their career.
I mean LeBron's 41, 42 yearsold.
Steph Curry, you know, is like36, I believe maybe 37.
Kevin Durant's old.
It's just like when you have alot of your marquee players that
have played 15 plus yearsalready, that's the tail end of
a career.
I mean, the fact that LeBron'splaying in his 23rd season is
(33:49):
just no 22nd season.
It's bizarre, it'smind-boggling, it's wild.
People forget or I can't sayforget whether people know this
or not, because I'm sure youdon't know this, and when I say
this you're probably like who.
Lebron spends a million and ahalf dollars on his body every
(34:10):
year, of course, just to stay inhealth, of course, like at that
age.
You know what I mean.
It's just like I'm surprised,if not more.
Scott (34:20):
Yeah, if you consider a chef and is the dude preparing
meals for him, you know I'msurprised anymore oh yeah, dude,
that's the chef is the cheapestpart.
Graham (34:34):
Yeah, crowd therapy every day, the massages, I mean
just everything you know.
The workouts, I mean like hisday is packed all day, I mean,
and that's just for basketballstuff, not the other obligations
that he has with family andstuff like that.
But yeah, I mean getting backto the playoffs.
There's a lot of good matchups.
We did have quote unquote anupset because we had the
(34:57):
Warriors, the seventh seed, beatthe Rockets, the two seed, so
that was pretty good and look,but is that an upset, though?
Scott (35:11):
On paper, yes, because of their seedings, but is it once?
The Warriors added Homeboy?
Yeah, and by Homeboy you meanButler.
Graham (35:19):
Added homeboy.
Yeah, and by homeboy you meanJimmy Butler.
Announcer (35:21):
Yeah, I mean see that's the thing.
Graham (35:23):
In the West.
The number one seed had apretty high advantage.
I mean not high advantage, butlike they had more wins, like
they only lost.
Don't quote me on this, but itwas like maybe around like 15
games or something.
But you know, from two to seventhere was, the difference was
only, I think it was a couple ofgames.
(35:44):
Yeah, it was definitely lessthan 10.
It wasn't much, so it's justlike a lot of teams are right
there type of thing, where inthe past there was a much bigger
discrepancy.
I mean there were years, likewhen I was saying there was
those down years, there wereteams making the playoffs that
had um, I can't think of theterm, but they were under 500.
(36:06):
Like you imagine making theplayoffs and you're not even 500
?
I mean it's rare when ithappens in the NFL.
I mean I remember when theFalcons made the playoffs and
they were 7-9.
Like what?
So it's just, it's different.
I mean it's and look, it's goodfor the game that way.
(36:27):
And plus, there's a lot ofteams that are finally figuring
it out.
I mean, look the Pacers, theyare a low-key quality team.
But the thing also is, with all, sports cream rises to the top.
Now in this second round,you're really going to see.
Just to reiterate real quick.
Yeah, go ahead.
Scott (36:45):
I'm just throwing this out there.
I don't want to interrupt you.
Announcer (36:47):
No, go ahead.
Scott (36:47):
But, dude, the Lakers were the three seed and they
were 50-32.
Okay, playing against Minnesota, minnesota it was 49 and 33.
One game, three seed to the sixseed.
Announcer (37:08):
Yeah.
Graham (37:10):
Insane Right.
Scott (37:14):
And the Thunder lost 14 games.
Graham (37:16):
Yeah, I was about to say it was pretty close and the
Thunder lost 14 games.
Yeah, I was looking to say it'spretty close, um, yeah, so it's
just like, with the matchupsnow that are happening, it's
just like there's some reallygood matchups that I'm like
looking forward to see.
Um, I'm really shocked that thePacers uh, beat the calves.
As you were saying.
That first game in the secondround that started already the
(37:39):
Knicks-Celtics should be a goodseries.
I think the Celtics are goingto take care of business.
Fairly candidly, let's just saythis I don't think it's going.
It's not going seven games.
I think it's going to be a 4-2series, maybe a 4-1 series.
But I like what else we gothere.
(38:01):
I mean, what's going to?
Scott (38:03):
And, like I told you the other night, I'm always a year
late.
Remember last year on the showI was like OKC going to the
finals.
Graham (38:11):
Yeah, they had a chance.
Scott (38:13):
Who's going to beat them?
This year they had a chance.
Graham (38:17):
Who's going?
To beat them this year, dudethey.
The thing is, they need to doit this year, and the reason why
I say that, folks, is because alot of their talented players
are all on rookie contractsright now, like they have three
people that they need to payreally big money to very soon
(38:38):
and they're not going to be ableto keep that team together.
I mean, it's like their team15-plus years ago when they had
dude think about this theydrafted all of these players.
Announcer (38:51):
I know exactly where you're going.
Graham (38:52):
Kevin Durant, james Harden and Westbrook on the same
team, and Westbrook came offthe bench.
Like what?
Scott (39:03):
Dude, I will never forget being in Vegas with Bear and we
went down to cash his ticketwhen the Giants won the Super
Bowl and we sat at a sports bookand got buckets of beer special
and watched a playoff game withOKC and the Lakers and I'm like
(39:28):
look at these dudes?
Are you kidding me right now?
Yeah, so the Thunder NuggetSeries.
The Thunder are minus 700betting.
The Celtics are minus 800.
The Cavaliers are minus 210.
(39:50):
The Timberwolves are minus 180.
Announcer (39:54):
Yeah.
Graham (39:56):
I mean, like I was saying there's good matches,
like it's going to be good, likeI'm I'm really curious to see
what's going to happen in thissecond round, just to see who's
going to play in the conferencefinals.
Like it's going to be somereally good matchups, like I'm
really curious what's going tohappen, like you were saying, in
the warriors series.
That's going to be.
Scott (40:16):
I mean you got Steph Jimmy Butler versus what's his
nuts for the Timberwolves.
Anthony I can't think of hisname yeah.
Announcer (40:26):
Yeah.
Scott (40:28):
Michael Jordan's whatever Everybody always calls him
Jordan's little hooker baby,Dude the Warriors plus 155.
Little hooker baby, but dudethe Warriors plus 155, I think
I'm taking that.
Graham (40:45):
Yeah, I mean, they like I right, it's a.
Scott (40:54):
I mean the experience.
Graham (40:56):
They got a lot of good players.
I mean, dude, I keep onforgetting they got Randall on
their team that they got on thetrade during the offseason.
He was on the Knicks, he wasreally good.
When I saw him I was like damn,I'm really not watching enough
of this basketball.
Like I completely forgot youwere on the team.
I was just like, oh, um,there's a lot of good storylines
(41:20):
.
I mean I I really think thatseries could go either way.
Um, I mean, jim, it's it's thething.
Scott (41:33):
Here's the funny thing to me Cleveland, the number one
seed in the East, okay, mm.
Hmm, me, cleveland, the numberone seed in the east, okay.
The Pacers against them areplus 120, plus 175.
Cleveland's minus one, minus210.
The Celtics minus 800 againstthe Knicks.
I know I'm not a huge NBA guy.
(41:53):
If you put a gun to my headright now and said, hey, why
name a player on the Pacers, theCavaliers or the Knicks, one
player for three teams?
Graham (42:15):
I seriously don't know if I could do it.
I mean, to be fair, it's notsomething you normally watch.
So I mean, most of thebasketball that you watch is
just to throw some fun bets on,to be honest, just because
you're bored at night, yeah.
Scott (42:31):
But still one player to be named for three teams that
are in the semifinals.
Graham (42:44):
Yeah, I mean there's.
Scott (42:48):
Who's Donovan Mitchell played for?
Doesn't he play for theCavaliers?
He does, there, you go.
Graham (42:51):
All right, there's one, let's go.
I didn't even look that up, Ipromise.
I swear to God, the only reasonI know his name is because he
was interviewed on the Kelseypodcast.
Let's go, all right, there'sone, let's go.
I didn't even look that up, Ipromise.
Scott (42:56):
I swear to God.
The only reason I know his nameis because he was interviewed
on the Kelsey podcast.
Let's go, let's go.
But as far as the Pacers, Imean the last Pacer I could tell
you, reggie Miller, my boy DebtLeft Shrimp.
Let's go Back in the past.
(43:18):
I'm saying dude, pacers arewinning that series.
Graham (43:24):
Oh, that's definitely not happening.
Well, I can't say that, oh,it's happening.
They down one.
What's happening?
That'd be sad.
That'd be sad.
Scott (43:36):
How pissed would the NBA be if it was like the pacers
versus okc in the finals no,they want.
Graham (43:44):
I mean I mean okc boston and okc cleveland would be
amazing.
I mean I think the nba wouldwant the Warriors just because
of Steph and his age.
Scott (44:00):
Steph, yeah.
Graham (44:04):
That also, because if I would say don't quote me on it,
but I'm pretty positive yeah,jimmy Butler hasn't won a
championship yet.
So I mean they're kind ofpulling for that a little bit
too.
But yeah, I mean I really thinkthat they I mean, look, the
Thunder is the team to beat.
They've just been so dominantthis year and it's just like
(44:26):
they got a lot of guys Like andthey're guys that you forget
about too Like I keep like theytook the dude from like the
seven foot one white dude,that's like.
That looks like a toothpick andI can't think of his name off
the top of my head right now.
Number one overall three yearsago, but he was hurt last year.
(44:49):
It's just like they got studsand the funny thing is is their
best player.
Okc wasn't even drafted by them.
He was actually drafted by theClippers, but the Clippers
traded him because they didn'tsee his potential, his rookie
year.
Wow, could you imagine anorganization trading away a
player that turns into be thebest player in the league?
Scott (45:15):
Do we need to talk about the Mavericks trading Luka?
Graham (45:18):
Well, here's the thing with that.
Scott (45:21):
And his hot mom to the Lakers.
Graham (45:23):
Yeah, but see, look, a lot of reasons why the Lakers
lost is because newsflash Lukadoesn't play defense.
And when you don't play defenseand they're very top heavy,
like they pretty much just havetheir starting five, their bench
is not the greatest.
Look, can he score?
Yes, but if his shots ain'tdropping, he's almost a
(45:47):
liability out there.
Like there was a play,specifically within the last
couple minutes of the game,where he drove the lane and made
and went to go for a layup,didn't make it and spent like 15
seconds complaining to the reflike he got fouled and he really
didn't even get fouled.
And it's just like, bro, youhave to try, like, and by try I
(46:08):
mean you got to try and playdefense you got to be, you know,
and it's just like that's theone knock on him.
It's like, yeah, you're a greatindividual scorer,
congratulations.
But you know, your defense hasbeen subpar his whole career.
So people were thinking that,hey, you know, uniting with
lebron, lebron's a gooddefensive player.
(46:29):
You know, maybe it will rub off, you know it's things like that
, but it's just like now.
Nowadays in the NBA, you can'thave a superstar be
one-dimensional in the sense ofonly being an offensive player.
You know what I mean.
Like you've got to be able toplay some type of defense and it
(46:50):
was on full display.
I mean like it was to the pointwhere it was obvious.
I mean like it was to the pointwhere it was obvious.
And when it's obvious, it'sjust like you can kind of
understand why the Mavericksmade that play.
I mean, I wouldn't say that'sthe reason they did it, but like
you know, it's a-.
Scott (47:11):
He didn't watch his nuts.
In his press conference, theircoach, JJ Redick, throws
something out there and be likenext year we need everybody in
shape.
Look, and wasn't that the knockon, luka yeah.
Graham (47:27):
No, it definitely was.
But also, I mean, I would alsosay that some of the blame for
the Lakers in the playoffs, likehow they finished the regular
season, was amazing, but it'sjust some of his coaching
decisions, even though he'sanalytically brilliant when it
comes to basketball.
I mean, look, this is his firstyear, yeah you know who else
was analytically brilliant.
Scott (47:46):
You know who else was analytically brilliant that got
a head coaching job.
That never deserved it.
That douchebag, brandon Staley.
How'd that work outAnalytically, moron?
Okay, when he first came to theleague with the Chargers, it
(48:07):
was great and the motherfucker'sgoing for fourth and 18 and
whatever Never deserved a job.
At least Reddit played for Dukeplayed in the league league.
There's lots of players thathave played in the league that
have taken head coaching jobsright, oh for sure but you know,
(48:27):
I don't know.
I've heard a lot of media, a lotof people questioning reddick
at the end of the season.
Graham (48:39):
But Well, a lot of it was just because he wasn't
subbing players Like he just had, like he just had his starters
out he played his starters thewhole fourth quarter and it's
just like, yeah, if those areyour five best players, like I
get that.
But like, even with the bestconditioning, like you got to
take a seat, you know you got toCome on guys.
Scott (48:57):
It's time for a little load management.
You played last night.
Graham (49:00):
You got to be whooped, I mean come on.
Scott (49:03):
I mean you're getting paid billions of dollars.
I mean you don't need to playtonight.
Graham (49:08):
You played last night.
There's more to I know.
Scott (49:14):
I'm just throwing the, I'm just saying the.
Graham (49:16):
I'm just saying versus.
In hockey there's more ways youcan affect the game without
scoring.
You know what I mean.
Where in the NBA, scoring iskind of the thing you got to do.
You know what I mean.
Scott (49:28):
Yeah.
But, coaches, the old saying I'mgoing back, you know years here
, you know, and just throwinghaymakers at my chargers.
How many close games did thechargers lose in the fourth
quarter?
Good coaches win close games,bad coaches don't.
(49:53):
Yeah, it's all how you manageyour squad, I agree, but I don't
know.
Something we haven't done in awhile we're going to bring back
tonight and that is our hotchick of the week.
(50:17):
And if you watch the J jets andthe blues game tonight, you saw
who our featured hot chick ofthe week is and that is Jackie
Redmond.
And she was interviewing thejets head coach at the end of
the game.
And I'm like I'm sorry, what?
(50:39):
Where did this chick come from?
Look her up.
Yeah, not only does she dohockey, she's on WWE 38 years
old smoke show.
You're welcome.
All these dude, all these hotchicks.
Like I said, you are taking allthe sports jobs and you were
(51:01):
like, oh, it's because it getsguys to watch sports.
No, graham, it's not because itgets guys to watch sports.
We watch sports because we lovesports.
It gets guys to watch theinterviews after the God dang
games.
When the game's over, you'reflipping channels.
Now, I mean the GOAT, aaronAndrews, right?
Announcer (51:28):
Yeah.
Scott (51:29):
The first one of them Smoke.
Then you got Amanda Baleonisand golf and whatever.
We're not even going to getinto all this.
Graham (51:43):
So who's the football?
Scott (51:44):
one.
Graham (51:44):
But Aaron Andrews.
Scott (51:47):
Well, you got Amanda Baleonis.
You got Aaron Andrews.
Uh, Paul, the, you know whoyour boy's favorite is.
If you don't say this within 10seconds, right now, I'm going
to be bitter Betty.
Graham (52:06):
Wait, interviewer.
Scott (52:10):
Yes, sideline.
Graham (52:13):
Oh, sideline.
Oh, Stacey Colbert.
No, no, no, god damn.
You love Amanda Pallionis.
You said Sideline, I'm assumingfootball, so I'm like.
That's the first person thatcame to mind.
Scott (52:27):
Melissa Stark.
Graham (52:29):
Oh, I wouldn't All right .
I vaguely remember that now.
Yeah, you speak more aboutAmanda Pallionis than anyone, so
that's why I was, just, like wesaid, silent.
Announcer (52:39):
Duh, duh.
Scott (52:46):
I don't even know who you are anymore.
No, no, no, no, no, Stop, stop,stop.
Can I get two slaps and uh?
Graham (52:55):
That's what I was gonna do.
Scott (52:58):
Okay, a birthday one.
Oh, that's what I was gonna do.
okay, a birthday one and folksjust like that.
I think it's time for Graham togo out and get blacked out if
you're in the 702, to go out andget blacked out If you're in
(53:22):
the 702.
Hit my boy up, buy him a shot,throw him a little Venmo at
Graham Cohen or whatever it is.
Send him some cash, money, payfor some drinks.
Graham, I love you, it's yourbirthday, mine is next Monday
and we got a Knights game on mybirthday.
(53:42):
It only happened twice.
The first year it happened, wemade it to the Stanley Cup
Finals.
The second year it happened, wehad a special episode when we
won the Cup.
Yes, sir.
Special episode when we won thecup, yes, sir.
So, with all that being said,go Knights, go Graham.
(54:03):
Happy 42nd birthday.
Love you, brother.
Hope you had a good time and onthe West Coast in Nevada, it's
still your birthday, yes sir.
So go have some fun.
Get this show out.
Tell Mama Cohen, next year Iexpect some pecan pie.
Other than that, get us out ofhere, bro.
Graham (54:29):
Scott, it's always a pleasure doing the podcast with
you.
I appreciate the birthdaywishes.
I look forward to next week foryour birthday and also I'm
surprised you didn't mention itTwo days after that.
The schedule release for theNFL Can't wait for that You're
looking at me right now I'm toonervous to even think about that
.
I know, sweet baby Jesus.
(54:51):
Please, all right, mum's theword.
All that being said, scott,it's always a pleasure and, as
the best homie always says,buh-bye.
Scott (55:00):
Good night friends.
Good night, jackie Redmond.
I'm glad I discovered youtonight.
Go Knights, go Go.
Announcer (55:15):
This episode of the Ball Guys on the Bench podcast
is brought to you by our friendsat Northstar Credit Union and
Southern Auto, located inSoutheast Virginia.
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com