November 5, 2025 • 36 mins
We discuss the changing culture around the Lakers' organization and speak with Dan Woike about the teams' hot start. Also, UCLA is being sued because its looking to move its home football games from the Rose Bowl to SoFi Stadium.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, we continue on Fred Rogan, Rodney Pete on a
five to seventy La Sports. Dan Wiki will join the
show coming up next and later out of the hour.
Should U se La leave the Rose Bull. My vote
is yes, but of course my vote will cause a
giant lawsuit. But since I'm not going to be named
in the lawsuit, I vote yes. If you want to
sue me, I'll change my opinion. But since you can't
(00:22):
sue me, I vote yes, and we'll get into that.
So we talked about at the top of the show,
if you were with us culture and what that means
for the Dodgers, and basically, in any business, the importance
of culture. That means more than anything, almost as much
as what you get paid, because in a good culture,
you're going to be well compensated. And we've all worked
(00:45):
for businesses where they can be really well run and
not well run, and you know the difference as an employee.
So Dave Roberts, Andrew Friedman, stand Cast and Mark Walter,
they have created a culture, but mostly in this regard
Dave Roberts in the Clubhouse, the Lakers are off to
a surprising start. Lebron hasn't played Luca's been heard, and
(01:06):
the Lakers are winning. And after they won and they
beat Portland one twenty three to one fifteen, some of
the players were asked, well, none of your time and
Austin Reeves didn't play in that game, How are you
doing that? How did that happen? They said, culture. They
said the culture that JJ Reddick is instilling in the
(01:28):
team that they can win no matter what. It's the
system and the culture. And they use that word culture
and they believe in JJ Reddick. Now I am of
the opinion that, Well, first I thought it was absolutely
bizarre and ridiculous. They gave a guy a contract extension
(01:50):
after one year. I thought that was one of the
most insane things I had heard in a long time.
And I thought it was to protect him. When Mark
Walter comes in and the Dodger people really start to
get into that thing and turn it around and get
it's where it needs to be, but they give an extension. Now, Rodney,
you hear the players saying it's the culture he's instilling.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
What do you think of that? Yeah, I get it.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
It all makes sense now, and I get it from
a couple of different angles. When you know Mark Walter
and the Guggenheim guys came in and bought the Lakers
for ten billion dollars. You know, one thing the immediately
pops into people's minds is that they're going to come
in and clean house. They're going to go and really
try to put their own stamp onto the Lakers. But
(02:37):
if you remember, they didn't do that with the Dodgers.
They didn't come in and immediately fire everybody in the building.
They came in, evaluated and decided this is the direction
we're going to go. But it wasn't immediate, and so
I don't think that they were they were going to
do that or will do that with the Lakers. They're
(02:57):
going to do the same kind of model is that
they're gonna come in, they're gonna look at it, which
they I'm sure they're already doing, and just evaluate, you know,
who stays, who goes, what's good and what's bad, and
then we're gonna build it the way we built the
Dodgers and the way Guggenheim has built all of their businesses,
and they have a formula that obviously works, and because
(03:20):
they've been extremely successful on the sports side, the business side,
everything that they do, But I do agree that from
a JJ Reddick's standpoint, it was a protection of we're
gonna protect you from a new ownership coming in and
just getting rid of you before you've had an opportunity
to put your stamp on this team. And everybody needs that.
(03:42):
We live in a day and age right now where
things happen so rapidly. Whether it be a player, especially
when you talk about football and quarterback, you get two
years to perform. If you don't, then you're benched, or
you're sent somewhere else, or you know, you're regulated to
a backup, and it just doesn't You don't get a
chance to really build your legacy anymore. Whether it be
(04:06):
a coach as well, you got to you better win
in those first couple of years, otherwise they're gonna ship
you out. And so this was I think a way
of ensuring JJ Reddick has an opportunity to put his
stamp on this Laker team.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
And there is I know.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
People we throw it around, especially lately because we've been
talking about it, but there is culture within the building
is just as important as the details of x's and
o's and trying to figure out the right defense or
the right offense to run. Culture and camaraderie and togetherness
in in a clubhouse, a locker room, a building is
(04:45):
so vital to your success and if you don't have it,
it's going to be tough to win. I don't know
if I'm if I've remembered too many teams that were
dysfunctional Fred that went on to win championships.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Lakers have won six of the last seven. Dan Weyke,
you'll be on the show coming up here in a
bit and we'll get more into it. All right, This
Dodger update now from Alden Gonzales of ESPN. Because the
season is over now we have start getting ready.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
For next year.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
It's that fast occur and you talk about what they
may or may not need. We know the outfielder Kyle
Tucker is the name most mentioned. Cody Bellinger is a
free agent as well. I know a lot of fans
would like to see him come back, but Kyle Tucker
is the name that is being kicked around the most.
But according to Alden Gonzales, the Dodgers are going to
(05:34):
be in the market for a closer.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Now.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
You remember they were in the market for a closer
last year. And because they can basically do whatever they want.
They went out and signed Tanner Scott four years, seventy
two million dollars acknowledge is the best closer on the market.
Last year, all right, well that didn't work so well.
His era was four point seventy four, didn't appear in
the postseason and really was a major disappointment. That's just
(06:03):
being honest, not being cruel, being honest. He was disappointing
to a point where you couldn't trust him. You wouldn't
put him in the game. They didn't even have him
on the roster and that was their big free agent signing.
So he's got three years left on his deal. But
according to Gonzales, they're gonna be out there looking for
a closer and some high leverage arms in the bullpen
(06:28):
to get you out of trouble. Now what that means
for everybody, nobody knows, because we know they have an
awful lot of players. But if they go out and
spend money on a closer, Rodney, if they go out
and spend money, and you know, guys like Edwin Diaz
are available, Robert Suarez is available, Ryan Helsey is available.
(06:49):
Orthough I wouldn't sign him if they go out and
spend money. Are they not gonna because he's an adventure?
He is if he's an adventure, so I wouldn't spend
money on him now. Of course they'll sign him tomorrow,
but nonetheless he is an adventure. The thing is this,
(07:13):
Now you have Tanner Scott, you're paying him an awful
lot of money. If you go out and sign a closer,
obviously Tanner Scott will be on the roster because who's
gonna take her at that price point? And then if
he comes around and he pitches, everybody hoped, what a bonus,
(07:34):
What an incredible bonus. But you know the way the
Dodgers are. If Tanner Scott can't figure it out, let's
assume he will because he's an accomplished big league closer.
But if he can't figure it out, even at that
price point, we know what happens here. There's a point
of demarcation. And if you can't do it, I don't
(07:57):
think they care what you're making. They will make a
move with you. Are you surprised that they would be
looking for a closer.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
No, it's two different things, right, So looking for a
closer and signing the closer two different things. And I
think the Dodgers are a team that we all know now,
and I think the rest of Major League Baseball knows
that the Dodger is gonna be in the market for everybody.
And how they land that person or not land that
person remains to be seen. But the Dodger's door is
(08:30):
gonna be always open for a closer, for a right
handed bat, a left handed bat. They are gonna continuously
try to get better. If they feel like a guy
can help them and help this club win, then they're
gonna go for it, and they're gonna explore it. Whether
they sign that guy at the end of the day,
(08:52):
just it still remains to be seen. If the price
pointing a price tag and the money works out, they
can do it. But I'm not shocked that they're gonna
look for anybody and everyone to improve this. That's just
the way they operate. And quite frankly, I love it.
I love the fact that they are not sitting there
going we want two in a row, so we're just
(09:12):
gonna rest on our laurels.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
We're just gonna sit.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Back and you know we're gonna go on vacation. Wow,
you guys, everybody else go try to figure it out,
try to catch us, because you know, we just want
two in a row.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Why do we need to be aggressive?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Why do we need to be that team that's in
the news every day thinking about a closer, thinking about
a middle relieve guy, thinking about a left handed bat
that can fit in in the middle of the lineup.
You know, we don't need all that, we don't need
all the distractions. We're just gonna go chill on the beach.
That's just not the Dodger way though, because again we
(09:48):
talked about it in the first hour, they're not just
trying to win one two, They're trying to create that dynasty.
They want to win three in a row, four in
a row, five in a row. I guarantee you if
people were strange and looked s at the Dodgers, because
the bulk of the comments from the players was yeah,
it's great to win too, but let's go win three.
(10:08):
And people were like, wait a minute, just celebrate the
two wins. You just had the two World Series back
to back. Celebrate that. And the Dodger players, to almost
to a man, were now, what we do in LA is.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Three, Pat, Let's go three.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
P Dave Roberts even quoting Pat Rowley and asking the
four discount on the patent that he has.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
For three p Come on, let's go three peat.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
So it doesn't surprise me that they're out there looking,
and there'll be some names that are thrown out there.
And trust me, these guys that are out there, which
is another benefit that the Dodgers have is that it's
not going to be a hard sell Fred, somebody, Kyle
Tucker or anybody else out there Dodger's phone. They look
up and say, we got a call from LA. It's
(10:53):
a three to one oh number. It's a two to one
to three number. Man, it's got to be the Dodgers
because it's not seven to one four or it's not
down there in Orange County. So Dodgers are calling. Okay, yeah,
pick up that phone. Please pick up that phone. Oh
you want me to take a little haircut. Okay, I'll
take a little haircut where that Dodger Blewe let's go.
(11:16):
So they have that advantage with them as well, that
guys are more. If all things being equal, guys are
gonna go. Yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming as opposed to
I don't know. Let me see what the rest of
the league is talking about because they know if they
wait a day, they wait two days, three days, then
(11:36):
the Dodgers could very well move on and go to
the next guy.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
The thing is this, when the phone rings, using your analogy,
I thought it was a good one phone range. You
see it's a three one oher or a two to
one three. You think that might be the Dodgers. Instead
of saying hello, you go yes, just pick it up
and go yes, I'll take it. Yes, I'll I'll be
right when. What do you need me, I'll be right there.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yes, my flight options, yes, right here, whatever you want,
I'll I'm there.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
And that's the thing, And that's what every team in
Major League Baseball hates, by the way, and probably their
fans hated even more. If the Dodgers call, that's the
end of that. It's it really is pretty simple. We
think that's the guy for us. Done done, okay. It's
not like, well, let's have a meeting. Hello, this is
(12:32):
what we think. Okay, I'm in. We'll pay you fairly,
by the way, we'll pay you fairly, right, So we
don't want to a lot a haggle on the money.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Let's just we're not haggling, we're not low balling you.
We think this is where the market is. You tell
us if it's not. But we're not going to insult you.
That's the reason we're calling. We're not going to insult you.
We we got a number in our head. I think
you have a number in your head. It's uh, let's
figure out how we can meet and and then it
(13:03):
goes from there. But it's not like the Dodgers are
going to call someone and try to steal them or
low ball them or insult them at this point. And
I think everyone you know, every player in the league,
I think understands that. It's like they're calling for real.
They're not calling the BS me to to to really
(13:24):
insult me or anything like that. They're calling they're calling me.
First of all, For them to call me, that's that's impressive,
and I am I'm extremely grateful that they're calling me. Now, well,
how far apart are we If it's closed, I'm signing.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
It's Here's the other part that everybody hates everybody around
the country. There's not a player in professional sports and
Rodney a guy that played if a team that is
as dominant in any sport. As the Dodgers, with the
culture they have created, calls you and asks you, would
you like to be part of this ninety nine point
(14:07):
people are going to say yes, I do, thank you.
And every team knows that, and they cannot compete with that.
It doesn't matter what team. They cannot compete with. That
they can't compete with. You get your own plane. They
can't compete with that. They can't compete with the way
we take care of you off the field. They can't
(14:27):
compete with that. They cannot compete with. If you come here,
you will have your very best chance of winning a title.
You could go anywhere and anything could happen, and we
wish you will. But if you come here, you know
you've got your best chance. If you come here, because
(14:49):
of the way we do things, there is a very
high probability that you will become a better player if
you come here. Everybody knows that. Everybody knows that. That's
why everybody hates the Dodgers. They won the World Series,
and now the next game begins free agency. They hated
(15:13):
the Dodgers when they signed Yamamoto. They hated the Dodgers
when they signed Otani. They hated the Dodgers when they
signed Sazaki. Those guys could have gone anywhere, anywhere, to
any team. They didn't even split up. They all ended
(15:35):
up in the same place. So what does that tell you. Imanaga,
the pitcher from the Cubs, is available as a free agent.
I think he's pretty good, by the way, But what
does that tell you. Any kid growing up in Japan
is not gonna say my dream is to play for
the Marlins. I can't wait to get on the field
(15:55):
of the Texas Rangers. No one is going to say
that because the example everyone has come here and succeeded.
And that's the other part of it. You could take
players from any country put them here. If they don't win, well,
that doesn't mean it's a destination. But now it confirms
(16:17):
it is. Well we come back, Dan Wykey will join us.
Let's get into the Lakers' early season success.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
Hello Rogan and Rodney listener, did you know AM five
seventy LA Sports has a wide range of LA Sports podcasts,
shows like Petros in Money. We are streaming Matt Dodger
Talk with David Vasse.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
The Dodger Podcast of Record.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
Clipper Talk Without a Musk, follow us all and many more.
Just go to AM five to seventy LA Sports on
the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Yeah, he come on, let's get back to it on
a hump day Rodney Pete Freegan talking about the coach. Y'all,
we're talking about the culture. It's the culture for it.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Well, that's what it's about. Let's bring on our friend Dan.
Why you the athletic Dan? Good afternoon to you guys.
Speaker 5 (17:14):
Good afternoon too. When I talk about the culture with people,
it's usually after a physical.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Thank you, where's my shot? But okay, what's going on
with these Lakers?
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Dan?
Speaker 5 (17:25):
What is going on with They're speaking of the culture,
right Yeah, what's going on? This is a team that
is in a very good place right now. And I
think considering the way the preseason went, considering kind of
a barrage of injury news that's happened, you know, basically
(17:46):
since this team got together, it's it's been pretty remarkable.
I think you can point to a couple different people
as for the reasons why. Obviously, when Luca has played,
he's been phenomenal. I think his presence in practice is spirit,
His joy is kind of goofiness, for lack of a
better term, has been really good for the overall vibe
(18:07):
inside the building. But I'm gonna I'm gonna give you
two guys that I'm going to point to for this,
JJ Redick and Austin Reeves. Right, I think one Jji
Redick has established like a baseline of expectations for this team,
and they've been adopted to the extent that when things
(18:28):
are not great roster wise, uh, they know that they
have this baseline of expectations that if they meet it
in terms of effort and execution and organization and different
things like that, that they're going to have a chance
and they believe it. And then I think secondly, we're
seeing a player in Austin Reeves not only come into
his own as a player, even though he's not can
be playing it against San Antonio, but a guy who
(18:51):
I think like as a leader on this team has
really leveled up and is particularly you know with Lebron
James out, Luca Ouches out and you know Luca being
you know a little bit and really quite frankly, both
those players at this stage of their career being a
little bit more showdown. Tell I think Austin's voice, you know,
(19:12):
behind the scenes, has been incredibly valuable for this team.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Yeah, Dan talk about that, because he has absolutely grown
into that leadership role. And I don't know if everyone
believed that he was gonna, you know, was gonna be
that guy on a team where they're superstars. Obviously Lebron's
been here, but the superstars come and go and been
in you know, I want to say revolving door. But
there's been big time names here, guys that have done
(19:38):
it and had big time success. Yet he's stepped in
to that leadership role. How has he How has he
gained the respect of the other guys as to be
one of those top three voices in that locker room.
Speaker 5 (19:53):
Yeah, And I mean I'm Rodney. I might even argue
it's the top voice right now. And I think he's
done it two different ways really. Right One, he's performed
and his performance on the court has put him credibly
next to Lebron, James and Luka doncis when it comes
(20:13):
to reliability, when it comes to the ability to hit
the big shot, to meet the big moment, to make
the right decision right, Like, those are the on court
leaders of the team, and it's hard to be treated
like one of those people with that sort of gravitas
off the floor if you're not performing, right, Like, that's
just hard inside of a locker room to be a
really loud voice who's not playing at the level certainly
(20:35):
that you're speaking at. And then I think two is
it's empathy. You know that this is a player on
this team, Like quite frankly, you can go up and
down the roster and he has like lived some version
of that player's life, right like to a certain extent,
right like he's been an option who's had to do
less than this talent demands to fit in, right Like
(20:56):
that message resonates with Doander eight in Ruija Chamura, like
you know, he can sit and like, you know, there's
that meme from I think a second year of him
and Lebron and like kind of like or maybe it
was even his rookie where he's kind of making that
sort of wide eyed, like that kind of crazy look
kind of face while he's talking to Lebron, Like, I mean,
he can hold Lebron and he can hold Lukadac accountable
(21:18):
because he's performed now in the NBA, he's led them
to wins, you know, and that was true last year
as well, and then I think you can even like
go all the way down to like the rookies, like
you know, in the younger players, Brownie, James Adu, Theerra
Dalton can act like he is, like, you know, very
important when it comes to talking to those players, because
he knows what it's like to not know your if
(21:40):
your number is gonna get called. He's been the eleventh
guy on a Lakers scene before you know he he
knows what that life is like. And he's able to
offer those perspectives too. So I think it's I think
it's a combination of those two things. Is really uniquely
positioned to him as sort of you know, and I
think I think Ronnie like if if you don't believe me,
and if people don't know thing you specifically, if people
(22:01):
don't believe me, just look at how happy people are
for him when he succeeds, Like that is a great
way to judge leadership. And I think that is that
has really permeated throughout this team. If you follow these
guys on social media on Instagram, they're all posting each
other's highlights right now, They're posting jokes like I don't
know how much that stuff matters if that's more of
(22:23):
a symptom of winning than it is the cause of winning.
But I think I think it's not bad. I think
it's actually like a really good, healthy thing about kind
of you know, what it's like to be on a
team that's pulling for one another.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Hey, Dan, how's de androi Ayton been?
Speaker 5 (22:40):
Yeah, I mean I think, like, I mean a bit
of a wildcard. But I think the UH, I think
they are getting the best possible version of him, and
he's doing what he can within their confines and their
teams and their rules. Right, Like he has said all
the right things about sacrifice. I think in a perfect world,
(23:02):
would there be more reliability and more stability, Like you're
in the exact spot where you're supposed to be every time,
like of course, right, And I think there are times
like his intensity floats just a little bit. That's been
an issue with him over his career. It's floated a
lot less I think than you know, some people expected
here early through eight games, like, he's been pretty focused.
(23:25):
He's been a willing screener. He hasn't disappeared from games
if he hasn't gotten his shots. You know, he stayed
pretty engaged and then you know, I mean, like he's
just been a guy who just has not missed from
seven to seventeen feet like that part of his game
is you know, it's not it's not quote unquote like
(23:45):
valuable or the most valuable thing in the modern NBA.
But if you knock him down, and he's made him
and Riyachmur has made him and stuff like that, Like
those guys have shown a willingness to take and make
bittering shots. They're good tots. They go in and they've
been going in and I think you know, he's been
he's been a pretty comfortable addition, despite maybe some early rockiness.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Have you seen uh, I'm sorry, go ahead, Frank, go ahead,
go ahead, Yeah, no, have you have you seen uh
change in uh jj Reddick this year as opposed to
last year? I know it's early still just in his
his style, his mannerisms, anything that stands out to you
and uh and JJ Yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
I mean he's still a total psycho, right and like
and like fairly endearingly but like I mean, like maybe
a little bit. I think, you know, when they've lost games,
like I remember when he lost his first game last year,
like it looked like he could just like combust right,
(24:50):
like he was so red you know, like just like
shaking an anger, Like we haven't had that yet necessarily,
you know post. But I mean, like this dude, like
like well, the competitive the competitive fire like sort of
rages from within with him, right, And if you don't
believe me, watch any time he calls a time out upset.
Just watch JJ redick, you know what I mean. And
(25:13):
ideally don't have your.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
Kids in the room, especially if.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
They're good lip readers, because like, no, like this guy
like legitimately cares, He really really cares. And he's also
driven by perfection and and sort of the pursuit of
it and the process of getting as much out of
something as possible. And and so when when that doesn't happen,
he's frustrated. He's openly frustrated.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
You know.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
I don't I don't think it's not like he's calmed
in that way. He isn't like he's still still a psycho.
But I think like he would say that, like, I mean,
that's part of that's part of what makes him who
he is, right, Like, this is a guy who does
not need to be doing this right. He doesn't need
to be going gray in front of us, like the
way that I mean. I remember I joked with him
(25:57):
when he when he got the job that I was
going to take a picture on the first and showed
him at the end of the season and it would
look like like Obama after eight years, right like like
like we were like, we'll see the aging here, you know,
and uh like nah, I mean, like he doesn't need
to be doing this. He's doing this because he feels
like he has to, because that's like what his competitiveness
demands and his love of basketball sort of demands of him,
(26:20):
and he's pouring every bit of that into the season.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Just keep it a year ago, all right, Dan, thanks
for jumping on.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Appreciate the time today. Guys.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
Do I look as good as I did eight years ago?
Speaker 5 (26:32):
I think even better?
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Maybe even better?
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Damn right, little level, little lower level.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
Of stress in my life than in NJA j Reddix,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Yeah. But you know you say you look better, but
remember you're the only one looking in that mirror.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Is he there? You go?
Speaker 5 (26:48):
I mean that's that's very presumptuous.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
Yeah, goodbye, Dan, all right, but I guess.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Well here you go. Should UCLA Football move I think
this will be fun. Let's get to it next.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Make AM five seventy LA Sports a preset before you
plug in your poone presets in the iHeartRadio app, now
available with Apple car Play and Android autom Just another
easy way to listen to LA's best sports talk.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
Oh yes, it is a home day Rodney Pete, Fred
Rogan on a Wednesday, And every time Fred, I flip
it back and forth and just checking out what's going
on around the world. But MLB Network still is running
the World Series game by game, and I find myself
I can't change the channel when it comes on.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
I just get I get it.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
I think Doctor fans are watching it over and over
and over again because it was so incredible, not just
because they won. I mean, if they had lost the
World Series, I'm not thinking as many people to watch
it over and over and over that, No, but because
of the way it all went.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Yeah, you can't see it enough.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
There were so many moments in all of the games.
If you don't watch them constantly, you forget and then
you total them all up and you figure out how
they got here. Yeah, I get it. I think people
are watching all the time, all right. Ben Boltz Love
Ben bolt writes for The Times covers UCLA, love them
knowledgeable on it. He writes a piece that UCLA is
(28:30):
considering kicking the tires trying to figure out if it
would be possible to leave the Rose Bowl and play
at Sofi Stadium. He thinks this would be a colossal mistake,
a colossal mistake for any number of reasons. There's something
about the Rose Bowl.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
It's charm.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
He thinks that Sofi Stadium is like a megaplex movie theater.
The play screams NFL, not college football. He said, there
are many things that are easier and more affordable if
they're at the Rose Bowl. Tailgating, concessions, commuting, okay, locker room,
fan facilities. Score one for Sofi. I got to be
(29:13):
honest with you if I was UCLA. Well, first they
screwed up, and now they can never correct it. They
should have built a stadium on campus, but they'll never
be able to do that now because of the rules
and regulations and toning.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
And there was a while back, right they had the
opportunity to do that, and I think they had momentum
to be able to do that, and it's since gone now.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Yeah, they just punted that one away. But the Rose
Bowl is probably the worst place for UCLA, not the best. Yeah,
the drive there, I think SOFI is closer than the
Rose Bowl.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Oh, without a doubt. It's close. Yeah, you know, right
down to four five. You just from Westwood and you know,
I'm right on, it's a straight shot so Fi.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
The Rose Bull seats more, it's more cavernous. So I
think just from an.
Speaker 7 (30:08):
Accessibility standpoints, doesn't matter right now, No, not really much more. Well,
I guess we're doing really we're not talking a difference
of you know, oh, the SOFI seats thirty thousand and
Rose bowls one hundred and five.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Oh god, that's a big discrepancy. No, so FI can
seventy five thousand at SO five versus one hundred and
five at the Rose Bowl, UCLA getting seventy five thousand, No, no, no, no.
Speaker 8 (30:35):
It probably looks better if you have twenty five thousand
in the seventies the seat thousand seats stadium versus one
hundred and five.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Optics, what I'm thinking to the optics are at least
a little bit better. Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm thinking too.
It looks better, But that deal with the Rose Bowl
was awful. It was a bad decision. They renewed it
through twenty forty four. It's sort of like, who's making
the decisions and what are you thinking? What are you thinking?
(31:02):
They might as well be playing in Pacoima And I'm
not criticizing the Rose Bowl. I'm not criticizing the Rose Bowl.
But you've got to be closer to campus right off
the bat, Yeah, you should be playing in Seemi Valley.
What's the difference. I mean, you've got to be closer
to campus.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
And then you're talking about optics. The optics could would
be because there's the Sofi so much more state of
the art and newer. The things that you can do
to cover up the lack of fans that so Fi
are dramatically different than the Rose Bowl. It's very hard
to cover up, you know, like Kevin mentioned, fifteen twenty
(31:42):
thousand people at the Rose Bows versus what you have
at SOFI and what they could do from a visual
standpoint to make it look like there's at least forty
to fifty thousand at Sofi as opposed to when they
pan the shots at the Rose Bowl. There's no getting
around the empty seats you know, and the big, big
(32:03):
blue UCLA letters in the end zone that try to
cover up eight sections.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Overall. How can they even get out of their deal?
How can they even get.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Out the deal? You said their deals to twenty forty four? Yep,
twenty forty four, and they signed a deal to twenty
forty four. Yep.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Right, look at Look at your reaction, Just look at
I wish there was a camera on you right now
so people could see your reaction. Why would you do that?
Who is making the decisions there? That would be like
UCLA men's basketball is playing in Monrovia. I mean, why,
(32:52):
let's you know what, Let's pick a place. Oh, it
looks great, it's beautiful. That could be further away from
where we actually.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Go to school.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Let's let's where could that be? Maybe they could play
in Tustin. It's like, what are you possibly thinking?
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Yeah, what are you gonna get out of that? Wait?
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Twenty forty and there's no uh Fred, When you said that,
I thought it was a typo. I thought you misspoke.
Oh you missed twenty thirty four, not forty four. Twenty
forty four and you can come and we love ben.
He came up with a ton of reasons why they
shouldn't go. No, they should go. They should go.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
If they could get out of that lease and go
to SOFI, they should go, period the end. No disrespect
to the Rose Bowl, but it's smarter for UCLA.
Speaker 8 (33:47):
Well, the Rose Bull, by the way, is telling them
they can't. They've already brought a lawsuit against the school
for trying to go talk to SOFI. The lawsuit is
already in place there against UCLA from the Rose Bowl.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Yeah, because then what is the Rose bul gonna do?
Speaker 8 (34:00):
Exactly? That's what eight open dates or whatever in the
fall that they have to account for now that they're
not getting.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
How many swamp meats you're gonna have exactly? Yeah, right,
let's roller blade around the Rose Ball. We'll have an event.
It's like a marathon. You just keep roller bedding around
and we'll give a trophy away or a ribbon or
a metal. Now they really, if humanly possible, ice.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Cream at the Rose Bowl on Saturdays, come on out.
We could do the Yeah, we do the swap meet
before and after games.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Right, it's just to hear they were kicking the tires.
I thought, first, why would you sign a lease through
twenty forty four, but then kick the tires? Why would
you do that? And then that led to why would
you do it? Period? Why would you sign that lease
that they have a lot more did?
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Is it? Is it a matter of moving to so fine?
I mean, I know the lease is the least. I
guess that's with the with the Rose Bowl and that's
the problem. But if they were to move to Dignity Health,
but that that doesn't change anything because it's just the
least with the Rose Bowl. Or is there something that
(35:13):
that's got some you know, folks at the Rose Bowl
up in their crawl because they don't want so far
the new, beautiful, state of the art stadium taking any
more from the Rose Bowl.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
I think they'd see if they wanted to go to
Dignity Health too. Yeah, yeah, I think they would do
the exact same thing.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
I mean, that's money they're counting on. I mean, they
would be perfect at BMO Stadium. But could you imagine
them playing at BMO right next to the coliseum with
USC's playing.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
A Saturday afternoon, Come on down, we got a big
college football level ahead of They're five feet from each other.
One seats one hundred thousand and one seats twenty five thousand,
come on in.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
It would be rocking, though twenty five thousand would be
rock That's a great stadium. Even I've been to an
LAFC game there. It is as loud as a stadium that.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Could see forty to fifty thousand. It really is.
Speaker 5 (36:14):
Seventeen.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
As we continue, David Vase will join us here at
the top of the hour, and then later on in
the hour, everything that has happened to this point today
will catch up in its slip
Okay, we continue on Fred Rogan, Rodney Pete on a
five to seventy La Sports. Dan Wiki will join the
show coming up next and later out of the hour.
Should U se La leave the Rose Bull. My vote
is yes, but of course my vote will cause a
giant lawsuit. But since I'm not going to be named
in the lawsuit, I vote yes. If you want to
sue me, I'll change my opinion. But since you can't
(00:22):
sue me, I vote yes, and we'll get into that.
So we talked about at the top of the show,
if you were with us culture and what that means
for the Dodgers, and basically, in any business, the importance
of culture. That means more than anything, almost as much
as what you get paid, because in a good culture,
you're going to be well compensated. And we've all worked
(00:45):
for businesses where they can be really well run and
not well run, and you know the difference as an employee.
So Dave Roberts, Andrew Friedman, stand Cast and Mark Walter,
they have created a culture, but mostly in this regard
Dave Roberts in the Clubhouse, the Lakers are off to
a surprising start. Lebron hasn't played Luca's been heard, and
(01:06):
the Lakers are winning. And after they won and they
beat Portland one twenty three to one fifteen, some of
the players were asked, well, none of your time and
Austin Reeves didn't play in that game, How are you
doing that? How did that happen? They said, culture. They
said the culture that JJ Reddick is instilling in the
(01:28):
team that they can win no matter what. It's the
system and the culture. And they use that word culture
and they believe in JJ Reddick. Now I am of
the opinion that, Well, first I thought it was absolutely
bizarre and ridiculous. They gave a guy a contract extension
(01:50):
after one year. I thought that was one of the
most insane things I had heard in a long time.
And I thought it was to protect him. When Mark
Walter comes in and the Dodger people really start to
get into that thing and turn it around and get
it's where it needs to be, but they give an extension. Now, Rodney,
you hear the players saying it's the culture he's instilling.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
What do you think of that? Yeah, I get it.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
It all makes sense now, and I get it from
a couple of different angles. When you know Mark Walter
and the Guggenheim guys came in and bought the Lakers
for ten billion dollars. You know, one thing the immediately
pops into people's minds is that they're going to come
in and clean house. They're going to go and really
try to put their own stamp onto the Lakers. But
(02:37):
if you remember, they didn't do that with the Dodgers.
They didn't come in and immediately fire everybody in the building.
They came in, evaluated and decided this is the direction
we're going to go. But it wasn't immediate, and so
I don't think that they were they were going to
do that or will do that with the Lakers. They're
(02:57):
going to do the same kind of model is that
they're gonna come in, they're gonna look at it, which
they I'm sure they're already doing, and just evaluate, you know,
who stays, who goes, what's good and what's bad, and
then we're gonna build it the way we built the
Dodgers and the way Guggenheim has built all of their businesses,
and they have a formula that obviously works, and because
(03:20):
they've been extremely successful on the sports side, the business side,
everything that they do, But I do agree that from
a JJ Reddick's standpoint, it was a protection of we're
gonna protect you from a new ownership coming in and
just getting rid of you before you've had an opportunity
to put your stamp on this team. And everybody needs that.
(03:42):
We live in a day and age right now where
things happen so rapidly. Whether it be a player, especially
when you talk about football and quarterback, you get two
years to perform. If you don't, then you're benched, or
you're sent somewhere else, or you know, you're regulated to
a backup, and it just doesn't You don't get a
chance to really build your legacy anymore. Whether it be
(04:06):
a coach as well, you got to you better win
in those first couple of years, otherwise they're gonna ship
you out. And so this was I think a way
of ensuring JJ Reddick has an opportunity to put his
stamp on this Laker team.
Speaker 2 (04:20):
And there is I know.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
People we throw it around, especially lately because we've been
talking about it, but there is culture within the building
is just as important as the details of x's and
o's and trying to figure out the right defense or
the right offense to run. Culture and camaraderie and togetherness
in in a clubhouse, a locker room, a building is
(04:45):
so vital to your success and if you don't have it,
it's going to be tough to win. I don't know
if I'm if I've remembered too many teams that were
dysfunctional Fred that went on to win championships.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
Lakers have won six of the last seven. Dan Weyke,
you'll be on the show coming up here in a
bit and we'll get more into it. All right, This
Dodger update now from Alden Gonzales of ESPN. Because the
season is over now we have start getting ready.
Speaker 2 (05:12):
For next year.
Speaker 1 (05:13):
It's that fast occur and you talk about what they
may or may not need. We know the outfielder Kyle
Tucker is the name most mentioned. Cody Bellinger is a
free agent as well. I know a lot of fans
would like to see him come back, but Kyle Tucker
is the name that is being kicked around the most.
But according to Alden Gonzales, the Dodgers are going to
(05:34):
be in the market for a closer.
Speaker 2 (05:38):
Now.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
You remember they were in the market for a closer
last year. And because they can basically do whatever they want.
They went out and signed Tanner Scott four years, seventy
two million dollars acknowledge is the best closer on the market.
Last year, all right, well that didn't work so well.
His era was four point seventy four, didn't appear in
the postseason and really was a major disappointment. That's just
(06:03):
being honest, not being cruel, being honest. He was disappointing
to a point where you couldn't trust him. You wouldn't
put him in the game. They didn't even have him
on the roster and that was their big free agent signing.
So he's got three years left on his deal. But
according to Gonzales, they're gonna be out there looking for
a closer and some high leverage arms in the bullpen
(06:28):
to get you out of trouble. Now what that means
for everybody, nobody knows, because we know they have an
awful lot of players. But if they go out and
spend money on a closer, Rodney, if they go out
and spend money, and you know, guys like Edwin Diaz
are available, Robert Suarez is available, Ryan Helsey is available.
(06:49):
Orthough I wouldn't sign him if they go out and
spend money. Are they not gonna because he's an adventure?
He is if he's an adventure, so I wouldn't spend
money on him now. Of course they'll sign him tomorrow,
but nonetheless he is an adventure. The thing is this,
(07:13):
Now you have Tanner Scott, you're paying him an awful
lot of money. If you go out and sign a closer,
obviously Tanner Scott will be on the roster because who's
gonna take her at that price point? And then if
he comes around and he pitches, everybody hoped, what a bonus,
(07:34):
What an incredible bonus. But you know the way the
Dodgers are. If Tanner Scott can't figure it out, let's
assume he will because he's an accomplished big league closer.
But if he can't figure it out, even at that
price point, we know what happens here. There's a point
of demarcation. And if you can't do it, I don't
(07:57):
think they care what you're making. They will make a
move with you. Are you surprised that they would be
looking for a closer.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
No, it's two different things, right, So looking for a
closer and signing the closer two different things. And I
think the Dodgers are a team that we all know now,
and I think the rest of Major League Baseball knows
that the Dodger is gonna be in the market for everybody.
And how they land that person or not land that
person remains to be seen. But the Dodger's door is
(08:30):
gonna be always open for a closer, for a right
handed bat, a left handed bat. They are gonna continuously
try to get better. If they feel like a guy
can help them and help this club win, then they're
gonna go for it, and they're gonna explore it. Whether
they sign that guy at the end of the day,
(08:52):
just it still remains to be seen. If the price
pointing a price tag and the money works out, they
can do it. But I'm not shocked that they're gonna
look for anybody and everyone to improve this. That's just
the way they operate. And quite frankly, I love it.
I love the fact that they are not sitting there
going we want two in a row, so we're just
(09:12):
gonna rest on our laurels.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
We're just gonna sit.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Back and you know we're gonna go on vacation. Wow,
you guys, everybody else go try to figure it out,
try to catch us, because you know, we just want
two in a row.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Why do we need to be aggressive?
Speaker 3 (09:27):
Why do we need to be that team that's in
the news every day thinking about a closer, thinking about
a middle relieve guy, thinking about a left handed bat
that can fit in in the middle of the lineup.
You know, we don't need all that, we don't need
all the distractions. We're just gonna go chill on the beach.
That's just not the Dodger way though, because again we
(09:48):
talked about it in the first hour, they're not just
trying to win one two, They're trying to create that dynasty.
They want to win three in a row, four in
a row, five in a row. I guarantee you if
people were strange and looked s at the Dodgers, because
the bulk of the comments from the players was yeah,
it's great to win too, but let's go win three.
(10:08):
And people were like, wait a minute, just celebrate the
two wins. You just had the two World Series back
to back. Celebrate that. And the Dodger players, to almost
to a man, were now, what we do in LA is.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Three, Pat, Let's go three.
Speaker 3 (10:22):
P Dave Roberts even quoting Pat Rowley and asking the
four discount on the patent that he has.
Speaker 2 (10:28):
For three p Come on, let's go three peat.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
So it doesn't surprise me that they're out there looking,
and there'll be some names that are thrown out there.
And trust me, these guys that are out there, which
is another benefit that the Dodgers have is that it's
not going to be a hard sell Fred, somebody, Kyle
Tucker or anybody else out there Dodger's phone. They look
up and say, we got a call from LA. It's
(10:53):
a three to one oh number. It's a two to one
to three number. Man, it's got to be the Dodgers
because it's not seven to one four or it's not
down there in Orange County. So Dodgers are calling. Okay, yeah,
pick up that phone. Please pick up that phone. Oh
you want me to take a little haircut. Okay, I'll
take a little haircut where that Dodger Blewe let's go.
(11:16):
So they have that advantage with them as well, that
guys are more. If all things being equal, guys are
gonna go. Yeah, I'm coming, I'm coming as opposed to
I don't know. Let me see what the rest of
the league is talking about because they know if they
wait a day, they wait two days, three days, then
(11:36):
the Dodgers could very well move on and go to
the next guy.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
The thing is this, when the phone rings, using your analogy,
I thought it was a good one phone range. You
see it's a three one oher or a two to
one three. You think that might be the Dodgers. Instead
of saying hello, you go yes, just pick it up
and go yes, I'll take it. Yes, I'll I'll be
right when. What do you need me, I'll be right there.
Speaker 3 (12:02):
Yes, my flight options, yes, right here, whatever you want,
I'll I'm there.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
And that's the thing, And that's what every team in
Major League Baseball hates, by the way, and probably their
fans hated even more. If the Dodgers call, that's the
end of that. It's it really is pretty simple. We
think that's the guy for us. Done done, okay. It's
not like, well, let's have a meeting. Hello, this is
(12:32):
what we think. Okay, I'm in. We'll pay you fairly,
by the way, we'll pay you fairly, right, So we
don't want to a lot a haggle on the money.
Speaker 3 (12:41):
Let's just we're not haggling, we're not low balling you.
We think this is where the market is. You tell
us if it's not. But we're not going to insult you.
That's the reason we're calling. We're not going to insult you.
We we got a number in our head. I think
you have a number in your head. It's uh, let's
figure out how we can meet and and then it
(13:03):
goes from there. But it's not like the Dodgers are
going to call someone and try to steal them or
low ball them or insult them at this point. And
I think everyone you know, every player in the league,
I think understands that. It's like they're calling for real.
They're not calling the BS me to to to really
(13:24):
insult me or anything like that. They're calling they're calling me.
First of all, For them to call me, that's that's impressive,
and I am I'm extremely grateful that they're calling me. Now, well,
how far apart are we If it's closed, I'm signing.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
It's Here's the other part that everybody hates everybody around
the country. There's not a player in professional sports and
Rodney a guy that played if a team that is
as dominant in any sport. As the Dodgers, with the
culture they have created, calls you and asks you, would
you like to be part of this ninety nine point
(14:07):
people are going to say yes, I do, thank you.
And every team knows that, and they cannot compete with that.
It doesn't matter what team. They cannot compete with. That
they can't compete with. You get your own plane. They
can't compete with that. They can't compete with the way
we take care of you off the field. They can't
(14:27):
compete with that. They cannot compete with. If you come here,
you will have your very best chance of winning a title.
You could go anywhere and anything could happen, and we
wish you will. But if you come here, you know
you've got your best chance. If you come here, because
(14:49):
of the way we do things, there is a very
high probability that you will become a better player if
you come here. Everybody knows that. Everybody knows that. That's
why everybody hates the Dodgers. They won the World Series,
and now the next game begins free agency. They hated
(15:13):
the Dodgers when they signed Yamamoto. They hated the Dodgers
when they signed Otani. They hated the Dodgers when they
signed Sazaki. Those guys could have gone anywhere, anywhere, to
any team. They didn't even split up. They all ended
(15:35):
up in the same place. So what does that tell you. Imanaga,
the pitcher from the Cubs, is available as a free agent.
I think he's pretty good, by the way, But what
does that tell you. Any kid growing up in Japan
is not gonna say my dream is to play for
the Marlins. I can't wait to get on the field
(15:55):
of the Texas Rangers. No one is going to say
that because the example everyone has come here and succeeded.
And that's the other part of it. You could take
players from any country put them here. If they don't win, well,
that doesn't mean it's a destination. But now it confirms
(16:17):
it is. Well we come back, Dan Wykey will join us.
Let's get into the Lakers' early season success.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
Hello Rogan and Rodney listener, did you know AM five
seventy LA Sports has a wide range of LA Sports podcasts,
shows like Petros in Money. We are streaming Matt Dodger
Talk with David Vasse.
Speaker 5 (16:42):
The Dodger Podcast of Record.
Speaker 4 (16:43):
Clipper Talk Without a Musk, follow us all and many more.
Just go to AM five to seventy LA Sports on
the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
Yeah, he come on, let's get back to it on
a hump day Rodney Pete Freegan talking about the coach. Y'all,
we're talking about the culture. It's the culture for it.
Speaker 1 (17:07):
Well, that's what it's about. Let's bring on our friend Dan.
Why you the athletic Dan? Good afternoon to you guys.
Speaker 5 (17:14):
Good afternoon too. When I talk about the culture with people,
it's usually after a physical.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Thank you, where's my shot? But okay, what's going on
with these Lakers?
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Dan?
Speaker 5 (17:25):
What is going on with They're speaking of the culture,
right Yeah, what's going on? This is a team that
is in a very good place right now. And I
think considering the way the preseason went, considering kind of
a barrage of injury news that's happened, you know, basically
(17:46):
since this team got together, it's it's been pretty remarkable.
I think you can point to a couple different people
as for the reasons why. Obviously, when Luca has played,
he's been phenomenal. I think his presence in practice is spirit,
His joy is kind of goofiness, for lack of a
better term, has been really good for the overall vibe
(18:07):
inside the building. But I'm gonna I'm gonna give you
two guys that I'm going to point to for this,
JJ Redick and Austin Reeves. Right, I think one Jji
Redick has established like a baseline of expectations for this team,
and they've been adopted to the extent that when things
(18:28):
are not great roster wise, uh, they know that they
have this baseline of expectations that if they meet it
in terms of effort and execution and organization and different
things like that, that they're going to have a chance
and they believe it. And then I think secondly, we're
seeing a player in Austin Reeves not only come into
his own as a player, even though he's not can
be playing it against San Antonio, but a guy who
(18:51):
I think like as a leader on this team has
really leveled up and is particularly you know with Lebron
James out, Luca Ouches out and you know Luca being
you know a little bit and really quite frankly, both
those players at this stage of their career being a
little bit more showdown. Tell I think Austin's voice, you know,
(19:12):
behind the scenes, has been incredibly valuable for this team.
Speaker 3 (19:16):
Yeah, Dan talk about that, because he has absolutely grown
into that leadership role. And I don't know if everyone
believed that he was gonna, you know, was gonna be
that guy on a team where they're superstars. Obviously Lebron's
been here, but the superstars come and go and been
in you know, I want to say revolving door. But
there's been big time names here, guys that have done
(19:38):
it and had big time success. Yet he's stepped in
to that leadership role. How has he How has he
gained the respect of the other guys as to be
one of those top three voices in that locker room.
Speaker 5 (19:53):
Yeah, And I mean I'm Rodney. I might even argue
it's the top voice right now. And I think he's
done it two different ways really. Right One, he's performed
and his performance on the court has put him credibly
next to Lebron, James and Luka doncis when it comes
(20:13):
to reliability, when it comes to the ability to hit
the big shot, to meet the big moment, to make
the right decision right, Like, those are the on court
leaders of the team, and it's hard to be treated
like one of those people with that sort of gravitas
off the floor if you're not performing, right, Like, that's
just hard inside of a locker room to be a
really loud voice who's not playing at the level certainly
(20:35):
that you're speaking at. And then I think two is
it's empathy. You know that this is a player on
this team, Like quite frankly, you can go up and
down the roster and he has like lived some version
of that player's life, right like to a certain extent,
right like he's been an option who's had to do
less than this talent demands to fit in, right Like
(20:56):
that message resonates with Doander eight in Ruija Chamura, like
you know, he can sit and like, you know, there's
that meme from I think a second year of him
and Lebron and like kind of like or maybe it
was even his rookie where he's kind of making that
sort of wide eyed, like that kind of crazy look
kind of face while he's talking to Lebron, Like, I mean,
he can hold Lebron and he can hold Lukadac accountable
(21:18):
because he's performed now in the NBA, he's led them
to wins, you know, and that was true last year
as well, and then I think you can even like
go all the way down to like the rookies, like
you know, in the younger players, Brownie, James Adu, Theerra
Dalton can act like he is, like, you know, very
important when it comes to talking to those players, because
he knows what it's like to not know your if
(21:40):
your number is gonna get called. He's been the eleventh
guy on a Lakers scene before you know he he
knows what that life is like. And he's able to
offer those perspectives too. So I think it's I think
it's a combination of those two things. Is really uniquely
positioned to him as sort of you know, and I
think I think Ronnie like if if you don't believe me,
and if people don't know thing you specifically, if people
(22:01):
don't believe me, just look at how happy people are
for him when he succeeds, Like that is a great
way to judge leadership. And I think that is that
has really permeated throughout this team. If you follow these
guys on social media on Instagram, they're all posting each
other's highlights right now, They're posting jokes like I don't
know how much that stuff matters if that's more of
(22:23):
a symptom of winning than it is the cause of winning.
But I think I think it's not bad. I think
it's actually like a really good, healthy thing about kind
of you know, what it's like to be on a
team that's pulling for one another.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
Hey, Dan, how's de androi Ayton been?
Speaker 5 (22:40):
Yeah, I mean I think, like, I mean a bit
of a wildcard. But I think the UH, I think
they are getting the best possible version of him, and
he's doing what he can within their confines and their
teams and their rules. Right, Like he has said all
the right things about sacrifice. I think in a perfect world,
(23:02):
would there be more reliability and more stability, Like you're
in the exact spot where you're supposed to be every time,
like of course, right, And I think there are times
like his intensity floats just a little bit. That's been
an issue with him over his career. It's floated a
lot less I think than you know, some people expected
here early through eight games, like, he's been pretty focused.
(23:25):
He's been a willing screener. He hasn't disappeared from games
if he hasn't gotten his shots. You know, he stayed
pretty engaged and then you know, I mean, like he's
just been a guy who just has not missed from
seven to seventeen feet like that part of his game
is you know, it's not it's not quote unquote like
(23:45):
valuable or the most valuable thing in the modern NBA.
But if you knock him down, and he's made him
and Riyachmur has made him and stuff like that, Like
those guys have shown a willingness to take and make
bittering shots. They're good tots. They go in and they've
been going in and I think you know, he's been
he's been a pretty comfortable addition, despite maybe some early rockiness.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
Have you seen uh, I'm sorry, go ahead, Frank, go ahead,
go ahead, Yeah, no, have you have you seen uh
change in uh jj Reddick this year as opposed to
last year? I know it's early still just in his
his style, his mannerisms, anything that stands out to you
and uh and JJ Yeah.
Speaker 5 (24:29):
I mean he's still a total psycho, right and like
and like fairly endearingly but like I mean, like maybe
a little bit. I think, you know, when they've lost games,
like I remember when he lost his first game last year,
like it looked like he could just like combust right,
(24:50):
like he was so red you know, like just like
shaking an anger, Like we haven't had that yet necessarily,
you know post. But I mean, like this dude, like
like well, the competitive the competitive fire like sort of
rages from within with him, right, And if you don't
believe me, watch any time he calls a time out upset.
Just watch JJ redick, you know what I mean. And
(25:13):
ideally don't have your.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
Kids in the room, especially if.
Speaker 5 (25:17):
They're good lip readers, because like, no, like this guy
like legitimately cares, He really really cares. And he's also
driven by perfection and and sort of the pursuit of
it and the process of getting as much out of
something as possible. And and so when when that doesn't happen,
he's frustrated. He's openly frustrated.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
You know.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
I don't I don't think it's not like he's calmed
in that way. He isn't like he's still still a psycho.
But I think like he would say that, like, I mean,
that's part of that's part of what makes him who
he is, right, Like, this is a guy who does
not need to be doing this right. He doesn't need
to be going gray in front of us, like the
way that I mean. I remember I joked with him
(25:57):
when he when he got the job that I was
going to take a picture on the first and showed
him at the end of the season and it would
look like like Obama after eight years, right like like
like we were like, we'll see the aging here, you know,
and uh like nah, I mean, like he doesn't need
to be doing this. He's doing this because he feels
like he has to, because that's like what his competitiveness
demands and his love of basketball sort of demands of him,
(26:20):
and he's pouring every bit of that into the season.
Speaker 1 (26:22):
Just keep it a year ago, all right, Dan, thanks
for jumping on.
Speaker 2 (26:25):
Appreciate the time today. Guys.
Speaker 6 (26:28):
Do I look as good as I did eight years ago?
Speaker 5 (26:32):
I think even better?
Speaker 2 (26:34):
Maybe even better?
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Damn right, little level, little lower level.
Speaker 5 (26:38):
Of stress in my life than in NJA j Reddix,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
Yeah. But you know you say you look better, but
remember you're the only one looking in that mirror.
Speaker 2 (26:45):
Is he there? You go?
Speaker 5 (26:48):
I mean that's that's very presumptuous.
Speaker 6 (26:50):
Yeah, goodbye, Dan, all right, but I guess.
Speaker 1 (27:04):
Well here you go. Should UCLA Football move I think
this will be fun. Let's get to it next.
Speaker 4 (27:10):
Make AM five seventy LA Sports a preset before you
plug in your poone presets in the iHeartRadio app, now
available with Apple car Play and Android autom Just another
easy way to listen to LA's best sports talk.
Speaker 3 (27:28):
Oh yes, it is a home day Rodney Pete, Fred
Rogan on a Wednesday, And every time Fred, I flip
it back and forth and just checking out what's going
on around the world. But MLB Network still is running
the World Series game by game, and I find myself
I can't change the channel when it comes on.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
I just get I get it.
Speaker 1 (27:52):
I think Doctor fans are watching it over and over
and over again because it was so incredible, not just
because they won. I mean, if they had lost the
World Series, I'm not thinking as many people to watch
it over and over and over that, No, but because
of the way it all went.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
Yeah, you can't see it enough.
Speaker 1 (28:07):
There were so many moments in all of the games.
If you don't watch them constantly, you forget and then
you total them all up and you figure out how
they got here. Yeah, I get it. I think people
are watching all the time, all right. Ben Boltz Love
Ben bolt writes for The Times covers UCLA, love them
knowledgeable on it. He writes a piece that UCLA is
(28:30):
considering kicking the tires trying to figure out if it
would be possible to leave the Rose Bowl and play
at Sofi Stadium. He thinks this would be a colossal mistake,
a colossal mistake for any number of reasons. There's something
about the Rose Bowl.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
It's charm.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
He thinks that Sofi Stadium is like a megaplex movie theater.
The play screams NFL, not college football. He said, there
are many things that are easier and more affordable if
they're at the Rose Bowl. Tailgating, concessions, commuting, okay, locker room,
fan facilities. Score one for Sofi. I got to be
(29:13):
honest with you if I was UCLA. Well, first they
screwed up, and now they can never correct it. They
should have built a stadium on campus, but they'll never
be able to do that now because of the rules
and regulations and toning.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
And there was a while back, right they had the
opportunity to do that, and I think they had momentum
to be able to do that, and it's since gone now.
Speaker 1 (29:34):
Yeah, they just punted that one away. But the Rose
Bowl is probably the worst place for UCLA, not the best. Yeah,
the drive there, I think SOFI is closer than the
Rose Bowl.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
Oh, without a doubt. It's close. Yeah, you know, right
down to four five. You just from Westwood and you know,
I'm right on, it's a straight shot so Fi.
Speaker 1 (30:03):
The Rose Bull seats more, it's more cavernous. So I
think just from an.
Speaker 7 (30:08):
Accessibility standpoints, doesn't matter right now, No, not really much more. Well,
I guess we're doing really we're not talking a difference
of you know, oh, the SOFI seats thirty thousand and
Rose bowls one hundred and five.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Oh god, that's a big discrepancy. No, so FI can
seventy five thousand at SO five versus one hundred and
five at the Rose Bowl, UCLA getting seventy five thousand, No, no, no, no.
Speaker 8 (30:35):
It probably looks better if you have twenty five thousand
in the seventies the seat thousand seats stadium versus one
hundred and five.
Speaker 1 (30:41):
Optics, what I'm thinking to the optics are at least
a little bit better. Yeah, yeah, that's what I'm thinking too.
It looks better, But that deal with the Rose Bowl
was awful. It was a bad decision. They renewed it
through twenty forty four. It's sort of like, who's making
the decisions and what are you thinking? What are you thinking?
(31:02):
They might as well be playing in Pacoima And I'm
not criticizing the Rose Bowl. I'm not criticizing the Rose Bowl.
But you've got to be closer to campus right off
the bat, Yeah, you should be playing in Seemi Valley.
What's the difference. I mean, you've got to be closer
to campus.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
And then you're talking about optics. The optics could would
be because there's the Sofi so much more state of
the art and newer. The things that you can do
to cover up the lack of fans that so Fi
are dramatically different than the Rose Bowl. It's very hard
to cover up, you know, like Kevin mentioned, fifteen twenty
(31:42):
thousand people at the Rose Bows versus what you have
at SOFI and what they could do from a visual
standpoint to make it look like there's at least forty
to fifty thousand at Sofi as opposed to when they
pan the shots at the Rose Bowl. There's no getting
around the empty seats you know, and the big, big
(32:03):
blue UCLA letters in the end zone that try to
cover up eight sections.
Speaker 1 (32:10):
Overall. How can they even get out of their deal?
How can they even get.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Out the deal? You said their deals to twenty forty four? Yep,
twenty forty four, and they signed a deal to twenty
forty four. Yep.
Speaker 1 (32:27):
Right, look at Look at your reaction, Just look at
I wish there was a camera on you right now
so people could see your reaction. Why would you do that?
Who is making the decisions there? That would be like
UCLA men's basketball is playing in Monrovia. I mean, why,
(32:52):
let's you know what, Let's pick a place. Oh, it
looks great, it's beautiful. That could be further away from
where we actually.
Speaker 2 (33:00):
Go to school.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Let's let's where could that be? Maybe they could play
in Tustin. It's like, what are you possibly thinking?
Speaker 2 (33:10):
Yeah, what are you gonna get out of that? Wait?
Speaker 3 (33:13):
Twenty forty and there's no uh Fred, When you said that,
I thought it was a typo. I thought you misspoke.
Oh you missed twenty thirty four, not forty four. Twenty
forty four and you can come and we love ben.
He came up with a ton of reasons why they
shouldn't go. No, they should go. They should go.
Speaker 1 (33:35):
If they could get out of that lease and go
to SOFI, they should go, period the end. No disrespect
to the Rose Bowl, but it's smarter for UCLA.
Speaker 8 (33:47):
Well, the Rose Bull, by the way, is telling them
they can't. They've already brought a lawsuit against the school
for trying to go talk to SOFI. The lawsuit is
already in place there against UCLA from the Rose Bowl.
Speaker 1 (33:58):
Yeah, because then what is the Rose bul gonna do?
Speaker 8 (34:00):
Exactly? That's what eight open dates or whatever in the
fall that they have to account for now that they're
not getting.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
How many swamp meats you're gonna have exactly? Yeah, right,
let's roller blade around the Rose Ball. We'll have an event.
It's like a marathon. You just keep roller bedding around
and we'll give a trophy away or a ribbon or
a metal. Now they really, if humanly possible, ice.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Cream at the Rose Bowl on Saturdays, come on out.
We could do the Yeah, we do the swap meet
before and after games.
Speaker 1 (34:30):
Right, it's just to hear they were kicking the tires.
I thought, first, why would you sign a lease through
twenty forty four, but then kick the tires? Why would
you do that? And then that led to why would
you do it? Period? Why would you sign that lease
that they have a lot more did?
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Is it? Is it a matter of moving to so fine?
I mean, I know the lease is the least. I
guess that's with the with the Rose Bowl and that's
the problem. But if they were to move to Dignity Health,
but that that doesn't change anything because it's just the
least with the Rose Bowl. Or is there something that
(35:13):
that's got some you know, folks at the Rose Bowl
up in their crawl because they don't want so far
the new, beautiful, state of the art stadium taking any
more from the Rose Bowl.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
I think they'd see if they wanted to go to
Dignity Health too. Yeah, yeah, I think they would do
the exact same thing.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
I mean, that's money they're counting on. I mean, they
would be perfect at BMO Stadium. But could you imagine
them playing at BMO right next to the coliseum with
USC's playing.
Speaker 1 (35:42):
A Saturday afternoon, Come on down, we got a big
college football level ahead of They're five feet from each other.
One seats one hundred thousand and one seats twenty five thousand,
come on in.
Speaker 3 (35:55):
It would be rocking, though twenty five thousand would be
rock That's a great stadium. Even I've been to an
LAFC game there. It is as loud as a stadium that.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Could see forty to fifty thousand. It really is.
Speaker 5 (36:14):
Seventeen.
Speaker 1 (36:16):
As we continue, David Vase will join us here at
the top of the hour, and then later on in
the hour, everything that has happened to this point today
will catch up in its slip
Roggin And Rodney News
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com