04/02/2021 - Best of The Doug Gottlieb Show

Dan Beyer and Aaron Torres fill in for Doug Gottlieb discuss Kansas handing longtime head coach Bill Self a lifetime contract. They are joined by Michael Lee to talk about the biggest moves made in the second half of the NBA season. Dan and Aaron give the NCAA Tournament a grade and react to breaking news of Porter Moser leaving Loyola-Chicago to coach the Oklahoma Sooners! Plus, the guys share the proper way for NFL teams to tank and make their official Final Four picks.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
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 Gotlib 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

(00:22):
of the Doug Gottlive Show on Fox Sports Radio. Happy
Friday to you. A good Friday. As it is rolling
along here on Fox Sports Radio. You just heard the
breaking news from Isaac Lowenkrod major League Baseball moving to
the All Star Game out of Atlanta. Will dive into

(00:42):
that today in that decision by Major League Baseball, also
its Final four weekend Women's Final Four action heating up
today with the National Semifinals a bit later on actually
tip off of the first game about three hours from now,
and then of course on Saturday, Men's Final Four taking
place Houston and Baylor, followed by Consega against u C.
L a. Rain. We start in college basketball, nothing to

(01:04):
do with the Final Four, though. The big news right
now in college basketball is what happened in Lawrence Kansas,
the Kansas Jayhawks giving Bill Self a new contract as
contract set to expire at the end of next year,
but they gave him an extension. And an extension I
think that we all would like to have Aaron that
is basically a lifetime contract with the Jayhawks. Uh. First

(01:26):
of all, yes, we would all love to have that contract. Um.
First of all, Dan, thank you guys for having me back.
Great to be back, and yeah, it was. It was
a little bit of surprising news. And for people who
don't follow college basketball in a day to day basis,
Kansas has been obviously an insanely successful program during not
only Bill Self's tenure but frankly the history of their program.
But they're also in the middle of an n C

(01:47):
investigation right now dating back to that FBI stuff that
was already close to five years ago at this point. Um,
you know, it is believed and it's been kind of
not only in n c A documents, but in a
court of law that a DDA is a representative for
Adidas helped them kind of you know, funnelsome players to
UH to Kansas. So it's surprising on the one hand
of the n C investigation, but on the flip side.

(02:10):
He is a Hall of Fame coach. He is one
of the best coaches in the business. Uh So, it's
it's it's definitely a little bit surprising though definitely what
I'm most surprised about actually with this is that there's
no athletic director to make that decision. And if you
want to talk about you know, in this, in this
Daan h And and Aaron you know, because you're all
Mo Mater tried to push football in in Yukon and

(02:33):
it didn't necessarily work out the greatest for them despite
that BCS birth they had the one year. Kansas has
also tried, Okay, how do we get football going? You know,
the Mark Mangino Orange Bowl days are a long ways away,
Like we're like, we're far from them. How do you
get Kansas football back? So you're bringing less miles and
now we know how that turned out. He is no

(02:55):
longer there, Jeff long no longer there is the athletic director,
and so now you're searching for an a d. And
look we you know we joke in the tournament about
ah Michigan now a basketball school. You know, is this
is this now a basketball school and not a football school.
Kansas is a basketball school. Kansas has always been a
basketball school. But for this contract to be laid out

(03:16):
without an athletic director to basically say, hey, Bill self,
you've got you've got carte blanche the rest of the way,
it is probably the most surprising thing to me about it. Well,
And what's interesting is I wonder I was talking to
somebody on my drive in just to kind of get
a little background, make sure I wasn't missing anything. And
I do wonder if, if maybe it's not a coincidence
that this happened when there was no a d And

(03:36):
what I mean by that is for people who again
don't follow Kansas athletics on a day to day basis, uh,
they don't have an athletic director. And frankly, I'm not
exaggerating when I say this, like a booster is running
the athletic department right now. And so we're kind of joking,
my friend and I and I don't know if it
was even a joke of did they try to sneak
this one in before and an athletic director gets in

(03:58):
before the adults re enter room, and they could put
a kai bosh on something like this. Now, I would
think that, you know, it's the type of deal where, um,
you know, it's still had to be approved for by
the schools president and the board of regents and all
that stuff. But it is amazing. I mean, it is
amazing from the fact that that Kansas is both under
an n c A investigation. Also, as you said, Dan,

(04:20):
there is no a d But let me let me
take it in a different direction. I think that, uh,
you know, I spoke about this with the person I
was talking to this afternoon. I do also wonder if,
as weird as it sounds, Dan, if it's Kansas protecting
themselves a little bit too. And and the reason being
Bill self has been linked to NBA jobs for a

(04:42):
long time. Um, he has shown no interest, but he
has ties to the Spurs organization, friends all that stuff there.
And I do wonder if this is kind of a
way of Kansas in its own right, protecting themselves. Hey,
if we do get hit with these n c A
rules violations, and it is gonna be a three, four,
five six year program rebuild, we not only want, but
we need you to be the guy to do it

(05:03):
because we're not gonna be able to get anybody else
so there's a lot of layers there, and I know
that in the coming days and weeks we'll get a
press conference from Bill self that clarifies, you know, a
lot of the details that we're wondering. But there's a
there's a lot of layers to this. I guess I
would say I was gonna say, do you believe that layer?
I do believe that it's the that it's that they're
trying to keep him from the n b A as
opposed to all right, let's, you know, let's let's take

(05:25):
advantage of this while we can. Yeah, I don't know
if it's specifically keep him from the NBA, but I
do think part of it is if he were to
bail on the program. I do think even though it's
Kansas and it's a great program, if they're gonna for
the n c A, stuff could lead to a one
year post season ban, a two year post season ban,

(05:46):
and like I said, it could be a two, three,
four year rebuild. And so I don't think it's necessarily
just to protect from Bill self going from to the NBA,
but I think it's to protect Kansas in a way
from saying we don't want to have to enter a
coaching search where you know, we just saw Indiana get
turned down by their first ten candidates, and no disrespect
to Mike Woods, and he's actually done some good things

(06:06):
since he's gotten there, but you know, we don't want
to enter a coaching search and we're not sure who's
who we can get who would take this job if
we do get a postseason bands. So I think it's
more to protect them on the back end than it
is that they're really afraid of losing him. But I
think it's a combination of losing him but then also
making sure that he's also the guy that's going to
be able to rebuild this in case it becomes a

(06:28):
multi year tournament ban or anything like that. It also
share seems that they don't seem to be uh Bill
self doesn't seem to be afraid of of the n
C double A as as part of as part of this,
and this has been making the rounds today that in
regards to the contract extension that has UH in connection,

(06:48):
how that could be affected by any n C double
A in fractions. This was screenshot at by by some,
but Alex Gold of six ten It's in Kansas City
tweeted this part out. The parties agree that athletics will
not terminate head coach for cause due to any current
infractions matter that involves conduct that occurred on or prior

(07:12):
to the date a full execution of this agreement. So basically,
if there is any cause or the n C double
A penalizes and and they as you mentioned, Bill self
was named in these allegations, he can't be fired for it,
and and and then the amount of money that he
would lose in salary seems to be um not as

(07:37):
as as penalizing, as as a detrimental as some would think.
And so so this is kind of a kind of
maybe a bleep you to the n C double A,
a bleep you to everybody says that Kansas is going
down and and and them just saying like, all right,
we're gonna just go go about our our business. And
I I don't you know, the n C double A
is getting it from all angles. But it just doesn't

(07:59):
seem like school rules and and in coaches with any
power fear, uh anything that the n C double A
could hand up. Well, it's ironic that we're having this
conversation the day after Roy Williams retired because while he
didn't necessarily have anything to do with this. I mean,
the most famous example is U n C had an
academic fraud case and they just basically lawyered up and
fought it and fought it and fought it and figured

(08:20):
out some weird loophole where the n C really, by
its own by laws couldn't punish them. And so there
are a lot of schools that that are looking at
these situations and thinking about how certain things were handled.
Maybe they should have been handled a different way, because
I do think that the precedent was kind of set
by U n C a few years ago of if
you do lawyer up, if you don't back down, there's

(08:42):
a chance you can beat these guys. And then on
the flip side, you have the schools that do comply
with the n C A, that do do what is
expected of them. And I'll give you an example. Louisville
fires Rick Patino. Well, guess what you know who I saw,
you know, not very happy with Bill self's contract extension.
Today there were some Louisville fans They're saying, what do
we get rid of Rick Potito? For if when Kansas

(09:02):
is doing the exact same thing, so I know, the
for people who don't follow college athletics on a day
to day basis, the n c A stuff is nuanced
and kind of confusing. It's confusing for all of us
because every school kind of handles this stuff a little
bit different. Yeah, and and I don't want to put
words in your mouth, but I think that you would
also agree that there was a little bit more going
on at Louisville. I agree, yes, well it was. It

(09:24):
was like their second major major and it wasn't an
apples to apples comparison. I mean, and you're right, uh,
you know, gauging fans on social media is not the
smartest way to gauge whether a decision is the right
decision or not. But it was interesting because that was
something that did pop up. But yes, the Louisville deal
was that was much different. Rick Pottino had had personal issues,

(09:45):
He had had a previous n c A A issue,
and this was kind of the straw that broke the
camel's back. Well but you know, to to that extent though,
and and to the that's a counterpoint your point with
then another counterpoint to it. I think that little fans
are just kind of like you know, if you if
they if they wanted to stand behind their head coach
as much as they did into your point of like

(10:07):
why was he gone? I mean the protection that Bill
self has here is amazing. I mean, it's a it's
a five year contract that just rolls over with an
extra year after every year, and so so I think,
you know, to their point, they're saying, you know, like, man,
and I'm not saying that Rick Petino should have kept
his job, but as you started out, I guess they're saying, man,

(10:28):
if their school is gonna, you know, protect their coach
that much, maybe why didn't we? But there was a
lot more going on it at Louisville. It is it
is a crazy time. I don't think that the Quins.
I don't think this has anything to do with Roy Williams,
and I know that you're not saying that, but for
anybody that does, especially not, they're not gonna hear the
news yesterday and be like, you know what we need
to do. We need to get that lifetime contract done.
You don't have it done in twenty four hours. This

(10:50):
was obviously in the works, but it is also interesting
on when it comes and that's on the heels of
the Roy Williams announcement, and also a day before the
Final four, and and and to have this, you know,
and instead what was you know, almost considered a down
year for Kansas because they didn't win the Big twelve.
UH Bill self ends up up, you know, ends up
being uh in a stronger position than I think anybody

(11:11):
would have ever believed. Surprising. Um, But I'll just go
again off the top, No, I D that tells me
who's really running U Jayhawks athletic department. Well, and it's
a d accurate and it also speaks to you know,
this is part of how college athletics works, unfortunately for people.
I'll tell you this. Sometimes when you wonder why there's
a strange hiring or a strange firing or a strange

(11:34):
extension or whatever, usually there's a big booster behind it,
and you know, you you hear all sorts of stuff
and you don't know what's true. But I can think
of one prominent college football higher that happened this offseason.
I won't name who. It wasn't like the super big
ones like Steve Sarkisian you at Texas, excuse me, but
there was one that that people kind of said, well,
there was one or two boosters that are paying this

(11:54):
whole check, kind of like the Archie Miller deal at Indiana,
and they were gonna have a big say and who
they got and it is a bizarre higher But you know,
this stuff does happen, It really does, you know. I'm
I'm also wondering, if you're an A D how appealing
this job is. Now? That my thought to you, because
if Bill self is the one that has the real power,

(12:16):
you're not gonna be able to do anything with basketball.
You're not going to really have a say in basketball.
And now your task with trying to turn around football.
And if you're a football coach and you're taking that job,
and I'm not saying that you don't understand going into
Kansas that right now you're not the big man on
campus because of how big basketball is. But knowing that

(12:36):
the power that is there, how much power do you have?
I just wonder. I just wonder because on the surface,
it seems like it may handcuff them in bringing in
the right A D and in moving on with the
football program. But just that's the most interesting thing to
me about all of this. He is go ahead, no,
I was just gonna piggyback on that and just say
that was another thought that I had this morning is

(12:58):
if the boosters feel comfortable enough just making um, what's
the It's not a unilateral decision because they made it
by themselves, but whatever. I don't know if I'm using
unilateral right there, but uh, sorry for my bad, my
bad English, my bad you know s a t English here,
But uh, like if you're an a D I don't
know how excited you are knowing that the boosters are
basically doing whatever the heck they want and to have

(13:19):
to then go in and rein them back in And then,
as you said, Bill self's basically said he doesn't have
to listen to you, and now you gotta go find
a football coach that's gonna have any modicum success. I
thought it was a great point. Be sure to catch
the live edition of The Doug Gottlieb Show week days
at three pm Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and the I Heart Radio app. We're gonna learn a
lot more about what's going on with the n c

(13:41):
Double A Tournamenty covers college sports, college football, college basketball
for Sports Illustrated. Ross Ellinger joins the program. Hey Ross,
how are you? Hey guys, how are y'all doing good? Good? What?
What great? Would you give the n C double A tournament?
Sixty four games in uh in Indianapolis. I'm grading off

(14:01):
of entertainment, like we took everything in. Yeah, and I'll
say this, I thought, like, you know, like I think
you zag is still alive. I think that there were upsets, um,
you know, just pulling the tournament off, Aaron and I
kind of came to the conclusion of a B plus
with the opportunity to be an A minus if we
get a great title game, maybe if we get a
buzzer beater that wins the game, something that we haven't had.

(14:23):
But but taking all of that atmosphere and everything into consideration,
how would you rate it? Well? I mean, given the
fact that we're in the middle of a pandemic, um,
I would I would, I would say, and I would
say a low A. Yeah. They've done the volunteers here
and the way they've done the bubble, which I've written
about kind of extensively. That I mean, I'm basically here

(14:45):
just to write off the FOD stuff. So I've been
writing a lot about the bubble and things like that,
and it's it's fascinating what they've done. Uh. And then
on the court, you have the most upsets right that
we've are the same that a record tying amount of
upset in the NBA tournament. Uh, according as the n
c A defines it, up set five seed difference, Uh,

(15:06):
thirteen of them. Uh. So it's it's been it's been
fun you've had and I kind of liked honestly, guys. Uh,
everything in the same place. Um, it's been cool, especially
the Sweet sixteen and on. It was cool for every
everything to be at one place. Um, it's I think
it's worked out really well, and it's it's been an

(15:27):
exciting uh really you know, successful event, so ross that
was actually gonna be My next question is you know
I've had the fortune of going to many final four.
Is I'm not there in Indie this year for those
of us that aren't, Friday is usually a very big day.
You have the open practices they went on today, I
believe without fans. But what is just the general vibe
in Indie because thankfully we will have some fans in

(15:49):
the stands tomorrow, not as many as usual, But what
is the vibe and seen in Indie right now. Well,
you know, I covered the first weekend here. Uh, and
then I went home for about five days and I
can back for the Sweet sixteen and I'm staying for
the duration. And I will say the first weekend, the
city felt a little more alive because you have more teams,
you have more people, even though there were capacity restrictions. Uh,

(16:12):
you just had more people here. And I'll be honest,
you know, I went out in downtown any last night.
I went to St. Elmo, got a stake and and
all that, and went downtown a little bit. And you know,
it's it's cold here and it's just kind of dead.
You know, it just doesn't feel like the Thursday and
Friday before the Final four. Um. I'm out right now

(16:34):
in the Broad Ripple area of Indianapolis and it's, um,
it just yeah, you just don't have the normal experience
that that they used to before a Final four. So
that's kind of the unfortunate thing. But hey, at least
we're here. At least we're here playing basketball. Ross Tellinger
joining us here on Fox Sports Radio. He's here on Torres.

(16:55):
I'm Dan Buyer, Ross covering the tournament for Sports Illustrated
how surprised were you on Roy Williams retirement announcement yesterday? Well,
actually not surprised, that surprised because my I'll credit my
good colleague Pat Forty, who certainly more entrenched in college
basketball than I am, who about him about three weeks
ago told me that wheels were in motion for that

(17:17):
to happen, so he had heard it. I guess coming
down the pipe that Roy was probably going to hang
it up a couple of weeks ago, and lo and
behold it it happens. Uh And you know, it just couldn't.
I mean, the guy has got right more respect around
the country in the college basketball world and pretty much

(17:38):
any co active coach. It seems like, I mean, everybody
just just loves the man for the guy he is
um and uh in obviously from a coaching perspective, Uh
So it was it was not surprising, but it was
kind of unfortunately. You know, the game was losing, losing
one of their um there. They're great, great individuals, great coaches.

(17:58):
So Ross, I do want to see gears quickly to football.
And I'm sure everybody knows, but you do an incredible
job covering college football. Obviously, the justin Field stuff has
been a huge topic all week, you know, not asking
you to speculate on other people's opinions or anything like that,
but you've obviously been around all these great programs. You've
probably been around people that know Justin. Have you heard
anything that reflected what was kind of reported this week?

(18:22):
Only because you know, we've seen kirkerb. Street, We've seen
Joel Clatt come out and say that they spent a
ton of time around him these last few years and
they have not seen that at all. Yeah, you know
I've seen obviously, I've I've followed the love. I've been
pretty embedded with the nt A Tournament, the basketball, but
I've seen a little bit here and there of of people,
UH defend like you mentioned defending Justin Fields, and uh,

(18:44):
I didn't quite know why, So I must have missed
whatever originally was reported or some original report that everybody
rushing to defend him. But all I've ever heard of
the guy, and I was on hand in New Orleans
in December when he lit up Clemson uh in an
incredible I mean, it was one of the um best

(19:05):
performances of a quarterback I've ever seen. Given his injury situation,
and after that game, I was sold on Justice Field.
So I don't, um, you know, if I'm if I'm
a GM or president of a of a franchise, he's
high up on my list. I don't know that he
is higher than Drevor Lawrence, um, but but I know

(19:30):
he's high up. And like I said, I must have
missed whatever report or original report happened um earlier in
the week, because I did see everybody rushing to defend him,
and probably rightfully so. Ross Tellingered Sports illustrated the last
one for me because you had a piece as well
on SI dot com about the the new transfer rule.

(19:50):
What is our biggest takeaway for the rule that is
going to be passed in two weeks? Yeah, I mean
everybody Spencer in April five these uh for the Division
one council to pass the one time transfer exception is
what they're calling it. So an athlete can transfer without
penalty once in their careers. They don't have to sit

(20:12):
out a year, and and that will pass them pretty
much go into immediate um effectiveness, and you will see
the transfer portal go from already saturated to even more saturated.
I'm sure, um, you know, athletes have to give a
notification day to their school in order to be eligible
and not sit out the next year at their new school,

(20:34):
they have to file like a football player has to
tell their their current school by May one that they're
going to transfer to another school to be eligible immediately. Um,
but you're gonna have you know, open, open transfers, which
I know coaches are are not a fan of, but
look it's um, it's and this is the way it is.

(20:55):
And honestly, guys, we're probably only going to be here
a little longer as far as allowing an athlete to
transfer just once, having the restriction of just once, because
what we're gonna have to have. What we're gonna happen,
what's gonna happen is you're gonna have unlimited transfers at
some point that that will happen. Um. And if if
the n c A doesn't make the legislation, Congress will

(21:20):
hm very very interesting, Ross Ellinger. We will be in
wait and see approach. We'll just have to see if
we see it sooner rather than later. Covering college sports
for Sports Illustrated Again, fundaments are at russ Ellinger. Thanks
so much, Ross. Enjoy the final four we'll talk to
you again soon. Be sure to catch the live edition
of the Doug gott Leap Show weekdays at three pm

(21:41):
Easter Noon Pacific. And then there were four both of
the men's had women's d C Double A tournaments as
they roll on this weekend, women's action getting underway in
about two hours or so, a men's tournament resuming tomorrow
just after five o'clock Eastern time to Pacific with their
national semifinal games. It has been, it has been so refreshing.

(22:02):
I did not realize. And I even said this to
my wife on Tuesday night, Aaron, you're you're a college
basketball insider. You uh, you've forgotten more about college hoops
than I know. And but I said to her, I
said this, I go, man, I can't wait for college
basketball next year. Yeah, and hey, and so like and
I and I used to be a big you know,

(22:24):
a big fan, and then in times it ends up
kind of it just kind of, you know, wanes a
little bit you get a little bit older. Like when
you're a kid, you had a favorite team for for
every sport, followed every sport. I just don't think as
an adult that that's necessarily realistic. Like I I don't
understand how guys can be like passionate, die hard passionate

(22:46):
about four you know, pro major sports teams, you know,
whether it just stay football, baseball, basketball, and hockey and
have the same level of passion for all of them
and then also cheer on college football and you know,
college basketball. Maybe you're in a portion of the country
that is college baseball that you're a die hard about
our college Like there's only there's only so much room

(23:07):
you can be for, you know, for a die hard person.
And unfortunately for me, college basketball just took a little
bit of a step back. But I think not having
the tournament last year really made me enjoy it so
much this year and has really gotten me excited for
next year in seeing full arenas, uh, seeing student sections
back and all that. So I'm pumped. I was thinking

(23:27):
this throughout really, I think the last probably ten days
or so, and I might have talked to you about
it when I was on with you guys on Sunday
with George Rice stir Is. I really feel like college basketball,
the n c A Tournament, maybe more specifically is I'm
a little bit of a free role this year. And
what I mean by that is that I just look
at it and I think in previous years, like the
opening round, there were so many upsets, and we got

(23:49):
a Sweet six team with North Texas and you know,
Loyola and Oregon State played in one game and Sister
Jean and Oral Robertson, and I do think in previous
years we would have sat there and oh, you know,
come on, man, like who are all these schools? Like
where's do Queer's North Carolina? Where's Kentucky? And I thought
this year was just like everybody was just so happy
to have this tournament. Like I'll just give an example,

(24:11):
like I remember that Sunday game and you guys might
have actually been on air when Alabama played U c
l A. It was a great game, it went to overtime.
And the people that I saw tweeting about it, the
people that I had texting me about it, not only
are they not college basketball fans, but but I don't
know that three or four years ago, if there was
an air an Alabama U c l A game on,
they would have been watching. And so I just think, listen,

(24:34):
we'll get into the actual, you know, grades games. You
know what was good, what was bad. But I just
think as a general observation, it really feels to me
like people are just enjoying it and just basically admitting, look,
I'm gonna take whatever bad comes with the good, because
it's just great to have this thing back college basketball.
It's back for at least two more nights of this season,

(24:55):
and then we'll have to have to wait till uh
we hope November and everything starts on schedule next year.
But there are three games left and and to look
back at. You know, the n C Double A Tournament,
by the way, sixty seven games. If if you didn't
know that, you just think about it. It's a single elimination.
You have sixty eight teams. There's only one team standing
at the end of boom. That's how you get sixty
seven the easiest way to think about it. So we've
played sixty four games so far in this in this

(25:16):
big dance, and honestly and looking at it as a whole,
I wanted to get your thoughts on on how this
tournament played out. I'm gonna give you my official grade
of the n C Double A Tournament at the end.
This is this is how I view this year's tournament.
The biggest storyline that I thought that you could have,
and even without a duke, you know, Kentucky them not

(25:38):
being there's not a storyline like it was leading into
the tournament. But once the story, once the tournament begins,
they're not a part of the storyline anymore. To me,
Gonzaga being unbeaten was and is the biggest storyline that
we that we would have in the tournament, and that
storyline is still alive, and so that's so that's that's
what I give a check mark a thumbs up for

(25:59):
the n C Double A turn em and viewing it,
is it a great you know, is is it a
great tournament? How do you view it? The biggest storyline
of all is still alive. I would go along with
saying that Aaron in how the committee seated and there's
some questioning about seeding and if they got Oral Roberts ride,
did they get Oregon right? And then some of those
questions their top two seeds were right, I mean Baylor one,

(26:20):
or Baylor being the the one uh B to Gonzega's
one A or the second number one seed if you will,
to Gonzega being the first overall seed. That was correct.
So I give them credit for that, and that matchup
is still alive for a national championship game. So I
like that. There were some Cinderella's, there were some upsets,
and pulling the event off was was magnificent, like to

(26:43):
to to actually be able to actually have a tournament
I loved. However, these were this is where I downgraded. Unfortunately,
there's nothing that they could do about it, but there
just wasn't the atmospheres that we've had in the past
because the lack of fans. There are fans in there,
but you're not getting the atmosphere that a that a
full arena would get, so you're missing that. And also
something that we've touched on, still no buzzer beaters for

(27:05):
game winners. We've had game tying shots that have gone
into overtime, so that is great, but to have that
game winner the the Max Asthmas shot against the against
Arkansas for Oral Roberts was the closest one that we got.
Didn't fall Arkansas. Thankful for that, but that was really
like the one where you thought, maybe, alright, this could
be the opportunity. Dwayne Washington had a chance for Ohio

(27:27):
State the beat role Roberts didn't make it a Michigan
state as well. We haven't had that made buzzer beater
to win a game. So, with all of that being said,
my official grade for the n c Double A Tournament
sixty four games in B plus very good. What I
would say is a couple of things. On the positive side. Um,
I I do think he hit a great point. I mean,

(27:48):
we've been waiting all year for a potential Gonzaga Baylor game,
whether both teams were gonna be undefeated one loss. They
were supposed to play in December. It didn't happen, um,
and we're still on track to get it. I like
the balance of the upsets early with the teams that
frankly feel like they were supposed to be there late.
So you have a Gonzaga Baylor, Houston in the final four,

(28:09):
Michigan in the sweet sixteen, or excuse me, the Elite eight.
The fact that I think U c l A is
kind of a weirdly dynamic story. Um, yes, they're an
eleven seed, but let's be honest, it's U c l A.
They were the preseason pact. Well favorite had some injuries,
but you know the brand, and let's be honest, like,
as weird as this sounds, you kind of know the
coach like mccronin is not a household name, but if

(28:30):
you've tuned into the tournament, he was there every year
with Cincinnati could never break through. I think it's kind
of cool that he gets there in his first year
as the u c l A head coach in the
n c A Tournament. So to me, those are all
positive things. I would say from a negative perspective, the
only really two things that jumped to mind what you
said there's been no true buzzer beaters, although you know
it's always fun unless you're on the other side of it,

(28:50):
whether it's your team, a coach, a player, a parent, whatever.
And then the other thing is I do think it
would have been pretty cool if a couple more of
those big brands were just a little bit more relevant. Um,
and maybe I'll say this, the teams themselves were so
undynamic this year that there's a reason that they're not there.
But it is always fun to have a Duke there

(29:11):
because Duke when when Duke's there usually means they got
really good players that you gotta watch. Same with Kentucky,
and so for that reason, um, I do wish we
had a couple more brand names late, but I'm with you.
B Plus feels about right. It hasn't been perfect, but
as I keep saying, I'll keep saying that man oman oman,
oh man, it is so much better than last March,

(29:32):
no matter, no matter what what negatives there are, it
is so much more of a net positive to have
this tournament than to not have it at all. I
I find the u c l A first four aspect
intriguing because you mentioned that, you know, they're the brand,
they were the the you know, the preseason picked to
win the the Pact ten Pact twelve tournament. And when

(29:54):
you have U c l A where they are, yeah,
they have that underdog role, but to your point, they're
still u c l A. And I compare them to
the v c U S run in ten years ago,
and I'm trying to I'm trying to sort it out
on what do I think is more interesting? You know
what's more intriguing is it a a you know, a

(30:14):
school like VCU or this year could have been. I
don't even want to put Wichita State in there because
they were in the in the final four what eight
years ago, So like if if Drake ended up making
that run. Are we looking at it at it different?
Like I think we are? And I think that we
would look at the National Semifinal on Saturday. Now, Gonzega
may win by twenty or thirty points against u c

(30:36):
l A, who knows, But if Gonzaga was playing Drake,
I think we would just all kind of be like, alright,
nice run, Drake gets to the final four, end of
the road. There it is, see you later, Gonzaga in
the title game, Gonzaga may win by twenty points against
u c l A. But because of that brand, it
makes it more intriguing for me. So as much as
I I love the Cinderella and the Cinderella run, I

(30:58):
think I actually enjoy U c l A's run more
than maybe V c US run that they made ten
years ago. See I agree. And it's it's a couple
of reasons, I think. You know. One, it's just very
bizarre to me that V that VC that that U
c l A has kind of turned into this like
underdog story because again, they were the preseason Pact twelve favorite.
And I know I'm way too invested in this and

(31:19):
I probably know too much for my own good They
were a really good team through most of the year.
They lost a couple of games late, but as we
found out, they lost to good teams. They lost Oregon
on the road. Oregon was the Sweet sixteen team. They
lost it the Buzzer on the final day of the
regular season to usc usc of course was a great team.
But what I also think separates them from like A
V CU V C. You. I get it, it's a
cool story whatever, but U c l A one, it's

(31:41):
the name brand, you know, the coach, and they got
guys that are gonna play in the NBA now. The
Johnny Jus a kid that scored twenty eight points in
the Elite eight. I don't know if he's there next year,
but that's an NBA player. He will be in. He will.
You will turn on the NBA at some point and
he will be in the NBA. There's a couple other
guys on U c l A that I could say
the same four, but I just bring it to me.

(32:02):
I know we all love the underdog story, and you
know Oral Roberts with the Max Aysman's kid, Like, I'm
with you, that was an awesome, awesome, awesome story. But
it is still there is still a quality of play
and a quality of product thing that matters. And and
maybe I'm a college basketball snob and an elitist, but
when I when I look, when I turn on the
tape and I see U c l a. As an

(32:24):
eleven seed versus say, Drake is an eleven seed, you say,
it just looks different to me. And they look like
a team that, as we saw, they can compete with
one in two seeds in this n c A tournament.
So I'm with you. I actually think U. C l A.
Weirdly makes it is more of a compelling story than
I could have ever imagined. Um, And it's for all
those reasons that I said, But I think it's a
cool story. Yeah, but I I think that the mccronin

(32:47):
thing is interesting as well, just you know, like to
to your point, I think that that does add you
know something to it, because yeah, him and his higher
wasn't you know greatly recurrect wasn't the first option, but
it is not get Cincinnati with you know, just one
Sweet sixteen and then for you know, after they made
that like appearance and what I think it was, you know,
they couldn't make it out of the first weekend and

(33:08):
now here you are in the final four. All right,
my official grade was a B plus. Let's get the
drum er already, Aaron Torres, your official grade so far
sixty four games in, So the n C Double A
tournament is yeah, I don't mean the piggyback off you.
V plus feels like the right grade though um can't
great on a sliding scale because there was no tournament
last year. That is a fair grade. So I do

(33:30):
think it has the ability to jump up to an
A minus. There's a buzzer beater, as I mentioned, if
we get the Gonzega Baylor sort of thing, the atmosphere,
which again wasn't their fault. And I almost think that
this is a bigger, bigger accomplishment to pull this off
in a bubble than maybe the NBA being able to
do it in Orlando. Uh still just can't get that

(33:52):
perfect grade just because we don't have the fans. One
other thing too, and we know we gotta get to
break is not only that is to me an underrated
part of this is not only have Kenzagon Baylor gotten
to this point, but they've looked apart. Right if you're
somebody that doesn't follow college basketball all November, December, January, February,
which is virtually everyone in the country, and all you
hear is, oh, yeah, Gonzagon, Baylor, And you're kind of

(34:13):
sitting there saying, you know, I've been watching college basketball
for thirty years, kenzag and Baylor have never been that good.
And then you turn them on in the tournament and
they have looked the part. And you know, Baylor had
a couple of really great comeback well, a great comeback
against Villanova where they just took over the second half
of that game, dominated Arkansas, and of course Kenzaga has
been incredible. And so that's another element of it too,

(34:34):
is it's one thing to have the two best teams
get this far, but when they have been so hyped
all year and they have lived up to the hype,
I think that's pretty cool as well. I'm gonna I'm
just gonna say this. I have not admitted this on
national radio before. It's a true true story. I played
high school basketball like many of us did, but that's

(34:55):
as far as it went. You know, many of us
had high school basketball careers that didn't you know, mine
was you know, mine was nothing special at all. However,
thinking back to like when you were playing basketball, I
don't know if there's a player that I would want
to uh look like more in a basketball uniform than
Jared Butler at Baylor, Like like he looks so cool

(35:18):
and like like like that's exactly like I always not like,
you know, like Antonio mcdisce, you know, but mcdisce was built,
you know, and it was back in the days where
maybe uniforms are a little bit bigger now the shorter
shorts aren't in it. I just think that, you know,
like some guys look just cool in their football uniforms,
you know, like with a helmet, you know, like that
that just like man, that guy face Maskah. Absolutely, some

(35:41):
guys just like look the part. And in college basketball,
I think it's Jared Butler. I just think he looks
so cute, so smooth, and and so I will say
that like he's the coolest looking guy in the tournament.
And I don't even think it's close. Well, and it's
so funny because I was watching that game the other
day and he's just he's just running around you and
his gum not a care in the world. Doesn't feel

(36:02):
like he's breaking a sweat and he's got twenty two.
Before you look up, I would say to Davian Mitchell
looks pretty sharp, and that that guy has done some
bicep curls in his day. I wish I looked like
him a little bit when I was playing sports. Just
even how the how the uniform sits on Butler, Like,
it's just it's so clean, like, you know, like Mitchell's
burning up and down the court, and Butler's just almost
like just this effortless smoothness, wild like, and there's just yeah,

(36:25):
it's the coolest, coolest guy I've seen in a college
hoops uniform in a while. Fox Sports 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. He's the sports enterprise reporter for the Washington Post,
has covered the league for about twenty years or so.

(36:47):
Michael Lee joined the program again. Hey Michael, Happy Friday.
How are you. I'm doing well? Thanks for having me on.
I I teased your appearance about five or six minutes ago.
Um basically wondering about the buyout system that we have
in the n B A and and uh, well one
of your colleagues, Yeah, who sports Chris Haynes, who covers
the NBA. He said that there are actually some voices

(37:08):
now that weren't necessarily happy that LaMarcus Aldridge ended up
joining the Brooklyn Nets when his contract was brought out
by the San Antonio Spurs, and that was coming from
peers of LaMarcus Aldridge other players in the league. Does
the NBA have a buyout problem or buy out plan
problem after what we've seen this year? No, it doesn't. Um,

(37:31):
it has a whiny problem that have a problem with
people who just want to moan and complain about situations
that really aren't that impactful. Um. We've been having buyouts
for at least over a decade now, and I can't
think of a player who was bought out and joined
the team and actually had an influence on the outcome
of the season. Um, there's never happened. The only time

(37:53):
I can think of it is possibly, Uh, I think
James Posey. They have been brought out in two thousand
and eight when the Celtics won, But since then they've
been dozens of players who have been bought out and
they've joined franchises They've had relatively little to no impact
on the on the season, Like, no one thinks that
LaMarcus Aldres is gonna be what propels the Nets to

(38:13):
winning the championship, or Broke Griffin or anybody else. The
reason why they got cut is because they were not
providing what they were, what their teams wanted. They were
not good anymore. La Marcus Algres was thirty five years old.
The reason why he went to Brooklyn because he knew
but he's not good enough to carry a franchise to
win a championship. Right now, maybe five six years ago,
i'd be I'd be all upset about LaMarcus, all just

(38:34):
moving on. But right now, when you know Yako Portal
is the guy getting all the playing time, it's at
San Antonio. There's a reason why. You know, Um, you
know Blake Griffin, you know there was no future for him,
you know in Detroit, he gave up a lot of
money to join the Nets. But it's not like they
have some unfair advantage, you know. Um. The advantage that
they have is that they're in position to win a championship. Um,

(38:58):
the Knicks are in New York as well, But nobody's
signing with the Knicks. They're signing with the Nets because
they have three stars. They have Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irvan
and James Harden, so their position to win the championship.
The reason why Andre Drummond went to the Lakers is
because they're positioning win the championship. So the players are
going to places where they have a chance to win.
It's not a small market, big market thing. It's a

(39:19):
do I have a chance to win? And can I
live in a cool place for a little while. If
you can't provide those things, then just shut up, fair enough,
Michael Um. A lot of people maybe will be kind of,
you know, maybe have checked out to a degree. We
all love the NBA year round, but to a degree
with kind of the n c A tournament going on
and everything's baseball starting up for people who have just,

(39:39):
you know, the last two three weeks kind of started
watching a little more college basketball baseball. Is there anything
going on storyline wise besides the Nets, besides the Lakers,
besides Andre Drummond, besides la Marcus Soldiers that's either slipped
through the cracks or something that you think we're not
talking about enough. As we go down the home stretch
of the regular season. Um, I mean this is probably
the most wide been uh season that we've ever had.

(40:02):
I mean, when you look at the injuries, you look
at all the things with COVID protocols, um, it sort
of made it difficult to really get involved with the
with the NBA regular season the way you normally do.
But when you look at it, I can't think of
a season that at this point, at least later in
the Jazz, you know, regular season where there is no
clear cut favorite. There is no team that you can

(40:22):
just say, yeah, they're just gonna run away with this thing.
Every team you look at, you know, you can look
and see flaws in ways that it could fall apart,
and you also can make a reason why every team
has a chance to win. I mean, you know, like
like you mentioned the Nets, the Lakers, and the Clippers
of the teams that everyone talks about a lot. But
would we really be surprised if Stilly or Milwaukee is

(40:44):
in there? Would you be surprised if, um, the Nuggets
are in there? I mean, the Sons, the Jazz are
the best record in basketball. I mean there's probably eight
or nine teams that if they come out of this
and win the championship. We'll be sitting there going, oh man, yeah,
they've they've been there all year, you know, and I
love UM. You know that there is you know, some
level of parody and there's some level of suspense because

(41:07):
even with all the um you know, rosters that are
you know, stacking you know, talent. You know, I don't
think anybody is thinking that nets are gonna in the championship.
Is Kevin Durant doesn't come back, you know, I don't
think anybody thinks that the Lakers are going to be
in the Championshi Hunt's Lebron or a d doesn't come back.
So with so many big stars out with injury and

(41:28):
so many teams, you know, really trying to go for
it this year, I'm excited that, you know, this playoffs
are gonna be really fun and that you're gonna see
some upsets, I believe, and you're gonna see some teams
that get there that you didn't expect to be there.
So there's there's a lot going on, But mainly I
just think that there's just so much uncertainty about how
this season is going to turn out, even more so

(41:50):
than last year. Michael Lee the Washington Post joining us,
and I don't want to give the caveat because I
don't want to sound like I'm I'm backing down. I
I've shed all the law, Michael that I think. I
actually think that people reign on the parade of the
Utah Jazz and say, that's the regular season. You know,
we'll see what they do in the playoffs. And it's
the same thing with the Denver Nuggets. And as much

(42:11):
as it's fair not fair, people still will say that,
and they'll look at the Lakers and say, yeah, well
Lebron and a d come back, That's who I'm picking.
And if Kevin Durant and Kyrie come back from the nets,
that's who I'm picking. But the sound of what you're saying, though,
is that it isn't maybe necessarily a guarantee that those
guys will be able to come back. Is that the

(42:32):
cases that? Is that how you see it? Or is
there any question or why do you think that Utah
and the team like Denver or Milwaukee maybe have a
more legitimate shot than that did in years past? Um? Well,
I mean, I mean, there's so much we don't know
about injuries, right, and you don't know if you're gonna
aggravate something. I mean, you know, Durant, you know strange
is you know a calf you know, two years ago

(42:54):
and then he came back and erupted as achilles. I mean,
I'm not saying that these guys are gonna come back
and active injuries, but that there's a possibility that could happen.
And you know, so uh, you know, we're not used
to see him Lebron ever hurt, you know, and he
is older and so um, you know, he's been Bionic
Man and Superman his entire career, so um, he's been

(43:15):
able to play through injuries and never get hurt. But
what if he doesn't come back and he's not Lebron
that we're used to seeing. Um, we're not. I don't
expect it to happen, but what if that does happen?
And I love the fact that Denver went forward at
that line and getting Aaron Gordon and you know, and
really um adding you know a defensive element of their
teams that I don't think a lot of people recognized.
I mean, UM, think some people are surprised that Aaron

(43:37):
Gordon plays defense, but anybody who Watchman Orlando knows that
he played on both ends, and um, he's somebody that
is not just a dunker. I mean think a lot
of us know him as a dunker, but he doesn't
add an element to that team if they didn't have
and you know at full strength that got Nicola Yokicho.
I believes the front runner for m VP right now,
UM playing just phenomenal basketball. Jamal Murray's confidence day, Michael

(44:00):
Order Jr. Is coming into his own UM and and
now he now that he's starting, So I think they
have a legitimate shot. You know, they were in the
way of the conference finals last year and everyone's sleeping
on them, but they were in the conference finals. Like
they legit came back on the Clippers. You know, the
Clippers did give three one lead, and I think people
just feel like they didn't want to be in a bubble.
But somebody had to snatch that and they did it.

(44:21):
So I think you got to give them props for
showing that they can they can be there, and they
gave the Lakers a series. I mean, they won, but
the Lakers had to scrap and and earn that that
that series UM in the conference finals. So I think
people are ignoring them. I think when it comes to
the Jazz, they have to prove it a little bit.
They have to at least win a couple of rounds
to get to like the conference finals. I think that

(44:42):
that's something that is tough for every team to do.
If you haven't done it, no one's gonna believe it
until you can prove it. And I think that's sort
over there. They're sort of taking away and see approach.
I still enjoying what they're doing. I like what they've
built there. I like the culture they're establishing. Um. You know,
Donovan Mitchell's playing great ball. Rudy go Barrett one of
the more underrated players. UM. And I just feel like

(45:03):
there's such a such as there's so much talent in
the league right now, and the way the game is played,
the pace, everything is just the numbers are just insane.
Everyone everyone's get the twenty points now this year, UM,
every every player because forty guys a average over twenty,
which is unheard of. UM. So there's so much talent
that's going around. UM, if a guy gets hot, I mean,

(45:25):
you know, you you can ride at It could be
almost feel like an NSA tournament type role. You know, um,
you know some guy who can just get hot and
then then what what do you have? Mean? Damian and Lillard,
I haven't mentioned him. You know. Portland made a great
move getting picking on Norm Powell um at the at
the deadline, and we saw what Damon Little did in
the bubble before he kind of flamed down and got hurt.
But if he's at I mean, these playoffs are gonna

(45:47):
be fun. I mean, I hope people are are checking out.
Just you just look at the standings every day. You're like, man,
this is tight, you know, and anybody I think can
make a run. Um so I so I don't. I'm
rett excited about what could happen in the postseason because
I don't I don't know who's going to come away
with it. I think I know if everybody's healthy, but
everybody's not healthy. It'll be interesting to see that, that's

(46:10):
for sure. And I am curious about the home courts
now new Orlando bubble. Maybe it will give some of
those teams more of an opportunity. We'll just have to
wait and see. Mr Michael Lee Washington Post find him
on Twitter at mr Michael Lee. Michael. We appreciate the time,
have a great weekend. Thanks so much, you too, Thank
you for having me on. Be sure to catch the

(46:33):
live edition of the Doug gott Leap Show weekdays at
three p m. Easter noon Pacific on Fox Sports Radio
and the I Heart Radio app. And Gien Ramos is
here to keep us up to date of what's happening
in Major League Baseball today on the field. Just one
game going on right now, and it may not be
going on for much longer. We could get an update
from Fenway in the very near future on the Red

(46:54):
Sox in Orioles, who had yesterday's opening day postponed because
of weather, so they are playing today. It is the
Gotlib Show on Fox Sports Radio. Final four Women's Final
four starts in an hour. Tomorrow, the men's will have
their opportunity to get their national semifinals in the books.
It will be Houston against Baylor in Game one, followed
by Consega in u c l A after first game

(47:15):
at five fourteen Eastern time on Saturday. And I fell
in the news for a lot of different reasons, but
it mostly pertains to the NFL Draft and the Bears
saying that Andy Dalton is their starting quarterback that the
message from from Ryan Pace. But I still think that
there's a bit of a fallout from the trade last week.
It happened a week ago today that the Miami Dolphins

(47:37):
swung not one, but two big deals to rearrange the
start of the NFL Draft, with the Niners jumping up
to three. Eagles end up with number six overall and
the Dolphins get the arias to say, the Eagles get
number twelve overall, Dolphins end up getting number six overall.
There there's been something they'll from this erin that I've
just been thinking about the last week, and I think

(48:01):
that there's an opportunity that NFL teams need to realize
that exists to them that we think is toxic, that
we think is bad, we think that it's negative, but
it's actually a term that I think could help the
NFL in a way that we never thought that it
could help before, and that is tanking. And I don't

(48:22):
like tanking in Major League Baseball. I don't. There's there's
two thirds of Major League Baseball that maybe competing for
a pennant to start the year with opening Day yesterday,
but they are about ten teams that I have absolutely
really no chance. They have no interest. They're just ready
to you know, ready to start and get on with
how they're building their franchise. And the NBA tanking was

(48:45):
a problem. I don't know how much of a of
a problem it is this past year. I do think
that the NBA's play in tournament helps them. But I
think that we have this negative sort of definition of
tanking when it comes to sports. Would you agree with U?
I do agree with that we have a negative Listen,
there's only one team that can win a championship every

(49:05):
single year. And let's be honest, in most sports. The NFL,
maybe pre Patrick Mahomes was the exception, but in the
n B A and and and Major League Baseball, let's
be honest, there's there's three or four teams that go
into every year as the favorites. And and in like
the case of the NBA, say during the Kevin Durant
Warriors era, you know, significant favorites. And so to me, uh,

(49:28):
those other pros, those other organizations need to be figuring
out how to align themselves to best be in position
to eventually get back to the top. For some like
the Oklahoma City Thunder right now, it's by trading everything
for draft picks and draft capital and young contracts and
things like that. Um, you know, the Miami Heat and
previous years have figured out unique ways to to maneuver

(49:49):
the salary cap. And so I do think that it
is overrated. I or I do think that it is
overrated the talk of tanking. And I think some of
the most successful organizations you know have been able to
six scessfully turned tanking into success, most recently the Los
Angeles Lakers, who obviously used basically four years worth of
draft picks to trade for Anthony Davis, which of course
put them over the top last summer. I also think

(50:12):
that the there's there's a difference between tanking and extreme tanking.
Like the Astros were extreme tanking. They their goal was
to get the number one overall pick in the draft,
uh you know, into in to pick one or two
in the draft. For multiple years, it was part of
their plan. And they would get the first pick in,
you know, in the second round, and like and so on.

(50:33):
You're picking before everybody else has a chance to make
you know, another pick. That's that's what it was in
the NBA. It's it's a lot of times tanking maybe
for a player, for a draft class, for a star
that's coming, you know, out of college, or if there
are you know, two or three guys, you want to
make sure that you're in the mix for it. But
this is where I think it can pay off from

(50:53):
the from the NFL. It's not extreme tanking. Extreme tanking
doesn't work in the NFL, and I think that's everybody says,
and they're like tanking cat where guys don't tank, you
can't take in the NFL. It's very, very difficult to do.
So I agree with that to some point, but I've
kind of come around to extreme tanking doesn't work. But
tanking in a season can allow a franchise a rebirth,

(51:18):
a reboot, and provide new energy and new life and
the ability to get players that they normally wouldn't have
if they just kept on trying to go for it.
And it's not just dismantling everything. It's doing what kind
of happened to the forty Niners. Now, I'm not saying
that this was the forty Niners plan at all, to
have Nick Bosa go down with an injury, to have

(51:40):
George Kittle banged up, to have Jimmy Garoppolo and not
starting games to have all their running backs. That is
not that, that is not tanking. However, the forty Niners
now are benefiting from a season which you mentioned there's
only one team that wins it all at the in
each season, a season where they didn't win at all,
they didn't make the playoffs. But now you have all
these players coming back act and it's kind of of

(52:01):
of a refresh. And this is actually something you and
I talked a little bit about yesterday. For those that
may have missed it, I encourage you to check out
the podcast. But I'm gonna go a step further further.
In all of this, it's why I think teams like Seattle,
New Orleans, Baltimore, even Green Bay could use a year
like the forty Niners had. Like you think that you're

(52:23):
so close to winning, but maybe you're not. Like like
like the Seahawks were twelve and four this past season,
won the NFC West, and then they play the Rams,
a team that they match up poorly against. Rams always
seem to have their number. Rams dominate the wild card
game and the Rams move on. Green Bay has got
into the NFC Championship game, got there this past year.
Last year they were blown out by the forty Niners.

(52:44):
This year they lose at home to the to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I know Aaron Rodgers window is short,
but even a reset for for for a Green Bay
or a reset for the Baltimore Ravens for just one
year to have your draft picks not be twenty five
and twenty six and to be around ten or wealve
can do a lot and then you can take those
later picks if like the forty Endors did and move up.

(53:06):
I am supporting limited tanking the NFL for these teams
that just can't get over the hump. And I've I
just I feel like that's a way for for a
team like Seattle, for a team like Baltimore to you
know what, you don't make the playoffs one year, guess what,
take advantage of it as much as you can, and
then just use that year off to reload your franchise.
I think a lot of franchises would be done some

(53:27):
good if they took this route. Well, and think about
Seattle too. I mean, I know there's obviously the off
season situation with Russell Wilson that is sort of resolved,
but doesn't really feel like it's resolved. But you know,
Pete Carroll is gonna be there a long time. I mean,
this is not a guy. And we we joked about
Matt Nege earlier in the show. Pete Carroll is not
in a Mattegy win now situation. If he has to
take a year uh to to kind of reset the

(53:49):
organization and get in position to take whatever he deems
to be the most important position, whether it is an
offensive tackle, wide receiver, whatever. Um, you know, it's not
the worst thing. And and and even when in you
don't do it for the sake of drafting a player,
sometimes it just works out really well for you. If
you just have a down year. You mentioned that San
Francisco forty nine ers, you're Jimmy Garoppolo gets hurt. Guess

(54:10):
what happens. They get the number two pick, they get
Nick Bosa. Uh you know I reference to you off
air before the show. The Cleveland Browns three seasons ago, Uh,
no hype at all. Baker Mayfield takes over for Tyrod Taylor.
They they're better than expected. I think they were sevent
eight and one was the final record. Uh, So much
hype going into the twenty nineteen season, Odell Beckham. They

(54:31):
fall flat on their face. Well guess what happens. The
draft picks wasn't what mattered. But instead you reboot, you
get a new head coach, a new staff in, you
get an easy schedule, you play a fourth place schedule.
You're back in the playoffs this year. So, um, you know,
I I do think that we're always in win now mode.
And I get it. It's especially in the NFL, where
it's so easy to go from bad to good and

(54:52):
back to bad again. Um, but I do think this
is a situation where, um, you know, I do think
this is a situation where in the NFL we we
focus so much on the negative of it, but I
do think there can be a positive as well. Yeah,
your your point about the schedule is spot on. I
filed in yesterday on straight out of Vegas. UH. Steve
Fezzick and I were in for for j Bell and

(55:13):
Jonas Knocks, and Steve made the point that they crunched
all the numbers from the seventeenth game that was added
with the regular season, and the team that benefited the
most out of all thirty two teams with the seventeenth
game added were the San Francisco forty Niners. It's because
they finished in the last place in the in the
NFC West this past year. Their corresponding game that's added

(55:35):
to their schedule is the Cincinnati Bengals. And and so
now you get you get another last place team where
I think that we believe that the forty Niners are
a better team than Cincinnati despite the you know, the
growth that we could see from Joe Burrow if he
comes off of his injury. All right. The point being
is those other teams that in those divisions that are
ahead of you are also playing tougher games. I mean,

(55:56):
you think the Rams and Ravens really wanted to add
each other in that seventeenth game. Probably not, but they're
going through the Seahawks and Steelers end up adding each other.
They're probably not too keen about that. Browns and Cardinals
at each other. And for for for a Cardinals team
that you know, collapsed in the second half of the
season and missed out on the playoffs, you really want
to go and face Cleveland again. Like no, So if

(56:17):
you're if you have that year off to your point,
it's such a great point, then not only do you
get that seventeenth game as as a as as a
benefit because you're playing another last place team, you're also
playing against those last place teams and the other divisions
within your conference. Uh, that that you'll get set up
for it really is a benefit. And and I just
extreme tanking again doesn't work in the NFL. But if

(56:40):
you were to take a year off or a relax
or just you know what, have a six and ten
year where maybe you can you know, end up picking
eleven or twelve, I think it would really benefit a franchise.
Unfortunately for Seattle, and I'll just throw this in there,
they don't have a first round pick next year. So
it's another reason why I think that they're going for
it and why Russell Wilson wasn't traded is even if
they stunk this year without a quarterback, the je own

(57:00):
that first round pick, and so there could be an
opportunity maybe down the line. Maybe it's maybe it's you know,
after season where Russell Wilson ends up getting moved and
they use this sort of scenario. But it beats you know,
getting beat up in the wild card round every year,
or getting blown out of a divisional playoff game, or
getting run in an NFC championship game. I think some

(57:21):
of these teams could really benefit because I think it's
really gonna benefit is moving forward, they're gonna get a
franchise quarterback. Yeah, and especially in football. And and again
I understand there's there's smaller windows and you just never
know how long it's gonna last. But in football, you
can go from so bad too so good in such
a short amount of time. And obviously in this case
it would be the reverse thing. But uh, it just

(57:43):
it resets everything for you man, and it allows you
to get that pick, maybe you get a chance to
get that difference maker that you need wherever it ends
up being. Um and so yeah, it's just it's interesting
that we never we never really talk about it in football. Um,
I'm trying to think of I mean, I guess Cleveland
early on in the frankly the conversation that came up
earlier this week with the huge hex and comments about

(58:05):
the front office, But it doesn't happen often in football.
But I don't think you know, whether it's a like
you said, there's extreme tanking where it's a three or
four or five year process. But again, if you just
have one bad year in football. I don't think it's
the worst thing. The term tanking is so toxic. I
think a a this is what you need in organs

(58:25):
an organizational reset, That's all it is. That's what it
was ended up being for the forty Honors. Wasn't in
their cards. They're gonna try to take a negative turn
it into a positive. That did that by moving up.
I think a lot of teams could use that year
as an organ organizational reset and that would help them
to move forward. Be sure to catch the live edition

(58:46):
of The Doug Gottlieb Show weekdays at three p m.
Easter noon Pacific News breaking news from Fox Sports Isaac
Loncron joining us. What's going on? Isaac? Multiple outlets have
us reported that Oklahoma is hiring Porter Moser of Loyola
Chicago to be its next head basketball coach. Fellas interesting. No, no,

(59:14):
I was just gonna say, leaving the Ramblers for the
the Sooners. But you're the college basketball guy. How does
that work out? In Norman? It feels like the right spot.
I mean, you know, uh Um. What I would say
is I thought he did an incredible job of building
a program, of building a style of play, of you know,
recruiting to that style of play. And you know, sometimes

(59:37):
when when you play the way that that Loyola did
and we all watched them the tournament, they play slow,
but they're very good defensively. I thought they were incredibly
fundamentally sound. But you know, you go to the wrong
school and you try to play that way, it's tough
to sell recruits. It's tough to sell parents. Oklahoma is
kind of one of those sweet spot jobs that it's great,
you get paid well, you have great facilities, but there
isn't this demand that you gotta win every game. You

(59:58):
gotta win every game playing a certain way, and then
beyond that, you've got to recruit a certain type of player.
He's gonna be able to recruit the guys that he wants,
the guys that fit what he wants to do. And oh,
by the way, it's not like Lon Krueger left the
Covered Bear. I think he'll be really good there. It's uh,
it's it's interesting that you know we have that come down.
Right when we were talking with Pat, we're talking about
coaches and this and that. So now you have Chris

(01:00:20):
Beards staying in the conference. Bill self is gonna be
there for a lifetime, and Portermoser is like, yeah, sign
me up. All right, I'll take those guys on, let's
do it. He's gonna be the new head go to
at Oklahoma. I also think there's there's a there's a
point um and and listen, I I don't know. I'm
not in any of these coaches shoes. I don't know
their personal situations. And I'm not saying this with Porter
Moser or anybody else who was who was taking a job.

(01:00:41):
But at at some point, you know, for as nice
of a story as as it is to have success
at Loyal of Chicago and to take them to a
final four, it's difficult to top that, you know, and
like it, it really is, and to to to stay around.
And yeah, you could try to build your program there,
or you could just go somewhere or where else at
a at a bigger level and take what you did

(01:01:03):
and try to you know, propel your career that way.
That's uh, it's just to sum it up, Aaron, It's
just difficult to turn down those opportunities, especially with you're
in that situation, and especially when you've accomplished you know,
what he has done at Loyal Chicago. See I agree
with that, and I think it's easy to say, oh,
you could be the next Mark few Gonzaga, you know one.
I mean, we've all been watching college basketball forever. There's

(01:01:25):
only one Gonzaga. And to you know, it's a lot
more fun to build than to sustain. And now the
standard is we are the best team in this conference.
It is expected every year for us to win the conference,
to get to the n c A Tournament, and now
we've had a bunch of success. So to me, I'm
with you. Start somewhere new. You get paid very, very
very handsomely. You're at a at a at a state

(01:01:47):
public school. That's the other thing, too, is like this
is no disrespect to Loyal Chicago, but it's a small
Catholic school. There's only so much they're gonna be able
to pay you. There's only so much you're gonna be
able to do from a financial standpoint. In Oklahoma is
a great place. You go to the n c A
Tournament in Oklahoma, nobody ever bothers you. You know, this
isn't Kentucky where it's national championship or bust. It's not
Carolina where it's national championship or bust. It's hey, you

(01:02:09):
get to you get to the n c A tournament,
and you give us something to do between football and
spring football. We'll let you coach here as long as
you want. And so I think it's a good fit.
As you said, the conference is not easy though, obviously
with Bill self now there for the long haul, and
of course Chris Beard switching jobs, you know, and Paul
Mills just signed a contract extension with Oral Roberts, I
think like an eight year extension. Uh. That would have

(01:02:30):
been another guy if if you know, if somebody, if
somebody gave him the opportunity. I know, you want to,
you know, do right by you know, your school and
you and and there's a lot of reasons, but I
would never blame a guy to be like, you know what,
I gotta take advantage of this opportunity now, because it's
not abandoning it. It's just that the timing of it
when you think, you know, like what you accomplished. One
of the most one of the most shocking things to

(01:02:51):
me in sports was when Brian Kelly left Cincinnati to
go to daughter Dame Aaron and there was there was
a lot of a lot of rumors about Brian Kelly
going to Notre Dame for a while. So Brian Kelly,
you know, uh, ends up going and taking the Bearcats
to not one but two BCS appearances and then left

(01:03:14):
for Notre Dame. And there were still some people who
criticized Brian Kelly. And it's like all right, you know,
like say what you will, but the guy is going
to Notre Dame. Just took a school that had never
been to that, you know, to that promised land, took
them to back to back BCS title games and and
and he shouldn't be able to go and you know,

(01:03:34):
take advantage of that and move on. Was always absurd
that Brian Kelly got any criticism for leaving Cincinnati after
that time. Now there's just you're never gonna be able
to please everybody. Um, and this move makes sense for
Porter Moser and I think it's just a great spot
for him. And you you know, you reset the clock.
I mean Buzz Williams who's now at Texas A and M.
He's had a ton of success in for Ginia Tech
and Marquette. He talks about this all the time. Is

(01:03:56):
the longer you stay somewhere, the more unhappy, they ultimately
get with you. I mean, look at Kentucky this year
with John Calipari, Like, how could any Kentucky fan be
legitimately mad about the success that Kentucky has had. But
they had one really bad year and you know, there
there there are fans, you know, they might be few
and far between, that really want a fresh start. And
so now your Porter Moser, like I said, you know,

(01:04:18):
if you stay at Loyal Chicago, the standard is we
get to the tournament and we win there and if
we lose in the first if we get there and
we lose or a disappointment, and so now you get
to go somewhere else, start somewhere fresh. And I'll even
give Porter Mosier this just to wrap it up. It's
not like Porter Mosier was just leap frogging to get
to the Big twelve because he didn't work out at

(01:04:38):
Illinois State and he he had to go back and
he took an assistance job with St. Louis, then went
to Loyola ends up leading them to the you know,
to the final four that they had you know three
years ago, you know, spent you know, spent a decent
amount of time there. So it's not like you know,
it's fifty two years old. This is this is something
that you would expect and commend him and in kudos

(01:04:59):
to him, are doing it. And honestly, the timing is
right in some ways real quick. I know, we gotta
get back to Isaac, but it reminds me a little
bit of the Mike Woodson Higher. Is like Porter Moser,
he's sixty, you know, he's fifty whatever. He's taken loyal
pretty much, probably realistically, as far as he possibly can. Hey,
it doesn't work out, you're gonna probably gonna get somewhere
in the neighborhood of between like fifteen and twenty five

(01:05:20):
million for it not to work out. And if it does,
you got a job until you retire. You're in a
good spot. Whatever reminds me of Mike Woodson. You know,
I was critical in the Mike Woodson Higher, but hey,
somebody offers me four million dollars a year to do
something at sixty three years old, I'm taking it every
single time. And I think, uh, there's a degree of
that with Porter Moser, where again, he he took loyal
as far as he could, and it will be interesting

(01:05:40):
to see how he does at Oklahoma. Fox Sports Radio
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