August 13, 2024 • 29 mins
Mark Few joins the show to give a behind the scenes look at team USA winning the gold medal
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
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dot com, or stream us live every day on the
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Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Well, it's certainly a company that has exploded over the
last eight to ten years of Fanatics. The CEO, entrepreneur,
the founder of it is Michael Rubin, former owner of
the Philadelphia seventy six years. They do licensed merchandise, trading cards,
collectible sports gaming live events. They got one in New
York this weekend. You are Michael. First of all, it's
great to see you again. It's it was a pleasure to
(00:46):
see you, see my friends. So you are at the
heartbeat of feet on the ground of so many things
that are happening. It's a very fluid world sports gambling,
live events. You were just in Paris. So let's take
the Olympics for example. I was of the belief that
the World Cup had surpassed the Olympics in global scope.
Young people were more into that, and then I watched
(01:08):
the Olympics and I was blown away. Some of it,
I think is because our politics are so ugly and divisive.
We all wanted to smile and root for America. You
went there as well, What is your takeaway on, for instance, fanatics,
What did you do as a company and say, hey,
this works, this connects with people. You, Michael Rubin, what
(01:30):
did the Olympics mean for you and your company?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Well?
Speaker 4 (01:34):
I think for me, the Olympics were absolutely amazing, both
on a personal and finags level.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
On a personal level, I got to go there with
my eighth and ye old.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Daughter right before she goes to college and have some
great memories with her, watching the comeback against Serbia and
the ultimate gold medal victory for men's basketball.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
It was just unbelievable. I think.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Also from a fanatics perspective, the Olympics mean a lot.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
There's just such great fandom.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
I mean, Olympics were up two hundred percent this Olympics,
last Olympics. From a sales perspective, we created the first
ever a trading car that had lebron kd and Step
on it together.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
It's an incredible car.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
That card has just been so coveted by sports collectors.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
So for us, I think we were really able to
create great products for the Olympics and also see the
fandom come out in a big way. And it was great.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
I mean from the merchandise sales that we did over
there operating in the USA House and Team USA to
just what we saw globally through the entire network.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
You know, again, our politics are very divisive in this country,
But yet I watch our young ass car Yeah, but
I watch our young athletes and I just find myself
just so impressed with these twenty eight year olds who
give their life to this sport. They're so gracious, they're
so humble. But here's another thing that blows me away.
Lebron James is worth probably a billion dollars. He is
(02:53):
playing like it's the most important game of his entire life.
Steph Curry bringing these guys to tears. You've owned an
NBA team. I'm almost surprised how much the Olympics mean
to our rich, famous stars. What did you make of
our effort, the passion that our pro basketball players did
(03:15):
it in Paris?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Yeah, I'm not surprised at all. It's exactly what I
would expect from them. It's what makes Ron Ron kg
KD Steph who he is. I mean, these guys are
the ultimate competitors and the last thing they want to
do was not bring a gold medal home for their country.
So for me, you know, I sat there like this
was one of the crazy sports events I've ever been to,
(03:39):
watching them fight to come back and beat Serby and
watch them fight against, by the way, a really strong
French team and Victor who was so impressive and you
just look at what he's going to do in the future.
But it was incredible. I mean, they weren't taking anything
other than victory. And I think the great thing about
basketball is how globe would become. Yeah, and so I
think going forward, you're gonna see much closer COMPI between
(04:01):
the countries, and I think that's a great thing for
the sport. I think it's a great thing for you know,
just how we're globalizing. But it was exactly what I expected. Look,
I would have preferred a forty point blowout because I don't, like,
you know, I got.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Enough stress in my life. I don't want a close game.
I want to see my team win. But I was
so proud.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
I mean, when people are running around with flags I
actually there's a picture of me and Katie together with
him in the flag. I'm like, frame that picture up
for me. I want that picture of my office. I mean,
it meant a lot to me. So I felt honored
to be part of this.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
You know, it's interesting. Years ago, I've dealt with some
gambling companies and DraftKings. Right now is want to deal
with And one of the things I've always asked is
I want the fans to win. And the average sports
fan bets four dollars per game, and I just think
I like when sports fans are passionate. I don't want
any by have trouble with it. So sports gambling is
(04:52):
something Europe's been ahead of us. I'm for it. I'm
a proponent. I think ninety nine point nine percent of
people are smart. It adds juice and fun to their life.
What inning? Because it's been in Europe a lot longer.
We have all this technology, all these apps, the immediacy
of betting. What inning do you think we are in
sports gambling? Is it still the third inning? With growth?
(05:14):
Or where are we at in the product, in the
history of it and where we're going.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yeah, So, first we can't forget that online sports betting
was a giant business that was illegal and unregulated in
the US. So what we're doing is we're seeing the
gambling move from illegal sports betting.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
It's illegal sports betting.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Which is a great thing is now we can protect betters, gamblers,
sports fans the way that you couldn't when it hadn't
been regulated. I think we're in the second or third inning.
One of the things I love is that in the
fang your business, and in the collectibles and trading our business.
I think we're a real leader in the online sports
betting business. People have said we have no chance, we're
not going to be successful. I think today we've only
(05:56):
watched up Next Sportsbook last September out of beta. I
think today there are three great apps, and we're one
of them. I think Fandul, DraftKings and Finas all have
a great app. That's what better just tell us every day.
We brought our market share dramatically in the ten months
we've been live, and we're just getting starting this business.
So I'm incredibly excited for the chance to compete for
the online sports betting business.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I think Fax we have a lot of advantages.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
You know, there are three great products between FanDuel draftings
and fanatics, and there's.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Economics kind of similar.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
I think what we can do is great experience of
relationships with gamblers that nobody has the assets of FASS.
So I think we're just getting going in America. I
think there's going to be a lot of growth. Today,
we're in, you know, low twenties amount of states that
are legalized for online sports betting, and I think you
need to see more states continue to legalize. I think
you need to see more growth within each state. So
I'm super excited about our future of this.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
I think I think being a sports fan, I have
friends who are dads and they can literally watch their
Suns play baseball on the internet, all of them, every
single game. It could be in rural Arizona or New
York City and they're on their computer and their office
watching their son play sports. Gives us so much that
we so much access. This weekend, you have a fanatics
(07:17):
fest in New York City and you create events. Those
events weren't I'm from a small town. They were not
available to me. I couldn't see athletes. I didn't get
that visceral connection to sports. That's what you do for
a living, you connect people to sports. What's the thing?
What's the fest in New York? That the fan fest
this weekend in New York? What is it?
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah? So first, we're super excited.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
This has never been done before, and this is a
first time we've done it. It's the first of this
kind of kind of event. Look, so many other industries
had great events for their industry. Comiccom where we got
this idea from as two hundred and fifty thousand people
that come out for comic in their customs each year
in New York City. So many music festivals, if you're
a fan of music South Southwest. There's never been anything
(08:01):
like this in the sports industry. So we're creating first
of a kind sports festival jab at Center this Friday,
Saturday and Sunday that August sixteenth through the eighteen. We're
gonna have more than two hundred athletes coming out for this.
We're gonna have tens of thousands of fans. And no
one's ever done something like this. I mean, we've got,
you know, Tom Brady coming, Peyton Mann and Eli Manning,
(08:21):
Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards from the Olympics with the gold medals,
you know, Mike Tyson and Jake Paul doing their press
conference for the upcoming fight in November, the biggest wrestlers
from WW, the biggest UFC fighters coming, each sports league.
I mean, an activation of what's most important for their
kind of fan fest. So I think no one's been
able to pull together an event like this before, and we're.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Super humbled and excited to do something like this.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
You know, my test is to sports fans, to tens
of thousands of people, say this was such an incredible event.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
I loved it.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
Do all the talent to come out and say, you know,
we had a blast doing this and it's the social
pickup for us.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Incredible.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
I think it will be. Some of the things we're
gonna have are insane. Tom Brady's throwing passes for an
hour and a kid on Friday. You know, Kevin Durant,
Anthony Edwards are going to play basketball kids for half
an hour on Saturday and play football with kids for
half an hour. We've got, you know, more than ten
basketball players playing basketball with kids at this event. So
I think, no, create the kind of immersive festival where
(09:16):
people get to do all.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
These things, and so it's going to be a lot
of fun.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, you know if you are in a unique position,
and some of it's terrifying where you have to predict
problems before they exist. You know. The great line from
Steve Jobs is he created the iPhone before people know
they knew they needed it. His whole thing was, I'm
going to create stuff you're not even you don't even
think you need it, and you can't live without it.
You're in a business where you also are kind of
(09:43):
projecting and predicting where all this is going. We have
been in this very a lot of fluidity over the
last decade in sports and streaming and what you're doing, collectibles,
you've taken you know, I've said before, I don't know
if this is a compliment. I feel like you're Amazon
for sports. If I want something, I just go to Fanatics, right,
And that's what you do better than anybody. Is. The
(10:06):
future's going to be turbulent for some If I said
ten years from now, what does sports look like? Is
there something that you think to yourself folks it's a
rocket ship. Or have we exhausted many of the new
technologies for sports.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Yeah, it's a great question because I think five to
ten years ago a lot of people thought sports was
peaking and they were completely wrong. I think sports could
not have more secular growth to it. I think the
only thing people really care about is live sports. It's
the one thing that we just we can't get enough of.
So I think the sports industry will have a tremendous
squat like. Look, at the end of the day, there's
(10:46):
a few billion passionate sports fans throughout this world, whether
it's their soccer team that they love, or their badminton team,
or their cricket team, or their anf oor NBA team,
or their baseball team or watching their favorite ww year
UFC fighter. Mean, there's just so much great sports fandom.
I think for us, we're in three businesses today. We obviously,
(11:07):
you know, have a strong leadership position in the fan
gear business and the trading card and collectible's business. Just
starting in the online sports betting business. I think we
feel like a scrappy startup. We do not feel like
a big company. We feel like a strappy starting We
think there's so much for doing these three businesses. But
over time, my dream is that you can go to
the Fanatics app and do everything you'd want in one place,
(11:27):
but ultimately have to start with the fan and say,
how do you make everything better for the sports fan?
And if we do that, well, our opportunities end list.
But I think technology is going to keep evolving.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
The way we consumer sports and watch sports will.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Keep evolving, and I think our job is real to
help connect the fan with their favorite team, with the
favorite player, and that's what Fanatics is all about.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
And we're, you know, like we're just getting started. We
feel like we're the first thing of the game.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
So well, sports betting may be in the second or
thirty and I feel like Fanatics we're just getting started.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
You look at us as a you said, kind of
a company. We can go do a lot of things.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I look at us as a company it's just getting
We have to be better at everything that we do,
and we're striving to do everything at a much higher level.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
You created something called the White Party, which is now
it's a lot of celebrities, and it's more than a party.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
It's a small it's a small cimet party.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
But it feels it's something. It's there's something to it.
What was the vision of it? Is it bigger than
you thought when you started it? Was it? I mean
there's a lot of people, famous people go to parties
all the time. What was the intention? How intentional were
you of it? And what did you want it to be?
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Yeah? Less intentional than you think.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
The one thing I thought about was, and people know
this about my story since.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
I barely mete out of high school, was a terrible athlete.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
Always loved business from the time I was, you know,
a young kid eight years old starting as an entrepreneur.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
I always loved bringing people together. That's the way that
I learned.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
So I like to get great people from different backgrounds
around me and learn from each other. And so the
great thing about the White Party, the reason I started
it was how could I bring all these people from
different backgrounds together and have them do great things together.
So it's a very small party, it's less than four
hundred people, but what it has is so many of
the best business founders and CEOs, best athletes, best artists,
best celebrities, just a great crew together and people come
(13:14):
to party it those for thirteen hours and they have
a great time, but I think what comes out of
it is a lot of new relationships, a lot of
great learning, and I really I think helps a lot
of people. So I love the ability to bring people together.
It's one of the things I enjoy most of life.
It's what I'm doing with fanatics Fest this weekend. That's
what I did with the White Party that we created.
We've only done it.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
This was only our fourth year, and.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I think I'm honored to know be the host of
the White Party, and I'm honored to help start fanatics Fest,
which I hope happens in many big cities acros the world,
whether it's London or Tokyo or Brazil or La Like,
how do we bring fanacs Fest to all these big
cities in the world. Because we love bringing people together,
because I think that's what being a sports fans all about,
is connecting with your team, with your favorite athlete.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
And I think we're gonna do a lot of this weekend.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Fanatics Fest New York City going on this weekend. Michael
Rubin the founder and CEO. They are part of every
bit of sports merchandise, trading, events, sports gambling, obviously, live commerce, collectibles,
it is. I get to see about once a year.
I always look forward to it, and Michael, I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Can't wait to see you next time, live and appreciate
being with you.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
You bet, Michael Rubin, good stuff. Hey j Mack with
the news.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
No no, no, turn on the news. This is the
herd Line News. I'll start with your boy.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
Matt Stafford entering his fifteenth NFL season. He turned thirty
six in February. Last year, he stayed healthy played fifteen games.
In a recent interview, Colin Stafford said he'd like to keep.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Playing for another three or four season.
Speaker 5 (14:48):
I love it, but he admitted he's taking things year
by year so he could be certain about his health.
So three years ago healthy, super Bowl, two years ago
not healthy, disaster well, last year healthy playoffs.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
They have rebuilt the O line. I do think next
year they've got a first, second, third, two or three fifths,
three or four six. I think they're going to draft
a quarterback and an offensive tackle and a receiver. I
think they've leaned heavily on defense at the top of
the drafts last several years. I think they're gonna get
him some help. I think they're going to get a
tackle receiver. I think they realize Stafford's one of about
(15:25):
five great ones in the league. So I think if
you look at what mcvay's doing Blake Koram, they're trying
to build a strong running game, an excellent interior O
line to again augment Stafford as he ages. They're doing
it the right way, which is run game, clean pocket,
get rid of the ball quickly. And I just don't
(15:46):
think you can replace Matt Stafford. I don't think this
Rams to LA thing would feel nearly as big. And
that's not a shot at Jared Goff, but Stafford's taking
it to a new level.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
Oh yeah, it feels like, you know, with Stafford on
the field, they've got a shot against any anybody.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
They're in the mix.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
And I gotta give props to the front office there
with the Rams. They've rebuilt this because it looked bleak
when they after the Super Bowl year, you know, the
Stafford injury, and they didn't look like.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
A good team.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
It looked like it was over.
Speaker 5 (16:13):
Remember McVeigh is he gonna go be an announcer on
Amazon games and Aaron Donald's stuff, and they rebounded. Well,
I still don't have him as a playoff team, but
that could change. Who still got one more?
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Right?
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Where we're gonna pick the playoff teams here in a couple.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Of weeks after your back when the preseason, while I
got one more at least. Yeah, you're taking off a
lot of time here coming up round.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
Oh yeah, yeah, vacation, Yes, yes, that's how it is.
Next up, Detroit Lions. Bummer for the Lions, Jamier Gibbs,
the young fella. He was a rookie last year.
Speaker 6 (16:44):
Man.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
He had some pop some juice supper day hamstring injury
and had to leave practice early.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
It's unclear how.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
Long he'll be out, but already the Lions are saying, yeah,
he won't play the rest of the preseason. He had
twelve hundred yards from scrimmage eleven touchdowns, and I thought
he was phenomenal last year. This kid really was exciting,
added a new dimension of the offense. I'm aaras Saint
Brown Pops, Gibbs pops.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
When Todd Gurley was between the old line and Todd Gurley,
that's when the Rams were at their best with GoF.
He's always better with a good old line in a
run game to support him, and I think Gibbs is
well criticism when they took him first round. He's been
absolutely worth it.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
He's been he's been great, and they went far in
the playoffs, so you can't criticize it. And I think
still the biggest retention of any coordinator is Ben Johnson
staying with the Lions because he would have been able
to pick his job.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Final story, here's a weird one for you, Colin.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Your guy, Will Levis went viral during the draft process
when he revealed that he takes his coffee with Mayo,
leading to a partnership with Hellman's Mayonnaise.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
You can see the commercial here, Colin.
Speaker 5 (17:51):
This is a real commercial, a specialty fragrance called Will
Levis Number eight, which is being advertised as containing notes
of tart, lemon mayonnaise, accord coffee, musk, and vanilla. In November,
Levis and Hellman's debuted Mayo Mocha, a drink developed and
sold in Nashville consisting of hot milk, express espresso shots, mayo,
(18:15):
and chocolate syrup.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
That's right at your wheelhouse.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
It almost looks like he's it's it's a put on.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
It is, yes, it's a pretty good put on.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
It is a pretty good.
Speaker 5 (18:27):
And listen when you say something stupid like I take
coffee with mayonnaise, then you lean into it.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
The Internet loves you, right, the Internet's weird.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
This kind of feels like Baker posing with a tiger.
Remember that he's shirtless.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
Yeah, we got your guys shirtless showing off the shredded abs.
He's now dating like an Instagram model. He's got the
full shabeg.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Well, let's win some football games. Oh, is that what
it's about? I thought it was being like an Internet celebrity.
That's yeah, Well I think I want to pass on
with Levis number eight from the time being, of course.
J Mack with a news.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
Herdline news.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
All right, Mark feu back from Paris, Steph Tatum mbid
lebron kde. How about Devin Booker, he's a baller? Uh
back in a second, I heard.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Eastern, nine am Pacific.
Speaker 7 (19:23):
Hey, what's up, everybody. It's me three time pro bowler
LeVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce
a podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game,
you asked, along with my fellow pro bowler TJ. Huschman
Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yup, that's right, Plexico Burris.
You can only name a show with that type of
talent on it. Up on Game We're going to be
(19:45):
sharing our real life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen
to Up on Game with me LeVar Arrington, TJ. Huschman Zada,
and Plexico Burrs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or
where ever you get your podcast from.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Well, forty three days he spent in uh France. My
kids were there for a week and they just had
the time of their lives. I thought the Olympics was
so spectacular, so special. And Gonzaga's basketball coach Mark Feugh,
who just got in late last night. Zag's never missed
the tournament as long as Mark's been the coach. I
(20:27):
gotta tell you, you have seen a lot of basketball,
But what Steph Curry did at the end of that game.
I'm sitting there and you've had some great offensive players.
Could I don't know, if you could wipe the smile
off your face. Take me to what you were watching
and how you felt in one of the greatest briefs.
I mean, one of the greatest shooting displays in the
(20:49):
history of the sport. May have been the greatest shooting display.
What were you making of it?
Speaker 6 (20:55):
It was absolutely amazing to witness firsthand, and just I
mean again, I would be remiss to not add there's
a reason it happened. I've never been more impressed with
somebody's approach to their own individual workout. And he did
(21:19):
it diligently every single day, at the end of every practice.
I think last time I was on we talked about
it game shots, at game spots, at game speed, what
we talk about as coaches all the time. And then
just even if you listen to some of his quotes afterward,
talking about just being in the moment and being present
(21:40):
and just taking the shot. And I told the staff afterwards,
he's got a little bit of the ted Lasso, the
memory of a goldfish or whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
I mean, the next shot is just going in. Yeah,
And it was spectacular.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
I can't imagine anybody having a better shooting foremanths over
those last two games, and we needed every single one
of them because we were really really challenged by two
really really good teams, but not only two really good teams,
but two teams that just played, you know, exceptional on
(22:17):
that particular day. They were they put it all together
to try to knock off the number one squad, and
our guys didn't buck them.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
It's interesting and Beads started slowly, a lot of criticism.
Then he's finished very strong during the turbulence when everybody
including me is like, and get him off the floor,
give me a d bam, it's not working. During that process,
something you guys figured it out. He got sometimes closer
to the basket where he's virtually unstoppable during that time
(22:45):
when he was taking heat. I mean Steve at one
time pulled him off the floor two minutes end of
the game. What did you do to alter it, to pivot,
to change his environment, his game and his production.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
I think Joel deserves all the credit for that. I
think you know he was he was really just trying
to fit in with this group, in my opinion, and
and in some instances was almost overpassing. And and then
also I think for all our players, just the adjustment
(23:21):
to FEBA basketball, which is so much more like the
college game than it is like the NBA and then
secondly the adjustment to just you know, we had twelve
great players and you know, trying to get them all
in and get them in the rotation, and I mean
that's limited minutes, and a lot of them are used
to kind of like, hey, I'll take my time to
(23:42):
get going here and get some rhythm. I miss my
first shots or might you know this or that might happen.
You didn't really have time for that in this scenario.
And so and then the last thing I'd add, I
think the the French fans approach to Joe Well certainly
helped also, especially when we got to Paris. Yeah, that
(24:06):
really amped him up, and I think he if he
needed any extra motivation, that was it.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
You know.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
One of the reasons. A guy that was interesting in
this was Devin Booker, who just get shots. He makes
shots and sometimes in these you know, in these international games,
you just need shots. That Durant to me is so
valuable in the Olympics because you face a team like
South su Dan that's twitchy and athletic and they're nothing
like Serbias so and all the teams are good. So
(24:33):
and then there's Tatum who kind of felt lost and
he's such a good kid, he's such a collaborative kid.
But wasn't hard on your psyche he as a coach
that Tatum's not getting minutes? Did you feel guilty? Did
the staff feel guilty because he's such a good kid
and a great player?
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Totally?
Speaker 6 (24:49):
I think that weighed on all of us. It weighed
on Steve very heavily, because he he really did have
We all had such an incredible appreciation reaching everyone of
our guys and they're all great. I mean, like as
he said in the first meeting, there's probably twelve Hall
of Famers in this room, and so yeah, I mean
(25:10):
you wanted them all to have success.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
You wanted them all to get to play.
Speaker 6 (25:13):
But like, there's think about it, there's two hundred minutes,
you know for a team in a game like that.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
And you start splitting it up.
Speaker 6 (25:21):
It's hard to split it up ten ways, and to
try to split it up twelve. So a lot of
that was not was it anything the guys weren't doing.
It was more like just matchup based. And then you know,
the gift. We kept talking about the gift and the
blessing of having this plethora of talent, you know, the
(25:42):
only slightly negative was there was just so much talent. Yeah,
you know, at some point somebody wasn't going to get
get to play or not play as much as they're
used to. They all handled it wonderfully. I mean, they're
such a class act. And I think one of the
underrated things of this whole NIE was we had incredible
(26:03):
team chemistry. Incredible you know, a group that was just
thrown together. And I'm I don't know, I don't know much,
but I do know a lot about team chemistry. I've
been so blessed with that a Gunzaga and with teams
over the years, and we had that same They genuinely
really liked each other.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Finally, a couple of minutes left. Kevin Durant is such
a unique personality. He's such a unique player. You can
gobble up the shot clock in any game, give him
it with three seconds left and he gets a great shot,
and he's just I find him funny. He argues with
fans online. He's just a unique cat. And but there's
so much love and respect and I he may have
(26:40):
had more fun than any player out there. We got
a couple of minutes. Tell me about Kevin Durant what
it's like to coach him and be around him.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Mark wonderful, wonderful guy, total team guy, and just I mean,
my best description of him, just Colin. He's just an
absolute baller. He he just loves basketball and I think
(27:09):
he'll he'll play it till he's eighty if he can.
And he's another guy that if you stick around after practice,
it's just amazing to watch him go and his individuals,
how hard he goes, and that shot and that delivery
of his is so sports specific and so on time.
There's not a bit of wasted motion. It's efficient and
(27:32):
that high release. And I gotta tell you one thing
that allus shocked me is you know, we'd be in
locker rooms or rooms or whatever, and Ad would go
walking out the door and then you know, Duck have
to duck his head a little bit, KD.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
You would go out that same door and have to
duck his head.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
The same way. It's unbelievable how how tall he is
and how big he is, and yet just this gifted,
incredible perimeter player that just has There's no there's been
nobody like him, I don't think in.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
All of basketball.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
And I mean, he's got to go down to the anamals.
Speaker 6 (28:06):
This is his fourth gold medal, which shows you just
how team orientity is because these guys made an incredible
sacrifice of basically their whole summer after long seasons to
go out and do this and absolute joy being around
him that time.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Well, I'm trying to learn French and I stink him
only like eight days in, so I'm terrible. So I'd
sign off in French and I'd butcher it. But get
some sleep, get on your mountain bike. Forty three days
is you need a home cooked meal?
Speaker 6 (28:40):
Well, we were forty three days over the whole journey
that was started in Vegas, Abu Dhabi, London and then Paris.
But I'm guessing you're farther ahead of me than I am't.
So he mercy Baku.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
For having me on.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Or of walls something like that. I don't know. Great
senior Marks os Zags basketball coach Mark Ugh, what a
pleasure it is to talk to him, and what an experience.
Everybody that's ever coached or been around Durant, they're just
kind of in awe of how easy he makes it look.
He just is just you know, his comp almost is
(29:23):
is like Wemby. I watch Wemby and I'm like, like,
Wemby is Durant with like four inches, Like there was
no Kevin Durant came into the league. You're like, I've
never seen that, and now the greatest prospect ever Wemby.
It's like, oh, that's that's the comp His comp is after,
like he didn't have one coming into the league. He's
so unique and so special and sometimes he doesn't like
(29:45):
us media people, but I cat of him a lot.
All Right, we'll see tomorrow. The hurt
Thanks for listening to The Herd podcast. Be sure to
catch us live every weekday on Fox Sports Radio in
noon to three Eastern nine am to noon Pacific. Find
your local station for The Herd at Fox Sports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every day on the
iHeartRadio app by searching Fox Sports Radio or FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Well, it's certainly a company that has exploded over the
last eight to ten years of Fanatics. The CEO, entrepreneur,
the founder of it is Michael Rubin, former owner of
the Philadelphia seventy six years. They do licensed merchandise, trading cards,
collectible sports gaming live events. They got one in New
York this weekend. You are Michael. First of all, it's
great to see you again. It's it was a pleasure to
(00:46):
see you, see my friends. So you are at the
heartbeat of feet on the ground of so many things
that are happening. It's a very fluid world sports gambling,
live events. You were just in Paris. So let's take
the Olympics for example. I was of the belief that
the World Cup had surpassed the Olympics in global scope.
Young people were more into that, and then I watched
(01:08):
the Olympics and I was blown away. Some of it,
I think is because our politics are so ugly and divisive.
We all wanted to smile and root for America. You
went there as well, What is your takeaway on, for instance, fanatics,
What did you do as a company and say, hey,
this works, this connects with people. You, Michael Rubin, what
(01:30):
did the Olympics mean for you and your company?
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Well?
Speaker 4 (01:34):
I think for me, the Olympics were absolutely amazing, both
on a personal and finags level.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
On a personal level, I got to go there with
my eighth and ye old.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Daughter right before she goes to college and have some
great memories with her, watching the comeback against Serbia and
the ultimate gold medal victory for men's basketball.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
It was just unbelievable. I think.
Speaker 4 (01:52):
Also from a fanatics perspective, the Olympics mean a lot.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
There's just such great fandom.
Speaker 4 (01:57):
I mean, Olympics were up two hundred percent this Olympics,
last Olympics. From a sales perspective, we created the first
ever a trading car that had lebron kd and Step
on it together.
Speaker 3 (02:09):
It's an incredible car.
Speaker 4 (02:10):
That card has just been so coveted by sports collectors.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
So for us, I think we were really able to
create great products for the Olympics and also see the
fandom come out in a big way. And it was great.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
I mean from the merchandise sales that we did over
there operating in the USA House and Team USA to
just what we saw globally through the entire network.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
You know, again, our politics are very divisive in this country,
But yet I watch our young ass car Yeah, but
I watch our young athletes and I just find myself
just so impressed with these twenty eight year olds who
give their life to this sport. They're so gracious, they're
so humble. But here's another thing that blows me away.
Lebron James is worth probably a billion dollars. He is
(02:53):
playing like it's the most important game of his entire life.
Steph Curry bringing these guys to tears. You've owned an
NBA team. I'm almost surprised how much the Olympics mean
to our rich, famous stars. What did you make of
our effort, the passion that our pro basketball players did
(03:15):
it in Paris?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Yeah, I'm not surprised at all. It's exactly what I
would expect from them. It's what makes Ron Ron kg
KD Steph who he is. I mean, these guys are
the ultimate competitors and the last thing they want to
do was not bring a gold medal home for their country.
So for me, you know, I sat there like this
was one of the crazy sports events I've ever been to,
(03:39):
watching them fight to come back and beat Serby and
watch them fight against, by the way, a really strong
French team and Victor who was so impressive and you
just look at what he's going to do in the future.
But it was incredible. I mean, they weren't taking anything
other than victory. And I think the great thing about
basketball is how globe would become. Yeah, and so I
think going forward, you're gonna see much closer COMPI between
(04:01):
the countries, and I think that's a great thing for
the sport. I think it's a great thing for you know,
just how we're globalizing. But it was exactly what I expected. Look,
I would have preferred a forty point blowout because I don't, like,
you know, I got.
Speaker 3 (04:15):
Enough stress in my life. I don't want a close game.
I want to see my team win. But I was
so proud.
Speaker 4 (04:20):
I mean, when people are running around with flags I
actually there's a picture of me and Katie together with
him in the flag. I'm like, frame that picture up
for me. I want that picture of my office. I mean,
it meant a lot to me. So I felt honored
to be part of this.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
You know, it's interesting. Years ago, I've dealt with some
gambling companies and DraftKings. Right now is want to deal
with And one of the things I've always asked is
I want the fans to win. And the average sports
fan bets four dollars per game, and I just think
I like when sports fans are passionate. I don't want
any by have trouble with it. So sports gambling is
(04:52):
something Europe's been ahead of us. I'm for it. I'm
a proponent. I think ninety nine point nine percent of
people are smart. It adds juice and fun to their life.
What inning? Because it's been in Europe a lot longer.
We have all this technology, all these apps, the immediacy
of betting. What inning do you think we are in
sports gambling? Is it still the third inning? With growth?
(05:14):
Or where are we at in the product, in the
history of it and where we're going.
Speaker 4 (05:20):
Yeah, So, first we can't forget that online sports betting
was a giant business that was illegal and unregulated in
the US. So what we're doing is we're seeing the
gambling move from illegal sports betting.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
It's illegal sports betting.
Speaker 4 (05:34):
Which is a great thing is now we can protect betters, gamblers,
sports fans the way that you couldn't when it hadn't
been regulated. I think we're in the second or third inning.
One of the things I love is that in the
fang your business, and in the collectibles and trading our business.
I think we're a real leader in the online sports
betting business. People have said we have no chance, we're
not going to be successful. I think today we've only
(05:56):
watched up Next Sportsbook last September out of beta. I
think today there are three great apps, and we're one
of them. I think Fandul, DraftKings and Finas all have
a great app. That's what better just tell us every day.
We brought our market share dramatically in the ten months
we've been live, and we're just getting starting this business.
So I'm incredibly excited for the chance to compete for
the online sports betting business.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
I think Fax we have a lot of advantages.
Speaker 4 (06:18):
You know, there are three great products between FanDuel draftings
and fanatics, and there's.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Economics kind of similar.
Speaker 4 (06:25):
I think what we can do is great experience of
relationships with gamblers that nobody has the assets of FASS.
So I think we're just getting going in America. I
think there's going to be a lot of growth. Today,
we're in, you know, low twenties amount of states that
are legalized for online sports betting, and I think you
need to see more states continue to legalize. I think
you need to see more growth within each state. So
I'm super excited about our future of this.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd weekdays
at noon Easter nine am Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
FS one and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
I think I think being a sports fan, I have
friends who are dads and they can literally watch their
Suns play baseball on the internet, all of them, every
single game. It could be in rural Arizona or New
York City and they're on their computer and their office
watching their son play sports. Gives us so much that
we so much access. This weekend, you have a fanatics
(07:17):
fest in New York City and you create events. Those
events weren't I'm from a small town. They were not
available to me. I couldn't see athletes. I didn't get
that visceral connection to sports. That's what you do for
a living, you connect people to sports. What's the thing?
What's the fest in New York? That the fan fest
this weekend in New York? What is it?
Speaker 3 (07:38):
Yeah? So first, we're super excited.
Speaker 4 (07:40):
This has never been done before, and this is a
first time we've done it. It's the first of this
kind of kind of event. Look, so many other industries
had great events for their industry. Comiccom where we got
this idea from as two hundred and fifty thousand people
that come out for comic in their customs each year
in New York City. So many music festivals, if you're
a fan of music South Southwest. There's never been anything
(08:01):
like this in the sports industry. So we're creating first
of a kind sports festival jab at Center this Friday,
Saturday and Sunday that August sixteenth through the eighteen. We're
gonna have more than two hundred athletes coming out for this.
We're gonna have tens of thousands of fans. And no
one's ever done something like this. I mean, we've got,
you know, Tom Brady coming, Peyton Mann and Eli Manning,
(08:21):
Kevin Durant, Anthony Edwards from the Olympics with the gold medals,
you know, Mike Tyson and Jake Paul doing their press
conference for the upcoming fight in November, the biggest wrestlers
from WW, the biggest UFC fighters coming, each sports league.
I mean, an activation of what's most important for their
kind of fan fest. So I think no one's been
able to pull together an event like this before, and we're.
Speaker 3 (08:41):
Super humbled and excited to do something like this.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
You know, my test is to sports fans, to tens
of thousands of people, say this was such an incredible event.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
I loved it.
Speaker 4 (08:49):
Do all the talent to come out and say, you know,
we had a blast doing this and it's the social
pickup for us.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Incredible.
Speaker 4 (08:54):
I think it will be. Some of the things we're
gonna have are insane. Tom Brady's throwing passes for an
hour and a kid on Friday. You know, Kevin Durant,
Anthony Edwards are going to play basketball kids for half
an hour on Saturday and play football with kids for
half an hour. We've got, you know, more than ten
basketball players playing basketball with kids at this event. So
I think, no, create the kind of immersive festival where
(09:16):
people get to do all.
Speaker 3 (09:17):
These things, and so it's going to be a lot
of fun.
Speaker 1 (09:20):
Yeah, you know if you are in a unique position,
and some of it's terrifying where you have to predict
problems before they exist. You know. The great line from
Steve Jobs is he created the iPhone before people know
they knew they needed it. His whole thing was, I'm
going to create stuff you're not even you don't even
think you need it, and you can't live without it.
You're in a business where you also are kind of
(09:43):
projecting and predicting where all this is going. We have
been in this very a lot of fluidity over the
last decade in sports and streaming and what you're doing, collectibles,
you've taken you know, I've said before, I don't know
if this is a compliment. I feel like you're Amazon
for sports. If I want something, I just go to Fanatics, right,
And that's what you do better than anybody. Is. The
(10:06):
future's going to be turbulent for some If I said
ten years from now, what does sports look like? Is
there something that you think to yourself folks it's a
rocket ship. Or have we exhausted many of the new
technologies for sports.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Yeah, it's a great question because I think five to
ten years ago a lot of people thought sports was
peaking and they were completely wrong. I think sports could
not have more secular growth to it. I think the
only thing people really care about is live sports. It's
the one thing that we just we can't get enough of.
So I think the sports industry will have a tremendous
squat like. Look, at the end of the day, there's
(10:46):
a few billion passionate sports fans throughout this world, whether
it's their soccer team that they love, or their badminton team,
or their cricket team, or their anf oor NBA team,
or their baseball team or watching their favorite ww year
UFC fighter. Mean, there's just so much great sports fandom.
I think for us, we're in three businesses today. We obviously,
(11:07):
you know, have a strong leadership position in the fan
gear business and the trading card and collectible's business. Just
starting in the online sports betting business. I think we
feel like a scrappy startup. We do not feel like
a big company. We feel like a strappy starting We
think there's so much for doing these three businesses. But
over time, my dream is that you can go to
the Fanatics app and do everything you'd want in one place,
(11:27):
but ultimately have to start with the fan and say,
how do you make everything better for the sports fan?
And if we do that, well, our opportunities end list.
But I think technology is going to keep evolving.
Speaker 3 (11:37):
The way we consumer sports and watch sports will.
Speaker 4 (11:39):
Keep evolving, and I think our job is real to
help connect the fan with their favorite team, with the
favorite player, and that's what Fanatics is all about.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
And we're, you know, like we're just getting started. We
feel like we're the first thing of the game.
Speaker 4 (11:51):
So well, sports betting may be in the second or
thirty and I feel like Fanatics we're just getting started.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
You look at us as a you said, kind of
a company. We can go do a lot of things.
Speaker 4 (11:58):
I look at us as a company it's just getting
We have to be better at everything that we do,
and we're striving to do everything at a much higher level.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
You created something called the White Party, which is now
it's a lot of celebrities, and it's more than a party.
Speaker 3 (12:11):
It's a small it's a small cimet party.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
But it feels it's something. It's there's something to it.
What was the vision of it? Is it bigger than
you thought when you started it? Was it? I mean
there's a lot of people, famous people go to parties
all the time. What was the intention? How intentional were
you of it? And what did you want it to be?
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Yeah? Less intentional than you think.
Speaker 4 (12:38):
The one thing I thought about was, and people know
this about my story since.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
I barely mete out of high school, was a terrible athlete.
Speaker 4 (12:44):
Always loved business from the time I was, you know,
a young kid eight years old starting as an entrepreneur.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
I always loved bringing people together. That's the way that
I learned.
Speaker 4 (12:52):
So I like to get great people from different backgrounds
around me and learn from each other. And so the
great thing about the White Party, the reason I started
it was how could I bring all these people from
different backgrounds together and have them do great things together.
So it's a very small party, it's less than four
hundred people, but what it has is so many of
the best business founders and CEOs, best athletes, best artists,
best celebrities, just a great crew together and people come
(13:14):
to party it those for thirteen hours and they have
a great time, but I think what comes out of
it is a lot of new relationships, a lot of
great learning, and I really I think helps a lot
of people. So I love the ability to bring people together.
It's one of the things I enjoy most of life.
It's what I'm doing with fanatics Fest this weekend. That's
what I did with the White Party that we created.
We've only done it.
Speaker 3 (13:31):
This was only our fourth year, and.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
I think I'm honored to know be the host of
the White Party, and I'm honored to help start fanatics Fest,
which I hope happens in many big cities acros the world,
whether it's London or Tokyo or Brazil or La Like,
how do we bring fanacs Fest to all these big
cities in the world. Because we love bringing people together,
because I think that's what being a sports fans all about,
is connecting with your team, with your favorite athlete.
Speaker 3 (13:55):
And I think we're gonna do a lot of this weekend.
Speaker 1 (13:57):
Fanatics Fest New York City going on this weekend. Michael
Rubin the founder and CEO. They are part of every
bit of sports merchandise, trading, events, sports gambling, obviously, live commerce, collectibles,
it is. I get to see about once a year.
I always look forward to it, and Michael, I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (14:17):
Can't wait to see you next time, live and appreciate
being with you.
Speaker 1 (14:19):
You bet, Michael Rubin, good stuff. Hey j Mack with
the news.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
No no, no, turn on the news. This is the
herd Line News. I'll start with your boy.
Speaker 5 (14:32):
Matt Stafford entering his fifteenth NFL season. He turned thirty
six in February. Last year, he stayed healthy played fifteen games.
In a recent interview, Colin Stafford said he'd like to keep.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Playing for another three or four season.
Speaker 5 (14:48):
I love it, but he admitted he's taking things year
by year so he could be certain about his health.
So three years ago healthy, super Bowl, two years ago
not healthy, disaster well, last year healthy playoffs.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
They have rebuilt the O line. I do think next
year they've got a first, second, third, two or three fifths,
three or four six. I think they're going to draft
a quarterback and an offensive tackle and a receiver. I
think they've leaned heavily on defense at the top of
the drafts last several years. I think they're gonna get
him some help. I think they're going to get a
tackle receiver. I think they realize Stafford's one of about
(15:25):
five great ones in the league. So I think if
you look at what mcvay's doing Blake Koram, they're trying
to build a strong running game, an excellent interior O
line to again augment Stafford as he ages. They're doing
it the right way, which is run game, clean pocket,
get rid of the ball quickly. And I just don't
(15:46):
think you can replace Matt Stafford. I don't think this
Rams to LA thing would feel nearly as big. And
that's not a shot at Jared Goff, but Stafford's taking
it to a new level.
Speaker 5 (15:55):
Oh yeah, it feels like, you know, with Stafford on
the field, they've got a shot against any anybody.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
They're in the mix.
Speaker 5 (16:02):
And I gotta give props to the front office there
with the Rams. They've rebuilt this because it looked bleak
when they after the Super Bowl year, you know, the
Stafford injury, and they didn't look like.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
A good team.
Speaker 1 (16:12):
It looked like it was over.
Speaker 5 (16:13):
Remember McVeigh is he gonna go be an announcer on
Amazon games and Aaron Donald's stuff, and they rebounded. Well,
I still don't have him as a playoff team, but
that could change. Who still got one more?
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Right?
Speaker 5 (16:25):
Where we're gonna pick the playoff teams here in a couple.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Of weeks after your back when the preseason, while I
got one more at least. Yeah, you're taking off a
lot of time here coming up round.
Speaker 5 (16:33):
Oh yeah, yeah, vacation, Yes, yes, that's how it is.
Next up, Detroit Lions. Bummer for the Lions, Jamier Gibbs,
the young fella. He was a rookie last year.
Speaker 6 (16:44):
Man.
Speaker 5 (16:44):
He had some pop some juice supper day hamstring injury
and had to leave practice early.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
It's unclear how.
Speaker 5 (16:50):
Long he'll be out, but already the Lions are saying, yeah,
he won't play the rest of the preseason. He had
twelve hundred yards from scrimmage eleven touchdowns, and I thought
he was phenomenal last year. This kid really was exciting,
added a new dimension of the offense. I'm aaras Saint
Brown Pops, Gibbs pops.
Speaker 1 (17:12):
When Todd Gurley was between the old line and Todd Gurley,
that's when the Rams were at their best with GoF.
He's always better with a good old line in a
run game to support him, and I think Gibbs is
well criticism when they took him first round. He's been
absolutely worth it.
Speaker 5 (17:26):
He's been he's been great, and they went far in
the playoffs, so you can't criticize it. And I think
still the biggest retention of any coordinator is Ben Johnson
staying with the Lions because he would have been able
to pick his job.
Speaker 1 (17:38):
Final story, here's a weird one for you, Colin.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
Your guy, Will Levis went viral during the draft process
when he revealed that he takes his coffee with Mayo,
leading to a partnership with Hellman's Mayonnaise.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
You can see the commercial here, Colin.
Speaker 5 (17:51):
This is a real commercial, a specialty fragrance called Will
Levis Number eight, which is being advertised as containing notes
of tart, lemon mayonnaise, accord coffee, musk, and vanilla. In November,
Levis and Hellman's debuted Mayo Mocha, a drink developed and
sold in Nashville consisting of hot milk, express espresso shots, mayo,
(18:15):
and chocolate syrup.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
That's right at your wheelhouse.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
It almost looks like he's it's it's a put on.
Speaker 5 (18:23):
It is, yes, it's a pretty good put on.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
It is a pretty good.
Speaker 5 (18:27):
And listen when you say something stupid like I take
coffee with mayonnaise, then you lean into it.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
The Internet loves you, right, the Internet's weird.
Speaker 1 (18:35):
This kind of feels like Baker posing with a tiger.
Remember that he's shirtless.
Speaker 5 (18:39):
Yeah, we got your guys shirtless showing off the shredded abs.
He's now dating like an Instagram model. He's got the
full shabeg.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
Well, let's win some football games. Oh, is that what
it's about? I thought it was being like an Internet celebrity.
That's yeah, Well I think I want to pass on
with Levis number eight from the time being, of course.
J Mack with a news.
Speaker 2 (19:00):
Well that's the news, and thanks for stopping by the
Herdline news.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
All right, Mark feu back from Paris, Steph Tatum mbid
lebron kde. How about Devin Booker, he's a baller? Uh
back in a second, I heard.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Herd Weekdays
and Noone Eastern, nine am Pacific.
Speaker 7 (19:23):
Hey, what's up, everybody. It's me three time pro bowler
LeVar Arrington, and I couldn't be more excited to announce
a podcast called Up on Game. What is Up on Game,
you asked, along with my fellow pro bowler TJ. Huschman
Zada and Super Bowl champion. Yup, that's right, Plexico Burris.
You can only name a show with that type of
talent on it. Up on Game We're going to be
(19:45):
sharing our real life experiences loaded with teachable moments. Listen
to Up on Game with me LeVar Arrington, TJ. Huschman Zada,
and Plexico Burrs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or
where ever you get your podcast from.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Well, forty three days he spent in uh France. My
kids were there for a week and they just had
the time of their lives. I thought the Olympics was
so spectacular, so special. And Gonzaga's basketball coach Mark Feugh,
who just got in late last night. Zag's never missed
the tournament as long as Mark's been the coach. I
(20:27):
gotta tell you, you have seen a lot of basketball,
But what Steph Curry did at the end of that game.
I'm sitting there and you've had some great offensive players.
Could I don't know, if you could wipe the smile
off your face. Take me to what you were watching
and how you felt in one of the greatest briefs.
I mean, one of the greatest shooting displays in the
(20:49):
history of the sport. May have been the greatest shooting display.
What were you making of it?
Speaker 6 (20:55):
It was absolutely amazing to witness firsthand, and just I
mean again, I would be remiss to not add there's
a reason it happened. I've never been more impressed with
somebody's approach to their own individual workout. And he did
(21:19):
it diligently every single day, at the end of every practice.
I think last time I was on we talked about
it game shots, at game spots, at game speed, what
we talk about as coaches all the time. And then
just even if you listen to some of his quotes afterward,
talking about just being in the moment and being present
(21:40):
and just taking the shot. And I told the staff afterwards,
he's got a little bit of the ted Lasso, the
memory of a goldfish or whatever it is.
Speaker 2 (21:51):
I mean, the next shot is just going in. Yeah,
And it was spectacular.
Speaker 6 (21:56):
I can't imagine anybody having a better shooting foremanths over
those last two games, and we needed every single one
of them because we were really really challenged by two
really really good teams, but not only two really good teams,
but two teams that just played, you know, exceptional on
(22:17):
that particular day. They were they put it all together
to try to knock off the number one squad, and
our guys didn't buck them.
Speaker 1 (22:24):
It's interesting and Beads started slowly, a lot of criticism.
Then he's finished very strong during the turbulence when everybody
including me is like, and get him off the floor,
give me a d bam, it's not working. During that process,
something you guys figured it out. He got sometimes closer
to the basket where he's virtually unstoppable during that time
(22:45):
when he was taking heat. I mean Steve at one
time pulled him off the floor two minutes end of
the game. What did you do to alter it, to pivot,
to change his environment, his game and his production.
Speaker 6 (23:00):
I think Joel deserves all the credit for that. I
think you know he was he was really just trying
to fit in with this group, in my opinion, and
and in some instances was almost overpassing. And and then
also I think for all our players, just the adjustment
(23:21):
to FEBA basketball, which is so much more like the
college game than it is like the NBA and then
secondly the adjustment to just you know, we had twelve
great players and you know, trying to get them all
in and get them in the rotation, and I mean
that's limited minutes, and a lot of them are used
to kind of like, hey, I'll take my time to
(23:42):
get going here and get some rhythm. I miss my
first shots or might you know this or that might happen.
You didn't really have time for that in this scenario.
And so and then the last thing I'd add, I
think the the French fans approach to Joe Well certainly
helped also, especially when we got to Paris. Yeah, that
(24:06):
really amped him up, and I think he if he
needed any extra motivation, that was it.
Speaker 3 (24:12):
You know.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
One of the reasons. A guy that was interesting in
this was Devin Booker, who just get shots. He makes
shots and sometimes in these you know, in these international games,
you just need shots. That Durant to me is so
valuable in the Olympics because you face a team like
South su Dan that's twitchy and athletic and they're nothing
like Serbias so and all the teams are good. So
(24:33):
and then there's Tatum who kind of felt lost and
he's such a good kid, he's such a collaborative kid.
But wasn't hard on your psyche he as a coach
that Tatum's not getting minutes? Did you feel guilty? Did
the staff feel guilty because he's such a good kid
and a great player?
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Totally?
Speaker 6 (24:49):
I think that weighed on all of us. It weighed
on Steve very heavily, because he he really did have
We all had such an incredible appreciation reaching everyone of
our guys and they're all great. I mean, like as
he said in the first meeting, there's probably twelve Hall
of Famers in this room, and so yeah, I mean
(25:10):
you wanted them all to have success.
Speaker 3 (25:11):
You wanted them all to get to play.
Speaker 6 (25:13):
But like, there's think about it, there's two hundred minutes,
you know for a team in a game like that.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
And you start splitting it up.
Speaker 6 (25:21):
It's hard to split it up ten ways, and to
try to split it up twelve. So a lot of
that was not was it anything the guys weren't doing.
It was more like just matchup based. And then you know,
the gift. We kept talking about the gift and the
blessing of having this plethora of talent, you know, the
(25:42):
only slightly negative was there was just so much talent. Yeah,
you know, at some point somebody wasn't going to get
get to play or not play as much as they're
used to. They all handled it wonderfully. I mean, they're
such a class act. And I think one of the
underrated things of this whole NIE was we had incredible
(26:03):
team chemistry. Incredible you know, a group that was just
thrown together. And I'm I don't know, I don't know much,
but I do know a lot about team chemistry. I've
been so blessed with that a Gunzaga and with teams
over the years, and we had that same They genuinely
really liked each other.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Finally, a couple of minutes left. Kevin Durant is such
a unique personality. He's such a unique player. You can
gobble up the shot clock in any game, give him
it with three seconds left and he gets a great shot,
and he's just I find him funny. He argues with
fans online. He's just a unique cat. And but there's
so much love and respect and I he may have
(26:40):
had more fun than any player out there. We got
a couple of minutes. Tell me about Kevin Durant what
it's like to coach him and be around him.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
Mark wonderful, wonderful guy, total team guy, and just I mean,
my best description of him, just Colin. He's just an
absolute baller. He he just loves basketball and I think
(27:09):
he'll he'll play it till he's eighty if he can.
And he's another guy that if you stick around after practice,
it's just amazing to watch him go and his individuals,
how hard he goes, and that shot and that delivery
of his is so sports specific and so on time.
There's not a bit of wasted motion. It's efficient and
(27:32):
that high release. And I gotta tell you one thing
that allus shocked me is you know, we'd be in
locker rooms or rooms or whatever, and Ad would go
walking out the door and then you know, Duck have
to duck his head a little bit, KD.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
You would go out that same door and have to
duck his head.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
The same way. It's unbelievable how how tall he is
and how big he is, and yet just this gifted,
incredible perimeter player that just has There's no there's been
nobody like him, I don't think in.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
All of basketball.
Speaker 2 (28:03):
And I mean, he's got to go down to the anamals.
Speaker 6 (28:06):
This is his fourth gold medal, which shows you just
how team orientity is because these guys made an incredible
sacrifice of basically their whole summer after long seasons to
go out and do this and absolute joy being around
him that time.
Speaker 1 (28:25):
Well, I'm trying to learn French and I stink him
only like eight days in, so I'm terrible. So I'd
sign off in French and I'd butcher it. But get
some sleep, get on your mountain bike. Forty three days
is you need a home cooked meal?
Speaker 6 (28:40):
Well, we were forty three days over the whole journey
that was started in Vegas, Abu Dhabi, London and then Paris.
But I'm guessing you're farther ahead of me than I am't.
So he mercy Baku.
Speaker 2 (28:56):
For having me on.
Speaker 1 (28:59):
Or of walls something like that. I don't know. Great
senior Marks os Zags basketball coach Mark Ugh, what a
pleasure it is to talk to him, and what an experience.
Everybody that's ever coached or been around Durant, they're just
kind of in awe of how easy he makes it look.
He just is just you know, his comp almost is
(29:23):
is like Wemby. I watch Wemby and I'm like, like,
Wemby is Durant with like four inches, Like there was
no Kevin Durant came into the league. You're like, I've
never seen that, and now the greatest prospect ever Wemby.
It's like, oh, that's that's the comp His comp is after,
like he didn't have one coming into the league. He's
so unique and so special and sometimes he doesn't like
(29:45):
us media people, but I cat of him a lot.
All Right, we'll see tomorrow. The hurt
Hosts And Creators
Colin Cowherd
Jason McIntyre
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