March 2, 2021 • 36 mins
Chris and Rob explain why it's asinine to say that James Harden's messy exit from the Houston Rockets should eliminate him from MVP consideration, tell us why the Kyle Van Noy situation with the Miami Dolphins illustrates a bigger issue around the NFL, and
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
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(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rob Harker. Rob, we have
talked about it before to a small degree. Now we're
gonna really dive in. James Harden, the year started in
a crazy manner for him, trade demand Russell Westbrook didn't
(00:46):
want to play with him anymore. He didn't want to
play with Westbrook anymore, he didn't want to play in
Houston anymore. Comes out drops at forty four in his
first game, just killing it the first few games, and
the fact Houston' is like, oh, don't forget right, And
Houston's thinking, oh, he gonta ball like this. Then we trading,
(01:08):
and so he finally says, you know what, for them
to trade me, I'm gonna have to uh like Les,
let lighten up a little bit. At goes down now,
Now check this out. He's still averaged twenty four and
eleven assists, close to eleven ten and a half assist
with Houston, but he played eight of nine games, kind
(01:29):
of dogged it for a few of them, even though
he put up numbers and he got traded. And uh,
since he's been in Brooklyn, he has been lighting it
up so much. So last night he goes for thirty
fifteen was it fifteen rebounds or fifteen assists? It was
(01:50):
thirty points, fifteen assists and fourteen rebounds tripled up ridiculous
in twenty two games. How about this? That the most
triple doubles for a Nuts player in history in the season.
In the season, he's already passed Chris Well. Kid had
twelve in the season. Oh I thought they said he
only had six from what I read. Okay, Well, but
(02:13):
he will pass that in short order. But he will
pass that. But yeah, so he is lightening it up
so much so that Brad Doherty and for you youngsters,
Rob because the youngsters probably don't know, Brad Doherty was
a heck of a player. He had a bad hairline,
but he could ball out Chris what they used to say,
had a three head or something. This is true. They
(02:38):
made he had but his his hair live gonna go ball,
he did. His hairline almost touched his eyebrows. That's how
close his hair lied. Seriously, he didn't have a forehead,
Chris Well, that's what they said. He had a three
head or two. It wasn't. It wasn't a forehead because
I'm telling you his hairline was right above his eyebrows.
(03:02):
It was unbelievable. Yes, but he was a really good player.
Play with Michael Jordan at North Carolina, then went to
the Cleveland Cavaliers and did damage, did work and a
back injury. I actually covered. I was the beat writer
for the Cavaliers the year he retired with back injury. Yeah,
he had bad discs in his back and had to retire.
(03:25):
But he was robbed. He was probably on pace for
a Hall of Fame career. He was a really nine
for his eight years or whatever he ended up. Some
of the millennials probably snow him Chris for the for
the Nascars. Uh, you know, he's a NASCAR anno like
this him at the old network. I saw him in
(03:46):
the halls, but I never worked. I worked with him
several shows. Good guy, really a lot of fun. Good
guy and um but anyway, he's he's talking basketball somewhere
and uh, here's what he said about James Harden. I
take back anything bad or negative I said about James Harden.
James Harden what no, No, you could still say it's you.
(04:09):
James Harden is the best player in the NBA. He is.
He may be the best offensive player I've ever seen.
I'm telling you he is at a wold I now
I know the playoff stuff and all that he is.
It's unbelievable. His numbers are are gotten so easily. And
(04:34):
I was watching the game and I was thinking back
to watching him with Houston when he was kind of
going in about sixty five seventy percent and it's still
scoring thirty. I'm telling you, man, this guy is unbelievable
and and I think he is absolutely the best player
in the NBA. M now was our huge words for
(04:56):
several reasons. Right. Number one, he called him best player
in the world. Number two, this is a guy that
faced Michael Jordans many times, played with Michael Jordan at
North Carolina and faced them several times in the NBA.
And let me say this to all those out there
because there's a lot of people ride probably aren't even
watching some of the games and they're just looking in
(05:19):
the box score and Kyrie's playing tremendously. But if you
just look at the numbers, you might say, well, Kyrie's
playing better. He's a leading scorer, you know, you know
with durand James is doing everything hardening hardened is I mean,
he rob he is looking like one of the best
point guards we've ever seen. I totally, Chris, because you know,
(05:42):
I've been I've been focused in on that Brooklyn team.
Every chance I get a chance to watch them, I do,
and I'm always, you know, trying to see how it fits.
You know, even without Durant and and uh, Harden has
been tremendous. I'm telling you, I don't even recommends this
guy from the guy who played to Houston. And I'm
dead serious, and I do. I remember him at Okase
(06:08):
and he showed playmaking ability, unselfishness, all great passing skills,
and he showed him in Houston. I remember he led
the league and assist I know, but but but my
vision of him, yeah, he was. My vision of him
is just taking these threes and you know, drawing the
fouls and and just like holding onto the ball, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble.
(06:32):
Put up at three. That's not where he is, Chris.
And if you're the Nets organization, ownership coaching staff, you
are ecstatic. Are you kidding that a guy of that
caliber could come join in and do what they've been doing,
which is they've lost one game, they lost the game.
(06:52):
We're only hard and played like what was that game
they just got? They've they've won ten of their last
eleven or nine of their past ten, something like that,
sixteen and six in his twenty two games with the Nets.
And remember a lot of that is without Durant seven games, Chris,
(07:13):
those three have only played seven games. So it is
phenomenal what he's doing. I think Rob and I'm an
MVP voter, he's right there. I think Lebron Harden and
Joe lmb not in that order, but those are the
three front runners. I don't know in order at this point.
I mean, you don't need one at this point of
(07:33):
the see. But but he's in the conversation. He's in
the conversation and you know what you said it. I
think he's still below because of what Harden is doing.
But you you mentioned it before. Kyrie's balling out. He's
been Chris since he came back. I know he's missed
a couple of games. I think he's playing just like
he did before he left. But he's playing. But you
(07:55):
know he's doing He's been great the whole season when
he's there, no right, no doubt, but just saying, like
when the first coming back, people were wondering where his
head would be after the layoff or whatever. He's just
picked up. You're right where he left off. It's been
fun to watch. Yeah, and the question now And I
was on the First Things First this morning debating with
(08:15):
Nick Wright. Nick Wright wants to believe he feels like
Harden is basically disqualified for MVP because of what the
four or five games he dogged it in Houston. And
I get it. If it's nipping, tuck and close, that
could be something you know, you hold against him, Well,
(08:37):
this guy played all eighty two hard, whatever, But to
think that that disqualifies him, I'm sorry it doesn't. It
was like four five games. It wasn't a quarter of
the season. It wasn't certainly wasn't half of the season.
And if the Nets continue to play at this pace,
(08:57):
Rob continue to essa made the other elite teams in
the league, and he continues to be the key, And
he's the key because his unselfishness. Rob him going there
immediately taking the third most amount of shots behind Kyrie
and k D. He said, a tone, and then playing
(09:19):
point guard, not playing two, he said, a tone of unselfishness.
And you're watching them, they all make the extra pass.
All of the role players are touching the rock. I mean, heck,
last night, this dude named Nick Claxton, who I have
no idea, somebody named Nicholas Claxton dropped like twenty one
(09:39):
or nineteen or something. But everybody's getting open looks. Say
get open looks, and they're getting the ball, Chris, they're open.
The ball is coming their way. That's what I'm saying.
If you're coach, if you're the coaching staff and you're
Steve Nash and those guys, you gotta be like, dude,
I'm loving this. You gotta be loving it because you
(09:59):
just mentioned it. All kinds of guys, Harris, All these
guys are coming up with big games. It ain't just
those two or three and Durant spin Out hasn't missed
a beat. When that guy comes back after the All
Star break. There'll be a few nights when they don't
play well and they lose, but they're not gonna lose
that off and Chris, I don't think they will. And
that's the thing both you and I are like, Look,
(10:20):
if they run through the second half of the season,
really put a ton of distance between themselves and whoever
second place in the East, it's gonna be hard to
hold the MVP trophy away from James Harden. And we'll see.
Like I said, I think Lebron still very much in
the hunt. Joel mbad and we'll see if anybody else
jumps up. There's thirty five games are so left, but
(10:43):
right now that dude is very much in the conversation.
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wherever you get your podcast from a story you know,
we see this happen every so often. It is the NFL. Right,
and a year after signing Kyle van Noy, he was
(11:50):
a team captain all right, two time Super Bowl champion,
he won his rings in New England. They signed him
in Miami to a four year, fifty one million dollars deal,
rob thirty million of its supposedly guaranteed, and then after
one season last year, they cut him. So he got
(12:11):
his twelve and a half million dollars salary. Now, he
did have fifteen million dollars guaranteed, so but that's it.
He doesn't get the rest of that guaranteed money because
he had to be on the roster to get it.
The rest of that contract is gone. Could put and
when he thought he had four years of security and
(12:34):
it turned into one and now he's a free agent.
We'll see if he's able to make that up. He
had a solid year, not a great year, but a
solid year, good year. We'll see if he makes it up. Rob.
But but that's life in the NFL. And that's why
a lot of these NFL players envy the baseball and
basketball players get their money. When you seeing them, christaketball,
(12:57):
Yes that it was a one hundred million dollars two
or a million dollars four hundred million dollars contract. It
is in football. You better do your research, You better
read the fine print because oftentimes it might be a
quarter of that. It really robes only the bonus money
that you're assured of getting. And I guess maybe that
(13:18):
first year that's all it is, Chris, It's but but
but this is why the players have to fight to
get guaranteed I'd rather have a real contract, Chris. That's
only two or three years, but it's guaranteed money, do
you know what I mean? Like he signed a four
(13:39):
year deal. I'd rather have a two year deal with
guaranteed money for both years rather than some phony deal
that they can get out. You might let any point
deal as it is. Right. Yeah, I looked when when
I've talked I don't know what your conversations have been like,
but when I've talked to you know eyes either in
(14:00):
the NFL or who used to be in the NFL
about this, and I'm like, y'all need to get guaranteed deals.
You know, you get some pushback. And I'm talking about
you know, guys that were in the union and all
that you know of them, because because they get ripped
on all the time about the union and how weak
it is Chris and the health benefitive guaranteed contract. But
(14:23):
they also bring up that they and I'm not making excuse,
I'm just telling what they say that they do. You know,
you got fifty three men in football, whereas in you know, baseball,
you got half of that. Not even basketball you got
you know, even less, you got twelve fifteen guys on
the roster. So that's why they say it's hard to guarantee.
(14:43):
But I would say this, Rob, if that's the case,
then there should be something where if you're a starter
for a certain number of years, or you make it
All Pro team or a Pro Bowl once or twice, whatever,
you should be eligible for a guaranteed contract, because I
(15:04):
get it. If they can't give it to the forty
seventh man on the team, okay, but there there should
be steps levels where if you've proven yourself as a
guy who's gonna have a substantial career or a long career,
you know, then you should be able to get a
guaranteed deal. Because as you said, this is nothing. See
this is this is where I think those guys are
(15:27):
have been um brainwashed and have been taken advantage of
and manipulated by the owners. Chris, the NFL. All they
do is print money and brag about how much money
the league makes. So this whole notion that they can't
guarantee the forty seventh man's contract who's only making a
million dollars, it's nonsense. And here's the other part that
(15:51):
then you shouldn't carry that many players if you can't
guarantee them a contract, and you shouldn't guarantee where you
need guys. Well I know, but but but everybody needs
to be everybody else is guaranteed. The coaches contracts guarantee
everybody but these players. It's just not right and the
players have to be willing to fight for it, because
(16:12):
why baseball, Chris, you know, it's not just the twenty
five man roster, twenty seven man roster. They have twenty
minor league teams. They're not making millions of dollars, but
the expenses, all the other stuff that goes with it.
Do you know what I mean? So they're footing the bill.
You can't tell me that the NFL, which has no overhead, Chris,
(16:33):
for minor leagues, no overhead, they have none, that they
can't do it. If they want to, they can do it.
I don't know why players buy into this whole Well,
you know, baseball only got twenty five guy, we got
forty seven, so we can know. But you gotta be
willing to fight for it. And that's what they haven't
(16:54):
been able to do. They were they were ready to
fight over practice days, but not health care. Chris and
and I guaranteed contracts their next union deal. It better
have those two at the top of the list. I'm serious.
I think you and I have had conversations with some
guys at the same time, and you know, they have
(17:17):
all these reasons why I can't still sit whatever. Right,
I agree with you need some security, so at least
for those years you know that you're getting that money.
It's as simple as that. And here's another aspect of it, Rob.
This is why and I respect contracts. I mean, we
(17:37):
have contracts, you know with the Fox. But this is
why I'm not mad at a Deshaun Watson. Now I
think he's he doesn't have leverage, although I think eventually
I think he's gonna get what he wants, which is
a trade. But this is one I'm not mad at
him because the owners are breaking contracts left and right,
and so if he wants to do it, then so
(18:00):
be it. You know, they don't have to explain why
they want to bring they are they explaining why they're
cutting convent a salary cap. It helps them save money,
you know. But that but because that's the stended explanation.
But Chris, that's the system that the why would players?
This is my only issue? Okay for those union guys
who always push back on us when we talk about
(18:22):
how bad it is, Chris, just answer me this. What
contract do you sign where only ownership has a right
to let you go at any point. But if you
have a better year, Kristen, what your contract is, you
can't go. Oh no, I'm out of this. I want
to opt out and go somewhere else where I can
make more money. It's one sided, right right? Why why
(18:45):
would you allow them to get you signed me to
a four year deal? Why are you allowed to get out? Oh?
They'll say, well, you know you can come back, Big Ben,
but you gotta take a pay cut. No, I signed
a deal. Why do I have to when I have
my great year? Right, Chris, I couldn't get a I
couldn't get a raise. No, I already saw it for
that money. That's what they would tell you in Big
(19:07):
Benska if a players willing, because look, they have a
salary cap. Now, if you want to get rid of
the salary cap, that's a whole other thing. But I
don't mind Big Ben. He's gonna get his money. If
he wants to spread it out so that they can
sign other guys. I'm fine with that as long as
he's fine with it. But you are right in that.
I mean with Fox, we got a contract, right, and
(19:31):
whatever our contract says, we are going to get that money.
And you're right. It's not like, oh, they have the
power to just fire us and get rid of our contract. No, no,
they can fire us, but they gotta pay right. And
it should be the same thing with these players. And
I agree with you. They I don't know, man. I
think the owners play on these players feeling of financial insecurity,
(19:58):
like we're so thankful, we're so ground I got a
ten million dollar bonus, which you know, there's nothing to
sneeze at. But the owners know they're just gonna take
what they got because it's so much better than what
they had growing up or whatever the case. No one
and that and that's also Chris. The problem I think
is that it's hard for people to stand up to
(20:22):
these guys when when you're you sound ridiculous, or your
family or whatever, they say, what are you crazy? What
do you mean? You're turning down four million dollars? Do
you know what I mean? No? But I'm worth eight million,
you know what I mean? But but but you would
have a hard time convincing your family that you're turning
down four million dollars. But that's not how it goes.
That's why the union, it has to be a union
(20:43):
thing to make people feel like no, just like just
like with baseball, Chris, Remember when a Rod wanted to
take the pay cut to go to the Red Sox.
The union wouldn't let them. Right. They were like, you
can't do it. It's not just about you. You'll be
hurting all the players if we allow you to take
a pay cut. It wouldn't that that's what the NFL's missing. Yeah,
(21:06):
you're right too, because the union, unless you're a superstar,
it's hard for one player to do it. You can't
do it end up, right, because they can, you know,
they can replace an average player. But that's why the
union has to do it when it's time for collective
bargaining because these dudes want to rob we we we we.
We didn't discuss this again because we've discussed it at
(21:28):
nauseum in the past. But they're gonna play seventeen games
next year, right, And the players are like, oh, it's
extra money for us, Okay, fine, why don't you get
the extra money guaranteed to play another game? Because in football,
every time you step out on that field, you risk
your career being over. And if the average career is
(21:51):
three and a half years, four years, Chris Why can't
those four years be guaranteed? Do you see what I'm saying, Like,
like you should have an him over four years guaranteed
that I'm gonna give my body. I'm gonna give my all.
I might tear my ac on my knee up and
never play again, but I got a four year contract
(22:12):
and they're gonna take care of me. Why why is that?
Why is that out outrageous? That outrageous, not at all?
I think Rob, that that's why Dak Prescott is holding
out so firm, and I gotta give him credit. I
mean that dude is holding out and he's now report
(22:33):
today that he wants right below Patrick Mahomes money. So
he wants more than Deshaun Watson. He knowed good and well,
he ain't better than Deshaun Watson, but he is holding
out for more. He wants to be the second highest
paid quarterback in the league. And I think he's looking
at it like I was a fourth round draft pick,
so you know they were getting me on the cheap. No,
(22:55):
and you know what I mean, like I'm getting every
penny now. It'll be interested because Rob, if he goes,
if he goes somewhere, that's not Dallas, and he's just
a good quarterback, not great. Oh all this Dak Prescott
attention he's gotten it. Maybe that doesn't mean anything to him,
(23:16):
but you know what I'm saying, Like Rod, he is
one of the most talked about quarterbacks in the league.
And it's because he is. There is a value in
being in Dallas. Well, because that's that Cowboys thing we
talk about all the time. Three playoff wins in twenty
five years, but they get sixty percent of the coverage,
you know what, right right right and there, you know,
(23:38):
so he it's gonna be interesting because if he if
they were able to pull off the trade for Seattle
with Seattle to get Russell Wilson to Dallas and Seattle
wasn't as good with d like he would, he could
really uh disappear from the public consciousness those people. But hey,
maybe he'd have his money. So it's gonna be interested
to see how that works out. But I do think
(23:59):
that's a fact the robbing him standing up and good.
The only thing is he almost he almost Chris imagined
that injury could have been worse, right, and he never
never would have played again. I mean, he took a
big chance to go out there and that is It's
like when Isaiah Thomas went out there and played for
the Celtics during the playoffs. Chris not fully not fully healthy.
(24:21):
They'll remember he finished in the MVP voting million he
was one hundred million dollar contract lost. Okay, I think, Rob,
I think the next year he played for like two million. Yep.
I mean, man that Rob. Can you imagine how sick
you would be? How sick would you be? Chris? Oh
my gosh, that think about because yeah, okay, he's making
(24:43):
a few million here and there, which you know that
that ain't one hundred million. That ain't like is lifetime
and next lifetime right for your your your kids. It's
all changed with the millions he's made. I don't know
what he's made, but it ain't one hundred million. It's
a whole different story for him. So you're right, and
the team, the Celtics feel bad for him. No, they
(25:06):
moved right on. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Odd Couple with Chris Broussar then Rob Parker weekdays
at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Rob g hit us to
What's going on down at the University of Texas. Well,
there's a lot going on a University of Texas christ.
It all kind of goes back to this past summer
(25:28):
with a lot of the civil unrest going around across
the country. And it became pretty clear down in Austin
that the players had a big issue with their alma mater,
which is the Eyes of Texas that has some racially
and sensitive undertones. They were very upset about it and
it kind of boiled over after one game where Texas
(25:50):
lost and the only player who was still on the
field to sing the alma mater was their quarterback Who's white?
Who's white? Yes, And apparently, according to reports, he wasn't
there to sing. He was there to talk to a
coach and he just kind of got caught. Theyres, we
got stuff, and it was a team rule right that
they would be out out on the field after the
game singing this song. Let me give you a little
(26:13):
background on that song. It was pleased because good right.
It was based on a quote from Robert E. Lee
who talked about the Eyes of the South. That was
one of his favorite quotes. And Robert E. Lee was
of course a conservative general who fought to maintain slavery
and uh so he talked about, you know, eyes of
(26:37):
the South, and one of the guys, who was you know,
at the University of Texas, uh an influential person there,
started us. He mused it as the Eyes of Texas.
But what happened, rob was some guys, some of the
students wrote a song for like, they wanted to write
a fight song, so to speak, for the school, and
(26:59):
they wrote one called the Eyes of Texas kind of
based on that quote from Robert E. Lee. And here's
the here's the really racist part is that they first
performed it at the University of Texas at a minstrel show.
And this is minstrel shows who don't write when whites
(27:21):
dressed up in African Americans, they put black face on,
so they paint their faces black. And this is during
the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. And they would
perform like black people, but they would you know, so
they would look basically act like they're black, but they weren't.
(27:42):
And the songs were very degrading. They highlighted and and
trafficked and black stereotypes of ignorance and you know, over sex.
And here's the thing robbing. You noticed, but maybe some
of our listeners don't. This was the most popular form
(28:02):
of music in America and popular form of entertainment like
these shows. It was. It was like hip hop. That's
why some people refer to, you know, some forms of
hip hop as minstrel shows because they they stereotype blacks
and stuff like that in negative way. So that's what
the minstrel show was. But this song, for early on
(28:23):
was was performed at minstrel shows at the University of Texas,
and that is where the racism, you know, the more
than undertones are there. And so that's why a lot
that's why the black athletes, once they discovered all this,
they didn't want to stand for it, sing it anything
like that, correct, And then it got really bad. The
(28:47):
Texas Tribute, I think is the newspaper published a series
of emails that the school president had been receiving from
donors and alums having a big issue with the players
not singing the song. And I'm gonna read you just
a few of thems you get a context of what
kind of from the donors Texas donors at the University
of Texas. One guy put his name on it. Larry Wilkinson.
(29:08):
Less than six percent of our current student body is black.
The tale cannot be allowed to wag the dog, and
the dog must instead stand up for what is right.
Nothing forced those students to attend UT Austin. Encourage them
to select an alternate school. Now here's another one, from
again a retired judge, this time Stephen Arnold. UT needs
(29:28):
rich donors who love the eyes of Texas more than
they need one crop of irresponsible and uninformed students or
faculty who won't do what they are paid to do.
Here's another one. This is what I think. Can you
imagine that? Can you imagine that guy having UH have
an effect on your life? Chris being in front of right?
And here's one more scary. This is one. It's a
(29:50):
it's anonymous. Right here, here's one that's anonymous, and for
good reason, I think this is the worst one. It's
time for you talking to the president, to put the
foot down and make it perfectly clearer, perfectly clear, that
the heritage of Texas will not be lost. It's sad
that it's offending blacks. As I said before, the blacks
are free and it's time for them to move on
to another state where everything is in their favor. All right, Look,
(30:14):
I say this to all of those donors, and I
say this to all the black athletes or scholarship at Texas,
because here's the deal, Rob, If you are good enough
to play football at the University of Texas on scholarship,
or basketball at the University of Texas, or baseball at
the University of Texas, guess what you got Plenty of
(30:35):
offers elsewhere, am I right? No doubt of any of
big time schools, Chris right where you're You're a great athlete,
so you've got other offers. And so here's what I say,
take the advice of these donors and go elsewhere. Believe
the University of Texas. Don't play for them. And let's
(30:57):
see how long they even last into Vision one. There'll
be Division three in five years. I'm serious. I mean
their size would keep them at Division one, but that's
about it. They will get pubbled. And let's see how
you like it. Then, all these alums, and let me
just say this ride before I hand it to you.
(31:17):
Your tradition is not more important than human lives, human being.
These black people aren't just all this is offensive. No,
that tradition led to death, That tradition led to poverty
and discrimination and oppression and all of that. That's what
(31:42):
some people don't seem to understand. And all they care
about is so they can go out enjoy their Saturday afternoon,
drink their beer, and have black people perform for them.
That's all they care about. They don't care about the players.
And I blame let me tell you something. As much
(32:03):
as I despise some of these alum and these people
who think that, you know, you gotta stand up and
sing their song otherwise you're you're you're doing a school
of disservice and all that other stuff. I just think
these people are so misguided, they really are. But I
also blame the black athletes. Chris, and I'm gonna say it,
(32:25):
why are you going somewhere playing somewhere where they don't
care about you? Seriously, I'm dead I'm dead serious. They
don't where they don't care about you. They care about
your ability to play ball and to give their school
name recognition around the country so that people can feel
good about Texas or you know, Old miss or some
(32:46):
of these school Alabama or some of these schools. But
I couldn't do it, Chris, I'm telling you I couldn't
do it. I don't care what kind of athlete. I
couldn't do it. I couldn't go to a place jet
just because to go play football at a place that
doesn't care about me, doesn't care about my people, doesn't
care about my well being, and the only thing that
(33:08):
matters to them is what they want, and that's what
these players are in this situation. Well, I think there's
a few things. One, I think a lot of the
athletes don't know, Like I'm sure Rob that when a
lot of these athletes went to Texas or even saw,
you know, this tradition, or even participated in it, they
(33:30):
didn't know, you know what I mean, they didn't know
the background of it. They're just singing it like it's
a song, you know. And that's one. And I also think, look,
let's not act like it's only that it was only
the South that was racist. I mean, the North didn't
have slavery as long as the South, but it benefited
from the slave trade, make no mistake about it, because
(33:52):
Northern industries were selling and manufacturing and buying goods, you know,
trading with the South that were you know, stuff that
was necessary for slavery. And so the North kid claim
innocence in all of this stuff because most of the
Ivy League schools, most colleges in America that were founded
(34:15):
before the Civil War benefited from slavery. So it's not
just Alabama Old Miss lsu are that. Yeah, those are.
It was worse obviously in the South, but I could
really go that go there about many schools. I mean, heck,
most of the Ivy League schools have already admitted that
they benefited from slavery. They haven't really done anything about
(34:39):
They've just admitted it. A few have done little minor things.
But so I think that's it's just the history of
this country. Some of that's unavoidable. But now Rob brothers
do know, and I think they need to step up now.
And like I said, all right, you're saying you don't
want us, You're not gonna listen to us, You're gonna
(35:01):
disrespect us, you want us to go with along with
these traditions that are disrespectful to my race and ethnicity
of people. Come on, I'm out of here. And then
let's see how things go at the University of Texas
for their athletic programs. I bet that'll be a lot
of fun. When you're getting demolished by seventy points every Saturday,
(35:21):
it'll be it's it's it's it's just ugly. I just
can't get over like the songs and just like like
we don't care what it says. Just do just sing
our songs, you know what I mean? Chris, like, like
the goal of it, it's it's just ugly. It doesn't
it doesn't feel good. I just wouldn't participate. And you
(35:42):
know what, my right as an American citizen not to
stand for the national anthem, not to salute the flag,
those are all the things that I'm guaranteed. Why should
should a university football song supersede my rights as an
American citizen? Says who? Chris says who
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcasts.
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(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of the Odd
Couple with Chris Brush and Rob Harker. Rob, we have
talked about it before to a small degree. Now we're
gonna really dive in. James Harden, the year started in
a crazy manner for him, trade demand Russell Westbrook didn't
(00:46):
want to play with him anymore. He didn't want to
play with Westbrook anymore, he didn't want to play in
Houston anymore. Comes out drops at forty four in his
first game, just killing it the first few games, and
the fact Houston' is like, oh, don't forget right, And
Houston's thinking, oh, he gonta ball like this. Then we trading,
(01:08):
and so he finally says, you know what, for them
to trade me, I'm gonna have to uh like Les,
let lighten up a little bit. At goes down now,
Now check this out. He's still averaged twenty four and
eleven assists, close to eleven ten and a half assist
with Houston, but he played eight of nine games, kind
(01:29):
of dogged it for a few of them, even though
he put up numbers and he got traded. And uh,
since he's been in Brooklyn, he has been lighting it
up so much. So last night he goes for thirty
fifteen was it fifteen rebounds or fifteen assists? It was
(01:50):
thirty points, fifteen assists and fourteen rebounds tripled up ridiculous
in twenty two games. How about this? That the most
triple doubles for a Nuts player in history in the season.
In the season, he's already passed Chris Well. Kid had
twelve in the season. Oh I thought they said he
only had six from what I read. Okay, Well, but
(02:13):
he will pass that in short order. But he will
pass that. But yeah, so he is lightening it up
so much so that Brad Doherty and for you youngsters,
Rob because the youngsters probably don't know, Brad Doherty was
a heck of a player. He had a bad hairline,
but he could ball out Chris what they used to say,
had a three head or something. This is true. They
(02:38):
made he had but his his hair live gonna go ball,
he did. His hairline almost touched his eyebrows. That's how
close his hair lied. Seriously, he didn't have a forehead,
Chris Well, that's what they said. He had a three
head or two. It wasn't. It wasn't a forehead because
I'm telling you his hairline was right above his eyebrows.
(03:02):
It was unbelievable. Yes, but he was a really good player.
Play with Michael Jordan at North Carolina, then went to
the Cleveland Cavaliers and did damage, did work and a
back injury. I actually covered. I was the beat writer
for the Cavaliers the year he retired with back injury. Yeah,
he had bad discs in his back and had to retire.
(03:25):
But he was robbed. He was probably on pace for
a Hall of Fame career. He was a really nine
for his eight years or whatever he ended up. Some
of the millennials probably snow him Chris for the for
the Nascars. Uh, you know, he's a NASCAR anno like
this him at the old network. I saw him in
(03:46):
the halls, but I never worked. I worked with him
several shows. Good guy, really a lot of fun. Good
guy and um but anyway, he's he's talking basketball somewhere
and uh, here's what he said about James Harden. I
take back anything bad or negative I said about James Harden.
James Harden what no, No, you could still say it's you.
(04:09):
James Harden is the best player in the NBA. He is.
He may be the best offensive player I've ever seen.
I'm telling you he is at a wold I now
I know the playoff stuff and all that he is.
It's unbelievable. His numbers are are gotten so easily. And
(04:34):
I was watching the game and I was thinking back
to watching him with Houston when he was kind of
going in about sixty five seventy percent and it's still
scoring thirty. I'm telling you, man, this guy is unbelievable
and and I think he is absolutely the best player
in the NBA. M now was our huge words for
(04:56):
several reasons. Right. Number one, he called him best player
in the world. Number two, this is a guy that
faced Michael Jordans many times, played with Michael Jordan at
North Carolina and faced them several times in the NBA.
And let me say this to all those out there
because there's a lot of people ride probably aren't even
watching some of the games and they're just looking in
(05:19):
the box score and Kyrie's playing tremendously. But if you
just look at the numbers, you might say, well, Kyrie's
playing better. He's a leading scorer, you know, you know
with durand James is doing everything hardening hardened is I mean,
he rob he is looking like one of the best
point guards we've ever seen. I totally, Chris, because you know,
(05:42):
I've been I've been focused in on that Brooklyn team.
Every chance I get a chance to watch them, I do,
and I'm always, you know, trying to see how it fits.
You know, even without Durant and and uh, Harden has
been tremendous. I'm telling you, I don't even recommends this
guy from the guy who played to Houston. And I'm
dead serious, and I do. I remember him at Okase
(06:08):
and he showed playmaking ability, unselfishness, all great passing skills,
and he showed him in Houston. I remember he led
the league and assist I know, but but but my
vision of him, yeah, he was. My vision of him
is just taking these threes and you know, drawing the
fouls and and just like holding onto the ball, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble.
(06:32):
Put up at three. That's not where he is, Chris.
And if you're the Nets organization, ownership coaching staff, you
are ecstatic. Are you kidding that a guy of that
caliber could come join in and do what they've been doing,
which is they've lost one game, they lost the game.
(06:52):
We're only hard and played like what was that game
they just got? They've they've won ten of their last
eleven or nine of their past ten, something like that,
sixteen and six in his twenty two games with the Nets.
And remember a lot of that is without Durant seven games, Chris,
(07:13):
those three have only played seven games. So it is
phenomenal what he's doing. I think Rob and I'm an
MVP voter, he's right there. I think Lebron Harden and
Joe lmb not in that order, but those are the
three front runners. I don't know in order at this point.
I mean, you don't need one at this point of
(07:33):
the see. But but he's in the conversation. He's in
the conversation and you know what you said it. I
think he's still below because of what Harden is doing.
But you you mentioned it before. Kyrie's balling out. He's
been Chris since he came back. I know he's missed
a couple of games. I think he's playing just like
he did before he left. But he's playing. But you
(07:55):
know he's doing He's been great the whole season when
he's there, no right, no doubt, but just saying, like
when the first coming back, people were wondering where his
head would be after the layoff or whatever. He's just
picked up. You're right where he left off. It's been
fun to watch. Yeah, and the question now And I
was on the First Things First this morning debating with
(08:15):
Nick Wright. Nick Wright wants to believe he feels like
Harden is basically disqualified for MVP because of what the
four or five games he dogged it in Houston. And
I get it. If it's nipping, tuck and close, that
could be something you know, you hold against him, Well,
(08:37):
this guy played all eighty two hard, whatever, But to
think that that disqualifies him, I'm sorry it doesn't. It
was like four five games. It wasn't a quarter of
the season. It wasn't certainly wasn't half of the season.
And if the Nets continue to play at this pace,
(08:57):
Rob continue to essa made the other elite teams in
the league, and he continues to be the key, And
he's the key because his unselfishness. Rob him going there
immediately taking the third most amount of shots behind Kyrie
and k D. He said, a tone, and then playing
(09:19):
point guard, not playing two, he said, a tone of unselfishness.
And you're watching them, they all make the extra pass.
All of the role players are touching the rock. I mean, heck,
last night, this dude named Nick Claxton, who I have
no idea, somebody named Nicholas Claxton dropped like twenty one
(09:39):
or nineteen or something. But everybody's getting open looks. Say
get open looks, and they're getting the ball, Chris, they're open.
The ball is coming their way. That's what I'm saying.
If you're coach, if you're the coaching staff and you're
Steve Nash and those guys, you gotta be like, dude,
I'm loving this. You gotta be loving it because you
(09:59):
just mentioned it. All kinds of guys, Harris, All these
guys are coming up with big games. It ain't just
those two or three and Durant spin Out hasn't missed
a beat. When that guy comes back after the All
Star break. There'll be a few nights when they don't
play well and they lose, but they're not gonna lose
that off and Chris, I don't think they will. And
that's the thing both you and I are like, Look,
(10:20):
if they run through the second half of the season,
really put a ton of distance between themselves and whoever
second place in the East, it's gonna be hard to
hold the MVP trophy away from James Harden. And we'll see.
Like I said, I think Lebron still very much in
the hunt. Joel mbad and we'll see if anybody else
jumps up. There's thirty five games are so left, but
(10:43):
right now that dude is very much in the conversation.
Fox Sports Radio has the best sports talk lineup in
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Game with me LeVar Arrington, t J. Hushman, z Otta,
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wherever you get your podcast from a story you know,
we see this happen every so often. It is the NFL. Right,
and a year after signing Kyle van Noy, he was
(11:50):
a team captain all right, two time Super Bowl champion,
he won his rings in New England. They signed him
in Miami to a four year, fifty one million dollars deal,
rob thirty million of its supposedly guaranteed, and then after
one season last year, they cut him. So he got
(12:11):
his twelve and a half million dollars salary. Now, he
did have fifteen million dollars guaranteed, so but that's it.
He doesn't get the rest of that guaranteed money because
he had to be on the roster to get it.
The rest of that contract is gone. Could put and
when he thought he had four years of security and
(12:34):
it turned into one and now he's a free agent.
We'll see if he's able to make that up. He
had a solid year, not a great year, but a
solid year, good year. We'll see if he makes it up. Rob.
But but that's life in the NFL. And that's why
a lot of these NFL players envy the baseball and
basketball players get their money. When you seeing them, christaketball,
(12:57):
Yes that it was a one hundred million dollars two
or a million dollars four hundred million dollars contract. It
is in football. You better do your research, You better
read the fine print because oftentimes it might be a
quarter of that. It really robes only the bonus money
that you're assured of getting. And I guess maybe that
(13:18):
first year that's all it is, Chris, It's but but
but this is why the players have to fight to
get guaranteed I'd rather have a real contract, Chris. That's
only two or three years, but it's guaranteed money, do
you know what I mean? Like he signed a four
(13:39):
year deal. I'd rather have a two year deal with
guaranteed money for both years rather than some phony deal
that they can get out. You might let any point
deal as it is. Right. Yeah, I looked when when
I've talked I don't know what your conversations have been like,
but when I've talked to you know eyes either in
(14:00):
the NFL or who used to be in the NFL
about this, and I'm like, y'all need to get guaranteed deals.
You know, you get some pushback. And I'm talking about
you know, guys that were in the union and all
that you know of them, because because they get ripped
on all the time about the union and how weak
it is Chris and the health benefitive guaranteed contract. But
(14:23):
they also bring up that they and I'm not making excuse,
I'm just telling what they say that they do. You know,
you got fifty three men in football, whereas in you know, baseball,
you got half of that. Not even basketball you got
you know, even less, you got twelve fifteen guys on
the roster. So that's why they say it's hard to guarantee.
(14:43):
But I would say this, Rob, if that's the case,
then there should be something where if you're a starter
for a certain number of years, or you make it
All Pro team or a Pro Bowl once or twice, whatever,
you should be eligible for a guaranteed contract, because I
(15:04):
get it. If they can't give it to the forty
seventh man on the team, okay, but there there should
be steps levels where if you've proven yourself as a
guy who's gonna have a substantial career or a long career,
you know, then you should be able to get a
guaranteed deal. Because as you said, this is nothing. See
this is this is where I think those guys are
(15:27):
have been um brainwashed and have been taken advantage of
and manipulated by the owners. Chris, the NFL. All they
do is print money and brag about how much money
the league makes. So this whole notion that they can't
guarantee the forty seventh man's contract who's only making a
million dollars, it's nonsense. And here's the other part that
(15:51):
then you shouldn't carry that many players if you can't
guarantee them a contract, and you shouldn't guarantee where you
need guys. Well I know, but but but everybody needs
to be everybody else is guaranteed. The coaches contracts guarantee
everybody but these players. It's just not right and the
players have to be willing to fight for it, because
(16:12):
why baseball, Chris, you know, it's not just the twenty
five man roster, twenty seven man roster. They have twenty
minor league teams. They're not making millions of dollars, but
the expenses, all the other stuff that goes with it.
Do you know what I mean? So they're footing the bill.
You can't tell me that the NFL, which has no overhead, Chris,
(16:33):
for minor leagues, no overhead, they have none, that they
can't do it. If they want to, they can do it.
I don't know why players buy into this whole Well,
you know, baseball only got twenty five guy, we got
forty seven, so we can know. But you gotta be
willing to fight for it. And that's what they haven't
(16:54):
been able to do. They were they were ready to
fight over practice days, but not health care. Chris and
and I guaranteed contracts their next union deal. It better
have those two at the top of the list. I'm serious.
I think you and I have had conversations with some
guys at the same time, and you know, they have
(17:17):
all these reasons why I can't still sit whatever. Right,
I agree with you need some security, so at least
for those years you know that you're getting that money.
It's as simple as that. And here's another aspect of it, Rob.
This is why and I respect contracts. I mean, we
(17:37):
have contracts, you know with the Fox. But this is
why I'm not mad at a Deshaun Watson. Now I
think he's he doesn't have leverage, although I think eventually
I think he's gonna get what he wants, which is
a trade. But this is one I'm not mad at
him because the owners are breaking contracts left and right,
and so if he wants to do it, then so
(18:00):
be it. You know, they don't have to explain why
they want to bring they are they explaining why they're
cutting convent a salary cap. It helps them save money,
you know. But that but because that's the stended explanation.
But Chris, that's the system that the why would players?
This is my only issue? Okay for those union guys
who always push back on us when we talk about
(18:22):
how bad it is, Chris, just answer me this. What
contract do you sign where only ownership has a right
to let you go at any point. But if you
have a better year, Kristen, what your contract is, you
can't go. Oh no, I'm out of this. I want
to opt out and go somewhere else where I can
make more money. It's one sided, right right? Why why
(18:45):
would you allow them to get you signed me to
a four year deal? Why are you allowed to get out? Oh?
They'll say, well, you know you can come back, Big Ben,
but you gotta take a pay cut. No, I signed
a deal. Why do I have to when I have
my great year? Right, Chris, I couldn't get a I
couldn't get a raise. No, I already saw it for
that money. That's what they would tell you in Big
(19:07):
Benska if a players willing, because look, they have a
salary cap. Now, if you want to get rid of
the salary cap, that's a whole other thing. But I
don't mind Big Ben. He's gonna get his money. If
he wants to spread it out so that they can
sign other guys. I'm fine with that as long as
he's fine with it. But you are right in that.
I mean with Fox, we got a contract, right, and
(19:31):
whatever our contract says, we are going to get that money.
And you're right. It's not like, oh, they have the
power to just fire us and get rid of our contract. No, no,
they can fire us, but they gotta pay right. And
it should be the same thing with these players. And
I agree with you. They I don't know, man. I
think the owners play on these players feeling of financial insecurity,
(19:58):
like we're so thankful, we're so ground I got a
ten million dollar bonus, which you know, there's nothing to
sneeze at. But the owners know they're just gonna take
what they got because it's so much better than what
they had growing up or whatever the case. No one
and that and that's also Chris. The problem I think
is that it's hard for people to stand up to
(20:22):
these guys when when you're you sound ridiculous, or your
family or whatever, they say, what are you crazy? What
do you mean? You're turning down four million dollars? Do
you know what I mean? No? But I'm worth eight million,
you know what I mean? But but but you would
have a hard time convincing your family that you're turning
down four million dollars. But that's not how it goes.
That's why the union, it has to be a union
(20:43):
thing to make people feel like no, just like just
like with baseball, Chris, Remember when a Rod wanted to
take the pay cut to go to the Red Sox.
The union wouldn't let them. Right. They were like, you
can't do it. It's not just about you. You'll be
hurting all the players if we allow you to take
a pay cut. It wouldn't that that's what the NFL's missing. Yeah,
(21:06):
you're right too, because the union, unless you're a superstar,
it's hard for one player to do it. You can't
do it end up, right, because they can, you know,
they can replace an average player. But that's why the
union has to do it when it's time for collective
bargaining because these dudes want to rob we we we we.
We didn't discuss this again because we've discussed it at
(21:28):
nauseum in the past. But they're gonna play seventeen games
next year, right, And the players are like, oh, it's
extra money for us, Okay, fine, why don't you get
the extra money guaranteed to play another game? Because in football,
every time you step out on that field, you risk
your career being over. And if the average career is
(21:51):
three and a half years, four years, Chris Why can't
those four years be guaranteed? Do you see what I'm saying, Like,
like you should have an him over four years guaranteed
that I'm gonna give my body. I'm gonna give my all.
I might tear my ac on my knee up and
never play again, but I got a four year contract
(22:12):
and they're gonna take care of me. Why why is that?
Why is that out outrageous? That outrageous, not at all?
I think Rob, that that's why Dak Prescott is holding
out so firm, and I gotta give him credit. I
mean that dude is holding out and he's now report
(22:33):
today that he wants right below Patrick Mahomes money. So
he wants more than Deshaun Watson. He knowed good and well,
he ain't better than Deshaun Watson, but he is holding
out for more. He wants to be the second highest
paid quarterback in the league. And I think he's looking
at it like I was a fourth round draft pick,
so you know they were getting me on the cheap. No,
(22:55):
and you know what I mean, like I'm getting every
penny now. It'll be interested because Rob, if he goes,
if he goes somewhere, that's not Dallas, and he's just
a good quarterback, not great. Oh all this Dak Prescott
attention he's gotten it. Maybe that doesn't mean anything to him,
(23:16):
but you know what I'm saying, Like Rod, he is
one of the most talked about quarterbacks in the league.
And it's because he is. There is a value in
being in Dallas. Well, because that's that Cowboys thing we
talk about all the time. Three playoff wins in twenty
five years, but they get sixty percent of the coverage,
you know what, right right right and there, you know,
(23:38):
so he it's gonna be interesting because if he if
they were able to pull off the trade for Seattle
with Seattle to get Russell Wilson to Dallas and Seattle
wasn't as good with d like he would, he could
really uh disappear from the public consciousness those people. But hey,
maybe he'd have his money. So it's gonna be interested
to see how that works out. But I do think
(23:59):
that's a fact the robbing him standing up and good.
The only thing is he almost he almost Chris imagined
that injury could have been worse, right, and he never
never would have played again. I mean, he took a
big chance to go out there and that is It's
like when Isaiah Thomas went out there and played for
the Celtics during the playoffs. Chris not fully not fully healthy.
(24:21):
They'll remember he finished in the MVP voting million he
was one hundred million dollar contract lost. Okay, I think, Rob,
I think the next year he played for like two million. Yep.
I mean, man that Rob. Can you imagine how sick
you would be? How sick would you be? Chris? Oh
my gosh, that think about because yeah, okay, he's making
(24:43):
a few million here and there, which you know that
that ain't one hundred million. That ain't like is lifetime
and next lifetime right for your your your kids. It's
all changed with the millions he's made. I don't know
what he's made, but it ain't one hundred million. It's
a whole different story for him. So you're right, and
the team, the Celtics feel bad for him. No, they
(25:06):
moved right on. Be sure to catch live editions of
The Odd Couple with Chris Broussar then Rob Parker weekdays
at seven pm Eastern four pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Rob g hit us to
What's going on down at the University of Texas. Well,
there's a lot going on a University of Texas christ.
It all kind of goes back to this past summer
(25:28):
with a lot of the civil unrest going around across
the country. And it became pretty clear down in Austin
that the players had a big issue with their alma mater,
which is the Eyes of Texas that has some racially
and sensitive undertones. They were very upset about it and
it kind of boiled over after one game where Texas
(25:50):
lost and the only player who was still on the
field to sing the alma mater was their quarterback Who's white?
Who's white? Yes, And apparently, according to reports, he wasn't
there to sing. He was there to talk to a
coach and he just kind of got caught. Theyres, we
got stuff, and it was a team rule right that
they would be out out on the field after the
game singing this song. Let me give you a little
(26:13):
background on that song. It was pleased because good right.
It was based on a quote from Robert E. Lee
who talked about the Eyes of the South. That was
one of his favorite quotes. And Robert E. Lee was
of course a conservative general who fought to maintain slavery
and uh so he talked about, you know, eyes of
(26:37):
the South, and one of the guys, who was you know,
at the University of Texas, uh an influential person there,
started us. He mused it as the Eyes of Texas.
But what happened, rob was some guys, some of the
students wrote a song for like, they wanted to write
a fight song, so to speak, for the school, and
(26:59):
they wrote one called the Eyes of Texas kind of
based on that quote from Robert E. Lee. And here's
the here's the really racist part is that they first
performed it at the University of Texas at a minstrel show.
And this is minstrel shows who don't write when whites
(27:21):
dressed up in African Americans, they put black face on,
so they paint their faces black. And this is during
the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. And they would
perform like black people, but they would you know, so
they would look basically act like they're black, but they weren't.
(27:42):
And the songs were very degrading. They highlighted and and
trafficked and black stereotypes of ignorance and you know, over sex.
And here's the thing robbing. You noticed, but maybe some
of our listeners don't. This was the most popular form
(28:02):
of music in America and popular form of entertainment like
these shows. It was. It was like hip hop. That's
why some people refer to, you know, some forms of
hip hop as minstrel shows because they they stereotype blacks
and stuff like that in negative way. So that's what
the minstrel show was. But this song, for early on
(28:23):
was was performed at minstrel shows at the University of Texas,
and that is where the racism, you know, the more
than undertones are there. And so that's why a lot
that's why the black athletes, once they discovered all this,
they didn't want to stand for it, sing it anything
like that, correct, And then it got really bad. The
(28:47):
Texas Tribute, I think is the newspaper published a series
of emails that the school president had been receiving from
donors and alums having a big issue with the players
not singing the song. And I'm gonna read you just
a few of thems you get a context of what
kind of from the donors Texas donors at the University
of Texas. One guy put his name on it. Larry Wilkinson.
(29:08):
Less than six percent of our current student body is black.
The tale cannot be allowed to wag the dog, and
the dog must instead stand up for what is right.
Nothing forced those students to attend UT Austin. Encourage them
to select an alternate school. Now here's another one, from
again a retired judge, this time Stephen Arnold. UT needs
(29:28):
rich donors who love the eyes of Texas more than
they need one crop of irresponsible and uninformed students or
faculty who won't do what they are paid to do.
Here's another one. This is what I think. Can you
imagine that? Can you imagine that guy having UH have
an effect on your life? Chris being in front of right?
And here's one more scary. This is one. It's a
(29:50):
it's anonymous. Right here, here's one that's anonymous, and for
good reason, I think this is the worst one. It's
time for you talking to the president, to put the
foot down and make it perfectly clearer, perfectly clear, that
the heritage of Texas will not be lost. It's sad
that it's offending blacks. As I said before, the blacks
are free and it's time for them to move on
to another state where everything is in their favor. All right, Look,
(30:14):
I say this to all of those donors, and I
say this to all the black athletes or scholarship at Texas,
because here's the deal, Rob, If you are good enough
to play football at the University of Texas on scholarship,
or basketball at the University of Texas, or baseball at
the University of Texas, guess what you got Plenty of
(30:35):
offers elsewhere, am I right? No doubt of any of
big time schools, Chris right where you're You're a great athlete,
so you've got other offers. And so here's what I say,
take the advice of these donors and go elsewhere. Believe
the University of Texas. Don't play for them. And let's
(30:57):
see how long they even last into Vision one. There'll
be Division three in five years. I'm serious. I mean
their size would keep them at Division one, but that's
about it. They will get pubbled. And let's see how
you like it. Then, all these alums, and let me
just say this ride before I hand it to you.
(31:17):
Your tradition is not more important than human lives, human being.
These black people aren't just all this is offensive. No,
that tradition led to death, That tradition led to poverty
and discrimination and oppression and all of that. That's what
(31:42):
some people don't seem to understand. And all they care
about is so they can go out enjoy their Saturday afternoon,
drink their beer, and have black people perform for them.
That's all they care about. They don't care about the players.
And I blame let me tell you something. As much
(32:03):
as I despise some of these alum and these people
who think that, you know, you gotta stand up and
sing their song otherwise you're you're you're doing a school
of disservice and all that other stuff. I just think
these people are so misguided, they really are. But I
also blame the black athletes. Chris, and I'm gonna say it,
(32:25):
why are you going somewhere playing somewhere where they don't
care about you? Seriously, I'm dead I'm dead serious. They
don't where they don't care about you. They care about
your ability to play ball and to give their school
name recognition around the country so that people can feel
good about Texas or you know, Old miss or some
(32:46):
of these school Alabama or some of these schools. But
I couldn't do it, Chris, I'm telling you I couldn't
do it. I don't care what kind of athlete. I
couldn't do it. I couldn't go to a place jet
just because to go play football at a place that
doesn't care about me, doesn't care about my people, doesn't
care about my well being, and the only thing that
(33:08):
matters to them is what they want, and that's what
these players are in this situation. Well, I think there's
a few things. One, I think a lot of the
athletes don't know, Like I'm sure Rob that when a
lot of these athletes went to Texas or even saw,
you know, this tradition, or even participated in it, they
(33:30):
didn't know, you know what I mean, they didn't know
the background of it. They're just singing it like it's
a song, you know. And that's one. And I also think, look,
let's not act like it's only that it was only
the South that was racist. I mean, the North didn't
have slavery as long as the South, but it benefited
from the slave trade, make no mistake about it, because
(33:52):
Northern industries were selling and manufacturing and buying goods, you know,
trading with the South that were you know, stuff that
was necessary for slavery. And so the North kid claim
innocence in all of this stuff because most of the
Ivy League schools, most colleges in America that were founded
(34:15):
before the Civil War benefited from slavery. So it's not
just Alabama Old Miss lsu are that. Yeah, those are.
It was worse obviously in the South, but I could
really go that go there about many schools. I mean, heck,
most of the Ivy League schools have already admitted that
they benefited from slavery. They haven't really done anything about
(34:39):
They've just admitted it. A few have done little minor things.
But so I think that's it's just the history of
this country. Some of that's unavoidable. But now Rob brothers
do know, and I think they need to step up now.
And like I said, all right, you're saying you don't
want us, You're not gonna listen to us, You're gonna
(35:01):
disrespect us, you want us to go with along with
these traditions that are disrespectful to my race and ethnicity
of people. Come on, I'm out of here. And then
let's see how things go at the University of Texas
for their athletic programs. I bet that'll be a lot
of fun. When you're getting demolished by seventy points every Saturday,
(35:21):
it'll be it's it's it's it's just ugly. I just
can't get over like the songs and just like like
we don't care what it says. Just do just sing
our songs, you know what I mean? Chris, like, like
the goal of it, it's it's just ugly. It doesn't
it doesn't feel good. I just wouldn't participate. And you
(35:42):
know what, my right as an American citizen not to
stand for the national anthem, not to salute the flag,
those are all the things that I'm guaranteed. Why should
should a university football song supersede my rights as an
American citizen? Says who? Chris says who
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kelvin washington
Rob Parker
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