May 4, 2021 • 36 mins
Chris and Rob explain why Washington Wizards head coach Scott Brooks is dead wrong when he says that Russell Westbrook is the second greatest point guard in NBA history, and tell us why Terry Bradshaw was out of bounds for calling Aaron Rodgers 'weak' for being upset with the Green Bay Packers front office. Plus, The Athletic DC editor-in-chief David Aldridge swings by to discuss Westbrook and the NBA at-large.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
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(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of The Odd
Couple with Chris Russell and Rod Harker Russell Westbrook And
you heard me last night during the show, I was
updating his numbers. He had nineteen assists with like three
and a half minutes left in the third quarter, so
(00:42):
you knew something special was in store. And Russell Westbrook
winds up with fourteen points, twenty one rebounds, and twenty
four assists in a victory over Indiana, and the dude
is playing remarkable basketball. He became one of only two
players in NBA history to have a twenty rebound twenty
(01:07):
assists game in their career. The other Wilt Chamberlain. Westbrooks
does it twice, Rob Wilt Chamberlain did it once, So
high praise deserve for Russell Westbrook. He's going to average
a triple double for the fourth straight or not straight,
but for the fourth season of his career, which is incredible.
(01:29):
Only one person has averaged a triple double for a
season besides westbrook and that's Oscar Robertson, who did it
one time. And so that sparked some nonsense, some straight
up nonsense from his coach, Scott Brooks. Here you go.
(01:50):
I used to always say he's gonna probably go down
as the third best point guard ever, but I think
he's past one and he's gonna go down as probably
the second best. And one is obviously magic what he does.
There's no point guard has ever done it. Nobody. All right, um,
look I'll get I'll start out positive. First of all,
I'm I like Russell Westbrooks game. I mean, I said
(02:13):
it today on the herb Rob. He is an individual
and incredible individual phenom. He's a spectacle like. He's very
reminiscent to me of Alan Iverson. Just does incredible things
on the basketball court that very few other players in
(02:34):
history could do. I'm ready to say Russell Westbrooks one
of the top five athletes to ever play in the NBA.
I mean, I'm just throwing this off the top of
my head, but Lebron, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Alan Iverson
for his size to do what he did, and Westbrook like,
(02:54):
I mean, you can argue that, but he's in there.
I'll give him that, and I'll give Scott Brooks that
I don't. There's not another point maybe Magic Johnson, who
could put up the numbers that Westbrooks put up. There's
not another point guard outside of Magic that probably could
average a triple double. So I'll give it. And if
(03:17):
that is that Scott Brooks's measurement of what a great
point guard it, I guess. So, so he's got magic
what Magic never average a triple double, but I think
he could have. But to say Russell Westbrook is the
second greatest point guard, even to say he was the third,
I don't know who he had. Thirty have Isaiah Thomas,
(03:40):
you have Steph Curry, Oscar Robinson. To say Westbrook is
even third is out of pocket because he's not. He's
an all time great Hall of Famer, legend icon who
thirty years from now we will be saying Russell Westbrook
average a triple double four years. Lebron never did it,
(04:01):
Magic never did it. Penny Hardaway never did it before
he got hurt. Jason Kidd never did. We'll see if
I mean, if Luca and Yoakin start doing it, then
it'll lose some of its power. But to this point,
no one else can do it, and that will make
him a guy we talk about in all inspiring ways forever.
(04:23):
So I got no like he's great, but there ain't
no way. He's the second best point guard of all time.
And I say that if I had to start a
team with the point guard, I pick a lot over Westbrook,
as great as he is, because I think it can
be hard to win with It's like Iverson was hard
(04:44):
to win with him because there's the way they played.
Tremendous individual whirldwins. But guy, it's hard to build a team.
You gotta build it perfect. Like Rob, you were there, well,
you were covering the league when Larry Brown built that
team around Iverson that got to the finals in two
thousand and one in Philadelphia. If Westbrook had a Larry
(05:06):
Brown to do that for him, I think he could
lead the team to the finals and maybe more. But
that's what it takes. They specially built that team around
Iverson because he was so different and unique and that's
what Westbrook would need. Yeah, I just think this is
your classic example of prisoner of the moment. And what
(05:26):
I mean by that is what he's doing and how
he's playing right now is mind boggling, you know. Just
you gotta give him his props on how well he's playing.
But I think people are glossing over a lot. The
last time I saw him in the playoffs with hard
and he couldn't make a shot, you know, like I
remember those Do you remember those moments, Chris where he's
(05:46):
going through he can't make an open jump shot like like,
so I've seen the really bad as well. And I'm
not just here to pick on him because but but
I think when you your player and you want to,
you know, make them feel good about what they're doing,
I just think people could go over the top. And
(06:07):
that's what Scott Brooks, uh did hear it in just
proclaiming I mean, the only other thing he could have
just said is he's the best point guard ever. I
mean even he couldn't even he couldn't say that because
he knew that would be ridiculous, like like, because he
hasn't want anything, and there's a lot of other issues
that go on in calling somebody the greatest of all time.
(06:27):
So I think even he had to pump the brakes
and realize, I can't, I can't overdo it, otherwise nobody
will take me seriously at all, you know what I mean,
Like had he put that out there, so I think
that he called himself and was like, okay, yeah, like
like let me not, let me not make this null
and void or dead on arrival, Chris, because if he
(06:48):
would have said that, would have said this is dead
on arrival and probably would have laughed about it. Craig
Melvin probably would have been laughing for the last hour
you know after that's right to Scott Brooks said it
and wouldn't have time to do his news on the NBC.
But anyway, Uh yeah, it just feels h extra. I
(07:12):
remember he coached him in Oklahoma City too, right, I mean,
he's he loves the guy. He feels good good about him,
you know what I mean. There's a lot of things
you guys help, you helped, your job has made you millions,
you know what I mean, Like you got an affinity
for him, you have uh special feelings for him and whatnot.
So I get all that. I just think this is
(07:33):
off base, and I think if people would really take
a look at other point guards the triple double. I
said it before, when he gets him Christ at one point,
you know, when we looked at it, the ok right man,
they had a great way better record when he when
he did it, and I and that was helped me
to sign off on it. That it wasn't just you know, hey,
(07:56):
I got eight assists, I need to get two more,
you know what I mean? And another law you know stuff.
It wasn't that kind of basketball. But second best point guard.
I just have four words. No way, no how is
he the second best point guard ever in the NBA.
There's no way. I look, I got Steph Curry is
(08:17):
the second best. I know you w know how, I
don't see how Like you said, it would be acidine
to put him ahead of Magic, which obviously I agree,
but this was dark to put him ahead of Steph,
to put him ahead of Isaiah Thomas. I don't know.
The longer than Isaiah Thomas has not played, the more
(08:39):
that people act like he didn't exist, that he didn't
be bird Magic and Michael during his prime, that he
did it without without a player of his equal footing.
I mean, I just like in a and tough NBA.
One of the things it is Rob and I don't.
I mean, Scott Brooks is a coach. He's young, so
(08:59):
maybe he is into that. I'm not positive. But the
analytics guys don't like Isaiah's. Analytic numbers aren't all that
Neither were Kobe's. That's why they rate Kobe lower too,
the analytics guys. That's the only thing I can do.
I'll go a step further. I mean, look and Westbrook
(09:22):
one of the indictments against him is he has played
with Kevin Durant for eight years, didn't win a championship,
played with James Harden. I know they were pups, but
they played, but didn't. They played together in Houston and
that didn't work out so well. Paul George and now
Bradley build Rob. They're a tenth seed in the East.
(09:43):
I know they're on a hot streak now, but they're
a tenth seed. Were they were buried. They were buried right.
Isaiah Thomas had no With all due respect to Adrian
dad Lee who was a Hall of Famer, Mark Aguire
who was a number one pick and great and Joe
who amer with all due respect to him, and they
(10:04):
would admit it. I'm sure due Mars would. I don't
know about the other two. They weren't close to Kevin Durant.
They weren't as Kevin Durant. They weren't a James Harden
and Isaiah Thomas beat Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry
Bird with those guys. So come on, like that that
(10:27):
has to count for something, doesn't it. I just don't.
I don't get it. Doesn't that count for something? Yeah,
this is and and this is nothing against Westbrook. It's
also it's almost even hard to I mean, Westbrook, I
guess is a point guard, right, it's hard to categorize him,
you know, two point guard two guards again like iverson
but your call, you put him at the point, but um, difficult.
(10:51):
It's just his style is hard to uh play with
and win with at at the championships because he has
one he's one of eleven playoffs series. He's been to
the finals. He's been to uh, you know, several conference finals,
so he can win, but he he hasn't been able
to lead it as the number one guy. He has
(11:13):
yet to even win a playoff series. I believe so
and here's the other. Here's the other not Durrant was hurt. Yeah,
and a buddy of mine, Ted Ted sobel uh Sobell
I should say, uh, he's covered sports for a long
time and he made a point. Were just saying that
the point guard also is supposed to make everybody else
(11:35):
better around him, right? Does he really do that? Chris,
I'm not so sure. I think Ted has a point
that as great as Westbrook kids individually, I don't know
if he makes the other guys better. No, you don't
think And again, I don't think Iverson died either. I
think that that's another one. He was just great on
his own and players played around him. So I think
(11:56):
that that's the case, and I both guys. I mean what,
Iverson didn't get nearly as many assists as Westbrook. Westbrook
may lead the league again for the third time I
think in his career. So he gets a lot of assists.
But Rob, you know, like a lot of times that
assist aren't the only measure of making your players better
(12:17):
and getting guys involved, you know, like because a lot
of times you're going up for you a hoop yourself
and you dump it off to a guy you can't
get anything, so you give it to somebody else or
you know so. Magic Johnson's assists were a lot different
than a lot of Russell Westbrook's assists. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Brussar
(12:37):
then Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Hey,
it's Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller
along with my trusty sidekick David Gainstcan with mean a
lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey.
You're asking one in God's name is the Fifth Hour?
I'll tell you it's a spin off of that. Ben
(12:58):
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Picture if you will the world will? We chat with
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Explorer some amazing facts about the human nature and more.
Let'sten to the Fifth Hour with Ben mallow on the
iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
Our next guest is an absolute Lesson legend, and that
(13:20):
is no overstatement. He's a Hall of famer. He's a
hall of famer. He is an editor in chief at
The Athletic DC. Our man, David Aldards, what is up, brother, Joe? Hey,
what's up? Fellas? Are you doing? How are you butt it? Man?
We are good. Yeah, we're good. We're good. Here, We're
good here. I just because what does it feel like
(13:44):
to be a Hall of Famer walking around? You know, uh,
knowing you're one of the greatest who ever did it?
But see if you know what hey, let me say
it real quick. I'm not gonna up all the time.
But when we started, Chris, you know, covered the NBA
back then. The thing that was just amazing was all
(14:07):
the guys who were NBA beat writers like the Bob
Ryans and the David Aldridge and uh Mike will Bonds
and and just it was an am I right, David.
Back then it was an unbelievable amount of talent of
writers who covered the NBA. Well, yeah, I mean the
fortunate thing. Um and Rob knew part of that as well, obviously. Um,
(14:31):
what I've always been very blessed with is we you know,
I came up with a with an incredible group of
young writers, you know, and we had people all over
the map. You know, I think like Kurtis Bond, who
covered the Knicks back then as the best selling author.
Now you know what I mean. Like, we had people
(14:53):
that covered the league that became columnists, that became authors,
became playwrights, you know. Um, and you learn from those folks,
you know, and you listen to them when they talked,
and I certainly did, and I think we all did.
And um, you know, it was just it was a
great time. It was a great time to cover the NBA.
I'm so I'm so happy I got to cover the
(15:14):
league in that era, um, because I thought the basketball
and the and the camaraderie was was as good as
it had been. And I really appreciate that time. And
I I missed those days of travel. But you know,
I can't get up and down like I used to.
You know, I wish I was twenty five. Sometimes it
(15:36):
could just go for fourteen days out of them. None
of us can. Man, we get it, all right, We're
gonna ask you a question that incorporates your era and
every era of basketball. I think you're gonna know what
I'm talking about. I don't think I have to get
too specific, But what is Scotty Brooks talking about? Yes,
I mean, we get it. He loved the guy. We
(15:59):
get it. He's a I Connie's a Hall of Famer,
will be a legend. But what but second best point
guard ever? Come on, it's it's it's it looks. I
don't expect Scotty Brooks to say anything differently about Russell Westbrook.
He's coached him for eight years, you know, in two
different cities. Um, you know, Russell won him a lot
(16:19):
of games in Okay, you know what I mean. So
I don't expect him to be the most um sober,
you know, kind of discassionate judge of Russell's abilities. Is
he the second best point guard of all time? Though?
But that's okay. I don't mind. I don't mind, you know,
Scott standing for his guy and standing up for his guy.
(16:40):
But no, I don't think he is. I do think
I agree with him in Magic's number one on my
list too. But you know I can't put him ahead
of eyes. There can't. I can't. You know, I can't
put You know, I don't think I could really put
him ahead of of of John Stockton, to be honest
with him. I mean, stock was great. You know, it's
called it's close. You can make it. You can have
(17:01):
an argument about that, you know, like I could have
a real good argument about it. But um, look if
we top five, sure, yes, of course I think he's
top five, but it isn't. Two No, not to me.
But that's just my opinion. Let mean, I'm right, No,
you most people agree with you on that, no doubt.
Tell me Isaiah one two Isaiah, I don't put him
(17:22):
ahead of Steph. Yeah, I put Isaiah. Oh no, that's fair.
It's funny, Like, you're right. I just don't think a
step is a point guard. But you're right, that's the
position he plays. You're right, You're right. Well, and I
think that's Brooks kind of like that too, right, kind
of the Westbrook Everson Like are they a pointer? I mean,
I guess Westbrook's more of a pointment. He's just a
great individual. Yeah, but no, you're right. Look, look, Steph's
(17:47):
got three, so you know, and Steph, you know, change
the game. So yeah, that's fair. Two of them came
on food stamps. But that's another story. All right. Let
me ask you. Let me ask you about the Lakers.
Uh A d said that the Lakers are back after
they won without Lebron Uh was that last night? I'm
(18:09):
missing the day, Yes, last night. Where are you on
the Lakers? And how much has to work out for them?
Obviously it's not the ideal situation. Lebron says he won't
be one hundred percent probably the rest of his career.
What do you make of the Lakers? Yeah, they're not
back now, I went, you know, I watched the game
last night. You know, they won the game. They played
(18:30):
well defensively. But let's not go crazy now. You know,
they they they were They had a couple of good things,
fortunate things go their way at the end of the game,
and A D made an incredible clothes out, you know,
on compositive shot. You know. But no, I'm not going
to say they're back because they look right now, nobody's
(18:51):
afraid to play the Lakers. Nobody who's afraid to play them?
You know what I mean? Like seven times I'm gonna
play that team without Lebron with a D as the centerpiece.
Respect them, you know, you know, if they're gonna play hard,
But am I afraid to play that? No? You know,
Like so you know that the fear factor, that intimidation
factors that the Lakers have when they're when eighty and
(19:13):
healthy and Lebron's healthy. They don't have that right now,
DA how much? And I think Lebron looked you know
you obviously played fairly well when he came back for
the two games. But how much of this is father time?
I mean thirty six eighteenth year he probably would have
been through this injury a while ago, six seven years ago.
How much you know? Two of his last three years
(19:35):
now he's had a significant injury. And obviously last year
they got the long break, which maybe that helped his body.
Do you how much of this is father time? You know?
I hate you know, it's hard for me to say
because like every injury is different, right, we all know that,
Like you know, you can never tell it could have
(19:55):
been a freak thing. It couldn't you know, it could
be fall the time, it could be U. I will
say this, it generally takes guys longer to recover as
they get older, it does. Um, you know, yeah, I'd
say probably, I would say a good chunk of it
his father time. Um. But the difference is when Lebron
(20:17):
comes back and he's healthy, he goes back to playing
with Lebron again, you know what I mean? Like there's
almost there's very little drop off in his play when
he's healthy, and that's what's crazy about him at his
age and he's still able to play at that higher level.
When last thing for me on the staying out West,
why why won't people believe in the Phoenix Suns. It's funny.
(20:41):
I just tot we just talk to Eddie Johnson who
does their games today, Um, for my podcast it will
be out tomorrow. Um. You know, part of it is
recency biased, you know, because the Sun's haven't made the
playoffs in ten years until this year, you know, when
people haven't seen him and nobody nobody's played in unless
(21:02):
you're a real hardcore NBA thing, you know, you probably
haven't seen much of Bridges or or even for that matter,
Devin Booker. You know who was there one you know,
star level player before this year. Um, and they haven't
been on TV as much as some of the other teams,
so like New Orleans Pelicans, who are on every day
(21:25):
every night. My good gracious yeah, exactly. The eleventh play
team is over, you know what I mean? Let me
ask you this. Oh go ahead, I'm sorry, no, no,
that's okay. We got about a minute left for the answer.
But I Rob and I both like Brooklyn Um to
win it all, you know, presuming they're healthy. But the
(21:47):
one thing that gives me pause is I don't think
we've ever in the history of the NBA seeing the
team play so few games together, Like you know, they're
stars and uh win a championship. It just seems in possible.
Does that bother you? Like? Do you think I don't
know what you got them picked to do, but do
you is that an issue for you that they will
(22:08):
have had probably seven or eight games together with their
big three heading into the playoffs. Yeah, it's somewhat of
an issue. I mean, it's a question. Um, it's more
the defensive end really than the offensive. And they're going
to score and didn't twenty again. You know, no matter
what combination with all three of those guys are playing,
they're going to score. But can they get stopped? Now?
(22:29):
I know they've been better defensively the second half, but
I still am not convinced that that's a team that
can get multiple multiple stops that you need in the playoffs. Um,
maybe we'll see. Um. That's why I think whether it's
Philly or Milwaukee, and I think Milwaukee is actually probably
a better bet right now to me, because Milwaukee. You
(22:53):
gotta remember, Milwaukee wasn't good in the playoffs last year,
but they you know, they didn't have t J. Tucker
where they got this year to trade their line, and
you know they didn't have Drew Holiday last year. You
know those those those are two major additions to their
teams that make them quite different in a period. And
if you think, like to me, Milwaukee is the one
team in the East that really they could play head
(23:15):
up against Brooklyn. I don't know if it will work,
but they have the personnel that they could put Jeru
Holiday on Harden, or they could put him on you know, Kyrie,
which everyone they think is better. They could put PJ
on the other guy. They could put Yannis on Durant
and live with the results. But they can live with
the results, Dave. This is the only thing that bothered
(23:37):
me about about the Bucks. They got forty nine from
Jannis uh playing at home with no Harden, and they
barely were able to even win that game. That scares
me with no Harden, do you know what I mean?
Like like Jannis had to play out of his mind
and they barely won that game that that scares me.
It's fair, it's fair, But I think I still think
(23:59):
in a seven game playofters with days off in between
every game, and your continent's one opponent, and you can
lock in on that opponent. I just think from a
personnel standpoint, they are the one thing, even more so
than Philly that I think you they match up. They
can match up defensively with Brooklyn. Not that they're gonna
stop him. I'm not saying that right right, they can
(24:21):
put people on them that can guard people that are
you know, as good as any other three people in
the league, you know what I mean. So that's what
I'm saying, Like you can You'll live with it if
Pardon gets thirty and Drew Holiday you get thirty on him,
But you can live with that. You can't live with
them getting forty five and twelve. It's this, you know
what I mean. That's where I think they have a chance.
(24:42):
That's our man, the Hall of Famer Day. Appreciate the time. Yes,
my guys appreciate you, man. Good luck Peas Brothers. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple with
Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays. At seven pm Eastern
four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart
(25:02):
Radio app. Terry Brash all the legend four Super Bowls
for all those Rob G, All those who weren't watching
football back then. Terry, what do you mean watching football?
Rob G. They weren't started watching in two thousand and eight,
I think. But anyway, Terry Brash All four Super Bowls.
You see him all over Fox Sports now has really
(25:23):
become a big time renowned broadcaster. Man rob He went
in on Aaron Rodgers. Here he is with him being
that upset shows me just how weak he is. Who
the hell cares who you draft. I mean, there's a
three time MVP in the league and he's worried about
(25:45):
this guy they drafted last year, a number one, and
for him to be upset, my god. I don't understand
that Pittsford drafted Mark Malone number one, Cliff Stout in
the third or fourth round. I had had him coming
at me from all angles. I embraced it because when
we went to practice, I want to worry about those guys.
(26:06):
You know, it didn't scare me a bit. So I
don't understand it why he's so upset at green Bay. Look, Rob,
I have said I mean, I said it yesterday. I
do think Aaron Rodgers is whining. If the reports are
true that number one, this au stem from the drafting
(26:27):
of Jordan Love. And now a report came out today
or yesterday. I'm sorry that when the Packers let go
what's the receiver's name, I gotta be honest, I had
to google him. I never heard of the dude. But
when they let go of one of their wide receivers
(26:48):
who apparently was was friends. Yeah, Jake Kumar, Yeah, Jake Kumaro.
All right, Uh, last year in Green Bay, he he
caught one pass I think one pass, um so, But anyway,
letting him go up was the final straw. Rob. I
don't know if these things are accurate, but there's reports
(27:11):
finals over the place. You already know that people just
throwing stuff out every day. Come on, that can that
really be? That was the final straw. It doesn't even
sound right. You might not have liked it, but that's
the final straw. Come on, I can see them being finalists, right.
Obviously he wasn't critically happy about it. If they might
have been cool, they might have been friends. But that's
(27:32):
the that's the final straw. Come on, Just that don't
even make sense to me? Like that would be Remember
they got rid of his quarterback coach without even asking them,
do you remember that? Which was probably a fact that
too right now, But but I'm saying that would be
more of a final straw to me, that that my
quarterback coach WHI I'm having success with and I'm working with.
You don't even ask me if we should let him go?
(27:53):
Do you know what I mean? But but I seldom
use wide receiver even if you're friendly. Come on, I
just think Jerry Terry went over the top, as you know.
That's that's what I think happened. I look, I'm fine
with him him criticizing him. Um, I this story is bizarre,
and honestly, I would love Aaron Rodgers to just come
(28:17):
out and address it. The Packers have addressed it, so
it is true that Aaron Rodgers wants out has wanted
out for a while now. They've told us weeks, I
don't know, was it weeks? Is it months? And they've
all the management and the coach, Matt Lafleur have gone
to see him individually to talk him out of it,
(28:38):
and right now he's dug in. I don't get this
notion that I get it that he was upset about
the drafting of Jordan Love, but he came out and
had arguably the best season of his career, won MVP,
and it's gotta be more than that. Rob You you
said yesterday you think it's money, and maybe that's the case.
But to me, what I do agree with Brasshall saying,
(29:01):
I said that I think Rogers is being whiny and
you got a chance. You got a team that could
win a super Bowl. You got one of the best
offensive lines in the league, you got one of the
best receivers in the league, you got one of the
best running backs in the league. If it's just about
Jordan's Love, I mean, you played last year with that
(29:23):
news hovering over you and being upset about it in
this guy in your quarterback room. So I do say,
get over there and go for the super Bowl with
Green Bay. So I do I get brashall centiment and
why he's coming from that angle. I just think Bradshaw
has done this before. He called Mike Tomlin a cheerleader
(29:46):
and that he couldn't coach and he didn't even know
what he was doing or whatever. I mean, do you
remember those comments. I mean, just absolutely so. I've heard
Bradshaw's act and we've heard stuff like that before where
he just goes off the handle. I guess he needed
to find something to criticize a guy who put play
probably his greatest season ever. He said, his footwork is awful,
(30:08):
but he threw forty eight touchdowns. He has the greatest
quarterback passer rating in the history of the NFL. But
he's terrible, Chris, his footwork, he never leans into a throw.
That's incredible because what he's been able to do with
such poor mechanics. That's the first guy I've ever heard
of said you know that they're not You know, he
(30:32):
could have said I'm nitpicking here because he's so good,
but you know what I mean, Chris to kind of
give me like the idea that he's nitpicking, but that's
what it wasn't so, I don't know. I think there's
more to the story. Excuse me, Charlie Castilly. He's a
smart man, was in the NFL, and he's right most
of the time when players are upset like that, it's
(30:54):
about money, Chris. I believe Charlie Castilly I think that
that's the root of it. It can't be Jordan Love
a year later. He was drafted last year. That doesn't
even make sense that now I'm gonna take frustrations out. No,
it doesn't make sense. This guy just played great and
and he wants them to cash out. I just won
(31:17):
the MVP, right, I just played my butt off. And
this was another thing. Another thing Brashaw said. He addressed
that in your comments when he talked about his footwork,
which was a little bizarre. I don't know. Next time
we get a quarterback guru on the show will ask
him um. But he seems to be doing fine with
his footwork. But he also said on the Herd Rob
(31:38):
Today Bradshaw that, uh, you know you signed the contract,
so play it out and contracts will be made to
be broken. It happens all the time team teams. But
but teams have have ripped up contracts and given people
more money because they've outplayed there. I'm just saying it
has been done. It's not like it's never been done.
(32:01):
That's my point. And if you want to make it
done happy you could you could do that that. I mean,
Ezekiel Elliott had a contract Chris Right. He had a contract.
The Cowboys could have played hardball. They decided they needed him.
He was a big part of their team. What did
they do? They made him the rich game, the richest
running back contract ever. It hasn't worked out. But did
(32:21):
they do it? But they did it though, right, Oh
they didn't. That don't mean it's right. Yeah, it looked.
People break contracts all the time. That's all air right.
Castilely also said Rogers has been paid forty eight million
for the first two years of his contract. Per year.
I get the number. So I mean, I'm just saying
I think it has to do with money. I don't
believe it has to do it. And I don't believe
(32:43):
the Jordan love. I just don't. I don't think well.
And then there's also the Brian Goudacus, the gem that
he wants him out. They gotta figure this thing out.
And I think, you know, maybe a lot of this
is just bluff and Rob, you know, maybe it's trying
to get them to trade him. There's a report today
(33:05):
that Denver is going to go Death's going to be
the team that goes the hardest after Aaron Rodgers. And
you got a lot of people out there saying they
wouldn't trade him. I would do everything I could to
keep him. They're built to win now, and so obviously
if you trade him, I don't care who you get,
(33:25):
because Jordan Love, you think is your quarterback of the future.
So I don't know that you're even getting, you know,
a quarterback if you're trade him. And so I think
they gotta try to win now, try to maximize their
time with Aaron Rodgers. And I think he too, you know,
at thirty eight years old. You know, there's talk rod
could he retire, you know, who knows whatever, who knows
(33:48):
what's in his head. Maybe he can host Jeopardy. He's
thirty eight, Maybe he's ready to move on, he's getting married,
you know, maybe looking at another chapter in his life,
or he can do without it if he feels like
it's a hassle to play for Green Bay. I do
think when you're playing at the level he is, and
we've seen it, Barry Sanders, Megatron, Jim Brown, a lot
(34:10):
of guys have walked away still in their prime. So
he wouldn't be the first, but I would think, man
maximize this time because if he plays three or four
more years, Rob at a high level. Even then when
he retires, Heck, when Tom Brady retires, he'll still be
a young man overall, you know what I mean, like
(34:32):
in life. So go ahead, you're still throwing the ball, great,
Aaron Rodgers, go ahead and play this thing out and
go for the super Bowl this year. Yeah. I just
until we're hear from Aaron, I'm just going to it.
There's so many stories. People are looking to make headlines
every day, digging talking to people, you know, So I
(34:54):
get it. That's what newspaper reporters do, and reporters do, Chris,
they dig, look for information. But I guess I just
want to hear. Uh. I'm not. I'm not denying that
there's a conflict. That's that I'm not. I mean Green
Bay is actually yeah, so that that's not the issue.
It's what it's over is what I want to find out.
And you think he's gonna come out and be blunt
(35:15):
about it, No, I just I just think that we
have a better shot at understanding it because he could,
he could. He could. He might not say what it is,
but he could dismiss some of the stuff that's flying around.
You know. I've heard people do that like that's not true.
Like I don't have any issue with the jen He
will certainly be at right, you know what I mean,
like like stuff like that, Like he could say that.
(35:36):
He might not say I want to be paid, I
want more money, and then he won't pay me. Not
people don't do that, Chris. You don't get in front
of him mic and ask for more money. But you
might say, these stories have been so ridiculous out here
about the general manager and me and Jordan Love. He's
a great kid. He's going to be a quarterback. Jordan
Love is me. I was sitting there waiting for uh
(35:58):
you know, uh Brett fall if you know what I mean,
and my chance to play. So I understand it. So
he could he could address some of those things and
then leave it to the to the to to at
least eliminate some of the chatter Chris, And then you
don't have to figure out you would say, okay, so
it's not about that, then it must be about money,
Thanks for listening to the Best of the Odd Couple podcast.
Be sure to catch us live every weekday from seven
pm to ten pm Eastern four to seven Pacific on
Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for The Odd
Couple at Fox Sports Radio dot com, or stream us
live every day on the iHeartRadio app by searching f
(00:21):
s R. You're listening to the Best of The Odd
Couple with Chris Russell and Rod Harker Russell Westbrook And
you heard me last night during the show, I was
updating his numbers. He had nineteen assists with like three
and a half minutes left in the third quarter, so
(00:42):
you knew something special was in store. And Russell Westbrook
winds up with fourteen points, twenty one rebounds, and twenty
four assists in a victory over Indiana, and the dude
is playing remarkable basketball. He became one of only two
players in NBA history to have a twenty rebound twenty
(01:07):
assists game in their career. The other Wilt Chamberlain. Westbrooks
does it twice, Rob Wilt Chamberlain did it once, So
high praise deserve for Russell Westbrook. He's going to average
a triple double for the fourth straight or not straight,
but for the fourth season of his career, which is incredible.
(01:29):
Only one person has averaged a triple double for a
season besides westbrook and that's Oscar Robertson, who did it
one time. And so that sparked some nonsense, some straight
up nonsense from his coach, Scott Brooks. Here you go.
(01:50):
I used to always say he's gonna probably go down
as the third best point guard ever, but I think
he's past one and he's gonna go down as probably
the second best. And one is obviously magic what he does.
There's no point guard has ever done it. Nobody. All right, um,
look I'll get I'll start out positive. First of all,
I'm I like Russell Westbrooks game. I mean, I said
(02:13):
it today on the herb Rob. He is an individual
and incredible individual phenom. He's a spectacle like. He's very
reminiscent to me of Alan Iverson. Just does incredible things
on the basketball court that very few other players in
(02:34):
history could do. I'm ready to say Russell Westbrooks one
of the top five athletes to ever play in the NBA.
I mean, I'm just throwing this off the top of
my head, but Lebron, Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan, Alan Iverson
for his size to do what he did, and Westbrook like,
(02:54):
I mean, you can argue that, but he's in there.
I'll give him that, and I'll give Scott Brooks that
I don't. There's not another point maybe Magic Johnson, who
could put up the numbers that Westbrooks put up. There's
not another point guard outside of Magic that probably could
average a triple double. So I'll give it. And if
(03:17):
that is that Scott Brooks's measurement of what a great
point guard it, I guess. So, so he's got magic
what Magic never average a triple double, but I think
he could have. But to say Russell Westbrook is the
second greatest point guard, even to say he was the third,
I don't know who he had. Thirty have Isaiah Thomas,
(03:40):
you have Steph Curry, Oscar Robinson. To say Westbrook is
even third is out of pocket because he's not. He's
an all time great Hall of Famer, legend icon who
thirty years from now we will be saying Russell Westbrook
average a triple double four years. Lebron never did it,
(04:01):
Magic never did it. Penny Hardaway never did it before
he got hurt. Jason Kidd never did. We'll see if
I mean, if Luca and Yoakin start doing it, then
it'll lose some of its power. But to this point,
no one else can do it, and that will make
him a guy we talk about in all inspiring ways forever.
(04:23):
So I got no like he's great, but there ain't
no way. He's the second best point guard of all time.
And I say that if I had to start a
team with the point guard, I pick a lot over Westbrook,
as great as he is, because I think it can
be hard to win with It's like Iverson was hard
(04:44):
to win with him because there's the way they played.
Tremendous individual whirldwins. But guy, it's hard to build a team.
You gotta build it perfect. Like Rob, you were there, well,
you were covering the league when Larry Brown built that
team around Iverson that got to the finals in two
thousand and one in Philadelphia. If Westbrook had a Larry
(05:06):
Brown to do that for him, I think he could
lead the team to the finals and maybe more. But
that's what it takes. They specially built that team around
Iverson because he was so different and unique and that's
what Westbrook would need. Yeah, I just think this is
your classic example of prisoner of the moment. And what
(05:26):
I mean by that is what he's doing and how
he's playing right now is mind boggling, you know. Just
you gotta give him his props on how well he's playing.
But I think people are glossing over a lot. The
last time I saw him in the playoffs with hard
and he couldn't make a shot, you know, like I
remember those Do you remember those moments, Chris where he's
(05:46):
going through he can't make an open jump shot like like,
so I've seen the really bad as well. And I'm
not just here to pick on him because but but
I think when you your player and you want to,
you know, make them feel good about what they're doing,
I just think people could go over the top. And
(06:07):
that's what Scott Brooks, uh did hear it in just
proclaiming I mean, the only other thing he could have
just said is he's the best point guard ever. I
mean even he couldn't even he couldn't say that because
he knew that would be ridiculous, like like, because he
hasn't want anything, and there's a lot of other issues
that go on in calling somebody the greatest of all time.
(06:27):
So I think even he had to pump the brakes
and realize, I can't, I can't overdo it, otherwise nobody
will take me seriously at all, you know what I mean,
Like had he put that out there, so I think
that he called himself and was like, okay, yeah, like
like let me not, let me not make this null
and void or dead on arrival, Chris, because if he
(06:48):
would have said that, would have said this is dead
on arrival and probably would have laughed about it. Craig
Melvin probably would have been laughing for the last hour
you know after that's right to Scott Brooks said it
and wouldn't have time to do his news on the NBC.
But anyway, Uh yeah, it just feels h extra. I
(07:12):
remember he coached him in Oklahoma City too, right, I mean,
he's he loves the guy. He feels good good about him,
you know what I mean. There's a lot of things
you guys help, you helped, your job has made you millions,
you know what I mean, Like you got an affinity
for him, you have uh special feelings for him and whatnot.
So I get all that. I just think this is
(07:33):
off base, and I think if people would really take
a look at other point guards the triple double. I
said it before, when he gets him Christ at one point,
you know, when we looked at it, the ok right man,
they had a great way better record when he when
he did it, and I and that was helped me
to sign off on it. That it wasn't just you know, hey,
(07:56):
I got eight assists, I need to get two more,
you know what I mean? And another law you know stuff.
It wasn't that kind of basketball. But second best point guard.
I just have four words. No way, no how is
he the second best point guard ever in the NBA.
There's no way. I look, I got Steph Curry is
(08:17):
the second best. I know you w know how, I
don't see how Like you said, it would be acidine
to put him ahead of Magic, which obviously I agree,
but this was dark to put him ahead of Steph,
to put him ahead of Isaiah Thomas. I don't know.
The longer than Isaiah Thomas has not played, the more
(08:39):
that people act like he didn't exist, that he didn't
be bird Magic and Michael during his prime, that he
did it without without a player of his equal footing.
I mean, I just like in a and tough NBA.
One of the things it is Rob and I don't.
I mean, Scott Brooks is a coach. He's young, so
(08:59):
maybe he is into that. I'm not positive. But the
analytics guys don't like Isaiah's. Analytic numbers aren't all that
Neither were Kobe's. That's why they rate Kobe lower too,
the analytics guys. That's the only thing I can do.
I'll go a step further. I mean, look and Westbrook
(09:22):
one of the indictments against him is he has played
with Kevin Durant for eight years, didn't win a championship,
played with James Harden. I know they were pups, but
they played, but didn't. They played together in Houston and
that didn't work out so well. Paul George and now
Bradley build Rob. They're a tenth seed in the East.
(09:43):
I know they're on a hot streak now, but they're
a tenth seed. Were they were buried. They were buried right.
Isaiah Thomas had no With all due respect to Adrian
dad Lee who was a Hall of Famer, Mark Aguire
who was a number one pick and great and Joe
who amer with all due respect to him, and they
(10:04):
would admit it. I'm sure due Mars would. I don't
know about the other two. They weren't close to Kevin Durant.
They weren't as Kevin Durant. They weren't a James Harden
and Isaiah Thomas beat Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry
Bird with those guys. So come on, like that that
(10:27):
has to count for something, doesn't it. I just don't.
I don't get it. Doesn't that count for something? Yeah,
this is and and this is nothing against Westbrook. It's
also it's almost even hard to I mean, Westbrook, I
guess is a point guard, right, it's hard to categorize him,
you know, two point guard two guards again like iverson
but your call, you put him at the point, but um, difficult.
(10:51):
It's just his style is hard to uh play with
and win with at at the championships because he has
one he's one of eleven playoffs series. He's been to
the finals. He's been to uh, you know, several conference finals,
so he can win, but he he hasn't been able
to lead it as the number one guy. He has
(11:13):
yet to even win a playoff series. I believe so
and here's the other. Here's the other not Durrant was hurt. Yeah,
and a buddy of mine, Ted Ted sobel uh Sobell
I should say, uh, he's covered sports for a long
time and he made a point. Were just saying that
the point guard also is supposed to make everybody else
(11:35):
better around him, right? Does he really do that? Chris,
I'm not so sure. I think Ted has a point
that as great as Westbrook kids individually, I don't know
if he makes the other guys better. No, you don't
think And again, I don't think Iverson died either. I
think that that's another one. He was just great on
his own and players played around him. So I think
(11:56):
that that's the case, and I both guys. I mean what,
Iverson didn't get nearly as many assists as Westbrook. Westbrook
may lead the league again for the third time I
think in his career. So he gets a lot of assists.
But Rob, you know, like a lot of times that
assist aren't the only measure of making your players better
(12:17):
and getting guys involved, you know, like because a lot
of times you're going up for you a hoop yourself
and you dump it off to a guy you can't
get anything, so you give it to somebody else or
you know so. Magic Johnson's assists were a lot different
than a lot of Russell Westbrook's assists. Be sure to
catch live editions of The Odd Couple with Chris Brussar
(12:37):
then Rob Parker weekdays at seven pm Eastern four pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app. Hey,
it's Ben, host of the Fifth Hour with Ben Maller
along with my trusty sidekick David Gainstcan with mean a
lot to have you join us on our weekly auditory journey.
You're asking one in God's name is the Fifth Hour?
I'll tell you it's a spin off of that. Ben
(12:58):
Maller Shaw Colt overnights on FS are why should you listen?
Picture if you will the world will? We chat with
captains of industry in media, sports and more every week
Explorer some amazing facts about the human nature and more.
Let'sten to the Fifth Hour with Ben mallow on the
iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.
Our next guest is an absolute Lesson legend, and that
(13:20):
is no overstatement. He's a Hall of famer. He's a
hall of famer. He is an editor in chief at
The Athletic DC. Our man, David Aldards, what is up, brother, Joe? Hey,
what's up? Fellas? Are you doing? How are you butt it? Man?
We are good. Yeah, we're good. We're good. Here, We're
good here. I just because what does it feel like
(13:44):
to be a Hall of Famer walking around? You know, uh,
knowing you're one of the greatest who ever did it?
But see if you know what hey, let me say
it real quick. I'm not gonna up all the time.
But when we started, Chris, you know, covered the NBA
back then. The thing that was just amazing was all
(14:07):
the guys who were NBA beat writers like the Bob
Ryans and the David Aldridge and uh Mike will Bonds
and and just it was an am I right, David.
Back then it was an unbelievable amount of talent of
writers who covered the NBA. Well, yeah, I mean the
fortunate thing. Um and Rob knew part of that as well, obviously. Um,
(14:31):
what I've always been very blessed with is we you know,
I came up with a with an incredible group of
young writers, you know, and we had people all over
the map. You know, I think like Kurtis Bond, who
covered the Knicks back then as the best selling author.
Now you know what I mean. Like, we had people
(14:53):
that covered the league that became columnists, that became authors,
became playwrights, you know. Um, and you learn from those folks,
you know, and you listen to them when they talked,
and I certainly did, and I think we all did.
And um, you know, it was just it was a
great time. It was a great time to cover the NBA.
I'm so I'm so happy I got to cover the
(15:14):
league in that era, um, because I thought the basketball
and the and the camaraderie was was as good as
it had been. And I really appreciate that time. And
I I missed those days of travel. But you know,
I can't get up and down like I used to.
You know, I wish I was twenty five. Sometimes it
(15:36):
could just go for fourteen days out of them. None
of us can. Man, we get it, all right, We're
gonna ask you a question that incorporates your era and
every era of basketball. I think you're gonna know what
I'm talking about. I don't think I have to get
too specific, But what is Scotty Brooks talking about? Yes,
I mean, we get it. He loved the guy. We
(15:59):
get it. He's a I Connie's a Hall of Famer,
will be a legend. But what but second best point
guard ever? Come on, it's it's it's it looks. I
don't expect Scotty Brooks to say anything differently about Russell Westbrook.
He's coached him for eight years, you know, in two
different cities. Um, you know, Russell won him a lot
(16:19):
of games in Okay, you know what I mean. So
I don't expect him to be the most um sober,
you know, kind of discassionate judge of Russell's abilities. Is
he the second best point guard of all time? Though?
But that's okay. I don't mind. I don't mind, you know,
Scott standing for his guy and standing up for his guy.
(16:40):
But no, I don't think he is. I do think
I agree with him in Magic's number one on my
list too. But you know I can't put him ahead
of eyes. There can't. I can't. You know, I can't
put You know, I don't think I could really put
him ahead of of of John Stockton, to be honest
with him. I mean, stock was great. You know, it's
called it's close. You can make it. You can have
(17:01):
an argument about that, you know, like I could have
a real good argument about it. But um, look if
we top five, sure, yes, of course I think he's
top five, but it isn't. Two No, not to me.
But that's just my opinion. Let mean, I'm right, No,
you most people agree with you on that, no doubt.
Tell me Isaiah one two Isaiah, I don't put him
(17:22):
ahead of Steph. Yeah, I put Isaiah. Oh no, that's fair.
It's funny, Like, you're right. I just don't think a
step is a point guard. But you're right, that's the
position he plays. You're right, You're right. Well, and I
think that's Brooks kind of like that too, right, kind
of the Westbrook Everson Like are they a pointer? I mean,
I guess Westbrook's more of a pointment. He's just a
great individual. Yeah, but no, you're right. Look, look, Steph's
(17:47):
got three, so you know, and Steph, you know, change
the game. So yeah, that's fair. Two of them came
on food stamps. But that's another story. All right. Let
me ask you. Let me ask you about the Lakers.
Uh A d said that the Lakers are back after
they won without Lebron Uh was that last night? I'm
(18:09):
missing the day, Yes, last night. Where are you on
the Lakers? And how much has to work out for them?
Obviously it's not the ideal situation. Lebron says he won't
be one hundred percent probably the rest of his career.
What do you make of the Lakers? Yeah, they're not
back now, I went, you know, I watched the game
last night. You know, they won the game. They played
(18:30):
well defensively. But let's not go crazy now. You know,
they they they were They had a couple of good things,
fortunate things go their way at the end of the game,
and A D made an incredible clothes out, you know,
on compositive shot. You know. But no, I'm not going
to say they're back because they look right now, nobody's
(18:51):
afraid to play the Lakers. Nobody who's afraid to play them?
You know what I mean? Like seven times I'm gonna
play that team without Lebron with a D as the centerpiece.
Respect them, you know, you know, if they're gonna play hard,
But am I afraid to play that? No? You know,
Like so you know that the fear factor, that intimidation
factors that the Lakers have when they're when eighty and
(19:13):
healthy and Lebron's healthy. They don't have that right now,
DA how much? And I think Lebron looked you know
you obviously played fairly well when he came back for
the two games. But how much of this is father time?
I mean thirty six eighteenth year he probably would have
been through this injury a while ago, six seven years ago.
How much you know? Two of his last three years
(19:35):
now he's had a significant injury. And obviously last year
they got the long break, which maybe that helped his body.
Do you how much of this is father time? You know?
I hate you know, it's hard for me to say
because like every injury is different, right, we all know that,
Like you know, you can never tell it could have
(19:55):
been a freak thing. It couldn't you know, it could
be fall the time, it could be U. I will
say this, it generally takes guys longer to recover as
they get older, it does. Um, you know, yeah, I'd
say probably, I would say a good chunk of it
his father time. Um. But the difference is when Lebron
(20:17):
comes back and he's healthy, he goes back to playing
with Lebron again, you know what I mean? Like there's
almost there's very little drop off in his play when
he's healthy, and that's what's crazy about him at his
age and he's still able to play at that higher level.
When last thing for me on the staying out West,
why why won't people believe in the Phoenix Suns. It's funny.
(20:41):
I just tot we just talk to Eddie Johnson who
does their games today, Um, for my podcast it will
be out tomorrow. Um. You know, part of it is
recency biased, you know, because the Sun's haven't made the
playoffs in ten years until this year, you know, when
people haven't seen him and nobody nobody's played in unless
(21:02):
you're a real hardcore NBA thing, you know, you probably
haven't seen much of Bridges or or even for that matter,
Devin Booker. You know who was there one you know,
star level player before this year. Um, and they haven't
been on TV as much as some of the other teams,
so like New Orleans Pelicans, who are on every day
(21:25):
every night. My good gracious yeah, exactly. The eleventh play
team is over, you know what I mean? Let me
ask you this. Oh go ahead, I'm sorry, no, no,
that's okay. We got about a minute left for the answer.
But I Rob and I both like Brooklyn Um to
win it all, you know, presuming they're healthy. But the
(21:47):
one thing that gives me pause is I don't think
we've ever in the history of the NBA seeing the
team play so few games together, Like you know, they're
stars and uh win a championship. It just seems in possible.
Does that bother you? Like? Do you think I don't
know what you got them picked to do, but do
you is that an issue for you that they will
(22:08):
have had probably seven or eight games together with their
big three heading into the playoffs. Yeah, it's somewhat of
an issue. I mean, it's a question. Um, it's more
the defensive end really than the offensive. And they're going
to score and didn't twenty again. You know, no matter
what combination with all three of those guys are playing,
they're going to score. But can they get stopped? Now?
(22:29):
I know they've been better defensively the second half, but
I still am not convinced that that's a team that
can get multiple multiple stops that you need in the playoffs. Um,
maybe we'll see. Um. That's why I think whether it's
Philly or Milwaukee, and I think Milwaukee is actually probably
a better bet right now to me, because Milwaukee. You
(22:53):
gotta remember, Milwaukee wasn't good in the playoffs last year,
but they you know, they didn't have t J. Tucker
where they got this year to trade their line, and
you know they didn't have Drew Holiday last year. You
know those those those are two major additions to their
teams that make them quite different in a period. And
if you think, like to me, Milwaukee is the one
team in the East that really they could play head
(23:15):
up against Brooklyn. I don't know if it will work,
but they have the personnel that they could put Jeru
Holiday on Harden, or they could put him on you know, Kyrie,
which everyone they think is better. They could put PJ
on the other guy. They could put Yannis on Durant
and live with the results. But they can live with
the results, Dave. This is the only thing that bothered
(23:37):
me about about the Bucks. They got forty nine from
Jannis uh playing at home with no Harden, and they
barely were able to even win that game. That scares
me with no Harden, do you know what I mean?
Like like Jannis had to play out of his mind
and they barely won that game that that scares me.
It's fair, it's fair, But I think I still think
(23:59):
in a seven game playofters with days off in between
every game, and your continent's one opponent, and you can
lock in on that opponent. I just think from a
personnel standpoint, they are the one thing, even more so
than Philly that I think you they match up. They
can match up defensively with Brooklyn. Not that they're gonna
stop him. I'm not saying that right right, they can
(24:21):
put people on them that can guard people that are
you know, as good as any other three people in
the league, you know what I mean. So that's what
I'm saying, Like you can You'll live with it if
Pardon gets thirty and Drew Holiday you get thirty on him,
But you can live with that. You can't live with
them getting forty five and twelve. It's this, you know
what I mean. That's where I think they have a chance.
(24:42):
That's our man, the Hall of Famer Day. Appreciate the time. Yes,
my guys appreciate you, man. Good luck Peas Brothers. Be
sure to catch live editions of The Odd Couple with
Chris Brussard and Rob Parker weekdays. At seven pm Eastern
four pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeart
(25:02):
Radio app. Terry Brash all the legend four Super Bowls
for all those Rob G, All those who weren't watching
football back then. Terry, what do you mean watching football?
Rob G. They weren't started watching in two thousand and eight,
I think. But anyway, Terry Brash All four Super Bowls.
You see him all over Fox Sports now has really
(25:23):
become a big time renowned broadcaster. Man rob He went
in on Aaron Rodgers. Here he is with him being
that upset shows me just how weak he is. Who
the hell cares who you draft. I mean, there's a
three time MVP in the league and he's worried about
(25:45):
this guy they drafted last year, a number one, and
for him to be upset, my god. I don't understand
that Pittsford drafted Mark Malone number one, Cliff Stout in
the third or fourth round. I had had him coming
at me from all angles. I embraced it because when
we went to practice, I want to worry about those guys.
(26:06):
You know, it didn't scare me a bit. So I
don't understand it why he's so upset at green Bay. Look, Rob,
I have said I mean, I said it yesterday. I
do think Aaron Rodgers is whining. If the reports are
true that number one, this au stem from the drafting
(26:27):
of Jordan Love. And now a report came out today
or yesterday. I'm sorry that when the Packers let go
what's the receiver's name, I gotta be honest, I had
to google him. I never heard of the dude. But
when they let go of one of their wide receivers
(26:48):
who apparently was was friends. Yeah, Jake Kumar, Yeah, Jake Kumaro.
All right, Uh, last year in Green Bay, he he
caught one pass I think one pass, um so, But anyway,
letting him go up was the final straw. Rob. I
don't know if these things are accurate, but there's reports
(27:11):
finals over the place. You already know that people just
throwing stuff out every day. Come on, that can that
really be? That was the final straw. It doesn't even
sound right. You might not have liked it, but that's
the final straw. Come on, I can see them being finalists, right.
Obviously he wasn't critically happy about it. If they might
have been cool, they might have been friends. But that's
(27:32):
the that's the final straw. Come on, Just that don't
even make sense to me? Like that would be Remember
they got rid of his quarterback coach without even asking them,
do you remember that? Which was probably a fact that
too right now, But but I'm saying that would be
more of a final straw to me, that that my
quarterback coach WHI I'm having success with and I'm working with.
You don't even ask me if we should let him go?
(27:53):
Do you know what I mean? But but I seldom
use wide receiver even if you're friendly. Come on, I
just think Jerry Terry went over the top, as you know.
That's that's what I think happened. I look, I'm fine
with him him criticizing him. Um, I this story is bizarre,
and honestly, I would love Aaron Rodgers to just come
(28:17):
out and address it. The Packers have addressed it, so
it is true that Aaron Rodgers wants out has wanted
out for a while now. They've told us weeks, I
don't know, was it weeks? Is it months? And they've
all the management and the coach, Matt Lafleur have gone
to see him individually to talk him out of it,
(28:38):
and right now he's dug in. I don't get this
notion that I get it that he was upset about
the drafting of Jordan Love, but he came out and
had arguably the best season of his career, won MVP,
and it's gotta be more than that. Rob You you
said yesterday you think it's money, and maybe that's the case.
But to me, what I do agree with Brasshall saying,
(29:01):
I said that I think Rogers is being whiny and
you got a chance. You got a team that could
win a super Bowl. You got one of the best
offensive lines in the league, you got one of the
best receivers in the league, you got one of the
best running backs in the league. If it's just about
Jordan's Love, I mean, you played last year with that
(29:23):
news hovering over you and being upset about it in
this guy in your quarterback room. So I do say,
get over there and go for the super Bowl with
Green Bay. So I do I get brashall centiment and
why he's coming from that angle. I just think Bradshaw
has done this before. He called Mike Tomlin a cheerleader
(29:46):
and that he couldn't coach and he didn't even know
what he was doing or whatever. I mean, do you
remember those comments. I mean, just absolutely so. I've heard
Bradshaw's act and we've heard stuff like that before where
he just goes off the handle. I guess he needed
to find something to criticize a guy who put play
probably his greatest season ever. He said, his footwork is awful,
(30:08):
but he threw forty eight touchdowns. He has the greatest
quarterback passer rating in the history of the NFL. But
he's terrible, Chris, his footwork, he never leans into a throw.
That's incredible because what he's been able to do with
such poor mechanics. That's the first guy I've ever heard
of said you know that they're not You know, he
(30:32):
could have said I'm nitpicking here because he's so good,
but you know what I mean, Chris to kind of
give me like the idea that he's nitpicking, but that's
what it wasn't so, I don't know. I think there's
more to the story. Excuse me, Charlie Castilly. He's a
smart man, was in the NFL, and he's right most
of the time when players are upset like that, it's
(30:54):
about money, Chris. I believe Charlie Castilly I think that
that's the root of it. It can't be Jordan Love
a year later. He was drafted last year. That doesn't
even make sense that now I'm gonna take frustrations out. No,
it doesn't make sense. This guy just played great and
and he wants them to cash out. I just won
(31:17):
the MVP, right, I just played my butt off. And
this was another thing. Another thing Brashaw said. He addressed
that in your comments when he talked about his footwork,
which was a little bizarre. I don't know. Next time
we get a quarterback guru on the show will ask
him um. But he seems to be doing fine with
his footwork. But he also said on the Herd Rob
(31:38):
Today Bradshaw that, uh, you know you signed the contract,
so play it out and contracts will be made to
be broken. It happens all the time team teams. But
but teams have have ripped up contracts and given people
more money because they've outplayed there. I'm just saying it
has been done. It's not like it's never been done.
(32:01):
That's my point. And if you want to make it
done happy you could you could do that that. I mean,
Ezekiel Elliott had a contract Chris Right. He had a contract.
The Cowboys could have played hardball. They decided they needed him.
He was a big part of their team. What did
they do? They made him the rich game, the richest
running back contract ever. It hasn't worked out. But did
(32:21):
they do it? But they did it though, right, Oh
they didn't. That don't mean it's right. Yeah, it looked.
People break contracts all the time. That's all air right.
Castilely also said Rogers has been paid forty eight million
for the first two years of his contract. Per year.
I get the number. So I mean, I'm just saying
I think it has to do with money. I don't
believe it has to do it. And I don't believe
(32:43):
the Jordan love. I just don't. I don't think well.
And then there's also the Brian Goudacus, the gem that
he wants him out. They gotta figure this thing out.
And I think, you know, maybe a lot of this
is just bluff and Rob, you know, maybe it's trying
to get them to trade him. There's a report today
(33:05):
that Denver is going to go Death's going to be
the team that goes the hardest after Aaron Rodgers. And
you got a lot of people out there saying they
wouldn't trade him. I would do everything I could to
keep him. They're built to win now, and so obviously
if you trade him, I don't care who you get,
(33:25):
because Jordan Love, you think is your quarterback of the future.
So I don't know that you're even getting, you know,
a quarterback if you're trade him. And so I think
they gotta try to win now, try to maximize their
time with Aaron Rodgers. And I think he too, you know,
at thirty eight years old. You know, there's talk rod
could he retire, you know, who knows whatever, who knows
(33:48):
what's in his head. Maybe he can host Jeopardy. He's
thirty eight, Maybe he's ready to move on, he's getting married,
you know, maybe looking at another chapter in his life,
or he can do without it if he feels like
it's a hassle to play for Green Bay. I do
think when you're playing at the level he is, and
we've seen it, Barry Sanders, Megatron, Jim Brown, a lot
(34:10):
of guys have walked away still in their prime. So
he wouldn't be the first, but I would think, man
maximize this time because if he plays three or four
more years, Rob at a high level. Even then when
he retires, Heck, when Tom Brady retires, he'll still be
a young man overall, you know what I mean, like
(34:32):
in life. So go ahead, you're still throwing the ball, great,
Aaron Rodgers, go ahead and play this thing out and
go for the super Bowl this year. Yeah. I just
until we're hear from Aaron, I'm just going to it.
There's so many stories. People are looking to make headlines
every day, digging talking to people, you know, So I
(34:54):
get it. That's what newspaper reporters do, and reporters do, Chris,
they dig, look for information. But I guess I just
want to hear. Uh. I'm not. I'm not denying that
there's a conflict. That's that I'm not. I mean Green
Bay is actually yeah, so that that's not the issue.
It's what it's over is what I want to find out.
And you think he's gonna come out and be blunt
(35:15):
about it, No, I just I just think that we
have a better shot at understanding it because he could,
he could. He could. He might not say what it is,
but he could dismiss some of the stuff that's flying around.
You know. I've heard people do that like that's not true.
Like I don't have any issue with the jen He
will certainly be at right, you know what I mean,
like like stuff like that, Like he could say that.
(35:36):
He might not say I want to be paid, I
want more money, and then he won't pay me. Not
people don't do that, Chris. You don't get in front
of him mic and ask for more money. But you
might say, these stories have been so ridiculous out here
about the general manager and me and Jordan Love. He's
a great kid. He's going to be a quarterback. Jordan
Love is me. I was sitting there waiting for uh
(35:58):
you know, uh Brett fall if you know what I mean,
and my chance to play. So I understand it. So
he could he could address some of those things and
then leave it to the to the to to at
least eliminate some of the chatter Chris, And then you
don't have to figure out you would say, okay, so
it's not about that, then it must be about money,
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