Episode Transcript
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(00:01):
Just in case you missed it,it's the top five sports talkers of the
day. Now it's time for DanBurrero's Top five at five Blue Natty back
in studio. How long has itbeen since you've been in studio? A
month? Oh? A little longer? Too much? That was your March
(00:22):
day high school hockey term exactly,March. Show was going to see it
above March, and that was underduress. In fairness to you, you
were willing to do it last week, but because we switched days and you're
only going to be on for ashorter period, I didn't want to make
you make the drive. But soit could have been two straight weeks.
But it's good to have you back. You didn't bring very good weather with
today. Man. This is violentstuff with rain and a lot of I
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think some a lot of high winds, thunderstorm, kind of a tornado activity,
and it's going to continue. Iguess still eight nine o'clock and I
might have to stay here. Withthese new mics, like the special,
we're really starting to come around.Luis happening treating you guys first class,
first class brought casters deserved, firstclass microphones. Lovel tells me that like
(01:06):
about a minute and a half ofour conversation with Provos was interrupted the by
the EES deal reguarding some tornadic activity. I see that popping on my little
scroll here, Yeah, gone onblue Earth. Maybeosed to be right now,
don't thought that that area down there? I think man Cato Ferreboell the
area you know, the underwatch.Anyway, it would seem to be a
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night to pay attention, uh throughthrough several sections of the metro area and
beyond because here, you know,I don't know if it's more it's a
lot of rain, it looks like, and it was hard rain last night
as well. Guards you where wouldyou like to begin? Maybe we even
well, maybe we do a minibecause I I my clock management was crappy.
That's all right. Provost was good, it is great, and I
(01:51):
wanted to make sure we we wewanted to run that whole interview. But
anyway, and we don't have aton to get to we will mention.
Wolves. Got some news today thatfor the first time, there are not
one, but two Minnesota Timberwolves onall defensive teams. Rudy Gobert unanimous First
Team All Defense for the NBA andfor the first time Jaden McDaniels made a
squad. He makes the second teamalong with Alex Caruso, Jalen Suggs,
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Drew Holliday, and Derek White.It's Anthony Davis straight there. That's a
good Those are some fine defenders.He's on that list. One the first
team is Anthony Davis, Gobert obviously, Herb Jones, bam Adebayou, and
Victor wembin Yama. Victor wembin Yama, and I think that is history.
He is now the sixth rookie inNBA history to make the All Defensive Team,
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with all five earning second team nods. He's the first guy to make
the first team ever. I knewthere was some history in there. David
Robinson, a Newpaul Haquem eliju Wanand Karima Abdul Jabbar the other five Louis.
In the history of the Minnesota Timberwolvesuntil today, only two players had
ever made any All Defensive team likefirst, second, or third. So
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that's like, you know, fifteenguys, only two in their history.
Garnette was won several times. JimmyButler, that's it. And they had
a lot of bad defenses that provethe point over the course of many generations,
and then that's I think it's notsurprising that this was This is obviously
the first year they've ever had twoon the All Defensive on the same team,
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and obviously that's been their their callingcurrent from the start of the season.
To everybody who just reads about theirdefense, all of broadcasters all around
the country, doesn't matter what whoyou're listening, correct, TV broadcast that
they all are very complementary. We'regoing to get to your viewing patterns of
Game seven. We're gonna save thatfor a little later. I found that
rather entertaining. We'll save that forthe next segment. The All NBA teams
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will be announced tomorrow tomorrow, sowe will have that for the top five
and five most likely tomorrow. I'mguessing Edwards his second second teams to maybe
maybe for the last time. Yeah, I mean, because again those these
are all voted on on the basisof the regular season correct, even though
the number the results are coming outnow. Game one of the Eastern Conference
Finals is tonight. You can watchit on ESPN. Boston TD Bank Garden
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host the Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics are favored by nine and
a half. Porzingis Is has alreadybeen ruled out, I believe of the
first two games. I don't knowbeyond that, And the feeling is that
I think in their perfect world theywould not play him at all in this
series if they may have to,but I think their preferences. Can you
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win the series without them? Andthen you give them extra time to prepare
for the showdown series against the WolvesIn the NBA Finals, Twins are looking
to snap a seven game losing streakthey held the players only meeting. Roco
is publicly wondering why is Relievers sayingthings from a couple of nights ago,
My wife's hitters aren't adjusting. Mywife says that as a kindergarten teacher,
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when there's bad behavior, they'll say, well, that was unexpected, you
know, to the kid, thisis unexpected behavior. That's basically Roco said
about Ran right. I was surprised. I was surprised to hear that.
But anyway, they lose last nightonce again, and now Joe Ryan is
in charge of stopping the streak againstthe pitcher that Corey provis said, if
not now, when, if wedon't Gatrick Corbyn. If we don't score
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some runs tonight, he thinks weshould well I said, he said,
shut her down. That's not exactlywhat he said. I went a little
further than he did, but hedid say, if you're not going to
get something going offensively, it's goingto be very concerning tonight. First pitch
about a half an hour from nowthe fanombig deck dot com and give you
shots. Put a grain in yourhand. With our national cash contest.
You can enter the keyword bills atKFA dot com. That's how you enter.
(05:34):
Go to KFA dot com and enterthe keyword bills. So we got
the entire hour to stretch out withLuigi and studio. We'll definitely talk obviously
Stanley Cup playoffs, some thoughts therehis Game seven Timberwolves viewing experience in the
last round, and I want totalk with Louie about officiating as well,
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and what seems to be a contrastbetween how much time is spent unofficials and
who's calling the game in basketball andhockey. All of that and more.
If you have text you have questionsfor Louie, hit the bratch on Brian
Cafe in text line six four sixeight six weeks around the world for a
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ride down there in the world.No Nanny brought to you by Camps Louie
is in studio. If you're justjoining the program, you got questions for
him. As I mentioned, sixfour six eighty six is the bratch on
Brian k f a n text line. We will talk Stanley Cup playoffs is
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a lot to catch a lot ofcatching up to do there. But I
do want to ask you what it'sa hockey question, But it's it's because
it's inspired by almost an obsession thatfans and to a certain degree in media
members have about, Okay, who'sthe officiating crew? Even going into Game
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seven Wolves denvers like, oh,who's the officiating crew? Because the feeling
is it's going to tell the taleoften about how how often they're going to
blow the whistle. This notion thatthe Wolves need a looser whistle because they
are physical. Defense is their strength. They like to get into people,
and if you've got a crew that'scalling every other file, that that works
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against them. We've talked a lotabout officiating in hockey over the years,
but I don't know if we've gottenthat. I remember us getting into this
subject so is there as much obsessionand much contrast between crews in the NHL
and the Stanley Cup playoffs regarding allthat crew No, they're no, they
call too much. Other crew theylet the game go. Do we have
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that same kind of dressed in hockeythat we seem to talk about all the
time in basketball? Oh, wehad it. We I don't know if
they still do because I don't reallyget involved in what referees they got in
their games right now, I don'teven know most of the officials' names.
Whereas I knew them all, wherethey grew up, where they were born,
everything. I was obsessed with officials, you know, So yeah,
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we we did. We didn't havepeople we thought, uh, when the
game was going to be called itthey would call less penalties and somebody else
and would call more penalties. Andthen there's always the fact that this guy
he really doesn't like us, youknow, yeah, which is conflicts personality
complex. You know, he talkedso much about Glenn and uh Nelson,
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but you know they they I thinkevery sport probably has it because everybody tries
to analyze everything to get any edgethey can. And so we'll get right
down to officials. Like it doesn'thockey. I'm baseball right now. Look
at the balls and strict guys.They're talking about that all the time,
about which official as a wider platestrike range, et cetera. So I
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just think that's part of sports.Yeah, it is, And what was
your philosophy with it with your coachesand players that there's that fine line,
that balancing act between acknowledging that itis part of the deal and even within
you know your power doing the thingsyou could do to try to gain an
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edge because that's part of sports,and your team not wallowing in the officiating
to the point where it ends upaffecting the way they go about doing their
jobs, especially in the postseason.Well, I don't think we're any different
than anybody else. We didn't wantthe players getting involved with the officials for
first of all, the main reasonwe don't want them penalized, But on
top of that, we certainly don'twant them out of the game. It's
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more important for them to be playingthan us to be coaching or managing or
whatever. So we tried to shielda player from that, even though it's
hard to do because when it's anoffense that was called on them, although
I will say this, we hadway more as players, We had made
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way more range to react, andwith the officials they were easier to deal
with than air. Today. Wecould yell at them, swear at them,
and they would yell at you backand swear at you. You you
would not get to kind of youknow, unsports like Colton penalties they call
so quickly. Now why we hadmuch more leeway, you know, that's
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something that I've tried to figure thatout because we thought at the time,
when we look back now, wethought, well, you know, the
officials were and especially a guy likeBill Friday, who just died two weeks
ago. He was like a showmanout there and he enjoyed doing it.
And it used to get the fansriled up. And you say, we're
all to sell tickets, so Ithink they had they had one, which
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I think is really important, feelingthat people come to see the players.
So we don't want to throw themout of the game. We could penalize
them, but we want to givethem some leeway and they react to us
the way we react to them.But what changed is over the years,
and at that time, you know, we used to pay the misconduct penalties
for the players. Now the player'sgot to pay it themselves to start with,
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and which is a big difference,because it doesn't matter if you make
a ton of money. You don'tlike paying five hundred thousand dollars for you
know, a call that was madeagainst you. Well, I think now
in this day and age, maybenot only in hockey, but all sports,
there's been a number of referees calledon the carpet because the players reported
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them saying things or reacting in acertain way. So before we would never
say, well that guys said itto us or we said it to them.
You never saw that. But becauseit got a lot tighter, and
the players nowadays, and just youknow, I'm talking about the last twenty
years, some of them reacted andI because I've seen it, I've seen
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it written up. But you know, well he swore at me first and
stuff like that which we would neverhave said before. So that you know,
obviously the official are reprimanded, maybeeven fine, that's never public.
So I think that leeway that youhad before was taken away because officials were
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going to take a chance now ofthis thing happening between each other swearing back
and forth whatever, And it's unfortunatebecause I think the game benefited from the
show, the flamboyant that some officialshad and players back, and yet they
didn't, you know, throw themout of the game or even give him
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a miscone. Occasionally you got twominutes, but that was it. So
I think that's a missing element ofthe game to me, because it is
a show, it is entertainment,you know some of that. One of
the theories that's been advanced, atleast in terms of NBA officials, because
I've heard the same lament from probasketball executives or former executives, And one
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of the theories that's been advanced isthat you have that official there are too
that this is a generalization, butthat there's too many officials that are more
insecure that if you're secure in whatyou're doing, then you actually can live
with a little more byplay and evenconversation and even the sort of conversation that
can be an education about here's whyI call this or here's what you did
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there, and that some of theofficials today they just won't they they don't
want to brook any of it.They take it too personally and as a
result, it's harder to sort ofnurture those sorts of inside relationships between players
and officials on the ice or onthe court. I think you're right that
some do take it more seriously.It really offends them. But the main
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point you made first of all isprobably it some of them are insecure.
They don't feel as confident in theirability to argue their case if it came
to that in front of the headof officials or what have you. What's
really changed, and I know it'schanged in all sports right now, every
game and I'm sure it's in basketball, every game has got a supervisor of
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officials that we never had that.There was never a supervisor official. You
know, there was the head guywho did the scheduling and hired the refs
or fired the refs. That wasit. Now every game you're at there's
a supervisor of officials. So they'recritiquing the officials performance, both referees and
linesman every game. So I'm surethat that even goes rolls into it as
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to you know, the argument ofways of some players wasn't handled properly,
or you let them get away withtoo much or argue too much and took
too long. So it's just thefact that everything has been tightened up.
Like I said so many times,I would have been bankrupt being general manager
now because I used to go onthe officials room in between periods after the
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game and they throw me out,and you know, and and that doesn't
like you. Yeah, I mean, lentz say there sending As I said,
they were having lunch the day beforegame in Boston. They called and
they said, we were just talkingabout you. If you were still in
the game today, you'd be bankrupt. And that's just you know, I
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I got to tell you. AndI liked a lot of the guys after
the game and it was over,especially if they weren't referring my game.
But I I just uh, Ijust miss that. I I mean,
I I feel that it's unfortunate thatI had affordability to be able to do
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this and and uh maybe leniency andthey don't have it today because that that
was a big part of the game. You know, that's how you really
develop relationships. And another thing,Dan, we used to travel with the
official. We didn't have chartered planes, so now teams have charged planes.
They never get to sit on aplane with an official who's maybe going from
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your game in Minnieapolis to Colorado isgoing to work the next night. So
on the plane, you're giving thema little static and heat. You know,
you don't see the officials around likewe used to. We used to
see them in the restaurants and thebars. It just seems like they might.
Yeah, and they know you're morehuman. Good point, and you
get and you get a feel forthem and then for you. So we've
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got a lot of ground to coverhere. I want to get you.
So we've got the we've got Likewith the NBA, we've got the conference
finals set up and that includes ofcourse Rangers and Panthers in the East and
Dallas and Edmonton in the west.Of these two series, if you had
to, which one are you lookingforward to more than the other? Far
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and away with Florida and Rangers,there are two really deep teams and strong
all the way from goaltenders out.On the other side, you know,
Dallas should win, and they shouldwin handily. And saying that even with
Edmonton being able to score a lotof goals, because as we said before
in the show, that closer youget to the net, the worst Edmonton
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is. And last night. Forfifteen minutes, Edmonton owned the game like
they did a couple of games atVancouver where they out shot them badly but
they still lost. They're winning threenothing and it should have been ten nothing.
Vancouver's goaltender was sensational, and thena turnover in the zone and the
right way a good goal. Garlandhad a great game, and it's three
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to one and the last ten minuteswas all Vancouver, and then they scored
another goal. They had continued pressureon there and all they needed was a
quality chance and they never got aquality chance. They had one real good
opportunity five seconds to go. Millergets a pass who's you know, one
of the great players, and he'stwenty feet out in the slot, straight
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on from the goaltender, and heslaps the puck and it hit the door
off and the ankle redly and theskate and veered off because one of the
views he had after you could seewas going right for the corner and it
would have gone in Wow, Andit would have been that kind of game
where Vancouver could have pulled it out. And the worst thing that happened to
Vancouver last night was brock Besser.We had sixteen Parker play goals. I
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think drin Here had a blood clothe couldn't play last night, and he's
a leading goal scorer and not tohave him, and they were so ineffective
to start the game. They hada four minute power play and the best
shots were by Edmondon even had abreakaway. I think that in four minutes
they had one shot on goal,and that was really a telling part of
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the game. Texture asks been alot of talk on this station and certainly
this show about defense, because that'skind of been the Timberwolves calling card.
So Texter from two to eight,asks for you, or asks you the
best defensive hockey team you ever saw, both league wide and North Stars slash
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Wild. I think it was aseven fifty seventy eight Montreal Canadians. They
only lost eight games out of seventysix, and there was no crazy,
you know, just nuts. Andnot only that, they led in every
category and I think they even ledpenalty minutes. But you just didn't get
any checks. You know, whenyou look at their defense. They had
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three or four Hall of Fame defensemanplus the Hall of Fame goaltender plus you
know, hall of Fame two Hallof Fame centers and wingmen. I mean
that team was just mind boggling,it was. It was so good.
How about wild Or Stars, NorthStars best defensive? Oh, I have
to think. You know, youhave to go back to Lemaire early years.
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You know, he he did itwith one. They really they didn't
have the kind of expansion draft theyhave nowadays. You know, they were
picking eighteenth and yet his teams.Look at the goals against both both goaltenders
are always close to being up forVesda. You didn't get any chances.
I mean, he played a dull, boring game, but but his his
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you know, his charge is towin games. His man, they don't
have to be pretty, and sopeople didn't like watching them on the road
very much. At home, youlike watching them because they may win the
game, which they were doing.But uh, he he was. He
was phenomenal the way he coached defenseand coached that team. Because you just
didn't get any opportunities. What's Lamarraup to these days? He's still scouting.
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You know, he got very closeto Lamarillo, won a Cup of
Lamarillo coaching for him, and afterhe left a while, he went back.
He wasn't gonna work. He wentback and he worked I think in
Montreal, but then he went backto Lamarillo and and he worked for Lamorrel
all over. And he's living inAnamory Island and which is right outside of
Tampa, beautiful place. He doessome scouting. He keeps in touch.
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When I was in broadcast in awild Game to see with lamerl Louis was
telling me, oh, you knowhow Jacques and he talked and confirm stuff
like that. So he stays closeto Lamarilo, but I think closer to
Lamoral than the game. Because ifit wasn't for uh Louis Jock, would
he want to be working. Hejust way fishing there in the gulf and
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enjoying that. I'd say, he'sgot to be seventy nine. I'm going
to be Yeah. Last I heardhe was yeah. Yeah. He had
a fire at his house which afew years ago which she was not good
in Anna Marie Island at a lotof damage. But I got that back.
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But he uh, you know,he's had some ailments. I can't
remember what they were, and anduh, he slowed down a bit,
but he's still he's still watches thegames. And just like Scotti, Bowman
lives in Sarasota. He goes toevery game. He goes to every game.
Why do all the hockey guys retiredof Florida not like Arizona? Why
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is Florida Because they're they're trying tobuild a game up down there. Of
course you are got to be it. I want to like you, you
want to see if you can makeit. Yeah, that's it. They're
building a new ice rink. Retzky'sinvolved in it in in North Palm Beach
right now. A big guys wantto grow the game. Yeah, that's
the best thing you've ever said.So that's one, ambassadors. That's how
you can't help yourself. It's easyto help grow the game and build a
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rink when you don't pay state aswell. You know what happens. I
think we've been so cold, likeyou need the contrast. You're tired of
being chilling also playing freezing. Well, that's too good. That is so
good. Jack Lamar is seventy eightyears old. Seventy right there, results
are right there by the way.We talked about this last week and it
came to fruition. We talked aboutthe nineteen eighty nine to ninety Minnesota north
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Stars. They lost. They wongames one and two on the road,
lost games three and four at homeand ended up and then lost game five.
Won the last two games in thisseries, just like the Timberwolves wrapped
up against Denver, the only twotimes in the history of Minnesota pro sports
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where it's followed that pattern and youget your club blazed the trail the and
the Timberwolves couse they were inspired by. It's just funny that it worked out
exactly the same way, both teamslosing five, so down three games to
two, you got to win thelast two north Stars win at home and
then shot the world in Montreal.Montreal defending champions in fact four straight years
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up until then Denver. Same thing. Wolves have to win at home and
then and and beat Denver here inDenver, and Denver was also the defending
champ. Is this crazy how thatworks? How history occasionally repeats itself.
That was seventy nine eighty, Yeah, yeah, exactly, yeah that you
know those twenty seven nineteen eighty wasthe game seven. Yeah, my brother's
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birthday, And you reminded us lastweek. You saw almost none of it
in the forum because you couldn't handleit. So you're in the concourse,
just listening to sounds as cues forwhat's taking place. And you remind me
that Game seven Timberrowls Nuggets. Youdidn't watch that either, but you weren't
waiting for sounds. You turned itoff at halftime. Is that correct?
(24:32):
Well, the North Stars, Iwatched the first two periods. I couldn't
watch a third third exactly. TheTimberrolves. I watched it first half and
then they knew I had to turnit off. And I watched a movie
with Liam Nice and made it aNitley. My wife and I liked that.
In nine thirty, I said watchthis because I just knew they this
could work. And I punched youin Twitter, and I see a posting
(24:55):
from Randy Shaver about somebody's gonna haveto stay outside Wednesday United at the game
they won. So hey, Ido that in all sports. So is
that's the superstitious part of louis notnecessary? You're disgusted by the performance,
You're going, I'll turn it offand guess what great things might happen?
Yeah? And they did. Yeah, I mean I do that watching golf.
(25:17):
If I want somebody to win watchingthe Twins, I've done. I
just channels or I have. Youknow, I'm not obsessive compulsive as much
I used to be. But likeI told my wife, I reserve the
right to revert. I had torevert at that time. Let me ask
you the gravy question we were talkingabout earlier in the show. So,
the Wolves have won the first tworounds to reach the final four in the
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NBA Playoffs. They swept Phoenix,a team that a lot of people thought
it was a bad matchup for them, and they dominated them. They take
Denver to seven and get the jobdone. They are historic in destroying them
by forty five in Game six.And then, for the first time ever,
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a team that's down fifteen or moreat the half comes back and wins
a Game seven, and they doit on the road. That's never happened
for an NBA history. So thequestion on the table is is everything the
Wolves do from here gravy? Inother words, have they already done enough
to say this is a huge breakthroughseason, This is a successful season period,
(26:26):
full stop, and that now we'rein the gravy period. If you
go on and can win the nextone. And obviously win the NBA Finals,
then that's everything, but that theydon't have to win another series,
even though they're favored, they don'thave to win another series. And for
this team, for this season tobe a wildly successful season, what do
(26:47):
you buy the gravy theory, Well, they don't have to win another to
be wildly successful. But that's notthe way you have to look at it.
You never know when you're going toget this opportunity again. I still
remember in eighty one and when welost out to the Islanders, and the
first thing I thought of after thegame was not what a good season we
added we got to do this allover again to get back to this place
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next year? You know? Canwe do it? And and the Wolves
are in that situation right now wherethey are in a situation where it takes
so much to get to where theyare. You can't even say I'm satisfied.
You can't look at it that way. And I don't look at that
way because I really think, Ireally think after the Phoenix series said that
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I believe they're going to win itall. And last night when I did
turn it off, I'm thinking,geez, what an idiot. I thought
they're gonna win it all. They'regoing to get beat like this said bad
and I turned off, and thenand then when I turned on, they
won. The first thing I thoughtof, wonder George Carl's thinking now,
because George Carl said before the gamethat I read, he says, well,
you know, the champs are goingto come home and be able to
(27:56):
do it. And Jamal Murray isto be the best player on the floor,
which he was and at least aspart the half that I saw,
Yeah, yeah, he cooled offin the second half. So I was
going to say, well, Carlwas right about that, but he was
right about who won. And theTimberls right now are in a situation where
(28:17):
you have to look at the otherthing. Things are unfolding the same way
they did for the US Olympic teamin nineteen eighty. The teams that they
would have to play or beat theydon't have to face anymore now. And
look at the next kid. I'dlike to see Jimmy Dolan when he's feeling
like he goes nuts in New York, Yes, getting upset by Indiana and
(28:37):
now and and you know, Boston, whether having their best player out for
two games is going to make themlose, and if they don't lose,
will he be able to come backanyway? I mean, it just seems
to be unfolding the way you wantedto unfold, you know, Denver.
I mean, Dallas now was thethird seed in the conference or something,
fifth, fifth, So they're notcatching the better teams anymore. And this
(29:03):
is their run, this is theiropportunity, and I can't see anybody beaten.
So it's the old sees the moment. Yeah, yeah, this is
it. I mean, we knowthat this is a team that if the
if the stability remains, if TimConley stays the bulk, you know,
the heart of the roster is notold at all. Conley's older, but
(29:23):
you know, you've got a lotof players who still have a lot of
years, but you still can't lookat like well. So in other words,
we're gonna have several more bites atthe apple. That might be true,
but you never know. Injuries haveinjuries, the controversies take place,
somebody else rises up, the pathgets tougher. So you're saying, grab
(29:45):
it, don't wait, no,this is it, this is it.
I I don't, I don't.I'm not going to better on anything.
But I would give odds on thisthat they're going to win this. I
don't, I don't. I don'treally have any any thoughts. That's I
don't know what's going to beat him. You know, Miami's out now,
but well Boston, Boston is ascapable if they're healthy, but they're down
(30:07):
still. Porzingis was played great forthem this year and he has not yet
played in the postseason. Yeah,that's yeah, that's the cards are full
of falling the way you want themto fall, and I just think that
they can't be satisfied. And Ilove the way. I don't know if
you saw that, because when Iturned back when I saw the one,
and then I turned back to seethe uh you know, the press conference
(30:30):
in that, and I love theway to coach, who I think is
phenomenal for Chris Finch. Yeah,where he said, yeah, we should
win, we got the best playerin the planet. That was words like
that. I did say. Thatwas the word when you have a coach
that believes and knows like that,he knows what he's got and he makes
you comfortable feeling that, Yeah,this is the Timberwolves year, They're going
(30:52):
to win it. He talked abouthis team starting with the best player in
the planet. And and you don'tsay that if you're coach, knowing that,
you're not gonna say I got FrankMcGee here and the best player on
the planet when the other team's gotConnor mcdats right, right, Yeah,
whatever it is. He's confident inhis statements and and he makes you believe
(31:15):
that he knows what he's got andthey should win. He wasn't surprised that
they, like he said, hewasn't surprised they would come back to do
it. Neither was Aunt in hispress conference saying he said, we do
this, this and this, we'regonna win. If we don't, we
lose. And it was very cutand dry, and you see all this
happening. Other thing, I think, you know, the only Paul you
got over there is and it's theerase it all as the ownership going to
(31:37):
come out. You know, nobodytalks about this anymore. And it's a
me who's going to accept the trophy? Yeah, it's actually doing. Are
they going to have the trophy tothe commissioner? Do you have a fight
on the floor before it might bethat would be the best thing. Let's
pause here plenty more time with Louie. Keep the text coming, a lot
more ground to cover. Louie inStudio, brought to you by kem Man
(31:59):
All the hipster road this week forthe charts Challenge, Punishment and keep up
with them on our social channels ashe makes his way from Philadelphia to Los
Angeles. For a full list ofstops analysts of all the great products he's
bringing with him, head over toCafe dot com slash road Trip. Many
is still in studio with us.All right, let's get for the record,
(32:23):
who you're picking, Rangers Panthers,and you expect you've already said the
Stars to dominate Edmonton, correct?Right? What about the East? You
know I picked when we started thisFlorida and against Dallas, and I said
New York's my dark horse. Sonow I'm in that position. Do I
(32:45):
still feel that way? I don'tknow. I'm starting to waiver because Sisterkin
is keeping the goaltending up the wayhe has, and both these teams,
both of them are great offense andalso check and play defense, play physical,
and I'm I'm wondering if this isthe Rangers Timberwolves year. That's that's
(33:09):
what all of a sudden thinking,are we gonna have a Christier because normally
I would say Florida for sure,they experienced last year winning. They got
the kind of two way player andbark Off. You know, it's a
great offensively, great defensively, youknow, both ways, just like like
Anthony Edwards doesn't in basketball. Andthe goaltending. You know, Bob Rosky's
(33:36):
wasn't as good in the first seriesis getting better, and his goaltending last
year with what really brought Florida tothe finals. So I guess I got
to say with Florida Dallas, II but I would not be surprised enow
if New York comes through and asan unimaginable year. So Game one of
(33:58):
the East is tomorrow night. Correct, what's today's twenty yeah, yeah,
yeah, that's on ESPN. Okay, the two way player. There's a
lot of talk about this in basketball, and a lot of the accolades that
Anthony Edwards gets, as we weretalking about during the break, is he's
a twenty two year old scorer whoprides himself on guarding, has the ability
(34:21):
to guard. That's some of it, but also the will, the interest
in guarding. He seems to relishthe notion of okay, I got Kyrie
Irving in this series or whatever theywere, you know, whatever they ask
him to do. And even inthe in the game seven, he missed
eighteen to twenty four shots. Soit's the old cliche about all right,
I'll do other things. I gottado other things, so I will continue
(34:42):
to guard. I'll continue to dothe other things. He did a great
job on Murray in the second half. So give me some of the best
two way hockey players you've ever seen. It's a little funkier because you've got
literally, you know, you gotpositions of defense and and and and and
(35:04):
uh forwards. But I assume still, even if you're talking about forwards,
there's a defensive component to it attheir best. So gimme, well,
I'll just ask a fly on who'sthe best two way hockey player you ever
saw. I don't know the bestbecause there's so many good ones past.
Patrice berger On for this day andage in the last twenty years is as
(35:24):
good as there was. He's wonnumerous maybe four or five six Selkies.
By the way, let's not forgetwe've got one really good here. Eric
Sineka is really a great two wayhockey player, and I love the way
he plays. But Jock Lamayer wasa great two way hockey player. And
when you think Bob Gainey was agreat two way hockey player, uh,
(35:46):
you know to try and just MarkMassier is a great too. Was Wayne
Gretzky a great two way hockey player, Well, he wasn't as great defensively,
you know, when when you're thinkingdefense, you're also thinking engaging boards.
Retzky was always no. But MarkMessier was. Mark Messi was a
(36:08):
phenomenal to way hockey player because,uh, I don't know if he liked
defense better offense, because when thegames got tight, you know, he
was going to run right through yourwhatever it was. And yet he had
the capability to get its forty fiftygoals whatever. You know, he one
of the greatest scores of all time. So he's another guy like that.
Those kind of guys, they theyjust seemed to put a team on their
(36:34):
back. You know when when Russiaplayed, and that's when they had the
best team of all in the worldthat people were saying outside of the NHL,
and maybe the best team inside theNHL, And they had that great
New Year's Eve game won nothing.Montreal won in Montreal. It was an
unbelievable game. And the Russians,the Russian coach came out. It is
(37:00):
Bob Gainey's the greatest player in theworld because he was so good defensively,
and you know, Gainey could scoregoals nothing like patrese Berger on right,
but he's also so good defensively.So there's been guys that you know that
are heralded because their defense does justwhat you have heard your saying radio here
(37:22):
so often the timrolves it won't wintill they get better defense. Defense wins
these games and wins these games.And it's it's like Conor McDavid has been
the best player in the world sevenyears. What's he in the league?
Eight nine years he's been the bestplayer in the world. He hasn't won
anything yet. And I don't thinkhe's gonna win this year because he is
(37:44):
he hasn't got the ability to doit offensively and defensively. He you know,
it's a big difference right now onthat team. Right now, the
best two way player is dry Settleand last night he put on the clinic
defense and he was one of thereasons why they won. So it's it's
a guy usually's many times is notthe best defensive player, but the defense
(38:07):
brings him up in that realm becausedefense is so important. He's got some
offense in. Yeah, he's gotto have some ability there with the defense
elevation obviously, Bobby Orr. Yeah, that's a defense to touch him.
He could he could have been agreat forward, could he not? Bobby
or could have done anything? Idon't know how could Yeah he could.
I don't even know if he couldn'thave been a great goal exactly. Mean,
(38:29):
I've never heard that kind of athlete, but like that. Yeah,
when you when you have those kindof hand eye skales and quickness and and
competitiveness, you know, you thinkhe could succeed at anything. Yeah.
By the way, we've got anomination for a state fair t shirt.
State Fair is not that far off, as you know, Louis. How
(38:52):
about this state fair t shirt ideafrom Dan out of Rochester, Florida,
where you can learn hockey top taxfree Florida, where you can learn hockey
tax free or grow the game taxfree. Either one that might be a
good one. Tax deferred earnings,grow the game. We might be able
to well give you a percentage onthat as well. Well. Just something
(39:15):
to think about. Thought, it'sa good thing. It's something to think
about. Ray And Hopkins asks helooked up the eight lost Canadian team.
See they had twelve ties. Doyou does Louis like the shootout? That's
Rayan Hopkins. I don't like toshootout. I didn't think so. I
it's a novelty, it's something.But I wish, and I've said this
(39:37):
on this program, that if they'regoing to play overtime three and three,
I wish they'd expanded to ten minutesbecause I think you get ninety five percent
of the games, maybe even morefinishing in with three and three, which
I'm you know, I'm really noteven a fan of three and three,
that's true, But the only reasonwhy you do it is because you have
so many games, eighty games thatteams are paying back to back so much.
(39:59):
They have to get it out,get on the plane, get to
another city. That's why they firstcame with the shootout, and that's why
you know the three and three isthere to maybe give him a little taste
of actual hockey. But I,you know, I just would rather see
five and five. But you can'tplay it all when you're playing eighty two
(40:20):
games. But I will tell youthat obviously we all are moved by great
offensive skill. But for me,there is nothing as pleasurable as watching a
great defensive team go to work onanother team and literally take the will away
from them, take stuff away fromthem. We didn't play the sound by
yesterday guards. I don't know ifyou pulled it, but there was a
(40:45):
the cat gets the late slam followthat kind of you know, punctuated the
victory or you're pretty much ensured theWolves were going to win. And I
hadn't watched the video of it.He there are no fewer than three then
Nuggets who are nearer to the basketthan Towns Is and exactly, and none
(41:07):
of them give any thought to doinganything like blocking out. And that's on
the other side of the floor.But I think that's because that team by
that point was so frustrated and soworn down by what the Wolves kept bringing
defensively that they were they had checkedout. The game was not over technically
(41:28):
then, but they acted like itwas. They just basically this is they
just stood there all three like statuesand looked at I wonder if that's going
to go in towns goes around twoof them and dunkson on the follow up,
and I think that's a testament towhat That's why I love watching great
defense the way and as you mentioned, I've harped on it for decades.
In this town. The Wolves suckeddefensively so much of the time. Wasn't
(41:50):
this they were mediocre, they wereawful. They took nothing away from anybody.
And to have a team that doesthat, I think that's for me,
that's more pleasurable than you know,Aunt on a dunk, or Aunt
hitting a three, or Jade McDaniel'sgetting a corner, you know a three
point Well, you know it's plasureball for the fans as well. Look
at how many times he get excitedwhen fans see their player blocking a shot,
(42:12):
yes, or stealing the ball,or double teaming guy and stealing at
the center. I'll give you thebest example of frustration over good defense was
when we were playing in Winnipeg inthe Centennial Tournament. Was it was January
of nineteen sixty eight and we wereplaying the Russians and seventy eight minutes into
(42:34):
the game, the game's going on, and Mariuci's standing right behind me with
coaches at the time, and hethrew a puck in the ice. Well,
the game was going on, andthe referee, Jamal Murray, the
referee, blew the whistles. Whatthe hell do you think you're doing?
He did it first, yeah,and what do you think you're doing?
And Marychie says, we want toplay too, I mean, can you
(42:55):
That's what he's told the referee.He's like, he didn't give us a
penalty, but so frustrated as wecouldn't get the puck. And that's what
great defense does. As well saidrustrates you so much. You don't know
what it does to some people's minds. Our coach flipped out. I mean,
you can't tell, because defense reallymakes you feel power. And that's
(43:17):
also why I was never offended bythe Lamar approach. I could still why
I get it. It wasn't greatoffense, but man, it's masterful defense.
Any if you watch the ANT threevideo that put him up by ten,
which by the way, I've watchedno fewer than probably five hundred times.
Even during the show put to music, Celine dion Hart will go on
the Titanic music by Jimmy Knutson andKing of the Roofs. If you watch
(43:38):
Ants three to reverse what you saidabout the cat thing, watch Jaden and
Rudy getting themselves in position in casethere was a miss, because Jayden kind
of got pushed around by Jokic andhe was To reverse your point, like,
those guys were totally locked in.And I've watched it five hundred times,
so I've watched every person on thecourt a million times, including a
(44:00):
and I'm like episode three, seventyfive, I go, Jayden was still
there, like he was still thereto try to get the rebound, but
Aunt buried it so it didn't matter. And that's and that's what you get
when you get a team that's ontop of the game, playing great defense
and hungry and hungry. It's it'sreally a good offense as well. And
you you just have gotten you've willed. You know, you've got your will.
(44:23):
You got the opportunity to do whateveryou want because you've really beat him
down the head. And that's astrue and can be as true in hockey
as it is basketball. Yeah,taking away the will of the other team,
that's question is exactly it a greatconversation as always. Are you still
around next week? Yep, local, yep, Yeah, you're kind of
back for a little while. I'mback then. Yeah, I keep forgetting,
(44:45):
I keep waiting for you to goagain. But all coming from the
lake, like somebody else will haveto grow the game in the summer in
Florida. It's time to do it. I've left some people in charge of
that. Now it's time to doit. You don't want to lieutenants there
having exactly it. Thank you,my friend, great stuff for Louie.
Outstanding work again today brought you byour good friends at Camps. Half hour
(45:06):
to go. We'll kind of setup the rest of the week. We
got a lot of good guests comingup, including one of them I'm looking
at right now on the ESPN screen, and a couple of text to get
to as well. In our finalthirty min Yeah, two decades in the
making. Your Wolves are in theWestern Conference finals. You can go how
with Nordo for a game one watchparty tomorrow night at the Freehouse starting at
(45:27):
six thirty pm. Great food,freehouse beer, Register to win great prizes
and go hang with Nordo. Fulldetails KFA dot com. We call a
(46:00):
couple of texts I wanted to getto in our closing half hour of today's
broadcast. This goes back to ourdiscussion, well it's baseball related. We
had Corey provis on between four thirtyand five, and we did not talk
with him about this particular issue.But the Dan from Maple Grove text the
(46:23):
following. My nephew's pitching tomorrow forthe Washington Nationals. Jake Irvin. He
was a twenty fifteen graduate of BloomingtonJefferson High School Jaguar and a three year
starter for the Oklahoma Sooners. Healso played a game or two for Team
USA. Great kid, or Ishould say, man, I'm glad he
got to that strip has a story. In fact, I think quoting him
(46:45):
as well, Patino couldn't keep himhome, huh. Not the only example
we can unbelievable Jake Irvin. That'stomorrow night, and based on the way
the Twins are hitting, he'll probablypitch a no hitter, Becca out like
the whole setup was for that.That was impressive. In all honesty,
it was I went local angle.But it's my agile mind. It's true,
(47:08):
my agile cheap shot. If you'reone the track. It's a way,
except I'm the mister positive on thegravy period that we're in. Although
I think Louis convinced me that,well, you don't have to series.
Well, but he's not saying thisseries. He's saying I know he is,
and I think you're saying this seriesget to the finals. But your
(47:30):
logic still perverse to me, becauseit's like, well, yeah, by
your logic, they were better offlosing to Denver in Game seven. I
agree, yeah, which is alittle strange, but I get the point.
I getibility. We're going to beat the Cage, Target Center Cage.
I'm very much looking forward to it. You and I will be there
tomorrow and Friday as well, andwe got a very good lineup. Johnny
(47:52):
Athletic is automatic obviously when we broadcastfrom location, he'll be there at three
thirty. We expect Mike Wilbon bythe phone, Michael Wilbond at three point
thirty, excuse me, four tothirty, and we're hoping this is still
Negotiations are ongoing, but I gota good feeling that we're going to get
at least a minute or two withTim Conley. The brains of the operation,
(48:13):
the president of basketball operations. Andthen you said, good chance we're
gonna get Mark Cuban by our locationas well, or did I am beellishing
a little bit there. I don'tthink I said good chance, but we're
definitely trying. Okay, we're definitelyefforting. We're efforting. Crazy Fresh Produce
is bringing us all the cage,yes, even out. So we appreciate
that new relationship and we hope it'slong and lasting, and we definitely are
(48:36):
thankful for their commitment to the biteat Crazy Fresh dot com. Friday.
Good chance also dropping by our locationat the cage. Kevin Harlan, we've
been talking about having on It didn'twork out a couple of days. Schedule
got kind of pear shaped, butwe think we got a very good chance.
They have Kevin Harlan at our cagelocation. And you also say fifty
(48:58):
to fifty on cag he's stopping bythe cage before game two, I mean,
if he's there, if he's showingup, which he told Stephen A.
Smith. I think last night thatkept me up for like forty five
minutes. By the way, becauseI saw somebody tweet. KG says he's
coming. Yeah, And I'm like, where where did he see? Where
did he say this? And somebodytried to tell us he's actually been back
more a couple more times than Iremembered. Is that true? Not in
(49:21):
a game at a game. Yeah, that's a couple of people try to
text me with that. There wassome event in twenty twenty he went to
twenty twenty. He might have beenI don't recall it. I do remember
him at some point some time,but he's also since then. Basically Jerry
killed it and said he never wantsto come back until Glenn Taylor doesn't on
(49:42):
the team. He did say inthe stephen A. Smith thing that we're
referencing, he gave a lot ofcredit to Mark Laurie and Alex Rodriguez for
changing the culture at Minnesota, basicallysaying they've brought some new excitement in.
They've they've gone out, Yeah,gone out. That's interesting. Yeah,
I found that to be interesting.You think he did it appear he was
going out of his way to doso. I thought as a jab at
the Yes, that's how I tookit, But I could also be projecting
(50:05):
because of the known background. Doyou have any contacts in Orlando, Orlando,
Florida. Orlando, Florida, particularlyas it pertains to the Magic.
I don't it's the home of theUsta Tennis Center, the national campus,
but I don't know anybody with Orlando. If you know, well, you
know, we do have a contactwith the Orlando Magic. He's been a
great guest on our show a coupleof times. Pat Williams, Oh yeah,
Oh. I think is still unofficiallysort of involved with the team.
(50:29):
I don't think he's got any realyou know, basketball decision making duties.
Somebody's got to tell or I'll justread you this note. I don't know
where this came from one of thenational sites. Have you vetted it and
make sure we're not getting onioned.Well, I don't think we're getting onioned
here. And it's too good topass up on any way. It's not
(50:50):
dangerous to report in a way thatwill regret. Orlando Magic are interested in
Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell, League sourcesto no It tells the Athletic Russell has
an eighteen point seven million dollar playeroption for the twenty twenty four twenty five
season he can opt out of ifhe chooses to test the open market.
(51:12):
To Orlando, I simply say this, don't do it. Don't touch him
all the good feeling. I mentionedthe list earlier today that Greeny had on
the five automatic slam dunk success storiesthis year in the NBA he had he
might have had the magic like oneor two. And he's right. They
(51:37):
emerge. They don't go far inthe playoffs, but they show, you
know, they get some experience doingit. Whatever good feeling, whatever,
ubuntu whatever camaraderie this young team hasestablished, you will kill it in moments
if you actually are stupid enough tosign d' angela Russell. And I know
(52:00):
the theory. The theory is theyneed another score. The theory is they
just need another guy who can givethem twenty. And we all Lord knows
the Angelo Russell can give you twenty, but he's also going to give you
a couple of incurable diseases as wellin your locker room. Oh my god.
So if anybody who's got connections there, please because I I kind of
(52:23):
like what that. Don't even havea local hangougs sugs? Yeah, defense,
do you have sugsy connections? Ifyou've got sugsy connections, somebody needs
to get to them and say whateveryou can in your position, Jalen,
you don't want this guy. Findanother scorer, find somebody who doesn't have
(52:44):
his baggage, because as a clutchpoints, one of these websites has finally
concluded that what's changed about the Wolvesover the last year in change, Let's
see largely the same people in thelineup. Maybe a little health theory in
the case of Cat, but whatelse has changed? Oh well, Delo
was their point guarded and now MikeColley's are point guarded. Alert the bleeping
(53:05):
media. It's Lindbergh baby material.Uh so, I I can't have I
made my Yeah you made, You'reasked me earlier. If there was,
it's such he'd be such a shame. You got a good fight. You
have BTU, a young form ofUbuntu in Orlando. You will kill Dlo
on Instagram what you're asking me about? Earlier he put out a picture of
(53:29):
the three former Wolves that are onthe Lakers. So I know it's Jared
Vanderbilt and it's him, and thenthere's one other princes and walking to the
airplane in their Lakers stuff, youknow, from the season, and it
said Minnesota Lakers and then he saidWolves in four. He's picking the Wolves
in four in the Western Conference finals. Rooms, and he's in the league.
(53:50):
He knows these teams. Yeah,there's no question he's locked in.
Nobody's got a better head for thegame than D'Angelo Russell. He does,
he just doesn't. He can't acton it, and he can't. He
just seems if it does act onit for three straight games, then he
I think in the spirit of bringingJR. Ryder and Tom Googliata back,
we should have del court side forgame one or two. Well, you
can argue he he brought the adultin the room without him. You don't
(54:12):
get the adult in the room arguing. You have been arguing yet, But
I'm not sure it's praiseworthy. Infact, it's enough to be wanted to
get us, Mikey on the basisof talent that you know, because Conley's
older in the tooth, that you'regoing, wait a minute, you should
actually get more because of the AngelaRussell's talent, but because the Angela Russell
has devalued his own talent because ofother issues. That's basically what you're gonna
(54:36):
end up with. Although literally weknow we were not just getting here.
We were getting your guy, nikielright, Yeah, who's been very good?
Not lately not lately. Like tosee something in this next series.
I think this might be the serieswe'll see got to bounce back. Let's
break. We'll wrap up the programand give you a couple other details on
what you missed earlier. You've gotany of these Wolves games, and you've
(54:57):
screamed in the Skyway studios. Whodo you who? At Max or Parker
Fox. The least you can donow is wear the shirt that Max Fuller
just had made, the Hoody Who'sshirt for the Western Conference Finals, with
options for both shipping to home orto pick up from us. Starting this
Thursday. You can get yours todayat kfa N dot com keyword Store.
Show Rap is brought to you byAmerican Pressure commercial grade pressure washers since nineteen
(55:20):
seventy five. It's the Bumper toBumper Show Rap. Is he getting his
max getting a percentage? I doubtit? We should. You're right,
come on, man, you're right, But I don't think did we get
dong show percentages? Well? Ifwe have, I I'm not sure I
detected it. Noticed. Maybe maybewe did and I didn't even realize it.
(55:45):
This might make you more nervous,I don't know. We had Mitch
Lawrence on who's now based in theDallas Fort Worth market, used to work
there when I was there at theDallas Morning News went to the New York
tabloids forever covered NBA there, nowhas moved back because it's life is from
the Dallas Fort Worth area. He'sgot the Wolves winning in six and the
(56:08):
predominant national prediction is Wolves winning thisseries. I think people should be encouraged
by it. I know the wayour psyches work here, they tend to
be more nervous about it. Butthat's the trend, and I think it's
a It's not I don't think it'sunanimous by any means. You're gonna have
(56:30):
some people picking Dallas, but it'spredominant. There's no question about all of
that. If you missed our discussionwith Mitch, we got in the weeds
on a good scouting report on whythe Mavericks are different from the conference final
title round finalists two years ago,especially on the defensive end, what some
(56:52):
of the challenges might be for theWolves, and we got into some other
good stuff with Mitch good conversation withCorey Provis on your wounded Minnesota Twins.
Who are they? Have they scoredyet? I haven't even looked. I
haven't either. I think the gamestarted at five point forty. I'm kind
of curious because Provis basically said ifthey if the Twins don't get runs tonight,
(57:15):
they might never score because the uhthey're up four zero, they got
two in the second team. Thereyou go. He was one hunter Pree,
so he's vindicated on this is thenight to get a little better offensively.
Buxton and Miranda with dongs really yes, seven game losing streak maybe about
to come to an end, we'llsee. And an outstanding hour with Luigi
(57:36):
on a number of subjects, hockey, Stanley Cup now that they were down
to the conference title round there aswell in both conference conferences, I should
say, but a lot of goodcarryover sort of stuff where the NBA and
the NHL kind of do overlap.And we got confirmation that Louie did not
watch the second half of the Wolvesgame seven comeback in part because of his
(58:00):
belief that, being the superstitious soulthat he is, there would actually a
better chance they'd come back and win, and they did. Who might argue
with them tomorrow from the cage?As we said, an outstanding guest lineup,
basketball heavy for all the obvious reasons. What do we doing with Kessler
tomorrow? He is actually off anyway, we talked earlier in the week.
He might he's on vacation. Okay, fair enough. Well, actually,
(58:22):
there's some good stuff to get toabout the madness of the state legislature,
but maybe we'll save that for alater occasion. Thanks for listening, Thanks
for watching. We'll talk to youtomorrow three from Target Center.
Just in case you missed it,it's the top five sports talkers of the
day. Now it's time for DanBurrero's Top five at five Blue Natty back
in studio. How long has itbeen since you've been in studio? A
month? Oh? A little longer? Too much? That was your March
(00:22):
day high school hockey term exactly,March. Show was going to see it
above March, and that was underduress. In fairness to you, you
were willing to do it last week, but because we switched days and you're
only going to be on for ashorter period, I didn't want to make
you make the drive. But soit could have been two straight weeks.
But it's good to have you back. You didn't bring very good weather with
today. Man. This is violentstuff with rain and a lot of I
(00:43):
think some a lot of high winds, thunderstorm, kind of a tornado activity,
and it's going to continue. Iguess still eight nine o'clock and I
might have to stay here. Withthese new mics, like the special,
we're really starting to come around.Luis happening treating you guys first class,
first class brought casters deserved, firstclass microphones. Lovel tells me that like
(01:06):
about a minute and a half ofour conversation with Provos was interrupted the by
the EES deal reguarding some tornadic activity. I see that popping on my little
scroll here, Yeah, gone onblue Earth. Maybeosed to be right now,
don't thought that that area down there? I think man Cato Ferreboell the
area you know, the underwatch.Anyway, it would seem to be a
(01:29):
night to pay attention, uh throughthrough several sections of the metro area and
beyond because here, you know,I don't know if it's more it's a
lot of rain, it looks like, and it was hard rain last night
as well. Guards you where wouldyou like to begin? Maybe we even
well, maybe we do a minibecause I I my clock management was crappy.
That's all right. Provost was good, it is great, and I
(01:51):
wanted to make sure we we wewanted to run that whole interview. But
anyway, and we don't have aton to get to we will mention.
Wolves. Got some news today thatfor the first time, there are not
one, but two Minnesota Timberwolves onall defensive teams. Rudy Gobert unanimous First
Team All Defense for the NBA andfor the first time Jaden McDaniels made a
squad. He makes the second teamalong with Alex Caruso, Jalen Suggs,
(02:15):
Drew Holliday, and Derek White.It's Anthony Davis straight there. That's a
good Those are some fine defenders.He's on that list. One the first
team is Anthony Davis, Gobert obviously, Herb Jones, bam Adebayou, and
Victor wembin Yama. Victor wembin Yama, and I think that is history.
He is now the sixth rookie inNBA history to make the All Defensive Team,
(02:38):
with all five earning second team nods. He's the first guy to make
the first team ever. I knewthere was some history in there. David
Robinson, a Newpaul Haquem eliju Wanand Karima Abdul Jabbar the other five Louis.
In the history of the Minnesota Timberwolvesuntil today, only two players had
ever made any All Defensive team likefirst, second, or third. So
(02:59):
that's like, you know, fifteenguys, only two in their history.
Garnette was won several times. JimmyButler, that's it. And they had
a lot of bad defenses that provethe point over the course of many generations,
and then that's I think it's notsurprising that this was This is obviously
the first year they've ever had twoon the All Defensive on the same team,
(03:20):
and obviously that's been their their callingcurrent from the start of the season.
To everybody who just reads about theirdefense, all of broadcasters all around
the country, doesn't matter what whoyou're listening, correct, TV broadcast that
they all are very complementary. We'regoing to get to your viewing patterns of
Game seven. We're gonna save thatfor a little later. I found that
rather entertaining. We'll save that forthe next segment. The All NBA teams
(03:44):
will be announced tomorrow tomorrow, sowe will have that for the top five
and five most likely tomorrow. I'mguessing Edwards his second second teams to maybe
maybe for the last time. Yeah, I mean, because again those these
are all voted on on the basisof the regular season correct, even though
the number the results are coming outnow. Game one of the Eastern Conference
Finals is tonight. You can watchit on ESPN. Boston TD Bank Garden
(04:08):
host the Celtics and the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics are favored by nine and
a half. Porzingis Is has alreadybeen ruled out, I believe of the
first two games. I don't knowbeyond that, And the feeling is that
I think in their perfect world theywould not play him at all in this
series if they may have to,but I think their preferences. Can you
(04:30):
win the series without them? Andthen you give them extra time to prepare
for the showdown series against the WolvesIn the NBA Finals, Twins are looking
to snap a seven game losing streakthey held the players only meeting. Roco
is publicly wondering why is Relievers sayingthings from a couple of nights ago,
My wife's hitters aren't adjusting. Mywife says that as a kindergarten teacher,
(04:53):
when there's bad behavior, they'll say, well, that was unexpected, you
know, to the kid, thisis unexpected behavior. That's basically Roco said
about Ran right. I was surprised. I was surprised to hear that.
But anyway, they lose last nightonce again, and now Joe Ryan is
in charge of stopping the streak againstthe pitcher that Corey provis said, if
not now, when, if wedon't Gatrick Corbyn. If we don't score
(05:14):
some runs tonight, he thinks weshould well I said, he said,
shut her down. That's not exactlywhat he said. I went a little
further than he did, but hedid say, if you're not going to
get something going offensively, it's goingto be very concerning tonight. First pitch
about a half an hour from nowthe fanombig deck dot com and give you
shots. Put a grain in yourhand. With our national cash contest.
You can enter the keyword bills atKFA dot com. That's how you enter.
(05:34):
Go to KFA dot com and enterthe keyword bills. So we got
the entire hour to stretch out withLuigi and studio. We'll definitely talk obviously
Stanley Cup playoffs, some thoughts therehis Game seven Timberwolves viewing experience in the
last round, and I want totalk with Louie about officiating as well,
(05:55):
and what seems to be a contrastbetween how much time is spent unofficials and
who's calling the game in basketball andhockey. All of that and more.
If you have text you have questionsfor Louie, hit the bratch on Brian
Cafe in text line six four sixeight six weeks around the world for a
(06:32):
ride down there in the world.No Nanny brought to you by Camps Louie
is in studio. If you're justjoining the program, you got questions for
him. As I mentioned, sixfour six eighty six is the bratch on
Brian k f a n text line. We will talk Stanley Cup playoffs is
(06:55):
a lot to catch a lot ofcatching up to do there. But I
do want to ask you what it'sa hockey question, But it's it's because
it's inspired by almost an obsession thatfans and to a certain degree in media
members have about, Okay, who'sthe officiating crew? Even going into Game
(07:16):
seven Wolves denvers like, oh,who's the officiating crew? Because the feeling
is it's going to tell the taleoften about how how often they're going to
blow the whistle. This notion thatthe Wolves need a looser whistle because they
are physical. Defense is their strength. They like to get into people,
and if you've got a crew that'scalling every other file, that that works
(07:38):
against them. We've talked a lotabout officiating in hockey over the years,
but I don't know if we've gottenthat. I remember us getting into this
subject so is there as much obsessionand much contrast between crews in the NHL
and the Stanley Cup playoffs regarding allthat crew No, they're no, they
call too much. Other crew theylet the game go. Do we have
(07:59):
that same kind of dressed in hockeythat we seem to talk about all the
time in basketball? Oh, wehad it. We I don't know if
they still do because I don't reallyget involved in what referees they got in
their games right now, I don'teven know most of the officials' names.
Whereas I knew them all, wherethey grew up, where they were born,
everything. I was obsessed with officials, you know, So yeah,
(08:22):
we we did. We didn't havepeople we thought, uh, when the
game was going to be called itthey would call less penalties and somebody else
and would call more penalties. Andthen there's always the fact that this guy
he really doesn't like us, youknow, yeah, which is conflicts personality
complex. You know, he talkedso much about Glenn and uh Nelson,
(08:45):
but you know they they I thinkevery sport probably has it because everybody tries
to analyze everything to get any edgethey can. And so we'll get right
down to officials. Like it doesn'thockey. I'm baseball right now. Look
at the balls and strict guys.They're talking about that all the time,
about which official as a wider platestrike range, et cetera. So I
(09:11):
just think that's part of sports.Yeah, it is, And what was
your philosophy with it with your coachesand players that there's that fine line,
that balancing act between acknowledging that itis part of the deal and even within
you know your power doing the thingsyou could do to try to gain an
(09:33):
edge because that's part of sports,and your team not wallowing in the officiating
to the point where it ends upaffecting the way they go about doing their
jobs, especially in the postseason.Well, I don't think we're any different
than anybody else. We didn't wantthe players getting involved with the officials for
first of all, the main reasonwe don't want them penalized, But on
top of that, we certainly don'twant them out of the game. It's
(09:54):
more important for them to be playingthan us to be coaching or managing or
whatever. So we tried to shielda player from that, even though it's
hard to do because when it's anoffense that was called on them, although
I will say this, we hadway more as players, We had made
(10:15):
way more range to react, andwith the officials they were easier to deal
with than air. Today. Wecould yell at them, swear at them,
and they would yell at you backand swear at you. You you
would not get to kind of youknow, unsports like Colton penalties they call
so quickly. Now why we hadmuch more leeway, you know, that's
(10:39):
something that I've tried to figure thatout because we thought at the time,
when we look back now, wethought, well, you know, the
officials were and especially a guy likeBill Friday, who just died two weeks
ago. He was like a showmanout there and he enjoyed doing it.
And it used to get the fansriled up. And you say, we're
all to sell tickets, so Ithink they had they had one, which
(11:05):
I think is really important, feelingthat people come to see the players.
So we don't want to throw themout of the game. We could penalize
them, but we want to givethem some leeway and they react to us
the way we react to them.But what changed is over the years,
and at that time, you know, we used to pay the misconduct penalties
for the players. Now the player'sgot to pay it themselves to start with,
(11:28):
and which is a big difference,because it doesn't matter if you make
a ton of money. You don'tlike paying five hundred thousand dollars for you
know, a call that was madeagainst you. Well, I think now
in this day and age, maybenot only in hockey, but all sports,
there's been a number of referees calledon the carpet because the players reported
(11:50):
them saying things or reacting in acertain way. So before we would never
say, well that guys said itto us or we said it to them.
You never saw that. But becauseit got a lot tighter, and
the players nowadays, and just youknow, I'm talking about the last twenty
years, some of them reacted andI because I've seen it, I've seen
(12:11):
it written up. But you know, well he swore at me first and
stuff like that which we would neverhave said before. So that you know,
obviously the official are reprimanded, maybeeven fine, that's never public.
So I think that leeway that youhad before was taken away because officials were
(12:31):
going to take a chance now ofthis thing happening between each other swearing back
and forth whatever, And it's unfortunatebecause I think the game benefited from the
show, the flamboyant that some officialshad and players back, and yet they
didn't, you know, throw themout of the game or even give him
(12:52):
a miscone. Occasionally you got twominutes, but that was it. So
I think that's a missing element ofthe game to me, because it is
a show, it is entertainment,you know some of that. One of
the theories that's been advanced, atleast in terms of NBA officials, because
I've heard the same lament from probasketball executives or former executives, And one
(13:15):
of the theories that's been advanced isthat you have that official there are too
that this is a generalization, butthat there's too many officials that are more
insecure that if you're secure in whatyou're doing, then you actually can live
with a little more byplay and evenconversation and even the sort of conversation that
can be an education about here's whyI call this or here's what you did
(13:35):
there, and that some of theofficials today they just won't they they don't
want to brook any of it.They take it too personally and as a
result, it's harder to sort ofnurture those sorts of inside relationships between players
and officials on the ice or onthe court. I think you're right that
some do take it more seriously.It really offends them. But the main
(14:00):
point you made first of all isprobably it some of them are insecure.
They don't feel as confident in theirability to argue their case if it came
to that in front of the headof officials or what have you. What's
really changed, and I know it'schanged in all sports right now, every
game and I'm sure it's in basketball, every game has got a supervisor of
(14:24):
officials that we never had that.There was never a supervisor official. You
know, there was the head guywho did the scheduling and hired the refs
or fired the refs. That wasit. Now every game you're at there's
a supervisor of officials. So they'recritiquing the officials performance, both referees and
linesman every game. So I'm surethat that even goes rolls into it as
(14:48):
to you know, the argument ofways of some players wasn't handled properly,
or you let them get away withtoo much or argue too much and took
too long. So it's just thefact that everything has been tightened up.
Like I said so many times,I would have been bankrupt being general manager
now because I used to go onthe officials room in between periods after the
(15:11):
game and they throw me out,and you know, and and that doesn't
like you. Yeah, I mean, lentz say there sending As I said,
they were having lunch the day beforegame in Boston. They called and
they said, we were just talkingabout you. If you were still in
the game today, you'd be bankrupt. And that's just you know, I
(15:33):
I got to tell you. AndI liked a lot of the guys after
the game and it was over,especially if they weren't referring my game.
But I I just uh, Ijust miss that. I I mean,
I I feel that it's unfortunate thatI had affordability to be able to do
(15:56):
this and and uh maybe leniency andthey don't have it today because that that
was a big part of the game. You know, that's how you really
develop relationships. And another thing,Dan, we used to travel with the
official. We didn't have chartered planes, so now teams have charged planes.
They never get to sit on aplane with an official who's maybe going from
(16:17):
your game in Minnieapolis to Colorado isgoing to work the next night. So
on the plane, you're giving thema little static and heat. You know,
you don't see the officials around likewe used to. We used to
see them in the restaurants and thebars. It just seems like they might.
Yeah, and they know you're morehuman. Good point, and you
get and you get a feel forthem and then for you. So we've
(16:38):
got a lot of ground to coverhere. I want to get you.
So we've got the we've got Likewith the NBA, we've got the conference
finals set up and that includes ofcourse Rangers and Panthers in the East and
Dallas and Edmonton in the west.Of these two series, if you had
to, which one are you lookingforward to more than the other? Far
(17:00):
and away with Florida and Rangers,there are two really deep teams and strong
all the way from goaltenders out.On the other side, you know,
Dallas should win, and they shouldwin handily. And saying that even with
Edmonton being able to score a lotof goals, because as we said before
in the show, that closer youget to the net, the worst Edmonton
(17:22):
is. And last night. Forfifteen minutes, Edmonton owned the game like
they did a couple of games atVancouver where they out shot them badly but
they still lost. They're winning threenothing and it should have been ten nothing.
Vancouver's goaltender was sensational, and thena turnover in the zone and the
right way a good goal. Garlandhad a great game, and it's three
(17:44):
to one and the last ten minuteswas all Vancouver, and then they scored
another goal. They had continued pressureon there and all they needed was a
quality chance and they never got aquality chance. They had one real good
opportunity five seconds to go. Millergets a pass who's you know, one
of the great players, and he'stwenty feet out in the slot, straight
(18:06):
on from the goaltender, and heslaps the puck and it hit the door
off and the ankle redly and theskate and veered off because one of the
views he had after you could seewas going right for the corner and it
would have gone in Wow, Andit would have been that kind of game
where Vancouver could have pulled it out. And the worst thing that happened to
Vancouver last night was brock Besser.We had sixteen Parker play goals. I
(18:27):
think drin Here had a blood clothe couldn't play last night, and he's
a leading goal scorer and not tohave him, and they were so ineffective
to start the game. They hada four minute power play and the best
shots were by Edmondon even had abreakaway. I think that in four minutes
they had one shot on goal,and that was really a telling part of
(18:48):
the game. Texture asks been alot of talk on this station and certainly
this show about defense, because that'skind of been the Timberwolves calling card.
So Texter from two to eight,asks for you, or asks you the
best defensive hockey team you ever saw, both league wide and North Stars slash
(19:11):
Wild. I think it was aseven fifty seventy eight Montreal Canadians. They
only lost eight games out of seventysix, and there was no crazy,
you know, just nuts. Andnot only that, they led in every
category and I think they even ledpenalty minutes. But you just didn't get
any checks. You know, whenyou look at their defense. They had
(19:34):
three or four Hall of Fame defensemanplus the Hall of Fame goaltender plus you
know, hall of Fame two Hallof Fame centers and wingmen. I mean
that team was just mind boggling,it was. It was so good.
How about wild Or Stars, NorthStars best defensive? Oh, I have
to think. You know, youhave to go back to Lemaire early years.
(20:00):
You know, he he did itwith one. They really they didn't
have the kind of expansion draft theyhave nowadays. You know, they were
picking eighteenth and yet his teams.Look at the goals against both both goaltenders
are always close to being up forVesda. You didn't get any chances.
I mean, he played a dull, boring game, but but his his
(20:22):
you know, his charge is towin games. His man, they don't
have to be pretty, and sopeople didn't like watching them on the road
very much. At home, youlike watching them because they may win the
game, which they were doing.But uh, he he was. He
was phenomenal the way he coached defenseand coached that team. Because you just
didn't get any opportunities. What's Lamarraup to these days? He's still scouting.
(20:48):
You know, he got very closeto Lamarillo, won a Cup of
Lamarillo coaching for him, and afterhe left a while, he went back.
He wasn't gonna work. He wentback and he worked I think in
Montreal, but then he went backto Lamarillo and and he worked for Lamorrel
all over. And he's living inAnamory Island and which is right outside of
Tampa, beautiful place. He doessome scouting. He keeps in touch.
(21:14):
When I was in broadcast in awild Game to see with lamerl Louis was
telling me, oh, you knowhow Jacques and he talked and confirm stuff
like that. So he stays closeto Lamarilo, but I think closer to
Lamoral than the game. Because ifit wasn't for uh Louis Jock, would
he want to be working. Hejust way fishing there in the gulf and
(21:37):
enjoying that. I'd say, he'sgot to be seventy nine. I'm going
to be Yeah. Last I heardhe was yeah. Yeah. He had
a fire at his house which afew years ago which she was not good
in Anna Marie Island at a lotof damage. But I got that back.
(21:57):
But he uh, you know,he's had some ailments. I can't
remember what they were, and anduh, he slowed down a bit,
but he's still he's still watches thegames. And just like Scotti, Bowman
lives in Sarasota. He goes toevery game. He goes to every game.
Why do all the hockey guys retiredof Florida not like Arizona? Why
(22:18):
is Florida Because they're they're trying tobuild a game up down there. Of
course you are got to be it. I want to like you, you
want to see if you can makeit. Yeah, that's it. They're
building a new ice rink. Retzky'sinvolved in it in in North Palm Beach
right now. A big guys wantto grow the game. Yeah, that's
the best thing you've ever said.So that's one, ambassadors. That's how
you can't help yourself. It's easyto help grow the game and build a
(22:41):
rink when you don't pay state aswell. You know what happens. I
think we've been so cold, likeyou need the contrast. You're tired of
being chilling also playing freezing. Well, that's too good. That is so
good. Jack Lamar is seventy eightyears old. Seventy right there, results
are right there by the way.We talked about this last week and it
came to fruition. We talked aboutthe nineteen eighty nine to ninety Minnesota north
(23:07):
Stars. They lost. They wongames one and two on the road,
lost games three and four at homeand ended up and then lost game five.
Won the last two games in thisseries, just like the Timberwolves wrapped
up against Denver, the only twotimes in the history of Minnesota pro sports
(23:27):
where it's followed that pattern and youget your club blazed the trail the and
the Timberwolves couse they were inspired by. It's just funny that it worked out
exactly the same way, both teamslosing five, so down three games to
two, you got to win thelast two north Stars win at home and
then shot the world in Montreal.Montreal defending champions in fact four straight years
(23:49):
up until then Denver. Same thing. Wolves have to win at home and
then and and beat Denver here inDenver, and Denver was also the defending
champ. Is this crazy how thatworks? How history occasionally repeats itself.
That was seventy nine eighty, Yeah, yeah, exactly, yeah that you
know those twenty seven nineteen eighty wasthe game seven. Yeah, my brother's
(24:11):
birthday, And you reminded us lastweek. You saw almost none of it
in the forum because you couldn't handleit. So you're in the concourse,
just listening to sounds as cues forwhat's taking place. And you remind me
that Game seven Timberrowls Nuggets. Youdidn't watch that either, but you weren't
waiting for sounds. You turned itoff at halftime. Is that correct?
(24:32):
Well, the North Stars, Iwatched the first two periods. I couldn't
watch a third third exactly. TheTimberrolves. I watched it first half and
then they knew I had to turnit off. And I watched a movie
with Liam Nice and made it aNitley. My wife and I liked that.
In nine thirty, I said watchthis because I just knew they this
could work. And I punched youin Twitter, and I see a posting
(24:55):
from Randy Shaver about somebody's gonna haveto stay outside Wednesday United at the game
they won. So hey, Ido that in all sports. So is
that's the superstitious part of louis notnecessary? You're disgusted by the performance,
You're going, I'll turn it offand guess what great things might happen?
Yeah? And they did. Yeah, I mean I do that watching golf.
(25:17):
If I want somebody to win watchingthe Twins, I've done. I
just channels or I have. Youknow, I'm not obsessive compulsive as much
I used to be. But likeI told my wife, I reserve the
right to revert. I had torevert at that time. Let me ask
you the gravy question we were talkingabout earlier in the show. So,
the Wolves have won the first tworounds to reach the final four in the
(25:41):
NBA Playoffs. They swept Phoenix,a team that a lot of people thought
it was a bad matchup for them, and they dominated them. They take
Denver to seven and get the jobdone. They are historic in destroying them
by forty five in Game six.And then, for the first time ever,
(26:02):
a team that's down fifteen or moreat the half comes back and wins
a Game seven, and they doit on the road. That's never happened
for an NBA history. So thequestion on the table is is everything the
Wolves do from here gravy? Inother words, have they already done enough
to say this is a huge breakthroughseason, This is a successful season period,
(26:26):
full stop, and that now we'rein the gravy period. If you
go on and can win the nextone. And obviously win the NBA Finals,
then that's everything, but that theydon't have to win another series,
even though they're favored, they don'thave to win another series. And for
this team, for this season tobe a wildly successful season, what do
(26:47):
you buy the gravy theory, Well, they don't have to win another to
be wildly successful. But that's notthe way you have to look at it.
You never know when you're going toget this opportunity again. I still
remember in eighty one and when welost out to the Islanders, and the
first thing I thought of after thegame was not what a good season we
added we got to do this allover again to get back to this place
(27:11):
next year? You know? Canwe do it? And and the Wolves
are in that situation right now wherethey are in a situation where it takes
so much to get to where theyare. You can't even say I'm satisfied.
You can't look at it that way. And I don't look at that
way because I really think, Ireally think after the Phoenix series said that
(27:33):
I believe they're going to win itall. And last night when I did
turn it off, I'm thinking,geez, what an idiot. I thought
they're gonna win it all. They'regoing to get beat like this said bad
and I turned off, and thenand then when I turned on, they
won. The first thing I thoughtof, wonder George Carl's thinking now,
because George Carl said before the gamethat I read, he says, well,
you know, the champs are goingto come home and be able to
(27:56):
do it. And Jamal Murray isto be the best player on the floor,
which he was and at least aspart the half that I saw,
Yeah, yeah, he cooled offin the second half. So I was
going to say, well, Carlwas right about that, but he was
right about who won. And theTimberls right now are in a situation where
(28:17):
you have to look at the otherthing. Things are unfolding the same way
they did for the US Olympic teamin nineteen eighty. The teams that they
would have to play or beat theydon't have to face anymore now. And
look at the next kid. I'dlike to see Jimmy Dolan when he's feeling
like he goes nuts in New York, Yes, getting upset by Indiana and
(28:37):
now and and you know, Boston, whether having their best player out for
two games is going to make themlose, and if they don't lose,
will he be able to come backanyway? I mean, it just seems
to be unfolding the way you wantedto unfold, you know, Denver.
I mean, Dallas now was thethird seed in the conference or something,
fifth, fifth, So they're notcatching the better teams anymore. And this
(29:03):
is their run, this is theiropportunity, and I can't see anybody beaten.
So it's the old sees the moment. Yeah, yeah, this is
it. I mean, we knowthat this is a team that if the
if the stability remains, if TimConley stays the bulk, you know,
the heart of the roster is notold at all. Conley's older, but
(29:23):
you know, you've got a lotof players who still have a lot of
years, but you still can't lookat like well. So in other words,
we're gonna have several more bites atthe apple. That might be true,
but you never know. Injuries haveinjuries, the controversies take place,
somebody else rises up, the pathgets tougher. So you're saying, grab
(29:45):
it, don't wait, no,this is it, this is it.
I I don't, I don't.I'm not going to better on anything.
But I would give odds on thisthat they're going to win this. I
don't, I don't. I don'treally have any any thoughts. That's I
don't know what's going to beat him. You know, Miami's out now,
but well Boston, Boston is ascapable if they're healthy, but they're down
(30:07):
still. Porzingis was played great forthem this year and he has not yet
played in the postseason. Yeah,that's yeah, that's the cards are full
of falling the way you want themto fall, and I just think that
they can't be satisfied. And Ilove the way. I don't know if
you saw that, because when Iturned back when I saw the one,
and then I turned back to seethe uh you know, the press conference
(30:30):
in that, and I love theway to coach, who I think is
phenomenal for Chris Finch. Yeah,where he said, yeah, we should
win, we got the best playerin the planet. That was words like
that. I did say. Thatwas the word when you have a coach
that believes and knows like that,he knows what he's got and he makes
you comfortable feeling that, Yeah,this is the Timberwolves year, They're going
(30:52):
to win it. He talked abouthis team starting with the best player in
the planet. And and you don'tsay that if you're coach, knowing that,
you're not gonna say I got FrankMcGee here and the best player on
the planet when the other team's gotConnor mcdats right, right, Yeah,
whatever it is. He's confident inhis statements and and he makes you believe
(31:15):
that he knows what he's got andthey should win. He wasn't surprised that
they, like he said, hewasn't surprised they would come back to do
it. Neither was Aunt in hispress conference saying he said, we do
this, this and this, we'regonna win. If we don't, we
lose. And it was very cutand dry, and you see all this
happening. Other thing, I think, you know, the only Paul you
got over there is and it's theerase it all as the ownership going to
(31:37):
come out. You know, nobodytalks about this anymore. And it's a
me who's going to accept the trophy? Yeah, it's actually doing. Are
they going to have the trophy tothe commissioner? Do you have a fight
on the floor before it might bethat would be the best thing. Let's
pause here plenty more time with Louie. Keep the text coming, a lot
more ground to cover. Louie inStudio, brought to you by kem Man
(31:59):
All the hipster road this week forthe charts Challenge, Punishment and keep up
with them on our social channels ashe makes his way from Philadelphia to Los
Angeles. For a full list ofstops analysts of all the great products he's
bringing with him, head over toCafe dot com slash road Trip. Many
is still in studio with us.All right, let's get for the record,
(32:23):
who you're picking, Rangers Panthers,and you expect you've already said the
Stars to dominate Edmonton, correct?Right? What about the East? You
know I picked when we started thisFlorida and against Dallas, and I said
New York's my dark horse. Sonow I'm in that position. Do I
(32:45):
still feel that way? I don'tknow. I'm starting to waiver because Sisterkin
is keeping the goaltending up the wayhe has, and both these teams,
both of them are great offense andalso check and play defense, play physical,
and I'm I'm wondering if this isthe Rangers Timberwolves year. That's that's
(33:09):
what all of a sudden thinking,are we gonna have a Christier because normally
I would say Florida for sure,they experienced last year winning. They got
the kind of two way player andbark Off. You know, it's a
great offensively, great defensively, youknow, both ways, just like like
Anthony Edwards doesn't in basketball. Andthe goaltending. You know, Bob Rosky's
(33:36):
wasn't as good in the first seriesis getting better, and his goaltending last
year with what really brought Florida tothe finals. So I guess I got
to say with Florida Dallas, II but I would not be surprised enow
if New York comes through and asan unimaginable year. So Game one of
(33:58):
the East is tomorrow night. Correct, what's today's twenty yeah, yeah,
yeah, that's on ESPN. Okay, the two way player. There's a
lot of talk about this in basketball, and a lot of the accolades that
Anthony Edwards gets, as we weretalking about during the break, is he's
a twenty two year old scorer whoprides himself on guarding, has the ability
(34:21):
to guard. That's some of it, but also the will, the interest
in guarding. He seems to relishthe notion of okay, I got Kyrie
Irving in this series or whatever theywere, you know, whatever they ask
him to do. And even inthe in the game seven, he missed
eighteen to twenty four shots. Soit's the old cliche about all right,
I'll do other things. I gottado other things, so I will continue
(34:42):
to guard. I'll continue to dothe other things. He did a great
job on Murray in the second half. So give me some of the best
two way hockey players you've ever seen. It's a little funkier because you've got
literally, you know, you gotpositions of defense and and and and and
(35:04):
uh forwards. But I assume still, even if you're talking about forwards,
there's a defensive component to it attheir best. So gimme, well,
I'll just ask a fly on who'sthe best two way hockey player you ever
saw. I don't know the bestbecause there's so many good ones past.
Patrice berger On for this day andage in the last twenty years is as
(35:24):
good as there was. He's wonnumerous maybe four or five six Selkies.
By the way, let's not forgetwe've got one really good here. Eric
Sineka is really a great two wayhockey player, and I love the way
he plays. But Jock Lamayer wasa great two way hockey player. And
when you think Bob Gainey was agreat two way hockey player, uh,
(35:46):
you know to try and just MarkMassier is a great too. Was Wayne
Gretzky a great two way hockey player, Well, he wasn't as great defensively,
you know, when when you're thinkingdefense, you're also thinking engaging boards.
Retzky was always no. But MarkMessier was. Mark Messi was a
(36:08):
phenomenal to way hockey player because,uh, I don't know if he liked
defense better offense, because when thegames got tight, you know, he
was going to run right through yourwhatever it was. And yet he had
the capability to get its forty fiftygoals whatever. You know, he one
of the greatest scores of all time. So he's another guy like that.
Those kind of guys, they theyjust seemed to put a team on their
(36:34):
back. You know when when Russiaplayed, and that's when they had the
best team of all in the worldthat people were saying outside of the NHL,
and maybe the best team inside theNHL, And they had that great
New Year's Eve game won nothing.Montreal won in Montreal. It was an
unbelievable game. And the Russians,the Russian coach came out. It is
(37:00):
Bob Gainey's the greatest player in theworld because he was so good defensively,
and you know, Gainey could scoregoals nothing like patrese Berger on right,
but he's also so good defensively.So there's been guys that you know that
are heralded because their defense does justwhat you have heard your saying radio here
(37:22):
so often the timrolves it won't wintill they get better defense. Defense wins
these games and wins these games.And it's it's like Conor McDavid has been
the best player in the world sevenyears. What's he in the league?
Eight nine years he's been the bestplayer in the world. He hasn't won
anything yet. And I don't thinkhe's gonna win this year because he is
(37:44):
he hasn't got the ability to doit offensively and defensively. He you know,
it's a big difference right now onthat team. Right now, the
best two way player is dry Settleand last night he put on the clinic
defense and he was one of thereasons why they won. So it's it's
a guy usually's many times is notthe best defensive player, but the defense
(38:07):
brings him up in that realm becausedefense is so important. He's got some
offense in. Yeah, he's gotto have some ability there with the defense
elevation obviously, Bobby Orr. Yeah, that's a defense to touch him.
He could he could have been agreat forward, could he not? Bobby
or could have done anything? Idon't know how could Yeah he could.
I don't even know if he couldn'thave been a great goal exactly. Mean,
(38:29):
I've never heard that kind of athlete, but like that. Yeah,
when you when you have those kindof hand eye skales and quickness and and
competitiveness, you know, you thinkhe could succeed at anything. Yeah.
By the way, we've got anomination for a state fair t shirt.
State Fair is not that far off, as you know, Louis. How
(38:52):
about this state fair t shirt ideafrom Dan out of Rochester, Florida,
where you can learn hockey top taxfree Florida, where you can learn hockey
tax free or grow the game taxfree. Either one that might be a
good one. Tax deferred earnings,grow the game. We might be able
to well give you a percentage onthat as well. Well. Just something
(39:15):
to think about. Thought, it'sa good thing. It's something to think
about. Ray And Hopkins asks helooked up the eight lost Canadian team.
See they had twelve ties. Doyou does Louis like the shootout? That's
Rayan Hopkins. I don't like toshootout. I didn't think so. I
it's a novelty, it's something.But I wish, and I've said this
(39:37):
on this program, that if they'regoing to play overtime three and three,
I wish they'd expanded to ten minutesbecause I think you get ninety five percent
of the games, maybe even morefinishing in with three and three, which
I'm you know, I'm really noteven a fan of three and three,
that's true, But the only reasonwhy you do it is because you have
so many games, eighty games thatteams are paying back to back so much.
(39:59):
They have to get it out,get on the plane, get to
another city. That's why they firstcame with the shootout, and that's why
you know the three and three isthere to maybe give him a little taste
of actual hockey. But I,you know, I just would rather see
five and five. But you can'tplay it all when you're playing eighty two
(40:20):
games. But I will tell youthat obviously we all are moved by great
offensive skill. But for me,there is nothing as pleasurable as watching a
great defensive team go to work onanother team and literally take the will away
from them, take stuff away fromthem. We didn't play the sound by
yesterday guards. I don't know ifyou pulled it, but there was a
(40:45):
the cat gets the late slam followthat kind of you know, punctuated the
victory or you're pretty much ensured theWolves were going to win. And I
hadn't watched the video of it.He there are no fewer than three then
Nuggets who are nearer to the basketthan Towns Is and exactly, and none
(41:07):
of them give any thought to doinganything like blocking out. And that's on
the other side of the floor.But I think that's because that team by
that point was so frustrated and soworn down by what the Wolves kept bringing
defensively that they were they had checkedout. The game was not over technically
(41:28):
then, but they acted like itwas. They just basically this is they
just stood there all three like statuesand looked at I wonder if that's going
to go in towns goes around twoof them and dunkson on the follow up,
and I think that's a testament towhat That's why I love watching great
defense the way and as you mentioned, I've harped on it for decades.
In this town. The Wolves suckeddefensively so much of the time. Wasn't
(41:50):
this they were mediocre, they wereawful. They took nothing away from anybody.
And to have a team that doesthat, I think that's for me,
that's more pleasurable than you know,Aunt on a dunk, or Aunt
hitting a three, or Jade McDaniel'sgetting a corner, you know a three
point Well, you know it's plasureball for the fans as well. Look
at how many times he get excitedwhen fans see their player blocking a shot,
(42:12):
yes, or stealing the ball,or double teaming guy and stealing at
the center. I'll give you thebest example of frustration over good defense was
when we were playing in Winnipeg inthe Centennial Tournament. Was it was January
of nineteen sixty eight and we wereplaying the Russians and seventy eight minutes into
(42:34):
the game, the game's going on, and Mariuci's standing right behind me with
coaches at the time, and hethrew a puck in the ice. Well,
the game was going on, andthe referee, Jamal Murray, the
referee, blew the whistles. Whatthe hell do you think you're doing?
He did it first, yeah,and what do you think you're doing?
And Marychie says, we want toplay too, I mean, can you
(42:55):
That's what he's told the referee.He's like, he didn't give us a
penalty, but so frustrated as wecouldn't get the puck. And that's what
great defense does. As well saidrustrates you so much. You don't know
what it does to some people's minds. Our coach flipped out. I mean,
you can't tell, because defense reallymakes you feel power. And that's
(43:17):
also why I was never offended bythe Lamar approach. I could still why
I get it. It wasn't greatoffense, but man, it's masterful defense.
Any if you watch the ANT threevideo that put him up by ten,
which by the way, I've watchedno fewer than probably five hundred times.
Even during the show put to music, Celine dion Hart will go on
the Titanic music by Jimmy Knutson andKing of the Roofs. If you watch
(43:38):
Ants three to reverse what you saidabout the cat thing, watch Jaden and
Rudy getting themselves in position in casethere was a miss, because Jayden kind
of got pushed around by Jokic andhe was To reverse your point, like,
those guys were totally locked in.And I've watched it five hundred times,
so I've watched every person on thecourt a million times, including a
(44:00):
and I'm like episode three, seventyfive, I go, Jayden was still
there, like he was still thereto try to get the rebound, but
Aunt buried it so it didn't matter. And that's and that's what you get
when you get a team that's ontop of the game, playing great defense
and hungry and hungry. It's it'sreally a good offense as well. And
you you just have gotten you've willed. You know, you've got your will.
(44:23):
You got the opportunity to do whateveryou want because you've really beat him
down the head. And that's astrue and can be as true in hockey
as it is basketball. Yeah,taking away the will of the other team,
that's question is exactly it a greatconversation as always. Are you still
around next week? Yep, local, yep, Yeah, you're kind of
back for a little while. I'mback then. Yeah, I keep forgetting,
(44:45):
I keep waiting for you to goagain. But all coming from the
lake, like somebody else will haveto grow the game in the summer in
Florida. It's time to do it. I've left some people in charge of
that. Now it's time to doit. You don't want to lieutenants there
having exactly it. Thank you,my friend, great stuff for Louie.
Outstanding work again today brought you byour good friends at Camps. Half hour
(45:06):
to go. We'll kind of setup the rest of the week. We
got a lot of good guests comingup, including one of them I'm looking
at right now on the ESPN screen, and a couple of text to get
to as well. In our finalthirty min Yeah, two decades in the
making. Your Wolves are in theWestern Conference finals. You can go how
with Nordo for a game one watchparty tomorrow night at the Freehouse starting at
(45:27):
six thirty pm. Great food,freehouse beer, Register to win great prizes
and go hang with Nordo. Fulldetails KFA dot com. We call a
(46:00):
couple of texts I wanted to getto in our closing half hour of today's
broadcast. This goes back to ourdiscussion, well it's baseball related. We
had Corey provis on between four thirtyand five, and we did not talk
with him about this particular issue.But the Dan from Maple Grove text the
(46:23):
following. My nephew's pitching tomorrow forthe Washington Nationals. Jake Irvin. He
was a twenty fifteen graduate of BloomingtonJefferson High School Jaguar and a three year
starter for the Oklahoma Sooners. Healso played a game or two for Team
USA. Great kid, or Ishould say, man, I'm glad he
got to that strip has a story. In fact, I think quoting him
(46:45):
as well, Patino couldn't keep himhome, huh. Not the only example
we can unbelievable Jake Irvin. That'stomorrow night, and based on the way
the Twins are hitting, he'll probablypitch a no hitter, Becca out like
the whole setup was for that.That was impressive. In all honesty,
it was I went local angle.But it's my agile mind. It's true,
(47:08):
my agile cheap shot. If you'reone the track. It's a way,
except I'm the mister positive on thegravy period that we're in. Although
I think Louis convinced me that,well, you don't have to series.
Well, but he's not saying thisseries. He's saying I know he is,
and I think you're saying this seriesget to the finals. But your
(47:30):
logic still perverse to me, becauseit's like, well, yeah, by
your logic, they were better offlosing to Denver in Game seven. I
agree, yeah, which is alittle strange, but I get the point.
I getibility. We're going to beat the Cage, Target Center Cage.
I'm very much looking forward to it. You and I will be there
tomorrow and Friday as well, andwe got a very good lineup. Johnny
(47:52):
Athletic is automatic obviously when we broadcastfrom location, he'll be there at three
thirty. We expect Mike Wilbon bythe phone, Michael Wilbond at three point
thirty, excuse me, four tothirty, and we're hoping this is still
Negotiations are ongoing, but I gota good feeling that we're going to get
at least a minute or two withTim Conley. The brains of the operation,
(48:13):
the president of basketball operations. Andthen you said, good chance we're
gonna get Mark Cuban by our locationas well, or did I am beellishing
a little bit there. I don'tthink I said good chance, but we're
definitely trying. Okay, we're definitelyefforting. We're efforting. Crazy Fresh Produce
is bringing us all the cage,yes, even out. So we appreciate
that new relationship and we hope it'slong and lasting, and we definitely are
(48:36):
thankful for their commitment to the biteat Crazy Fresh dot com. Friday.
Good chance also dropping by our locationat the cage. Kevin Harlan, we've
been talking about having on It didn'twork out a couple of days. Schedule
got kind of pear shaped, butwe think we got a very good chance.
They have Kevin Harlan at our cagelocation. And you also say fifty
(48:58):
to fifty on cag he's stopping bythe cage before game two, I mean,
if he's there, if he's showingup, which he told Stephen A.
Smith. I think last night thatkept me up for like forty five
minutes. By the way, becauseI saw somebody tweet. KG says he's
coming. Yeah, And I'm like, where where did he see? Where
did he say this? And somebodytried to tell us he's actually been back
more a couple more times than Iremembered. Is that true? Not in
(49:21):
a game at a game. Yeah, that's a couple of people try to
text me with that. There wassome event in twenty twenty he went to
twenty twenty. He might have beenI don't recall it. I do remember
him at some point some time,but he's also since then. Basically Jerry
killed it and said he never wantsto come back until Glenn Taylor doesn't on
(49:42):
the team. He did say inthe stephen A. Smith thing that we're
referencing, he gave a lot ofcredit to Mark Laurie and Alex Rodriguez for
changing the culture at Minnesota, basicallysaying they've brought some new excitement in.
They've they've gone out, Yeah,gone out. That's interesting. Yeah,
I found that to be interesting.You think he did it appear he was
going out of his way to doso. I thought as a jab at
the Yes, that's how I tookit, But I could also be projecting
(50:05):
because of the known background. Doyou have any contacts in Orlando, Orlando,
Florida. Orlando, Florida, particularlyas it pertains to the Magic.
I don't it's the home of theUsta Tennis Center, the national campus,
but I don't know anybody with Orlando. If you know, well, you
know, we do have a contactwith the Orlando Magic. He's been a
great guest on our show a coupleof times. Pat Williams, Oh yeah,
Oh. I think is still unofficiallysort of involved with the team.
(50:29):
I don't think he's got any realyou know, basketball decision making duties.
Somebody's got to tell or I'll justread you this note. I don't know
where this came from one of thenational sites. Have you vetted it and
make sure we're not getting onioned.Well, I don't think we're getting onioned
here. And it's too good topass up on any way. It's not
(50:50):
dangerous to report in a way thatwill regret. Orlando Magic are interested in
Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell, League sourcesto no It tells the Athletic Russell has
an eighteen point seven million dollar playeroption for the twenty twenty four twenty five
season he can opt out of ifhe chooses to test the open market.
(51:12):
To Orlando, I simply say this, don't do it. Don't touch him
all the good feeling. I mentionedthe list earlier today that Greeny had on
the five automatic slam dunk success storiesthis year in the NBA he had he
might have had the magic like oneor two. And he's right. They
(51:37):
emerge. They don't go far inthe playoffs, but they show, you
know, they get some experience doingit. Whatever good feeling, whatever,
ubuntu whatever camaraderie this young team hasestablished, you will kill it in moments
if you actually are stupid enough tosign d' angela Russell. And I know
(52:00):
the theory. The theory is theyneed another score. The theory is they
just need another guy who can givethem twenty. And we all Lord knows
the Angelo Russell can give you twenty, but he's also going to give you
a couple of incurable diseases as wellin your locker room. Oh my god.
So if anybody who's got connections there, please because I I kind of
(52:23):
like what that. Don't even havea local hangougs sugs? Yeah, defense,
do you have sugsy connections? Ifyou've got sugsy connections, somebody needs
to get to them and say whateveryou can in your position, Jalen,
you don't want this guy. Findanother scorer, find somebody who doesn't have
(52:44):
his baggage, because as a clutchpoints, one of these websites has finally
concluded that what's changed about the Wolvesover the last year in change, Let's
see largely the same people in thelineup. Maybe a little health theory in
the case of Cat, but whatelse has changed? Oh well, Delo
was their point guarded and now MikeColley's are point guarded. Alert the bleeping
(53:05):
media. It's Lindbergh baby material.Uh so, I I can't have I
made my Yeah you made, You'reasked me earlier. If there was,
it's such he'd be such a shame. You got a good fight. You
have BTU, a young form ofUbuntu in Orlando. You will kill Dlo
on Instagram what you're asking me about? Earlier he put out a picture of
(53:29):
the three former Wolves that are onthe Lakers. So I know it's Jared
Vanderbilt and it's him, and thenthere's one other princes and walking to the
airplane in their Lakers stuff, youknow, from the season, and it
said Minnesota Lakers and then he saidWolves in four. He's picking the Wolves
in four in the Western Conference finals. Rooms, and he's in the league.
(53:50):
He knows these teams. Yeah,there's no question he's locked in.
Nobody's got a better head for thegame than D'Angelo Russell. He does,
he just doesn't. He can't acton it, and he can't. He
just seems if it does act onit for three straight games, then he
I think in the spirit of bringingJR. Ryder and Tom Googliata back,
we should have del court side forgame one or two. Well, you
can argue he he brought the adultin the room without him. You don't
(54:12):
get the adult in the room arguing. You have been arguing yet, But
I'm not sure it's praiseworthy. Infact, it's enough to be wanted to
get us, Mikey on the basisof talent that you know, because Conley's
older in the tooth, that you'regoing, wait a minute, you should
actually get more because of the AngelaRussell's talent, but because the Angela Russell
has devalued his own talent because ofother issues. That's basically what you're gonna
(54:36):
end up with. Although literally weknow we were not just getting here.
We were getting your guy, nikielright, Yeah, who's been very good?
Not lately not lately. Like tosee something in this next series.
I think this might be the serieswe'll see got to bounce back. Let's
break. We'll wrap up the programand give you a couple other details on
what you missed earlier. You've gotany of these Wolves games, and you've
(54:57):
screamed in the Skyway studios. Whodo you who? At Max or Parker
Fox. The least you can donow is wear the shirt that Max Fuller
just had made, the Hoody Who'sshirt for the Western Conference Finals, with
options for both shipping to home orto pick up from us. Starting this
Thursday. You can get yours todayat kfa N dot com keyword Store.
Show Rap is brought to you byAmerican Pressure commercial grade pressure washers since nineteen
(55:20):
seventy five. It's the Bumper toBumper Show Rap. Is he getting his
max getting a percentage? I doubtit? We should. You're right,
come on, man, you're right, But I don't think did we get
dong show percentages? Well? Ifwe have, I I'm not sure I
detected it. Noticed. Maybe maybewe did and I didn't even realize it.
(55:45):
This might make you more nervous,I don't know. We had Mitch
Lawrence on who's now based in theDallas Fort Worth market, used to work
there when I was there at theDallas Morning News went to the New York
tabloids forever covered NBA there, nowhas moved back because it's life is from
the Dallas Fort Worth area. He'sgot the Wolves winning in six and the
(56:08):
predominant national prediction is Wolves winning thisseries. I think people should be encouraged
by it. I know the wayour psyches work here, they tend to
be more nervous about it. Butthat's the trend, and I think it's
a It's not I don't think it'sunanimous by any means. You're gonna have
(56:30):
some people picking Dallas, but it'spredominant. There's no question about all of
that. If you missed our discussionwith Mitch, we got in the weeds
on a good scouting report on whythe Mavericks are different from the conference final
title round finalists two years ago,especially on the defensive end, what some
(56:52):
of the challenges might be for theWolves, and we got into some other
good stuff with Mitch good conversation withCorey Provis on your wounded Minnesota Twins.
Who are they? Have they scoredyet? I haven't even looked. I
haven't either. I think the gamestarted at five point forty. I'm kind
of curious because Provis basically said ifthey if the Twins don't get runs tonight,
(57:15):
they might never score because the uhthey're up four zero, they got
two in the second team. Thereyou go. He was one hunter Pree,
so he's vindicated on this is thenight to get a little better offensively.
Buxton and Miranda with dongs really yes, seven game losing streak maybe about
to come to an end, we'llsee. And an outstanding hour with Luigi
(57:36):
on a number of subjects, hockey, Stanley Cup now that they were down
to the conference title round there aswell in both conference conferences, I should
say, but a lot of goodcarryover sort of stuff where the NBA and
the NHL kind of do overlap.And we got confirmation that Louie did not
watch the second half of the Wolvesgame seven comeback in part because of his
(58:00):
belief that, being the superstitious soulthat he is, there would actually a
better chance they'd come back and win, and they did. Who might argue
with them tomorrow from the cage?As we said, an outstanding guest lineup,
basketball heavy for all the obvious reasons. What do we doing with Kessler
tomorrow? He is actually off anyway, we talked earlier in the week.
He might he's on vacation. Okay, fair enough. Well, actually,
(58:22):
there's some good stuff to get toabout the madness of the state legislature,
but maybe we'll save that for alater occasion. Thanks for listening, Thanks
for watching. We'll talk to youtomorrow three from Target Center.
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