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October 17, 2018 43 mins

Doug explains why Kevin Durant could be the one to leave the Warriors in the off-season and end their run of dominance. He thinks Manny Machado made a serious mistake by admitting he doesn't hustle. And Steelers TE Vance McDonald joins the show to talk about his famous stiff arm and the Le'Veon Bell situation. 

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Doug Gottlieb Show podcast. Be
sure to catch us live every week day three to
six Eastern twelve to three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Find your local station for the Doug Gotleiep Show at
Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us live every
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(00:21):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio. Boom, What Up America,
Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio, coming to you from
the City of Angels. Hope you're having just the greatest
day ever. Don't get much better than this year a
sports fan, right, I mean, we can throw a little football,
but we got hoop, whoop and more hoop. Plus we

(00:44):
got day baseball, n l c S Game four, a
LCS Game four. And if you didn't like the acquisition
of Robert too, Assuna, that's all right. Karma jumped up
and bit him with a Jackie Bradley ju your Grand
Slam last night after he had two other socks imploding

(01:05):
before our eyes. The Warriors are good, the Celtics are good.
The Sixers have some work to do as well, some
health to get and the thunder have some work to do.
But they gotta get healthy. I still like that Thunder team.
I think they're gonna be very competitive in the West.
Wouldn't stun me if they end up being the second

(01:26):
best team in the West, whatever their record is, as
they wait for Russell Westbrook to get back healthy. I
want to talk about Mannie Machado, what he said, what
he did, how much of what he did last night
is his fault? How much of it is the fault
of the first basement? Didn't pull his foot? And oh yeah,

(01:47):
by the way, how do you go to the pen?
It's not it's not like they just played a thirteen
inning game. They played a thirteen inning game which ended
locally like what like eleven thirty and they have a
two o'clock start time, and and while is it's all
hands on deck. That was the most important game in

(02:10):
any series in the playoffs, because now, if you're the Dodgers,
all right, you can lose today, you can survive today.
But if you're the Brewers, you absolutely cannot. And how
much can you go to the pen? And both bullpens
were incredible, and then you know the way in which
everything happens. Man him mac Childo nearly picked off second base.

(02:34):
And if he's not even at second base or picked
off the throwers right at second base, he gets the
second base on a not even a pass ball, just
a curveball in the dirt that gets away from the catcher.
If not from that, he doesn't score. And if the
throw the pickoff, you know, when they try to pick
him off at second they get him, he obviously doesn't

(02:55):
score anying over Uh, it's a bruck Ober seventeenth. By
the way, the Miami Dolphins are gonna start brock Oswaller again.
Josh Allen will sit because of an elbow injury, and no,
Nathan Peterman won't be thrown to the Wolves. Nathan pick
six Peterman will not be thrown out there instead will

(03:17):
be Derek Anderson. We got football to talk about, we
got NBA basketball talk about. It does feel like the
Mark hell Folts thing. It's not a story that's gonna
end great, especially considering how good Jayson Tatum is and
how much he struggled last night. But I want to
get to Lebron to Kevin Durant. The Kevin Durant thing

(03:39):
is fascinating. I started yesterday with the idea of, hey,
we don't know and anybody who says they know doesn't
really know. You know, because Kevin Durant still has now
eighty one games plus a postseason to play. And the

(04:00):
simple pitch for the Golden State Warriors who moved to
San Francisco next year is did you won three in
a row? So did? Jordan's what if you want? For?
What if you won five? Remember that Lebron James in Miami,
not one, not two, not three, not four, five That
could actually be you if you stay. There's a lot

(04:23):
of other moving parts. They re signed Clay Will he
take anything less than the max? Draymond Green who struggled
last night, looked like he was injured, bunch of turnovers,
couldn't hit a shot. What's his value on the open market.
There's a lot of moving parts out there. And because

(04:43):
we haven't played a season, we haven't. They ain't even
played a practice with DeMarcus Cousins. Oh he has any
idea what the Warriors are gonna look like or maybe
more importantly feel like. Right, because this is about feelings,
because it was about facts, not feelings. The facts are dude,
got buckets. He won two finals m v P and
two NBA championships in a row. If you win a

(05:05):
third one, based upon facts alone, you would never leave.
They can pay you more money to stay, and you're
almost guaranteed to at least be competitive in the Western
Conference finals and more likely win the thing for several
years to come. Injury notwithstanding, So we don't know how

(05:26):
k D will feel eight months from now. Speculating is
super dangerous. That was until his brother hops on Instagram
and says, eighty one more games before we out of here, right,
that was before his brother and I get it. There's

(05:48):
been lots of brothers who you know, from Roger Clinton two,
Eli Manning is not Peyton Manning, you know, pick the
There's always been a stray brother who will say something
that speaks completely out of turn. A. Lonzo Ball has

(06:10):
a dad. Kevin Durant has a brother who takes to
Instagram and says, eighty one more I'm going to collect
him and get up out of here. But instead of
talking about the Warriors, instead of talking about as I
have predicted and discussed at nauseum here in the off season,

(06:30):
I think Durant's gonna go for the Gusto and try
and win a final, try and win a regular season
m v P. Instead of discussing his his utter and
sheer dominance and when he can't make a three last night,
his unguardability. What are we talking about. We're talking about
an Instagram post which he has not commented on, which

(06:53):
leads us all to believe he is in fact going
to leave Golden State. And last year this time, everybody
said Lebron was gone, and there were enough signs to
believe that he would be gone. And yes yesterday, yesterday
I said Paul George. Everybody thought Paul George wanted out
of Oklahoma City. But you didn't see anybody in his

(07:14):
family tweeting about where he was gonna play. Has anyone
family done more harm to them to their brand then
the Durants on social media? And you could sit there
and say that the president, but the fact is that
an after social media president doesn't get elected. And instead

(07:39):
of simply celebrating the other rings, celebrating the wind, looking
forward to competing for another one, this is what we're
talking about. It was like the Durant family can't stay
off social media, can't say the right thing, can't can't
just figure out a way to tighten things up and

(08:00):
whatever happens in eight months happens eight months now. The Warriors,
no matter what is said, now what Kevin Durant comes
out and says, we want to believe that k D
will leave because he left the Thunder before. Why wouldn't
he leave for New York rich climbing his business partners
in New York who hasn't been Every NBA player has

(08:21):
been wanting to have their own franchise. And if you
can be the guy to fix the Knicks, you can
kill it, not just on the court, put off the
court as well. And the Eastern Conference seems like outside
of the Celtics it will remain unclaimed. I thought all
of this was dangerous speculation, and I don't love the
idea that I'm taking his brother's word for it. But

(08:42):
right now I'm taking his brother's word for it. You
win a championship, you celebrate the right way. You get
these do you guys like the rings that are like
two piece to coda rings. I don't really get that.
You get see the rings that they can kind of
come off and then there's more labeling and inscription on

(09:02):
the inside, Like I don't really it. It feels like
the world's greatest cracker Jack box ring. That's what it
feels like like if cracker jack boxes were sold in Dubai.
This is what would come out of him. But whatever,
you win two championships, you can put on a championship
belt buckle on your finger if you want. Instead of

(09:24):
discussing that or the the troll job by the NBA
putting Russell Westbrook, having to have Russell Westbrook watch Kevin
Durant get his second ring since leaving. That's an NBA
troll job of epic proportions. That's your wife leaving you

(09:47):
and you going to not just watch the web not
just to the wedding, but the consummation of the marriage. Wait,
what Russell's gotta sit there while they all have their rings.
But instead of talking about that, the brother tweets uh.
The brother puts a message on Kevin Duran Durant's Instagram

(10:09):
page that leads all of us to believe that the
truth is KD is just gonna play eighty one more
in playoffs and get up on out of there. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Doug Dot Leap
Show week days in noon eastern three pm Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart Radio ah App
Jimmy Butler, Odell Beckham Jr. May Machado. You know, you

(10:32):
guys make a lot of really interesting points, and you
guys are really honest. And there's a term. It's called
honest to a fault, and you've all had your faults.
Odell Beckham Jr. Didn't say anything which he didn't believe
to be and probably is true. Oh he isn't true,

(10:57):
right like if Odell Beckham, it feels like they weren't
playing that hard or didn't have that much heart. Obviously,
we can all see that Eli Manning wasn't won't throw
the ball downfield, and by not not saying anything for
a short period time when they had a quarter when
he was asked about a quarterback issue, tells you they
have a quarterback issue. But dude, when things are going bad,

(11:22):
we don't need you pointing out things are going bad
because we're all supposed to be pulling in the same direction.
Jimmy Butler pointing out that Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony
Towns don't have his toughness, don't have his tenacity on
the defensive side of the ball. Dude, you're not wrong,

(11:44):
and you're probably right in terms of the Timberwolves not
being able to win without you. But some things are
better left unsaid, and many Machado's saying, you know, oh,
I'm not being Johnny Hustle, which I don't know which one.
I am more mortified by the fact that he didn't

(12:06):
know was Charlie Hustle not Johnny Hustle, or the fact
that he said, um, that's not really my thing. It's
not my thing. This is like my kids saying, Dad,
vegetables aren't my thing, neither cancer or obesity, So let's
eat the vegetables. That's the way we look at it.

(12:28):
There's a thing called being honest to a fault, and
all three have been honest to a fault. We we do.
We want to hear the truth, but sometimes people you
work with don't want to hear the truth. And oh yeah,
by the way, when you're in a contract year and
your Manny Machado, matter how well you're producing in the games,

(12:54):
one of the things that we want out of a
two or three hundred million dollar player is Mike Trout.
He you've been to a Major League Baseball game that
Mike Trout plays in what you're blown away by is
not just how big he is, that's a big dude,
how athletic he is, but also how hard it looks
like he plays. He can ground out to shortstop and

(13:15):
not run at full speed, but it makes you think
that he's still running, like yeah, that's how it's supposed
to look. So many can say like, look, I'm not
one of these guys. It's gonna sprint full speed when
I know the only way I get on on first
base is if there's just a terrible throw or a

(13:36):
non catch. But um, just because you don't sprint doesn't
mean you loaf and whatever you do, you don't say, hey,
I'm not really into that. Yeah, that old hustle thing.
Not really into that. That's not really exactly how it works.

(13:59):
It's actually the a sit of the way it works.
And while while I don't want a phony, it's this
is not that hard, you know what, I gotta do
a better job running. It's on me. I gotta do
a better job running. It looks bad. I want to
be a leader. I wanna be some of the guys respect.
He admitted it looked bad, but he also said, like,
it's not really my thing. Yeah, Well it's not anybody's thing,

(14:24):
but you do it one in case there's a bobble
or in case there's a bad throw. And two because
of what it represents, because I want it represents how
you address, how you act, how you care yourself, how
you warm up, who you sit with. Like, does it

(14:47):
really matter where you sit on a bench? No, but
how it looks. Are you attentive doesn't really really matter.
You could be on your phone when you're sitting there
on the bench or the ames being played, and you
could get up and still hit a home run. I
know it's a legal Major League Baseball, but I'm just
saying you could. Doesn't really affect your play. You could,

(15:13):
but you don't because of how it looks. You know,
we're very fortunate here at Fox Sports Trading. We have
a very very lenient dress code policy. But when somebody
important is coming in, you're throwing a pair of pants
and a button down shirt or a polo shirt. Why
because that looks and many Machado he knew it didn't

(15:35):
look good, and then he admitted it didn't look good
and said, ah, I'm not really into it, and I'm
not really into shaving. I hate shaving. But I do it.
Why because how it looks on TV, and it it
points out like a the TV is important. How you
look as important and your skin will look better if

(15:56):
it's cleanly shaven. Ye. I was in the Dolphins front
offices and met with some of the people from the Bronx,
from the Bears front offices, and I told you guys
this yesterday or the last two days, and I mean
it's completely true. Both of those franchises. I feel like

(16:19):
they have a really really good group of guys, really
really good camaraderie, and a big reason why they don't
have Jake Cutler. Why because Jake Culer. It wasn't just
that he didn't care. He told people he didn't care.
He said, caring or acting like I'm caring essentially is

(16:42):
not my thing. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Doug Dot Leap Show weekdays in noon eastern three
pm Pacific. Which is seven time All Star, four time
Silver Slugger. He joined us when he joined the Rockies
organization earlier this year. Played in the playoffs with the Rockies.
He's mad Holiday on the Dug Outlip Show here on
Fox Sports Radio. UM I know by now you've heard

(17:06):
what many Machado had to say major League Baseball is
find him for what he did at first base. But
when you hear a guy who's about to sign a
huge free agent contract saying, yeah, the whole hustle down
to first base thing, it's really really not my thing.
What's your reaction. I don't. I don't like it. I mean,
I don't. I don't like that that you say that.
I mean, I think that guys that play every day

(17:28):
and you're superstar players, I think that there is a
margin for if you hit a groutine groundball to second base,
if you're not going to run a hundred percent. I
don't think there's any reason that guy can't run every time,
no matter what the situation, and particularly in the playoffs,
you can go a hundred percent. You only you only
ask to be running, you know, four times. There's plenty

(17:48):
of off days. I don't, I don't, I don't like
I mean, I like Manny, but I don't like that.
That's that's his attitude towards hustle and then towards you know,
what he what's expected of the best. You know, ultimately
he's probably the best player on every team. He's going
to be on or in the top two or three.
I think as the best player, I think you set
an example for the other guys, and and you make

(18:08):
it really hard on a manager if if you're not
going hard all the time on what he's supposed to
do when when other guys aren't going hard all the time.
So I don't like that in a lot of different ways.
All right, So what is it? Uh? What does it
do to his value? Right? Like? Does that? Does that
keep a team from wanting to be in business? I mean,
for example, did you Grigorious who they say he's not

(18:30):
gonna miss the game, but he's gonna have Tommy John surgery.
There's the Yankees out there, the chance of him resigning
with the Dodgers? Uh? What does it do to his value?
When all those things? It becomes really hard to discipline
other guys when you don't have your own personal discipline.
You're gonna be the highest paid player in the team,
you know. I don't know how much it affects his value.

(18:51):
I think that got people tend to overlook things like that.
When you hit three hundred with forty homers or whatever,
thirty five forty homers and you know, playing goldblove defense
at that third base or or or shortstop wherever he
ends up playing. I think I think there's plenty of
of of teams that will are willing to overlook that.
But uh, I think I think there's some GM that

(19:13):
probably that they probably take notice of that, and they
probably say, um, you know that they don't like that.
I think that's that's something that he will have to
address when he meets with teams. Um how how you
know he feel really feels about that, and and how
he would handle certain situations. Um. So I definitely think
that that's that's that's a blip on the radar for

(19:36):
for teams that are interested in signing him. Now. Ultimately,
will that cost him very much money? I probably not.
What about what about what happened at first base last night?
You know, I think that you know it, there's a
route tine play. He had plenty of time. I thought
that his foot was too far in the middle of
the base from a first baseman standpoint, but there's no

(19:56):
reason to clip a first baseman or step on his
foot and a play that that's not close, like he's
not running as fast as he can. Sort of an
all out. I got to get to first, and it
was as an accident that that can happen if a
first baseman is trying to get to the base and
his foot gets too too much in the middle of
the base and the runners, you know, just trying to
do everything he can to beat out the throw. I

(20:17):
could see something like that happening where it was an accident,
but to me, that was pretty flagrant and and pretty
much you know, you don't see that I have. In fact,
I don't think I've ever seen that in the Major
League where a runner has sort of gone out of
his way to the step on a first baseman's ankle
and a play that's not close to first. You know,
there wasn't even a play as a routine grounder. So

(20:38):
why would you do it? I don't know, I don't know.
I I guess he's on edge. I don't know. You know,
they called him when he tried to call time and
then the pitch was delivered and the in the umpire
didn't give him time out, and um, he's he's been
on edge. To me, it looks like he's he's emotionally
a little bit, uh, you know, out of sorts. He's
usually calm, cool and collective. But you know he's had

(20:59):
he's had things happen during his career where uh, you know,
he's done some things that have caused uh, you know,
some some bench clearing issues before. So um, I it
just looks to me like sometimes his motions get the
best of them, and um and that he seems to be,
like I said, playing on on edge a little bit.
And uh, I don't know, maybe that maybe he just

(21:21):
lost his mind for a minute. That can happen to
us Matt Holiday joining us, seven time All Star, four
time Silver Sluggers, Doug Gotlip Show Fox Sports Radio. So
now a sudden, the advantage goes completely in the favor
of the Dodgers because they survived that thirteen dating affair
and many Machadow does come through with the game winning
run after a huge hit in thet and they turned

(21:42):
to Clayton Kershaw, who is not the Clayton Kershaw that
you used to face when you were with the St.
Louis Cardinals, and he wasn't very effective his first time
out against Milwaukee. Why is Kershaw so different? Is it
just what used to be seven is now ninety three.
It's that it's simply that simple. I think that that's
a big part of it. I think that when you

(22:02):
when you when you have to honor mid upper nineties
fastball um with high spin rate, which you know, I
don't know if people you know, but the ball plays fast.
He pitches up in the zone. He used to be
able to pound right hand hitters with you know, up
and end and and now you know some of his
fastballs are even down to range. Uh, you just don't

(22:23):
have to be quite as conscious in and play. You know,
you don't have to in your mind be as ready
for the high night the mid nineties fastball that would
make you so far out in front of his curveball
and and and you know, swinging over the top of
his slider. Uh. So, I I think he's a he's
a different style pitcher. It's more of a cutter, you know,
when the ball inside and and uh, it just it

(22:46):
looks a little bit different than it has in the past.
And that doesn't mean he can't get out. Obviously, he
still had a really good season. And but I think
whether you know, I don't know why his lossity is down.
I don't know if it's it's just a temulation of
all these innings or or if he's you know, how
to sore neus or his back or whatever it is.
But um, you know, when when the velocity comes down,

(23:08):
typically the spin comes down on the slidder and and
the curveball enough. I don't think he throws enough curveballs. Uh,
you know, he's mostly fastball splider variety's But um, I
don't know. I don't know what what to me yet,
bad is not quite as difficult as it used to be.
Matt Holiday joining us in the Doug Gotliep Show. Let's

(23:30):
go over to the other side. Um, you know a
league you played in, going back to last year, Red
Sox taken on the Astros and they got to they
got to Joe Smith, which game of lead and and
then all of a sudden, Roberto as Sooner completely blew up. Um.
The Red Sox turned to Rick Porcello, who's not what
he used to be against Charlie Morton. How much does

(23:51):
the series change because Boston got back home field advantage
last night? Yeah, I mean I think it's a it's
a real this is a really I think pressure pack
game for Houston tonight. I mean, I think this is
a huge game I mean, it's it's it's gonna be. Yeah.
I think that all of a sudden, a lot of
the pressure goes back onto them, which I think experience
obviously last year they had, they had plenty of pressure

(24:14):
and and and experience and playing and very intense games
that that they had to have. So but I do
think that the series kind of took a big shift
last night. And Uh, and I think Morton, you know,
he's got that experience, and he's he's really good. I mean,
if he if his his stuff, you know, I don't
know how he is physically, but when his stuff is on,

(24:34):
he's gonna be very difficult to hit, especially in that ballpark. Um.
And and so I I think the Astros win. And
I had if I had to, if I had to
pet um but you know that I these this game
right here is its huge producing Hey I got I
got like thirty seconds. Uh. This guy call McLoughlin apparently
was sitting in the in the photag well, and there

(24:55):
they're accusing him of stealing information. How valuable his information
If you can sit close of the other team's dug out.
You know, I don't know what he was trying to get.
I mean, everybody's trying to steal everybody's signs now, and
everybody's trying to figure out what sign they're using when
runners are on second base to relay signs to the hitter.
I mean, there's a lot more that going on right
now than than ever before as far as what I've noticed.

(25:18):
So I think teams are trying I don't know what
they're trying to, you know, what he was trying to steal,
or supposedly he was seeing if they were stealing, checking
you to see if you're checking me, trying to deal,
But um, I don't know. I guess there's an advantage
if you can tell the hitter what's coming. Matt, Thanks
so much, Matt Holiday. Joining us to the Fox Sports

(25:38):
Radio has the best sports talk lineup in the nation.
Catch all of our shows at Fox Sports Radio dot
com and within the I Heart Radio app search f
s R to listen live. Here's Jon Gruden talking about
the current state of the l A Raiders. I'll say this,
We're not tanking anything, you know. I hear the hatred
out there are some of the rumors that we're taking

(25:59):
it to get a first round on pick or a
higher pick. You know, we're not getting up at four
o'clock in the morning to tank it. You ain't nobody
taking it. And I don't know who wrote that or
who said that, who thinks that, but that ain't the
case here. You know, we're going to continue to work hard,
continue to build our team. And um that was that
was part of the message. Yeah, as part of the message,
we just actually suck. We're not trying to suck like yeah,

(26:22):
like people we like John gruden so much that we're
willing to we're willing to be like no, you know
what they he wanted to be bad. No, no, no,
we know John John John, There's no way Jon Grudenstein
could be this bad. He wants to be this bad. Like, no,

(26:42):
we're actually trying to be good, Like, oh, really, because
you're doing a terrible job at it. If you're trying
to be bad, you're doing awesome. You're trying to be good.
You're doing bad because your team is not good and
your team appears to be getting worse. Right, but we
do know this about tank club. What's the first rule

(27:05):
of tank club? The first rule of tank club? Right, music,
don't talk about tank club. What's the second rule of
tank club. Do not talk about tank club, thank you
very much. All Right, Mark Cuban's like, yeah, sure, we're
trying to lose games all of a sudden. Fine, I

(27:26):
don't believe. And this is a lot like Cuban or
a lot like the Memphis Grizzlies last year. I don't
believe that was his primary objective. That wasn't his plan
A plan A was I'm coming, I'm gonna do my
chucky faces, I'm bringing some veteran guys day and we're

(27:46):
gonna survive. And you never know, Broncos stink Man Joseph's
gonna get fired. Kansas City has got a young quarterback.
We'll just kind of survive the Chargers of the Chargers,
they'll they'll find a way to kick a field goal
to the wrong end zone and maybe we'll just sneak
in the playoffs and then long term we'll fix things. Yeah,

(28:07):
that wasn't at all what took place. Here's former gentle
manager Michael Lombardi on the show Monday in regards to
the Raiders. But I think a lot of what his
decision came down to decide the fact that he got
a hundred million for ten years was the fact that
he thought he got a legitimate franchise quarterback and Derek Carr,
and I think after being in the organization for nine

(28:28):
months or ten months, I think that realization is different now,
and I think that he's got to sit there and
look at, really, what does he have. Here's where the
key part comes in. You can talk all you want
about the Raiders rebuilding, but when you have a franchise quarterback,
you never rebuild, you repair. And they're talking rebuilding, which
he tells you all you need to know. So the

(28:50):
idea is this, he came in thinking, like Derek car
He's a football player, right, I like Derek Carr. That's
what he came in eving I can build around Derek Carr,
and we're gonna have to build an entire defense, not
just Khalil Mack, all the other pieces, all the other

(29:11):
holes that that's missing, We're gonna find a way to fix.
But what what he found was what I've said, which
is Derek Carr isn't that good. He's just not. He
has not been good enough to get it done. And
so just like the Mavericks last year when they started

(29:34):
to have injuries, they went to tank club just like
the Memphis Grazzlies when Mike Conley got hurt, they went
to tank club. Hey we're not We're not coming in
over in the morning to try and tank. No, you're
trying to get some of your younger parts better. But

(29:54):
it ain't exactly killing you that you're losing games. It's
killing you that people are talking bad about you, not
that you're losing games. Right. The thing about tanking is
the players aren't trying to lose. You just you just
play younger players and you can't win with younger players. Alright.

(30:14):
Step one of tanking was get getting rid of Khalil Mack.
Two first round picks over the next two years. That's
what they'll have to have their pick, which appears would
be a good one the Bears picks not as good
as of now as they would have thought, and and
they will have two picks the following year. So that's

(30:34):
step one. Plus they have salary cap, which they spent
a bunch this year, but a lot of short term
veteran deals because they want to put themselves in the
market as it gets a chance to check out the
business for a year kick the tires. Remember he's got
a ten year contract ka. I mean, like they don't

(30:58):
have the money to fire himarly, but they did. Like, Okay,
he's doing the trust the process thing. John Gruden has
been laying out watching other people do it in the NFL,
but he's also been watching what happened in Philadelphia, well
that happened in Houston and baseball and thinking the Jets
they were tanking last year and they did a terrible

(31:20):
job of it and won five games that had a
trade up. What do we do a great job of it?
We do such a good job that no one actually
knows we're taking and claim we're not. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Doug Dot Leaps Show week
days at noon eastern three pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the I Heart Radio app. Let's welcome in
evants McDonald, who, Uh, I don't know whether he's more

(31:43):
he's more popular for a stiff arm or for what
he did Davonte or for the fact that he what
he did he did Davonte is perfect, um Vance McDonald
joins us on The Doug Gotlip Show on Fox Sports Radio.
Are you more popular in the city or in your
locker room? Right now? Uh? Man, it's it's just fun
anywhere you are right now in Pittsburgh. Um, you know,

(32:06):
just heading into the bye week, we got high spirits
kind of what we've done handled allow ourselves last two weeks.
It's just, uh, we got a rolling right now and
we're just excited to keep that momentum. Man, this is Look,
this is not your first year with the Steelers, so
you know how good that rivalry is. But it's it's
different when since that he is actually legitimately good. Last
year they weren't good. It was they were banged up.

(32:26):
You know, Look, you played in San Francisco, so you
go back, uh peaks San Francisco them and I think
Seahawks that's probably the what was the level in terms
of in comparison to Seahawks Niners? How is that game
on Sunday? Yeah, I mean it definitely has its own identity.
Uh you know, even for someone who doesn't know a

(32:47):
ton about football, you know, I mean they just know
that Steelers angles game, it's going to be physical and
rough and usually that's the man that comes out on top.
So I think, uh, I think it definitely has its
own idea. You know, it's got its own stigma and
and you know, it really is. Every time you step
into that stadium with those jerseys on, going against each other, man,

(33:09):
you know you're gonna get this. This this is your
breakout season. Obviously last year backing up Jesse James, of
course you had that huge game Week three against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I'm speaking with Vance McDonald. He's the
tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers who suddenly have turned
their season collectively around. What's it like for you personally
to finally be getting the looks be a focal point

(33:30):
of of an offense. Yeah, man, it's it really is.
I've I really tried to just embrace you know, the
role um over the years that I've had. You know,
this is my sixth year and obviously, you know, the
targets weren't there early on in my career, and you know,
battling through injuries and this year obviously it's it's we've

(33:50):
gotten off to a little hotter start and so man,
it really is. It's it's a ton of fun and
it's one of those things where, um, you know, in
order to be the best teammate you can be, you
really do, You've gotta be you gotta be able to
be malleable and kind of you know, adjusting to uh,
two different roles in two different calls what you need
to do in the game. And you know, it might

(34:10):
even go to a game thinking like, hey, we're really
going to run the ball a lot. So you know,
you've got a high profile guys. You know, I'm sorry,
but this week, you know, we really just got to
dominate up front. A lot of scrimmage. And it's just
one of those things that if you don't embrace him,
and it can really add you know, a lot of
stress on on your plate that you really don't need.
So it's really is it's it's just one of those things, man.
It's it's just a lot of fun to play ball

(34:32):
right now, especially you know in a city that's just
so so great and uh, you know, just known for
winning championships and uh yeah, I'm just happy to be
a part of the dude, you know, there's there there
was so there's been so much talk about Levan and
some of it's quietly because when you're winning in two
James Connor has been playing pretty well, but eventually he's

(34:52):
gonna show up. What's the discussion like in the locker
room about Levian Now, it's crazy, like you would think
there would be a really like a lot of chatter,
and there really isn't. And you know, I don't. I'm
not telling a lie or a fib or anything like that.
It's just it is. It's just one of those things
that you know, it is what it is. It's you know,

(35:13):
it's a business. We know that. And you know, I
guess I can only speak for me personally. Uh, you know,
I I don't hold anything. It's the guy. I would
welcome him back, you know, tomorrow if we had you know,
scheduled practice and stuff, the meetings of the facility, and
I'd ask him how his time was off. But you know,
it's it is one of those things that whenever he
does decide to come back, you know, we're expected to

(35:35):
play and contribute and be the great player that we've
all seen. Um and you know that really is that's
just that's the expectation. But as far as holding grudges
and and really kind of like what you asked, like
about the locker room, it's kind of almost lighthearted. And
I know that there will be some frustrations and such.
You know that I brought forward and we'll deal with
them whenever they happen. But it really is it's very

(35:56):
lighthearted around the locker room. Like there's been a couple
of like, you know, like very like lighthearted jabs, you know,
just about him maybe showing up and then you know,
not showing up. So and we try to keep it
fun and it's it really is fun about all everything,
and you feel out the problems to build up and
become something bigger than what they are. Um and obviously

(36:17):
this is you know, starting the season with Lady on
bail and not having Lady on bail. I mean, it's
it's it's very significant. But at the same time, it's
like you said, you have guys that show up and
and fit in roles like James Conner who are doing
absolutely great things. I don't think anybody I don't think
anybody's gonna emulate James Conner's haircut though. That's that's the
big thing. You don't you don't, you don't run that risk.

(36:38):
It's so bold and it's so bold that he and
he does a great shot pulling it off. And it's
it's one of those things that among the locker room
the first day, you know the guy just got ran
into the ground about it. I mean it's you know,
being a year two and doing something that bold, and
you know, I guess not exactly having the track record

(36:59):
to beat it up in the NFL. You know, he
stepped up to the plane and he I don't think
he knocked out the park so I can graduate. Um.
I'm not sure how many people were about your hometown.
You're from Winnie, Texas right. That's way way east Texas,
isn't it when Texas? Yeah, just like just like wanting
to poop. Um, do you guys have do you guys

(37:19):
have a stoplight? We had three? We have three. We
pride ourselves most three. Um, but it is uh yeah,
I mean like you can hold your breath and drive
through the town one into another for sure? Is it?
Did you guys used to drag mane in high school?
When you were in Central High School? Where you guys?
Was that the big thing you get in your car?
You drag mane? You know? We we uh we would

(37:40):
just pick a rice field and uh we would drive
on the levees down the rice fields and park. We
we were smarter about our gas, musage and diesel usage,
so we would just drive in the middle of nowhere. Man,
that's that was the game we played. What kind of
pickup did you have in high school? Because you don't
have a car, you get a pick up, right or
I said, yeah, I had a four f one fifty

(38:00):
Boone's farm wine or or wire you going malt liquor?
In high school? I was drinking water and gatorade. Man,
I was preparing were you were? You're a big triple jumper,
weren't you? I was a triple jumper and um, yeah, man,
that track season always came around and yeah, those are
good times. Yeah, triple jumping is one of the weirdest

(38:21):
extra We're just looking exercises there is right, like you
cover a ton of ground, but the whole way in
which were like, who was the first guy to establish
like this is how we're gonna triple jump? So it's
actually funny you brought that up. I can remember distinctly
in high in junior high, Um, you know, the first
year you're running track whatever, and we're over there on
the high school field and everyone's already embarrassed because there's

(38:43):
high school kids like walking around and stuff, and uh,
you know, you're in your weird oddly shaped you know,
bodies at thirteen twelve thirteen, and uh, coach said, you know,
everyone's gonna step up in this line and everyone's gonna
try to do this, and he demonstrated the triple jump.
And you either we're going to be a triple dropper
or weren't based on that one test. And yeah, needless

(39:05):
to say, a lot of people just couldn't really get
that form Dowt because it's super awkid I agree? Yeah? Um,
why is it Rice more like Stanford or Duke or Vandy?
Like I've been to Rice? It's an unbelievable school. Uh,
just Vince McDonald joining us in the Doug gottlip show
he played at Rice that when you were there, you

(39:26):
guys had that rare kind of surge. A couple of
coaches kind of got it going. But why why isn't
Rice outside of college baseball better in sports? With the
huge endowment? And you know, why why is it the
Stanford of Texas athletically? Yeah? Um, I mean I don't know,
that's a great question, you know, Number one, I think

(39:48):
it's a large impart. You really just don't hear a
lot about Rice. You know that, of course, that's kind
of just comes full circle and with without their lack
of success, you know, uh consistently. But I even find
myself now, you know, asking people are you know, responding
to people ask me where I played college? And I said, oh,
Rice University, and the moments that I don't back that

(40:10):
up with poets in downtown Houston, they usually say where
is that at? And so you know that has something
to do with it. I think, Um, I think just
the low student population has a lot to do. And
then we had undergrads whatever we're there. I think it's
the second smallest Division one school in the United States
action behind Tulsa with football. I think I think Wake.

(40:32):
I think Wake might be small. By the way, if
somebody says where where is it at? You know they
didn't go to Rice, right because they had to descended
possession like you're not you know, you know, you're Rice material,
Like it's it's funny like Ryan Fitzpatrick he went to Harvard.
People like, oh well he went to Harvard, Like well,
Rice is kind of the Harvard of Texas. And yet
you know I wouldn't introuse it. You went to Rice.

(40:52):
Oh well, you must be a genius. You must be brilliant.
No one makes that. A lot of people don't make
that that assertion. Mm hmm. I can bluey agree. And
it's a testament just on my experience that people ask
me where I played, like I said, and they just
again they just have no idea where Rice is Vantes perfect. Man,
He's an unbelievable player, and it really is. Man. He

(41:15):
he is, He's got his his little niche defines and
not a lot of guys which is what? Which is what? Uh? Jeez,
he is he takes gamesmanship and pushes the boundaries of it. Uh.
And again that's just like things that you almost dare

(41:37):
officials to call in the legality of the game. But
at the same time it really is. It's a part
of the game. That is you either have it or
you don't. I mean, you think of any other sports.
You think of basketball, you think of being down in
the paint, You think of being big bodies and using
your body and just like you know, not necessarily talking
down and growing insults, but you know, using using games

(41:58):
and shipping in your in your words, um man, being
consistently physical. It is one of those things in football
again that just would where a guy down and you.
You really like on the other side of it, the
receiving end of it, you're like, man, really, are you
really going to do this right now? Like we are
fifty yards away from his play. But it's it's a
testment to who he is. It's a testament to how
hard he is. He's a smart player, um, not necessarily

(42:21):
in his decision making a lot of times, but in
as a football awareness, um, you know. And it's a
lot of that too, comes down to the fact that
we play them twice a year and you know he's
up there and experience in better in years and so um.
But really, man, he's all around. He's just a great
player and super physical. Like I said in that the
way the game is is headed. You know, it's it's

(42:43):
one of those things that that isn't highlighted enough anymore,
and it doesn't. It doesn't allow it to be just
because of how the safety and issues that it brings.
But yeah, second year in uh No, I have a
lot of respect to the guy. Fast Listen, you're earning
respect rightfully so around the Nashville Ball League. Congrats on
the hot start you've earned this week off. Then you've

(43:03):
got two divisional rivals up coming with the Browns and
the Ravens. We appreciate you join us, and uh, you're
gonna go stop in Winnie, Texas. You go, You're gonna
You're gonna pop back home and sitting the rice field
and drink some Boone's farm man. Uh. That cold front
just swept through Pennsylvania and I uh being up here
for a year. My wife and I really loving fall
and winter. And we have a little trip planned to

(43:27):
a place just turn her close to the house. We're
gonna be in laws coming and watch the kids, and
we're gonna take a little good away. Nice nice, he goes,
good go. Uh guess gonna go leaf watching. I'm not
sure leaf watching is actually gonna take place anyway. You've
earned it, You've earned it, plus your wife's earned I'm
sure a full night's sleep, uh with the kids at
home while you're at work. Thanks so much for joining us,
many thanks. All right, that's Vans McDonald joining us from

(43:48):
the Pittsburgh Steelers. He's he's been, he's been having a
tremendous season.
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