Softy & Dick 8-1 Hour 3: Bret Boone, Fun w/ Audio, Isaiah Thomas

In the third hour, Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain talk about the Mariners series loss in Boston and trade deadline moves with Bret Boone, listen and react to Fun with Audio clips, then visit with Huskies basketball legend Isaiah Thomas about the UW program.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Coming to you live from our Elliott Avenue studios of
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM. It's time for
our weekly conversation with former Mariners all star Brett Boone,
brought to you by Venue Kings. Visit venue Kings dot
com for all your ticket needs. Now with Booney, here's
SAFTI in Dick.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
All right, we got the Seahawks into Denver in week one.
You dub Michigan coming to town later this year, Mariners
back home against the Phillies tomorrow. What we say? You
want to go see the Seahawks and Chargers and the
opener in LA next Saturday. Three dollars gets you with
the door for that game at benu Kings dot com.
He's sure in us coach toffee at checkout for an

(00:40):
even bigger discount. Actually, I think if you use the
Softy discount on the Charger game, I think they would
end up paying you. Seriously, They'll give you money and
a ticket if you use the Softy discount.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
How much do you have to be paid to go
to a preseason game? Paid?

Speaker 2 (00:54):
Yes? I mean I go for free. I complain the
whole time, but I got Boone joins us on the
show courtesy of Venue King's booney, how are you pale?

Speaker 4 (01:05):
What's up, guys? I'm well, I'm very well.

Speaker 2 (01:09):
Good to hear. It sounds well, good to hear, and
looking forward to seeing you this weekend. By the way,
when do you get to town.

Speaker 4 (01:15):
That's a big deal, isn't it. Here?

Speaker 2 (01:17):
I fly home.

Speaker 4 (01:18):
I'm in Hawaii at fly home tomorrow tonight. I'll be
in town Saturday. Okay, I'm coming out Saturday Sunday, and
then uh leave Monday night.

Speaker 5 (01:27):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Yeah, we'll see you at Sahali on Monday for the
ACS tournament. Looking forward to that. But let's first of
all go back to yesterday. So Mariner's Red Sox are
in the bottom of the tenth, is that right, Dick too? Two?
Uh man on second base to start the inning, and
Raphael Dever is at the plate with a meaningless run
because obviously the only run you're worried about is the

(01:48):
runner at second base, and Dick and I are just
kind of sitting there, going, well, why not just walk
him and put a force on at you know, every
base except for home, And they pitched to him and
he hits the game winning double. The Mariners lose three
to two. So the idea of putting a guy on
with a meetingless run in extra innings and creating a

(02:08):
force instead of pitching to him. Your thoughts on that idea,
because that's not what Service did yesterday.

Speaker 4 (02:14):
For me on that Boston team and this year, surprisingly
to my surprise, they've been really good offensively and they
pitched really good. They're kind of in that division over there.
They're the lost kind of the lost team, but they're
really good. But I'm not letting Devs beat me ever.
You know, it's it's it's just that guy that you're

(02:35):
not gonna let beat you. Scotty maybe thinking, who knows,
maybe he's the guy in the mound right there. He
doesn't want to put him in a tight situation bases loaded,
having to throw, you know, that strike. But for me,
I'm never letting Devs beat me in that situation with
a base open.

Speaker 6 (02:50):
How about Fenway Park. I know, it's historic, it's awesome.
I've you've played there many times. I've been there before.
It's great to watch a baseball game, But you know,
sometimes you just see these pop ups and you see
the right handed hitter look up at the sky like
he's just hit, you know, a pop up to shortstop
and it ends up hitting the wall for a double.
I mean, is it Obviously as a hitter do you

(03:11):
like it? But as a baseball fan, do you like
a park that that's that it's that easy to get
a single or double in?

Speaker 4 (03:17):
Well, it's really not that easy, though. I mean it's
okay for me my hitting style, especially the second half
of my career, I really didn't like going to Fenway.
I felt like it really could get me out of
my rhythm. That wall is so close that it's just
so enticing. Like you said, you can hit a pop up,
can a corner. If I hit a ball two hundred
and seventy feet in the air short of any warning

(03:40):
track in baseball, that's a double. And if I get
it up I sneak I might be able to sneak
it out of the park down the line, but my
eye didn't set up well to that place. I right
center is huge right down the right field line. Other
than that, as soon as you go about two feet
left of the right field line, it's the biggest right
field in baseball. So for me personally hated it. I

(04:01):
didn't want to get into hookey moto. Let me just
take this this heater away and hook it off the wall.
Got me into bad habits. I didn't like it for
a left hand here like a Wade Bogs who just
hit the ball the other way. He just wore out
Fenway Park. So it depends on the hitter, depends on
their style of hitting. But now I think it's it's
just one of those legendary places in the game. I

(04:22):
think people love to go watch baseball there, and I
don't know, I think it's kind of nice not having
everything a cookie cutter. It's just you. You have your
little nick little niches, little what are we gonna call them?

Speaker 5 (04:34):
I don't know.

Speaker 4 (04:35):
Well, there's specialty park.

Speaker 2 (04:38):
There's characteristics of Fenway that are totally different than any
other park in baseball, And that's one of the cooling
of baseball is at the stadiums are different sizes, they
look different, the walls are different heights, and it's totally
unique from park to park. So it's one of the
quirks about baseball that I really enjoy. But we haven't
talked to you since the deadline. Uh, Jimmy Garcia, J Chagua,

(05:00):
Randy A. Rose, Arena and Justin Turner. They made four moves.
I got a DH first baseman, left fielder, and two relievers.
What do you think?

Speaker 4 (05:09):
I think? You know it's in looking at the trade
deadline as a whole. Throughout baseball wasn't very A lot
of moves, a lot of people change in uniforms, but
none of the marquee guys are out there. I was
looking for a school at Crochet. I talked to Jim
Bowden Monday on the show and he said, there's no
way they're moving Vladimir Carrero. For me, vladimiric Arero was
only that the only big, big guy, the difference maker,

(05:31):
middle of a lineup guy that I thought the Mariners
had a chance. That we've talked about Diaz late coming
over from Tampa Bay. They moved everybody else. I don't
know why they didn't move Dz, but other than that,
the star power wasn't there. I look at the Mariners
compared to everybody else that made moves, and especially the
moves in the division. Look at Texas. They got a
little They got a backup catcher, and they got a

(05:52):
guy to help them in their pen chasing from Detroit.
You look at Houston, they had a Kokuchi. Cacuchi. All right,
he's nice, but it's not a difference maker for me,
and he's been struggling recently. I look at the Mariners
a Rose Arena, off to the worst start probably of
his career. He's been swinging better of late, but he
brings in energy. He's got a lot of postseason success

(06:15):
for that big stage. Everybody knows how flamboyant he is
personality wise. I think it might be a positive thing
for a Julio Rodriguez having a guy that can match
his energy come in, maybe maybe light a fire under
Julio and he can have a great two months after
he comes off the io. I think Justin Turner's the
cost the consonant pro. He's like a JD. Martinez. He's

(06:37):
the elder statesman. He's thirty nine years old, he's been there,
done that, well respected in the game, and he's kind
of to me like Edgar at the end of his
careers and kind of sit at the end of the clubhouse.
Everybody in there, especially the hitters, have the utmost respect
to him and kind of as a sounding board and
a voice of reason. I think he's going to be
a really good addition that clubhouse kind of like what

(06:58):
I think you're missing it when you move Eugenio Suarez.
I heard how great he was in that clubhouse. Turners
replaced that, and I really like Garcia. That's an under
the radar move. It's a guy you haven't You've really
had a hole in that bullpen, missing Brash all year,
and I think Garcia is having a really good year.
He's a strikeout guy, and I think he's going to
be a good addition to that bullpen. I've been looking

(07:21):
at this marriage. They're going back and forth, first place
out of first place. I don't know if there's going
to be a wild card come out of this division.
So the longer I look at this, you might have
to win the division to go to the playoffs. As
soon as you drop out of the division, you're three
and a half out of the wildcard, no matter who
it is. Mari Nurse Houston. So I think it's going
to be a battle in this division, and we'll see

(07:42):
who comes up in the long run. I'm always gonna
doesn't matter. We've talked about till we're blue in the
face that we've never seen. You know, this good at
pitching that didn't have a better record than they do,
but it is what it is. I think they're kind
of mirroring the Atlanta Braves of the National League. Braves
are same thing. They pitched their butts off. You got
the number one pen in the game, and they're tied

(08:04):
with the Mariners for the best e RA in the game.
As a staff, they're not sway in the bat's good,
they're big guys, are down a Kunya, they left early.
They just lost Albis, their first baseman. Olsen's having a
real down year for him. The only guy having a
big years of Zuda. But they're down offensively, but they're
still in the hunt. I think they kind of mirror that.
Just it's shift getting to the postseason, getting to the table,

(08:27):
and uh, you know, we'll see. I think overall from
everybody that I looked at every move, I think the
Mariners are one of the winners at this trade deadline,
even though it's not star packed.

Speaker 6 (08:37):
Yeah, I know, i'd agree with you and Brett. We
played we played Boston without a third of the of
the lineup. I mean, you had you had Julio out,
you had JP out, you had Rob who's been as
good a hitter as they've.

Speaker 2 (08:48):
Had, so getting those guys back.

Speaker 6 (08:50):
Let's say it's September one, right, and you got all
those guys back, you got you got added Rosarana, you
added JT. Let's just say you're you're kind of still
right there with Houston yours of battling back and forth.
How good can this offense be? How how much can
the baseline be raised from worst offense in Major League Baseball?
How high can they bring it up with those guys

(09:11):
that you see in the lineup come September.

Speaker 4 (09:14):
Middle of the pack. You're not gonna be an elite offense,
just that you just don't have the inventory there. You're
not good enough.

Speaker 2 (09:20):
Isn't that enough?

Speaker 5 (09:20):
Though?

Speaker 2 (09:21):
Middle of the back good enough?

Speaker 4 (09:22):
Right? Middle good enough? Ask Arizona a year ago? Yeah,
middle of pass good enough, especially with that pitching. The
team the Houston's right there, the team that kind of
you know, I'm looking at them all year and I'm going,
wait a minute, are they gonna wake up? Texas Rangers?
Best offense in the American League a year ago? Won
a World Series. Great pitching, okay, I look at how
they're pitching. Set up sures are okay, He's not the

(09:44):
sus Are of four years ago. Eve all Day, bona
fide horse, Bradford. They just got back the key in
that division for Texas, and if it happens, a lot
of ifs. If the Grom comes back healthy, and that's
a huge hip to have the Grom of all they
sures for two months or seven weeks, that's a little
bit scary to me, but that's that's a big if.

(10:06):
But Texas is not out of this. They're four and
a half back. They are not out of this with
the Grom lurking, but he's the X factor. If he
doesn't come back, I don't give Texas a shot. If
he does, that changes the scenario and they are definitely
a player for this division. So it's going to be
an interesting race with these three teams.

Speaker 2 (10:22):
Yeah, no doubt about it. I mean, look, obviously JP
is going to be out for a while. Who knows
when Julio is on the way back. But go back
to Justin Turner. I mean, honestly, like, how much do
you think this guy's going to bring to this baseball team?

Speaker 5 (10:33):
Man?

Speaker 2 (10:33):
What's fair to expect from him?

Speaker 4 (10:36):
I think he's I think he's been in this position
enough times his career, and let's be fair to him,
he's thirty nine years old. I mean, I think he
came over here hitting the little hundred two sixty. He's
not gonna you know, he's never been a big power guy.
But you can count on him for fifteen twenty home runs.
He's not going to do that.

Speaker 2 (10:53):
I think he can be a.

Speaker 4 (10:54):
Steadying proc, a steadying presence in that lineup. He's a
professional hitter. He knows how to He's like a JD. Martinez,
a little bit older version of that. Just he's going
to give you a pro at bat. He's going to
give you good at bats on a consistent basis. But
I think his days of being you know, and he's
never been that star star player, but he's had years

(11:15):
where he plays at that all star level. I think
those years are probably over for him. But to give
you a good bat, I'll take him in a pennant
race anytime, especially with you know what what what the
Mariners have been dealing with that at that DH position,
I think he's going to be a welcome and I
think he's going to be an entity. I think he's
going to be invaluable in that clubhouse.

Speaker 3 (11:35):
Uh and and I.

Speaker 4 (11:36):
Think a Rose Arena same way, with a completely different personality.
I think he can The young kids in that clubhouse
are going to like a Rosaria. They're gonna like his antics,
They're gonna like his personality. I think Julio especially, it's
it's Julio has that big personality, where's his emotion on
his Leave's got that big smile where he just met

(11:57):
his match for personality because the Rose Arena is just
as big a personality, so they might push one another.

Speaker 6 (12:04):
I want to read a quote from you, from Mitch
garver Brett. He was quoted yesterday. Oh you read it.

Speaker 4 (12:10):
Me and a Bell were discussing it, but I'd like
you to read it again.

Speaker 6 (12:13):
All Right, I've already accepted the fact I'm not going
to hit two hundred this year. It might not get
any better. Who knows, Maybe it gets worse. I don't know.
But I show up at the field and every day
to prepare to play. This is by far the worst
I've ever played. I'm tough on myself, or it's tough
of myself, tough of my family, the death threats and
the retire and that you suck and f and kill yourself.
All that stuff is getting old, but the only way

(12:34):
it changes is to play better.

Speaker 3 (12:36):
Your thoughts on just all of that, well, that's a
bad quote.

Speaker 4 (12:39):
I think we gave a little too much info for
the question being asked. That being said, I've been a
player that's gone through some tough stretches and it's a
part of the game, and especially when you come over
and you sign it. You sign a big contract and
people expect that a lot out of and to be
one of the leaders and one of the guys in
the middle of that lineup, and you're not. Reporters come

(13:00):
to you, and they come to you every day, and
they ask you the same questions every day, and you
hear the fans and believe me, you're hearing gets a
lot better when you stick. So you're hearing the little
quips and and the things that normally you wouldn't hear
or pay any attention to. You're you're hyper sensitive to it.
So he's probably hearing that a lot. He's getting asked
the same questions every day, and when he leaves Seattle
to whatever opposing city therein their be writers are coming

(13:25):
over and asking him the same question. So I understand
it gets frustrated, well, but at this stage you've got
to be a pro about it. You got to deal
with it. It's a part of the game. I'm all
for once in a while somebody gets frustrated and kind
of says some things they wish they wouldn't have said.
That's just getting a little too deep into it for me.
And the death threats and this and that we're in Seattle,

(13:46):
so this isn't uh and and I don't know, Garber,
I don't know. I don't want to say if he's
out of context. But it also makes it. It kind
of is comparing it to when Hank Aaron was chasing
the home run record. A little different situation here, but
never less. It is frustrating, but I always when things
were going tough and the heat was on, I felt
the heat was on it. And you deserve it. I mean,

(14:08):
when you sign on the dotted line, you sign a
big contract. You know what you're in for, and you
need to be accountable when you're not carrying the mail.
We all need to be I think you are an
example and you need to be that. So you're gonna
have a lot of criticism. That's part of the game.
But to just kind of go on and on. That
just feeds it, and that has me and you talking
about it right now deck, where if he wouldn't have

(14:29):
said anything, we wouldn't be talking about it. He just
needs to shut up, go to work, and play better,
pretty much. That's what we all have to do when
we stick. And believe me, I've stuck a lot in
my career.

Speaker 2 (14:39):
Well maybe yeah, maybe for him, just getting it off
his chest will actually help him. I don't know. We'll
find out starting tomorrow. But Brett Boone is with us
on the radio show, and you know, Brett, I'm just
thinking about this series with the Phillies. The Phillies are
actually scuffling a little bit in the second half of
the year so far. But what do you make of
this Phillies team that we're about to see starting tomorrow.

Speaker 4 (15:00):
They've they've been really scuffling. Harper's really they're they're big star.
He's been having a really tough time. I think he's
won for his last thirty three. But I look up
and down, look at look at the both leagues. Philly
gets off. They're the best team in baseball, and I
still think talent wise, Philly is the best team in baseball.
LA Dodgers been plagued by injuries. They're a great team,

(15:20):
but they've had their ups and downs.

Speaker 5 (15:22):
Uh.

Speaker 4 (15:22):
Atlanta has definitely had their problems. The great teams are
going to scuffle. The Orioles went on a tough stream, obviously.
The New York Yankees had a really rough July. They've
turned around. They've won five in a row. This is baseball.
It's gonna happen. Philly's gonna go through that tough time.
But you look up and down that Philly roster. They've
got three or four annual MVP candidates and they've got Wheeler, Nola, Suarez,

(15:46):
and Sanchez. I believe Suarez is hurt right now, so
you're not going to see him in this series in Seattle. Uh.
But they're just they're a really good team going through
a tough time. So hopefully Seattle takes takes advantage of
the tough skid they're going through. But Phillies teams for
real and uh, for my for my money, talent wise,
pound for pound, I think Philly's best team in baseball.

Speaker 6 (16:08):
Brett Mike Trout just announced that he's not going to
play the rest of the year. He will now miss
almost four hundred games over the last four seasons.

Speaker 2 (16:15):
He is he has.

Speaker 3 (16:17):
Owed two hundred and ten million dollars over the.

Speaker 2 (16:20):
Next six seasons. If this, if I.

Speaker 6 (16:24):
Called the Angels GM and said, I'll take half that
contract and Mike Trout and you only have to pay
one hundred and five million dollars instead of two hundred
and ten million dollars for six more years of Mike
Trout who says no? Does the Does the Angels say no?
Or do they ship Mike Trout off in a trade
if you give him some prospects and half the contract?

Speaker 4 (16:46):
I think Angels doing the heartbeat.

Speaker 2 (16:48):
I think they do too.

Speaker 6 (16:49):
Would you do it if you were Would you do
it if you're Jerry Depoto and in a city that
is more desperate for offense than any other good team
in baseball at.

Speaker 4 (17:00):
This stage of the game. No, He's proven to me
too many times that he can't be trusted to be
on the field. That it's like we were talking about
Robert at the trade deadline in Chicago White Sox and
White Sox held onto Robert. They shipped off Eloy who
Menez a bunch of their players. But you notice Robert
didn't go anywhere. I think it was more that other
teams didn't trust Robert to be on the field than
it was that Chicago didn't want to move Robert for

(17:22):
the correct prospects. I think Mike Trout's getting to that point.
And all due respect to Mike Trout, Hall of Fame talent.
You know, when he's healthy and playing well, best best
player in baseball, but he's he's gotten to that point
in his career where he's proven he cannot be trusted
to be on the field. And you know, I saw
him the other day and it was good to see
him coming back. I mean, those Angels are going through

(17:43):
such tough times. If Tony left the Rendon situation on
top of the of the Trout situation, He's just getting
to a point. And Junior went through it a little bit.
You know, he's the best player in baseball. All of
a sudden, he started getting hurt and he couldn't be
relied on. Now, I'm not going to put him in
Junior's category and say that's going to happen. Junior ended
up having an unbelievable career. But Trout in the last

(18:05):
three or four years since he signed that deal. You're right.
I mean he hasn't been on the field that he
can't be trusted. For me, an important thing in this
game is the ability to post. And when you become
that guy that can't post. And I'm not saying these
injuries aren't real, they're definitely real. Some guys just have
a thing their body. They're built a different way where
injuries at a certain age keep happening and happening and happening.

(18:28):
And other guys are lucky, they kind of go through
their career injury free, you know, ganged up a little
bit here and a little bit there. But Trout's starting
to prove that he's one of those guys that really
can't be trusted that he's going to be on the field.
You guarantee me, guarantee me a healthy Mike Trout. I
think I think every GM in baseball would take them,
But at the age of his career, I think he's
too much of a risk for that kind of money.

Speaker 2 (18:49):
By the way, it's two hundred and twenty three million
according to Baseball Reference, and these are zero forty.

Speaker 3 (18:54):
Well, I wasn't counting this year.

Speaker 2 (18:56):
It's starting next to you. He's got six more years left
thirty seven point one two and twenty three million total
zero forty one in zero. Those are the amount of
games he's played in the second half of the year
the last four years in a row. Cheese, it's unreal.

Speaker 4 (19:09):
Here's the here's the thing too, that that kind of
gets me a little bit all of a sudden. You know,
we got two months left of the season, and did
we just decide that this is his season ending?

Speaker 5 (19:20):
It is?

Speaker 2 (19:21):
Yeah, Yeah, he's done. It's a meniscus another meniscus tear.
I don't know how he did that again. Yeah, he's out. Yep.

Speaker 4 (19:26):
Well, there's a guy that just had meniscus surgery. His
name is Nino, not Nemo from the Mets. He's just
getting They said he's out four to six weeks.

Speaker 2 (19:34):
Yeah, it's I don't know. I mean, the Angels suck.

Speaker 6 (19:36):
Maybe, Well, why would you bring it back if he's
out six weeks? Why was you bringing back in mid September.

Speaker 4 (19:40):
For me as a play for me as a player
when I missed that much time. It's just a psychological thing.
I don't care if it's a week left the season.

Speaker 2 (19:47):
I'm getting back, all right, man? Great stuff, And uh
we'll talk in a week see a palace. Hey, I'll
see you Monday. All right, you got it? All right?
Brett Boone with us on the show. I think we
should kick that mic trout thing around. And also, by
the way, hey, does Jimmy Lake deserve more credit for
the year the Huskies just had a year ago. We
found the clip from media Day from like three years ago.

(20:07):
I want to play this for you. And then Isaiah
Thomas game clock at eight, he's gonna do it himself.
He'll join us at six ninety three to three KJRFM.

Speaker 1 (20:16):
Now our nuts up coverage Joe Seahawks training camp continues
from the Virginia Mason Athletics Center, brought to you by
Northwest Handling Systems and the twenty twenty four Boeing Classic
gauga's fifth through the eleventh. Now Beck to Softian Dick
Gun Sports Radio ninety three point three kJ r FM.

Speaker 2 (20:35):
So, Jalen Polk actually was a Jimmy Lake commit he
committed February of twenty twenty one. It's not play for
Jimmy Lake. Yeah, and then Duneay McMillan were before Debor
and those guys, so uh yeah, I mean they coached
him up. They get, you know, credit for it too.
But the reason why we're bringing this up is because
Dick and I were just kind of yacking or I

(20:56):
don't even know what they held the topic.

Speaker 6 (20:57):
What was the topic about, Uh, just toughness of the
wide receivers and whether Jimmy Lake gets credit for Well.

Speaker 2 (21:03):
Let's go back to this clip, and good good on
Jackson for actually putting in the work. Good work, some research, Yeah,
not bad out. So what's the date on this, Jackson?

Speaker 3 (21:13):
Sorry?

Speaker 2 (21:14):
The date this was one.

Speaker 3 (21:17):
I don't have the exact day on that day.

Speaker 2 (21:18):
So we're talking in July of twenty one. Yeah, in La.
So Jimmy Lake is going into his last year. They're
gonna be four and eight, right, He's gonna.

Speaker 6 (21:26):
Get fired, which is exactly what we all predict a
talking about talking to Jimmy Lake. So Jalen Polk had
actually committed to you dub, but he signed I think
he signed with Kaitlin de Moore. Okay, So he's stuck
with the thing the way we're Rodgers did with Jetfish.
But he gets the credit because he brought him in.

Speaker 2 (21:43):
So this is Jimmy Lake talking about what he wanted
out of his wide receivers.

Speaker 7 (21:48):
Go ahead, you know it's no secret. I've said it.
I believe you know. Our receivers over the years have
held us back from from us winning those those those
New Year six games that we've been in. It did
just fall on that position group. But that position groups
need to be better. Then you look at the two
transfers and Jalen Polk who got to play spring football
with us. If you watched practice, you saw the toughness.

(22:10):
You saw the wants you to go get the ball
to make that sticky catch. You see his size. We've
needed that for a while. That grit we haven't had that. Okay,
there you go. They've held us back. I mean, you
don't hear coaches talk like that.

Speaker 2 (22:25):
Ye.

Speaker 6 (22:26):
First of all, I love it. Well, it might not
be the best thing to say, but he was right.
He was totally right, and a lot of people won't
like it. I guarantee. I know what Hugh Milan was
doing when he said that he loved it. I remember
been texting me the minute he said that. By the way,
so I mean again, I mean he he.

Speaker 2 (22:43):
Was Look, he gets a little bit of credit because
those three guys were brought in by him and his staff.
And if he hadn't had that mindset of getting these
these wide receivers Dick to play tougher, who knows where
the Husky football team would have been last year.

Speaker 6 (22:55):
I really like Jimmy Lake. I figured that somebody I
thought was gonna be a college team. Honestly, I thought
somebody was going to get an outstanding defensive coordinator. When
all this thing, all this blew over, and instead of
a college team getting an outstanding defensive coordinator, are freaking rivals.
The Seahawks have gotten the good defensive coordinator.

Speaker 2 (23:16):
So meaning Mike McDonald, No, I mean a Seahawks rival.
Who's Jimmy Lake is in LA?

Speaker 5 (23:23):
Right? No?

Speaker 2 (23:23):
The Falcons? Oh? I'm sorry? Was he last year? He
was last year quality control? Last year was with the Rams.
I got that. I'm sorry, I got that gift to you.
But yeah, is at No?

Speaker 6 (23:33):
No, the podcast say, I kept thinking he was in
but he was in LA last year.

Speaker 2 (23:37):
Raheem Morris. He was with Raheem Morris when they were
at Tampa Bay together like ten years ago. And Raheem
just gave him the DC job with Atlanta. And I mean, look,
I think he's a great coach, a great football mind.
I thought he was how do I put this. I
thought he was too immature for the head coach's job.
I thought he was in over his head. I thought

(23:58):
his ego got the best of him. And I saw
that behind the scenes and on the field. I mean
everybody saw that on the field. He just wasn't ready
to be the CEO and the leader and the face
of that kind of organization. And maybe he's gonna be
better for it down the road.

Speaker 6 (24:14):
And we have seen that play out with the University
of Washington before ye his name was Steve sarkis totally,
and Steve Sarkisian has come out the other end, YEP.

Speaker 3 (24:23):
And he's a successful coach. He's a top five at
least ten.

Speaker 2 (24:28):
Coaching college football.

Speaker 6 (24:30):
I think a lot of people may be top five
coaching college football. And Jimmy Lake, who knows, ten years
from now, he might get another chance to lead a
college football team or an NFL football team, and he
might be ready to be there.

Speaker 2 (24:41):
Well, the list of the top coaches in college football
doesn't seem to be as obvious or neither as deep
as it was maybe like ten years ago. I mean,
it really doesn't, and I think Sark's on it. I
think Ryan Days on it. I think Kyle Whittingham is
on it. I think Klein Debor is on it. I
think Kirby Smart is on it. I think dabos Dale
is on it. I mean when a guy like Dan Lanning,

(25:03):
who's only been a head coach for two years and
it's not really won a game of significance yet, is
in the top ten on people's lists, it kind of
goes to show you there's not a lot of real
established guys out there. And hell, man, if Jed Fish
ends up having a great shocking year one at you Dubb,
he might be on that list for some colics.

Speaker 3 (25:21):
And that's because all these guys.

Speaker 2 (25:23):
Are getting out of the game, right Nick.

Speaker 6 (25:25):
I mean, if that list five years ago included Nick Saban,
correct gone, included Urban Meyer, Jim included Jim Harbach gone,
I mean a lot of these guys are just saying
to hell. Chris Peterson was on that list. Ye, all
these guys are saying to hell with this man. I
want no part of this nil Era.

Speaker 2 (25:42):
I think the biggest lock, well, there may be bigger locks,
but I'm gonna go ahead and just say it right now.
I think Utah is making the twelve team playoff. I
think Utah is gonna play to win that conference ship. Well,
they got it. I think Utah to me is set
up to dominate in the Big twelve, absolutely dominate in
the twelve. I mean their schedule, they got Southern Utah, Baylor,

(26:02):
Utah State, Okay State, Arizona, ASU, TCU, Houston, BYU, Colorado,
Iowa State, and UCF. I mean they would have had
a tougher schedule stack in the Pac twelve than what
they have in the Big in the Big twelve. So
I really like Utah a lot this year. But you
you threw the question there about Mike Trout. If the
Angels picked up half his salary and the Angels home
two hundred and twenty three million, thirty seven point one

(26:25):
for six years starting in twenty twenty five, so you're
talking one hundred and ten million dollars right total? Correct,
you know, twenty eighteen whatever million dollars per year? Would
you take him? And there's no way John stant would
ever do that, ever, ever, ever, He never do that.
I would do it because it's not my money, right,
and I would feel like it's a drop in the

(26:46):
bucket for these guys when it's all said and done.
To get a guy like that for half of what
he signed for in LA. I mean, sometimes players signed
these contracts and you feel like, all right, we're gonna
sign the guy right now, and there's no way he'll
live up to the tail end of the deal, like
the last three or four years. Now we're talking six years.
I mean, Dick two years ago in twenty twenty two,
Mike Trout hit forty home runs in one hundred and
nineteen games with a nine to ninety nine ops in

(27:09):
one hundred and twenty games, and ever since then, he
just can't stay healthy. He's missed fifty nine percent of
the games he's played in in the last four years.
So I don't trust the guy to stay healthy whatsoever.
But if you want to take a flyer on him,
and you're John Stanton and you're like, you know what,
I want to pull a Phil Knight and I want
to do everything I can to see a title before

(27:30):
I leave this earth, Fine, go ahead and get him.
The Yankees would do it. A team like you see
what the Astros just did. They cut Jose Abrayo like
a month and a half ago and ate the rest
of his contract. They just did the same thing with
Rafael Montero, and now they're paying him to do nothing.
So they see a bad investment and they cut bait
and they move on.

Speaker 6 (27:47):
That's a great thing about baseball. You can do that
right and it doesn't hurt you in the future salary
can So I mean, I would much rather pay a
Mike Trout, who I know what the upside is, and
I also know what the downside is. I would much
rather pay that guy twenty million dollars a year than
I would overpay for a dude that is maybe the

(28:09):
fiftieth best hitter in baseball and give him a five year,
twenty five million dollar contract because that's the going rate
for the fiftieth best hitter in baseball. I mean, Mike
Trout still has the potential to be a top five
hitter in baseball. He also has the potential to play
only fifty games a year for the next six years too,

(28:30):
So so I mean, it's what you It's how much
risk you're willing to take. And you know me, I
don't like overpaying mediocre players. That is one of my
least favorite things for my baseball team, my football team,
any team to do. But I'll take a swing on
a boom or bus guy, because you know what the

(28:51):
boom is with Trout, and you know what the bust
is with Trout. But when he's in that lineup, this
particular team, who has found absolutely zero way to fill
all their holes, could fill a big one.

Speaker 2 (29:03):
He's got no trade clause, by the way, a full
note trade clause. So whoever, if you just think to
themselves that hey, let's get rid of half this guy's deal,
he's gonna have to approve wherever he goes. All Right,
we have an Olympics update here Jackson from Paris, and
Olympics update from Petty, and then Isaiah Thomas is gonna
join us at six on ninety three three ks A RFM.

Speaker 1 (29:22):
It's now time for Someday and Dick's fun with Audio.

Speaker 5 (29:26):
Jimmy g pawn Star, Jimmy mister Garoppolo.

Speaker 1 (29:29):
Now let's have some fun with audio.

Speaker 2 (29:32):
You know, I'll be totally honest with you. Yes, I
forgot we were doing this at three five, But we
talked to Jackson about George two hours ago. How am
I supposed to remember something you said two hours ago.
Are you kidding me? You you forgot we were doing
this too? Come on, I didn't promote it last second.

(29:56):
Mote it.

Speaker 5 (29:57):
No.

Speaker 2 (29:57):
I know you're saying, we went into the break and
you knew when you're ahead, we were doing this.

Speaker 6 (30:01):
Uh no, But if you would have asked me, if
you would have asked me, hey, what time are we
doing fun with audio?

Speaker 2 (30:07):
Well, I would have said, of course I voted. If
I would have asked you during the break that question,
because then you would have been reminded that we skipped
it at three. I would have told you two minutes ago,
what are we doing?

Speaker 5 (30:19):
Right now?

Speaker 2 (30:19):
I'm gonna start.

Speaker 6 (30:23):
If you had kids and you dropped them off someplace
and then just forgot, you might have no idea where
you dropped them. I mean, I came home last night.
I saw a woman in the kitchen. I said, who
are you?

Speaker 2 (30:35):
I'm your wife? You're stupid idiot. I got all right,
here we go a little fun with audio slash. Hey
did you hear that, dick? Did you happen to hear that?
What's that? Dick? Oh boy? Now we got to bring
up the show. She don't I don't even have that ready.
I didn't this fine. It is hot out there, dude.

(30:56):
This morning on the Craig Carton Show and FS one
former Giant receiver Moni Tuma. It's not a Tuma. We
used to have him on all the time, by the way,
talking about what the reception is like for Bears rookie
quarterback Caleb Williams of Chicago. So far he's Russell Wilson
two point zero. Oh, this is not gonna go over.

Speaker 8 (31:15):
Well, if you came in the locker room, I've been here.
I've been in this locker room for eight years, like
you said, And you know he's gonna come in who.

Speaker 5 (31:22):
Hasn't played one snap right talking?

Speaker 6 (31:25):
You know, we're wearing the fingernail polish.

Speaker 5 (31:28):
You know.

Speaker 2 (31:28):
Now he's gonna come in here and tell me we've
been here, we've been through.

Speaker 5 (31:32):
The struggle that I need to clean up. No, how
about rookie, how about you clean up after me?

Speaker 2 (31:36):
How about that? Don't give me this crap.

Speaker 4 (31:38):
I don't like it at all.

Speaker 2 (31:39):
But I think he's trying to be a leader.

Speaker 5 (31:41):
He's trying to be that guy.

Speaker 2 (31:42):
Now, stop, I get it.

Speaker 8 (31:44):
Stop stop, just just play the game. Prove to me
that you're really you're really here to be a star.

Speaker 5 (31:51):
Don't sit up here and talk about.

Speaker 3 (31:53):
Trash around the locker room.

Speaker 2 (31:55):
Come on, man, please wow. Well, I seem to remember,
MANI was not a regular, but there was a run
there where we had him on the air a lot.
Somebody could remind me what it was all about Seahawks.
Maybe I have no idea. Maybe it's time to get
him back on. But you know, look, man, this is
a guy that was caught on camera after the U
Dub game crying like a baby in his mom's arms,
and he was she was holding him like an infant.

(32:16):
And he paints his fingernails and does all this eccentric stuff.
And I could see how for some players that would
rub them the wrong way. But you know what, he
plays great, he wins games. Nobody's gonna give a damn whatever.
When this stuff will be it brought up.

Speaker 6 (32:29):
You know it's funny when when Tumor says beginning he
was Russell Wilson two point zero, I was wondering, Okay,
where's he Is that a compliment or is that an insult?

Speaker 2 (32:38):
I think it's an insult. I think he meant it
as an insult.

Speaker 6 (32:41):
I think he don't your Jackson after hearing the explanation,
and I'm wondering, Okay, right now, you're a Bears fan,
I'm guaranteeing you Russell Wilson's career in Chicago.

Speaker 2 (32:54):
Yes, I would take it.

Speaker 6 (32:54):
It's exactly what Russell Wilson's is with all the highs,
all the lows, all thatship. No, I'm not gonna I'm
just gonna say the player, just the player take it?

Speaker 2 (33:03):
Did you take it? Yes? Absolutely? Russell Wilson was an
eight time pro bowler. He won to tell you that,
oh boy, but he was, in me a real time
pro bowler, four or five whatever I mean. I would
say for three or four years he was among the
top five quarterbacks in the NFL. Yeah, totally, I did
take that far. If our Bears fans, this is the
number one overall pick. Yeah. Well, if if that twenty

(33:25):
twelve draft was done all over again, where would where
would Bobby Wagner got one? Where would Russell Wilson go
to top five? Right?

Speaker 4 (33:33):
Totally?

Speaker 2 (33:34):
All right, Dick? Did you happen to hear that? What's that?

Speaker 5 (33:36):
Dick?

Speaker 2 (33:37):
After Jordan Love received his record setting contract extension from
Green Bay ESPN, of course, because they can't help themselves,
took their pants off and turned their attention to the
Dallas Cowboys, where the Cowboys could make Dak Prescott the
highest paid quarterback on first take. NFL analyst Marcus Spears
presented an analogy, analogy, excuse me for Jerry Jones current

(34:01):
situation with Dak.

Speaker 8 (34:04):
People's feeling there, you go, we've all dated, we've all
dated before, right, and we've all had a plan for
a date, and we've at times told somebody else you
go ahead and plant it, and we lead things up
for interpretation, and then we get to the restaurant and
we get on the day and you like, man, I
hate it here, right but you but you like the person,

(34:25):
but you hate what they set up. Just now that's
what Jery just did. He left it for interpretation. So
now the whole conversation is gonna be Jared don't think
that Dak is better than Joy love And even if
he even if Jerry felt that, lie lie because Dak
plays quarterback for your team.

Speaker 2 (34:44):
You lie, you liar. So there's two questions, what would
we do with Dak? And what do we think the
Cowboys would do with Dak? Because those are two toy
different questions and answers, right.

Speaker 6 (34:54):
I absolutely one percent would not give Dak Prescott.

Speaker 2 (34:58):
It shocked to hear you saying, stunt, Okay, Now, what
do we think they will do? They're gonna pay him, well,
I gonna pay him.

Speaker 3 (35:06):
He's in the last year of his deal.

Speaker 6 (35:07):
If they were going to pay him, why would they
have a fifty five million dollars cap hit in twenty
twenty four when they could have just signed him to
a long term extension and brought their cap number down
by twenty million dollars.

Speaker 2 (35:22):
Jerry Jones wants to see one more year before he
commits to it fifty million dollars. There was glory hole, okay,
wants to see one more night.

Speaker 6 (35:30):
And so I appreciate that out of Jerry Jones, because
I would do the same thing with Dak. I do
the same thing with tow a tongue of I low.
I do the same thing with all these guys. I
want to see absolutely as much evidence that you deserve
fifty five plus million dollars a year before I'm gonna
give you fifty five plus million dollars a year.

Speaker 2 (35:48):
All right, did you happen to here? What's that dick
let's go to number four. The US men women's rugby
team captured their first Olympics medal ever in a major
upset win for Australia in the bronze medal match on Tuesday.
They won it on the final play of the game
with a lengthy where a length of the field run

(36:09):
is caught here by the NBC crew Cedric Spiff. Cedric's aa.

Speaker 9 (36:15):
Sedric up out of the fifty, the forty. She's gonna
take it all the way Cedric for the U s A.

Speaker 2 (36:26):
And I'm all the fun myself.

Speaker 9 (36:28):
Right now it is level at twelve a piece. The
conversion will win the bronze medal for Team USA.

Speaker 2 (36:39):
Yes, Sammy, we got you. Calm down. It's all down
to the kick. This is gonna be the easier kick
right down. Then there it is.

Speaker 9 (36:47):
Oh there it is Sedric with the conversion and tam
Usa my history in Paris.

Speaker 2 (36:56):
Oh my god, it was incredible.

Speaker 3 (36:59):
Did you see it?

Speaker 2 (37:01):
I teared up. I said to Gina, I have no idea,
what the hell's going on out there? For those that can,
you explain this to me. For those watching Victis.

Speaker 6 (37:09):
Didn't see it, it would be the equivalent of a
football team being down by a score, being down by
a touchdown on their own three inside a minute to play,
and the opposition decided we're gonna play goal line defense
and bring everybody up to the line of scrimmage and
the offense handing the ball off truck, sticking the first

(37:32):
tackler and going ninety seven yards because there was no
linebackers or safeties behind it.

Speaker 2 (37:38):
But isn't there one more thing though, that you got
to include. It's the equivalent of all that happening. But
the team that you lost to in football is from
like New Zealand and they don't play football right like
we won in rugby. This is Australia. We had no
business beating that. That's right, right, that's right. So this
would be like a team from like Costa Rica coming
up here, right, or Denmark. It's oh colicking the Patriots ass.

(38:02):
Oh dude, I I did see it. It was very
very cool. All right, we're gonna break. Isaiah Thomas is
gonna join us next on ninety three three kJ A
r f M shot.

Speaker 10 (38:11):
Top darn dumps, dang talk today.

Speaker 11 (38:15):
He's gonna do himself, Thomas says, say, sucking day.

Speaker 2 (38:34):
How about that man? I was at that game behind
the bucket. I think you were at the RAM watching
the game. I was thirteen years ago with maybe the
biggest shot in Husky basketball history, and that guy right there,
Isaiah Thomas joins us before his big tournament coming up
in Tacoma on the station, Zeke, how are your palate's
going on? It's softy in deck. How are you?

Speaker 5 (38:55):
I'm doing great. I appreciate you guys having me. It's
always it's always a good time when I'm able to
talk to you guys so well.

Speaker 2 (39:02):
I really say, we love having you on. I'm gonna
tell you right now, we want to have you on
as much as we can. I would love to have
you on more offense. We can talk about that off
the air when this whole thing is done. But dude,
thirteen years ago, that highlight, that game against Arizona. How
often do you think about that? How often do you
watch that thing?

Speaker 5 (39:23):
I think about it a lot, because you know, like,
I'm back home a lot. But when I when I
when I come across people that don't always see me,
the first thing they say is, man, that that shot
in college. They're either a U dub fan or an
Arizona fan. So it's like I get both sides of it.
But anytime somebody brings that up, says cold blooded, or
anytime I can see that or hear it like you

(39:44):
guys played it, it just puts a smile on my face.
Like that's that's all I can do. Every time I
even think about it, is just smile. That was like
a really cool moment, not only for me, but like
for my teammates as well. So it was it was
I always cherish those moments, and you know, old blood,
it was something that really cool to happen in my life.

Speaker 3 (40:04):
Well, you know, puts a swim mile on my face.

Speaker 6 (40:06):
Zeek is when I see articles online from April saying
Suns time signed two time All Star Isaiah Thomason over
at the end of the year, and I just love
the fact that you are still grinding, you are still there.
So you know, tell us what your status is for
the twenty twenty four to twenty twenty five NBA season.

Speaker 5 (40:25):
So, look, I'm a free agent now, but I've been
talking to a few teams lately. We're just trying to
see what the best situation is for me. I'm just
trying to play at least one or two more years
before my kids get into high school. So I'm just
you know, staying ready, staying on the slow grind, and
just you know, waiting for an opportunity.

Speaker 2 (40:44):
Yeah, well you deserve it, pal, And I'll tell you
what I think if I'm not mistaken, and you'd be
able to fill me in. I think that was the
last Was that the last Pac ten championship or the
first pick that was?

Speaker 5 (40:56):
That was the last back kids? So I don't, I don't.
I wasn't able to play in the Pac twelve. So
that was the last Pack ten tournament if there were.

Speaker 2 (41:06):
So the basketball team wins the last PAC ten and
the football team wins the last PAC twelve? How about
that way? How about that?

Speaker 5 (41:12):
At you? It only makes sense question?

Speaker 2 (41:15):
You know, one of my favorite moments from that game
is just watching Lorenzo Romar just stand there and just
let you guys celebrate and look, we all feel the
same way about Lorenzo. One of the class guys I've
ever been around. But how often do you talk to
Lorenzo and when you think about him and the influence
he had on your life? What comes to mind?

Speaker 4 (41:32):
Man?

Speaker 5 (41:34):
First off, like anytime I talked to coach Row is
like I always give him the flowers, his flowers and
the praise for not only putting me in a position
to be successful on the court, but like putting me
in position to be a successful man off the court.
So he's like, as you know and everybody else knows,
he's like a father figure to all his players. And

(41:54):
I talked to coach Row probably maybe once a month,
once every other month. We always send each other text
or he'll give me a call and we stay locked in.
That's one of my favorite one of my favorite coaches,
but overall favorite people in life. Like anytime I talk
to Coach Row, it's a smile.

Speaker 4 (42:11):
On my face.

Speaker 5 (42:12):
I'm super thankful for Coach Roll.

Speaker 6 (42:13):
Really well, I know you've been out there Roman heck
ed shooting some jumpers. What do you think of this
new leader we got to the basketball team now, Danny Sprinkle.

Speaker 5 (42:22):
I like him. I mean, I've only heard great things
about him. I've had a few conversations with him. Obviously,
I work out at you Dub in the morning, so
I see the coaching staff every now and then, and
then I'm I'm around those players. So I think he's
gonna you know, change it around, and I think he's
what we need.

Speaker 4 (42:37):
Like he's new energy, he's.

Speaker 5 (42:40):
Someone that you know, bleeds prople and goal obviously, but
I'm I'm super excited about this season. Obviously it's a
whole new group of guys, but the culture that they're
trying to instill in these guys is is everything. So,
you know, any way I can help, Like I told Sprinkle,
any way I can help, I'm always here, always ready
to work out or be another body in practice, and

(43:01):
he's super thankful for that. So I'm excited about his
new you know, his his new role coming up.

Speaker 2 (43:07):
Well, Isaiah Thomas is with us. He's got his ninth
now annual Zeken Tournament coming up at Tacoma CEC. We'll
get some thoughts on what's happening down there in just
a second. But tomorrow Isaiah is actually technically, believe it
or not, the first official day for you dub in
the Big Ten. So Danny Sprinkle's gonna join us on
the year of tomorrow, Pat Chun, Heather Tar, a bunch

(43:28):
of Huskies tomorrow. But what's your what's your thought on
this team moving to the Big ten and what it
will take for them to survive in that conference.

Speaker 5 (43:36):
Man, I think it's gonna be tough. I mean, any
anytime you move conferences like you done, it's just a
West Coast school. We do things like a West Coast way.
You know, there's a certain way to go PAC ten
or Pac twelve schools go about their business. So you're
just gonna have to change up a little bit going
into the Big ten. And I you know, I think
it's gonna be I don't think it's gonna be a

(43:56):
tough transition, but it's gonna be. It's gonna be hard,
but you know, I got faith in my dogs. I
think they're just gonna make adjustments figure it out. Obviously,
the travel and things like that is a lot different
than you know, playing PAC twelve schools or Pack ten schools.
So I think once we get that adjustment going, we
can be good. Obviously, the football team got a lot
of hype. Basketball team is a new up and coming team,

(44:18):
and then all the other sports, and you does obviously
they carry the torch as well. So hopefully we got
a smooth transition into the big team.

Speaker 6 (44:26):
Husky great Isaiah Thomas joining us here in Isaiah, what's
going to be a tougher transition.

Speaker 3 (44:30):
The schedule that you just mentioned, the travel.

Speaker 6 (44:33):
Or the physicality of Big ten basketball, which we're just
not used to down here in the in the West Coast.

Speaker 5 (44:39):
I think a little bit of bone like it's gonna
be different because it's a different style of play, it's
different recruits, like especially in football, like those guys are
just probably a little bigger, little a little run, a
little faster, a little stronger. So I think once we
get there and figure it out and see what adjustments
we have to make, obviously we adjust, but that's gonna
be tough, Like that's gonna be tough with any team

(45:00):
coming into a new conference. There's just a different style
of play all the way around. So hopefully the guys
are ready and you know it could be something special.

Speaker 2 (45:09):
Well, Isaiah Thomas again as with us, he has this
annual Zeken Tournament happening this weekend at Tacoma CEC and Tacoma.
We'll get some more thoughts from you on that in
just a second. But I want to say a name, Isaiah,
and I want you to give me your thoughts. When
you hear the name Zoom Diallo.

Speaker 5 (45:27):
Special Special kid is a hell of a player. Obviously
we went to the to the same high school, so
I've I've been able to mentor him a little bit.
Someone is very hungry and like an overall great kid,
which is most important. And someone is coachable, like I
think he's going to have a hell of a year. Obviously,
coming in as a freshman and trying to be one

(45:48):
of the leaders is a difficult thing to do for
any freshman. But he's up for the task and he's ready.
Like he's ready, and I'm hopefully at any point you know,
he calls on me for any type of advice or
any help, I mean, his corner, and I'm pulling for him.
I'm a big fan of Zoom Dallas.

Speaker 6 (46:04):
How about the rest of this ub team. Have you
played with any of these guys? You know, you say
you're working there out there at heck ed. Have you
gotten a chance to see this team at all, because
you know they're really for the most part, they're very
unfamiliar to most Husky fans.

Speaker 5 (46:15):
Yeah, I mean now unfamiliar to me as well, Like
even when I go up there and play, like I
play with those guys about two or three times this
summer within the last few weeks. Definitely a countered group.
Like I'm just I'm just unfamiliar with those guys right now.
So as I, you know, get a little closer and
get to know those guys as as as people first
and foremost, I think I can give you a better

(46:37):
little a better you know, sense of what what what
we're gonna do this season. But it's definitely a good
group of guys and hungry guys coming into a new
program trying to make a name for themselves.

Speaker 2 (46:49):
What do you make because I mean you you you
strike me now Isaiah and Isaiah Thomas is with us,
and you're what thirty five now thirty six? That's crazy, man,
it is absolutely nuts. No, I was thirty seven at
that game and I'll be fifty one next week. So

(47:09):
I'm right there with you, man. I mean everyone's gotten
old line and we're getting old fast, but you are.
I will put you in the same category of like
a Brandon Roy and that I think that your opinion
of basketball topics, any other college really anything is important.
I think you've been through the ringer, You've put the
hard work in, You're established in this town. I think

(47:31):
people appreciate what you have to say. What is your
honest take on the current state of college athletics? All
this conference movement, player transfers after one year after another year,
they're taking off playing for three or four teams, the
nil guys going to schools based on money. What's your
take on the current state of the sport that you
love so much.

Speaker 5 (47:52):
It's tough because it's just so different, Like I can
only compare it to like NBA free agency. Now that
you can leave any school any time you want. Obviously
you can chase the money and get even more money
each year from a bigger school. I like that the
kids can get paid, But I just I think it's
just it's a lot of room for error in the game.

(48:15):
The game of basketball on the court and off the
court that I think needs to be it needs to
be brought in a little bit. I don't know which
way or how it's going to be, since like this
has been new to everybody, and I think it's a
lot for everybody, and it's kind of hurt college basketball
a little bit. Like I said, I'm all for players

(48:35):
getting paid. I feel like they should, but the transfer
portal is becoming like a free agency where you're not
even recruiting high school kids no more. You're just going
straight into the portal, And I think that's taken away
from the opportunity from younger kids, Like if you're not
the top of the line recruit, they're just going to
go into the portal and not recruit the high school
kids that are like maybe mid major or second level,

(48:56):
third level type guys. So I think it hurts a
little bit for the younger kids coming up and trying
to make a name for themselves. But you know, now
it's really a business, and these kids are taking it
as a business. I just hope they're getting like financial
literacy on this type of money that they're getting to
help them in the future and not just right now.
So I think there's good things about it, and there's

(49:17):
also some bad things about it that hopefully they can
eliminate and it can get back to, you know how
it used to be a little bit, but it's probably
gonna be a lot. It's probably going to be difficult
to get there.

Speaker 6 (49:27):
Well, do you have a solution for some of the
negative things, Like, I mean, do we need you know,
contracts where they have to guarantee a certain amount of
years of a school or how would you how would
you fix some of the problems we're seeing.

Speaker 4 (49:41):
I'm not sure.

Speaker 5 (49:42):
I think the portal is the bad things where you
can just if something doesn't go right, you can just
put your name in a portal and play right away. Obviously,
the old rules was maybe a little harsh, but if
you got to fit a year or you got to
lose a year, it makes you think a little harder
about that decision. I think some of them rules, those
type rules should come back into where okay, maybe you

(50:04):
could transfer one time for free like with no but
the second time you're gonna lose a year, or you
got to sit out a year like it should be
something like that, to where if you hit a little
bit of adversity, everybody's just getting up and leaving or
they're taking the money, and which is which is tough
because college basketball has never been about that, So it's
it's hard. It's a fine line. I don't I don't,

(50:26):
I don't know the answers, but hopefully one day I
can help make it, you know, as best as possibly can.

Speaker 2 (50:31):
Isaiah Thomas again is with us, and uh, the Zeken
tournament you're doing is now nine years we've seen some
huge names that have come through this thing over the years.
It's happening this weekend in Tacoma at TCC and uh,
I hope you know how big these things are for
the communities, man. I mean with you and Jamal Crawford
and guys like that do by bringing these events to
the Seattle area Tacoma area when there's been no NBA,

(50:55):
this has really been for a lot of kids the
only exposure they get right to athletes like that. So
tell us why after nine years you're still doing this
and why it's important to you.

Speaker 5 (51:04):
Men. The biggest thing is just giving back to the community.
And like you said, these kids coming up in this generation,
they don't even have an NBA team.

Speaker 4 (51:12):
They don't even know what it feels like to have
something to.

Speaker 5 (51:14):
Where they can go to a game unless they got
to go down to Portland or things like that. So
my job was like when I thought about doing this,
was like, let me have a tournament where I can
bring NBA guys to the city I was born and
raised in and these kids can touch and feel these guys,
just like how Jamal does it with his pro am.
Like I remember when I was a kid going to

(51:35):
a Science game and touching Gary Payne's hand in the
tunnel like that made me feel like my dream could
come back, my dream could come true. It made it
feel that much more realistic. So my job with this
tournament is just to try to bring as many NBA
guests for these kids to be able to interact with,
get autographs, watch basketball and have a good vibe. And

(51:55):
in the summer in the Pacific Northwest, obviously, we know,
you know, being out here in the summer time is
the best place to be in the country. So why
not have a basketball tournament where everybody can come out
and show love and show support and have a good
and have a good time. So this will be the
ninth annual. Games will start at nine pm on Saturday,
August third to August fourth. There will be some NBA

(52:18):
guests in the building and hopefully, you know, like every
year happens, guys come out, support and show a lot
of love.

Speaker 3 (52:24):
So can you give us a few of those names
the NBA guys are gonna be there.

Speaker 2 (52:27):
Don't tease us, man, I don't want to ruin the surprise.

Speaker 5 (52:33):
I would say all most of the local NBA guys
from here will be here, will be there, and I
got I got about five or six other guests that
will be in the building. So it would be special
for the for the fans to come out and support
and see you know, maybe one of your favorite NBA players.

Speaker 2 (52:47):
I love it.

Speaker 6 (52:48):
Well, Zeke, you're the same vintage as the leaders of
this US Olympic team right now.

Speaker 3 (52:54):
I mean, they are right in.

Speaker 6 (52:57):
Your wheelhouse as far as as far as age goes,
and they are balling. I mean, why do you think
this particular team has taken to these Olympics so seriously?
Because KD, Lebron, Steph they look like they really care
about being there, and I can't say that about a
lot of the men's US national teams the last twenty years.

Speaker 5 (53:18):
Yeah, I mean it seems like a great group. It
seems like a group that really chases gold and really
doing it for the country. Like they it seem like
they like each other, they like playing not just with
each other before each other, and it's just an overall
good group of guys. Then you've got superstars like you know, Lebron,
James and KD who are the leaders, and Steph Curry
that you know, some of them younger guys on that

(53:38):
team still look up to, so it's probably a super
cool experience for them to be around, not just playing
them as an opponent, but being on there the same
team and representing your country. There's nothing bigger than that.

Speaker 2 (53:50):
Hey, you want to hear the Gus Johnson call one
more time before we go?

Speaker 5 (53:53):
Yeah? Literally, Lily, I'm always down to hear that.

Speaker 2 (53:56):
Okay, Jackson, you got it one more time? Day talk today.

Speaker 11 (54:02):
He's gotta doing himself.

Speaker 2 (54:05):
Don this say russ.

Speaker 10 (54:08):
One say good sucket day.

Speaker 2 (54:21):
It is. I will never get old my friend ever ever, ever.
Well that our boss still has that call as the
ring tone on a cell phone, and that was thirteen
years ago. Dude, Hey, great to hear your voice. Great
to hear your voice. Let's talk very soon. All right,
we want to have you on the air as much
as we can talk in basketball. Best of luck, fans,

(54:42):
just show up and tickets at the door. Is that right?

Speaker 5 (54:44):
This weekend? Tickets at the door, show up, have some fun.
It's good vibes all weekend. I appreciate you guys having me.
I wanted to break some little not no news to
you guys, but like just know and when I'm done
playing basketball and my five year plan is to be
a coach at the university done. I just want you
guys to know that, whether it's on staff with Sprinkle

(55:04):
and we were going to the Elite A final four,
or maybe I could be the hand coach one day.
So that's that's the that's the playing down the road.
So I'm for my dog.

Speaker 2 (55:13):
Fans be lucky to have you for sure. All right.
Zeken Tournament, Tacoma, CEC this weekend, nine pm August third,
Get there and get your tickets to the door. Hey,
have fun this weekend, man, enjoy it. Bides man. We'll
talk soon already.

Speaker 5 (55:24):
Know. I appreciate you guys so much.

Speaker 2 (55:26):
You bet buddy Isaiah Thomas with us on the air.
I mean you were talking earlier, and you know you
kind of hoping maybe there's is there anything bigger in
the NC double a Quincy against Marquette in that first
round game and uh in San Jose was pretty big.
I'm trying to think of a bigger tournament.

Speaker 3 (55:41):
Game where there was no particular shot.

Speaker 2 (55:44):
Yeah no, no, I mean not like that. I mean
it's certainly not a buzzer beater, right, and it's time
to create some new memories no doubt for this program.
But Zeken Tournament Tacoma CEC this weekend August, third and
fourth games nine pm, starting on Saturday,