June 6, 2025 • 30 mins
In the second hour, Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain chat with Hugh Millen about the ongoing Seahawks OTAs and the Pacers taking down the Thunder in game one, then listen and react to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talking about the league expanding.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
All right, let's get to it. Talk some football on
a Friday afternoon, normally get five, but we got hockey
coming up five o'clock tonight. Oilers in Florida in Game
two of the Stanley Cup Final, joining us right now
on the radio program. Our buddy, everybody's buddy, our pal,
you Millin, How are you, man?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
What's happening? Good to be with you?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
No, uch, coming back a little bit.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
I don't know. You tell me, you tell me. I mean,
there's there's nothing they can do about my face, but
they can fix my voice, and apparently they fix they
fix my voice. So yes, I'm I'm glad that I am.
I am at least able to go on the air
entertain you people for a couple hours here before the
hockey game at five o'clock. But he before we get
to some football shatter, Hughey, it's a lifelong Sonic fan, dude,
(00:44):
give me your thoughts on the thunder choking away game
one last night? How about that baby?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Very stunning, uh, you know, and looking at it the
first quarter. We've talked a lot about the style, you know.
In nineteen eighty four, I'll argues the greatest series of
all time when seven seven games Celtics Lakers, And I
noticed in that first quarter, Dick, yeah, that it was
driving me crazy, just launches nobody crashing the boards. That
(01:09):
the Pacers didn't have their first offensive rebound until the
eight to thirty mark in the second quarter. And you
go back to that eighty four series, I reference that
there was about thirty two and a half per game
offensive rebounds. Last night ended up with twenty three, So
I thought the action picked up. But I think I
think for Haliburton, unbelievable. The guy's done well, you know
(01:31):
this postseason what it took Jordan an entire career to do,
and Lebron still hasn't done. In some metrics, and I
would just say, you know the four winners that he had.
This is a right hander. Against the Bucks, he drove right,
got to the rim. Against the Calves, he started right,
then left and it was a step back. Against the Knicks,
he was going to his right, lost the ball, had
(01:52):
to retreat and make that the the reggie shot. And
then against the Pacers he went or excuse me, against
the uh the okay, see last night he goes three times,
he goes to his right, So I don't know. I mean,
I hope that Okac doesn't come around to say, hey,
like in clutch times, let's get on this guy guy's
(02:13):
right shoulder. But in any event, you're probably asking about
the motion. I was stunned, absolutely stunned, and in a
good way obviously.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Well, here we got a whopper of a show topic
going on, and I've put the poll out on Twitter
as well for this. Here's here's your two doors you
can choose from, all right. Door number one is the
Mariners just do whatever they do over the next two
weeks and the Thunder win the title. Door number two
is the Mariners lose every game between now and Game
seven of the Finals, but the Pacers beat the Thunder.
(02:45):
I want to you your take, and I will give you.
I will give you an update on the poll as well.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Well.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I say, fan, how you want a fan for me? Look,
I'm kind of resigned to where Okac is, and so
you know, I'm not sacrificing all those losses, all right,
and I'm not gonna I'm not going to criticize somebody else.
I'm just like they call it the death hormone cortisol.
You get too much hate stirn around too much, you know,
(03:13):
not good for the bottom guy, and so I've kind
of let that go a few years back. But that
doesn't mean I'm I'm not rooting hard for the Pacers,
but but I think I'm trying to stay reasonable. Guys.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
The poll is uh, not unanimous, but overwhelmingly door number two,
sacrificing the Marriagers at seventy six to twenty four percent.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Okay, all right, well.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Hueye, speaking of sacrifice, did the Steelers sacrifice their morals
and their and their standards by going out and getting
Aaron Rodgers? I mean they let Aaron Rodgers pretty much
sounds like call the shots and when he was ready,
he was ready. I'm a little bit surprised, knowing Mike
Tomlin's personality, that he would stand for all these Annigan's.
(04:00):
But how about you. The Aaron Rodgers thing became official yesterday.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Well, before I get to that, I do want to
touch on on the age and quarterbacks. Can we have
a little discussion about that, because let's let's put into
context now, Aaron Rodgers is forty one. He's going to
turn forty to December. Second, the way the league categories
categorized ages is what's your age at December thirty, first
(04:26):
of the year in question? Okay, so I'm going to
compare because I think this is a really relevant part
of the Aaron Rodgers discussion. All right, So Dick, you
got your pen? Can you be secretary here on this?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Okay? All right? So let's go eight quarterbacks age thirty
four exactly thirty four, which was what Gino was last year.
How many of the how many I have had three
thousand or more yards passing at age thirty four? Now,
each quarterback like Tom Brady's gonna only show up on
the list one time because he was only thirty four one,
(04:58):
just to be clear, So there was thirty eight. There's
been thirty eight quarterbacks who threw for three thousand or
more yards at the thirty five let's jump to age
thirty eight. Now we're down to thirteen that had three
thousand or more. Let's get to forty age forty three
thousand or more yards. Only two Tom Brady and Brett Favre.
(05:21):
So let's go to the Now, let's go to last
year where Aaron Rodgers forty one. How many guys at
age forty one have thrown for three thousand or more yards,
well statistically anomally because it kind of went up. It
was actually four. It was Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers himself
last year, then Warren Moon for Seattle, and Vinnie testa Verdi.
(05:43):
That's it. That's a total. That's the whole list of
guys who've been three thousand more yards at age forty one. Now,
how about forty two age forty two, which is what
Aaron Rodgers will be this year one Tom Brady now
on that list. Rogers, of course, we don't know. But
Warren Moon went from age forty one thirty six hundred
(06:07):
and seventy eight yards down to sixteen hundred and thirty two.
That's how far he fell off at age forty two,
and then the next year he was twenty yards. Vinnie
Testaverdi went from thirty five thirty two at age forty one,
he went to seven seventy seven at age forty two. Now,
(06:27):
Tom Brady's a statistical freak, so you know to comment
about him. But there look, just because you have somebody
who disproves the rule in the person of Tom Brady
doesn't mean the rule doesn't exist. The rule is that
you fall off like mad right around forty to forty two.
And here's the final summary. Now I'm gonna go all seasons.
(06:50):
I'm gonna change the rules little all. There's been ten
seasons where a quarterback forty or more has been over
three thousand yards. Brady has six of them. Farv Rodgers,
Moon and Testa Verdi each have one. And then there's
been five seasons where a quarterback forty or more has
been over four thousand yards. There's been five seasons. Tom
(07:12):
Brady has all five. All right, So some of this
is we're expecting Aaron Rodgers to do things that have
almost never been done, and then the other part, Dave,
just to get right to your question, I think there's
a difference because when Aaron Rodgers went to the Jets,
here's a statistical fact. Two of the three prior years
(07:34):
Aaron Rodgers had been the MVP of the league, and
he's going to where Robert slain the Jets everything, you know,
it's morbun what have you. So the psychology was a
lot different. Now what's happened over the last three years.
Aaron Rodgers hasn't done Dookie and he's going to not
to Robert Sala and the Morbn Jets. He's going to
a legit franchise in Pittsburgh with a with a Hall
(07:58):
of Fame quarterback and Mike Tomlin. So I think I
think Aaron Rodgers whatever alpha dog he thought he was
with the Jets, and he certainly exercised that. I have
a feeling now you could argue back Tigers don't change
the stripes, and that would be convincing. But I think
there's a chance that Rogers might be mining his p's
and q's for some of the reasons I just mentioned.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
I'm just wondering about the fit. It's just everything going
on in Pittsburgh is strange. You've got Arthur Smith, a
run dominated offensive coordinator. You got Mike Tomlin, a guy
that likes to run the ball and play defense. You
drafted a running back in the third round to go
with Jalen Warren and Najie Harris and those guys, and
yet you got a quarterback and obviously likes to throw
the ball. The Jets have had a higher pass play
(08:38):
percentage last year than the Seahawks, and I imagine a
lot of that was Aaron Rodgers checking out of runs
to go to to throw to passes.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Is this is the dynamic going to work? It's a
good question. Let's see how it plays out. I mean,
Aaron Rodgers may be of a mind you know. I
mean he probably is taking a hit on his ego
with what is transport? So can I envision a situation
where he goes to Pittsburgh where he kind of buys
(09:04):
in a little bit to hey, let's let the running
game be dominant. I don't have to carry the load. Obviously,
it's twenty twenty five in the NFL. You still have
to have your quarterback make plays. And he could probably
say I can still do that, just take some of
the load off me. I'm not convinced he won't be
of that mindset, you know, in part because what's transpired
(09:26):
these last few years.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Yeah, well, humillin's whether I said, Hugh, there's been a
conversation going around this week about the odds that Sam
Darnold is not the starting quarterback for Week one for
the Seattle Seahawks. Is that even something that you're willing
to even entertain as a possibility.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
No, I think it's kind of absurd, First of all,
for those who have made the comparison to twenty twelve.
Let's just talk about what I would describe as the
material differences. So Matt Flynn he signed a contract with
ten million total guaranteed. That represented eight point three percent
(10:06):
of the salary cap for that year. Sam Donald just
he's at fifty five million. That represents nineteen point seven percent,
So triple the number. Okay, so the investment is significantly
more in Sam Darnal. Matt Flynn had two starts in
his entire career before signing with Seattle. Sam Donald has
(10:29):
seventy three. Sam Donald was fourteen and three last year.
There's only been eight quarterbacks in the history of football
to have fourteen wins and four thousand yards in the
same season, and Sam Donald's one of them. So and
then also when you go back to okay, let's just
go the calendar. We're slotted after the rookie minicamps, but
(10:51):
before the mandatory mini camps. Well, if you go back
to twenty twelve, coming out of the rookie camps, Pete
Carroll was saying that Russell Wilson was so impressive in
rookie Mini caamps, we're gonna give him a chance to compete.
He was staying that publicly before the mini camp. We're
not hearing any of that from Mike McDonald. We didn't
(11:12):
have any reports that Jalen Milroe or has a chance
to compete. So so I think in many ways I
would just say this. I think it's silly if you
go back to the the twenty four hours before Sam
Darnold through two interceptions in a mini camp, was anybody
(11:34):
thinking about this? So the absurdity is that two interceptions
can invoke this kind of discussion right, and even becomes
within NFL circles a little bit of a national story,
and and and so it's just nonsense. You haven't installed
the plays that are the compliments. You're just irly in
your install You got an inbreaking route, you haven't. You
(11:57):
haven't installed the play that has the same formation, this
same motion, and then now the tight end instead of
breaking in, he breaks out. So the defense a smart
guy like Julian Love, he can jump that. Sam Darnold
might have been working on it. Hey, I don't think
you know. I thought the rules were you can't jump route.
So I want to. I want to try and get
the timing on this intermediate throw on and knife it
down the field. Imagine we know from baseball, if if
(12:20):
like a right handed pitcher said said, hey, you got
rock today in spring in the spring training game, he says, yeah,
I was. You know, I usually try and run my
slider in on the hands of a left hander. I
wanted to see if I go back door the slider.
I wanted to see it, and it didn't work with
great But but I'm I'm learning we would all accept
that and that the equivalent in that case would be
a preseason game in the NFL. We're talking about practice
(12:44):
and and I yes, yeah, I yeah, so.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
We would have had the iris and dropping a.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Good point, good point, yep, that's another fumble by me.
But but I I just think it's nonsense in so
many ways. And just tell me, was this a fair
question back in, you know, twenty four hours before he
threw those picks? And now, do I think that there's
some chance that Sam Darnold will get benched in the
(13:14):
twenty twenty five season. Of course, I mean his job
at he doesn't have the footing of Josh Allen or
Pat Mahomes or you know the half a dozen you know,
firmly entrenched quarterbacks. Yeah, that could happen. But I think
to even invoke twenty twenty twelve in the conversation, I
just think there's so many substantive differences as to render
(13:37):
it completely irrelevant.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Well, it's got to be the first time in NFL
history that a quarterback coming off a fourteen win season
goes to a team coming off a ten win season
and they're supposed to win seven and a half games.
According to Vegas, I mean that it's got to be
the first time that has ever happened. I think one
of the reasons though, and Safti and I and Jackson
we're talking about this the other day on Monday.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
I believe it was one of the reasons.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
I think think perception wise is the wide receiver corps,
And we were discussing how much of a difference was it.
Is it downgraded this year considering that JSN should take
a step. But you don't have a locket anymore, you
don't have DK, but you do have the rookies and
you do have Cooper Cups. So how do you how
(14:20):
do you look at this wide receiver corps and this
wide receiver room visave.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Last year, Well, I Cooper Cup is the X factor.
We'll see what he has you know, can he be
healthy and and and just what does he have now?
I looked at a lot of tape of this most
recent year with the rams, and uh, look, he can't.
You can't line him up and have him beat corners.
Corners are just going to get up up in his
(14:45):
hip pocket and they're going to just throttle down. They
don't have to run full speed with him. And if
corners don't have to run at or near full speed,
they are a lot more responsive to to the routes
because I mean, just think about it. If you were
running as fast as you could and somebody blew a
whistle and said, all right, now stop, think of how
(15:06):
many more steps it takes you than if you were
running eighty five ninety percent of your full speed and
they blew that same whistle. You come to stop much quicker. Right.
So that's what you know, a portion of covering is
all about. So I'm concerned about Cooper cup on the outside. Now.
I think that he can be you know, he's a
micero on the inside. But that's where JSN thrives relative
(15:30):
to other receivers. I think JASN can be popped outside
and be a guy. But as we've talked about many
times DK drew a lot of roll coverage to him,
and I'm just I'm not convinced Marcus Valdas Scanley. I
watched a ton of tape him. I watched his first
game with the Bills against the Cardinals and he wasn't
(15:52):
running well. Then he was on the street for a week.
He signed for the minimum salary with the Saints, who
had a Labve and Rasicha. He's two starting receivers out.
The Saints were desperate. So you know, he's only making
five million. I think only half of that's guaranteed. Like
the idea that Matt Marcus Valdez Scanaling is some speed guy,
(16:14):
A the tape doesn't show that. Be the the market
is telling you he's not that. When DK's making thirty
three million and this guy's making five so uh and
not guaranteed. I'm I have some concerns about who's going
to be outside And Tory Horton, don't don't sleep on
that fifth rounder. You know that he could be a
(16:36):
guy that comes in and does some some damage on
the outside.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Well, I mean, look, you know it sounds like on
paper they're weaker, but you're right, we're talking about those
three and we're not really including the rookies, including Tory Horton.
So we'll see how this plays out. I mean, one
guy Locket that forty nine catches a year ago and
Valdez Scandling had nineteen, for God's sake, So you know,
we'll see. I mean, it's how much do you buy
the idea?
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Though?
Speaker 1 (16:59):
And I've heard other people say this besides Dick. Dick
said this. I think on Tuesday that the Seahawks don't
need to be as deep at wide receiver as they
were a year ago because of the two wide receiver
sets versus the three wide receiver sets. Do you buy
that argument?
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Yeah? I do, because I think that we've seen from
Clint Clint Kubiak the percentage of plays where you got
three plus receivers. Last year, the Seahawks were third, the
Saints were thirty first.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Got it?
Speaker 2 (17:32):
And you could say, well, I mentioned the injuries the
Saints had. Well, go back to when Clint Kubiak was
the offensive coordinator in twenty twenty one with the Vikings.
The Vikings that year were twenty fifth. So he's had
the two years he's been an offensive coordinator. You know,
he's thirty first and twenty fifth and he comes from
(17:52):
the disciple tree of the Shanahans. You know, he was
a passing and coordinator for the forty nine ers. You've
got you've got the fullback. The kid oots from that
guy's gonna get some time. They're gonna get into crew back. Yeah,
you've also got the issue Eliza Arroyo. You can split
(18:13):
him out and he can run X routes. He can
run some albeit you know, not a ton, but he
can run some of the the the routes. I've watched
him in Miami running a sixth step what's called an
okie in Mike Homegren's world or the in the three
digit world. It's the three route. I've coached that route
with high schools in you know, minute detail. I was,
(18:37):
I was really going over the tape with him, like,
wait a minute, Eliza Royo is running a three route
lined up in the ex position and I'm and I'm
looking at that. You know, it's a six step in
route or outbreaking route with your inside step, your six
step and how you around the corner. There's a lot
of detail, and I'm like, that's a pretty damn good
three route. Elijah, you go boy like like, I think
(18:58):
he can be a verse guy out there. So technically
you're in twelve personnel, but you can get some with
two tight ends. But you you split him out line
him up on a corner, he can do some wide
receiver stuff.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Yeah. Yeah, I hope you enjoyed this as much as
we enjoyed having you. Absolutely, we've we've learned a lot.
We'll talk in our week.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Actually we'll talk on Monday.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
We'll talk on Monday, all right, but that's four Yeah,
all right, have a great weekend. G Yeah, we're fa
milling with us on the radio show We're Gonna Break.
Adam Silver has spoken about a potential expansion approval timeline
and it might involve the Sonics. We'll get to that
next on ninety three to three KJR FM.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
On casting live from the R and R Foundation Specialist
Broadcast Studio. Now back to Saftie and Dig powered by
Emerald Queen Casino, the Betty and Capital of the Northwest,
on Sports Radio ninety three point three kJ R FM.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Hey, don't forget, we got Game two Stanley Cup Finals
coming up tonight, Edmonton and the Florida Panthers five o'clock
from Edmonton before we get to some comments from Adam
Silver talking about expansion at the NBA Finals. Dick, you
put a poll out, by the way, asking people would
they sacrifice every Mariner game through the end of the
(20:20):
NBA Finals, which we figured out was fifteen more games
between now and Game seven. And it's again, it's whatever
the NBA Finals ends, right, so the Pacers sweep them, whatever,
But this could potentially go as long as June twenty seconds,
which is wild to me that the NBA Finals began
last night and we're talking about, you know, three weeks
(20:42):
of basketball, right to play seven games, so I mean,
good for them. They're already stretching out Game one two
with two days off. So that would mean if you
vote yes, by the way, that the ms would lose
eighteen consecutive games and be twelve games under five hundred
when it's all said and done. So where's the poll?
Speaker 4 (21:00):
I don't know if this is more of a statement
on how much people hate the thunder or more of
a statement on how just on the Mariners this year,
how much, like Jackson said earlier, how much confidence they
actually have to do something this year. Door number one,
which was the Mariners just do whatever they do and
the Thunder win the title twenty five percent. Door number two,
(21:24):
the Mariners lose potentially fifteen games in a row, and
the Thunder lose the title seventy five percent.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yeah, I just think that the perception of the Mariners
overall from the majority of the fans and the majority
of people in this town is a negative one. Right now.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Well, it's just that, I mean, if you were to
just at the beginning of the season and if you
were just said, hey, you know, sixty one games, what's
the Mariners record, I mean you're within a game or
two of what exactly what you thought they'd.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Be on June the sixth.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
And we were just kind of like we were meg
going into the year. They're gonna win between eighty five
and ninety and if they get to ninety they'll make
the playoffs. If they get to eighty five, they won't
make the playoffs. And we're right there.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
I mean, it's exactly where they are.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
But again, I think when you vote in something like this,
and I don't know, Jackson, your wife's a psychologists, and
you tell us that, I think I think when you
talk about like approval ratings and things like that, and
for politicians and you know, uh, figure, yeah, it's it's
just a it's a it's a negative reaction.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Do you do you have a generally negative or positive
feeling about the Mariners right now? I think most folks
would say negative.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
If the Mariners had had the month of April in
the month of May, and we're talking about a baseball team,
then yeah, we're coming off a bad series to Baltimore
of a boy, look at what they did in May,
then I think that votes quite different.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yes, yes, And if we wait until September and it's
different and they're in the playoff race and they got
a five game lead, then no, you're not doing that.
But hey, let's uh, let's see what happens Game two
one Sunday, big winning Game one for the Boys. Is
now your official home for Indiana Pacer basketball ninety three
to three, KYJ. Why can't we carry all the Pacer broadcast?
We carried the fricking Raiders back in the day. We
(23:04):
can't carry the Pacers. Hey. Adam Silver, By the way,
speaking of basketball, Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner, was asked at
the NBA Finals this this yesterday, by the way Jackson,
he was asked about the expansion timeline. Check it out.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
What is the current temperature among the Board of governors
to expand the NBA and you know, whether it's Seattle
or another American city. Just what have you guys found
in your committees so far.
Speaker 6 (23:32):
I'd say the current sense is we should be exploring it.
I don't think it's automatic, because it depends on your
perspective on the future of the league. You know, as
I've said before, expansion in a way is selling equity
in the league, and if you believe in the league,
you don't necessarily want to add partners. On the other hand,
(23:55):
that we recognize there are underserved markets in the United
States and elsewhere, and I think markets that deserve to
have NBA teams, probably even if we were to expand
more than we can serve. But we have a owner's
meeting in July in Las Vegas, and it will be
on the agenda to take the temperature of the room.
(24:17):
We have committees that are already talking about it. But
my sense is at that meeting they're going to give
direction to me and my colleagues at the league office
that we should continue to explore it. What also comes
to mind in terms of expansion is the opportunity potentially
to create other competition around the world. I think, as
you know, five years ago or so, we created a
(24:40):
league and as it's a competition of existing clubs in Africa.
And so Mark Tatum is here the Deputy Commissioner, chief
operating officer. He's hard at work on that along with
several of my colleagues, and we have been discussing potentially
creating a league in Europe. And I view that as
a form of expansion as well. And I'd say again,
just as I'm saying in some American cities, we think
(25:00):
there's an opportunity to serve fans in Europe who are
no knock on European basketball because most of those international
MVPs I just talked about are coming from Europe. So
there's really high level basketball being played there. But we
think there is an opportunity to better serve fans there.
So I view that as a form of expansion as well,
(25:20):
and that's something we're also thinking hard about.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
So the last time the NBA expanded was two thousand
and four, Is that correct? I think I have that right.
Two thousand and four was the last time they did it.
Yet two thousand and four four teams were created. From
eighty eight to eighty nine Hornets, Heat, Magic and Minnesota.
Ninety five was Toronto and Vancouver. Who was four? Who
(25:47):
am I missing? Charla Bobcats, Charlotte Bobcats. Thank you? Yes.
So they have not expanded for eleven years, and that's
kind of about the timeline from nine and for twenty
one years, sorry, twenty one years correct, But ninety five
to four there was eleven year weight. Eighty nine and
(26:08):
ninety five there was a six year wait. Eighty to
eighty eight there was an eight year weight. I mean
this would be by far. The right is so it's time,
is the point? Right, It's past time? And I guess
I guess the question is my sense is that the
only thing left to do now for us is just
a wait. Right. But there's also another part of me
(26:29):
that wonders, hey, would they be asking would Adam Silver
be asking for these formal conversations if he wasn't certain
they would lead to expansion, because nobody wants to waste
the owner's time, by the way, or is there any
part of us that thinks they'll get into a room,
they'll discuss it, and they'll realize that now it's not
(26:49):
the time to do it, and they'll have to wait.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
No, I don't think so, because I think part of
the last media deal was contingent on what is your
league going to look like in twenty twenty seven twenty
twenty eight, And I think there was some opposition to expansion,
but you need a lot of opposition to expansion for
it not to happen. And when he says quote, my
sense is they will give us direction that we should
(27:14):
continue to explore this. And then when he also said
that a committee's already been formed, that's the one that
kind of got Jackson. To me yesterday when we first
played were like, oh, really right. We thought there was
going to be a committee that was going to begin
in July, but there already has been a committee. So
that to us was was showed that we're a little
(27:36):
bit further down the road than maybe we even thought.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Sure well, and I think I think too for him
when he says there's underserved markets, I think he's talking
about Seattle obviously, and he's talking about British Columbia, he's
talking about Idaho, and Montana and you know, even parts
of Oregon, because let's face it, there were people Dick
that thought when the Sonics left in two thousand and
eight that maybe that would be an opportunity for the
(28:00):
Portland trail Blazers right to expand their footprint a little bit.
That never happened, never, because you remember, the games used
to be on Root Sports, and they dumped them, they
dropped them. Nobody in Seattle gives a crap about the
Portland trail Blazers, and nobody in Vancouver, Canada, or Alaska,
(28:21):
or Idaho or Montana care about the Portland Trailblazers. You
know what they care about in places like that, They
care about what's happening in Seattle. That's why the Seahawks
have such a reach and the Mariners have such a reach.
But the the Sonics will not just satisfy the underserved
market of Seattle, but they'll satisfy the underserved market of
(28:44):
the entire Pacific Northwest.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Yes, yes, and I know and when I you know,
I've been going back and forth with folks on Twitter
about this, you know, about this topic today, and what
I keep hearing was, well, it's been you know, they've
strung us along for seventeen years. I and I and
I am going to stop them again right now?
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (29:02):
No, there has There was not a viable place to
play basketball here until twenty twenty one. The league has
not been stringing you along for seventeen years. The first
year you could legitimately have a new NBA franchise and yeah,
but that never went anywhere. The Sacramento thing, yes there
(29:26):
was there was a giant a giant tease, but but
they still needed toren it as well, and they probably
would have gotten one at Soto had they gotten the
case correct. They still needed to finance that puppy. I mean,
if Hanson was really gonna do that whole thing by himself.
But they really hasn't been a legitimate place for expansions
since twenty twenty one, So it has not been a
seventeen year wait for that.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Well, it's been a seventeen year wait for a team, period,
that's right.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
But they have not strung us along for seventeen years.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
What am I? That's fine? And if you want to
get technical on the on the logistics of the or
the definition of some of the words that people are
using on social media. I can dance with you on that,
but I can also see why people would just be
so skeptical because it's been almost twenty damn years. But
you know again, it's fine. Let them be skeptical. I
got no problem with people being skeptical as long as
(30:14):
they care, right. I mean, if you're indifferent, if you're apathetic, whatever,
I'd rather have you be skeptical than apathetic. To be
honest with you, we're gonna break
All right, let's get to it. Talk some football on
a Friday afternoon, normally get five, but we got hockey
coming up five o'clock tonight. Oilers in Florida in Game
two of the Stanley Cup Final, joining us right now
on the radio program. Our buddy, everybody's buddy, our pal,
you Millin, How are you, man?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
What's happening? Good to be with you?
Speaker 3 (00:18):
Ah?
Speaker 2 (00:19):
No, uch, coming back a little bit.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
I don't know. You tell me, you tell me. I mean,
there's there's nothing they can do about my face, but
they can fix my voice, and apparently they fix they
fix my voice. So yes, I'm I'm glad that I am.
I am at least able to go on the air
entertain you people for a couple hours here before the
hockey game at five o'clock. But he before we get
to some football shatter, Hughey, it's a lifelong Sonic fan, dude,
(00:44):
give me your thoughts on the thunder choking away game
one last night? How about that baby?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Very stunning, uh, you know, and looking at it the
first quarter. We've talked a lot about the style, you know.
In nineteen eighty four, I'll argues the greatest series of
all time when seven seven games Celtics Lakers, And I
noticed in that first quarter, Dick, yeah, that it was
driving me crazy, just launches nobody crashing the boards. That
(01:09):
the Pacers didn't have their first offensive rebound until the
eight to thirty mark in the second quarter. And you
go back to that eighty four series, I reference that
there was about thirty two and a half per game
offensive rebounds. Last night ended up with twenty three, So
I thought the action picked up. But I think I
think for Haliburton, unbelievable. The guy's done well, you know
(01:31):
this postseason what it took Jordan an entire career to do,
and Lebron still hasn't done. In some metrics, and I
would just say, you know the four winners that he had.
This is a right hander. Against the Bucks, he drove right,
got to the rim. Against the Calves, he started right,
then left and it was a step back. Against the Knicks,
he was going to his right, lost the ball, had
(01:52):
to retreat and make that the the reggie shot. And
then against the Pacers he went or excuse me, against
the uh the okay, see last night he goes three times,
he goes to his right, So I don't know. I mean,
I hope that Okac doesn't come around to say, hey,
like in clutch times, let's get on this guy guy's
(02:13):
right shoulder. But in any event, you're probably asking about
the motion. I was stunned, absolutely stunned, and in a
good way obviously.
Speaker 4 (02:22):
Well, here we got a whopper of a show topic
going on, and I've put the poll out on Twitter
as well for this. Here's here's your two doors you
can choose from, all right. Door number one is the
Mariners just do whatever they do over the next two
weeks and the Thunder win the title. Door number two
is the Mariners lose every game between now and Game
seven of the Finals, but the Pacers beat the Thunder.
(02:45):
I want to you your take, and I will give you.
I will give you an update on the poll as well.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Well.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
I say, fan, how you want a fan for me? Look,
I'm kind of resigned to where Okac is, and so
you know, I'm not sacrificing all those losses, all right,
and I'm not gonna I'm not going to criticize somebody else.
I'm just like they call it the death hormone cortisol.
You get too much hate stirn around too much, you know,
(03:13):
not good for the bottom guy, and so I've kind
of let that go a few years back. But that
doesn't mean I'm I'm not rooting hard for the Pacers,
but but I think I'm trying to stay reasonable. Guys.
Speaker 4 (03:26):
The poll is uh, not unanimous, but overwhelmingly door number two,
sacrificing the Marriagers at seventy six to twenty four percent.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Okay, all right, well.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Hueye, speaking of sacrifice, did the Steelers sacrifice their morals
and their and their standards by going out and getting
Aaron Rodgers? I mean they let Aaron Rodgers pretty much
sounds like call the shots and when he was ready,
he was ready. I'm a little bit surprised, knowing Mike
Tomlin's personality, that he would stand for all these Annigan's.
(04:00):
But how about you. The Aaron Rodgers thing became official yesterday.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
Well, before I get to that, I do want to
touch on on the age and quarterbacks. Can we have
a little discussion about that, because let's let's put into
context now, Aaron Rodgers is forty one. He's going to
turn forty to December. Second, the way the league categories
categorized ages is what's your age at December thirty, first
(04:26):
of the year in question? Okay, so I'm going to
compare because I think this is a really relevant part
of the Aaron Rodgers discussion. All right, So Dick, you
got your pen? Can you be secretary here on this?
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Sure?
Speaker 2 (04:36):
Okay? All right? So let's go eight quarterbacks age thirty
four exactly thirty four, which was what Gino was last year.
How many of the how many I have had three
thousand or more yards passing at age thirty four? Now,
each quarterback like Tom Brady's gonna only show up on
the list one time because he was only thirty four one,
(04:58):
just to be clear, So there was thirty eight. There's
been thirty eight quarterbacks who threw for three thousand or
more yards at the thirty five let's jump to age
thirty eight. Now we're down to thirteen that had three
thousand or more. Let's get to forty age forty three
thousand or more yards. Only two Tom Brady and Brett Favre.
(05:21):
So let's go to the Now, let's go to last
year where Aaron Rodgers forty one. How many guys at
age forty one have thrown for three thousand or more yards,
well statistically anomally because it kind of went up. It
was actually four. It was Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers himself
last year, then Warren Moon for Seattle, and Vinnie testa Verdi.
(05:43):
That's it. That's a total. That's the whole list of
guys who've been three thousand more yards at age forty one. Now,
how about forty two age forty two, which is what
Aaron Rodgers will be this year one Tom Brady now
on that list. Rogers, of course, we don't know. But
Warren Moon went from age forty one thirty six hundred
(06:07):
and seventy eight yards down to sixteen hundred and thirty two.
That's how far he fell off at age forty two,
and then the next year he was twenty yards. Vinnie
Testaverdi went from thirty five thirty two at age forty one,
he went to seven seventy seven at age forty two. Now,
(06:27):
Tom Brady's a statistical freak, so you know to comment
about him. But there look, just because you have somebody
who disproves the rule in the person of Tom Brady
doesn't mean the rule doesn't exist. The rule is that
you fall off like mad right around forty to forty two.
And here's the final summary. Now I'm gonna go all seasons.
(06:50):
I'm gonna change the rules little all. There's been ten
seasons where a quarterback forty or more has been over
three thousand yards. Brady has six of them. Farv Rodgers,
Moon and Testa Verdi each have one. And then there's
been five seasons where a quarterback forty or more has
been over four thousand yards. There's been five seasons. Tom
(07:12):
Brady has all five. All right, So some of this
is we're expecting Aaron Rodgers to do things that have
almost never been done, and then the other part, Dave,
just to get right to your question, I think there's
a difference because when Aaron Rodgers went to the Jets,
here's a statistical fact. Two of the three prior years
(07:34):
Aaron Rodgers had been the MVP of the league, and
he's going to where Robert slain the Jets everything, you know,
it's morbun what have you. So the psychology was a
lot different. Now what's happened over the last three years.
Aaron Rodgers hasn't done Dookie and he's going to not
to Robert Sala and the Morbn Jets. He's going to
a legit franchise in Pittsburgh with a with a Hall
(07:58):
of Fame quarterback and Mike Tomlin. So I think I
think Aaron Rodgers whatever alpha dog he thought he was
with the Jets, and he certainly exercised that. I have
a feeling now you could argue back Tigers don't change
the stripes, and that would be convincing. But I think
there's a chance that Rogers might be mining his p's
and q's for some of the reasons I just mentioned.
Speaker 4 (08:17):
I'm just wondering about the fit. It's just everything going
on in Pittsburgh is strange. You've got Arthur Smith, a
run dominated offensive coordinator. You got Mike Tomlin, a guy
that likes to run the ball and play defense. You
drafted a running back in the third round to go
with Jalen Warren and Najie Harris and those guys, and
yet you got a quarterback and obviously likes to throw
the ball. The Jets have had a higher pass play
(08:38):
percentage last year than the Seahawks, and I imagine a
lot of that was Aaron Rodgers checking out of runs
to go to to throw to passes.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Is this is the dynamic going to work? It's a
good question. Let's see how it plays out. I mean,
Aaron Rodgers may be of a mind you know. I
mean he probably is taking a hit on his ego
with what is transport? So can I envision a situation
where he goes to Pittsburgh where he kind of buys
(09:04):
in a little bit to hey, let's let the running
game be dominant. I don't have to carry the load. Obviously,
it's twenty twenty five in the NFL. You still have
to have your quarterback make plays. And he could probably
say I can still do that, just take some of
the load off me. I'm not convinced he won't be
of that mindset, you know, in part because what's transpired
(09:26):
these last few years.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Yeah, well, humillin's whether I said, Hugh, there's been a
conversation going around this week about the odds that Sam
Darnold is not the starting quarterback for Week one for
the Seattle Seahawks. Is that even something that you're willing
to even entertain as a possibility.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
No, I think it's kind of absurd, First of all,
for those who have made the comparison to twenty twelve.
Let's just talk about what I would describe as the
material differences. So Matt Flynn he signed a contract with
ten million total guaranteed. That represented eight point three percent
(10:06):
of the salary cap for that year. Sam Donald just
he's at fifty five million. That represents nineteen point seven percent,
So triple the number. Okay, so the investment is significantly
more in Sam Darnal. Matt Flynn had two starts in
his entire career before signing with Seattle. Sam Donald has
(10:29):
seventy three. Sam Donald was fourteen and three last year.
There's only been eight quarterbacks in the history of football
to have fourteen wins and four thousand yards in the
same season, and Sam Donald's one of them. So and
then also when you go back to okay, let's just
go the calendar. We're slotted after the rookie minicamps, but
(10:51):
before the mandatory mini camps. Well, if you go back
to twenty twelve, coming out of the rookie camps, Pete
Carroll was saying that Russell Wilson was so impressive in
rookie Mini caamps, we're gonna give him a chance to compete.
He was staying that publicly before the mini camp. We're
not hearing any of that from Mike McDonald. We didn't
(11:12):
have any reports that Jalen Milroe or has a chance
to compete. So so I think in many ways I
would just say this. I think it's silly if you
go back to the the twenty four hours before Sam
Darnold through two interceptions in a mini camp, was anybody
(11:34):
thinking about this? So the absurdity is that two interceptions
can invoke this kind of discussion right, and even becomes
within NFL circles a little bit of a national story,
and and and so it's just nonsense. You haven't installed
the plays that are the compliments. You're just irly in
your install You got an inbreaking route, you haven't. You
(11:57):
haven't installed the play that has the same formation, this
same motion, and then now the tight end instead of
breaking in, he breaks out. So the defense a smart
guy like Julian Love, he can jump that. Sam Darnold
might have been working on it. Hey, I don't think
you know. I thought the rules were you can't jump route.
So I want to. I want to try and get
the timing on this intermediate throw on and knife it
down the field. Imagine we know from baseball, if if
(12:20):
like a right handed pitcher said said, hey, you got
rock today in spring in the spring training game, he says, yeah,
I was. You know, I usually try and run my
slider in on the hands of a left hander. I
wanted to see if I go back door the slider.
I wanted to see it, and it didn't work with
great But but I'm I'm learning we would all accept
that and that the equivalent in that case would be
a preseason game in the NFL. We're talking about practice
(12:44):
and and I yes, yeah, I yeah, so.
Speaker 1 (12:49):
We would have had the iris and dropping a.
Speaker 2 (12:52):
Good point, good point, yep, that's another fumble by me.
But but I I just think it's nonsense in so
many ways. And just tell me, was this a fair
question back in, you know, twenty four hours before he
threw those picks? And now, do I think that there's
some chance that Sam Darnold will get benched in the
(13:14):
twenty twenty five season. Of course, I mean his job
at he doesn't have the footing of Josh Allen or
Pat Mahomes or you know the half a dozen you know,
firmly entrenched quarterbacks. Yeah, that could happen. But I think
to even invoke twenty twenty twelve in the conversation, I
just think there's so many substantive differences as to render
(13:37):
it completely irrelevant.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Well, it's got to be the first time in NFL
history that a quarterback coming off a fourteen win season
goes to a team coming off a ten win season
and they're supposed to win seven and a half games.
According to Vegas, I mean that it's got to be
the first time that has ever happened. I think one
of the reasons though, and Safti and I and Jackson
we're talking about this the other day on Monday.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
I believe it was one of the reasons.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
I think think perception wise is the wide receiver corps,
And we were discussing how much of a difference was it.
Is it downgraded this year considering that JSN should take
a step. But you don't have a locket anymore, you
don't have DK, but you do have the rookies and
you do have Cooper Cups. So how do you how
(14:20):
do you look at this wide receiver corps and this
wide receiver room visave.
Speaker 2 (14:23):
Last year, Well, I Cooper Cup is the X factor.
We'll see what he has you know, can he be
healthy and and and just what does he have now?
I looked at a lot of tape of this most
recent year with the rams, and uh, look, he can't.
You can't line him up and have him beat corners.
Corners are just going to get up up in his
(14:45):
hip pocket and they're going to just throttle down. They
don't have to run full speed with him. And if
corners don't have to run at or near full speed,
they are a lot more responsive to to the routes
because I mean, just think about it. If you were
running as fast as you could and somebody blew a
whistle and said, all right, now stop, think of how
(15:06):
many more steps it takes you than if you were
running eighty five ninety percent of your full speed and
they blew that same whistle. You come to stop much quicker. Right.
So that's what you know, a portion of covering is
all about. So I'm concerned about Cooper cup on the outside. Now.
I think that he can be you know, he's a
micero on the inside. But that's where JSN thrives relative
(15:30):
to other receivers. I think JASN can be popped outside
and be a guy. But as we've talked about many
times DK drew a lot of roll coverage to him,
and I'm just I'm not convinced Marcus Valdas Scanley. I
watched a ton of tape him. I watched his first
game with the Bills against the Cardinals and he wasn't
(15:52):
running well. Then he was on the street for a week.
He signed for the minimum salary with the Saints, who
had a Labve and Rasicha. He's two starting receivers out.
The Saints were desperate. So you know, he's only making
five million. I think only half of that's guaranteed. Like
the idea that Matt Marcus Valdez Scanaling is some speed guy,
(16:14):
A the tape doesn't show that. Be the the market
is telling you he's not that. When DK's making thirty
three million and this guy's making five so uh and
not guaranteed. I'm I have some concerns about who's going
to be outside And Tory Horton, don't don't sleep on
that fifth rounder. You know that he could be a
(16:36):
guy that comes in and does some some damage on
the outside.
Speaker 1 (16:39):
Well, I mean, look, you know it sounds like on
paper they're weaker, but you're right, we're talking about those
three and we're not really including the rookies, including Tory Horton.
So we'll see how this plays out. I mean, one
guy Locket that forty nine catches a year ago and
Valdez Scandling had nineteen, for God's sake, So you know,
we'll see. I mean, it's how much do you buy
the idea?
Speaker 2 (16:59):
Though?
Speaker 1 (16:59):
And I've heard other people say this besides Dick. Dick
said this. I think on Tuesday that the Seahawks don't
need to be as deep at wide receiver as they
were a year ago because of the two wide receiver
sets versus the three wide receiver sets. Do you buy
that argument?
Speaker 2 (17:14):
Yeah? I do, because I think that we've seen from
Clint Clint Kubiak the percentage of plays where you got
three plus receivers. Last year, the Seahawks were third, the
Saints were thirty first.
Speaker 1 (17:31):
Got it?
Speaker 2 (17:32):
And you could say, well, I mentioned the injuries the
Saints had. Well, go back to when Clint Kubiak was
the offensive coordinator in twenty twenty one with the Vikings.
The Vikings that year were twenty fifth. So he's had
the two years he's been an offensive coordinator. You know,
he's thirty first and twenty fifth and he comes from
(17:52):
the disciple tree of the Shanahans. You know, he was
a passing and coordinator for the forty nine ers. You've
got you've got the fullback. The kid oots from that
guy's gonna get some time. They're gonna get into crew back. Yeah,
you've also got the issue Eliza Arroyo. You can split
(18:13):
him out and he can run X routes. He can
run some albeit you know, not a ton, but he
can run some of the the the routes. I've watched
him in Miami running a sixth step what's called an
okie in Mike Homegren's world or the in the three
digit world. It's the three route. I've coached that route
with high schools in you know, minute detail. I was,
(18:37):
I was really going over the tape with him, like,
wait a minute, Eliza Royo is running a three route
lined up in the ex position and I'm and I'm
looking at that. You know, it's a six step in
route or outbreaking route with your inside step, your six
step and how you around the corner. There's a lot
of detail, and I'm like, that's a pretty damn good
three route. Elijah, you go boy like like, I think
(18:58):
he can be a verse guy out there. So technically
you're in twelve personnel, but you can get some with
two tight ends. But you you split him out line
him up on a corner, he can do some wide
receiver stuff.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Yeah. Yeah, I hope you enjoyed this as much as
we enjoyed having you. Absolutely, we've we've learned a lot.
We'll talk in our week.
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Actually we'll talk on Monday.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
We'll talk on Monday, all right, but that's four Yeah,
all right, have a great weekend. G Yeah, we're fa
milling with us on the radio show We're Gonna Break.
Adam Silver has spoken about a potential expansion approval timeline
and it might involve the Sonics. We'll get to that
next on ninety three to three KJR FM.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
On casting live from the R and R Foundation Specialist
Broadcast Studio. Now back to Saftie and Dig powered by
Emerald Queen Casino, the Betty and Capital of the Northwest,
on Sports Radio ninety three point three kJ R FM.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Hey, don't forget, we got Game two Stanley Cup Finals
coming up tonight, Edmonton and the Florida Panthers five o'clock
from Edmonton before we get to some comments from Adam
Silver talking about expansion at the NBA Finals. Dick, you
put a poll out, by the way, asking people would
they sacrifice every Mariner game through the end of the
(20:20):
NBA Finals, which we figured out was fifteen more games
between now and Game seven. And it's again, it's whatever
the NBA Finals ends, right, so the Pacers sweep them, whatever,
But this could potentially go as long as June twenty seconds,
which is wild to me that the NBA Finals began
last night and we're talking about, you know, three weeks
(20:42):
of basketball, right to play seven games, so I mean,
good for them. They're already stretching out Game one two
with two days off. So that would mean if you
vote yes, by the way, that the ms would lose
eighteen consecutive games and be twelve games under five hundred
when it's all said and done. So where's the poll?
Speaker 4 (21:00):
I don't know if this is more of a statement
on how much people hate the thunder or more of
a statement on how just on the Mariners this year,
how much, like Jackson said earlier, how much confidence they
actually have to do something this year. Door number one,
which was the Mariners just do whatever they do and
the Thunder win the title twenty five percent. Door number two,
(21:24):
the Mariners lose potentially fifteen games in a row, and
the Thunder lose the title seventy five percent.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yeah, I just think that the perception of the Mariners
overall from the majority of the fans and the majority
of people in this town is a negative one. Right now.
Speaker 4 (21:41):
Well, it's just that, I mean, if you were to
just at the beginning of the season and if you
were just said, hey, you know, sixty one games, what's
the Mariners record, I mean you're within a game or
two of what exactly what you thought they'd.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
Be on June the sixth.
Speaker 4 (21:56):
And we were just kind of like we were meg
going into the year. They're gonna win between eighty five
and ninety and if they get to ninety they'll make
the playoffs. If they get to eighty five, they won't
make the playoffs. And we're right there.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
I mean, it's exactly where they are.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
But again, I think when you vote in something like this,
and I don't know, Jackson, your wife's a psychologists, and
you tell us that, I think I think when you
talk about like approval ratings and things like that, and
for politicians and you know, uh, figure, yeah, it's it's
just a it's a it's a negative reaction.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
You know.
Speaker 1 (22:26):
Do you do you have a generally negative or positive
feeling about the Mariners right now? I think most folks
would say negative.
Speaker 5 (22:33):
If the Mariners had had the month of April in
the month of May, and we're talking about a baseball team,
then yeah, we're coming off a bad series to Baltimore
of a boy, look at what they did in May,
then I think that votes quite different.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yes, yes, And if we wait until September and it's
different and they're in the playoff race and they got
a five game lead, then no, you're not doing that.
But hey, let's uh, let's see what happens Game two
one Sunday, big winning Game one for the Boys. Is
now your official home for Indiana Pacer basketball ninety three
to three, KYJ. Why can't we carry all the Pacer broadcast?
We carried the fricking Raiders back in the day. We
(23:04):
can't carry the Pacers. Hey. Adam Silver, By the way,
speaking of basketball, Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner, was asked at
the NBA Finals this this yesterday, by the way Jackson,
he was asked about the expansion timeline. Check it out.
Speaker 5 (23:17):
What is the current temperature among the Board of governors
to expand the NBA and you know, whether it's Seattle
or another American city. Just what have you guys found
in your committees so far.
Speaker 6 (23:32):
I'd say the current sense is we should be exploring it.
I don't think it's automatic, because it depends on your
perspective on the future of the league. You know, as
I've said before, expansion in a way is selling equity
in the league, and if you believe in the league,
you don't necessarily want to add partners. On the other hand,
(23:55):
that we recognize there are underserved markets in the United
States and elsewhere, and I think markets that deserve to
have NBA teams, probably even if we were to expand
more than we can serve. But we have a owner's
meeting in July in Las Vegas, and it will be
on the agenda to take the temperature of the room.
(24:17):
We have committees that are already talking about it. But
my sense is at that meeting they're going to give
direction to me and my colleagues at the league office
that we should continue to explore it. What also comes
to mind in terms of expansion is the opportunity potentially
to create other competition around the world. I think, as
you know, five years ago or so, we created a
(24:40):
league and as it's a competition of existing clubs in Africa.
And so Mark Tatum is here the Deputy Commissioner, chief
operating officer. He's hard at work on that along with
several of my colleagues, and we have been discussing potentially
creating a league in Europe. And I view that as
a form of expansion as well. And I'd say again,
just as I'm saying in some American cities, we think
(25:00):
there's an opportunity to serve fans in Europe who are
no knock on European basketball because most of those international
MVPs I just talked about are coming from Europe. So
there's really high level basketball being played there. But we
think there is an opportunity to better serve fans there.
So I view that as a form of expansion as well,
(25:20):
and that's something we're also thinking hard about.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
So the last time the NBA expanded was two thousand
and four, Is that correct? I think I have that right.
Two thousand and four was the last time they did it.
Yet two thousand and four four teams were created. From
eighty eight to eighty nine Hornets, Heat, Magic and Minnesota.
Ninety five was Toronto and Vancouver. Who was four? Who
(25:47):
am I missing? Charla Bobcats, Charlotte Bobcats. Thank you? Yes.
So they have not expanded for eleven years, and that's
kind of about the timeline from nine and for twenty
one years, sorry, twenty one years correct, But ninety five
to four there was eleven year weight. Eighty nine and
(26:08):
ninety five there was a six year wait. Eighty to
eighty eight there was an eight year weight. I mean
this would be by far. The right is so it's time,
is the point? Right, It's past time? And I guess
I guess the question is my sense is that the
only thing left to do now for us is just
a wait. Right. But there's also another part of me
(26:29):
that wonders, hey, would they be asking would Adam Silver
be asking for these formal conversations if he wasn't certain
they would lead to expansion, because nobody wants to waste
the owner's time, by the way, or is there any
part of us that thinks they'll get into a room,
they'll discuss it, and they'll realize that now it's not
(26:49):
the time to do it, and they'll have to wait.
Speaker 4 (26:52):
No, I don't think so, because I think part of
the last media deal was contingent on what is your
league going to look like in twenty twenty seven twenty
twenty eight, And I think there was some opposition to expansion,
but you need a lot of opposition to expansion for
it not to happen. And when he says quote, my
sense is they will give us direction that we should
(27:14):
continue to explore this. And then when he also said
that a committee's already been formed, that's the one that
kind of got Jackson. To me yesterday when we first
played were like, oh, really right. We thought there was
going to be a committee that was going to begin
in July, but there already has been a committee. So
that to us was was showed that we're a little
(27:36):
bit further down the road than maybe we even thought.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
Sure well, and I think I think too for him
when he says there's underserved markets, I think he's talking
about Seattle obviously, and he's talking about British Columbia, he's
talking about Idaho, and Montana and you know, even parts
of Oregon, because let's face it, there were people Dick
that thought when the Sonics left in two thousand and
eight that maybe that would be an opportunity for the
(28:00):
Portland trail Blazers right to expand their footprint a little bit.
That never happened, never, because you remember, the games used
to be on Root Sports, and they dumped them, they
dropped them. Nobody in Seattle gives a crap about the
Portland trail Blazers, and nobody in Vancouver, Canada, or Alaska,
(28:21):
or Idaho or Montana care about the Portland Trailblazers. You
know what they care about in places like that, They
care about what's happening in Seattle. That's why the Seahawks
have such a reach and the Mariners have such a reach.
But the the Sonics will not just satisfy the underserved
market of Seattle, but they'll satisfy the underserved market of
(28:44):
the entire Pacific Northwest.
Speaker 4 (28:46):
Yes, yes, and I know and when I you know,
I've been going back and forth with folks on Twitter
about this, you know, about this topic today, and what
I keep hearing was, well, it's been you know, they've
strung us along for seventeen years. I and I and
I am going to stop them again right now?
Speaker 3 (29:02):
Is that?
Speaker 4 (29:02):
No, there has There was not a viable place to
play basketball here until twenty twenty one. The league has
not been stringing you along for seventeen years. The first
year you could legitimately have a new NBA franchise and yeah,
but that never went anywhere. The Sacramento thing, yes there
(29:26):
was there was a giant a giant tease, but but
they still needed toren it as well, and they probably
would have gotten one at Soto had they gotten the
case correct. They still needed to finance that puppy. I mean,
if Hanson was really gonna do that whole thing by himself.
But they really hasn't been a legitimate place for expansions
since twenty twenty one, So it has not been a
seventeen year wait for that.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Well, it's been a seventeen year wait for a team, period,
that's right.
Speaker 2 (29:50):
But they have not strung us along for seventeen years.
Speaker 1 (29:53):
What am I? That's fine? And if you want to
get technical on the on the logistics of the or
the definition of some of the words that people are
using on social media. I can dance with you on that,
but I can also see why people would just be
so skeptical because it's been almost twenty damn years. But
you know again, it's fine. Let them be skeptical. I
got no problem with people being skeptical as long as
(30:14):
they care, right. I mean, if you're indifferent, if you're apathetic, whatever,
I'd rather have you be skeptical than apathetic. To be
honest with you, we're gonna break
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