December 23, 2025 • 34 mins
Vinny Bonsignore hops on to talk Rams/Chargers Superbowl chances and more. Its Lit features an update on DK Metcalf, pro bowl selections for the Rams and Chargers and an NBA star asking fans NOT to vote for him in the all star game.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, we continue on Fred Rogan, Rodney Pete as we
march to the end of the year in Christmas on
AM five seventy LA Sports. You know, it just wouldn't
be a show, our final show of the year unless
we had one of our most trusted advisors, favorite people,
and a four time Olympic swimming champ, Vinnie bon Signor
(00:22):
on the program, four time, four time Olympic swimming champ.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Selling them short. I thought he was a seven.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Time well I think three of the times he won
the medal in the high dive. He was also a diver.
Oh okay, I got big Olympic champ, football expert our guy,
Vinnie bon Signor, Vinnie.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Merry Christmas, Happy holidays.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Merry Christmas, Happy holidays to you. And yes, I am
the four time gold medalist in swimming up to the
bar pool the pool bark so in Cancun or you
know Cabo. So I'm really good at that. I could
get there in in in world in world record time.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
A trustment, Benny.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
How's the family. How's the family doing now as we
get ready for the holidays. How's your wife all there?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Everybody's doing great? My son Noah, right, now he worked.
He goes to UNLV and he works for the UNLV
football team on their video team. So he's in Frisco,
Texas right now. UNV is getting ready to play the
University of Ohio in the in the Frisco Bowl that
comes on at six o'clock tonight. So shout out to Noah.
I know he's excited about the Rebels getting the win tonight.
My wife and daughter, who's my daughter, is also at
(01:31):
you and l V. They're doing great as well. Thank
you very much for asking.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Wait a minute, Frisco Bowl, it would be at Jerry's World, right.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
It is, yep. In I don't know if you've been
to Frisco, but it's that place is happening, man. That
place is just grown by leaving bounds. So they're doing
a fantastic job over there, and they've been there since Friday.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
So at the Cowboys facility though, right, Cowboys facility, yep.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
At the start, it's at the Cowboys facility. In that
game that game tonight, yep.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I can't believe your kids are in college. When you
said that, I just saw him. It seems like ten minutes.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Ago, I know, and they were barely up to your
knee at that point. And now they're they're growing adults
and people and doing their thing, and I could be
more proud of them.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Oh that's great. Okay, okay, by the way, the Star
and Rodney. Have you been to the Star in Prescotte.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I have not been to the Star, but I've heard
everything about the Star. My brother was there when they
finished the Star for a couple of years, so it
was it's supposed to be incredible. Any of you been there?
Speaker 3 (02:33):
I have, it is. It's incredible in the area around there,
Like I said, it's just been. It's it's like one
of the hotspots now of the Dallas you know, a
suburban area. So you know, credit to Jerry Jones. He
had an idea and knew what he was doing, and
it's pretty darn col.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
My wife was there, believe it or not.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
She's been there. I haven't been there. She thought it
was spectacular.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah, it's the first of all, it's the best sports
facility that there is, if you want to call it that.
I mean, it's a city within a city because jerryt built.
There's hotels there, there's high school. I mean, they got
a full stadium where they're playing a bowl game. They
got a full stadium there where, and then the Cowboys
(03:17):
obviously practiced there in their home that's their home facility.
It's incredible what he's done. And by the way, before
that Valley Ranch where they used to be was no
slouch either. It was pretty nice. It was pretty nice
in itself. So this is this is ridiculous of what
(03:37):
they have office buildings and you know, hotels and all
the things that Cowboys practiced there, their home facility, offices,
all those things they got there right in Frisco. And
it's really enhanced. As you mentioned, Benny enhanced the whole
area in the whole city of Frisco, which is just
a little suburb of Dallas. I mean it's right there.
You know, basically it is Dallas, but an area that
(03:58):
has grown exponenti because of the Star.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Well, my wife went to that club. Have you heard
about this? The club?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
There's a club, if the one at the stadium or
the one at the facility, the facility. Okay, now I
have not been to the club, but that doesn't that
sounds right up Dallas's alleyway there for sure.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Oh my god. I saw pictures of it and videos
from the inside. It is great. I mean, yeah, yeah,
since you brought it up, it is great. All right, Vinny,
here we go as we wrap up the regular season,
and we were sitting here kicking it around, would it be?
I said, the Chargers are the AFC version of the
forty nine Ers. They're kind of flying under the raid
(04:42):
Island and then you look and you see it. Oh
my god, they could win their division. Is there any
parallel there?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
There is? And you know, thanks thanks for the Chargers.
For the Jacksonville Jaguars. By the way, shout out to
Liam Cohen and he's doing a great job in Duval,
in that little in that little burb townwood. I forget
what Sean Payton that the smaller market Jacksonville Jaguars. They
took care of business in Denver to kind of open
up a little bit of a door here.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Now.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So a tough game for the uh for for because
you know they're playing the Texas now. The Chargers are
playing the Texans on Sunday. That's a good looking football team.
Got a chance to see them on Sunday. So uh,
but there is there's there's there's there's a chance now
for them to really enhance their playoffs status. They are in,
so that's a good that's good news. Both the LA
(05:29):
teams are are in in the playoffs. But with games
left to playing, the Chargers can really make some headway
and really enhancing their playoff position.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yeah, you said the Texans, which you know to me
have the best defense in the league right now. And
then they go to Denver, I believe to finish out
the season. If they went out, they win a division.
And how far do you think they can go?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Vinnie Man, It feels like we get here every year
with the Chargers, and and on paper you're thinking, well,
why not the Chargers because they do have the quarterback,
They've got a what I think is a pretty good,
really good defense, a great defensive defensive coordinator for doing
it enough offensively. So and we keep talking Rodney about
(06:13):
the a f C and about how wide open it
is that the Kansas City Chiefs are nowhere to be found.
And I think a lot of people in the AFC
are really happy about that. I would, I would, you know,
if they have to go to Buffalo, if they have
to go someplace outdoors where it's really cold, that could
be a challenge. But but you know, as long as
(06:33):
they can get a home playoff game in in in
La as a division winner, and then all of a sudden,
you know, you win that game, and and then who
knows what might happen in a wide open AFC. You
might even get the ANFC championship game in Los Angeles.
So I think the I think the door is wide
open for the entire conference, and it really does. It's
gonna boil down to who plays the best for three
(06:54):
weeks of football, because I think these teams are really
evenly matched. Nobody's a perfect team of the AFC, but
every team has a little bit, some flaws and some strength,
and it's going to come down to who plays, you know,
the best quarterbacks and Justin Herbert one of the best.
He might be the best quarterback that's left in the AFC,
now that Patrick Mahomes isn't a participant.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Okay, Minnie.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
So before the games last week, we could have a conversation.
I think we did, and we sat here and said,
I got to be honest with you, man, Rams looked
like the team to beat. The Rams could have home
field advantage throughout the playoffs. Now the Rams probably or
may not even win their division on the forty nine ers.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Could where does that leave the Rams, I know, having
to having to take the road less traveled again. You know,
we were literally talking last week this time last week
almost about how if they can secure it so that
everything comes through Sofi Stadium, They're really going to put
themselves in a great position. Now, they put themselves in
a left and desirable position of having to go on
(07:59):
the road on those where they'd have to they'd have
to go play. On top of that, they may have
to go to San Francisco or Santa Clara to play
the forty nine ers if it gets right down to
it now, I'd rather them have to go to the
forty nine Ers than up in Seattle. At least in
San Francis or in Santa Clara. The weather might be
a little bit better. You never know what you might
get this time of year up in Seattle. So so
(08:20):
I guess you know that that would be something that
they would that they would help for. But I will
say this about about the Rams. To me, they're the
most talented team in the NFC, and if they can
and if they can play their type of game, they
can beat anybody anywhere. I firmly believe that, but they
just have to mind their p's and q's. You can't
give up a special team's touchdown like like they did,
(08:42):
you know against the Seahawks. I know that ended up
costing that and a number of other things, cost their
special teams coach a job. But obviously they're saying, look,
we can't afford to have that kind of a breakdown
in the playoffs, so let's let's try to get a
different voice in there and tiny of make sure that
you get that wrinkle iron doubt. But if they do
play a clean game, they can. They could beat anyone anywhere.
(09:04):
It just would have been a whole lot easier if
it was coming through Los Angeles than having to go
on the road to do it.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Yeah, but you look it up and you see the
forty nine ers, they got the Bears come into town,
and then they've got Seattle, and Seattle's got to go
to Carolina and then they play the forty nine ers.
Those two can cancel each other out. It's not over
for the Rams right now. They still know. Yeah, that's
the thing about it is that the rest of the
forty nine Ers and the Seahawks still got a tough
(09:32):
road to go.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Yeah, and the Rams go to Sanford, ortunity to Atlanta.
That's a they should be able to win that game.
And as a long chip, and you know you're you're
playing one of those unknown sort of NFC South teams
that you don't get a chance to see very often.
But they have to take care of business in Atlanta
and give themselves a chance, and that's all they can
do at this point. Ronnie has went out. As long
as they win out and hope for some breaks along
(09:56):
the way, then then they can they can you know,
get right back into it in terms of that that
top seed.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Okay, many as we sit here right now and you'll
look at everything, what how do you see it playing out?
Is there thoughts on that?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Oh man, it's still too it's still too early to tell.
And this is one of those you know, when you
don't have what I feel is a dominant team like
this time last year, you felt like the Philadelphia Eagles
had you know, it was it was gonna be tough
for anybody to beat the Philadelphia Eagles. And I don't
know that we have a team in either conference, especially
(10:36):
with Heath's not there anymore, where you're going blay, you know,
unless something crazy happens, that's the team that's going to
go to the Super Bowl from from the a f
C or or or the NFC. So it's just wide open.
So it's it's really too early to tell. And it's
and I hate to say this, but it's gonna come
down to what football typically comes down to, who gets
(10:57):
the best quarterback play, who takes care of the ball.
The Rams have shown that so many times in their
in their in their losses this year, that if they
can just play clean football and hold onto the ball
and win that turnover battle, they're they're they're basically gonna
win the game. But if they get sloppy with the
ball or sloppy with some of their you know, some
of the some of the outliers in games, the margins
(11:18):
of games, like special teams, then they're gonna put themselves
in trouble. So who plays the clean up game? And
right now, honestly, I can't call it. If the Rams
play a clean game, if they're strong in the kicking game,
if they're strong in the coverage game, if they don't
miss any easy field goals and they don't turn the
ball over, there might bet to go, you know, play
(11:39):
for the super Bowl in the NFC. I don't care
where they have to go. If they play that type
of game, They're gonna win wherever they go. It's too
to for me. It's still too early to call the
AFC though.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
But if you had to guess, Benny, and you had
to go with your gut on the AFC, and you
had to put money down today, what would it be.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Oh, I'm gonna go against the Buffalo Bills. I'm just
gonna I'm making the call. It's it's finally their time.
It has to be their time.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
That's what I was gonna ask you, though, on on
the on that line much, he's got to feel the
most pressure of any quarterback left to go win this
this year if you're Josh Allen in the Buffalo Bills, right,
because if they don't win it this year with Mahomes out,
Lamar seems Baltimore seems to be out Joe Burrow, out
(12:30):
all the young quarterbacks that are out there. He's kind
of the last veteran kind of in that road standing.
It's it's gotta be for them. It's got to be
this year, doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah, it has to be Now, I'll throw one little
caveat at you. What a what Aaron Rodgers in the
in the Pittsburgh Steelers, Like does he have one more
rodeo in him? Aaron Rodgers in a wide open AFC.
But I digress. I do think that there's a lot
of pressure on Josh Allen and really for that whole
coaching staff, Like if that coaching staff can't get it
(13:04):
done and this year's AFC playoffs and then you would
almost have to think that they're going to make some changes.
Obviously Josh Allen is the main say he's not going anywhere,
but the Sean McDermott, after all these years of falling
short and them bringing it back and running it back,
is this the time where if they don't get it done,
they're going to go look for a new head coach
(13:25):
to see if they could get if that coach could
get him over the hump.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Yeah, I was going to say that, Yeah, there's a
point in time where you've got to change something to
change it. And if they can't get it done this year,
I don't think you can sit there with the same
coaching staff anymore. And it's not like Sean mcdermot's done
a bad job. He just has not got over the hump.
But if they can't do it this year, Vinny, you
just cannot continue that way, would you agree?
Speaker 3 (13:50):
I completely agree. And you know, I'm not saying they
they have to win the super Bowl, but they've got
to They've got to get to the super Bowl. This
is you know, you're talking about Josh Allen on a
perennial MVP candidate against some really good young quarterbacks like
like Trevor Lawrence and Drake May and obviously Justin Herbert
as well. But but when you're talking about the most
(14:11):
established quarterback outside of outside of Aaron Rodgers, obviously he's
he's been there, done that. But of the these young guns,
to me, Josh is the most ready made right now
to win. He's the most battle tested. He's he's lived
the highs and the lows and gotten pretty darn close
to get in the Super Bowl. There's nobody more experienced
(14:33):
of that of that next group of quarterbacks below Patrick
Mahomes and Matthew Safford, guys that have done it, of
the next guys that that are on the cusp of
doing it, He's the most prepared to do this, and
there's I just can't see how you would run it
back if Schrevor Lawrence knocks them out, or if Justin
Herbert knocks them out, or for if Jake may Is
(14:54):
to knock them out. So yeah, this is it's it's
it's now or never for for the Buffalo Bills. In
terms of this group of the Buffalo Bills, including the coaches.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah, yeah, I would say that. And just to cap
it off, because if you got the offense and Josh
Allen right, and you're a defensive coach, and the reason
that they have not dominated is because of the defense,
they haven't gotten it completely right, and you're the defensive coach,
it makes it easier for Buffalo to probably make a
decision to change if they don't get it done this year.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Yeah, I agree. And then go find you know, maybe
it's elevated Joe Brady who's there as their offensive coordinator,
or maybe it's go find, you know, one of the
young hot shot offensive coordinators, or maybe you go find
another defensive coach. You know, Chris Shula is somebody that
that I would keep an eye on. I think if
he wants a head coaching job in the cycles, he's
probably gonna be able to get one. And maybe that's
(15:49):
maybe that's, you know, the type of leader that they
want to go get and and and and Chris brings in,
you know, an offensive coach to keep everything going on
the offensive side of the ball while he takes care
of the defense.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
All right, many happy holidays. We love you, thanks for
being our friend, and thanks for doing this with us.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Right back at you guys and doing the holidays. And
we'll talk to you on the other side.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Okay, we got to get you caught up on everything
that has transpired today, and there's an awful lot of it.
Kevin will have it next with it slid.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Make am five seventy LA Sports a preset before you
plug in your phone. Presets in the iHeartRadio app now
available with Apple CarPlay and Android autom Just another easy
way to listen to LA's best sports talk.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Yeah, it's that holiday season, righty. P fred Rogan on
a beautiful Tuesday. Even when it rains, it's still beautiful
in southern California.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Freddy, Let's go all right, let's talk season. Come on,
let's let's figure it out. What's going on. Kevin lit.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Stories, Lighting up their sports headbox.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Well, I know you guys are excited for this. The
Pro Bowl selections were announced earlier today. Huge Let's go,
and the Chargers and Rams both very well represented. Chargers
getting five selections including Justin Herbert Derwin, James Tulley to
the polo tu and Dick Or the kicker, along with
Joe Alt, who obviously will not play because he's hurt.
And for the Rams they'll have Matthew Stafford along with
Puka Nakula, Jared Vers, and Byron Young. Of course, the
(17:27):
game moved to the Super Bowl site venue. Now they
do like flag football charity. God knows what it is now,
It's not what it used to be down in Hawaii.
So the Pro Bowl is still the thing, and guys
still have incentives in their contracts for making it to
the Pro Bowl. So I guess congratulations to these guys.
Whether or not they'll actually participate in whatever festivities are
remains to be seen.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Rodney, were you ever in the Pro Bowl? No? I
was alternate twice, so you went or you didn't go.
I never went because I was praying that the guy
got hurt and he never did. No, because even if
you go, I mean there was incentives for alternate, but
there is if you actually go, because you're considered, you
(18:07):
considered making it if the person got hurt and you
actually went. So there were incentives in my contract. So
part of me was like, come on, man, just say something.
But but but no, it's good. It's good that the
both teams local teams are represented. And it's a good thing.
(18:27):
As you mentioned, Kevin, it's it's all in the incentives
in your contract. So it's extra money for the holidays.
But uh, but but good thing. And and I know
these guys look at it like this is great and
all that, but they want to go deep with their
teams into the into the playoffs and play all the
way through to the super Bowl. So good for them though.
(18:48):
Congratulations to both guys, both both teams for their representatives. Yeah,
it's really cool.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
I mean, to be acknowledged as the best in anything
you do during a certain period of time means something.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Especially when you have both quarterbacks from both teams here
locally in it. That's cool.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
And it's you know, Matthew Stafford's had him miraculous season,
he really has. Justin Herbert has been miraculous in a
different way. Because he's just survived. I mean, his line's
been hurt, he's had nobody to block for him. He's
been like I'm masshooing it up there, and he's had
a very good year. So congrats to both well.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
Since we're talking All Star games, of course, the NBA
and a lot of teams in most leagues do this.
They have campaigns around their star players. Hey go out
and vote for so and so to make it to
the All Star Game. And the Golden State Warriors are
doing this on their Instagram page. Their official Instagram page
said to put a post up to encourage their fans
to vote for Jimmy Butler as an All Star. One
(19:42):
of the first comments beneath that was from Jimmy Butler,
who said, quote, don't vote for me, guys, Instead, somebody
created gofund me to send me to Barbados. Thanks in advance,
Go Warriors.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I don't know if maybe it's happened before.
Speaker 5 (19:55):
I don't know if I've ever seen a player openly campaigned,
don't vote me into the Pro Bowl, don't vote me
to the NBA All Star Game.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
I want my time off. I don't want to go.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
That's pretty funny, but you know what, Hey, if he's
honest and says it good, don't vote for him. Send
somebody that wants to be there. I'd rather if a
guy say that I gotta be honest, listen, it'd be
a great honor. I don't want to go. Don't even
vote for me. I don't want to go. I got
other stuff to do. I need a rest. Do not
vote for me. I actually respect that. And then instead
(20:26):
of a guy who gets voted in shows up and
doesn't want to be there.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Rodney, Yeah, but is he is he doing it because
he feels like it's charity that they're they're doing this
for him. You don't see him doing for Steph Curry, right,
I mean they're not doing a GoFundMe for or to
vote vote for Steph to get into the All Star Game.
(20:52):
And you're doing it for Jimmy Butler because he's I
think it's probably on the fence. So maybe he's like,
I don't want to cheer. That's why they don't vote
for me if I don't get in, you know, the
regular way where I deserve it, and people vote me
in because I should be in it, and then I don't.
I don't want to go and send me to Barbados.
I get it, but I think that's more of why
(21:15):
he's kind of looking at it going, I don't want
no charity, don't don't do this for me unless you
do it for Steph too, then don't do it for me.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
Speaking of the NBA, Sean Sharani reported this or early
this morning. So a Bord of Governor's meeting coming up
on Friday for the NBA, and the league is presenting
several ideas trying to modify rules so that the teams
don't tank and intentionally sit healthy players so they can
get higher draft picks. One of the scenarios I found
to be interesting potentially not allowing good teams to draft
(21:47):
in the top four four in consecutive years.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I saw that, What do you think, Well, everybody knows
what I think, So I just think you should relegate guys.
Uh that's me ye, it ain't having them Fred? I know,
how about this? How about this, Kevin? And how okay?
How are we going to determine if somebody tanks? How
(22:14):
do we determine that?
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Well?
Speaker 5 (22:16):
I mean, I know they find the Utah Jazz last
year for sitting Lori Marken in for a for an
interesting amount of games down the stretch of the season
when people pretty much knew they were trying to tank
for a top pick, so they found.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
They could prove it healthy.
Speaker 5 (22:27):
I don't know what they could preclude. It couldn't prove Rodney,
but I know they find the team for it. And
the general manager of the team came up and spoke
before the start of the season has said we're not
gonna do shenanigans like what happened last year.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Kind of alluded to the fact that they did it.
They did it. But to Fred's point, how do you
actually prove that the guy is not healthy enough to play?
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Because I got the answer, if we can prove it, Rodney,
if we can figure out a way to confirm a
team is not trying to win. And I don't know
how you determine that, because this would be pretty drastic
if it is determined that you are not trying to win.
(23:05):
And Kevin, that's what this is.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
It's one hundred percent of what it is, right. I mean,
you can call a tanking.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Let's say this you're not trying to win, then I
think you don't pick until number ten.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Yeah, make it more Maybe it stiffer, right, yeah, don't
be just out of the top four, out of the
top ten.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
And I mean that year, Rodney, I don't mean, well
this year you get it. Next year you don't. Yeah,
that year, I'm with you, or or even more so,
you go after the lottery. You're the first pick after
the lottery.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
So you're not even eligible for a lottery pick at that.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
That's right, not even eligible. That's what you do.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
You don't follow and go, well, listen, you guys did
it this year and you got the number one pick,
and you still suck, and you want to do it
again next year. Okay, well then you get the number one. No,
if if there is a metric to determine you did that,
you're out of the lottery.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
You're done.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
And you know something to that point, Kevin, because now
we have teams that two years in a row might
not be very good, and even though you know they
didn't tank it or try not to win, they're not
very good. You know what, I think you should be
a top five pick every three years. So in other words,
(24:26):
if you're bad two years in a row and you
jump back in there, no, you don't get that. You've
got to penalize people for losing. They have to be penalized,
And we said, oh my god, now everybody has a chance.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
There's no penalty.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
If you can't figure this out and you put an
inferior product on the floor, there is a penalty associated
with that aside from the fact you lost.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
So you're saying, if a team like Utah has the
worst record in the league, they find a way to
get the first overall pick, then they have the worst
or second or worst record in the league the following season,
they are just eligible to have what you say, a
top five pick at that point.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Yes, okay, our question is the metrics for figuring that out,
because then you're gonna get teams that, okay, instead of
not dressing guys, not playing guys, We'll play for the
first quarter and then we're gonna substitute to seven through
twelve in the bench. Well.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
See, so, Rodney, that's a great example because that's exactly
what happened a couple of years ago. So this happened
with the Dallas Mavericks. So they had a top ten
protected pick in twenty twenty three. They had Kyrie Irving
and Luka Doncik on the team at the time, and
they were both healthy as far as we knew. There
was a game where they both sat and as far
as we knew they were healthy. There was another game
where they played, but they only played in the first half.
(25:41):
Donchik played twelve minutes, and they sat them for the
remainder of the game with really no explanation given, and
they were fined for that seven hundred and fifty grand
I believe it was. So the NBA is kind of
onto that sort of chicanery too.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Yeah, yeah, got it. I'm with you. It's got to
be got to be a penalty for trying to who's on,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
If that's the end, it should be, honest to God, Kevin,
it should be that way in everything.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
It really should. The Chicago White Socks.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
Or if you mean trying to find loopholes around like
certain rules to get an advantage for yourself.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
And also I think there should be a penalty if
you're just bad. The White Sox and baseball they're garbage
and they have been. Well now we're trying. No, there
should be disadvantages because you blow. There should be disadvantages
and a penalty because you have not been competitive. Not
(26:32):
we have a chance to give you the number one
penn you need to pay a price.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
There's a money pool that they all get that they
don't get to take advantage of at the end of
the year if they finish in a certain bottom three,
or it just determined that they were just non competitive.
You know, we talked earlier about the collective bargaining like
they do in other sports and everybody gets a share.
(26:57):
Maybe there's a share pool that they don't get to
take advantage of at the end of the year if
it's determined that they are not trying.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
To win, or I know the NBA has this and
baseball to a certain degree to where you have tax thresholds,
and I know the NBA is if you're over the
luxury tax for a certain period of time, your tax
number goes up. So maybe there's a way to reverse that.
If you're a bad team and you're bad for whatever
the number is three consecutive seasons that you haven't won
more than eighty games or something, you don't get a
(27:25):
portion of a revenue share or something like that. Maybe
that's what it is.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Hit them in the pocketbook.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Absolutely, that's probably better. Yeah, take their money away. From them.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yeah, yeah, because that'll speak to them.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Or at least maybe your win total has to go
up over a certain period of time to your point,
just to find a way, Yeah, find a way to
disincentivize them losing.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Yeah, because it's just not there. You're paying to see
an inferior product. As a fan, you were, and we
talked about it at the top of the show. You
know the angels, you divorce your team, you run off
with somebody else. You're paying to see an inferior product.
I read the Pittsburgh Pirates are making a couple of
moves now, made a couple of deals. Try to at
least get competitive here, at least try to put something
(28:08):
on the field where fans well, yeah, they're trying.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
I think that's all anybody asked at the end of
the day. We have tried.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Please we at least give the illusion you're trying. And
if you're not, Oh, they signed Ryan O'Hearn. That was
a deal today too.
Speaker 5 (28:21):
Yeah, two year deal, I believe.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Yeah, And if you're not, didn't tell us why. But yeah,
I'm just sick of team's misleading fans. People that spend
money in and invest their emotional.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
Capital something we talked about yesterday with Eric talking about
the DK Metcalf situation in Detroit. He was suspended for
two games without pay by the NFL for conduct detrimental
to the league. I know Mike Tomlin spoke to the
media today. He says he spoke with DK. He says
he understood why he reacted the way he reacted, but
also understands why the NFL took the actions against him
(28:54):
that they did. And of course that fan that was
involved in the incident. You know, Sware swears up and
down he did not make any racial epithets or say
anything negative about his mother or anything else. At least
that's what he says, and it seems to be a
bit of a he said she said at this point.
But nevertheless, DK Metcalf suspended for the final two games
of the regular season.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
He is appealing too, by the way, Yeah, he is appealing,
but also on that he is losing out on I
believe about forty million dollars of guaranteed money.
Speaker 5 (29:24):
Yeah, forty five million to guarantees. He'll lose out on
not playing these two games if he's if the suspension
is upheld.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Yeah, So it's not like you can't make it. But
but it's not guaranteed anymore, So it's a it's a
big hit for him not to mention like over five
hundred thousand dollars for these two games and game checks
that he's gonna miss out on too, So it's a
it's a huge hit. I get why you gotta, you gotta,
you know, you gotta go and try to fight it.
(29:50):
But but man, as bad as it is, you got
to try to do whatever you can to refrain from
going into the stands and engaging with fans. He's do it.
I mean, listen, you just can't do it. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
And if the NBA plan is correct, somebody's mouthing off
at somebody on the court, the player points and that
guy's gone. Kind of should be that way with the
NFL too, if you're close enough, if they can hear
if the guy's leaning over, now it's your mistake if
you go over and talk to him. And maybe what
you should do, and I suggested this with Eric, and
(30:25):
maybe I don't understand. Just walk walk down to another
part of the bench, Just move down so you don't
have to hear it.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Because you can't hit somebody he's just gonna walk down
next to you.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Well, what's gonna do? Go over people? Keep walking over people? Yeah,
so then go back, make them keep going back and forth.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I'm just sliding up the headlines. All right, we'll be
back to wrap up the year after this.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
Hello Rogan and Rodney.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Listener.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Did you know Am five seventy LA Sports has a
wide range of LA sports podcasts. Shows like petros in
Money We are streaming Man Dodger Talk with David Vasse,
the Dodger Podcast of Record, Clipper Talk Without a Musk,
follow us all and many more. Just go to AM
five seventy LA Sports on the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Wip oh yeah, come on, Freddy, let's bring it on
home for twenty twenty five. Rodney p Fred Rogan on
a rainy Tuesday. Happy Holidays to everybody.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
You know every day. And I think we've done this
show now ten years. Can you imagine ten years? We've
done this Rodney? Ten years?
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Crazy?
Speaker 1 (31:45):
I mean, how fast does that fly? Kevin, you were
on the board when we started. I think, oh, I
was absolutely better. What it doesn't seem like it's been
that long. I know, maybe totally been three years. But
I'm Senile. I'm not sure anymore. I forgot my issues.
Oh no, it's been ten but it has gone by fast,
it really has. And Ronnie, my god, when I was
(32:06):
doing mornings, you were here like one hundred years ago.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Fred I'm I've been here quite a while. I'm probably
one besides Tim and David Vassa and Brian Blackmore one
of the longest tenured employees here at five seventy.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
I guess what I'm trying to say here is if
you've listened to the radio station for any period of
time in your life, I've never worked in a place
that seems more like a family than the people here,
because really it's been a small group of people that
have worked together for a very long time. And in
my case, for example, you can leave, no, you can
(32:41):
you can go away, but you can never leave.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
It's like a hotel California.
Speaker 5 (32:44):
Oh so you've left and come back like four times.
Ron's been here, I've been here, Kate's has been here.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
You can check out, but you can never leave.
Speaker 5 (32:54):
You jumped on the back of the beast before we
killed the beast, and now then you came back.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
As at seven ten for a while, right, Yeah, But
this is where you want to be because this is
the place in Los Angeles, and I just want to
take a second to thank you for listening and making
us part of your day.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
I know the media world.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Has changed and you might not listen to the radio
every day, and some people listen live streaming and some
people listen to the podcast. And Kevin knows that best
because if we miss one hour, there's one guy that
keeps emailing us and complaining that he wanted to hear
the Eric Dickerson scorpion story or whatever the story.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
Was that day.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
So I just want to say thank you, seriously, really
appreciate it. Ronnie, thanks for everything. To you and Grace,
the whole family. Happy holidays, Kevin, you, Lauren, baby O,
Happy holidays, Rodney my got ten years. Happy Holidays to
you and Holly.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Absolutely you and Rachelle. Thank you so much. In the family,
everybody and their family, thank you so much for listening
to us and for saying hello when you see us
and you come up to us. It definitely makes us
feel good that you're listening. We get it all the
time no matter where we are, to hear that you
respond to some of the things that we're saying and
(34:07):
it's resonating with you is great to hear. So happy
holidays to everyone, and be blessed and be safe. Rodney
talked you next year, Yes, sir,
Okay, we continue on Fred Rogan, Rodney Pete as we
march to the end of the year in Christmas on
AM five seventy LA Sports. You know, it just wouldn't
be a show, our final show of the year unless
we had one of our most trusted advisors, favorite people,
and a four time Olympic swimming champ, Vinnie bon Signor
(00:22):
on the program, four time, four time Olympic swimming champ.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
Selling them short. I thought he was a seven.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Time well I think three of the times he won
the medal in the high dive. He was also a diver.
Oh okay, I got big Olympic champ, football expert our guy,
Vinnie bon Signor, Vinnie.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
Merry Christmas, Happy holidays.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Merry Christmas, Happy holidays to you. And yes, I am
the four time gold medalist in swimming up to the
bar pool the pool bark so in Cancun or you
know Cabo. So I'm really good at that. I could
get there in in in world in world record time.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
A trustment, Benny.
Speaker 1 (01:03):
How's the family. How's the family doing now as we
get ready for the holidays. How's your wife all there?
Speaker 3 (01:08):
Everybody's doing great? My son Noah, right, now he worked.
He goes to UNLV and he works for the UNLV
football team on their video team. So he's in Frisco,
Texas right now. UNV is getting ready to play the
University of Ohio in the in the Frisco Bowl that
comes on at six o'clock tonight. So shout out to Noah.
I know he's excited about the Rebels getting the win tonight.
My wife and daughter, who's my daughter, is also at
(01:31):
you and l V. They're doing great as well. Thank
you very much for asking.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
Wait a minute, Frisco Bowl, it would be at Jerry's World, right.
Speaker 3 (01:39):
It is, yep. In I don't know if you've been
to Frisco, but it's that place is happening, man. That
place is just grown by leaving bounds. So they're doing
a fantastic job over there, and they've been there since Friday.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
So at the Cowboys facility though, right, Cowboys facility, yep.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
At the start, it's at the Cowboys facility. In that
game that game tonight, yep.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
I can't believe your kids are in college. When you
said that, I just saw him. It seems like ten minutes.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Ago, I know, and they were barely up to your
knee at that point. And now they're they're growing adults
and people and doing their thing, and I could be
more proud of them.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
Oh that's great. Okay, okay, by the way, the Star
and Rodney. Have you been to the Star in Prescotte.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
I have not been to the Star, but I've heard
everything about the Star. My brother was there when they
finished the Star for a couple of years, so it
was it's supposed to be incredible. Any of you been there?
Speaker 3 (02:33):
I have, it is. It's incredible in the area around there,
Like I said, it's just been. It's it's like one
of the hotspots now of the Dallas you know, a
suburban area. So you know, credit to Jerry Jones. He
had an idea and knew what he was doing, and
it's pretty darn col.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
My wife was there, believe it or not.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
She's been there. I haven't been there. She thought it
was spectacular.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah, it's the first of all, it's the best sports
facility that there is, if you want to call it that.
I mean, it's a city within a city because jerryt built.
There's hotels there, there's high school. I mean, they got
a full stadium where they're playing a bowl game. They
got a full stadium there where, and then the Cowboys
(03:17):
obviously practiced there in their home that's their home facility.
It's incredible what he's done. And by the way, before
that Valley Ranch where they used to be was no
slouch either. It was pretty nice. It was pretty nice
in itself. So this is this is ridiculous of what
(03:37):
they have office buildings and you know, hotels and all
the things that Cowboys practiced there, their home facility, offices,
all those things they got there right in Frisco. And
it's really enhanced. As you mentioned, Benny enhanced the whole
area in the whole city of Frisco, which is just
a little suburb of Dallas. I mean it's right there.
You know, basically it is Dallas, but an area that
(03:58):
has grown exponenti because of the Star.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Well, my wife went to that club. Have you heard
about this? The club?
Speaker 3 (04:08):
There's a club, if the one at the stadium or
the one at the facility, the facility. Okay, now I
have not been to the club, but that doesn't that
sounds right up Dallas's alleyway there for sure.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
Oh my god. I saw pictures of it and videos
from the inside. It is great. I mean, yeah, yeah,
since you brought it up, it is great. All right, Vinny,
here we go as we wrap up the regular season,
and we were sitting here kicking it around, would it be?
I said, the Chargers are the AFC version of the
forty nine Ers. They're kind of flying under the raid
(04:42):
Island and then you look and you see it. Oh
my god, they could win their division. Is there any
parallel there?
Speaker 4 (04:48):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:49):
There is? And you know, thanks thanks for the Chargers.
For the Jacksonville Jaguars. By the way, shout out to
Liam Cohen and he's doing a great job in Duval,
in that little in that little burb townwood. I forget
what Sean Payton that the smaller market Jacksonville Jaguars. They
took care of business in Denver to kind of open
up a little bit of a door here.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
Now.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
So a tough game for the uh for for because
you know they're playing the Texas now. The Chargers are
playing the Texans on Sunday. That's a good looking football team.
Got a chance to see them on Sunday. So uh,
but there is there's there's there's there's a chance now
for them to really enhance their playoffs status. They are in,
so that's a good that's good news. Both the LA
(05:29):
teams are are in in the playoffs. But with games
left to playing, the Chargers can really make some headway
and really enhancing their playoff position.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Yeah, you said the Texans, which you know to me
have the best defense in the league right now. And
then they go to Denver, I believe to finish out
the season. If they went out, they win a division.
And how far do you think they can go?
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Vinnie Man, It feels like we get here every year
with the Chargers, and and on paper you're thinking, well,
why not the Chargers because they do have the quarterback,
They've got a what I think is a pretty good,
really good defense, a great defensive defensive coordinator for doing
it enough offensively. So and we keep talking Rodney about
(06:13):
the a f C and about how wide open it
is that the Kansas City Chiefs are nowhere to be found.
And I think a lot of people in the AFC
are really happy about that. I would, I would, you know,
if they have to go to Buffalo, if they have
to go someplace outdoors where it's really cold, that could
be a challenge. But but you know, as long as
(06:33):
they can get a home playoff game in in in
La as a division winner, and then all of a sudden,
you know, you win that game, and and then who
knows what might happen in a wide open AFC. You
might even get the ANFC championship game in Los Angeles.
So I think the I think the door is wide
open for the entire conference, and it really does. It's
gonna boil down to who plays the best for three
(06:54):
weeks of football, because I think these teams are really
evenly matched. Nobody's a perfect team of the AFC, but
every team has a little bit, some flaws and some strength,
and it's going to come down to who plays, you know,
the best quarterbacks and Justin Herbert one of the best.
He might be the best quarterback that's left in the AFC,
now that Patrick Mahomes isn't a participant.
Speaker 2 (07:15):
Okay, Minnie.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
So before the games last week, we could have a conversation.
I think we did, and we sat here and said,
I got to be honest with you, man, Rams looked
like the team to beat. The Rams could have home
field advantage throughout the playoffs. Now the Rams probably or
may not even win their division on the forty nine ers.
Speaker 3 (07:37):
Could where does that leave the Rams, I know, having
to having to take the road less traveled again. You know,
we were literally talking last week this time last week
almost about how if they can secure it so that
everything comes through Sofi Stadium, They're really going to put
themselves in a great position. Now, they put themselves in
a left and desirable position of having to go on
(07:59):
the road on those where they'd have to they'd have
to go play. On top of that, they may have
to go to San Francisco or Santa Clara to play
the forty nine ers if it gets right down to
it now, I'd rather them have to go to the
forty nine Ers than up in Seattle. At least in
San Francis or in Santa Clara. The weather might be
a little bit better. You never know what you might
get this time of year up in Seattle. So so
(08:20):
I guess you know that that would be something that
they would that they would help for. But I will
say this about about the Rams. To me, they're the
most talented team in the NFC, and if they can
and if they can play their type of game, they
can beat anybody anywhere. I firmly believe that, but they
just have to mind their p's and q's. You can't
give up a special team's touchdown like like they did,
(08:42):
you know against the Seahawks. I know that ended up
costing that and a number of other things, cost their
special teams coach a job. But obviously they're saying, look,
we can't afford to have that kind of a breakdown
in the playoffs, so let's let's try to get a
different voice in there and tiny of make sure that
you get that wrinkle iron doubt. But if they do
play a clean game, they can. They could beat anyone anywhere.
(09:04):
It just would have been a whole lot easier if
it was coming through Los Angeles than having to go
on the road to do it.
Speaker 2 (09:11):
Yeah, but you look it up and you see the
forty nine ers, they got the Bears come into town,
and then they've got Seattle, and Seattle's got to go
to Carolina and then they play the forty nine ers.
Those two can cancel each other out. It's not over
for the Rams right now. They still know. Yeah, that's
the thing about it is that the rest of the
forty nine Ers and the Seahawks still got a tough
(09:32):
road to go.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
Yeah, and the Rams go to Sanford, ortunity to Atlanta.
That's a they should be able to win that game.
And as a long chip, and you know you're you're
playing one of those unknown sort of NFC South teams
that you don't get a chance to see very often.
But they have to take care of business in Atlanta
and give themselves a chance, and that's all they can
do at this point. Ronnie has went out. As long
as they win out and hope for some breaks along
(09:56):
the way, then then they can they can you know,
get right back into it in terms of that that
top seed.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Okay, many as we sit here right now and you'll
look at everything, what how do you see it playing out?
Is there thoughts on that?
Speaker 3 (10:13):
Oh man, it's still too it's still too early to tell.
And this is one of those you know, when you
don't have what I feel is a dominant team like
this time last year, you felt like the Philadelphia Eagles
had you know, it was it was gonna be tough
for anybody to beat the Philadelphia Eagles. And I don't
know that we have a team in either conference, especially
(10:36):
with Heath's not there anymore, where you're going blay, you know,
unless something crazy happens, that's the team that's going to
go to the Super Bowl from from the a f
C or or or the NFC. So it's just wide open.
So it's it's really too early to tell. And it's
and I hate to say this, but it's gonna come
down to what football typically comes down to, who gets
(10:57):
the best quarterback play, who takes care of the ball.
The Rams have shown that so many times in their
in their in their losses this year, that if they
can just play clean football and hold onto the ball
and win that turnover battle, they're they're they're basically gonna
win the game. But if they get sloppy with the
ball or sloppy with some of their you know, some
of the some of the outliers in games, the margins
(11:18):
of games, like special teams, then they're gonna put themselves
in trouble. So who plays the clean up game? And
right now, honestly, I can't call it. If the Rams
play a clean game, if they're strong in the kicking game,
if they're strong in the coverage game, if they don't
miss any easy field goals and they don't turn the
ball over, there might bet to go, you know, play
(11:39):
for the super Bowl in the NFC. I don't care
where they have to go. If they play that type
of game, They're gonna win wherever they go. It's too
to for me. It's still too early to call the
AFC though.
Speaker 2 (11:49):
But if you had to guess, Benny, and you had
to go with your gut on the AFC, and you
had to put money down today, what would it be.
Speaker 3 (11:57):
Oh, I'm gonna go against the Buffalo Bills. I'm just
gonna I'm making the call. It's it's finally their time.
It has to be their time.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
That's what I was gonna ask you, though, on on
the on that line much, he's got to feel the
most pressure of any quarterback left to go win this
this year if you're Josh Allen in the Buffalo Bills, right,
because if they don't win it this year with Mahomes out,
Lamar seems Baltimore seems to be out Joe Burrow, out
(12:30):
all the young quarterbacks that are out there. He's kind
of the last veteran kind of in that road standing.
It's it's gotta be for them. It's got to be
this year, doesn't it.
Speaker 3 (12:43):
Yeah, it has to be Now, I'll throw one little
caveat at you. What a what Aaron Rodgers in the
in the Pittsburgh Steelers, Like does he have one more
rodeo in him? Aaron Rodgers in a wide open AFC.
But I digress. I do think that there's a lot
of pressure on Josh Allen and really for that whole
coaching staff, Like if that coaching staff can't get it
(13:04):
done and this year's AFC playoffs and then you would
almost have to think that they're going to make some changes.
Obviously Josh Allen is the main say he's not going anywhere,
but the Sean McDermott, after all these years of falling
short and them bringing it back and running it back,
is this the time where if they don't get it done,
they're going to go look for a new head coach
(13:25):
to see if they could get if that coach could
get him over the hump.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Yeah, I was going to say that, Yeah, there's a
point in time where you've got to change something to
change it. And if they can't get it done this year,
I don't think you can sit there with the same
coaching staff anymore. And it's not like Sean mcdermot's done
a bad job. He just has not got over the hump.
But if they can't do it this year, Vinny, you
just cannot continue that way, would you agree?
Speaker 3 (13:50):
I completely agree. And you know, I'm not saying they
they have to win the super Bowl, but they've got
to They've got to get to the super Bowl. This
is you know, you're talking about Josh Allen on a
perennial MVP candidate against some really good young quarterbacks like
like Trevor Lawrence and Drake May and obviously Justin Herbert
as well. But but when you're talking about the most
(14:11):
established quarterback outside of outside of Aaron Rodgers, obviously he's
he's been there, done that. But of the these young guns,
to me, Josh is the most ready made right now
to win. He's the most battle tested. He's he's lived
the highs and the lows and gotten pretty darn close
to get in the Super Bowl. There's nobody more experienced
(14:33):
of that of that next group of quarterbacks below Patrick
Mahomes and Matthew Safford, guys that have done it, of
the next guys that that are on the cusp of
doing it, He's the most prepared to do this, and
there's I just can't see how you would run it
back if Schrevor Lawrence knocks them out, or if Justin
Herbert knocks them out, or for if Jake may Is
(14:54):
to knock them out. So yeah, this is it's it's
it's now or never for for the Buffalo Bills. In
terms of this group of the Buffalo Bills, including the coaches.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah, yeah, I would say that. And just to cap
it off, because if you got the offense and Josh
Allen right, and you're a defensive coach, and the reason
that they have not dominated is because of the defense,
they haven't gotten it completely right, and you're the defensive coach,
it makes it easier for Buffalo to probably make a
decision to change if they don't get it done this year.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
Yeah, I agree. And then go find you know, maybe
it's elevated Joe Brady who's there as their offensive coordinator,
or maybe it's go find, you know, one of the
young hot shot offensive coordinators, or maybe you go find
another defensive coach. You know, Chris Shula is somebody that
that I would keep an eye on. I think if
he wants a head coaching job in the cycles, he's
probably gonna be able to get one. And maybe that's
(15:49):
maybe that's, you know, the type of leader that they
want to go get and and and and Chris brings in,
you know, an offensive coach to keep everything going on
the offensive side of the ball while he takes care
of the defense.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
All right, many happy holidays. We love you, thanks for
being our friend, and thanks for doing this with us.
Speaker 3 (16:08):
Right back at you guys and doing the holidays. And
we'll talk to you on the other side.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Okay, we got to get you caught up on everything
that has transpired today, and there's an awful lot of it.
Kevin will have it next with it slid.
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Make am five seventy LA Sports a preset before you
plug in your phone. Presets in the iHeartRadio app now
available with Apple CarPlay and Android autom Just another easy
way to listen to LA's best sports talk.
Speaker 2 (16:41):
Yeah, it's that holiday season, righty. P fred Rogan on
a beautiful Tuesday. Even when it rains, it's still beautiful
in southern California.
Speaker 1 (16:52):
Freddy, Let's go all right, let's talk season. Come on,
let's let's figure it out. What's going on. Kevin lit.
Speaker 4 (17:02):
Stories, Lighting up their sports headbox.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
Well, I know you guys are excited for this. The
Pro Bowl selections were announced earlier today. Huge Let's go,
and the Chargers and Rams both very well represented. Chargers
getting five selections including Justin Herbert Derwin, James Tulley to
the polo tu and Dick Or the kicker, along with
Joe Alt, who obviously will not play because he's hurt.
And for the Rams they'll have Matthew Stafford along with
Puka Nakula, Jared Vers, and Byron Young. Of course, the
(17:27):
game moved to the Super Bowl site venue. Now they
do like flag football charity. God knows what it is now,
It's not what it used to be down in Hawaii.
So the Pro Bowl is still the thing, and guys
still have incentives in their contracts for making it to
the Pro Bowl. So I guess congratulations to these guys.
Whether or not they'll actually participate in whatever festivities are
remains to be seen.
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Rodney, were you ever in the Pro Bowl? No? I
was alternate twice, so you went or you didn't go.
I never went because I was praying that the guy
got hurt and he never did. No, because even if
you go, I mean there was incentives for alternate, but
there is if you actually go, because you're considered, you
(18:07):
considered making it if the person got hurt and you
actually went. So there were incentives in my contract. So
part of me was like, come on, man, just say something.
But but but no, it's good. It's good that the
both teams local teams are represented. And it's a good thing.
(18:27):
As you mentioned, Kevin, it's it's all in the incentives
in your contract. So it's extra money for the holidays.
But uh, but but good thing. And and I know
these guys look at it like this is great and
all that, but they want to go deep with their
teams into the into the playoffs and play all the
way through to the super Bowl. So good for them though.
(18:48):
Congratulations to both guys, both both teams for their representatives. Yeah,
it's really cool.
Speaker 1 (18:53):
I mean, to be acknowledged as the best in anything
you do during a certain period of time means something.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
Especially when you have both quarterbacks from both teams here
locally in it. That's cool.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
And it's you know, Matthew Stafford's had him miraculous season,
he really has. Justin Herbert has been miraculous in a
different way. Because he's just survived. I mean, his line's
been hurt, he's had nobody to block for him. He's
been like I'm masshooing it up there, and he's had
a very good year. So congrats to both well.
Speaker 5 (19:21):
Since we're talking All Star games, of course, the NBA
and a lot of teams in most leagues do this.
They have campaigns around their star players. Hey go out
and vote for so and so to make it to
the All Star Game. And the Golden State Warriors are
doing this on their Instagram page. Their official Instagram page
said to put a post up to encourage their fans
to vote for Jimmy Butler as an All Star. One
(19:42):
of the first comments beneath that was from Jimmy Butler,
who said, quote, don't vote for me, guys, Instead, somebody
created gofund me to send me to Barbados. Thanks in advance,
Go Warriors.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
I don't know if maybe it's happened before.
Speaker 5 (19:55):
I don't know if I've ever seen a player openly campaigned,
don't vote me into the Pro Bowl, don't vote me
to the NBA All Star Game.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
I want my time off. I don't want to go.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
That's pretty funny, but you know what, Hey, if he's
honest and says it good, don't vote for him. Send
somebody that wants to be there. I'd rather if a
guy say that I gotta be honest, listen, it'd be
a great honor. I don't want to go. Don't even
vote for me. I don't want to go. I got
other stuff to do. I need a rest. Do not
vote for me. I actually respect that. And then instead
(20:26):
of a guy who gets voted in shows up and
doesn't want to be there.
Speaker 2 (20:31):
Rodney, Yeah, but is he is he doing it because
he feels like it's charity that they're they're doing this
for him. You don't see him doing for Steph Curry, right,
I mean they're not doing a GoFundMe for or to
vote vote for Steph to get into the All Star Game.
(20:52):
And you're doing it for Jimmy Butler because he's I
think it's probably on the fence. So maybe he's like,
I don't want to cheer. That's why they don't vote
for me if I don't get in, you know, the
regular way where I deserve it, and people vote me
in because I should be in it, and then I don't.
I don't want to go and send me to Barbados.
I get it, but I think that's more of why
(21:15):
he's kind of looking at it going, I don't want
no charity, don't don't do this for me unless you
do it for Steph too, then don't do it for me.
Speaker 5 (21:26):
Speaking of the NBA, Sean Sharani reported this or early
this morning. So a Bord of Governor's meeting coming up
on Friday for the NBA, and the league is presenting
several ideas trying to modify rules so that the teams
don't tank and intentionally sit healthy players so they can
get higher draft picks. One of the scenarios I found
to be interesting potentially not allowing good teams to draft
(21:47):
in the top four four in consecutive years.
Speaker 1 (21:51):
I saw that, What do you think, Well, everybody knows
what I think, So I just think you should relegate guys.
Uh that's me ye, it ain't having them Fred? I know,
how about this? How about this, Kevin? And how okay?
How are we going to determine if somebody tanks? How
(22:14):
do we determine that?
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Well?
Speaker 5 (22:16):
I mean, I know they find the Utah Jazz last
year for sitting Lori Marken in for a for an
interesting amount of games down the stretch of the season
when people pretty much knew they were trying to tank
for a top pick, so they found.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
They could prove it healthy.
Speaker 5 (22:27):
I don't know what they could preclude. It couldn't prove Rodney,
but I know they find the team for it. And
the general manager of the team came up and spoke
before the start of the season has said we're not
gonna do shenanigans like what happened last year.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
Kind of alluded to the fact that they did it.
They did it. But to Fred's point, how do you
actually prove that the guy is not healthy enough to play?
Speaker 1 (22:45):
Because I got the answer, if we can prove it, Rodney,
if we can figure out a way to confirm a
team is not trying to win. And I don't know
how you determine that, because this would be pretty drastic
if it is determined that you are not trying to win.
(23:05):
And Kevin, that's what this is.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
It's one hundred percent of what it is, right. I mean,
you can call a tanking.
Speaker 1 (23:10):
Let's say this you're not trying to win, then I
think you don't pick until number ten.
Speaker 2 (23:18):
Yeah, make it more Maybe it stiffer, right, yeah, don't
be just out of the top four, out of the
top ten.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
And I mean that year, Rodney, I don't mean, well
this year you get it. Next year you don't. Yeah,
that year, I'm with you, or or even more so,
you go after the lottery. You're the first pick after
the lottery.
Speaker 5 (23:39):
So you're not even eligible for a lottery pick at that.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
That's right, not even eligible. That's what you do.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
You don't follow and go, well, listen, you guys did
it this year and you got the number one pick,
and you still suck, and you want to do it
again next year. Okay, well then you get the number one. No,
if if there is a metric to determine you did that,
you're out of the lottery.
Speaker 2 (24:01):
You're done.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
And you know something to that point, Kevin, because now
we have teams that two years in a row might
not be very good, and even though you know they
didn't tank it or try not to win, they're not
very good. You know what, I think you should be
a top five pick every three years. So in other words,
(24:26):
if you're bad two years in a row and you
jump back in there, no, you don't get that. You've
got to penalize people for losing. They have to be penalized,
And we said, oh my god, now everybody has a chance.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
There's no penalty.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
If you can't figure this out and you put an
inferior product on the floor, there is a penalty associated
with that aside from the fact you lost.
Speaker 5 (24:50):
So you're saying, if a team like Utah has the
worst record in the league, they find a way to
get the first overall pick, then they have the worst
or second or worst record in the league the following season,
they are just eligible to have what you say, a
top five pick at that point.
Speaker 2 (25:02):
Yes, okay, our question is the metrics for figuring that out,
because then you're gonna get teams that, okay, instead of
not dressing guys, not playing guys, We'll play for the
first quarter and then we're gonna substitute to seven through
twelve in the bench. Well.
Speaker 5 (25:20):
See, so, Rodney, that's a great example because that's exactly
what happened a couple of years ago. So this happened
with the Dallas Mavericks. So they had a top ten
protected pick in twenty twenty three. They had Kyrie Irving
and Luka Doncik on the team at the time, and
they were both healthy as far as we knew. There
was a game where they both sat and as far
as we knew they were healthy. There was another game
where they played, but they only played in the first half.
(25:41):
Donchik played twelve minutes, and they sat them for the
remainder of the game with really no explanation given, and
they were fined for that seven hundred and fifty grand
I believe it was. So the NBA is kind of
onto that sort of chicanery too.
Speaker 2 (25:54):
Yeah, yeah, got it. I'm with you. It's got to
be got to be a penalty for trying to who's on,
that's for sure.
Speaker 1 (26:01):
If that's the end, it should be, honest to God, Kevin,
it should be that way in everything.
Speaker 2 (26:05):
It really should. The Chicago White Socks.
Speaker 5 (26:07):
Or if you mean trying to find loopholes around like
certain rules to get an advantage for yourself.
Speaker 2 (26:11):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
And also I think there should be a penalty if
you're just bad. The White Sox and baseball they're garbage
and they have been. Well now we're trying. No, there
should be disadvantages because you blow. There should be disadvantages
and a penalty because you have not been competitive. Not
(26:32):
we have a chance to give you the number one
penn you need to pay a price.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
There's a money pool that they all get that they
don't get to take advantage of at the end of
the year if they finish in a certain bottom three,
or it just determined that they were just non competitive.
You know, we talked earlier about the collective bargaining like
they do in other sports and everybody gets a share.
(26:57):
Maybe there's a share pool that they don't get to
take advantage of at the end of the year if
it's determined that they are not trying.
Speaker 5 (27:05):
To win, or I know the NBA has this and
baseball to a certain degree to where you have tax thresholds,
and I know the NBA is if you're over the
luxury tax for a certain period of time, your tax
number goes up. So maybe there's a way to reverse that.
If you're a bad team and you're bad for whatever
the number is three consecutive seasons that you haven't won
more than eighty games or something, you don't get a
(27:25):
portion of a revenue share or something like that. Maybe
that's what it is.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Hit them in the pocketbook.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
Absolutely, that's probably better. Yeah, take their money away. From them.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yeah, yeah, because that'll speak to them.
Speaker 5 (27:37):
Or at least maybe your win total has to go
up over a certain period of time to your point,
just to find a way, Yeah, find a way to
disincentivize them losing.
Speaker 1 (27:45):
Yeah, because it's just not there. You're paying to see
an inferior product. As a fan, you were, and we
talked about it at the top of the show. You
know the angels, you divorce your team, you run off
with somebody else. You're paying to see an inferior product.
I read the Pittsburgh Pirates are making a couple of
moves now, made a couple of deals. Try to at
least get competitive here, at least try to put something
(28:08):
on the field where fans well, yeah, they're trying.
Speaker 2 (28:11):
I think that's all anybody asked at the end of
the day. We have tried.
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Please we at least give the illusion you're trying. And
if you're not, Oh, they signed Ryan O'Hearn. That was
a deal today too.
Speaker 5 (28:21):
Yeah, two year deal, I believe.
Speaker 1 (28:22):
Yeah, And if you're not, didn't tell us why. But yeah,
I'm just sick of team's misleading fans. People that spend
money in and invest their emotional.
Speaker 5 (28:33):
Capital something we talked about yesterday with Eric talking about
the DK Metcalf situation in Detroit. He was suspended for
two games without pay by the NFL for conduct detrimental
to the league. I know Mike Tomlin spoke to the
media today. He says he spoke with DK. He says
he understood why he reacted the way he reacted, but
also understands why the NFL took the actions against him
(28:54):
that they did. And of course that fan that was
involved in the incident. You know, Sware swears up and
down he did not make any racial epithets or say
anything negative about his mother or anything else. At least
that's what he says, and it seems to be a
bit of a he said she said at this point.
But nevertheless, DK Metcalf suspended for the final two games
of the regular season.
Speaker 2 (29:14):
He is appealing too, by the way, Yeah, he is appealing,
but also on that he is losing out on I
believe about forty million dollars of guaranteed money.
Speaker 5 (29:24):
Yeah, forty five million to guarantees. He'll lose out on
not playing these two games if he's if the suspension
is upheld.
Speaker 2 (29:29):
Yeah, So it's not like you can't make it. But
but it's not guaranteed anymore, So it's a it's a
big hit for him not to mention like over five
hundred thousand dollars for these two games and game checks
that he's gonna miss out on too, So it's a
it's a huge hit. I get why you gotta, you gotta,
you know, you gotta go and try to fight it.
(29:50):
But but man, as bad as it is, you got
to try to do whatever you can to refrain from
going into the stands and engaging with fans. He's do it.
I mean, listen, you just can't do it. It doesn't matter.
Speaker 1 (30:04):
And if the NBA plan is correct, somebody's mouthing off
at somebody on the court, the player points and that
guy's gone. Kind of should be that way with the
NFL too, if you're close enough, if they can hear
if the guy's leaning over, now it's your mistake if
you go over and talk to him. And maybe what
you should do, and I suggested this with Eric, and
(30:25):
maybe I don't understand. Just walk walk down to another
part of the bench, Just move down so you don't
have to hear it.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Because you can't hit somebody he's just gonna walk down
next to you.
Speaker 1 (30:35):
Well, what's gonna do? Go over people? Keep walking over people? Yeah,
so then go back, make them keep going back and forth.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
I'm just sliding up the headlines. All right, we'll be
back to wrap up the year after this.
Speaker 4 (30:57):
Hello Rogan and Rodney.
Speaker 3 (30:58):
Listener.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
Did you know Am five seventy LA Sports has a
wide range of LA sports podcasts. Shows like petros in
Money We are streaming Man Dodger Talk with David Vasse,
the Dodger Podcast of Record, Clipper Talk Without a Musk,
follow us all and many more. Just go to AM
five seventy LA Sports on the iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Wip oh yeah, come on, Freddy, let's bring it on
home for twenty twenty five. Rodney p Fred Rogan on
a rainy Tuesday. Happy Holidays to everybody.
Speaker 1 (31:35):
You know every day. And I think we've done this
show now ten years. Can you imagine ten years? We've
done this Rodney? Ten years?
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Crazy?
Speaker 1 (31:45):
I mean, how fast does that fly? Kevin, you were
on the board when we started. I think, oh, I
was absolutely better. What it doesn't seem like it's been
that long. I know, maybe totally been three years. But
I'm Senile. I'm not sure anymore. I forgot my issues.
Oh no, it's been ten but it has gone by fast,
it really has. And Ronnie, my god, when I was
(32:06):
doing mornings, you were here like one hundred years ago.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Fred I'm I've been here quite a while. I'm probably
one besides Tim and David Vassa and Brian Blackmore one
of the longest tenured employees here at five seventy.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
I guess what I'm trying to say here is if
you've listened to the radio station for any period of
time in your life, I've never worked in a place
that seems more like a family than the people here,
because really it's been a small group of people that
have worked together for a very long time. And in
my case, for example, you can leave, no, you can
(32:41):
you can go away, but you can never leave.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
It's like a hotel California.
Speaker 5 (32:44):
Oh so you've left and come back like four times.
Ron's been here, I've been here, Kate's has been here.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
You can check out, but you can never leave.
Speaker 5 (32:54):
You jumped on the back of the beast before we
killed the beast, and now then you came back.
Speaker 1 (32:58):
As at seven ten for a while, right, Yeah, But
this is where you want to be because this is
the place in Los Angeles, and I just want to
take a second to thank you for listening and making
us part of your day.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
I know the media world.
Speaker 1 (33:10):
Has changed and you might not listen to the radio
every day, and some people listen live streaming and some
people listen to the podcast. And Kevin knows that best
because if we miss one hour, there's one guy that
keeps emailing us and complaining that he wanted to hear
the Eric Dickerson scorpion story or whatever the story.
Speaker 2 (33:27):
Was that day.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
So I just want to say thank you, seriously, really
appreciate it. Ronnie, thanks for everything. To you and Grace,
the whole family. Happy holidays, Kevin, you, Lauren, baby O,
Happy holidays, Rodney my got ten years. Happy Holidays to
you and Holly.
Speaker 2 (33:46):
Absolutely you and Rachelle. Thank you so much. In the family,
everybody and their family, thank you so much for listening
to us and for saying hello when you see us
and you come up to us. It definitely makes us
feel good that you're listening. We get it all the
time no matter where we are, to hear that you
respond to some of the things that we're saying and
(34:07):
it's resonating with you is great to hear. So happy
holidays to everyone, and be blessed and be safe. Rodney
talked you next year, Yes, sir,
Roggin And Rodney News
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