February 25, 2019 • 34 mins
Doug talks about the Lakers losing to the Pelicans and what LeBron James has learned about building a winning team. He also tells you why Antonio Brown on the Saints makes a ton of sense, and the Packers do not. Plus, Yahoo Sports NBA Insider Chris Haynes joins the show to discuss the Lakers’ chances of making the playoffs.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
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(00:21):
of the Doug Gotlive Show on Fox Sports Radio Boom.
What Up America, Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio, brought
to you by Farmers. At Farmers, we've seen almost everything,
so we know how to cover almost anything when it's
game time. Having experienced player to help you stay ahead
of the game put their experience in the play at
Farmers dot Com. What Up? Um? I guess at some
(00:49):
point I'll talk about this uh story with Robert Kraft.
I just I don't know what what do you? What
do you want me? When I what? What do you?
What would you want me to say? Do you want
to make fun of fun of him? Like? Okay, I
can like we can do kind of slapstick jokes. Whatever
you know? Um? Apparently you know his last visit to
(01:13):
this day SPA was the day of the a f
C Championship game. Who what Patriots? What person? Patriots Nation
wasn't stressed over that game. We all have different ways
of relieving our stress. I don't know, but we we
we try to pretend like, you know, billionaire business mogul
(01:34):
is the same as you and me. When you know,
Robert Kraft's wife passed away his girlfriend at a kid
less than two years ago and it wasn't his kid,
so you know, like again, his life in our lives
are not. We may look we you may think we're
in the same on the same planet, the same planet.
We live in different worlds. We just do. And I
(01:57):
guess I can make a huge like the human trafficking
is a much bigger deal to me than the alleged prostitution,
even if it's way easier to make fun of the
alleged prostitution or the fact that a video exists that's
one of those just take your word for it that
it exists. Do you want to no, no, no no
no no no no no no. I'm okay, I'm gonna
(02:19):
take up gonna take quick pass on that one very
easy pass. I do want to talk about the Lakers instead,
because the Lakers and Lebron James and their their struggles
to remain consistent are I guess, on some level fascinating
and on some level very explainable. The Lakers beat the
(02:45):
Rockets with James Harden at home, came from seventeen down,
won the game, great win, and then turn around and
lose to the Pelicans who choose to not play Anthony
Davis and the Pelicans, the team who most people think
get packed it in to try and lose to get
a better draft pick to help them reload. This was
(03:05):
Lebron James after the loss to the Pelicans. The last
few years. You know, everybody saw accustomed to the losses
that I'm just not accustomed to. I'm not accustomed to.
I would never get comfortable with losing. So, you know,
losing Game one to Houston, it feels the same way
as losing Game fifty nine in New Orleans. From me,
(03:26):
That's just how I'm built. That's who I am. Okay,
I'm not really sure what to make of that. Is
it is he I'm ticked? Is that what he's saying?
I'm mad that we lost, and everybody else doesn't understand,
Like here's what it seems like to me, the Lakers,
and whether it's Lebron or Lebron's people, or the Lakers
(03:49):
brass or all of them combined. I feel like all
of us after we've gone and picked out something at Ikea,
do you ever good Ikea? Like he's great, man. You
can get like a burger and fries for dollar fifty
son throw back to when we were kids. You go
in there, You're like, man, everything looks awesome. I'll take
(04:09):
a sofa, a nightstand, a mattress, you know what. I'll
take the whole bedroom set. Oh, I've been looking for
one of those. Give me one of those cub chairs.
I'm all in, Oh, and I want one of those
dressers that that's the dresser exactly that I want. You're like, man,
(04:29):
this is way less money than if I go in
shop at a legit furniture store where there's such ridiculous markup.
It's not funny, all right, Like you walk into like
you go to pottery bar and you flip it over,
like damn it costs how much? There's no mark up
in the world like furniture store markup and furniture store
guys sitting there going. I know, my wife and I
(04:52):
used to joke because one of the big name furniture
stores when we used to live in Connecticut had a
sign up that literally never came down. That's d sale
going on. Right, It's almost like coals, Like there's a
reason that Coals can send you flyers where if you
buy three items you get like sevent off because there's
such a ridiculous markup, right, same thing with furniture stores.
(05:15):
But there is something to the value in it already
coming assembled, it being ready made, because everybody thinks you
look at you like how hard could it be? Right?
How how hard can you got? You got instructions. I
have a college degree, My wife has two college degrees.
I believe that while the divorce rate continues to be high,
(05:37):
there is no greater infidelities. Probably number one, but number
two in our country in terms of reason for high
divorce rate is ikea, ikea, because you start putting together,
you see all the parts of like, oh okay, they
take a breath and you guys both get coffee, like
(05:58):
this is what we're gonna do on a Friday or
on a Sunday afternoon. We can put the ball game
on I'm gonna put together this dresser. Then you start
putting together and wait, wait, wait, they don't have these pieces.
They're not here. Honey, what did you do with this?
With the do hicky thing of a jig? Where are
the do hicky? The number twelve? Where's the number twelve?
(06:22):
And you look around and then you start start emailing IKEA.
You call the IKEA you didn't put the number, and
then she's like, here it is, here's the number twelve.
You're like, okay, okay, now where's it go? I have
no idea. And then at the end you think you
got it all together, and then you still have parts.
You're like, wait, wait a second, hold on, um, we
(06:42):
kind of forgot ah. It looks fine, fine, yeah, well
where did this entire bag of screws come from? Do
you need them? It's obvious. Listen, they're Swedish. They kind
of overdo it, whole safety thing. It'll be fine. You
put it together. It's like leaning like the tower pizza.
It doesn't look right. You want to You hate her,
(07:04):
she hates you. You've cut yourself on several things, you
have leftover parts, and you're left thinking sitting there going
this is way more than I signed up for. I
should have just either hired somebody to put together or
bought something already put together, which is where Lebron and
the Lakers are. You know, you put Lebron on the
team and even natural little sprinkled dust and you're in
(07:27):
the playoffs. How hard could it be? Hey, he made
the made the Eastern Conference finals eight consecutive times. That
should be pointed out that the brilliance of what happened
in Miami was not just that he joined Dwayne Wade,
who had already won a championship, but he essentially demolished Cleveland.
That was a team and they took out the legs
(07:50):
from under Toronto, taking their best player right. So, in
addition to building up the heat, they crushed two other
playoff teams in the East. And then when they get
to Cleveland, it was ready made in that they had
tank games to get the number one, uh number one pick,
they traded that for Kevin Love. So you get a
(08:10):
perennial All Star, you get a burgeoning superstar in Kyrie Irving,
and you get Lebron James, and who's you got your
super team? That's not what you have in l A
A right. L A has had these top picks, and
you know the ones that have hit have now hit
after they've sent them elsewhere because they were drafted by
(08:31):
Mitch cup Check. And you've got an oft injured Lonzo
Ball that's behind the learning curve in terms of getting there,
and you have Lebron James who's older than he was previously,
and you have some parts in which wasn't like the
NBA is like, hey Lebron, oh you're in l A, now,
why don't you just pick the two or three best
shooters that you want for your roster? Like that's not
(08:53):
how it works. So they tried something different and they're
left with a bunch of screws. Liked, be fine, we'll
make the playoffs and then next year we'll figure it out.
And as frustrated as you are when you put together
your Ikea furniture, even if eventually you get it right,
(09:14):
that's where Lebron is with the Lakers. I still think
eventually they'll have a very nice nightstand. Eventually the dresser
will be fine. Will it be perfect like it is
in the store. Probably not eventually to work out, but
you end up going like, man, we had to fire Luke.
We had to get rid of our players. We had
(09:34):
to kind of give into his idea of culture. It's
just not that much fun. You thought walking through Ikea,
your living room would look like that living room. It doesn't.
It doesn't. And the sweat equity that you put in
leaves you with the bitterness towards your wife, and she's
(09:56):
bitter towards you. Same thing with Lebron. Even if ultimately
they succeed. With most of these young players, they're still
in the back of their mind deep seat, they're gonna
be bitterness over dude, you're gonna trade me. You valued
me so much that you were ready to jettison me
three or four months into the process. Where you've been
(10:16):
out because of injury, Like, it's not Lebron James's fault
that he got hurt, But it is Lebron james fault
that he got hurt, right, Like, who else this fault?
Is it? Well? His body broke down, Okay? Should he
have stretched more, should have done yoga more, less muggling,
(10:37):
less muggling, more stretching, more yoga more plates. Well he
was out for eighteen games, Yeah, which you should have
planned for if you're the Lakers because you knew he
always misses some games, with the exception of last year,
only year in which he's played eight two games. And
by the way, that probably wasn't a good idea, right,
(10:59):
That's one of those seems like a good idea at
the time. Sure the bronct played two games, and then
Cleveland sitting there going like, yeah, you know, there's a
little payback for playing in two games. It comes the
next year. I think the whole thing is fascinating. But
putting together I kea furniture is a lot like putting
together a team for Lebron James. Ultimately, I guess it's
(11:23):
worth it, but there's a lot of bitter relationships left
in its wake. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Doug dot Leap Show weekdays in noon eastern three
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart
Radio app. The Lakers are a playoff team after they
beat the Rockets, and heck, the come from behind win
against the Boston Celtics, but losing to the Pelicans when
(11:46):
they appear to be tanking, losing to the Hawks before
the All Star break, why the lack of consistency appear
to but wait, what appear, yes, appear to be taken.
Yet I like that one. I like the phrase of
the world. No. I think, um, look, it's it's a
(12:07):
young team. They've they've been inconsistent, uh for for most
of the year. Uh. You know, they still don't have
lots of ball in there. Rondo hasn't kind of regained
the play that the high level play that you know
he sustained early in the part of the season. So
you know, there's a lot of variables going into the
into this and it's still the like we we just
(12:29):
can't ignore what happened near the trade of that line
and how everything just played out. I think it has
a lot more to do with those elements than anything
else that's taken place on the court. And so it's
gonna be tough. It's gonna be tough. I it's still
hard to me to imagine Lebron James team not in
the playoffs. But look, man, I just think there's so
(12:50):
much other things to figure out that's going on with
that team outside of what's going on the basketball court,
that they got to get that resolved before we start
seeing any type of consistent level of play. Can they
do that? Think they yeah, I think it's possible. I
think the only reason I think it's possible because they
have Lebron James. Uh. I know that's probably a crutch, um,
But you know, we we just we we haven't seen that.
(13:12):
You know, this is just we're not a customer seeing
you know, one of his teams on the outside of
the top eight. For that, you know, I have to
give him the benefit of the doubt and think that
even if his teammates don't come ready to play, that
he's going to be able to pick it up and
elevate Um some guys to get him in that topic. Uh,
(13:32):
I just have a hard time right now just believe
in just based off the history, that he won't be
there when postseason arrives. So I would I would say, yes,
that's right now. But I'll tell you this, if if
there is a year that it won't happen, you know,
considering everything that's happened this year, you know it's a
good chance this could be it. What should we make
Draymond Green switching to clutch sports? You know what he
(14:00):
has been Uh. You know I was always told that
Draymond was thinking about either represent himself or going going
in a different direction. Um, if he did make makes
a change. UM. But going with Rich. Look, I mean,
if you look at all the shows that he's been
involved with as the pertains to look, you know, Lebron James.
(14:22):
He's been on the Shop shows with Lebron. He's he's
been on the Uninterrupted UM network where he had a
podcast a few years ago. Uh it was you know,
puteing with Lebron. Uh. You know, look go to his
social media feed over the last couple of months and
you'll see that he's been warning to clutch uh sweater
(14:43):
on some of this some of his photo shots and
you know, so it's it's a it's a lot. I mean,
he's really tight with Maverick Carter, Lebron James business partner.
They're they're very close. And so I think for people
who saw it, uh in that regard, you know, they
probably say, well, okay, it was only inevitable. But look,
you know he's up for a contract here. That definitely
(15:05):
Joymond wouldn't be making this decision if if his contract
was gonna be up, it's gonna be up, not this
summer but next summer. He's up for an extension. UM
this summer and so you know, there's there's no doubt
he's making this move with their intentions of trying to
maximize his salary. So, you know, I think if you
look at from as standpoint, you should kind of he's
(15:27):
connected dots and see why he's doing this now and
why why he's doing it with risk. Paul. I'm so
you we mentioned the Pelicans at the start, and I
guess I don't understand their philosophy and not playing him
or playing him, you know, and like, look, you're still
paying him, he's still on your team. You can't trade him.
Why wouldn't you just play him? Like what, I don't
I'm not sure I get that. Well. I'm usually on
(15:50):
the side of players as it pertains to just what
issues that they're dealing with when it comes to NBA
teams and billion their owners. But man, I get it.
I understand, like I understand from the Orleans perspect that
we all know, like when trades make it public, it hurts,
it hurts the leverage of the team that that has
(16:10):
that star. And so this is out, this is all
out and open. It's got ugly and there's really no
benefit for them to be playing Anty Davis Anty Davis
has an extreme injury history in this league, and so
it just doesn't vote well to keep him out there
playing thirty plus minutes the game. You know, he can
really get seriously and hurt. They're uh hurt, you know,
(16:32):
hurt their trade package even more. So I get it,
and I understand it, and I really don't have a
problem with you know, if they were able to to
set him down for the seeable future or you know,
the rest of the rest of the season. I just
think they have to do what's best for that. You know,
this organization is a small market, so uh, you know,
they got to protect their asset. And I you know,
(16:54):
I don't have any beef whatsoever with them trying to
set them down. That's what Christians from y'all who sports
you join? Is in the Doug Gotlips Show on Fox
Sports Radio. Um, let's let's get to the Boston Celtics.
Another team struggling with consistency. Although like, look, I thought
that the the Bucks game, if that's a preview of
the Eastern Conference finals, that shows how evenly matched they are.
(17:15):
But there's there's always been this feel that something's still
a little bit off. What's the likelihood in your mind
that they figure that out some good question. Uh, you know,
I don't. Look, this is a talented team. Um, they're
one of the best. When you look from top to
bottom in the league. Uh, you know they're going to
(17:36):
they're going to string away uh a ton of wins.
So where they're going to be there in the picture things.
You know, we're talking about the top teams in the East.
You gotta at least mentioned Boston. But at the same time,
you know, they go through spells and lolls of where
they just can't play together. And if you look at
you know, just the addition the Kyrie Irvan and Gordon
(17:58):
Hayward trying to incorporate those guys into a team that
was avoid of stars last year and that didn't that
didn't hurt them. You know, they learned how to play well. Uh.
Just you know, with tame ball, it was like a
college basketball type of experience. And now you've got to
incorporate not only stars, but you're incorporating Eagles. Kyrie Irving's
(18:18):
a superstarters league, Gordon hay was an all starters league.
So now Brad Stevens goes from not just being able
to go out there and and call the right place.
But now he has to manage personalities, and I think
this is the first time he's really had to deal
with that, uh to this extent, and so I think
that's what's trouble even more. But at the end of
(18:39):
the day, the you know, I think they're they're going
to be there when it's all set done. I think
they're gonna string away wins. I think they're gonna go
deep in the playoffs. You know, they got one of
the best closes in Kyrie. That's going to help them.
But you have to think over a long seven games series, well,
some of those inconsistencies or some of those issues creep
(19:00):
up and the wrong at the wrong time and kill
their chances of advances. That possibly could be the case,
But I just think they're too talented to dismiss issue.
They got them, but you know they you know, when
you got challenged, you know, you just hope that it
comes to at the right time. That's the voice of
Chris Haines joined us in the Doug Gotli Show on
Fox Sports Radio. I wonder what's what reaction has been like.
(19:23):
You have a great relationship with Damian Lillard. You had
an incredible podcast where you're talking about I think that's
going back to the All Star All Star Break, I'm
going back to last week it dropped where he just
said like, look, I'm not I'm not joining one of
these these super teams, and I'm like, this is my team,
this is my you know how much of that is Look,
he's just making the best out of what is his
(19:44):
lot in life, and how much of that is the
reality of his his desire to be that guy that
sticks the flag in the ground and if it comes
to him, it comes to him. He he's definitely your
ladder dog. He definitely wants to be the guy who
was just repping Portland's rip city to the fullest. He's
a loyal guy. You know, his family has He had
(20:06):
a big family man, and they had to fend for
themselves and kind of stick together as a family to
make ends meet. And you know, he talked about them
sharing clothes and things of that nature, and so he's
very loyal. When he went to Weeper State, you know,
he wasn't highly recruited out of out of high school,
and you know, once he started doing his thing in college,
a big time colleges try to give him transfer, and
(20:27):
he wouldn't. So that's that's in him, man, And you
know that's that's legit what what he's talking about. As
far as he feels like if he did request the trade, um,
you know it will it will hurt other people on
that team where they would be traded as well, and
some people who are probably worked well with him probably
wouldn't work well with other teammates, and then then they'll
(20:48):
end up being wave. He does think about that, and
and because I told him what brought that up, Doug
that I told him, like, you're in the same position
as Anthony Davis. You know, you get to a certain
level where you just keep, um, hit your head on
the ceiling, and that that ceiling is not getting you
to the promised land. And he has every right to
request the trade. And then he threw out he threw
(21:08):
that explanation out to me, which I've really never heard
from a star player before thinking about how it would
affect other people in the organization and other players. But
at the end of the day, man, you know that's
what I get to the point where, man, these players,
you know, you still got to think about yourself. You
still have to understand and do what's right for you
and your career, your family. And because you know there's
(21:31):
always a triple down effect when a when a players traded,
uh that that player can't have no control over, So
you might as well have your control over your own career.
And because you know, things like things that's out of
your control, you just can't stop at all. So but
that's the way he feels. But as we know, players
(21:51):
say one thing and then months later or they don't
get a contract or uh, they don't like the right
transaction teammate, then they'll go out to say something else.
We saw that with Kyrie Irvan kind of before the
season vouts, I mean vow that you know he will
a final with Boston and now he's kind of iffy,
so things sayings I wouldn't put too much doc intent,
but that's definitely how Damian Lille feels as it right now. Um,
(22:14):
let me ask you quickly about Zion Williams. And obviously
he was scared last week with him twisting his knee
when his his shoe blew up. Um, Like we've kind
of had the discussion over whether he should or should
and I think it's kind of a silly discussion as
to whether he shouldn't. I'm I'm guessing he's not gonna
play Wednesday against Virginia Tech, but I guess he probably
plays Saturday. My question is, how do you think the
(22:37):
league views him like I because I've talked to scouts, like,
coming into the season, they didn't think he was going
to be a breakthrough star, and then now they're like, wow,
but but he's he's different. He's not Lebron, he's not
r J. Barrett. Even he's a guy who can play
off the basketball. I'm just wondering, like, let's say the
Nicks get the number one overall pick and somehow they
(22:58):
get Durant and get Kyrie. Would they rather have Zion
or would they rather have an Anthony Davis considering his
youth and the fact that he's gonna Philip Arenas. I
think they will. I think they were real to have
Anthony Davis. Um just a simple fact that Kyrie and
Kevin Durant, they're they're coming in and try to win
championships now, and so you know, it's kind of similar
(23:19):
to when Lebron went back to Cleveland again they had
Um Andrew Wiggins, you know, who not think Lebron Andrew
would have worked well together. But they needed they needed
to accelerate the curve. They need to celebrate the process.
And that's why I went out and traded for Kevin Love.
But dog, I didn't get your take. What do you
do you think Zion should should play if you can? Okay,
(23:40):
I mean arguing like this, like this whole idea that
he could he could suffer some major injury, like really,
like it's it's it's where, it's not football, it's basketball,
and the idea of putting him in even like God forbid,
something did happen, like like Griffin didn't play his first year,
Joel Embie didn't play his first year, Ben Simmons didn't
plays first year. They're all fine. And the likelihood that
(24:01):
he gets hurt like that was just a freak thing
where his shoe blew up could happen in the workout,
you know. Um And and honestly, honestly, he needs to
play more. He just does. Because a kid who's two
eight five, if he's not in game shape, that's not
a good thing for when he's working out. For like,
all of these things only help his visibility, his viability,
(24:22):
you know, like if he gets to a final four
wins national championship, all of that money he was gonna
make shoe company endorsements, he becomes much more of a
household name instead of a YouTube sensation. In addition to
which like, look, you go to Duke because you want
to compete and win the whole thing. That's that's the
only reason you go to Duke, right, Otherwise you should
have gone to Clemson. And I get what you're saying, Dug,
and I don't necessarily disagree, but what I would say
(24:43):
this before college season opened up most mo d No,
I'm not gonna say most honest, see, any of the
moth drafts have Zon paying that number one. You know
he played, He played his way into that spot. Correct Now,
most my drafts have them at number one. And the
only I will say this because you know, guys, like
(25:04):
this point of season NBA and college, everybody is hurt.
You know everybody is hurt right now. You know they've
ballanced some extent of an injury. Uh, it's not an
injury that's gonna keep him out to play. I would
say this unless the only reason, the only way I
will feel comfortable as I ain't coming back and playing
is if he's a hundred percent healthy, I mean absolutely
(25:25):
no pain. If there's still any pain simmerings from that injury,
I'm sitting out. I'm sitting out. I don't think anybody.
I don't think anybody disputes that. What what what the
narrative have been is he'd be a healthy scratch. Like, look,
he's number one pick. Don't don't play right, But that
doesn't that's the dumbest Like you're basketball player, you gonna
pay basketball you want to like there's a if there's
(25:46):
a game, there's a championship, be one. You compete for it,
like you have one chance in your lifetime to win
a national champiship. Then you go on and for the
next fifteen twenty years you play in the NBA. Like
I it was more of the idea of him being
a healthy scratch than if if he still hurts, he
shouldn't play. But I think it's a minor sprain of
his knee. He'll be fine. I'm talking about the idea
of a healthy scratch. I get it. But still, you know,
(26:08):
it can be considered what he's going through right now,
what he's going through now can be considered a healthy
scratch because I think, you know, I don't have Look,
i'm not throwing anything. I don't have any concrete evidence,
but I'm pretty sure he can play right now, you know,
and this can be considered a healthy scratch. Yeah, I'm
talking about no pain, like he's feeling absolutely no pain
from that injury. And that's when I would say, you know,
(26:30):
come back, because he's locked up as of right now,
he's a number one pick and he has a lot
to lose. But if he's a hundred, say healthy, not
feeling any pain, no knacking injuries, then come back. Because
like you said, college is a great experience. Duke has
a phenomenal opportunity to achieve something special. Who would want
to enjoy that process? So that's that's the only way
(26:52):
that I would feel comfortable in him coming back. In
the fold of play, we're making it about. My thing
is we're making it about some dollars here, some dollars there,
which he's going to earn anyway, instead of about what
it should be about when you're eighteen years old, which
is men just gonna have fun, play with your guys,
compete as hard as you can, and the rest to
take care of itself, which is, you know, which I
think is what he had done. The problem is is
(27:13):
when the adults get involved and everyone starts to tell him,
tell him what he should and shouldn't do, like, hey,
do you want to play? Then go play, you know,
And I kind of think that's what the heart of
it is. A download uh Chris's podcast. It's outstanding. I
encourage you uh to do so, Chris, thanks so much
for joints. We really appreciate it. It's Chris Haynes from
(27:33):
Yahoo Sports. Be sure to catch live editions of the
Doug Dot Leaps Show weekdays in noon eastern three pm Pacific.
The trademarket for Antonio Brown is heating up. A couple
of teams have reportedly reached out. They'll probably be a
coup more, you know, you all right, what's it gonna take?
And then you got a touch base with Threw rosen House,
and what's it gonna take to signed a long term deal?
He said last week on his I G Live. You
(27:57):
got guaranteed money, holla, which is really what most of
this is about. This is about a front loaded contract
that he signed, an extension that he signed with Pittsburgh
Steelers and now the money is up. Now they can
cut him whenever they want, and he wants guaranteed cash.
It's really smart business from the Steelers. It's really I
(28:19):
think bad business from Antonio Brown. But he's gonna be
rewarded with some sort of new contract wherever he goes.
And to his point, look, if you know a wide
receiver who hadn't proven himself to be healthy for an
entire season will be a number one threat like Sammy
Watkins is where sixteen million to the Kancity Chiefs. What
(28:41):
am I worth on the open market? I guess we'll
find out. But a couple of the teams rumored are fascinating.
But the two most prominent teams that need a wide
receiver that have a superstar future Hall of Fame quarterback
that have been rumored in are in the NFC are
the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers. And
(29:02):
one makes sense and whatnot? Now? Green Bay has other
talented wide receivers like a Davante Adams. They seem to
figure out the running game, and they have Aaron Rodgers
who's a veteran quarterback who can make every throw and
simply need somebody to get open. And that was kind
of their offense previously, which is like, hey, everybody, go
(29:23):
out and get open, and Aaron will find you and
then if you're not open, he'll run around and then
he'll find you again, and if you're not open, he's
gonna throw it to a place for nobody and get
the rest of the league's like, yeah, well they're not
that good and their coach fired. Then you have the
New Orleans Saints who have um uh, Michael Thomas, right,
(29:44):
who's super talented but more of a great route runner,
precision guy. And with Ted Gain out half the year,
they were searching for that other guy. And Ted Gain
has been good. Ted Gett did make that jump ball
catch that could have if a past interference was called,
could have put the Saints in the Super Bowl. But
like anyone who's seen ten Gain enough knows he's a
(30:08):
number two, if not a number three, Right, there's a
reason that there's a reason that Ted Gain had been
has been in like five, like five different teams. He's
a little bit like stone Hands for necessary roughness, Like
if he catches it, great, you can always run. But
you had Drew Brees and you have Michael Thomas, and
(30:30):
then you put him, and you have Alvin Camaro, who's
like a wide receiver that also plays running back, Like, yes, please,
they're Saints fans going, oh yeah, give me, oh, give
me some of that. That's great. Give me some of
that drug right into my vein, you know, give me
some of that Saints offense. Oh, that's amazing. But one
makes sense and one doesn't. You want to know which
(30:52):
one makes sense. Saints makes sense because Sean Payton, right,
Sean Payton, who looked they they overspent to get a
defensive end last year, so they don't have a first
round pick, but second round pick, Like, all right, he
overspent on on a defensive lineman. He overspent really on
Teddy Bridgewater who started one game for him a third
(31:14):
round pick. He was really worth a fourth or a
fifth at that point in the season. They've been known
to overspend more than anything. He's not only a great
play caller, but he has the respect and credibility to
go like, no, we're not gonna throw it to you
every time. This is the way we do things. Whereas
the Green Bay Packers have a guy who no, Sean
(31:35):
McVeigh right, Like, I know there's more to it than that,
but there's a little bit that there's a that's a
that's at least a little bit of it. Right, Well,
you have I said, who is the green Bay Packers
new head coach if you're not a Packers fame but
like the guy who knows Sean McVeigh, like, yeah, there's
a little bit more to it than that. But okay,
(31:59):
and they're in kind of lie is the rub, you
know if if you really want do I think the
green Bay Packers should go out and get him. I do,
but be very cautious of how he handles Matt Lafleur.
He walked over Mike Tomlin. Though Mike Tomlin is a
guy that allows star players to have a ton of
(32:21):
rope that they made, as he did hang himself with chore.
But Mike tom has won a Super Bowl. Generally, respect
a guy and a guy who can be confrontational. Now
here's a guy who thinks that rules don't apply to him,
don't apply to him. I don't have to show up.
(32:42):
I can show up, and I want to show up.
And then he starts blaming everybody else and it's really
about money. How does that work? I don't know. The
Saints one makes sense. And look, I don't think Drew
Brees is nearly the Drew Brees of old. That they've
kind of hit it with their offense, with their the
complexity of finding mismatches and making all those throws, Like
(33:04):
he can't throw the ball downfield anymore. I think he
would have a chance to be much happier playing with
Aaron Rodgers. And he's played in the cold. That hasn't
bothered him. Cold, the rain pour turf in Pittsburgh doesn't matter.
Like Antonio Brown is ridiculously good. I have nothing bad
to say about him when he's out running routes to
catch footballs. But the interaction with an unproven head coach
(33:26):
and with a quarterback who can turn on you in
a heartbeat, that's a buyer beware. Whereas you have a
super Bowl winning coach, a super Bowl winning quarterback, a
guy who understands I need guys to make plays for me,
they have other people so that he's not constantly facing
a double team. They play in a dome, which will
hid Drew brees lack of arm strength. How they play
(33:48):
half their road games in domes as well. But more
than anything, Yeah, John Payton, who's a great play caller
and knows how to hand no egos. That's why he
was the one who could reach out to Dez Bryant,
not just his history with the Dallas Cowboys, but his
respect within the league and his ability to tell des
(34:09):
Bryant where he can stick it if des Bryant goes
crazy on the sideline. Right, I'm not saying that Matt
Lafleur can't handle Antonio Brown. We just have no way
of knowing whether he can handle Antonio Brown. One seems
like a really good idea, the other seems like it's
(34:30):
got potential for disaster written all over. And I frankly
kind of want to see the Packers just because because
of the talent, but also because of the ability, the
ability to maybe see what's a potential disaster, Like I
like that kind of stuff.
Thanks for listening to the best of the Doug Gottlieb
Show podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weekday
from three to six pm Eastern Time that's twelve to
three Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station
for the Doug Gottlieb Show at Fox Sports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every day on the I Heart
Radio app by searching fs R. This is the best
(00:21):
of the Doug Gotlive Show on Fox Sports Radio Boom.
What Up America, Doug Gottlieb Show, Fox Sports Radio, brought
to you by Farmers. At Farmers, we've seen almost everything,
so we know how to cover almost anything when it's
game time. Having experienced player to help you stay ahead
of the game put their experience in the play at
Farmers dot Com. What Up? Um? I guess at some
(00:49):
point I'll talk about this uh story with Robert Kraft.
I just I don't know what what do you? What
do you want me? When I what? What do you?
What would you want me to say? Do you want
to make fun of fun of him? Like? Okay, I
can like we can do kind of slapstick jokes. Whatever
you know? Um? Apparently you know his last visit to
(01:13):
this day SPA was the day of the a f
C Championship game. Who what Patriots? What person? Patriots Nation
wasn't stressed over that game. We all have different ways
of relieving our stress. I don't know, but we we
we try to pretend like, you know, billionaire business mogul
(01:34):
is the same as you and me. When you know,
Robert Kraft's wife passed away his girlfriend at a kid
less than two years ago and it wasn't his kid,
so you know, like again, his life in our lives
are not. We may look we you may think we're
in the same on the same planet, the same planet.
We live in different worlds. We just do. And I
(01:57):
guess I can make a huge like the human trafficking
is a much bigger deal to me than the alleged prostitution,
even if it's way easier to make fun of the
alleged prostitution or the fact that a video exists that's
one of those just take your word for it that
it exists. Do you want to no, no, no no
no no no no no no. I'm okay, I'm gonna
(02:19):
take up gonna take quick pass on that one very
easy pass. I do want to talk about the Lakers instead,
because the Lakers and Lebron James and their their struggles
to remain consistent are I guess, on some level fascinating
and on some level very explainable. The Lakers beat the
(02:45):
Rockets with James Harden at home, came from seventeen down,
won the game, great win, and then turn around and
lose to the Pelicans who choose to not play Anthony
Davis and the Pelicans, the team who most people think
get packed it in to try and lose to get
a better draft pick to help them reload. This was
(03:05):
Lebron James after the loss to the Pelicans. The last
few years. You know, everybody saw accustomed to the losses
that I'm just not accustomed to. I'm not accustomed to.
I would never get comfortable with losing. So, you know,
losing Game one to Houston, it feels the same way
as losing Game fifty nine in New Orleans. From me,
(03:26):
That's just how I'm built. That's who I am. Okay,
I'm not really sure what to make of that. Is
it is he I'm ticked? Is that what he's saying?
I'm mad that we lost, and everybody else doesn't understand,
Like here's what it seems like to me, the Lakers,
and whether it's Lebron or Lebron's people, or the Lakers
(03:49):
brass or all of them combined. I feel like all
of us after we've gone and picked out something at Ikea,
do you ever good Ikea? Like he's great, man. You
can get like a burger and fries for dollar fifty
son throw back to when we were kids. You go
in there, You're like, man, everything looks awesome. I'll take
(04:09):
a sofa, a nightstand, a mattress, you know what. I'll
take the whole bedroom set. Oh, I've been looking for
one of those. Give me one of those cub chairs.
I'm all in, Oh, and I want one of those
dressers that that's the dresser exactly that I want. You're like, man,
(04:29):
this is way less money than if I go in
shop at a legit furniture store where there's such ridiculous markup.
It's not funny, all right, Like you walk into like
you go to pottery bar and you flip it over,
like damn it costs how much? There's no mark up
in the world like furniture store markup and furniture store
guys sitting there going. I know, my wife and I
(04:52):
used to joke because one of the big name furniture
stores when we used to live in Connecticut had a
sign up that literally never came down. That's d sale
going on. Right, It's almost like coals, Like there's a
reason that Coals can send you flyers where if you
buy three items you get like sevent off because there's
such a ridiculous markup, right, same thing with furniture stores.
(05:15):
But there is something to the value in it already
coming assembled, it being ready made, because everybody thinks you
look at you like how hard could it be? Right?
How how hard can you got? You got instructions. I
have a college degree, My wife has two college degrees.
I believe that while the divorce rate continues to be high,
(05:37):
there is no greater infidelities. Probably number one, but number
two in our country in terms of reason for high
divorce rate is ikea, ikea, because you start putting together,
you see all the parts of like, oh okay, they
take a breath and you guys both get coffee, like
(05:58):
this is what we're gonna do on a Friday or
on a Sunday afternoon. We can put the ball game
on I'm gonna put together this dresser. Then you start
putting together and wait, wait, wait, they don't have these pieces.
They're not here. Honey, what did you do with this?
With the do hicky thing of a jig? Where are
the do hicky? The number twelve? Where's the number twelve?
(06:22):
And you look around and then you start start emailing IKEA.
You call the IKEA you didn't put the number, and
then she's like, here it is, here's the number twelve.
You're like, okay, okay, now where's it go? I have
no idea. And then at the end you think you
got it all together, and then you still have parts.
You're like, wait, wait a second, hold on, um, we
(06:42):
kind of forgot ah. It looks fine, fine, yeah, well
where did this entire bag of screws come from? Do
you need them? It's obvious. Listen, they're Swedish. They kind
of overdo it, whole safety thing. It'll be fine. You
put it together. It's like leaning like the tower pizza.
It doesn't look right. You want to You hate her,
(07:04):
she hates you. You've cut yourself on several things, you
have leftover parts, and you're left thinking sitting there going
this is way more than I signed up for. I
should have just either hired somebody to put together or
bought something already put together, which is where Lebron and
the Lakers are. You know, you put Lebron on the
team and even natural little sprinkled dust and you're in
(07:27):
the playoffs. How hard could it be? Hey, he made
the made the Eastern Conference finals eight consecutive times. That
should be pointed out that the brilliance of what happened
in Miami was not just that he joined Dwayne Wade,
who had already won a championship, but he essentially demolished Cleveland.
That was a team and they took out the legs
(07:50):
from under Toronto, taking their best player right. So, in
addition to building up the heat, they crushed two other
playoff teams in the East. And then when they get
to Cleveland, it was ready made in that they had
tank games to get the number one, uh number one pick,
they traded that for Kevin Love. So you get a
(08:10):
perennial All Star, you get a burgeoning superstar in Kyrie Irving,
and you get Lebron James, and who's you got your
super team? That's not what you have in l A
A right. L A has had these top picks, and
you know the ones that have hit have now hit
after they've sent them elsewhere because they were drafted by
(08:31):
Mitch cup Check. And you've got an oft injured Lonzo
Ball that's behind the learning curve in terms of getting there,
and you have Lebron James who's older than he was previously,
and you have some parts in which wasn't like the
NBA is like, hey Lebron, oh you're in l A, now,
why don't you just pick the two or three best
shooters that you want for your roster? Like that's not
(08:53):
how it works. So they tried something different and they're
left with a bunch of screws. Liked, be fine, we'll
make the playoffs and then next year we'll figure it out.
And as frustrated as you are when you put together
your Ikea furniture, even if eventually you get it right,
(09:14):
that's where Lebron is with the Lakers. I still think
eventually they'll have a very nice nightstand. Eventually the dresser
will be fine. Will it be perfect like it is
in the store. Probably not eventually to work out, but
you end up going like, man, we had to fire Luke.
We had to get rid of our players. We had
(09:34):
to kind of give into his idea of culture. It's
just not that much fun. You thought walking through Ikea,
your living room would look like that living room. It doesn't.
It doesn't. And the sweat equity that you put in
leaves you with the bitterness towards your wife, and she's
(09:56):
bitter towards you. Same thing with Lebron. Even if ultimately
they succeed. With most of these young players, they're still
in the back of their mind deep seat, they're gonna
be bitterness over dude, you're gonna trade me. You valued
me so much that you were ready to jettison me
three or four months into the process. Where you've been
(10:16):
out because of injury, Like, it's not Lebron James's fault
that he got hurt, But it is Lebron james fault
that he got hurt, right, Like, who else this fault?
Is it? Well? His body broke down, Okay? Should he
have stretched more, should have done yoga more, less muggling,
(10:37):
less muggling, more stretching, more yoga more plates. Well he
was out for eighteen games, Yeah, which you should have
planned for if you're the Lakers because you knew he
always misses some games, with the exception of last year,
only year in which he's played eight two games. And
by the way, that probably wasn't a good idea, right,
(10:59):
That's one of those seems like a good idea at
the time. Sure the bronct played two games, and then
Cleveland sitting there going like, yeah, you know, there's a
little payback for playing in two games. It comes the
next year. I think the whole thing is fascinating. But
putting together I kea furniture is a lot like putting
together a team for Lebron James. Ultimately, I guess it's
(11:23):
worth it, but there's a lot of bitter relationships left
in its wake. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Doug dot Leap Show weekdays in noon eastern three
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the I Heart
Radio app. The Lakers are a playoff team after they
beat the Rockets, and heck, the come from behind win
against the Boston Celtics, but losing to the Pelicans when
(11:46):
they appear to be tanking, losing to the Hawks before
the All Star break, why the lack of consistency appear
to but wait, what appear, yes, appear to be taken.
Yet I like that one. I like the phrase of
the world. No. I think, um, look, it's it's a
(12:07):
young team. They've they've been inconsistent, uh for for most
of the year. Uh. You know, they still don't have
lots of ball in there. Rondo hasn't kind of regained
the play that the high level play that you know
he sustained early in the part of the season. So
you know, there's a lot of variables going into the
into this and it's still the like we we just
(12:29):
can't ignore what happened near the trade of that line
and how everything just played out. I think it has
a lot more to do with those elements than anything
else that's taken place on the court. And so it's
gonna be tough. It's gonna be tough. I it's still
hard to me to imagine Lebron James team not in
the playoffs. But look, man, I just think there's so
(12:50):
much other things to figure out that's going on with
that team outside of what's going on the basketball court,
that they got to get that resolved before we start
seeing any type of consistent level of play. Can they
do that? Think they yeah, I think it's possible. I
think the only reason I think it's possible because they
have Lebron James. Uh. I know that's probably a crutch, um,
But you know, we we just we we haven't seen that.
(13:12):
You know, this is just we're not a customer seeing
you know, one of his teams on the outside of
the top eight. For that, you know, I have to
give him the benefit of the doubt and think that
even if his teammates don't come ready to play, that
he's going to be able to pick it up and
elevate Um some guys to get him in that topic. Uh,
(13:32):
I just have a hard time right now just believe
in just based off the history, that he won't be
there when postseason arrives. So I would I would say, yes,
that's right now. But I'll tell you this, if if
there is a year that it won't happen, you know,
considering everything that's happened this year, you know it's a
good chance this could be it. What should we make
Draymond Green switching to clutch sports? You know what he
(14:00):
has been Uh. You know I was always told that
Draymond was thinking about either represent himself or going going
in a different direction. Um, if he did make makes
a change. UM. But going with Rich. Look, I mean,
if you look at all the shows that he's been
involved with as the pertains to look, you know, Lebron James.
(14:22):
He's been on the Shop shows with Lebron. He's he's
been on the Uninterrupted UM network where he had a
podcast a few years ago. Uh it was you know,
puteing with Lebron. Uh. You know, look go to his
social media feed over the last couple of months and
you'll see that he's been warning to clutch uh sweater
(14:43):
on some of this some of his photo shots and
you know, so it's it's a it's a lot. I mean,
he's really tight with Maverick Carter, Lebron James business partner.
They're they're very close. And so I think for people
who saw it, uh in that regard, you know, they
probably say, well, okay, it was only inevitable. But look,
you know he's up for a contract here. That definitely
(15:05):
Joymond wouldn't be making this decision if if his contract
was gonna be up, it's gonna be up, not this
summer but next summer. He's up for an extension. UM
this summer and so you know, there's there's no doubt
he's making this move with their intentions of trying to
maximize his salary. So, you know, I think if you
look at from as standpoint, you should kind of he's
(15:27):
connected dots and see why he's doing this now and
why why he's doing it with risk. Paul. I'm so
you we mentioned the Pelicans at the start, and I
guess I don't understand their philosophy and not playing him
or playing him, you know, and like, look, you're still
paying him, he's still on your team. You can't trade him.
Why wouldn't you just play him? Like what, I don't
I'm not sure I get that. Well. I'm usually on
(15:50):
the side of players as it pertains to just what
issues that they're dealing with when it comes to NBA
teams and billion their owners. But man, I get it.
I understand, like I understand from the Orleans perspect that
we all know, like when trades make it public, it hurts,
it hurts the leverage of the team that that has
(16:10):
that star. And so this is out, this is all
out and open. It's got ugly and there's really no
benefit for them to be playing Anty Davis Anty Davis
has an extreme injury history in this league, and so
it just doesn't vote well to keep him out there
playing thirty plus minutes the game. You know, he can
really get seriously and hurt. They're uh hurt, you know,
(16:32):
hurt their trade package even more. So I get it,
and I understand it, and I really don't have a
problem with you know, if they were able to to
set him down for the seeable future or you know,
the rest of the rest of the season. I just
think they have to do what's best for that. You know,
this organization is a small market, so uh, you know,
they got to protect their asset. And I you know,
(16:54):
I don't have any beef whatsoever with them trying to
set them down. That's what Christians from y'all who sports
you join? Is in the Doug Gotlips Show on Fox
Sports Radio. Um, let's let's get to the Boston Celtics.
Another team struggling with consistency. Although like, look, I thought
that the the Bucks game, if that's a preview of
the Eastern Conference finals, that shows how evenly matched they are.
(17:15):
But there's there's always been this feel that something's still
a little bit off. What's the likelihood in your mind
that they figure that out some good question. Uh, you know,
I don't. Look, this is a talented team. Um, they're
one of the best. When you look from top to
bottom in the league. Uh, you know they're going to
(17:36):
they're going to string away uh a ton of wins.
So where they're going to be there in the picture things.
You know, we're talking about the top teams in the East.
You gotta at least mentioned Boston. But at the same time,
you know, they go through spells and lolls of where
they just can't play together. And if you look at
you know, just the addition the Kyrie Irvan and Gordon
(17:58):
Hayward trying to incorporate those guys into a team that
was avoid of stars last year and that didn't that
didn't hurt them. You know, they learned how to play well. Uh.
Just you know, with tame ball, it was like a
college basketball type of experience. And now you've got to
incorporate not only stars, but you're incorporating Eagles. Kyrie Irving's
(18:18):
a superstarters league, Gordon hay was an all starters league.
So now Brad Stevens goes from not just being able
to go out there and and call the right place.
But now he has to manage personalities, and I think
this is the first time he's really had to deal
with that, uh to this extent, and so I think
that's what's trouble even more. But at the end of
(18:39):
the day, the you know, I think they're they're going
to be there when it's all set done. I think
they're gonna string away wins. I think they're gonna go
deep in the playoffs. You know, they got one of
the best closes in Kyrie. That's going to help them.
But you have to think over a long seven games series, well,
some of those inconsistencies or some of those issues creep
(19:00):
up and the wrong at the wrong time and kill
their chances of advances. That possibly could be the case,
But I just think they're too talented to dismiss issue.
They got them, but you know they you know, when
you got challenged, you know, you just hope that it
comes to at the right time. That's the voice of
Chris Haines joined us in the Doug Gotli Show on
Fox Sports Radio. I wonder what's what reaction has been like.
(19:23):
You have a great relationship with Damian Lillard. You had
an incredible podcast where you're talking about I think that's
going back to the All Star All Star Break, I'm
going back to last week it dropped where he just
said like, look, I'm not I'm not joining one of
these these super teams, and I'm like, this is my team,
this is my you know how much of that is Look,
he's just making the best out of what is his
(19:44):
lot in life, and how much of that is the
reality of his his desire to be that guy that
sticks the flag in the ground and if it comes
to him, it comes to him. He he's definitely your
ladder dog. He definitely wants to be the guy who
was just repping Portland's rip city to the fullest. He's
a loyal guy. You know, his family has He had
(20:06):
a big family man, and they had to fend for
themselves and kind of stick together as a family to
make ends meet. And you know, he talked about them
sharing clothes and things of that nature, and so he's
very loyal. When he went to Weeper State, you know,
he wasn't highly recruited out of out of high school,
and you know, once he started doing his thing in college,
a big time colleges try to give him transfer, and
(20:27):
he wouldn't. So that's that's in him, man, And you
know that's that's legit what what he's talking about. As
far as he feels like if he did request the trade, um,
you know it will it will hurt other people on
that team where they would be traded as well, and
some people who are probably worked well with him probably
wouldn't work well with other teammates, and then then they'll
(20:48):
end up being wave. He does think about that, and
and because I told him what brought that up, Doug
that I told him, like, you're in the same position
as Anthony Davis. You know, you get to a certain
level where you just keep, um, hit your head on
the ceiling, and that that ceiling is not getting you
to the promised land. And he has every right to
request the trade. And then he threw out he threw
(21:08):
that explanation out to me, which I've really never heard
from a star player before thinking about how it would
affect other people in the organization and other players. But
at the end of the day, man, you know that's
what I get to the point where, man, these players,
you know, you still got to think about yourself. You
still have to understand and do what's right for you
and your career, your family. And because you know there's
(21:31):
always a triple down effect when a when a players traded,
uh that that player can't have no control over, So
you might as well have your control over your own career.
And because you know, things like things that's out of
your control, you just can't stop at all. So but
that's the way he feels. But as we know, players
(21:51):
say one thing and then months later or they don't
get a contract or uh, they don't like the right
transaction teammate, then they'll go out to say something else.
We saw that with Kyrie Irvan kind of before the
season vouts, I mean vow that you know he will
a final with Boston and now he's kind of iffy,
so things sayings I wouldn't put too much doc intent,
but that's definitely how Damian Lille feels as it right now. Um,
(22:14):
let me ask you quickly about Zion Williams. And obviously
he was scared last week with him twisting his knee
when his his shoe blew up. Um, Like we've kind
of had the discussion over whether he should or should
and I think it's kind of a silly discussion as
to whether he shouldn't. I'm I'm guessing he's not gonna
play Wednesday against Virginia Tech, but I guess he probably
plays Saturday. My question is, how do you think the
(22:37):
league views him like I because I've talked to scouts, like,
coming into the season, they didn't think he was going
to be a breakthrough star, and then now they're like, wow,
but but he's he's different. He's not Lebron, he's not
r J. Barrett. Even he's a guy who can play
off the basketball. I'm just wondering, like, let's say the
Nicks get the number one overall pick and somehow they
(22:58):
get Durant and get Kyrie. Would they rather have Zion
or would they rather have an Anthony Davis considering his
youth and the fact that he's gonna Philip Arenas. I
think they will. I think they were real to have
Anthony Davis. Um just a simple fact that Kyrie and
Kevin Durant, they're they're coming in and try to win
championships now, and so you know, it's kind of similar
(23:19):
to when Lebron went back to Cleveland again they had
Um Andrew Wiggins, you know, who not think Lebron Andrew
would have worked well together. But they needed they needed
to accelerate the curve. They need to celebrate the process.
And that's why I went out and traded for Kevin Love.
But dog, I didn't get your take. What do you
do you think Zion should should play if you can? Okay,
(23:40):
I mean arguing like this, like this whole idea that
he could he could suffer some major injury, like really,
like it's it's it's where, it's not football, it's basketball,
and the idea of putting him in even like God forbid,
something did happen, like like Griffin didn't play his first year,
Joel Embie didn't play his first year, Ben Simmons didn't
plays first year. They're all fine. And the likelihood that
(24:01):
he gets hurt like that was just a freak thing
where his shoe blew up could happen in the workout,
you know. Um And and honestly, honestly, he needs to
play more. He just does. Because a kid who's two
eight five, if he's not in game shape, that's not
a good thing for when he's working out. For like,
all of these things only help his visibility, his viability,
(24:22):
you know, like if he gets to a final four
wins national championship, all of that money he was gonna
make shoe company endorsements, he becomes much more of a
household name instead of a YouTube sensation. In addition to
which like, look, you go to Duke because you want
to compete and win the whole thing. That's that's the
only reason you go to Duke, right, Otherwise you should
have gone to Clemson. And I get what you're saying, Dug,
and I don't necessarily disagree, but what I would say
(24:43):
this before college season opened up most mo d No,
I'm not gonna say most honest, see, any of the
moth drafts have Zon paying that number one. You know
he played, He played his way into that spot. Correct Now,
most my drafts have them at number one. And the
only I will say this because you know, guys, like
(25:04):
this point of season NBA and college, everybody is hurt.
You know everybody is hurt right now. You know they've
ballanced some extent of an injury. Uh, it's not an
injury that's gonna keep him out to play. I would
say this unless the only reason, the only way I
will feel comfortable as I ain't coming back and playing
is if he's a hundred percent healthy, I mean absolutely
(25:25):
no pain. If there's still any pain simmerings from that injury,
I'm sitting out. I'm sitting out. I don't think anybody.
I don't think anybody disputes that. What what what the
narrative have been is he'd be a healthy scratch. Like, look,
he's number one pick. Don't don't play right, But that
doesn't that's the dumbest Like you're basketball player, you gonna
pay basketball you want to like there's a if there's
(25:46):
a game, there's a championship, be one. You compete for it,
like you have one chance in your lifetime to win
a national champiship. Then you go on and for the
next fifteen twenty years you play in the NBA. Like
I it was more of the idea of him being
a healthy scratch than if if he still hurts, he
shouldn't play. But I think it's a minor sprain of
his knee. He'll be fine. I'm talking about the idea
of a healthy scratch. I get it. But still, you know,
(26:08):
it can be considered what he's going through right now,
what he's going through now can be considered a healthy
scratch because I think, you know, I don't have Look,
i'm not throwing anything. I don't have any concrete evidence,
but I'm pretty sure he can play right now, you know,
and this can be considered a healthy scratch. Yeah, I'm
talking about no pain, like he's feeling absolutely no pain
from that injury. And that's when I would say, you know,
(26:30):
come back, because he's locked up as of right now,
he's a number one pick and he has a lot
to lose. But if he's a hundred, say healthy, not
feeling any pain, no knacking injuries, then come back. Because
like you said, college is a great experience. Duke has
a phenomenal opportunity to achieve something special. Who would want
to enjoy that process? So that's that's the only way
(26:52):
that I would feel comfortable in him coming back. In
the fold of play, we're making it about. My thing
is we're making it about some dollars here, some dollars there,
which he's going to earn anyway, instead of about what
it should be about when you're eighteen years old, which
is men just gonna have fun, play with your guys,
compete as hard as you can, and the rest to
take care of itself, which is, you know, which I
think is what he had done. The problem is is
(27:13):
when the adults get involved and everyone starts to tell him,
tell him what he should and shouldn't do, like, hey,
do you want to play? Then go play, you know,
And I kind of think that's what the heart of
it is. A download uh Chris's podcast. It's outstanding. I
encourage you uh to do so, Chris, thanks so much
for joints. We really appreciate it. It's Chris Haynes from
(27:33):
Yahoo Sports. Be sure to catch live editions of the
Doug Dot Leaps Show weekdays in noon eastern three pm Pacific.
The trademarket for Antonio Brown is heating up. A couple
of teams have reportedly reached out. They'll probably be a
coup more, you know, you all right, what's it gonna take?
And then you got a touch base with Threw rosen House,
and what's it gonna take to signed a long term deal?
He said last week on his I G Live. You
(27:57):
got guaranteed money, holla, which is really what most of
this is about. This is about a front loaded contract
that he signed, an extension that he signed with Pittsburgh
Steelers and now the money is up. Now they can
cut him whenever they want, and he wants guaranteed cash.
It's really smart business from the Steelers. It's really I
(28:19):
think bad business from Antonio Brown. But he's gonna be
rewarded with some sort of new contract wherever he goes.
And to his point, look, if you know a wide
receiver who hadn't proven himself to be healthy for an
entire season will be a number one threat like Sammy
Watkins is where sixteen million to the Kancity Chiefs. What
(28:41):
am I worth on the open market? I guess we'll
find out. But a couple of the teams rumored are fascinating.
But the two most prominent teams that need a wide
receiver that have a superstar future Hall of Fame quarterback
that have been rumored in are in the NFC are
the New Orleans Saints and the Green Bay Packers. And
(29:02):
one makes sense and whatnot? Now? Green Bay has other
talented wide receivers like a Davante Adams. They seem to
figure out the running game, and they have Aaron Rodgers
who's a veteran quarterback who can make every throw and
simply need somebody to get open. And that was kind
of their offense previously, which is like, hey, everybody, go
(29:23):
out and get open, and Aaron will find you and
then if you're not open, he'll run around and then
he'll find you again, and if you're not open, he's
gonna throw it to a place for nobody and get
the rest of the league's like, yeah, well they're not
that good and their coach fired. Then you have the
New Orleans Saints who have um uh, Michael Thomas, right,
(29:44):
who's super talented but more of a great route runner,
precision guy. And with Ted Gain out half the year,
they were searching for that other guy. And Ted Gain
has been good. Ted Gett did make that jump ball
catch that could have if a past interference was called,
could have put the Saints in the Super Bowl. But
like anyone who's seen ten Gain enough knows he's a
(30:08):
number two, if not a number three, Right, there's a
reason that there's a reason that Ted Gain had been
has been in like five, like five different teams. He's
a little bit like stone Hands for necessary roughness, Like
if he catches it, great, you can always run. But
you had Drew Brees and you have Michael Thomas, and
(30:30):
then you put him, and you have Alvin Camaro, who's
like a wide receiver that also plays running back, Like, yes, please,
they're Saints fans going, oh yeah, give me, oh, give
me some of that. That's great. Give me some of
that drug right into my vein, you know, give me
some of that Saints offense. Oh, that's amazing. But one
makes sense and one doesn't. You want to know which
(30:52):
one makes sense. Saints makes sense because Sean Payton, right,
Sean Payton, who looked they they overspent to get a
defensive end last year, so they don't have a first
round pick, but second round pick, Like, all right, he
overspent on on a defensive lineman. He overspent really on
Teddy Bridgewater who started one game for him a third
(31:14):
round pick. He was really worth a fourth or a
fifth at that point in the season. They've been known
to overspend more than anything. He's not only a great
play caller, but he has the respect and credibility to
go like, no, we're not gonna throw it to you
every time. This is the way we do things. Whereas
the Green Bay Packers have a guy who no, Sean
(31:35):
McVeigh right, Like, I know there's more to it than that,
but there's a little bit that there's a that's a
that's at least a little bit of it. Right, Well,
you have I said, who is the green Bay Packers
new head coach if you're not a Packers fame but
like the guy who knows Sean McVeigh, like, yeah, there's
a little bit more to it than that. But okay,
(31:59):
and they're in kind of lie is the rub, you
know if if you really want do I think the
green Bay Packers should go out and get him. I do,
but be very cautious of how he handles Matt Lafleur.
He walked over Mike Tomlin. Though Mike Tomlin is a
guy that allows star players to have a ton of
(32:21):
rope that they made, as he did hang himself with chore.
But Mike tom has won a Super Bowl. Generally, respect
a guy and a guy who can be confrontational. Now
here's a guy who thinks that rules don't apply to him,
don't apply to him. I don't have to show up.
(32:42):
I can show up, and I want to show up.
And then he starts blaming everybody else and it's really
about money. How does that work? I don't know. The
Saints one makes sense. And look, I don't think Drew
Brees is nearly the Drew Brees of old. That they've
kind of hit it with their offense, with their the
complexity of finding mismatches and making all those throws, Like
(33:04):
he can't throw the ball downfield anymore. I think he
would have a chance to be much happier playing with
Aaron Rodgers. And he's played in the cold. That hasn't
bothered him. Cold, the rain pour turf in Pittsburgh doesn't matter.
Like Antonio Brown is ridiculously good. I have nothing bad
to say about him when he's out running routes to
catch footballs. But the interaction with an unproven head coach
(33:26):
and with a quarterback who can turn on you in
a heartbeat, that's a buyer beware. Whereas you have a
super Bowl winning coach, a super Bowl winning quarterback, a
guy who understands I need guys to make plays for me,
they have other people so that he's not constantly facing
a double team. They play in a dome, which will
hid Drew brees lack of arm strength. How they play
(33:48):
half their road games in domes as well. But more
than anything, Yeah, John Payton, who's a great play caller
and knows how to hand no egos. That's why he
was the one who could reach out to Dez Bryant,
not just his history with the Dallas Cowboys, but his
respect within the league and his ability to tell des
(34:09):
Bryant where he can stick it if des Bryant goes
crazy on the sideline. Right, I'm not saying that Matt
Lafleur can't handle Antonio Brown. We just have no way
of knowing whether he can handle Antonio Brown. One seems
like a really good idea, the other seems like it's
(34:30):
got potential for disaster written all over. And I frankly
kind of want to see the Packers just because because
of the talent, but also because of the ability, the
ability to maybe see what's a potential disaster, Like I
like that kind of stuff.
Host
Doug Gottlieb
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