November 20, 2025 • 37 mins
This hour we talk about the front office shakeup with the Lakers that saw Jesse Buss, Joey Buss and a number of scouts ousted.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Let's go. It's a sprint one hour fours today, fred Rogan,
Rodney peak on a five to seventy LA Sports. So Rodney,
let's just get right into it, all right.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Let's do it, Freddy, let's go, baby, come on, one
hour sprint. You saying boat, let's go, let's do it.
So this came down about twenty five minutes ago. Sham
Sharani are reporting the Lakers reorganizing their basketball operations department,
terminating executives Joey and Jesse Buss from their respective front
office positions, effective immediately.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
So what does that mean, Well, that means sucker. That
means here comes Mark Walter. That's what that means.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yes, it does.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
And the other side of his this, you know the bus,
the buses operated the Lakers. There were a family run business.
Everybody had a piece of it. And that's the way
Jerry doctor, Jerry Buss wanted it. Everybody in one way
or another had something to do with the Lakers. One
left when Jeanie fired him. We remember that, but there
(00:58):
are still a few left. And today both of them
got word that they're done. Both of them are out.
And now that talks about and speaks to the fact
that the Lakers Mark Walter owns the team. The Lakers
are now going to be operated differently, and is this surprising? Actually? No,
(01:23):
the real question becomes, and we'll find out in time,
who remains. Does Tim Harris remain in his role? Do
the other front office people remain in their role? I
was told that once Mark Walter took over or it
purchased the team, they he did tell the Lakers go
(01:46):
out and invest. You have money now, so start start
acquiring infrastructure.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Things you need. Who do you tell that to?
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I can't remember, And it might have even been to
JJ Reddick. I thought he said that to somebody. I
read that somewhere. Okay, you can start investing now, but
I apparently don't invest in any more buses.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, I'm just I'm just wondering who, you know, who
he might have said that to prior to I guess
getting getting his own guy in there, because there will
be a president of basketball operations very soon. An you think,
(02:27):
I know, you know Rob Polinka's GM technically is he
president in basketball?
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I think he was promoted to that. Yeah, so there'll be.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
A guy above him, and it's just odd that they
he told him to go spend prior to that happening,
because yeah, they will fill that front office with enough
people to handle everything. They will, Like Steve Bomber came
in and said, wait a minute, you're so far under staffed.
(02:55):
We got to staff this thing up. And they did
it with the Clippers. They did it with the Dodgers obviously,
and and so they'll do it with the Lakers too.
But I just before they had he has his guy
in there. You know, he's gonna have the guy in there,
you know. You know he started off and and he
got Stan Casting in there, and Andrew Friedman, and yeah,
(03:18):
he let it play out for a year or two
with the with the former people at the Dodgers, including
our guy Net Colletti. But eventually he was gonna get
his guy in there. And I think at at some
point he's gonna get his guy in there. He's gonna
get his guy in there. And then and it's this
is the kind of I believe the start of the
house cleaning that he's doing.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
See I And I don't know. And if we asked Stan,
I don't know what he would say if we called
Stan and asked him, all right, because when he was
in Atlanta. You know, he did the Braves and the Hawks. Yep,
he oversaw both of them.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So I thought to myself, well, obviously he has experience
in this, why wouldn't you oversee the Lakers as well?
He would be president of the Lakers and president of
the Dodgers. I mean, and that's everything non basketball or
baseball related. That's Stan Caston. So if you go, what
does Stan do? Stands everything except baseball operations?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, and he's players He's not. Yeah, he's not going
out drafting and doing all that on. You know, Andrew
Freeman and Ran and Gomes do all that in terms
of players and player development, that's not Stan. Stan runs
the entire organization, right, Stan is about, you know, overseas,
the marketing and the production and the and everything else.
(04:38):
But in terms of the players and stuff, that's Andrew Freeman.
You think they would he would do both? Or would
they say, Stan, go take care of the Lakers. Let's
go take care of the Lakers. Get that right, Because
it's a different animal doing the Braves and the Hawks
than it is doing the Dodger and the Lakers do
all right.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
I think if they told Stan go take care of
the Lakers. Honestly, I think Stan would say, I'm good
here with the Dodgers. Hyeah, I'm good. Yeah, I'm good.
I think if they took again, hell, maybe we should
have called him. But I think if they said we're
going to take the Dodgers away from you, go take
care of the Lakers, I think he'd say, no, I'm fine,
(05:21):
I'm good right here. I'm not doing that. I don't
think Stan has giving up the Dodgers, Rodney. That's all
I'm saying. Yeah, I'm not saying giving them up. I'm
just saying, you know, hey, Stan, we just bought the Lakers.
We need somebody that we trust to go make sure
it runs right, you know, can you go handle that?
So you're saying he would turn that down, knowing that
they're trusting him to go fix the Lakers or you know,
(05:43):
make it run like the Dodgers run and step away
from the Dodgers to do that, he would say no.
But I think, and I don't know, And you know,
Stan's not thirty five years old anymore. Either.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
No, That's what I'm saying. Doing both would be a
very challenge Stan.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
You know what, things are pretty locked down here we're good.
We're good here, you know that. But see, well it's
a machine at the Dodgers now is we're running. Yeah,
but even if it's locked down. See, their mindset is
unlike other peoples, and I and I can identify with this.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
We're doing great. Stan, we got this locked up, and
he'll go, Okay, then what's next? Because they're not complacent
and they're not content. So even if things are running smoothly, yeah,
Stan would be sitting there going okay, so what should
we do now?
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Okay, what center feel Socields area? What they did out there,
that's stand right, Let's do that development, the locker rooms,
you know, stand let's do that development, the you know,
whatever they do. They're going to do something with the
parking lot at some point right then we'll see what
happens there. Yeah, there's gonna be constant movement with the Dodgers.
They don't they don't ever stand still. I get that.
(06:57):
But I'm just saying a trusted name, a trusted guy
that's done it before, go take care of the Lakers.
That might be a full time gig that he can't
do both.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Yeah, So what they could say is Stan, you got
them both. You got them both, and this speaks to
what you're saying. Stand, they're both yours. Who are you
going to hire right now? Who are you going to
hire to take care of the Lakers? You're in charge, right,
But who reports to you?
Speaker 3 (07:24):
You got it? Yeah, you got an open check book.
Bring in who you need to bring in.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Bring in the person that you believe is going to
take care of this. You're in charge by the way.
You make a call, Yeah, and if it fails at
you're ass staying you're the boss. But you go find
somebody that reports to you. So that means if Stan
has to spend a week at the Lakers or four
(07:48):
or five days at the Lakers with the new guy,
that's fine. You don't have to sit there seven days
a week. Because really, if you look at the Dodgers
and marketing all of that, someone Rodney knows exceptionally well
and I know him as well, Lon Rosen.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah, Line is.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Involved in a lot of stuff. Stand trusts lawn and
Line makes a lot of decisions when it comes to
marketing and sales and things like that. Line's really involved.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Right, They have people at the Dodgers that can handle
the day to day operation while Stan's dealing with the Lakers.
But then it goes back to the Dodgers. You know
what I mean?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Yeah, yeah, No, I get it. I get it. And
that would that would make sense, That would make sense
of because of the way they operate. They're not going
to say, Stan, you're gonna put this all on your shoulders,
go take care of the Lakers and and the Dodgers,
and we're not gonna give you any help. No, they
would give him all the resources he needs. Like you said,
(08:52):
to go find the guy that reports to you that
can run a franchise, but yet he still reports to you.
To go find that guy, and then we'll give you
all the resources to do that and staff up. Yeah,
I see that happening.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
See, because the thing is this, and it's what fans
don't think about, but we think about it because you know,
we're interested in the business aspect of things. Mark Walter
buys the Lakers. Eventually Mark Walter's people are going to
be in there. They're going to be in there. And
here's why they know how he operates. He trusts them.
(09:27):
They think the same way. They have a system in
place and they know how to do business. It's no
different than if you hire a new general manager. What
usually happens coach is gone. I need my guy, I
need my person in there. We got to work together,
we have to think the same way. Sometimes the coach
(09:48):
survives if you can get on the same page, but
more times than not. Okay, now it's my problem. I'm
in charge. I'm gonna make sure I surround myself with
people that I trust and believe.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
And don't forget. One of the people that he trusts
and believes in and confides in and trust their opinion
is one of those Dodger owners that also had a
lot of experience with the Lakers as well. So what
I want to second, don't think for one second that
there's no influence coming there.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
So yeah, and that's what I want to know. And
you won't tell me what I do want to know.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I just know there is. I don't know specifics, but
of course there.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Is, right, But I want to know, So what is
that going to mean? Ultimately?
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Right?
Speaker 2 (10:35):
What will that mean? And maybe you know when you're
not saying, because sometimes you do that, But I don't know.
I'm seriously, I don't know, But I do know that
it that didn't happen without him, The sale, everything didn't
happen without him, much like the Dodgers didn't happen without him.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
And you know, as we talked about before, it's not
if it worked for Magic's relationship with Frank McCourt, Steve
Cohen probably would own the Dodgers because one of the
things that he said was that Major League Baseball was
forcing him to sell, but they couldn't force him who
(11:14):
to sell to correct and it was a relationship that
Magic had with Frank, and then Magic had with the
Guggenheim guys and Mark Walter, similar thing with the Lakers
and that deal getting done. I don't know, you know
how many conversation, how much they talk about it, what
their conversations are about about what the future of the
(11:34):
Lakers hold, But you know they have conversations about it,
and I don't know specifics, but those first two dominoes fell,
and you know, Mark doesn't do anything without consulting with people,
So you know, I don't know what happens going forward,
But like we talked about, I'm sure, like you said,
(11:59):
Stan's going to be somewhat part of it as well.
Standing Magic will be part of the restructuring of the Lakers.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
It only makes sense they have to. Yeah, And honestly,
I've been wondering what is Magic going to be? To
be really honest with you, what is he going to be?
I think he's going to be more than Oh, a magic,
A magic everybody I'm here. Oh No, I think he's
going to have some sort of role in the operation
(12:31):
of the Lakers. I don't know what that role will be.
And I'm looking at you what I think he has
to doesn't he am? I am I just missing this
whole thing.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
It's too close, right, It's too close.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
He's still very close to the Lakers, and everybody there
still has that passion about the Lakers shows up as
many games as possible. Yeah, there's definitely that connect. And
then the connection with Mark Walters and the group that
just bought the Lakers. It would be hard pressed to
(13:06):
believe that he doesn't have a role, that he doesn't
have a major role. And what goes on with the
Lakers going forward?
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Did he put skin in the game for the Laker deal?
I don't know this, do you. I don't know, because
he's got he got real skin in the game of
the Dodgers. Definitely real skin with the Dodgers, real skin
with the Dodger game.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
I don't know the details of that one and the Lakers,
but certainly, uh don't disregard the relationship he has with
Genie and that deal happening, So that that was that
was it wasn't it was. He He was involved. Put
(13:50):
it that way. He was involved, And it was no
shock that that deal got done with Mark Walters and
and Genie and got done the way it got done.
Magic definitely had conversations in between that. I don't know
what the and maybe you do. I don't know what
(14:10):
flipped the switch. I don't know what put it over
the top. Mark Walter had been interested in the Lakers
for years. I mean, he bought a piece of the team,
so he owned a good part of the team. Why
did it happen when it happened? What was the reason
that they decided to do the deal then? Because there
has to be a reason. It couldn't be well, let's
(14:31):
see ten o'clock on Tuesday morning. Maybe you know today,
maybe I think.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
We'll do this.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
No, there had to be something that caused it to happen.
I've never been able to figure out what that is.
Maybe it was eight billion, and Mark said, okay, what
about ten? Maybe it was a simple as that, what
about ten billion? You know we've been talking about seven
to eight, but let's just make a ten and call
(14:57):
it a day. And you can't turn that. I mean,
we don't know the deal, but it could have been
that simple. We want it. What's the gunn take? He said,
let me just ask for the world. What about ten billion?
There's no way you're gonna match that?
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Okay? Deal? Deal?
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Oh maybe it was that simple. Maybe they've been kicking
it around and talking and trying to figure it out,
and they had a price, and then you know, maybe
Genie Boss thought well all right, I mean, if they're
that interested, I'm gonna.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Shoot for the moon.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
There's no way he'll do this. Ten billion?
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Okay done? Maybe it was that simple.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
It could have been, hey, you know what, put her here?
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Shake done?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
When can we move in?
Speaker 2 (15:55):
What? What? What did I just do? The son of
a Bit's got my team right, I mean.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Seriously, Yeah, if it was just that simple, And maybe
you're right because it came out of like boom done.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Yeah, and the number was crazy, right when when everybody
heard the number, because that was the first thing. It
was like they bought it, and then the number came out,
I was like, what.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
What that was? Like?
Speaker 2 (16:24):
NFL franchise top, NFL franchise money, right, and that was
the shaker, was the number. So maybe it was maybe
it was simple as I want ten billion, Okay, Jeanie,
you got it?
Speaker 1 (16:45):
And you know what's funny about that? And I'm sure
people do feel that way. That was a shock.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
I might be the only person that went, yeah, I
got it, I get it, I got it. When he
bought the Dodgers for two billion, people thought he was insane, right, insane.
Then Balmer bought the Clippers.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
For that price.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yeah, so he knows, he knows, all right, ten billion,
we're good. He knows what it's gonna be worth. And
because he's not a guy scraping together cash to buy it,
he's like, this is great, fine, take it. Yeah, we're
good to go now because he's gonna hold on to it.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
We're gonna it's it's yeah, we got an ass that's
gonna last a twenty years, is gonna grow every single year.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
What are we talking about? I don't care what it costs.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Right, that's the point. When you have money, you can
do that. He spent two billion dollars on the Dodgers,
and everybody thought that was insanity.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Yes, what do you think dog worth like six at
least at least you throw Tani in it. It's more
than that. Let's say the Dodgers for the next ten years. Now,
so what do you think happens in Japan over the
next ten years with the Dodgers in the brand.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Let's say the Dogs are now worth ten billion dollars.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Right, he only spent two.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
He made eight billion dollars.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
He made that money back already.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Think about that. So he spends ten billion on the Lakers,
all right, that's gonna be worth in ten years thirteen
fourteen billion.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
The minute he bought the Dodgers, he made money. And
now even spending what he did for the Lakers, he's
made money.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
It's similar with the Laker thing. He wanted it, he
was gonna go get it. It's similar to there was
and I can say this after the fact, there was
absolutely no way they were gonna lose Otani. They were
going to offer him in the world. They were going
to offer them the world, and they did and they
(18:53):
went for it, and it was like whatever takes, whatever takes,
because they knew, first of all, they knew he was
the best place baseball player on the planet, but he
also knew what we saw in Japan and the global
aspect of it. It's just they were looking so much
further than just he's a great baseball player here in
(19:17):
Los Angeles. It was bigger than that, and so they
went and got him. See, that was the point that
was no object.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
But that was a point when the Mets signed Jan
Soda and I said, that's a terrible signing. That is
a terrible signing. And when the Doctor signed Otani, I
think we were the first people to start talking about
the fact that, yeah, he's a great baseball player and
they're spending a lot of money on him, but you
got to look at what he really means and brings. Yeah,
(19:46):
people fans don't look at it that way. They go
wins and losses, championships. Yep, that's how they look at it.
They're operating a business. They had done all the numbers,
they had run, the numbers they had figured out, no
matter what they pay him. Yeah, seven hundred what is
seven hundred million dollars they paid him, Yeah, yeah, six
(20:07):
hundred and eighty million dollars deferred. They'd already run numbers
knowing when they had to pay him six hundred and
eighty million dollars they had made more than that because
of him. Yeah, and it was because what he brought
off the field, marketing opportunities, branding opportunities globally. That was
(20:30):
a brilliant signing.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Brilliant.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Now, now you look at Juan Soto in the Mets.
They paid him seven hundred and sixty five million dollars.
Awful signing, awful good for Lonsoto.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
No disrespect.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
You know, you don't think they're getting the same money
from the Dominican as the Dodgers are getting from Japan, exactly.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
And that's the point, exactly, And that's the point. There
is no way, there's no way. Now, Dan Weiki has
just tweat did most of the scouting staff has also
been terminated.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Where you go it started? What's the dicion? This is
not even we're what fifteen games in the season, November twentieth,
Here you go, fifteen games in of a new season.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
So now now Rodney. We have to see, we have
to see if what you said is true. So the
buses have been terminated, the scouting staff has been terminated,
So that means they're starting now. They're starting with the
front office. Oh yeah, So who is going to make
(21:47):
the decisions? Rob blaking?
Speaker 2 (21:49):
No, So who's making them right now? Who's making them
right now? Because this doesn't happen with somebody yet. Who's
somebody's making today. Yes, that's not Mark saying Okay, I'm
gonna get rid of the buses. I'm gonna start firing
the you know, the scouting staff. Somebody's making that decision.
(22:11):
Somebody's reporting to Mark right now says this is what
we need to do, and we need to do it immediately.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Who's that? Who is that?
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Who is that person?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Is it? Well?
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Now, since they own it HR, it's AhR right, we
own it and we're using our HR people now. So
we're gonna meet at ten thirty this morning this morning.
Who's telling them to go see HR? Who's walking in
and telling them you're done? Is it Rob Polinka? Has
(22:48):
Rob Polinka been told today's day start cleaning them out
and he's doing it? Or is someone other than Rob
pulling doing it. And on top of that, well, they
got rid of their whole scouting staff and one of
the buses was in scouting. I got rid of them too.
(23:11):
Who's hiring the new scouts? Who's going to make that decision?
Who's in charge now?
Speaker 2 (23:21):
And you think, does your gut tell you that Rob
Polink is making these decisions now that they Mike got
appointed him to say, okay, Rob, go clean house.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
So are you asking me this is critical critical question.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
I'm asking you that did Mark Walters go to Rob
Polinka and say we got to make some changes, and
then it's your job to make the changes. Go let
everybody know, Go let the buses know, Let go, let
the scouting department know. Go let them know, Rob? Or
is it someone else that Mark appointed say to Rob, Hey,
(24:05):
this is what's happening to, letting you know. I'm coming
in here and we're gonna let the buses go. We're
gonna let the scouting department go. It's this new sheriff
in town.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Could this be a possibility? Final question? Then I can answer,
because we have to we have to workshop this. Could
Mark Walter have met with Rob Polenka and said, okay, Rob,
give me your plan, and Polinka give him a plan,
(24:37):
and Mark says, okay, do it. You want a new
scouting department, do it. I'll take the buses out myself.
What else do you want? What else do you need?
What do you want to build? Is that a possibility?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Absolutely, this possibility. Absolutely. Uh, it's a it's a very
it's a very realistic possibility that that that that happened.
What you know, what, wasn't there some stipulation with the
sale to that that Rob stayed on for a period
(25:18):
of time or no, only Jeanie. Only Jeanie stayed on
as governor for what a year or two an undetermined
amount of time, foreseeable future, foreseeable future.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
But why would Rob go to Mark Walter and go,
you know what, these guys, the scouts, the people we have,
I want them all out. I want I want them out.
The busses were involved in scouting. So maybe of the season.
I mean, why now?
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Why? Now?
Speaker 2 (25:48):
What? He had all summer to do this, same same
people he had all summer to do it, well not
all summer, because they just bought the team and it
got it ratified. So you had September post of October
to do it before the season started. You had a
chance to do it? Yeah, why now?
Speaker 3 (26:10):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (26:10):
And if this was the case, you think that Rob
went to Genie and Jeannie was like, no, can't do it.
I'm not doing it with anybody. There's too much of
a family here. I've been here forever. I'm not gonna
let you fire everybody. And Genie said no. And then
when Rob got the opportunity with Mark, he said, I've
(26:32):
been wanting to do this for a while. This is
what needs to happen, and it got done. The possibility, yeah,
I think the bigger possibility, the more real possibility, that
there's someone that has been appointed to oversee the Lakers
and that he is pulling the strings.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
So this is good. That's the big question. Who did
it today?
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Who did that? Was the scouting department? Did they hear
whispers people were unhappy, they were talking to other teams,
maybe looking for a job, and they pulled the trigger?
Or is this the beginning of what's going to be
Those are very good questions. All right, when we come back,
five current Dodger players who will have a major impact
(27:29):
on whether or not they repeat.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Yeah, So one hour of sprint today on a throwback Thursday,
and a rainy went at that here in southern California
in LA about the rain here in a minute this afternoon.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
But let's finish it up.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Freddy, our buddy Ted Sobel did send me a text
he said, love this. Remember when Jerry Buss bought the
the Lakers, the Kings before him, in a large ran
that was back in nineteen seventy nine, sixty seven point
five million dollars.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
They sold it for ten billion.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Sixty seven point five million.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
And that was the Kings, the Forum, every the Kings,
the Forum, the Lakers, everything, and they sold it for
ten billion. Yeah. I remember John Jackson used to run
everything for Jerry too. He did remember that, remember John Jackson? Interesting?
So yeah, I mean we could talk about that forever
(28:32):
with the you know, who's pulling the strings, who's running
the show for the Lakers right now. But it's very interesting,
very interesting that fifteen games in that this kind of
move is made. They just still have you still have
you know, trade deadlines got to come up in January.
(28:53):
You still have a lot of scouting to do, scouting
of other teams. You got the whole scouting department is
not just scouting college players, even though the college season
is going.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
That's where your.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Scouts go check out the college kids. You know, Boozer
at Duke, you know, you check out the kid at
BUYU and the other ones and one at Kansas. You know,
those top three guys amongst others. Arizona's got some players,
you know. That's what your scouts do. And on pose
that there's advanced scouts that scout the teams that you're getting.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Ready to play.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
So to eliminate that in the middle of the season
or the beginning of the season is very interesting.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
It's like they went through it.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
And again, I mean, I get the argument that it
could be Rob Polinka, as he's been there for a
few years now, going, we're really deficient in this area
and we need a whole we need a whole new department.
We need a whole revamp of our front office.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
I don't know why since currently guys, but I know
the Lakers notoriously didn't even have a pro scouting staff,
and that was a big deal. They didn't even have
pro scouts and they had a small a handful of
even college scouts at that point. So now maybe it's
expanded over these last couple of years. That was probably
as of like four or five years ago. But side
they have the most robust scouting staff college or pro
any other Again.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I know, but to get rid of them, get rid
of the whole department, Yeah, that's it's still whether you
have you know, five people or twenty five people, it's
still it's still vital to your operation.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Well, to be fair to the reporting, Sham said most
of the scouting staff, So it didn't say everybody, he
said most of it. But again, it's not a big
staff to begin with. So what is most If you
have twelve, you got rid of six of them, like
seven of them.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Yeah, do you think do you think it's Do you
think it's Rob saying we got new ownership, I got
new power that I can speak my mind and say, okay,
this is I've known this for years, but Deanie didn't
want to do it.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
So now what do you want to do?
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Kevin? How do you read it?
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Well?
Speaker 4 (30:59):
I think it's unrealistic to think that Rob and JJ Reddick,
and although brass there has not met with Mark Walter,
we talked on the show, and I forget who told
us this it may have been dan Wicki that Rob
has been talking and has had come many conversations with
Andrew Freeman about the Dodgers and how they operate and
how we can incorporate whatever philosophies that they have into
what the Lakers are doing. It's also worth noting we
have pointed this out in the past, because we talked
(31:20):
about Genie. There was a clause in the sale that
she had to stay on for a certain amount of time. Remember,
Rob Polanka signed his extension with the team in April.
It was announced that the sale of the team was
going to happen in June, so people at that point
were wondering whether or not Genie wanted to lock up
her friend Rob in a role, give him an extension,
make sure he has some sort of security in case
(31:40):
when the ownership change did happen they decided to blow
him out. So I don't know if there are any
designs of this happening with Rob Polanka necessarily being the
guy and we're going to carry forward with him. Maybe
he will, But there was an initial thought that they
wanted to lock up Rob before the sale of the team,
just as a protection measure for him personally.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Well, they gave JJ Reddick a contract extension before the
sale officially went through.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
Yeah, but that and I think that was all. But
I think that the interesting part about that is I
think the JJ extension happened after the sale was announced.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
It did, and I think that was more. I think
that was the Mark Walter group saying we want you
to be secure, you think Mark Walter, Yeah, because it
happened after the sale.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
Yeah, it wasn't officially the sale happened I think last month.
But we knew about the sale in June.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Yeah, it's not going to go it ratified. It ratified
last month, right, right, so, but we knew about it
in June.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
So I think once that came out that they they
were going to spend the ten million and just waiting
for the ratification. There's no way in the world JJ
gets an extension without it going through Mark Walters and
those guys not a chance. Even even as they wait
for it to be ratified. The new ownership would have
(32:56):
to sign off on that. Now, to Kevin's point, they
didn't have to sign off on the Rob Polinka one
because Geenie did that before.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
So that was protection. I just how long has Rob
been there.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Now, he came in the same year Magic did. So
when was that twenty eighteen?
Speaker 3 (33:17):
He came in there.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Like a month before Magic almost right, something like that.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
What nineteen he said nineteen?
Speaker 4 (33:25):
It was somewhere between somewhere between seventeen eighteen nineteen, something
like that.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
So at least over five years he's been yeah, yeah,
over five years. Do you see him not trying to
revamp the staff in six five, six, seven years if
he didn't believe it was up to par. We've never
(33:51):
heard about it, right, We never heard that there's gonna
be shake ups or anything like that. And this happens
like not even not even what a month or two
months after the ratification of the new ownership.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Maybe he wanted to make changes but they didn't have
the money.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Yeah, Or he.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
Also could just be self preservation. I was like, well,
he could have actually absolutely thought that legitimately, Fred, or
he can say whether it's new ownership coming in. I
got to put my best face forward and say like, hey,
this is where we're falling short. We need to do X,
Y and z. Even if he doesn't necessarily believe it,
he wants to maintain his job whatever possible. So he says,
here's my look from the inside, what's your look from
(34:31):
the outside.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
And maybe and maybe he did it, and Geenie was like, no, sure, yeah, or.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
There's a new sheriff in town. Keep saying that, you.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
Know, sometimes sometimes you know things and you don't even
know how.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
You know.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Sometimes you know but you don't even know why. You
just snow, Okay, Well that's it. Wall had an hour today,
so we didn't We didn't get to talk about the Dodger.
So I guess we'll do that tomorrow because, uh, we
got to get out of here. Kevin says, break or
(35:19):
we'll be into the Petros and Money show. All right,
So we're back to wrapping up.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Yeah, uh yeah, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Sultan Pepper coming at you. Today's Throwback Thursday edition of
Afternoon Delight is shoot by Sultan Pepper. Song appears on
the group's fourth studio album, entitled Very Necessary, and was
one of their most successful singles.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
It reached its high as.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Number four on the Billboard Hot one hundred charts in
the fall of nineteen ninety three, and which certified gold
just two months after its release. The song would go
on to sail over one million units, while the music
did has been viewed over eighty seven million times on YouTube.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
Again.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Today's Throwback Thursday edition of Afternoon Delight is soup by
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by Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, a premiere Palm Springs Gaming destinations.
Right now call her number four eight sixty six, nine
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(36:29):
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Speaker 1 (36:35):
Okay, exhausted, because that's it. That's the whole hour. That
is a whole hour. And that Laker news broke just
before we came on, and it just carried us all
the way through the Dodger note, and we'll do we'll
do the Dodgers tomorrow. But the Dodger note is the Yankees.
You know, everybody's interested in Cody Bellinger coming back. We
(36:56):
talked about at the Times time they wrote about it
looks like, yeah, Cody Bellinger.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Back to Yeah, they're gonna sign him back. They like him.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
There's history there obviously with his dad playing there, and
he played well for him. They like him in that
lineup with Judge and Stanton and him playing multiple positions.
So I see him back in New York.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Okay, well listen, get some rest because you should be
tired after what we did.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Today's Austin Baby. Got to tell you
Speaker 1 (37:23):
What, Ronnie, thank you, nice hour, solid work, Kevin terrific
effort today, and Rodney back to three hours tomorrow, right,
Let's go. It's a sprint one hour fours today, fred Rogan,
Rodney peak on a five to seventy LA Sports. So Rodney,
let's just get right into it, all right.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Let's do it, Freddy, let's go, baby, come on, one
hour sprint. You saying boat, let's go, let's do it.
So this came down about twenty five minutes ago. Sham
Sharani are reporting the Lakers reorganizing their basketball operations department,
terminating executives Joey and Jesse Buss from their respective front
office positions, effective immediately.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
So what does that mean, Well, that means sucker. That
means here comes Mark Walter. That's what that means.
Speaker 3 (00:37):
Yes, it does.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
And the other side of his this, you know the bus,
the buses operated the Lakers. There were a family run business.
Everybody had a piece of it. And that's the way
Jerry doctor, Jerry Buss wanted it. Everybody in one way
or another had something to do with the Lakers. One
left when Jeanie fired him. We remember that, but there
(00:58):
are still a few left. And today both of them
got word that they're done. Both of them are out.
And now that talks about and speaks to the fact
that the Lakers Mark Walter owns the team. The Lakers
are now going to be operated differently, and is this surprising? Actually? No,
(01:23):
the real question becomes, and we'll find out in time,
who remains. Does Tim Harris remain in his role? Do
the other front office people remain in their role? I
was told that once Mark Walter took over or it
purchased the team, they he did tell the Lakers go
(01:46):
out and invest. You have money now, so start start
acquiring infrastructure.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Things you need. Who do you tell that to?
Speaker 1 (01:54):
I can't remember, And it might have even been to
JJ Reddick. I thought he said that to somebody. I
read that somewhere. Okay, you can start investing now, but
I apparently don't invest in any more buses.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, I'm just I'm just wondering who, you know, who
he might have said that to prior to I guess
getting getting his own guy in there, because there will
be a president of basketball operations very soon. An you think,
(02:27):
I know, you know Rob Polinka's GM technically is he
president in basketball?
Speaker 1 (02:32):
I think he was promoted to that. Yeah, so there'll be.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
A guy above him, and it's just odd that they
he told him to go spend prior to that happening,
because yeah, they will fill that front office with enough
people to handle everything. They will, Like Steve Bomber came
in and said, wait a minute, you're so far under staffed.
(02:55):
We got to staff this thing up. And they did
it with the Clippers. They did it with the Dodgers obviously,
and and so they'll do it with the Lakers too.
But I just before they had he has his guy
in there. You know, he's gonna have the guy in there,
you know. You know he started off and and he
got Stan Casting in there, and Andrew Friedman, and yeah,
(03:18):
he let it play out for a year or two
with the with the former people at the Dodgers, including
our guy Net Colletti. But eventually he was gonna get
his guy in there. And I think at at some
point he's gonna get his guy in there. He's gonna
get his guy in there. And then and it's this
is the kind of I believe the start of the
house cleaning that he's doing.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
See I And I don't know. And if we asked Stan,
I don't know what he would say if we called
Stan and asked him, all right, because when he was
in Atlanta. You know, he did the Braves and the Hawks. Yep,
he oversaw both of them.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (03:52):
So I thought to myself, well, obviously he has experience
in this, why wouldn't you oversee the Lakers as well?
He would be president of the Lakers and president of
the Dodgers. I mean, and that's everything non basketball or
baseball related. That's Stan Caston. So if you go, what
does Stan do? Stands everything except baseball operations?
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Yeah, and he's players He's not. Yeah, he's not going
out drafting and doing all that on. You know, Andrew
Freeman and Ran and Gomes do all that in terms
of players and player development, that's not Stan. Stan runs
the entire organization, right, Stan is about, you know, overseas,
the marketing and the production and the and everything else.
(04:38):
But in terms of the players and stuff, that's Andrew Freeman.
You think they would he would do both? Or would
they say, Stan, go take care of the Lakers. Let's
go take care of the Lakers. Get that right, Because
it's a different animal doing the Braves and the Hawks
than it is doing the Dodger and the Lakers do
all right.
Speaker 1 (04:57):
I think if they told Stan go take care of
the Lakers. Honestly, I think Stan would say, I'm good
here with the Dodgers. Hyeah, I'm good. Yeah, I'm good.
I think if they took again, hell, maybe we should
have called him. But I think if they said we're
going to take the Dodgers away from you, go take
care of the Lakers, I think he'd say, no, I'm fine,
(05:21):
I'm good right here. I'm not doing that. I don't
think Stan has giving up the Dodgers, Rodney. That's all
I'm saying. Yeah, I'm not saying giving them up. I'm
just saying, you know, hey, Stan, we just bought the Lakers.
We need somebody that we trust to go make sure
it runs right, you know, can you go handle that?
So you're saying he would turn that down, knowing that
they're trusting him to go fix the Lakers or you know,
(05:43):
make it run like the Dodgers run and step away
from the Dodgers to do that, he would say no.
But I think, and I don't know, And you know,
Stan's not thirty five years old anymore. Either.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
No, That's what I'm saying. Doing both would be a
very challenge Stan.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
You know what, things are pretty locked down here we're good.
We're good here, you know that. But see, well it's
a machine at the Dodgers now is we're running. Yeah,
but even if it's locked down. See, their mindset is
unlike other peoples, and I and I can identify with this.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
I get it.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
We're doing great. Stan, we got this locked up, and
he'll go, Okay, then what's next? Because they're not complacent
and they're not content. So even if things are running smoothly, yeah,
Stan would be sitting there going okay, so what should
we do now?
Speaker 3 (06:33):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Okay, what center feel Socields area? What they did out there,
that's stand right, Let's do that development, the locker rooms,
you know, stand let's do that development, the you know,
whatever they do. They're going to do something with the
parking lot at some point right then we'll see what
happens there. Yeah, there's gonna be constant movement with the Dodgers.
They don't they don't ever stand still. I get that.
(06:57):
But I'm just saying a trusted name, a trusted guy
that's done it before, go take care of the Lakers.
That might be a full time gig that he can't
do both.
Speaker 1 (07:06):
Yeah, So what they could say is Stan, you got
them both. You got them both, and this speaks to
what you're saying. Stand, they're both yours. Who are you
going to hire right now? Who are you going to
hire to take care of the Lakers? You're in charge, right,
But who reports to you?
Speaker 3 (07:24):
You got it? Yeah, you got an open check book.
Bring in who you need to bring in.
Speaker 1 (07:28):
Bring in the person that you believe is going to
take care of this. You're in charge by the way.
You make a call, Yeah, and if it fails at
you're ass staying you're the boss. But you go find
somebody that reports to you. So that means if Stan
has to spend a week at the Lakers or four
(07:48):
or five days at the Lakers with the new guy,
that's fine. You don't have to sit there seven days
a week. Because really, if you look at the Dodgers
and marketing all of that, someone Rodney knows exceptionally well
and I know him as well, Lon Rosen.
Speaker 3 (08:06):
Yeah, Line is.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Involved in a lot of stuff. Stand trusts lawn and
Line makes a lot of decisions when it comes to
marketing and sales and things like that. Line's really involved.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Right, They have people at the Dodgers that can handle
the day to day operation while Stan's dealing with the Lakers.
But then it goes back to the Dodgers. You know
what I mean?
Speaker 2 (08:31):
Yeah, yeah, No, I get it. I get it. And
that would that would make sense, That would make sense
of because of the way they operate. They're not going
to say, Stan, you're gonna put this all on your shoulders,
go take care of the Lakers and and the Dodgers,
and we're not gonna give you any help. No, they
would give him all the resources he needs. Like you said,
(08:52):
to go find the guy that reports to you that
can run a franchise, but yet he still reports to you.
To go find that guy, and then we'll give you
all the resources to do that and staff up. Yeah,
I see that happening.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
See, because the thing is this, and it's what fans
don't think about, but we think about it because you know,
we're interested in the business aspect of things. Mark Walter
buys the Lakers. Eventually Mark Walter's people are going to
be in there. They're going to be in there. And
here's why they know how he operates. He trusts them.
(09:27):
They think the same way. They have a system in
place and they know how to do business. It's no
different than if you hire a new general manager. What
usually happens coach is gone. I need my guy, I
need my person in there. We got to work together,
we have to think the same way. Sometimes the coach
(09:48):
survives if you can get on the same page, but
more times than not. Okay, now it's my problem. I'm
in charge. I'm gonna make sure I surround myself with
people that I trust and believe.
Speaker 2 (10:00):
And don't forget. One of the people that he trusts
and believes in and confides in and trust their opinion
is one of those Dodger owners that also had a
lot of experience with the Lakers as well. So what
I want to second, don't think for one second that
there's no influence coming there.
Speaker 1 (10:20):
So yeah, and that's what I want to know. And
you won't tell me what I do want to know.
Speaker 3 (10:25):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
I just know there is. I don't know specifics, but
of course there.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
Is, right, But I want to know, So what is
that going to mean? Ultimately?
Speaker 3 (10:34):
Right?
Speaker 2 (10:35):
What will that mean? And maybe you know when you're
not saying, because sometimes you do that, But I don't know.
I'm seriously, I don't know, But I do know that
it that didn't happen without him, The sale, everything didn't
happen without him, much like the Dodgers didn't happen without him.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
You know.
Speaker 2 (10:53):
And you know, as we talked about before, it's not
if it worked for Magic's relationship with Frank McCourt, Steve
Cohen probably would own the Dodgers because one of the
things that he said was that Major League Baseball was
forcing him to sell, but they couldn't force him who
(11:14):
to sell to correct and it was a relationship that
Magic had with Frank, and then Magic had with the
Guggenheim guys and Mark Walter, similar thing with the Lakers
and that deal getting done. I don't know, you know
how many conversation, how much they talk about it, what
their conversations are about about what the future of the
(11:34):
Lakers hold, But you know they have conversations about it,
and I don't know specifics, but those first two dominoes fell,
and you know, Mark doesn't do anything without consulting with people,
So you know, I don't know what happens going forward,
But like we talked about, I'm sure, like you said,
(11:59):
Stan's going to be somewhat part of it as well.
Standing Magic will be part of the restructuring of the Lakers.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
It only makes sense they have to. Yeah, And honestly,
I've been wondering what is Magic going to be? To
be really honest with you, what is he going to be?
I think he's going to be more than Oh, a magic,
A magic everybody I'm here. Oh No, I think he's
going to have some sort of role in the operation
(12:31):
of the Lakers. I don't know what that role will be.
And I'm looking at you what I think he has
to doesn't he am? I am I just missing this
whole thing.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
It's too close, right, It's too close.
Speaker 2 (12:45):
He's still very close to the Lakers, and everybody there
still has that passion about the Lakers shows up as
many games as possible. Yeah, there's definitely that connect. And
then the connection with Mark Walters and the group that
just bought the Lakers. It would be hard pressed to
(13:06):
believe that he doesn't have a role, that he doesn't
have a major role. And what goes on with the
Lakers going forward?
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Did he put skin in the game for the Laker deal?
I don't know this, do you. I don't know, because
he's got he got real skin in the game of
the Dodgers. Definitely real skin with the Dodgers, real skin
with the Dodger game.
Speaker 3 (13:26):
I don't know.
Speaker 2 (13:26):
I don't know the details of that one and the Lakers,
but certainly, uh don't disregard the relationship he has with
Genie and that deal happening, So that that was that
was it wasn't it was. He He was involved. Put
(13:50):
it that way. He was involved, And it was no
shock that that deal got done with Mark Walters and
and Genie and got done the way it got done.
Magic definitely had conversations in between that. I don't know
what the and maybe you do. I don't know what
(14:10):
flipped the switch. I don't know what put it over
the top. Mark Walter had been interested in the Lakers
for years. I mean, he bought a piece of the team,
so he owned a good part of the team. Why
did it happen when it happened? What was the reason
that they decided to do the deal then? Because there
has to be a reason. It couldn't be well, let's
(14:31):
see ten o'clock on Tuesday morning. Maybe you know today,
maybe I think.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
We'll do this.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
No, there had to be something that caused it to happen.
I've never been able to figure out what that is.
Maybe it was eight billion, and Mark said, okay, what
about ten? Maybe it was a simple as that, what
about ten billion? You know we've been talking about seven
to eight, but let's just make a ten and call
(14:57):
it a day. And you can't turn that. I mean,
we don't know the deal, but it could have been
that simple. We want it. What's the gunn take? He said,
let me just ask for the world. What about ten billion?
There's no way you're gonna match that?
Speaker 3 (15:17):
Okay? Deal? Deal?
Speaker 1 (15:26):
Oh maybe it was that simple. Maybe they've been kicking
it around and talking and trying to figure it out,
and they had a price, and then you know, maybe
Genie Boss thought well all right, I mean, if they're
that interested, I'm gonna.
Speaker 3 (15:40):
Shoot for the moon.
Speaker 1 (15:41):
There's no way he'll do this. Ten billion?
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Okay done? Maybe it was that simple.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
It could have been, hey, you know what, put her here?
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Shake done?
Speaker 1 (15:54):
When can we move in?
Speaker 2 (15:55):
What? What? What did I just do? The son of
a Bit's got my team right, I mean.
Speaker 1 (16:03):
Seriously, Yeah, if it was just that simple, And maybe
you're right because it came out of like boom done.
Speaker 2 (16:10):
Yeah, and the number was crazy, right when when everybody
heard the number, because that was the first thing. It
was like they bought it, and then the number came out,
I was like, what.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
What that was? Like?
Speaker 2 (16:24):
NFL franchise top, NFL franchise money, right, and that was
the shaker, was the number. So maybe it was maybe
it was simple as I want ten billion, Okay, Jeanie,
you got it?
Speaker 1 (16:45):
And you know what's funny about that? And I'm sure
people do feel that way. That was a shock.
Speaker 3 (16:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
I might be the only person that went, yeah, I
got it, I get it, I got it. When he
bought the Dodgers for two billion, people thought he was insane, right, insane.
Then Balmer bought the Clippers.
Speaker 3 (17:04):
For that price.
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Yeah, so he knows, he knows, all right, ten billion,
we're good. He knows what it's gonna be worth. And
because he's not a guy scraping together cash to buy it,
he's like, this is great, fine, take it. Yeah, we're
good to go now because he's gonna hold on to it.
Speaker 2 (17:27):
We're gonna it's it's yeah, we got an ass that's
gonna last a twenty years, is gonna grow every single year.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
What are we talking about? I don't care what it costs.
Speaker 1 (17:37):
Right, that's the point. When you have money, you can
do that. He spent two billion dollars on the Dodgers,
and everybody thought that was insanity.
Speaker 2 (17:44):
Yes, what do you think dog worth like six at
least at least you throw Tani in it. It's more
than that. Let's say the Dodgers for the next ten years. Now,
so what do you think happens in Japan over the
next ten years with the Dodgers in the brand.
Speaker 1 (17:59):
Let's say the Dogs are now worth ten billion dollars.
Speaker 3 (18:02):
Right, he only spent two.
Speaker 1 (18:05):
He made eight billion dollars.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
He made that money back already.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Think about that. So he spends ten billion on the Lakers,
all right, that's gonna be worth in ten years thirteen
fourteen billion.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
The minute he bought the Dodgers, he made money. And
now even spending what he did for the Lakers, he's
made money.
Speaker 3 (18:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
It's similar with the Laker thing. He wanted it, he
was gonna go get it. It's similar to there was
and I can say this after the fact, there was
absolutely no way they were gonna lose Otani. They were
going to offer him in the world. They were going
to offer them the world, and they did and they
(18:53):
went for it, and it was like whatever takes, whatever takes,
because they knew, first of all, they knew he was
the best place baseball player on the planet, but he
also knew what we saw in Japan and the global
aspect of it. It's just they were looking so much
further than just he's a great baseball player here in
(19:17):
Los Angeles. It was bigger than that, and so they
went and got him. See, that was the point that
was no object.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
But that was a point when the Mets signed Jan
Soda and I said, that's a terrible signing. That is
a terrible signing. And when the Doctor signed Otani, I
think we were the first people to start talking about
the fact that, yeah, he's a great baseball player and
they're spending a lot of money on him, but you
got to look at what he really means and brings. Yeah,
(19:46):
people fans don't look at it that way. They go
wins and losses, championships. Yep, that's how they look at it.
They're operating a business. They had done all the numbers,
they had run, the numbers they had figured out, no
matter what they pay him. Yeah, seven hundred what is
seven hundred million dollars they paid him, Yeah, yeah, six
(20:07):
hundred and eighty million dollars deferred. They'd already run numbers
knowing when they had to pay him six hundred and
eighty million dollars they had made more than that because
of him. Yeah, and it was because what he brought
off the field, marketing opportunities, branding opportunities globally. That was
(20:30):
a brilliant signing.
Speaker 3 (20:32):
Brilliant.
Speaker 1 (20:34):
Now, now you look at Juan Soto in the Mets.
They paid him seven hundred and sixty five million dollars.
Awful signing, awful good for Lonsoto.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
No disrespect.
Speaker 2 (20:45):
You know, you don't think they're getting the same money
from the Dominican as the Dodgers are getting from Japan, exactly.
Speaker 1 (20:50):
And that's the point, exactly, And that's the point. There
is no way, there's no way. Now, Dan Weiki has
just tweat did most of the scouting staff has also
been terminated.
Speaker 2 (21:05):
Where you go it started? What's the dicion? This is
not even we're what fifteen games in the season, November twentieth,
Here you go, fifteen games in of a new season.
Speaker 3 (21:21):
Yeah yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:25):
So now now Rodney. We have to see, we have
to see if what you said is true. So the
buses have been terminated, the scouting staff has been terminated,
So that means they're starting now. They're starting with the
front office. Oh yeah, So who is going to make
(21:47):
the decisions? Rob blaking?
Speaker 2 (21:49):
No, So who's making them right now? Who's making them
right now? Because this doesn't happen with somebody yet. Who's
somebody's making today. Yes, that's not Mark saying Okay, I'm
gonna get rid of the buses. I'm gonna start firing
the you know, the scouting staff. Somebody's making that decision.
(22:11):
Somebody's reporting to Mark right now says this is what
we need to do, and we need to do it immediately.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Who's that? Who is that?
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Who is that person?
Speaker 3 (22:25):
Is it? Well?
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Now, since they own it HR, it's AhR right, we
own it and we're using our HR people now. So
we're gonna meet at ten thirty this morning this morning.
Who's telling them to go see HR? Who's walking in
and telling them you're done? Is it Rob Polinka? Has
(22:48):
Rob Polinka been told today's day start cleaning them out
and he's doing it? Or is someone other than Rob
pulling doing it. And on top of that, well, they
got rid of their whole scouting staff and one of
the buses was in scouting. I got rid of them too.
(23:11):
Who's hiring the new scouts? Who's going to make that decision?
Who's in charge now?
Speaker 2 (23:21):
And you think, does your gut tell you that Rob
Polink is making these decisions now that they Mike got
appointed him to say, okay, Rob, go clean house.
Speaker 1 (23:39):
So are you asking me this is critical critical question.
Speaker 2 (23:42):
I'm asking you that did Mark Walters go to Rob
Polinka and say we got to make some changes, and
then it's your job to make the changes. Go let
everybody know, Go let the buses know, Let go, let
the scouting department know. Go let them know, Rob? Or
is it someone else that Mark appointed say to Rob, Hey,
(24:05):
this is what's happening to, letting you know. I'm coming
in here and we're gonna let the buses go. We're
gonna let the scouting department go. It's this new sheriff
in town.
Speaker 1 (24:16):
Could this be a possibility? Final question? Then I can answer,
because we have to we have to workshop this. Could
Mark Walter have met with Rob Polenka and said, okay, Rob,
give me your plan, and Polinka give him a plan,
(24:37):
and Mark says, okay, do it. You want a new
scouting department, do it. I'll take the buses out myself.
What else do you want? What else do you need?
What do you want to build? Is that a possibility?
Speaker 3 (24:56):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (24:57):
Absolutely, this possibility. Absolutely. Uh, it's a it's a very
it's a very realistic possibility that that that that happened.
What you know, what, wasn't there some stipulation with the
sale to that that Rob stayed on for a period
(25:18):
of time or no, only Jeanie. Only Jeanie stayed on
as governor for what a year or two an undetermined
amount of time, foreseeable future, foreseeable future.
Speaker 1 (25:28):
But why would Rob go to Mark Walter and go,
you know what, these guys, the scouts, the people we have,
I want them all out. I want I want them out.
The busses were involved in scouting. So maybe of the season.
I mean, why now?
Speaker 3 (25:47):
Why? Now?
Speaker 2 (25:48):
What? He had all summer to do this, same same
people he had all summer to do it, well not
all summer, because they just bought the team and it
got it ratified. So you had September post of October
to do it before the season started. You had a
chance to do it? Yeah, why now?
Speaker 3 (26:10):
Why not?
Speaker 2 (26:10):
And if this was the case, you think that Rob
went to Genie and Jeannie was like, no, can't do it.
I'm not doing it with anybody. There's too much of
a family here. I've been here forever. I'm not gonna
let you fire everybody. And Genie said no. And then
when Rob got the opportunity with Mark, he said, I've
(26:32):
been wanting to do this for a while. This is
what needs to happen, and it got done. The possibility, yeah,
I think the bigger possibility, the more real possibility, that
there's someone that has been appointed to oversee the Lakers
and that he is pulling the strings.
Speaker 1 (27:00):
So this is good. That's the big question. Who did
it today?
Speaker 3 (27:05):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (27:06):
Who did that? Was the scouting department? Did they hear
whispers people were unhappy, they were talking to other teams,
maybe looking for a job, and they pulled the trigger?
Or is this the beginning of what's going to be
Those are very good questions. All right, when we come back,
five current Dodger players who will have a major impact
(27:29):
on whether or not they repeat.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (27:37):
Yeah, So one hour of sprint today on a throwback Thursday,
and a rainy went at that here in southern California
in LA about the rain here in a minute this afternoon.
Speaker 3 (27:47):
But let's finish it up.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Freddy, our buddy Ted Sobel did send me a text
he said, love this. Remember when Jerry Buss bought the
the Lakers, the Kings before him, in a large ran
that was back in nineteen seventy nine, sixty seven point
five million dollars.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
They sold it for ten billion.
Speaker 2 (28:07):
Sixty seven point five million.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
And that was the Kings, the Forum, every the Kings,
the Forum, the Lakers, everything, and they sold it for
ten billion. Yeah. I remember John Jackson used to run
everything for Jerry too. He did remember that, remember John Jackson? Interesting?
So yeah, I mean we could talk about that forever
(28:32):
with the you know, who's pulling the strings, who's running
the show for the Lakers right now. But it's very interesting,
very interesting that fifteen games in that this kind of
move is made. They just still have you still have
you know, trade deadlines got to come up in January.
(28:53):
You still have a lot of scouting to do, scouting
of other teams. You got the whole scouting department is
not just scouting college players, even though the college season
is going.
Speaker 3 (29:03):
That's where your.
Speaker 2 (29:04):
Scouts go check out the college kids. You know, Boozer
at Duke, you know, you check out the kid at
BUYU and the other ones and one at Kansas. You know,
those top three guys amongst others. Arizona's got some players,
you know. That's what your scouts do. And on pose
that there's advanced scouts that scout the teams that you're getting.
Speaker 3 (29:23):
Ready to play.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
So to eliminate that in the middle of the season
or the beginning of the season is very interesting.
Speaker 3 (29:31):
It's like they went through it.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
And again, I mean, I get the argument that it
could be Rob Polinka, as he's been there for a
few years now, going, we're really deficient in this area
and we need a whole we need a whole new department.
We need a whole revamp of our front office.
Speaker 4 (29:50):
I don't know why since currently guys, but I know
the Lakers notoriously didn't even have a pro scouting staff,
and that was a big deal. They didn't even have
pro scouts and they had a small a handful of
even college scouts at that point. So now maybe it's
expanded over these last couple of years. That was probably
as of like four or five years ago. But side
they have the most robust scouting staff college or pro
any other Again.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
I know, but to get rid of them, get rid
of the whole department, Yeah, that's it's still whether you
have you know, five people or twenty five people, it's
still it's still vital to your operation.
Speaker 4 (30:26):
Well, to be fair to the reporting, Sham said most
of the scouting staff, So it didn't say everybody, he
said most of it. But again, it's not a big
staff to begin with. So what is most If you
have twelve, you got rid of six of them, like
seven of them.
Speaker 2 (30:39):
Yeah, do you think do you think it's Do you
think it's Rob saying we got new ownership, I got
new power that I can speak my mind and say, okay,
this is I've known this for years, but Deanie didn't
want to do it.
Speaker 3 (30:53):
So now what do you want to do?
Speaker 1 (30:57):
Kevin? How do you read it?
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Well?
Speaker 4 (30:59):
I think it's unrealistic to think that Rob and JJ Reddick,
and although brass there has not met with Mark Walter,
we talked on the show, and I forget who told
us this it may have been dan Wicki that Rob
has been talking and has had come many conversations with
Andrew Freeman about the Dodgers and how they operate and
how we can incorporate whatever philosophies that they have into
what the Lakers are doing. It's also worth noting we
have pointed this out in the past, because we talked
(31:20):
about Genie. There was a clause in the sale that
she had to stay on for a certain amount of time. Remember,
Rob Polanka signed his extension with the team in April.
It was announced that the sale of the team was
going to happen in June, so people at that point
were wondering whether or not Genie wanted to lock up
her friend Rob in a role, give him an extension,
make sure he has some sort of security in case
(31:40):
when the ownership change did happen they decided to blow
him out. So I don't know if there are any
designs of this happening with Rob Polanka necessarily being the
guy and we're going to carry forward with him. Maybe
he will, But there was an initial thought that they
wanted to lock up Rob before the sale of the team,
just as a protection measure for him personally.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
Well, they gave JJ Reddick a contract extension before the
sale officially went through.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
Yeah, but that and I think that was all. But
I think that the interesting part about that is I
think the JJ extension happened after the sale was announced.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
It did, and I think that was more. I think
that was the Mark Walter group saying we want you
to be secure, you think Mark Walter, Yeah, because it
happened after the sale.
Speaker 4 (32:22):
Yeah, it wasn't officially the sale happened I think last month.
But we knew about the sale in June.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Yeah, it's not going to go it ratified. It ratified
last month, right, right, so, but we knew about it
in June.
Speaker 3 (32:33):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:34):
So I think once that came out that they they
were going to spend the ten million and just waiting
for the ratification. There's no way in the world JJ
gets an extension without it going through Mark Walters and
those guys not a chance. Even even as they wait
for it to be ratified. The new ownership would have
(32:56):
to sign off on that. Now, to Kevin's point, they
didn't have to sign off on the Rob Polinka one
because Geenie did that before.
Speaker 3 (33:05):
So that was protection. I just how long has Rob
been there.
Speaker 4 (33:11):
Now, he came in the same year Magic did. So
when was that twenty eighteen?
Speaker 3 (33:17):
He came in there.
Speaker 2 (33:18):
Like a month before Magic almost right, something like that.
Speaker 3 (33:23):
What nineteen he said nineteen?
Speaker 4 (33:25):
It was somewhere between somewhere between seventeen eighteen nineteen, something
like that.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
So at least over five years he's been yeah, yeah,
over five years. Do you see him not trying to
revamp the staff in six five, six, seven years if
he didn't believe it was up to par. We've never
(33:51):
heard about it, right, We never heard that there's gonna
be shake ups or anything like that. And this happens
like not even not even what a month or two
months after the ratification of the new ownership.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Maybe he wanted to make changes but they didn't have
the money.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Yeah, Or he.
Speaker 4 (34:11):
Also could just be self preservation. I was like, well,
he could have actually absolutely thought that legitimately, Fred, or
he can say whether it's new ownership coming in. I
got to put my best face forward and say like, hey,
this is where we're falling short. We need to do X,
Y and z. Even if he doesn't necessarily believe it,
he wants to maintain his job whatever possible. So he says,
here's my look from the inside, what's your look from
(34:31):
the outside.
Speaker 2 (34:32):
And maybe and maybe he did it, and Geenie was like, no, sure, yeah, or.
Speaker 3 (34:43):
There's a new sheriff in town. Keep saying that, you.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
Know, sometimes sometimes you know things and you don't even
know how.
Speaker 2 (34:54):
You know.
Speaker 1 (34:56):
Sometimes you know but you don't even know why. You
just snow, Okay, Well that's it. Wall had an hour today,
so we didn't We didn't get to talk about the Dodger.
So I guess we'll do that tomorrow because, uh, we
got to get out of here. Kevin says, break or
(35:19):
we'll be into the Petros and Money show. All right,
So we're back to wrapping up.
Speaker 3 (35:25):
Yeah, uh yeah, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (35:32):
Sultan Pepper coming at you. Today's Throwback Thursday edition of
Afternoon Delight is shoot by Sultan Pepper. Song appears on
the group's fourth studio album, entitled Very Necessary, and was
one of their most successful singles.
Speaker 3 (35:49):
It reached its high as.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Number four on the Billboard Hot one hundred charts in
the fall of nineteen ninety three, and which certified gold
just two months after its release. The song would go
on to sail over one million units, while the music
did has been viewed over eighty seven million times on YouTube.
Speaker 3 (36:07):
Again.
Speaker 2 (36:07):
Today's Throwback Thursday edition of Afternoon Delight is soup by
Salt and Pepper and Afternoon Delight is brought to you
by Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, a premiere Palm Springs Gaming destinations.
Right now call her number four eight sixty six, nine
eighty seven, two five seventy will win a two night
hotel stay, dinner for two at Palm golf for two
(36:29):
at Eagle Falls Golf Course at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.
Speaker 1 (36:35):
Okay, exhausted, because that's it. That's the whole hour. That
is a whole hour. And that Laker news broke just
before we came on, and it just carried us all
the way through the Dodger note, and we'll do we'll
do the Dodgers tomorrow. But the Dodger note is the Yankees.
You know, everybody's interested in Cody Bellinger coming back. We
(36:56):
talked about at the Times time they wrote about it
looks like, yeah, Cody Bellinger.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
Back to Yeah, they're gonna sign him back. They like him.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
There's history there obviously with his dad playing there, and
he played well for him. They like him in that
lineup with Judge and Stanton and him playing multiple positions.
So I see him back in New York.
Speaker 1 (37:17):
Okay, well listen, get some rest because you should be
tired after what we did.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Today's Austin Baby. Got to tell you
Speaker 1 (37:23):
What, Ronnie, thank you, nice hour, solid work, Kevin terrific
effort today, and Rodney back to three hours tomorrow, right,
Roggin And Rodney News
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