August 12, 2026 • 38 mins
In the third hour, Dave Softy Mahler and Dick Fain chat with Larry Stone about the 2026 Mariners destiny, Michael Rucker, Jerry Dipoto, team leaders not talking much, the Cal Raleigh huge contract, and Dan Wilson’s comments, and the Top 50 list, then the guys discuss why Jeff Nelson was not on the M’s’ list and the departure of stars from OKC.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood. Lady, you know that
this hour of Softy in Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it a Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com. On Sports
Radio ninety three point three Kjarff.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
It's time for our weekly conversation with legendary sports writer
Larry Stone, brought to you by the RAM Restaurant and Brewery, Bigger,
better and fresher since nineteen seventy one, with eight fugit
sound locations from Marysville to Lacey and everywhere in between.
There's a Ram there you now with Softy and Dick.
Here's Larry Stone.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
All right, big thanks for our friends at the RAM
for sponsoring this little talk with Larry Stone every week
on the radio station.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Larry, great to hear your voice.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
How are you, pal, I'm doing great. How are you
guys doing it?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
We're good, man, We're good. So we went through this
exercise lost segment. Dick has officially declared right, the bms
are done. Yes, Jackson, you said what again?
Speaker 6 (00:59):
While card round loss and wild.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Card round loss it best.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I am still like a complete bozo holding on to
hope because there are four games back on the wild
card and not ten games back on the wild card.
What does your gut tell you, big man.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
Well, if they get into the playoffs, I like their
chances because that means that that they're red hot, because
that's what they're gonna have to be to get into
the playoffs. But I'm leaning towards Dick's point of view.
You know, eight games under five hundred. Just to get
to five hundred, they'd have to play almost six hundred ball.
(01:34):
They'd have to go twenty five and seventeen down the stretch.
That's five ninety five. I'll just to get to five hundred,
and who knows if that will get you in the playoffs.
It might so, and to have a better record and
a better chance, they're going to have to play over
six hundred ball, and I just haven't seen any signs
of it. They're playing three ten. You know, they're nine
(01:57):
and twenty since that Miami series, So it's just they're
hitting in the wrong directions direction. I just don't see
any signs of of a turnaround coming. Well.
Speaker 7 (02:10):
Unfortunately, and I said that prior to the Dan Wilson
debacle last night. And I don't understand, Larry, Please help
me understand why this manager continues to think that Michael
Rucker is a high leverage reliever.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
Yeah, it just doesn't doesn't make sense. You know, he
said he liked the matchups, but I don't know what
matchups he was looking at because he doesn't get out
left handed hitters. He uh, you know, he's he's been
rocked in uh in leverage situations. You know, there are
(02:47):
other options there, and you know the spire wasn't available.
That complicated matters, but there were other things he could
have done. And even if you started him in the
inning once he once he was struggling, it was to
go to the bullpen. So I don't I don't get
that either, Dick.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Yeah, Well, do you see this getting so out of control, Larry,
where both Dan and Jerry are gone over the offseason,
or do you believe that Jerry is still I guess
protected by John Stanton and that if there's a sacrificial lamb,
it's going to be the manager. I know you said
last week if they missed the playoffs, you got a
(03:25):
hard time envisioning Dan coming back.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Is there a point where this thing can get so.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Bad where John's got no choice but to move on
from Jerry.
Speaker 5 (03:35):
I think there is. It just completely unravels. I mean,
at this point, I think they're likelier to lose ninety
games than they are to make the playoffs in the
direction they're heading right now. And if that happens, I
would think everything would have to be on the table.
I mean, there's Jerry has a lot of things going
(03:55):
for him that he can that he can use to
make his case. You know, that would make his case,
but it would also be two playoff appearances in ten
of what is eleven years, and a season of extremely
high hopes that has turned into probably the most disappointing
(04:16):
season in franchise history, you know, if it continues at
the same pace. So I would think that he would
be in danger as well.
Speaker 7 (04:25):
I'm wondering if that the ninety loss situation that you're
outlining might be a good thing, Larry, because we've seen
what Jerry does when the team rallies and barely falls
short of the playoffs in twenty twenty one, twenty twenty three,
twenty twenty four, He's.
Speaker 6 (04:40):
Like Okay, we're close. We're close.
Speaker 7 (04:42):
I don't need to do much. But if they lose ninety,
he has no recourse. He has absolutely no reason to
think that they're close. And maybe he would do something
in the offseason. Is that a Is that a crazy thought?
Speaker 5 (04:55):
Well, I think the year terminology, he would do something
in the off season. I think he would do something
every off season if you could. I think I think
it falls on ownership to make that decision and give
him the resources. And we also are looking at a
potential walkout, and who knows when next season will start
and how many games sell play, so it's kind of complicated.
(05:16):
But uh, you know, I think that's a fair evaluation
that you'd hope they would be motivated to make some
serious moves if that's happened. You know, the other scenario
that you also outlined about them coming close, I could
see that happening too, because of the weakness of their
schedule in September. You know, August has been a disaster
(05:37):
so far and may continue to be. But you could
see I could see them rallying and finishing three or
four games out of a playoff spot or even closer,
like they have so many times and then thinking exactly
what you just outlined that. You know, it's just a
lot of things went wrong this year with the nucleus,
is there? We don't need to do that much.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yeah, I'm just appalled, Larry at the lack of public
facing leadership we find here from cal Raleigh. Last night,
I was telling Dick and Jackson off the air, I
don't even know what Josh Naylor's voice sounds like. Julio
seemingly never talks to anybody a Rose Arena, doesn't talk
to anybody, you know through his translator. We never hear
(06:15):
from ownership ever on any of this stuff.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
I mean, am I nuts? Am I being too hard
on these guys?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
When I say that, I am almost grossed out by
the lack of public facing leadership that comes from this organization.
Speaker 5 (06:31):
I think Cal must have seen your tweet because he
made himself available. Yes, Dad, I think he did it
for Softy when you that.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Was Jackson's theory, and you know, look, I know I'm
a big deal, guys, but come on, that's going too far.
Speaker 6 (06:44):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
I think it tells a lot about a player when
they stand up in the faith of adversity and make
themselves available. And I think back to Brent Boone. You know,
back in the in the early two thousands, he was
at his walker every single day, win or lose. Now,
granted those were good times. Most of the time that
(07:06):
was a winning team. Uh, but even when the team
wasn't going well. I remember one time Boone said, I'm
not you guys mind, I don't want to talk today.
I know I've talked to you every day, but I'm
just tired today. And an art deal said I really
need you today, Brett, and Brett said okay, and he
sat down and held his usual post team session.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Uh because artists seven foot tall and Brett's four foot three,
and he knows that art would have destroyed him if
you said no.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
That's why come on.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
The Hearts of Pussy get he went to destroyed anybody. Uh.
But yeah, I can't. I've lost my train of thought.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Now I apologize. You're talking about Brett Boone and all
that respons Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
The the Keystone players like that should should be available
and should face the music on a regular basis. That's
part of the responsibility of being of being a star.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Larry.
Speaker 7 (08:11):
My take on Cal's comments were twofold one. I appreciate
him taking responsibility and saying that he's sucking this year.
But I'm tired of hearing Mariners players this year say quote,
you've got to bring the edge every day you get
a little lackadaisical and maybe have less energy. You don't
have quite the same edge that you should every day.
(08:31):
We've got to play with more urgency. Larry, we talked
about a quote that was exactly like that from Bryce
Miller like three months ago.
Speaker 6 (08:40):
So who was the onus on that?
Speaker 7 (08:42):
Three months later, the team is exactly as lackadaisical as
they was as they were three months ago.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
Yeah, that struck me too, that that quote. We're you know,
it's August twelfth. It's a little late in the game
to be saying we need to bring a little more energy,
particularly when you know that was seen as a problem
months ago. I mean, ultimately, it's the manager dictates the
energy of the team, I think, but the players need
(09:10):
to execute it that as well. And it's it's when
when you're not scoring runs, when you're scoring one or
two runs a game, it's just hard to manufacture that energy.
I know. You they show the shots of the guys
just hanging on the dugout looking uh, you know, dull
eyed and like they don't want to be there. But
that's you know, it's not like football, where you you know,
(09:31):
you're you're out for blood and you show that ferocity.
That's not the way baseball is. If you're not making
things happen on the base path, because you're going out
going down one, two, three, every inning, it's hard to
show that that desire, even though I you know, I
would just say they all have a desire to win,
and but if enough players are pointing it out, it's
(09:52):
it's got to be there and it's got to be
a problem. And you know, I think that'll be part
of the Epitaphs season, is that they just didn't bring it.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Yeah, I mean the energy is just lame, right.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I mean, every time cal Rawley turns around to get
in an umpire's face, I'm hoping he just goes bananas
on the guy. Even Dan Wilson's ejections are kind of
just met they're lame, right whatever. I mean the other
day with lou Panela in the audience, I would have
thought that maybe Dan would have sosced it up a
little bit and you know, gotten his money's worth. But
do we have a cal Rawley problem? Larry, are you
(10:25):
starting to get concerned that the eighty five million bucks
left on this guy's deal is going to be an issue?
Speaker 5 (10:31):
Well, the thought has crossed my mind. You know that
that will be a huge issue next year. Will this
Can he turn things around? I think from a mayor's
point of view, I think they need to hope that
it's a that it's a medical problem, an injury that's lingering,
(10:51):
you know, maybe the oblique still injured lingering, because if
it's not an injury and he's that means that he's
just forgotten how to hit, or in such a slump
that he can't get out of it, And to me,
that's worse than being hampered by an injury. So we'll
see next year. But yeah, there's a lot of years
and a lot of money he's still still left.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
On his deal.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
It reminds me of Chris Davis, of the Orioles, who
signed a I believe it was seven years, one hundred
and sixty one million dollar deal and then just was
it was terrible after that? He said. Matter of fact,
Chris Davis set the record for the lowest batting average
of a qualified hitter at one sixty eight after he
signed a contract, and Cal's below one sixty eight. I
(11:36):
don't know if he'll end up being qualified. He need
to have five hundred and two plate appearances. But and
then he was out of baseball, you know, two years later,
having done virtually nothing after he signed that big contract.
That's an even bigger contract than Cal had, So I mean,
it is not completely unprecedented. I don't think that's going
to happen to Cal. I would put my money on
(11:56):
him having a bounce back year next year. But until
he does it, there's going to be a lot of
nervous people in the Mariner's front office.
Speaker 7 (12:04):
We got another tough one tonight quote from Dan last night,
and I'm wondering, if Dan never gives us specifics on
anything on how things can be fixed, should we assume
that he knows how to fix them, or should we
assume that he doesn't know how.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
To fix them? Well, you know, I think I think
his postgame contract the comments are a big part of
his perception issue among the fans because everybody watches these
frustrating games and then his comments have no no bearing
on what we just saw you'll say something like I
(12:41):
remember one game where WU gave up like six runs
and five innings, and he goes, he made the pitches
when he had to. Well, no, he didn't, right or
or we battled, We really battled to the end in
a game where they, you know, the twelve of the
last thirteen batters made out. I think if it's hard
(13:03):
to have a belief in his ability to turn things
around when he's not even acknowledging the problem. I would
like to see him come out with a little more
fire after the game and acknowledge it. But I mean,
obviously he doesn't have the ability right now to get
thing turned around because it hasn't happened. You know, I
wouldn't say he doesn't. I would rule that out. I mean,
(13:24):
he's been around baseball a long time. I think I
think he's doing more behind the scenes than we realize.
It almost seems like he's just sitting there doing nothing.
But I think he's having meetings and discussions with the
players from my understanding, so but it's not breaking through.
It's not getting through.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
I'm sorry I had to laugh at that, because I
mean it's like he's talking to players.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
We also, I mean, Larry, IM gonna be honest with you.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
I mean all of us covered Dan as a player,
and he was never the most quotable guy. Okay, fine,
I think he's worse now than he was when he played.
I am actually surprised at how little he offers to
the media. I mean it's almost like he's either guarded,
or he's defiant, or he's nervous about something. Are you
(14:15):
a little bit even shocked like me at just how
little he's offering. And if we are surprised by that,
I mean, he's older, he's wiser, he's more mature. He
should be able to pick his words, you know, you know,
pretty easily. He should have confidence in himself as a
as a as a middle aged guy, more than he
did when he was a twenty five year old playing
(14:36):
catcher in the majors.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
But why is that why?
Speaker 5 (14:40):
Yeah, Well, I think early on I just thought, Okay,
he's new to the job. He doesn't want to Early on,
I think he didn't want to say anything that reflected
on Scott's service, because he was tight with service. He was,
and you know, he didn't want to come in and
say I'm going to do this because he's either the fray. Well,
it's going to reflecked on Scott, but that's long in
(15:01):
the past now, and it's almost like you use the
word nervous or guarded. I think that's the way it is.
It's almost like he's afraid of offending the players by
by speaking the truth. But I think the players would
prefer to hear, you know, him speaking out confidently and
(15:25):
addressing the issues that everybody sees, including the people in
the in the dugout and in the clubhouse. So I
think it's to his detriment, to be honest. I think
you're right. He was not a great quote as a player.
He was a willing quote you can you know, go
to him any time and he would talk. But it
seems to me that he just it's become to load
these these sessions before and after the game that the
(15:47):
manager has to do. But that's a big part of
being a major league manager is you're the public face
of the team and you're the one conveying the you know,
what's going on to the public, and I don't think
he's very good at that.
Speaker 7 (16:00):
Larry, what were his thoughts of the top fifty Both
guys that you saw that were like, wow he got in,
and also a guy or two that you saw that,
wow he didn't get in.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Jeff Nelson. Yeah, I mean Jeff Nelson.
Speaker 6 (16:13):
Hey, let Larry answer.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Well, I know I know how deeply offended Dave was
on Nelly, and rightly so. He he should have been in.
I don't understand why he wasn't. I mean, he led
the he led the leads the team in appearances and
was a key part of two playoff teams. Uh. You
know I think that uh Smike Schooler probably should have
(16:42):
been on there. Those are the ones that jump to mind. Uh,
you know, Jim Beatty I think could have easily. You know,
I love Jim Beatty, but his record is is about
thirty games under five hundred as a pitcher. You know,
val love val but he he probably doesn't warrant being
(17:05):
on there. And I thought there was too many, maybe
too many players from the current team right right. I
think they could have they could have trimmed that down
a little bit as well.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Yeah, Dave Valley was so bad we had sports bars
pricing drinks based on his batting average and in no
way is he a top fifty player.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
Come on, why do you think Nelly was left off?
What's your take on that?
Speaker 5 (17:26):
Oh, you know, I I honestly don't know. I hope
it's not because he spoke out against the organization at
the trade deadline that that one year.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
Yeah, but.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
I think on based on credentials, it would be hard
to leave him off. Now, anytime you have a top
any kind of ranking like that, there's gonna be there's
gonna be omissions that that people speak out against. So
it's a hard exercise when you've had, you know, as
many players as they they've had. But I think Nelly
(18:01):
was one that belonged on that list for sure, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I Mean, we can argue about fringe guys all you want,
but a guy that probably should have been in the
top thirty, let alone top fifty, for God's sake. So
I don't get it, man, But I don't get a lot.
To be honest with you, Larry, you're the best, great stuff.
Every time we have questions, you provide answers and we'll
do it again next week.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Man, Thanks for jumping on.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
All right, thanks thanks all right, Larry Stone with us
on the radio show. Why do we think Jeff Nelson
was left off? You any theories on that. Let's float
a couple of next on ninety three to three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour is
brought to you by Duke Seafood. Why don't you make
it a Duke's Night tonight. Reserve your table today at
dukeseafood dot com. Now back to Softy and Dick on
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Hey, great night to hit any one of the Duke's locations,
including my favorite Rusting South Lake Union.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
I feel like we should do.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Like a bracket for our favorite Duke's restaurant location, easy ones.
I think Rustin and the South Lake Union restaurants are
the two top seeds, and let him fight it out
for the championship round. Great, great decks man at those
two spots a happy hour from three to six and
nine to close. Find out more dukeseafood dot com. All right,
(19:20):
so just real quick, we talked about this a little bit,
the Jeff Nelson thing. Asked Larry about his theories on
why Nelly was left off. I mean, it just seems
like such a big obvious thing that Nelly should have
been on that list. That there were other factors in
play besides Hoop I just forgot right. So do we
have any theories on why he was left off because
(19:41):
I got one?
Speaker 7 (19:42):
Well, I mean it would be what he said at
the trade deadline two thousand and three. But right, I
guess if you wanted to refute that, you would say, okay, Well,
then why would the Mariners bring him back two seasons later.
Speaker 6 (19:54):
To their team?
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Right?
Speaker 6 (19:55):
If they didn't like what he had to say?
Speaker 7 (19:57):
So why would they bring him back two years later
and then not put him on the fifty if if
they were pissed at what he said.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Right, you're talking about when they brought him back in
two thousand and five, Right, Yeah, I don't know. I
have no idea. I mean, maybe over time they look
at that thing differently now than they did just two
years later. I will say this that Nelly is outspoken
about a lot of stuff. I don't have any doubt
that there might be some people in the organization whose
(20:27):
feathers were ruffled the wrong way, not necessarily by that, potentially,
but maybe other things that Nelly has said on the
air every now and then. Nothing to me that's egregious.
But is this the top fifty players or the top
Is it the top fifty players that we like? Right,
because that's what it sounded like it was on Saturday Night.
(20:47):
I just don't know if Dave Valley is even remotely considered,
if he's not a broadcaster. If Dave Valley had retired
and moved to Florida and was running a fishing charter
business and nobody had heard from the guy in thirty years,
would he be on the list?
Speaker 5 (21:04):
Though?
Speaker 4 (21:04):
I don't think he would be.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Did they maybe try to playcate too many current egos
on this team by putting all the guys that they
did that are on the roster today on the top
fifty list.
Speaker 8 (21:15):
The idea that they picked the best fifty players is
wrong period.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
I think we can stop the proof.
Speaker 8 (21:23):
There is the very simple idea of if Gino Suarez
had re signed or been still on the Maritor's team,
would he be on.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
The top fifty list? Absolutely? If he were playing here today, correct, right,
if he was on the team, he would.
Speaker 8 (21:39):
So at that point we can we can already confirm
that the list is not the best fifty.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
It's the fifty that.
Speaker 6 (21:47):
Are slash available, that are slash liked.
Speaker 8 (21:51):
Insert all those categories, so we get once that gets established,
the fact there's other factors including Nelson was part of that.
Speaker 7 (21:59):
Well, the other to go ahead, i'ould just say the
one that got me was Joel Paniro. I mean, he
literally got worse every single year. He went from a
two to a three, to two to three, seven to
a four to seven to a five, six to a six.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
Three and was out of base nine a half years
for two and a half. I don't know it's good
for two and a half years.
Speaker 7 (22:18):
That makes your top fifty when you're a good picture
for two and.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
A half year over a guy that was deemed good
enough by the Mariners and mostly lou Panela to pitch
in more games than any other picture in franchise history,
and you chose Joel Pinata and Dave Valley and Mike
Jackson over him.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
So I don't know.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
I mean, this is a This is another example I
guess of the leadership over there where you know, it'd
be nice if somebody said, why but let's let's let's
hear from you, right. I've texted people, they haven't written back.
That's their prerogative. It's also my prerogative to be annoyed
by it.
Speaker 8 (22:53):
So one of the things that me and my friends
who are all in the realm of thirty to thirty
five years old, we're talking about, was what if they
added a bunch of later you know, later stage but
like recent year players to connect with the recent fans
to say, yeah, your favorites of the last twenty years,
they're on this list too, right, And what I replied
(23:14):
to my buddies was, well, then why do you have
I mean, JJ Puttz was the closer. Like when I
right in my prime Mariner fan of you know, my
teenage years to college use, JJ Putz was rolling right.
I brought signs behind home plate. My dad took me
into games and I had signed that the celebrating JJ
Puts ready to go if he was to come into
(23:36):
the game.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Wow, I would still say.
Speaker 8 (23:39):
Jeff Nelson, just from what I know and the little
that I was took in from him as a conscious
Mariner fan, was more impactful to the Mariners than JJ Puttz.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Yeah, he just He's the only middle reliever to ever
make the All Star Game in Seattle Mariner's history. Now,
granted he was a replacement. I remember where I was.
I was actually in at Dot Stadium when he got
the call, because I was doing the show with him
the Tuesdays when Nelly Show, and I ran down to the.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Bullpen and said, dude, you made the All Star team.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
And I think he I don't know if he knew
or he was like confirming it with me, but he
was fired up. And I'll be honest with you, man,
I don't want to speak out of turn, but he's pissed.
He's not happy that he was not in the top
fifty team. That hurt him to his core. So I
don't like it when Mariner legends are unhappy with the franchise.
And this is another example of something like that happening.
(24:29):
By the way you saw Paul Seawald got claimed by
Toronto today, I would have brought him in, uh, just
for his leadership. For God's sakes, it'd be great to
have a guy like that in the clubhouse. Have you
looked at his numbers? By the way, Paul Seawald so
overall two terrible six point two to three ERA on
the year, but up until late June June twenty second,
(24:50):
he had a three point one eight ERA in thirty
one games, and then he gave up seven home runs
in ten innings, cool and his era went to hell.
So he was actually really good up until late June.
But since June twenty third he had a fourteen point
three four ERA in fourteen games, seven bombs allowed in
(25:12):
ten and two thirds. And that's why his numbers are.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
What it is.
Speaker 7 (25:15):
And one of the reasons he's not here is probably
the same reason that Jeff Nelson isn't. On the fifth
spoke out, spoke out against the ownership. You got pissed off.
But though he exactly pulled at Jeff Nelson.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
What did he get mad about? You remember the number?
What it was? Toronto Jersey's in the pro shop.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Boom Boom tea and they traded his ass? How fast
will they trade us for his amount of times? Much
about the Toronto series on? They would put it, They
would tie us to the train tracks behind center field.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
We're gonna break.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Mike Florio coming up in a six pm hour on
ninety three three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour is
brought to you by Duke Seafood. Why don't you make
it a Duke's night tonight. Reserve your table today at
dukeseafood dot Com. Now back to Softy end Dick on
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
All right, we're back on a busy Wednesday night.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Mike Florio coming up, and a matter of minutes here
on the radio show, you see Russell Westbrook retired today.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
There's an alternate universe where this is a much bigger
deal in this you know.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
You know why because he was drafted by the Sonics
but never played a second here in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
I've never been a big fan of Russell Westbrook.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
His demeanor kind of bugs me a little bit, to
be honest with you, But I guarantee you this, I'd
feel a lot different if the guy played ten years
in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (26:32):
Probably my second least favorite player in the NBA in
the last fifteen.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Years, really behind James Harden.
Speaker 7 (26:37):
Oh. The only thing that puts James Harden ahead of
Russell Westbrook is that Russell Westbrook actually put out a
lot of efforts to which James Harden did not, at
least on one end of the floor.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
So Russell Westbrook tried.
Speaker 7 (26:49):
He was just one of them more, how do I
put it, he didn't play basketball the right way. He
had no concept. Let me give you a description of
Russell Westbrook still vividly in my mind. Donald Watts and
I are sitting underneath the basket in San Antonio about
five rows back and Russell Westbrook gets a rebound and
(27:10):
it's one on four the other way, and we both
look at each other and said, at the exact same time,
this is going up. And he took four dribbles to
get him the length of the court, went up, had
no idea where he was going, and just threw up
something that ended up not hitting anything. That was Russell
Westbrook's mental state offensively.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
Rightly, right, Yeah, I just I don't know, man.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
I mean, it's funny how those three guys, Westbrook, Durant Hardin,
who all played together for you know who by the
way you I mean, all three of them kind of
turned out to not really live up to I think
the expectations that people had for.
Speaker 7 (27:51):
Them, the winning expectations, certainly, but they're all three Hall
of fame.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
No we yeah, but we thought they'd all be beloved
almost right, and they're not.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Right.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Like, I mean, those three people. I think if you
ask fifty NBA fans, who are the most disliked players
in the NBA right now, those three might appear on
the list before anybody.
Speaker 6 (28:10):
There's no question about it.
Speaker 7 (28:11):
And they all if they could have handled things just
a little bit differently and maybe picked their teams a
little bit more more wisely, they would have rings. Now
Durant has a ring, but he gets criticized for his ring, right,
But Russell Westbrook and James Harden, my god, I mean
they could have been number one, number two options on
(28:31):
championship teams. They were that talented a player. And I
do see a lot of wasted talent in both of
those guys over.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
The yeast fifteen, no doubt, man.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
I mean, I still though, maybe I'm just again this
the the idiot Mariner fan is translating this to the
idiot NBA fan. I'm still hoping that we can see
Kevin Durant one more time to see I'm with you,
because I've got a lot of affinity for him what
he did that one year he was here. You know
why I feel that way because of the way he
treated Clay Bennett, not just calling him a fat you
(29:00):
know what, when he was walking down New York City
and he found out that you know, Clay Bennett was
going to move the basketball team. But when he was
egging the team on that one night, obviously at the
coliseum for a rookie, I thought to do that in
front of Clay Bennett took a lot of balls. Now
I am looking here right now by the way, Yeah,
to see this right here, Jackson. How many combined teams
(29:22):
do you think Durant, West, Broton and James Martin played
for and this and this, like if you played for
the same team like they all played for the Rockets.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Is that correct? They all played for the Thunder, So
that's one team. I'm not counting.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
I'm not counting that as three. How many combined teams
did these guys each play for in their NBA career? Okay, fourteen,
one and two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Denver, Sacramento,
the Clippers, the Lakers, the Rockets, the Nets, the Suns,
the Warriors, and the Thunder.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
Eleven different teams?
Speaker 5 (29:56):
Did?
Speaker 4 (29:57):
They were pains.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
In the end, the pains in the ass. That's exactly right.
Speaker 7 (30:01):
And nobody wanted him on their team because they didn't
help them win.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Right, thousand percent. They were annoying as hell. They weren't
worth the squeeze right now, I.
Speaker 7 (30:09):
Don't want to put I mean, Durant is a much
higher caliber player and not nearly as much of an
ass as those other two guys are.
Speaker 6 (30:17):
But those two guys are in a class by themselves.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
I just can't believe how big of a what's the
word I'm looking forward to describe Kevin Durant, How just
paranoid he is about this. That's a good right, Like
he's famous for his burner accounts on Twitter, right, you know,
he's constantly worried about what other people say about him.
This a guy is one of the best players in
the history of the NBA, That's right, What do you care?
Speaker 5 (30:40):
Right?
Speaker 7 (30:41):
If you just talk about talent, you could argue talent wise,
you could argue all three of those guys are top
fifteen all time, right in just talent. I mean James
Harden I called him at one point. I'll stand by it,
the best one on one basketball player I've ever seen, right,
Because and then you say, oh, what about Jordan. Jordan
(31:03):
couldn't shoot like James Harden. Jordan didn't have the step
back three. In fact, Jordan shot like thirty eight percent
from three point range. James Harden could kill you off
the dribble and kill you with that step back, whether
it was legal or not, that's a different, you know,
different argument.
Speaker 8 (31:18):
So one of the things going through my mind in
this because very much the topic here is these guys
departed okay see and kept bouncing around places, and I
think a lot of that may come back to the
fact that look at the age that they entered the NBA,
they're very young man at that point during nice so
you're in the formative years of your life where you're
really kind of forming your your opinions of who you are,
(31:41):
what kind of person you are, and that's where I
think that the primetime is to develop a loyalty, to
develop Oh wow, loyalty means something. I think you see
that a lot in soccer, where like a kid'll be
brought up by a club from twelve years old.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
I'm gonna be loyal to this team.
Speaker 8 (31:54):
I'm gonna stay with him because and I think these
guys get to a place like first Seattle and then
oh gosh, okay, well there it was that I guess
I'm not developing that kind of loyalty. But then also
you're in a place like Oklahoma City where there's no
ability to develop a loyalty. I don't think a because
of the way it is. It's Oklahoma freaking City. It's
a dust bowl. It's not a beautiful place to be.
(32:17):
You want to get the hell out of there as
soon as you get the hell in there. And then
also because there's such a fresh team, there's no history,
there's no legacy to be part of. So inside of that, it's, oh,
my contract's up, Great, I get to leave and maybe
go be part of an actual legacy. So when you
do that from a young age, I think they were
set up to always go the routes they did well.
(32:37):
Steph Curry is the last of a dying breed man
in a lot of ways. The fact that he's spent
his entire career, obviously with one team. He's been there
for seventeen years and he'll never play for anybody else, right,
But you wouldn't put Raymond in Steph Curry's category, right,
He's been there for a long time, but he was
never a guy that had the entire NBA licking his
(32:59):
feet to come play for them. The way that Steph
Curry would have for example, Right, But Jackson, I'm with
you man that I think the NBA players today are
more concerned about chasing titles and more concerned about making
as much cash as they can get. Part of it
is that free agency wasn't around for a long time
when Magic and Jordan and those guys played, and Larry
I get it. And if it was around then, who's like,
(33:20):
like Barkley always says, we never would have done that.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
Well, how do you know he never had the chance? Right?
Speaker 3 (33:25):
I mean, honestly, how does Barkley have any idea how
he would respond if the Houston Rockets called him when
he was a free agent after Philadelphia and said here's
five million, which back that would have.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
Been gigantically did go to the right?
Speaker 5 (33:40):
Right?
Speaker 4 (33:40):
Yeah? Right?
Speaker 3 (33:41):
But I'm just saying that the idea that he would
say no, that Jordan would say no, that Magic Johnson,
that all these guys would say no. They can say
they can say no because they couldn't say yes.
Speaker 7 (33:52):
So I don't think there's any difference between twenty twenty
six players when it comes to those decisions in nineteen
eighty five players. I think I think people so many
people hold the nineteen eighty five players in just such
high regard.
Speaker 6 (34:05):
Oh, I just wish these kids today were like those guys.
Speaker 5 (34:07):
BS.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Your point about the nineteen year old is that most
great players are now coming into the NBA at twenty
years old.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
Nineteen years old.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
I mean, there's a few of them that stay three
four years in school and end up popping. But look,
I mean one of the reasons why I bring this
up because I want to I don't want to be
the lead. Did you guys hear about this group that
is trying to put together a group to bring the
Sonics back. So there's another group and this the first
thing I thought of when I heard this story with
that that's Fred Brown and the Armadillo. That's right, the
stadium that he tried to floating arena. Yeah, I mean
(34:35):
he tried to build it. And I'm like, Fred, what
are you doing? Like we love you, but my god,
this is getting handled like don't do this right, like
you know when you start muddying the waters. And maybe
this is less impactful than an arena because an arena
was supported by the political will of the city council
(34:56):
and the mayor. This next move has nothing to do
with mayor has nothing to do with the city council.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
The arena's already done.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
But when we were trying to build an arena, and
Chris Hansen was trying to build an arena down there
in Sodo, and then Fred Brown comes along and puts
this ridiculous idea in the mind of I don't know,
Greg Nichols or whoever the hell it was, Jene Gotten, Like, oh,
come on, man, these people don't need that. They can't
even handle one idea. What are you giving them two
(35:26):
ideas for? So that was more of a muddying the
waters type thing. This thing is just kind of annoying
because I'll be honest with you, guys, I believe that
the Samantha Holloway group, like Wiki's group, the what's Jeff
Bezos's ex wife's name, who's involved in this. I'm sorry, Mackenzie,
(35:47):
they deserve this, like I want them to get the team.
They're the ones that put the arena, They're the ones
that spent the billion dollars. They're the one that sucked
it up and got it done. They deserve to do it.
So what I would ask of this Black Sun private
Equity group Native World Sports a coalition of strategic investors
(36:09):
and regional leaders today announcing the formation of an ownership
group and the submission of a formal proposal to return
the Sonics to Washington State through NBA expansion. I would say,
back off, is what I would say to them. Knock
it off because you're not getting this.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
What is it?
Speaker 6 (36:27):
Multiple bidders?
Speaker 7 (36:29):
I first of all, I mean they're not going to
get it, but have multiple bidders.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
I just think I don't want anybody else besides the
Holloway group to get it. You know, is it bad?
I mean, could it muddy? The water is a little
bit not like the arena. I agree with you on
that this is a different deal, and I think that
the NBA is probably so far down the road with
Holloway it made it even matter for crying out loud.
But I just don't want anything to derail this. I
(36:55):
don't want anything to delay it. And let me ask
you a question. Do you think of this as even
if it's just one scoche of a positive or a
negative on either side, does it have any opportunity to
become a potential.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
Negative even this much? I don't, And if it is,
then don't do it.
Speaker 7 (37:12):
I don't know if it has a potential to be
positive or negative. I mean, I think it's a nothing burger.
I mean I think it's is it them just trying
to get their name out so we say it on
the radio and other people put it in the newspaper.
Speaker 6 (37:22):
Because I never heard of any of these investors before.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Well, nobody has. But that doesn't mean the NBA won't
listen to them. That doesn't mean that the NBA won't
jack up the price on the lie Wiki group. It
doesn't mean the NBA won't maybe delay this to continued
discussions about which group they want to go for. I'm
kind of generally towards your line of thinking, Dick, that
it's going to be a big, nothing solid when it's
all said and done. But if it has the potential
(37:47):
to even delay this by a day, stop it knock
it off. That's the way I feel, Jackson, I don't
know about you, man.
Speaker 8 (37:52):
Yeah, no, I think at the end of the day,
we're looking at a situation where everything is right now,
so simple, and Vegas has figured out, We're figured out
the Portland situation. We've heard from the insiders that that
has no bearing on expansion.
Speaker 4 (38:05):
That would be a relocation.
Speaker 8 (38:07):
So everything's here simple, right, Why do we need to
make it unsimple? Everything is so simple, Let's not make
it unsimple.
Speaker 6 (38:12):
What are the names here? Like, there hasn't been any names.
Speaker 7 (38:15):
And you can't have a private equity group by a
basketball team. There has to be individual owners that own
a percentage of it.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Well, I'm sure that the NBA knows who those people are,
and I'm sure these people know who they are. Right,
we're going to break
This is Duke of Duke Seafood. Lady, you know that
this hour of Softy in Dick on your home for
the Huskies and Kraken is probably brought to you by
Duke Seafood. Why not make it a Duke's night tonight.
Reserve your table today at Dukeseafood dot com. On Sports
Radio ninety three point three Kjarff.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
It's time for our weekly conversation with legendary sports writer
Larry Stone, brought to you by the RAM Restaurant and Brewery, Bigger,
better and fresher since nineteen seventy one, with eight fugit
sound locations from Marysville to Lacey and everywhere in between.
There's a Ram there you now with Softy and Dick.
Here's Larry Stone.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
All right, big thanks for our friends at the RAM
for sponsoring this little talk with Larry Stone every week
on the radio station.
Speaker 4 (00:45):
Larry, great to hear your voice.
Speaker 5 (00:46):
How are you, pal, I'm doing great. How are you
guys doing it?
Speaker 3 (00:50):
We're good, man, We're good. So we went through this
exercise lost segment. Dick has officially declared right, the bms
are done. Yes, Jackson, you said what again?
Speaker 6 (00:59):
While card round loss and wild.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Card round loss it best.
Speaker 3 (01:03):
I am still like a complete bozo holding on to
hope because there are four games back on the wild
card and not ten games back on the wild card.
What does your gut tell you, big man.
Speaker 5 (01:14):
Well, if they get into the playoffs, I like their
chances because that means that that they're red hot, because
that's what they're gonna have to be to get into
the playoffs. But I'm leaning towards Dick's point of view.
You know, eight games under five hundred. Just to get
to five hundred, they'd have to play almost six hundred ball.
(01:34):
They'd have to go twenty five and seventeen down the stretch.
That's five ninety five. I'll just to get to five hundred,
and who knows if that will get you in the playoffs.
It might so, and to have a better record and
a better chance, they're going to have to play over
six hundred ball, and I just haven't seen any signs
of it. They're playing three ten. You know, they're nine
(01:57):
and twenty since that Miami series, So it's just they're
hitting in the wrong directions direction. I just don't see
any signs of of a turnaround coming. Well.
Speaker 7 (02:10):
Unfortunately, and I said that prior to the Dan Wilson
debacle last night. And I don't understand, Larry, Please help
me understand why this manager continues to think that Michael
Rucker is a high leverage reliever.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
Yeah, it just doesn't doesn't make sense. You know, he
said he liked the matchups, but I don't know what
matchups he was looking at because he doesn't get out
left handed hitters. He uh, you know, he's he's been
rocked in uh in leverage situations. You know, there are
(02:47):
other options there, and you know the spire wasn't available.
That complicated matters, but there were other things he could
have done. And even if you started him in the
inning once he once he was struggling, it was to
go to the bullpen. So I don't I don't get
that either, Dick.
Speaker 3 (03:03):
Yeah, Well, do you see this getting so out of control, Larry,
where both Dan and Jerry are gone over the offseason,
or do you believe that Jerry is still I guess
protected by John Stanton and that if there's a sacrificial lamb,
it's going to be the manager. I know you said
last week if they missed the playoffs, you got a
(03:25):
hard time envisioning Dan coming back.
Speaker 4 (03:28):
Is there a point where this thing can get so.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Bad where John's got no choice but to move on
from Jerry.
Speaker 5 (03:35):
I think there is. It just completely unravels. I mean,
at this point, I think they're likelier to lose ninety
games than they are to make the playoffs in the
direction they're heading right now. And if that happens, I
would think everything would have to be on the table.
I mean, there's Jerry has a lot of things going
(03:55):
for him that he can that he can use to
make his case. You know, that would make his case,
but it would also be two playoff appearances in ten
of what is eleven years, and a season of extremely
high hopes that has turned into probably the most disappointing
(04:16):
season in franchise history, you know, if it continues at
the same pace. So I would think that he would
be in danger as well.
Speaker 7 (04:25):
I'm wondering if that the ninety loss situation that you're
outlining might be a good thing, Larry, because we've seen
what Jerry does when the team rallies and barely falls
short of the playoffs in twenty twenty one, twenty twenty three,
twenty twenty four, He's.
Speaker 6 (04:40):
Like Okay, we're close. We're close.
Speaker 7 (04:42):
I don't need to do much. But if they lose ninety,
he has no recourse. He has absolutely no reason to
think that they're close. And maybe he would do something
in the offseason. Is that a Is that a crazy thought?
Speaker 5 (04:55):
Well, I think the year terminology, he would do something
in the off season. I think he would do something
every off season if you could. I think I think
it falls on ownership to make that decision and give
him the resources. And we also are looking at a
potential walkout, and who knows when next season will start
and how many games sell play, so it's kind of complicated.
(05:16):
But uh, you know, I think that's a fair evaluation
that you'd hope they would be motivated to make some
serious moves if that's happened. You know, the other scenario
that you also outlined about them coming close, I could
see that happening too, because of the weakness of their
schedule in September. You know, August has been a disaster
(05:37):
so far and may continue to be. But you could
see I could see them rallying and finishing three or
four games out of a playoff spot or even closer,
like they have so many times and then thinking exactly
what you just outlined that. You know, it's just a
lot of things went wrong this year with the nucleus,
is there? We don't need to do that much.
Speaker 3 (05:55):
Yeah, I'm just appalled, Larry at the lack of public
facing leadership we find here from cal Raleigh. Last night,
I was telling Dick and Jackson off the air, I
don't even know what Josh Naylor's voice sounds like. Julio
seemingly never talks to anybody a Rose Arena, doesn't talk
to anybody, you know through his translator. We never hear
(06:15):
from ownership ever on any of this stuff.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
I mean, am I nuts? Am I being too hard
on these guys?
Speaker 3 (06:22):
When I say that, I am almost grossed out by
the lack of public facing leadership that comes from this organization.
Speaker 5 (06:31):
I think Cal must have seen your tweet because he
made himself available. Yes, Dad, I think he did it
for Softy when you that.
Speaker 3 (06:37):
Was Jackson's theory, and you know, look, I know I'm
a big deal, guys, but come on, that's going too far.
Speaker 6 (06:44):
You know.
Speaker 5 (06:44):
I think it tells a lot about a player when
they stand up in the faith of adversity and make
themselves available. And I think back to Brent Boone. You know,
back in the in the early two thousands, he was
at his walker every single day, win or lose. Now,
granted those were good times. Most of the time that
(07:06):
was a winning team. Uh, but even when the team
wasn't going well. I remember one time Boone said, I'm
not you guys mind, I don't want to talk today.
I know I've talked to you every day, but I'm
just tired today. And an art deal said I really
need you today, Brett, and Brett said okay, and he
sat down and held his usual post team session.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Uh because artists seven foot tall and Brett's four foot three,
and he knows that art would have destroyed him if
you said no.
Speaker 4 (07:37):
That's why come on.
Speaker 5 (07:40):
The Hearts of Pussy get he went to destroyed anybody. Uh.
But yeah, I can't. I've lost my train of thought.
Speaker 3 (07:48):
Now I apologize. You're talking about Brett Boone and all
that respons Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:57):
The the Keystone players like that should should be available
and should face the music on a regular basis. That's
part of the responsibility of being of being a star.
Speaker 4 (08:10):
Larry.
Speaker 7 (08:11):
My take on Cal's comments were twofold one. I appreciate
him taking responsibility and saying that he's sucking this year.
But I'm tired of hearing Mariners players this year say quote,
you've got to bring the edge every day you get
a little lackadaisical and maybe have less energy. You don't
have quite the same edge that you should every day.
(08:31):
We've got to play with more urgency. Larry, we talked
about a quote that was exactly like that from Bryce
Miller like three months ago.
Speaker 6 (08:40):
So who was the onus on that?
Speaker 7 (08:42):
Three months later, the team is exactly as lackadaisical as
they was as they were three months ago.
Speaker 5 (08:49):
Yeah, that struck me too, that that quote. We're you know,
it's August twelfth. It's a little late in the game
to be saying we need to bring a little more energy,
particularly when you know that was seen as a problem
months ago. I mean, ultimately, it's the manager dictates the
energy of the team, I think, but the players need
(09:10):
to execute it that as well. And it's it's when
when you're not scoring runs, when you're scoring one or
two runs a game, it's just hard to manufacture that energy.
I know. You they show the shots of the guys
just hanging on the dugout looking uh, you know, dull
eyed and like they don't want to be there. But
that's you know, it's not like football, where you you know,
(09:31):
you're you're out for blood and you show that ferocity.
That's not the way baseball is. If you're not making
things happen on the base path, because you're going out
going down one, two, three, every inning, it's hard to
show that that desire, even though I you know, I
would just say they all have a desire to win,
and but if enough players are pointing it out, it's
(09:52):
it's got to be there and it's got to be
a problem. And you know, I think that'll be part
of the Epitaphs season, is that they just didn't bring it.
Speaker 4 (10:02):
Yeah, I mean the energy is just lame, right.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
I mean, every time cal Rawley turns around to get
in an umpire's face, I'm hoping he just goes bananas
on the guy. Even Dan Wilson's ejections are kind of
just met they're lame, right whatever. I mean the other
day with lou Panela in the audience, I would have
thought that maybe Dan would have sosced it up a
little bit and you know, gotten his money's worth. But
do we have a cal Rawley problem? Larry, are you
(10:25):
starting to get concerned that the eighty five million bucks
left on this guy's deal is going to be an issue?
Speaker 5 (10:31):
Well, the thought has crossed my mind. You know that
that will be a huge issue next year. Will this
Can he turn things around? I think from a mayor's
point of view, I think they need to hope that
it's a that it's a medical problem, an injury that's lingering,
(10:51):
you know, maybe the oblique still injured lingering, because if
it's not an injury and he's that means that he's
just forgotten how to hit, or in such a slump
that he can't get out of it, And to me,
that's worse than being hampered by an injury. So we'll
see next year. But yeah, there's a lot of years
and a lot of money he's still still left.
Speaker 4 (11:13):
On his deal.
Speaker 5 (11:13):
It reminds me of Chris Davis, of the Orioles, who
signed a I believe it was seven years, one hundred
and sixty one million dollar deal and then just was
it was terrible after that? He said. Matter of fact,
Chris Davis set the record for the lowest batting average
of a qualified hitter at one sixty eight after he
signed a contract, and Cal's below one sixty eight. I
(11:36):
don't know if he'll end up being qualified. He need
to have five hundred and two plate appearances. But and
then he was out of baseball, you know, two years later,
having done virtually nothing after he signed that big contract.
That's an even bigger contract than Cal had, So I mean,
it is not completely unprecedented. I don't think that's going
to happen to Cal. I would put my money on
(11:56):
him having a bounce back year next year. But until
he does it, there's going to be a lot of
nervous people in the Mariner's front office.
Speaker 7 (12:04):
We got another tough one tonight quote from Dan last night,
and I'm wondering, if Dan never gives us specifics on
anything on how things can be fixed, should we assume
that he knows how to fix them, or should we
assume that he doesn't know how.
Speaker 5 (12:19):
To fix them? Well, you know, I think I think
his postgame contract the comments are a big part of
his perception issue among the fans because everybody watches these
frustrating games and then his comments have no no bearing
on what we just saw you'll say something like I
(12:41):
remember one game where WU gave up like six runs
and five innings, and he goes, he made the pitches
when he had to. Well, no, he didn't, right or
or we battled, We really battled to the end in
a game where they, you know, the twelve of the
last thirteen batters made out. I think if it's hard
(13:03):
to have a belief in his ability to turn things
around when he's not even acknowledging the problem. I would
like to see him come out with a little more
fire after the game and acknowledge it. But I mean,
obviously he doesn't have the ability right now to get
thing turned around because it hasn't happened. You know, I
wouldn't say he doesn't. I would rule that out. I mean,
(13:24):
he's been around baseball a long time. I think I
think he's doing more behind the scenes than we realize.
It almost seems like he's just sitting there doing nothing.
But I think he's having meetings and discussions with the
players from my understanding, so but it's not breaking through.
It's not getting through.
Speaker 3 (13:44):
I'm sorry I had to laugh at that, because I
mean it's like he's talking to players.
Speaker 4 (13:50):
We also, I mean, Larry, IM gonna be honest with you.
Speaker 3 (13:54):
I mean all of us covered Dan as a player,
and he was never the most quotable guy. Okay, fine,
I think he's worse now than he was when he played.
I am actually surprised at how little he offers to
the media. I mean it's almost like he's either guarded,
or he's defiant, or he's nervous about something. Are you
(14:15):
a little bit even shocked like me at just how
little he's offering. And if we are surprised by that,
I mean, he's older, he's wiser, he's more mature. He
should be able to pick his words, you know, you know,
pretty easily. He should have confidence in himself as a
as a as a middle aged guy, more than he
did when he was a twenty five year old playing
(14:36):
catcher in the majors.
Speaker 4 (14:37):
But why is that why?
Speaker 5 (14:40):
Yeah, Well, I think early on I just thought, Okay,
he's new to the job. He doesn't want to Early on,
I think he didn't want to say anything that reflected
on Scott's service, because he was tight with service. He was,
and you know, he didn't want to come in and
say I'm going to do this because he's either the fray. Well,
it's going to reflecked on Scott, but that's long in
(15:01):
the past now, and it's almost like you use the
word nervous or guarded. I think that's the way it is.
It's almost like he's afraid of offending the players by
by speaking the truth. But I think the players would
prefer to hear, you know, him speaking out confidently and
(15:25):
addressing the issues that everybody sees, including the people in
the in the dugout and in the clubhouse. So I
think it's to his detriment, to be honest. I think
you're right. He was not a great quote as a player.
He was a willing quote you can you know, go
to him any time and he would talk. But it
seems to me that he just it's become to load
these these sessions before and after the game that the
(15:47):
manager has to do. But that's a big part of
being a major league manager is you're the public face
of the team and you're the one conveying the you know,
what's going on to the public, and I don't think
he's very good at that.
Speaker 7 (16:00):
Larry, what were his thoughts of the top fifty Both
guys that you saw that were like, wow he got in,
and also a guy or two that you saw that,
wow he didn't get in.
Speaker 4 (16:10):
Jeff Nelson. Yeah, I mean Jeff Nelson.
Speaker 6 (16:13):
Hey, let Larry answer.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
I'm sorry.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Well, I know I know how deeply offended Dave was
on Nelly, and rightly so. He he should have been in.
I don't understand why he wasn't. I mean, he led
the he led the leads the team in appearances and
was a key part of two playoff teams. Uh. You
know I think that uh Smike Schooler probably should have
(16:42):
been on there. Those are the ones that jump to mind. Uh,
you know, Jim Beatty I think could have easily. You know,
I love Jim Beatty, but his record is is about
thirty games under five hundred as a pitcher. You know,
val love val but he he probably doesn't warrant being
(17:05):
on there. And I thought there was too many, maybe
too many players from the current team right right. I
think they could have they could have trimmed that down
a little bit as well.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Yeah, Dave Valley was so bad we had sports bars
pricing drinks based on his batting average and in no
way is he a top fifty player.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
Come on, why do you think Nelly was left off?
What's your take on that?
Speaker 5 (17:26):
Oh, you know, I I honestly don't know. I hope
it's not because he spoke out against the organization at
the trade deadline that that one year.
Speaker 4 (17:37):
Yeah, but.
Speaker 5 (17:40):
I think on based on credentials, it would be hard
to leave him off. Now, anytime you have a top
any kind of ranking like that, there's gonna be there's
gonna be omissions that that people speak out against. So
it's a hard exercise when you've had, you know, as
many players as they they've had. But I think Nelly
(18:01):
was one that belonged on that list for sure, no doubt.
Speaker 3 (18:05):
I Mean, we can argue about fringe guys all you want,
but a guy that probably should have been in the
top thirty, let alone top fifty, for God's sake. So
I don't get it, man, But I don't get a lot.
To be honest with you, Larry, you're the best, great stuff.
Every time we have questions, you provide answers and we'll
do it again next week.
Speaker 4 (18:21):
Man, Thanks for jumping on.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
All right, thanks thanks all right, Larry Stone with us
on the radio show. Why do we think Jeff Nelson
was left off? You any theories on that. Let's float
a couple of next on ninety three to three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (18:38):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour is
brought to you by Duke Seafood. Why don't you make
it a Duke's Night tonight. Reserve your table today at
dukeseafood dot com. Now back to Softy and Dick on
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
Hey, great night to hit any one of the Duke's locations,
including my favorite Rusting South Lake Union.
Speaker 4 (18:59):
I feel like we should do.
Speaker 3 (19:00):
Like a bracket for our favorite Duke's restaurant location, easy ones.
I think Rustin and the South Lake Union restaurants are
the two top seeds, and let him fight it out
for the championship round. Great, great decks man at those
two spots a happy hour from three to six and
nine to close. Find out more dukeseafood dot com. All right,
(19:20):
so just real quick, we talked about this a little bit,
the Jeff Nelson thing. Asked Larry about his theories on
why Nelly was left off. I mean, it just seems
like such a big obvious thing that Nelly should have
been on that list. That there were other factors in
play besides Hoop I just forgot right. So do we
have any theories on why he was left off because
(19:41):
I got one?
Speaker 7 (19:42):
Well, I mean it would be what he said at
the trade deadline two thousand and three. But right, I
guess if you wanted to refute that, you would say, okay, Well,
then why would the Mariners bring him back two seasons later.
Speaker 6 (19:54):
To their team?
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Right?
Speaker 6 (19:55):
If they didn't like what he had to say?
Speaker 7 (19:57):
So why would they bring him back two years later
and then not put him on the fifty if if
they were pissed at what he said.
Speaker 3 (20:05):
Right, you're talking about when they brought him back in
two thousand and five, Right, Yeah, I don't know. I
have no idea. I mean, maybe over time they look
at that thing differently now than they did just two
years later. I will say this that Nelly is outspoken
about a lot of stuff. I don't have any doubt
that there might be some people in the organization whose
(20:27):
feathers were ruffled the wrong way, not necessarily by that, potentially,
but maybe other things that Nelly has said on the
air every now and then. Nothing to me that's egregious.
But is this the top fifty players or the top
Is it the top fifty players that we like? Right,
because that's what it sounded like it was on Saturday Night.
(20:47):
I just don't know if Dave Valley is even remotely considered,
if he's not a broadcaster. If Dave Valley had retired
and moved to Florida and was running a fishing charter
business and nobody had heard from the guy in thirty years,
would he be on the list?
Speaker 5 (21:04):
Though?
Speaker 4 (21:04):
I don't think he would be.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
Did they maybe try to playcate too many current egos
on this team by putting all the guys that they
did that are on the roster today on the top
fifty list.
Speaker 8 (21:15):
The idea that they picked the best fifty players is
wrong period.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
I think we can stop the proof.
Speaker 8 (21:23):
There is the very simple idea of if Gino Suarez
had re signed or been still on the Maritor's team,
would he be on.
Speaker 4 (21:33):
The top fifty list? Absolutely? If he were playing here today, correct, right,
if he was on the team, he would.
Speaker 8 (21:39):
So at that point we can we can already confirm
that the list is not the best fifty.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
It's the fifty that.
Speaker 6 (21:47):
Are slash available, that are slash liked.
Speaker 8 (21:51):
Insert all those categories, so we get once that gets established,
the fact there's other factors including Nelson was part of that.
Speaker 7 (21:59):
Well, the other to go ahead, i'ould just say the
one that got me was Joel Paniro. I mean, he
literally got worse every single year. He went from a
two to a three, to two to three, seven to
a four to seven to a five, six to a six.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
Three and was out of base nine a half years
for two and a half. I don't know it's good
for two and a half years.
Speaker 7 (22:18):
That makes your top fifty when you're a good picture
for two and.
Speaker 3 (22:21):
A half year over a guy that was deemed good
enough by the Mariners and mostly lou Panela to pitch
in more games than any other picture in franchise history,
and you chose Joel Pinata and Dave Valley and Mike
Jackson over him.
Speaker 4 (22:36):
So I don't know.
Speaker 3 (22:37):
I mean, this is a This is another example I
guess of the leadership over there where you know, it'd
be nice if somebody said, why but let's let's let's
hear from you, right. I've texted people, they haven't written back.
That's their prerogative. It's also my prerogative to be annoyed
by it.
Speaker 8 (22:53):
So one of the things that me and my friends
who are all in the realm of thirty to thirty
five years old, we're talking about, was what if they
added a bunch of later you know, later stage but
like recent year players to connect with the recent fans
to say, yeah, your favorites of the last twenty years,
they're on this list too, right, And what I replied
(23:14):
to my buddies was, well, then why do you have
I mean, JJ Puttz was the closer. Like when I
right in my prime Mariner fan of you know, my
teenage years to college use, JJ Putz was rolling right.
I brought signs behind home plate. My dad took me
into games and I had signed that the celebrating JJ
Puts ready to go if he was to come into
(23:36):
the game.
Speaker 4 (23:36):
Wow, I would still say.
Speaker 8 (23:39):
Jeff Nelson, just from what I know and the little
that I was took in from him as a conscious
Mariner fan, was more impactful to the Mariners than JJ Puttz.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Yeah, he just He's the only middle reliever to ever
make the All Star Game in Seattle Mariner's history. Now,
granted he was a replacement. I remember where I was.
I was actually in at Dot Stadium when he got
the call, because I was doing the show with him
the Tuesdays when Nelly Show, and I ran down to the.
Speaker 4 (24:06):
Bullpen and said, dude, you made the All Star team.
Speaker 3 (24:08):
And I think he I don't know if he knew
or he was like confirming it with me, but he
was fired up. And I'll be honest with you, man,
I don't want to speak out of turn, but he's pissed.
He's not happy that he was not in the top
fifty team. That hurt him to his core. So I
don't like it when Mariner legends are unhappy with the franchise.
And this is another example of something like that happening.
(24:29):
By the way you saw Paul Seawald got claimed by
Toronto today, I would have brought him in, uh, just
for his leadership. For God's sakes, it'd be great to
have a guy like that in the clubhouse. Have you
looked at his numbers? By the way, Paul Seawald so
overall two terrible six point two to three ERA on
the year, but up until late June June twenty second,
(24:50):
he had a three point one eight ERA in thirty
one games, and then he gave up seven home runs
in ten innings, cool and his era went to hell.
So he was actually really good up until late June.
But since June twenty third he had a fourteen point
three four ERA in fourteen games, seven bombs allowed in
(25:12):
ten and two thirds. And that's why his numbers are.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
What it is.
Speaker 7 (25:15):
And one of the reasons he's not here is probably
the same reason that Jeff Nelson isn't. On the fifth
spoke out, spoke out against the ownership. You got pissed off.
But though he exactly pulled at Jeff Nelson.
Speaker 4 (25:24):
What did he get mad about? You remember the number?
What it was? Toronto Jersey's in the pro shop.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Boom Boom tea and they traded his ass? How fast
will they trade us for his amount of times? Much
about the Toronto series on? They would put it, They
would tie us to the train tracks behind center field.
Speaker 4 (25:44):
We're gonna break.
Speaker 3 (25:45):
Mike Florio coming up in a six pm hour on
ninety three three KJRFM.
Speaker 1 (25:49):
This is Duke of Duke Seafood and this hour is
brought to you by Duke Seafood. Why don't you make
it a Duke's night tonight. Reserve your table today at
dukeseafood dot Com. Now back to Softy end Dick on
Sports Radio ninety three point three KJRFM.
Speaker 4 (26:03):
All right, we're back on a busy Wednesday night.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
Mike Florio coming up, and a matter of minutes here
on the radio show, you see Russell Westbrook retired today.
Speaker 4 (26:12):
There's an alternate universe where this is a much bigger
deal in this you know.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
You know why because he was drafted by the Sonics
but never played a second here in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (26:20):
I've never been a big fan of Russell Westbrook.
Speaker 3 (26:23):
His demeanor kind of bugs me a little bit, to
be honest with you, But I guarantee you this, I'd
feel a lot different if the guy played ten years
in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (26:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (26:32):
Probably my second least favorite player in the NBA in
the last fifteen.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
Years, really behind James Harden.
Speaker 7 (26:37):
Oh. The only thing that puts James Harden ahead of
Russell Westbrook is that Russell Westbrook actually put out a
lot of efforts to which James Harden did not, at
least on one end of the floor.
Speaker 6 (26:47):
So Russell Westbrook tried.
Speaker 7 (26:49):
He was just one of them more, how do I
put it, he didn't play basketball the right way. He
had no concept. Let me give you a description of
Russell Westbrook still vividly in my mind. Donald Watts and
I are sitting underneath the basket in San Antonio about
five rows back and Russell Westbrook gets a rebound and
(27:10):
it's one on four the other way, and we both
look at each other and said, at the exact same time,
this is going up. And he took four dribbles to
get him the length of the court, went up, had
no idea where he was going, and just threw up
something that ended up not hitting anything. That was Russell
Westbrook's mental state offensively.
Speaker 4 (27:30):
Rightly, right, Yeah, I just I don't know, man.
Speaker 3 (27:32):
I mean, it's funny how those three guys, Westbrook, Durant Hardin,
who all played together for you know who by the
way you I mean, all three of them kind of
turned out to not really live up to I think
the expectations that people had for.
Speaker 7 (27:51):
Them, the winning expectations, certainly, but they're all three Hall
of fame.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
No we yeah, but we thought they'd all be beloved
almost right, and they're not.
Speaker 2 (27:58):
Right.
Speaker 3 (27:59):
Like, I mean, those three people. I think if you
ask fifty NBA fans, who are the most disliked players
in the NBA right now, those three might appear on
the list before anybody.
Speaker 6 (28:10):
There's no question about it.
Speaker 7 (28:11):
And they all if they could have handled things just
a little bit differently and maybe picked their teams a
little bit more more wisely, they would have rings. Now
Durant has a ring, but he gets criticized for his ring, right,
But Russell Westbrook and James Harden, my god, I mean
they could have been number one, number two options on
(28:31):
championship teams. They were that talented a player. And I
do see a lot of wasted talent in both of
those guys over.
Speaker 4 (28:37):
The yeast fifteen, no doubt, man.
Speaker 3 (28:38):
I mean, I still though, maybe I'm just again this
the the idiot Mariner fan is translating this to the
idiot NBA fan. I'm still hoping that we can see
Kevin Durant one more time to see I'm with you,
because I've got a lot of affinity for him what
he did that one year he was here. You know
why I feel that way because of the way he
treated Clay Bennett, not just calling him a fat you
(29:00):
know what, when he was walking down New York City
and he found out that you know, Clay Bennett was
going to move the basketball team. But when he was
egging the team on that one night, obviously at the
coliseum for a rookie, I thought to do that in
front of Clay Bennett took a lot of balls. Now
I am looking here right now by the way, Yeah,
to see this right here, Jackson. How many combined teams
(29:22):
do you think Durant, West, Broton and James Martin played
for and this and this, like if you played for
the same team like they all played for the Rockets.
Speaker 4 (29:30):
Is that correct? They all played for the Thunder, So
that's one team. I'm not counting.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
I'm not counting that as three. How many combined teams
did these guys each play for in their NBA career? Okay, fourteen,
one and two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Denver, Sacramento,
the Clippers, the Lakers, the Rockets, the Nets, the Suns,
the Warriors, and the Thunder.
Speaker 4 (29:55):
Eleven different teams?
Speaker 5 (29:56):
Did?
Speaker 4 (29:57):
They were pains.
Speaker 6 (29:58):
In the end, the pains in the ass. That's exactly right.
Speaker 7 (30:01):
And nobody wanted him on their team because they didn't
help them win.
Speaker 3 (30:04):
Right, thousand percent. They were annoying as hell. They weren't
worth the squeeze right now, I.
Speaker 7 (30:09):
Don't want to put I mean, Durant is a much
higher caliber player and not nearly as much of an
ass as those other two guys are.
Speaker 6 (30:17):
But those two guys are in a class by themselves.
Speaker 3 (30:20):
I just can't believe how big of a what's the
word I'm looking forward to describe Kevin Durant, How just
paranoid he is about this. That's a good right, Like
he's famous for his burner accounts on Twitter, right, you know,
he's constantly worried about what other people say about him.
This a guy is one of the best players in
the history of the NBA, That's right, What do you care?
Speaker 5 (30:40):
Right?
Speaker 7 (30:41):
If you just talk about talent, you could argue talent wise,
you could argue all three of those guys are top
fifteen all time, right in just talent. I mean James
Harden I called him at one point. I'll stand by it,
the best one on one basketball player I've ever seen, right,
Because and then you say, oh, what about Jordan. Jordan
(31:03):
couldn't shoot like James Harden. Jordan didn't have the step
back three. In fact, Jordan shot like thirty eight percent
from three point range. James Harden could kill you off
the dribble and kill you with that step back, whether
it was legal or not, that's a different, you know,
different argument.
Speaker 8 (31:18):
So one of the things going through my mind in
this because very much the topic here is these guys
departed okay see and kept bouncing around places, and I
think a lot of that may come back to the
fact that look at the age that they entered the NBA,
they're very young man at that point during nice so
you're in the formative years of your life where you're
really kind of forming your your opinions of who you are,
(31:41):
what kind of person you are, and that's where I
think that the primetime is to develop a loyalty, to
develop Oh wow, loyalty means something. I think you see
that a lot in soccer, where like a kid'll be
brought up by a club from twelve years old.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
I'm gonna be loyal to this team.
Speaker 8 (31:54):
I'm gonna stay with him because and I think these
guys get to a place like first Seattle and then
oh gosh, okay, well there it was that I guess
I'm not developing that kind of loyalty. But then also
you're in a place like Oklahoma City where there's no
ability to develop a loyalty. I don't think a because
of the way it is. It's Oklahoma freaking City. It's
a dust bowl. It's not a beautiful place to be.
(32:17):
You want to get the hell out of there as
soon as you get the hell in there. And then
also because there's such a fresh team, there's no history,
there's no legacy to be part of. So inside of that, it's, oh,
my contract's up, Great, I get to leave and maybe
go be part of an actual legacy. So when you
do that from a young age, I think they were
set up to always go the routes they did well.
(32:37):
Steph Curry is the last of a dying breed man
in a lot of ways. The fact that he's spent
his entire career, obviously with one team. He's been there
for seventeen years and he'll never play for anybody else, right,
But you wouldn't put Raymond in Steph Curry's category, right,
He's been there for a long time, but he was
never a guy that had the entire NBA licking his
(32:59):
feet to come play for them. The way that Steph
Curry would have for example, Right, But Jackson, I'm with
you man that I think the NBA players today are
more concerned about chasing titles and more concerned about making
as much cash as they can get. Part of it
is that free agency wasn't around for a long time
when Magic and Jordan and those guys played, and Larry
I get it. And if it was around then, who's like,
(33:20):
like Barkley always says, we never would have done that.
Speaker 4 (33:22):
Well, how do you know he never had the chance? Right?
Speaker 3 (33:25):
I mean, honestly, how does Barkley have any idea how
he would respond if the Houston Rockets called him when
he was a free agent after Philadelphia and said here's
five million, which back that would have.
Speaker 4 (33:38):
Been gigantically did go to the right?
Speaker 5 (33:40):
Right?
Speaker 4 (33:40):
Yeah? Right?
Speaker 3 (33:41):
But I'm just saying that the idea that he would
say no, that Jordan would say no, that Magic Johnson,
that all these guys would say no. They can say
they can say no because they couldn't say yes.
Speaker 7 (33:52):
So I don't think there's any difference between twenty twenty
six players when it comes to those decisions in nineteen
eighty five players. I think I think people so many
people hold the nineteen eighty five players in just such
high regard.
Speaker 6 (34:05):
Oh, I just wish these kids today were like those guys.
Speaker 5 (34:07):
BS.
Speaker 3 (34:08):
Your point about the nineteen year old is that most
great players are now coming into the NBA at twenty
years old.
Speaker 4 (34:13):
Nineteen years old.
Speaker 3 (34:13):
I mean, there's a few of them that stay three
four years in school and end up popping. But look,
I mean one of the reasons why I bring this
up because I want to I don't want to be
the lead. Did you guys hear about this group that
is trying to put together a group to bring the
Sonics back. So there's another group and this the first
thing I thought of when I heard this story with
that that's Fred Brown and the Armadillo. That's right, the
stadium that he tried to floating arena. Yeah, I mean
(34:35):
he tried to build it. And I'm like, Fred, what
are you doing? Like we love you, but my god,
this is getting handled like don't do this right, like
you know when you start muddying the waters. And maybe
this is less impactful than an arena because an arena
was supported by the political will of the city council
(34:56):
and the mayor. This next move has nothing to do
with mayor has nothing to do with the city council.
Speaker 4 (35:03):
The arena's already done.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
But when we were trying to build an arena, and
Chris Hansen was trying to build an arena down there
in Sodo, and then Fred Brown comes along and puts
this ridiculous idea in the mind of I don't know,
Greg Nichols or whoever the hell it was, Jene Gotten, Like, oh,
come on, man, these people don't need that. They can't
even handle one idea. What are you giving them two
(35:26):
ideas for? So that was more of a muddying the
waters type thing. This thing is just kind of annoying
because I'll be honest with you, guys, I believe that
the Samantha Holloway group, like Wiki's group, the what's Jeff
Bezos's ex wife's name, who's involved in this. I'm sorry, Mackenzie,
(35:47):
they deserve this, like I want them to get the team.
They're the ones that put the arena, They're the ones
that spent the billion dollars. They're the one that sucked
it up and got it done. They deserve to do it.
So what I would ask of this Black Sun private
Equity group Native World Sports a coalition of strategic investors
(36:09):
and regional leaders today announcing the formation of an ownership
group and the submission of a formal proposal to return
the Sonics to Washington State through NBA expansion. I would say,
back off, is what I would say to them. Knock
it off because you're not getting this.
Speaker 4 (36:25):
What is it?
Speaker 6 (36:27):
Multiple bidders?
Speaker 7 (36:29):
I first of all, I mean they're not going to
get it, but have multiple bidders.
Speaker 3 (36:33):
I just think I don't want anybody else besides the
Holloway group to get it. You know, is it bad?
I mean, could it muddy? The water is a little
bit not like the arena. I agree with you on
that this is a different deal, and I think that
the NBA is probably so far down the road with
Holloway it made it even matter for crying out loud.
But I just don't want anything to derail this. I
(36:55):
don't want anything to delay it. And let me ask
you a question. Do you think of this as even
if it's just one scoche of a positive or a
negative on either side, does it have any opportunity to
become a potential.
Speaker 4 (37:08):
Negative even this much? I don't, And if it is,
then don't do it.
Speaker 7 (37:12):
I don't know if it has a potential to be
positive or negative. I mean, I think it's a nothing burger.
I mean I think it's is it them just trying
to get their name out so we say it on
the radio and other people put it in the newspaper.
Speaker 6 (37:22):
Because I never heard of any of these investors before.
Speaker 3 (37:25):
Well, nobody has. But that doesn't mean the NBA won't
listen to them. That doesn't mean that the NBA won't
jack up the price on the lie Wiki group. It
doesn't mean the NBA won't maybe delay this to continued
discussions about which group they want to go for. I'm
kind of generally towards your line of thinking, Dick, that
it's going to be a big, nothing solid when it's
all said and done. But if it has the potential
(37:47):
to even delay this by a day, stop it knock
it off. That's the way I feel, Jackson, I don't
know about you, man.
Speaker 8 (37:52):
Yeah, no, I think at the end of the day,
we're looking at a situation where everything is right now,
so simple, and Vegas has figured out, We're figured out
the Portland situation. We've heard from the insiders that that
has no bearing on expansion.
Speaker 4 (38:05):
That would be a relocation.
Speaker 8 (38:07):
So everything's here simple, right, Why do we need to
make it unsimple? Everything is so simple, Let's not make
it unsimple.
Speaker 6 (38:12):
What are the names here? Like, there hasn't been any names.
Speaker 7 (38:15):
And you can't have a private equity group by a
basketball team. There has to be individual owners that own
a percentage of it.
Speaker 4 (38:23):
Correct.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
Well, I'm sure that the NBA knows who those people are,
and I'm sure these people know who they are. Right,
we're going to break
Dave 'Softy' Mahler and Dick Fain News
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com