Youth Sports, LeBron Watch!! - Bumper to Bumper 7/7/26 Hour Two

Bumper to Bumper with Dan Barreiro!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:08):
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Speaker 2 (00:31):
A lot of texts I want to get to as
I expected, Bradshaw, Brian Kfe and text line six' four
six eighty. Six if you have some, Talkbacks i'd love
to get to a few of those as. WELL i
know they've been coming. In iHeartRadio, app microphone. Icon you've
got thirty. Seconds how do we fix? It does it need?
Fixing what's the? Solution where's the middle? Ground we're talking
about THE u sports development issues. Conundrums maybe it's a

(00:54):
PROBLEM i don't, know but it's definitely something THAT i
think a lot of us think about to find exactly
the right sweet spot for the right kind of participation
for our. KIDS i want to read a story here
in a second that kind of talks about the differences
Between europe And america because and the premise of the

(01:15):
story IS i think part of the difficulty says we're
never going to be able to Be europe just because
of how how vast our country, is how wide our country,
is how different our country is Than, europe which is
a million countries packed into a small geographic area and
a lot of people packed into small geographic, areas where

(01:37):
you can get places more, easily you can do a
travel team more. Easily Like it's it's never going to
be that. Simple BUT i do think they have some
good thoughts and some good. Ideas my favorite text bratsch
On brian inbox And i'm not going to, profile But
i'm going to profile it's probably from someone who's definitely
gotten in a fight at like a three on three
hockey game or, something or yelled at a coach on

(02:00):
the other bench of a seven year old lacrosse. Game
then don't. Play that's all it. Is don't. Play don't like,
it don't. Play if only were that, simple because when
you have kids and they like, sports they want to,
play and, THAT i think is that's the. CONUNDRUM i
do honestly think most parents as nightmarish as some of

(02:22):
these parents stories that we hear and we've covered them
as they, come AND i grew up thankfully with parents
that had a pretty level. Head not everybody in my,
sphere friends and family and people that we play. With not.
Everybody there's crazy Parents we've talked about it that are
unrealistic about what the goals are and what they should
be and what the endgame. IS i think most, PARENTS

(02:45):
i will generalize this. WAY i think most parents just
want their kids to have a good experience to learn
the lessons that sports are supposed to teach about, teamwork,
accountability goal, setting, dependability all the, cliches being a better
version of, yourself over come in. Diversity those are the
lessons that we, ALL i, think want for our. Kids
those are the LESSONS i got out of them AS

(03:07):
i grew up. Playing and depending on which newspaper you subscribe,
to you could see how SUCCESSFUL i was one way
or the. Other take your, pick, start, tribute, pie your,
press whatever you. Want, okay but it's not even about.
That it's about what did you learn along the. WAY
i think most parents have a pretty level head about.
That and AGAIN i don't have all the. Answers i'm

(03:29):
going into a lot of this stuff, blind especially When
i'm you, know my kids play sports That i'm not
necessarily familiar. With they didn't have lacrosse WHEN i was growing.
Up i'm the only, person for, Me dinah that can't.
SKATE i can't tell you which hockey program my kids
supposed to play, for or which coaches are supposed to be.
GOOD i don't. Know i'm winging it as we, go

(03:50):
So i'm learning as we go as. Well but we,
ALL i, think just want positive experiences where they, improve
they get, Better and for, me it's how long can
they possibly play because that the ball stops bouncing for
everybody at some, point whether you're a professional or you
stopped in eighth, Grade and what are the lessons that you?

(04:10):
Learned did you fall in love with the? Sport can
sports take you to places that you might not have
been able to go had you not played. Them that's
why we're most of, US i, think are participating. IT
i don't have any untapped. Dreams i'm not trying to
live vicariously. Through my race has been run right, again

(04:32):
depending on which paper you want to look, at you
can see how well the race was. Run BUT i
know at the end of the, race everything that's, written
every trophy that you. Win most of them just get thrown.
Away when you're forty years old and your parents downsize
and they, say, hey can we get rid Of you're
twelve and under basketball tennis? Trophy can we get rid of?
That can we get rid of this? Trophy that? Trope
that's what happens to, Them all these trophies and medals

(04:54):
that we collect sick, well And i'm just saying that's
what happens to. Them they sit in your room at
your parents', house and then you're parents want to move
and you've got to go over and go through, it
and you end up throwing them all. Away like that's
where it. Is but what sustains all of that are the,
memories are the, moments are the, experiences are the? Lessons
THAT'S i think what most of us are trying to.
Get so to de flippantly go, well don't play like

(05:16):
there's no in my, opinion there's no better place to
learn life stuff than playing, sports considering the cost of you.
Sports brian McCormick is the. Writer he's a former coach.
Somewhere he reposted this. Today he wrote it a couple
of years, ago but he posted, it reposted it again
today just about the differences between The United states And

(05:37):
europe and how they go about, things And i'll just
Read i'm probably not going to read all of, it
BUT i am going to read quite a bit of it.
Here it's been a while SINCE i coached in or
attended AN aau. Tournament, however people bemoan the expense weekly
on social. Media it's by club, directors, coaches and parents
showing no trepidation to continue playing in the. Tournaments in
the early thousands or, ODTS i argued parents purchasing power

(06:01):
was the key to changing and improving youth, basketball and
nothing has. Changed organizers will line up to host expensive
tournaments as long as parents pay for, them rather than
embracing more cost effective developmentally oriented alternatives such as playmakers.
LEAGUES a recent tweak criticized for not playing, hard criticized
players for not playing, hard and describe the cost of
a weekend tournament three hundred for team, fees eight hundred

(06:23):
for hotels and food per, weekend a thousand dollars weekend
passed to watch, games one thousand dollars in, gas two
hundred dollars shoes In. JERSEY i cannot vouch for the,
accuracy but the accuracy and actual costs are beside the.
Point people constantly argue for The United states to be
more Like europe without supporting these arguments with exact ideas and,
Plans but the overall society structure and systems are too

(06:44):
different to. Compare The United states cannot copy and paste
A european system because sociocultural constraints shape behavior and complexifying.
Ways as soccer coach and Researcher Marco sullivan, wrote each
player paid roughly one hundred year of for the weekend
when My estonian youth team. Traveled this covered all, meals,

(07:04):
transportation the, hotel five, games and coaching. Expenses we traveled
From estonia To latvia roughly three hours by. BUS i
think It's, Riga latvia And clipata And vilnius In. Lithuania
that's not Where dan. Is he's just In chicago ten hour.
Trips rarely did parents. Travel rarely did parents, travel but

(07:27):
when they did inside or outside Of, estonia there was
no admission. Fee our van was a sixteen passenger mini
bus for twelve players on one. Coach nobody complained about
the lack of space compared to a school or charter
bus used in The, states players played their video games
watch movies are. Slept we stopped once or, twice usually
just at a gas, station As european gas stations offer
slightly better food alternatives THAN usa gas. Stations quick trip taken.

(07:50):
Strays have you not heard of Super? Moms even my
pro team in check stopped at gas stations for pre
and postgame. Meals for our two to three hour.

Speaker 3 (07:59):
Drives Had Casey's pizza exactly Breakfast pizza.

Speaker 2 (08:02):
Two the bus drove To riga On, thursday left us
at the, hotel returned On sunday to pick up the
team at the. Gym after our last, game we walked
from the hotel to our meals in the. Gym we
played In, february and with a few feet of snow
on the, ground walk into the games was. Normal we
stayed roughly a mile from the gym on one trip
and slightly closer on the. Other we ate our meals
at the cafe next to the. Gym every team had

(08:24):
a scheduled meal, time as the cafe barely fit our
entire team at. Once there was a set. Menu there
was suit followed by a main. Course every player on
every team ate the same. Meal food was served players.
Eight we ate three meals a. Day local hotels In
european cities tend to be less expensive Than american brand
hotels because they lacked the. Amenities they're a small room

(08:44):
in which to, sleep with even smaller private, bathrooms no,
hbo no, pools single. Beds players stayed, two, three or
four to a, room depending on what the hotel offered
and had. Available the lack of, frills, however cut. Costs
we Drove thursday after, school played two games On, friday
two On, saturday one On sunday before driving. Home each
team played a morning. Game in the afternoon, game a
ten am game meant breakfast at seven. Thirty we met

(09:06):
at seven to walk to the. Cafe rather than walk
back to the. Hotel players usually preferred to go directly
to the gym and watch other. Games the ten am
game ended at eleven to, fifteen which meant at twelve o'clock,
lunch players, Showered we walked back to the. Cafe as a.
Team after, lunch around twelve, thirty we walked back to the.
Hotel they had an hour or two to meet before
we walked back for the afternoon. Game not much downtime to.
Fill mostly guys played video games on their phones between.

(09:29):
Games at, night we went to candy blah blah blah blah.
Blah the differences are largely culture and beyond. Basketball we
want youth basketball to be less, expensive but there are
some reasons basketball is less. Expensive teams drive buses rather than.
Fly teams eat at small cafes with preset meals rather
than go into various chain restaurants or catering. Meals parents

(09:50):
rarely attend the games despite free. Admission gyms are affiliated
with competing clubs and are charged at the normal rate
whatever the university or local government charges the sports club
to use. Facility our tournament was in a professional team's practice.
Gym there was one row of metal chairs opposite the
benches for, fans parents and others. Attending nobody rents out
convention centers or football stadiums to put down dozens of new.

(10:10):
Courts the purpose is the, competition not to put on
a show for players or college. COACHES aau grew largely
as a way to showcase players to college. Coaches, consequently
it developed as a business to serve the college coaches
and other, scouts not the players and. Parents youth pre
high school tournaments should differ as there are no college
coaches to, serve but these events tend to mimic the

(10:33):
high school events rather than attempting to provide the best
possible service for the players and. Parents our players did
not spend a lot of money because costs were relatively,
low but everyone made some. Money the restaurant was, paid
the hotel was, paid the organizer was, paid the rest were.
Paid one difference was the operators did not try to
make their entire annual income through a single. Event like

(10:54):
most youth. Coaches they had other jobs and operated the
tournament as a side business or Hot when our club,
hosted the youth director planned and directed the event as
part of his full time job with the. Club he
was not paid extra in nor did he receive a
bonus if the event increased. Revenue the goal was to
provide a good event for all the, clubs not to
maximize profit or fund our club by hosting. Events the

(11:16):
events rotated amongst participating clubs because while it was nice
to host and have home court, advantage it was extra
work to organize the, event the, meals the, hotels and,
more not to mention rescheduling the normal weekend activities in the.
Gym the events were for the, players not for their
revenue or, exposure although most games were streamed on YouTube for.
Free we do not need to play tournaments AND nfl

(11:38):
stadiums or convention. Centers we do not need to center
the college coaches who spend tens of thousands of dollars
attending various showcase. Tournaments we can use local recreation centers
in high. Schools we can cut costs and work with
the other clubs to rotate, hosting rather than embarking on
entrepreneurial dreams to create entire careers out of running youth.
Tournaments this goes back to WHAT i said at the.

(11:59):
Beginning here's the important. Part then we'll, pause take some
talkbacks and, Calls but ultimately these decisions are driven by
the parents who pay for the. Tournaments one way or.
Another when parents decide they do not need to travel
or play in the newest fanciest, gyms or play in weekly,
tournaments changes will. Occur, currently people just want to complain about,

(12:20):
costs but not change their behaviors flying across the, country
staying in large brand name hotels and eating at fast
casual restaurants is. Expensive we can change some behaviors to reduce,
costs but we lack the simple, hotels prefixed, meals simple facility,
rates club cooperation and more that keep costs down throughout
most Of. Europe the cost of youth sports is, problematic
but much as a byproduct of our society and, culture

(12:43):
not unique to. Sports it's up to, us the. Parents
do we have the STOMACH a couple of calls and
texts on, this then we'll talk.

Speaker 4 (12:50):
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Speaker 3 (12:55):
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Speaker 1 (13:14):
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Speaker 2 (13:32):
CONTESTS A Guardsey dan From, ROCHESTER I u sports might
show up in Doctor dan's inbox this. Week SO i
think the issue WITH u sports is to. TRAVEL i
did use seventeen GIRLS aau basketball and there was a
time where we went to The dells stopped In. Toma
obviously Beautiful toma this time of. Year traveled to The

(13:56):
dells to play Two rochester teams and a team From.
Bloomington bit. Ridiculous appreciate, It, Dan welcome Back Cake show
edition To bumper To. Bumper we're trying to, tackle or
at least, explore the use sports problem in The United
states Of. AMERICA a lot of people talking about the
soccer set up in reaction to The United states losing

(14:16):
To belgium last night for to. One but the pay
for play model immediately makes it difficult for high, level
would be high level athletes to actually. Succeed that you've
got to have. Money AND i got a text about
it earlier today WHEN i MENTIONED i was going to
talk about. It you, know kids are, six seven years,
old eight years, old nine years, old pick your age,
wherever and the second they show any aptitude for it

(14:39):
or want to up the ante a little bit and
play a little bit, more it's, bang here's four or
five thousand dollars for the, Year like that's just that's
hard to do It just it. Is even if you're
really good and you're, dedicated And i've got fifty two.
Jobs where do you think most of my money. Goes
it goes to kids sports. Stuff i've got three of.
Them they all want to, play Like i'm right here
in the thick of it with. You but the travel

(15:00):
part of it is a really interesting. Component and we
played the coaches interview from the hockey tournament In edmonton
and how? Old for people that missed, it did you
believe me WHEN i told you it was for a
tournament of nine and ten year?

Speaker 3 (15:16):
Olds seemed like a pretty professional.

Speaker 2 (15:19):
Nine and ten years?

Speaker 5 (15:19):
Old?

Speaker 2 (15:20):
Yeah all? Right AND i know some of the kids
that played in the, tournament all. Right they played with
my son who's a nine year. Old And i'm not
criticizing them or ripping. Them it's not about, them because
kids want to. Play you asked the, kid what do
you want to? Do, YEAH i want to. GO i
want to. Play in, fact one of the kids who
was interviewed as nine at nine referenced that he had

(15:40):
to talk his dad into letting him go, play and
thankfully for, him he had mom on his side so
he could go out and achieve a dream that he'd
been dreaming about since he was four years. Old that's
what the kids, said And i'm not making that. UP
i KNOW i make things up. Sometimes i'm not making that.
Up but we've just kind of lost the plot on

(16:02):
the travel. Thing and you can take it Like i'm
talking hockey. Now we were talking. Soccer the story THAT
i just read was. Basketball the travel thing is WHERE
i think we definitely have lost the. Plot dan the
talkbacker just mentioned that they went to The. DELLS i
was just At tumah by the, way drove Through Tuma
is it lovely this? Time it's pretty? Nice, yeah it's pretty.

(16:23):
Nice kids want Of. Culver's what? Else and so we
stopped at The Thomac. Culver's there's not the Long John
SILVER'S a AND w combo That dan always talks. About
that's been long, gone that was on the other side
of the. Interstate but, yeah you go and you travel
to The dells and you play a couple of teams
From rochester or locally travel basketball here in the. Cities

(16:44):
you go To, Rochester, Brainerd minnetonka is playing Chan. Hassen
like that's one away, tournament, Right but THE aau, stuff
the club, soccer the club, lacrosse The TRIPLE a, Hockey
you're going all over the. Place and especially with some of,
these it's, like does A minnesota hockey team need to
leave the state to go Play we are the state of, hockey,

(17:07):
right like we are we really in search of more?
Competition now do we have to.

Speaker 3 (17:12):
Cross the blue line that surrounds our?

Speaker 4 (17:14):
State?

Speaker 2 (17:15):
Right? Sorry probably?

Speaker 3 (17:16):
NOT i don't think.

Speaker 2 (17:17):
So but now this team that went to play In, Canada,
like that's why we're talking about one, team, right and
that team's obviously very, good, okay but there's so many
other teams that are doing the same. Thing maybe not
to that, extreme But brandon AND i talked about. It
there's teams right now with nine ten eleven year olds

(17:38):
they're playing In. Sweden why why? Now to come back to?
That AND i actually do get this a little. Bit
it's if you have the, means which again not cheap
to go To. SWEDEN i think anytime of the, year
especially out of a delta hub LIKE, msp it's probably pretty.
Expensive it's family, time we make it a family, trip

(17:59):
it's memory we have. Together i'm all for. THAT i
get all of, that BUT i also just have to
look and, go why is the fourth Team if you've
got AN aau team and it's the guys that are high,
level the high major. Kids, okay, yeah send them To,
louisville send them To, atlanta send them To. Vegas, okay second, Team, okay,

(18:25):
yeah MAYBE i could see. That maybe send them To,
chicago send Them. Madison do a little. Travel it's. Fun
but as you get younger and, younger and you've got
like eleven year olds going To boston to play basketball In, may,
like what the hell are we? Doing what the hell
are we? Doing and every TIME i sit around a parent,

(18:47):
table because we all talk about, THIS i don't know
how other people's lives, work but this is my. Life.
OKAY i sit at parent parties revolved around my kids' sports.
Teams all my friends now are parents of you, know
kids that go to school, together and they all just
talk about where they're, going what they're, doing how much it,
costs and how much they hate. It And i'm kind

(19:08):
of sitting there going, like, oh why are we all
doing this? Thing like we're all in the same. Place
we got rinks right, here we got the crossfields right,
here we got gyms right. Here what are we? Doing
the travel part of, IT i think is the biggest
thing that we could easily rectify easily, rectify AND i get.
It LIKE i traveled all over the country playing, tennis

(19:29):
all Over, Florida, California, Arizona, washington D. C we went
To hawaii for a, thing LIKE i did, that but
it wasn't UNTIL i was like fourteen, fifteen sixteen, Seventeen, Kalamazoo. Michigan,
yeah that's where the college coaches. Are but to be
going crossing the country and leaving the country when they're
not even in middle school, YET i, mean what are

(19:52):
we doing? Here what AM i doing with the?

Speaker 4 (19:55):
Text?

Speaker 2 (19:55):
Brett is there another talkback we can? Play do you
have anything else we can play on?

Speaker 3 (19:59):
This there's a few. HERE i think this one gets cut,
off but he has a good.

Speaker 2 (20:03):
POINT i want to wrap this up as well BECAUSE
i want to get back to some other. STUFF i
appreciate all the. Texts i'll try to grab a.

Speaker 5 (20:08):
Few go, Ahead, grcy here's feedback on your pay to.
PLAY i think you're spot, on AND i would further
add the high school varsity requirements need club sports to fuel.
That and if you peel the onion back even, further
the top of the tree is something we call. Nil

(20:30):
so all of this lunatic. Fringe youth sports is driven
by the hope and the dream That.

Speaker 3 (20:35):
I'm yeah thirty, seconds thirty, seconds it's.

Speaker 2 (20:38):
Driven but he's. Right and Because i've gotten some text
about this as, Well i'm putting most of the onus
on the. Parents at at some, point we have to
stand up for. Ourselves, yeah And i'm Already i'm already
kind of doing that with a couple of things LIKE
i don't need to do, this we don't need to do. That,
okay probably shouldn't have done it in the first. PLACE
i get WHY i thought, so but it's all kind

(20:58):
of trial and. Error and, again you want your kids
to have the best. Experience you want them to, improve
you want them to work, hard you want them to
be dependable for their, team accountable to their, team all
the things that you. Learn but this TEXT i think
kind of hits on some of. It from where this
thing also. GOES. Jg i'm a few years older Than Dan.
Be when my daughters were eleven and, fourteen we decided

(21:19):
to go on a driving vacation To yellowstone right after
school was out In june for almost two. Weeks when
we told their respective soccer coaches about the. VACATION i
thought that they would lose their. Minds they both emphasized
that the girls would fall behind the other, girls it
would be bad for their, teams and heaven, forbid they
would each miss the. TOURNAMENT i told each coach their
teams would be. Okay it would give other girls more
opportunity to. Play we went on similar vacations the next few.

(21:40):
Years it didn't seem to affect their. Development each played
a varsity sport in high. School the oldest ran cross,
country the youngest played. Basketball the parents are over parents
are over, involved and kids are. Great this from The western.
Verbs there's a coaching responsibility, too because whether it's for
the club or whether it's for the high, school every

(22:01):
coach says that they want multi sport, athletes they want
well rounded, athletes they want balanced athletes and people on their.
Team i'm going to try to avoid generalities. Again how
many actually really live that and believe, it or how
many say that at the parent meeting and then when you, say,
hey by the, way we're going to have to miss

(22:23):
summer hockey tonight because we've got. Baseball what's the friction level?
There you know WHAT i? Mean like there's that, too
because or the high school coach SAYING i need him
at summer. Workouts the expectation is that they're. There, well
if you want well balanced kids and well balanced, athletes
they might not be able to be there at all.
Times and so there's some responsibility there because the specialization, Thing,

(22:47):
like that's the other. Thing we haven't even touched on.
This as a buddy of mine who's an orthopedic surgeon
will tell you one of the number one things he
sees in his office right, now we're overuse injuries with. Kids,
well how does that? Happen they're playing twelve months out
of the year the same sport over and over and over.
Again so the orthopedics are telling us this is not
great when they're, nine, ten, eleven. Twelve you, know the kids,

(23:10):
THEMSELVES i think tell us in different ways that it's not,
Great like there just has to. Be everybody's got to
give a little, BIT i guess is the moral of the. Story,
oh the orthopedic surgeon just texted, ME i wonder if
it's about, This so, ANYWAY i appreciate everybody's. Feedback i'll
read more text on this as we. Go we'll keep
the talk backs going as. WELL i don't know if
we solved, anything BUT i wanted to do at least

(23:30):
get it out there for parents that if you're struggling with,
this the pay for play, stuff the club, stuff the
non stop nature of, it that you're trying to schedule
a couple of weekends at the, cabin but you can't
because you've got kids that have sports all summer long
and they may or may not be in. Town WHEN
i say in town in The Twin, cities, like you're

(23:51):
not alone if you're sitting there at the team party
or at the team dinner that you didn't want to
be at because you already spend one thousand dollars to
get to the tournament and stay at the. Tournament he
didn't want to spend another two fifty because he had
to bring the entire family of five with. You and
now you've got to go to some brewery in a
suburb of a town he didn't want to be. In
and you don't want to be the only one because
your son or daughter wants to. Go if you have

(24:12):
a friend in, me you have an ally in, me
it's okay to pull it back a little. Bit it's
okay to think about it a. Bit all of our
kids want to, play they all want to, participate they
all want to be. Good it's okay to pull it
back just a little, bit or at least pause and
think about DO i really need to bring my nine
year old out of the state of, hockey out of
the country of, hockey the reigning gold medal hockey, country

(24:36):
to go play a tournament on fourth Of july? Weekend
Some wolves discussion when we come back in For.

Speaker 4 (24:42):
Verrera this is justin guard on the. Fan if you.

Speaker 1 (24:53):
Want ship to what's happening to your FAVORITE kaf fan,
shows well you.

Speaker 3 (24:56):
Can't it's really.

Speaker 1 (24:57):
Easy you can make your voice heard on the Rat
Sean Bryant cafe and text.

Speaker 3 (25:01):
Line just let us note you have to say by.

Speaker 1 (25:02):
Texting your message is six four six eighty six at
six four six eighty six diner text message and day right, Supply.

Speaker 5 (25:10):
Hey It's tyler for Bel.

Speaker 2 (25:11):
JIM i like the conversation topic great vois. MADE i
have three boys.

Speaker 5 (25:19):
That we're in traveling baseball and, hockey traveling all across
the states in the surrounding the, states and it would
usually COST i have one more from ten to twenty thousand.

Speaker 2 (25:30):
Dollars there by you all over. Again i'm saying just
as much fun to say you did. Watch, YEAH i get,
THAT i get. IT i get, IT i get. It
my favorite thing is to just watch them, play watch them,
practice watch them, play watch them, compete watch them be
idiots with their. Buddies it's the best and the family,

(25:50):
memories all of. IT i totally get all of. It
two last things on this and then we'll talk wolves
here for a. Second maybe a little bit of A
lebron up date From Brian Windhorst windy FROM. Espn one
of the Things i'm grateful FOR i talked about it
at the top of this whole conversation that started an hour,
ago is it's very easy to generalize that everybody that's

(26:13):
in THE u sports world is only in it for the,
money and they're in it for the wrong, reasons and
they're all predatory and you've just got to watch your
back at all. TIMES i don't think that's. TRUE i
know it's not, true because we're part of a couple
that are just phenomenal just you, know extra, hockey extra
whatever it, is that have just been tremendous that aren't.

(26:33):
Insane that aren't. Crazy that from my opinion as a
guy who can't skate and never heard of, lacrosse they're
being coached the right. Way they're being. Coached how IF
i was a, coach IF i was their, coach that's
HOW i would want my kid to be. COACHED i
would love to be coached the way that they. Are,
like there are so many great programs out, there and
SO i want TO i said that at the top

(26:55):
as a, disclaimer it gets very easy and convenient to
just say everything sucks, everybody but he's, BAD aau, bad this.
Good that's not the. Case it's it's completely, beneficial or
it can be completely. Beneficial and there's more good people
than there are bad people and bad. Programs there's. That
the last Thing i'll say on. It the one THING

(27:16):
i am militant about AND i think we all should,
be is kids are playing too many games at young
ages in their, sports too many games in a, weekend
too many games in a, season and not spending enough time.
Practicing and to bring it to, basketball the basketball part of.

(27:37):
It one of the REASONS i think why the most
valuable player in THE nba has not been From. America
the last however many, years we could go down the.
List is how some of these players were brought up
in the. Game, Jokich Giannis sga go down the list
like they don't play fifty games in a. Season when

(27:59):
they're they practice and they practice and they practice the.
Fundamentals When i'm trying to learn about the soccer, stuff
it seems like that's part of the bit, overseas it's
a lot of, training a lot of. TRAINING i, mean
first of, all you can't play, WELL i guess you
can when you're, little a bunch of soccer games over the.
Weekend but they train more than they, play right is

(28:21):
that fair to? Say Brett Blake, moore especially as they get.
Older that's my. Understanding it's much more training than there are.
Games and so that's the one THOUGHT i am militant
about When i'm trying to figure out what my kids
should be. Doing what's the practice the game? Ratio because

(28:41):
at some point they do have to. Practice they have
to practice the, fundamentals the, skills the mind of the,
game all of that and then go put it into.
Play AND i think games should be. Special games are
the reward for all to, practice and there should be
more stakes on the games as opposed, to, well we,
Lost we've got to fifty minute break and then we're
gonna go out and play. Again like, that to me

(29:03):
doesn't teach the value of winning and losing very. Well
it's just, yeah we've, got, however many. Games and so
that's the one Thing i'm, very very cognizant of THAT
i would encourage other people to is, like it's no
accident that some of the best fundamental basketball players we
have in THE nba right now didn't grow up. Here
and the ones that can really think the game and

(29:25):
see it on a high, level like they learned it
elsewhere in a different setup than we have. Here so
just food for, thought speaking of. Basketball the Latest Lebron james,
BIT i think you can call this kind of news
or at least a further into the. Story Brett Brian

(29:46):
windhorst on let's SEE Espn, CLEVELAND i, believe which is
where he's. From he's From. Ohio if you ask, me
are the vibes pointing Towards, Cleveland, yeah the vibes are
pointing towards. Clean we talked a lot Of lebron. Yesterday
we Had Johnny athletic on for his weekly, appearance spent
a ton of time talking about The Rich Paul whiteboard

(30:08):
episode of his podcast With Max, kellerman where he outlined
all the different permutations and options For. Lebron what made sense,
here what made sense, there why this was, good why
this would be a good. Fit the bottom line Is
lebron is a fit on whatever team he wants to,
join even at forty one years old entering season twenty,
four especially an established team that already has a bunch

(30:28):
of established. Players And cleveland obviously has been good for
the last few. Years they've got some established. Stars they
were a playoff team again this, year and he would
slide in and probably fit really well with that. Squad
and for The minnesota part of, it THAT i think
we need to focus on a little, bit because it

(30:48):
is going to be a gut punch if he doesn't come,
here even though we've all done the disclaimers and gotten
in front of it and said it's like a seven
percent chance that he's actually going to bring his talents
to The Twin, cities more Specifically minneapolis and play At
Target center next. Year, yeah he would be a perfect
fit basketball wise for what The wolves are.

Speaker 4 (31:09):
Doing.

Speaker 2 (31:09):
Here, yes they need a power, forward they need better BASKETBALL,
iq they need another ball, handler they need another option
What lebron could bring. It just you look at all
his options and basketball, wise The wolves are right there
at the. Top if it was just a pure basketball,
decision they'd probably be top three favorite to land. Him

(31:33):
we know there's a lot more that goes into, it,
obviously but this whole thing about The wolves moving, Forward,
yes they need a power forward for this. Year if
they're going to be a contender this, year they probably
need another body. There they need a power. FORWARD i
don't know how they're going to get one if it's Not.

(31:53):
Lebron they don't really have a bunch of. Money i'm
not in love depending on who it is with getting
the money from the other guy they got in the
in The LaMelo ball. Trade in PACKAGING. Tj shannon to
go get a fifteen million dollar, Player i'm not in
love with. THAT i LIKE. Tj. Shannon i'd like to
keep him around for a little. Bit SO i don't

(32:14):
know who the answer would, Be but for, ME i
guess What i'm saying, Is i'm cool with this being
The timberwolves quote unquote gap. Year if they need to
take a gap year because to, me The LaMelo play
has always been a play for the next timeline of
The Anthony edwards experience here with The. Timberwolves we have

(32:38):
to remember he's twenty four years. Old it feels like
he's been around here forever because they've had great seasons
pretty much every year that he's been. Here after his rookie,
year they've made the. Playoffs they made the playoffs five
years in a. Row hasn't happened a whole lot around.
Here and we've talked about this a little, bit AND
i know others have talked about it as, well the dual,
timeline the dual tracks that The wolves have been on.

(33:00):
Here when they made The Rudy gobert trade four years
ago now it was official four years ago. Yesterday the
whole theory behind that was we Want Anthony edwards to
play in as many meaningful, games as many playoff games
as he possibly can at a young, age because that
will accelerate his, growth his, timeline his. DEVELOPMENT i would
say it's a pretty resounding success given that they won

(33:24):
five playoff series the last three, years went to The
Western Conference finals. Twice off the top of my. Head
he Eliminated, Lebron Luca jokic twice even though he wasn't
really a part of this last, Series Kevin, Durant Steph
curry even though he wasn't a part of that, Series Jimmy,
Butler Draymond green, like he took a lot of big
names out of the playoffs the last few, years and you,

(33:46):
know probably accelerated his developmental timeline faster than maybe we even.
Thought but as they were doing that and trying to
make deep runs and trying to win a, title and
maybe for the rest of our, lives the best chance
that they they ever had to win a title was
two years ago in twenty twenty, four after they Beat
denver and Hosted luca And kyrie had home court advantage

(34:08):
in The Western conference. Finals we may look back on.
THAT i may look back on that When I'm dan's,
age hopefully still here talking to, You brett saying twenty
twenty four was the year to do. It they had
home court advantage against an OK mAbs team that Had
Luca kyrie and then a bunch of guys that just
dunked on us the whole, time and they couldn't quite
get it there that was the first championship, window that

(34:31):
group twenty four to what we just passed through now
in twenty twenty. Six but as they were doing, that
they were also quietly building this future timeline For Anthony.
Edwards That jaden McDaniels as the guy who's basically the same,
age was the same draft class at the, time Included

(34:52):
Nas reed who came in the year before basically the same.
Age and then the pieces that they were going to
put as of two weeks, ago that was the new.
Trio it Was, jaden it was Nas they've been quietly
building towards this second, timeline and that second, timeline the
peak is not going to be this year for that,
timeline And i'm not saying they have it in perpetuity

(35:16):
that we can just think about this window that's going
to be opened for five or six, years because we
all know that's not how sports, Works that's not how
THE nba. Works, brett how many times HAVE i told
you and ranted here that you never know in your
window is going to? Close the first championship window With
Anthony edwards is probably. Closed now If lebron comes, here

(35:36):
it's probably open. Again, Okay but the first window is
closed now it's about the second. One and that's WHAT
i Think LaMelo ball represents as a guy who again
was in that draft, class was the third, pick did
not have the luxury That anthony had with pretty good,
infrastructure pretty good, vets and a pretty good coach and
system around him to make deep runs in the. Playoffs

(35:59):
charlotte was dreadful his first handful of. Years this year
they got really, good And LaMelo was a big reason for.
It they haven't had the playoff stuff they. Had the
play in stuff wasn't, good but it was a good
team this year and they've got a good young core
and they chose to go a different direction and lean
INTO i Think Kank nipple's timeline and some other, guys
but The LaMelo play is for the second. Timeline That's,

(36:23):
ant That's, LaMelo That's, jayden That's Io, desumu who's ALSO
i think twenty SIX. Tj shannon might be a part of.
That and Then Johan barnjay the other part of The
Kat rudy Or Cat randall, trade the twenty year OLD
i think he is Now french center who at some
point is going to take over For. Rudy. Gobert all
of those guys are twenty six years you're. Younger that's

(36:46):
your timeline for the next two three four. Years first
title window probably. Done if there's No lebron coming this,
year which again odds are not coming depending on what
they do with the power forward, spot that window's probably.
Closed but you have to position yourself the best way
for the next. One AND i think that's what these

(37:06):
moves are. About and it could be quicker than you
think because one thing we've learned about The giannis, trade
The Jalen brown, trade all these moves for big stars this.
Offseason one reason why the return haven't been very good
for these guys are as good as we thought because
The Second apron stuff is, real and The Second apron

(37:28):
stuff is starting to affect, teams and we're going to
see a lot of, MOVEMENT i, think because teams don't
want to be in the Second. Apron you want to
be in there when you're making a big. Run you
have a team built for a, title that's when you. Push,
obviously The warriors have kind of done that the last few.
Years they've had one of the most expensive, rosters maybe
the most. Expensive THEY'RE i think looking to move off

(37:48):
of some. Money we've already seen The knicks move off
of some Money Mitchell, robinson, like they don't want to
be in the Second. Apron he's a guy that's going
to have to. Go, well that does make their team.
Worse they're keeping their, core but you need different, guys
you need, depth you need a lot of. Players The
knicks don't want to be in the Second. Apron guys are.
Moving The celtics Move Jayalen. Brown if you read more into,

(38:09):
it there was a lot going on obviously behind the,
scenes with the thing and The tatum stuff with he
was floated For. Giannis he got mad about. That he's
now in an analytics battle with everybody in that front.
Office but part of the reason Why Jaylen brown is
on the move is because we could look up his.
Contract he's about to make like sixty million dollars And
Jason tatum makes about the same. Money he might even make.

(38:32):
More they moved him in part because of The Second apron.
Stuff now they've got another guy who's high, Priced Paul,
george who at some point they'll probably shift off of
him as. Well but the super max contract guys are
becoming a problem and they're becoming more difficult to keep
and you really only have room for one of. Them

(38:54):
When carl signed His Max Anthony, Towns Karl Anthony, towns
it was right before the Second apron stuff popped. In,
well you Have Anthony edwards come. In you, know eventually
he's going to be a Super max, guy probably as
soon as a year from, now when he presumably plays
enough games to be ALL nba that kicks in the Super,
max he can sign it and make a boatload of.
Money it was going to be really hard to Keep

(39:16):
anthony And carl and build an actual team around. It
so we're going to see other guys fall off these contending,
teams The Oklahoma, cities The San Antonio, spurs The, Knicks
we've already seen it go down the. List, celtics we
just saw it. Again it's harder and harder to keep these,
guys and so you need a lot of good players

(39:38):
on a lot of good. Contracts LaMelo's on a pretty good.
Contract he's not Super max guy. Yet jaden outstanding contract
you could probably get. AWAY i Think jayden makes twenty five.
MIL i think it was five, years twenty five mils
something like. That he's eligible for an extension this. Year their.
SPECULATION i Heard Dane moore talk about, it say he's
eligible for an, extension why not add two more year

(40:00):
at forty million? Each on the back, end people are
gonna say that's crazy. Money not really the way the
salary CAP's, going the percentage, cap it's going to be
like you want a bunch of different. Guys that's why
nas was. Valuable that's Why Julius, randall as much as
people didn't like how it ended here me, included he
was on a very reasonable contract for him when they
re signed, him and it was a contract that was eventually,

(40:21):
tradable even though they had to move on and just
get really nothing in. Return but you need a lot of.
Guys if The, spurs The, thunder The knicks have taught us,
anything you need a lot of, good good players on
really reasonable contracts to be. Good wild are kind of
going through the same. Thing, Right you've Got, Carill you're
gonna Have Quinn, hughes they, Hope but why why are

(40:43):
they really? Good boldie looks pretty damn good right on his.
Contract Fabes faber looks really good right he's locked? In
was it eight? Years eight? Million, Yeah like there's a
lot of good contracts on The wild that's why they've
been able to keep their core. Together and even then
with those good, contracts there's out of money already and
they need to move some stuff around to bring other people.

(41:03):
In so that's kind of the. Point is This LaMelo ball.
Thing we have no idea what type of contender they'll
be next. Year they'll probably be you maybe where they
were this, year like a five or six. SEED i don't.
KNOW i happen to think it's going to, work especially
If LaMelo is. Healthy they're going to be an exciting.
Team they're going to be, Fun they're gonna score a.

(41:23):
Lot they've got to work on some defensive stuff obviously With,
LaMelo but With, aunt With jaden and With, rudy they
should be able to work around all of. That you
got a best position yourself with a bunch of good
dudes when this second apron stuff starts to. Hit because
it's starting to, hit it hit The wolves hardest first
because they had to make a move With cat Or.
Rudy they Trade cat because he's worth. More they get

(41:46):
more than they probably would have gotten For. Rudy as
much AS i hated to see cat. GO i understand
it sucked to watch him win a title In New
york and we can't get to The Western conference finals
and he played really. Well but This LaMelo, thing it's
not just for twenty, six twenty. Seven it's for twenty,
eight twenty, nine When baron jay comes in For, rudy
When io's still, here When jayden's in his prime continuing

(42:09):
to add, more and of Course Anthony. Edwards so that's
my sermon about The wolves. Bit If lebron, comes that's.
Great the championship window is, Open it's wide, open and
they'd probably be one of the top four. Favorites it
certainly be a top three team in The, WEST i would.
Imagine And i'd love to see that series With San
antonio Or Oklahoma city top. Five what do we?

Speaker 1 (42:28):
Got Tom brady, said something surpassed His Super bowl.

Speaker 3 (42:32):
Comeback i'll tell you what game it.

Speaker 4 (42:33):
Is justin guard in For barrera on the fan from
the one eight Hundred Ask Gary Traffic.

Speaker 2 (42:43):
Center this report is sponsored By. GenZ ryan